Dahlia hadn't met Cecily for three years and was getting older, so she couldn't remember Cecily for a moment.But why didn't Cecily clarify it?Dahlia nodded with a smile and didn't ask any more questions.She said to Raquel, "Raquel, could you please pour a glass of water for Cecily?""Of course, Madam Emerson," Raquel then busied herself with tasks. She not only poured water for Cecily but also prepared the fruits.Austin was quite satisfied with Raquel's attentiveness.Moreover, he could tell that his mother was also pleased with Raquel.As for Cecily, she looked at Raquel and couldn't help but frown.However, in an instant, Cecily turned back to smiling. She took Dahlia's hand and started chatting with her.Austin sat aside, watching Cecily and Dahlia having a cheerful conversation. He didn't interrupt them.Soon, Raquel returned with the fruits.The three women were having a great time, chatting and laughing.Cecily was easy-going with Dahlia and Raquel and was approach
There was an awkwardness in the air.Cecily's face changed as she hadn't expected to see Nancy at the hospital.Austin, on the other hand, looked indifferent. He looked at the thermos flask in Nancy's hand, feeling a sense of melancholy.In the past three years, no matter how ill his mom became, Nancy had never worried about her. But now, she was taking such good care of his mom.After all, before their divorce, Austin's mom was also Nancy's mom.However, Austin had also come to terms with it. The Welch family had never considered him and his mom as family members. It seemed completely normal for Nancy to give her younger brother the money that was supposed to be his mom's medical fees so that her younger brother could use it as a down payment for a house. She had never thought about his mom.Nancy looked at Cecily in astonishment. Her mind went blank.If they hadn't bumped into each other at the hospital, she wouldn't have known that Cecily was back in the country.What she
Urma shrieked loudly.Derek, who was standing beside her, looked distressed. His gaze was fierce. It was as if he wanted to devour Austin and Cecily in one bite.Suddenly, Austin burst into laughter.He stared at Urma fiercely and said, "Urma, are you a dog? Do you try to bite whoever you see? Who is bullying who now? Are you blind?""Who are you talking to? How dare you speak to me like that?" Urma widened her eyes."I'm talking to you!" Austin said coldly.In the past, because of Nancy, he had always endured mistreatment from the Welch family.But now that they were divorced, why should he continue to tolerate it?"Austin! Shut up! She is my mother!" Nancy cried and stomped her foot angrily. "You're a bastard! And you, Cecily, are a bitch. You two planned this a long time ago!"She reacted this way not only because she was angry with Cecily for not telling her that she was back and meeting up with Austin first, but also because Nancy knew that Austin had deliberately planned
The Porsche 911 got on the road.Inside the car, Austin gratefully said to Cecily, "Thank you for earlier."What Cecily did earlier caught him off guard.From what he remembered, this was the only time Cecily had lost her composure.But Austin understood that everything she did was to help him."The Welch family has gone overboard," Cecily said. She was clearly still angry. "I feel sorry for all the times you've suffered under their roof."Austin smiled, "But you looked cute when you were angry."Ever since Nancy took away the 200 thousand dollars that was supposed to be for his mom, Austin had completely lost hope in the Welch family and Nancy.Nancy didn't care about his mom. He realized that no matter how much he loved Nancy, he couldn't accept her anymore.Whether it was because of what the Welch family did or Nancy's cruel personality, he didn't think there was anything wrong with what Cecily had done.In fact, if Cecily hadn't done that, he would probably have reacted i
Austin smiled and jokingly said, "Why do you make it sound so serious? Do I still have that much charm?""I don't even know when I fell in love with you," Cecily said while sobbing. Her voice was filled with pity and helplessness.Love knew no reason, but it ran deep …Austin hesitated.Suddenly, he didn't know how to respond to Cecily.Seeing that Austin was hesitating, Cecily suddenly threw herself at him.Their eyes met, and the dim yellow streetlights cast a faint glow on Cecily's face, making her look pitiful and enchanting.She held Austin's face in her hands. Her red lips were trembling, "I don't care about your past. I only want to have a future with you. I want to help you reach your full potential and go to places you're meant to go, instead of being with Nancy and her family, who only know how to take advantage of you."After saying that, she leaned forward.And … she kissed him.In that instant, Austin's body stiffened. He felt the softness on his lips, and his mi
Cecily's reply left Austin puzzled.When he returned to his rented room, the lights were still on.Aldus sat on the couch with his eyes closed.Austin smiled and asked, "Aldus, you haven't slept yet?""Sir, Ezra called," Aldus opened his eyes and said with a serious tone.He continued, "Ezra rushed back to the family home overnight. And Taylor also hasn't left Isonburg."Austin asked, "What happened?"Ezra was the assistant sent by his father, whom he had never met. For him to return to the family home so suddenly meant that something must have happened.Moreover, it had to be related to Taylor. Otherwise, Aldus wouldn't have mentioned both of them together."I don't know yet," Aldus shook his head, "but from what Ezra said over the phone, it seems to be related to Taylor."Suddenly, Austin found it somewhat amusing.A father he had never met wanted him to return to inherit the family fortune. But now, Ezra had to return to the family home overnight just because of what Tayl
She had not a single idea about the boycott notice on Dominion Properties from beginning to end.Dave signed the notice as a representative of her and Dominion!"Ms. Graham, this is a standard industry practice. Dominion has offended the industry."Dave pretended to be caught in a dilemma and said, "If we don't do this, we will also be boycotted by other colleagues. Although Yandell is the top material supplier in Isonburg, we cannot bear such pressure."After a pause, Dave lowered his voice a bit, seemingly complaining, "Moreover, the contract we signed with Dominion was already at an extremely low price. This will lead to more competition in the industry. This is an opportunity for us to terminate the contract.""Do you think I'm a toddler?" Cecily was furious.She pointed her finger at the folder. "The contract has already been signed, and you're telling me about the boycott now? Even if Yandell has to pay a price to work with Dominion, so what? Dominion is a golden goose. Sud
After Austin left the company, Matt clapped and said, "Did you all hear that? Austin will find a solution. Back then, he mentioned that the west city slum redevelopment project wouldn't suffer any losses. I'm sure everyone knew how it went, right? We have to believe in him, so let's get to work now!"The anxious employees smiled in response. Ever since Austin bought Dominion and the property prices in west city skyrocketed, their trust in him peaked.A cab zoomed across Heavensgate Residence and halted before the front gate of a villa. As Austin emerged from the car, he glanced at the villa before him. Shortly after, his gaze roved over another villa in the distance.He remembered he'd bought that one.He flashed a confident smile as he remarked, "Taylor, no matter how powerful you are, you can't unleash your full potential here. There's no way you can have your way here."From what Aldus told him last night and what happened this afternoon, it was easy for him to guess that i
Austin never expected that Nancy would come back.As he returned to the Tetra Club, he remained sullen, his eyes dark with unresolved anger.Seeing Austin like this, Cecily felt a pang of sadness.She gently tried to comfort him, "It's all in the past now, isn't it? I'm here with you, and we have our baby on the way.""I can't just let it go," Austin shook his head."The best I can do is not seek revenge against them, but to truly forgive and forget—I can't do that."The actions of Nancy's family were still fresh in his memory.Austin wasn't someone who sought revenge for every slight, but he was far from the kind of person who could simply forgive and forget, moving on with a carefree "Hallelujah."Dahlia's despair as she lay in bed, the arrogance and cruelty of the Welch family…In the eyes of the Welch family, Dahlia's life wasn't worth as much as Harvey's wedding.Even when the time had passed and he was about to finally be happy with Cecily, the Welch family not only dem
After leaving this city, Nancy put in a tremendous amount of effort to "rebirth" herself.Meeting Ethan had shown her a different side of life.While he wasn't part of the uppermost echelons of wealth and power, he had enough. Most importantly, he treated her with the utmost respect.She understood Ethan's background, which made that respect all the more valuable.A man of his stature could have any woman he wanted in his bed the same night.Yet Ethan had shown her incredible patience, making her question whether the rumors about him were true.Tonight, returning to this city was her way of bidding farewell to the past and embracing the future.After all, people need to look forward, don't they?Meanwhile, Ethan was feeling more dejected than he'd ever been.Lying in his luxurious bed in Brook Villa, he couldn't sleep, tossing and turning restlessly.He had hoped to establish a connection with Austin. A figure like him would be incredibly valuable to have on his side.He tho
The river breeze was cool, and the lights reflected on the water flickered softly.The figure in front of them wore a long black coat, standing quietly by the railing. Her fair, delicate profile, partially obscured by a few strands of windblown hair, carried a hint of melancholy."Sir, Mrs. Campbell, is something wrong?" Aldus noticed the change and quickly stepped forward to inquire."Let's go home," Austin suddenly said, his previously cheerful expression now somber, with a touch of disdain.Go home? They had just arrived.Aldus was surprised and quickly followed Austin's gaze. When he saw what Austin was looking at, he immediately understood.Without a word, he turned to leave with Austin.But a soft hand gently grabbed Austin's arm."It's been so many years, aren't you going to say hello?" Cecily asked."I have no desire to greet her," Austin said, his disdain clear and unhidden.Three years of marriage, filled with nothing but pain.Even when Dahlia was gravely ill, Nan
After a busy day, just as Austin was about to finish up, a new invitation appeared on his desk."Who delivered this?" Austin asked."Ethan," Wolf replied.Austin chuckled, didn't bother opening the invitation, and instead tossed it directly into the trash."I've got to get home to Cecily."When he returned to the Bamboo Parlor at Tetra Club, Raquel had already prepared a delicious dinner.The dishes were beautifully presented, with vibrant colors and enticing aromas.After dinner, Austin and Ezra stepped out into the courtyard."Mr. Lockwood, any news from the Campbells about my dad?" Austin asked, the text message from Walter still weighing heavily on his mind.Considering the Campbells' efforts to find Walter, and given their intelligence resources, they should have been some leads by now.But Ezra shook his head. "Nothing, Not a trace.""The Campbells' intelligence network has never been this weak, has it?" Austin frowned, speaking in a low tone.Ezra gave a wry smile. "
"Childhood?"Austin stopped his workout, wiped the sweat from his face, and smiled bitterly.His childhood had been bleak.Only Dahlia had brought some light into the darkness.Seeing Austin's pained smile, Aldus immediately realized his mistake.He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Sir. I spoke without thinking. You don't need to answer that.""It's fine," Austin replied, gesturing towards a nearby bench, and inviting Aldus to sit with him.Once they were seated, Austin slowly began to speak. "There's not much to tell about my childhood. It was mostly just being called an 'illegitimate child' and living day to day, never knowing where my next meal would come from."If it weren't for my mom fighting tooth and nail to raise me, I'd probably be dead by now."With just a few simple words, he conveyed a world of suffering.Aldus felt a wave of guilt. He had only been trying to find clues from Austin's past that might explain his exceptional combat instincts and incredible physical
Austin's gaze softened as warmth flooded his heart.Who hasn't longed for a light left on just for them in a sea of lights? But in reality, how many actually have that?Cecily did that for him.Given her background, the fact that she went to such lengths truly surprised Austin.In the three years he spent in the past, he had never experienced something like this.His nose tingled with emotion as he pulled Cecily into his arms, speaking softly, "Thank you. Marrying you is the greatest fortune of my life.""Alright, alright, I asked Raquel to prepare breakfast earlier this morning. You go to the dining room, and I'll have her bring it over," Cecily said as she gently slipped out of Austin's embrace, her graceful smile lighting up her eyes."Doesn't Bamboo Parlor have a kitchen?" Austin asked, curious.Cecily gave him a playful look. "The chairs in the living room are so hard, and you spent the whole night on one—how could you have slept well? If Raquel had been clattering around
The room fell into a heavy silence."Deactivating the phone number… was Dad trying to prevent me from tracking his location?" Austin murmured with a frown.Ezra pondered for a moment, his voice low and serious. "Perhaps he was more concerned about someone else tracking him."Austin's eyes widened in realization.Of course—if Walter could send him a message to let him know he was safe, he wouldn't be worried about Austin tracking himDeactivating the phone was likely to prevent others from tracing his location."But who is he trying to avoid?"Ezra shook his head, remaining silent.Having followed Walter for many years, he knew the man's temperament and habits. But this time, he was truly baffled.He couldn't even begin to piece together a clue.Taking a deep breath, Ezra forced a bitter smile. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss this time, sir. There's no sign of anything unusual from the Campbells either."This statement only deepened Austin's confusion.If there were anyone who cou
Austin knocked softly on the door.Almost immediately, he heard the sound of shuffling from inside.Ezra opened the door, his face full of curiosity. "Sir, what's going on?"Austin quickly made a shushing gesture, worried about disturbing Cecily.Then he gently pushed Ezra back into the room."Sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Lockwood," Austin said.Ezra smiled. "It's no trouble at all. The older you get, the less you need. I was just reading."Austin glanced at the book on Ezra's bedside table and couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.This old rascal!Ezra blushed and quickly shoved the book under his pillow.Austin sat on the bed and pulled up the text message from Walter, showing it to Ezra."I just received this message."When Ezra read the text, his eyes lit up with a sharp gleam, and he was overjoyed. "This is from Mr. Walter!"Austin nodded, his expression serious. "But I've sent several messages back, and there's been no reply. I called twice—once it was immedi
"The underground king of Eastbrook bows down."This news swept through Eastbrook like a storm.Ethan knew that by doing this, he would become the laughingstock of the entire city. But he also knew he had no choice—he had to do it!Even if he became a joke, he would remain the underground king. But if he refused to lower his head, he would end up a dead man.He understood the situation perfectly.In fact, that very night, a message was released from Brook Villa.No one is to compete for the land!This is a clear warning to all real estate companies in Eastbrook. It was also a gesture of goodwill toward Austin.But Austin didn't pay it much mind.If not for Derrick's involvement, he had no idea how Ethan would have responded—but Austin knew his response would have been much tougher.A mere city's underground king? He didn't even compare to the richest man in Basin City or the capital—he wasn't even worthy of carrying their shoes!After leaving Brook Villa, Austin didn't linger