Robert growled angrily, "You've abused my trust and hurt Jennifer while frolicking with that shameless woman. Do you really think you're old enough to escape my grasp?""Grandpa, I don't like being threatened. You don't need to threaten me with Jordan or the company. I'm the one in control of the Lance family now. It won't affect me in the slightest if that useless brat comes in."After hearing Maxwell, Robert began coughing violently from his anger."Grandpa!" Maxwell was startled and hurriedly patted Robert's back. "Where's your medicine? Let me get it for you."Robert pushed him away. "No need! I've finally realized that I've raised an ungrateful child!""What do you want from me, Grandpa?" Maxwell rubbed his temples. "Rachel is just a powerless woman. Why do you hate her so much?"Robert sneered disdainfully. "Her? Powerless? If she were, how did she manage to ruin Jennifer's reputation? Fortunately, Dr. Lowe stepped in to clear Jennifer's name. Listen to me, and cut ties wit
The house was pitch black when Maxwell returned. He turned on the lights and could feel his anger boiling within! He called Michael and asked coldly, "Why is it taking so long for you to investigate something? Do you have any results?"Michael could tell that Maxwell was in a bad mood and quickly replied, "I was just about to report to you. Dr. Lowe has been leading his team in research abroad for the past three years. "Although he is known as a lecturer at Haven University, he hasn't actually taught there. I've also investigated his flight records. He only came back a few times in the past three years, and each time was just to visit family. He probably didn't have the opportunity to develop anything with Mrs. Lance.""What about Jennifer's classmates?" Maxwell pressed on. "Is she close to any of them?"Michael replied, "I've checked the school. Mrs. Lance hasn't been particularly close to any male students, nor has she been involved in any rumors with anyone. Also, Dr. Lowe h
"Of course, it has everything to do with you!" Lorraine's eyes darted around before she said, "Your grandpa favors Maxwell so much because he married Jennifer. After all, Jennifer's mother helped your grandpa undergo that surgery that no one dared to perform. "But Maxwell isn't cherishing her. If Jennifer had married you, your mother-in-law would have been your grandpa's lifesaver. Then, you would be…"Jordan quickly interrupted her, "Mom! What are you talking about? Jennifer is Maxwell's wife. I'm the revered second son of the Lance family. How could I take Maxwell's hand-me-downs? Besides, I'm only 24. I'm not in a rush to get married!"He wasn't ready to settle down yet!Lorraine shook her head. "Why can't you understand? We can use Jennifer to gain favor with your grandpa and obtain Lance Group. Once your grandpa passes away, you can kick her out, and I'll find you a girl from a good family. Then we'll have everything."Jordan recalled how Robert had always treated Jennifer l
Robert remembered there were a few casualties from last year's tornado, so he didn't feel at ease letting Jennifer go to school alone. Therefore, he reminded Jordan, "Remember to ensure Jennifer gets to school safely. And remember to bring her home too, understand?"Jordan immediately nodded. "Leave it to me, Grandpa."Jennifer felt she would come across as ungrateful if she continued to refuse. So, she awkwardly said to Jordan, "Sorry for the trouble."The next morning, after Jordan and Jennifer had breakfast, they headed out. It was indeed storming outside. "Jennifer, it seems like this will be the norm for the entire week," Jordan said while holding an umbrella for her. "I have to pass your school on the way to work, anyway. And Grandpa is worried about you too, so he asked me to take care of you on behalf of my brother." Jennifer didn't take the passenger seat but chose to sit in the back. She deliberately kept some distance from Jordan. "I'm sure this is a huge inconvenie
"Shut the fuck up! Don't embarrass me here!" Jordan was afraid of being overheard, so he tried to pull her away. But Bridget refused to give up and angrily scolded, "Did you find another woman? Who's the bitch that seduced you this time?"The crowd of onlookers grew and were now whispering among themselves. Jordan's dignity was shattered. He pointed at the crowd and yelled, "What are you looking at? Get the hell back to work!"He then turned to Bridget. "If you don't leave now, I'll call security to kick you out!"But Bridget wouldn't give up. She shrieked hysterically, "You promised that you'd invest in my movie! Are you going back on your words?"Jordan narrowed his eyes and sneered. "Have you looked in the mirror recently? If I'd invested in you, wouldn't I just be throwing money away?""You're a big fat liar, Jordan Lance! You seduced me and won't take responsibility!" Bridget accused him loudly, wishing to attract more people to expose Jordan's true colors. But Jordan h
Maxwell immediately felt a surge of anger and felt insulted. He asked coldly, "When did Jordan leave?'"He only just left." After Michael said this, Maxwell grabbed his coat and disappeared from the office.At Haven University's gates, Jordan's red Ferrari was very eye-catching. He didn't notice that he was being tailed.Bridget stared fixedly at his car, her eyes filled with jealousy and anger. She was determined to find out who stole Jordan's heart this time.It seemed that the bitch was still a college student! How shameless!But she didn't expect to see Jennifer walking up to Jordan's car. Moreover, the latter even personally helped Jennifer with the car door. He was being unusually attentive and considerate.Bridget widened her eyes in disbelief. Were Jordan and Jennifer having an affair?She gritted her teeth in hatred. She had been competing with Jennifer since childhood, but she never expected that Jennifer would also compete with her over a man!But Bridget was smarter
Jordan grabbed the car keys and headed out without giving Jennifer a chance to refuse. On the way to school, Jordan would steal glances at Jennifer from the rearview mirror. "You're all dressed up today, Jennifer. Are you going on a date with Maxwell?""No," Jennifer said awkwardly. "There's an award ceremony at school today. They're commemorating me for saving someone.""Oh... that!" Jordan said sincerely, "When I saw those slanderous comments, I didn't pay them any attention. I've always believed that you were a kind and qualified doctor. It seems my judgment was correct."Jennifer felt melancholic. Even someone like Jordan, who wasn't very close to her, was willing to believe in her. But Maxwell had doubted her and accused her of causing the death of Rachel's grandmother. Bitterness welled up within Jennifer.Just then, Jordan sighed. "I envy you, Jennifer. Despite the misunderstanding, everyone still adores you. Unlike me."Jennifer was taken aback and asked instinctively,
Finally, it was time for the award presentation. Maxwell remained calm and composed. He was dressed in a neat and expensive black suit. His tall figure stood before Jennifer, and he handed the honor certificate to her personally."Jennifer Yale, you shouldn't care about how others view you. Do what you believe is right." He met her gaze as he said thisJennifer's heart swelled with happiness. Was he acknowledging her innocence? She knew how much she valued Maxwell's acknowledgment more than anyone else's.When she took the certificate, Maxwell's fingertips unintentionally touched hers. Jennifer felt a surge of electricity spreading from her fingertips throughout her body. But Maxwell had already withdrawn his hand and stood beside her for a photo.It was only then that Jennifer realized, apart from their marriage portrait, that this was the first photo she had taken with Maxwell in the two years they had been together. They didn't have wedding photos, nor did they have selfies or
Laura cried in Simon's arms for what felt like an eternity before finally lifting her head. Her voice carried a hint of grievance as she said, "Why wouldn't you believe me? I told you someone was following me, but you still didn't trust me."Simon gently wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry. That's on me."But Laura shoved him aside, her tone defiant. "Spare me the fake concern. I've reported it to the police, so it doesn't matter whether you show up or not."A flicker of amusement passed through Simon's dark eyes as he studied her. "Really?""Of course!" Laura lifted her chin, as if she weren't afraid of anything. "I'm trained in martial arts and can protect myself. Besides, the police are involved. Even without you, I'm not scared."Simon couldn't help but chuckle. Suddenly, his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close again. "Who was trembling in fear earlier? The same person who stayed holed up in the bedroom all night because she was too afraid to come out?" he teased in
Only then did Maxwell understand the reason behind Jennifer's anxiety. He grabbed her arm and said, "Why does it have to be you? What about Simon? Didn't you say they had made up? "This kind of damsel-in-distress situation should be his job. It feels like we're overstepping if we take matters into our own hands, don't you think?""What's wrong with that? Laura is my best friend! If I don't help her now, who will?" Jennifer shot Maxwell an irritated look before adding, "This is the perfect chance to show Laura that she can't rely on Simon. Otherwise, she'll just fall deeper for him. Well, unless he's willing to marry her. Do you think he will?"Maxwell softened his tone and replied, "Let's set aside the question of whether he will marry her or not. Think about it. If Laura stays with us, she'll have to watch us all lovey-dovey, living our happy family life. How do you think that will make her feel?"I know she's your best friend, but this is just how humans are. We can't help but
Laura anxiously waited as the police retrieved the surveillance footage. But in the end, all they told her was that the alley she had mentioned was in an area slated for demolition. Hence, no cameras had been installed there. When she suggested they start investigating from the street where her office was located, the officer replied, "Miss, if we follow your suggestion, it would require a massive undertaking."We have other cases to handle as well. Please, go home and wait. If we find anything, we'll notify you immediately, okay?"Laura's urgency stemmed from how terrified she felt. After all, it was the first time she had been followed. Still, she didn't want to make things difficult for anyone. Since the police officers had made their stance clear, she decided not to press further and relented. Before leaving, she couldn't help but plead, "Please, do your best to look into this as soon as possible. Contact me immediately if there's any news."With that, she left the station,
Laura's heart pounded violently in her chest. She immediately pulled out her phone, instinctively thinking of calling Simon. However, she remembered they weren't on speaking terms, so she dialed Jennifer's number instead. A nurse answered the phone. "Hello, Dr. Susan is currently in surgery. Please call back in two hours."Left with no choice, Laura reluctantly called Simon. His deep voice came through almost immediately. "Hello, what is it?"Simon's voice, though pleasant, held an icy undertone. Laura knew he was still angry. But right now, someone was following her. She couldn't afford to care about anything else—not even her pride.She gripped the phone tightly, her voice trembling as she said, "S-Someone's following me. Can you come pick me up?""What?" Simon's response was indifferent. Then, he mockingly added, "Aren't you a martial arts expert? A good fighter, right? What's there to fear from a thief?"After all, Britney hadn't been able to secure her interview with hi
Simon finally looked up from his computer screen and gave Alex a stern look. "Do you not understand what I said, or do you have nothing better to do? Should I assign you more tasks?""No… No need for that! I'll leave now." After being scolded, Alex left the office dejectedly. Britney was still waiting downstairs. Seeing him come out, she rushed up eagerly. "So? How did it go?"Alex scratched his head and forced a smile. "Mr. Moore said… Ms. Scott needs to come in person." Britney sighed, disappointment written all over her face. "I knew it!" Alex was about to console her when she suddenly broke into a bright smile. "Still, coming here today wasn't a total waste. At least I ran into my high school classmate and got your number!"She winked at him playfully and added, "We're both from out of town. So, we've got to look out for each other!"Alex was flustered and nodded. "Of course!""Well, I'll get going then. Let's keep in touch!" Britney shrugged off the rejection. Althou
Britney hesitated but finally gave in. "Fine, I'll give it a try." … With Laura's task weighing heavily on her shoulders, Britney set off for Valor Law Firm solemnly.As expected, it turned out exactly as she had imagined. She was turned away almost immediately.She recalled the last time she had come here with Laura. Back then, Laura had also waited for a long time. Determined to ace the interview, Britney decided to stick around and wait. Surely Simon would meet her, considering how she always supported him and Laura and had even tipped him off before. "Britney!" A voice suddenly called out. Britney turned around and her eyes lit up with surprise. "Alex? What are you doing here?" Britney added, "I had some business here. Wow, you've changed so much since high school! Do you work here? Everyone here looks so formal in their suits.""Yes, I work here." Alex was happy to see a classmate. "Are you here because of some trouble? Do you need a lawyer?"Britney explaine
After leaving Simon's office, Laura headed straight to the studio. The workday had ended when she arrived, and all her colleagues had left. Laura sat at her desk, turned on her computer, and began writing down everything she had seen and heard today. With her fingers furiously typing away, she poured out the full story of Brooks Group's workplace incident. Whether it was out of anger or agitation, the keyboard clattered loudly beneath her hands.In just 20 minutes, she had completed a full article. As she typed the last word, she began to calm down. Looking at the article that was filled with sympathy for Nick's family and criticism of Brooks Group, Laura realized she was betraying her journalistic integrity.She hesitated before deleting the draft. After all, she was a reporter. She shouldn't bring her personal feelings into her work. This article contained too much of her own bias. Such a news piece would be unprofessional. Laura sighed. She checked her phone but ther
Laura had to accept reality. Simon feigned nonchalance. "Wait for me. I have some work to finish, and then I'll take you out for dinner, alright?"Laura sat quietly on the couch nearby, listening to the sound of him typing on his computer. Her heart tightened.Her mind replayed the events of how she and Britney had gone to interview the victim's parents. Their cries echoed in her ears as did Simon's conversation with William. Finally, Laura walked over to him. "The work you're handling... Is it related to Brooks Group?" Simon paused and looked at her. "How do you know about this case?" Laura replied truthfully, "My boss assigned me to interview the victims. I... I just visited the family this afternoon and got back from the countryside not long ago.""I see." Simon didn't think much of it and even teased, "Well, it looks like we might see each other more often now. You could say we're mixing business with pleasure." Laura wasn't in the mood to joke. "Are you going to
But it seemed like Simon was slowly warming up, though Laura couldn't tell if it was just her imagination. Laura tapped Britney on the back of her head. "What are you daydreaming about?"Britney answered solemnly, "I'm worried about you, Laura! Let's check things out at Valor Law Firm tomorrow, okay? After all, each side has its own version of the story. Maybe Mr. Moore will have a completely different explanation tomorrow." Laura felt a sense of unease. When they reached the city center, she got out of the car. "Go back to the studio on your own. I... I need to take a walk." Britney knew Laura was planning to see Simon to clarify things. So, she didn't press the matter and drove off.Laura headed straight to Valor Law Firm. The receptionist saw her and asked, "Do you have an appointment, Ms. Scott? Mr. Moore is currently in a meeting.""It's fine. I'll just wait for him here." Laura had just sat down when she noticed Alex coming in. Alex walked over eagerly. "Are y