《Single Mom&#x27;s Sweet Husband (Charlotte)》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    Even though it was already four in the morning, it was still brightly lit everywhere in River City.

    After a sleepless night, Charlotte Emerson gazed out of the window with a nk look.

    All she could think about was what the gynecological doctor had said to her during the daytime.

    She was pregnant.

    Charlotte gritted her teeth and silently shed tears.

    She had no idea about the one-night stand a month ago. She couldn''t even remember the man''s

    face and voice.

    She could only remember him thrusting his hip into her over and over again.

    "Charlotte, open the door!"

    While she was in a daze, she heard a loud noise outside the door. Charlotte opened her eyes.

    Outside of the window, the sun was already hanging high.

    "You disgraceful child, how dare you do such a thing!"

    Before Charlotte could react, her father had kicked the door open.

    Timothy Emerson stood by the door with anger in his eyes. The report in his hand rustled as he

    tightened his clench on it.

    Charlotte, who had just woken up, felt aggrieved. She wondered how she had provoked her ''good

    father''.

    "Timothy, Lottie is still young. If you have anything to say, say it nicely. Don''t get so angry. Look,

    Lottie is terrified," ine Emersonforted Timothy softly.

    As she looked at the two people she hated the most in her life, who appeared before her at the

    same time, Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows.

    "Please leave!" she said.

    "You still have the nerve to ask me to leave?" Timothy was so furious that his face flushed red like

    pork liver.

    Looking at her father, who seemed to have be an entirely different person, Charlotte retorted

    coldly, "What about you? My mother died less than a month ago, but you married my best friend

    and made her my stepmother. Haha, I have a stepmom who is twenty years old. Who knows how

    many people would beughing at us if they know about this!"

    There was a loud p.

    "You b*tch!"

    Timothy''s heavy pnded on Charlotte''s cheek.

    Charlotte, who was willful and headstrong, didn''t shed a single tear. Instead, she doubled down and

    red at Timothy, "Beat me to death if you could. This way, everyone would be at peace."

    She resented the man in front of her so much. He ruined her life and made her aughing stock.

    Upon hearing this, Timothy couldn''t help but raise his hand, but was stopped by ine.

    "Lottie is pregnant now. You can''t hit her."

    Charlotte looked up and stared at ine in shock.

    She had just gone to the hospital for an examination yesterday, and ine already knew that she

    was pregnant.

    "You''re really your mother''s daughter!" Timothy threw the report at Charlotte out of rage before

    turning to leave.

    There were only Charlotte and ine left in the room.

    "Lottie, what happened? Who is the father of the child?"

    ine acted like a caring mother, but she only made Lottie feel nauseous.

    She said to ine icily, "My dad has left. You can stop pretending to care about me."

    "Lottie, I really care about you. We are best friends," ine said with an injured look.

    She tried to hold Charlotte''s hand, but theter shook her hand off.

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    "My best friend? I think you see me as an utter fool! I''ve be a joke at school because my best

    friend has be my stepmother."

    Charlotte would never forget the day when ine to ''visit'' her as an excuse to have sex with her

    father.

    Whenever Charlotte thought of it, she felt very disgusted and wanted to throw up.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    Seeing Charlotte remain adamant, ine didn''t want to flog a dead horse anymore.

    She said bluntly, "Lottie, now that you''re pregnant, your father wants you to abort the child and go

    abroad to study."

    "Abort the child? Study abroad?"

    Charlotte sneered at ine, "Why should I let you decide?"

    ine smiled and ced her hand on her abdomen. "I''m pregnant. Your father doesn''t want the

    child in my belly to be humiliated because of you."

    ine''s words shocked Charlotte once again.

    Timothy was having another child at such an old age!

    Then, Charlotte seemed to have realized something. Her gaze sharpened. "ine, you had nned

    all of this, hadn''t you?"

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    On the night when Charlotte lost her virginity, it was her 18th birthday.

    As the eldest daughter of the Emerson family, her birthday party was grand and festive. There were

    a lot of guests, and ine was the one who invited them and prepared everything.

    For the sake of the child in her belly, ine would do anything to set Charlotte up.

    Seeing that Charlotte caught on so soon, ine apuded sarcastically, "Looks like you aren''t as

    stupid as I thought. Even so, you don''t have any evidence against me, and your father won''t even

    believe you."

    ine''s words were like a bolt from the blue, and Charlotte was utterly shocked.

    Right now, her rtionship with her father was very rocky. Her exnation would be nothing more

    than an excuse to him.

    Seeing that Charlotte was no longer as confident and intimidating as before, ine raised her chin

    proudly. "Hurry up and get ready. The car is waiting downstairs."

    As she spoke, she turned around and went out.

    Charlotte put her arms around herself and curled up on the bed. Her mind was nk.

    Ever since she was a toddler, she had always been the apple of her parents'' eyes, the beloved

    daughter of the Emerson family.

    However, after her mother had died in a car crash a year ago, the entire Emerson family had

    undergone earth-shaking changes.

    Her father became cold and heartless, while her best friend became her stepmother. All these

    changes overwhelmed her.

    Now, the little life in her belly ended up being her only family.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    Five yearster.

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    At the international airport in River City, a tall woman with skin white as porcin was catching the

    attention of many.-

    Albeit there was a pair of big sunsses on her exquisite face, it still failed to conceal her beauty.

    The little girl she was holding hands with was as delicate as a ceramic doll, nobody could tear their

    eyes away from her.

    "Mommy, is this the ce where you grew up?" After ncing around, the four-year-old Sheryl

    Emerson raised her head and asked in a childish voice.

    As she pushed her luggage, Charlotte replied, "That''s right."

    "So is daddy here as well?" Sheryl hesitated for a moment before she asked carefully.

    Hearing this question, Charlotte''s heart shuddered. She stopped in her tracks and crouched down

    to meet Sheryl''s eyes.

    For a moment, she did not know how to answer.

    Five years ago, she didn''t have the heart to abort the child. On the way to the hospital, she chose to

    escape.

    Now, looking at the lively and adorable Sheryl, Charlotte was even more sure about her decision

    back then.

    "Alright, mommy, daddy isn''t very important anyway!" Seeing that Charlotte was quiet, Sheryl, who

    was perceptive and bright,forted her mother.

    "Lottie, Sheryl!" A familiar voice interrupted Lottie''s thoughts.

    "Aunt Jane!" Sheryl was the first to react. By the time Charlotte nced over, Sheryl had already

    thrown herself into someone else''s arms.

    This was Anne Jane, Charlotte''s roommate, who she had stayed with during her first year abroad.

    As two international students in a foreign country, they appreciated each other''spany. After

    learning about what happened to Charlotte, Anne treated Charlotte with all her heart. Over time,

    they became besties who were joined at the hip.

    Charlotte was working and studying overseas at the same time. Since she was hardworking, she

    had spent half the timepared to others to master her architectural design degree and

    sessfully be a rising Steph in the field.

    "I''ve gotten the ce you''ll be staying in ready. I also sent in your resume. You should check your

    mailbox when you get there."

    Anne returned home a year before Charlotte, so she was more familiar with the current domestic

    affairs than Charlotte was.

    Aftering out of the airport, Anne drove to the ce where Charlotte was going to live.

    Upon hearing this arrangement, Charlotte felt grateful from the bottom of her heart. She gently

    stroked Sheryl''s head.

    Sheryl was a bright child. She immediately caught on to what her mommy was thinking. She said to

    Anne in a sweet voice, "Thank you, Aunt Jane. When I grow up, I will definitely buy you a lot of

    lollipops."

    The child''s naivety cracked the two adults up. However, behind the smile, the two subconsciously

    exchanged nces.

    There was sorrow in Charlotte''s eyes.

    Anne had arranged for Charlotte to stay in the city center of River City. The transportation services,

    living space, and all kinds of facilities were well-equipped.

    It was about three in the afternoon by the time they finished unpacking.

    Due to jetg, Sheryl had fallen asleep.

    Whereas the two adults were still up and exhausted. But since they didn''t feel like moving, they

    ordered takeout andy on the sofa to talk.

    "Now that you''re back here, have you thought of how you''re going to face the challenges before

    you?" Anne said, ncing at Charlotte.

    Charlotte looked out of the window. After a long time, she replied, "For Sheryl, I can face anything."

    Seeing the determination in Charlotte''s eyes, Anne got a sense that Charlotte was no longer the

    Charlotte she met half a decade ago.

    "By the way, I have news for you. The Emerson family is holding a banquet next Friday. It''s going to

    be grand. All the prominent figures of River City are invited."

    Emerson family. It was something she hadn''t heard in a long time.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    "Are you invited?" Charlotte suddenly looked up at Anne.

    Anne was stunned but she nodded. She retrieved Emerson family''s invitation card from her purse

    and handed it to Charlotte.-

    Anne was the Second Lady of the Jane family in River City. Moreover, as she had studied abroad,

    surely she''d receive an invitation.

    As she looked at the gold- pressed card, Charlotte rxed her brows and a smile appeared on her

    lips.

    "What are you going to do?" Looking at Charlotte''s eerie smile, Anne felt a chill on her back.

    "I left in a hurry back then, and I didn''t manage to take the contract my mother left me.

    The current Emerson Corporation was thete Mrs. Emerson''s family business. As her only

    daughter, Charlotte already had ten per cent of the shares of Emerson Corporation since she was

    born.

    Although this proportion was not enough to reign over Emerson Corporation, selling these shares

    would be enough to give Emerson Corporation a headache.

    Now that she was back, she will never let ine, an outsider, monopolize Emerson Corporation.

    "By the way, how are you going to find Sheryl''s father? It''s been so many years. Don''t tell me that

    you''re actually nning to find him. It''ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack." Anne suddenly

    thought of another matter.

    "Look at her adorable face. Sheryl''s father must be a good-looking man."

    Charlotte''s expression immediately became stern. She raised her head to look at the room where

    Sheryl was.

    The most important purpose of her return was to find Sheryl''s father, but she didn''t know anything

    about him other than the lovely daughter he left her with!

    "Unless he''s dead, no matter how hard it is, I''ll definitely find him!" Charlotte turned around and said

    firmly to Anne.

    At this moment, in the president''s office of Fuller Group''s building.

    "Achoo!"

    The man who was reading a quarterly report sneezed. This alerted his personal assistant, Zack

    Giles, who went to the window and shut it right away.

    However, at this time, there was amotion outside the door.

    There was a young woman d in luxurious clothing and essories. Her wine-red wavy hair

    made her look very charming and coquettish.

    Wearing 10- centimeter stiletto heels, she looked sumptuous. Before her delicate fingers could

    touch the door, a group of secretaries blocked her.

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    "Miss Lane, the president gave his order. No one is allowed to enter without his permission," one of

    the secretaries muttered in a low voice.

    Yuliana Lane smiled disappeared. She said, "Are you blind? I am Mr. Fuller''s fiancee, not just

    anyone!"

    As she spoke, Yuliana tried to force her way into Shane Fuller''s office. She was confident that she

    would get in this time around.

    So, she shoved the secretary before her out of the way.

    Themotion was so loud that Shane frowned with displeasure. Zack got the cue and opened the

    door in a hurry.

    Without waiting for Zack to speak, Yuliana pushed him aside and entered the office.

    She flipped her long hair aside, revealing her fair neck as a smile blossomed on her face. She was

    totally different from what she had been when she had been outside.

    Her alluring eyes fell on the man at the desk.

    Shane was wearing a ck suit and a ck shirt, he exuded an aura of elegance and enigma.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    Yuliana''s arrival did not prompt Shane to look up. Instead, his gaze remained on the report in his

    hand. His tone was cold, "What''s the matter?"

    With a smile, Yuliana took a few steps forward and bent down slightly. Her cleavage spilled out, as

    well as a jade pendant on her chest.

    "My elder sister is having a birthday party for my nephew next Friday. She specifically sent me here

    to invite you."

    As she spoke, she deliberately inched closer. She doubted that Shane would not be swayed by her

    large breasts.

    "I don''t have the time." Unfortunately, Shane didn''t look up. He straight out declined Yuliana''s

    invitation.

    The reason he could tolerate Yuliana''s presence was all due to what she had done for him five

    years ago.

    She had saved him by sacrificing her virginity.

    After being rejected, Yuliana was instantly filled with rage. Ever since she had pretended to be the

    girl who had slept with Shane five years ago, she could get anything she wanted with the snap of a

    finger. Yet, Shane didn''t seem to be interested in her at all, not to mention giving her his attention.

    However, on second thought, Shane was the sole heir of Fuller Group. He was outstanding in

    appearance and capability. He was the man whom every woman in River City fawned over. She

    couldn''t afford to lose this golden goose at this critical moment.

    Thus, she put on an even brighter smile and said to Shane, "Anyway, you still have time to consider.

    You must be busy with work now. I''ll be leaving."

    She put down the invitation and turned to leave.

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    It was ten at night, but Charlotte was far from sleepy. After taking a shower, she sat down before the

    computer and opened the mailbox to see if she had any luck with her job hunt.

    After all, if she wanted to settle down in River City, she must first acquire a stable job.

    There was a new email. It was a response to the resume Anne had submitted on her behalf.

    In the email, apany known as NC Company wanted her to attend an interview on Monday.

    Seeing the name ''NC, Charlotte was shocked. Albeit thepany had only been established for

    three years, it already had a well- known reputation in the architecture field.

    Although their founder was very mysterious, they were a prominent organization when it came to

    their achievements. Many of their architectural designs had received worldwide recognition. And

    justst year, they had won the best architectural design award.

    If she could join thispany, it would undoubtedly add value to her resume.

    Thinking of this, Charlotte smiled for the first time in months.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    On Monday.

    Early in the morning, Charlotte dropped Sheryl off at a daycare center nearby and rushed to attend

    the interview.

    Although there was plenty of time, she arrived half an hour earlier as a show of goodwill.

    She took a seat in the waiting room and waited to be called.

    She was wearing a formal ck pantsuit and a pair of ck leather shoes. Her hair was tied into a

    ponytail. She also wore a pair of ck-framed sses.

    In the eyes of an outsider, she looked boring and old-fashioned.

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    However, Charlotte believed that one''s capability came first. There was no need to use her beauty

    to gain brownie points.

    Braden Collins, NC Company''s chief designer, was reading Charlotte''s resume and giving Charlotte

    a once-over at the same time.

    Charlotte''s attire was obviously something a woman in her forties would wear.

    As the son of a wealthy family who fancied beautiful women, Braden shook his head with

    disapproval. He didn''t want a boring and unattractive recruit like Charlotte.

    Seeing the sullen look on Braden''s face, Charlotte knew she had failed the interview. But before she

    could get up and leave, the door swung open.

    "Mr. Collins, Mr. Fuller is here," the assistant said.

    "Why is he here?" Braden whispered as he frowned. Nevertheless, he went out to greet the visitor.

    Charlotte also stood up to leave.

    The moment she stepped out of the conference room, she bumped into Shane, who was on his way

    in.

    "What brings you here?" Braden walked over and greeted Shane with a smile.

    Charlotte subconsciously raised her head for a look.

    She took in the man who donned a gray handmade tailored suit, and the cor of his white shirt was

    printed with a customized emblem.

    The man''s facial features were angr, and his stern expression seemed regal. But Charlotte felt a

    sense of familiarity when she saw him.

    Where had she met him before?

    "What are you holding?" Shane didn''t answer Braden''s question. He was staring right at the resume

    in Braden''s hand.

    "Oh, I was having an interview just now, but she didn''t pass," Braden said matter-of-factly as he

    passed Shane the resume.

    Shane didn''t take it. Instead, his eyes fell on Charlotte.

    His sharp gaze made Charlotte shiver. Even so, she looked up to meet Shane''s eyes.

    "Is it her? I think she''s quite suitable for the job. She doesn''t look like she''s here toze around and

    pick up rich guys. She''s hired," After a brief moment, Shane said lightly.

    "You''re kidding!" Braden eximed.

    One must know that the talents he recruited into NC Company were all handsome men and pretty

    women.

    "Come with me." Shane cast a cold nce at Braden, who immediately fell silent and followed

    Shane into the conference room.

    The room quieted down.

    Soon after, the human resources manager who was also at the interview came to her senses and

    gave Charlotte a smile.

    "Miss Emerson, if you''re free, you can bring the relevant documents and report to work tomorrow."

    "Alright, I''ll be here on time tomorrow." At this moment, Charlotte was still a little confused. Still,

    since she was able to join NC Company, there was no need for her to dwell on this.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    At a bar.

    "Anne, is this safe to drink?" Charlotte was looking at the multicoloured cocktail with concern.

    "Don''t worry!" Anne gave her a reassuring look.

    After learning that Charlotte had passed the interview, Anne proposed to celebrate. Charlotte

    couldn''t resist Anne''s coaxing, so she ended uping along after putting Sheryl to bed.

    Charlotte just never thought there''de a day when she would be going to a bar. Although she

    had been abroad and had been exposed to the outside world, she was still a conservative woman.

    She felt that bars were where bad things happened.

    They took a seat by the counter with the dance floor right beside them. The DJ mixed up the music,

    bringing the atmosphere to the extreme.

    "Anne, why are they staring at me?" After receiving looks out of nowhere, Charlotte felt

    ufortable and whispered to Anne.

    Anne was a woman who had frequented bars and night clubs. She looked at their surroundings with

    nonchnce before she nced at Charlotte. "They'' re just curious about why there''s a middle-

    aged woman in the bar."

    She was referring to Charlotte''s attire today. She had tried to persuade Charlotte to change out of

    her clothes, but Charlotte wouldn''t listen!

    "Oh, I actually think I look okay," Charlotte said indifferently. After all, she was a mother, so she was

    not thinking of dating anyone.

    She picked up the cocktail beside her hand and took a sip.

    When Charlotte realized that the cocktail actually tasted good, she ordered a few more in a row.

    The clumsy way Charlotte drank caused Anne to burst intoughter. At the same time, she also

    attracted the attention of the people in the private room on the second floor.

    "Chris, you have no idea how bad Shane''s taste is. He actually recruited a forty-year-old woman

    today. How am I going to show face in thepany from now on?"

    Bradenined gloomily, but he was being careful with his volume. He was afraid that the

    people around the vicinity would hear him.

    After hearing that, Christopher Gibson looked at Shane, who was savoring a ss of wine, and said

    with a smile, "His fiancee is the famous beauty anchor, okay?"

    At the mention of Yuliana, Braden said with a look of approval, "Yes, she''s hot. What a pity that

    she''s taken."

    His words caused Christopher''s heart to skip a beat. He subconsciously looked toward Shane.

    Although the trio grew up together and was known as the Three Musketeers of River City, their

    friendship was not deep enough for Braden to simply tease Shane.

    Surprisingly today, Shane did not react to Braden''s joke. He just satzily on the sofa, his obsidian

    eyes fixated on a certain ce.

    It was as if he had spotted his prey.

    The two of them also looked in the same direction and quickly locked onto the position where

    Charlotte was. It was just that the light was dim, so they couldn''t see her face clearly. "What the hell!

    Is this style thetest trend?" Seeing Charlotte�� s side profile, Braden gasped.

    What''s the difference between this and the middle-aged woman he had recruited today?

    "Looks good to me." Christopher chuckled.

    Braden was speechless. But after a few seconds, a smile appeared on his face. "The woman next

    to her is quite a sight."

    While speaking, Braden''s eyes began to twinkle. He went down with a ss of whiskey.

    The noisy Braden had left. Christopher picked up his wine ss and took a sip.

    "Are you really going to marry Yuliana?" Christopher contemted for a moment, but still decided to

    ask the question in his mind.

    Although Yuliana seemed good in every aspect, she didn''t seem to be Shane''s cup of tea.

    "It''s just a woman." Shane raised his head to look at Christopher.

    To him, women were something dispensable, and it didn''t matter who he would marry.

    However, when Shane finished his words, the scene from the night five years ago suddenly

    appeared in his mind.

    That night, he had been drugged and hunted down by someone. Incidentally, he sought refuge in

    the Emerson family��s vi.

    He remembered that the Emerson family was having a lively banquet at that time, but there was a

    slim figure sitting alone in the garden.

    She wore a long white dress. Her bright eyes filled with sorrow and loss.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    At that moment, his heart throbbed. He took that girl'' s innocence without a second thought.

    That was his first time, and he kept wanting more. No matter how the girl had sobbed and begged

    him to stop, he couldn''t control himself.

    Before leaving, he took away a keepsake from her and vowed in his heart that he would treat her

    well.

    But when he saw her again, he no longer felt anything for her.

    He thought that perhaps he was drawn to her simply because of the effect of the drug.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    "Hello, may I have a seat?" Braden held the ss of whiskey and had already reached Anne.

    He revealed a smile that he thought was very charming.

    Although they were all from the upper-ss society of River City, Anne didn''t know Braden because

    she had gone abroad since she was young.

    So, she paid Braden no heed.

    Braden, who had lived a life of debauchery, had never been dismissed like this. The smile on his

    face disappeared into thin air.

    He said to Anne arrogantly, "Do you know who I am?"

    "Who?" Charlotte suddenly raised her head and looked at Braden.

    After drinking a few sses of cocktails, Charlotte was actually drunk. She didn''t recognize Braden.

    "Old hag?" Braden was shocked when he saw Charlotte again!

    These two simple words triggered an outburst of emotions in Charlotte''s heart. She stood up

    abruptly and grabbed Braden by the cor with both hands.

    "Who are you calling old hag? Do you think that I want to look like that?" She slurred.

    She used to be the daughter of a wealthy family, and she used to have an endless stream of money

    and luxuries.

    Anne hurriedly went over to pull Charlotte, but no matter how she tried, she couldn''t.

    "You madwoman." This was the first time Braden had encountered a situation like this. He pushed

    Charlotte away with all his strength.

    Charlotte lost her bnce and fell backwards. However, she did not feel the pain as she had

    imagined. Instead, she fell into a soft embrace.

    There was a nice smell on the man''s body, and Charlotte looked up.

    However, before Charlotte could take another look, her eyes fell shut tightly.

    Everyone around them took a deep breath.

    In just a few seconds, she had fallen asleep in Shane''s arms!

    "Well, hello, Mr. Fuller. She is my friend."

    Seeing Shane, Anne was also startled. Although she had been abroad for a long time, she more or

    less knew about Shane, who was a world-renowned man.

    Rumours said that Shane was not fond of women; even female mosquitoes were not allowed to get

    within five meters of him.

    Shane''s methods were brutal. If any woman had the guts to step into the minefield, they would die a

    terrible death.

    Looking at the unconscious Charlotte, Anne felt like pping herself to death. Why did she have to

    bring Lottie to the bar!

    Unfortunately, it was toote. She could only look at Shane, hoping that he would show mercy.

    However, Shane didn''t care about what was happening around him. He looked at Charlotte who had

    appeared in his arms out of nowhere.

    He did not feel repulsed. On the contrary, he felt a sense of familiarity that he could not exin.

    He took a closer look at Charlotte''s appearance.

    Her facial features were exquisite and delicate, and her skin was as smooth as porcin.

    Her flushed face looked like a cherry. The sight of her aroused him.

    Damn it!

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    Had he been abstinent for too long?

    To the point where he started to have lewd ideas about just any woman who threw herself into his

    arms?

    "But if I take one more look, my heart will throb. Except for that night five years ago, it hasn''t

    happened again."

    Shane narrowed his eyes. He dismissed this feeling as having drunk too much.

    He pushed Charlotte, who was in his arms, towards Anne.

    When everyone thought that he was going to blow up, Shane merely brushed the dust off the spot

    where Charlotte had leaned on. Then, without saying anything, he left.

    Seeing that Shane hadn��t said a thing, Braden didn''t bother to say another word to the women and

    left with Christopher.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    It hurts!

    The next day, the first thing Charlotte felt when she woke up was her agonising hangover.

    "Mommy, have some honey water."

    The obedient Sheryl stood beside the bed with a cup of honey water in her hands.

    Seeing her daughter being so considerate and attentive, Charlotte smiled as she took the cup and

    gulped down the honey water in one breath.

    "Where is Aunt Jane?"

    At this time, Charlotte had regained some of her memories, and she seemed to have drunk too

    muchst night.

    "Aunt Jane left for work!" Sheryl took the empty cup.

    "Mommy, it''s time for work too."

    Sheryl��s words immediately woke Charlotte up. What a mistake drinkingst night. She was

    supposed to report to office today!

    Having thought of this, Charlotte didn''t have time to worry about her hangover anymore.

    She quickly got up to wash up.

    Most of the clothes in her wardrobe were ck professional clothes. After she changed, she looked

    dull and boring.

    "Sheryl, make sure you listen to your nanny," Before leaving the house, Charlotte reminded her

    daughter again.

    Under Anne''s arrangement, she hired a nanny. By doing so, someone would always be there to

    look after Sheryl, and Charlotte would be able to work with ease.

    Afterpleting the paperwork for employment, Charlotte was randomly assigned to a corner,

    where she''d be working as an assistant designer.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Having this kind of treatment, Charlotte was okay with it. Since she had returned to the country, she

    would start from the bottom. She had thrown all her glorious past abroad behind her.

    But throughout the entire morning, no one had given her any tour, so she had to read thepany

    rules and regtions that human resources had given repeatedly.

    "Did you see the woman in the corner?"

    "Well, is that her?"

    During the lunch break, some people started discussing about Charlotte when they thought she

    wasn''t paying attention.

    "What a peculiar way of dressing up. I heard that Mr. Collins isn��t in today."

    "Looks like it, but the most bizarre thing is that a frigid man like Mr. Fuller even joked about her

    when he saw her yesterday."

    "Ah! What kind of joke did he say? What a pity! I took a day off yesterday."

    "That she doesn''t look like someone who''s here to pick up men. Haha." The crowd burst into

    laughter after seeing one of their colleagues mimicking Shane.

    These words naturally fell into Charlotte''s ears, but she didn''t show any displeasure on her face.

    She was no longer the eldest daughter of the Emerson family. In the past few years in society, she

    knew very well that in the workce, there was no chance of sess if she relied on gossiping or

    competing with others.

    What she needed to do was to wait for the right time.

    "Neer, look at these first. If there is anything you don''t understand, you can ask me.

    In the afternoon, a stack of documents suddenly descended from the sky. By the time Charlotte

    realised what was going on...

    The woman in high heels swayed her slender waist and left. Eventually, she went into the chief

    designer''s office.

    So the woman was her supervisor.

    A thought popped up in Charlotte''s mind. She then quickly put the documents in order and opened

    them up.

    On each sheet of paper was an architectural design draft. But no matter how it looked from the

    perspective of the lines or the design concept, these drafts looked like the works of a beginner.

    Was this a test for her?

    After thinking for a while, Charlotte picked up the pen and started to make amendments to the

    original work.

    When she finished everything, it was already eight in the evening.

    People around her had left, and only the lights on her desk were still on.

    After exiting thepany''s main entrance, Charlotte strolled toward the bus stop. However, at this

    moment, a red Porsche suddenly stopped came to a stop in front of her.

    While Charlotte was wondering whom it was, the car door swung open. A woman in branded

    clothes came out of the car.

    The hip-wrapping fishtail skirt outlined her curves perfectly. The ten- centimeter high heels clicked

    on the ground with a ttering sound.

    Charlotte stared at the elegant woman before her.

    It turned out to be ine.

    "Lottie, it''s really you. I thought I had mistaken you for someone else!"

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    Looking at Charlotte who was dressed in outdated professional clothes that went beyond her age,

    ine was surprised, but at the same time, she was secretly delighted.

    By the looks of it, Charlotte was having a hard time in the past few years.

    "Lottie, where have you been all these years? I''ve been so worried!" ine recovered from her

    shock and asked with feigned concern.

    Charlotte did not expect to meet ine this soon. She thought that she would only be meeting her

    at the banquet.

    However, when she noticed that ine''s acting skills were still the same as before, Charlotte''s lips

    curled up into a mocking smirk.

    "Long time no see, ine, but your acting skills are still on point. I''m so sorry. I don''t have the

    money to tip you."

    There was a hint of hatred in Charlotte''s eyes. The tone of her voice was no longer as weak as it

    used to be.

    This invoked a sense of fear in ine''s heart. However, she quickly went back to her previous

    demeanor and resumed to persuade Charlotte ''earnestly''.

    "I know you hate me, but you should think about your father. He''s been worried about you for all

    these years. He''s also aged a lot."

    "Since you are back,e home with me."

    As she spoke, ine took a step forward to grab Charlotte''s hand. However, Charlotte evaded her

    grasp.

    "Home? Father? I''m sorry, I have no rtive here in this prosperous metropolis."

    As Charlotte said the words "home" and "father", she felt disgusted. Her gaze turned ice-cold and

    sharp.

    Seeing this look, ine was bbergasted. She stopped trying to pull Charlotte. She could only

    watch as Charlotte left.

    ine didn''te to her senses until she saw Charlotte getting into a bus.

    At this time, her cell phone rang.

    The call was from her younger sister, Yuliana.

    "Hello?"

    "Sister, why aren''t you here yet?"

    "Oh, almost there."

    After hanging up the phone, ine did not stay any longer. She drove directly to the bar where she

    had an appointment with Yuliana.

    In the private room, Yuliana was already well into the fun and action. She smelled like booze. She

    was so drunk that she was leaning on a youngd, letting the man caress her body as he pleased.

    When ine saw this, she was so enraged that she immediately turned off the music and drove all

    the irrelevant people out. Only the two sisters remained.

    "ine, what are you doing?" Looking at ine who wore a dark expression, Yuliana sobered up.

    ine looked at Yuliana with a look of exasperation. She said angrily, "Look at you. You don''t look

    like the youngdy of a prestigious family at all."

    Hearing her elder sister''s scolding, Yuliana pouted her petite mouth and retorted, "I''m not one

    anyway."

    ine and Yuliana were originally born in a small and remote vige.

    At that time, in order to leave the countryside, ine studied hard and obtained the quota to go to

    the city to study. In the city, she had concealed her real background.

    Yuliana didn''t share her sister''s good luck. She had been living in the countryside until five years

    ago, when ine brought her to River City.

    Under ine''s management, Yuliana not only became a famous youngdy in River City, but she

    also became a beautiful anchor.

    The most crucial thing had been the fact that she was born on the same day as Charlotte. When

    Shane came looking for her with the jade ne, she had sessfully taken Charlotte''s ce.

    Recalling the past, ine couldn''t help but sigh at how lucky Charlotte had been back then. She

    didn''t get eaten up by the man ine had arranged for her. Instead, Shane had been the one who

    had slept with her.

    "I''m telling you now, Charlotte is back. Be careful," ine grumbled in a bad mood.

    ine couldn''t help but feel a little resentful when she thought of how fallen and miserable-looking

    Charlotte still dared to look at her with that kind of gaze. At the same time, ine also felt anxious.

    Although she had tried to test Charlotte just now by attempting to bring her home, she had been

    rejected. However, Charlotte was a member of Emerson family after all.

    If anyone from the Emerson family found out about Charlotte''s return, it would inevitably affect her

    ns.

    "What, she''s back?" Upon hearing the word ''Charlotte'', Yulianapletely sobered up.

    She was only starting her extravagant lifestyle for a short while. If Charlotte was back, wouldn''t she

    need to get off the bandwagon straight away?

    "ine, what should we do?"

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "Look at you, a good-for-nothing." Obviously, ine was moreposed in this.

    There was a hint of viciousness in her eyes. "Since I had the means to make her leave Emerson

    family for five years, I will naturally have a way to keep her from returning to the Emerson family

    forever."

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11

    By the time Charlotte got home and washed up, it was already ten in the evening.

    She carefully opened Sheryl''s room and saw that Sheryl was already in bed. But the child did not

    have a sound sleep. She was still mumbling and calling out to her mother.

    Charlotte sat on the edge of the bed and gently patted Sheryl on the back.

    As she looked at Sheryl, she knitted her brows.

    Although Sheryl was a girl, her eyebrows were thick and bushy, unlike Charlotte''s.

    By the looks of it, Sheryl must have gotten them from her biological father.

    That night was a night Charlotte wished to forget. However, she had bumped into ine this

    afternoon.

    This encounter had brought up all of the memories from that night.

    Thinking about the past, Charlotte couldn''t help but feel bitter.

    Although she had mentally prepared herself before returning to the country, she was furious when

    she saw ine.

    She couldn''t stop feeling hateful towards the Emerson family!

    There was also resentment towards herself. If Charlotte hadn''t be friends with ine in the

    first ce, she wouldn''t have brought disaster upon herself, and she wouldn''t need to leave her

    mothend for so many years.

    "Drip... Drip..."

    Tearsnded on the quilt quietly.

    "Mommy, why are you crying?" At this time, Sheryl suddenly woke up. She stared at Lottie drowsily.

    Before Charlotte could wipe her tears away, Sheryl gave Charlotte a hug and kissed Charlotte''s

    teary eyes.

    Sheryl imitated the way Charlotte usuallyforted her as she said in a serious manner, "Mommy

    is a good baby."

    Charlotte couldn''t help but burst intoughter.

    "Mommy, do you want to share a bed with Sheryl? Get in." Sheryl lifted a corner of her nket.

    "Alright."

    Charlotte took off her shoes and got in bed.

    "Mommy, you smell so good. You''re the nicest-smelling mommy in the whole world." Sheryl buried

    her little head in Charlotte''s arms and sniffed her mother''s scent.

    Hearing what Sheryl had said, Charlotte felt blissful.

    But at the same time, she remembered the problem that she had feared all these years.

    "Sheryl, can mommy ask you a question?" Charlotte contemted for a long time before saying

    that.

    Sheryl nodded.

    "What if... I''m saying what if we found daddy, do you want to live with daddy? Or do you want to live

    with mommy?"

    The reason Charlotte hadn''t returned until now was that she didn''t want anyone to take Sheryl''s

    custody from her, even if that person was Sheryl''s father.

    But putting herself in Sheryl''s shoes, the child had a right to choose.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    When Sheryl saw Charlotte''s anxious expression, she pouted her small mouth and did not reply

    immediately.

    The two of them fell into a brief silence.

    "Sheryl, mommy is just..." Seeing that Sheryl was quiet, Charlotte parted her lips to speak.

    But Sheryl beamed and revealed the wish she had kept hidden for a long time.

    "I want to stay with mommy and daddy."

    Hearing this, bitterness rose in Charlotte''s heart, but she kept the smile on her face.

    There was no way to live with a man she met by chance.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12

    The next day.

    With dark circles under her eyes, Charlotte was rushing to get ready.

    "Sheryl, stay with the nanny and be a good girl!"

    Seeing Charlotte hurry out of the house, Sheryl sighed and shook her head while drinking her milk

    at the dining table.

    "Auntie, my mommy is so absent-minded and clueless, will men like her?"

    The nanny, who was sweeping the floor, was shocked by Sheryl''s words. For a moment, she

    couldn''t answer.

    After Sheryl finished her milk, she moved from the dining table to the living room. She picked up the

    handset of thendline phone and skillfully keyed in a series of numbers.

    It didn''t take long for the call to get through.

    "Hello?"

    "Aunt Jane? I''m Sheryl."

    "Sheryl? What''s the matter? Is there anything wrong?"

    Sheryl nced at the calendar on the wall.

    "It''s mommy''s birthday today. I want to buy her a cake. Can you take me out to get one?"

    Anne subconsciously looked at the date on theputer. Sure enough, it was Charlotte''s birthday.

    Without a second thought, Anne agreed.

    Anne brought Sheryl to arge shopping mall below her office building where she could get

    anything she wanted.

    "Aunt Jane, you can go back to work. I want to choose a nice cake for mommy myself."

    Having been educated abroad, Sheryl had been very independent since she was a child. Anne did

    not need to worry about her. Moreover, the good security measures in this mall would ensure her

    safety.

    So she agreed with Sheryl''s idea. However, before she left, she still left Sheryl a note.

    "This is my office''s address. It''s on the floor above the mall and the office phone number is written

    here. Remember to call me when you''re done."

    After Anne left, Sheryl began to stroll around. Looking at the pretty dresses disyed at the shop

    windows, Sheryl decided on a whim that besides buying a cake, she also wanted to buy mommy

    some beautiful clothes.

    She thought, ''I��m doing this because mommy doesn''t know how to dress up. What if we find daddy

    and he thinks she isn''t pretty enough?''

    Thinking of this, Sheryl was full of worry. She was really bearing a heavy responsibility!

    After shopping for a while, Sheryl stopped in front of a particr clothing store.

    Behind the disy window, a jade-coloured sleeveless dress attracted her attention.

    "Mommy will definitely look good in this." Sheryl nodded with approval and walked in.

    Since she was only a four-year-old child, no one paid attention to her.

    Meanwhile, some people entered the store behind her and drew the attention of all the

    shopkeepers.

    "Shane, thank you for remembering my birthday," Yuliana said to Shane coyly.

    And she kept inching closer to Shane.

    However, a cold look from Shane intimidated her, and she did not dare to make any extra move.

    "Make your choice," as soon as he entered the store, Shane sat down and said without looking up.

    If it weren''t for Yuliana''s birthday, he wouldn''t have been here.

    He only wanted to repay her for what she had done for him five years ago.

    Seeing Shane''s indifferent attitude, Yuliana felt disappointed, but she had to put on a smile

    regardless.

    She sashayed through the shop with a graceful smile on her face.

    Under everyone''s envious faze, she fiddled with the clothes with her fingers one by one and said to

    the attendant behind her, "This one... this one, and that one."

    "This as well..."

    "Miss, I want this."

    Just when Yuliana touched the jade-coloured dress, a tiny hand also happened to grab it.

    Seeing the child, Yuliana furrowed her brows and looked at the attendant behind her with

    displeasure.

    The attendant immediately got the hint and went forward to say, "Hi, little girl, did you get separated

    from your family?"

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    "I came here on my own. Miss, I want this dress. Can you wrap it up for me?" Sheryl said with

    sincerity.

    Upon hearing this, Yuliana could not help but feel amused.

    "Do you have any money, you brat? This dress is very expensive."

    "This..." Hearing Yuliana''s words, a trace of embarrassment appeared on Sheryl''s small and

    delicate face.

    "If you don''t have enough money, release it. Don''t ruin my dress." Yuliana took the opportunity to

    swat Sheryl''s hand off the dress.

    Her p was heavy, and a red mark quickly appeared on the back of Sheryl''s fair little hand.

    "You hit me!" Sheryl was in pain, and her eyes welled up with tears. But she held back the urge to

    cry.

    Yuliana, who had always hated children, no longer cared about her public image.

    "I sure did. Don''t you know what kind of ce this is? Haven''t your parents taught you that this is

    not a ce where anyone could enter?"

    Seeing how arrogant and vicious Yuliana was, Sheryl felt aggrieved. But she neither cry nor make a

    fuss. Instead, she blinked her big eyes and looked around. When she saw Shane, she suddenly

    had an idea.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13

    "Daddy, daddy!"

    Sheryl suddenly had a thought, so she turned around and quickly darted toward Shane, who was

    waiting on the sofa.

    Before Shane could look up from the magazine in his hands, Sheryl threw herself into his arms and

    wrapped her arms around his neck.

    At that moment, all the people present were shocked, especially Yuliana, whose jaw dropped.

    Looking at the child in his arms, Shane didn''t feel repelled at all.

    On the contrary, there was an imperceptible smile on his lips. He had overheard what had

    happened just now.

    He thought that the child would throw a tantrum and make a scene. But unexpectedly, rather than

    bursting into tears, she had set her eyes on him.

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "Daddy, I''ll tell mommy that you and that mean auntie are out here shopping."

    Seeing that this unfamiliar man didn''t reject her, Sheryl started putting on an act. She had learned

    this from the TV shows she had watched.

    "Where is your mommy now?" Shane looked at the delicate little girl in front of him. He couldn''t help

    but adore her.

    Her big bright eyes had softened his stone cold-heart.

    "It''s mommy''s birthday today, but she has to work. I just want to buy her a birthday present," Sheryl

    pouted her lips and spoke her mind in a childish voice.

    Although Sheryl was only four years old, her emotional intelligence was very high. She also knew

    how to observe others'' expressions and react ordingly.

    She knew that this handsome man would get her that dress.

    Sheryl''s adorable expression captured Shane''s heart. He said to the attendant without a second

    thought, "Wrap it up for the girl."

    "Shane..." Yuliana was fuming internally, but she did not dare to object. She could only watch Sheryl

    take the dress into her arms.

    "Thank you, sir. However, I should pay for it myself."

    Since she had achieved her goal, Sheryl got off Shane''sp carefully and thanked him solemnly.

    Hearing this, everyone was once again shocked.

    This dress was a limited edition product. There was only one in the entire River City!

    Nevertheless, Sheryl didn''t know that. She took out a Centurion Card from her pocket and handed it

    to the attendant.

    Seeing the Centurion Card, Yuliana''s face instantly darkened.

    The brat actually had a Centurion Card!

    At this time, Shane''s eyes narrowed, and he saw Sheryl in a new light.

    He couldn''t help but feel a sense of familiarity, but he didn''t know why he felt that way.

    Had he met this child before?

    Or that she was the child of one of his business partners?

    "What''s your name?" Shane asked softly.

    "My name is Sheryl." It was rare for Sheryl to meet a kind-hearted and handsome man, so she did

    not hide her name.

    "What are you buying for your mommy next?" Seeing Sheryl so obedient and lovely, Shane ruffled

    her hair.

    "A cake. I still need to buy mommy a cake!" Sheryl said excitedly.

    Although they had just met, Sheryl was very fond of this handsome stranger for no reason.

    "All right."

    Under the watchful eyes of the public, Shane held Sheryl''s hand and they went to the cake shop

    downstairs.

    Yuliana, who was left aside, trembled with rage. Her exquisite face contorted by a grimace.

    "This god d*mn brat," she cursed inwardly and went after them.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14

    It was already ten o''clock at night when Charlotte returned home after a long day at work.

    It was pitch-ck in the house. None of the lights were left on in wait for her.

    She fumbled for her house slippers in the dark, but just as she put her ts into the shoe cab...

    The lights in the living room suddenly flickered on, and the sessive bangs of party poppers

    invaded her ears.

    Immediately after, Sheryl brought the carefully prepared cake up to Charlotte with Anne''s

    assistance.

    "Happy birthday, mommy!"

    "Happy birthday, Lottie!"

    Weed with the warm scene in front of her, Charlotte was so moved that she teared up. Today

    was her birthday.

    "Mommy, you''re one year older. You''re a big girl now. Don''t cry," said Sheryl with a stern expression.

    Charlotte was instantly amused by her precious daughter''s witty words.

    As per regr birthday routine, Charlotte made a wish and finished cutting the cake.

    Sheryl scurried back to her room and cheekily brought out a box from the room.

    "Mommy, here is a gift for you."

    Looking at the exquisite gift box in Sheryl''s arms, Charlotte subconsciously assumed it was Anne''s

    arrangement, but Anne looked rather dumbfounded.

    With tion written all over her face, Sheryl looked at Charlotte giddily and urged, "Mommy, quick,

    open it, and have a look."

    Following Sheryl''s instructions, Charlotte opened the box and the jade-colored dressying in it

    startled her.

    "Mommy, I''m sure it will look good on you," Sheryl promised confidently.

    Judging by the fabric of the dress, Charlotte had no doubt that this dress was worth quite a fortune.

    She was not as pleased as Sheryl had imagined. Instead, she turned to speak to Sheryl with a

    straight face.

    "Stand still. Where did you get the money to buy this dress?"

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    She knew that Sheryl had a habit of saving her pocket money by avoiding unnecessary spending,

    but the little allowance she gave her was far from enough to buy clothes.

    Subsequently, Anne retrieved the dress and took a look at it. Realizing it was limited edition, she

    was at a loss for words.

    Charlotte''s demeanor turned Sheryl a little nervous. She squeezed her small hands together and

    asked, "Mommy, don''t you like it?"

    Herrge, beady eyes softened Charlotte''s heart, and she couldn''t bear to me her daughter. Still,

    thinking about her future, she could only maintain a straight face.

    "I''m asking you whether you were the one who bought this dress."

    Seeing the grim expression on her mother''s face, Sheryl cowered slightly. "It was me. If mommy

    doesn''t believe me, there''s a handsome mister who can bear witness."

    ''Handsome mister?''

    Charlotte and Anne exchanged a curious nce.

    "What ''handsome mister''? Didn''t Mommy instruct you never to take other people''s things? Why are

    you so disobedient! What if he''s a bad guy?" The more Charlotte thought about it, the more she felt

    that something was out of ce. Her anger rose sharply.

    Sheryl had never seen her mother so cross before. She couldn''t help but break out in a wailing fit.

    "I just wanted to buy a lovely dress for Mommy. Mommy is so beautiful, but the clothes you wear are

    old and worn. I didn''t take anything from handsome mister. I really bought this one on my own."

    Charlotte''s heart suddenly ached for her, and she was overwhelmed with a mixture of many

    different emotions. Consumed by guilt, she pulled Sheryl into an embrace. "I''m sorry, Sheryl.

    Mommy shouldn''t have lost my temper at you."

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15

    Seeing Charlotte''s tears flow down her cheeks, Sheryl sensibly stopped crying. Instead, she sniffled

    as she took out the Centurion Card.

    "Mommy, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have lied to you. I bought the dress with this."

    Sheryl carefully observed Charlotte''s expression while Anne immediately recognized the origin of

    the card.

    "Isn''t this my brother''s Centurion Card?"

    "Uncle Rick said that with this, not only could I protect mommy, but I could also buy beautiful things

    to please her. That''s why I took it," Sheryl confessed, lowering her head in remorse.

    After all, she had promised Uncle Rick that this was their little secret.

    After figuring out the ins and outs of the incident, Charlotte was moved and selfreproached. Sheryl

    had been kind- hearted and absolutely adorable since she was a wee kid. How could she suspect

    that Sheryl had done something that she shouldn''t have?

    "Sheryl, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have doubted

    you."

    "I shouldn''t have made you angry, Mommy."

    The warm sight filled Anne with envy. In order to cut the experience short, she changed the topic.

    "Sheryl, why don''t you tell us more about the handsome mister you mentioned?"

    Earlier, she had immediately rushed over once Sheryl called her. Yet, she didn''t bump into this

    handsome mister.

    Sheryl''s eyes immediately lit up and she spilled the entire story from start to end.

    "Our dear Sheryl is so smart!" After listening to the Sheryl''s story, Anne nted a big kiss on

    Sheryl''s forehead. Charlotte was also rather gratified to learn that her daughter was too sharp-witted

    to be bullied.

    "Mommy, if you really can''t find daddy, I think that handsome mister can also be my daddy."

    Recalling the words and actions of the handsome man during their short encounter, she felt that he

    was the perfect match for her beautiful mother.

    Hearing this, Anne was reluctant. "Darling Sheryl, don''t you want Uncle Rick anymore?"

    "Well..." Sheryl seemed to be in some sort of a dilemma. "Well, let''s try to find daddy first."

    Having to decide between Uncle Rick and Mister Handsome was too difficult a choice for Sheryl to

    make!

    "Anne, you should take this."

    After coaxing Sheryl to sleep, Charlotte sent Anne downstairs and handed her the Centurion Card.

    Anne hesitated to ept it as she continued to fight for her brother who was abroad.

    However, Charlotte was adamant. She shook her head and began, "Anne, you know how I feel

    about this. I''m not looking for a romantic partner right now. I just want to find Sheryl''s father."

    In fact, in the depths of her heart, she no longer believed in the existence of romance in this cruel

    world.

    After all, her father''s betrayal was still fresh in her mind.

    Faced with Charlotte''s persistence, Anne had no choice but to ept the card. Before leaving, she

    attempted tofort Charlotte.

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    "Lottie, I have no doubt that Sheryl will grow up safe and in perfect health."

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16

    Friday, at the Emersons'' banquet.

    Looking at the repainted gate of the Emerson Residence, Charlotte''s heart was filled with mixed

    emotions.

    She had left this ce for five years.

    Today, she donned the dress that Sheryl had bought for her. She put on some light makeup and let

    her long, silky hair fall loose behind her.

    Being intellectual while still as beautifully sexy as ever, it is as though Charlotte had be

    another person.

    At this moment, the banquet had not officially begun, but their guests were already flowing in

    endlessly.

    From the looks of the situation, the Emerson family''s status had leveled up in the short span of five

    years.

    Because of Anne''s invitation card, Charlotte was able to get through the security with ease.

    Upon entering the main hall of the banquet, Charlotte noticed that the decorations in the house had

    changed. It was no longer the Chinese- styled decoration that her mother had arranged herself.

    Other than that, she could no longer recognize any of the servants that were scurrying in and out of

    the banquet hall.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but smile bitterly. After she left, the Emerson family had undergone major

    changes from the inside out.

    ''Are they that afraid of my return?'' she thought.

    While Charlotte was lost in her thoughts, ine quickly spotted her from the center of the crowd

    surrounding her.

    The bright smile on her face froze.

    "I''m sorry. Excuse me for a while" ine said to the people around her.

    "How did she get in?" ine quickly found the butler and asked, while pointing at Charlotte.

    "Madam, she is the second daughter of the Jane family. She has an invitation." The butler did not

    recognize Charlotte.

    Upon hearing this, ine frowned. It seemed that she had really underestimated Charlotte''s

    methods.

    However, it would not be easy returning to the Emerson family.

    An idea immediately popped into ine''s mind.

    On the other side, Charlotte''s attention was focused on the huge poster that was ced in the

    center of the banquet.

    On the poster, there was a little boy with a cute smile, along with a blessing posted on the side.

    It read, "Happy Birthday, Alistair."

    ''Is this Timothy and ine''s child?'' Charlotte thought.

    ''My younger brother?''

    Charlotte was a little absent-minded. Looking at her little brother who was the same age as Sheryl,

    she did not have the heart to hate him.

    "Ah!"

    "Miss, I''m sorry. I''m sorry."

    Just as Charlotte turned around, she bumped into a servant holding a wine tray. The few sses of

    red wine sshed unforgivingly onto her dress.

    The smallmotion was quite loud that it caught the attention of the people around.

    "It''s fine, it''s fine." Charlotte lowered her head while trying to leave the crowd.

    The only reason she came to the Emerson residence was to retrieve her mother''s belongings. It

    was not at all her intention to bump into any of the Emersons.

    However, the servant wouldn''t stop apologizing profusely and blocking her exit.

    "As I said, it is okay. Would you please step aside?"

    It was unlikely for the staff to make such a silly mistake at a grand event. Something was off.

    Charlotte was frustrated and couldn''t help but raise her voice at the servant.

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    But just as she finished her sentence, with a microphone in her hand, ine filled the banquet hall

    with her voice. Everyone looked up.

    "Dear all, I''m very sorry, but we may have to put today''s banquet on hold."

    "Why, you may ask? It''s because there is a thief among us. Just now, my red agate ne was

    stolen."

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17

    ine caressed her fair neck with a sorrowful look on her face.

    It wasmon knowledge that her agate ne was auctioned off at 2 million dors by Timothy

    last month

    The banquet hall was then filled with sighs of distress from the thought that a thief had infiltrated this

    ce of nobility.

    Immediately, guards took their positions in front of the exits to the banquet hall.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but feel a shiver running down her spine. She raised her head and looked

    toward the center of the banquet, only to see ine staring back at her with a smirk.

    ''Oh no!''

    Charlotte was quick to realize that something was not right, but she no longer had a chance to flee.

    Soon, a burly security guard stood in front of her and looked down at her.

    "Miss, hello. Do you have an invitation?"

    No one else was asked the same question. Only she was interrogated. ine''s intention couldn''t be

    clearer.

    Thus, everyone started to look at Charlotte suspiciously.

    At that moment, there was nothing else Charlotte could do, so she kept a smile on her face and

    opened her bag calmly.

    "Found it!"

    Before Charlotte couldpletely open her bag, the guards around her snatched the bag from her

    grasp aggressively and pulled out ine''s ne.

    ine barged her way through the crowd of people hurriedly and got the ne back in her

    possession. The expression on her face was a mixture of disappointment and relief, the exact

    portrayal of a victim of the situation.

    "Miss, you don''t dress nor look like a poor person, so why did you steal the ne?" ine said

    while looking at Charlotte with teary eyes.

    ine looked at her with unfamiliarity, as though she has never met Charlotte before.

    Every guest present was deceived by ine''s skillful acting. However, Charlotte was well aware of

    what truly happened.

    Only in would be able to pull off such a despicable, self- directed act to frame

    Charlotte.

    The servant from earlier who was apologizing profusely had now disappeared from the scene.

    Charlotte sneered. It seemed that today was not her day and she was bound to be humiliated by

    ine.

    "If you don''t say anything, I''ll call the police." ine pretended to give Charlotte a chance. However,

    she had already secretly instructed her butler to call the police.

    Now that Charlotte wasbeled a thief in front of influential families of River City, it would be difficult

    for her to turn over a new leaf if she wanted to in the future.

    ''Charlotte, you''re still too tender to be ying tricks with me.''

    "Hold on."

    Just as ine was ecstatic from her iing victory, a cold voice interrupted her.

    "It''s Shane!"

    When the slender figure appeared in the banquet hall, everyone broke intomotion. Shane

    Fuller was not just anyone. To be able to meet him on such an asion made people feel like they

    struck gold.

    The aura emanating from him was noble and indifferent, the image he portrayed was pretty much

    too intimidating for people to approach him.

    He walked towards Charlotte with no obstructions as if he was a king.

    The muscr security guard that was before Charlotte also became nothing but a speck of dust

    with Shane''s appearance.

    Shane looked around as if he didn''t care about anyone else. In the end, his cold gaze fell upon

    Charlotte.

    "Did you steal it?" he asked in a calm tone.

    "Huh?" Charlotte immediately recognized the man as the higher-up that had approved her job

    application.

    ''Could he have recognized me?'' she thought.

    ''What would he do to me? Fire me? Ban me from the industry?''

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    For a moment, Charlotte''s mind was in a state of chaos.

    "I''m asking you a question." Shane frowned slightly. He had never encountered someone bold

    enough to zone out in front of him.

    Worse still, she did that in such a tense situation.

    ''This woman must have sh*t for brains,'' he

    thought.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18

    "No, I didn''t steal anything."

    Although she was still clueless as to why this man was standing before her, Charlotte would never

    sumb and admit something she did not do.

    "Great." With that, Shane nodded and didn''t speak a word further. No one could tell what was going

    through his mind.

    At this moment, everyone in the banquet hall was taken aback. At once, they were prompted to

    view Charlotte through different lenses.

    Who was she?

    How was she rted to Shane? Who was she for him to initiate a conversation with her?

    Behind him, Yuliana instantly recognized Charlotte''s mottled dress.

    She was floored, but ine abruptly pulled her aside.

    "What''s going on? How did Shane and Charlotte get to know each other?" ine asked fiercely in a

    low voice.

    "I have no idea! Charlotte? Ah! She''s Ch-" Yuliana almost cried out in surprise. Fortunately, ine

    was quick enough to cover her mouth before she could shriek.

    ine rolled her eyes at her silly sister out of frustration.

    Charlotte had already appeared, yet Yuliana was still in blissful ignorance!

    However, an idea popped into her head in the blink of an eye. Charlotte had no evidence in her

    hands. Having Shane to back her up would not help her situation at all.

    As her train of thought faded, a smile reappeared on ine''s face. She hauled Yuliana behind her

    and butted her way through the crowd to stand before Shane.

    "Brother- in-w, it''s too kind of you to rush over as the busy man you are," cooed ine in a sweet,

    pretentious voice.

    In a sh, everyone''s attention was drawn back to Yuliana.

    Charlotte could feel her heart skip a beat. Who would have thought that her boss was rted to

    ine?

    That could only mean that she was in a terrible spot now!

    Before Charlotte''s thoughts could run wild, Shane spoke.

    "Madam Emerson, she''s an employee of mypany. You imed that she stole something of

    yours, would you kindly present the evidence?"

    Without dy, ine''s face distorted into an ugly grimace. She hadn''t expected Shane to leave her

    no way out, let alone defend Charlotte to this extent.

    "Everyone saw it with their own eyes. The guards found my ne in her bag."

    "Hm?" Shane turned to look at Charlotte and asked, "Is that so?"

    Charlotte stared back at Shane withrge, bewildered eyes.

    ''Is he really trying to defend me?''

    ''Isn��t he ine''s brother-inw?''

    Rather peculiarly, Charlotte felt reassured at heart as she met Shane''s cold eyes. She felt that the

    man in front of her was a person deserving of her trust. And so, she nodded. "That seems to be the

    case."

    There was no need for her to quibble about the matter as she stood before so many witnesses.

    "Look, she admitted it, didn��t she?" ine dered with a sinister smile.

    Seeing ine��s self- gratification, Charlotte frowned. Looking away, she chose to focus on the man

    in front of her instead.

    Though she was unclear about this man''s character, she could tell from his demeanor that he was

    someone whom the Emerson family was cautious around to avoid getting on his bad side. This was

    the perfect reason for her to take this opportunity to prove her innocence.

    Hence, she began gently, "Earlier, a servant bumped into me. Thereafter, Madam Emerson'' s

    ne appeared in my bag. In this case, that servant is just as suspicious as I am."

    Seeing her exined herself in a calm andposed manner, Shane was filled with a sense of

    praise and approval.

    It seemed to him that this woman was not as stupid as he thought. He realized that she hadn''t tried

    to rify things earlier only because she felt that the timing and ce were not optimal.

    But now, she knew that this was a good time, and she actually used him to clear her name.

    Recalling his encounter with clever little Sheryl at the mall the other day, he could see the

    resemnce in the two situations.

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    ''This woman and her child are really interesting!�� Shane thought.

    "If so, we��d have to trouble Madam Emerson to summon the servants." Shane turned his

    unfathomable gaze to ine.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19

    "Brother-inw, there are more than a hundred servants in the Emerson family. Why are you being

    so difficult?"

    ine asked in a loud voice so that everyone could hear, "Why would I, Madam Emerson,

    deliberately nder thisdy here?"

    ine then secretly tossed a meaningful nce to her butler, who then quietly left.

    It just so happened that Charlotte caught this exchange. It was then made clear that it was ine

    who had framed her.

    Now that was willing to side with her, she did not intend to let ine slip away.

    "I never said you had ill intentions. It was the servant who bumped into me; she was the one who

    set me up. So please, if I could trouble you to summon all your servants, Madam Emerson."

    ine''s face turned dark.

    ''When did this b*tch be so eloquent?'' she thought.

    ''If she were to persist, she would raise everyone''s suspicion again.''

    At that time, ine had fallen into her own trap. After weighing the pros and cons, she gritted her

    teeth and reluctantly ordered all the servants in the residence to present themselves.

    Shane couldn''t help but take another look at Charlotte again.

    ''To think there are so many sides to this woman. Still, as the mother to the quickwitted little Sheryl,

    it''s no big surprise,'' thought Shane.

    Shane suddenly became very interested in what would happen next. He wanted to know how this

    woman in front of him would prove her innocence.

    At that moment, ine narrowed her eyes at her sister, Yuliana, signaling her to bring Shane away.

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    Otherwise, having him here would only worsen the situation.

    "Shane, my head hurts. Let''s leave." Yuliana held a hand to her head and weakly leaned toward

    Shane.

    But before she could eveny her hands on Shane, she was shut down by an icy- cold re. She

    stepped back bitterly, not daring to let a single word slip from her lips.

    Charlotte witnessed this scene with astonishment.

    There were some doubts in her heart.

    ''Shane''s attitude toward the sisters of Emerson Corporation is peculiar.''

    However, she didn''t dwell much on the reason. ine wanted to sabotage her today, and she would

    not let ine get away with it.

    After a while, the butler walked over to report back to ine.

    "Madam, everyone has gathered. They are all in the back hall."

    "Let''s go."

    Everyone followed ine to the back hall.

    Charlotte stood in front of the crowd and quickly scanned the faces. At a nce, she spotted the

    servant who had bumped into her.

    "That''s her." She pointed directly at the servant in the crowd.

    ine looked at the confidence on Charlotte''s face and caught eyes with the butler standing aside.

    He nodded discreetly at ine and she couldn''t help but curl her lips into a smirk.

    ''Oh Charlotte, you are still too fresh to y with me!''

    "Come here," she instructed the servant in a cold tone.

    She brazenly hinted, "This youngdy stole my ne, but she said that it was you who put it in

    her purse when you spilled the wine on her. What do you have to say for yourself?"

    The maid lowered her head and replied, "Madam, I, I don''t know. I didn''t do anything."

    In the blink of an eye, the maid looked over at Charlotte. However, her eyes were filled with anger

    and hatred. It was as though there was more to it than the eyes could perceive...

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20

    "Are you sure you didn''t do anything?"

    Charlotte''s gaze was filled with suspicion as she stared the servant down.

    The servant''s face immediately turned sour.

    "Miss, all I did was identally spill some wine on you. Are you trying to bully us who have no

    status by framing me in this way?"

    Charlotte''s gaze lingered on her unwaveringly as she said calmly, "I simply asked a straightforward

    question without putting the me on you. Why are you getting defensive?" Speaking, she tore her

    eyes away from the servant and began scanning each corner of the room they were in.

    "A wealthy family such as the Emersons should have a surveince system in ce, am I right? In

    that case, shall we take a look at the recordings to uncover when exactly I stole the ne?"

    Charlotte''s gaze ultimately fell on ine. The coldness in her eyes sent a chill down ine''s spine.

    However, thinking of her prior arrangements, ine regained confidence.

    "Get the recordings," ine instructed the housekeeper.

    The housekeeper immediately stepped forward with an unsettled expression. He stammered,

    "Madam, the recordings..."

    "Did the surveince system fail unexpectedly yesterday, or was it because I tampered with the

    cameras, that you''re unable to pull out these recordings?" Before the housekeeper could finish,

    Charlotte snatched his lines from him.

    The housekeeper was stupefied. His lips parted, but he was at a loss for words.

    All of a sudden, the people around them let their imagination run wild.

    Charlotte''s quick- witted words shocked ine, but she did not let her guard down.

    She red at the housekeeper as though she was not the mastermind. "What''s going on?"

    The housekeeper flew into a panic, but he quickly regainedposure. He stared at Charlotte with

    astonishment and responded cautiously, "Miss, how did you know that the surveince system was

    down yesterday?"

    With that, he tossed another re at the servant standing on one side.

    The servant immediately caught on. Her face warped into a grimace and she raised a finger at

    Charlotte, shrieking, "Of course she would know!" "It was me who told her! The theft of the ne

    was a plot we conspired together, but I never would have guessed that she would shift the me

    onto me once she was caught red-handed!"

    "Since you made my life difficult, I won''t let you livefortably either!"

    Charlotte waited for her to finish before she broke into apuse. She praised, "Great, this is

    brilliant. With such extraordinary acting skills, what a pity it is that you''re not part of the

    entertainment industry to be crowned Best Actress."

    In the past, it was thanks to ine''s superb acting that she managed to frame Charlotte not just

    once or twice, but over and over again.

    But now, this Charlotte standing right here was no longer the once foolish girl who could not be

    bothered to exin herself.

    She chuckled lightly, but her gaze turned into icicles as she stared coldly at the servant.

    "Since you imed that it was a scheme we came up hand-in-hand, would you mind telling me how

    we arranged this?

    "How did Iy my eyes on you? How did we contact each other? What did I offer you in exchange

    for helping me steal the ne? How did you manage to take the ne from Madam

    Emerson? Lastly, why did you try to stall me after spilling the wine on me, instead of letting me

    leave immediately?"

    As Charlotte spat out her questions word by word, she inched closer to the servant with clear- cut

    footsteps. The astonishingly powerful coldness radiating off of her was enough to make everyone

    hold their breath.

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    The servant stumbled backward subconsciously and she was so frightened she fell to the ground.

    Seeing this, Charlotte couldn''t help but sneer. She turned back to look at ine and asked again in

    her cold voice, "Excuse me again, Madam Emerson. Could you also exin why your guards

    immediately rushed to me in the massive crowd once you finished announcing the loss of your

    ne?"

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21

    Charlotte''s words instantly cleared everyone''s mind off chaos.

    Upon seeing this, the corners of Shane''s mouth curved upward slightly. His interest in Charlotte

    grew by the minute.

    Once she asserted her dominance, she seemed quite... cute.

    ine had not expected Charlotte to have the gift of the gab. She dug her fingernails into her palms

    and her vicious gaze swept past Charlotte. She red at the servant and asked, "What''s going on?

    How dare you frame a guest of the Emerson family?

    "Take her away, we don''t need such a servant in the Emerson Residence!"

    As ine finished, she frowned and looked at Charlotte. She pretended to hesitate before saying,

    "Miss, I''m sorry that I misunderstood you. But all the guests invited this time are people I personally

    know. Your invitation is for the second youngdy of the Jane family, but you''re not her..."

    Seeing ine trying to stir up more trouble, Charlotte couldn''t help but scoff in her heart.

    ''Since that''s the case, I''ll also show you what I''m capable of!'' Charlotte thought.

    "I am indeed not the second youngdy of the Jane family. Sadly, she can''te due to an ovep

    in her schedule, but she felt it would be impolite to not show up at all. It happened that I have some

    rtions with the Emerson family, so she had me rece her."

    When Charlotte was done, ine''s face turned bitter.

    The hall fell into silence.

    ''Rtions?'' The same thought shed through everyone''s heads.

    Everyone couldn''t help but wonder about the rtionship between Charlotte and the Emerson

    family.

    "Haha, since the misunderstanding has been resolved, everyone, let''s not just stand there. Please

    proceed to the front hall for refreshments." ine was afraid that Charlotte would leak the truth.

    Therefore, with a smile, she immediately asked them to leave.

    The guests were all vignt people. Naturally, they left one after another for ine''s sake.

    After the incident was over, Shane left calmly.

    However, before he left, he gave Charlotte a meaningful nce.

    It seemed that things were much more interesting than he had thought.

    "Charlotte, if you want toe back, you cane back in broad daylight instead ofing back

    like this and making a fool of yourself. What will others think of the Emerson family?"

    When it was only the two of them left, ine reprimanded in a disdainful tone.

    It was worth noting that Charlotte''s appearance had really brought embarrassment to her.

    "Haha, if you hadn''t provoked me, I wouldn''t have turned your banquet upsidedown," Charlotte said

    in a cold voice.

    She had nned to return solely for her mother''s belongings, but ine plotted something against

    her. It was infuriating.

    However, since things had turned out like this, she more or less knew that she would not be able to

    leave with what she wanted. She could only wait for the next opportunity.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    "Wait a minute. How are you associated with Shane?"

    Seeing that Charlotte was about to leave, ine hurriedly stopped her.

    "Employer-employee rtionship, anything of concern?"

    "Oh, it''s nothing." ine inspected Charlotte''s expression and could tell that she was not lying. She

    turned and sashayed past Charlotte in slight embarrassment.

    Charlotte was a little perturbed as to the reason behind ine''s question.

    However, what disoriented her more was the fact that Shane actually helped her, an outsider, on

    such an asion.

    Was it simply because she was his employee?

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22

    At night, in the Emersons''s living room.

    Yuliana sped ine''s hand and asked meekly.

    "Sis, is that really Charlotte over there?"

    ine rolled her eyes at her hopeless sister.

    "What kind of question is that? You follow Shane around like a lost puppy every day, yet you still

    know nothing. Speaking of Shane, what''s the matter with him? He made a fool out of me in front of

    so many people today! When are you the two of you ever going to get hitched?

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    "Sis, calm down. It''ll happen soon, alright?" Yuliana hung her head in shame.

    There was nothing she could do about Shane�� sck of interest in her!

    ine''s younger sister was making her blood boil so much, she nearly fainted. However, it was a

    blessing that Shane couldn''t recognize Charlotte.

    This was indeed a silver lining to the cloud.

    "Madam Emerson, Elder Master is back."

    The housekeeper said as he entered.

    Hearing this, ine shot a stern nce at Yuliana, signalling her to wrap up the conversation. Then,

    she went out to wee her husband.

    "Timothy, how are you? You must be exhausted traveling back and forth." ine said, helping

    Timothy take his coat off.

    "How did the birthday party go?"

    Timothy hadn''t been able to attend his youngest son''s birthday party, since he had to return to his

    hometown for prayers.

    "Yes, everything went smoothly." A sweet smile lit up ine''s face, like a perfectly doting wife.

    She had ordered that no one would talk about what had happened earlier that day. Timothy would

    be none the wiser.

    "I''m tired. If there''s anything you want to talk about, we could go over it tomorrow."

    As ine watched Timothy make his way up the stairs, a hint of malevolence shed across her

    eyes.

    Charlotte was back. She would need to get her ns rolling quickly.

    Monday.

    Charlotte arrived at thepany. Before she could even take a bite out of the steamed buns she

    bought in the morning, the design manager called her to the office.

    The moment she opened the door, Tilly, the design manager, mmed a document on the table.

    She pointed furiously at Charlotte. "You'' re Charlotte, the neer right? Who gave you the

    authority to change the design drafts?"

    Charlotte was slightly puzzled. She pursed her lips. The old-fashioned clothes and the sses she

    wore emphasized her docile demeanor.

    "You gave me the documents, but you didn''t tell me what to do with them. I thought you wanted me

    to amend them."

    "So that''s the case. Are you trying to put the me on me?" roared Tilly. She was getting

    increasingly livid, and it was showing in the harshness of her voice. "Charlotte Emerson! Who do

    you think you are? Our team has been working tirelessly on this for the past few months. How could

    you simply make changes as you whim and fancy?

    "Look at these. Look at the garbage you��ve turned them into!"

    "Get out. Immediately! Ourpany doesn��t need someone like you!��

    Tilly''s face was seething red with anger, ring at her furiously.

    Charlotte shook her head, upset and in disbelief. She had just been described as a good-for-nothing

    designer. What a total insult it was.

    If word got out to otherpanies that she was dismissed in such a manner, she would not be able

    to find any more work.

    As Charlotte thought about it, she met Tilly''s gaze. She said in an unsettlingly quiet tone, "As a new

    employee, I wasn��t given any guidance. Without knowing the head or tail, a bunch of designs was

    chucked at me. I saw a few things that I thought needed revision. But oh well, it��s all my fault

    anyway."

    "On top of that, I��m really surprised the design manager would have approved work of this poor

    quality. I truly am amazed.

    Tilly was pissed off by what she heard.

    "Charlotte Emerson! You''d better shut up!" She growled and raised her hand, ready to unleash the

    full force of her anger in a p.

    Thankfully, Charlotte was able to dodge the strike, and Tilly'' s hand failed to make contact.

    She looked at Tilly coldly. "Manager Page, I''m just a rookie. How could you be so angry at me?

    Have I offended you in any way?"

    Charlotte really found it odd. She had only been here for a few days, how could she have already

    ended up in Tilly��s bad books?

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23

    Questioned in this way, Tilly was flustered. She would never admit that she felt threatened by

    Charlotte''s talent in designing which enabled her to enhance those designs effortlessly. This left Tilly

    in a dangerous spot, and she must drive Charlotte out of thepany as soon as possible.

    Otherwise, she would risk losing her position in thepany.

    Tilly replied viciously, "Regardless of whether you are a neer or an old-timer, you have to bear

    responsibility for your mistakes."

    "What''s going on?" At that moment, Tilly was interrupted by a man''s gentle voice.

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    As Tilly saw the man step in, she instantly regained herposure and transformed into a different

    person. She eximed softly in a disheartened tone, "Mr. Gibson, look at this! Our department''s

    hard work for the past 6 months has gone down the drain because of her."

    She gathered the files on the table as she spoke and stalked over to Christopher. She then handed

    the files over to him.

    Christopher looked over at Charlotte, who was currently neither servile nor overbearing. He raised

    his eyebrows, took the design drafts, and began flipping through the stack.

    Tilly red at Charlotte with fiery eyes, then coylyined to Christopher.

    "Mr. Gibson, look, the original designs were far from this. However, this neer modified them

    without permission. Look at how different they are! There''s no going back now, these designs are all

    void. I''m sure you''re also aware that we do not keep backups as an extended measure against

    giarism andmercial espionage."

    As Christopher nearly finished viewing the documents, disbelief manifested itself on his face.

    Tilly''s unending chatter flitted past his ears like a breeze. He looked at Charlotte and asked, "Are

    these your designs?"

    Charlotte nodded. She replied with a wry smile, "That''s right. Ms. Page said I turned the designs

    into trash."

    "Isn''t that so? You''re just a newbie. What do you know?" Tilly''s eyes were filled with arrogance.

    "Shut up your mouth!"

    Christopher disregarded Tilly, whose face had instantly turned pale. He turned to Charlotte with

    admiration spilling from his eyes.

    "Was it really you who modified these designs?"

    Charlotte nodded, "That''s right."

    "I''ve gone through some of the first drafts before this. They were very poor. However, you managed

    to tweak them intoplete and mature designs. This is impressive work."

    Christopher''s tone was full of appreciation.

    Tilly''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible! She''s just a rookie!"

    "There''s no distinction between newbies and veterans in design. She''s very talented." He nced at

    Tilly coldly. Christopher''s tone was particrly contemptuous as he began, "You''re dismissed. You

    can make your way to the finance department to settle your sry affairs."

    Charlotte looked at Christopher in bewilderment. She didn''t expect him to be so quick to decide.

    "No! You can''t do this. I''m Mr. Collins'' girlfriend!" Tilly stopped him in a panic. She couldn''t afford to

    lose this job. There was no better job than this.

    Braden had provided her with a high sry, and she was able to run her department as

    she pleased.

    She was now so used to living her best life. How could she bear to lose this?

    At that moment, Shane and Braden opened the door and stepped in from where they stood and

    observed. Tilly''s eyes suddenly glimmered with hope as she pleaded, "Braden..."

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24

    Before relief could wash over Tilly, she noticed the grim look on Braden''s face.

    Braden blinked at Shane, then turned to Tilly and said, "Get out."

    Upon hearing this, Tilly blew her top.

    However, Shane''s cold expression kept Tilly from causing more trouble. She gritted her teeth and

    left the room in despair.

    Still, she was not pleased with the final oue. She swore to herself that she would take revenge

    for what they had done.

    "Well, now that she''s gone, what do we do about the vacant position for the design manager?" As

    Braden finished his question, he nced at Shane.

    "I feel that Charlotte is the right person for the job. These are her designs after all," Christopher

    replied with a proud smile on his face as he handed the designs over to Shane.

    Shane didn''t bother looking at the designs. He simply nodded and tacitly agreed to Christopher''s

    suggestion.

    However, Charlotte found Christopher''s idea rather inappropriate.

    A neer such as herself had forced the design manager out as soon as she entered the

    company. What would others think of her?

    "Mr. Fuller, Mr. Gibson, as ttered as I am to hear this, I am no more than an amateur. I don'' t think

    I''m qualified enough to be the design manager of thispany."

    Although it was no mistake that her abilities were of director quality, Charlotte felt that it was too

    soon for her to be in the limelight.

    "Prepare the design materials and drafts and sent them to my office by this afternoon," Shane

    instructed in an indisputable tone. He turned to Braden with his eyes narrowed warningly and

    continued, "On another note, ourpany isn''t a ce for ipetent people toze around.

    Have them all reced."

    At that moment, a shiver ran down Braden''s spine.

    "Right, right, okay. Reced! I''ll have them all reced."

    Shane didn''t utter a single word in response. He spun around and left.

    "Do your best and let your abilities speak for you." Christopher offered an encouraging

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    smile.

    The morning slipped past in the blink of an eye.

    By now, Charlotte hadpiled all the documents and was headed to the president'' s office.

    As she arrived at his office, she was greeted by his secretary. "Hello, do you need anything from Mr.

    Fuller?"

    Charlotte''s gaze was fixated on the secretary'' s polite smile. She adjusted her sses by their

    frame and replied dutifully, "Hello, I��m Charlotte Emerson, the newly appointed design manager.

    This morning, Mr. Fuller had instructed me to send in these documents from the design

    department."

    ''T m afraid that now may not be the most convenient time for Mr. Fuller as he is currently in a

    meeting. How about you give me the documents for now, and I pass them on to Mr. Fuller when he

    returns?"

    Charlotte'' s eyes lit up and her smile broadened. "That would be great."

    She handed the documents to the secretary and left.

    Even though Charlotte had yet to thank him for his help at the banquet a few days back, it was best

    for her to distance herself from those rted to the sisters.

    The secretary watched as Charlotte walked away, the gentle service smile still lingering on her face.

    Her gaze thennded on the documents in her hands and her grin only grew.

    "Haha, Charlotte Emerson?" She chuckled lightly and tossed the documents aside.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25

    It was almost time to get off work.

    "Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller found some issues with the materials and he asked for you to rearrange

    them. You should take note that you are required topile and organize the materials from

    establishment till this day."

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    The secretary ced Charlotte'' s original stack in front of her.

    "Okay, I understand." Charlotte lowered her head and started flipping through the materials in an

    attempt to locate the parts that required supplementation.

    "Ms. Emerson, the president needs these materials urgently. They must bepiled and ced on

    his desk by tomorrow," the secretary said with a hint of malice dancing in her eyes.

    However, Charlotte had her nose far too deep in her work to catch anything.

    Charlotte replied with a smile, "Sure, I''ll just work overtime then."

    By the time she finallypleted her work, it was already close to nine o''clock at night. The lights

    outside were all switched off and

    darkness flooded the entire office. Charlotte had to guide herself out with the shlight from her

    phone.

    At the main door of the office building, she reached out to pull it open, only to find it locked.

    A grim expression manifested on Charlotte''s face as she sulked to herself, ''Even if the lights outside

    the design department are turned off, the light from my room would still have been visible from the

    outside. There��s no way it went unnoticed when they were locking the door.''

    It quickly dawned on her that someone had locked her in on purpose.

    "Hey! Is anyone there?�� shouted Charlotte, unwilling to give in and ept her fate. However, she

    received no response.

    She had no choice but to head back into her office. She paced back and forth, hoping for someone

    toe back. Still, time trickled past and no one showed up.

    It seemed that she would have to spend the night at the office.

    Thinking of her little daughter all alone at home, Charlotte took out her phone and dialed Anne��s

    number in hopes that she could go over to keep Sherylpany.

    A few moments after hanging up the phone, she caught a faint noiseing from the outside.

    Charlotte felt an adrenaline rush. ''Is someoneing?'' she yearned.

    She immediately picked up her bag and scampered toward the door. She found it wide open with a

    man standing right by it.

    She looked up at the man with confusion. "Mr. Fuller?"

    ��It��s sote already. What is he doing here?'' she voiced in her heart.

    It was as though Shane had read her mind. "I came to retrieve something," he exined.

    With those words out, Shane caught himself by surprise. What was there to exin to this woman?

    "Oh, I see. I shall take my leave, then. Good night, Mr. Fuller." Faced with the intimidating man, the

    only thought on Charlotte��s mind was to leave as soon as possible.

    "Stand right there." Without a second thought, Shane stopped her.

    He continued, "Charlotte, I asked for the materials to be submitted to my desk by this afternoon.

    Why haven''t you sent them in?"

    "I have! You even asked me to..." Charlotte began, but as she spoke, she met Shane''s gaze. The

    words that followed were lodged in her throat.

    ''There''s no reason for someone like Shane to lie,'' her thoughts interrupted her.

    It must have been that secretary��s trick to have her work overtime just to sort out the materials

    again.

    At that thought, a wry smile appeared on the corners of Charlotte''s lips.

    She had really rubbed everyone in thepany the wrong way.

    Shane observed every subtle change in Charlotte''s expression. "What else did I ask you to do?"

    "It''s nothing, Mr. Fuller. I promise you will find the materials on your desk first thing in the morning. If

    that''s all, I shall head home first."

    Seeing her ready to bail, Shane reached out and grabbed her by her arm.

    "Now that we''re done talking business, let''s talk about our private matters."

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    ''Private matters?'' Charlotte wondered.

    Charlotte stared at Shane, puzzled. "Mr. Fuller, what private matters could there be between us?"

    They had only crossed paths as many times as one could count on their fingers, and it wasn��t like

    they spoke much during those asions. How could there possibly be private matters between the

    two?

    "It seems you don''t n to thank me for helping you at the Emersons'' banquet. Perhaps Ms.

    Emerson isn''t quite as educated as I''d hoped."

    "You..." Charlotte stumbled backward in astonishment from Shane�� s effortless disclosure of her

    identity. However, he grasped her wrist firmly.

    Shane narrowed his eyes at her. Stilltched onto her wrist, he marched out of the building and

    stopped in front of his car. In one swift movement, he pulled the door open and stuffed her in.

    Then, he walked around the front of the car and climbed into the driver'' s seat, immediately starting

    the engine.

    The duo was all alone in that narrow space. Charlotte felt her breathing grow heavy and she

    couldn''t help but clutch her seatbelt tightly.

    She had no idea what Shane was going to do next.

    "Where do you live?"

    "Flowerbed Residence."

    Under Shane''s presence, the atmosphere seemed to weigh down on her. She chastised herself in

    her heart. How could she be afraid of Shane Fuller?

    Shane sped his way to their destination. Before Charlotte coulde to her senses, they had

    arrived at the entrance of her neighbourhood.

    "We''re here. Get off."

    He really did send her home.

    Taking a while to process what happened, she alighted the car.

    Shane reached toward the back seat for her bag, fumbling with both hands to grab it. Once he got

    out, he leaned his back against the car with his long legs crossed. It looked as if he was not in a

    hurry to leave.

    "Miss Charlotte, you were a well- renowned designer abroad. What brings you to my humble

    organization over the Emerson Corporation?" Calmly, he raised his eyebrows slightly at her.

    "Mr. Fuller, it seems you'' ve done your research on me. Wouldn''t you know that I''ve been chased

    out of the Emerson Corporation a long time ago?" Charlotte continued, "Anyway, NC was a good

    choice too."

    Shane smiled faintly, watching her keep her cool. She wasn''t as serious as she usually was, but this

    was making it hard to read between her lines.

    "I''m not concerned about your return or what you''re nning to do next. There''s only one thing I

    want to ask." Shane��s eyes suddenly turned cold.

    "What is it?"

    "Who''s the father to your daughter?"

    Immediately after the banquet, he had hired a private investigator to look into Charlotte. He was

    able to gather information about her since her birth, but they were unable to uncover anything about

    the father of her daughter, Sheryl.

    A voice at the back of his mind vaguely remarked that things were probably not as simple as they

    seemed.

    "He passed," Charlotte replied half-heartedly.

    Shane could see through Charlotte'' s indifferent manner. It was obvious that she was lying.

    Shane Fuller was not going to take this for an answer. There was nothing that could be hidden from

    him.

    Charlotte looked at Shane, perplexed. Why would he be so interested in this matter?

    However, she had something to ask too.

    "Mr. Fuller, why did you help me at the banquet that day? Was it simply because I am your

    employee?"

    ''It doesn''t seem worthwhile to offend a fiancee for an insignificant employee,'' she reckoned.

    In the darkness, Charlotte��s eyes sparkled like brilliant stars that adorned the night sky.

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Shane lost himself within the pair of enigmatic eyes. His heart throbbed, a feeling unbeknown to

    him.

    His charming voice was irresistibly maic in the middle of the night. Lightheartedly, he asked,

    "So, how would you like to repay me?"

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    Illuminated by the soft glow of the streetmps, the man��s angr features looked the epitome of

    irresistible charm.

    His enchanting voice could seemingly suck the soul out of a living person, such that Charlotte was

    nted in a daze.

    When she came back to her senses, Charlotte couldn''t help but blush.

    It was a relief that the darkness of the night masked her emotions faultlessly.

    "I will give my best to live up to the trust you and the others put on me." Charlotte''s mind was a

    nk sheet. She pulled out a random remark as a hasty reply and scurried into the residential area.

    She even forgot to thank him.

    As Shane watched her figure shrink into the distance, a smile crept onto his unknowing face,

    fending off his usual indifference.

    However, immediately after, a hint of coldness flitted across his irises. If he was not mistaken,

    Charlotte still hadn��t cut ties with the Emerson family on that fateful night five years ago.

    Suspiciously, Charlotte''s birthday fell on the same, exact day as Yuliana''s.

    Regarding this, there had to be something he was still oblivious to.

    Very soon, the day passed.

    Once again, Charlotte arrived in front of the president''s office with a stack of documents in her

    arms. Just as she was about to knock on the door, the secretary, Jace Demore, walked over with

    the same service smile she was previously greeted with.

    "Ms. Emerson, the president isn''t in right now. You may leave the documents in my care." As she

    spoke, Jace reached out with open palms to retrieve the documents from Charlotte.

    Seeing Jace''s seamless acting unfold before her eyes in such a calm and unruffled manner,

    Charlotte returned an even sweeter smile.

    "Ms. Demore, thank you for your offer," Charlotte began, lowering her head to flip through the

    documents in her arms. "However, I think I''ll just wait for Mr. Fuller here. Although these materials

    are no top secret, it��ll still take some time to reorganize these if something were to happen."

    Charlotte raised her head and met Jace''s eyes.

    Now that Jace was faced with Charlotte''s profound gaze, her cheeks turned red from guilt. Could it

    be that Charlotte had pieced something together?

    On second thought, however, she regainedposure. She was the president'' s secretary, so what

    could an insignificant nobody like this design manager do to her?

    With that, Jace stood a little taller. "Haha, Ms. Emerson, what could possibly happen if you were to

    leave them in my good hands?"

    ncing at Jace''s smug posture, Charlotte smiled. Still, she remained standing with the documents

    in her arms as though she was not nning to make the slightestpromise.

    After all, she had learned a lesson from her.

    Eliciting no response from Charlotte, Jace seemed a little cross. "What is it? Does Ms. Emerson not

    trust me?"

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Charlotte remained silent for a couple of seconds before a stony look took over her face. "That''s

    right, Ms. Demore. I do not trust you."

    At the thought of all she was put through the night before, she struggled to tame the anger coursing

    through her veins. Why did she have to work overtime and experience being locked up in the office

    building?

    She hadn''t done anything to get on anyone''s nerves. Why was she being targeted?

    "Ms. Demore, you gave the false orders. If I were to tell Mr. Fuller about this matter, what do you

    think will happen?"

    The color instantly drained from Jace''s face. "How, how did you find out?"

    "You''ll be fired."

    A harmonic yet dispassionate voice interrupted their conversation. The two immediately snapped

    their heads up.

    Shane approached with long strides. Right by his heels was his personal assistant, Cole y.

    The man''s abstruse, cial gazended on Charlotte.

    "You,e to my office with me." Shane did not linger. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door

    and entered his office.

    Baffled, Charlotte quickly scuttled after him. When the door clicked shut, Jace recovered from her

    stupor and attempted to barge in so that she could plead Shane to spare her some mercy.

    To her dismay, Cole stopped her.

    Jace began to weep. "Mr. y, I''m begging you, please don''t fire me. I can''t afford to lose this job."

    Met with a woman''s tears, Cole was a little overwhelmed and swayed. Still, when he thought of the

    perpetually cold-blooded man on the other side of the door, he felt the hairs on his neck stand on

    end. His life was more important than this.

    "Ms. Demore, this is the president''s order. None shall disobey it,�� sighed Cole.

    "It''s not your first day here,�� he continued. "I''m sure you��re not unfamiliar with the president''s

    temper. He hates anyone who is constantly involved in strife. This time around, you got really lucky.

    You really hit the nail on the head."

    "I know, but, but..." But how could she be content? What made thisdy different such that she

    received preferential treatment from the higher-ups and was promoted with a pay raise within a few

    days of her entry?

    Needless to say, Cole effortlessly read Jace''s mind. Without dy, he dropped HR a call and had

    them start processing her dismissal formalities.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    In the president''s office.

    Shane was seated in his office chair, with his fingers intertwined and his hands rested on the edge

    of the desk. On his face hung what seemed like a smile as he stared right into Charlotte��s eyes.

    She had returned to her usualposed, obedient self. The fiery tigress from earlier was nowhere

    to be found.

    "Charlotte, do you not owe me an exnation?"

    "An exnation?" What was there for her to exin? Shane''s question caught Charlotte by

    surprise. Baffled, she raised her head to meet the man''s eyes.

    Sensing Charlotte''s confusion, Shane pulled the corner of his lips up into a smirk. For the first time,

    he exined what was on his mind, ''T ve always despised employees who are constantly involved

    in strife."

    ''Constantly involved in strife?'' she repeated in her heart.

    ''Me?''

    ''With which eye did he see me constantly

    involved in strife?''

    ''Could it be my exchange with Jace earlier?''

    Charlotte fell silent for a few seconds. Ultimately, she got herself together and, with a smile that

    lingered on the edges of her lips, she replied, "Mr. Fuller, I''ve only joined thepany a few days

    ago. I have barely gotten to know everyone in thepany! Who could I possibly involve in strife?"

    She did not view herself as apetent employee of thepany, nor was she a confidant of

    Shane''s, so she felt no need to spill the truth.

    "They''re all targeting you. Why is that?"

    As soon as those words left Shane''s lips, Charlotte almost flipped out. ''Why is that, you ask? If it

    isn''t all thanks to you!'' she hissed in her heart.

    But of course, she dared not voice it aloud. After all, this job meant the world to her at that moment.

    Seeing the distress on Charlotte''s face, Shane'' s heart softened and his tone followed.

    "If you want others to respect you, you must be able to portray yourself as a capable, dignified

    professional."

    "Mr. Fuller?"

    "That��s all. You may leave."

    Before Charlotte could digest his message, Shane spun around in his office chair so that his back

    faced her.

    ''Did Shane just give me a tip?'' she mused.

    ''Has he always been this kind?''

    Pondering, Charlotte walked back to her office.

    At that moment, Zoe Watson, another secretary, was heading toward the security room,

    apanied by some others. She nned to unearth the surveince video fromst night to

    better understand the incident.

    As the day progressed, many employees were let go. It wasn''t until noon that all the affairs were

    finally settled.

    It went without saying that Charlotte was not informed of these happenings. Still, over time, there

    were gradually lesser and lesser using fingers pointing at her in hatred, until the number hit zero.

    Soon, it was lunchtime.

    Just as Charlotte stepped out of the main doors of the office building, she was stopped by a woman

    in a branded suit.

    She looked at her with rm. At first nce, Charlotte felt a sense of familiarity wash over her, but

    she couldn''t pinpoint exactly where or when they''d cross paths.

    "What��s the matter? Do you not recognize me anymore, Charlotte? I''m Shane''s fiancee. We first

    met at the banquet." Yuliana pushed her chest forward, arrogance in every word as she stared

    Charlotte down.

    ''Ah, so this is ine'' s younger sister,'' Charlotte noted to herself.

    Charlotte��s expression instantly darkened and she spoke in a vindictive tone, "I''m sorry, is there

    anything I can help you with?"

    It was beyond her abilities to pull off a friendly demeanour while dealing with anyone rted to

    ine.

    Yuliana took advantage of the opening to look Charlotte up and down. Her gaze swept past every

    inch of the woman standing before her.

    At the banquet, she didn''t have the chance to scrutinize thisdy right here.

    At present, Charlotte was d in formal attire and a pair of ck-framed sses, in stark contrast

    to Yuliana and her branded outfit from top to toe.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Finally, a smirk emerged on Yuliana��s face.

    ''How would this hag even gain Shane�� s second nce with this fashion sense?'' Yuliana thought to

    herself.

    ''ine must have been over- scrupulous to see her as a threat.''

    Yuliana cleared her throat before deliberately lowering her voice. She replied, her tone thick with

    sarcasm, "Well, owing to my sister, we sort of are rtives. So, I was just thinking that we should

    perhaps greet each other when wee across each other."

    "Are you nuts?�� Charlotte raised her voice.

    Yuliana''s pretentious words topped with the mention of ine instantly enraged Charlotte and she

    could feel her chest tightening.

    It had been a bumpy ride to fix her bad habit ofshing out on people, but it returned in the blink of

    an eye.

    ''Rtives?'' she scoffed.

    ''Your sister and I are sworn enemies, do you not get it?''

    With that, Charlotte shed Yuliana a condescending smile and stormed past her.

    Watching Charlotte''s back as she left, Yuliana'' s expression turned absolutely horrid.

    Thinking back to the insufferably arrogant expression on Charlotte''s face, she stamped her foot in

    exasperation. All of a sudden, someone tugged at her sleeve from behind.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    "Who is it?" Yuliana groaned. Irritated, she turned around to find a woman with red, teary eyes and

    a leaky nose.

    Immediately, Yuliana grimaced and backed away from the unkempt woman in disgust.

    "Miss Yuliana, it��s me, Mr. Fuller''s secretary," Jace rified after releasing Yuliana'' s sleeve.

    "Secretary? Shane has so many secretaries. How would I know who you are?" Yuliana blurted

    impatiently.

    After all, she was a well- known female anchor. It took more than just being an ordinary person to

    talk to her.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Jace noticed the aversion overflowing from Yuliana''s eyes. Still hanging onto onest thread of

    hope, she continued unwaveringly, "Miss Yuliana, please talk to Mr. Fuller for me. Please don''t let

    him fire me."

    "How does that concern me? If you��ve been fired, then so be it." She nced at Jace with disdain.

    Truth be told, she hoped for Shane to fire all the female employees in thepany. That way, no

    one would try to seduce Shane anymore.

    "Miss Yuliana, please don''t leave just yet. Aren''t you curious as to why Mr. Fuller fired me?"

    Receiving no attention from Yuliana, dace''s heart sank. However, as soon as she recalled the scene

    she had witnessed earlier, she called out loudly.

    Yuliana froze in her tracks as soon as dace finished her sentence.

    Seeing this, dace was overjoyed. She scampered over quickly and caught up with Yuliana.

    "It was because of Charlotte Emerson; she''s the reason Mr. Fuller fired me. In fact, I was not the

    only victim. Many others were also fired because of her,�� dace exined to Yuliana. She had

    overheard Yuliana and Charlotte�� s exchange from earlier, and although dace was not in the know

    about the exact details, she could easily tell that they were not in each other''s good books.

    Two words as simple as "Charlotte Emerson" seemingly set off a bomb in Yuliana''s head.

    Seeing how Yuliana reacted to the news, dace knew at once that she had yed her cards right.

    "Miss Yuliana," she continued, "you must know that Charlotte seduced Mr. Fuller as soon as she

    entered thepany. Everyone knows this. What''s more, she was so slick with her tricks that she

    manipted Mr. Fuller into firing the design manager so that she could take the position instead."

    "Is this all true?" Yuliana couldn''t believe her ears.

    Throughout the years she had been by Shane'' s side, Shane had never once fired anyone for her

    sake. ''What on earth has gotten into him since Charlotte stepped through these doors?'' she

    grumbled.

    "Miss Yuliana, you may..." Before Jace could finish her sentence, Yuliana stormed off furiously into

    the office building with clenched fists, leaving nothing but the clickety- ck of her heels echoing in

    her wake.

    Jace watched Yuliana''s figure disappear into the elevator and her lips curved into a sinister smirk.

    She swore to herself that her dismissal from thepany was not going to stop her from making

    life difficult for Charlotte.

    Fuming, Yuliana alighted the elevator at the top floor. Before Cole could greet her, she shoved him

    aside and barged into the president''s office.

    "Sir, Miss Yuliana is here," Cole reported timidly behind her.

    Before Yuliana��s obstreperous arrival, Shane was going through some documents. He put down his

    pen and raised his head, his cold gaze sweeping the room.

    Foul wrath oozed from his eyes. Sensing what would soon follow, Cole tactfully left the room.

    However, Yuliana seemed too engulfed by anger to notice.

    She stalked up to Shane and, with a loud thud, she flung her bag against his desk.

    She then proceeded to interrogate Shane in a pressing tone, "Shane, there��s been a rumour going

    around the office saying that Charlotte has been seducing you and that you even promoted her to a

    managerial position. What is this about?"

    "Shane, you must fire her. She''s a total vamp!" she persevered.

    The temperature in the room seemed to have suddenly plunged. Finally, he began to speak in a

    calm yet stern tone, "Since when did I need you to tell me how to run mypany?"

    The immense anger and coldness emanating from the man sent chills running down Yuliana��s

    spine. Thankfully, it also brought her back to her senses.

    Despite being Shane''s girlfriend, she had to bend over backward like a servant to please him. This

    unfair treatment simply made her feel wretched.

    At that thought, tears welled up in her eyes.

    She then said in a coquettish tone, "Shane, I didn''t mean it in any other way. It''s just that, you know,

    we''ve been together for so long, yet we''ve never talked about marriage. When are we getting

    married? Even my sister has the same question."

    Seeing Shane remain silent with the same cold expression stered across his face, Yuliana bit her

    ruby lips and continued, "If you think it��s still too early to get married, we could perhaps just get

    engaged for now."

    "Is that all you have to say?" asked Shane.

    "Yeah." Yuliana nodded in response.

    "Get out."

    His tone could not be more casual, yet it carried an indisputable dominance.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    "Shane?" Yuliana purred in disbelief.

    He refused to bat an eye at her.

    With a heavy heart, Yuliana left the president'' s office.

    On her way out of the premises, she made a stop at Charlotte''s office.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    She took a moment to survey the entire room, ncing around until her eyes finally rested on the

    card that sat on the desk.

    Charlotte Emerson, Design Manager.

    She red at it with a ze of fury. What made her deserving of special treatment from Shane?

    She couldn��t help herself as she picked up the card for a closer look.

    "Miss Yuliana, what are you doing here?"

    She stopped in her tracks as a warm, gentle voice spoke from behind her.

    She turned around to see Christopher. He was beaming with a smile so dreamy, it felt like a

    pleasant spring breeze.

    Meeting his eyes, Yuliana greeted him with a sheepish smile. Silently, she slowly put her hand

    down, trying to muster an exnation.

    "Are you looking for Shane? I think he''s in."

    Although the warm smile remained on Christopher''s face, an unspeakable tension hung in the air. It

    seemed to rid Yuliana of her earlier arrogance.

    "Right. I''m on my way," Yuliana muttered and left nervously.

    A whileter, Charlotte returned from her lunch break. When she opened the door, she found

    Christopher waiting for her.

    "Mr. Gibson?" Charlotte asked in surprise.

    She was not expecting to meet Christopher here.

    Following the incident with Tilly, Braden was removed from the position of design director.

    Christopher then took over the role as head of the design department, meaning he was now

    Charlotte''s direct superior.

    Charlotte was still struggling to wrap her head around the recent changes. On top of that, she didn''t

    know much about the man standing in front of her either.

    Chuckling at her slight astonishment, Christopher handed her a document.

    "Thepany''s going to bid for a new project. Here, take a look at these, and we��ll discuss it in a

    meetingter."

    Christopher beamed with a warm exuberance that would put the most distraught of hearts at ease.

    Charlotte smiled in return as she processed his words.

    Satisfied, Christopher began to make his way out.

    Just then, the memory of Tilly humiliating Charlotte came over her. It dawned on her that she still

    hadn''t thanked Christopher for getting her out of trouble.

    Quickly, she stopped Christopher.

    "Mr. Gibson, could you spare a moment?"

    Christopher turned around.

    "I haven''t thanked you for your help," said Charlotte, taking two steps forward.

    Puzzled, Christopher asked, "What about?"

    "Thank you for speaking up for me, and for going so far as rmending me for design manager."

    Although her promotion may have ruffled some feathers, she wasn''t ungrateful for it, or for the raise

    that came with it. After all, she could really use the money,

    "Ms. Emerson, I was only speaking the truth. And for someone with your skills, I''m afraid this

    position doesn''t fully put your talents to good use."

    After the incident with Tilly, Christopher had asked human resources to look further into Charlotte''s

    portfolio.

    That was how he discovered that Charlotte was a famous designer overseas.

    Charlotte was slightly taken aback by what he said. She was beginning to wonder how much he

    knew about her.

    However, she decided that it was not worth the trouble to reveal her identity at this point in time.

    "Anyway, thank you, Mr. Gibson," uttered Charlotte, smiling half-heartedly.

    Sensing the change in tone, Christopher tactfully decided to say no more. He nodded and left.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    In the Emerson''s vi.

    "You foolish imbecile!"

    Upon leaving NC Corporation, Yuliana had immediately gone to the Emerson residence in search of

    her sister, to confide to her about what happened with Shane.

    However, inembasted her as soon as she finished exining her situation.

    Yuliana looked hurt. She asked in confusion, "Sis, why are you scolding me? It was that b*tch

    Charlotte Emerson who seduced Shane! What''s wrong with me asking Shane to fire her?"

    "You were used as cannon fodder and yet you'' re stillcent. It''s no wonder Shane looks down

    on you!" Out of frustration, ine rolled her eyes at her ipetent sister.

    During the banquet, she had already noticed Shane''s attitude toward Charlotte. It was as if he was

    a totally different person.

    With today''s incident, it was no doubt that Charlotte had managed to find herself an all-around

    protector to back her up.

    It seemed to ine that she had to speed things up a little.

    She quickly reorganized her thoughts. From the corner of her eyes, she peeped at a whimpering

    Yuliana.

    She sighed helplessly and softened her tone. "I''ll help youe up with a solution for this mess.

    For now, I want you to head home and wait for mymand. You must also take note not to

    provoke Charlotte at the moment. Do you understand?"

    "Sis, but why?" Don��t you also hate that b*tch to death?" Yuliana persisted, unwilling to ept

    defeat.

    She found herself unreconciled with the thought of Charlotte getting away under Shane''s protection.

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "Just do as I tell you to. Else, I better not find you running back to me in tears and begging for my

    help when anything goes wrong," ine snapped back at Yuliana.

    Now that ine had said it this way, Yuliana was left with no choice but to follow ine''s orders

    despite the million things she couldn''t ce her finger around.

    "I''ll head back first, then." Yuliana obediently picked up her bag and left the Emerson residence.

    After her departure, the butler walked out of the kitchen with a bowl in his hands. He came to ine

    and reported respectfully, "Ma''am, Mr. Emerson''s herbal soup is ready."

    "Got it, I''ll take it from here."

    ine carefully brought the bowl up to the second floor. Her steps halted in front of the door to the

    study room and she knocked twice.

    "Come in," replied a man'' s voice, apanied by a coughing fit.

    ine pushed the door open and headed straight to the desk. She ced the bowl of herbal soup

    on the desk and stepped behind Timothy. She put her hands on his shoulders and began gently

    massaging them. Then, she cooed gently, "Dear, you must be tired. Why don''t you take a break?"

    Timothy let out a couple of coughs. He removed his sses and rubbed his temples. "The eastern

    suburbs is nning to establish an opera house. Bidding has justmenced." He pointed at the

    design drafts in front of him and grunted, "Look at these. What were they even thinking?"

    "Is NC Corp also running in the bidding?" probed ine.

    Timothy nodded silently with a grim look on his face. This was also the main contributor to his

    anger.

    Since the month of March, the Emerson Corporation��s winning rate had begun to dwindle. Their

    biggestpetitor was this small, unknownpany.

    Timothy had already engaged people to conduct a background check on thispany on many

    asions, but nothing of importance was unearthed.

    This was a cause of his constant headache.

    "Timothy,�� ine walked over to the desk again, picking up the bowl on the table and cing it in

    Timothy'' s hands. "There'' s something I''m not sure if I should tell you about."

    "What is it?"

    ine bit her lip contritely. "It��s Charlotte. She'' s returned."

    Rather than waiting for Timothy to find out from others, she figured it would be better to tell him the

    news herself.

    As expected, Timothy'' s face instantly darkened.

    After all, back then, Charlotte didn''t heed his orders and had run away instead.

    On top of that, it had been five years since she left.

    "To think that this unfilial daughter of mine still has the nerve toe back! Where did you see

    her?"

    "It was at Alistair''s birthday party." ine''s eyelids drooped to avoid eye contact with Timothy in an

    act of timidness from shame.

    Timothy was enraged. He raised his voice and berated, "Why did you wait before telling me?"

    His reproach brought tears to ine''s eyes and her words quivered with her voice,ced with

    remorse.

    "That��s because I was afraid you''d get angry like this once you found out.��

    Beads of tears rolled down ine''s cheeks. It was as though they fell into Timothy''s fire of rage,

    extinguishing it considerably.

    ''T m not..." Faced with ine''s teary eyes, Timothy'' s mind plunged into chaos. He struggled to find

    the right words to piece together an exnation.

    ine cleverly seized the opportunity to give him an out. She wiped her tears away and began, "I

    know you miss Charlotte, but the reason she came back that night was to sever ties with you and

    the Emersons in front of everyone. I couldn��t stop her even if I wanted to. What would happen if I

    were to tell you? There'' s no doubt you would... Ah, Timothy!"

    Before ine could finish her sentence, Timothy''s face had already contorted in a gruesome

    expression. He clutched his chest as his body tipped backward. With difficulty, his lips parted to

    speak.

    "This... unfilial daughter..."

    As soon as the words left his lips, his vision turned dark and he passed out.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    "Hello?"

    Without so much as a nce at the caller ID, Charlotte picked up the ringing phone from her desk

    and brought it to her ear.

    "Lottie, Sheryl and I are in the restaurant right downstairs from your office building. Quick,e join

    us." It was Anne.

    ''T m sorry, Anne, but I''m still working on something right now."

    "But it''s already the weekend, plus it''s time for lunch! No amount of work calls for starving yourself.

    Besides, Sheryl misses you a lot," Anne said in protest.

    ''The weekend?'' Charlotte blinked.

    Her fingers paused mid-action and the pen she was twirling swiftlynded on her desk.

    Subconsciously, her eyes darted to scan her desk calendar. To her surprise, it was, in fact, already

    the weekend. However, this was nothing out of the norm; it was easy for Charlotte to lose track of

    time once she got her hands on work.

    She was currently revising the design drafts for the bidding of the opera house in the Eastern

    District. Though the bidding was to take ce three weeks from the day of the notice, thepany

    only permitted her two weeks to finalize the drafts for the presentation.

    One week had now passed, yet she was still unsatisfied with the drafts.

    She knew that this project was not only a test given to her by thepany, but also a chance for

    her to prove her abilities to the rest.

    It had been a few days since she started working overtime and spending the night at thepany.

    Because of this, she had specifically asked Anne to look over Sheryl.

    "Alright, I''ll be down in a minute."

    After hanging up the phone, Charlotte briefly cleared her desktop and picked up her bag, ready to

    head downstairs.

    "Your mom will be here soon. Why don''t you take a look at the menu and decide what you'' d like to

    eat first?" Anne coaxed.

    Hearing that she was going to see her mother soon, the gloomy expression on little Sheryl''s face

    vanished without a trace. She joyfully picked up the menu and started flipping through. She then

    proceeded to order a ss of fruit juice to go with a children''s set meal.

    She also thoughtfully ordered a cup of mocha, her mother��s favourite.

    As Anne and Sheryl engaged in chirpy small talk, Braden spotted them from not too far away.

    He had always had this extraordinarily retentive memory for beautiful women, so he was quick to

    recognize Anne at first nce.

    ''There can''t be anything in my way this time around, right?'' Braden crossed his fingers.

    He rose to his feet, adjusted his cor, and strode over with his long legs.

    "I don''t believe in fate, but it looks like we were meant to meet again," Braden announced with a

    pompous smirk stretched across his face.

    Braden Collins was a man known by many in River City. He had dandy facial features ented by

    his firm, wheat- coloured skin. His presence always dered a sense of subtle daredevilry.

    Countless women bowed to his allure, especially those sexy lips of his.

    Oddly, Anne was resistant to the charisma of the man who suddenly appeared in front of her. She

    looked at him in confusion and asked, "Who are you?"

    The smile on Braden��s face grew rigid. ''You must be kidding! This woman actually forgot who I was.''

    After all, he was the famous Braden Collins, the man with a never- ending queue of admirers

    flocking behind him! Yet, this woman hadpletely forgotten about him.

    To Anne''s rm, he swiftly pulled out an empty chair from under the table and sat himself down.

    "I feel you ought to take a moment to recall." As Braden unbuttoned his suit, his gaze fell on Sheryl.

    She sported a white pompom skirt that highlighted her bubbly face. Her lips parted and met

    repeatedly like a cute little duckling.

    She was simply too adorable.

    ''But, she can''t be the daughter of thisdy, can she?'' Braden mused in disbelief.

    "Who��s this little girl?" he asked, pointing at Sheryl.

    "Uncle, you''re so rude," Sheryl remarked with pouty lips, peeping at the egomaniac man.

    Anne nodded in agreement.

    As Charlotte arrived in a hurry, she caught sight of Braden sitting down at Anne''s table.

    She stopped in her tracks but noticed Braden didn��t seem like he was nning to leave anytime

    soon. She looked over to Anne and she immediately realized what tricks Braden had up his sleeve.

    Charlotte quickly walked over and greeted them.

    "Mr. Collins."

    ��Mommy!" Sheryl squealed as she saw Charlotte. She leaped off her chair in excitement and dove

    into her mother''s arms.

    "Oh, she''s your daughter? No, wait, you have a daughter?" Braden looked at Charlotte, shocked to

    his core.

    He was incredulous that Charlotte, whom he had dubbed the ''old nun'', actually mothered a

    daughter. Not to mention such a gorgeous one too!

    "Mommy, do you know this rude uncle?" Sheryl raised her little head to meet Charlotte'' s gaze. Her

    eyes contained a hint of displeasure for the man.

    At the same time, Anne turned to look at Charlotte suspiciously.

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    "Yup, this is Mr. Collins from mommy'' s workce." Charlotte nodded and gave a brief introduction.

    In response to Charlotte��s statement, Braden sneakily straightened his back and brushed his fingers

    through his hair.

    Habitually, he pulled out a formidable demeanour of a sessful CEO. He was almost certain that

    this would strike thedies with awe over how truly stunning he was.

    However, he was interrupted no longer than three secondster as Charlotte vaguely probed, "Mr.

    Collins, we'' re having a friend overter..." Charlotte gestured at the chair Braden was seated in,

    hinting for him to leave.

    One should keep in mind that Braden was the owner of a head- turning face that had undoubtedly

    been mushed against many others. She couldn''t let this womanizer get into Anne''s pants.

    As he processed Charlotte''s words, Braden''s smile froze yet again. He looked up at Charlotte in

    stupefaction.

    ''You have got to be kidding me.''

    ''Are you trying to drive me away?'' he wailed to himself.

    ''I''m not just anybody; I''m your boss!''

    However, Charlotte was a quick- witted woman. She diligently dodged Braden''s gaze and turned to

    tease her daughter. Almost immediately, tension enveloped the group.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    "Sir, no problems have arisen with the Fuller Group and everything appears to be running smoothly

    on our side here at NC. The only thing is that the design department has been giving their all for the

    uing project and the majority of those involved have been pulling several all-nighters in a row,

    especially Ms. Emerson."

    The door to the restaurant swung open and a man stepped in with his pair of long, slender legs.

    With a bag in one hand, he strode directly toward the center of the restaurant.

    Cole followed closely behind, meticulously reporting about work.

    In an instant, the majestic air emanating from the 6-foot man announced his presence to all the

    diners in the restaurant.

    Shane''s bitter-cold eyes softened as soon as he spotted little Sheryl, who was nestledfortably

    in Charlotte''s arms.

    A hint of tenderness crept onto his dispassionate face.

    At that exact moment, Sheryl''s eyes alsonded on him.

    Mr. Handsome!"

    Sheryl squealed with excitement and wriggled out of Charlotte��s arms. As soon as she broke free,

    she ran towards Shane��s as fast as her little legs could carry her.

    Sheryl wrapped herself around Shane��s thigh. She raised her head and let out a cheeky little giggle.

    ''Mr. Handsome?�� Quickly, Charlotte and Anne�� s interest was piqued.

    They exchanged an rmed nce, then snapped their heads back toward Sheryl''s direction.

    ''Shane Fuller?�� they both eximed with astonishment in their hearts.

    To think that the handsome stranger whom Sheryl spoke of was Shane Fuller!

    The news struck Charlotte like lightning.

    "Mr. Handsome,e this way, I want you to meet Mommy. She''s the prettiest mother in the world,"

    Sheryl imed with a proud face as she tugged at Shane toe by their table.

    Sheryl''s soft, tiny handy in Shane''srge palm and seemingly melted away his usual cold self. He

    failed to hide his smile as Sheryl hauled him along. Watching the smile stretch across his face,

    Braden was stupefied.

    Never once in his life had he seen this side of Shane. Shane was recognized for his unyielding,

    cold-hearted character, but he was now smiling, and such a gentle one at that!

    "Mr. Fuller."

    Before she could react, the man was already standing before her eyes. Charlotte''s mind went nk

    and she didn��t know what to do next.

    A bit earlier, she had overheard that he had gone abroad. So why did he suddenly appear here?

    More importantly, how did he end up being the handsome stranger whom Sheryl wouldn''t stop

    going off about?

    "Mommy, this is the handsome man I told you about," Sheryl announced delightfully and tilted her

    head slightly toward Shane. "Mr. Handsome, this is my mommy. Don''t judge her by her current

    outfit; she''s actually very beautiful!"

    Charlotte couldn��t help but blush a little from Sheryl''s description.

    She had initially expected nothing more than a disdainful nce from Shane. After all, she was

    aware that Braden had been calling her an ''old nun'' behind her back.

    Unexpectedly, Shane nodded in agreement. This left everyone stunned once again.

    Sheryl was oblivious to the growing tension between the adults. Herrge beady eyes continued to

    scan her surroundings and finally rested on Braden.

    "Rude Mister, would you please get up? That seat belongs to my Mr. Handsome,�� Sheryl bluntly

    ordered.

    Braden was dumbfounded. The corners of his lips twitched. The words to defend himself were just

    about to roll off the tip of his tongue when he met Shane''s icy-cold re. Almost immediately, he

    stood up obediently and offered the seat to him.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "Mr. Handsome, please take a seat," Sheryl instructed Shane again.

    "Alright." Shane, who had always been on the other end of the give and take, surprisingly submitted

    to the little girl''s order and sat downpliantly.

    "Great!" Sheryl pped her hands joyfully.

    As per Sheryl''s arrangement, the four adults sat opposite each other. They blinked at each other as

    the atmosphere turned awkward.

    "I remember now," blurted Anne, who had been silent the whole time.

    Everyone directed their attention toward her.

    "Uh, I mean, I remember that I wanted to order a steak."

    Anne peered at the austere expression on Shane''s face and reminded herself that she couldn��t

    afford to put her life on the line over such a petty issue. What��s more, it was not like their encounter

    from that night was anything worth mentioning.

    After diverting the conversation, she took her phone out to send Charlotte a message from under

    the table.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    ''Lottie, is Shane Fuller the owner of NC Corp?'' Anne''s message read.

    Once she hit send, Charlotte''s phone beeped.

    She clicked open the notification and read the message. Subconsciously, she looked up at Anne,

    only to catch her squinting uncannily at her.

    Charlotte''s gaze returned to her phone and she typed a reply. ''Yes, he is. What''s up?''

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ''Oh my God! I hope he didn''t make things difficult for you. He... He was the one you fell on when

    you drank too much at the bar the other night.''

    Charlotte''s mind went nk as she read the message. Her eyes widened in shock as her memories

    came rushing back.

    Before she was back in the right mind, she raised her head unknowingly and looked at Shane, who

    was sitting directly opposite her.

    ''No way!'' she eximed in her heart.

    It was her first time getting drunk, and on that first time, she had forced herself onto Shane.

    At that same moment, Shane looked up and his eyes met Charlotte''s.

    Charlotte immediately felt guilt wash over her and she hurriedly lowered her head to avoid further

    eye contact.

    She appeared somewhat adorable in this state of loss.

    Lunch finally ended with awkwardness suspended in the tense air.

    After walking out of the restaurant, Charlotte cleared her throat, about to ask Anne to bring Sheryl

    home.

    Before she could speak, Sheryl came scurrying over. She cradled Charlotte��s hand in hers and

    started swinging her arm gently,ining in a cheeky tone, "Mommy, I don'' t want to go home. I

    want to be with you."

    "Sheryl, be a good girl, please. I still have work toplete, you..."

    "Employees from ourpany do not need to work overtime to get things done. If you need to work

    overtime toplete your tasks, I''m afraid you''re not suitable to be a part of ourpany."

    interrupted Shane abruptly, standing at one side.

    Charlotte was rendered speechless as she stared at Shane in disbelief.

    To think there existed an employer who would frown upon the idea of employees working overtime!

    "Yay! Great! Mommy doesn''t need to work anymore. You can y with me now!" Sheryl cheered

    happily beside her.

    "Sheryl, where do you want to go? I''ll bring you wherever," Shane suggested with a friendly smile

    and dearness in his eyes.

    Braden and Anne were both left stunned by the abnormal man in front of them.

    Their perception of Shane was renewed once more.

    The frigid workaholic was actually offering to bring a child out to have fun.

    Braden''s eyes darted between Shane and Sheryl. A few seconds of silenceter, he pped his

    forehead aggressively and pointed at Sheryl. "Shane, she can''t be your daughter, can she?"

    The two did look awfully alike. Topped with Shane�� s unprecedented patience and kindness, Braden

    simply couldn''t quash the possibility.

    However, as soon as this was brought up, all eyes were on Shane.

    Shane'' s signature cold re promptly resurfaced.

    Realizing that the mood had changed, Braden chuckled in an attempt to dissipate the tension. "I''m

    just joking. Just joking."

    With that, Braden took off at warp speed, hoping to avoid contact with Shane.

    "Well, I''ll be taking my leave too." Being a sensible person herself, Anne turned a blind eye to

    Charlotte''s pleading face. In a sh, she climbed into her car and fled the scene.

    "Mommy, can we please go to the amusement park?" Sheryl turned to Charlotte eagerly and blinked

    her adorable puppy-dog eyes.

    Faced with her daughter''srge, glimmering eyes, Charlotte couldn''t bear to turn her down. Pursing

    her lips, she persevered and shook her head.

    However, before she could turn Sheryl down, Shane picked the little girl up and sat her on his broad

    shoulder. Disregarding Charlotte, he said to Sheryl, "Let��s go. I''ll take you to the amusement park."

    Without waiting for Charlotte to react, he started walking toward the parking lot.

    Watching Shane''s broad shoulders and how stalwart he stood, Charlotte felt a sense of security in

    her heart for no reason.

    Next, her eyes traveled to the wide grin stretched across her daughter''s guileless face.

    Regardless of how heartless she could get, she could never bring herself to give the red light.

    Thus, Charlotte took a deep breath and stepped forward to catch up with the two.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35

    At the Valley of Joy.

    Because it was a weekend, there was an endless sea of parents bringing their children to enjoy the

    day. As such, almost every ride was enveloped by thick crowds.

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Seeing the long queues, Charlotte��s brows knitted together and she was ovee by the urge to

    leave.

    Yet, Sheryl hauled Shane along as she charged headfirst, havingpletely forgotten about her

    mother, who had fallen behind.

    Charlotte could feel an impending headache as she stood behind the herd of people in front of the

    merry- go- round. She groaned, "Sheryl, there are way too many people here. By the time it''s our

    turn, it''ll probably already be..."

    "Mommy, let''s go! It''s our turn." Before she could finish her sentence, Sheryl ran over and grabbed

    her hand. They scrambled through the crowd and boarded the ride under the guidance of a member

    of staff.

    ''Did we just cut the queue?'' Charlotte''s frown deepened.

    Seeing the confusion on her mother''s face, Sheryl waved a ck card at her.

    "Mommy, we are Super Super Super VIPs. We don''t have to wait in line."

    As she watched the card shimmer in the sunlight, Charlotte asked, "Where did you get this?"

    Sheryl briefly pointed in the direction of a tree not too far away. Charlotte turned to see Shane under

    the shade of the tree.

    He stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, emphasizing the slender body that appeared

    especially conspicuous within the crowd.

    Although she couldn��t see his face, she didn''t have to doubt the fact that his current expression was

    one of indifference, one that kept others away from him.

    Despite this, female passersby would still boldly sneak a couple more nces at him.

    There was no way for Charlotte to deny that Shane was born with irresistible charm.

    "Mommy, do you like Mr. Handsome?" Sheryl asked solemnly as she tugged at the corner of

    Charlotte''s shirt.

    Seeing the thoughtful look on her daughter''s face, Charlotte subconsciously nced at Shane

    again.

    This man may be colder than ice, but he wasn'' t exactly despicable.

    However, she didn''t know much about him, so there was no telling if she liked him.

    Without waiting for Charlotte''s reply, Sheryl suggested frankly, "Mommy, if you can''t find Daddy, you

    can let Mr. Handsome be my daddy. I like Mr. Handsome."

    Anticipation spilled from herrge, beady eyes as she stared right into her mother''s irises.

    Hearing Sheryl''s words, Charlotte was slightly taken aback. She hadn''t expected Sheryl to take

    such a huge liking to Shane.

    To the point where she longed for him to be her father!

    However, Shane Fuller had a fiancee.

    It took a few seconds for Charlotte toe back to her senses. Once she regainedposure, she

    bent down to ruffle Sheryl''s hair and cooed with a gentle smile, "We''ll definitely find Daddy."

    As the saying goes, time flies when you'' re having fun. Very soon, evening approached.

    After dinner, Sheryl finally sumbed to the fatigue from the whole day of having fun and fell

    asleep in her mother''s arms.

    Watching Sheryl in her sweet slumber, maternal love flooded Charlotte''s eyes. The corners of her

    lips curved slightly upward in the most loving manner.

    It was such a pure and heavenly smile.

    Shane witnessed the scene unfold.

    Now that Charlotte had put down her guard, it was as though she had transformed into an

    inescapable ck hole that drew him in.

    Sensing Shane''s gaze on her, Charlotte raised her head sheepishly. Her cheeks were flushed but

    she rose to her feet nonchntly, careful not to wake Sheryl.

    Just as she was about to excuse herself to book a taxi home, Shane offered, "I''ll send you back."

    "Mr. Fuller, I appreciate your kindness for today. I can''t possibly trouble you further," Charlotte

    dipped her head and confessed.

    Shane was a good few inches taller than Charlotte. Hence, his gazended unobstructed on

    Charlotte'' s skinny shoulders.

    This woman was frailer than he had thought.

    His pupils vaguely contracted and he replied in the routine cold tone of his, "You already have."

    "..." Charlotte couldn��t form a response.

    "So, stop spouting nonsense." Shane effortlessly scooped Sheryl from Charlotte��s arms. Without

    hesitation, he spun around and started marching toward the parking lot.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36

    The journey back to Flowerbed Residence was smooth and the car traveled swiftly toward their

    destination.

    Inside the cabin, the only sound that bounced off the windows was Shane''s rhythmic typing on his

    keyboard.

    A car ride was not an excuse for him to put aside work-rted matters.

    However, it was the fact that he had his head buried in hisptop that gradually loosened Charlotte

    up.

    She had expected Shane to start bombarding her with questions she could not exin like he had

    thest time around.

    However, Shane was visibly too preupied with work to speak to her at all.

    Clearly, she was overthinking things.

    Despite her efforts to tear her eyes off of him, Charlotte kept catching herself staring at Shane.

    His Roman nose paired with his thin lips gave the illusion that his face was deftly sculpted to exude

    the exclusive allure he had.

    Her gaze then dropped to the set of long, slender fingers tapping diligently against the keyboard.

    "You y the piano, don��t you?" Charlotte blurted without so much as a second thought.

    Once the words left her lips, she instantly sped her hand over her mouth and she could feel her

    face heat up.

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    Peeping at him was one thing, but why did she expose herself?

    Hearing her question, Shane nced over at her. However, that was all there was to it. Almost

    immediately, he retracted his gaze and resumed clicking away on his keyboard.

    It was as if nothing had happened.

    Sensing that Shane was unaltered, the blood pooling in Charlotte''s cheeks quelled by half.

    However, she could still feel her heart thumping in her chest.

    In a desperate attempt to prevent a simr urrence, she had no choice but to turn the other side

    and stare out the window.

    It was not until half an hourter when the tedious trip finally came to an end.

    The car slowed to a stop in front of Charlotte�� s residential district. Cole, who was in the passenger

    seat, turned around to face Shane.

    "Sir, we��re here," he reported.

    Hearing this, Shane returned a firm nod and shut hisptop. He turned to look at the mother-

    daughter pair who were sound asleep.

    The silence in the cabin was interspersed with the even breathing of the two.

    Theforting sounds of their paced breathing seemed to soothe Shane'' s furrowed eyebrows,

    which were scrunched up due to the stress from earlier.

    After an indeterminable period, Charlotte stirred from a sensation of soreness.

    She felt pins and needles in her legs.

    She reached down to massage her legs. It took her a few seconds to recover from her daze and

    she immediately flew into a panic.

    Sheryl had vanished from where she hadid in her arms!

    In a state of agitation, Charlotte swung open the door and alighted the car. Just as she was about to

    yell for Sheryl at the top of her lungs, she caught sight of Shane and Sheryl sitting at a bench not

    too far from the entrance to the residential area.

    Charlotte briskly sprinted over with worry coating every inch of her face. She chastised with a hint of

    anger, "Sheryl!"

    "Mommy, Mr. Handsome said you were too tired and we should let you rest a little longer. That''s

    why I didn''t wake you."

    The little girl stood up obediently and took Charlotte��s hand on her own initiative.

    "Mommy, please don''t be mad." Her arch tone of voice prodded Charlotte''s heart and, in no time,

    the roaring fury within her heart was extinguished like it was never there.

    Charlotte raised her head and locked eyes with Shane. She found herself staring right into those

    deep, enigmatic irises of his.

    A gust of warmth arose in her heart, but the sensation onlysted for a fleeting second.

    This man standing in front of her was ine'' s brother- in-w. She ought to refrain from associating

    with him.

    Charlotte took a deep breath in and pulled her lips into a distant yet polite smile. "Mr. Fuller, thank

    you. It''s awfullyte, so we''ll be heading upstairs first."

    Once she finished speaking, she took Sheryl by the hand and disappeared into the district without a

    second nce.

    "Goodbye, Mr. Handsome!" Sheryl called behind herself.

    Watching Charlotte��s silhouette shrink into the distance, the corners of Shane''s mouth curled

    upward in a smile.

    ''This woman''s attitude changes so quickly,'' he noted to himself with a chuckle.

    After mulling over that, Shane got into the car.

    Once he was seated, he removed a strand of hair that was twirled around his finger and handed it

    to Cole with an order. "Send this in for a DNA paternity test. I want the results as soon as possible."

    "Yes, sir," replied Cole dutifully.

    Shane subconsciously drummed his fingers against his thigh as he stared out into the darkness. It

    wasn''t until he saw the light spill out of Charlotte��s window that he ordered Cole to start the drive.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

    It was 11 o��clock at night.

    Charlotte didn��t feel the slightest bit lethargic as she rolled around in bed. The image of Sheryl

    having fun with Shane earlier during the day kept resurfacing in her mind.

    Sheryl'' s pure smile reflected so much happiness. It was evident that she was having such a good

    time.

    As she looked back on this, Charlotte felt a little rueful.

    She knew for a fact that Sheryl had always longed for fatherly love. Still, she never mentioned

    wanting a father as she was worried about hurting her mother''s heart. Even when other children

    teased her, she would silently put up with it alone.

    Sheryl'' s obedience and pragmatism only made Charlotte feel more ashamed of herself as a

    mother.

    "Beep beep!"

    The phone she had put aside buzzed. The notification immediately pulled Charlotte back to her

    senses.

    Wiping away her tears, she picked up her phone from the bedside table. It was a message from

    Anne.

    ''Lottie, are you asleep?��

    ''Nope. What��s the matter?" Charlotte replied.

    ''How was the day with Shane? From what I can see, Sheryl likes him an awful lot.��

    ''Yeah, she does. She told me today that she likes him very much.��

    Once this message was out, it took a long while before a new message came in.

    ''Lottie, have you noticed that Sheryl bears considerable resemnce to Shane? Especially those

    eyebrows and that nose of hers, they look exactly like Shane''s. Say, do you think he could be...��

    Upon reading the message, Charlotte distinctly felt her heart sink.

    In fact, she had already noticed their alikeness right after Braden''s statement.

    Still, how could this be possible?

    Charlotte speedily typed in a reply.

    ''The probability of this happening is too minimal, perhapspletely impossible. How could he be

    Sheryl''s father?''

    Not too longter, she received Anne�� s response. ''You''re right. Shane Fuller is known for his

    tendency to steer clear of females.

    Besides that female anchor, there are literally no other women by his side.��

    Charlotte couldn''t help but let out a giggle when she read the message. To think Shane was such a

    faithful man.

    Just as she was about to put down her phone, another notification came in for a piece of financial

    news.

    She unwittingly read the title.

    ''Timothy Emerson, Chairman of Emerson Corporation, Hospitalized For Serious Health Issues.''

    Beneath it was a short description, adding that the corporation''s share price was plummeting.

    Charlotte stared inanimately at the notification and her mind went nk.

    ''Hospitalized for serious health issues?''

    From what she remembered, her father had always been in tip-top condition. Why did he suddenly

    fall ill?

    The more she dwelled on the issue, the more uneasiness she felt lodged in her throat. She no

    longer had the cognitive capacity to think about anything else.

    She immediately leaped to her feet and hastily changed out of her pajamas. After onest nce at

    sleeping Sheryl, she booked a taxi and rushed toward the hospital named in the news.

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    Twenty- odd minutester, Charlotte came dashing into the inpatient department of the hospital.

    She anxiously ran up to the nurses'' station just in time to catch a young nurse on her night shift.

    "Hello, may I know which room Timothy Emerson is in?"

    Hearing Charlotte''s inquiry about a patient in a VIP ward, she looked at Charlotte warily and asked,

    "May I know how you are rted to the patient?"

    Prior to this, the patient''s family had ordered that no ordinary person was to enter and cause a

    disturbance.

    "I''m his..."

    "Haven�� t I already mentioned that Mr. Emerson is doing fine? Please stop calling."

    Just as Charlotte was about to reveal her identity, she was interrupted by the voice of ady on the

    line.

    ''This woman��s voice...'' Charlotte wondered.

    ''Could it be her?��

    Charlotte turned around and, as expected, she spotted ine.

    ine stood in front of the elevator doors, slightly facing her way. However, as she was rather

    engrossed in the phone call, she didn''t notice Charlotte standing by the nurses'' station.

    As of now, ine donned an ankle- length emerald skirt. Her hair was curled into luscious locks and

    her lips were drawn a fiery red. Her rouged face manifested a trace of irritation.

    After hanging up the phone, ine took out her foundation and dabbed the powder on her face.

    She scrutinized herself in the mirror and did not put the palette away until she was satisfied with her

    complexion.

    Before she could press the button to summon the elevator, her cell rang again from inside her bag.

    When she saw the caller'' s name, an enchanting smile broke out on her ruby lips.

    "Hello?" Her voice was so coquettish it raised goosebumps all over Charlotte''s body.

    "Yup, he��s asleep. I''ll be right there."

    ine spoke with such tenderness andpassion to the person on the other side of the phone. It

    was the pr opposite of the person she was just moments ago.

    ''Is she going on a date?'' Charlotte''s jaw dropped.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    A trace of doubt emerged in Charlotte''s mind. But before she could continue eavesdropping, the

    elevator arrived with a ding.

    ine stalked into the elevator and turned around to face the front. Right at that moment, Charlotte

    hurriedly spun around.

    She did not want ine to see her, especially not now.

    Unfortunately, ine did just that.

    However, she didn��t seem fearful of being exposed. Instead, her lips curved upward into a sinister

    smirk.

    The elevator doors closed and broke off the women''s eye contact. Charlotte looked up at the clock

    on the wall and realized it was already an hour past midnight.

    Where would ine be going sote at night?

    "Oh no, something��se up with the patient in Room 888!"

    A trainee nurse came rushing into the on-call room. Very quickly, a doctor stepped out and headed

    toward Room 888.

    Instinctively, a bad feeling brewed in Charlotte'' s gut. There was no way that her father was the

    patient she was talking about, right?

    She didn'' t allow herself much time to overanalyze. She simply followed behind to take a look for

    herself.

    Sure enough, the patient of Room 888 was her father, Timothy Emerson.

    Charlotte stood by the door in a daze as she watched the medical staff rendering resuscitation

    efforts.

    Seconds felt like minutes until she finally saw the heartbeat on his vital signs monitor return to

    normal.

    As she stood by the door and watched from the outside, tears streamed down her face. She hastily

    stopped the doctor before he could leave and urged, "Doctor, what... what��s wrong with him? What

    illness does he have?"

    The doctor stared at Charlotte with a sense of skepticism as he asked, "Who are you?��

    ''T m his, his..." Daughter. She was his daughter, but she couldn''t seem to enunciate the word.

    All of a sudden, she was reminded that the rtionship between herself and her father had turned

    vile.

    "The patient had a heart attack. He needs good rest and should be kept from emotional shock."

    Once he left her a simple exnation, the doctor left.

    Charlotte briefly wiped her tears away, ready to enter to take a look.

    But as she recalled the doctor��s advice, she retracted her foot.

    She smiled bitterly to herself. It had been five years since theyst met. Would he still consider her

    his daughter?

    Charlotte remained standing by the door. After debating with herself for a long moment, she

    ultimately decided to leave.

    Right then, in a hidden corner, the shutter of a camera clicked, capturing an image of her.

    After the photographer finished his task. Without dy, he sent the photo he had taken to someone.

    In the blink of an eye, the day of the bidding arrived as scheduled.

    The client had set the venue to be at Royal Dragon Hotel.

    Early in the morning, the design team followed Christopher to the hotel under Charlotte''s lead.

    To her dismay, Charlotte bumped into ine, who was here as the representative of

    Emerson Corporation.

    Today, Charlotte was d in her routine formal attire, but sans the hefty ck-framed sses.

    Herrge, glimmering eyes were disyed unobstructed to view, which made her appear fresher

    than ever before.

    ine, on the other hand, donned an immacte white dress. Her hair was scattered naturally on

    her shoulders and her face was caked exquisitely with make-up as usual.

    However, when set side by side with Charlotte'' s pristine, unpainted face, she seemed a little tacky

    in appearance.

    The two did nothing but exchange a disciplined nce before they located their respective seats.

    This round''s bidding had managed to recruit 15panies.

    Eachpany��s order of appearance was to be decided by drawing lots.

    NC was allottedst with Emerson Corporation''s turn just before theirs.

    While the minutes ticked past, eachpany utilized their time to the fullest as they unveiled their

    design concepts.

    After the 13th presentation was a warm round of apuse and up next was Emerson Corporation.

    As their proud representative, ine Emerson slowly ascended the stairs on her 5-inch heels.

    A boastful smile lingered on her face and everyone in the audience could tell she was certain she

    would win.

    Her eyes scanned the crowd and the moment her gazended on Charlotte, a tinge of provocation

    flickered within her eyes.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, Io and behold! Emerson Corporation''s design concept. We call this

    ''Sustainable Living''."

    The title wordings disyed on the PowerPoint projection turned Charlotte'' s brain into mush.

    How could ine��s theme be the same as hers? Could this be a coincidence?

    However, the following few slides that revealed Emerson Corp��s design prints blew every member of

    NC''s team off their feet.

    Emerson Corp''s designs were a carbon copy of theirs, down to the littlest details.

    Christopher turned to look at Charlotte, who was seated next to him. He cleared his throat and

    asked in a low voice, "What''s going on?"

    At that moment, Charlotte''s mind was still nk. How did her designs end up in ine''s hands?

    The team had previously opted to keep only the original design due to the critical importance of the

    documents. All along, the files were under her care.

    How did it get leaked?

    Charlotte couldn''t wrap her head around this. She snapped her head up and caught ine smirking

    at her with pride spilling from her eyes.

    "Mr. Gibson, what do we do now?"

    Very soon, it was their turn to present their ideas. Realizing that they did not have a design of their

    own, everyone grew overwrought.

    "Alright. Thank you, Emerson Corporation, for sharing. Last but not least, let''s wee NC

    Corporation''s representative onto the stage." Concluding Emerson Corp''s exhibition, the emcee

    climbed onstage to give a simple transition. It was now NC''s turn.

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    "Leave it to me," Charlotte uttered, breaking her silence.

    "Ms. Emerson, we don��t even have design prints. How are we supposed topete?" someone

    chastised with displeasure. The majority of the team was convinced that Charlotte was merely trying

    to steal the limelight.

    After all, their hard work of innumerable sleepless nights was abruptly disclosed in this way.

    In fact, a good handful suspected this for Charlotte��s own doing. The only reason they kept this to

    themselves was that the situation didn��t allow for it.

    Disregarding the others�� opinions, Charlotte rose to her feet, her eyes zed over with an

    inscrutable somberness.

    Under everyone''s stupefied gaze, she pushed her shoulders back and calmly strode toward the

    stage.

    Seeing Charlotte scale the stairs with empty hands, ine let out a triumphant snicker.

    ''Hmph, Charlotte Emerson! Let''s see you putting on a fight.�� she sneered.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

    "Good day,dies and gentlemen. I�� m Charlotte Emerson of NC Corporation," Charlotte announced

    with a smile. "Ourpany''s design concept is based around one word, that is, ''love''."

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "The design style of the building references Greek peristyle courtyards as a foundation and

    incorporates the modern minimalistic style that teenagers of today absolutely fancy..."

    "Just a minute, Miss Charlotte. If I may ask, where is your design print?" interrupted one of the

    judges seated below the stage.

    "My humblest apologies. Our designs are still in the making and we hope that the judges will allow

    us a little more time," replied Charlotte apologetically.

    As soon as she finished speaking, the audience broke into an uproar.

    It wasmon knowledge that NC Corp was currently a major yer in the industry. To think that

    they would show up without a design print!

    The few judges exchanged meaningful nces and hushed dialogues for a good while.

    Finally, the judge from earlier conveyed the oue of their decision to Charlotte. "Although the

    design you described earlier sounded marvelous, it''s a pity for us to inform you that NC is

    disqualified from the bidding as per pre-set rules."

    Even though Charlotte had already expected this, she was still slightly upset by the news. She had

    prayed that she could at least seize a second opportunity.

    Following the judges'' discussion, the results were announced. This time around, the winner of the

    bid was Emerson Corporation.

    Upon seeing the name at the top of the board, ine''s smile simply grew. As proud as a peacock,

    she stalked toward Charlotte and stopped her before she could leave.

    "Tsk, tsk. I didn''t expect NC to make such a low-level mistake ande to a bid without a design."

    ine''s smug expression was all Charlotte could see and she felt her stomach lurch. She

    suppressed the urge to get out of there pronto and asked in a low voice, "What means did you use

    to steal NC''s designs?"

    Judging from her knowledge of ine''s dirty tricks, she knew for a fact that ine must have bribed

    an internal member of NC Corp with big bucks.

    But who could this rat be?

    And when did ine steal it?

    "Haha, aren''t you itching to know!" ine guffawed. Then, she suddenly scooted closer to her. She

    put her lips to Charlotte��s ear and cooed, "It won''t be long. You''ll find out in due time."

    ring at the wide smile on ine''s face, Charlotte couldn''t help but feel a chill trickle down her

    spine.

    She chewed on ine��s words, trying to decipher their meaning.

    Having beat around the bush enough to confuse Charlotte, ine ultimately turned around with a

    flick of her long hair and sashayed away.

    Charlotte stood nonplussed in the same spot as she sent ine off with her eyes. Her sixth sense

    bugged at her and told her that this was only the beginning of what was yet toe.

    Not too far away stood Christopher and the rest of the team who happened to witness their

    encounter.

    However, the distance between the group and the two kept the conversation obscure from them.

    Christopher waited for ine to disappear from sight before approaching. His eyes housed an

    eternal touch of tenderness and his voice was forever an unostentatious warmth.

    "Charlotte?"

    "Hm?" Charlotte was pulled back to her senses. She looked up to greet him, "Mr. Gibson."

    "You don''t mind if I call you that, do you?" asked Christopher like the gentleman he was.

    With so much on her mind, Charlotte couldn''t care less about titles. She shook her head with

    anguish still evident on her face and sighed, "Mr. Gibson, I have only myself to me. I will ept

    any form of punishment thepany may wish to inflict on me."

    The fact that she was the one who let the design drafts slip meant that she had every reason to

    bear full responsibility.

    Still, Christopher merely smiled and said, "There��s no denying that thepany will demand an

    exnation, but everyone''s pretty exhausted already. We should all return home and rest for the

    day. Only when you sleep well will you be more clear-headed for judgment."

    "Mr. Gibson, do you not me me?" Charlotte looked at Christopher in surprise. Not only did he not

    me her, he even sent her home to rest!

    "It''s as they say, a thief from within is difficult to forestall. You don��t have to feel so guilty about this."

    Hearing Christopher'' s words, Charlotte'' s scrunched- up features finally rxed. She looked at the

    man in front of her with utmost gratitude for not doubting her at all.

    "Thank you, Mr. Gibson," Charlotte uttered sincerely.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

    "If you are truly thankful, just call me by my name," Christopher replied with a smile. ''"Mr.

    Gibson'' makes me sound so old."

    Despite the humour in his tone, Charlotte was a little hesitant. He was not just anybody, he was her

    superior!

    Still, when she met those gentle eyes of his, she realized she didn''t seem to have a valid reason to

    refuse. After all, he had always had her back.

    With that thought, she nodded and smiled atst. "Alright, Mr. Gibson. No, I mean, Christopher."

    She couldn''t help but blush.

    Christopher observed every bit of the rosiness on Charlotte''s flushed cheeks.

    He then looked at his wristwatch and said, "If s gettingte. I��ll send you home.��

    In no time, Shane caught wind of their failure at securing the bid.

    At that time, Shane was handling an urgent document at the Fuller Group. The moment he heard

    the news, his writing hand halted mid-action and he raised his head to look at Cole with an

    unfathomable expression on his face.

    His tone was the same old icy coldness. "Have you heard back about what I asked you to do?"

    This took Cole by surprise. Fortunately, he managed to react before Shane grew furious and replied

    dutifully, "The report will be out by tomorrow."

    "I want to see it on my desk first thing tomorrow morning," Shane demanded tly as he lowered his

    gaze at his watch. He rose from his seat, grabbed his coat, and swiftly walked out.

    Meanwhile, Charlotte hauled her frazzled body home.

    However, the first thing that weed her was the sight of a man sitting on the sofa.

    Shocked to her core, she unwittingly raised her head and looked toward the number on the door.

    There was no mistake; this was her home!

    So, why was Shane Fuller here?

    Could it be that he was here to teach her a lesson after finding out about the design draft incident?

    If so, then Shane Fuller had to be the very epitome of ruthlessness, to have brought himself up to

    her house.

    The sofa at Charlotte''s ce was rather narrow and puny in size. The only way for Shane to fit was

    by sitting rigidly with his back flexed, like a massive iceberg. In fact, there was barely enough leg

    space for the tall man.

    Upon seeing this somewhatical scene, Charlotte couldn''t help but burst outughing.

    Shane looked up and tossed a hostile nce at her.

    The smile on Charlotte''s face immediately vanished. She changed out of her ts and stepped into

    the house.

    At this time, the babysitter had already gone home, but Sheryl was nowhere to be found.

    "Uncle, uncle, look! These are pictures of Mommy and me."

    Before Charlotte could say anything, Sheryl came running out of her room with enthusiasm. She

    hugged a thick photo album to her chest as she scuttled toward Shane, taking no notice of the

    woman standing aside.

    "Sheryl," Charlotte reproached with a hint of jealousyced in her voice.

    "Mommy!�� Finally noticing that Charlotte had returned, Sheryl leaped off the sofa gleefully and

    dashed toward her. She tugged at the corner of Charlotte�� s shirt and giggled, "Mommy, I invited

    uncle over for dinner today. You don��t mind, do you?"

    "Did you say that you invited him?" Charlotte couldn''t believe her ears.

    "That''s right! Before this, Uncle Fuller brought me to the amusement park, so it''s only right for me to

    treat him to dinner. Isn''t this the practice of reciprocity that you speak of, Mommy?"

    Seeing her young daughter'' s ''prudent'' attitude in handling matters, Charlotte was at a loss. She

    didn��t know if she was to be touched or ashamed.

    After all, Shane was the recipient of this act of reciprocity. Shane, the person she swore to shun at

    all cost.

    Shane took a glimpse at the disconcerted expression on Charlotte'' s face and felt ovee with

    joy, such that the corners of his mouth curled inadvertently into a smirk.

    His calm voice interrupted her sulking, "You came back just in time. I''m hungry."

    Hearing this, Charlotte'' s face contorted further.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Was he trying to order her around?

    How was his hunger any bit of her business?

    One mustn��t forget that he was Yuliana''s fmace. Besides that, her daughter��s extreme affection for

    him further drove her aversion toward him.

    Before Charlotte could protest, Sheryl hugged her tummy and moaned, "Mommy, I''m hungry too.��

    ''Alright then,'' she grumbled. For her daughter, she wouldpromise.

    "Any food intolerances?" Charlotte asked as she entered the kitchen and put on an apron.

    "I don''t eat onions,�� Shane replied curtly.

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow in doubt. To think that an all- rounded man like Shane Fuller had food

    that he detested.

    Coincidentally, Sheryl avoided that same food.

    Amid flipping through the album, Sheryl snapped her head up. She interjected excitedly, "Uncle, I

    hate onions too!"

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

    "Really?�� Hearing Sheryl��s remark, a faint smile formed on his thin lips. He then gently reached out

    his pinky and said, "That makes us good friends."

    "Uh-huh!" Sherly extended her little pinky and hooked it with Shane''s, and the two made a pinky

    promise.

    "Pinky promise. Sheryl and Mr. Handsome are the best of friends."

    It was a once-in-a-blue-moon experience to see this jolly, childish side of Shane. Charlotte was too

    bbergasted for jealousy and, instead, she let out a series of giggles.

    Sheryl turned to look at her and said, "Mommy,e over here! Let''s all make a pinky promise

    together. Promise that we��ll all be best friends."

    "No thanks," Charlotte rejected her offer with a slight grin and stuck out her tongue yfully. She

    then turned and walked into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

    Mischief was not something one would see on Charlotte when she was in the office. At once, the

    tenderness on Shane''s face grew more and more apparent, but he was so caught up in the moment

    that he failed to notice such changes in himself.

    Charlotte opened the refrigerator door only to find that it was almost empty. In it were some

    vegetables, three tomatoes, and half a dozen eggs. Nothing more.

    ''I can''t possibly whip anything up with these!�� she mused, slightly panicking to herself.

    With a palm to her forehead, Charlotte glimpsed at Shane. She wasn''t sure if she could serve these

    to Shane. They may not be up to par with the standards of a CEO.

    In the blink of an eye, Charlotte took the ingredients out and decided to go simple with white rice

    complemented by a couple of dishes. ''Who cares if Shane likes it?''

    ''It would be best if he doesn''t!''

    As Charlotte hustled about in the kitchen, Sheryl��s crispughter would asionally pass into her

    ears from the living room.

    Charlotte listened quietly as she cracked the eggs into the pan to fry. A gratifying smile crept upon

    her face inadvertently.

    She was so carried away by theughter and chatter that she didn'' t notice the eggs starting to char.

    Whiffs of smoke blew right into her face.

    Realizing btedly what was happening to the eggs, Charlotte frantically put out the fire. Right as

    she was about to te the eggs, arge hand snatched away the spat she was holding.

    She abruptly turned to find Shane standing right behind her, looking down at her.

    "You..."

    "Get out of the way," Shane ordered.

    Faced with his domineering demeanour, Charlotte obediently stepped aside, totally forgetting that

    she was on her own turf.

    She watched Shane with bewilderment as he fried up the rest of the eggs with an effortless flick of

    his hand.

    His movements were so slick that he looked like a chef from every angle.

    The eggs were fried to perfection, golden on one side and runny on the other. The sweet aroma of

    eggs flooded the whole house.

    He then diced up the tomatoes with top-ss knife skills. Every little cube of the endproduct was of

    uniform size.

    The stir-fried vegetables were a glossy green and emanated a sulent fragrance.

    Every step Shane took to prepare the meal seemed so sophisticated, like it was no sweat.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but watch Shane with admiration in her eyes. His cooking skills were

    amazing! In contrast, hers were bogstandard.

    "It''s time to eat." Shane washed his hands and looked over at Charlotte, who was still in a daze.

    "Right, right." Charlotte quickly snapped back to her senses, but before she knew it, Shane had

    alreadyid out the dishes on the table.

    Meeting Shane''s cold gaze, she blushed with shame.

    However, Shane appeared unaffected as he left without a word.

    "Wow, it smells so good!" Sheryl eximed happily as she climbed onto her chair and gaped at the

    appetizing dishes.

    Seeing how her daughter had turned into a hardcore fan of Shane''s, Charlotte could only sigh to

    herself.

    All these years, she had raised the little rascal for nothing.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    However, the array of dishes was indeed very appetizing. Her mouth watered just by the looks of

    the food on the table. Just at that moment, Charlotte��s stomach growled.

    Charlotte��s cheeks flushed once again and Sheryl broke out into a delighted smile from beside her.

    Shane wiped his cutlery down with a poised expression as if this was his usual routine. ''Perhaps he

    has mysophobia,'' Charlotte noted to herself.

    Charlotte chewed on the prongs of her fork as she watched Shane in bewilderment. She found it

    incredible that a clean freak like him could handle the idea of entering the kitchen to fix up a meal.

    On second thought, it was also unexpected for someone like Shane, who had lived a life of luxury,

    to know how to cook.

    "Mr. Fuller, your cooking skills are great. May I ask where you learned how to cook?" Charlotte

    asked curiously.

    Given the time and opportunity, she would like to have a go at it as well.

    "I''m self-taught," Shane replied bluntly as he put down the tissue. Without meeting Charlotte''s eyes,

    he picked up a piece of vegetable and ced it in Sheryl��s bowl, instructing, "Kids must eat more

    vegetables."

    Seeing how caring he was with Sheryl, Charlotte felt affection overflow from her heart.

    From within those eyes that lingered on Shane, it was evident that she had gradually put her guard

    down.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    After dinner, Shane received an urgent call and left in a hurry.

    Sheryl'' s eyebrows were knitted tightly together as she stared in the direction of Shane��s departure

    with reluctance.

    A long whileter, Sheryl was still unwilling to head home.

    "Mommy, can I invite Mr. Handsome over more often to y?" Sheryl suggested cautiously but

    ceased to conceal the eagerness in her eyes.

    Although Sheryl was barely four years old, she could tell that Charlotte had been keeping her guard

    up around Mr. Handsome. Still, that didn''t change the fact that she was extremely fond of him.

    Seeing her daughter acting this way, Charlotte let out a soft sigh and surrendered. "Sure.��

    "Yay! This is amazing!" Sheryl jumped for joy. "Mommy, I love you."

    A contented grin emerged on Charlotte''s face. "Mommy loves you too, honey."

    Later at night.

    After coaxing Sheryl to sleep, Charlottey on the sofa and stared at the ceiling in a daze. The

    image of Shane''s face kept looping in her mind like a movie when a thought suddenly shed

    through her head.

    ''The only thing keeping him from scoring full marks is the fact that he��s Yuliana''s fiance.��

    "Charlotte Emerson, what are you thinking?�� She gave herself a firm p on the head to ward off

    the idea.

    Still, she couldn''t help recalling the warm scene of Shane and Sheryl interacting at the dinner table.

    Sheryl''s smile, especially, looked like the exact replica of Shane''s.

    Charlotte pursed her lips and pulled out her phone from under her back. She clicked open the

    messaging app and startedposing a message for Anne.

    ''Anne, are you there?''

    Not too longter, Anne replied with a voice message. Her words were interspersed with subtle

    background chatter.

    It sounded like she was out.

    ''I��m here. Is everything alright, Lottie?''

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment before replying, ''I��ve given it some thought. About what you said

    thest time, I think there might be a teeny possibility.''

    It took more than just hard work and luck for Sheryl to grow a liking toward someone, but it didn''t

    even take long for her to be so attached to Shane. No one would know for sure if Shane was

    the person from that night five years ago...

    ''What did I say thest time?�� Anne''s reply was long overdue when it finally arrived.

    Charlotte shook her head vigorously. This presumption of hers was perhaps more than just a little

    too daring. It was best for her to keep her imagination from running wild.

    ''It''s nothing. I''m off to bed. I''ve got things to settle tomorrow.��

    After hitting send, Charlotte tossed her phone aside.

    She rubbed her temples and decided she had to keep her chin up to face tomorrow''s matters.

    ''Shane��s issue can wait for another day,�� she mused. And just like that, she brushed it off.

    Early the next morning, Charlotte headed straight to the office after dropping Sheryl off at her

    kindergarten. However, she had barely stepped past the main doors when gossip erupted behind

    her in hushed voices.

    "Did she really sell our designs off to Emerson Corp?"

    "What is there to doubt? It��s confirmed all over the inte already!"

    "I still don''t quite believe it. I mean, she was promoted to a managerial position within days of her

    entry. Doesn''t this indicate that the higher-ups trust her an awful lot?"

    "Oh, dear, how naive must you be! I heard Emily say that after yesterday''s bidding, she even met up

    with someone from Emerson Corp. You know what they say, cats hide their ws."

    With that, the group let out a sigh in unison, which marked the end of the conversation.

    Even after settling into her seat, the walls to her office didn��t keep the judgmental gossip out.

    Her fingers tightened around the pen in her hand and her eyebrows furrowed increasingly tautly

    together.

    It was as the saying goes, bad news travels fast. However, she had done sufficient mental

    preparation in anticipation of thepany''s investigation.

    Just as her mind wandered off contemting about when the design ns could��ve been stolen,

    the phone on her desk rang and broke off her train of thought.

    It was Anne.

    The second she picked up the call, Anne''s voice cried from the other end of the line "Lottie, are you

    okay?"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "There are pages after pages of online scandals iming you sold the designs to Emerson Corp!

    What exactly is going on?"

    Once Anne broke the news to her, Charlotte was floored. How did Anne find out about this?

    Had she be the breakfast anecdote of River City citizens overnight?

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43

    Charlotte heaved a sigh and said wearily, "I''m actually not too sure. I''m still waiting for thepany

    tomence the investigation."

    "Ah! But now there are heated discussions all over the inte, postting you to be amercial

    spy sent by Emerson Corp. There are even people iming that you are Mr. Emerson''s lover!

    Anyway, there are heaps of different rumors," Anne said in one breath. "Wait a minute, do you not

    surf the inte?"

    "All over the inte?" Charlotte finally caught on. How did this matter end up online? "Anne, I��ll talk

    to youter."

    Once she hung up the call, Charlotte promptly switched on herputer. Unsurprisingly, the main

    headline of the financial section was rting to the bid.

    The title read derogatorily, ''ording to insiders, Charlotte Emerson of NC Corporation paid a visit

    to Chairman of Emerson Corporation in the dead of night. What could she possibly be hiding...''

    Attached was a picture of her at the hospital that night.

    The contents of the article were no less vilifying. To her disbelief, it even stated without evidence

    that she was the one who had disclosed their design ns to Emerson Corp.

    In another simr article, she was narrated as a woman who would go to the ends of the earth for

    money. It even mentioned her promotion, iming that she seduced a higher-up but ended up

    stabbing NC in the back for money.

    The picture attached in this article was of Charlotte getting into Christopher''s car.

    In thements section below, a torrent of abusivements moured for her to get the f*ck out

    of the design industry.

    As if adding fuel to the fire, the two articles had each garnered over a million reshares.

    Seeing this astonishing figure, Charlotte smiled a bitter smile and said self-deprecatingly, "This

    really has be the talk of the town, huh. If this persists, there''s no denying that I will soon be the

    talk of the whole country!"

    ''Knock, knock!''

    A brief rapping on Charlotte''s door pulled her out of her whirlpool of thoughts.

    She looked up to find Zoe Watson standing by her door. Zoe was a member of Shane''s secretarial

    team.

    Zoe was not like the other secretaries, who would dress up extravagantly. On the contrary, she was

    always d in the inest business suits. Her words were always professional and a solemn

    expression was always hung on her face.

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    The coldness in her eyes mirrored Shane''s.

    Then, as if reading from a script, Zoe said, "Ms. Emerson, the president wishes to see you." With

    that, she turned to leave.

    Outside the president''s office.

    Charlotte pushed open the heavy set of mahogany doors and entered. The first sight that weed

    her was Shane Fuller seated at his desk. His eyes were glued to his monitor and his fingers

    pranced about on his keyboard.

    His short hair was neatly styled atop his head, leaving his well-defined cheekbones for the world to

    see. His features came together to manifest a sense of engrossment in his work.

    The sunlight trickling in from the window just happened tond on him and form a soft, glowing halo

    around him.

    Ever so imperceptibly, however, she could still feel the chilliness that emanated from his body.

    Charlotte stood in ce and waited for Shane to start questioning her. As the seconds ticked by,

    though, Shane didn''t even look up and Charlotte was overlooked as if she was air. The suffocating

    atmosphere seemed to weigh down on Charlotte''s shoulders. She couldn''t bear it any longer.

    ��Maybe he read thements online,'' she spected.

    Contemting her options, Charlotte ultimately opened her mouth and began, "Mr. Fuller, I can

    exin."

    A few seconds passed and Charlotte almost thought he was going to give her the cold shoulder.

    Just then, he spoke. "Tell me about it," he said tly. His gaze remained fixated on the screen as

    though he wished to burn through the monitor.

    "I didn'' t sell the designs to Emerson Corporation. You know about my rtionship with Mr.

    Emerson..." Before Charlotte could finish, Shane looked up at her and the simmering fury in his

    eyes took her by surprise. Her words were lodged fast in her throat.

    He replied, "We��ve lost the bid. This is a responsibility that you cannot shirk no matter how hard you

    try."

    When she first stepped in, Charlotte was still filled to the brim with repentance. However, hearing

    Shane''s words struck her dumb. Did he actually think she hade to shirk her responsibility?

    This man did not hold back from underestimating her!

    "That cannot be further from my intention, Mr. Fuller, but I will not take the me for something I did

    not do. As a designer, I have my own principle and professional ethics. I know distinctly what is and

    what''s not to be done." As she pressed on, her rage only grew.

    Of everything that Shane could doubt, he doubted her moral standing.

    It wasn��t like they had just met.

    As much as she itched tosh out at him, Charlotte could feel a growing sensation of grievance in

    her heart.

    Despite so, she refused to let her emotions show, being the stubborn woman she was.

    "Alright then, I''ll give you a week to get to the bottom of this; find out who stole the designs. If you

    can''t, you shall be banned from the industry. At the same time, Emerson Corporation will pay the

    price it deserves."

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    The steely re that bored all the way to the back of her head told her that Shane Fuller meant

    every word he said.

    Charlotte had never seen this side of Shane before.

    Her fingers began to quiver and she was left utterly gobsmacked. She had braced herself for facing

    the brunt of the consequences, but the thought of Emerson Corporation being implicated had never

    crossed her mind.

    Emerson Corporation was thest thing that her mother had passed down to her. Under no

    circumstances would she let thepany meet its downfall.

    She bit her lip and met his stare. "Alright. I will do as you say."

    For her mother''s sake, she would find that person by hook or by crook.

    Shane had not expected to see such determination in Charlotte''s eyes. He frowned and said sternly,

    "You may leave now."

    Charlotte��s lips parted to reply, but no words came to her. Deciding against it, she turned around

    and made her way out. Just as she was reaching the door, the heavy silence of her exit was broken.

    "Thispany strictly forbids romantic rtionships between staff,�� called out Shane.

    Charlotte was bbergasted. What did Shane mean by this?

    Why was he bringing this topic up with her?

    Charlotte stayed silent for a moment. Finally, she nodded in acknowledgment.

    However, a whirlwind of questions was spinning in her head.

    Putting that aside, her utmost priority now was to gather all the evidence she would need to clear

    her name and expose the ugly truth. It was going to take the world by storm.

    The doors shut with a thud and a click.

    Feeling drained from the conversation, Shane leaned back in his chair and massaged the space

    between his eyebrows.

    He had let his emotions get the better of him.

    The situation was out of their hands, and the bid was already a lost cause. It was not at all worth

    questioning.

    However, looking at that photograph of Charlotte with Christopher had ignited an involuntary fury

    within him.

    The secretly taken photos captured an unmistakable glimmer in her eyes. She had a carefree

    expression, with not a hint of apprehension on her face.

    Was he the only person this woman kept her guard up against?

    Shane closed the tab, trying to quash the ufortable thoughts from his mind.

    Bringing up the phone in his hand, he dialed Cole''s number. "Do something about the negative

    press on NC," ordered Shane.

    On the other end of the line, Cole had just left the DNA testb. Hearing Shane��s request, he

    stammered, "Sir, whoever''s responsible for this must''ve had deep pockets. They''ve gotten all the

    major media outlets to cover the story."

    The public rtions department in NC was going to have a tough time dealing with this fiasco.

    "If this person doesn''t want a future in River City, we can see to that."

    Hearing this, Cole hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, "Sir, would you like me to seek

    help from someone in the Fuller family?"

    The only reply he got was a beeping sound on the speaker, leaving Cole puzzled.

    Ever since its establishment, NC had always been shrouded in mystery. Would the president be

    willing to reveal their background for Charlotte''s sake?

    Cole gave it some thought and decided it was best not to make assumptions about what the

    president was thinking. A small fry like him should simply do his best to fulfill his duties.

    "Cole!"

    A voice suddenly called out from behind, just as he was about to get in the car.

    He turned his head to find Yuliana, who was donning an borate outfit, waving at him not too far

    away.

    Cole couldn''t help but furrow his brows.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    If he were to vote for Shane''s wife, he would definitely have chosen Charlotte.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    "Miss Yuliana," greeted Cole as he walked over.

    Yuliana looked at Cole disdainfully. "My car broke down, so I''ll need you to give me a ride. Drive the

    car over now."

    Cole nced over at the red Ferrari parked behind Yuliana, keeping his exasperation to himself.

    He should have looked at the horoscopes before going out to work today.

    His car was only a few steps away from hers. Couldn''t she walk herself over?

    Despite not being fully satisfied, he had to maintain some tact as a professional personal assistant.

    Cole returned a courteous smile and replied, "Okay, Miss Yuliana."

    He made his way to the car and drove it over.

    "Go ahead,"manded Yuliana the moment she got in the car.

    "Yes, Miss Yuliana," said Cole as he started the engine.

    Yuliana, who was sitting in the back row, took out her mobile phone and texted ine to let her

    know she was on the way to Fuller Group.

    After sending the message, a folder in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

    ''What could this be?'' she wondered.

    Yuliana sneaked a nce at Cole. Confirming that he wasn''t paying attention to her, she discreetly

    picked up the folder and opened it.

    What she read left her utterly shocked.

    This was Shane''s paternity test!

    What was she to do?

    Cole had his full attention on the road. He was none the wiser to what Yuliana was doing in the back

    row.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    The only thing Yuliana could think of was to ask her sister for help.

    Immediately, she sent another message to ine. She snapped a photo of the report and sent it to

    her.

    in replied instantly. She instructed Yuliana to try to stall Cole, while she figured out a way to deal

    with the rest.

    " Oh my, oh dear." Yuliana panted as she began to put on an act.

    Hearing this, Cole''s eyes snapped to the rearview mirror. He saw Yuliana clutching her stomach in

    pain and her lips turning pale.

    "Miss Yuliana, what''s the matter?" Cole asked with concern.

    Yuliana groaned weakly, "My stomach hurts. Send me to the hospital, quick."

    Cole was stuck in a predicament. The president was still waiting for his documents.

    Sensing Cole''s uncertainty, Yuliana started to ramp up her act. "Ouch, it hurts! It really hurts so

    much!" shouted Yuliana.

    Cole was startled by the shouting. Thinking quickly, he decided to change course.

    This was a matter of life and death. To add fuel to fire, Yuliana was the president�� s fiancee. If

    anything were to happen to her, he wouldn''t be able to bear responsibility.

    Seeing that Cole had taken the bait, the corner of Yuliana��s lips curved upward in a slight smile.

    "Oh, it'' s so painful,"ined Yuliana, keeping up her act. Noticing that Cole was speeding, she

    shouted hurriedly, "Cole, please slow down, slow down!"

    Cole was puzzled. Considering the urgency of the situation, he slowed down but maintained a

    speed of 50mph.

    Yuliana continued to insist that he was driving too fast. In the end, they slowed down to a 30mph

    crawl, which led to a few honks from irritated drivers behind them.

    What was supposed to take 20 minutes to get there. They took an hour.

    When they finally reached the hospital, Cole let out a long sigh of relief. However, Yuliana

    persistently clung to him.

    Yuliana'' s odd behavior raised some suspicions with Cole, but he could not think of any reason for

    her to fake her illness. Patiently, he apanied Yuliana for a long list of tests.

    Meanwhile, ine sped her phone and paced back and forth in her house.

    The only thing upying her mind was the DNAtest results.

    ''The alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the tested child.''

    "Who in the world is Sheryl?"

    In a sh, the name ''Charlotte Emerson'' popped into her mind.

    Could Sheryl Emerson be Charlotte''s daughter?

    ine trembled inadvertently. She couldn''t possibly just sit and wait for her doom.

    She immediately dialed her private investigators to do some snooping on Charlotte Emerson.

    At the same time, she picked up her purse and stalked out.

    She wanted to turn the tables before the report reached Shane.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    Two hours slipped past.

    In thedies'' room, Yuliana anxiously gave ine a call.

    "Sis, how''s it going? I won''t be able to hold him back any longer."

    ine had already checked everything she could get her hands on.

    At that point, there were no excuses left.

    "Get in the car ande pick me up," ine instructed.

    After ending the call, Yuliana hurriedly got everything together and left thedies�� room. Cole, who

    had been anxiously waiting outside for a while, greeted her as she came out.

    "Miss Yuliana, is everything alright now? Can we leave yet?"

    He had yet to bring the report back to thepany. If the president were to find out about this, there

    was no doubt that he would be in big trouble.

    "Well, let��s go. Can you pick my sister up on the way to thepany as well?" Yuliana asked with a

    sweet smile on her face. That was an unusual sight as Yuliana almost never smiled at Cole.

    Did Yuliana sh*t her guts out?

    There wasn''t even a hint of arrogance as she spoke, and to top that, the smile on her face was ever

    so amiable.

    Did she suddenly be a better person today? Cole was bbergasted, but seeing that Yuliana

    was willing to leave, he was utterly delighted and didn''t think much of her peculiar behaviour.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Plus, Yuliana''s sister was the firstdy of the Emerson Corporation, so naturally, no good would

    come by if he were to offend someone like her. Besides, if the Fuller and Emerson families were to

    unite by the bonds of marriage, then he, a mere nobody, would be the one at a disadvantage.

    As the car pulled up at their first destination, ine climbed into the car.

    ine waspletely different from her sister. On top of meticulously nning out how she would

    behave around different people, she never half-assed her fagades. In fact, she was always very

    pleasant and kind to everyone.

    ''T m really sorry for the trouble, Cole," she apologized to Cole with a smile on her face.

    Cole nodded in response as he concentrated on his driving.

    Just then, ine took out a document from her bag and handed it to Yuliana. She pointed at the

    folder with the report, hinting Yuliana to switch out the original with the one in her hands.

    Halfway through the drive, ine squinted at Yuliana.

    Yuliana immediately caught on. On cue, she smacked her forehead as if she just remembered

    something important. "Cole, I forgot I had something I have to tend to. Can you please drop us up

    ahead?" she said.

    Upon hearing that, Cole asked with confusion, "Miss Yuliana, weren''t you going to meet the

    president?"

    "Another day, another day," she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

    Although he thought Yuliana��s behaviour was a little out of the norm, Cole still did as he was told

    and dropped the two sisters by the roadside.

    A smile grew on ine��s face as she watched Cole drive away.

    "Sis, what am I supposed to do? Shane has a daughter. What do you think I should do? Do I still

    marry him and be a stepmother?" Now that they were alone, Yuliana finally dared voice her

    thoughts.

    ''She''s really no different than a headless fly.'' ine rolled her eyes and said, "Who said Shane had

    a daughter? Have you ever seen her with your own eyes?��

    "No, it was the report from earlier..." Yuliana replied, still flustered by the news.

    But before she could finish her sentence, she noticed the confident look stered on her sister''s

    face. "Was it what you did just now?" asked Yuliana. Now that she thought about it, her sister''s

    folder seemed suspicious.

    "I had someone make a new report." ine couldn'' t help but smile with content. "Charlotte

    Emerson, to think you''re using your daughter as an opening to make a fresh start! Well, only in your

    dreams!"

    It was just a few minutes ago when ine received confirmation from her private investigators that

    Sheryl Emerson was, in fact, Charlotte��s daughter. In addition to that, they also found out that she

    was four years old this year.

    This was perfectly in line with the time when Charlotte ran away from home pregnant.

    "What? That child is Charlotte and Shane''s!" Yuliana shrieked at the shocking news.

    Her voice was inadvertently much louder and passersby all turned to look at her in scrutiny.

    ine''s gaze turned into a fierce re that silenced Yuliana right away. In a stern tone, she hissed,

    "I��m warning you, if you let that mouth of yours run and this news somehow reaches Shane, I

    assure you that you will be well on your way back to the countryside!"

    ''The countryside?'' Dread washed over Yuliana.

    After living the extravagant life in the city, she would never go back to that remote countryside

    vige.

    "Don��t worry, Sis. My lips are sealed," Yuliana promised. "So, what should we do next?"

    ''Next?'' ine thought to herself.

    A dash of malice flitted across ine''s irises, and her gaze fell upon Yuliana''s stomach. "The next

    step will be for you to find a way to bear Shane''s child."

    With that, only would Charlotte''s chance for a fresh start bepletely wiped out.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    In the surveince room.

    "Ms. Emerson, here are the surveince videos from the past two weeks," said the security guard

    as he got up to offer his seat.

    Charlotte nodded and thanked him.

    She sat down and started watching the videos. Her eyes were glued to the screen.

    However, the surveince region only captured the corridor by the entrance of thepany and

    those caught on tape were all employees of thepany. No suspicious person ever appeared.

    Charlotte spent the next three hours or so watching the collection of surveince videos, but ended

    up empty-handed.

    She lightly massaged her sore shoulders and wondered in frustration, ''Just who would do such a

    thing?''

    Charlotte was so lost in her thoughts that she bumped into someone as soon as she stepped out of

    the room.

    Instinctively, she took a step back. Still flustered, she looked up and found Christopher peering

    down at her.

    "Mr. Gibson, I'' m so sorry," Charlotte apologized, rubbing her aching forehead.

    Seeing Charlotte clutching her forehead in pain, Christopher''s heart filled with sympathy. "Are you

    okay? It hurts, doesn''t it?" he asked in a gentle and caring tone.

    "It''s okay, I''m fine.�� Charlotte quickly dropped her hand and shook her head as her cheeks burned

    up slightly in embarrassment.

    "Are you here to check the surveince videos?" Christopher took a quick glimpse at the

    surveince room. "Any gains?" he asked.

    Upon being questioned, all shades of disappointment were painted on Charlotte''s face. She shook

    her head and replied, "Up till now, I haven''t gotten any clues nor leads."

    Shane''s words started ringing in her ears again. Charlotte frowned and said, "I''ll continue looking for

    other clues."

    "I may have a way to get some answers, maybe we could give it a go," Christopher offered with a

    smile.

    Charlotte''s gloomy eyes suddenly lit up with hope. "What way?"

    "Come with me," Christopher said, all mysterious.

    Without a second thought, Charlotte followed him. Christopher brought her to the technical

    department and walked up to the department head.

    He started typing on the keyboard and, within seconds, the screen in front of them started spewing

    out codes that looked as if it was all in a differentnguage.

    Charlotte nced at Christopher in confusion.

    Christopher simply smiled at her, motioning her to be patient.

    About 20 minutes passed seemingly without progress.

    Finally, the department head broke his silence and raised his head, tearing his eyes off of the

    screen. He turned to Christopher and said, "Mr. Gibson, everything��s set."

    Christopher nodded firmly. He then stepped aside and gestured for Charlotte toe closer.

    Although she still couldn''t wrap her finger around what they were doing, Charlotte obediently

    approached.

    On the man''s monitor disy was an active group chat window.

    In the chat, there were talks about selling the design draft.

    "This person, Steph - who is she?" Charlotte asked, pointing at the screen.

    The department head went back at it again. A moment or twoter, he raised his head again and

    said, "The IP address shows that it��s the fifthputer in the design department."

    The fifthputer.

    Charlotte pondered about the information and quickly realized whoseputer it was. Wasn''t this

    Stephanie Nnd, who was a part of the design project?

    Stephanie was a fresh graduate of the most recent batch and had just signed with thepany not

    too long ago.

    Thanks to her talents in designing, she was picked to be a part of the project. However, Charlotte

    didn''t expect her to be the culprit.

    Charlotte unwittingly looked up at Christopher only to find him smiling at her. Locking eyes with her,

    he said, T II leave matters in your good hands, then."

    Upon returning to the design department, Charlotte''s eyesnded directly on Stephanie.

    Instinctively, Stephanie avoided Charlotte''s intense gaze.

    Charlotte sighed in her heart then stalked over to Stephanie''s desk. With two fingers, she tapped

    lightly on the table and ordered, "Stephanie,e with me to my office."

    All of a sudden, every pair of eyes in that office was focused on Stephanie.

    Stephanie bit down on her lip and lowered her head. She trailed behind Charlotte and entered her

    office.

    "Ms. Emerson, i-is there anything I can do for you?" Stephanie asked nervously as she counted her

    toes; she dared not meet Charlotte''s eyes.

    Stephanie was a very gentle and quiet girl. She had a tall, slim build. She wore a pair of sses

    and always spoke in a soft, polite tone.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte had never expected that the culprit of the stolen design drafts would be someone like her.

    She couldn��t help but sympathize a little for her.

    "Is there anything you want to tell me?" Charlotte asked after a few seconds of silence.

    Stephanie'' s face turned white and she seemed to grow even more nervous. She stuttered, "N-no."

    Seeing Stephanie bite her tongue with no intention of confessing, Charlotte took a deep breath and

    clicked open a screenshot of the chat log from earlier.

    She showed it to Stephanie. "This ''Steph'' is you, right?" Charlotte deplored, "Why did you steal the

    design drafts?"

    Now that the evidence was in front of her, Stephanie finally broke down in tears.

    "Ms. Emerson, I''m so sorry. I''m sorry, but I really didn''t mean to do it."

    Stephanie was just in her early twenties, still new to the societal world.

    Watching Stephanie whimpering in front of her, Charlotte couldn''t bring herself to scold her as

    harshly as she deserved. However, when she thought of the severity of the situation, she coldly

    said, "What''s done is done. Your apology is clearly useless to me right now. All we can do right now

    is wait for thepany to settle the problem. On another note, to whom did you sell the designs?

    Was it Emerson Corporation?"

    Stephanie kept her head down as she wept, reluctant to answer the question.

    Seeing Stephanie''s hesitation to answer the question, Charlotte pressed, "Are you still trying to hide

    the other party now that you''ve been caught? I can tell that you are passionate about designing and,

    as a matter of fact, very talented in it too. You have barely started your career; don��t tell me you''d

    willingly throw away your future in designing for a mere stranger!"

    Charlotte��s words urged Stephanie''s tears and she wailed even louder. After a while, she eventually

    calmed down and wiped away her tears. Only intermittent sobbing could be heard.

    "I sold it to Ms. Page. No... I mean Tilly ��

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    Tilly Page!

    It was her!

    "Ms. Emerson, I really didn''t mean to do it. Tilly found me in the group chat and offered me a sum of

    money. At that time, my mother was ill and in need of money. I wasn''t thinking straight when I

    agreed to it. Ms. Emerson, please give me a second chance!" begged Stephanie.

    Shetched herself onto Charlotte��s arm as if she was a lifebuoy amid the vast ocean that would

    keep her from drowning.

    Charlotte grew silent from deep thought. "I''ll give it a try. Do you think you can ask Tilly out?"

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "Of course, of course." Stephanie hastily wiped her tears away and nodded like a bobblehead.

    Without dy, Stephanie invited Tilly to meet up at the coffee shop right downstairs.

    Soon, Tilly arrived.

    She had on a cap and a pair of sunsses, as well as a scarf that wrapped tightly over the bottom

    half of her face.

    Clearly, she dreaded anyone recognizing her.

    At one nce, Tilly spotted Stephanie sitting in a sofa seat against the wall. She hastened over.

    Before she could sit down, she chided impatiently, "Why are you still looking for me? Didn��t we

    settle everything already?"

    Stephanie lowered her head in an attempt to avoid eye contact with her. This left Tilly a little baffled.

    "I''m the one who''s looking for you." A voice spoke and Charlotte trod over from the adjacent sofa

    seat.

    Seeing Charlotte, apprehension clouded Tilly�� s face. She instinctively got up to flee, but Charlotte

    reacted quick enough to grasp her wrist.

    "Ms. Page, don''t make me call the police now; sit down, and let''s have a chit-chat." With that,

    Charlotte released Tilly and seated herself.

    Charlotte didn''t appear to be joking. Tilly obediently sat down at the table.

    Charlotte hadn''t noticed this before, but Tilly had exceptional control over her mental state. She

    removed her sses and sorted out her emotions. As she looked up, she presented a friendly

    smile. "Ms. Emerson, your face is all over the inte! It''s a wonder that you still have time to ask

    me out for tea." Charlotte watched Tilly smile as if nothing had happened and felt an ironic

    admiration sprouting within her heart.

    ��I��m sure you know very well my purpose for meeting you today. So, are you going to exin

    yourself, or do you want me to say it?" Despite the smile on Charlotte''s lips, her eyes seemed to

    contain no warmth.

    The air around her had ostensibly plunged to absolute zero. The formidable intensity emanating

    from Charlotte knocked the air out of Tilly''s lungs. Thisdy was certainly a different person from the

    low- profile, submissive Charlotte Emerson she knew from before.

    For a moment, Tilly couldn''t find her tongue.

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow at her. "If you''re not telling, then I''ll start."

    And she did. "On the 7th of June, which isst Saturday, you instigated Stephanie Nnd of our

    company to steal our confidential design ns. Is that true?"

    Tilly''s eyes darted around the restaurant. She turned her head to one side and shrugged

    dismissively. "I have no idea what you�� re saying."

    "Is that so? Also, this week - yesterday, that is - two articles that attacked me personally appeared

    online with an outrageous amount of reposts. This is very good evidence of libel, to be added into

    consideration for your court sentence," Charlotte enunciated each word unhurriedly.

    Tilly''s face gradually darkened. "What gives you the right to use me of this?"

    "Well, I''d say it''s the original drafts in yourputer, and also the fact that many of these ounts

    are minions that you have recruited."

    The color immediately drained from Tilly��s face. She red at Charlotte nervously and said with

    difficulty, "Haha, these are just your guesses. If you''re so almighty, then bring out the evidence!

    What''s my motive behind this?"

    She didn''t expect that Tilly would still try to escape me after she hadid it all out for her.

    Charlotte smiled. "Because of your dismissal, you bear a grudge and have been on a constant

    lookout for an opening to take revenge on me." She paused and waved the phone in her hand.

    "Also, I��m very sorry to inform you that all of my ''guesses'' have a valid backing, including

    witnesses."

    At once, Tilly turned and looked daggers at Stephanie, whose head was lowered right to her chest.

    "You fool! Didn''t I tell you to delete all the records? Listen up, if I were to go to jail, you won��t end up

    that much better than me!��

    Stephanie was taken aback. She trembled and unwittingly nced toward Charlotte for help.

    Charlottended aforting pat on Stephanie��s shoulder and said to Tilly, "Tilly Page, you are the

    mastermind behind this. Just you wait to be prosecuted."

    With that, Charlotte rose from her seat and gestured for Stephanie to take their leave together.

    "Charlotte, it'' s not me, it'' s Emerson Corporation! They located me and had me do these. I may

    have written those articles, but the photos were not my doing. They were the ones who gave it to

    me!" Finally, Tilly couldn''t hold it in anymore and she lurched forward to grab Charlotte��s arm.

    "Who gave you the photo?" Charlotte pressed.

    Tilly hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mrs. Emerson''s secretary."

    A frown instantly furrowed Charlotte''s brows. Not unexpectedly, it was ine ying tricks behind

    her back!

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

    "Charlotte, I''m begging you, be the bigger person! Please don''t call the police on me, or I''ll really

    have no way of mingling in the industry anymore," pleaded Tilly.

    She took advantage of the split second before Charlotte could react and clutched her hand tightly.

    Charlotte snickered at Tilly. "I''ve always been one who would never attack unless attacked. Since

    I''ve been harmed, I''ll definitely return the favour."

    The cial look in Charlotte''s eyes made Tilly'' s hair stand on end.

    For a good moment, her next words were wedged in her throat and she couldn''t get them off the tip

    of her tongue.

    "Ms. Page, take care of yourself." Charlotte flung off Tilly''s hand and left with Stephanie.

    She was not a saint. There was no way she would simply forgive everyone who came pleading for

    mercy.

    Once they set foot outside, Stephanie asked nervously as her fingers fiddled with the corner of her

    shirt, "Ms. Emerson, I..."

    "I will report back to thepany and try my best to fight for you, but the final decision depends on

    the higher-ups."

    Stephanie nodded and said no more.

    At Fuller''s Group.

    Shane alighted the elevator and strode directly into his office.

    Once he pushed open the door, he saw the DNA test reportying on his desk in wait for him.

    He walked over, picked up the folder, and pulled out the report in one smooth action.

    He did not hesitate in the slightest.

    At once, his indifferent gazended on the conclusion on thest line.

    It read, ''The alleged father is excluded as the biological father of the tested child.''

    After a short pause, Shane put the folder aside, seemingly unaffected.

    A brief knock sounded from outside. Subsequently, Cole came into view beside the door.

    "Come in," answered Shane, his tone t.

    "Mr. Fuller, all the negative news concerning NC have been taken down," Cole reported. As he

    spoke, his gaze fell onto the folder that had been moved.

    He secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He was in luck to have found the president away when he

    arrived at the office.

    "Okay," replied the dispassionate man.

    However, his cold aura seemed to suck the air out of the room and Cole felt like he would suffocate

    any moment.

    He pressed on, "Ms. Emerson has already found the person who stole the designs. She wishes to

    see you."

    It was not until then only did Shane finally look up at Cole.

    "Got it.��

    As he retreated from the president''s office, Cole couldn''t help but feel like something was off with

    Shane today. Could there have been something wrong with the report?

    He could tell that Shane was pretty fond of the adorable little girl, so much that even his treatment

    toward Charlotte was one of a kind.

    Yet, he appeared rather downcast today...

    Cole could only shrug it off. He dared not to make an assumption. Right away, heposed an

    email in response to Charlotte�� s request.

    ''"Got it��? What does that even mean?�� groaned Charlotte.

    Charlotte stared at Cole''s email in confusion. On one side, Christopher let out a chuckle.

    He exined, ''"Got it'' from Shane means that this matter is done and over with."

    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "Huh? That''s it?" Charlotte hadn��t expected it to pass so effortlessly. But what about the words he

    had said to her that day...

    Then, Charlotte suddenly thought of Stephanie, wondering what penalty she''d receive from the

    company. "Um, what about Stephanie Nnd?"

    "As for her, thepany will dismiss her without publicizing the reason. Other matters will be

    passed on to be handled by thew.��

    Hearing this, Charlotte nodded to herself with relief. This was probably the best result for Stephanie.

    She nced at her watch. It was almost time to get off work. Charlotte turned to Christopher and

    offered, "Mr. Gibson, do you have time to spare? Let��s get dinner together." After all, she wouldn''t

    have been able to find the mastermind behind the scenes within the short span of a day if it wasn''t

    for him.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    Suddenly, Christopher'' s phone started ringing. As soon as he saw the caller ID, the smile on his

    face froze over for a split second.

    "Not today, I''ve still got stuff to settle," Christopher replied as he got to his feet and began walking

    out.

    Charlotte watched Christopher'' s figure disappear around the corner and let out a long sigh.

    The invisible weight on her shoulders was finally lifted off of her. At once, she felt like she could

    breathe again.

    Seeing that she still had some time to spare, she clicked open her browser to scroll through the

    posts about herself.

    Oddly enough, there were hardly any search results for her name. All the pejorative articles about

    her were nowhere to be found.

    Did Tilly take the initiative to delete them?

    What about the reposts? How were there no records of the millions of reposts for each article?

    This was too peculiar!

    Charlotte couldn��t wrap her head around this.

    She tried going on different search engines but found nothing different. Hence, she simply gave up

    the idea.

    Now that she had cleared her name, she felt it was necessary for a celebration.

    So, Charlotte dropped Anne a call and asked her out to have dinner together.

    On the other end of the line, Anne stuttered and seemed to hesitate. Still, she ended up epting

    the invitation.

    They agreed to meet at the bar from thest time.

    By the time Charlotte arrived, Anne was already there. She waved enthusiastically at Charlotte from

    a private room on the second floor.

    "How did you get here so quick?" Charlotte blurted as soon as she sat down.

    Anne''s eyes darted about the room. "I was nearby, so I managed to arrive early."

    Charlotte slightly narrowed her eyes at Anne. Earlier, Anne had told her on the call that she was at

    home. How was that ''nearby''?

    "Spill. Are you hiding something from me?��

    Seeing that she had been exposed, Anne couldn''t help but blush. She looked at her toes, avoiding

    eye contact with Charlotte.

    Her current state was the pr opposite of her usual behaviour.

    "I got a boyfriend," admitted Anne timidly.

    "So that''s what it is!" It finally dawned on Charlotte. No wonder Anne''s recent replies were either

    late or punctuated by background noise!

    It seemed she had been spending a good majority of her time on dates.

    An unprecedented inquisitive look quickly took over Charlotte''s face. She began to probe, "Tell me

    the truth. What''s his name? Where is he from? Is he a family man?"

    Now that Charlotte was firing Anne with questions, she appeared rather nervous. Her lips parted

    and met again repeatedly, but nothing came out.

    Watching her, Charlotte felt on tenterhooks. She blurted, "Is he married? Anne, you''re the second

    daughter of the Jane family! It''s not worth the while..."

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    "Lottie, no!" Anne interrupted atst, after staring in disbelief as Charlotte began steering offtrack.

    "So, tell me then!"

    "Don''t get angry if I tell you."

    "Alright, I won''t,�� Charlotte promised.

    "If s Braden Collins. Mr. Collins from yourpany." As Anne confessed softly, she cowered in fear.

    Sure enough, Charlotte'' s face darkened immediately upon hearing this name and she almost

    leaped from her seat. "Why him of all people? Didn''t I tell you that he''s just a yboy? No matter

    where he goes, he attracts women''s attention!"

    Anne promptly scooted into a corner to hide from Charlotte''s anger. Her voice grew even smaller as

    she said, "It''s because you don''t like him that I dared not tell you."

    "It''s not that I don''t like him. It''s just that he''s too much of a chick ma! Are you sure that he

    would treat you wholeheartedly as your boyfriend?" Charlotte''s rage only grew and she unwittingly

    raised her voice.

    "Yes, I would!"

    All of a sudden, a voice sounded from behind her before Anne could answer.

    Charlotte was taken aback and it took her half a moment to register what was happening and turn

    around.

    Behind her stood Braden Collins himself, fully d in monochromatic sportswear that was simr to

    Anne''s fit.

    Charlotte turned to look at Anne again.

    Good heavens! The two of them were already wearing matching outfits.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    "Alright, Lottie, please don''t be angry," cajoled Anne coyly as she tugged at Charlotte��s arm.

    Still, Charlotte remained livid. She red at Braden, who was sitting opposite her, andpletely

    ignored poor Anne.

    At this moment, however, Braden was acting much more gentlemanly than his usual self. He sat

    rigidly with a straight back and allowed Charlotte''s gaze to sweep over him.

    A good whileter, Braden sprung up abruptly.

    His sudden actions greatly startled Charlotte and she backed up instinctively.

    "Charlotte Emerson! Here, I, Braden Collins, cordially apologize to you for my past actions. I should

    not have made assumptions about you and looked down on you." 6-foot tall Braden resembled a

    sturdy wall as he stood in front of Charlotte unwaveringly. "I swear that I will definitely treat Anne

    well. I will devote myself and be a loyal man for her.�� To substantiate his intention, he even raised

    his right hand to make an oath. There was intense solemnity on his face in ce of the usual

    mischief.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but do a double-take. Was this still the Braden Collins she knew?

    Anne quietly gave Charlotte''s arm a little prod, which brought her back to her senses. She nodded

    briefly at Braden with embarrassment.

    "Come on, let''s raise our sses to celebrate Lottie proving her innocence. The truth is finally out!"

    In an attempt to soften the tension in the air, Anne hoisted her ss midair.

    However, Charlotte had more or less lost her yen for a celebration. As soon as she downed her

    ss, she hastily fumbled for an excuse to leave.

    She simply couldn''t fathom the reason Anne, being as picky as she was, would fall in love with

    Braden.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Indeed, one could not deny that Braden Collins looked like a million dors. On top of his striking 6-

    foot figure, he had thick eyebrows andrge eyes that ented his cheekbones. Moreover, he was

    also from an influential family. He was easily regarded as the cream of the crop.

    But how was it possible for him as a yboy to mend his ways overnight?

    Yet, seeing Anne enjoy herself at the start of the rtionship, she couldn��t bring herself to be a

    party-pooper.

    For now, she could only deal with matters as they appeared.

    Soon, she arrived home.

    When she pushed open the door, Sheryl was sitting on the floor with her LEGO bricks. Once she

    saw Charlotte, she mbered to her feet and scuttled over joyfully.

    However, she quickly noticed that her mother had gloom written all over her face.

    "Mommy, are you sad?" asked Sheryl as she blinked herrge, beady eyes.

    Charlotte wearily changed out of her ts as she said without looking up, "Mommy''s just feeling a

    little tired.��

    Charlotte plopped down onto the sofa while her mind cycled around Anne. The more she mulled

    over it, the more the ball of fury in her seemed to grow. And there were two reasons for it.

    First of all, she couldn''t believe that Anne didn'' t tell her first-hand about getting a boyfriend

    although she was supposed to be her closest bosom friend.

    Secondly, her boyfriend was none other than Braden Collins, the biggest yboy of River City.

    While Charlotte lost herself in her thoughts, Sheryl climbed onto the sofa and jostled herself behind

    Charlotte. She then began massaging her mother''s shoulders gently.

    "Mommy, are you still tired?" asked Sheryl naively.

    Her daughter'' s considerate actions immediately quashed Charlotte��s anger by half. "Thank you,

    sweetie. Mommy''s feeling much better."

    "Mommy, if there''s anything that makes you sad, you can tell Sheryl about it."

    Sheryl''s words took Charlotte by surprise, but she was touched nheless. "Sheryl, who taught

    you this?"

    "That''s a secret," hushed Sheryl, unwilling to let her in.

    Seeing this, Charlotte didn''t try to force the question onto her. At that moment, Anne��s matter had

    exhausted pretty much her entire thinking capacity and she couldn'' t be bothered about anything

    else.

    "Sheryl, can I ask your opinion on something?" Brooding over this, Charlotte couldn''t hold it in

    anymore. There was no one else she could confide in, so she could only ask her daughter.

    It didn''t matter to her if her four-year-old girl would understand the situation.

    Sheryl nodded furiously and answered with a stern expression, "Mommy, just ask."

    "Aunt Jane''s got herself a boyfriend. Would you feel happy for her?"

    Sheryl replied without thinking, "Of course!"

    "Even if that man isn''t a good person? Would you still feel happy that way?"

    Sheryl stepped out from behind Charlotte and wriggled into her arms. She looked up at Charlotte

    and said, "Mommy, Aunt Jane is already a big girl! Also, what''s important is that she''s happy."

    Charlotte was once again at a loss for words. Did she really need her daughter to exin to her

    such a shallow and straightforward principle?

    At the bar, she had clearly seen the happiness overflowing from Anne''s eyes as she looked at

    Braden.

    It finally dawned on Charlotte. She broke out into a wide grin and nted a loud smacker on

    Sheryl''s cheek.

    "Who taught you such things?�� asked Charlotte as she gave Sheryl''s little nose a pinch.

    There was no way Sheryl was mature enough to have worked this out herself!

    "Haha," she let out an adorably sinister giggle, "I saw it on TV!"

    Hearing this, Charlotte was rendered speechless. She noted to herself that she must limit Sheryl'' s

    media consumption thereafter.

    Once she bathed Sheryl, Charlotte clicked open a notification on her phone. It was a message from

    Anne.

    ''Lottie, I'' m so sorry I didn'' t tell you immediately. I just wasn''t prepared to.��

    From the message itself, Charlotte could imagine the cautious look on Anne''s face as she typed it

    in.

    She must''ve been too hard on her.

    Charlotte smiled inadvertently and replied with a GIF of a virtual hug.

    This was followed by a reply that said, ''No matter your choice, I will forever support you from

    behind.''

    Once she hit send, the smile on her face only grew.

    As her closest confidant, what reason did she have to not approve of her rtionship?

    The following day soon approached.

    Charlotte got up at the break of dawn so that she could have breakfast with Sheryl. Then, she sent

    the child to the kindergarten.

    Just as she walked up to the gate with Sheryl'' s hand in hers, Miss Mnie stepped over from

    Sheryl''s ssroom.

    "Hello, Ms. Emerson," she greeted.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    "Hello, Miss Mnie," Charlotte replied with a friendly smile.

    "Hello, Sheryl," she greeted Sheryl warmly, then turned to Charlotte. "Ms. Emerson, it''s a shame

    that you couldn''t make it to the family event. Sheryl''s dad did such a great job, but unfortunately,

    both parents must be present in order to receive the participation gift."

    As she spoke, sympathy hung on Miss Mnie��s face. Meanwhile, Charlotte''s mind only turned into

    mush with every word of hers.

    Family event? What family event?

    Sheryl��s dad?

    Intuitively, Charlotte looked at Sheryl. She found that her sharp-witted child had quickly broken free

    from her clutch and fled without giving Charlotte a chance to utter a word.

    Catching the bafflement in Charlotte''s eyes, Miss Mnie asked in confusion, "Ms. Emerson, were

    you not aware of the event?"

    Truth be told, she was truly unaware of it. However, at that moment, the one thing she could do was

    simply to give a random excuse. "Oh, no, Miss Mnie. It''s just that I'' ve been a little busier than I��d

    liketely, and it just slipped my mind."

    Charlotte chuckled awkwardly.

    Miss Mnie returned a caring smile.

    She then handed the small box to Charlotte and said, "Here��s a picture of Sheryl and her father. I

    can tell that Sheryl loves her father very much. I understand that you both have gone your separate

    ways, but there are times where you ought to put yourself in your child''s shoes and view things."

    Charlotte was nonplussed at Mnie'' s words. It appeared the teacher must'' ve mistaken that

    Charlotte had divorced Sheryl��s father.

    "Thank you, Miss Mnie. Please take good care of Sheryl for me." Charlotte put the small box

    away.

    Miss Mnie nodded, the amiable smile still perched upon her face. "It''s my duty."

    Charlotte popped open the box. At once, her eyes widened in surprise. Never would she have

    dreamt of finding Shane in the picture. Never would she have dreamt that Shane Fuller would

    apany her daughter to a family event!

    In the photo, Sheryl had the sweetest smile on her face, while Shane, who was sitting next to her,

    had the edges of his mouth curved upward ever so slightly.

    In a daze, a memory came rushing back to her. It was the morning of the day of the bid.

    Sheryl had asked if she had time to spare.

    However, at that point in time, she had focused all her attention on the bidding and ended up

    ignoring Sheryl.

    As she recalled her actions, an immense amount of guilt gushed into Charlotte''s heart.

    At the same time, she couldn��t help but feel grateful toward Shane. On top of his work-rted

    matters as the busy president of his ownpany, he could still fork out time to bring Sheryl to an

    event such as this.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    The day slipped by in a blink of an eye and Charlotte decided against working overtime today.

    Instead, she got off work early and went to pick Sheryl up from school.

    She wanted to take Sheryl out for a meal at KFC, her favorite food, to make up for missing the

    family event.

    "Mommy, can I order a hamburger today?" Sheryl asked as she happily skipped about.

    Charlotte nodded with a wide grin on her face. "Yes, you may."

    "Yay!" Sheryl cheered victoriously. "Then, can I drink C too?" she asked eagerly as she looked at

    Charlotte with herrge, beady eyes.

    It was rare to see her daughter in this state of ecstasy, so Charlotte simply gave in and nodded

    again.

    The child was particrly easy to satisfy. With Charlotte'' s permission, Sheryl ran happily along the

    sidewalk.

    Charlotte was carrying Sheryl��s school bag. On top of the fact that she was wearing a pencil skirt,

    she found herself struggling to keep up with Sheryl.

    "Sheryl, slow down," Charlotte called, following behind her.

    "Kid, your mom is asking you to slow down."

    A person suddenly showed up in front of Sheryl, blocking her way.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53

    Sheryl looked up to find ine Emerson.

    She wore a hypocritical smile under her thick, delicate makeup. Sheryl was a little frightened by her

    looks and backed away subconsciously.

    By now, Charlotte had already caught up to her daughter.

    However, she took no notice of ine as she grabbed Sheryl''s hand and chastised, "Sheryl, you

    mustn''t run around! There are so many people here, what if you meet a bad guy?"

    Sheryl didn'' t utter a word in response. Instead, she cowered behind her.

    Charlotte raised a suspicious eyebrow at Sheryl''s strange reaction. Just then, ine spoke. "So,

    you''re Sheryl! What an adorable little girl you are."

    Hearing this voice, Charlotte raised her head. Instantly, her face darkened.

    "What are you doing here?" asked Charlotte with a scoff.

    ''Neat,'' ine thought. Before she could hunt Charlotte down, she had taken the initiative to deliver

    herself to her doorstep.

    ine smiled. "Lottie, why are you being so defensive? We used to be the best of friends."

    "Mommy, are you two best friends?�� asked Sheryl in a whisper.

    Charlotte peered down at her daughter and shook her head unhesitatingly.

    Thest thing she wanted to hear in her life was the fact that ine and she used to be tight.

    To her, this was perhaps the most shameful aspect of her life.

    Charlotte couldn''t find the right words for ine. She simply sneered and sidestepped ine to

    leave with Sheryl.

    "Your father wants to see you. You saw him at the hospitalst time around - his body isn''t going to

    hold for much longer." ine''s voice invaded Charlotte''s ears from behind and her footsteps came

    to a halt.

    Hearing the mention of Charlotte''s father, Sheryl unwittingly said, "My grandpa?"

    Tears welled up in Charlotte'' s eyes immediately.

    She used to despise her father into her bones.

    But now that she was a mother herself, she realized exactly how much her father had been through.

    Adding to the scene she had seen in the ward, she suddenly didn''t feel as much hatred toward him

    anymore.

    Seeing Charlotte frozen in her tracks, ine was treacherously delighted that she had managed to

    pull off her scheme.

    She knew deep down that Charlotte had never truly let go of her past, of the Emerson family. Else,

    she wouldn''t have shown up at the hospital in the middle of the night.

    Taking advantage of this, ine continued, "Charlotte, you must think this over. Once you leave

    now, you may not be able to see the old man in the future."

    Charlotte stood rooted to the spot and pondered for a moment before turning back to face ine.

    She didn��t know why ine was so kind as to persuade her to return, but upon thinking about her

    father whom she hadn''t met for five years, she decided it was about time.

    "Let��s go," Charlotte said to ine.

    At the Emersons�� residence.

    With Sheryl''s hand in hers, Charlotte stood outside the main gate.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    As she looked at the house that couldn''t be any more familiar, Charlotte'' s heart only sank.

    She was starting to doubt her choice. Was returning a wrong move after all?

    "What are you standing there for? Come on in!" ine urged as she scorned the sorrow in

    Charlotte��s eyes.

    Beside her, Sheryl could see without fail ine''s malice toward Charlotte. She rolled her eyes at her

    exasperatedly.

    ine was instantly enraged. However, she could only try to quell it as much as possible. After all,

    she still had some acting to do once they stepped into the house in a while.

    Charlotte paid no attention to ine. She simply led Sheryl along as she strolled into the property

    and took in the view.

    "Mommy, is this where you lived when you were a child?" asked Cheryl with burning curiosity.

    "That''s right! Look, that''s the tree Mommy nted," said Charlotte as she pointed at a luxuriant

    locust tree at a corner of the courtyard.

    She had nted that tree on her fifth birthday.

    Hearing that, a frown manifested itself across ine''s brows. She made a mental note to hire some

    gardeners to have it chopped off once Charlotte left.

    After sauntering around for a good while, Charlotte was finally about to step into the living room.

    ine promptly shot the butler a nce to have him bring the old man down from his study.

    With Sheryl''s hand still in her palm, Charlotte walked into the grand hall.

    Just as she was wondering why Timothy wasn''t around to wee her, he made his appearance

    by the stairs following a coughing fit.

    When Timothy''s gazended on Charlotte, he immediately recalled that day five years ago, when

    she had fled home disobediently.

    His face immediately contorted in anger like rainy clouds that hung over the sun. His menacing

    presence frightened poor little Sheryl.

    Unwittingly, she shrunk behind Charlotte and muttered in a low voice, "Mommy, I''m scared."

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    "Don''t fret," cooed Charlotte as she patted her daughter''s back in an attempt to soothe her terror.

    Seeing the little child standing next to Charlotte only fueled Timothy�� s fury. He berated bluntly, "You

    unfilial daughter! To think you have the face to return! You even brought..."

    Before he could speak the disrespectful words of her daughter, Charlotte shot him an ice-cold re.

    All of a sudden, Timothy found his words lodged in his throat.

    "We meet again after many years, Mr. Emerson. You''re still as vigorous as you were in your youth!

    You still never hesitate tosh out at people."

    Initially, she had harboured a slight sense of guilt toward her father, but now that he hadid out

    these unsympathetic words for her to hear, the loathing in her only grew.

    Once again, the atmosphere fell into a state of tension. ine stood up and stepped between the

    two, pretending to be a peacemaker.

    "Timothy, Lottie hasn''te back for five years! What are you doing?" ine then turned to look at

    Charlotte. "Lottie, you too. You know very well that your father is ill, why are you still being so

    difficult?"

    Charlotte scoffed. The coldness emanating from within her eyes multiplied with every second her

    gaze lingered on ine.

    Meanwhile, Timothy had made his way downstairs and seated himself on the sofa. As he heard

    Charlotte snort, his wrath peaked once again.

    Timothy pointed a quivering finger at Charlotte and said, "Last I heard, you wanted to cut ties with

    the Emerson family. How dare you still step past our gate today?"

    Now that things had evolved into this state, Charlotte was unwilling to disy the slightest hint of

    weakness. "Your gate? Shall I remind you that this house is my mother��s heritage? You��re only here

    as a guest.��

    Timothy felt like he had been stabbed in the ribs. He sprung to his feet and dashed toward

    Charlotte.

    Just as he raised his hand above their heads, Charlotte'' s stony words interrupted his actions.

    "Timothy Emerson, if you were to deliver this p, you will never have me as your daughter from

    today onward."

    Timothy snapped back to his senses and his hand froze midair. In the heat of the moment, he

    couldn��t figure out what to do with it.

    Sheryl��s little head popped out from behind Charlotte. She looked up at him withrge, watery eyes

    and pleaded, "Grandpa, don��t hit Mommy."

    Hearing this, Timothy inadvertently lowered his head at Sheryl. Only then was he able to take in the

    sight of the wee being. Her teeny nose andrge eyes immediately reminded him of young

    Charlotte.

    With this, his heart crumbled in softness and he gradually lowered his hand.

    ine quickly noticed that the situation was starting to steer off track. Without dy, she motioned

    to the butler.

    He nodded in acknowledgment and scurried off to wake ine''s sleeping child.

    Once Alistair awoke, he would look for Timothy, for he always doted on him the most.

    "Daddy, daddy, what are you doing?" Alistair rubbed the sleep from his eyes drowsily while he

    stumbled out into the living room.

    At the sight of his young son, Timothy''s features rxed and the tension disappeared from his

    muscles.

    ine took advantage of this opening to slide between the two. She hoisted Alistair into her arms

    and stood by Timothy''s side.

    She turned to Alistair with a loving smile. "Good boy, Alistair! Have you finished today''s homework

    already?"

    He nodded obediently and replied, "Yes, I have. Today, the teacher even rewarded me with a little

    red flower."

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    "Wow, that��s terrific! Timothy, don''t you think our little Alistair is just doing so great!" As she said

    such words, her gaze intentionally lingered on Charlotte.

    The look in her eyes seemed to announce, "Look! The three of us are a happy family. You are the

    outsider no matter how you look at it."

    At once, it dawned on Charlotte why ine had insisted shee over. She dared bet a million

    dors that it was for this very scene.

    Charlotte snickered. "Looks like I don''t have much to do in the Emerson family. It''s not an

    impossible feat for Mr. Emerson to break off all ties with me, but please, first, hand over the ten per

    cent shares of Emerson Corporation that my mother has left me."

    Now that Charlotte had openly dered her wish to end things with the Emerson family, Timothy''s

    anger immediately rose despite having calmed down substantially from

    earlier.

    His face was distant as he let out a hollowugh and hissed with sarcasm, "Great, that''s great! We

    haven''t met for five years, but this is the first thing you ask of me when you return? What is it, do

    you also want me to step down so you can take my position?"

    The turn of events knocked ine off her feet.

    How did Charlotte manage toy her hands on ten percent of Emerson Corporation''s shares?

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

    The air in the room seemed to weigh down heavily on everyone''s shoulders.

    Just then, a servant walked in from outside and reported, "Sir, Madam, Miss Yuliana and Mr. Fuller

    are here for a visit."

    As soon as the servant finished speaking, Shane strode into the room, apanied by the

    rhythmic clicking of his shoes against the tiles. Behind him trailed Yuliana, who was all smiles.

    Today, Shane was d in a handsome ck suit. The slim fit of the design perfectly entuated his

    shapely figure.

    The topmost buttony unfastened and lined his sexy Adam''s apple. The unruffled cor seemed to

    amplify the sense of... abstinence emanating from him.

    "Mr. Emerson, you look to be in tip- top condition! We could hear you loud and clear from outside. It

    appears those rumours they'' re spreading are false," Shane began as he approached Timothy.

    After his footsteps halted in front of Timothy, his gazended directly on Charlotte. His expression

    remained calm and unperturbed as though he was not the least bit surprised to find her here.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane'' s arrival clearly tamed Timothy'' s anger. He promptly broke out into a smile and ushered

    Shane to take a seat.

    "Haha, the media exaggerates everything. Look, I''m doing just fine, am I not?" Timothy chuckled as

    he sat himself down. He then tossed ine a meaningful nce.

    Upon seeing this, ine immediately handed Alistair into the butler''s arms and hauled her sister

    into the kitchen to prepare some tea and snacks.

    As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, ine''s smile vanished into thin air. She growled in a low

    voice, "You idiot, why did you bring Shane over?"

    Things were just about to develop as she had predicted, but Shane''s sudden appearance threw her

    ns off track.

    This instantly warded off Yuliana''s glee and she froze in her tracks. "Sis, what''s wrong? Didn��t you

    ask me to get it done as soon as possible?"

    She was in cloud nine when Shane asked her out today, for it was such a rare asion. Besides,

    he even suggested they visit the Emerson family. How could she let this good opportunity slide?

    ine had no words for her sister. She pulled the cloak on her shoulder tighter around herself but

    her lips were still pursed.

    Yuliana nced around surreptitiously and, once she made sure no one was around, she pulled out

    a small sachet of powder from her handbag.

    "What''s this?" asked ine.

    "Sis, didn''t you say that I should get Shane to knock me up? This is the..." Yuliana''s voice trailed

    away as she spoke, fearing that others would overhear.

    ine quickly caught on. The frown on her face slowly dissolved. "Wow, to think you''ve suddenly

    grown some brains this time around."

    Meanwhile, things didn''t cease in the living room.

    "Come here, Sheryl." Shane waved at the little girl huddled up behind Charlotte.

    Sheryl had seen Shane interact with that baddie who kept picking on her mother. She pouted

    unhappily and ignored Shane, scooting further behind her mother''s legs.

    Charlotte was rather astonished at Sheryl''s reaction. Under normal circumstances, Shane was

    unquestionably her favourite person.

    How was today different?

    At the same time, Timothy also stared at Shane in surprise.

    Shane brushed the matter off with a chuckle and his gaze traveled to Charlotte.

    Then, he looked back at Timothy. "Mr. Emerson, you must be in luck to have such a talented and

    beautiful daughter and the most adorable granddaughter."

    Timothy looked at Shane in utter confusion and voiced his doubt, "Do you guys know each other?"

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    "Mr. Emerson, I suppose you''ve been too busy recovering from your illness to know that Emerson

    Corporation''s winning designs for the Eastern opera house was the work of Miss Charlotte herself,"

    Shane exined with a vague smile on his face.

    His cool gaze fell upon Timothy, then onto ine, who had just stepped out of the kitchen.

    At that moment, a sharp re of warning darted across his eyes, which sent a shiver down ine''s

    spine.

    ine seemingly lost control over her own hands, which trembled with the tray she was holding.

    However, she quickly recollected herself and steadied her fingers.

    With the smile still stered across her face, she walked over to Shane and ced a cup in front of

    him, "Here, Mr. Fuller, have a cup of coffee."

    She then ced another cup of tea in front of Timothy.

    "What�� s going on here?" Timothy asked ine.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Their recent sess in the bidding for the Eastern opera house was one of the reasons for his

    speedy recovery.

    However, ine only told him that it was a newly recruited designer''s work. She hadn��t mentioned

    at all that the designer was Charlotte.

    ine''s face turned white from fear. She did not expect Shane to bring it up at, and not now of all

    times.

    "This..."

    "I''m sure it was Madam Emerson��s idea to give you a surprise. It worked like a charm, didn''t it?

    You''ve recovered," Shane said humorously, lifting his cup of coffee for a sip.

    As a veteran in the business sector, Timothy naturally spotted Shane''s intention to defend Charlotte.

    In fact, he had a probable estimate as to why.

    However, this still took him by surprise. When did the two get to know each other, let alone develop

    such an unusual rtionship?

    In the past, whenever he asked the Lane sisters to invite Shane over, he never epted their offer

    no matter what.

    With that thought in mind, Timothy turned to Charlotte again.

    As a fellow businessman, he quickly regained his cool and re-evaluated Charlotte��s worth in his

    mind. He then turned to her and said, "Well, since you'' re back, let��s have dinner together.��

    Seeing how Timothy''s attitude changed so quickly, Charlotte snickered to herself internally. It

    certainly didn''t feel like Timothy harboured the slightest bit of paternal love toward his own flesh and

    blood.

    He wouldn'' t even think twice before exploiting her as a tool for his own advantage.

    "No, that''s okay. I do not wish to intrude, especially when you have a distinguished guest over for a

    family reunion," Charlotte replied politely as she turned around and left with Sheryl in her arms.

    Watching Charlotte leave, Timothy��s face ckened. However, considering Shane'' s presence, he

    decided against losing his temper.

    "My daughter has been spoiled since young. I�� m sorry to have you witness such a foolish scene,"

    Timothy chuckled.

    Shane��s smile still lingered on his lips as he replied, "Ah, it''s not a problem. This is Miss Charlotte''s

    nature."

    Shane got up from his seat. "Since now that I know Mr. Emerson has recovered well and is as

    energetic as ever, I shall take my leave. I still have other matters to tend to."

    In an attempt to keep him, Timothy hurriedly proposed, "Oh, look at the time! Why don''t you stay for

    dinner before you take your leave."

    Shane smiled respectfully in response but still turned to leave.

    All this while, Yuliana had been keeping time in the kitchen. Seeing such progress, she dashed out

    from her hiding spot and excused herself. "Sis, I also have something waiting. I''ll leave first."

    ine nodded her head reassuringly. "Okay, go ahead," ine replied as the corners of her mouth

    pulled into a sinister smile.

    ''Looks like the aphrodisiac has already taken effect on Shane. You can forget about having Shane

    as your shield after tonight, Charlotte!'' ine guffawed to herself.

    "Charlotte, stand right there!" Shane yelled out.

    As soon as Charlotte stepped out of the main gate of the Emersons'' residence, she heard a cold

    voice calling out to her.

    She spun around to find Shane with a grim expression, wobbling toward her with irregr footsteps.

    ''What''s happened to him?'' she freaked.

    He looked a different person to the one who was actively engaged in conversation earlier.

    Even Sheryl had caught on to Shane'' s peculiar behaviour. She wrapped her arms around

    Charlotte��s neck and asked, "Mommy, is Mr. Handsome unwell?"

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    It only took a couple of long strides for Shane to catch up with Charlotte.

    Taken by surprise, Charlotte asked in confusion, "Mr. Fuller, do you need anything from me?"

    The effect of the aphrodisiac had indeed kicked in. Shane''s face was burning hot, all the way from

    his forehead down to his neck and corbones. His unbuttoned cor from earlier was now all

    ruffled and wrinkled and lethargy clouded his face.

    "Are you unwell?�� asked Charlotte, seeing the agony on Shane''s face.

    However, the man did not utter a word in response. Instead, he grasped her wrist and hauled her

    toward the car awaiting him by the roadside. He swung open the door and forcibly stuffed her into

    the cabin.

    Then, Shane mbered into the car and shut his eyes. He muttered, "Cole, hotel."

    His voice was raspy and deep.

    Charlotte was bbergasted. Her lips parted to protest, but when she turned toward him, her harsh

    words took a U-turn in her throat.

    She had never seen such intensity of crimson on a person��s face before.

    She hesitated for a moment and lowered her voice, "Cole, why don''t we go to the hospital instead?

    By the looks of it, this seems to be a case of an acute fever.��

    Cole tore his eyes off the road ahead of him and peered at Shane through the rearview mirror. He

    frowned but didn��t offer a reply; he only floored the gas pedal a little harder.

    The car zoomed along the road like a rocket.

    "Shane! Shane!" A step toote, Yuliana scuttled out of the house. Standing alone outside the gate,

    she could only watch in misery as the taillights of Shane��s car drifted into the distance.

    Disgruntled, she pulled out her phone and dialed Cole''s number to demand that he stop the car, but

    he did not pick up a single one of her dozen calls. She blew her top and flung her phone to the

    ground, shattering the screen into smithereens.

    In the cabin, the only sound disrupting the heavy silence in the dense air was the ceaseless ringing

    from Cole''s phone.

    By now, Sheryl had already fallen asleep in Charlotte''s arms.

    Charlotte tightened her embrace around Sheryl and eyed Shane, then looked at Cole. The former

    had his eyes screwed shut in difort, while thetter had his brows furrowed deeply.

    The suffocating atmosphere drove Charlotte to realize that things might not be as simple as it

    seemed.

    ''Could it be that he has some hidden illness such that he can''t show up at the hospital?'' she mused.

    At that thought, Charlotte pursed her lips and turned to look out the window,

    In an attempt to keep her mind off of things, she kept muttering to herself, ''I don''t know anything.''

    ''I don''t know anything at all.��

    Very soon, the car rolled to a halt in front of River City Hotel.

    Cole descended promptly and helped Shane alight the car. Seeing this, Charlotte followed suit,

    opening the door and stepping out with Sheryl in her arms.

    They were ushered into the VIP elevator and headed directly to the 88th floor, where Shane�� s

    exclusive suite was.

    As soon as the group stepped foot into the room, Cole turned to Charlotte. "Ms. Emerson, may I

    trouble you to keep an eye on Mr. Fuller

    in my ce? I��ll get the doctor."

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    She looked at Shane again, who was now supine on the bed. Then, she turned back to the anxious

    Cole and nodded.

    Charlotte gently lowered Sheryl onto the couch aside and stepped toward Shane to pull the nket

    over him.

    All of a sudden, his eyelids flew open, filled to the brim with an inscrutable murderous intent.

    Charlotte leaped backward in horror, but before she could react, Shane grabbed her wrist firmly.

    Unable to keep her bnce, she tipped over and fell onto Shane face- first. Responsively, he flipped

    their bodies around so that she was pinned against the bed, under the unyielding weight of his

    body.

    Everything happened in one fleeting moment. Charlotte was stunned and her mind turned nk.

    She could only feel the intense heat radiating from the man''s palms.

    She looked up to meet Shane''s stare. Just as they locked eyes, an unforeseen tinge of terror

    erupted within her heart.

    The whites of Shane''s eyes were ornamented with dted blood vessels and he looked like a

    hungry beast ready to pounce. It was as if

    any moment now, he would tear her to pieces and savour her flesh as he gulped her down.

    In her horrified daze, she heard Shane swoop down to her ear and pant in his deep, coarse voice,

    "Charlotte, I want to..."

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58

    "Charlotte Emerson, I want you, to fill the bathtub with cold water this instant, and bring me some

    ice cubes while you''re at it."

    Suppressing the fervent desire in his heart, Shane got up and distanced himself from Charlotte.

    "Oh, alright." Charlotte was so flustered and dazed that she didn''t have the time to process what

    was happening. She quickly climbed to her feet, cheeks burning with embarrassment, then ran to

    the bathroom. Without dy, she twisted the tap to the cold water outlet all the way open and

    started filling the bathtub as per Shane''s orders.

    While the water gushed into the immacte tub, the scene of her body locked under Shane''s kept

    looping in her mind.

    She could no longer remember how she ended up beneath him. All that her mind recalled was his

    rock hard chest, his burning palms, his shallow, inconsistent breathing, and the hard object that was

    pressed against her abdomen...

    She abruptly pped herself on the head. "Charlotte Emerson, what in the world are you thinking

    about?"

    Besides, she was already a mother. How could she behave as she had never experienced such a

    thing before?

    Charlotte scooped a handful of the ice-cold water and sshed it onto her face. Only after ensuring

    the rosiness had left her cheeks did she walk out of the bathroom.

    "Mr. Fuller, I''ve...�� Once again, Charlotte found herself choking on her words. She couldn''t help

    herself as her eyes widened and feasted on the shirtless man.

    The lines on his torso were exceptionally well-defined and lying below his firm pectoral muscles

    were a cluster of eight- pack abs toned to absolute perfection.

    One wouldn''t have been able to tell that he was hiding such treasures under the usual slim fit suits

    he wore.

    Catching her voice, Shane looked over with a frown on his face. He nodded and began walking

    toward the bathroom.

    However, right as he passed Charlotte, his lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "Wipe away your

    drool."

    Charlotte instinctively raised a hand to wipe the corners of her mouth, only to realize that there was

    no drool at all.

    ''How dare he pokes fun at me!'' she growled.

    She quickly turned around only to meet a door in her face.

    Charlotte''s cheeks red up again.

    Soon after, Charlotte dropped by the front desk and asked for a bucket of ice.

    With the bucket in hand, she stood stealthily in front of the bathroom door, trying to eavesdrop on

    the situation in the bathroom. However, there was no sound of any sort, only pin-drop silence.

    Thinking about Shane�� s behaviour from earlier, Charlotte grew worried.

    ''He couldn''t have had a fit in there, could he?�� she panicked.

    "Mr. Fuller, I''ve brought the ice you requested. I''ll leave it out here by the door," Charlotte shouted.

    Ten minutes soon passed but Shane still hadn''t opened the door to retrieve his ice bucket. She

    stared anxiously at the wooden door that seemed to have fused into the wall.

    ''Why hasn''t Cole returned yet?'' she sighed.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Mr. Fuller, are you alright in there?"

    Still no response.

    Could something have happened to him?

    Charlotte bit down on her lips and pondered for a moment. Someone''s life may be on the line here;

    gender difference couldn''t be any less significant in a circumstance like this.

    Charlotte slowly pushed open the door with a creak and peeked into the bathroom.

    She found Shaneying in the water, listless and eyes shut.

    Did he pass out?

    Evaluating the possibility of this happening, Charlotte gritted her teeth and warded off the feeling of

    embarrassment. She rushed forward with ns to pull Shane out of the water.

    To her horror, she slipped while trying to approach. She toppled over the side of the bathtub and

    plunged headfirst into the water unhesitatingly. With the sudden action, water spattered out onto the

    monochromic tiles and the bath mat.

    "Charlotte Emerson, aren''t you getting a little too desperate?" Shane��s eyes snapped open and he

    looked down at Charlotte in dismay, who was still struggling to get off of him.

    At that time, the aphrodisiac had more or less worn off by half. He stepped out of the bathtub and

    fished Charlotte out with an effortless lift of his hand.

    "I didn''t know how much you longed to throw yourself at me,�� remarked Shane, filled with pride and

    joy as he stared down at Charlotte. Wet and scared, Charlotte looked no different to a weak and

    helpless little kitten.

    "You, you��re okay?" Charlotte stared nkly at Shane, who firmly stood in front of her.

    "Who told you I was not?" Shane raised an eyebrow at her.

    "But earlier when I..." Charlotte began, swiping at her eyes to get rid of the lingering droplets. Just

    then, her gaze happened to fall on Shane�� sher regions. Reflexively, she shrieked and quickly

    cupped her palms over her eyes.

    "You hooligan!" she cursed, then ran out of the bathroom.

    Seeing her adolescent behaviour, Shane couldn��t help butugh out loud. For someone who was

    already a mother, her actions seemed to reveal that she was someone who had seen little of the

    world.

    On second thought, however, he couldn''t deny that the person who was to marry her would be

    bound to live an interesting life.

    "Miss Charlotte, what''s happened to you?" a voice spoke.

    Coincidentally, Cole had just returned with the doctor. But as soon as they stepped through the

    door, they saw Charlotte running out of the bathroom, drenched.

    Charlotte paid no attention to Cole. Instead, she picked Sheryl up and scrambled out of the room

    without looking back.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59

    At that moment, Shane came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his body.

    Seeing this scene Cole thought back to how Charlotte was acting and realized that they must have

    come in at the wrong time.

    "Mr. Fuller, Miss Charlotte has... She��s left," he said.

    Shane simply nodded and sat down on the sofa.

    Henry Johnson, Shane'' s personal doctor, walked over to him with a smile on his face and a

    medical kit on his back.

    He gave Shane a rough examination and deduced that the effect of the drug hadpletely

    subsided.

    Henry Johnson was the creme de creme of the medical field, and a good friend of Shane'' s for

    many years.

    "Ah, I remember that thest time you were drugged with this was five years ago because someone

    wanted to take your life. Who did this to you this time, and why?" Henry asked semi- humorously as

    he packed his equipment back into his kit.

    As soon as he brought up this matter, Shane''s face turned dark and grim. He narrowed his eyes

    slightly at Cole.

    Cole effortlessly deciphered the message and tactfully turned to leave the room.

    "Yuliana Lane," Shane said as he gave his be a little pinch.

    Henry gently patted Shane''s thigh and let out a chuckle, "Oh, I see. It was Ms. Lane! Still, my man,

    I''m not taking your side this time. You guys have been together for five years and yet, you still leave

    her alone in an empty bed. If I were her, I would have drugged you long ago! Who would''ve

    bothered waiting until today?"

    As hisughter died down, Henry suddenly said in a serious tone, "Say, it''s not because you have

    some mortifying disease with your privates, right? For real, though, I do know someone who��s an

    expert in..."

    Before Henry could finish his sentence, Shane shed him an icy cold re.

    It worked like magic. Henry was immediately silenced.

    Lethargic, Shane leaned back into the sofa for forty winks.

    "Ahem, who''s that woman from earlier? Could you be..."

    Now that the room was so quiet, Henry suddenly thought of Charlotte'' s escape. Hence, he started

    running his mouth again.

    "She''s a very special person indeed," said Shane.

    "Yo!" Henry instantly perked up as if he had discovered something extraordinary. "So, all this while,

    it''s not that you didn��t like women; you just prefer mommas."

    Shane didn''t bother responding, for his mind was upied with images of Charlotte and only

    Charlotte.

    She was so sweet and tender. That one nce from her had almost forced him over the edge.

    Five years. It had been five years since hest felt this sensation coursing through his veins.

    Henry took Shane��s silence as acquiescence.

    He howled with excitement, "OMG! Do you actually like her? Goodness gracious, did you know that

    I always thought you liked men?"

    The mystery of Shane''s orientation had puzzled Henry for a while.

    "She''s a married woman, isn''t she? It won''t look good if you were to ruin other''s families." Henry

    was a real chatterbox. The moment he opened his mouth, there was no stopping his chattering.

    "She''s not married." Shane only left three simple words for Henry as he stood up and headed over

    to the wardrobe to change into his clothes.

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    A child born out of wedlock?

    Henry tilted his head in thought. With that out of the question, it didn��t seem as though there were

    any other issues.

    "Hey, where are you going?�� asked Henry as he saw Shane exit the room. In no time, he was at

    Shane''s heels.

    Shane looked back at Henry. His lips curved upward into a smile, yet his eyes were filled with

    nothing but coldness. "I''m going to deal with the problem."

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60

    The following morning, Yuliana showed up uninvited in the living room of the Fullers'' residence.

    Tears tumbled in her eyes as she sat on the sofa and wept.

    Sitting in a leather recliner chair was Shane''s mother, Raina Fuller. She had just stepped into her

    fifties but, due to her meticulous self-care routines, her skin was firm and herplexion ruddy. She

    had managed to preserve her slender figure and thedy resting on the chair looked to be no more

    than 25.

    She donned a ck short-sleeved dress with flower prints. Through the dignified air that emanated

    from her, there was no less beauty and grace.

    Raina stared indifferently at teary- eyed Yuliana and felt a sense of vexation stem in her heart. Still,

    she consoled patiently, "You knew Shane has always disapproved of dirty tricks. Drugging him was

    just you digging your own grave."

    "Aunt Raina, I was not in my right mind! If anything, it''s because Shane..." Yuliana''s voice trailed

    away as she sulked.

    If Shane had so much asid just a finger on her, she wouldn''t have resorted to such lowly means.

    Now that things had gone south with her n, she knew Shane would never forgive her. The first

    thing Yuliana did was turn up at the Fullers'' residence so she could beg his mother to back her up.

    But who knew that Raina would only watch coldly from the sidelines?

    Raina sneered and hissed in a harsh tone, "That��s got to be your incapability."

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    With that, she picked up the cup of chrysanthemum tea next to her and took a sip.

    Just then, the servant who was standing aside walked over. "Madam, you''ve previously arranged to

    meet up with Mrs. Huggins; it''s about time now.��

    Hearing this, Yuliana grew upset. Was this not simply a euphemistic way of kicking her out?

    She hurriedly butted in, "Aunt Raina, my only motive in doing this is because a woman has been

    latching herself onto Shane! She has a child born out of wedlock, and now, she''s using her daughter

    to pin Shane down so he could be her father. This is why Shane is being cold to me."

    As expected, Raina''s features contorted in disdain.

    Raina was the only child of the River family. At the age of twenty, she married into the Fuller family.

    At that time, the alliance of the two influential families promptly captured the national stock market.

    Since forever, Raina Fuller was widely known to be someone who absolutely loved her pride.

    She swore by her hatred for the appearance and interjection of a mistress.

    Even if Yuliana was far from being her ideal daughter-inw, she would nevery idle if someone

    were to try ande in between them.

    "Who is she?"

    "Her name is Charlotte Emerson." Yuliana avoided the question and steered from the main point.

    "Aunt Raina, if the Fullers were to associate with a woman like her, it would make your family a

    laughing stock for the whole nation."

    This statement of hers was surprisingly ingenious, a rare urrence from her. It struck Raina��s

    Achilles heel directly like a clean arrow.

    Raina''s brows twitched and her grip on the handle of her teacup tightened inadvertently.

    She swore to herself that she would never allow others to take her son as a joke.

    "Aunt Ophelia, give Shane a call. Have hime back for dinner tonight," Raina ordered to the

    servant by her side.

    "Okay, Madam."

    Delight immediately washed over Yuliana and Raina happened to capture the malicious smirk that

    appeared on her face for a split second.

    Despite this, she acted as if she didn''t see it at all.

    "You may leave now. Wait for my call," she said to Yuliana in a collected tone.

    After sending Yuliana off, Raina immediately summoned the old butler and had him send private

    investigators after this woman named Charlotte Emerson.

    If one dared ruin her son''s and the Fullers'' reputation, they best be prepared to face her vicious

    grasp, for she would not let any single one of them off the hook.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61

    "Sir, these are all the contracts with Miss Yuliana," Cole stepped into the office and ced a tall pile

    of documents in front of Shane.

    He then nced at Shane, whose expression hadn��t changed since his entrance, and asked

    cautiously, "Are you really going to terminate all partnerships with Miss Yuliana?��

    After all, it was owing to the Fuller Group that Yuliana managed to rise to the top of the

    entertainment industry and keep her position as titlist for the fifth year in a row.

    However, if the Fuller Group were to cut ties with her...

    There was little to no doubt that Yuliana would plummet from her high pedestal. Most importantly,

    this was also an indirect representation of the end of her rtionship with the president.

    Shane briefly nced up at Cole from where he was sitting on the sofa.

    Cole immediately realized that he had let his thoughts slip and said things he shouldn��t have.

    Tactfully, he zipped his mouth shut.

    Shane stared at the thick stack of documents and an inscrutable glow seemed to flicker within his

    eyes.

    The only reason he helped her ascend the throne of the entertainment industry was to repay her for

    saving his life five years ago.

    As such, this did not mean that she could allow herself to frolic around and overstep boundaries.

    After a moment of silence, Shane slightly raised his head and said faintly, "Schedule a press

    conference."

    "Yes, sir."

    As Cole bowed his head in response, a ringtone started filling the air from one of his pockets. It was

    Shane''s business mobile.

    The caller ID read, "Fullers'' Residence."

    Cole unwittingly took a quick glimpse at Shane and picked up the call.

    The entire duration of the phone conversation was a mere few seconds.

    Once he hung up the phone, Cole reported dutifully, "Sir, Madam called to have you return for

    dinner tonight."

    A tinge of unreadable emotion shed across Shane''s jet ck irises. "What for?��

    "She said you''ll find out when you arrive."

    At seven o''clock sharp, Shane pulled up at the Fullers'' residence on time.

    The servant from earlier stood by the door and merrily announced in the direction of the house,

    "Madam, Young Master is back.��

    "Aunt Ophelia," greeted Shane politely.

    With that, Aunt Ophelia grew even jollier and her face glowed with delight. She looked at Shane as

    though he was her own son and followed behind him as he entered.

    Ophelia Miller was Raina��s personal maid. In fact, she had been by her side since she married into

    the Fullers.

    Ophelia had watched Shane since he was a wee infant. She doted on him as if he were her own

    child.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Young Master, you haven''t been back in a while. Today, Madam made sure to instruct the chefs to

    prepare your favourite sweet and sour pork ribs,�� Ophelia told Shane excitedly.

    Just then, Raina shot her a re from where she was sitting on the couch. Ophelia immediately

    stopped herself and turned into the kitchen to bring out the dishes.

    Shane walked directly toward Raina. It appeared he had no intention to sit down.

    "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.

    His tone contained not the slightest hint of warmth, nor did he address her properly.

    Raina was shaken by her son''s attitude toward her, but she quickly regained her stance as the

    strong, independent woman she was.

    "Now that you��re here, I''d like to ask if you''ve recently been enticed by a woman named Charlotte

    Emerson."

    "Is that all you summoned me back for?" Shane wasn''t quick to deny.

    "So it''s true!" Raina grew furious. "Did you know that that woman has a child born out of wedlock?"

    Shane stared deep into his mother''s wrathful eyes, his thin lips curled up into a smile that housed

    no warmth.

    "Since when have you be so concerned about my affairs?"

    "I am your..."

    "If there''s nothing else, I shall take my leave now," interrupted Shane before she could finish.

    Raina froze on the spot and a concoction of various emotions flurried within her eyes. Her next

    words tumbled at the tip of her tongue, but she eventually gulped them down.

    Just as Shane turned around to leave, she sprung up to her feet abruptly.

    Sternly, she ordered, "As president to the Fuller Group, you must always keep in mind the Fuller

    family''s reputation and exercise caution in your actions. Do not keep a woman with no self-respect

    by your side any longer."

    Shane''s gait faltered and he halted in his steps. He turned back to Rainer and replied unhurriedly,

    "You needn''t worry about such matters." A slight grin seemed to hang upon his face, and the usual

    coolness resided in his eyes. "As for the family''s reputation, haven'' t you been doing a great job at

    upholding it?"

    The second he finished speaking, Shane spun around and left the residence without further ado.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62

    "You..." Raima raged till the point where her vision cked out for a moment and she almost

    fainted.

    At that exact moment, Ophelia had juste out of the kitchen. Seeing the situation unfold, she

    immediately ran over to Raima''s side and caught her in the nick of time. Once she sat Raima down,

    she poured her a ss of water. "Madam, have some water."

    Raina sipped cautiously from the cup. After she took a few deep breaths, her frustrated frame of

    mind eventually returned to normal.

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    Ophelia took a nce toward the outside but found no one in sight. She sighed softly and asked,

    "Madam, why didn''t you tell the young master about your sufferings over the years?"

    Raina broke into a bitter smile at her question and replied, "It''s just grievances over people from our

    past. Why should I tell him?"

    "But you should also let the young master know that you, too, are in pain and have constantly put in

    a lot of effort. Else, this just can''t do - the two of you don''t meet every day, but whenever you do,

    your exchange is always so hostile!"

    Raina��s heart ached at the thought of her son'' s disinclination to address her as his mother. She

    waved a hand at Ophelia in an attempt to shoo the conversation away. "I��m tired; would you please

    help me up so I can rest in my room?"

    After dinner, Charlotte scurried around cleaning her house. When she was done, sheid out her

    yoga mat and switched on the TV for background noise, then folded herself over for some

    stretching exercises.

    Since the day of the incident in the hotel, Charlotte had requested a three- day leave from the

    company, specifically to avoid Shane and any ensuing unnecessary awkwardness. She also wanted

    to take this time to have herself some peace of mind.

    Just as she bent down in a side split, she heard a familiar name announced on TV.

    "ording to official announcements by the Fuller Group, all contracts with Ms. Yuliana Lane will be

    terminated hereafter. Her positions as the ambassador of various brands will be filled by renowned

    film star Ms. Tiffany Allen."

    ''Yuliana Lane?��

    Charlotte froze mid- action and raised her head to look at the TV

    On the screen, Yuliana was pictured in a ck dress and slightly tousled hair. Her arm was raised

    to her face in an attempt to make her way through the sea of reporters.

    "Ms. Lane, the Fuller Group has terminated all partnerships with you. Does that mean that your

    rtionship with Shane Fuller, CEO of the Fuller Group, is also over?"

    The questions dug deep into Yuliana''s flesh like bullets and her expression grew increasingly

    contorted by the minute. Avoiding the prying questions, she calmly replied, "It''s just that our contract

    was past its expiration."

    "You have been partnered with the Fuller Group for five years. Why didn''t you renew your contract

    and continue working with them? Could it mean that the CEO of the Fuller Group has lost interest in

    you and is now looking for a new lover?" a sharp-tongued reporter questioned.

    At that instant, Yuliana lost her cool and started swinging her branded purse around, crashing into

    the cameras around her. The scene fell into total chaos.

    The news program immediately cut into an advertisement.

    Rather coincidentally, this advertisement was for a skincare brand under Fuller Group''s care. Sure

    enough, their ambassador had been switched over to Tiffany Allen.

    ''That''s quick.'' She raised her eyebrows.

    Charlotte''s jaw dropped. It was only two days ago when the two of them showed up together at the

    Emersons'' and within two days, they had parted ways.

    Had Shane really found a new lover, just like what was mentioned on TV?

    Was it Tiffany Allen?

    Charlotte looked up at the TV again. On the screen, Tiffany looked marvelously elegant and

    gorgeous, yet guileless and pure. There was no denying that she was substantially prettier than

    Yuliana''s heavily caked face.

    With that thought, Charlotte shook her head vigorously. This sort of matter was none of her concern!

    She quickly changed the channel and continued doing yoga.

    On other hand, Yulian had finally broken free from the crowd of reporters. Disheveled and

    exasperated, she headed straight back to her apartment.

    After kicking out her assistant, she started smashing things around her house.

    With a creak, the door to her apartment opened to reveal ine, who was carrying a bag with her.

    She scanned the messy scene sprawled across the floor and spat coldly, "Is this all you��ve got?"

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63

    "Sis, what are you doing here?�� gulped a flustered Yuliana. ine had taken her by surprise.

    Snorting at pathetic Yuliana, she took a seat on the sofa.

    "Knowing you, if I hadn''te over, you probably would''ve burned this house down."

    Hearing this, Yuliana burst into tears. She copsed into ine''sp and wept.

    "Sis, what am I supposed to do? The Fuller Group has terminated my contract, and Shane has

    abandoned me!"

    "It''s alright, you''ll get through this. It''s not the end of the world," consoled ine as she patted

    Yuliana''s head. This was one of the rare asions where she did not berate Yuliana for her

    stupidity.

    Yuliana looked up at ine in confusion.

    The termination of the contract with the Fuller Group meant that all her chances to work on

    advertisements and endorsements would be dashed.

    Wouldn''t this spell her doom?

    "It''s all my fault. Why did I ever drug him? I might as well have burned all my bridges with him,"

    wailed Yuliana.

    Suddenly, her mood transformed and she spat furiously, "It''s all that b*tch''s fault. If Charlotte

    Emerson hadn��t been stirring up trouble, our rtionship would have borne fruit already. This would

    never have happened at all!"

    "Oh, my precious little sister, the only thing the Fuller Group did was end your contract. They aren''t

    going to rob you of your title as the Fullers'' daughter-inw."

    ine''s lips curled into a sinister smile. However, Yuliana seemed to not catch her drift.

    She began to exin to Yuliana.

    "From what I��ve heard, Raina has begun her investigation into Charlotte. So long as you keep Raina

    under your wraps, we still have a chance at turning things around."

    Yuliana quickly wiped her tears away and nodded. Remembering Raina'' s reaction earlier that day,

    she said, "Sister, it''s as you anticipated! She absolutely hated a mistress in a rtionship."

    "Haha!" cackled ine, putting an end to the conversation.

    She stood up and got ready to leave. Before parting ways, she reminded Yuliana, "Don''t waste your

    time on Shane, focus your attention on Raina."

    Once more, Yuliana nodded and bade ine farewell.

    But in a twinkling of an eye, a burning rage came over Yuliana, and she began scheming a n.

    She swore to herself.

    ''Charlotte, I'' m going to make your life miserable.''

    The next day.

    Charlotte had dropped Sheryl off at the kindergarten. After that, she made her way to meet Anne at

    the mall.

    When she arrived there, she noticed that all of the posters of Yuliana stered on the walls had

    been taken down.

    Anne let out a sigh as she walked Charlotte in. "The Fuller Group is simply too powerful. How is it

    possible to change ambassadors as they whim and fancy?��

    Charlotte nodded in agreement.

    After all, no one other than the Fuller Group could erase all traces of a person overnight.

    "I still can��t believe it. Two days ago, the two of them were still happily together. How could this all

    change so suddenly?"

    Anne nced around, making sure no one was in earshot.

    "I heard that Shane wasn��t interested in Yuliana at all," said Anne.

    "Who told you that?" scoffed Charlotte in disbelief.

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    She had not heard of any rumours of Shane seeing any woman other than Yuliana.

    Anyway, Shane didn''t seem like a yboy.

    If what they had between them was not romance, then what would romance mean to him?

    "I heard it from a family member," grinned Anne coyly.

    Charlotte took note of everything she said.

    It seemed that there was more to Braden than met the eye.

    Charlotte smiled. "Ohhh," she teased yfully.

    "What else did he say?"

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64

    Anne couldn''t help the blood gushing into her cheeks. She gave Charlotte a yful nudge.

    "He also said that Yuliana only became Shane'' s girlfriend because she saved his life five years

    ago."

    ''Saved his life?'' Charlotte repeated.

    ''Are they living in a TV series?''

    A momentter, Charlotte finally found her tongue and blurted, "What happened?"

    Anne shook her head pitifully. "I don''t have the details."

    Charlotte grew silent. Five years ago was a sore spot to touch for her.

    "Come on, let''s go check out some clothes." In an attempt to dissipate the growing tension,

    Charlotte grabbed Anne''s arm and hauled her into a boutique.

    After lunch, the two strolled into the children''s section of the mall.

    It was not until five in the evening did the two draw a close to their shopping spree, utterly

    exhausted.

    As they rested on a bench, Charlotte nced at her watch. All of a sudden, she leaped to her feet

    and eximed, "Ah, it''s almost time to pick Sheryl up from school! I almost forgot."

    Hearing this, Anne stood up and poked her head in front of her. "I''ll go with you," she offered

    gleefully.

    By the time the two arrived at the kindergarten, the children were just released.

    A thick horde of parents clogged the gate.

    Charlotte and Anne nned to stand outside and wait until the crowd had melted away to enter.

    However, by the time everyone had left, they found no students left in the kindergarten.

    Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat.

    Sheryl had gone missing!

    She quickly located Miss Mnie.

    "Ms. Emerson! Why are you here?" Miss Mnie looked at Charlotte in confusion. She was just

    about to leave work when Charlotte had stopped her.

    Anxiety clouded Charlotte''s face and she turned into a cat on hot bricks. "Miss Mnie, where''s

    Sheryl? I''vee to pick her up, but I don''t see her anywhere!"

    Miss Mnie chuckled and said, ��Ms.

    Emerson, don��t you worry! Earlier, Sheryl''s dad came to get her. What is it, were you unaware?"

    ''Beep beep!'' buzzed Charlotte''s phone.

    Just as Miss Mnie finished her sentence, a call came in.

    It was an unknown number.

    Charlotte hesitated for a second but picked up the call nheless.

    "Mommy!"

    The voice of a wee child burst through the speakers. Apart from Sheryl, there could be virtually no

    one else.

    Charlotte frowned to herself. She turned to Miss Mnie and shed her an apologetic smile before

    leaving with Anne.

    "Where are you?" chided Charlotte, suppressing her temper.

    "Ritz Lane, No. 285." A deep voice boomed through the speakers once more into Charlotte''s

    eardrums.

    Before she could react, the call was hung up from the other end.

    ''Uh... Did I justsh out at Shane?'' she freaked.

    "Sheryl''s dad? Lottie, what is happening? Have you found her dad?" Anne asked hurriedly, finally

    landing an opening to speak.

    Charlotte heaved a sigh. "It''s a long story. Let�� s just get Sheryl first."

    "Alright." Anne nodded.

    Just then, a Lincoln limousine pulled up in front of them.

    A white- gloved driver alighted the car and bowed respectfully to Charlotte. He then pulled open the

    door to the cabin.

    His lips parted and he announced, "Miss Charlotte, Young Master had me pick you up."

    The magnificent scene drew the attention of snooping passersby.

    "Young Master? Whose family'' s young master are we talking about?" questioned Anne.

    The driver paid no attention to her, but Charlotte knew it had to be Shane Fuller for sure.

    However, she couldn''t wrap her head around why he would take Sheryl and then stir up such a big

    scene.

    "Sure." Charlotte nodded and approached the car.

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    Anne immediately grabbed Charlotte''s arm and shot her a worrying nce. Charlotte smiled and

    returned a reassuring nod.

    About an hourter, the car finally slowed to a halt. As before, the driver politely opened the door for

    her.

    Once she climbed out of the cabin, Charlotte was bbergasted at the sight that weed her.

    A mansion stood majestically, like a castle from a fairy tale, right before her eyes.

    In perhaps a hundred- mile radius of this ce, there were no other residences to be seen.

    The old butler, Lee, walked out from behind the main gates, where he had been waiting for quite a

    while. He bowed courteously at Charlotte.

    "Pardon me, are you Miss Charlotte?" he asked.

    Such attentive etiquette took Charlotte aback. In a daze, she nodded hastily.

    "Young Master is inside. Please follow me."

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65

    Under the butler''s lead, Charlotte strolled through a flower garden chock- full of sunflowers, then a

    long corridor, followed by another hall nted with an array of different flowers, and finally arrived at

    the living room of the mansion.

    The journey itself took about 20 minutes.

    The grand designs struck Charlotte with awe and she couldn''t stop gasping.

    However, when she saw the interior design of the living room and its furnishing, the air was knocked

    out of her lungs.

    She couldn''t believe her eyes. It was such a resplendent andvish scene. This wasparable to

    the grand hall of a pce!

    "Mommy!"

    While Charlotte remained marveling at the sight, Sheryl appeared out of nowhere. She wrapped

    herself around Charlotte''s leg and looked up at her with a wide grin.

    Charlotte lowered her head to find her daughter with her hair styled into luscious curls that draped

    behind her. A diamond tiara rested atop her little head and she donned a

    whiteyered princess gown. On her tiny feet was a pair of pink leather shoes.

    She had transformed into a pretty little princess.

    "Sheryl, who dressed you up?" asked Charlotte as she squatted down to Sheryl��s eye level.

    In the morning, she had clothed Sheryl in a T-shirt and shorts.

    Where did she get this change of clothes in the blink of an eye?

    "Hehe, it''s Mr. Handsome," she let out a crisp giggle. Then, she took Charlotte''s hand in hers and

    said, "Mommy,e with me."

    She allowed her daughter to drag her along, but curiosity still got the best of her. "Sheryl, where are

    you bringing me?"

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    Now that she was thrown into this huge ce, she felt a tinge of fear for the embarrassment that

    would ensue if she were to lose her way.

    Sheryl didn''t bother answering her mother''s question. Instead, she took big steps as she walked

    deeper into thebyrinth of a house. Finally, they stopped in front of the second door along the

    corridor.

    "Mommy, do you know what��s inside? Take a guess!"

    Charlotte shook her head. "No idea."

    With a mysterious smile, Sheryl heaved the thick door open.

    It was a child��s room with a pink theme.

    The room was about 100 square meters big and filled with numerous toys of all sorts, including a

    slide in the corner and a swing next to it, as well as a trampoline situated near the center of the

    room. You would find almost every toy a child would love!

    As if that was not opulent enough, the bed was also modeled off the shape of a merry-go- round

    horse. It hung from the ceiling, which enabled it to sway back and forth.

    Charlotte stood rooted to the spot as she gaped at the sight. This was no different from a mini

    amusement park!

    By now, Sheryl had already run to the slide and begun scaling thedder.

    Instinctively, Charlotte opened her mouth to stop Sheryl.

    Just then, however, a series of footsteps approached from behind her and she turned back.

    Standing directly behind her was Shane.

    "Mr. Handsome!" As soon as Sheryl saw Shane, she ran over as quick as her short legs could carry

    her and threw herself around his leg.

    "It''s so much fun in here, even more fun than the amusement park," she squealed.

    "Is that so?" Shane smiled ever so slightly.

    Sheryl could only nod her head furiously in response. "Yes, it is! When I get tired, I can even sleep

    on the merry-go-round!"

    "Miss Sheryl, can I y with you?" offered a maid who stepped out from behind Shane.

    Sheryl nodded happily again, then turned around and disappeared into the room.

    Miss Sheryl?

    Whoever saw a need for this!

    Charlotte''s gaze subconsciously traveled to Shane, who so happened to nce at her.

    However, the depths of his eyes appeared to be a sheet of darkness that shrouded any

    abnormalities.

    "Follow me."

    Without waiting for Charlotte to recover from her trance, Shane turned to leave.

    She quickly stumbled behind him and followed him up a flight of stairs to the study on the second

    floor.

    Shane ordered, "Take a seat."

    The style adopted in his study had a formal, systematic aspect to it. It was as though the door to the

    study was a portal to another world.

    Contrasting to the rest of the house, this room also incorporated an additional sense of solemnity.

    Charlotte couldn'' t help but feel a little nervous. The thought of just him and her in solitude, confined

    in this detached room, reminded her of their encounter at the hotel not too long ago.

    Immediately, her face flushed crimson.

    Shane peered at Charlotte as she burned up and a dash of imperceptible glee flitted across his

    eyes. However, when he turned to her, he had warded off the smirk from his face, and in his hands

    lay a document. He shoved it in her face.

    Charlotte jumped at the sudden movement. "What''s this?"

    "Something that will benefit you," he said mysteriously.

    Skeptical of his words, Charlotte side- eyed him as she slowly retrieved the file. However, as soon

    as she flipped open the cover and saw the title, her eyes grew as wide as saucers.

    A prenuptial agreement!

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66

    Surprise washed over her as she raised her head and looked at Shane. Her mind waspletely

    nk and she was at a loss. She didn''t know what to think of this.

    "Take a look at the contents first," Shane prompted.

    Charlotte obediently lowered her head again and read through the document carefully.

    As the seconds ticked by, Shane remained nestled in his leather seat as he gracefully sipped from

    his cup of coffee.

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    Every now and then, his gaze would float toward Charlotte.

    Four words then suddenly popped up in his mind.

    "Time passes in silence."

    Inadvertently, the corners of his lips rose ever so slightly.

    After reading every line in the document, Charlotte let out a long sigh in her heart.

    For some reason, it was utter relief for her that Shane��s intention was not really to marry her, but

    instead to establish a contractual marriage for two years.

    What was his purpose for doing so?

    And why her?

    It was as though Shane read her mind just by staring at her.

    "To me, women are like articles of clothing; but you, you��re different. You know how to put that big

    brain of yours to good use and, because of that, you would save me a lot of trouble if I were to

    marry you. At least when we are to divorce, you wouldn''t cry or make a scene.�� Shane paused for a

    moment, then continued, "And as apensation, I''ll help you return to Emerson Corporation.��

    Charlotte''s eyebrows twitched imperceptibly, but Shane caught it in its fleeting moment. He could

    tell he had managed to tickle her deepest desires.

    He added, "On the other hand, your daughter needs a father, and it happens that I adore the child

    very much."

    Even though the DNA test result was a disappointment to him, it did not stop his love for dear little

    Sheryl.

    Besides, it was probable that his grandmother would be beyond delighted to meet such an adorable

    child like Sheryl.

    Charlotte suddenly remembered the picture of him with Sheryl that she had left out on her bedside

    table and her heart skipped a beat.

    A momentter, she uttered sincerely, "Thank you for taking Sheryl to that family event the other

    day."

    She was certain that she would always remember Shane''s great deed.

    "Still, I would need some time to think about this."

    Even though it would just be a contractual marriage, it was a marriage regardless.

    Shane�� s eyes traveled to the tight fists Charlotte'' s fingers had formed from nervousness. He then

    nodded his head. "Alright, but I can only give you tonight to think. By eight o'' clock tomorrow, I need

    a definitive answer."

    After the discussion ended, Charlotte left with her daughter.

    Lee couldn''t help but feel on edge for Shane. This was the first time the young master brought a girl

    back home, so why didn��t he ask her to stay for dinner?

    "Young Master, Miss Charlotte has not eaten. She may be hungry," Lee hinted.

    Shane slightly narrowed his eyes as he stared in the direction Charlotte had left.

    Seeing the young master''s unrushed state, Lee tactfully held his tongue. However, in his heart, he

    itched to tell the First Madam about this.

    Right as he was about to turn around and leave, a voice interrupted him.

    "I''ll inform Grandma on my own.��

    ''Great,'' Lee thought. Suddenly, he felt that there was nothing else he could do.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67

    Not long after Charlotte got home and sat herself down on the couch, her phone started ringing. It

    was a call from Anne.

    As soon as she picked up the call, Anne''s voice streamed through the speakers. It wasced with

    concern as she asked, "Lottie, are you alright? Are you back home?"

    "Yeah,m."

    "What does Shane want from you?"

    "How''d you know it was Shane?" Charlotte pondered for a moment. She was quite sure that she

    hadn''t told Anne about it.

    Anne replied nonchntly, "I checked the license te number; it belongs to Fuller Group. I just

    assumed it had got to be Shane."

    It was because of this that she managed to be at ease. Otherwise, she would have tailed the

    limousine when it left.

    With Anne''s exnation, Charlotte felt a flurry of warmth gush into her heart.

    She was truly blessed to have such a terrific best friend in her life.

    Without waiting for Anne to fire her questions, Charlotte let her in on every little detail, including why

    he had sought her out this time around.

    When Charlotte was finally done, Anne''s mouth had opened so wide it could fit an egg. "Wait, stop.

    Save it forter. I''lle over in a few, so tell it to my face."

    Herst syble had barely gotten through the line when she hastily hung up the phone.

    Sure enough, Anne sped all the way down and showed up at Charlotte�� s door within minutes.

    "You actually came!" Charlotte pulled open the door and stared Anne down in disbelief.

    She turned around to read the time off the clock on the wall. It was almost the dead of night.

    "Is Sheryl asleep?" asked Anne.

    Charlotte nodded.

    "Great, we''ll split the bed tonight."

    After washing up, the twodies crawled into bed and huddled against one another.

    It was as if they were brought back to the times when they were still abroad for school.

    "You''re saying that Shane Fuller proposed a contractual marriage with you," Anne repeated stiffly,

    still dubious of the whole idea.

    To think that Shane Fuller, president of Fuller Group, was about to marry!

    "Here, take a look for yourself." Charlotte reached toward the bedside table and retrieved the

    agreement to show it to Anne.

    Anne took the contract and got up into a cross- legged sitting position. cing the document across

    herp, she began flipping through and skimming the pages.

    Having breezed through it once, Anne didn''t seem to find any terms that would put Charlotte at a

    disadvantage.

    They would be titled husband and wife for two years, except in name only. After their divorce, she

    would even get a vi worth 3 million dors aspensation.

    No matter how she looked at it, Charlotte had a lot to gain.

    "Why did Shane choose you for his fake marriage?" Anne voiced her doubts. Could he have taken a

    liking to Charlotte?

    Charlotte immediately interjected, cutting off Anne''s train of thoughts, "He said I would cause less

    inconvenience because I wouldn''t pester him."

    To tell the truth, his statement stung at first. However, on the way back, she gave it some serious

    consideration and figured he simply wouldn''t have time to nurture any children, let alone date

    someone.

    As a result, choosing a trouble-free marriage was indeed a wise decision for a sessful person

    like him.

    Anne nodded along. A short silenceter, she pursed her lips and cautiously suggested, "Actually,

    Lottie, my family also has a 3-million-dor vi in the western suburbs."

    Once her words were out, she grimaced at the curtness.

    Immediately, she added, "I mean, my brother likes Sheryl too, not to mention yourself."

    As she slowly finished her sentence, Anne''s voice trailed away while she vigntly observed

    Charlotte''s expression.

    Noticing no big change, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.

    A few seconds of silence passed before Charlotte pushed herself up to sit cross-legged facing

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    "Anne, I can''t thank you enough for your kindness. Of all these benefits Shane is offering me, the

    one that is most attractive to me is that he would help me return to Emerson Corporation. Do you

    know how much this means to me?"

    "Ah, is that so?" Anne couldn''t help but feel a little sorry for her brother Rick who was abroad.

    When it came to Charlotte'' s return to Emerson Corporation, she didn''t need anyone to exin to

    her that the Jane family couldn''tpare to the Fullers.

    Anne was a happy-go-lucky person, though. Despite feeling that it was a pity for her brother, a trifle

    such as this wouldn''t affect her rtionship with Charlotte.

    Anne��s eyes darted back and forth in thought when an idea suddenly popped into her head.

    She pped her thigh in epiphany and said, "Lottie, let''s do a DNA test for Sheryl and Shane!��

    Charlotte was horrified. "What for?"

    Anne cleared her throat and began, "You see, Shane and Sheryl are truly too dear that it''s almost

    suspicious. What''s more, have you noticed the resemnce they share? If someone were to spread

    rumours that they were blood-rted, I bet everyone would buy into it too.��

    On countless asions, Anne had secretly superimposed Shane'' s and Sheryl'' s photographs

    behind Charlotte''s back. The resemnce, as she had emphasized, was astounding.

    Sheryl looked like the spitting image of Shane!

    Charlotte fell silent. It was not that the thought hadn''t crossed her mind. She simply felt this was too

    unrealistic.

    Seeing the reluctance in her eyes, Anne urged in aforting manner, "Who cares if that''s the

    case, we''ll see after the resultse out."

    At the same time, Anne''s statement seemed to resolve her wavering heart.

    For the sake of Emerson Corporation, she would undertake Shane''s request.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68

    Early in the morning, at seven a.m.

    Charlotte''s rm clock screamed dutifully, waking her from her sleep.

    She nced at Anne, who was still fast asleep beside her, then stealthily climbed out of bed.

    After washing up, she stood in front of her wardrobe and ultimately decided to wear a white V-neck

    dress.

    Not only did it bestow her unforced grace and elegance, but the design of the V- shaped cor also

    made her neck look longer while highlighting her prominent corbones.

    She was never a huge fan of heavy makeup, so she simply patted on a touch of eyeshadow and

    blush. In an instant, her delicate features were amplified, especially those soft, sexy lips she had

    applied a thinyer of gloss to.

    She stared at the woman in the mirror in awe.

    Soon, she turned up at Fuller Group''s office building, alluring and sophisticated as before.

    Cole stood by the main doors in anticipation of her arrival. Once he greeted her, he escorted her up

    to the 66th floor.

    As someone who was weed by Cole himself, she naturally drew the attention of many.

    Charlotte kept a charming smile stered upon her face and shut out the groundless spections

    as she strode into Shane''s office under Cole''s lead.

    "Miss Charlotte, Mr. Fuller is in a meeting; please take a seat as you wait." Cole turned to leave

    after handing her a ss of water.

    Now that she was left alone, she spun around and sized up the spacious office. asionally,

    indistinct voices could be heard flowing in from the conference room nearby.

    Charlotte��s heart gradually sank.

    She was well aware that her appearance by Shane'' s side following the episode with Yuliana would

    stir up a hugemotion.

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    Perhaps, she would soon face the same fate as Yuliana and find herself enveloped by a sea of

    reporters trying to uncover her dirty tactics to gain Shane''s favour.

    To top it all, they might even disclose the fact that she had a child born out of wedlock.

    By then, Sheryl would also be involved.

    Was she truly capable of bearing the consequences of such a rash act?

    For a split second, Charlotte was once again plunged into a state of indecision. Her fingers dug into

    her palms as her mind began to waver.

    In the conference room sat a lone man.

    Cole pushed open the door and walked in. "Sir, Miss Charlotte is here."

    Hearing this, Shane nodded in acknowledgment. All was well within his expectations - Charlotte

    would never let slide an opportunity to return to Emerson Corp.

    He nced at his wristwatch and shut his eyes.

    Seeing this, Cole tactfully retreated and closed the door behind himself.

    Charlotte counted the minutes that passed by. It had exceeded half an hour already.

    Just then, Shane finally appeared. As he stepped into the room, his distant gaze gently swept past

    Charlotte.

    Every bit of the tension on her was perceived by his sharp eyes.

    "Charlotte, have you made up your mind?" Shane strode over and sat himself down across from

    her.

    He elegantly undid the button at his cor, exposing his erotic neck. His legs were leisurely crossed

    one on top of the other and he leaned idly into the sofa like azy cat.

    His eyelids drooped slightly and he emanated a viinous air.

    Charlotte had never seen this side of Shane before and, as a result, her lips parted slightly in

    astonishment. Once she realized that she had lost herposure, her face flushed red with

    embarrassment.

    She promptly turned away for a couple of deep breaths before looking back at Shane again.

    T ve made up my mind" Charlotte nodded firmly.

    Hearing this, Shane smirked. "Are you not afraid of the trouble that would ensue if you were to

    be my woman?"

    Charlotte'' s teeth dug into her lower lip subconsciously. To say she was not afraid would be a

    tant lie.

    In today''s society, the domain of information you would be able to find on the inte was simply

    extensive. In fact, she had no doubts that if someone were to try, everything about her could

    effortlessly be exposed within minutes.

    A brief moment of thoughtter, Charlotte broke out into a smile and a sly glimmer flitted across her

    eyes. "Now that I''m the daughter- in-w of the Fuller family, would they sit back and watch me fend

    for myself?"

    Shane let out a short, melodious chuckle but offered no response.

    Charlotte inhaled sharply and mentally practiced her script onest time.

    All of a sudden, she leaned forward onto the coffee table and revealed her cleavage. Her voice

    turned as smooth as silk as she cooed, "Shane, you won''t ignore me, will you?"

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69

    Shane remained silent, but the teasing smile on his face only widened. The amusement reached his

    eyes and raised his eyebrow imperceptibly.

    Eliciting no response from Shane, Charlotte chuckled awkwardly and said, "Mr. Fuller, please don''t

    take this so seriously. I meant it as a joke."

    She picked herself off the table and smoothed down the front of her dress with her hands. She

    could feel herself burn up with embarrassment, so much that she wished she could just bang her

    head against the wall and die.

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    Who did she think Shane was?

    He had probably feasted his eyes upon every kind of beauty there existed in the world. Why did she

    think she could charm him with her appearance?

    Seeing the changes on Charlotte'' s face, Shane��s lips parted in a grin, revealing a neat row of

    pearly whites.

    "It seems that Miss Charlotte has really thought this through."

    Cole stepped forward from where he was standing and ced two brand-new sets of contracts in

    front of Charlotte.

    Shane chivalrously produced the Parker steel pen he always carried with him from the pocket of his

    coat and handed it to her.

    She took the pen and promptly signed her name on both contracts.

    Shane was slightly astonished by Charlotte��s eagerness. He let out augh and said, "Aren��t you

    going to read through the contracts first? Are you not afraid that it would be different from what you

    have at home?��

    ''Uh...'' Charlotte blinked back at him.

    She was dumbfounded and her hand froze, suspending the pen midair.

    Would he believe her if she said that she was so nervous about the whole situation until this

    scenario didn��t even cross her mind?

    Watching Charlotte'' s dazed expression, Shane''s lips pulled into a faint smile. He then snatched the

    pen from her grasp and slickly signed his name below hers.

    Rather btedly, it dawned on Charlotte that he was just pulling her leg. Almost immediately, her

    cheeks turned a rosy red.

    Once Shane was done signing the contracts, Cole put the paperwork aside.

    Shane looked down at his watch, then stood up and fixed his cor.

    His gaze drifted to Charlotte and he asked, "Did you bring your household registry?"

    Charlotte looked up at Shane with confusion. Why would she bring her household registry? Shane

    saw right through her doubts and merely ordered, "We still have some time to spare; let''s go."

    Charlotte didn''t dare ask where they were going. She could only obediently follow Shane into the

    car.

    As they pulled up at the entrance of Flowerbed Residence, she finally realized what Shane meant

    by the household registry.

    Wasn''t this just a fake marriage?

    She thought having signed a contract would suffice.

    But again, she didn''t dare voice her thoughts. Meeting Shane''s dominating eyes, she got out of the

    car and went to retrieve her household registry.

    As they walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Charlotte felt as if she was still dreaming. The little

    red booklet gleamed with a splendid radiance under the sun''s rays.

    However, before she could get a good look at it, it was swiftly taken from her.

    Her head snapped in the direction of the booklet and she found that Shane had stacked the two

    booklets together and slid them into the pocket of his suit.

    "Mr. Fuller?"

    "My grandmother''s grown old. I''m sure she''d be very happy to see these celebratory items, so I''ll be

    holding onto this."

    Charlotte nodded at Shane''s exnation. She never thought Shane would be such a filial person.

    "One more thing, it��s about time we make some changes," Shane added.

    Charlotte again looked at Shane in confusion and blurted, "What changes?"

    Beneath the dazzling sun, Charlotte''s face was fair and her skin firm. It was a sight that was difficult

    to tear one''s eyes from.

    Shane narrowed his eyes at Charlotte. A momentter, he replied unhurriedly, "I could do with what

    you called me earlier."

    Without letting Charlotte process his words, Shane had already turned around and climbed into the

    car.

    He looked back and said, "I��m flying off soon, so I won''t be able to send you back. When you get

    home, pack up. I will send someone to pick you up"

    With that, he signaled the driver to start the journey.

    Charlotte stood rooted to the spot. Watching the car disappear into the distance, she finally caught

    on to what Shane was saying. Blood gushed into her cheeks.

    She gulped reflexively and stiffly opened her mouth.

    ��Shane Fuller... Sh-Shane."

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70

    At the Fullers'' Residence.

    Ophelia led Charlotte to the living room, where Raina had been waiting for them for quite a while.

    Hearing the sound of footsteps, Raina directed her gaze upward to look at them.

    "Madam, she has arrived," announced the butler. With a bow, he left.

    "So, you must be Charlotte Emerson,�� said Raina nonchntly as she looked her up and down,

    sizing her up with eagle eyes.

    Charlotte did not flinch. Maintaining eye contact with Raina, she calmly and courteously replied,

    "Yes, Auntie."

    Half an hour earlier, Charlotte had bid Shane goodbye. Right as she was about to head home, an

    army of men in ck appeared in front of her, stalling her.

    "The madam wishes to see you. No need to ask any questions, it will all be clearter,�� informed the

    men.

    Only then did she find out that thedy they were talking about was Shane''s mother.

    In fact, she was rather surprised that Shane��s mother looked so youthful. If the two of them went out

    together, they could have passed off as sisters.

    Perhaps she had invested a lot into a self-care routine. It was clear that she had upheld her

    elegance from her younger days. Her eyebrows were beautifully shaped like willow leaves, her

    mouth was petite and cherry-like -all the features of a typical River City woman.

    As time went on, she certainly matured into a more graceful look.

    No wonder Shane was so attractive. There was no doubt that he had inherited his mother''s genes.

    However, Raina felt rather insulted upon being addressed as auntie.

    She red at Charlotte with eyes of daggers. "Don''t you ever think that the Fuller family will ept

    you as one of us. Not even if you and Shane have your marriage certificate. The wise thing to do is

    get yourself and your daughter out and far away from River City!" warned Raina.

    Charlotte was caught off guard by Raina��s words. She was not expecting to hear this from her at all.

    Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover.

    "Auntie...'' "Who are you calling Auntie?" interrupted Raina without hesitation.

    Before Charlotte could open her mouth, she pressed on, "Five years ago, you conceived a child out

    of wedlock and were driven out of the house by the Emerson family. What were you thinking? You

    shouldn''t havee back to River City. And you should never have gotten the Fuller family tangled

    into your mess!"

    Finally, Charlotte understood why Raina had asked her toe over. She wanted to humiliate her

    and tear down her self-esteem.

    Although Charlotte was keeping her cool, the corners of her mouth couldn''t help but curl into a

    smile.

    "Madam Fuller, how can you be so sure that it wasn''t Shane who initiated it?"

    "How dare you!" sputtered Raina. She was left speechless.

    It seemed that what Cole told her was true -it was her son that wanted to sign a marriage certificate

    with this woman!Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    After a brief moment of silence, a mocking, disdainful expression appeared on Raina''s face. "Hmph,

    I''ve seen plenty of tricks from foxy women like you trying to elicit unsuspecting men. At the end of

    the day, you'' re all hungry for money. Just name me your price."

    Charlotte was rather taken aback. Apparently, the Fuller family dealt with their problems the same

    way as all affluent folks did - with money.

    Still, the truth was that her marriage with Shane was all for show. Once the contract expired, she

    would disappear from the picture, without needing to worry about it.

    She just was not allowed to let Raina know about this.

    After all, she had signed a non- disclosure use in the contract.

    In that instant, her memories rewound to the incident that went viral on the inte.

    She frowned at Raina and looked at her with the beady eyes of a lost puppy. "Madam Fuller, I don''t

    want any money from you. I truly love him from the bottom of my heart."

    Just as she had expected, Raina''s face contorted in anger, changing expressions as though she

    could not decide how best to express her fury. Finally, she blew her top and smashed her cup of tea

    to the ground.

    Ophelia was startled by the suddenmotion. However, Charlotte remained rooted to the spot,

    not even batting an eye.

    Raina narrowed her eyes slightly, observing Charlotte''s demeanour. As much as she did not want to

    admit it, she was slightly impressed by her capabilities.

    It seemed that money would not be enough to get rid of her.

    "Well, if jt is indeed true love, I suppose you can stay here for now," said Raina, revealing a hint of a

    cold smile.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71

    This time around, it was Charlotte''s turn to be taken aback. She hadn''t expected Raina to transform

    into a different person so quickly.

    "Miss Charlotte, this way please," Ophelia motioned for Charlotte to follow her.

    Before she could refuse, Raina had already turned and left. Immediately after, a few burly maids

    appeared out of nowhere and circled her menacingly.

    Enveloped by their imposing spirit, she had already lost.

    Under Ophelia''s guidance, Charlotte arrived at a small three-story vi in the garden.

    As soon as the group stepped through the door, Charlotte was immediately seized by two of the

    maids. Then, Ophelia walked up to her and confiscated her purse and phone.

    "What are you doing?" Charlotte flew into a panic.

    ''T m afraid we''ll have to impose on Miss Charlotte here for a few days. Madam has ordered that

    Miss Charlotte may leave once she thinks things through."

    With that, the two maids released their grip on Charlotte and left, mming the door shut behind

    them.

    Everything seemed to have happened in a fleeting moment, just like what one would see on TV.

    Was she under house arrest?

    Instinctively, Charlotte scanned her surroundings warily.

    It didn''t take her long to realize that this house was built specifically to imprison people. It may have

    looked like a vi from the outside, but it was no different than a prison cell on the inside.

    It had no stairs or rooms. It was just four walls and a high ceiling.

    Apart from the window on the ceiling for lighting purposes, there was practically nothing else in the

    entire house.

    Fortunately, she was left with a sofa and a table.

    Charlotte sat on the sofa and waited for someone to approach.

    To her delight, a maid came by at noon to deliver her lunch.

    Before the maid could leave, Charlottetched herself onto her and tried to exit with her. "Let me

    out," she demanded. However, she froze in her tracks and her grip loosened when she reached the

    door.

    She stared wide- eyed at the two muscr men standing by the door and blocking her way.

    "I want to meet your employer. This is illegal; I can sue you for this!"

    No matter how much Charlotte yelled, everyone she met stayed hard-hearted. They only asked if

    she had thought things through.

    Charlotte cried out loud until her voice turned hoarse. Only then did she stop to catch her breath.

    Leaving Shane was the equivalent of giving up her chance to recover Emerson Corp. How would

    she ever agree?

    Soon, three days flew by in the blink of an eye while Charlotte was held captive and disconnected

    from the outside world.

    At the police station.

    Sheryl stood on her tiptoes by the office desk. She stared piteously at a busy police officer with her

    large, watery eyes.

    "Uncle, my mommy has gone missing. Please help me find her," she pleaded.

    At once, the officer''s heart melted at this sight. He wiped the tears from Sheryl''s eyes and asked in

    aforting tone, "Don''t worry, kid. Tell me, where did you get separated from your mother?��

    Sheryl pouted as more tears formed in her eyes. "I didn��t get lost. It''s Mommy who got lost. She

    hasn''t been home for three days already."

    "Hmm, have you tried calling Mommy?"

    "I can��t get through," sobbed Sheryl.

    The police officer looked behind Sheryl and was surprised to find no one with her.

    Could this have been an abandoned child? But who would ever throw away such an adorable little

    child?

    The man pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you by chance have your father��s phone number?

    Or anyone else for that matter."

    Sheryl blinked in serious thought and nodded.

    "I do."

    The officer handed his mobile to Sheryl. She deftly keyed in a series of numbers and pressed the

    call button.

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    Within seconds, the call was picked up.

    "Mr. Handsome... Boohoo... Mommy went missing. Sheryl is alone and scared." As soon as the call

    went through, Sheryl could no longer conceal the emotions she had suppressed for days.

    On the other end of the line, Shane was in the middle of a meeting. However, Sheryl'' s wailing

    seemed to knock the air out of his lungs. His heart ached.

    Without hesitation, he left the table and walked out the door.

    "Sheryl, don''t cry. Tell me, where are you now?"

    Sheryl obediently stifled her sobs. Between intermittent sniffles, she replied, T m at the police

    station, the one near our district.��

    Because of the impable safety education she had received in her early days, Sheryl was always

    able to provide the most concise information when prompted.

    "Alright. Just stay there and wait for me. I''lle back at once and help you find Mommy."

    "Okay!"

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72

    "Thank you, officer." After she hung up the call, Sheryl returned the phone to the policeman behind

    the counter.

    She blinked her teary eyes and spotted a row of chairs in the corner. Step by step, she walked over

    to them. She tried to climb up with all her might, so much so her face turned red.

    The policeman watched her seat herself. Concerned, he asked, "Hey buddy, is your guardian going

    to pick you up?"

    Sheryl nodded.

    She must sit here obediently and wait for Mr. Handsome.

    On the other end, Shane snapped his head toward Cole and demanded coldly, "What��s going on?"

    The cial look in his eyes sent a chill running down Cole��s spine.

    "Three days ago, Miss Charlotte, pardon me, your wife was taken away by the madam''s

    henchmen."

    He had already been informed of the news an hour prior. However, Shane was engaged in an

    important meeting at the time, so Cole decided to wait for him to finish before breaking the news.

    From the way Shane looked at him, Cole instantly knew he had made a mistake.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Get the ne ready immediately,"manded Shane without hesitation.

    "Yes, sir."

    Making his way to River City as fast as he could, he rushed over to the police station near

    Flowerbed Residence.

    Meanwhile, at the station, little Sheryl was happily eating her favourite KFC.

    The second she saw Shane, Sheryl tossed her chicken away and dashed over.

    Shane effortlessly scooped her up and allowed Sheryl''s greasy hands to rub all over his expensive

    suit as she embraced him tightly.

    Sheryl wrapped her arms around Shane''s neck and said, "Mr. Handsome, you''re finally here."

    She spoke with a bittersweet tone. "Mr. Handsome, my mommy is missing. Can you help me find

    her?" pleaded Sheryl.

    In her naive mind, Shane was a superhero capable of doing anything. She thought he could do an

    even better job than the police.

    Brushing her little nose, he said dotingly, "Don'' t worry, we''ve found her already. Let''s go and fetch

    her home together.��

    "Yay!" Sheryl broke out into a radiant smile.

    With Sheryl in tow, Shane headed toward the Fuller Residence.

    When Shane came through the door, the butler was taken by surprise. Before he could turn around

    and report to Raina, Shane silenced him with a cold nce.

    Immediately, he put her down. "Sheryl, go and have fun in the garden for a while," he said gently

    with a sparkle in his eyes.

    He did not want the innocent child to hear the harsh conversation about to unfold between the

    adults.

    Nodding obediently, Sheryl broke free of Shane''s arms and ran over to the small pond to have a

    look at the goldfish.

    Raina hade downstairs just in time to witness this heartwarming scene. However, instead of

    warming the cockles of her heart, it only infuriated her.

    Had she ever seen her birth son smile so gently at her?

    "You came back." Raina asked tly, "Just for that woman?"

    For Shane to havee in person, this had got to be no light matter.

    "Where is she?" demanded Shane, cutting straight to the chase.

    "You fool! What kind of idiot would give up an opportunity in the European market over a woman?��

    shouted Raina. Her face was flush with anger that lifted the veins lining her forehead off her skin.

    Shane took a desultory glimpse at Raina. "I suppose you''ve already found out. If that��s the case, I

    reckon you must also know that she''s no ordinary woman to me."

    From the moment he penned his signature on the certificate together with Charlotte, he had taken

    on the obligation to guard her safety and protect her from wrongdoing.

    Raina was bbergasted. She had never seen her son care about someone this much.

    After a long silence, Raina finally mustered, "Are you serious?"

    Shane did not say a word, but the steadfastness in his unapologetic eyes spoke volumes.

    Raina felt a sudden bout of dizziness. Holding a hand to her forehead, she loudlymented, "There

    are plenty of women more desirable than Charlotte in River City. Why on earth would you choose a

    woman who has disgraced herself?"

    She could not wrap her head around what her son saw in Charlotte.

    "That woman doesn''t give up on her children without a doubt."

    "You..."

    Staring straight into his steely eyes, Raina seemingly lost her tongue.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73

    In the room.

    Charlotte hugged her legs as she curled up on the couch. Her messy hair covered most of her face.

    She looked as if her spirits had beenpletely shattered.

    A "creak" broke the silence and the tightly secured door was pushed open.

    Charlotte no longer had the strength to see who it was.

    After three days of struggle, her body was too exhausted to do anything.

    Now all she could do was hope Madam Lane would eventually be clear-minded enough to let her go

    home.

    But what worried her most was Sheryl. She was surely afraid of being home alone.

    "Mommy!"

    Was it an illusion?

    Charlotte raised her head instantly and looked towards the door. She could discern two figures from

    the blinding lights.

    Was it Sheryl and Shane?

    Suddenly, her mind turned nked before darkness consumed her and she fainted.

    "Mommy, mommy, what''s wrong?"

    Sheryl nudged her unconscious body anxiously but there was no response. She looked at Shane

    with fear and cried, "Mr. Handsome, please save my mommy."

    Shane patted Sheryl''s head then he picked Charlotte up in his arms.

    He was shocked. This strong-willed woman was as light as a feather. He was afraid her body would

    break if he wasn''t gentle.

    After a short moment of silence, Shane strode out of the Fuller Residence and left with Sheryl.

    In the VIP ward of the hospital.

    Henry gave Charlotte a full-body examination. Finally, he diagnosed that Charlotte was simply

    exhausted. All she needed was a good rest.

    Shane held Sheryl who was sleeping, his face was filled with anguish.

    Henry was surprised by his actions, he gently quipped, "Hey, is this your daughter? You both look

    quite alike."

    Shane''s lips quirked up into a smile at his words but it quickly turned into a frown.

    ''No, she''s not." "No?" Henry obviously found it unbelievable. But from the looks of it, Shane wasn''t

    lying either. He could only me the power of the human genes.

    "By the way, did you really sign a marriage certificate with her?" Henry couldn''t help but asked as he

    looked at Charlotte, who was still in a slumber.

    Last time, they parted in such a hurry, he wasn''t able to take a good look at her. Now, he could tell

    this woman was much more good looking inparison to Yuliana.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Not bad. Not bad at all." Henry nodded approvingly.

    However, he had been talking to himself all along as Shane''s gaze was solely focused on Charlotte

    the whole time.

    His eyes were filled with a mix of emotions.

    He signed the contract with Charlotte for two reasons. First, he wanted to get rid of Yuliana.

    Second, he wanted to please his grandmother.

    But, when he saw her faint before his eyes, there was a burning sensation in his heart.

    He had never felt this way for anyone.

    Could it be that this woman had taken a very important ce in his heart without him

    knowing it?

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    In the hospital hall.

    Yuliana wore a baseball cap with a pair of sunsses and a mask. She took her assistant''s ID card

    and registered herself at the gynaecology clinic.

    Lately, she had let loose herself and went to parties because of her bad luck. Who knew she had

    been careless enough to contract syphilis.

    As soon as she turned around, she saw Shane rushing towards the clinic with Charlotte in his arms.

    She immediately boiled with anger. But, due to the current situation, she could swallow her anger

    and follow them.

    She hid outside the ward and eavesdropped on the conversation between Shane and Henry.

    She didn''t expect that Charlotte would actually sign the marriage certificate with Shane.

    This news was a bolt out of the blue for Yuliana. She had to take several deep breaths to recover

    from the shock.

    Instinctively, she took out her phone to call ine.

    However, as soon as the phone turned on, she hesitated.

    She had waited for her sister''s arrangement all along. But up till this moment, Charlotte was already

    married to Shane.

    Yuliana asked herself, "Do I need to wait any longer?"

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    The answer was clearly no. She wasn''t about to dy this any more. She wanted to carry out her

    ns immediately.

    Yuliana''s eyes were filled with hatred as she looked at Charlotte, who was lying on the hospital bed.

    ''Charlotte Emerson, I will have my revenge,'' she thought.

    By the time Charlotte woke up, it was already in the morning of the next day.

    She was surprised by her surroundings. Why was she in the hospital?

    At this time, Sheryl walked into her room holding Anne''s hand. She happened to see Charlotte sat

    up.

    Sheryl ran over excitedly. "Mommy!"

    Charlotte was confused when she saw them.

    She hugged her daughter then looked at Anne and asked, "Why am I here? And you..."

    Anne smiled and Sheryl answered quickly, "Mr. Handsome saved you, mommy. He''s super

    handsome."

    Mr. Handsome? Shane?

    "He''s back?"

    "He came back but left shortly after," Anne exined. "Do you feel better?"

    Charlotte nodded. Her body felt much more rxed after she woke up.

    She suddenly recalled the moments before she fainted.

    It turned out that it was not an illusion.

    Anne shook the thermos in her hand when she saw Charlotte tuned out. "I made this chicken soup

    myself. Do you want to try some?"

    "Sure, it''s rare for you to cook something yourself."

    Anne divided the chicken soup into three bowls, one for each of them. They drank it to their hearts''

    content.

    As she finished her soup, she nced at Charlotte and asked, "Lottie, are you sure of your

    decision? This was just a small lesson from Mrs. Fuller. We don''t know what else she has nned

    for the future. You and Sheryl..."

    Charlotte put down her bowl and Anne paused mid-sentence. "I''ve thought about this a lot these

    days. Although the road ahead is full of uncertainties, I believe that as long as my purpose is clear,

    nothing is too difficult. Besides, you know everything is just an act."

    Charlotte looked determined and Anne didn''t know how to persuade her any further.

    The atmosphere turned quiet for a moment.

    Suddenly, there was a loud burp from Sheryl as she finished her soup, and both of them broke into

    fits ofughter.

    "Mommy, Mr. Handsome said I shouldn''t call him Mr. Handsome anymore."

    "Then what did he want you to call him?"

    Sheryl pouted her mouth and said, "Daddy." Sheryl tilted her head in deep thought and asked,

    "Mommy, are you married to Mr. Handsome?"

    Because she would only address him as daddy if he married her mommy.

    Married?

    Charlotte''s face turned red and she felt a little embarrassed. But another thought shed through

    Sheryl''s mind and she asked excitedly, "Mommy, does that mean I have two daddies?"

    Sheryl jumped up and down happily at the thought of having two dads. That meant she had one

    more dad than the other children. "Yay! I have two daddies!"

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75

    Sheryl''s words surprised Lottie. She didn''t expect Sheryl was so fond of Shane to such an extent.

    His position was even on par with her biological father.

    Previously, she was worried about how to break the news to Sheryl. Now, it seemed she had

    overthought the matter.

    "Lottie, you have to seriously consider what I said before."

    Charlotte turned around and looked at Anne in confusion. "What did you say?"

    "That Sheryl and Shane..." Anne nced at Sheryl and shot her a knowing look.

    Charlotte understood what she meant in an instant. Her eyes alsonded on Sheryl as she nodded

    her head in agreement with Anne''s suggestion.

    When Shane returns, she will steal a strand of his hair to undergo a parental DNA test with Sheryl.

    As the saying goes, it''s better to leave no stone unturned.

    After spending some time together, Anne left with Sheryl.

    Charlotteid on the bed with her eyes closed. Initially, she wanted to return home with Anne. She

    felt as if her body had fully recovered.

    However, the doctor said he needed to observe her conditions for one more day. She would be

    allowed to leave when he was sure she was fine.

    Just as Charlotte was about to fall asleep...

    A few uninvited guests entered her ward.

    It was ine and Timothy with their son, Alistair.

    Charlotte was mindful of her words in the presence of a child. So, she turned away and refused to

    look at them.

    Who knew ine maintained her act as a gentle and virtuous wife. She hurriedly said to Charlotte,

    "Lottie, we heard you were sick. Your dad and I came all the way here to see you." Then, she turned

    to Alistair and continued softly,

    "Alistair, this is your sister. Be polite to her."

    Alistair was very obedient. He greeted her obediently, "Sister."

    His child- like voice softened Charlotte''s heart.

    Sure enough, she couldn''t harden her heart when ites to a child around Sheryl''s age.

    Charlotte turned around and asked coldly, "What''s the matter? Just say it."

    She didn''t believe that ine would visit her out of her own kindness. She was a wicked woman

    who was a wolf in sheep''s clothing.

    Timothy was slightly unhappy with Charlotte''s attitude. However, under ine''s gaze, he put down

    his pride and spoke to her.

    "Now that you are back, why don''t you move back home?"

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth turned into a scornful sneer upon hearing the word "home." "Do I

    even have a home?"

    "You!" Timothy lost his temper at her words. ine quickly tugged at the hem of his clothes and

    urged him to say no more.

    Then, ine turned to Charlotte with a smile and said, "Of course you have a home! Our doors are

    always opened for you. Besides, it''s very inconvenient for you to raise a child outside. It''s better to

    be at home."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Charlotte frowned and looked at ine. She noticed she was actually sincere and there wasn''t a

    trace of deception in her eyes.

    Charlotte was genuinely surprised. Did something happen to ine today? The ine she knew

    was eager to have her leave the Emerson family.

    Could it be that she was up to something else this time?

    "I will go back under one condition. If only she leaves." After being silent for a moment, Charlotte

    stated her request.

    Timothy''s eyes widened at her words. Before he could say anything, ine spoke up.

    "Okay, I''ll leave. As long as you and your daughter can reunite, I''m willing to do anything."

    ine''s eyes brimmed with tears. She picked up Alistair as she spoke and quickly left the ward.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76

    Charlotte was stunned as she watched ine disappear outside the door. After quite some time,

    she finally came back to her senses.

    Was ine serious this time?

    Timothy stood still with a dark face, his body trembled in anger.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    They looked at each other and Charlotte returned to her indifferent expression.

    "Aren''t you leaving?"

    "Lottie, don''t forget that I am still your father!"

    Charlotte sneered, "Father? So you still remember you are my father? Don''t you think it''s toote for

    this now?"

    As she spoke, her eyes reddened but she stubbornly fought back her tears.

    Timothy''s face darkened. "No matter what you think, I''m still your father. I won''t force you to go back

    if you don''t want to. But I have no intentions to keep the courtyard."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I''m going to sell it." He finished and turned around to leave. As he walked to the door, he added,

    "Think about it."

    With that, Timothy left. The tears welled up in her eyes started to roll down her cheeks

    uncontrobly.

    Her heart ached so badly. How could her father be so cruel to her?

    On the other hand, ine arrived at Yuliana''s ce with Alistair in her arms.

    Yuliana hurriedly greeted her when she saw ine was carrying a piece of luggage.

    As she took over the luggage, she asked, "Sis, what are you doing?"

    "Nothing, I''ll be staying here for a few days," ine said nonchntly. She put Alistair down,

    pointed to the wooden blocks in the corner and said, "Go and y, I''ll talk to your aunt."

    Alistair walked over obediently.

    "Sister, what did you want to tell me?" After Yuliana arranged ine''s luggage, she sat beside her

    on the sofa.

    ine nced at her with a smile on her lips. It seemed as everything was in the palm of her

    hands.

    "Not much. I just wanted to tell you don''t go to the Emerson Family or Corporation these few days,"

    ine said.

    "Why? Did you have a fight with Timothy?" Yuliana asked in confusion.

    "No, Charlotte ising back." What!

    Yuliana suddenly stood up from the sofa and looked at ine in disbelief.

    "What is going on? Isn''t she in the hospital?"

    ine looked up at Yuliana and asked angrily, "How did you know she was in the hospital? Didn''t I

    warn you not to provoke her? You will ruin my ns if you continue to act this way."

    After a round of questions, Yuliana felt wronged and exined, " I just happened to see her there. I

    really didn''t provoke her."

    Upon hearing this, ine''s face softened and she took a sip of water from the ss on the table.

    Yuliana was not stupid. She heard the main points of the conversation and asked curiously, "What''s

    your n? Why hadn''t I heard of this before?"

    ine looked at her and felt she had nothing to hide from her own sister. She put down her cup and

    revealed her n to Yuliana.

    The incident with Timothy in Charlotte''s ward was nothing but an act. But her invitation for Charlotte

    to rejoin the Emerson Corporation was genuine.

    This was because it was the only way she could get Charlotte to sign away her shares of the

    company under her name. Besides, it would be much easier to manipte Charlotte ording to

    her ns if she was living with them. Then, she could take over the Emerson Corporation.

    Yuliana was stunned after she heard her exnation. She was already in awe of her sister''s ability

    to be thedy of the Emerson Family.

    But she didn''t expect that her sister was after the position of president of Emerson Corporation.

    "Is this really possible?" Yuliana swallowed hard and asked fearfully, "If your husband finds out, we

    will be done for, won''t we?"

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77

    ine smiled. Obviously, she was not worried about this at all. After all, Timothy had always

    followed her ns. Besides, Timothy was much feeble in his current state. She wondered how

    much longer could he hold out for?

    Of course, ine kept these thoughts from Yuliana.

    "Have you been to the Fuller Residence recently? To see Raina?" ine changed the topic and

    asked.

    Yuliana frowned at her question and answered, "Yes, but I don''t know why that old woman never

    agrees to see me and always tries to get rid of me by all means."

    She felt her stomach churn at the thought of being turned away by Raina every time.

    ine thought Raina''s actions were strange upon hearing Yuliana''s words. Didn''t she lock up

    Charlotte for some time?

    Logically speaking, she should''ve met with Yuliana by now.

    "Did something happen that we didn''t know?" ine asked with sharp intuition.

    Yuliana pursed her lips as she hesitated and wondered if she should tell her sister about Shane''s

    marriage with Charlotte.

    But she chose to keep quiet at the thought of her ns tonight.

    This was her chance to turn the tables.

    "I don''t know," Yuliana answered after pondering the matter and decided to hide the truth.

    ine didn''t notice the sheepish expression on Yuliana''s face as she hadn''t expected to obtain any

    useful information from her.

    After ine went over and yed with her son, Yuliana took out her phone. She quietly hid in the

    bathroom and dialled a number.

    Soon, the phone was answered by a rough sounding man.

    "Hello?"

    "How''s it going?"

    "Don''t worry, Miss Lane. Everything has been done ording to your will." The voice on the other

    end of the phone was filled with excitement. "When this is over, don''t forget what you promised me."

    Yuliana felt goosebumps quivered down her body. She raised her brow impatiently but she feigned

    a sweet voice and replied, "Don''t worry, Duncan."

    He let out a heartyugh and hung up the phone.

    Yuliana took a few deep breaths, opened the door and walked towards ine.

    Fortunately, ine did not notice anything strange about her.

    At night.

    After Charlotte finished the dinner Anne brought, she left the ward to send Anne and Sheryl home.

    Then, she took a walk in the garden to rx.

    As she set foot onto a shady path, her cell phone rang.

    It was an unknown number, but it looked quite familiar. So, she answered with confusion.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Hello?"

    "How have you been these days?" A low voice came from the other end of the line.

    Charlotte felt a shiver down her spine that made her body numb.

    "Mr. Fuller?" She didn''t expect that Shane would call her.

    "Hm?" Shane''s voice suddenly turned ice-cold. It seemed he was implying she had said something

    wrong.

    Only then did Charlotte realise she had addressed him wrongly but still she couldn''t say the words

    out loud.

    There was silence on the other side as he waited for her answer.

    "Shane..." Lottie said in a stiff voice, her face suddenly turned red.

    A smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. He could only imagine how Charlotte''s blushing face

    looked at this moment.

    "I''ll arrange for Mr. Miller to send you to my home," Shane said in a good mood.

    After hearing the change in tone, Charlotte was slightly stunned. She quickly asked, "Your home?

    Are you back?"

    "My home is also your home."

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78

    Charlotte''s face turned red again.

    After a few words, Shane hung up the phone.

    Heid on the hotel sofa with one arm behind his head. His slightly tilted face happened to line up

    with the view of the beach outside the window.

    The mesmerizing horizon stretched across the deep blue sea, one couldn''t help but feel delighted

    by the sight.

    The corner of his mouth quirked up, his porcin- white skin shimmered under the sun.

    Charlotte''s soft voice echoed through his ears. It seemed she looked forward to his return.

    Shane''s heart filled with warmth at the thought of that.

    He picked up his phone again and called Cole.

    "Book me the earliest flight back home." Any trace of tenderness was instantly reced with

    coldness.

    "President, are you going back now?" Cole asked when he heard his request.

    "Yes." Shane''s answer was short.

    However, his tone was firm with no room for doubt.

    Cole hesitated for a moment and said cautiously, "President, Prince Louis had made an

    appointment to y golf with you on the day after tomorrow."

    If he left now, wouldn''t he miss his appointment with the prince?

    Shane did not hesitate even after he heard this. "I will personally inform the prince. You just need to

    make the necessary arrangements," He said adamantly.

    Cole could only do as he was told.

    After Charlotte put away the phone, she ced her hands on her burning cheeks.

    Shane''sst words resonated in her mind, "My home is also your home."

    These words made her imagination run wild.

    As Charlotte was too preupied with her thoughts on Shane''s attitude, she did not notice

    someone following and slowly approaching her.

    Just as Charlotte turned to a corner without any surveince, someone draped a sack over her

    head blinding her from her surroundings.

    Charlotte was frightened by what happened. She instinctively wanted to shout for help, but her

    mouth was quickly covered by a cloth soaked with chloroform.

    In an instant, her vision turned dark and she lost all consciousness, her body was free to be

    dragged around.

    The culprit behind this was the person who spoke on the phone with Yuliana, Duncan Zacfron.

    Duncan was a thug with a strong and muscr figure.

    It seemed the whole plot had been prenned as he carried Charlotte in a sack and passed

    through an area with no surveince.

    Next, he camouged himself among the thick bushes and moved Charlotte out of the hospital

    through a hole in the wall. He then flipped himself over as well.

    Outside, a ck and unlicensed van was waiting.

    As soon as they got on the van, it headed northwest and entered downtown.

    Inside the car, the sack was opened.

    Charlotte''s waspletely exposed in front of them.

    "Duncan, this woman looks good!" The man next to her said with a smile as he snapped some

    pictures.

    Duncan looked at Charlotte carefully. "She is quite pretty. When everything''s done, you can have a

    go at her and teach her a lesson."

    Although Charlotte was much better looking than Yuliana, he was attracted by Yuliana''s coquettish

    charm. He wasn''t really interested in pure and innocent women.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "It''s done." The thug sent the photos to Duncan and he forwarded them to Yuliana.

    Yuliana received the photo and looked at Charlotte''s indecent photos. She couldn''t help butugh

    out loud.

    Her n was to sell off Charlotte into the nightclub. She would be too ashamed to face Shane when

    she bes used goods.

    The car soon stopped at the back door of a nightclub. Charlotte remained unconscious as she was

    quickly carried down the car and picked up by the people inside.

    She was brought to a locked room. Shortly, a woman with the word "Manager" pinned to her chest

    walked in.

    She sized up Charlotte''s whole body. Her skin was as white as snow and her facial features were

    exquisite. She didn''t look like any of the women they had before.

    "She''s indeed a good product, but is she clean?"

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    "Don''t worry, Miss Yasmine. She has no parents or husband. Her background is squeaky clean!"

    Duncan answered with a ttering face.

    Of course, these were told by Yuliana.

    Yasmine Lewis nced at Duncan. "You better hope that''s the case. Otherwise, if anything

    happens, all of us will face the consequences."

    Duncan and Yasmine could be considered partners- in- crime. They had done several human

    trafficking businesses in private.

    Duncan nodded and reassured her. "I promise!"

    "Okay, then that''s it. Send her to room 1888." Yasmin ordered the assistant behind her. "Come with

    me," she looked at Duncan and said.

    Duncan gave his men a look and then followed Yasmine to receive his payment.

    Charlotte was carried to room 1888.

    After it was done, The thug still dawdled around the room since he didn''t want to leave. He gazed

    longingly at Charlotte. His actions were quickly noticed by Yasmine.

    "What are you trying to do, kid?"

    "Boss, I, I want to..." It was clear what his intentions were.

    "Do you know who this room belongs to? It��s Joe nco''s. Do you dare stay another minute here?"

    The assistant sneered, turned around and went out without hesitation.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    There were not many with that name in the underworld and there was only one infamous Joe

    nco.

    The thug trembled at the thought of that man and he quickly ran out of the room.

    About half an hourter, Charlotte woke up. She held her dizzy head in her hand and looked around

    the luxurious presidential suite.

    Why was she here?

    The image of her fainting shed through her mind and she fell into a panic attack.

    Had she been kidnapped?!

    Charlotte intuitively reached for her phone but she couldn''t find anything after on her body.

    This...

    Before Lottie could think any further, the door opened and a fat, middle-aged man barged in.

    His body reeked of alcohol, his beady little eyes stared at Charlotte and he pounced on her. But he

    stumbled and fell onto the sofa.

    Charlotte was scared out of her wits. She couldn''t care less about her headache as she quickly

    dragged herself off the bed.

    But the drug''s effect was too strong and her entire body still felt weak. She had just taken two steps

    before she felt a sharp pain on her scalp that made her gasped.

    It turned out that the man had grabbed her hair.

    "Girl, are you new here? Don''t even think about running away once you''re here," the man said

    lewdly.

    Charlotte felt downright disgusted by his foul words.

    "Sir, I think you have the wrong person. If you don''t let me go, I will call the police."

    The man immediately let go when he heard her words. Charlotte let out a sigh of relief in her heart.

    It seemed that he was intimidated by her words. There was no time for her to hesitate, she quickly

    rushed towards the door and opened it.

    However, as soon as stepped out, two burly men blocked her way.

    The two of them looked so menacing it was obvious they weren''t good people.

    "Serve me well and you can have whatever you want, got it?"

    The man said as he staggered over and lifted her chin.

    His eyes were filled with lust which sent shivers down her spine.

    As a result, Charlotte instinctively raised her hand and pped the man across the face.

    "Boss!"

    Immediately, the two bodyguards outside the door rushed in and pinned her down.

    In an instant, Charlotte lost the strength to resist.

    "Ha! She''s quite hot- tempered!" Charlotte''s jarring p left a mark on the man''s cheek.

    "But, I like it." As he spoke, he started to get aroused. Charlotte seized the moment and kicked him

    in the groin.

    The man let out an ear-piercing howl.

    "You b*tch!" He quickly sobered up and grabbed her hair. Then, he smacked her two times on the

    face.

    Charlotte immediately felt tears welled up in her eyes and her cheeks became swollen.

    Throw her onto the bed!" the man ordered.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80

    What happened next was self-exnatory.

    Charlotte was thrown heavily against the bed. Although the sheets were soft as silk, the back of her

    head still hurt. It was this pain that brought her back to reality from her shock.

    At the moment, the man was slowly inching his nasty lips towards her. Charlotte quickly bit down on

    his ear.

    The man let out a deafening scream instantly.

    He screamed and protested, "Let go of me! Let go!"

    By now, the bodyguards outside the doors had also rushed in.

    Charlotte grabbed a crystal ashtray from the bedside table and smashed it on the man''s head.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    The man suddenly lost the power to fight. He buried his head in his hands as he felt great pain.

    "One step further and I''ll smash him to death!" Charlotte threatened with a desperate look in her

    eyes.

    The two bodyguards took a step back tactfully.

    Charlotte held the ashtray in one hand and grabbed the man''s wounded ear in another. "You two, in

    the bathroom."

    The bodyguards hesitated for a moment butplied when Charlotte twisted the man''s ear and he

    wailed in pain.

    The two bodyguards quickly went into the bathroom.

    Charlotte immediately pushed the man onto the ground. Then, she quickly ran out of the room.

    In a short time, the nightclub was swarming with security guards dressed in ck. They searched

    the premise thoroughly for any sight of Charlotte.

    Charlotte was aware it was almost impossible for her to escape this ce. Her only option was to

    unfold a game of hide and seek with them.

    She got into a dressing room and found a set of janitor''s clothes.

    Without another thought, she quickly changed into the clothes.

    Charlotte walked out disguised as a janitor. But the nightclub was sorge, she wasn''t able to find

    the exit immediately.

    "Stop right there!"

    Suddenly, a cold voicemanded from her behind which made her stop in her footsteps.

    "Is she calling me?" Charlotte thought.

    She was too afraid to turn around so she continued to walk forward.

    "I asked you to stop right there!" The voice snorted coldly again as two men blocked her path.

    Charlotte had no choice but to turn around.

    Yasmine walked up to her and bent down. Her face was caked up with a thickyer of powder which

    made it impossible to see what she truly looked like.

    "Where do you think you''re going?"

    Although Charlotte was disguised in a sloppy outfit, Yasmine was able to recognise her among the

    crowd in just a single nce.

    She gave the security guards a look and they immediately propped her up.

    "How dare you cause such a bigmotion?

    I think you need to be taught a lesson."

    "Help! Help!" She cried out loud.

    Charlotte couldn''t care less about anything else. She didn''t believe among all the people here,

    everyone would ignore her.

    She just hoped someone would at least call the police.

    Unfortunately, no one from any of the private rooms came out to her aid. Yasmine watched her

    scream all she wanted with a cold smile. It was as if this was a norm around here.

    Charlotte screamed her lungs out as a feeling of despair slowly overcame her. She looked at

    Yasmine''s smile and her heart quaked with fear.

    This world was too fickle so much so that no one was willing to give her a helping hand.

    Was this the end for her?

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81

    No!

    Her daughter, Sheryl, was still waiting for her at home. She can''t give up so easily!

    Charlotte had a sudden burst of strength at the thought and bit the hands of the security guard next

    to her.

    Her actions were so unexpected, the guard was caught off guard. He hissed in pain and let go of

    her.

    Charlotte followed up with another kick at the other guard''s groin.

    She promptly dealt with the two guards, then ran away as her life depended on it.

    Yasmine took out her walkie-talkie, in a blink of an eye, a group of security guards swarmed towards

    the direction Charlotte escaped.

    At this moment, a slender figure appeared along the dark corridor.

    He frowned with displeasure when he heard themotion nearby. "What happened?" He asked

    his assistant beside him.

    "Boss, it''s the neer, she doesn''t understand the rules. Miss Yasmine is

    handling it."

    Christopher nodded his head and continued his way unconcerned.

    Presently, Charlotte had already been caught and locked up in a small dark house. Yasmine was

    lashing her harshly with a leather whip.

    "I really didn''t expect you to be such a hot-tempered girl. You even dared to hit Joe nco. Are you

    trying to kill me?"

    Yasmine felt sorry for herself due to the mistake she made. She had thought Charlotte was a weak

    woman so she skipped her training and sent her up to the customer directly.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Now, it was all her fault she was in this mess.

    The more she thought about it, the angrier she got and the harder sheshed Charlotte.

    Charlotte had fainted from the pain.

    "This is so boring!" Yasmine said dully after adding another twoshes.

    At this time, the door of the house was pushed open.

    Yasmine turned around and saw Christopher standing at the door. His body gave off an ominous

    vibe.

    "Boss." Yasmine lowered her head meekly.

    As soon as her voice fell, she received a sharp p on the face.

    Blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth in an instant.

    Christopher looked down to see Charlotte fainted while tied to the bed. Another pnded on

    Yasmine''s face. "How dare you?"

    His eyes were filled with rage which was theplete opposite of his usual gentleness.

    Yasmine was so scared that she knelt on the ground. "Boss, it was a mistake! Please, please let me

    go!"

    Christopher kicked Yasmine to the ground. He then stepped over her to pick Charlotte up and

    walked out.

    "Boss, it was a mistake!" Yasmine struggled to scream but her mouth was quickly covered with a

    cloth and she was dragged out by someone.

    In the midst of her unconsciousness, Charlotte kept mumbling, "It hurts..."

    Her blood-stained face was unrecognizable from her usual lively self.

    Christopher felt his heart ache deeply at the sight.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    Shane received the phone call from Christopher as he got off the ne. He cursed silently in his

    heart and all his luggage with Cole while he drove to the hospital immediately.

    Charlotte was rushed to the hospital by Christopher. The wounds on her body were quickly treated.

    The doctor looked at Christopher''s worried face and reassured, "Don''t worry. Although she had

    suffered many wounds, it''s not deep nor life-threatening. She just fainted from the pain."

    "Thank you." Christopher nodded at his words. "Please give her the best medicine. Make sure her

    wounds don''t leave any scars."

    "No problem, don''t worry." The doctor snapped her medical records shut, then left the room with the

    nurse.

    Christopher stood quietly at the edge of the bed. After a long period of time, he finally bent over and

    carefully looked at the whip marks on Lottie''s right arm.

    He paused for a moment, then gently brushed his fingers across the marks.

    He withdrew his hand instantly and his eyes were glossy. "Lottie, I''m sorry. I didn''t expect..."

    When the doctor left, he didn''t close the doorpletely leaving a gap.

    When Shane arrived, he saw everything through the crack of the door.

    His heart sank. He immediately felt a chill run down his spine as he pushed open the door and

    walked in.

    Christopher looked back at him with a gentle smile on his face. "You''re here?"

    Shane''s sightnded on the woman lying on the bed. His eyes were dark as he said, "There''s

    something I need to tell you."

    "Go ahead."

    "I don''t care what you think of her or what type of rtionship you both had before. But now..."

    Shane''s tone was ice cold. "She belongs to me. We''re already married. So, stay away from her in

    the future."

    Christopher was surprised but he concealed his shock. He straightened out his clothes and slowly

    answered, "I think you misunderstood us. There''s nothing between me and Charlotte. But she got

    hurt at my territory, so I need to take responsibility."

    "What about you? When did you marry her? Why did you keep it from us? You''re quite mean, aren''t

    you?"

    "Just a few days ago, I was about to tell you when I got back."

    Christopher nodded. "Sure. Congrattions. Good, congrattions. Let''s have dinner with Braden

    soon. You have to tell him about this. I''ll be leaving now. Take care of her."

    Shane nodded in agreement. He looked at Christopher as he left and narrowed his eyes.

    Although Christopher looked calm, he even gave them his blessing, Shane felt something wasn''t

    quite right.

    He trusted his intuition.

    Now Christopher found out he and Charlotte were married yet he had no response at all.

    Did he really not care or was his endurance that strong?

    Shane lowered his head and gazed at Charlotte as she slept.

    Her already frail body now seemed even more fragile as sheid on the hospital bed. Her eyes

    were shut tight and her forehead was furrowed. It seemed that she had no peace even in her sleep.

    He brushed her thick bangs aside. Her bulky sses had been removed which revealed her

    delicate face under the luminescent light.

    The wound on her chin caught his attention. He stretched out his hand and gently touched it.

    Even though her injuries had already been treated, the red marks that remained looked vicious and

    horrendous. "I''ve only been away for three days but you''ve already suffered so much."

    Shane gently stroked her wounds with one hand while he took out his phone with another to make a

    call.

    His call was quickly answered. "President, what''s the matter?"

    "Find out who attacked Charlotte."

    Once the phone rang, Shane swiftly answered it. He breathed a sigh of relief when he was sure

    Charlotte was not awoken by the noise. Then he quietly left the room. "Go ahead."

    "President, it appears someone kidnapped Miss Charlotte and sold her off to the nightclub under Mr.

    Gibson''s name." Cole quickly reported his findings.

    "Where is the person?"

    "I''ve already caught him." Cole trembled as he spoke. He could feel tension between the lines so he

    kept his words concise.

    "I''ll be right there." Shane hung up the phone. He stared at the closed ward door and called Anne.

    In the dark basement, two crooked- looking men were tied against a chair. Blood was trickling down

    their foreheads.

    Shane stood with his hands sped behind his back. He looked them straight in the eyes. "Tell me,

    why did you kidnap that womanst night?"

    The two men were Joe and Duncan. They were usually arrogant people but they trembled under

    Shane''s antagonising re. Both were at a loss for words.

    "You know the consequences of staying silent."

    In order to intimidate them further, a tall burly man in a ck suit stood behind them and cracked his

    neck.

    Duncan shrunk in fear. "I''ll talk, I''ll talk! It wasn''t us who wanted to kidnap her. It was Yuliana who

    instructed us to do it!" He confessed.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    Shane''s eyes darkened and Cole quietly took a step back. The more Shane thought about it, the

    more his blood boiled.

    Joe and Duncan, who were facing him, felt they were caught in the wrath of his anger. They were so

    afraid their bodies started to tremor uncontrobly.

    Before Shane could probe any further, Duncan spilled the beans and revealed everything.

    "I''m a fan of Yuliana Lane. I''ve been chasing her for a long time but she always rejected me. Two

    days ago, she approached me for help. She promised to sleep with me after this was done."

    Shane''s expression hardened as they spoke. Inside, he was burning with rage.

    On the other side, Yuliana waited all night in her apartment for any news from Duncan. She became

    restless when she did not receive any.

    Duncan had made a deal with her that once the deed was done, he would send her a text message.

    She had been waiting for ages yet there were still no messages.

    She wasn''t dumb, she knew there was a high chance she had been exposed.

    As time passed by, she couldn''t sit still any longer. She got up to find ine.

    At this moment, her phone started to ring.

    Yuliana was so startled, her phone dropped to the ground.

    She quickly picked it up. The caller ID showed it was one of Duncan''s men.

    "Hello..." Yuliana answered the phone.

    "Yuliana, you b*tch, I thought you said that woman had no family?"

    He spoke vulgarly and began to curse loudly on the phone.

    "Yes, what happened?" Yuliana was afraid to tell them the truth. She feigned ignorance of the

    situation but her heart was dreaded with guilt.

    "Bullsh*t! Joe and Duncan got nabbed by a man in sses not long after they left the club!" He

    roared in anger.

    "You''d better watch out. If any of us see you again, we won''t let you off the hook easily."

    With that, he hung up the phone.

    She was done for. Yuliana leaned weakly against the couch and fell onto the floor. She stared

    nkly at the screen, her mind was in a mess.

    Who was the man in sses?

    Yuliana was dismayed when she thought of one possible person.

    Could it be...Cole y?!

    No way, she can no longer stay here. She had to leave or even go abroad. That''s the only way she

    can avoid Shane''s investigation.

    That''s right, she will go abroad!

    Yuliana wasted no time to call ine.

    "Hey, what''s up? What''s the matter?"

    "Sis..." Yuliana sniffled in a low voice, "Sis, I''ve made a mistake. You have to send me abroad. I

    can''t stay here, I''ll die! Save me, sis!"

    ine''s one hand was on the keyboard while her other hand held the phone. Her face became

    grave and her voice fell. "What happened?"

    But Yuliana was obviously frightened on the other end of the phone as she bbered her words

    unclearly.

    ine instantly realized something bad had happened and her face darkened. "Shut up. I''ming

    over now. Stay at and don''t go anywhere!"

    It didn''t take long for ine to arrive at the apartment. When she opened the door, she saw Yuliana

    sitting on the floor in a daze.

    ine walked over in her high heels and pulled her up from the floor onto the sofa.

    "You useless woman. What trouble did you cause this time?" ine asked in a cold and impatient

    tone with her eyebrows raised.

    She had brought her sister all the way from the countryside up to her current position. But, she had

    always managed to mess things up. She wondered what trouble Yuliana ran into this time.

    She already hooked her up with such a good man like Shane, yet she wasn''t able to win him over

    even after a long period of time.

    Now, Yuliana still expected her to run to her rescue at her beck and call. ine felt so frustrated at

    the thought.

    Although Yuliana was arrogant and domineering, she had always feared her elder sister. She

    sobbed while exining what she had done.

    "Idiot! What did I tell you? I told you not to act rashly! Are you trying to piss me off?"

    ine was so angry at what she had done, her face turned red. She can''t believe why she had such

    a foolish sister.

    Yuliana did not dare to answer back as she was reprimanded. She could only sob quietly.

    ine took a few deep puffs of smoke and pushed her hair back. She racked her brains for a

    moment, finally she put out her cigarette and said coldly,

    "Well, your only option now is to apologise to Charlotte. As long as she forgives you, Shane would

    probably leave you alone. I''ll help you say a few words."

    "What!" Yuliana shrieked unhappily. "You want me to apologise to that b*tch? That''s impossible."

    "What other choice do you have? Or else what do you want! If it weren''t for your recklessness,

    everything would have been nned by me. I''ll definitely make it impossible for Lottie to turn over!"

    ine''s anger also red up as she raised her voice.

    Yuliana immediately cooled herself down. It was true that she was in trouble because she didn''t

    listen to ine.

    "It''s because you didn''t tell me anything..." She muttered in a low voice as she dared not face ine

    directly.

    Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind and she turned pale.

    "What''s wrong? Are you hiding something else from me?" She red at Yuliana while waiting for

    her answer.

    "Sis..." Yuliana''s heart trembled and she had a distant gaze on her face. "Shane will never let me

    off. He... He''s already married to Charlotte."

    ine stood up abruptly with her fingers pointed at Yuliana. There was a grim look on her face. She

    was left speechless by her sister''s words.

    After some time, she seemed to have cooled down and sat down on the sofa casually.

    "There''s nothing I can do." ine''s voice sounded especially calm and exhausted. "Yuliana, I can''t

    cover for you this time. I have to hand you over to Shane."

    "How can you call yourself my sister?" Yuliana screamed wildly at her words. "All you need to do is

    send me abroad. Shane would not be able to find me then. Sis, I beg you."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Do you think it''s possible? You know how powerful Shane is, don''t you?"

    Yuliana had gonepletely crazy. She had no intention to face Shane. Since ine betrayed her

    first, she could only return the gesture.

    "ine! If you don''t help me, I will tell Shane everything you have done!"

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84

    "Don''t you dare!" ine''s eyes were cold as she stared at Yuliana.

    Yuliana had nothing left to lose. She was willing to do anything as long as she didn''t need to face

    Shane.

    She snorted and scoffed hysterically, "Try me! If I''m going down, I''m taking you with me!"

    "You''d better think twice about what you''ve done. You made me take Charlotte''s ce, then

    exchanged Sheryl''s parental results. What you''ve done is enough to make Shane wish you were

    dead!"

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Shut up!" ine could not control her anger any longer. She raised her hand and gave Yuliana a

    sharp p. "I''m doing this all for you!"

    "Haha, hahaha." Yuliana lowered her head andughed sarcastically.

    "For me? You did it for your own glory and wealth! You climbed on the bed of your best friend''s

    father, then you caused her to get pregnant before getting married. Who do you think you are?"

    Yuliana slowly raised her voice, she ended up roaring directly to her face.

    Her face hurt so much that she reached out to choke ine.

    ine expected this, she quickly dodged by pushing her hand aside.

    Yuliana lost her bnce and fell to the ground. "Crash!"

    Yulianaid on her side while bright red blood gushed out of her head, dyeing the floor red.

    "Yuliana ��!" ine widened her eyes and shrieked.

    The red light outside the operating room lit up. ine sat on the chair in the corridor and stretched

    out her hands.

    They were covered in a dark shade of red. She couldn''t stop shaking.

    It was blood, her sister''s blood. What had she done?

    ine stared up nkly and closed her eyes.

    After god- knows- how- long, the operation theatre light went out.

    "Doctor!" ine rushed towards him as he came out. "How is my sister?"

    "Sorry." The doctor''s face was filled with regret. "I''m afraid your sister will remain unconscious for

    the time being."

    In other words, she was in aa.

    ine was entranced for a moment, but she quickly calmed herself down.

    At first, she was saddened by the news.

    When she realised what that meant for her, her mouth couldn''t help but curl into a malicious grin.

    It''s better this way. Now, no one would tell Shane of the things she did.

    Besides... She nced at Yuliana, whoid on the bed with a thick bandage on her, she was as

    pale as a sheet.

    Since the culprit had be bedridden, Shane wouldn''t be able to pursue this matter any further,

    would he?

    ine stood up and looked at her wrinkled, blood-stained clothes. She nodded her head with

    satisfaction.

    It was good, she looked pathetic enough. It was time for her to put on a show.

    ine pulled down the corners of her mouth and rubbed her eyes forcefully to make herself look

    more pitiful and weak.

    Everything was ready. She pushed the door open and went upstairs to the VIP ward.

    As far as she knew, Charlotte was also in this hospital.

    After Shane left, Charlotte woke up not long after. The moment she was awake, she saw the nurse

    busy working by her side.

    She coughed softly as she wanted to speak but there was a dry scratchy feeling in her throat. She

    also felt pain all over her body.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but groan in pain.

    The nurse heard her voice. "Are you awake?"

    Charlotte nodded, and the nurse thoughtfully poured a ss of water for her.

    After drinking the water, Charlotte felt much better. Although her body still hurt, at least she could

    speak normally.

    "Thank you very much." She thanked her politely.

    The nurse pursed her lips and smiled sweetly. "You''re wee, it''s my job. Lie down for a while

    more if you''re still feeling unwell."

    "Okay," Charlotte replied, but she didn''t feel like sleeping anymore.

    "Your husband said he had some matter to attend to so he asked your friend toe over. She

    should be here soon." The nurse read her mind and chatted with her as she worked.

    "My husband?" Charlotte''s mind went nk for a moment.

    "Yeah, Miss Charlotte. Your husband is not only really handsome, he also treats you so well. He

    stayed with you for the whole night."

    Was it Shane?

    Charlotte was overwhelmed with feelings, She was both happy and touched.

    Before she could figure out how she felt, the door of the ward was pushed open.

    "Mommy!" A bright voice eximed.

    Charlotte''s eyes lit up, "Sheryl!"

    "Mommy, I missed you so much!" Sheryl was about to throw herself at Charlotte excitedly when she

    saw her.

    Anne pulled her from behind. "Sheryl, no, Mommy is injured!"

    Sheryl stopped when she heard Anne''s words. She looked at Charlotte withrge eyes and asked,

    "Mommy are you hurt? Is it painful?"

    Charlotte felt her pain melt away at the sight of Sheryl''s adorable manner. She reached out her

    hand to stroke her hair. "Good girl, mommy doesn''t feel pain at all." She smiled.

    Sheryl carefully held Charlotte''s hand, then she puffed out her cheeks and gently blew on her

    wound a few times.

    "It''s okay, mommy. You will be fine after I blow on it. Puff... Pain, go away!"

    This was how Charlotte used to coax her when she was injured. Now, her own daughter was using

    the same method to relieve her pain. Charlotte felt her heart soften and she found it incredible at the

    same time.

    She couldn''t help but pull Sheryl into her arms. She kissed her head and said softly, "Well, mommy

    doesn''t hurt anymore. Sheryl is the best."

    Sheryl nestled in her arms happily. She rubbed against Charlotte''s face and smiled sweetly.

    Anne watched the heartwarming scene with a smile on her face. But there was a trace of agony as

    her heart ached for Charlotte.

    The mother and daughter hugged for a while. Anne interrupted them with a smile. "Alright, Lottie,

    have some food first. You must be hungry at this hour."

    Only then did Charlotte realize she was feeling famished. Sheryl gently broke free from her

    embrace and said in a childish tone, "That''s right. Mommy needs to eat more. You''ll recover soon!"

    "Okay, whatever you say." Charlotte would be in a good mood as long as Sheryl was by her side.

    But at that moment, the door of the ward was pushed open again.

    Charlotte frowned when she looked up to see ine in a mess. Anne also quickly stood up and hid

    Sheryl in her arms as if she was some disease.

    "Why are you here?"

    ine burst into tears as soon as she spoke. "Lottie, it''s all Yuliana''s fault. She wronged you. But,

    she already admitted her mistakes and now had been punished. Please forgive her for your father''s

    sake!"

    Charlotte''s head was filled with confusion. Before she could answer, she heard a deep male voice

    at the door of the ward. "No!"

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85

    "Mr. Handsome!"

    Sheryl immediately dashed towards him away from Anne''s arms. The corners of her mouth curved

    into a smile and said, "Carry me."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Mr. Handsome?"

    Shane deliberately pulled a handsome face, his arms didn''t attempt to move.

    Sheryl circled her arms around his legs and asked in confusion, " Mr. Handsome, if I call you daddy,

    will you protect my mommy?"

    She scrunched up her face as if worried about being rejected by the man before her. She curled her

    hands into fists and continued, "My mommy is very popr. If you don''t want to protect her, I''ll do it

    myself."

    Shane smiled tenderly as he wrapped his arms around her. His heart softened in an instant. "I

    promise you," he replied.

    "Daddy��"

    Her cheeks flushed red and she buried her head in his chest.

    Shane straightened his back, his eyes overflowed with tenderness.

    Beside them, Anne put a hand on her chin as in deep thought.

    She didn''t expect Shane to be such a family guy. It would be great if Sheryl was actually his

    daughter.

    It''s fine, who knows the result of the paternity test may surprise them.

    Anne reassured herself. She looked at ine who was ignored and her mood immediately changed

    for the better.

    "Mr. Fuller..."

    ine gently called him. Her face almost froze from being given the cold-shoulder.

    "Speak."

    Shane spat a single word coldly. He seemed theplete opposite from the tender person from

    before.

    "Mr. Fuller, my younger sister had suffered enough for what she''d done. Can you please forgive

    her? Since Lottie also didn''t suffer any fatal wounds."

    ine lowered her voice. She dare not address him as her "brother-inw" anymore. After all, that

    woman was now Shane''s wife.

    That was what she despised the most.

    Why was it that she tried so hard to reach where she was now, but Charlotte was able to achieve

    even more?

    "Daddy, my mommy is in a lot of pain. It''s not at all like what this bad woman said."

    The child who was hiding in Shane''s embrace suddenly spoke up solemnly. Anne almost eximed

    in excitement.

    She was indeed well taught by Anne.

    "I see."

    The coldness on Shane''s face instantly dissipated. He stretched out his hand and stroked her long

    hair.

    The corners of Lottie''s lips couldn''t help but twitch a little. She didn''t even realize Sheryl had started

    to call him "Daddy."

    ''This man''s attitude changed even faster than one changes clothes,'' ine thought.

    She immediately took a step towards Charlotte but was quickly blocked by Anne''s shoulder.

    "Madam Lane, you should just stay where you are," she said with a hint of disgust.

    "You..."

    ine swallowed back her words forcefully. She pretended to brush her off her hand with her raised

    hand. "Lottie, just forgive Yuliana for the sake of family," she pleaded with Charlotte.

    Charlotte was even more confused as she looked at ine''s genuine expression.

    She was obviously the one who was hurt. Why did she make herself look like a viin?

    "Why should she be forgiven? If Mr. Gibson hadn''t shown up, who knows what other injury Lottie

    would have suffered! You don''t deserve forgiveness."

    Anne stood in front of ine angrily and stared at her caked-up face. She then put her hands

    around her waist while she put on a menacing posture.

    A dark glint shed through Shane''s eyes when he heard the words "Mr. Gibson." His inner voice

    was shouting to hide this woman away.

    "Miss Jane, this matter is between me and Charlotte. I hope you won''t interfere."

    "Anne is my family."

    Charlotte looked at Anne as she exined infuriatingly.

    Anne had been the most important person in her life.

    "You came here to plead for forgiveness but we''d prefer if you were to go home." Charlotte paused

    for a moment, then continued quickly, "What makes you think I''ll forgive her? Not only her, but I''ll

    never forget what you''ve done!"

    Sheryl looked at Lottie, whose eyes were filled with hatred. Suddenly, she broke free from his arms

    and ran towards her mother.

    "Mommy, don''t be sad. Me and daddy will always be by your side."

    She leaned her head against Charlotte''s arms. Her actions melted Charlotte''s heart in an instant.

    "Lottie, let''s put aside the grudge between us first. Now that Yuliana is in aa, what else do you

    want from her?"

    A trace of surprise shed across Charlotte''s eyes. She was quite full of energy before...

    ine smiled slyly but quickly put on a heartwrenching face again. She put her hand on her chest

    and said, "Lottie, no matter what she did, she had paid the full price. The doctor said she might

    never wake up. She had suffered enough. Would you only be satisfied if she died?"

    Anne saw there was a trace of pity in Charlotte''s eyes. She immediately stepped forward and said,

    "Lottie, we don''t even know if her words are true..."

    "She is in this hospital now. You cane with me to see her."

    ine immediately interrupted Anne.

    Charlotte nced at Anne, then slowly got out of bed.

    She didn''t trust ine!

    But when she saw Yuliana bedridden with tubes all around her body lying on the bed, she was

    slightly taken aback.

    Anne knew Charlotte had always been a kind-hearted person, knew that Charlotte was a kind-

    hearted person, so she knew the answer in her heart.

    "Lottie, see, I didn''t lie to you. You..."

    ine looked at the person in the room through the ss window, the corners of her mouth could''nt

    help but curl up.

    "I won''t report her to the police. But, if she harms anyone around me when she wakes up, I won''t be

    so merciful again."

    Charlotte turned around and spoke in a cold tone with her back to ine.

    "Don''t worry, she won''t ever wake up."

    ine immediately blurted. She paused slightly when she realised what she had said. "I mean, I will

    keep an eye on her," she quickly continued.

    Charlotte turned away to avoid looking at her obnoxious face. She walked away slowly with Anne by

    her aid. She waspletely oblivious of the sinister events unfolding behind her.

    "It''s settled?"

    Shane held Sheryl''s in one hand while a cartoonish character dessert on the other.

    It''s not fit his style no matter how she looked at it.

    "Yup."

    Charlotte just nodded weakly. She didn''t know if what she did was right or not, but she didn''t have it

    in her heart to punish someone in aa.

    "Lottie, Mr. Fuller, I have to go now."

    Anne swallowed and said to Charlotte as she felt an overwhelming amount of pressure.

    "Didn''t you say that you would apany me today?" Charlotte looked at the arm that was

    suddenly let go in confusion.

    Anne couldn''t help but thought, Td also like to. But I can''t stand the overbearing aura of your

    husband. It''s better to leave first.''

    Finally, she waved goodbye to Sheryl in Shane''s arms and left.

    As she stood in front of the hospital, she suddenly realized that she felt like an outsider among the

    family of three.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86

    In the ward.

    Charlotte nced at the man who seemed to have no intention to leave and lowered her head

    awkwardly.

    Although they are already legally married, she was still not used to being alone with a man with

    such a strong aura.

    Furthermore, they were in an enclosed space.

    "Mr. Fuller, you..."

    "We''re not at thepany,"

    Shane suddenly said in a cold tone.

    "Sh... Shane."

    Charlotte blurted out weakly. Her face flushed red instantly.

    Shane looked at her mischievously, then put his hands on Sheryl''s soft hair and said dotingly, "Let''s

    go home and let mommy rest."

    "Okay, bye, mommy."

    Sheryl waved her chubby hands at Lottie and blew her an air kiss just like in the movies. Charlotte''s

    lips curved into a smile at her antics.

    It seemed she had to stop Sheryl from watching bad TV.

    "Timothy, do you think Lottie wille home?"

    At this moment, ine, who should have run away, returned to the Emerson''s Vi. She leaned

    against Timothy''s shoulder meekly.

    "She can do whatever she wants!"

    Timothy snapped with anger, then snaked his arm around his wife''s waist.

    The corners of ine''s mouth curled unnoticeably. Her brows slightly knitted together while she

    looked loathingly at the hand around her waist.

    "Lottie is still young, she''ll figure it out."

    "Humph!" He snorted.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Timothy immediately removed his hand from her waist as ine continued to speak of his unfilial

    daughter. He walked towards the boy ying with his wooden blocks at the stairs and picked him

    up with difficulty. "If she doesn''te home, I will disown her."

    As he left, ine slowly revealed a satisfied smile.

    ''Charlotte Emerson, even if you marry Shane, you can''t defeat me!'' She thought.

    In the afternoon, Charlotte sent a message to Anne, soon she heard hurried footsteps at the door.

    "Why are you here so soon? Don''t tell me you''re nearby..."

    As she finished speaking, Charlotte saw Braden following Anne closely behind. She couldn''t help

    but raised her brows towards Anne.

    "This is for you."

    Braden held two cups of coffee in his hands. He gave one to Anne dotingly, then ced the other

    on the table beside Charlotte. He crossed his arms and looked at Charlotte, who was on the

    hospital bed, worriedly.

    "Sorry, I didn''t know you were in the hospital. Otherwise, I would have brought you something else."

    "It''s okay."

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth twitched as she stared with disbelief at this yboy.

    She had never heard him say anything of this sorts in his daily life.

    "You..."

    III II

    They both spoke at the same time. Braden put his arm around Anne''s shoulders and said with a

    chuckle, "You go first."

    "You can leave now since you''ve already apanied me all the way here."

    Anne didn''t beat around the bush and spoke directly.

    "Are you trying to get rid of me? I''m so sad." Braden put on a pitiful act. Charlotte immediately

    turned her gaze away from the couple.

    He was simply the devil!

    Braden felt better when he saw the woman in his arms hesitate. Then, he nted a big kiss on

    Anne.

    She was so adorable!

    After the door of the ward closed, Charlotte looked at Anne with scrutiny. She propped her face with

    both hands and asked her word by word, "How far are you in this rtionship?"

    "Not much... There''s no progress."

    Anne deliberately avoided eye contact with Charlotte. She suddenly tugged on her hospital gown

    and asked slyly," What about you? Have you... fallen in love with Shane?"

    "That''s impossible."

    Charlotte immediately smiled and shook her head.

    "Nothing is impossible. Besides, what if that man from five years ago was Shane? By the way,

    where is Sheryl? Why didn''t I see her?"

    Anne scanned around the room then looked at the woman on the bed with a puzzled look. Finally,

    she plopped down beside Charlotte and stared at her with bright eyes.

    "Shane brought her home."

    "Oh!" Anne replied yfully. Charlotte clearly understood the meaning behind her answer.

    But, she was just bonded with Shane through a marriage agreement. Even with the legal

    documents, they were still bound to be separated in the future.

    It was better not to put herself in this irresolute situation right from the start.

    "Anne, I don''t want to think about these things right now. You know the purpose of my return this

    time." Charlotte''s eyes suddenly turned cold.

    Anne looked at her familiar yet strange eyes and sighed quietly.

    "Your family wants you to return. What are you going to do?"

    The ward fell into an unusual silence again. Just as Anne thought she wouldn''t get an answer, she

    heard a weak but firm voice.

    "I want to go back and take back what''s mine."

    "Good."

    Anne suddenly gave her thumbs up and looked at Charlotte with a smile. At the same time, she felt

    sympathetic towards her brother as he ended up missing his chance with Charlotte.

    In the evening, Charlotte opened her eyes to see two figures before her. They both seemed to fit

    together perfectly. However, the harmonious atmosphere was quickly broken.

    "Does your husband looks satisfy your needs?"

    Shane had already noticed she was peeping at them the whole time. But he continued to y the

    wooden blocks with Sheryl, his lips quirked into a small smile.

    "Uh..."

    Charlotte lowered her head awkwardly as a faint blush quickly crept onto her face.

    "Mommy, why is your face so red?"

    The little girl sat on the carpet suddenly put down her toys and ran over, her footsteps pitter-

    pattering across the floor.

    Charlotte quickly prepared herself to catch Sheryl, who was about to pounce onto her. However,

    she was confused when the child suddenly stopped a foot away from her.

    "Mommy, daddy said you can''t hold me because you are hurt."

    Her face was full of determination.

    Charlotte even had a feeling that the feature of the little girl before her seemed to resemble the man

    standing by the door.

    Could it really be...

    She dared not imagine if that were true.

    "It''s okay. Mommy is a superhero. Besides, Sheryl is very light."

    Charlotte''s heart ached for Sheryl as she spread out her arms to hug her. The little girl tilted her

    head in deep thought for a few seconds before slowlyying down on the bed. She tried her best

    not to touch any of Charlotte''s wounds.

    Shane suddenly walked towards them. His heart softened at the scene in front of him.

    Perhaps, a quiet and peaceful life was at that very moment.

    "You''ve decided to go stay with the Emerson family?""

    Shane looked down at Charlotte''s delicate face and felt a sense of familiarity.

    "Well, I can''t let him sell the house. That''s the only memory left of my mother. It''s very important to

    me."

    After Anne left, Charlotte sent Shane a text message, telling him her decision to leave the hospital

    and return to the Emerson family.

    ''All right."

    Shane nodded thoughtfully. He reached out his hand to smooth her furrowing brows, but paused

    midway. Then, he put his hand on his mouth as an act to cover up his embarrassment at the

    moment.

    "I don''t think you would bring Sheryl to the Emerson family."

    He looked at Charlotte with absolute certainty.

    "Well, I''m going to let Sheryl stay at Anne''s house for a while..."

    "No way."

    Before Lottie could finish her sentence, she heard Shane''s indisputable voice. For a moment, she

    didn''t know how to respond.

    "I am your husband and also Sheryl''s father."

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87

    There was a disapproval look on Shane''s face as he gazed towards Charlotte.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but protest in her mind, ''I can''t leave Sheryl with you, can I?''

    "Leave her with me."

    "What?"

    Charlotte unintentionally nced at Sheryl to see her filled with excitement. Her mouth twitched

    twice as she thought, ''I''ve raised this daughter in vain...''

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Mommy, I won''t abandon you. You will always be my beautiful mommy."

    Sheryl, who had always known how to read the room, suddenly smiled and kissed Charlotte. She

    gently wrapped her arms around her neck and muttered, "Mommy, Sheryl will definitely disturb Aunt

    Jane now that she has a boyfriend. It''s better to stay with daddy."

    Charlotte felt her exnation was quite reasonable. She had no choice but to politely say, "Thank

    you... Shane."

    She was forced to blurt out those two words but she missed the trace of tenderness that shed

    through the eyes of the man before her.

    On the next morning, Charlotte''s eyebrows knitted tightly together as she stared at the uninvited

    guests.

    "What are you doing here?"

    "What did you say?" Timothy pointed angrily at Charlotte, but suddenly two trained bodyguards

    blocked his way. He was so furious, he wanted to walk past the bodyguards to Charlotte.

    "Mr. Fuller has instructed that no one is allowed to go near."

    The two bodyguards reached out their arms to stop Timothy, paying no attention to the dark look on

    his face.

    "Lottie, Timothy is still your father. How could you bring Shane into our family matters? Aren''t you

    completely disregarding your rtionship with your father?"

    ine suddenly acted pitifully and wronged. She tugged at Timothy with one hand but anyone could

    tell she hardly used any strength.

    Charlotte watched the scene in front of her with disgust as she casually swiped her phone.

    "Are youing home today? I have already found a buyer. Don''t me me if anything happens.

    Being married to Shane doesn''t mean you can do anything you want."

    Timothy snorted angrily as he dusted off his sleeves and left.

    "Timothy..."

    As their voice drifted further away, Charlotte raised her head and forced back the tears that were

    welling up in her eyes.

    Her phone started to vibrate. She rubbed her slightly sore eyes before picking it up.

    "Mommy -"

    "Baby?"

    Charlotte''s eyes lit up and quickly looked at the caller ID. She was confused when she saw an

    unfamiliar number.

    "Mommy, daddy bought me a new phone. Now I can call you every day and you can see me all the

    time."

    Sheryl leaned her small face against the leather back seat and bragged with a smile on her face.

    Charlotte nodded her head dotingly. She felt somewhat reluctant to part with her.

    "Daddy wants to talk to you."

    Charlotte hadn''t even had the time to respond before she heard a low voice.

    "You really don''t need me to send you there?"

    "It''s fine, I don''t want to rely on you for everything. I can handle this," Charlotte answered firmly.

    Shane reached out his hand to ruffle Sheryl''s hair then continued, "The Emerson''s went to see you."

    Charlotte paused for a brief moment and her mouth curled into a bitter smile.

    As expected, nothing could be hidden from him.

    "Okay, I''ll go back to the Emerson family after I leave the hospital today. I''ll leave Sheryl to you."

    Charlotte bit her lip. She still felt a little reluctant to part with her.

    Cole caught a glimpse of the president from the rearview mirror. His heart skipped a beat when he

    saw the expression on his face.

    It turned out that the president wasn''t as stone cold as he thought. He just hadn''t met the right

    person.

    It seemed that he had better butter up the president''s wife in the future...

    "Stop the car in the basement."

    "Oh? OK, Mr. Fuller."

    His suddenmand made Cole lose his train of thoughts. He obediently parked the car into the

    president''s private basement garage. It was an empty andrge garage.

    "Daddy��"

    Cole almost tripped as he got out of the car. He stared at the little girl in the president''s arms with

    disbelief.

    ''Did the president really have a daughter a few years ago?

    No wonder the president never liked that woman, Yuliana. His current wife was so much better in

    comparison to her,'' Cole thought.

    "Call Mr. Gibson here."

    Shane suddenly stopped and said in a businesslike tone.

    "Mr... Mr. Fuller, Mr. Gibson has been waiting for you at the office door."

    Cole couldn''t help but wipe away the cold sweat on his forehead as he pointed towards the front

    weakly.

    Christopher was shocked when he saw the man walking over with a child in his arms, but he didn''t

    show it.

    "Shane."

    "I was just looking for you." Shane walked into the office with Sheryl, who was sleeping soundly in

    his arms. He then gentlyid her down on the sofa.

    "She''s Lottie''s daughter, isn''t she?"

    Christopher gently crouched down in front of Sheryl. He couldn''t help but pinched her chubby little

    cheeks.

    Shane took off his suit and watched them with an intense look on his face. Suddenly, he walked

    over and moved Sheryl onto the office''s only chair.

    Christopher smiled helplessly at Shane''s overprotectiveness.

    "Yes, since Charlotte''s my wife, Sheryl is now my daughter."

    Shane''s body exuded a cold aura, his sharp eyes were tightly fixed on the person in front of him. He

    did not want to miss a single sign.

    Unfortunately, he didn''t notice anything.

    "She''s very cute."

    After a short pause, there was still a smile stered on his face.

    Although Sheryl wasn''t aware of the secret rivalry between the two people, she felt there was a

    trace of hostility between them.

    "Daddy, Mr. Gentleman, do you want to talk about something important? Sheryl can go out."

    Sheryl tilted her head. She looked so adorable, nobody could resist her charms.

    Her words instantly broke the ice.

    Shane put down his pride and walked over dotingly. "You don''t need to leave."

    "But Sheryl wants to eat pudding."

    "Come in."

    Shane picked up his phone and spat out two words coldly.

    A few secondster, the office''s door opened. Cole peeked in meekly and stopped before the

    president.

    "Buy a..."

    Before Shane could finish his words, he heard a very tender voice.

    "Daddy, I want to buy it myself."

    "Go on."

    Shane couldn''t refuse her adorable face so he ordered Cole who was trembling on the side.

    "Okay, President."

    After the situation in the office calmed down, Christopher casually put his hands into his pocket and

    said to Shane with a smile, Charlotte hadn''t been to work in a few days." "She would no longer be

    working at thepany." Shane noticed Christopher was bbergasted by the news. "She''s

    returned to the Emerson family, if all goes well, she will work at the Emerson Corporation," he

    continued.

    "Okay."

    Christopher nodded nonchntly and cleared up his thoughts.

    "Do you have anything else to say?"

    "Do you have anyone in mind to fill the design manager''s vacancy?"

    Christopher took a step forward and sat on the brand-new leather sofa. His face softened and said,

    "Why don''t we let Braden rece her. He''s quite familiar with the design department."

    "It''s up to you."

    Shane sat back on his chair and crossed his legs. Then, he tapped rhythmically on the table with his

    long fingers.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    "Do you have anything else to ask?"

    "What else do you want me to ask?" Christopher wasn''t at all afraid of Shane, who was the most

    powerful man in River City. He suddenlyughed in a low voice. "Shane, we brothers should get

    together sometime."

    "Alright."

    Christopher stood up gracefully after he got his answer. He walked towards the door, then stopped

    without turning around.

    "I don''t like it when people specte about me and I won''t specte about others as well."

    With that, he closed the door and left Shane in silence. With the closing of the door, the sound came

    to an abrupt end.

    Shane looked out the window coldly with his hand in his pocket. He looked like a king overseeing

    his country.

    At this moment, in the Emerson family.

    Charlotte brought her suitcase down from the taxi. She sneered when she saw the vi''s tightly shut

    doors.

    She didn''t care how hard the future would be, she was willing to do whatever it takes to get what

    she wanted.

    "Who are you looking for?"

    At the front door, the butler nced at her in confusion. There was a trace of annoyance in his eyes

    as he yawned. He clearly had no intention to open the door.

    "ine Emerson."

    "Madam is taking a nap now. You can wait outside for a while."

    The butler couldn''t help but rolled his eyes at Charlotte''s in clothes. "The Emerson family is not a

    ce for the homeless anyways," he muttered under his breath.

    The coldness in Charlotte''s eyes stunned the butler for a second.

    "I''m at the door."

    Charlotte picked up her phone and dialled a number as she looked at the butler''s adamant attitude.

    She didn''t expect thendline was still the same after so many years...

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth curled up in a bitter smile. This string of numbers was probably the

    only thing she''s familiar with within this vi.

    "Lottie! Come in quickly. Didn''t Mr. Fuller send

    you here?"

    ine slowly descended from the flight of stairs in the living room.

    Charlotte clutched her luggage tightly with patience. Her hatred for the woman was written all over

    her face.

    "Shane has a job. Besides, I''m not a woman who hinders a man from sess, am I?"

    Charlotte suddenly became intrigued and addressed Shane intimately. Her mood turned for the

    better when she saw ine''s powdered face warped up.

    "Open the door."

    "Lottie, your father is waiting for you at home.

    Come in quickly."

    Charlotte must admit it was impressive how fast this woman was able to change her character all

    the time. It was almost miraculous.

    "You''re finally here. Since you''re back, you''d better behave yourself."

    Timothy''s voice sounded a little short of breath.

    "I''m back because not back because you''re threatening me. Timothy, I''m going to work in the

    Emerson Corporation."

    Charlotte suddenly raised her head. The unfamiliar look in her eyes made him swallow back his

    insults.

    "Timothy, Lottie''s just concern for you. Now... calm down. You have to look out for your health."

    ine put her hand on Timothy''s heaving chest and made a weak attempt to calm him down.

    She would not allow this sick man or anyone else to ruin her ns.

    "Timothy, Charlotte''s mom did leave her 10% of thepany''s shares, so she''spletely eligible

    to enter thepany."

    "Cough! Cough!"

    Timothy pointed at Charlotte and said breathlessly, "Since you''ve made up your mind, cough, you''ll

    have to start from the bottom."

    ine''s hand, which was holding onto Timothy, suddenly froze. The smirk on her lips became

    evident as she nced at Charlotte from a distance.

    "I don''t want to."

    Charlotte clenched her fists slightly and put down the luggage in her hands.

    ine red at Charlotte viciously and immediately put on the "perfect mother" act. "Lottie, your

    father means well for you. It''s good to start from the beginning."

    "I have ten per cent of the shares in my hand. You should know its importance, right? Besides, I''m

    capable of being the chief designer. So, why should I work from the bottom?"

    Charlotte paused coldly. Her gaze shifted between ine and the man who was supposed to be her

    father. Then, she continued with a condescending smile, "Do you think I''m unaware of the reason

    you want me back? I''m no longer the meek Charlotte from five years ago. So, you can stop your act

    before me."

    "Timothy..."

    Charlotte turned around without any hesitation. She tugged the safe deposit box behind her and

    entered the small vi her mother used to live.

    Her eyes glistened with tears as she stood there once again...

    "Lottie, let mommy see what you drew?"

    "Mommy, look, I''m going to be a designer when I grow up. I''ll let the whole world see my

    creations, just like grandpa."

    Every step this woman took revealed her elegance and calmness. She always had a kind smile on

    her face. She reached out her hand to touch Charlotte, who was just as tall as the table, and said

    encouraging "Okay, my Lottie always makes mommy proud..."

    Charlotte stood quietly next to the old-fashioned table and gently grazed her hands across the

    markings.

    In the Fuller Group, the work chat group was being sted with messages.

    "I didn''t expect that not only is Mr. Fuller a hard worker, but he''s also a good husband and father."

    "I saw that the little girl resembles Mr. Fuller a lot. The mother of the child must be a beautiful

    woman."

    Cole calmly read through the messages in the group chat with a small smile on his face.

    The president''s wife was right in front of them.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Daddy, do you want some cream? It tastes great."

    Sheryl stood on her tiptoes and shoved the cream cake to Shane''s mouth. Her big, puppy eyes

    were filled with expectations.

    Shane put down the pen in his hand, surprisingly, he opened his mouth to eat the cake Sheryl fed

    him.

    "Mr..."

    Cole knocked on the door but he stopped instantly. He stared at the scene before him with disbelief.

    He rubbed his eyes to make sure that it wasn''t a dream.

    If he wasn''t mistaken, that cake was bought by himself.

    He remembered very clearly that his dear president hated desserts the most!

    Who could exin to him the events that happened before his very eyes?

    "What''s the matter?"

    Shane didn''t even raise his head.

    "Mr. Fuller, the meeting is starting in three minutes,"

    Cole answered weakly. He noticed the little girl in Shane''s arms ncing at him oddly. "Mr. Fuller,

    why don''t you let me look after little Miss. You can go attend the meeting." Cole offered without a

    second thought.

    "No, I''ll take her with me."

    Shane didn''t notice Cole was so shocked, his jaw almost dropped. He raised his eyebrows and

    continued with a menacing look in his eyes, "Is there a problem?"

    "N...no."

    He wouldn''t dare to have a problem.

    "Daddy, what is a meeting? Can I really go?"

    Sheryl looked at him in confusion. Before Shane answered, she continued, "Is it like the parental

    meeting Mr. Tall gave me?"

    "Who is that?"

    Shane suddenly raised his eyebrows. ording to his investigation, Charlotte didn''t have any

    brothers or cousins.

    Sheryl lowered her head as she suddenly had a gloomy feeling. "Daddy, are you jealous? Mommy

    is yours now. You don''t have to be afraid," she said softly.

    Shane''s lips twitched a few times as he stared at this mischievous kid. She was simply a mini

    version of Charlotte.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    In the huge office, everyone was staring at the little girl in Shane''s arms as they looked at each

    other speechless.

    "Mr. Fuller."

    "Let''s continue."

    Shane put Sheryl on a chair beside him and crossed his legs indifferently.

    As the meeting continued, Shane nced at the little girl, propped on her elbow, unintentionally.

    "Mr. Fuller, the contract with the Leynux Company has expired. Do you want to renew it?"

    At this time, the manager, who was presenting a slideshow on the podium, dared not even breathe

    aloud. He stared with his eyes and mouth opened wide as the usually strict president suddenly fixed

    the clothes of the little girl casually.

    This was something that would only happen in their wildest dreams.

    "Mr. Fuller?"

    As no one replied, the manager called out again to get his attention. Cold sweat continuously broke

    out on his back.

    "Hm."

    Shane paused what he was doing and looked towards the manager who spoke.

    "Is there anything else to discuss?"

    Shane held Sheryl in his arms and nced at the people around him.

    "N...no."

    They daren''t even say more.

    "Then let''s call it a day."

    After Shane left, the men behind started to gossip relentlessly.

    "Do you think the little girl in Mr. Fuller''s arms is his illegitimate child? It seems that the girl looks

    quite simr to him. Look at her facial features..."

    "You''re right. They do look like each other. Maybe she''s Mr. Fuller''s illegitimate daughter. Otherwise,

    why would he dote on her so much? Besides, when was he ever gentle towards someone?"

    The high- ranking executives discussed amongst themselves as they were organizing the files. His

    sightnded on Cole, who was turning off the projector, and asked hurriedly, "Mr. y, who is that

    little girl?"

    "I''m sorry, this is the president''s private matter. He will publicise it himself."

    Cole quickly walked out of the conference room.

    In the afternoon, Shane had left thepany early and arrived at the Royal Restaurant as agreed.

    "Shane, is this little girl really tagging along with you?"

    Braden took a look at Shane, who was holding her hand, then suddenly squatted down and shed

    a charming smile.

    "Yes."

    Braden stretched out his hand to grab hold of her but caught air instead. He pursed his lips

    awkwardly as he stood up unhappily. "I''m not even going to do anything to her. Do you have to be

    so wary?"

    "But such a cute little girl really makes me want to squeeze her to death."

    Braden suddenly threw himself towards her but stopped in his tracks when he noticed Shane''s

    intense gaze on him.

    "Hmph, I''m not even interested in hugging her."

    Braden arrogantly walked over towards the room and sat down beside Christopher who was ying

    games on his phone. Braden couldn''t help but grumbled, "I thought this fellow is going to be a

    bachelor for life. Who knows in a blink of an eye, he even has a daughter now. Although..."

    "Aren''t you thirsty?"

    Christopher put down his phone and handed a ss full of juice to the man beside him, who was

    talking non-stop.

    "I am a little thirsty."

    Braden picked up the cuppliantly, and his eyes caught a glimpse of the duo who had already

    taken their seats.

    "Mr. Rude, Mr. Gentleman just doesn''t want to listen to you."

    Sheryl suddenly kicked her small legs and covered her mouth with her hand with a smile on her

    face.

    "How dare you!"

    Braden withdrew his hand slowly. The corners of his mouth twitched as he pretended to be calm

    and asked, "Sheryl, why am I Mr. Rude but he is Mr. Gentleman?"

    He was always confident in his own appearance!

    "Because you''re impolite. Daddy, am I right?"

    The little girl suddenly raised her delicate face to look at Shane, who was sitting aside quietly.

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    Shane smiled. How could he not see through her antics?

    However, he just liked to dote on her.

    "That''s right."

    Shane said slowly,pletely ignoring the look of disbelief on Braden''s face.

    "Uh... Shane, are you really married to that country, ahem, beautiful girl, Charlotte?"

    He was immediately skeptical of the news when he heard it from Christopher. He was looking for a

    chance to ask Shane face to face.

    "My mommy is not ugly. Mommy is the most beautiful person in the world."

    Sheryl, who was indulged in desserts, suddenly raised her head and spoke in an incoherent

    manner. She was so adorable, one would feel the urge to pinch her cheeks.

    "Don''t listen to him."

    Shane''s sudden remark almost made Braden cry out in grief.

    "Yes, Mr. Bad."

    Sheryl did not forget to give Braden a re even with a delicious bun in her hand.

    "I''m the one paying for your dinner."

    Braden retorted as he looked at Shane, who was acting nonchnt. Suddenly, he looked

    threatened her, "If I sold you to the restaurant owner for the meal, nobody is going to save you. Let''s

    see if you''ll cry then!"

    Sheryl looked at him as if he was an idiot. "Mister, my daddy is here. He won''t leave me."

    "How can you be so sure?"

    Braden''s words immediately attracted Shane''s attention. He was also interested in her answer but

    he concealed it.

    "Because mommy said I can always count on daddy."

    At this moment, Charlotte stood by the freezing cold cemetery and sneezed.

    "Mom, I''m finally here. Sorry. It''s been five years and I haven''t had the chance toe back."

    Charlotte tried to hold back her tears as she looked at the picture of the woman with a kind smile on

    the grave. It seemed she was no longer as pale and sickly as she was when ill.

    Charlotte slowly ced the carnations in her hands onto her grave. Her knees went weak as she

    knelt to the ground.

    "Mom, I''m married. That''s one of the reasons I''m here today. The little girl you treasured so much is

    already a mother. You don''t have to worry about me anymore."

    She grazed her fingers across the picture of her mother and continued, "I will bring them to visit you

    when I have the chance."

    Charlotte didn''t speak about the marriage contract.

    A long-suppressed cry broke the silence in the cemetery...

    After a long time, only did Charlotte slowly move her numb legs. There were no more tears in her

    eyes as she regained herposure.

    The Emerson family.

    Charlotte had just parked her car when she saw the few people waiting for her in the living room.

    Hatred shed across her eyes as she twirled the car key on her finger.

    "Lottie..."

    "What''s the matter?"

    Charlotte stopped in her tracks. She was suddenly curious to know what more damage this person

    can do to her.

    "Big sis..."

    Charlotte nced at the little boy who suddenly appeared and her heart softened.

    "Sis, mother gave that car to me so can you return it to me?"

    Charlotte nced coldly towards ine who was taking pleasure in her misfortune. She withdrew

    her gaze, then nodded at the child beside her with a nk face. "Did your mom tell you to take it

    from me?"

    "Yes."

    The boy nodded but was immediately pulled back by ine. She looked at Charlotte cautiously as if

    she was avoiding a gue.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    Charlotte''s lips curled into a scornful smile. As expected, the heart of a child is the most innocent.

    "Lottie, Alistair is still small, you should not teach him all these filthy things."

    ine suddenly covered the boy''s face with her hand,pletely ignoring the child''s struggle. She

    waved at the butler not far away. "Butler, bring Alistair upstairs."

    "Yes, Madam."

    Charlotte clenched onto her bag as she watched what happened.

    "ine, aren''t you the most filthy thing in this house? No one here is as dirty as you. You can even

    sleep with your best friend''s father. Is there anything you wouldn''t do for money?"

    ine turned around, she purposely showed off her hands which were full of jewellery and

    whispered, "Lottie, you should say your mom isn''t as attractive as me. She deserved it..."

    "Bang."

    A loud p rang throughout the living room, the hatred in Charlotte''s eyes was evident.

    "What are you doing!"

    Timothy quickly rushed in and pushed Charlotte away. She hadn''t even had the time to withdraw her

    hand. Timothy ignored her as she stumbled backwards.

    "Timothy, it''s okay. I''m fine with Lottie venting out her anger on me. I was the one who promised her

    I would leave the Emerson Family if she returned. I broke my promise. I deserved this."

    ine touched her face which was heavily caked with make- up and leaned against Timothy''s chest

    pitifully, aplete opposite from her previously vicious demeanour.

    "Mommy..." said a sobbing childish voice.

    Alistair suddenly ran out of his room crying. He held on tightly to ine with tears rolling down his

    cheeks.

    "Mommy, I am afraid of sis."

    "Don''t be afraid. It''s mommy''s fault."

    ine gently picked up Alistair and apologised to Timothy. "Alistair must be scared. I''ll tuck him in

    bed. Don''t me Lottie, okay?"

    Charlotte watched the scene unfold before her coldly.

    She already knew this would happen when she heard Timothy''s voice behind her but it was toote.

    "Don''t you have anything to say?"

    Timothy clenched his fists in anger. He looked as if he was about to swing his trembling hands

    towards her.

    "Do you dare hit me?!"

    Charlotte raised her head. Her eyes were filled with coldness.

    "You wicked girl! I didn''t agree to let you return here so you could make things worse! If this

    happens again, I won''t go easy on you."

    Timothy still considered Shane''s feelings.

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    "Aren''t you going to ask what happened just now?"

    Charlotte asked sarcastically. Her empty eyes looked out of ce on her delicate face. "Sure, it''s all

    my own illusion," she continued.

    Then, she turned and ran out.

    It was raining heavily outside. Raindrops drenched her hair wet. It was hard to tell if it was tears or

    rain streaking down her face.

    "Charlotte, you''re so stupid. Why are you still foolishly holding out hope?"

    She muttered lowly. There was a hint of hoarseness in her voice.

    The street lights illuminated her path. Every step she took felt exhausting and her fragile body

    started to tremble.

    A Maserati suddenly stopped in front of Charlotte.

    "Mr. Gibson?"

    Charlotte immediately smiled and greeted him,pletely ignoring the pathetic state she was

    currently in, when she saw the elegant man walking out of the car.

    Christopher quickly picked her up. Before she could react, she was already seated in the passenger

    seat. Her cheeks were slightly red as she touched her soaked clothes.

    "Put this on."

    Christopher took off his coat and gently put it on her shoulders.

    "Thank you..."

    Charlotte didn''t want to react too unnaturally, otherwise it would seem too pretentious.

    "Where do you live? I''ll take you home."

    Christopher closed the window in silence and turned on the heater in the car swiftly.

    Charlotte turned around to look at his handsome face just like Shane''s. She suddenly wondered

    what kind of girl would be worthy of such a gentle and graceful man?

    "What are you thinking about?"

    Christopher asked with a smile.

    "What kind of girl can match up to you?"

    Charlotte touched the bridge of her nose embarrassedly when she realised what she said. She

    wished she could bury herself in the ground.

    Christopher just smiled but he did not answer. There was a mysterious glimmer in his eyes.

    The atmosphere in the car became silent. Charlotte was not used to the awkwardness so she

    started to small talk with him.

    "Mr. Gibson, thank you for taking care of me these days."

    "I didn''t take special care of you."

    Christopher suddenly reached out his fingers to gently brush a few strands of stray hair on

    Charlotte''s forehead.

    "Don''t move."

    His face suddenly inched closer to her. Charlotte, who already didn''t have much resistance against

    handsome men, blushed instantly.

    "Your hair is a mess."

    "Thank-thank you."

    Charlotte deliberately averted her gaze as she didn''t dare to look directly into his tender eyes. She

    was afraid that she would melt into them,

    Christopher realised she had no intention to return to the Emerson family soon so he turned the car

    around.

    Half an hourter, Christopher stared at her anxious face even when she was sound asleep. The

    sight tugged at his heartstrings.

    "Lottie?"

    Christopher''s tender gaze filled with worry as he withdrew his hand at the touch of her skin.

    Her scorching temperature and red face indicated to him what happened to her.

    "Mr. Gibson, this..."

    "Get ready the fever medicine."

    Christopher hurriedly carried Lottie into the vi and kicked open the door roughly for the first time.

    "Young Master, we don''t have any fever medicine at home."

    The housekeeper said to Christopher in a trembling voice. But she was even more curious about

    the womanid in the master bedroom.

    "Sheryl..."

    Charlotte suddenly stretched out her arms and waved them in the air twice. The tears in the corner

    of her eyes rolled down unceasingly.

    Christopher silently took out his cell phone and typed a message. After hesitating for a few seconds,

    he pressed the "send" button.

    Sheryl, who was about to call her mommy using her daddy''s mobile phone, suddenly received a text

    message. She passed the mobile phone to the man sitting crossed-legged beside her.

    "Don''t you want to y anymore?"

    Shane looked at the little girl, who was eager to y before, with confusion. He was curious about

    what made her stop ying.

    "Daddy, someone sent you a message but Sheryl doesn''t understand it. When Sheryl grows up..."

    Before she could finish, Shane suddenly stood up, picked up his coat and headed out.

    "Ms. Jenny, look after her."

    Shane still remembered to inform Ms. Jenny who was busy in the kitchen.

    Sheryl watched as he left in a hurry. She went into the kitchen and tugged at the woman''s apron.

    "Auntie, where did daddy go?" She asked in a low voice.

    "We don''t know about Mr. Fuller''s matters."

    "Okay."

    Sheryl turned back then looked at the rain outside the door. She propped herself onto the sofa and

    rested her chin in her hands.

    "Mr. Fuller, the young master is..."

    As soon as his voice fell, a gust of wind blew past him and Shane was already headed to the

    second floor.

    "Shane."

    Christopher called out politely as Shane headed towards the bed without any resistance.

    "Why is she here with you?"

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    Shane frowned ufortably when he saw the womanying on the bed.

    "I saw her on the road. At that time, she was already drenched. I don'' t know what happened."

    Christopher exined calmly.

    "I get it."

    Shane slowly lifted Charlotte''s chin and said in an unusually gentle tone, "Lottie.��

    "Sheryl, stop it."

    Charlotte tried to remove the hand on her face.

    Shane''s mouth twitched a few times. He slowly picked her up from the bed. Her body was still

    burning from the fever. He nced at Christopher in confusion.

    "She has a fever. I''ve already contacted Henry to your ce."

    "Okay."

    As he walked towards the door, Shane suddenly stopped and said calmly, "Christopher, Charlotte

    and I are now legally married. No matter what happens between us, I hope there will be no

    unnecessary trouble in this period of time."

    There was not a trace of emotion in his voice.

    Christopher stood quietly before the curtained window. The corners of his mouth quirked up as he

    stared at the man in the pouring rain.

    "Sit tight."

    Shane frowned. As soon as he reached his hand across to fasten Charlotte''s seatbelt, he was

    quickly pulled closer by her.

    Charlotte was yearning to be close to a heat source as she was cold.

    "Charlotte..."

    Suddenly, she leaned her delicate face against his chest. Shane lowered his head and swallowed

    hard as his gazended on her smooth, pale skin.

    After ten minutes, he finally removed her hands from his chest.

    At this time, Ms. Jenny looked at Sheryl lovingly. She hadn''t moved an inch from before.

    "Miss Sheryl, these fruits are freshly prepared. Eat up, it''s good for you."

    I don''t want to."

    She shook her head without even lifting her head.

    "Miss Sheryl, Mr. Fuller will be back soon. Don''t worry, he won''t abandon you."

    Ms. Jenny tried to persuade her. Sheryl immediately turned to look at her. She couldn''t help but sigh

    as she thought, ''It''s easy to guess what a child is thinking.''

    "Does daddy alwayse homete?"

    Her little face was filled with worry.

    "Um... Young Master?"

    Ms. Jenny suddenly turned towards the door and saw Shane walking in with a woman in his arms.

    As she was about to reach out to carry Sheryl, she heard her call out excitedly.

    "Mommy!"

    "Young master, Little Miss has been waiting for you."

    Ms. Jenny looked at her tenderly. She especially adored her.

    "Is Henry here?"

    Shane''s voice echoed throughout the living room. Henry, who was just outside the door, almost

    slipped.

    "He''s almost here!"

    Henry wiped away the sweat on his forehead helplessly. He couldn''t help butin, "You and

    Christopher won''t even let me rest on such a rainy day. One phone call from you and I have to rush

    here. You didn''t even tell me what happened."

    Shane nced at him coldly, he gave off an unusual vibe which made him very distant. His voice

    was cold but there was a hint of urgency.

    "Come with me. She has a fever."

    "Who?"

    Henry could briefly see a woman in Shane''s arms but he can''t see her appearance clearly.

    "Is it appropriate for you to hold another woman in front of the child?"

    Henry couldn''t help but protest while he prepared.

    "Treat her."

    Shane red at him coldly. He leaned against one side to let Sheryl, who had been waiting

    anxiously on her toes, through.

    "Daddy, how is my mommy?"

    Her words almost caused Henry to drop his stethoscope. He asked her tentatively, "Dear, who are

    you calling daddy? Your daddy isn''t here." ''He is my father." Sheryl wrapped her hands around

    Shane''s neck and looked over at Henry deliberately.

    A few minutester, Henry put away the first aid kit and nced at the woman lying on the bed.

    To tell the truth, he had only seen Charlotte for no more than three times but still he could easily

    remember her.

    "It''s not a big deal. She just has a cold and fever. You need to take good care of her."

    "She doesn''t have to take any medicine?"

    Shane put his hands in his pocket with disbelief.

    "Are you questioning my medical skills? Don''t you know every medicine has its side effects? It''s

    best if she can recover naturally. If her fever still does not go down, she can have the fever

    medicine."

    Henry shook his head helplessly. A gleam of light shed across his eyes.

    It seemed that Shane, who was always repelled by women, was beginning to fall...

    "Come with me."

    They walked to the door and the tenderness on Shane''s face disappeared. "What do you have to

    say outside?" He asked impatiently.

    "I heard that you brought a child to one of your meetings today. This is big news. Aren''t you afraid

    that it will be exposed to the media? Do you think that woman would be able to handle it?"

    Henry had a puzzling smile on his face as he patted Shane on the shoulder.

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    "They don''t have the guts."

    "Have you really married Charlotte?"

    Henry suddenly put away the yful expression on his face and asked seriously.

    "Yes."

    Shane nodded. His heart softened as he looked through the door at Sheryl who was trying to put a

    warm cloth on his forehead.

    "Shane, why did you marry her?" Henry paused for a moment as he noticed the change in Shane''s

    expression. "Don''t tell me you were just looking for the perfect wife that won''t get in your way?"

    Shane suddenly looked away. He couldn''t understand this man.

    "Shane, don''t you feel that you''re treating her differently?"

    Henry slowly picked up his first aid kit when he saw his friend lost in thought. "Not bad though.

    You''ve got yourself a four-year-old daughter for free. But are you sure she isn''t yours? She looks

    exactly like you." S

    "No, I''m sure."

    Shane shook his head in dismay. He had also hoped so but the result proved him wrong.

    "You''re not going to send me off?"

    "I don''t have the time."

    Shane turned away without looking back and headed straight to the master bedroom. As he stood

    there, he didn''t want to break the peaceful atmosphere.

    "Daddy, when will mommy wake up?"

    "She''ll wake up tomorrow." Shane realised that it was rare for him to exin patiently.

    Shaneid down on the other side of the bed. Then, he ced Sheryl in between him and

    Charlotte.

    "Daddy, can Sheryl sleep with daddy and mommy?"

    She looked over delightedly. Her small face was filled with all the excitement in the world.

    The next morning, Charlotte was the first to wake up. Her eyes instantly widened with disbelief as

    she looked around.

    "Sheryl?"

    "Mommy, you finally woke up."

    Charlotte could only see Sheryl approach her. She stroked her hair lovingly and slowly realized she

    was at an unfamiliar ce.

    "Where are we?"

    "Mommy, this is daddy''s room. You had a feverst night and daddy took care of you all night."

    She pouted her mouth as she patted the spot beside her and said, "Daddy slept herest night."

    "What?"

    Charlotte waspletely overwhelmed with confusion...

    "We''re husband and wife."

    Shane, who had been standing at the door for some time, suddenly spoke up.

    "Mr. Fu...Shane, we''re just legally married. You didn''t mention about us sleeping together."

    Charlotte immediately protested.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    "Charlotte!"

    Shane didn''t understand why his heart suddenly ached. Could it be it was really just as Henry had

    said? Was this girl different from the others?

    "I''m going to bete!"

    Charlotte suddenly nced at the clock hanging on the wall and jumped off the bed in a panic. She

    didn''t even bother to look at Shane''s face which was getting darker by the moment.

    It was her first day working at the Emerson Corporation!

    "Mommy, be careful."

    Sheryl put her hand on her forehead helplessly and thought, ''Mommy really makes people worry.''

    As soon as she walked out of the vi, she noticed a serious problem: She didn''t seem to have a

    car.

    It takes about half an hour to get to the Emerson Corporation by car. Besides, this area was

    surrounded by high-end cars, not a single taxi was in sight.

    "Mommy, get in the car."

    Sheryl waved at the woman outside the vi excitedly. Her face looked out of the window from the

    car.

    "Mr. Fu... Shane."

    Charlotte stared at the good- looking man inside the car awkwardly. She lowered her head and

    remained still.

    "Are you getting in?"

    Shane nced at the woman outside the car from the corner of his eye, his lips twitched slightly.

    "Where are you going?"

    "Mommy, daddy will take me to the kindergarten. He''ll send you to yourpany on the way." With

    disdain, Sheryl looked at her mom who was standing outside the window like a fool.

    Charlotte looked at the long road then at her phone hesitantly. She decided to be reasonable. She

    was about to open the backseat door but was interrupted by Shane''s voice.

    "Take the front seat."

    Charlotte wanted to refuse but Sheryl had quickly shut the door she had opened. She had no choice

    but to climb in the passenger seat in front.

    The car maintained a steady speed while Charlotte nced at Shane from time to time.

    She was fully aware that everyone in the city was desperate to marry into the Fuller residence.

    However, she was the first to marry him. She couldn''t be bothered by the future, as long as this man

    can help her get what she wants.

    "Stop here."

    It didn''t take long for her to see the Emerson Corporation''srge signboard. Charlotte couldn''t help

    but grumble inwardly, ''As expected, the Emerson Corporation had gained stability in the past few

    years.''

    "What?"

    Shane raised his eyebrows skeptically but stillplied and stopped the car at the side of the road.

    "I don''t want anyone to know about our rtionship."

    Charlotte had no choice but to be honest under his intense gaze. She felt he was able to see

    through her thoughts.

    "Why? Being Mrs. Fuller will help you avoid a lot of trouble."

    Shane crossed his long legs, the spacious chair still seemed to be crammed.

    "I don''t like it. I don''t like to show off my identity. It will just bring me more difort.

    Charlotte noticed that the car had stopped, so she opened the car door and got off. As she left, she

    turned to wave towards them.

    Shane watched in confusion at the woman carrying her bag. The corners of his mouth quirked up

    noticeably.

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    At the corner not far away, a vicious gaze was fixed on Lottie''s back the whole time.

    If ine hadn''t been pestered by Alistair to buy pancakes from this stall, she would''ve missed out

    on this scene.

    In the Emerson Corporation.

    Charlotte had just arrived at thepany''s main hall when she was stopped by the receptionist.

    "Do you have an appointment?"

    The receptionist asked Charlotte with a business-like tone.

    "No, I don''t..."

    "If not, you''ll have to leave." The receptionist stared at Charlotte arrogantly. Charlotte had no

    intention to leave.

    "It''s my first day at work."

    Charlotte tried her best to calm down. She had already entered thepany. If ine were to know

    she was denied entry by her ownpany, who knows what kind of scene will she make?

    "Your first day of work? I''ve not received any news that the Emerson Corporation was recruiting

    people."

    "It''s indeed her first day at work."

    Suddenly, there was a familiar voice from the entrance of thepany which made Charlotte feel

    like double- checking her schedule the next time she headed out.

    Why did she run into her every single time? The Emerson Corporation is quite a bigpany too...

    "Director Emerson, you''re here early?"

    Charlotte noticed the ttering look the receptionist gave ine, she couldn''t help but smile

    scornfully.

    "Well, it''s such a coincidence that I came earlier. Am I right, Lottie."

    ine''s gaze had been fixed on Charlotte the entire time.

    Her pantsuit highlighted Charlotte''s good figure perfectly. ine couldn''t help but feel crazy jealous

    of her.

    "Director Emerson, I didn''t know you both knew each other. Please, go in quickly."

    Charlotte walked into the elevator without batting an eyelid. As the elevator doors closed, it was

    quickly pulled open by ine.

    "Lottie, we are both working in the samepany. We are going to see each other all the time.

    Don''t make it awkward for everyone."

    ine''s eyes were filled with sarcasm. As the elegant woman before her did not pay her any

    attention, she continued, "You''re now a designer in the Emerson Corporation and I am the design

    director."

    "What are you trying to say?"

    Charlotte looked at the woman coldly. ine wasn''t about to shut her mouth. When the elevator

    reached the twelfth floor, she slowly walked out.

    "ine Lane, this is the Emerson Corporation, not the Lane Corporation. You''d better figure it out."

    "How dare you!"

    ine''s make-up caked face twisted uglily. As Charlotte disappeared down the corridor, a malicious

    glint shed through her eyes.

    Charlotte, since you dug your own grave, don''t me me for being too heartless.

    As for the Emerson Corporation, it will be the Lane Corporation sooner orter.

    "Hello, I''m new here."

    Charlotte looked at the woman in the assistant''s office with a nk face.

    "Okay, wait for a moment. Director Emerson will take you to the design department."

    The assistant didn''t even raise her head as she continued to work.

    Charlotte stared at ine as she walked closer. She bit her lips but remained silent.

    "Let''s go, Lottie."

    ine swayed her waist and looked at Charlotte with a hint of disdain.

    She had always been jealous of Charlotte''s good background and looks that could attract any man.

    Charlotte stood at the entrance of the design department at the Emerson Corporation. She looked

    at the dozens of people in the office and took in a deep breath.

    This was the perfect ce for her to prove her worth in the future!

    "Everyone please take a minute."

    ine pped her hands. Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows at her tender tone.

    "This is the neer- designer, as well as the chief designer. If you have any questions, you can

    ask her."

    ine calmly averted everyone''s confused and puzzled eyes and smiled at Charlotte who was

    beside her. "Is that fine, Lottie?"

    Charlotte didn''t even bother to look at her from the start to the end. She walked straight to the

    empty desk.

    It''s afternoon and Charlotte has yet to receive any workload but she didn''t find it strange.

    She had just arrived at Emerson Corporation so she was not familiar with everything...

    "Director Emerson, why is she able to be the chief designer as soon as she came here? She''s

    just a neer."

    At this time, in the main office, ine smiled as she listened to the words of the woman before her.

    This was exactly in ordance with her ns.

    "If you have the ability, you can also be a chief designer."

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    ine deliberately enunciated the word "ability". Anyone could understand the meaning behind her

    words.

    "Ability? I think it''s likely that she''s seduced someone in the higher-ups. Don''t you agree?"

    Quincy Zimmer asked ine with absolute certainty. She was even more certain of it when ine

    didn''t give her an answer.

    Before Charlotte entered thepany, she had always been the top candidate for the position of

    chief designer. However, the night before she was told this position was already filled by someone

    else.

    ine touched the ne around her neck as Quincy left. A n formed in her mind.

    She wanted to make it so Charlotte will leave the Emerson Corporation without her even lifting a

    finger.

    At the gate of the kindergarten.

    Shane held Sheryl''s hand as they walked into the kindergarten. ss usually starts at nine o''clock

    so Shane wasn''t in a hurry.

    "Daddy, this is my kindergarten."

    Sheryl pointed at the building before them proudly. She seemed to be very excited. After some

    thought, she suddenly asked him hopefully, "Daddy, will you bring me to kindergarten all the time?"

    "Sure."

    Shane agreed without hesitation and stroked her hair adoringly.

    "You''re..."

    "Good morning, teacher."

    Shane didn''t intend to reply, but when he heard Sheryl''s sweet voice, he nced over calmly.

    "Teacher, he is my new daddy."

    Sheryl raised her head proudly as if she was showing off something precious to everyone else.

    "Teacher, although my daddy is very handsome, you can''t steal him away. He belongs to my

    mommy only."

    Sheryl blinked innocently and tugged at Shane''s hand. He couldn''t help but smile at her words.

    "It''s almost time for ss. Sheryl''s daddy, you can hand her over to me."

    A blush suddenly appeared on the woman''s face as she frantically took Sheryl''s hand from the tall

    and handsome man.

    "Daddy, bye."

    Sheryl waved at the man who was standing in the middle of the crowd. She was somewhat

    reluctant to part with him.

    "Charlotte, these are the original design drafts that Mr. Miller needs. We''re all too busy now so you

    would have to send them over."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Quincy red at the people around and instantly put on an anxious look.

    "Alright."

    Charlotte was already kind-hearted to begin with. She took the stack of design drafts and walked

    out. She did not notice the vicious gaze behind her at all.

    "You obviously had the time to go..."

    Someone pipped in weakly from beside. Quincy red at her and she immediately quieted down.

    Everyone in thepany knew that she was Director Emerson''s handy assistant. Anyone who

    crossed her will have no choice but to leave thepany.

    It seemed that Charlotte''s good days hade to an end.

    At this moment, Charlotte was staring nkly at the rising numbers in the elevator. She did not

    know danger was approaching her.

    Suddenly, she realised something was wrong. Charlotte''s heart instantly jumped to her throat.

    The lift began to fall bit by bit. Without any warning, it descended into a free fall. Charlotte was filled

    with fear.

    "Is anyone there?"

    Charlotte didn''t dare take another step towards the elevator''s door.

    She was answered by the echoes of her own voice.

    "Why hasn''t Charlotte returned yet? Could something have happened?"

    The colleague, who was sitting closest to Charlotte, couldn''t help but mutter.

    "Felix, do you like Charlotte? Who knows if she''s in Mr. Miller''s warm embrace by now. You have

    nothing to be worried about."

    Quincy rolled her eyes disdainfully and was about to leave with her cup of coffee.

    "Stop right there."

    Felix Williams clenched his fists tightly. He strode forward and blocked the took a long step and

    directly blocked the bully of a woman.

    "Felix Williams, what do you think you''re doing? What can you get for going against me for the sake

    of that neer, Charlotte?"

    Quincy couldn''t help but snap.

    "I only know that the consequences of your actions will be severe if I don''t stop you!"

    "I''ve told you, I don''t know. Can''t you understand?"

    Almost everyone was watching the two of them fight.

    "What are you arguing about?"

    ine had already noticed the situation through the security cameras early on, but she took her

    time to walk over.

    "It''s just that neer, Charlotte, had wandered off somewhere but Felix keeps insisting that I lost

    her. She''s an adult, how could I..."

    "There was an ident with the elevator. It seems that someone is trapped inside."

    The security guard suddenly rushed over directly towards the broken down elevator.

    When a crowd formed outside the design department, Quincy nced at them scornfully and

    followed behind reluctantly.

    Half an hourter, Charlotte finally walked out of the elevator miserably. She scanned the

    surrounding crowd with her cold eyes.

    Perhaps five years ago, she would have naively thought that this was an ident, but that was no

    longer the case now.

    The indifference in Charlotte''s eyes stunned Quincy for a moment. She pretended to be oblivious

    towards her.

    "Thank you."

    Charlotte was always a person with a clear sense of judgement. She turned towards the security

    guard who had rescued her and thanked him.

    "Charlotte, I didn''t hurt you on purpose. You''re the one who took this elevator because you''re

    unlucky. Don''t you nder me!"

    Quincy deliberately walked in front of Charlotte. She didn''t think Charlotte would use her in front

    of so many people.

    "I don''t care if you''re involved or not. I''ll definitely investigate this matter thoroughly."

    Charlotte looked at Quincy coldly. Quincy pretended to be calm as she swallowed hard.

    "Knock-"

    There was a sudden knock on the door of the Fuller Group''s office on the top floor.

    "Come in."

    Shane frowned in displeasure, his eyes were ice cold.

    "Shane, there''s something I have to tell you."

    Braden suddenly rushed in imposingly. He slowed down when he saw Shane''s look that could

    almost kill him.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Anyone could tell how impatient Shane was.

    "Did you know that Charlotte is currently the designer of the Emerson Corporation? She''s also the

    Chief designer!"

    Braden bellowed without any warning. His eyes widened when he saw Shane''s calm reaction and

    pointed in disbelief at him.

    "You already knew it, didn''t you?"

    "I didn''t know."

    Shane tapped his fingers on the desk rhythmically with a yful smirk on the corner of his lips.

    It seemed that he underestimated this woman!

    "Don''t you know Charlotte was the Design Manager for ourpany? She had seen through

    multiple designs when she worked here. What if she betrays us and sells one of our designs to the

    Emerson Corporation?"

    Shane''s calm expression made Braden realize that he was way more concerned about this than his

    friend.

    Humph, why would he? He wasn''t the one who was all over that Charlotte broad!

    there was a trace of helplessness in Shane''s eyes. He still remembered the determination and

    anger on Charlotte''s dainty face when she was used of sellingpany designs.

    "Don''t doubt my passion for this profession!"

    That was what she said before, wasn''t it?

    "I''m done. There''s no use for me to say anything further."

    Braden''s expression showed that he had given up thoroughly. He put his hand on his forehead and

    shook it helplessly.

    Braden''s phone vibrated in his pocket. He smiled and waved at Shane as he leisurely answered his

    phone. "Anne, where are you?"

    "Okay, wait for me there. I''ll be right there."

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    His voice slowly faded as he walked away. Shane''s mouth twitched slightly.

    "Mr. President, did you want to see me?"

    Zoe Watson, Shane''s secretary, stood before him in a professional suit. She had the career every

    woman was envious of but it didn''te without a price. She had to be patient and calm all the

    time.

    "Yes."

    But after a long pause, Shane turned to Zoe and said, "It''s fine. You can leave."

    Even though Zoe was very confused, she didn''t question him. She respectfully pushed the door

    open and left.

    After getting off work, Charlotte couldn''t help but go to Sheryl''s kindergarten. However, she noticed

    a familiar car parked at the side of the road outside the kindergarten.

    She immediately knew who it was by one look at the number te.

    "President, it''s Mrs. Fuller-"

    Cole clenched his teeth and said. He nced nervously at Shane, who was resting, through the

    rearview mirror.

    God knows how long they had been waiting outside of the kindergarten...

    Shane slowly opened his eyes. His intense eyes gradually rxed.

    "Mr. President, I think Mrs. Fuller has seen us. I''ll go..."

    Cole swallowed hard as he felt a chill down his spine and his voice slowly became softer.

    "It''s fine."

    Shane sat crossed- legged and looked at Charlotte who quickly averted her gaze from his car.

    There was a strange feeling in his heart.

    As the school bell rang, a group of children rushed out of the yard.

    "Mommy ��"

    Sheryl ran towards Charlotte excitedly with open arms. While she was in Charlotte''s arms, her eyes

    darted back and forth.

    "Baby, what are you looking at?"

    Charlotte asked in confusion.

    "Mommy, didn''t daddye?"

    Sheryl noticed Charlotte was a little jealous so she immediately said, "Mommy, I want both you and

    daddy''s love."

    "I''ll hold her."

    At some point, Shane had walked to their side. He gave off a very domineering vibe, there were few

    people who would dare to approach him.

    Charlotte wanted to refuse him but when she saw Sheryl stretched out her arms towards him, she

    couldn''t help but smile a little.

    Charlotte shrugged her shoulders helplessly as she watched the two of them leave happily.

    Would she have to leave this cepletely when the contract expires?

    "You guys go ahead. I have to go back to the Emerson family."

    Charlotte exined to Shane as she looked at the car door opened by Cole and shook her head.

    "Okay."

    Shane didn''t ask any further but nodded his head nonchntly.

    "Thank you."

    Charlotte gritted her teeth without looking at him.

    The Emerson Family Charlotte dragged her exhausted body back to the front door of the Emerson

    Vi only to see the lights still on in the living room.

    She wanted to quickly pass by the living room but someone suddenly called out her name.

    "Lottie-"

    ine smiled viciously when Charlotte paid her no attention. "Lottie, I have no idea what happened

    at the office today. If I knew, I would''ve saved you," she continued.

    Charlotte could already picture her phoney face without even turning around.

    "Timothy? You''re home early."

    ine feigned innocence and looked at the man who was taking off his suit at the door. The corners

    of her mouth lifted to form an evil smile.

    "Yes."

    Timothy nced at the other woman in the room and sneered, "I thought you''d nevere back.

    Hmph!"

    Charlotte turned around and looked directly at his aged face. She didn''t feel an ounce of pity forthat

    man.

    "Why can''t Ie back? This is the ce my mother left for me!" "Your mother? Your mother lost

    her ce in this family long ago. Now, I''m the one who makes the rules in this family!"

    Timothy bellowed breathlessly as he pointed at Charlotte with his eyes wide open. He began to

    cough louder and louder.

    "Lottie, just stop talking. Your father''s health is not good. I didn''t even tell your father about what

    happened at thepany. Now you..."

    ine pretended to be distressed. She put her hand on Timothy''s chest and patted it gently.

    "What happened at thepany?"

    "It''s nothing."

    ine muttered hesitantly which made Timothy even more furious.

    "I''ve allowed you to enter the Emerson Corporation and agreed to let you be the chief

    designer. What more do you want? Do you want to turn the wholepany upside down?"

    Timothy med her angrily.

    "Yes."

    Charlotte swept a cold nce at the both of them. Her palm-sized face was filled with sadness but

    she put on a strong act.

    "You impudent girl! Get out of this house!"

    Timothy suddenly stood up from the sofa.

    After violently coughing a few times, he gently waved ine away.

    "Who do you think you are?"

    Charlotte''s eyes were full of hatred as she stared at the man, whom she called father persistently.

    As Charlotte left, ine couldn''t help but watch with a smirk on her face.

    ''Yes, that''s it. Charlotte, do you think you can fight me?'' she thought.

    "Timothy, Lottie is still young. You should be more patient with her. In fact, Lottie has be the

    public enemy at the design department." ine deliberately pretended to be more pitiful when she

    saw the disappointment on Timothy''s face.

    "Thepany''s elevator malfunctioned and Lottie happened to be inside. When she came out...

    she threatened her colleagues in the design department. Even I was included..."

    ine continued in a weak voice.

    "Why didn''t you tell me?"

    Timothy punched the sofa angrily but he had made a decision in his heart.

    "Didn''t I say I don''t want you to worry? How can you me me..."

    Timothy had no choice but to give in when he saw ine''s tearful face.

    After she returned to her room, Charlotte locked herself up andid on the bed frozen. She only

    managed to break out from her thoughts when her phone started to vibrate.

    "Anne..."

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    Anne''s heart jumped when she heard Charlotte''s worn out voice over the phone.

    "Lottie, what''s wrong with you?" Anne red at the man fastening her seatbelt and asked her

    anxiously.

    "I''m fine."

    "Lottie, you''ve always been a frank person so you don''t need to force a smile in front of me. You''d

    feel better if you talk about it."

    Anne saidfortingly.

    On the other end of the phone, Charlotte''s vision instantly turned blurry.

    "Anne, I''m really fine. It''s just I''m not used to working at the Emerson Corporation."

    Charlotte forced back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

    All of a sudden, Anne burst outughing. "If you''re able to get used to the NC Company, you should

    do well in your ownpany."

    "I''m just..."

    Charlotte had yet to finish her sentence when Anne''s cheerful voice red through the phone.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but move the phone a little further away.

    "Charlotte, I haven''t seen you cower before when we were abroad. What''s the matter? Are you

    bothered because of this little problem?" Are you still the same Charlotte I know?"

    "You can do it."

    Charlotte made an encouraging gesture towards her pale self in the mirror after she calmed herself

    down.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    The next day, Charlotte arrived at thepany early in the morning. Before she even sat down, she

    was informed an emergency meeting was to be held.

    "Why do you think there''s a meeting so early in the morning? Can''t they let us have a good rest?"

    Quincyined to her colleague irritatedly. She deliberately nudged Charlotte with her elbow

    when she walked past her.

    "Ah! I''m sorry, it was an ident."

    Quincy covered the corner of her mouth with her hand and looked surprised. She sneered at

    Charlotte''s coffee-stained clothes and left.

    "Are you all right? Do you need to ask Director Emerson for a leave to go home and change your

    clothes?"

    Her colleague, who was trembling with fear, suddenly felt a sense of pity for Charlotte.

    "I''m fine. Let''s go."

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    Charlotte watched coldly as Quincy left. She simply used a paper towel to dry her clothes.

    Fortunately, she was wearing a ck pantsuit, so nobody could see the stain on her clothes without

    looking carefully.

    "Lottie, sit over here."

    ine saw the white stain on Charlotte''s clothes as she walked over, she couldn''t help but chuckle.

    "The Emerson Corporation might not be as big as the Fuller Group. But it''s still a pioneer enterprise.

    As its chief designer, you''d manage to mess yourself up this way."

    Charlotte just nced at her coldly. She casually chose a seat far away from ine and sat down.

    ine rolled her eyes and forced herself to suppress the anger in her heart. However, she

    remained a poker face.

    "Since everyone is here, I''ll make the announcement now." ine purposely paused for a few

    seconds. Her gaze swept across the faces of the staff from the Department of Design and finally

    landed on Charlotte. She continued, "I''m sure everyone knows about the famous Mr. Mrit?"

    "Of course we''ve heard of him. He is the talk of the design world. I''ve also heard that he''s here to

    find the perfect design."

    Quincy exined arrogantly as if to show off her intelligence.

    "Yes, that''s him. Now the Emerson

    Corporation needs a design on the frontlines. You will have one day to work on it. Who is willing to

    take on this task?"

    ine nced at everyone calmly, shaking her right leg, as if she was waiting for an answer.

    There was a dead silence in the room, even Quincy, who was eager to unt her expertise just now,

    shut up.

    A few minutester, ine turned to look at Charlotte who was opposite her and pretended to be

    gentle and asked, "Lottie, do you think you can do it?"

    "She''s the Chief designer. Of course, it wouldn''t be a problem. How can people who know nothing

    like us gain Mr. Writ''s recognition?"

    As soon as Quincy finished her words, she noticed a pair of cold eyes on her.

    "Quincy, if I''m not wrong, your major is design in college, right? But now, you''re saying you know

    nothing about it. Does the Emerson Corporation just hire anyone from the streets?"

    Her words made Quincy swallow back her words and a hint of embarrassment shed through her

    eyes.

    ine''s face was dark as well. After all, she was the one that brought Quincy into thepany. She

    had several of her own people in each department.

    "Since Charlotte isn''t willing to ept it, then..."

    Before ine could finish her words, she was interrupted by Charlotte, who had a stony expression

    on her face.

    "Who says I don''t want to do it?" Charlotte nced at Quincy, who looked ufortable, and

    continued, "I don''t want to be ridiculed by others and I won''t force myself to do something I don''t

    want to."

    Charlotte chose to take on this thorny project because she wanted to lead the Emerson Corporation

    even further.

    "Alright."

    ine stood up with a smile. The corners of her mouth quirked up into a faint smile. She walked

    towards Charlotte''s side and said, "I hope you can help the Emerson Corporation do better."

    "Of course."

    Charlotte red back at her coldly. Then, she stood up and left.

    "Director Emerson, look at her. I''d like to see what she cane up with!"

    "Let''s call it a day."

    ine said slowly to the group of people in the room and left the meeting room.

    When Charlotte returned to her office, she immediately isted herself from the rest of the people

    and started to work on herputer.

    Her phone was vibrating constantly but Charlotte just ignored it and continued with her work.

    "Charlotte, your phone is ringing..."

    Her colleagues kindly reminded her

    "She heard it. She doesn''t need you to remind her? You can mind your own business, don''t disturb

    her great works she thinks..."

    "Shut up."

    Charlotte red at Quincy with a cold face.

    "How dare you!"

    Quincy had no choice but to shut her mouth obediently under everyone''s gaze. She was so furious

    she stormed to the tea room in exasperation.

    Time slowly passed, a few eyes kept ncing at the clock while others worked frustratingly on their

    projects.

    "It''s finally time to get off work."

    "Charlotte, aren''t you leaving?"

    Her colleagues asked with a puzzled face while stretching his arms backwards.

    "You go first. I want to finish this."

    Charlotte was still not satisfied as she looked at the designs in her hands.

    The employees in thepany left one after another. Soon, the sun started to set.

    After some time, Charlotte finally lifted her head from the pile of work. She was shocked when she

    saw it was dark outside.

    "This is bad, I still have to call Sheryl..."

    Charlotte packed the stacks of design anxiously and stashed them in her bag. Then she walked out

    of the design department on the third floor.

    The empty building made Charlotte shiver slightly.

    It was only eight o''clock, but no one was working overtime...

    "What''s going on?"

    Charlotte looked at the locked door and knocked on the heavy ss door. There was no one else

    except her.

    Was she going to spend the night there?

    "Is anyone here?"

    Charlotte patted on the door frame with all her strength. Suddenly, she took out her phone from her

    bag.

    "I''m sorry, but the number you are calling is unavable. Please call againter..."

    A woman''s automatic response rang out from the phone and Charlotte helplessly shook her head.

    "Sure enough, men are unreliable!"

    At this moment, Shane stood before the enormous window looking out.

    "Achoo!"

    Shane was on the phone discussing affairs of hispany branch in M country. His sudden sneeze

    made the look in his cold eyes seem even more intense.

    "Charlotte, do you even still remember me?"

    Charlotte called another number she could memorize from heart It seemed she had already

    expected to be answered by her deafening voice and moved her phone away in time.

    "Sorry, I was at work."

    "Humph, tell me, what do you want?"

    Anne snorted haughtily.

    "My phone would die soon. If Sheryl calls you, just tell her I''m at your ce. Can you help cover

    me? You''re the best!"

    Charlotte suddenly spoke with a hint of coquetry.

    "Stop!" Anne frowned doubtfully. She nced at the leaves falling around and continued, "Where

    are you? Are you at the Emerson family?"

    "Tell me the truth!" Anne crossed her arms around her chest in an imposing manner.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    "I''m at thepany."

    Charlotte shrugged her shoulders helplessly and quickly continued, "I was working overtime alone.

    Now all the doors are locked and I can''t get out."

    "Did you call Shane?"

    Anne asked in confusion with a nk look on her face.

    She had heard from Braden that Shane actually had genuine feelings for Charlotte. It was possible

    they might be sparks between them if they spent more time together.

    "He did not answer his phone."

    Charlotte told the truthful. She had no intention to hide it.

    "Wait for me there. I''ll be right there."

    Anne hung up the phone and dragged a confused Braden to the Emerson Corporation.

    Ten minutester...

    "Open the door!"

    Anne panted heavily with her hands on her hips as she pointed at the closed doors.

    "Lottie, you''re finally out."

    Charlotte stood there with a puzzled expression as the door opened. Anne immediately bent

    forward to pull her out, then anxiously asked her, "Why only you alone need to work overtime? What

    about others? Are you stupid?"

    "What''s wrong?"

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    Charlotte looked at the two people standing before her.

    "How can you finish your work in a day? Besides, you''re a shareholder of thepany."

    After the security guard opened the door of the building, he couldn''t help but muttered in a low

    voice, "Didn''t they say the whole building is empty tonight? Why is there still someone?"

    His voice was soft but anyone around could hear him clearly.

    "Stop right there."

    Anne suddenly yelled and walked towards the security guard. "What did you say?" She asked

    doubtfully.

    "It''s nothing."

    The security guard shook his head and was about to leave.

    "Wait a minute. Who told you that this building was empty tonight?"

    Charlotte suddenly walked over, her gaze was ice cold.

    If she was right, there was more to this matter.

    "You must have heard wrongly."

    The security guard shook his head. He wanted to leave but was quickly subdued by Braden

    effortlessly.

    Anne couldn''t help but blow a kiss towards Braden which made Charlotte look away.

    She was so sick of their public disys of affections.

    "Tell us!"

    Braden put more pressure on the security guard''s neck. He leaned beside his ears menacingly and

    whispered, "Are you sure you won''t tell us?"

    "I''ll talk!" The security blurted with cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He gritted his teeth and

    said, "It was a beautiful woman. She came by and told me to close up by six o''clock tonight since

    they are running a test on the security system."

    "Oh, who told you that?"

    Charlotte raised her head and asked the security guard scornfully.

    "I don''t know her name, ouch!" The security guard held back the pain in his arm and continued to

    protest, "I really don''t know."

    "Mr. Collins, let him go. Maybe he really doesn''t know." Charlotte paused for a moment and

    continued, "Thanks to him, I''m able to get out. Otherwise, I would''ve been stuck here all night."

    The corner of Charlotte''s lips curled up bitterly

    There was no point in forcing an answer out of him. An order like this would only be done with

    ine''s consent.

    "Lottie..."

    Anne called out heart-wrenchingly.

    "I''m fine."

    Charlotte immediately noticed Anne''s worried eyes so she forced a smile and shook her head.

    "You haven''t eaten, have you?"

    Anne immediately grabbed Charlotte''s hand and walked forward, ignoring Braden, who had been

    following her the whole time.

    "Lottie, just order whatever you want"

    Anne handed the menu over to Charlotte.

    "I''ll have something simple. I need to get back to work soon." "You''re not a robot!" Anne red at

    her angrily. Then, she crossed her arms and pretended to be mad at her.

    Charlotte looked on with amusement. She rolled her eyes at Braden, who was sitting beside Anne.

    She was still not willing to put Anne into the hands of this yboy.

    "Mr. Writ is here. I need his approval to build a firm foundation at the Emerson Corporation."

    "Mr. Writ?"

    Anne suddenly widened her eyes and pointed at Braden. She seemed to be at a loss for words.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Charlotte cast a confused nce towards Anne, who was acting strangely. Eventually, she turned to

    look at Braden.

    "It''s better you give up. Mr. Writ will pick the NC Company for sure."

    Braden nced at Charlotte arrogantly. He looked exactly like a yboy with his arms and legs

    crossed.

    "Why not?"

    Charlotte asked without a second thought.

    "Lottie, actually, the renowned Mr. Writ is his ssmate. The reason he came this time is to take a

    look at the NCpany."

    Anne exined in a weak voice, her voice gradually softened with each word.

    "Let''s have a fairpetition."

    Charlotte quietly suggested to Braden.

    "Lottie, is this task that important to you?" Anne asked softly when she saw the determination in

    Charlotte''s eyes.

    "Yes."

    Charlotte nodded her head vigorously.

    It was true. This was not only important for the Emerson Corporation, it was also a turning point for

    her to gain respect in the design department.

    "Braden..."

    Anne prompted him in a low voice.

    "Let''spete fairly."

    Charlotte suddenly said to Braden with more certainty.

    One was a chief designer while the other was a design manager. Both were quite skilled in the

    design department.

    "Sounds good."

    Braden couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows. He had a newfound respect for Charlotte.

    If it were another woman, she might have been thinking of using her connections to gain Mr. Writ''s

    approval.

    But, she didn''t...

    "Lottie, you have no way of finding him."

    Anne immediately threw cold water on Charlotte''s aspirations but Charlotte didn''t take note of her.

    The next day, Charlotte thought of every possible method to contact Mr. Writ but they were all dead

    ends. She was still unable to get any news from him.

    She couldn''t help but wonder if Mr. Writ was really in the city.

    "What are you doing?"

    Charlotte answered her phone anxiously. She did not notice the note on the screen.

    "Huh? I... I''m working."

    Charlotte''s heart instantly became a mess when she heard his unusual voice.

    "Do you want to meet Mr. Writ?"

    All of a sudden, Shane smiled mischievously as he thought of the startled look on Charlotte''s face.

    "Yes.��

    Charlotte gritted her teeth and fiddled with her work ID.

    "Come out."

    Shane demanded the woman on the other end of the phone.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Didn''t you say you wanted to meet Mr. Writ?"

    Shane felt slightly unhappy when he noticed there was a hint of wariness in her voice.

    "... Yes, can you bring me to him?"

    Charlotte asked, her voice was a mix of excitement and cautiousness.

    "Yes."

    "Take your design draft with you."

    The corner of his lips curved up as he swirled the cup of coffee in his hand out of habit.

    A few minutester, Cole was asked to drive Shane out.

    The car finally stopped in front of a grand looking restaurant. It was surrounded by eyecatching

    signboards at sight.

    "Let''s go to a private booth."

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    Shane strode into the secluded restaurant and headed towards the private booth on the second

    floor.

    Cole parked the car in the garage and quickly followed behind him.

    At this time, Charlotte was already waiting at the entrance of the booth but she did not enter.

    "Mr... Fuller."

    Charlotte called out softly as the handsome man slowly approached her.

    "Call me Shane next time. You don''t need to be so formal."

    His warm breath blew against her skin. Charlotte''s face immediately turned crimson red.

    "Let''s go in."

    "This..."

    Charlotte nced around at the room''s elegantyout. The arrangement of the rosewood table

    showed the tasteful design of the restaurant.

    Although the Emerson family was quite well-known, they still weren''t able to get a VIP room here,

    not to mention a big private booth.

    "This is Braden''s ce."

    Lottie''s eyes immediately widened in shock at his words.

    "Yes, I am the owner of this restaurant. To be exact, it''s a hobby of mine to kill time."

    Braden walked over with a smile on his face. He stopped a few feet away from Charlotte. "I didn''t

    expect Shane to invite you here. Mr. Writ was already going to sign a deal with the NCpany.

    Who knew you would enter the equation so suddenly?"

    "Mr. Collins, don''t you think you are disrespecting other designers if you signed a contract based on

    your connections?"

    Charlotte gazed directly into Braden''s yful eyes. She did not worry much about her own design.

    "Miss Emerson, let me ask you then, don''t you think it''s unfair for the other designers that you''re

    using this resourceful man beside you?"

    Braden wasn''t mad but he asked back with a smile.

    "I have the ability to beat other people. You can gather all the other designers around, I have no

    objection."

    "You are just so confident?"

    Shane asked before he could reply.

    "That''s right."

    Charlotte nodded her head.

    She couldn''t disappoint Shane and she didn''t want Braden to look down on her.

    "Hi!"

    Charlotte heard a soft voice from behind her. She turned around and stared at the face that was

    almost as good-looking as Shane.

    Shane was elegant from the inside out but the man before her gave a warm and gentle vibe.

    He was the ideal image of a gentleman...

    All of a sudden, her line of sight was blocked. She saw a gloomy face as she slowly shifted her

    gaze upwards.

    "Let''s go in."

    Shane threw a cold nce at Braden, who followed behind him.

    Braden suddenly shivered when he noticed that the temperature around him had dropped.

    "Are you the Charlotte Braden spoke of?"

    Mr. Writ pointed towards the dainty woman hidden behind Shane and asked in a positive tone.

    "Hello, Mr. Writ, my name is Charlotte. Nice to meet you."

    Charlotte suddenly stuck out her head from Shane''s back and introduced herself courteously.

    "I''ve seen your resume. I''ve also done some research on your work. I''m quite optimistic about you.

    Mr. Writ nced at Charlotte sternly as he sat down.

    "Thank you."

    Charlotte was about to sit beside Mr. Writ when Braden sat beside him smugly. But she was quickly

    pulled to the table next to them.

    It was Shane who pulled her over.

    The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant. Charlotte felt like burying herself in a hole.

    "Mr. Fuller, who is this?"

    "My wife."

    Shane gave a brief introduction.

    "She''s cute."

    Mr. Writ touched his chin and raised his eyebrows at Charlotte, who was already blushing.

    Braden couldn''t help but straighten his cor. He red at the man next to him who couldn''t read

    the room at all.

    "Let''s begin."

    "Alright."

    Mr. Writ said softly. He then pointed at Braden, who was anxious to have a go, and continued, "You

    can go first. To be honest, I''m not really interested in your work."

    Braden was stunned for a few seconds. Suddenly, he pointed to Mr. Writ exasperatedly and

    comined, "Can''t you give me angrily at the man next to him and said, "Can''t you save my ego?

    People improve with time, don''t you know?"

    "I don''t think that applies to you."

    Writ smiled wryly at Braden, who was already furious.

    "Pfft-"

    Charlotte couldn''t keep a straight face any longer and let out augh. Shane, who was sitting next

    to her, was also stunned.

    "The theme of our design is love..."

    Braden paid no attention to the man''s sarcastic remarks as he continued to speak with assurance.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but admire hispetency. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be working with Shane.

    "What about you?"

    After Braden finished speaking, he raised his eyebrows at Charlotte on the other side.

    "Aren''t youpletely convinced by my design? It''s okay. Keep your amazement to yourself."

    "Sorry, I was distracted."

    Charlotte apologized sincerely. Braden''s face turned dark in an instant.

    Beside her, Shane''s mouth curved up slightly. He crossed his legs and frowned when it knocked

    against the table.

    "My design is centralised around a teardrop. The outside isposed of several triangles. It

    symbolizes a mother''s eternal love for her child and her unbreakable courage..."

    It was strange to see three adult men listen to Charlotte talk about her design.

    As she finished, Charlotte pursed her lips and waited for Mr. Writ''s response.

    "Not bad."

    He took the lead and started to apud. Then he continued, "I''d like to ask you a personal question,

    why did youe up with such an idea? Most people would design something that revolves

    dreams and love." "Actually, I''ve thought about love but I felt it was hard to resonate with people."

    Charlotte exined earnestly.

    "You are very smart."

    "Thank you."

    Charlotte didn''t think that he was mocking her so she epted it with a smile.

    "Mr. Fuller, why is your wife working in the Emerson Corporation instead of yourpany? She is

    an asset."

    Writ couldn''t help but tease him.

    "I don''t care."

    Shane said with a nk face. In fact, only Braden could feel his expression softened.

    "Mr. Writ, whose work will you choose?"

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte looked at him expectantly. But her gaze was blocked somewhat unintentionally.

    "I''ve already made my answer very clear." Miss deliberately kept them guessing. He stood up and

    offered his hand towards Charlotte, who was very confused. "I hope you won''t disappoint."

    "Yes."

    Charlotte nodded her head sweetly. As the three of them were left in the room, she grabbed

    Shane''s sleeve tightly and said excitedly, "Thank you!"

    "I''m your husband, you don''t have to thank me.

    Shane''s lips curled up into a doting smile which made Charlotte''s face turn red.

    "I''ll leave now. I won''t disturb you."

    Braden shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

    In reality, he was in awe of Charlotte''s ability. However, it would make his job more interesting to

    have a worthypetitor.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    In the Emerson Corporation, ine''s face turned dark when she saw the signed contract in her

    mail.

    "Knock, knock, knock--"

    "Come in."

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ine looked up at Quincy. Her face immediately changed in seconds.

    "Director Liu, I want to request for a leave."

    Quincy put her hand on the desk and asked tteringly, "I promise that I will finish my work on time,

    how''s that?"

    "Charlotte has sessfully signed the contract with Mr. Writ. Look at this!"

    "What?"

    Quincy asked with a surprised face, "That''s impossible. Why haven''t I received any news?"

    "Do you have to get it first?"

    There was a sneer on the corner of ine''s mouth as she threw a stack of reports towards Quincy

    and crossed her arms around her chest. "You have to give me an exnation."

    "Director..."

    "Leave. I''d think about it."

    ine closed her eyes and massaged her temple with her hands.

    "Okay."

    As Quincy returned to the office, she saw Charlotte at her desk.

    "Lottie, how is it going?"

    Charlotte''s colleague asked her with a hint of concern.

    "I got it."

    Charlotte slowly turned on theputer. Suddenly, Shane''s handsome but cold face shed

    through her mind. He was so hard to read.

    Forget it, what''s the point of overthinking it...

    "Great! I knew you could do it."

    "You''re so cool!"

    "Charlotte, you will be my idol from now on. You''ve achieved something I''ve never even imagined."

    More and more people gathered around to praise her. But Charlotte felt nothing as she smiled.

    She was very clear about what it meant to be the colleague.

    "Are you done?"

    Quincy, who had been ignored the entire time, suddenly snapped. Everyone around quickly quieted

    down.

    "How did you sign the contract? I know for a fact that Mr. Writ never meets anyone. How did you

    meet him?"

    Quincy looked at Charlotte with a mocking smile.

    "It''s none of your business."

    "How dare you!"

    Quincy reached out her hand to hit her in a fury but Charlotte quickly stood up and caught her hand.

    "I don''t care what you did in the Emerson Corporation before. But since you are in the design

    department, you should do your job, otherwise, get out of here."

    Although Charlotte was good- hearted, she wasn''t one to be bullied by others.

    Quincy withdrew her hand when she saw her cold eyes. "Why should I do as you say?" She

    retorted back menacingly.

    "Because I own 10 percent of the Emerson Corporation''s shares!"

    Charlotte deliberately leaned closer to her and whispered in her ears.

    Quincy looked at Charlotte in disbelief. Her lips quivered slightly but no words came out. Her cheeks

    turned pale in an instant.

    Charlotte paid no attention to Quincy as she left and sat down under the confused gaze of everyone

    around.

    In the director''s office, ine stared at the design on theputer. She couldn''t help but threw all

    the documents on the table to the floor.

    "Argh!"

    "Director?"

    Someone interrupted from the door.

    "Get the hell out of here!"

    ine roared as lost control of her anger. A trace of viciousness shed in her eyes.

    ''Charlotte, I don''t think you can stay here any longer,'' she thought.

    At the top floor of the Emerson Corporation, ine slowly pushed open the door. She swayed her

    hips and sauntered towards Timothy, who was sitting in front of theputer.

    "Timothy-"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "I don''t know if I should tell you this." ine pretended to be distressed.

    Timothy always had a soft spot for ine. He frowned and put down everything on his hands. "Who

    upset you this time?" He askedfortingly.

    "Cough... Cough..."

    All of a sudden, Timothy started to cough violently but his hands remained on ine''s waist.

    "Timothy, are you alright?"

    "Let''s go home."

    Timothy shook his head and put his hands on his chest. He didn''t notice the cold look in the eyes of

    the woman within his arms.

    "Alright, let''s go."

    ine put her hand on Timothy''s waist and walked out of thepany step by step.

    Charlotte was about to get coffee when she was met by this sight. Her eyes hardened and she

    passed by without even lifting her head.

    As usual, Charlotte stayed to work overtime in thepany. She sorted out some of the documents

    she just received. The only difference this time was the absence of Quincy''s constant badgering.

    "Timothy, I forgot to tell you. Charlotte has sessfully signed the contract with Mr. Writ. However,

    when everyone in the department congratted her, she said..."

    "What did she say?"

    Timothy questioned breathlessly with his eyes wide.

    "She said she owns 10% of thepany''s share. She also said thepany would belong to her

    and you will leave sooner orter."

    ine burst into tears as she spoke. Sheid her hands on Timothy''s shoulders and continued,

    "Timothy, you can''t leave us. How can we live without you?"

    "Don''t worry, I won''t."

    Timothy gently stroked her back and looked straight ahead but no one could guess what was on his

    mind.

    Around eight o''clock in the evening, Charlotte dragged her tired body back to the Emerson''s home.

    She nced towards the dimly lit garden but she no longer held on to a glimmer of hope.

    There wasn''t a single light lit to wee her home.

    In the bedroom on the second floor, ine reluctantly opened the door when she heard a knock.

    "What''s the matter?"

    ine stared at the man at the door with a trace of disdain. She moved aside as if she was avoiding

    a gue.

    However, a few secondster, ine was pacing back and forth excitedly. She couldn''t stop asking,

    "Are you serious?"

    "Say it again."

    "Madam, Mr. Emerson had asked me to invite Mr. Jones, who is in charge of the Emerson''s debts,

    toe over. He should be arriving soon."

    The butler continued to speak with a solemn look in a respectful manner.

    "You can leave first. I''ll be there right away."

    ine nced at the butler with a smile stered permanently on her face.

    "Okay, Madam."

    After the door was closed again, ine walked to the changing room while humming a happy tune.

    She slowly changed out of her pajamas into some casual clothing.

    She looked exactly like the perfect mother from head to toe.

    She did not believe that the old man would invite hiswyer sote in the night for no reason.

    At this time, Charlotte had just entered the living room. Shepletely turned a blind eye to the

    man in the room.

    "Stop right there!"

    Timothy chided as he noticed Charlotte walked in while reading the newspaper.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Charlotte suddenly stopped in her tracks. There was not a trace of emotion in her voice.

    "Is that how you should speak to your father?" "Are you saying you''re my father? Don''t you think it''s

    toote to act like my father now?" Charlotte clenched her fists slightly. The bag in her hand was

    already distorted but her face remained calm.

    "Stay here. There are some matters to be discussed."

    Timothy angrily flipped open the newspaper. He had a nervous expression on his face.

    "What...?"

    As soon as he finished, a well-dressed man in a suit and tie walked through the front door.

    At first sight, he seemed like a shrewd man.

    "Mr. Emerson, I''m five minuteste."

    The man nodded courteously towards Timothy. Then ced his briefcase on the table and sat on

    the sofa.

    "You are..."

    Charlotte asked in confusion.

    She had a feeling this man would bring her trouble.

    "I''m Mr. Jones, the Emerson Corporation''swyer. Nice to meet you."

    A trace of doubt shed through his eyes as he looked at Charlotte.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    "You don''t need to talk to her. I asked you here to ask..." Timothy deliberately paused for a few

    seconds. His gaze shifted towards Charlotte and continued, "If the shares were to be turned into

    money, how would that be done?"

    "Well, this..."

    "What do you mean? What does this have to do with me?" Charlotte walked forward coldly. Since

    she was the only one standing, she looked even more intimidating.

    "Transfer your 10% of shares under my name."

    Timothy didn''t feel an ounce of guilt for his words but he quickly averted his gaze when he saw the

    look of disbelief on Charlotte''s face.

    "Do you not feel guilty at all for your own words?"

    Charlotte''s body trembled with despair.

    "I''ll pay you to transfer the shares under my name. Isn''t that the same?"

    "Lottie, it''s all the same. Take the money and give the share to your father. We are a family, why do

    you want to make such a fuss?"

    ine, who was standing by the stairway, suddenly spoke up. She swayed her hips as she walked

    down the stairs towards Timothy.

    "Shut up."

    Charlotte was so angry, she roared at ine. Her mouth curved into a bitter smile.

    "Timothy Emerson, do you hate me so much? You just can''t wait to throw me out of the Emerson

    house?"

    Charlotte held back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

    "I''m doing this for your own good."

    "For my own good? It''s for your own selfish reasons."

    Charlotte yelled at Timothy without any hesitation.

    "Timothy, look at her..." ine, who was sitting on Timothy''sp, suddenly straightened up and

    whispered to him like a spoiled child.

    "Charlotte Emerson!" Timothy turned away from her miserable sight intentionally. "Don''t me me

    for being heartless if you don''t transfer the shares to me." ''What else do you want?" Charlotte asked

    Timothy scornfully.

    Mr. Jones, who had been ignored the whole time feigned a cough and tried to advise him, "Mr.

    Emerson, if the both of you haven''t made up your minds, I''d better..."

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    "I''ll disown you!"

    He threatened coldly as he suddenly thought of what ine said in the evening.

    "Ha!"

    Charlotte snorted scornfully and stumbled backwards.

    "I don''t need a daughter who wishes I''m dead,"

    Timothy muttered to himself. These words served as an exnation to Charlotte as well. He turned

    away when he saw how heartbroken she was.

    "Who told you that?"

    Charlotte''s gaze shifted towards ine in an instant. The anger in her eyes was evident but it

    quickly turned to despair.

    "Lottie, the Emerson Corporation is not as big as you think. Word gets around."

    The corners of ine''s mouth raised viciously as she said those words.

    "I''ve never said such things."

    ine would say anything to make her guilty!

    Charlotte stared at the people around her coldly. Suddenly, a thought shed through her mind. She

    was about to rush to the second floor when Timothy said,

    "You''re looking for this, aren''t you?"

    Timothy suddenly took out a piece of paper from behind him and dangled it before Charlotte.

    "Why do you have that?"

    Charlotte immediately felt her blood run cold.

    She never expected Timothy to do such a thing.

    "This was what you wanted, isn''t it?"

    The corners of Timothy''s mouth curled up but then he coughed a few times.

    "Timothy, Lottie didn''t mean for you to step down from thepany, she just meant..."

    Charlotte red at ine callously.

    She had never hated anyone as much as she hated ine!

    Her hatred for her was bone- deep to the extent that she wanted to tear ine apart!

    The flicker of a me instantly caught Charlotte''s eye. Her mind went nk for a few seconds

    before she fell into deep despair.

    "Timothy Emerson!"

    She gnashed her teeth with deep hatred in her eyes.

    Charlotte looked at ine''s triumphant smile, then at thewyer who watched her with pity and

    lastly, at the man she called "father" for many years. Even he was staring at her with hatred.

    The next moment, Charlotte rushed to her small room on the second floor.

    Her tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly and she slowly packed up her belongings. There

    was no reason for her to remain here any longer.

    The only thing that held her back was gone...

    She nced at her luggage. Her legs gave way and she fell to the ground helplessly.

    ''Why am I crying over nothing?

    I''ve never held on to any hope in the first ce so there''s nothing to be disappointed about,''

    Charlotteforted herself as she wiped off the tears on her face with her hands.

    After some time had passed, Charlotte walked towards the balcony and breathed in the cold air

    outside. She only drew back the curtains when she felt a slight chill down her body.

    The sound of her suitcase rolling down the hallways was especially ear-piercing in the quiet vi.

    Charlotte curled her thin lips in a somewhat bitter manner.

    Suddenly, Charlotte heard a familiar voice from the room ahead and she stopped in her tracks.

    "Stop it. Now is the crucial part of the n."

    ine''s door was slightly ajar. She did not realize someone was right outside her door.

    "Didn''t Emilia used to be like this? Huh, why would I be afraid of her useless daughter?"

    ine''s voice started to faint until she could hardly be heard.

    Charlotte froze when she heard the name ''Emilia''. Her body stiffened and her forehead furrowed.

    As of her knowledge, ine was not associated with her mother at all. But, she heard every word

    clearly just now.

    Suddenly, a thought that was beyond her imagination crossed her mind.

    Now, she couldn''t help but suspect ine was involved in her mother''s death. Perhaps, it even had

    something to do with her so-called "father."

    Charlotte''s heart gradually hardened. She refused to stay there for another second longer...

    The butler watched with a nk face as Charlotte walked out the front doors. He quickly headed

    towards the second floor.

    "Madam, that woman has left the Emerson family."

    After ine hung up the phone and calmed down, she slowly opened the door and looked at the

    housekeeper standing at the door.

    "Very well. I hope she will nevere back."

    ine looked away maliciously. She crossed her arms and walked towards the kitchen with a smile.

    "Leave that to me."

    ine ordered the housekeeper who was preparing coffee.

    There was a smug expression on her face as she knocked on the door. She entered the room

    without even waiting for a reply.

    "Timothy, don''t be angry. It''s bad for your health."

    ine ced her hand on Timothy''s shoulder gently and put the cup of coffee on the table.

    "You''re the best."

    ine smiled charmingly and continued, "What about Alistair? Isn''t he the best?"

    "You know that I adore him the most. Don''t tease me."

    "Humph!" She snorted.

    ine was about to leave but when she saw that Timothy was sorting somepany documents,

    she deliberately slowed down her pace. There was not a trace of displeasure on her face.

    It was the coldest period of the night. Charlotte shivered as the cold wind blew into her loose

    clothing.

    "Even the wind is bullying me?"

    Charlotte smiled weakly but there was no one around to answer her.

    As she passed by a bar, she walked in without a second thought.

    The radiant lighting in the bar was aplete contrast from the cold outside.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    Charlotte frowned as she looked at the crowd around. In the end, she chose to sit before the bar.

    "Hey beautiful, do you want a drink?"

    The bartender asked her cheerfully. She clearly looked out of ce in the bar.

    "Give me the strongest drink."

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Charlotte sat aside straight to the side. She propped up her chin and watched as people walked in

    and out restlessly.

    No wonder it was said that bars were a paradise for young men and women to enjoy themselves!

    "Here''s your drink."

    As there weren''t many people at the bar, he took a seat opposite to Charlotte. He stared

    interestingly at the delicate but not trampy woman.

    It was the first time heid eyes on such an eye-catching person.

    Charlotte didn''t like the way he stared at her like some prey. After she downed a ss of whiskey,

    she bluntly told the bartender, "I don''t like it when people look at me like that."

    "I''m sorry."

    The bartender was not embarrassed at all. He just waved with a smile and continued, "Do you have

    something on your mind? Tell me and you''ll feel better."

    He quickly shrugged innocently when he saw Charlotte''s scrutinising gaze and said, "Don''t get me

    wrong, I listen to tons of stories each day. You can just pretend I''m a trash can for your worries."

    His metaphor made Charlotte smile. However, she still kept her thoughts to herself.

    After she drank ss after ss of whiskey, Charlotte stared at the blurry person before her. She

    pointed and asked, "Why are you swaying around?"

    The bartender shook his head helplessly.

    He had seen too many people like this!

    "Hello..."

    Her phone started to vibrate in her pocket. Charlotte slowly took her phone out and answered

    without looking at the caller ID.

    "Lottie?"

    Anne was stunned and asked in confusion, "Where are you? Aren''t you at the Emerson family?"

    "Me... Haha, where am I? Where is this ce?"

    Charlotteughed foolishly. However, Anne was beginning to panic on the other end.

    "Wait for me, I''ll be right there."

    Anne only realised she had no location when she hung up the phone. But when she dialled the

    number again, no one answered.

    Shane...

    Yes, only Shane Fuller could find anyone as quickly as possible.

    Shane usually didn''t have the habit of sleepingte but today stayed up to read some stock news on

    his phone.

    "Hello."

    "I see."

    A trace of anxiety suddenly crossed his face and he quickly made a phone call.

    "Send me Charlotte Emerson''s location."

    After giving his orders, he got off the bed and put on his clothes in one breath.

    "Sir, it''ste, where are you going?"

    Ms. Jenny asked curiously. She was cleaning the room when she heard some noises upstairs.

    "Take good care of Sheryl. If she looks for me, tell her I had an emergency."

    Shane briefly exined.

    A brand- new Lamborghini sped out of the garage.

    Anne had been informed by Shane to go to a bar nearby the Emerson house. Once she arrived,

    she noticed Shane beside Charlotte.

    "Lottie?"

    Anne asked tentatively but she didn''t get a response as expected.

    "She''s drunk."

    Anne could obviously detect the coldness from the man opposite her. She unconsciously wrapped

    her arms around herself.

    "Fu... Mr. Fuller, why don''t you hand Lottie over to me? She''ll feel ufortable if she wakes up in

    an unfamiliar environment."

    Anne knew Charlotte very well as they had grown very close over the years. She could instantly

    sense how dejected Charlotte was feeling.

    "Okay."

    Shane already guessed Charlotte wouldn''t want Sheryl to see her in such a depressed state.

    "Thank you."

    Anne thanked him as he carried Charlotte into the car.

    "It''s my responsibility."

    Anne felt his response was quite weird as he left reluctantly.

    Anne rolled her eyes at the unconscious Charlotte and started the car.

    "Hey, why did you drink so much? This is not the way to get rid of your problems."

    Anne mumbled along the way home. After she turned on the light, she carried Charlotte step by

    step into the guest room.

    "You can just sleep here tonight."

    Anne grunted crudely but she gently opened the door and turned off the light as she walked out.

    The room turned dark in an instant. The moonlight shone on the dainty woman sleeping on the bed.

    It was already afternoon when Charlotte groggily opened her eyes.

    The curtain was suddenly pulled open by and Charlotte instinctively used her hand to block the eye-

    piercing light.

    After her eyes adjusted to the light, she slowly removed her arm.

    "Charlotte, are you finally awake?" Anne before the window with her hands on her hips with an

    exasperated look.

    "What time is it?"

    "It''s 10 o''clock!"

    Anne pointed to the rm clock on the wall and snorted angrily.

    "Oh, I see."

    Charlotte nodded her head and asked in confusion, "How did you know that I was at the bar?"

    "It wasn''t me. I couldn''t care less about you. It was your husband who found you. Finding someone

    is a piece of cake for him."

    Anne said bluntly.

    When Charlotte heard the word "husband", her face still looked a little ufortable.

    "I remember I received a call from you..."

    "I asked him for help but he was really efficient."

    Anne narrowed her eyes but she was thinking, ''I could really use his help to find people some other

    day. After all, wouldn''t it be a waste if I don''t use him?"

    "Uh... Where''s Sheryl?"

    Charlotte suddenly raised her voice. She turned to Anne and continued, "Did Sheryl call me?"

    "Yes, she did-" Anne sat on the side of the bed casually. "I told her that mommy was too drunk to

    answer her phone calls."

    Charlotte let out a lowugh at her words.

    She knew Sheryl would never say that.

    "Don''t you need to go to work?"

    Anne asked curiously. She did not miss the trace of hatred in Charlotte''s eyes. She was slightly

    stunned.

    She knew Charlotte hated ine but she didn''t know it was to such an extent.

    The look in Charlotte''s eyes sent a shiver down Anne''s spine. She thought she saw wrongly but

    unfortunately, she was right.

    "No, I probably won''t go back again."

    "Why not?"

    Charlotte lowered her head so no one was able to see her scarred eyes.

    "Anne, I''ll stay with you from now on, can I?"

    Her face waspletely void of the coldness from before when she raised her head. It seemed

    they had returned back to their high school days when they were still young and carefree.

    ''Well, I''m just the daughter of the Jane family.

    Can''t I afford to support you?"

    Anne hugged Charlotte with a smile but it did notst long.

    After all, she didn''t want Charlotte to reopen her old wounds again...

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    Anne looked at the person who was sitting quietly beside her and tried to ease the tense

    atmosphere.

    "Lottie, let''s go shopping." When she finally caught the person''s eyes, Anne continued, "We haven''t

    gone shopping for a long time. We are seldom free. Why don''t we go shopping and watch a movie

    after that? There''s a new movie recently."

    Charlotte had just straightened up, but now she was dragged up from her seat. She smiled

    helplessly and could only nod in agreement.

    "Anne, where is my suitcase?"

    "Here it is."

    Anne pushed the luggage in the corner toward her friend with a helpless look. She couldn''t help

    urging Charlotte, "Lottie, you''re too slow."

    "It''s just the way I am."

    Charlotte was in a good mood when she saw the glum look on Anne''s face.

    It was half an hourter when the two of them finally walked out of the apartment.

    "Lottie, let''s go downtown directly and buy something first. But I have to tell you that I am not in

    charge of cooking. I absolutely don''t want to enter the kitchen."

    Anne said like a spoiled brat.

    "Look at that smug face of yours. I want to punch you in the face."

    Charlotte shook her head helplessly. She slowly shifted her gaze to the rows of high-rise buildings

    outside the car window.

    On their way downtown, they inevitably passed by the Emerson Corporation office building. Anne

    silently nced at Charlotte. She sighed in relief when she did not notice that there was anything

    unusual with Charlotte.

    However, Anne''s relieved sigh did not escape Charlotte''s eyes. Charlotte wasn''t calm at all. She just

    hid her emotions well.

    Emerson Corporation was the only thing her mother let her. Sooner orter, she would take it back!

    "We''re here."

    Anne opened the car door excitedly and waved at Charlotte, who sat next to her.

    "We haven''t been here for a long time."

    Charlotte couldn''t help but sigh.

    "Humph, even if youe here, you only go to the children''s clothing stores. You never buy

    anything for yourself."

    Anne spoke in a sarcastic tone.

    But deep down, she thought that if she had an adorable daughter, she would give the child

    everything."

    "Come on, I''ll help you transform yourself. Let everyone see the new you."

    Anne smiled cunningly and ran into the mall while holding Charlotte''s hand.

    Standing at the door of a hair salon, Charlotte was hesitant, but she was pushed in by Anne.

    "Anne!"

    "Wee."

    The receptionist at the front desk bowed to Anne and Charlotte, beckoning them toward the lobby.

    "Come on, let''s go in."

    Anne nced at the photos of hairstyles on the wall. She rubbed her chin silently, as if thinking

    about something.

    "Excuse me, do you want to style your hair?"

    Suddenly, a man''s voice rang out and startled Anne.

    "Yeah. My friend wants a makeover," Anne

    said.

    "I don''t want to change my hairstyle for the time being. I''vee here to shop with you."

    Charlotte protested helplessly.

    Although she was a designer who could produce the most avant- garde works, she herself wasn''t

    stylish and chic in any way.

    Ten years ago, as the heiress of Emerson Corporation, she was destined to attract attention

    wherever she went. But now, she only wanted to keep a low profile and minimize her sense of

    presence.

    "Sit down. You can''t make the hairstylist wait, can you?"

    Anne used her final trump card. She ced her hands directly on Charlotte''s shoulders and

    continued, "I know that you don''t want to be too eye-catching. But you should shed your dull

    pretense. Stop hiding andpromising. It won''t do you any good."

    "After all, looks are important these days."

    The earlier part of Anne''s speech caused Lottie to fall into deep thought. But the second half baffled

    her.

    "I want this hairstyle on my friend. Can you do that?"

    Anne suddenly pointed to the picture in her hand. Her gaze unconsciously fell on Charlotte''s

    delicate face behind her old-fashioned eye-sses.

    Charlotte had always been a stunner, but she made herself ugly on purpose.

    "No problem. Miss, you indeed have a keen eye."

    The hair salon nced at the hairstyle on the photo with a smile. He asked Anne to wait in a corner.

    An hourter, the hairstylist gazed at his marvelous handiwork and felt very proud of himself.

    "It''s done. It''s simply perfect."

    The hairstylist nced at Charlotte. Although her ck sses still blocked half of her face, one

    could tell that she was a beautiful woman.

    "Charlotte walked towards the ce where Anne was sitting, feeling a little conflicted. And Anne

    took off Charlotte''s sses right away.

    "Ah, that''s more like it."

    Anne''s eyes lit up at the refreshing sight before her. She had known that Charlotte was very

    beautiful. Even if Anne wasn''t interested in women, she was still stunned by her friend''s pretty face.

    All men should envy Shane for being a lucky b*stard.

    Meanwhile, Annemented for her poor brother who had let Charlotte get away...

    Charlotte looked at her reflection in the mirror. She now had wavy hair thatplemented her

    delicate features.

    "Lottie, let''s go and try on some clothes."

    Unable to dampen Anne''s enthusiasm, Charlotte had no choice but to brace herself and follow

    Anne.

    "I want this..." Anne set her eyes on a yellow dress.

    "Pack this up for me," said another person.

    When Charlotte heard that person''s familiar voice, hatred instantly erupted in her eyes, and her

    shoulders trembled slightly.

    "What are you doing here?"

    Spotting a familiar figure in the store, Anne immediately shielded Charlotte behind her and looked

    warily at ine, who dressed sexily.

    From up-close, they could catch a faint whiff of pungent perfume from ine.

    "Why can''t I be here? This is a clothing store, not your house."

    ine deliberately raised her voice so that the few shoppers around her could hear her.

    "ine Emerson, I picked this outfit first," Charlotte said.

    Suddenly, she slowly pushed Anne, who stood in front of her, aside and pointed to the yellow dress

    with a cold expression.

    "Yes, it was Lottie who chose it first. Firste, first serve. Don''t you know that? How rude!"

    As soon as Anne finished speaking, ine shot a finger at her and Charlotte. However, she

    suddenly sneered and took out a VIP card from her bag. Then, she handed it to the retail worker.

    "I am a VIP customer."

    The retail worker nced at the golden card, and then looked at Anne and Charlotte, who were

    empty-handed. She made her decision and said, "I''m sorry, miss, this dress will be given to Mrs.

    Emerson."

    Charlotte suddenly leaned in toward ine, who had a smug expression on her face. She

    whispered, "ine Emerson, if I give up on something, it means that I''ll be after something better.

    You, on the other hand, can pick up things that I''ve discarded."

    There was no emotion in her voice. ine''s face, which was thered with BB cream, turned paler.

    "You..."

    ine tightened her grip on the hem of her shirt and red hatefully at Charlotte.

    All this time, this was thest thing she was willing to admit.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Why was Charlotte showered with love and fortune as soon as she was born? She could get

    everyone''s attention almost without doing anything.

    When Charlotte turned to leave, Anne said, "Lottie, wait a minute."

    She did not intend to leave right away. Under everyone''s puzzled gaze, she said to the retail worker

    word by word, "You''re fired."

    "Huh?"

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102

    The retail worker looked at Anne in a panic and realized that she wasn''t joking.

    "This store is under Jane''s Corporation. My name is Anne Jane, which means I have the right to fire

    a staff member of a subsidiarypany, right?"

    Looking at Anne''s smiling face, the retail worker felt a chill down her spine.

    It took her a lot of effort to be a retail worker at a store managed by Jane''s Corporation. She

    had long heard that the Jane family had a son and a daughter who studied abroad.

    "I won''t make the same mistake again."

    The retail worker lowered her head weakly.

    "All customers are God. I just want to give you a piece of advice. Do not serve only those who seem

    wealthy and powerful. Everyone is equal."

    After that, Anne dragged Charlotte out of the clothing store, leaving ine, who seemed awfully

    embarrassed.

    As the two young women wandered through the mall, Anne forced Charlotte to buy a retro-style

    dress that she had tried on in a boutique shop.

    The chiffon long dress wrapped around Charlotte''s long and fair legs. The dark green rope that tied

    around her waist perfectly outlined her good figure.

    Walking out of the mall, Anne could clearly sense that people on the street kept looking at Charlotte.

    A smile slowly emerged on Anne''s lips.

    So, this was the real Charlotte!

    Across the road, a Maybach limousine was parked under a tree. Cole was in the driver''s seat, and

    his entire body shuddered because he clearly sensed an oppressive aura behind him.

    "Mr. Fuller, are we leaving?"

    Cole asked in a trembling voice.

    They had stayed here for 20 minutes, and Shane had a very important meeting five minutester.

    As soon as he spoke, Cole suddenly heard the car door open and shut. He saw Shane''s tall figure

    slipped out of the car, so he had no choice but to follow.

    "Mrs... Mrs. Fuller."

    Cole was a little shocked as he looked at Charlotte, who seemedpletely different from her usual

    self.

    Normally, she already looked quite sweet without dressing up or putting on any makeup. But now,

    with a brand new outfit and hairstyle, she was simply stunning.

    "Shane."

    When she saw the man in front of her, who suddenly blocked her line of sight, Charlotte called out

    to him in a reluctant manner. Then, she lowered her head timidly.

    "Come with me."

    His voice carried an air of authority that could not be defied.

    Charlotte nced at Anne, and then looked at Shane. She was about to say no, but Shane already

    grabbed her hand and dragged her away. Due to the disparity in their strengths, there was no way

    she could shake him off.

    Anne looked at Shane with a smile, but she didn''t intend to stop him. On the contrary, she was

    happy that he hade to see Charlotte.

    Inside the car, Charlotte looked at the man beside her, who was obviously angry for some reason.

    She couldn''t help but gulp nervously.

    ''I..."

    ''Get out."

    Shane suddenly spoke in a cold voice.

    "Oh, okay."

    When Shane saw that Charlotte was about to open the car door, he nearly fainted. He forcefully

    suppressed the anger in his heart and said word by word, "I''m not talking to you."

    Cole, who was in the driver''s seat, obediently opened the car door and got out. However, he didn''t

    walk too far. Instead, he waited just outside the vehicle under the tree in a somewhat dejected

    manner.

    The car was suddenly filled with silence, and the atmosphere became tenser than before.

    "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

    Shane stared at Charlotte from the corner of his eye.

    "No."

    After thinking for a moment, Charlotte finally shook her head.

    All of a sudden, Shane lifted her chin. Charlotte could only look straight into his hawk-like eyes.

    "You left the Emerson Corporation."

    Shane said in a certain tone. After he saw a sh of coldness in Charlotte''s dark eyes, he

    immediately said, "I can help you get it back."

    "There''s no need forthat.''

    Charlotte gave a bitter smile. In the end, she shook her head.

    How could she not want to get Emerson Corporation back? It was her mother''s life''s work. But

    Charlotte just wanted to get it back by herself, instead of relying on the man before her.

    Shane didn''t ask why. Looking at Charlotte''s serene but determined eyes, he knew that the woman

    in front of him wasn''t a meek person.

    "Do you want to work at Fuller Group?"

    Shane suddenly made a kind offer. He was not in a hurry to get an answer from Charlotte now.

    "Why not NC?"

    Charlotte didn''t answer the question. Instead, she stared at Shane''s handsome face and asked

    another question.

    "It doesn''t suit you."

    "May I ask, Mr. Fuller, what suits me more?"

    All of a sudden, Charlotte gave a sly smile. Shane, who was sitting opposite her, was startled by her

    abrupt smile.

    Shane suddenly leaned in, and Charlotte gasped. "Ahhh!"

    Shane looked at her red lips, which parted and shut, and kissed them subconsciously When he saw

    Charlotte''s face turn red, he slowly backed away.

    The temperature in the car suddenly rose. Charlotte kept stroking her hot cheeks with her hands.

    She could not believe that she had given her first kiss to this man.

    "You were a little tense and stiff. You should improve your kissing skill."

    Shane''s mood suddenly improved, and a faint smile appeared on his thin lips.

    ''What the f*ck��'' Charlotte screamed internally.

    ''Son of a b*tch!''

    ''What a freak!''

    Charlotte couldn''t help but curse in her heart. She didn''t even bother to look at Shane.

    "Be my secretary."

    "What?"

    Charlotte looked over in confusion. When she realized what the question was, something dawned

    on her.

    "You already have so many secretaries, why do you still need me?"

    As soon as she finished speaking, Charlotte sensed that her tone was a little inappropriate. But it

    was already toote for her to take it back.

    "Fuller Group will continue to expand. Do you think we can''t afford another secretary?"

    Instead of getting angry, Shane was amused.

    "Oh, I see."

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth twitched as she nced out of the window.

    In the end, she agreed to go to work at Fuller Group.

    She sat in the car in a daze. After a while, she realized that the car engine was started again and

    retracted her gaze. Charlotte furrowed her brows and asked in confusion, "Where are we going?"

    "I have a meeting, so I''ll send you home first."

    Shane looked at his phone expressionlessly and said.

    At this moment, Cole, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, waspletely flustered. If he

    remembered correctly, the meeting had started half an hour ago...

    Arriving at her destination, Charlotte got out of the car. As the vehicle drove off, she stared at the

    license te. Suddenly, someone reached out a hand and blocked her line of sight.

    "He has gone far. Why are you still staring?"

    Anne couldn''t help rolling her eyes.

    Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside Shane''s car was tense and chilly. Shane said to Cole without any

    expression, "Take a look at the current projects we are working on with Emerson Corporation."

    "Yes, sir."

    Cole suddenly felt sorry for Emerson Corporation.

    They shouldn''t have provoked the wrong person...

    All of a sudden, someone''s phone started buzzing in the quiet vehicle. Cole nced at his phone

    reflexively and was relieved that it wasn''t his own.

    "Hello?"

    Shane nced at his cell phone and pressed the answer button.

    No one knew this private number, except for...

    "Daddy��"

    A soft voice came from the speaker, which made Shane''s heart instantly soften. However, what she

    said next sentence made his face turn grim.

    "I''ll be right there."

    Cole tried to eavesdrop, but he could only hear bits of the conversation.

    "Go to the kindergarten right now."

    Shane ordered coldly as he slowly massaged his temple.

    "But sir, that meeting..."

    Cole bit the bullet and reminded his boss.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    The purpose of the meeting was to sign a contract for two projects. The deal was worth hundreds of

    millions of dors. It might not be a big deal to Shane, but it was still important.

    "Cancel it."

    Hearing the chilly voice behind him, Cole''s heart skipped a bit. He could only turn the steering wheel

    and drive in a different direction.

    At this time, in the kindergarten, Sheryl was quietly standing in the office with her back against the

    wall. Next to her stood a fearless spoiled brat.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103

    "Sheryl, is your mommy here?"

    The teacher asked Sheryl, who was standing in a corner obediently.

    "My parent will be here."

    Sheryl stared at the ground. Her face was puffed up with anger, which made her look strangely

    adorable.

    The teacher was suddenly ovee with the urge tofort the child. But when she saw another

    child''s parent ring at her imposing manner, she could only hold back the words she wanted to

    say.

    "If your family can''t give me an exnation, you''d better stoping to school!" said one of the

    parents, a middle-aged woman.

    "Lady, it''s not my fault. Your son provoked me first, so I returned the insult."

    Sheryl rolled her big dark eyes, and her quirky expression could evoke one''s maternal instinct. She

    secretly nced at the clock hanging on the wall and muttered in her heart, ''Why hasn''t daddy

    come yet?''

    "Watch your mouth!"

    The middle-aged woman sitting in the chair suddenly pointed to Sheryl and continued to shout, "If

    your parents don''te here today, you''d better find another kindergarten! You''re already so cocky

    when you''re young. Who knows how bad you would be when you grow up!"

    "What''s going on?"

    As soon as Shane came to the door, he saw his pitiful daughter standing by the wall, and his heart

    suddenly ached.

    "Daddy!"

    When Sheryl saw her fathering over, she ran toward him right away.

    "Hi."

    Shane ruffled Sheryl''s hair affectionately and smiled softly.

    "You are..."

    The middle- aged woman, who had been yelling, suddenly calmed down. But for the sake of her

    pride, she continued to say, "Are you her parent?"

    "That''s right."

    Shane nced at her coldly, but his eyes didn''t linger on the woman in front of him.

    The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Cole couldn''t help but feel sorry for that woman... for what

    was about to happen to her.

    "Daddy, don''t listen to thatdy. In fact, I didn''t do this for no reason. Her son insulted my mommy

    and said that I didn''t have daddy, so I quarreled with him."

    Sheryl snuggled up against Shane''s chest and pouted.

    "Humph!"

    When the middle-aged woman shot Sheryl a re, she was startled by Shane''s cold nce.

    "You''re Sheryl''s dad, aren''t you?"

    The teacher asked Shane shyly.

    "I''ve said that, so I won''t repeat."

    "Miss, he is my daddy. My mommy is married to him."

    Sheryl smiled and put her arms around Shane''s neck.

    "But he''s not your biological father. Am I wrong?" said the little boy who fought with Sheryl.

    The boy, who had been nestled in the arms of his mother, suddenly stuck out his head, but quickly

    shrank back down.

    "Mom..."

    With a hint of timidity, he called out to the woman.

    When the woman saw that Shane was about to leave with Sheryl in his arms, she mustered the

    courage and blocked the door. She said brusquely, "You can''t go. This matter hasn''t been resolved

    yet."

    "Resolved?"

    Shane raised his eyebrows.

    "My son is the future heir of Oceania Corporation. Your daughter had said nasty things to him. What

    if he has psychological trauma because of that?"

    The middle-aged woman was unwilling to let it go. As Cole, who had tried to diminish his sense of

    presence, watched the scene unfold, he broke out in a cold sweat.

    "Is that the case? Oi, Cole."

    An emotionless voice echoed in the room. Cole took a look at his president, who was on the verge

    of an outburst, and took out a check.

    "Is five million dors enough to resolve this matter?"

    All the people present except Shane and Sheryl were shocked by Cole''s words.

    Shane didn''t even say a word when his assistant took out a five-million-dor check, as if he was

    used to doing that. This made the middle- aged woman reevaluate this situation.

    "Do you think I''m doing this for money? My family is not short of money."

    The woman continued to speak with pride.

    She knew that if she epted the check, she would have to leave like a loser.

    "Is your family running Oceania Corporation?"

    Shane nced coldly at the spoiled brat who was being held in his arms by the woman and gave a

    loop-sided smile.

    "Cole, prepare a purchase n."

    "Yes, sir."

    This sentence stunned everyone in the room, especially the woman who had been aggressive until

    now. Her legs suddenly went weak. And she had no choice but to let Shane leave with Sheryl in his

    arms.

    "You - "

    "Sorry, you''ve messed with the wrong people. Oceania Corporation is going to be acquired by Fuller

    Group in the next three days."

    Cole had no expression on his face as he adjusted the gold frame sses on his nose before finally

    speaking in a calm voice.

    "Fuller Group?"

    The woman muttered,pletely regarding how flustered and embarrassing she looked. She sat

    down on the ground and stared stupidly at Shane as he left.

    When they got back to the car, Sheryl gave Shane a loud kiss on the cheek.

    "Kiddo, why didn''t you call your mom instead?"

    Shane looked meaningfully at Sheryl.

    "Um... because mommy is very busy."

    She kept her head down and didn''t want to look into Shane''s eyes.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "I don''t like kids who lie."

    It was rare for Shane to have the patience to joke with Sheryl.

    "It''s.... because daddy can solve every problem, like Superman!"

    In the end, Sheryl raised her head and said with embarrassment.

    "That''s right."

    Shane nodded, and there was a faint smile on his face.

    "Daddy, can you take me to mommy''s ce? I haven''t seen her for days."

    "All right."

    Shane always fulfilled Sheryl''s requests.

    Standing in front of Anne''s apartment, Sheryl stood on her toes and patted the front door.

    "Mommy, Aunt Jane, this is Sheryl!"

    She was panting, but it didn''t affect the volume of her voice. On the contrary, she sounded even

    louder and anxious.

    "Mommy, this is Sheryl..."

    The next second, the door was immediately opened. Charlotte saw the little girl In front of her and

    realized that it wasn''t a dream at all. She forcefully held back her tears of joy and lifted her daughter

    in her arms.

    "Sheryl, mommy misses you so much."

    "I miss you too, mommy."

    Sheryl nted a kiss on her mother''s cheek and giggled.

    Charlotte looked behind her daughter, but she didn''t see Shane.

    "Mommy, daddy has left."

    Sheryl could not help but remind her.

    After entering the apartment hand-in-hand, the child kept her head down.

    "Mommy, I want to talk to you about something."

    "What''s the matter?"

    Charlotte cut the fruit that she had just bought into slices and ced them all in front of Sheryl.

    "Sheryl? Why didn''t you give me a kiss? You''ve forgotten about me because of your mommy and

    daddy. You ungrateful little girl!"

    Anne had just changed her clothes and rushed toward the child, pretending to be sad.

    "No, I never forget about you!"

    Sheryl was exining herself anxiously andpletely forgot that she had something important to

    say.

    The two adults burst intoughter when they saw the worried look on the girl''s face.

    Meanwhile, in the Fuller residence, a woman red at a man who came to her with a piece of

    news.

    "Say that again?"

    "Because of that child, Mr. Fuller postponed the meeting with the Ivygreen Group from M Country."

    The man stood in front of Raina and told the story in detail.

    "Ridiculous!"

    Raina directly threw the thermos cup in her hand to the floor, crossed her arms, and sat down on

    the sofa. She patted herself in the chest until her anger subsided.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104

    Charlotte looked at Sheryl, who was ying with Anne happily, and shook her head helplessly.

    "Anne, how are you and Braden doing?"

    "Why do you mention him?"

    Anne paused. Then she pretended to be angry and snorted at Charlotte. Still, anyone could seethe

    happiness on Anne''s face.

    Charlotte really felt happy for Anne for being able to find the right person.

    "Mommy, don''t worry. I will love you instead."

    Sheryl was used to observing Charlotte''s expression since she was a child. She suddenly raised

    her delicate little face and gave Lottie a heart-shaped gesture.

    In an instant, Charlotte''s heart was softened. She gazed at her daughter and her friend adoringly.

    The next morning, after Charlotte sent Sheryl to the kindergarten, she received a call from Shane

    and went straight to Fuller Group.

    Standing outside the Fuller Group''s building, Charlotte was in awe.

    The majestic skyscraper and the prestige of Fuller Group were what attracted countless university

    graduates to try their luck at this multinational corporation.

    It turned out that even someone at Charlotte''s age would feel the same thing that most fresh

    graduates had felt when she stood before this building.

    "Ms. Emerson, pleasee with me."

    A gentle voice sessfully attracted Charlotte''s attention.

    "Ms. Watson, why are you here?"

    Just as she finished speaking, Charlotte suddenly felt stupid. Shane had probably asked this

    secretary to greet her in the lobby in person.

    "You can just call me Zoe."

    Unlike the solemn facade Zoe had put up when Charlotte first met her, the former currently had a

    soft smile on her face. Zoe dressed in a professional business suit, and Charlotte immediately grew

    fond of her.

    Charlotte thought, ''If Zoe could be Shane''s secretary, she must be very ipetent, unlike me...''

    "Ms. Watson."

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment, but she still did not call the secretary by her first name.

    Zoe smiled and did not continue to correct her. She simply turned around and said gently, "Ms.

    Emerson, let me take you to the president."

    "All right."

    Charlotte nodded and followed Zoe all the way to the president''s office on the top floor.

    "Mr. Fuller, Ms. Emerson has arrived."

    "Got it."

    Charlotte stood behind Zoe and heard Shane''s joyful voice. She thought that she had misheard

    things. Did something happen to her ears?

    An ice prince like Shane was... happy?

    "Ms. Emerson, please go in."

    "Don''t you want toe in as well?"

    Charlotte looked at Zoe in confusion. She didn''t want to stay in a confined space alone with Shane.

    "The president doesn''t let me in."

    There was no trace of anger in Zoe''s voice at all. After Charlotte walked in, Zoe closed the door

    respectfully.

    Charlotte looked nkly at the man sitting in the office chair. He was carefully flipping through the

    documents. Charlotte didn''t notice that she kept staring.

    "Mrs. Fuller, are you ogling at your husband?"

    Shane''s lips curled up in a yful manner. His long fingers tapped on the table rhythmically and

    messed up Charlotte''s train of thoughts.

    "Mrs. Fuller?"

    Charlotte bit her thin lip tightly, and her pink lips turned red.

    Shane could feel his cold heart melting away bit by bit. His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down

    unconsciously.

    "Am I right about that?"

    He smiled slightly, ced his hands on the armrests of his chair, and crossed his long legs. His

    movements were graceful and regal. He stared at Charlotte like a hawk.

    "Mr. Fuller, I''ve suddenly be your secretary. What if someone asks why?" Charlotte tried her

    best to change the topic. She really didn''t want to look at that man''s hawk- like eyes. It felt as if he

    could see through her.

    "I''ve already handed over your information to the HR department. Honestly, making you a secretary

    is an overkill."

    As Shane spoke, his thin lips parted and shut.

    His sculptured features softened instantly.

    Charlotte immediately looked at him. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Shane''s

    phone buzz on the desk.

    The tenderness on Shane''s face still lingered. He pressed the answer button. After listening to the

    person on the other end of the line, he said, "I''ll head over right away."

    Charlotte pointed to herself and said to Shane, who had casually picked up his suit jacket, "I..."

    "I will ask Zoe to show you around and tell you what to do."

    After speaking with an expressionless face, Shane hurriedly left the office, leaving Charlotte

    standing in front of the office table in a state of utter chaos.

    "Ms. Emerson, pleasee with me."

    A momentter, Zoe walked into the office. Charlotte suddenly felt immensely relieved and followed

    her right away.

    "Ms. Watson, how long have you been working here?"

    "Since I graduated from the university."

    Zoe said meaningfully, and a hint of inscrutable sadness shed in her eyes.

    "Then Sh... Mr. Fuller has been your mentor?"

    Charlotte''s face was full of curiosity.

    "Sort of."

    Zoe smiled and nodded. Suddenly, she stopped and pointed to a smallpartment not far away,

    still maintaining the gentle smile on her face. "Mrs. Fuller, this is your desk from now on. Later on, I''ll

    show you around so that you can familiarize yourself with the work environment."

    "Do you know the rtionship between me and Shane?"

    Charlotte asked in confusion.

    "Well, there are some things rted to Mr. Fuller''s private life that we have to deal with, so we know

    a little about his personal rtionships. But you can rest assured that we can keep secrets."

    The smile on Zoe''s face remained throughout the conversation. When she looked at Charlotte, who

    was frowning, Zoe continued, "If you encounter any issue, you cane to me."

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    "Th... Thank you."

    Charlotte took in a deep breath and looked at Zoe as thetter walked away. She did not bother the

    secretary with more questions.

    She didn''t want to trouble the woman. After all, as the secretary of the president of Fuller Group,

    Zoe must have been busy. Even with her outstanding ability and patience, she would be

    overwhelmed by work.

    At this time, at the entrance of Sea Park, a pompous red Maserati attracted the attention of passers-

    by. The driver, Braden, held his mobile phone in his hand. He was on a call.

    Anne didn''t know that Braden was outside her apartment, and she had no idea whom she was

    going to face next.

    When she heard the doorbell ringing, she opened the door without thinking.

    She had initially thought that Charlotte had returned, but she saw two strange women at the door

    instead.

    "Uh, who are you?"

    "I''m Shane''s mother."

    Raina revealed her identity right away as she looked Anne up and down.

    Anne was ufortable under Raina''s scrutinizing gaze. But out of respect for elderly people, she

    invited Raina and herpanion into the house.

    "May I know the purpose of your visit?"

    Anne asked curiously as she whined internally, "Oh my god,dy, I''m not the one who has married

    your son!"

    "Charlotte Emerson is your friend, right?"

    "Yes."

    Anne answered readily.

    "Miss Jane, if you really care about your friend, please ask her to stay away from my son. The Fuller

    family will not allow him to marry a single mother."

    Raina stated her intention in a domineering manner, meeting Anne''s undaunted gaze.

    "Lady, my friend has a name. Her name is Charlotte Emerson. Also, she isn''t the one who''s

    unwilling to stay away from your son. It''s the other way round."

    Anne could sense that Raina''s gaze was gradually turning cold, yet she continued, "After meeting

    Charlotte, your proud son decided to get a marriage certificate with her."

    "You''re really sharp- tongued, just like Charlotte Emerson!" Raina said.

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105

    Anne looked at Raina''s face, which was well-maintained for her age. Seeing that it had turned red

    with anger, Anne was secretly proud of herself,

    She would not allow anyone to insult Charlotte.

    When Shane arrived at the location that Braden sent him, he stepped into this seemingly ordinary

    apartment.

    "Don''t tell the olddy that I''m the one who leaked the information!"

    Braden pretended to be pitiful as he looked at Shane who was walking forward and ignoring him.

    Fortunately, Shane did not say anything.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Standing in front of a half-covered door, the air around Shane was getting grimmer and more

    menacing. There was no emotion in his amber eyes. He said word by word, "What are you doing

    here?"

    "How did you know I was here?"

    Raina couldn''t help but re at Braden, who hurried forward to stand between her and Anne.

    "It''s not me!"

    Braden still maintained a casual attitude and shoved his hands in his pockets.

    "Enough! Are you not satisfied with policing the whole family? Now you''re trying to do this to other

    people as well?"

    Shane looked down at Raina, who stood in front of him, and the chill in his voice made Anne

    tremble involuntarily.

    It was so grim...

    "Sir, Madam Raina is just concerned about you..."

    Aunt Ophelia, who was standing beside Raina, spoke out, hoping to mediate the situation.

    "That''s enough. Let''s go."

    Raina looked into her son''s hateful eyes and felt as if her heart had been pierced by an arrow. She

    was in so much pain that she couldn''t breathe.

    "Madam, why don''t you let me tell Mr. Fuller why you did this? If you keep hiding this secret from

    him, your rtionship will worsen."

    When they returned to the car, Aunt Ophelia asked anxiously.

    "He doesn''t need to know."

    Raina slowly closed her eyes, and a tear trickled down her cheek. Aunt Ophelia, who was sitting

    next to her, shook her head in silence.

    Back in the apartment, when Anne realized that she and Braden were the only ones left, she slowly

    raised her head and asked, "Why do I sense that Mr. Fuller and his mother don''t get along? They

    aren''t close either. The atmosphere is seriously tense."

    "I''m not sure either."

    Braden shrugged his shoulders innocently.

    Although he and Shane had known each other for so many years, there were some things that he

    usually steered clear of.

    Meanwhile, the cause of this drama was sitting at her desk with boredom. Her current task was to

    ''get used to the Fuller Group''spany culture'', but she was actually doing nothing.

    At ten o''clock, Charlotte walked out of the office.

    "Ms. Watson, do I have anything else to do?"

    Charlotte knocked on the door to the secretary office and asked softly.

    "Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller has a meeting in the afternoon. You can prepare the paperwork."

    "No problem."

    "Mrs. Fuller, are you having lunch with Mr. Fuller or...?"

    Zoe stopped what she was doing and asked Charlotte curiously, who was at the door.

    "Ah? I... I ate alone. Um, I think I prefer you to call me Charlotte from now on. I can call you Zoe."

    Charlotte looked at Zoe with embarrassment.

    She shouldn''t be too close to Shane in thepany, because she didn''t want more people to know

    about the rtionship between them.

    "Sure thing."

    Zoe nodded as a sign of agreement. There was a barely discernible, courteous smile on her face.

    There was a series of knocking sounds on the door.

    Christopher had appeared outside the office at some point and knocked on the door. He leaned

    against the door frame and asked with a smile, "What are you two talking about?"

    "Mr. Gibson -"

    "Christopher."

    The two voices rang out at the same time. Zoe meaningfully nced at Charlotte.

    "Where is Mr. Fuller?'' When he looked at Zoe, Christopher''s expression remained gentle.

    "The president went out."

    Zoe exined in a matter-of-fact manner, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

    "All right."

    Christopher raised his eyebrows at Charlotte and said in a gentle voice, "Let''s have lunch together."

    Charlotte was speechless.

    Christopher could see the conflicted emotions on Charlotte''s face. He continued, "Didn''t you say

    you owe me a favor? It''s not too much to treat me to a meal now, is it?"

    "Okay, sure."

    Charlotte had just taken a step toward the door when she suddenly turned to look at Zoe and asked

    sincerely, "Zoe, it''s my treat today. Would you like to have lunch with us?"

    Zoe shook her head as if nothing had happened. She pursed her thin lips and said, "No, thank you.

    I''ll go to the cafeteriater. I have something else to do when Ie back."

    As she watched Christopher leave, the sorrow in Zoe''s heart intensified. How good did she have to

    be in order to be a good match to that man?

    Christopher...

    "Where do you want to go, Mr. Gibson?"

    After walking out of thepany, Charlotte acted like the boss since she would be buying

    Christopher lunch today. However, Christopher, who was looking down at her from above, couldn''t

    help butugh.

    Charlotte was 1.67 meters tall. Standing in front of Christopher, who was 1.93 meters tall, she was a

    dwarf.

    "Let''s go to the restaurant across the road."

    Christopher pointed to a fancy restaurant across the street and did not notice the hesitant look on

    Charlotte''s face.

    Charlotte had long since heard of this ce. Even if she had money, she might not be able to afford

    the food, not to mention that the price of the dishes was shockingly high.

    Standing in the restaurant named Vermilion Chamber, Charlotte was awed by the elegant decors,

    the waiters'' beautiful uniform, and how well-trained they were. As it seemed, this was truly a fine

    dining ce.

    "Shane would always treat his business partners to meals here."

    Christopher suddenly said that and looked at Charlotte with a cryptic expression.

    "You mean he''ll be here?" Charlotte said in disbelief. But when she saw the cunning smile on

    Christopher''s face, she pretended to be angry and tried to hit him.

    "Be careful!"

    Suddenly, Charlotte lost bnce, and Christopher held her slender waist with his hands. Even when

    she finally got back on her feet, he still forgot to withdraw his hands.

    Due to the fact that Charlotte was standing at the entrance, a waiter had identally bumped into

    Charlotte.

    "I''m sorry. I''ll... pay for theundry."

    The waiter lowered his head, trembling with fear.

    "It doesn''t matter. I just have to wipe myself down. My clothes are not expensive."

    When Charlotte sensed the hands at her waist, she immediately took a step back. Her face was

    slightly red as she consoled the waiter.

    After that, he immediately found a table in a corner to sit down.

    During the meal, Charlotte found that everything she ate was tasteless. As long as she thought of

    what happened earlier on, her face would flush.

    "I''ll walk you back to thepany."

    "No, it''s just across the road. I can go back alone."

    Charlotte covered her burning cheeks with her hand. Without even looking at Christopher, she ran

    straight out.

    After she stood on the top floor for a while, she finally calmed down.

    ''Charlotte, do not think too much of it,'' she thought.

    She despised herself and shook her head frantically. When she turned around the corner near the

    office entrance, she knocked on the door before walking in.

    "Back so soon?"

    "Yeah."

    Charlotte sat quietly in a chair, propping her chin with both hands and staring at the document that

    Zoe had just flipped open.

    "Charlotte, you seem close with Mr. Gibson."

    Zoe suddenly asked.

    Charlotte waved her hand in panic and missed the sh of sorrow in Zoe''s eyes.

    "You''ve misunderstood. He and I are just friends." "But looking at him..."

    Zoe pretended to be puzzled and asked. They were both women, so Zoe could tell that Charlotte

    did not lie to her. However, she also knew that Christopher definitely did not see Charlotte as just a

    friend.

    "Since he''s Mr. Fuller''s friend, he will naturally interact with me."

    Charlotte immediately denied. Her dark eyes darted away, then she suddenly asked with a sly

    smile, "I wonder if our beautiful and angelic Ms Watson fancies anyone?"

    "Yes, I do."

    Charlotte was just joking to ease the depressing atmosphere, but she didn''t expect that Zoe would

    answer her question seriously.

    Today''s interaction hadpletely subverted her previous perception of Zoe. It turned out that not

    only was Zoe verypetent, but she also knew how to control her emotions well. Wasn''t this how

    the president''s secretary should be?

    "Then you and him..."

    Charlotte continued to ask curiously.

    "I don''t deserve him, but I''m trying to be a woman who does."

    Charlotte was slightly surprised to see Zoe''s serious expression. She admired Zoe even more now.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106

    In the afternoon, after Shane came back, he saw Charlotte sitting alone in the office with a nk

    expression. He told Zoe not to inform Charlotte that he was back.

    By the time Charlotte came back to her senses, Shane''s meeting had already begun. It was already

    impossible for her to enter the conference room.

    Charlotte was the only one left in the office.

    "Hello, what''s the finding?"

    When the phone rang, Charlotte instantly pressed the answer button. Her heart was directly raised,

    as if there was a hint of fear and faint hope in her heart.

    "Okay, I see."

    The office once again returned to silence, and Charlotte slowly looked outside the window.

    Ever since she left the Emerson Corporation, Charlotte had started secretly investigating the events

    of the past.

    But she didn''t find anything.

    Perhaps only Shane could help her investigate this matter clearly...

    After work, Charlotte suddenly popped her head out of her office and secretly stood outside the

    president''s office when she didn''t see anyone else.

    However, she didn''t know that she was caught on camera by the CCTV. As he watched the live

    footage, Shane gave a faint smile and crossed his long legs.

    What an interesting woman!

    "Mr. Fuller."

    Charlotte looked at the man in front of her. The look in his eyes seemed like he was looking at a

    prey, which made her uneasy.

    "Mr. Fuller?"

    Shane''s thin lips curved down. He seemed slightly displeased.

    "Mr. Fuller, this is thepany. We should be professional."

    Charlotte bit her thin lips and forced herself to look into those sharp amber eyes.

    If one were to take a closer look, Charlotte would realize that the man in front of her indeed

    resembled Sheryl.

    After a few seconds, she suddenly shook her head. How could it be possible that Shane was the

    man from five years ago?

    ine would never set her up with such an outstanding man...

    On that night five years ago, no matter how she cried and pleaded, the man still did not let go of her.

    "What are you thinking about?"

    Shane looked at the woman in front of him, who was zoning out With a wide stride, he approached

    her and stood less than a foot away from her.

    His overpowering aura and warm breaths overwhelmed Charlotte, making her stumble back

    subconsciously.

    When she thought of the reason why she hade, Charlotte clenched her fists slightly, as if she

    had made an important decision. She suddenly moved closer to the regal man.

    ''You can do it, can''t do it, Charlotte!'' She told herself.

    "Mr. Fuller..."

    Charlotte leaned in. Her face was only a few centimeters away from Shane''s chest.

    She heard from Cole that Shane didn''t like to be touched. What he hated most was being

    approached by women with thick makeup. So, Charlotte only sprayed a little perfume on her body

    before leaving the house today.

    Shane raised his eyebrows. Although he knew that the woman in front of him had something to ask

    of him, he did not expose her n.

    Shane thought that the faint perfume scent of the woman in his arms smelled good.

    Charlotte sensed a pair of big hands at her waist, and her body was pulled closer to his.

    "Might I ask what Mrs. Fuller is up to by pulling a honeytrap on me?"

    Shane said in a yful tone. His eyes suddenly fixed on her cleavage, and his Adam''s apple

    bobbed up and down involuntarily.

    "I''d like to investigate a matter. I wonder if my title as your wife will be of any use?"

    Following the instructions that she had read on the seductionmunity forum, Charlotte smiled as

    she asked Shane that.

    The hands hanging on both sides of her body gradually moved upwards. Charlotte had already

    prepared herself to give herself to Shane, but in the next moment, she was pushed away with greatBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    force.

    "Charlotte, do you know that you''re ying with fire?"

    Shane deliberately suppressed his anger and his eyes were filled with lust. His erection was

    subsiding. He then sat on the chair in a slightly embarrassed manner and looked coldly at the

    frowning woman in front of him.

    At this moment, Charlotte didn''t listen to Shane''s words. She was just thinking that the things she

    read online were all untrue!

    "Get to the point."

    Shane''s voice was slightly husky as he forced himself to hold back his urges.

    "I want you to help me investigate some people in my mother''s life around the time she died,

    including Timothy."

    Charlotte spoke very fast. She hadpletely forgotten the script that she had prepared earlier on.

    "All right."

    Shane agreed readily. Seeing the woman still standing in front of him, he asked impatiently, "You''re

    not going to leave?"

    "Uh, I''ll leave right now."

    As she walked out of the office, Charlotte still found it hard to believe that she could ask for the

    man''s help in one piece. When she thought of what had just happened, her face instantly turned

    red.

    ''If I had known that it would be so easy, I wouldn''t do that sh*t,'' she thought.

    After returning to the office, Charlotte immediately deleted her ount on the forum site and

    couldn''t help but mutter, "It''s all bullsh*t..."

    In the president''s office, Shane immediately went to a luxurious lounge that was separated from his

    working space.

    ''What''s going on?'' he thought.

    Shane frowned as he let the cold water run down his body. He had always been able to control his

    desire very well, but when it came to Charlotte, it was as if his body was out of control.

    Aftering back from work, Charlotte irritably rummaged around in her bag. Finally, she fished out

    a bunch of keys.

    As soon as it was inserted into the keyhole, the door was opened from the inside. Charlotte looked

    into the house with a vignt expression.

    "What are you looking at?"

    Anne suddenly showed up with a charcoal mask on her face, and she asked in a lisp.

    "You didn''t go out?" Charlotte asked.

    "I just got back."

    Anne turned around and continued to sit on the sofa. She casually switched to another TV channel.

    Charlotte sat next to Anne, put the backpack on her shoulder aside, and said word by word with her

    hand holding her chin, "Anne, I... I pulled a honeytrap on Shane today."

    Pooh!

    The water that Anne had just drunk was spat out. She looked at the listless Charlotte beside her

    with widened eyes. Then, she ripped off the mask on her face and excitedly pulled at her friend''s

    sleeve.

    "Lottie, you''ve grown up! Hurry up and tell me the details. What''s going on? Did you seed?"

    Seeing Charlotte shaking her head, Anne suddenly lost interest.

    "I shouldn''t have read trash on the Inte. Honeytrap? I''m regretting it now. If I knew it would be so

    easy, why would I still have to do it?"

    Charlotte looked as if she was regretting her actions. She grabbed her hair and let out a long sigh.

    "What do you mean?"

    Anne was even more confused.

    "I''ve been collecting intel about the death of my mother for days. I don''t believe that it was an

    ident."

    Looking at the seriousness in Charlotte''s eyes, Anne suddenly asked nervously, "Lottie, do you

    suspect that ine did this?"

    "Un, that good father of mine might even be part of it, right?" The corners of Charlotte''s lips curled

    up slightly. However, there wasn''t a hint of glee on her face. She quickly said, "Anne, I''m very

    conflicted right now..."

    "Don''t push yourself too hard. Maybe it won''t be as bad as you think." Anne could onlyfort her.

    She refused to believe that the truth was as she had guessed. If so, then the kind woman in front of

    her would definitely fall apart.

    "Let''s not talk about this anymore."

    Charlotte turned away with a faint smile on her face. But when Anne saw that, her heart ached even

    more.

    Anne suddenly thought of something and immediately looked at Charlotte, squinting her eyes

    suspiciously.

    "Lottie, has Shane and Sheryl''s paternity test resulte out?" "I forgot to do the test."

    Charlotte shook her head helplessly, which made Anne so angry that she almost went crazy.

    She really wanted to pry open Charlotte''s head and find out what on earth her friend was thinking?

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107

    Charlotte helplessly raised the corner of her lips and fixed her eyes on Sheryl''s palm-sized face.

    She looked like Shane.

    Three dayster.

    "Where are you?"

    Charlotte nced at the name on her phone. After confirming that it was Shane, she immediately

    answered obediently, "I''m at the office. I''m not cking off."

    In his own office, Shane, who was flipping through some files with his slender fingers, couldn''t help

    twitching his mouth and said, "Come here."

    "What''s the matter? Hey-"

    Charlotte looked at the suddenly disconnected phone with impatience. She pouted her red lips

    slightly and reluctantly walked out of the secretary''s office.

    Actually, she had been half- intentionally hiding from Shane for the past few days. Everything task

    Zoe gave her was quicklypleted and handed back so that she could avoid making any contact

    with Shane.

    When she saw Charlotte walk past her step by step, Zoe gave Charlotte a meaningful nce and

    smiled.

    "Knock knock."

    "Come in."

    Through the camera, Shane saw the sneaky figure of the woman standing outside the door and was

    immediately in a good mood.

    "Mr. Fuller, you were looking for me?"

    "That''s right."

    Shane spread out his hands and looked calmly at the woman standing nearby him. She had been

    keeping a consistent distance from him from the beginning. He waved his hand at her.

    When he saw that Charlotte dragging her feet at his beckoning, he felt even more amused.

    "Do you think I''m scary?"

    "You''re not scary."

    Charlotte quickly shook her head. Afraid that he wouldn''t believe her, she continued, "You''re so

    brilliant and mighty, how could you be scary? Anyone would be rushing to get close to you."

    "This includes you too?"

    Shane let out a strangeugh as he stared at Charlotte''s evasive eyes.

    "Yes."

    Charlotte nodded her head. She could clearly sense that the atmosphere around her was gradually

    changing. She took a deep breath, thinking that she had managed to handle this problem without

    trouble.

    "I''m taking you to meet someone."

    Charlotte was immediately confused by Shane''s next words. Before she could think about it, she

    already blurted out.

    "Who are we meeting?"

    In a short few seconds, Charlotte had already dreamt up a few possible scenarios.

    "We''re meeting someone you are familiar with."

    Before Charlotte could react, Shane had already pulled Charlotte out of the office. Cole was already

    waiting on the first floor.

    "Mr. Fuller, I''ve already gotten in touch, but the ce is too remote, so the journey will take about a

    day."

    Cole opened the car door respectfully.

    "A day? Wouldn''t that take two days both ways? What about Sheryl?"

    Charlotte asked in surprise. Her delicate face was filled with worry as she kept looking out of the

    window. She nearly jumped out of the car and left.

    "Don''t worry, Mrs. Fuller. I''ve already asked Mr. Collins to pick up Sheryl. He should be at your

    friend''s ce now."

    Cole smiled and looked through the rearview mirror at the indecisive Charlotte. He realized that

    Shane didn''t have any intention of exining, so he was diffuse to break the awkward situation

    himself.

    "Thank you."

    After she stiffly spat out those two words, Charlotte directly isted herself within the narrow space

    and did not say a single word during the entire journey.

    Half an hourter, because there had been too many things happening recently, Charlotte''s eyelids

    fluttered tiredly and her eyshes trembled. Finally, she leaned against the car window and fell

    asleep with her breathing evenly.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane, who was sitting next to her, took a look at the woman who was sleeping uneasily. A trace of

    heartache inexplicably welled up in his heart.

    At that moment, Sheryl was ring at Braden, who had been singing loudly all through the car ride.

    She wanted to open her mouth and say something but obediently kept quiet instead.

    After all, she would be in someone else''s house. She had to be polite to them.

    When the red Maserati stopped in front of a familiar apartment, Sheryl had already opened the door,

    gotten out of the passenger seat, and run out before Braden could open the door.

    "Sheryl, slow down."

    Anne waved at Sheryl dotingly and lifted the backpack on her shoulder up a few times.

    "Aunt Jane, I missed you!"

    "I love how much of a sweet-talker you are." Anne was very fond of the little girl in front of her.

    When Anne saw Braden sauntering over with his car keys, she could clearly hear a soft snort

    coming from Sheryl who was clinging to her arm.

    It seemed that Sheryl was not satisfied with Braden.

    Anne gave Braden, who was standing in front of her, a look, but thetter shrugged innocently.

    "Where did Shane take Lottie?"

    Anne asked suspiciously. She suddenly couldn''t understand why Shane, who had always spoiled

    his daughter, would be willing to send Sheryl here through Braden.

    "How would I know what Shane is up to?"

    Braden raised his eyebrows and exined helplessly.

    "Sheryl, where do you want to go?"

    "The amusement park."

    Sheryl''s soft child''s voice came from behind her, which softened Anne''s heart in an instant.

    "Sure."

    Anne quickly agreed. She put the little girl who had been hanging onto her on the ground and held

    her hand.

    Sheryl''s exmations as she looked out the window made Anne, who was sitting next to her,

    excited to look out of the window as well. She was ready and waiting to answer any questions the

    child beside her had.

    "Stop here."

    Anne shouted at Braden, who was in the driver''s seat, without any warning.

    When Braden heard the sounding from the back seat, he immediately braked and parked the

    car by the side of the road.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Anne did not pay attention to his question. She simply opened the window and looked at the hotel

    across the road. She muttered to herself, "I seem to be mistaken. I can''t be seeing ine with

    another man."

    "ine? The Emerson Corporation''s head designer?"

    Braden asked in confusion.

    "That''s right."

    Anne finally nodded. She felt a little puzzled. "Did I really see the wrong person just now?" she

    wondered.

    But she looked so simr...

    "Forget it. She is Timothy''s wife. Of course, when an old man marries a young and beautiful woman,

    one who is almost the same age as his daughter, it will definitely seem like there is something

    unusual between the two of them."

    Braden wanted to casually express his views, but when he saw Anne''s probing look, he shivered.

    He couldn''t help exining, "I am justining. I would never cheat on you."

    "Go on."

    Anne didn''t listen to Braden''s promise.

    "What did you say?"

    Braden asked nervously. He was on the alert. It seemed that he should have used his brain before

    speaking.

    "It''s nothing."

    Finally, Anne shook her head, hoping that she had recognized the wrong person.

    At that moment, the people sitting in the car were the couple that Anne had seen just now. Their

    bodies clung to each other, and the interior of the car was filled with a kind of amorous feeling.

    "Baby, you want me to go to your house so openly, but won''t you be discovered by that old man?"

    "It''s okay. Timothy went to the office and won''te back until the evening. As for the servants, I''ve

    given them some time off."

    ine exined impatiently. Her finger slipped from the man''s eyebrows to the corner of his mouth.

    Suddenly, she approached him and asked, "What''s wrong? Are you scared?"

    "For you, there''s nothing I would be scared of."

    The man held ine tightly with a smile and headed for the Emerson family''s house.

    At the Emerson Corporation, Timothy rubbed his temples tiredly with his eyes closed.

    "Mr. Emerson, has the contract been signed? The other party''spany has just called and is

    rushing us."

    The secretary looked at Timothy, who was sitting opposite him, with a professional smile.

    "The contract? I think it''s in my bag."

    Timothy pointed at the briefcase in front of him, looking a little displeased.

    "I''m sorry, Mr. Emerson. I don''t think it''s here..."

    The secretary shakily opened Timothy''s briefcasepletely and pointed to it with some hesitation.

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108

    "I''m going home for a bit. Please postpone today''s meeting by half an hour." Timothy picked up the

    suit jacket hanging on the rack and left the office in a hurry.

    At Emerson family house, ine ced her hand on a man''s waist and walked into the empty vi

    with a smile on her face.

    "There''s really no one here."

    The man felt at ease instantly and kissed a coquettish ine in his arms. He heard herugh in

    satisfaction.

    "Would I lie to you?" ine pretended to punch him angrily, but not very forcefully. She continued,

    "Don''t you trust me?"

    "Of course I do."

    The man tightened his arm around ine. He raised the corner of his mouth handsomely and said,

    "Baby, I''ve always trusted you."

    "That''s more like it."

    Satisfied, ine broke away from the man''s hold, walked around the vast living room, and then sat

    down on a leather sofa.

    "This will be mine in the future. What do you think?"

    "Very nice, but are you sure that the old guy, Timothy, won''t suddenlye back?" The man was

    still a little worried as he looked around.

    ine stared at him with her beautiful eyes. Her face, which was covered with a thick and heavy

    white foundation, looked a little unnatural. In the end, she snorted.

    "He would have told me if he''sing back. Don''t worry, he won''te back."

    After hearing ine''s promise, the man instantly became bold.

    "Where''s our son? I haven''t seen him in a while."

    "Alistair has gone to school. Did you think that everyone is as ignorant and ipetent as you? But

    I really feel a little sorry for Timothy. He''s even raising someone else''s son, haha."

    ine''sughter gradually drifted into Timothy''s hearing, who had been hiding outside the door for

    some time.

    "You scandalous couple!"

    Timothy clutched his cor tightly and thumped at his heart. His feet trembled as they moved.

    "Ti... Timothy, listen to me."

    ine suddenly turned around. When she saw the man standing at the door with his briefcase, she

    instantly became worried and walked toward Timothy. As soon as her hand touched his arm, she

    was thrown off by him ruthlessly.

    "Get lost!"

    Still exasperated, Timothy coughed violently.

    "Timothy..."

    The man who had been standing behind ine suddenly stood in front of her to protect her. He

    arrogantly looked at Timothy before him and said word by word, "Old man, I''m not afraid to tell you

    that Alistair is my child. Thanks for taking care and loving him for so many years.."

    "You... you..."

    Timothy pointed at the two of them standing side by side. Suddenly, he took a few steps backward

    and tried to grasp at something with his weak hands. In the end, he only slid down the wall.

    "Timothy?"

    ine looked at Timothy, who was motionless on the ground, and walked over mechanically, trying

    to reach out to him.

    "He... he..."

    As ine looked at the man on the ground, her legs turned weak. She continued, "What should we

    do? What should we do?"

    "Let''s take him to the hospital first."

    The man put his hand gently on ine''s shoulder and said softly. There was a sh of shrewdness

    in his eyes.

    "Alright, you leave first. Leave the rest to me."

    ine took a deep breath. This was the moment she had been waiting for. She had nned for a

    long time for this day. She had not even hesitated in sacrificing her youth. Now, she had to calm

    down.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    In order to avoid other people''s suspicions, ine quickly dialed the emergency hotline. It was only

    after the ambnce arrived that ine pretended to cry fiercely.

    "Doctor, save him quickly!"

    "Please, I''m begging you."

    ine clutched at the doctor''s sleeve with snot and tears on her face. She did not care about her

    own image at all.

    Outside the emergency room, ine looked at the light. A wicked smile slowly crept to her mouth,

    forming a sharp contrast with the family members of past patients.

    The hour- long rescue procedures didn''t manage to save Timothy''s life. As ine watched a white

    cloth being pulled over the man, she didn''t feel afraid at all. She tiptoed toward him.

    "Timothy, I was going to lie to you for the rest of your life, but since you decided to eavesdrop, I''ll

    exin it to you clearly. Not that you have the chance to change anything."

    ine suddenly took a step back and continued to say, "It doesn''t matter anymore whether Alistair

    is your son or not. Everything belonging to thepany and the Emerson family will be mine. Oh

    yes, I also have the will that you modified some time ago. I really don''t understand. You''ve already

    disowned Charlotte. Why is she still getting an inheritance!"

    At the mortuary, there was only the sound of ine''s chattering teeth, which made the atmosphere

    very strange.

    "It''s so cold here!" ine constantly rubbed her hands to get warm, but the smile on her face never

    disappeared. She continued, "But it doesn''t matter. I''ve hidden that will of yours somewhere no one

    will find it. Charlotte won''t be getting anything!"

    After that, ine left without looking back.

    Since Charlotte and Shane''s rtionship was still not public knowledge and due to ine

    purposefully keeping it quiet, the news of Timothy''s death didn''t spread to Charlotte or anyone close

    to her.

    The luxury car looked very out of ce as it drove into a remote town. Although they couldn''t see

    clearly the people who sat in it, the car drew the envious gazes of many people.

    In the car, Charlotte had already woken up. When she found out from Cole who they were here to

    see, Charlotte became very excited.

    "Where is she?"

    Charlotte asked anxiously.

    Even if she still couldn''t find an answer, she wouldn''t be discouraged.

    "Miss Charlotte, the house in front is the ce. ording to the investigation, that person who lives

    there was an old servant of your father. You should be aware of that."

    Cole looked at Charlotte and pointed at an ordinary two-story bungalow right in front of him.

    Charlotte nodded nervously. She remembered that, many years ago, Ms. Coco had always treated

    her like her own daughter.

    Her memories from more than ten years ago had been unlocked...

    "Miss Lottie, today, I made your favourite Coca-C chicken wings. Isn''t that great?" Charlotte, who

    had just reached the side of the table, nodded her head forcefully. She lifted her small, delicate face

    and let out a giggle.

    "Ms. Coco is the best!"

    After getting off the car, Charlotte frowned as she approached the small courtyard. The door to the

    house was tightly shut.

    "I''ll do it myself."

    When she saw that Cole was about to press the doorbell, Charlotte immediately stopped him.

    "Ding dong-Ding dong-1''

    The doorbell suddenly rang out in the courtyard of the two-story house. Charlotte''s heart was

    caught in her throat.

    "Who is it?"

    The door was suddenly opened, and a thick male voice came from inside. He looked at Shane and

    Charlotte, who were obviously not typical visitors, standing outside, but she did not open the door

    fully to them.

    "Who are you looking for?"

    There was a hint of ill will in his tone.

    "Does Ms. Coco live here?" Charlotte asked.

    Suddenly, she felt a burst of anticipation.

    "Who''s looking for me?"

    Charlotte instantly raised her head and looked at the room where the familiar voice wasing

    from. Her eyes teared up.

    "Ms... Ms. Coco."

    Charlotte clenched her fists tightly and cried out in a trembling voice. She did not notice that

    Shane''s demeanour had changed.

    The woman who had just walked to the door of the living room immediately turned her back and

    said slowly, "I''m sorry, you''ve mistaken me for someone else."

    "I didn''t make a mistake, Ms. Coco. I''m Lottie, the girl you''ve been looking after since I was a child."

    Charlotte shouted loudly, afraid that Ms. Coco wouldn''t be able to hear her.

    "You can leave now. I''m not Ms. Coco. My name is Amanda."

    The woman raised her head slightly, as if she was enduring something difficult.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109

    Charlotte refused to believe it. The sadness in her eyes shed and she shouted, not willing to give

    up, "You just admitted that you are Ms. Coco."

    When Charlotte saw Ms. Coco''s weathered body tremble, she was even more convinced that she

    hadn''t been mistaken. She continued to try to reason with her.

    "Ms. Coco, I don''t know why you didn''t say goodbye back then and why I couldn''t find you. But now

    that you''re right here in front of me, I will wait until you are willing to talk to me.

    "Gunther, close the door. They''ve mistaken me for someone else and will be leaving now."

    The woman who had been referred to as Ms. Coco shouted at the young man standing by the door.

    "Okay, Mom."

    A metal doorpletely sealed off Charlotte''s heart. When she saw Ms. Coco''s attitude, she was

    even more convinced that what happened back then was not an ident.

    "Cole."

    The cold and ruthless voice made Cole, who had been standing silently to one side, shiver all over.

    He immediately stepped forward and said respectfully, "Yes, Mr. Fuller."

    "There''s no need."

    Of course Charlotte could tell that Shane was trying to help her. However, she still wanted to use

    her own methods to do it.

    "Mr. Fuller?"

    Cole looked at Shane with a conflicted expression.

    "Let her deal with it herself."

    At that moment, Shane looked at the woman next to him in a new light and admired her even more.

    There had always been two kinds of women surrounding him. One type was those who only knew

    how topete for a man''s favour. The other kind was way too scheming.

    But this little woman before him didn''t seem to belong to either of them...

    "Thank you."

    Charlotte''s voice was a little weak, but Shane, who was only a meter away, could hear it clearly.

    An hourter...

    Almost everyone who passed by couldn''t help but nce at the handsome man and beautiful

    woman standing outside the door. Nevertheless, there was no movement from behind the closed

    door.

    "Mr. Fuller, it seems to be raining."

    Cole couldn''t help but point out. When Shane red at him coldly, Cole could only shut his mouth

    obediently.

    "You can go back. I can do this alone."

    Charlotte slightly raised her head and let the rain fall on her face, but she remained indifferent.

    Shane''s heart suddenly ached. Unable to help himself, he took off his jacket and draped it over

    Charlotte''s thin and weak body.

    "Mr. Fuller..."

    Cole could clearly sense that Shane''s feelings for Charlotte were changing day by day.

    Within the house, the young man paced back and forth in the living room. He eyed the rain outside

    the window gradually bing heavier. Finally, he shook his head helplessly.

    "Mom, do you really not want them toe in? It looks like they haven''t left yet. It''s raining so

    heavily. If they continue to stay out there, they might get sick if they don''t end up in the hospital."

    "Let''s wait a little longer."

    Ms. Coco rubbed her aching legs tiredly. She stared fixedly out of the window.

    After another hour, Ms. Coco finally stood up shakily and said to her young son who was sitting

    nearby, "Let them in. It''s time for me to do right by my old employer."

    For many years now, she had been unable to get a good night''s sleep. She had dreamed countless

    times about that night.

    Charlotte''s water- sttered face watched quietly as the courtyard gate was opened.

    "My mother asked you to go in."

    Upon learning that Ms. Coco was finally willing to see her, Charlotte could not care less about how

    wet her clothes were as she ran straight in.

    "Ms. Coco."

    Only when she was truly standing in the warm living room did Charlotte''s entire body tremble. Her

    arms were tightly wrapped around the coat that obviously didn''t fit her.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Miss Lottie."

    Ms. Coco raised her weather- worn face, pointed to the empty sofa opposite her, and continued, "Sit

    down."

    "Ms. Coco, I''m here today because I want to know what happened back then. How did my mother

    pass away, and why did you disappear without a trace overnight?"

    Charlotte went straight to the point as she stared into the avoiding eyes of the person in front of her.

    Ms. Coco smiled bitterly and slowly moved her gaze to look out the window. When she heard the

    sound of the falling rain, her heart suddenly calmed down.

    "The truth had toe out sometime!" she thought.

    "Ms. Coco, I want to hear the truth. For Lottie, please?"

    Charlotte affectionately called herself "Lottie" like Ms. Coco used to when she was young. But her

    words made Shane''s eyes narrow.

    "Ah!"

    After sighing of relief, she nced at Shane who was standing to one side and did not answer

    immediately. Instead, she said kindly, "Miss Lottie, if my mistress were still alive, she would

    definitely be happy to know that you have found such an excellent man."

    Charlotte didn''t deny it, but just lowered her head. She didn''t dare to look at Shane''s current

    expression.

    She had to admit that Shane had done too much for her, so much that it made her flounder.

    "Actually, the day before Mrs. Emerson passed away, Mr. Emerson went to look for her..." Although

    she noticed that Charlotte''s face had suddenly turned pale, Ms. Coco continued, "I didn''t hear what

    he said because I was sent away by Mr. Emerson. But when I came back, Mrs. Emerson didn''t look

    very good. I asked why, but she didn''t say anything."

    "Then why did you leave without saying goodbye?"

    Charlotte gritted her teeth as hurt shed in her eyes.

    "After Mrs. Emerson passed away, I went to find Mr. Emerson, but he threatened to hurt my family.

    Miss Lottie, you know that I only have one son and I can''t let him be hurt. That''s why I did that. Even

    if you hate me, I won''t regret it."

    When she saw an old woman like Ms. Coco cry in front of her, Charlotte shook her head helplessly

    and immediately took the tissue that someone handed over and passed it to Ms. Coco.

    Shane stood silently behind Charlotte, as if he were an invisible supporting force.

    "I don''t me you."

    In the end, Charlotte finally shook her head and bit her lower lip tightly.

    "Let''s go."

    Charlotte gently pulled Shane''s sleeve and asked silently.

    "All right."

    As if it had been agreed upon before, Shane put his hand on Charlotte''s slightly trembling

    shoulders. He felt a slight pain in his heart.

    By the time they returned to River City, it was already noon on the next day.

    Shane rushed to the office for an emergency meeting. When he asked Cole to send Charlotte

    home, he was immediately rejected, so he had to respect her opinions.

    Charlotte drove to the Emerson Corporation offices. She really wanted to know what happened that

    night from the man she had called father for more than ten years.

    Standing in front of the Emerson Corporation''s office building, she was confused by the tightly

    locked door. Usually, the office is open at this time, and Timothy would also in the office."

    "What the hell is going on?" she wondered.

    "Excuse me, why is it closed?"

    Charlotte looked at the security guards passing by and asked in confusion.

    "Don''t you know? Mr. Emerson passed away. Now the whole office has been closed for three days.

    Are you looking for a job here?"

    There was a hint of sympathy in the eyes of the security guard as he looked at Charlotte.

    "Which Mr. Emerson?"

    Charlotte''s heart suddenly ached, and she grabbed the other party''s sleeve tightly.

    "He is the CEO of the Emerson Corporation."

    It was as if a bomb had exploded in Charlotte''s ears, causing her to stagger a few steps backward.

    "Miss, today is the wake. There should be a lot of people going."

    As soon as the security guard finished speaking, Charlotte rushed off without thinking.

    She still did not believe that the man who had mocked her so cold would leave like this. Was he so

    cruel that he wouldn''t let her see him onest time?

    Although she still hated him a lot, her heart was still in so much pain that she couldn''t breathe.

    Why was life so cruel to her?

    Charlotte didn''t know how many red lights she ran along the way, but she ended up at the Emerson

    family''s home again.

    She found that the scene at the vi was almost the same as it had been a few years ago for the

    previous wake held there.

    "Charlotte?"

    ine, dressed in ck, kept greeting the peopleing and going. Out of the corner of her eye,

    she still saw the person who suddenly appeared at the door.

    "ine..."

    Their eyes were practically filled with hatred. When their gazes met, Charlotte used every ounce of

    her strength to look at the woman who was a small distance away from her.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110

    As she watched a hateful Charlotte walk over, ine did not show the slightest bit of anxiety.

    "Where''s my dad?"

    Charlotte''s shoulders were shaking slightly. She clenched her fists and looked at ine in front of

    her.

    "Can''t you tell what''s going on?"

    ine''s face was filled with disdain. She let out a cold snort and was about to turn around to leave

    when she was stopped by Charlotte who was standing behind her.

    "I want to see... him."

    In the end, Charlotte did not say the word ''corpse'' out loud. As she looked at the huge photo frame

    ced in the middle of the room, her ck eyes filled with tears, but she did not let them fall.

    "There are only ashes left. Since you''re here now, you can still send your father on his way."

    ine suddenly approached Charlotte, and continued with a vicious tone, "You don''t want to make

    trouble at your father''s funeral, do you? So it''s best if you behave."

    Since her back was facing the main room, ine did not see the boy rushing toward her.

    "Mom."

    ine turned her head to look at the boy who was hugging her thigh. She smiled and lifted him up.

    She gently stroked the boy''s hair and pretended to be sad as she said, "Alistair, let''s go see your

    father and let him see you again."

    "Okay."

    Although he did not quite understand what had happened, the boy in ine''s arms still nodded.

    As she looked at the peopleing and going, who continued to pay their respects, Charlotte

    gripped her cor tightly in her hands. She slowly sat down against the wall, looking in a somewhat

    sorry state.

    She seemed to have be an orphan without any parents...

    At that moment, Shane, who had just arrived at the office, was stopped by Zoe. He was shrouded

    by a bad mood in an instant. Cole, who had been following him, gave Zoe a look, but she turned a

    blind eye to it.

    "Mr. Fuller, this is an invitation from the Emerson Corporation." "Tell me about it." Shane spat coldly.

    He didn''t even look at the white invitation that Zoe handed him.

    "The Emerson Corporation''s Timothy Emerson passed away a few days ago. A wake is being held

    today. You..."

    Before Zoe could finish her words, the white invitation in her hand was quickly snatched away.

    "Why didn''t you tell me when it happened?"

    There was a sh of malice in Shane''s eyes, which made Cole, who had been standing behind him,

    tremble.

    They must have been in that unknown town when it had happened a few days ago.

    "I just found out myself. The Emerson Corporation must have suppressed the news on purpose.

    Otherwise, it would be impossible for the media not to find out."

    Zoe exined simply. She still held a stack of documents in her arms, but she did not hand them

    over immediately.

    She watched as Shane, who had just only stepped into the office, disappeared again before her

    eyes. Zoe shook her head helplessly.

    Outside Sea Park, Anne rushed over to the Emerson family''s ce with Braden once she heard the

    news.

    "Don''t worry."

    Braden keptforting her.

    "How can I not be worried? Why did I only get this news today? Where is Lottie now?"

    Anne hated that she had not been informed of this at all.

    "Shane arrived at thepany more than an hour ago, but he left in a hurry. I think that he has also

    gone to the Emersons''."

    "Braden, what should we do? Lottie will definitely fall apart."

    Along the way, Anne kept muttering to herself, putting her hands on the car window from time to

    time.

    Once she arrived at the Emersons'', Anne did not dare to step into the house. She was afraid that

    she would see a scene that she could not ept.

    "Let''s go in."

    Braden put his hand gently on Anne''s shoulder and half-pushed thetter in step by step.

    Cole, who had been standing at the door the whole time, looked at the two people who came in and

    respectfully called out, "Mr. Collins."

    "Where is Shane?"

    "Mr. Fuller just arrived and should be in the reception hall now."

    When Anne heard Cole''s words, she shook off Braden''s hand and ran straight in.

    Since Anne came with Braden, not many people dared to stop her.

    In the reception hall, Shane''s arrival undoubtedly became the focus of everyone''s attention.

    When ine saw Shaneing over, she was also slightly surprised. Originally, she had sent him

    an invitation experimentally, but she did not really expect him toe.

    However, it didn''t matter anymore. That woman, Raina Fuller, would never allow a woman who was

    pregnant out of wedlock and had been disowned by her father to marry into the Fuller family.

    "Mr. Fuller."

    ine pretended to be sad as she looked at Shane who was walking toward her. She picked up

    Alistair and went over to greet him.

    Shane nced at ine coldly, but his eyes were continuously focused on the woman who was

    awkwardly squatted on the ground, hugging her knees. She looked as if she was in a lot of distress.

    "Follow me.''

    Shane didn''t pay any attention to ine beside him. He walked over and stood in front of Charlotte.

    His wide palm appeared in front of Charlotte''s lowered sight.

    "Shane."

    When she saw the tall figure in front of her, Charlotte''s tear could no longer be controlled. Fat tears

    flowed out of her eyes.

    Anne, who had just rushed to the door, was about to run over, but was stopped by Braden next to

    her.

    He could see that Lottie was bing slightly more important in Shane''s heart.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Don''t go."

    Braden raised his eyebrows meaningfully and continued, "Go pay your respects first. Everyone is

    watching."

    Once it was pointed out by Braden, Anne realized that everyone was staring at Shane and Charlotte

    in surprise. For a moment, she didn''t know what to do.

    "Look at me."

    Braden grinned captivatingly, showing his signature smile, and walked towards some people he had

    met before who were gathered together to one side.

    "Mr. Collins?"

    Braden deliberately stood in the middle to attract everyone''s attention. He paid his respects

    presentably.

    "Sorry, I came in such a hurry that I didn''t prepare anything."

    He turned to look at ine, who was walking toward him, and said emotionlessly.

    "It''s okay, Mr. Collins. It''s enough that you came."

    ine felt ttered and stared at Braden. He was almost as handsome as Shane. A sudden sh of

    calction passed over her eyes.

    Braden, who thought he had a lot of experience with women, could easily tell that ine was not as

    simple as she seemed. However, since he was at a wake, he continued to keep a distant look on

    his face. He nced over at the wall from the corner of his eye to find that the two people there had

    disappeared.

    In the garden, Shane put down the hand that was holding tightly onto Lottie''s shoulder. He helped

    Charlotte to sit on a stone chair.

    "If you want to, just cry."

    Shane looked down at the woman who was still holding back her emotions, and his heart ached.

    "Crying will only make those who are jealous of you happy. I won''t be so stupid anymore."

    Charlotte covered her heart with a hand and suddenly raised her tear-stained pale face. She said

    word by word, "Shane, did you know that I''ve seen this before years ago? At the time, I felt very

    much in pain."

    Shane frowned and stared at Charlotte, whose shoulders were trembling. He continued to listen and

    did not say a word throughout the whole process.

    "I can''t change anything. Although I hoped that he would be punished five years ago when I was

    disowned, I never wished for him to die. Never!"

    Charlotte smiled bitterly and ced her hands on the top of her head. She lowered her head and

    sobbed silently.

    When Anne came out to see this scene, she walked over feeling distressed. Shane stood aside for

    her.

    "Lottie."

    Usually, her name was easy to say, but at this moment, Anne didn''t dare to call her name.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111

    "I''m sorry, I really didn''t know about this matter. I just got the news today, I..."

    As soon as Anne finished speaking, Shane asked coldly.

    "You never heard about it?"

    Since the Fuller Group had a lot of affairs to handle, it was normal for Zoe to be too busy to bother

    with outside news. However, as far as he knew, Anne was not a person who isted herself from

    the outside world. Now things seemed quite strange to him.

    "No, I didn''t."

    Anne shook her head and immediately said, "I only heard that Mr. Emerson had suddenly gotten

    sick. He only passed away because of myocardial infarction."

    "Shane, please investigate this for me."

    Charlotte''s weak voice came from where her head was lowered.

    "Alright."

    Shane said simply. There was no doubt that Shane had heard Charlotte speak.

    Cole looked all over the ce and finally found his missing superior in the front garden. As he

    panted, he said, "Mr. Fuller, everyone on the board of directors is here. When do you think we

    should start?"

    Charlotte raised her head slightly and swept a nce at the few people standing around her. The

    corner of her mouth lifted up slowly, but there was still a bitter smile on her face.

    "You can go. I''ll be fine with Anne here with me. I don''t want too many people here."

    "Call me if you need anything."

    Shane nced at Charlotte, a little worried. He didn''t leave until he received Anne''s confirmation.

    Charlotte didn''t know how long she sat on the chair. When she raised her head, she saw that only a

    few mourners were left.

    "You''re still here."

    ine snorted coldly. She no longer acted as coquettishly as she had before.

    "ine, don''t go too far. We still don''t know how Mr. Emerson died. Don''t think that you''re hiding it

    very well."

    Anne stood in front of Charlotte angrily and blocked ine''s sight of Charlotte.

    It was the first time that she had seen such a shameless woman. Anne hated her so much that she

    could not help but grit her teeth.

    "Timothy died because he had a heart attack and his brain started bleeding. I didn''t tell Lottie

    because I was following Timothy''s wishes from before he died. After all, we have to respect the

    dead."

    ine smiled and started fiddling with the hair by her ear. She waved her hand towards a spot not

    far away.

    "Mrs. Emerson."

    The butler respectfully ced his hands on his sides and bowed.

    "Please get Mr. Jones thewyer toe here."

    ine found a trace of confusion and confusion in Charlotte''s eyes. She was in a good mood as

    she took the lead and entered the living room.

    After walking a few steps, she noticed that no one was following her. With a cold expression, she

    said, "Charlotte, don''t you want to be there for the reading of your father''s will?"

    "Lottie..."

    Anne felt distressed as she watched Charlotte stand up suddenly and unsteadily, she went forward

    to support her.

    "I''m fine. Now that things havee to this point, I don''t have anything to lose."

    Anne apanied every step of the way as Charlotte walked to an out-of-the-way room near the

    reception hall. When she saw ine''s wicked expression, Anne suddenly felt like something bad

    was going to happen.

    She did not believe that ine would be so good as to allow Lottie to be at the reading of the will.

    Unless...

    Anne didn''t dare to think about it, so she stood by with her eyebrows knitted and looked around.

    "Miss Jane, this is the private affair of the Emerson family. Please don''t get yourself involved."

    "I''m sorry, I don''t think it''s troublesome, and I''m not afraid to hear about the Emerson family''s affairs.

    This isn''t something shameful, am I right?"

    Anne deliberately emphasized thest few words, which sessfully made ine''s expression

    change.

    The quiet room felt particrly strange. Anne unconsciously approached Lottie. Just as she was

    about to speak, she was stopped by the sound of footsteps outside the door.

    "Sorry, there was a traffic jam."

    The man said apologetically to the few people present.

    "Mr. Jones, now that you''re here, you can read Timothy''s will before Charlotte. If I had been the one

    to read it, she would definitely not believe it."

    ine leaned back to the sofa with a smile, as if she was very confident.

    The man with gold-framed sses looked at Charlotte and suppressed the surprise he felt in his

    heart. He said with a neutral expression, "Miss Charlotte, ording to Mr. Emerson''s will, there are

    no possessions or stock for you to inherit. Everything belonging to the Emerson family will be given

    to Mrs. Emerson."

    "I don''t approve."

    Anne looked at Charlotte''s pale face. Anne was not satisfied by this and immediately said, "I could

    bring out a will and say that all the property belongs to me. But would you believe me? Just

    because you have a will doesn''t mean people will be satisfied with it."

    "Lottie, you should be able to recognize Timothy''s handwriting, shouldn''t you?"

    ine pretentiously signaled to thewyer, and thetter immediately handed over the will.

    Anne could feel that something was wrong, but she couldn''t tell what it was.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    All of this was going too smoothly. It was so natural that it made one''s hair stand on end.

    Charlotte''s hands trembled as she looked at the words on the paper. She was able to recognize

    who had written the words at a nce.

    "Lottie, is it Mr. Emerson''s handwriting?"

    Anne asked anxiously.

    "Yes, it is."

    Charlotte nodded bitterly, but Anne immediately pulled her aside and said defiantly, "Lottie is Mr.

    Emerson''s daughter. ording to thew, Lottie should have a portion of the inheritance, right?

    This will doesn''t make sense."

    She didn''t want her friend to fight for her inheritance, she just wanted Charlotte to have something

    to remember her father by.

    Even though the man had been so hurtful to Charlotte, he had still been her father.

    "Miss Charlotte, ording to your father, you have been disowned. So now you no longer have any

    legitimate rights to the inheritance ording to thew."

    Thewyer said very seriously.

    Anne still wanted to argue further, but was stopped by Charlotte next to her. Charlotte looked at

    Anne and shook her head. Anne could only give up.

    "Let''s go."

    Anne supported Charlotte as they left the Emerson household. But when they were outside the

    gate, Charlotte stopped.

    Filled withplex emotions, she looked at the house she might never step into. Her face was

    sickly white.

    At eight o''clock in the evening, the Fuller Group building was still brightly lit, and almost every

    corner was filled with tense atmopshere. No one dared to leave without permission, even though it

    was time to get off work.

    "Mr. Cole, what time is Mr. Fuller leaving?"

    After taking some documents from the printer, he pulled at Cole who had been passing by, and

    looked around nervously.

    "I don''t know."

    Cole could only shake his head. He shrugged his shoulders innocently before walking toward the

    chairman''s office.

    "Mr. Fuller."

    He stood respectfully to the side, looking at the man who was burying himself in work in front of him.

    The corners of his mouth couldn''t help but twitch.

    He didn''t know what the women outside would think if they knew that the president stayed here

    because of his missus.

    "Did you find it?"

    Shane slowly put away the file he was reading and smoothly wrote "Shane Fuller" on thest page.

    "Mr. Emerson did die of illness, just as Miss Jane said. All the doctors at the hospital who handled

    the case said that it was a myocardial infarction. That hospital also said that Mr. Emerson''s medical

    record is genuine."

    Cole handed over the medical record in his hand expressionlessly and waited for his next

    instructions.

    "I see."

    Shane opened it casually and nced at it. Then he closed the file again and leaned backward into

    the leather seat behind him with his eyes closed.

    Twenty minutester, Shane finally left the office.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112

    Once Shane left the office, everyone else made their way to the exit as well.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    The next day, due to the fact that it was Saturday, Charlotte intentionally did not wake up the small

    sleeping figure on the bed.

    Dressed in house clothes, Anne looked at Charlotte who had just opened the guest room door. She

    went straight over.

    "Where is Sheryl?"

    "She''s still sleeping." Charlotte slowly sat down on the sofa. Her face didn''t show much emotion.

    After a few minutes, Charlotte broke the silence first and looked over at Anne, who was obviously

    worried.

    "Anne, I want..."

    "You want to move out, don''t you?"

    Anne immediately sat down next to Charlotte and put her hand on Charlotte''s knee. She continued,

    "Do you think I don''t know what you''re thinking? But at this time, I really don''t feel good about you

    moving out. You should wait for a while first." "I want to be alone right now." Charlotte said with a

    hint of imploration.

    She knew that Anne was doing this for her own good, but she wanted to regte her emotions as

    soon as possible and get over everything that had happened. Then she would try her best to get

    back the Emerson Corporation and everything her mother had left her.

    "But the house in the Flowerbed Residence has been sold. It will take at least several days to find a

    new ce."

    Anne exined to Charlotte helplessly.

    "Ding dong-Ding dong-"

    Charlotte made to get up, but Anne, who was beside her, held her down and forced her to sit back.

    "Mr. Fuller?"

    When she opened the door and saw the most unlikely person to show up standing outside the door,

    Anne suddenly opened her mouth in confusion. Then she pointed to Charlotte on the sofa and said

    haltingly, "Lottie is over there."

    "Thank you."

    Shane didn''t know why he was here either. He had simply driven over unconsciously.

    Charlotte, who was sitting on the sofa, already knew who it was she heard Anne''s first sentence.

    However, she did not look up.

    "I''m here to see Sheryl."

    A distressed but soft expression appeared on Shane''s face.

    "She''s sleeping. You can go..."

    "Daddy."

    Before Charlotte could finish her words, a small figure ran out from inside the guest room. Charlotte

    could only shake her head helplessly.

    "Daddy, are you here to take Mommy and me home?"

    Sheryl didn''t know what had happened between adults and what had happened yesterday. It

    seemed that Charlotte didn''t intend to tell the child.

    "Sheryl."

    Charlotte red at Sheryl with feigned anger, who was being carried by Shane.

    When she saw her mother''s angry gaze, Sheryl pouted slightly and held Shane''s neck tightly.

    "Come home with me."

    Shane didn''t pay any attention to the expression on Charlotte''s face and said directly.

    "Home?"

    Charlotte repeated the word bitterly. She smiled faintly. "Shane, I don''t have a home anymore."

    "I said before that my home is your home."

    Shane didn''t know how to express himself, so he said it directly. However, it was still enough to

    make Lottie''s eyes water.

    Anne, who was standing beside them, looked at this scene with a smile. She shifted the

    atmosphere between them.

    "Lottie, since you and Mr. Fuller are married, it''s logical for you to live in the Fuller Residence.

    Besides, you won''t have to rush about looking for a ce to stay anymore."

    Charlotte wanted to protest, but she held back her anger at Shane''s slightly angry gaze.

    "Mommy, Daddy will take care of you."

    Sheryl, who was lying against Shane''s shoulder, suddenly turned around and looked at the

    struggling Charlotte. She had spoken with absolute certainty.

    "All right."

    In the end, Charlotte finally agreed.

    It was not only because she had an obligation to create a good environment for Sheryl, but also

    because she now owed Shane a favour. She could only force herself to try and y the part of a

    good wife before the expiration of the contract.

    When he heard Charlotte''s reply, the corners of Shane''s mouth curled up almost unnoticeable.

    After simply packing up her luggage, Charlotte realized that her things were pitifully few.

    "Let''s go."

    Charlotte waved reluctantly at Anne, who was standing at the door. Anne did not seem to care at all

    and said, "It''s okay, I''ll go and see you."

    The sound of the car door slowly closingpletely cut off Charlotte''s reluctance to leave the

    apartment that she had been staying in for more than ten days.

    "Mommy, can we still stay here in the future?"

    She suddenly heard the young voice beside her say.

    "Yes, we can."

    Charlotte nodded firmly. Then, she turned her gaze toward the rapidly retreating tall buildings.

    "Shane, I want to go to the graveyard with Sheryl."

    Charlotte said lightly. Her face was expressionless and her eyes didn''t seem to be focused.

    Shane didn''t answer, but parked the car next to an exclusive cemetery in the suburbs.

    After getting out of the car, Lottie held Sheryl''s hand and walked forward. Shane followed behind

    her.

    "You don''t have to go."

    Charlotte suddenly stopped. She did not turn around to look at Shane behind her.

    In actuality, it wasn''t that she didn''t want this man toe to see her mother. She was just worried

    that he would be held back when they had to separate in the future.

    "I want to see my mother-inw."

    Shane said simply and immediately took Sheryl''s hand from Charlotte and lifted the girl up. He

    looked down at her and continued, "Charlotte, I am your husband now, regardless of whether it is in

    name only."

    Charlotte was touched by the help and support Shane had given her, but she tried to calm herself

    down.

    Who knew who such an outstanding man would end up with?

    The edge of Charlotte''s mouth curled in a bitter smile. Why did she think about these things? In any

    case, it wouldn''t be her.

    Even Charlotte herself didn''t know when her eyes had started following the man constantly. His

    every frown and smile easily made her feel embarrassed.

    She didn''t have a lot of experience in love. This could be said to be her first rtionship. So she

    couldn''t tell if she was touched or if she really liked him.

    "Sheryl."

    Standing in front of the clean tombstone, Charlotte waved to Sheryl, who Shane still held in his

    arms. Sheryl immediately jumped down obediently.

    "Baby, are you afraid?"

    Charlotte suddenly touched Sheryl''s soft ck hair and tenderly pointed at the smiling woman in the

    photo.

    "I''m not afraid. Mommy said that she would take Sheryl to see grandma. So is this grandma?"

    All of a sudden, Sheryl lifted her face and tilted her head to the side.

    "That''s right."

    Just as Charlotte nodded her head, she saw Sheryl suddenly hug the cold tombstone with both

    arms. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. She purposely turned her back to prevent the person

    beside her from noticing.

    "Grandma, you are very beautiful, no wonder Mommy is also very beautiful." Sheryl did not notice

    Charlotte, who was forcefully suppressing her emotions, and continued to speak. "I''ve always

    wanted to see grandma, and now I''ve finally seen you. I promise you that when I grow up, I''ll take

    good care of Mommy."

    Shane looked at the adorable child with an unclear expression on his face. Then he looked at

    Charlotte, who was crying but didn''t want others to see her, and suddenly felt his heart soften.

    "Thank you."

    When she saw the napkin Shane handed over, Charlotte simply thanked him before using it to wipe

    her tears. She was still sobbing softly.

    The best thing she had done was back then was to fight to keep this child.

    "Daddy."

    When Shane heard Sheryl''s voice, he crouched down lovingly and kept his gaze level with the little

    girl.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113

    "Daddy, you''ll protect Mommy, too, right?"

    Sheryl asked expectantly.

    Charlotte, who still had her back to them, froze instantly. She even paused in her action of wiping

    away her tears.

    She didn''t expect that she would also want to hear his answer.

    "Yes."

    Shane nced at the woman standing in front of him before looking at the little girl again. Although

    he only said one word, it was enough to convince those who heard it.

    "Shane, take Sheryl to the car first. I want to be here a little longer."

    Charlotte said pleadingly.

    Charlotte watched the two figures, one big and one small, move far away. She slowly smiled bitterly

    at the person in the photo and said, "Mom, that is the man I married. He treats me very well."

    Charlotte sat in front of the tombstone for a long time, so long that she lost feeling in her legs. Then,

    she slowly stood up.

    "Mom, Dad... passed away. I can''t bury him with you. Although I don''t know what happened that

    day, I''m sure you don''t want to see him."

    The corners of Charlotte''s lips raised bitterly. She continued, "I''ve never hoped for him to die, even

    when I hated him the most. Now, although the Emerson Corporation is no longer in my grasp, I will

    seize it back."

    With a determined look in her eyes, Charlotte quickly turned around and left.

    She was afraid that all her emotional scars would be discovered.

    "Mommy, you''ve finallye. Daddy and I have been waiting for you for a long time." Sheryl says

    with an anxious expression on her face.

    "I''m sorry."

    Charlotte gently apologized to the man leaning against the body of the car. In the next second, her

    chin was easily lifted. Her eyes stared into Shane''s slightly angry ones.

    "Charlotte, do you know what it means to be a married couple?"

    Shane suddenly asked in a condescending tone.

    Charlotte opened her mouth slightly, but the

    little girl beside her answered first, "Mommy, our teacher told us that a husband and wife should

    take care of each other."

    "You''re so smart, Sheryl."

    Shane suddenly let go of Charlotte''s chin and rubbed Sheryl''s hair.

    "Get in the car."

    Shane opened the car door without turning around, which made Charlotte feel extremely ttered

    for a moment.

    "You don''t have to do this."

    Charlotte said in a low voice. She didn''t dare to raise her head to look at him, causing her voice to

    be softer and softer.

    "That''s what I should do."

    Shane sat in the driver''s seat expressionlessly. For the first time, he found that his heart had been

    filled by this mother and daughter pair. He would not overlook his feelings intentionally.

    Following the start of the car, Charlotte''s heart was filled with mixed emotions.

    As she once again stood in this expansive vi, Charlotte''s state of mind underwent an earth-

    shaking change.

    "Mr. Fuller, you''re back."

    Ms. Jenny looked delightedly at Shane walking toward her. She hurriedly took the luggage from

    Charlotte''s hand.

    "I''ll do it myself."

    Charlotte was not used to troubling others.

    "Mrs. Fuller, I have cleaned up your room. It''s just next to Mr. Fuller''s. He said that you weren''t very

    comfortable with a new living environment, so you should stay here for a week to see if it suits you

    before settling down."

    Ms. Jenny looked at Shane''s gradually retreating figure and exined in a low voice to Charlotte.

    "Settling down?"

    Charlotte didn''t mind too much about the first part. She focused all her attention on the second word

    and shook her head awkwardly.

    Ms. Jenny only thought that Charlotte was shy and said kindly, "Mrs. Fuller, you and Mr. Fuller have

    already registered your marriage. What''s wrong with living together? And I think he cares about you

    very much. Mr. Fuller has never brought a woman home before."

    "What about Yuliana?"

    Charlotte didn''t know why she suddenly asked about that person. She then pressed her red lips

    together and didn''t say another word.

    "Miss Yuliana has always wanted toe here, but Mr. Fuller has never let her stay here overnight.

    Even if Miss Yuliana hade before, it was only because she had forced her way in."

    Ms. Jenny looked at the faint smile on Charlotte''s lips. She felt very gratified as she looked at the

    little girl standing behind Charlotte.

    "Ms. Jenny, we meet again."

    Sheryl peeked her head out and greeted Ms. Jenny, which made Ms. Jenny even happier.

    "Miss Sheryl, what would you like to eat? I''ll cook it for you."

    "Err... There''s a lot I want to eat..."

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Sheryl tilted her head, let go of her mother''s hand and threw herself at Ms. Jenny. Ms. Jenny was

    very happy to catch her.

    Charlotte watched the familiarity between the two of them and shook her head. She walked in alone

    with her luggage.

    In the living room, Charlotte looked carefully at the decorations around her. Among them, there

    were quite a few pieces of art that could only be seen at auctions. Her eyes lit up slightly.

    She moved little by little along the wall, as if she couldn''t be torn away from the pieces of art on the

    wall.

    When she reached a corner, Charlotte saw a slender figure on the second floor in her periphery.

    She immediately stopped in her tracks and looked over at him awkwardly.

    At this time, Shane had already taken off the ck suit that he wore during the day and had put on

    silk pajamas.

    He looked different from the shrewd and cold person in the daytime. This Shane looked somewhat

    lazy.

    "Don''t you want to take a look at your room?"

    Shane jostled the coffee cup in his hand and slowly smiled. He walked downstairs step by step.

    With every step he took, the soft silk robe would open slightly. Charlotte stared at the man who was

    slowly walking toward her then shook her head.

    "Charlotte, why are you acting so smitten?" she thought to herself.

    The scene in front of him didn''t escape Shane''s sharp eyes. He looked at her delicate, blushing

    face, but he didn''t close his robe. Rather, he let his upper body be exposed to this woman.

    "There''s no need. I''m sure it''s fine."

    Charlotte forced herself to redirect her gaze and cursed the man in front of her internally.

    How hadn''t she notice that Shane was an exhibitionist?

    "Are you satisfied with your husband''s six-pack abs?"

    Shane suddenly raised the corner of his lips in amusement. He raised his eyebrows and stared

    down at the person in front of him.

    "Narcissist! You definitely don''t have a six-pack!"

    Right after Charlotte finished speaking, she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

    Hadn''t she indirectly admitted to peeking at the man''s figure?

    Her cheeks were so red that they almost burned. Charlotte could even feel the heating from

    her face. She could only hold her suitcase tightly and run past Shane, whispering, "I... I''m going to

    see my room."

    She ran all the way to the second floor and urately found the room next to Shane''s.

    In the living room, Shane''s smile never faded.

    "Daddy, do you want candy?"

    A tender voice suddenly came from beside him, which took Shane''s gaze away from the second

    floor.

    "No, thank you. Kids should eat fewer sweets too."

    Shane patiently persuaded her. When he saw the person standing with an apron and a motherly

    smile at the door, the affection on his face faded little by little.

    "Mr. Fuller, you and Miss Sheryl really look like father and daughter. Look at your eyes and nose,

    they look alike."

    Ms. Jenny was a little excited. She looked at Shane as if she had more to say, but when she noticed

    Shane''s cold gaze, she could only shut her mouth and apologize, "Mr. Fuller, I said too much."

    As he watched her leave, Shane thought about the many times people had said that he looked like

    this smiling little girl''s father. But, unfortunately, the paternity test had proven that they had nothing

    to do with each other.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114

    "Daddy, what are you thinking about?"

    Sheryl took out the lollipop from her mouth and stared at Shane''s handsome face with a puzzled

    look.

    "I''m thinking why Sheryl likes to eat sweets."

    Shane smiled gently, and the hand holding the little girl suddenly tightened a little.

    "Because I''m a kid. Daddy is so stupid."

    Sheryl couldn''t help but roll her eyes and didn''t see the ambiguous smile on his face.

    After giving Sheryl over to Ms. Jenny''s care, Shane deliberately slowed down when passing by the

    room next to his, but he didn''t hear any sound.

    At that moment, Charlotte was lying quietly on the bed. Everything here was foreign to her. She

    tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

    The next morning, Charlotte assumed that she woke up very early. She walked down from the

    second floor in a panic, trying to avoid Shane.

    "Good morning."

    As if by reflex, Charlotte turned around and looked toward the source of the sound.

    At this hour, the morning sunshine filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows tond on Shane''s

    shoulder. It made him look like a wealthy gentleman.

    "Morning-"

    Charlotte waved her hand reluctantly. When she walked to the living room, she suddenly said,

    "Please take care of Sheryl. I''m going to the office now."

    "You''re not having breakfast?"

    Shane looked up and down at Charlotte before him. In his mind, the memory of thest time he

    picked this small woman up floated up. Her body weight had been obviously too light.

    Charlotte didn''t know why the man before her with his hand on a newspaper had changed his

    expression so quickly. She could only say in a weak voice, "I''ll buy some breakfast on the way."

    As he looked at her rapidly departing back, Shane''s mouth twitched a couple of times.

    Of course he knew that the woman was intentionally avoiding him.

    But they were under the same roof. How could she avoid him?

    "Mr. Fuller, the breakfast that you ordered for

    Miss Charlotte is ready. What do you think?"

    Ms. Jenny respectfully put the packed breakfast on the table, quietly waiting for Shane''s

    instructions.

    "Leave it here."

    Shane continued to read the newspaper in his hand and didn''t withdraw his gaze until he heard the

    sound of footsteps upstairs.

    An hourter, Shane drove to the Fuller Group after sending Sheryl to her kindergarten.

    Braden, who had been waiting for a long time, was chatting with the receptionist at the lobby on the

    first floor.

    When he saw Shaneing in, his foot almost slipped, and he went straight to him.

    "Shane."

    Braden gave his signature smile and waved to the two beautiful women at the front desk, then he

    fixed his eyes on Shane.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Shane threw a cold nce at the man following him and went straight into the exclusive CEO''s

    elevator.

    "There is a small matter."

    Braden followed him into the elevator shamelessly.

    One after the other, they arrived at the office. Braden closed the door shut behind him as he was the

    last to enter. Then, he drifted over to a waiting sofa.

    "You''re a ve to your daughter now. But your life still seems more interesting than ours."

    Braden stretchedzily and covered his belly with his hand.

    "Jealous?"

    Shane didn''t object. Instead, he raised his eyebrows, his expression rxed.

    "Of course I''m not jealous. I also want to start a family one day. Humph..." Braden rolled his eyes.

    Then, his expression turned serious and turned to look at the man sitting on the chair, saying, "I''m

    here to talk business."

    "The role of acting CEO of the Emerson Corporation has been taken up by ine Emerson. That

    woman is not so simple. As soon as she took the role, she reced all the old employees who

    worked hard for Timothy with people who are under her control or those she trusts."

    After finishing, he could not help but continue toin, "Fortunately, you didn''t get together with

    that beautiful celebrity, Yuliana, that time. Otherwise..." "And those old fogeys at the Emerson

    Corporation are okay with this?"

    Shane narrowed his eyes dangerously, and a hint of fierceness could be seen in them.

    "How could they be willing to hand the Emerson Corporation over to an outsider? It''s just that

    Timothy''s will made it clear that the Emerson Corporation is under ine''s control."

    Braden shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

    "I see."

    Shane simply snorted and didn''t say much more.

    "Charlotte didn''t ask you to help her take back the Emerson Corporation. If you were to make a

    move, the Emerson Corporation would definitely be no problem, but you might not be able to win

    her favor."

    Braden could not help but tease him, but when he saw Shane''s warning gaze, he closed his mouth

    feeling wronged.

    "She doesn''t need my help."

    There was some more admiration in Shane''s eyes.

    Braden helplessly patted the sofa under him and stood up. His hand was already on the doorknob

    as he said meaningfully, "You have feelings for Charlotte, but I still don''t want to see...

    ''See what?''

    Shane suddenly asked in confusion and slowly folded his hands on the desk.

    "It''s nothing."

    Braden shook his head but did not turn around. He just opened the door and closed it again behind

    him.

    In the corridor, Braden greeted Zoe casually. When he saw a newly printed stack of documents in

    her hand, he immediately smiled and said, "Do you need any help?"

    "There''s no need."

    Zoe refused with a distant but polite smile.

    After Zoe left, Charlotte immediately blocked Braden''s path. With a hint of anger, she pointed her

    finger at him.

    "Mr. Collins, if the person you were flirting with today wasn''t Zoe, I would definitely have pped

    you on the spot."

    Charlotte, who was filled with righteous indignation, forcefully suppressed her voice as she spoke.

    Braden, who was standing in front of her, had a faint smile on his face. He had already noticed that

    Charlotte was not far away. He had pretended not to see her because he wanted to find out why this

    woman was so well-liked by so many people.

    There had been a few times when he could tell from Christopher''s gaze that he had a thing for

    Charlotte, and that shocked Braden.

    Braden had never thought that a woman woulde between his best friends. In his heart, he still

    hoped that such a cliche would never happen to them.

    "Then I must thank Miss Emerson for showing mercy."

    Braden casually put his hands into his pockets. A mischievous smile suddenly appeared on his

    devilishly handsome face, nearly blinding Charlotte.

    "Braden, if you really like Anne, then please treat her well. Otherwise, I will do everything I can to

    make you suffer."

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Upon finishing her words, Charlotte clenched her fists and left without any hesitation.

    Braden shook his head helplessly. He finally saw that Charlotte was like a fatally poisonous poppy

    flower. Those who were around here could not help but get addicted.

    Through the camera, Shane saw everything that was happening in the corridor and couldn''t help but

    smile.

    Only cats with their ws out were more likely to attract other people''s interest. "Charlotte, how

    many more aspects do you have that I don''t know about?" Shane wondered.

    "Buzz, buzz-"

    Shane threw a nce at his private phone and pressed the answer button with a cold look. An

    anxious voice immediately sounded in the office.

    "Mr. Fuller, Old Mrs. Fuller fainted just now. Pleasee back quickly."

    "I''m not a doctor. Get Henry to go," Shane coldly refused.

    "Mr. Fuller..."

    It was only when Shane heard Aunt Ophelia''s pleading voice on the phone that he rushed

    immediately to the suburban vi that he had only visited a few times.

    When Shane saw the middle- aged woman who was seemingly resting on the reclining chair with

    her eyes closed, a trace of anger suddenly shed in his eyes.

    "Did you lie to me?"

    "No."

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115

    Aunt Ophelia shook her head sadly and looked at Raina, who was on the lounge chair. She didn''t

    understand why the woman who had been so in pain that she had been convulsing had moved

    quickly to the lounge chair at the sound of a car engine. Raina had even put her sunsses on

    while she had been at it.

    "Shane, did you move Charlotte in to your ce?"

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Raina said with absolute certainty, but there was a little dissatisfaction in her eyes.

    "You have a problem with that?"

    Shane nced coldly at the woman who seemed like a stranger in front of him. There was no

    emotion in his voice.

    "Mr. Fuller, you can''t speak to Madam Fuller like that. All these years, she has always been doing

    this for..."

    "Stop it."

    Raina was almost roaring angrily and immediately stopped Aunt Ophelia from speaking further.

    "For the sake of her own reputation and the Fuller family''s reputation, I''ve heard enough. Can you

    talk about something else?"

    Shane looked at the person in front of him coldly. Suddenly, the corner of his mouth raised, and he

    approached her step by step.

    "I advise you not to do anything to Charlotte and her daughter. Otherwise, I don''t know what I would

    do. Compared to someone who abandoned her children for the sake of her own feelings, I believe

    Charlotte is an even better mother."

    "Mr. Fuller..."

    Aunt Ophelia eximed in sorrow. She was even more worried as she looked at the woman sitting

    on the lounge chair. Although she had used sunsses to hide them, tears could still be seen

    flowing down her face.

    When Shane was about to leave, Raina just said in a weak voice, "Your grandmother ising

    back from Hartsville. She''ll arrive at the airport at 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. You''re picking her up."

    Shane''s footsteps paused. After Raina stopped speaking, he left without looking back.

    "Madam Fuller, it seems that Mr. Fuller is serious about Miss Charlotte." "I will never allow such a

    woman toe into the Fuller family. She will only bring a bad reputation to the Fuller family and

    ruin my son''s future. I will never allow that."

    Raina took off the sunsses on her face. She lookedpletely different from when she had been

    holding back earlier. A hint of viciousness shed across her eyes.

    Aunt Ophelia shook her head helplessly.

    When she was about to get off work, Charlotte was sorting out the documents sent by different

    department managers with Zoe. She looked at the immacte woman sitting opposite her and

    helplessly rubbed her long-empty stomach.

    When she finally finished sorting out thest document, Charlotte stretched out without hesitation

    and let out a long sigh of relief. When she finally realized that this was the wrong thing to do in such

    a ce, two patches of red immediately red on her face.

    "It doesn''t matter, there is no one else here."

    Zoe exined in a light tone, feeling a little amused.

    The phone on a side table vibrated suddenly. Charlotte immediately nced at it and looked around

    alertly. Suddenly, she asked meaningfully, "Zoe, is there a camera here?" "Yes, every part of the

    company has one." Zoe deliberately raised her voice and instantly saw the horrified look of the

    person in front of her.

    "Does that mean that people saw my bedraggled look for the past few days?" Charlotte wondered.

    With a hint of hope in her eyes, Charlotte asked in a weak voice, "Mr. Fuller wouldn''t be bored to

    look at the footage here, right? If he watches all the surveince, he''d be exhausted to death."

    Slightly embarrassed, she scratched her head and walked out whileforting herself.

    "Mr. Fuller, you were looking for me?"

    In the end, Charlotte gritted her teeth and walked into the office. She did not want to return home to

    see an unhappy face.

    "That''s right."

    Shane''s expressionless agreement was also able to make Charlotte''s heart jump. She racked her

    brains but couldn''t figure out why he had asked her toe.

    "Let''s eat."

    A few minutester, Shane suddenly spoke. "What do you mean?"

    "I got Ms. Jenny to bring over some food. Let''s eat it together."

    Shane stopped what he was doing and ced the lunchbox on the small conference table. He

    opened it slowly on purpose when he saw the excitement in Charlotte''s eyes.

    The strong, fragrant smell of food came. In the quiet room, the sound of Charlotte''s stomach

    rumbling sounded immediately.

    "I can eat it too?"

    Charlotte pointed at several different dishes on the table. She couldn''t help but swallow a gulp. She

    had forgotten her promise to herself that she would avoid Shane.

    "Yes, you can."

    With Shane''s permission, Charlotte finally picked up some cutlery and tasted the food with

    satisfaction.

    Shane watched this scene quietly. Suddenly, he felt that it was better to just continue on like this.

    "Tomorrow, my grandmother ising back.

    I hope you cane with me to pick her up."

    Shane looked at the woman who suddenly put down her cutlery. He raised his eyebrows in

    confusion, as if he was waiting for the woman''s answer.

    "I have to work tomorrow."

    Charlotte immediately blocked.

    "This is also your job. Don''t you want your bonus, Charlotte?"

    Shane crossed his long legs. It seemed that the big table didn''t have enough space for him to

    stretch out his long legs at all. He once again sat leaning to one side.

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth twitched a little. She recalled the scene on TV that she had seen

    before. When she raised her head again, the conflict on her face had already vanished. Instead, it

    was reced by a shy and pitiful expression.

    "Shane, I haven''t adjusted emotionally yet. Please give me a chance to do so before I see your

    grandmother. I''ll give her a good impression then. Is that okay?"

    Charlotte pretended to be pitiful. She bit her thin lips tightly with her teeth, looking as if she would

    cry in the next second.

    Shane watched this scene with a yful look and continued to tease her. "I don''t think there''s

    anything wrong with your current emotional state."

    "But I''m really not prepared."

    Charlotte gritted her teeth and continued speaking in a pitiful manner.

    Anne once said that ordinary men would not be able to resist women who acted coquettishly, but

    Shane was a maddening exception.

    Anne, who was strolling in the city center, sneezed uncontrobly and couldn''t helpining,

    "Who dares scold me behind my back?" When she looked at Braden who walked casually next to

    her, she pointed at him and pretended to be angry. "Is it you?"

    "I''m innocent. It took me a lot of effort to get away from Shane the ve driver. Don''t put the me

    on me."

    Braden shrugged innocently and showed his pleading big eyes, which made Anne feel a little sorry

    for him.

    The two people in the office were still in a stalemate. Charlotte simply stood up and walked towards

    Shane, cing her hands gently on his shoulders.

    "Charlotte, this trick isn''t going to work on me.

    As if he had just poured cold water on Charlotte, who had just felt motivated. She instantly withdrew

    her hands from where she had been prepared to massage Shane''s shoulders. She said angrily,

    "Shane, we''re in a fake marriage. You never said anything about meeting your family before." "Hm."

    Shane crossed his arms in front of his chest in an ambiguous way, staring at Charlotte''s red cheeks

    in amusement.

    "That''s not what I meant, I��"

    It was only afterward that Charlotte realized she had yelled at Shane just now. She couldn''t help but

    feel scared.

    Maybe she would be kicked out tonight?

    I agree.

    Shane''s sudden wordspletely stunned Charlotte. At the same time, her previous opinions had

    been shattered.

    He didn''t know that in Charlotte''s opinion, he was a strange kind of person who preferred the stick

    to the carrot.

    After leaving the office, Charlotte took a deep breath and continuously admired her ability to handle

    stress.

    "Why aren''t you going in?"

    The sudden voice almost scared Charlotte to death. She quickly put her finger on her mouth and

    made a silencing gesture.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116

    Zoe looked at the person in front of her with some amusement. She shook her head and directly

    pushed open the door that was blocked by Charlotte and walked in.

    Charlotte had no choice but to slip back to her office. She kept taking deep breaths.

    Fortunately, she had been smart just now. Otherwise, there was a real chance of her being forced to

    meet the old madam. She wondered what this rumored old woman of the Fuller family was like.

    "Charlotte, what are you thinking about? Don''t tell me you''re going back on your word and go meet

    her?" Charlotte said to herself.

    When Zoe walked past Charlotte again and saw her looking distressed, Zoe was resistingughter.

    The next afternoon, when Charlotte watched Shane leave the office through the ss door, she

    suddenly felt a little fortunate.

    "What are you giggling about?"

    Zoe asked. She had knocked the door gently before habitually putting a stack of documents on the

    desk andying both hands on it.

    "It''s... It''s nothing."

    Charlotte shook her head. She reflexively turned her gaze towards another spot.

    Zoe did not continue to ask questions, but turned and left directly.

    At thergest airport in River City, Cole looked nervously at the peopleing and going, for fear of

    missing the figure of Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    After more than ten minutes had passed, Cole finally saw a person walking slowly out from the

    departure gate. Due to her excellent maintenance, he couldn''t tell that this was a woman in her

    eighties at all.

    "Mrs. Fuller Senior, Mr. Fuller is waiting for you in the car."

    "Shane is here?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior looked at Cole with a puzzled look on her face. "Had Shane had a change of

    heart?" she wondered.

    Without wasting too much time, they walked straight to the car parked by the side of the road.

    Even through the car window, Shane could still see the person walking towards him. The rage on

    his body instantly dissipated as he opened the door and said, "Grandma."

    "Ah, you''vee."

    As she looked at the increasingly handsome young man in front of her, the old woman suddenly felt

    a little gratified.

    After Theodore Fuller passed away, she had left River City and went abroad to relieve her boredom.

    Once she left, she had not returned for many years. Nevertheless, she still could not let go of

    everything that happened in River City.

    "Mm." Shane was still taciturn.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior didn''t me him. She simply looked at the constantly moving scenery outside the

    window and couldn''t help sighing with emotion, "River City has changed a lot. Maybe I really have

    left for too long."

    "Mrs. Fuller Senior, River City has not only developed very fast in the past few years, but the Fuller

    Group has also developed very fast."

    When he noticed that the atmosphere inside the car was rather tense, Cole couldn''t help replying.

    If Mrs. Fuller Senior knew that Mr. Fuller had already gotten a wife and a child, she would be even

    more shocked, wouldn''t she?

    But in order to live a good life, he did not dare to talk about this.

    "Not bad, not bad.''

    Mrs. Fuller Senior wasughing, but she was stopped by a voice beside her.

    "Cole, park at the entrance to the office and send Grandma to the old house."

    Shane gave simple instructions and didn''t give anyone a chance to disagree.

    "Yes, Mr. Fuller."

    Cole only nced quickly at Mrs. Fuller Senior. She didn''t look very satisfied with this, but he could

    only agree glumly.

    He didn''t want to be stuck between them...

    At the entrance to the Fuller Group.

    After the car stopped, Shane directly opened the door and his long legs strode out.

    As she watched the figure enter into the building, Mrs. Fuller Senior''s weathered voice came from

    inside the car. "Is Shane very busy?"

    "Yes, Mr. Fuller is very busy every day. The Fuller Group has expanded a lotpared to a few

    years ago, and correspondingly, there are more responsibilities to handle."

    Cole could only shake his head helplessly and exin patiently.

    "Why is this child as eager to prove himself as his father?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior''s heart ached as she frowned. Once again, she stared at the expansive building

    of the Fuller Group.

    Outside the CEO''s office, Zoe knocked on the door. After the person inside replied, she walked in.

    "Mr. Fuller, this our opponent in the public auction next week. Please have a look."

    Zoe quietly handed over a pile of neatly arranged documents in her hand, waiting for a reply.

    When he saw the words "Lin''s Company" on the file, Shane raised his eyebrows when he saw the

    words "Emerson Corporation". He lifted his face with its ice-cold expression and asked, "Does Miss

    Emerson know about this?"

    "Ms. Emerson still doesn''t know yet. Should I tell her?"

    "There''s no need," Shane said expressionlessly.

    As he watched Zoe''s retreating back, Shane continued to read the background information of the

    company on the desk.

    A few minutester, he picked up thendline on the office table. At that same moment, the phone

    beside Charlotte also rang.

    "Hello, this is the Fuller Group."

    ''Come here.''

    After Charlotte spoke, she heard a familiar voiceing from the other end of the line. Her entire

    body trembled, but she maintained a smile on her face.

    "Mr. Fuller, what can I do for you?"

    "I won''t say it a second time."

    The arrogant words boomed in Charlotte''s ears. Listening to the busy tips from the other end of the

    phone, she had to obediently walk to the office.

    Standing at the door to the CEO''s office, Charlotte took a deep breath, then another, before

    knocking on the door.

    "Come in."

    "Mr. Fuller, you were looking for me?"

    Charlotte looked at the diligently working man in confusion. Suddenly, she thought of the phrase

    "The most attractive man is a hardworking man."

    "Look at this document."

    Shane didn''t even raise his head as he pushed over the document at the corner of the table.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "This is..."

    The list of contenders in the public auction!

    As she looked at the familiar line of words, a sh of something indescribable came across

    Charlotte''s eyes. When she looked down, as expected, she saw the Emerson Corporation''s name.

    The Emerson Corporation...

    "Are you showing this to me on purpose?"

    Charlotte asked in response. There wasn''t the slightest bit of emotion in her eyes.

    "Yes." Shane suddenly got up and stood less than a meter away from Charlotte. He asked in a

    condescending tone, "Charlotte, can you win the auction?"

    Charlotte''s fair fingers tightened their grip on the document.

    "I believe I chose the right person. What thepanycks now isn''t capable designers, but strong-

    willed and tenacious designers."

    Shane looked at the woman in front of him with a reserved expression.

    "Yes, I can."

    Charlotte nodded her head. With a bitter smile on her face, she looked at Shane and continued, "I

    will win the public auction this time. I won''t make the same mistake as I did before. It was enough

    for me to make the same mistake once." "Good." As he saw the determination in that pair of dark

    eyes, Shane slowly felt a touch of appreciation for her.

    He believed that he had made the right choice. This woman might give him a pleasant surprise.

    "Do you have anything else to say?"

    "No... I don''t."

    Charlotte shook her head. Right now, her mind was filled with a series of thoughts regarding the

    auction this time.

    She had already learned some superficial information from Zoe, but she didn''t know that Emerson

    Corporation would also be participating.

    "I''m flying to W Countryter." When he saw that Charlotte was speechless, Shane raised his hand

    and looked at his watch.

    Charlotte looked into the man''s eyes and said, "Ah? Oh."

    Why was he in such a rush to go to W Country?

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117

    After getting off work, Charlotte went straight to the kindergarten to pick up Sheryl.

    Sheryl raised her little head and looked around. After a few seconds, she pouted and asked,

    "Mommy, why didn''t Daddye pick me up with you?"

    Charlotte pursed her lips and said, "Daddy has gone on a business trip. When Daddyes back,

    he''lle pick you up, okay?"

    In the blink of an eye, her little face turned sunny and sheughed. "Okay! Mommy, today we..."

    She kept talking non-stop.

    As for Charlotte, she watched as the sky gradually darkened. She thought that Shane should have

    arrived at W Country by now.

    She took out her cell phone from her bag, pulled open the contact list, and scrolled to that familiar

    number.

    There seemed to be no reason to call him.

    Beside her, Sheryl noticed that her mother was staring at the phone and said loudly, "Mommy, are

    you listening to me or not?" Shocked, Charlotte''s hand slipped and dialed the number on the phone.

    By the time Charlotte realized what was going on, she had no time to care to think, and hung up the

    phone in a hurry.

    Because she hung up the phone in a flurry, she was not sure if the call had really gone through.

    What would Shane think if she had really made the phone call?

    The lights on both sides of the street were suddenly turned on. Due to the weather turning cold,

    there were only a few pedestrians on the road. Meanwhile, because of the awkward phone call just

    now, Charlotte''s body was hot and her mind was also in a mess.

    When Charlotte and Sheryl arrived home, there was nothing from her phone. Since so much time

    had gone by without a response, it was likely that the call had not gotten through.

    While she was thinking, the phone suddenly rang.

    The emotions that she had pressed down with difficulty suddenly rose to the forefront again.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and picked up the phone. "Hello."

    A man''s chilly voice rang out. "We were in a meeting just now so I couldn''t answer. What''s the

    matter?"

    Although he sounded cold, Shane exined patiently.

    For a moment, Charlotte was at a loss for words. She wanted to say that she had made a mistake,

    but the words that came out werepletely different. "Ah... I want to ask if you''ve arrived? Did

    things go well?"

    On the other end of the line, Shane was silent for a few seconds. "Hmm," he agreed.

    Just like that, they descended into a long silence. Perhaps she was aware of the awkward

    atmosphere at the moment. Charlotte was a little embarrassed as she opened her mouth and said,

    "Alright, if there''s nothing else, I''m hanging up now."

    "Please, what exactly are you doing, Charlotte?" she thought to herself.

    Just as she was about to hang up the phone, Shane stopped her and said, "If all goes well, I should

    return next Monday. When I do, I''ll take you back to the old mansion."

    Charlotte''s hand tightened on the phone. She paused for about a second before saying, "Okay."

    After hanging up the phone, Charlotte couldn''t sleep. Did Shane say he was going to take her back

    to the Fuller family''s old mansion just now?

    She must have been hallucinating.

    At that moment, the phone rang again. Charlotte looked at it almost instantly. When she saw who

    was calling, she felt at ease enough to answer it, "Anne-"

    A weak voice came through the phone, which made Anne frown doubtfully and ask, "What''s the

    matter? Haven''t you eaten?"

    "I''ve eaten." Charlotte rolled her eyes in annoyance.

    Anne couldn''t help but wield her sharp tongue. "Tell me, what''s wrong with you? Why do you sound

    so upset? You moved in with Shane. What else is there to worry about?"

    "Shane''s grandmother is back. He said something about taking me to the old mansion next week.

    What should I do?"

    "Are you serious? This is explosive news!"

    "Yes."

    "Then you should go. I heard that Mrs. Fuller Senior is a legendary figure, but she hasn''te back

    in so many years. She probably won''t be leaving again this time."

    Since Charlotte didn''t say anything, Anne continued to advise her in a rapid-fire manner, "She would

    have found out about you being with Shane sooner orter. Instead of letting here to you

    herself, it would be better for you to take the initiative. After all, you are from a younger generation."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "But we''re husband and wife... in name only."

    When their contract time was over, they would go their separate ways.

    Charlotte didn''t say the second half of the sentence, but bitterly raised the corner of her mouth.

    Why had she started to avoid this situation?

    "That shouldn''t be a problem. Go, dress up beautifully and behave obediently. Don''t all old people

    like that?"

    When she heard Anne''s answer, Charlotte started to waver.

    In reality, Charlotte knew that she had to pay Shane''s grandmother a visit. However, when she

    thought about meeting Shane''s mother too, she still felt a little afraid.

    By the time she hung up with Anne, it was already veryte.

    Charlotte suddenly thought of the task Sheryl''s kindergarten had set - bringing cookies.

    "But it''s sote, where am I going to buy cookies?" she thought.

    "Well, since there is an oven ready in the house, I should directly bake cookies myself." she

    thought.

    But how did this oven work?

    While she was reading the instructions for the oven, a text message came, "What day is the

    auction?"

    The text message was from Shane.

    After some hesitation, Charlotte typed out the information and sent the text.

    After a while, she received a reply from Shane saying, "Okay".

    Just as she was about to put down her phone and continue fiddling with the oven, she received

    another text message from Shane. "It''s sote. Why aren''t you asleep yet?"

    "I need to bring cookies to Sheryl''s kindergarten. I''m trying to use the oven, but I don''t know how to

    work it. I''m still figuring it out."

    This time, Charlotte didn''t put down her phone. Instead, she waited for a long time but didn''t get a

    reply. She put down her phone as if she didn''t care about it.

    Since she couldn''t understand the user manual, Charlotte tried looking for help online.

    She was in the middle of learning when her phone suddenly vibrated. The big letters on the screen

    spelled out a name: ''Shane.

    "Why is he calling me now?" she wondered.

    She turned off the oven and picked up the phone. "What''s up?"

    "You haven''t used this oven before. You shouldn''t just mess around with it. Just buy some cookies."

    Charlotte wiped away her sweat and said, "But I can''t buy biscuits at this hour, so I want to try it

    myself."

    When the man on the other side of the phone heard her, he coughed and said, "Okay, I''ll guide you

    on how to use it."

    Charlotte only took Shane''s words as a joke. "How are you going to guide me from W Country?"

    The man seemed a little speechless. He said in a deep voice, "Switch to video call."

    Charlotte hit herself on the head. Why was she so stupid!

    Before starting the video, Charlotte purposely tidied up her hair. She didn''t even know what she was

    nervous about.

    This would be the first video call between her and Shane.

    When the video call went through, it seemed that the man did not see her at all. He looked directly

    at the oven next to her and said, "Press the red button to turn it on..."

    "Button? Which button? Why didn''t I see it?" Charlotte''s face was nk.

    "Look carefully. It should be there."

    As she sensed the awkwardness in the atmosphere, Charlotte let out a dryugh and said, "I think

    perhaps I won''t make them anymore"

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118

    "Trying looking for it behind the oven," Shane suddenly said.

    After Charlotte heard that, she looked at the back of the oven and found that there really was a red

    button there. She pressed the button and began to work.

    "Oh, goodness, the oven works, hubby!"

    As these words left her mouth, only silence came through the other end of the video. After a long

    period of quiet, she realized what she had said, and Charlotte''s entire body froze.

    "Charlotte, what did you call him?" she scolded herself.

    "You have a marriage contract. How dare you call him hubby now!"

    "Then remember to put the cookies into the oven..." Shane was still guiding her step by step, acting

    as if he had not heard what Charlotte had called him.

    Charlotte saw that the man didn''t have any reaction, as if what happened just now had been a

    hallucination. Maybe Charlotte hadn''t called him that?

    It was only after the cookies were baked that Charlotte and Shane hung up the video call.

    It seemed that there were a lot of inexplicable emotions caused by this video call.

    Now, it should have been past two o''clock in the morning, where Shane was. Charlotte never

    thought that there would be a man who would guide her to use the oven at two o''clock in the

    morning and cared whether she slept.

    When Charlotte was lying on the bed, she received a text message: "Good night."

    The corners of Charlotte''s mouth curved upward, and she fell into a deep sleep.

    In a conference room in W Country, Cole was yawning non-stop. He looked pitifully at the man

    sitting in the CEO''s chair and said, "Mr. Fuller, can I get off work?"

    Shane looked as if he were back to normal and said coldly, "Sure, I''m giving you three days off."

    "What? Two hours of overtime for three days off! Nice, that''s a great bargain!" Cole thought.

    Originally, he had already dealt with his work by 12 o''clock and was ready to get off work. He never

    expected that Mr. Fuller would call him continuously and force him toe back!

    He had thought that it was some kind of emergency, but it turned out that he had teach Shane how

    to operate an oven with signnguage so that this man could teach his wife!

    "Mr. Fuller had had a personality change!" Cole thought.

    After Cole left, Shane was left alone in therge office.

    He raised the corners of his lips, pulled open the drawer on his right, and took out some paper with

    words written all over it.

    This was what he had gotten from Braden. ording to Braden, this was what Charlotte and Anne

    had written about what they hoped their lovers would do for them.

    The first on the list was to say goodnight to her every night.

    He never thought about these things before, but now it seemed that he really changed because of

    Charlotte. He started bing soft. He was willing to make an effort to make her happy.

    In a few short days, it was Monday in the blink of an eye.

    As soon as Charlotte entered the office, she saw a box on the table and felt a little confused. "Zoe,

    what''s up with this box?"

    Zoe looked at the box with a smile in her eyes. "Mr. Fuller came back this morning and brought us

    gifts. But, ording to Cole, yours is different from ours."

    Her teasing voice caused Charlotte''s face to turn red immediately. She wanted nothing more than to

    shrink into the ground!

    After Zoe left, Charlotte opened the exquisite box. It was the music box with a prince inside.

    How did he know that she liked music boxes like this? Everything seemed so natural.

    There was a card under the music box. It looked to be of very high quality. There were a few lines of

    words on it, "Aim my road on your bow of hope and in a frenzy, I will free my flock of arrows..."

    Without any hesitation, Charlotte directly typed out a text message, "I''ve received the gift. Thank

    you, I like it very much."

    But then she began to delete it, She felt that it was inappropriate, so she just sent a message

    saying, "You''re back?"

    There were no notifications on her phone until it was about time to get off work.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    "Yes, We''ll be going to the old mansion tonight," the text said.

    "What? We''re going to the old mansion tonight?" Charlotte thought.

    She didn''t know what to say in reply, so she simply didn''t reply. Instead, she was engulfed in worry

    about that night.

    Once she got off work, Charlotte rushed straight to Sheryl''s kindergarten. "Sheryl, Daddy''s

    grandmother is back. We''re going to have dinner together tonight. Are you willing to go?

    If Sheryl was unwilling to do so, then Charlotte had a reason to refuse to go.

    Besides, what kind of position did she have to meet Shane''s grandmother?

    "Sure, Mommy. But what should I call Daddy''s grandmother?" Sheryl tilted her head and put her

    small hand under her chin, thinking hard.

    Her cute appearance almost made Charlotteugh out loud. She could only exin, "Let me think

    about it. You can call her Greatgrandma or Grandma."

    "Mommy, do we have to dress up beautifully before we go?"

    This sudden question made Charlotte''s brain go nk. She had never thought about this problem.

    Her mouth couldn''t help twitching.

    "Sure."

    Charlotte agreed immediately.

    At that time, Shane, who had been urged toe to the main house, looked at the few people

    sitting on the sofa, without any expression on his face.

    "Mr. Fuller, Mrs. Fuller has picked up Miss Sheryl from the kindergarten."

    Cole respectfully approached Shane''s side and said. He saw a trace of warmth on Shane''s usually

    forbidding cold face. "Alright," Shane responded.

    On the sofa, Mrs. Fuller Senior looked at her grandson standing to the side. She pointed to the

    empty seat opposite her and said kindly, "Shane, sit here."

    Shane, who had been standing all the time, took arge step and sat down.

    Raina put some freshly brewed tea beside the old woman. When she saw Shane sitting on the sofa,

    a hint of joy shed across Raina''s eyes.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior seemed to think of something and said suddenly, "Shane, why didn''t you bring

    Miss Yuliana with you? I haven''t met her before."

    Suddenly the surrounding atmosphere became strange. Shane frowned as he was sitting on the

    sofa. His expression became grimmer.

    Looking at Shane''s cold face, Cole had to bite the bullet and exin, "Mrs. Fuller Senior, Mr. Fuller

    and Miss Yuliana have nothing to do with each other."

    "But..."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior continued to look at her grandson, who was sitting opposite her and taking out a

    mobile phone. She was suddenly shocked and couldn''t say a word.

    The quiet living room was filled with Shane''s extremely gentle words. "Where are you?"

    There was a hint of adoration on Shane''s face, which made the old woman sitting opposite him look

    like she was watching a good show.

    Although the voice from the cell phone was not loud, it was still clear enough in the living room

    where you could hear the sound of the needle dropping. "Daddy, I''m home with Mommy. Mommy

    said that she''ll take me to see Grandmater."

    Because of her age, Mrs. Fuller Senior could only hear a tender voice calling out ''Daddy'' and

    ''Mommy''. She tried her best to suppress the excitement in her heart, but the corners of her mouth

    still couldn''t help but curl into a smile.

    Shane suddenly smiled too. "Okay."

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119

    Cole couldn''t help but shake his head. As expected, the cold president would only melt in front of

    his wife.

    "Alright."

    They didn''t hear what the person on the other end of the phone said, but they heard Shane''s deep

    laugh.

    Raina was so angry that she wed at her seat on the sofa with both hands, anger evident in her

    eyes.

    "Why was that woman still floating around?" she thought.

    When he hung up the phone, the softness on Shane''s facepletely disappeared. He ordered

    Cole, who was standing beside him, expressionlessly, "Go pick them up."

    "Okay, Mr. Fuller." Cole immediately disappeared from sight.

    The expressions of the people in the living room were all different. Raina was so angry that her

    entire body was trembling.

    How could she not know what it meant to bring that woman back to the main residence so openly?

    She would not allow such a woman to marry into the Fuller family!

    No one could destroy the Fuller family''s reputation, much less hurt her son!

    On the other hand, Mrs. Fuller Senior was so excited that she couldn''t even speak coherently. She

    asked in a trembling voice, "Shane, did you get married?"

    "I just registered. I went to get my marriage certificate."

    When Shane thought of the mother- and-daughter pair, the coldness on his face was instantly

    reced by gentleness.

    "Were you never going to tell me about this if I didn''te back?"

    Mrs. Senior Fuller asked, pretending to be angry, but everyone could see that there was no anger

    on her face at all. Instead, there was a pleased smile on her face.

    Shane didn''t deny it.

    From the time he suddenly decided to get his marriage certificate to now, it seemed that something

    was slowly changing the original course of his life.

    A taxi that was somewhat out of ce parked in front of the luxury vi that stretched for hundreds

    of acres in the suburbs.

    "Thank you."

    After Charlotte gave a simple thanks to the driver, she was directly dragged in by her little daughter

    standing by her leg.

    "Mrs. Fuller, you''re back early."

    Ms. Jenny looked at the two of them, one adult and one child, getting out of the car, in confusion.

    "We have something to do. Ms. Jenny, you don''t have to cook us dinner tonight."

    As she watched the two of them rush inside the house quickly, Ms. Jenny could only smile

    helplessly and continued to sit on the garden stool.

    In her room, Charlotte rummaged through her wardrobe but didn''t find any suitable clothes.

    "I wonder if Mrs. Fuller Sernior would prefer a sophisticateddy or a youthful young woman?"

    Charlotte pondered.

    "Mommy, I''ve gotten dressed."

    A fluffy head suddenly appeared at the door, and then a doll-like child came into sight.

    By now, Sheryl had taken off her school uniform and put on a small pair of overalls. Her wavy hair

    was loose, which set off the exquisite features that hadn''t yet fully matured.

    "Mommy, why haven''t you changed your clothes?"

    Sheryl asked in confusion. When she saw the sorrow on her mother''s face, she could only walk step

    by step to the wardrobe. She stood on her tiptoes and shuffled through the different clothes there

    with her little hands.

    Charlotte supported her chin with her hand and couldn''t help butin when she looked at her

    daughter''s well- matched clothes. Who was the real Mommy here?

    "Mommy, this one is pretty good."

    Sheryl suddenly stopped on a long yellow dress, blinking her big ck eyes. Her short legs kicked

    hard on the side of the wardrobe, as if she was afraid that the dress would fly away.

    "This one?"

    Charlotte looked at the dress carefully, only to find that it was a slip dress. She had only worn it

    once since she bought it.

    "Mommy, you will look great wearing this." Sheryl blinked her eyes purposefully. She quickly coaxed

    Charlotte to go to the changing room to change her clothes.

    Outside the door, Cole had already parked the car and walked directly into the vi.

    "Miss Charlotte?" Cole asked inquisitively.

    Charlotte, who had just changed her clothes and walked out, did not even have the time to look at

    herself in the mirror before she immediately walked down with Sheryl in her arms.

    When he saw the womaning down from the second floor, Cole was stunned. He couldn''t help

    crying internally, "Mr. Fuller''s wife is too beautiful. She is so beautiful that she can crush all those

    stars in the entertainment industry. Why wasn''t she discovered before this? It must be because of

    his poor eyesight!"

    "Let''s go."

    Charlotte did not notice Cole''s gaze as she casually swept her hair over her slightly exposed

    shoulder.

    As the wind blew, her hair swayed and covered her delicate corbone, which made her look more

    charming.

    After he sent the two to the Fuller Residence, he immediately disappeared.

    He was afraid that he would have a nosebleed if he took one more look...

    Shane had been standing at the door for a while. When he saw theming over, his eyes still

    shed a trace of surprise.

    "Daddy, Mommy is beautiful, isn''t she? Haha Sherylughed sneakily.

    "That''s right."

    Charlotte didn''t expect Shane to answer Sheryl''s question. Her cheeks instantly turned red.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior suddenly stood up from the sofa where she had been sitting when she heard the

    noise. She stared nkly at the woman who was blocked by Shane''s tall figure outside the door.

    What intrigued her more was what kind of woman her grandson, who seemed disinterested in

    women, would fall in love with.

    "Shane."

    Suddenly, a faux-angry voice came from the living room, instantly shutting down Charlotte''s

    thoughts.

    "Daddy��"

    Sheryl hid behind Shane weakly, not daring to take a step away from him. As Shane took a step

    forward, and the small figure hanging by his thigh took a step forward as well.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior looked at the cute child who had been hiding behind Shane, and her heart was

    almost melted by her cuteness.

    "Do you know who I am?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior asked with a kind face. No matter how well she took care of her face, she couldn''t

    defeat the damage of time.

    "You are Daddy''s grandma, so I should call you Great-Grandma."

    Sheryl suddenly came out from behind Shane''s back and everyone saw what the adorable child

    was wearing.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    The slightly loose overalls worn by the little girl looked uniquely fashionable. The expressions on the

    several people in the living room were all different.

    It was the first time that Raina had seen Sheryl. When she saw Sheryl''s palm- sized face, she was

    in a trance for a moment, as if she had seen Shane when he was young.

    "Come here to Great-grandma."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior''s face was full of happiness as she opened her arms for the little girl. The girl

    merely looked at Charlotte to ask for her permission. When she saw that her mother didn''t object,

    she skipped over.

    "You look like Shane."

    She said with gratification as she looked at Sheryl''s face.

    To one side, Charlotte was about to refute Mrs. Fuller Senior, but Shane red back at her.

    "Great-grandma, my Mommy is very beautiful, so I am very beautiful too. And Aunt Jane said that

    good-looking people all look alike." Sheryl said immediately after she noticed the strange

    atmosphere.

    "Aunt Jane?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior asked in reply. Her entire person was filled with kindness, causing Charlotte''s

    heart, which had been worried for a long time, to rx instantly.

    "Yes, Aunt Jane is very nice."

    Sheryl''s eyes immediately lit up. Her arms were tightly wrapped around the old woman''s neck, but

    her body was still sitting on the sofa.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120

    Mrs. Fuller Senior then turned to look at Charlotte, who was standing with Shane. She pointed at

    the seat opposite her and said kindly, "Sit down. It must have been pretty tiring rushing over here

    from Shane''s."

    "Okay."

    Charlotte raised her head and saw a vicious gazeing from one side. She pursed her red lips

    and sat down nevertheless.

    "Raina, go and see if dinner is ready?"

    "Mother, a servant can go."

    Raina didn''t want to do it, so she hadn''t even stood up.

    "I''d feel better if you did it. I''m not back here often, after all."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior continued kindly.

    "Okay."

    After Raina left, Mrs. Fuller Senior looked at Charlotte with a kind gaze and asked earnestly,

    "What''s your name?"

    "My name is Charlotte Emerson."

    Charlotte nervously introduced herself. When she saw clear anger in the older woman''s expression,

    she didn''t know what to say for a moment.

    "Even the child knows to call me Greatgrandma. Shouldn''t my granddaughter-inw do the same?

    Was it because that rascal Shane did not hold a proper wedding for you, that''s why you..."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior acted as if she was about to throw her cane over at Shane, but the little girl in her

    arms stopped her.

    "Great-grandma, my Daddy is very handsome. What if he gets disfigured? Then my mommy won''t

    want daddy anymore."

    Charlotte, who was sitting across from Mrs. Fuller Senior, broke out in a cold sweat. She almost

    went forward to cover Sheryl''s unguarded mouth. Carefully, she used the corner of her eye to give

    the man sitting beside her a look.

    The man was holding his cell phone with a poker face as usual, acting as if he didn''t hear these

    words.

    "Mom, dinner is ready."

    Raina observed the strange atmosphere in the living room and felt a sense of happiness. Even her

    voice became light and lively.

    "Let''s go then."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior ordered. Only then did the few behind her followed.

    At the dining table, Mrs. Fuller Senior naturally sat at the head of the table while Raina sat beside

    her. Charlotte randomly found a seat and made to sit down, but Shane shifted her and her seat over

    to one side.

    When she came back to her senses, Charlotte red at him in anger and embarrassment. When

    she suddenly noticed the meaningful gaze of the person at the head of the table, she wished she

    could find a hole in the ground and hide herself in it.

    Shane had definitely done it on purpose!Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but sigh when she saw all the different types of dishes on the table. To say

    that this a royal banquet wouldn''t have been an exaggeration.

    Under immense pressure, Charlotte kept her head lowered as she enjoyed the delicious food.

    "Eat some more."

    Shane suddenly nced at the thin woman next to him with a smile and sneakily put some meat on

    her te.

    The corners of Charlotte''s mouth twitched a little. In order to reciprocate his courtesy, she casually

    picked up a vegetable from the te in front of her along with some onions on the te and passed

    it to Shane.

    Aunt Ophelia, who was standing to one side, couldn''t help gasping when she saw it. She was a little

    worried.

    Shane looked at the two lone vegetables on his te. Just as his fork touched it, he saw Raina

    standing up with an anxious expression on her face.

    "Shane."

    Charlotte only thought that Raina didn''t like her and didn''t think too much of it.

    "Daddy, is it good?"

    Sheryl, who had been arranged by Mrs. Fuller Senior to sit next to her, asked with a face full of

    innocence.

    "Yes."

    Shane''s thin lips smiled, and he nodded.

    Aunt Ophelia took a look at the pallor on Raina''s face and said, "Mr. Fuller, do you need to invite Mr.

    Zane over?"

    "There''s no need."

    Shane nced at the woman who was looking at him from the corner of his eye and shook his

    head.

    Aunt Ophelia could only walk away silently from the dining table. Raina gave Charlotte a vicious

    look. Raina didn''t eat much. She used being full as an excuse to sit on the sofa in the living room.

    When Shane walked over, Raina immediately stood up and asked anxiously, "Shane, you don''t eat

    onions, why did you still..."

    "I know my own business, so you don''t have to worry about it."

    Shane didn''t say anything further. He turned and walked away.

    Charlotte didn''t know what was going on with the conversation between the two in the living room.

    She felt the tension in the room, but she couldn''t understand why.

    Originally, Charlotte had wanted to leave the Fuller family''s old mansion after dinner. But when she

    saw that Mrs. Fuller Senior didn''t want her and Sheryl to leave, she could only apany the old

    woman. She asionally answered some of her questions.

    "Can I call you Lottie?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior suddenly smiled as she sat beside Charlotte and ced her slightly weathered

    hand over Charlotte''s folded ones.

    "Of course you can."

    Charlotte nodded with a smile on her face.

    "Where are you working now?"

    "At the Fuller Group."

    Before Charlotte could answer, Shanezily put down the newspaper in his hands and answered for

    her.

    "Okay, then you can go to work together. Not bad, you can save on gas. It''s good thinking."

    When Mrs. Fuller Senior saw how her grandson was so protective of her granddaughter- in-w,

    she couldn''t help but tease him.

    Charlotte didn''t expect to hear a joke from a woman more than half a century old. She was shocked

    for a moment.

    "She''s a designer. She''s now working as a secretary at the Fuller Group."

    Shane didn''t care about his grandmother''s words and answered directly. It seemed that he didn''t

    intend to hide anything.

    "Not bad, I like it. I hope to meet your parents someday. It''s not enough to just get the certificate.

    You even have a child together, but you haven''t had a wedding ceremony yet. Don''t you think you

    owe the girl that?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior''s words made Charlotte''s back straighten up instantly. She couldn''t help ncing

    at Shane.

    "No, I don''t agree."

    Raina, who had just gone upstairs to change into house clothes, immediately walked down and

    disagreed. When she saw the figures downstairs, she sneered and said, "I won''t allow a woman

    who gave birth out of wedlock to enter the Fuller family."

    "Grandma, what are you talking about?"

    The little girl, who was in the old woman''s embrace, suddenly asked in confusion.

    Charlotte stared at Raina with red eyes. She clenched her fists slightly, but she didn''t know how to

    answer for a while. After all, this was true.

    She should have known that she would encounter this kind of thing...

    "It''s none of your business, and I''m already married to her. This child is mine." Shane stood up

    coldly, showing no mercy at all.

    "I''m doing this for your own good," Raina said helplessly in the end.

    "There''s no need."

    Shane didn''t even think about it before rejecting her directly. He shifted his gaze from Raina''s pale

    face to Charlotte''s, which was full of confusion.

    "Let''s go."

    Shane immediately took Sheryl from Mrs. Fuller Senior''s arms and didn''t look at the people behind

    him.

    Sheryl put her small palm-sized face on her father''s shoulder, turned her gaze behind her and

    waved to Mrs. Fuller Senior, and said, "Great- grandma, Daddy''s taking me home now. I wille

    back to see you when I have time."

    "Alright��I will be waiting for you."

    The old woman nodded with a face full of love and waved her hand.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121

    Charlotte followed Shane out of the old mansion in a daze. It wasn''t until she sat in the car that she

    regained her senses. She frowned as she looked at the man in the driver''s seat.

    "Actually, you shouldn''t have argued with Raina Fuller for me. It''s not worth it."

    After all, she''s doing it for your own good...

    Charlotte didn''t finish thinking the second half of the sentence. She lowered her head, not daring to

    look straight into his sharp and prating eyes.

    "It wasn''t for you."

    Shane hid the expression on his facepletely. Suddenly, he felt an itch on his back. There was a

    trace of coldness in his eyes.

    "It wasn''t for you..." Charlotte thought.

    These words kept echoing in Charlotte''s ears. Bitterness gradually spread out from through her

    mouth.

    Indeed, she felt that it was not worth it for such an outstanding man to do this for her. Charlotte was

    probably thinking too much.

    Why did she suddenly feel a pain in her heart?

    Shane concentrated on the itching on his back, which was spreading all over his body. He didn''t

    notice the pale face of the woman in the backseat.

    After the car stopped, Shane got out of it. He opened the door of the back seat and said with a

    nk expression, "I have to go out. Go into the house first."

    "Okay."

    Charlotte nodded, pretending as if nothing had happened. She turned her gaze toward Shane,

    clearly sensing that something wasn''t right with him.

    She clearly remembered that he didn''t drink just now, so why was his face so red?

    "What''s wrong with you?"

    Charlotte asked in confusion.

    "It''s okay, don''t wait for me toe home."

    After Shane gave the simple exnation, he didn''t even look at Charlotte''s slowing footsteps before

    driving away.

    Half an hourter, Shane parked the car in Fairfield Residence. He quickly opened the door and

    stepped out with his long legs.

    "Ding dong-Ding dong-"

    "Why are you here?"

    Henry looked at the person standing at the door and was even more puzzled.

    "Help me look at this."

    Shane gave a brief order and immediately took off his shirt, revealing the red and swollen tan skin

    all over his body.

    "God, what did you do?"

    Henry covered his mouth with his hands exaggeratedly. He stared at Shane''s back for a while, but it

    seemed that he was observing carefully.

    "Don''t talk nonsense. Get some medicine."

    Shane red coldly at expressionless Henry, but he had nowhere to vent the anger he felt in his

    heart.

    "Go get some medicine from the hospital. I don''t have any here," Henry muttered unhappily. When

    he noticed Shane''s cold re, he reluctantly walked to a table at the corner. He could not help but

    comin, "What on earth did you eat?"

    "Don''t look at me like that. I''m not interested in your private life. It''s just because, as a doctor, I care

    for my patients. Do you understand?"

    Henry was almost thrown into a panic. He shrugged innocently.

    "I ate some onions." "Do you think I''m stupid? I know that you never touch onions. It''s at least 100

    meters away from you when others eat it."

    Henry could not help but roll his eyes.

    Shane didn''t exin. When he felt the cold ointment on his back, much of the anxiety in his heart

    dissipated.

    Ten minutester, Henry put a box of pills in Shane''s line of sight as if nothing had happened. He

    advised, "I just bought it yesterday, but I''m not omnipotent. If you cause this problem again, go to

    the hospital directly."

    Shane acted as if he didn''t hear anything. When he redid hisst shirt button, he raised his eyes

    and nced at Henry, who was still trying to say something. Shane had no intention of leaving.

    "What are you doing here? It''s not a big deal. You don''t need to be hospitalized."

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Henry waved his hand curiously.

    "Let me stay in the guest room."

    "Why not?"

    Henry raised his voice suddenly. He saw that Shane was not joking. Then, he asked, "Your house is

    many timesrger than mine. This small ce won''t befortable for you." Although Henry was

    Shane''s personal doctor, most of the time, they treated each other as friends.

    "Where is the guest room?"

    "I''m really impressed by you. Let me take you there."

    Henry reluctantly opened the door to the guest room. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "I heard

    that Mrs. Fuller Senior has returned to the country today. Why aren''t you staying at the old

    mansion?"

    "Charlotte should have gone too, right?"

    Henry smiled wickedly when he suddenly came to a realization. He patted his forehead lightly and

    continued, "Did she give you the onions? I knew that you wouldn''t eat it yourself, unless..."

    "Are you finished?" Shane said emotionlessly as he took out his phone and scrolled through it.

    "No, I''ve only just realized that Charlotte means something special to you."

    Henry put his arms around his chest and gave a devilish smile.

    "How is she special?"

    "You''ve exposed your weakness, Shane. Haven''t you realized that you''re changing based on how

    you feel? I told you that some time ago, now... you''d better think about it yourself."

    Henry shook his head, closed the door, and walked out.

    Shane did not refute what Henry said. His eyes suddenly focused on a photo he had taken

    identally. The same white figure and clean aura were simr to that of the girl from five years

    ago.

    It wasn''t the first time that he suspected that the girl from back then was Charlotte, but his theory

    waspletely overturned by the paternity test.

    On her end, Charlotte was sitting alone on arge soft bed. She wrapped her arms wrapped around

    her legs as she ced her exquisite face on her knees.

    She had not heard the sound of the car returning the entire time. Charlotte felt a little uneasy in her

    heart.

    "Ms. Jenny, is Shane back?"

    With a nket draped over her shoulders, Charlotte stood at the head of the stairs and asked the

    woman in the living room softly.

    "Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller hasn''te back yet. You should go to bed first."

    Ms. Jenny looked at Charlotte with some sadness and immediately exined, "Mr. Fuller will

    sometimes workte at the office, and even sleep there at night, so you should just go to sleep. I will

    turn off the lights."

    "There''s no need."

    Charlotte immediately shook her head and said, "It''s better to leave a light on. What if hees

    back..."

    "Alright."

    Ms. Jenny nodded, feeling gratified. She thought about how to tell Mr. Fuller about this matter.

    Charlotte returned to her room. From time to time, she would walk to the balcony and take a look

    into the dark night outside.

    Should she call him to show her concern? In return for him teaching her how to use the oven?

    No, she couldn''t call him. Maybe he was out partying with some other woman? She would

    embarrass herself then.

    Why did she fall for him? When the contract was over, the two of them would have nothing to do

    with each other...

    Frustrated, Charlotte massaged her temples. She reached out her hand only to pull it back once

    more.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122

    "Are you asleep?"

    Charlotte suddenly closed her eyes tightly. After thinking for a while, she sent the text message

    before putting down her mobile phone. Her heart suddenly started beating faster.

    At that moment, Shane heard his phone ring with the text message notification. He slowly slid his

    fingers across the phone, and the corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile.

    "Yes," he answered.

    A few minutester, Charlotte received a text message with only one word. She was still a little

    unhappy.

    Couldn''t he reply with more than one word?

    Wasn''t it a waste of money to just send a one-word text message?

    Charlotte stared at the text message with Shane''s name on it and muttered angrily. But in the next

    second-

    "Retreat! Charlotte, what exactly are you doing she thought.

    Her fingers unconsciously sent a heart emoji.

    Charlotte''s heart was almost beating out of her chest. She wanted to unsend her message, but she

    couldn''t do that. She could only blush and hide under the nket.

    In the guest room, Shane nced at the heart emoji he received, and his face waspletely

    overtaken with tenderness. He slowly put down the phone and turned off themp beside him.

    Early the next morning, Charlotte walked down the stairs with dark bags under her eyes. When she

    saw the man sitting indifferently in front of theputer in the living room, her drowsiness instantly

    was instantly reduced in half.

    "When did you get back?"

    "Just now." Shane slightly raised the corner of his mouth and replied lightly.

    Upon hearing Shane''s words, Charlotte recalledst night''s text message and felt another wave of

    awkwardness. "Then you came back for..."

    "To take Sheryl to school."

    Shane said it naturally, as if this was one of his responsibilities.

    "I can also..."

    As Charlotte''s voice trailed off, Shane immediately said, "Charlotte, did you forget that it''s only a few

    more days to the auction?" "Does this man have mood swings? He was so gentle before, and now

    he''s acting like this?" Charlotte wondered.

    "I didn''t forget."

    In the past few days, she had been learning about this action. She was sure that she could win it.

    "Alright."

    Shane nodded, but he didn''t say anything else.

    After going to work, Charlotte shut herself in her office the whole time and refused toe out.

    Even her lunch was brought over by Zoe.

    "You''re really being so serious about this?"

    Zoe walked over with a smile and looked at the draft in Charlotte''s hand. She put her hands on her

    desk and stared at Charlotte.

    "There are only two days left." Charlotte couldn''t help but mumble. She didn''t pay much attention to

    her tone.

    In fact, after working in the Fuller Group for so long, she had begun to be familiar with Zoe,

    and she could even joke with her sometimes.

    "Maybe Mr. Gibson can help you. After all, everyone in the design department must know about this

    project, so..."

    Zoe maintained a smile on her face, which made Charlotte agree without hesitation.

    "You''re right, I was being too stupid."

    Charlotte looked Zoe up and down and asked suspiciously, "Zoe, do you like Mr. Gibson?"

    "Why do you ask?" Zoe pretended to be calm and looked directly at Charlotte.

    "I''m just asking casually. I''m very curious about what kind of person you would like. In my opinion, in

    thepany, only Mr. Gibson and the CEO are good enough, unless..."

    Charlotte deliberately kept her guessing and paused for a few seconds.

    "Unless what?"

    Zoe missed Lottie''s meaningful gaze. Zoe indeed liked Christopher Gibson. She herself didn''t know

    how long she had liked him. It was as if a seed had already taken root and sprouted, and it couldn''t

    be uprooted from her heart.

    "Unless the person you like is someone from outside thepany," Charlotte suddenly said with a

    smile.

    "That''s right, you guessed it all right." Zoe heaved a sigh of relief. With a smile, she looked at

    Charlotte in front of her and quickly said, "Ms. Emerson, you should concentrate on your own work.

    Don''t let your imagination run wild. After you win this auction, the CEO will reward you greatly."

    Charlotte looked at Zoe and couldn''t help but grumble a bit.

    She did not want that cold man to throw her a celebration.

    As she watched Zoe, Charlotte quietly took out her phone. After saying a few simple words, she

    took her bag and left.

    In a cafe near thepany.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Wee."

    The waiter looked at the person walking in with a smile.

    "I''m looking for someone."

    Charlotte smiled, pursing her lips. When she saw the man waving at her from the French window,

    she immediately walked over happily. "Mr. Gibson, why are you here so early? I thought..."

    "Since this is near to thepany, is it possible for me to arriveter than you?"

    Christopher said with a smile, causing Charlotte to be a little stunned.

    "What are you thinking about?"

    When he saw the dazed expression on Charlotte''s face, Christopher meaningfully raised the corner

    of his mouth and smiled.

    "No... nothing." Charlotte awkwardly coughed a few times. She scratched her hair in

    embarrassment and continued, "Mr. Gibson, you and Mr. Fuller are friends, but why are your

    personalities so different?"

    "Oh? Please tell me we are different."

    Christopher became suddenly interested. There was a faint smile on his mouth.

    "Mr. Fuller is a handsome but cold man, but your smile makes people feel warm. You make people''s

    moods better."

    Charlotte used the simplest words to exin it. She didn''t know why she felt so rxed when she

    was with the man in front of her. Maybe it was just because of his warm smile.

    "Haven''t you heard that, behind a warm smile, there are many scars?"

    "What do you mean?"

    Charlotte frowned in confusion. She felt that Christopher didn''t seem to be as happy as he looked.

    "Nothing. Tell me, what did youe to see me for?"

    Christopher simply folded his long legs together and casually put his hands on the coffee table. He

    looked like a gentleman from a well-bred family.

    "I just wanted to ask you about the details of the auciton." Charlotte went straight to the point.

    "Has Shane given this project over to you?" He sounded almostpletely sure of himself.

    "Well, I just tentatively confirmed the draft. You can have a look at it, but I always feel that it''s still

    not perfect. Now I need the opinion of an industry professional. No one is more suitable than you."

    Charlotte spoke with absolute certainty. Her eyes remained fixed on Christopher''s body the entire

    time.

    "Since you trust me so much, then I''ll do my best."

    When Charlotte heard Christopher''s teasing voice, she felt that the man in front of her was very

    warm. Her opinion of him rose once again.

    Since the coffee table was square, after Charlotte handed over the first draft in her hand, she

    leaned across the table.

    She felt a coldness behind her. Without thinking too much about it, Charlotte continued to stare at

    Christopher as he drew on the draft.

    "What do you think of this?" Before long, Christopher put down his pencil and raised his head.

    When he did, he saw a pair of gems-like eyes, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123

    When Charlotte realized that her position was a little awkward, she immediately stood up. Her voice

    was filled with excitement, "That''s great."

    Cole was sweating as he stood at the door of the cafe watching the man and woman within. His

    gaze shifted back to his boss and a little girl standing not a meter away from him

    "Daddy��"

    Sheryl felt the hand holding hers squeeze tightly unconsciously. She could only let out a intive

    cry that pulled Shane out of his thoughts.

    Once Sheryl escaped from her father''s "evil ws", she got excited when saw her mother in the

    cafe. "Hey, it''s Mommy."

    Charlotte turned around almost reflexively. She saw the man standing stiffly behind Sheryl and felt a

    gust of cold wind blowing toward her.

    "Baby." Charlotte embraced the tiny figure running over to her with both arms and immediately

    kissed her.

    "Nice to meet you, Handsome Uncle. I''m taking Mommy away."

    Sheryl was still hugging Charlotte possessively as she waved toward Christophe. Then, she

    immediately raised her eyebrows at her father.

    "Daddy, you are so stupid that you can''t even take care of Mommy properly," she thought.

    "Goodbye, Mr. Gibson. We..."

    Before she could finish speaking, Shane walked over with a cold expression. Charlotte could only

    shut her mouth feebly.

    "You still have something to say?" Shane looked at the man in front of him coldly.

    Christopher exined with a smile, "She came to ask me about the auction. I only helped her to edit

    her draft, nothing else."

    "Why didn''t you ask me?" Shane suddenly looked at Charlotte. There was something in his gaze

    that Charlotte didn''t understand.

    "I just didn''t want to trouble you."

    Charlotte exined in an aggrieved manner. She was pulled away by a pair ofrge hands. Due to

    the great disparity in strength, she didn''t even have a chance to escape.

    Until she got into the car, Charlotte still did note back to her senses. Her eyes stared unbl

    inking ly out of the window.

    Who would dare to confront such a dangerous person directly?

    "Mr. Fuller, where are we going?"

    Cole trembled as he looked in the rearview mirror. He had no choice but to ask.

    "Let''s go home."

    A voice that was cold to the point where there wasn''t the slightest trace of emotion floated over.

    Cole, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, shuddered all over and immediately started the car.

    Outside the vi, Shane got out of the car and walked in without looking back.

    "Mr. y, did you encounter any troubles?" Charlotte asked in confusion.

    She knew that she hadn''t made Shane angry, so she took it for granted that she was not the cause

    of this matter.

    "Mrs. Fuller, you''d better ask him yourself."

    Cole could only shake his head. He had a bit of a headache. He didn''t want to get into trouble. After

    all, the world was a beautiful ce.

    "Okay." Charlotte nodded her head reluctantly and held Sheryl''s hand as they walked inside.

    "Mommy, I''ll tell you what happened with Daddy." Sheryl raised her delicate face with a smile and

    deliberately paused for a few seconds. Then she said, "Daddy is jealous."

    "Jealous?" Charlotte asked. "How could he be jealous!" she thought.

    After Sheryl fell asleep, Charlotte walked out of the child''s bedroom and looked toward Shane''s

    room. When she realized that Shane had not fallen asleep, she knocked on the door sneakily.

    When she realized what she was doing, it was toote for her to regret it.

    As she watched the man standing in his bathrobe at the door, Charlotte didn''t know whether to enter

    or not.

    "Looking for me?"

    "That''s right."

    Charlotte nodded her head. Her body was instantly pulled in by a strong force. By the time she

    knew what was going on, her back was already pressed tightly against the ice-cold wall.

    "Mrs. Fuller, don''t you think you need to give me an exnation?" Shane suddenly came close to

    her red cheeks and asked meaningfully.

    "Exnation... for what?"

    Charlotte raised her head weakly. Only then did she realize that her shoulders were shackled by two

    powerful arms.

    "Hm?" Shane patiently stared at the woman who was being forced against the wall.

    "It''s just a misunderstanding. Mr. Gibson and I are just colleagues. I met up with him today for the

    auction in two days. You don''t want thepany to suffer losses because of me, do you?"

    Charlotte deliberately mimicked Sheryl''s by blinking her big, shining eyes. However, it did not have

    much of an effect.

    "I don''t mind."

    Shane''s words instantly caused Charlotte to roll her eyes.

    "I mind, Shane. I need to win this auction. I don''t want to live in the shadow of my past failure. You

    wouldn''t understand."

    Charlotte put away the smile on her face. "Perhaps for you, the auction is dispensable, but for me..."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "I support you."

    Before Charlotte finished her sentence, she heard an attractive voice speak. She looked toward the

    source of the sound reflexively.

    "I don''t mind - but I support you," Charlotte thought.

    Before Charlotte could react, the two arms that were holding her down suddenly loosened. After

    making sure that Shane did not intend to go back on his word, she prepared to sneak away.

    "I shouldn''t have entered the tiger''s den tonight," she thought.

    "Stop right there."

    Shane stared at the woman who was trying to escape. When he saw the sudden frozen steps and

    the stiff back, he suddenly felt that she was a little cute.

    "What''s the matter?" Charlotte didn''t turn around.

    "Sign this contract and you can leave."

    "Just like that?"

    Charlotte instantly turned around and nced at the contract ced on the table. However, she did

    not have any intention of reading it.

    "That''s right."

    Shane crossed his arms in front of his chest as he slowly smiled at Charlotte. It was as if he was

    looking at a prey animal. His gaze made Charlotte feel a little ufortable.

    "Aren''t you afraid that I''ll trick you if you don''t look at the contents of the contract?"

    Shane raised his eyebrows and asked in a meaningful tone. With a stride of his long legs, he

    walked over to Charlotte''s side.

    Since she was squatting in front of the table, Charlotte''s entire body was leaning against the table to

    support herself. The loose shirt was a bit useless on her body.

    Shane couldn''t help but swallow, making his Adam''s apple bob. He forcefully turned his gaze away.

    "I trust you."

    Charlotte spoke in an unceremonious manner. She did not notice that an unusual emotion shed

    Shane''s eyes as she spoke.

    "You really don''t want to have a look?"

    Shane nced at the signature Charlotte had ced on thest page. His thin lips parted slightly,

    and he seemed to be in a very good mood.

    Charlotte suddenly had a feeling that she had betrayed herself. She opened the first page with

    suspicion, nced at it briefly, and then turned a few more pages. She asked in disbelief, "What is

    all this? Why is it all about restricting my actions?"

    Charlotte was a little angry and wanted to draw over the signature on thest page with a pen. But

    how would the man beside her, who had been staring at her all this time, allow her to dothat?

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124

    "Give it back to me!"

    Charlotte roared in anger. However, Shane only nced at her neutrally and raised the contract in

    his hand above Charlotte''s head.

    "Give it to me! You''re cheating!"

    Even though Charlotte was standing on her tiptoes, she still couldn''t get to the contract that was

    tens of centimeters higher than her head. She couldn''t help but mumble.

    "How am I cheating? I did ask you to read it carefully. It''s not my fault that you didn''t." Shane didn''t

    move.

    After a few seconds of silence, Charlotte said in an angry voice, "I... I really trusted you too much."

    All of a sudden, she threw a quick nce over and jumped on her tiptoes. She had indeed gotten

    hold of the contract, but the next second...

    She didn''t know what her hand was holding onto. She only knew that if she didn''t hold on tightly

    enough, she might end up sprawled on the marble floor.

    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Unexpectedly, Charlotte did not feel any coldness as she slowly opened her tightly shut eyes. When

    she saw the man who was pressed under her body, her face instantly turned red.

    I m... I m sorry.

    Charlotte wanted to stand up, but the man below her grabbed her and she was once again plunged

    into Shane''s embrace. She could clearly hear the sound of a strong heartbeat.

    "Charlotte, since seducing me didn''t work out, now you''re throwing yourself at me?"

    "I''m not! Let go!"

    Charlotte forcefully stood up. Without even looking at Shane, she rushed out.

    A few minutester, Shane slowly got up and nced at the figure who was rushing out. He was in

    a good mood.

    Just now, Shane almost had no time to think before he was dragged to the ground by Charlotte.

    At thest second before hitting the floor, he had turned over unexpectedly and became Charlotte''s

    landing pad.

    Charlotte ran back to her room and immediately closed the door. She rushed toy on the bed in

    annoyance. She couldn''t figure it out, so she called Anne.

    "Anne, I miss you."

    Charlotte buried her whole face in the covers, so only a weak voice could be heard.

    "You sweet-talker. I just know you''re like that" Anne said in a tone of annoyance.

    "Anne, I can''t control myself anymore."

    Charlotte was silent for a long time before she finally spoke slowly.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Do you think I shouldn''t have moved in with Shane? I keep feeling that I..."

    Before Charlotte could finish her words, Anne interrupted her.

    "You''ve fallen in love with Shane."

    "Love?" Charlotte smiled bitterly. She immediately said, "At the very most, I''m only interested in him,

    I think? Actually, I don''t know what kind of situation I am in either. He asked me to sign a new

    contract today..."

    "And then?" Anne suddenly raised her voice and asked in a hurry.

    "I fell down on top of him. What if he thinks that I''m trying to seduce him?"

    The more she thought about it, the more ashamed she felt. She simply buried her entire body under

    the covers and refused toe out.

    "How could that be? Don''t worry. Shane is so busy every day. He won''t remember what happened

    today. Have a good sleep. Tomorrow will be a full day."

    Anne could onlyfort her. She couldn''t help yawning.

    In fact, she didn''t think there was anything wrong with this situation. Anne already knew from

    Braden that Shane was interested in Charlotte. Since the two of them were interested in each other,

    why couldn''t they be married for real?

    "Okay."

    Charlotte hung up the phone helplessly and forced herself not to think too much. However, what

    happened more than ten minutes ago was still lingering in her mind.

    She had a sleepless night.

    Early the next morning, Charlotte was prepared to leave with dark circles around her eyes.

    "Mommy,e and have breakfast." Sheryl greeted her mother, who was dressed neatly and was

    ready to go out. She waved her little hand and shouted excitedly.

    "Baby, I can''t eat now. Mommy has to go to work." "But today is a weekend.''

    Sheryl pursed her lips and nced at the seat where Shane was sitting aggrievedly. Then, she said,

    "Daddy, you''re forcing Mommy to work."

    Charlotte didn''t know how to answer. She didn''t know how this little girl''s brain could react so

    quickly.

    "Today is not a workday." Shane narrowed his eyes as he looked at Charlotte''s face.

    "There''s only one more day before the auction. I''m going to the office to finalize the proposal for the

    auction. Look after Sheryl for me. I''m sure you can take good care of her."

    After Charlotte finished speaking, she walked out without waiting for Shane''s reply.

    "Daddy, what is Mommy talking about?"

    Sheryl was confused. She didn''t understand why her mother was so busy. Her father wasn''t busy at

    all.

    "You''ll understand when you grow up."

    Shane deliberately teased her and ruffled her hair dotingly.

    When he noticed the look in Sheryl''s eyes, Shane asked with a smile, "Why are you always looking

    at Daddy?"

    "Because Daddy is very handsome," Sheryl answered. Sure enough, she was great at ttery.

    Shaneughed lowly. Then, he lifted Sheryl and walked out.

    At the Fuller Group offices.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but think of Shane. She couldn''t keep looking at her draft designs.

    In order to increase her inspiration, Charlotte decided to walk out of the office resolutely. She drove

    a few times around the block. Even if she couldn''t find any inspiration, she could at least rx a bit.

    As she drove, she suddenly realized that the Emerson Corporation offices were right in front of her.

    Charlotte scoffed coldly. Just as she was about to turn around, she nced at ine, who had just

    emerged from the Emerson Corporation. What Charlotte saw immediately afterpletely shocked

    her.

    At the entrance of the office, a man who followed ine out stepped forward and held ine in his

    arms.

    "Let''s get out of here first."

    ine looked around and before finally turning to greet the man behind her reluctantly.

    "I''ll do as you say."

    The man smiled lewdly and unconsciously moved his hand to ine''s waist.

    Charlotte immediately opened the car door and got down.

    When their eyes met, ine let out a heartyugh, There wasn''t a trace of shame from being

    caught.

    "Charlotte, I thought you would never dare toe here again. I underestimated you."

    ine pushed away the hand on her waist and could not help but re at the man.

    "ine, who is he?"

    "Why should I tell you? Don''t act all high and mighty. I''m now the acting CEO of Emerson

    Corporation. I''m no longer ine who had nothing back in those days."

    ine slowly lifted the corners of her red lips, and a trace of bloodthirstiness shed across her

    eyes.

    After Charlotte seemingly thought of something, her face instantly turned pale. She pointed at the

    man standing beside ine before finally returning her gaze to ine.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125

    "ine, I don''t care who he is. My dad just passed away, and you are now walking into the

    company with another man. Don''t you feel shameless?" After deliberately pausing for a few

    seconds, she immediately said, "I forgot, you have always been shameless."

    "Charlotte!"

    "ine!"

    Two voices rang out one after the other. Charlotte looked at ine hatefully. The volume of her

    voice instantly diminished so that only the two of them could hear it.

    "Don''t let me find out that you had something to do with my father''s death. Otherwise, I will never let

    you go."

    After saying that, she turned around and left without waiting for ine''s reply. She clenched her

    fingers tightly into a fist without noticing it.

    "Who is she?"

    The man rubbed his chin and asked with a wretched expression. His gaze was focused on

    Charlotte, who was not far away.

    "She''s just a bitch."

    As soon as she thought of what Charlotte had said just now, ine''s face turned even paler.

    This matter could definitely not be discovered by anyone!

    ineforted herself and was pushed into a seven-seater car by the man behind her.

    After leaving, Charlotte returned to the office again. She stared at the design draft that had yet to be

    finalized and suddenly came up with an idea.

    Two dayster, the auction was held as organized.

    As the person- in- charge from the Fuller Group, Charlotte''s presence at the meeting was expected.

    However, no one could have expected that the usually mysterious head of the Fuller family, Shane,

    would show up here.

    For a time, it became a hot topic for all the people in River City.

    Charlotte nced at the group of women surrounding the hall and rolled her eyes speechlessly.

    The man walking in front of her seemed to have no self-awareness, so she could only approach him

    with her head lowered.

    "Mr. Fuller, you''re here too."

    A middle- aged man with a beer belly was suddenly standing at the door. He stared tteringly at

    Shane. He didn''t give up even when Shane didn''t speak. He looked at Charlotte following behind

    Shane and asked in confusion, "Who is this?"

    Cole immediately walked up and exined expressionlessly, "This is the person in charge of this

    project, Ms. Charlotte."

    "As expected, the Fuller Group is full of hidden talents. Such a young and beautiful woman could

    only be hired by yourpany. The new staff must be even better than the previous ones."

    The middle- aged man continued without caring too much about the details of what he said.

    Charlotte smiled and followed Shane, who had already walked far away. She couldn''t help but

    comin internally, "Why are you walking so fast? Do you have to show off your long legs?"

    Just as she sat down, she noticed that ine, who was flouncing her way over. Charlotte clenched

    her fists lightly on her legs.

    She couldn''t wait to tear up her fake mask!

    "Lottie?"

    ine pretended to be astonished as she looked at Charlotte. She walked over with a smile and put

    her gaze on the unsmiling man beside Charlotte. With a faint smile, she said, "Mr. Fuller, it''s been a

    long time since west met."

    In the presence of that ugly face, Charlotte suddenly felt nauseated.

    She really didn''t know how someone could hide their true selves for so long.

    What made Charlotte happy was that Shane was obviously ignoring ine. After thinking about it

    carefully, she realized that the Fuller Group held a monopoly of almost 80 per cent of River City''s

    capital funds. How could the Emerson Corporationpare with it?

    ine turned to look at the gloating Charlotte and a hint of craftiness shed across her eyes. She

    said, "Lottie, when you have time, you shoulde home. Although your father was very angry that

    you kept some man''s child, some of your things were not thrown away. You can go home to get

    them."

    Charlotte could clearly sense that ine was saying this on purpose. She immediately looked over

    coldly, "ine, I left those things behind. If you want them, you can have them. If you don''t want

    them, throw them away. I don''t need anyone''s pity."

    "Lottie, you really misunderstood me..." ine pretended to be hurt.

    She didn''t believe that Shane wouldn''t react when he heard about what happened between

    Charlotte and the other man.

    Even if the man from five years ago was Shane, she knew very well that Shane wouldn''t know

    about it.

    "Get lost."

    Shane said in a cold tone, which caused the surrounding atmosphere to change in an instant.

    Charlotte slowly sat down and stretched her neck.

    She didn''t understand why this man was so angry when she was the one who should be angry.

    She simply decided not to think too much about it as the auction had already begun.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Upon hearing that a fewpanies were confident about winning this auction, the corners of

    Charlotte''s mouth slowly curled up in a smile.

    The person to present was Charlotte, but she still didn''t feel very nervous.

    Shane looked at the woman who was speaking fervently on the stage. She seemedpletely

    different from the woman who was indecisive in private.

    ine saw the outstanding woman on the stage and was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She

    turned her gaze slightly to look at Shane. She saw the feelings that were hidden there and ine''s

    nails embedded themselves deeply into her flesh.

    Why didn''t such an outstanding man belong to her?

    Just as Charlotte stepped off the stage, she noticed Shane''s eyes, which were full of curiosity.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Charlotte was a little confused. She looked at her clothes from top to bottom, only to find that there

    was nothing wrong with them.

    "Nothing''s wrong."

    Shane slowly withdrew his eyes and focused on the pictures on the stage.

    Upon seeing this, Charlotte habitually pouted her red lips. She looked at Cole who was sitting to

    one side and asked in a low voice, "Mr. y, how was my presentation? Do you have any

    opinions?"

    "It was-"

    "Very great!" he thought.

    As soon as he opened his mouth, Cole saw Shane''s death re. He could only swallow his saliva

    and hurriedly withdraw his gaze.

    "It was?"

    Charlotte continued to ask, somewhat annoyed.

    How could someone just say half of what they mean? And she was very curious too!

    "Ms. Emerson, look carefully at the proposals prepared by the otherpanies."

    Cole couldn''t help but wipe away the cold sweat on his forehead. His eyes were focused directly on

    the stage, no longer daring to look at the people next to him.

    At the final, exciting moment, Charlotte held her breath and listened to the uing verdict.

    Even if she had confidence in her work, getting to know the final result was a different matter.

    One second, two seconds, three seconds...

    Charlotte could almost hear her own heartbeat clearly. When she heard her own work being

    announced, she instantly stood up.

    When the meeting was over, it was hard for Charlotte to conceal her excitement. Her slender and

    fair fingers were scrolling on the screen of her mobile phone.

    When she received the notification tone for a text message, Charlotte reacted reflexively. She saw a

    text message with only a few words before her eyes.

    "Congrattions, you''ve seeded!"

    At that moment, at NC Company, Christopher slowly put away his mobile phone that had just been

    used to send a text message. He closed the livestream video of the auction as if nothing had

    happened. Then he opened the filethat had been printed by his assistant.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126

    Charlotte stared at him for a few seconds before sheughed out loud.

    Thisughter sessfully aroused Shane''s curiosity.

    "Who sent that to you?"

    Shane asked casually as he crossed his arms over his chest and crossed his long legs too.

    "It was Mr. Gibson who sent it to me. I didn''t think everyone would find out so quickly."

    Charlotte said directly without thinking. After sensing that the atmosphere was a little strange, she

    immediately exined, "About you being at this auction. After all, you''re the CEO of Fuller Group.

    As you can imagine, the media exposure is unprecedented, so it''s not surprising that most people

    know about it."

    Charlotteughed awkwardly. In the end, she shifted her gaze outside the window and weakly

    moved toward the seat beside her. She tried her best to stay close to the car door to prevent herself

    from being caught in the crossfire.

    Shane''s mouth twitched as he nced out of the corner of his eye, but he didn''t question her

    further.

    As soon as he thought of the text message, Shane''s gaze became colder.

    No one knew Christopher better than him. He was never a person who cared about what happened

    in the outside world. But this time...

    The atmosphere inside the car was strange and silent. Charlotte couldn''t help swallowing. She was

    constantly receiving messages on her phone.

    After Charlotte carefully clicked one open, she suddenly started acting as if she had been specially

    pardoned and said to Shane, "Mr. Fuller, since we won the auction this time, and Anne asked me

    out to celebrate, could I get the rest of the day off?"

    "Fine."

    Shane nodded his head in agreement. Before Charlotte could feel happy, she heard his next words

    and could no longer feel happy.

    "I''ll go with you."

    "There''s no need for that. Actually, I..." Charlotte wanted to argue, waving her hands in a panic.

    She realized that what Shane just said was obviously an order, with no intention to discuss this with

    her at all, she could only vent her anger by leaning her face against the car window. She racked her

    brain toe up with how she was going to exin to Aer.

    Could she say that Mr. Fuller had insisted oning along?

    "Why does that make me feel like I''m being a little pretentious?"

    After arriving at the destination, Charlotte was wondering whether she should get off the car when

    she found that the man sitting next to her had already gotten out of the car before her. She had no

    choice but to reluctantly get off the car.

    "What a coincidence."

    Braden''s voice rang out, instantly attracting Charlotte''s attention.

    "What''s wrong? You don''t seem happy to see me.

    Braden clearly saw a trace of surprise in Charlotte''s eyes. He approached her with intent and

    asked.

    Shane gave him a neutral look before saying coldly, "Let''s go in."

    "Alright."

    Charlotte lowered her head and replied. She had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk in.

    She didn''t know what would happen with these two men here together.

    Forget it. What was the point of her worrying about these things?

    Just as she stepped into the reserved room, Shane stood at the door and didn''t seem to have any

    intention of entering. Charlotte merely lowered her head and didn''t give voice to her confusion.

    Braden looked at Anne and immediately ran into the room, causing Charlotte''s eyes to open wide.

    "Anne, why are you here so early?"

    Braden took a step forward and immediately ced his hand on Anne''s shoulder. He smiled smugly

    at Charlotte, who was standing behind Shane.

    "Baby, let''s change rooms." When he saw Anne frowning, he then smiled slyly and said to the

    person in his arms, "Don''t worry, Shane is a VIP here. Every year, he spends at least 100 million

    dors here. It wouldn''t be inurate to call him a shareholder. They can definitely give us a better

    room."

    "Alright." Anne had no choice but to nod in the end.

    Shane turned around first and went straight to a room about three times bigger than the one before.

    Then he chose a seat randomly and sat down.

    Charlotte didn''t sit by Shane''s side deliberately. She chose a seat opposite him, which was also the

    furthest seat from him. She couldn''t help but mumble internally, "The four of us don''t need such a

    huge room just because Shane''s rich. It''s such a waste."

    "The ambience is good." Shane suddenly said.

    Almost a conditioned reflex, Charlotte instantly turned her gaze to Shane and broke out in a cold

    sweat. Were her thoughts so easy to guess?

    Because of Charlotte''s seat choice, Braden and Anne could only sit separately.

    Charlotte could clearly feel Braden''s resentful gaze was on her.

    "Why didn''t you tell me that this guy wasing too?"

    While the two men were not paying attention, Charlotte purposely lowered her voice and asked.

    "I didn''t know. He just told me that he wasing. I didn''t even tell him the address of where we''re

    going! Did you tell him?"

    Anne looked suspiciously at Charlotte and finally focused her gaze on Shane.

    Charlotte was almost certainly sure of why Braden hade over.

    "Congrattions, Ms. Emerson!"

    Braden looked at Charlotte with an evil smile on his face and simply drank all the wine in the cup.

    "Thank you."

    Out of courtesy, Charlotte thanked him sincerely. Then, she slowly lifted up the ss of cold fruit

    juice in front of her and took a symbolic sip.

    "That won''t do. I''ve already finished my drink, but you only took a sip. You were so confident and

    charismatic on stage, Charlotte. You would have been an amazing orator."

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Braden''s words were full of praise, but Shane did not have much of a reaction.

    Charlotte didn''t expect Shane to help her out. She simply picked up the ss of cold wine and

    drank it all herself.

    "Cheers!"

    Braden pped his hands and could not help cheering. From time to time, he nced at Shane,

    who did not react at all. Braden suddenly felt very confused.

    This was not his intention. He just wanted to sound him out.

    Anne looked nervously at Charlotte and couldn''t help but re at Braden. Thetter just shrugged

    innocently.

    "How is it? You drank so much right at the beginning. How are you going to eatter?"

    "It''s nothing. I''ll be fine."

    Charlotte smiled and looked at Anne. She shook her head, but in the next second, she felt a faint

    difort in her tummy.

    If she remembered correctly, her period was due in two days.

    Charlotte consoled herself privately. She must be thinking too much. It wasn''t even due yet. She

    wouldn''t be so unlucky as to have ite ahead of schedule, right?

    "The food here isn''t bad. You should try this fish. It''s delicious."

    Realizing that the atmosphere was a little awkward, Braden had to take the lead in breaking the ice.

    "This is not bad either."

    "Anne, why are you looking at me like that? Don''t you think it''s delicious?" Braden looked at the

    woman in front of him aggrievedly. His handsome face drooped instantly in sadness. He looked like

    a pet abandoned by its owner.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127

    "Yeah."

    Anne took a symbolic bite of food, then picked up a piece of meat and put it on a te for Charlotte.

    When she saw Braden''s jealous gaze, she could only stand up and put a slice of ham on Braden''s

    te. She listened to Braden''s gloatingughter with some amusement.

    "Anne, you''re so nice."

    Charlotte got goosebumps all over from that statement. Charlotte also ced some ham in Shane''s

    te. She suddenly realized that just meat didn''t make a bnced diet, so she put some onions on

    his te too.

    Braden looked at the onions with big eyes and immediately said, "Don''t you know that Shane can''t

    eat onions?"

    "Why not?" Charlotte asked in confusion.

    She remembered clearly that he had eaten somest time. She recalled that she had been the one

    to take some for him too, and Shane hadn''t refused her.

    "He''s allergic to onions."

    Before Shane could stop him, Braden had already spoken up, making Charlotte widen her eyes in

    shock.

    "Last time you..."

    Charlotte finally remembered why Raina had been in such a tizzyst time. She also understood

    why Aunt Ophelia had asked if she should call Doctor Zane over.

    It was because...

    Charlotte couldn''t figure it out. With a puzzled look on her face, she tried to find an answer. But the

    answer that she came up with was forcefully shoved aside. She smiled bitterly.

    "It''s nothing, I just don''t like eating it."

    Shane spoke suddenly. Nevertheless, he didn''t touch the onions.

    Charlotte lowered her head, and a strange look shed across her eyes.

    During the meal, the four of them each had their own thoughts.

    After the meal, Charlotte waved at Anne and quickly said, "Let''s meet up another day."

    "Okay." Anne nodded and watched as Charlotte followed Shane into their car.

    Since this gathering wasn''t part of the schedule, Cole didn''te along, and Shane had to drive.

    Charlotte naturally sat in the front passenger seat.

    After the car started to move, Charlotte covered her lower abdomen with her hands.

    She had felt a slight pain while eating, but now it made her break out in cold sweat. She couldn''t

    help but curse at the bastard Braden internally.

    She didn''t know what she was feeling, but Charlotte looked at Shane with a red face. He was

    focused on driving while she still pressed her hands tightly against her lower abdomen.

    Her period was early...

    Charlotte gritted her teeth. She hadn''te prepared. She could only imagine...

    "Shane."

    Charlotte let out a weak cry. She felt as if she didn''t have the slightest bit of strength left in her body.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Shane nced at Charlotte beside him and instantly parked the car by the side of the road. There

    was a trace of anxiety in his voice.

    "Let''s go to the hospital," he said.

    Shane had no choice but to obey. He immediately went to start the car again but was stopped by

    Charlotte, who didn''t have much strength to begin with.

    "I''m fine."

    Cold sweat had already covered her back, but Charlotte kept enduring the pain. Even the five

    fingers pressed against her lower abdomen had be pale and weak.

    "Not a chance." Shane looked at the face that was white as a sheet, and he felt even more

    flustered.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but curse internally. Didn''t he know that women experienced this kind of pain

    every month?

    In the end, she did not say anything out loud, nor did she have the strength to speak.

    "Can you help me..."

    Charlotte closed her eyes tightly. She clenched her teeth, and continued, "Help me buy some

    sanitary napkins."

    After saying the words, Charlotte immediately turned her head away, a flush finally appearing on her

    face.

    After he heard what Charlotte said, Shane was stunned for only a few seconds before opening the

    car door and walking toward a nearby supermarket.

    Charlotte wanted to smash her head against the car door. Why did she have to be so unlucky to

    encounter such a thing?

    No wonder Anne always joked about asking

    Charlotte to stay away from her...

    "Wee!"

    The salesperson looked at the handsome man who was handsome enough to be on TV. She was

    stunned for a few seconds.

    Shane''s eyes had never been fixed on extraneous people and objects. When he saw the section for

    female sanitary products, he went straight over to it.

    "What kind of product do you need, sir?"

    When the salesperson saw Shane standing in front of a pile of women''s products looking confused,

    she immediately walked over with a smile and introduced them one by one.

    "Which are for periods?"

    Shane interrupted the salesperson and went straight to the point.

    "There are a lot of kinds. Do you know what your girlfriend uses? They are all on this shelf."

    The salesperson continued to point at the relevant shelf behind her.

    "It''s for my wife."

    Shane didn''t answer the question, but spat out those few words coldly.

    "I''m sorry."

    The salesperson rubbed the tip of her nose awkwardly and looked at the man strangely.

    Normally, no one would pay attention to this sort of mistake.

    "What''s the difference between them?"

    He nced at all the different kinds of products and suddenly felt a headacheing on. This was

    even more difficult than wrangling a multimillion-dor contract.

    "Er..."

    The salesperson waspletely at a loss. How was she going to exin this?

    "I''ll take one of each."

    Shane pointed to the products on the shelf and ordered directly.

    "Okay, I''ll get them right away."

    The salesperson happily took one of each product and put them in a small cart. Then she

    immediately pushed it over to the cashier.

    It looked like her sales would definitely be going a lot this month.

    Shane''s mouth twitched as he nced at the two huge bags of colorfully packaged products.

    After Shane walked away, the two cashiers at the front desk started to gossip in low voices.

    "Where else could you find such a handsome man? And he treats his wife so well."

    "Why do I feel like I''ve seen him before?"

    The other cashier seemed to be thinking deeply about it. Finally, she shook her head and continued

    her work.

    Inside the car, when Charlotte sensed the car door being opened, she finally opened her eyes

    weakly.

    "This is for you."

    Shane put the two big bags in the back seat. They wererge enough to take up half the space

    there.

    Charlotte nced at it in disbelief, as if trying to prove to herself that she was seeing clearly. Then,

    she turned to look at the man beside her, who seemed calm andposed.

    "All of them?"

    "You didn''t say what you wanted, so I bought one of each."

    Shane seemed to be talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

    Charlotte''s pale and bloodless lips twitched a couple of times. It was almost impossible to imagine

    the strange gazes of the people who had seen him paying for such things.

    "Thank you."

    Regardless, she was very grateful to the man beside her.

    Outside the vi, both Charlotte''s legs became so heavy that she couldn''t move an inch.

    Although she always suffered a lot during her period, she had never suffered from such pain like

    this.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128

    Both of her feet suddenly left the ground. Charlotte looked at the handsome face that had suddenly

    come closer. She stared dumbly at it and forgot even to have a reaction.

    Only when they arrived at the door of the bathroom, did Shane finally let go of Charlotte. He directly

    returned to the living room and took out his mobile phone.

    "Shane, I''m not home yet. Don''t worry about me." Braden joked habitually.

    "I don''t need to worry about you," Shane replied coldly.

    "Hey, why can''t you y along? You''re always like this!" Braden couldn''t helpining.

    "How to relieve period pains?"

    "What?" asked Braden.

    Braden looked at the phone screen in disbelief and asked again, "You''re asking this..."

    After he got himself together, he immediately said with an evil smile, "You''re asking the right person.

    I understand women very well. When ites to this..."

    "Get to the point." Shane interrupted coldly. "Ginger tea or brown sugar tea is good." Since Shane

    couldn''t see him, Braden could not help but chuckle.

    "Who knew that cold-blooded guy could be so anxious?" he thought.

    After Shane hung up the phone, he happened to see Ms. Jenny passing by. "Get her a cup of brown

    sugar tea."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Okay, Mr. Fuller."

    Ms. Jenny smiled kindly. How could she not know who Shane was referring to?

    It took a long time for Charlotte to walk out of the bathroom.

    "Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller asked me to give you this."

    Charlotte nced at the mug in Ms. Jenny''s hand and slowly epted it. Only then did she see the

    strange smile on Ms. Jenny''s face.

    The door was suddenly pushed open. Before Charlotte had even raised her head, she saw a pair of

    bright leather shoes appear in front of her. She knew exactly who it was.

    "Sheryl went to the old mansion."

    The statement caused Charlotte to raise her head in an instant. She was a little anxious.

    "Don''t worry, Grandma brought her over." When he saw the anxious expression on Charlotte''s face,

    Shane immediately said. "If you''re worried, I can go and check on her."

    Charlotte shook her head weakly.

    "You should rest. I''ll just go over for a while. Call me immediately if you need anything."

    She was the only one left in the room. Charlotte could clearly sense that there had been a slight

    change between the two of themtely.

    At the Fullers'' old mansion.

    When Raina came back inside, she saw the little girl lying on the sofa. Although she felt that the girl

    looked like Shane when he was young, she did not think about it the other way around.

    "Hello, Grandma," Sheryl called out sweetly to Raina.

    Aunt Ophelia looked at a shocked Raina with a relieved expression on her face. She then smiled

    and said, "Madam Raina, Sheryl, and Mrs. Fuller Senior are very happy together."

    "I only want the offspring of the Fuller family. No matter how good they are, I''m not interested in

    other people''s children." Raina feigned a cold expression and walked straight into the living room.

    Sheryl looked at the old woman next to her with an innocent look and said in a halfwhining voice,

    "Great- grandma, does Grandma not like me?"

    "You''re so obedient, no one would dislike you."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior couldn''t help but re at Raina, who had just sat down. Only then did thetter

    shut her mouth, feeling a little wronged.

    Sheryl was clever enough to tell who was nice and who wasn''t.

    "Grandma, I heard Mommy say that this is good for skin care."

    Sheryl put down the toy in her hands, moved her butt off the sofa, and stepped toward Raina.

    Suddenly, she opened her small hands.

    "No, thank you."

    Raina couldn''t help but turn her gaze away, forcibly suppressing the strange feeling in her heart.

    "Grandma, this is delicious. You are so beautiful. You will definitely be more beautiful after eating

    this."

    Sheryl handed over the big cherry in her hand again and gently got on her tiptoes.

    Raina pushed her away in frustration. She hadn''t realized that she had pushed the child away. By

    the time she did, she heard the child''s crying. As she looked at that familiar little face, she instantly

    began to panic.

    Sheryl was bawling.

    "I want Mommy!"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior didn''t even have the time to stand up to pick up Sheryl, who was on the ground,

    when she saw a figure charging in with a murderous aura.

    When he saw Sheryl''s tear- stained face, Shane frowned tightly and red at Raina, who was

    sitting on the sofa pretending not to care.

    "How could you do that to a child?"

    Shane''s lips were slightly opened and there was a trace of hatred in his eyes.

    "I didn''t do it on purpose."

    Raina exined in a weak voice. She truly hadn''t done it on purpose and hadn''t expected that she

    would react that way. When she saw Shane''s worried expression, she exined again, "I already

    told her I didn''t want it. She..."

    "Daddy, don''t me Grandma. I was the one who wanted to give her the big cherry."

    Sheryl sobbed in a low voice against Shane''s shoulder with a wronged look on her face.

    "Shane, take her to the hospital for a checkup."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior nced at the child in Shane''s arms and immediately said nervously.

    "Alright."

    Shane had just finished speaking when he heard a voiceing from behind him.

    "Daddy, I don''t want to go to the hospital. I hate the smell of hospitals."

    "Okay, then we won''t go."

    Shane patted Sheryl''s back lovingly and tried tofort her.

    "Shane, you can''t give her all your love. Remember that she''s not your daughter!"

    Raina had never seen Shane so worried before, so she immediately called out to stop him.

    Shane''s footsteps suddenly stopped. His expression had been never so cold. There was no trace of

    emotion in his voice. It was impossible to tell that there they were rted. "Humph! I''m very clear

    about whether she''s my daughter or not. I''ll do what I want."

    After saying that resolutely, he immediately went upstairs with Sheryl in his arms.

    In the room, Shane asked meaningfully, "Why didn''t you let me take you home just now?"

    Just as he was about to carry this little kid out of the old mansion, he heard a soft sound in his ears.

    "I don''t want Mommy to worry about me."

    Sheryl stared at her father with a look of sadness and continued to exin, "If Mommy finds out that

    I got hurt, she will definitely be even more unfriendly with Grandma. I don''t want that to happen."

    When he heard this little kid''s thinking, he rubbed the girl''s curly hair even more dotingly.

    At that moment, in the living room, Mrs. Fuller Senior looked at Raina angrily. In the end, she

    couldn''t help but scold Raina. "Why are you taking this so seriously? What''s wrong with the child?

    She''s still so young."

    Raina tried her best to persuade her, "Mom, she''s not a child of the Fuller family. I still haven''t found

    out who the child''s birth father is. What if something happens in the future? The point is, I won''t let

    this child take the Fuller name." "I don''t care what the child''s surname is. Charlotte has already

    registered her marriage to Shane, she is a part of the Fuller family. So you should also change your

    point of view and try to ept her. You''re too old-fashioned."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior shook her head helplessly and did not say anything further.

    "I don''t agree! A woman without self-respect doesn''t deserve to be part of the Fuller family. If she

    really enters the Fuller family, what kind of reputation will we have? People willugh at us!"

    When Raina thought of Charlotte giving birth out of wedlock five years ago, she became even

    angrier and her voice suddenly became even louder.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129

    "By any chance, do you not have any regret when you gave up on Shane years ago? Look at

    Shane and yourself now, are you still mother and son? Do you still want to make the same mistake

    again?" The olddy sighed meaningfully and continued, "I can see that Shane likes this child quite

    a lot. It is not impossible for him to bring her into the Fuller Residence."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Madam, please slow down."

    Aunt Ophelia stepped forward immediately and reached out to support her, but she was rejected

    mercilessly by Madam Fuller Senior.

    "There''s no need to hold on to me. I haven''t reached the point where I can''t walk." Even though

    every step she took was very slow, her steps were still firm and powerful.

    After taking a few steps, Madam Fuller Senior suddenly turned around and said meaningfully, "I

    think Charlotte is not a bad choice. She was able to educate her child so sessfully on her own.

    She''s not bad, I like her."

    Hearing Madam Fuller Senior directly express her love for Charlotte, Raina''s entire face flushed

    from anger. She couldn''t help but say, "Mother, it''s fine if you like the child, but how could you like

    Charlotte just because she''s the child''s mother��"

    Aunt Ophelia walked over to Raina and said patiently, "Madam, Madam Fuller Senior''s words do

    make sense. You can think about it."

    "You don''t need to persuade me. I won''t agree with this. Even if all of you agree, I won''t. I will never

    let anyone ruin the reputation of the Fuller Residence and everything else in the Fuller Residence!"

    Her voice was firm, as if not allowing anyone to refuse.

    Aunt Ophelia shook her head with resignation and did not try to persuade her further.

    Sheryl sat obediently on the bed. As she was seated right across the door, she saw the person

    coming through the door at a nce.

    "Great-grandma, it doesn''t hurt. Don''t worry."

    Sheryl immediately rushed toward the person at the door, purposely not using much force.

    "You are such a good girl, Sheryl..."

    Madam Fuller Senior''s heart ached even more. Touching the child''s face with her hand, her eyes

    were filled with love and pity.

    "Shane, have you asked the doctor toe over?"

    "Henry should be arriving soon." Shane''s gaze was fixed on the small figure in front of him.

    The olddy squatted down slowly and gently rubbed Sheryl''s bruised knee with her hand, only to

    hear a sharp inhale.

    "Does it hurt?"

    "It doesn''t hurt. Mommy said that Sheryl needs to be strong. I can''t cry. Besides, grandma didn''t put

    in much force."

    Sheryl looked at the old woman who was bending down with her face full of love. She blew on her

    knees just like how Charlotte always did, muttering at the same time, "This blows the pain away."

    An unknown emotion shed through Shane''s eyes. He buried his hands in his pockets and didn''t

    take them out for a long time. No one knew what he was thinking about.

    A few minutester, quick footsteps were heard from outside the door, and Shane immediately hid

    the emotions in his eyes.

    "Shane, what''s the matter this time? Thest time you were at my house, and this time you called

    me to the... family''s mansion?"

    When Henry saw the few people standing in the room, his voice faded out, so much so that he was

    the only one who could hear thest few words clearly.

    "Madam Fuller Senior is back?"

    It was one of those rare moments when Henry put away the yful expression on his face and

    greeted Madam Fuller Senior respectfully.

    "Since you''re here, I can rest assured. I''ll return to my room first."

    Madam Fuller Senior smiled and nodded at Henry, before walking away with her cane.

    When only the two men and the small girl were left in the room, Henry raised an eyebrow at Shane

    who seemed to be at a loss.

    "Who''s injured this time? Can''t you prepare a medical kit at home next time, deal with simple

    injuries yourself and let me rest for a bit? Don''t let me rush over from so far away. Others might

    think that you''re in aa."

    Henry ranted, unhappy.

    As a famous doctor in River City, he should be serving a greater purpose than going to cure some

    minor cuts and grazes every few days.

    "Are you done talking?"

    Shane''s thin lips parted slightly. He didn''t seem to mind being chided.

    "Yes, I''m done."

    Henry nodded his head expressionlessly. Only then did he notice a curious gaze that had been fixed

    on him.

    "Can you check on her wound?"

    Shane pointed to the little girl sitting obediently in front of him, who was resting her cheek with her

    hand. He suddenly felt confused. "Why is she so obedient at such a time?" He thought.

    "What happened to such a beautiful child? Did you hit her?" Henry drawled.

    "It''s not daddy," Sheryl replied directly, her small face full of stubbornness.

    "Who did it, then?"

    Henry suddenly asked pointedly, gesturing to Sheryl''s knees, but he did not get an answer.

    He didn''t feel any anger. He squatted down and slowly opened the medical kit. As he took out the

    alcohol swab, he smirked.

    "Little girl, don''t you cryter."

    "Sheryl doesn''t cry. Only a little girl cries. I''m already a big girl."

    Sheryl raised her stubborn little face slightly and looked, unflinching, at Henry, who was on the

    same level as her.

    "Shane, you''ve really found a treasure. This child is so adorable. Can I borrow her sometime? It''s

    too boring for me to stay at home alone now."

    Henry had just finished speaking when he felt a cold gaze sweeping over him. He had no choice but

    to carefully wipe Sheryl''s wound with the alcohol swab.

    He wondered why a child barely older than four years old did not cry out in pain. He could not help

    but love Sheryl even more.

    After he had finished treating her wound, Henry nced at Shane, who was standing beside him

    and said, "This wound should avoid contact with water as it has just been treated. You will need to

    reapply the medicine every day."

    "Alright."

    Shane nodded, listening to him very seriously., He suddenly asked, "There''s nothing more to take

    note of?"

    "Yeah."

    Henry nodded, a surprised look on his face.

    After receiving a sudden call, Henry bid farewell to Shane and was ready to leave.

    "Kid, if you have time,e and y with Uncle."

    When he walked to the door, Henry suddenly smiled and looked at the little girl who was sitting

    quietly on the bed. He narrowed his eyes happily, feeling a little jealous of Shane.

    "Daddy, can I go home?" Sheryl asked Shane obediently.

    She really wanted to go home. She didn''t want to stay here anymore. This ce always made her

    feel ufortable.

    "Alright, I''ll take you home." Shane scooped up the little girl in a swift motion and walked out of the

    Fuller family''s main house.

    In front of the French windows on the second floor not far away, Aunt Ophelia said in resignation to

    Madam Raina, who was staring at the leaving car, "Madam, the young master has gone far away. If

    you are really worried about him, don''t quarrel with him like this in the future."

    When she saw the gaze Madam Raina cast on her, Aunt Ophelia had no choice but to say,

    "Madam, I''m sorry for having spoken out of turn."

    She then walked out of the room.

    The next day, Charlotte didn''t see Shane when she woke up. She didn''t think too much and went

    straight to the office.

    Looking at the dispirited Charlotte, Zoe went forward to say hello.

    "What''s wrong? We just won the bid yesterday, so why do you look so down today? This is not the

    Ms. Emerson I know."

    "I need a break."

    "Okay." Zoe left with a smile, holding a stack of documents in her arms.

    At the same time, in the CEO''s office, Cole knocked gently on the door twice and walked in. The

    first thing he saw was a presentable and delicious-smelling set of breakfast on the desk.

    "Bring this to Ms. Emerson and tell her to finish it. Otherwise, she''ll have to bear the

    consequences."

    His slender fingers flipped through the files lying on the table, his gaze seemingly not falling on the

    breakfast set.

    "Yes, sir."

    Cole had no choice but to brace himself and nod his head. He then carried the breakfast and

    rushed out of the office, attracting envious gazes from other staff along the way.

    A few secondster, the wholepany was talking about how the CEO personally bought

    breakfast for Assistant y, instantly making Cole the target of gossip.

    Meanwhile, Cole was currently standing at the entrance of the office, hesitating over how to ry

    the CEO''s message.

    Charlotte wanted to make a cup of coffee, but she saw Cole even before she could open the door.

    "Assistant y, why are you here?"

    "Mr. Fuller asked me to bring you breakfast. He told you to finish it, otherwise, you will have to bear

    the consequences."

    Cole''s face was flushed red as he ced the breakfast on Charlotte''s table. He turned to take his

    leave.

    "Wait a second."

    Charlotte couldn''t help but mourn internally, "Isn''t this my entire day''s food capacity?"

    If she actually finished eating, wouldn''t she be dead when she finally left the office?

    "You can eat it. I''m not hungry."

    Charlotte had just finished speaking when she could no longer see Cole''s figure. Once again, she

    focused her gaze on the pile of food. Taking a deep breath, she decisively ced the teacup away.

    What the man meant by "consequences" would never be that simple...

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130

    Therefore, it was best for her to finish all the food.

    However, how was she supposed to finish this ''free breakfast'' all by herself, when it was equal to

    her entire day''s meals?

    Charlotte''s pale, agile fingertips tapped on the bags and finallynded on a bag where half of the

    bread inside had fallen out. She started eating as slowly as a snail.

    Half an hour passed.

    She couldn''t finish the food.

    It was impossible to finish it.

    Looking at the breakfast, Charlotte felt pressured.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Someone knocked on the door.

    "Come in." She wiped her lips.

    The first thing Christopher saw when he pushed open the door was the mountain of food piled up in

    front of Charlotte. He smiled in surprise, "That''s a lot, can you finish all of it?"

    Charlotte sighed. "Even you know that I can''t finish it, but a certain someone thinks that I can. Since

    you''re already here, I''ll have to ask you for help."

    A certain someone?

    Is it Shane?

    Aplex expression shed through Christopher''s eyes.

    "What nice timing! I haven''t had breakfast yet." He walked to the table and sat down.

    "That''s great, eat as much as you like, it doesn''t matter if you finish all of it."

    She was too in need of help.

    At the same time.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Someone else was knocking on the door.

    "Who is it this time?" Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte was a little nervous. It couldn''t be Shaneing to check if she had finished eating, right?

    The door opened.

    It was Zoe, who was smiling politely.

    Charlotte let out a breath she was holding.

    When Zoe entered the door, she saw Christopher and Charlotte sitting side by side, eating together.

    She was slightly stunned, and the fist by her side tightened unknowingly. "Mr Gibson."

    "Go on, don''t worry about me." Christopher waved, smiling gently.

    His breezy smile was like a feather, scratching lightly at Zoe''s heart.

    She lowered her head and handed the document over to Charlotte. "The CEO asked me to hand

    this to you. It''s the future n for the design department. Also, he asked me toe and see if

    you''ve finished eating breakfast."

    "Zoe, have you had breakfast yet?"

    "Not yet." When did she even have the time for breakfast?

    "Very well."

    Charlotte stood up with a bright smile. She went behind Zoe, nudged her back, forcing her to sit

    next to Christopher. "Eat, finish all of these."

    Zoe:

    "What exactly was going on?"

    She subconsciously turned her head to look at Christopher, who was sitting next to her.

    He just gave her a polite nod.

    Zoe shifted her gaze, picked up the food and moved to the corner to sit down at an appropriate

    distance from Christopher.

    Charlotte sat on the guest sofa opposite them. The document Zoe gave her was a pending version,

    which was usually handed over by the design department to the CEO or the chief director, and it

    could be carried out directly after review.

    "How did it get sent to me?" She thought.

    Charlotte frowned. There were no obvious problems with these, including the neer training

    and other ns. They all met thepany''s requirements.

    After a long time of going through the documents, Charlotte finally finished off.

    She put down the document and massaged her shoulders.

    She picked up a piece of cake and stuffed it into her mouth, finding that it was thest item among

    the pile of food.

    The three of them had finally finished the meal together.

    In the afternoon.

    Charlotte returned the document to the design department.

    When it was time to get off work, she decided to head back home. When she passed by a hotel next

    to thepany, she saw a familiar car unexpectedly.

    That car...

    She stopped subconsciously in her tracks.

    The door opened to Cole wearing a pair of metal-framed sses.

    Cole got out of the car and opened the back seat door, and out stepped an extremely handsome

    man. Charlotte''s breathing tightened instantly.

    On the other side of the car, a woman in a red dress appeared.

    She held the man''s arm naturally, the two looking close.

    Charlotte watched as they walked into the hotel. For some reason, her heart was heavy with

    bitterness.

    That man was familiar to her. It was Shane.

    But that woman...

    Charlotte withdrew her gaze and took a deep breath.

    "Go home." She thought.

    She shouldn''t be thinking too much about things that were not of her concern.

    In the magnificent hotel.

    The woman in the red dress with an enchanting figure loosened her hand wrapped around the

    man''s arm. "Shane, thank you for today."

    Shane gave a slight nod.

    "About my sister, I wanted to..."

    "It''s all in the past." Shane interrupted her, his voice cold.

    The woman smiled awkwardly. "I understand, Shane. Thank you for still being willing to take care of

    me."

    "Cole."

    "Yes, sir."

    Cole immediately left the hotel, trailing behind Shane.

    After getting in the car, Cole reminded him softly, "Mr Fuller, what if Miss Allen hired paparazzi to

    take pictures..."

    "Don''t say too much about her matters."

    "But your reputation..."

    "I owe Heidi a lifetime."

    Cole:...

    Perhaps, Mr Fuller had never moved on from the past.

    Cole asked again, "What about Miss Emerson, then?"

    Shane''s eyes flickered like a candle that was on the brink of extinguishing.

    He closed his eyes and a trace of exhaustion appeared on his face.

    Cole stopped asking immediately.

    Charlotte was lying on the bed, unable to fall asleep.

    Her heart was heavy and unsettled.

    Vaguely, she heard the sound of the door opening followed by the stream of water. Finally, she felt a

    burst of warmth press against her back.

    "Are you asleep?"

    Shane''s voice by her ear was hoarse with a hint of temptation.

    ''Tim asleep!" Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte''s body tensed up and she didn''t move an inch.

    Due to theck of response, Shane didn''t say anything else.

    Charlotte didn''t even know how she managed to fall asleep. Anyway, Shane was already gone by

    the time she woke up.

    The words he saidst night, which made her heart tingle for a long time, seemed like a mere

    illusion.

    Charlotte finished washing up before arriving at thepany.

    She received a message from Shane.

    He was saying that Madam Fuller Senior wanted Sheryl to stay with her for a few more days, so he

    had sent someone to bring Sheryl there.

    Charlotte knocked her knuckles against her head. She was really an ipetent mother. She didn''t

    even check whether her daughter was at home when she returned yesterday...

    "Lottie? Are you alright? Why do you look so dazed?" Zoe had been calling her quite a few times.

    Charlotte came to her senses suddenly and rubbed her temples, "Sorry, I was thinking about

    something just now. What''s wrong?"

    "Congrattions, you''re one of the ten top newbie nominees for this year. Do well in theing

    celebration." Zoe gave her a gift box and an invitation.

    Charlotte epted the letter doubtfully and carefully read the invitation letter.

    This time''s bid was sessful, which led to the NC Company holding a celebratory feast. At the

    same time, many other businessmen from the same industry were invited to the party. This was a

    way to make a public announcement that this project had been secured by thepany.

    Charlotte opened the box and found a dress of pretty good quality lying inside.

    It was at this moment Zoe knew that the gift Shane sent Charlotte was actually a gown.

    She smiled and said, "The chairman seems to take good care of you. He gave me a watch and a tie

    for Mr Gibson. Yours is a full dress instead."

    He was... quite nice to her.

    Charlotte was lost in thought as she looked at the gown. She could tell the size of the dress at a

    nce. It was exactly her size.

    "Try on your dress. I''m going to work now."

    "Alright." Charlotte nodded and watched her leave.

    Charlotte locked the door.

    She took the dress out of the box.

    The in white dress was decorated with small diamonds and ace hem, and at the end of the

    pleated dress was ayer of tulle. The entire gown was luxurious but not tacky.

    Charlotte put on the dress and stood in front of the mirror, staring nkly at her reflection.

    The dress was just her size, not showing anything improper. However, it made her look attractive

    and poised.

    It was extremely pretty.

    Charlotte reluctantly took off the gown and put it back in the box.

    As soon as she straightened her cor, her phone rang.

    "Hello?"

    "Have you received the dress?"

    "Yes, I''ve tried it. It fits me very well."

    Shane gave a faint "hmm", and the image of her in the gown appeared in his mind. His lips quirked

    upwards at the corners.

    Charlotte''s knuckles tightened on her phone. This silence made it awkward, and she had no idea

    how to continue the conversation.

    "Wear it when you go to the celebratory feast."

    "Is it really alright to keep such a high profile?"

    "Why did you think I sent you this gown, then?"

    For a moment, Charlotte was at a loss for words. She heard a cute voice from the other end of the

    line��

    "Daddy, the handsome uncle is going to send me away. Don''t you want another hug?"

    Was it Sheryl''s voice?

    But didn''t Shane say that she was at the old mansion?

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131

    "You said that Sheryl was at her grandmother''s. How is she still..."

    "Yes, she came over for lunch," Shane replied without a switch of expression.

    "You could have told me."

    "So that you coulde over for lunch?"

    Charlotte imagined that scene and thought of the consequences she would be facing if they were

    seen by others. She would probably be the target of gossip in thepany.

    She replied timidly, "It''s better not to."

    Shane seemed tough slightly. "I''m hanging up. Work hard."

    "Wait a minute."

    "Yes?"

    "Will any otherpanies attend the celebratory dinner?" Charlotte asked.

    Usually, for theserge-scale, invitation-based banquets, people from otherpanies would be

    invited.

    "The Emerson Corporation will be sending someone over," Shane said purposefully.

    "Thank you." Her voice was very soft.

    "Do you need any help?"

    "This dress is already the best form of help you can provide. I''m not going to bring embarrassment

    upon NC... and you." Charlotte''s voice softened towards the end as she hurriedly ended the call.

    "How strange," she thought. Being Shane''s current secretary, it was normal to say things like this.

    Why was her heart beating so fast, then?

    In the chairman''s office on the top floor of NC Company''s tower.

    Looking at his phone, Shane narrowed his eyes. He leaned back a little and his lips quirked up even

    more.

    Sheryl, who was about to leave with Christopher, ran back to him when she saw him smile. She

    poked his face with a finger and said, "Daddy, you look so handsome when you smile!"

    "Do I not look good otherwise?" Shane teased her on purpose.

    "You''re good- looking either way. When you don''t smile, you look like a handsome prince. When you

    smile, you look like an angel!" The little fellow said childishly.

    "That''s my little cupcake."

    Sheryl pointed to her cheek, and Shane bent down to kiss her face.

    This time, the little fellow left in satisfaction with Christopher.

    This little girl and her mom...

    "They''re pretty alright," he thought.

    The wholepany started getting busy in preparation for the celebratory feast.

    A huge amount of manpower and material resources have been invested in the purchasing, venue

    selection and decoration of the banquet.

    It even seemed to be grander than the annual party.

    Many media outlets released news that the reason NC was holding this banquet on such a huge

    scale was due to the sess of the B round financing.

    Based on capital operation, NC Company could have started the funding long ago, but Shane had

    dyed the n further and further, even missed the ideal timing for the capital to enter the country.

    At the time, Shane''s reason was very simple. He didn''t want to dilute the shares he was holding on

    to.

    Looking at theputer screen, Charlotte felt a tinge of nervousness for no reason.

    She didn''t have much knowledge about these. She only knew that once the B round of financing

    was carried out, the shares Shane owned would decrease.

    Once he lost control of NC, thepany would have a new owner.

    "What are you looking at, being so serious?" Zoe scooted closer to her.

    The ck and thick font read �� Is NC Undergoing an Expansion Once Again, or is it Gradually

    Dying Out? Decrypting the Mystery behind NC''s Uing Carnival.

    Zoe burst outughing. "Don''t look at such things. They''re useless."

    "Useless?" Charlotte''s expression was nk.

    "If the capital operation can be understood easily by mere journalists, what do we need elites for?

    Mr Gibson is an expert in this field. You can consult him when you''re free."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "You''re the best, Zoe!"

    "Stop trying to cotton up to me. I''m going to work."

    Charlotte chuckled and clicked on Christopher''s profile image, wanting to ask him about matters

    regarding shares.

    She had to know at least a little about these. The Emerson Corporation... was still waiting for her.

    Under everyone''s watchful eyes.

    NC''s celebratory feast finally arrived.

    Thepany invited many attractive dance actors to perform for the feast.

    People from differentpanies gathered in a buffet style and chatted with each other in groups.

    After spending a long time in the lounge, Charlotte finally finished changing and nervously entered

    the venue through the corridor.

    "Is- isn''t that Miss Emerson?"

    "That dress of hers was made by Dark Deer, right?"

    "Even the chairman''s secretary is so rich. If I had known this earlier, I would have switched jobs."

    Some of thements were praises, some were sarcastic, and some were insulting. Charlotte took

    a deep breath and forced herself to block out the noise.

    She came to the crowd and tried to talk to her acquaintances, but realized sadly that there was no

    one with whom she had a particrly amicable rtionship in thepany.

    Zoe was the only one she was close to, but she was currently chatting with people from other

    companies.

    "I didn''t expect our down- and- out Miss Emerson to be this rich."

    Just as Charlotte was feeling estranged and anxious, she heard a mocking voice.

    She raised her head.

    Who else could it be other than her old acquaintance, ine?

    The woman in front of her had heavy makeup on and was dressed in a ck dress. She had a

    disdainful and superior expression on her face, just like the wicked Queen in fairy tales.

    Especially the color of the lipstick...

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh out loud.

    "What are youughing at?" Embarrassed, ine flew into a rage.

    "It''s funny how some people in their twenties manage to make themselves look like poisoned

    patients just by wearing lipstick. Didn''t you look in the mirror before you came out? You really look

    like a middle- aged widow."

    "At least I''m better than you! You''re merely a poor girl who gets what she wants by sleeping with

    men."

    "It''s all thanks to my stepmother''s teachings. After all, she''s the pro in sleeping with men."

    "How dare you!"

    ine extended her hand.

    Charlotte stretched out her swan-like, elegant neck and pointed to her delicate face.

    "You better think carefully, if you''re going to hit me in front of so many people..." Charlotte smiled,

    but her eyes were filled with stubborn, cold hatred, "You won''t be able to save your own virtue even

    in old age."

    Losing virtue in old age!

    Did Charlotte just use this phrase to describe her, a woman who was less than 30 years old?

    Extremely angry, ine gritted her teeth and said, "Don''t worry, I will turn Emerson Corporation into

    Lane Corporation. At that time, let''s see if you are still able to face me."

    "When doves upy a magpie''s nest, the magpie will just build a new nest."

    Charlotte was tired of talking to ine further and turned around to leave.

    ine''s gaze shifted, and she stepped harshly on the hem of Charlotte''s dress with the tip of her

    high heel.

    Due to the dress being pleated, its hem was actually not very long. Upon being stepped on,

    Charlotte was unable to move.

    The gazes of those around her were all fixed on her.

    "Beg me." ine leaned closer to Charlotte. Her voice was like the poison on the tip of a snake''s

    tongue, sending a chill down the back of Charlotte''s neck.

    Charlotte gritted her teeth.

    "This woman!" She thought.

    "Such a scumbag!"

    "Don''t even think about it."

    ine stepped on her dress with more force, causing Charlotte to instantly feel suffocated.

    With her cor pulled back, she had to move forward desperately to maintain her airflow. However,

    by doing this for a long time, her gown would definitely be ruined.

    This was a gift from Shane...

    She clenched her fists, then slowly loosened them again. "ine, I..."

    "Let go."

    A cold voice rang out next to her ear.

    Charlotte was clearly stunned. Her fingers trembled in agitation.

    She finally understood the reason why Sheryl said that "daddy is a superhero".

    In the face of despair, he was really a superhero.

    ine didn''t expect Shane to appear at such a time. She withdrew her foot in a panic and tried to

    exin.

    "Both sisters are equally disgusting." Shane''s words caused her to give up on winding up excuses.

    He looked at the person in his arms, his eyes exuding a rare gentleness.

    Charlotte''s body went limp. She couldn''t help but grab his cor with both hands, lowering her head

    as tears silently flowed down her face.

    Shane''s eyes turned cold in a split second.

    "ine, do you wish to cancel the cooperation between NC and the Emerson Corporation?"

    ine quickly calmed down and put on a standard, polite smile. "Mr Fuller, you have misunderstood

    me. I''m just disciplining my ''daughter''."

    The Emerson Corporation was as strong as the NC Company.

    However, Shane had a very wide socialwork.

    This was also the reason why Timothy had to make Shane join his side when he was still alive.

    Even in the past, Timothy would not have chosen to offend Shane, let alone now, when the

    Emerson Corporation is in her hands.

    It was better not to get on Shane''s bad side.

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132

    Upon hearing the word ''daughter1, Charlotte''s body trembled slightly, and she was so angry she

    nearly lost her mind.

    She wanted desperately to pounce on ine and tear her throat out, to make her shut her mouth.

    Shane looked down and nced at the woman in his arms. He handed her to Cole and said, "Bring

    her to Zoe."

    "Yes, sir."

    "Miss Yuliana, about the cooperation between the Emerson Corporation and the NC Company, I

    think it''s necessary for us to have a chat." Shane''s face darkened.

    "As you wish." ine smiled, her palms full of sweat.

    Shane strode towards the seat in the corner, and ine immediately followed him.

    Damn it.

    If she had known that Shane would arrive so soon, she wouldn''t have bothered that b*tch.

    Next time, she had to be more careful.

    Charlotte approached Zoe, her heart still beating violently.

    Just now, in order to protect this dress sent by Shane, she even considered putting down her

    dignity. Was it just for the dress, or was it for the one who sent the dress...

    Charlotte absentmindedly touched the hem of her skirt.

    At the same time, Zoe had finished socializing. Looking at Charlotte''s dark expression, she

    suggested, "Shall we sit down by the side?"

    Charlotte nodded.

    When they sat down, Zoe said with a smile after knowing about the incident, "With your rtionship

    with Mr Fuller, isn''t it normal for you to take good care of the dress he gave you?"

    If they were a real couple, it would be normal. But their rtionship was clearly contractual.

    For some reason, Charlotte''s fingers tightened. She couldn''t exin theplicated, troubling

    feeling she felt for him.

    During their conversation, the host on stage began to announce the top ten nominees for the best

    neer award. He had also invited the first and second-ced nominees on stage to receive

    their gifts from thepany.

    Charlotte was ranked third, and Zoe fourth, a slightly awkward position. Being benefactors as well,

    no awards were given out to them.

    But who would have expected that?

    The host called for the third and fourth-ranked nominees to go on stage as well.

    And then he announced the reward for the third and fourth-ced winners-

    The third one was to share a dance with the chairman, and the fourth with Christopher.

    Charlotte and Zoe froze like two sculptures. No one had told them about this beforehand.

    Until the spotlights shone directly on them.

    "Do you dare to refuse the invitation of Mr Gibson and Mr Fuller?" Zoe looked at Charlotte

    emotionlessly.

    She was expressionless, but in her heart, she wasining endlessly about the stage nning

    internally.

    "No, I don''t."

    "Me too."

    They looked at each other and sighed. They had no choice but to go on stage.

    Shane was wearing a long tuxedo, his figure tall, his eyes chilly. He no longer had the sternness he

    usually did, which made him look like a fairy who did not belong to the mortal world.

    Standing next to him was Christopher in a simple but luxurious white suit, with a faint smile on his

    face, which made him look like an angel.

    The staff screamed.

    With such a chairman, not to mention working twelve hours six days a week, even if they were to

    work 24/7, they would still be willing to work until they died!

    Charlotte was very nervous. She kept taking deep breaths while standing on the stage.

    Under the spotlight, Shane leaned over and held out his hand. The moment Charlotte held his hand,

    she was swept into his arms and they danced along to the music.

    It was so embarrassing to dance while staring at each other.

    Charlotte tilted her head slightly. "What did you say to ine just now? I didn''t cause you any

    trouble, did I?"

    "No, you didn''t."

    "That''s great."

    "I just suspended the cooperation with the Emerson Corporation."

    Charlotte turned her head suddenly and looked at him in shock, almost forgetting to move.

    If Shane hadn''t stopped just then and switched positions wlessly, she would have embarrassed

    herself in front of hundreds of people.

    However, Charlotte wasn''t able to care about protecting her image anymore at such a time.

    "You stopped the cooperation with the Emerson Cooperation because of me..."

    "It''s not because of you. We haven''t been getting along well with each other. Recently, many

    companies have also ended their cooperations with the Emerson Corporation because of ine''s

    promotion."

    "So that was the reason." Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

    It''s fine as long as it was not because of her.

    In Shane''s eyes, however, her expression seemed dejected.

    The corners of his lips quirked up. "Are you disappointed because it wasn''t due to you?"

    "I''m not that childish. Don''t worry, I''m an understanding wife." She emphasized the word "wife"

    deliberately.

    Interesting.

    Shane was pleased by her words and did not speak again, and instead focused on enjoying the

    moment.

    As the dance ended.

    Charlotte and Zoe walked down the stage in front of everyone.

    She vaguely heard someone saying��

    "Ah, what a pity. We didn''t get to see Mr Fuller ying the piano today again."

    "Don''t think about it. He hasn''t yed it since he was fifteen."

    "I know. That''s why I feel it''s a pity. He was a piano prodigy back then."

    Shane ying the piano?

    It was hard for Charlotte to picture such a scene.

    Although he did seem like someone who yed the piano.

    After the celebratory feast.

    Charlotte wanted to take a cab home, but Cole brought her to the underground parking lot. She was

    forced to go back with Shane in the same car.

    "Aren''t you going back to the old mansion?"

    "When you get off work tomorrow, we''ll go back together."

    Charlotte wanted to bite her own tongue for being talkative.

    Looking at her pained look, Shane added, "Grandma wants to see you."

    Madam Fuller Senior.

    "I see. Today Sheryl''s..."

    "She''s at the old mansion."

    Sigh.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Charlotte did not hate Madam Fuller Senior. Although she had only met the olddy once, she was

    very kind.

    The person she wanted to avoid was Shane''s mother��Raina.

    The next day.

    Because they had to return to the old estate.

    Charlotte had not been in a good state for the entire day. Fortunately, there was not much work she

    needed to do.

    As soon as she got off work, Cole went to the office to pick Charlotte up.

    Charlotte approached the side of the car and opened the door.

    Shane was sitting in the backseat. He was wearing a Bluetooth headset, and his slender, pale

    fingers danced across the keyboard.

    She couldn''t help but feel stunned.

    If this beautiful pair of hands were to y the piano, it would be a sight to see.

    "What are you looking at? Get in." Shane''s gaze fell on her and he nodded slightly, seemingly

    satisfied with her outfit today.

    Charlotte got into the car without a word.

    Shane didn''t pay any attention to her and continued to deal with his work.

    Soon, the car stopped in front of the old mansion.

    The old butler had been waiting for a long time.

    When he saw Charlotte, he smiled weing her. "The young master and young madam are both

    here. Madam Senior Fuller will be very happy."

    Charlotte smiled and nodded at him. Shane grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the house.

    She was going to meet Raina.

    Her palms were full of sweat.

    Just as she was feeling nervous, she heard a soft voice��

    "Mommy!"

    A cute little girl ran up to her.

    Charlotte''s heart melted. Not caring about anything else, she immediately crouched down and

    hugged her daughter, "Sheryl, did you miss mommy?"

    "Yes! I miss mommy! Of course, I miss daddy too." Sheryl said and sent an air kiss to Shane.

    Shane rustled her hair affectionately.

    Sheryl giggled, grabbed hold of Charlotte''s hand and led her towards the stairs. "Greatgrandma,

    mommy and daddy are here."

    Charlotte raised her head subconsciously.

    Madam Fuller Senior was wearing an emerald dress as she walked down the stairs. Though slow,

    her pace was steady, which showed that her body was healthy.

    She had the spirit of a ruler, but there was a soft, warm gleam in her eyes.

    Charlotte quickly supported the old granny. "Good afternoon, gra... Madam Fuller Senior."

    "Sheryl, your mother''s speech is not as sweet as yours."

    "Which means, mommy, you forgot again that you should be calling great- grandma grandma,"

    Sheryl corrected her in a childish tone.

    Charlotte froze for a moment. She lowered her head in embarrassment and said, "Grandma."

    "Good. Such a good girl." She then looked at Shane who was still downstairs. "Shane, why are you

    still standing there? Aren''t youing to greet me?"

    Shane stood where he was, unmoving. "Grandma, I remember you saying, you haven''t reached the

    age where you need help walking."

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133

    Upon hearing this, Madam Fuller Senior let out a cold snort. "Look! This is my grandson."

    Although she seemed to reprimand him, her eyes were full of kindness.

    Sheryl giggled and ran to Shane''s side. She hugged his leg and said, "Daddy is greatgrandma''s

    best grandson and the best daddy!"

    Shane held the little girl in his arms, and most of the coldness in his expression faded.

    "You''re daddy''s best baby."

    "I''m so happy today. Mommy and daddy are both here." Sheryl''s face was flushed, making her look

    extremely cute like a red apple.

    Charlotte grabbed Sheryl��s hand that was hanging down and felt warmth well up in her heart.

    Was this the so- called "three- member family"?

    If all of this was true, how great would it be...

    Charlotte immediately suppressed her thoughts. She shouldn''t have had such unrealistic fantasies.

    Even when the meal was ready, Charlotte did not see Raina.

    Madam Fuller Senior called for everyone to gather at the table.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but ask, "Don''t we need to wait for Aunt Raina?"

    "Raina? She went out and isn''t at home today, not at home today. Didn''t Shane tell you about it?"

    Madam Fuller Senior looked meaningfully at Shane.

    Shane was expressionless as he said calmly, "Let''s eat."

    "Oh." Charlotte looked down at her te.

    Shane was really...

    It was obvious that he didn''t tell her on purpose.

    Shane took in Charlotte''s expressions and put the food she liked onto her te.

    Charlotte looked at him, tilting her head to one side. In his deep eyes, a trace of yfulness was

    seen.

    She chose to avert her gaze and finish the food on the te.

    After the meal.

    Sheryl and Madam Fuller Senior were watching cartoons together. Charlotte wanted to watch with

    them, but she was rejected by the little girl.

    She put her hands on her hips and said seriously, "Great- grandma said that when daddy and

    mommye back, they should have a good time together. I''ll be watching cartoons with great-

    grandma. You can go out for a stroll in the garden! The garden is so big, so take your time!"

    Charlotte:...

    She really wanted to ask Madam Fuller Senior what kind of stuff was she teaching Sheryl when they

    were not around.

    She shifted her gaze to the olddy, who had squinted her eyes and was watching cartoons

    peacefully with great interest...

    Charlotte felt that it would be better for her to not disturb Madam Fuller Senior''s time with Sheryl.

    She asked the man beside her, "Do we go out for a walk?"

    Shane looked at the olddy whose eyes were almost closed and said, "Grandma, don''t teach the

    girl bad things."

    "Sheryl, would great-grandma teach you bad things?"

    "Absolutely not!" Sheryl agreed strongly with the lovely olddy.

    "Who would you choose to save if your daddy and I were to fall into the water at the same time?"

    Madam Fuller Senior''s cloudy eyes were shining like that of a child''s.

    "I will call mom and ask her to save both of you!"

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh and said coyly, "Grandma, please don''t tease us."

    Madam Fuller Senior opened her eyes and nced at her. She waved her hand with a smile and

    said, "You two should go out for a walk."

    "Yes." Charlotte agreed.

    It was a little cold outside.

    But it wasn''t unbearable.

    The wind blowing against her was quitefortable.

    Charlotte wrapped herself tightly in her clothes as she walked along the stone path with Shane.

    Not long after Shane and Charlotte left the house, the sky darkened and clouds crowded in the sky

    above them.

    "Great- grandma, it''s going to rain outside." Sheryl was enjoying the scenery through the window

    while leaning against the sofa.

    "Are your parents not back yet?" Grandma Fuller Senior waved her fan.

    "No..." Sheryl pouted.

    "What are they doing?" she thought. Even she could tell it was going to rain.

    "Sometimes, adults need to get wet in the rain," Madam Fuller Senior said meaningfully.

    Huh?

    All of a sudden, Sheryl was terrified.

    "Am I going to get rained on like those nts when I grow up?"

    It sounded a little scary.

    Although she enjoyed rainy days, she didn''t like the sticky feeling of raindrops falling on her.

    After a few minutes, a thunderstorm suddenly broke out.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Light rain came pouring down.

    Sheryl became even more worried.

    She was absent-minded even when watching cartoons, her mind full of her daddy and mommy.

    After a while, someone pressed the doorbell. When Ms Laura opened the door, Sheryl ran over

    immediately.

    Charlotte was wearing Shane''s coat, and there wererge patches of water stains on both of their

    hair and clothes.

    "Mommy! What happened to you?" Sheryl ran over to hug Charlotte, her big, watery eyes filled with

    worry.

    "Mommy''s fine. When we were nning toe back, it suddenly started raining. We wanted to

    come back when we realised that the weather was getting dark, but..." Charlotte said helplessly,

    "We lost our way."

    "Got lost?" Sheryl thought.

    "How did daddy get lost in his own garden?"

    Sheryl tilted her head and suddenly released Charlotte to hug Shane. "That''s daddy''s fault, then.

    Great-grandma said that daddy had to protect mommy, not to mention that mommy is now in

    daddy''s house. How could you let mommy get lost? Daddy''s dumb."

    The little girl looked very cute swinging her head around.

    Even though he was being criticized by her, Shane was not upset. Instead, he squatted down to

    exin, "Because of certain reasons, Sheryl should watch anime first, while I''ll bring your mother to

    take a bath."

    "Well, then you have to be careful. You might catch a cold after getting rained on. Of course, I know

    daddy is as powerful as a superhero, but sometimes even superheroes can be very fragile."

    Shane ruffled her hair, his eyes full of love. "Alright."

    Sheryl released the two to let them wash up.

    Madam Fuller Senior left the living room and instructed the servants, "Ms Laura, make some brown

    sugar ginger tea and add some wolfberries."

    "Yes, Madam."

    Madam Fuller Senior looked at Charlotte and Shane supporting each other and nodded in

    satisfaction.

    One''s loss might be a blessing in disguise.

    This rain might be able to improve their rtionship.

    Shane brought Charlotte to the attached bathroom in his room for a bath.

    ording to Shane, the bathroom in his room had more functions and the lights were warmer.

    She didn''t ask further

    After a while, she realised that all the shower gels and shampoo in the bathroom were male

    products.

    Although they were good products, they made her smell like Shane...

    Charlotte rubbed her head with a towel while walking out of the bathroom. She raised her arm and

    sniffed it. The smell was really indescribable.

    When Shane was smelling like this, it felt charming, but when it was on her, why did it feel so weird?

    What''s that?

    Charlotte''s attention was drawn to the decor in Shane''s room.

    It seemed to be a toy piano, which looked quite old.

    As if she was bewitched, she walked to the piano and observed it. It was like Pandora''s box full of

    his secrets.

    Squeak��

    The door opened.

    Ms Laura came in holding ginger tea and saw Charlotte standing in front of the piano. She sighed

    and said, "The young master used to y the piano very well."

    Charlotte came back to her senses and took over the cup. "Thank you, Ms Laura. Do you know why

    Shane stopped ying the piano?"

    "This..."

    "Are you not supposed to say it?"

    "No, no one knows why the young master stopped ying the piano. I only know that he was once

    kidnapped, and he stopped ying the piano ever since he came back..."

    "Ms Laura."

    A cold voice came from the door.

    Ms Laura immediately shut her mouth and left the room in silence, her head hung low.

    Charlotte drank the ginger tea, avoiding eye contact with him.

    "This has nothing to do with you, you don''t need to know about it." His voice was extremely cold, his

    attitude a little domineering.

    Charlotte was stunned and her heart fell in bitterness. "I''m sorry. I''ve crossed the line. I won''t do it

    again."

    She was upset, possibly due to his cold tone.

    Their rtionship was just...

    She shouldn''t have cared so much.

    Shane noticed that something was wrong with her and said calmly, "Sleep here tonight."

    "I want to go back home to rest," she said in a low but stubborn voice.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134

    "It''s alreadyte. It''s not safe."

    "But..."

    "This is not a negotiation." Shane interrupted her.

    Charlotte''s heart grew even heavier. With newfound courage, she pushed him away and went

    downstairs.

    Just as she reached the first floor.

    Charlotte came face- to- face with Madam Fuller Senior.

    "Lottie, it''ste. Are you going back?" Madam Fuller Senior asked, seeing that she came downstairs

    and was walking towards the gate.

    "Uhm... grandma, I have troubles sleeping on unfamiliar beds."

    She had reallye up with a bad excuse.

    Madam Fuller Senior stood up with a smile and came over to Charlotte''s side to hold her hand. "Did

    Shane bully you?"

    The bitterness in Charlotte''s heart, which had been shoved away, resurfaced at Madam Fuller

    Senior''s question.

    Charlotte gently shook her head without saying a word.

    "I heard about it from Ms Laura. It was about the piano, wasn''t it? Don''t pay attention to him. He''s

    been like this since he was a child. He even got upset towards me when I asked him why he

    stopped ying the piano." The olddy brought Charlotte to the sofa and sat the two of them

    down.

    "Grandma, I''m sorry for worrying you."

    "At such an age, there are not many things that I can worry about. On the day I have nothing else to

    worry about, I''ll join my husband in the afterlife."

    Madam Fuller Senior was very understanding.

    This made Charlotte feel even guiltier.

    "So, listen to grandma and stay here for tonight. You can go back after having breakfast with

    grandma tomorrow, alright??"

    Just as Charlotte was about to reply, someone opened the door from the outside.

    In the entryway, Raina, who was wearing a gown, put away her umbre. Her gaze was fiery as it

    landed on Charlotte.

    Madam Fuller Senior said calmly, "Raina, you''re back."

    "Yes, Mom. I''m back," Raina replied, suppressing her anger.

    She walked towards Charlotte step by step.

    Charlotte pursed her lips. Although she was unhappy, she still greeted Raina politely. "Hello, Aunt

    Raina."

    Raina stood in front of her, ignoring herpletely. "But Mother, why is this outsider here?"

    Outsider.

    Charlotte clutched the corner of her shirt tightly with both hands.

    She was not sad, but rather embarrassed. She did not want to stay here even for a second longer.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    "I asked Lottie toe over for dinner. Do I need your approval to do so?" Madam Fuller Senior

    asked in reply.

    "Of course not. But if she wants to have dinner with you, she must get my permission."

    Madam Fuller Senior snorted coldly. "This house doesn''t belong to the River family."

    Raina was shut down and looked at Charlotte with even more anger in her eyes. "Mom, a woman

    like her will only ruin Shane!"

    "That''s enough." A cold male voice stopped Raina.

    Charlotte''s mind was clouded.

    It was not until she was held in his arms that she realized that her "shield" had arrived.

    She struggled a little, but his grip on her shoulders tightened further.

    "Mom, I''ve told you many times. This is the woman I''ve decided to be with. I will never change my

    mind."

    Raina tightened her grip on the sofa. She took in a deep breath and smiled gently but coldly. "Son,

    take a good look at this woman. What''s so good about her? Is she good enough for you to..."

    "She doesn''t need to be any better. She''s good enough for me."

    "You..."

    Before Raina could finish speaking, Shane had already left with Charlotte.

    Madam Fuller Senior narrowed her eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

    Shane had never differentiated between male and female since young.

    He looked at men and women the same way, but Charlotte was an exception. He looked at her the

    way a man would at a woman.

    If she was able to see them at a wedding, even if she was to pass away, she would be satisfied. At

    least she would be able to exin to her husband that their grandson had been married.

    That old man...

    Madam Fuller Senior closed her eyes and waved her fan.

    Charlotte was brought back to the room where they were previously in.

    She found that the piano was gone, but she did not ask further.

    This matter had endangered her rtionship with him.

    She wouldn''t ask anymore.

    she didn''t want to talk either.

    She only hoped that their rtionship would be as calm and peaceful as before.

    Charlotte remained silent. Shane said nothing either. He seemed to havepleted his task by

    bringing her here.

    "Am I sleeping here tonight? In your room?" She decided to ask, afraid that she would cross

    another line.

    "Yes."

    "Won''t I disturb you?"

    "No, you won''t."

    After hesitating for a moment, Charlotte got under the covers. Nothing was more important than

    sleep.

    She was already extremely tired.

    It didn''t take long for Charlotte to fall asleep.

    Shane thought that she would say more, but when he turned around, she was already sound

    asleep.

    He looked at her tranquil face and raised his hand to touch her cheek.

    If it were someone else who lingered around his limit twice...

    Shane''s expression turned cold as he retracted his finger.

    He would have left that person to survive on their own.

    But it was Charlotte.

    Other than giving her the cold shoulder, telling her to keep off his business, there was no other way

    to deal with her.

    After staring at her for a while, Shane got up and went to the guest room.

    She was a drug. It was best for him to keep his distance.

    Otherwise, when he had lost all his logic one day in the future, he would not be able to live without

    her.

    The next day.

    Charlotte got up, changed and prepared to leave the old mansion.

    As soon as she went downstairs, she met the Madam Fuller Senior, who was ying with Sheryl in

    the living room. Looking at the warm olddy, Charlotte was unable to refuse her offer to stay for

    breakfast.

    Since she had nothing to do anyway, she offered to help out in the kitchen.

    Madam Fuller Senior smiled and said, "We, Lottie is finally thinking of herself as thedy of the

    house. Go ahead, ady of the house should busy herself."

    "Grandma, you''re so lovely." Charlotte leaned forward and kissed the olddy''s cheek the same

    way Sheryle did.

    Madam Fuller Senior''s expression was full of joy.

    Raina, who saw this scene from the dining area, was very unhappy.

    "Thedy of the house? Does she deserve that title?" She thought.

    Charlotte learned many skills from the chef in the kitchen. For making toast, sprinkling ayer of

    water on the surface of the bread would result in toast with a crispy surface and soft middle. The

    texture would be much better.

    When making strawberry jam, the most important thing was the honey added. The amount of honey

    added directly determined the vour of the product.

    Just as she was getting excited with the knowledge she had just learnt, a cry was heard from

    outside.

    Was it Sheryl?

    Charlotte immediately put down what she was holding and hurried towards the living room.

    In the living room.

    Raina stood next to the sofa, looking coldly at Sheryl, who had fallen on the floor beside broken

    pieces of a toy.

    Did Raina make her cry?

    But even if it was her, Charlotte couldn''t vent her anger.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and picked up the little girl. "You shouldn''t cry like this just because of

    such a small matter. If you like this toy, mommy can buy you another one."

    "But this little wooden horse was made by me and great-grandma. We put in so much effort. We

    both liked it very much." Sheryl''s eyes were red, and she couldn''t bear to look at the damaged,

    beautiful pink carousel.

    Recently, many 3D models were sold on the market. You had to spend an entire day assembling

    them, and they would break at the slightest touch.

    Charlotte didn''t understand why Sheryl found them so fun.

    Not to mention that it was Madam Fuller Senior who had assembled the model with her. Compared

    to other models, this carousel held a different meaning.

    No wonder she was so upset.

    Charlotte coaxed her patiently and gently, "Sheryl and great- grandma will have many chances to

    build models together in the future. You can also make many more carousels."

    "But this will nevere back." Sheryl sniffed, her tears flowing even more fiercely.

    "Sheryl, have you ever wondered what''s the difference between this model and the other model in

    the future?"

    Sheryl was stunned and even forgot to cry. She shook her head.

    Charlotte smiled and kissed her eyelid. "When you were building this model, you were also building

    memories with great-grandma that you would never get to revisit. What you cannot part with are

    those memories. However, as long as you can build this model with great-grandma again next time,

    you will still be able to make memories, right?"

    Huh?

    So what she cared about the most was not the carousel, because she could still buy it again.

    What she cared about was obviously... her great-grandma!

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135

    Sheryl''s eyes shone. "That''s right, mommy is right!"

    "The memories between you and greatgrandma will always belong to you. This means that your

    memories will always be there even when the carousel is not, is it not?"

    Sheryl nodded. She wiped away her tears and waved her clenched, chubby little fists. "That''s right!

    But the pink carousel was quite pretty..."

    "Mommy will buy you another one today. Good girl, let''s go and have breakfast."

    Sheryl nodded hard and waddled to the dining area like a cute penguin.

    The whole time.

    Everyone including Raina, who was standing next to the sofa, Madam Fuller Senior, who was in the

    dining area, and Shane, who was standing on the second floor after waking up, said nothing.

    It was extremely quiet.

    Sheryl walked up to Madam Fuller Senior, and only then did Charlotte look coldly at Raina.

    She said, "Mrs Fuller, at Madam Fuller Senior''s age, it''s not easy to have something or someone

    she likes. We should be more understanding as younger family members."

    "You''re disciplining me?" Raina found it rather funny.

    "Yes." Charlotte looked at her emotionlessly. "Because from today onwards, I will no longer treat

    you as Shane''s mother or as Madam Fuller Senior''s daughter-inw. To me, you''re just someone

    who tried to bully my daughter."

    "Are you aware of your own position and of who you are speaking to?"

    "Mrs Fuller, do you think you are qualified to turn me away from this ce or one-sidedly divorce

    Shane and me using legal means?"

    Charlotte said word by word, sharp and precise like a cold-blooded machine.

    She could bear with it if it had happened only once or twice.

    It didn''t matter if she bullied her.

    However.

    She couldn''t allow anyone to bully Sheryl.

    As a mother, she had to be strong, and she would never regret it.

    Just when Charlotte thought that Raina would scream and tear at her hair, throwing her out of the

    house, Raina smiled and said, "Not bad. I finally see that slightly admirable side of yours today."

    Charlotte frowned.

    "However, do you have the abilities to protect your daughter?"

    Raina turned around and left proudly.

    Charlotte clenched her fists, unyielding.

    She knew that she was still too weak.

    "You don''t have to worry about my daughter. I will be the one to protect her." Shane said.

    He was partially leaning against the handrail beside the staircase, looking like a noble, elegant king.

    Raina paused but didn''t turn around. She felt a surge of anger in her heart.

    Shane came over to Charlotte and said, "Let''s have breakfast."

    Charlotte nodded and left.

    The atmosphere in the dining area was heavy.

    It was tense and ufortable.

    "No matter you''re a man or a woman, you still have to remove the scales from your eyes before

    finding a spouse," Raina suddenly said.

    Charlotte remained silent. She knew that Raima''s words were directed at her.

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "If you get married just because you impulsively think that it is true love, you will have a hard time in

    the future." Raina continued without a switch in expression. "Once those hard days begin, they

    won''t end easily."

    Charlotte continued eating silently.

    Madam Fuller Senior handed Sheryl over to Ms Laura and said, "Sheryl, go watch TV and wait for

    great-grandma toe over."

    "Alright." The little girl left obediently.

    After Sheryl left, Madam Fuller Senior spoke again, "I once heard someone say that in a

    rtionship, as long as one betrays another, the other half would already have lost, no matter how

    hard she tries. Raina, stop educating your child when you yourself are a loser in marriage."

    Raina didn''t expect Madam Fuller Senior to speak up for Charlotte by taking a dig at her son and

    daughter-inw.

    Moreover, her son was deceased!

    Raina was so angry that her entire body trembled as she red at Charlotte. If looks could kill,

    Charlotte would have already been dead.

    Charlotte didn''t understand the current situation. Raina''s re sent a chill down her spine, and it

    was difficult for her to continue eating calmly.

    Her lips trembled as she opened her mouth to speak. "Grandma, we..."

    "You are my good grandson and granddaughter- in-w. I am very happy." In other words, she did

    not have a good son.

    Charlotte didn''t know what was going on within the Fuller family.

    Shane was not speaking either.

    Perhaps his rtionship with his father was no better than that of his mother.

    The Fuller family looked morous from the outside, but in fact, it was still a problematic family. It

    was quite pitiful.

    Sparks were flying about during the meal, and the atmosphere was tense.

    Charlotte excused herself from the table.

    Shane answered apany phone call, put down his chopsticks and left as well.

    The lively dining area suddenly became quiet.

    "Raina, you used to be the daughter of an eminent family too. Why is it that you just can''t tolerate a

    young girl from the Emerson family?"

    Raina ced her chopsticks on the bowl heavily. "Mother, Theodore is your son."

    "So what if he''s my son? He was in the wrong!"

    "He is still your son, after all. How could you defame him in front of an outsider?"

    "He''s a father who doesn''t even acknowledge his son, and you''re a mother who can''t ept her

    son''s decision. What right do you have to call others outsiders?" Madam Fuller Senior ced

    pressure on each word.

    "Mother!" Raina''s face was ashen. She didn''t want to recall those events from the past.

    "As long as I am still in this house, you won''t be able to bully the child and her mother. After I leave,

    you can do anything you want to." Madam Fuller Senior gave an ultimatum.

    Raina took in a deep breath and loosened her clenched fist. "When are you going back?"

    "Soon." Madam Fuller Senior added meaningfully, "Raina, don''t forget how you managed to get

    married into this house. The reason why I let you into this family was not for you to cause harm to

    my granddaughter-inw and great-granddaughter."

    "But that child isn''t..."

    "How do you know she''s not?"

    Raina''s body shook violently.

    The child indeed looked very simr to Shane.

    "Remember how the other woman was expelled by you from the family while she was pregnant, and

    until now her whereabouts are still unknown?"

    Raina heard every cell in her body tremble.

    "That woman and her child, they better be dead, they better be dead..."

    She kept repeating those few words in her heart.

    The rims of Raina''s eyes reddened and her voice was hoarse. Her lips had a thinyer of angry

    tears and spittle. "Why does that woman have everything I''ve dreamed of when she doesn''t deserve

    all of it? Am I not better than her? Mother, didn''t you bring me into the Fuller family because I was

    better?"

    Madam Fuller Senior mmed the table in anger and said, "You bastard! My greatest regret was

    stopping my son from pursuing his happiness and turning him into a monster! Do you think I will let

    my grandson go through the same thing again?"

    Madam Fuller Senior left after saying angrily.

    She still had to watch cartoons with Sheryl.

    Who knew how many years she has left to watch cartoons with Sheryl before she passed away.

    Beside the dining table, Raina was weeping silently.

    Ms Laura''s heart ached as she supported her. "Madam, Madam Fuller Senior is going through a

    hard time as well."

    "I know." Raina''s body was weak, her eyes red and swollen. "But regardless, the woman I despise

    will enter the Fuller Residence, over my dead body!"

    "But she is already in the residence, isn''t she?"

    Ms Laura sighed.

    She wanted to persuade Raina, but she didn''t know what to say.

    Some things could only be seen clearly from a spectator''s view.

    On the second floor.

    Charlotte heard those words very clearly.

    Shane was standing by her side. She wanted to say something to him.

    "Sha..."

    But when she turned around, he was gone.

    There seemed to be a wall between them...

    Charlotte was a little disappointed. Even though their rtionship was contractual, she was still

    unable to stop herself from caring about him and understanding him due to empathy.

    As for the piano incident, she had been over the line.

    But his cold attitude made her quite disappointed.

    She wasn''t trying to pry into his private matters.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136

    Until Charlotte left, she did not see Raina and Shane again.

    At the gate of the mansion, she heard from Ms Laura, who had chased after her, that Raina was

    usually not at home. She had her own life outside the family and the mansion was just a ce to

    stay.

    Which meant that if Charlotte wanted to, she coulde over often to apany Sheryl and

    Madam Fuller Senior.

    After all, the child loved staying with her greatgrandmother.

    "I really care about this family and hope that they can live well, which is why I am telling you all of

    this." Ms. Laura sighed. "It''s not good that this home does not feel like a home at all."

    "I know, Ms Laura. Thank you." Charlotte''s smile was polite but distant.

    "Miss Charlotte, I know you don''t trust me, but to me, you are kind with a great personality. Perhaps

    you will be able to trigger a change in Madam Raina?" "Ms. Laura, I don''t have the time to educate

    someone on their behavior. No matter good or bad, she has nothing to do with me."

    Ms. Laura smiled bitterly, "That''s true. Why would you have to be concerned about Madam Raina

    when you and the young master are living your best lives? I''m sorry for being rude."

    Charlotte nodded her head slightly before turning to leave.

    She couldn''t stop herself from thinking.

    Did Ms. Laura mean what she said, or were they Madam Fuller Senior''s thoughts?

    By saying this, Ms. Laura seemed to care about Raina and Madam Fuller Senior, but in fact, she

    was telling Charlotte not to pay much attention to Raina.

    However, Madam Fuller Senior seemed unsatisfied even with Shane''s father. How satisfied would

    she be with Raina, her daughter-inw?

    Thus, it might be Ms Laura who couldn''t bear to see such a situation further, which made her cross

    the line to tell Charlotte all these.

    Finally, Charlotte decided - it was just a matter which had nothing to do with her.

    If Raina didn''t like her, why would she step forward and ruin her own mood?

    She was not a masochist.

    After getting in the car, the driver told Charlotte that Shane had been called away to settle things in

    thepany, so he didn''t send her off.

    She would be lying if she said she didn''t care. However, what right did she have to care?

    The next day.

    Charlotte arrived at thepany alone.

    She was finding a chance to talk to Shane since their rtionship was not harmonious, but Cole

    told her that Shane was in a meeting. Charlotte had no choice but to go back.

    When Charlotte passed the store room in the pantry, she heard-

    "How many times do I need to say this? You were the one who wanted a divorce, and the entire

    matter had nothing to do with me. Even if she''s dead, I wasn''t the one who killed her. Why do I have

    to see her?" The woman''s constrained voice wasced with sobs, its owner growling into the phone

    at whoever was on the other side.

    This voice...

    Charlotte wasn''t very sure. She stopped in her tracks, wanting to listen closely.

    "Fine, I''ll be there. I''ll definitely be there. During the funeral, I will definitely be mocking her for being

    born in such a family of evil." The person scoffed and pushed the door open.

    Their eyes met.

    As expected, it was Zoe.

    Charlotte took a piece of tissue paper out from her pocket and said, "Sorry, I just came back from

    the chairman''s office and overheard you by ident. Is everything all right?"

    "I''m fine. I wanted to see you, actually." Zoe took the tissue and dabbed her slightly red eyes.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Zoe was indeed a professional secretary. She had already shoved all her emotions aside and

    shed a formal, professional smile. "I''m going home to attend a funeral, so will you be able to

    rece me on a business trip with Mr Fuller on the 30th?"

    A business trip... Together with Shane?

    Charlotte''s eyshes trembled as she nodded.

    "Thank you, I''ll pass you the informationter. I didn''t expect you to agree to this kind of hard work

    without hesitation." "You are in trouble, after all. Being your close friend, I would, of course, agree

    without hesitation." Charlotte smiled and helped her take back the tissue paper. "Let''s not talk about

    sad things. I''ll treat you to cupcakes after work."

    "I''ll put on weight." Zoe frowned.

    She didn''t like to expose her weak side to others.

    "What are you afraid of? You don''t have a boyfriend anyway."

    "You!" Zoe choked on her words.

    Charlotteughed out loud at her sessful prank.

    "You''re so childish."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "This is called oveing sadness with something even sadder. Is there anything worse than Zoe

    without a boyfriend? No."

    "I''m going to eat as many cupcakes as I can," Zoe said through gritted teeth.

    "No problem. You can eat as much as you like. It''s my treat."

    Even so.

    Zoe seemed to be fine, but she was not in a good mood the whole afternoon.

    Fortunately, work was not busy today and there were no unexpected incidents.

    After work, Charlotte and Zoe went to a dessert shop for cupcakes. Seeing her mood lift, Charlotte

    was relieved.

    She initially offered to send Zoe home, but Zoe refused, saying that she could go home herself.

    So she didn''t insist further.

    The next day.

    The application form of Zoe and Charlotte''s schedule change was passed through the human

    resources department, finally reaching Shane.

    Cole asked, "Mr Fuller, what do you think of this?"

    Shane remained silent.

    "Do I need to go to the secretarial department and ask for someone else to go with you?"

    "It''s fine. Just let her tag along."

    "Yes, sir."

    Shane picked up the pen and signed it in a swift motion. Cole immediately retrieved the document

    and handed it over to the human resources department.

    After a while, Cole returned.

    He stood respectfully in front of Shane and said, "Mr Fuller, everything is done, but you mentioned

    before that you don''t want Ms Emerson to follow us to the construction site, so now..."

    The project this time wasrge- scale and dangerous.

    This was not a bid, but a trip to confirm a project that had been discussed for three months.

    There was no problem with the project itself, but the construction site was a ce previously

    polluted by radiation. By not being careful enough, visitors might develop acute leukaemia.

    Cole knew that Mr Fuller had always trusted Zoe.

    Although the location they were visiting this time was dangerous, it was also very important.

    When even Mr Fuller himself was going to risk his life, it was only expected of him to bring his most

    trusted secretary along.

    However, the person going along was suddenly changed to Charlotte.

    "What if something happened to Miss Charlotte..." Cole reminded in a low voice.

    "Is she that delicate?"

    "Uh..." Cole touched his nose.

    He was worried that Shane found Charlotte delicate!

    Shane looked at him coldly.

    Cole couldn''t help but groan inwardly. He finally knew how difficult it was to be a eunuch in ancient

    times.

    "Mr. Fuller, I didn''t mean anything else."

    Shane raised his hand and gestured for him to keep silent, and Cole shut up immediately.

    "Go find out why Zoe switched schedules with Charlotte this time."

    "I have. The daughter of Ms Watson''s father and stepmother passed away, and she, as the eldest

    sister, needs to go back home to the countryside for the funeral."

    "Alright."

    "Ms. Watson has a very high level of professionally."

    "Book tickets for Charlotte, buy her an insurance and fill in her daughter''s name as the beneficiary."

    "Yes, sir."

    Cole left the office.

    Shane kept tapping the table with a finger.

    His brows knit together in worry.

    His fingers didn''t stop moving until his phone vibrated. He tilted his head to the side and saw the

    word "Allen" shown on the screen of the phone. He turned his phone to silent mode and left it to

    vibrate.

    It was very quiet in the office, with only the constant vibration of Shane''s phone.

    After a long time, the vibration came to an end.

    Shane stood up and moved towards the bed.

    His thin lips moved, silently reciting a name.

    The 30th arrived in the blink of an eye.

    Charlotte arrived at the airport, holding on to the ticket Cole gave her.

    When she arrived, Shane, who had set off from the mansion, was already in the VIP room.

    To her surprise, Christopher was also present.

    Zoe did not tell her about it, so she was not ready at all.

    "Mr Gibson, I didn''t expect you to be here as well. I only bought two sets of breakfast..." Charlotte

    said, embarrassed.

    Shane asked her to bring breakfast for him when she came over, and he didn''t mention Christopher.

    It was so embarrassing.

    "It''s fine. I have eaten beforeing. I told Shane not to bother you. By the way, didn''t Zoe show

    you the previous information on this case? I was the one following this case all this time, so of

    course, I would be here." Christopher smiled gently.

    Charlotte nced at Shane. No one told her that Christopher was the person in charge of this

    project.

    However, the man''s expression was cold. He leafed through his documents carefully, not even

    bothering to look at her.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137

    Charlotte grit her teeth and summoned up her courage to reply, "She gave me a lot of information

    on this project, but there was nothing written about you being the person in charge."

    "Hmm," Christopher said, as if he was already used to it. "You don''t have to be this cautious in front

    of me. I''m not your direct superior."

    Charlotte was too embarrassed to continue asking. Not knowing how to answer, she could only nod

    in awkwardly and sat down silently to eat her breakfast.

    The horn in the corner of the room rang, indicating that their flight had begun to check their tickets.

    After boarding the ne, Charlotte made good use of her time to read through the documents

    again.

    This visit to the Zhuxi City was in search of a special chemical material.

    She heard from Zoe that thispany focused on processing granite. In the past, this area had

    undergone severe radiation exposure, with only machines working in the factory.

    If a person came into contact with a high level of radiation for even just an instant, it would be life-

    threatening.

    Obvious symptoms of overexposure to radiation included the appearance of dark spots on the face.

    For serious cases, acute leukaemia would be a possible result.

    She would be lying if she said that she wasn''t scared.

    But for being really terrified...

    She wasn''t. After all, both Shane and Christopher would be there.

    After seriously jotting down notes, Charlotte ced the document aside and closed the notebook.

    Four hourster, the nended.

    A local came to pick them up and they were sent to a five- star hotel first to drop their luggage.

    The negotiation group from the NC Company, who had set off from River City, had been waiting in

    the hotel for a long time.

    An hourter, both parties arrived and a meeting began at once.

    Before Charlotte could recover from the lingering motion sickness from the ne ride, she was

    already sitting by the negotiating table.

    Stunned.

    This was the only word that crossed her mind.

    She had originally remembered all the data clearly, but she now only had a general idea.

    Luckily.

    Christopher was, after all, responsible for the project in the past. It wasn''t a big problem with him

    providing most of the details on the project.

    Furthermore, this wasn''t the first negotiation, nor was it a finalizing negotiation. Charlotte did not

    need to perform exceptionally well.

    However...

    When the meeting was halfway through, the negotiation group had provided the wrong information.

    The most uneptable part was that this mistake was pointed out by Shane. Although the other

    party praised Shane with a smile, he had suspended the meeting immediately and decided to

    continue tomorrow.

    After the meeting.

    Charlotte''s legs went limp.

    She now knew how difficult it was to discuss a contract formally.

    Not to mention that she had been reading documents on the ne before, so she was still suffering

    from motion sickness and could not even stand well.

    Christopher wanted to hold her up, but before he could reach out, Shane pulled Charlotte into his

    arms.

    Christopher''s lips quirked up in self-deprecation. He gently clenched his fist and rubbed his sore

    palms.

    Indeed, she didn''t need him, since her husband was right by her side.

    Back in the hotel.

    The crowd followed Shane to the conference hall booked by the NCpany.

    Shane took off his suit jacket and sat down in a smooth motion. He looked out of the ss wall,

    picked up the mug with a poker face, and took a sip of coffee.

    Everyone was standing in front of him, including Charlotte and Christopher.

    He ced the mug down on the desk, and the bottom of the cup clinked against the desk.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Whoever wants to give up should just write a resignation letter and hand it over to the human

    resources department."

    No one had the guts to speak up.

    "I have fought a none battle without preparation. All of you are soldiers I am proud of."

    Some of them could no longer keep a nk expression.

    "How did the data even get messed up in such an important project? Huh?"

    "Reporting in, Mr Fuller. Originally, Ms Watson was in charge of all of this, but due to the sudden

    switch to Ms Emerson, we did not have enough time to prepare."

    Hearing this, Charlotte was upset, but there was nothing she could do about it.

    She had done everything in her power and Shane had checked through her workst night. Shane

    was the one who said that there were no problems.

    It was obvious that the misreported data did not belong to her.

    However...

    The workce was not somewhere to discuss all of these.

    They only knew that she was new here and that there was nothing wrong with pushing her out. She

    would not be offended.

    "Are you sure that there was something wrong with Zoe and Charlotte''s arrangements?"

    It was extremely quiet.

    Shane''s expression was gloomy and cold. He stood up abruptly and locked his scrutinizing gaze on

    the man. "Hmm?"

    "Reporting in, Mr Fuller, I''m not sure!" The man broke out in a cold sweat.

    "Since you can''t be sure, continue checking the data now, right here. I want to know whose part was

    problematic!" Shane waved his hand, picked up the document, threw it at the man and said, "Check

    it!"

    Mr Fuller was serious - this was the only thought that shed through everyone''s mind.

    Check.

    Of course they started checking immediately.

    The first thing the negotiation team did was to investigate Charlotte''s part. She was the only

    neer and the only one who had participated in this project for the first time. She must have

    been the one who made a mistake.

    That wasn''t the case.

    Charlotte knew it clearly. Shane had checked all of her data. If anything were to go wrong, he would

    have discovered it a long time ago. The negotiation team''s desire to shift responsibilities had been

    dashed.

    The negotiation team noticed that there was no problem with Charlotte''s data. They could only grit

    their teeth, checking their own team members unwillingly.

    After a few rounds, it was found that the culprit was a 26-year-old employee who had been working

    for three years in the NC Company.

    Shane ordered Cole to inspect the worker''s performance review for the past month.

    Grade C.

    In NC, if a worker''s performance review was graded C for two consecutive months, they would be

    forced to quit �� a legal and reasonable employee could submit an application form for an appeal. If

    the appeal was refused, they would appeal again to the court, and thepany would still treat him

    as a worker during the appeal period, providing sry and benefits.

    Charlotte silently calcted...

    Such a big mistake must result in a grade C performance review this month as well.

    Then, this person would be fired.

    "Mr Fuller, I really don''t know that the problem was on my part. I''ve also verified before submitting

    and it''s impossible for anything to go wrong." The worker held the document with a pale expression.

    "You have two choices. One, he stays, but all of your performance reviews will be grade C.

    Or, all of your performance reviews will be grade B this month without promotion, and he will be

    fired. This includes everyone except Charlotte and Christopher."

    Christopher was a president-level figure, so it was impossible for him to receive punishment.

    However, Charlotte was different. After such an incident, she should have been a scapegoat.

    So, to be more specific, Shane was on her side, wasn''t he?

    Thinking of this, Charlotte felt a strange warmth in her heart. He could have chosen to give up on

    her to save his old workers.

    "Mr Fuller, it''s fine that Mr Gibson was the previous person in charge, but why is Charlotte also..."

    The members of the negotiation group were not satisfied.

    "I have checked all of her data. Do you want to punish her or me?" Shane narrowed his eyes. The

    pressure exuding from his body, coupled with the faint smile on his face, made him cold and

    gloomy.

    He was as beautiful as a cannibal nt which looked harmless at first sight.

    Even if it was known that he was dangerous, no one could escape from being attracted to and be

    intoxicated by him.

    Well, almost everyone.

    The man from the negotiation group, who was named by him, broke out into a cold sweat. He could

    only shake his head harshly, "Mr Fuller, I don''t mean that. I ept all thepany''s decisions!"

    He must have been crazy just now, not noticing that Mr Fuller was making this decision to protect

    Ms Emerson.

    Finally.

    All the members of the negotiation group decided on getting a C grade, allowing the culprit to stay.

    Shane seemed to be very satisfied with their decision and told them to leave, but he didn''t ask Cole

    to change their current performance review.

    "This is a good move." Christopher picked up the ss teacup and stared at the tea leaves inside.

    "After this month, you will know who is sitting around and doing nothing."

    Shane raised his lips, smiled, but said nothing.

    However, Charlotte did not understand. "Mr Gibson, I''m sorry. May I ask what you mean by that? I

    don''t really understand."

    "Just now, Mr Fuller said that everyone would get a Grade C, which means that some people would

    think that not putting in any effort in work is alright. Since everyone is getting Grade C anyway, is it

    still important if you don''t work hard?"

    Christopher smiled meaningfully.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138

    After pausing a few seconds, Christopher continued, "However, at the end of the month, they will

    find that the situation was different from expected. Shane was not serious when he said he wanted

    to give everyone a C grade. The two choices he gave was to see whether the negotiation team

    wanted to give up on the worker who gave the wrong data.

    Charlotte shivered, goosebumps appearing all over her arms.

    In other words.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    After this month, some people in the negotiation group would be given a Grade C for taking

    revenge, while other people who had actually put in effort would still be given a Grade A.

    The fate of those people who were given a C grade...

    She didn''t dare to go further from there. Someone like Shane would never allow them to continue

    working in NC.

    "Smart." Shane used only a word toment on Christopher.

    "After all these years, if I don''t understand what you''re thinking, who else will?" Christopher said

    with a smile. However, his words did not seem to mean just that.

    Shane''s thin lips quirked up and his slender fingersnded on the document. He rubbed his fingers

    against it a few times, "After this project is over, your name will be on it."

    "It''s fine, I''m alright with just working behind the scenes."

    "Are you sure? This is a big project."

    "Of course. Shane, we have never fussed over what''s yours and what''s mine. What''s the point of

    me wanting reputation?" Christopher asked gently.

    Shane raised his eyebrows and said, "It''s up to you. If you need money, just tell me."

    Christopher patted him on the shoulder with a wider smile and said jokingly, "Your generosity is

    precisely why I like you that much."

    Charlotte remained silent the entire time.

    Not that she could not catch up with their conversation.

    She was thinking whether Shane made this decision for her sake, or was it his initial decision that

    had incidentally saved her.

    She actually wanted to know about the answer.

    However, she was embarrassed and did not dare to ask, afraid to upset him again.

    "It''s still early. Shane, do you want to go for a swim?" Christopher proposed.

    "I''m fine with anything."

    "Let''s go then. Lottie, why don''t youe with us?"

    "We''re going together?" Charlotte thought.

    "She, a secretary, swimming with two chairmen?"

    Charlotte regained herposure after recovering from the shock. "Mr Gibson, it''s not very

    appropriate for me to swim with you."

    "Why is it not? You''re already off work."

    "I, I''m not feeling well. Go on without me."

    Christopher nodded and didn''t force her any further.

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. Her gazended on Shane. He was also looking at her, but his gaze

    was cold.

    She immediately looked away and hurriedly said, "I''m going to go back to rest." Then she ran

    outside.

    Damn it.

    She couldn''t even get herself to talk to him, let alone break the ice between them.

    After returning to the room, Charlotte doublechecked the data that she would be using tomorrow.

    After confirming that there was nothing wrong with it, she shut theputer down.

    Just as she was about to lie down and sleep, her phone vibrated.

    She came back to her senses and picked it up.

    "Come down to the seventh floor for dinner."

    The message was from Shane.

    "Are you still angry because of what happened before?" Charlotte didn''t know why she had the

    courage to send such a message to him.

    However, she received no response.

    Shane didn''t reply to her message.

    She felt faintly lost with a hint of pain.

    Charlotteughed at herself self-deprecatingly. She stood up and tidied up her clothes before

    cing her phone back into her pocket.

    No one can function on an empty stomach.

    Even if Shane didn''t reply for the rest of her life, she still had to go for dinner.

    Standing in front of the elevator, Charlotte felt her phone vibrate. Almost instantly, she picked up her

    phone.

    "It''s not worth my time to be angry."

    Charlotte was dumbfounded.

    He said it was not worth his time. Was she not worthy of his time, or was he referring to the incident

    itself being not worthy of his time?

    She entered the elevator and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She sighed, slightly frustrated.

    "If I had known earlier, I shouldn''t have asked him about the piano."

    It was difficult for her to get out of this situation. It was so embarrassing.

    When Charlotte arrived at the dining room, Shane had already left, leaving only Christopher behind.

    Upon learning that he had returned to his room, Charlotte felt as if someone had struck her with a

    stick. Shane had asked her toe over for dinner, but he had left her on her own. He was

    obviously trying to avoid her.

    "You don''t seem to be in a good mood." Christopher lifted his cup of coffee and his gaze fell on

    Charlotte''s pale face.

    "I''m fine, Mr Gibson. Don''t worry about me."

    "I''ve told you that you don''t have to call me Mr Gibson in private."

    "Christopher." Charlotte called him by his name, "I''m fine."

    "After this project ends, I will bring you around this ce before heading back. You should let

    yourself go on a holiday."

    Charlotte sighed and nodded. "Thank you for taking care of me like this."

    "Don''t mind it."

    After the meal, Christopher asked Charlotte to go with him to a small bar in the hotel to watch a

    show. Charlotte agreed since had nothing to do.

    He was too much of a gentleman.

    Whenever she was with him, Charlotte felt more rxed than she ever had been before.

    Before she thought of buying a drink when she was thirsty, he was already handing her a drink.

    However, it was this gentlemanliness that made Charlotte feel a little ufortable. Fortunately,

    when she was halfway through the show, Shane rang her up and called her back to double-check

    her data.

    Christopher politely watched her leave and continued staying in the bar to watch the show.

    Charlotte walked all the way to Shane''s room and knocked on his door.

    Soon, the door opened.

    Shane''s tall and fit figure stood in front of the door. He wore a white T-shirt and a small ck vest,

    which made him look even more elegant.

    "You have an hour to check all the data used tomorrow, and you must be able to tell me the location

    of the data within a second."

    "Alright," Charlotte replied and immediately went into work mode.

    An hourter.

    It sounded like a long time, but in the face of such high- intensity work, Charlotte was so tired that

    she almost copsed.

    After so much effort in checking the data, she wanted to go to bed very badly, let alone memorize

    the file location.

    After much effort, she felt as if she saw stars. However, when facing Shane''s assessment, she was

    still making a lot of mistakes.

    "What''s going on?" Shane''s expression darkened, and the disappointment in his gaze was obvious.

    "Mr Fuller, please give me another ten minutes. I''ll try for thest time."

    "If you still can''t do it this time, you..."

    Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Charlotte interrupted him. "I''ll fly back myself."

    Shane turned his gaze from the documents onto her. After nodding slowly, he pointed to his

    wristwatch and said, "You still have nine and a half minutes."

    She had to memorize it no matter what.

    If you don''t force yourself into a dead end, you would never experience the perfect rebirth after

    desperation.

    Finally, she passed his test.

    Shane nodded in approval. "Tomorrow, you will be presenting along with Christopher. Prepare

    yourself."

    "Yes, sir."

    Shane began to sort out his documents and started double-checking them.

    The reason why he was able to reach his current position was not only due to his decisiveness, but

    more importantly, because he always took care of every detail himself.

    Once this important project was finalized, NC''s position in the country would be elevated. He could

    not afford any more mistakes.

    Charlotte stood there awkwardly. She looked at the man who was caught up in work. For a moment,

    she didn''t know whether she should leave or stay and wait for him to finish his work.

    After a while.

    She couldn''t help asking, "Shane... Were you avoiding me just now?"

    Shane looked up and nced at her calmly. "Are you sure you want to talk about this when I''m

    working?"

    "I''m sorry." She lowered her head.

    Shane continued to read the documents.

    After another ten minutes.

    tter!

    He put down the document, leaned back, and leanedzily against the back of the chair. He folded

    his hands and ced them casually on his stomach.

    "You thought I was avoiding you?"

    "Were you not?" Charlotte raised her head abruptly.

    Her eyes met his, and in that instant, she felt suffocated.

    The pressure he exuded was so strong that she couldn''t resist it.

    "I wasn''t, and I had no reason to." His voice was clear.

    "Has our rtionshipe to this?" She felt bitter.

    Her weak but stubborn appearance struck a chord in Shane''s heart.

    "I will still be on your side in front of outsiders."

    Their rtionship had nothing to do with love.

    These words were too straightforward, and when even Shane himself didn''t like how it sounded, he

    wouldn''t say it out loud, of course.

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139

    He would protect her in front of others and avoid contact with her in private?

    Charlotte didn''t expect Shane to nullify their rtionship just because of what happened in the past.

    Sadness and bitterness filled her heart.

    "I see. I won''t ask such a stupid question again. Rest well. I''m heading back first."

    She forced herself to keep her sadness to herself, but she could no longer bear to stay and face

    him.

    She needed time to be alone.

    Charlotte ran out in a hurry staggering and almost falling down.

    Shane stood up from his chair abruptly and walked towards her.

    With her back facing him, Charlotte steadied herself as quickly as she could. Holding on to the wall

    with her hands, she ran out in a hurry.

    Shane stopped, raised his hand, and pressed it to his forehead. The muscle in his jaw tightened.

    His eyes were full of worry, but all he could do was watch her stumble away.

    He was not trying to sever all ties between

    them.

    Shane took out his phone and dialled a number. A momentter, Cole walked in.

    "Go and find out what Charlotte likes."

    "Yes, sir."

    She seemed to have misunderstood him.

    Shane massaged his temple.

    Charlotte returned to her room alone and she flipped open the documents again to read them.

    She needed other things to take her mind off Shane.

    It was past three o''clock in the morning, and she still didn''t fall asleep. After showering, she stood

    on the balcony with her hair wet, enjoying the night breeze.

    Did he have to sour their rtionship that was originally tense to begin with just because of an

    incident that happened more than 10 years ago?

    Thinking about it carefully, she was overreacting today as well, not giving him the chance to finish

    his sentence.

    Perhaps she would have to find an opportunity to have a chat with him.

    The next day.

    The second meeting started as nned.

    Charlotte stood next to the projector and calmly exined all the data groups.

    From price to utilization to the final processing.

    There were a few pauses in her presentation. Christopher had thought that he would have to help

    her out, but in the end, Charlotte had presented everything well by herself. Today was her one-man

    show.

    "Miss Charlotte has very heavy dark circles. Did you not sleep wellst night?" The president of the

    otherpany pointed to her eyes.

    "I did not sleep well due to some personal matters."

    Shane looked up, and his gaze seemed to fall on her. His knuckles, where a pen was held, paled

    slightly.

    "I thought it was due tost-minute work," the president said with a smile.

    "Not only do I have to dost-minute work, but I also have to do work even when it''s notst-

    minute. After all, no one knows when challenges appear in life. It''s best to be prepared for danger,"

    Charlotte replied in a neither humble nor overbearing manner.

    The other president was stunned for a while and thenughed out loud. After a long time, he

    stoppedughing and said, "Mr Fuller, I''m very curious. Which department does your worker belong

    to?"

    Shane replied calmly, "She''s my secretary."

    "Really? Your life is so exciting with such a secretary by your side. Let''s get back to business. Since

    our project has been dyed for such a long time, to put it bluntly, I just want an extra percentage.

    Why don''t you give me a quick answer? Is that alright or not?"

    "Yes, of course."

    "Then we''ll sign the agreement now." The other president took out his documents.

    They had thought that there would be a fierce battle and that it would take them four to five days to

    reach an agreement.

    However, to their surprise, it only took them two days.

    On the first day, there was a major mistake, and on the second day... there was Charlotte.

    The people of the negotiation group went back home, ashamed, in the afternoon. They hade

    on a trip with thepany''s budget but served little to no help in this project.

    That night.

    Shane answered a phone call and hurried abroad.

    Charlotte knew about this on the second day. Shane left her a message saying that he was going to

    deal with matters in the overseas branch.

    She had wanted to talk to him, but now she had to give up.

    Many things couldn''t be exined clearly through the phone.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Charlotte was staring at her phone in a daze when someone knocked on her door.

    She got up to open the door. It was Christopher.

    "Christopher?"

    "How about I take you hiking? The scenery is beautiful."

    Charlotte pped a hand over her forehead. She suddenly recalled that only yesterday, or was it

    the day before? Christopher had said that he would bring her around to clear her mind after this

    project was done.

    She smiled and said, "I have a bad sense of direction. I''ll follow along with your arrangement."

    Christopher nodded and said gently and gentlemanly, "I''ll be waiting for you in the parking lot. Don''t

    worry. You have 30 minutes to an hour to eat and dress up. I need to attend a video conference,

    okay?"

    "All right."

    Christopher left.

    Charlotte took a deep breath.

    She thought that it would be good to take her mind off things. She did not have to register at the

    company today anyway, so she would just go back before tomorrow morning.

    When Charlotte came to the parking lot, Christopher had already ended the video conference. He

    met a passerby asking for directions and exining gently.

    Charlotte watched the heartwarming scene from not far away. Christopher was just like those gentle

    nobles that were written in the books. He exuded an aura that made people feel at ease.

    Soon, Christopher noticed her and pointed to his car. She immediately came to her senses and

    followed behind him.

    There was a Qingmu Temple on Mount Qingmu.

    There was a stone tablet in the temple, which said "Wish of being a devoted couple in our next

    lives, and let the love and hate of this life fade away".

    It was said that an empress and her lover had died here. A swordsman from the martial arts world

    had helped them erect a tablet. In the blink of an eye, thousands of years had passed and the

    emperor''s family had long been gone, but the historical site was preserved.

    Every year, many couples woulde to visit them, praying for a longsting rtionship with their

    lovers.

    Hearing this, Charlotte was fascinated. She couldn''t help but ask, "Christopher, what''s the identity of

    the queen''s lover you spoke of?"

    "He was childhood friends with the Empress before, but the Emperor fell in love with the Empress.

    The Empress''s family wanted to rise to the top and be prosperous, so he had to give up being

    a civil officer and became the Empress''s personal guard."

    "They went too far." Charlotte couldn''t help but clench her fists.

    "Wouldn''t the family feel sad if they sold their daughter like this?" She thought.

    Christopher nodded with a smile, but his gaze was cold. "Indeed, people who abandon their loved

    ones for the sake of reputation should be despised."

    Charlotte blinked her eyes and said, "You..."

    "Do you know how the Empress died?"

    Charlotte stopped herself from saying further and shook her head.

    "She was given a death punishment by the Emperor. She drank poisonous wine given by the

    Emperor and her lover, which was her personal guard at the time,mitted suicide by her side."

    The weather wasn''t cold, but Charlotte''s body was frozen to the point that she shivered.

    Just how deeply in love must they be to do something like this for each other. She was unable to do

    so, and she couldn''t even imagine herself doing so.

    The two of them continued their hike.

    There was a karst cave on the mountain, in which no light but countless fireflies were seen. It was a

    beautiful and picturesque ce.

    Christopher offered to take photos of Charlotte, but Charlotte refused. She didn''t like having her

    photos taken.

    The two of them found a ce to sit down.

    "Big brother and sister, do you want to buy something to eat?" A little girl ran to them with a bamboo

    basket in her arms.

    "Two bottles of mineral water and a lollipop." Christopher handed the money to the little girl and

    handed a bottle of water to Charlotte.

    "Thank you, Christopher. Why did you buy a lollipop?" Charlotte took the water from him and asked

    curiously.

    Christopher''s eyes were filled with memories. "In the past, there was a little boy who was very thin

    and weak. He was bullied because of his family background. A girl saved him and helped him out.

    When the little girl left, she gave him a lollipop."

    Until now, he was still keeping that lollipop.

    He had been looking for that girl, for such a long time. He didn''t expect that one day she would

    appear in front of him.

    It was a pity that she was already someone else''s wife. And that someone else was his best friend

    whom he hated the most.

    A strange glint shed in Christopher''s eyes, like a flickering candlelight.

    "Is the little boy you?"

    "No, but it doesn''t affect my yearning for lollipop." Christopher peeled the lollipop wrapper and

    popped it into his mouth.

    Seeing him enjoy his candy, Charlotte suddenly began to yearn for lollipops.

    She asked, "Then, do you know what happened to the little boyter?"

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "He was not alright. His mother dies, and his father abandoned him. He had no friends and no one

    to rely on."

    "How sad." Charlotte''s heart ached for the boy. "What about you? Are you still in contact with the

    little boy?"

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140

    "I want to contact him, but I can''t," Christopher replied.

    There was no way for a person to contact himself.

    "Ah," Charlotte said and instantly became dejected. "He''s such a poor thing. If only I could help

    him."

    "I''m d you''re thinking this way." Deep down, however, he was somewhat disappointed.

    That little girl.

    The little girl, whom the little boy had been looking for, had forgotten about this incident.

    But on second thought, it was good this way as well. Remembering meant shouldering

    responsibilities. Most of the time, forgetting was bliss.

    "Do you still know anything else about him? Perhaps, we can think of a way to find him and help

    him," Charlotte thought optimistically.

    "Do you really want to know?"

    Charlotte nodded her head seriously.

    "Where should I start..." Christopher thought.

    Christopher took a sip of water, cleared his throat and began telling the story from the beginning.

    When he was a child, the little boy had low self- esteem. He was weak and was often bullied by

    others.

    When he was three, his mother remarried the son of a well-known family. Since then, the little boy

    had lived a life of depending on others. Although he was still the young master of the family, he had

    always been left out by the family.

    The little boy lived enduring the humiliation. His only wish was to find his own father and to escape

    his current life of living below others.

    However, his actual father had given up on him for the sake of his own reputation.

    ''After he told me that he was going to look for his father, I never saw him again," Christopher

    concluded his story on a rainy night.

    On this rainy night, the little boy went to look for his father, and since then, there had been no news

    from him.

    The rims of Charlotte''s eyes turned red. "Didn''t his father want him? You said that you haven''t seen

    him after he left, but then said he was abandoned by his biological father. Perhaps he was protected

    by his biological father?" "I hope so too," Christopher answered with a smile and reached out to

    wipe her tears. "Why are you crying? Idiot."

    "I feel so sorry for the little boy. He''s had a hard time."

    "Let''s just hope that when he appears again, he will have taken back everything he wants."

    "But instead, I hope that he can live a happy life beside his biological father and live happily without

    having to depend on others."

    "That''s impossible." Christopher thought.

    "Because his biological father was already dead."

    Christopher''s smile widened, but his heart was bleeding. As heforted Charlotte, was there

    anyone who couldfort him?

    "You really can''t find him?" Charlotte asked, not giving up.

    "No, I can''t find him."

    "If it''s possible, I really want to give him a hug and tell him that I''m in a pretty bad state as well. But

    I''ve made it through and I hope that he can make it through as well, and then stand blissfully under

    the rays of sunlight." As she spoke, Charlotte had a smile on her face. One day, she would

    investigate everything and take back everything belonging to her.

    Christopher was stunned.

    He couldn''t help but rte to Charlotte''s background.

    The Emerson Corporation... As well?

    Her mother died a tragic death without a reason, and her father married a woman of the same age

    as her. She did not receive the news of her mother''s death until only several dayster.

    If his life had been hopeless from the beginning, her life had been full of hope initially, but had

    suddenly been burned to ashes.

    They were both pitiful.

    Thus, he was destined to meet her.

    Christopher had booked a return ticket for the seven o''clock train.

    Charlotte was so tired that she fell asleep on the high-speed train. Upon arriving at their station,

    Christopher woke her up.

    It was only then that she realized that she slept leaning against his shoulder. She quickly

    apologized, "Sorry, I fell asleep and didn''t notice."

    "It''s okay, you''re not heavy."

    Charlotte gave an awkward smile.

    Christopher offered to send her back, but Charlotte refused. She had caused him enough trouble.

    On the way home, Charlotte saw a signboard.

    The recent famous young celebrity, Tiffany Allen, was on her concert tour.

    It was nothing much, but Charlotte noticed that the clothes she was wearing were the exact same

    outfit as the woman she saw in front of the hotel not long ago.

    Was the woman who entered the hotel with Shane the other day Tifanny Allen?

    If she had remembered correctly, NC''s ambassador at the moment was also Tiffany.

    For some unknown reason, Charlotte felt a trace of bitterness in her heart, followed by a sharp pain.

    Her face was pale and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

    After taking a few deep breaths, she finally calmed down.

    So this was what heartbreak felt like.

    Charlotte''s face was pale as sheughed self-deprecatingly.

    This was why Shane said that he would only defend her in front of outsiders. It turned out that there

    was someone he liked.

    Tiffany was not bad at all. She was fairskinned, beautiful, and had long legs. She had a pure and

    sweet appearance, with a lot of fans.

    A perfect match. They were perfect for each other.

    Charlotte dragged her tired body back home.

    She wanted to make dinner for herself. When she was cutting vegetables, she identally cut her

    hand. Blood flowed out, dying her slender, pale palm red.

    In a panic, she dressed her wound hastily and went downstairs to take a taxi to the hospital.

    Seeing the blood on her hand, the driver asked tensely, "Are you all right, little girl?"

    "I think so..." Charlotte''s lips had lost their colour.

    "We''re almost there. Hold on, we''re almost there."

    The driver was very nice. Not only did he send her to the hospital, but he also took her to the

    emergency room.

    Charlotte offered to pay him arger tip, but the driver refused. He didn''t even leave his name and

    left right after.

    Fortunately, Charlotte had used a mobile phone application to book a taxi. She could reward the

    driver on her application. She was thinking that since she dyed the driver, she would definitely

    have to make it up to them. "Lottie?"

    As soon as she hadpleted her treatment, she heard someone calling her from a distance.

    It must be a hallucination. Why would Anne appear in the hospital?

    "It''s really you, oh my god, Lottie."

    Charlotte raised her head, confused.

    Who would be standing in front of her other than Anne and Braden?

    "You guys?"

    "What''s going on?" Charlotte thought.

    After Anne''s exnation, Charlotte''s jaw dropped so wide that she could swallow an egg.

    Anne was dispirited. "I just came for a marriage check-up before getting engaged to him. Do you

    have to be so surprised?"

    "What''s the date for your banquet?"

    "It was originally on the 15th." This time it was Braden who answered. "But Shane went on a

    business trip, so we dyed it until the 17th. The day after hees back."

    Upon hearing the word "Shane", Charlotte froze.

    Being her best friend Anne noticed her unusual behaviour and said, "You and Shane are..."

    "We''re fine."

    "Then I won''t ask. Let''s go for a meal and then we''ll take you home."

    This night was actually quite joyful.

    However, during the several times Braden mentioned Shane, she still could not control the sadness

    in her heart.

    At night.

    Charlotte was about to go to sleep, but as she was scrolling through Weibo, her pupils suddenly

    contracted.

    The title read-

    "There is finally hard evidence of the love affair between Shane Fuller, the rich businessman and

    Tiffany Allen!"

    In just ten minutes, Shane and Tiffany became the trending topic, followed by a small red "Viral"

    label.

    Obviously, it was a hot topic that someone had published by paying.

    News on Shane had always been strictly controlled. After all, this was rted to the reputation of

    the NC Company. Usually, this kind of news would not be published.

    Now that he was so easily trending, did it mean that he was the one who allowed Tiffany to get

    attention through him, or did he simply just want to publicize their rtionship?

    Charlotte felt breathless.

    When she came back to her senses, the phone next to her kept ringing.

    For a moment, she was hoping that the call was from Shane, but it was not. Anne was the one on

    the other end of the line.

    "Don''t worry. Braden said that he had never seen Shane take Tiffany to dinner. Shane only cares

    about you," Anne said.

    "Only cares about me?" Charlotte felt like it was a joke that was ridiculing her.

    "Don''t be nervous. Just wait for Shane toe back."

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte''s eyes drooped as she said calmly, "Hmm."

    After the call ended, sheunched Weibo again and looked at the photos. She felt that they were

    vaguely familiar.

    This outfit...

    The name of this hotel.

    Wasn''t it the day she saw both of them?

    Why were these photos posted so many days after the date they were taken?

    Charlotte wanted to take a closer look, but another call came in.

    This time, the screen shed with arge word, "Shane".

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141

    Charlotte was stunned for a few seconds before she pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

    "Wait for me to return. We need to talk." The male voice on the end of the line was cold and

    unruffled.

    "Okay," she responded jerkily.

    She really wanted to ask about him and Tiffany, but she was afraid that, like before, she would touch

    his sore spot, so she didn''t.

    Shane changed his posture, picked up a ne with his long fingers, and said, "I heard that you

    like the color purple?"

    "Are you bringing me a gift?" She was pleasantly surprised.

    "You don''t like purple?"

    "I like it." She just didn''t expect that he would buy her a gift.

    "Well, I''m looking forward toing back."

    The sour feeling in Charlotte''s heart dissipated quite a bit in an instant. Sheid against the

    windowsill and looked at the stars in the sky. "Is it morning over there?"

    Shane replied calmly, "Yes. Around six o''clock."

    "You''re up so early."

    "There is another meeting. I''ll be back in the country the day after tomorrow at thetest. We will

    see each other at Braden and Anne''s engagement party."

    "Alright."

    They ended the call.

    Charlotte suddenly felt that her rtionship with Shane had deepened and was no longer as distant

    as before.

    He said it was worth looking forward to, so she was looking forward to his return.

    On the day of Anne''s engagement party to Braden.

    Charlotte, Zoe and Christopher arrived at the church together by car.

    Since they had to arrive on their own anyway, it was more fun to go together.

    Along the way, Charlotte was very excited. She looked forward to seeing Shane and having a good

    chat with him. After all, it had been a long time since theyst saw each other.

    A week? A week and a half?

    She had never wanted to see someone as urgently as she did now.

    The event was a buffet, but there were seats too. If you were tired, you could sit down and rest.

    Charlotte didn''t have anyone to greet, so she was separated from Zoe and Christopher. She sat

    down in the corner alone.

    As she ate, she suddenly heard amotion.

    She raised her head subconsciously��

    Shane walked in slowly, dressed in a ck suit. As he walked unhurriedly, his tall and strong figure,

    as well as his handsome appearance, became the focus of everyone''s discussion.

    Charlotte stared nkly at him. She subconsciously wanted to get up and meet him.

    And yet.

    A woman in a pink dress came to his side. She took his arm naturally, and gave him a sweet smile.

    From a distance away, Charlotte couldn''t see Shane''s expression clearly, but he didn''t push the

    woman away.

    That woman...

    It was Tiffany Allen.

    Charlotte felt as if she had been hit by someone. She was so overwhelmed that she couldn''t even

    keep her legs steady.

    She turned around hurriedly and hid in a corner.

    Braden, who walked up to meet Shane, was immediately stunned. Earlier, he had even promised

    Charlotte that Shane would definitely note with anyone else. But, in the blink of an eye, he had

    brought Tiffany to Braden''s engagement party?

    "Shane, why don''t you introduce us?" Braden coughed.

    "Tiffany Allen," Shane spat coldly and pulled his arm away. "Where is Charlotte?"

    It was not until then that Braden realized that his friend Shane had not abandoned Ms. Emerson. He

    was only symbolically entering the venue with a femalepanion.

    Braden let out a sigh of relief. "It''s good that you still think of Charlotte."

    Shane frowned, and his gaze turned frigid. The atmosphere around him suddenly became colder.

    Although Tiffany did not speak, the fingers hanging at her side were tightly clenched. She knew

    through her sources that Shane was married to some woman, and that person was Charlotte

    Emerson.

    She had never expected that another woman would beat her to the punch while she was filming

    abroad.

    She would not allow anyone to steal Shane from her.

    "I don''t know where Charlotte is. Why don''t you look for her? I think she''s with Zoe and

    Christopher," Braden said.

    "Okay."

    Just like that, Shane left Tiffany alone.

    Braden wanted to take Tiffany to the lounge to be nice, but when he turned around, she was already

    gone.

    It was so strange.

    In her corner.

    Charlotte looked at the exquisite dessert on the te before her without any appetite. Her mind was

    filled with the image of Tiffany holding onto Shane.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you sitting here alone and not even eating? Don''t you like the food?"

    The soft male voice was as gentle as a spring breeze brushing her face.

    Charlotte lifted her gaze. Her eyes were filled with tears, and some rolled down from the corners of

    her eyes.

    Christopher''s body shook violently. The clear and bright eyes in front of him, which were like ones of

    a newborn deer, made his heart beat out of control in an instant.

    He bent down, took out a ck handkerchief from his pocket, and gently wiped her tears. "Why are

    you crying?"

    Charlotte shook her head, but her tears fell even more violently.

    It was obvious that Shane was definitely one of the reasons that she was sad.

    Christopher wiped her tears as he said, "A colleague at NC Company who lost his voice, but we

    asked him to participate in a joint singingpetition to meet the member restriction. But he was

    particrly proactive. He got his voice back the day before the game. Guess what happened?"

    Tears were still welling in Charlotte''s eyes as she looked at him and shook her head.

    "We lost thepetition."

    "What kind of joke is this?" Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte was stunned for a few seconds before she let out a huff and burst outughing.

    Christopher gently stroked her hair. "No matter what happens, happiness is the most important

    thing. Don''t cry."

    "Yes." She nodded her head vigorously.

    "Let''s go. I''ll take you to have a look around."

    "Are you familiar with this ce?" Charlotte stood up with him.

    "I picked this ce for Braden."

    So it was like that.

    Charlotte left with Christopher. She did not see the man standing at the exit.

    He held the gift box in his hand. His gaze fell on Charlotte''s hand, which seemed to almost touch

    Christopher''s.

    Shane pressed his lips together, his brows tightly knitted together.

    These two people...

    The hand holding the gift box tightened.

    It seemed that some people were living afortable life, and it didn''t matter whether they received

    his gift or not.

    The engagement party ended.

    Braden suggested to have another round of drinks at his house.

    Charlotte had originally wanted to leave, but she couldn''t reject the offer.

    It would be fine if it was only Braden''s engagement party. She would have had every reason not to

    attend. However, this was also Anne''s big day.

    She had to give face to her best friend.

    Charlotte and Zoe took Anne''s car and went to Braden''s house.

    "I''ve asked Braden. Shane and Tiffany aren''t together. Don''t take it to heart," said Anne, who was

    sitting in the driver''s seat.

    Charlotte didn''t speak, but smiled. "I don''t have any right to take it to heart."

    "Lottie, you should talk it out. Don''t get angry. If you really want to quarrel, you have to wait for five

    hours before you can."

    Did she have to wait until the day of Anne''s engagement party was over before she made a fuss?

    Charlotte couldn''t helpughing and didn''t respond to Anne''s words.

    Anne nced at her from the rearview mirror. She had to wait for five hours. After that, the answer

    would be revealed.

    Soon, the car stopped at the gate at Braden''s ce.

    After Anne parked the car, she brought Charlotte and Zoe with her and met up with Braden and

    Christopher.

    While everyone was chatting, Shane''s car arrived.

    Tiffany was the first to open the car door. She was a little surprised when she saw so many people,

    "Are you all friends of Shane?"

    The purple crystal ne around her neck was particrly dazzling.

    "I heard that you like the color purple?" Charlotte remembered.

    Charlotte''s eyes darkened, and she felt a pain in her heart, as if someone had forced her to drink

    poison.

    When he asked her whether she liked purple or not, hadn''t he wanted to give her a present? Or had

    he wanted to give someone else a present?

    But if he was going to give Tiffany a gift, why did he need to ask Charlotte whether she liked purple

    or not?

    Christopher saw that Charlotte''s mood had turned somber. Without batting an eye, he walked to her

    side and lightly pressed his palm against her back. "Straighten your back and keep your head held

    high."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "It''s fine." Charlotte smiled as she took away his hand. "I''m not that weak."

    "You are."

    Christopher''s blunt words broke through Charlotte''s strength.

    She lowered her eyshes and said, "Shane asked me before if I liked purple."

    Christopher had also noticed the ne around Tiffany''s neck.

    He narrowed his eyes. "The color purple does have quite the charm, but it doesn''t suit Tiffany. It

    would suit you better."

    "Is that so?" She replied absent-mindedly.

    "However, this style is inappropriate. I do have one that is more suitable for you. Would you like it?"

    Charlotte knew that Christopher wasforting her. She shook her head and said, "You don''t have

    tofort me. I''m fine, really."

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142

    Christopher wanted to say something. He was notforting her, but really wanted to give her a

    ne that was worthy of her. However, when he saw her body stiffen, his eyes suddenly lit up.

    He could not help but look in the direction of her gaze.

    Shane got out of the car. He wore only a white T-shirt and looked coolly handsome and charismatic.

    Even without doing anything, it was enough to attract everyone''s attention.

    Tiffany, who had been passing on her good wishes to Braden, immediately went to his side and held

    Shane''s arm like a spoiled child. She was practically stered on him.

    Shane took a step back and distanced himself from her.

    "Um, Shane, why don''t you introduce us. This is..."

    "I''ve already made the introductions." Shane interrupted coldly.

    "We only know that her name is Tiffany." Braden was embarrassed. He kept making motions at

    Shane in the direction of

    Charlotte.

    Shane pretended that he didn''t see it, and the atmosphere around him suddenly became colder.

    "That''s enough."

    As soon as he finished speaking, he walked into the house with a gloomy expression.

    Braden blinked, undid his tie and threw it on the ground. "What the hell is up with this guy today? He

    looks like someone pissed in his coffee."

    No one responded to him.

    It was only then that Braden realized that Charlotte didn''t look so good. Anne and Christopher

    surrounded her, looking as if they wereforting her.

    As for Tiffany, she seemed to be a simple and harmless littledy.

    Braden felt very down. Could it have been that this engagement party had been held at the wrong

    time?

    In the living room, everyone sat down, but no one spoke.

    Charlotte should have sat with Shane, but she couldn''t butt in. Fortunately, Christopher ced her

    with him and Zoe so as to avoid any embarrassment.

    When he saw that the atmosphere had be even tenser, Braden quickly said, "Why don''t we go

    horse-riding? My family has a stable."

    "That''s fine." Christopher agreed.

    Braden immediately looked at Shane and said, "Three against two, it''s no use even if you refuse."

    Shane nced at Christopher and said, "Do you know how to ride?"

    Christopher smiled. "I don''t just know how to ride."

    What the hell?

    Why are they arguing with each other again?

    Braden really wanted to cry. He quickly stood up and arranged for the few people to go to the

    stables.

    When they arrived at the ce, Charlotte finally spoke up and said that she didn''t know how to ride.

    In order not to spoil everyone''s mood, she decided to sit and watch.

    When she saw this, Tiffany also said that she didn''t feel well and left behind Charlotte.

    "Look at what you did." Braden rode to Shane and said, "What are you doing? Who is this Tiffany

    person?"

    "She''s Heidi Allen''s younger sister." It was Christopher who spoke.

    Braden was so shocked that his mouth became an 0. "The one who died when Shane was 15?"

    Christopher nodded.

    Shane said angrily, "Stop talking nonsense."

    "You can lose your temper as you like." Christopher just smiled and said lightly. "I only care about

    whether someone I care about will be hurt or not."

    Even if he was slow- witted, Braden was aware of where the problemy.

    It was so ridiculous. Was Christopher going to steal Shane''s woman?

    Shane sneered, "Do you think you are qualified?"

    "We''ve known each other for so long. I thought you weren''t such a bad person, but I didn''t think you

    would be a yboy. It''s disgusting." Christopher mounted his horse and rode away. "Giddyup!"

    Braden still wanted to persuade Shane, but Shane also picked up his reins, leaving only his back to

    Braden.

    "What the hell is going on here?" Braden thought.

    Braden was feeling gloomy when Anne came riding over. "What''s wrong with the two of them?"

    "Christopher seems to care a lot about Ms. Emerson. Did you know about this?"

    "Him? I don''t think that''s possible. There aren''t any sparks when he''s standing with Lottie," Anne

    said suspiciously.

    There were no sparks because, previously, Charlotte and Shane were fine. Now, with the addition of

    Tiffany, that guy Christopher was exposed.

    Braden''s expression was aggrieved. "My dear wife, it''s so difficult for me being in the middle."

    "Don''t worry." Inparison, Anne was very calm. "There are less than three hours left. The results

    wille out soon."

    "What results?"

    "Sheryl and Shane''s DNAtest."

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Braden was stunned. Then his eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "My wife is brilliant. You''re so

    smart!"

    Anne smiled. "Okay, stop ttering me. Let''s go horse-riding."

    "Alright."

    Not far away, at the seating area.

    As Charlotte sat at the highest point, she was able to watch everyone prance around.

    At first, she was focused on Anne, but then her gaze had somehow fallen on Shane.

    He was too outstanding. No matter where he was, he was always the most dazzling.

    "Shane and I have known each other for more than ten years. Did you know that?"

    Tiffany, now dressed in casual clothes, had approached Charlotte at some point.

    Charlotte didn''t look at her. She still looked at the people riding. "I don''t know, I''ve never heard of it."

    "I''ve been in love with him ever since I was ten. He will definitely marry me in the future." Tiffany sat

    beside Charlotte. "He''s very outstanding, isn''t he?"

    Ten years old.

    It turned out that Charlotte was the ''other woman'' in this rtionship.

    Tiffany wasn''t the homewrecker. She had always been by Shane''s side.

    Tiffany continued when she didn''t get a response, "I heard from the people around him that he is

    very close to your daughter."

    "Maybe."

    "As a mother, don''t you know about this?" Tiffany did not believe it.

    Charlotte stood up. "You can stay here and watch. I''m going to go back to rest."

    Tiffany looked at her retreating back and smiled proudly.

    After leaving the seating area, Charlotte went to the bathroom to wash her face.

    She was very affected by Tiffany''s words, but she did not fully believe them. Maybe she should find

    time to confirm it with Shane.

    If it was as Tiffany said, she would let go.

    She would end this contract earlier than expected...

    Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror with a bitter smile. Since when did she care so much about

    him?

    She was sad.

    She was really sad.

    Charlotte wanted to leave Braden''s home before the others, but she didn''t have a car, so she had to

    look for Christopher.

    When Anne heard that she was leaving, she immediately stopped her. "I''m taking you to see my

    bridal room."

    In a state of confusion, Anne pulled Charlotte away.

    Braden went to Christopher''s side and lowered his voice mysteriously. "I say, you aren''t really

    interested in Charlotte, are you?"

    "Interested?"

    "Weren''t you saying to Shane just now..."

    "You''ve misunderstood me. I just don''t like yboys."

    "It wasn''t because it was Charlotte that you helped her?"

    "Of course."

    Braden breathed a sigh of relief.

    In Zoe''s case, who had been beside them, her gaze darkened.

    She had been paying attention to Christopher the entire time. No one knew him better than she did.

    ording to his character, he would never have a disagreement with Shane because of someone,

    unless he really cared about that person.

    Did Christopher like Lottie?

    However, Charlotte was Mr. Fuller''s...

    Zoe''s heart wrenched.

    Was her heart aching for Christopher or Charlotte, or herself?

    On the other end.

    Anne brought Lottie to her room and handed her a document surreptitiously.

    Charlotte looked at the leather bag in her hand suspiciously and asked, "What''s this?" "Go home

    and look at it carefully." Anne was very serious. "Believe me, you must finish reading it before

    making a decision."

    "What?" Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte was confused, but she also knew that Anne was not the kind of person who would make

    meaningless jokes, so she could only keep the documents.

    Anne checked downstairs to make sure that Shane had already left before saying, "I''ll take you

    home."

    "Anne, just now, you were trying to prevent me and..."

    "I just want to hog you for a bit," Anne said with a straight face.

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. "Okay, whatever you like. My best friend is the best in the world."

    Anne''s driving skills were good. Plus, it was not the peak traffic hour, so they soon arrived at

    Charlotte''s home.

    Shane''s car wasn''t there, so he must have sent Tiffany home. As Charlotte thought about it, her

    mood became more gloomy.

    "Go upstairs." Anne looked at her with a smile.

    "Enjoy your wedding night."

    Anne snorted and drove the car away.

    Charlotte went upstairs to open the door and sat down on the sofa. She took out the document only

    to see the words printed in bold fonts-

    It was a paternity test.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143

    In the beginning, Charlotte didn''t take it seriously, but when she saw the names on the report, she

    waspletely stunned.

    Sheryl and Shane were father and daughter!

    Charlotte''s pupils suddenly contracted. Her hand, which was holding onto the paper, trembled as

    tears of excitement welled up in her eyes.

    Sheryl was saved.

    She had found Sheryl''s father, which meant that she could have the operation. The doctor said that

    after thepletion of the operation, there was no danger of rpse before the age of eight.

    As long as they found her father before the age of eight and found matching bone marrow, they

    could definitely do the transnt. The blood cancer, namely leukemia, could not do anything to

    Sheryl.

    Charlotte tightened her grip on the documents. She tidied them up properly and put them back into

    her bag.

    She couldn''t wait to rush to the old mansion now and kiss Sheryl''s face all over.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Just as she was so excited, the sound of a key opening the door came.

    Squeak��

    The door was pushed open.

    Charlotte excitedly stood up.

    As she watched Shane walking towards her, her heart was about to jump out of her throat.

    "I..." She couldn''t wait to tell him that Sheryl was his daughter and that she was ill. "I have

    something to tell you."

    "Let''s end the contract."

    Before Charlotte could say anything, Shane spoke. He was straightforward and did not give her any

    chance to go first.

    Charlotte was rooted to the spot. She didn''t know where to put her hands. She asked in disbelief,

    "What, what did you say?"

    "Let''s end the contract. In addition to the vi, I will give you another 50 million dors."

    End the contract, and he would give her 50 million dors?

    Charlotteughed, "50 million? Is this...pensation?"

    Shane raised his eyebrows and remained silent. If you observed carefully, you could see the

    thoughtful look in his eyes.

    It was a pity.

    Charlotte did not notice this touch of thoughtfulness.

    "Shane, I don''t care about your money. I don''t want any of it." She took a deep breath and tried to

    control the pain in her chest.

    "What do you want then? As long as the contract is ended, I can..."

    "I don''t care about anything you can give."

    Charlotte grabbed the bag tightly in her hand.

    It didn''t matter. She could find another way. Even if she lost everything, she would try her best to

    cure Sheryl.

    "I''ve been in love with Shane since I was ten."

    "One day, he will marry me."

    Tiffany''s words echoed in her ears.

    It seemed that she did not need to seek confirmation anymore. Shane would marry Tiffany.

    He cared about her, so he couldn''t wait to break the contract with Charlotte.

    Charlotte calmed herself down and raised her head expressionlessly. She met Shane''s gaze and

    said, "I don''t want anything from you."

    Shane pursed his lips and tightened the hanging hand on his side into a fist. He had just been

    testing her to see how she would react. And now she couldn''t wait to be rid of him?

    The scene at the engagement party was still seared into his brain.

    "Are you sure?" He was so arrogant that he could only say the three thin words.

    "The marriage contract was originally brought up by you. I''m very grateful that you''ve taken care of

    Sheryl and me this past while. Thank you," Charlotte said as she paused for a moment. "I''m going

    to take Sheryl away right now."

    "Wait." Shane said in a deep voice, "Wait until Grandma returns to Hartsville before taking Sheryl."

    Sure enough, he had only signed the marriage contract with her for the sake of Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    Charlotte smiled. From a few days ago until now, she had been worrying about her personal

    situation so much that she had bepletely numb.

    She just realized that she was relying on him, and she didn''t want to let him go. But, in a blink of an

    eye, she was going to part ways with him.

    "Okay, I will pick Sheryl up after Mrs. Fuller Senior returns. I will give you a letter of resignation as

    soon as possible in the next two days."

    As soon as she finished speaking, Charlotte left with her bag.

    Bang��

    Although the world was so big, there was no ce for her to stay.

    The paternity test in the bag became very hot. She thought for a moment before finally taking it out

    and throwing it into the trash can.

    In any case, she didn''t need it anymore.

    Cole, who had been waiting downstairs, saw this scene and curiously stuck his head out.

    Why had Ms. Emersone down as soon as Mr. Fuller had gone up?

    Within the living room.

    Shane took out a small box from his pocket.

    He opened the box and threw it on the coffee table.

    The ne he had bought while abroad had been given to Tiffany in a fit of anger, so before he

    came back, he had gone to the pawnshop to have a look.

    He had chosen a ne that was even more suitable for Charlotte. The seller said that this

    ne was called the "Flower of Fate".

    The gem looked like a drop of water, but its texture was more like a diamond, rather than a crystal.

    He had thought that, after knowing that he would break off their contract, she would at least ask

    why. Then, he would take out the box, saying that he was teasing her or saying nothing not all.

    He wanted to see if she would be affected if he wanted to escape this situation.

    Obviously, the answer was no.

    Shane closed his eyes.

    In his mind, the image of Christopher wiping away Charlotte''s tears for her reyed over and over

    again. His rationality was burned with the rage that was produced from his jealousy.

    When Cole heard the sounding from upstairs, there was only a mess on the ground.

    He went over to Shane and said, "Mr. Fuller, your hand is injured. I''ll call Doctor..."

    "There''s no need." The man said in a husky voice, "Go and tell Tiffany that I agree with her

    request."

    "What? Didn''t you say you wanted me to refuse her?" Cole didn''t understand.

    What had Ms. Emerson said to Mr. Fuller?

    Was Mr. Fuller being impetuous?

    Cole was a yes-man. Although he wanted to ask, he did not dare to.

    "Go."

    "Yes, sir."

    The only thing Cole could do was inform Henry while he started the vehicle again.

    As he passed by the trash can, he hesitated and decided to stop and have a look.

    Among the pile of trash, Cole found a brown paper envelope.

    There were three big words on the paper envelope-To Anne Jane.

    Anne Jane?

    "Could it be that Mr. Fuller had quarreled with Ms. Emerson because of Ms. Jane?" Cole thought.

    Cole was careful. He picked up the document and wiped its filthy surface with a wet napkin.

    After a few days, when Mr. Fuller''s mood was slightly better, Cole would tell him that he found this

    envelope from Ms. Emerson, and maybe he could save their rtionship.

    A few dayster.

    Charlotte submitted her resignation, and Mrs. Fuller Senior also returned to Hartsville. Charlotte

    then brought Sheryl with her.

    Sheryl had been looking forward to being with her Daddy and Mommy. She had been happy at first.

    But when she saw that Charlotte was in a bad mood, the little girl was very sensible and didn''t ask

    about it. She only apanied Charlotte quietly.

    On that day, Sheryl nudged Charlotte awake.

    "Mommy, Mommy, your phone keeps ringing all the time." The little girly down beside her with the

    phone in her hand.

    Charlotte leaned over and patted her head. "Thank you, darling."

    When she looked, she found that there were more than 20 missed calls on her phone. Half of them

    were from Anne and the other half was from Braden.

    She sighed and dialed back.

    "Are you looking for trouble? Why didn''t you tell me about such a big thing!" Anne roared on her

    end.

    "And say what? That I was abandoned by Shane? Quick,e andfort me?" Charlotte''s voice

    was hoarse.

    Anne was silent for a moment and sighed. "Where are you? I''ll go over right now."

    Charlotte nced at Sheryl next to her and said, "I''m at a hotel. Let''s find a ce to meet."

    "Charlotte, you''re so silly. Didn''t you know that you could havee to my house? Are you trying to

    piss me off, you dummy!" Anne screamed. She wanted to step through the phone, grab Charlotte''s

    head and violently knock on it.

    "I didn''t want to bother you. After all, you just got engaged."

    "It''s an engagement, not a wedding." Anne was furious. "I don''t care. Come to my house

    immediately and bring my precious Sheryl with you!"

    "Thank you."

    After she heard those two words, Anne''s anger grew even more potent. "How dare you thank me!"

    And yet.

    When Charlotte appeared in front of her, Anne couldn''t say a word.

    Charlotte looked so haggard.

    Anne gave Charlotte a tender hug and leaned over to look at the little girl beside her.

    Sheryl was calm, and it seemed that she didn''t know what had happened yet.

    Anne sighed. "Were the documents I gave you useless? Why did you still quarrel with Shane?"

    "I didn''t quarrel with him, I..."

    "Lottie!" Braden, who had been on the second floor, also saw Lottie. He hurriedly ran downstairs

    and said, "You need to follow me to NC Company right now. We will talk to Shane and tell him that

    your child is his. He definitely won''t mention divorcing you again."

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144

    Charlotte was startled. She said hurriedly, "Please keep this secret for me. I don''t want Shane to

    know."

    Sheryl looked at her with her head tilted. She sort of remembered that Shane was her Daddy''s

    name.

    But what did divorce mean?

    It was so interesting.

    "What is divorce?" The little girl blinked innocently.

    Anne immediately picked her up. "Sheryl, did you miss your godmother?"

    "Yes, I did!"

    "Then I will reward you with cake. Ms. Eleanor,e and take Sheryl to afternoon tea."

    After the servant took Sheryl away, Anne continued, "Why didn''t you let him know? Sheryl is his

    daughter. He was the man from five years ago. You were the one who saved him"

    Charlotte didn''t know what the whole saving thing was about. She only knew that she had gotten

    pregnant with Sheryl that night.

    However, there was no point in saying these things now.

    She smiled bitterly and said, "These things don''t matter anymore. Look, you can see that Tiffany is

    a good match for him."

    Braden heard this sentence spoken as he went downstairs. He had wanted to persuade her, but

    then he immediately shut up.

    Tiffany was Heidi''s younger sister...

    If Shane really couldn''t let go of the past, it was possible that he would break up with Charlotte and

    get together with Tiffany.

    Anne was angry when she heard that. "Is he divorcing you because of another woman?"

    "It''s my fault, so it has nothing to do with him. Besides, our marriage is just contractual. Don''t you

    know that?"

    "But at that time, I thought you... Just forget it, Shane is just a yboy bastard!" Anne gritted her

    teeth in anger.

    "Would you really divorce for Tiffany?" Braden asked in a low voice.

    Charlotte smiled bitterly. She didn''t know either. If it was for Tiffany''s sake, why would Shane dy

    the divorce until now?

    Also, from Tiffany''s reaction, she liked Shane very much. If Shane also liked her, why didn''t he

    choose to marry her back then?

    She really didn''t know.

    She was afraid that, in his eyes, she was not even a tool to be used...

    "Braden, do you know what?" Anne saw Braden''s unnatural behavior and immediately asked in

    response.

    "Tiffany is Heidi''s sister. I remember that Heidi was kidnapped and killed with her when Shane was

    fifteen years old..." Braden sighed and continued, "But I don''t know the details. Wait a minute. I''ll

    send someone to investigate it. Shane is quite secretive."

    Anne nodded after thinking for a while.

    It was necessary to conduct a thorough investigation.

    She arranged for Charlotte and Sheryl to stay at her home and used her own connections with

    Braden to investigate what happened in the past.

    Three hourster.

    Anne handed the prepared documents to Charlotte while she held a bowl of fruit in her other hand.

    "No matter what decision you make, I will support you. Have a good rest. My home is your home.

    Don''t worry about it, it''s fine."

    "It''s a pity that you''re engaged. Otherwise, I would marry you myself." Charlotte smiled as she took

    the bowl.

    This was her first smile in the past few days.

    "If you want to marry me, I will break off the engagement immediately." Anne snorted.

    "I am afraid that Braden might cry out loud."

    The two looked at each other andughed.

    Anne said, "You take a look then. I''m going out."

    "Sure."

    As soon as Anne left, Charlotte first ced the documents to one side and finished the fruits before

    she picked them up again.

    Heidi Allen.

    Shane''s piano teacher''s daughter. She had been kidnapped along with Shane when she was 16

    and he 15. In the end, she had died.

    "Piano?" Charlotte wondered.

    Charlotte went through the documents repeatedly and found that Shane had a good rtionship

    with Heidi. They had even participated inpetitions together.

    She smiled and put the documents on the table.

    She stood on the balcony and looked into the distance, lost in thought.

    The light was too dazzling. She squinted her eyes, and the corners of her eyes were a little wet.

    After Heidi''s death, Shane had never participated in any otherpetitions. This piano genius had

    disappeared.

    It turned out that he stopped ying the piano because of Heidi.

    "Contractual rtionship?" Charlotte thought.

    No, she only had a contract with him. There was no rtionship.

    Her dependence on him was like a joke.

    She didn''t know him at all, and he never gave her a chance to understand.

    Charlotte buried her head in her arms. She took a deep breath and kept telling herself off internally:

    Don''t cry, don''t cry. Sheryl''s illness will get better in the future.

    If she could leave him, things would get better and better.

    Once Charlotte found out the truth, her mood was even lower. Anne felt that this was not good, she

    worried over it.

    "Godmother, why isn''t my mother happy?" Sheryl swung her little feet under her chair at the table

    and asked in a childish voice.

    The corners of Anne''s mouth twitched. She couldn''t answer, ''Because your father is a jerk'', could

    she?

    She could only calm herself down and exin, "Because your mother has encountered some

    setbacks on this road of life. I''m very worried about her."

    Sheryl blinked her eyes and hugged Anne gently. "I don''t understand, but no matter what happens, I

    love you."

    "Silly child." Anne held the little girl tightly.

    With such a caring little girl around, Charlotte should stop fixating on the issues soon. Maybe she

    would be able to get over it in just a few days.

    Just at this moment, Charlotte came from upstairs. Her eyes were red, as if she had just cried.

    Anne pulled the child to her side. "Don''t cry, your eyes are swollen into walnuts."

    "I''m fine." Charlotte pointed at her throat. "I''m just a little thirsty."

    "Come on, let''s have some afternoon tea." Anne carried the child in one arm and held Charlotte in

    the other.

    The two adults and a child looked like a family of three if you looked at them from behind.

    Braden was in a mess.

    His fiancee''s boyfriend was also too powerful. He felt very left out.

    In order to have a sense of usefulness, Braden suggested going abroad for some rxation during

    afternoon tea.

    Besides, the Collins and Jane families'' businesses were very healthy now. They had nothing better

    to do. It would be just perfect to take her on a trip.

    When Sheryl heard about going abroad, her eyes lit up. "Can we go to that theme park again? You

    said before that you would take me there..."

    "Yes, do you want to go?" Anne touched the tip of Sheryl''s nose.

    "I want to go! It''s..." Sheryl nced at her mother, went close to Anne''s ear, and whispered at a

    volume that only the two of them could hear. "What about my Daddy? He will be so sad at home

    alone."

    Anne was stunned. She sighed helplessly. A child''s heart was indeed the most tender and beautiful.

    She lowered her voice and asked, "Does Sheryl like Mommy more, or does she like Daddy more?"

    "Mommy," Sheryl answered without hesitation.

    "That''s good."

    Sheryl tilted her head and thought for a while. Finally, she understood that her Mommy had

    quarreled with her Daddy.

    Although she didn''t know why, she definitely preferred Mommy. But... Daddy was also very sweet to

    her. She also wanted to be with Daddy...

    The little girl''s nose twitched. "Will I still have a Daddy in the future?"

    Anne was speechless.

    She really could not bear to look at those sad little eyes, which were watering up.

    "You can have other fathers in the future."

    Sheryl lowered her head, but soon she raised her head again and waved her little fist. "If it can

    make Mommy happy, I don''t mind having other Daddies!"

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Charlotte had really given birth to a lovely little angel!

    Anne really loved this little girl to death.

    "What are you guys talking about so secretively?" Charlotte turned her head to look at them.

    "Ahem." Anne came back to her senses. "I was just asking what Sheryl thinks of my brother. Since

    we''re talking about going abroad, would you be okay to have another travelingpanion?"

    Anne''s brother... Rick Jane?

    When she thought of the man''s handsome features and his excellent capabilities as well as his

    family background, Charlotte felt as if she was facing a formidable enemy.

    She smiled bitterly. "You''re trying to matchmake me again."

    "I think my brother is really nice. Don''t you want consider it?" Anne winked.

    "Anne..."

    "Alright, alright. Let''s not talk about my brother. What do you think about going abroad?"

    To go abroad.

    To leave this city and this country.

    Just like she left her hometown so many years ago?

    Charlotte wasn''t very willing to go. She had aplished nothing back here that she had wanted

    to. And now she would escape abroad again?

    "In any case, we''ll be going for half a month at most," Anne suddenly added.

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145

    "Half a month?" Charlotte was stunned.

    "Yeah, if we go for more than half a month, Braden''s visa will expire."

    It was only half a month. It was not that she was nevering back.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Charlotte suddenly felt that she was being too sensitive. Maybe she really needed a change in

    environment to have a good rest.

    In the end, Charlotte nodded her head.

    It might be better to leave this city.

    If she couldn''t get any news about him at all, it might be better.

    Late at night, the moon was bright and stars were sparse. Theyers of clouds were thick in the

    night sky.

    Shane stood in front of the French window. There were a lot of documents around him.

    Cole read them one by one. He was stunned by one of thest ones. It was a share transfer

    document.

    "Why did you stop reading?" Shane''s voice was hoarse and tired. It sounded like he hadn''t had a

    good rest in days.

    "You... are you really going to hand over a portion of your shares to Miss Charlotte? Haven''t you

    already ended your business rtionship with her?"

    "So?"

    Cole took a step forward and said, "Mr. Fuller, from the time I started working for you, I have been

    absolutely loyal to you. Everything I have done, everything I think about, has been for the sake of

    you and thepany."

    Shane leaned over, picked up the ss on the coffee table and swirled it gently. As he looked at the

    light brown whiskey inside, his eyes shed. In the end, he drank up all the wine in one gulp.

    The safest way was to give the shares to Charlotte.

    No one in the world would expect that he would give his shares to a woman who had nothing to do

    with him.

    "Thepany has been under an unknown attack on our capital recently. You should know."

    "Yes." Cole lowered his head. "ording to the investigation, someone has been using international

    hot money to buy our shares."

    International hot money referred to funds that didn''t care about the country''s profits. These

    capitalists didn''t care about morality or ethics. They only wanted financial gain for themselves.

    They had established a stable offshore system and won some beautiful financial battles in many

    countries. They had evenid waste to the real estate industry of those countries in one fell swoop.

    Simply put, they were a group of mad dogs who only wanted money.

    Now they had eyes on NC Company, they wanted to manipte its stocks to take it down.

    The only thing was...

    Cole truly didn''t understand. Why did it have to be Charlotte?

    "You''re quite familiar with Charlotte, aren''t you?" Shane continued to ask.

    "Yes, you asked me to investigate her in detail."

    "Of all the people I know, she''s the only one who won''t check the equity transfer information

    regrly," Shane announced the reason.

    "If that''s the case..."

    "I need an outsider who''spletely unaware of what''s going on."

    Cole still felt that it was too dangerous. "Then you should choose Mrs. Fuller Senior."

    Shane put down his winess.

    She turned around to face the moon. His eyes suddenly turned cold.

    Cole chewed his lower lip. "Mr. Fuller, I''m so..."

    "Be careful of what you say."

    Cole was shocked. He lowered his head even more.

    At this time, Shane''s phone rang.

    He nced at the screen and picked it up with a frown. "What''s the matter?"

    "You and Charlotte split up?" The woman on the other end of the phone didn''t sound happy.

    "As you wanted."

    "Even if you broke up with her, it can''t be because of Tiffany. What are the rumors saying? Tell me,

    did she use the past to emotionally manipte you?" Raina''s voice rose by an octave.

    Shane replied calmly, "It''s none of your business."

    Raina sneered, "Your grandmother won''t help you this time. You know how much she likes Sheryl.

    There is no way you are marrying Tiffany!"

    "I thought you hated Charlotte?" Shane mocked her in a sarcastic tone.

    "Yes, but I dislike Tiffany and her sister Heidi more."

    Cole suddenly felt cold.

    He just wanted to suggest that he should leave first. In any case, the documents had been checked.

    With a "Bang-" sound, the ss exploded on the ground and shattered into many pieces.

    In the sparse lighting, Cole could see that Shane''s palm was full of ss shards.

    He hadn''t thrown the ss. Rather, he had squeezed it broken.

    "What right do you have to mention her?"

    "Oh, do you think you''re the only one investigating the truth? Shane, let me do my duty and tell you:

    Your kidnapping definitely had something to do with the Allen family!"

    "Tiffany is using you. I hate Charlotte because she gave birth to a child out of wedlock. But she''s

    nice and her family''s decent too. At least she doesn''t want to hurt you!"

    "Think it over carefully," she ended.

    Raina hung up the phone.

    Her anger towards the Allens seemed to be even greater than her anger towards

    Charlotte.

    However, this time, Shane had no intention to bring Tiffany home. He even faintly felt that Raina''s

    words were not ear-piercing.

    He rubbed the middle of his eyebrows unconsciously, only to notice the broken pieces of ss in his

    hand.

    "Cole, call Henry... Forget it, take me to the hospital."

    "Yes, sir."

    By rights, Henry shouldn''t be asleep at this hour. Why didn''t Shane call him? Cole was puzzled.

    In the past two days, Mr. Fuller''s actions had be more and more unpredictable.

    Under the moonlight.

    Two cars met at a high speed.

    One had been rushing to the airport while the other drove into the city from Hartsville.

    Sheryl, who was sitting in the car, seemed to have noticed something was amiss and

    subconsciously turned her head. It was dark, and she couldn''t see anything.

    Was it an illusion?

    She rubbed her eyes and turned her head back.

    She kept having the feeling that someone was calling her.

    If, at that moment, Sheryl could have wings like a fairy in a fairytale and could fly high enough, she

    would be able to see that, on a high- speed motorway, two cars were ovepped strangely.

    "My brother said that he wille for the flight as soon as possible." Anne put away her phone and

    looked tentatively at Charlotte.

    "Both you siblings are so nice" Charlotte answered carefully.

    "You almost said ''Your brother is a good man. We''re not well- matched''." Anne rolled her eyes. "Is

    Shane better than my brother?"

    "He is very excellent."

    "I don''t care. You have to give me a reason, a reason why you can''t be my sister-inw."

    Charlotte touched Sheryl''s hair and said, "I used to want to find Sheryl''s biological father, so when it

    comes to other men..."

    Anne simply interrupted her. "Now this is not a reason anymore."

    Charlotte sighed. "Fine. I promise you that I will try with him."

    "It doesn''t matter if I try with others, right?" Charlotte thought.

    She knew very well that it was impossible for her to be with Shane in this life.

    He was a piano genius. He had given up on his talent for Heidi. Now, he had the optimistic and

    cheerful Tiffany as hispanion.

    There was no ce for Charlotte at all.

    However, it was extremely difficult to fall in love with someone else.

    Charlotte absent-mindedly hugged the child next to her tightly.

    This was his child. The person from five years ago was Shane.

    All kinds of thoughts intertwined in her mind, squeezing her to the point of breathlessness.

    Soon.

    When the car arrived at the airport, the four people went through the security check and boarded.

    The moment she handed the ticket over to the security personnel, Charlotte''s heart inexplicably

    rxed.

    The dust had settled. The winner and loser had emerged. She could escape abroad and

    recuperate.

    After she got on the ne, Charlotte put on a sleeping mask and earplugs and went straight to

    sleep.

    Anne secretly took out Charlotte''s mobile phone, took out the original SIM card and changed it into

    one that could be used at home and abroad.

    Braden saw this and said in a low voice, "Honey, should you be doing this?"

    "What''s wrong with it? I made a copy of her contact list in advance. There won''t be any problem.

    She won''t notice. The main thing is to prevent Shane from contacting her. Lottie is soft-hearted."

    "Based on my understanding of Shane, since he gave up on Ms. Emerson for someone else, he

    won''t be in touch with her anymore."

    "Just in case."

    Braden sighed.

    On the one hand was his good friend. On the other was his beloved fiancee.

    It was too difficult, too challenging for him to deal with.

    When the four of them boarded the ne, Cole''s phone rang at the hospital.

    Shane was receiving treatment. Cole stood in the corridor and cried out in surprise, "What did you

    say?!"

    Shane, who was inside, frowned and asked,

    "What''s the matter?"

    After finishing the call, he approached Shane respectfully and said, "Mr. Fuller, Miss Charlotte has

    gone abroad with Miss Jane and Mr. Collins."

    The whole room was so quiet that only the sound of the doctor working with the tweezers could be

    heard.

    After a long time, Shane nodded lightly. He opened his mouth and said without any expression, "Got

    it."

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146

    Shane''s reaction was too calm. He was going to give his shares to Charlotte, so didn''t he care at all

    about how Charlotte was taking all his shares to a foreign country and nevering back?

    ording to thew, gifting shares did not need to be epted by the recipient. If the shares had

    been given, they had been given. There were few people who could take it back except through

    negotiations.

    Just as Cole was about to remind Shane of his shares, his phone rang again. He picked up the

    phone then hung it up. With a wry smile, he said, "Mr. Fuller..."

    "Say it."

    "Mrs. Fuller Senior has returned to the old mansion. She wants you to go there right now..."

    Shane nced at his hand and asked, "Doctor, how long will this take?"

    "Half an hour."

    "Call Grandma and tell her that I''m in a meeting and I''ll be back within an hour."

    "Yes, sir."

    Cole picked up his phone and went out to make the call.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior''s tone was not very pleasant, but since Cole was only an assistant, she still kindly

    told him to rest early and not to learn bad habits from "that kid Shane".

    Only after the call ended did Cole remember the documents at his home. He decided to go back

    and take a look at them tonight.

    He kept feeling some uneasiness.

    When Shane returned to the old mansion, it was already past one o''clock at night.

    The living room of the old mansion was still brightly lit, and Mrs. Fuller Senior was in the living room

    without any intention of going to sleep.

    After several ineffective attempts at persuading her, Ms. Laura decided that she might as well stay

    in the living room with her.

    That was until the butler opened the door.

    "Kneel." Mrs. Fuller Senior picked up a cushion and threw it to the person at the door.

    Shane caught the cushion, put it on the cold tile, and slowly knelt down.

    Toward his grandmother, he could only feel respect and love. If she asked him to kneel, he would

    kneel.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior looked at him sorrowfully and said, "Shane. Shane, what have I taught you? Did

    you forget everything?"

    "I wouldn''t dare."

    "Oh, wouldn''t you? I don''t think you respect me at all!"

    "I wouldn''t dare," Shane replied in a t tone.

    "Give me a definite answer. Is it possible for you and Lottie to reconcile with each other? What''s

    going on with Tiffany?"

    "The marriage certificate is still with you. Without it, even if we sign the papers, it will take at least

    three months for us to divorce."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior sneered and said, "That''s what you think. What does Charlotte think?"

    Shane was silent, and Mrs. Fuller Senior turned her gaze on Cole. Cole immediately lowered his

    head. He was trembling.

    Even though he had been working for Mr. Fuller for so many years, he didn''t dare to make any

    mistakes or lie to Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    "Cole, tell me."

    "I want to hear the truth!" Mrs. Fuller Senior scolded.

    The amiable look on her face from before hadpletely disappeared. At that time, her aura was

    that of someone with great authority.

    Cole nced at Shane.

    He did not give Cole any hints.

    Cole couldn''t help but grit his teeth and said, "Miss Charlotte took Miss Sheryl abroad..."

    "Well, Shane! Is that what you dare not tell me?" Mrs. Fuller Senior was so angry that her chest

    heaved violently.

    Shane''s facial expression didn''t change at all. It was as if he was an iron-willed and cold-hearted

    machine.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior stood up and walked to Shane with unsteady steps. She said, "I don''t care what

    method you use, I want to see my granddaughter!"

    "She is not rted to you by blood."

    "She is if I say she is."

    "Grandma, you can''t force..." Shane hadn''t finished his words when Mrs. Fuller Senior suddenly fell

    down in front of him.

    He immediately got up and caught the old woman.

    In a panic, Cole immediately called the ambnce.

    That night, everything was in a mess. Fortunately, Mrs. Fuller Senior''s condition was not serious.

    She had only been angered into fainting.

    In the hospital corridor, Shane was sitting in a stic chair and smelling the disinfectant in the air.

    He was numb like a zombie.

    After he dealt with some papers, Cole returned to Shane''s side. "Mr. Fuller, I''ve already settled them

    all."

    "Alright, you can go home."

    "And you''ll stay here alone? You haven''t had any good rest in three days. Even if you care about

    Miss Charlotte, you''ve already..."

    "I don''t care about her."

    Cole was speechless.

    Since Mr. Fuller had already said so, what else could he do? He had no choice but to go home

    without him.

    When Cole got home, he opened the brown paper envelope and flipped through a few pages.

    tter!

    The whole envelope fell to the ground.

    Cole took a deep breath and rushed to the parking lot with the envelope. He returned to the hospital

    as fast as he could.

    "Didn''t I tell you to go back and rest?" Shane looked up at him coldly.

    "Mr. Fuller..." Cole''s voice was hoarse, and the eyes behind his gold- rimmed sses were shot

    through with red. "We might have been deceived before."

    He handed over the document.

    Shane''s fingers tightened. He remained as calm as ever despite his injuries. "When did you get this

    document?"

    "After your conversation with Miss Emerson that day, she came downstairs and threw this into the

    trash can. I picked it up out of curiosity..."

    He and Sheryl were father and daughter.

    These results werepletely different from the one before.

    "Verify this."

    "Yes, sir."

    Shane looked at the brown paper envelope beside him.

    In his mind, however, Charlotte was leaning against Christopher. Her eyes were red and she looked

    like a soft little rabbit.

    He thought that he was the only one who knew how weak she was, but he had never thought that

    she would go with someone else.

    His eyes grew colder.

    She was the one who did not hesitate to bury this marriage.

    Even if Sheryl was his daughter.

    What... did that have to do with him?

    In his mind, the image of Charlotte and Christopher gradually became blurred. Instead, it was

    reced with a cute and delicate face. When the little girl smiled, there were dimples on her face.

    She approached him sweetly and called him daddy.

    Damn it.

    Shane opened his eyes and pounded hard on the wall with his clenched fists.

    Instantly, the gauze covering his palm was dyed in a bright red color.

    "My Daddy is a superhero." Sheryl shook her head in a serious way.

    The image was too clear.

    Even if he could force himself to say that he had no feelings for Charlotte, he couldn''t deny that,

    aftering into contact with her, Sheryl was like an angel. She had an indelible position in his

    heart.

    It was toote for everything.

    A few hourster, the nended.

    Among the hurrying crowd, a man dressed in a khaki coat was particrly conspicuous.

    His back was straight and he wore a pair ofrge silver-framed spectacles. His features were

    delicate but still masculine. Whether it was his watch or his tie, they were all limitededition, custom-

    made designs.

    Sheryl''s sharp eyes spotted her Uncle Rick at a nce. She immediately ran off and hugged the

    man''s thigh. "Uncle Rick, I missed you so much!"

    The little fellow girl in a childish tone.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Rick smiled. He lifted the child to lean against his shoulder and said, "I missed you very much, too."

    "Hey, he. Last time you said that you would take me to the park..."

    "I''ll take a day off today, and tomorrow I''ll take my darling with me, okay?"

    "That''s great!" The little girl danced with joy.

    After all, a child was still a child.

    Initially, Charlotte had been worried that Sheryl would keep talking about Shane. But in the end, this

    little girl was more adaptable than she herself was.

    The group of people went to the exit of the airport.

    Rick called for an eight- seater rental car, which could not only amodate everyone but also all

    the luggage.

    Originally, they were going to live in the Jane residence. However, the Jane residence was too far

    away from the city center. It was more suited for a rxation trip instead of a sightseeing trip.

    Therefore, Rick had booked a mansion for rent in the city center.

    "I''ve heard of hostels and serviced apartments, but what''s a mansion for rent? What new- fangled

    thing is this?" Anne frowned.

    "They''re not so different from the other two. You can think of it as a hostel for capitalists," Rick said

    with a smile. However, his gaze was focused on Charlotte.

    From the moment she had seen him, she had been silent.

    Charlotte noticed his gaze and smiled at him, "Sorry to trouble you again."

    "Why are you feeling embarrassed?" Rick sighed. "It seems that our rtionship is not good

    enough."

    "That''s not what I meant." Charlotte immediately exined.

    "It''s been a few months since we parted. You seem... distant."

    "I''m not..."

    Charlotte couldn''t argue with him.

    Anne snorted. "She got married back home and was hurt by love. Rick, talk to her."

    Married?

    Rick sensed a trace of insufferable pain. His expression became stiff, but soon, he returned to

    normal and said-

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147

    "Why didn''t you tell me about such a big thing? Logically, you should have told me such a huge

    piece of news as the Emerson girl getting married."

    Charlotte kept silent, and Anne did not exin further.

    Rick understood instantly. There was a reason for this, but it was inconvenient to say. He did not

    ask more and changed the topic. "Alright, at least now we''re back here together. It will make an old

    empty-nester like me less lonely."

    "Rick, how are you an old empty- nester?" Anne teased, not giving him any face at all.

    "I''m going to be thirty years old soon, little sister."

    "Lottie, my brother said that he''ll be thirty soon."

    Anne''s words made Charlotte feel rather bbergasted. She was so embarrassed that she didn''t

    know what to say.

    However, Rick smiled and said, "Just because you can''t nag me into getting into a rtionship

    doesn''t mean you can drag Lottie into this."

    "Rick, what I meant was..." "What you meant isn''t important. I mean, don''t worry about it."

    Anne still had something to say, but was stopped by Rick''s gaze.

    Only then did Annee to her senses. Rick was giving Charlotte an out. He did not want to force

    her into a situation where there was no way out.

    Anne licked her lips. "My brother is such a nice person. Look at Shane. He works so fast. At least,

    he managed to get Lottie to marry him."

    The mansion was very beautiful.

    There was a small garden. In a srium, there were exotic flowers and nts. The living room on

    the first floor was sorge that it could amodate a party of at least 20 people. The kitchen

    decoration used an open style, with simple but luxurious lines.

    Rick brought everyone to the third floor to put away their luggage.

    "To the left side of the second floor are the gym and swimming pool. On the right is an artificial hot

    spring," he introduced.

    "Rick, you''re really living the life!"

    "I have a secretary."

    Anne was speechless.

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh out loud. Upon hearing this, Rick turned around and gave her a

    meaningful look. Immediately, she stopped smiling.

    Rick gave off a very positive and sunny impression. He was even more gentle and refined than

    Christopher. But for some reason, Charlotte was especially afraid of him. If he were to look at her,

    she would immediately adjust her behavior.

    Each room was simr to the other. Charlotte randomly picked one and put away hers and Sheryl''s.

    The wardrobe was quite big. It could fit two months'' worth of clothes for the both of them.

    When Charlotte went downstairs, Rick was carrying Sheryl to look at the fish in the living room.

    She walked over to Rick and asked, "Rick, are your arms tired?"

    Rick turned around with a smile. "It''s okay. You can go shopping with Anne. Leave the child to me."

    Charlotte wanted to thank him, but she was afraid that he would say that she was being too

    unfamiliar with him.

    Rick saw through her thoughts and changed the subject. "I''ll take you out for a fun day tomorrow.

    How about youe to the office with me the day after tomorrow?"

    "Me?"

    "Would that be alright?"

    "Of course, but why do you want me to go to your office?"

    "There has been an international policy reform recently, which has caused activity using

    international hot money. Additionally, there have been many new managers in the world trade, so

    the global economy is in constant turmoil. My way of thinking is that you should shadow my deputy

    to learn about the recent situation. Once you return home, you can be my Asia Pacific Region

    CEO."

    It took a whole minute for Charlotte to understand the meaning of these words.

    In the case of international upheaval, Rick wanted to develop his domestic businesses, and he

    wanted her to take charge of thepany''s...

    But, why did he choose her?

    "There are so many professional CEOs out there. Rick, even if you really want me to help you out,

    you don''t have to give me such a good position." For a moment, Charlotte didn''t know whether to

    agree or reject directly.

    She did not want to miss a chance to improve herself, but this position was much too high.

    "I''m just testing the waters in the domestic market. I will be setting the general direction for the

    company to go in. By then, you just need to help me deal with the details and negotiations. I know,

    you''re good at negotiating."

    "How... how did you know?"

    "One of the clients you bagged for NC Company was one of my subsidiaries. Although I sold it half

    a year ago, its CEO is my friend. He mentioned you to me."

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. "And here I thought you had been helping me behind the scenes."

    "The NC Company person you married, who is he? Is it Shane or Christopher?"

    "How did you know that it was one of them? Maybe it has nothing to do with NC Company."

    Charlotte lowered her head unconsciously.

    "My guess is Shane."

    "You..."

    Rick smiled.

    When he had still been a teenager, Rick had started handling the Jane Corporation''s business

    matters. He had gotten used to using one''s expressions and bodynguage to determine their

    thoughts.

    He could see through all the masks of cunning oold businessmen, much less this woman in front of

    him who could not hide her emotions.

    "If it weren''t one of them, you wouldn''t have left thepany after the divorce. If it was Christopher,

    you wouldn''t have been scared to tell me. If you''re worried about whether you should tell me, then

    the first reason would be because you''re afraid I wouldpare myself to him. The second reason

    would be that you''re afraid that I''ll directly retaliate against hispany. In conclusion, Shane Fuller

    is the most probable person," Rick announced his reasoning.

    "That''s why Anne and I keep saying that you''re scary," Charlotte mumbled softly.

    "My brother''s being amazing is great for me as his sister."

    "I''m under a lot of pressure," Rick joked.

    "I''ll try to restrain myself as much as possible."

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment. She took the child from his arms and said, "I''ll take Sheryl to

    look around."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Okay." Rick watched her leave.

    Only after escaping from Rick''s line of sight did Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

    "Help him manage thepany..." Charlotte thought.

    She hadn''t taken any financial sses. She would probably bankrupt a small sales department, let

    alone manage apany.

    She didn''t want to help him out of excitement and end up bungling everything up.

    She decided to wait and see.

    The next day.

    Rick brought everyone to the theme park.

    People dressed in doll- like clothes walked along the ancient roads.

    Sheryl was sitting astride Rick''s shoulders and waving her little hands about.

    Charlotte followed by her side. She was afraid that the little girl would fall off from excitement.

    However, Rick kept smiling, looking as if he was in a good mood.

    Anne deliberately pulled Braden with her and walked very slowly.

    "How am I going to exin this to Shane..." Braden was very depressed.

    "He was the one who abandoned Lottie. So what if my brother bes her rebound?" Anne

    snorted discontentedly.

    "Your brother is such an excellent person. Why should he be a rebound?"

    "You just don''t understand. He''s liked Lottie since a long, long time ago. Longer than me, even." It

    was rare for Anne to speak in such a serious tone.

    Her eyes fell on the two figures in front of her.

    She still remembered that day when she had happily told Rick that she finally found a best friend.

    When he heard the name Charlotte Emerson, the look on Rick''s face was one of shock and surprise

    mixed with a little joy.

    She would never forget that moment when her brother leaned over and said, "Don''t try to snatch my

    woman away from me."

    It was only at that time that her brother finally acted like a bratty boy.

    Braden pursed his lips disapprovingly.

    No matter how long someone had liked Charlotte, hadn''t Shane already gotten there first?

    While he was thinking about it, his phone rang.

    He answered it and said, "Hello?"

    "In the future, we''ll still be friends." Christopher''s cold voice sounded from the other end.

    "What?" Braden was confused.

    "I have no hostility against you. Stay abroad and don''te back for the time being."

    Beep, beep, beep��

    Braden was stunned. He immediately called the other shareholders back home. No one answered

    his call.

    He gnashed his teeth and said, "Is Christopher having me on? Why is he joking about this!"

    "What''s wrong?" Anne held his hand. "Don''t panic. Calm down and think about it."

    "Okay." Braden took a deep breath and smiled at her. "I need to make a few phone calls."

    Anne nodded.

    She had originally wanted to distance herself from her brother and Charlotte anyway.

    After the phone calls were made.

    Braden was dumbfounded.

    He had only been gone for two days.

    To think that the Emerson Corporation had gone so far as to buy NC Company''s stock. It seemed

    like they were determined to ruin them. If Shane didn''t have enough stock in reserve, then it was

    very likely that the Emerson Corporation would be the biggest shareholder of NC Company.

    As for Christopher, he had left after a big fight with Shane yesterday.

    Why had they fought?

    Braden asked countless people, but no one knew.

    Only a cleaner said that, when she entered Shane''s office, it was a mess inside.

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148

    Braden put his mobile phone away and returned to Anne''s side. He reached out to shield his eyes

    from the bright sunlight and squinted. "Honey, we may need to go back early."

    "Alright. By the way, have you called Shane?"

    "Well..." Braden suddenly remembered that he had asked everyone except the other party. "I''ll ask

    him now."

    Shane didn''t answer his phone. It was 9 o''clock in the morning, which should be around 8:30 in the

    morning back there. Shane should have woken up.

    After several calls, someone finally picked up the phone.

    "Speak." Shane''s voice was hoarse, his tone impatient.

    "What the hell is going on? Christopher called me out of nowhere and said he won''t be taking me as

    an enemy."

    "He withdrew his shares. He apparently returned 5% of his original shares to me."

    "What? So you two turned against each other?"

    "Ha."

    "Stop sneering. What has actually happened?"

    "5% of the original shares." Shane''s voice was t as if he was narrating a story that had nothing to

    do with him.

    Braden shuddered violently.

    Christopher used to have 12% of shares. Why was there only 5% left now?

    "Who did he sell his shares to?"

    "And when did he sell it?" Braden thought.

    Braden rubbed his temples. "Did he n this beforehand, or did it happen out of the blue?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Cough, brother, I''m asking this on behalf of my wife. You and Char-"

    Before Braden was able to say". He had already hung up the phone. He wanted to ask if he needed

    to return to the country, but the question was stuck in his throat.

    He put away his phone awkwardly and said, "I don''t think Shane needs us. We''re not going back."

    "Did he say anything about Lottie?" Anne asked, curious.

    ''I didn''t even finish mentioning the word

    "Charlotte" before he hung up."

    "That''s great."

    Braden was speechless.

    He knew that his wife was happy for her brother- in-w, but couldn''t she just leave some space for

    his many years of friendship with Shane!

    He didn''t want to be stuck in between!

    On the other hand, Anne was humming happily.

    Good things should never be shared with others. Compared to Shane, she was hoping that her

    brother could win over Charlotte instead.

    After a whole day of ying, Sheryl was so tired that she fell asleep.

    Anne had already left with Braden.

    Only three people were left.

    Charlotte sat in the passenger seat with Sheryl in her arms. Beside her, Rick would turn his head to

    nce at her from time to time.

    After being stared at so many times, Charlotte couldn''t help but ask, "Rick, is there anything on my

    face?"

    "Beauty."

    Charlotte lowered her head in silence. She was embarrassed.

    "Anne should have told you before that I like you."

    Charlotte didn''t expect that Rick, who had helped her in front of so many people, would bring up

    such a question in private. She nodded her head slightly.

    Rick opened the dashboard, took out a scarf, and handed it to her. "When I went to Iranst month,

    I saw this scarf and thought it suited you, so I bought it."

    "Rick, I''ve always thought of you as a brother."

    "Look at the scarf carefully."

    Charlotte took it with hesitation, only to see a line of words carved on it - Always and forever.

    Always and forever.

    Rick''s clear and gentle voice rang out again. "This sentence was originally very long. It means that

    no matter what happened between you and me and whatever our rtionship is, I only hope that

    we can be together forever and always."

    "You don''t have to give me an answer. If I really wanted to hijack you with my liking for you, I

    wouldn''t have mentioned this to you in private."

    "Don''t be pressured. I like you. You have the right to know, but you also have the right to readjust

    the distance between our rtionship."

    "After you understand my feelings thoroughly, you can stay away from me and reject me. However,

    you don''t have the right to stop me from liking you, do you?"

    Rick had been managing Jane Corporation since young and liked to deal with things in the quickest

    and most efficient way.

    Compared to ying a meaningless and dubious game with Charlotte, he preferred to make

    everything clear.

    As for her choice, he would not change his mind, but he would respect her.

    Charlotte didn''t really care about whether he liked her or not. She raised her gaze to his and asked

    seriously, "Compared to these things, what I care more about is the reason why you like me."

    "Because you are being yourself," Rick replied with certainty. "I believe in my judgement, and I also

    believe in you."

    Charlotte took a deep breath and gave him her answer.

    "Rick, thank you for your love and your honesty. But currently, I am not considering it. There''s a

    person I like. Even though he doesn''t like me, I can''t forget him for the time being."

    Rick had expected this answer, so he just nodded calmly.

    Charlotte chuckled and continued to liven up the awkward atmosphere, "Of course, I won''t be that

    foolish to ruin our friendship of so many years just because you like me. So, let''s go on like this for

    the time being."

    Always and forever.

    "We don''t necessarily have to be lovers." Charlotte thought.

    "Sure enough, I didn''t like the wrong person. By the way, about thepany..." Rick changed the

    subject.

    The car stopped in front of the vi.

    Charlotte entered the house with Sheryl in her arms, and Rick followed behind her.

    As soon as Anne heard them, she immediately ran from the living room to the door, but she was too

    late. Charlotte had already brought her child upstairs to rest.

    She had to hold back all her questions and asked her brother, who didn''t seem to be very happy,

    "Brother, how did things between you and Lottie go?"

    "She said that there''s someone she likes."

    "Then..." "Perhaps in the future, I will be that person instead. I still have a video conference, so I''ll

    be going first."

    Rick changed his shoes, hung his suit on the hanger at the doorway, and left elegantly.

    Anne knows Rick better than anyone else.

    The more rxed he looked, the more fearful he was, and the more pain he was in.

    He had been living in a highly pressured environment since he was young. If his expressions

    changed at the slightest things, it would make him look frivolous.

    The most important thing for managing apany was boldness and prestige.

    Therefore, over time, he had be the person he was now.

    "Brother, she has had a child with the person she likes," Anne muttered in a low voice.

    "My poor brother," thought Anne.

    Sheryl was tired after a long day and had been sleeping. Rick offered to take Charlotte to his

    company to have a look and to understand the current situation, as well as to see if she had any

    potential.

    Thinking that since she had nothing to do for the time being, Charlotte agreed to his invitation.

    As soon as they arrived at thepany, they heard a group of people studying about NC.

    NC, this name could not be more familiar to her. However, Charlotte felt as if she had been

    separated from the rest of the world for ages.

    In her mind, the image of a man slowly became clearer, making her heart throb in pain.

    Her face turned pale, and her body trembled slightly.

    "What''s the situation with NC?" Looking at Charlotte''s reaction, Rick asked the secretary beside

    him.

    "Young Master, several of the major leading figures in the country have been selling out NC shares

    one after another. Even Christopher, one of NC''s partners, has also sold all his shares. And

    Emerson Corporation, which chairman had passed away not long before, is buying over the shares

    from NC." The secretary exined.

    "What''s going on?"

    "It is said that there is an international investor behind the Emerson Corporation. They want to take

    over NC, but from the prediction of ourpany, the possibility is not high. Even if NC is acquired

    by the Emerson Corporation, it may be Shane''s new n. The situation in NC is veryplicated

    now."

    Rick frowned and nodded.

    He knew Shane''s abilities very well.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    What was important now was not NC and Shane, but...

    His gaze fell on the person beside him. Currently, her gaze was lifeless, and she was like a walking

    corpse.

    Rick''s slender fingers motioned outwards, while the secretary understood and immediately stepped

    outside.

    He held Charlotte''s wrist lightly like a gentleman and led her into his office.

    There was a dead silence.

    Charlotte didn''t even have time to react before she was brought to Rick''s office.

    Rick poured her a ss of warm water and sat down beside her. "Are you worried about him?"

    "Ah? I''m sorry..." Charlotte came back to her senses.

    "If you worry about him, you can fly home. Maybe you will get to know his true feelings after this

    disaster." He joked.

    Charlotte shook her head forcefully.

    No matter it was him, NC, Tiffany or the Emerson Corporation, she had no energy to face them.

    "So, is it safe for me to say that you don''t like him as much as I imagined you to?"

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149

    Charlotte was startled for a moment. She drank some water to hide her emotions.

    Rick continued, "Right now, NC''s situation is not serious. Maybe it''s just another one of Shane''s

    ns. He might have suspected that there is a mole in NC, so he yed along with Christopher. It''s

    also possible that Christopher is the mole."

    "Christopher is a good person." Charlotte immediately retorted.

    "There are no good or bad people in the capital market, only profit and loss."

    "It''s merciless." She lowered her head.

    "A few years ago, you promised that by learning, you could definitely take back what you have lost.

    Are you backing down now?"

    "I didn''t!"

    Charlotte replied in agitation, "I''ll get it back in my own way. I don''t necessarily have to do it how the

    capital market does it."

    Rick was not annoyed at all. He stretched his body and tapped the armrest of the sofa lightly with

    his long fingers. "Lottie, have you done anything productive after returning to our home country for

    so long? Without capital to back you up, you won''t even be able to walk through the gates of the

    Emerson family."

    "Yes." Charlotte thought.

    "He was right."

    She said that she wanted revenge, but in fact, she did not have the courage to cut off all means of

    retreat.

    She was like a frog in warm water, slowly watching herself being boiled to death in the pot.

    "Let''s not talk about Christopher for the time being, but you have to be clear about what is going to

    happen next."

    "I... got it."

    Charlotte didn''t expect this.

    In the end, what made her qualified to face the Emerson Corporation and ine was not hatred nor

    anger, but Rick''s gentle and patient voice.

    After a week.

    Every day, Charlotte would recite all kinds of terms to an extreme state. She had no basics in

    finance, and she had to start learning everything about it by reading "The Wealth of Nations".

    Fortunately, Rick was always beside her. He

    could exin difficult problems in a simpler way, making it easier for her to learn finance than at

    school. As for deeper problems, she did not have enough time to settle them due to her being in a

    rush.

    In the week alone, NC''s stock prices fell. Emerson Corporation had purchased nearly 30% of the

    shares, and Shane only had about 40% of them.

    If things went on like this, it was just a matter of time before NC would have a new chairperson.

    "This isn''t right." Rick looked at the report and found that there was something wrong with it. "When

    Shane created NC, which was a wholly-owned enterprise, he should still have 60% of the shares in

    addition to the old shareholders of the Fuller Group."

    "20% of the shares have disappeared." Charlotte also noticed the problem.

    "I don''t see any information on any share transfer notaries."

    So he hid his shares?

    No, there was no way to hide shares.

    The only way was to transfer it to someone, but who would Shane transfer 20% of the shares to?

    Rick asked his special assistant to send

    Charlotte back to the vi. After sitting alone in the office for a long time, he finally asked his

    secretary to call out everything under Charlotte''s name.

    He finally found the 20% of shares that might not even be found by anyone in the whole world.

    Shane actually hid the shares under the name of the woman who he married and divorced in secret.

    Not to mention the people of the Emerson family, even Shane''s former best friend, Christopher, who

    had participated in this scheme, would not expect the whereabouts of these shares.

    Charlotte was Shane''s trump card.

    Rick closed his eyes.

    "From the point of view of the capital market, I should make Charlotte transfer the shares to me now

    and let Shane disappear in the capital circle..."Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    NC was excellent in both angel investments and A rounds. They invested in dozens ofpanies,

    large and small.

    Not to mention that they still had properties under their name.

    20% of NC''s shares was almost equal to the lifelong wealth of the top ten wealthiest people in a city.

    After a while.

    Rick opened his eyes and undid his necktie. He took out his phone and tapped on the word "Anne"

    in the contacts.

    "Brother?" Anne seemed to be in a mall, and the noise over there was very loud.

    "How did Shane and Charlotte get divorced?"

    "ording to Lottie, it''s because of a woman named Tiffany Allen. Do you want all the information?

    It''s quiteplicated."

    "Send it over."

    The information was already with Anne, and she sent it to Rick in less than half a minute.

    Rick then sneered and asked, "Do you actually believe this was the reason?"

    Her elder brother''s voice was so cold.

    "Lottie said that she decided to help Shane and Tiffany get together. I don''t know the specific

    situation and I can''t make judgments."

    "Alright."

    "Brother, what happened exactly?" Anne asked cautiously.

    "Nothing much. Have fun with Braden. I''ll transfer another one million to your cardter."

    "I love you. I wish you and Charlotte will get together soon!" Anne eximed and hung up.

    Rick, on the other hand, looked at the information in hand with a dark expression.

    Would Shane, who was willing to ce his life stakes on Charlotte, turn around and get together

    with another woman?

    His n would only be finallyplete after he got his shares back from Charlotte.

    If he got together with another woman, once Charlotte decided not to cooperate by returning his

    shares after divorcing him, he would immediately fall from the position of NC''s president.

    "It seems that we have to fly home sooner than we thought."

    He wanted to see how Shane carried out his final n.

    For three consecutive weeks, Charlotte was finally able to make a rtively correct judgement

    based on the current market conditions under Rick''s and high- pressure training.

    Of course, she still couldn''tpare to those from professional university courses. However, as an

    executive and a negotiator, it was enough for her to understand a little about finance, and the data

    would be settled by others.

    It was finally the day Charlotte returned to her country.

    On the same ne, Rick, his secretary and his special assistant were all present.

    "Brother, do we just leave everything overseas as it is?" Anne was very worried about it.

    "There is a professional CEO, and the investment department has been expanding the foreign

    market. They have very unique insight." Rick exined.

    Anne nodded, not fully understanding.

    By his side, Charlotte smiled and added, "If I remember correctly, thepany had invested in the

    largest online shopping tform nine years ago. In theory, we can earn more than ten million a

    month by relying solely on the 12% of shares on the tform."

    This project alone was able to give an annual profit of a hundred million.

    This was the dream of so many investmentpanies locally and abroad.

    "That''s right, I didn''t expect you to also have investigated the internal information of thepany."

    Rick praised.

    "How could I not do something productive when I was raised to such a position by you."

    "Wait a minute, what are you guys talking about?" Anne''s face held a look of iprehension.

    "What do you mean by thepany''s internal information?"

    "It''s like this..."

    Charlotte didn''t expect that Rick didn''t tell Anne about Charlotte''s role in the local project. She

    thought it was a decision Rick had made after discussing it with Anne.

    That made her very nervous. What if Anne thought that she was taking advantage of their

    rtionship to get such resources and opportunities, and what would happen to their friendship...

    Unexpectedly, Anne''s expression lit up when she heard this. "Brother, this is a good move!"

    Charlotte was speechless.

    She almost forgot that this was Anne, a woman who couldn''t wait for her to take advantage of their

    family''s property and to marry her brother.

    "This is not a private matter, but a public matter. It''s a proposal agreed by the top management of

    thepany." Rick smiled.

    "Lottie is amazing." Anne immediately started praising Charlotte.

    Braden, who was resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and licked the corner of his lips.

    There were generally two proposals in letting the higher-ups agree with this decision and allowing

    Charlotte to take over the business in the local market.

    Firstly, Charlotte had an extremely impressive record, which forced the higher- ups of the Jane

    Corporation to look at her in a different light��this was obviously impossible.

    Secondly, the Bet- on Agreement. Rick and Charlotte had to make sufficient profits within the time

    limit, or else Rick would have to pay an even higher price.

    Rick was being too kind to Charlotte.

    Braden smacked his lips and said, "Anne, is the Jane Corporation a 100% holdingpany?"

    "How is that possible? Who would still be a 100% holdingpany if they are already in the top

    500? We have all been through several rounds of financing." Anneined mercilessly, "You

    don''t even know about this?"

    Braden smiled. Just as he was about to say something, a pair of gentle eyesced with a hint of

    sharpness fell on him.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150

    "Rick..."

    Braden was shocked. He thought that since he had been with Shane for so long, he had long been

    ustomed to sharp res. He did not expect there to be someone in this world who had a colder

    gaze than Shane''s.

    He didn''t expect that his wife''s older brother would be so tough under that gentle appearance of his.

    Charlotte noticed that something wasn''t right between the two of them. She coughed lightly and

    said, "Actually, I had the same thought as well. In order to help me be Jane Corporation''s local

    CEO, Rick must have given up something. So, I will work even harder and never back down."

    Rick withdrew his gaze. As his lips quirked up, his attractive orbs were curved into a gentle arc. "I''m

    looking forward to your growth and performance."

    "I won''t let you down," Charlotte said, determined.

    Braden closed his eyes again to rest.

    He really didn''t expect that Charlotte''s will to fight would actually be ignited.

    Soon, the nended.

    Charlotte was holding Sheryl in her arms, so it was very difficult for her to hold her suitcase. Rick

    grabbed the handle of her suitcase naturally and said, "Thepany is selecting locations these

    few days, so I will be quite busy."

    "Alright," Charlotte replied.

    "Do you have any requirements for ces to stay?"

    "We... together?" Charlotte was stunned.

    "It will be more convenient for us to book a ce together, and we can also save travelling time,"

    Rick said.

    Charlotte fell silent. She felt that it was quite reasonable, but it was a little weird no matter how she

    thought about it.

    Anne, who was beside them, said, "Why don''t you stay at home?"

    "It''s too far, the house is in the suburbs."

    "I have a house in the city center."

    Everyone''s eyes fell immediately on Braden.

    His lips quirkedzily into a yful smile and said, "What''s wrong? Are you surprised? I''m still the

    son of a rich man, after all."

    Rick slightly shook his head and said, "You don''t have to help us."

    "Anne is my wife. There''s nothing wrong with me helping out my brother-inw. Perhaps, do you not

    dare to stay with Charlotte in my house? Are you daunted?"

    "Braden?" Anne was not happy.

    "Honey, I''m being considerate of your best friend. Think about it. It''s impossible for them, an

    unmarried man and woman to rent a house alone together." Braden smiled, showing his white teeth.

    Anne fell silent. If Lottie and her brother were lovers, it was needless to say. However, they were

    not.

    Charlotte felt that this idea was not bad. "This is alright for me. It''s a very happy thing for me to live

    with my bestie."

    Braden snapped his fingers and said, "That''s right. Mr Rick, it seems that the twodies have no

    objection. What about you?"

    "I have three conditions."

    "Oh?"

    "First, you can''t tell Shane that we''re staying at your house."

    Braden narrowed his eyes. "What if I refuse?"

    Rick curled his lips. He leaned to one side and held Sheryl in his arms. "Before returning home, I

    investigated and found that there''s a vi avable for rent with a nice kindergarten next to it."

    Of course, he had done research beforehand.

    Looking at the man beside her, Charlotte felt a sense of indescribable fear.

    Especially when she saw the gentle smile on his face, she couldn''t help but feel nervous.

    She couldn''t help but think of Shane. That man was strong as well, but he always kept a cold

    demeanour, which made it easier to get used to him.

    Sheryl waved her hand and said, "Are there a lot of cute children in kindergarten?"

    "Yes, does Sheryl like it? Do you want to go?"

    "Yes, I want to! But mommy said that Sheryl is not in good health..." Sheryl lowered her head.

    "Huh?"

    Rick looked at Charlotte.

    Charlotte paused awkwardly, then lowered her head and said nothing.

    Now Braden felt uneasy. He muttered, "Fine. I won''t tell Shane. Just tell me the other conditions."

    "Secondly, don''t talk about anything business-rted at home."

    "Nonsense, I don''t want you to know anything about NC either."

    "Thirdly, based on the first two points, I am not familiar with things locally, and Lottie and Anne have

    juste back, so you need to look for a reliable butler to settle everything..."

    Braden clenched his fists in anger. "I think of you as my brother-inw, and you treat me as an

    errand boy?"

    Rick couldn''t help butugh.

    Anne poked Braden with her finger and said in a low voice, "My brother is afraid if he hires someone

    who has identally offended you, so he wants you to find someone. As long as that person has

    nothing to do with Shane, and doesn''t talk about business-rted stuff."

    "Why is he afraid of offending me?"

    "His butlers are all quite arrogant," Anne answered awkwardly.

    Charlotte suddenly remembered that she had met one when she went to visit Anne overseas. The

    butler always had a scary, cold expression on, and spoke little. It was said that he could speak five

    languages and had a very good rtionship with Rick.

    But to be honest, she didn''t think of him as the butler. He was more like a boss.

    Braden didn''t believe her at first, but he did once he saw Charlotte''s expression that read "let''s not

    talk about the past".

    "Then let''s separate first. I''ll ask someone to clean the vi. When everything is done, I will send

    you the address?" Braden asked.

    "Alright." Rick agreed.

    Anne took over Sheryl and her luggage and reluctantly said goodbye to Charlotte.

    Braden was speechless. "You won''t see each other for only a short time. What''s the point of saying

    goodbye to each other so sentimentally?"

    "You don''t understand girls."

    Braden was speechless.

    He used to be a yboy loved by everyone, but he was willing to do anything for her.

    But she said that he didn''t understand girls.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Braden felt that his many years of experience in dating had been denied by Anne with just one

    word. He could not refute it, however, so he could only gloomily touch his nose and lead her to the

    parking lot.

    He kept repeating in his heart that his wife was most important.

    On the other side.

    Rick''s special assistant had already rented two cars and was waiting for them at the VIP passage.

    "Mr Jane, this car is a Te newly released in the country, which is powered by electricity. It should

    have no problemsting for ten hours." The special assistant exined.

    "Alright."

    "The other is ourpany car. Since we have made an appointment to discuss cooperation with

    another localpany, I won''t be able to take care of you today. If you need anything, please call

    us as soon as possible." The special assistant bowed, the two secretaries by his side.

    "Go ahead."

    "Yes, sir."

    Rick led Charlotte to the side of the car and opened the car door considerately. "Is the front

    passenger seat alright?"

    Charlotte nodded and entered the car.

    Rick drove very steadily, and Charlotte fell asleep after a short while.

    She didn''t know how much time had passed before she suddenly felt a strong crash. She opened

    her eyes, but before she could see clearly, another wave of darkness came over her.

    She struggled to extend her hand and prop herself up.

    "Rick? Are you alright?" She asked the man beside her.

    She received no response.

    Charlotte became anxious. She didn''t know where the strength came from, but her originally weak

    arm was suddenly filled with strength, and she managed to support herself up.

    Only then did she notice that a truck had rammed into the back of a car, causing all the cars to

    crash against the cars in front of them like dominoes.

    Thest car was in extremely bad condition. Their condition was considered not bad, but the whole

    back seat had been destroyed.

    If the impact was a little harder, no one would know what would happen to her and Rick.

    Charlotte withdrew her gaze and shook the man beside her. "Rick?"

    Rick''s eyes were tightly shut and his face was deathly pale. There was not a single trace of red on

    his lips. Charlotte pushed his shoulder forcefully and pulled him away from the steering wheel.

    "Rick, wake up, Rick!"

    Rick''s eyshes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. "Lottie."

    "Are you feeling any difort?"

    Rick shook his head and propped himself up. Then, he felt a chill on his lower abdomen.

    It was actually not a big deal. He seemed to have gotten a scratch by the ornaments on the steering

    wheel, and the wound was not deep.

    However, this amount of blood frightened Charlotte. "I''m going down to look for someone to help

    right now. Wait a minute!"

    However.

    There was no one else around.

    Charlotte stood beside the car, frozen in shock.

    The ground was littered with shattered steel, flesh and blood...

    "Is this hell?" Charlotte thought.

    She could not help but double over and retch.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151

    The rescue operationssted for half an hour, and the wounds on Rick''s body had undergone

    simple treatment.

    The police arrived at the scene and brought those who had not lost their vital signs yet back to the

    city to record their statements.

    Charlotte''s mental state was not very stable. Rick had been taking care of her the entire time.

    They arrived at the police station.

    Rick tried to talk to the police so that Charlotte would suffer less. Looking at the fact that she was a

    woman, and that she was in a trance, the police agreed to let her not provide a statement.

    Charlotte sat on a stic chair at the entrance, her mind full of the flesh and blood scattered across

    the road. She still remembered that there was a dismembered arm...

    Her face suddenly turned pale, and she felt like retching again.

    "Secretary Em... No, Miss Charlotte?" A pleasantly surprised voice rang out.

    Charlotte raised her head, puzzled, and was stunned.

    She saw a man in a suit and leather shoes, with a cold expression. His gaze swept across her face

    casually and finally fell on her injured arm.

    Charlotte instinctively hid her injured arm. She stood up and tried to avoid the two of them.

    However, before she could even take a few steps, she fell to the ground due to her weak legs.

    She closed her eyes tightly.

    The expected pain did note. She opened her eyes carefully and saw a pair of eyes that she

    was too familiar with.

    "You''re injured." His voice was still as low as ever. His attitude towards her was lukewarm, as it had

    been half a month ago.

    How could he act as if nothing had happened at all?

    Charlotte gulped. She clutched the lower part of her skirt tightly and moved her body backwards.

    "I''ll walk you out..."

    "Lottie, we''re allowed to go back."

    At this moment, Rick and several policemen came out.

    He didn''t show much reaction when he saw Charlotte and Shane standing together. Instead, Rick

    naturally walked over to Charlotte and supported her, saying softly, "Anne is urging us to go back,

    saying that we need to examine your injuries carefully."

    Charlotte felt an exceptionally cold gaze on her. She nodded stiffly and pulled back her arm Shane

    was holding.

    "Mr Jane, there was no mistake in the international rumour this time." Shane looked down and

    nced at his hand.

    "I''m looking forward to a showdown in the country with you, Mr Fuller."

    "There is no need to use the word ''match'' if it''s just you alone." He was implying that he looked

    down on Rick.

    However, Rick''s lips quirked upwards slightly. "Of course I didn''te back alone. You said you

    would help me, right? Lottie?"

    Charlotte nodded nkly.

    Shane''s gaze deepened. "Mr Jane, do you trust a woman who lives off a person while helping his

    opponent?"

    "Lives off a person while helping his opponent?" Charlotte was shocked.

    "Was he talking about me?"

    Charlotte raised her head immediately, "What right do you have to say that to me?"

    Shane sneered with no intention of exining. At this time, a woman dressed casually ran into the

    police station and hugged Shane''s arm. "Brother Shane, are you all right?"

    Shane raised his hand and shook his fingers, indicating that he was fine. At the same time, he

    pulled his arm away.

    "Brother Shane." The woman acted coyly and stamped her feet lightly. When she saw Charlotte,

    she was stunned for a moment and finally greeted her with a smile, "Miss Charlotte, it''s been a long

    time."

    Rick felt Charlotte trembling all over beside him.

    He held her with an arm and said, "Sorry, we''re leaving now, and we don''t want to make small talk.

    Please get out of the way."

    "You guys..." Tiffany''s eyes lit up.

    She had long heard that Shane had an abnormal rtionship with Charlotte. She wanted to get rid

    of this woman, but she didn''t expect that she left the country on her own, and came back this time

    with a man.

    "Humph, not even an average man would be able to stand the fact that his woman has someone

    else by her side." Tiffany thought.

    "Let alone God''s favored son like Shane. Charlotte couldn''t be considered a threat anymore."

    "This is my fiance, Rick."

    There was a dead silence.

    Rick looked at the petite woman beside him in shock. She was grabbing on to his arm and used up

    most of her strength to say this sentence.

    He was so happy that even the corners of his lips couldn''t help but curl up. However, he also knew

    that the reason why Charlotte had said this was because Shane was right in front of him.

    She was using him to draw a clear line between Shane and herself.

    "Interesting," Rick thought.

    "What on earth did Shane do to hurt her to the extent that she was so haunted by the thought of

    repeating her mistakes?"

    "Congrattions," Shane said coolly.

    Rick left with Charlotte.

    When Charlotte passed Shane, her arm was suddenly grabbed by Shane, and then warmth

    enveloped her ear. "I''ll wait for you to beg me to allow the Jane Corporation to develop in the

    country. We''ll wait and see."

    Charlotte''s eyes widened as she looked back at Shane in disbelief.

    He crossed his arms, the tip of his nose and chin raised upwards. His eyes were downcast, cold

    and at a higher position than her.

    This expression could only possibly be present on the face of the creator of the universe.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    He was a sovereign who had descended the world, and there was no chink in his armour.

    Charlotte''s heart started to palpitate.

    "What kind of monster was he?" She thought.

    On the way back to the city.

    Rick sensed that there was something wrong with Charlotte''s mood, so he asked, "Did Shane scare

    you?"

    Charlotte shook her head.

    "You were looking at him like a rabbit looking at a big bad wolf."

    "This description is a bit horrifying. Hares are the prey of wolves."

    "Do you think Shane can''t handle you, or do you think you have the ability to resist him?" Rick''s

    words were straight to the point.

    Rick knew that she couldn''t exin herself, so he exined, "Shane is very excellent. Not only

    locally, but even international capitals have to fear him. It is also because of this that he has

    offended many, and countless people want him to fall from his current position."

    Charlotte lowered her head. She interlocked her fingers, her shoulders trembling slightly. "Now, are

    we able to fight against him?"

    "He should not be interested to care about me, but it doesn''t mean that he is not interested in you."

    "He was the one who wanted to divorce me. How could he still be interested in me?"

    "Let me tell you something." Rick stepped on the brakes at the red light, his amber eyes glinting.

    "Shane transferred you twenty per cent of NC shares in his name half a month ago.

    "What?"

    Rick continued, "Now international hot money is suppressing him. You have two choices. Firstly, you

    could cooperate with them, and ruin Shane''s reputation. Or, you could make use of the bargaining

    chip you''re holding on to negotiate with Shane and take back what belongs to you."

    "He doesn''t owe me anything..." Charlotte lowered her head.

    Deep inside, she was still a gentle, kind and warm-hearted person.

    Rick shook her head and said, "This time, it''s the Emerson family who is going against Shane.

    Although it''s obvious that the Emerson family can''t shake NC at all and it''s just a leader in this

    scheme, as long as you make good use of it, you have a good chance to get the Emerson

    Corporation back."

    If she could get the Emerson Corporation back, ine would be fired. Then she could investigate

    the cause of her mother''s death smoothly.

    "What should I do?"

    "My fiancee, I am happy to give you advice, but the premise is that you can''t fall for Shane in the

    process of approaching him, otherwise..." Rick smiled meaningfully.

    To Charlotte, Rick was not jealous.

    He was reminding her that she could feel free to use the title of his "fiancee", which had been

    publicized.

    At the same time, when she was facing Shane, she had to try to forget the past as much as

    possible. She couldn''t be affected and controlled by him.

    One wrong step would lead to a tragic fall.

    Rick was reminding her to keep true to herself, not to influence her future ns for the sake of

    previous feelings and emotions.

    Charlotte took in a deep breath and said, "Don''t worry, I understand."

    Rick gazed deeply at her and said nothing after.

    On the top floor of the NC Company.

    Shane stood in front of the French window, and Braden stood behind him.

    "So did Christopher just sell his shares and disappeared?" Braden gritted his teeth angrily. "What

    was he thinking?"

    "Investigate him."

    "We don''t even have hisplete information after so many years. It''s all my fault. I trusted this guy

    too much."

    Shane turned to one side and patted him on the shoulder. "I trusted the wrong person. It''s my

    responsibility."

    Braden sighed angrily. "Good job. Now Christopher has messed up the entire internal situation. The

    international hot money and the Emerson family are looking at us covetously. Rick has also

    returned."

    At the mention of the word "Rick", Shane''s eyes glinted with a dark spark of anger

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152

    Braden touched his nose and said, "Why are you so angry when I didn''t say anything. Would you

    like to eat oranges to calm down?"

    "Where are they living?"

    Braden coughed.

    Shane gave him a cold nce.

    Braden immediately raised his hand and surrendered. "I''m not betraying you. It''s one of the three

    agreements Rick has made with me."

    After telling Shane about the three conditions, Braden''s face fell. "Look, for you, I have already been

    appearing in front of him shamelessly, so I really can''t tell you."

    Shane replied calmly, "Alright."

    Anyway, now was not the time to end his n.

    "What should we do now? Rick is just getting started, but his condition is much better than ours. We

    are besieged from all sides." Braden grabbed at his hair.

    Shane''s gaze flickered as he looked at the scenery in the distance. "Wait."

    Fine.

    Braden had a feeling that he wouldn''t be able to sleep well tonight.

    When Braden left NC, he saw Tiffany sitting in the cafe, probably waiting for Shane toe out.

    He rubbed his chin.

    Given how caring Shane was towards the two daughters of the Allen family, there was no way he

    would let Tiffany wait here.

    It was clear that Shane cared about Charlotte a lot, but he was in denial.

    On one side was his best friend, and on the other was his brother-inw.

    Life was not easy. Braden sighed.

    Within a week.

    Charlotte learnt quickly and slept for only five to six hours every day. Although it was enough for an

    adult to sleep for so long, it was still quite short, for her who was used to sleeping eight hours each

    day.

    She was visibly tired, so she immediately naps whenever given the chance.

    Even Anne''s heart ached for her. She had been forcing her to sleep.

    "Do you know how long your brother sleeps a day?" Charlotte asked in reply.

    Anne shook her head.

    "He didn''t sleep yesterday. After sleeping for three hours today, he went for a meeting. I still have

    the time toe down and have a cup of coffee to refresh myself with you, while he doesn''t even

    have the time to eat," Charlotte said.

    "I finally understand that he is now your idol. You keep saying ''your brother'', ''Mr Jane'', sigh..."

    Charlotte froze for a moment. With an embarrassed smile, she lowered her head and said, "I admit

    it. He''s just like a god. I''ve never seen someone who works so hard."

    "He won''t be in good health if he goes on like this." Anne sighed. "I also want to share his burden,

    but I really am bad in this field."

    "As long as I''m here, you can rest assured. I''ll definitely protect your family''s property well."

    Anne reached out and hit her hard on the head. "What do you mean by my property? It''s our

    property! Even if you don''t marry my brother, you''re still family for me."

    It was really ironic.

    Her original family could abandon her for shares of a smallpany.

    Charlotte bloomed half a cup of coffee and said, "I''m going back to fight for our family, and I''m sorry

    to trouble Miss Rick to take care of my child."

    Anne looked at Charlotte''s busy figure and back at her phone.

    Charlotte and her brother were trying their best, but she was enjoying life every day...

    She also wanted to help.

    "What! You want to learn investment?" Braden was so startled he almost fell off the sofa.

    "Can''t I?" Anne put her hands on her hips and red at him.

    Charlotte, who had just returned from work, heard the two of them arguing. Feeling a little helpless,

    she said, "Should I say that the two of you are not investing but rather just ying with money, am I

    right?"

    "Bah!" Braden said, "Don''t forget that I was your superior before."

    "I almost forgot about it," Charlotte said in a serious manner.

    "How dare you!"

    "I''m not going to argue with you anymore. I''m going to rest. I have a negotiation with TNT

    tomorrow." "Wait a minute, what kind of cooperation do you have with TNT?" Braden felt that

    something was wrong.

    "Ahem." Anne coughed.

    In this house, they shouldn''t be talking about work-rted matters.

    However, Charlotte had a sharp feeling that Braden might know something. She said, "New energy.

    We only have the technology but not the raw materials."

    "A joint meeting."

    "So..."

    Braden nodded, extending his palms.

    Anne''s head was filled with questions. "What are you guys talking about?"

    Charlotte scratched her eyebrow and said with a bitter smile, "Tomorrow I have to deal with the

    chairman of TNT and NC all by myself. Which means that I am meeting Shane."

    "Congrattions, you understood quickly." Braden grinned.

    Charlotte didn''t even bother to re at him. She dragged her steps up the stairs tiredly.

    By dealing with TNT, which was known as the most difficultpany to deal with in the industry,

    she was already physically and mentally exhausted. Moreover, she had to deal with Shane as well.

    Heaven wanted her to kill her off.

    At night.

    When Rick went home.

    Hearing Anne talk about this matter, he just nodded.

    "Aren''t you worried about her at all? She is going to meet Shane."

    "What about Shane?"

    "Aren''t you afraid that they will get together again?"

    "They have seen each other before."

    Rick went downstairs in Anne''s astonished gaze.

    Anne suddenly felt that her brother and Charlotte no longer belonged to her. They had a secret

    between just the two of them.

    However, it was also quite good.

    If Charlotte was to be her sister-inw, she had no objections.

    The next day.

    Charlotte woke up early. Even though she was reluctant, personal feelings and official duties were

    two different matters.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    After breakfast, she hurried to thepany to make preparations.

    After confirming that there was no problem with all the data, she arranged her documents and got

    ready to leave.

    "Ms Emerson, Mr Jane wants to see you." The special assistant, who had been waiting outside the

    door for a long time, spoke respectfully.

    "Alright," Charlotte replied and walked towards the chairman''s office.

    She pushed the ss door open.

    Rick was sitting in front of his desk, his fingers tapping away on the keyboard. He frowned and

    stopped to think from time to time.

    Charlotte didn''t want to disturb him, but she still had to go for the negotiation, so she knocked.

    Upon hearing the sound, Rick came to his senses and looked up. "You''re here."

    "Mr. Jane, why did you call me here?"

    "Do you have confidence for today?"

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.

    In front of others, she might nod without hesitation. However, in front of Rick, she seemed that she

    didn''t have to hide her inner thoughts.

    After all, even if she had hidden them, he could still see through her.

    Rick got up, holding a blue box, and stopped beside her. "You''ll like it."

    "This is..." Charlotte hesitated for a moment before receiving it.

    "Open it and take a look."

    Charlotte opened the box.

    It was a very minimalistic silver bracelet, but there was an ice-blue gemstone in the middle of the

    buckle.

    He was right.

    She liked purple, but purple didn''t suit her skin colour.

    Most of the time, she would choose silver, blue diamonds, crystals, and simr jewellery.

    She had always thought that in this world, Anne was the one who knew her best. It was not until this

    moment that she realized that in order to understand a person, it did not depend on how long they

    had known each other, but rather how much attention he put on her.

    "This is expensive." Charlotte knew that her answer was tacky, but she really cared a lot about

    money now.

    Thepany had just started, but he spent money to buy her a gift.

    Rick smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I bought it with my own money."

    "Own money?"

    Charlotte was speechless.

    "Your birthday is in three days, have you forgotten? I should have given it to you on the day itself,

    but I think it means something different if I give it to you today." Rick reached out to pat her head as

    if he was patting his pet. "Just go on. Even if you fail, it''s fine. I''ll teach youter."

    All of a sudden, the rims of Charlotte''s eyes reddened. She had been under a lot of pressure these

    past few days.

    As his CEO, she was above many and below him alone, and the burden of the ASEAN regiony

    on her shoulders.

    Even with his help, she still couldn''t take care of herself. How could she even have time to

    remember her birthday?

    Who knew...

    "Rick, I won''t let you down."

    She no longer called him Brother Rick, nor did she say thank you.

    That was an improvement, at least it meant that she has epted him as her teacher and friend.

    Rick nodded and said, "Go ahead, I''m waiting for your good news."

    She would definitely bring back good news.

    Charlotte nodded heavily.

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153

    Charlotte arrived at the pre-arranged ce in advance and sorted out all the documents. She

    ordered coffee and food ording to the TNT''s chairman and Shane''s preferences, told them to

    warm the food up and serve after they had arrived.

    Ten minutester.

    Shane and Cole entered the cafe first.

    Charlotte stood up and extended her hand politely with a smile on the corner of her lips. "Mr Fuller,

    I''ve heard a lot about you."

    "Heard a lot about me?" Shane raised an eyebrow and held her hand, pulling her forward. "Has Mrs

    Jane only heard a lot about me?"

    His breath was clean yet captivating.

    Although his face showed no desire, his breath was particrly enchanting.

    Charlotte gulped and her entire body tensed up.

    "This is a public ce. If someone takes photos of us, it will do no good to us at all," she whispered

    and kept struggling.

    "Do you think I care about my reputation?"

    "I care about mine." She met his dark and cold gaze.

    Shane let go of her and sat down with a sullen face. Charlotte took a deep breath and asked the

    waiter to serve Shane''s meal first.

    Shane always ate slowly. He was as elegant as an artist carving a sculpture. Charlotte tried to

    convince herself not to, but her gaze couldn''t help but fall on him.

    Another ten minutes passed.

    When the chairman of TNT arrived, Charlotte got up again and greeted him before asking the waiter

    to serve the second meal in a polite manner.

    "I didn''t expect Mr Jane''s CEO to be so sharp. You even know what I like." After looking at the food

    on the table, the chairman of TNT had a good impression of Charlotte.

    "It was Mr. Jane who told me to learn about your preferences in advance."

    "Oh? It''s the first time I''ve heard such a straightforward answer."

    "It''s better to be straightforward. Otherwise, I''ll feel guilty for wasting your time."

    The chairman of TNT smiled and took a sip of coffee. Then he looked at Shane and said, "Shane, if

    I remember correctly, Ms Emerson was your secretary before. What do you think of her?"

    Charlotte had thought about this scene, and about how Shane would say something to embarrass

    her. She immediately became nervous as she kept touching the bracelet under the table.

    This action of hers was seen by Shane''s.

    "Who gave it to her?" He thought.

    Although the workmanship was minimalistic, the quality of the gemstone was good. It should be a

    gift from Rick.

    His praises turned into a mildment-

    "She''s alright."

    "And by alright you mean..."

    "Literally what I said."

    The chairman of TNT rarely heard Shaneplimenting someone, so he became interested and

    said, "Tell me more. Maybe I don''t even need to look at the data to sign the contract with the Jane

    Corporation."

    Shane looked at Charlotte and said, "This depends on Miss Charlotte''s ability."

    "I don''t dare to say anything else. At the very least, I won''t embarrass myself by presenting the

    wrong data." Charlotte looked at him, not admitting defeat.

    "Ha, ha, ha. You two are ying dumb like a pair of primary school tablemates when they first fall in

    love."

    "Who said we''re in love!" Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte calmed herself down and tried her best to divert the topic to project and contractual

    matters.

    TNT intended to cooperate with Jane Corporation, and because Shane did not say anything bad

    about her, the signing of the contract was sessful.

    After signing and receiving the documents that belonged to him, the chairman left after telling

    Shane to keep in close contact with the Jane Corporation.

    Why did NC have to get in touch with the Jane Corporation?

    Wasn''t it TNT and the Jane Corporation who had signed the contract?

    Charlotte couldn''t figure it out.

    "You are wondering why he wants me to have closer contact with you." What Shane said was not a

    question, but a sure sentence.

    "Yes." Charlotte did not deny it.

    "TNT is the supplier, while I''m the raw material provider. This matter has nothing to do with NC."

    "Wait?"

    "Raw material provider?"

    "It had nothing to do with NC?"

    Charlotte raised her head abruptly and stared at Shane in disbelief, "Could it be that you..."

    Shane stood up and sat down beside her, but his eyes fell on the bracelet she had been touching,

    and he asked, "Who gave it to you?"

    Charlotte remained silent.

    What came to mind was Rick''s words: "Don''t fall in love with him."

    "I know that you''ve given me 20% of the NC shares." Charlotte decided to attack first.

    Instead of being passively teased by him, she would rather cooperate with him on her own ord.

    "Rick has good thinking." Shane''s voice was cold. No matter how hard she tried to decipher it, it

    sounded more like sarcasm than apliment.

    "What do you want to use me for?"

    "I promised you that I would take back the Emerson Corporation for you."

    "But if that''s the case, why did you want to divorce..." Charlotte turned her head, her shoulders

    moving up and down violently.

    She couldn''t do it.

    She could not remain calm and rational in front of a person she liked. Her heart was beating very

    fast and every cell was jumping with joy.

    She even asked the question that she had been thinking about day and night without hesitation.

    Since he still wanted to use her, why did he divorce her?

    Shane stared at her intently. If before she left, his request for a divorce was a test, now, it wouldn''t

    do if they didn''t divorce.

    "Charlotte, our rtionship has always been contractual."

    "I just feel that if you still need to use me, we didn''t have to end this contractual rtionship."

    "Oh? So you want to know if I have fallen in love with any other woman?"

    Charlotte''s heart sank.

    He hadpletely seen through her thoughts.

    Therefore, he should have seen that she couldn''t forget him and couldn''t pull herself from the

    waters, right?

    "Don''t get me wrong. I have a fiance now." Charlotte bit her lip and forced herself to regain

    rationality. "I don''t have any thoughts about your feelings. I just think that it will be more beneficial

    for us to cooperate after I get a clear understanding of the situation."

    Shane was so angry that he startedughing.

    He stretched out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

    "Are you sure?"

    "If not?" She asked, "Does Mr Fuller think that I have fallen in love with you and actually care about

    this marriage?"

    "Have you never fallen for me?"

    "What does he mean?" Charlotte thought.

    "He doesn''t like me, but I have to like him?"

    That''s true. He was indeed charming, so it was normal for him to have this kind of confidence.

    Charlotte shook her head, "I want to correct what you said just now. Between us, there is nothing

    else other than a contractual rtionship."

    Nothing other than a contractual rtionship.

    Shane narrowed his eyes and his grip on her chin tightened.

    Charlotte didn''t struggle. It wasn''t until the tip of her chin was numb and her neck was cold that she

    realized that her skin seemed to have been broken by his fingernails.

    Shane didn''t expect her to bleed.

    Frowning, he picked up a napkin from one side and helped her wipe away the blood.

    Charlotte grabbed the napkin and said, "I still have work to do. I have to go back to thepany

    first. Whenever you want that 20% of the shares, I can give them to you unconditionally. Even if you

    don''t help me get back the Emerson Corporation, I''m still very grateful to you for giving me a

    contract when I was in most need of help."

    She escaped in a hurry like a frightened deer.

    Shane lowered his eyes, his eyshes trembling slightly. Her temperature and blood still lingered

    on his fingertips.

    He rubbed his fingers together for a long time, but he could not bear to wipe the blood off his

    fingers.

    As time went by, that little bit of blood coagted due to his body temperature, and then

    disappeared with a slight touch.

    A few days ago.

    He had received the second DNAtest results.

    When Sheryl was injured in the old house, Henry had told him to collect her DNA sample. In case of

    an ident, the sample could be sent to the hospital immediately.

    After another round of tests, he had received the same results as what was given to Anne.

    He was rted to Sheryl by 99%.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Shane closed his eyes.

    It seemed that she did not intend to tell him.

    Did she really fall in love with Rick?

    "It''s only been half a month. A woman''s heart is really difficult to guess." He thought.

    The contract signing was a sess.

    This was originally a happy matter, but Charlotte looked at the celebratory cake in front of her with

    no feeling of joy.

    The hustle and bustle around her seemed to have nothing to do with her.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Rick stopped beside her and tapped the table with his long fingers. "What''re you thinking about?"

    "Nothing." She shook her head.

    "Since you''ve met Shane, how did your conversation go?"

    Charlotte told him about the things she could still remember, but she did not mention anything about

    their marriage.

    After listening to her, Rick sat down next to her with a serious look on her face. "Did you say that he

    said that he was a raw material provider and had nothing to do with the NC Company?"

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154

    Charlotte nodded. "That''s what he said, but I don''t know if that''s true."

    "By telling you this during this critical moment, he has obviously predicted that you would tell me.

    Thus, he might be reminding me not to get involved in this matter, otherwise, I will lose more than

    what I gain." Rick came to a conclusion.

    "Why would he remind you, though?"

    "Because his path is different from mine. We may cooperate in the future. If we be enemies,

    first of all, the risk and investment he is facing will be toorge. Secondly, I don''t have enough

    energy now, and his words are meant to be insurance for our rtionship."

    Charlotte had originally thought that Shane''s words were just polite remarks.

    She didn''t expect Rick to be able to analyse so much information from such a simple sentence.

    She sighed, "Mr Jane is really Zhuge Liang reborn."

    "In the novel, there was a saying questioning why Zhuge Liang was born although there was

    already someone like Zhou Yu. However, no one knows that Zhou Yu has never lost to Zhuge

    Liang, and he did not have to be self-deprecating. So, perhaps I am Zhou Yu instead," Rick smiled.

    "Um..."

    Charlotte blinked.

    She only knew that Zhuge Liang was a great strategist, but did not know much about history.

    Rick looked at her confused look and sighed. "Didn''t you study well about the history of the three

    kingdoms when you were in high school?"

    "How can I still remember that?"

    "Zhou Yu is both a strategist and a general. He is a sharp spear, a roundabout spear, and a shield

    for defence. It''s a pity that like Guo Jia, he died too young. The reason why Zhuge Liang''s

    reputation is known all over the world is because of luck. He can only be the best only when other

    strategists better than him have died."

    "So... you would rather die young as an allrounder like Zhou Yu than be someone like Zhuge

    Liang?" Charlotte asked tentatively.

    "Well, it''s an insult to me to live on without ambition."

    Charlotte couldn''t help but show respect for Rick.

    Even if it cost him his life, he had to show off his brightest colours. Although he might not

    necessarily be remembered, he was still the protagonist of his own story.

    He was just that cool.

    Charlotte''s mood suddenly lifted, and she ate three pieces of cake in a row.

    After going home and taking a shower, she wanted to sleepfortably, but her phone rang.

    When she saw that it was Shane, she was stunned for a moment.

    "Why is he calling me sote at night??" She thought

    "Mr. Fuller?"

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "What did Rick say?"

    Charlotte was silent for a moment before replied said, "He said that he wants to be Zhou Yu."

    Shane chuckled lightly and said, "That''s right. He''s stronger than I thought."

    "Am I the mouthpiece between you and Rick?" Charlotte was unhappy.

    "How about I give you a benefit?"

    ''What is it?'' "I''ve found the documents your mother stored in the notary office. You just need to read

    them out loud in front of the media."

    Charlotte fell silent.

    "Is this the first step in our cooperation?" Charlotte thought.

    Although she didn''t know what Shane was going to do, she really wanted to know what the

    documents left by her mother were about.

    "Alright."

    "I''ll arrange it for you."

    After this call, Shane never called again, and Charlotte didn''t see him again.

    If it wasn''t for the call record, she would have almost thought that it was a mere dream.

    The Jane Corporation was getting on the right track and a lot of work needed to be done. Charlotte

    gradually forgot about this matter.

    This day, just as she finished recalling the past, the secretary knocked on the door. "Ms Emerson,

    there are two gentlemen outside looking for you."

    "Looking for me? Who are they?" Charlotte''s social circle was small. If someone came looking for

    her, they should have informed her

    in advance.

    "One is called Mr Fuller, and the other is Mr y."

    Cole and Shane?

    Charlotte''s pupils constricted abruptly as she said, "Bring me to them."

    "Yes, miss."

    The secretary pushed open the door of the conference room.

    Shane was sitting in the main seat, and Cole was standing behind him. Rick was sitting opposite

    them.

    The door opened.

    Rick looked back at her with a smile. "Is the meeting over?"

    "Yes. Is so tiring," Charlotte said as she sat down beside him.

    After pouring tea for Shane, Rick took out a piece of chocte from his pocket and passed it to

    Charlotte.

    Charlotte''s heart bloomed with warmth. She unwrapped the wrapper and put it into her mouth, her

    lips quirking up in satisfaction.

    Shane''s nted eyes narrowed slightly. "I am not interested in the daily lovey-doveyness of you

    two."

    "I''m sorry, Mr Fuller. But you may not know that every time Charlotte works her brain for a long time,

    she would have low blood sugar, so I''m used to bringing some chocte along just in case."

    "Low blood sugar?" Shane thought.

    In the past, why didn''t she have this problem when she was with him?

    Shane gave little regard to Rick''s words.

    "Yes, it started since I was in high school. But ever since Sheryl was born, there were always a lot of

    things to settle and no one takes care of me like this anymore."

    "You didn''t have any low blood sugar problems when you were at thepany." Shane frowned.

    "How was that so?"

    "I bring chocte along with me."

    So that was how it was.

    That''s why he didn''t have a chance to know.

    Shane remained silent.

    Wanting to end the topic, due to the awkward atmosphere, Rick asked, "What is Mr Fuller doing

    here?"

    "There is will that Charlotte has to publicize in front of the media in person."

    "It is rted to the Emerson Corporation?"

    "Yes."

    "Mr Fuller, do you have any idea about who the person behind the Emerson Corporation and who is

    targeting NC is?"

    Shane remained silent as he shook his head slightly.

    Rick was surprised. "Are you not suspecting Christopher?"

    Charlotte''s heart constricted. She opened her mouth, wanting to defend Christopher. However, what

    right did she have to do so?

    Although they regarded each other as friends, they did not actually know much about each other.

    "This person hasrge control over the Emerson Corporation. He had been nning this since at

    least five years ago."

    "Five years ago!" Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte''s body couldn''t stop trembling and her fingers clutched the handle of the sofa tightly.

    Shane saw her reaction and his gaze deepened. "Five years ago, mypany was still at the

    starting stage. It wasn''t asrge as it is now. Christopher didn''t have to scheme against me unless

    he ising for the Fuller family."

    There was still a difference between the Fuller family and the NC Corporation.

    Although NC was the direct shareholder of the Fuller Group, Shane''s personal property had nothing

    to do with the Fuller family. Far rtives could never get a share of the money.

    The Fuller Group, on the other hand, was the result of the older generations'' efforts.

    "So, you Established NC after your father''s death, making the Fuller family a mere figurehead. Did

    you already expect someone to turn against you?"

    "It wasn''t expected. It''s better to prevent a disaster from happening before it''s toote."

    "This is worth my learning." Rick''s attitude was very humble.

    Shane didn''t say much about this. Both NC and the Fuller family had international projects, but most

    of them were cooperations and investments, and they didn''t have their own properties.

    Overseas investment waspletely different from local investment. Maybe he would be the one

    who needed to learn from Rick in the future.

    "Let''s have lunch together?" Shane asked.

    "That''s fine with me."

    Because Shane was also there, Rick asked Anne to bring Braden along for dinner. OF course,

    Charlotte was happy to see Anne. Although it was a little awkward to eat with Shane, it shouldn''t be

    a big problem with so many people around.

    As soon as Anne came, Charlotte stuck to her side and pushed Braden aside.

    Braden touched his nose helplessly, but didn''t dare to say anything.

    To Anne, Charlotte was definitely more important than him.

    However.

    Shane surprisingly had a nice chat with Rick.

    Shane, who never smiled when talking to himself and Christopher, was actually talking and joking

    around with Rick!

    Braden''s mind was muddled.

    "Why do they have such a harmonious rtionship? They are enemies!"

    After the meal.

    Braden couldn''t wait to separate Shane from Rick.

    "What''s wrong?" Looking at his anxious manner, Shane drank his coffee calmly.

    "What''s going on between you and Rick? Not to mention that you two are rivals in love, he, you,

    he..." Braden remained confused.

    "Rivals in love?" Shane thought.

    Shane put down his coffee mug and said, "His EQ is higher than yours."

    Braden gritted his teeth in anger.

    "Mr Jane asked me to give this to you as a greeting gift." Just then, Charlotte walked over and

    handed over a big ck box.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155

    Braden took it, confused. "What is this?"

    Charlotte shook her head. "I don''t know what it is either. Open it and look for yourself."

    Braden was especially curious about Rick. After all, although this guy was Anne''s brother, he

    always had an unfathomable demeanour. Braden opened the box in doubt

    "What was I thinking? It''s just a document." Braden thought.

    Braden picked it up and flipped through two pages. Then, he eximed and threw the documents to

    Shane as if he was dropping a hot potato. "It''s, it''s..."

    Charlotte was also curious about what it was.

    She leaned over and asked, "Why is your reaction so huge?"

    "It''s really scary." Braden shivered.

    His expression didn''t seem like he was acting. Did Rick really put something terrible in it?

    Charlotte was also a little curious.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Rick heard the noise and came over. He was amused by Braden''s exaggerated look. "It''s just NC''s

    and the Fuller family shares. What''s there to be surprised about?"

    Shane had also finished reading the words on it at this time. He looked at Rick coldly with a gloomy

    expression.

    Rick squinted and smiled, which made it impossible to see his actual expression and emotions.

    One''s gaze was as sharp and intense as a sword slicing through wood.

    And the other''s was as bright as the stream on a sunny March morning.

    Neither of them was able to daunt the other.

    "What do you mean?" In the end, Shane spoke up first.

    "NC only has 2%. Because you didn''t pay much attention to the Fuller family, I was able to get 12%.

    Now I''m giving them to you in exchange for cash. How does it sound?"

    "Sure." Shane''s dark aura faded away.

    "Just give me 2% of the market price of NC stocks. The Fuller family''s stock is my real meeting gift.

    The money I will receive is even less than a project with TNT. Hopefully, you won''t ridicule me."

    Shane replied with a "hmm" and said, "I''ll ask someone to send you the money. Give me your card

    number now."

    "Shall we go offshore instead?"

    "You also have an international hot money identity?"

    Rick smiled.

    Shane raised an eyebrow and said, "I almost forgot that you are one yourself."

    ick did not express any opinions about this matter, but his smile seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

    After a series of operations, Rick left with Charlotte.

    Charlotte''s mind at this time was already filled with questions. After finally reaching a quiet ce,

    she took a deep breath and said, "Brother! Rick!"

    Her tone was a little spoiled, a bit reproachful, but mostly felt unfair.

    She didn''t expect that he didn''t tell her about it, which put her in a very passive position, like a fool

    who didn''t know anything.

    Rick turned sideways with a gentle smile and took her by the wrist with his long fingers, pulling her

    into a snack shop by the street. "Here, I''ll treat you to authentic dumplings. Boss, please give us two

    bowls of wonton and three servings of dumplings."

    "Alright!"

    "Three servings? Can you finish it?" Charlotte was doubtful.

    "Of course." He had been missing these since a long time ago.

    Shortly after the two of them sat down, the dumplings and wonton were served.

    Rick began to exin the situation to Charlotte as they ate.

    "I have hispany''s shares in my hands, and he should have known about this. This is also why

    he never actually did anything to obstruct us. Otherwise, with your previous rtionship with him,

    just a word of "fiance" is enough for him to deal with me."

    "I''m sorry..."

    "You don''t have to apologize. I''m d you could say that." Rick poured himself a little vinegar and

    put the dumpling into his mouth after coating the bottom with a thinyer of vinegar.

    "Cough." Charlotte felt a little ufortable.

    She had been using him.

    And he even said that he was happy to be used by her.

    She felt really guilty.

    "So Shane was very unhappy when he saw the shares, and he even looked like he was about to

    have a falling-out with me, but his rationality won over his anger. When he asked me what I meant,

    he was giving me a way out."

    "In fact, I could have told him directly that I don''t have enough funds and want to trade NC''s shares

    for cash. However, if I do that, our positions will not be equal anymore. I am not willing to do so, so

    is he.

    "The biggest reason why Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu werepared side by side is because both of

    them are strong. Moreover, the author of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms created a strange

    sense of predestined confrontation. People like this feeling of predestined confrontation. Therefore,

    both of us are not willing to bow down to each other, nor for the other to bow down to us."

    Charlotte nodded her head repeatedly as she listened.

    This also exined the opposing rtionship between Shane and Rick.

    They might not be friends, but they absolutely cherished each other.

    Even enemies who treasured each other with their entire hearts were more desirable than a friend

    who could not understand their emotions.

    Especially for people like Rick and Shane, who were in such high positions, it was difficult to find

    someone who could understand them.

    "That''s why I used this method to test if he really had a tacit understanding with me. I didn''t

    expect..." Rick smiled, "Since I was overseas, I had been thinking about how attractive this man

    who had the same taste as me was."

    "Huh?" Charlotte felt that his words were a little strange.

    "It''s nothing. Let''s eat."

    Charlotte started to eat a dumpling and a wonton in confusion.

    It was not until she finished eating and returned to thepany that she remembered that Rick

    hadn''t mentioned the reason he wanted to exchange the shares for cash.

    He was obviously not short of money.

    On the other side.

    Shane took Braden back to NC

    Holding a bottle of c in his hand, Braden slumped down on his desk. "I really don''t understand

    you and Rick. Why did he ask you for money?"

    "He wishes for me to win." Shane leisurely took out a tea set and prepared to brew some tea.

    "What?" Asked Braden.

    "He''d only, truly win if he defeats me after I win," Shane exined patiently.

    Braden finally realized that Shane''s mood today was... surprisingly good?

    "Could it be that he was in a good mood because of Rick?" Braden thought.

    Braden was jealous and said in a bitter tone, "He''s offering to be your buddy, isn''t he?"

    After brewing the tea, Shane shot a calm look at him. "I don''t be friends with people who are

    smarter than me."

    "How dare you!"

    "From the moment he took out his shares, he was testing me, and the amount I gave him in the end

    determined my impression in his heart."

    "What? He was rating you? He must be crazy. It''s good enough that you haven''t rated him." Braden

    snorted.

    Shane took a sip of tea, stood up slowly, and took out the documents from the ck briefcase he

    was carrying.

    "I gave him full marks."

    "He is your rival in love."

    "A rival in love?" Shane nced at Braden lightly, "Is love more important than thepany?"

    "You''re not that kind of person without feelings."

    He had feelings.

    It was because he had suffered from insomnia during these past few days and had thought of

    Charlotte nkly and even temporarily lost his mind, did he only understand the restrictions caused

    by emotions.

    The most ironic thing was.

    When he was worried about whether Charlotte was safe abroad, she could be talking andughing

    with Rick.

    This made him more certain that love was something that didn''t need to exist.

    Even if it did exist, it had to be destroyed.

    "Compared to Charlotte, Rick is more important to me. If I can exchange her for Rick, I will not

    hesitate to give her up."

    Shane stood in front of the French window, looking far away. His lips moved and silently called out a

    name.

    Braden''s lips moved a little, and he finally sighed.

    Of course, he knew Shane was saying that at this moment, even if he really had feelings for

    Charlotte, he wouldn''t express it.

    The people who were looking covetously at the international resources and the Emerson

    Corporation, as well as the one behind all of this...

    Every one of them was more important than love.

    At a time like this, it would be better to get close to Rick rather than treat him as a rival in love.

    However, in Braden''s mind, Shane should be omnipotent and would not be knocked down.

    What on earth was he waiting for?

    Why did he allow himself to be ced in a position where he was attacked from both sides?

    Charlotte seemed to have sensed something and raised her head.

    A pigeon flew past her.

    It was just a pigeon.

    She sighed in relief. She had thought that someone was calling her.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156

    Charlotte tidied up her documents and rubbed her stiff shoulders.

    Shortly after returning to thepany, she had finished preparing the materials for tomorrow''s

    meeting, so she had the whole afternoon to rest.

    It was the first time that she had such afortable afternoon since she returned home.

    Next, she only had to prepare the information and data needed for the reporters within three days.

    Although she didn''t know when Shane would give her the documents, it was good to prepare

    beforehand.

    A dayter.

    Shane asked Cole to send the documents over.

    Charlotte looked at the words on it and couldn''t help but tremble. As long as this notarization was

    publicized, she could get the shares of the Emerson Corporation.

    That transfer agreement that was torn up by ine didn''t matter anymore.

    He was really helping her out.

    Then why did he have to break the contract? Charlotte felt slightly conflicted. She shook her head

    and forced herself not to think about those matters anymore.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Beep! Beep! Beep!

    She was pulled back to reality by the ringtone of her mobile phone.

    She picked up. "Hello?"

    "Cole only said that you''ve received the documents?"

    It was Shane. Charlotte''s fingers tightened.

    "Yes, that''s right."

    "It''s been 15 minutes since you got the documents."

    Charlotte didn''t understand what he was implying. After being stunned for a moment before

    suddenly realizing that he might be waiting for her to thank him.

    She lowered her head and her lips couldn''t help but quirk up at the corners. "But I haven''t finished

    reading them yet. I was nning to call you after I finish."

    "Oh?"

    "Thank you." Her voice was very soft.

    The phone''s end call tone announced that the person on the other side had hung up.

    Charlotte looked at her own face reflecting off the pitch-ck screen, her fingers burning hot.

    Strangely, it was just an ordinary "thank you". Why was she blushing?

    Charlotte put down her phone and entered work mode. But after a few hours, Rick sent his special

    assistant to get her for rehearsal.

    When Charlotte stood at the venue of the press conference.

    Only then did she realize that Shane hade to thepany and told Rick about this matter,

    because he might have been hoping for Rick to settle this matter himself.

    He was not sure if she would tell Rick about the document, so he directly let Rick know and made

    Rick help her.

    At that moment.

    Charlotte didn''t know whether she should be thanking Rick, who was in front of her, or Shane, who

    did everything silently without letting her know.

    After some rehearsals, Rick corrected some parts of Charlotte''s speech.

    "Of course, you should also try not to mention your mother''s name." Rick''s words made Charlotte

    extremely unhappy. She was puzzled, "Why?"

    "Your mother is not an Emerson, and now even your father is dead. For a woman who is not an

    Emerson, ate former director of the Emerson Corporation and you, who have broken ties with the

    Emerson family..."

    Rick didn''t say the rest.

    Charlotte''s face was as pale as paper. She silently nodded her head, her mood extremely down.

    She knew that Rick didn''t mean any harm. He was simply helping her, but this bloody fact still made

    her uneasy.

    Rick held her shoulder gently with a faint smile gracing the corner of his mouth. "ording to this

    document, your mother had been worried about your life since ten years ago. At that time, she

    already had no trust in your father, the Emerson Corporation and the Emerson family. When you

    be stronger, you can counterattack in other ways. But now, you can only ept it."

    "Brother Rick, what would you do if you were the one whoes face-to-face with this kind of thing

    one day?" Her eyes were shining.

    He didn''t know whether it was because she was being expectant of his answer, or because of the

    tears already welled up in her eyes.

    Rick moved his long fingers to her cheek and muttered to herself, "You fool, how did you think I

    made it this far?"

    He was just defending Anne against everything Charlotte was facing now.

    Of course, he didn''t mind helping to defend Charlotte once again.

    If sacrifice was needed for a happy life, he was willing to be the main character in the tragedy.

    "I''m sorry. I misunderstood what you meant just now."

    "You said before that the world was merciless. You''re right. In the face of capital, you either are a

    person with a heart controlled by a heartless person or be a ruthless person who has the right

    to speak up in the circle. But no matter which one it is, it is destined that you only can be heartless

    to most people."

    Charlotte did not agree with this idea. "By speaking about heartlessness, what do Anne and I mean

    to you, then?"

    Rick turned his back to her, and his eyes shed with coldness. "And that was why I said I would be

    heartless towards most people, and not everyone. Let''s take the most simple example. If you are

    Shane, and you can only save one person between Braden and Christopher, who are tied to two

    bombs now, who would you save?"

    This...

    Charlotte''s instinct was to save Christopher. Although he was very gentle to everyone, she could

    always notice his loneliness and sadness hidden beneath a smile.

    However, she couldn''t give up Bradenpletely, as he was who Anne loved the most, although

    she didn''t like his character very much.

    "If I were Shane, I would not hesitate to choose Braden, no matter how the rtionship between me

    and Christopher is, because Christopher doesn''t belong to mypany anymore." Rick gave the

    coldest and most rational answer. "If we are destined to be heartless, why can''t we let rationality

    rule over?"

    Anyway, it was impossible to save everyone, so why not be stronger by stepping on the weak?

    Maybe one day he could turn around to protect those weak people instead.

    Charlotte seemed to suddenly understand. She raised her head abruptly, "I get it now!"

    Only then did Rick slowly turn sideways, look at her again as he nodded with a smile.

    The press conference was scheduled for the early morning two dayster.

    Rick had bought over the most searched hashtags and the news channels in advance.

    It was very likely that the news would spread throughout the country before noon.

    The topic of everyone''s gossip would revolve around Charlotte and her parents'' entire life.

    At the press conference.

    Charlotte faced hundreds of reporters on her own.

    There was only a mass of heads below her.

    This scene was extremely frightening. She held her wrist tightly and kept touching the ice-blue

    gemstone on it. This was the only way she could calm herself down.

    "Miss Charlotte, what are you trying to achieve by presenting this document at such a time?" The

    first question was already extremely tricky.

    "I just received the document a week ago."

    "May I ask who you got it from?"

    "I have noment on this."

    "Miss Charlotte..."

    "Noment."

    In the entire press conference, the two words mentioned the most by Charlotte were "noment".

    Of course, the media was very angry. A few bold reporters had already written headlines such as

    "What''s the point of a down-and-out daughter of the Emerson Family in fighting for her nephew''s

    share of the family''s inheritance?", nning to take this opportunity to pull ine into the waters as

    well.

    Rick had already nned for this, so he had reserved all the media channels for this day.

    All the titles and contents which had a negative impact in Charlotte were deleted.

    Of course, he wasn''t spending his money for nothing. This was also a good opportunity to advertise

    the Jane Corporation. This was because the Jane Corporation had just officially made aeback

    in the ASEAN region, and the fact that Charlotte was the CEO of the Jane Corporation had spread

    across the entire country in a short period of time.

    As for the money he spent, it was the cash he received from selling that 2% of NC''s shares.

    At the end of the day, this time, Charlotte and Rick were under Shane''s care.

    However, this care was too deep. No one, even knowing people, understood Shane''s intention,

    except Rick alone.

    However.

    Even he couldn''t understand the intention of Shane''s actions.

    If it was for the sake of the Jane Corporation, there was no need to do this. If he was trying to help

    Charlotte out, why would he divorce her?

    Was there any better protection on earth than the title of "Mrs Fuller"?

    Rick looked at Charlotte, his gaze deepening.

    Charlotte felt her hair stand on end from being stared at. She hurriedly handed the documents to

    her secretary and ran to his side. "Rick, did I say something wrong?"

    "I''m sorry." Rick turned his gaze away from her and rubbed his forehead.

    "Thank you so much for this time."

    "I''m afraid it''s not me whom you should be thanking."

    "Huh?"

    Charlotte was confused.

    From the venue to the script, Shane was the one who helped settle everything.

    Who else should Charlotte be thanking other than him?

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157

    "The person you should thank is Shane," Rick said bluntly.

    He was a man of his word and didn''t want to take credit for others'' work. He had helped, but not as

    much as Shane had.

    Charlotte still didn''t understand, so Rick simply told her Shane''s ns.

    After his exnation, Rick ended profoundly with, "He may not necessarily be merciless to you."

    "He might not be heartless to many people, but I''m different. I can be ruthless to a particr

    person." Charlotte thoroughly understood his theory and counterattacked with ease.

    "You''ve gotten over it?"

    "That would make me seem so heartless."

    Rick smiled.

    Charlotte walked out with him. "I can''t talk about getting over it, but I don''t have any feelings for

    Shane."

    That moment, the door opened.

    Cole was holding flowers at the door.

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, "Are you here to congratte me

    for not embarrassing myself?"

    Cole nodded while Charlotte took the bouquet.

    Shane was standing next to Cole, his hands behind his back. He looked at Charlotte.

    "Thank you, Mr. Fuller," she said sincerely.

    "I will do everything I promised. You''re not the only one who has to meet the terms."

    "I know."

    Theypsed into silence again since they couldn''t agree with each other.

    Charlotte took the flowers and left, but Rick stayed behind. "You''ve alreadye with gifts, why

    didn''t you give them to her?"

    Shane lowered his hand and handed Rick a small box. "I don''t need it anymore. If you like it, you

    can give it to Anne."

    "Mr. Fuller, don''t you get any ideas about my younger sister. She''s just married your friend."

    "I just thought you wouldn''t be interested in anything I give you."

    "So why can''t I give it to someone else?"

    "You know very well why."

    Rick smiled and said, "Fine, I will give this gift to Anne, maybe Sheryl will like it too."

    After he finished speaking, he walked to keep up with Charlotte.

    Cole couldn''t understand. "Mr. Fuller, you spent all day yesterday to buy it overseas. Now you''re just

    going to give it to someone else just like that?"

    "Didn''t she say that she has no feelings for me?"

    "But..."

    "Or do you think that I should be like some college graduate and beg for a woman''s attention?"

    Shane looked at the person next to him coldly.

    "Don''t worry, Mr. Fuller. I definitely won''t mention this to anyone else."

    "You''d better not."

    Cole''s entire body trembled. He wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

    Shane was definitely jealous. He had given her the flowers, but not the gift. That was why Shane

    had been terrorizing Cole.

    When it came to Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller had always been like this.

    When Charlotte returned home, she went back to sleep.

    She needed to make full use of her time to sleep. As long as she could, she would sleep. If she

    couldn''t, then she would create an opportunity to sleep.

    Anne originally wanted to take her out for a chat, but Anna changed her mind once she saw

    Charlotte looking like that.

    As soon as she left Charlotte''s room, Anne was stopped by Rick. He took out a box and said, "Give

    this to Lottie."

    "Is it from you?"

    "No, it''s from Shane."

    "..." The corners of Anne''s mouth were pulled up. "Rick, are you sending a gift for your love rival?"

    "Charlotte said that she didn''t have any feelings for Shane, and Shane happened to hear that. The

    gift he had prepared was probably expensive, so throwing it away would definitely be inappropriate.

    He asked me to give it to you, but..."

    At this point, Anne had already opened the box.

    It was a purple diamond brooch.

    Anne was stunned. "Purple diamonds? Rick, purple diamonds don''t exist, right?"

    "Y Country recently extracted a 9.17-carat ore. After refining it, it should be about the same size as

    the purple diamond on that brooch."

    "How much would that cost?"

    "The pink diamond mine discovered a few years ago was about 200 million dors. If you adjust

    based on size, this should be at least 20 million dors. It''s a collectible for sure."

    Charlotte could never have imagined that the value of Shane''s brooch would be much higher than

    the sum of all the shares she had just obtained.

    Anne had no expression on her face. "So, my dear brother, do you want me to tell Charlotte that I

    bought her a brooch worth 20 million dors?"

    Rick smiled and said, "What you say has nothing to do with me."

    Anne wanted to swear.

    In the end, she came up with a good idea.

    It was said that from that day on, a small brooch appeared on Sheryl''s chest. When someone asked

    her where she bought it, she answered crisply that her godmother had bought it on eBay.

    However, Anne had already told Sheryl that she couldn''t wear it to kindergarten. Hence, the little girl

    would only wear it on weekends and during private tutoring sses.

    When Charlotte found out about this, she wanted to transfer some money to Anne. She could tell

    that the brooch was of good quality, and the design style was pretty. It had obviously cost a lot.

    "I bought it online." Anne tilted her head with a guilty look on her face.

    "Anne, although I''m in some financial trouble now, I was rich once. I can still distinguish between

    cheap goods and luxury goods."

    "Ah, stop asking. In any case, I have given it to Sheryl, and I wasn''t the one who paid for it."

    Charlotte suddenly thought that the brooch might have been something that Rick bought for Sheryl.

    She sighed, "Tell your brother not to spend too much next time. I feel so bad. Thepany is still at

    the development stage, and he..."

    h, h, h.

    Anne listened to Charlotte''s nagging for five or six minutes. She really had no choice but to find an

    excuse to escape.

    "These people really knew how to waste money," Charlotte thought.

    She really must not let this kind of influence affect Sheryl.

    However.

    It seemed that Sheryl truly liked the brooch and didn''t care about the extravagant value of it, so

    Charlotte didn''t forbid her to wear it.

    In a blink of an eye, it was Sunday.

    She was working overtime at the office when a private tutor called and told her that Sheryl had been

    taken away by someone who imed to be her father.

    Charlotte blurted out, "She doesn''t have a father."

    "Er, Sheryl calls him Daddy... So we didn''t stop him from taking her."

    Sheryl only called one person Daddy.

    Had it been Shane?

    Why had he suddenly gone to pick Sheryl up?

    Also, how did he know that she was there?

    Charlotte bit her lip. She thought that it shouldn''t be too big of a problem for Sheryl to be with

    Shane. She still had some work on her hands, so she would think about it after she was done.

    Although Shane didn''t know that Sheryl was his child, blood was thicker than water. He wouldn''t

    hurt her.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and continued to work.

    In a car at the tutor''s building.

    Sheryl was sitting on the front passenger seat with some ice cream in her hand. She took small

    licks while her little feet swayed under her. Her cheeks were flushed and she was very content.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Daddy, I haven''t seen you in a long time." The kid whined piteously as she ate.

    "Do you miss Daddy?"

    "Of course, especially since after Mommy went abroad. After she came back, she had been very

    busy, and no one could y with me." Sheryl lowered her head.

    Shane handed her the child''s mobile phone that he had prepared. "Whenever you miss Daddy,

    press the red button. Within an hour, I''lle to you."

    "Really? Can I call you over at home too?"

    "Of course."

    "That''s great!"

    "But if your Mommy disagrees, you can press the blue button and call me."

    Sheryl nodded vigorously.

    After finding out that Sheryl was his daughter, he had a deeper affection for the little girl in front of

    him.

    Just looking at her chubby little face was a wonderful feeling.

    "Sheryl, do you miss Great-grandma?"

    "Yes! I miss her a lot!"

    "Let''s go then see her then."

    Along the way, Sheryl was talking about what happened when she went abroad and after she came

    back.

    She mentioned Rick too. ording to her, Rick was a very good person.

    He knew a lot of things and he was interesting. He would y with her too.

    Although Rick was as busy as her Mommy, he always took time to y with her and taught her how

    to y with building blocks.

    The more Shane listened, the colder his eyes became.

    At a red light, he asked, "Who treats you better, me or Uncle Rick?"

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158

    Sheryl did not even have to think about it. "Daddy! Daddy is a superhero!"

    Shane was extremely satisfied and his eyes smiled in satisfaction.

    In the past.

    He always thought that this kind ofparison was childish, but now he felt that the first person to

    come up withparisons must have been a father.

    Only a father would care if he was the most important person in his daughter''s eyes.

    Since she hadn''t been to the old mansion in a long time, Sheryl was very excited to return. She was

    jumping about like a bunny.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was resting in the old mansion. When she saw Sheryl, she stood up immediately

    and gave her all the toys that she had prepared.

    She had nothing to do these days, so she kept getting toys for the little girl. She kept hoping that

    she could get Sheryl toe and see her.

    Raina didn''t say anything when she saw this. As long as Shane didn''t bring Tiffany to this house, it

    didn''t matter if Sheryl came here. Shane and Charlotte divorced anyway. Raina didn''t bother with a

    child.

    "Great-grandma, I miss you so much." Sheryl was lying against the olddy''sp with a pitiful look.

    "If you miss me, get your mother to bring you here to see me. Come on, is she''s so busy that she

    doesn''t even have time to take care of you?"

    "Grandma, Charlotte is currently the CEO of the Jane Corporation''s Asia Pacific Region," Shane

    exined.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was stunned. "Are you talking about Lottie?"

    Shane nodded. "She said she''s Rick''s fiancee."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was shocked at first, but when she heard this, she sneered and said, "You let go

    of such an extraordinary woman. You should be crying."

    "Grandma." Shane felt quite helpless.

    "Humph." Mrs. Fuller Senior got up and pulled Sheryl up too. "Think about it carefully," she said.

    Shane watched them both go upstairs.

    Raina walked over and said, "Shane, did you talk to Charlotte about Sheryl being here?"

    "No, I haven''t." "Call her and get her to pick Sheryl up. Don''t send her back yourself," Raina said

    before leaving. After taking two steps, she stopped in her tracks. "I just think that Tiffany shouldn''t

    have used the past to threaten you. But I don''t approve of what Charlotte did."

    Raina also returned to her room, leaving Shane alone in the living room.

    He took out his phone. The words that Charlotte said a few days ago echoed in his mind.

    She didn''t have any feelings for him.

    It wasn''t that she couldn''t like him. She had chosen not to feel anything for him.

    She had chosen not to feel anything for him.

    She had made it so clear. How could he try to win her back?

    It wasn''t like he had Stockholm Syndrome.

    At that moment, his cell phone rang. Shane frowned and picked up the phone. He said in an

    unfriendly tone, "Speak."

    "Um, is Sheryl with you? If it''s convenient, I''lle over and pick her up." Charlotte was scared by

    his tone, so her voice was softer and gentler.

    "Charlotte is calling?" he wondered

    "She''s at the old mansion. Are you sure you want toe here?"

    "It''s on the way. I''ll be there in about ten minutes."

    "It''s up to you."

    Their conversation was over.

    Shane nned to sit down in the living room until she came, but he was surprised to see a brooch

    on the floor.

    He picked it up. This was the exact brooch he had handed to Rick to pass to Anne.

    It seemed that Rick hade up with a n and used it to get on Sheryl''s good side.

    He frowned.

    A momentter, Charlotte rushed to the old mansion with some health supplements in her hands.

    She panted as she entered the living room and put down the items in her hands.

    Sheryl, who was ying on the second floor, heard the sound and ran downstairs.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior also walked downstairs slowly.

    "Mommy!" Sheryl threw herself into Charlotte''s arms. "I''m so happy today, hehe."

    "I only found out that Mrs. Fuller Senior was in town when I was on my way here, so I got my friend

    to get some calcium powder. It should be good for Mrs. Fuller Senior." Charlotte exined as she

    held the little girl in her arms.

    "Shane, shouldn''t you thank her?" Mrs. Fuller Senior snorted coldly.

    Shane stood up, walked up to Charlotte, and handed the brooch to her. "Did you buy this for

    Sheryl?"

    Charlotteughed and shook her head. "No, Anne said that she bought it online. I don''t think this is

    a cheap knock-off. I told her off too. Even if she wanted to make Sheryl happy, she shouldn''t have

    done it that way. Kids shouldn''t have expensive things."

    Anne?

    So Rick had given it to Anne, and then gotten Anne to find a way to give it to Charlotte or Sheryl?

    "Interesting. Rick is more interesting than I thought," he thought.

    Sheryl put the brooch back on her clothes. She raised her small face and said, "Mommy, can you

    bring me here more often? I love Great-grandma!" "You can ask Sh..." Charlotte wasn''t sure how to

    address Shane now.

    "Aw. Can''t you bring me here, Mommy? Why does it have to be Daddy?"

    Charlotte patted Sheryl''s head.

    There was really no way to exin it to her clearly.

    "It''s sote already. You should stay the night since you''re already here," Mrs. Fuller Senior took the

    chance to say.

    "Sure!" Sheryl agreed readily.

    "Do you want to stay here?" Charlotte picked up the little girl.

    "Yes, I want to!"

    "You have to go to kindergarten tomorrow."

    Sheryl felt put out.

    Charlotte kissed Sheryl''s cheek and said, "There''s still a chance next time."

    "It''s not safe to go out sote at night." Mrs. Fuller Senior tried.

    "Grandma..." Charlotte felt helpless.

    "It just so happens that I still have something to talk to you about."

    Charlotte froze for a moment before she subconsciously looked at Shane.

    Hadn''t they already gotten a divorce? Didn''t Shane tell his grandmother about it?

    Shane gently rubbed his temples with his long fingers. "Grandma, Lottie and I have divorced."

    "Can''t I talk to her if you''ve gotten a divorce?" Mrs. Fuller Senior was about to lose her temper.

    "Er, Yes, sure." Charlotte immediately said, "I''d love to chat with you."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior suddenlyughed. "Lottie is so sensible. Come on, I will tell you about Shane''s

    childhood..."

    Sheryl blinked her eyes and said, "Daddy, so can I sleepover here?"

    "If you go to sleep now, then yes."

    "Then I''ll go. Can I sleep in the same room as before?"

    Shane nodded.

    Sheryl immediately ran upstairs.

    Charlotte followed Mrs. Fuller Senior all the way to the srium.

    It was night, and there was no sun, but the bright moon was in the sky. The clouds were spread out

    evenly in the sky, and the stars were shining like diamonds.

    "Shane has always been very contradictory. Don''t use it against him."

    "He must have had a reason for what happened with Tiffany."

    Charlotte lowered her eyes and smiled. "Grandma, I''ll bring Sheryl to see you more."

    "I can tell that Shane really cares for you. If you talk to him, maybe he''ll understand. I really like you

    too." Mrs. Fuller Senior still wanted to persuade Charlotte to stay.

    It was rare for her to meet a young person that she liked. It didn''t even matter to her whether Sheryl

    was, even if she was not Shane''s child.

    Charlotte sighed, "Grandma, if I were someone else, I would definitely be very happy to hear you

    say this. However, I still have a lot of things to consider."

    "What are you worried about? Tell me, and I can help you to solve it." Mrs. Fuller Senior smiled.

    "Shane''s feelings," Charlotte understood and said, "Of course I can try to persuade him and he

    would get back together with me because he feels guilty. But is that fair to him?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior had been smiling, her eyes gentle, but now they widened.

    It was partially because of what Charlotte said.

    And partially because...

    Shane was leaning against the door, holding his arms and looking at the two of them calmly.

    "She was doing Shane a favor by not talking things out with him?" Mrs. Fuller Senior wondered.

    "Grandma, do you think Shane would be willing to marry a woman he doesn''t like and have her tie

    him down for the rest of his life?" As she spoke, Charlotte stood up and looked up at the starry sky.

    "There are so many stars, but they all surround the one moon. Isn''t he just like the moon?"

    An extraordinary person like him shouldn''t be tied down.

    Therefore, even though she was the one who had been abandoned, she had noints.

    There would be heartache and sadness, but there would be no hatred.

    "Lottie, do you really think that?" Mrs. Fuller Senior looked at Shane, who was still standing at the

    door, and an idea came into her mind. She smiled slyly.

    "Yes, that''s right."

    "But what if I said that Shane has fallen in love with you, what would you do then?"Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159

    Charlotte had never thought about it like that. She lowered her head and thought for a long time

    before shaking her head. "Grandma, you know Shane better than I do. He would never."

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior opened her mouth, but Shane had already turned around and left before she

    could say anything.

    She sighed. "Lottie, you might regret this in the future. You might not have the chance to get back

    together with him again."

    "I know."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior had nothing more to say.

    She and Charlotte left the srium, but she didn''t see Sheryl in the living room.

    "Sheryl?" she asked aloud.

    Ms. Laura came over and exined, "Sheryl was too tired. She went upstairs to sleep. I can take

    her to kindergarten tomorrow?"

    Charlotte said helplessly, "Oh, this kid. That would be good too. She hasn''t seen you in a long time.

    She really missed you. She can stay another day tomorrow."

    "I like that idea. As for me, I will be in town for the time being. I''m not as active as I used to be and I

    can''t afford to travel back and forth so much. I think you are busy as well. Why don''t you just leave

    Sheryl to me?" suggested Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    That...

    After Charlotte found out that Sheryl was Shane''s, she felt bad when it came to Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    The old woman loved Sheryl and Sheryl was biologically part of this family too.

    It was not a big deal for Charlotte to keep this secret, but to deliberately prevent them from seeing

    each other would be too disrespectful.

    Charlotte sighed. "Grandma, if you''re up for it and Sheryl wants to spend time with you, I''d be okay

    with that."

    "You''re a good person." Mrs. Fuller Senior felt gratified.

    "Only, weren''t you very healthy before?"

    Ms. Laura sighed and said, "You don''t know what happened. After you divorced Mr. Fuller, Mrs.

    Fuller Senior rushed home immediately. By the time she got back, you had already gone abroad

    and they had a big fight, so..."

    Charlotte felt even guiltier. She clenched her fists tightly and said in a trembling voice, "Grandma,

    I''m sorry. I didn''t expect things would turn out this way."

    If she knew that Mrs. Fuller Senior had rushed back, she would have to exin everything properly

    before leaving.

    At that time, she felt terrible and only wanted to escape from it all as soon as possible.

    "It''s all in the past now." Mrs. Fuller Senior had no intention of pursuing the matter. "Instead of

    ming you, I might as well me my grandson for not respecting me."

    "Grandma..." Charlotte''s heart ached.

    "If you really feel sorry for me, you can go upstairs to rest. Tomorrow you can have breakfast with

    me."

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment before agreeing to this request. This time, she definitely couldn''t

    sleep in Shane''s room, so she asked Ms. Laura for the keys to another room.

    However, she was unable to fall asleep. After taking a shower, she changed into some pajamas and

    slippers. She went to the living room for some water. After drinking a few cups, she still did not feel

    sleepy at all. She simply took out herputer and started working in the living room.

    She only turned on a weakly shining standingmp.

    The environment was dim and the sofa was soft. In the living room, there were wooden walls and

    the front door. Through the French window, she could see a sky full of stars.

    Some people lived their whole lives without ever experiencing this kind of peacefulness.

    Therefore, having money was really a good thing.

    Charlotte rubbed her temples to try and made her mind sober. She focused her attention on the

    computer in front of her.

    Her recent project was a coboration with the Brightshine Group. They had to create a brand

    electric toothbrush whose performance was better and more durable than that of all the other

    models on the market.

    Rick had said that it was better to focus on emerce for the Asia Pacific Region.

    In other countries, online shopping was no longer a new market.

    It was only five or six years ago that it had be publicly avable here. On the surface, the

    market was already saturated, but in fact, there was still a huge gap on the market.

    This was especially true for the smaller cities. The residents lived a good life with reasonable

    sries, but they wouldn''t spend money excessively.

    Rick wanted to get money from these people.

    The best way to entice these people was to produce cheap but high-quality products.

    Another problem was how to deal with the shipping and logistics.

    Rick had been busy dealing with the shipping routes recently, while she was in charge of the

    products.

    "Oh, the products," shemented internally.

    Charlotte bit her finger.

    "Why aren''t you sleeping?"

    The light around her dimmed.

    Charlotte raised her head subconsciously and smiled at Shane. "You''re not sleeping either, Mr.

    Fuller."

    "Call me by my name."

    "Isn''t it a little inappropriate at this point?" She said with embarrassment.

    "If you don''t call my name, I won''t answer."

    Charlotte found it funny but felt very helpless. "Shane, are you a child?"

    "Miss Charlotte, what about you?"

    "I''m not arguing with you. I can''t win anyway." She shifted her gaze and looked at the data on the

    computer in front of her.

    Shane nced at her and said lightly, "Are you going to coborate with Brightshine?"

    Charlotte nodded. "We need to research some products. I remember that yourpany also has

    some products for emerce."

    "I''m not interested in these things. The profits I get from the emerce tform is higher than the

    profits I can get from the product sales in ten years."

    "Capitalists are truly different," she muttered.

    "Isn''t Rick a capitalist too?"

    "Of course he isn''t." Charlotte retorted subconsciously. Only after she finished speaking did she

    realize that she was being too emotional.

    When Shane saw Charlotte''s guilty look, Shane could only feel that she was horribly naive. He

    grabbed her chin with his long fingers and turned her face to face him.

    Charlotte struggled, but she couldn''t ovee his strength. "What, what are you doing?"

    "Rick had much more floating capital than I ever will. But ording to what you, he seems to be

    innocent in your opinion?"

    "The way he does things is different from you." "Oh?"

    "When dealing with the same matter, you go for aggression while he tries assimtion. So maybe

    that''s why I feel that he''s a little more humane." Charlotte exined.

    "Humane capitalism. Sounds stupid."

    "Everyone has their own opinions."

    Charlotte couldn''t win in an argument with him, so she didn''t intend to keep talking about it.

    Shane did not intend to argue with her too much on this matter. After all, when she was still in

    school, he had already established hispany. For him, the most important thing was to maximize

    benefits and make use of time efficiently.

    After a while.

    Charlotte yawned, stretched, and identally touched Shane with her fingers. It was only then that

    she realized that Shane was beside her.

    She apologized in a hurry. "I''m sorry."

    "It almost feels like I don''t exist at all." Shane rubbed the chin that she had poked.

    "I, I forgot," Charlotte said, feeling guilty.

    She had moved with so much strength that a very obvious bloody mark had appeared on Shane''s

    lower jaw.

    Charlotte immediately stood up. "You''re bleeding. I''m going to get the first aid kit."

    "Bleeding?" Shane thought.

    Shane touched his jaw.

    Judging from the amount of blood, the wound wouldn''t be too big.

    Did he need a first aid kit?

    Charlotte returned with the first aid kit very quickly. She carefully dealt with his wounds.

    Yup.

    He needed it.

    Shane''s eyshes were lowered, and his cold face became soft in the.

    After Charlotte cleaned up the wound, she lifted her gaze. When she saw his smiling eyes, she was

    shocked and the cotton ball in her hand fell on his leg.

    She picked it up in a hurry, but he grabbed her wrist.

    "Are you going to marry Rick?" His voice was cold and ruthless, but it was also very enchanting.

    She was just using Rick as a pretense.

    Shane lowered his voice and said, "Hmm? Don''t tell me, it''s an excuse for you to sidestep me."

    "I don''t need to sidestep you. Besides, you were the one who proposed the termination of the

    contract, so there''s nothing for me to sidestep. Rick has always been very nice to me, and it''s

    normal for him to have feelings for me over time. I haven''t thought about marriage yet," Charlotte

    exined in a very soft voice.

    Shane narrowed his eyes.

    In other words, them getting married was a foregone conclusion?

    His grip tightened.

    She was the mother of his child, but she wanted to marry someone else?

    What a joke!

    "And Sheryl approves of this?"

    "I haven''t told Sheryl yet."

    "You''d better remember that you''re a mother before a woman."

    Upon hearing this, Charlotte had a sour feeling in her heart. She instinctively roared at him, "I didn''t

    want to be a mother! I didn''t do it willingly!"

    Suddenly, the room became so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.

    She hadn''t be a mother willingly? Oh.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160

    "My daughter will not call Rick her father," Shane said coldly. He shook her off and left without

    looking back.

    He had stayed with her all night because he was afraid that she would feel cold being in the living

    room alone.

    Even if she didn''t notice that he had always been there, it didn''t matter. He didn''t do this to please

    her.

    The only thing was...

    He always thought that she only joked about being Rick''s fiancee, but he didn''t think that...

    The veins on Shane''s arm became slightly visible, and there was a coldness in his eyes that would

    be able to freeze the air in front of him.

    Charlotte didn''t even have time to react. The meaning behind what he said had shocked her enough

    that she fell to the floor.

    She rubbed her butt and quickly looked at theputer. Fortunately, theputer was not broken.

    "This bastard," she thought.

    He cared so much that Sheryl called him Daddy. If he found out that Sheryl was his daughter,

    wouldn''t he be even more of a menace then?

    It seemed that he really liked Sheryl.

    If he cared more than just about Sheryl, then that would be great.

    Charlotte was shocked by her own thoughts. She hurried upstairs with theputer in her arms.

    She couldn''t and wouldn''t fall in love with Shane.

    Once bitten, twice shy.

    The next day.

    After Charlotte had breakfast with Mrs. Fuller Senior, she gave Ms. Laura the address of Sheryl''s

    kindergarten.

    Anne''s feelings wereplicated when she heard that Sheryl had stayed with the Fuller family. She

    asked tentatively, "Don''t tell me you don''t want my brother anymore?"

    "It''s not like that. Shane''s grandmother is back in town and she really liked Sheryl. She said that I''m

    too busy and don''t have time to take care of Sheryl. I asked Sheryl about this too. Sheryl says that if

    I''m not apanying her and her Great-grandma can..." Charlotte sighed.

    After all, she was just a kid. Whoever yed with her was a good person.

    However, Charlotte also knew that Sheryl had always been very sensible. The child would make

    such a choice because she knew that Charlotte was busy.

    "That''s good. You can visit Sheryl when you have the time. It''s better than ruining your rtionship

    with the Fuller family." Anne said.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "They don''t know that Sheryl is Shane''s."

    "What!? Then, then why did you leave Sheryl behind?" Anne was stunned.

    She thought that Charlotte had already told Shane the truth a long time ago.

    That was why she had always thought of Shane as a piece of shit.

    Charlotte hadn''t said anything before going abroad. And she hasn''t said anything since returning.

    Anne felt that this wasn''t right. "No, Lottie. There is no harm in telling them the truth. You might even

    get shares from Shane''spany. Those are worth a lot!"

    "I was afraid that they would take Sheryl away, so..."

    "Are you stupid? Isn''t Sheryl with them now?"

    "It''s not the same."

    Anne didn''t understand how it was different.

    Charlotte said that she had already arrived at the office and was going to start working, so she

    ended their conversation.

    Anne didn''t give up easily. She went directly to the Jane Corporation, nning to talk to Rick and

    Lottie about this matter.

    When she arrived at her meeting, Charlotte could only see Anne''s face in her mind''s eye. She was

    smiling, looking like a malicious weasel.

    Charlotte sighed.

    She knew that her best friend would not give up so easily, so she quickly finished the meeting. She

    wanted to talk to her about this matter during the break.

    Unexpectedly, before she had time to call Anne, the woman had already shown up.

    It happened to be lunchtime, so Charlotte took Anne to the canteen and said, "You''re really my best

    friend."

    "I am not only here to see you, but also to see my brother."

    "Why are you looking for your brother?"

    "I want to know what he thinks about you not telling Shane the truth."

    Charlotte was stunned.

    She subconsciously felt that she should not bother Rick with such a trivial matter, but she really

    wanted to know what he thought.

    Fortunately, she didn''t need to worry about it. Anne was a very capricious sister, so she immediately

    called her busy brother over.

    It was only after Rick came to the canteen that he found out Charlotte was also there.

    "Do you both have something to talk to me about, or is it just Anne?" Rick sat down, looked through

    the menu, and pointed to one of the dishes. The waiter immediately went to put in the order.

    "I''m the one looking for you," Anne said.

    "Okay, talk."

    Anne told him the whole story.

    Rick frowned as he listened to Anne speak. "Are you telling me that Shane got drugged five years

    ago and could have died, so Lottie got raped in the process of saving him?"

    Anne nodded vigorously. "That''s what Shane thinks is the case. In fact, Charlotte didn''t know who

    Shane was at that time. Rick, I have told you about this before."

    "Well, I didn''t pay much attention to it at that time."

    He had always thought that the child that Charlotte gave birth to was the child of some ex.

    So he did not pursue her too hard. He was worried that she would refuse him because of her love

    for the child.

    He didn''t expect that the child was just an ident.

    Anne had mentioned it before, but he was so busy at that time, how could he have remembered

    such a small thing?

    It seemed that he had missed a good opportunity to keep Charlotte by his side.

    "Rick, do you think we should tell Shane or not?"

    "There are two parts to this problem. The first issue is whether you want to tell him. The other is

    whether you should." Rick analyzed immediately.

    Anne looked confused. "Stop using your debate skills. I don''t understand."

    Charlotte smiled from the side.

    That''s right.

    Rick had been in the debate team when she was in university.

    It was not the college debate team but the international team.

    His debate skills were world-famous.

    "The first part of the problem is very simple. If telling Shane can get you more benefits than keeping

    it from him, then tell him. As for the second part, I don''t think you should tell him. There''s no reason

    for Charlotte to tell him anything"

    "So..."

    "It''s up to her," Rick answered simply and clearly.

    Anne pouted her lips and said, "I think I should tell Shane. Then she can use her daughter to get

    some of Shane''s shared.."

    "Anne." Charlotte felt helpless.

    "If Lottie were such a person, then epting my proposal would be much better than telling Shane

    that Sheryl is his child. That way, half of the Jane Corporation would be hers."

    When she heard this, Anne''s eyes lit up. "So the reason why Lottie didn''t tell Shane is because of

    this!"

    What?

    Charlotte was dumbfounded.

    Anne suddenly left happily.

    Charlotte didn''t even have time to react. She looked up at the man in front of her in confusion.

    He was having his mealnguidly. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised. He looked gentle

    and elegant.

    "Aren''t you afraid that she will misunderstand us and spread this everywhere?"

    "Are you scared?"

    "I have a child, and I have had a divorce. You really don''t mind?"

    Rick shrugged. "Why should I mind?"

    Charlotte was speechless. These things were very difficult for her, but they didn''t seem to matter to

    Rick.

    The way he had exined things so simply made her feel at ease.

    She lowered her head and smiled bitterly. "Anyone else would mind, not to mention..."

    "I don''t care why you gave birth. I only know that I won''t let you go. I will respect you and give you

    space. But at the same time, even if you gave birth to Sheryl because you were in love with him, I

    still wouldn''t mind."

    What he mind was,

    "Will she fall in love with me?" he wondered.

    Sheryl was so cute, why would he mind her?

    Charlotte felt a pain in her heart. She said in a low voice, "I saw some people on the Inte say

    that we are a good match, but someonemented something about how a used woman with a

    child in tow could possibly be part of the Jane family."

    "Are you going to be with me? Are you going to ept my proposal?" Rick asked bluntly.

    "Of, of course I haven''t thought of that..."

    "If you don''t like me, if you don''t think that I can take care of you, then why should you care about

    what people think of you being with me?"

    "But, it''s not good for your reputation. The head of the Jane Corporation fancies a single mother,

    and he wants to marry her. Public opinion would definitely not be good."

    "Really?" he wondered.

    She cared more about his reputation than he did. Rick put down his knife and fork and opened his

    mouth-

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161

    Rick opened his mouth-

    "They don''t understand you or me. Why should we care about them?"

    "That''s because this will affect the stock price and cause thepany to lose profits. They will think

    that you''re a fool and won''t believe in your products," Charlotte exined.

    "I can abandon thepany."

    Instinctively, Charlotte touched the metal bracelet on her wrist.

    Rick leaned forward slightly and looked at her with a very serious expression. "I can give up

    everything I have for you. It doesn''t matter if everyoneughs at me as long as you are willing to be

    with me. They don''t understand the kind of courage it would take."

    "Rick..."

    "Don''t feel pressured. As I said before, I will tell you what I think, but what you choose is your

    business."

    "I''m sorry." She lowered her head and tears welled up in her eyes. "I thought that as long as I did

    what I should and did my best to consider your standpoint, it would be enough to repay you, but..."

    In the face of his desperate love.

    Everything she did was in vain.

    As long as she didn''t love him, she would always owe him.

    Unfortunately, she still did not love him.

    "You don''t need to repay me. You know very well that I have my pride. If you force yourself to stay

    by my side as my woman, it would only make me sadder. We can keep going like this and let fate

    decide." Rick said as he stood up.

    Charlotte suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

    Rick stopped and tilted his head to one side to look at her.

    She bit her lip with a nk look in her eyes. It seemed that she didn''t know whether she had made

    the right decision or not.

    He took her hand off his sleeve with a light smile, leaned over, and rubbed her hair. "I''m confident,

    so you don''t have to force yourself."

    "I''ll go back with you. I still have work to do."

    "You haven''t eaten anything yet."

    "I''m not hungry."

    "I''ll stay with you first while you eat."

    Charlotte nodded her head subconsciously.

    Perhaps, she didn''t want to go back to thepany with him to deal with her, but she simply didn''t

    want him to leave.

    Charlotte didn''t know what she was thinking either. She only knew that, at this moment, she wanted

    to cling to Rick. She didn''t want to be unable to see him.

    Something big happened with Brightshine.

    The chairman was found to be involved in a scandal with the celebrity Tiffany Allen.

    Brightshine had been in the midst of coborating with NC Company. Once the scandal came to

    light, NC Company stopped working with Brightshine. They had quickly reced Tiffany with a male

    celebrity as their spokesperson.

    The series of actions were smooth like water. The speed of NC''s public rtions department was

    faster than any otherpany. Before the news could make its rounds, they had already

    responded.

    Charlotte and Rick returned to the office together, just in time to hear people talking about NC

    Company and Brightshine.

    "What happened with NC Company?" Charlotte was confused.

    "It''s like this," Rick''s secretary exined, "NC Company''s CEO, Shane Fuller, had been rumored to

    be going out with Tiffany Allen before. Today, someone exposed the news that Tiffany had actually

    been in a rtionship with one of Brightshine''s directors. There are some indecent photos and

    videos too. As a result, NC Company stopped endorsing Tiffany."

    "What?" Charlotte suspected that she had heard wrongly.

    Tiffany had always said that she liked Shane since she was ten. How was it that she was with a

    director from Brightshine?

    No, it couldn''t be called a rtionship.

    That Brightshine director was not young anymore. Even if he wasn''t old enough to be her father, he

    was definitely from an older generation. Although he did not look old, he was married with children.

    He had a nine-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter. He had always had a good rtionship

    with his wife too.

    This sudden scandal would be a big blow to NC Company and Brightshine.

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "However, NC Company has already decided to have Tiffany take on the next TV drama. To put it

    bluntly, they want her to stay away from trouble for the time being," the secretary exined.

    "That''s typical." Charlotte smiled. "Tiffany means a lot to Shane."

    "What is their rtionship?" Rick asked.

    "I''m not sure what kind of feelings Shane has for Tiffany, but Tiffany said that she liked Shane since

    she was ten years old," Charlotte exined. Since Shane''s past with Heidi Allen wereplicated,

    Charlotte didn''t know how to exin it, so she didn''t mention it.

    Rick could not helpughing when he heard that. "Why does it sound like a child ying house?"

    Charlotte lowered her head awkwardly.

    The secretary said, "Tiffany had always had someone supporting her. But we never found any solid

    proof about her and Shane."

    "So it''s fake?"

    "Tiffany may think it''s true. When ites to Shane, there is no need for him to use a little star to

    hype himself up. Most celebrities would be eager to have a rtionship with him."

    "So what you''re saying is..."

    "Shane could be taking care of Tiffany for some reason, and turned a blind eye to the matter of

    Tiffany''s scandal."

    Rick nodded in understanding. That was indeed quite possible.

    Charlotte frowned.

    She wasn''t sure about Shane''s attitude towards Tiffany, but Shane must care about Heidi Allen very

    much.

    "Let''s leave NC Company aside for now. Now we are coborating with Brightshine. What do you

    think about that?" Rick asked.

    "My suggestion is to wait and see," The secretary replied respectfully.

    "That''s right, I agree. Lottie, what do you think..."

    "I''ll find a way to contact otherpanies. Please don''t worry, Mr. Jane. I''ll definitely find apany

    to coborate with us before the 7th."

    "The 7th?" he wondered.

    That was less than ten days from now.

    Rick shook his head and said, "Let''s put this project aside first. You take Sheryl on a vacation for a

    few days to rx. I''ll contact thepanies. If it doesn''t work, we can postpone it."

    "I don''t want you to lose."

    "Lottie, I won''t lose, even if it''s only for you."

    Charlotte bit her lip and clenched her fists stubbornly. "I can spend my whole life making up for

    Sheryl, but we only have one year."

    "We only have one year," he thought.

    Rick felt sorry for Charlotte because he had put too much pressure on her. She didn''t need to act

    this way.

    "Mr. Jane, I''m going to work." Charlotte left in a hurry.

    After Charlotte left, Rick gave a brief look to his secretary.

    "What do you think of her?"

    "She''s very good," the secretary replied.

    "You like her?"

    "In theory, if I had to choose between Anne and Ms. Emerson, I would pick Ms. Emerson without

    hesitation," the secretary said.

    "Did you make this decision before today or after?"

    The secretaryughed and said, "Mr. Jane, I graduated college with you. The people you like, even

    if they''re not my cup of tea, wouldn''t be people I dislike."

    Rick patted him on the shoulder and said, "I just want to make sure my viewpoint is good." "I

    understand. It''s always good to be a little more cautious when dealing with women, but Ms.

    Emerson is different from other women."

    "Is that so?"

    "If it was an ordinary woman, they would have fallen for you once you hint at taking her away to live

    a good life. But not only did she not rebuke you, she worked even harder to help you achieve

    sess."

    "Doesn''t that just mean that she thinks I''m testing her?" Rick said with a wry smile.

    He cared about Charlotte and was willing to give his heart, but he really didn''t understand women.

    The secretary shook his head. "A person with her personality would react that way. It shows that

    she thinks that you are serious, so she feels even more guilty."

    "She worked hard to... repay me."

    "Yes, that''s right."

    Rick waved his hand and the secretary immediately left.

    If she were just some other woman, he would probably admire Charlotte. He would respect such a

    strong woman as her.

    But since he liked her, he could only feel distressed.

    The more she showed that she didn''t want to bother him, the deeper into despair he sank.

    He sank so deep that he even began to suspect that this might be part of her n.

    Charlotte returned to the office.

    She went through all thepanies in the country that she could coborate with as fast as she

    could.

    There were about three that had a decent price, with another one being too high.

    The other thirteen were all abroad.

    That didn''t work...

    She had to go on a business trip.

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162

    In the afternoon, Charlotte wrote the email and went to meet the managers of two of thepanies.

    They both rejected her politely. After all, they didn''t want to offend the Jane Corporation, and they

    didn''t want to lose the partners that they had worked with for many years either. They didn''t care

    even when Charlotte repeatedly emphasized the amount and value of the order.

    She said helplessly, "Your partners must be really relieved to work with you. If you want to end your

    coborations with the otherpanies, please contact us as soon as possible. The price and

    quantity can be negotiated."

    "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Emerson. In fact, we also want to cooperate with the Jane

    Corporation. To be honest, this business has only been on the rise for five or six years, and many

    factories andpanies have signed an agreement of five to ten years. If you approach in the next

    year or two, many contracts will have ended."

    "Thank you. This information is very important to me."

    "I wish the Jane Corporation all the best."

    By the time she returned to the office, it was already 6:30 p.m.

    Many employees were getting off work, but she walked against the flow of traffic while heading for

    overtime.

    "Ms. Emerson is really hardworking..."

    "Why else would Mr. Jane like her?"

    "I think she was here before nine o''clock, and now she''s going to work again. She''s really working

    all hours."

    Charlotte was already used to hearing such words.

    In the beginning, there were people who said that she was pretending to work hard. As time

    passed, these people began to stop gossiping, to the extent where there were even some who even

    worshipped her.

    However, she really didn''t like to be the subject of discussion, so she had to lower her head and

    quickly leave the crowd every time.

    It was past nine o''clock.

    Charlotte was still sorting out the information.

    "Knock, knock!"

    "Come in." She didn''t even look up. "Aren''t you going home yet?" Rick sat opposite her with two

    cups of coffee in his hands. Then henguidly put down his papers andptop, and started work.

    "I''m really having some trouble." Charlotte sighed. "Rick, you really handled this in the past?"

    Rick nodded.

    Charlotte shook her head until her hair was disheveled. "You''re amazing. I knew that your quality of

    work is higher than mine."

    "You should take a rest. It doesn''t matter as long as I''m here."

    "I hope that one day, I can also say this to you."

    "Lottie, I could have given you thepany and waited abroad for the result. I came back with you

    to manage the development of the Asia Pacific Region so that you would not be so overworked."

    "I appreciate your kindness. If you don''t like seeing me so busy, you can go abroad in a few days

    and let me try doing it alone."

    Rick couldn''t help butugh.

    He got up and walked to her side. He tapped the tip of her nose with his long finger. "Are you trying

    to drive me away from my ownpany?"

    Charlotte took a step back to hide and covered her face with her arms. "I''m thinking of your health.

    Anne said that your digestion is not good and you always have insomnia. You''ve also had liver

    surgery."

    Rick said, "I''m already like this. I don''t want you to go through the same thing. Don''t overdo it. Let''s

    put this project aside."

    "No."

    "You don''t want to listen to me?"

    "I''m not your sister."

    "Then what am I to you?"

    Upon hearing this, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. Just as she was about to reply, her phone rang.

    She immediately grabbed her phone and hurriedly ran towards the pantry. She needed to calm

    down a little.

    She picked up the phone.

    On the other end, the man''s voice was a little cold. "You looked for so many otherpanies, but

    you wouldn''t enquire your formerpany?"

    "Mr... Mr. Fuller?" Charlotte was so frightened that she almost dropped the phone.

    "You sound so scared. What do you think I''ll do to you?"

    For no reason at all, Charlotte''s heart was in a state of panic. She chuckled awkwardly.

    Shane switched the hand holding the phone, his gaze falling on the document in front of him. "I

    have a fewpanies here. Let''s find a time to meet tomorrow."

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "But I..."

    Beep, beep, beep-

    Charlotte stared at her phone in a daze.

    Was Shane trying to help her?

    Charlotte stood there in a daze. Behind her, Rick was leaning against the wall with a cup of coffee in

    hand. His gazended on her, but it also seemed as if he had fallen into a void.

    In the end, Charlotte decided that she wouldn''t ept any help from Shane.

    Since she didn''t want Rick to help, she couldn''t turn around to ask Shane for help.

    If she did that, she would despise herself from the bottom of her heart."

    Driven by courage, Charlotte called Shane back.

    "Yes?" The man asked Iiltingly.

    "I don''t need your help," Charlotte said in a serious and forbidding tone. "I can handle this on my

    own."

    "You can indeed do it. But you can only settle it in a few months'' time'' "I won''t allow the contract to

    be overdue. Shane, don''t you look down on me."

    Shane curled his lips and said sarcastically, "Do you think you can find a manufacturer with just your

    good luck and smarts?"

    Charlotte clenched her fists, her nails sinking into the flesh of her palms, "I''ve never been a lucky

    person. It was like that years ago, it''s like that now, and it will be the same in the future. I can

    ovee my luck!"

    "I''m waiting for you to beg me after you fail."

    "I won''t."

    This time, it was Charlotte who took the initiative to hang up the phone.

    Rick looked away and stepped back to the office with a faint smile.

    Charlotte put her phone back into her pocket and patted her face with her hand. At worst, she would

    have to pull some all- nighters. Nevertheless, she would be able to find a suitable manufacturer!

    With Jane Corporation''s support, things would be fine as long as she could apany that would

    coborate or one with excess materials.

    The price and quantity could be changed. She didn''t believe that there wasn''t apany in the

    country that would cooperate with her.

    At that same moment, at the old mansion.

    Sheryl held the teddy bear and leaned against Shane''s shoulder. She muttered, "Daddy, did you lie

    to me about taking me to see Mommy on Saturday and having dinner with her? She''s not being nice

    to you at all."

    "When have I lied to you?"

    "Um." The little girl tilted her head and looked at him with a smile. "You''ve never lied to me!"

    Shane held the little girl in his arms. His eyes were full of love. Sheryl was lying against his shoulder

    and shaking her head proudly.

    It didn''t matter whether Charlotte rejected his suggestion or not.

    If he wanted to help her, there were plenty of ways he could do so that she could not think of.

    It was just that...

    He was very curious about where her confidence came from.

    He was looking forward to seeing if her decision was the same as what he expected.

    They were approaching the original time limit.

    Charlotte wanted to rest on the ne, but when she closed her eyes, all she could see was

    numbers. She could only open her eyes and look at the clouds outside the window.

    Her mental state was so wound up that even the slightest disruption would cause her to copse.

    So she chose the expensive but quiet first-ss cabin.

    The first- ss cabin was like a smallpartment for one person. In theory, it was impossible for

    the first-ss cabin to interact with anyone. However, Charlotte''s call button was broken, so she

    had to call an air steward over herself. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to eat.

    Coincidentally, the call button in thepartment opposite hers was also broken.

    The two of them pulled open thepartment doors almost at the same time.

    The other person was a career woman who was dressed neatly. After she nced at Charlotte for a

    while, she took the initiative to greet ��

    "Have we met each other somewhere before?"

    Her voice was soft and sweet.

    "I''m also thinking that I seem to have met you before..." Charlotte subconsciously lowered her head

    to nce at her files.

    Avery Hart, the CEO of Reussir Company.

    The CEO was a man, but was prettier than a woman, with hair longer than a woman''s.

    When she only looked at the photos, Charlotte felt that it was a little too much to say that he was

    pretty. After all, his facial features looked quite handsome.

    However.

    As soon as she saw him in person, she was stunned.

    Mr. Hart was too beautiful when he dressed up.

    Charlotte felt a little insecure. He was also someone traveling by ne, but he looked so put-

    together. She looked terrible inparison.

    She quickly came back to her senses and greeted the man. "Hello, I''m the CEO of the Jane

    Corporation''s Asia Pacific Region, Charlotte Emerson."

    Avery was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, he covered his mouth with his hand and smiled, "Oh, I

    was right. I knew you looked familiar."

    "Er, you look better than I thought."

    "Really? Do you like me?" Avery gave her a wink.

    "From a woman''s point of view, I don''t like you very much."

    When he heard her words, Avery''sughter was magnified. It came with a man''s boldness and

    forthrightness.

    Charlotte blinked innocently.

    "That''s fine too. I like to deal with straightforward and fast- talking people. You''re here to negotiate

    about the emerce project, aren''t you?" said Avery. He supported his head and allowed his hair

    to slide along his shoulders, making him look rather flirty.

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163

    Charlotte nodded her head, sitting like an obedient primary school student.

    Avery was really weird. She had never met someone like him before.

    "I have been too busy to rest in order to discuss coborating with you. Right after getting off this

    ne, I have to have a meeting with you. I''m very dissatisfied with this." Avery stretched out a finger

    and waved it, obviously expressing his disagreement.

    "We can talk about it on the ne. I''ve brought all my materials. We don''t have to have them printed

    after getting off the ne."

    Charlotte conjured the documents like a magician and handed the contract she had prepared to

    Avery, "I''d be amenable if you''re willing to sign it here."

    "Three million a month? Are you certain?" Avery nced at her. He frowned and bit his lips with his

    beautiful teeth.

    "That''s right."

    "I really need to coborate with others now."

    "I know, so it''s not only this order, we will also send you the raw materials and the designs.

    If you can do it..." Charlotte raised her eyebrows at him.

    Avery was smiling calmly, but he was astonished by the detailed information.

    Charlotte was very confident in her prepared documents. There were still a few hours before she

    got off the ne, so she wasn''t in a hurry.

    In the end.

    Avery brought out the contract and took out a pen. "I can sign it, but I''m very curious. You mean to

    handle the shipping yourself."

    "All yourpany needs to do is transport the products to a specified location. We will send a ne

    to ship them elsewhere," exined Charlotte.

    "In other words, you want to set up an office in our city?"

    "If the contract is signed, yes."

    "If my guess is correct, is it rted to shipping?"

    Charlotte nodded again.

    Avery''s body leaned forward slightly. His eyes were seductive. He stretched out his hand and

    hooked under Charlotte''s chin. He smiled and said, "If you can give me some of your profits, I''ll sign

    this contract."

    "I don''t have any profits, I''m just an employee. Rick said he wanted to give me some shares, but I

    didn''t take them. How many shares do you want? I can ask him and I''ll give them to you after I get

    them." Charlotte really wanted toplete this deal, so she was both urgent and sincere.

    Avery was stunned.

    He covered his lips andughed for a while, then signed. "I appreciate your work ethic, but don''t be

    so naive. You''re lucky that you''re dealing with me this time. If it were someone else, you would have

    been taken advantage of."

    Huh?

    Charlotte was dumbfounded.

    "You must have a lot of people helping you from behind the scenes, but you can''t always rely on

    them. Like just now, it''s obvious that I asked you to give me profits, and you were willing to put

    yourself out to get them. It''s inevitable that you''ll be bullied." Avery handed the signed contract back

    to her.

    "Mr. Hart, what do you mean..."

    "The Jane family is more powerful than you think. With the kind of support you have, you should

    learn how to use it. Your sincerity makes you an easy meat."

    Charlotte got off the ne with the contract in her hand.

    She looked at the peopleing and going.

    She felt embarrassed.

    So what had shee here for?

    Charlotte found a lounge and called Rick toin. After finishing her story, she sighed and said,

    "It''s unexpected, isn''t it? I didn''t expect that I would seed because of luck again this time. Is my

    luck really so good?"

    "Avery Hart... huh?" Rick asked with a hint of vignce in his tone.

    "What about him?"

    "Do you think that a man like him would dress up like this for nothing?" Rick asked.

    It was only then that Charlotte realized that Avery had led her around by nose on the ne. The

    biggest reason why she had not gone against him was because of his outward appearance.

    He was a beautiful and morous man.

    Even with just such a description most people''s imaginations would involuntarily be sent into

    overdrive, let alone seeing the man in person.

    "Is he special?"

    "In the city where you went, his family''s control over it is probably 100%."

    "What?"

    "If I had known that you were going to coborate with Reussir, I would have stopped you. He is not

    a simple person." When it came to Reussir and Avery Hart, Rick gave his highly praise without

    hesitation.

    "Then why did he sign the contract with me? The contract has been signed, and he will have to pay

    if the terms are breached."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Where''s the stamp?"

    "I brought it along with me. Everything was done following the standard procedure. I''m the one who

    produced the contract."

    It was a little interesting.

    Rick asked his staff to find information about the Hart family as quickly as possible.

    One of the things that caught his attention was that, three months ago, the head of the Hart family,

    Avery''s father, brought a little girl home and made her his sessor.

    It would not be a big deal if it was a boy, but it happened to be a girl, so the family was naturally

    dissatisfied.

    The only exception was Avery, who was helping the girl. There were also many reporters who had

    photographed Avery bringing the girl to various ces.

    And two months ago, the head of the Hart family died of lymphoma.

    For this girl, Avery could be said to have made the entire Hart family his enemy.

    As Charlotte listened, she had a theory, "So, he needs a reliable partner?"

    "That''s right."

    "Can we be that partner?"

    "Lottie, from his attitude, it is not a question of whether we can do it. It''s whether you can. The Jane

    Corporation is not in his consideration. Otherwise, he would not have signed the contract with you,

    bute directly to me. After all, I am still in the country."

    Charlotte was silent. She did not feel that something was wrong.

    Avery was good- looking and seemed harmless. However, the situation with the Hart family was an

    unknown factor. As long as she protected herself well, it should not be a big problem.

    "Don''t worry about me. Besides, I got the contract signed."

    "Alright."

    "Then, should Ie back now or..."

    "Look at you. It''s okay if you want to rest for a few days. I''ll send someone to bring back the

    documents."

    After thinking for a moment, Charlotte finally decided to return. "I''d better go back. I''d rather go back

    and spend time with my child than rest here."

    "Sounds good."

    After Charlotte made up her mind, she immediately booked an air ticket.

    But the next flight was at eleven o''clock at the earliest, so she had to stay at the airport.

    She hadn''t expected that she would have to return before she could enjoy the scenery after visiting

    here for the first time.

    However,pared to staying here for nothing, she was more willing to go back.

    Right after Charlottended, she dragged her luggage and walked out of the passageway, and her

    phone rang.

    "Hello?"

    "Look left."

    The person on the phone only said those two words.

    Charlotte didn''t even have a clear idea of who it was. She subconsciously turned her head to look.

    A tall man wearing a hat, a face mask, and a pair of sses stood in the distance. There was even

    a cute child sitting on his shoulders.

    The cute child looked a little familiar.

    When she took a closer look, she found that it was her daughter!

    The corners of Charlotte''s mouth twitched. She immediately dragged her luggage and walked

    forward, "Why are you here?"

    "Congrattions."

    "Thank you, Mr. Fuller." She said not too happily. "Aren''t you afraid of the paparazzi?"

    "Your daughter wants to see you."

    "I originally nned to contact you after I got back and put away my luggage. This time, things went

    smoothly, and I will have three to four days of free time. I want to take her out to y." Charlotte

    took the child into her arms.

    Shane easily took her luggage and nodded slightly. After walking for a while, he opened his mouth

    ��

    "Grandma said that if you want to take Sheryl out to y, you must take her with you."

    "Wh - what?" Charlotte suspected that her ears had been damaged.

    "Great- grandma guessed that you''ll have a vacation soon," Sheryl said in a childish voice. "I want

    to spend some quality time with Greatgrandma too. Mommy, don''t you want that?"

    Charlotte indeed wanted to.

    Charlotte bit her lips and looked at Shane with a somewhat uneasy look.

    Shane raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    She was worried. "Grandma is getting old. What if something happens?"

    "This is her idea. We cannot go against it."

    That was true.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was a woman of her word.

    Charlotte racked her brains. She could only spend some time trying to figure out where the little girl

    and the old woman would both enjoy going.

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164

    Shane invited her to dinner. Charlotte had been so worried about going out with Mrs. Fuller Senior

    that it was only when Rick called that she remembered that she should have let him know she had

    arrived.

    And yet.

    When she was talking to Rick on the phone, Shane had been talking to Sheryl.

    "Is Shane there?" Rick naturally heard Shane''s voice.

    "Yes." Charlotte lowered her head and replied in a muffled voice.

    "Do you not want to see him, or do you not know how to face him?"

    "Both."

    "Do you need my help?" Rick looked at his reports and said, ''TH be done in about 30 minutes."

    Charlotte didn''t want to trouble him. After all, Shane had brought Sheryl to pick her up. He had

    invited her to dinner too. It had been so nice of him to do so.

    If Charlotte asked Rick toe over, it would be rude to both men.

    She thought for a while but declined in the end. "It''s okay. You don''t have to pick me up, I..."

    "Rick?" Shane suddenly turned his gaze towards Charlotte.

    Charlotte felt a chill in her heart when he looked at her, and she nodded her head subconsciously.

    Shane reached out and made a gesture to her, indicating that she should hand over the phone to

    him.

    "Give him the phone." Rick seemed to have guessed what was going on.

    Charlotte was speechless.

    Why did she feel that she was out of ce here between Shane and Rick?

    Shane took the phone and pressed it against his ear.

    "About Avery, what do you think?" Rick went straight to the point.

    "It''s not a bad thing."

    "And it has nothing to do with you?"

    "No."

    "It seems that you''ve really given me a treasure. Don''t you regret it?"

    Shane''s eyes turned cold and his voice deepened. "She''s my woman."

    "What were they talking about?" Charlotte wondered.

    Although Charlotte didn''t hear what Shane said, her intuition told her that it had something to do

    with her. However, when she heard Shane''s words, she felt that something wasn''t right.

    Shane... He wouldn''t tell someone that she was his woman, would he?

    They no longer had anything to do with each other.

    "Lottie doesn''t seem to think so."

    "That''s not important."

    "As a man, you should be more gentlemanly. Since you once gave up on her, you should let her

    have the choice to meet other men than you."

    Shane sneered as he hung up the phone and returned the phone to Charlotte.

    Charlotte had genuinely been scared by his words and didn''t dare to ask any more questions. She

    silently ced her phone back into her pocket.

    Rick looked at the ck phone on the screen and frowned slightly.

    He rubbed his temples.

    Previously, Shane''s attitude toward Charlotte had not been so unyielding. What had happened?

    Was it because of Tiffany?

    ording to what Charlotte said, Tiffany liked Shane...

    Or, it was because they had feelings for each other, but since Tiffany''s scandal was exposed, Shane

    felt regretful and wanted to get back together with Charlotte?

    Rick''s soft expression became cold and serious.

    Even if Charlotte wanted to be with another man, she couldn''t be with such a piece of scum.

    After sending Sheryl back to the old mansion, Charlotte wanted to leave on her own so that she

    wouldn''t have to be in Shane''s car.

    But drove her away from the old mansion without a word before Charlotte had the chance to call a

    taxi.

    "Where are you taking me?" Charlotte asked uneasily.

    "We''ll be there very soon."

    "This person..."Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte bit her lower lip and had no choice but to stay quiet for a while. She was in his car, so it

    wasn''t up to her what she could do.

    In the end.

    Shane parked his car near a hot spring hotel.

    They were alone in the middle of the wilderness.

    Charlotte was a little nervous. Her fingers tightened in her fist. Her neck was also sweating

    profusely.

    "She is my woman."

    The words Shane had said before were now like a mantra cycling in her ear.

    Just as Charlotte was thinking about how to escape, Shane opened his mouth and said, "Look at

    the environment here. If it''s not bad, you can bring Sheryl and Grandmother over and stay for a few

    days. I''ll transfer the money to you."

    "Oh? Um..."

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

    Then, a faint feeling of disappointment welled up in her heart.

    "Disappointment!?" Charlotte wondered.

    She was shocked by this emotion.

    Had she been nervous or excited just now?

    Somehow, a memory from five years ago appeared in her mind. She was pressed under someone''s

    body, with him pushing into her with a lot of force. She could only plead again and again, and

    finally...

    Charlotte''s face was getting redder and redder.

    Shane sensed that something was wrong with her and leaned over to look at her. "What? Do you

    think I brought you here for another purpose?"

    "No, that''s not it." She quickly waved her hand. "I''m just thinking that it would be fine toe

    tomorrow. Why did you bring me here tonight?"

    "It''s only you and me tonight. Get out of the car.

    "What''s going on?" Charlotte wondered.

    Charlotte obediently got off the car and followed him into the hotel.

    The receptionist quicklypleted the checkin procedure for the two of them. They were only given

    one room card.

    "You''re not going to stay with me, are you? In the past, we were husband and wife, but we..." She

    muttered.

    "I forgot. You''re someone else''s fiancee." Shane emphasized the word "fiancee".

    Charlotte couldn''t understand what he meant. The person who wanted to divorce was him. He was

    also the one who had helped her. Now, the person who brought her here... was also him.

    What on earth did he want to do?

    Was it fun for him to y around with her in such a way?

    The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and the more depressed she felt. No,

    she didn''t want to be amb to the ughter.

    Squeak-

    Just as Charlotte was letting her imagination run wild, Shane pushed the door open.

    The room was very big. It was enough to fit twenty beds, much less just two. It was a two-story suite

    with four rooms.

    "You and Sheryl can share a room. There''s a double bed. I''ll take one for myself. Grandma and Ms.

    Laura can have another. Go check the facilities." Shane took off his suit and casually put it on a

    hanger. He walked to the sofa and sat down. He turned on the TV and started reading financial

    reports.

    His movements were so natural and elegant.

    Compared to him...

    Charlotte felt that she was too silly.

    She took a deep breath and checked the rooms one by one.

    After her perusal, she took some paper and a pen to Shane and said, "Grandma and Ms. Laura can

    take the room downstairs. It will be easier for them since the facilities are mostly there. There are a

    small living room and another room too. Sheryl and I can sleep in that one. One of the other two

    rooms has a portable modem, and you can use it to work. As for the other room..."

    "Someone will stay there," Shane said.

    "Who else wasing over?" Charlotte wondered.

    Charlotte had a bad guess in her mind. She asked defensively, "It can''t be Tiffany Allen, can it?"

    Why had she thought of that person?

    Shane looked at her as if he was looking at a fool.

    "Uh... I don''t mean to imply anything." Charlotte lowered her head guiltily.

    "Grandma doesn''t like her, so even if I have feelings for her, I won''t take her home. And I won''t let

    her meet Sheryl. Do you understand?" "Oh." Charlotte nodded numbly.

    She felt a little sad.

    She didn''t catch the part of the sentence that Shane said "even if I had feelings for her, I won''t..."

    Instead, her head was filled with the picture of Shane fighting against his grandmother for Tiffany''s

    sake.

    She thought for a while.

    She felt that she still had to advise him.

    "Grandmother doesn''t like Tiffany, so you''d better restrain yourself a little. If you anger her and put

    her in the hospital again, it would be bad."

    Shane narrowed his eyes.

    Charlotte wanted to exin. She didn''t want to intrude into his personal affairs. It was just that Mrs.

    Fuller Senior treated her very well. Charlotte was worried about her.

    But she could say anything, Shane had appeared directly in front of her.

    "What do you think is the rtionship between me and Tiffany?"

    "It''s none of my business anyway." Charlotte was so frightened that she took a step back. Her eyes

    were filled with caution when she looked at him.

    Shane looked at her trembling lips. When he saw how afraid of him she looked, he felt very

    unhappy.

    He reached out to hold her in his arms and bent over to put his attention on her lips, which were as

    tender as rose petals.

    "Shane, are you crazy?" Her voice was one octave higher.

    "You still have the shares of thepany, don''t you?"

    He suddenly changed the topic. Charlotte was stunned for a moment before slowly nodding her

    head.

    Shane let go of her and nodded in satisfaction. "Keep it in your possession. Don''t give it to me, and

    don''t give it to anyone else."

    "Why?" she asked subconsciously.

    "Just do as I say. Don''t worry about anything else." Shane turned around and went upstairs, as if he

    was going to bed.

    Charlotte looked at his back and touched her lips. All of a sudden, her heart began to beat rapidly.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165

    Was Shane crazy? Did he just kiss her?

    Charlotte patted her face and forced herself to calm down. She sat down on the sofa and took out

    her mobile phone to y some games. She thought she could calm down in this way.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    But things often did not go her way.

    She heard a character in the game speak in a sexy and husky noise. Shane''s face instantly

    appeared in her mind.

    "Why does he keep haunting me?" she wondered.

    Charlotte smiled bitterly. She turned off her phone andy down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

    She had just returned from a business trip today. She should have taken Sheryl to have hot pot with

    Anne and the others. Then, she should have taken Sheryl out to y tomorrow.

    How had she ended up here with Shane?

    Sigh.

    She couldn''t understand him.

    The next day.

    Sheryl, Mrs. Fuller Senior and Ms. Laura arrived at the hotel.

    Even if Charlotte didn''t want to be here with Shane, she couldn''t take it out on Mrs. Fuller Senior

    and Sheryl.

    The two of them went to the buffet restaurant where Shane was already eating.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior brought Sheryl to get some food. Charlotte didn''t have much of an appetite, so

    she sat near the window and waited forthem.

    "Don''t you want to eat anything?" Shane pushed a portion of steamed eggs in front of her.

    "I''m not hungry." Charlotte looked at the egg and didn''t have much appetite. "I might have eaten too

    much yesterday."

    Yesterday?

    Shane recalled that she didn''t eat too much. Most of the food had been eaten by him and Sheryl,

    and some of it Sheryl had taken back to the old mansion.

    He pursed his lips. "If you''re not feeling well, I''ll have Henry give you a physical examination."

    "I just don''t have an appetite. That doesn''t require a physical examination, does it? Besides, I don''t

    want to bother you."

    "Didn''t want to trouble him?" Shane thought.

    Shane looked at her coldly. It was enough to freeze a cup of warm water in an instant.

    Charlotte lowered her head and didn''t meet his eyes. She was eating the steamed egg

    mechanically.

    After a while, Sheryl and Mrs. Fuller Senior came back with a lot of food.

    Sheryl put a strawberry in Charlotte''s. Charlotte didn''t want to spoil the child''s mood, so she opened

    her mouth and ate it although her stomach did not feel too good.

    After the meal.

    As Sheryl wanted to feed the pigeons, so Charlotte apanied her.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior and Shane followed behind them.

    "Mommy, you don''t look so good." The little girl tilted her head and looked at Charlotte.

    "I''m fine." Charlotte stretched out her hand and touched Sheryl''s head.

    Sheryl made an "oh" sound and didn''t mention it again.

    After ying for a while, Charlotte suddenly felt her stomach churning. She fell against the fountain

    and covered her mouth.

    If she vomited in there, it would be difficult to clean it up.

    As Charlotte thought about this, she forced herself to look for a trash can before she dared to puke

    a little.

    What came out were the undigested strawberry and steamed eggs.

    She leaned against a streetmp with a pale face.

    "Mommy!" Sheryl grabbed Shane''s hand and ran to the streetmp. "Daddy, look at Mommy. She

    looks ill today."

    The little girl felt helpless. Tears welled up in her eyes.

    Charlotte propped herself up and said with a weak smile, "Sheryl, Mommy is fine. It''s just that I''m

    having a stomachache."

    "You vomited blood!"

    "That''s strawberry, silly girl."

    Sheryl blinked her eyes.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior walked slower, and only arrived then to pull Sheryl to her side. "Shane, take

    Charlotte to see a doctor." "I''ve already called Henry over. Grandma, why don''t you keep Sheryl

    company?"

    "Alright. Quickly, take her back to rest."

    "Yes."

    Shane simply lifted Charlotte into his arms in a bridal carry and took her back to the room.

    Charlotte''s stomach felt terrible. She begged him in a low voice, "Stop carrying me. What if I vomit

    on you? Put me down, please?"

    "I don''t mind."

    "But..." "That would be very awkward," Charlotte thought.

    Shane ignored her.

    Charlotte had been holding back all this time, but her brain didn''t have the final say on her physical

    condition.

    Her stomach couldn''t take it anymore, so she leaned forward and threw up.

    Shane didn''t even frown. He ignored the strong smell of stomach acid and sped up his pace.

    At this time, Charlotte felt weak. Her body was constantly trembling. She did not have time to care if

    he would feel disgusted by her. Instead, she curled up into his embrace.

    Back in the room.

    Shane carried her into the bathtub. He took off their outer clothes and turned on the hot water. "You

    should take a bath."

    Charlotte nodded her head weakly.

    Shane left the bathroom and poured a cup of warm water. When he returned to the bathroom,

    Charlotte was taking off her clothes.

    She didn''t expect that he woulde back suddenly. She blinked her eyes.

    "Do you have to take off your clothes before you can take a bath?" He knew that she was shy, so he

    turned his head away and did not look at her.

    "Uh... I didn''t expect you toe back."

    "Whatever. Drink this."

    Charlotte took the water and Shane left again.

    Charlotte tasted the sweetness of the water. She smacked her lips and raised her ss curiously.

    There was a thinyer of liquid at the bottom of the ss. It looked like dissolved syrup. It should be

    honey, right?

    Shane was really considerate.

    He had made her honey.

    Charlotte looked at the ss of water, and she felt conflicted. Her body''s tiredness made her mood

    unstable, so much so that some tears came out of her eyes.

    She put down the ss, wiped her tears, and washed herself clean.

    She pushed the door open.

    Arge amount of mist followed Charlotte into the room.

    Shane, who had also taken a shower, looked back at her and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

    He wore a dark blue nightgown, revealing arge expanse of well-defined muscles. There was a

    faint scar on his abdomen.

    Charlotte was stunned and forgot to reply to him. She stared at the scar.

    Shane got up and pulled his robe closed. "What, does Rick not show you his abdominal muscles?"

    "I haven''t seen them before... No, I''m not looking at your abdominal muscles. I''m looking at the

    scar." Charlotte was so embarrassed that her face turned red.

    How long had she been staring at him?

    Shane''s mood was inexplicably improved. He lifted his lips, strode to her side, and grabbed her

    hand.

    What was he trying to do?

    Charlotte''s breathing became heavier. She only felt him holding onto her hand on putting it on his

    sturdy body. Her fingertips became hot as he moved them along and finally stopped at the spot

    where the knife scar was.

    Charlotte started feeling dizzy, she swallowed unconsciously and withdrew her hands in shock.

    "You''re already a mother. Can''t you even handle this?" Shane said with sarcasm in his words.

    It was all thanks to him that she became a mother!

    Charlotte red at him, "I didn''t want to be a mother. Did you think I was willing?"

    "Really? Sheryl quite likes me as her father."

    "You! She has nothing to do with you!" Charlotte straightened her body to defend herself.

    Her stomach suddenly was cramping.

    Just as Charlotte was about to say something vicious, her body leaned heavily forward. Her

    forehead was covered in sweat from the pain.

    Shane''s pupils suddenly contracted, and he reached out to hold her in his arms.

    "It hurts..." She closed her eyes and bit her lips. There was more and more sweat on her forehead.

    "Henry should be arriving soon."

    "Mm." She let out the sound through her nose.

    Probably angered by his previous words, Charlotte rolled on the bed in pain. Still, Shane didn''t talk

    to her.

    Normally, Shane would keep a straight face, but when he saw her like this, his heart ached for her.

    He definitely wouldn''t yell at her now.

    He could only call Henry again and again.

    When Henry rushed into the room, Shane was holding Charlotte in his arms and coaxing her in a

    low voice.

    Henry was taken aback.

    He had never seen Shane show such an expression to a woman.

    It was a look of adoration, anxiety, and worry.

    "What are you doing daydreaming at the door?" Shane said impatiently when he saw Henry taking

    his timeing over.

    "It''s quite surprising to see that you''re treating a woman so well." Henry touched his nose and sat

    down beside them with a medical kit.

    After a series of examinations.

    Henry heaved a sigh of relief. "It''s not a big deal."

    "This isn''t a big deal?" Shane frowned.

    Charlotte looked as if she would die of pain at any moment.

    "She hasn''t had a proper meal in too long." Henry sighed. "Hey, you''re already so rich, why are you

    torturing her like this?"

    "This has nothing to do with me."

    "Even if she asked you for work, you don''t have to say yes. When ites to dealing with

    workaholics, it''s even harder to treat than some incurable disease." Henry said seriously.

    Shane pursed his lips and helped Charlotte up. "Is there any medicine?"

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166

    "Yes, I have some medicine." Henry took out a small bag of pills. "I''ll bring her some water. Once

    she takes this, she will be sleeping for four to five hours."

    "Okay." Shane nodded.

    Henry left the bedroom to get some water.

    Shane lowered his gaze. He looked at the fragile woman in his arms and gently stroked the tips of

    her eyebrows with his fingers.

    "Did you hear that? If you go all out for Rick, you are really going to give your life to him."

    "I don''t want to let Rick down..." She was in such great pain that her words were incoherent.

    "He''s just using you."

    "He''s not."

    Shane didn''t want to argue too much with this insensible woman. He coldly withdrew his arm and

    said, "Think about it carefully. You have problems with your health now. How can Rick help you?"

    Charlotte tightened her grip on the nket. "No. He also told me to rest, but I didn''t want to. If I want

    to catch up with all of you, I have to work even harder than all of you. But even if I were lucky

    enough to have ten years headstart, I could still only be good enough not to be a burden to all of

    you."

    "Catch up with us?" Shane felt like he was listening to a joke.

    "I don''t want to rely on you forever. When something happens, I want to solve it myself, instead of..."

    It made him feel that she should ask him for help as soon as possible.

    Shane took a probing look at her. Then he bent down and pointed between her eyebrows. "A smart

    woman must learn how to make use of men in addition to being capable. Obviously, both me and

    Rick can be your weapons."

    Charlotte shook her head subconsciously. She stretched out her hand and pushed him away. She

    struggled to stand up and looked at him seriously, "If I rely on Rick, at least it''s rted to benefits.

    But if I rely on you, then what''s the point of it?"

    "What do you think?"

    "I... I know we have nothing to do with each other."

    "That''s up to you. I''ll tell Rick that, if such a thing happens again, I''ll make his Janes Corporation

    disappear from the Asia Pacific Region. You can decide what to do."

    Shane stood up and left the bedroom.

    "This man!" Charlotte seethed.

    Charlotte''s eyes widened. He had threatened her!

    Charlotte''s stomach hurt.

    She clutched at her stomach and felt even more aggrieved.

    Was it still her fault that she didn''t bother anyone?

    If she had known that skipping two meals would cause a stomachache, she wouldn''t have skipped

    them. It was just that she had been too busy in those two days. She had been sleepy once she got

    on the ne and didn''t have time to have lunch.

    Additionally, she had signed the contract with Avery that day. If she said, "I''m going to have dinner

    first," right after meeting him, then she definitely wouldn''t have gotten the contract signed.

    She also knew that overwork was bad, so she was resting now, wasn''t she?

    There were so many people in the Jane Corporation and NC Company. They both had countless

    workaholics there, but none of those people copsed from overwork.

    Charlotte angrily hit the mattress to vent her frustration.

    She was not angry with Shane. It was her own body that disappointed her.

    If other people could do it, why couldn''t she? Why had she gotten sick?

    Squeak-

    Henry pushed the door open.

    "Miss Charlotte." Henry smiled at her. "When you take these pills, you will feel sleepy. You''d better

    go to sleep immediately. When you wake up, you will be fine."

    "Thank you." Charlotte epted the cup of water.

    "I just examined you and analyzed your saliva. To put it simply, you''ve recently been consuming too

    little, which led to a problem with the secretion function of stomach acid." Henry said.

    "I''ll be careful."

    "You should eat proper meals in the next two days."

    Charlotte nodded.

    Henry hesitated for a moment but eventually chose to speak up. "This is something I shouldn''t be

    saying. However, Miss Charlotte, Rome was not built in one day. If a person wants to build a city as

    quickly as possible, they will have to eat and drink without sleep or rest. However, they will die

    before they are even done."

    Rushing will get you nowhere-Even children in kindergarten understood the logic behind this, so

    Charlotte naturally understood.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    She smiled and said, "Thank you, I''ll be careful."

    "Mr. Fuller is already being very patient with you. I also hope that you can be more patient with him."

    Charlotte was stunned. She didn''t understand how the conversation had gone back to Shane.

    Although she was suspicious, she understood Henry''s good intentions, so she nodded her head.

    Henry left the room.

    As Henry passed by the living room, he saw Shane still standing in front of the window. He sighed

    and whispered, "Are you lovesick, Mr. Fuller?"

    "Stop joking."

    "I''m just curious. There''s been a lot of gossip in our circles. People are saying you picked up a

    certain Ms. Allen, but you''re here hiding out with someone else." "Do you have too much free time?"

    "What you''re doing is called burning the bridge behind you."

    "Don''t I pay you?"

    Henry felt helpless. Judging from Shane''s expression, it was useless for Henry to talk to him. It

    would be better for him to just leave first.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior called to inquire about Charlotte''s condition. When she heard that Henry had

    thought that everything was fine, she stopped worrying about it and focused on ying with Sheryl.

    Five hours passed.

    Charlotte woke up yawning. Her stomach didn''t hurt anymore, but she was hungry.

    She rubbed her belly, got out of bed, and changed her clothes. She wanted to find something to eat.

    After changing her clothes, she turned around and got a fright.

    Surprisingly, Shane was sleeping on the sofa. She covered her mouth and carefully walked around

    the sofa, trying to push the door open and go out-

    "Where are you going?" The man lying on the sofa opened his eyes. His eyes were like ice-cold

    mes, and his gaze was piercing.

    "I''m hungry. I''m going to eat something."

    Charlotte stopped and turned around to look at him.

    Shane stood up and said, "Let''s go together." "Weren''t you sleeping?" she asked curiously. "I don''t

    mind if you assume I''m sleepwalking." "What was going on with this person?" Charlotte wondered.

    "Why does he have to go against everything I say?"

    Charlotte replied with an "okay". Without waiting for him, she headed out alone.

    She was mean.

    Shane pursed his lips and tookrge steps to keep up with her pace.

    He stayed by her side for an entire afternoon. She didn''t even invite him when she went out for

    food.

    Sure enough, there was no greater wrath than a woman scorned.

    For some reason, Charlotte had turned into a woman with a heart full of poison. At this moment, she

    only had one thought - to eat.

    Since there was a buffet restaurant in the hotel, it wouldn''t be a problem for her to eat until she was

    full.

    Most of those who came here ate seafood.

    Even those who were of lesser means had steak.

    Charlotte served herself a bowl of noodles and got some vegetables.

    Shane sat opposite her, drinking coffee and enjoying some pasta. He wished he had never met this

    woman.

    They were at a high-end restaurant.

    And Charlotte was just eating noodles?

    Once she finished her noodles, Charlotte smiled happily. "Delicious," she praised.

    "Miss Charlotte, please mind your behavior."

    "It''s okay, no one here knows me."

    The implication was that she was embarrassing Shane.

    The veins on Shane��s forehead bulged and he got up to leave the restaurant.

    As she watched the angry expression on Shane''s face, Charlotte smiled in satisfaction.

    Let him be mad at her. He deserved it anyway!

    Beep-beep!

    Her phone rang all of a sudden.

    Charlotte picked it up, and the name "Christopher Gibson" shed on the screen. She was stunned

    for a moment before she immediately picked it up. "Christopher? I''ve been looking for you."

    Ever since Charlotte''s return, she had been calling Christopher, but he never answered.

    In the past few months, she had been calling him non-stop, but he never picked up.

    "Do you have NC Company''s shares?" Christopher''s voice sounded hoarse and tired. "No,"

    Charlotte replied.

    "Where are you now?"

    "I''m working in the Jane Corporation."

    All of a sudden, Charlotte felt that there was something wrong with Christopher.

    After a few seconds of silence, she chuckled and said, "Do you want to meet up?"

    "I''ll be with my daughter these two days. How about we meet at the Jane Corporation after my

    vacation? I''ve been very busy recently."

    "Alright."

    "What about you? What are you busy with?"

    "Let''s talk when we meet."

    Christopher ended themunication in this way.

    An rm started ringing in Charlotte''s heart.

    Logically speaking, Christopher had no reason to ask her if she had NC Company''s shares. Was he

    worried about Shane?

    No, she had to ask Shane about this.

    Charlotte thought for a moment before putting the phone back into her pocket and walking toward

    the room. The moment the door opened, she heard a clear and cold male voiceing from within

    ��

    "I can marry you."

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment. Her hand froze on the doorknob.

    "But I don''t need to remind you what price you have to pay."

    As soon as he finished speaking, the man tossed his phone to the coffee table.

    He was very tall, and the flinging movement of his hand was fast and powerful. When the phone hit

    the table''s ss surface, it broke, and the ss table also cracked.

    Charlotte was surprised and the door opened.

    Shane was leaning to one side. His gaze fell on her without any heat. She immediately lowered her

    head and went into the suite, going upstairs without saying a word.

    After a while, Charlotte heard a noisy noise from downstairs. She was curious, so she went out of

    the bedroom, stood by the bannister and looked down.

    The hotel staff hade to rece the coffee table, and they apologized to Shane the whole time,

    saying that they had identally purchased an inferior batch of coffee tables.

    Were they idiots?

    Charlotte supported her head and watched. If she could, she would have gotten herself some

    popcorn.

    This scene was too simr to a plot in a drama.

    At a nce, one could tell that the coffee table had been smashed.

    Even took Shane''s feelings into consideration, this coffee table was at least tens of thousands of

    dors. All the furniture in this room cost more than ten thousand dors.

    Shane had broken it so easily. And now they did not even want him to pay for it?

    It was these spineless people who made the capitalists so shameless.

    After the people downstairs reced the coffee table, Charlotte returned to her bedroom.

    It was so boring. In the end, they hadn''t made Shane pay for it.

    Because of her physical condition, Shane didn''t let Charlotte participate in too many activities.

    She could only stay in her room and rest. It would have been fine to be alone, but Shane was with

    her.

    Charlotte used herputer for a while, then looked up at Shane, who was sitting next to her.

    He was reading a book. There were many foreign words that she could not read.

    She pursed her lips and turned back to continue to work on herputer.

    However, she had finished watching all the videos that she needed to watch. In order to let her have

    a good holiday, Rick had even changed the password of thepany''s database. She couldn''t

    even enter the internalwork, let alone read any information.

    So boring.

    Charlotte peeked at Shane once again.

    Needless to say, a certain someone even more beautiful than a sculpture. His eyes were as deep

    as the abyss, and the lines of his eyes were hard and clear.

    It was said that those double- lidded eyes were the most attractive, but Charlotte felt that if his face

    was matched with doublelidded eyes, it might be very strange. This pair of eyes was better-

    looking.

    "Yesterday, you were looking at my abs. Today, you''re looking at my eyes. Does Mr. Jane refuse to

    let you check him out?"

    "If you don''t want me to look, then I won''t keep looking. Why did you have to mention Rick? He

    never provoked you."

    Rick had taken away his woman. Was that called not provoking him?

    Shane flipped a page with his long fingers. He couldn''t be bothered to look at Charlotte any longer.

    Charlotte was provoked by his annoyance. She became a little bold. She stared at him, looking at

    his nose, and then his mouth.

    Finally, her gaze fell on his suit.

    Her face suddenly turned red.

    She imagined some naughty images.

    She decided not to look anymore. She patted her face and turned her head to focus on her

    computer.

    "What''s going on between you and Rick?" The man asked.

    "Why?" she asked, vignt.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    "I''m curious. I want to know what happened to my woman and how it was stolen by another

    person."

    "Woman?"

    "m!" Charlotte closed theputer suddenly. "Don''t you have any respect for people?"

    "I protected you a lot of times in thepany," Shane said meaningfully.

    Charlotte instantly lost her temper.

    It was true that this man had helped her a lot, even after the divorce.

    While she was in a daze, Shane suddenly stretched out his hand and pulled her into his embrace.

    Charlotte didn''t have any chance to struggle before she was sat on hisp.

    She screamed, "What are you doing?"

    "Reading."

    Did he need to hug her while reading?

    Charlotte tried to struggle, but it didn''t work.

    After she stayed sitting against Shane for a while, Shane suddenly reached out and pointed to a line

    of words, "Can you read this?"

    Charlotte shook her head.

    "I''ll teach you."

    It was only then that Charlotte realized that Shane''s voice was as pleasant as the sounds of nature.

    The foreignnguage seemed to be made for him. It was clear, free of impurities, low-pitched, and

    had a little bit of destion, but it also had a kind of supreme and invible domineering.

    It seemed that...

    He was a person who controlled the whole world as he sat on his throne, but under his feet there

    was blood and broken bones.

    He was a sovereign, but he was also miserable.

    "What does this sentence mean?" Charlotte asked absent-mindedly.

    "Thest person in the world is the only king of the entire civilization," Shane said.

    When the same sentence was spoken in anguage she knew, it didn''t sound so pleasant.

    However.

    The meaning of this sentence was in line with the tone of his voice.

    Charlotte''s interest was piqued. "What book is this? Whatnguage is it? Can you teach me?"

    She asked the three questions in one breath.

    Shane chuckled, held her finger and pointed to a word, "This word is pronounced... it means..."

    An hour passed.

    Charlotte tried her best to read and memorize the contents of one page.

    This book seemed to be something like a science fiction novel.

    "I''m so tired. I don''t want to learn anymore." Charlotte rubbed her sore eyes.

    "Okay." Shane closed the book but didn''t let go of her.

    Charlotte yawned and leaned into his embrace for no reason. When she finally realized that she

    was lying in Shane''s arms, he didn''t have any intention of letting her go.

    Mmmm...

    It seemed that she had taken the initiative to throw herself at him.

    Charlotte was a little embarrassed. She moved her limbs and said, "Um..."

    "These are the historical records of an ancient civilization, and thisnguage was also used at that

    time."

    "Oh? Then how did you know it?"

    He must have been joking.

    Even if he had had a teacher to teach him thenguage of some ancient civilization, he would have

    had to have lessons in a coffin or a dream, wouldn''t he?

    Shane smiled and said, "It''s possible to find some clues to find the way they learned thenguage

    and learn it from there."

    Normal people would either call him sick or crazy when they heard that.

    However, Charlotte reacted quickly.

    With Shane''s character, she knew he wouldn''t do anything that was pointless.

    "Did you do it so you could use it as a code?" She made a bold guess.

    "Very smart."

    "To learn anguage someone definitely hasn''t and then modify it... This book wasn''t written by you,

    was it?" Charlotte''s guess was getting more and more out of control.

    Shane said, "Someone else wrote it, but they are no longer alive."

    So that''s how it was.

    Charlotte suddenly became alert. In an instant, she straightened up and stared at him. "You aren''t

    trying to teach me so that I can understand your code in the future, right?"

    "I gave you all my shares. Is learning a specializednguage going too far?"

    "But, why me? Shane, I''ve been wanting to ask you this question for a long time. Since you have

    decided to divorce me, why didn''t you ask me for the shares back? Since you... why are you still

    helping me?"

    Where she had paused, she had wanted to say, "Since you don''t want me anymore", but that

    sentence made her sound too inferior. She didn''t want to be so inferior.

    "There''s someone even more important to take care of."

    After Shane answered, he leaned back in his chairzily, as if he didn''t care about her reaction at

    all.

    Charlotte felt a sharp pain in her heart. She took a deep breath and said, "Then I don''t need to learn

    your exclusivenguage anymore. Can''t you let her learn it?"

    "She''s not as smart as you."

    "Since you clearly want to take care of her, then why are you... with me..." Charlotte suddenly felt

    that she was just a viinous homewrecker.

    She was the other woman who was messing with Rick''s feelings and kept getting entangled with

    Shane.

    She didn''t want to be like that.

    Charlotte frantically pulled away from him, picked up herputer, and jogged all the way out.

    She didn''t want to be the other woman.

    However, before she could walk more than two steps, Shane had already grabbed her wrist.

    She could not struggle and was forced to stop. She stubbornly did not turn her head and turned her

    back on him. She said in a muffled voice, "Let go of me."

    "You care about me very much."

    Charlotte turned around angrily. "Not only do I not care about you, but I also think you''re disgusting!"

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168

    Just as Charlotte finished speaking, she felt her tongue go numb.

    Because of the cold.

    Shane''s face sank instantly, and the look he gave her was cold to the bone.

    If it weren''t for the fact that it went against the principles of science, she would have assumed that

    her body temperature had dropped.

    "Disgusting?" His thin lips barely moved, but Charlotte heard the word clearly nheless.

    "I... I am going upstairs to rest."

    Charlotte was so frightened that she turned around and ran. This time, her speed was so fast that

    Shane didn''t have any time to react.

    When she got back to her bedroom and closed the door, her heart was still beating wildly.

    When she went downstairs again, Mrs. Fuller Senior and Sheryl had alreadye back.

    The main reason was that she was hungry.

    Ever since she took that medicine, she had been constantly hungry.

    "Lottie, how are you feeling?" When Mrs. Fuller Senior saw her going downstairs, she immediately

    brought her to her side and patted her hand gently.

    "I''m fine, Grandma." Charlotte didn''t retract her hand and obediently sat down beside her.

    "Don''t always hide your problems. If worsees to worst,e and live at my house. I will take

    care of you and Sheryl, okay?" Mrs. Fuller Senior smiled and said thetter half of the sentence to

    Sheryl.

    Sheryl nodded hard and said, "Yes! We can go and live and eat at Great-grandma''s. She said that

    there are very pretty flowers and birds at her house."

    Charlotte couldn''t helpughing. "Okay, I''ll take you to Great-grandma''s house one day."

    "That''s great!"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior patted the back of Charlotte''s hand in a pleased manner. "Wouldn''t it be great if

    you were my granddaughter-inw? Even if this child isn''t of the Fuller family''s bloodline, just her

    character alone is enough to make me fond of her."

    Charlotte was stunned. She subconsciously looked at Shane, who stood opposite her. Shane was

    holding a cup of coffee in his hand, half leaning against his desk. His ck shirt sleeves were

    partially rolled up to his elbow. His gaze fell on the scenery outside the window.

    He said that he had someone to take care of.

    She knew it was Tiffany Allen.

    Charlotte put away the sour emotions in her heart and said with a forced smile, "Grandma, I might

    not be able to call you this in the future. I''m going to be someone else''s wife."

    "Is that Jane child? That child isn''t bad, he..."

    "Aren''t you going to dinner yet?"

    Shane interrupted them coldly.

    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Charlotte immediately lowered her head.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior harrumphed coldly. "How dare you interrupt me!"

    Shane put down his coffee cup and rubbed the space between his eyebrows. He said helplessly,

    "Grandma, you should sleep before half-past ten. It''s not good for your health if you don''t eat now."

    Since his tone was still respectful, Mrs. Fuller Senior waved her hand and stood up. "Lottie, help me

    up. Don''t worry. As long as I''m alive, neither you nor your daughter will have to worry about being

    bullied by a Fuller!"

    This was a very serious statement.

    It was obvious that Mrs. Fuller Senior really loved Sheryl.

    Charlotte was very grateful. She clutched Mrs. Fuller Senior''s hand tightly. "Grandma, I only have

    you as my grandmother. If there is anything I can do for you, I will."

    "Oh? What if Shane..."

    "That isn''t something within my range of ability." Charlotte was very embarrassed.

    "I know, you are just trying to make me happy." Mrs. Fuller Senior sighed. Even her legs and feet

    felt weak.

    "As long as Shane wants to, I would definitely marry him again." Charlotte was shocked.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior straightened her back instantly and said, "Sheryl, let''s go to dinner."

    "Okay!"

    As Charlotte watched the two of them holding each other''s hand as if they were about to ''run'',

    Charlotte''s lips twitched.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was too cute.

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment before she managed to catch up to Mrs. Fuller Senior''s pace.

    Before she could even take a couple of steps, arge, powerful handnded on her shoulder.

    Shane spat coldly, "Disgusting?"

    Every strand of hair on Charlotte''s body stood up as she shook her head forcefully, "I didn''t think

    before I spoke."

    "Use your brain and think through what you should ask and say to me."

    "There''s nothing I want to ask. I''ve said all that I should have said. I admit that I shouldn''t have

    called you disgusting. But if you want to take care of others, don''te and bother me. If you do

    this..."

    "Alright."

    Shane interrupted Charlotte with that one emotionless word.

    Although he felt a little heartache at saying it.

    But before the situation could be worse, she...

    She had chosen to hide her feelings.

    It was better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all. Even if she was only relying on him

    now, it was better to hide everything away.

    When a person felt as inferior as dust, beautiful flowers would not bloom. It would only turn into

    barrennd and decadent illusions.

    Charlotte lowered her eyshes to hide the hurt in her eyes.

    Perhaps it was because of her mood, although she was obviously very hungry, she didn''t eat much.

    She went back to her room and went to bed early.

    She had to prepare a speech for when she would have to meet Christopher in two days. She didn''t

    know if Christopher would be willing to work in the Jane Corporation.

    Although what she wanted to do was not very proper, now that Christopher and Shane were each

    on their own, it didn''t matter where they worked.

    As Charlotte kept thinking about things, she gradually closed her eyes and fell asleep.

    The next day.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior said that she was going to take Sheryl to watch a movie, so Charlotte suggested

    that they all go together.

    She thought that Shane would not follow them because of their talk yesterday, but he acted as if

    nothing had happened. He still carried Sheryl with his eyes full of love.

    It was really great to have a girl be close to her father.

    Charlotte didn''t know what to say, fearing that Mrs. Fuller Senior wouldn''t be upset again.

    When they arrived at the cinema, Sheryl chose a movie with a small ck cat in the leading role. Its

    Inte ratings were quite good.

    Initially, Charlotte was worried that she wouldn''t be able to understand the movie. However,

    someone said that there were exciting action scenes as well. Even adults would be able to enjoy it.

    They bought popcorn and sat down.

    Sheryl was very excited. Charlotte had to repeatedly remind her not to disturb others.

    "But the little ck cat is very cute," Sheryl said aggrievedly.

    "You can squeal internally."

    "Can I do that internally?" Sheryl wondered.

    Sheryl blinked her big eyes and nodded hard. She covered her mouth to hold back her words, and

    praised the little ck cat for being so cute internally.

    Sheryl was sitting between Charlotte and Mrs. Fuller Senior, and Shane on Mrs. Fuller Senior''s

    other side. They were not too far away from each other, so they could hear each other clearly.

    However, they couldn''t see each other clearly.

    Shane took a second look at Charlotte. In the darkness, there was only her silhouette, but it was

    this silhouette that made him feel that it was extremely happy.

    But when he thought of what the woman had said...

    He immediately withdrew his gaze, his indifferent eyes no longer looking at anyone.

    "Lottie is really good at educating children." Mrs. Fuller Senior said lightly.

    "That''s right."

    "With such a well-behaved child, even if you get mad, you have to resist getting mad at her. It''s

    much better than finding another child."

    Shane''s brows furrowed and he looked at his grandmother with a probing gaze.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior smiled and said with a little mystery, "I''m already a man whose heart belongs to

    someone. Just one is enough."

    "You mean..."

    "Haven''t you checked the child''s background?"

    "I''ve checked."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior nodded with satisfaction and said, "Check it carefully. Don''t miss anything."

    So what if they had the result?

    As Sheryl''s mother, she would know better than him.

    Even the document he had had only been obtained by Cole once she had gotten rid of it.

    She never mentioned it.

    She hadn''t said a single word.

    He could be good to her, but he would never give in.

    "Wow." Sheryl still couldn''t help but cry out, but she was not alone. Many people were amazed.

    Charlotte touched the child''s head and brought the drink to her mouth.

    Sheryl scratched her head in embarrassment and said, "Thank you, Mommy."

    She took a sip and handed it to Mrs. Fuller Senior beside her. "Great- grandma, you should drink

    too. And Daddy too!"

    Even though they each had their own cups.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior took a sip and handed the cup to Shane. "Your daughter wants you to have a

    sip."

    Shane didn''t even use the cutlery that others had touched. He handled them himself after

    disinfection. Straws were the same.

    However, at the thought that this was Sheryl''s intention.

    He could only lean over and take a sip.

    He didn''t have much physical difort. His mysophobia was not serious. It was dependent on the

    person involved.

    Sheryl picked up the cup and handed it to Charlotte. "Mommy, take a sip too!"

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169

    Charlotte didn''t mind drinking from Mrs. Fuller Senior''s cup. But the fact that Shane had drunk it

    made her heart beat fast.

    She could even smell the faint, familiar smell of his cologne.

    Wasn''t this equivalent to... an indirect kiss?

    Charlotte turned her head and took a gentle sip.

    She didn''t know what the drink tasted like. It was a bit sweet and a bit sour.

    However.

    The scent of Shane lingered in her nose and mouth for a long time.

    After watching the movie, Sheryl was jumping about happily, waving her hands and feet as she

    talked about the plot with Charlotte.

    All of a sudden, there was another person in front of them. Sheryl bumped into the person.

    "I''m sorry." Sheryl was frightened and quickly apologized.

    "Take better care of your kid!" The man turned around and pointed at Charlotte. "Do you know how

    expensive my clothes are? Honestly! I shouldn''t havee to watch movie today and run into the

    lots of you. It''s all your fault!"

    The man was so angry that the woman before him didn''t dare to speak.

    A cold glint shed across Charlotte''s eyes. "How I take care of my child has nothing to do with you.

    What''s wrong? Where are your clothes dirty? Send me an invoice and I''llpensate you

    ordingly."

    "What do you mean? Do you mean that my clothes are not dirtied?"

    "Yes."

    "Take a look. What is this?" The man pointed at his crotch yfully. "Come closer and see if it''s dirty

    or not!"

    With a twist of her hand, Charlotte poured her drink onto his body. At the same time, she threw the

    cup into the trash can next to her and said, "Please send me an invoice. I''llpensate you

    ordingly."

    "Are you crazy? You f*cking..."

    "I''ve already said that I''llpensate you ordingly. Can''t you understand what I''m saying?" With

    another twist of her hand, Charlotte took hold of Sheryl''s drink as well. "Or do you want another

    cup?"

    "Are you crazy? Come here and let me give you a good talking to." The man reached out and

    grabbed Charlotte.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior immediately stepped forward to hold Charlotte''s hand and asked, "As a man,

    should you really be grabbing a woman?"

    "Where did this olddye from? Piss off!" The man was so angry that he pushed Mrs. Fuller

    Senior away.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior lost her bnce and fell to the ground. With a pained look on her face, she

    closed her eyes.

    Sheryl instantly burst into tears. "Great... Great-grandma!!!"

    The scene was chaotic.

    Before Charlotte could react, an ice-cold hand pulled her away. A beautiful right-hook sent the man

    to the ground. The tip of a shoe was ced right against the man''s crotch.

    By the time Charlotte got her bnce again, Shane had already helped Mrs. Fuller Senior to her

    feet and took out his mobile phone at the same time.

    He spoke very quickly. He seemed to be calling someone.

    In less than ten seconds, the entire cinema was locked down. No one was allowed to enter or leave.

    There was a chorus ofints as several men in suits hurried into the hall.

    They spread out the stretcher and put Mrs. Fuller Senior on it.

    "Take her to Third Street Hospital." Shane pointed to the door and said with a hint of violence in his

    voice, "Get the unrted people out."

    "Yes, sir."

    In an instant.

    There were only three people left in the cinema, the man lying on the ground, and the person who

    seemed to be his girlfriend.

    Charlotte sobbed and apologized, "Shane, I''m sorry, I..."

    "When Grandma wakes up, you can think of your own excuse." Shane didn''t even look at her as he

    walked straight towards the man.

    He stretched out his hand, lifted the man, and used his right index finger and thumb to grab his

    neck.

    "How dare you attack me! I am the CEO of the Jane Corporation, I am..."

    "Wait." Charlotte stretched out her hand to stop Shane as she walked towards the man with a sneer.

    "You said you''re the CEO of the Jane Corporation?"

    Shane nced at her.

    When she apologized to him, she had been shivering like a poor little animal.

    Now, she seemed to be wearing armor as she faced this outsider.

    The speed at which this woman switched between the two personas was really fast.

    "What''s wrong? Are you afraid? I''m Rick Jane''s..."

    "Then how is it possible that you don''t know me?" Charlotte moved closer to him. "I''m Charlotte

    Emerson, CEO of the Jane Corporation''s Asia Pacific Region. Rick''s... fiancee."

    The man''s eyes widened. How, how could this be possible!

    Charlotte took out her phone, took a picture of this person, and sent it to Rick.

    She asked, "Who is he?"

    Soon, he gave his answer, "The CEO of the nning department. His character is a bit problematic,

    but he has decent skills. He''s not of a bad catfish."

    The catfish effect.

    As a catfish destroyed the living environment of smaller fish, it also encouraged the survival

    instincts of the other small fish. Although some small fish would be lost, it could allow more fishes to

    survive.

    When it came to the workce, some bosses would sometimes recruit some ''talent'' to keep the

    other employeespetitive.

    These people might not be the most suitable person for thepany, and might not be the most

    outstanding ones, but they would put everyone in the same boat.

    For everyone, the catfish effect was a cruel tactic.

    But for the boss and the entrepreneur, the catfish effect was the best means to get things done.

    "Call him and get him to cut it out."

    "Did something big happen?"

    "He just knocked Shane''s grandmother out."

    Rick was speechless.

    He raised his hand to press against his temple andughter helplessly. "Lottie, give Mr. Fuller your

    phone first."

    Charlotte walked over and said cautiously, "Shane, can you take this call?"

    Shane gave her a cold look, let go of the man''s neck and took the phone.

    The man breathed heavily as he kneeled on the ground. His heart had been shocked into pieces.

    Rick Jane.

    Shane Fuller.

    The words of either of these two men could cause him to be cklisted in this industry. No, he had

    to escape and find someone to help him!

    The man''s eyes kept moving about. He wanted to find a chance to escape. But on second thought,

    he knew that Shane''s men were at the door.

    Damn it!

    He wouldn''t even be able to escape.

    While he was regretting his choices, a cold gaze fell on him. The feeling on his back shattered his

    rationality and made him stand still like a fool.

    Shane took the phone, his gaze fixed on the man all the while. "Speak."

    "Mr. Fuller, I''m going to the hospital today to apologize. I''ve only given this man an offer, but he

    hasn''t started working at mypany yet."

    "Are you very afraid of me?"

    "I''m more afraid that there will be some unnecessary misunderstandings between us.

    I don''t want them to be because of such a person"

    "And you will deal with this?"

    "That''s not necessary. I just want to apologize. As for how you want to deal with him, I think it''s up to

    you. However, if I remember correctly, both yourpany and mine have projects in Africa."

    Rick spoke hisnguage.

    Shane, who was on the verge of anger, calmed down after hearing Rick''s words.

    No matter whether it was Charlotte or his Grandma, both of them had acted well.

    He just needed to deal with the person in front of him.

    Shane curled his lips and said, "As expected, it would be more appropriate to let you deal with it."

    "I''m honored." Rick chuckled. "Could you please give me the address, Mr. Fuller? I''ll visit you right

    away to apologize."

    "Third Street Hospital."

    "Regardless, please don''t make things difficult for Charlotte, Mr. Fuller. She really cares about what

    you think of her."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Shane pretended that he didn''t hear these words as he turned around and handed the phone to

    Charlotte.

    Charlotte picked up the phone in a hurry, "Rick?" "It''s all right. I''ll ask someone to deal with himter.

    You and Sheryl can take a taxi to Third Street Hospital first."

    "And Shane..."

    "He will wait for my people at the cinema."

    "Alright."

    After she hung up, Charlotte whispered to Shane that she was leaving first, but Shane didn''t

    respond.

    She bit her lower lip, grabbed Sheryl''s hand, and left without saying a word.

    She was very worried about Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    Charlotte and Sheryl walked away.

    It seemed that this man was out of luck.

    For a moment, blood flowed like a river, and teeth fell to the ground.

    He didn''t need teeth.

    After all, he only needed to shut up and be an obedient corporate ve.

    After Shane finished, he adjusted his clothes and looked at the man as if he were looking at an ant.

    "You should regreting to watch a movie today."

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was fine.

    She only had a small shock. She had passed out on purpose.

    On purpose.

    When Charlotte heard these two words, she was dumbfounded.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior took her hand and pulled her to her side. "Women need to be tricky. Tell me, what

    would Shane have done if I hadn''t passed out?"

    "He would have continued watching the show," Charlotte answered.

    "Humph." Mrs. Fuller Senior nodded proudly, like a naughty child. She patted the back of Charlotte''s

    hand and saidzily, "You have to use the right method to deal with Shane. I know that you are a

    good person, but some tricks can be good."

    "A good trick?" She was puzzled.

    "Think about it carefully. Am I a bad person?"

    Charlotte shook her head without any hesitation. Regardless of whether it was towards her or

    Sheryl, Mrs. Fuller Senior was always good to them.

    "I haven''t hurt anyone in this life, but I have many tricks. It''s wrong to get men and children to listen

    to you. Neither is getting a man to give you his attention." Mrs. Fuller Senior continued.

    "Grandma, Shane and I really won''t be together." Charlotte decided to take advantage of this

    opportunity to speak her mind, "He has someone he must take care of, and I..."

    "That doesn''t change anything. He doesn''t have any feelings for that person, does he?"

    "But he doesn''t have any feelings for me either."

    "I don''t think so. When ites to other women, Sheryl is your trump card and advantage."

    Charlotte sighed. "Grandma, I know you like Sheryl."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior took a meaningful look at her and said, "Sheryl looks very simr to Shane."

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment. She then stretched out her hand and rubbed the child in

    question''s head. "There are many people in this world who are simr to Mr. Fuller. It''s also possible

    that this is the reason why Sheryl likes Mr. Fuller so much."

    "No, I like Daddy because he smells good, but others don''t." Sheryl raised her small hand to refute.

    "Smells good?" Charlotte wondered

    Was it the cologne?

    Charlotte smiled bitterly and decided not to continue this topic, "Grandma, I''ll go down and handle

    the hospital admission procedures."

    "Okay, okay. Go." Mrs. Fuller Senior let go of her hand.

    There were some topics that should end when the time came for it.

    She left the ward.

    Charlotte leaned against the wall. Her eyes were dull as she stared at the floor. For some unknown

    reason, tears started streaming down her cheeks. She was not sad, nor did she feel wronged.

    Her heart did not feel any big emotion at all.

    But her tears continued to fall without her consent. She wiped them calmly, then allowed the warm-

    then-cold droplets to fall from her hand.

    She truly was calm.

    She could even tell that, in the first three seconds after the tears fell, they were warm. As they rolled

    downward, they became colder. By the time they reached the corner of her mouth, the tears were

    almost room temperature.

    Her face stiffened a little.

    Charlotte reached out her hand and patted her cheeks.

    Suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of her. It passed her a napkin.

    Without epting it, she raised her head and looked at the face before her. All the grievances she

    felt finally broke out.

    She opened her mouth but didn''t say anything, and her tears fell even more fiercely.

    The man reached out to pull her into his arms and gently patted her on the shoulder. "Was Mr. Fuller

    mean to you? I''m so sorry that you''re here alone."

    "Rick..." She burst into tears.

    She didn''t know why she was crying, but her heart was in a panic.

    "Fortunately, I found this lost soul. Here, let me wipe your tears." Rick carefully wiped the corner of

    her eyes.

    He had thought that she had put on makeup, so he had taken extra care when wiping.

    However, no matter how he nudged, no powder or mascara ran.

    "Rick, why is it that people can suddenly feel very sad?"

    "Maybe it is because the heart is faster than the brain when making a decision," Rick replied with a

    smile.

    "How did that make sense?" Charlotte wondered.

    Charlotte shook her head. Maybe the part of her brain that controlled tears had short-circuited.

    Rick saw that she was in a better mood, so he put down the napkin. He gently rubbed her, and

    patted her back. "Take it easy. It''s no big deal. You have me and Anne by your side, and we will still

    be there even if the sky falls down on us."

    "I... It was really fortunate that I met you and Anne."

    "Alright, have a good rest. Don''t be too emotional, and then make me some money."

    Charlotte nodded her head vigorously. She still wanted to say something, but she caught a glimpse

    of someone out of the corner of her eye.

    The muscles in her body stiffened in an instant.

    Rick looked in the direction of her gaze. There, Shane was followed by Braden and Cole. The two

    men seemed to be shocked, but Shane''s face was indifferent.

    "You..." Braden scratched the back of his head.

    He was so dead.

    In front of Shane, should he pretend that he didn''t know that the two of them were together, or just

    be honest and tell on them?

    Rick released Charlotte''s hand and walked up to Shane. He bowed and said, "Mr. Fuller, I''m very

    sorry for this matter. I had my eye on the wrong person and it has caused you trouble."

    Shane pushed his shoulder away and walked on.

    "Mr. Fuller, I don''t know what I''ve done to offend you."

    "You haven''t offended you."

    "Since I didn''t offend you, you could at least look at me." Rick faced him with a smile.

    Braden felt ashamed for Rick.

    Generally speaking, although Rick may not have as much power as Shane did in the country, his

    net worth was not too different from Shane''s.

    It just happened that Rick could still greet him with a smile even after Shane was cold to him.

    This Rick character was really interesting.

    Shane leaned to one side, with his long arm hanging by his side, and only gave Rick a nce. Then

    he straightened his body, bent his arms slightly, folded his hands in front of his abdomen, and

    walked forward.

    From the perspective of psychology, this action showed that he had be warier of Rick.

    Rick naturally understood this indication of alienation. He shook his head helplessly and said, "It

    seems that we still can''t findmon ground."

    "Whatmon ground do you have with him?" It was only after she saw that Shane had left that

    Charlotte dared to stand by Rick''s side.

    Rick had been too close to Shane just now.

    She hadn''t dared to go forward because she didn''t want to be too close to Shane just now.

    "It''s not important. Don''t take it to heart."

    "Is it because of me?" She was perturbed.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "No."

    Charlotte knew that she couldn''t get anything out of him if Rick didn''t want to say anything.

    She only said, "I still want Sheryl to stay with me." "Sheryl may not be willing to do it. It seems that

    she has a good rtionship with Shane''s grandmother."

    "How could you tell?" she asked curiously.

    "When you were abroad, you took her with you when you went to buy medicine, but now you left her

    in the ward. Even if your emotions were out of control and you didn''t want to affect her, you wouldn''t

    do that if the person she was left with wasn''t someone you trust."

    "You know me so well."

    "Go in and say goodbye. If Sheryl wants to go with you, then she will. There''s no point making

    things difficult for the child."

    Charlotte nodded.

    She subconsciously grabbed Rick''s sleeve.

    She was afraid.

    Rick looked down. He raised his hand and put it gently over hers. His fingertips slowly moved

    upward to finally shackle her wrist.

    They entered the ward.

    The first time Mrs. Fuller Senior saw Rick, she liked him.

    He looked refined and polite, and his smile was also nice.

    "It''s no wonder that Lottie would choose you. You''re nice, really nice." Mrs. Fuller Senior was full of

    praise.

    "You tter me." Rick held out a card. "Before I came here, I was thinking about what to bring. But

    then I thought that health was more important than any gift. This is a lifetime membership for the life

    card to the Si Senior Citizens'' Club."

    The Si Senior Citizens'' Club was immensely exclusive and was impossible to get a

    membership to.

    It was not enough to only have money and power. You had to have fate on your side too.

    To be able to obtain such a membership card in such a short period of time, the capability was not

    the point here. Instead, the sincerity behind it was sufficient.

    Mrs. Fuller senior epted it with a smile. "Not bad, not bad at all."

    "Sheryl, Mommy is going back to the office with Uncle Rick. Do you want to stay here ore with

    me?" Charlotte bent down and asked the little kid.

    All of a sudden, everyone''s eyes fell on Sheryl.

    Even if she was a child, she knew that the answer to this was very important. She blinked and

    looked at Shane helplessly.

    Shane didn''t say anything. He wanted to give her the option to choose, but he didn''t expect that

    Rick would bend down and say, "Sheryl, don''t think too much about it. Leave or stay, it''s up to you."

    "I, I don''t know." The little girl lowered her head.

    "Then I will take you with me. Think about it, Great-grandma is still lying on the hospital bed." Rick

    coaxed her softly.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171

    Sheryl shook her head instantly and said, "No, I can''t. My Great-grandma is not feeling well, so I

    have to apany her."

    "Alright then. When Sheryl misses Mommy, I''lle pick you up, okay?" Rick smiled and brought

    out a huge lollipop as if he was performing a magic trick.

    "Okay!" Sheryl nodded hard and reached for the candy.

    "You can''t eat too much."

    "Got it." Sheryl grabbed the lollipop.

    This lollipop had looked very big in Rick''s hand. Now, in Sheryl''s embrace, it was like a small toy.

    You could hardly tell that it was candy at all.

    Charlotte hadn''t expected that the question that she didn''t dare to ask would be settled by Rik with a

    few words.

    Actually, she also felt that it was more appropriate for Sheryl to stay with Mrs. Fuller Senior. But she

    was too ashamed to leave Sheryl behind, much less to take her away.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior smiled as she moved back and forth. "Alright, go back and do your work."

    Charlotte said, "Grandma, I''lle back to see you in a couple of days."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior nodded.

    Charlotte lowered her head and walked through the door.

    Rick raised his eyes and looked at Shane for a moment. Then he bent over with a smile and said,

    "Mr. Fuller, I''m leaving now. I sincerely hope that there will be no hard feelings between us."

    After Rick left, Braden finally couldn''t help but ask, "Why is he so good to you? He was nearly

    prostrating himself before you!"

    Shane frowned and shook his head.

    His understanding of Rick was very little.

    "You still don''t understand?" Mrs. Fuller Senior snorted. "He''s trying to curry favor with Charlotte,

    how could he not be nice to Shane?"

    "Grandma, why do you have to be nice to Shane to curry favor with Charlotte?" Braden was very

    curious.

    "You don''t understand women. Rick does. The better you treat a woman, the more she can''t leave

    you. But if you push her away, even if you want to test her, you will only push her away to another

    man."

    Braden scratched the back of his head.

    He couldn''t understand the twists and turns in this lesson at all.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior continued to exin, "So the first step to make Lottie like him is to let Lottie think

    that he is inferior in front of other men, especially Shane."

    "Why?" Braden was even more confused.

    "Rick''s way of doing things is to confuse Charlotte. She would think that he was trying to curry favor

    with me because of her." Shane hadpletely understood Rick''s strategy at that moment.

    Even if he argued with Rick, or even fought him physically.

    Rick wouldn''t make even a sound. Of course, he wouldn''t beg for mercy either. He would only

    straighten his back and say something like, "Why did you have to do that, Mr. Fuller?"

    Charlotte''s image of Rick would be a humble one. Although he was in a high position, he would

    seem like a friendly and magnanimous person.

    And he, Shane, would be an unreasonable viin.

    Braden suddenly came to a realization. He nodded solemnly. "Rick is amazing."

    "Grandma, I''ll go back to the office now." Shane ended the topic.

    "After you go back, think about what I told you."

    Shane didn''t react and turned to leave.

    Braden wanted to go with him, but was stopped by Mrs. Fuller Senior. He stopped and smiled

    ingratiatingly, "Grandma, what''s wrong?"

    "Tell me, where did that Tiffany Allene from?"

    Braden touched the back of his head. He pulled his hair and said with a grimace, "Grandma, I

    wouldn''t dare to interfere in Mr. Fuller''s business, would I?"

    "It sounds like you don''t want toe to my house anymore in the future?"

    "Oh! Then I''ll tell you everything I know."

    Other than Heidi, Braden didn''t know the specific situation. He just mentioned that Shane had gone

    to his engagement party with Tiffany.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior raised her hand and waved it. "Got it. You can go home too."

    Braden immediately slipped away.

    What a joke.

    He would rather deal with a hundred Shane Fullers and then die on the spot than to handle one

    Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    The older generation was even more terrible than the gue!

    Braden rushed out of the ward and found that Shane had not left. He was so shocked that his back

    was covered with ayer of cold sweat.

    "How did you manage to woo Anne?"

    "Oh, what?" Braden scratched his head.

    Shane repeated what he had said.

    Braden came to his senses and asked in confusion, "You want to woo Tiffany?"

    Shane red at him.

    "Woo Charlotte? Keep clinging on to her. That''s how I wooed Anne. They are besties, and their

    personalities are about the same."

    Cling to her?

    Shane pretended that he hadn''t heard this and walked forward.

    Braden immediately caught up with him. "Slow down."

    Her short legs couldn''t keep up.

    In a twinkling of an eye, it was time for Charlotte''s meeting with Christopher.

    Charlotte had prepared quite a bit of information. There were still some questions that she wanted

    to ask him when she saw him.

    Christopher was very punctual. By the time Charlotte arrived, he was already at the cafe and had

    ordered some cake and coffee.

    The melodious sound of the violin became dispensable background music. He gracefully and gently

    smiled at her. Charlotte was stunned for a moment, and she smiled somewhat stiffly.

    She didn''t know why.

    This time, when she saw Christopher, she had a feeling of difort.

    "Long time no see, have you been very busytely?" Christopher''s eyebrows were crescentshaped,

    and her smile was like the spring breeze, making people feel rxed and happy.

    The only thing was.

    Was she mistaken?

    This smile of his seemed the slightest bit fake.

    Charlotte felt that, since she had not seen Christopher in a long time, she had mistaken his

    meaning. She threw her thoughts to the back of her mind and sat down in front of him. "I''m so busy.

    Only when I got to this position did I find out how difficult it was for

    you."

    "Rick also trusts you very much." Christopher paused for a while before continuing, "You are indeed

    worthy of his trust."

    "Thank you."

    Charlotte hesitated as she held the information packet in her hand. In the end, she did not reach out

    to hand it over.

    She drew back her fingers and looked at him with a smile. "Tell me about your recent situation. I''m

    very curious. Why did you leave NC Company?"

    The reason Christopher gave was very simple -he didn''t want to work with Shane.

    While he talked, he mentioned something that Charlotte already knew herself.

    None of his projects had his name on them.

    So all of Christopher''s projects had nothing to do with him.

    "But didn''t you choose them yourself?" Charlotte was puzzled.

    "If he really wanted to give me a chance to show off my skills, he would have put my name on the

    first project." Christopherughed deeply. "He''s just ying politics, as you can see."

    Charlotte fell silent. She picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip before opening her mouth again,

    "So, you left because of this matter?"

    "Of course not."

    "Then why else?"

    "Because of you."

    Charlotte had goosebumps all over her body. Sheughed awkwardly and said, "Mr. Gibson, are

    you joking with me?"Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Christopher shook his head and said, "Lottie, I''ve been thinking, maybe I should follow your

    footsteps. I want to join the Jane Corporation, even if it''s the lowest position."

    To be honest.

    Before he had met up with her.

    This was what Charlotte had nned to do.

    She wanted to draw Christopher over to her side purely because of his capabilities.

    But now...

    From the moment she saw him, she felt that something was wrong, but she couldn''t tell what it was.

    After thinking for a while, she took out her phone and called Rick.

    Rick had just finished a meeting and gone back to his office. He put the phone against his ear and

    asked, "What''s the matter?"

    "Christopher Gibson said that he wants to join the Jane Corporation. I can''t make up my mind, so I

    wanted to ask you."

    "Christopher Gibson?" Rick thought.

    Rick sighed. He rubbed his eyes with long fingers. He wanted to meet this Christopher person.

    This Christopher was the only person that he hadn''t had information on among the bevy of strong

    managerial candidates.

    The only one.

    "Bring him over here," Rick said.

    "Alright."

    Charlotte put away her phone and looked at Christopher. "Rick asked us to go over."

    Christopher got up and picked up his briefcase.

    A briefcase?

    Did he also bring some information?

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172

    Even though Charlotte was suspicious, she did not ask. She led the way to the office. At the

    elevator, she pressed the button to go upstairs.

    For a few seconds when they were in the elevator, Charlotte surreptitiously looked at Christopher

    from the corner of her eye.

    He was still wearing the same kind of clothes, and had the same facial features. Even his

    temperament had not changed much. So why did she feel that he was not being sincere with her?

    That was until.

    They entered Rick''s office.

    Rick''s lips curved upward. He pointed at the coffee machine and said, "You can get something to

    drink first. No need to rush."

    All of a sudden, Charlotte felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She was as dumb as a wooden

    doll and unable to move.

    She finally understood.

    She wasparing Christopher to Rick.

    In fact, the personalities of these two people were somewhat simr. They were gentle, kind to

    others, gentlemanly and polite.

    However, after having been in contact with Rick for a long time, she felt that Christopher was a

    sham whenpared to Rick.

    "What''s the matter?" Rick stretched out his hand and waved it in front of her. "What are you

    daydreaming about?"

    "I had some coffee downstairs, I''m not that thirsty." Charlotte lowered her head and sat down on the

    sofa.

    Rick was helpless. He took the documents from the desk and sat down with her.

    Christopher sat opposite to them and held out his resume. "My detailed information is in here.

    Please have a look, Mr. Jane."

    As Rick epted the resume, he handed over a document as well. "These are the positions at our

    company that are vacant. Please have a look, Mr. Gibson."

    "Alright."

    All that could be heard was the sound of pages being turned.

    Christopher''s resume was clean and concise, without too many entries on it.

    Except for the fact that he had been in NC Company for several years, he did not have any

    outstanding achievements.

    Even when it came to the projects he had participated in while at NC Company, he still held back

    and did not detail everything. At least, some of what Charlotte knew was true had not been written

    there.

    "Mr. Gibson, is there a position you are interested in?" Rick asked with a smile.

    "Not yet. All the positions suitable for me have been filled. Although I would bepensated, I

    would need to go on business trips."

    Rick sighed. "I brought a lot of my staff back from abroad."

    "Yes, but we can still cooperate."

    "To deal with NC Company?" Rick asked.

    "No, I have some shares for the Emerson Corporation. I want to exchange them with you."

    "I''ll need to think about it."

    "Well, then I''ll wait for the good news. If you have decided, you can contact me at any time."

    ''Rick stood up and said goodbye to Christopher with a smile.

    Charlotte didn''t know if Rick had sensed anything. Either way, it was very difficult for her to calm

    down now. There were too many problems exposed in this meeting. She went to where the coffee

    machine was and took a ss of cold water for herself.

    After drinking the water, she felt a little better.

    When Rick returned, Charlotte put her hands on the table. Her eyebrows were tightly knitted and

    her expression was distorted. She looked at the document in confusion.

    "Do you think there is something wrong with Christopher Gibson?" Rick came to her side and took

    away the document.

    This was the hiring information he had just given to Christopher.

    Charlotte nodded. She pointed at the document and said, "You''re testing him too. The information

    you''ve given him isn''t correct at all."

    "He came for the Fuller Corporation stock, not to join the Jane Corporation."

    "So that''s why..."

    "He''s like me. He likes to y with appearances."

    Charlotteughed with a "huff" sound.

    Rick reached over and rubbed at her hair. The action was so intimate that both of them were

    stunned, and then they kept a distance from each other.

    Rick returned to his desk and sat down, lightly tapping the table with his long fingers. "I suspect that

    the person who is causing trouble behind the scenes is Christopher. I don''t know what rtionship

    he has with the Emerson family for the time being."

    "Christopher wouldn''t do such a thing, right? Isn''t he Shane''s friend?" Although Charlotte also felt

    that Christopher was a little inauthentic, the feeling she had at that moment was not enough to

    cancel out his previous kindness towards her.

    "Does what he did make him seem like Shane''s friend?"

    "I don''t understand."

    "When youpare Braden''s reaction when he sees you with me with Christopher''s reaction, you''ll

    find the answer."

    Indeed.

    Braden had always been disgusted when Charlotte stood with Rick every time. Ordinarily, he would

    sneer at Rick even when unprovoked. He had even painted Shane in a good light when he was with

    her.

    But during the whole process just now, Christopher never mentioned Shane. If he saw Shane as a

    friend, he would at least ask himself why he was here and why he wanted to work for Rick.

    Christopher didn''t.

    In other words, he didn''t consider Shane seriously, and he didn''t think she had anything to do with

    Shane.

    "Then about this matter..."

    "I''m going to tell Shane about it. You go back to your office first." Rick said as he picked up the

    phone.

    Was he going to tell Shane again?

    Was Rick doing all this for her?

    Charlotte opened her mouth. In the end, she did not say anything at all.

    She only knew that nothing in the world mattered except for Rick.

    He was truly someone who treated her well.

    Beep, beep, beep-

    "What''s the matter?" Shane''s voice rang out from the side.

    "Christopher came to see Lottie. I suspect that he may be involved with NC Company''s fraud case.

    Be careful."

    "Is Charlotte with you?"

    "She''s not here."

    "So why do you make this call?"

    Rick felt helpless. He was also a man with a temper, so he said in a heavier tone, "Shane, can''t we

    sympathize with each other? I don''t want to treat you as an enemy. What''s more, the cost of being

    enemies is too high, isn''t it?"

    Shane didn''t answer.

    Rick had no choice but to continue, "I really love Charlotte, so even if you''re unhappy with me

    because of that, you should ept my challenge openly."

    "Challenge? No need."

    "Shane, I don''t want to put Charlotte in a difficult position. I wouldn''t even have anyints if

    she chose you. You may like her, but I love her. For her, I can be humble, and I can do everything

    for." Rick clenched his fists. "I want her happiness."

    Shane simply ended the call.

    Rick looked at the dark phone screen and smiled bitterly.

    He wanted to find as many ways out as possible for Charlotte.

    However, Shane was simply a stubborn person.

    He even began to wonder if Shane really cared about Charlotte, or if he had an ulterior motive that

    could only be aplished with Charlotte on the line?

    Rick clenched his fists.

    He wouldn''t let anyone hurt Charlotte.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Definitely not.

    The Jane Corporation received an invitation to attend a cocktail party.

    There was no need for Rick to attend such a thing. However, due to the fact that Charlotte had to

    attend, he had also prepared a suit for himself.

    Ever since five years ago, Charlotte had given up on being wasteful. She simply borrowed a dress

    from Anne and sent it to dry cleaners to clean so that she could wear it on that day.

    Officially, it was a cocktail party.

    In actuality, it was a charity event.

    In the suburbs of River City, there was a group of people who had skin like scales. This kind of

    person was called "fishpeople". If they could not get enough vitamin E, their whole body would start

    bleeding, sometimes to death.

    The purpose of this charity event was to buy carrots for them, which could be made into carrot juice

    to supplement their vitamin E intake.

    Carrots aren''t worth much, but there were more than 20,000 people with ichthyosis.

    The water content of a carrot was not a lot. In total, they required nearly three million dors.

    If this money was only paid by the government, the higher-ups would definitely not be willing, so this

    cocktail party was organized.

    "It''s only 3 million dors. For a group like ours, any one of us can take out this money. Why do we

    still need to raise money?" Charlotte was very puzzled as she held the invitation.

    "So as not to be a target. Whoever offers to take out the money would be a target in the

    eyes of others in the industry. If it were up to the higher- ups to choose someone to pay, the others

    would be dissatisfied."

    No wonder people said the government and businesses didn''t get along.

    Charlotte nodded. "I understand."

    "You''re now the CEO of the Jane Corporation. I will sign you up for lessons in politics and

    economics so that you can learn about it." Rick didn''t even look up as he worked.

    Learning...

    A bitter expression appeared on Charlotte''s face.

    However, when she thought about it, she still hadn''t gotten her revenge. Even if she had to literally

    fight, she would do it, much less take some lessons.

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173

    Soon, it was the day of the charity event.

    Because of some matters, Rick had to arrive a littleter.

    Charlotte walked into the hotel alone and was brought into the main hall by an usher.

    The ce was simr to a movie or concert hall. In the center there were five or six huge screens,

    which made it convenient for people to see what was going on in the middle of the venue from any

    angle.

    The seating were sofas. They were apanied by small tea tables with iPads on them. It was

    very convenient to call waiters from outside, or to buy snacks and drinks.

    On it were the words: All additional proceeds will be included in the funds for this charity event.

    Charlotte ordered fish and chips and a ss of soda water. The food came very quickly, arriving in

    less than five minutes. The ingredients were very fresh.

    Soon.

    The party began.

    Rick hadn''t arrived yet, but Charlotte did not feel stressed about it. In any case, she had juste

    because of formalities. Once the Jane Corporation gave the check to the host it would be done.

    Because of the great influence of the Jane family, they were arranged toward the beginning of the

    ceremony. Charlotte handed a check of 300,000 dors to the host.

    This was a hard and fast rule made by the organizer. The donation couldn''t be less than 50,000

    dors or more than 300,000 dors.

    Charlotte left the stage, but someone stopped her.

    The lights were dim, so no one else could see this alcove.

    She looked at the woman wearing a champagne- colored dress with a calm expression. "Miss Allen,

    what can I do for you?"

    "You used someone else''s child to bind Shane to you. Don''t you think you''re a bit too much? He''s

    going to marry me soon, but he has to raise your child for you." Tiffany raised her chin and looked

    haughtily down at her. "I won''t let you ruin my life."

    "How do you know that the child is not Shane''s?" Charlotte retorted.

    She hated being provoked.

    Tiffany''s face changed suddenly. "You! It''s impossible!"

    "You can continue to fight for the life you want, but there is no need for you to be arrogant here.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior likes Sheryl. This has nothing to do with Shane."

    "Humph, you dare to say it''s not your trickery?" Tiffany grabbed her arm hard.

    "Trickery?" Charlotte thought.

    If she had wanted to use Sheryl to bind Shane to her...

    She would have done it when they had had their divorce.

    Charlotte shook off Tiffany''s hand and was not bothered to say anything more.

    Tiffany watched her leave, but her lips curled up. "Charlotte Emerson, I''ve already prepared a

    ''surprise'' for you. Enjoy it."

    Back at her seat.

    Charlotte was bored and ate her fish and chips. Suddenly, her phone vibrated.

    She had thought that it was Rick. After all, it was about time for him to arrive.

    But when she took out her phone, she found that it was Shane. Why had he sent her a message?

    Charlotte opened it with suspicion.

    "Come outside."

    There were only two simple words.

    She frowned. "What''s the matter?"

    "I have something to tell you. Come to the second floor immediately. I''ll wait for you here."

    Shane was here too?

    For some reason, his tone made her ufortable.

    She instinctively felt that this was not his typical tone of voice.

    Charlotte hesitated.

    What if Tiffany had said something to Shane and he was looking for her about Sheryl? What would

    she do then?

    In the end, she still decided to go meet him.

    On the second floor, she waited for a long time but didn''t see Shane. When she was about to go

    back downstairs, a man suddenly grabbed her on the shoulder.

    She immediately resisted, but she was not as strong as he was.

    Charlotte didn''t know how she lost consciousness. It could have been a psychedelic drug, or maybe

    she had been strangled into unconsciousness.

    The point was.

    When she woke up again, she was in a room.

    Her clothes were immacte, but in front of her was a man taking off his clothes.

    Panicked, she subconsciously moved backward to hide. When the man wasn''t looking, she used

    the corner of the table to cut the rope around her hands.

    She quietly took an ashtray.

    "Hey,dy, you''re awake?" The man''s figure was not bad, and he was not ugly. He didn''t look too

    old either, more like a college student.

    Charlotte looked at the man coldly.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    The man walked towards her. "Don''t worry, I have some good skills. It''s not the first time I''m doing

    this. Cooperate with me for these two photos, okay? So it won''t hurt or anything."

    When she saw that he was about to approach her, Charlotte raised her hand and smashed the

    ashtray against his head.

    She took advantage of the man''s dizziness and immediately threw herself toward the candle on the

    wall. She didn''t care if her hands hurt or not. She protected the me and threw it on the sheets.

    Suddenly, there was a sea of fire between her and the man.

    After she did all this, Charlotte leaned against the wall and gasped for air. The man seemed to have

    given her something before. Her vision was blurred, her hearing was reduced, and her limbs were

    also very weak.

    If she wanted to leave this ce...

    She had to use her brains.

    "Damn, why can''t you be obedient? What benefit will you get if you burn the ce like this?" The

    man held his head and gnashed his teeth. "I''m going to kill you!"

    Charlotte watched as he walked over step by step. Suddenly, she took off her clothes and threw

    them at him.

    The exquisite coat caught on the fire andnded on the man''s body.

    As the man shouted, he reached out his hand and threw something at Charlotte.

    Charlotte raised her hand to block it, only to find a gash in her arm. The man''s trousers were

    burned, but he continued to walk towards her while cursing. He even kept throwing things at her.

    She didn''t know which floor she was on...

    Charlotte looked at the window nearby.

    Forget it.

    Besides, staying here would get her nowhere.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and covered the wound on her arm. She stumbled to her feet and ran

    to the ss window.

    "Where are you going? Come back,e back now! See if I don''t kill you! B*tch, damned woman,

    don''t run if you have the balls. You actually messed me up..." The man cursed and sped toward her.

    It was toote.

    Charlotte threw herself out of the window violently.

    As the ss shattered, she took out her phone and made a call to Rick.

    She hoped that he could find her.

    She was in a daze. After the violent collision, she couldn''t feel anything.

    In the hospital.

    Rick''s eyes turned red from his anger, and the joints of his hands left a lot of bloody marks on the

    wall.

    Anne held his arm to stop him from doing anything stupid.

    The bright red light above the closed operating room door in front of them was particrly dazzling.

    Braden panted as he ran over. "I... I''ve alreadypleted all the procedures. Don''t worry about it.

    I''m taking a break now."

    "Where is Shane?" Rick''s voice was so cold that it could freeze water.

    "I don''t know. I have already contacted him. Rick, you can rest assured that I will definitely stand on

    you and Anne''s side. With something like this happening to Lottie, I won''t hide anything from you."

    Rick didn''t even look at him. He pushed Anne''s hand away and slowly took out his wallet.

    This era.

    It was the era of cashless payment.

    Few people brought their wallets with them now.

    However, there was something that he could only ce in his wallet��Charlotte''s photo.

    This item was more useful than anything.

    Anne opened her mouth but dared not say anything. She only sighed.

    The door of the operating room suddenly opened.

    "The patient''s condition has stabilized. It''s just that some ss has cut her neck, and more than 20

    stitches were made, so there may be some scarring," the doctor said.

    "Are you saying that she''s fine now?" Rick looked up and asked.

    "Yes, during this time, she should take care of her nutrition."

    "Okay, thank you."

    Charlottey on the bed that was being pushed forward by someone.

    Her hair was disheveled and she wore an oxygen mask. She was covered with a navy blue nket.

    The only differences between a living person and a dead person being sent out of the operating

    room were a mask and white cloth.

    Anne saw the injuries on Charlotte''s neck and face and felt her heart ache. She grabbed Rick''s

    hand and said, "Rick, Charlotte is such a beautiful woman. Now she''s injured all over, how will she

    get married in the future..."

    "I don''t mind." Rick''s eyes became redder. He gnashed his teeth and said, "If Shane doesn''t give

    me an exnation this time, I will... take my revenge on NC Company and the Fuller family!"

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174

    Braden shrank back.

    At this moment, it was better for him not to speak.

    Charlotte had been transferred to the ICU.

    Under normal circumstances, people like her who had escaped dangerous situations didn''t have to

    go to the ICU.

    But since there was space and Rick was willing to spend the money, the doctor made the

    arrangements.

    Rick had been apanying her the whole time.

    "Rick," Anne said softly. "You should eat something, okay?"

    "Sorry, Anne, I can''t eat anything right now." Rick looked back at her and forced himself to smile at

    her.

    "You said you didn''t mind her before, but I think she will be very upset. I''ll go find her a good stic

    surgeon, okay?" Anne asked tentatively.

    She wanted to do something to divert Rick''s attention.

    So that he wouldn''t be so sad.

    Rick nodded mechanically and said, "Go ahead."

    Anne wanted to say something but didn''t. In the end, she sighed and left the room.

    Not long after Anne left, Charlotte woke up.

    She opened her eyes, licked her lips, and struggled to say, "Water..."

    She was talking!

    Rick reacted at once. He took a ss of water and used a cotton swab to feed it to her.

    After Charlotte drank some water, her thoughts became clearer.

    When she saw Rick beside her, she smiled and said, "Rick, with you by my side, I feel much safer."

    "I''ll always be here. I''m sorry I waste today." He put down the cup and gently stroked her brows.

    "I''m sorry, Lottie, it''s all my fault."

    Charlotte wanted to shake her head, but her neck was stiff and she couldn''t move it. "It doesn''t

    matter. It''s just... What happened to me? I don''t seem to be able to move my neck."

    "You have an injury on your neck, so you can''t move it for the time being. Everything will be fine

    when the anesthetic wears off." Rick softly coaxed her. "Does it hurt?"

    "It doesn''t hurt." Charlotte replied with a smile, "It''s just that when I ran out of the room, I crashed

    through the ss window. My face shouldn''t look too good, right?"

    "There weren''t too many cuts on your face. Your neck had about 20 stitches. On your body too.

    Anne has already gone to find a stic surgeon." Rick worried about her mood and so held her

    hand tightly. "As long as I''m here, you won''t be disfigured."

    "It''s okay. I don''t care if I''m ugly or not. I''m just afraid that I''ll scare Sheryl and the people around

    me."

    "I''ve already brought Sheryl back." Rick''s tone turned cold.

    Charlotte smiled. She opened her eyes and looked at him helplessly. "Was it Shane?"

    Rick shook her head. "He didn''t show up at the scene, and now none of us can get in touch with

    him."

    Charlotte''s gaze turned hollow and deste. "It''s no longer important. That''s why I said that we

    don''t belong together. Even if I care about him, there will be a lot of misunderstandings in the future

    after something like this."

    "Lottie..." "Rick. If, I mean only if I can fall in love with you, I will get together with you."

    Rick was stunned.

    Had she given up on Shane?

    That was just fine.

    He bent over and gently kissed her eyebrows. His voice was soft and hoarse. "It''s up to you. Then

    I''ll find someone else to take over the domestic business affairs. Let''s have a vacation. We can

    travel the world, okay?"

    "Thank you."

    "I''ll always take care of you. I won''t let such a thing happen again."

    Charlotte closed her eyes.

    People said that what was sadder than pain was numbness.

    But as a person who felt numb, she actually did not feel any sorrow at all. On the contrary, she was

    very d that she was no longer sad.

    The next day.

    Shane and Cole came to the hospital.

    Braden was being dragged along by Anne and was unable to go forward and greet them. Shane''s

    gaze only lingered on him for a moment, giving him a reassuring look.

    Braden breathed a sigh of relief.

    Shane still treated him as a friend.

    Shane wanted to go to the ward to visit Charlotte, but he was stopped by Rick''s executive

    assistants. He frowned and raised his hand and bent his joints slightly.

    Cole could only immediately walk forward.

    Both parties were at loggerheads.

    Squeak-

    Rick pushed the door open and looked at Shane coldly. "Mr. Fuller."

    Shane noticed the change in his attitude and asked patiently, "What''s going on?"

    "Where is your mobile phone?"

    "Cole."

    Cole took out his cell phone from his pocket and said, "Mr. Fuller''s cell phone has been lost. He just

    found it again yesterday afternoon. You can check it in detail."

    "No, at this point, I''ll believe whatever he says. Isn''t that right?" Rick turned around and said with his

    back to Shane and Cole, "But, what has happened has already happened. Mr. Fuller, you''d better

    return."

    Bang-

    Rick mmed the door again.

    Through the ss window, the people outside could see that he had returned to the bedside and

    sat down. He was just as motionless as before as he watched the person in the hospital bed.

    Cole turned to face Shane cautiously. "Mr. Fuller..."

    "Wait here."

    "Yes, sir."

    If Shane wanted to stay, Cole naturally wouldn''t leave. He held hisputer as he waited.

    Braden asked Anne in a low voice, "Anne, your brother just said that he would believe whatever

    Shane says at this point. What does that mean?"

    "Don''t you know? At this point, you can easily find out whether something is true or not. To tell

    unnecessary lies would make him a useless bastard." Anneined. "You are so stupid."

    Braden was speechless.

    How was he supposed to know that anyway?

    He felt more and more that Rick was not an ordinary person.

    At noon, Anne and Braden went to have lunch. Shane was still at the entrance to the ward, and

    Cole kept reporting to him about NC Company.

    Due to the issue of the stock prices, the situation of NC Company was getting worse and worse.

    They needed to supplement its capital from time to time and had to ept bad deals. Even then,

    they could barely solve the immediate crisis.

    Suddenly, a voice came from the ward. Shane immediately motioned Cole to turn off theputer.

    Cole turned it off and looked into the ward.

    Charlotte had opened her eyes. Without waiting for her to say anything, Rick had already brought

    the water to the corner of her lips out of habit.

    She leaned over and took a deep sip. Then she smiled at him and said, "I think it hurts less than

    yesterday. Will it get better day by day?"

    "Of course."

    "That''s great." Charlotte wanted to reach out and touch the wound, but Rick grabbed her hand. She

    exined, "It''s a little itchy."

    "Where? I''ll help you."

    Charlotte pouted her lips and said, "On my neck."

    Rick said helplessly, "You had the same painkillers as yesterday. How could it start to itch?"

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    However, she still felt itchy. Charlotte could hardly control her hands.

    Rick felt that something was not right, so he immediately called the doctor over.

    By the time a few doctors in white coats arrived, Charlotte had already be a little impatient.

    She had even started begging Rick to let go of her hand so that she could scratch her neck.

    "Give her a sedative." The doctor shouted to the nurse, "The patient has begun to have a post-

    surgery reaction. Get ready to send her to the operating room."

    "Yes, Doctor!"

    Rick was panicked. "Doctor, what''s wrong with her?"

    "Post-surgery infection." The doctor gave him a meaningful look and said, "It was lucky that you

    called us over. If we had been ten minuteste, the consequences would have been unimaginable if

    the patient''s nails came into contact with the wound."

    "How could there be an infection? Everything here is sterile." Rick was anxious.

    Post-surgery infection, situational changes, or rejection. If any of those urred, the consequences

    would be unimaginable.

    The doctor shook his head and said, "It''s impossible for us to live in an absolutely sterile

    environment. On the contrary, the chance of having an infection from this kind of minor surgery is far

    greater than that of major operations. Don''t worry, trust in our experience."

    Rick nodded vigorously and said, "I''m counting on you, Doctor."

    When Charlotte was sent to the operating room, Cole could only contact the director of the hospital

    immediately.

    When he heard that it was a post- surgery infection, Shane was relieved but immediately worried

    again.

    It wasn''t a huge deal. But it wasn''t a small problem either.

    He immediately ordered Cole to call a well-known expert over. The expert quickly arrived, but

    Charlotte''s life wasn''t in danger. Even if the expert came, it would be useless.

    Rick stood outside the operating room, not bothering Shane''s upations. Rick didn''t say a word at

    all.

    He couldn''t stop Shane from doing something for Charlotte. The only thing he could do was to

    protect her as best as he could.

    Soon.

    The door to the operating room was opened again.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175

    Rick moved closer at once, but Shane was one step ahead of him in getting to the doctor. His gaze

    darkened as he took a step back.

    Anne was very anxious when she saw this scene. She muttered, "What''s wrong with my brother?

    Why did he let Shane talk to the doctor first? It''s all because of Shane that Charlotte was like this!"

    "Your brother... has a good character." Only Braden dared to say so.

    He was stuck between Shane and his wife.

    He could afford to upset neither of them.

    Anne rolled her eyes. "But of course. If it weren''t for his good character, I wouldn''t have hooked the

    two of them up. My brother treats people better than Shane does."

    Braden touched his nose helplessly. What could he do if his wife loved her brother?

    After Shane had finished his inquiries, Rick had already returned to the ward with Charlotte. This

    time, he didn''t stop Shane from seeing Charlotte.

    After all, judging from his behavior, he still cared about her.

    The only thing was.

    The fire within him that wanted to ruin NC Company and the Fuller family was still burning brightly in

    his heart.

    When he saw that Charlotte was in so much pain, Rick couldn''t help but vent his anger on Shane.

    If it weren''t for the fact that he couldn''t take care of his own phone, this kind of thing wouldn''t have

    happened.

    Rick took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "Mr. Fuller, the incident has urred and

    you''ve seen Charlotte. What''s your next move?"

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I''ll look into it."

    "What you mean is, until now, you still don''t know who touched your phone, right?" Rick lifted his

    gaze and pushed.

    "I have no obligation to tell you."

    "Then please leave, Mr. Fuller. You''re not wee here."

    It was rare for Rick to have such a firm attitude.

    Shane didn''t make a move. Rick couldn''t suppress his anger and threw a punch at him.

    Shane could sense the punching.

    Shane slightly leaned to the side to dodge. He used the bedside table to stabilize his body, and then

    he retracted his body.

    Rick didn''t seed, but he had calmed down. He went back to the bedside, looked at the person on

    the bed, and said with a sullen expression, "I''ve made myself very clear. I will find the person who

    hurt her at all costs."

    "You don''t have the right to deal with my people."

    "Oh? It seems that you already know who the person is. Why are you hiding it? Let me guess, it''s

    Tiffany All..."

    "Rick."

    The woman in the hospital bed suddenly spoke.

    Rick''s words came to an abrupt end.

    He bent down, and the expression on his face became gentle. "Lottie, you''re awake."

    "There''s no need to say so much. I don''t care about what happened. Mr. Fuller, please don''t disturb

    Sheryl and me again in the future." Charlotte licked her lips as she spoke.

    Rick immediately brought her a cup of water. She took a sip and continued, "You''re here to settle

    this privately. I''ve already stated my conditions, Mr. Fuller. If you are not satisfied, we can see each

    other in court."

    Charlotte was even calmer than Rick was. She didn''t show any emotion.

    Shane frowned and said, "It has nothing to do with her..."

    "No matter what, this matter has nothing to do with me either. As long as you can settle your

    personal affairs, Mr. Fuller, there''s no need to report it to us."

    Rick suddenly smiled.

    Charlotte stretched out her hand and held Rick''s hand gently. As she looked at his haggard

    appearance, she said with distress, "I only hope that the wound on my neck can be healed before

    we get married."

    "It will. If it doesn''t, we can postpone the wedding until you get better."

    "Rick, if you spoil me like this, I will be a second Anne."

    "You can do whatever you want." His voice grew softer and softer.

    Charlotte suddenly moved forward, and Rick was stunned. Was she trying to get him to kiss her?

    His body leaned slightly downward.

    Shane left suddenly, the door mming loudly, which made the whole building quiet for a few

    seconds.

    Only then did Charlotte lean her body backward and lie on the bed. She winked at Rick and said,

    "Good cooperation."

    "It seems that you know Shane very well." Rick straightened up.

    She smiled.

    This was Shane''s character.

    "Are you really going to give up the investigation?" He sat down and held her hand. "After you

    suffered so much these few days, how can you just let him go like this?"

    "At this point, let everythinge to an end. The person I''m letting go of is myself."

    Rick nodded and said nothing more.

    After all, for him, if Charlotte were to let go of Shane, his chances of sess would be greater.

    A ck car was parked in the most renowned wealthy area of River City.

    Cole got out of the car first and went to the back seat to open the door. "Mr. Fuller, we''ve arrived."

    The man who was resting against the back seat opened his eyes. He nodded and stepped his

    slender legs out of the car.

    Cole closed the door and led the way to a big vi. He entered the password and went into the

    house with Shane.

    Various kinds of stic products were thrown about.

    Even Cole, a smoker, couldn''t stand the strong smell of cigarettes in the living room. He reached out

    and waved his hand in front of his nose. "Mr. Fuller, we..."

    "Get them out."

    "Yes, sir."

    A few female celebrities in fur coats were chased into the garden by Cole. They looked like they had

    taken something and seemed confused.

    Thest person to be brought before Shane was Tiffany Allen.

    Her head swayed to and fro and she seemed to be in a bad state.

    Shane took a step back in disgust and pointed at Tiffany. Cole bowed respectfully, pulled Tiffany to

    the rockery in the garden. He pulled her hair and put her head into the pond.

    As Tiffany choked on the water, she suddenly woke up.

    She struggled.

    Cole released her and threw her before Shane. "Mr. Fuller." "Where is the phone?" Shane looked

    down at her.

    "What, what cell phone, I don''t know..." Tiffany waspletely aware at this time, but she was

    determined to y dumb to the end.

    Shane took out a tablet and yed her a video. "I didn''t expect that my assistant would be working

    for you."

    Video?

    How could there be surveince footage!

    Tiffany immediately moved forward and held Shane''s leg tightly. "Shane, I just wanted to teach

    Charlotte a little lesson. You care so much about her, but she has been disparaging you!"

    "Disparaging me?" Shane leaned over and pulled her away from him. "Be more specific."

    "I''m telling the truth. She''s spreading rumors. She said that when she was at NC Company, you

    were very hostile to Christopher. She also said that..."

    "Say it."

    "She also said that you haven''t had a girlfriend in so long or gotten married because you have

    feelings for Christopher. That''s why he''s been holding onto the shares after he left you."

    Would Charlotte do such a thing?

    Shane didn''t believe it.

    However, he was not sure whether these words were true or not.

    Shane''s eyes darkened. "You got someone to take a nude photo of her just for this?"

    "I just wanted to teach her a lesson. I didn''t know she would get herself hurt." Tiffany looked at

    Shane pitifully. "Shane, I grew up with you. I admit that I messed this up, but I did it for you."

    "I kept you on because of Heidi. You''d better get that clear." Shane''s voice was very cold.

    "Of course I know. I don''t usually make trouble for you."

    "It just so happens that the Brightshine scandal still hasn''t cleared up yet. You should go overseas

    and study for a while."

    Although Tiffany was dissatisfied, she did not say anything but nodded obediently instead.

    As she watched Shane''s back as he left, she smiled proudly.

    So what if she had to go abroad?

    After such a thing had happened, Charlotte and Shane''s rtionship would definitely worsen.

    Even if he sent her abroad for a while, she could still return to be Mrs. Fuller.

    Whether it was the current Charlotte or Heidi in the past, neither of them were a match for her.

    When it came to Shane, she was determined to win!

    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.

    On the day that Charlotte could be discharged from the hospital, she heard from Rick''s secretary

    that Tiffany had been sent to J Country. It was said that Shane had invested in three advertisements

    in one breath and sent her to work while taking cultural sses.

    Needless to say, the issue with the phone had been Tiffany''s doing

    When she saw that no one was speaking, Anne broke the silence. "Lottie, does this count as

    Shane''s exnation to you?"

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176

    Charlotte shook her head. "I don''t know about that. What about you, Rick?"

    "Same here."

    "Does that mean that Tiffany crossed the line with Shane?"

    Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. In any case, it had nothing to do with her now.

    When she saw that Charlotte had lost interest, Anne did not ask any more questions. She thought

    of the little kid who was waiting to be fed at home. She suggested, "Shall we go home? Sheryl has

    been waiting for an exnation."

    "Okay." Charlotte handed the document in her hand to Anne. "I just want to trouble you to help me

    deal with this."

    "This is..." Anne took the document.

    A share transfer agreement?

    Why was she giving this to her for no reason?

    Anne opened it and found that they were the shares of Emerson Corporation. "Lottie, why are you

    giving this to me?"

    "They''re the safest with you. This is the result of my discussion with your brother," said Charlotte.

    "I don''t mind taking care of them for you." Anne put the documents away.

    Charlotte smiled. "I know you don''t care about these work things, but I don''t think it''s suitable for me

    or Rick to hold onto the shares of Emerson Corporation."

    Anne nodded with an "Mm" sound and said, "I understand."

    They left the hospital and returned home.

    Sheryl had been waiting for a long time.

    As she watched her Mommye home, she was happy and angry. She was happy that Mommy

    was finally fine again. She was mad that Charlotte hadn''t told Sheryl about this and hade home

    already.

    Great-grandma would definitely be sad.

    When she saw the child''s resentful gaze, Charlotte didn''t know what to do for a moment. She

    smiled bitterly and said, "Sheryl, the past two days, I..."

    "Let me do it," Rick came forward to suggest. "You go up and have a rest."

    "But, Rick, if she doesn''t even listen to what I say, will she listen to you?"

    "It''s okay. You can go."

    Charlotte looked at Sheryl and the little girl made a face at her.

    Alright.

    It was indeed better to leave this to someone else. Charlotte sighed, "Okay."

    After she went upstairs, Charlotte sat down on the bed and put the pen and notebook she had

    brought back from the hospital in the bedside drawer.

    In the past three days, she could move about freely.

    Therefore, she had discussed many things with Rick about the matter of taking over the Emerson

    Corporation.

    For now, the Jane Corporation''s development was stable, but itcked a partner in the logistics

    industry. However, Emerson Corporation was worthy of consideration.

    If they thought about it from a logical standpoint, with the death of the old chairman of the Emerson

    Corporation, the new directors and CEO were less effective. They were not familiar with the

    company''s business so it was normal for them to lose money in the next one to three years.

    However.

    Now, with the market in a semi- quiescent period, all industries were developing rapidly.

    Without the limit of capital, new entrepreneurs would increase. Things could change a lot in a

    month, much less a year. In these circumstances, there were only two paths the Emerson

    Corporation could take.

    They would either be acquired or go bankrupt.

    On the whole, the Emerson Corporation was going downhill, so it could be taken over.

    Charlotte looked at the documents in the drawer and subconsciously touched the bracelet on her

    hand. The ringing of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts.

    Beep! Beep! Beep!

    Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone.

    She came back to earth and picked it up. "Hello?"

    "This is Zoe."

    Zoe Watson?

    It was Shane''s secretary.

    She was also one of the people Charlotte had been closest with in thepany.

    Charlotte didn''t know why she was calling. After a moment of silence, she opened her mouth and

    said, "What is it?"

    "Please talk to Christopher. When I was sorting out the CEO''s document today, I saw that he was

    the person who was buying thepany''s shares, and..." Zoe took a deep breath when she said

    this. It seemed that she did not have the courage to continue.

    Charlotte knew Zoe quite well.

    She was very serious about her work, and she was very calm and reliable.

    After some consideration, Charlotte finally decided to ask, "And what?"

    "He controls the Emerson Corporation''s stock..."

    Charlotte felt her brain go nk.

    The Emerson Corporation was controlled by Christopher?

    Logically speaking, he certainly couldn''tpletely control the Emerson Corporation in such a short

    period of time. So he hadn''t done it because he had had a conflict with Shane.

    It was very likely that he had been controlling the Emerson Corporation for a long time, and then

    turned it into a pawn. Step by step, he was nning to go against Shane.

    This also meant that...

    Charlotte lowered her eyes and felt a sharp pain in her heart. "I''ve always treated him as a friend."

    "I know how you feel. Believe me, I feel worse than you do." Zoe looked at the table. On it was the

    only photo of her and Christopher she had. She felt very upset. "I couldn''t think of anyone else I can

    talk to about it."

    "Just pretend that you didn''t tell me about it today. I need to discuss it with Rick."

    "I understand."

    The conversation was over.

    Charlotte looked at the documents in the drawer. For a moment, she felt that this was ridiculous.

    Before, when Christopher said that he wanted to join the Jane Corporation, it was to win Rick over?

    And maybe get her shares as well?

    She had truly regarded him as a friend. She didn''t forget about him even when she was in the Jane

    Corporation. But, in the end, he was so heartless.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte became very deste.

    While she was lost in thought, there was a sound of knocking at the door. Someone was at the door.

    "The door is unlocked. Pleasee in."

    Rick pushed the door open and carried the child to her side. The little girl hugged Charlotte and

    said, "Mommy, I know Daddy is bullying you."

    "Sheryl..."

    "Then we won''t be friends with Daddy. Mrs. Fuller Senior said that after I was brought home by

    Uncle Rick this time, I can go to her house to find her. I don''t have to go to the old mansion," Sheryl

    said in a low and muffled voice.

    "Okay, I''ll take you there next time."

    Sheryl held her in her arms and kissed her on the cheek. "Mommy is the best."

    The little girl had run over to say these words. When she finished, she left. Although Mrs. Fuller

    Senior wasn''t here, there were still a lot of toys and a television that could attract her attention.

    That was why many people said that a child''s love was temporary.

    After all, even a cartoon character could steal their love of their parents.

    "You don''t look very good." Rick reached out his hand to check Charlotte''s forehead. "Tell me if you

    feel ufortable."

    "I''m fine." Charlotte shook her head. "It''s just that Zoe called me just now. She is Shane''s secretary.

    She said the Emerson Corporation is being controlled by Christopher."

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "This is typical."

    "What?"

    "As I said before, there''s something wrong with him, so it''s typical to see this kind of thing happen."

    Charlotte lowered her gaze.

    Rick looked at her distressed face and said, "Don''t think too much about it. You think too much of

    some people. Maybe they have been using you from beginning to end."

    Would he do that?

    However, Christopher had never used her and had never hurt her.

    It was hard for her to imagine that he was more powerful than ine and actually controlled the

    Emerson Corporation.

    If Christopher was really the one calling the shots, then her mother''s death...

    The light in Charlotte''s eyes went out. "Rick, you''re right. Business is lethal."

    "Lottie, you still have me."

    "I know. If it weren''t for you by my side, the current me would probably have copsed." Charlotte''s

    face was as pale as paper. She raised her hand and rubbed her face. "Let''s stop being so

    emotional. Let''s think of a way to deal with this."

    A n...

    Rick thought for a while and then said, "This Christopher person. I think you''d better talk to him first.

    He''s different from Shane. He''s not a person who values profits only."

    "Do you mean that you want me to figure out the root cause?"

    "Yes, I suspect that there may be a grudge between him and Shane, but only Christopher would

    know about it."

    What kind of grudge involved only one person knowing it?

    Although Charlotte nodded, at the bottom of her heart, she felt that the simple spection was

    unreliable.

    But now, she had no other choice but to believe in Rick.

    She raised her hand absent- mindedly and touched the scar on the back of her neck. "Rick, should I

    go pray? I feel like I''ve been really unlucky recently."

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177

    Rick''s smile was gentle and bright. "I''ll take you there."

    "Is Mr. Jane really taking a vacation?" Charlotte blinked and said wittily.

    "In order to apany Ms. Emerson, I''d make time for a vacation even if I didn''t have it."

    "Wow, Mr. Jane, you really care about your subordinates."

    "Just you."

    Charlotte looked at him. Finally, she curled her lips into a smile and said in a low voice, "Thank you."

    Rick shook his head.

    If you loved someone, you''d want to give them the world. What was so difficult about going with her

    to pray?

    However, Charlotte only talked about it but didn''t make any move to visit a church. So Rick got

    someone to get her a rosary bracelet.

    Although most of the time these things only had a psychological effect, whatever effect it did have, it

    was better than nothing.

    Last time, he had given her a bracelet, and this time, it was another bracelet. Initially, Charlotte

    didn''t want it, but on second thought, this was something Rick had purposely gotten for her. If she

    didn''t keep it, then it wouldn''t be too polite of her.

    In the end, she put away the bracelet and its box and put them both in her bag.

    After a day''s work, it was time to go home.

    Charlotte didn''t work overtime today, so she couldn''t leave with Rick. She could only take a taxi by

    herself.

    As soon as she walked out of the office and arrived at the taxi stop, a familiar figure came to her.

    Even in her work clothes, she looked very elegant and energetic. The eyes of many passers-by

    were fixed on her.

    "Zoe." Charlotte reached out and hugged her.

    "I was in a hurry before, so I came to see you without informing you. I hope you don''t mind."

    "Why would I mind? Even if you''re here for business, you''re still here for me. I''m happy. Why would I

    mind?" Charlotte said with a smile.

    "You''re always thinking about others'' feelings."

    Charlotte shook her head. "You deserve it." Zoe smiled and said, "I came here about Christopher.

    But we don''t need to rush. Why don''t we find a ce to have dinner?"

    "If you don''t mind, can I invite another person?"

    "Of course."

    Charlotte sent a message to Rick. He quickly replied that he still had two more meetings. He told

    them to choose a ce first and that he would be here soon.

    When Zoe learned that the person she invited was Rick, she was a little surprised. "Your

    rtionship with him..."

    "I don''t know either, but we may get married."

    "I see. I heard that Mr. Fuller also has a simr n recently. So are you really breaking up?"

    "He has someone he needs to take care of. I need to let myself go."

    Zoe nodded when she heard that, but she did not say more.

    When they arrived at the restaurant, Zoe let Charlotte order their food. She took the menu and

    ordered two dishes. Then she pushed the menu back to Zoe. The two of them ordered seven

    dishes in total.

    The portions of the dishes here were rtively small. Even though they ordered seven dishes, the

    waitress did not prompt them about theirrge order.

    The two of them chatted over dinner.

    Rick arrivedte.

    "Sorry,dies." He put two sses of freshly squeezed juice next to them and said, "I''mte."

    "Thank you, Mr. Jane. I like passion fruit very much." Zoe opened the package and began to drink.

    "So Lottie told me. I''m happy that you like it."

    In the midst of their conversation.

    Zoe felt that Rick was really a very gentle and considerate person.

    When a person like him and Charlotte were together, they gave off the feeling that they

    complemented each other very well.

    It wasn''t like with Charlotte and Shane. The two of them seemed to fill in each other''s gaps.

    It was just that.

    Zoe did not feel that Charlotte and Rick were in love. Their way of getting along with each other was

    too respectful. Instead, theycked the sweetness unique to love.

    When the meal was almost over, Charlotte raised her the matter of Christopher.

    At that time, Zoe went to the point.

    Three days ago.

    Christopher officially fell out with Shane.

    He appeared unexpectedly at the board meeting. He had obtained a lot of shares and it could be

    said that he wanted topete with Shane.

    Braden had been there at that time and gave Christopher a good beating. Christopher didn''t say

    anything, nor did the police need to be called for him to leave.

    Then, Shane''s uncle, Walter, suddenly announced that he was on Christopher''s side, which made

    the stock in Shane''s power reduce by half.

    At this point, it could be said that NC Company was under the influence of both Shane and

    Christopher.

    The good thing was.

    After cooperating for so many years, even if they wanted to fight to the death, they were both

    logical. Neither of them caused a crisis for thepany.

    But things could not go on like this.

    They would definitely ruin thepany. Zoe looked at Charlotte very sincerely and said word by

    word, "To tell you the truth, I''m interested in Mr. Gibson. He is very important to me, so I really hope

    that you can persuade him." "Why me?" Charlotte smiled bitterly, "You''ve known each other for a

    longer time than me, but..."

    "Lottie, he has the upper hand now. But don''t forget that it was given to him by you. He has always

    thought of you as a heroine."

    "What?" Charlotte thought.

    "Could that little boy be..."

    Charlotte was struck dumb.

    When Rick heard this, he asked doubtfully, "Does this Christopher like Lottie?"

    "Mr. Jane, don''t get me wrong."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t stop her from helping because of this kind of thing. But if Christopher likes

    Lottie, why does he want to control the Emerson Corporation? Why does it have to be the Emerson

    Corporation?" Rick''s voice was a little cold, even a little angry.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Charlotte noticed something was wrong and asked, "Rick?"

    Rick sighed. "It''s a long story, and I''ve just discovered it."

    Christopher had been controlling the Emerson Corporation for a long time.

    It was sometime before Charlotte''s mother died that he had made his move on the Emerson

    Corporation.

    So.

    It was easy to imagine the reason.

    Charlotte remained silent the entire time. She couldn''t say how she felt inside.

    She could only try hard to cheer herself up. She smiled and continued to talk to Rick and Zoe, but

    they were like zombies.

    She had believed in Christopher so much.

    It was very boring for Sheryl to stay at home alone.

    She remembered that her father had told her that he would definitelye as long as she called

    him.

    Sheryl pressed the button many times. Finally, she heard a voiceing from the other end.

    "Sheryl?"

    "Daddy, I''m alone at home. I''m so bored. Can you spend time with me?" The little girl said in a

    childish voice.

    Shane nced at the people in the conference room and answered calmly, "Alright, I''ll be right

    there." "I want to eat delicious food.''

    "Alright."

    "I love you, Daddy!"

    "Got it."

    Sheryl put away her kiddie cell phone and happily leaned against the window to wait for her Daddy.

    She didn''t know what had happened between Daddy and Mommy, but Mommy left her at home

    alone. There was nothing wrong with getting her Daddy to y with her. Daddy had said before that

    he would always be her Daddy.

    Even though she didn''t know how long forever was.

    Soon.

    Shane rushed to the mansion.

    When Sheryl saw him, she immediately ran toward him and threw herself into his arms. "Daddy!

    Why are you quarreling with Mommy? I miss Great-grandmother."

    "There''s been a misunderstanding between us."

    "Then, can''t you just clear up the misunderstanding?"

    "It''s not that simple."

    "Can''t I help?" The little girl shook her head and took his hand to go inside. "Let''s go in and talk. It''s

    cold outside.''

    The girl''s steps were very small, so she was like a penguin as she walked.

    Shane supported her. His eyes were filled with love.

    This was his daughter.

    Even though he had said in his heart countless times that from then, this motherdaughter pair had

    nothing to do with him, the concerns he had for them in his heart were not so easily cut away.

    They went inside.

    Sheryl showed Shane the Lego she had put together and said, "I''m amazing, aren''t I?" She put her

    hands on her hips and looked very proud of herself.

    "Of course it''s amazing," Shane agreed with his daughter.

    "Hee hee, and this, this..."

    In a blink of an eye, the sky turned dark.

    After the meal, Charlotte, who had nned to discuss the matter of Christopher with Rick, went

    home to find Shane there.

    He was very seriously putting together Lego with Sheryl. Their gestures and actions were simr,

    which made Charlotte''s heart skip a beat.

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    Chapter 178

    Shane...

    "Why is he here?" Charlotte wondered.

    Compared with Charlotte''s nk look, Rick''s was much more natural. He went over to Sheryl and

    Shane''s side and said, "Do you need one more person, my little princess?"

    "Yes! Uncle Knight, you''re finally back." Sheryl reached out and hugged Rick, and even kissed him

    on the cheek.

    "For the future castle of the little princess, Uncle Knight is still working hard to make money."

    "You''ve worked so hard. You can wear the little crown for a while."

    Rick joined her and Shane with a smile.

    At that moment, Charlotte came to her senses and poured drinks for the three of them. She asked

    curiously, "Wait a minute. What''s this princess and knight thing between the two of you?"

    "She was watching cartoons the other day and asked me whether the castle where the princess

    lives is as big as this house. I said no, and she said that she is also a little princess. I said yes, and

    that I am her knight," Rick exined with a smile.

    Sheryl nodded.

    "You''re a knight. So what are Anne and I?" Charlotteughed.

    "Mommy is the princess royal, Anne is the duchess, and the house is the big castle. The king is

    dead," Sheryl said solemnly.

    Charlotte was stunned.

    Rick gently pinched her little face and said, "You said before that you wanted your father to be the

    king, but now, why is the king dead?"

    "Father is the king of another country."

    "Sheryl is so smart."

    Rick was very close with Sheryl. As Shane looked at her, the coldness in his heart grew colder and

    colder, but he kept his gaze focused on the Lego.

    Sheryl suddenly hugged Shane. The blocks in his hands were jarred, and the half-built ship

    copsed. The little girl who had made a mess stuck out her tongue and said, "Daddy..."

    "It''s okay. We can build it again."

    "Although others treat me very well, I still like you." The little girl was a sweet-talker.

    Shane''s eyebrows curved instantly, and he patted her face lovingly.

    Charlotte shook her head. "What will I do when you grow up? You''ll be a hit with the boys."

    "Isn''t that good?" Rick straightened up and stood next to Charlotte. "With Mr. Fuller and me around,

    even if she really wants to start a harem, it''s not impossible."

    "Not only do you want to steal my woman, but you want to steal my daughter too?" Shane picked up

    the little girl, straightened up, and stood beside them.

    His gazended on Charlotte. It was cold and devoid of any warmth.

    Charlotte lowered her head.

    It had been him who had abandoned her in the first ce...

    Rick said with a smile, "Charlotte is yours, and so her daughter. I''ve never been a king or prince. I

    just want to live a humble life. We have different pursuits."

    Shane pressed his lips together, but he didn''t say anything further.

    "Mr. Fuller, since you''vee, please stay for dinner. I have a guest room here." Rick took the

    initiative to invite him.

    "Is that a good idea?" Charlotte wasn''t too willing to keep him around.

    Originally, Shane hadn''t wanted to stay.

    It was fine that his daughter was here, but with Rick and Lottie around, he felt like an outsider.

    However, when he heard Charlotte''s words, he nodded immediately, "It''s hard to refuse such

    kindness."

    Rick smiled and patted Charlotte''s back. "Help me inform Ms. Laura. Ask her to prepare the guest

    room."

    "Alright." Charlotte sighed.

    Life was really difficult.

    Sheryl was very happy with this. "Yes, yes! Daddy, tell me a bedtime story."

    "Okay."

    When they saw how happy the father and daughter were, Rick smiled while Anne felt uneasy.

    Just as Shane was ying Lego with Sheryl, Anne dragged Rick away and said, "Rick, what''s

    wrong with you? Why did you invite Shane to stay here? How can you create an opportunity for

    your rival in love?"

    "Only in this way can Charlotte truly treat the two parts of the rtionship equally," Rick said simply.

    "Don''t always say things I don''t understand." Anne was depressed.

    "The meaning is very simple. No matter how good I am to Lottie, she has Shane in her heart. That

    would be useless to me. However, if I am in the same position as Shane, and if I put in more effort,

    she will naturally favor me."

    "Rick, I still don''t understand."

    Rick was speechless.

    He was exining to someone who never understood.

    He patted Anne''s shoulder and continued to y with Lego with Sheryl.

    Anne was baffled, and she stomped back to her room.

    At night.

    Usually, it was Charlotte who put Sheryl to sleep. Today, that didn''t have anything to do with her, so

    she didn''t know what to do.

    She sat before theputer for a long time before she opened the mailbox and began to write an

    email to Christopher.

    After writing two lines, she stopped.

    The icon of a social media site was shing on the lower right of her screen. It was Christopher

    trying to contact her.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    She clicked on it.

    Christopher: Do you have time to talk?

    Charlotte''s fingers drew back and then stretched out again. There were a few times when she

    wanted to type some words, but she gave up each time.

    Christopher once again sent a message: My mother has been in poor health. Recently, after tests,

    she may...

    At that moment, Charlotte finally put her fingers to the keyboard and typed: So?

    Christopher: I need to ask you to pretend to be my girlfriend.

    Charlotte struggled internally.

    In the end, she typed: I don''t think I''m suitable for that. Zoe would be better. After all, you can find

    out I''m involved with Rick now with some checking.

    Christopher: Why don''t you help me arrange a meeting with Zoe? Can you meet my mother as my

    investor?

    "Why do I have to meet his mother?" Charlotte wondered.

    Charlotte couldn''t figure it out, but very quickly, she remembered something.

    The little boy that Christopher had mentioned before... who had been abandoned by his father. He

    had suffered a lot of injustice and was very eager to take revenge.

    If, ording to Zoe''s words, the little boy was actually Christopher himself, then meeting his mother

    would be helpful if she wanted to know more about that situation.

    Charlotte: Alright.

    Christopher suggested Friday, so Charlotte immediately told Zoe about it.

    Zoe only sent her two words: Thank you.

    Charlotte looked at the message and gave a knowing smile.

    Although she didn''t know why Christopher wanted to go against Shane, she was willing to hear

    about how he truly felt.

    Besides, now she was a neutral third party. What did Christopher or Shane have to do with her?

    That was right.

    She had nothing to do with them.

    As she thought about it, Charlotte''s eyes shed. She got up and went downstairs to get some

    water.

    After she poured the water, she saw an orange light in the living room as she went back upstairs.

    The light was dim. If you didn''t look carefully, you would have missed it.

    For some unknown reason, she walked in that direction.

    "No matter what, it''s best for you to be careful of Christopher." Rick''s voice came clearly into her

    hearing.

    "Thank you."

    "Even if it has nothing to do with Lottie, I will contact you at once after Ie back. I will also regard

    you as a friend, Mr. Fuller. Charlotte liked you once, after all."

    Shane''s lips curled up into a cold smile. "Weren''t you dissatisfied with me a while ago?"

    Rick smiled and said, "I''m very satisfied with the way you dealt with things."

    "Should I be thankful?"

    "It''s me who should be grateful. I finally used my temper for the right purpose."

    Shane suddenly had nothing to say.

    The reason why he had stayed here today was only because of Charlotte''s unhappy appearance. It

    had nothing to do with Rick.

    Normally, even if Sheryl asked him toe, he would not. It was because of that incident with Rick

    about sending Tiffany away that he did not care whether he had offended Rick. So he had resolutely

    come to apany his daughter.

    If he had known that Rick had such an attitude, he wouldn''t havee here.

    The two of them remained silent for a while.

    Rick spoke again, "If there''s anything I can do for you, please tell me. But if one day you and

    Tiffany... I won''t cooperate with you anymore."

    "I have to take care of her."

    "Just like I will take care of Charlotte. This is a matter of principle."

    Shane took a deep look at him and finally nodded.

    At this moment, Rick caught a glimpse of Charlotte, who was eavesdropping. Heughed and

    shielded Charlotte from view without batting an eyelid, "Mr. Fuller, can you tell me how you feel

    about Charlotte?"

    How he felt about Charlotte?

    "She is obedient and reasonable. She has good professional ethics and was smart enough. Her

    appearance is in line with my tastes. When she smiles she is sweet, quiet and energetic," he

    thought.

    "Just normal." Shane only said two faint words.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179

    "What about Tiffany?"

    "I don''t feel anything," Shane replied simply.

    They were both men. He did not need to hide anything from Rick. So long as they chatted amicably.

    Rick smiled again. "Then why did you choose Tiffany?"

    "I have a responsibility that I have no choice but to uphold."

    "What if, and I''m saying what if, you''re giving up a newer responsibility for an old one, which will

    cause you to be responsible for it in the future? Which one will you choose to take on then?"

    Shane frowned.

    Rick simply asked the question, but did not ask for an answer. He turned around and said, "Lottie,

    go to sleep."

    Charlotte didn''t think that she would be seen. She came out of her corner and said, "Okay." Then

    she turned around and went upstairs.

    Rick followed closely behind, leaving Shane standing there as if he was a sculpture in the living

    room.

    The next day.

    Charlotte got up and went downstairs, but she didn''t see Shane.

    The butler told her that Shane hade down for breakfast at 6 o''clock, he wanted to wait and to

    y a round of chess with Rick, but he left in a hurry after answering a phone call.

    The butler hadn''t listened carefully either. He only knew that the person on the line seemed to have

    said that something bad had happened.

    Charlotte''s heart clenched, but when she thought that it had nothing to do with her now, she didn''t

    think too much about it anymore.

    However, it just so happened that the year was approaching an end, and the office was closed. The

    Jane Corporation no longer needed her, and there were no more contracts to be signed since most

    factories were going on holiday too.

    She simply stayed at home to investigate NC Company.

    She didn''t find anything unusual when she was investigating, but in the afternoon, arge piece of

    news suddenly came out.

    NC Company was apany that killed people.

    They drove their employee to death. Wasn''t NC Company at fault here?

    What kind of situation had caused a programmer tomit suicide in the early morning?

    Countless rumors and criticisms flew.

    The stock price fell like crazy.

    Reporters rushed to swarm the building of thepany. They took photos of the riot around the

    crowd, just for a thin, lifeless headline photo.

    As Charlotte watched a live video, her hands and feet turned cold, and ayer of fine sweat

    appeared on her forehead.

    At that moment, Shane...

    Would he be able to handle it?

    If it were her, she would have a meltdown and might just jump off the building to prove her

    innocence.

    Beep, beep, beep-

    She came back to her senses.

    "Hello, Miss Charlotte, I''m a private advisor from the Crimson Phoenix Club. My name is Cat. I am

    calling to verify your diamond membership subscription. We aim to provide you with the most

    efficient andprehensive service. Please give me your instructions."

    The Crimson Phoenix Club was an intelligence agency.

    However, this agency was subsidized by the country.

    Members were divided into 18 levels from bronze, silver, gold, tinum, diamond, first-ss,

    exclusive and so on.

    To find out more about how NC Company was doing, Charlotte just spent 3 million dors to

    be a diamond member.

    It was only a level 5 diamond membership, yet it was already worth 3 million dors.

    The reason why this club existed was that it served the top 2% of people in the world. Ordinary

    people couldn''te into contact with it. Even if they came into contact with it, they didn''t have the

    ability to utilize it.

    "NC Company. I want to know all the information on the person whomitted suicide, and what

    happened."

    "Yes, please wait for a moment."

    Cat''s efficiency was not bad.

    The situation with NC Company was split into two parts.

    The first part had to do with pressure. Since the return of Christopher, problems would arise

    whether it had to do with work or contracts. The executive types were in a panic, and the lower-

    level staff were miserable. Everyone was angry, and naturally, they were under pressure.

    The second part was the news. It was not an exciting piece of news that a programmer had jumped

    off the building. River City had many cases of that every year, and manyrgepanies were

    involved. However, this time, the programmer who jumped had a monthly sry of 500,000 dors.

    To be sure, even CEOs like Christopher only made about 800,000 dors.

    At first, Charlotte herself was working for Rick for free. However, from the second month, she had

    only received 200,00 dors per month.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    This was enough to show that, no matter what the programmer requested, the higher-ups would

    have fulfilled if possible.

    "Why did hemit suicide?" Charlotte asked.

    Such a capable person shouldn''t have gone to such extremes.

    Cat quickly came back with an answer. "ording to rumors, he had a lot of overtime and was

    forced into marriage. The higher-ups conducted an investigation and found out that he has been

    taking antidepressants all year round, but he hasn''t reported it to thepany."

    "So in fact, this doesn''t have anything to do with NC Company?"

    "Yes, but the media and the public don''t think so. They even think that he lost his marriage because

    of the stress from thepany."

    "Does this case need to be settled by the personal rtions department''?"

    "As far as I know, NC Company has already contacted them."

    Then...

    Charlotte couldn''t help but feel anxious for Shane. Suddenly, she thought of something, "Can you

    help me get this person''s wife''s contact information?"

    "Of course I can, but I have to know what you are doing for the country''s privacyws."

    "I want to make a deal with her."

    Cat thought for a while, before sending her the information.

    After Charlotte received the woman''s phone number, she first sent a message to meet her. After

    that, she put forward the request for a private chat to solve the matter regarding NC Company.

    She didn''t know why she did this. Was it possible that it was because she had been treated well at

    NC Company?

    Back then.

    The case of the leaked design drawing had been in full swing. The higher- ups all had different

    opinions of her, but Shane had helped her a lot. He had trusted her so much.

    At that time, he had trusted her so much.

    Charlotte met theputer programmer''s wife as the CEO of the Jane Corporation. The woman let

    her guard down almost immediately and named a price. She expressed that she wanted 3 million

    dors.

    Charlotte agreed, and the two women talked about the programmer himself.

    For example, she found out that he had depression for five years. However, five years ago, NC

    Company was still new. It wouldn''t be able to hire such an experienced programmer like him, so his

    history of depression had nothing to do with NC.

    Also, there were some details of his life.

    During the entire process, Charlotte had been recording. The first thing she did after the end of the

    meeting was to transfer money to the woman to NC Company''s office building.

    Even though it was about time to get off work, there were still many reporters waiting.

    Charlotte entered the building from the side door. The woman at the front desk recognized her, but

    she still said that she wanted to inform the CEO. After all, she was no longer a secretary there.

    Charlotte was not in a hurry, so she nodded her head and sat down.

    It was pure luck.

    She happened to see Zoe.

    "Why are you here?" Zoe took her to the elevator, swiped it with her card, and pressed the button

    for the top floor.

    "I''ve already found a way to deal with the programmer whomitted suicide."

    "Lottie, why do you do this?"

    Charlotte didn''t say anything.

    Zoe sighed. "What would Rick think if he finds out that you''re here? You haven''t gotten over Mr.

    Fuller, have you?"

    Zoe believed that a hedge between keeps friendship green. She seldom meddled in other people''s

    private affairs, but her interactions with Charlotte made her realize that Charlotte was very special.

    She was afraid that those who were too sincere would be sacrificed at any time.

    "I''m just very grateful to him. Don''t worry about me. At least I''m very happy now."

    "Really?"

    Would a truly happy person really say the words "I am very happy"?

    The more she was afraid of losing something, the harder it was or the harder it was to lose it, and

    the more she would keep talking about it. Zoe looked at her, bit her lip, and said nothing in the end.

    Along the way, Charlotte saw a lot of people with sad expressions on their faces.

    Some of them were managers, and some of them were ordinary employees. Each of them looked

    like there was a knife hanging over their heads.

    They were really under a lot of work pressure. Due to the recent incident, they might even be fired.

    Even Charlotte was starting to feel bad for these strangers.

    On the way up.

    Charlotte and Zoe were both silent. Soon, they came to Shane''s office.

    The door opened.

    There were three people there.

    Braden, who had always been cheerful, was frowning at the moment.

    Shane stood in front of the French window holding a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked far into

    the distance with no expression on his face, and the feeling of distance was indescribable.

    As for Christopher...

    He was still smiling and faced everything calmly.

    They were just like they had been at the very beginning.

    However, unknowingly, everything had changed.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180

    Braden was the first to notice Charlotte. "Lottie? Why didn''t you say you wereing?"

    Shane quickly came to his senses. His gaze was cold and stunned.

    Christopher slowly turned his head and looked first at Zoe before his gaze fell on Charlotte. He

    smiled and waved at her in greeting.

    "This is a recording. It should be useful to you." Charlotte came to stand before Shane''s face and

    said, "Listen to it first."

    Shane didn''t hold much hope, but hit the y button casually.

    When the voice of the programmer''s ex-wife sounded, the expressions of the three men changed.

    Although everyone had their own standpoints now, none of them wished for NC Company to

    copse.

    If NC Company copsed and they tendered their shares, no one would be able to recoup their

    losses. Even if thepany did not copse, the negative impacts from this matter would continue

    to expand, and the stock price would plummet. Industry talents would not dare join thepany,

    which would be the greatest loss.

    It seemed to be a small thing, but it could affect thepany big time.

    Although roadside hawkers didn''t earn much money, there was a limit to how much they could lose.

    They work hard all their lives, but they might only vacite between losses and gains.

    But bigpanies were different.

    Even if a butterfly pped its wing, it was likely that it would create a tsunami and affect the industry.

    That was why.

    Charlotte''s recording came at the right time.

    Zoe also did not expect that Charlotte would make her move with such an explosive gambit.

    "Lottie, you gave her 3 million dors?" Braden was surprised. "Where did you get so much

    money?"

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I have some savings over the years," Charlotte replied with a smile, "Of course, it''s still because

    Rick gave me an opportunity. I obtained a lot of projects. You know what they say in the industry,

    that I was the one who brought the Jane Corporation to the next level. Although I didn''t do much, I

    did make a lot of money."

    "It''s too amazing. This move is too amazing."

    It was really impressive.

    In total, she had spent more than six million dors.

    In order to solve a problem for Shane that he could have solved himself. When you thought about it,

    she was really silly.

    Unfortunately, at this moment, she was silly without any regrets.

    After Shane finished listening to the recording, he looked piercingly at Charlotte and said, "Wait

    here." Then, he looked at Braden and said, "Prepare for the press conference. At the same time, we

    will start charges for extortion."

    "Yes." Braden shivered. Then, he secretly gave Charlotte a thumbs up.

    For a press conference, you needed to present yourself somberly.

    Charlotte turned around and asked Shane and Zoe to leave.

    All of a sudden, she was the only one left in the office.

    Charlotte walked over to the chair and reached out her hand to touch the spot where he had just

    sat. She took out her phone, looked at the less than 20,000 dors in savings there, and closed her

    eyes.

    What if...

    Before, she had thought that Shane saw her as dispensable.

    Then now, it was like she had given herself from back then a tight p.

    But it didn''t matter, as long as he could solve this crisis.

    Charlotte didn''t wait for Shane toe back. She left NC Company alone and found a mostly

    empty bar in which to drink.

    She didn''t have a good alcohol tolerance, so she only ordered some low proof drinks.

    "Oh, I''m scared to see the ending. Why are we pretending this is nothing? I''d tell you I miss you, but

    I don''t know how. I never heard silence quite this loud..."

    The singer on stage sang as he strummed the guitar.

    Now that she thought about it, it was quite strange.

    The singer looked like he was in his thirties. His appearance was extremely unkempt, but his voice

    was pure. There was a hint of sorrow in his clear and youthful voice.

    The song was written and produced by the ever-popr Taylor Swift.

    The originalposition of the song had a rock vor.

    She had always thought that the song was quite sad despite its upbeat music. She never thought

    that, by ying the guitar, the singer here could bring out the sadness of it so well.

    It made her want to cry andugh at the same time.

    It was just like life.

    In addition to the preordained joys and sorrows, most of the time she felt the helpless feeling of not

    knowing whether tough or cry.

    "Didn''t I tell you to wait for me?"

    A cold voice rang in her ears along with the music.

    Charlotte raised her ss and took a sip. Sheughed and said, "Didn''t you find me even though I

    didn''t wait for you?"

    Shane sat down beside her and ordered a drink, "A Singapore Sling."

    The bartender quickly ced the drink on the table.

    "Did Rick get you to send me the recording?"

    She did not answer but looked at the singer with empty eyes.

    "Charlotte."

    "That is not important. As long as things turn out well, it''s fine," she said.

    Since she had said that, Shane naturally knew that she had been the one who had helped him.

    He grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him.

    Shane''s image was reflected in Charlotte''s eyes.

    "How much did you spend?"

    "You care more about the money, do you?" She wanted to turn her head and avoid his gaze.

    But as soon as she moved, Shane grabbed her chin.

    He kissed her with his lips smelling of alcohol.

    Charlotte closed her eyes.

    He only held it for a few seconds before he moved his lips away.

    She opened her eyes, which were a little red. "I don''t care about money at all. When I heard the

    news, I thought, what if you can''t handle it, but I also thought that you could definitely solve it."

    "I did spend a lot of money, but that doesn''t matter at all. I just wanted to know what happened. If it

    wasn''t serious, then you wouldn''t need me."

    "It didn''t matter how much I thought about it. Even though you definitely could have dealt with it, I

    still couldn''t help doing it."

    "I''m sorry. I put my nose into your business." She lowered her head. "I''ll control myself in the future."

    Shane looked at her deeply.

    Her heartbeat inexplicably sped up.

    He took out his wallet and put a fewrge bills on the table. Then, he grabbed her hand, turned

    around, and left.

    Charlotte was pulled to the car by him without knowing what he was doing.

    The narrow space left her nowhere to hide. She could only endure it as she came face-to-face with

    his lips.

    Charlotte was shocked when she saw his hands move all the way down. She grabbed his arm,

    "Shane, you can''t..."

    "You''re single now."

    "Even if that''s the case, you can''t..."

    However.

    Where could she get the strength to resist?

    Charlotte didn''t know what was wrong with herself. Until she was his, that strange dream from five

    years ago suddenly became exceptionally clear.

    It was the same night, the same face, and the same moonlight that made his facial features look

    extremely handsome.

    The only difference was that she knew his name this time.

    If she was with Shane, she would betray Rick.

    If she was with Rick, she would be doing Shane wrong and... It was a contradictory situation she

    couldn''t get out of.

    In the end.

    She slumped in his arms, seemingly exhausted.

    In a blur, she felt him kissing her hair.

    He said.

    Have a good sleep.

    After some time, she heard the sound of water and felt some warmth. Then, she was sent to a soft

    paradise.

    This entire night, she was like a puppet that he could manipte at will.

    Late at night.

    Shane stood in front of the window. He was wearing Bluetooth headsets and holding Charlotte''s

    phone in his hand.

    "I don''t think I''m a good man," he started.

    On the screen of Charlotte''s phone, the name Rick shed.

    "You''re a piece of scum." Rick gnashed his teeth in anger.

    "Yes."

    "It was so hard for her to be free from your influence and to live a normal life." Rick suppressed his

    anger and said, "Shane, you don''t even love..."

    "Yes, I do."

    It was a simple promation, but it left Rick speechless.

    He rubbed his temples and said, "Take good care of her. Send her home tomorrow."

    "Rick, are you not involved in this incident?"

    "If I was involved, do you think that you could do such dastardly things?"

    Rick hung up the phone angrily.

    Shane turned around and looked at Charlotte''s sleeping face in the moonlight.

    She was as exquisite as a doll, or as beautiful as Sleeping Beauty was in the fairy tale.

    He had never been taken care of by anyone.

    Ever since he was born, he always stumbled his way through life.

    No one had protected him before.

    Except for this matter, he always dealt with things by himself. There would inevitably be idents in

    the process, and Heidi was the person who had suffered the consequences.

    He had assumed that things like that would never happen again now that he had reached his

    current status and new worth, but...

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181

    Charlotte had used her actions to tell him that if something like that happened again, she would not

    hesitate to die for him.

    Shane put down the phone, his long fingers yed with her hair. "Why are you being so silly

    because I''m taking care of someone else?"

    He murmured to himself.

    He seemed to ask the question of her and himself.

    Charlotte''s sleep-steady breathing answered him.

    He had to protect that person. Otherwise, he would betrapped in his memories forever.

    Shane''s gaze became deeper and deeper.

    Rick''s words became clearer and clearer in his mind.

    Would a future him me himself again? Was he now doing Charlotte wrong by not being

    responsible for what he did?

    The next day.

    Charlotte woke up and walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Only then did she realize that she

    had been brought home by Shane.

    It was only when she saw the hickeys on her neck and corbone that she btedly realized what

    had happened yesterday.

    She gazed at herself in the mirror. She did not feel any fear. On the contrary, she felt humiliated.

    What on earth did she do yesterday?

    She held on to her toothbrush. Her fingers went stiff.

    Squeak��

    The bathroom door opened.

    Cold fingersnded on her shoulder. A face that she was so familiar with appeared behind her.

    "I''ve prepared breakfast. I''ll take you home after you eat it."

    "Yesterday, we..." Her voice was very hoarse. She must have been able to control herselfst night,

    she had used her voice too much.

    "As you can tell."

    Shane had already gotten ready for her interrogation.

    He had even prepared a script.

    Anyway, Tiffany was abroad now. It would be difficult even if he wanted to protect her. He didn''t

    necessarily have to sacrifice his marriage.

    Perhaps, he could tell Charlotte that he already knows everything, that she was the woman he

    encountered five years ago... and that Sheryl was his daughter.

    Charlotte simplyughed. "Forget it. Pretend that I wasn''t here."

    "What?" Shane frowned.

    "I helped you just to return the favor. Yesterday, I drank too much, so I didn''t refuse..."

    "Charlotte, it''s best if you think clearly about what you''re going to say to me." His voice deepened.

    Charlotte put down her toothbrush and looked into Shane''s eyes through the mirror. "I said, I didn''t

    turn you down yesterday not because I have feelings for you. I was drunk and confused. I apologize

    if I''ve misled you."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    She was very clear-headed.

    She had never been so clear- headed ever before.

    The veins on Shane''s jaw protruded. He gnashed his teeth forcefully. He spoke through clenched

    teeth, "Charlotte, are you ying with me?"

    "I wouldn''t dare, it''s precisely because I wouldn''t dare that I have to make it clear. I didn''t manage to

    control myself, and I even meddled in your affairs. In the future, I''ll try my best to control myself, I..."

    Bang-

    Shane turned around and mmed the door shut.

    Charlotte''s eyes turned red.

    She could not convince herself to ept him.

    He treated the Allen sisters so well. He had been the one to bring up divorce. It wasn''t that he

    needed her by his side.

    However.

    Rick was different.

    It had to be her by his side.

    Charlotte hurriedly brushed her teeth and washed her face. She left the bathroom and walked to the

    living room. The food that had been prepared was in the trash can. Shane was sitting on the sofa,

    his fingers nimbly handled theptop on his knees.

    She didn''t say anything and left with her head lowered.

    The moment she closed the door, she knew that she could no longer do anything like go to him like

    a moth to a me in the future.

    Everything was over.

    After returning home.

    Charlotte asked the kitchen for a bowl of in porridge.

    The Jane siblings and Braden didn''t seem to be there. Sheryl had also gone to kindergarten.

    Charlotte was sitting alone in the sunroom.

    It was clearly warm, but she felt cold and lifeless.

    "Did you get back alone?"

    "Rick," She answered.

    Rick came to sit beside her and pulled her into his embrace. He pursed his lips as he pulled open

    Charlotte''s cor. Charlotte struggled, but her corbone still felt a chill.

    She looked down.

    At some point, Rick had opened a tube of cream and he was now smearing the ice-cold transparent

    cream on her hickeys.

    "Does it hurt?"

    "No..."

    "If it''s red and swollen, it means that there''s inmmation. You''ll have to apply this on other parts of

    your body."

    "Rick, I''m sorry. I..."

    "We''re not in a rtionship, and I never proposed to you. Why should you be sorry?" Rick

    interrupted her. "It''s none of my business who you choose, but there''s a need for me to protect you

    when you''re back here."

    Charlotte lowered her head.

    Rick carefully applied the cream and said, "You chose to help Shane, which proves that you are a

    loyal woman. I love that. Why would I say anything bad to you or need you to apologize?"

    "Isn''t this considered betrayal?" she asked him in a low voice.

    "It''s human nature."

    She suddenly did not know what to say.

    Rick said, "If I were a woman, I wouldn''t be able to resist Shane either. He is young and promising,

    but cold and proud. How many people would dream to have a physical rtionship with him, much

    less be doted upon by him?"

    Charlotte became more and more silent.

    "I''m not so shabby myself. If I said that I want to get married, there may be countless women who

    will fight toe to my side. You don''t have to worry about how sad I will be

    after you leave me."

    "I''m sorry."

    She repeated the words.

    Rick sighed and handed the cream to her. "Have a good rest."

    He remained calm and gentle.

    Charlotte''s heart felt as if it was beingpressed by a rock.

    About that night.

    Only she, Rick, and Shane knew.

    However.

    When Anne and Braden''s eyes fell on her, she still felt that there was nothing she could hide.

    She spent the entire day hiding in her bedroom.

    And then she had gotten a high fever.

    Rick got the family doctor toe. He finally concluded that she had a fever of 39.8 degrees, which

    was already very dangerous. The normal human body temperature was 37 degrees. Generally

    speaking, she should be hospitalized in this case.

    If the fever was not managed in time, she might have pneumonia at anytime.

    When emergency services arrived at the door, Sheryl was very anxious, but Rick did not let her

    follow in the ambnce. He said that it was not good for children to go to ces like hospitals too

    often.

    Sheryl had no choice but to call Shane.

    After the matter with the programmer, Shane had been very busy, spinning non-stop like a top.

    When he saw Sheryl''s phone number, he didn''t immediately answer it.

    Sheryl called him several times, but she didn''t get any response. She muttered, "Daddy is a liar..."

    She was so angry that she wanted to smash her phone.

    Suddenly, her phone rang, and she immediately picked it up. "Daddy!"

    "What''s wrong?" His voice was tired but gentle.

    "Mommy was taken away by emergency services. A very tall man said that she had a high fever

    and she was going to be cooked soon." Sheryl sounded like she was about to cry.

    "I''ll be right there."

    "I want to see Mommy."

    "You should wait for news at home. That kind of ce is not suitable for children."

    Humph!

    Sheryl threw the phone into her soft pillow.

    Every one of them said the same thing. This was child abuse.

    She had to grow up fast, and then Uncle Rick and her father would not be able to bully her.

    Humph!

    Big meanies.

    All men were big meanies.

    The word "men" had somehow be the synonym of "evil" in Sheryl''s mind.

    At the hospital.

    Charlotte was not in aa. She was still conscious and could hear Rick''s voice.

    Suddenly, she heard a cold voice that was both familiar and strange.

    Then Rick raised his voice. There was the sound of fighting.

    "Stop fighting..." She said in a rush.

    At that time.

    Rick, not wanting to retaliate, pressed Shane against the wall. Before his fistnded on Shane, he

    heard the sound of Charlotte''s voice.

    He gritted his teeth, raised his hand, and finally hit the white wall. "Shane, she hasn''t said a word all

    the way here. You''d better know what you are doing!"

    Shane lowered his eyes.

    The supreme deity of the NC Company was now like a witless wandering soul.

    Rick gave Shane an angry look before he pulled the door open and left.

    Shane came to Charlotte''s side. He gently stroked her forehead, and said in a rare gentle voice, "If

    your eyes are closed, how do you know that Rick was bullying me?"

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182

    Charlotte was still in a daze. She raised her hand and subconsciously grabbed Shane''s arm. Then,

    she smiled.

    Yesterday she was muddled because she had drunk too much. And today? She was muddled

    because she had a fever?

    Shane sat down beside her, allowing her to grab his arm. "I didn''t expect you to be so weak. Did

    you get a fever from having a shower?"

    "Are youughing at me?" She closed her eyes and snorted.

    "That''s right."

    "Shouldn''t you tell yourself off? You were the one who made me this way. I was perfectly fine

    before."

    Shane smiled and gently pinched her cheek. "Who was the one who disturbed me first?"

    "Fine, I won''t bother you in the future anymore. Don''t me me this time."

    Only one word could be used to describe her.

    Small.

    Even when she was in a daze, she still kept the purest feelings and respect for him. Even if she was

    hurt, she was still afraid that he would me her.

    Was she the same way with Rick?

    Was she so vulnerable and weak that she needed to be protected by others?

    But this same woman has used 3 million dors to obtain a recording that could turn the tables for

    him.

    What kind of person was she? Perhaps he had never seriously tried to understand her.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte fell asleep. Shane stared at her for a while, then got up and left the ward.

    Rick had been waiting for him at the door for a long time.

    "Are you done talking?"

    "She''s asleep."

    "The doctor said that she hadn''t had sex in a long time, so she got infected. What''s more, her pores

    were all open after the shower, so her body is very fragile. He said that you''re a scumbag." Rick

    became more and more aggravated as he said this.

    "I''ll bring Tiffany back as soon as possible. After we get married, I''ll leave her to you."

    "Leave her?" Rick thought.

    Rick gave him a punch and said, "I don''t need you to leave her to me, and she''s not an item either!"

    Shane could have dodged, but he didn''t. He allowed himself to be hit to the wall.

    The intense pain enabled him to experience the simplest feeling in this world.

    "If you like her, why don''t you treat her well? If you don''t care about her at all, why do you hurt her?

    Do you know what she told me when she came back? She said she''s sorry. She was impulsive, but

    can you do such a thing just because she was impulsive?" Rick grabbed Shane''s cor.

    He had been holding back ever since he saw Shane.

    He endured it over and over again.

    He couldn''t bear it anymore.

    Shane had no expression on his face at all. His face was so cold that it was like a corpse''s.

    Rick suddenly felt that there was no point to be angry with Shane. He loosened his grip and spat. "I

    will take good care of her and Sheryl. If you still have any conscience left, you should make things

    easier and ask her to leave the next time she tries to help you."

    Rick entered the ward.

    All the people walking in the hospital corridor were staring at Shane and guessing what his story

    with Rick was.

    Cole, who hade with Shane, went forward submissively and said, "Mr. Fuller, shall we leave

    now?"

    "Cole, what do you think of me?"

    "This..."

    "Regarding Charlotte."

    Cole was silent for a while. He thought about Charlotte''s usual personality, he finally decided to tell

    him the truth. "Mr. Fuller, you know that Sheryl is your daughter. Five years ago, you almost died. If

    it wasn''t for Miss Charlotte, you might already be dead."

    "Let''s ignore what happened five years ago. With the matter with the programmer, people obviously

    are not confident about NC Company. She had sessfully obtained evidence using her position as

    someone in the Jane Corporation. Even if you don''t care about her giving birth to a child for you and

    only think about how she treats you, you shouldn''t be talking about marrying Miss Allen."

    "Besides, you were the one who initiated the divorce. It''s good enough that Miss Charlotte is willing

    to let go of the past and help you. What else do you want her to do?"

    What else did he want her to do?

    Shane knelt down and hugged his legs, saying, "Can''t you leave me?"

    Shane didn''t know what he was expecting, and he didn''t know why he was disappointed.

    He raised his hand to rub his forehead and said in a hoarse voice, "When she gets better, get a

    lawyer to talk to her and give her a sum of money. We''ll write this offpletely."

    "You... are insulting Miss Emerson''s dignity."

    "If she thinks so, I don''t care."

    Cole was speechless.

    Cole could only sigh.

    "Mr. Fuller was actually afraid that he would end up in a miserable position after giving away his

    feelings, wasn''t he?" Cole thought.

    However, when it came to love, it didn''t matter who had the upper hand. It was alright to show

    weakness.

    If he prioritized his own self- esteem and feeling alone... if no one bothered to improve the

    rtionship or taking the initiative to solve problems, even a happy marriage would fall apart.

    Let alone the two of them, who were walking on thin ice.

    "s!" "Could it be that Mr. Fuller is really going to marry Tiffany?"

    Cole couldn''t even imagine it.

    There was something up with that woman''s private life.

    Charlotte took the check from Cole and turned around to give it back to Shane.

    She hadn''t asked for the 50 million dors back then. Now, she didn''t want his so-called

    pensation" and "thanks".

    After she was discharged from the hospital, her body was still extremely weak. Rick simply gave her

    a vacation until the new year.

    Fortunately, the Jane Corporation didn''t need her for anything big.

    After the new year, Charlotte felt that she was getting much better. She was eager to go back to

    work.

    Rick pulled her from the car and into the house. "Have a good rest at home."

    "Rick, I really want to go to work." Charlotte grabbed his sleeve.

    "And pass out after you get there?"

    "No, I won''t. I''ve recovered from my fever."

    "Take one more day off."

    In the end.

    Charlotte still did not seed in going to work.

    She noticed the date unintentionally, only to find that tomorrow was the day she had arranged to

    meet Christopher. Fortunately, Rick did not agree to let her go to work. Otherwise, she would have

    to ask for leave tomorrow...

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte got up from the bed and drew a small circle on the calendar. She hoped that she would

    not forget about this matter tomorrow.

    The next day.

    Charlotte woke up early in the morning. Before Rick could get up, she had already arrived at the

    church that she had agreed to meet Christopher in.

    She had said before that she wanted to pray at church. She never thought that she would end up at

    one so soon.

    It was early morning, there weren''t a lot of people at the church yet. She bought and lit candles to

    pray at a pew.

    "I didn''t expect you to be religious."

    Charlotte was praying at a pew when she heard Christopher''s voice behind her.

    She turned around with a smile and said, "Things were not going well for me before. So I came to

    church to seek guidance."

    "Aren''t you curious about why I arranged to meet here?"

    "I''m curious, but I''d prefer for you to tell me."

    "My mother is here."

    Charlotte was stunned and asked tentatively, "Is your mother a nun?"

    "No, she became a nun after Theodore''s death."

    Theodore Fuller.

    Charlotte looked at him, her fingers tightening into fists. "That little boy is you. You and Shane are

    blood brothers, Theodore is your father too?"

    Christopher smiled softly. "As usual, you''re very smart."

    "No, I''m really a big fool..." Charlotte took a step back. "I should have made the connection a long

    time ago. People don''t love or hate without reason. There must be a deeper problem between you

    and Shane."

    "I don''t have any hatred for him. I want to take over NC Company to better take control of the Fuller

    Group."

    Charlotte was silent.

    She hesitated. Should she tell Christopher that she had 20% of the shares?

    Zoe came right at that time.

    Charlotte could only swallow her words.

    The church bell rang.

    Christopher brought them both deeper into the church.

    A woman dressed in a ck habit came over and greeted them with a "God bless you".

    She opened her eyes and turned around. "Pleasee with me."

    Her voice was kind and all her hair was hidden under her habit. She did indeed look like someone

    who had been enlightened and cleared of her earthly desires.

    Zoe didn''t expect that Christopher''s mother would be a nun, and so she didn''t know how to greet

    her.

    Christopher''s mother stopped in front of a fountain behind the church. "Thank you very much for

    coming to visit me."

    "Hi, I am Christopher''s girlfriend. My name is Zoe."

    "Zoe, what a nice name."

    Christopher''s mother turned around and looked at Charlotte, "What about you, miss?"

    Charlotte was stunned.

    She was only here to apany them. Did she need to introduce herself too?

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183

    "I am Mr. Gibson''s colleague. My name is Charlotte Emerson. You can call me Lottie." Charlotte

    answered politely.

    Christopher''s mother smiled and nodded to the two of them. "My name is Agnes, but people call me

    Ag. Use whichever name you prefer."

    Next, it was time for Christopher, Zoe, and Agnes to catch up. It had nothing to do with Charlotte.

    She didn''t say much. Instead, she listened to one side.

    Christopher''s mother had apletely different character from him. It could be seen that she had

    been a straightforward and unrestrained person when she was younger.

    From the conversation, Charlotte found out a few things��

    First, Christopher''s father was Theodore Fuller. He and Shane were half-brothers.

    Secondly, after Agnes got married, her husband supported her a lot. He even supported her

    decision to be a nun. Now, he delivered meals here every day. The two of them could be said

    to be very loving.

    Third, Agnes had thought very clearly about the issues of the past. It is God who gives and,

    therefore, God can take away. She said if you couldn''t bear to look back on the past, then you

    shouldn''t look back.

    From what she could tell, Christopher taking revenge on Shane had nothing to do with his mother.

    She should not have meddled too much in the matter of NC Company anyway.

    As Charlotte thought about it, her thoughts drifted to an unknown ce in the distance.

    Soon, the time hade for dinner. Agnes''s husband came to deliver her food, and the three

    people said goodbye to her.

    They went to a restaurant next to the church. After Christopher ordered his meal, he didn''t say a

    word more.

    Zoe looked at him and then looked at Charlotte. She coughed softly.

    "Mr. Gibson, let''s talk inly. The most important reason why I came to see you this time has to do

    with NC Company." Charlotte looked at Christopher.

    "With the way Shane treated you, you''re still thinking about helping hispany?"

    Charlotte was silent.

    Christopher continued, "He is preparing for his wedding with Tiffany. Maybe in a short time, he will

    marry..."

    "I have 20% of the shares of NC Company. If Shane wants it, I will give it to him unconditionally."

    Christopher''s pupils suddenly contracted.

    Charlotte let out a bitterugh and sighed. She looked at him seriously and said in a gentle tone,

    "Stop it. Don''t go on like this. You won''t win. If you tell Shane everything now, maybe you can still be

    friends."

    "I''m afraid I can''t."

    "Mr. Gibson, you..."

    "At this point, I can''t stop anymore. The only way through is forward. I''m like a warrior who has

    pledged to die for the cause. This is my life. Since Theodore has died, I cannot get closure for my

    hatred. I can only take revenge on his son."

    "But you won''t win." Charlotte didn''t understand.

    20% of the shares was enough to determine the conclusion.

    She could join the board of directors of NC Company and be equally matched with them. Or she

    could give the shares to Shane.

    No matter which method she chose,

    Christopher would lose for sure.

    "Lottie, you kept saying that you will give the shares to Shane, but why are you allowing me to stand

    at this moment?"

    At that moment, Charlotte was speechless.

    It was true.

    If Shane really wanted to deal with Christopher, he would ask directly to take back the shares.

    "He thought that I wouldn''t take NC Company down with me. He also thinks that he can smoke out

    the people supporting me and deal with them in one stroke."

    "He''s absolutely confident that he''s blessed by the gods, while I''m just one of his many stumbling

    blocks. He doesn''t need your trump card. One day, when he wants to restructure NC Company and

    has to determine the risks, he will have one less thing to think about."

    "If I weren''t doing everything above board now, I would expose the fact that you own shares. That

    would allow me topete with Shane on the same level."

    "I''m only looking for a fair fight."

    A fair fight.

    Christopher had lived an ordinary life. But what he wanted wasn''t wealth. He was already a son of

    the Gibson Family. Although he wasn''t well- treated, he still livedfortably.

    If he took over NC Company, the only superficial change would be that he would drive a 5 million

    dor car rather than a 1 million dor one.

    However, the internal change would be his heart.

    His heart was riddled with holes. He had to use the bones of those in NC Company to fill it.

    "I have nothing to say." Charlotte stood up. "But I will use every method I can to stop you."

    "Lottie, Shane already has someone else. Why don''t you let yourself go?" Christopher looked at her

    retreating back and felt both sad.

    She turned around and said, "I''m not stopping you because of NC Company. I''m doing it for the

    Emerson Corporation."

    Christopher smiled gently. "If you want it, I can give it up immediately. After all, it''s just a tool to me."

    A tool?

    "Was my mother''s death also a tool in your eyes?"

    "That was just an ident."

    "ine didn''t say that."

    "She is just a person who likes to show off to others. I don''t have to risk my life for a chess piece."

    Since he had said so, she believed him.

    Charlotte grabbed her things and left. Zoe suddenly fell into deep indecision. She knew that if even

    Charlotte would not stop Christopher, then Christopher would definitely not stop.

    She often heard that the most beautiful story in the world was the salvation of those steeped in

    darkness by heroes of the light.

    However.

    Those who could be saved wouldn''t wait for the heroes to show up. That was why they had be

    entrenched in darkness

    "You don''t have to find anyone else to talk me down."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Just as Zoe was thinking about how to save Christopher, the "dark viin", he spoke.

    Zoe felt prickles run down her back for the first time in her life. She looked at him and forced a

    smile. "Why do you think it''s me?"

    "It could only be you."

    "I don''t quite understand. Although we are colleagues, we..."

    "Zoe, you like me, but I advise you not to waste your time on me."

    Zoe''s grip tightened on her ss. She had never thought that her first crush, her first love, would

    end with such a sentence.

    Don''t waste time.

    "If you think I will lose and you can''t let me go, why don''t you wait until Shane wins and visit me in

    jail?"

    "I don''t think that you will lose. I just think that, since you are friends, you don''t have to..."

    "Ms. Watson, you''ve always been so decisive and logical. Why are you bringing up friendship to

    provoke me in such a situation?" Christopher''s smile grew colder and colder. "You''re not Charlotte.

    If you go on, my words won''t be so nice anymore."

    Zoe let go of the cup and clenched her fists. She bit her bloodless lip and her body couldn''t stop

    trembling.

    What did he want to say?

    It was all her dumb fault for sticking her nose into his business?

    But the truth was that she just couldn''t leave him be.

    Just like how Charlotte had brought out the recording, how could she bear to watch someone she

    deeply loved jump into the lion''s den?

    But what if he insisted on jumping, or had already jumped?

    "I will apany you," Zoe answered in an instant.

    Her calm returned to her.

    She smiled hollowly. "What happens to you is closely tied to me. From now on, I''ll be on your side."

    Christopher was very surprised by this answer. He smiled and touched his lips, but the chill in the

    bottom of his eyes was even more piercing. "Do you think that I will have feelings for you if you

    apany me in this wild endeavor?"

    Zoe shook her head and said, "I can''t convince myself to sit and watch as you and Shane be

    enemies. So the only thing I can do is choose another way. If you want, I am willing to stay by

    Shane and be your spy."

    "I don''t really trust you."

    "It doesn''t matter. You will definitely find me useful. More times than you might think."

    That day.

    Christopher saw the third great woman in his life.

    The first person was Agnes, the second was Charlotte, and the third was Zoe.

    It was a pity that, in his boring life, women were not that important. They were often his chess

    pieces.

    "It''s up to you. Now that the matter hase to this, there''s no point in me rejecting it."

    "Let''s drink to seal the deal, partner."

    Zoe swallowed the drink in front of her and felt its bitterness in her heart.

    To be a double agent was the best n she coulde up with to help both parties.

    It was also the only way.

    She had sacrificed herself for a brighter future.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184

    When Charlotte returned home, she recalled what Christopher had told her.

    ine had mocked her mother many times, and she had also heard the conversation on the phone.

    Even if Christopher hadn''t asked ine to hurt her mother, was it possible that ine did it on her

    own, but Christopher didn''t know about it?

    It was possible.

    As long as there was this possibility, she would not let ine off.

    Charlotte clenched her fists and drank cup after cup of water in the kitchen.

    "Mommy, what''s wrong with you? Are you unhappy?"

    "Don''te over." Charlotte''s manner was extremely cold as she turned her head to look at Sheryl.

    The look she gave was frigid.

    Sheryl''s eyes widened in disbelief. Why was her Mommy being so mean to her?

    She pouted and burst into tears.

    Charlotte was agitated by her crying, but she didn''t go to sooth the little girl. She was really in a

    mess now. Children were living, breathing creatures. She had even broken a cup just now. What if

    she identally damaged Sheryl?

    Upon hearing the crying, Rick came to the kitchen. He hade back to get some documents and

    was about to leave. But when he reached the door, he heard Sheryl crying.

    He walked over and lifted the little girl into his arms. "Sheryl, don''t cry."

    "Sob... Mommy is being mean to me. I didn''t do anything wrong. Why did she lose her temper with

    me? I want Daddy. Sob..."

    "You don''t have a daddy!" Charlotte suddenly exploded and shrieked like a banshee. "Sheryl

    Emerson, listen very carefully. You don''t have a father!"

    Sheryl cried even harder, "Sob. You''re lying! I have a father, but you yed hard to get and drove

    him away, just like you want to kick me out now!"

    Since when did she want to drive the little girl away?

    Charlotte said irritably, "You came from my womb. I''ve raised you with all my heart. Why would I kick

    you out?"

    "Sob..." Sheryl didn''t care about this.

    Charlotte''s head started to ache even more.

    Rick kept patting Sheryl''s back and said,

    "Darling, can I be your Daddy?"

    When she heard this, Sheryl immediately stopped crying. At first, she shook her head hard, then

    nodded and whispered, "I like Daddy. And I like Uncle Rick very much. Can I... can I have both?"

    "Of course, I love you very much."

    "But I want Mommy to be with Daddy." She sniffed. "Daddy is great and considerate. And he really

    likes me."

    "What if... And I''m only saying ''what if'', Mommy doesn''t like Daddy but likes Uncle Rick instead?

    And I really like you too. I can promise you that I''ll only have you as my child. I will always love

    you..."

    "If Mommy likes you then I like you too."

    Children would be children.

    A second ago, she could be crying from a cold re. The next second, she could be thinking about

    her mother''s future.

    Charlotte''s eyes suddenly turned red. "Sheryl, I didn''t mean to yell at you..."

    "Humph." The little girl turned her head away,y on Rick''s shoulder, and whispered to him, "Uncle

    Knight, you and Mommy are well matched. I have no objection. You can''t be mean to me."

    This little kid.

    Rick touched her head and said, "I love you so much, how could I be mean to you? I know you

    haven''t been able to see your favorite great-grandmother. And now your Mommy''s being mean to

    you. That''s why you threw a tantrum."

    "Hehe..." The little girlughed embarrassedly. "Uncle, how did you know that I''m missing Great-

    grandma."

    "You don''t have any other friends."

    "But, I also heard from Aunt Anne that Greatgrandma has returned to her city." Sheryl lowered her

    head.

    "You can make a video call."

    A video call!

    It was the first time that Sheryl learned about such a thing.

    Rick spent two hours teaching the little girl how to make a video call. She couldn''t wait to go call her

    great-grandmother. She had even called Rick "godfather" in a childish tone. Of course, it was Rick

    who coaxed her into calling him "godfather".

    Rick went back to the kitchen.

    When he saw that Charlotte''s face was still full of regret, heughed, "Did you spend two hours

    standing here all alone?"

    Only then did Charlotte return to her senses.

    She had been in a daze. She got very tired standing there, but she didn''t know where to go.

    Exhausted, she smiled at him and said, "I''m fine, I..."

    "Would you honor me by having a meal with me?"

    "Aren''t you going back to the office?"

    "I''m the CEO. Who''s going to fire me?"

    Charlotte smiled. That was indeed true.

    Rick chose a rtively quiet restaurant.

    Charlotte was still troubled by Christopher''s words. She didn''t have much interest even in the food

    she liked. Rick didn''t ask her any questions and just stayed by her side quietly.

    When Rick poured Charlotte another drink, she said, "Today, Zoe and I went to see Christopher."

    "Yes. I was there the whole time." Rick smiled and nodded to her. "Take it easy. Take your time."

    Their mealsted for three hours.

    Charlotte didn''t even know that she had so much to say. From the beginning to end, Rick nodded

    smilingly as he listened to her. He was a perfect listener.

    Just when she was about to suggest that they return, her gaze settled in one direction and didn''t

    move.

    Rick followed the direction of her gaze.

    Shane and a few friends stood at the door. As usual, Braden didn''t stop talking. He seemed to have

    told a joke and made everyoneugh out loud. All the men and women around himughed very

    hard.

    When she saw that they were about to enter, Charlotte shifted to a different position and turned her

    back to the door.

    But, this way, she was sitting on the same side as Rick.

    Rick pulled Charlotte''s hand towards himself. His long finger settled on her wrist. "Don''t worry."

    His temperature and the bracelet he had given her.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and said, "I''m fine."

    The group of people walked in.

    "I don''t know that our Shane is getting married so quickly. Hahaha. Anyway, you''re invited to look at

    the wedding decorations and such things." Braden''s voice came from afar.

    "Mr. Fuller, you''re about to get married, but we haven''t met your fiancee yet," one of them said.

    "Don''t you read the news?"

    The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

    Bradenughed out loud. "See? I told you that you would never know what he''s going to do."

    Upon hearing their voices disappear into the distance, Charlotte felt that her strength seemed to

    have been taken away by them.

    Rick''s heart ached for her. He said in a low voice, "Let''s go home."

    "I used to think that I could still go home."

    "Anne and my home is your home. That won''t change, no matter the time or ce."

    "What if I hurt you one day?" She turned around and asked.

    "Will you?"

    "I don''t know."

    Rick stood up with a smile and put his suit jacket over her shoulders. "Then I''ll take it. You can''t be

    that ungrateful."

    Charlotte immediately felt much better. She rolled her eyes and said, "See, I''m afraid I''ve

    scammed."

    "Yes, everyone in the world tries to avoid ungrateful people but I''m different."

    "How are you different?"

    "I don''t mind taking ungrateful people home."

    Charlotte was shocked. She even forgot what she was doing.

    Both of them stood up, attracting the attention of the people on the opposite side.

    After all, they were a beautiful match and looked very good together. The people at another table

    even picked up their phone to take photos.

    "Shane, look over there." Braden poked the person beside him.

    Shane raised his gazezily. With a single nce, his concentration was taken uppletely. The

    hand holding the menu froze.

    Charlotte leaned against Rick''s shoulder as sheughed her head off. Rick''s gaze was gentle and

    caused her to hide shyly. The two of them chatted andughed as they walked out of the room.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    After he watched them leave, Shane turned back to the menu.

    He lowered his eysheszily. "Let''s order."

    It was a fleeting but impressive glimpse. Others only saw a quick nce, but the person who had

    taken the glimpse was struck dumb.

    "Why are you being so cold? That, that''s the person who gave you a... recording!" Braden almost

    spilled the beans.

    Even Braden also knew that the child was his?

    That''s right. After all, Anne was the one who had received the report.

    Shane replied with a faint "hmm" and corrected him in a calm tone. "The recording." "Hahaha, it''s

    good that you know it." Bradenughed awkwardly.

    Shane was so cold.

    Braden smiled and hisughter petered off.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185

    They discussed most of the details throughout the meal. Braden had a feeling he was more

    concerned for this matter than Shane.

    It was Shane''s wedding but Braden spent more time and effort on this than his own.

    This was so messed up.

    It was already eleven o''clock when they finished.

    "Why don''t I send you home?" Braden turned to the man beside him.

    "I''m going to thepany."

    "Are you kidding me? You''re dragging me to work at this hour?"

    "Drive me there and you can go home. Give me a text if Charlotte''s home."

    Braden was stunned. He scratched the back of his head and said, "Do you have to do that? That''s

    Rick''s house, they can do anything behind the curtains. You can''t control hormones, can you?"

    Shane red at him coldly.

    Braden squirmed uneasily, then added boldly, "I don''t care what you think. You can be with whoever

    you like but we have to win Christopher in the bidding this time."

    "Yes."

    "So? I''ll send you back to thepany?" Braden gritted his teeth and asked, "You''ll just sleep in the

    office. Why don''t you go home since you have nothing to do?"

    "It''s too cold."

    Braden was startled by his answer. He felt sad for him and stopped probing further.

    It wasn''t his ce to ask about their rtionship either. Besides, it seemed Shane sincerely wanted

    to marry Tiffany...

    Maybe he no longer cared about Charlotte.

    After the new year, the contract with Avery has officially started.

    Charlotte waspletely buried by work. From time to time, she had to go on business trips so

    Anne and Braden will help babysit Sheryl.

    Braden liked to bring the kid to her father''spany whenever it was his turn to babysit.

    Needless to say, Sheryl was also quite willing to go.

    As long as no one told Charlotte, she wouldn''t know.

    It was a little past four o''clock in the afternoon, she finally had time to order some takeout.

    Avery took out a bottle of toner and handed it to her when he noticed how hard she was working.

    "Look at yourself. You don''t even have the time to eat. I''m sure you don''t have the time for skincare.

    Take this, don''t embarrass me in the meetingter."

    "Thank you." Charlotte didn''t think of this.

    Her face had indeed slimmed down a little.

    Avery rubbed his temples and rolled his eyes, "As a woman, can you take better care of yourself?"

    Charlotte was speechless.

    The both of them stayed upte but Avery was in much better shape than her.

    Life was so unfair.

    Fortunately, the event this time was rtively simple. After it was over, Charlotte still had a few

    hours to sleep.

    As Charlotte was packing her stuff, Avery stopped her. "I heard you used to work at the NC

    company. I have some gossip for you."

    Gossip?

    She felt helpless.

    To be honest, she wasn''t interested in anything about the NCpany. However, Avery has a mind

    of his own and he continued to tell Charlotte.

    The NC Company had a project.

    The research rted to future technologies. It was mainly aboutputer chips and Al as well as

    today''s new concept, android.

    This project would require a huge amount of money, nning and a team.

    The higher-ups provided the funds and the team will research on the ns and techniques.

    However, there was a difference of opinion within thepany as for who was in charg of this

    project. So they had to arrange a private meeting twice with the developers.

    "It''s ridiculous. I''ve only heard of this happening betweenpetingpanies never within their

    ownpany."

    Upon hearing this, Charlotte''s heart tightened. "What if Shane can''t get a hold of this project?"

    "He''ll lose his right to speak on the project. But it''s pointless anyway, Shane won''t be able to get this

    project. The other party is a ssmate of Christopher."

    "Is there any...?"

    Charlotte smiled bitterly to herself.

    She was about to ask Avery if there was any way to help Shane but she managed to hold back her

    curiosity.

    Avery spread out his hands and said, "Christopher and I went to the same school. I have quite the

    gossip on him."

    She was silent.

    "Let me guess, you wanted to ask me if there was any way to help Shane get this project?"

    "How did you know?" she blurted out.

    Avery shook his head and said, "Woman, your thoughts are written on your face. Don''t you see it?"

    Was she that obvious? Charlotte touched her face.

    Avery took a mirror and ced it before her face. "Your face is saying, ''I''m worried about Shane.

    What if he can''t beat Christopher?"''!

    "It''s not!" Lottie immediately denied.

    "It''s over. As for me, I can help you, but you have to do me a favor in return."

    "What kind of a favor?"

    "I''m quite interested in Rick. I want to work with him. Specifically on the manicurist project."

    The manicurist...

    Previously, Charlotte had attended a charity event on Rick''s behalf. It was about immigrant

    manicurists who were oppressed and taken advantage of.

    She nodded. "I can help you with that."

    "That''s great. When are you returning? I''ll book the same flight as you. You''ll arrange my request

    with Rick and I''ll talk to Shane."

    "What?"

    It was only at this moment that Charlotte came back to her senses.

    She wanted to say ''no'' to Avery''s offer but he had already gone to book the tickets.

    Forget it.

    Avery might not tell Shane that she was the one who wanted to help.

    Back at River City.

    Charlotte was busy sorting out the final details and personally going to monitor the factory.

    In a sh, five or six days had passed.

    She was looking over the final details when Braden and Anne came to visit her.

    "Shane wants to meet me?" Charlotte asked when she heard Braden''s words.

    "He said he wanted to invite you to a "thank you dinner" for Avery''s help."

    "Why should I go? That has nothing to do with me."

    "Avery said, in order to get his help, you cried and begged at his front door for half an hour."

    Charlotte didn''t know what to say.

    "You even got on your knees. He only helped Shane for your sake."

    "Bang--" Charlotte stood up and mmed the files on the table.

    Avery Hart...

    Did he have worms in his brain?

    Even if he was the seller,

    no, even as the customer, he shouldn''t have said that!

    "I''ve never done such a thing!"

    "This was what Avery said at the meeting, some girl begged him for a long time. Shane was quite

    touched so he immediately asked me to invite you for dinner."

    Touched?

    Was he out of his mind?

    Charlotte refused to go and Anne did not try to dissuade Braden either. He was like a fly who kept

    pestering Charlotte.

    Besides, Rick was on a business trip today so no one could stop him.

    In the end,

    Charlotte had no choice but to go.

    "It''s just a meal," she reassured herself.

    Braden''s tensed face rxed instantly. "I''ll send you there!"

    "Anne, are youing with us?" Charlotte asked her best friend.

    "I''m not going. I''m watching a movie with Braden."

    Wait a minute.

    If Braden was watching a movie with Anne, who else was at this dinner?

    When she arrived,

    Charlotte only realised what Shane meant by a "thank you dinner."

    It was a dinner for just the both of them.

    Charlotte wanted to leave on the spot, but as they were already there, Braden tried whatever it took

    to drag her into the hall.

    As a result.

    Charlotte was forced to walk next to Shane.

    "I didn''t beg Avery."

    She had no intention to sit down at all, she just wanted to rify herself and leave.

    Shane looked up at her and said, "You don''t ept my check or my thanks. Now, I treat you to a

    meal and you reject me. Miss Charlotte, should I devote my life to you to repay your kindness?"

    "I... I don''t want your thanks at all. I gave you the recording by chance. Avery only helped you

    because he misunderstood my intentions. I asked because I was curious about the NCpany,"

    Charlotte immediately exined.

    "You''re so eager to leave? Where would you go? Rick is not in River City, you''ll be alone if you went

    home."

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I''ll be fine wherever I go. As long as it''s not with you." Charlotte whispered, "You know I''m with Rick

    and you''re about to get married soon. What''s the point of us being so involved with each other?"

    Involved?

    Was he involved with her?

    Shane pursed his lips and stood up.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186

    Charlotte subconsciously took a step back and leaned against the wall. "Don''te any closer!

    Let''s talk."

    "If you didn''t ask for his help, why would he help me?"

    "I don''t understand what you mean."

    "Do you think Avery is as free as you?"

    Charlotte felt really helpless. She had no choice but to exin the agreement between herself and

    Avery. "At first he said he needed my help so I agreed. I only realised he meant to exchange

    favours with me after. I didn''t beg him at all."

    What did she mean by that?

    Was she saying it was all in his imagination?

    Shane couldn''t possibly admit that.

    "Do you know how busy Avery is? He''s the president of the Northern Airline Union. I don''t think he''ll

    speak on your behalf if you didn''t beg him!"

    "I..." Charlotte was speechless.

    "What''s wrong? Did I touch a sore spot?"

    "You are so unreasonable!"

    Shane sat down again and picked up the menu gracefully. Then, he called the waiter to order.

    Charlotte froze on the spot like a statue.

    Normally, anyone would''ve asked her to sit down and enjoy the food, even if it was reluctantly.

    But Shane didn''t. Instead, he just began to eat.

    She took in the delicious aroma of the food and scrunched up her nose.

    Shane ate elegantly and casually. Charlotte pursed her lips when she saw he was about to finish his

    meal.

    "I''m done. You can continue standing." Shane picked up his coat and walked past her.

    "You!"

    "Don''t worry. I''ll pay the bill."

    Charlotte was so annoyed by him.

    Eat.

    All he could think about is food?

    She was already filled with anger, how could she eat?

    Charlotte didn''t know what she was thinking. Braden had dragged her all the way here, she hadn''t

    even eaten anything and it would be difficult for her to get a ride at this hour.

    She could only watch Shane get in the car and leave. She stared nkly at the ridehailing app on

    her phone which read "no avable rides at this moment."

    "Shane, what did I do to deserve this..." she muttered.

    She waited again and again.

    It was getting colder.

    Charlotte sat on the doorstep and waited.

    Usually, she wouldn''t be so impudent but she was really tired today.

    The cold wind blew against her face and her stomach growled quietly.

    To make things worse, it suddenly started to pour heavily. Even if she hid behind the restaurant''s

    door, she would still be drenched in rain.

    Charlotte leaned against the walls in a daze. Time slowly passed, her clothes werepletely

    soaked, suddenly, she felt someone picked her up.

    It felt warm.

    She leaned back against the man''s arms.

    "Mr. Fuller, should we go home or..." Cole, who was sitting on the driver''s seat, asked respectfully.

    "Has the house been cleaned in the past few days?"

    "Well..."

    "Let''s go to the Four Seasons Hotel."

    "Yes, sir."

    He had a jewellery event at that hotel tomorrow. Christopher would be attending with ine.

    Shane looked down at the woman in his arms. She was sound asleep, her body curled up like a

    helpless animal.

    In his arms, she seemed particrly fragile.

    One might even believe it if he said she was arge dog.

    Soon, the car stopped before the Four Seasons Hotel.

    Shane picked her up and walked into the hotel.

    Cole wanted to park the car but Shane ordered him to go home first so Cole agreed and left.

    On the way home,

    a question suddenly popped up in his mind.

    Miss Charlotte looked like she was drenched in rain, she was even unconscious. If that was the

    case, who was going to bathe her?

    Could it bethat Mr. Fuller...

    Cole''s cheeks turned red in an instant.

    It seemed the president''s wife would remain the same person.

    The next day.

    Charlotte woke up with a splitting headache. When she opened her eyes, she saw a half-naked

    man lying next to her.

    She was so shocked she pushed him away immediately.

    Shane was woken up by her actions. He opened his bloodshot eyes and looked at her with

    annoyance. "What is the meaning of this?"

    "You, I... Why are you..." Charlotte bbered incoherently.

    "You should thank me for taking you in."

    "What have you done to me?"

    "We''ve already done everything. What are you afraid of?"

    Charlotte had no words.

    How could someone be so shameless?

    Shane couldn''t fall back to sleep after being woken up by her so he got up to wash up and change

    his clothes.

    Charlotteid on the bed lifelessly as she watched him get ready. She felt like giving up on all hope.

    That day, she was drunk, today, she fainted due to the rain.

    They had done nothing when they were married but now they slept together twice in just a few

    days.

    Charlotte''s eyes welled up with tears as she held onto the bed sheet tightly. She felt so wronged

    and angered by his actions.

    "Get up and change your clothes. Come with me to the press conference for theunching of the

    new product."

    "I don''t want to."

    "ine will be there as well. Are you sure you''re not going?"

    ine...

    Charlotte didn''t feel like backing down when she heard her name.

    She suddenly straightened up and said, "I''ll go.

    Shane curled his lips in satisfaction. He pointed towards the sofa and ordered her, "Change your

    clothes."

    Charlotte was about to get out of bed when she realised she was in a pair of pajamas she had

    never seen before. "My clothes from yesterday..."

    "Room service."

    "Then we..."

    "What? Did you hope something happened between us?" Shane looked up and shot her a cold

    nce.

    Charlotte immediately understood what he said before was just to scare her. Nothing happened

    between themst night.

    She let out a sigh of relief as she paced towards the sofa. She picked up the clothes and headed to

    the bathroom.

    Shane stared at her longingly as she walked away.

    The thought crossed his mind yesterday but he decided not to do it.

    He couldn''t bear to, when he saw her drenched body and teary eyes.

    After a while...

    Charlotte changed her clothes and walked out of the bathroom. She wore a beige outfit with a dark

    brown scarf.

    He chose casual clothing which suited her the most. It fully disyed her maturity and elegance as

    a woman.

    "Let''s go."

    "It''s only morning, has theunch of the new product begun?"

    "Let''s eat."

    Shane led her to the restaurant in the hotel. She couldn''t help but feel hungry at the sight of food.

    ording to an informal report,

    Charlotte ate one bread, two eggs, two tes of pancakes, a big bowl of noodles, some fruits and

    side dishes, then two cups of drinks. On one hand, she kept saying she can''t eat any more, on the

    other hand, she ordered some pastries and a bowl of cereal.

    The whole time,

    Shane only drank a cup of coffee and ate a sandwich.

    He had quickly finished his meal. He gently massaged his temples as he watched Charlotte ate.

    As she finished her bowl of cereal, she reached for a banana.

    He finally opened his mouth and asked, "Are you a pig?"

    "No, I''m not."

    "You look like one."

    Only then did Charlotte realize the meaning behind his words. This sharp-tongued man was saying

    that she had eaten too much.

    She red at him and said in a sour tone, "It was your fault I didn''t eat anythingst night."

    "I treated you to dinner. How can you me me if you didn''t want to dine with me?"

    "You... Forget it. I''ll be the bigger person here and forgive you.",

    Shane raised his eyebrows slightly and touched his lips with his fingertips. There was a faint smile

    on his face.

    After the meal, Shane brought her downstairs.

    As this was a private auction, it requires an identity card to enter. Shane gave his own card to

    Charlotte.

    After all, his face was the best identity card.

    The release of a new product would take ce in the hotel''s garden.

    The environment was beautiful. There was a snack table and a famous live band performance.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Charlotte felt her stomach growl when she saw the dainty cupcakes and delicious desserts.

    Shane could see she wasn''t at all full from her meal at the restaurant just now.

    "You are really a pig." He sneered ruthlessly.

    "Don''t you know that we girls have two stomachs?"

    "There is only one stomach in a normal human anatomy."

    Charlotte picked up a piece of cake and put a spoonful into her mouth. "Wrong. We girls have

    separate stomachs for meals and desserts."

    Shane didn''t know what to say.

    Did she just tell him a cold joke?

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187

    As Charlotte was finishing her cake, she didn''t notice someone was approaching her from a

    distance.

    "Mr. Fuller, I haven''t seen you for a long time. You still look as handsome as ever. No one can take

    their eyes off you."

    This voice...

    Charlotte stopped eating her cake and looked at her.

    It was ine.

    Shane didn''t even nce at her. He looked at her arm which was around Christopher, and asked,

    "Is this your new toy?"

    "Mr. Fuller, you''re kidding." Christopher gently pushed ine away and said, "I''m now the biggest

    stockholder of the Emerson Corporation, it''s my duty to support Miss Yuliana. Besides, with my

    presence, the rtionship between the Emerson Corporation and the NC Company had improved a

    lot. Isn''t that good?"

    "Sure," Shane replied coldly.

    This was one of his biggest traits. He was able to kill the conversation with one word.

    As Charlotte ate the cake, the fork fell to the ground by ident.

    In an instant.

    ine and Christopher turned to look at her.

    ine saw the cream on the corner of her mouth and mocked disdainfully, "It''s been so many years

    yet you''re still like a child. Don''t you know what kind of asion it is? Aren''t you ashamed to be

    eating such a thing beside Mr. Fuller?"

    "Well, if I don''t act like a child, you can''t live up to the title as my stepmother. Mr. Fuller was right, we

    should care for our reputation." She put down the cake and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

    She wasn''t wearing any makeup.

    The color of her lips was naturally bright red.

    ine, who was wearing a thickyer of makeup, clenched her fists. Her feelings of envy and

    bitterness throughout the years resurfaced at that moment.

    However, she put on a smile on her face. "Everyone''s pursuit in life is different," she said in an

    extremely gentle tone. "At least, I''m winning now."

    "Not necessarily."

    Shane wrapped his slender fingers around Charlotte''s waist and pulled her to his side.

    Charlotte leaned into his embrace and smiled coquettishly, "That''s true. Your pursuit was my

    father''s. My pursuit is Mr. Fuller''s."

    "You!" ine''s face turned pale with anger. She clenched her fists and red at Charlotte.

    Christopher kept a faint smile on his face. He did not want to get involved between the three of

    them.

    Charlotte brushed her hair over her shoulders and gave ine a wink. "Sorry, Miss Yuliana, Mr.

    Fuller and I have other affairs to attend to. Excuse us for now."

    As they left, ine bit her lips and stamped her foot hard.

    "Are you angry?" Christopher whispered into her ear.

    "Mr. Gibson, you said before that as long as I worked with you, no one coulde against you!"

    That was just what he said to win her support before. He didn''t expect she would be naive and

    stupid enough to believe him.

    A hint of disgust appeared shed through Christopher''s eyes, but it was quickly reced by

    tenderness. "I''ll keep my word. But you''ll have to be patient. We''ve nned this out for so long, you

    don''t want all our efforts to go to waste, don''t you?"

    His voice was so soft and gentle.

    ine was instantly entranced. She leaned to his side and said coquettishly, "Of course I trust you.

    But look at Charlotte, she''s such a b*tch."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    B*tch.

    Christopher''s eyes turned cold.

    "Yes, she''s a b*tch." His voice went down a few tones but ine did not realise that.

    "I have a way to teach her a lesson," ine said arrogantly.

    Christopher pursed his lips, not saying a word.

    In the past, he used to think ine was still somewhat smart.

    However...

    After he met Charlotte, he realised he made a huge mistake. He had worked with the wrong person.

    If he had met her earlier and took control of the Emerson Corporation, if Charlotte hadn''t been

    pregnant that year, they would''ve been a formidablebination. Then...

    Christopher''s hands were sped behind his back and his fingers tightened.

    Perhaps, his chances of sess would be higher.

    In a corner,

    Charlotte let go of Shane and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you..."

    "That was nothingpared to what you did for me."

    "Avery''s incident was really an ident."

    "What about the recording pen?" Shane asked in a low voice as he reached out to pin her between

    him and the wall.

    That, that was because she was too worried about him...

    As she thought about it, Charlotte lowered her head in embarrassment.

    Shane suddenly ced her lips on hers.

    She was mesmerised by his breath on her, she forgot to resist him. After some time, she finally

    brought herself back to reality and pushed him away.

    Shane''s eyes turned cold. He grabbed her finger, pressed her against the wall, and kissed her a few

    more times.

    "I heard that the series of diamond rings this time is called true love. There is a very sad story

    behind the name."

    "Yes, yes, I''ve also heard about it. It seems they had an author write a story."

    "That author must''ve made a lot of money by now."

    "That''s for sure. A few hundred words cost tens of thousands of dors. The story is just as cliche

    as others."

    As Charlotte heard the surrounding voices, her heart was about to jump out of her throat.

    If anyone saw her and Shane kissing here...

    If someone took a photo...

    She dared not imagine how shocked and hurt Rick would feel.

    She tried her best to break away from him. She raised her hand to p him on the cheek but her

    hand froze inches away from his face.

    Charlotte looked at him and slowly put down her hand. In the end, she clenched her fists and held

    them by her side powerlessly.

    "You win..." She said in a bitter voice, "I admit that I care about you a lot. But, you are marrying

    someone else. It''s pointless for us to go back and forth like this."

    "Pointless? That''s not for you to say."

    "What do you want me to do? You want me to be your mistress? Your partner with benefits?" She

    asked with a wry smile. "Shane, you can ignore the feelings of your future wife, but I can''t ignore

    Rick''s feelings."

    Rick Jane.

    Shane looked up and fixed his eyes on her, "You''re rejecting me because of him?"

    "Shouldn''t I?"

    "Are you so sure that he will abstain for you?"

    Charlotte was stunned.

    Shane tightened his grip on her waist and said, "Are you sure that at this moment, he''s not in this

    same position with some other women?"

    She wanted to run, but she had no way to escape?

    "Charlotte, think about it, what makes him willing to sacrifice his time to wait for you toe

    around?"

    "I..." Tears welled up in her eyes with each question.

    "What? Did I say something wrong?"

    He was right.

    There was absolutely no fault in his words.

    What was she, Charlotte, worthy of that made Rick like her so much that he couldn''t live without

    her?

    "You''re not wrong, but even if Rick was just using me, why do you need me to ept you?"

    "You were mine in the first ce."

    "This joke is not funny."

    He kissed her again and again.

    He was like an animal who had to satisfy his needs.

    If she said anything that touched his nerve, he would act like a beast and touched her all around.

    Charlotte felt her body gradually be hot and weak.

    Could it be that he wanted to...

    She was terrified.

    "Shane, stop, at least not here." She was so startled she quickly grabbed his hand.

    But when had he ever listened to her?

    The sound of peopleing and going surrounded them but she could only breathe in his scent.

    Charlotte''s eyes were tightly shut. Her patience had already reached its limit.

    Her legs and back were all sweaty.

    "Please, I''m begging you..."

    She begged in a low voice.

    She should not have meddled in his affairs. She wouldn''t dare to do it again. She would avoid

    Braden when she saw him in the future.

    He pressed his hands against her skin and asked, "Beg me for what?"

    "Will you let me go?" She burst into tears. "Stop it. It''s my fault. I''ll admit to anything you say. There

    are so many people here..."

    She was afraid.

    Shane used to enjoy this feeling very much.

    Being feared was something he was proud of.

    But he was infuriated by her fear of him.

    She shouldn''t be afraid of him.

    Shane pinched her skin with a trace of annoyance. The corners of his mouth curved into a sneer.

    "Beg me. I might let you go if I''m in a good mood."

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188

    Shane must be the devil...

    Charlotte leaned against the wall as she walked out with her legs crossed.

    She didn''t even dare to think of the time in that corner.

    She felt so guilty and disgusted, she just wanted to vomit.

    Shane didn''t pay her attention. He strode away and continued to talk cheerfully with the

    businessmen on the spot.

    Charlotte endured the pain in her lower abdomen and walked to the bathroom. She sat in a stall for

    a long time before going out to wash her face.

    "Hey, aren''t you Miss Charlotte?"

    A woman spoke in a sarcastic, high-pitched tone.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and clenched her fists tightly. She was toozy to pay any attention to

    her.

    ine quietly took out a small blue box from her bag. She walked over to Charlotte and pretended

    to be concerned. "What''s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Do you want me to get you a doctor?"

    "I don''t need your fake concern. Get out of my way."

    "You really are stubborn. Alright, I''ll leave you alone." ine nced into her and walked into the

    bathroom with a smug smile on her face.

    Just wait and enjoy the surprise that I''ve given you, Charlotte.

    The high and mighty only heir of the Emerson Corporation?

    Hmph.

    It was nothing but a facade.

    She was a defeated opponent.

    ine''s idea was very good.

    Charlotte returned to the venue, then sat down in a corner.

    Her head hurt as she didn''t feel well so she sat down to rest.

    She could vaguely smell his scent.

    In an instant, Charlotte was half awake. She hurriedly stood up and walked aside but her legs gave

    way and she stumbled to the ground.

    Shane put both of his hands into his pockets, he had no intention of helping her.

    Charlotte sat on the ground, rubbing her sore ankle as she red at him.

    He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Hmm? Asking me for help?"

    She bit her lip and shook her head, tears rolled down her cheeks again.

    He was bullying her.

    It was normal for the poor to be bullied by capitalists.

    She struggled to stand up and stumbled a few steps forward. "I can stand up by myself. I don''t need

    you."

    "Sure you can," he said tly but she could hear the sarcasm in his words.

    Shane grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the center of the venue, regardless of whether she

    could keep up with him.

    Everyone''s gaze fell on her.

    Charlotte was so embarrassed she wanted to die.

    However,

    theunching of the product was dyed.

    The women''s ring of the true love series was lost.

    Everyone was in a mess.

    "That ring is worth 300,000 dors!"

    "Who is so evil, my God."

    "Fortunately, today''s event is private. If the media was present, the NCpany would be all over

    the news."

    The crowd was in a panic.

    Shane frowned slightly. Was the ring from the true love series really lost?

    That thing was not exactly valuable but the diamond on the ring belonged to Rex Adler''ste

    daughter. They had invited him here to witness the change in the diamond.

    NC wasn''t really an expert in the field of luxury so he invited a well-known collector to promote the

    product''s poprity.

    "Why don''t we search everyone''s personal belongings?" Someone suddenly suggested.

    The security inspected the guests at the event.

    Although Charlotte was standing next to Shane, she was not exempted.

    "Found it!"

    An employee took out a small blue box from Lottie''s bag and said.

    Immediately, everyone stared and murmured around her.

    This...

    Charlotte was stunned. When did that thing appear in her bag?

    She knew better than anyone that she didn''t take it.

    She subconsciously looked over at Shane, wanting to give him an exnation but he just stared at

    her coldly.

    Charlotte was so hurt by his gaze, she didn''t want to exin herself anymore.

    Even he did not believe her.

    She would be wasting her efforts if she said anything.

    "I''m the one who took this ring."

    Who knows the man next to her suddenly spoke.

    Charlotte''s body stiffened. She didn''t even want to lift her head.

    "Let me introduce her to everyone. This is my girlfriend. I wanted to propose to her so I stole the

    ring to give her a surprise."

    To tell the truth...

    This reason was too farfetched.

    Shane should understand the whole process better than anyone.

    Didn''t he know there was an eventunchter?

    It would be fine for him to take the ring after the productunch.

    At this time, Rex, who was sitting in the first row, stood up and apuded. "Mr. Fuller is a really

    romantic person. It''s a pity that your girlfriend didn''t see the ring before theunching of the

    product."

    "She''s indeed very slow." Shane nodded and said apologetically, "Rex, I''m sorry."

    "You don''t have to apologize. I think this is very romantic. For me, the meaning behind this ring is

    not only true love, but also eternity. It bears my love for my daughter." Rex was an emotional man.

    He strode towards Charlotte and asked eagerly, "Can I see this youngdy wear the ring?"

    "Of course."

    Shane took the box with the ring and got down on one knee. Then, he held out Charlotte''s hand and

    put the ring on her finger.

    The audience cheered on while some people took pictures.

    Charlotte couldn''t figure out what was going on at all. She just stood there like a statue.

    "True love should be given to the one true love." Shane stood up with a tender smile no one had

    ever seen.

    "It really was Mr. Fuller who took it..." Someone mumbled.

    "I think so. Look at the smile on Mr. Fuller''s face. I''ve never seen him treat anyone so gently."

    "That woman looks so familiar. Is she Tiffany?"

    "It''s obvious the president''s wife wanted to keep her privacy. She''s not even showing her face."

    ine, who was standing amongst the crowd, had a vicious look on her face.

    She did not think that her n would backfire and cause Lottie to be the centre of attention.

    How could she be so lucky!

    Why would Shane risk his image and character to perform such a romantic gesture?

    ine was so jealous, it was written all over her face.

    ine red at Charlotte''s back and stomped away in her 12-inch high heels.

    In the middle of the crowd.

    Charlotte stared at Shane, who was on one knee, at a loss for words.

    "This youngdy is so happy she doesn''t know how to respond." Rexughed and patted her on the

    shoulder. "Young woman, don''t worry, marriage is a part of life."

    "I, I''m too touched..." she whispered.

    Shane got up, put his hand behind her head and pulled her into an embrace. "Rex, I might need this

    ring for another two more days."

    Rex shrugged. "That''s fine. Just use this as your wedding ring. There are still other nes and

    rings in this productunch. True love should be given to those who have found true love."

    "Thank you."

    "This ring is nothingpared to our friendship." Rexughed heartily.

    Under the protection of Rex and Cole, Shane brought Charlotte away from the venue.

    Back at the hotel room.

    Charlotte took off the ring and handed it back to him. "I didn''t take this, I don''t know why it appeared

    in my bag, it..."

    "Is this important? Think about how to act as my fiancee in front of Rex for the next few days."

    "Act, act as your fiancee?" Charlotte was dumbfounded.

    Why did she have to y his wife again?

    "Rex is a senior and important customer. He is straightforward and absolutely hates to be deceived.

    It doesn''t matter if you''re my girlfriend or not, you have to be the owner of this ring." Shane turned

    around and looked at her nkly.

    Charlotte didn''t know what to say.

    Shane sneered and said, "Maybe you can make it clear to Rex now and pay me 700 million for

    compensation."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "But I didn''t take this ring..."

    "Does it have anything to do with me? If I hadn''t stepped in just now, you would''ve been brought

    away by the police. It is a 300,000 dors ring! You would be jailed for life."

    Charlotte was hopeless. Shane was right. She had been too careless. She deserved to be caught.

    What''s more, Shane was willing to help her cover up the lie now...

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189

    "Thank you. Sorry for the trouble," Charlotte said softly.

    "If you y your part well, you can keep the 20% of shares." Shane took off his suit and sat beside

    the bed. "If not, you''ll have to pay me 70 million. Hence, this is entirely an exchange. It''s not a

    bother for me and you don''t have to thank me."

    Charlotte bit her lips. She was so nervous, she didn''t know what to do.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Shane nced at her with a cold but tender glimmer in his eyes as he pulled off his tie.

    This matter was settled.

    Charlotte hid in Shane''s room during the day and attended all kinds of cocktail receptions with him

    at night.

    Shane had someone buy her a chiffon mask so that no one could see her face clearly.

    It was another night.

    Shane was negotiating with his dealer about the newest product release. It was a new batch of fish

    oil health supplements for cats.

    It was then did Charlotte find out that the NC Company''s business had been expanded broadly after

    Christopher''s return.

    In order to control thepany''s shares, he had brought in a number of shareholders and finance.

    This was due to the fact NC had long ago be an angel investor.

    An angel investor refers to a high-worth individual who invests in potential but risky businesses

    in exchange for equity.

    Therefore, the capital brought by Christopher was from rtivelyrgepanies which undergo

    series A fundings.

    The capital brought by the A fundings would usually be used to expand thepany''s business

    scale or to branch out into new industries.

    NC has gained a strong foothold in many industries so there was no need for extra fundings.

    However, Christopher was a director who held more than half of the stocks so he was qualified to

    negotiate directly with the capitalpany.

    Which was why,

    selling cat''s health supplement is nothing. Nobody would even be surprised if they opened a health-

    care nightclub someday.

    Charlotte held the drink in her arms and ndered him in her mind.

    Her phone suddenly vibrated.

    A person by the alias ''Dark Forest'' sent her a friend request, with a note: I have the answers to your

    questions.

    She frowned and hesitated for some time before epting the request.

    ''Dark forest'' quickly sent her a video.

    Inside, a man in a ck windbreaker reached out for the blue box and took it. The man''s features

    could be clearly seen in the video. It was Christopher who stole the ring.

    Did Christopher try to frame her?

    But why?

    Charlotte bit her lips in confusion. ''I must tell Shane about this,'' she thought.

    She looked up to find Shane in the crowd but to no avail.

    At this moment, her phone vibrated again.

    Dark Forest: Shane will definitely help you out. The best way is to say he proposed to you with this

    ring.

    Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat as she replied,'' Who are you?''

    Dark Forest: That''s none of your concern. Today, Christopher will expose Shane and tell everyone

    you are Rick''s fiancee. The stock price will be greatly affected and Shane will be dismissed for lying.

    Charlotte immediately typed her reply, ''What should I do?''

    Dark Forest: I don''t know. This has nothing to do with me.

    Wait a minute,

    there''s something suspicious about this matter.

    If this matter does not benefit ''Dark Forest'' at all, why was he helping her? What was he trying to

    aplish?'' She thought.

    If she came clean with Rex but Christopher doesn''t do as ''Wild Forest'' had said, then she would''ve

    destroyed the peace they had retained for these few days.

    But, that made no sense.

    Therefore, ''Dark Forest'' sent her this video so she could directly show Rex that Christopher stole

    the ring.

    Then,

    Shane''s partnership with Rex would not be affected and it would not seem irrational if she told Rex.

    After some serious thought, Charlotte decided to head towards Rex''s private lounge.

    She was sure ''Dark Forest'' had no intentions of deceiving her.

    In the lounge, she found Shane was together with Rex.

    That''s why she couldn''t find him. He was here talking with Rex.

    Shane picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea. His gaze fell on herzily, it was unclear what was

    on his mind.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and took a bow. "Mr. Rex, I''m so sorry but we lied. I''m not Mr. Fuller''s

    fiancee. He just said that to help me out."

    Rex''s smile froze in an instant and he red at her coldly. "Do you understand what you''re saying?"

    "I know. I wanted to exin myself on the spot but I had absolutely no proof. You wouldn''t have

    believed me. Now, I have found the evidence I originally wanted to exin, but in my mind, if there

    is no evidence, you won''t believe me no matter what, so now I have found the evidence."

    Rex narrowed his eyes.

    One thing he hated the most in his entire life was to be deceived.

    However, Charlotte and Shane weren''t exactly lying to him about this matter.

    Shane had the right to call anyone he wanted his fiancee. It has nothing to do with Rex.

    He could dump anyone, even someone he had real feelings for, with just a few simple words.

    Rex calmed down and decided to listen to Charlotte''s exnation, "You said that you have found

    evidence, so where is this evidence? You don''t think I''d listen to your theories don''t you?"

    "This is the evidence."

    Charlotte handed the phone over.

    The video was very clear, it was also from multiple angles.

    Rex was acquainted with Christopher so his face darkened when he saw the video clip. He gave the

    phone to Shane and said, "It seems I have to cancel our partnership."

    Shane''s zoomed in on the video to take a closer look. "This is Christopher Gibson."

    "I heard that he''s a very good friend of yours."

    "Once upon a time."

    Rex obviously didn''t believe him. He shrugged as he stood up and said, "Mr. Fuller, I appreciate

    your candour and I think thisdy is very delightful but I have lost my trust in yourpany after

    what Mr. Gibson has done. So..."

    Charlotte immediately spoke up, "Mr. Rex, can you give me a minute? 1 can exin everything!"

    Rex frowned. He looked at Charlotte and reproached, "Miss Emerson, I did have a good impression

    of you. But, what right do you have to speak with me?"

    "I''m the CEO of the Jane Corporation and also the fiancee of Rick Jane, the president of the Jane

    Corporation. He can vouch for me."

    The Jane Corporation might only be a fairlyrgepany in the country.

    But it was very well-known among capitalists especially abroad.

    Although Rex was an individual capitalist, he had never lost money in the many projects he invested

    in. He was also quite familiar with international idle capital so needless to say he would know the

    powerful man behind the Jane Corporation."

    "One minute," Rex answered.

    Charlotte nodded and gestured to the side, "Let''s talk aside."

    Shane sat down again.

    He picked up the teacup leisurely, took a sip of the tea, and put it down.

    A few pieces of ceramic chipped off the teacup as he put it down.

    He still remembered,

    Back then, he had asked her why she didn''t use the name ''Mrs. Fuller'' to avoid trouble.

    He could no longer recall her answer. He only remembered he felt she was different from other

    women. She was neither obsequious nor materialistic but self-confident.

    Now.

    Rick''s fiancee.

    There was no hesitation in her words.

    Not even the slightest bit.

    Shane looked at the cup on the table, his eyes were so cold it could freeze someone.

    He never thought the word "sentimental" could be applied to himself. But, at this moment, he felt

    humiliation like never before.

    His woman.

    The mother of his daughter, tantly proimed he was the fiancee of another man.

    Hmph.

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190

    One minute passed.

    Rex was very surprised. "Does Shane know about this?"

    Charlotte smiled bitterly, "I wouldn''t havee here alone if I could say these words before him. I''m

    sorry for lying to you but we had no choice."

    "I have a question."

    "Please go ahead."

    "You didn''t even flinch when he kissed you in public. The hickeys on your neck were obviously from

    these few days. You say you are Mr. Jane''s fiancee but Mr. Fuller..." Rex shook his head. "You are

    not a simple woman."

    Charlotte stretched out her hand and gently touched her neck. She lowered her eyes and said, "Mr.

    Rex, I''ve never said this to anyone but I guess I can tell you."

    "Oh?"

    "As long as he''s happy, I don''t mind being berated by people." She suddenly looked up at Rex with

    determination. "As long as I have a way to help him, I''ll never stand by."

    "What''s the reason?"

    "I... maybe I love him very much."

    That''s why.

    She was sad after the divorce, she wanted to help him after returning to the country. She even slept

    with him after knowing he wanted to protect Tiffany for Heidi''s sake.

    Rexughed and shook his head. "If my daughter were still alive, I''m afraid she would be ten years

    older than you so you all are just like children to me. I don''t want to be involved in all these twists

    and turns. I just want to know where the ring is."

    Charlotte opened her bag and took out a small blue box.

    Rex took out the ring from the box and nodded with satisfaction, "take this ring."

    "Huh?" She was stunned.

    "I hope that you can take this ring and find your true love. If it''s Shane, I will give him an identical

    ring tailored for men. If you marry someone else, you can give Shane the ring and ask him to return

    it to me. How does that sound?"

    How does that sound?

    Charlotte and the others were all stunned.

    This ring was worth more than 300,000 dors.

    Although she could afford to buy it, Rex was being too generous by giving her the ring.

    She took a deep breath and refused to keep the ring. She returned the box to Rex and sighed, "I will

    never be with Shane. He has someone he loves, I..."

    "Someone he loves? Does he know how to love others?"

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Rex''s voice was full of surprise.

    Charlotte was speechless upon hearing that.

    Rexughed again as he put the ring back into the box and handed it to her. "Just think of it like a

    bet. I''m betting 300,000 dors that you won''t be together. If I won, you''ll have to return the ring to

    me. If I lose, I''ll pay you another 300,000 dors. It''s a sure win."

    "By the way, I think Shane didn''t manage to tell you that for this true love series, you''ll have to work

    with a male star. So you''ll have to keep this ring."

    "What about the other ring..."

    "I''ll take it with me. This is my agreement with Mr. Fuller."

    Charlotte could only sigh and agree to this winning bet.

    He left thepartment and returned to the living room.

    Rex immediately saw the chipped off teacup. "Mr. Fuller, you have a very good assistant."

    "Why do you say that?"

    "It''s nothing. Let''s continue with the announcement."

    Shane already expected that Charlotte had straightened everything out with Rex when they hadn''t

    come out after one minute had passed.

    He didn''t say anything but just nodded slightly and led the way for Rex.

    Since the issue with the ring had passed, Rex openly discussed the truth at the opening event. He

    mentioned he admired Shane''s fast reaction at the moment and hoped the ring thief would not

    make the same mistakes again.

    "My God, it was all an act?"

    "Mr. Fuller was so serious about that kiss..."

    "He was even smiling."

    "It''s such a pity that Mr. Fuller isn''t an actor."

    "No, I''ve always felt something was wrong," one of the employees said. "It is said Mr. Rex doesn''t

    tolerate those who aren''t trustworthy. His wife''s affair had caused the death of his daughter which

    was why he hates betrayal the most."

    His words caused an uproar among the audience.

    That''s right.

    This was considered fraud, wasn''t it?

    But Mr. Rex forgave Mr. Fuller?

    It was all too unexpected.

    No matter how the crowd spected, the annualunching of the product ended perfectly.

    Charlotte wanted to go home by herself, but Shane dragged her onto his car without another word.

    She watched him drive down an alley and turned off the car lights.

    Just as she was worried he was going to kill her, the car stopped at a cliff.

    In the distance.

    The city was dimly lit. Even though it was before dawn, the street lights still illuminated the roads

    under the dark sky.

    Shane unbuckled his seatbelt and got off the car. Charlotte hesitated for a moment before following

    him.

    "What did you say to Rex?"

    His voice was cold.

    Charlotte was silent.

    The first words she said to Rex were, "Christopher is Theodore Fuller''s illegitimate child. He and

    Shane are not friends."

    Later, she exined how she knew of this.

    But obviously,

    she wasn''t going to tell this to Shane. As of her knowledge, the Shane she knew was either going to

    destroy Christopher or die trying.

    "I didn''t say anything," she said in a low voice.

    "Did you sell out yourself?" He asked sarcastically.

    "What do you think of me?"

    "What? Didn''t you just sell yourself to Rick?"

    "How dare you!"

    Charlotte was so angry that she felt her head spin.

    She grabbed Shane''s arm and stared at him. "Am I such a cheap woman in your heart? I clearly

    know you don''t care about me, why would I still trade my own body for your project?"

    "You sold yourself for 70 million dors?"

    "Shane, are you heartless? Don''t you have a conscience?" Charlotte''s eyes turned red. "Or do you

    think that those few minutes were enough for Rex to sleep with me?"

    "Who knows if you made a deal with him in private."

    "You..."

    Shane grabbed the hand on his arm with a cruel smile on his face. "Otherwise why would a man

    with such strong principles forgive Christopher and the wholepany with just a few words?"

    "I didn''t make a deal with him!"

    "Speaking of Christopher, it seems that you are trying to help him, not me. If this project goes down

    the drain, Christopher would not be able to get away with the video on your hands."

    Charlotte felt so wronged and angry.

    But she didn''t know how to refute it at all.

    Shane''s heart sank when she said nothing.

    As expected, she did it for someone else.

    He suddenly burst into rage and pushed her on the car hood with his hands.

    Charlotte let out a cry of surprise. The license te scalded her calf, leaving a mark on her leg.

    After driving for so long through the mountains on the outskirts of the city, the engine was burning

    hot.

    It hurt so much.

    She groaned softly and tried to bend down to touch her calf but she was quickly held down by

    Shane. He grabbed her calves and raised them up.

    "Let go of me!" She screamed in shock.

    What was this b*stard going to do to her?

    Shane ignored her as he took off his belt and tied up her hands. Then, he pulled off his necktie to

    bound her hands with her neck.

    This time, it was impossible for Charlotte to escape from him unless she suddenly grew wings.

    The stars in the sky were shining brightly.

    But the stars in her heart fell one by one.

    Her warm tears were quickly dried by the blowing cold wind.

    She cried as she hoped for someone to save her so she could exin everything to Shane.

    She didn''t say those words for Rex''s or Christopher''s sake. It was all for Shane. She didn''t care

    about the 70 million dors, but she was afraid he would lose that money because of her.

    Why was she so shameless?

    This had happened again and again yet she could never seem to remember how distrustful this

    man was toward her.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191

    Shane didn''t notice the bloodstains between Charlotte''s legs in the dark as he f*cked her.

    Charlotte felt a severe pain in her lower abdomen. She knew Shane wouldn''t stop so all she could

    do was to grit her teeth and bear with the pain.

    After an unknown period of time, he suddenly lifted her waist and threw her into the backseat.

    In the middle of the night, he tossed her out of the car in front of Rick''s vi.

    Then, he drove away.

    Charlotte struggled to get up, trying not to disturb the people inside the house.

    The next day.

    "Oh, Lottie you''re finally home?" Anne only realised Charlotte hade home after she went down

    for breakfast. "You are really wild when my brother isn''t home!"

    "..." Charlotte''s felt pain throughout her whole body so she kept quiet.

    Anne noticed something felt wrong and asked, "Lottie, are you okay?"

    Charlotte shook her head.

    "Your lips are pale. It looks like you lost a ton of blood. Do you want to go to the hospital?"

    "I''m fine."

    The truth was she discovered her pants were stained with blood this morning. There was even

    blood on her bed. But she ordered the housekeeper to keep quiet as she didn''t want Anne to worry.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Anne pursed her lips and asked unhappily, "Aren''t we best friends?"

    ''Tm really fine. It''s just a little fever. It''s all right, I''ve felt worse in the hospital."

    "If you keep acting like this, you might end up being hospitalized twice..."

    Charlotte didn''t know what to say. "Can''t you just hope for the better?"

    "Forget it. Anyway, my brother will be back tomorrow. He will definitely take you to the hospital when

    he sees you like this."

    Rick wasing home?

    All of a sudden, Charlotte''s heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

    She took a deep breath and lowered her head to eat her breakfast. She felt as if she was chewing

    on wax which made her lose her appetite.

    After she ate a few mouthfuls, she quickly rushed to thepany.

    Rick immediately headed towards Charlotte''s office when he received Anne''s text message.

    He felt that she seemed to be in good spirits. She was wearing lipstick which made her look more

    refreshed so he only talked to her about work.

    However,

    In the afternoon, Rick suddenly received a message from his assistant when he was in a meeting.

    Charlotte had fainted during a discussion with the design department. They had already called the

    ambnce.

    Rick immediately put down whatever he was doing and hurried over to her side.

    Everyone immediately made way when they saw the president walk by.

    Roxy from the design department quickly exined, "Sir, I called the ambnce at once. Ms.

    Emerson was sweating when she gave her speech. I asked her to take a break, but..."

    "It''s okay, it''s not your fault." Rick picked up Lottie and gently caressed her face.

    She was burning.

    Then, his gaze fell on her legs where there was a faint trace of blood.

    He was stunned for a moment.

    He smiled bitterly at the thought of what Shane had done to her as he picked her up. "I''ll wait for the

    ambnce, you can continue the meeting."

    "Yes, sir."

    Roxy sent him off.

    People behind were whispering amongst themselves. Needless to say, they were specting the

    rtionship between Rick and Charlotte.

    Although they maintained a professional rtionship, there had been rumours that they were

    engaged but it was never confirmed.

    Soon, the ambnce arrived downstairs and headed to the hospital.

    It was an infection in the reproductive system that led to an acute pelvic inmmatory disease.

    Charlotte had lost around 700 millilitres of blood. Normally, a body would start to turn cold at a loss

    of 800 millilitres and losing 1500 millilitres of blood would lead to shock.

    Therefore, the reason she fainted this time was due to a septic shock.

    Simple to say, someone would experience septic shock when their blood is infected by bacteria and

    microorganisms. If left untreated it will lead to multi-organ failure.

    Charlotte was still in the operating room, but the doctor had already called Rick into the office.

    p!

    The doctor mmed the documents on the table and scolded, "A woman''s body is already weak

    during their period. It''s bad enough you didn''t take the necessary protection, but you only sent her

    to the hospital after losing so much blood. How can you call yourself her boyfriend?"

    Rick lowered his head silently.

    "If you don''t love her, leave her. Don''t you know both pelvic inmmatory disease and reproductive

    tract infection will cause infertility?"

    "It wasn''t Mr. Jane..." The assistant couldn''t bear to see him being scolded.

    "I''m sorry, doctor." Rick interrupted his assistant, his voice was slightly hoarse.

    "Don''t apologise to me, apologise to your girlfriend. What if something happens when she''s

    hospitalised? You would feel guilty for the rest of your life!"

    15 minutester.

    The doctor nagged at him on and on.

    For the first time in his life, Rick was beingbeled as irresponsible, scum and many more. The

    doctor was actually quite well-mannered as he did not swear.

    He came out of the office, took a deep breath and massaged his face with his palm.

    "Sir, why didn''t you say anything?" The assistant asked frustratedly. He was always calm and

    composed but at this moment his fist was tightly clenched. "Charlotte obviously has no self-

    respect..."

    "It''s not her fault."

    "Sir! She messed around with other men, why are you still defending her?"

    "If she consented would she have kept quiet about it? Didn''t she confess to me after she got drunk

    before?"

    "This..." The assistant was at a loss for words.

    He wanted to curse.

    Curse Charlotte, and the person who had a rtionship with her.

    Rick''s attitude was much gentler than him. He had no bottom line when it came to any matter

    concerning Charlotte.

    Even if she dressed up and told him she was going on a date with someone else, he would only

    remind her toe home earlier.

    He was from such a noble family background. If his love for her was humbler, she wouldn''t have any

    reason to leave him.

    "Go and investigate what happened these past few days."

    "Got it." The assistant pursed his lips and left.

    Charlotte was quite fortunate this time. After the operation, she only needed to take her medication

    ordingly and refrain from s*x to have a full recovery.

    But due to the blood loss, her body was still very weak and under aa.

    Rick stayed by her side just as he did before.

    Every time he faced this situation,

    he would question himself, what was the point of making so much money?

    He can''t even protect the people he loved. Some things just couldn''t be bought with money. Fame

    and wealth were just the shackles of his life.

    He had to be a powerful elite, someone whom others could look up to. He must not shed a single

    tear and always put thepany first.

    Rick reached out his hand and gently stroked Charlotte''s cheek.

    Many years ago, he was blinded by these thoughts. He didn''t even have the courage to pursue his

    love.

    Now he finally had the right to be by her side. He couldn''t do anything but to protect her in silence.

    "Lottie... What else can I do?" He asked her softly.

    No answer came.

    At night,

    Charlotte opened her eyes and subconsciously wanted to find the speech. She remembered she

    was about to exin an important part but she fainted.

    "You''re awake." Rick immediately propped her up.

    "Rick?" Charlotte was startled. "Wasn''t I in the conference room just now?"

    Rick exined to her briefly about what had happened.

    Charlotte blinked her eyes confusedly. She wasn''t familiar with these medical terms. "How did I get

    this disease?"

    "It happens when someone is not careful on their period."

    Not careful?

    Charlotte instantly thought ofst night.

    Her face turned pale, and she suddenly grabbed his arm. She wanted to say something but she

    couldn''t seem to find the words.

    How could she tell Rick that Shane vited her in such a way?

    Rick could see her concerns but this time he didn''t question her. He pulled her into his arms and

    whispered in her ears, "Let''s get married, okay?"

    "Rick, I..."

    "Marry me or let me send you abroad. Choose one. Lottie, I''m sorry, I have no choice but to be the

    bad person. You have to make a choice."

    His voice was gentle with a trace of bitterness.

    Charlotte knew Rick would''ve guessed everything that had happened even without her saying

    anything.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192

    "I, I''ll think about it," Charlotte muttered.

    "I don''t have the time to wait any longer. Give me an exact time. Do you want to stay by my side or

    leave that dangerous man?"

    III II

    Tears started to well up in her eyes.

    Rick''s heart had softened, but he forced himself to be cruel and asked straightforwardly, "It''s not

    that you can''t let me go, you can''t let him go. Why? Do you want to be treated by him... like this?"

    She shook her head. Of course, she didn''t.

    "Well, then you deserve this don''t you?"

    "..." Charlotte felt no need to exin this further.

    "Can you make my heart ache even more?"

    Bang-

    Rick smashed the table beside her.

    Charlotte curled up into a ball and hugged herself tightly.

    There was no harm in marrying Rick.

    He treated her so well and he liked Sheryl so much. If she married him, she could manage the Jane

    Corporation and be his handy partner.

    He could go and manage the Jane Corporation overseas when he gets busy. She could help him

    hold the fort here and when the branches here became more stable, she would go manage other

    new areas.

    There was nothing wrong.

    In fact, it was a very good and perfect n.

    Rick didn''t care about her past. She would definitely rely on his tenderness in the future.

    He was good on the inside out, she had no reason not to like him.

    The facts were clear when she rationally thought of the pros and cons. However, she still couldn''t

    make up her mind.

    Could it be she was the type that wants the best of both worlds? The more she couldn''t have

    something, the more she yearned for it. She held on tight to her back-up while loving another man.

    It was true.

    She admitted that she had no self-respect.

    Charlotte whimpered as she covered herself under the nket.

    Perhaps before Shane sent Tiffany away, she could hold back her feelings. But now, she had no

    other way.

    She didn''t know if marrying Rick was a choice or an escape.

    Rick walked out of the room.

    He watched Lottie curl up in pain through the ss.

    He clenched his fists as his eyes turned red.

    He didn''t want to make such a blunt and unpleasant statement. However, he thought Charlotte

    wouldn''t have any hesitation since she was raped by Shane.

    Was he really that bad inparison to Shane?

    "Sir, here''s what happened in the past few days."

    Rick took over the documents and read through them silently. Once he was done, he asked, "Who''s

    the person going by this username, ''Wild forest''?"

    "ording to the IP addresses of our investigation, it should be Zoe Watson."

    "Zoe Watson... can you make an appointment?"

    "She tried to get in touch with us that night but we were on a flight so..." His assistant lowered his

    head.

    From the information he obtained,

    Charlotte wasn''t very close to Shane. Her actions could be considered as helping Shane out of

    desperation.

    If it hadn''t been for the incident with Christopher, Charlotte wouldn''t have anything to do with Shane.

    Obviously, Charlotte didn''t offer herself up to Shane.

    Rick raised his hand to rub his eyebrows. "Did you find any information of them checking into a

    hotel?"

    "Shane checked into a room alone but ording to surveince they rarely stayed in the same

    room. Maybe they didn''t want to interfere with each other''s business. However, after the night of the

    productunch, Shane left with Charlotte."

    "Why?"

    "Uh, I''ve asked around. Some said that Shane looked quite upset. Also, Charlotte helped them

    persuade Rex to continue working together."

    Huh.

    Rick suddenly smiled.

    The assistant did not understand and asked in confusion, "Sir?" "Charlotte wanted to help that

    b*stard resolve the issue with Rex but he thought she was protecting Christopher." Rick clenched

    his fist and continued, "He''s just a proud, arrogant and selfish b*stard."

    "How did you figure that out?"

    "I know Lottie but I know Shane even better."

    "So, this is all because Miss Charlotte helped someone out of kindness?" The assistant suddenly

    felt guilty.

    He thought Charlotte knowingly had sexual rtions with someone while on her period.

    D*mn it.

    He quickly apologised, "Sir, I only lost my temper on Miss Charlotte because you were getting

    scolded. I''ll apologise to her when she wakes up."

    "It''s fine. You work for me, it''s normal for you to have my best interest in mind. I''m not mad. Don''t

    worry."

    "Thank you for your understanding."

    "Get in touch with Christopher, I want to work with him."

    "What?"

    "I want Shane to disappear from this city."

    Rick''s voice was cold with no expression on his face.

    This was what he looked like when he was angry.

    Squeak, squeak-

    "Don''t..."

    Charlotte, who left the ward, walked out to hear this sentence.

    Rick turned around, his heart ached at the sight of her weak and broken appearance.

    Rick''s assistant immediately said, "Sir, I''ll contact Christopher and Zoe. It''s cold outside, you better

    talk to Miss Charlotte inside."

    "Okay."

    As he left, Rick pushed Charlotte into the room, then closed the door and drew the curtains.

    He pinned her down on the bed without another word.

    His lips and body were inches away from hers.

    Charlotte struggled for a moment before giving up. She was too weak.

    "Do you like this?" His voice was soft but his actions were different from the past.

    Charlotte shook her head with a bitter smile. She knew no words could exin herself clearly.

    As long as he didn''t despise her, she was willing to do anything if this would make things easier for

    Rick.

    Rick smiled. His arms were straight, even so, Charlotte wasn''t able to break free from him. If Shane

    really wanted her, she wouldn''t have been able to escape.

    He got up and stood by the window.

    "You don''t want me to hurt Shane, do you?"

    "Yes." She nodded.

    "Give me a reason why."

    "If you were to deal with him, you''ll surely suffer a great loss... I, I don''t want to..."

    "For me, or for Shane?"

    "Of course it''s for you."

    Rick turned around and asked, "Why didn''t you tell Shane you were trying to save the deal between

    him and Rex, not Christopher?"

    Charlotte''s waspletely dumbfounded.

    Rick was too smart.

    She imagined he would have investigated this matter but she didn''t expect him to guess her

    thoughts based on the information he obtained.

    "You are afraid that he will know of your feelings for him. You''re sure he will choose Tiffany due to

    the past. You protected him, because you knew Christopher was the son of Theodore Fuller, but

    Shane is unaware of that, am I right?"

    "Yes..." she muttered.

    "If you marry me, I can help you deal with Christopher together and restore Shane''s position in the

    company without hurting him. Of course, you can refuse but I will send you abroad immediately.

    Don''t worry, I will take good care of you and Sheryl. However, you would have no say in what I do to

    Shane."

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte had no choice.

    Marrying Rick would solve all her problems in an instant.

    "Let me think about it."

    But in the end, she still hesitated.

    "You refuse to marry me because of the person you care and love the most, isn''t it? Charlotte

    Emerson, don''t you remember how much pain Shane Fuller has brought you? The pain I felt was

    even worse!"

    "Rick, I''m sorry."

    "You''re sorry for me? You should be sorry for yourself."

    Charlotte''s face went pale as she bit her lips and said nothing. The moonlight on her face made her

    look even more fragile.

    But Rick no longer felt any pity for her. His attitude was firm. "The Charlotte I liked has a mind of her

    own. She knew when to move forward and when to quit. She''s a courageous and intelligent woman,

    nota weak and timid girl who''s now trapped by love."

    "However, she will always be Charlotte. I''ve made up my mind to love her from the beginning to the

    end. I will give you yourst chance because I still haven''t given up on you. But one day, I''ll give up

    and..."

    "No one would care if you''re in pain or not."

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193

    Charlotte spent three days alone in the hospital.

    During this period, Rick''s assistant and secretary delivered her meals but Rick himself never

    appeared.

    After Charlotte returned home, Sheryl threw herself into her arms happily. She told her Rick had

    said she was on a business trip and would be home today. As expected, she had returned so Sheryl

    was especially happy.

    Rick...

    Charlotte subconsciously searched for Rick''s presence but he wasn''t home.

    She didn''t know where he went.

    After spending some time with Sheryl, Charlotte put away her luggage upstairs. During lunch, Anne

    comined that she was still hospitalised in the end.

    "Don''t let Sheryl hear us." Charlotte quickly covered her mouth.

    "You are afraid that your daughter will hear you. Aren''t you afraid that I''m pissed off by you?" Anne

    rolled her eyes and continued, "Forget about it, I don''t care anymore."

    "I''m sorry."

    Charlotte''s gaze wandered around the room but she still didn''t see any sight of him.

    Anne snorted when she noticed it. "Are you looking for my brother?"

    "Yes."

    "He''s noting back."

    "Why not?"

    "He said he had something to do at thepany. He had been there for the past two days. But it''s

    weird, he was home with Sheryl the whole time when you were in the hospital. Are all presidents

    like this?"

    Charlotte froze for a moment before responding with a bitter smile.

    Rick was... avoiding her, wasn''t he?

    The next day.

    Charlotte arrived at thepany and worked as usual.

    While they were having lunch, people were gossiping about the president of the NC Company''s

    wedding. It seemed he was marrying a small celebrity with a messy private life. They made the

    announcement as soon as she came back from abroad.

    Charlotte was stunned. She took out her phone and browsed through the news. The words "Shane

    Fuller and Tiffany Allen''s Announcement" appeared on the screen.

    She stood next to the coffee machine, lost in her thoughts.

    "Mr. Jane!"

    "Good to see you, Mr. Jane!"

    The gossipers immediately stood up straight and bowed.

    Charlotte subconsciously raised her head to smile at him when she heard his voice.

    Rick gazed at her for a second, then he quickly lowered her eyes and walked past by her. He took a

    cup and filled it with coffee as if he didn''t even see her.

    Rick left with the cup in his hand leaving her alone.

    "Sir..." The assistant started softly.

    "Have you seen her search page?" Rick asked.

    "No, I didn''t."

    "She was searching for the news on Shane and Tiffany''s wedding."

    "You should go be with Miss Charlotte since she''s upset."

    "I don''t want to."

    The assistant was speechless. "You''ve already made so much effort. Are you going to give up

    now?"

    Give up.

    He put in so much effort but she didn''t even budge. It would be meaningless if she didn''t feel the

    same way.

    After the meeting, Charlotte went to Rick''s office and handed over some documents for him to sign.

    Rick signed silently.

    "Will you go home for dinner today?" Charlotte asked cautiously.

    "No."

    "Oh..." She nodded awkwardly.

    She was in a daze when Rick handed her the documents. She looked so lost and upset, Rick was

    frustrated.

    He tugged on his necktie and tapped the table. "Take the documents."

    Charlotte quickly came back to her senses. She took the document and said, "I''ll send it over right

    now. Well, I won''t go back today either. Why don''t we have dinner together?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "No, nothing. I was just asking if you wanted to eat dinner." "Is it interesting to hang on to me?" Rick

    didn''t even nce at her. "Go do your work. If you''re not working, go home. You don''t need to tter

    me. You haven''t made me angry."

    "Rick..."

    Rick rapped the table and said, "Don''t let me think that you are a cheap and pretentious woman."

    Charlotte''s fingers tightened and she hurriedly left with the documents in her hands.

    The smell of perfume on her body lingered in the air.

    Rick remembered that she didn''t like the scent of this perfume but she continued to use it because

    he casually mentioned he liked this scent. Sometimes she even asked him to help her pick a simr

    perfume.

    He once asked her why she stopped using the perfume from before.

    She answered,

    "There''s no one around to notice it anyway since I''m mostly with you. You like it, I don''t hate it, isn''t

    that the best?"

    At that time, she spoke with a smile on her face.

    He was very touched but he never actually chose a perfume for her.

    As a result, this woman looked into the cologne he used and found a simr perfume. It was almost

    the same as the one he loved.

    He noticed her struggle with this for so long. She genuinely wanted to buy a new perfume so he

    gave her the address of the perfume he bought.

    Since then she kept using this perfume.

    Rick closed his eyes. He finally got up from the office chair and walked out.

    Charlotte''s assistant had already got off from work so she had to send the documents to the finance

    department by herself. Previously Rick had said he wanted to hire a personal assistant who was on

    call twenty-four hours for her but she rejected him.

    Now it seemed that she really needed one. Her legs were sore from all the walking.

    Back at the office.

    She was stunned.

    Rick was sitting on the sofa.

    He had changed into a white sweater which was very casual but unexpectedly suited him well.

    Rick was both gentle and friendly. He was even more breathtaking in this casual clothing than

    wearing a suit.

    "Rick." She made him a cup of coffee. "Why are you here?"

    "Where do you want to go for dinner?"

    "Huh? I, I ordered takeout just now..." She stammered.

    Rick smiled as he stood up and touched her forehead. "Give it to the guard. They had quite a rough

    day too."

    He was so cold to him before and asked her to leave, forcing her to make a decision. He had drawn

    a clear line between them. What was going on now?

    Charlotte looked at him in a daze. After a long while, she finally giggled, "Okay."

    Rick took her to an all-you-can-eat buffet

    It was extremely cheap.

    20 dors per person to eat to their hearts'' content.

    There was a variety of dishes and even drinks and ice cream.

    Charlotte ordered some wings while Rick asked for a seafood tter.

    The two of them sat in a corner.

    "Rick, what made you change your mind?" She asked as she took a bite of her food.

    She liked to eat chicken wings.

    "I''m hungry."

    "I wanted to tell you that I''ve thought it over. I''ll marry you but can we dy it for a while?"

    Rick nced at her without saying anything.

    The look in his eyes...

    Charlotte lowered her head and said, "I feel it is unfair to marry you like this. I want to fulfil my duty

    as a wife. Let''s get married when I truly fell in love with you."

    "Oh?"

    "I don''t want you to waste your time on me and I don''t want to make you a joke either," she

    whispered.

    "If you can, don''t make me a joke. If you can''t, wouldn''t you be happier seeing me and Shane go at

    each other?" He asked mockingly.

    "No, I won''t!"

    Rick smiled.

    He leaned towards her and sped the back of her head, then kissed her temple. "Don''t think about

    it just enjoy the meal."

    Charlotte gently tugged on his sleeves. "I''m serious. I thought about this in the hospital for a long

    time. This was the best way."

    "There''s no need. You can just choose between what I asked."

    "But, I..."

    "Or you can go back to his side. I have nothing to say. Remember to sign the share transfer

    agreement."

    Anne had always said Rick was very frightening.

    Now, Charlotte finally understood the meaning behind the word "frightening."

    Rick was still Rick.

    However,

    his smile wasced with a thinyer of ice.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    He was still gentle as always but one could sense he was emotionally distant. It was too hard to

    bear.

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194

    "I..." Charlotte tried to exin herself further.

    "Or give me the answer after Shane''s wedding."

    They were going to Shane''s wedding?

    Charlotte was scared out of her wits.

    Rick continued, "Mr. Fuller gave me an invitation with both our names."

    "Can I not go?"

    "This wedding is said to be a set- up. ording to some sources, Shane was threatened and this

    wedding was nned to let the person get close to him."

    "Then isn''t he..." Charlotte was surprised.

    "Yes, he might die if something happens. Then, you wouldn''t even need to make a decision."

    Charlotte was quiet.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Rick picked up some spicy wings, ced them on the te and ate them.

    The spice was quite numbing.

    It would make his stomach ufortable.

    But it made his heart feel better.

    "Okay." Charlotte suddenly became determined. "I''ll give you the answer after the wedding."

    Rick continued to eat his chicken wings.

    Charlotte suddenly stretched out her hands and took his food from him. It was so spicy she spat it

    out after she took a bite.

    Rick held his head in his hand and looked at her calmly. "Why did you steal my food?"

    "I thought it looked spicy but you seemed to like it so I wanted to try it too," she said as she took a

    big sip of her soft drink. "It''s so spicy."

    "Are you stupid?"

    "I''m just curious."

    Rick smiled helplessly and said, "All right, enjoy your meal. There''s still a lot of work back in the

    company."

    "Sure!"

    Rick''s attitude towards her was neither cold nor hot, but Charlotte was already happy he was talking

    to her.

    While their rtionship did not return to how it used to be, he was no longer cold towards her. She

    couldn''t ask for more. She just hoped Rick wouldn''t be hurt.

    It would be great if she didn''t need to make a decision.

    She really felt that she was not worthy of being with Rick.

    On Shane''s wedding day, the mainstream media reported on the news wildly.

    The youngest and most promising bachelor in River City was getting married.

    The bride was a celebrity with a dreadful reputation.

    Charlotte didn''t think much about it. She simply came here as Rick''spanion. Her main purpose

    was to eat and drink as much as she could.

    She thought that Shane''s wedding should be very luxurious and spectacr but from theyout to

    the buffet, only one word could describe it -cheap.

    Perhaps even an ordinary person would find it hard to ept such a wedding.

    Moreover, why would they choose to serve a buffet-style dinner at a wedding held in River City?

    People were walking back and forth. It didn''t feel like the usual River City.

    Besides...

    Braden and Christopher weren''t here...

    "Rick, this doesn''t look like Shane''s wedding but my sore loser cousin''s," Charlotte whispered to the

    man beside her.

    This made no sense.

    "We''ll find outter."

    She thought of what Rick said before about how someone was threatening Shane, she instantly felt

    uneasy and nervous for him.

    Her gaze searched amongst the crowd.

    She thought she would be able to immediately identify the person who wanted to hurt Shane.

    As more and more people came, word started to spread on the inte.

    Many people''s reactions were simr to Charlotte''s. They thought that this wedding was too simple

    and crude. It doesn''t seem like Shane at all to be so cheap. Some even spected that Shane

    must''ve not like Tiffany.

    Soon, it came to the part for the announcement.

    Everyone sat on the pews of the church, Shane and Tiffany stood in the middle, surrounded by

    flower girls and page boys.

    The sun shone through the ss windows of the church.

    The man was tall, handsome, and dressed in a ck tuxedo.

    The woman was wearing a white wedding dress. She appeared to look more pure and innocent.

    Charlotte stared nkly at the two of them. The corners of her lips curled up slightly but the rims of

    her eyes turned red.

    Such a beautiful scene made her heart fill with envy.

    Suddenly...

    She saw someone from the corner of her eyes walking through the sides of the pews. There

    seemed to be something in his hand. Her heart tightened and instinctively tried to get up.

    "Don''t go." Rick held her hand.

    "Rick, that man is acting weird, he..."

    "Are you going to leave me alone?"

    However!

    The man was getting closer and closer to Shane.

    Charlotte''s heart was about to jump into her mouth. She instantly broke free from Rick''s hand and

    ran towards Shane.

    In a split second.

    She pushed him away.

    Her long hair brushed across the tip of the de.

    In an instant, her long soft hair became shorter.

    This hairstyle made Charlotte look even more stunning.

    Shane held her in his arms and took a step back. He turned to look at the man with the knife and

    said, "Uncle, this engagement gift is too big of a surprise."

    Suddenly, everyone stood up from their seats and rushed towards the man with the knife.

    "Uncle? You still know that I am your uncle! Why did you sell Five Stars? You''ve ruined my ns

    and my life! You made me lose everything! You have to die! Argh! Let go of me, kill him! Kill him!"

    The man red at Shane, his eyes red with fury as he struggled to hold his knife.

    Everyone stood up and looked at the scene on the stage.

    Rick also got up.

    He didn''t notice the tears that were flowing from the corner of his eyes.

    It was not until he felt the cold wind against his face that he raised his hand to wipe away the tears.

    Then, he turned around and left.

    On the stage.

    Shane didn''t care about the man. He raised his hand and ordered his men to take him away.

    He looked at Charlotte in his arms and asked gently, "Why did you rush over?"

    "Do you know how dangerous that was?" His voice became a bit colder.

    "I just rushed over without a second thought," she sobbed and hugged him tightly, ignoring the fact

    that she was at his wedding. "I kept thinking about what I''ll do if you died. I couldn''t care less about

    the danger."

    He was a god.

    He was the god of her heart.

    He was a god in Sheryl''s mind.

    How could anything happen to him?

    "It''s okay."

    He gently patted her back with his lips slightly curved up.

    The wedding was canceled because of this farce.

    Shane had to take care of other matters and Charlotte couldn''t follow him around so she walked to

    theke by herself.

    At that time.

    She remembered that Tiffany seemed to have run away.

    Tiffany had turned around and got off the stage. Then she was taken away by Shane''s people

    quickly. It was as if she already knew what was going to happen.

    She suddenly felt that she was so foolish.

    No wonder Shane had arranged the wedding so simply. His goal was to lure out the man in the first

    ce...

    But she...

    Her phone vibrated.

    She came to her senses and took it out of her pocket.

    "Look up and tell me your answer." It was Rick on the phone.

    Charlotte''s heartbeat slowed down by a beat.

    She raised her head.

    Not far away.

    Rick stood in front of a bridge.

    "Let''s get married."

    Suddenly, Charlotte blurted out these words. There was a hint of hesitation in her voice. She was

    taking a chance with him.

    However, she didn''t notice.

    There was a man standing less than a meter away from her with a suit in his hand. He stopped

    abruptly in his tracks and looked at her in shock.

    "Did you let him go?"

    "I only realised Shane was just a god in my heart when I threw myself at him mindlessly. I was

    worried he would lose his ce in my heart. I hope he would always remain as a god so I didn''t

    want him to be defeated by someone else."

    "However, love isn''t worshipping the other person. It should be understanding,promising and

    willingly sacrificing for each other."

    "A moth flying into me isn''t true love but a foolish unrequited love. Rick, I don''t want to take you

    for granted so let''s get married. I won''t hate you for this."

    Rick looked at Shane, who was standing behind Charlotte.

    Shane threw his suit on the ground and stared at him for a moment, then turned away.

    He smiled.

    "Do you know? I was going to say if you rejected me, I would jump down thiske and see what you

    would do then."

    "How could you be so childish." Charlotteughed.

    "I don''t need to be so childish now."

    Rick slowly walked towards her.

    Charlotte looked at him, then pulled him into her arms.

    Shane was a high and all-powerful god in her world.

    As for Charlotte, she chose to be a delicate and cherished woman in Rick''s world.

    This was actually quite good.

    She touched her hair. It felt as if her feelings for Shane had disappeared along with her hair that had

    been cut off.

    Perhaps the heavens had made a decision for her as well.

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195

    Late at night, the most popr bar in River City was closed.

    Bang��

    A bottle of wine smashed against the wall.

    Braden flinched and poked Christopher, who was standing beside him. "Go persuade him." "Why?"

    "No matter how I look at it, he''s not mad because of Raymond Fuller! It must be because of

    Charlotte. I heard Rick has announced his engagement with her. It''ll be on the first of next month."

    Bang��

    A wine bottle shattered next to Braden.

    "Ahh, do you want to scare me to death?" Braden asked in shock. "If you''re mad, you can vent all

    you want but don''t take it out on me! How could you bear to ruin my handsome face?"

    Another wine bottle broke at his feet.

    Braden was so angry, he stamped his feet. "Can''t you hear me? If you can bully me, you can also

    go see her!"

    ''See her?'' he thought.

    Shane''s eyes turned cold and he put down the bottle in his hand.

    Braden gathered his courage and walked forward. He stopped beside him and said, "I heard from

    Christopher that this wedding was a trap for Raymond. You weren''t getting married at all. I thought

    you''d exin this to Charlotte."

    "Exin? Why should I exin anything to her?" Shane''s attitude was very tough and cold.

    "Didn''t you always say she''s your woman?" Braden smiled ingratiatingly. "Then isn''t it normal to tell

    your woman that you don''t want to marry anyone else?"

    Braden couldn''t see through his thoughts so he could only urge Shane to make a phone call to

    Charlotte.

    After a while, Shane suddenly got up and walked away. "Don''t follow me."

    Braden stopped in his tracks and hunched down on the ground frustratedly. He turned and vented

    his anger towards Christopher, "It''s all your fault!"

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Christopher shrugged with a smile. "What does this have to do with me?"

    "He wouldn''t have sold thatnd if it weren''t for you. I''ve always thought of you as a brother. I...

    Forget it, I''m not interested in your games. " Braden suddenly stood up and continued, "You two can

    y on your own."

    Christopher watched as Braden left. He pushed his sses with a slight smile on his lips.

    Although there was a slight deviation in ns, he would only benefit from Shane and Charlotte''s

    breakup.

    It would be best for them to go separate ways.

    A few days after the wedding, the NCpany announced that Tiffany would go abroad to shoot a

    music video.

    Immediately, countless rumors began to spread.

    Some people said that Shane was only using Tiffany.

    Others said Shane was a gentleman as he was protecting Tiffany.

    In short, there were different opinions from the public. The stock price for the NCpany also rose

    a lot.

    Charlotte was eating lunch when she heard people around gossip about it. Ever since she agreed to

    Rick''s proposal, she had stopped paying attention to Shane''s life.

    After lunch, she returned to her office to see Avery waiting for her.

    He flipped his glossy hair as heid on her desk with a coquettish look. "I heard someone say

    you''re marrying Rick?"

    "Yes," she replied.

    "You stopped going after Shane?"

    "What? Since when have I gone after him?" She pursed and fiddled with her bracelet

    subconsciously.

    In the past two days, she had been ying with her bracelet more frequently than before.

    It served as a reminder to herself that she was going to marry Rick.

    Avery smiled and said, "It''s obvious when you love someone. As for you, you don''t love Rick at all. I

    can see it."

    "That doesn''t mean I won''t love him in the future."

    "If you were to fall in love with him, it would''ve already happened."

    "Those who fall in love early might not make it to the end. Love isn''t everything." Charlotte sat down

    and took out some documents. "Let''s talk about the airline. Aren''t you here for the Union Airline?

    Then, stop talking about Shane."

    "Didn''t I tell you? Shane is also a member of the Union Airline. He offered even more money than

    Rick."

    Charlotte sighed.

    She finally understood the reason why Rick was in a hurry to marry her.

    As long as she stayed in the city, she would definitely run into Shane. If she married Rick, there

    would be boundaries and Shane would have to restrain himself.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Charlotte came back to her senses and looked over. Rick put a box of fruits on the table. "The

    assistant just bought it. It''s very fresh. You can eat it."

    "What about you?"

    "Of course I have one too."

    Avery looked up at Rick with his red lips slightly curved. "I heard that you are getting married?"

    Rick nodded and said, "The engagement party is next month. I hope you cane."

    "Can I bring a family member? Oh, don''t get me wrong. I mean my sister. Her name is Heather. She

    doesn''t have much time to live, you know," Avery exined as he stood up. Then, he stood beside

    Rick and said ruefully, "I''m shorter than you."

    The smell of Avery''s perfume was very strong.

    Rick smiled calmly. "I know. I will take good care of her if shees."

    "Thank you very much."

    Rick didn''t stay for long.

    Charlotte looked at the fruits. She propped up her head and touched the stic lid.

    Avery watched Rick leave before sitting down again. He reached out a hand and waved it in front of

    Charlotte. "That man is quite scheming."

    "Are you trying to be my best friend?" Charlotte asked helplessly.

    "We are, aren''t we?"

    "... You are a man."

    "Really? Thanks for reminding me. May I remind you that I''m also a little interested in man? Maybe I

    might even be... the test of true love between you and Rick."

    Avery smiled and blinked his longshes. His red lips curled into a confident smile.

    The seductive look in his eyes caused even

    Charlotte to blush uncontrobly.

    Now she finally believed those foxy men in those fantasy novels really existed.

    Avery was likely one of those foxy men straight out of those stories.

    However, he was charming enough so he wasn''t repulsive.

    Charlotte shifted her gaze and ruthlesslyined, "I really hope that you are his true love."

    Avery just smiled.

    Love, he stopped having expectation since long ago.

    Otherwise, he would not turn himself into the person he was right now. It was true he wanted to be a

    woman but it was also true he used this as an excuse to escape marriage.

    She had been coborating with Avery for about five or six days.

    Only then did Charlotte understand everything regarding the airline. Avery''s intention was to advise

    her to gain some knowledge at university. Otherwise, she would only get worn out.

    Of course, Charlotte understood this. She had already done so when she returned to the country

    earlier.

    But what happened...

    She really didn''t want to go back.

    Avery thought she couldn''t find a good teacher so he directly took this matter into his own hands.

    She couldn''t stop him so she could only watch him search for someone.

    She had been too busy dealing with the Jane family''s business. Besides, she also had to learn

    International Economics which made her too busy to do anything.

    Needless to say, she had no time to take care of her daughter.

    On this day.

    Sheryl held a phone in her left hand and a small purse in her right. She stood all alone before the

    NCpany''s building.

    Braden, who once again had a fight with Christopher and Shane, went out in a huff. Suddenly, he

    stopped with his eyes opened wide.

    "Sheryl?"

    "Mr. Rude..." The little fellow looked at him sadly.

    This...

    Braden bit his lip and picked up the little fellow.

    ''Forget it, forget it. Just think of it as paying back Shane a favour,'' he thought.

    He held the little girl in his arms and went all the way back.

    "Hello, Shane, your daughter is looking for you," Braden shouted at the door.

    Christopher heard his voice and nced towards him. He was stunned when he saw Sheryl. "Did

    she juste here alone?"

    Braden just thought of this question. He couldn''t help but swear.

    Sheryl nodded obediently and said, "I came here alone. I missed daddy."

    "Your daughter is quite exceptional," Christopher spoke from the bottom of his heart.

    She was only six years old.

    Shane''s face immediately turned cold. "Bang!" He mmed the pen on the table and strode

    towards her.

    Sheryl reached out her hand and called, "Daddy."

    "Where''s your mother?" Shane held Sheryl in his arms and asked in a hostile tone.

    That woman actually allowed Sheryl to run away from home alone?

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196

    Sheryl pouted at the mention of her mother. "She hasn''t came home for three days. I asked Aunt

    Jane, she said mummy was very busy."

    "It''s true. She''s studying for a degree in International Economics. The professor is even introduced

    by Avery," Braden immediately exined as he was afraid Shane would misunderstand. "It''s not

    easy for her to be alone. She can''t survive in the Jane Corporation without any background."

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "She''s working so hard, she even forgot her daughter?"

    "Ugh, Shane, think about it, she might be a little bit busier but she''s now an independent woman.

    She just doesn''t have the time to care for her child, it''s better than having her dealing with bad men

    or selling her soul."

    Shane pursed his lips.

    The way he looked at the little girl was much softer. "Now who sends and brings you home from

    school?"

    "Aunt Jane!" She replied.

    "She won''t y with you?"

    "She does but I still miss daddy and mommy..." Sheryl lowered her head. "My friends at school

    always had their daddy and mommy to pick them up but I don''t."

    s!

    Braden couldn''t stand to see the sad look on Sheryl''s face as if he was a wicked uncle.

    Shane stroked her back gently and said, "But it''s too dangerous for you toe alone. Don''t do this

    again."

    "I''m not alone."

    "Huh?" Shane frowned.

    Sheryl took out her phone and dialled a number.

    Outside the door, a cell phone rang.

    Everyone''s eyes immediately turned towards the door.

    Avery, who was wearing a bare-chested dress, walked up gracefully. He flipped his long hair and

    smiled. He raised his hands towards them and said, "Hello."

    Christopher was speechless.

    Braden widened his eyes.

    Shane turned around silently. "Don''t follow him around in the future." "But Aunt Avery treats me very

    well."

    Aunt Avery.

    Braden spat out a mouthful of water and asked, "Avery, why are you so shameless? I mean you are

    already quite good-looking in your usual outfits. What''s up with your clothes today?"

    Avery''s broad chest was exposed showing some defined lines. It was a truly astonishing sight.

    Avery wasn''t even angry. He smiled as he sat down on the sofa, "I came here because I wanted to

    give Mr. Fuller a recording. You can either get rid of me or let me take Sheryl home after listening to

    it. It''s up to you."

    Sheryl wrapped her arms around Shane''s neck.

    It wasn''t easy for her to persuade someone to bring her out.

    She didn''t want to go back.

    "What recording?" Shane asked.

    "Mr. Collins, Mr. Gibson, please leave the room."

    Braden grabbed Christopher and left.

    What a joke.

    He didn''t want to see this ''mouth-watering'' Avery for even another second.

    As soon as the two of them left, Avery directly pressed y on the recording pen.

    It was the conversation between Charlotte and Anne.

    Charlotte finally admitted she had contracted a pelvic inmmatory disease under pressure. It was

    then followed with Anne cursing Shane.

    Shane''s face remained nk when he heard this.

    The second recording was between Charlotte and Rick. They were simply talking about her pelvic

    inmmatory disease. Rick asked, "You may have fully recovered but... do you really want him to be

    oblivious to all the hurt he caused you?"

    "We''re about to get married. I don''t care what he thinks. I just want to be your wife."

    "All right."

    At this point, Shane''s anger was evident.

    Avery curled his lips. Here came the good part.

    Rick asked again, "If that''s the case, why did you persuade the Gibson Family to join the Airline

    Union?"

    "Rick, I can''t me the father of my child and I can''t deal with him on my own. He''s like a god to

    me, so I could only vent my anger on Christopher. Think about it, if it weren''t for Christopher, I

    wouldn''t be so miserable. Besides, he''s the mastermind behind ine."

    "In other words, you did it for revenge?"

    "That''s right."

    "Study hard for the next two days. I''ll handle the affairs between the Gibson Family and Emerson

    Corporation."

    Shane''s expression darkened and his breathing became heavier.

    Avery smiled as he yed the third recording.

    This was a conversation he had with Charlotte.

    Compared to the previous two recordings which were truth bombs, the third recording was more on

    Charlotte''s thoughts.

    She didn''t want to have anything to do with Shane anymore. Her heart was broken and she

    intended to learn how to love Rick. Even if she didn''t love him, she wanted to slowly cultivate her

    feelings for him.

    Avery put away the recording pen and said, "Now that you''ve heard everything you need to hear, I''ll

    allow you to ask me three questions. After that, I''ll take Sheryl away."

    Sheryl shook her head and whined, "I don''t want to leave."

    "If you want me to bring you here in the future, you have to listen to me, okay?"

    "But..." Sheryl felt wronged.

    "I am different from them. Your cute act is useless against me." Avery smiled like a fox.

    How could Sheryl be a match for such a cunning old fox?

    She was a rabbit at most.

    Moreover, she''s a baby rabbit.

    "What''s the point of doing this?" Shane interrupted their conversation and voiced out his doubts.

    "Okay, this is the first question. It''s pretty clear that I like Charlotte so I immediately checked her

    history when I heard she fainted in the hospital. Then, I found out she had contracted pelvic

    inmmatory disease during her period. Which was why I collected some evidence to see what

    happened."

    "How did you find out?"

    "The Hart Family has been gathering information for generations. We''ve been spies since the early

    ages," Avery said with a smile.

    Thest question.

    "Where is she?"

    Avery stood up and walked towards Shane as he carried Sheryl in his arms. "She''s at the River City

    University of Finance and Economics. She''ll be in Professor Haynes ss for the next hour."

    Shane picked up his suit and car key and left.

    Sheryl pouted and said, "Aunt Avery, it was so hard for me to meet daddy."

    "Little girl, you can drop the act before me. Didn''t you call me just to create a chance for your daddy

    and mommy to meet each other?"

    "I am only a child. How can I be so scheming? How can a child have bad intentions? " Sheryl

    looked innocent.

    "Where did Sheryl get my phone number?"

    Sheryl was stunned for a moment, then she punched him on the shoulder and grumbled, "You are

    so annoying!"

    Avery smiled and touched her head. "Okay, I''ll take you home. I''ll tell you something about your

    daddy on the way, okay?"

    "Sure!"

    "Don''t you like Uncle Rick? Your mommy will soon get married to him."

    "That day, I heard Aunt Jane say daddy and mommy haven''t said goodbye to each other. They have

    to say goodbye before mommy marries Uncle Rick."

    Avery sighed.

    He was really convinced.

    Shane and Charlotte''s daughter was a monster.

    However, one of them was a god while the other was a genius with super learning abilities. It was

    not surprising for them to give birth to a monster.

    Unconsciously.

    Avery became the person who harbored the most secrets.

    He sent Sheryl back home and went back to his vi.

    As he stared at the wall, he didn''t look as charming as before but there was a grim look on his

    handsome face.

    There were many photos on the wall.

    Shane and Charlotte were the main characters in them.

    Christopher, Braden and Anne were the supporting characters.

    The words his father said before he died echoed in his mind...

    "That person lives in River City. I don''t know if he is a man or a woman. I only know that there is a

    company called N, NC. They killed your lover and caused over 40% of myocardial necrosis in your

    sister. You have to find this person to avenge your lover and sister."

    It was necessary to work with the River City Company.

    However, he didn''t expect that Charlotte and Shane had lived together for a while.

    Perhaps this was a chance created by the heavens.

    Avery stretched out his hand and traced Charlotte''s photo. "I only hope that this matter has nothing

    to do with you."

    If it was Charlotte...

    Avery smiled bitterly.

    Then the heavens would''ve been too ''good'' to him.

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197

    Charlotte had ss up to nine. She finally finished taking down her notes. She was about to leave

    when she was dragged to the library by her ssmates.

    The River City University.

    It was also known as the River City University of Finance and Economics.

    It was a top-notch Academy, ranked third in the whole country.

    Among them, the University of River City and Brine University had a long history so their reputation

    was better.

    Hence studying was the most important in the top university in the country. Some people may get

    involved in rtionships but even so it would be based on mutual encouragement.

    Even though Charlotte was reluctant, she had no choice but to follow.

    By the time shepleted her test paper, it was already ten o''clock.

    She went back to the dorm.

    As she was about to open the door, she caught the scent of a familiar cologne. She instinctively

    wanted to walk away but she ended up opening the door as if nothing happened.

    As soon as she opened the door, someone grabbed her wrist.

    "Why are you still looking for me?" Charlotte pushed his hand away.

    "Thank you for your help at the wedding."

    He opened with a rtively interesting line.

    ording to Charlotte''s nature, she would definitely probe further on what happened next.

    Unexpectedly, she just nodded. "Okay. If there is nothing else. You can go."

    Shane fiddled with his fingers. "Why did you risk your life to save me..."

    "I just didn''t want to see you die. Sheryl would be devastated if that happened."

    "Only she will be devastated?"

    Charlotte walked around as if nothing had happened. "I don''t know. How would I know what other

    people would feel?"

    Shane simply followed her into the house.

    Her room was very clean and tidy. The rose on the table emitted a pleasant scent. Charlotte drew

    the curtains, turned on the air conditioner and took off her coat and scarf.

    She turned around and looked at him. "Mr. Fuller, is there anything else you need?" "Mr. Fuller?"

    "How did you contract pelvic inmmatory disease?"

    Charlotte was stunned. She did not expect him to know about this matter. However, since he had

    already known about it, there was no need for her to keep it a secret.

    She flipped her hair and smiled bitterly. "Thanks to you. Those two days were the hardest days of

    my menstrual period. You know that, don''t you?"

    He hadpletely forgotten about it.

    "Generally, it would be fine if I took the necessary precautions. But, I was out of luck so I contracted

    pelvic inmmatory disease which almost took my life."

    "I can make it up to you," Shane said as he took out a nk check.

    In the past.

    She would have felt sad and her heart would be filled with bitterness.

    But this time, she didn''t.

    She smiled and shook her head. "No, I''m not short of money. Mr. Fuller, you''re barely getting by

    yourself so you don''t have to worry about it. Don''t worry, everyone has their desires. I can

    understand."

    Her words were light and soft.

    Desire...

    Shane''s fingers trembled. He steadied himself and put the check on the table.

    Both of them were quiet for a moment.

    A momentter, Charlotte''s phone rang. It was Rick. She quickly pressed down on the hands-free

    call button.

    "Is your ss over?" A gentle voice spoke over the phone.

    "I''ve already returned to my dorm. Did you tell Sheryl I would be home by Saturday?"

    "Yes, she said she missed you very much. By the way, she went to see Shane today. Avery took her

    there."

    "Is that so?" Charlotte raised her head and nced at Shane.

    "If Shane meets youter..."

    "I will tell him that we are about to get married. I hope he can stay away from me. I don''t want any

    idents to happen again."

    Rick chuckled and said even more tenderly, "Okay, see you on Saturday."

    "See you."

    She ended the call.

    Charlotte put down her phone and said, "You heard that. I don''t care what you Avery told you or

    what you promised Sheryl. All I know is I''m getting married to Rick. So please, leave me alone."

    "That day, you persuaded Rex for me, not for Christopher?"

    "Just take it as if I did that for Christopher. Wouldn''t it be better for you if I put it this way?"

    Better?

    Shane''s heart seemed to have been stabbed by someone. For a moment, he could not even

    breathe.

    Charlotte stood up and stood before the window so her back was facing him. She continued, "That

    day I tried my best to help you resolve the issue with Rex. But I never imagined that I would almost

    lose my uterus in return. Even though I already have a child, I still hope to have another baby with

    Rick."

    Have another child with Rick...

    "You are already thinking of having a baby with him?" Shane held her shoulders and asked coldly.

    "That has nothing to do with you."

    "Charlotte, you''re mine!"

    "Yours? Mr. Fuller, even if I''m yours, you''ve never felt sorry for me after our divorce. "She turned to

    face him. "Ever since I''m no longer useful to you, did you care and spend your time on me as you

    did before?"

    "Didn''t I?" He retorted in disbelief.

    He even gave her his shares.

    Isn''t that enough?

    Charlotteughed scornfully, "Perhaps you have all the wealth in the world. Your intelligence is

    unparalleled to others but you still don''t understand women. Mr. Fuller, please treat Tiffany well. At

    least she has liked you for so many years. I can''tpare to that."

    "If you care about Tiffany, I can..."

    "Mr. Fuller, let''s go our separate ways. It''s embarrassing for both of us to continue this way."

    In the past.

    At least he loved her before.

    Shane didn''t let go of her and neither did Charlotte move.

    After a long time.

    He suddenly let go of her and said, "I''m sorry.'' After saying these two simple words, he left.

    Charlotte''s eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Her knees turned weak and she fell down onto the

    cold ground. Her legs were freezing but she had no strength to do anything else but cry.

    After god- knows- how- long, she finally propped herself up and staggered to the edge of the bed

    before lying down.

    After today.

    She would definitely be more in control of her emotions. The next time she faced him, she would be

    stronger so she would no longer be defeated by her emotions.

    Definitely.

    He wanted to say so much more.

    But he didn''t.

    He didn''t know how to say what he wanted.

    Shane sat in the car, lit a cigarette. He let it burn without smoking it.

    The car was filled with smoke. The smell of nicotine became more and more pungent.

    The cigarette continued to burn up to his fingertips but he still didn''t let go.

    The spark left a shallow mark on his fingertip.

    By the time he realised it and let go, the cigarette butt had already been extinguished.

    He took out his mobile phone.

    "Drinking?" Braden pinched his nose and asked curiously. "What''s going on with our president?

    Drinking in the middle of the night? Aren''t you working?"

    "I lost her."

    Braden was stunned. He straightened his body and asked, "You went to find Charlotte?"

    "Yes."

    "You should hold back your possessiveness. Wasn''t it good when you were with her before? Why

    can''t you control yourself after you are divorced?"

    Shane simply told Braden the reason for the divorce.

    In the beginning, it was only a test for her. Then, Charlotte agreed without a second thought. He left

    her in a fit of anger.

    Later, there were people on the market who began to buy NC''s shares and tried to acquire the

    company.

    Shane transferred the shares to Charlotte.

    Although they were divorced, he did not think that Charlotte''s rtionship with him would end.

    Then, there was the departure and return of Christopher. In the end, Charlotte and Rick returned to

    River City together.

    Everything had changed.

    "I understand, you thought your toy has been taken away from you. " A thought suddenly crossed

    his mind and eximed, "You have a wild card. Sheryl is your daughter. Uhm... Wait, what did I

    say?"

    Shane lit up a cigarette again but he still didn''t smoke. He looked at the fire and said, "I know."

    Braden was silent for a long time before he cried out, "You knew? You knew and you still..."

    "I was waiting for her to tell me."

    Braden didn''t know what to say.

    He was toxic.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    He took a deep breath and said, "Then now she is going to marry Rick. What are you going to do?

    You just said that you lost her. Are you really letting her go?"

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198

    Shane didn''t answer. Braden gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it. Just think of it as me returning

    you a favour. Where are we meeting up? I''ll invite some drinking buddies."

    "Okay."

    The crowd was dancing wildly in the bar.

    Some women barely wore any clothes. Braden used to like this kind of ce but ever since he was

    with Anne... he had lost interest in these women...

    Although they were only engaged he had already thought of Anne as the woman he wanted to

    spend the rest of his life with.

    Braden found a quiet room and called over some people to drink with them. These were all honest

    people who weren''t involved in shady activities.

    The drinking buddies really knew how to liven up the mood. In no time, they had managed to get

    Shane drunk.

    Braden instantly thought of calling Charlotte when he saw Shane drunk. However, on second

    thought, he knew it wouldn''t word as Charlotte might note over.

    As a result.

    He came up with a better idea.

    "What! You actually went to a bar? Didn''t you promise me that you would stop?" Anne asked in a

    rage.

    "I''m sorry but Shane was in a bad mood. He''s already drunk. I have no choice but to ask you to

    drive us home." Braden said softly. "I didn''t even touch another man. Don''t be mad, okay?"

    "Shane is there too? That''s fine. He won''t let you mess around."

    "My dear wife, why do you trust him so much? He''s already drunk. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have asked

    you toe over. Bring Charlotte as well," Braden said in a tearful tone.

    Anne was disgusted by him.

    But it wasn''t even a big deal for Braden to go to a bar. He used to be such a yboy, she would

    have to go all over the world to track down the women he had been with.

    She rolled her eyes. "Alright, I got it. I''ll give Charlotte a call now. Get the designated driver to send

    back the two cars first."

    "I love you."

    "Don''t be disgusting."

    The call ended.

    Braden looked at the photo of himself and Anne on the phone and giggled to himself. He had

    thought he might never find true love but he got lucky...

    Soon, Charlotte and Anne arrived together.

    Braden was still sober. Although there were two girls sitting next to him, he maintained a distance

    between them.

    Shane had already passed out. He lowered his head with a ss in his hand like a statue. There

    was no one around him.

    The others had formed groups and were having fun on their own.

    "You guys have fun. I''ve already paid the bill. It''s until five o''clock," Braden said to them.

    "Okay, thank you." One of the younger men stood up and smiled sweetly. "Ladies, you can always

    call me if you''re organizing a party. We are all hard working people."

    Anne immediately exchanged phone numbers with him.

    The younger man smiled and gave her a wink. "Miss, if you ever wanted to know why Braden is at,

    you can also give me a call. It''s quite cheap, around a hundred dors for the information." "You

    brat!" Braden smiled and chided in.

    The way he promoted himself wasn''t repelling at all. He managed to please Braden and Anne at the

    same time. He also avoided a quarrel between the couple at the same time.

    What a joke.

    They may be fun people now but they were going to be informants in the future. If Anne was angry,

    she would''ve been fuming.

    Anne was well protected by Rick but she wasn''t stupid. She knew what the young man wanted so

    she handed him 200 dors. "Treat yourself to something nice. Thank you for taking good care of

    Braden."

    "Hahaha. Thank you."

    They left the bar.

    Braden held onto Anne''s arm tightly. "Dear, you are too generous and gentle. I love you so..."

    "Stop ttering me. Tell me, what''s going on?"

    "Well, he''s in a bad mood, isn''t he?" Braden replied with embarassment.

    "Tell me about these things beforehand next time. What if... Hey, isn''t that my brother''s car? Does

    my brothere to such a ce?"

    Rick?

    Charlotte instinctively turned her head.

    Rick was surrounded by men, one of them had his arms around a pretty girl. They looked very

    intimate. As for Rick, he was wearing a suit with a sullen face. He looked very inapproachable.

    Anne licked her lips. "I didn''t expect my brother to be so imposing in front of outsiders. He''s quite

    simr to Shane."

    Braden nodded in agreement. "I''ve always thought your brother pretended to be meek but he was

    actually a wolf."

    At this time, Charlotte was still holding onto Shane. She felt it wasn''t appropriate for her to meet

    Rick this way so she suggested, "We don''t have to go over and greet him. It''s weird enough that I

    came here to pick Shane up."

    "You are here to help me pick Braden up. What does it have to do with Shane?"

    Even though that was the case.

    Rick happened to turn around when everyone had dispersed and happened to catch a glimpse of

    the people staring at him.

    As he turned, his gaze fell on Charlotte.

    She supported Shane while she leaned against Anne. Braden was on the other side of Shane.

    They looked like two pairs of couples leaving the nightclub after a wild night.

    "Brother!" Anne waved to Rick.

    Rick''s fingertips tightened. He put the keys back into his pocket and walked up to the crowd. "You

    guys having fun here?"

    "No. We came because Braden said Mr. Fuller was in a bad mood. They got drunk together so they

    asked me to pick them up. But it waste and Lottie''s school happened to be on the way so I asked

    her toe with me."

    They didn''t have fun together?

    Rick nodded and said, "I''ll send Mr. Fuller home. You can take Braden and Lottie home."

    "Alright."

    Rick walked to Charlotte''s side and took Shane from her. He lowered his eyes and looked at her

    with a slight curl on his lips. "Have a good rest."

    Charlotte nodded.

    Rick helped Shane to leave.

    "Well, Charlotte, are you going home or back to school?"

    "Let''s go home. I don''t think I''ll be able to enter the university at this hour," Charlotte answered.

    "It''s a pity that Sheryl''s asleep. Otherwise, she would be so happy to see you."

    "There''s still tomorrow morning."

    "You''re right," Anne said as she wrapped her arms around Charlotte. "Let''s go have some chicken

    tomorrow. I''ll treat you to a panini."

    Panini?

    She had no idea what that was.

    Charlotte looked very confused.

    Rick helped Shane to the back seat and he took a bottle of mineral water from the trunk.

    Shane, who looked passed out earlier, had returned to his usual state when he took the water.

    "Mr. Fuller always had a high alcohol tolerance." Rick sat down in the driver seat.

    "It''s fine."

    "I heard Avery say you''ve already found out how much Charlotte had suffered for you. You were

    right beside her when I made that call, weren''t you?"

    "Why do you think so?"

    Rick replied with a smile, "I could tell when she breathed, her breathing weakened a few times

    which means she was looking up. So, who was she looking at? Why did you suddenly get drunk?"

    "You''ve put a lot of thought into this."

    "Business is just a game to me. I''m different from you. I don''t hate my family."

    Shane took a sip of water and closed his eyes. "Hypocrite."

    Rick started the car. "Too bad you won''t be able to achieve such hypocrisy in your entire lifetime.

    You can only hope your child won''t take the same path you did."

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "If you don''t want to stay in River City, you can speak out."

    "Shane, I thought we could get along with each other peacefully. But I didn''t expect my presence to

    trigger some jealousy in you. Since that''s the case, let''s settle this like men."

    Shane was already breathing steadily, as if he was asleep.

    As the traffic light turned green, Rick stepped on the gas pedal and dashed off down the road.

    ''Let''s see who would be thest man standing,'' Shane thought.

    Neon lights shone on his face.

    He opened his eyes.

    It waste, the clouds were dark and the road was cold.

    There were only streetmps along the cold street.

    He slowly opened his mouth...

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199

    "You won''t win."

    "No one knows that."

    Rick sent Shane back home but he had no intention to leave.

    Shane didn''t invite him in but Rick entered the house on his own.

    There were traces of Charlotte''s life here everywhere. Some items she bought were even expired

    but Shane did not throw them away.

    Rick saw that there was a candle on the table and there were many boxes of the same candles in

    the living room.

    It was the same in the bathroom. There were still some unfinished shampoos but he had already

    prepared new ones.

    Air fresheners, perfumes, towels...

    They were exactly the same.

    "Did you do this yourself?" Rick didn''t find it romantic, he even thought Shane was out of his mind.

    He was obsessed with Charlotte yet he still wanted to hurt her. What kind of a lunatic does that?

    Shane walked into the study alone without paying any attention to Rick. Rick looked around outside

    and followed him into the study.

    Shane made a cup of tea and sat before theputer as he looked at information on the Airline

    Union.

    Rick sat down and stared at him quietly.

    After a while.

    Rick''s phone rang.

    He picked it up.

    "We''re already home," Charlotte said as she looked helplessly at Anne winking at her. "Um, when

    are youing home? Anne wanted to know."

    Rick didn''t put the call on hands- free but Shane could hear because they were very close, Shane

    could hear Charlotte''s voice.

    "I just sent Shane home. He is so drunk that he needs someone to take care of him."

    "Is it inconvenient for you? If not you can call the housekeeper."

    "There''s no need. I don''t think Mr. Fuller would want anyone else to touch him."

    "You''re right. He is quite particr. You shoulde home earlier. Don''t bete. We''ll go to bed

    first."

    "All right."

    After he ended the call, he stood up.

    Shane put down the document and looked at his back. "Did you follow me just to let me hear this

    phone call?"

    "Mr. Fuller, I hope you understand, she has someone who cares for her and loves her. She also has

    her own family and career. So don''t do anything immoral."

    Immoral?

    Shane''s eyes turned cold and his face darkened.

    The two of them lunged at each other.

    They didn''t know who was the first to attack.

    Finally, Rick leaned against the wall panting hard. There was a trace of blood on his forehead.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane stood with his hands in his pockets as if he was a high and mighty lord.

    Rick''s clothes were a little ragged. He tidied up himself and wiped the blood away from his

    forehead. "I didn''t expect you to like solving problems the violent way."

    "I''m looking forward to the fight with you."

    Rick walked away with a hand on his stomach. His body felt ufortable as he was kicked by

    Shane just now.

    After Shane saw him off, he turned around and swept everything on the table onto the floor.

    He released all his rage through his actions.

    Everything turned into trash under his anger.

    Rick...

    If they go against each other and he won, he would obtain a huge price. But if he lost, there would

    be a heavy price to pay. However, ording to the situation of the NCpany and Jane

    Corporation, it''s hard to say who would win or lose.

    They were both stuck in a hard spot as both of them didn''t want Charlotte to lose her status and

    right to speak.

    If...

    Rick didn''t respond to his attack.

    What would Charlotte think?

    What would the public think?

    Shane was holding back his anger. He can''t say anything nor vent his anger.

    He still owed Charlotte a mountain full of debt. It burdened him until he couldn''t breathe and at the

    same time tormented his heart.

    After Charlotte got out of bed, she yed with Sheryl for some time. The kid was overjoyed when

    she saw her mommy, she kept whispering into Charlotte''s ear.

    By the time Charlotte left, Rick was still not home.

    Initially, she wanted to ask him what happened with Shane but she remembered it was a sensitive

    topic for Rick so she decided not to ask.

    After she returned to school, Charlotte put all her energy into her studies.

    There was still a few days before her exam.

    As a matter of fact.

    Maybe she was smarter than others so she was able to ace the exam easily.

    After the exam, it was already half a monthter.

    Now, she had the certificate and the knowledge. Avery personally picked Charlotte up from the

    university and sent her to the Airline Union''s main building.

    The chairman of the Airline Union was someone from Brine.

    The Brine''s development was much faster than River City. There were many top- tier techniques

    that still depended on Brine.

    The vice president was from River City and was a genius scientist in technology. The country also

    gave him a lot of support. He was a very remarkable man.

    At first, Charlotte was not interested in these affairs at all.

    "The Vice President is Ashley Lincoln. Among the subordinates under his management, there is a

    person named ine Emerson. She is the Vice Secretary of the Airline Union. Above her is the vice

    Secretary, Christopher Gibson."

    "Aren''t you in charge of this project?" Charlotte felt dizzy.

    If Avery was the director, why did they join too?

    Avery flipped his hair and said, "I told you before, Shane was also a part of the project. He was the

    chairman. Strictly speaking, I work under him."

    "What about me?"

    "You are only a member now because Rick did not join this project, so..."

    Charlotte nodded.

    Just like in school or apany, if she wanted to seed in the Airline Union, she would have to

    work very hard.

    Afterpleting the procedure, Charlotte received a certificate and a membership card.

    With these two things, she could officially join the Airline Union and participate in all the activities.

    Avery sent Charlotte back to Rick''s Manor.

    After Charlotte got off the car, Avery wound down the window and exined, "You have three days

    to prepare. After that we''ll have our first meeting at the Swan Holiday Resort. There we''ll discuss

    the route from River City to Brine."

    Charlotte nodded, "Alright, I''ll prepare all the materials."

    "Everyone will be there."

    "I know."

    "You have always been asking me why I came to River City. If you are sessfully promoted to the

    internal department, I''ll tell you everything. How''s that?" He smiled and touched the corner of his

    lips in a seductive manner.

    Charlotte was silent at first. Then, she slowly nodded her head and agreed, "Alright."

    Avery rolled up the window.

    Charlotte turned around and walked into thepany.

    When she returned to the office, she had a strange feeling... as if she had been away for a long

    time.

    But soon, after a few adjustments, she began to search for the information about the Airline Union

    route.

    Although she got the certificate, she was an instant learner and only had theoretical knowledge. If

    she wanted to perfect herself, she had to put in more effort.

    However, River City and Brine had two trading routes before. The first was during the modern war,

    the second was during the ancient plundering era so it was quite convenient for her to gather

    information.

    She was busy working up untilte night.

    Charlotte yawned as she was about to get off work. It was already nine o''clock at night.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Rick stood at her door and asked, "Aren''t you off work yet?"

    "I''m nning to stay overnight at thepany today," Charlotte answered helplessly as she waved

    the documents in her hands. "I still have a lot to do."

    "Let me see." Rick walked to her side.

    Airline Union Trading Route.

    He knew about this.

    Avery had been trying to involve him but he rejected as he thought it was pointless.

    The route included sea andnd but the Jane Corporation''s air route was operated with other

    countries so they couldn''t share it.

    Besides, he was the only person who knew all the connections.

    If then...

    "It''s a good thing you''re there. You can see how otherpanies operate from the packaging to the

    delivering of the goods." Rick took a chair and sat down.

    "Packaging is also a part of the technology?" Charlotte asked in confusion.

    "Do you know how to transport the Brine''s ice cubes to River City perfectly?"

    Charlotte was quiet for a moment before she replied tentatively, "It''s deep- freeze technique."

    "Very smart. The deep- freeze technique is part of the packaging. The packaging and transportation

    are two separate departments. So the technology, microchips and materials used will be different."

    Turns out it was quite aplicated matter.

    Charlotte smiled bitterly, "But what does this have to do with International Business and

    economics?"

    She felt that she got the certificate in vain.

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200

    "You don''t need to understand the deep-freeze technique. However, you should at least know what

    economy could create an efficient and high quality route," Rick answered.

    A light suddenly shed through Charlotte''s eyes.

    Rick reached out her hand with a smile and rubbed her head, just like how he treated Anne when

    she was a child.

    She was embarrassed and she lowered her head. "I''ll continue to learn."

    "You don''t have to learn now. You have to apply what you learn."

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Let me ask you, what is international economics?"

    From an academic perspective, international economics is a study of the economic rtionship and

    interdependency between different developing countries.

    That includes the global market, international trade, finance, investment and so on.

    However, if it was by her own understanding...

    Charlotte muttered, "Itprises the capital and capital consumption as well as the desire to buy."

    "What is a capital?"

    "The money and property used to invest and gain profits. In short, it''s just money."

    "What is capital consumption?"

    "Uh... That is, if I bought something from you, my money would be consumed." Charlotte gradually

    lost the ability to describe it in technical terms.

    Rick curled his lips and leaned towards her. "Miss Charlotte, please exin to me what it means by

    the desire to buy?"

    Charlotte was confused.

    After some time, she tentatively said, "I want to buy something."

    "Have you realised anything?"

    "What, what..." She was stunned.

    "The more iprehensible things are, the better it is for you to simplify it. You learn just so you

    are able to understand the terms they say. There''s nothing to be afraid of."

    All of a sudden, she understood what Rick meant.

    It was like when a person said the word "intion." People would easily understand it because

    everyone knew what it meant.

    However, no one would know the meaning of the word "sunk cost." So people would feel intimidated

    by the word.

    Learning was just to keep herself at a certain standard. She has to keep her calm even when she

    reaches a certain level of sess.

    Only then can she solve any difficulties she faced.

    "Rick, I understand now." Charlotte clenched her fist, picked up the documents and said, "I won''t

    embarrass you. I''ll study hard!"

    "You don''t have to worry about embarrassing me. Even if everything goes wrong, I''ll be by your

    side."

    "Rick..." She was so touched she choked on her words.

    Rick slowly bent down. Charlotte was in a daze but she still closed her eyes.

    Her heart was racing.

    This was her fiance.

    There was a warm touch on her forehead.

    She heard him chuckle. "Come, let me take a look at the documents you have."

    Charlotte opened her eyes and looked deep into his eyes. She felt touched by his gesture. She took

    in a deep breath and handed the documents to him. "The main direction and focus of this meeting

    are..."

    Charlotte gave a good exnation.

    Rick listened while taking notes, nodding with satisfaction from time to time.

    The sun rose and set again.

    By the time they had prepared all the materials, it was already morning.

    "Go have your breakfast. I''ll get you a room to rest." Rick picked up the documents and put them in

    his bag.

    "What about you?"

    "I still have another meeting. I''ll find you after I finish, okay?"

    "All right."

    Charlotte went to her room and took a shower as soon as she reached the hotel.

    In her daze, she felt her forehead heat up again.

    Why did he like to kiss her forehead?

    Charlotte couldn''t figure it out.

    Shane never did, no he would never do that...

    As she thought about it, Charlotte shook her head hard. No, she could no longer think of any other

    men.

    She should only think of Rick.

    In the blink of an eye.

    It was the day of the meeting.

    Charlotte followed Avery into the room.

    There were already two people sitting at the meeting table.

    One of them was Shane, whom Charlotte was very familiar with. He was wearing a ck suit, tie

    and a pair of frameless sses. It made him look even more elegant.

    The other one was dressed casually. He wasn''t even as good- looking as Shane. He looked very

    ordinary but he had a very good temperament.

    She could see he was very tall even when he was sitting.

    He must be about 1.85 meters tall."

    "This is Ashley Lincoln. He doesn''t have a good rtionship with Shane," Avery exined.

    "What about you?"

    "It seems that he doesn''t think highly of me. Although I can make him go bankrupt in an instant.

    He''s actually a second generation high official." Avery covered his mouth and smiled, "I prefer a

    gentleman, like Rick."

    "Do you really like men?"

    Avery patted her on the shoulder and quipped, "You''re so annoying. This is something private.

    Why? Do you want to set me up with some men?"

    Charlotte didn''t know what to say.

    Forget it.

    As soon as she asked such questions, Avery would start acting like that.

    Charlotte almost suspected that he had been hurt by someone before. Moreover, it was a man.

    After she took a seat.

    Charlotte felt a little uneasy, mainly because Shane was sitting opposite her.

    The moment she lifted her head, she could see him. So she tried to keep her head down.

    The president also came. He looked even more ordinary than Ashley. Avery exined that he was a

    nouveau riche. He had no ability but he got lucky when he won the lottery. He only graduated from

    junior high so he needed some help. Which was why he established the Airline Union.

    "It''s really unfair for some people," Charlotteined.

    "It''s only fair this way."

    Huh?

    Avery''s words echoed in her mind the whole time.

    Suddenly, she felt there was some sense in his words. Some people worked hard their whole lives

    so they could gain some wealth and live a mediocre life.

    While others didn''t even graduate from high school. They were in-looking so they had better luck.

    But they too lived a mediocre life.

    Ashley was the first to speak in the meeting.

    He immediately made a change in the air transport schedule saying it should be moved from six

    o''clock in the morning to four o''clock in the morning.

    Shane directly voted against that without even stating a reason. So Avery had no choice but to

    exin the reason why, which made Ashley mad.

    The two of them seemed to be discussing things but in fact, they were both arguing openly.

    After the meeting, Charlotte didn''t learn anything useful. On the contrary, she just learned a few

    more scheming tricks.

    She jotted down so many notes on her notebook, she almost couldn''t understand.

    "This one seems to be a new face." As they were about to leave, one of the managers approached

    Charlotte.

    She didn''t have a deep impression of him so she just nodded her head.

    "In this day and age, anyone can get anywhere based on their looks. May I know where this young

    lady graduated from?" The managerpletely ignored Avery as he smiled at Charlotte.

    Shane picked up the notebook and nced coldly towards Charlotte''s direction. "Mr. Kent, I heard

    you were diagnosed with liver cirrhosis a few days ago?"

    His face darkened at Shane''s words. "What do you mean, Mr. Fuller?"

    "The person standing next to thisdy is Avery Hart."

    "Hmph, he''s just a pervert that the Hart family disowned." Mr. Kent said arrogantly, "It means

    nothing!"

    Avery smiled elegantly and pulled Charlotte behind him. "It''s fine if you don''t like me. But you''re not

    really a gentleman to talk down on innocent people."

    "Anyone rted to you wouldn''t be any better," Kent spat as his gaze lingered on Charlotte. "Didn''t

    she just sell herself to enter thepany? Why? Am I wrong? Don''t tell me she graduated from

    Stanford? Hahaha..."

    Mr. Kent left with a smile.

    Charlotte remained calm on the surface but in reality she felt a little hurt.

    She tried so hard but she still couldn''t ovee the prejudice of others.

    Avery patted her on the shoulder and encouraged her. "Don''t take other people''s opinion too

    seriously. He said that because he didn''t know you."

    "I''m fine."

    Charlotte walked out alone.

    Avery was about to follow her but he noticed Shane had quickly left too.

    He touched the corner of his mouth and sighed helplessly.

    Forget it. After all, she was not his woman. There was no need for him tofort her.

    He had already called Rick. It was another day of him helping others selflessly.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201

    Charlotte left the hotel and sat down at a nearby coffee shop. She looked through her notes again

    and again as she made some corrections.

    Suddenly, a man appeared before her. She thought it was Avery so she didn''t even raise her head

    and said, "I still have to look through some documents. You can go back first, I''ll have my friend pick

    me up."

    "Is Rick picking you up?"

    This voice didn''t sound like Avery''s.

    Charlotte raised her head and was shocked for a moment. "Shane?"

    "Let me treat you to dinner tonight. Consider it as a thank you for that day at the bar. Okay?" Shane

    leaned back against his chair and looked at her.

    "We..." Charlotte muttered.

    "Although you no longer have feelings for me, I still feel indebted towards you. I will leave you alone

    after I pay you back."

    Charlotte pursed her lips and exined in a low voice, "I didn''t do it for you. I just felt it was

    dangerous for Anne, a girl, to go alone that night."

    "However, you''ve also indirectly helped me by that."

    That seemed to be true.

    Charlotte immediately froze. She fiddled with her fingers hesitantly as she stared at the table

    nkly.

    "If that''s the case, then I wouldn''t want to waste your time. You can just tell me what you want to say

    at dinner now."

    "Dinner is not a waste of time."

    "You clearly want to help me obtain a seat in the Airline Union. Why do you need to use dinner as

    an excuse?" Charlotte asked him with confusion.

    Shane''s thin lips curled and he leaned forward. "Alright. Miss Charlotte, may I have dinner with

    you?"

    Charlotte didn''t know what to say.

    Did he mean his main purpose was to have dinner with her?

    "I''m on a diet. I don''t eat dinner." This reason seemed impable to Charlotte.

    "I''ll eat."

    Shane''s words made Charlotte speechless.

    In the end, she helplessly went to a restaurant with him.

    It was very quiet. Not another person was in sight.

    Charlotte was a little scared, "Shane, why is there no one here? It feels so empty."

    "It''s mine."

    "Uh..." She was at a loss for words.

    The dishes were served very quickly. They also tasted very delicious. Shane did have very fine

    taste, but his character...

    Charlotte thought for a moment. Finally, she secretly texted Rick her address and an exnation on

    what happened. She thought if something were to happen, she would have a way out.

    But she didn''t know Shane was watching her every move.

    "You sent a message to Rick."

    It was not a question.

    Charlotte nodded her head subconsciously before suddenly raising her head. "Huh? What?"

    "Aren''t you afraid that I would already have done what I wanted before hees?" Shane''s lips

    curled slightly.

    "You, stop messing around," She said cautiously.

    Shane put down his fork and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "Mr. Kent of the Airline

    Union is a close friend of the president. If you want to deal with him, you''d have to get rid of the

    president altogether."

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Charlotte frowned.

    The topic changed a little too quickly. She needed some time to think about it.

    "I''ll need to obtain all the start-up capital and be the president at the same time."

    "You want to make him a mere puppet? And you want to get his money?" Charlotte was shocked.

    "That''s right."

    "First of all, you have to make hispany inseparable from the Airline Union. Secondly, you''d

    have to get rid of Christopher as the secretary. If you can''t achieve the first point, you wouldn''t even

    be able to control his funds. If Christopher is around, you can''t get all the official seals even if you

    have all the money and power."

    Shane was quite surprised and he nodded in approval.

    She had changed a lot since theyst met.

    She was indeed very perceptive. All he did was put forward his request and she had already

    nned out her goals.

    Shane leaned back and his gaze fell on her slender fingers, which were sped together due to her

    nervousness.

    He asked, "If it was you, what''s your n?"

    Charlotte was quiet for a moment before shaking her head with a bitter smile. "If it were me, I

    would''ve just quit."

    "So, you''re working with me just to maintain your position and I''m working with you because I have

    no choice," Shane continued.

    Shane stood up. "Think about this."

    He was gone.

    He didn''t do anything else.

    The awkward scene she imagined didn''t happen.

    Charlotte sat in the restaurant for a while before Rick arrived. When she turned around to look at

    him, he was panting hard with sweat rolling down his forehead.

    She choked up and rushed over to hug him tightly. Then, buried herself in his arms.

    Rick''s body stiffened up. He wrapped his arms around her when he noticed the bitterness in her

    eyes. "What happened. Did he bully you?"

    She shook her head. "No, but I missed you very much."

    "I missed you too."

    The two of them hugged each other quietly. Then, they left together.

    When Charlotte got on the car, she noticed that there was a car at the corner of the street. She

    didn''t pay attention to it at first, but as Rick drove away, the car also moved in the opposite direction.

    She caught a glimpse of the license te.

    It was Shane.

    He had just left.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but take another look. Her phone vibrated and she took it out from her purse.

    "Are you marrying Rick or going against the world with me? I''m waiting for your answer."

    Shane...

    She was filled with panic.

    Rick took her hand and said, "I got a call on my way here. The Italian designer had sent over the

    wedding dress. Is the date of the engagement part as usual?"

    She immediately came to her senses and smiled as she said, "I''m fine with anything."

    "Lottie, I don''t want to hear you say anything. Tell me when you want it."

    "I''m really okay with anything. Earlier orter is fine. You can arrange everything as you like," she

    answered with a smile.

    "Do you think marriage is my own business?" Rick''s voice turned cold.

    How could he think that?

    Charlotte quickly denied, "No, I just thought you could decide on such big matters. I would work with

    you on the small matters, isn''t that okay?"

    "Would you still say this If the groom was Shane?"

    The car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road making an ear-piercing sound.

    Charlotte was startled. She quickly held onto the armrest in shock. "Rick, what''s wrong? I don''t

    understand what you mean."

    "Shane''s car didn''t leave until we left. You saw it. After that, your phone vibrated. It was a message

    from Shane, right?"

    Rick was very smart.

    Charlotte lowered her head in silence.

    "I was actually quite happy today. You told me before you met him and called me to pick you up.

    However, this made you even more hesitant, right? If I did something Shane could do, you''d choose

    him without hesitation, right?"

    His line of question broke Charlotte''s line of defence in an instant.

    She bit her lips and retorted with frustration, "I don''t understand. What more can I do to make you

    trust me? I''ve already tried my best to stay away from him but..."

    Rick sighed andughed bitterly, "Trust... Alright, Charlotte, if you think that I don''t trust you, I have

    nothing to say."

    "If it''s not distrust, then what is it?"

    "Do you believe I can guess what he texted you?"

    Charlotte pursed her lips speechlessly. Although she didn''t say anything, she didn''t believe he could

    guess it.

    Rick smiled and said word by word, "He asked you to choose between staying by his side through

    this hard time or stay by my side and watch him suffer like everyone else. Either that or he asked

    you to choose between marrying me or standing against his enemies with him."

    Charlotte was really shocked.

    He had guessed almost everything urately.

    "Are you surprised?" Rick looked at her. He was smiling but he was so lonely that he didn''t look

    happy at all.

    "I..." She opened her mouth but she did not know what to say.

    "I know you and I also know him so I understand every single move you make. You''re afraid of me

    now, aren''t you? But do you know how much more afraid I am of you going back to him?"

    Charlotte''s mind was in a mess as she clutched her phone tightly.

    Rick sighed and said, "Do you want to cancel the wedding and go back to him. Perhaps, he may

    love you even more after you get through this hard time together..."

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202

    Rick''s heart broke into pieces by her silence.

    Suddenly, she moved closer to him.

    Charlotte nted a kiss on the tip of his nose. She stayed still and chuckled, "I thought you were

    worried about something else. If that''s the case, I''ll reject him immediately and quit the Airline

    Union."

    "You..." He was stunned.

    "Rick, I''m willing to give up everything for my hard-earned happiness. You have the courage to

    gamble, but I have the courage to risk it all."

    Probably because of the sweet scent of her body. He reached out to hold her in his arms and was

    about to kiss her.

    Her eyshes fluttered, she trembled slightly and her body stiffened up. Although her eyes were

    closed, her breathing was rugged.

    She was nervous.

    Rick suddenly felt regret for what he had done.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Just how far had he pushed her?

    She would rather hold back her sadness, say what he wanted to hear, and stay by his side.

    Should he be touched?

    No, he should feel disgusted by himself.

    He had used the most despicable way to make her feel his sadness and love at the moment when

    she was weakest. He practically forced her to make a choice twice on the most important decisions

    of her life.

    Rick had a good future, he could have a pick from countless women but he had to force the woman

    he loved to give up on herself.

    "You''d have a better future at the Airline Union. You don''t have to give it up over something so

    trivial." Rick moved away and ruffled her hair gently. "Sit tight, let''s go home."

    "Rick..." She looked at him, her eyes a little red.

    "Well get married as nned. Don''t worry. I just wanted you to give me a definite answer.

    Congrattions, you passed the test."

    "Huh?" Charlotte waspletely dumbfounded.

    Rick smiled and said, "Working with Shane would only bring us benefits. If I can''t even see this

    clearly, my years in this business would''ve been wasted. I''ll go back and look through the

    documents and see how we can profit the most."

    Charlotte was quite doubtful of this. "Are you really not angry? You really don''t care?"

    "Have I ever lied to you?"

    She hesitated and slowly shook her head.

    "That''s right. Sit down please."

    Charlotte sat back in the passenger seat. She fastened her seat belt and looked at the text

    message on her phone. It felt quite tasteless.

    However, neither did she delete nor reply to the message.

    She didn''t know.

    She just wanted to escape this and not make any choice.

    In the blink of an eye.

    It was the day of the engagement party.

    Charlotte had gone to the bridal boutique early in the morning to change into her wedding dress.

    Even though it was just for formality, Rick wanted it to be the most beautiful and dreamy wedding

    ever.

    Sheryl was allergic to pollen, so she couldn''t have any flower girls. Rick had chosen a pair of twins

    to be his page boys. He had also changed into a dashing suit.

    Charlotte stared at her reflection in the mirror. There wasn''t the slightest smile on her face.

    She should be happy.

    At the thought of that, she forced herself to smile.

    Rick stood at the stairs before the church in a magnificent suit.

    In front of him was a limousine.

    A bodyguard in a ck suit got off the car and opened the back door. A man in a limitededition suit

    stepped out. He looked very elegant as he stood before the limousine.

    Rick was wearing a white suit while Shane was in a ck tuxedo.

    One was in white, the other was in ck. The both of them stared at each other across the stairs.

    "Congrattions." Shane had one hand in his pocket as he narrowed his eyes against the light.

    "You came early. The engagement is not till 3 hourster. Obviously, you''re not here to congratte

    me." Rick had his hands behind his back, his palms were sweaty.

    "If you don''t mind, I''m happy to announce my parental rtion at the engagement party."

    Rick squinted his eyes and asked, "Is this your

    real purpose?"

    "It''s not just that."

    "Shane, I''ll give you 50% of the Jane Corporation''s share. Furthermore, I''ll promise to never take

    back the shares under any circumstances."

    Shane was stunned. He maintained a straight face but there was a quiver in his eyes.

    "If you think that''s not enough, I''ll add in another 25% of the Weil''s shares. I know you''re interested

    in Weil. Yesterday, I only had

    20% so I can''t help you. But now I have 25%."

    "If that''s not enough. I''ll add on until you''re satisfied. It doesn''t matter if I lose everything."

    When Shane heard this, he sneered, "You can give me the shares but you''d still be the person in

    control. It would only be a matter of time before you make aeback."

    Rick shook his head. "I can sign any contract to guarantee you my loyalty and everything under me

    will belong to you. As for after my death, everything would be up to you."

    "This kind of contract can''t be notarized."

    "If I made this news public, I wouldn''t be able to regret it. I would be under a lot of pressure from

    public opinions. No one in the business would dare to go against you and join forces with a puppet

    like me."

    Shane knew that he had lost.

    Even if he knew Rick didn''t mean those words, he couldn''t say anything.

    He couldn''t give up everything for Charlotte''s sake.

    Rick thought he was hesitating, so he continued, "If you want to pursue her after the engagement

    party, won''t stop you."

    "Is she worth it?"

    Shane suddenly asked.

    He thought that he had made enough effort for Charlotte...

    But this man before him...

    Shane was terrified of him from the bottom of his heart.

    Yes, it was fear.

    Aside from Charlotte, was there nothing else in this world that''s worthy of his sacrifice?

    "She''s worth it." Rick suddenlyughed. "Do you know? I just feel so alive when she smiles at me.

    I''m willing to give everything just so we could be together. But, I also want to be responsible for my

    efforts. So if I still couldn''t win over her heart after giving my best, I''ll admit defeat."

    "I''ll gamble everything I have for her. It bet she... will be my wife from today onwards."

    "Shane, could you please forget that Sheryl is your daughter and that Charlotte identally saved

    you five years ago?"

    "Put some faith in my love for her. Give me a chance."

    Shane remained silent.

    Cole, who was standing beside him, was already choking with tears. He took off his sses and

    wiped his eyes.

    Rick''s voice was not loud, it was tender and soft.

    He did not have any expression of sorrow. Instead, he smiled as if he was looking at an undefmable

    love rival.

    It was very heart-wrenching.

    "Rick, oral agreement doesn''t have any legal..."

    Before Shane could finish his words, Rick suddenly stretched out his hand from behind his hand

    and threw a thick pile of paper across the stairs.

    "The moment I stood here, I had already prepared myself to kneel down and pick up these

    documents. Please sign them."

    Cole couldn''t bear it any longer. He couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Fuller, should I pick them up for you?"

    They were both men.

    Of course, Cole understood that even if a man had no choice but to bow his head, he wouldn''t give

    up his pride and kneel down.

    What''s more, this was Rick.

    After some time.

    Shane suddenly turned around, opened the door and got in. He ordered with a nk face, "Cole,

    let''s go."

    Cole could only forcefully nod his head. Then he turned around and sat down in the driver''s seat.

    After they left, Rick''s body trembled and he fell to the floor.

    He spent the whole night signing these documents and the whole morning legalising them.

    Even if Shane didn''t agree, he would''ve had no way out.

    He would no longer force Charlotte to make any choices.

    This was thest time.

    He felt sorry for forcing Charlotte to marry him so he used all his money topensate Shane. It

    didn''t matter if she chose Shane in the future. He had no regrets.

    But what if they were happy in the future?

    It didn''t matter at all.

    The wind blew the documents all over the floor.

    Rick''s name was particrly eye-catching.

    If Shane had asked Cole to pick up these documents and read them, he would realise he had

    owned over half of the Jane Corporation in a blink of an eye.

    It was all exchanged for a woman.

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203

    In the limousine, Shane stared out the window with a ss in his hand.

    Rick stood in the wind, he was smiling but he looked like a walking dead...

    He closed his eyes.

    His so-called love for Charlotte was nothingpared to what Rick felt for her.

    "Well." Braden, who had been in the car tentatively asked, "I''ve checked the notary, do you want to

    see it?"

    "I am now the chairman of Jane Corporation.

    I can transfer the Weil shares at anytime."

    "Well, theoretically, that''s true. He even made the announcement this morning. Rick''s really so

    merciless. It''s the Jane Corporation''s shares, not just some smallpany." Braden didn''t know if

    he should feel touched or scared.

    Rick was too shocking.

    Shane lowered his eyes and took a sip of his wine. His sound turned a little hoarse due to the

    bitterness of the wine. "I''m not as good as him."

    "But that may not be of any use. I heard Anne say Charlotte had told her even if she was forced to

    marry Rick, their rtionship may not even be stable. What''s the point if Rick couldn''t even achieve

    anything after all his sacrifices?"

    "He thinks he owes me."

    "I... dude, I don''t understand."

    "He felt guilty for forcing Charlotte into marrying him. He''s desperate to get rid of his guilt. The first

    reason he did all this is to force me to admit my feelings for Charlotte isn''t as deep as his. The

    second reason was to force himself to a dead end. Thirdly, is to make up for the trouble he caused

    me by forcing Charlotte to marry him. Fourthly, he just lost actual control of the shares. It''s useless

    for me to hold so much of the shares if he''s not at the Jane Corporation," Shane exined calmly.

    Braden swallowed hard. "So everything he said just now, was just to plot against you?"

    "That''s right."

    "You''re going with his ns just like that?"

    "I need Weil." Shane put down his wine ss and closed his eyes. "This is the key to enter the

    global trade market. I need Weil if I want to control the offshorepanies."

    Braden understood Shane had been trying to enter the global trade market for many years but he

    didn''t expect when he finally did, it would be at the expense of a woman.

    Just a woman.

    Braden didn''t know whether he should congratte Shane or feel regretful for him.

    After some thought, he decided to congratte him.

    There were tons of women but only one Weil.

    Several hourster, Charlotte arrived at the church in a wedding dress and perfect makeup.

    A herd of doves flew across the blue sky.

    "You look so beautiful today." Anne took Charlotte''s hand longingly.

    "Dummy, I''m marrying your brother, not someone else. Why are you acting as if I''m leaving

    forever?" Charlotte asked helplessly.

    Anne smiled with embarassment.

    Perhaps, it didn''t matter who she was marrying, the bottom line was she would be leaving. Besides,

    it''s always bittersweet to marry off a best friend.

    Anne rubbed her nose. "That''s right, I should stop calling you Lottie. You''re my sister-inw now."

    Charlotte smiled.

    Her heavy makeup and revealing white slender neck made her look elegant and dignified.

    Anne was stunned for a moment. After some time, she finally recovered and gave her a hug. "When

    you get down from this car, you''ll be marrying my brother."

    "It''s just an engagement party..." Charlotte reached out her hands and gently pushed her.

    "You''re such a heartless woman. I can''t believe you''re not sad at all!"

    Charlotte rolled her eyes. "We''ll see each other every day. Besides, I didn''t act this way when you

    were engaged to Braden."

    Anne was shocked by her calmness. She threw the magazine beside her at Charlotte and ran out in

    a huff to call Braden.

    As her best friend left, Charlotte felt bored and helpless. She casually flipped through the magazine

    that Anne had left behind.

    It was an interview with Rick.

    She had only flipped through a few pages when an envelope fell out.

    Charlotte picked up the envelope cautiously. On the cover, the words "To the Jane Siblings" were

    written in bold red ink. The envelope was sealed with a red seal. It seemed to be quite inauspicious.

    After hesitating for a moment, Charlotte opened the envelope.

    ke Reau.

    Charlotte had little memory of this name. She remembered after the Jane Corporation started to

    develop in this area, the first they defeated was the Reau Family.

    Several of the Reau Family''spanies had dropped down to the top 20 from the top 5 on the list.

    It could be said they lost billions for no reason.

    They were considered to be a leading corporation, it''s moreplicated as they have a high

    turnover. They would face problems when they lost their liquid capital.

    At that time, Rick''s n was to destroy them straight away.

    He had suppressed the Reau Family to the point where they couldn''t survive. Then, all he needed

    to do was extend a helping hand to take control of the Reau Family.

    Charlotte pulled herself out of her thoughts. Her face turned dark immediately as she finished

    reading the letter.

    She pushed the door open and ran out in a hurry.

    Outside the church, there was a sea of people.

    Rick wanted to give her a proper title so he invited a lot of people. This made it even more difficult

    for Charlotte to find Anne.

    She kept calling her, but no one answered. She also didn''t see Anne anywhere on the scene.

    In the end, Charlotte stumbled and ran into the church.

    The hem of her wedding dress was stained with dirt.

    Rick, who was chatting with the guests, immediately rushed over when he saw Charlotte running

    over.

    "What''s wrong?" He held her with one hand and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Tell me slowly."

    "I called Anne but it couldn''t get through. Then, I found this letter. Look..." Charlotte was so anxious

    tears were welling up in her eyes. "Do you think we can save her before the ceremony starts?"

    Anne had been kidnapped.

    Rick smiled. Things would always take an unpredictable turn.

    "I''m afraid we would have to choose between Anne and the ceremony."

    "I... Let''s stay here and ask Braden to handle this matter, okay?" Charlotte suggested him carefully.

    In fact.

    She wanted to find Anne.

    Even if she knew she couldn''t help him, she just couldn''t leave her missing friends...

    She was so worried about her.

    Rick nced at the clock on the wall. "I don''t think there would be enough time to wait for Braden."

    She was unable to make a choice. It seemed that giving up the ceremony was the best choice.

    Just as Rick was about to suggest ending the ceremony to search for Anne, Anne suddenly

    appeared.

    "Lottie, you''re so quick. You''ve already found my brother. I thought you ran away from the wedding."

    She quickly ran to Charlotte''s side and hugged her. "I''ve looked for you everywhere."

    "Why didn''t you answer the phone?" Charlotte asked in confusion. Her heart was in a mess. She

    stared at her for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief after making sure she was okay, and

    returned her hug.

    "My phone was dead," Anne exined embarrassedly.

    "I was scared to death. Look at this."

    Anne took the letter and read through it. Then, she threw it to Rick unmindfully. "I''ve seen many

    letters of this sorts since I was young and nobody ever kidnapped me. Don''t worry, it''s alright."

    Charlotte wanted to retort back but stopped on second thought. She remembered Anne used to

    learn martial arts and freebat. The muscles on her body might even be stronger than

    Braden''s...

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    It seemed that there was nothing to worry about.

    Charlotte nodded. "You have to protect yourself."

    "I know. Don''t worry."

    Because Charlotte had suddenly barged into the church, the ceremony had to be held in advance.

    It wasn''t asplicated as a wedding.

    They didn''t exchange wedding rings.

    They stood at the altar and Rick announced the news. Then they both spoke about their story.

    It was almost the end.

    Rick turned around to look at Charlotte. His voice was gentle as he said, "I''m willing to let go of all

    my principles, suppress my innate nature and instinct and apany you till the end of my life."

    Charlotte instantly choked up with sobs.

    She had more or less rehearsed through the previous procedure but she had never heard this

    speech before.

    The entire engagement ceremony was, in fact, extremely unfair to Rick.

    Rick had arranged everything, from the venue, to the guest, to the nning and the details.

    Below the stage, Sheryl watched with her head tilted. This scene was quite touching. For some

    strange reason, she felt sadness in her heart. Even her palms were sweating profusely.

    She still preferred her daddy.

    She lowered her head and felt more and more depressed.

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204

    After the engagement, Rick stayed to see off the guests while Anne took Charlotte home. He was

    afraid if they stayed longer something might happen due to the threat. He would feel much better if

    they were both at home.

    After thest person left, Rick stared at the empty church hall. He didn''t feel as happy as he had

    imagined.

    Everyone had witnessed him fulfil his wish and realised his dreams. He shouldn''t be in such a low

    mood.

    His phone vibrated in his pocket. He quickly collected his thoughts and answered the call.

    "Hello?"

    "It''s done," It was Shane.

    Rick smiled. "Yes, it''s done."

    Shane was standing in a tall building in the capital of another country. He looked out at the

    skyscrapers and said, "I mean I''m done with my business. You can have your shares back." "Do I

    look like someone who makes vain promises?"

    "True gold fears no me."

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    What he meant was someone of integrity would not be afraid of any usation.

    Rick looked at the white rose in his hand. He felt Shane was really very interesting.

    If Shane did not ept his offer and announced the truth about Sheryl at the ceremony, he would

    be deemed a hypocrite. So, he had no choice but to ept his situation.

    However, if Shane took all of his shares because of this, he would no longer be a man of honour.

    So the gentleman thing to do was take the shares andplete his goal, then offer to return Rick

    the shares.

    "I also don''t want to be the bad guy. Just think of it as helping me manage my finances."

    "Are we that close?"

    "In the future, I will be taking care of your daughter for you."

    Shane kept quiet for some time before saying, "Take good care of them."

    Rick was about to answer "I will", but Shane had already ended the call. He ended it so quickly it

    was as if he was afraid of hearing the answer.

    Rick was stunned for a moment, then put his phone back in his pocket. He should go home.

    A home where she''s at.

    Because of ke''s letter, Charlotte had be a little paranoid.

    If Anne wanted to go to the supermarket alone, she had to be followed by bodyguards.

    Anneined relentlessly, "My brother isn''t as nervous as you. You''re too immersed in your role

    as my sister-inw."

    "I''m worried about you." Charlotte reached out her hand and pinched her waist as she continued,

    "As your best friend."

    "Sure, but I just wanted to buy something at the supermarket." Anne picked up a small piece of

    bread and looked at Charlotte nkly.

    Charlotte felt a little awkward. She crossed her arm around Anne''s and smiled lightly. "It''s all for the

    sake of your safety."

    Anne rolled her eyes.

    She was about to lecture Charlotte on how they shouldn''t be paranoid when receiving such letters.

    These people were just threatening with words. Besides Rick would take care of it.

    But Charlotte''s phone suddenly rang.

    Charlotte let go of Anne and took out her mobile phone. She quickly answered it when she saw it

    was Rick. "Rick?"

    "Yes," Rick answered. "Where are you and Anne?"

    "I told the butler Anne was going to the market so I asked some bodyguards toe along with us."

    Rick, who was on the other end, breathed a sigh of relief and said tiredly, "Come back soon."

    "You sound very tired..." Charlotte was worried.

    "Yes, I''ll take a nap first." Rick ended the call directly.

    Rick sounded a little cold. Was he tired because of the wedding ceremony?

    Charlotte didn''t quite understand him.

    Anne, who was next to her, asked weirdly, "Why do you still call me brother Rick?

    Shouldn''t you be calling him hubby?"

    Hubby?

    Charlotte was startled by this word. She blurted, "Nonsense."

    "You''re already married. Isn''t it normal for you to address each other more intimately?"

    Charlotte was stunned.

    They got married.

    Yes, she was already married to him.

    She raised her hand to rub her temples and said, "I''m sorry, I overreacted."

    Anne was not dumb. She could see that there was something wrong with Charlotte. She also heard

    Rick''s intentional coldness in his tone.

    Today should be a happy day... but the both of them didn''t seem too happy.

    Anne didn''t have the energy to argue with Charlotte. She quickly bought her food and went home.

    After returning home.

    Charlotte went into Sheryl''s room. Anne hesitated for a moment. She wanted to ask Rick about it so

    she asked the housekeeper if Rick was in his room.

    The maid shook her head. "No miss, sir is in little miss''s room."

    She was referring to Sheryl by little miss.

    Which meant, when Charlotte went into

    Sheryl''s room, Rick was also there?

    That''s good. They can talk it out by themselves.

    Anne returned to her room in a good mood.

    On the other side.

    As soon as Charlotte pushed open the door, she noticed Sheryl sitting on Rick''sp with a toy in her

    hand. She cheekily made a face at him.

    "What are you guys ying?" Charlotte walked over.

    "We''re not ying. Daddy said he wanted to take me to the kindergarten. He didn''t want to bring

    mommy," Sheryl said happily.

    "Why don''t you bring me along?"

    "Because you''re going to a meeting at the Airline Union route but that day is on a weekend so I

    don''t need to work."

    Jane Corporation and NC Company''s working hours were on weekdays. The off-days were from

    Friday 5.30 p.m to Monday 11 a.m. Strictly counting, they had a three day holiday.

    They were not a dotpany who had a top-level online system, so most of the time they

    didn''t even advertise their product.

    The less important a department was, the less they needed to worry about it.

    However, at Rick and Charlotte''s position, off-days on Saturdays and Sundays are nonexistent.

    Most of the time, even if they had their own time, they were required to engage in social activities.

    So, it was true that it was an off-day but for Rick...

    Charlotte suspiciously looked at him, "Haven''t you been very busy recently?"

    Rick smiled and shook his head. He put a finger on his lips and made a "shush" sound, hinting at

    her to not expose him. Then he exined, "Princess, it just happens I''m not busy this week."

    "Really?" Sheryl looked back and forth.

    Charlotte had no choice but to y along with him. "He''s the most powerful in thepany, he can

    do anything."

    Sheryl finally smiled.

    Rick chatted with Sheryl for a while, then left the room with Lottie.

    On the way to the living room, Charlotte couldn''t help but ask, "Why did you promise to bring Sheryl

    out? Didn''t thepany just receive a big project? The one with Mr. Luke."

    "I need to take some time off for the kid." Rick smiled at her. "Don''t worry, I can bnce well

    between my career and family."

    Family.

    Charlotte sighed.

    "Next time, don''t talk about work or mention how busy I am in front of Sheryl. I''m worried she will

    feel stress. She had always been more sensitive than other people," Rick exined.

    "I''ve turned her into an overly sensible child."

    "You had no choice. But now, you have me."

    Charlotte was very touched. She gently nodded, "Thank you, Rick."

    "I''m going to take a nap." Rick stopped at the stairs and pointed towards the dining room. "You go

    have something to eat. Wake me up when it''s dinnertime."

    "Alright."

    As Rick left, Charlotte felt an ache in her heart.

    She felt sorry for him.

    He didn''t need to do all these if he hadn''t married her...

    Charlotte sat down in the living room and took out theptop. She turned it on and logged on to the

    email. She was instantly bombarded with 999+ notifications which made her overwhelmed.

    What happened?

    She frowned and clicked on one of the emails.

    Her screen was filled with vulgar and degrading words. They were all signed off by the same

    person.

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205

    Charlotte really didn''t expect Tiffany would send her so many emails.

    The most ridiculous thing was why did she sign it?

    Was she afraid no one would know she sent them?

    Charlotte was so angry she immediately took out her phone. The instant she found Shane''s

    number, she stopped.

    So what if these emails were sent by Tiffany? What does this have to do with Shane?

    If she wanted to get even with someone, she should look for Tiffany.

    At the thought of this, Charlotte put down her phone. She took a deep breath, picked up her

    computer and started to delete the emails.

    Fortunately, she rarely used her email for official business so it was not a big deal.

    Charlotte suddenly stopped at the final few emails. She decided to screenshot a few of the emails to

    be kept as evidence.

    As soon as she finished screenshots, her phone started to vibrate. She looked to see a notification

    from Avery.

    Suddenly, there was a work group chat for the Airline Union. Charlotte noticed there were around 20

    participants in the chat. Amongst them, she was familiar with Avery, Shane, Christopher and ine.

    "There will be a conference next Saturday, starting from noon. Please be present."

    "Okay." A person with a rabbit icon answered.

    "I''ll be there."

    Around seven or eight people had replied to the message.

    While Charlotte hesitated, Avery also sent a message, "My team and I will be present."

    She followed up with a message. "I''ll definitely be there."

    "What time at noon?"

    Shane, who had been silent all along, suddenly sent a message.

    "Mr. Fuller, you''re here?" Someone immediately replied to his message.

    Then, it was followed by several other people buttering him up.

    The corner of Charlotte''s move tugged slightly upwards. These people were so disgusting.

    After a while, Ashley replied, "What time would you be free, Mr. Fuller?"

    "Between 12 to 12.30 p.m."

    "Okay." Ashley immediately set the time for all the group members.

    Charlotte sighed as she contemted on the theory of ''money never sleeps.'' She quickly typed in

    ''ok'' and clicked the send button.

    After Ashley confirmed the time, he sent the address. After the official business was over, the

    people in the group started to praise Shane crazily.

    These two people had nothing to do with Shane but they were promoting theirpany and

    products to him.

    Charlotte quickly exited the group chat without another look.

    "Is it okay if I pick you up on Saturday?"

    Charlotte was about to log out when Avery sent her a message. Before she could open it, Shane

    also sent her a message-

    "I''ll pick you up on Saturday."

    She was stunned for a moment before clicking on Avery''s chatbox first. "Alright, you''ll save me a lot

    of trouble."

    Avery sent a very cute smiling emoji with the message, "After that, let''s have dinner together. I''ll

    send you home, okay?"

    "Okay, thank you for your help."

    "You''re wee. We are friends. If you really want to thank me, introduce a good man to me. Oh,

    by the way, I want to be your bridesmaid."

    Charlotte didn''t know what to say.

    Bridesmaid?

    The corners of her mouth twitched up and she quickly closed the chat.

    To tell the truth, she was now Avery''s friend so she didn''t have any opinion on his actions but if it

    was from the perspective of a bystander.

    She would feel Avery really was quite problematic.

    It was no wonder that Mr. Kent had such strong opinions against her.

    Of course, there was a big chance Mr. Kent''s opinion of her was rted to profits.

    At this moment, Charlotte''s phone vibrated again. She turned on to see another message from

    Shane.

    It was very short, just a question mark.

    The corners of her mouth twitched and she typed, "Avery said he woulde to pick me up."

    There was a moment of silence before he replied to her message, "Okay. I''ve asked him."

    "Alright."

    Charlotte thought that this was the end of the matter.

    Saturday.

    Shane was sitting in Avery''s car.

    When Charlotte opened the door of the back seat, her face instantly darkened.

    Avery, who was in the passenger seat, waved at her with a smile on his face. "Mr. Fuller''s car has

    been sent for service so I offered to bring him along."

    Who''d believe such a lie?

    Shane had so many cars.

    "Did you send every car for service?" Charlotte asked as she got in the car unwillingly.

    If she had known that Shane would be in the car, she would rather sit on the bus than have Avery

    pick her up.

    "Miss Charlotte, every year, Mr. Fuller would send all his cars to service after New Year''s Eve,"

    Cole, who was in the driver''s seat, exined politely. "Mr. Fuller wanted to send you there. But

    since you''ve already promised Mr. Hart, he asked me to send the cars away for maintenance and

    carpool with him Mr.

    Hart."

    What else could Charlotte?

    She forcefully blurted out a "thank you" without even looking at Shane.

    Avery, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was in a good mood.

    It would be even more fun if he could make a bet with someone. It would be best if the person bet

    that Charlotte and Rick would be married forever, then he could bet that Charlotte would run back to

    Shane.

    Soon, the car stopped in front of a hotel.

    Because the Airline Union was considered as part of city nning so the hotel was of a national

    level.

    Charlotte had originally thought that this was just a formal meeting to gloss over a few words.

    Once she entered, she realised they had booked a private booth with more than twenty people on a

    table.

    Avery exined to Charlotte, "On this type of meeting, we usually have a meal first then we''ll talk

    business. We eat to strengthen our bond so that we don''t have too many altercations during the

    meeting," Avery exined to Charlotte.

    "I see." "But it''s basically useless. Ashley is rich and we have enough money so just eat until your

    heart''s content. You don''t have to restrain yourself neither will the others."

    Charlotte nodded her head half-understandingly.

    After she sat down and the food was served, Charlotte finally understood Avery''s words.

    Some people gobbled down their food greedily and made loud noises. It was not a pleasant sight at

    all.

    It was actually good for her part. At least now she didn''t need to worry about maintaining a good

    image and starving herself.

    Charlotte was eating happily when the main door was pushed open. She lifted her head to see a

    white satin dress. It was very elegant and fairy-like.

    Her eyes moved up subconsciously.

    What a pity.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    The wearer was not worthy of that dress.

    ine walked in with a hand around Christopher''s arm and apologised with a smile, "Mr. Cullen,

    everyone, I''m so sorry. We had a minor incident on our way here so it dyed our time."

    Ashley waved his hand casually, indicating for them to take their seats.

    As soon as ine took her seat, the atmosphere became lively.

    She knew a lot of things so she could chat with anyone and talk about any topic. Obviously, she was

    the most eye- catching person on the table.

    Charlotte couldn''t bother to show off herself. She kept her head down as she ate. The meals were

    divided ording to the number of people present so she could only focus on the small te before

    her.

    Until they mentioned designing and photography.

    Several people had mistaken the brand of the cameras. Charlotte couldn''t help but correct them one

    by one.

    The people who were corrected were all old businessmen. Their children were almost as old as

    Charlotte. Photography wasn''t even their hobby it was more of a casual conversation. Neither of

    them really understood this topic.

    "I didn''t expect Miss Charlotte to be so knowledgeable in this field." One of the old men said with a

    smile.

    "Well, I''ve liked it since I was a child."

    "You liked photography since you were young? It''s quite an expensive hobby. What family are you

    from?" The man''s words were filled with sarcasm. It was obvious he was unhappy with Charlotte''s

    attitude.

    "Timothy Emerson is my father."

    All of a sudden, everyone''s eyes fell on ine.

    ine nodded with a smile on her face, but in her heart, she was already cursing at Charlotte,

    wishing she was dead.

    Why did she mention her father all of a sudden?

    After Charlotte corrected their mistakes, she didn''t intend to join the conversation further. She

    continued to enjoy her meal.

    "I was wondering who she was. It turned out she''s Timothy''s daughter. No wonder she is with

    Avery."

    The person who said this was Mr. Kent.

    He was a little toowless.

    In simple words, he had just offended four people.

    These four people were the youngest amongst them, ine, Christopher, Avery and Charlotte.

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206

    "I''m sorry, did my father steal your woman?" Charlotte retorted with a smile.

    All of a sudden, there was a dead silence.

    No one had expected that Charlotte would talk back. Not even Avery and Shane.

    They all felt that in the face of such an unreasonable and disgusting man, the rational response was

    to ignore him and let it be.

    "Are you provoking me?" Mr. Kent mmed his hand on the table. "You''re younger than me, how

    dare you talk to me like that?"

    "I''m sorry but I''ve never seen an elder who is as shameless as you. It''s bad enough that you take

    advantage of your own seniority, your breath even stinks like rotten eggs."

    Avery couldn''t help butugh.

    Mr. Kent pointed at Charlotte and said, "I have to teach you a good lesson today?"

    Charlotte had never been afraid of anything since young. She crossed her arms and looked at him

    with a cold smile. It was as if he could do whatever he wanted but she would not be intimidated.

    As the president, Ashley felt that it was not appropriate for them to do this but he also did not like

    Avery.

    Who in the world would like Avery?

    Thus, he let Mr. Kent do whatever he wanted with Charlotte.

    Just as Charlotte prepared herself to face Mr. Kent, she was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace.

    Charlotte felt as if the whole world was spinning. In an instant, she could only breathe in the scent

    around her.

    She froze for a moment before raising her head subconsciously.

    Shane had appeared behind her at some point.

    He stretched out his hand to cover her eyes. As she was about to struggle away, she heard a

    muffled groan from Mr. Kent. She stopped moving.

    Then she heard Shane''s cold voice next to her.

    "How dare you bully my people?"

    Charlotte''s body stiffened.

    Ashley immediately stood up with a smile when he realized the situation had got out of control. "Mr.

    Fuller, I think there''s been a misunderstanding. Mr. Kent didn''t know Miss Charlotte is with you."

    "You may not know she is on my team, but don''t you know mypany is working with Avery?"

    "This..." Ashley quickly picked up a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on his forehead.

    Who would have thought that Shane would speak up for Avery?

    Shane had always been known as a cold and apathetic person.

    At this time, ine stood up to take charge of the situation. She wanted to y nice. "Mr. Fuller,

    there''s no need to make the situation worse because of a woman. Why don''t we sit down and talk it

    through? Besides, Mr. Kent has already suffered the consequences of your anger. What do you

    think?"

    "Christopher, take care of your b*tch."

    Shane didn''t even bother to give ine any attention at all.

    ine''s face turned dark in an instant.

    Christopher smiled lightly and stood up. He gently grabbed ine''s arm and pulled her back then

    forced her to sit back down. "Sorry, Mr. Fuller. Miss ine is a little slow-witted."

    "Yes, yes, yes, our people are too ignorant. Mr.

    Fuller, please forgive them."

    The whole matter should have ended by then.

    However, Shane looked down at the woman in his arms and asked gently, "Are you happy with the

    result?"

    Charlotte shook her head in a daze.

    "Then let''s go."

    Shane and Charlotte left together.

    The people who were left at the table stared at each other.

    This news quickly traveled around.

    Soon, the news reached Rick''s ears.

    Rick put down the document on the desk and said with a straight face, "I see."

    "Young Master, ourpany has aplete transportation system. There''s no need to attend this

    sort of meeting at all. Can you inform Miss Charlotte to not..." The assistant suggested.

    "The NC Company also has aplete transport system. Why did he join the Airline Union?"

    "Is it... for Miss Charlotte?"

    Rick sneered. "You''ve worked for me so many years, do you only care for gossip?"

    "Sorry, sir!" The assistant immediately apologized.

    "On the surface, the Airline Union may seem like a group of weaklingsing together. In reality,

    it''s a group of strongpetitors teaming up. It''s not easy to get in. Shane must have sacrificed

    something unexpected if he had the guts to leave the table with Lottie alone."

    "Then..."

    "He wants to take over the Airline Union then takes control of Christopher''sworks and Ashley''s

    funds."

    The assistant came to a realization. "That''s why he needs help."

    "That''s right. He needs Avery and Charlotte''s support so I should say the Jane Corporation picked

    up some benefits from this too."

    The assistant sighed a breath of relief.

    He still hadn''t learnt anything after working for Rick all these years. In fact, he was even blinded by

    personal feelings.

    Rick looked at the title of the document again. The words "Charlotte Emerson" felt like a knife

    stabbing him in the heart.

    He became more and more insecure.

    At this moment, the secretary knocked on the door to inform Rick of Sheryl''s arrival.

    Rick got up and tidied his clothes. "I''ll leave thepany to you for the time being. Call me if you

    need anything. I''m taking Sheryl to the amusement park."

    "Yes, Sir."

    The assistant watched him leave.

    Rick slowly disappeared from his sight.

    He touched the corner of his mouth and sighed.

    He didn''t know if his master was too calm or that he was already used to the heartache.

    His reaction was too unusual.

    Shane had taken Charlotte away in front of everyone. Mr. Jane had not even been married to

    Charlotte for more than a month.

    Compared to the deceit Mr. Jane was worried about, he was more worried about his personal

    feelings.

    At the pavilion by theke.

    Charlotte stood beside the pavilion, enjoying the rain and wind on her face.

    Her hair was already half wet.

    Shane took off his suit and put it on her but he didn''t stop what she was doing.

    After a while, Charlotte sneezed loudly.

    Only then did she turn around and sat down in the pavilion.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane followed her into the pavilion.

    "Thank you." Charlotte clung on tight to his suit. She was really cold at the moment.

    "You knew it was cold, yet you still went in the rain?"

    "I wasn''t in a good mood. Don''t you feel the rain will help freshen you up?"

    "You''re crazy."

    Charlotte snorted and looked towards theke with her hands behind her head. "Didn''t you bring me

    here to rx?"

    Shane looked at her as he pursed his lips. He swallowed hard, making his Adam''s apple bob.

    Her wet hair hung over her shoulders.

    Her empty eyes stared off into the distance.

    From his point of view, she looked perfect.

    "I didn''t ask you to go under the rain."

    "You didn''t stop me either."

    "Do I have any reason or right to stop you?"

    Charlotte was caught off guard by his words.

    Only then did Shane look away. His jaw tightened and he said weakly, "Rick has sacrificed a lot for

    you. Since the both of you are now engaged, I won''t cross the line. You can rx."

    "Thank you," she whispered.

    Thank you?

    Shane didn''t look at her.

    He didn''t know when the rain would stop.

    Charlotte looked at the ripples on theke, her heart was oddly frustrated. She thought it was

    because of Shane but she had kept her distance from him and their conversation had remained

    mostly indifferent...

    Suddenly.

    Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

    Charlotte came back to her senses and answered the phone. "Hello?"

    "Mommy..." It was Sheryl''s voice. She was sobbing.

    Charlotte''s heart suddenly sank. "Baby, don''t cry. What happened? Tell me slowly, okay?"

    Sheryl was out of breath and cried, "Daddy Rick was ying with me, then Aunt Anne was suddenly

    kidnapped. Daddy Rick went to save her but Uncle Braden said he couldn''t get in touch with him..."

    ''What should I do?''

    Charlotte immediately went into a state of utter panic.

    Firstly, she wasn''t a hacker. Secondly, she didn''t know who kidnapped Anne. Thirdly, even Rick

    can''t handle the situation, what can she do?

    Shane noticed that Charlotte was feeling anxious. He walked to her side and asked, "What''s the

    matter?"

    "Daddy!"

    Sheryl shouted at the top of her voice.

    Everything would be fine with her super daddy here!

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207

    Shane took the phone away from Charlotte and asked Sheryl to exin what happened again.

    Shane turned on the loudspeaker on the call and handed back the phone to Charlotte. "Take this.

    Stay in contact with Sheryl. I''ll go look for them."

    "Alright." Charlotte agreed.

    "Mommy, daddy will definitely help us!" Sheryl suddenly stopped worrying.

    Charlotte smiled bitterly.

    Of course, she knew Shane would be able to solve the problem but asking Shane to solve Anne

    and Rick''s problem...

    Ugh!

    At the end of the day, she was still too weak. She couldn''t even think of a solution to her problems.

    Shane quickly found out Anne and Rick''s location through the GPS system. He sent the location to

    Braden and Charlotte, then sent some people to search for them.

    Charlotte tried tofort Sheryl. She was about to rush over but Shane stopped her.

    "It''s too dangerous for you to go alone. I''ll go with you," Shane offered.

    "You''ve already sent someone over..." Charlotte was trying to say this had nothing to do with Shane.

    She was already very grateful for his help. Why did he have to go personally?

    "Rick''s shares are still with me. If the kidnapper wants him to hand over the Jane Corporation''s

    shares, I''ll have to be there."

    Wait a minute.

    Charlotte looked at Shane in shock. "What did you say?"

    Shane looked at her thoughtfully. "Rick sacrificed everything for the sake of romance. That includes

    your engagement."

    At that moment, Charlotte felt so dizzy as if her world was turning.

    The meaning behind Shane''s words was clear, Rick had made some agreement with him to ensure

    the engagement ceremony would go on smoothly.

    The price Rick paid was the shares he owned.

    "How much of his shares did he give you?" Charlotte asked, her voice was trembling.

    "All of them."

    She closed her eyes and sumbed to fate.

    What a joke.

    That''s just how Rick was.

    "Let''s go. Anne is still waiting for you."

    "Shane... Can you return his shares to him?" Charlotte subconsciously grabbed onto his sleeve.

    Shane turned around and looked at her trembling fingers. His eyes darkened and he asked

    sarcastically, "What''s the price you''re going to pay?"

    "Do you want to work with me or sleep with me?"

    In an instant, Charlotte let go of his sleeve.

    Shane sneered mockingly and said, "Rick has sacrificed everything for you but your everything is

    still in the hands of someone else. So, what''s the point of me returning the shares to him?"

    Reality.

    It was all too real.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte didn''t even have the time to feel sad before she fell into despair.

    Rick had given her everything but she didn''t even know how to face him now let alone repay him.

    Charlotte sat in Shane''s car silently for the entire journey.

    In a warehouse.

    Rick was beaten to the extent that the corner of his mouth was bleeding and his face was slightly

    swollen.

    Anne was blindfolded and gagged up before him. She was trembling in horror and fear.

    "Well done, Rick Jane! You transferred all your shares right after you received my threat. Do you

    think I''d run out of ideas just like that?"

    Bang!

    A man who looked out of his mind whipped him.

    Rick let out a muffled groan. His arm had already been beaten to the point it was all wounded.

    "If you don''t tell me who''s holding your shares by today, you can die along with your sister!

    Hahaha..."

    "ke, you wouldn''t have a clue where the shares are if you killed me." Rick looked at him with a

    sneer, his eyes were red and bloodied.

    "It doesn''t matter. I already have nothing to lose. At worst, I''ll beat you to death and get sentenced

    to death. Hahahah, my life is worth nothing. If you died, it would be a real tragedy."

    He was a lunatic.

    Rick had given up all hope by this time.

    He had only told Sheryl he wasing here. She''s just a child. No matter how smart she was, she

    would not be able to save him.

    Moreover, even if he told ke the truth, he still wouldn''t be able to escape.

    He had been too impulsive. He rushed over without a second thought when he heard his sister was

    kidnapped.

    He was too irrational.

    After a few more beatings, Rick had lost the strength to speak. He didn''t even react when a cold

    bucket of water was poured over him.

    ke grabbed his hair andughed crazily. "Rick, you didn''t expect this day toe, did you? Why

    didn''t you run a background check on the Reau Family before destroying us? Mental illness runs in

    the family, hahahah..."

    Boom��

    A rustle came from somewhere.

    ke immediately became alert and took out a switchde from his pocket.

    Rick struggled to open his eyes as he looked

    towards the blinding lights.

    He smiled and shook his head helplessly.

    ke didn''t expect he would be found. He picked up the de and rushed towards Rick.

    Blood sttered everywhere.

    Rick covered his abdomen as he fell to the ground with a grunt.

    ke was still not satisfied. He raised the de again. This time, he aimed for his head.

    Unfortunately, he failed.

    Shane had run to his side, kicked off the dagger in his hand and took control of his hands at the

    same time.

    Charlotte ran towards Rick and untied the rope on his body, "Rick, are you alright? Rick, you bled so

    much, you..."

    "I''m fine." Rick shook his head.

    It was just a knife to the abdomen, not a fatal wound.

    He struggled to point towards the opposite direction.

    Charlotte looked in the direction he pointed at and saw Anne. She immediately ran over to untie her.

    Anne''s eyes were red. "Lottie, I''m sorry, I should have listened to you..."

    "It''s alright, it''s alright." Charlotte couldn''t possibly me her right now.

    Anne leaned into Charlotte''s arms and sobbed quietly.

    After Shane subdued de, he helped Rick up and said, "I''ve already called 911 before I came."

    Rick smiled and closed her eyes. "Mr. Fuller, you''re always so reliable."

    "Charlotte already knew about the shares."

    "You, really don''t want to owe me anything?" Rick opened his eyes again.

    "I was just testing her reaction."

    "It seems that her response is inclined towards me, isn''t it?"

    "Yes."

    Rick''s smile deepened. He touched the wound on his abdomen gently and sighed as he looked at

    the blood on his hands. "Initially, I wanted to give the Reau Family a second chance. I guess that

    won''t be needed now. I''ll need to recover for a period of time. Later, my assistant will give you the

    information. I''ll leave the Reau Family in your hands."

    Shane nodded understandingly. "|''|| return your shares the day I get rid of the Reau

    Family."

    "Do you insist on turning our friendship into a business exchange?"

    Rick was speechless towards Shane.

    He couldn''t understand.

    It was just his shares.

    Some people might think it was something very important but it didn''t matter as long as they trusted

    each other. He was willing to trust Shane.

    Shane looked at Rick''s wound and said, "Just because I helped you doesn''t mean I''m giving up."

    "You..." Rick smiled frustratedly. "You just can''t forget her?"

    "If it wasn''t for Charlotte, we would have truly be friends."

    Shane stopped speaking to Rick after he finished. Then, he brought him aside to wait for his wound

    to be treated.

    Rick tried to probe him on with a few more words. But he stopped after noticing Shane wasn''t

    responding.

    Forget it.

    It didn''t matter.

    On the other side, Charlotte had only remembered that Rick was seriously injured after speaking

    with Anne. She quickly let Braden take care of Anne then rushed to Rick''s side.

    The ground was covered in blood...

    Charlotte''s eyes turned red. "Rick, I''m sorry, we camete."

    "It''s okay." Rick was leaning against Shane at the moment. He looked up weakly and asked, "But,

    who informed you? Was it Braden?"

    Charlotte shook her head. "It was Sheryl."

    Rick was stunned. "How did she know?"

    Charlotte exined to Rick the details of the phone call.

    After she finished, Rick said in awe, "I was talking with Braden on the phone when my car was

    suddenly blocked off. My phone was also out of signal. I''ve already given up as I thought Braden

    wouldn''t be able to figure out what happened. I didn''t expect Sheryl to save me...

    It was good to have a daughter like her.

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208

    Charlotte thought about Braden''s dimwittedness... She couldn''t help butugh.

    "It is indeed better to rely on Sheryl than Mr. Collins."

    "Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean by that?" At this time, Braden and Anne came over. He protested

    unhappily, "Do you think so lowly of me?"

    Rick''s face was very pale as he tried to pull a smile. "I really can''t think of anything else other than

    you being good to Anne."

    "Wow, what you said really hurt me. Shane, do you think my image is that bad?"

    "I''ve seen you being worse," Shane said calmly.

    What he said wasn''t funny but it was how Shane delivered it in such a calm manner.

    Even Rick could not help but twitch his lips.

    His action caused more blood to gush out of his wounds.

    Charlotte quickly rushed to his side and took off her clothes to help him cover his wound.

    "I''m fine." Rick reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "I''m sorry, I made you worry."

    She shook her head. "It''s my job to be worried."

    Rick smiled and replied, "Okay."

    Shane noticed the two of them flirting immediately. His jaw tightened and he pursed his lips but his

    gaze remained on Charlotte''s face.

    She was really worried about Rick.

    "Brother, this is what you call a blessing in disguise. Look at how worried Lottie was," Anne joked.

    "Whose fault was it?" Rick looked at her coldly.

    "Well, Braden..." Anne hid behind Braden.

    Braden shielded her behind him and put on a silly smile. "If you''re mad, you can scold me all you

    want. It''s my fault for not keeping an eye on her."

    "You both are exactly the same. I wouldn''t remember even if I scolded either one of you." Rick

    grimaced in pain, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

    Charlotte grabbed his hand and said, "Rick..."

    Rick shook his head at her.

    The atmosphere was bing grimmer.

    At first, they could still joke around. Now that Rick''s situation had turned worse, they didn''t even

    have the mood to talk.

    Fortunately, the ambnce arrived very quickly. Rick was brought into the ambnce. Charlotte

    and Anne got into the car since only two family members were allowed.

    Braden stood beside Shane and said, "Shane, if you hade a littleter today, he would have

    died."

    "What are you trying to say?"

    "If you were crueler, all of Rick''s shares and Charlotte''s would''ve belonged to you." Braden turned

    around and looked at him thoughtfully. "Didn''t you always tell me one should be cruel and merciless

    as a businessman and that you should only seek profit?"

    Shane remained silent.

    Braden grabbed his shoulders tightly. "I didn''t recognise this before. I only thought Charlotte and

    Sheryl added energy to your life. But now, I see, they didn''t add energy but weaknesses."

    Shane didn''t deny what Braden said.

    "In the past, you would rather take the time to read a book thane and save Rick."

    After a long silence, Shane finally answered, "Braden, situations change with time."

    Tears welled up in Braden''s eyes. He was speechless.

    "I can understand if Charlotte and Sheryl are your weaknesses. At least you like them. But what

    about Rick? Why did you save him?"

    Braden was right.

    He would be the one who profited the most if ke had killed Rick.

    If he didn''t save him...

    Shane''s eyes turned dark. He lowered his head and rubbed his eyebrows.

    His thoughts were very simple at the moment he saved Rick. If he dies, Charlotte would be

    devastated.

    Before he could contemte the oue, he had already kicked away ke''s de.

    That was all.

    At the hospital.

    Rick was lying on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling absent-mindedly.

    He arrived at the hospital half an hour ago. He was on the brink of death as he had lost too much

    blood.

    Fortunately, the doctor''s were able to save his life. But he had wounded his stomach so he couldn''t

    eat normally for the time being. He was also not allowed to eat anything for the next 24 hours.

    "Are you thirsty?" Charlotte walked to his side with some water and said, "The doctor said that I

    could feed you with some cotton."

    "No need." Rick came to his senses and looked at her tenderly.

    Charlotte smiled and sat down beside him. She held his hand gently. "It was really fortunate you

    were saved. I will report to you thepany''s situation every day. You just take this chance and rest

    well."

    Rick looked at her hand hesitantly and finally said, "I wanted to tell you, since we''re married, we

    should spend more time on our family. I can find a qualified CEO to rece me."

    "Can you do that? We''re still at the starting stages..."

    "I will still personally take care of anything important."

    Charlotte was silent for a long time. Finally, she nodded and said, "Okay."

    In fact, she didn''t know much about thepany''s affairs but she just hoped that he could rest

    more, even if it was not for family but for himself.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Someone knocked on the door.

    Charlotte stood up and opened the door. Braden was holding a big bouquet of carnations in his

    hands. "Brother, look what I brought you."

    The corners of Rick''s mouth twitched and he said helplessly, "Why give me flowers out of the blue?"

    "Anne told me you can''t eat anything. I thought since you already have everything else, I might as

    well give you some flowers." Braden put the flowers on his bedside and quipped, "How is it? Does it

    look good?"

    It did look good.

    But his brother-inw gave him carnations...

    Rick felt it was slightly awkward for him to ept them.

    At that moment, Shane walked in.

    "Here you are."

    He handed a small box to Charlotte.

    Charlotte quickly epted it and read the contents. However, it was all written in a foreignnguage

    so she couldn''t understand it at all.

    "What''s this?" she asked curiously.

    "Probiotics." Rick, who was lying on the bed, answered.

    "You can read it from so far away?" Charlotte asked doubtfully.

    Rick pointed at the packaging and said, "Thebelling on the package is very noticeable."

    Anyway, it was something Charlotte didn''t understand so she didn''t ask anything further. She put the

    probiotics on the table and felt it was inconvenient for the three of them to talk with her there...

    Charlotte quietly left the room.

    The moment she stepped out of the door, she saw Anne holding her phone. She seemed troubled

    as she let out a heavy sigh.

    "What''s wrong?" Charlotte sat down beside her.

    "Look." Anne handed the phone to her.

    Charlotte tilted her head...

    It was a message from someone called Joseph. ''It''s hard for me to forget you. My heart aches when

    I heard you were engaged. Can''t you give me another chance? Can we meet up?''

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Joseph...

    Charlotte remembered that he seemed to be Anne''s ex-boyfriend long ago. Back in the day, Anne

    loved him so much but he cheated on her with another woman. He even boasted about their

    rtionship in front of Anne all the time.

    "Why would you bother paying attention to someone like that?" Charlotte frowned.

    "After all, I used to like him. I also want to see what he''s up to this time. Who knows..."

    "He just can''t see you living a good life. He wants to gain some attention from you. Don''t be stupid."

    Anne hung her head and clenched her fists. "I know, I''m engaged to Braden."

    Charlotte sighed and said, "There''s nothing between you and Joseph, why do you miss him?"

    "If I had a baby with him, I wouldn''t be with Braden."

    Charlotte froze for a second and said with a bitter smile, "I was just trying to advise you but you turn

    it around to hurt me. Aren''t we sisters?"

    Anne was like a child who had done something wrong. She stuck out her tongue mischievously and

    said, "It''s not like you''ve just known that you have a child. It''s been five years, it''s different."

    s!

    Everyone has their own hardships.

    "Creak..." The door was pushed open.

    Both of them looked up at the same time.

    Shane stood at the door and stared up at the two of them. "Anne, Rick asked you to go back and

    get his clothes."

    "Ah? Oh... Okay." Anne got up in a hurry.

    In an instant.

    Shane and Charlotte were left alone outside the corridor.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209

    Charlotte felt uneasy being stared at him. She stood up and tried to start a conversation with him.

    "Have you guys finished talking?"

    "Yup."

    "Uh, then I''ll go in first."

    Shane didn''t respond.

    Charlotte walked past him, into the ward.

    Shane was too domineering over her. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down but her

    heart was still racing.

    "Have you been chased by a wolf?" Rick smiled when he saw her out of breath.

    "Pretty much. Maybe even scarier than a wolf."

    "Does Shane know how ruthless he is in your heart?"

    "He''s not a ruthless person. He''s... In short, he''s scary."

    Rick smiled.

    Of course, he knew that Shane was not ruthless in her heart. On the contrary, she probably thought

    very highly of him.

    She once said that Shane was a god.

    For the few days Rick was in the hospital, Charlotte had been taking care of him.

    asionally, he would hold a video conference.

    Before ke was arrested and sent for questioning, he released news that was damaging to the

    Jane Corporation. Furthermore, with Rick heavily injured, he couldn''t show up and give an

    exnation. The whole situation sent people into a panic fit.

    Charlotte was basically running between thepany, the hospital and the Airline Union every day.

    She even asked Anne to pick up and drop off Sheryl at the kindergarten.

    After a few days, she felt so tired she could fall asleep at anytime.

    On this day, Charlotte was dealing with some follow- up problems of a new project at thepany.

    There had been a major error during the negotiation so she had to deal with it personally.

    It didn''t matter if she was in the Jane Corporation or the NC Company, she always didn''t see eye-to-

    eye with the negotiating team.

    "Miss Charlotte, we''re in trouble!"

    Rick''s assistant suddenly barged into her office.

    Charlotte was startled. She put down the documents and looked at him. "What''s wrong?"

    "It''s ke Reau. He was released on bail and then somehow he found out that the young master''s

    shares were no longer in his hands. He has told the media about this..."

    "What!?"

    "Now the stock price has dropped drastically. My phone is blowing up. going to blow up, so you

    want to find a way."

    Charlotte muttered, "I''ll go to the hospital first and discuss this with Rick."

    "By this time, the hospital must be crowded by the news media."

    "Then..." Charlotte was dumbfounded.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Should she ask Shane to transfer the shares back?

    She didn''t even know the details of the agreement between the two people. Based on what Shane

    said before, Rick gave his shares to Shane because he wanted to marry her...

    What right does she have to ask back for the shares?

    However, Rick was now seriously injured and she only had 20% of the Jane Corporation''s shares

    together with Anne. She needed 51% of shares to have a say in anypany affairs.

    "Help me contact Mr. Fuller of the NC Company."

    In the end, she decided to contact Shane reluctantly.

    The assistant froze before lowering his head. "Ms. Emerson, the reason young master handed over

    the shares to Mr. Fuller was to not..."

    Damn it.

    The young master had asked him not to speak of this matter.

    Charlotte wasn''t aware that Shane already knew Sheryl was his daughter.

    The assistant took a deep breath and continued, "To not appear at the wedding. Young master

    would be upset if he knew you went to see him."

    "Do you have a better idea?" Charlotte was surprisingly calm.

    "I..."

    "I just need to persuade Shane toe with me before the media and tell them Braden is the major

    shareholder at the NC Company, then since Anne and Braden are now engaged, Rick transferred

    all his shares under Shane temporarily."

    Using marriage as an exnation for the shares transfer?

    The assistant''s eyes lit up. "Ms. Emerson, this may actually work."

    The idea was indeed feasible.

    But would Shane agreed to do it?

    Charlotte clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes were bright with determination as she said, "Contact

    Mr. Fuller."

    The assistant nodded politely. "Yes, I''ll call..."

    Before the assistant could finish his words, Charlotte''s cell phone rang. She was shocked when she

    saw the caller ID.

    It was Shane...

    "Mr. Fuller." She answered the phone.

    "I saw the news."

    "Can I trouble you with something?"

    Shane didn''t expect her to have a n. His lips curved upwards. "Okay, but what can I do for you?"

    She was a little more quick- minded than he thought.

    He had thought that she would need to rely on him toe up with a solution.

    Charlotte tightened her grip on her phone. Her lips trembled slightly as she asked, "What do you

    want?"

    "Sheryl."

    "No! She''s my daughter!" Charlotte raised her voice. Her other hand gripped tightly on the table''s

    edge.

    "Rick would only be discharged from the hospital in half a month. You wouldn''t have time to take

    care of her in the meantime anyway."

    Charlotte tried her best to keep her tone calm. "So?"

    "Leave Sheryl to me for half a month."

    II II

    ? ? ?

    Charlotte was speechless.

    Shane didn''t say anything.

    After a few moments, Charlotte surrendered herself to fate and sighed, "Why?"

    "She is also my daughter."

    "She''s not!" Charlotte denied.

    "She thinks that I am."

    Charlotte bit on her lips. Soon, a mark appeared on her lower lip and some blood streaked down the

    corner of her mouth.

    The assistant was stunned. "Ms. Emerson, you''re bleeding..."

    Charlotte waved her hand and said, "It''s fine. Arrange a press conference with the media. I will be

    attending it with Shane."

    "Okay."

    The assistant left.

    Charlotte calmed herself down and told Shane about her n.

    Shane was listening but his eyes were fixed on the high- rise buildings in the distance. His fingers

    were tapping rhythmically on the table.

    Charlotte''s strategy was good. At the very least, it was a perfect diversion for the situation without

    exposing her personal connection with Rick.

    Besides, it was time to make Anne and Braden''s rtionship public.

    "Sure." Shane finally answered.

    "I''ve already asked Rick''s assistant to arrange a press conference. I''ll send you the addresster."

    "Alright."

    The call was over.

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief but she felt a twinge of sadness in her heart.

    After all, Sheryl was his child. Shane spending so much time with Sheryl...

    She couldn''t help but worry.

    On the top floor of the NC Company, inside the vice president''s office, Christopher leaned leisurely

    against his chair as he enjoyed his afternoon tea.

    "Why don''t you deal with the Jane Corporation? Now is the perfect time to do so." ine mmed a

    stack of documents on his table, trying to hold in her anger. "We have a chance to..."

    "Do you know who currently holds his shares?"

    "Who cares? At least we can beat him now."

    Christopher looked at ine as if she was an idiot. "Do you think it''s that easy to suppress

    someone?"

    ine was annoyed. "Isn''t it?"

    "There are three ways to do this. The first is through public opinion. I bet the Jane Corporation

    would be able toe up with a solution in less than an hour. Secondly is the economy. Their

    current asset is around a billion dors. Even if we try to suppress them they would only lose a

    small part of it but we would be widely exposed. Thirdly is the cargo. Now that the Jane Corporation

    is working with Avery Hart, transportation is the least of his worries." Christopher''s smile was warm

    but his eyes were cold. "Now tell me, how are we supposed to suppress them?"

    ine never understood how any of these worked. She knew how to y some tricks behind

    people''s back but she''s clueless when she had to do it aboveboard...

    Her face turned pale. "Are we going to let go of such a good opportunity?"

    "I''m afraid the one you want to deal with isn''t Rick, but Charlotte, right?" Christopher pointed out her

    true motive in a short sentence.

    "Right now, Charlotte still has Rick to back her up while she''s still tangled up with Shane. Once she

    has the chance to enter the Emerson Corporation and take it away from me, your ns will be

    ruined too!"

    Christopher put down his cup and gracefully picked up a white handkerchief to wipe the corner of

    his mouth. "I''ve warned you not to go after Charlotte."

    "Even you!" ine asked frustratingly, "What''s good about her?"

    What''s so good about her?

    Christopher couldn''t help but think of that lollipop.

    "You are not as good as her."

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210

    ine''s face twisted with anger when she heard these words. She wasn''t as good as Charlotte?

    She''s not as good as that b*tch?

    Now that she had everything, she''s still not as good as her?

    "Christopher, I admit that I used to like you but that doesn''t mean that you can trample on my

    dignity!" ine picked up the file, opened the door and left.

    Zoe, who had been silent the whole time, walked over to close the door. Then, she made another

    cup of tea for Christopher.

    "Come here," Christopher ordered Zoe with his eyes closed.

    Zoe was stunned. She walked to his side and stood straight. "Yes, Mr. Gibson."

    "Find out who received Rick''s shares then go see if Shane is still here."

    "Mr. Gibson, Mr. Jane transferred his shares to Mr. Fuller. He had left 15 minutes ago."

    "Huh?" Christopher opened his eyes.

    Zoe pursed her lips and said coldly, "I''ve checked in advance. Five minutes ago, I received

    information from our spy in the Jane Corporation.

    Ms. Emerson had invited Mr. Fuller to attend a press conference. Mr. Fuller should be there soon."

    Christopher nodded with satisfaction. He took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a card and

    handed it to Zoe. "As I said before, I will not mistreat you."

    "Thank you, Mr. Gibson." Zoe took it without hesitation.

    "This whole situation has nothing to do with us. Tidy up and get ready to have lunch with me."

    "Lunch? With you?"

    "Is there something wrong?" Christopher asked with a smile.

    Zoe shook her head. "No..."

    She just didn''t expect that Christopher would invite her to lunch.

    Christopher got up and walked to the table. He picked up the table mirror and adjusted his tie as he

    spoke, "Don''t be stressed out. It''s my mom, she wants to meet you."

    "I see." Zoe breathed a sigh of relief.

    "What did you think it was?"

    "No, I just felt it might not be appropriate for us to have dinner alone." I

    There was a glimmer in Christopher''s eyes and he shook his head with a smile.

    She was the first woman to say that she liked him but made no attempt to pursue him at all.

    If her interest in him was more passionate, he could use her relentlessly without a care.

    However, she always kept a distance from him. He trusted her to do a good job but at the same

    time, he''s a little cautious of her.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Zoe Watson...

    Christopher turned around and looked at Zoe. She had the same posture and facial expression from

    before.

    "It''s not easy for you to stay by my side."

    Zoe shook her head.

    "Perhaps, we can take our rtionship one step further," Christopher suggested as he slowly

    walked towards her.

    Zoe took a step back subconsciously with a confused look in her eyes.

    Christopher smiled and stretched out one hand. He bent down slightly like a gentleman and said, "It

    seems you are very defensive against me."

    "Did you use the same deceitful face to fool Shane into being your friend and ine into being so

    obsessed with you?" Zoe was extremely calm. She pped away his hand with a cold gaze.

    "Deceitful? Zoe, look into my eyes, you''ll see I''m genuine."

    "I have seen how you treat people genuinely, Mr. Gibson. I know you''re being deceitful now." Zoe

    lowered her head. "I''m going back to my office to change my clothes so I can meet your mother

    later."

    Zoe left.

    Christopher froze on the spot.

    Zoe always talked about numbers and solved tricky problems based on her experience.

    She was calm and rational. She had a vision for the future and was loyal at the same time.

    Christopher initially thought she longed for romance like any other woman. Based on his

    understanding of women, he wouldn''t have misread Zoe.

    Maybe he hadn''t seen through her.

    However, he wasn''t in a hurry. Anyway, the fish was already in the pond, there''s no need to rush.

    Christopher put down the mirror and put on his coat with a bright smile.

    Deceitful.

    It was the first time someone had said that about him.

    There were many reporters and cameras on the scene of the press conference.

    This was the first time Charlotte was present at such a big conference. She was more or less

    nervous. Her hands were trembling and she was constantly fiddling with the bracelet Rick gave her

    to calm herself down.

    "Nervous?" Shane knew instantly she was under a lot of pressure when he noticed her blinking.

    "I''m sorry." She took a deep breath. "I may drag you down."

    Shane lowered his hand and grabbed her wrist.

    His coat was over his shoulders so the sleeves covered his actions.

    Charlotte was startled. She subconsciously tried to break free from him.

    "Don''t move." Shane tightened his grip on her hands. His palms were rough and his fingertips were

    as cold as ice.

    "Let me go. There are people here. What''s going on?"

    Any physical touch with him made Charlotte feel guilty towards Rick.

    Shane ignored her protests and traced something on her palm.

    Charlotte was stunned. "Did you write

    something?"

    Shane repeated it again.

    The word seemed to be quiteplicated.

    Charlotte tried her best to understand what he was tracing.

    One time, two times, three times...

    She finally figured out what he was writing!

    It''s...

    Wait!

    "What are we waiting for?" She whispered to Shane.

    "No matter what happens, keep calm and wait for me to deal with it." Shane finished and let go of

    her hand.

    "Shane, I don''t have any right to rely on you, I..."

    Shane ignored her and strode off towards the stage.

    Charlotte had no choice but to follow him helplessly.

    It was strange but she was no longer shaking. Although she was still nervous, she felt nothing scary

    could happen as long as Shane was by her side.

    There was a god standing beside her.

    She was crazy enough to say the creator was standing beside her. There was nothing in the world

    that could hurt her.

    As Charlotte thought about this, she was suddenly filled with power.

    At this point, Shane had made a brief selfintroduction. He handed over the microphone to her, his

    eyebrows furrowed with worry.

    "Hello everyone, I''m the vice president of the Jane Corporation, Charlotte Emerson. We are very

    sorry and regretful for the recent events in thepany. So we arranged this press conference with

    Mr. Fuller to exin the details and clear up any rumours. At the same time, we will announce the

    release of our new product. Thank you for your support. Please enjoy this short film ourpany

    produced with the NC Company."

    If Shane had to describe Charlotte in words, it would be confident and poised.

    Most vice presidents are smart and sophisticated. They wouldn''t offend the media or the customers.

    Whenever something goes wrong, the people on the bottom would be held ountable. Hence,

    only two types of people could stand firm. The first was the glib-tongued, the second was the ones

    with real capability.

    Clearly, Charlotte had proved she was thetter through her actions.

    "You did a good job," Shane assured her.

    "Thank you, I''m not as nervous as before."

    "Looks like I still have some effect."

    "I was just thinking, what if I embarrassed the god next to me by acting nervous?" She pretended to

    be rxed and said.

    God.

    Shane stretched out his hand and pulled her to his side. He tilted his head and asked, "What kind of

    person is a god in your heart?"

    "You," Charlotte replied without thinking. "No feelings or emotions. We''re neither friends nor foes. A

    real god may care about people''s lives but you care more about finance and stocks."

    No feelings or emotions?

    She didn''t have any feelings or emotions for him?

    Shane felt that this was probably the funniest joke he had heard all year.

    She probably didn''t know that to him, she was an aphrodisiac.

    "What I care about is more than the stock price."

    "Shane, I couldn''t care less about what you care about. All I know is this is the most secure I''ve

    been in these 5 years. So please... can you not destroy it?"

    Charlotte looked at him pleadingly. "You''re a god. You have everything but I only have Sheryl and

    Rick. If I lose them, I will have nothing."

    Only Sheryl and Rick.

    ''Charlotte, have you forgotten that I''ve always been by your side?'' Shane thought.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211

    After the short film ended, Charlotte turned to the press with a smile and said, "The short film has

    covered everything necessary. You''re wee to ask any questions."

    "Mr. Emerson, may I ask how Braden and Anne got to know each other? Why would the two of

    them get together? Was it an arranged marriage or out of true love?" One of the reporters asked.

    "Anne is a good friend of mine. She met Braden through a cocktail party she attended with me.

    They hit it off quite well so they got into a rtionship not long after. They got engaged after their

    parents'' approval. So it''s true love and joining forces at the same time," Charlotte''s answer was

    wless.

    She just changed the bar into a cocktail party. She also omitted the part where Braden''s parents

    were against their marriage when they thought she was just some woman, but changed their minds

    when they found out that she was Anne Jane.

    Anyway, the media didn''t need to know every single detail.

    "But Ms. Emerson, if it''s out of true love, why did Mr. Jane transfer his shares to Mr. Fuller? Was it

    merely because of trust?" "Our n initially was to let Mr. Fuller own a part of the Jane

    Corporation''s shares because he urgently needed some funds for a project he was working on. Mr.

    Jane just did it as a favour so it wasn''t a so-called coteral."

    "Mr. Fuller, what is your opinion on the Jane Corporation?"

    "It''s suitable for investment. The prospects are good but there were too few products."

    As soon as he said those words, there was an uproar among the crowd.

    A reporter stood up and asked tentatively, "Mr. Fuller, are you saying the Jane Corporation has a

    bright future here?"

    Shane nodded.

    At this time, Charlotte waspletely stunned. She didn''t understand why Shane''s simple words

    sent those reporters into a fit.

    Gradually, Shane became the centre of attention and Charlotte turned into a mascot as she stood

    there.

    Three hourster, the press conference was over.

    Charlotte and Shane walked out together.

    "I feel like they don''t care about the Jane Corporation at all. They''re all asking you questions,"

    Charlotte said.

    "Now you know why I called you?"

    "Did you mean that you nned to use yourself as a distraction?"

    Shane didn''t deny it.

    Charlotte sighed and said softly, "Thank you, Mr. Fuller."

    Shane was about to speak when suddenly he saw some people running towards him. He

    instinctively pushed Charlotte behind his back.

    Before Charlotte had time to react, she heard them say something around the lines of ''get him.'' She

    was so scared, she started to scream.

    Shane lowered his eyes and pulled Charlotte aside. He kicked off the person closest to him. "Go,"

    he ordered her.

    Charlotte nodded. She knew that she would only drag him down if she stayed.

    "I''m going to call the reporters."

    "Leaving?"

    Another two people went around Charlotte and blocked her.

    Who were these people?

    "I heard that it was the two of you who put my brother in prison? I''ll be upfront, I''m not letting you

    go unless you sign this letter of understanding!"

    Prison?

    Letter of understanding?

    Charlotte immediately realized that these people might have something to do with ke.

    She was afraid deep down but she remained calm to avoid any idents.

    It looked like there were around eight or nine people, not including the people she couldn''t see.

    Shane wouldn''t be able to fend off so many people no matter how tough he was.

    "If you want a letter of understanding signed, you should look for the intiff. Rick Jane is at the

    hospital, why don''t you go find him?" Shane slowly approached Charlotte and grabbed her arm the

    moment he could.

    "Don''t talk nonsense. The court said that you were the one who made the appeal! I don''t care how

    powerful or rich you are, I want my brother to be released from prison."

    "You said he''s your brother. Are you blood rtives?"

    "What? You have a problem with that?"

    Shane leaned towards Charlotte and whispered in a low voice, "How fast can you run?"

    Charlotte nodded at him.

    The man who asked for the letter of understanding pushed Charlotte and asked, "What are you

    talking about? Just sign the agreement. You can leave after giving me your signature. If not,

    hehehe, thisdy here is not... Ah!"

    Shane''s sudden movement caught everyone by surprise.

    There were around 12 of them!

    Even the most irrational person would not dare to attack them.

    However, Shane made his move.

    He ran forward and fought off everyone who got in his way with Charlotte''s arm in one hand.

    Shane estimated there were around ten people. Other than the leader, the others were scattered all

    over the ce. So basically, there were only three to four people running in one direction.

    He had no way to deal with ten people but he might be able to fight off three people in an instant.

    However, Charlotte must be able to keep up with him."

    "F*ck, this b*stard actually dared to hit me. Get him and beat him to death!" The leader roared.

    Charlotte was still in a daze. She didn''t understand what happened, she only knew to follow Shane.

    She felt something wasing from behind. She couldn''t dodge it so she ran.

    She didn''t know how long she had been running. But her lungs were burning by the time Shane

    finally stopped.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Charlotte bent over and coughed hard with her hands on her thighs. Her cheeks were flushed red.

    "Are you okay?" Shane helped her up.

    "I''m fine. It''s just that it''s been a long time since I''ve run so hard." Charlotte struggled to straighten

    her body under his support.

    Shane looked around and saw there was a supermarket.

    He bought two bottles of water, opened one of them and handed it to her.

    Charlotte took a sip and she gradually recovered. "Where is ke Reau from? First, he hurt Rick so

    badly. Now, he hasn''t even been prosecuted and he has his crazy brothere after us."

    "I don''t know. He dared to kidnap Rick ande after us. At least that proves he has someone in

    the police department."

    "I don''t know much about thew..."

    "He''s very powerful."

    Charlotte could understand these 3 words.

    The two of them rested for a short while before the reporters caught up to them.

    These reporters all disappeared when they were being attacked. Now that it was safe, they all

    appeared to get a piece of the news.

    Charlotte posed for a picture with Shane without a second thought then bid goodbye.

    The story took a turn when she got home.

    Somehow, the photos of her and Shane started to spread on the Inte. What''s worse, she was

    labelled as a mistress in the title of the article. They were instantly on the trending page.

    Charlotte was so angry, she smashed her phone.

    "Charlotte, I think it''s better for you to find my brother at this time," Anne suggested in a low voice.

    "Even you are so mad. He may look gentle but he can be as ruthless as anyone else."

    That''s right.

    She should go and find Rick.

    Charlotte nodded. "I''ll go see him now. Anne, lend me your car."

    Anne looked for the key in a hurry. Braden stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "Well, Sheryl

    has her nanny and it''s quitete now. It''s not safe for Lottie to go alone. Let me drive you guys

    there.

    With Anne by his side, Rick may calm down a little."

    "Ah, yes, I almost forgot about Braden." Anne gave him a hug. "You''re so reliable."

    "I''m sorry to bother you guys."

    "Don''t worry about it." Braden smiled and scratched the back of his head. "It doesn''t matter if it''s

    Shane or Rick. One is my best friend, the other is my brother-inw. I have to take care of both of

    them."

    Charlotte smiled weakly.

    Anne could sense that she wasn''t in a good mood. She immediately piped in, "What Braden meant

    was Rick must miss us very much."

    Braden nodded quickly.

    "I''m fine. I just didn''t expect those reporters to simply report the news. They were there when we

    were being pursued by the men."

    "These reporters don''t have a conscience," Anne criticised angrily, "They''re all b*stards!"

    Braden flinched a little, "They were just doing their jobs."

    "A job that goes against moral ethics isn''t a job! It''s taking advantage of others misfortune!" Anne

    was fuming with justice.

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212

    "Well..." Braden felt that it was not easy to be a reporter but he did not dare to talk back to his wife,

    so he could only keep quiet.

    "Let''s go." Charlotte calmly ended the conversation.

    Anne red at Braden.

    Braden touched his nose unhappily. It was hard enough to chase his wife, but it was even harder to

    coax her. It was extremely difficult to have a sweet life with his wife.

    It was very difficult for him.

    At the hospital.

    Rick stood by the window, his body leaned against the windowsill. He felt a little cold as the wind

    blew.

    As he looked down at the city, he felt an impulse to trample everything under his feet and make

    everyone bow before him.

    Squeak, squeak-

    brother..."

    Anne''s voice broke the silence in the room. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

    Rick didn''t turn around. His voice was soft with no emotions "Lottie, you stay. The others can wait

    outside."

    Anne looked at Charlotte helplessly.

    Charlotte nodded towards her. Only then did Anne leave with Braden.

    Charlotte walked into the ward and put the fruit basket on the table, "I passed by a fruit shop on my

    way here. These grapes looked so good, do you want to try some?"

    "I don''t like sour foods."

    "Uh, I also bought some apples."

    "Lottie, I don''t like fruits."

    Charlotte bit her lower lip and paced to his side. She grabbed onto his sleeve and said, "The

    rumours on the Inte aren''t true. Shane and I were being chased by some of ke''s men. We

    almost couldn''t escape. I came here the moment I saw the news, I was afraid you would

    misunderstand."

    Rick was still looking out the window. "I was dealing with the reporters here in the afternoon.

    Suddenly they all left, one of them told me you arranged a press conference with Shane, right?"

    "Yes, I thought of a n with Shane''s help..."

    "Did you know Shane has never been present in any press conferences?"

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment and her hands froze.

    "Did you know Shane has never praised apany in public?"

    "Shane is the most famous investor in River City. Do you know how much his word is worth? Since

    he spoke, the Jane Corporation''s stock price skyrocketed today. Have you thought of a n? No,

    you didn''t need to think about anything. All you need was him to stand by your side and you

    would''ve already won."

    "I..." Charlotte lowered her head.

    "He is a god in your heart, but what about me? What am I? A mere mortal who needs you to beg

    your god for help?"

    "That''s not what I meant. I was just worried that they''ll disturb your rest." Charlotte started to choke

    up. "I didn''t think too much."

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yes, you didn''t think too much. You just thought I''m some weak person who needs your protection.

    I even needed Shane to protect me, right?"

    Charlotte shook her head forcefully.

    Rick shook off her arm. "Charlotte, I''m just not good enough for you. I''m not worthy of you."

    "Rick, when I heard about the situation, I wanted to discuss it with you but your assistant said the

    hospital was filled with people. So I panicked and thought of having a press conference to tell the

    reporters you transferred the shares to Shane because of Anne and Braden''s engagement."

    "So what were you thinking about when you thought of this idea?" Rick asked in a hoarse voice.

    "It was..."

    It was Shane.

    Braden and Anne wouldn''t sound persuasive at all if they spoke.

    Since the shares were in Shane''s hands, only he could justify the reason for the transfer of shares.

    Charlotte panicked. She grabbed Rick''s arm forcefully. I''m sorry. I''ll discuss anything with you in the

    future. Please don''t be mad, okay?"

    "You clearly went to beg a man you didn''t even want to see for my sake. How could I get angry at

    you for this?"

    "Rick..."

    "Go home. You don''t have toe over for the next few days. Let me calm down and take good

    care of the Jane Corporation." "Rick, I already know what I did wrong. Don''t be mad. I wouldn''t go

    find Shane anymore in the future. Can you forgive me?" Charlotte whimpered softly, her eyes red

    with tears.

    Rick wasn''t looking at her but his heart tightened when he heard her voice.

    Did he make her cry?

    Did he upset her?

    But she didn''t know that the hurt and sadness he felt could only be deeper than hers.

    His woman went to find the man who hurt her again and again in order to protect him.

    Perhaps, she even exchanged something for the peace he felt now.

    Heughed at himself and gazed off into the tower in the distance. "You did nothing wrong. I''m just

    not patient enough."

    His tone was as soft as the clouds.

    Charlotte shook her head, her hair was in a mess, covering half of her face. "No, it''s my fault. I didn''t

    think through it thoroughly."

    "Lottie, please disappear from my sight before I break off our engagement, okay?"

    Charlotte didn''t know how she managed to walk out of the ward. Maybe it was because he was so

    adamant he didn''t even look at her. All she could see was his cold back.

    She had never thought that the word "indifferent" could be used to describe Rick.

    Maybe she was afraid of him so she ran.

    Bang-

    The door closed.

    Rick staggered back to the bed andid down.

    As soon as he shut his eyes she closed her eyes, the tears at the corner of her eyes immediately

    squeezed out and fell on the pillow.

    He could easily break up with Charlotte if she truly liked Shane. But Shane is so mean towards her

    and she''s always hurt. How could he hand over the person he loved to Shane?

    However, Charlotte didn''t trust him enough, Shane''s love for her wasn''t deep enough and he didn''t

    have enough patience.

    So it was his fault.

    His patience and emotional intelligence weren''t enough.

    Outside the ward.

    Anne pulled Charlotte into her arms. She looked very dejected. "Did my brother yell at you? What''s

    wrong?"

    Charlotte shook her head. "Anne, can I go for a walk in the garden alone?"

    "You... Go ahead. I''ll call you if there''s anything." "Alright."

    Charlotte left.

    Anne red at Braden.

    Braden blinked innocently and asked, "Babe, why are you ring at me?"

    "I don''t know. Seeing Charlotte this way puts me in a bad mood. Ugh, just wait for Charlotte here. I''ll

    go in and see my brother."

    Bang��

    The door was shut again.

    Braden licked his lower lip and scratched the back of his head nkly.

    Why did he feel like he was so useless?

    "Brother..."

    Anne crept into his room.

    Rick had already calmed down. He opened his eyes and tilted his head back. "Didn''t I ask you to go

    home?"

    "Lottie is in a bad mood. She went to have a walk in the garden alone so I came in to see you."

    Anne sat beside him and grabbed his hands casually. "You''ve always doted on Lottie. This time he

    went to see Shane for you."

    "I know."

    "Brother, don''t ask so much of her just because she''s now your wife, okay? You never asked

    anything in return before."

    Rick smiled helplessly. He raised his hand and poked Anne''s temple. "Silly, I can''t expect nothing in

    return forever? Humans are all selfish."

    "But Lottie likes you very much now. Shane and Tiffany are together. Lottie has a child, if you don''t

    want her, what can she do alone?"

    "I still want her."

    "But you..."

    "As I said, I don''t me her. It''s my own problem. What can I do if she doesn''t believe me?"

    Anne was dumbfounded.

    She tentatively asked, "What did you say to Charlotte?"

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213

    Rick told Anne what he said to Charlotte without leaving out a word.

    "I... I just feel like the rtionship between both of you is a littleplicated." Anne didn''t even

    know what to say.

    Rick smiled and said nothing.

    Anne asked tentatively, "Well, what should we do now? Are you both going to stay in a fight?"

    "Let''s talk about this after I recover."

    "Rick..."

    "I''m fine," Rick said. He paused awhile and continued, "She''s okay too."

    Anne sighed.

    Charlotte was in the garden alone, lost in her thoughts. Her phone vibrated a few times before she

    snapped back to reality. She hurriedly picked it up and said, "Hello?"

    "Darling, it''s me." Avery said lightly from the other end of the line.

    Charlotte lowered her voice and replied, "Are you nuts?"

    Was it allowed to randomly address anybody as

    "darling"?

    "Probably. I drank a lot. Hurry up and fetch me home, darling."

    "That''s none of my business."

    "Wow, Aria. You are so heartless. I am your brother!"

    Wait a minute.

    Had Avery mistaken Charlotte for somebody else?

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment and asked Avery to provide his current address.

    The main reason was that there was nothing she could do if she stayed in the hospital. Rick

    wouldn''t want to see her anyways.

    Charlotte texted Anne to tell her that she had to go help a friend in need. After Anne read her text,

    she looked over to her brother, who was sleeping soundly, and replied with an "Okay".

    Shortly afterwards, Charlotte rushed to the bar.

    Avery was leaning against the bar counter alone. His wallet, which had no cash, sat still beside his

    hand, his credit cards scattered all over the floor.

    "Hello, what''s wrong with him?" Charlotte questioned the bartender.

    "I don''t know." The bartender didn''t feel like meddling in their affair.

    Charlotte fished out her purse and withdrew 500 dors from it. "Please, this is my...brother."

    She forced out thest word while gritting her teeth.

    Normally, she wouldn''t have paid any attention to Avery.

    However, this time, not only did he not confess that he was drunk, but he also mistook Charlotte for

    his sister.

    "As a friend, it''s better to help him than to pretend as if I don''t know him at all," Charlotte thought.

    "Miss, you''re too kind. I think I kind of heard that a customer named Mr. Fuller came in today. He

    ended up like this after Mr. Fuller gave him several pieces of paper." The bartender epted the

    bribe and emphasized with a smile, "I only kind of heard about it."

    "Don''t worry. Both of us know this man named Mr. Fuller. How much money does he still owe you?"

    "He doesn''t owe me any money now. Mr. Fuller has already paid the bill."

    Charlotte nodded.

    She tidied up Avery''s belongings, helped him out of the bar, and assisted him into her car.

    Once Avery was seated in the front passenger seat, he immediately opened his eyes. "Lottie, my ID

    card is in my left pocket. Type the address written on the ID card into the navigator, I need to tell

    you something."

    "You were faking it?"

    "Shane was spying on me."

    "Hold on, aren''t you friends with Shane?"

    "He''s both an enemy and a friend. There''s no such thing as true friends in the business field."

    Avery sounded entirely different from usual. Upon realizing the seriousness of the situation,

    Charlotte immediately took out his ID card from his pocket.

    Shire Oak Road, Fuchsia District?

    Charlotte entered the address into the navigator. After driving for a short distance, something

    suddenly shed across her mind.

    Avery was not from River City.

    "How did your household registration end up in River City?" she asked.

    "Before I moved, I re-registered my household in River City ." Avery opened his eyespletely

    this time. Through the rearview mirror and the side mirror, he was able to see Shane''s car.

    As expected, that guy decided to follow him.

    Even if he called Charlotte over, that fellow still didn''t think of letting him loose.

    "You''re being very secretive." Charlotte also noticed Shane''s car and asked, "Why is he chasing

    after you?"

    "Heh, he wants to know why I came to River City."

    "Isn''t it because of our business?" Charlotte questioned with suspicion.

    "Charlotte, I have to apologize to you. I chose to do business with you because I wanted toe to

    River City, not because of you and Jane Corporation."

    Charlotte nodded her head without feeling surprised. "When Rick told me that I was extremely lucky

    to have you as a business partner, I already knew that you chose to partner with me because of

    something personal, and not because of who I am."

    Avery smirked and smiled charmingly. "My first love died in River City, and my sister also went into a

    coma because of the ident. No matter what, I will find the mastermind behind the n and tear

    this person to pieces!"

    "So...you''re being flirtatious to y dumb?"

    "I would say it''s a form of protection."

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Charlotte sighed. "Poor Avery," she thought.

    Seeing that she didn''t want to know more, Avery was slightly taken aback. "Don''t you want to ask

    me more about who I''m investigating?"

    Charlotte shook her head. "This question concerns your privacy, I don''t think I have the right to ask."

    "So we are friends, but Shane and I will never be friends." Avery said with his eyes closed, "I''m

    sorry that I dragged you into this issue."

    "Although I''m not sure why you think that my appearance might help you from stopping Shane, I

    won''t leave you alone because you treat me as a friend. After all, I''m not that close with Shane

    anymore."

    It was not hard to crack the code inside Avery''s mind.

    First, he tried to erase Charlotte''s spection by purposely mistaking her as his sister. Then, he

    caught her attention by blurting out Shane''s name. Seeing that she was dumbfounded, he then

    proceeds to ask her to drive to the address written on his ID card. And finally, he told her about his

    past.

    All of this was for the sole purpose of keeping her by his side.

    Well then, what would be the greatest benefit of keeping her by his side?

    From Avery''s point of view, Charlotte''s appearance would be helpful in terms of making Shane

    contend against him.

    Avery''s idea was great and all, but unfortunately,

    Charlotte didn''t think that Shane would have shown mercy to anyone just because of her.

    She was not that important to Shane.

    Their car arrived at Fuchsia District.

    Charlotte helped Avery, who continued his act, into his house.

    Inside the house, it was dark and empty as there was nobody inside.

    After Charlotte mustered the courage to switch on the lights, she took Avery to the second floor. She

    later drew the curtains and locked the bedroom door.

    After settling down, Charlotte sat on the couch and sighed in relief.

    Avery looked at her behavior and smiled helplessly, "Lottie, you''re too paranoid. Shane wouldn''t

    have gone so far as to hide in my house before I even got home."

    "Sorry, it''s a personal trauma."

    "Hmm?" Avery was confused.

    "If I were in an empty room and a person appeared unexpectedly, I would lose all my sense of

    security," exined Charlotte.

    When she was a child, she watched a movie that was rted to criminal psychology. In the movie,

    there was a group of profilers, who arrested criminals by specializing in profiling.

    There was this particr scene from the movie.

    A woman, killed in her own house.

    The profiler uttered one sentence.

    "There is nothing more terrifying than being killed in your own house."

    From that moment onwards, an impression started to form in Charlotte''s mind: Home isn''t always

    the safest ce. Contrarily, because home should be the safest ce, it is also the most vulnerable

    ce as well.

    Avery failed to grasp her thoughts. He nodded his head gently and said with a smile, "Don''t worry,

    my house is pretty safe. There are all kinds of security systems."

    "Alright," Charlotte replied and pointed at the closed curtain. "So, are we just going to stay in here

    like this?"

    "You certainly can''t stay here forever. Shane will definitelye here after you leave."

    "So, that means I have to find a way to make Shane follow me home." Charlotte felt helpless.

    "Or maybe we can just create a "n"."

    A "n"?

    Charlotte instantly thought that it was a fantastic idea.

    In this way, not only could she get to know more about Avery''s past, but she could also get to the

    bottom of Shane''s motive.

    However, if it was a "n"...

    Suddenly, an idea shed across Charlotte''s mind. "You can just pretend that you were drunk and

    fell asleep. I''ll take care of him."

    "Are you sure?" Avery blinked a few times in confusion.

    "I''m sure."

    Avery immediately fell down on his bed. He propped up himself on his side with his elbows and

    blinked yfully at Charlotte. "I''ll leave it to you then, sis."

    Charlotte was speechless.

    Was he trying to flirt with her?

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214

    Charlotte ignored Avery and walked downstairs on her own.

    As soon as she opened the door, she saw Shane''s car parked right there.

    She walked up to him and knocked on his car window.

    The person in the car rolled down his window, revealing his long fingers that held a cigar.

    He looked at her.

    "Mr. Fuller, you started following us right after we left the bar. Is there anything wrong?"

    "Did I interrupt your intimate moment with him?" he sneered coldly.

    "Do you think there''s any chance between me and Avery? He was drunk, and he called me because

    he mistook me for his sister."

    "How do you know he lives here?"

    "I saw it on his ID card. I picked up his wallet and found his ID card in his pocket."

    Charlotte''s reply was wless.

    Shane red at her intensely. The night breeze was slightly chilly, but his gaze was even colder.

    So?" "I once heard from a hacker that the motive behind Avery''s arrival at River City was not that

    simple. Seeing that you followed him today, I''m more certain of it. Moreover, I learned that you gave

    him some documents..." Charlotte stopped talking and didn''t continue.

    "You want to get information about Avery from me?"

    "You could say so. After all, we are on the same team now. Of course, you can ignore it, but I can''t.

    The partnership with Avery was the first project I''ve ever joined willingly without Rick''s involvement."

    Charlotte thought that her argument was sufficient.

    However, Shane''s lips curled into a smile. He tapped the cigar with his long finger, and the ashes of

    the cigar dropped onto the side of the car.

    "He''s investigating my dead father."

    "Is this why you followed him?"

    "The year he investigated happened to be the year my father passed away. That means if someone

    investigated your mother..."

    Charlotte''s expression changed upon hearing that.

    After Shane put out his cigar, he ced it inside of the ashtray in his car and said with a cold tone,

    "Do you understand it now?"

    "I''m sorry."

    "No need to be."

    "But I don''t think you''ll be able to get anything out of him today. He''s drunk, so it''s better to leave

    earlier," Charlotte said as she turned around to leave.

    "Wait."

    Charlotte stopped walking, but she did not turn around to look at him.

    Shane started his car and said, "I''ll send you back. Let Avery drive your car to Jane Corporation

    tomorrow."

    Charlotte spun around in shock. Everything went exceptionally well. She didn''t even know whether

    Shane actually fell for her lies or hepletely saw through her lies...

    In the end, she still got into his car.

    "How are things going on between you and Rick?" Shane asked, "I saw the news about us."

    "I told him that I can stop seeing you, but he told me that I don''t have to do that. It''s just that he..."

    He said that he was the third person in the rtionship all along.

    Charlotte''s heart ached at the thought of his words.

    Shane gave her a sidelong nce and said, "You''re provoking him by saying that."

    "Why?" She was baffled.

    "If you and I have nothing to hide, why can''t we see each other in the future?"

    "Well..."

    "And, unless you voluntarily give up on the dividend from your partnership with Avery, as well as to

    cease the business rtionship between Jane Corporation and NC. Otherwise, what reasons do

    you have to not see me?" Shane continued to ask rhetorically.

    "I..."

    "Last but not least, even if you''re not willing to see me, River City is only so big. There will be

    hundreds of banquets organized by different people at different locations in a month. We''ll still see

    each other somehow."

    This time, Charlotte simply stopped talking.

    Shaneughed sarcastically. "Even if you don''t take everything stated previously into consideration,

    can you exin clearly what happened tonight or you''re just going to ignore it?"

    Feeling defeated, Charlotte closed her eyes and

    sighed.

    "Looks like you''re still not strong enough."

    "I think I''m too naive."

    "It''s good that you noticed that."

    After that, they remained speechless throughout the journey.

    When they almost arrived at Rick''s vi, Shane abruptly stepped on the brake.

    Charlotte was thinking about how things between her and Rick would work out in the future when

    the car suddenly stopped, jolting her body forward. Luckily, her head didn''t hit the dashboard

    because the seatbelt remained strapped across her torso.

    "We''ve arrived?" She looked up.

    It was a crossroad in front of the district.

    "Do you really n to stop seeing me in the future?"

    "I just feel like nothing good happens whenever we see each other," she exined.

    She chose to forget the things that he had purposely done to hurt her. But honestly, she was slightly

    terrified of the things that would happen inevitably.

    The idea of building a small and stable family with Rick sounded better to her.

    Shane pressed the button beside him and said, "Get out of the car."

    "Okay," Charlotte responded and reached out to open the door.

    It would take at least 20 minutes for her to walk inside...

    Shane''s eyes suddenly darkened. He stepped on the elerator the second before she opened the

    door.

    Charlotte had already opened the door before that. So when Shane suddenly drove his car forward,

    all the colors on her face instantly drained away.

    "What are you doing!" She shouted.

    "I''ll send you back."

    "Then why did you order me to get off the car just now?"

    Shane remained silent.

    Charlotte clenched her fist. If she had moved a little faster just now, she could have fallen out of the

    car and turned into a puddle of meat paste.

    Well, actually that was exaggerated. After all, the car was still moving at a very slow speed at the

    beginning.

    But it was enough to make her shudder with terror.

    After a while, the car stopped steadily in front of the vi.

    ''Are you sure you won''t start driving all of a sudden?" Charlotte asked in a fearful manner.

    "Where else can we drive to?" Shane was speechless.

    Unless he reversed, it was impossible for his car to move forward.

    Charlotte swiftly opened the car door and left without looking back.

    Shane gazed at her and gently scratched his eyebrows.

    Bad things would happen when she was with him, so that was why they shouldn''t meet in the

    future?

    He didn''t believe in that ridiculous reason.

    She didn''t want to see him because of Rick.

    At that moment, Shane''s cellphone rang. He answered wearily, "Who''s this?"

    "Daddy! When are youing home? I can only sleep if I listen to a bedtime story."

    Shane nced at his watch.

    It was already 10:30 pm. He almost forgot about the little cutie at home.

    "I''ll be right back." His voice was soft and gentle.

    "It''s sote and you''re still not home yet. Did you

    go find a stepmother for Sheryl?" The little girl sounded very unhappy.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "I was sending your mommy home."

    "Mommy? Wow..."

    Did the little girl imagine something terrible?

    Shane wanted to exin a little, but what could such a young child imagine?

    "I''ll hang up first. I''ming home now."

    "OK, daddy. Don''t worry about it," Sheryl added in an adorable voice, "Spend more time with

    mommy, It''s going to be okay, daddy!"

    With that, the little girl ended the call.

    Shane leaned to one side and looked at the vi.

    She didn''t need hispany.

    The following day.

    The first thing Charlotte did when she arrived at the office was to look for Rick''s assistant.

    Rick''s assistant said that ke was released on bail, but the person who caused the trouble

    demanded Charlotte and Rick to write a dispute settlement letter.

    "What the hell is going on?" Charlotte put the documents in front of the assistant. "You''re not

    someone who would make such a stupid mistake." "I received the news from a friend who works at

    the police station. I can assure you that ke has been bailed, but maybe that''s the only thing that

    happened to him."

    "There are a total of two situations where one would be bailed. The first one is when the case is still

    being tried, the second one is when the arrest warrant has yet to be issued. Besides these two

    possibilities..." Charlotte muttered to herself.

    The assistant was taken aback. "Are you suggesting that I''ve been scammed?"

    Charlotte didn''t give her the answer immediately.

    Technically, ke shouldn''t have been bailed due to his convictions for assault and kidnapping.

    "Maybe hees from an influential background. Anyways, please help me to investigate this

    matter."

    "Yes."

    "By the way, you can also investigate ke''s interpersonal rtionship."

    "Alright."

    After the assistant left, Charlotte took a deep breath.

    She was afraid that things might not be as simple as they seemed.

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215

    ke had indeed been released on bail. The jury, on the other hand, was trying to sue ke.

    However, the court had ruled that evidence was insufficient.

    There were two reasons.

    Firstly, no one could prove that it was ke who hurt Rick. The injury might have been done by Rick

    himself. Even if there were witnesses, it was meaningless because all the people present at the

    scene were somehow rted to Rick.

    Secondly, nobody was able to prove that it was ke who kidnapped Anne. The letter might have

    been fabricated by Anne to frame ke.

    ke''swyer used these two points andpletely invalidated the jury''s evidence. After that, he

    signed up for temporary release on bail.

    Charlotte was incensed. Her hand, which was holding a document, was trembling. She wouldn''t

    have thought that ke could be this shameless.

    Rick''s assistant handed her the second piece of document. " About ke''s social circle that you

    asked me to investigate earlier, I realize that he knows a lot of gangsters. Even though our country

    is implementing a crackdown on gangsterism, the remaining forces are actually stronger than

    before."

    "Are you saying that we can''t solve the problem privately because we can''t go against thew? And

    our only choice is to sign the dispute settlement understanding?"

    "Well, Ms. Emerson, I really have no idea. Jane Corporation has always been doing legal

    businesses, it was passed down through generations. Maybe you can ask Mr. Hart for advice."

    Avery?

    "He''s on bad terms with Shane and still needs to investigate Shane''s father. I''m afraid that he

    doesn''t have that much time to care about what''s happening between me and Rick," she thought.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Charlotte rubbed her temples and raised her hand. "You can leave first."

    "Ms. Emerson..."

    "I''lle up with my own solution."

    "Yes."

    After an entire hour, Charlotte was still unable toe up with an effective method.

    Was it possible to make ke pay for what he has done without breaching thew or contacting

    him privately? Unless she took a knife to chop him up and killed herself right away, there was no

    other option.

    Just when Charlotte was at her wits'' end, Rick''s assistant suddenly came in and said that ady

    named Miss Stevens wanted to meet her.

    Miss Stevens?

    Charlotte didn''t have a girl friend with thest name Stevens.

    "Why is she looking for me?"

    "Uh, well, Miss Stevens is Mr. Jane''s admirer..."

    Alright.

    One problem came after another.

    Troublesome things always came in a pile.

    Charlotte helplessly got up and walked towards the reception room.

    In the reception room.

    A girl wearing a cute pink chiffon dress sat quietly, holding a teacup in her hands. She raised her

    gaze and looked at Charlotte with contempt.

    Charlotte was slightly startled.

    This was kind of different from what she imagined.

    "Hi, my name is Kendall Stevens." "Hi, may I know why you requested to see me?" I''m here to

    confirm some things with you." Kendall put down his teacup and stood up politely. "You''re engaged

    to Rick, is that right?"

    Charlotte nodded.

    Kendall raised her chin slightly and continued with a smile, "I know you had a child with Shane and I

    have no problem with that because Rick doesn''t have a problem with that either. What I care more

    about is the recent scandal about you and Shane "

    "There''s nothing going on between us..."

    "Whether something''s going on between both of you or not, you can just exin that to Rick."

    Kendall reached out her slender hand to signal that she was not done yet. "What I care about is

    your opinion of Shane."

    "I have no opinion."

    "So, you won''t get back together with Shane, will you?"

    "I have never been together with him. The child was an ident. We...don''t have feelings for each

    other."

    Kendall tilted her head and slightly raised her eyebrows. "ording to my research, you guys were

    once married."

    Charlotte was taken aback.

    Shane didn''t tell the media about this. Where did

    Kendall get this information from?

    "Who the hell is she?" Charlotte thought.

    "I heard that Jane Corporation is cooperating with Avery Hart recently, and that''s why he traveled

    back from overseas. Do you know that the Stevens'' overseas branch, Bamboofrost used to be the

    private intelligence agency that coborated with Jane Corporation?"

    Bamboofrost.

    Charlotte had heard of this name before.

    Theirpany''s name literally meant "the bamboo forest in the snow." People said that the founder

    adored bamboo forests and pandas very much but he lived in d. Therefore, he came up with

    this name to express his yearning for his homnd.

    "Sorry, Rick has never mentioned this before."

    "Hmm? Are you showing off?" Kendall squinted her eyes. Her gaze was intense.

    "No. I definitely asked Rick before partnering with Avery, so..."

    Charlotte thought she was only being honest.

    Kendall smiled and ran her hand through her short hair. She took a few steps forward and stood in

    front of Charlotte. Although she looked short and delicate, her heels made her look quite tall.

    She stared down at Charlotte. "Miss Charlotte, it doesn''t matter if you''re showing off or not. We''re

    already enemies."

    "I don''t think that we''re enemies," Charlotte said casually.

    "Is that so?"

    "You care so much about Rick but you didn''t go to the hospital to see him at once. This proves that

    I''m more important to you than Rick is. ording to your personality, you wouldn''t care so much

    about an enemy like me. So, there must be another reason why you wanted to see me today."

    Kendall was a little stunned. But when she thought of Charlotte''s past, she instantly shrugged it off.

    "It''s true. I''vee to see you for something else."

    "Please borate."

    "I want to take care of Rick at the hospital. As a reward, I can give you 7% of my Emerson

    Corporation shares. I think you would really need that."

    "You have that much?" Charlotte widened her eyes.

    A total of 7%!

    Don''t underestimate this 7%.

    Under the current situation, Charlotte owned 20% of the shares, ine owned 41% whereas

    Christopher owned 13%. The additional 7% share would certainly give her more say in the

    company.

    "After I finish taking care of Rick, I will give you the remaining 5%." Kendall immediately enticed

    Charlotte after seeing that she was tempted.

    She had absolute confidence that Charlotte would definitely agree.

    Charlotte was indeed tempted.

    But soon, she was able to calm down.

    "I''m sorry, Miss Stevens. Although this is an attractive opportunity, I''m afraid I cannot let you take

    care of my fiance."

    "What?" Kendall didn''t expect that Charlotte would reject her.

    "The shares obtained by betraying my fiance will haunt my conscience. However, I can bring you to

    the hospital to visit him. I''ll let you stay there to take care of him."

    Kendall clenched her fists and stared fiercely at the person in front of her.

    The arrogance and disdain she had at first hadpletely vanished. Her palms were full of sweat.

    "Why not?"

    "I allow you to stay by his side because of your friendship with him, and also because I trust my

    husband. Even if you admire him deeply, he will still love me the same."

    "You don''t love him at all." Kendall stepped forward unconsciously. The tip of her nose pointed

    closely towards Charlotte''s face. "Otherwise, you would have been jealous!"

    "You''re right. I don''t love him enough, but this is exactly why I can take good care of him. If I get

    jealous because of loving him too much, I might get in a fight with you, and that will be too

    exhausting for him."

    Kendall took a step back and said, "Where did he find someone like you, who''s asposed as

    himself..."

    Was she simr to Rick?

    Charlotte didn''t think that she was simr to Rick at all.

    "Do you want to go to the hospital now? I have something to tell him."

    "Yes, I want to go."

    She wanted to see how Charlotte and Rickmunicated with each other.

    Charlotte returned to the office and picked up some documents about ke. When she returned to

    the lobby, she saw Kendall talking politely and elegantly to the employees.

    She was somewhat envious of Kendall.

    The kind of charisma radiated from someone who came from a great family and was loved by her

    parents was the kind of charisma she would never have.

    Kendall noticed Charlotte''s gaze and turned around to smile at her. She waved her hand and said,

    "Miss Emerson, let''s go now?"

    "Alright." Charlotte walked over to her side and added, "Call me Lottie, Miss Emerson doesn''t sound

    friendly."

    "You don''t mind if I call you Lottie?"

    After her arrogance disappeared, she was just like an adorable and yful baby fox.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216

    Charlotte shook her head. "I''m older than you anyways."

    "But I thought that women care a lot about who''s older or younger between each other, especially

    for a rival like me. Don''t you feel self-conscious at all?"

    She did.

    To get along with this woman, you either had to love to pretend or behave as if you were born

    stupid.

    Charlotte said helplessly, "I already told you that I don''t see you as a rival."

    "That means you don''t love Rick."

    "Kendall, if you can make Rick happy and he''s willing to give me up to be with you, I won''tin.

    Maybe you were right, my feelings for Rick are still not enough to be called love. I just...don''t want

    him to get hurt." Charlotte lowered her gaze.

    In her heart, to love and not to love were actually not that important anymore.

    She was only thinking about how to create profit for herpany and speed up the process of

    retaking Emerson Corporation so that ine can pay for what she deserved to pay.

    As for the other reason.

    She honestly didn''t want to think about it, nor did she dare to think about it.

    Kendall looked at the woman beside her and suddenly reached out to hold her arm. "There''s no

    such thing as to hope that someone doesn''t get hurt or not, there''s only to love or not to love. If you

    love someone, you won''t ever think of letting go, even if both of you were deeply scarred."

    For some reason, Shane''s face appeared in her mind. She shuddered and shook her head

    forcefully.

    "You''re thinking about someone, aren''t you?"

    "I..."

    "I want to tell Rick that you''re being unfaithful to him," Kendall lowered her guard in front of

    Charlotte and yfully said to her like a child.

    Feeling helpless, she was about to rify that she wasn''t being disloyal to Rick but she thought that

    it could only be said after she had married Rick. Charlotte had already restrained her feelings for

    Shane and even tried her best to stop seeing him. All of a sudden, her phone rang.

    She took out her phone and was slightly surprised to see the word ''Rick''. Then she picked it up and

    said, "Rick?" "I heard that Kendall went to see you?" His tone was a bit cold.

    "Yes, I was nning to bring her over to see you. She''s still quite worried about you," exined

    Charlotte.

    "Bring her over to see me... What am I to you, Charlotte?"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Whatever."

    Rick straightaway hung up the phone.

    Charlotte looked at Kendall in confusion. "Rick called me. I said I wanted to bring you over to see

    him. Then, he asked me what he means to me in a furious tone. What is going on with him? "

    "It''s so pitiful for Rick to like you." Kendall sighed.

    "What?"

    "He must have called to exin that he had nothing to do with me and wanted you not to listen to

    whatever I said. However, you immediately said that you wanted to take me there. How can he not

    be angry?"

    Did it mean that being jealous should have been her normal reaction?

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Charlotte said helplessly, "But isn''t it better to have one more friend than to have another enemy?"

    "In his eyes, I''m just a devil in human form. I''m the only one who bullies others and no one bullies

    me in return. He always just sees me as being mischievous and naughty. Never knowing how hard I

    tried to close the gap between us," said Kendall while biting her lips.

    "I can see that. Obviously, you have a very soft and cute personality but had to pretend as if you

    were arrogant and cold when you first met me."

    "Which one do you think suits me better?"

    Charlotte thought for a second and said bluntly, "To be honest, you look just like how you are now in

    my expectation. An adorable little girl. Not a soulless businesswoman who tries to hide her true

    personality."

    Kendall had never thought that her enemy would think that she looked cute.

    "Don''t think that I''ll stop stealing Rick from you just because you called me cute."

    "It''s his honor to have you to adore him. And if a lover can be stolen, it was never meant to be

    called a lover," said Charlotte as she smiled.

    For example...

    Shane, who divorced her because of another woman.

    Honestly, it was only because she didn''t feel anything for him. So, to love or not, to get married or

    not, didn''t matter so much.

    She believed that Rick loved her, and that''s why she wasn''t afraid of Kendall at all. Right?

    That was probably why she wasn''t jealous.

    In the hospital.

    Charlotte brought Kendall to the front of the ward and knocked on the door. A nurse opened the

    door and said, "Miss Charlotte, you''re here."

    "Where''s Rick?" She looked inside.

    "He is undergoing rehabilitation training at thepartment, said his legs were a little numb."

    Charlotte nodded and walked over with Kendall.

    As soon as the door was pushed open, Kendall immediately jumped into Rick''s arm and hugged

    him tightly. "Rick!"

    Rick was startled. Then, he pushed her away with a sullen face. "Didn''t I tell you not to hug me like

    that again?"

    "Don''t be so mean." Kendall held his arm and pouted.

    "You...Don''t be so disgusting."

    Although Rick called Kendall disgusting, he didn''t recoil from her friendliness.

    Kendall''s eyes brightened as she ran back over to

    Charlotte and whispered in her ears, " As expected, all I have to do is to pout at him. I didn''t even

    know that it''s easier to approach him by being gentle to him than being forceful to him. I thought that

    he would pay more attention to me if I annoy him."

    The little girl in front of her was full of energy,pletely different from the one she first met at the

    reception room.

    From the bottom of her heart, Charlotte actually liked this little girl a lot. She reached out and

    caressed her hair.

    "You two..." Rick found it hard toprehend the scene in front of him.

    "Can''t we?" Charlotte lifted her head and smiled at him.

    Rick pursed her lips.

    Although Kendall missed Rick very much and didn''t want Charlotte and Rick to be alone together,

    she could tell that they had something to say to each other.

    Instead of staying here like a nuisance, she thought that it would be better to wait for them outside.

    "Charlotte had just said that, if you treat Rick with courtesy, he would definitely reciprocate it. Rather

    than thinking of how to behave like an independent woman or a trouble maker, it was better to be a

    delicate and cute girl," Kendall thought.

    "I''ll go out first. You guys can talk. But, you have to invite me for dinner tonight, Rick." Kendall

    looked at Rick expectantly.

    Rick hesitated for a moment and nodded eventually.

    Kendall shed him a sweet smile and left the room.

    Charlotte took out the documents from a folder and handed them to Rick. "The incident about ke

    may not be that simple."

    "Did youe here just to tell me this?" Rick epted the documents and ced them on the side

    table.

    "Kendall is very cute. I will be good friends with her, and you don''t have to worry about her

    hurting me. I wasn''t jealous because I believe that you love me to a great extent and will never

    choose to be with her." Charlotte said word by word.

    She believed that he loved her?

    Rick said with a self-deprecating smile, "Do you carethat I love you?"

    "We''re already engaged, Rick. I''ll try my best to do what a wife should do."

    "Charlotte, I just want you to tell me, do I receive anything for loving you?"

    Charlotte fell silent for a moment and slowly nodded. "I''m human too. I''ll be touched and moved.

    Maybe those are still not enough to be love'', but I can still try my best to fall in love with you, right?"

    Rick turned away from her and said in a harsher tone, "You really don''t care if I date Kendall?"

    "I trust you."

    "Do you really trust me or you just don''t care?"

    Charlotte felt extremely wronged. She gently held Rick''s hand and said in a gentle voice, "It''s not

    wrong for you to not believe me. You doubted me because I failed to make you feel secure in our

    rtionship. I will try my best, Rick. Let''s be good to each other, alright?"

    The love of his life told him softly that she believed he wouldn''t cheat on her and wanted them to

    stay together happily.

    He should have jumped with joy.

    However, what emerged in his mind was that man''s face!

    Those vicious, cold eyes and thin, bloodless lips...

    Rick realized that all the times he said he didn''t care about Charlotte''s past and only wanted to be

    with her, they were all just empty words.

    People wouldn''t be able to overlook their past when they were involved in an intimate rtionship.

    The closer they were to one another, the more they would wonder if the other had felt the same way

    for their former partner in the past as well.

    Rick closed her eyes and said in a calm tone, "I understand."

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217

    Charlotte let go of him and said, "Well, then let''s go outside and chat with Kendall. I still have a lot to

    discuss with her."

    "Don''t you want to stay with me for a little longer?" Rick turned around and looked at her

    disappointedly.

    "But, we''re a family. We can chat whenever we want to. As long as you want to see me, we can do

    that for 24 hours. But it''s different for her because she''s not our family," Charlotte said sincerely.

    Family.

    Rick felt like he had lost to Charlotte. With a sigh, he pulled her into a hug and said with a wry smile,

    "I have beenpletely defeated..."

    Charlotte hugged him back. "In the end, I still inevitably bumped into Shane. I told him about how I

    promised you that I won''t see him again, and guess what he said?"

    "Hm?" Rick was utterly attentive.

    "He said that the reason you were mad was that there''s no way I could avoid him. He also added

    that the more I exin, the more it means that something''s actually going on between us two. If our

    rtionship is innocent, then why do we have to stop seeing each other?"

    Rick lowered his guard and said, "Let''s go out then."

    "Alright."

    Kendall was quite a talkative person and was also able to talk about a wide range of topics.

    Furthermore, her family was very outstanding. So, the words that came out of her mouth were

    natural, smooth, and rxing.

    The time to leave had arrived.

    Once again, Kendall asked Charlotte if she could stay to apany Rick. Charlotte smiled and

    gave her consent.

    In fact, she also knew that Rick didn''t really feel like seeing her at that moment. Moreover, there

    was a lot to be done at herpany and partnership. She didn''t have too much time to take care of

    Rick, so Kendall actually helped her by being there.

    Kendall looked ecstatic. So, Charlotte paid no further attention to her and went back home on her

    own.

    Early in the next morning.

    As soon as Charlotte arrived at the office, her assistant immediately sent a message to her. She

    said that the Stevens Family joined the partnership, threatened Ashely with her dark secrets, and

    even ordered Manager Kent to leave.

    Charlotte knew that Kendall did that for her sake, but she couldn''t ept the way she did it. After

    all, Manager Kent didn''t do anything that would actually harm her interests.

    But it wouldn''t be smart if Charlotte said this directly to her face.

    "Just pretend that you don''t know about this and don''t provide any assistance. I won''t participate in

    anything that concerns the partnership for now. Kendall will know that I actually don''t want her to

    help." Charlotte handed back the documents and said, "Destroy them."

    "Yes," the assistant responded.

    Charlotte had been busy the entire morning. At noon, she received a call from Avery, inviting her to

    have lunch with him.

    She epted the invitation happily.

    As soon as they met, Avery filled her in with everything that happened after his investigation.

    "I didn''t expect Shane to be so...ordinary. He followed me for a whole night, just to tell me that his

    father died from overworking." Avery picked up the wine ss in front of him and drank the white

    grape wine in one gulp.

    "That was the only thing he said?" Charlotte also felt a little surprised.

    "At first, I just thought that it would be great as long as I don''t arouse any conflict since I was in his

    territory. But this time, I realized the brutal fact that I will always be afraid of Shane and will never be

    able to rx when ites to matters that concern him."

    Charlotte could understand this feeling.

    She felt the same way towards Rick.

    It was natural for a man to eat a burger. But if it was Shane who ate the burger, he would probably

    just end up buying the store and their trademark like it was the most normal thing to do.

    Shane Fuller. These two words sounded just like a designer brand.

    The two of them started to eat after they finished talking about Avery''s investigation.

    When they were almost done, Avery wiped the corner of his lips elegantly and said calmly, "After

    finishing lunch with you, I''ll be meeting a person named Yuliana Lane."

    "I remember that she was in a vegetative state." Charlotte''s.

    She had almost forgotten about this person.

    Avery only smiled mysteriously and bent over to pull his hair upzily. He winked at Charlotte and

    said, "I know."

    Charlotte was so disgusted by his actions that she even lost her appetite to eat. While putting down

    her knife and fork, she asked, "So, are you meeting her because of what happened to me?"

    "Of course not, I have my own business to take care of. You cane with me if you don''t believe

    it."

    When they weren''t discussing business matters, Charlotte really couldn''t take his flirty voice.

    After the two of them exchanged a few words, Charlotte fled to her office.

    It was absolutely vital to have a strong heart when you talk with Avery.

    Contrarily, she would rather read two more books.

    Avery arrived at the hospital.

    ording to his informant''s data, Yuliana had actually woken up a long time ago. But she bribed

    somebody to stop the information from spreading.

    Actually, the informant only started investigating when he saw that Yuliana wasn''t in her ward while

    he was visiting the hospital unintentionally.

    And the reason why he wanted to investigate Yuliana was that...

    Avery took out a slightly discolored photo of three women from his pocket.

    They were Yuliana, his sister, and his girlfriend.

    This was an important picture he received from his teacher recently.

    Avery stepped to the front of the ward and stopped.

    In the ward, Yuliana was leaning against the window and staring into the distance.

    He gently knocked on the door.

    Yuliana was stunned. When she was about to pretend to be a vegetable, she realized that the man

    had already seen her. A sense of hatred shed across her eyes but was soon reced by shock.

    She remembered the man in front of her.

    There was a photo of Irena and this man in her purse.

    After carefully checking and confirming that there was nobody behind the man, only she opened the

    door.

    Avery grinned at her and greeted, "Hello, beautifuldy. My name is Avery and I''m Irena''s..."

    "Boyfriend," Yuliana answered immediately. "Why did youe to find me? Wait no, how did you

    know that I''ve woken up, I don''t remember telling

    anybody!? "

    Yuliana was awfully tense.

    Avery smiled while shaking his head. He gently grabbed Yuliana''s hand and kissed the back of her

    hand politely. "If you think that it''s too dangerous here, I can help you transfer to the Hart family''s

    hospital. What do you think?"

    Yuliana''s eyes movedterally as she considered thoughtfully. After a moment of hesitation, she

    gritted her teeth and nodded aggressively, "I can tell you anything as long as you don''t tell my sister

    that I''m awake."

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "Of course, I''m more than happy to be at your service."

    Avery was very efficient. It only took him an hour to help Yuliana transfer to another hospital.

    After arriving at the new environment along with an upgraded ward, Yuliana was finally able to take

    a load off her mind.

    She closed the curtains and even locked the door. Carefully, she touched every object in the room

    to make sure that there were no bugs.

    "This person is trustworthy and incredibly smart. He''s also quite good-looking. And Irena is already

    dead now," Yuliana thought to herself.

    If only she could...

    Yuliana asked, "Do you want to know what happened to Irena?"

    "Don''t worry about that first, let''s talk about you. Why do you still need to pretend to be in a

    vegetative state?" Avery sat down in front of her.

    "The thing is..."

    Shane was the father of Charlotte''s child.

    Avery had heard about this before. He narrowed his eyes and did not give any response.

    Seeing that he didn''t even care about the most scandalous thing in this matter, Yuliana decided to

    stop beating around the bush and tell him everything directly.

    In Avery''s opinion, the matter was as simple as it seemed. Due to Charlotte''s return to the country

    and the fact that ine already knew about the child, ine thought that Yuliana no longer served

    any purpose in her life so she wanted to kill Yuliana. And that was why Yuliana had to pretend to be

    a vegetable.

    This made sense.

    "Sir, that''s all about me." Yuliana thought that Avery would help her because of her pleasant

    attitude.

    I''m in a partnership with Charlotte, and that''s exactly why I investigated you. What you said earlier,

    can you say it one more time in front of her?" Avery said with a slight grin.

    He was in a partnership with Charlotte!

    Yuliana was confused. "But aren''t you Irena''s boyfriend? Why would you work with her? Could it be

    that Irena and Charlotte are..."

    "Charlotte''s surname is Emerson, whereas Irena''s surname is Chambers. They''re totally not rted.

    The reason why I looked for you in the first ce was because of Irena. However, don''t you think

    that it would be more worth it for me to aplish my goals and help Charlotte at the same time?

    Avery shed her a nonchnt and charming smile, but Yuliana was in extreme terror.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218

    Avery took Yuliana to meet Charlotte and told her everything that happened.

    Charlotte remained expressionless. She pretended that this never happened and said ndly,

    "Take care of her as best you can. Don''t let ine find her. She''s so wicked for even thinking of

    killing her own sister."

    "Charlotte, you don''t me me at all? If it weren''t for me, you and Shane wouldn''t have turned out

    like..."

    "I''m very happy now." Charlotte interrupted her and continued, "Happiness is something you have to

    fight for on your own. Taking away another person''s experience and ne is useless. You

    should know this better than anyone else."

    Yuliana was stunned when she heard that.

    Charlotte was right.

    She knew better than anyone else.

    If it weren''t because she believed in ine, why would she be stuck in a vegetative state for such a

    long time? Why would she remain a living death for so long?

    Lying static on her bed from day to night, she almost tore her skin during the first few days after she

    woke up.

    She hated ine, but she hated herself even more at that time!

    "If you need me to confront ine, I am willing to bring this matter to the court!" Yuliana gnashed

    her teeth and said.

    "This is our personal business. I don''t want other people to get involved in this. But if I had the

    opportunity to send her to jail, you can lend me a hand."

    "Charlotte, I can''t be friends with you, but I respect you from the bottom of my heart. I''m uncultured

    and a fool. I don''t have anything of value to give you, but I have this..."

    Yuliana took out a ne.''Tve always brought this with me. It''s finally back to its owner now."

    Mom''s ne.

    The moment Charlotte reached out to touch it, she felt all the blood in her body boiling. She had

    been looking for this ne all along.

    "Thank you. Even though you said that you couldn''t be friends with me, I think that we can just let

    bygones be bygones."

    Yuliana was indeed uncultured. She burned so many brain cells and yet still couldn''t understand

    what Charlotte really meant. She simply thought that Charlotte was thanking her, so she kept

    waving her hand in an excessive manner.

    Seeing that the matter was resolved, Avery smiled and said, "Since both of you have reconciled, do

    I get a reward for being the mediator?"

    "Your reward is to take Yuliana to dinner. You can eat anything you like, even if it''s at a five-star

    hotel. I''ll pay for it," Charlotte answered.

    "Hahahaha, that''s fine too. I know you don''t like to eat with me."

    "So you know?" The two of them became very close to each other now, so Charlotte couldn''t care

    less to show respect to him.

    Avery shook his head helplessly. "Yuliana, let me take you to dinner. Let''s talk about Irena while

    we''re at it."

    "Okay, Mr. Hart."

    The two of them left.

    Charlotte sat back on the chair in front of her desk, but she couldn''t calm down no matter how.

    In Yuliana''s case, even though Shane did save her once, he didn''t love her. He only gave her some

    money.

    So he didn''t really care about saving her or not, did he?

    He wouldn''t care about me giving birth to his child,

    would he?

    Charlotte''s mood suddenly turned sour. She bit her lips and swore silently in her heart that she

    could never let Shane know that Sheryl was his child.

    She didn''t want to be treated by him like that anymore. She was even looked down upon by him

    with all his heart.

    After Avery said goodbye to Yuliana, he invited Shane to join him at the bar.

    This time, it wasn''t Shane who asked him out, but him who asked Shane out.

    Shane immediately declined him, saying that he had an important meeting to attend that night. But

    Avery was adamant about meeting him.

    "I have something more important to tell you. I don''t mind waiting for you even if it''s untilte at

    night. Please make time for me."

    Avery rarely spoke to others in such a serious tone.

    Shane didn''t refuse this time. He merely replied, "11:40." And Avery instantly sent him the address.

    Eleven o''clock.

    This should be the busiest hour at the bar.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    However, the bar that Avery was sitting in was nearly empty. He sat by the window and watched the

    rain outside as the voice of the folk singer traveled to his ears. He gently closed his eyes and

    enjoyed the music.

    Creak-

    Cole, who was holding an umbre, pushed open the door.

    Shane stepped into the bar.

    Avery looked up and met his eyes.

    "Mr. Fuller." Avery stood up and bowed respectfully. "I apologize once again."

    "That is unnecessary." Shane helped him up. Then, he sat down, took off his coat, and set it aside.

    "A ss of Singapore Sling."

    "You''re my special guest. I''ll give you two sses."

    The bartender swiftly finished tending two sses of cocktail.

    Cole took the sses of alcohol over and tasted them with two separate spoons. After making sure

    that they were not poisonous, he ced the sses in front of them.

    Avery just smiled without showing any signs that he felt vited.

    "What can I do for you this time?" Shane picked up the ss and sipped the cocktail. He beamed

    with delight and said, "This cocktail is not bad."

    "The bartenders here are all first-ss. You can drink as much as you like when youe here in

    the future."

    "So..."

    "It''s because of Charlotte. So, this is what happened." Avery started exining.

    The more Shane listened, the more somber his face became.

    In the end, he finished an entire ss of cocktail. He let his hand fall, making a loud mming

    sound as the bottom of the ss hit the table.

    Avery swallowed hard and tried to get his emotions under control by shing him a big grin. "That''s

    basically it. So, Sheryl is definitely your child. Yuliana even returned the ne to Charlotte."

    "I know that she''s my child."

    "In that case, why don''t you hurry up and... Wait, what did you say? You knew?"

    Avery''s expression changed from disappointment to shock. After that, he propped himself up on the

    table and looked at Shane as if he was looking at a monster.

    Shane had no expression on his face.

    "I knew."

    He repeated the two words nkly.

    "How did you know?" Avery screamed in surprise.

    "It''s me." Cole immediately took the initiative to tell the entire story. "That is probably the case. I

    didn''t mean to see it on purpose. I can only say that everything was too coincidental. After that, Mr.

    Fuller has always wanted toe clear with Miss Charlotte. He wanted to keep her by his side

    without exposing the truth. But everything yed out differently, making her straying further and

    further away from him. It wasn''t that Mr. Fuller didn''t want to, it was..."

    "Cole." Shane interrupted calmly.

    Cole immediately shut his mouth. He knew that he shouldn''t say that much.

    However, he also didn''t want Mr. Fuller to keep his thoughts all to himself.

    "I can understand. Women are just so mystical." Avery smiled and said, "I just want to ask if you

    need any help, Mr. Fuller?"

    "What''s that?"

    "Don''t get me wrong. Theoretically, I should be helping Rick but I heard that his childhooddy

    friend has been hanging out with him a lot recently. She''s very cute and gracious, has a positive and

    cheerful personality, and also has an elegant appearance."

    If an elegant woman failed to make a man fall in love with her, then a lovely, affectionate, and

    elegant woman would definitely make a man fall head over heels in love with her.

    She was the girl you could never forget and also the girl who was out of reach.

    Shane subconsciously picked up the ss, only to realize that his ss was empty when his lips

    touched the rim of the ss.

    He put down his ss.

    "What''s her opinion on that?" he asked.

    "It was Charlotte who took the girl to see Rick. It was also Charlotte who allowed the girl to stay

    beside Rick and take care of him. The girl felt sorry for that, so she intervened with the partnership.

    You should have known."

    Shane nodded and recalled her face. "Kendall."

    "Yes. So, I think that not only does Charlotte not love Rick, she is also more than willing to see him

    fall in love with someone else. Otherwise, she wouldn''t just ignore such an obvious rival. However, I

    think that things won''t make sense at the office. Once Rick and Kendall are together, what will

    happen even if she manages thepany in perfect order?"

    "Rick is a gentleman." "He is definitely a gentleman, but not everyone is."

    There was a deeper meaning in Shane''s eyes when he looked at Avery.

    Avery smiled charismatically with his eyes. "Mr. Fuller, my beauty is just a strategy to confuse the

    enemy."

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219

    "Despicable."

    "Since you''re able to say that word to my face, I assume that we''re already friends. I am honored."

    Averyughed and said, "I''m the beneficiary in both cases. I may not be sincere to you, but I may

    not be loyal to Rick as well. If there''s anything you need help with, I will certainly not hesitate to help

    you, provided that it doesn''t harm my benefits."

    Shane uttered, "Alright."

    Avery and Shane were silent for a while. Then, Avery suddenly opened his mouth and said, "You

    can take Sheryl out for a walk in crowded areas. Instead of letting Charlotte wait to be dumped, you

    might as well intensify their conflict. At least you can still seize an opportunity."

    "I''ll see." Shane didn''t want to confront Rick directly.

    Avery didn''t continue his speech. He stood up and said, "Mr. Fuller, you can rest a little longer. I''ll

    leave first."

    Shane nodded.

    After Avery left, Cole stepped forward and asked, "Mr. Fuller, are we still going to stay here?"

    "Wait."

    What were they waiting for?

    Cole was puzzled.

    About ten minutester, a man holding a camera suddenly walked in and handed him a business

    card, saying that he was a reporter from the newspaperpany.

    Cole instantly recalled what Avery had said before, that Shane could take Sheryl out for a walk in

    crowded areas...

    And now a reporter had appeared out of nowhere.

    Avery must have wanted to introduce him to Shane and let him expose Sheryl''s identity.

    But would it be beneficial for thepany if he did that?

    Cole''s heart was beating like a drum. He wanted to walk over and remind Shane, but he was talking

    to the reporter. It seemed like he didn''t have the chance to interrupt.

    When the reporter left, the n had already been made.

    "Mr. Fuller, do you really want to reveal your rtionship with Sheryl? Thements online may not

    be good for thepany."

    "They won''t disclose our rtionship ."

    "Huh?" Cole was stunned.

    "They just need to take pictures of me taking Sheryl out to y."

    Cole couldn''t understand the purpose behind Shane''s decision, but he knew that Shane must have

    had his own reasons for doing that. It would be better for him to not ask about it.

    The next day.

    Charlotte arrived at the partnership to attend a meeting.

    Manager Kent was absent this time, and even Shane wasn''t there.

    Ashley tried hinting at Charlotte a few times to not be overly ruthless because it wouldn''t be a good

    thing for anyone if she didn''t treat people with respect andpassion.

    Charlotte was not a fool. She obviously understood her hint. However, it was a pity that she had no

    idea why Shane didn''t attend the meeting.

    The meeting was quite important because two significant projects would start going into operation

    after that.

    Unless he went abroad for a business trip, Shane had no reason not to attend the meeting.

    However, whether he came or not, it had nothing to do with her at all.

    It had nothing to do with her.

    Charlotte repeatedly tried to convince herself.

    As soon as the meeting ended, Charlotte returned to Jane Corporation.

    Not long after she sat down in the office, her assistant rushed in hastily. "Ms. Emerson, why did you

    shut down your phone?"

    "My phone was shut down?" she questioned herself.

    When Charlotte took out her phone, she realized that her phone had indeed run out of battery. She

    handed the phone to the assistant and said, "Help me charge it, please."

    "Yes." The assistant took it and turned around to leave immediately. After walking out for a few

    steps, she returned and said, "Mr. Emerson, it actually wasn''t me who has been waiting for you to

    come back. It was Mr. Jane who couldn''t find you, and he kept calling me."

    "Why did he want to see me?"

    "He... seems to be very angry. You better go to the hospital to find out."

    Rick was angry?

    Charlotte nodded tiredly. "I''ll get my work done first. Previously, you said that twopanies wanted

    to partner with us to release a mug. Can I have a look at that?"

    "Yes."

    Whenever Charlotte got caught up with work, she tended to forget about time.

    By the time she finally had the chance to take a break, it was already a little past six o''clock.

    Most people in the office had left.

    Jane Corporation''s working hour was 9 am to 6 pm. Employees had the freedom to choose whether

    to work extra hours or not.

    Normally, departments that clocked off earlier would already be empty around 5 pm.

    Charlotte stood up to massage her shoulders. Only then did she remember to retrieve her phone

    from her assistant. She looked at the screen and noticed that she had 7 missed calls.

    Rick had never called her so many times.

    She immediately called him back.

    After a short while, the person on the other end of the line picked up.

    "Charlotte." Rick''s voice sounded cold.

    "Rick, I was too busy today. I immediately went to charge my phone when I arrived at thepany.

    I only thought of checking it after I finished work. I''m sorry."

    "Come to the hospital."

    "Are you not feeling well?"

    Rick didn''t answer her question and hung up the phone immediately.

    Rick was angry for real.

    This thought popped up in Charlotte''s mind.

    Without any hesitation, she turned around and left.

    In the hospital.

    Charlotte ran almost all the way to Rick''s ward.

    She pushed the door open and saw Rick sitting on the couch. A lot of photos were disyed on the

    coffee table in front of him.

    Charlotte walked over and stopped in front of the coffee table. "Rick, what''s wrong with you?"

    "Look at this."

    What is this?

    Charlotte bent over to pick up the photo on the coffee table.

    It was Shane and Sheryl.

    The father and daughter looked very simr. Even if nobody intentionally said that they were father

    and daughter, people wouldn''t think otherwise either.

    "This..." Charlotte was stunned.

    "Did you hand Sheryl over to Shane?"

    "Uhh, yes," she replied.

    "It seems like Shane is trying to use this as a bargaining chip. He asked you for Sheryl, right?"

    "He said that you were hospitalized, and I was kind of busy too. There was no one to take care of

    Sheryl, so..."

    Rick sneered.

    At that moment, Charlotte didn''t dare to continue.

    Rick stood up, his body almost touching Charlotte''s. He gritted his teeth and said in a cold and

    husky voice, "Isn''t he busy? Does he not have anything to do? Is he less busy than you?"

    "I didn''t agree either at that time, but then he directly..."

    "In your heart, am I merely a piece of trash who needs you to trade your daughter with him, to

    obtain fairness?"

    Charlotte widened her eyes and shook her head strongly. "Why would you think of it that way? I''ve

    never thought of it like this."

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    It was true.

    She had never thought of it this way.

    But maybe that was what her behavior meant.

    "In your heart, Shane is invincible, whereas I''m just like a piece of trash after I was injured.

    Charlotte, I really don''t know if there''s a need for me to continue this one-sided rtionship." Rick

    turned around wearily.

    "Rick, I didn''t think of it that way. I''m just really busy and Sheryl likes Shane too, so that''s why I..."

    "Is it Sheryl who likes Shane or you who likes Shane?"

    Charlotte instantly choked up.

    After a long time, she finally found the courage to answer, "Of course it''s Sheryl."

    "I can neverpare with Shane. In your heart, I am never equal to him. I think my mind has been

    clear for long enough now. Since I''m the only one courting you and forcing you to be with me, I''ll let

    you go now."

    I let go.

    Charlotte walked out of the ward feeling helpless.

    When she left the hospital and sat in the car, her eyes suddenly started to well up.

    She leaned over the steering wheel and buried her head in her arms.

    From the beginning to the end, she had never looked down on Rick and never thought of asking

    Shane for help. But, it was only because a lot of the things were closely rted to her, so she had

    no choice.

    Rick said that he loved her. It was true. He loved her and she could feel it too.

    However, whenever something came to an end, the person who had topromise would always

    be her. She was sacrificing and wanted to repay his love too. She was trying her best to learn to fall

    in love with him.

    All of a sudden, he took back all his love. She had noints because he had the right to

    change it.

    But why did he have to do it this way? Why did he have to invalidate all the efforts andpromises

    that she had made?

    After resting for a while, Charlotte raised her head and looked at the rearview mirror to wipe away

    the tears on her face.

    The person in the mirror looked exhausted and low- spirited, particrly ugly with her hair

    disheveled.

    Beep! Beep! Beep!

    Her phone rang urgently.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and picked up the phone. She ced it to her ear and said, "Hello,

    who is this?"

    No matter how devastated she was, she couldn''t let it interfere with her work.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220

    "It''s me." The person on the phone only said two words.

    "Shane..." Charlotte''s voice quivered.

    Shane nced at the little fellow who was ying in the ball pit at the yground. His eyes

    softened at the sight of that. "Let''s have dinner together and tell me about the content of today''s

    meeting."

    Charlotte sniffed and said, "I don''t want to see you."

    "What''s wrong?" He frowned slightly, sensing that something was wrong with her.

    "I''m fine."

    "How can you say that you''re fine when you''re crying? Give me your address."

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Charlotte shook her head. Only after a while did she remember that they were on the phone, and he

    couldn''t see her shaking her head.

    She said, "I''m really fine."

    "Come have dinner with me then."

    "I''m really not in the mood for dinner today. How about tomorrow?" Charlotte''s voice was hoarse,

    making her sound rather pathetic.

    "Stay where you are."

    Before Charlotte understood the meaning of this sentence, she heard Shane walking into the crowd,

    followed by Sheryl''s voice.

    After a short while, Shane hung up the phone.

    It wasn''t until then did Charlotte realize that the reason Shane didn''t attend the partnership meeting

    today was that he was taking care of Sheryl?

    He was absent because of Sheryl?

    For some reason, Charlotte felt a shiver run down her spine.

    Shane was already so devoted to Sheryl even before knowing that she was her daughter?

    Charlotte decided to wait for Shane toe because she genuinely had no idea where she should

    go. After buying a cup of coffee, she just stayed in her car. In less than 20 minutes, a Maybach

    stopped in front of her car and honked at her.

    She looked up.

    Cole got out of the car to open the door of the backseat. Shane stepped out of the car with his

    slender and sturdy legs. His muscr and rxed figure slowly emerged. A small and chubby girl

    who seemed to be asleep was lying on his shoulders.

    Charlotte stared nkly at him as he walked closer and closer towards herself. It wasn''t until he

    knocked on her ss window with his slender fingers that she came back to her senses and

    pressed a button to lower her window.

    "Open the door."

    "It''s open."

    Shane signaled Cole to open the door.

    Cole respectfully opened the door of the driver''s seat and bent over politely to open the door of the

    backseat for Charlotte and Shane. He then sat down on the driver''s seat.

    Before Charlotte could react, she was already sitting beside Shane.

    "Your car..." she couldn''t help but ask.

    "Miss Charlotte, I''lle back and drive my car home," Cole exined.

    Charlotte bit her lower lip and said, "Okay."

    "Tell me, what happened?" Shane''s gazended on Charlotte.

    Her eyes were a little red, her hair was messy too, and her lips, bloodless.

    This little woman definitely cried.

    Charlotte shook her head. "It''s not a big deal, just something personal."

    "I don''t think you want me to force you to confess in front of your daughter, do you?"

    "You..." Charlotte red at him. But the moment she made eye contact with him, she immediately

    gave in. She lowered her head and softly said, "Rick doesn''t want me anymore."

    There was a dead silence.

    Cole didn''t even dare to make a sound with his breathing.

    "That''s normal."

    After a long time, Shane''s voice finally rang out in the car.

    Charlotte''s eyes well up once again. "I''m embarrassed to me you too because clearly, you have

    good intentions. It''s just that I''m not really good at dealing with this kind of problem. It''s all my fault.

    I''ll apologize and make it up to him in a few days."

    "He won''t forgive you."

    "Impossible. Rick loves me a lot. He..."

    "That''s only what you think."

    Charlotte didn''t look at him and just clenched her fists.

    Halfway on the road, Sheryl woke up from her sleep. When she saw Charlotte, she immediately

    hugged her by her neck and talked about how Shane had spent the whole day with her. They went

    to the zoo and the megamall after returning to the city, where they yed with softballs in the kid''s

    yground.

    Sheryl said that she had already told Shane a week ago that she wanted to go out and y today,

    and Shane promised her at that time. He even took her to buy some clothes yesterday.

    "Mommy, I think you''re the only one missing from our home," the little fellow said in a low and

    muffled voice.

    "Don''t talk nonsense."

    "I wasn''t talking nonsense. I just think that it''s very pitiful for daddy to be alone. He came to pick me

    up at school once and even fell asleep in the car."

    Charlotte was shocked. She looked at Shane and lowered her head, saying, "Thank you."

    "I didn''t do it for you."

    "Sheryl is my daughter," she immediately said.

    "So, does that mean I can''t like her?"

    Charlotte was rendered speechless. Besides, she already felt that she had been wronged, so her

    tears fell inexplicably.

    Shane nced at her lightly, then took out a ck handkerchief and handed it to her. "Wipe your

    tears."

    She took it and wiped it carelessly. Even her snot was smeared on his handkerchief.

    He certainly wouldn''t want that handkerchief anymore.

    Shane instantly threw it into the ashtray.

    Charlotte ignored him and Sheryl as she stared outside the window.

    "Mommy is in a bad mood today," Sheryl whispered in Shane''s ear.

    The little fellow''s voice was very soft. Her warm breath from her words traveled to his ear, making it

    itchy.

    Shane took the little fellow back into his arms and murmured to her ears, "Does Sheryl have any

    solutions?"

    "After dinner, I will follow Uncle Cole to his car and let him send me home. You can spend some

    time outside with mommy alone!" the little fellow suggested thoughtfully.

    "That''s daddy''s good girl."

    "This is all for my mommy''s happiness," the little fellow said seriously.

    Shaneughed at her silly behavior and said with a smirk, "You''re smart."

    Sheryl was very proud of herself.

    At dinner time, Charlotte was quiet as well. She couldn''t stop thinking about things with Rick, so she

    didn''t eat much.

    When they were almost finished, Sheryl left with Cole. After Charlotte ndly bid Sheryl goodbye,

    she was lost in her thoughts again.

    When there was no food left on the table, her gaze was still dull and numb.

    She suddenly regained her senses when she unintentionally caught a glimpse of the clock and said

    urgently, "It''s already 11 o''clock. Sheryl should go home and sleep. You guys..."

    Where was Sheryl?

    "Where''s Sheryl?" Charlotte asked Shane.

    The man picked up the coffee in front of him and took a sip slowly. "Your daughter was hugging you

    and saying that she''ll see you in her dreams. How could you forget about that so soon?"

    Charlotte gave a bitter smile. "I...maybe I was distracted."

    "Because of Rick?"

    "Yeah." She didn''t try to evade the question.

    "I''ll take you to a ce."

    The beach.

    The beach at nightfall.

    Based on Charlotte''s rough judgment, the temperature of the seawater would probably be under

    zero. Not only would it be bone-chilling, but some parts of the water would have frozen into a thin

    layer of ice too.

    "Why did you bring me here sote at night?" Charlotte hid in the car and ced her hand above

    the heater. She had no intention of getting out of the car at all.

    "This is the main route for the ships of the partnership. Come and have a look."

    That piqued Charlotte''s interest. Even though she was cold, she was still able to endure it by

    clenching her teeth. After all, she was wearing a down jacket.

    The frigid sea breeze and piercing seawater caused Charlotte to shiver as she was walking forward.

    The muscles all over her body were trembling crazily.

    Finally, the two of them walked through a long stone path and arrived in front of a lighthouse.

    While the dim light was emitting from the lighthouse, Charlotte could vaguely see a ship parked on

    the sea in the distance. On the ship, many people were going to and fro, with their necks exposed.

    It seemed like they were carrying goods.

    "Aren''t they cold?" Charlotte couldn''t help but pull her jacket tightly. Let''s not talk about exposing her

    shoulders, taking off a down jacket was enough to suffocate her.

    "Cold, of course," Shane replied lightly. "But to survive, they have no other option."

    All of a sudden, Charlotte felt that those words were unusually heavy and hurtful.

    Those people only managed to move a single box after working for half a day.

    Once again, Shane opened his thin lips and said, "The shipping fee for one box costs 80 dors.

    They have a total of seven people, so one person can only im 11 dors."

    Don''t even mention that it was 11 dors, given if it was 110 dors, or even 1100 dors, Charlotte

    wouldn''t want to touch a box in such cold weather either.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221

    The freezing breeze came one after another, each time chillier than the previous one.

    Suddenly, Charlotte thought that the pain in her heart was actually not that big of a deal. She was

    simply not busy enough, and that was why she had so much time to be sad.

    "Let''s go back."

    Shane opened his mouth and spoke after standing for a while.

    Charlotte turned around with a firm gaze. "Thank you."

    "Rick might fire you, it''s better to make ns beforehand."

    "He... probably won''t, right?" Charlotte didn''t believe it, but she wasn''t sure either.

    After all, she had only seen Rick, who was gentle and didn''t care about gains and losses. She had

    no idea what he would be when he was angry and disappointed. However, she had done so

    much for Jane Corporation. He had no reason to sack her all of a sudden.

    When Charlotte thought of that, she wasn''t worried anymore and decided to just go with the

    flow.

    Back in the car, Charlotte''s nearly frozen limbs were able to eventually warm up after reheating in

    front of the warmer.

    Her gaze was transfixed on those people by the beach as she muttered to herself, "I don''t know if

    they can recover after a night like this."

    Shane drove the car in silence.

    There was no response from Shane, so Charlotte turned to look at him. "Do you know who they''re

    working for?"

    "The partnership, me."

    "You?" Charlotte was dumbfounded.

    When Shane was talking about the partnership, she didn''t think of it the other way. After all, Avery

    had told her that Shane didn''t care much about the partnership, he simply attended all the meetings.

    "Much surprised?"

    "No, I just feel that you clearly know that it''s hard for them, so why do you still order them to unload

    the cargo at night? Can''t it be done the next morning?"

    Charlotte thought that if the situation allowed, it would only be a matter of a few hours. It shouldn''t

    be too big of a problem.

    Unexpectedly, Shane abruptly stopped the car and looked at her with a frigid gaze. "Do you know

    what goods are on the ship?"

    Charlotte hitched her breath and shook her head.

    "Those were reagents. They have to be stored under a specific temperature and period of time as

    they have to be delivered from theboratory to the ship in less than 30 minutes. Otherwise, all the

    goods will be scrapped."

    The reagents were a special cargo in transportation.

    The time and temperature should have to be calcted before leaving theboratory.

    That means, the temperature difference between day and night should also be calcted, and there

    was no way they could wait until the next morning.

    Charlotte lowered her head in embarrassment. "I''m sorry. I should have asked you what''s inside

    before that."

    Shane stared at her with his cold eyes. "Do you like to apologize to others so much?"

    "I''m not like you..."

    "What''s that?"

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "You''ve never apologized to me before," she blurted out.

    In fact, he seemed to have apologized in the past.

    Charlotte immediately regretted as soon as those words tumbled out of her mouth.

    She sounded as if she cared about his apology.

    "At that time, I didn''t think I was wrong."

    Who would have thought that Shane''s answer would cause her to fly into a rage?

    Charlotte was so angry that she puffed out her chest and pointed at him with her trembling finger,

    "You pinned me down in the car to...to do that kind of thing, and you didn''t think it was wrong? Also,

    if it hadn''t been for you, Rick and I wouldn''t have fought about what happened after that."

    As she was speaking.

    Her tone gradually became aggrieved. The rims of her eyes were slightly red as well.

    Shane promptly turned to the side and started the car.

    "You don''t even care to exin. Just because you''re Shane Fuller, it doesn''t mean that you can be

    so stubborn. You think you can get away with everything just because you''re so rich?" Her emotions

    kicked in.

    She shouldn''t have cared about him so much back then and directly sued him at the court!

    Shane slowed down his car. His gazended on the t road. With a calm voice, he said, "The

    damage has already been done. Are you trying to get even with me now?"

    "You..." She choked with anger.

    "Or, I can let you return it."

    "You f*cking bastard."

    He treated her like that because,

    He just thought that she belonged to him, but she begged for other people''s help just for the sake of

    Christopher Gibson.

    In the past, she even ran away from home without him noticing and developed an intimate

    rtionship with another man in just a few days.

    Even if he was like the "Shane" that she mentioned, a man who was widely regarded for being well-

    bred and cold.

    But after all, she was different from other women.

    She was the mother of his child.

    Shane tightened his grip on the steering wheel, causing blue veins to emerge on the surface of his

    skin. "Now that Rick doesn''t want you anymore, maybe you can considering back to me."

    "Go back to you? Who was the one that ditched mest time? Even if I was dumped by another

    man, I would never go back to the trash can that has abandoned me before!" She was still fuming.

    "A trash can?" Shane repeated these three words

    coldly.

    "Is that how I look like in her mind?" he thought to himself.

    Charlotte didn''t even bother to answer him. She propped her head on her hands and looked outside

    the window.

    After sometime.

    She felt that something wasn''t quite right and asked in confusion, "This isn''t the way to my house."

    "It''s the way to my house."

    "Are you taking me to your house?" she suddenly became alert.

    "I took you out to rx and left your daughter home alone. If you go back to Rick''s vi, she''ll ask

    me why I didn''t make you stay." Shane gave a splendid reason, "It''s so tiring to deal with children."

    "You chose this yourself..." she mumbled.

    "Alright, I''ll report to the media now and say that Rick had handed over the shares to me because

    Jane Corporation is performing poorly and needs financing."

    Charlotte was speechless.

    She finally understood.

    You can fight with anyone, but not Shane.

    Because you might not win, and it might not be useful even if you won. Even if it was useful, you

    would still lose when you fight with him next time and even pay for what you owed himst time.

    As the saying goes, the cycle of life and death will never end, and Shane will never die.

    The one who would never die would either be a god or a monster. So the reason why she didn''t

    fight with him wasn''t that she was afraid of him. She simply knew what was the better option to

    choose.

    Charlotte tried to convince herself by saying that. She wanted to hide so badly because of

    embarrassment.

    Nothing good would ever happen whenever she was with Shane.

    The next day.

    After Charlotte and Sheryl had their meal, they went to Jane Corporation.

    As soon as they entered the office, Charlotte sensed that there was something wrong with the way

    people were looking at them.

    Confused, she decided to ask the girl at the front desk. The girl stuttered for a while and forced

    herself to say, "Why don''t you go ask Mr. Jane?"

    "He''s back to work?" Charlotte was startled.

    ording to the doctor, Rick had at least another half a month of rest. Why did hee back here?

    The girl at the front desk nodded while shivering.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and furiously decided to settle the score with Rick.

    When she reached the top floor.

    She pushed open the office door.

    At first, Rick was in a video conference. Seeing that she barged in such an aggressive manner, Rick

    immediately told them that he would call back after 30 minutes.

    Rick closed his notebook, leaned on his chairzily, and looked at Charlotte with a nk face.

    "You''ve been fired."

    Charlotte frowned. "My contract isn''t due yet."

    Was he really going to fire her?

    Was he kidding?

    "I will pay you arge amount of penalty, and it should be enough for you to start your own

    business. Also, I hope you can stop seeing Anne in the future. I don''t think you two are..."

    "Rick, have you been kicked in the head?" Charlotte mmed her hand on his office table. "Are you

    abusing public power to take revenge? You''re such a gentleman. Great job, I admire you so much!"

    "In your heart, I will never be as good as Shane, isn''t it?" He looked at her with a smile. "So we

    might as well cut clean, isn''t that good?"

    Charlotte couldn''t argue with him. Indeed, she didn''t give him enough sense of security. However,

    even if she was sentenced to death, she still had the right to appeal, isn''t it?

    She gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and said word by word, "Okay, I admit that I was the one to

    me, and I was definitely in the wrong."

    "But listen to me carefully, Rick. It''s not you who fired me, but I, who voluntarily chose to quit. If you

    don''t want to stay married to me, please publish it in the newspaper as well. Tell them that I cheated

    on you or I chose to quit on my own. It''s all up to you, really."

    "From now on, I have nothing to do with the Jane family."

    "If you don''t want to listen to my exnation, and don''t wish to see me in the future, I.."

    Don''t need to rely on you anymore.

    On the verge of tears, Charlotte turned around and left.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222

    Rick looked at Charlotte from behind and clenched his fist. But soon, he let go, switched on the

    computer in front of him, and clicked on the video call button.

    He shed a gentle and sincere smile and said as if nothing had happened, "I''m really sorry about

    that. I had to deal with some personal affairs."

    "Hahahahaha. It turns out that Mr. Jane has private affairs as well. Was it your fiancee?"

    Fiancee.

    She was not anymore.

    Rick wanted to speak his mind, but he nodded instead.

    "Women are hard to please, but it''s impossible to leave them," the other said with a smile.

    Would it be impossible to leave her? He wouldn''t feel that way. He could handle everything.

    He could.

    A person can love you as much as they can hate you.

    Charlotte couldn''t recall where she had seen this sentence before. She just felt that at this moment,

    this sentence could exin all of Rick''s behavior.

    Charlotte decided to return to Rick''s vi to pack up hers and Sheryl''s luggage. She ced Sheryl''s

    luggage at Shane''s ce, but she didn''t tell him.

    As for her own...

    Charlotte was slightly overwhelmed. Despite the expansive sky and massivend, she had no idea

    where she could go. Suddenly, she thought of the freighters she sawst night and decided to go to

    the beach to have a look.

    No matter how big the temperature difference between day and night was, it couldn''t make up for

    the natural coldness and moisture of the beach.

    Today''s weather was not very pleasant either. It was gloomy and cloudy, making people feel rather

    low-spirited.

    "Miss, it''s you again. Why haven''t I seen Mr. Fuller today?" A freighter took the initiative to walk over

    and said.

    "You know me?" Charlotte came back to her senses, feeling a little surprised.

    "Oh! I saw both of youst night. When it''s three in the afternoon, and I''ve had enough sleep. I''ll

    come out to work."

    The freighter seemed to be at least forty years old. Despite his old age, he still stayed up at night to

    work. Maybe one day...

    Charlotte felt bad for him. She couldn''t help but ask, "Mister, is your family not doing well

    financially?"

    The freighterughed as he scratched the back of his head. "How do you know that? I have a

    younger brother and a younger sister. Both of them are still going to school. I also have a wife, and

    we''re expecting a child. Honestly, it was still fine. After all, I''ve been raising them for so many years.

    The year beforest year, my father..."

    The freighter worked really hard to support his family. He had to take care of his elders and younger

    siblings. The elders were sick, and the younger ones were still not able to sustain themself.

    Not to mention saving money, it would be great for him to have enough money to spend every

    month.

    "Mister, I don''t have much money with me, but you can take this if you need..."

    "No, no, no, Miss. I know you must be rich because you came with Mr. Fuller. I came over to talk to

    you because you looked kind. I was afraid that you would catch a cold here alone. I really didn''t

    mean anything else."

    "Mister, I know that you''re kind-hearted, but this money isn''t much. It won''t affect me even if you

    take it." Charlotte just wanted to help.

    The freighter smiled shyly and said, "Miss, you don''t understand. Handouts are... addictive. If I take

    your money this time, then I will absolutely take someone else''s next time. Who will still work hard if

    they keep taking money from others?"

    Charlotte didn''t expect the freighter to have such good moral reasoning. She immediately got up

    and bowed to him to apologize, "Sorry, mister."

    "It''s okay, you don''t have to apologize for this. Come on, I''ll introduce you to the other people. If you

    really want to help us, just give us more work to do. People like us are willing to do anything!"

    For the whole afternoon.

    Charlotte got to know all the people who worked at the pier.

    Their simple enthusiasm made her heart, which had yet to be broken, fill with warmth.

    When dusk had fallen, she had no way but to go back to the city to find somewhere to stay. That

    was when a streak of sadness arose in her heart.

    Along the way, some too many people had helped her. She had gradually gotten used to that.

    This time, she must get through this on her own.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Charlotte was earnestly thinking about the idea. But before she even had the chance to check in

    when she arrived at the hotel, she saw a familiar man sitting in the lobby, looking like he was

    searching for someone.

    She wouldn''t be that unlucky, would she?

    She lowered her head, pretended that she didn''t see him, and walked towards the reception desk.

    "Charlotte."

    The man, who had been sitting, was already standing in front of her at this moment.

    Charlotte was so shocked that she stopped walking. Due to inertia, her body couldn''t help but fall

    backward.

    Shane held her waist with one hand. Her soft body felt cold in his arms. He frowned and asked,

    "Where are you going?"

    She pushed him away embarrassedly and said, "Today, I went to the beach that we went to

    yesterday and chatted with the freighters for a while."

    "Bring your luggage and follow me upstairs."

    "Okay," she replied. After walking a few steps, she suddenly realized. "No, why do I have to go

    upstairs with you?" "Do you want to sleep in the streets?" In River City, it was not that easy to rent a

    room or find a hotel, especially in the city center.

    Every inch of thisnd was very precious. If one entered a store without making an appointment,

    they might be escorted out for causing trouble.

    After weighing her options, Charlotte had no choice but to follow him upstairs.

    "How did you know that I..''''

    "I guessed it."

    Shane''s words disrupted Charlotte''s sentence.

    Charlotte pushed her luggage into the room with her head hung low. He had reserved a single

    room, which was as luxurious as a presidential suite. In the middle of the bathtub was a rose-

    shaped bottle of essential oil.

    After putting away the luggage, Charlotte asked tentatively, "Has Rick announced the news yet?"

    He gave her a sidelong nce. "He called me."

    "What!?"

    "He asked me to take good care of you."

    "Is he out of his mind? He''s nuts! If I were to be together with someone, it definitely wouldn''t be

    you." Charlotte became anxious.

    There were already so many things going on, and now Rick still had to cause her trouble.

    Even if he didn''t want her anymore, he didn''t have to give her to others. What the hell was going on!

    Strangely, Shane''s heart tightened when he heard those words. Feeling ufortable, he raised

    his head and ced a hand on his chest, looking at her with a cold look.

    Charlotte was startled by his gaze. She gulped and said, "Don''t get me wrong. Once bitten, twice

    shy."

    "If the person who bit you the first time wants to do it again, what can you do about it?"

    While Charlotte was still thinking about the meaning of this sentence, Shane had already wrapped

    his arms around her waist.

    The gap between him and her was only a short distance apart.

    "Shane, it''s you who dumped me." She said in a hoarse voice, "Don''t tease me again, because

    what if..."

    What if she took it seriously again?

    She really had no idea what to do when it came to rtionships.

    What happened five years ago was an ident.

    Five yearster, it was lucky for Shane and her to end their rtionship before it was toote. At

    first, she thought that Rick and her could treat each other respectfully as husband and wife, but who

    knew that...

    Charlotte''s mind was tangled.

    She was shocked to realize that she wasn''t thinking about how to push Shane away, but what she

    should do after this.

    "For Sheryl, I can ept you one more time."

    "I don''t want that. I can take care of my child on my own." She refused immediately.

    "Where are you going to take care of your child now? Can you even provide her with a permanent

    home?"

    Charlotte was rendered speechless.

    She could start a business from scratch, but what about her child?

    Sheryl liked Shane so much. She was also Shane''s child, so it was better to let Shane take care of

    her.

    No.

    She was the mother of her child.

    She could knock two birds with one stone.

    "Sheryl is my child and has nothing to do with you, Mr. Fuller. I can bnce between work and

    taking care of her." Charlotte looked at Shane with a surprisingly firm gaze. "I can do it."

    Shane was persuaded by the strength in her eyes.

    He nodded slightly and let go of her. "You better can."

    She could do it for sure.

    After Shane left, Charlotte took out herptop and prepared to find an assistant first.

    There were too many things to do during the early stage of her business. She definitely didn''t have

    enough experience to take charge of everything in full responsibility. That was why she needed

    someone to help her.

    It was already midnight, but she received quite arge amount of resumes at once.

    Among all of the job application messages, Charlotte saw a familiar name-Zoe Watson.

    Why did she applying for this job?

    Charlotte immediately gave her a phone call.

    She didn''t know why, but she had a feeling that it was Shane''s idea.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223

    Zoe promptly picked up the phone. "Lottie."

    "Why did I receive your resume?" Charlotte went straight to the point. "Did Shane make you do

    this?"

    Zoe kept quiet for a while and said, "I left NC three days ago. This is what happened.."

    The first thing Zoe asked Charlotte was whether she remembered when Charlotte took her ce to

    go on a business trip with Shane and Christopher while they were still working in NC.

    Charlotte remembered that of course. If it wasn''t for that incident, her rtionship with Christopher

    wouldn''t have improved.

    It was precisely that time.

    Zoe''s father''s remarried wife''s daughter had passed away. So, she had to go back to attend the

    funeral. It was simr to why she lost her job at NC this time. Her father went to NC and said that

    Zoe didn''t fit to work in such apany.

    Shane and Christopher didn''t hold back while defending her. But Zoe could already predict her

    father''s reaction if she insisted on staying in NC.

    "I know that I can report to the police, and there arews to protect me, but my father is now a

    madman. No matter how powerful the judge is, it makes no difference in front of him. After all, he is

    my father..." Zoe smiled bitterly.

    He had always been strong and resolute, but he was a fool when it came to family affairs.

    That was why.

    Zoe resigned.

    Shane begged her to stay, hoping that she wouldn''t give up all the effort she had made and her

    promising future because of a ridiculous person.

    Moreover, she was a spy on both Christopher and Shane''s side, so Christopher also didn''t want her

    to leave.

    But she loved NC and didn''t want NC to get involved in public gossip.

    "I saw your recruitment information just now and thought, I can help you out a little since it''s still not

    apany yet. At least, I won''t have too much time to overthink," Zoe exined.

    "That''s...fine too." For a moment, Charlotte didn''t know what to say.

    "Maybe fate brought us together," Zoe said with a smile.

    "I''ll hire you then. I''ll take down the recruitment post and start choosing a house as well as the

    company address tomorrow. I''m going to be very busy."

    "Alright."

    People said that things would be less exhausting if men and women work together.

    But Charlotte thought that working with Zoe was not exhausting as well.

    After working for an entire day, Charlotte was extremely tired. She cleaned up the rented house and

    went back to her room to sleep.

    She still had to get up early in the morning to study the trend of several leading businesses from a

    few industries. She also had to do some on-the- spot surveys. Then only she could decide which

    industry should herpany settle on. This was the mostplicated as well as the most crucial

    part in the early stage.

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    Zoe returned to her own home and took out her phone to dial Shane''s number.

    Shane quickly picked it up. "How was it?"

    "Lottie has already moved into your house, and thepany address is also the building you

    chose," Zoe answered respectfully.

    "What task did Christopher assign you?" "He asked me to keep a close eye on Charlotte and don''t

    let the two of you have any contact. Although Lottie had already told Mr. Gibson that she would

    never give her shares to Mr. Gibson, Mr. Gibson had never given up."

    "Well, tell him that it won''t affect me. Just let him make some money."

    "Yes."

    "Get as much information about Emerson Corporation as possible. I''m going to start the acquisition

    n."

    "Got it."

    After the call, Zoe stared nkly at her phone.

    Charlotte was so lucky.

    She always thought that Mr. Fuller wouldn''t care about Charlotte anymore, but he still didn''t leave

    her alone when she was in a difficult situation.

    If only she could meet someone like this, even if it wasn''t for love, she would be satisfied too.

    The news of Charlotte''s resignation blew up in the trading industry.

    Soon, Rick had also announced the annulment of his marriage with Charlotte.

    The engagement happened as fast as lightning, and the speed of their annulment was beyond

    prediction as well.

    Cole ced some documents in front of Shane and summoned up the courage to ask, "Mr. Fuller, I

    really don''t understand what''s going on with Mr. Jane. He tried so hard to marry Miss Charlotte.

    How can he give up just like that?"

    "It''s because of me."

    "Ah?" Cole was stunned.

    Shane looked at the documents in front of him with a calm expression. His thin lips parted slightly

    as he said, "To deal with Rick, it''s useless for me to just be close to Charlotte. I want him to believe

    that everything appeared to be a coincidence, and it''s even because of what Charlotte had done

    that caused these coincidences."

    "Are you saying..."

    "The kidnapping case indeed has nothing to do with me, but everything that happened after the

    kidnapping case was within my expectations."

    Because Rick was hospitalized, he couldn''t stay with Charlotte all the time. That made Shane

    absolutely anxious and uneasy.

    The better Charlotte managed thepany, the more effort it meant that she had to put in for him.

    That worried Shane more. He thought that it was a form of pity.

    Under these circumstances, Charlotte repeatedly approached Shane, who Rick saw as a threat. If it

    was just Charlotte herself who was being close to Shane, there was still room to salvage the

    situation, but Sheryl was Rick''s boundary.

    "Moreover, Rick knew that Sheryl was my child and also knew that I knew about this. But Charlotte

    had no idea. So, she believes that the rtionship between her and me only needs to be the same

    as that of an ordinary rtionship."

    "You mean, because Charlotte didn''t care to avoid arousing suspicion in their rtionship, and that''s

    why Mr. Jane..."

    "That''s right."

    Cole was speechless.

    After a long while, he finally spoke, "You''ve done so much just to get Miss Charlotte back to your

    side? But why don''t you tell her directly?"

    "I want her to fall in love with me, of her own free will."

    Cole was silent.

    He finally understood.

    The reason Mr. Fuller divorced Ms. Emerson was to save face.

    Mr. Fuller forced Ms. Emerson to leave Rick also because he didn''t want to lose face.

    It was the same reason Mr. Fuller treated Ms.

    Emerson kindly.

    He only cared about his ego and dignity in every situation.

    Cole could understand Shane, but he couldn''t fullyprehend Shane.

    Shane never really cared about anything, so why would he care so much about his reputation in

    Charlotte''s impression?

    It was exactly because he cared about her that he had expectations for her.

    In a swift of time, it was already half a monthter.

    NC and Jane Corporation didn''t have much of a change.

    The only big news was the official establishment of Charlotte''spany.

    Thepany mainly focused on transportation and cold chain technology.

    Avery had also ended his coboration with Jane Corporation and directly partnered with Charlotte''s

    company.

    At that time, many people in the industry were optimistic about Charlotte. After all, she was

    supported by Avery.

    In the past half month, Charlotte didn''t contact

    Anne, and neither did Anne contact her. She didn''t dare to ask her and could only let their friendship

    die.

    It happened to be Children''s Day on the 1st of June.

    Shane ordered Cole to bring Sheryl back to Charlotte.

    When Sheryl saw that Charlotte''s house had changed, she ran to her excitedly and said, "Mommy,

    you don''t live with Uncle Rick anymore? Then why don''t you live with daddy? Daddy''s house is

    huge!"

    "I can''t live with him." Charlotte smiled bitterly and stroked her hair. "Sheryl, today is the 1st of June.

    Mom will take you out to y, okay?"

    "Can I suggest a small wish?" The little fe fluttered her eyes.

    "Except for letting mommy and daddy be together."

    Sheryl immediately became upset. She pouted her lips and said, "Daddy is very nice to me.

    Although godfather is kind to me too, daddy is daddy after all..."

    To divert her attention, Charlotte had no choice but to bring Sheryl out to y.

    The n was very sessful in the beginning. But while Sheryl was ying, she suddenly began

    to mor for a chance to see her daddy, and she said she wouldn''t give up until she saw him.

    Charlotte was forced to hand her phone to Sheryl so that she could contact Shane.

    As soon as Sheryl got the phone, she immediately turned around and dialed the number. After the

    call was answered, she even walked to one side and looked at Charlotte with vignce.

    What was going on?

    Her daughter still had to hide from her while she was calling a weird uncle?

    Sheryl moved closer to the speaker of the phone and whispered, "Daddy, I''ve sessfully carried

    out my n. Come here quickly."

    "You did a great job."

    "Then can you bring me a small cake when youe?"

    "Of course."

    Sheryl smiled happily, and her cheeks were a shade of rosy pink. "Daddy, as long as what you said

    is true, I will definitely help daddy!"

    Daddy said that her godfather, Rick, bullied mommy. He even said that Rick had kicked mommy out

    of his house. Sheryl didn''t believe it at first, but now it seemed to be true. Her godfather was truly

    horrible!

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224

    When Shane ended the call, his lips slightly turned upward at the corners. He looked up and

    happened to see himself in the rearview mirror.

    He was stunned. Looking at the corners of his mouth, he instantly calmed hisposure and

    started the car.

    Sheryl returned the phone to Charlotte, but she didn''t talk to her. Instead, she turned around and

    went back to the children''s yground.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but feel helpless. She didn''t know what she had done wrong to make this

    little fellow angry at her.

    Soon, Shane arrived.

    Charlotte was keeping an eye on Sheryl with her chin propped on her palms when she suddenly felt

    that the people around her stopped talking. There was also a familiar scent.

    She turned around subconsciously.

    "Shane." There was a hint of frustration in her tone.

    "What''s wrong?" "Sheryl has been begging to see you for the entire day. I''m obviously her mother."

    Shane''s cold expression softened a little. He raised his slender fingers, which were hanging at his

    side, and waved. "Sheryl."

    Sheryl, who was ying in the yground, heard his voice and immediately stopped what she was

    doing. She ran towards Shane and jumped into his arms.

    "Daddy!"

    "Miss me?"

    "Yes! Daddy is the best!"

    Charlotte sighed and said sourly, "Sheryl, I really raised you for nothing. You''re so heartless."

    "What does that mean?" Sheryl asked, tilting her head.

    "Forget it."

    Charlotte left the pair behind and walked forward on her own.

    Sheryl wrapped her arms around Shane''s neck and asked cutely, "Daddy, is mommy jealous?"

    "Who did you learn that from?"

    "From TV series."

    "Don''t watch those ridiculous series."

    The little fellow shrank at those words. It was rare for daddy to be so serious...

    Even if Charlotte was angry, Sheryl was still the most important thing to her. That was what Shane

    firmly believed in.

    As long as Sheryl was standing here, Charlotte could never sessfully avoid him.

    And as long as she didn''t refuse him entirely, he still stood a chance.

    Soon, Sheryl was tired of ying and the three of them went back to the new house that Charlotte

    had rented.

    At first, Charlotte thought that Shane would be very critical about the house and say that it wasn''t

    good here and there, but he didn''t. He casually sat down on the sofa, looking as if he was expecting

    her to make tea for him.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Charlotte put Sheryl back to her bedroom and went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. She then

    returned to the living room with the teapot and teacups.

    "I only have jasmine tea left. I know that you like to drink green tea, but I..."

    Shane looked up at her and interrupted her directly, "How are you going to settle things between

    you and Rick?"

    Charlotte choked and lowered her eyes with a wry smile. "It''s toote now. How can I even settle it?

    Even Anne doesn''t talk to me anymore. This is my punishment, and I deserve it. I have a confusing

    rtionship with you and enjoyed his affection at the same time. How can there be such a great

    thing?"

    He suddenly stood up and pulled her into his arms.

    "Don''t, don''t..." She struggled.

    "I can help you."

    "What''s the price for that? Do I trade that with myself? Do you think so lowly of me in your heart?"

    Sheughed.

    Shane frowned and said, "You could be counted as my subordinate in the partnership. In terms of

    personal rtionships, I clearly have a better rtionship with Sheryl. You were once my personal

    secretary too."

    Charlotte looked at him with a smile, but she was on the verge of tears, her voice choked with sobs.

    "I also wish that our rtionship is as simple as that. If I wasn''t drunk the first time, and the second

    time you didn''t... I would really ask you to help me."

    "..." He pursed his lips.

    "Sorry, I''ve already upset Rick once. I don''t want it to happen the second time. Before I settle

    everything, I hope that we''re not even normal friends."

    "What about Sheryl?"

    This was hisst trump card.

    If she didn''t even care about her daughter''s opinion, he could only watch her struggle in the

    business market on her own.

    How could she manage to carry apany with such weak shoulders?

    "Mr. Fuller, Rick used to ask me why I didn''t have time to take care of Sheryl, but you, the director of

    NC, have time to take care of my child. Can you provide an exnation?"

    "I have a professional CEO."

    "So does that mean that the sess you''ve achieved to this day is all thanks to this professional

    CEO? Then why no otherpany wanted to hire him?"

    Shane fell silent again.

    Charlotte turned around and stopped looking at him. Her tears fell as she turned her head, "I''m

    devastated and in dire need of help. But it''s fine because I feel that I can still cope with it. It''ll be

    better when I''m used to it. I know that Sheryl likes you, so there''s no need for you to get in touch

    with her through me. It''s fine."

    He was Sheryl''s biological father after all.

    "Is it absolutely impossible between you and me?"

    "Absolutely impossible."

    Bang��

    The man had left.

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. Her body went limp as she sat down on the furry carpet.

    This carpet was what she and Zoe had chosen together. It was very soft andfortable.

    Not long after, her phone suddenly rang. Charlotte regained her senses and took out her phone

    from her pocket. "Hello?"

    "What''s wrong with my brother!!!" Anne''s voice rang out on the other end of the line.

    "What''s wrong?" Charlotte quickly wiped away her tears. "Anne, where have you been for the past

    two days?"

    "Two days? I''ve been stuck in Africa for almost a month now. I tried so hard to reach you!"

    "How could this be..."

    "Quick, can you help figure out how to bring Braden and me back because I''m homesick. Lottie, I

    don''t have much time. I''ll just send you the address. You must find a way."

    Swiftly, Anne hung up the phone and sent her the address.

    Charlotte immediately called Avery.

    In her friend circle, Avery was the social butterfly. When he heard that it was Africa, Avery instantly

    said no problem. He was much more familiar with that cethan Rick.

    It was already past five o''clock when she finished arranging Anne''s return to their country. Charlotte

    was so tired that she copsed onto the bed.

    So tired.

    She stared at the ceiling, feeling her eyelids became heavier and heavier, and finally fell asleep.

    The next day.

    Shane immediately called every department over for a meeting as soon as he arrived at NC.

    Within an hour, NC had decided tounch a researchmittee designed to investigate sailing

    routes and even developed a smallpany for it in the shortest possible amount of time.

    "Hey! I was thrown to Africa, and you didn''t even bother to ask me about it. It wasn''t easy for me to

    come back. You didn''t even care to spare a nce at me and straightaway went to attend a

    meeting?" Braden pped his hands on Shane''s desk. "What kind of friend are you." "How do you

    feel about being punished by your brother-inw?" Shane closed the files and looked at him calmly.

    "So you still have the nerve to ask? Do you know how many times I''ve called you?"

    "Sorry, I don''t answer calls from strangers."

    "You!" Braden was so angry that his nostrils were ring, but he quickly shrugged it off. "Forget it. I

    forgive you. A gentleman always forgives."

    Shane slightly twitched his thin lips as his gazended on Braden''s arm. "I heard that you were

    injured. I''ve already asked someone to buy an ointment for you. It''ll arrive tomorrow."

    "Yo, you still remember your friend? I thought that all you have in your mind is Charlotte. So, what

    do you think? Rick is serious this time. Are you going to take action?"

    "Herpany is a shippingpany."

    "What?" Braden was surprised. "Are you going to rob other people''s business opportunities?"

    Shane didn''t reply.

    But soon, he answered that question with practical actions.

    Yes, he wanted to rob their business opportunities.

    He wanted to snatch all the orders across the market. Except for the regr ones, he wanted to

    grab the rest.

    As a subsidiarypany, Shane had stirred the whole industry into a mess. It lost nearly 400 million

    dors in just three days.

    Generally speaking, it was already considered good for apany to have an annual ie of

    400 million dors.

    Shane and NO went mad.

    Everyone in the shipping industry was in a critical situation.

    Everything was going smoothly and well in one second. But it immediately turned into a living hell

    during the following second.

    Christopher looked at the tableful of reports and frowned. After hesitating for a moment, he decided

    to call Zoe and asked her out for dinner.

    Zoe tactfully refused and said, "Mr. Gibson, I know what you want. Charlotte started a shipping

    company, so Mr. Fuller must have done it for her."

    "For Charlotte? She''s pretty good, but she''s not worth 400 million dors. There must be something

    behind this."

    Zoe was silent.

    "Help me..."

    "Mr. Gibson," Zoe interrupted him. "I''m no longer working at NC."

    She said with modesty.

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225

    Christopher smiled, "I''m sure you''ll have a solution, won''t you?"

    "Mr. Gibson, what I meant was that I don''t need to be your spy anymore. We have nothing to do

    with each other now," Zoe responded formally.

    "You don''t like me anymore?" He chuckled. "Your adoration is so fragile."

    "It''s not that I don''t like you anymore, but that I like you even more now. The more I like you, the

    more I can''t bear to see you put yourself in danger."

    "You''re such a sweet talker, but unfortunately, you know that I don''t buy that. Never contact me

    again or get the information that you want. You have to choose one."

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Christopher wasn''t in a hurry to hang up the phone. He didn''t believe that Zoe would go against his

    will.

    He could tell her feelings for him just by looking at her eyes.

    Zoe fell silent. She clenched her fist for a moment and finally sighed. I''m sorry. I won''t betray Lottie.

    Even if I like you, I''m merely a pawn to you and Mr. Fuller. But Lottie... No, Ms. Emerson needs me."

    Of course, Christopher knew that Charlotte was a person with exceptional charisma.

    "Actually, I was starting to like you." His voice was as gentle as ever.

    If it was in the past, Zoe would have been moved when she heard this. She would have helped him

    to get the information that he wanted after several hesitations.

    But now...

    She endured her sorrow and gulped. "Mr. Gibson, I''ve helped you for nearly three months. Don''t say

    that you like me when you didn''t even give me a gift during that period of time. You''re just telling me

    that you like me now when I''m leaving and no longer helping you anymore. It seems like your

    admiration is more fragile than mine."

    "So, I don''t want you to look into this case anymore. Zoe, change to another one."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I don''t want to know what Shane is doing. Instead, I want to know everything about Wyatt Fuller. If I

    remember correctly, Shane allowed you to maintain a close rtionship with him, right?"

    "But Wyatt is clearly on your side, and your shares were given by him as well. Without him, you

    wouldn''t be able to carry out your ns at all."

    Christopher''s slender fingers were drawing circles on the table. He rxed his eyebrows and

    beamed with delight. "Well, that''s why I asked you to keep an eye on him. This is enough to prove

    that my feelings for you are real."

    Zoe''s hand tightened around her phone. "Mr. Gibson..."

    "I cherished the days when we worked together. You are the only one who knows me best."

    Toot, toot, toot��

    Christopher ended the call.

    She knew him best.

    It was true.

    She understood his disguise, understood his parents, understood his dreams, his future, and what

    he wanted to do.

    Suddenly, Zoe''s mind went nk. She didn''t know whether she should approach Wyatt or not. If this

    was a trap created by Christopher, Wyatt would very likely to...

    She felt relieved and smiled at the thought of this.

    If Christopher really was this kind of person, wouldn''t it be even better?

    After she gave up, she wouldn''t need to make a choice anymore.

    He obviously knew that she loved him but still did that kind of thing to her. Wouldn''t it just give her a

    reason to give up on him?

    Zoe immediately made up her mind.

    Regarding Zoe''s leave, Charlotte didn''t say much about it. She knew that Zoe was only here to help

    her. Besides, thepany was doing very well recently. Zoe''s presence wouldn''t make a great

    difference. It would just be a little more tiring for her.

    Shane''s subsidiarypany appeared out of nowhere and disrupted the whole industry. It was

    actually not a bad thing for Charlotte. She received a lot of orders instead.

    It was rare for a newpany to profit during their first month, especially in this industry, because it

    required a big amount of advance expenses.

    However, Charlotte was making a profit.

    She looked at the numbers on the paper with a bitter smile.

    Was it because of Shane?

    "Ms. Emerson, Miss Stevens is looking for you." The secretary knocked on the door.

    "Miss Stevens? Kendall?" she questioned.

    "I don''t know. She said her surname is Stevens, and she wanted to see you because of Mr. Jane."

    It was definitely Kendall.

    Charlotte nodded at the secretary. "You can go and rest now. I''ll be right there."

    "Yes."

    Charlotte went to the reception room.

    Kendall sat on the sofa, looking elegant even though she was wearing heavy makeup. She looked

    like a child who intentionally attempted to look mature.

    However, Charlotte was in no ce to judge her makeup and couldn''t say much about it either.

    Charlotte just asked, "Why did youe here this time?"

    "Rick is devastated. I hope you can show somepassion." Kendall directly concluded, "I can

    give you anything."

    "What does his devastation have to do with me?"

    Charlotte was deeply hurt. But on the outside, she could only show that she didn''t care.

    She had to let it go.

    It was not easy for Rick to stop loving her and be able to pursue his happiness. So why did she

    have to try to reverse everything just because she was touched for a second?

    She didn''t want topromise, and she didn''t want him topromise either. True love was as

    nd as water but sweet enough to reach the bottom of her heart.

    That was what she and Rick used to be.

    However.

    She didn''t know when Rick started to care about Shane and not her.

    "How can you be so cold-blooded?" Kendall stood up and looked at her incredulously. "Because of

    you, Rick drank himself to oblivion..."

    "That''s his business. It has nothing to do with me."

    "You''re too heartless!"

    "Kendall, since you like him, you should stay with him during times like this. After all, I don''t..."

    p��

    Kendall raised her hand and gave Charlotte a p. "I was so wrong about you, Charlotte. Don''t

    worry, I''ll treat you the same way I treated Manager Kentst time. Rick really was blind!"

    Did it hurt?

    Maybe a little.

    Charlotte sat in the living room with hollow eyes. One hour passed by just like that.

    Countless memories flickered in her mind.

    From knowing Rick to Rick having a one-sided crush on her, and to when she was willing to

    change for him. She learned for him and even managed thepany for him.

    She even forgot her personal grudge and focused on improving Jane Corporation.

    She didn''t understand why she didn''t ept Rick when she was with Shane for the first time. Even

    if they were in love with each other, Rick was untenable when he was angry.

    During the second time, it was Shane who forced her. She was the one who got hurt. Why was it so

    hard for Rick to forget?

    Or maybe it wasn''t because of her body, but her feelings?

    But...

    She didn''t like Shane.

    She didn''t like him at all. Just like shrimps didn''t like fish, and small fish didn''t like big fish. Her

    rtionship with Shane was a food chain.

    "Charlotte."

    Was she thinking too much about Shane?

    Why could she hear his voice?

    "Charlotte."

    The voice rang out again.

    Charlotte lifted her head in confusion and rubbed her eyes.

    Not only did she hear his voice, but she also started to hallucinate.

    Shane was standing in front of her with a cold expression on his face. His voice was unexinably

    frigid. "Charlotte."

    This was the third time he called her name.

    "Shane?" She looked at him with a swollen face covered with smudged makeup.

    His long and ice- cold fingersnded on her cheeks.

    The man in front of him was really Shane.

    Due to her grievances, Charlotte''s tears flowed like a river. "Why are you here?"

    "What do you think?"

    "I..." How would she know?

    "Do you think I''ll be at ease if I don''t let someone keep an eye on you?" Heughed coldly.

    "I thought I was the one with great eyes."

    "That''s true. Until today, you''ve interviewed a total of 37 candidates. I sent 18 of my workers, and

    you''ve epted 2 of them."

    Charlotte looked up in shock. "Where did you find so many people?"

    Shane stared deep into her eyes.

    Fortunately, he had a huge amount of workers, or else not even two of them would have been able

    to stay in Charlotte''spany, and he wouldn''t have known that she had been pped.

    Shane pursed his lips, ignoring her bber. His gaze fixed on her red and swollen cheeks as he

    asked, "Does it hurt?"

    Charlotte shook her head.

    "How can it not be painful when it''s swollen like this? What, are you afraid that I''ll take revenge on

    the Stevens family?"

    Charlotte didn''t say anything.

    Shane was exasperated that she didn''t stand up for herself. So, he grabbed her wrist with his hands

    and dragged her away without any exnation.

    Along the way, he was constantly trying to control his anger.

    He wasn''t angry with the poor little injured woman beside him. He wasn''t angry with Rick, that

    irresponsible bastard, and he wasn''t enraged by the Stevens family either.

    He knew that she was kind-hearted and that he would only stress her out if he made a hasty move.

    At the red light, Shane took the chance to turn and look at the person beside him.

    "Do you not know how to dodge when she hit you?"

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226

    "I, I didn''t expect that..." Charlotte said under her breath.

    "I''ll take care of thepany for two days. You can take Sheryl to learn some self-defense skills

    together."

    "Why? I don''t want to hand thepany over to you." She raised her voice.

    "Kendall was already trying to do something to yourpany. If I hadn''t sold the order to the

    Stevens family at once before I came here, your share price would''ve been in danger."

    Charlotte frowned. I''m the only shareholder. How can they manipte my share price?"

    Shane sneered and said, "They buy in, without caring about how much they pay. When your share

    price is unbelievably high, yourpany will face liquidation once they withdraw their funds. You

    don''t know thismon sense?"

    Charlotte''s face was pale.

    Initially, she thought that only listedpany''s stocks could be controlled this way.

    It turned out that that was not the case. If apany entered the small market, would the

    company''s share price be controlled as well?

    "The purpose of this so-called small market that emerged in the past two years is to drive you idiots

    out of the industry and leave more profits to the bigpanies. Do you not know that?"

    "I..."

    "What are you going to do without me?" Shane stepped on the brake. "Get out of the car."

    "We''re already here?" Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte looked out of the window, puzzled. They really have reached, but it was his house.

    Shane brought Charlotte upstairs and took out the first aid kit from the bathroom to clean the wound

    on her cheek.

    Kendall''s nails were manicured, so there were small fragments of broken diamonds on her cheek.

    Her cheek was swollen because of the cut.

    "This will leave a scar," Shane said coldly.

    "Don''t do anything to Kendall. She only did this because she was in a fit of anger."

    "I''m not thatpassionate." Shane''s fingers stopped moving and looked at her with a frosty gaze.

    "You''re mine. So if she hits you, she hits me too."

    I''m not yours."

    Shane pursed his lips and forced his hand on her wound. Charlotte felt the pain and said, "Shane,

    you''ve gone too far. That hurts a lot."

    "Do you still know how to feel pain?"

    "How wouldn''t I know!"

    "Then do you know what you said just now also made me feel pain?"

    Charlotte froze for a moment before asking awkwardly, "Would you feel pain forthat?"

    Shane chuckled coldly and threw the bloodstained cotton ball to the ground. "You really know how

    to get on my nerves. Do you feel satisfied for making me angry?"

    She lowered her gaze and shook her head forcefully. "I don''t dare to."

    "You don''t dare to? Alright, Charlotte, tell me, apart from your child''s father, who else did you have

    sex with?"

    Who else could there be other than him?

    Even the child''s father was him.

    But Charlotte obviously couldn''t reply like that.

    She forced herself to say, "A lot of people actually.

    Like Rick, and, and sometimes abroad..."

    "Charlotte." His voice turned even colder. "Answer me honestly. With just a word from me, Rick''s

    Asia Pacific project will go bankrupt, and the Stevens family will no longer exist."

    "Only you."

    Charlotte answered reluctantly.

    Only after hearing that did Shane pick up the cotton ball and resume to treat her wound.

    Shane also helped her to ice her face after applying some ointment.

    His big palm was freezing cold.

    Charlotte felt a little guilty and looked at him nervously, "Why don''t I take the ice bag myself?"

    "Lie down."

    "Shane, you''re obviously nice to me. Why do you still have to be so cold?" She was dissatisfied.

    Normally, she wouldn''t care that much.

    But she was hit by someone today. Both her heart and body were injured, and he still wore a cold

    face like Hades. How annoying.

    Shane nced at her lightly. "You''re so talkative today. Is it because you think that we have more to

    talk about now?"

    She shook her head hard.

    There was no such thing.

    "You can rest here these two days. I will let Cole drive Sheryl. When your face is not swelling

    anymore, the two of you can take self- defense sses. Understood?"

    "Shane, won''t I bother you too much?"

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "If you don''t let Sheryl see you get hurt, then you''re not bothering me. If you feel bad, you can

    prepare three meals a day for me." He pretended to be calm.

    "Okay, no problem." Charlotte replied.

    She felt that.

    It was certainly not good to let Sheryl see her like this. Besides, she used to cook three meals a day

    for Sheryl and Shane. It won''t be a problem.

    Late at night.

    Charlotte was about to go to bed, but she was thirsty and decided to drink some water before going

    to sleep.

    When she walked past Shane''s study, she heard a voiceing from inside.

    "Find the best vi and the best cook for Tiffany, understand? Okay... I know, you don''t have to

    worry about anything else, just arrange it, okay... By the way..."

    Charlotte didn''t listen to the rest. She quickly poured some water to drink and went back to her room

    to sleep.

    How should she put it?

    If it was a few months ago, she would have been sad, but now she really didn''t care anymore.

    No matter if it was Shane or Rick, she couldn''t afford to love either of them.

    All she wanted was to manage herpany properly and take back her shareholder rights at

    Emerson Corporation. Why was it so difficult?

    Squeak-

    Just as Charlotte was letting her mind wander, Shane entered the room with his phone. Seeing that

    she was still awake, he didn''t hesitate to continue his phone call about Tiffany.

    The person on the other end of the line seemed to be Cole.

    After a while, Shane hung up the phone, sat beside her, and picked up a book to read.

    Charlotte felt a little awkward, so she initiated a conversation. "You''re quite nice to Tiffany."

    "Are you jealous?"

    "What am I jealous of? It has nothing to do with me," she said matter-of-factly.

    Shane stopped flipping through the book. Under the soft orange light, he could tell that she was not

    lying.

    That disappointed him.

    "You''re right. You only know how to be jealous of Rick." "I don''t get jealous because of him either.

    Hey, I think...I''m not trying to sow discord, but I just think that Tiffany is not a really good person.

    Don''t be fooled by her. After all, you''re really close with Sheryl. I''m afraid that she will go crazy and

    hurt my daughter."

    This was indeed something that had to be taken into consideration.

    Shane nodded. "I know. I won''t let our little girl get hurt."

    Their little girl?

    Charlotte was startled. She immediately retorted, "That''s my daughter."

    "I know. You don''t have to repeat it every time."

    "Okay," she mumbled and lowered her head a little.

    At that moment.

    Shane''s phone vibrated, and he turned to look at the notification.

    "I''ve finished investigating Tiffany and Heidi''s case. It''s exactly like how you predicted. Is it

    necessary to take the next step?" the text showed.

    He took out his phone and typed a few words. Then, he put it on silent mode.

    "Charlotte."

    He suddenly called.

    "Ah?" The little woman, who was falling asleep, turned over and unintentionally hugged him.

    Wait a minute.

    Why did she hug him?

    How did she fall asleep so naturally beside him?

    Charlotte was immediately awake. She picked up the nket and said, "I, I''m going to sleep in the

    guest room!"

    "Lie down."

    "But we..."

    "Lie down." His voice was colder than before.

    Charlotte put down her nket, biting her lips.

    Shane closed the book, turned over, and pressed his body against hers. His long fingers slightly

    touched her lips. "I''ll give you an answer very soon."

    Answer?

    She was dumbfounded. "What answer?"

    "You''ll know very soon."

    Then, he nted his lips on her neck.

    Charlotte tried to resist, but she felt powerless under his control.

    "Shane, let go of me!" she said with a sobbing voice.

    The man didn''t listen to her at all.

    Charlotte felt like she was a sheep entering the mouth of a tiger. She shouldn''t havee here at

    all. She should have rejected his offer firmly and then returned to her own house.

    Shane suddenly stopped.

    "I won''t do anything that you don''t want to anymore."

    He suddenly got up and left.

    Charlotte touched the sore spot on her neck and immediately welled up.

    It was true that he didn''t do anything.

    Just like a dog who peed to mark his territory, he bit her neck fiercely.

    There would definitely be marks tomorrow.

    This person...

    Charlotte suddenly felt empty.

    Tiffany was back, but he left a mark on her neck. Who was she supposed to be now? Did she really

    want to be the mistress between him and Tiffany?"

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227

    Charlotte hadn''t had a good night''s sleep. It was already past seven o''clock when she woke up in

    the morning. She hurriedly brushed her teeth, washed her face, then ran to the kitchen.

    She was dumbfounded.

    Shane was standing in front of the stove. His movements were elegant and natural as if he was

    carving a piece of art. He moved the food onto a te and garnished it with several sauces.

    Everything was done in one breath. It was as beautiful as a painting.

    "Let''s eat." He looked up at her. "Do you think you''ll be full just by standing there like a fool?��

    "You woke up so early." Charlotte walked over and sat down.

    "I''ll take you to the supermarket to buy some groceries today."

    Shane sat next to her, held her chin with his long fingers, and examined her cheeks.

    It was indeed less swollen, but the wound was still healing. It might take a while for it to recover.

    "Is there no food at home?"

    "Yea."

    "But today is Wednesday."

    "I have a professional CEO."

    Alright then.

    In the end, Charlotte still went to the supermarket with Shane.

    Because they were staying at his house, so most of the things they bought were for him. Charlotte

    knew Shane''s preferences quite well, so she knew what to buy for him.

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    But when she was selecting seasonings, she hesitated between ck pepper and garlic. Generally

    speaking, these two seasonings were equally delicious, but she didn''t know which one Shane would

    have preferred.

    "I don''t eat garlic." Shane cast her a sidelong nce.

    Charlotte immediately put the garlic seasoning back and ced the ck pepper into the cart. She

    tilted her head and asked, "Why?"

    "It''s not convenient for business discussions."

    That was true.

    It would definitely be awkward if there was a stenching from your mouth.

    For the rest of the shopping process, Charlotte tried to choose less pungent seasonings.

    It was already close to noon when they finished buying groceries. Charlotte was struggling to carry

    all the items indoors.

    Shane was sitting in the car the whole time as he answered a phone call. He didn''t allow her to

    listen to it, so she had no choice but to do the hard work.

    The two of them bought a lot of things. It was extremely exhausting for her to carry everything on

    her own.

    Charlotte was a little worn out, so she simply leaned against the wall next to the corridor to rest.

    After a while, she heard someone walking into the corridor to press the lift button.

    "Don''t tell anyone for the time being."

    Was it Shane?

    Charlotte stole a nce at him. At first, she was trying to eavesdrop on him, but Shane had already

    seen her before he even started to speak.

    The muscles all over Charlotte''s body instantly stiffened. She stood in the same spot and lowered

    her head in embarrassment.

    Shane narrowed his eyes and said into his phone, "You can go to work first."

    He put his phone away and walked over to Charlotte.

    "I didn''t mean to eavesdrop," she quickly

    exined.

    "And you didn''t peek at me on purpose too?"

    "Mr. Fuller, you look so handsome. It would be a loss if I don''t steal a few nces at you."

    Charlotte thought that her EQ had never been that high.

    These words were simply impable.

    "So handsome?"

    Charlotte nodded.

    "You think that it''d be a pity if you don''t look at me?"

    Charlotte nodded again.

    Shane nodded thoughtfully. "Follow me upstairs."

    Charlotte really thought that she had escaped the situation.

    However, peace onlysted until before lunch. Shane walked into his study, took out a book to read,

    and asked her to stare at him while sitting opposite him.

    Just like that, she stared at him for two hours straight.

    "Mr. Fuller..."

    "Have you seen enough?" He raised his head.

    A pair of cold and malicious eyes looked straight at her, causing her scalp to tingle.

    Charlotte''s head hung low. "I know I was wrong. I definitely won''t eavesdrop on your phone call or

    peek at you in the future anymore."

    "You didn''t sound sincere enough. Keep staring."

    "Mr. Fuller, I''m not your employee. What right do you have to punish me..." Her grievance turned to

    frustration.

    "You don''t want to? Then you can go back to Sheryl and exin how you got the wound on your

    face."

    Charlotte bit her lips.

    This man!

    She held her gaze and looked at him.

    Shane was indeed a handsome man. His nose, eyes, and especially his mouth...

    Charlotte subconsciously reached out to touch her lips, as if the touch of his lips fromst night was

    still lingering on hers.

    Patter��

    Charlotte jolted upwards in shock.

    "What are you thinking about?" He stared straight at her.

    III II

    She couldn''t possibly say that she was thinking about his kiss, could she?

    That would sound so low of her.

    Charlotte shook her head forcefully. "I wasn''t thinking about anything. Nothing at all!"

    Shane smirked and got up to stand beside her. He leaned over and pulled her closer to him.

    Charlotte instinctively backed off and fell straight onto the ground.

    It was so painful.

    She red at him.

    This man clearly had the chance to help her!

    "Charlotte, since you were thinking about me, why are you still ying hard to get?"

    "I wasn''t!"

    "Were you not thinking about me, or were you not ying hard to get?"

    "No, I was absolutely doing neither. Are you kidding? Why would I like you? You..." Charlotte''s voice

    came to an abrupt halt.

    At that moment, she actually couldn''t find anything wed about him as a reason to refute.

    Why wouldn''t she like him?

    Charlotte pushed herself up and got up from the ground. Gently, she rubbed her sore skin and said

    in an obstinate manner, "No matter what, I will never like you."

    Shane arched his eyebrows and sat back at his desk. "You can go now."

    Finally, she was liberated.

    Charlotte immediately left the study.

    However.

    Shane''s appearance was stuck in her mind, and she couldn''t get rid of it. She was thinking of him

    when she was cooking, staring at him when they were having dinner.

    When shey in her bed, looking at the ceiling, he was still there, in her mind.

    The next day.

    Charlotte didn''t sleep well.

    Shane was in her dreams all night.

    She did so many things with him in her dreams. The normal things included attending meetings and

    having dinner together. The unusual things were that they raced and yed golf together. What was

    even more abnormal was that she actually took the initiative to pin him down.

    What was in her brain?

    Crap?

    If she ced Shane in her mind for 2 hours, would the crap automatically turn into his face?

    Charlotte was sluggishly making breakfast. After she hurriedly finished it, she ran back to the room.

    She didn''t want to bump into Shane.

    The weird and sudden state of living togethersted for five consecutive days.

    On the morning of the fifth day, Charlotte realized that the wound on her face was no longer visible.

    She let out a sigh of relief and went to the kitchen to cook after washing up.

    Only then did she realize that there was no more food.

    She didn''t know what to do.

    Apart from the groceries they bought at the supermarket five days ago, she hadn''t bought any extra

    groceries for them. She still remembered when they were shopping the other day, she thought that

    everything was enough for them. But Shane had to take an extra bag of bread, some eggs, and

    ham sausages.

    And these were all that was left.

    Did he actually calcte that?

    Charlotte was cooking, but her mind had already wandered to unknown ces.

    As she was cing the breakfast on the table, Shane had just finished washing up.

    "It''s time for breakfast," she said.

    "Okay," the man replied. He then took his seat with a document in his hand.

    Charlotte didn''t look at the document. She knew that Shane had the habit of reading documents or

    a book while drinking coffee.

    Out of her expectation, he wasn''t reading it. He then pushed the document over to let her see after

    finishing his meal.

    "This is..."

    "Take a look."

    Charlotte doubtingly opened the document.

    It was the share transfer letter of Emerson Corporation. She estimated that if shebined these

    shares with the shares in her hands, she couldpete with Christopher and ine.

    "Sorry, I can''t ept this."

    "Look carefully, these shares are not for you."

    Charlotte''s gaze shifted downwards. The second she saw the name, she was stunned.

    Yes, Sheryl Emerson.

    In other words, as Charlotte Emerson, there was no way she could give Sheryl''s shares to anyone.

    She also couldn''t reject these shares.

    Shane picked up his coffee and took a sip, his gazended on her pale face.

    "Before Sheryl turns 18, her shares will be under your care. And because she''s not capable to

    manage these shares before she''s 18, your right to transfer them will be suspended."

    Charlotte smiled bitterly.

    She put down the document and looked at him. "Meaning that Sheryl can only stand by my side for

    now, making her my shareholder, and will not be able to make her own decisions."

    Shane nodded.

    "Most importantly, even if Sheryl dies, her shares will not belong to me, nor will it fall into anyone

    else''s hands."

    "So you granted her a token of survival that allows her to do whatever she wants in front of

    Christopher and ine?"

    At this point, Charlotte''s voice was already a little hoarse.

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228

    "You can put it that way." Shane put down his cup of coffee.

    "Why?" Charlotte looked at him with an unwavering gaze.

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane didn''t answer her. He got up, picked up his suit, and walked to the door. The moment he put

    on his shoes and was about to open the door to leave, he stopped.

    "Yourpany won''t be facing any crisis for the time being. A bidding will be held three dayster.

    It''s very important to the partnership, so you need to cooperate with me. Only after you take over

    the project can you really gain a foothold in this industry."

    Bang-

    The door was closed.

    Shane, he...

    Charlotte looked at the document on the table again. She reached out, wanting to grab them, but

    then she retracted her hand again.

    After hesitating a few times, her fingers had already be stiff. Only then did she decide to pick

    up the document.

    She wouldn''t let his good intention go to waste.

    Charlotte left Shane''s house and went to her office.

    After checking the ounts, she discovered something very strange.

    Kendall had obviously posed a threat to herpany, but the data was no different from five days

    ago when she left.

    In other words, Shane had not only helped her to dodge Kendall''s threat but also adjusted

    everything to be the same as before.

    Of course, his help was an easy job. All he had to do was to give Kendall''spany enough

    money, and no one in the world could pose a threat to Charlotte, let alone the Stevens Family.

    However, this time, one could only say that he had really put in a lot of effort.

    "Zoe." She called.

    Zoe, who had been apanying her all this time, took a step forward. "Lottie, I''m always here."

    "Can you check all the projects rted to the partnership that will be happening in River City three

    dayster? I want to get a hold of the key to the bidding."

    "No problem."

    Shane didn''t rify what project he was talking about. He probably wanted to see whether she was

    aware of it or not.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte felt that things were bing more interesting.

    She would let Shane know that he was right for not underestimating her.

    Zoe quickly brought a pile of documents. On which all the projects rted to the partnership were

    disyed. Among them, it showed that twopanies would be participating in the bidding three

    dayster, and both had close business rtionships with the partnership.

    Judging from the documents, there was essentially no difference between the two projects. One

    was airfreight, and the other was sea freight.

    "Shane said that I need to cooperate with him to take over the project so that I can gain a foothold in

    this industry. If it''s sea freight, then there''s no need toplicate it. Both the partnership and NC''s

    main focuses are sea freight," Charlotte muttered to herself.

    Zoe didn''t understand what she was talking about at all. She just stood on one side.

    In just a few months.

    She was still a secretary, but Charlotte was already...

    "Furthermore, he wants me to cooperate with him. Judging from various aspects, I don''t have any

    intention to work with him. Taking over the project alone and begging me to work with him will be

    easier for him than working with me in the first ce. After all, if thepany is not powerful

    enough one day, I will be a variable. Shane wouldn''t like this kind of uncertainty." As Charlotte

    spoke, she pulled out a piece of paper and wrote one word on it.

    Zoe turned her head to look at the paper.

    That word was Rick.

    "It can only be Rick. It''s definitely because Rick is interested in this project, so Shane wanted me to

    snatch it from him. It''s the only way to convince him that I''vepletely moved on from Rick."

    "As for why he wants me to cut clean with Rick... �� Charlotte paused halfway. She wrinkled the

    paper and threw it into the trash can. "Forget it. That has nothing to do with this matter."

    Charlotte calmed herself down and handed a card to Zoe. "I want to know which one of these two

    projects did Rick participate in, in an hour. And whether he has joined the partnership or not, as well

    as his recent rtionship with the Stevens family. You take this card and go find a bar named

    ''Mncholy Blues'' to find Avery''s men."

    "This card..." Zoe asked tentatively.

    "I asked Avery to add your fingerprint. Don''t worry about it. Only you and I can use it."

    Zoe was dumbfounded.

    The meaning behind these words didn''t sound simple.

    Charlotte stood up, patted Zoe on the shoulder, and said with a light chuckle, "I know that you''re

    loyal to NC, and I also know that you had no choice but to do what you did when you were working

    for Shane and Christopher, so you don''t have to exin too much to me. Don''t be afraid of

    betraying me. I won''t give you the chance."

    "It has only been a few months, but you and I are already so far apart on the socialdder." Zoe

    smiled bitterly. She looked at the card in her hand and tightened her grip.

    "Everything that I have now was the result of my parents'' death and two devastating heartbreaks.

    Zoe, if it''s possible, I hope you never be who I am."

    People often said.

    In this world, employees and bosses would never reach apromise.

    The employees always thought that they didn''t earn enough money, and the bosses always felt that

    they were burdened with the dreams of their workers and themselves.

    Between the strong and the weak, the boss was usually the one who performed better in certain

    areas.

    This also meant that they had borne more risks and crises.

    If possible, they would never wish these experiences on anybody else.

    Zoe understood Charlotte''s painstaking efforts and reached out to hug her. "I won''t betray you.

    Never."

    "You can go now."

    After Zoe left, Charlotte started reading the information about air freight.

    She didn''t have much time left.

    She would receive information from Avery in less than three hours. Three hourster, she would

    have to start setting up.

    It was life or death.

    Zoe followed the address given by Charlotte and arrived at Mncholy Blues.

    The decoration theme was purple. So, the color of most decorations was simr to that of butterfly

    beancurd.

    A melodious blues was ying in the background, making people feel rxed inside and out.

    Zoe continued to walk further inside.

    "Miss, please show me your VIP card." A bartender d in a ck jacket stopped her.

    "Is it this card?" She took out the card given by Charlotte.

    "This is a card made by Mr. Hart himself." The bartender was surprised for a second but quickly

    regained hisposure. He smiled and leaned forward. "How about I take you there?"

    Avery was here?

    Zoe nodded reluctantly.

    Avery was in the innermost private lounge. The bartender opened the door, and Zoe immediately

    turned around as soon as she entered the room.

    From what she had a quick glimpse at...

    A thin but muscr man was lying in a ck bathtub. Petals were scattered on his snow-white skin

    and the surface of the water.

    The air was filled with the fragrance of rose.

    The man opened his eyes. His long hair was caressing the water as he moved.

    "Are you Zoe Watson?" "Yes."

    "Lottie had mentioned you once." The man stepped out of the bathtub, picked up the white robe

    beside him, and put it on. "You can turn around now."

    Zoe turned around.

    She stared at him in disbelief.

    Avery was no stranger to this kind of look. Many people were either disgusted or stunned when they

    saw him for the first time. He was already used to it. And Zoe was obviously thetter.

    He flicked his hair gently and winked at her. "What are you here for?"

    "It''s like this..."

    Zoe told her about Charlotte''s request.

    Upon hearing that, Avery smiled in a flirty manner as he walked up to her, "Come, baby. Lower your

    head and look at my ankle."

    If Zoe was astonished by him at first nce, she was starting to suspect whether this person was a

    pervert or not now.

    She contained her extreme difort and lowered her head.

    Avery''s feet were not small, but his nails were carefully trimmed. His skin was as white as milk, and

    his ankle was even more beautiful than those of the nobledies.

    However, there was an extremely deep cut on it. It was no longer bleeding, but the bones inside

    were still visible.

    "You''re still taking a bath with a wound like this?" Zoe thought that this person must be nuts.

    "No wonder you''re Charlotte''s favorite and most trusted secretary. You can still be so calm when

    you see a cut like this."

    "Mr. Hart, you''re too kind."

    Avery lifted her chin slightly and said, "Sweetheart, the water over there is suitable for my skin. You

    don''t have to worry about my safety. However, if you want to ask me for information, you will have to

    pay some interest first."

    Interest?

    "Lottie didn''t tell me before I came here." Zoe was wary of his every move.

    She didn''t dare to offend Avery, but she could run.

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229

    "There was no such thing at first, but you look extremely simr to an old friend of mine. I''m

    ashamed to ask, but I would like to invite you to have dinner together. What do you think?" Avery let

    go of her and took a step back like a gentleman, giving her some space and time to consider.

    Because of the intensity of his emotions, his fingers were slightly trembling.

    They looked as if they were trembling.

    But if you took a closer look, you could tell that they were actually trembling.

    "I have to go back to the office after receiving the information." Zoe frowned.

    "I can go with you, but you have to take care of my injury."

    Zoe didn''t know whether Charlotte was asking for information or this... psycho in front of her.

    "I guess it''s fine if we go back to the office together. It''s rather lonely for me to eat by myself

    anyway," she thought.

    So, Zoe agreed.

    Avery smiled and snapped his fingers. He was so thrilled that he identally lost his bnce and

    fell to the ground as he quickened his pace.

    "Mr. Hart!" Zoe immediately helped him up.

    The man''s eyes were reddish about the rims. He bit his rosy lips. Several locks of hair obscured half

    of his face, making him look like an ethereal beauty.

    Zoe was stunned. She never knew that a man could be so beautiful.

    "My men, except for one, all call me Young Master. How about you call me Young Master too?" He

    gently fluttered his eyshes.

    "This name is too ancient."

    "If you don''t like that, you can just call me Avery. Mr. Hart sounds too distant."

    As a straight woman, Zoe''s experience in dating was only limited to having a secret crush. No, it

    was not a secret anymore, but even so, she could tell that the man in front of her was trying to flirt

    with her.

    She finally understood why the kings from ancient dynasties didn''t attend court meetings in the

    morning.

    If they had an imperial concubine like Avery, they wouldn''t even care about their countries, let alone

    the morning court meetings.

    Zoe stopped responding to Avery and silently helped him to his workce.

    Avery would tease her asionally, but when he saw that she didn''t react to it, he stopped.

    The two of them treated each other with respect.

    Two hourster, Zoe took Avery to Charlotte.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Charlotte almost sacked Zoe at that moment.

    Thest person she wanted to see in her life, other than Shane, was definitely Avery.

    "Zoe, you go, you go... uhm, buy two cups of coffee. Don''t bring them in if I don''t let you in."

    Charlotte instructed, feeling helpless.

    "Alright." Zoe suppressed herughter.

    Judging by Charlotte''s reaction, what else did she not understand?

    Charlotte clearly didn''t want to see Avery. No wonder Avery asked Zoe to bring him here.

    After Zoe left, Avery instantly changed his demeanor and said, "I didn''t intend to follow her here

    when I knew that she came to collect the information. I just wanted to tease her and see who was

    so lucky to be chosen by you."

    "And then?"

    In his current state, Charlotte felt like there was no harm in chatting with him for a little longer.

    Averyughed coldly, ''And then? I realize that this assistant of yours looks exactly like my dead

    girlfriend. Don''t you think I shoulde over?"

    "Are you sure?"

    "It can''t be wrong. But you said that her name is Zoe, so I suspect that some things about the

    incident that happened back then remained undiscovered. Zoe and my girlfriend, Irena are definitely

    a pair of twins, or..."

    Maybe Irena had never died and became Zoe.

    Otherwise, how is it possible to have two identical people existing on earth at the same time?

    Charlotte nodded. "As long as you don''t hurt Zoe, I have no right to stop you from investigating or

    pursuing her. But if you hurt her..."

    "Do I look like that kind of person?"

    "A pervert who pretends to be a woman. What do you think?"

    "It''s just a survival strategy. If Shane were in my shoes, he wouldn''t have done better than me

    either."

    Charlotte instantly fell silent at the mention of Shane.

    Avery changed the topic and said, "Well, I''ll tell you what you know so far. Let''s talk about these two

    projects first. They..."

    Both of the projects were rted to airfreight.

    And both were supported by the partnership.

    However, one of the projects failed to obtain approval. Many of thepanies gave up while

    waiting for it to be approved.

    "Gave up while waiting?" Charlotte slowly digested these words. "So, Jane Corporation must have

    chosen the other project."

    "That''s right, smartiepants."

    "ording to Jane Corporation''s strategy, taking charge of airfreight can reduce arge sum of

    expenses. They can directly purchase materials from overseas and export them abroad so that they

    don''t have to waste too much effort back here."

    "I don''t think that this is within your field of expertise." Averyughed at her.

    "Please enlighten me," Charlotte said seriously.

    Avery exined everything to her in great detail and was very satisfied with her learning attitude.

    Of course, airfreight was capable of cross-border and long-distance shipping.

    The most important thing was to buy pieces ofnd and build factories in third-tier and fourth-tier

    cities. Next, send the goods to second-tier cities for packaging, then to the headquarters in first-tier

    cities. Finally, the headquarters located in first-tier cities would distribute the products all over the

    world.

    "You must know that these goods must be under someone''s nose, especially the ones in first-tier

    cities, but you can just ignore the defective ones." Avery finished his sentence.

    "Does that mean that if they take over this project, Jane Corporation''s Hometown Campaign will

    work out?"

    "Heh. Rick, this man. He kicked you out and even stole your idea. Disgusting piece of sh*t."

    Charlotte remained silent.

    She didn''t see Rick as someone like that.

    But the evidence was right in front of our noses. She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Let''s not talk

    about him anymore. So, have you found out whether Shane and NC are involved in this project?"

    "Of course. Let me just make it clear to you. Shane was not involved in anything. He didn''t

    participate in the investment or the bidding. That''s the only weird part about it. You must know that

    NC''s airfreight is the weakest!"

    Charlotte felt as if she had just been punched by someone.

    She stood there in a daze, her eyes nk.

    Avery waved his hand in front of her and said, "Are you okay? Hey, Charlotte!"

    I''m fine..." She snapped back to reality and smiled tiredly at him. "I''ll treat you to dinner tonight."

    "No need. I''ve already asked her out and she said yes." Avery smiled proudly. "You and Mr. Fuller

    always think I look entric, but maybe somebody prefers my style. Talk to youter. I''ll go first."

    "Take care."

    The office felt empty after Avery left.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte''s eyes welled up with tears.

    Both her shares from NC and everything that Shane did for her this time proved her one thing. It

    proved that hepletely entrusted her with his weaknesses.

    Shane wanted her to make up for his weaknesses.

    He wanted to make himself look impable, and when the enemies attacked him, he would need

    her toe out and save the day.

    Shane was taking advantage of her, and she knew that better than anyone else.

    However...

    Who takes advantage of people for the sake of helping them?

    But she felt like everything he had done for her was a kind of capital recovery. He had lent her a

    helping hand, so now he wanted her to help him back by gaining some interest.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and wiped away the tears gathering in her eyes.

    She had no time to be emotional.

    This time, she had to win the battle beautifully.

    Late at night.

    Shane went home alone. Looking at the empty living room, he was slightly lost in thought.

    He ced a bento into the oven to heat it and made a cup of coffee.

    He held the cup of coffee and leaned against the balcony. While waiting for his bento, he made sure

    that he seized the chance to read a book.

    His phone rang.

    "Cole," he said.

    "Miss Charlotte has submitted the bidding application, and thepany has already approved it."

    Cole''s tone was filled with amazement. "She''s incredibly efficient. I initially wanted to send her the

    information tomorrow, but I didn''t expect her to find the project on her own!"

    "Okay."

    "Mr. Fuller, after this is over, do you want to..."

    "Order a bracelet for me."

    It bothered Shane that she was wearing a gift given by others on her wrist.

    Cole quickly understood and said, "I understand. Would you like to decide on the style?"

    "No need. I''ll buy a more suitable one for her in the future if she doesn''t like it."

    "Mr. Fuller, you''re actually quite a loving person. If you''re afraid of losing face, you can at least give

    Miss Charlotte some hints."

    Beep- A sound rang out from the oven.

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230

    Shane took out the bento from the oven and said, "She''s useful to me."

    There are a lot of people who are useful to you. Well then, about Tiffany..."

    "Have you eaten yet?"

    "Huh?"

    "You look like you have a lot of spare time."

    Cole scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said, "Well, Mr. Fuller, good night. I''m going to

    do my work now."

    Before Shane could respond, Cole ended the phone call without hesitation.

    He didn''t want to be sent to Africa.

    Recently, a person had released videos of him sending his staff to Africa on several online video

    tforms. After that, a few CEOs from the same industry started to imitate his practice.

    Although businesses in Africa were not as lucrative as before, it was still easy to reap some extra

    money by setting up a smallpany.

    He didn''t want to be thrown there to earn extra money. He wanted to retire in River City.

    Shane nced at his phone after Cole hung up. He then picked up the bento, sat down in the living

    room, and turned on the TV.

    Two days left until the bidding.

    He didn''t know what kind of surprise would Charlotte give him this time, or perhaps, she might need

    his help?

    It was getting more and more interesting.

    He looked down at the bento in his hands.

    For some unknown reason, the rice had suddenly lost its aroma.

    Charlotte had been working overtime for two consecutive days.

    She set an rm to remind herself to go to bed at 11 pm and wake up at 6 am the next day to wash

    up and put on makeup.

    After confirming that all the data were correct, she left home and went to thepany.

    There were fewer representatives on her team. Except for Zoe, there was only another intern. He

    wore a pair of sses and looked quite young and shy.

    "Is everything ready?" Charlotte asked.

    "Ready," the intern answered.

    I''m all set too." Zoe took out a USB and handed it to Charlotte. "This is what you mentionedst

    night. The backup information that you asked me to prepare is all inside the USB."

    Charlotte took it and nodded at her. "You''ve worked hard."

    Zoe smiled and shook her head. What kind of hard work was that?

    It was nothingpared to the negotiation speech that Charlotte had been painstakingly preparing

    for the past few days. Zoe only had to copy and paste the information into a file.

    The three of them departed to their destination.

    It was only seven in the morning, but a huge crowd had already arrived at the hotel lobby.

    When the three of them walked into the conference room, the first people they saw were two men in

    suits. They looked ordinary, but the suits they wore were quite expensive.

    "Ms. Emerson, this is Morgan Greendale, a budding star in the industry." The young intern took out

    his notebook and said, "All of the people from theirpany were born with a silver spoon, and

    they belong to the same social circle. But they don''t have much knowledge, so there is no need to

    be afraid of them."

    Charlotte nodded and led the two of them to their

    seats.

    The intern gently nudged his sses and spoke again, "Ms. Emerson, the person dressed in a wine

    red suit who''s sitting opposite to us is Nichs Lyle. He is the person in charge of hispany and

    has a certain status in the industry. I heard that he only took part in this bidding because of NC. It''s

    clear that he has an ulterior motive."

    "You know them all?" Charlotte was amazed.

    It would be a coincidence if he knew a group of people. But it directly proved himpetent for

    knowing two groups of people.

    And he even knew why they were here.

    Although she said that she wanted to know more about the otherpanies, her main attention

    was still fixed on Jane Corporation. After all, they were their biggest opponent this time.

    The young intern smiled shyly and said, "I saw a lot of people studying Jane Corporation, so I did

    some research on the otherpanies with a few close colleagues of mine instead. It''s a pity to

    waste human resources."

    "You did a great job. When you go back, let Zoe know your name, as well as those who researched

    with you. I will let her hand your names over to the human resources department and the finance

    department to award you all bonuses."

    "Mr. Emerson, you''re such a kind- hearted and beautiful person."

    Charlotte was speechless.

    At first, she thought that this young man did a pretty good job. But when he said that, she instantly

    felt queasy.

    She enjoyed being ttered, but his words didn''t sound like a sincerepliment in today''s society.

    Instead, it made her feel a little awkward.

    Of course, that was only her opinion. She was still happy to be praised by others.

    Eventually, people from otherpanies started entering the conference room too.

    Among them were people from Jane Corporation.

    Jane Corporation had three representatives as well. They were Rick, Kendall, and another person

    that Charlotte had never seen before. He should be the newly-appointed CEO or something.

    Charlotte didn''t keep her eyes on anyone of them. She already knew Jane Corporation better than

    anyone else.

    Rick, on the other hand, was stunned when he saw her. He frowned and asked the person beside

    him, "Why is Charlotte here?"

    "Her newpany is a shippingpany," Kendall answered immediately as she linked his arms in

    a hurry. "Rick, do you not want to see her, or are you happy to see her?"

    "A shippingpany... You''ve already known about this a long time ago?"

    "No, I only found out recently. I didn''t think it was a big deal, so I didn''t mention it to you. You

    seemed to be in a bad mood during that time."

    Rick looked at Kendall in disappointment. "How can you hide such an important detail from me?"

    Kendall was startled and felt wronged at that moment. "Rick, I did it for your sake. During that period

    of time, you were..."

    "I was wondering why Shane would start a shipping subsidiarypany out of the blue and send

    the entire business industry into chaos. It turns out that it was because Charlotte founded a shipping

    company. I thought that NC has been our only opponent all this time." Rick forced a smile and said,

    "If we can''t take over the project this time, it means that ourpany will have to temporarily

    withdraw from Asia- Pacific. Do you understand?"

    "I..." Kendall was choked on her words.

    How would she know all these?

    Rick took his seat and stared straight at Charlotte.

    Sensing his gaze on her, Charlotte didn''t know how to react. Discreetly, she shifted her gaze to him,

    and the moment her eyes reached his face, her long fingers trembled slightly.

    He actually looked a little worn out.

    He might have put on some makeup before he came here, but even so, it failed to conceal his

    tiredness.

    Charlotte lowered her gaze and stopped looking at him. She turned to Zoe and asked, "How many

    companies are still not here yet?"

    "Three. It''s less than an hour away from the starting time, but Shane is still not here yet." Zoe said.

    "There''s only an hour left..."

    I''m sure Mr. Fuller knows what he''s doing."

    Tm not worried about Shane and NC. Up until now, a total of sevenpanies have arrived. We

    only have information regarding five of them but have never even heard of the remaining two.

    Judging from their behavior and circumstances, they seem to be here to watch the bidding, not to

    take part in the bidding. So, I''m worried that one of the remaining twopanies might be here to

    compete with NC, and if we don''t have any information about them..." Charlotte shook her head.

    If something like what she described happened, the n she had with Shane would be considered

    a failure.

    Zoe had never expected it to be soplicated. Now that she heard what Charlotte said, she

    couldn''t help but bite her lip. "We..."

    "Don''t worry, the next should be two otherpanies. They don''t have the capability topete

    with NC. One of them even has a better rtionship with NC. So our biggest enemy should be Jane

    Corporation," the intern suddenly spoke.

    Charlotte was stunned.

    Both she and Avery didn''t even have any information about them but this boy did?

    "Who... are you?"

    The young intern smiled at her and said, "Ms. Emerson, I''m ourpany''s intern, Peter Brown."

    Peter Brown.

    This was such an ordinary and unremarkable name.

    Charlotte felt that things weren''t as simple as they seemed. She wanted to continue asking

    questions, but at that exact moment, Shane had arrived.

    On his sides were Christopher and Braden, like always.

    Even though they might disagree a lot in person, they would still stick together like glue when they

    were in public.

    Zoe also didn''t expect Christopher toe today. Her hands immediately grabbed on her dress.

    The knuckles of her fingers turned white because of her nervousness. "Why is he here..."

    Charlotte stretched out her hand and held her gently. Zoe looked up in surprise but only saw

    Charlotte''s unflinching side profile.

    Even though she didn''t look at her, she had given her infinite courage.

    Almost instantly, Zoe felt her rationality restored in her mind. She controlled her heartbeat and

    forced herself to calm down.

    When Shane took his seat, he was seated right next to Charlotte.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "How''s your sleep?" He offered her a cup of coffee.

    "Not bad." She epted the coffee and took a sip.

    Hazelnut Vani.

    It was a vor that she loved a lot.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231

    Shane leaned toward Charlotte and pointed at the corner of her eye. "Your makeup''s a little messy."

    "The weather is too cold. My hands were shaking." Charlotte casually backed off to avoid him. "Mr.

    Fuller, know your boundaries."

    "Boundaries?" Shane moved closer to her.

    Almost everybody''s eyes were fixed on the two of them.

    Charlotte knew that they were all there to see Shane. They wanted to find out why Shane made a

    move on the shipping industry.

    But now...

    She sighed helplessly. "Mr. Fuller, don''t tell me that you want everybody to know that you put so

    much effort into messing up the industry just for an insignificant woman like me."

    "If that''s the case, will you reconcile with me?"

    "Reconcile? Mr. Fuller, stop joking around with me. I''m just someone who you keep when you need

    and discard whenever you don''t need anymore. There''s no need to talk about reconciling."

    Speechless, Shane stared deep into her eyes. Then, he straightened his back and didn''t speak to

    her anymore.

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

    When she was about to continue reading the report to divert her attention, she found Kendall and

    Rick looking at her from the opposite side.

    Rick''s eyes seemed to be filled with pain, but Kendall''s held great resentment and anger.

    She actually didn''t care what they thought of her. Because when the show started, they would have

    topete to the bitter end anyway.

    Soon after, the director had arrived.

    The shipping this time would concern seven differentpanies. These sevenpanies were

    also the ones that joined forces to put this project together.

    It was extremely versatile but also very difficult to manage. Smallpanies couldn''t handle it, and

    bigpanies wouldn''t want to handle it.

    Largepanies like NC came to bid because they wanted to find a target that they can take over.

    They couldn''t offer their own route to others, could they? That was impossible.

    Charlotte was starting to get nervous.

    Based on her knowledge about Jane Corporation, the price and route they offered should be the

    one that they assumed.

    If Rick and Kendall found a new route in the past two days, everything they prepared would be in

    vain.

    "God bless us." Charlotte prayed.

    Charlotte felt the urge to touch her bracelet.

    But when she suddenly realized that this bracelet was...

    She took a deep breath and stopped herself, but something cold touched her wrist at that moment.

    She was shocked and turned to her side.

    Shane took off her original bracelet and put on a jade bracelet.

    It was ice jade.

    Its base color was transparent and milky white, and its surface was embellished with irregr light

    blue lines that looked like blood streaks.

    Generally speaking, this kind of semi-translucent ice jade wasn''t worth more than three hundred

    thousand dors. Most of them cost around ten thousand dors.

    With Shane''s worth, he could have given her a better one if he wanted to. By choosing a

    bracelet with this price point was like indirectly telling her: "If you don''t want it, I''ll just throw it away."

    Shane would definitely not feel bad if he threw away something worth ten thousand dors.

    Charlotte didn''t have the opportunity to reject his gift. A surge of iciness ascended from her wrist,

    and her nervousness immediately dissipated into thin air.

    "Shane..." She lowered her voice.

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "If you don''t want it, I''ll just throw it away."

    As expected!

    She red at him. "You''re forcing kind- hearted people to do naughty things."

    "What kind of naughty things?"

    "You..." She was choked with anger.

    Shane''s mood had obviously turned better. His eyebrows were slightly raised, and his lips curled up

    into a smile.

    He could have chosen another time to give it to her.

    Charlotte knew that he wanted to make her feel at ease and also obtain a slice of interest from her.

    But she had just won the argument earlier.

    s!

    Charlotte looked down at the bracelet.

    It was beautiful indeed, but because Shane was the one who gave it to her, she didn''t really know

    what to feel.

    Three hourster.

    The director announced the results.

    The moment he dismissed Jane Corporation''s proposal, Charlotte knew that she had won.

    Everyone came up to congratte them, but most of them were actually just congratting Shane.

    The people present were either people who knew Shane personally or worldly-wise people.

    Judging from Shane and Charlotte''s interactions, many could tell that the two of them had a good

    personal rtionship. Besides, Charlotte was obviously Rick''s fiancee, but she was sitting opposite

    to him while a seemingly intimate woman was seated next to Rick. People couldn''t help but wonder

    what was going on.

    "Rick!"

    Kendall cried out from the crowd.

    Rick had stayed upte for the past few nights. His body couldn''t hold on anymore and fell straight

    to the floor.

    He helped himself up by holding onto the desk. His eyes found Charlotte almost instantly, waiting to

    see the expression on her face.

    He wanted to know if she would be even the slightest bit moved when she witnessed his current

    state of being.

    What would she think of him? Someone who had loved her unconditionally yet got nothing in return.

    Charlotte didn''t look at him, neither did she turn around because of Kendall''s voice. She stood

    beside Shane with a file in her hand, filling him in on the follow-up operations of the project.

    Shane would asionally nod his head. From the look on his face, one could tell that he was utterly

    satisfied with what Charlotte had said.

    "Rick, let me take you to the hospital!" Kendall held Rick in her arms. She was so anxious that she

    almost cried.

    If it was Charlotte who was beside him, what would she do now?

    She would evacuate the crowd first and tell everyone that he fainted because he was too busy and

    had just recovered from a serious illness. Then, she would call his assistant toe and pick him

    up.

    Or, if she was by his side, he wouldn''t even have fainted at all.

    Rick''s gaze was still fixed on Charlotte, brimming with emotions.

    "Even if you keep looking at her, she will not turn around to meet your gaze. She was already

    standing beside Shane!" Kendall grabbed his arm and said, "Look who''s standing beside you now,

    Rick. I''m the one who truly likes you!"

    "She must have told you about my preferences."

    "That''s..."

    "Only she knows the special ink brand I use. You used the right brand when you refilled my inkst

    time. So she must have told you all my preferences before, hasn''t she?" Rick tried to stand up on

    his own, but his temples were already covered with sweat.

    By this time, other than a few of Rick''s friends who were talking with the CEO that he invited over,

    most of the people had already left. Even Shane and Charlotte had left.

    Kendall bit her lip and kept quiet.

    "She had probably even told you what type of woman I like." Rick looked at the door with empty

    eyes. "I just can''t stand the fact that she still expects from him, relies on him, and yearn for him

    even though he clearly doesn''t respect her."

    "I can ept that she doesn''t love me. I can also ept that she''s in love with another man. But

    maybe I can''t ept the fact that she could give someone all her recognition."

    "I just can''t ept her unreserved recognition for Shane. It doesn''t mean that I don''t love her

    anymore. Kendall, love is not a game. It doesn''t matter whether you stay by his side or like him with

    all your heart, words are useless."

    He pushed her away and walked forward step by step.

    Kendall hesitated for a moment but still followed him. She gritted his teeth and hugged his arm. "I

    don''t care. You guys have already broken up anyway."

    "I haven''t officially divorced her." He shook her off.

    "Rick!" Kendall felt helpless.

    They hadn''t divorced yet.

    But that was all he could do.

    The way she looked at Shane, full of expectation and admiration with a hint of vignce and

    nervousness.

    It was the purest and most loving gaze.

    And he was the most unnecessary person in their movie.

    At the hotel''s entrance.

    Charlotte looked at the three people in front of her and stretched out her hand. "I don''t know when

    well meet again after this. Let''s hope that our cooperation goes smoothly." "I don''t dare to shake this

    hand." Braden said with a chuckle, "I was sent to Africa back then and didn''t manage to bid you

    goodbye nor exin it to you. I''ll say one thing now. No matter what you choose, Anne and I will

    always provide you unconditional support."

    "Thank you." She smiled.

    "You did a great job." Christopher gently held her hand but quickly released it.

    He still wore a gentle smile on his face, but his gaze made Charlotte feel a little ufortable.

    She nodded at him, not caring to even smile at him.

    Shane looked down at Charlotte and reached out his hand in slight disdain, but he didn''t shake her

    hand.

    Charlotte took the initiative to shake his hand, pinching it really hard. "Mr. Fuller, thank you so much

    for your help."

    Behind her gentle smile, you could sense the slyness of a little fox.

    It was not easy.

    He had been racking his brains for this, and it managed to make her look proud and confident again

    in front of him.

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232

    "A mother should act more dignified." Shane retracted his hand.

    "Sheryl would be delighted to have an energetic and responsible mother like me." Charlotte ignored

    his insult.

    Shane shook his head, questioning her words, "Will a responsible mother hand her child over to an

    outsider for a month?"

    "Aren''t you her daddy?" She answered matter-of-factly.

    In fact, it was also because he was biologically rted to Sheryl that she only hesitated for a

    moment before she agreed.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "Now you know that I''m her father?"

    Why did that sound so weird?

    Charlotte was about to refute, but Shane had already left with Cole.

    At the same time, Braden hurriedly pulled Christopher in the direction of their car and whispered,

    "Christopher, put aside your personal opinion and let''s talk about Shane. Do you think he loves

    Charlotte or not?" "Even though I stabbed him in the back, he still treats me as a friend. Do you

    think this is love or not?"

    "He loves you like a brother, but you don''t feel the same." Braden mocked.

    This guy still had the guts to say it out loud.

    If he hadn''te to fight for power all of a sudden, the three of them wouldn''t have ended up being

    so cold towards each other.

    Christopher looked into the distance. His long fingers lightly tugged at the hem of his shirt. "He

    treats me like a brother, but he never told me the reason why he suddenly created a subsidiary

    company. He''s someone who would willingly tell me the number of shares that he has in his hands

    and would even discuss his strategies with me. But he didn''t even tell me about Charlotte until the

    veryst second. What do you think?"

    "What can this prove?"

    "It proves that in his heart, Charlotte is more important than me."

    Christopher entered his car.

    Actually, there was one more thing he didn''t tell Braden about.

    Even though Shane treated him like a brother, he had never given him any shares. However, when

    it came to Charlotte, he straightaway gave her the important shares.

    He doubted that Charlotte would betray Shane and stand on his side.

    This was no longer something that could be defined as love or not. To Shane, Charlotte is someone

    special.

    Everyone had left.

    Braden was standing in the cold wind, alone.

    It took him ten minutes to finally understand Christopher''s words. Shane had feelings for Charlotte.

    "Why did he have to make it sound soplicated when he could easily say those five words?"

    Braden went into his car as he cursed into the wind.

    Busy.

    That was the only word in Charlotte''s dictionary.

    Herpany had taken over all the shipping services of the sevenpanies. While trying to

    expand herpany, she had almost used up all her energy.

    Fortunately, Zoe could help to pick up her child. Otherwise, she would''ve killed herself on the spot.

    Charlotte was leaning back in her chair to rest as the noise traveled closer to her. She opened her

    eyes wearily and walked out of the office, only to find Peter pacing back and forth worriedly. He

    stopped when she saw her walking out and said politely, "Ms. Emerson."

    "Mr. Brown." Charlotte nodded at him. "What''s going on here?"

    After what happened at the bidding, she created an intelligence department for Peter, which allows

    him to include the people of his choice only. But she lied to the public, telling them that this was

    another secretary group.

    So when they didn''t need them to carry out any research, they would just be a group of ordinary

    secretaries.

    "Uhm...Kendall is here." Peter kept wiping his sweat off the corner of his forehead.

    "Okay. I''m going there right now."

    "But the doctor said you''d better rest for half an hour, your body..."

    I''m fine. It''s just glucopenia."

    Watching as she walked away, Peter gritted his teeth and decided to call Shane.

    A lot of people in the office had already seen Kendall in the office anyway. Ms. Emerson didn''t know

    who secretly sent the message, but this person probably wouldn''t expose themself this time too.

    Charlotte walked into the guest room.

    Kendall had already smashed everything that could be smashed.

    Charlotte looked at her coldly and took out her phone. "You can either pay for all these now, or I''ll

    call the police."

    "Pay for these? Never mind the money, I''ll give you all my shares as long as you can go back and

    take a single look at Rick." Kendall saw her walking in and handed over a piece of paper.

    Charlotte didn''t take it. "I don''t need your shares. You can leave after you''ve paid for these."

    "Are you really so cold-blooded?"

    "What he needs right now is you, not me. If you get through this with him, he will definitely fall for

    you."

    "Ha, ha, ha! Very funny! Do you really think that Rick doesn''t love..."

    "Kendall, I will never give up the project to Rick. At the same time, it''s also impossible for me to

    make up with him. As long as he thinks that Shane is the barrier between us, we will never be able

    to break down this barrier. I don''t want to waste my time trying to find a miracle."

    "You!" Kendall was so angry that she stepped in front of her and raised her hand.

    Charlotte grabbed her wrist with her backhand.

    After the project had been settled, she listened to Shane''s advice and went to learn some

    selfdefense skills.

    Kendall was struggling.

    "I can let you p me now, but after that, don''te to my office again. I''ll call the police next time."

    Charlotte let go of her wrist.

    She never thought that Kendall was a bad person.

    When they met for the first time, Kendall actually looked really cute.

    She didn''t want Kendall to be the second ine.

    Moreover, there was no irreconcble hatred between the two of them.

    "I am Kendall Stevens. They don''t dare to do anything to me!" Kendall scoffed and raised her hand

    again.

    Charlotte helplessly shut her eyes.

    Let''s fight then.

    Fight away all the feelings she had for her. Maybe that would be better.

    "Oof!"

    Charlotte didn''t feel any pain. Instead, the person in front of her let out a cry.

    She opened her eyes.

    Kendall was on the ground. She was hugging her stomach with a painful expression.

    Feeling baffled, Charlotte turned around and looked beside her.

    Shane''s expression was grave as he retracted his leg. His posture was strong and regal, like a

    general, giving off an intoxicating aura.

    "You, you dare to hit me..." Kendall was in so much pain that she burst into tears and red fiercely

    at the pair in front of her.

    This shameless couple!

    Shane turned to look at Charlotte, making sure that there was no sign of a p on her face. Only

    then did he walk up to Kendall.

    Kendall kept retreating in fear until her back hit the wall, and there was no more space for her to

    hide.

    "Don''te near me!"

    "Kendall, do you know that during historical times, those who worked in the intelligence field were

    most afraid of people who provide information to the superiors?"

    Kendall''s face instantly turned pale. "You''re merely a businessman."

    Shane said with a nk face, "I''ve never said that I''m just a businessman."

    She couldn''t deal with Shane by herself.

    She needed somebody else''s help.

    First, she had to get out of here. Then she would gather a team so that these two people would

    regret humiliating her today!

    Kendall stood up and limped off the room.

    When she passed by Charlotte, she red at her with intense fury.

    Charlotte immediately reached out and grabbed her on the shoulder. Before Kendall could react,

    she gave her a hard p. "We''re even now."

    This time, tears streamed down Kendall''s face. She pointed at Charlotte''s nose. Her voice trembled

    as she screamed, "What right do you have to hit me? You..."

    "An eye for an eye. Since Shane has already offended you, you will definitely hate me because of

    him. Then why should I be the kind person? You can just hate me. It doesn''t matter."

    "You wait and see!"

    Kendall left.

    Charlotte''s legs instantly went limp, and she almost lost her bnce. Luckily, Shane was quick

    enough to react.

    "You really sent your spies to mypany..." She rested listlessly in his arms, not wanting to move.

    Even if it was a tiger''s cave and not Shane''s arms, she wouldn''t feel like moving either.

    "Is that not allowed?"

    "I don''t know, but thank you."

    Whether it was a dream or not, thank you.

    Shane held her tightly in his arms and said, "The doctor said you pushed yourself too hard recently.

    These two days..."

    "It''s just low blood sugar, I don''t need you to take care of me. If you can, can you help me protect

    Sheryl? I''m afraid that Kendall will go crazy."

    "Don''t worry. After all..."

    She was his daughter too.

    Charlotte didn''t know what he was going to say. She smiled and continued, "After all, she calls you

    daddy and even said that you''re a superman."

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233

    Shane didn''t reply. He lowered his head and fixed his gaze on her small face.

    Charlotte rested against him for a while before she managed to pick herself up. Even as she

    walked, she was still unsteady. She wanted to return to her office to eat something sugary.

    But what about Shane?

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment and eventually decided to invite Shane. "Shane, do you want to

    come and take a seat in my office?"

    Lets go.

    She hung her head low and led the way.

    Charlotte''s office was stark. It didn''t look like a woman''s office.

    Shane had met quite a lot of female CEOs from differentpanies. Most of them would decorate

    their rooms with nts, and some would even put up photo frames.

    There were no decorations on Charlotte''s desk. Only a pen, notebook, aputer, and a hand

    cream next to the mouse could be seen.

    The design style was more of a cold color scheme.

    Shane didn''t know why but he thought that the office looked a little familiar. His lips curled into a

    slight smile when he saw the colorbination of the bookshelf. "Does Ms. Emerson have the habit

    of replicating other people''s office design style?" "This was an ident." She poured him a cup of

    coffee and said, "At that time, I was in a hurry to find an office, and the renovation was also in a

    rush, so I bought a ready- made bookshelf instead."

    "Why don''t you use Rick''s?"

    "His office is painted white. That''s an unlucky color."

    "That''s it?"

    What else could it be?

    Charlotte asked in confusion, "What did you expect?"

    Shane took a sip of his coffee, put the cup on the table, and walked out.

    Charlotte sat in her seat while eating chocte. Before she could even react, he had already

    disappeared.

    What did she say to offend him?

    After she finished eating the chocte, Charlotte wiped her hands and prepared to read some

    documents. But how could one recover from low blood sugar in such a short time?

    She was feeling dizzier.

    Rendered helpless, she put down the documents and leaned back on the chair with her eyes

    closed.

    Suddenly, a trail of fragrance wafted into her nostrils.

    Charlotte opened her eyes.

    Shane was carrying a lot of bags in his hands. He then ced them all on her desk.

    There were some cakes and desserts. But because the bags and packages were not opened, she

    could barely see what was inside.

    "Come eat." He sat down in front of her, taking the documents away from her.

    Before Charlotte could even react, Shane had already taken out his pen to solve all the problems

    that were bugging her.

    He was so familiar with it that it made people''s heart ache.

    "When you are the busiest, how many documents do you have to deal with?" Charlotte opened the

    package as she looked at him.

    "Not much." He paused. "Around 30."

    Thirty.

    It was actually not a huge number. It was not even the biggest number among all the two- digit

    numbers.

    However, Charlotte did a mental calction of the time she''d used to settle one document. It was

    roughly ten to thirty minutes. And she hadn''t even included the time she spent checking or

    correcting the documents with her staff.

    The processing time of 30 documents should be at least more than ten hours.

    "In a day?" she asked again.

    "In three hours or so." Shane finished reading a document for her and put it back in front of her.

    "This Peter Brown. You can put him to good use."

    She nodded and stuffed a piece of cake into her mouth. As if realizing something all of a sudden,

    she shot up her head and looked him straight in the eyes. "Shane, is Peter your man?"

    "No."

    "I want you to swear that he''s not your man."

    "I swear."

    Charlotte smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

    Shane stared deep into her eyes. Those long fingers on his knees curled into his palms.

    She knew that Peter was his man.

    She also knew that, he knew that she knew Peter

    was his man.

    So that was why she asked him to swear. She hoped that he would ignore his conscience and

    abandon his initial thoughts to admit that this person was a gift he gave to her and not a kind of

    monitor.

    She grew faster than he had imagined.

    Was it because Rick taught her all these when he was with her?

    Shane had mixed feelings in his heart. Even the way he looked at her revealed a hint of profound

    emotions.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    He was a little regretful.

    He should''ve been a more suitable advisor for her before Rick did.

    After Charlotte finished a piece of cake, she suddenly sighed and said, "Shane, if you hadn''t

    divorced me back then, I might not have even known the impact of shipping routes on big

    companies until now."

    "Why?" He came back to his senses.

    "Even though your actions dishearten people sometimes, I know that you were trying your best to

    protect everyone. It''s just that, have you ever thought that the people you wanted to protect might

    not actually appreciate it at all?"

    "So?

    "For example, you''ve already known that there might be something wrong with Christopher, but

    because he is your best friend, you don''t want to say it out loud. You asked me to stay away from

    him, not because of jealousy, but because you were concerned with my safety. But the more you do

    that, the more I will resist and try to prove that you''re wrong, so in the end, you..." She looked

    embarrassed and didn''t go on.

    Shane opened a box of cake and pushed it to her. "So, you think that I need you because I wanted

    to protect you, and not because of physiological needs?"

    How could he be so blunt and straightforward, as if he was participating in an academic discussion?

    Forget it.

    Life science was science too.

    Charlotte simply admitted and said, "Yes, that''s what I meant."

    "You''ve underestimated my strategies and your charisma."

    Charlotte stared at him with wide eyes. She felt that his words contained a lot of hidden messages.

    Shane didn''t exin what he said. At that exact moment, his phone rang. An important customer

    from abroad hade to River City, and he needed to wee the customer.

    He continued his conversation on the phone as he took a pen and wrote seven words on Charlotte''s

    memo: There are many more years toe.

    Charlotte stared at the seven words as she let her mind wander.

    Would there actually be many more years toe?

    If he wanted to be with her for many years, then why did he...

    Charlotte suddenly reached out and tore the page out of her memo. The moment when she was

    about to tear it apart, she stopped.

    All those food on her desk.

    She put away the fragile piece of paper, like how she put away her fragile emotions.

    Whenever shemunicated with Shane, joy, anger, sorrow, and joy were never the right feelings.

    Having no emotion was the best solution.

    Just act like you didn''t care.

    She slid the paper into her drawer.

    Jane Corporation.

    Kendall was sitting in the office. She was so angry that her entire body was shaking.

    Looking at herself in the mirror, her hair was disheveled, and she no longer looked human.

    "Kendall, there''s a seminar tomorrow, you..." Rick came in with a file. Seeing that she was covered

    with injuries, he frowned and stopped talking. "What''s wrong with you?"

    "I''m fine." She quickly looked down and covered her face with her hand, not wanting Rick to see it.

    Rick pursed his lips and strode to her side. He moved her hand away and pressed a finger on the

    bruise at the corner of her mouth. Kendall cried out in pain, "That hurts a lot."

    "Who did this?"

    "It''s my problem," she answered, not wanting to reveal any details.

    "The person who could''ve beaten you up like this and make your temper disappear while not

    wanting toin to me can only be Charlotte. You''re scared that if I speak up for her, it will harm

    your self-esteem instead."

    Charlotte wasn''t the only person whom Rick had known well all along.

    He had been working in the business industry for years, so he had already mastered the skills of

    reading the human mind.

    Kendall was taken aback. She bit her lips and didn''t dare to say a word.

    "Theoretically, you like me, but I like Charlotte. So, if she''d hit you, you would''ve immediately told

    me so that you can paint a bad image of Charlotte in my heart. However, you didn''t. That means it

    was you, who hit her first. ording to Charlotte''s personality, she would''ve just retaliated against

    you and tried to get even with you. Hence, the person who hurt you so bad should be Shane."

    "Why Shane?" Kendall immediately retorted, "It could''ve been Avery?"

    "Avery always considers the consequences before doing something. Besides, he won''t fight for

    Charlotte. Only Shane would care. Firstly, he doesn''t care if you will help him, and he also doesn''t

    care whether you will take revenge on him. Secondly...he cares about Charlotte."

    Rick said that with a self-deprecating smile.

    Everyone understood this principle.

    It was not difficult to see through his heart.

    But even if he understood the principles thoroughly, he might not be able to do it. And if he could, he

    might not be happy either.

    For example, he understood everything, knew everything, but was still trapped by love.

    "You''re right. Charlotte and Shane hit me." Kendall suddenly reached out to hug Rick and said

    resolutely, "What about you? What do you think of me?"

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234

    Rick didn''t push Kendall away. From a logical point of view, she got hurt because of him. He had no

    right to me her.

    "You don''t need to go find her because of me anymore. I was the one who chose to break up with

    her. It has nothing to do with her." Rick''s voice was unusually cold, which created a stark contrast to

    the gentleness he normally had.

    "You were so sad during that time. I know how painful it is to be in love with someone! Moreover,

    she could''ve made up with you, it was her who..."

    "Kendall, we both know very well that once there''s a rift, there''s no way we can mend it. She''s

    crueler than me. Because she knows that this is better for me, and that''s why she decided to let go."

    Rick reached out to open the drawer.

    There were all kinds of medicine in it.

    This was actually Kendall''s office, but she didn''t know about the medicines. "These..."

    "Every office has these." He took out a bottle of rubbing alcohol to wipe the wounds on her hands.

    "It will hurt a little, so bear with it. You can shout if you really can''t stand it."

    "I''m fine."

    She didn''t even wail when she was beaten.

    Rick was meticulous and caring. The more Kendall looked at him, the more she fell in love with him.

    It even made her voice be soft and sweet too. "Rick, have you really given up on her?" "I won''t

    choose you, at least not for now. I''m not qualified to talk about dating now."

    "That means it''s not my problem that you didn''t choose me. It''s just your problem, right?" Kendall

    suddenly grinned and hugged his arm. "Then I''ll be your future girlfriend. When you feel like dating

    someone, juste to me immediately, okay?"

    Rick sighed and said helplessly, "Kendall, you and I are just taking advantage of each other. You

    need to find a sense of aplishment around me, while I need you to help me collect information.

    Essentially, we''re just trading."

    "I''m willing to give myself to you like amodity. You can buy information from me and I''ll send

    myself to you as a gift, isn''t that great?"

    If only it was a few years earlier.

    If he had known Kendall before Charlotte, he probably would''ve fallen in love with her, who had

    grown up from a reckless child to who she was today. There was no reason for him not to fall.

    She was beautiful and cute, obedient, sensible, and polite. Besides, she had her own unique

    personality. Her decent family background would be helpful to his career too.

    However.

    He had already met Charlotte. And after he knew that there was a person named Charlotte in this

    world, no one was able to pique his interest anymore.

    "I don''t want to burden you, Kendall."

    "But if you don''t promise me, it will burden me too. Plus, you can''t leave me now either."

    She was right.

    Rick put down the rubbing alcohol and said, "I allow you to stay by my side and do intimate things to

    me, but I won''t reciprocate it, won''t give you a status, and won''t love you. Even so, are you still

    willing to carry on regardless?"

    "Yes." Kendall nodded earnestly.

    "Three months. If I still don''t have feelings for you after that, I won''t waste time either. The projects

    in Asia-Pacific are really important, and I might go back to my home country."

    "Then I''ll go back with you!"

    Rick was slightly startled.

    He had been so busytely.

    He even forgot about the fact that Kendall had to return to his home country with him from abroad.

    He massaged the space between his eyebrows, feeling nothing but exhausted. "It''s all up to you.

    But remember, don''t offend Charlotte again."

    "Okay, I''ll listen to you." Kendall smiled but was secretly clenching her fists.

    Charlotte Emerson.

    She would definitely make that person pay for everything.

    The incident concerning Kendall was just like a single drop of water in the long river of time.

    When Charlotte got busy, she would often forget about Sheryl, especially this time. Due to the

    project they took over at the bidding, thepany''s work performance had improved to arge

    extent. So, of course, it was necessary to improve their equipment performance as well.

    She had an investment and a patent rted to the cold chain that she had to discuss with

    somebody. However, all of them were overseas.

    Initially, she wanted to ask Zoe to take care of Sheryl, but she thought that Zoe was still unmarried,

    so it would be weird for her to have a child by her side all of a sudden.

    Anne was nowhere to be seen, and as far as her rtionship with Rick was concerned, she

    wouldn''t say anything even if she could.

    As for Shane...

    Suddenly, Charlotte felt a vague ache in her head.

    Just as she was hesitating, Peter pushed open the door and ced a pot of ck tea in front of her.

    "Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller asked me to send you a message."

    "Hm?" She looked up at him.

    After what happened with Kendallst time, Shane stopped hiding the truth about Peter.

    Usually, she only took Peter as her normal staff. But during critical moments, there would still be

    things that Shane and Charlotte wouldn''t tell each other directly. Hence, they both would convey

    their words to Peter.

    After some time, Charlotte had gotten used to it too.

    Peter was indeed a capable person. He might be a man who earns around tens of thousands in NC,

    but in Charlotte''spany, he would have a more promising future ahead.

    "He said, if you need to, you can ask Sheryl to stay at my house temporarily. I''ll just tell the public

    that she''s my cousin," said Peter.

    The news about Charlotte having a daughter didn''t spread in thepany. Even in the whole River

    City, some fewer people knew about it.

    Everybody had a bottom line. It was one thing topete with each other, but when it came to

    children and families, it was a whole other matter.

    Upon hearing that, Charlotte shook her head and said, "No, it''s okay. I would like to try bringing her

    abroad and see if..."

    "Mr. Fuller said that the discussion that you''ll be having is extremely important. It''s not convenient to

    take the child with you."

    "Even so, I won''t need you to look after my child for me."

    "Ms. Emerson, when I said that Mr. Fuller said to let me take care of your child, I was simply

    rying his message."

    Charlotte was stunned.

    It was not until then did she realize that Shane wanted her to hand her child over to him.

    She was a little overwhelmed at first, but when she thought that it might be the best idea, she

    nodded. "Alright, I understand. A home tutor will being to my house to teach Sheryl today. You

    can pick her up after 3 pm."

    "Then you..."

    "Help me change my flight schedule then. Now that I don''t have to wait until 3 pm, I''ll leave at 1 pm."

    Charlotte smiled.

    With Shane''s help, she could go overseas earlier.

    Peter smiled back at her, his eyes dazzling like stars. "Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller is interested in you."

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "It doesn''t mean anything."

    I''m just your staff, so I dare not say any nonsense. However, in this era, no matter how strong and

    independent a woman is, it would still be difficult for her to weather a financial storm. The future is

    unpredictable, so only through having a family could she live a stable life."

    "Some people love to live a peaceful life, while some love to live an adventurous and unrestricted

    life."

    Peter nodded with a smile and exited Charlotte''s office.

    Charlotte nced at the drawer. Her expression wavered. She let out a small sigh, picked up her

    luggage, and prepared to leave for the airport.

    At three o''clock in the afternoon.

    When Shane arrived at Charlotte''s house, he knocked on the door but no one answered. He called

    Sheryl, but she didn''t answer either.

    What happened?

    "Why don''t you give Miss Charlotte a call?" Cole suggested.

    Shane pondered.

    Charlotte couldn''t have lied to him. Furthermore, she was already overseas right now and probably

    had just ended her first meeting. If he called her right now, he might...

    Before he could finish thinking, his phone rang.

    Shane snapped back to reality and took out his phone. He couldn''t be more familiar with the words

    ''Charlotte'' on the screen.

    "What''s the matter?" He picked it up.

    "Kendall, Kendall was going to kidnap me at home, but she didn''t expect that I would''ve gone

    abroad. She called me just now and said that Sheryl is in her hands. I..." Charlotte took a deep

    breath to calm herself down. "I called Rick. But he said that Kendall couldn''t have done such a thing

    and told me not to nder his people. He won''t cancel the meeting with NC, so I want you to

    exin to him that this is true. It''s not ndering, and it has nothing to do with the meeting."

    "That''s such a big deal. Why didn''t you call me immediately?"

    Charlotte suddenly choked on her sobs.

    Shane raised his hand to massage his eyebrows and said, "Forget it. You can keep working. I''ll take

    care of Sheryl. I''lle to find you personally

    when you''re back."

    He emphasized on the word ''personally''.

    "I''ve already wrapped up the discussions and flew back." She said quickly, "If you find Sheryl, can

    you give me the address? I, I..."

    "Isn''t it a little toote to care?"

    "It''s all my fault. I thought everything would be fine if I found a home tutor." Charlotte sniffed.

    Was she crying?

    Shane could faintly hear her soft sobs.

    He pursed his lips and said, "Don''t cry."

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235

    "Shane, I don''t mean to trouble you, but other than you, I can''t think of anyone else." Charlotte''s

    voice became even more hoarse.

    Shane didn''t believe her.

    "Apart from Rick, who else have you contacted?"

    "Nobody."

    "You didn''t contact Avery either?"

    "I, I didn''t think of him. If you''re not willing to help me, I can ask him now!"

    "Charlotte, I''ve already said that I''ll take care of Sheryl''s case."

    "Really? I''m sorry. I''m in a mess. I''ll be back soon. Let''s talk about it when I''m back. Thank you."

    Charlotte hung up the phone in a hurry.

    She didn''t seem to be in a very good mental state.

    Shane put away his phone and turned to Cole. "Three things. The first one is to find Kendall, ine,

    and Sheryl. Second, ask ourpany''s staff to find the best psychologist and get them ready.

    Third, ask Avery to tell Rick to cancel all the partnership with Jane Corporation." "Understood." Cole

    immediately answered in a polite manner.

    "Give me the car keys."

    "What happened?" Cole passed the key to Shane and asked, "Do we need to inform our man?"

    "Sheryl was kidnapped. I suspect that Kendall and ine colluded in this. But there''s no evidence

    so far. Go find the three of them first."

    "Then you..."

    "Christopher."

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Looking at how Shane ran off, Cole suddenly thought of the first year when he worked with Shane.

    At that time, he wasn''t Shane''s special assistant. He was only an ordinary assistant.

    Shane looked serious and cold, but he gave him a pair of Hermes'' gold- rimmed sses on his

    birthday.

    That pair of sses suited him really well, so he had been wearing them until now.

    Although Mr. Fuller might appear to be cold and emotionless, he actually cared a lot about others in

    private. But, of course, you have to mean something to him.

    Well, the other assistants actually didn''t receive such a good treatment.

    Cole smiled when he thought about this and gently nudged his sses.

    Whether it was himself or Charlotte, they were all people that Mr. Fuller truly cared about.

    Why ine?

    It was very simple.

    Kendall had just returned from overseas, so her local socialwork was only limited to the people

    around Rick. And based on NC''s understanding of Jane Corporation, they had no ce to hide in

    this country.

    In other words, even if Kendall could kidnap Sheryl, she wouldn''t know where to take Sheryl to.

    Shane held onto the steering wheel, elerating. The car had already exceeded the speed limit.

    So, Kendall would definitely cooperate with someone.

    This person definitely hated Charlotte. And this person must also be very familiar with the country

    and have even thought of kidnapping Charlotte to achieve their own objective.

    This person could only be ine.

    Shane''s car stopped at the gate of Christopher''s vi.

    The deafening re of the car honk forced the man inside to open the door. The moment

    Christopher pushed open the door and saw a car, he was very surprised.

    "Shane?"

    Why did hee?

    Shane got out of the car and tossed a document in front of him. "This is the base price of the

    bidding. Give me all the real estate addresses under ine''s name."

    Christopher narrowed his eyes and said with a gentle smile, "I can give you the addresses now, but

    you have to tell me who you are doing this for."

    "It''s none of your business."

    "Is it Charlotte or Sheryl?"

    Shane still didn''t answer.

    Christopher shook his head with a smile, took out his phone, andpiled all the data about ine

    for Shane. "Why don''t you just let me help you find them?"

    "That''s too slow."

    "Is it slower for me to ask her directly? Shane, are you that arrogant?"

    Shane had already opened the data file at this moment. He scanned through all the addresses at

    one nce and sent one of the addresses to Cole. Kidnapping Sheryl would not be as easy as

    kidnapping Charlotte.

    To kidnap an adult, one only needed to let them know the consequences. One could even pose

    some kind of threat to them, such as hurting them.

    However, one had to be patient to kidnap a child.

    Only one of ine''s real estate was located next to a mall.

    Shane threw the documents at Christopher and said in a cold and emotionless voice, "I am the

    answer."

    Christopher held the file as intense fury aroused in his heart. He suppressed his emotions and said,

    "I didn''t help you because of this case."

    "If you wanted to help her, you shouldn''t have teamed up with ine."

    Shane walked away.

    Christopher clenched the file in anger.

    But that was the only thing he could do.

    Charlotte was his limit. He wouldn''t stop Shane, nor would he help ine in this case.

    It was just that Shane didn''t even hesitate to give him the bidding price. And that was enough to

    exin Charlotte''s importance in his heart.

    Christopher felt bitter.

    Was he not even as determined and passionate as Shane when it came to loving someone?

    Christopher stood still in his front yard for a very long time.

    As soon as Charlotte''s flightnded, she received a message from Shane.

    She pushed her luggage and walked into the crowd at the airport, using one hand to dial Shane''s

    number.

    "Did you see the address I sent you?"

    "I did."

    "Cole and I are rushing over now. You''re not too far away from there either. Head over there

    immediately."

    "Kendall had just returned from overseas. She doesn''t have many rtions in River City. It''s..."

    "ine."

    "She ruined my family, and now she doesn''t even want to let my daughter go?" All Charlotte felt was

    sadness. "It''s my fault. It''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have known her from the start, and I shouldn''t

    have helped her either."

    Shane noticed something unusual with her tone. He muted the call and asked, "Cole, have you

    found the psychologist?"

    "Reporting to Mr. Fuller, the psychologist is already in thepany."

    Shane unmuted himself and said, "Don''t overthink. Let''s pick up Sheryl first."

    "I''ve already booked a taxi."

    Shane didn''t end the call. Charlotte was in a baffled state and forgot that she was still talking on the

    phone too. When she arrived, she thought of calling Shane. It was until she looked at her phone did

    she realize that the call had been going on for more than 40 minutes.

    She asked tentatively, "Shane, are you still there?"

    "Yes."

    I''m already downstairs."

    "Wait for me."

    "Can''t I go up first? I''m afraid that something bad will happen to Sheryl." She bit her lips.

    "Did Kendall call you after that?"

    "No, she only said that she wants to see me at Jane Corporation before nine o''clock today. If she

    doesn''t see me, she will not let me see Sheryl."

    Shane let out a faint "mhm" and said, "So, you don''t have to worry. Just wait for me."

    Charlotte was deeply distressed, but for some reason, she felt at ease too.

    She wanted to see Sheryl as soon as possible, but she was also worried that Kendall would find

    someone to keep an eye on her. What if she identally stepped into a trap...

    In the end, Charlotte decided not to act impulsively and waited for Shane downstairs.

    It was only ten minutes or so.

    Shane and Cole had arrived.

    Together with the two of them, there were four bodyguards in another car.

    Charlotte was overjoyed when she saw Shane. She quickly walked up to him and asked, "Can we

    go upstairs now?"

    Her face looked wan and haggard.

    "Cole, you take them upstairs first."

    "Yes."

    After everyone had left.

    Shane stretched out his hand and pulled Charlotte into an embrace. His slender fingers on the back

    of her head while he gently patted her back with his other hand.

    Charlotte didn''t move away. The luggage in her hand fell to the ground.

    "No matter who you seeter, keep calm. Leave it to me."

    "Shane, I..."

    "It all happened because of me. I''ll take care of it."

    Charlotte shook her head forcefully. "How can you say that it happened because of you? Even if

    you showed mercy to Kendall that day, she had no intention to talk it over because she could still

    think of kidnapping me and Sheryl. She only wanted to force me to surrender."

    She really didn''t think that Shane was wrong.

    Even if he didn''t help her to deal with Kendall that day, Charlotte knew that Kendall wouldn''t let her

    go easily.

    To put it bluntly, it was Kendall''s fault. How could Shane say that it was because of him?

    "Well, that proves that you still have a conscience." The man let go of her. His thin lips curved into a

    smile. But his smile somewhat carried a sense of mockery.

    "Shane, you didn''t say that to test me, did you?"

    Looking at his expression, Charlotte felt that she had been tricked by him.

    She felt that he never thought that it was his fault. He was just trying to see her reaction.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236

    "What do you think?" Shane asked her back.

    "How would I know?" she mumbled.

    Shane didn''t hear what she said. He kept looking down to check his phone, waiting for Cole''s

    response.

    After three to four minutes, Cole sent a message: Kendall had been caught, but Sheryl isn''t in a

    good condition. You and Miss Charlotte bettere up and take a look. Miss Charlotte might be

    hiding something from you.

    "Let''s go upstairs." Shane kept his phone away.

    "Okay," Charlotte replied. She immediately nodded and followed him into the elevator.

    In Charlotte''s mind, there was nothing to be afraid of with Shane by her side, so she wasn''t as

    anxious as before.

    But the closer she got, the more she felt like something was wrong.

    Shane asked Cole to go upstairs first because he obviously wanted Cole to bring Sheryl back so

    that Charlotte wouldn''t get involved in this matter.

    Maybe he was worried about her mental state?

    Charlotte subconsciously turned to look at Shane,

    wondering what he was thinking about?

    "Why are you looking at me?"

    "Well, why didn''t you bring me upstairs at the beginning?" She looked away.

    "It''s enough to have Cole."

    "What about now?"

    Shane remained silent.

    Charlotte''s heart stopped beating for a second. Could it be that something had happened to Sheryl?

    She couldn''t help but reach out and grab his sleeve. "Shane, did something happen to Sheryl?"

    "I don''t know. I can''t confirm until we see her."

    "She..." Charlotte''s heart fell to the pit of her stomach. At that moment, she felt as if her body had

    been tossed in the air. Her legs became wobbly, and her body went limp.

    She wanted to cry, but she couldn''t.

    Shane reached out to hold her in his arms and said, "Cole didn''t say a lot. He only said that the

    situation is not very good. Since he asked us to head over and take a look, it means that the

    problem is not that bad."

    Charlotte helped herself up by holding onto his arm. She opened her mouth to speak and weakly

    shook her head at him. "You don''t understand.

    Sheryl is my everything. Not to mention that today''s incident happened because of me. I... I was the

    one to me."

    "You haven''t done anything wrong to her."

    Charlotte looked at him and parted her lips, wanting to say something but stopped on second

    thought.

    Shane just took her into his arms, ced his long fingers on the back of her head, and gently

    stroked her hair. "Let''s go up first before we talk about it."

    She nodded.

    He lowered his gaze to look at her, but all he could see was the top of her head. The mild fragrance

    of her hair put his heart slightly at ease.

    She was his daughter too, so why wouldn''t he be worried about her?

    However, he knew that it was pointless to be anxious or to cry. Since it had already happened, it

    was better to deal with it than to me themselves.

    Soon, the door of the elevator opened.

    Shane walked out with Charlotte.

    Cole was pressing Kendall down in the long corridor. When he saw the two of theming, he

    immediately handed Kendall over to the people beside him and strode to the two of them. He

    bowed politely and said, "Mr. Fuller, Miss Charlotte, we have caught the two of them, but Sheryl was

    injured during the process. We bandaged her wounds, but she wouldn''t stop bleeding, so..."

    "Did you call a doctor? Is the wounded area big?" Charlotte asked impatiently.

    "I called 911. The wounded area isn''t too big."

    When Charlotte heard that, her mind rxed a little. She pushed Cole away and strode inside.

    With his head hung low, he said, "Mr. Fuller, it''s my fault."

    "We''ll talk about it when we get back."

    "Yes."

    Charlotte entered the house.

    Sheryl was lying on the bed. Two people surrounded her, constantly trying to stop the bleeding of

    her wound and make herugh.

    The wound was really not that big. It was only a small cut.

    Charlotte''s eyes welled up. She walked towards Sheryl and sat down beside her, reaching out her

    hand to hold hers. "Sheryl, does it hurt?"

    "Mommy." Sheryl shook her head with a smile. "I''m already used to it. This is much better than the

    headache I''ve hadst time."

    "I..." Charlotte wanted tofort Sheryl, but she couldn''t hold it in any longer and broke down

    before her.

    Instead, it was Sheryl who reached out to wipe her tears. "Mommy, it''s not your fault. You didn''t hurt

    Sheryl. Besides, it''s only such a small wound. It''ll be fine if we go to the hospital. Sheryl won''t die."

    "Yes, Sheryl won''t die, won''t die..."

    Shane stood at the door and watched this scene unfold. His fingers hanging at his side slightly

    tightened. "Cole."

    Cole nodded. "Yes."

    "Find Sheryl''s medical record and also everything that happened to Charlotte when she was

    abroad."

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Before this, didn''t you..."

    "I want real andplete information, not Rick''s simplified version."

    It turned out that the information he found back then had been simplified by Rick. Cole didn''t dare to

    neglect his request, so he quickly went to dig up the information.

    When the ambnce arrived downstairs, Sheryl was carefully carried to the stretcher by the doctor.

    Charlotte worriedly left with her in the ambnce.

    As for Shane, he drove his own car to the hospital.

    In the hospital''s corridor.

    Charlotte sat listlessly on the chair in front of the operating room.

    Shane stood in front of her, waiting for her to speak to him, but she didn''t.

    There was no exnation at all.

    Half an hourter, when Cole arrived with the information, Shane entered an empty cubicle with

    him.

    The information wasn''t any more detailed than the one before, and there was no record of Sheryl''s

    illness.

    Cole exined, "I discovered an unusual thing this time. Not only did it happen to Miss Charlotte

    and Sheryl, but it happened to Rick and Anne too. Their profiles were all modified."

    Shane frowned and closed his eyes. His finger rested in between his eyebrows.

    "Mr. Fuller, why don''t you ask Miss Charlotte in person or the doctor in the hospital?"

    "I have no choice but to ask now."

    Cole couldn''t really understand.

    After such a bad thing had happened, Mr. Fuller was still not willing to personally ask Miss Charlotte

    about Sheryl''s condition. He was obviously very concerned about her, so why didn''t he say it out

    loud?

    Cole couldn''t understand. If you still cared about losing face when you love someone, then this

    matter of life and death...

    What was Mr. Fuller thinking?

    In the corridor of the operating room.

    Charlotte was holding the report given by the doctor. She stood there in a daze. Suddenly, a

    shadow loomed over her.

    She raised her head and saw Shane standing in front of her, blocking the light.

    "Sheryl has a fever, so..."

    "Charlotte, a five-year-old child was bleeding nonstop, and you tell me that it''s because of a fever?"

    Charlotte bit her lips.

    Shane smiled bitterly and lifted her chin. "Up until now, you''re still hiding from me. You should know

    that you don''t have the ability to find the best doctor."

    "You can choose to keep your secret. Keep those words and say them in front of our daughter''s

    tombstone. I will know if it''s true or not by then."

    Charlotte''s tears streamed down at once.

    It was not that she didn''t want to say it, but she didn''t know how to say it.

    For more than half an hour, Sheryl was still in the operating room, and that could only exin one

    thing-herplication had resurfaced.

    If she told Shane about the truth, it also meant that she had to reveal all her secrets and ask him for

    help.

    "She... she''s been sick ever since she was a child. The doctor said it was inherited, but I don''t know

    whom she inherited it from. I have no idea why it turned out like this."

    "What kind of illness?"

    Charlotte clenched her fingers. Her mind was in a war. Tears gushed down her cheek.

    Blood cancer.

    Leukemia.

    When Sheryl was a child, she would have fevers and bone aches. When she was two years old,

    there was a rhombic tumor beneath her skin. During that time, she almost lost her chance to see

    the world again.

    The more she thought about this, the more Charlotte''s heart ached.

    She wanted to find someone to share this burden with her but also hoped that no one else would

    know about it. In this way, she wouldn''t need to confess the pain and suffer once again.

    "Leukemia."

    She was like a deted balloon, falling onto the ground, crying as she covered her face.

    Shane froze for a moment. His tough body shuddered greatly in shock.

    Although he had already guessed, when he personally heard it from Charlotte...

    "Is there any way to save her?"

    Shane grabbed Charlotte''s arm.

    For this, he was willing to give all that he had.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237

    Charlotte shook her head and said with a sad smile, "The only way is through bone marrow

    transnt. Even if the bone marrow is transnted, it will still be life-threatening if an abnormal

    phenomenon urred. The first month after the transnt surgery is a risky stage. If everything

    goes well, Sheryl can leave the sterile ward after three months."

    Therefore, don''t even mention if they couldn''t find bone marrow, even if they could, it would certainly

    be torturing for an innocent and energetic child to stay in the sterile ward for three months.

    Many children had suffered from all kinds of mental illnesses when they were in the sterile ward.

    Their illnesses were cured, but their souls were dead.

    "Transnting bone marrow..." Shane recited these three words. His jaw tightened and his fists

    clenched.

    "I''ve tried it before, but it doesn''t match, so I''ve been looking for Sheryl''s..." Father.

    Charlotte didn''t say that out loud.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Shane suddenly reached out, his finger hooking the ne around her neck.

    Charlotte was startled. She subconsciously stepped back while clutching her ne and looked

    at him in fear.

    "The first time I saw this ne was five years ago. At that time, someone drugged me, and I

    almost died in the storeroom. But out of my expectation, someone rescued me. I have been looking

    for her for a very long time. She said her name was Yuliana, and her birthday was exactly the

    number carved on this ne."

    Panicking, Charlotte stuffed the ne back into her clothes.

    Shane walked closer to her. "Charlotte, when is your birthday? Why do you have this ne?"

    "Sheryl is your child."

    After saying that, she suddenly felt much more relieved.

    She put her hand on his chest to prevent him from getting closer, not wanting to look at him. Her

    voice was soft, as if she was talking to herself...

    "But I don''t know what happened five years ago either. I didn''t know that you''re Sheryl''s father until

    Anne told me. That day, you said you wanted to divorce me, so I didn''t have the chance to tell you. I

    was afraid that you would think that I made up a lie to force you to continue our marriage." "I''ve

    never dared to tell you, and very few people know about this..."

    "I know."

    Charlotte''s voice stopped abruptly. She looked up at him in disbelief.

    Shane''s gaze was intense, and the corners of his lips curled up coldly. "If it weren''t for this matter,

    you never nned to confess to me?"

    "How did you know? No, when did you know?" She blinked, her eyes welling up.

    Was he joking with her?

    "When you threw away the document, Cole happened to be following you. But by the time I found

    out the truth, you had already left with Rick. When you came back, both of you looked so close with

    each other, so of course I wouldn''t admit that Sheryl''s my child."

    "Just like that?" She didn''t trust himpletely.

    "On the day of your engagement with Rick, I intended to announce the news to the public, but Rick

    agreed to use all his shares to resolve this thing that I have always wanted to do. Therefore, I

    agreed to keep it a secret."

    Charlotte felt nothing but dizziness.

    At that moment, the door of the operating room was opened.

    "Who''s Sheryl''s family?"

    "It''s me." Shane directly walked past Charlotte and said, "I''m the child''s father."

    "Well, she is now temporarily out of danger. She''s diagnosed with leukemia, so she''ll need to

    undergo surgery as soon as possible. You can decide whether to let her stay at the hospital or..."

    "She''ll stay at the hospital first. Could you arrange a bone marrow test for me please?"

    The doctor had been looking down at his documents all the time. But when he heard this sentence,

    he raised his head and looked at him with a serious look on his face. "Child''s father, even if your

    bone marrow can be transnted to her, the operation may not seed. Even if it did, the patient

    might not be able to survive. I still hope that you''re mentally prepared. Don''t be overly optimistic."

    Shane nodded.

    These words sounded somewhat unpleasant, but that was the truth.

    Instead of pretending to say something nice, it was better to be blunt with them. They would just

    lose a life at worst.

    Charlotte was not as calm and collected as Shane. When she heard the doctor said Sheryl might

    not survive, she cried her heart out once again.

    Shane had to walk to her side and hold her in his arms.

    "I can see that the two of you have a great rtionship. Don''t worry, we''ll do our best. With two

    parents who love her so much, I don''t think she''ll give up easily."

    "Thank you, doctor." Charlotte''s eyes were red, and her voice waspletely hoarse.

    The doctor waved his hand.

    Because of Shane''s request, the hospital directly transferred Sheryl to the sterile ward.

    That was only temporary. In a few days, she still needed to be transferred to a first-ss cancer

    hospital for treatment.

    It was as if Charlotte''s energy and spirit had been sucked away from her. Every step she took was

    frail. And the only thing she did every day was to apany Sheryl at the hospital.

    Herpany?

    She didn''t have the time to think about that now.

    She just hoped that her child could be safe.

    Kendall woke up again. When she saw Rick, she almost cried with joy.

    Shane had locked her up in a warehouse. Every day, she was forced to take all kinds of drugs.

    They said they wouldn''t let her go until they had collected enough evidence.

    "Rick, I..."

    "I really didn''t expect that you would actually do something like this." When Rick saw her woke up,

    he wasn��t surprised at all. He only felt a sharp pain in his heart.

    He couldn''t believe that he immediately assumed that Charlotte was lying at first.

    If Shane hadn''t found Sheryl in time, it wouldn''t have been enough for him to kneel in front of

    Charlotte and repent thousands of times.

    Kendall bit her lip pitifully. "She''s human. And she felt that she''d been wronged. So why can''t I feel

    the same way and take revenge on her? She and Shane hit me, so I will retaliate against them!"

    "Then why did you hurt Sheryl?"

    "I, I didn''t expect it either! Who would have thought that Charlotte would be on a business trip, I..."

    "You really impressed me." Rick shook his head sarcastically. I''m extremely disappointed in you."

    Kendall started to panic.

    She staggered off the hospital bed and hugged Rick tightly. "I won''t do it again, and I didn''t hurt

    Sheryl. I just wanted to make Charlotte anxious. It was Shane''s assistant who hurt Sheryl!"

    Rick pushed her away and said with animosity, "You disgust me so much."

    "Rick, you call me disgusting, but who was the one who caused all of this? It was you. If it weren''t

    for you, I wouldn''t have treated Charlotte like that!"

    "My fault?" Rick found it terribly ridiculous.

    "If it weren''t for the fact that you were in such great pain when you broke up with her, I wouldn''t

    have thought of how to make her take care of you. And how could I''ve been hit by her and Shane?

    If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have wanted to kidnap Charlotte..." Kendall choked on her sobs as he

    spoke.

    She looked pathetic as she shed tears, like a stray animal that could only drink water and eat

    garbage on the street.

    Of course, Rick''s heart softened. But when he thought that Sheryl was still in the hospital, his guilt

    and self-reproach couldn''t let him sympathize with Kendall.

    "Leave River City."

    "Rick!" Kendall lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were already red from crying too much. Her

    hands were tightly holding onto his sleeves. "If you want me to leave, I will just die here, die here!

    Right here!"

    Her hands trembled as she pointed to the wall.

    Rick shook her off and said, "Up to you."

    Kendall immediately stood up and charged towards the wall. Clenching her teeth, she allowed her

    head to smash into the wall.

    It would just end in a blood bath, wouldn''t it?

    No matter what, Shane and Charlotte wouldn''t just let her off the hook like this. The evidence

    handed to the court was enough to put her and the Stevens Family in hot water. It would be better

    to just die here.

    The second when Kendall was about to hit the wall, Rick''s pupils suddenly shrank, and he reached

    out to stop her. But even so, her head still hit his arm.

    Kendall bounced back and fell to the ground. Shey on the cold ceramic floor and whimpered

    softly, her body slightly curling into a ball.

    "I did all of this because of you. I don''t want to be a criminal either, but you''re in so much pain,

    so I want Charlotte to know that she''s wrong.

    I want her to make up with you..."

    Rick let out a sigh.

    He looked out of the window. A figure caught his attention.

    "I have nothing to say to you. Let''s wait for the announcement from the court of justice." Rick turned

    around and left.

    It was time to put an end to it.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238

    Shane stood by the fence, dressed in a ck down jacket. His posture was as straight as a pine

    tree. His eyes zing like torches as he looked into the distance.

    Beside him, five people, including Cole, were waiting. When Rick came out of the ward, Cole

    immediately led the remaining four people to guard the door, fearing that Kendall might escape like

    a fly.

    "The result," Shane said without even looking at Rick.

    "Just do as you please."

    "Very well."

    Rick stood beside Shane and eyed him up and down.

    If he were a woman, he would probably be enamored with this man too.

    However, just like the countless women who were in love with him, he didn''t dare to make a move,

    didn''t dare to even think about it. He would just silently leave, keeping his feelings away in his heart.

    Suddenly, Shane turned to face Rick and said, "You still didn''t pass the test that I gave you."

    "Test? Doing that kind of thing to Lottie also counts as a test for me? True. I should be like a robot

    who has no emotions. I should''ve just let you assault my wife and love her as if nothing had

    happened, right?" Rick sneered.

    "At that time, you two were neither engaged nor a couple."

    "How strange is that? Is Mr. Fuller saying that as long as there''s a woman that you like in this world,

    and as long as she''s single, you can just throw her on the bed and do whatever you want?"

    "I will only ever be in love with one person."

    "Then who was the person who talked about marrying Tiffany?"

    "That''s already in the past."

    "You said that you love her but have you ever confessed your love to her?"

    Shane remained silent.

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    Rickughed out loud. His tone turned colder as he said, "Do you know how I got through all these

    days? I drank before dawn, drank until it was time for work, and stayed upte at night to continue

    drinking. I hardly fell asleep for the past half month. And no one knows about all that." "Is that why

    you ordered Kendall to team up with

    ine to kidnap Charlotte and Sheryl?" "I''m not that tawdry. I was still thinking of reconciling with

    her. I also thought that maybe I should apologize first, but I never thought that Kendall would really

    do such a thing. She is not a bad person at heart."

    Shane trusted him on this point, so he didn''t say anything else and stopped looking at him. He

    shifted his gaze to the scenery that he was looking at earlier.

    Rick was still looking at him. He was trying to search for any emotion on his face, but he couldn''t

    find any.

    At this moment, Shane behaved just like a machine.

    There was no emotion on his face.

    "I have a deep affection for Charlotte, so why must you keep appearing around her?" Rick almost

    gnashed his teeth in anger while asking him.

    "You didn''t look for me after the incident."

    "So?"

    "What you care about is not what I did to Charlotte, but how she sees me. I should be an evil

    bastard in her eyes, but why is she still willing to trust me? That''s what you truly care about."

    Shane''s voice was as light as clouds and smoke, so light that it could easily be blown away by a

    breeze.

    He was always so heedless and pretentious, making everyone else look like a joke.

    Rick admitted it without hesitation, "Yeah, isn''t that normal? If Charlotte were to treat me this way,

    wouldn''t you care at all?"

    "Not really, I''ll just press her under my body."

    "You, disgusting!" Rick growled with repulsion.

    Shane smirked and said, "But it''s very effective. Rick, you know that she won''t ept you from the

    bottom of your heart, so you didn''t even kiss her, right?"

    "How would you know? We might be lying on the same bed on nights when you miss her."

    "It doesn''t matter. I don''t care."

    "How would you not care?!" Rick hissed.

    "I only care about her present and future. I don''t care about her past. But in your case, your love

    has already gone bad."

    His love had already gone bad.

    Rick stumbled backward, pointing from beside Shane. His eye rims reddened. Then he snickered

    and said, "Don''t think you can defeat me just by saying these!"

    But it was obvious who won the argument.

    Shane took out a box of cigars from his pocket. He opened it and showed it to Rick. "There are

    seven cigarettes in total, but none of them has been lit."

    "What are you trying to say?"

    "Charlotte has mild allergic rhinitis, and tobo will trigger her allergy."

    "Again, what are you trying to say?" Rick was getting impatient. He wished he could admit defeat

    immediately and stop his suffering in front of Shane.

    However, he didn''t want to lose.

    It was just a cigarette. What could that prove?

    "Braden doesn''t smoke, but there are many intricately designed ashtrays and lighters in your house.

    So, I can conclude that you are the one who smokes."

    "You''re able to conclude that my love has gone bad, simply by judging whether I smoke or not? "

    "The conclusion I made was that you don''t love her enough. As for the quality of your love, it will go

    bad sooner orter as long as I''m here."

    Shane was so confident.

    He turned around, his cold eyes full of disdain. Standing with a hand behind his back, he looked tall

    and muscr, giving off an aura of elegance

    and dignity.

    With his head held high, he walked past Rick.

    Rick could smell a faint scent of cologne. Suddenly, he felt dizzy, and his head started to ache.

    It was an afternoon.

    Charlotte was sitting in the courtyard, lost in her thoughts, with a bottle of perfume in her hand. She

    stared at the sun and the perfume testing paper with a nk expression on her face.

    At that time, Rick walked over and picked up the testing paper in her hand to smell it. It was a

    unique fragrance.

    It was simr to a woodsy fragrance, but there were moreyers to it than that. The words "piano in

    the rain" were written on the testing paper. But when he asked Charlotte about it, she replied with a

    different name.

    Rick mustered all his strength to force out a sentence, "What''s the name of your perfume?"

    Shane stopped his tracks and replied, "Silver Spring."

    That afternoon.

    Charlotte was like a startled bird. Seeing that it was Rick, she smiled at him in relief and said, "It''s

    called Silver Spring. I only managed to buy it after asking a few friends of mine. Doesn''t it smell

    really nice?"

    "Why is it called Silver Spring?"

    "I don''t know. Just like how Passage d''Enfer is called Passage d''Enfer. I guess you''ll have to ask

    the designer."

    At that time.

    Charlotte was looking down at the perfume in her hands, smiling shyly.

    Rick never understood why a bottle of men''s perfume could transport her into a daze. He also never

    understood why she smiled so brightly when she spoke of Silver Spring.

    He never asked her for the bottle of perfume named Silver Spring. Eventually, she got used to his

    habits. So, like many fragments of his memory, that bottle of perfume was forgotten in the corner of

    the memory corridor.

    Until this moment.

    "I''ve already lost a long time ago."

    Rick muttered to himself.

    Shane didn''t hear that sentence, but he could guess that this perfume had something to do with

    Charlotte from Rick''s expression.

    Silver Spring.

    If he remembered correctly, he had bought it when he was in Country F.

    Back then, Charlotte hadn''t returned from overseas yet.

    Shane didn''t stay any longer.

    He had already said everything he intended to say.

    He didn''t have anything else to talk to Rick about.

    He went into the elevator, pressing the down button.

    Charlotte and Sheryl still needed someone to take care of them.

    In front of the sterile ward.

    Charlotte stared nkly at the white wall.

    Standing next to her was Zoe, who tried speaking to her again and again but was always ignored in

    the end.

    At that exact moment, the doctor walked over with a report. In her current state, Charlotte wasn''t

    ready to talk to the doctor. So, Zoe had no choice but to do it for her.

    What choice did she have? Shane had already given her sry and specially asked her to leave the

    office to keep Charlottepany.

    Furthermore, even without Shane''s request, it was still necessary for her to take care of Charlotte

    voluntarily, for Charlotte was in such a poor mental state.

    After a while, the doctor left.

    Zoe returned to Charlotte''s side with a report in her hand. "Lottie, take a look. This is the bone

    marrow test report."

    Bone marrow test?

    Charlotte suddenly regained consciousness and asked, "Is it Shane''s?"

    "The doctor said it is, but I''m not sure. Would you like to have a look?"

    "Should I look at it or not?" Charlotte thought.

    What should she do if the report showed that Shane and Sheryl''s bone marrow weren''tpatible

    too?

    Charlotte''s face turned pale as she looked at the file.

    That year, she expectantly did the bone marrow test. But it turned out that her bone marrow wasn''t

    compatible with Sheryl''s.

    The probability of bone marrowpatibility was actually very low. Even for the patient''s own

    parents and siblings, the probability of matching was only 25%.

    If she and Shane weren''t lucky enough to be that 25%.

    Thest and most despairing choice was to...

    Give birth to another child.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239

    Not to mention whether Shane would agree or not, even if he agreed, having an intimate

    rtionship with him seemed a little...

    Charlotte''s face stiffened. Even if she wanted to save Sheryl, she would still find it hard to convince

    herself.

    "The report came out?"

    At that moment, Shane was back.

    He directly took away the file in Charlotte''s hands and flipped over to read the column stating the

    result.

    Even Shane, a top student who graduated from an Ivy League school, took some time to figure out

    that his and Sheryl''s bone marrow werepatible.

    "I can undergo the transnt surgery." Shane''s voice was as cold as usual.

    "You''re eligible for the surgery?" Charlotte instantly turned around to look at him. "You''re saying that

    you can give your bone marrow to Sheryl because yours ispatible with hers?"

    Shane nodded.

    Charlotte broke down in tears of joy. She grabbed

    Shane''s arm tightly and said, "Please save her. I''ve been waiting for bone marrow all this time, but I

    haven''t been able to find it. You''re her father, so if you can, you can directly arrange the surgery."

    Instead of immediately replying to Charlotte, Shane looked at Zoe, who was standing beside them.

    Zoe understood and excused herself.

    There were only Shane and Charlotte left in the corridor.

    "I can give her my bone marrow, but you have to marry me."

    Shane''s voice was neither too loud nor too soft but was loud enough for Charlotte to hear.

    "Marry him again?" she asked herself internally.

    Charlotte looked at him, puzzled. "Aren''t you going to marry Tiffany?"

    "There won''t be anyplications."

    "Do you want me to be your mistress? Even if I agree, is that legal?"

    It was toote for Charlotte to be sad. She just thought that this was ridiculous. But at the same

    time, she was worried about Sheryl as well.

    The earlier they got the surgery done, the earlier they would know the results, and the earlier they

    could treat Sheryl''s illness.

    For Sheryl, there were only advantages and no disadvantages.

    "That''s not within your field of consideration. You just have to decide whether you want to marry me

    and get my bone marrow or continue to wait for other people''s bone marrow."

    "I''ll marry you."

    Charlotte said without hesitation.

    However...

    Her eyes were dull, like a puppet.

    Or perhaps, she was just a drowning traveler. He was the wood that could keep her afloat, her only

    beacon in the dark. So she couldn''t wait to sell her soul to him, at his disposal, as long as he could

    take her away from the endless sea of bitterness.

    "I''ll do anything as long as you give Sheryl your bone marrow."

    "This is not an agreement. I''m asking you to marry me for real, rely on me, and be a part of my

    life."

    Shane was extremely serious.

    He had never been this serious before.

    Even when he had to attend the most important meeting, he was always rxed and never in a

    serious state.

    To be precise, thest time he was serious about something was probably during his college

    entrance exam.

    Upon hearing that, Charlotteughed. "Whether it''s an agreement or not, I don''t have the right to

    decide. The bone marrow is in your body. Whatever you want to do, it''s all up to you, as long as

    you''re willing to undergo the transnt surgery."

    "Why don''t you say that it''s because she''s also my daughter?"

    "I don''t know. It''s probably because I think that you don''t care about your daughter at all. You can

    have another child in your life, but I..."

    Before Charlotte could finish her words, the man pulled her into his embrace and kissed her

    forcefully on the lips.

    He hugged her so tight that she felt pain in her bones.

    He bit her lower lip, the taste of blood creeping into his mouth.

    Shane slid down his hands, pressing one on her back and the other on the back of her head.

    He had never been so serious and so crazy, feeling eager to allow her into his blood, tobine

    their bodies to be one.

    Like a puppet, Charlotte did not react at all, allowing him to kiss her however he wanted to.

    Momentster.

    He let go of her.

    "I won''t have children with anyone else in my life." "Shane..." She looked at him, stunned. Then she

    touched her lower lip, feeling his anger lingering on her mouth.

    His bite was deep and heavy.

    Shane pressed his lips together, his jaw tightened.

    "From now on, I will protect you and your child."

    After finishing his words, he went to the sterile ward to change his clothes and prepare to enter the

    ward.

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    Charlotte lost all her strength and copsed on the bench in the long corridor.

    She looked down at her finger, which was still stained with blood.

    Shane''s message was clear.

    But she still couldn''t believe all of this.

    She''d rather believe that Shane wanted to give Sheryl his bone marrow just because Sheryl was his

    daughter and not because he wanted to marry her.

    She didn''t understand, she really didn''t understand.

    Did Shane have feelings for her?

    Why?

    Was it because she was the child''s mother, or was it because she''d saved his life before?

    Charlotte''s thoughts were tangled in a mess. Initially, she had alreadypletely let go of this

    feeling that had yet to develop into a rtionship, but now, she realized that she had actually never

    let it go.

    Charlotte was constantly receiving apology messages from Rick.

    It seemed like he wouldn''t stop until she forgave him.

    But Charlotte decided to not reply at all.

    She didn''t me Rick, as it was only his choice to defend Kendall.

    Therefore, since it was his choice, she had no right to interfere; so, since she never med him,

    there was no need to forgive him.

    Shane coaxed Sheryl to sleep and left the ward with Charlotte. He identally nced at her

    phone and said in a frosty voice, "Rick sent a message again?"

    Charlotte looked down and only realized that Rick had sent her another message. She smiled

    bitterly and handed the phone to Shane.

    She sighed and said, "This is the third apology message he sent me today."

    Shane took the phone and tapped open the message. His eyes suddenly turned cold as he said,

    "Interesting."

    Charlotte tilted her head to look.

    Rick didn''t send an apology letter this time. Instead, he asked her if the person who did all this was

    Shane, would she not reply to his messages or would she listen to his exnation?

    "How do you answer this question?" Shane immediately put her phone back into his pocket.

    Charlotte didn''t ask for it either. She walked side by side with him and shook her head. "That

    question is irrelevant."

    "The reason?"

    "If I told you that Tiffany kidnapped Sheryl, you wouldn''t suspect me either. Maybe it''s because

    you''re the child''s father," she replied.

    Her answer made sense.

    Shane didn''t delve too deeply into the meaning behind her words.

    In short.

    She had already promised to be a part of his life, so there was no need for him to be too harsh

    on her.

    Shane rented a house near the hospital.

    This way, it would be easier to travel back and forth to the hospital.

    However, there was only one bed.

    Charlotte cared about it at first. But when she recalled that they had slept on the same bed before

    and thought that there was no need to be so hypocritical, she agreed.

    Since it was a newly rented house, a lot of household appliances weren''t avable yet. They had no

    choice but to eat instant noodles for dinner.

    "Sorry that you have to eat junk food with me. There''s nothing to buy outside sote at night. I''ll get

    up tomorrow and make.."

    "There''s no need. You can just have a good rest. I''ll let Cole handle it."

    "Uhm, you don''t need me to cook?" she asked carefully.

    Shane frowned. "Are you trying to amodate yourself to my needs?"

    Charlotte lowered her head and remained silent.

    "There''s no need. As long as you''re willing to marry me, even if you offend me, the bone marrow

    transnt operation won''t be dyed for even a second." Shane scooped up a spoonful of soup for

    her and said, "Eat."

    Charlotte ate numbly. After the meal, she took the initiative to wash the dishes.

    She went back to bed after taking a shower. But she didn''t sleep and waited for Shane.

    After waiting for a long time, she almost fell asleep leaning on the headboard. At that moment, the

    man finally finished his work and went into the bedroom.

    Upon hearing his voice, Charlotte woke up with a startle.

    She rubbed her bloodshot eyes, half exposing her shoulders.

    "Waiting for me?" Shane put the file on the edge of the bed. Looking at her dazzled expression, he

    felt a little pity for her.

    She didn''t have to do that.

    Charlotte shook her head. "I just can''t sleep."

    Shane chuckled softly.

    He looked so good when he smiled.

    If only he could smile more.

    "Stop looking at me. Lie down and go to sleep."

    "Huh? Alright."

    Charlotte lowered her head in embarrassment and slowlyy down. Grabbing the nket with both

    hands, she nervously closed her eyes.

    Shane walked to the other side of the bed and sat down. He didn''t switch off the deskmp because

    he nned to use his phone to check his email.

    It was a little cold.

    Charlotte subconsciously moved closer towards him.

    Shane lowered his gaze.

    And happened to meet her eyes when she tentatively raised her head to look him in the eyes. His

    luminous eyes were as rare as the blue moon.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240

    Shane shifted his gaze and looked straight ahead. "I''ve thought about it before, but in the end, I

    don''t think that I should do anything to you without your consent..." He swallowed the words back.

    "So, you don''t have to worry."

    "Shane, I''ve actually considered it before. It''s not suitable for us to be together. The first issue is the

    identity issue. The Fuller family is a prestigious family. Although the child is yours, it''s not easy to

    exin what happened five years ago. If we really want to be together, it will only lead to a disaster."

    Shane frowned.

    He only rained a little on her, but now she was already starting to overflow?

    Just as he was about to open his mouth, Charlotte sat up straight, reached out her hand, and

    pressed her finger onto his thin lips.

    She looked at him in absolute seriousness. "The second problem is that you don''t actually like me.

    Although I don''t understand where your possessiveness for me came from, if you like someone, you

    will not just sit there and watch her get married to someone else. You only see me as an object, a

    tool that you can toy with."

    "In this case, our status is not equal, which in turn means that you will never have feelings for me.

    You''ll only ever be interested in me. But interest wouldn''t suffice for marriage."

    Shane had no intention to speak anymore.

    Very few people were able to read his mind. Cole was the first, and Charlotte was the second.

    "Third, you''re a teacher and friend to me. I respect you, but it doesn''t involve any sort of romantic

    feeling. I want to be close with you because you''re strong, disciplined, courageous, and

    resourceful."

    "Thest point is that you have a past that you don''t want to give up on. So even if you have a

    strong interest in me, I hope that you won''t disregard your happiness because of this. I''m not the

    one you should marry."

    After saying this, Charlotte moved her finger away.

    Shane suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand. He bent over and ced his lips on her

    fingers. At first, it was just his lower lip, but slowly, he reached out the tip of his tongue to touch the

    meaty part of her finger.

    Slowly and delicately, as if he was tasting some kind of food.

    Charlotte was so shocked that she trembled all over. The tip of his tongue was probably on the

    softest part of her body.

    There was no coldness and no chill. It was warm and moist, contrasted to the sharp jaggedness of

    the tips of his teeth.

    Charlotte thought that she was gradually losing her mind.

    "No, I can''t," she told herself.

    She retracted her hand and said, "Mr. Fuller, Shane, it''s true that we had a dream together, but it''s

    just a dream after all."

    "I can polish your identity. As for Sheryl, we don''t have to exin too much. I''m not interested in

    fame. Your remaining three points boil down to one conclusion. It''s you who thought that I have no

    feelings for you."

    "You can''t deny that."

    "Go to sleep."

    "Shane!" Charlotte was choked with anger.

    She had already made herself clear.

    Shane lowered his eyes. "It''s pointless to say something that cannot be proven."

    He switched off the light.

    In the dark, Charlotte could hear Shane''s breathing. Suddenly, she felt that this sound put her at

    ease.

    When she closed her eyes and listened, she eventually fell asleep.

    In the bar, the deafening music made people want to indulge in thep of luxury.

    Rick was holding an empty ss in his hand. His eyes were dull, his gaze fixed on the ss.

    Before this, he had already drunk four bottles of Brandy.

    Even if it was a rtively mild series, it still made him quite dizzy.

    "Mr. Jane, are you happy now?"

    A man came and sat beside him. His slender body was clothed in a beige trench coat. He casually

    picked up a ss and poured some wine into it. Instead of savoring the wine, he only took a small

    sip of it.

    Rick turned around and shook his head. When he saw the man, he let out a coldugh and said,

    "Well, I was guessing who it was, and it turns out to be you, Mr. Gibson."

    "Create an alibi for ine and Kendall. I can help you gain a firm foothold in Asia-Pacific."

    "You and Shane are in the middle of a game. Do you still have time to care about me?" "Sheryl''s

    hospitalization has nothing to do with

    Kendall. Sheryl has leukemia. You should know about that."

    Sheryl had leukemia?

    Rick frowned. He knew about it. But Sheryl had an operation before, so there shouldn''t be a

    rpse. Why was she hospitalized now?

    "Shane said that he can give his bone marrow to Sheryl, but Charlotte has to marry him."

    Christopher downed his ss of wine and said, "As far as I know, Charlotte didn''t want to marry

    him, but she had to save her daughter."

    "He said my tactics are dirty, but he''s pretty shameless and shady too." Rick poured himself another

    ss of wine and added, "Come on, Mr. Gibson, let''s get drunk today."

    "Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen. I''d better not drink it if I can."

    "You''ve already drunk it, and you''re still concerned about that?"

    Christopher shook his head with a smile.

    Rick ignored him and continued to drink. Then, he muttered to himself, "I will not hurt Charlotte

    because of Kendall again, and I will never defend a murderer."

    "She''s just a pathetic person who admires you. Think about it, if you kidnapped Shane for the sake

    of Charlotte''s happiness, but now Charlotte wants to send you to jail, how hurt would you be?"

    Christopher slightly leaned over and said in an enticing voice.

    Rick was silent.

    Christopher snapped his fingers and the background music of the bar immediately changed.

    "Think about it carefully, you probably don''t like the way Charlotte treats you right now, do you?

    When you''re feeling sad and helpless, the streets are cold, and the alleys are dark, the passersby

    re at you, and you only have Charlotte. But she gave up on you too."

    "You wander on this dark street. No one can help you. You didn''t do anything wrong, but you have

    to be imprisoned. This world is so unfair to you."

    Rick''s eyes became more and more hollow. He shook his head and poured another ss of wine

    for himself. "I am me, Kendall is Kendall."

    "Kendall did this for you, and you''re doing this for Charlotte. If you don''t save Kendall, you can only

    watch as Charlotte sends you to prison. That is the person that you love most. You can exchange

    your life to grant her peace and happiness, but she wants to send you to jail."

    Half an hourter.

    Christopher walked out of the bar. He used a lemon deodorant to eliminate the smell of alcohol on

    his body.

    ine walked to his side and held him. "Is everything settled?"

    "Yes."

    "Great job."

    "Only this time. If you do something so brainless next time, I won''t save you again." Christopher

    took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

    The smell of nicotine lifted his mood.

    ine chuckled and clung to his body. "Are you really not going to care about me anymore?"

    "You can try." Christopher''s attitude was cold. There was no tenderness in his eyes when he looked

    at her.

    ine was startled by his gaze and immediately let go of him.

    Christopher threw the cigarette on the ground and put it out with his foot. He walked towards his car,

    which was not too far away, pulled open the door, and slid in.

    Recently, Christopher had changed a lot.

    ine was around him almost every day, so she could naturally feel his changes.

    In the past, he could at least keep his achievements and personal ambitions to himself.

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    But recently, he became more and more arrogant. And he would show aggressiveness from time to

    time, which waspletely different from how he used to be.

    After a few hesitations, ine still decided to follow him and get into the car.

    Christopher started the car, lit another cigarette, and rolled down the car window.

    "Rick will make false evidence for you and Kendall. Find someone to send a threatening text to

    Charlotte."

    "Don''t you have feelings for Charlotte? Why would you..." A shimmer of light shed across ine''s

    eyes.

    Feelings.

    He indeed had feelings for her.

    In his heart, at the ce where it had yet to copse, she was the one who kept it intact.

    But unfortunately, there were too many copsed areas in his heart.

    "You just have to do as I say. Don''t ask anything else." Christopher threw away the cigarette again

    and stepped on the elerator until he reached its limit.

    ine snorted. Her beautiful eyes were full of malice. "No matter if you''re trying to protect her or

    not, I must live a better life than her."

    Live a better life than her?

    With Shane by her side, who could live a better life than her?

    The gloom between Christopher''s brows darkened.

    He was so close, but he still couldn''t figure out why he was still not as good as Shane.

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241

    Rick gave evidence.

    Upon hearing this news, Charlotte was shocked. At that time, Kendall''s appearance at the crime

    scene was a foregone conclusion. Just like that, Rick was actually able to bring out all sorts of data

    to prove that Kendall was by his side at that time and not at the crime scene, to prove that Kendall

    did not kidnap Sheryl.

    Because there was new evidence submitted, the case had to be retried. Kendall was released on

    parole.

    Charlotte, who was resting at Shane''s vi, kept receiving various threatening emails. No matter

    how strong her resolve was, she would not be able to withstand such verbal attacks for so long.

    Charlotte showed self-harm behavior.

    On the day he got the news, Shane left the people in the conference room behind and went straight

    home.

    Her self- harm was caused by too much stress. Charlotte used a box knife to cut a few stripes on

    her finger, but she was far from damaging her muscles or arteries.

    Charlotte was lying on the bed, her listless eyes staring at the ceiling. She was like a puppet without

    a soul.

    Shane looked at her and felt an inexplicable pain in his heart. He tilted his head and asked, "How is

    she?"

    Cole couldn''t help but shake his head. "Miss Charlotte has been under too much psychological

    pressure recently. The doctor suggested that we go out more often and be in the nature. It is no

    longer suitable for her to stay in River City, but..."

    There were so many things that Charlotte and Shane still needed to do in River City. How could

    they just leave without a second thought?

    That was without mentioning the other stuff.

    Charlotte had helped the fishpeople back then, which meant she had a lot of public benefit activities

    that required her to raise fund at any time. She couldn''t leave the city for too long.

    "How much more time will it take to transfer the shares?"

    "Today is the day."

    "After the transfer, you must go to NC Company to announce that I have transferred all my shares

    to Christopher Gibson and forfeit my authority."

    Cole was not surprised at all. He nodded seriously. "I see. How are you going to deal with Miss

    Charlotte?"

    Shane looked at her lying in the bed, and the sadness showing in his creased forehead deepened.

    "Settle all her things and pass them to me. Take care of them today. I want to take her abroad."

    "Yes, sir."

    Two hours after Kendall was released, Shane suddenly announced that he would hand all his

    shares over to Christopher.

    Since it was Cole who had handled this matter, no one believed the news even though the public

    had received this news.

    But soon, Shane held a press conference.

    "I''m going to withdraw from the board of directors of NC Company and hand over all my shares to

    Christopher Gibson."

    Shane only said one sentence throughout the whole process. He did not give the reporters any

    chance to ask questions, and did not prepare any VCR.

    With this simple sentence, the whole of River City was instantly shocked.

    Countlesspanies extended their olive branches to Shane.

    No one thought that Shane had lost in his fight against Christopher. Everyone thought that Shane

    had only finished ying. Not only was his reputation not affected, but more people wanted to draw

    him over to their side and let him join their camps.

    Shane Fuller.

    The name had be a legend.

    No one could contact him.

    Charlotte was still lying on her bed. Even when Zoe was talking to her about Shane, she couldn''t

    hear a single word. She only heard a voice talking.

    She kept muttering to herself, "What about Sheryl?" She had fallen into her own world and could not

    extricate herself from it.

    It was night.

    Shane went home.

    Zoe reported Charlotte''s situation to him.T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "You must be tired. Take a break. You can take some time off." Shane brought out a check and said,

    "Have a good rest."

    "This..." Zoe felt guilty.

    "Take it."

    "Mr. Fuller, I understand your kindness, but this is too much money."

    "Go buy a house. You can pay the mortgage using the funds here. If you find a ce you like, go

    straight to Cole and he will settle the formalities

    for you."

    Zoe was instantly moved. She bowed low and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Fuller."

    "You should thank the fact that you took good care of her." Shane walked past her and went

    upstairs.

    Indeed.

    Shane was so kind to her and repaid her loyalty mainly because of Charlotte.

    Zoe was grateful.

    Shane pushed open the bedroom door.

    Charlotte, who was lying on the bed, reacted. She slowly turned her head and looked at him.

    "Shane, where is Sheryl? Is she okay? How is she?" She reached out and wanted to grab him, but

    she fell down from the bed powerlessly.

    Shane helped her up. "She''s in the cleanroom, waiting for the operation."

    "Operation?" She blinked her eyes.

    "I will give her my bone marrow."

    The bone marrow transnt had no effect on him. It was just a simple extraction. On the contrary, it

    was better for him to stimte the function of his body.

    Charlotte stared at Shane for a while and suddenly smiled. Her eyes turned red again. She was

    crying andughing on his shoulder. It was no different from being insane.

    Shane knew that she was under too much psychological pressure.

    "I don''t think it''s necessary for you to marry me now. Then you won''t be under that much pressure."

    Charlotte shook her head.

    Her stress had nothing to do with Shane.

    She was afraid that Sheryl would disappear as soon as she turned around, and she was even more

    worried that Sheryl''s condition would not be better after the operation.

    She was worried that...

    Charlotte didn''t know what she was worrying about, but in her heart, she just couldn''t get over it.

    "When the operation is over, I''ll take you to X Country and have fun."

    "What about Sheryl?" She asked nervously.

    "She will be in the cleanroom. Don''t worry, no one can hurt her."

    It was only when Charlotte heard the three words ''the clean room'', that she would let it go.

    Even bacteria couldn''t get in, so it must be very safe.

    She kept thinking about it and fell asleep just like that.

    Looking at the thinner woman in his arms, Shane''s heart ached for her.

    He tried to weaken his grip as much as possible. His long fingers gently patted her shoulders. He

    listened to her gentle and quiet breathing, and his heartbeat slowed down along with hers.

    If he didn''t love anyone in his life, it didn''t matter.

    But if he could love someone, that person had to be her.

    For some reason, Shane had the impulse to love someone for the first time in his life.

    His so-called love was to give her all the best things.

    Shane had once again be a hot topic of discussion.

    He was no longer the director or chairperson of NC Company. It was only now that everyone

    noticed his investmentpany.

    None of them suffered any losses.

    If they could rope him into their own camps, it would change the fates of all the big and small

    businesses under their banner.

    Not only Shane could make a bigpany

    stronger, but he could also make a smallpany grow in the shortest time.

    "They said that you gave up NC Company because you have the ability to create another one. What

    do you think?" Braden was lying on the sofa haphazardly, wearing sunsses.

    "I''m not interested." Shane drank coffee and thumbed at his tablet.

    "I really don''t understand. Isn''t NC Company the empire you built with your own hands? Why did

    you give it away to someone just like that?"

    "Why not?"

    "Wow, that really pisses me off."

    Braden wasn''t even bothered to deal with him.

    This was NC Company, after all. Even 1% of its dividends was worth a few million dors. How

    could he say "why not"?

    Braden licked his lips and said, "Wait, I don''t think it''s right. If you give up NC so soon, doesn''t it

    mean that you have other avenues? Buddy, you''re so mean. If you want to make money, take me

    with you."

    "Sure, give me two billion dors."

    "How can I get so much money? I can do 300 million at most." Braden pursed his lips.

    "Will I make you lose money?" Shane looked up at him coldly.

    There was bound to be no loss, but he didn''t have so much money anymore.

    Braden put on a wry smile and said, "It''s not like you don''t know that my family always asks me for

    money. 300 million dors is really too much. If I give it to you, I will probably only have a few

    hundred thousand dors left."

    "If 300 million dors gets you 10 per cent shares?"

    "I don''t care about that. Even if you only give me one per cent, I''m sure I can make a profit with

    you."

    Braden and Christopher were totally different. He had 100% trust and loyalty to Shane.

    Shane nodded. "Sure."

    At that time.

    Zoe went downstairs and said, "Mr. Fuller, Miss Charlotte has already woken up. You asked me to

    remind you to go up."

    Shane turned off his tablet, got up and walked upstairs.

    He was in such a hurry...

    Braden raised his eyebrows.

    It was a blessing in disguise. It seemed that Shane and Lottie''s rtionship had warmed up a

    ittle.

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242

    On Wednesday was Sheryl''s and Shane''s operation day.

    Charlotte woke up early in the morning and waited outside the operating room without letting Shane

    know. As soon as the door opened, she immediately stepped forward.

    The extraction of bone marrow had no impact on the body of the donor, so Shane had already

    returned to normal by the time the door of the operating room opened.

    "Why are you here?" Shane frowned when he saw that she was wearing thin clothes.

    "I''m waiting for you toe out. Can I see Sheryl today?"

    "I''m afraid not. She''ll have to stay in the cleanroom for three months."

    There was a hint of disappointment in Charlotte''s eyes.

    Shane raised his hand and nced at his wristwatch. "Go back and pack up. Get ready to leave."

    "Where are we going?"

    "Traveling."

    Shane led Charlotte to the car by Shane. She packed her suitcase in a state of stupefaction. It

    wasn''t until she was on the ne that she finally snapped out of it-Shane was going to take her

    away from River City.

    As the ne took off, the people on the road became smaller and smaller. In the end, they were like

    ants, and she could no longer find any trace of them.

    She leaned against the window and looked at the runway. Her heart felt inexplicably empty, as if

    something had been lost.

    Soon after, Braden told the media that Shane had gone abroad with Charlotte. This news was

    quickly spread throughout the public.

    Christopher was sitting in the NC Company''smittee chairman''s office, looking at everything that

    he had dreamed of, but he didn��t feel happy at all.

    He suddenly realized that NC Company was not a tform to Shane, but an obsession.

    NC Company Shane''s lifeblood, but his world held far more than thepany.

    Squeak��

    "Hey, HR said to give this to you." Braden put the resignation letter on Christopher''s desk.

    "Are you leaving as well?"

    Since Shane left, many shareholders and directors had left.

    Even if they sold their stocks at a low price, they wanted to leave NC Company now that Shane was

    gone.

    Christopher didn''t understand why these people wouldn''t stay, even though he had reced Shane.

    NC Company had a bright future.

    "Shouldn''t you have expected me to leave?" Braden shrugged. "Anyone might leave, but I definitely

    will."

    "You''ve been friends with him for so many years. But what about you and me?"

    "The three of us have a great friendship, but, Christopher, you also know that my staying here is of

    no help to you."

    "So it''s even more unnecessary for you to leave." Christopher returned the resignation letter. "I

    won''t ept this. No matter what, I won''t let you leave NC Company."

    Braden didn''t expect Christopher to be so determined. He tilted his head and smiled. "Do you want

    to keep me with you?"

    Christopher pushed the chair aside, strode to Braden''s side, and held his shoulder tightly.

    "Of..."

    "Can you afford me?" Braden asked again.

    "Braden, you look down on me too?" Christopher was furious.

    His expression was ferocious and ugly.

    Braden had never seen Christopher like this. He had always been gentle and polite to others.

    But at the moment.

    Braden subconsciously took a step back. He threw the resignation letter on Christopher''s desk and

    turned to leave.

    It was so scary. Even when Shane was angry, we wouldn''t get physical. Even if he did get physical,

    he wouldn''t hurt anyone. But Christopher...

    Braden rubbed his shoulder. That really hurt.

    Braden called Shane but no one picked up. So he could only call Charlotte toin.

    Charlotte had just finished her afternoon tea and wasfortably sitting on the balcony to bask in

    the sun. Just like that, Braden had broken her peace.

    She had to listen to him talk a lot of nonsense.

    "So Christopher bullied you?" Charlotte wasn''t interested at first, but when she heard this news, she

    suddenlyughed.

    "Wow, my God. Charlotte, you know when I called you just now, you weren''t too happy about me

    bothering you. What''s the matter now? You areughing!"

    "I feel that you''re quite pitiful," Charlotte said with a serious expression.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Braden sighed. "Forget it. I know you don''t care about my feelings at all."

    "Actually, I don''t mind you resigning. It''s more than that now is not the right time. Your departure can

    be used as a trump card in the future."

    "You mean you and Shane still have a n to carry out in NC Company?"

    "I don''t know, but you don''t pose any danger now. That''s what I mean."

    When he heard this, Braden fell silent.

    Indeed.

    If he left now, he would be useful to neither Christopher nor Shane.

    "Alright, I''ll listen to you. I won''t resign."

    Braden hung up the phone.

    Just as Charlotte wanted to ask him about Anne, she looked at the dark screen and sighed.

    Why was this guy so impatient?

    "Who called?" Shane walked over with two cups of iced coffee in his hands.

    "Braden." Charlotte stretched out her hand and took one of the cups. "He wants to resign. I advised

    him not to."

    "Good, you have done well."

    "Do you have any ideas about NC Company after this?"

    Shane didn''t respond.

    Charlotte took a sip of coffee and said, "Let me guess, you''re waiting for me to get myself together.

    And then, you will make a request to cooperate. After that, you will help me take over the Emerson

    Corporation and be the man behind me?"

    "If you want, I can do that."

    "Why? I really don''t understand. Why did you give the shares to Christopher?" Charlotte looked at

    him.

    In fact.

    In the past two days, she was still in a very bad mood.

    But when she arrived at X Country, she got some domestic news.

    Everyone said that Shane had given his shares to Christopher. Gradually, her thoughts were no

    longer swirling around Sheryl. Instead, she was thinking about what Shane would do.

    And she still had some shares with her.

    "The n is very simple. At Anne''s and Braden''s wedding, you and Braden''s will sell the shares in

    public, causing the stock price to copse." Shane said without any emotion.

    "That''s NC Company. It''s your lifeblood." Charlotte was stunned.

    Was Shane so cruel to hispany?

    It was said that one''spany was an entrepreneur''s whole life, but Shane was not reluctant to

    part with it. Instead, he was thinking about how to make thepany even worse.

    "NC Company won''t be useful in the near future."

    "That''s one of the best..."

    "I intend to work on science and technology," Shane interrupted Charlotte.

    Charlotte was stunned.

    At present, science and technology was indeed a popr industry. However, no matter how popr

    an industry was, there would be a day when it stagnated. On the other hand, science technology

    had been popr for a long time. ording to the trend, if there was no big explosion of

    advancement, the science and technology industry would only teau.

    And an explosion of advancement required favorable conditions. How much money would it cost

    and how much time would it take to wait for such a miracle? It was something that nobody knew for

    sure.

    She lowered her head and took a sip of her iced coffee.

    "It''s within my expectations that you went into logistics. That is also an important factor."

    "I know. It''s essential to import parts from abroad."

    "That''s right."

    "So you handed over NC Company just to switch industries? In other words, you don''t need NC

    Company now, since the heavy workload will be a burden to you?"

    Shane nodded in approval. "You''re smart."

    Charlotte really didn''t expect the reason to be like this. She pretended to joke and said, "I''ve thought

    of countless reasons. I even thought that you did it for me. However, I never thought about this."

    "It was because of many reasons."

    "Shane, I must take revenge on ine." Charlotte stared at him seriously. Her exquisite eyes were

    filled with determination.

    "I have already given my bone marrow to Sheryl." "I know."

    "So, you are my wife. It''s my business to help you." Charlotte felt like the world had suddenly

    be quiet.

    She felt that this sentence, or other words like this, was something she seemed to have heard

    before.

    Shane bent over and put his lips against her forehead. "Let''s try it out."

    "Try? Try what?"

    "What do you think?"

    His long fingers fell on her cheeks, and there was a bit of softness in his cold features.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243

    Charlotte couldn''t be stoic in front of Shane. Before him, she couldn''t help but be affected...

    Charlotte clutched the corner of her top and said, "I don''t understand what you mean."

    "Are you sure?"

    "I..."

    "There''s no rush."

    Shaney down on the beach chair next to her, and his thin lips curled up slightly.

    Charlotte swept a look over his face from the corner of her eye before she withdrew her gaze. She

    closed her eyes and faced the sunlight.

    It was his duty to help her.

    Charlotte had not yet mulled over these words carefully. What she cared about was the hidden

    meaning behind these words. Would she ept it or not?

    Since she returned home, she had not made it clear who had helped her. Whether it was Shane or

    Rick, she was still a subordinate. In other words, they all shared simr interests, and it could not be

    determined who had helped whom.

    When she was working with them, she had never thought about using their connections to deal with

    ine and regain the Emerson Corporation.

    But this matter with Sheryl made her feel anxious.

    The best way to prevent others from hurting her was to take the initiative to attack.

    That was what Charlotte was thinking in her mind.

    River City.

    In a noisy bar.

    Zoe finally arrived at the bar after moving through the crowds of people. She took out Shane''s VIP

    card and said, "I am Zoe Watson. Where is Peter Brown?"

    "He''s in a private room, number 713." The bartender answered respectfully, "Mr. Fuller''s honored

    guest, let me take you there."

    "No, I''ll go by myself. If there is a disturbanceter, please call the police immediately."

    "Okay, we are very professional in this aspect."

    Zoe put away the VIP card and walked to the private room numbered 713.

    This bar was called Bhanalia. Shane had invested in it before, and now it made average profits.

    After all, the higher-ups had already said that it was understandable that the bar''s business would

    not be good during these special times.

    Room 713 was in a secluded corner. It could amodate about 30 people. It was a private room

    only for VIPs.

    Peter hadn''t exined the situation to her and only told her to go to Room 713 to save him.

    Zoe reached out and pushed the door open.

    There were many people there.

    When she found Christopher sitting conspicuously in a single nce, she was slightly taken aback.

    "Why is Christopher here?" she wondered.

    Zoe lowered her head and looked for Peter in the crowd. Suddenly, she felt a warmth on her arm.

    She turned sideways and was shocked to see the person there.

    "Is, is this Peter Brown?" she wondered.

    He wore fancy sses, very hipster clothes. His hair was dyed silver.

    "Why are you dressed like this?"

    "In such a situation, I can only dress like this. I came here today to make a deal for our new

    shipping project, but I didn''t expect them to stop me from leaving." Peter motioned to the people not

    far away with his lips.

    Zoe looked over and found that they were a few people who wore more casual clothes and looked

    like gangsters. They were staring at her and Peter.

    Zoe did not care about them at all. She grabbed Peter''s hand and was going to take him outside.

    "Hey, beautiful, you can''te in here whenever you want and bring someone out. Who do you

    think you are?"

    A yellow-haired man pointed at her and Peter, and several bodyguards immediately surrounded

    them.

    Peter pushed Zoe behind him, but his arms and legs were shaking.

    He was just a diligent regr person whose life''s work was to develop web security. He did not want

    to get involved in this drama. He had onlye here to trade software and chips.

    Zoe pushed him away and took out the VIP card that Shane had given her. "Can''t I take Shane

    Fuller''s staff away?"

    The yellow- haired man was stunned. "Are you Shane Fuller''s subordinate?"

    "What of it?"

    "In that case, you may go, but this fellow can''t." The yellow-haired man pointed to Peter. "Our boss

    said that Mr. Fuller is not in the country at all."

    Did they make trouble for Peter because they knew that Shane was not in the country?

    Zoe did not pay attention to him. She just took out her phone from her pocket, dialed Shane''s

    number, and told him the current situation.

    "Look for Cole," was all Shane said.

    Although Shane was on a vacation abroad, Cole had volunteered to stay.

    Zoe immediately called Cole after ending the call with Shane. Cole said that he would bring people

    here soon. In this way, Zoe did not have to rush to take Peter away.

    The two of them found seats and sat down.

    "Ms. Watson, the host of the party seems to have been looking at you this whole time." After Peter

    sat down, he had been clinging to Zoe.

    "The host of the party?"

    "Yes, it''s that person."

    Zoe looked where Peter''s finger pointed, only to find that it was Christopher.

    "An old acquaintance."

    "I used to work in NC Company. I know that his name is Christopher Gibson, and I also know that

    you used to be their assistant." Peter smiled.

    "So, why didn''t you just say his name?"

    "I wanted to see your reaction. From his gaze, I can conclude that you both have a history. But by

    looking at your reaction, it seems that you don''t have one."

    Zoe didn''t like gossip, and she didn''t like men who gossiped. She frowned and ignored Peter.

    But Peter gently held her arm and said, "If you don''t have a history with him, can you have a history

    with me?"

    "What?" Zoe immediately pulled her hand away.

    I''m confessing my love for you."

    Zoe was not taken aback. She was just mildly surprised.

    Peter had great potential, but he was a full three years younger than her. She never thought about

    dating someone, let alone falling in love with a man who was younger than her.

    Zoe rejected him. "Sorry, I don''t think that''s appropriate."

    Peter did not say anything, but showed a cute smile. "I know you must have very high requirements

    for your other half. I will work hard."

    No matter how hard he tried, it was impossible to change the fact that he was three years younger.

    Soon.

    Cole only brought some people with him as he hurried over.

    When Yellow Hair and his group saw Cole, they became meek asmbs.

    Zoe looked at them coldly. She hated those who bullied the weak but feared the strong the most.

    Before she left, she absent-mindedly nced in Christopher''s direction.

    He looked very gloomy and was not as energetic as before. He drank cups of wine one after

    another. It seemed that he was not in a good state.

    "Are you looking at him?" Peter suddenly came up to her.

    "He was not like this before."

    "Mr. Gibson looked very sunny before, but I didn''t expect him to have such a side."

    The Christopher of today did not bring to mind the word "sunny". It seemed that people changed

    when they were pushed to the extreme. In the past, he was gentle, but now he looked dark and

    vicious.

    Zoe shifted her gaze and warned, "Don''t meddle in things that you shouldn''t get involved in. Don''t

    think about it and don''t look at it."

    Peter smiled and said, "I understand, Miss Watson."

    Zoe nodded and ignored him after that. She walked quickly to Cole''s side and said, "Mr. y, thank

    you for today." "I stayed in River City for just such emergencies.

    We''re old acquaintances anyway, Ms. Watson. You don''t have to be so polite."

    "Nevertheless, you helped me today."

    "Before I came, Mr. Fuller sent me a message asking me about how you and Mr. Gibson have

    been."

    Zoe was stunned.

    Cole pushed up his gold-rimmed spectacles and smiled elegantly. "Ms. Watson, I have to admit that

    your disguise is very good, at least I didn''t see through it. However, the situation is clear now, so

    you''d better make a n earlier."

    Had Shane seen through her?

    Zoe''s expression did not change, but her heart was already in turmoil.

    How much did Shane know?

    Was it because she was a double agent that made him suspicious?

    Cole sent Peter and Zoe to the taxi stop and left.

    Zoe got in the car and hesitated for a while. Finally, she took out her phone from her pocket. She

    stared at Charlotte''s name in the call record, lost in thought.

    In the end.

    She pressed on Charlotte''s number.

    Sent a message.

    Zoe locked her phone and leaned her head on the back of the chair with her eyes closed to rest.

    Peter curiously looked over and asked, "You just sent a message to Ms. Emerson, didn''t you?"All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "How did you know?" She did not open her eyes.

    "You set up a special sound effect for Ms. Emerson. The sound emitted when you send and receive

    messages are different from other people."

    Peter''s observation was really detailed.

    Zoe did not hide it from him. She nodded and said, "I''m going to resign."

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244

    Peter was stunned. She bit her lip with some unhappiness and said, "Did my confession affect

    you?"

    "Don''t think that way. I want to resign because of personal reasons, and I may not really resign.

    Maybe I''m just testing the waters," Zoe said.

    Zoe was a smart person.

    However, as a secretary, there was no room for her to climb up thedder.

    Peter could tell from her words that she was free and easy, which was rare in the world. He couldn''t

    help tilting his head to look at her. "Miss Watson, you are Ms. Emerson''s friend, and you have Mr.

    Fuller supporting you. Although you deny it, Mr. Gibson seems to be interested in you. In this case,

    why should you resign?"

    "I told you. It''s just a test."

    "No, I mean, why would you leave NO Company?"

    "How do you know that I want to leave NC Company?" Zoe frowned and was very vignt.

    Everyone in thepany knew that she was Charlotte''s friend. They didn''t know that she hade

    from NC Company, and they didn''t know that she had worked in otherpanies.

    How did Peter know about this? Did he investigate it?

    No, that wasn''t right. If Shane and Charlotte were able to get her into thepany, that meant that

    they had cleaned up her resume. Other than others in the industry, there shouldn''t be anyone else

    who knew that she had been working in NC Company.

    So this Peter...

    "Because I''m one of Mr. Fuller''s people," Peter answered calmly. "I didn''t intend to hide it from you.

    After all, I said that I liked you. I couldn''t be dishonest with you."

    "So that''s what it is. No wonder you made such a detailed report back then."

    "It''s precisely that report. I wrote it in too much detail, which caused Ms. Emerson to be suspicious.

    She might have gone to look for Mr. Fuller to verify it, but Mr. Fuller had asked me to reveal my

    identity to Ms. Emerson. He said that Ms. Emerson had put me in an important position and that, in

    the future, Ms. Emerson would use me to pass him information."

    Zoeughed and shook her head. "Yes, being too serious is not a good thing. After all, you are a

    neer in thepany. It''s too surprising toe up with such a good proposal."

    Peter bared his teeth and said, "Shouldn''t you praise me for having such achievements at the age

    of 23?"

    23 years old.

    It was an age where it was still too early for men to start a family.

    This kind of achievement was indeed worthy of pride and praise.

    Zoe reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "Kid, need to do a good job, do you understand?"

    "Kid... I like that you call me like this. In the future, can you only call me this?"

    Peter''s eyes were bright.

    Although he was wearing a pair of sses, his eyes shed different colors.

    Zoe sighed. "We won''t be together."

    "I like to watch TV shows and desserts. I need three sugars in my coffee and I go to the gym three

    times a week. I''ll listen to some soft music when I run. I..."

    Peter slowly but efficiently told Zoe about himself.

    Zoe was not daydreaming. She listened to what he said.

    Although they might not be able to get together, it was good to chat as colleagues.

    Peter Brown.

    She was murmuring his name in her heart.

    No matter how she thought about it, they were different kinds of people, and she was older than

    him.

    In X Country.

    When Charlotte woke up in a daze, she found that she was already in the house.

    Shane sat on the sofa not far away with hisptop on his knees, his fingers tapping on the keyboard

    as if he were ying the piano. She could not help but be stunned.

    His hands were really good-looking. It would be great if he could y the piano again.

    She shook her head.

    She had already messed up with Shane by talking about ying the piano. She wouldn''t foolishly

    make a mistake there again.

    Shane noticed her gaze and looked up. "Come here if you''re awake."

    Charlotte replied with an "okay" and walked up to him.

    "Sit down."

    She sat down obediently.

    Shane motioned for her to look at theputer.

    There were many small boats and airnes on the screen, and they were connected by lines of

    either red, white, or blue.

    "What is this?" Charlotte asked.

    "Shipping routes."

    "What about these colors?"

    "We own the red ones, the blue ones represent routes avable to us, and the white ones are public

    routes. This is a software made by Peter and his team." Shane pressed a key.

    Names appeared on every route.

    Charlotte skimmed over it. The domestic routes wereplicated, but half of them belonged to

    them.

    Some were upied by apany called Skyvex, while some were owned by Shane and

    Charlotte. As for the rest, they were mixed. At least hundreds ofpanies were involved in

    logistics.

    On the other hand, Skyvex was affiliated with the government, so it could be considered to be in a

    different category.

    "Our influence is already very significant. In this kind of situation, we should be targeted by others..."

    "No, we won''t."

    "Is it because there are more nk spaces?"

    Shane nodded.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Charlotte was deep in thought, "Then, is the reason you''re showing me this because you want me

    to continue expanding these routes? And, at the same time, we have to take precautions against

    futurepetitors?"

    "You''re smart."

    "Well... I also saw Emerson Corporation. They don''t have a lot of routes, so if we want to deal with

    ine, we can start with logistics first."

    "That''s right."

    "What''s more, although they are all transportation routes, I found that a few of them are particrly

    long. There is a transfer station in the middle, but the route after the transfer station belongs to

    anotherpany. There must be some friction there."

    "Go on."

    "So I think you''re showing me this, in addition to letting me know the situation, is to ask me about

    the frozen supply chain, am I right?"

    Charlotte was a little nervous as she waited for Shane''s reply.

    She clutched the hem of her shirt tightly. Her anticipation was reflected in her eyes, and all the

    muscles in her body tensed up.

    Or, there was something else he wanted to say to her, which was far more than that. After all,

    ordinary people couldn''t keep up with his mind.

    Shane turned off theputer and clutched her wrist tightly. "Let me take you out."

    "What''s for?"

    "A reward."

    A reward?

    Charlotte blinked her eyes and instantly broke into a happy smile. "Does that mean that I guessed

    right?"

    Shane nodded.

    "I can actually guess what you''re thinking. It seems like I''ve improved."

    "There''s one more thing. You should have noticed that all the routes of Emerson Corporation are in

    a different direction from us."

    "Yes, I noticed," she replied.

    "Take back the Emerson Corporation and help me."

    Charlotte had always felt that she hade back for revenge, and then she would find Sheryl''s

    father for her surgery.

    Now, she had found her father, and getting revenge had always been smooth sailing. She could not

    keep thinking about taking revenge all the time, otherwise, there would be some problems with her

    mentality.

    So she could actually set another goal, such as helping Shane.

    Although it sounded like a dreame true, how could she possibly help him?

    Charlotte took a deep breath, "I can only guarantee that I will do my best."

    "Alright."

    The two of them didn''t talk about work while they ate.

    Charlotte simply found some topics to talk about with Shane. From some of the brands she was

    interested in the inside stories in the entertainment industry, she found that Shane rarely knew

    anything.

    The things that she thought she knew, in front of Shane, it was nothing.

    He was talkative and had a wide range of knowledge.

    This was the first time that Charlotte found out that it wasn''t painful being Shane''s friend. Although

    he always had a cold expression, as long as she thought of enough topics, he actually had endless

    things to say.

    After the meal.

    Charlotte and Shane walked down the street.

    The sky was gloomy, but the rain did not fall. The grass on both sides of the road was green and

    fresh, emitting a unique fragrance that made them rxed and happy.

    They were so close to each other that their hands kept touching.

    Charlotte felt a little awkward and absentmindedly moved her hand a little further away from his.

    Shane nced at her from the corner of his eye and directly held her hand.

    Her body stiffened and her heart beat faster. She could not help turning her head to look at Shane

    next to her.

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245

    The outline of Shane''s jaw was as delicate and charming as a knife. There was no extra flesh on his

    face, and his muscles were not stiff. In addition, he had no expression at the moment, so he looked

    even colder.

    The side view of his face was very attractive.

    Charlotte felt her heart beat faster and faster.

    "When I saw Rick that day, he said that you slept with him?" Shane suddenly tilted his head.

    In fact, when you looked from the side, his facial features could be soft, but when you looked from

    the front, especially into the pair of cold eyes...

    Charlotte''s wildly beating heartbeat suddenly stopped.

    She was so frightened by him that she almost fainted. She swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva

    before she regained her senses.

    "I don''t remember, but I definitely didn''t do anything with him..." She argued in a low voice.

    "You don''t remember?" His voice turned colder.

    "Even if I slept with him before, we didn''t get married. It doesn''t seem to have anything to do with

    you."

    "Are you sure you want to talk to me in this tone?"

    "Because I really don''t remember."

    Shane replied with a ''humph'' and did not continue on this topic.

    They walked through an alley to arrive at a more lively street.

    For a moment, Charlotte couldn''t get used to it. Previously, it had beenpletely silent, but now,

    there was a lot of noise. Her eardrums had suffered a huge shock.

    However, she soon got used to it. It was good that it was lively. There were more people here.

    "Do you want to eat something or not?"

    "But I don''t even know thenguage here, so I don''t know what these are." Charlotte was a little

    conflicted.

    X Country was good in all aspects, but it was only that, at these small stalls, there were no pictures,

    only bolded words. Although it looked good, it also made it impossible for her to know what they

    were selling.

    Shane pointed to a line of words and said, "Raw beef with eggs."

    "What''s that?"

    "A drink." He pointed to another string of words.

    Shane was multitalented.

    As Charlotte thought about this, her gaze became increasingly gentle as she looked at him.

    This trip seemed to close the distance between them.

    They left the market and returned to their residence.

    Charlotte took out her mobile phone and found out that Zoe had sent her a resignation message.

    It was extremely short, and the crux of it was asking whether or not it was approved.

    Charlotte bit her lips and thought for a while. She didn''t even ask Shane before rejecting her

    directly.

    "I don''t care where you used to work, and I don''t care if you''re working under me or Shane now. To

    me, you are Zoe, my hardworking assistant. So, no matter what, I will only recognize you. There is

    no use saying anything else."

    After she sent the message.

    Charlotte ced her phone to the side to charge.

    Shane went to take a shower. She picked up hisptop and turned on it to study the issue of the

    shipping routes.

    In order to prevent the problems of her memory, Charlotte even deliberately took out a notebook

    and wrote down all the details that she needed.

    Suddenly.

    She had used Shane''s ount to log on to social media when a message jumped out.

    Tiffany: Shane, I''m so bored in the vi alone. Do you want toe over and y with me?"

    "y with her?" Charlotte wondered.

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth twitched. She didn''t take the message seriously.

    How old was she that she could talk about ying so much?

    Tiffany: "I got a batch of very good goods. If you want to take them, you can take them."

    Goods?

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment.

    Tiffany: I''m sure they can make you feel like you''re flying. Do you want to have some fun?

    Goods? That could make you feel like you''re flying...

    All of a sudden, Charlotte''s mind made a guess.

    Squeak-

    Just then, the bathroom door opened.

    She took a deep breath. She did not look back or close theputer. She just kept acting as if she

    were taking notes.

    Charlotte could sense Shane standing behind her.

    He seemed to have removed the bath towel from her neck and was drying her hair, making the back

    of her neck feel cold.

    "What''re you taking notes for?" His deep and cold voice rang in her ears.

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "This." She handed the notebook to him and said, "Some shipping routes and names."

    ''TH ask Peter to send you the software directly."

    "Why didn''t you say so earlier?" Charlotte was annoyed.

    "I forgot."

    Shane sat down beside her and smoothly took theptop from her. When he saw the icon of the

    social media site sh, he clicked it open and his eyes turned cold.

    Shane closed theptop with a flip of his hand and held Charlotte''s chin in his long fingers. "Did you

    see the message Tiffany sent me?"

    Charlotte wanted to deny it, but in reality, she had already seen it anyway.

    "Yes, I saw it."

    "You''re not going to ask me?"

    "There''s nothing to ask. That''s your business. I don''t want to add to your troubles," she said.

    Shane stared at her deeply. He wanted to see if there were other emotions in her eyes and face, but

    he couldn''t.

    She just answered as if it was a matter of course and there was nothing to ask.

    Shane let go of her, leaned against the sofa, and said, "It''s normal to take those things in the

    entertainment industry."

    "You don''t have to exin to me. As long as the police didn''t arrest you, as far as I''m concerned you

    never took anything," she said.

    ording to her character, she shouldn''t have handled it like this.

    Shane frowned. "Why?"

    "Because it has nothing to do with me. If you want to take those things, I can''t do anything. Even if I

    want to keep Sheryl away from you, as long as you don''t agree, what can I do? What''s more, from

    her words, I can tell that you don''t want to."

    "..." He pursed his lips.

    In her eyes, was he someone she couldn''t bargain with?

    Charlotte stood up and said, I''m going to the other bedroom to sleep now."

    The suite Shane got was veryrge. There was a master bedroom and a second bedroom, so she

    could sleep in the other bedroom.

    Shane didn''t stop her and let her go.

    Charlottey on the bed.

    She let out a long sigh of relief.

    Judging from Shane''s reaction just now, her answer made him unhappy.

    He could be displeased because, ording to her, he made decisions too arbitrarily. Actually, she

    also knew that he was not so arbitrary with her. He just thought that she should have feelings for

    him, so he was a bit unscrupulous when he was here with her.

    If he really touched those things, he would let her and Sheryl leave him instead.

    He had a clear view of right and wrong.

    From this point of view, she really should apologize to him.

    Charlotte kept thinking for a while and couldn''t sleep. After a while, the door was suddenly pushed

    open, and she was so scared that she closed her eyes immediately.

    Warm fingers fell on the tip of her nose. Charlotte endured it and did not move. The tips of the

    fingers ran all the way down until finallynding on her neck.

    Shane opened his palm and grasped her neck.

    Right now, as long as he exerted a little bit of force, she could probably be choked to death by him.

    Charlotte opened her eyes.

    Their eyes met.

    "Do you want to strangle me?" She reached out and grabbed his hand.

    She grabbed him, but he didn''t let go of her neck, so she didn''t exert herself anymore. She just held

    his hand.

    "Yes, I do."

    "Why?"

    "You can''t be controlled."

    "Shane, I''m a person, not your toy." Sheughed, "Why should I be controlled by you?"

    She should love him, and she shouldn''t leave him.

    The coldness in Shane''s eyes turned deeper.

    Before things went out of control, Charlotte suddenly got up and hugged him. "I''m sorry."

    Shane was stunned.

    "I was too aggravated just now. I can understand your thoughts, but I can''t..."

    Her feelings were veryplicated.

    Maybe she should try things out with Shane, but she didn''t know how.

    That was, until he reached out and strangled her

    neck.

    Somehow, she breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Shane was calm andposed, so he shouldn''t

    have any extreme and dangerous thoughts. Therefore, since he had this idea, it meant that in his

    mind, she must be his, even if she was a corpse.

    This idea that "she must be his" made her feel scared, but also gave her a slight sense of security.

    "I have feelings for you."

    "I know, I... uh..."

    Before she could finish her sentence, he kissed her.

    In the world of love, Shane was like a spoiled child. If he wanted a toy, he would reach out and get

    it. Even if it didn''t belong to him, he would take it.

    Unfortunately, she seemed to be a toy of this spoiled child.

    Was this a continuation of what happened five years ago?

    Momentster.

    Shane let go of her. His expression had returned to normal, and there was no trace of cruelty in his

    eyes. There was only indifference left in his gaze.

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246

    Charlotte pouted. "You said before that it''s only right for you to help me because I''m your wife. I

    didn''t deny it."

    "So?"

    "I''m very grateful to you for saving Sheryl. If you don''t mind, I''m willing to marry you."

    Mind?

    How could he mind having her?

    He couldn''t wait to bring her back to his side.

    Charlotte could tell that he was moved. She hesitated for a moment before moving forward to kiss

    him.

    This seemed to be the first time she took the initiative to kiss him.

    Unexpectedly, before she could touch Shane, he had already stepped back. His long finger pointed

    at her lips.

    Charlotte was puzzled. She looked at him with a slightly injured expression.

    It was obvious that he was interested in her, but now he turned her down. She couldn''t help thinking

    of the past, the inexplicable divorce agreement, and his unforgettable past.

    "I''ll marry you."

    "Okay." She agreed.

    Shane helped her pull up the nket. After a few moments of thought, he finallyid down beside

    her. Charlotte didn''t reject him and allowed him to stretch out his hand and pull her into his

    embrace.

    A few dayster.

    Shane and Charlotte returned to the country.

    After she returned home, Charlotte had a lot of things to do, especially with the issue of the

    Emerson Corporation''s shipping routes. Charlotte had gotten Peter''s improved software. At the

    same time, she also obtained quite a few orders. For a while, she forgot all about Shane and

    Sheryl.

    Three months passed by in the blink of an eye.

    Charlotte received a phone call from Sheryl in the office. Only then did she remember that her

    daughter was in the hospital.

    "Baby, I''m sorry, Mommy is too..."

    "Daddy told me already that you are very busy. Besides, you can''t get into the cleanroom anyway."

    The little girl said in a childish voice, "I am not ming you, but have to take me to eat some

    delicious food today!" "Today?" Charlotte leaned to the side and looked at the nner. When she

    saw that there were no important meetings, she let out a sigh of relief. "Baby, I will take you."

    "Yes, that''s so great!"

    Their conversation ended.

    Charlotte flipped through the documents in front of her.

    Recently, their ns for Kendall and the Emerson Corporation were pretty muchplete. The

    Emerson Corporation had to set up a long line to catch some big fish.

    Kendall...

    She was still a little short on information about the Stevens Family.

    She had contacted the people who had a grudge against the Stevens Family. Only then could she

    force Kendall far away from River City, and so that she would stay away from Charlotte and Sheryl.

    And based on this, it was possible that he would have to hand over Rick''s...

    Charlotte smiled bitterly.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    She suddenly felt that she was being cruel. Rick had pretty much developed into the Asia Pacific

    region because of her, but she had driven him away ungratefully.

    Knock, knock!

    "Come in." She came back to her senses.

    "Ms. Emerson, I''m going to take you to the hospital. Mr. Fuller called me." Peter walked into the

    office.

    "I can go by myself."

    "Mr. Fuller said that there will be a press conference after he picks up his daughter."

    "A press conference?"

    Charlotte absent-mindedly looked at the drawer at the bottom left and chuckled. "Alright, take me

    there."

    Sheryl had not seen the two of them for a long time. The first thing she did when she saw them was

    to cry loudly.

    Charlotte had no choice but to hug her.

    The little girl was very sensible, but she was still a child. She still threw a tantrum when she knew

    that she had been wronged.

    Charlotte tried to coax her for a while, but Shane immediately promised that she would not be

    admitted to a hospital again. Only then did Sheryl stop crying and smiled instead.

    "Daddy, Mommy promised that she would have dinner with me today!" Sheryl winked at Shane.

    "Of course, but we have to go somewhere else first."

    Somewhere else?

    The little girl tilted her head to look at him.

    Shane was referring to the press conference.

    This was the second press conference he was holding after he handed over his shares of NC

    Company to Christopher. All the media were focused on him and wanted to know what happened

    with him and NC Company afterward.

    And yet.

    Shane showed up with a woman and a child.

    All the media were at a loss.

    "This is my girlfriend of five years. And our child."

    After Shane came onstage, he exined the key point of the press conference with only short

    sentences.

    Girlfriend of five years, a child.

    The reporters immediately burst into an uproar, and the voices of discussion grew louder and

    louder, but no one dared to raise their hands to ask questions.

    In the end, a media representative who had a good rtionship with Shane put forward the first

    question��

    "Excuse me, Mr. Fuller, is the woman standing next to you Miss Charlotte Emerson, the one who

    was engaged to the chairman of the Jane Corporation,

    Rick Jane?" "Yes."

    "So did Mr. Jane steal your lover?"

    "Yes."

    The audience was filled withmotion.

    Charlotte felt a little uneasy. She stood on the stage holding the hem of her shirt and with her head

    lowered. She didn''t dare to look at the reporters.

    As the first question was so explosive, the others naturally would not be too nice either.

    "Mr. Fuller, you''ve been in a rtionship for five years and haven''t gotten married. Why did you

    choose to announce it at this time?"

    "We''re going to get married."

    "You transferred your shares to Mr. Gibson before, was it because you want to start a family?"

    "Yes."

    "Mr. Fuller, you once said at an interview that your dream is for the country to be prosperous and to

    have infinite wealth. Are you giving up all this now for the sake of having a family?"

    Shane was silent in the face of this question.

    He passed the microphone directly to Charlotte.

    Shane didn''t actually want the country to be prosperous. It was only something he said to please

    the government. He wanted to look like a patriotic citizen so that he could open a secondary market

    in the country in the future.

    However, Charlotte was different. Although she hid it very well, he could see that she had a patriotic

    heart from the incident with the fishpeople.

    "Infinite wealth is the pursuit of life. For the country to be prosperous, every citizen has to have

    strong faith and maintain it together. This does not go against wanting to have a family," Charlotte

    answered slowly.

    She was nervous facing the camera. However, when she had something she wanted to say, she

    was no longer nervous.

    In an instant.

    The reporters'' mics all pointed at her.

    "Miss Emerson, why did you get engaged to Mr. Jane before?"

    The reporters all suddenly became silent. Everyone was waiting for Charlotte''s answer.

    No one expected that...

    Charlotte turned to look at Shane. Her soft voice reached everyone''s ears through the microphone

    �� "Can I say it?"

    "Yes, you can."

    Charlotte lowered her head and smiled. "Shane hurt me before because of some special

    circumstances. When I needed protection the most, Rick took care of me, loved me, and said that

    he didn''t care about my past. But we had differences on some thingster."

    "Did that difference have to do with Miss Kendall Stevens?"

    Rick and Kendall had been very high- profile at many New Year''s Eve parties.

    The media also did not know that Kendall had kidnapped Sheryl, so they had always suspected that

    Kendall was the other woman in Rick and Charlotte''s rtionship.

    "No, there was another disagreement first. That''s why Ms. Kendall returned to the country,"

    exined Charlotte.

    "If Miss Stevens did not return to the country, would you have made up?"

    "Shane probably wouldn��t have given us a chance to make up," Charlotte said as she smiled at the

    reporters, "When you lose someone, you will know how precious they are. Shane and I have never

    stopped loving each other, and we are all very grateful for Rick''s help."

    On TV.

    Charlotte was natural and at ease, with a happy smile on her face as she stood next to Shane.

    They didn''t seem to be at odds at all. They were like a couple who had been married for many

    years.

    It was a perfectbination of appearance and spirit.

    Although Charlotte''s appearance could notpete with the delicate faces in the entertainment

    industry, she was also a real beauty. With her unique charisma, it was difficult for people to have a

    bad opinion of her.

    The questions asked by the reporters also became less aggressive.

    Soon, the topic turned to Sheryl.

    Sheryl grabbed the microphone on her own and answered in a childish voice, leaning into Shane''s

    embrace.

    Everyone was amused by the cute appearance of the little girl. They didn''t ask questions seriously

    and simply teased her.

    "Sheryl, do you prefer Dad or Mom?"

    "I like Great-grandma more!"

    Sheryl replied decisively.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247

    In the backstage lounge.

    Zoe sighed, "Sheryl, you are indeed the child of Mr. Fuller and Lottie. You have such a high EQ

    even at such a young age."

    "Ms. Watson''s children will be very smart." Peter held his head in his hands. He was not watching

    TV, but looking at her.

    "Peter." Zoe was helpless.

    Peter gave her a toothy smile and said, "You know I''m a straightforward person and never lie."

    "If you are a straightforward person, then Shane is a kind person."

    "Hahahaha..." Peter could not stopughing.

    Zoe was really intriguing.

    Soon, the press conference ended. In order to thank Zoe and Peter for taking care of Charlotte

    recently, Shane invited the two of them to have dinner together.

    Since Peter refused, Zoe felt even worse to attend, so she had to refuse as well.

    When Zoe saw that Charlotte and Shane had left, Zoe couldn''t help but ask, "Why did you refuse?"

    "Isn''t it better to let the three of them go themselves? Mr. Fuller is on good terms with us, so we

    have to be nice to him as well." Peter smiled.

    "That''s true." Zoe rubbed her shoulders. "I''m going to have dinner. What about you?"

    "Would you mind..."

    Lets go.

    Peter''s eyes lit up and he immediately followed Zoe.

    Shane had booked a table in advance. When the three of them arrived at the restaurant, it was very

    crowded.

    Sheryl looked around curiously.

    "She was just discharged from the hospital. Isn''t it bad for her toe to a ce where there are so

    many people?" Charlotte grabbed Sheryl and asked Shane in a low voice.

    "It doesn''t matter."

    "Don''t enable her. What if something happens to her..." Charlotte was worried.

    "Don''t worry."

    For some unknown reason, the worries in her heart were suddenly swept away, and Charlotte felt a

    lot more rxed somehow.

    After the meal, Shane brought them both to visit the attractions in the downtown area.

    They walked through the path, where there were all sorts of pretty lights.

    As she sat on Shane''s shoulder, Sheryl reached out to pull at the lights. She cried out in surprise,

    "This is so beautiful. What''s this?"

    "This is a fairy light, baby." Charlotte held her back, afraid that she would fall.

    "Can I put it at home?"

    "It should be possible." Charlotte thought about the decorations in Shane''s vi and shook her

    head. "It doesn''t match our home."

    "I can put it in my room." Sheryl put up her chubby little hand.

    "Speaking of that, now that Sheryl has been discharged from the hospital, where should she stay

    later?"

    Charlotte asked the person beside her tentatively.

    She did not know what he was thinking.

    Shane pondered for a moment and said, "I don''t intend to be separated from you. It seems that I

    have given you too much freedom in these past three months."

    Charlotte felt a little embarrassed. She smiled awkwardly and said, "That''s not what I meant. I''m

    waiting for you to make the arrangements, aren''t I? Mr. Fuller, how would I dare to go against you?"

    "Is that so?"

    "Of course."

    "Really?"

    "Yes really."

    Shane was just about to reply when his phone rang. He handed Sheryl over to Charlotte and picked

    up the phone. When only listened to one sentence before his brows furrowed. His voice was as cold

    as steel as he said, "You must find her."

    On the other end of the line, Cole trembled and said, "She still has at least ten tons of drugs with

    her. If the police finds her, we..."

    "It has nothing to do with us."

    "Yes, I understand."

    After the call ended, Shane bent down and picked up Sheryl again. "Sheryl, you''d better not go out

    for the time being."

    Sheryl tilted her head and looked at him. "Daddy, did something dangerous happen?"

    "That''s right."

    "Then I''ll listen to you and won''t go out."

    "Good girl."

    Charlotte looked at Shane''s serious look and wanted to say something. She didn''t want to ask him

    about the situation at this time, for fear of spoiling the fun mood they had ying with Sheryl.

    It was the middle of the night, Sheryl got tired and fell asleep in Shane''s arms.

    Shane carried her and went back to the car with Charlotte.

    The car drove toward the vi.

    "Was that call from Cole?"

    "Yes, Tiffany is missing."

    "That..." Charlotte looked at him in shock.

    Shane''s brows furrowed slightly as he fixed his gaze on the road. "I will deal with this."

    "Will it be dangerous for Sheryl?"

    "No, it won''t. I''ll ask someone to patrol the neighborhood 24 hours a day. I''ll go to work with you

    from today onward."

    That was right.

    Shane had left NC Company. What was he busy with recently?

    Charlotte was very curious, but she didn''t dare to ask.

    When they got back to the vi, Shane carried Sheryl to her room. The room was covered with pink

    wallpaper, and even the bed and furniture were pink.

    On the beautifulputer table, there were a pinkptop and cat-ear headphones. The bay window

    seat was covered with a fluffy nket.

    Shane really treated Sheryl well.

    So well that Charlotte was inexplicably a little jealous.

    "You must have spent a lot of effort on this room." Charlotte stood at the door but didn''t go in.

    "You want it too?"

    He tucked Sheryl in and turned to look into Charlotte''s eyes. He understood the desire in her eyes.

    Charlotte broke intoughter. "I''m not a child anymore."

    "You can be a child, or you can continue to be a female CEO."

    The implication was.

    With his protection, she could do whatever she wanted.

    Charlotte''s heart suddenly stopped. She lowered her head and said, "It''s nice to be like this now."

    Shane replied with a meaningful "Hm" and took her downstairs to the study.

    "Let me help you analyze the pros and cons of your recent projects."

    He turned on hisputer.

    Charlotte obediently followed.

    It was only then that Charlotte found out that Shane hadn''t been idle even when she was busy with

    thepany''s matters.

    He investigated allpanies with shipping routes in River City with the excuse of "finding a job".

    Of course, he couldn''t find out everything about these projects, but he could exin them in detail. It

    was more reliable to get Peter to find the information.

    "The sry they give you should be very high, right?" Charlotte asked.

    "Two hundred thousand."

    "A month? It''s a bit low."

    "A year."

    Charlotte''s eyes widened. "Isn''t that an insult to you?"

    Shane didn''t say a word.

    Charlotte finally came to her senses. No matter how impressive Shane was, in the eyes of some

    small-minded people, he was nothing special.

    He did not need to bear with these things. He knew that those people would be disgusted with him

    but he still collected these data. Actually, he had done it for her, hadn''t he?

    Charlotte''s heart ached suddenly. She reached out and grabbed his big hand. "I''m sorry."

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "It''s fine."

    "You must have been very sad at that time, weren''t you?"

    At that time?

    He was busy with the investigation. Where did he get the time to feel ufortable?

    However, when he looked at Charlotte, if he were to say that he was not feeling well, she would

    probably treat him even better.

    I''m fine." In the end, he still followed his own heart when answering.

    He definitely had feelings for her, but he still wouldn''t change his way of doing things for her.

    "Whenever I talk back to you, you look like you want to strangle me to death. They''re giving you 20

    thousand a year..." Charlotte felt sadder and sadder she spoke, "It''s alright, I can go and look for the

    information myself. Don''t use this method anymore."

    "Do you feel bad for me?"

    "I don''t know, probably." Charlotte stared at the information on theputer and felt very bad in her

    heart. "I would rather be deaf and blind and never know this information. I don''t want them to insult

    you like that."

    "I''ve already been insulted. What are you going to do about it, Ms. Emerson?"

    Shane suddenly felt that it was fun to tease her.

    He wanted to know what she would do since, with her current ability, she was not bullied by others,

    but he was.

    "Buy raw materials and store them. When they realize that the raw materials are scarce, we will sell

    them. By that time, we will already be the manufacturer''s biggest customer." Charlotte gave a

    rtively typical n.

    "It''s just so-so."

    "If it were you, how would you fight back if they did this to you?"

    Charlotte was so extremely curious that she spoke at a faster pace than before.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248

    "We now have the information, shipping routes, and technique. All we need to do is to turn the

    tables and we can cause issues for their shipping routes," Shane said in a light tone.

    "That..."

    "You''re not ruthless enough."

    Shane pointed out Charlotte''s biggest problem with just one sentence.

    The fact that she could think of holding up the cargo proved that she had the intention at least to

    mess with the Emerson Corporation. But since she only wanted to hold up the cargo, it meant that

    her methods were not cruel enough.

    Holding up the cargo would have no effect in a day or two days, and a few months of it might not

    hurt them badly but would cause them to have a deficit. If they did it for a year, it would hurt the

    Emerson Corporation, but at the same time, it would cause them some issues too.

    She still wanted to be courteous with them. She wanted them to suffer a loss, but she didn''t want to

    go too far.

    She was too idealistic.

    "I see. We have to hit them where it hurts, so that they won''t hit us back."

    "You''re smart."

    "Then, can you tell me whichpany you''re working in? I want to..."

    She wanted to do something for him.

    Shane didn''t answer directly. A few secondster, he said the name of thepany.

    Charlotte had heard of thispany before. It was also one of thepanies in the shipping

    partnership, and they had a good rtionship with Mr. Cullen.

    "Wait, Shane, are we still in the shipping partnership?"

    "Yes."

    "So then..."

    "It''s inevitable that we''ll encounter them."

    Charlotte nodded solemnly, but deep inside, she was sighing.

    To her and Shane right now, the shipping partnership was definitely not very helpful. In fact, they

    could even be considered enemies. Under such circumstances, they still had to go to meetings for

    it.

    The situation was akin to them trying to outwit the other.

    Charlotte was a little worried, but more than that, she was looking forward to it.

    She knew that she was walking into danger, but that thrilled her.

    The next day.

    Charlotte and Shane arrived at the office together.

    Sheryl was with Cole and the newly hired tutor. At noon, she also sent a message to them.

    Charlotte took out her phone and watched the video sent by Sheryl. All of her exhaustion seemed to

    have vanished in an instant.

    "Mr. Fuller, Ms. Emerson."

    He pushed the door open and walked into the office.

    Charlotte came to her senses and raised her head to look at the door. "What''s wrong?"

    "I found out that Jane Corporation has obtained shares of Emerson Corporation recently, so I can

    conclude that Rick is cooperating with Christopher," Peter said.

    Rick was cooperating with Christopher.

    Charlotte started to have a headache.

    I see.

    "In addition, we still haven''t found any trace of Tiffany, but from her behavior, she has already

    disappointed Mr. Fuller, so she is very likely..." Peter did not continue.

    "Alright," Charlotte replied.

    Peter left.

    For some reason, Charlotte''s gaze turned to Shane. Was Tiffany''s loss of control within his

    expectations?

    Shane noticed that she was looking at him. He looked up at her and asked, "Hm?"

    "You and Tiffany..."

    "We''ll talk about itter."

    Fine then.

    Since Shane said that, Charlotte definitely wouldn''t ask any more questions.

    When it was time to get off work, Charlotte took her documents and walked to the underground

    parking lot. When she came to her car, she had a vague feeling that something was wrong. She felt

    a chill on her back.

    She shook her head and dispelled the ominous feeling. She raised her wrist and looked at her

    watch. Shane had only agreed to meet in a minute.

    Charlotte leaned against the car as she flipped through the documents.

    In two days, she would go to the shipping partnership meeting. It would be the best time to help

    Shane regain his position then. She did not want Shane to be looked down on.

    "Charlotte!"

    The voice sounded a little familiar.

    Charlotte turned around and looked toward the source of the sound suspiciously.

    In almost a split second, before she could react, she saw a knife in Shane''s abdomen. Shane''s

    eyes were cold and his face was calm as he stood in front of her.

    Shane was bleeding a lot. Charlotte immediately helped him up. I''m calling the police right now."

    "Tiffany, it''s not enough for you to kill your sister. Who else do you want to kill now?"

    Tiffany Allen.

    It was only then that Charlotte looked toward the person who started the fight.

    Was this Tiffany Allen?

    In her impression, Tiffany was generous, sweet, and charming, but the person in front of her was

    clearly a madwoman. Her hair was messy and her face was gaunt.

    People said that taking drugs would be harmful to one''s health. From the looks of Tiffany''s current

    state, she must have been taking drugs for a long

    time.

    Tve been in love with you since I was ten. You told me to wait for you and I did. So why did you

    publicize your rtionship with her?" Tiffany''s voice was sharp as she pointed at Charlotte. "Didn''t

    you like my sister? Don''t I have a face simr to hers?"

    He liked his sister...

    Was it Heidi Allen?

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Charlotte was calling the police when she heard the conversation between the two of them. Her

    fingers stiffened a little.

    "You''re being unreasonable," Shane said. Then he leaned against the car directly and closed his

    eyes to rest, no longer paying attention to Tiffany.

    Tiffany didn''t run away. She was in a state of madness. She kept talking about liking Shane all these

    years without much coherence.

    After she called for the police and ambnce, Charlotte put away her phone. She took the key from

    Shane''s pocket and opened the car door. She helped him get into the car to sit.

    She was afraid that he would lose too much blood, so she did not help him pull out the knife.

    "And, you said that I killed my sister, but I didn''t kill her. Didn''t you get kidnapped and got my sister

    into trouble?" Tiffany red at Shane with hatred in her eyes. "You killed my sister. It wasn''t me!"

    "The kidnappers from back then have already admitted that you instructed them to kidnap me."

    "That''s impossible. They were sentenced to death a long time ago!"

    "I forgot to tell you that, in order to investigate the truth, the case wasn''t closed."

    Shane''s voice was so cold that it could make you tremble.

    Tiffany never expected that Shane already had such a thoughtful mind even when he was

    seventeen or eighteen years old.

    "I don''t believe it. Those people must have been dead at that time. They were the murderers who

    killed my sister. It wasn''t me!" Tiffany denied.

    She couldn''t admit it.

    Once she admitted it, she would lose everything.

    It wasn''t easy for her to stay by Shane''s side. If she could get rid of Charlotte, she would be able to

    rece Charlotte like she did her older sister.

    She was just one step away.

    If only Shane wasn''t with Charlotte now.

    She had clearly found out that Shane had been looking for a job recently, so he didn''t have time to

    deal with Charlotte. How did he end up appearing by Charlotte''s side?

    Was her luck really that bad?

    Soon.

    The police and paramedics arrived at the scene.

    Tiffany confessed to having hurt Shane with a knife, so the police took her directly to the police

    station.

    Charlotte helped Shane into the ambnce and would follow him to the hospital in it.

    "Miss, you''d better go to the police station and give your statement," the policeman reminded her.

    "I''m sorry, I''m not in the right state of mind to give a statement now. I want to confirm my...my

    friend''s condition first before going. Is that alright?"

    The policeman nodded. "Only good wille from you giving your statement. You can decide when

    you want to go on your own. I will report directly to the hospital for the investigation records."

    "Okay, thank you." Charlotte watched the policeman leave.

    At this time, Shane was already lying on the ambnce''s stretcher.

    Charlotte sat down beside him and found that his wound had been treated by the paramedics. His

    bleeding had stopped for the time being.

    "Are you alright?"

    "We''re only friends?" Shane''s focus was on somethingpletely different from hers.

    He had taken this knife for her, which meant that he did not care whether he was injured or not,

    much less how injured he would get.

    But she actually said that they were only friends.

    This made Shane unhappy.

    "I..." Charlotte was at a loss for words.

    She just did not know how to address him. She couldn''t call him her husband, since they weren''t

    married. She couldn''t call him her fiance either, since they weren''t engaged.

    No matter what she said, it seemed that nothing was right.

    That was why.

    She had used the word "friend".

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249

    "Forget it, it''s up to you." Shane closed his eyes.

    "We don''t seem to be married or engaged. I can''t call you my boyfriend, since we haven''t dated. If

    we''re not friends, what are we?"

    It was rare for Charlotte to tell Shane what she was thinking without any reservations.

    Even if they were very close, even if he was like a god in her heart, most of the time she was

    unwilling to tell him the truth. She thought that, the more she said, the more he understood her. That

    might not be a good thing for her.

    Shane frowned slightly.

    He only cared that she had said that they were friends. Beyond that, there was really no solid

    conclusion when it came to what kind of rtionship they had.

    "What is dating?"

    Shane''s question confused Charlotte.

    She had never been in a rtionship before, although the one with Rick sort of counted. But she did

    not really like Rick at all, and she had only agreed to be with him out of a sense of guilt and

    responsibility. So, strictly speaking, she had not been in a rtionship with him, and basically had

    no experience with men.

    Under these circumstances, Shane was asking her what love was...

    Charlotte bit her lip and said, "In my opinion, love is a sh of personalities between two people.

    You care about me and care about you. Then you and I will blend our emotions and personalities

    together. During the continuous blending process, we seek to be together perpetually."

    Shane was an academic genius, and he was also well-versed in the liberal arts. But at this moment,

    he could understand every single word that Charlotte said. He could understand what she was

    trying to convey. But somehow, he just couldn''t get it.

    It was funny.

    It was like saying one plus one equals two. He knew that one plus one equals two, and he also

    understood how arithmetic worked, but why did one plus one equal two?

    Shane remained silent.

    "Miss, how old are you now?" The paramedic who was applying first aid couldn''t help but ask.

    I''m 23 years old this year. I''m almost 24," Charlotte replied.

    When Shane heard her state her age, he opened his eyes and stared nkly. The look he gave her

    became veryplicated.

    It was a new year, and she was only 24 years old.

    It also meant that when she had Sheryl, she had only been 18 years old. When she had just

    be an adult, she had already given birth to the child...

    During this time they had spent together, Shane gradually forgot about her age. In his opinion, her

    mentality and behavior were very mature, but asionally she would show a childlike side.

    "You''re 24 years old, but you''re so knowledgeable about love. Actually, some of what you said is

    right, but some arepletely wrong," the paramedic said with a smile.

    "Would you mind borating?" Charlotte replied with a smile.

    Although she did not feel that her logic was faulty.

    "Just now you said that love is a collision of two people''s personalities. But have you ever thought

    about that one day, when you be more familiar with each other and the other person has

    changed? For example, a man likes you because of your appearance. If a man only likes your

    appearance, it means that he will abandon you because of a more beautiful woman in the future. If

    he does not abandon you because of such a person, it means some aspect of the other''s

    personality has changed."

    "That..." Charlotte was stunned.

    She didn''t expect that a random paramedic in the ambnce could make such an impressive

    speech.

    She could not help thinking about it.

    In the end, she said in a low voice, "But the rest of him is perfectlypatible with me. It''s

    completely suitable to me."

    "Do you mean that, only when you meet the right person, will you like them?"

    "I... "

    Charlotte was stunned again.

    If they were suitable, she would like them. Then Rick was undoubtedly the most suitable, but in fact,

    the person she liked was...

    Charlotte couldn''t help but look at Shane. She suddenly realized that if she thought about someone

    she liked, her gaze would fall toward Shane without hesitation and she would say his name.

    That was right.

    She seemed to, really, really like Shane.

    "If that person suits you and is who you like, then congrattions. But if you meet a person that you

    like but may not be suitable for you, you shouldn''t let him go either." The paramedic revealed a very

    cute smile. "Of course, this is just my personal understanding."

    This person had a very deep understanding of this matter.

    On the way to the hospital, Charlotte was thinking about what the paramedic said.

    The ambnce stopped at the emergency department of the hospital.

    Tiffany did not have much strength after taking drugs, so Shane''s wound was not deep. After it was

    stitched up, Shane could even get out of bed and walk immediately. He only had to change the

    dressings and apply some medicine. And he couldn''t get the wound wet.

    Shane stood by the side of the sickbed as he did up his buttons. His long and slender fingers were

    very fair under the light. Charlotte looked at his hands for a moment and nked out.

    "How do you n to deal with Tiffany?" Charlotte''s tone was full of caution.

    Tiffany was a very important person to Shane, she sensed.

    "Prison." "But don''t you..."

    "The person I can forgive is Heidi''s younger sister, not Tiffany." Shane turned around and looked at

    her.

    "When you were talking in the parking lot with her, you also said that it was her who killed her

    sister."

    "That''s right."

    "Then why do you still forgive her because of Heidi?"

    "With Heidi''s personality, even if Tiffany really killed her, she would not me Tiffany."

    Was there really such a stupid person in the world?

    Or, should she use the word "kind" to describe her better?

    Or maybe Heidi was not so forgiving, but because Shane liked her, he idolized her in his heart?

    "In your heart, Heidi must be an angel, and you must like her very much."

    "Are you jealous?" Shane put on his tie and looked at her with his head tilted.

    There was a faint smile in his eyes...

    Charlotte lowered her gaze and shook her head. "There''s no point in being jealous when she''s

    dead. Besides, I don''t have the right to be jealous."

    "It sounds like you''re asking me for a proper rtionship?" Shane stretched out his long arm and

    pulled her into his arms.

    "I..." She bit her lip.

    That wasn''t what she meant.

    "I thought of Heidi as my younger sister, so you don''t have to worry about that."

    "Then, what about the piano..."

    "She died because of my ipetence. I''ve always been concerned about my ipetence, not

    Heidi."

    Although this sounded a little cruel, this answer was the most in line with Shane''s character. He was

    like that. He couldn''t let himself down. Other people were less than human to him.

    Charlotte nodded.

    "You said earlier that you want to see me y the piano?"

    "Ah? No, I don''t have to see it."

    "Grandma wille over this weekend. I will announce our rtionship to them at home, along with

    Sheryl being my child."

    "Then what about Raina? Doesn''t she hate me very much?" Charlotte felt that it wasn''t appropriate.

    "Let''s not talk about this. She''s always..."

    "I''ve made up my mind."

    Well, that was that.

    Charlotte knew that his word meant everything. She hadn''t seen Mrs. Fuller Senior and Raina for a

    long time. She just didn''t know if Raina would be nice to her when they next met.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    For some reason, Charlotte felt a little nervous.

    By the time they left the hospital, it was already very dark.

    Back at home, Charlotte began to cook while Shane helped Sheryl with her homework.

    The father and daughter pair were talking to each other softly, which made them look very sweet.

    As Charlotte cooked, she nced at the two of them from the corner of her eye.

    Shane only rxed a little when he was with Sheryl. The corners of his mouth curled into a smile.

    "Mommy, I''ve finished my homework. Why haven''t you finished cooking yet?" Sheryl jogged all the

    way to the open kitchen.

    I''m almost done," Charlotte said, looking up from her cooking.

    Just now, she had already prepared all the ingredients. Now she just needed to cook them.

    Sheryl said okay before asking, "Can I please have some cake?" "How much do you weigh now?"

    Humph!

    Mommy was so mean.

    Sheryl pouted angrily and said, "I''m not fat!"

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250

    Sheryl wasn''t fat, but because she didn''t really like doing exercise, her body didn''t have any

    muscles. It was all fat. In this case, if she was allowed to eat anything she wanted, she would

    be fat. That was why Charlotte was strict with Sheryl''s diet.

    If you were fat as a kid, it would be hard to slim down after you grow up.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Daddy, I want to eat cake, but Mommy says I''m fat." Sheryl turned around and whined to Shane.

    "Charlotte, can''t you afford to buy a cake?" Shane raised his head to look at Charlotte.

    "Don''t spoil her. Sheryl doesn''t exercise. If she has dessert before dinner, she will definitely be

    a big fatty in the future," Charlotteined relentlessly.

    "I can take care of her."

    "Sure you can do that, but what if you die?" Charlotte would not be talked down.

    Shane frowned. "That''s unreasonable."

    Charlotte snorted coldly. "If you think it''s unreasonable, I can take my daughter away. Anyway, I

    don''t want to stay with you. You only want to spoil her. It''ll be toote once she bes a fatty who

    gets winded going up and down the stairs."

    It was proven that it was useless to argue with women. It was also pointless to debate with them

    about their children''s eating habits.

    Right then, Shane was really worried that Charlotte would leave without a word. Then, she would be

    taken away by some undeserving man.

    Sheryl was unhappy. She poked at her food without any intention of eating it at all. Shane tried to

    feed Sheryl several times but was stopped by Charlotte.

    After all, Sheryl was a child. No matter how angry she was with her parents, she would not let

    herself go hungry. In the end, she obediently finished her meal.

    After dinner, Sheryly on the sofa unhappily.

    After she washed the dishes, Charlotte entered the room.

    "Here."

    Shane took some cake from the refrigerator and gave it to Sheryl.

    He did not open the packaging.

    Sheryl looked at it and shook her head. "Tomorrow, Mommy will scold me."

    "Then let her scold me." "I don''t want Daddy to have a bad rtionship with Mommy. I can eat the

    cake tomorrow morning," Sheryl said in a childish voice and reached out to hug Shane. "I know

    Mommy is doing this for my own good, but I''m not fat, right?"

    The reason why Sheryl was angry was not because of the cake, but because Charlotte had said

    that she was fat.

    Shane couldn''t helpughing, "Of course, Sheryl is the most beautiful angel."

    Sheryl jumped happily in his embrace. Soon, she was tired. She made her way out of his grasp and

    rubbed her sweat-covered forehead. "Daddy, I''m going to take a bath and go to sleep."

    "Can you manage it alone?"

    "Of course, I was alone when you two were not at home." Sheryl smiled. "I''m going to my room."

    Shane nodded.

    As he watched Sheryl walk into her room like a penguin, Shane''s heart suddenly felt bitter. This was

    his daughter, and the ce where his daughter and Charlotte was was home.

    Home.

    He actually had a home.

    When Shane came to his senses, he rubbed his forehead with his long fingers before pushing open

    the door of the bedroom.

    Charlotte was lying on the bed and using herptop. She was wearing pink rabbit pajamas with a

    hood that had rabbit ears, which made her look somewhat cute.

    "Sheryl said she wants to eat the cake tomorrow morning."

    "Tomorrow morning is fine, but I still need to get her to eat some fruits." Charlotte didn''t even raise

    her head to answer.

    "What are you busy with?"

    "The shipping routes. I''m going to do the final verification. The meeting will be held in three days,

    the project will be discussed in two days, and the tasks will be assigned tomorrow when I get to the

    office," Charlotte said as she took in a deep breath. "I can finally understand how tired you were."

    Shane sat down beside her and closed theptop.

    Charlotte became anxious, "What are you doing? I have to finish this today."

    "It''s half-past ten. You go to sleep first. I''ll take care of it."

    "There''s no need." Charlotte yawned and snatched theputer back. "I can''t rely on you for the

    rest of my life, can I?"

    "You don''t want to rely on me?"

    Shane''s expression darkened.

    Charlotte was not scared by his cold expression. Instead, sheughed, "Please, don''t put on a cold

    look just because you''re unhappy. It''s not that I don''t want to rely on you. It''s just that I want to

    complete the work based on the foundation you created."

    "You have done very well."

    "I can do better."

    Shane''s eyes darkened. He turned his head to grab her lower jaw and kissed her on the lips.

    His flexible tongue pried open her white teeth and pulled her soft tongue to his domain. While

    entangled, he put his long arms around her and held her in his arms.

    Charlotte''s eyes were closed, and her face was red.

    Only after a long time did he let go.

    "Shane..." Her voice was a little hoarse.

    "Yes?"

    I''m sleepy."

    Charlotte passed theputer to Shane and then covered her head with the nket.

    Shane couldn''t help butugh.

    He opened theputer and brought up the software. He saw her data arranged neatly and said in

    praise, "Not bad. It looks good."

    Charlotte poked her eyes out from the nket and blinked as she looked at him.

    "Your observation of the Jane and Emerson Corporations are very urate, but youck some

    rity in certain aspects. Your abductive reasoning skills are still somewhat poor."

    Charlotte''s small nose was also exposed in the air.

    Shane stretched out his hand and pulled the nket down in one motion, revealing her red and

    swollen lips that he had kissed.

    He looked at her meaningfully. His long fingernded on her lips. "Does it hurt?"

    Charlotte shook her head.

    "Do you know what abductive reasoning means?" He took his hand away and stopped flirting with

    her.

    "It means that you use the conclusion of a situation to infer the process of the thing and what it was

    like at the beginning."

    "Yes. Now tell me, if the result is that I handed NC Company''s shares to Christopher, and you want

    to infer the whole process, what are the three most important elements to it?"

    Charlotte was deep in thought.

    Soon, she gave her answer��

    "Your personality, Christopher''s personality, the personality of the people around you, the price of

    NC Company''s shares, how much shares Christopher had before, and..."

    Shane interrupted her, "Are these the three elements?"

    Charlotte immediately lost her confidence. She bit her lip and looked a little troubled

    "Of the core three elements, the first is people, the second one is situation, and the third one is

    context. Abductive reasoning uses the situation to deduce the people and context. Do you

    understand?

    That was to say.

    If she wanted to know the truth of one thing, then she must first find the people rted to this

    matter. The different people involved in the same matter would affect the conclusion of the matter.

    Charlotte''s eyes lit up. "I understand."

    "It''s the same for thepany. The first requirement is to be urate, to know your position. The

    second is connections. Your connections and thepany''s history are important. The third is

    economics. The price of stocks and its trade, along with development

    prospects."

    "I understand now."

    "Shall I change it or do you want to?"

    Charlotte directly took over theputer.

    Shane leaned against the headboard, his gaze falling on Charlotte''s face/

    She bit her small lips lightly, looking cute and yful. She was the mother of a five- year- old child,

    but she still retained the innocent air of a college student.

    It was the kind of aura that he had long since lost. The kind that he could not resist.

    Soon.

    Charlotte searched through the information, modified the results using abductive reasoning, and

    handed theputer back to Shane.

    "You pass."

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

    Sheughed self-deprecatingly. "I have a feeling that I''m back in school and doing homework.

    Shane, you are like a strict teacher."

    "Are you saying that you don''t like it?"

    "Oh? I... I don''t dislike it."

    "Don''t dislike it. Doesn''t that mean she likes it?"

    Shane thought.

    Shane''s lips curled into a smile as he continued helping her with other work.

    Charlotte was quite conscientious in her work. Moreover, she had recently conducted some studies

    and was quite professional. The report she made was simple and had all the key points. In general,

    it should be above the average level. But if added to the fact that herpany had just been

    established, she would definitely get full marks.

    A message suddenly popped up from the bottom left corner of the window.

    Rick: Lottie, can you chat with me? I''ll wait for your reply.

    Shane wasn''t the only one who saw it. Charlotte also saw the message.

    Upon seeing the message, Shane stopped "checking Charlotte''s homework". Charlotte panicked.

    She immediately started exining, "Um, I don''t know that he would send me a message, please

    don''t misunderstand."

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251

    "Are you afraid that I''ll misunderstand?"

    "Yes." Charlotte nodded her head resolutely.

    "Do you want to reply to it, or should I?"

    Charlotte thought for a moment, shook her head, and said, "I won''t reply to him. When I was

    involved with you, I was already thinking that it would be unfair to Rick if I was with you, and it would

    be unfair to you if I was with Rick, so..."

    "It would be unfair to me if you were with Rick?"

    Charlotte had subconsciously blurted out the truth. Immediately, she covered her mouth with her

    hand and shook her head forcefully.

    Shane, however, was in a good mood. The corners of his eyes were lifted a little as he said, "I didn''t

    expect you to have such an awareness."

    "What awareness?" Charlotte asked dumbly.

    "Since you know that it''s unfair to me if you''re with him, why do you agree to the divorce?"

    "You''ve already brought up the divorce. If I didn''t agree, wouldn''t it mean that I still have feelings for

    you? But the marriage was just contractual, so any feelings beyond that don''t matter," Charlotte

    said. She had always assumed that this situation was

    the truth.

    In other words, it was not that she did not love him. In her view, she could not love him.

    Shane was even happier when he came to this conclusion. He said, "Let me reply."

    He suddenly seemed to be very happy.

    Charlotte analyzed Shane''s features and felt that the current him was much gentler than before. He

    didn''t look as cold as he used to be.

    Soon, Rick received a reply.

    Charlotte: I''m not talking to you.

    Such a brief reply was obviously not from Charlotte. Even if she wanted to reject him, she would

    include words such as Tm sorry'' and so on. To Charlotte, refusing Rick was something that she

    found difficult.

    Rick felt a pain in his chest, and he raised his hand to cover his heart.

    Rick: Mr. Fuller?

    Charlotte: Mmm.

    Rick: Are you afraid to let me see her?

    Charlotte: She asked me to respond.

    Rick did not know how to respond to that.

    Charlotte knew that if she had replied, she would definitely feel guilty. In order to prevent this guilt

    from affecting her rtionship with Shane, she asked Shane to reply.

    Impressive.

    Charlotte was bing more and more impressive.

    Rick simply threw his phone on the sofa, picked up the wine on the coffee table and drank it all.

    The alcohol burned his throat. After entering his stomach, the distinctive smell of alcohol rushed into

    his nasal cavity.

    Rick shut his eyes and leaned into the sofa, allowing the alcohol to hit all his body''s senses.

    "Rick, why are you drinking again!" Kendall ran to his side and said, "You..."

    "Get out." Rick pushed her away.

    "I''m sorry, Rick." Kendall lowered her head.

    Rick tilted his head to one side to look at Kendall. Kendall liked to pretend to be pitiful, using her

    wronged expression to get him to sympathize with her.

    "You haven''t done anything you need to apologize to me for. I should be apologizing to Charlotte. I

    did wrong by thew. I''ve done the most impulsive and regretful thing in my life by bailing you out so

    that you can cooperate with Christopher," Rick said, gritting his teeth.

    He hated himself. But he hated Kendall more, and hated Christopher the most.

    He didn''t even understand why he wouldmit perjury just because of a few words by

    Christopher.

    Originally, he thought that even if he gave false evidence, the court would certainly dismiss it, so it

    did not make much difference whether he did it or not. What was more, Christopher''s words were

    reasonable. If Kendall was imprisoned, the Stevens Family would definitelye forward. By then...

    As he was thinking about this, Kendall let out a scream. "How could this happen?"

    Rick came to his senses and looked at her in displeasure. "What''s wrong?"

    "Tiffany was charged for first-degree murder and she will be sentenced to life. It seems that she

    wanted to kill Shane." Kendall handed her phone to Rick, her face pale. "Shane is now with

    Charlotte. If he can treat Tiffany like this, will he put me in jail for life too?"

    There was a difference between first- degree murder and kidnapping.

    ording to the country''sw, the maximum sentence for kidnapping was only about 25 years, and

    the highest sentence would be used rather thanpounding them. What was more, Sheryl was

    now still alive and kicking, so Kendall would only be sentenced to a few years.

    The key point of the matter was that, Tiffany must have been out of her mind, since she would

    definitely not be able to do anything to Shane.

    She must have made a move against Charlotte, and Shane just happened to be standing right

    beside her.

    Rick threw his phone aside, grabbed the bottle of wine again, took a sip, and put it back down.

    "Shane does things quickly. He won''t allow anyone who hurts himself or his people to exist in this

    world."

    "Then Christopher..."

    "I don''t know. I always thought that he had other feelings for Christopher. Otherwise, ording to

    his style, he would never allow Christopher to act wildly in hispany, let alone give his shares to

    Christopher."

    Kendall didn''t know Shane at all. She only knew that Shane was a person who could kill her easily.

    Although Shane only hit her once at that time, she could feel that Shane wanted to kill her in that

    moment.

    On the outside, he looked as carefree as a celestial being, but deep down, he was a demon.

    This sort of person was too frightening.

    The only thing was.

    Kendall suddenly had an idea. "That''s not right. Didn''t he give all the shares of NC Company to

    Christopher? He has nothing to do with thepany now. Why should we be afraid of him? He has

    nothing now."

    "Nothing? Indeed, if you leave the Jane family, you will have nothing, but Shane is different. It can

    be said that he built NC Company with his connections. Once he leaves, it''s NC Company that will

    have nothing."

    Kendall was speechless. She would really die a miserable death if she left the Jane family...

    Rick sighed and picked up the bottle again. "I admit that I lost to Shane."

    At least, it was Shane and not anyone else.

    It wasn''t so bad if it was Shane''s.

    At least he could ept this conclusion.

    On the weekend.

    Because Shane had to go to a salon, Charlotte could only bring Sheryl to the old mansion herself.

    The butler waited at the door for them for a long time. When he saw theming, he smiled and

    said, "Miss Charlotte, Mrs. Fuller Senior has been talking about you all the time." "Hi, long time no

    see." Charlotte smiled and nodded at him.

    The butler was stunned for a moment before he nodded with an embarrassed smile on his face.

    This Miss Charlotte looked more poised than before, as though she was not nervous at all.

    Charlotte brought Sheryl into the mansion and looked at Raina and Mrs. Fuller Senior on the sofa.

    Raina didn''t even look at the two of them.

    Charlotte walked up to Mrs. Fuller Senior with a smile on her face. "Grandmother, Sheryl keeps

    saying that she misses you."

    "I know. I''ve already watched your press conference." Mrs. Fuller Senior smiled widely.

    Sheryl immediately threw herself into Mrs. Fuller Senior''s arms and said, "Great-grandmother."

    After throwing herself into Mrs. Fuller Senior''s arms, Sheryl stammered and greeted Raina, "Hello,

    auntie."

    Charlotte broke intoughter. "Grandma, I''ll have to trouble you to take care of Sheryl. I have

    something to talk to Madam Raina about."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior nodded meaningfully. "Lottie, you''re more mature than before."

    "Thank you, Grandma. People have to grow up sometime."

    "Hahaha, even though you''ve grown up, don''t lose your spirit."

    "Grandma, I understand." Charlotte leaned over and kissed her on the face. "Thank you."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was very satisfied as she brought Sheryl to the sunroom to have some snacks.

    In the living room.

    Only Raina and Charlotte were left.

    Charlotte took out a small box from her pocket and handed it to Raina, "This is a gift I''ve prepared

    for you. I was in a hurry before, so I didn''t prepare any gifts."

    "Gift? What is it?" Raina rudely refused to ept the box.

    "Shane told me that you like crystals and jades, so I got someone to find a piece of jade and some

    crystal. This bracelet is made of ice jade and white crystal."

    Charlotte opened the box and revealed the bracelet.

    The style of this bracelet was simr to that of Shane''s gift to her. The main reason was that she felt

    that this style was really pretty. The sterling silver matched the other twoponents, so they didn''t

    contradict each other.

    The bracelet was naturally good-looking.

    The ice jade was high-end and elegant, while the crystal was transparent and bright without being

    unfashionable.

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    In this bracelet, you could find the perfect mix of olden and modern times.

    The disdain in Raina''s eyes suddenly changed.

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252

    "You bought this?" Raina stared fixedly at the bracelet.

    Although she asked a question, she also knew that Shane would not spend much effort to get this

    bracelet for her no matter what.

    Over the years, Shane had never given her a present, not even the simplest health care products.

    "I was the one who bought the ice jade and crystals, and I also determined the style, but I didn''t

    have the ability to put these two things together, so Shane found me a craftsman to help me,"

    Charlotte replied truthfully.

    "Shane..." Raina immediately took the bracelet in her hands.

    "I know you may not like me, and you and Shane may not reconcile. We won''t force you."

    Raina picked up the bracelet but put it down again. In the end, she closed the box and stared at

    Charlotte. "Are you really sure you want to be with Shane?"

    "Yes." "Then let me ask you, do you know that he gave his shares to Christopher?" "I only found out

    about it after the incident," Charlotte replied.

    "After it happened, can you be sure that he is doing this for you, or does he have other ns?"

    After she heard this, Charlotte fell silent.

    After a moment, she decided to tell Raina the truth.

    She said, "Shane has his own ns and decisions. If I say that he did it for me, it''s inevitable that I''ll

    think too highly of myself. Plus, the rtionship between me and him is not so harmonious, so I

    don''t think that he did it for me."

    "But what happened afterward made me feel that, even if he made this decision, he might not have

    taken me into consideration. Thus, my answer is that he has other ns while doing it for me at the

    same time."

    Raina didn''t expect Charlotte''s logic to be so imprable.

    Since she had survived in the Fuller family for so many years, of course, she was an impressive

    figure herself. It was just that she had restrained herself after Shane grew up.

    Now, when she looked at this Charlotte, a feeling of being truly old surged in her heart.

    "Before, I was indeed biased against you."

    "I know you really mind Sheryl''s existence, so Shane and I want to talk to you about something this

    time."

    "Oh?"

    "Five years ago..."

    Charlotte simply told her what had happened five years ago.

    For her, it was an unspeakable past. It was painful, sad, and, at the same time, she almost lost

    everything in that one year.

    She had never told anyone about all that had happened, even Zoe, who was close with her, did not

    know.

    But now.

    She found herself able to face the past calmly, without a trace of sadness and pain. After she said it

    lightly, she even had a refreshed feeling.

    "Is this true?" Raina didn''t expect that Charlotte''s child was rted to Shane either.

    "Yes, it''s true," Charlotte replied.

    "It''s no wonder that child looks somewhat simr to Shane..."

    Raina muttered to herself.

    She was unhappy with Charlotte mainly because

    Charlotte was a single mother. But now, this child was Shane''s. Besides, Charlotte wasn''t ugly,

    although her family background was somewhat subpar, Charlotte herself wasn''t too bad.

    Once Raina lost the biggest reason to dislike Charlotte, Charlotte suddenly seemed not too bad.

    When Charlotte and Raina entered the sunroom together, Mrs. Fuller Senior gave a gratified smile.

    "Great-grandmother, why are you smiling?" Sheryl held Mrs. Fuller Senior''s arm.

    "I''m smiling because I finally got my greatest wish."

    Huh?

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Sheryl tilted her head and looked at Mrs. Fuller Senior with some puzzlement.

    "What great wish did Great- granny have?" she wondered.

    When Shane returned to the old mansion, he realized that Charlotte had already settled the matter

    and she was able to interact with Raina with ease.

    When he got there, no one came to greet him. Obviously, they did not treat him as important at all.

    Shane half leaned against the kitchen door, intending to see when the four most important women

    in his life would notice him.

    "Daddy!"

    The person who noticed Shane first was naturally Sheryl, who loved him the most.

    Shane bent over and picked up the little girl. "Sheryl."

    "Daddy, I miss you so much." Sheryl raised her face and gave him a kiss.

    "Yes, I miss you too."

    "Shane, your mother said that she wanted to go to the cinema to watch a movie after the meal. Do

    you want toe with us?" Charlotte also went over.

    Shane nodded his head, but his gaze fell on Raina.

    Raina didn''t look at him and continued to help the chef.

    "Yes," he answered.

    "If he goes, then well fill one car." Only then did Raina speak in an indifferent tone.

    Charlotte smiled, "Madam Raina, are you starting this again?"

    "Now that Shane is back, why are you still calling me Madam Raina? That''s rude. No wonder I didn''t

    like you before." Raina ced the ss te of fruits on the table.

    "Then, can I call you Mom?" "Sure."

    "Okay, Mom."

    Charlotte followed Raina back into the kitchen.

    Sheryl tilted her head and looked at Shane. "Daddy, although I don''t know what''s going on, this

    time, Mommy and auntie are in a good mood."

    "Maybe, you should call auntie Grandma in the future," Shane said.

    "Then, will Daddy really be my father?" Sheryl rolled her eyes.

    She was so young.

    But she understood so much.

    Shane nodded.

    "Great, I''ve been waiting for this day for a long time." Sheryl cheered.

    However, Mrs. Fuller Senior had note out of the kitchen until now.

    Shane realized that this matter was probably not as simple as it seemed.

    Soon, dinner was ready and everyone went to the living room to eat.

    The atmosphere was harmonious, and the meal was exquisite. During the meal, Sheryl went to

    watch cartoons alone, and Mrs. Fuller Senior did not follow her.

    "Grandma, do you have something to say to me?" Shane put down the spoon and took the initiative

    to speak.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior smiled and shook her head. "Let''s eat first."

    "You can go straight to the point."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior cast a nce at Raina.

    Raina''s expression sank, and she tightened her grip on her cutlery.

    Charlotte felt that what Mrs. Fuller Senior was saying to Shane had nothing to do with her. It most

    likely had something to do with the Fuller family.

    As she thought about this, she reached out to grab Raina''s hand, her gaze still fixed to the front.

    She couldn''tpletely forget that she was a person who had hated her, but this person was

    Shane''s mother.

    If she didn''t let go of the past, Shane and Mrs. Fuller Senior would find it hard to deal with. She

    didn''t want someone who hadete into this family like herself to make them feel sad and

    ufortable.

    "I want to talk about Christopher."

    tter!

    The cutlery in Raina''s hands fell on the table.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior nced at her and snorted coldly. "I came here this time for Christopher too."

    "What''s with him?" Shane frowned.

    He didn''t expect that Mrs. Fuller Senior would mention this person to him.

    "He is your older brother."

    There was a deadly silence.

    Charlotte''s eyes widened as she stared at Mrs. Fuller Senior in disbelief.

    She had known about it for a long time, but Christopher had said that he never told anyone else. His

    mother would definitely not have...

    "Older brother?" Shane pondered over this.

    His pupils dted. Obviously, even he himself did not expect Mrs. Fuller Senior to be talking about

    this.

    At that moment, Raina''s body was trembling continuously.

    Charlotte hugged her. "Mom, shall we go to wait for them in the car?"

    Raina came back to her senses and looked at Charlotte with aplicated expression. After a long

    while, she finally nodded.

    Once Charlotte left with Raina, Mrs. Fuller Senior had fewer hesitations. "This time, your mother

    and I did not interfere too much in the matter of you giving up your shares because he is your

    biological older brother, your father''s illegitimate M �� son.

    Shane had wondered before why Christopher hated him.

    One reason was Charlotte. After all, he showed great affection for her.

    The second reason was the envy and hatred between friends.

    Because Shane was more outstanding than Christopher, Christopher hated him.

    But he never imagined that Christopher was his biological brother.

    No, it wasn''t that he didn''t think of it.

    He had investigated this, but the results showed that they hadpletely different blood types.

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253

    "On your grandfather''s side of the family, there is a history of heart and blood diseases. Christopher

    had a bone marrow transnt for leukemia when he was a child, so his blood type has changed. It

    took us a lot of time to find him."

    "You were looking for him?"

    "Yes, that is because, this time, you gave all your shares to Christopher. That''s why I returned to

    River City. I hope you''ll stop here. After all, he is your brother. Afterward, I''ll go and talk to him too..."

    "That''s impossible."

    Shane got up straight away and said word by word, "He betrayed me. It''s impossible."

    Before he finished his words, he had already left the table.

    There was a worried look on Mrs. Fuller Senior''s weathered face.

    Even if she did not like what the man had done, he was still her grandson, a grandson she had

    never even met before.

    In the end, Mrs. Fuller Senior did not go to the movies with them.

    Charlotte and Raina sat with Sheryl in the back seat. The little girl was in a good mood and had

    been chattering all the way.

    Soon, the car stopped at the entrance to the cinema.

    Shane went to buy the tickets, while Charlotte and Raina brought Sheryl to the small kiosk next to

    the cinema hall to y.

    "I heard Theodore overworked himself to death," Charlotte said.

    "Why are you asking about this?" Raina was on the alert.

    "I have a friend. His sister and girlfriend were murdered in River City, so he investigated all the

    suspicious people, including Uncle Theodore."

    Raina''s expression looked a little better. "What else did your friend find out?"

    Charlotte smiled and shook her head. "I''m not interested in this matter. After all, it''s his family

    matter. All I can help with is find some data."

    "Have you... ever seen that woman?" Raina asked again.

    Charlotte seemed too calm.

    This made Raina suspect that Charlotte knew about this matter. In fact, she knew quite a lot of

    things too.

    Through this question, Charlotte also guessed that Raina might have suspected that she was

    acquainted with Christopher''s mother.

    As Sheryl won a prize at her game, Charlotte suddenly replied, "Yes, I have."

    "What is she like now?" Raina asked in a rush.

    "She''s a nun. She eats simply and prays every day. I heard that this started after Theodore''s death,"

    Charlotte replied.

    "Funny that she does this now. Why did she interfere with Theodore and me back then?"

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Was she the other woman back then?"

    "Of course!"

    Charlotte didn''t say anything.

    She couldn''t imagine that a woman like Agnes would be the other woman. She was a person

    who stood apart from worldly affairs and didn''t talk much in daily life.

    At that moment, Shane returned. Sheryl handed her prize to him and said, "Daddy, look how

    awesome I am!"

    "Really awesome." Shane picked her up and carried her on his shoulder.

    "Wow, I''m flying."

    Sheryl''s innocent look made Raina very envious. She also had such an unrestrained childhood. At

    that time, her father was even better than Shane.

    But after her father passed away, she became a pitiful person whose family couldn''t even stand her.

    Theodore was enjoying all the fame and wealth she had brought, but he couldn''t let go of Agnes at

    the same time.

    Raina''s heart was filled withplications.

    The movie was pretty good.

    Sheryl and Raina liked it very much. It was too bad that Mrs. Fuller Senior did note.

    "Daddy, I won''t go back with you. I want to stay with Great-grandmother." Sheryl raised her head to

    look at Charlotte, "Mommy, can I?"

    "Alright, it just so happens that your recent lessons have ended. I''ll just treat it as a holiday for you."

    Charlotte smiled as she patted Sheryl''s head.

    "Mommy''s so great!"

    Sheryl left with Raina.

    Raina held Sheryl''s hand, but her heart still felt ufortable.

    Was this child really Shane''s?

    She couldn''t help saying, "Um, Sheryl, do you know who your father is?" "It''s Daddy," Sheryl

    answered without thinking.

    "Did they tell you?"

    Sheryl nodded.

    Raina waspletely relieved.

    A child wouldn''t lie. Moreover, Raina had always been by Charlotte''s side, which meant that

    Charlotte didn''t have the chance to speak to the child.

    If they were able to tell the child the truth, it proved that it was true.

    Sheryl followed Raina around, but all the muscles in her body were stiff.

    When she had just arrived at the old mansion today, her great-grandmother told her that if Raina

    asked her who her father was, she would tell her it was Daddy.

    That was what her Great-grandma had told her-

    "Do you want your mother to be with Shane?"

    Sheryl nodded.

    "Then you have to call me Grandma first."

    Sheryl suddenly understood.

    However, she did not expect Raina to really ask this question.

    Sheryl suddenly felt a little scared.

    Why was it that her Daddy and Mommy had to receive the permission of others before they could

    be together?

    Wasn''t it their business?

    The car drove toward home.

    Shane entered the study alone.

    Charlotte went to the kitchen and made some coffee. She knocked on the door and called him, but

    he didn''t open the door.

    She could only put the coffee in a noticeable ce and went back to the bedroom to take a shower.

    After showering, Charlotte felt a little sleepy, but she couldn''t sleep. For the past few days, Shane

    had been sleeping beside her.

    Although most of the time, both of them were rather busy, and usually she had already fallen asleep

    when he returned, but she could still feel his body warmth. Now...

    Actually, she was not used to it.

    Charlotte stood up and put on her robe. She went to the study and knocked on the door.

    Shane still didn''t open the door. This time she opened the door. He hadn''t locked the door again.

    Charlotte immediately walked in.

    The study had a small balcony.

    At that moment, Shane was standing by the balcony railing and looking into the distance.

    Without turning on the light, he was shrouded in darkness like a shadow. His silhouette was

    unspeakably lonely.

    By his hand, there was a wine ss with ice cubes and a bottle of almost-full wine.

    "Shane..."

    Charlotte called out to him softly.

    Shane didn''t answer.

    She walked to him silently and asked, "Do you want to go back to the bedroom to rest?"

    Shane turned around and looked at her.

    His gaze terrified her to the point that she could not speak. It was like a bottomless sea.

    "You and Rick, have you ever loved each other?"

    Upon hearing that, Charlotte was dumbfounded.

    She thought he was worried about Christopher, but why did he ask about her and Rick?

    She shook her head.

    Rick respected her very much, but she could not fall in love with Rick, so the two of them had not

    even flirted with each other, let alone fell in love with each other.

    "My family has made me very insecure," Shane said.

    "So, you care about whether your other half is loyal to you or not?"

    "That''s right."

    "If I said that Rick and I loved each other, would you still keep me by your side?"

    Charlotte was looking forward to Shane''s reply.

    Shane frowned. "I won''t."

    "But you''re keeping me by your side before you know the truth."

    "This is the reason why I am unable to reconcile with myself."

    "I thought you were worrying about Christopher." Charlotte tried to change the topic.

    What about Christopher?

    Shane rubbed the space between his eyebrows.

    "No one can change what I''ve decided on."

    "Have you made up your mind to make NC Company and Christopher pay the price? But what

    about the employees?"

    "Bad luck."

    "You''re really heartless."

    Charlotte was pulled into Shane''s arms as soon as she finished her words.

    He bit hard on her lips, and the smell of blood instantly spread from his mouth to hers.

    She could see the moon through his eyes.

    "Who do you think is not cruel? Is it Rick, Christopher, or Avery?"

    His behavior was probably out of jealousy, wasn''t it?

    Charlotte couldn''t help but feel helpless. After all, she had spent some time by Rick''s side. However,

    she didn''t have much contact with Christopher after she left her position, let alone Avery, who

    seemed to be abnormal.

    "They are all cruel. All capitalists are vampires." She could only answer like this.

    "Do you think I''m the same as them?"

    "You are not the same."

    Charlotte acted as if she was facing a formidable enemy.

    Could anyone tell her what had happened to Shane?

    This question was impossible!

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254

    "What''s the difference?" Shane pressed forward step by step. The moonlight shone on him, making

    him look particrly dark.

    "What do you think?" Charlotte retorted, "At least, from my daughter''s point of view, you are very

    special."

    "If the person from back then wasn''t me, would I be very special as well?"

    "Mr. Fuller, you''re so smart and wise. You''re definitely able to understand that the person from back

    then couldn''t be anyone else, so you''re special. The only thing that can change is the result, not the

    process," Charlotte replied as if it was a matter of course.

    Thank God she had been watching a TV series about time travel recently.

    In theory, even if there were countless kinds of results when you went from A to B, the process was

    always the same. In short, no matter how it changed the past, there would be a future.

    Therefore, even if they went back to the beginning, what changed was the result of the future, not

    the past.

    Shane, on the other hand, was amused by

    Charlotte''s serious expression. He chuckled, turned around, and stopped looking at her.

    "Did I say something wrong?" Charlotte thought that he was angry.

    "No."

    "Then..."

    "Go to sleep."

    "What about you?" she asked.

    Shane turned around and put his arm around her shoulder. "Let''s go together."

    Charlotte''s ears felt warm, and she followed him out with some reservations.

    Her heart was almost jumping out of her chest.

    Tiffany admitted that she wanted to kill Charlotte.

    Even the bestwyer could not refute it. After all, the defendant admitted it herself.

    She was arrested, sentenced, and sent to prison.

    This process was so smooth that even Charlotte did not have time to ept it.

    When Tiffany was taken to the police station to settle everything, Charlotte felt uneasy in her heart,

    so she asked to see Tiffany.

    Shane didn''t want her to go, but Charlotte was very determined in her demand, so he had to ask

    someone to take her.

    There was only a ss te between them.

    "Why would you admit to it?" Charlotte asked as she looked at Tiffany.

    "Hey, do you think I want toe here? I didn''t have any choice. So what if I stay free? I''m still

    treated like a pet dog. Charlotte, do you know how much I envy you?" Tiffany sneered.

    Envy her?

    Charlotte smiled bitterly, "Are you jealous that my parents have died, or are you jealous that I still

    lost my reputation even after climbing up to this point?"

    "Do you care about that? As long as Shane is by your side, these pasts are just a test to you. God

    has already given you the bestpensation."

    "Suffering is always suffering. Just because it ends well doesn''t mean it never happened."

    "Anyway, I don''t have the chance to live well anymore. Let me tell you, I am not worthy of Shane.

    I''m addicted to drugs. If I don''t take them, I will suffer worse every day," Tiffany said as she reached

    out her hand.

    The dense red rashes were like red beans sticking on the surface of Tiffany''s skin. Charlotte''s scalp

    suddenly felt numb and her whole body felt ufortable.

    Tiffany withdrew her hand, touched her pocket, and found some gum and stuffed it into her mouth.

    At that moment, she was no longer a star that everyone in the entertainment industry envied. Her

    simple and sweet appearance was gone forever. She was so dispirited that it made people feel that

    her life had no meaning.

    "Why is it like this? Didn''t Shane protect you?" Charlotte found it hard to imagine.

    "Do you think that this industry is so easy to be in? No matter how powerful Shane is, does he dare

    to mess with the entertainment industry? You don''t know even who is behind it," Tiffany sneered.

    "Even so, as long as you didn''t tell him about your sister, and be obedient..."

    "It could have been like this, but now, you''ve appeared, Charlotte."

    Charlotte was stunned.

    Tiffany''s sneer was full of hatred. She felt that her gum had be the consistency of ss.

    "Charlotte, Shane kept me by his side for my sister''s sake, but why did he keep you by his side

    back then? It''s not your child, he just likes you! I''m just jealous that he likes you!"

    He just likes you.

    Later on, even when Tiffany spoke, Charlotte didn''t have the heart to try and understand and

    couldn''t think.

    There was only this simple sentence left in her mind.

    Did Shane like her?

    It was not that she didn''t think about it, but she didn''t dare to think about it.

    Beep! Beep!

    The car horn sounded.

    Charlotte snapped back to reality and raised her head to look at the source of the sound.

    Shane rolled down the window, revealing a superb side profile. "Get in the car."

    She nodded her head, ran to the car, opened the door, and sat in the back seat.

    In the driver''s seat, Cole looked at them through the rearview mirror and joked, "Miss Charlotte, Mr.

    Fuller hasn''t moved his gaze for a second. He has been staring at the door."

    "Cole," Shane said in a cold voice.

    "Miss Charlotte..."

    "You''ve been looking at the door waiting for me?" Charlotte asked curiously.

    Shane pursed his lips.

    Charlotte raised her eyebrows and said, "Thank you. I''m very happy."

    Cole saw this and started the car happily.

    Shane was very surprised. Charlotte had never expressed any request in such a straightforward

    manner. In the past, he had waited for her, but she never cared. Today, she had...

    At that moment, Charlotte quietly moved a little toward his position. The two people''s shoulders

    were touching. If there was a slight judder of the car, they would be caught off guard and hit each

    other.

    It was said in psychology that the safe distance between people was one or more meters away.

    Many people would fall in love with each other at the bar because the distance between them was

    shortened to no more than half a meter.

    And now, the distance between them was less than half a centimeter, much less half a meter.

    "What did Tiffany say to you?" Shane asked in a deep voice.

    If it weren''t for the person who told her something they shouldn''t have, she wouldn''t have changed

    at all.

    Charlotte looked at him and shook her head.

    "Do you think that you''re not affected by her words?" "I want to seek confirmation myself for what

    she said."

    "What did she say?"

    "It''s nothing. Let me..."

    Shane interrupted her in a deep voice, "Don''t believe a word she says. Don''t change your mind for

    her."

    Charlotte shouldn''t believe a word Tiffany said?

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    But Tiffany said that Shane liked Charlotte. Should Charlotte not believe that either?\

    For some reason, Charlotte''s heart ached. She nodded and said, "I understand. I won''t believe it."

    Whether she liked him, cared about him, or loved him, it couldn''t change the fact that it all belonged

    to Shane.

    She had thought that this would be the end of the matter.

    But it was beyond anyone''s expectation that Tiffany escaped on the way to prison!

    How could a harmless woman like her have escaped?

    Shane was naturally immediately suspicious of the Allen family. However, besides Heidi and Tiffany,

    the Allens also had an heir, Dominic. There was no need to get into trouble with thew for the sake

    of a murderous daughter.

    As the suspicion of the Allens was eliminated, this matter was even more confusing.

    Tiffany had no other social circle at all. Her friends could be counted with one hand.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    There was knocking on the office door.

    Charlotte raised her head wearily. At this point, whoever woulde to knock on her door was

    either Zoe or Peter.

    It seemed that she had more work to do.

    "Come in." She was so tired that even her voice was a little hoarse.

    "Ms. Emerson." The person who came in was Peter. "After we met Mr. Hart, we researched a new

    software tracking system at once. ording to the capital flow, we found that thergest investor in

    the Asia Pacific portion of the Jane Corporation is not Rick, but the Stevens family."

    "You said... the Stevens family?" Charlotte was stunned.

    Why would the Stevens family invest in the Jane Corporation?

    Could it be for Kendall?

    Although this thought was reasonable, if they really wanted to develop Kendall''s potential, it would

    be better to start anotherpany for Kendall.

    In other words.

    It was very likely that Kendall and Rick had developed a rtionship, so Kendall used the Stevens

    family to connect her to Rick. It could be regarded as an alternative marriage.

    Charlotte raised her hands and massaged the space between her eyebrows. "I''ll personally verify

    this matter with Avery. You should investigate Tiffany''s social circle right now."

    "Yes."

    "Also, investigate Heidi again. I want to know if she is dead or not."

    Charlotte sighed softly.

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255

    Heidi Allen.

    Peter knew this name. After the incident with Tiffany, he had investigated Tiffany in order to help

    Shane and Charlotte as much as possible. He never expected them to have solved the problem

    already. He only learned Heidi''s name through Tiffany.

    With his information, there was also a very simple resume. Her parents were both pianists and

    theirs could be regarded as an artsy family. She had died in an ident, but the details of the

    ident could not be found.

    "I''ll investigate it as soon as possible," Peter answered.

    "Sorry to trouble you."

    "However, there is something that I''m not sure if I should mention."

    Charlotte burst intoughter. "You''re my employee, but you''re also my friend. Just say it."

    "I know that Heidi has a close rtionship with Mr. Fuller. If you ask me to investigate her, I''m afraid

    that if Mr. Fuller knows, he will..." Peter didn''t continue.

    No matter what, it was still Charlotte who would make the final decision. He only told her his

    concerns.

    Charlotte fell silent. It wasn''t that she hadn''t considered this issue before. It was just that she was

    more worried about Sheryl.

    "I just want to know if she is alive or dead. If she is dead, then there is no need to worry. If she is

    alive... She is very important to Shane. If I can find her, it would also be good for Shane."

    "I understand. You want some reassurance."

    "Sort of. After all, I don''t know much about this matter. I don''t know why Shane is suddenly

    investigating this..."

    If Shane hadn''t said that Tiffany had killed Heidi, Charlotte wouldn''t have been worried about Heidi

    at all.

    She was...

    Charlotte massaged her temples.

    "If you really care so much, why don''t you ask Mr. Fuller yourself?" Peter asked again.

    "I think it''s because I want to know the answer, but I''m also afraid of getting the answer. Peter, how

    about you just follow up on the Stevens family. I''ll ask Shane about Heidi myself."

    Peter nodded and smiled. "Okay."

    Actually, Peter was right. Instead of letting Shane know that she was investigating him behind his

    back, it was better to ask him outright from the beginning.

    Late at night.

    Charlotte returned home.

    There were some packages on the dining table. When she walked to the dining table, she smelled

    the aroma of food.

    When she opened the boxes, she found several dishes, including the stir-fried shrimp and crispy

    pork that she liked.

    Charlotte brought the boxes to the kitchen to warm up the food. After setting the timer, she walked

    over to the study and lightly knocked on the door.

    There was no response from within.

    Was Shane not in the study?

    Charlotte was confused as she left the study and returned to the kitchen.

    The open kitchen had tables, chairs, and a huge marble dining table in the kitchen, which could

    meet the needs of eating and looking at documents at the same time.

    Charlotte didn''t wait for Shane to eat. After

    Charlotte finished eating her meal and reading her documents, she took out her phone and sent

    Shane a message.

    Charlotte: Aren''t you at home?

    Several minutester, the door of the study opened.

    Shane, wearing a wireless Bluetooth headset, went to the living room, put a stack of files in front of

    her and said, "My people found out that Peter is looking for information on the Stevens family.

    These could be useful to you."

    As she looked at the documents in front of her, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat.

    How could Shane know about Peter''s investigation? Did that mean that what Peter had said before

    was a warning to her?

    Charlotte took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "Thank you."

    "Why are you looking for me?" Shane thought that Charlotte must have another reason for looking

    for him since he saw that she had finished her meal but was still thinking about finding him.

    "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you were home since I thought you were but I didn''t see you,"

    exined Charlotte.

    "Are you sure?" "Um, well. There is one thing. It''s about Hei..."

    "Do you have time on Saturday?"

    Charlotte''s words didn''t leave her mouth. She nodded her head and said, "I''m pretty free

    nowadays."

    Shane took out a ticket from his pocket like he was doing a magic trick. He handed it to her.

    The time and ce were both printed on the ticket. But was there only one?

    Charlotte took it with suspicion. "It''s for me only?"

    "That''s right."

    She wanted to ask more about it, but it seemed that Shane didn''t want to answer anymore, so she

    could only keep silent.

    Saturday.

    It was only a few days away. She would find out when the time came.

    The ticket said that it was for a musical.

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    In addition, the location was a well-known church. Charlotte felt that she probably had to dress up to

    attend the event. Or, if not, she couldn''t just wear a T-shirt and joggers.

    Thus, after work on Friday, Charlotte made an appointment with Zoe to go shopping.

    "The situation with the Stevens family is quiteplicated. I heard that they also have a son named

    Caleb. He is very interested in Anne." Zoe reported her findings to Charlotte even as she was

    picking out clothes.

    "What does Anne think about this?"

    "Of course she rejected him," Zoe said with a smile, "Rnd is a well-known yboy."

    "That''s good. Braden can get very jealous."

    "Now that you mention it, Braden was a yboy too. The Stevens family is better than the Collins

    family too. I don''t know what Anne is thinking."

    Zoe did not know Anne so well, so she spoke vaguely.

    Charlotte was interested in a gown she found. She took the dress off the clothes rack and held it up

    against herself. She shook her head helplessly and said, "Anne is used to doing whatever she

    wants. With her brother Rick around, she can make as many mistakes as she wants."

    "You''re right."

    "What about you? What are your thoughts? It looks like Peter..." Charlotte didn''t continue.

    "He''s younger than me."

    "Him being younger than you is nice. He can take care of you when you get old."

    Zoe shook her head. "Guys mature slower than girls. I don''t want to be taking care of a kid."

    Charlotte didn''t say much. After all, Zoe and Irena had an unexined rtionship. If she said yes

    to Peter, but was interested in Avery, that would be terrible.

    Soon, Charlotte picked out a dress. Zoe also chose two simr dresses.

    The store was a famous brand that had exorbitant prices. Zoe picked up the bill and asked, "Can

    you pay for it?"

    "Of course, I''ll pay for it all."

    "It''s so great to be a boss."

    "Do your best. You might be a boss yourselfter."

    "No, I don''t want to be the second Christopher."

    At the mention of Christopher, the atmosphere between the two of them suddenly became grim.

    Whenever Christopher was brought up, it made them both feel ufortable.

    Under his leadership, NC Company was getting worse and worse. Although this kind of big

    company seemed to have a bright future, it could also copse very quickly.

    It was possible that it would be bankrupt in a few months.

    "I really can''t figure out Mr. Fuller. NC Company is his life''s work..." Zoe stood next to the entrance

    to the subway station with her bags.

    "He did it for me as well as for himself. Let''s wait and see what happens next."

    Zoe nodded. "Then I''ll leave now."

    "Let me send you home."

    "The traffic in River City is terrible. Don''t..." Zoe saw a familiar figure running over before her voice

    died away.

    When he was not wearing a suit, he was full of vitality. He was young and energetic. Even if he

    looked ordinary, he still attracted people to him.

    It was Peter.

    Speak of the devil.

    "Looks like someone''s here to take you home," Charlotte teased.

    "Ms. Emerson." Zoe was annoyed.

    "Ms. Emerson, Ms. Watson, I saw you shopping when I was buying someputer stuff. What a

    coincidence." Peter frowned. "Can I treat you two to dinner?"

    "Shane is already at home waiting. I have to go home for dinner." Charlotte gave an excuse and

    rushed off.

    She escaped as quickly as the wind blew.

    Zoe was speechless. "This Charlotte..." "I think it''s good for Ms. Emerson to be like this.

    She''s a straightforward person when ites to work, and she''s the same way outside of work,"

    Peter said.

    "I also have food at my house, so..."

    "Can Ie to your house for a free meal? I''m really hungry."

    Peter cracked a smile.

    He had cute canine teeth.

    Peter scratched the back of his head, showing his canine teeth. His eyes were narrowed as he

    smiled.

    He was like a breath of fresh air.

    Zoe couldn''t react for a moment.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256

    "Can I, please?" Peter reached out and held onto her shopping bag. "I''ll wash the dishes for you. I

    heard Ms. Emerson say that your housekeeper went back to her hometown to visit her family. I can

    also help clean the house. I..."

    "Stop it. Let''s just eat. You don''t need to do anything else. Let''s go."

    "Great. It''s so kind of you, Miss Watson. I really love you."

    Zoe stopped and looked at him carefully. "Don''t like me, and don''t love me. Please."

    Peter was a little hurt. His eyes widened and he sighed. "I don''t want to love you either. How about I

    say something I like about you, and then you can change?"

    Zoe frowned. What tricks is this guy ying?

    On the way, he told Zoe what he liked about her. He did not praise her the whole time. He did not

    even mention Zoe''s appearance. All he mentioned had to do with her lifestyle or work ethic.

    Zoe couldn''t bear it anymore. "You said that you haven''t dated before? It doesn''t look like it." "When

    you meet someone you like, you will learn without being taught," Peter answered easily.

    "So, you learned all this without being taught once you met me?"

    "Well, that''s not true. I went on the Inte to look for some techniques and so on. Additionally, I

    studied psychology and behavioral science, so..." Peter blinked at her.

    Alright.

    He was a psychology student.

    It was really impossible for anyone to survive if they didn''t study some psychology in this world.

    It was just that she didn''t care whether Peter would give up or not or what he had learned. She was

    only affected by the way he smiled.

    When he smiled, that feeling of vigorous vitality made her unable to look away.

    It was the same as when she looked at another smile.

    Trapped in the abyss, she could not refuse the light that came from another world.

    Charlotte had casually said that Shane was at home, but in fact, he wouldn''t be there at this hour at

    all.

    And yet.

    As soon as she got home, she saw Shane standing in the kitchen. Sheryl was there too, helping

    him peel garlic.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior and Raina were sitting in the living room. The two of them didn''t say anything as

    they watched the TV in silence.

    "Shane..." Charlotte was shocked by what she saw in front of her.

    If she had known about this, she would have rather been Zoe and Peter''s third wheel.

    "You haven''t seen Sheryl in a long time. I know you miss her, so I brought her here." Shane put his

    long finger on the knife and calmly cut the vegetables.

    "Then Grandma and Mom..."

    Mom?

    Shane looked at her meaningfully. "Is that what you call her now?"

    Charlotte was embarrassed and said, "Don''t make fun of me. I know you mean well bringing Sheryl

    here, but what about them? Are they here together for something?"

    "Yes, Christopher Gibson."

    "Should I tell them that I have 35% of the shares, and that''s why..."

    "Don''t tell them." "Christopher knows about those shares," Charlotte

    said.

    Shane nodded. "I know she knows."

    Charlotte didn''t know what Shane was up to. She lowered her head dejectedly and said, "Forget it, I

    can''t help you out anyway. I don''t even have the right to know what you''re thinking. At least tell me if

    you still want NC Company."

    "I''ve said before that I don''t want NC Company.

    You never believed me."

    "Are you sure you don''t want it?"

    "Yes. Keep your stock, and wait for Anne and Braden to get married."

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    Charlotte was stunned.

    Only then did she realize that Shane hadn''t made his move yet.

    That was right. He had always been the one with the most foresight and ideas. It was only because

    she was worried about him that she racked her brain for this matter.

    After she spoke with Shane, Charlotte didn''t want to interact with Raina and Mrs. Fuller Senior

    anymore.

    After they had dinner together, the two of them left with Sheryl.

    Before she left, Sheryl kissed Shane''s and Charlotte''s faces. She said childishly, "Daddy,

    Mommy, you have to have another baby soon."

    As soon as she finished speaking, she ran over and grabbed Mrs. Fuller Senior''s hand, leaving

    Charlotte alone in a state of chaos.

    After a long while, Charlotte raised her hand and closed the door. She went to Shane in disbelief

    and asked, "Did you teach her to say that?"

    "It''s grandmother for sure," Shane said helplessly.

    "Don''t tell me she wants me to give birth to a son for you..." Charlotte was a little fearful.

    Shane was making coffee, but when he heard this, he stopped and asked, "Give birth to a son for

    me?"

    "Isn''t that the case?"

    "A child, for me?"

    For a moment, Charlotte did not understand what he was concerned about. With a nk look on

    her face, she asked, "What else?"

    Shane pursed his lips and continued to operate the coffee machine.

    When Shane didn''t speak, Charlotte panicked. She reached out her hand to grab his arm. "Shane,

    don''t keep quiet. I don''t understand what you mean."

    "Will the child only be mine, not yours too?" He took her hand away. "Do you think that you got

    Sheryl only because I forced you?"

    Charlotte was stunned.

    She really never thought about this before.

    But, back then, hadn''t she been forced?

    If it weren''t for the danger at that time, she wouldn''t have...

    "Back then, I didn''t know what happened."

    "What about now?"

    Shane''s deep eyes were fixed on her.

    Ticktock.

    The only sound left in the living room was the ticking of the clock.

    Charlotte bit her lip and shook her head. "I don''t want to have another child."

    "Do you not want another child, or do you not want to give birth?"

    "I don''t want to give birth."

    Shane nodded and continued to make coffee. His face still seemed calm, and his eyes were

    focused indifferently on the cup of coffee.

    Late at night.

    Shane was in the study while Charlotte was sitting alone in the living room.

    She had yawned more than a dozen times in a row, and she obviously couldn''t hold on any longer.

    Squeak��

    Shane came out to get coffee.

    Charlotte didn''t hear anything. She put her head in her hands and continued to yawn.

    "Why don''t you go to sleep?" Shane noticed that she was still in the living room and asked.

    Charlotte rubbed her head and looked at the wall with empty eyes. She was in a very confused

    state and didn''t hear Shane''s words at all.

    Shane brought her a cup of coffee, spread open his palm and waved it in front of her.

    Only then did Charlotte return to her senses. She smiled at him and then continued to rub her head.

    "I''m so sleepy."

    He pursed his lips.

    "But I can''t sleep at all. I still can''t figure out why you were angry before."

    "I''m not angry."

    "But your face looks angry."

    Shane put the coffee mug on the tea table and sat next to her.

    He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him. "What''s our rtionship?"

    "Husband, husband and wife...?" Charlotte was a little uncertain.

    Theoretically, they should be husband and wife.

    After all, she had promised him that she would marry him as long as he would donate his bone

    marrow to Sheryl.

    "There must be feelings between a married couple, and having a child is just a continuation of that

    love. So, when you said you are having a child for me, it shows contempt toward my love."

    Contempt toward his love.

    He was clearly concerned about the fact that she would not give birth to a child for him, but the

    matter turned out to be veryplicated and beyond her.

    Charlotte rubbed her temples. "But Shane, do you have any feelings for me?"

    For a moment.

    There was a dead silence.

    "You''re really contemptuous toward my love."

    Shane got up as soon as he said that, and then he turned around and entered the study.

    Bang-

    Charlotte still couldn''t figure out what she had said wrong.

    When she thought about going out to the event tomorrow, Charlotte nced at the clock. It seemed

    that she couldn''t continue waiting for Shane toe out. She had to sleep.

    She didn''t know if she would see Shane at the event tomorrow.

    Maybe he would just sit next to her just to not blow her off.

    Withplicated emotions in her heart, Charlotte fell asleep.

    The next day.

    By the time Charlotte got up, it was already past eight o''clock. The musical started at 10:30. She

    didn''t have much time left.

    She hurriedly put on make-up and changed her clothes. Just as she was about to go out, she

    caught an idental glimpse of a Post-It on the shoe rack.

    The handwriting on it was charismatically flourished. It seemed like Shane''s.

    "Don''t eat breakfast."

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth twitched.

    Although she really didn''t have time to have breakfast, what did he mean by asking her to skip

    breakfast?

    What on earth was he doing?

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257

    Charlotte arrived at the event venue and parked the car. She didn''t see anyone there.

    Why was it empty?

    On the way to the door, she did not see a single person.

    "Strange, isn''t anyone here for the musical?" Charlotte muttered as she walked inside.

    ording to the writing on the ticket, she went to the right hall.

    Cole had been waiting there for a long time. He smiled and handed some breakfast to Charlotte.

    "This is the breakfast that Mr. Fuller prepared for you."

    It was her favorite ham and egg sandwich and a ss of some Barker''s lemon coffee.

    Charlotte took it and said, "Thank you, but why is there no one here?"

    "About that, Mr. Fuller said you''ll find out after you go in."

    She''d find out after she goes in?

    Had Shane prepared a surprise for her?

    Charlotte walked into the hall with breakfast in her

    hands.

    There was still no one inside. The seats and stage were empty, and even the lights had not been

    turned on. Only some weak lights led her to one of the seats. It was barely enough for her to walk

    without tripping over something.

    Charlotte walked towards her seat. Only after she sat down did she realize that there were roses on

    both the seats next to her.

    Would Shane do such a romantic thing?

    Sheughed and put the coffee cup into the seat''s cupholder.

    After she waited for several minutes, the lights from before were also turned off.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    In the pitch-ck space, there was only the sound of her own heartbeat. Charlotte was a little

    nervous. She had a vague idea of what Shane was going to do.

    Suddenly.

    Countless lights on the stage lit up in an instant and focused in the center.

    The curtains went up to reveal a man in a tuxedo sitting in front of the piano. He opened the cover

    elegantly, took off the cloth on the piano keys, and put his long fingers on the ck and white keys.

    Melodious music sounded.

    Charlotte''s eyes turned red as she looked at the person on the stage. She raised her hand to rub

    her eyes, but the more she rubbed her eyes, the more tears came out because of stimtion.

    Her breakfast was put aside. She only had eyes for the man on the stage.

    Indeed, Shane was amazing at ying the piano. She imagined that he was like a prince in a fairy

    tale.

    All the movements were just right, and there was a sense of pride in him, but the sound of the piano

    was soft. From time to time, he looked up at a certain point in the air in front of him, as if he was

    looking at someone amidst the piano''s music.

    However, there was no sadness in his ying. Instead, it was extremely sweet.

    After the song ended, Shane got up and stood on the stage, looking at his special audience.

    "This is my answer," he said.

    Charlotte knew that she didn''t hear what he said clearly. She put down the sandwich and ran

    towards him. But when she reached the bottom of the stage, she didn''t have the courage to get up

    and hug him, to share with him her excitement and thoughts.

    Shane was on stage while Charlotte stood below it. The stage was like an entire gxy between

    them.

    Shane suddenly bent down and gave her his hand. Charlotte hesitated and didn''t hold onto it.

    "Shane, congrattions on letting go of the past," she said.

    Shane frowned slightly.

    Charlotte sniffed and revealed a smiling face. "I was wondering before if you re- examined the

    incident back then because... It looks like I''m too sensitive. I should apologize to you."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "I''m fine. It''s just that my emotions are a little messy right now," Charlotte said, her eyes turning red

    again.

    This time, she did not use her hand to rub her eyes. Instead, she forcefully suppressed the stinging

    and the tears in her eyes, forcing herself to smile.

    Shane thought she would be very excited or moved, but she wasn''t. Her response was like that of a

    child from an orphanage who was taken back to his new home. She was a mess.

    Shane jumped off the stage and held her in his arms. "Don''t think too much. You deserve all of this."

    "I don''t deserve you being so nice to me," she said in a choked voice.

    "You do." He pressed his lips lightly against her ear. "Charlotte, I want you to be like me, to give up

    the past and face the future bravely. Even if it''s just for the sake of Sheryl, we have to be together."

    "But I have nothing. Your family background and your... hmm..."

    He stopped her words with a kiss.

    He would slowly take care of the Fuller family''s affairs.

    But he couldn''t slow down when it came to her.

    He couldn''t wait to add her officially into the family and announce to the world that she was his.

    After the kiss ended, Charlotte, who had been lost in her emotions, finally came to her senses.

    "Shane, you look much more handsome than usual when you y the piano." Charlotte was even

    in the mood to joke with Shane.

    "I''m not usually handsome?"

    "Of course not. You''re usually handsome, but now you''re more handsome than usual."

    "How handsome?"

    "Just. Some girls are so beautiful that their beauty should be hidden from the world. But you look so

    handsome that it should be shared with the

    world."

    Charlotte racked her brains to praise him.

    She always felt that these words sounded strange. They sounded particrly childish and stupid.

    Shane''s thin lips curled and heughed. He pointed at her forehead and said, "Have you finished

    eating breakfast?"

    "Not yet."

    "Go and eat, and I''ll y another song for you?"

    Charlotte''s eyes lit up. She thought it would be hard to even get to hear one song, but Shane was

    still willing to y.

    She nodded immediately. "Then I''ll go and eat now."

    Charlotte was in such a hurry that she stumbled and almost fell.

    Shane reached out and held her. He had a worried look on his face. "Don''t wear such a long dress

    next time."

    "Alright," she replied obediently.

    Only after Charlotte returned to her seat did Shane step onto the stage once more. If the music from

    before had been elegant and ssy, then this current song sounded casual and rxing.

    She was so happy as she ate breakfast while listening to the music.

    Charlotte chewed her sandwich and drank her coffee.

    Soon, she finished eating the sandwich, and Shane''s music came to an abrupt end. He walked

    slowly to her side and sat down.

    The piano on the stage seemed a little lonely.

    "Shane, I''ve be more familiar with thepany''s matters." Charlotte suddenly opened her

    mouth to speak.

    "Yes?"

    "You can y the piano in the future. You can go out and win awards. I can take care of the

    company." Charlotte leaned to one side and looked at him.

    Shane didn''t look at her.

    His eyes were on the piano.

    The piano had been left behind by his teacher. It was something left behind by Tiffany and Heidi''s

    mother.

    His teacher was a very, very gentle woman. Apart from ying the piano, she even made pianos.

    The piano in front of him looked simple, but in fact, even the paint was personally done by his

    teacher.

    He spent a lot of money to get someone to buy this piano from Vienna just to say goodbye to the

    past.

    Now.

    he had already bid it farewell. He had a daughter, and he had a wife he was about to marry. He did

    not have to continue ying the piano.

    "When you y the piano, there''s a light in your eyes." Charlotte looked at his exquisite chin and

    said softly, "I can''t tell what that light is, but I know that you like it. Since you like it, why should you

    give it up?"

    "People have a lot of responsibilities and desires in this life, but people always suppress their own

    desires. It seems that the things they desire can only be liked and not had."

    "You don''t mind?" Shane asked back.

    Charlotteughed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Why should I mind?"

    "The past."

    "I did mind it before, but now that she''s gone, what else do I need to mind?"

    Shane never gave a definite answer.

    As she had said, he really liked ying the piano. He hadn''t touched the piano for many years, but

    he could still y the piano. It was enough to show that he hadn''t really abandoned ying the

    piano all these years.

    However, he still had a lot of bad memories tied to the piano.

    Shane suddenly stood up.

    Charlotte obediently stood up and gently grabbed his sleeve.

    "You really don''t want to consider my suggestion?"

    She really liked how he looked when he yed the piano.

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258

    "We''ll talk about itter." Shane didn''t give a definite answer.

    Charlotte didn''t mention it again.

    "Where do you want to go?"

    "Home? I still haven''t finished my work."

    "That sounds perfect."

    That Saturday afternoon and night were the same as the countless days in the past. Apart from

    reading files, Charlotte also went through learning materials.

    After Charlotte took off her dress and put on her pajamas, she became a veritable workaholic. As

    she looked at the information in a daze, she wondered how she, a particrlyzy person, had

    be more and more of a workaholic.

    Perhaps it was because Shane was a workaholic.

    Whenever she saw him, he was working. He was either reading files, attending a meeting, or

    socializing with clients.

    By eight o''clock in the evening, Charlotte couldn''t help yawning. She dragged herself to the kitchen

    to make coffee. Shane also came out with his coffee cup.

    The two looked into each other''s eyes, but Charlotte looked away with some embarrassment, "Do

    you want some coffee too? Let me make you some."

    "Thanks." He put the coffee cup on the table. "I noticed that you are investigating the Stevens

    family."

    "Yes, but a lot of information is too hard to obtain, so I went to see Avery. He went abroad to search

    for information today, and I will go see him when hees back the day after tomorrow."

    "Let''s go together?"

    "Sure, if you have time. Avery didn''t sound very happy. It seems that he has a conflict with the

    Stevens family. Do you know about this?"

    Shane shook his head. He did not know Avery very well.

    Charlotte picked up the coffee pot and poured the coffee into Shane''s cup. The coffee was

    steaming, and the air warmed a little.

    "I never heard him saying anything about it before. I''ll ask him about it when hees back."

    "Alright." Shane picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip, but he did not leave.

    For some reason, Charlotte was rather fond of the current atmosphere. She did not bring the coffee

    away with her. Instead, she sat in front of him and looked at him with her head propped up. She

    really had to admit that he was really good-looking and he was just her type.

    Shane could sense that she was looking at him. He didn''t say a word, but allowed her to do so.

    Until Charlotte''s phone rang.

    Shane lifted his head and nced at her.

    She looked away and put on a charming smile. "Sorry, I need to take this."

    Shane watched her duck into a corner to answer the phone.

    From the way she spoke, it sounded like the call was from Peter.

    "What? Are you saying that the Stevens family only went abroad a few years ago?" Charlotte raised

    her voice an octave higher. "Then why did they leave River City? Why does no one know about

    this?"

    The Stevens family had stayed in River City?

    Peter lowered his head and scanned through his files. He bit his lip and said, "Ms. Emerson, I don''t

    know either, but now I can conclude that the Stevens family and the Jane family have a marriage

    pact. It''s a mess in the country now."

    "What''s going on at NC Company now?" "Um, I don''t think you need to worry about NC

    Company. It''s only that Tiffany''s current whereabouts are unknown. That very likely has something

    to do with Christopher. I''m still investigating, but I may need to wait for Mr. Hart toe back."

    "Thank you for your hard work."

    The call ended.

    Charlotte returned to the kitchen counter with some anxiety. She propped up her head and leaned

    against the cab. As she watched the handsome and carefree man in front of her, she suddenly

    envied him very much.

    "I want to be like you, able to see through everything at a nce."

    "I can''t see through everything."

    "You can. You and Rick have figured out each other''s thoughts."

    Rick?

    Shane looked at the coffee and said in a cool and gentle voice, "I''m just familiar with him."

    "Familiar? But you haven''t met each other before."

    "He knows me because some of his people have investigated me. From my habits, he can infer my

    possible reactions. It''s the same with my past."

    "So that''s to say that you don''t know each other. You''re just yers in the same game, right?"

    Charlotte could not ept this statement. After all, in her mind, these two people were very

    powerful. They were powerful not simply because they were rich.

    However, Shane''s words clearly showed that he and Rick were the same-they were just rich.

    "That''s right."

    "I don''t believe it. You''re both obviously very smart."

    "Problems that can be solved with money are not problems. Even problems that cannot be solved

    with money can be solved when you have money."

    Charlotte pursed her lips.

    Shane put down the coffee mug and said, "Has your opinion of me been ruined?"

    Charlotte thought about it and nodded her head.

    "In your mind, Rick and I are very capable?"

    "Not just you guys, Avery is also very capable."

    "Are you capable?" Shane asked calmly.

    This.

    Charlotte shook her head.

    "But you now know Kendall very well, as well as the Stevens and the Emersons. After you take

    control of thepany, the sources you obtained too. In other words, the difference between us

    both is the umtion of knowledge."

    "Money can solve everything?" Charlotte still couldn''t ept this logic.

    "Yes."

    Shane returned to the study with his coffee in hand.

    Charlotte sat alone in the kitchen and stared at her phone in a daze.

    She thought about it for a while. Shane''s words made sense, but seemed to ignore one

    prerequisite.

    In River City, there were a lot of rich kids like Rick. But there were yboys,yabouts, and people

    like Kendall who didn''t need to rely on their brains but their tricks to make a living.

    However, she could notpletely deny that money was useless.

    In the face of a problem that couldn''t be solved, the best solution was to think about itter.

    Charlotte decided to deal with her work first.

    However, as soon as she sat down in front of theputer, she saw a notification that she had a

    new email. It was from Peter. She clicked it open and was instantly stunned. The coffee cup slipped

    from her fingertips.

    tter!

    The coffee cup shattered and the coffee spilled all over theputer, but she did not care about it.

    She continued to stare at the dark screen.

    When Shane heard the sound, he rushed out of the study. He only saw her dumbfounded when he

    arrived at the living room.

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    "What''s going on?"

    Charlotte still did not react to Shane''s questioning.

    It was a coincidence.

    What a coincidence.

    Early in the morning.

    Avery''s nended.

    The air in River City was as fresh as ever. Maybe it was because there were so many fields at the

    airport. The smell of grass filled his nostrils.

    In the distance, car lights shed, and a woman in a ck business suit was leaning against the

    door.

    Avery rubbed his red eyes and smiled charmingly, "Why did she ask you to pick me up?"

    "I don''t know." The woman came over.

    "Zoe, is Charlotte at home, or is she at the office?" "She''s at home, with Shane." Zoe handed a

    document to him as she answered.

    Avery took the document and handed her his own. The two of them both worked while at the

    deste airport.

    The flickering lights in the distance were just enough to let them read the words clearly.

    "It''s more or less the same as what I''ve found."

    "Alright, you can verify the rest with Ms. Emerson tomorrow. She has something very important to

    tell you in person."

    "Really? But if it''s so important, can she wait another night? It''s really nerve-wracking. Is it a

    surprise?" Avery said with a gentle smile.

    Zoe admired his smile. She thought that she couldn''t smile in such a flirtatious way.

    "Can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

    "No, but do you need me to drive you anywhere?"

    "No, it''s fine as long as you get the documents. I have a car at the airport."

    Zoe nodded and turned to sit in the car.

    Avery watched her drive away. He touched the corner of his mouth with his long fingers, but the look

    in his eyes was a little cold.

    Based on Charlotte''s character, she would definitely be impatient to share the information with him.

    This was also what she did, so she asked Zoe to meet him at the airport as soon as he arrived. So,

    what could have happened to make her change her and keep something from him?

    Who was involved?

    In a car already far away from the airport.

    As Peter handled the steering wheel, he nced at Zoe''s face. He could tell that Zoe was in a low

    mood, so he held her hand.

    Zoe came to her senses and reproached coldly, "Keep your hands on the wheel."

    "I''m driving safely." Peter looked at the road again. "Do you understand what Ms. Emerson and I

    did?"

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259

    Zoe sighed. She took out a pocket mirror from her bag and looked at her frowning self in it. She had

    to admit that she really couldn''t understand what Charlotte and Peter were thinking.

    "I won''t lie to you. I really don''t understand, so..."

    "I thought you understood when you asked him if he wanted a ride." Peter heartlessly made fun of

    his crush. "I didn''t expect your IQ to be so low."

    Zoe was not angry. She just said, "I''m willing to hear your detailed exnation."

    Her reaction made Peter have a better impression of her. Zoe was not incapable. How could she be

    if she was Shane''s secretary? She was always calm and kept a low profile.

    Peter liked this character of hers.

    He cleared his throat and said, "ording to Ms. Emerson''s style and habit from before, she

    wanted you to meet Avery and exchange information as soon as possible for the sake of efficiency.

    This is also the way Mr. Fuller works. This way, she can achieve the highest efficiency. Besides, she

    has a good rtionship with Avery, so she doesn''t have to worry about being impolite."

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Zoe nodded, because she understood this part.

    "So based on this, Ms. Emerson asking you to convey that they have something more important to

    talk about tomorrow is very illogical. There must be a reason if something is abnormal. Avery will

    definitely guess that is true. Ms. Emerson''s purpose is to make him guess the truth."

    "Guess the truth?"

    "With one night as a buffer, Mr. Hart will not do irreparable damage impulsively." At a red light, Peter

    looked at Zoe beside him. "You are usually very smart, why are you so confused at such a critical

    moment?"

    "I really didn''t think too much about it." Zoe was impatient. She had been Shane''s secretary for so

    long. There was no way she didn''t understand such things.

    However, she didn''t expect that Charlotte would use this kind of method.

    "You think that Ms. Emerson is familiar enough with Mr. Hart that she doesn''t have to be so

    deliberate?"

    "Yes, that''s right."

    "It''s precisely because they''re too familiar with each other that they have to do this." "Why?" Zoe

    was puzzled.

    "Ms. Emerson knows Mr. Hart. She knows that he will definitely be impulsive, so she wants him to

    use tonight to think through what he can do and their consequences."

    Zoe finally understood.

    Charlotte''s thought processes were so meticulous.

    She originally thought that Charlotte wanted her to follow Peter because she wanted to y

    matchmaker and get them both together.

    It seemed that Zoe had been too judgemental.

    In fact, Charlotte was telling her that Peterplemented her. But at the same time, Peter might not

    be unsuitable for her.

    The next day.

    Charlotte got up, brushed her teeth, and walked out of the bedroom in a daze. She immediately saw

    Shane drinking tea in front of the French window.

    He was frowning and seemed to have something on his mind. He was not using his usual mug, but

    rather a very tasteful ss. Because there was ice in it, the tea had already cooled down.

    "I''m going to see Avery," Charlotte greeted him.

    Shane turned around and nodded at her.

    When she looked at him head-on, Shane looked even more downcast. Charlotte''s heartstrings

    pulled as she walked forward with a bit of worry, "Are you alright?"

    "I''m fine."

    "Then..."

    "You can go."

    Charlotte was still worried about Shane. On the way to the meeting with Avery, she asked Cole for

    information. He said that Raina went to see Christopher and was then driven out by him. Someone

    from the Fuller family hade forward to support Christopher and even invested in NC Company.

    As Charlotte listened, she could only feel angry. "But Shane started his own business back then!"

    "Miss Charlotte, you don''t understand. Mr. Fuller has been a genius since he was a child. In

    addition, he has a father like Theodore. He is the best in the entire family, in the main and other

    branches."

    "Therefore, those people have always hated him and thought that if it weren''t for him, they could

    have taken more of the Fuller Group''s funds. Mr. Fuller wanted to give up NC Company because he

    wanted to start another business andpletely break off from the Fuller family."

    "Why is that?" Charlotte asked.

    "He guessed that Christopher was sent by someone in Fuller family, but he didn''t expect that he

    was his brother..."

    Charlotte couldn''t help but feel sorry for Shane from the bottom of her heart.

    When she arrived at the ce, she was still in a daze. All she could think about was Shane''s

    gloomy expression.

    As Cole had said, he should have been favored.

    "Hello, why are you so absent- minded when meeting me?" Avery reached out his hand and waved

    it in front of her.

    "Sorry, before I came... Forget it, let''s not talk about me. I want to talk about the Stevens family with

    you. Of course, I''m not sure if it''s true or not. You need to investigate it yourself."

    Avery had already prepared himself. He picked up the teapot and poured tea for himself and

    Charlotte, "The flower tea here is good."

    "Kendall has an older brother called Caleb. He fell in love with your younger sister a few years ago,

    and their father Rnd fell in love with your girlfriend. They were brought to the Stevens residence,

    and then..."

    Charlotte didn''t finish her sentence.

    What else could happen when two women were taken to a stranger''s home?

    Avery''s expression changed. However, he only clenched his fists and continued smiling as he

    looked at Charlotte, "And then?"

    "They promised tomit suicide together. I don''t know why your girlfriend died but your sister

    didn''t. So the key to this matter lies with your sister."

    "She lost her memory, and now she is disabled. Her life has been ruined, and the key lies with her?"

    "Yes, with your younger sister''s rtionship with Caleb."

    Avery had thought of countless reasons why Charlotte hade looking for him.

    He had never expected this.

    He thought his heart was strong enough.

    He even thought that maybe Charlotte was trying to scare him. She wanted to tell him this matter

    should not be enough to bother him.

    Until this moment, he felt like a fool and a madman.

    Avery lifted the cup of tea with reddened eyes. But when the cup reached his lips, the drink in the

    cup was much reduced. His hands were trembling

    very much.

    "That''s not necessarily true, so I hope you can investigate it some more. But on my end, there''s

    only..."

    "I have cooperated with Peter. If he can find the information, then it cannot be false. At worst, his

    investigation might obtain information that''s slightly more superficial than what I found. He''s a skilled

    hacker." Avery drank his tea.

    This was the first time Charlotte saw Avery crying.

    His eyes were red, and the tear marks formed a transparent waterfall on his face. Tears flowed

    down his chin and slid into the teacup in front of him.

    "Avery, if this is true, your sister..."

    "She deserved to die." Avery shouted lowly, "She deserves to die. Irena liked her so much. She

    deserves to die!"

    Charlotte was speechless.

    Avery took a deep breath, but his expression became more ferocious. "I am not Shane. I can''t act

    fine after being betrayed by my closest friend. I just want to go back and kill her to avenge Irena!"

    "Calm down, even if your sister really has a problem, it''s still the Stevens family that should be

    med."

    Avery was stunned.

    Then he burst outughing.

    Everyone in the cafe turned to look at him.

    One braver man muttered, "What a nutjob."

    Avery directly picked up a teacup and threw it at the person''s table. The porcin teacup broke into

    pieces in an instant.

    The man said irritably, "What do you think you''re doing, you piece of sh*t? This is a public ce.

    You still have..."

    Before he could finish his words, Avery rushed to him like a wild animal. He used his fists and kicks

    to teach him a lesson.

    Charlotte didn''t stop him. First, because it was useless to stop him. Second, she should leave it to

    the authorities. If Avery was locked up in the police department, maybe he would calm down.

    Avery took out his wallet and threw a stack of money on the floor. He said, "Don''t make a fuss. Take

    the money and get out of here."

    The money on the floor must have amounted to at least a few tens of thousands of dors.

    Charlotte sighed and grabbed his shoulder, "Avery, go back to your seat and calm down."

    Avery looked at the person on the ground coldly and turned to sit back down.

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    Chapter 260

    "Are you alright?" Charlotte helped the person on the ground to get up.

    "What''s wrong with your friend? My family is not short of money. I want him to pay the price!" The

    man pushed the money away.

    "It''s like this. His family has some influence and may not just leave it be. Why don''t we find a winwin

    solution?" Charlotte asked tentatively.

    If she were to drag the Hart family back into this at this juncture...

    It would be too chaotic.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    It would be better to just let things go.

    "Oh, it''s not a big deal that I was beaten up. It''s just that this is a public area. If you make trouble,

    you can''t just settle things like this"

    "I can tell from your words that you''re from a respectable family. If we can have a private chat, that

    would be best. But him? He''s used to getting his way in his own city. Look..."

    The man looked at Avery, who was sitting at his table with his fists clenched. He looked as if he

    wanted to tear everything apart.

    Forget it.

    He would just take it as having met a rabid dog today.

    "What about this, beautiful? I definitely won''t be picking up that money. Get him to sign me a check.

    I want to see who his family is."

    "Alright."

    Charlotte walked over and asked Avery for a check.

    Avery had previously been aggravated and he had heard the man curse him out, so he was

    naturally in a bad mood. Now that he had calmed down, he felt guilty toward him. He signed a

    check for 100,000 dors and handed it to Charlotte.

    After all, the man''s injury seemed to be quite serious. If the matter was brought to the court, if the

    other party insisted on pressing charges, he might be charged with assault.

    Impulsiveness really was the devil.

    When the person received the check and saw that Avery was from the Hart family, he immediately

    changed his attitude. The unexpected turn of events stunned Charlotteirst, he apologized to

    Charlotte and Avery. Then, he left the cafe with his group. Before he left, he left a business card for

    Avery. You would have thought that he had been the one who had attacked Avery.

    Charlotte was stunned by the unexpected turn of

    events.

    "I didn''t know you were so influential in River City."

    "So, my sister is still alive while Irena is dead," Avery answered coldly.

    "Don''t get mad, calm down for a bit, we..."

    "Charlotte, I always felt that we were fated to meet. Just as I was about to meet you, it seemed like

    we could have met before the arranged date. The moment I saw you on the ne, I knew that we

    could talk business."

    Charlotte was silent.

    Avery suddenly got up and held her hand, staring straight into her eyes. "Even if you are no longer

    cooperating with me for the sake of the Jane family, the original intention of our cooperation has

    never changed. I still think we can work well together."

    "You''ve gone too far." She wanted to pull her hand away.

    "No, listen to me. Charlotte, I believe that this is fated. Today, I want to help you solve your

    difficulties, so I would like to propose that we cooperate together."

    "We have been cooperating with each other for a long time. Can you let go of me now?" She was

    extremely annoyed.

    Avery let go of her hand, but kept staring at her. "I want all the Stevens family members to

    disappear from the face of the earth. I want them gone from the gene pool and from society."

    Charlotte didn''t respond. She unconsciously reached to touch her wrist.

    There was a bit of coldness in her fingers.

    "I''ll think about it."

    "You can just create opportunities for me, you don''t need to dirty your hands."

    "I''ll need to think about it," Charlotte said resolutely, "But we can deal with the Stevens family first.

    Don''t worry, even if I don''t have a way to be your weapon, I won''t stop you from making a move. I

    know how much you hate them."

    Avery waspletely relieved.

    What he feared the most was Charlotte''s mercifulness. Just because she said that she wanted to

    deal with the Stevens family didn''t mean that she would get rid of all of them.

    If that was the case, he would find someone else to work with and not have to rely on her.

    They were about to go their separate ways.

    The two of them walked to their cars.

    Avery''s heart sank as he watched Charlotte get into the car.

    "Charlotte."

    Charlotte turned around to look at him. "Yes?"

    "I have to see Zoe again in these few days to verify her rtionship with Irena."

    "Okay, no problem."

    Charlotte sat in the car. She didn''t know where to go for a while. Maybe she should go to the office

    to make some preparations, but she didn''t feel like going for some reason.

    She looked in the rearview mirror. Avery was still standing on the side of the road, as if he was

    thinking about something.

    This matter was still a little too serious.

    No one could process it in just one night.

    In the end.

    Charlotte still went to the office. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Shane sitting in her

    seat and using herputer.

    "You''re really making yourselffortable." Charlotte took off her coat and threw it on the sofa. She

    sat in the chair opposite him.

    "It''s fine to ask Cole about me if it helps you solve problems, but why did you get Peter to

    investigate me?" His eyes were cold.

    "The people in the Fuller Group are all ingrates."

    "So?"

    "I''m not investigating you. I just want to know how you started your business and how much

    hardship you''ve endured. My heart aches for you, Shane." Charlotte looked at him very seriously.

    Her heart ached for him?

    Countless women tried to get close to him in order to gain some benefits from him.

    He knew that she had always been different, but he never thought that she would one day stand in

    front of him and say that her heart ached for him.

    Did she know that the term was usually used by those who were stronger toward someone weaker

    than them?

    Even though he felt many emotions in his heart, Shane still looked calm and indifferent. "It''s

    unnecessary."

    Those words were so cold that Charlotte couldn''t tell how Shane felt.

    "It doesn''t matter if you think my adoration is unnecessary. I feel the need to do this for you!"

    "What I mean is that... it''s unnecessary to investigate me behind my back. You can just ask me

    directly."

    Ask him directly?

    Charlotte''s eyes lit up. "So, are you willing to tell me what happened?"

    "It''s only the past."

    "That''s great." Charlotte ced her hands on the table as she looked at him with an expectant

    expression, "Please tell me."

    An hourter, the story that Shane gave had already been gone through by Peter and Cole. It was

    not tooplicated.

    The Fuller Group was originally a family- run enterprise. Since Theodore was outstanding, everyone

    trusted him very much and handed thepany over to him.

    After a few years, Theodore married Raina in order to obtain a piece ofnd to expand hispany.

    Two years after their marriage, Shane was born.

    When Shane was three years old, he had already learned to read. When he was five years old, he

    had passed grade four in piano. He was always at thepany''s office as a child.

    All of this was so unreal that it sounded like a dream.

    When he was thirteen years old, Yale had noticed him, but he didn''t go to school there. After a

    period of homeschooling, he passed the entrance examination and got into another Ivy League

    school. There, he obtained an economics degree.

    If he hade from a normal family background, it would have been an amazing achievement.

    However, he came from the Fuller family...

    Shane naturally wanted to enter the Fuller Group.

    "The family- run business was originally divided into different branches, and the selection of CEOs

    was also relegated to outsiders. I was an exception."

    Shane''s appearance caused the profit of the other members of the Fuller family to decrease.

    Fuller Group became Theodore and Shane''s yground. The Fuller family was dissatisfied and

    even created a concerted uproar. It was also because of this, Shane decided to start NC Company.

    He might as well take away all the profits he brought.

    "That''s why you felt something was wrong when Christopher first appeared..."

    "That''s right."

    "That move was really cruel. He is your best friend, and also your biological brother. How could

    they?" Charlotte was very angry.

    Shane didn''t react so strongly. "Christopher and I don''t regard each other as brothers. Breaking

    apart was a matter of time for us."

    Even so, it was still very cruel.

    "No one believes that we are brothers," Shane added.

    Charlotte''s heart suddenly ached again. She didn''t know how tofort Shane, or perhaps Shane

    didn''t need herfort at all.

    Both of them were silent for a long time.

    The ringing of Charlotte''s phone broke the silence.

    She nced at the screen and frowned in surprise.

    "Who is it?" He could not see her screen from his angle.

    "Oh, it''s Rick..." Charlotte replied, "Should I pick up?"

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261

    Shane nodded. "Answer it."

    After thest time, if Rick could still call her, it meant that it was something important.

    Charlotte nodded. She picked up the phone and ced it to her ear, "Rick?"

    "Are you investigating the Stevens family? I don''t intend to cooperate with them. The investment

    they gave me is an ident. Don''t get the whole Stevens family involved because of you and

    Kendall, and what happened between the three of us. It''s not good for you."

    "Is it not good for me, or for Kendall?"

    Rick was shocked into silence by Charlotte''s question. He kept silent.

    Charlotte didn''t say anything else. Now that the tables had been turned, and they had different

    teammates and people she cared about, their thoughts werepletely different now.

    "It''s not good for both of you."

    "So, you are not only showing concern for me, but also for Kendall''s welfare. Not only did you allow

    Kendall to hurt my daughter, but you also think that I should let her go. Rick, do you have a

    conscience? Can you still say that you''re a human being?" Charlotte sneered.

    Her hands were trembling a little.

    If Rick had not made this call, she would feel that they had broken up peacefully.

    Did he actually want her to let Kendall go?

    How dare he? Did he think she was a saint?

    Kendall had hurt her child. Did he expect her to congratte her on a job well done?

    Of course not!

    Shane came to Charlotte''s side and held her shoulders with both hands. Charlotte calmed down for

    a moment. She turned around to look at him and gave him a reassuring look. She was only

    aggravated and not angry.

    Shane didn''t take his hands away. He stood by her side quietly, like a guardian giving her strength.

    "Rick." Charlotte spoke up once again, "We aren''t friends. I''m very grateful that you once liked me,

    but that''s all in the past. Let''s just leave it be."

    She would always be grateful that, in her most difficult times, the Jane siblings had helped her.

    However...

    She could not live in gratitude forever.

    Without waiting for Rick''s reply, Charlotte immediately ended the call. At the same time, she also

    muted her phone.

    "No one will disturb you anymore. Let''s continue talking about the matter between you and

    Christopher. Why did you say that no one thinks of you as brothers?" Charlotte ced her phone

    back into her bag.

    "Your mood..."

    "I''m fine. Compared to the others, I''m more worried about you and more concerned about you."

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    Shane''s thin lips twitched.

    It was obvious.

    Shane really liked that Charlotte said that. It made him happy.

    "In our own opinion, we are friends that can y together, but in the eyes of others, he and I are just

    two chess pieces without souls."

    "So that''s how it is..." Charlotte''s heart ached even more.

    She reached out and hugged him gently.

    It didn''t matter. Now that he had her, she wouldn''t betray him.

    Although she did not say it out loud, Shane noticed Charlotte''s serious expression on her lowered

    face. He touched her cheek gently with his long fingers.

    "I''m fine."

    "I know you''re fine, but it doesn''t change the fact that my heart aches for you."

    Sigh.

    She was so silly.

    Three dayster.

    Charlotte helped Avery to make an appointment with Zoe. Peter and Shane also attended the

    meeting.

    They had agreed to meet one-on-one. It was only when Avery arrived that he found that it had

    be a bigger gathering. Avery did not have an opinion on this. It so happened that he had not

    seen Shane for a long time since he was always on business trips.

    Peter had only seen Avery from inside the car before. Now they were in closer contact, he was a

    little afraid of him.

    He was charming and unrestrained, and he had a murderous look in his eyes. It made him seem

    invincible.

    Soon, the conversation topic turned to Zoe.

    "So, what you mean is that I look very simr to Irena Chambers?" Zoe found the main point of the

    conversation.

    "It''s not very simr, you look exactly the same," Charlotte added.

    Zoe felt that this was incredible. "How could it be possible? I don''t have any siblings.��

    "Have you ever had amnesia?"

    "Of course not. I wish I could have amnesia."

    If she did, she wouldn''t have to deal with those annoying family disputes.

    If she didn''t have any siblings and didn''t have amnesia, she wasn''t a clone, was she?

    In the end.

    Avery still decided to take Zoe to the Chambers residence for a visit. He wanted to verify it. After all,

    it was fine if they only looked simr. The probability of the two of them looking exactly the same

    was too low.

    But in the face of going to the Chambers residence, Zoe was very nervous. "I don''t know any of

    those people. Do I really have to go? Plus, their daughter is dead. If I show up, won''t it be

    traumatic?"

    "Zoe, you have to think of it this way. Their daughter has already left this world and she can''te

    back to life. However, you look exactly the same as their daughter. Perhaps, to them, it would be a

    kind offort." Charlotte really pitied the Chambers family.

    The Chambers family wasn''t as big as the Hart family, who had many children. From what Avery

    said, the Chambers didn''t have any children after what happened.

    After Zoe listened to what Charlotte said, she nodded. "Fine, I can meet them."

    "Mr. Fuller, what do you think?" Avery looked at Shane beside him.

    "To some people, reality is more important than the truth."

    Avery was stunned, but he didn''t expect that Shane would give such an emotional answer. He

    picked up the teacup and angled it forward, "Cheers, Mr. Fuller."

    Shane clinked cups with him.

    Everyone went their separate ways.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but ask Shane, "When you said that the reality is far more important than the

    truth, Avery seemed to be very excited. Why?"

    "He doesn''t think that I''m a materialist."

    "What''s that?"

    What was this materialism thing?

    Charlotte bit her lip and thought for a long time, but she still couldn''t figure it out.

    "Materialism denies the existence of God."

    "Well, there is no God in the world," Charlotte replied matter-of-factly.

    "Many families think that their family is prosperous because their ancestors were favored by God.

    You''ve seen how people go through borate ceremonies to enforce this thinking."

    Charlotte finally understood.

    Simply put, the rich believed in superstition, and they also believed that everything was by the grace

    of God. The rich maintained a skeptical attitude towards what they saw in front of them.

    It was not like Shane, who thought that what he saw in front of him was the truth.

    "If I have the chance, I will go to the Chambers residence with Avery and Zoe."

    "Are you also interested in this?"

    Shane nodded.

    "Fine, I''ll go home and discuss it with them."

    On the other end, in the parking lot.

    Peter sat in the driver''s seat. Through the rearview mirror, he could see Avery and Zoe sitting next

    to each other, but they were not very close to each other. They did not talk and only looked at their

    phones.

    Peter started the car and focused on driving.

    "When are you going to go to the Chambers residence?" Avery was the first to speak.

    Peter''s ears twitched.

    "Anytime is fine. I''m thinking of asking Lottie first," Zoe replied.

    "That''s fine too. She''ll probablye with us."

    "Will she want to join in the fun?" Zoe thought that it was unlikely.

    Charlotte was so busy withpany matters. Although Charlotte was Avery''s friend, she wouldn''t

    want to get involved in such things.

    Avery chuckled and said, "She definitely wouldn''t want to get involved. But someone will."

    "Mr. Fuller?" Zoe looked over at Peter.

    Avery also looked over and brushed the tip of his nose. "Some things don''t need to be said, my

    friend. The walls have ears."

    "I''ll report everything you said to Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson," Peter said honestly.

    Besides, he was Shane''s man. He wasn''t good at lying. He might as well tell Avery that he would

    report back.

    As for what he said, that was up to Avery.

    When he heard this, Avery leaned forward slightly and looked straight into Peter''s eyes through the

    rearview mirror. "I wonder who you think will get the better of this situation, Mr. Brown? Will be it

    Charlotte and Shane, or Christopher. Or are you more optimistic about my own chances?"

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262

    Peter lifted his gaze to look at Avery''s expressive face through the rearview mirror. "Why are you

    asking me?"

    "You also collect intelligence. We''ve cooperated with each other before, but we''ve only just officially

    met now. I thought there would be a cruel killer behind theputer screen, but I didn''t expect that

    a child." Avery reached out and touched Peter''s chin gently.

    His fingers caressed Peter''s Adam''s apple. The scene was so weirdly intimate that Zoe felt as if she

    was intruding on their moment, so she looked away.

    Peter was expressionless. Avery''s skill at seducing others was very useful. But it didn''t work on

    Peter. He didn''t even have a frown on his face, and simply allowed Avery to gently stroke his throat.

    Generally speaking, a normal person would push Avery away at this moment and then say

    something like that he was driving. Nevertheless, Peter was still driving calmly.

    "You''re indeed unusual." Avery took his hand away and sat back down properly.

    "Mr. Fuller doesn''t employ ordinary people."

    "So, do you think that Mr. Fuller will win in the end?"

    Peter was silent for a moment. He looked up at Avery again and said, "The winner should be

    Christopher. The more Mr. Fuller doesn''t want to be his partner, the more effort he will have to put

    in."

    Avery did not expect that Peter''s thinking was the same as his. He sighedzily and said, "I really

    hope that someone can take bets. I will bet all my money that Shane will lose everything."

    "Is it because he calls you a sissy?" Zoe didn''t keep quiet and retorted.

    After all, Charlotte and Shane were both her superiors and friends, so she couldn''t make sarcastic

    remarks like Peter.

    Avery folded his hands and ced them on his stomach. He cast a deep look at the river of cars on

    the road. "Because he will let someone you would never expect to win."

    "Charlotte?" Zoe asked.

    Avery did not answer.

    "It''s Braden," said Peter.

    "What does this have to do with Braden?"

    Zoe''s head began to ache.

    That night.

    After she took a shower, Charlotte sat on the sofa with her hair tied up and ced theputer on

    herp. She held a sandwich in one hand and tapped on the keyboard with the other. She was

    currently organizing the details of going to the Chambers residence with Zoe and Avery.

    Shane was called away by someone from the Airline Union, so she only needed to take care of her

    own dinner.

    Since she was alone.

    The sandwich and coffee were the best, simple and convenient.

    "Lottie, on the way back, Avery said that you mighte with us because of Shane. Is it because of

    him?"

    "Yes, he asked me to go and have a look."

    "I kept an eye on it and got someone to investigate the Chambers family. I discovered that it is an

    ordinary family. Why did Avery get involved with it?"

    An ordinary family?

    Charlotte was a little surprised, "How ordinary?"

    "My family''s situation is abnormal, and theirs are ordinary," Zoe answered.

    To be described in this way by Zoe, it must be an extremely ordinary family.

    Charlotte rubbed her temples and said, "Avery fell in love with a girl from an ordinary family, and

    things ended up with someone dying? Is this woman an angel?"

    "Lottie, do you think I look like an angel?" Zoe asked.

    "You don''t look like one at all."

    "So, no matter how gentle and lovely the girl is, she has the same face as I do. I don''t believe that

    she can captivate Avery into acting like a lovelorn fool who will do anything for revenge."

    Charlotte didn''t reply.

    At that time, she also received the information Peter had given her.

    The Chambers family had a small business, and it earned about 100,000 dors a year. They had a

    car and a house. It was truly an ordinary family.

    Irena had been a physics student. A very good one.

    There was a saying in the country.

    All universities were not as good as the University of River City. At the University of River City, the

    physics course was the best. Even internationally, if you said that you were a physics student at the

    University of River City, you would get a lot of envious looks.

    Countless foreign schrs gained great prestige by just having visited the University of River City.

    Irena was a physics student at the University of River City. If she hadn''t died she would have been a

    national schr even if she couldn''t match Einstein.

    Coincidentally, Avery''s sister also studied at the University of River City. But she was a literature

    student.

    "Zoe, which college did you go to?" Charlotte asked casually.

    "The University of River City."

    "What?" Charlotte wondered if she had heard wrongly.

    Zoe repeated with some suspicion, "The University of River City."

    If there was someone who looked exactly like you and went to the same school as you, wouldn''t

    you know about her?

    Even if they were from different intakes, it was impossible not to know at all.

    Charlotte immediately felt that there was something wrong with this matter. She immediately sent

    Peter to investigate all the relevant matters rted to Zoe. She had a hunch that she had found

    something.

    Zoe had no idea what had happened. She called out to Charlotte and asked, "Lottie, what''s wrong?"

    "Irena was also in the University of River City. Don''t you know anything about her? She is not ugly,

    although her family background is ordinary, she was a physics student at the University of River

    City. Have you never heard of such a person?"

    "How old was Irena?"

    "A bit older than me."

    "But I am younger than you, so I definitely can''t be Irena."

    It was only then that Charlotte realized that she and Avery had forgotten about age.

    Therefore, it was impossible for Zoe to be Irena.

    It was thete summer and fall was just beginning.

    The weather was very cool.

    Charlotte wore a coat and scarf and sat in the car waiting for Zoe and Avery. People wereing

    and going on the street, and everyone was wearing masks.

    It was said that flu season wasing soon, and River City took this matter seriously. A few days

    ago, she received a notice that it would be best for her to work from home.

    After several minutes, Avery and Zoe showed up.

    Charlotte was a little surprised because Peter was with them.

    Peter was quite handsome. When next to Avery, he still stood out. Instead, they seemed somewhat

    like brothers.

    Zoe recognized Charlotte''s car and opened the door to sit in the back seat.

    Peter sat in the back seat with her, while Avery sat in the front passenger seat.

    "It''s so great that Ms. Emerson is driving us. So great." Peter put on his seat belt and said, "I think

    this is my first time seeing Ms. Emerson drive."

    "I usually drive myself."

    "You usually take Mr. Fuller''s car, with Cole driving," Peter exined.

    That sounded right.

    Charlotte thought for a while. Most of the time, she went out with Shane. She spent even more time

    with him than she had with Rick when she worked in the Jane Corporation. She still couldn''t figure

    out what her rtionship with Shane was now though.

    The car started moving, but slowly. The way

    Charlotte drove was just as stable as she herself was.

    "Before I came here today, Mr. Fuller called me," Avery said.

    "Oh?" Charlotte nced at him.

    "He said that he wanted me to take you to a party after today''s meeting. I think it has something to

    do with the Jane Corporation. He said that he wanted you to see Rick."

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Shane wanted her to see Rick?

    Could pigs fly?

    Charlotte was puzzled. "What''s wrong with Rick?"

    "I don''t know either. That''s why Peter is here. Afterward, he will send Zoe home. I''ll go with you to

    see Rick," Avery said and leaned back. He arches an eyebrow. "Peter, aren''t I good to you?"

    "Mr. Hart, you''ve always been very nice," Peter replied politely.

    Avery smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "No matter how this ends, Zoe is like a sister to me. It''s

    my job to choose a suitable brother-inw for my lovely sister."

    He said gently and charmingly.

    Zoe''s ears were hot. "Mr. Hart, please stop joking."

    "No." Avery turned his head to look at her. He pouted, looking like a spoiled child. He grabbed

    her sleeve and said, "Zoe."

    It was disgusting.

    She was about to puke.

    Zoe wanted to get out of the car.

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    Chapter 263

    Peter''s expression remained unchanged. He only frowned slightly and said, "I don''t think he''s

    disgusting. He''s just a little different. Why are you having such a huge reaction?"

    "Isn''t it horrifying enough to be different from normal people?" Charlotte asked impatiently.

    "I also think I''m different from normal people. If you think about it, Ms. Emerson, if you''re a normal

    person, what about those people in the Airline Union?"

    She thought about it following this logic.

    Charlotte finally figured it out.

    This talk about what was the so-called normal and abnormal, was simply a difference in opinion.

    She and Zoe thought that Avery was abnormal, but in Peter''s eyes, his behavior was just an

    alternative lifestyle choice.

    Just like at the beginning, Charlotte didn''t think that Avery was so bad. She respected his choices. It

    was only after they became friends that she started to judge his choices.

    "Do you think that people are especially harsh on those who are close to them?" Charlotte asked

    Zoe.

    "I don''t know. The first time I saw him, I already felt ufortable," Zoe answered truthfully.

    This answer was within Avery''s expectations, but when he heard Zoe''s honest words, he felt

    surprised.

    Soon.

    The car was parked at Block 32 in a small neighborhood.

    "It''s indeed an ordinary family," Peter said while holding his phone. "Based on River City''s property

    market, the price of a house here is no more than five million dors at most. Unless they sell the

    house, they don''t even have a million dors in working capital."

    "It''s already a lot for an ordinary family," Charlotte said.

    "Yes, it''s a middle-ss family. It''s hard to imagine why they didn''t have any more children."

    Avery remained silent.

    He was extremely familiar with this ''home''. He had fantasized countless times abouting here

    when he was in his thirties or forties to take care of Irena''s elderly parents.

    He had also considered that if he needed toe here to propose marriage, his car would not be

    able to fit on the road. So his best solution was to broaden the roads. After all, he had the money

    and he could do it.

    He had thought about these things a lot. Nevertheless, Irena had left him forever, leaving him alone

    in this world.

    Sometimes, he felt that life was really meaningless. Life was full of gains and losses that seemed to

    be endless. Everything had been set in stone. That was why he was so surprised that Shane was a

    materialist.

    Did he really think that what he could touch would remain forever?

    Avery stood on the stairs in a trance.

    "Let''s go upstairs." Charlotte stretched out her hand and patted him on the shoulder. "Avery, you''ll

    have to face it eventually."

    "It''s not that I''m afraid to face it, I just..." His voice was a little hoarse.

    He couldn''t even say it himself.

    Unit 801 - It was a in number.

    However, Avery took every step with great difficulty. The bittersweet memories of the past swept

    through him in an instant, and the pain made him unable to breathe.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    Avery knocked on the door.

    The door opened.

    Charlotte was startled for a moment. The Chambers looked a little too young. They looked like they

    were only in their forties, but the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes betrayed them.

    "Aren''t, aren''t you Avery? What are you doing here? Come on in, please. This... this is!"

    Mrs. Hart pushed past Avery and walked in front of Zoe. Her eyes were wet in less than two

    seconds. She held Zoe''s hand tightly. "Miss, what''s your name?"

    "My name is Zoe," Zoe replied.

    "Zoe, that''s a nice name. What a nice name. A nice name." Mrs. Hart smiled lovingly, and the way

    she looked at Zoe was very gentle.

    On the other hand, Mr. Hart was much calmer as he called for everyone to go inside.

    The Chambers residence wasn''t that big, Charlotte thought.

    ording to Peter''s estimate, this house was worth a bit more than four million dors at most,

    maybe even less. Although River City''s property was worth a lot, the house was rtively small.

    In River City, even a 40 million dor house might not be very big, much less one that was only

    worth four million.

    Therefore, one could conclude that this Irena was really from an ordinary family.

    Zoe was visiting now to find out her rtionship with Irena, so she allowed herself to be interrogated

    by Irena''s parents.

    Charlotte leaned against the windowsill and looked at Zoe''s worried face. Zoe was usually calm, but

    when she met someone older, she immediately showed her true colors. This was not her fault. After

    all, she had never had a good rtionship with her family since she was a child.

    Peter walked to Charlotte''s side and said, "Ms. Emerson, I just heard that Irena did not have any

    sisters. It was just Irena."

    "That''s so weird."

    "Actually, the probability of this happening isn''t that low. There aren''t even identical snowkes in

    this world, but it''s not difficult to meet two people who look simr," said Peter.

    "Really?"

    "In principle, the probability of a person meeting another person who looks the same is between

    0.37 to 0.04. It''s even more unlikely for your airne to malfunction."

    "Where did you get all this data from?"

    "I''ve done some investigating," Peter said with a silly smile.

    Sometimes, Charlotte still admired Peter very much. There were so many random things in his

    mind. If it were her, her brain would probably have exploded long ago.

    Mr. and Mrs. Hart invited Zoe and Peter for a meal, so Avery left with Charlotte.

    They went downstairs.

    Avery let out a heavy sigh of relief. He felt so cold that he kept rubbing his hands. "After this, I will

    start dealing with the Stevens family. I have obtained urate evidence that Caleb forced my sister

    to bring Irena to the Stevens residence."

    "Alright. I''m also making preparations. I''ve already asked Shane for the bestwyers."

    "Thank you."

    "I''m doing it for myself, too."

    "I''ll take you over. It''s almost time."

    Charlotte nodded and got into the car.

    She thought about the scene upstairs, of that moment when Irena''s parents saw Zoe. The look in

    their eyes was like Sheryl''s when she saw Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    It was a look of expectation in their eyes.

    Zoe''s own family was not a happy one. Now it was like she had gained new parents. Maybe it would

    make up for it for her.

    Charlotte thought optimistically.

    The party was on the first floor.

    However, Avery brought Charlotte up to the second floor.

    The private room on the second floor was halfopen, and the location was very good. Everyone on

    the first floor could see it.

    Shane was sitting on the sofa with his back to the door. He was holding a wine ss in his left hand

    and a phone in his right. He was recording everyone who arrived at the party.

    "Mr. Fuller, I''ve brought Charlotte. I''m going downstairs to party now." Avery bowed respectfully.

    "Do you want a drink?"

    "I won''t drink your wine. After all, there is still a lot of wine to drink downstairs."

    Shane didn''t insist. Instead, he turned around and nodded.

    After Avery left, Charlotte walked forward and sat down beside him. "Avery said that this is Rick''s

    party. Based on your character, you wouldn''t havee. Even if you wanted toe, you wouldn''t

    have brought me here."

    "Get ready for a show." "What kind of show?" she asked curiously.

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane turned his head.

    The private room was very dark. Only the corners were lit up. All the light came from a crystal

    chandelier. However, the light from the chandelier was mostly blocked. Therefore, many people

    would choose to do some special things in the private room.

    They could simply kiss or go even further.

    In daily life, Shane was contemptuous of this kind of ce and thought that those people were

    disgusting to the extreme.

    However, at this moment, he was able to empathize with those people. Under this dim light,

    Charlotte was exceptionally attractive.

    He reached out to pull her closer and bent over to kiss her tender lips.

    He bit her lip. She tasted so soft and sweet, as if she was a sweet dessert. She tasted so pleasant

    that Shane didn''t want to release her.

    "Oh..." Charlotte eximed in shock.

    Shane opened his eyes, his thick eyebrows slightly furrowed. His long fingers sped the back of

    her head.

    The cologne he wore...

    Charlotte was intoxicated.

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264

    Shane''s phone suddenly rang, and Charlotte was startled. She immediately pushed him on the

    shoulder and said, "You, your phone is ringing."

    Her voice was trembling. She was so shy that she didn''t dare to look at him.

    It was not the first time she was so close to him, but she could still be shy and avoided looking at

    him.

    Shane didn''t answer his phone. Actually, because he was holding her just now, his phone had fallen

    to the sofa, it was difficult to find his phone so quickly. He didn''t bother looking for it. Besides, he

    didn''t have anything urgent to deal with now.

    It didn''t matter if he didn''t answer the phone.

    "Aren''t you going to answer the phone?" Charlotte was unable to push him away.

    "There''s no rush."

    "What would make you rush?"

    "You."

    Her?

    Why did she feel so anxious?

    When Shane saw that Charlotte was at a loss, he wanted to tease her instead. He lowered his voice

    and said, "You look like you''re in a rush."

    Charlotte opened her eyes wide in disbelief and stared at Shane''s beautiful eyes. She wanted to

    see the slightest hint of a joke in his eyes. However, he didn''t seem affected at all.

    How could he say something like that with a straight face?

    "I found that I can''t act normal when I''m with you."

    Shane''s long fingers rubbed her chin, and his body slowly leaned towards her. Finally, heid on her

    thighs and bent over to kiss her.

    Charlotte was stunned.

    Shane was lying on herp, while she bent down to kiss him?

    Even in her dreams, she didn''t dare imagine this. It was so beautiful.

    The distant light was shining on his face, giving him a kind of hazy sense of beauty. And the

    distance was just right, so she could see all the lines on his face clearly.

    "Ah!!!"

    An ear- piercing scream interrupted their tender moment.

    Charlotte was so frightened that her whole body trembled.

    Shane stood up immediately, grabbed the back of her head with his long fingers, and held her in his

    arms. He pulled her up, and went to the private room''s French window. When he stood here, he

    could see everything on the first floor.

    There were many people on the first floor, and the colorful outfits were not as eye-catching as their

    obscured faces.

    In the center of the first floor, there was an empty space. There was no one there, only a bloody

    corpse. Right then, Shane''s phone rang again.

    Shane arranged Charlotte to sit on the sofa and bent down to look for the phone in the seam

    between the sofa cushions. He picked up the phone and put it to his ear. "Avery."

    "Something happened. Rick''s younger sister was killed."

    "Rick''s younger sister?" Shane shot a nce at Charlotte.

    He knew that it was precisely because Charlotte had a very good rtionship with Anne that she

    knew Rick.

    "Do you want toe and have a look?"

    "Take her downstairs for a look?" Shane thought.

    Shane rejected this idea.

    If Anne was killed, Charlotte would probably faint if she saw the scene of the incident. It was better

    for him to figure out what was going on first.

    "I''lle downstairs right away," Shane answered and hit the end call button.

    "What''s wrong?" Charlotte asked.

    "Something happened downstairs. Avery asked me to go down. You can stay up there for a while. If

    you''re hungry, I''ll ask Cole to bring you some food."

    "Can''t I go downstairs with you?" Charlotte blinked her eyes.

    Shane put his hands on the back of the sofa and pressed her between himself and the sofa. His

    cool breath sprayed on her delicate face.

    Charlotte suddenly felt like she was drunk. She turned her head away from him and the feeling of

    his breath.

    Shane''s lips were right next to her ear. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it was very

    cold. He said-

    "Do you want to see the body?"

    As soon as he finished speaking, he got up and walked out.

    For a moment, Charlotte was a little stunned. When she finally got herself together, she clenched

    her fists angrily.

    Shane!

    To one side, Cole wasughing so much that his shoulders shook after seeing the couple bicker.

    He really thought that Miss Charlotte was suited to Mr. Fuller. When he was with her, Mr. Fuller

    could behave childishly. Some people said that men always acted like kids when dealing with the

    woman they loved. It was only now that Cole realized that Mr. Fuller had a childish side to him.

    And this childish side was something only Miss Charlotte could see.

    On the first floor.

    Rick had gotten someone to seal off the crime scene.

    There was a pool of blood in the middle of the room and it gave off a horrid smell. Most of the

    people around them looked serious while some were sad. Those who looked disgusted were

    ushered to the back.

    On the way, Shane noticed that many people were stillughing and talking. He frowned.

    "You''re here." Avery found Shane in the crowd at a nce.

    His aura was clean and elegant. Even if he was thrown into a crowded amusement park, he was

    likely to be spotted at a nce.

    Shane nodded and stood beside him. "What''s going on?"

    "The victim is Rick''s cousin. Her name is Mielle Jane."

    Meow Jane?

    What kind of name was that?

    Shane gave a faint response and immediately lost interest in this matter.

    It was good that the victim was not Anne. It had nothing to do with him anymore.

    "I didn''t expect you two toe to this gathering."

    Rick''s voice suddenly came.

    Avery tilted his head and looked to the right.

    Rick stood with Kendall. He was dressed nicely and had a neat hairstyle. He was also very

    handsome, but the more Shane looked at him, the more annoying he found him, especially with

    Kendall standing beside him. He would love to go up and strangle her.

    Everyone in the Stevens family deserved to die.

    Averyughed coldly, "What''s wrong, can''t Ie to any hotels that you own? Even the murderers

    cane in with dignity. There''s no reason for us not toe."N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Avery, have I offended you somehow?" Rick frowned.

    Avery had not been like this in the past. Even if he showed his abilities, he was shy about it.

    Besides, they had no conflict between them during their cooperation.

    "I don''t care if you''re a dog or a cat person. But if you want to bring an animal with you in public,

    then I can''t stand it."

    "You..." Kendall''s expression changed.

    "Kendall Stevens, my name is Avery Hart. You should remember my name."

    "What''s wrong with you?" Kendall muttered. "What''s so great about you?"

    Avery was about to lose his temper, but Shane put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Mind your

    manners."

    Rickughed angrily when he heard that. "Mr. Fuller, I don''t think Kendall and I are the instigators

    here."

    "You know that something like this will happen when we meet. Why did youe to greet us?"

    Shane asked back.

    Rick couldn''t speak.

    "Mr. Jane, if it weren''t for this incident, do you think I would havee to greet you?" Shane

    asked again.

    Rick continued to remain silent.

    Shane didn''t let him go. He grinned and lowered his voice. "The Jane Corporation''s shares haven''t

    all been transferred to you yet. Are you so eager to argue with me?"

    "Mr. Fuller, I never knew that you had such a good rtionship with Avery." By then, Rick was

    gnashing his teeth.

    "Do you have a bad rtionship with me?"

    "Has our rtionship ever been good?"

    "You really assume the worst of me, Mr. Jane."

    Shane turned to look at Avery and said, "Why are you still standing here?"

    Avery smiled charmingly, leaned over to hold Shane''s arm, and kissed him on the cheek with a

    sweet smile, "Come on, let''s go back and find Lottie."

    Shane''s expression darkened as he held back his anger. Under Rick''splex gaze, he led Avery

    on a long way away before he pushed him away and gave him a hard punch to his stomach.

    "Ouch." Avery covered his stomach as heughed out loud, "Did you just see Rick''s face?"

    "I saw it." Shane couldn''t help butugh when he thought of what happened.

    "I didn''t know that you know how to smile."

    Shane''s facial expression immediately tensed up.

    Avery wiped the corner of his mouth. Shane had used too much strength just now. Avery wasn''t

    used to being beaten. He was hit so hard that he spat some saliva.

    Shane was so cruel even to his own people. He didn''t know how much strength he had put into

    beating Kendall. Charlotte was really lucky to meet such a protective man.

    "Let me tell you, you betterugh more now. This is a good thing. You are no longer in NC

    Company. You don''t have to be a stressed CEO anymore. You canugh all you want."

    "What do you think of Mielle''s death?"

    However, Shane simply changed the subject.

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265

    Charlotte had been waiting in the private room. Even if she had food to eat, it was still very boring.

    Although she liked to eat, she was not a foodie. The thought of eating could notpletely

    suppress her restless heart.

    She waited a little longer.

    Shane still didn''te back.

    She had no choice but to leave the private room with Cole to look for Shane.

    As she went downstairs, she ran into a man and a woman going upstairs.

    "Too bad about Rick''s younger sister. The knife was stabbed right into the lungs. It must have been

    done by a professional assassin, right?" the woman asked.

    "It must be. But isn''t his sister abroad? Is she back?"

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "How am I supposed to know? I''m only here to see if I can get any inside information on the Jane

    Corporation. I never thought something like this would happen. It''s really difficult being rich."

    It sounded like the two of them were reporters.

    The more Charlotte thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. The sister the female reporter

    mentioned wasn''t Anne, wasn''t it?

    "Let''s hurry up," she said to Cole.

    "Miss Charlotte, if the victim is Miss Anne, Mr. Fuller will definitely call me and get me to stop you

    from going downstairs."

    What Cole said was reasonable.

    This was Shane''s personality. He didn''t like her to get involved in dangerous matters, although she

    felt that it didn''t matter so much and was not something to worry about.

    Soon, Charlotte and Cole squeezed into the crowd together. The facial features of the person lying

    on the ice-cold floor tiles were far different from that of Anne''s. Even though she was covered in a

    large amount of blood, Charlotte could still differentiate her best friend from a stranger.

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. "It''s alright now. Let''s look for Shane and Avery."

    "Why don''t you call him?" Cole asked with a smile.

    "That''s right, I almost forgot I can call him. I must be stupid..." Charlotte picked up her phone.

    Cole couldn''t help butugh.

    He didn''t know if Miss Charlotte was stupid or not, but he knew that something else must have

    happened if Mr. Fuller didn''t go back upstairs after finding out that it wasn''t Anne.

    He wouldn''t necessarily pick up the phone.

    Charlotte called him three times, but Shane still didn''t answer. She could only give up looking for

    him.

    She nced at the corpse. It caused all the hair on her arms to stand on end. Charlotte immediately

    turned her gaze away and left the crowd, intent on finding Shane.

    "Cole, did you see the body just now?"

    "What did you notice?" Cole asked in reply.

    "Well, I found that she was stabbed in the lung. Obviously, this wasn''t an impulsive murder. The

    blood around has different colors, which shows that, at the beginning, the amount of blood was very

    small. Later, she suddenly lost a lot of blood. That is to say, she had been injured for a long time,

    and only began to bleed freely when she walked to the center. This murderer seems very polite."

    As she spoke, Charlotte stopped in her tracks and looked toward the center of the room.

    The ce she was standing right now was facing the center of the stairs, where she could see the

    whole space clearly.

    The ceiling''s crystal chandelier was the only source of light. The first floor was lit up, but the second

    and third floors, which were set back, were a little dark. She had just been in the private room on

    the second floor and had noticed that there were no lights in the room.

    That was to say, the crystal chandelier was the only source of light. The huge light was enough.

    After all, this was not that kind of event.

    And the woman who died was lying right under the crystal chandelier.

    From the ceiling to the ground, there were at least ten meters. It was about five stories worth of

    space.

    "Not only was it a professional assassin, but they also know a lot about this ce. They deliberately

    chose to kill today. In that case, we''d better find Shane quickly and then leave this ce." The more

    Charlotte analyzed the situation, the more worried she became.

    She couldn''t be a detective. She only analyzed so much purely out of fear.

    Cole wanted to find Shane as well, but he and Miss Charlotte couldn''t do anything if Mr. Fuller didn''t

    answer his phone.

    "But, I still remember Avery saying that Shane wants me here to watch a show. Cole, do you know

    about this?" Charlotte asked again.

    "I know. That''s what he told me. I also don''t understand why he came." "So I think this murder case

    is within his expectation. Now that we can''t find him, we''d better leave here first."

    Cole didn''t understand. "Why?"

    Logically speaking, staying in the private room was the best choice.

    "No reason. I just feel that it is not safe to stay here. Cole, we can''t get in touch with him anyway. If

    he wants to find us, he will call us."

    "Alright, if you say so, Miss Charlotte. I will..."

    Before Cole could even finish speaking, they heard another scream.

    Right after that, the entire hall was thrown into chaos. Countless people walked towards the source

    of the noise.

    The word "blood" was particrly attentioncatching. It seemed that someone had said that there

    was blood. For a moment, the people surrounding the corpse vanished.

    Charlotte felt that this scene was both panicinducing and terrifying.

    Sometimes, you can see all kinds of hellish scenarios on earth. It could be as serious as to involve

    national security, or as mundane to only involve two people.

    Cole was also shocked by this ironic scenario. He bowed and said, "Miss Charlotte, as Mr. Fuller''s

    assistant, let me escort you back now."

    Charlotte didn''t say anything. She looked at the crowd for a moment before leaving the hotel with

    Cole.

    The moment the two of them left, they received word from Shane. He asked them to wait at the

    door for him and Avery.

    "Looks like it was the right choice to leave," said Charlotte.

    Cole nodded. He was a little impressed by Miss Charlotte''s sixth sense.

    Soon, Shane''s car stopped at the door.

    Cole was the first to open the door. After he escorted Charlotte into the car, he went to the driver''s

    seat and opened the door. "Mr. Fuller, let me drive."

    Shane unbuckled his seat belt and sat down next to Charlotte. He gave up the driver''s seat to Cole

    and said, "Go to the office."

    "What? Do you want to go to the office at this hour?" Cole was stunned.

    It was already 8:30.

    "Why don''t youe to my apartment? It''s quiet there. It''s also where I work so you can use my

    database," Avery suggested from the front passenger seat.

    "Sure."

    "The address is..."

    While Avery told Cole the address, Charlotte asked in a soft voice only Shane could hear, "Did you

    find out anything?"

    "Two people died. One is Mielle Jane, and the other is her bodyguard."

    Her bodyguard?

    Charlotte frowned, "How could this happen?"

    "Mielle''s bodyguard slept with her once before." Shane was quite straightforward.

    "This..."

    Charlotte wanted toin that the Jane family were a mess. But, after she thought about it, her

    best friend Anne was also from the Jane family, so she really couldn''tin.

    At that moment, Avery finished giving his address and turned to look at Charlotte. "In any case, this

    Mielle must have someplicated rtionships. I have been investigating with Shane for a while.

    We think this was set up by the Stevens family."

    "Why the Stevens family?" "Because right after Mielle''s death, her shares were directly returned to

    Rick. In other words, Rick had beenpeting with Mielle among their generation. And Mielle is a

    girl, so she doesn''t have Rick''s advantages. Even so, she has a lot of say abroad. Besides, this was

    Rick''s event."

    However, Charlotte felt that there was something wrong with this logic. "If this is Rick''s event, why

    would he murder his own cousin during it?"

    "So we need to go back and investigate," Avery said.

    However, they definitely did have assassins in River City. There were only foreign mercenaries up

    for hire.

    Under these circumstances, whether it was the Stevens family or the Jane family, they all knew this

    was going to happen regardless of who did it. Otherwise, with the other party''s influence

    internationally, it was impossible to hire a killer.

    Mielle Jane had obviously been murdered under the cooperation of both families.

    Murdered under the cooperation of the Stevens and Jane families.

    Charlotte let out a bitterugh. Mielle''s death had truly been unjust.

    "Did you guys see the corpses?" Avery suddenly asked Charlotte.

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266

    "Yes." Charlotte replied, "It was done by a professional assassin. It probably only needed one fatal

    strike. The killer''s methods are very efficient and also very ritualistic. I discovered that the corpse

    was facing the only crystal chandelier on the ceiling. Furthermore, the location of the bloodstain on

    her clothes was also very strange."

    "I didn''t expect you to be so observant. Do you want to hear what Mr. Fuller saw?" Avery winked at

    her.

    Of course Charlotte was curious, but she also wanted to check with Shane first. She tilted her head

    to look at him, hoping that he could say it himself.

    Shane leaned against the back of the chair and said, "Tell her."

    Charlotte curled her lips and asked, "Why didn''t you tell me yourself?"

    "Mr. Fuller doesn''t like to talk. Didn''t you know that?" Averyughed, "Why would he do it himself if

    someone can do it for him?"

    "You have a lot to say, don''t you?"

    "Alright, I won''t talk so much. Let me tell you what Mr. Fuller found in simple terms. In addition to

    those points, Mr. Fuller also found that the pool of blood was spreading. That is to say, Mielle was

    first injured. Then, she dripped blood as she walked. That''s why we suspect that there were two

    killers."

    Charlotte was shocked. She really didn''t hadn''t seen that. If she had...

    She would have run away immediately. That ce was too dangerous. She could have easily

    be the killer''s third victim.

    Avery continued, "Mr. Fuller suspects that Mielle was injured in another room before she was

    assassinated in the hall. That is to say, these two killers don''t know each other. We went to Mielle''s

    room just now. Guess who we met there?"

    "Rick," Charlotte replied.

    "You got it in one. It was Rick. And when we just arrived on the first floor, Rick was apanied by

    Kendall. We went to Mielle''s room, but we didn''t see Kendall, only Rick. However, Rick didn''t know

    that we would go there. After Mr. Fuller saw him, he brought me away."

    The inside of the car was silent.

    The truth had already been revealed. It was only up to her whether to believe it or not.

    Whether she would remember their past rtionship or condemn him internally.

    As Charlotte thought about this, she couldn''t help but grab onto the hem of her skirt. The emotions

    in her heart were iparablyplicated.

    She didn''t believe that Rick would do such a thing, but she had a natural trust in Shane. If Shane

    said that there would be an earthquake in the next second, she would believe it without hesitation,

    let alone such a valid spection.

    Shane opened the window a little. "Don''t feel down."

    "Rick is a very good person." She knew that her words were particrly powerless.

    "I know."

    For some reason, Charlotte''s mood got a little better.

    Soon, Cole arrived at Avery''s home.

    Although it was called his home, it was more like arge office. There were five huge screens, three

    processors, and a huge operating terminal. The only resting ce was a sofa that could barely

    count as a bed.

    Avery sat in front of the operating terminal and skillfully tapped the keyboard. After a bit of typing, he

    opened the drawer next to him and took out a pair of goggles.

    Then he typed some more. The machine made coffee automatically, and a robot brought a prepared

    sandwich and pizza to the coffee table.

    "Is your home built on future technology?" Charlotte looked at all this curiously.

    She had somehow gotten used to these kinds of things.

    After all, Shane''s also wanted to deal with science and technology. She needed to learn a few

    things.

    These things seemed like science fiction, but in reality, they were already verymon in some

    ces. It was just that Avery seemed to be more intelligent in these things.

    "I like this kind of stuff, so I can easily talk to Mr. Fuller." Avery pointed at the cake. "Have a taste.

    My database keeps updating recently. I don''t know what vor is better."

    "I''ll try it." Charlotte picked up a small piece of cake, took a bite, andplimented. "It tastes good."

    "That''s why I asked Mr. Fuller about it. When this is done, I''m going to open a new department in his

    company to sell cakes made by robots."

    It seemed like a good idea.

    Charlotte had a feeling that the cake would definitely be sold out.

    After they had some cake and coffee, Shane and Avery formally started work, while Charlotte stood

    beside Avery and learned some programming skills. However, she had no foundation so she could

    only learn some basics and not harder skills.

    One o''clock in the morning.

    While Charlotte was drinking a second cup of coffee, Peter suddenly came online. "Ms. Emerson,

    are you still working with Mr. Fuller and Mr. Hart?"

    "Yes, we''re working at Avery''s apartment. Do you want toe over?"

    "I just woke up. I''ming now."

    He just woke up at one in the morning?

    It didn''t seem like there was a problem there. She had heard before that hackers were active at

    night and slept in the day, like bats.

    Very quickly, Peter rushed to Avery''s apartment and took over Charlotte''s position. After all,

    compared to Charlotte, he was more suitable to stay by Avery''s side.

    As soon as Charlotte was released, she began to feel sleepy. She brought out the shipping routes

    software developed by Peter to study the shipping routes of the Jane and Stevens families. She

    liked learning more about her enemy.

    "Why aren''t you sleeping? Why did youe here?" Avery asked the robot to get Peter a cup of

    coffee and circled his neck with interest.

    They looked like a pair of passionate lovers.

    Peter did not avoid him, and his tone was the same as usual. "I just woke up.1''

    "Just woke up? At one o''clock in the morning?"

    "What''s wrong? That''s my usual hour."

    Avery was about to say that this was amnesia, but he noticed that was an obvious scar on the back

    of Peter''s head. "Did you get hurt?"

    Although he hadn''t been disgusted by Avery before, once Peter heard him mention the word ''hurt'',

    he prickled. He stared at Avery vigntly while brushing down his hair.

    Avery was amused by his reaction. "Hey, I''m just concerned about you."

    "It''s none of your business," Peter replied coldly.

    When Charlotte heard the noise, she raised her head and said, "Avery, don''t bully Mr. Fuller''s

    employee. He values Peter very much. He had already sent Peter to me before he lost NC

    Company."

    Avery was getting more and more interested in Peter. It was because Peter liked Zoe, which

    showed that they had simr tastes. The other reason was that Peter did not have good equipment,

    but his skills were almost as good as

    Avery''s.

    In so many years, he had never met anyone whose skills could bepared with his. Peter was the

    first one.

    "Oh, I''m just worried about him. There''s a scar on his head," Avery said innocently.

    The muscles all over Peter''s body suddenly tightened.

    "What''s the matter then?" Charlotte did not even turn her head around. "Everyone has a story. Don''t

    be too curious about it."

    Peter suddenly rxed, but the lights in his eyes shed. He looked gratefully at Charlotte. His lips

    trembled for a long time before he finally said, "I, I was beaten by my father. He is dead, so I am fine

    now."

    When he heard this, Avery was stunned and held Peter in his arms, "Sorry, I didn''t know about this.

    How about this? If anyone bullies you in the future, you can tell me."

    "I won''t let anyone bully me anymore."

    "Hey, kid, you''re really..." Avery praised, "I like you."

    "Work," Shane said coldly.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    It was fine. Everyone doted on Peter. However, when he thought about it, he realized that, although

    Peter was cute and sunny, he had a sad past. It really made people want to care for him.

    Avery sat back in front of the operating terminal and continued investigating. As he investigated, his

    expression suddenly changed. "Mr. Fuller, I''ve found some information on the assassin. It''s about

    the same as what you guessed."

    Shane put down the pen and walked behind Avery. He looked at the face on the screen, and the

    atmosphere around him became dark and gloomy.

    It was him.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267

    What was wrong with this person?

    Just by looking at Shane''s expression, Charlotte could tell that this person was very important.

    "Do you have a grudge against him?" Avery was also chilled by Shane''s aura. "Don''t tell me you

    asked me to investigate all the professional assassins because of him."

    "Yes."

    "F*ck, then this Rick must be really powerful. He got your enemy to assassinate his own cousin?

    But, you are a businessman, how would you know this kind of person?"

    "He killed Heidi."

    All of a sudden, there was a dead silence.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Avery looked quickly to Charlotte. She shook her head at him, and only then did he let out a sigh of

    relief.

    As long as Charlotte didn''t mind Shane''s past, it would be good as long as the others didn''t mention

    his sore spot.

    Shane stood there and stared at the screen for a long time. It wasn''t until his eyes felt sore that he

    looked away and returned to his seat. Charlotte followed him and sat down beside him, passing him

    a prepared cup of coffee.

    Shane came to his senses and took the cup of coffee. "You have to watch out."

    "Isn''t the best way to stay safe to stay with you?" she said with a smile.

    It was a good thing for her to think that way.

    Shane nodded.

    Peter''s efficiency had improved as he worked well with Avery. One of them was hacking while the

    other coted the data. Within half an hour, they finished gathering all the data.

    The man who kidnapped Heidi and killed Mielle was called Joe Hills. Although he had the name of a

    countryman, he was actually a foreigner. He was born in a noble family and was very tasteful and

    handsome. He was a legitimate gentleman.

    His background allowed him to kill without making waves.

    Because even if people know that he''s the killer, his family would take care of everything for him.

    But seven years ago, his family suffered a devastating blow, and some of their resources were

    taken over by other families. He also disappeared in that incident. Whether it was within the country

    or without, people generally thought he had disappeared or died.

    "Joe Hills is a verymon name." Charlotte was reading his file. "He''s not married, has no

    hobbies. The only thing special about him is that he likes detective novels and films."

    "He chose to be a killer in order to satisfy his abnormal interests," Avery exined.

    "This person is a little weird," whispered Charlotte.

    "If he''s not weird, why would he be a killer? Moreover, this is his career."

    That was true.

    Peter continued to gather more information. After several minutes, he finally sat down beside

    Charlotte and Avery. "Can we really be sure that it''s him? I checked the hotel''s surveince and

    didn''t see him."

    "He recently came to the country, and he did appear near Evergreen Street. ording to Shane,

    the possibility of it being him is very high." Avery leaned back in his chair. He was obviously very

    tired, but he still used all his energy to process the information.

    They couldn''t be sloppy when it came to this.

    "In my opinion, the surveince can be modified or even deleted, but there''s no way to change

    someone''s habits or their scent," Charlotte suggested.

    Someone''s habit and scent.

    This gave Avery and Peter a direction to look into. As a killer, he would definitely leave behind

    evidence they could pursue, such as ne tickets or purchase records.

    It was true that he did not have to worry about leaving records on his weapon, but what about

    everyday necessities such as food and shelter?

    Avery and Peter continued to work, but Charlotte couldn''t stay awake any longer and fell asleep on

    Avery''s sofa.

    Shane took off his suit jacket and covered her with it. He bent down and massaged the space

    between her eyebrows with his long fingers. Charlotte was still semi- conscious and hadn''t fallen

    completely asleep. She smiled and purred like a little kitten.

    Shane''s lips curled up and his long fingers couldn''t help butnd on her bed. Charlotte stretched out

    her hand but couldn''t grab it. She could only pout and push his hand away.

    "Mr. Fuller, are you teasing Charlotte?" Avery had been anxious, but now he saw Shane teasing

    Charlotte.

    "Impressive! He''s too impressive!" Avery thought.

    Shane came to his senses and withdrew his hand. He nced at Avery and asked, "What''s

    wrong?" "It''s gettingte. We''ve almost figured it out. Let''s go out for breakfast and then you can go

    home to sleep," Avery said.

    "Alright." Shane simply picked up Charlotte.

    Avery smiled and said enviously, "I used to carry Irena like this. Sometimes, I think I''m too

    ipetent."

    Shane didn''t reply. It wasn''t that he couldn''t understand Avery''s pain, but he wouldn''t be sad

    because of it. If one day Charlotte left him, he would definitely arrange everything properly. He

    would never bring up Charlotte to anyone in this world ever again.

    In essence, he and Avery handled thingspletely differently. Even if he could understand Avery''s

    pain, he could not understand Avery.

    Peter was more awake than Avery, so he took the role of driver.

    After they got into the car, Charlotte soon woke up.

    She rubbed her eyes and saw that she was in Shane''s arms. She pushed him shyly and said,

    "Where are we going now?"

    "To get breakfast."

    Breakfast?

    It was only then that Charlotte noticed that the sky had already turned bright. It looked like it was

    around six o''clock.

    They had stayed up the whole night.

    Charlotte observed the three men''s expressions. Compared tost night, there wasn''t much

    difference, especially Peter. He didn''t look like someone who had been up all night. On the contrary,

    he looked quite awake.

    The breakfast ce Avery chose was quite special. There were many people there even this early

    in the morning. Peter and Cole got busy getting them their food.

    "It looks like it''s very important to have an assistant. I think I need to find an assistant myself." Avery

    sighed. "Usually, I can get my own food, but I''m tired now."

    "You don''t have an assistant?" Lottie was surprised.

    After all, she had Zoe too. Did Avery really not have an assistant?

    Averyughed, "That''s right, I don''t want a woman by my side. And I think men aren''t meticulous

    enough. However, looking at Peter and Cole, I changed my mind. Regardless of whether it''s a man

    or woman, being meticulous is a personal trait, and not a gender-specific trait."

    That was true.

    Charlotte felt that she was a very clumsy person. She often forgot about things and messed them

    up. It was only because Peter reminded her that she was able to get things done.

    Cole brought toast while Peter collected eggs and other sandwich foods. When they returned to the

    table from the crowd of people, they were almost sweating.

    Shane calmly passed them two bottles of coffee. They twisted the caps open and drank.

    "Thank you, Mr. Fuller." Cole''s eyebrows arched.

    Peter didn''t have any reaction. He acted as though this was something Shane should do.

    When Avery saw this, his hand moved from his cup above the bridge of his nose to block the scene.

    "No problem. Let''s eat." Shane gestured for them to eat.

    "Is this how you usually talk?" Avery asked curiously.

    "What''s wrong?" Cole tilted his head. In his heart, Avery had be one of Mr. Fuller''s own

    people. That was why he responded to Avery''s question that way.

    If it were any other day, if someone was ''suspicious'' about the way he interacted with Mr. Fuller, he

    would respond in an extremely cold

    manner.

    Avery smiled and shook his head, "No, I just feel that the rumors are not credible. I''ve always heard

    that Mr. Fuller always stresses out his subordinates. Looks like it''s just a rumor."

    "Mr. Fuller stressing us out and treating us well are not mutually exclusive." This was how Cole

    yfully replied.

    Shane red at him coldly.

    Cole could only lower his head and immediately start to eat his sandwich.

    He knew when to back down.

    "Cole, you don''t have to be so afraid of Shane right now." Charlotte didn''t think it was a big deal as

    she watched the scene unfold. "Right now, Mr. Fuller doesn''t have anything. There''s only the few of

    us by his side. He should be afraid that we''ll leave him."

    "Miss Charlotte, it''s all the same."

    "You are really good to Shane. Peter, what do you think?"

    Peter had been eating his breakfast when the topic suddenly turned to him. He looked up nkly

    and said, "Ms. Emerson, these sandwiches are delicious."

    Everyone burst intoughter.

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268

    Because of what happened to Mielle, the Jane family had a lot of police going in and out of their

    house. Their investigation showed that the Jane family was divided into two factions. One faction

    thought that they must investigate and get to the bottom of things. The other faction thought that it

    was unnecessary.

    Charlotte knew that Rick was definitely very busy dealing with this matter. Of course, of the two

    factions, he supported the one who wanted to investigate, but most of the people who supported the

    other group were his people.

    Those people thought that it was because Rick let Mielle do whatever she wanted that she ended

    up dead.

    But this had nothing to do with her, except for the fact that she was killed. After all, Joe and Shane

    had history.

    Charlotte flipped through the documents in her hands, making a rustling sound. She held her head

    and was in a daze for a long time. Then she realized that she didn''t need to worry about this.

    But if she didn''t think about this, she felt an emptiness in her heart.

    What was wrong with her?

    Charlotte put down the document and supported her head with one hand. She picked up a cup of

    coffee with the other hand, took a few sips, and then put it down. After a short while, she picked it

    up and drank it again.

    She repeated the process a few times until Peter pushed the door open.

    "Ms. Emerson."

    Charlotte came back to her senses and lifted her head to look at him.

    "Rick has confirmed it. It was Joe Hills. But he also confirmed that this has nothing to do with him."

    For some reason, Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

    Peter put the document in front of her and asked tentatively, "Do you feel happy about this or..."

    "I don''t know." Charlotte replied with a bitter smile, "I don''t wish that Rick did it, but at the same time,

    I hoped that he can be cruel enough to make this move so that I won''t feel bad when I deal with

    him."

    "Mr. Fuller has already gone abroad to investigate this matter. He mighte back the day after

    tomorrow." "Why didn''t he tell me this himself?" Charlotte

    frowned.

    "Mr. Fuller also wanted to tell you, but he said that he couldn''t get through to your phone, so he

    didn''t."

    He couldn''t get through to her phone?

    Only now did Charlotte realize that her phone had run out of battery. What had she been doing for

    the entire day?

    Charlotte quickly charged her phone. The moment she turned it on, she saw 3 missed calls. Shane

    didn''t like exining to others what he was doing. He didn''t bother to call a second time if the first

    try didn''t work. That he would call her three different times...

    This was her problem.

    Charlotte rubbed her temples and called him back.

    "Did Peter see you?" Shane quickly picked up the call.

    "Yes," Charlotte said. "Sorry, my phone ran out of battery."

    "It''s okay. I''m already on the ne. I''ve asked Peter to keep an eye on the Jane Corporation. Take

    care of yourself."

    At the mention of her safety, Charlotte rushed to ask, "Why are you suddenly going abroad?"

    He could very well have brought her along.

    If he was worried about her safety, why didn''t he bring her with him?

    "It''s not a big deal. Don''t worry."

    "Shane, you''re lying to me."

    "You''ll find out when Ie back."

    Shane hung up the phone after that.

    She could still hear his cold in her ear, but she couldn''t hear his voice anymore. For some reason,

    Charlotte felt as if her heart was filled with panic.

    That day after work, Charlotte returned home and sat in a daze on the sofa for a long time. She did

    not start working and went in and out of sleep.

    She even saw Mielle''s corpse in her dream. She had not been so scared the first time she saw it,

    but now the more she thought about it, the more scared she was. She became extremely nervous.

    She really wanted to have a good sleep.

    The next day.

    When Charlotte went to the office, she saw Rick. He looked as he usually did. He cleaned himself

    up neatly. His smile was very gentle. However, the dark circles below his eyes and the fatigue

    between his eyebrows betrayed his inner feelings.

    Charlotte sent her assistant away and sat down before him. "Mr. Jane, are you looking for me?"

    "Yes, to be exact, I''m looking for Shane, but I can''t get in touch with him." Rick raised his head and

    looked into Charlotte''s eyes.

    He was a little nervous. He did not think that Charlotte would help him. After all, thew hadn''t dealt

    with Kendall''s matter even until now. He was still in close contact with the Stevens family. Strictly

    speaking, the two of them were on different paths.

    Charlotte frowned. "I just talked to him on the phone. He''s abroad. He has another flight at 3 pm

    tomorrow."

    "If that''s the case... can you make an appointment with him for me?" Rick''s eyes lit up.

    "Sorry, what do you want to see him about?"

    Charlotte''s tone made her sound very distant.

    Rick''s heart sank. He forced a smile and said, "Actually, I had a good rtionship with Mielle.

    However, Mielle''s father had an illegitimate son. At that time, Mielle and I both suspected that this

    illegitimate son would move against her. Who would have thought that Mielle would die just like

    that."

    "So..." "I investigated in private and found that Mielle had been stabbed twice. The first wound was

    caused by the dead bodyguard, and the second was the fatal injury that was caused by the killer."

    "That is to say, there are two different people who wanted to kill Mielle."

    Rick nodded.

    Charlotte fell silent after hearing this.

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Rick''s looking for Shane was very easy to understand-Rick wanted to investigate who hired Joe with

    Shane''s help. It was because Shane knew Joe well.

    "May I ask what you think?"

    "I''m guessing that the illegitimate child bought the bodyguard. So, is Joe back in the country?" Rick

    leaned forward slightly. "Lottie, this really has nothing to do with me. Do you believe me?"

    In her heart, Charlotte believed in Rick''s words, but she didn''t say anything. She simply looked at

    him quietly.

    Rick said with a bitter smile, "Sorry, I don''t mean anything by it, just..."

    "Why don''t you ask Kendall?"

    "The Stevens Family?" Rick frowned.

    "Mielle''s death is good for you as well as the Stevens family. Rather than think about who wanted to

    kill Mielle, it would be better to think about who thinks that Mielle''s death would be beneficial to you.

    Not only does that person care about you, but they also don''t know much about you," Charlotte

    said.

    Rick said that he had a good rtionship with Mielle. Those who knew had a good rtionship with

    him would probably know about that.

    Even if they didn''t know that their rtionship was good, they should know that the rtionship

    between them was not absolutely irreconcble.

    In other words.

    The man who helped Rick to get rid of Mielle surely did not know much about Rick and Mielle.

    Rick nodded thoughtfully. "That''s indeed possible, Charlotte. I know you''re not a person who likes to

    sow discord. I''d like to..."

    "Of course, I wouldn''t sow discord in this situation, but if there''s any internal conflict in your family,

    it''ll be good for me."

    Rick''s words stopped at the tip of his tongue. He looked at Charlotte in disbelief. He felt very hurt.

    "In your heart, am I already your enemy?"

    "Mr. Jane, Mr. Fuller might not think of you as an enemy. However, if I don''t treat you as an enemy,

    it''ll be a little dangerous for me," Charlotte replied with a smile.

    Now, Charlotte had changed her address of Rick into a formal one.

    What else could Rick say?

    He got up and wanted to bow to her, but he was afraid of offending her.

    He strode out as if he was escaping.

    Charlotte watched him walk off and her gaze gradually turned ice-cold.

    Rick said that he had a good rtionship with Mielle, but they still had apetitive rtionship

    between them. This indicated that Mielle had long felt that the Jane family was not of one mind, so

    she pretended not to get along with Rick. In this way, Mielle and Rick could influence two different

    groups of people.

    In other words, there was no one in Rick''s camp who wanted to kill Mielle.

    Who wanted Mielle to die?

    Was it really the Stevens family?

    Charlotte stood up and left the conference room. She went to the pantry to get a cup of coffee.

    "Hey, did you hear? The murder case is going viral on the Inte now. The Jane Corporation''s

    stock has gone down a lot."

    "If I were Rick, I would be so mad..."

    "I heard that it was someone inside the Jane Corporation who killed her. Do you think that the

    person who did this ahead of time would know that the stock would fall?"

    That was right.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte thought of something.

    When her father died, the stock fell sharply. At that time, ine took control of most of the stock.

    These two cases were so simr.

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269

    "Ah, Ms. Emerson!" One of them noticed Charlotte.

    "Ms. Emerson, we''re not here to gossip. It''s just that we''re a little tired from working..." Another

    person was trying to exin.

    The first person had been in thepany for a long time. He knew that it was better to shut up than

    to exin right then. He quickly pulled the second person back and did not allow her to keep

    speaking.

    Charlotte patted both of their shoulders. "Don''t be nervous. Let me ask you a question. Who do you

    think has the greatest benefit in this matter?"

    The biggest benefit?

    Both of them were stunned.

    She was actually gossiping with the two of them. The bespectacled woman who hadn''t spoken just

    now raised her hand. Charlotte nodded at her, indicating for her to speak.

    "I thought it was Rick, but after Mielle died, everyone would suspect him. Even if he hates Mielle, he

    should have been more discreet," the woman with sses said.

    "That''s right. And then?"

    "So I think that the Emerson Corporation, NC Company, and Prospera, who have all been

    expanding abroad recently, all could have been the culprit, but I still feel that there was a personal

    grudge involved since she was killed outright."

    NC Company was expanding abroad?

    Charlotte froze for a moment. "You''re saying that NC Company is expanding abroad?"

    The woman pushed her sses further up her nose and nodded. "Yes, their funds are being

    transferred abroad, and NC Company and the Emerson Corporation have always had close

    interactions. The twopanies are almost adjacent."

    "Which department do you belong to?"

    "Well, Ms. Emerson, I''m from the design department, but a friend of mine works at NC Company."

    "Go find Peter and tell him about this matter. After that, you can have the next two days off on paid

    leave." Charlotte turned to the other two. "You guys continue your break. I''ve said before that as

    long as thepany''s bottom line is the top priority, you''re free to do whatever you want. There''s

    no need to be so nervous when ites to chatting."

    After she said that, Charlotte turned around and left the pantry.

    A long time after Charlotte left, the three of them came to their senses, as if they had just woken up

    from a dream.

    "Ms. Emerson doesn''t seem to be mad at us."

    "Hey, Rene, why did Ms. Emerson ask you to find Mr. Brown?"

    The woman in sses shook her head and said, "All I know is that Ms. Emerson treats us very

    well."

    "You''re right. I thought she would definitely criticize us this time. I''ve heard that Ms. Emerson and

    the Jane Corporation''s Mr. Jane are..."

    "Hey, stop talking nonsense. Let''s go back to work."

    The other fled from Rene''s side like they were running from the gue.

    She knew that it was not that they didn''t want to gossip, but they were afraid that she would pass

    the gossip on to Ms. Emerson.

    The human heart was unpredictable, and no one knew who would turn out to be mean-spirited.

    Charlotte originally thought that, at the very least, she would be able to obtain some news tomorrow.

    But she didn''t expect that Peter would give her a file that afternoon.

    NC Company was indeed transferring assets abroad. It was not Christopher himself only, but the

    whole of NC Company. ording to the information obtained by Peter, this news was known by

    very few people in the country. Rene knew about it because her friend at NC Company held a high

    position.

    It was also her friend who had rmended her toe to thispany for a job.

    Charlotte immediately confirmed with Shane that this friend of Rene''s was indeed Shane''s

    informant, but he was in a very weak position and was not very important. To ask him to resign

    would not be fair to him, so Shane did not make any moves at all. He still left him in NC Company.

    "Are Christopher and ine and Rickpeting with each other?" Charlotte muttered to herself as

    she looked at the documents.

    "Good news." Shane''s voice came from the earphones.

    "Ah, you haven''t hung up yet."

    "I''m fine, thank you." There was a hint of impatience in his words.

    Charlotte scratched the back of her head in embarrassment and said, "No, I mean, I thought you

    ended the call..."

    Shane didn''t answer. After a while, Charlotte heard voices from over the phone.

    Should she hang up the phone?

    Charlotte scratched her eyebrows. She was too embarrassed to interrupt Shane, but she also felt

    that it was rude to eavesdrop on him, even though she couldn''t understand a word that he was

    saying to the others.

    "If you have any questions, just ask me. I will answer them when I am free," Shane said.

    "Are you in a meeting?"

    "Yes, but it doesn''t matter."

    Charlotte was moved. She gripped her phone and lowered her head. "I''ll try my best not to trouble

    you."

    This time, Shane didn''t answer immediately. After he spoke to the other party for a long time, he just

    said a few words...

    "I don''t mind being troubled by you."

    At first, Charlotte was reading the documents very seriously, but when she heard this, her ears

    immediately turned red.

    She finished her work in silence. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, Shane''s voice sounded

    again, "Peter told me that Rick went to the office.

    What''s the matter?"

    Charlotte came back to her senses, "It''s like this..." The matter was simple and notplicated.

    Shane had been silent for a long time after listening to this. Charlotte was still very nervous,

    because she had promised Rick that she would tell Shane about it. If doing so made Shane

    unhappy...

    "Poor thing."

    Unexpectedly, Shane said those two words.

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment. "Um, do you mean Rick?"

    "Yep." There was a rustling sound from Shane''s side. It sounded like he was flipping through a file.

    "Mielle looked down on him. She only had a good rtionship with him because she wanted to find

    the spy. However, Rick was always very kind to her."

    "Why did she look down on him? Isn''t Rick''s prestige in the Jane Corporation very high?" Charlotte

    felt that it was very strange.

    "Rick is different from me. He relied on my father to get his position."

    In an instant, Charlotte understood.

    In Mielle''s opinion, Rick got the position only because his father preferred boys over girls. So she

    looked down on Rick too, but Rick didn''t think that way. Or, even if he knew that Mielle looked down

    on him, he was willing to support her because of how outstanding she is and because she''s

    younger than him.

    In other words, between Mielle and Rick, only Mielle would take the initiative to kill Rick, not the

    other way around. Rick loved Mielle from the bottom of his heart.

    "Shane, do you know where Anne and Braden are?" Charlotte felt that her best friend would

    definitely know about the Jane family''s private matters.

    But it had been a long time since she had heard anything from them.

    "They''re traveling. Don''t disturb them. If they don''t approach you, don''t ask them."

    "Oh, fine."

    Again, there was silence.

    Charlotte was flipping through the documents when her fingers paused suddenly. "Christopher has

    the Jane Corporation''s shares..."

    "What''s that?"

    "12% of the Jane Corporation''s shares. How does he have so much?" Charlotte quickly flipped

    through the documents. Just now, she did not look at the section rted to Christopher in Peter''s

    investigation. She thought that she and Shane knew enough about what would be in the report.

    She never expected that there would be fresher news...

    Charlotte had a bad feeling. Could it be that the matter with Mielle had something to do with

    Christopher?

    "I''ll tell you in person when I get back."

    "Alright."

    Charlotte tidied up the documents and put them into the drawer.

    ording to Shane, he would be back in a few hours.

    When she thought of this.

    Charlotte suddenly came to her senses. "Shane, the matter that you''re investigating abroad, does it

    have to do with NC Company and the Jane Corporation moving abroad?"

    "More or less. The main thing has to do with the Stevens family and Joe Hills."

    "Then..."

    She seemed to have nothing to handle.

    Charlotte thought for a moment and suggested, "Then I''ll hang up now?"

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "There''s no need." "But, I have nothing else to say to you."

    There was a long silence on Shane''s end. Then, he said, "Don''t hang up either way."

    Charlotte had just wanted to ask him why when a very noisy noise came from his end. It was as if

    he had pushed open the door from a quiet coffee shop and then walked into the street. There were

    trees lining the street. And a bustling crowd had gathered under the trees.

    At that moment, Charlotte suddenly knew why Shane didn''t want to hang up the phone.

    She didn''t want to hang up, either.

    Although they were just small earphones, she kept feeling like listening to all this was like being

    right next to Shane. The distance between them was drawn into almost non-existence.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270

    It was a littlete when Shane returned to the country, but Charlotte still asked Rick whether he

    wanted to meet up. Rick directly asked her for the address and said that he would arrive in half an

    hour.

    Charlotte put down her phone and walked to the open kitchen. She ced her coffee cup in the

    coffee machine and pressed the button. The entire room was filled with the fragrance of coffee

    beans. After she made her coffee, she walked into the living room. Shane was wearing a casual

    robe as he leaned against the back of the sofa, looking a littlezy.

    She ced the cup of coffee by his hand and said, "You''re already so tired, why did you ask me to

    ask Rick if he wants toe?"

    "Isn''t it better to settle things earlier?"

    "But, you look very tired..." Charlotte absentmindedly reached out her hand and touched the space

    between his eyebrows. She used her fingertip to outline the shape of his eyebrows.

    Shane stared at her soulfully, but he didn''t stop her. He watched as her fingers slid all the way down

    and finally stop on his chin. Only then did he tremble as if he had just woken from a dream. She

    stopped hurriedly and retracted her hand. Shane covered her hand with his.

    Their eyes met.

    Charlotte didn''t dare to blink, nor did she dare to look at him. She closed her eyes in fear, but it

    looked as if she was looking for a kiss.

    Shane leaned over and kissed her on the lips. He let go of her hand and grabbed her waist. "If the

    Jane Corporation leaves the Asia Pacific region, it will only be good for us."

    "So, you are helping him to get to know his ns better?"

    "From what I know of Rick, he would liquidate his Asia Pacific regionpany and leave the

    country soon after our press conference."

    This time, Charlotte did not ask why.

    She knew that Rick had deep feelings for her. In her heart, she thought he really wouldn''t keep

    Kendall by his side, even after he helped protect Kendall. But, in actuality, he had done it.

    The light in Charlotte''s eyes gradually dimmed.

    "The man behind this scheme is not so simple," Shane said.

    "Could it be Christopher?" "He might not be so shrewd." "In my opinion, they''re all good people.

    Whether by my side or by yours, they''re all..." Charlotte didn''t know what to say.

    It was like they had suddenly found out that someone was a murderer. The person had always done

    good things and was a charitable person. But the reason they had killed was very simple �� they

    just wanted to.

    Wasn''t that ridiculous?

    In her heart, she felt that Christopher and Rick''s actions were just as ridiculous as this concept.

    "Good people don''t make mistakes?" Shane asked back.

    "Um..."

    "You didn''t get along well with my mother before. Don''t you care for her now?"

    "That''s because I''ve always thought that she was a good person. She is just a bit stubborn."

    Really?

    If she knew that Raina had once hurt Sheryl, would she still think that way?

    Shane felt that Charlotte thought too much in ck and white. Good was good and bad was bad.

    She was too naive.

    At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

    Charlotte left Shane''s embrace, straightened her clothes, and went to open the door.

    Rick stood outside the opened door. He raised his head and smiled at her. "Lottie."

    Charlotte silently took a step back. She pulled the door fully open to make it easier for him to walk

    inside. "The slippers are on the shoe rack. You can take them yourself."

    As she spoke, she walked back to Shane and sat down beside him.

    Rick changed his shoes and looked around the room.

    The style of design was not forbidding, but it was a style that was more trendy a few years ago,

    which meant that Shane had bought this house a few years ago. It was not the house he bought

    with Charlotte.

    Rick walked inside and went to the living room after passing the open kitchen and the connected

    dining room. The aroma of coffee and dessert tempted his taste buds.

    He sat down and took out a thick stack of paper from a folder. "These are the people I''m sure are

    with me. None of them hired an assassin. None of them had suspicious movements in their

    ounts. Of course, the movements in my ounts are also recorded in detail here." "Mr. Jane,

    you are so generous." Shane didn''t move to study it.

    That Rick would bring it over for him to see indicated that he was confident in these documents.

    Rick said with a wry smile, "Since I asked you for help, I have to show some sincerity too. I know

    that you have been holding a grudge against Joe. Back then, he kidnapped you and killed many

    people. With the Fuller family and Stevens family''s influence, he still escaped thew. Now he''s

    back again. You..."

    "I can help you, but I have a request."

    "You can ask directly."

    "Kendall, I want her to be in jail."

    There was a dead silence.

    Charlotte didn''t expect Shane to say that, and she turned her head to look at him in disbelief.

    She knew that, for Shane, Heidi was part of a painful past. She was not to be mentioned, like

    Pandora''s magic box, while Joe was the key to this Pandora''s box.

    "Are you here for Sheryl, Mr. Fuller?" Rick asked.

    "She is my daughter. If she can''t get justice and the people who hurt her can''t be punished, I won''t

    cooperate with you."

    Rick was silent for a long time before he finally nodded. "This is why I didn''t interfere. That day was

    an ident. When I made my decision, I was still muddled. I am not defending myself, I just want to

    say that I am very regretful."

    He didn''t know why he had hurt Sheryl and Charlotte, but at this point, even if Shane hadn''t

    mentioned it, he wouldn''t have been able to think of a way to make things fair.

    Even if it offended the Stevens family.

    "The second thing, why are you still in the country?" Shane''s question was much sharper than the

    previous one.

    Rick picked up the coffee that Charlotte brought him and drank it in one gulp. Then he smiled and

    said, "Since I''m here, how can I go back empty-handed? I''ve been living afortable life abroad

    for a long time. I want toe out and experience a challenge. Even if I don''t have a chance to get

    a piece of the domestic pie, I won''t give up on other countries."

    Shane nodded. "It''s nice working with you."

    "Mr. Fuller, there is one thing you may not know. I have a very good rtionship with Mielle. She

    helped me deal with some things abroad. I am very grateful to her."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "So?" "I don''t have enough connections in the country. I want to choose a better graveyard for her."

    Rick looked at Shane sincerely and said, "Mr. Fuller, I don''t dare to trust other people, who might be

    enemies or friends. But you are the only one I can trust, even if you are an enemy."

    Shane turned to look at Charlotte.

    Whether to help Rick or not, it was fine.

    However, if Charlotte said that she wanted to help Rick, then no matter what, he would help.

    "You, why are you looking at me? I don''t have any connections in this area." Even Charlotte was

    stunned.

    Shane didn''t reply and just looked at her.

    A few secondster, Charlotte finally came to her senses. Shane was silently asking her if she

    wanted to help Rick.

    He had passed a very tricky problem directly to her.

    Charlotte looked at Rick and then at Shane. She could only repeat herself, "I don''t have any

    connections in this area..."

    The first time, she really hadn''t reacted in time. The second time, she did it on purpose.

    "Sorry, I approached you too suddenly." Rick lowered his head, feeling slightly bitter in his heart.

    "I can help you."

    Rick did not expect that there was still a turning point in this matter. He immediately looked up at

    him and asked, "Mr. Fuller?"

    Shane nced at Charlotte. She covered her face with her hands and said in a soft voice, "I really

    don''t have any. I don''t want to get involved in your business."

    "But I have a question. Why are you leaving Mielle in the country?" Charlotte asked again.

    Shane wasn''t interested in this question, but it didn''t stop him from listening to Rick''s answer.

    "This is our family''s custom. You must be buried in the ce where you died," Rick replied.

    This custom...

    Although Charlotte couldn''t understand, she could ept it.

    "Oh, I see," she replied awkwardly.

    It was so embarrassing.

    Why had she asked this question just now?

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271

    After a moment of silence, Rick stood up and said, "Then I''ll take my leave first. Thank you very

    much, Mr. Fuller."

    "See you soon." Shane stood up and walked him out.

    "I won''t forget your help this time. I''m very sorry about Kendall, but I can''t exin it to you. I''ll find a

    way to figure it out. I''m leaving now." Rick picked up his bag and left in a hurry.

    Before Charlotte could even open her mouth, he had already disappeared from her sight.

    "Do you really want to help him?" Charlotte asked Shane.

    "Don''t you want to help?"

    "No, it''s just that I feel that this matter is a little strange. What kind of family custom says that a

    person must be buried where they die..." Charlotte muttered.

    "That has nothing to do with us."

    That was true.

    Charlotte didn''t care about this, just as she had repeatedly emphasized. Anyway, it wasn''t her

    connections, and they didn''t need her money, so it had nothing to do with her.

    Shane was very efficient. He settled the matter in one day. The embalmer at the mortuary had also

    been arranged, and the body had moved from the frozen morgue to the crematorium. They were

    just waiting for Rick and the others to arrive.

    At five o''clock in the morning, Charlotte stood at the door, waiting for people to arrive. She said that

    Rick and the people on his end would arrive before six o''clock.

    At 5:30 a.m., it started to drizzle.

    Shane walked to her with an umbre and said, "Come inside and wait."

    "I''m afraid they don''t know the way."

    "I''ll apany you."

    "There''s no need. It''s too cold outside. You should go in." Charlotte pushed him away as she spoke.

    Her brows were written over with worry.

    She could still say that it was cold outside?

    Shane reached out and held her in his arms. "You think I''ll be cold, but you won''t?"

    "I..." Charlotte was forced to hide under Shane''s umbre as she leaned against his chest.

    In fact, it was quite romantic.

    The raindrops fell on the umbre surface and made a crisp sound. She didn''t feel cold. When she

    looked up, she could see Shane''s eyes, which were as bright as stars.

    Charlotte rxed her body a little. She leaned all of her weight against him. If he let go, she would

    definitely fall down.

    Shane couldn''t guess Charlotte''s thoughts. Shane only used a little more effort to hold her. He

    curled his fingers on her waist and pulled her even closer. She was willing to let him move her

    about. He naturally wouldn''t let go.

    Rick got out of the car and opened a transparent stic umbre.

    When he was about to move forward, he saw the scene at the door, and he unconsciously stopped.

    Charlotte and Shane were looking at each other. They only had eyes for each other. Charlotte

    seemed to smile shyly and lower her head, but Shane pushed her so that she couldn''t bow her

    head.

    Rainnded on Shane''s shoulder, and Charlotte quickly reached out to adjust the umbre. Their

    lips were moving, and Charlotte no longer made the move to lower her head.

    "Mr. Jane." The assistant stood beside him. "Don''t you want to go in?"

    "This scene is quite beautiful." Rick''s voice was hoarse.

    "Yes..." The assistant didn''t dare to say anything.

    "I have acted selfishly to obtain what I want, but I also need to take her feelings into consideration. I

    know where my heart lies. Should she do the same, shouldn''t she?" Rick asked the assistant.

    The assistant did not know what to say, but at that moment, Kendall got out of the car, stood by his

    arm, and held onto it.

    Rick nced at her and said, "Do you know what you should say today?"

    Kendall pursed her lips somewhat reluctantly, but in the end, she nodded and said, "I know."

    "I don''t want the Stevens family to be lonely because of you. Just say what you should say. I will

    pick you up again."

    "Rick, are you jealous?" Kendall asked a question that did not make sense.

    Jealousy.

    Of course, he was jealous.

    Rick didn''t answer but just looked at the scene quietly. The rain was falling, hitting his heart like

    shattering ss, riddling his heart with holes.

    "I don''t deserve for you to be jealous of." In the end, Rick gave her an extremely calm and cruel

    answer.

    Kendall''s heart ached in an instant. She even felt a little regretful. If it were not for the fact that she

    insisted oning to the country by her own initiative, Rick and Charlotte''s rtionship might not

    have ended up like this. Moreover, she would not have ced herself in such an awkward position.

    She bit her lip. "Will she really lock me up in prison?"

    "It''s thew that will put you in prison, not me."

    Kendall pursed her lips, feeling unsatisfied. The assistant took out his phone and sent a message to

    some unknown person.

    Rick and Kendall walked over.

    Charlotte instantly stood up straight. Like a cat on guard against a stranger, she stared fixedly at

    Kendall.

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane pulled her into his arms and pulled her to the back. He faced the two of them and said, "Mr.

    Jane, what is the meaning of this?"

    "After the burial, let''s go to court directly. What do you think?"

    Shane nced at the person in his arms.

    Her hostility towards Kendall was very obvious. If looks could kill, Kendall would have been dead by

    now.

    "Cole," Shane said coldly.

    "Yes." "Keep an eye on her."

    "Yes, sir."

    Cole stood next to Kendall, not moving at all.

    In regards to this, Rick did not have much to say at all.

    Soon after, everyone arrived, and the funeral ceremony began.

    There was no crying at the scene. Only a few of Mielle''s friends sobbed quietly. Rick also shed a

    few tears. He wanted to reach out to touch the person in the coffin, but in the end, he only looked at

    her and walked away quietly.

    Then, the body was cremated and ced in the grave.

    A living person became a corpse, then a corpse became ashes. The ashes were ced into a box

    to be buried in the earth. Mielle was buried.

    Rick watched Mielle''s body enter the furnace. He didn''t feel as if a corpse had entered the furnace,

    but rather his beloved sister. He felt that she was still alive, only sleeping.

    "Don''t go, Mielle. Don''t leave us." Rick suddenly burst into tears and knelt on the ground.

    The assistant quickly supported him. Kendall did not bother with Cole and went forward to lean

    beside Rick.

    "The three most important people in Rick''s life are Mielle, Anne, and Charlotte. Now, Anne had left

    River City in order to avoid suspicion. Charlotte is by your side, and Mielle is dead. He really has

    nothing left." The one who spoke was Avery, who had kept quiet thus far.

    He had been invited by Rick. After all, they had cooperated before, and he had helped the Jane

    Corporation a lot.

    Shane nced at him but remained silent.

    "Cut him some ck," Avery rified.

    "I thought that you would think that I was too lenient to Kendall and him." Shane''s voice was very

    cold.

    "Just drive him out of the country. Don''t let him leave the Asia Pacific region market. Mielle died

    here, Charlotte is here, and Anne will marry Braden in the future..." Avery sighed. He really couldn''t

    bear it.

    The main thing was that Rick''s crying was too heart-wrenching to watch.

    Shane nced at Charlotte, who was standing beside him.

    Compared to Avery, Charlotte was much colder. It was as if she was looking at an inconsequential

    person.

    In her eyes, Rick was like an actor in a tragedy. She knew that his story had nothing to do with her,

    so she did not have any emotional difort.

    Rick cried until his voice became hoarse. Mielle had note out of the furnace yet.

    The staff member exined that because Mielle had stayed in the morgue for too long and even

    had an autopsy, it was not very easy to burn.

    Rick listened, tears rolling down his cheeks again.

    Kendall couldn''t bear to watch any longer. After a few moments, she stood up and looked at

    Charlotte. She wanted to get Charlotte to try and talk to him.

    "Since you''re friends, do you want to go over and take a look?" Avery sensed her intentions and

    took the initiative to ask Charlotte.

    He thought to himself that there was no way Charlotte would go. She might have been worried

    about Shane''s feelings. As long as he took the initiative to bring it up, she would have an excuse to

    do so.

    Charlotte''s expression was cold as she shook her head, "It has nothing to do with me."

    "Um..."

    Avery felt that her reaction was too cold.

    "If I be his emotional support, it would make

    him more burdened instead."

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272

    Charlotte''s gaze met Kendall''s. Thetter hurriedly turned around. It was not difficult to see that

    Kendall''s gaze was filled with resentment.

    That was her problem. In any case, she would only lend a helping hand if Rick was about to drop

    dead in the next second. Otherwise, it wasn''t a big deal. She only wanted to make sure that Rick

    wouldn''t feel like she had any feelings for him. That would be too dangerous.

    Besides, breaking up had been Rick''s ideas. In their rtionship, Rick had always taken the lead.

    Since he had given things up, why should she keep thinking about it? Why should she care about

    him?

    "Women are so confusing." Avery sighed.

    Charlotte didn''t have any intention of defending herself. She didn''t even look at Rick and Kendall.

    After the cremation wasplete, Rick''s legs were still trembling.

    The cars in the parking lot of the crematorium left one by one. The ashes would not be handled by

    them. But, right now, in Rick''s condition, he couldn''t deal with anything. So someone else from the

    Jane family had to collect the ashes and send them off to be buried.

    However, only a few people from the Jane family hade. After all, most of the Jane family were

    abroad, and Mielle was of a younger generation. No one had rushed back to the country to deal

    with her funeral.

    "Can this document only be signed by Rick?" Avery raised his wrist. It was already eight o''clock. He

    still had a meeting at eleven o''clock. He needed at least an hour to get back to the city from here. If

    he dyed any longer, he would bete.

    "They''re afraid that someone might steal the ashes, probably," Charlotte said.

    Avery said impatiently, "Who would steal that? Won''t they be afraid of being haunted?"

    "I''ve asked the people here. They''ve lost people''s ashes before. Afterward, they even approached

    the family members to ask if they wanted to buy the ashes back. These people exist. They''re not

    scared of anything," Charlotte said.

    "That''s so despicable," Avery said, gritting his teeth.

    In the end, it was not until Rick had recovered that he began to go through the formalities.

    The graveyard was not far away from the crematorium. It would only take half an hour to get there.

    Shane had already made arrangements at the graveyard. All they had to do was get there.

    Charlotte wasn''t a fan of graveyards. They were creepy.

    It wasn''t just her, though. This graveyard in River City was long believed to be severely haunted.

    Therefore, Kendall was left in the car.

    Charlotte wore headphones as she closed her eyes and leaned back into her seat to rest. Suddenly,

    the earphones were yanked out. She opened her eyes and looked up only to find Kendall standing

    in front of her.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "Even if you lock me up, they will still bust me out. Why can''t you let it go?" Kendall stared at

    Charlotte, hatred flickering in her eyes.

    They could have settled things privately. Besides, Kendall hadn''t done anything else to Charlotte or

    Sheryl afterward.

    Why was Charlotte so stubborn?

    Charlotteughed softly. "There are only two reasons for you to be so angry. First, your resume will

    not look so good after you go to jail. Second, although the Stevens family is willing to save their little

    princess, you''ll probably be kicked out of the family if there is a second time, right?"

    Kendall gritted her teeth and red at her. "You don''t have to tell me that!" "This is the price you

    have to pay for your mistakes. In a few decades, both of us will die. By then, my daughter might be

    a judge or an entrepreneur. When she is faced with a matter of good and evil, she will think of you.

    As her mother, I hope that she will remember that good can defeat evil."

    "Evil? What right do you have to call me evil? If you hadn''t done those things to Rick, I wouldn''t

    have..."

    "You can tell the judge that I hurt Rick. Let''s see if thew will find me guilty and give me a life

    sentence."

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Kendall clenched her fists. She was so angry that her face was red. "Aren''t you afraid that I will

    come out of prison and kill Sheryl?"

    Charlotte stood up, smiling. She felt like she didn''t have to try too hard to argue with Kendall. She

    was taller than the other woman by two full inches. Charlotte could scare Kendall off just by

    towering over her.

    "Just you try. If anything happens to Sheryl, I won''t let you die peacefully. I''ll kill every single

    member of the Stevens family slowly in front of you. Then, I''ll feed you their flesh and blood."

    Charlotte lowered her voice as she ced a single hand on Kendall''s shoulder. Her voice was as

    cold as the

    grave.

    Kendall was thoroughly scared by Charlotte. She turned her eyes away and dared not to look at

    Charlotte anymore.

    Charlotte let go of Kendall''s shoulder and sat back down leisurely. She put her earphones into her

    ears again.

    Kendall''s face was ashen. She did not have the guts to try and talk to Charlotte again.

    Charlotte was even more unreasonable than Shane.

    Kill her family slowly...

    Kendall couldn''t believe that Charlotte had said such a thing. As Kendall returned to her seat, she

    still felt shaken. From what she knew, Charlotte wasn''t the kind of person who didn''t have a temper,

    but she never seemed so cruel to her before.

    Kendall peeked in the direction of Charlotte a few times. However, all she could see was Charlotte''s

    back. Charlotte didn''t even bother to pay attention to her.

    Kendall bit her lips and took out her phone, intending to send a message to Rick. However, she had

    truly been in the wrong in this matter.

    She only hoped that the Stevens family wouldn''t kick her out because of this.

    The burial ended.

    Charlotte returned to Shane''s car and handed the earphones to him. "How did you know Kendall

    would definitelye to talk to me? I thought that she knew how we felt."

    "Kendall thinks that the Stevens family will help her, so it doesn''t matter either way." Shane put the

    earphones back into his pocket.

    "Why does she think that way?" Charlotte clenched her fists tightly.

    Before this, Shane had told her many times to restrain her emotions when she faced Kendall. It was

    no good to argue with her.

    She actually didn''t know the reason.

    "Her thinking is different from ours. The Stevens family always puts family first." Shane took off his

    suit jacket and covered her with it.

    He wasn''t superstitious, but the graveyard was indeed cold. It was flu season too, so it was better to

    make sure that she didn''t catch a chill.

    It was only then that Charlotte suddenly understood, "No wonder you said that there''s no benefit to

    argue with her. It''s because we have different ways of thinking?"

    "That''s right." "But even if they put family first, why would they save Kendall? Wouldn''t it be too

    much trouble to antagonize us?"

    "Kendall is very important to the Stevens family. As for us... Who do you think is more important?

    Rick or someone who has lost NC Company like me?"

    "They don''t know about your ns after giving up NC Company." Charlotte sighed.

    Other people only knew that Christopher had won against Shane.

    As Charlotte thought about this, her heart ached for Shane. When he was in that position, everyone

    was waiting for him to leave. After he had truly left, not a single person felt as if a hero had fallen.

    Instead, everyone thought that Shane had been humiliated. They hadpletely forgotten about

    everything that he had once contributed to the country and the city.

    She bit her lip. "It''s too unfair."

    "What are you thinking about now?"

    "Nothing. I just feel like..." She felt sorry for him.

    Shane turned on theputer he had brought with him and opened a software. "Now you should

    think about how to get the Stevens family into trouble. You can use this matter with Kendall.

    Whether it is a conspiracy or a plot, you can take revenge in your own way."

    Her own way...

    Charlotte looked at the shipping routes software in front of her. She recalled Kendall''s threat just

    now.

    The light in Charlotte''s eyes turned cold. "I understand. The judgment of thew gave Sheryl and

    me some justice. That the Stevens family would save Kendall is based on their rtionship with her.

    For me to go after the Stevens family is to make myself feel better. These three issues don''t

    contradict. Rather, they can coexist."

    Shane''s thin lips curled slightly and his body leaned forward a little. "That''s right."

    "Do you deal with things like this usually?"

    "More or less." His means were much more ruthless than hers.

    Charlotte took a deep breath.

    The Stevens family.

    What should she do?

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273

    After she thought for a while, Charlotte finally decided to nt a bug on Kendall first. The Stevens

    family was even bigger than the Jane family. It was impossible to deal with them in one go. The first

    thing to do was to find out who had saved Kendall.

    It wasn''t easy to install a bug on Kendall. Charlotte decided to pass it to Cole and let him handle it.

    Regardless, he was able to sessfully bug Kendall.

    As Charlotte listened to the clear sound of breathinging from the bug, she let out a sigh of

    relief.

    After he helped Charlotte to do this, Cole immediately told Shane about what she did.

    "Mr. Fuller, I didn''t expect Miss Charlotte to be so devious. You don''t have to worry," Cole said.

    "I''ve never worried about her."

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Then why did you ask me to keep an eye on Miss Stevens?"

    Shane remained silent.

    Cole chuckled and pushed his sses up. "You''re just worried about Miss Charlotte, but you dare

    not show it. Are you afraid that Miss Charlotte will distance herself from you if she knows what

    you''re thinking?"

    "She has always been distant from me." Shane frowned.

    "That was because of Mr. Jane before. She''s now very close to you."

    Shane was speechless.

    "Mr. Fuller, I don''t care about your private affairs. However, are you really not going to intervene in

    the Stevens family''s affairs this time?"

    Was he going to intervene?

    Charlotte was making her own moves. Unbeknownst to her, Avery was helping Charlotte as well.

    Even if he intervened, the best thing to do was probably to supply Peter with everything he needed.

    There was nothing else Shane could do.

    Cole called Shane''s name twice without getting any reply, so he stopped trying.

    After a while, Charlotte took out herptop and walked over to the two of them. She handed the

    laptop andptop bag to Shane and said, "I have somewhere to go. I''ll leave my things with you for

    now."

    "Okay, drive safe." Shane took theputer.

    "I''ll call you after I arrive at the office." Charlotte waved at him before leaving.

    Shane''s gaze followed her until she left. Cole bowed respectfully and said, "Mr. Fuller, Miss

    Charlotte has left. Should we go back or go to court?"

    "Let''s go home."

    "Yes, sir."

    After he got in the car, Shane turned on theputer and used GPS to locate Charlotte and

    Kendall.

    Currently, Kendall was in court, and Charlotte''s signal had disappeared after entering a coffee shop.

    This meant that there was an anti-tracking system in the coffee shop. It was very likely that she was

    going to meet someone who was masterful with information technology, such as Avery.

    However, at the current point, there was no point for Charlotte to see Avery. Kendall had already

    been sentenced and the Stevens family had not yet arrived in the country. Only a few of them had

    arrived.

    If she had gone to see Avery...

    Shane''s eyes darkened. "Cole, do you have any good informants on our side?"

    "Yes, we do, but that person is your admirer. It''s the one you drove away before, Josephine Hans

    and her brother Jackson." Cole exined.

    "Josephine should be married by now."

    "That''s true. Shall we call her back?"

    Shane remained silent.

    It would be dangerous to recruit a woman who used to have feelings for him, but now Peter didn''t

    have enough time to help him keep an eye on Avery and Charlotte. Besides, everyone knew that

    Peter liked Zoe. It was very difficult to ensure that he wouldn''t defect.

    The best thing to do was to find someone who was uninvolved in the situation, and especially

    uninvolved with Charlotte.

    "Call Jackson back to the country and ask him to keep an eye on Charlotte. I want to know

    everything she does." Shane finally made a decision.

    Cole sighed and said, "Mr. Fuller, I can understand what you''re thinking, but what if Miss Charlotte

    finds out?"

    "She won''t find out."

    Cole hopes so.

    Cole knew that he couldn''t change Mr. Fuller''s decision at all, so he didn''t waste his breath.

    One of the roads that led to the coffee shop led to

    Avery''s home. It was hidden underground.

    Although it was hidden underground, the path''s roof was made of ss. If you looked up, you would

    see a lot of nts and the road above.

    The ss was designed to look like it was part of the coffee shop, and had ayer of fake fallen

    grass on top of it too. Even if you stood in front of the coffee shop, you wouldn''t see the ss.

    Charlotte sat below the ss and looked at the passers-by through the fake fallen leaves, "Did you

    install this ss on because you want to see whoes here?"

    "Yes," Avery answered.

    "I didn''t know that you were so cautious."

    "My appearance throws people off. When my enemies let down their guard, I can easily defeat

    them. Sometimes they don''t even know that I''m making a move. How wonderful it is."

    "Have you ever seeded?"

    "I have been sessful for a long time. Lottie, pass me the tweezers."

    Charlotte searched through arge pile of tools. Finally, she found the tweezers he was talking

    about. She picked it up and passed it to him.

    Avery was helping her modify the bugs. After his modifications, it would be able to make live

    recordings. And now that it had been upgraded, the bug would be able to receive recordings from

    Kendall no matter where she was in River City.

    "After this is done, you will be able to monitor your target all the time." Avery raised his hand and

    wiped the sweat from his forehead.

    Charlotte tilted her head.

    Avery knew that she didn''t understand, so he exined, "In this way, even if we''re asleep, the

    system will back up automatically. I also set up keywords and a breathing filter, which will directly

    remove breathing sounds. After we put her breathing sounds into the software, it will automatically

    remove the noises. That way, we won''t miss important information and we won''t have to listen to

    everything ourselves."

    "You''re so awesome," Charlotte said sincerely.

    "During extenuating circumstances, Peter and I would both have to step up and act as spies. What

    would we do if we didn''t have some skills?" Avery put down the tweezers and tapped his index

    finger on Charlotte''s forehead.

    Charlotte covered her forehead. "What are you doing?"

    "I could have rested today, but you disturbed me. How will youpensate me?" "Why don''t I treat

    you to a meal?" Avery looked at the wall. It was 4 o''clock now. Some of the nicer restaurants would

    have a line. They would make good time if they left now.

    He stood up and put on a coat. "Yes, let''s go."

    Just as Charlotte was about to respond, her phone rang.

    She knew that most of Avery''s residences blocked outsidemunications. It was not that he did

    not trust his friends, but rather that he was afraid that they would be manipted by others. How

    was it that she could receive a call now?

    What was going on?

    Charlotte looked at Avery in confusion and asked, "What''s going on? How is my phone ringing?"

    "Answer it. I''ve modified my system. Now it doesn''t block typical phone lines. That means you can

    call and text, but you can''t use the Inte."

    So it was like that.

    Only then did Charlotte finally feel at ease to pick up the call.

    "Lottie, can you do me a favor?" Zoe''s voice came from the other end of the line.

    She sounded like she was crying, and her breathing was stilted. Even if she wasn''t crying now, she

    had cried before.

    In Charlotte''s opinion, Zoe had always been a very strong woman. She was calm and objective. You

    could say that she was a little ruthless. Now, when Charlotte heard Zoe''s voice, her heart clenched.

    She asked quickly, "What''s the matter? Is it about your parents again?"

    Previously, she had bumped into Zoe, who had been crying because of her father.

    "I intend to cut off my rtionship with them and break off ties on both sides, but they actually want

    me to give back the house my grandmother left for me. That is my only home, Charlotte. I have

    many friends after working with Mr. Fuller for so many years, but..."

    In the end, those friends only prioritized Shane, not her.

    Charlotte instantly understood the purpose of Zoe''s call. She scoffed and said, "No one can bully

    my friends."

    She had made up her mind to take care of this matter.

    Avery patted her on the shoulder and leaned over, saying, "She cane with us."

    There was a tinge of mischief in his eyes.

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274

    Charlotte nced warily at Avery. Between Avery and Peter, she still thought more highly of Peter.

    There was no other reason beyond the fact that Peter was more reliable. Avery... could not be said

    to be unreliable. The main point was that he had a girlfriend that he couldn''t get over.

    She did not want Zoe to be Irena''s substitute.

    But, in this situation, she couldn''t leave Zoe alone. The best n was...

    A thought came to Charlotte''s mind. "Zoe, I''m with Avery now, and we''re going to have dinner. I''ll

    ask Peter to pick you up. Come and have dinner with us, okay?"

    "Alright. I''m sorry to trouble you, Peter, and Avery." Zoe was in a weak position now, so she had no

    time to think about these details.

    "Send me your location."

    Soon, Zoe sent the address, and Charlotte immediately sent it to Peter.

    Peter was very happy to pick up Zoe, so he set aside his current tasks and rushed to pick her up.

    "Hey now. I''ve done so much to help you and here you''re helping that punk Peter. That''s not very

    nice of you." Avery pulled at Charlotte''s jacket in displeasure, looking as if he wouldn''t let her go

    unless she exined herself.

    "You still hold a torch for your ex. I''m not handing my friend to you." Charlotte pulled her clothes

    away from Avery. "Peter likes Zoe. Who do you like?"

    Avery shrugged. "How do you know that I won''t fall in love with Zoe?"

    "Please, Avery. Anyone can tell that, if you had the chance, you would avenge your beloved Irena

    and die in peace." Charlotte rolled her eyes.

    Averyughed.

    He really couldn''t refute it.

    Moreover, Charlotte''s words were very reasonable. He was such a person. He could give up

    everything for Irena, even if he really ended up liking Zoe, who looked almost the same as Irena...

    Even if Zoe was so much like Irena, he would still choose Irena.

    Zoe was a living person while Irena was already dead. Whether it was Zoe or Irena, it seemed

    unfair to both of them.

    Half an hourter, Charlotte and Avery arrived at the restaurant.

    Just as Avery thought, they really needed to queue up. But fortunately, there were only a few other

    parties in front of them, and it was soon their turn.

    Hot pot was particrly popr in River City in the past two years. All the famous hot pot

    restaurants were filled to the brim with diners.

    They were lucky to get a table.

    Charlotte took the menu, picked a few dishes she liked, and passed it to Avery. "Take a look and

    see what you want."

    "When will theye over?" Avery took the menu.

    "Avery said they''ll arrive in ten minutes," Charlotte replied absent-mindedly.

    Avery was stunned when he heard this. Then he raised his head and stretched out his hand and

    snapped his fingers in front of her. "Lottie, I am Avery. Peter is the one who went to pick up Zoe.

    What''s wrong with you?"

    "I meant Peter."

    "I don''t care if you''re thinking of me or Peter. I just want to know what you''re thinking about" Avery

    put the menu aside.

    "I was just thinking, do you think that the people sent by the Stevens family to pick up Kendall will

    be Rnd and Caleb?" Charlotte asked.

    Avery''s lips curled up and he smiled charmingly.

    However, his eyes were cold. "If so, I will make them regreting back to River City."

    "Now we still don''t know much about the Stevens family. We can only sit and wait for news."

    Avery nodded, "I think it''s really funny. You only have to deal with Kendall. I''m the one who should

    be worried about the entire Stevens family. What are you worrying about? I really think that you''re a

    really strange woman."

    "What''s so strange? If I wanted to mess with Kendall, the Stevens family wouldn''t let me. So, no

    matter what, I still have to deal with the Stevens family." Charlotte''s logic was sound.

    "But you still haven''t done anything to Kendall yet."

    "Who said that?"

    Avery thought about the trial and the bug and raised his eyebrows. It was true that she had already

    begun to take action. However, her methods were fairly conservative.

    Soon.

    Peter arrived with Zoe.

    When the two of them sat down, the soup was already boiling and quite a few dishes had been

    served. Charlotte handed over the menu to the two of them and asked them to choose more dishes.

    Peter received the menu and was very gentle in sharing it with Zoe. He would ask her about

    anything Zoe seemed to be interested in.

    Zoe was a little absent-minded. She was in a bad state of mind. She only answered when someone

    else asked her something. She did not speak otherwise.

    Charlotte ced a te of meat into the pot. The bubbling red soup quickly settled down.

    "Does your grandmother have a will?" Charlotte looked at Zoe.

    "No, she only said verbally that the house is mine. I have always been living in it." Zoe smiled

    bitterly. This was a really troublesome matter.

    Charlotte nodded, "Then that''s much simpler."

    It was much simpler?

    Zoe looked at her confusedly. "Lottie, I know you and Mr. Fuller are powerful, but if there is a will, I

    can inherit the house directly without starting awsuit. It''s because there is no will that there are so

    many problems now."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "What I mean is, if there is a will and you need to fight awsuit, it would be too time-consuming.

    Right now, all I need to do is buy the house."

    "Ms. Emerson, you''re so amazing." Peter lifted his filled cup and toasted her. "Cheers."

    Charlotte smiled as she clinked sses with him.

    Zoe shook her head. "I thought so too, but I don''t have that much money. Even though the house is

    small, but..."

    "Zoe, didn''t you hear her? Ms. Emerson is right. Ms. Emerson will buy the house for you." Peter

    interrupted her impatiently.

    Zoe was stunned.

    Charlotte smiled at Peter and nodded approvingly, "Not bad, you caught my meaning."

    "Buy the house for me..." Zoe was speechless for a moment and did not know what to say.

    What a joke.

    Even if the house was not big, but with the property market in River City being what it was, it would

    cost at least several million dors.

    "However, I have a request." Charlotte raised one of her fingers. "First, you must break off your

    rtionship with your parents. Whether it''s on paper or just in action. Then, no matter what I do to

    them, you are not allowed to ask about it. What do you think?"

    "I see. You want to use Zoe''s parents as practice, don''t you? That''s good. Even if they find out, they

    aren''t powerful enough to do anything about it," Avery said at this time.

    Peter''s gaze fell on Avery. The two of them met each other''s eyes and smiled at each other.

    However, this smile was mixed with a hint of alertness and caution that only the other could

    understand.

    Charlotte didn''t care about the two of them. She picked up the chopsticks and began to pick up the

    meat in the boiling pot. "That''s what I''m thinking, but it depends on whether Zoe is willing or not. If

    she is unwilling, or if she wants to handle it herself, I willck someone to practice on. I''ll lose out on

    some entertainment too."

    "I''m grateful that you are willing to help me, but is that all you want? Lottie, I have always regarded

    you as a friend, I don''t want to take advantage of you."

    "Zoe, regardless of whether I was at NC Company or the Jane Corporation, my monthly sry was

    never above 300,000 dors. But now that I have my ownpany, I have more than a million

    dors going in and out every day." Charlotte sighed.

    Perhaps, in the eyes of others, this was a kind of way to show off wealth. However, the people at

    the table knew more or less what Charlotte had experienced.

    Although she had not gone through any pitiful life story, her efforts and luck were genuine. Some

    people had luck, but they were not as hardworking as her. Some people were hard- working, but

    lacked luck.

    For Charlotte to be able to reach this point required a lot. It wasn''t so easy for just anyone to get

    there.

    And the people sitting at this table were all involved in helping her get where she was.

    "Ms. Emerson can certainly afford to buy a house." Avery pushed his sses and said, "Zoe, you

    know that. You''re more worried about how you''re going to return the favor, right?"

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275

    Zoe nodded, holding her chopsticks tightly but without any intention of eating. Her state of mind was

    already very bad. Although Charlotte''s words gave her some hope, at the same time, they also

    added some invisible pressure.

    "ording to the market price, you and Peter''s average sries should be 30,000 dors per

    month, but ording to Shane and Charlotte''s rates, it should be about 50,000, right?" Avery put

    down his chopsticks and looked at the two people in front of him with a faint smile.

    "I''ll do it." Peter immediately understood what Avery meant.

    Zoe was confused. "Wait, Mr. Hart, what you said is true, but what does it have to do with Peter?"

    "If he says he''ll do it, then I have to ask. What do you think of this matter, Ms. Emerson?" Avery

    turned towards Charlotte beside him.

    His idea was actually very simple. Since Shane and Charlotte had given the two of them this money,

    then it would be easy to take the future money away. The money collected would be used to buy

    Zoe''s house. It would be like killing two birds with one stone.

    In this way, Zoe and Peter both paid the price. At the same time, it made it impossible for them to

    leave Shane and Charlotte. Secondly, it did not affect Zoe and Peter''s standard of living, but they

    would still get the house.

    "I have no problem with that." Charlotte was worried about Peter. After all, Peter was the one who

    would lose the most in this matter.

    "I have no problem with that either," Peter said.

    He didn''tck money or property. His family had already arranged these things for him. The reason

    why he followed Shane was that he was the top businessman in this field. It would give his

    experience a boost if he worked with Shane. What''s more, he had at least a million dors in his

    bank ount, so it was not a big deal to him.

    Even if he was asked to give all his wages to Zoe, he had no objection against it.

    "If that''s the case, then this matter is settled."

    Zoe still did not realize what had happened. It was not until they finished dinner and Peter sent her

    home and she saw a crowd there that she came back to her senses.

    "Peter, I''m sorry. I might not be able to get into my house now. I forgot to tell you..." She said with

    regret.

    "Then do you want to stay at my house? I can''t leave you to go to a hotel yourself." Peter leaned

    over the steering wheel and smiled at her. "You can stay at my house and I''ll stay at a hotel. That

    would be safer."

    "You don''t have to go to so much trouble. I have a suite..."

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Zoe, don''t you get it? I like you. Unless you don''t want my help, then I can''t try to impress you.

    Since you have asked for my help, you should know that I will be worried about you." Peter was

    very sincere and serious.

    Zoe lowered her head and felt a little uneasy.

    Things had happened so suddenly. No matter how strong she was, her feelings were still in a mess

    at the moment. She could not tell if Peter was being sincere.

    "If you think it''s too much, my house is very big, anyway. We might not bump into each other at all.

    I can just hide in my room and note out." Peter reached out his hand and held her hand gently.

    His grip was very strong. Although his hand looked white and slender, it still covered her hand

    easily.

    Zoe looked at his hand in a daze. The hand was very beautiful, just like Peter himself. It was very

    attractive.

    "I have been bothering you with a lot of things. Now I even have to bum out in your house..." Zoe

    still wanted to refuse.

    "I heard Ms. Emerson mention the chairman of the Jane Corporation before. His name is Rick. He''s

    gentle and kind, just like me, but he''s quite ruthless. He knows that Ms. Emerson can''t leave him, so

    he keeps letting Ms. Emerson bother him so that he can keep Ms. Emerson by his side."

    "Did Ms. Emerson tell you this?" Zoe frowned.

    Charlotte was not the kind of person who gossiped. Not to mention that the person in question was

    Rick.

    "No, I came to this conclusion myself. You said that Rick is very smart. Wouldn''t he realize that all of

    his efforts would look very embarrassing to Charlotte?" Peter asked her with a smile.

    "You''re right."

    "So I knew you would refuse, but I still put forward it to you to make you feel guilty about your

    feelings for me. But I don''t want to do that. I think you like me, and really like me, not just because I

    am good to you." Peter let go of her hand. "Where is your suite? I will send you there."

    Zoe breathed a sigh of relief and told him the address.

    Peter turned the car around and headed in the direction of the address Zoe gave.

    Soon, the car stopped at the gate of a hotel chain.

    He helped Zoe get her room and gave her the card to the secondary room. He kept the main room

    card in his hand. "I''ll take you up first, and then I''ll help you buy some necessities. I''ll give you the

    main room card before I leave."

    "Sorry to trouble you." Zoe was very tired now. She was yawning constantly, and she had no time to

    make a fuss.

    Peter gently supported her and worriedly held her shoulder. "If I had known that you were no

    different from other women when you were weak, I would have insisted on taking you home. After

    all, a hotel is not asfortable as a home."

    Zoe shook her head.

    "But Zoe, you can sleep in the hotel tonight, and you can also sleep here tomorrow. But before the

    problem is solved, you n to live in the hotel indefinitely?" Peter took her to the elevator.

    "I''ll live here for now. I can''t even go back to get my luggage, and myptop is also at home." Zoe

    sighed.

    "Alright, I''ll buy you some necessities first, and then I''ll go back to help you take your luggage. You

    can go to bed if you''re sleepy, okay?" Peter softly coaxed her.

    Zoe had always thought of Peter as a younger brother.

    In fact, he was indeed a younger brother. His way of doing things was very youthful, and he spoke

    very naively. When he smiled, he had barely noticeable dimples. Whether in appearance or

    behavior, he was very child-like.

    But at this crucial moment, he was more reliable than anyone else.

    Zoe''s nose twitched, and she hugged him. "Sometimes I wish I had a younger brother. That way,

    they wouldn''t have had a divorce."

    Peter was stunned.

    He smiled bitterly and held her tightly. "In your heart, I am just a younger brother to you. Can''t I be

    my own man?"

    "I''m not thinking about all that. I don''t want to be in a rtionship either."

    "Alright, I''ll take it. Compared to the others, being your brother means I''m closer to you."

    "Peter, about Mr. Hart telling Ms. Emerson about deducting your money too, I think it''s too unfair to

    you. Let me give it back to you."

    "Then how will you afford to survive?" Peter nced at the room card and pressed the button for the

    25th floor.

    The 25th floor was very high so the view should be quite good. There were many rivers here in

    River City. It would be particrly beautiful in the evening.

    If the view was good, she would get into a good mood, right?

    Peter was lost in his wild flights of fancy.

    "My monthly sry is 50,000 dors. Plus the year-end bonus, my yearly pay is about 700,000

    dors. I have been with Mr. Fuller for three years, so I have saved a lot of money. I still have

    enough to survive, but if I want to buy a house, then..." Zoe''s eyes turned red. Of course she

    wanted to solve the problem by herself.

    However, she didn''t have money nor connections. When she had met Shane and be his

    secretary, she had already spent all of her luck.

    She couldn''t even have gotten herself more luck if she had been able to get closer to Christopher.

    Peter chuckled. "I thought that you wanted to say that you would give me your sry and let me

    take care of you. That''s fine too. It''s only right for a brother to take care of his sister."

    For a brother to take care of his sister.

    For some reason, Zoe was moved.

    She could not treat a person like Peter as her boyfriend, but it was fine to regard him as her

    younger brother.

    "Brother..." She muttered.

    Peter knew that she wanted someone to rely on. He made a soothing sound and sped her

    shoulder with his long fingers.

    She could rely on him.

    But he would never view her as his older sister.

    He didn''t just want to be her younger brother.

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276

    Zoe was sleepy even before she arrived at the room. Peter helped her to the bed and put the

    secondary room card in the power slot, leaving a light on for her.

    The hotel room had a main card and a secondary card. The main card could open the door and turn

    on the power supply, but the secondary card could not open the door.

    This was designed for the sake of certain people''s needs. Some often left their phones or

    computers in the hotel to charge, but if they pulled out the card from the power slot, the power

    supply would be cut. So somerge hotels would simply make two cards. Even if people were not

    inside, the lights could be turned on.

    Of course, since this was a business, hotels that provided two cards were often more expensive.

    However, if Peter remembered correctly, this hotel belonged to Shane.

    Peter left the hotel, stood on the cold street, and felt the wind taking away the residual heat of his

    body. He suddenly became clear-headed.

    He went to the supermarket next to the hotel to buy some daily necessities for Zoe.

    "Sir, are you buying things for your girlfriend?" An employee came to his side and asked curiously

    when she saw that he was holding a pair of disposable women''s underwear.

    "Yes," Peter said.

    "Wow, you''re so young and you have a girlfriend already!" the employee joked. "We have a total of

    five different products, and each of them has different characteristics. Do you have any

    requirements for them?"

    "It needs to befortable and from arge brand. It must be expensive," Peter answered again.

    This kind of spending habit was influenced by Shane. As Peter spent more time with Shane, he

    learned that the best things may not be the most expensive, but the most expensive things wouldn''t

    be too bad.

    He didn''t know how to choose things, nor was he stingy. Coincidentally, he also earned a lot of

    money, so he could choose the most expensive items when shipping, so he didn''t have to trouble

    himself too much.

    "Er, then this one is good. It has the highest price and is more cost-efficient too. With regards to the

    brand, this one has a guarantee that..."

    Before the woman finished speaking, Peter reached out to grab the items on the shelf and put them

    in the basket. Then he turned to look at the employee expressionlessly and said, "I need shampoo

    too."

    The employee swallowed and led him to the next aisle with her head lowered.

    Peter bought a lot of things, and even bought a lot of finger foods, like potato chips and jelly, as well

    as some frozen meals and cakes that looked good.

    He knew that Zoe didn''t like the suite''s own shower gel and shampoo. He also knew that she wasn''t

    used to using the hotel''s towels and toothbrush, so he bought all those things too. Besides, it didn''t

    matter how long she had to use them for.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    He walked away with bags of things in his hands. The employee who had helped him leaned

    against the cashier counter and said, "That scared me to death."

    "What''s wrong? Didn''t you say he was cute and rushed to serve him?" The cashier teased.

    "He is very cute, but he is too cold. His gaze looked like a murderer''s..." The employee waved her

    hand in the air to gesticte.

    "Stop exaggerating. I think he seems like a good person. Besides, he bought enough to support the

    shop for days. Why didn''t you talk him into buying more stuff?"

    The employee shook her head repeatedly.

    If she forgot the fact that he hade to buy necessities for his girlfriend, even if he were single,

    she wouldn''t serve him again because of that look in his eyes.

    It was too scary.

    Peter returned to the hotel. The moment he pushed the door open, he saw Zoe sitting on the sofa

    with her hands supporting her head and watching TV.

    The TV was on, but there was no sound. She must have muted it.

    "Are you hungry?" Peter sat down beside her, took out the cake and milk from the bag, and nced

    at the TV.

    It was ying a documentary about a murder that had urred on a train.

    Peter impatiently reached out to turn off the TV with the remote control. "Stop watching this. Weren''t

    you sleepy? Eat something and go to sleep please?"

    "Hey!." Zoe snatched the remote control from his hand. "Look at this."

    Peter looked at the TV.

    The documentary told of a murder on a train, but actually, the victim had been killed on an airne.

    The murderer had specially transported the victim onto the train. During the entire process, he went

    through four different checkpoints, but no one figured out that something was wrong.

    "What about it?" Peter asked.

    "The documentary says that there are 30,000 flights in and out of the country every day. After a

    flight takes off, the authorities will check in once the ne reaches a certain altitude. They help the

    pilot to switch the radio frequency to the next region''s management," Zoe said.

    "So..."

    "Lottie asked us to investigate news of the Stevens family entering and exiting the country. We had

    no clue and didn''t know how many people they sent here. But ording to this, because of the

    radio frequencies, nes have to maintain a horizontal distance of 300 meters and a level distance

    of 6 kilometers."

    Peter immediately understood Zoe''s meaning. "That is to say, when they entered the region of River

    City, they would definitely be noticed by the regional management department. If they want tond,

    they must report it?"

    Zoe nodded seriously. "If there is no management personnel in the area, nes might collide. Look

    at the timing. Some flights are scheduled very close together. If a Stevens family flight arrived

    without being known by the authorities between flights..."

    "That kind of thing wouldn''t be possible. They won''t allow you into the airspace." Peterpletely

    understood what was going on.

    "Yes, so I wanted to ask you, did you investigate the country''s civil aviation routes?"

    "I really didn''t. I have been investigating private routes the whole time. I didn''t consider this. Zoe,

    you are so smart." Peter picked up theptop that he brought everywhere and got ready to start

    working.

    After he sessfully booted theputer, he immediately logged on to his software. Just as he

    was about to start his investigation, he suddenly remembered that Zoe was still having an emotional

    breakdown.

    He closed theptop lid in embarrassment. "Zoe, I''m going to work now. Are you okay?"

    "Me? I am fine now. Otherwise, how could I watch a murder so calmly to analyze the aviation

    routes?" Zoe smiled and stretched out her hand to pat the back of his head, just like a sister

    bantering with her brother.

    "Aren''t you going to rest?"

    Right, it was already veryte.

    Zoe yawned and stood up. "I am going to take a bath and sleep. You can go back to your work."

    Peter also stood up and handed the bags to her. "I bought disposable underwear, pajamas, slippers,

    and your usual shampoo and shower gel. I also bought a bath bomb from the supermarket. Here."

    "Thank you." Zoe took them and said, "Send me the bill and I''ll pay you back."

    "Do we really have to think about this?" Peter smiled bitterly.

    Even if he bought a lot of expensive things, it was only a few thousand dors. The most expensive

    item was a hairdryer, which cost more than 2,000 dors. The employee said that the consistent

    temperature would not damage the hair, and he also thought that the hotel''s hairdryer was

    unreliable, so he had bought it.

    "I don''t want to take advantage of you. Even when I''m dating someone, whether I eat or live with

    them, I''ll split the bills evenly. Of course we have to think about this carefully," Zoe said as she

    brought things into the bedroom.

    Peter bit his lips, feeling unhappy.

    Would it be that way even if they were in a rtionship?

    He could only sit down and send the receipt to Zoe''s phone. However, he hadn''t managed to

    capture thest few items on the list. Since he was toozy to take another picture, and because it

    was only worth a few hundred dors, he considered them as a gift to Zoe.

    Peter put down his phone, took a deep breath, and re-focused on the screen.

    The Stevens family and civil aviation routes.

    He had to do the things that Ms. Emerson and Mr. Fuller had instructed him to do well.

    About half an hourter, Peter rubbed his sore eyes and took out a bottle of coffee from a bag.

    The work was more tiring than he thought. After all, it was national data. Although it waspletely

    legal, there was a lot of information and it was all messy.

    Squeak-

    All of a sudden, a mist of water sprayed on his face.

    Peter''s fingers paused.

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277

    Peter''s neck was stiff so he moved his head around. Only then did he look at Zoe.

    Her hair was loose over her shoulders. She was wearing pajamas and slippers. In her hand was a

    dry stic bag.

    "Thank you for buying the things." Zoe put the stic bag at the door of the bedroom and took out

    her phone to transfer money to him. With a ding, she smiled and shook her phone. "The money has

    been sent to you, please ept it."

    "Okay." Peter felt very thirsty.

    Zoe got under the sheets and turned off the bedsidemp.

    Peter looked at theputer screen, but his fingers could no longer tap on the keyboard nimbly.

    No wonder Zoe liked this shampoo and shower gel set so much. Thebination was really

    fragrant. Peter couldn''t help sniffing that sweet scent in the air.

    As a man, he could not help but fantasize about her.

    Peter clenched his fists and kept suppressing the desire in his heart to focus his attention on his

    work.

    He had to concentrate and withstand it. Only when he was not affected by his desire could he stay

    with Zoe.

    Peter kept trying to convince himself. Finally, he raised his hands and started to work.

    Work, endless work. With it, he must be able to divert his attention.

    Charlotte received a report from Peter when she woke up. He had sent the email at five o''clock in

    the morning.

    Obviously, he had stayed up all night yesterday.

    After Charlotte read just the two first lines of the email, her expression changed into something

    unfathomable. She immediately sent the documents to Avery.

    After that, Charlotte got out of bed and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She intended to go

    to the office today.

    As soon as they got downstairs, Shane was standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was leaning

    against the stairs and wearing a Bluetooth headset, listening to the caller''s words with a serious

    expression. Charlotte walked towards him and determined that Shane was on the phone with a

    foreigner.

    Charlotte''s footsteps sounded in Shane''s ears. He turned around to look at her and opened his

    mouth to say, "Let''s keep investigating this matter first. I want results."

    He hung up the phone and took theptop from her hand. "Why are you up so early?"

    "I slept rather early yesterday." Charlotte went downstairs and said, "Peter sent me a report."

    "About the Stevens family?"

    "Yes, what do you think?"

    "It means that Rnd and Caleb havee to River City. Maybe to deal with Irena," Shane said.

    Charlotte was silent for a moment, "Then, do they know that we already know?"

    Shane put theputer on the table and shook his head. "No, if they knew, they wouldn''t have

    returned here. Financial warfare is far faster than attacking in person."

    "They''re putting themselves at risk. Avery won''t let them go." Charlotte sighed.

    On the one hand, she was worried that Avery would be too aggressive. On the other hand, she was

    worried that Avery''s attack would be too mild.

    For the former, Avery would definitely go to jail. For thetter, if the Stevens family had the chance

    to stage aeback, the consequences would be unimaginable.

    "Let''s eat first."

    "Alright."

    During the meal, Shane''s phone kept ringing. Charlotte looked at it curiously. Once, she saw

    Tiffany''s name. Only then did she remember that she was under siege. There were enemies

    everywhere and countlesspetitors were looking for her to fail.

    When he was the CEO cum chairman of the NC Company, did Shane also feel so exposed and at

    risk?

    After the meal, Shane sent Charlotte to the office.

    Zoe knocked on the door and entered the office before they could part ways. "Ms. Emerson, Mr.

    Fuller, Mr. Hart came."

    Avery?

    Avery had no need toe here personally for just one report.

    "I see." Charlotte turned to Shane and said, "Do you want to leave now or..."

    "I''m not busy today. Let''s talk to him."

    For some reason, Charlotte felt at ease. She smiled at him and nodded, saying, "Alright."

    Shane casually grasped her shoulders and leaned into her ear, saying, "Remember, even if the sky

    falls down, I''ll be holding it up. You just need to do everything calmly."

    Her heart beat faster and faster.

    Other than nodding her head, Charlotte didn''t dare to do or say anything else.

    She looked just like a bobble-head doll that she liked when she was young. She was simply too

    pathetic. Charlotte was quietly telling herself off internally.

    They arrived at the meeting room.

    Avery, who was only wearing a sleeping robe, was leaning against the sofa looking sleepy.

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth twitched and she walked over to pour him a cup of coffee. She

    resisted the urge to wake him up, and handed the cup to him and said, "Avery, wake up. Drink some

    coffee to wake yourself up."

    Avery came to his senses and rubbed his temples with a frown. "Sorry, I didn''t sleep yesterday."

    He didn''t sleep?

    Charlotte was d that he didn''t pour coffee onto hisp. However, because she had this thought,

    she felt somewhat guilty. She gave him a wet towel to wipe his face.

    "Thank you." Avery wiped his face and smiled at her. "Last night, I listened to the recording. We can

    be sure that Caleb and Rnd came to pick Kendall up. Rnd told Kendall that he was not

    Kendall''s biological father. Kendall''s biological father died shortly after she was born."

    "What?" Charlotte thought that she had misheard.

    "Kendall and Caleb are half-siblings sharing the same mother," Avery said.

    With this kind of thing going on, no one bothered to rify whether Kendall or Caleb was the older

    sibling.

    Charlotte felt dumbfounded.

    "ording to the email you sent to me, I can conclude that there are at least seven people who

    havee. These seven people are all important figures in the Stevens family, and they are all

    here for Kendall."

    "If that''s the case, I should have a chance to meet them, right?" Charlotte asked.

    Avery turned his eyes on Shane. This matter was no longer a trivial matter. Based on the fact that

    the Stevens family had mobilized collectively, it meant that they attached great importance to

    Kendall. Or rather, they attached great importance to Kendall''s biological father.

    They were not taking care of Kendall, but thest blood rtion of that lost family member.

    In this case, if the Stevens family wanted to meet Charlotte, it was not a good thing.

    "That''s the end of it," Shane said.

    "Yes." Avery took a deep breath and stood up with a smile. "I''ll go back and have a good rest. I''ve

    been so tired these two days. I''ve been busy dealing with the Stevens family every day. Mr. Fuller,

    let''s meet up for a drink one day."

    "I''ll make it happen."

    "Well then, I''m going home. Charlotte, let''s put an end to this."

    Avery just left like that.

    Charlotte knew that this matter was not simple, but she didn''t expect that Shane and Avery would

    both tell her to stop.

    From Avery''s attitude, he really wanted to stop there. He wasn''t just saying it. The reason why he

    asked Shane was to confirm his thinking. When Shane agreed, Avery got the answer he wanted.

    "I can let go of my hatred for Kendall. After all, nothing happened to Sheryl. But can Avery do it?"

    Charlotte grabbed Shane''s arm. "He won''t do anything rash, right?"

    "No, he won''t." Shaneforted Charlotte and said, "He knows what to do."

    Charlotte bit her lip and her sparkling eyes were

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    filled with worry. "You mean, he''ll still take action?" "You want me to help him?" Shane asked

    directly.

    "I, I..." She was speechless.

    Yes.

    Charlotte had to admit that she wanted to resolve this matter and help Avery. However, she had to

    help Avery personally and not ask Shane to help her.

    In the end, Charlotte shook her head, "From my perspective, I hope that he can get help, but I will

    not ask you to help him. If it does not suit your interests, then I will not help him. I will think of other

    ways to get involved."

    Shane''s eyes darkened, and he leaned over to hold the tip of her chin.

    "Are you sure?"

    His voice was as cold as ice, cooling and soothing her nerves.

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278

    Charlotteposed herself and nodded firmly, "I''m sure. I don''t need you to help him."

    It was not that she did not need him to help, but that she did not want it. There was a wide gulf

    spanning between those two words.

    To say that she didn''t want his help would be like maniption, subtly pleading for his help. Since

    she had said she didn''t need his help, it actually meant that she would settle the issue herself and it

    wasn''t a direct rejection.

    She didn''t want to seem pushy or obstinate. The point was that she didn''t ask him to help her

    aplish her goals.

    Shane narrowed his eyes and nodded. He loosened his grip on her fingers and turned to leave the

    meeting room for her office.

    For some reason, Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. She got up and followed him, heading toward the

    office.

    After investigating for so long, they had only found out a bit of what the Stevens family had done.

    Even if it was dangerous, she would not give up and would find other ways to achieve her purpose.

    Whether it was Kendall, Rnd or Caleb, as long as they were wrong and thew was right, she

    would not give up.

    Charlotte looked at Shane''s back. Her red lips curled up and her smile was tinged with shyness.

    This was the courage he gave her. Although she didn''t want to rely on him, she firmly believed that

    even if the sky fell, Shane would be able to hold it up.

    That was why she had infinite courage.

    When Peter received a call from Charlotte to hurry to the office, he was nning to rent a ce for

    Zoe. He didn''t think it was good for her to stay in a hotel, but he heard from Zoe that her parents

    had many friends. If someone found out that she moved into a new ce, her parents would

    probablye to find her.

    As Peter anxiously told Charlotte what had happened, he kept wiping the sweat off his forehead

    with the back of his hand. "Ms. Emerson, that''s why I might not be able to hurry to the office right

    now."

    "Why didn''t you take Zoe to your house? Isn''t your house very big?" Charlotte was a little confused.

    She knew that Peter liked Zoe. She thought that this was the best opportunity for Peter to make use

    of.

    "She didn''t want to..." Peter''s voice trailed off.

    "Tell her to live at your house and work from there. Then, she can go back after everything is

    settled. Won''t that work?"

    "What?" Peter was stunned.

    Charlotte got impatient with Peter. She said, "What important work do you two do at the office every

    day? When Zoe isn''t getting me coffee, she''s helping you organize your files. Can''t I get my own

    coffee?"

    Peter instantly understood that Charlotte wanted to create an opportunity for him and Zoe to

    interact. However, if it was too obvious, Zoe would dislike him even more.

    Peter bowed his head and nced at Zoe, who was having breakfast. He lowered his voice and

    said, "If she knows that this is my idea, she will definitely be angry. Ms. Emerson, I don''t want Zoe to

    be angry."

    "I''ll send her a text messageter. Go will the flow and things will work out fine."

    Charlotte hung up the phone.

    Peter was confused.

    After a while.

    In the office, Charlotte put her phone back on the table and stretchedzily like a kitten.

    Shane noticed the sound she made, and his gaze fell on her.

    The sun was shining on her. She looked at ease and happy. She was ying with a fountain pen in

    her hand, and seemed very excited.

    "What big deal have you finalized?" he asked.

    "What? No, nothing." Charlotte suddenly realized that there was another person in her office. She

    immediately put on a neutral expression. "It''s Peter and Zoe."

    "Didn''t you notice that I''m here?"

    "Uh... yes."

    "So, you''re so reserved in front of me?" He pointed at her sitting posture.

    Charlotte lowered her head and looked at herself.

    It seemed to be true. After she realized that Shane was here, she sat in a very formal posture.

    "Rx. Things are no longer the way they used to be. I''m no longer your superior."

    "Shane, don''t you know that you have a strong aura? I don''t want to be like a child when I''m with

    you."

    When he heard this, Shane leaned forward and looked at her with great interest. "You''re afraid of

    me, not because I''m NC Company''s CEO?"

    So he knew that everyone was afraid of him?

    Charlotte said helplessly, "Of course not. There are so many CEOs in the world, but you''re the only

    one who makes me feel reverence."

    "Why?"

    She didn''t know.

    Charlotte''s mind went nk. Without thinking, she replied, "You''re a god."

    Shane had obviously not expected such an answer. Or perhaps, to him, this answer should have

    been given by Sheryl, not by Charlotte.

    He was about to ask again when his phone rang. He looked down and saw that it was Zoe calling.

    He frowned. Zoe was now Charlotte''s subordinate. Why was she suddenly calling him?

    He picked up the call. "What''s the matter? Lottie is right beside me. Why don''t you talk to her?"

    "I''m sorry, Mr. Fuller. I didn''t know you two were together, so I called you."

    "Hm?" Shane seemed to be deep in thought as he looked at Charlotte with a probing gaze.

    She blinked innocently.

    Zoe took a deep breath and said, "It''s like this, Mr. Fuller. Ms. Emerson said that it''s the flu season

    recently and intends to let the staff work from home. She says I can move temporarily to Peter''s

    house to assist him with his work. So I wanted to ask if this is true." "Yes," Shane said bluntly. "Zoe,

    how long have you been working for me?"

    "It''s been almost five years." Zoe bit her lip.

    "Very well. Looks like I''ve been in remiss for the past five years. Don''t you know that I''m no longer

    your employer?"

    Zoe realized that she had made a mistake, so she exined rapidly, "Because I have a good

    rtionship with Lottie. Peter is your man and he has already confessed to me. I am afraid that

    Charlotte will..."

    "Are you worried that your superior would use work assignment as an excuse to get you two

    together?"

    Zoe closed her eyes and sighed. "I''m sorry, Mr. Fuller."

    "I don''t think you should apologize to me, but your superior and colleagues instead." Shane simply

    hung up the phone.

    Zoe put down her phone. She felt very upset. She whispered, "Peter, please help me move. I may

    have to... live with you for a short time."

    Peter really did not expect Zoe to bring this up herself. He asked tentatively, "Why the sudden

    change of heart?"

    "Don''t you know?" "What is it?"

    Zoe thought for a moment, and Peter had been standing beside her. Charlotte had sent Zoe a

    message, but she didn''t see Peter receive anything. She didn''t know if this was normal, so she

    could only repeat what Charlotte said to him.

    Peter was very impressed with Charlotte.

    It was truly the flu season, and otherpanies did enact work from home policies.

    "If you don''t want to live in my house, you can rent the house next door," Peter suggested.

    "It''s too troublesome." Zoe shook her head. "Work is work, and personal feelings are personal

    feelings. I don''t want our work to be affected by the fact that you like me. Even if I rent the ce

    next to yours, I still need to go to work at your house during the day."

    Peter loved Zoe''s cold and rational thinking.

    He curled his lips slightly and said, "Zoe, I''ll take good care of you, and I won''t let anyone bully you."

    "I''m afraid I''ll bring you trouble."

    "Don''t worry, I can handle it."

    Peter was a lovely young man, but now, he had be her protector.

    Zoe was moved. She suddenly reached out to touch Peter''s head lightly. She just touched the back

    of her head and quickly moved her hand away.

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    He smiled at her and said, "Take my keys, I''ll call a cab so you can go and familiarize yourself with

    the house. I''ll bring your things."

    "Be safe." She was worried.

    "Will they make things difficult for me?" Peter tilted his head and asked curiously.

    Zoe nodded.

    Her mother would be settled as long as she paid them some money. Her father was very

    unreasonable. He said that he bought a house for her mother when he had married her. That house

    was now her mother''s, so Zoe''s grandmother''s house had to be his.

    His father''s argument wasn''t logical. The more anxious he got, the more ridiculous his actions

    became.

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279

    "If they dare to make things difficult for me, what would they do to you..." Peter''s heart ached for

    Zoe. He opened his arms and looked at her with a smile. "Do you want a hug to feel better?"

    "Stop it..." Zoe turned her head in embarrassment.

    Peter came up to her and said, "Zoe, you always say that you regard me as your brother, but you

    don''t even want to hug me. Is it because I''m thinking too much or because you''re thinking too

    much?"

    Zoe suddenly had nothing to say. If they couldn''t even hug, then that meant that she really had

    reservations.

    In the end, she reached out to give him a gentle hug.

    Filled with satisfaction, Peter gently patted her on the shoulder. "I''m your family. Don''t worry. Ms.

    Emerson and Mr. Fuller will also support you. We are all your family."

    Family.

    She never thought that she would have a family, but now...

    Zoe allowed herself to indulge in Peter''s embrace.

    Peter looked at the top of her head and suddenly smiled. "Zoe, you are so short."

    Usually, she wore high heels.

    "You!" Zoe had felt touched, but when she looked up, she red at his lovely and smiling face.

    "You''re really short and cute," said Peter as he bent down to ruffle her hair. "As your little brother, I''ll

    definitely protect my lovely sister."

    "Let go!" She pushed him away angrily.

    Peter put his hands on his hips andughed very loudly.

    He was reluctant to let go of her. He knew that she would be embarrassed and would not stay in his

    arms for too long. That was why he chose to let her leave his arms in this way.

    He could see that Zoe became much more rxed after she pushed him away. For her, hugging

    him was something that she had to endure.

    How he wished that, one day, Zoe would not be mindful of Peter in that way. He just wanted her to

    be in his arms happily.

    At this moment, Peter''s phone rang. He picked it up and looked at it. He smiled at Zoe and said,

    "Ms. Emerson is looking for me." "Answer the call." Zoe waved her hand. "I''m going to get dressed."

    Peter nodded.

    He walked to the open French window and picked up the phone. "Ms. Emerson."

    "Have you dealt with it yet?" Charlotte''snguid voice came from the other end of the line.

    Peter rarely heard speak with such a tone of voice. He touched his nose unconsciously and said,

    "Mr. Emerson..."

    "Don''t say that you didn''t solve it. Zoe has called Shane. I coaxed Shane for a long time before he

    would believe that I had no other intentions. I just wanted to help you get a girlfriend. But even so,

    he still hasn''t forgiven me." There was a hint of whining in Charlotte''s words.

    In the end, one of NC Company''s old suppliers invited him out for an event. Only then did he stop

    arguing with her and leave her alone in the office.

    Peter smiled bitterly. "She agreed. I''m going to her house to get her luggageter."

    "Well, at least my n wasn''t in vain. Do you know how hard it is to think of an excuse?"

    "Ms. Emerson, thank you very much for this. I won''t let you down."

    "I''ve never had much expectation on you. All I ask is that you do your job well. We''re just friends

    outside of work."

    Peter smiled and said, "Alright, I understand, Ms. Emerson."

    Beep, beep, beep-

    Charlotte hung up the phone.

    At three o''clock in the afternoon, she was a little sleepy. She tended to nap at this time.

    Fortunately, she had no more work to do.

    Charlotte packed up her documents and was about to leave the office. However, before she could

    walk a few steps, she saw a pile of documents where Shane had been sitting earlier. She walked

    over suspiciously and picked up the documents.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Jackson''s operation report?

    Although she was curious about who this Jackson person was, she also knew that this was Shane''s

    files. She could not open it without reason.

    "I should take them home and pass them to him." Charlotte thought.

    After the call, Peter helped Zoe to get her things settled.

    She didn''t bring many things to the hotel. Most of them had been bought by Peter. After all, they

    were worth thousands of dors, so they couldn''t just get rid of it.

    She put her things back into the stic bags and held them in her hands. They felt very light, much

    lighter than when she brought them here.

    "Peter, leave the things here and I''ll take them back?" Zoe said. She had changed into a white shirt.

    She flipped her hair and it drew a beautiful arc in the air.

    "Okay." He put down the stic bag and handed the key to her. "I''ll call a car for you."

    "Can''t you just tell me the address?" Zoe said impatiently.

    "Let me do it. I don''t want anyone to follow you using the hailing service with your phone number on

    it."

    Zoe stopped trying to reject Peter. His concern sounded reasonable.

    After he got Zoe into the car, he got in his own car and drove to the neighborhood where Zoe used

    to live.

    There were still a lot of people there. Some of them looked particrly sleepy, like they forced

    themselves to stand there.

    Peter stopped the car and took the key out. He was about to go upstairs, but before he could get to

    the stairs, someone stopped him.

    "Young man, you''re a stranger here, aren''t you? Which unit do you live in?"

    "What does it have to do with you?" Peter coldly pushed her away.

    "We''re the parents of the woman who stays in 601. She''s a terrible daughter. We..."

    "What does that have to do with me?" He shot a cold nce at her. "Deal with your family affairs

    yourself. Don''t meddle with people in front of our building."

    "Young man, don''t you have any sympathy? Do you think we want to make things difficult at our

    age?"

    "Yes, for money."

    After he said this, Peter ignored them and went upstairs.

    There was a rule in the neighborhood that only the owners could go upstairs. You needed a key

    even to go inside the building. So as soon as he entered the apartment, it became quiet. The

    people outside could no longer make a scene.

    Peter felt that they were afraid that the residents in the building wouldin about them, so they

    didn''t go too far. They stayed here only to make Zoe unable to go home.

    There was no one in the building. Peter entered Zoe''s home without trouble.

    He had been here once before, so he knew where most of her things were. He did not use her

    suitcase, but only took some valuable things like herputer.

    Peter used his phone to document the brands of the cosmetics and other products Zoe used. He

    took two sets of rtively ordinary clothes, although he felt that it would be great if she could wear

    his shirt at home.

    Beep, beep, beep��

    The sound of the phone ringing was loud in the empty home.

    Peter put down theputer and picked it up. "Hello?"

    "Are you okay? They didn''t make things difficult for you, did they?" Zoe asked anxiously.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "My mom called me and asked me if I sent someone back. I..."

    "cklist all their phone numbers. They didn''t make things difficult for me, and they don''t know that

    I know you. Maybe they just haven''t seen me around before. They wanted to trick you with the call,"

    Peter answered calmly.

    Peter''s calmness also made Zoe calm down quickly. Only then did she realize that if her parents

    already knew that Peter would go back to take her things, it was impossible for him to enter the

    building.

    Fortunately, she did not admit to it. Otherwise, Peter''s situation...

    "Just bring myputer. Don''t worry about other things. I can buy more," Zoe said.

    That was Peter''s original n, but after listening to what she said, he wanted to tease her. "Most

    women would make demands at times like this. Such as bringing two more dresses and getting

    their favorite clothes."

    "I don''t care about that. I can buy more." Zoe was only worried about his safety.

    "Zoe, I like you more and more. Don''t worry, I will try my best to bring your things when it''s safe."

    "I really don''t need it, especially the clothes. I can even wear yours. Don''t let them find you out."

    Peter chuckled.

    Zoe was even more anxious when she heard hisugh. "I know that you like me, but you don''t have

    to take risks for me. I''m very grateful that you went back for me. I won''t lose my good impression of

    you just because you didn''t get more of my things."

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280

    "Don''t worry, but you''d better tell me if you have a suitcase in your house. It''s better if it hasn''t been

    used before or if it''s ck."

    "No, I don''t." Zoe only wanted to dispel the idea that he should bring her clothes over.

    He might be questioned if someone saw a man like him bringing women''s clothes out from the

    building.

    Peter didn''t find a suitcase after looking around, so he had to give up the idea of packing Zoe''s

    things for her. "Alright, I''ll be back soon. We''ll talk more once I get there."

    Zoe also wanted to remind him not to bring too many things, but the call was cut off.

    She looked at the dark screen of her phone and couldn''t help sighing.

    This Peter.

    If it weren''t for the important information in herputer, she would have bought a new one. Then

    at least he didn''t have to take a risk.

    Peter took theputer and went downstairs with two sets of house clothes. The eyes of the

    people around the building were fixed on him, their gazes bright.

    He calmly walked to the side of the car, opened the trunk. Once he transferred the things into bags,

    he went to the driver''s seat. As soon as he opened the door, he was stopped by the man from

    before.

    Peter stopped and looked at him coldly. "What''s the matter?"

    "Young man, are you here to collect things?" The man sounded more alert.

    "That''s right."

    "What do you take and from which house? You..."

    "I''m a hacker." Peter leaned over and looked at him with great interest. "I came back to get my

    computer and my girlfriend''s clothes. There, I''ve told you my personal information. You should

    answer my question now too."

    A hacker, here to get clothes for his girlfriend.

    Zoe was single.

    The man chuckled. He had let go of his suspicion of Peter. He smiled brightly. "Please ask."

    "You''re breaking thew. Do you know what you''re doing?"

    "I..." The man was stunned.

    "I don''t know which family you have a feud with. It has nothing to do with me. But if you disturb me,

    you''ll have to take responsibility for the consequences. I''m not afraid of breaking thew." Peter said

    and pushed him away. Then, he got into the car and drove off.

    Then, a woman walked to the man and asked, "Jamie, who is this man? Did you find out?"

    Jamie waved his hand irritably. "He''s just a hacker. We can just report him."

    "No, this hacker is not to be messed with. I heard from Ginny that the hacker is so powerful that he

    can even steal national secrets." The woman immediately felt as if she were facing a formidable

    enemy.

    "What do you think we should do? He said we''re breaking thew. If we disturb him again, we might

    have to face the consequences," Jamie cursed. "Zoe is quite difficult to deal with. She still hasn''t

    "If you ask me, this hacker boy seldomes back home. We''ve only seen him once in five days. It

    shouldn''t be a big problem."

    Only then did Jamie feel better. He snorted and said, "We can''t be the only ones in a hurry. Call

    Felicity. We have to end this quickly."

    "Fine, okay."

    In the car, Peter took off his earphones and cut the connection with the listening device.

    He stopped at a red light.

    He used one foot to hit the brakes. He looked at himself in the rearview mirror. His usually cheerful

    eyes were bloodshot. He could hardly fight the giant beast in his heart and wanted to let ite out

    and tear those people to pieces.

    Peter raised her hand to rub his eyes.

    Zoe was such a good person. Why did she have such a family?

    Why did it have to be his precious Zoe?

    He couldn''t hold it in any longer.

    He parked the car in an upscale neighborhood. It took a long time to walk through the garden to

    arrive and knock on his front door.

    After a few seconds, the sound of running came from inside. The door opened. Zoe was wearing

    the coat he bought for her. She was wearing an apron and holding a spat in her hand.

    Peter was stunned. "You can cook?"

    Zoe smiled at him and said, "Yes, you should wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon. Think of

    it as my way of thanking you."

    As she spoke, she rushed back to the kitchen.

    It was a warm scene toe home to.

    Peter felt an unbelievable sense of happiness. He went to the bathroom to wash his hands and

    went to the dining room. He found two servings of sd and a crockpot of soup. He felt like his

    dreams had be reality. He looked at the food in front of him, reached out to take a bite with a

    fork, and tasted the delicious food.

    No one had cooked for him before.

    "Do you like it?" Zoe brought out two more tes.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    One was stir-fried shredded pork, and the other was braised pork. There seemed to be green

    peppers and potato shredded potatoes in the pot.

    Peter smiled and nodded to her. "Zoe, I like everything you do."

    "Such a sweet-talker."

    Zoe seemed to be in a good mood.

    Peter was silently munching on his food. He had to do his best to hold back his tears.

    Home.

    This was exactly what he desired the most.

    He had always dreamed of finding a woman like Zoe. She was reasonable and objective. She was

    able to arrange things well and wouldn''t keep both of them guessing about how things sat. As long

    as she was by his side, he felt a sense of security. This feeling was too wonderful.

    He originally thought that she was an ordinary woman with a good family and education

    background. It was only under Shane''s influence that she broadened her horizons.

    Little did he expect that her family was more horrible than he imagined. It was like a time bomb.

    He wanted to release the giant, angry beast inside to destroy the bomb for her.

    "This is thest dish." Zoe put down the vegetable dish and said apologetically, "I didn''t have time to

    buy ingredients, so I used what was in the refrigerator."

    "You did very well." Peter did not raise his head and continued to stuff the food into his mouth.

    "Do you want more?"

    "Sure."

    She spooned more food into his te.

    Everything was delicious. He had never eaten so well in his life.

    Peter ate silently. He had to try his best to keep his hands from shaking.

    Zoe didn''t see anything different in Peter. She talked about work while eating. After a while, she

    found that Peter didn''t respond.

    "What''s the matter with you?" she asked.

    "I''m fine." Peter came to his senses and smiled at her. "You don''t need to talk about work at dinner.

    Let''s talk about your problems. Did Ms. Emerson talk more about it?"

    "Not yet. I am too embarrassed to rush her. After all, this is my problem. It is not fair for her to

    handle it for me." Zoe was in a good mood.

    "I had a look and your parents seem to have a good rtionship with your neighbors. I''m afraid it''ll

    be a little difficult for me to get more things for you. It might arouse suspicion. I think you''ll have to

    stay here for while."

    Zoe nodded. "That''s fine."

    Peter wanted to tease her, but her smile gradually became weary. "Is it because I''m here that you

    feel fine?"

    "It''s because you''re all helping me."

    "Zoe, I won''t like you if you keep acting like this."

    He was very happy, actually.

    If he didn''t clearly tell her that he liked her, they could cohabit more naturally.

    Peter could tell what she was thinking, so he pretended to be impatient. "Forget it, I wanted to tell

    you that I will always like you, but now I changed my mind." "Really?" Zoe was joyful.

    "Of course. I don''t want to be like Rick."

    Rick seemed like a devil to Peter.

    The love he was yearning for was that of two people having a spiritual connection. He could give it

    his all, but first he had to be sure that the other person felt something for him. Rick was different. He

    had used all his tricks to force Ms. Emerson into a rtionship with him.

    Zoe couldn''t help but smile. "You are very hostile to Rick."

    "He''s an enemy. Of course I''m hostile."

    "But Rick is actually very good to Lottie. Otherwise, Lottie would not want to marry him." Zoe said.

    Although she hadn''t known Lottie for a long time, she knew Lottie quite well.

    Peter shrugged and said indifferently, "He''s still an enemy. Besides, if I treat you the way he did,

    you''d probably hate me more."

    That was true.

    Zoe agreed and nodded.

    Peter was about to continue talking about Rick when Zoe''s phone rang.

    It was Avery.

    Peter''s expression darkened.

    That name annoyed him.

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281

    Zoe picked up the phone. Her expression changed after hearing Avery''s words. She turned on the

    speakerphone and put the device on the table.

    "Now Shane is not a hindrance at all. As long as we contact Christopher and use NC Company to

    drive the Jane Corporation out of River City, we can control River City sooner orter. This..."

    About ten minutester.

    On Avery''s end, he pressed the stop button on the listening device. He tidied up the files, and the

    papers made some soft shushing noises.

    "I thought after getting so many hours of breathing noises, Kendall must have left the clothes at

    home or sent them theundry." Avery''s voice sounded from the other end.

    It was rare for Zoe and Peter to hear his serious voice. The both of them were not used to it at all.

    "However, when I checked again today, I found something different than usual. After I turned up the

    volume, I found this ten-minute conversation."

    "Avery, have you told Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson about this?" Peter asked.

    "Not yet. Shane doesn''t want Charlotte to get involved in this matter. After I tell her, other than

    sending resources, she''ll just get you to investigate this matter. So, I might as welle directly to

    you," Avery said with a self-deprecating smile.

    He also wanted to find those two people, but now the information was notplete. There was no

    definite evidence to prove that Christopher was in contact with the Stevens family.

    What''s more, Christopher was Shane''s friend. No matter what, Shane and Charlotte not knowing

    would only be beneficial in solving this matter.

    Peter''s expression darkened. "I see. I''ll start the investigation now."

    "However, I am very curious about why you two are together. I originally wanted to contact you

    through Zoe, but I didn''t expect that she would save me the trouble."

    Peter''s lips thinned in dissatisfaction. "Why can''t I be with her?"

    Avery was stunned at first. After he noticed Peter''s hostility, heughed. "Don''t be so nervous. The

    person I care about has always been Irena. If Zoe didn''t look like Irena, I won''t care too much about

    her. You don''t have to be so hostile to me."

    "Your words that made me misunderstand." "What should I say then? In my opinion, Zoe may not

    dislike you, but you are definitely not the first type of person she would choose as a boyfriend."

    "You..." Peter was angry.

    "Anyway, remember what you promised me. I will go back to my city. I still have some contracts to

    settle on the way too. I don''t have so much time to keep an eye on the Stevens family. Peter, I can

    send you and Zoe some private funds. I know that you are short of money."

    After he said that, Avery hung up the phone.

    Peter silently stared at the phone with a dark light in his eyes. He was very unhappy.

    "Peter, if you don''t want to help Avery, you don''t have to force yourself."

    "It''s not that I don''t want to help him, but I don''t understand why all of you think I''m not suitable for

    you?" Peter turned her head and looked at Zoe. The remaining warmth in his heart disappeared

    right away.

    He even felt a dull ache in his heart.

    Zoe didn''t know how to answer. After all, in her heart, the person who liked and wanted to be with

    her most had always been Christopher.

    But because of their current conditions, they could no longer have such feelings between them.

    But just because it couldn''t happen didn''t mean she didn''t have those feelings anymore.

    Peter didn''t get an answer, but he understood what she was thinking. He stood up with a smile and

    said, "I know. It''s okay. I''m not forcing you. I just don''t want to face the truth so soon. I''ll go upstairs

    and get information for Avery. Today''s dinner was delicious. Thank you."

    Zoe watched his thin back and sighed.

    Since she moved in with Peter, their efficiency had increased.

    Charlotte flipped through the report that the two of them sent to her email.

    Recently, thepany had made a lot of money, but they still needed some time before the

    company broke even. She felt very proud to see so many people working at thepany.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    "Enter." Charlotte did not even raise her head as she replied.

    "Ms. Emerson, the Jane Corporation''s Mr. Jane hase to visit. He said that he has something to

    discuss with you." The assistant stood outside the door respectfully.

    Rick Jane?

    Charlotte paused in flipping through the report.

    "Who are you talking about?"

    "Mr. Jane of the Jane Corporation."

    Charlotte stood up and walked towards the conference room.

    Along the way, she was thinking, "Why is Rick looking for me?"

    They weren''t of any use to each other. She stopped targeting the Jane Corporation and the

    Emerson Corporation because of the situation with the Stevens family. She was focusing on her

    ownpany. Considering these circumstances, Rick had no reason to look for her.

    Charlotte pushed open the door to the conference room. Not only did Rick and his assistante,

    but there were also a few others that she had never seen before. However, they seemed to be

    neers of thepany''s negotiation team.

    The negotiation team.

    Charlotte pulled out the chair and sat down. Her slender fingersced together as she ced them

    on the table. With a burning gaze, she looked at the group of people across from her.

    "Mr. Jane, I''m surprised to see you. Why don''t you speak inly?"

    "After you obtained thest project, you''ve improved a lot in the industry. Recently, we have

    received a batch of goods. It''s 200,000 tons of maple syrup. Mostpanies can''t handle it." Rick

    snapped his fingers, and then one of the members of the negotiation group immediately handed her

    a document.

    Charlotte took it, flipped through some pages, and said with a light smile, "In addition to maple

    syrup, there are also special ingredients to make muffins. It seems that this time the Jane

    Corporation wants to get into the snacks industry?"

    "Something like that. In addition to this, there are a lot of meat products that yourpany will have

    to handle."

    "I don''t ept this rate." Charlotte immediately closed the document and threw it back in an

    aggressive manner, "Do you think that I don''t know the cost and current market price?"

    "You can name your price, Ms. Emerson."

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "The lowest price on the market is three dors a ton, but you can only transport ten tons at a time.

    Your first price is 200,000 dors..." Charlotte shook her head. "I don''t think that you''re here to do

    business. Instead, you''re here to make trouble."

    "Ms. Emerson, do you mean that we can''t cooperate with each other?" Rick looked at her with a

    smile.

    Charlotte Emerson.

    She had be an equal, a businesswoman that he had to be careful not to be used by.

    In the past, he didn''t even have to look at her to guess what she was thinking. Now, he couldn''t

    even guess. He didn''t even know what price to quote her.

    He originally thought that since Shane wasn''t in thepany, Charlotte would be in a state of

    ignorance. He didn''t expect her to know exactly how much she had to charge for a few tons. That

    was his mistake.

    "We can coborate. Six dors for one ton. With 200,000 tons, that''s 1.2 million dors."

    Charlotte''s body leaned forward slightly.

    "The market price is three dors, but you want to charge me double?" Rick smiled bitterly.

    "Sure. Like you said, no one in River City can transport your goods except us, isn''t that right?"

    Rick stared at Charlotte. The corner of his mouth twitched, revealing a bitter smile. "Lottie, five

    dors and I''ll leave them all to you."

    "Alright, let''s sign the contract." Charlotte stood up decisively.

    Rick sighed.

    "By the way, if you can''t finish the 200,000 tons of maple syrup, you can still sell it to others. But

    with meat products, it''s not so easy. You''re buying 200,000 tons at a time, which can cost up to 600

    million dors. It''s difficult to store, and will be a big problem if you can''t sell it. It''s not so easy to do

    in this line of work." After she said that, Charlotte took her belongings and left the reception room.

    Rick looked at her retreating back and couldn''t look away for a long time. He couldn''t calm the

    feelings in his heart.

    His assistant leaned forward and approached Rick. "Mr. Jane, Miss Charlotte is not what she used

    to be. If we cooperate with her, it may not be safe for us."

    "Other than us cooperating with her, what else can I do now? Do I really have to watch the Stevens

    family take over all our businesses?" Rick asked his assistant.

    "In any case, you can always look for..."

    "If things havee to that point, I would rather the Stevens family take us over."

    The assistant sighed.

    "You shouldn''t have given false evidence." The assistant sighed.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282

    Why did Rick give false testimony back then?

    Rick couldn''t remember now. He only knew that he had gone to a bar to drink. When he went home,

    he had impulsively made this decision.

    Kendall had been so pitiful, just like how he was before Charlotte. He was pitiful and small.

    That was probably the weird reason why he went to court and became a false witness.

    Rick raised his hand to rub his eyebrows and said, "Anyway, it''s good that Lottie is still willing to

    cooperate with us. Once the goods are delivered, and if everything goes well, we can bypass the

    Stevens family to save our shipping routes and warehouses."

    "If it doesn''t go well..." the assistant asked worriedly.

    "I''ll ept my fate."

    When Charlotte walked into the living room, she just happened to hear Rick say "ept my fate".

    She did not feel anything as she returned to her own seat and pushed the contract before him.

    Rick looked at the details and gave the contract to the people next to him to verify the terms. After

    they made sure that there was no problem, Rick signed his name.

    Although Rick was now Charlotte''s client, due to the fact nopany in River City could handle

    200,000 tons worth of goods, the two of them were not in direct conflict. As long as Charlotte didn''t

    want to, Rick could only disperse his stock to differentpanies.

    However, letting differentpanies handle the same stock would cause problems.

    The contract was signed.

    Rick immediately paid all the fees.

    "ording to the regtions, you only need to pay 20% as a deposit. You don''t need to pay so

    much." Charlotte looked at the numbers on the check and repeatedly confirmed that Rick was

    paying her 1.2 million and not 200,000 dors.

    "We don''t have to follow the regtions. The Jane Corporation has enough working capital. I''m

    afraid that there will be more trouble if I don''t settle this quick. You should cash the check as soon

    as possible."

    "What you mean is, you have internal problems as well?"

    They had problems as well?

    Did she think that his Jane Corporation had the same issue as NC Company?

    No, it was different.

    At least, there would not be a life- and- death struggle between Christopher and Shane. Both of

    them were ying the game at the same level. Even if one of them left, the other might not get to

    take control of thepany. However, this was totally different here.

    Rick shook his head. "It''s not an internal problem. My thoughts are different from the Stevens

    family''s. There would have been friction sooner orter."

    "I still don''t understand. Why did you cooperate with them then?" Charlotte frowned.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Lottie, sometimes, I don''t get a choice. By the way, I''m very grateful to you and Mr. Fuller for that

    thing with Mielle. If it weren''t for you, I probably still won''t know who killed Mielle. I would have to

    wait a long time for the murderer to be caught." Rick didn''t want to continue this topic, so he took his

    people and left.

    And yet.

    Charlotte was stunned.

    She did not follow up on the matter of Mielle.

    In her mind, Shane did not bother about this matter anymore. Why did Rick say that he had found

    the murderer?

    Moreover, even if the murderer was found, she only knew about Joe. She still had no clue who had

    hired Joe. Although she said that she suspected the Stevens family, Shane would never spread

    rumors because there was no evidence.

    Charlotte bit her lip and looked down at the check in her hand.

    It was better to cash it in first. After all, she was afraid of trouble, too.

    Charlotte went to the bank. After she processed the check and received the money, she asked her

    subordinates tomunicate with the Jane Corporation. The matter of Rick''s request to cooperate

    with thepany finally came to an end.

    Charlotte had nothing to do at the office even if she went back there at this hour. Charlotte

    contacted Peter and decided to check on his progress with Zoe.

    After she arrived at the neighborhood, Charlotte searched for a long time before finding Block 87

    where Peter and Zoe were.

    She knocked on the door, and Peter opened it.

    "Why didn''t you call me to pick you up, Ms. Emerson." Peter took out some slippers from the shoe

    cab.

    "Did you pick the block based on safety reasons when you bought this ce?" Charlotte

    comined as she took off her shoes.

    "I thought lock 87 would be at the back, but I didn''t expect it to be hidden behind themunity

    garden. I dare not go out at night even as a man. When I open the door, all I can see is a bunch of

    shrubs after a long, dark corridor. Have you watched any TV shows? That is where murderers often

    hand out," Peter lowered his voice mysteriously.

    Charlotte was speechless. She shook her head. "With your guts, you''re much better suited to be an

    assistant than a security guard. When the ss door of our office was smashed, you hid behind Zoe

    too."

    "Mr. Fuller is more suited to be a security guard."

    "Alright, I''ll call himter and tell him you said that."

    When Peter heard this, he immediately smiled ingratiatingly as he grabbed Charlotte''s arm, "Ms.

    Emerson, please, I still have a family to support. I..."

    "What family do you have to support?"

    "I..."

    "Lottie," Zoe came from within the house with aptop in her hands. "I have analyzed the best

    shipping route for Rick''s stock. We just need to check the time of delivery with him. Two nes

    should be enough."

    Peter immediately let go of her hand. He wanted to exin, but Charlotte had already walked into

    the house with Zoe, and neither of them paid attention to his actions.

    Peter scratched his head and followed Ms. Emerson inside.

    Zoe''s logical ability was very strong. Charlotte looked at her n and could only nod continuously.

    By the time she finished reading all the files, it was already six o''clock.

    "I won''t disturb you any further. If there are any other questions, I''lle to see you again."

    Charlotte put the documents back into her bag.

    "Don''t you want to have dinner before leaving?" Zoe asked. "I cook well."

    "No, Shane texted me saying he will be home for dinner tonight. I have to cook after I get back."

    Zoe could vaguely smell the scent of love. She joked, "Now not only does Ms. Emerson not need to

    take care of her child, but she also has someone waiting for her to go home and cook. She is really

    lucky."

    Charlotte faced Peter and said, "Did you hear that?

    She''s hinting at you to get on with it."

    "That''s not what I meant," Zoe exined impatiently.

    "It''s great that you want to think about dating. Alright, I''m leaving now."

    Zoe stood up to send Charlotte off.

    As soon as Charlotte left, Zoe changed her clothes. She put on an apron and went into the kitchen.

    Only then did Peter have the opportunity to talk to her. "Zoe, do you cook at home?"

    "Yes."

    "I see." Peter went to the oven and looked at the dish inside. He couldn''t help but salivate when he

    smelled the delicious food inside.

    No wonder there were so many steps. The food smelled so good.

    It didn''t matter if they weren''t dating. If they went on like this, he could be happy too.

    Half an hourter, Charlotte returned home.

    Shane hadn''te back yet. She immediately changed her clothes and went into the kitchen to

    take the ingredients out of the refrigerator.

    There was still an hour before it was 8 o''clock. She didn''t know if she would finish before he came

    home.

    Because she needed to make some soup, she brought out the crockpot.

    She kept busy for the entire hour.

    Close to 8 o''clock, the door was pushed open.

    Charlotte was busy seasoning her soup, so she didn''t pay much attention to it. She raised her head

    when her vision darkened.

    Shane stood in front of her with a sullen expression. He had already taken off his suit jacket and

    held it in his hand. He had probably been very impatient as he undid his tie, because his cor was

    a mess.

    Charlotte put down her spoon and walked to his side. She took his clothes and ced them on the

    clothes rack.

    She said with her back facing him, "Dinner will be ready in a bit."

    However, there was no response to her words.

    Charlotte turned around suspiciously and saw that Shane was still in the same position as before.

    He leaned against the table in the open kitchen, his elbows resting on the table. His expression was

    cold and indifferent.

    "What''s wrong?" she asked carefully.

    Was he... angry?

    Charlotte rarely saw him like this. He looked like he was suppressing his anger in silence. It made

    her feel scared.

    "Rick came to your office today to talk about a contract?"

    Oh, it was because of this.

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Yes, 200,000 tons of maple syrup is a huge

    deal for us."

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283

    When Shane noticed that her gaze was nk, he nodded slightly and peered at the high-pressure

    cooker on the kitchen stove.

    Charlotte jogged to the kitchen. Hastily, she tried to open the lid of the cooker.

    But suddenly, a waft of boiling steam rose from the pot.

    "What are you thinking about?" Shane immediately grabbed her arm.

    The lid was pushed open by the high- pressure steam. Charlotte fell to the ground as Shane pulled

    her away, her back hitting hard against the kitchen cab.

    Charlotte blinked multiple times. She was in a state of stupefaction. "I..."

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane turned off the stove and bent over to grab her arm. Seeing that her right arm was entirely

    scalded, he immediately grasped her wrist and took her to the front of the refrigerator. He took out

    some ice cubes, wrapped them in a cloth, and pressed it on her arm.

    It was excruciatingly painful.

    Charlotte gritted her teeth without uttering a single

    word.

    "The steam from the high-pressure cooker is very hot. We need to go to the hospital to treat the

    wound," he said with a cold expression.

    "I''m sorry..." Charlotte lowered her head. She didn''t dare to look at him.

    "I''ll take you to the hospital first."

    Along the way, Shane didn''t say a word to her. When they arrived at the hospital, he was also busy

    helping her register and had no time talking to her.

    Charlotte sat alone on the bench in the hospital corridor, watching patientse and go. The

    atmosphere was actually quite lively, but her heart was empty, very empty.

    Soon, Shane finished registering at the Department of Burns Treatment and brought Charlotte to

    the third floor for examination.

    In the elevator, there were only her and him.

    Charlotte suggested in a low voice, "I can do it alone. Do you want to go eat first?"

    Shane didn''t even look at her. He grabbed her wrist and stood by the door, fixing his eyes on the

    pulsing numbers of the elevator floor indicator.

    Was he being angry?

    Was it because she had agreed to Rick''s contract, or was it because she had scalded herself?

    Charlotte thought about this, puzzled. Her mind was extremely stuffy.

    When it came to minor burns, arge majority of people had no better way to treat them, and

    doctors'' methods were limited too.

    The doctor first washed her burned skin with cold water. After rinsing the wound, the doctor didn''t

    dry her arm with a towel but waited for the skin to dry naturally, then sanitized the wound with

    iodine. Finally, she applied ointment on the scalded area.

    The process was quite fast.

    Her prescribed medicine included a burn cream and anti-inmmatory pills.

    The doctor said that she couldn''t eat spicy food but had to increase her protein intake. She should

    also be careful not to wet her wound when she showers. Apart from the pain, the wound might also

    get infected. But fortunately, the scalded area wasn''t too big, and no blisters were found.

    Technically, it was not a big deal.

    Charlotte picked up the medicine from the dispensary. Before she could open her mouth to speak,

    Shane was already grabbing her wrist.

    "Slow down, I can''t keep up with your pace..."

    Shane didn''t answer, but he slowed down.

    Charlotte wanted to talk to him again, but she didn''t know what to say. It wasn''t until she got in the

    car that she remembered it was almost 9 pm. If she went home and cooked dinner like this, it would

    take a very long time for sure. So how were they going to settle their dinner?

    Actually, she wasn''t that hungry. But as for Shane...

    "What do you want to eat?"

    Just as she was wondering, his voice rang out crisply.

    Charlotte shot up her head and looked at him. "Anything is fine for me."

    "Okay," Shane replied lightly. His slender and structured fingers held the steering wheel, rotating it

    as he asked, "Porridge?"

    "Alright."

    There was this famous porridge restaurant in River City. Many people went there even if it waste

    at night.

    Charlotte opened the car door. When she had just taken a few steps forward, Shane grabbed her

    wrist again. He seemed to think that she didn''t even have the ability to walk on her own and needed

    him to hold her hand so that she wouldn''t fall.

    The restaurant''s door divided the world in two.

    Outside the door was an empty street, the frosty wind made people tremble uneasily.

    There were a lot of people beyond the door. Even the owner was busy taking orders. The ss

    windows were covered in ayer of fog. Children who were sitting next to the windows would write

    and draw on them.

    For a moment, Charlotte couldn''t adapt to the transition. She stood at one spot and didn''t move.

    "What would the both of you like to eat?" The waiter came over.

    "Pork ribs and prawn porridge." Shane paused and added, "I want 3 pounds of prawn."

    The waiter was stunned. "3 pounds of prawn for both servings?"

    "Yeap."

    People would normally order one pound, which should be more than enough because the pot was

    huge.

    The waiter nodded and said, "Then, sir, would you like to personally pick the prawns..."

    "There''s no need."

    Shane straightaway took a seat with Charlotte.

    Charlotte had never tasted this kind of porridge before. So, she was curious about everything,

    especially the seafood porridge on the neighboring table. Earlier, she saw a waiter ce a raw

    snake into the pot and covered it up. She wondered if the snake could be properly cooked or not.

    Because Shane had ordered too much food, so the boss personally came over to confirm his order.

    "Well, the both of you might not be able to finish everything," the owner said as he scratched his

    forehead.

    "I can take the rest away." Shane gave a short reply.

    "Alright then, I''ll cook it for you. We also have some delicious side dishes in our restaurant too.

    Would you like to have a look at the menu?"

    Shane frowned. He wanted to say no at first, but Charlotte had already nodded, so he didn''t bother

    to care about it.

    Charlotte finished ordering some side dishes and handed the menu to the owner. Then, she

    excitedly grabbed Shane''s arm and said, "Shane, I haven''t had tofu jelly in such a long time. I didn''t

    expect that people still sell tofu jelly here in River City."

    Tofu jelly was a kind of street food that could be easily found at all kinds of food stalls on the street

    in the past. But as technology advances, the number of these street-food stalls slowly started to

    decline, so was tofu jelly.

    It had been seven or eight months since shest had tofu jelly.

    It wasn''t easy to find tofu jelly, and it was even more difficult to find delicious ones. She had no clue

    what the tofu jelly here tasted like either.

    Charlotte''s mind was filled with tofu jelly, while Shane''s gaze was fixed on his hand, which she was

    holding.

    "Let go." He pursed his lips.

    "Ah?" Charlotte asked, confused.

    Shane immediately withdrew his hand.

    It wasn''t until after a while did Charlotte realize that he was telling her to let go of his hand.

    Feelings of being wronged welled up in her heart, so Charlotte decided to move closer to Shane.

    The man slightly moved away without saying a word.

    "You''re very angry today." Her voice was soft and gentle.

    "I just can''t believe how stupid you are."

    "I didn''t want to be scalded either."

    He wasn''t talking about that.

    Very soon, Charlotte''s tofu jelly and other side dishes arrived. Her eyes lit up and she couldn''t

    care less about Shane''s mood. She reached out and was about to grab the tofu jelly.

    But Shane took the tofu jelly before her and picked out the dried shrimps on it. Only after that did he

    push the tofu jelly in front of her.

    Although most kinds of dried shrimp were harvested fromkes, some restaurants would use dried

    sea shrimps instead. She couldn''t eat seafood, so she''d better not eat the dried shrimps. "Thank

    you," Charlotte said softly.

    She looked at Shane for a while, making sure that he didn''t want to eat the tofu jelly, then only she

    put soy sauce on it.

    She scooped a spoonful of tofu jelly and put it in her mouth. The soft tofu collided with the pickled

    vegetable and soy sauce in her mouth. Thebination was so vorsome that she felt as if her

    tongue was about to go numb.

    "Rick came to find you and you never thought of the reason?"

    Charlotte''s hand paused.

    She looked at the person next to her and said, "He said that except for ourpany, there''s no

    otherpany that can ept such a big order in River City." "So, you helped him?" Shane

    sneered.

    Charlotte didn''t answer and felt like she had lost her appetite in an instant. She lowered her head,

    feeling guilty.

    How could he force himself to continue when she looked like that?

    Shane lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.

    His body was slightly moving closer, and when he almost touched her lips, he stopped.

    Charlotte widened her eyes in shock. Her eyshes fluttered like butterfly wings, and her body was

    trembling. She didn''t dare to move.

    Charlotte.

    Theoretically, she was his wife.

    Theoretically, she was the mother of his child.

    And theoretically... she shouldn''t have avoided his kiss.

    "Why didn''t you ask me?" he asked in a deep and frosty voice.

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284

    Charlotte kneaded her clothes in panic. "I''ve always been the one who decides for thepany..."

    "He''s Rick Jane."

    So, he wouldn''t care if it wasn''t Rick?

    Shane was so done with her logic that heughed in disbelief.

    If it was anotherpany that gave her a 200,000-tons worth of order, and she epted it and

    handled it sessfully, he would only think that she was outstanding, but that person was Rick.

    Setting the past aside, he was no friend or foe in the current situation. Helping him was a form of

    friendship, but it was only natural if they didn''t. Besides, even though no otherpany could take

    a 200,000-ton worth of order at a time, he could split it up for multiplepanies.

    Asking Charlotte was the best solution, but not the only solution.

    "I..." Charlotte wanted to say that she wasn''t thinking too much about it, but anything she said now

    seemed like an excuse.

    "After this order, he will still ask you for help."

    "Then I''ll reject him directly..."

    "Reject? You have already cooperated with Jane Corporation. If your future production is less than

    the amount of the order you rejected, everyone would probably think that part of our ne has

    broken down. And if your future production is more than the amount you rejected, then everyone will

    think that you were not capable of producing the amount he asked for."

    Shane was extremely sensible.

    He was speaking from the perspective of a man who had a history with her, telling her that she

    made a hasty decision for epting the order this time and that she didn''t consider carefully

    enough. Then, he spoke from a sessful businessman''s perspective, reminding her that she

    shouldn''t ept orders that will not benefit thepany next time.

    Faced with his rationality, Charlotte felt extremely embarrassed.

    On the face of it, she seemed to be able to take over apany on her own and manage

    everything perfectly. But actually, she was still not qualified.

    Countlesspanies went bankrupt every year. They might be outstanding people, and their staff

    might be excellent too, but they still went bankrupt in the end. They often thought that it was only a

    matter of luck or that they only made a false decision. But in fact, the risk of bankruptcy was hidden

    in every eddy.

    The butterfly merely pped its wing before the tornado set off.

    The more she thought about it, the more anxious she felt. "Then what should we do now?"

    "We? You were the one who made the decision."

    At that moment, the porridge was served.

    Shane scooped some porridge into a bowl, put it in front of her, and carefully seasoned the porridge

    for her. But his face was still cold and expressionless like he didn''t care about her, like a robot.

    Charlotte silently ate her meal. She kept thinking about all the possible solutions in her mind, but in

    the end, she still didn''t know what to do.

    Actually, a bowl of tofu jelly was already enough to fill up her stomach. And since there was an awful

    lot of porridge, Charlotte simply stopped eating.

    Since she couldn''t finish all of it, she decided not to eat the porridge at all.

    She put down her bowl and chopsticks.

    Shane was still eating. She didn''t want to disturb him, so she picked up her phone and read the

    latest news.

    Nothing was interesting on the news. They only said that the number of people who caught

    influenza had increased recently and reminded everyone to protect themself.

    She guessed it right. The flu didn''t seem that simple this time. Otherwise, the government wouldn''t

    have ordered citizens to stay at home and take good care of themself.

    "Are you full?" Shane put down his chopsticks after a while.

    "Mhm." She came back to her senses and nodded at him.

    Lets go.

    "Then, the rest of the porridge... Wait a minute, I''ll ask them for a box."

    Charlotte went over to find the owner and asked him for a box.

    Shane was sitting in the same seat. In the midst of the cacophony, he, who was calm and quiet,

    seemed to be out of ce.

    Soon, Charlotte came back. She cautiously poured the porridge into arger box and put the side

    dishes into a rectangr box. After carefully closing the lid, she put the box into a stic bag, held

    up the bag''s handle, and tied it into a

    bowknot.T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Are you nning to eat porridge for the next few days?" Shane asked.

    "This porridge is quite delicious, and you might note home every day. So, if I''m alone, I can just

    heat it in the pot."

    "Okay."

    His attitude was still neither cold nor warm.

    Charlotte followed Shane and left the restaurant with him.

    She was once again struck by the difference.

    The liveliness behind her and the cold wind in front of her formed a stark contrast that made her feel

    ufortable all over.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but shudder. Even her teeth were chattering.

    Suddenly, she felt warmth on her shoulders, and she was pulled into a warm embrace by the person

    beside her.

    Charlotte was startled. She raised her head to look at him.

    The scattered street lights reflected in her pitch-ck pupils, forming a sea of stars.

    "Are you cold?" he asked.

    "Yes, I''m cold." She moved closer to him.

    Shane took off his suit to cover her shoulder. "We''ll be at the parking lot soon. Hang in there."

    Charlotte nodded obediently, her entire body quickly melting into his embrace.

    She suddenly hoped that this road could be longer and won''t end so quickly so that she could stay

    in his arms for a longer time.

    However, the parking lot wasn''t that far away, and the two of them soon arrived.

    After entering the car, Shane turned on the heater. Charlotte''s near-frozen limbs were able to gain

    warmth. She rubbed her arms with her palms, trying to make her body warm up a little faster.

    Shane didn''t start the car. His eyes casually settled on a spot in the distance.

    "Uhm, don''t you want to leave?"

    "Ask Zoe to send all the details of the projects rted to Rick to my email tomorrow."

    "Okay," she replied.

    The car was still not moving.

    Perplexed, Charlotte stretched out her hand and waved it in front of him. Before she could speak,

    he grabbed her hand, tilted his head, and stared at her. His knuckles had turned white from exerting

    too much strength.

    His gaze.

    Like a lion in the jungle.

    Charlotte swallowed her saliva subconsciously.

    "I''ll follow up on every project rted to him in the future."

    "Okay," she replied once again.

    Shane let go of her and started the car.

    Even until they got home.

    Charlotte was still very confused. She sat in front of theputer and asked Zoe to prepare the

    information to send to Shane.

    "Mr. Fuller wants to take over this project?" Zoe wasn''t resting at this hour either.

    "Mhm," Charlotte replied.

    "This is really within my expectations. Mr. Fuller is indeed a very jealous person."

    Jealous?

    Charlotte had never thought of it that way.

    She only thought that Shane regarded Rick as his enemy. After all, with the Steven Family''s

    business going on here, no one could determine who was an enemy or a friend.

    However, a sentence that Shane had said suddenly came up in her mind.

    "He''s Rick Jane."

    He didn''t seem to be saying that she couldn''t ept a project from Jane Corporation. Instead, he

    seemed to be saying that she couldn''t ept a project from Rick.

    The only difference between Jane Corporation and Rick was that Rick had a history with her.

    Charlotte''s heart became even more chaotic.

    "Lottie, are you and Mr. Fuller considered dating right now?" Zoe sent another message.

    Of course, of course it did.

    Charlotte told Zoe about Sheryl''s surgery.

    A little too much information was contained in that matter, so it took Zoe a while to reply, "You

    two...are really the chosen ones."

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. "So you think you''re shipping a couple now? The chosen ones?"

    "Shipping you two is better than shipping celebrity couples. At least I can still get some information."

    Zoe sent a cute and teasing emoji.

    Charlotte really didn''t expect that a woman like Zoe would be interested in gossip.

    The two of them talked about Shane until Zoe said that she had to go to sleep. Only then did

    Charlotte close herputer.

    She sauntered into the bedroom.

    Shane was lying on the lounge chair next to the window, reading a book. The words on the cover

    were written in a foreignnguage, but she could vaguely make out the words theory and wealth. It

    was probably a finance book.

    "Do you want to take a shower?"

    Just as Charlotte was focusing on the book, the man holding the book opened his mouth to speak.

    "Yep," she replied.

    "I''ll help you."

    Wait, what?

    Charlotte shook her head forcefully and said, "You don''t have to do that. I only injured my skin, not

    my bones. You don''t need to help me."

    Are you kidding? If she wanted to take a shower, she definitely wouldn''t wash her upper body. What

    she needed to wash was her...

    How could he do it for her?!

    Charlotte''s face turned red in an instant.

    Thinking about her chat with Zoe just now, she was even more restless.

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285

    Shane closed the book, turned sideways, and looked at her. "Can you shower with one hand?"

    "My bones were not injured. It won''t be a problem," Charlotte quickly stated.

    "Well, go ahead then." Shane nodded and picked up the book again.

    Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

    Fortunately, Shane wasn''t very adamant about helping her to shower. Otherwise, she really wouldn''t

    know how to deal with it.

    While taking a shower, Charlotte recollected everything that happened today. She realized that it

    was actually really impulsive of her to help Rick. Why didn''t she refuse Rick at that time? Why did

    she directly sign the contract with him?

    When she looked at the documents, she clearly noticed that the price he offered was unreasonable.

    Why didn''t she realize that it was even more unreasonable to cooperate with him?

    Charlotte leaned against the ice- cold tiles. She raised her hand and allowed the water to flow all

    the way down from the top of her head.

    This was the only showering method that could make her more clear-minded.

    The next day.

    As soon as Charlotte arrived at thepany, she received a call from Sheryl.

    The little girl said that she wanted to go to the movies with mom, dad, and great granny.

    Charlotte really wanted to see her, but her arm was injured, and she was afraid of worrying the

    child, so she could only tell Shane''s grandmother about the situation. Shane''s grandmother

    understood and said that she would find an excuse to convince Sheryl. She also told her that they

    didn''t have to worry about the child.

    After the call ended, Charlotte looked at the wound on her arm and sighed.

    Knock, knock��

    The door was knocked twice.

    Normally, the assistant would knock three times.

    "Shane?" Charlotte guessed who it was.

    Shane pushed open the door and walked into the office, putting a small green box in front of her.

    It looked almost the same size as a cleanser.

    "Is this for me?" she asked.

    "Yea. Apply this ointment half an hour after you took your medicines. It helps to remove your scar,"

    Shane said as he pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her.

    It was for removing scars!

    Charlotte felt a surge of joy as she quickly stored the item in her drawer.

    Shane took out a document from his bag and put it in front of her. "This is the transfer contract."

    "Transfer contract?" she asked, confused.

    "From today on, I''ll be in charge of Rick''s projects." Charlotte took the contract and noticed the

    words written on top of it: Sharlot Inc. has full authority to take responsibility for...All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    So, there was actually apany under his name?

    "Quite a few people have investigated you before and confirmed that you don''t have anypany

    or property under your name. What''s with this?"

    "They are right. Thispany is under Braden''s name."

    "I see." Charlotte understood.

    Sharlot.

    Was it somebody''s name?

    But she had never heard that Shane had a rtive by the name of Sharlot. Maybe it was just a

    name he randomly picked. She didn''t think much about it either.

    After handing Rick''s project over to Shane, Charlotte began to deal with the projects from other

    companies. One of thepanies had to send some precise instruments back to their country from

    abroad, and they demanded there would be no mistake during the process. She had to go to the

    port and keep an eye on it personally. She also had to make sure that all the instruments supervised

    by Peter and Zoe were in good condition.

    And by delivering this batch of goods, she could actually earn about 20,000 dors.

    Therefore, it was obvious they could actually earn a lot of money from Rick''s order.

    After Charlotte finished supervising the manual packaging process and confirmed that they had

    filled out the correct address, she didn''t intend to return to thepany. Instead, she wanted to find

    a ce to rest. After all, she had been so busy for the past few hours that she hadn''t even had a sip

    of water.

    However, as soon as she got into the car, her phone rang.

    She picked it up. "Hello?"

    "I''ll give you an address. Come here." It was

    Shane''s voice.

    Charlotte was confused.

    Was Shane asking her to go there at this hour...to have dinner with him?

    She responded with suspicion, "Okay, I''ll be right there."

    Shane quickly sent the address to her phone. Charlotte entered the address into the navigator and

    realized that it was a hot spring bathhouse located on the business street in the center of the city.

    It seemed to be newly opened. Its theme was to simte nature, making people feel as if they were

    bathing outdoors.

    Charlotte parked her car and went upstairs. When she arrived at the hot spring bathhouse. After

    waiting for a few minutes, a person walked out of the building.

    "Lottie."

    Hearing the familiar voice, Charlotte put away her phone and looked up.

    Her eyes instantly widened.

    Shane was wearing a dark blue kimono and a pair of slides. His hair wasn''t in its usual slicked-back

    style. It was fluffy, with his bangs scattered on his forehead. His overall style was casual and

    rxed, making him look unlike a man in his thirties.

    He looked good.

    Charlotte had never thought that Shane''s facial features could be so soft.

    "Have you seen enough?" He frowned slightly.

    What was she staring at his face for?

    "No, Mr. Fuller. You''re really good-looking." He was so handsome that Charlotte had lost her mind

    for a second.

    She couldn''t help but allow the corners of her mouth to curve up. She put her hands behind her

    back, looking exactly like a girl in love.

    Shane simply reached out and pulled her into his arms, trapping her in his embrace. "You see me

    every day. Do you not know how good-looking I am?"

    "It''s a different kind of good-looking," she replied with a giggle.

    "Charlotte, you''re a mother. Act a little bit more modest." Even though his voice was cold, there was

    a hint of helplessness in his tone.

    "Everyone has a desire for beauty, so how can I unsee handsome guys just because I''m a mother?

    Mr. Fuller, you''re good-looking, really."

    "You like it this way?"

    Charlotte nodded her head without hesitation.

    Shane pursed his lips.

    He actually didn''t like how he looked now. After all, it was too casual for him in terms of attire and

    appearance. If one stayed in this state for a long time, he would be unhappy and eventually lose his

    competence.

    It was precisely why he was always sharp and vignt.

    "Let''s go in first." Shane led her inside.

    Since the men''s and women''s locker rooms were separated, Shane only took her to the door and

    said, "You go in and change your clothes. Here''s your number card. You can unlock the locker and

    wear the clothes inside. I picked your size."

    Charlotte epted the number card, but her eyes were still fixed on his face, reluctant to leave.

    Shane reached out and lightly poked between her eyebrows. "Go change. I''ll wait for you at the

    exit."

    "Alright."

    She dragged her feet away and left.

    Shane entered the men''s locker room. He had nned to leave quickly to wait for Charlotte, but he

    identally passed by a mirror. He couldn''t help but stop and look at the person in the mirror.

    He really looked a little younger than usual.

    Because he was normally busy, so he always chose to slick his hair back. This way, he wouldn''t

    need to go to the salon frequently, and he could easily style his hair at home by using hair gel. In his

    current appearance, his bangs looked particrly long, almost covering his eyes.

    He really looked like a member from a foreign boy band.

    So, this was the type she liked all along?

    Shane reached out and touched his jawline. His eyes darkened, looking a little unhappy.

    Whether it was his daily preferences or attire, he really couldn''t spot any resemnce in how he

    looked now.

    So.

    She didn''t like his usual appearance?

    Shane pressed his lips together, forming a horizontal line.

    After Charlotte changed her clothes, she ran to the exit and spotted Shane at first nce.

    "Why are we here today?" She leaned against him.

    "To meet someone."

    "Who is it?"

    "Rnd Stevens."

    Huh?

    Upon hearing that, Charlotte was stunned.

    Shane turned sideways to look at her and reached out to pull out her scrunchy. "This way, he

    probably won''t recognize you."

    Her hair slid down along his arm. Half of it fell on her shoulders and her back, while the other half

    covered her face. Her bangs were slowly falling along with his movement as well.

    Charlotte panicked and reached out to grab the scrunchy. But when Shane raised his arm, she

    couldn''t do anything about it anymore. He was tall and his arm was long. There was no way she

    could snatch it from him.

    "Give it back to me..." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito''s.

    Like this.

    She looked pretty too.

    Shane was kind of able to understand why Charlotte said that he looked better than usual today.

    After getting used to each other''s usual appearance, there was a huge difference when they looked

    at each other now.

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286

    When Shane said they were here to meet Rnd Stevens, he didn''t mean that they had agreed to

    meet here. Instead, he was saying that he knew Rnd wasing here, but Rnd didn''t know

    that he wasing here.

    So, that was the reason why he dressed differently today and took down Charlotte''s scrunchy.

    But even so, Charlotte still couldn''t ept it. She was used to dressing up to look mature. So, she

    found it slightly hard to ept that she had to dress the way she did when she was in university.

    When she was pregnant with Sheryl, she was only 18. Five years had passed, but she was only 23.

    If she wanted to find a good job, of course, she couldn''t show her immaturity. That was where her

    idea of dressing up to look more mature came from.

    But now, she was instantly back to how she used to look.

    Charlotte walked beside Shane, feeling very ufortable.

    Shane gave her a sidelong nce and asked, "What''s the matter? Are you not happy anymore?" "I

    haven''t let down my hair in a long time, and you revealed my bangs too. Do I look like a child?"

    More like a little woman who needed protection.

    Shane didn''t respond. He just slid down his hand to hold her hand, pulling her closer to him.

    He looked ahead and said in a cold voice, "Didn''t you say that I''m God? If the sky copses, I''ll be

    the first to carry it. What are you afraid of?"

    He was right.

    However, the reality was often different from what you imagined.

    This was what Charlotte thought.

    Soon.

    Shane brought Charlotte to the poolside. He bought VIP tickets, so it was a private hot spring pool.

    The two could see what the other small andrge pools looked like next to the pool. If they wanted

    to spy on someone, it would be the best ce to do so.

    Charlotte''s arm was injured, so she could only lie beside the pool. She couldn''t soak her body in

    water.

    But it was so much easier for Shane. He dipped his entire body into the pool, revealing only his

    head.

    T��xt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    At first, Charlotte was still looking for Rnd, butter, she just kept staring at Shane. Shane''s eyes

    were closed, small drops of sweat gathered at the corners of his forehead. A stroke of blush

    syed across his handsome face.

    She wouldn''t be able to see Shane like this every day.

    "Still staring?" Shane opened his eyes and nced at herteasingly.

    "Why can''t I stare if it''s good to look at? Besides, you''re so handsome. It''d be a pity if I don''t take

    another look at you."

    He felt like he had heard that before.

    Shane was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of Rnd. He smirked and said, "Our prey is

    here."

    Charlotte immediately followed his gaze and looked over.

    Rnd was wearing a white bathrobe. He appeared to be in his 40s or 50s, and he didn''t have a

    bald head or a beer belly. If nobody said that he was Kendall''s father, people might mistake him for

    Kendall''s brother. He looked energetic and rxed. Plenty of women were following him as well.

    "There''s more," Shane spoke again.

    There was indeed more than that.

    Another woman came with Rnd, and this woman was Kendall.

    Next to the two of them was a man who looked a little younger than Rnd. He looked very simr

    to Rnd, as if they were carved out of the same mold. Their behavior, temperament, and habits

    were all the same. So that man must be Caleb.

    Kendall was the first to enter the pool. She swam to one side, leaned against the pool, and waved

    at the people outside of the pool.

    Rnd smiled as he went to her side. He held her in her arms and kissed her cheek.

    "Uhm, are siblings allowed to be that intimate?" Charlotte awkwardly looked away, not wanting to

    look at the three of them.

    "Look again."

    Charlotte turned around again and saw that Rnd had also gone into the pool. Just like Caleb, he

    kissed Kendall on the cheek too. Only then did Kendall y with them with a satisfied expression.

    That weird intimacy seemed like a tradition of the Stevens Family.

    After the three members of the Stevens Family entered the pool, only did the other women step into

    the pool. They surrounded them, talking andughing.

    There was nothing more to see after that. But a person, who Shane didn''t expect to appear,

    appeared.

    It was Rick.

    Charlotte looked at Shane almost instantly. The expression on his face was simr to hers. Both of

    them were baffled. Neither he nor she had expected that Rick would be this close to the Stevens

    Family.

    As soon as Rick went into the pool, Kendall immediately clung to him.

    Rick held her body with one hand, and the other went all the way down along her waist. The two of

    them were making out, looking extremely intimate.

    Charlotte gaped at them, dumbfounded.

    "Have you ever done this with him before?" Shane stopped looking at the Stevens Family. He

    turned back, closed his eyes, and continued to rest.

    "No, I really have not," Charlotte quickly exined.

    She was afraid that Shane would misunderstand.

    Hang on, why would she worry that he would misunderstand her?

    Shane didn''t give Charlotte the time to think thoroughly. He parted his lips and said coldly, "Rick has

    never been in a rtionship before. You didn''t kiss him, didn''t hug him, didn''t y in a pool with him

    before?"

    Charlotte instantly understood what he meant. "You''re saying that he''s extremely close with Kendall.

    So close that doing all these intimate actions are extremelymon for them already?"

    "Smart."

    "In this case, he obviously has the support of the Stevens Family and is also dating Kendall. Why

    did he still want to cooperate with us?"

    "He''s not looking to cooperate with us. He''s looking to cooperate with you."

    "I don''t understand."

    "He knew that I would never let the Stevens Family go, so he avoided me and directly looked for

    you, leveraging on his friendship with you to make you unable to reject his offer of cooperation."

    Charlotte suddenly understood everything.

    Indeed.

    She could notice that there was something unreasonable in his contract, but she never thought

    about refusing to cooperate with him. She didn''t understand why, but at this moment, she

    understood.

    It was her subconsciousness. In her subconsciousness, the option to refuse Rick didn''t

    exist.

    Shane''s fingers were dancing in the water as he asked, "What are they talking about?"

    "I don''t know." Charlotte kept staring at them, but the sound of the flowing water was too loud, so

    she couldn''t hear them clearly. She didn''t know how to lipread either.

    "They are talking about bidding."

    "How do you know?"

    "Look at their lips."

    Charlotte narrowed her eyes.

    Indeed, it seemed like Rnd and Caleb both mouthed the words, bidding and this bidding. But how

    did Shane know about this? He had been resting with his eyes closed the entire time. He wasn''t

    even looking at the people on the other side.

    "They are also talking about Kendall and Rick''s wedding," Shane continued.

    Charlotte continued to look with narrowed eyes. She couldn''t make out what the Stevens Family

    and Rick were saying, but they really seemed to be mouthing the word, wedding.

    "Shane, you were obviously not looking at them."

    "I guessed."

    Charlotte was instantly speechless.

    Shane suddenly stood up and got on top of her. He lifted her chin and pulled her into his arms. His

    lips were close to hers, but he didn''t kiss her.

    Subconsciously, Charlotte wanted to struggle. But he didn''t kiss her, so she just went stiff and

    stayed put.

    Shane''s hand went all the way down along her shoulder. And when it finallynded on her butt, he

    gave her a hard p on the butt.

    "What are you doing!" Charlotte''s face instantly turned crimson red.

    "They''re looking at us." Shane turned his head slightly, his eyes cold. "Your gaze was too obvious.

    Restrain yourself a little."

    "Then, now we..."

    "Have you ever been in a rtionship?" he suddenly asked.

    What kind of question was that?

    Charlotte shook her head awkwardly.

    She had never been in a serious rtionship before. What was he trying to imply when he asked

    her that question? The reason why she was like this was all because of that night.

    A sense of sorrow aroused in her heart.

    "That''s perfect. I''ve never been in a rtionship either. Let''s experience it."

    What did that mean?

    Before Charlotte had time to react, Shane had already held her in his arms, kissing her deeply. His

    fingers moved back and forth along the curves of her body.

    At first, she still had the strength to stand, but in the end, shepletely melted into his arms.

    Suddenly, Shane changed his position. He ced his big palms on her thighs and straightaway

    picked her up. She was forced to lean against his chest.

    "Shane." Her entire body went limp as she begged him in a low voice.

    "Can you see how the Stevens Family reacted?"

    How could she still have the mood to care about the Stevens Family?

    Charlotte bit her lips.

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287

    However, Charlotte was Charlotte after all. She would never doubt Shane''s words.

    Holding back her difort, she forced herself to raise her head and look at the people on the

    other side. Shane smirked and pressed his lips on her corbone. He kissed it hard, leaving a

    hickey.

    As Charlotte eximed in surprise, she saw the eyes of those people from the Stevens Family.

    They looked at her and Shane with traces of disdain in their eyes.

    "They probably think that we''re an ordinary couple." She lowered her head and reported to Shane.

    "They won''t."

    "Huh?"

    "The price of the VIP pool here is enough to buy a smallpany. They were probably looking at

    you with disdain and disgust."

    It really seemed to be that way. Charlotte nodded and asked, "Why is that?"

    Shane straightened his body and sat on the steps next to the pool. He put her on hisp and said,

    "They probably think that I''ve rented you."

    "Maybe they think I don''t know that they''re looking at me? But there must be something wrong with

    their eyes. They''re so close and have been staring at us for so long, yet they still haven''t figured out

    who we are?" Charlotte didn''t dare to move, but she felt weird sitting on him.

    She wanted to break away from his arms, but she couldn''t.

    "There are mists," Shane said.

    "Then how can we see their faces clearly?"

    "Because of the density and distribution of the mist."

    Shane reached out his hand and then retracted it. "Can you see it?"

    When she saw it, Charlotte nodded her head.

    The moment he reached out his hand, his fingertips seemed to be enveloped by a thick cloud of

    mist. And when he retracted his hand, the mists moved backward along with his movement.

    Therefore, when he reached out his hand, the farther part of his hand was blurrier than the closer

    part. That was to say, the mists here were denser than those on the Stevens Family''s side. So, in

    certain positions, it was natural for her and Shane to see them, and they wouldn''t see the two of

    them.

    Just when Charlotte thought that it was astonishing and wanted to look at the other side again, she

    met Rick''s eyes.

    In a split second, Charlotte knew that Rick had recognized her, but he quickly looked away. He

    continued to chat andugh with the Stevens Family, pretending as if he hadn''t seen her.

    "Shane, I think Rick might have seen me." Charlotte knew that Rick had recognized her, but...he

    acted as if he didn''t.

    Shane leaned backward as he nced at the three members of the Stevens Family.

    Their expressions were the same as before. Rick probably hadn''t told the others about this matter.

    "Let''s leave before they catch us." Shane was just about to stand up.

    "Hey!" Charlotte immediately clung to him.

    "What? Sad to let me go?" He looked at her with amusement.

    Sad to leave him? She just couldn''t get out of his arms!

    However, he got up and kept walking forward. Not to mention leaving, she couldn''t even change a

    position, so she was forced to lie in his arms.

    "Young couples nowadays really don''t care about the asion." A voice came from the pool at the

    Steven Family''s side.

    Charlotte buried his head in Shane''s arms.

    Rick, who had been holding Kendall in his arms, looked at Shane with an intense gaze. Under the

    water, his hands were already clenched into fists.

    Shane didn''t react too much and directly left with Charlotte.

    The two separated in front of the locker rooms.

    Seeing this, Rick stood up and said. "Mr. Stevens, Caleb, I''m going to buy some drinks. What would

    you all like to drink?"

    "Buy drinks? It seems like you can only buy that at a takeaway shop. Bring me a cup of milk tea if

    you can." Caleb''s lips twitched. "Sorry to bother you, Rick."

    "No problem at all. What about you, Mr. Stevens?" Rick asked with a smile.

    "The most ordinary tea will do. Don''t add sugar."

    "Okay. Kendall, as usual?"

    Kendall nodded at him and held his palm reluctantly. " Rick, do you want me to go with you?"

    Before Rick could open her mouth, Caleb said impatiently, "He''s only going to buy some drinks.

    Why do you have to follow him?"

    Kendall was a little unhappy and pouted.

    "It''s more convenient for me to go alone. Besides, even if you follow me, I won''t let you carry the

    drinks." Rick caressed Kendall''s head and got up to leave.

    Rnd nodded with great satisfaction and said, "Kendall, you have good taste."

    Upon hearing that, Kendall''s expression mostly remained unchanged. She just made a face at her

    brother.

    "What''s so good about him? He''s obviously a hypocrite," Caleb said with a cold smile.

    "What''s wrong? You think you''re so good yourself?" Rnd asked back.

    Caleb was silenced by his father. He pursed his lips and didn''t reply.

    Only then was Kendall satisfied. She held her father''s arm affectionately and said, "Dad, you treat

    me the best. My brother only knows how to bully me."

    "The prerequisite for me to treat you well is that you won''t get me into trouble again, do you

    understand?"

    "I promise that, as long as I marry Rick, I won''t get into any trouble anymore."

    "Hmph. You better keep your promise."

    Although Rnd was being harsh on Kendall, his eyes were already smiling.

    Kendall was not his actual daughter. To be specific, she was his niece, his eldest brother''s daughter.

    And his eldest brother was the person he respected most in his entire life. In his heart, Caleb could

    neverpare to Kendall.

    Kendall was thest wonder his elder brother had left in this world.

    Charlotte finished changing and walked out of the locker room. She toyed with the number card as

    she walked to the lounge.

    Shane didn''t wait for her at the exit.

    He hadn''te out yet?

    Charlotte looked around. When she finally spotted Shane standing next to the vending machine,

    she automatically walked in that direction. When she got closer, she realized that not only Shane

    was there, Rick was there as well.

    Rick came out too.

    Charlotte stopped in her tracks and found a more secluded ce to hide.

    "Are you so afraid of me getting close to Lottie?�� Rick inserted a coin into the vending machine and

    pressed the coffee button.

    "Just in case." "Shane, I''ve never treated you like this before."

    "Never treated me like that before? You even used me as an excuse to break up with Charlotte."

    Shane half- leaned against the wall. His bangs scattered in front of his forehead, covering the

    frostiness in his eyes.

    Upon hearing that, Rick chuckled and said, "Was I wrong for that? If I forced her to do that kind of

    thing, but she still regarded me as a divine God, would you be able to stand it?"

    "Do you think you fit to be called that way?" Shane retorted.

    "True. I''m not Shane Fuller. I don''t deserve the honor of being called God, but at least I have the

    right to be a human."

    "ording to your logic, since you have the right to be a human, as a God, I also have the right to

    control humans."

    The two of them were scoring off each other, but there was no animosity in the air.

    Rick opened the can and took a sip of the ridiculously sweetmercial coffee. He looked at Shane

    with mockery in his eyes and said, "I guess you''re probably worried. Because the more Charlotte

    regards you as a God, the more it means she doesn''t love you, right?"

    "That''s not important." "If you really think that it''s not important, it''s just a project, you..." "So you

    want to receive your goods in perfect condition from the Stevens Family without my involvement?

    Do you think it''s possible?" At this moment, Shane finished his soda water. He ttened the can and

    threw it into the trash bin.

    Rick didn''t think of that. In his mind, when he decided to break up with Charlotte, Shane should

    have already added him to his cklist.

    But he didn''t. He was actually considering it from Rick''s point of view.

    How?

    How could he be so chill about it?

    Rick endured his anger and tried to calm down the fury in his heart. "Shane, who am I in your

    eyes?"

    Shane was already nning to leave. After all, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a little woman

    hiding in the corner. He didn''t know when she came or how long she had been there. However, he

    had never adopted the bad habit of letting her wait for him for too long.

    "It''s not important."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    He replied nonchntly and once again took a step forward.

    "If it''s not important, then why do you want to help me?"

    Why was he able to control everything as if he was a savior?

    He had obviously lost NC.

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288

    Shane didn''t answer Rick''s question. Instead, he turned around at the corner of the corridor. Then

    bent over and grabbed Charlotte''s wrist, who thought she was hiding very well.

    She was dragged forward by him and couldn''t help but ask, "Shane, how do you know I''m here?"

    He walked straight toward her without any hesitation.

    Shane didn''t want to answer her dumb question.

    He led her outside. When they reached their car, he finally parted his lips and said, "Do you have a

    conclusion regarding what you''ve seen today?"

    "Yes," Charlotte replied. "Kendall has a great rtionship with Rnd and Caleb. However, I feel

    like the rtionship between her and Caleb is very superficial. Caleb seems to dislike her and Rick."

    "You''re partly correct. The one that Caleb hates is not Kendall, but Rick." Shane opened the car

    door and said, "Continue."

    Charlotte got into the car with him as she described the three things she noticed about the three

    members of the Stevens Family.

    Firstly, Rick was able to touch Kendall affectionately in public, meaning that Rnd and Caleb had

    approved him. However, Caleb didn''t seem to like him very much. That was enough to prove that

    the Stevens Family were dominant between their cooperation, while Rick was just a tool they used

    to make connections with Jane Corporation.

    Secondly, all the information showed that the Stevens Family was not aspetent as the Jane

    family. When Caleb wanted to marry Anne, he was directly rejected by the Jane Family. However,

    judging from the interaction between the three members of the Stevens Family and Rick, the weak

    one was obviously Rick.

    Thirdly, Rick had always been gentle and polite, but it didn''t mean that he didn''t have a temper.

    When he recognized her and Shane, Rick only followed Shane out of the hot spring pool and didn''t

    expose the two of them in public. This was actually not in line with his character.

    "Based on these three points, I think that it''s abnormal for Rick to ingratiate himself with the Stevens

    Family. It''s abnormal for him not to confront us too. Unless..."

    "He has other intentions." Shane hit the brake and stopped right in front of the red light.

    Charlotte nodded seriously. "I suspect that the Stevens Family is trying to do something to Jane

    Corporation by manipting Rick. But their n has been seen through by Rick. He wants to use

    himself as bait and confront the Stevens Family instead of being swallowed by the Stevens Family."

    "Not bad." Shane nodded.

    "But he doesn''t seem to have any intention of teaming up with us either. He probably thinks that it''s

    already enough for him to get help from us," Charlotte continued.

    This behavior still didn''t conform to Rick''s personality.

    Logically speaking, he should have found someone to cooperate with during times like this.

    The red light turned green. Shane stepped on the elerator and controlled the steering wheel in a

    rxed manner.

    His eyesnded on a spot on the road. It was clearly an asphalt road with white lines. But in his

    eyes, it was another person''s face.

    "Rick is in a very dangerous situation now. That''s why he''s not cooperating with us."

    "What?" Charlotte blinked her eyes in confusion.

    "Or rather, he thinks he''s in danger."

    "I don''t quite understand." "Firstly, he won''t burden you. Secondly, he thinks that I''ve already lost NC

    and don''t have an assistant anymore. Therefore, cooperating with us seems very risky."

    It finally dawned on Charlotte at that moment.

    In fact, even if it wasn''t Rick but her and Shane, they would have to open each other''s ount

    books and calcte the numbers in detail. Or else, no one would know their bottom line either. No,

    Shane might know hers, but she would never know Shane''s.

    Thinking about it, Charlotte sighed. "Then, should we help him or not?"

    "There''s no need and reason for us to cooperate with him. But there''s one person who does."

    Charlotte''s eyes lit up.

    Indeed.

    It was someone who had no need and reason for her and Shane to cooperate with as well.

    "I''ll talk to himter. But can you drop me off at Zoe''s neighborhood? Before handling the Stevens

    Family''s issue, I still have something very important to do," Charlotte said.

    "That''s fine too."

    Shane had heard about Zoe''s story.

    He didn''t care whether Charlotte''s decision was correct or not. He only knew that the recent flu was

    extremely serious.

    Moreover, Peter and Zoe were the indispensable forces of thepany''s intelligence sector.

    Whether it was a public or private affair, there was no major w in Charlotte''s management.

    Avery''s home.

    Zoe nestled on the sofa, working on her tablet. An endless stream of messages was overflowing her

    email. She always had to deal with issues one after another.

    When she was done with her work, she got up and took out a box of ice cream from the fridge. She

    was nning to regte her blood sugar level when she received a message from Charlotte.

    "Is it about work again?" Zoe opened the message helplessly.

    After reading the first two lines, she waspletely stunned.

    Peter heard herining but didn''t see her move. So he walked closer to her to remind her,

    "Your ice cream is melting."

    "Peter, Lottie has helped me settle the problem with the house, and Mr. Fuller promised her that he

    would help me renovate the house and that he would pay for everything." Zoe handed the phone to

    Peter. Her eyes were slightly red.

    She knew that both Charlotte and Shane were quite busy, so she didn''t expect things to be settled

    in such a short time.

    However, she couldn''t believe that Charlotte had really settled the matter just a few days after it

    came up.

    Peter didn''t expect it to be so fast either. He took Zoe''s phone and muttered, "How can it be? Before

    this, Ms. Emerson even asked me to investigate the winders from the extortion case. She said they

    still need to n everything in detail. It''s estimated that everything will only bepleted by next

    month. But it has only been ten days since this month started..."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Peter was right.

    At first, Charlotte just wanted to go and have a look at the neighborhood. She wanted to know how

    Zoe''s parents were doing. Who knew that Shane would directly help her to solve the problem?

    From recording audio and collecting evidence to paying money, the process was shockingly fast.

    "Maybe it''s because Mr. Fuller was beside her." Zoe was able to guess the truth shortly afterward.

    "Well, that''s true." Peter smiled and returned the phone to her. "What about you? When do you n

    to move back? s, I''m so pitiful. I have to eat instant noodles alone again."

    "Although I really want to go back, it''s hard to say. First off, Lottie and Mr. Fuller said that they would

    help me renovate my house. With their personalities, it''s useless for me to refuse. What''s more, the

    flu has been going on like crazy these days. Lottie mentioned in her texts that she doesn''t really

    want me to go back to the office." Zoe sighed.

    She really missed living alone.

    She only had to make one serving per meal. And if she wanted to, she could just be naked at home.

    But now, she had to be very careful around the house.

    Peter''s eyes lit up when he heard that. "Flu season generallysts around 2 to 4 months, and the

    renovation would also need at least a month. That is to say, we can stay together for at least one

    more month."

    "Unfortunately, it''s just like how you described." Zoe shrugged her shoulders.

    "I''m very happy about that."

    "Although I''m not really that happy, living here has actually increased my productivity."

    Zoe, who didn''t need to deal with family disputes, became calmer and calmer. Just like in the past,

    she was still the goddess in his heart.

    Peter approached her and handed her the ice cream. "Perhaps you''ll feel happy being with me in

    the future. You won''t be used to it without me."

    "I''m sorry. I can always get used to it if I lose someone."

    "That''s very cold- blooded of you." Peter directly leaned on her shoulder and said, "You keep saying

    that I''m your younger brother. But are you acting like the elder sister yourself?"

    "Have you ever regarded me as your elder sister? Have you ever even treated me like your elder

    sister?" She felt helpless.

    "When have I not?!"

    "All you do is either order me to do something for you or hit me. Aren''t you ashamed to call me your

    elder sister?"

    "I''ve never hit you! I only gave you a few pats."

    "You have the face to tell me that?"

    The two of them bickered endlessly. Fortunately, Zoe was eating ice cream, so it was actually just

    Peter who was leading the conversation. It didn''t take long before it stopped.

    Peter slowly slid down andy directly on her thigh.

    He leaned slightly closer and pressed his head

    against her belly.

    In shock, Zoe reached out and pushed him away.

    "Get out of my way."

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289

    Peter struggled for a moment and reached out to hug her. "No, I want to lean on you. It feels safe to

    lie down like this. I don''t care. I want to lean on you."

    What was the problem with this guy?

    Zoe gnashed her teeth. "If you don''t let me go, I will hit you."

    Peter still didn''t want to let go. Zoe raised her hand and violently hit the back of his head. That kind

    of "beating", which took all her strength, would mean nothing to other people. They could easily

    endure it. But Peter recalled the scene where he was beaten up by his father when he was trying to

    make himugh.

    Peter instantly grabbed her wrists, forcefully twisted them, and pinned her down on the sofa. He

    raised his other hand over his head. His fist was about to hit Zoe''s face.

    Air, time, and space seemed to be frozen in an instant.

    "Peter..." Zoe didn''t feel pain in her wrist, but the way he looked was a little intimidating.

    His youthful vibe was no longer present. Instead, it was reced by an inexplicable gloominess and

    rage.

    Waking up from his dream, Peter let go of his hand and took a few steps back. He looked at her

    deeply. The light in his eyes was broken into pieces, like fragmented ss impaling the heart.

    A stabbing pain.

    He couldn''t stop the panic even if he took a deep breath. He could only turn around and hide in his

    room.

    Zoe looked at his back and suddenly remembered the rumors in thepany. Some people said

    that Peter was domestically abused when he was a child. Some people said that Peter''s parents

    had a discord because they were ipatible. Some people said that Peter''s father died a long

    time ago because of Peter.

    She had always been contemptuous of these rumors. After all, her colleagues had also said that his

    parents wanted to sell him off.

    However...

    At this moment, she couldn''t help but recall those rumors.

    Zoe bit her lips. After moments of hesitation, she got up and walked toward the bedroom.

    Peter was lying on the bed, staring nkly at a willow tree outside of the window. It wasn''t the right

    season at the moment. The willow was bald without leaves. It was absolutely hideous. However, if

    the season was right, the willow tree would grow tender shoots, and the buds would hang from the

    branches, which could be made into a lot of things if you pluck them out.

    Knock, Knock, Knock��

    Zoe stood at the door and knocked.

    Although she could see him from her position, she still knocked on the door.

    Peter didn''t react, but his body shuddered in an inaudible way.

    Zoe walked into the bedroom and sat down beside him. She gently touched his head and said, "Did

    I hurt you? And made you recall something bad?"

    His body was stiff.

    Zoe bent over and nted a kiss between his eyebrows. "When I was a child, my cousin said that if

    I was sad, I should always go to him. Because as long as he kissed me between my eyebrows, all

    my sorrow would turn into birds and fly away."

    "You still believe that?" Peter turned her head away, not wanting to look at her.

    "I don''t believe it anymore. I was always different from other kids since I was a child. They believe in

    fairy tales, but I know that fairy tales are fake. I know that they have parents, but their parents are

    fake too. I know that everything in this world will eventually leave me. Even my life will be taken

    away by time." Zoe spread herself out andy side by side with him.

    The reason why people would grow old and die was because of the oxidation reaction.

    Just like how an apple would turn yellow, and a banana would turn brown.

    Some people might only understand this after going to primary school, but she understood it when

    she was less than three years old.

    She was different from those child prodigies. They were skipping grades like crazy, but she was

    good at hiding her potential. She just wanted to be an ordinary person.

    She wanted to live an ordinary life, marry an ordinary man, and give birth to a lovely child.

    Peter turned his head around after listening to Zoe''s words. They were facing each other. Their

    faces were so close that they could feel each other''s breath.

    "Why would you do that to me if you don''t believe it?"

    "Becauseter on, I believed it." Zoe smiled. "When I was an exchange student at Yale, I read from

    a ssic saying that the elves in our novels, television series, and movies were all archetypes. But

    in reality, the elves have a rule."

    "What''s the rule?"

    "One person kissing another person''s forehead signifies eternal protection. Each individual can only

    kiss one person in their entire lifetime. Isn''t it romantic?"

    Peter was stunned.

    She didn''t believe in life, didn''t believe in time, and didn''t believe in fairy tales. But she believed in

    such stories?

    As if knowing what he was thinking about, Zoe reached out and outlined his eyebrows. "Actually, it''s

    not that I believe in this rule, but that I choose to believe in it. I still think that there is nothing

    beautiful about life, but I choose to believe that there is."

    "Zoe, I always thought you were a perfect star."

    "No, I''m not."

    "No, you''re even more perfect now."

    Peter hugged her tightly and buried his head on her shoulder. "At first, I wanted to be your

    man. Let you rely on me, and let me chase after you. But I think I understand now. I can''t let you

    trust me yet. Let''s take it slow. One day, you will definitely choose to trust in me."

    Zoeughed. "I didn''t tell you my story to let youe to this conclusion."

    "I know. You want to share your past with me, and then let me share mine with you. But Zoe, I

    understood something. I understood that being domestically abused by someone I like is a kind of

    happiness."

    Zoe was stunned.

    Peter raised his head and looked at her sincerely. "And I know that you didn''t exert too much

    strength. It was just me. I was too wary."

    "Domestic violence is domestic violence. I have to apologize to you. But Peter, how are we from the

    same family?"

    "Little brother." He pointed at himself and then at her. "Elder sister. We''re from the same family."

    The corners of Zoe''s mouth slightly curved upwards, and eventually, her smile bloomed like a

    flower.

    They said that there was a kind of angel in ancient Greek mythology who was born with only one

    wing. Therefore, people called them the One-Winged Angels.

    Of course, the One-Winged Angels couldn''t fly as high as the normal Angels, but they weren''t

    ostracized by the Angels. On the contrary, some Angels suggested that perhaps they could

    embrace each other and fly up high into the sky.

    They had seeded. They had flown even higher than the normal Angels.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Although one couldn''t change how they were born, they could decide how they want to live.

    That was the moral of the existence of the One-Winged Angel.

    A few dayster.

    Charlotte heard from Zoe that Shane had already finished following up Rick''s goods, and Rick had

    transferred 80,000 dors to thepany''s ount, saying that it was the final payment.

    "Why does he still need to pay for the final payment..." Charlotte was speechless as she looked at

    the receipt.

    He had already paid the full sum on the first day, and she didn''t need his 80,000 dors either. What

    did he mean by doing this?

    Charlotte immediately told Shane about it.

    Soon, Shane replied with a message, "Just ignore it."

    Since he had already said so, Charlotte naturally wouldn''t return the money. She could just pretend

    that Rick had too much money to spend.

    Charlotte leaned back on the chair and browsed through the documents in front of her. Recently,

    manypanies wanted to cooperate with herpany, but she still hadn''t chosen apany that

    she could cooperate with for a long period of time. The main reason was that the goods that they

    needed to deliver were too ordinary. Even if they epted their orders, they wouldn''t be able to

    raise their poprity either.

    Suddenly, her fingers stopped.

    The safari park?

    "Safari Park?!" Zoe shrieked in a shrill voice with her phone in her hands.

    "What do you think? If we can take this order andplete it without error, our reputation in the

    industry will definitely skyrocket," Charlotte said excitedly.

    "However, the orders from the safari park often have to be closely monitored by the boss and

    assistants."

    "That''s why I''m here to look for you. If you think there''s no problem too, I''ll ept the order."

    Zoe was a little speechless. "Ms. Emerson, you are the big boss here. You just have to inform me

    after you''ve decided. Why do you need to ask for my opinion?"

    "Our rtionship is not just that of a superior and a subordinate. So, of course, I have to ask for

    your opinion. What do you think? Do you want to see big tigers?"

    Stop.

    Honestly, Zoe was a little bit tempted.

    She nced at Peter, who was busy with work.

    This fellow had be more and more clingy and annoying recently. She really wanted to find a

    ce to rx.

    "What do you think?" Charlotte couldn''t help but urge her again.

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290

    "I''m fine with that," Zoe answered. Technically, she was also willing to obey any of Charlotte''s

    instructions.

    "Nice, that''s it then. I''ll discuss this with the head of the park and the investors. This time, well go

    out and broaden our horizons. I heard that we can sit in the same car with a tiger."

    "A car?" Zoe was confused.

    She remembered that theirpany mainly focused on air freight. Within a month, the revenue for

    air delivery was about seven million dors, whereas the revenue fornd delivery was less than a

    million dors. Usually, the revenue fornd delivery was less than one-tenth of air delivery.

    However, because this month was a dull season, so the trading volume for air delivery was not high

    either.

    "Yeah, although some animals are being transported from abroad, they mostly usend

    transportation and rarely air transportation."

    "If we''re in the same car as animals, will it smell..."

    "I heard that there are special cleaners and disinfectant sprays. There shouldn''t be too much of a

    problem," Charlotte said.

    "Will there be pandas?"

    Zoe still liked pandas?

    Charlotte flipped through the booklet. Not only will there be pandas, but even alpacas and camels

    were also listed in the booklet. There were even some exotic species, such as red-crowned cranes

    and so on.

    Upon hearing that, Zoe was thrilled. She couldn''t wait to start following the car tomorrow.

    After the call ended, Charlotte called Avery and told him about the current situation of Jane

    Corporation and Rick.

    "Rick, this guy..." Avery didn''t know what toment on this matter. He changed his position and

    leaned back in the chair, "I thought he was partnering with the Stevens Family, so I declined a batch

    of goods from him before this."

    "Was it maple syrup?"

    "Pancakes."

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment. Then, she broke into a fit ofughter and couldn''t stop. She

    lay on the table for a long time before raising her head and said, "That means if I''m slightly unlucky,

    my goods will be rejected by you too?"

    "No, I''ll definitely investigate the background of the deliverypany first," Avery said with a

    chuckle.

    "That''s true. I''m quite confident in how you manage things."

    "You don''t have to butter me up. I''ll keep an eye on Rick''s situation. Don''t worry."

    "I think I know Rick to a certain level, but Ipletely cannot understand what he''s doing this time.

    That''s why I''m not only observing and being vignt, perhaps..." Charlotte didn''t finish her sentence.

    Avery understood and said, "I will take care of everything rted to the Stevens Family."

    "Alright."

    After ending the call, Charlotte ced her phone on the table.

    She flipped through the safari park''s documents again. After confirming that there was no problem,

    she closed the file, turned on theputer, entered all the data into a Word file, and sent it to Zoe

    when she was done.

    Wild tigers. She had only seen them in the zoo when she was a child. She was even watching them

    ten meters away.

    She was kind of excited.

    Soon, the safari park had assigned staff to contact them.

    After all, the earlier the animals arrived at the park, the sooner they could open the park.

    The head of the safari park took out a lot of certificates, and Charlotte checked them one by one.

    This might seem like aplicated procedure. But if they werecking one document, it would be

    considered illegal to purchase and raise wild animals. Therefore, both parties could only examine

    every detail patiently.

    After an entire hour had passed, Charlotte finally returned all of the certificates to the other party.

    She bowed apologetically and said, "I''m sorry. It''s the first time we''re epting orders from a zoo,

    so I wanted to do my best on formalities."

    "I can understand." The head of the safari park immediately held both of her arms and said, "You

    don''t have to be so polite, Ms. Emerson. We were only taking a chance when we chose your

    company. We didn''t expect that we could actually cooperate with you."

    "I''m ttered." Charlotte smiled. "Do you want me to introduce you to our team?"

    "That''s perfect."

    Business procedures were veryplicated. Soon, another hour had passed.

    The head of the safari park was very satisfied with the scale of thepany and the team. He

    immediately paid the deposit. Both sides then signed the contract.

    This was a big business. If all the animals were safely transported, and they didn''t suffer from

    losses, they could earn at least three million dors. And that was only a conservative estimation.

    Moreover, even if something happened to the animals, regardless if it was an ident or not, as

    long as the animals were not killed by people from herpany, they could just go to the insurance

    company. In other words, although this was a serious business, it was actually not risky.

    The preparatory work was scheduled for next Monday. They still have three more days to prepare.

    After Charlotte had seen off the staff from the safari park, she dragged Zoe to the spa to rx.

    "I think we''re considered good friends now," Zoe said with a smile while lying on the massage table.

    "We have always been." Charlotte sat beside the bed and ced her feet into the foot tub.

    Zoe was getting the Swedish massage, which helps to relieve the back muscles and shoulder

    tendons. However, Charlotte didn''t really like to lie down on beds from outside, so she only asked

    for a feet and head massage. These two massages could be done by sitting up, so there was no

    need for her to lie down.

    "Avery called me this morning and said that he went to Jane Corporation to discuss cooperation

    with Rick. Is that your idea?"

    "It was Shane''s."

    "I knew it had something to do with you two..." Zoe sighed.

    Charlotte''s focus was not on this matter but on the fact that Avery actually told Zoe about it.

    She raised her eyebrows at Zoe and asked, "Avery or Peter?"

    "Peter has be dingier recently. I... Wait, what do you mean Avery or Peter?" Zoe suddenly

    realized. Charlotte seemed to have tricked her.

    "Avery was willing to tell you this, so don''t say that your rtionship with him is very ordinary."

    "He said, he hopes that I can take Irena''s ce. He usually tells Irena everything he does so that

    even if something bad happened to him one day, someone would still know what to do," Zoe

    exined very seriously.

    She didn''t think that Avery liked her or wanted to date her. It was only because she looked like

    Irena.

    And both she and Avery were clear about this point, so they didn''t have any other feelings for each

    other.

    Charlotte said softly, "I don''t know much about your opinion on rtionships. But if there''s a chance,

    I still hope that you can get to know more people. Dating is beneficial to your mental health."

    "I know, but I can''t trust anyone other than you and Mr. Fuller."

    "Weren''t you very fond of Christopher back then?"

    Everyone in the world knew that she liked him.

    Zoe''s eyes went nk for a few seconds, and then she said with a self-deprecating smile, "So you

    see how bad my taste is. It took me a lot of effort to muster the courage to like someone, but it turns

    out to be a mess."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Christopher is not bad. He''s full of schemes andpetitiveness. He can even plot against

    Shane," Charlotte said.

    "He''s not a good person."

    "Good and the bad are too absolute. There are many gray areas in this world. Just like how we

    helped the safari park to purchase animals. Even though we know that those animals will suffer and

    be imprisoned in iron cages, we still chose to do that for the sake of our reputation and money."

    Zoe instantly didn''t know how to answer. She only let out a deep sigh.

    However, thedy who was helping Zoe to massage her shoulders said, "Back then, there was a

    really nice person in our neighborhood. My mother said that he was always helping out the poor.

    But one day, he was sent to jail. Up until today, some people from our neighborhood are still writing

    petition letters and sending him things through the envelopes. But there''s nothing we could do about

    it because he had already broken thew."

    "Exactly." Charlotte agreed. "The boundaries between good and bad are often blurry, but the

    boundaries between legal and illegal are always crystal clear."

    "I don''t understand." Thedy blushed and said, "I just think that both of you look pretty nice. So,

    even if the person you like is bad, he should be a kind-hearted person."

    Even if he was bad, he was still a kind-hearted person.

    Zoe instantly felt that this was the perfect sentence to describe Christopher.

    When she was about to have a further discussion with Charlotte, she heard the ringing of a phone.

    If it wasn''t hers, then it should be Charlotte''s.

    Charlotte reached out and picked up the phone from the cab next to the bed. She ced it to

    her ear and said, "Hello? What? I know. Okay, I''lle over right away."

    Her tone was filled with panic.

    "What''s wrong?" Zoe asked.

 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291

    "Something happened to Avery." Charlotte patted thedy beside her on the shoulder and said, "I''ll

    pay you twice the amount of the price. No matter who asks you, tell them that this woman and I left

    after this session has ended."

    "This..." Thedy didn''t dare to agree.

    "Don''t worry. I''m talking about ordinary people. They don''t have the authority to monitor and record,"

    Charlotteforted her.

    "Okay then, as long as it''s not the police."

    Charlotte nodded. After paying the twodies, she told them to go out first.

    Charlotte walked to the closet and took out her clothes to put them on. Only then did she turn to Zoe

    and said, "Avery is in the hospital. Peter told me that when he arrived, Avery was already

    unconscious and bleeding profusely. Sending him to the hospital can only show his vital signs,

    but..."

    Peter was careful with his words. He mentioned "can only show his vital signs", meaning that Avery

    was currently hovering between life and death.

    Zoe didn''t dare to act slow and quickly got up to change.

    The two of them rushed to the hospital. Peter had already been waiting downstairs for a very long

    time.

    Seeing the two of them, Peter''s eyes suddenly turned red. "Ms. Emerson, Avery didn''t give me

    much useful information. I just heard from the people at Jane Corporation, saying that he sent a text

    message before he fell off the building, so I investigated and found that he sent a message to a

    person named Irena."

    "What did he send?" Charlotte asked as she walked indoors.

    "Roughly, he said that he has found the murderer who killed her and that he will im justice for her

    as soon as possible." Peter rubbed his eyes and continued, "I don''t want to get into details. It''s quite

    heartbreaking."

    Charlotte nodded.

    Avery''s love for Irena was very enviable. Even on normal days, he would always be emotional

    whenever someone mentioned Irena, let alone when something bad had happened.

    Peter had already paid for the medical fees. The main reason he asked Charlotte toe was to

    sign the documents. After all, Avery and Charlotte had already established a legal partnership. As a

    partner, she could sign some private documents on behalf of his rtives.

    After all the documents were signed, the three of them went to the front of the operating room and

    waited.

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    When one of the nurses who came out to change shifts saw Peter, she immediately walked over

    and asked, "Are you Avery Hart''s family member?"

    Peter pointed at Charlotte and said, "She is."

    "So, I just want to let you know that." The nurse turned towards Charlotte and continued, "He is in a

    really bad condition now. You guys have to be mentally prepared. If there''s anyone who wants to

    come over and see him, you''d better inform them, in case... he''s gone."

    "Okay, I understand."

    Gone.

    Upon hearing that, Zoe staggered and almost fell. Fortunately, Peter was holding her.

    Charlotte was also very shocked. However, beforeing to the hospital, she had already mentally

    prepared herself. So, even though she was shocked, she didn''t show it on her face.

    Avery didn''t have many friends in River City, or in other words, he had none. So, Charlotte could

    only phone and exin the current situation to his subordinates and business partners. After a

    round of phone calls, she dialed Shane''s number.

    She felt that Shane probably wouldn''te.

    "Avery?" Shane frowned.

    "Yes, he..." Charlotte exined everything. Then, she asked carefully, "Do you want toe over

    and see him?"

    "This is such a serious matter. Why did you only tell me when he''s about to die?"

    "Uhm, I just arrived at the hospital too. Didn''t Peter tell you?"

    Only then did Charlotte remember that Peter was Shane''s man, wasn''t he?

    Technically, he should''ve called her and Shane toe over at the same time. Why didn''t Peter do

    that?

    "No, I''ming now." Shane ended the call.

    Charlotte put her phone back and walked over to Peter. "Peter, when you called me, why didn''t you

    inform Shane too?"

    Peter wasforting Zoe at that moment. When he heard Charlotte''s question, he was stunned at

    first and then said embarrassedly, "I forgot to, Ms. Emerson."

    He forgot...

    Charlotte was dumbfounded. "How can you forget him?" "Maybe it''s because I''ve been working with

    you a lot recently, so I forgot that I needed to inform Mr. Fuller too."

    "Exin it to himter."

    "Alright."

    Soon.

    Most of Avery''s subordinates had arrived, together with several of his business partners. Their eyes

    were all red. They had obviously been crying on their way here.

    Charlotte felt that she was finding trouble for herself. Avery''s life on the other side was still in

    danger; while on this side, she had to help himfort his devastated friends. Although she could

    handle it, it was much more agonizing than before.

    Fortunately, Shane arrived shortly. Charlotte suddenly felt relief, so she ran to his side without

    thinking and hugged him.

    Peter poked Zoe''s arm and said, "Look at Ms. Emerson and Mr. Fuller."

    Zoe raised her head and looked at the two people holding each other, feeling a little envious.

    "No matter how independent Ms. Emerson is, she''s still a little woman in front of Mr. Fuller. You can

    learn from her." "If I have someone like Shane by my side, I will rely on him too." Zoe smiled.

    Suddenly, Peter was rendered speechless.

    True.

    Mr. Fuller was so perfect. How many people in this world couldpare to him?

    All in all, he was still too inexperienced. If he was half as good as Mr. Fuller, Zoe might be able to

    rely on him too.

    Shane looked down at the person in his arms. Her shoulders were trembling, but she didn''t cry.

    From what he could see, she didn''t seem to be sad. However, the burden of Avery''s ident had

    been wearing her out, making her unable to breathe.

    If he was not here, she could still endure it. But when he appeared...

    The man''s eyes became darker. He stroked the back of her head and said, "So many people are

    watching."

    "You used to enjoy asserting dominance in crowded ces," she muttered discontentedly.

    Asserting dominance.

    He liked those words.

    Shane smirked. His fingers moved to her nape and pinched it lightly. "This isn''t the right time.

    Avery''s life is in danger, and we''re in front of the operating room."

    It was only then that Charlotte let go of him awkwardly. "Alright."

    That being said, even though she had left his embrace, he didn''t let go of his hand. He still held her

    by his side.

    Avery''s friends all knew Shane. After all, this was River City, and Shane was well-known in River

    City. Everyone had heard of him, but they seldom saw him.

    "Now that Mr. Fuller is here, our minds are much more at ease," one of them said.

    "Don''t worry. I checked his medical record before I came. There were no cases ofplications. It''s

    just excessive blood loss." Shane was calm and serious, which made his words even more

    convincing.

    "That''s great. That''s wonderful."

    "If there''s something you have to do, you can leave first."

    Everyone looked at one another. They were still worried that if Avery really died, they would

    somewhat regret not being able to see him for thest time.

    Moreover, even if they knew that he would be safe and sound, it would be better to stay here and

    wait for him.

    Even after a while, no one had left.

    "Avery is quite a people person." Shane took Charlotte to the bench in the corridor and sat down.

    "Yeah. If ordinary people heard what you said, they would probably leave already."

    "I''ve always thought that he doesn''t have a great rtionship with people."

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. Avery''s weird personality came up in her mind. "He''s a little weird,

    but as a friend, he''s still very reliable."

    That was true. Shane nodded.

    They waited, and two hours had passed.

    The nurses walked in and out, but no one stopped them to ask about the situation. They were all

    waiting at the door, either standing or sitting.

    Suddenly, the sign "In Operation" went out. The door opened, and the doctors and nurses walked

    out.

    Charlotte stood up in an instant.

    "Avery''s family member."

    Charlotte was so nervous that she subconsciously clenched her fists.

    Shane grabbed her wrist and dragged her behind him. He faced the doctor and said, "I''m Shane.

    Avery is my business partner."

    Most of the doctors in such popr hospitals had heard of Shane''s name before.

    As soon as they heard that it was him, their faces became a little more serious.

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292

    "Oh, it''s Mr. Fuller." One of the doctors reached out and said, "I''ve sanitized my hand."

    Shane shook his hand and said, "No problem. You''ve worked hard. How''s my friend?"

    "Pretty decent. But he will be transferred to the ICU ward to be observed for an hour. If nothing goes

    wrong within an hour, he''ll be fine."

    "Thank you."

    "This is our responsibility." The doctor smiled.

    When they heard that Avery was fine, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After he was sent to the

    ICU ward, everyone looked at him and left one by one, leaving only Charlotte, Shane, Zoe, and

    Peter.

    Charlotte stood outside the window and stared at the person in the ward, her heart aching.

    Although Avery liked acting weird, he was still very good- looking. Especially his eyes, those peach

    blossom eyes that make people jealous. Although his nose wasn''t very tall, it was delicate. And

    because of this nose, he didn''t look too angr when pretending to be feminine. Instead, he looked

    very handsome.

    But now.

    This abnormally handsome and beautiful face was full of scars. His lips were so torn apart that no

    one could bear to look straight at it. Even his brow bones were broken and filled with stitches.

    "Avery has always said that he was only ying dumb, and he was great at that. This is the first

    time I''ve seen him being defeated." Charlotte turned around. She couldn''t bear to look at the person

    in the ward.

    "Lottie..." Zoe felt sorry for her.

    "I''m fine." Charlotte smiled at her. "What can happen to me? I''m just a little frustrated. Does the

    Stevens Family think that they can just do whatever they want?"

    No one could answer her question.

    Even if they were in River City and it was his territory, even if he could also do whatever he wanted,

    Shane was still unable to answer her question.

    "Ms. Emerson." However, it was Peter who broke the silence. "Jane Corporation has provided us

    with their surveince clips. It was an ordinary staff member who pushed Avery down. He pushed

    Avery into the elevator shaft when the elevator was under maintenance. The fact that Avery is still

    alive now is a miracle."

    The elevator shaft.

    At the bottom of the elevator were countless minusculeponents, and also huge pulleys, and so

    on.

    One could easily lose their life if they fell in there. Avery was indeed lucky. To put it more

    romantically, maybe Irena saw him in trouble from heaven, so she protected him.

    "Where is that person right now?" Charlotte asked.

    "At the police station."

    "Can we see him?"

    "There should be no problem. Rick has registered to meet him. The information was also sent from

    Rick. He seems to be quite angry."

    "We only introduced Avery to Rick again because we wanted to help him deal with the Stevens

    Family. So, of course he''s angry when such a thing happened. At the same time, he also needs to

    prevent this from offending Shane and me." Charlotte sighed and looked at the person beside her.

    "Shane, what do you think?"

    Shane remained silent as he shook his head.

    It was difficult to say whether this matter had anything to do with Rick or not.

    An hourter, the doctor announced that Avery was fine and could be transferred to the general

    ward. The four of them were overjoyed. Charlotte immediately let Peter contact Rick.

    Rick didn''t say much. He just sent an address.

    Cole immediately drove them to the police station.

    At the police station.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Rick sat in the lounge with a ss of hot water in his hand. He stared aimlessly with a dull look in

    his eyes.

    Kendall came to his side several times but always ended up being blocked by his assistant. She

    stamped her foot angrily and said, "Rick, how much longer are you going to sit there and do

    nothing?"

    "I''m sorry, Miss Stevens. Please don''t disturb Mr. Jane, or I will send you away through special

    means." The assistant stood firmly in front of Rick.

    "You!" Kendall was choked with anger.

    At that moment.

    Charlotte was the first to open the door. Rick looked up when he heard the sound. She was leaning

    in Shane''s arms with Zoe and Peter by her side. The four of them looked like two sweet couples. He

    was slightly stunned at the sight of that, but soon he regained his senses, stood up, and walked

    towards them.

    Seeing that she was ignored by Rick, Kendall felt greatly offended. She wanted to reach out to grab

    him, but Peter stepped forward first and blocked her action.

    "Mr. Fuller."

    "What''s the situation now?"

    "That person said that he thought Avery was very petty when he cooperated with Jane Corporation.

    When something happenedter, he directly abandoned us. He was unloyal, dishonest, and not

    righteous. But I don''t believe that." Rick didn''t even want to act. He directly pointed out the problems

    in front of Kendall.

    Charlotte gently squeezed Shane''s hand. The man turned to look at her, and she nodded at him.

    Shane was silent. After a while, he nodded and said, "Peter, Zoe,e here."

    He brought the two of them to sit down at the sofa area, leaving Charlotte to face Rick and Kendall

    alone.

    When Kendall saw this, she immediately put her guard up, preparing to protect herself. She clung to

    Rick''s arm as fast as she could as she stared at Charlotte vigntly.

    "No matter what, we won''t investigate this matter for the time being. Your opinion has nothing to do

    with us." Charlotte''s attitude was cold. She didn''t even look at Kendall, as if she was an emotionless

    machine.

    "Avery was injured in mypany. No matter what, I will..."

    "Don''t you understand? Avery is our friend. There''s no need for you to intervene. We won''t ask you

    for any exnation either."

    Rick''s hands, which were hanging at his side, were trembling. He sniffed and said in a hoarse voice,

    "In your heart, do you really think that I''m so evil that I will hurt such an innocent man like Avery?"

    Charlotte wasn''t moved by him. On the contrary, her attitude became even colder. "No matter what''s

    your opinion, it has nothing to do with us."

    "Charlotte, am I really that unbearable in your heart?"

    "That has nothing to do with this matter. Also, don''t look for Shane anymore. Every word I said is on

    behalf of Shane and me."

    Rick was about to say something else, but he saw Charlotte pursed her lips, her eyebrows furrowed

    slightly.

    He couldn''t be more familiar with this expression. Every time Charlotte racked her brain to reject

    him, she would always make this kind of expression. This meant that what he said was almost

    unbearable for her, and she was trying to find a way to lie.

    Rick instantly understood her pain, but he still decided to test her again.

    "I know you think that I''m not important. I can stay out of this, but can I at least go visit Avery?"

    "There''s no need. He doesn''t want to see you."

    Rickpletely rxed.

    This question might seem insignificant, but it actually contained a profound meaning.

    Firstly, Avery was a liberated adult. He should be the one to say who he wanted to meet and who he

    didn''t want to. Besides, everyone could enter the hospital.

    Secondly, Avery should still be in aa at this moment. No matter how advanced the medical

    technology was, it was impossible for him to regain mobility or wake up in such a short period of

    time.

    Combining these two points, Charlotte didn''t have the right to make decisions for Avery. However,

    she still said such words. It was more like she was acting, as if she was putting up a show of her

    attitude for someone else to see.

    Shane, Zoe, and Peter were her people. There was no need for her to act in front of them. So, the

    reason she interrupted Shane and put on such an act in front of him was obviously to show Kendall,

    who was next to Rick.

    She hoped that the Stevens Family would think that she had a bad rtionship with Shane and the

    others, unlike how close they were in the past.

    "I know now. So, this is your attitude. I understand. That''s great, that''s wonderful." Rick let out a

    loudugh and held Kendall''s hand. "Mr. Fuller, it has been eye- opening for me today. You guys are

    amazing."

    As he spoke, he left with Kendall and his assistant. He even mmed the door when he left.

    "Do you think he understood?" Charlotte innocently turned around.

    "He said we''re amazing." Shane leaned back on the sofa, replying to emails on his phone, which he

    was holding in his hands, without even looking up.

    "So?"

    She couldn''t understand what Rick meant by that.

    Shane put his phone away and looked into her eyes. "He''s praising our n. Obviously, he intended

    to fall out with Kendall here at the beginning."

    Fall out with Kendall here?

    Charlotte was shocked.

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293

    Rick wasn''t an unreasonable thinker. Even in Charlotte''s eyes, he was a true businessman. And to

    her, a 100% businessman would never be open and straightforward. A businessman had an inferior

    status in the ancient societies because they were only interested in making profits.

    Therefore, he would definitely choose the more advantageous option and not let his feelings get the

    better of him.

    She interrupted Shane and acted in front of Rick, so that Kendall would let her guard down. And

    also to vent her frustration at the same time. After all, she kindly let Avery go back to discuss

    cooperation with Rick, but it led to such a disaster. Anyone would feel ufortable because of

    that.

    However, she really didn''t expect that Rick would want to fall out with Kendall here.

    "Lottie, I thought you interrupted Mr. Fuller because you saw through it." Zoe was surprised too.

    "I... Forget it. Just pretend as if I saw through it. The consequences are pretty much the same

    anyway." Charlotte simply gave up on herself.

    "It''s a good thing to be absent- minded." Peter smiled and said, "I received a text message from

    Rick again. He said that he had contacted his friend. If we want to meet the person who pushed

    Avery down, we can go now."

    Charlotte bit her lips. She did want to see him, but she also knew that it was meaningless to see

    him. She would even enrage herself.

    "Let''s not meet him anymore."

    It was Shane who spoke.

    All of a sudden, all three people''s eyesnded on him.

    "I''ll ask Cole to take him away. Well use our own way to make him speak."

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    Peter''s eyes lit up. "Is it a special method? Mr. Fuller, you haven''t interrogated anyone in a long

    time."

    "Not me. It''s for the kids from the army have some fun."

    The kids from the army?

    Charlotte and Zoe looked at each other, and they both saw confusion in each other''s eyes. Since

    when did Shane have anything to do with the army?

    Charlotte looked at Peter again. His face was full of surprise and anticipation. Obviously, Peter had

    already known about this.

    However, neither Shane nor Peter proceeded to discuss this topic. She also knew that she shouldn''t

    ask too much, so she just stopped talking.

    She didn''t want to ask too much about the world that belonged to Shane.

    The four of them sat in the police station until Cole brought over ''the kids from the army''.

    These ''kids'' looked much older than Shane. Charlotte only dared to look and not stare. She listened

    to their conversation and didn''t dare to interrupt. Only when the ''kids'' brought the man away did she

    let out a sigh of relief. Then, she realized that someone was sighing beside her too. When she

    turned around, she realized that it was no other than Zoe.

    The two looked at each other and smiled.

    "We don''t seem to know them very well," Zoe spoke first.

    "It''s enough that they understand each other, just like how we understand each other."

    "Lottie, if my lover is not someone from his circle. I don''t think I can maintain this rtionship

    between us."

    Zoe was extremely rational and calm. She wasn''t asking a rhetorical question, nor was she seeking

    a sense of security from Charlotte''s answer. It was only a possibility that she came up with.

    Charlotte pulled her to the side and sat down. Shane and Peter were left in the living room.

    The ce where the two of them sat was a bit noisy. Not far away was the ce where the police

    worked. Some police officers were running around with arge pile of documents in their hands,

    while some of them were even pinning down the suspects onto the table. The scene would only

    make people sigh.

    Compared to thoseposed scenes from movies and TV dramas, reality looked so much more

    chaotic.

    Charlotte looked at them while holding Zoe''s hand. "We are no longer at the age of dreaming.

    Lifelong friendship sounds too exaggerated. I only want you to be here for now."

    "Alright." Zoe nodded.

    "When there''s a chance, I''ll introduce Anne to you. Then we surely will not be bored in the future."

    "What kind of person is she?"

    Then, they began to talk about Anne.

    Zoe had no friends.

    It wasn''t that she didn''t have many friends. She didn''t have friends at all.

    She yearned for everyone''s life. But at the same time, she was afraid that after she grew closer with

    others, they would look down on her because of her family background. Only when she was with

    Charlotte could she live like a normal person and not have to be afraid.

    Shane soon finished his work. He left the living room with Cole alone. The man behind him, whose

    hands were cuffed, was taken away by the ''kids'' from the army.

    "Do you want to have dinner together?" Shane stood next to Charlotte and looked at Zoe.

    "No thanks, Mr. Fuller. You guys have been hustling for so long. Go back and have a good rest.

    Peter and I cook at home every day. We can''t finish everything," Zoe stood up and exined.

    It was true that they were friends, but in her heart, she still regarded them as her superiors. She still

    had to have some etiquette.

    Shane didn''t say anything. He nodded and left with Charlotte.

    Zoe picked up her bag and walked to Peter''s side. "Let''s go back then."

    "You just said that you cook with me at home every day. I almost thought that we were already living

    together." Peter put his hands in his pockets, smirked, and smiledcently.

    "Are we not? We don''t have to be a couple to live together."

    "You really ruined the mood." Peter instantly started to feel sad.

    However, Zoe didn''t take it seriously. "I''m just telling the truth."

    Sigh.

    It was good that she told the truth, but sometimes it was impossible to live with the truth.

    After returning home.

    Charlotte told Shane about the safari park. Shane praised her management skills and said that she

    was very efficient and neat too. Charlotte was quite happy about it.

    In the middle of the night, the hospital called, saying that Avery had woken up. She wanted to follow

    him at first, but Shane had locked her up at home, not allowing her to go. Instead, he went alone.

    Charlotte yawned as she sat on the sofa in the living room.

    Although she didn''t go to the hospital, she kept thinking about Avery and Shane.

    She hoped that Shane wouldn''t encounter anything else when he went to see Avery.

    Facts had proven that her anxiety was very unnecessary. Shane was fine, and so was Avery. The

    main reason Shane went over was to deal with some procedures and talk to some experts. She

    really wasn''t as good as Shane when it came to those two things.

    Upon receiving the news from the little bird, Charlotte finally felt relieved and decided to sleep.

    Tomorrow, she still had to follow up on the safari park''s project.

    The next day, dawn.

    Charlotte got up early in the morning. After making breakfast, she left a note, took her luggage, and

    left. She had to go overseas to follow the wildlife truck.

    Today, Zoe was not with her. Zoe would only meet up with her when she had arrived in another city

    tomorrow.

    Before leaving, Charlotte specially recorded a video for Sheryl. It was only 7:30 a.m. when she sent

    it to the little girl. She was usually still asleep at this hour, so she didn''t wait for a reply.

    Very soon, Charlotte arrived at the airport. She checked in and switched off her phone.

    Because she was in the first-ss cabin, she was able to enjoy a delightful breakfast.

    After breakfast, the ne was almost near the destination.

    Charlotte got in the taxi and switched on her phone. She received a total of two messages. One

    was sent by Sheryl: Mommy, you have toe back soon. Daddy said he would bring us to travel

    when youe back!

    The other one was from Shane: Have a safe trip.

    It was only four simple words, but Charlotte couldn''t get tired of it. She kept stroking the four words

    on her screen with her fingers. Her eyes welled, and her nose tingled.

    She was not an emotional person, but when it came to Shane, her emotions would often be moved

    by him.

    "Miss, are you here to see your boyfriend?" The driver witnessed Charlotte''s expression from the

    rearview mirror. "Don''t cry, alright. You''ll get to see him in a short while."

    "Mister, I''m already a mother of a child." Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. "You can''t call me Miss

    anymore."

    "A mother? Oh, I really couldn''t tell. That''s why I thought you look young but quite mature. So you''re

    not here to see your boyfriend?"

    "I''m here to work. My boyfriend sent me a message just now."

    Upon hearing that, the driverughed happily. "You really followed me and called him your

    boyfriend.

    You have to call him your husband."

    Husband.

    Charlotte was speechless.

    Shane Fuller didn''t seem to match very well with that word.

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294

    Seeing that she didn''t speak, the driver reached out to turn on the radio and tuned it to the daily life

    channel. "Here, I''ll let you listen to our weather forecast."

    "Thank you, Mister." Charlotte came back to her senses.

    The driver was very friendly. He even helped to carry her luggage when they arrived at the

    destination.

    Charlotte waved at him as she pushed the trolley. The driver responded with a shy smile and left.

    She, who had just arrived in this city, was warmed by that. Since the first person she met was

    already so amiable, the others shouldn''t be that bad.

    Soon, Charlotte arrived at the joint tradingpany. Thispany specialized in buying and selling

    animals around the world. They had many social channels international-wise but rtively fewer

    local- wise. That was why they needed people from the zoo toe over and pick up the animals.

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte had already ordered her staff to arrange cars and people to help her. She only came here

    earlier to take a look at the animals.

    All the little animals were imprisoned in cages.

    The first group of animals was rtively small and energetic, including some precious Mini Lops

    and a few magnificent Antic canaries. They were all licensed by the country and allowed to be

    traded.

    Charlotte looked from cages to cages. Moving back and forth, she was so happy that she didn''t feel

    exhausted at all.

    It was not until she was a little tired that she sat down on the sofa in the living room and picked up a

    ss of lemon water.

    Standing on one side was the assistant from the jointpany. When she saw her sit down, she

    immediately came up to her and said, "Ms. Emerson, Ms. Schneider heard that you came. She''s on

    the way now. She said she wants to meet you no matter what, look..."

    Charlotte was taken aback. "Ms. Schneider wants to see me?"

    The assistant nodded. "Yes, I''m not sure if you have the time."

    "I do have time, isn''t Ms. Schneider known for never using her private time for business? If I

    remember correctly, she was called the female devil in the industry. She was smart, vicious, and

    sharp. She even had her own portrait in her mansion that''s worth 50 million dors." As she said

    this, Charlotte couldn''t help but frown.

    Curtis Schneider.

    This name, which sounded like a man''s name at first, was actually a well-known existence in the

    foreign businesspany.

    She had seven to eightpanies listed under her name, all of which were big enterprises.

    The one that traded animals this time was one of them. And the others included clothes, catering

    and so on.

    "Ms. Schneider said that if you are willing to wait for her, she''d like to go into the details with you

    personally." The assistant answered politely.

    "Of course I would love to meet the devil." Charlotte couldn''t help butugh.

    You couldn''t meet the devil anytime you liked to.

    The assistant smiled too and said, "You''re the first one who dares to call Ms. Schneider like that.

    Maybe this is why she wants to meet you."

    Really?

    Whenever someone from the industry mentioned her, he or she always called her the devil.

    However, Charlotte didn''t know much about her. After all, she became a CEO in an incredibly short

    amount of time. Strictly speaking, Shane ced her in this position, so most of the things she knew

    were only superficial.

    Maybe that was why she was able to call her by her nickname easily. After all, ignorants were

    fearless.

    She waited for more than half an hour.

    Charlotte actually didn''t mind. Every hour of dy she spent here was paid by the devil anyway.

    Squeak-

    Charlotte, who was ying with the rabbit, stiffened her body. She moved her ears, but soon she

    turned her attention back to the rabbit in the cage.

    The sound of high heels tapping on the floor traveled from far to near.

    She could tell that although the owner of the heels was a female, she was steady and organized.

    Every step she took was just right. If she was not mistaken, she also walked like she was on the

    catwalk. If she listened carefully, she could hear a crisp sound of collision as she walked. Perhaps

    she was wearing some jewelry.

    Charlotte still didn''t turn around. She yed with the rabbit. Her eyes turned into lines as she

    smiled.

    "Ms. Emerson, Ms. Schneider is here." In the end, it was the assistant who broke the silence.

    Only then did Charlotte stand up and look behind her.

    The woman behind her was d in a ck coat. The diamond leather belt on her waist was modest

    but eye- catching. ck silk stockings wrapped around her slender legs, and a pair of ck stilettos

    on her feet adorned her outfit.

    Charlotte raised her gaze and saw a pair of eyes that were no different from Shane''s. Those eyes

    seemed to capture millions of universes.

    Her ck hair was coiled up high, and her back was straight. She looked at her with a slight smile.

    Charlotte walked towards her and sat down in front of her. "The devil really lives up to her name."

    "You''re more shrewd than I thought." Curtis crooked her finger, and the person next to her

    immediately served her a cup of coffee. She took a sip and ced it on the coffee table. At the

    same time, her gaze swept across Charlotte''s face.

    Charlotte''s gazended on the furthest point of her parallel vision. She didn''t look at her for a

    second time.

    Curtis rubbed her wrist as the corners of her lips curled up into a cold smile. "You''re also able to

    keep yourposure better than I thought."

    "I''m guessing that you''re waiting for me to ask you why you wanted to meet me." "True, I''m waiting.

    But when you put it this way, I don''t see the fun of winning at all."

    "Winning or losing is meaningless. I prefer the feeling ofing face to face with my rival. I don''t

    like ttery."

    "You don''t need to tter me either. To Shane, I''m just an old woman who doesn''t even have the

    right to have dinner with him after all."

    So, it was about Shane.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte''s interest was piqued. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Do the devil

    and the other devil like each other?"

    "Are you mocking me?" Curtis''s eyes suddenly turned cold.

    "No, I just figured that the devil might like the little white rabbit. For example, a rabbit like me, whose

    vitality is rtively strong and not afraid of the devil at all. I even worship the devil." Charlotte

    slightly lifted her chin to face her cold gaze.

    Curtis was indeed a devil. Her gaze was so frigid that it made her ufortable all over.

    This woman was as scary as Shane. Her charisma wasn''t weaker than Shane''s, but the devil

    couldn''t be considered as good-looking.

    Her face was too long, the corners of her eyes too

    lengthy, and the red on her lips were too bright. No matter how you looked at her, she looked like a

    vicious antagonist from a movie.

    "You mean, I should go look for a gigolo?"

    "Of course not. Just like how I have the right to sit in front of you, there''s naturally arge group of

    people who have the right to sit in front of Shane but don''t have the qualities topare to him,"

    Charlotte replied.

    Curtis suddenly burst intoughter.

    Charlotte didn''t expect that she would suddenly change her attitude. She also didn''t expect that

    when she smiled, her eyes would look bigger, and her lips would be thinner. She looked gentle

    and sweet but seductive in her own way.

    But soon, Curtis put on her poker face to face Charlotte once again.

    This was the second person who liked to act dumb.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but ce her and Avery side by side andpare the both of them in her

    mind.

    Avery used his gentle exterior to hide the determination and coldness in his heart. Curtis, on the

    other hand, used her cold exterior to conceal her softness.

    In fact, Avery was better than her.

    Charlotte rubbed her temples and snapped back to reality. "Devil, your smile is too alluring."

    "Little White Rabbit, I n to move to River City to expand my business."

    "Is this the strategy of a rival?" She put down her hand and looked at her with an innocent

    expression.

    Curtis shook her head. "River City is the center of your country. My business has already reached a

    bottleneck here. Only by going to River City can I have more room for development. I partnered with

    a zoo from River City this time so that I can get to know a shippingpany from River City."

    "Why didn''t you look for Shane?"

    "Heh. After seeing how the two of you look like on the news, do you think I''m still going to look for

    him?" Curtis looked at her in disdain.

    Charlotte was embarrassed for a moment and said, "Sorry, I didn''t think about that."

    "I don''t hate you, but I don''t really like you either. So I won''t make things hard for you. If you need

    anything, you can just mention it. I definitely won''t take the initiative to help you."

    "Of course, devil." Charlotte beamed.

    Curtis looked her deep into the eyes and slowly got up. The assistant next to her immediately

    scurried over to help her.

    Just when Charlotte thought she could let out a sigh of relief, Curtis''s voice rang out again-

    "I am a devil, but you are not an innocent white rabbit, though I liked the way you presented

    yourself."

    Charlotte''s heart was about to jump out of her throat.

    Had she failed to break down her walls?

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295

    "But, I like it very much."

    Curtis left, leaving only her overly chilly perfume lingering in the air.

    Each time Charlotte took a breath, it was as if she was inching closer to the devil, absorbing the

    scent of her body. This feeling was odd, and she even thought that the odor was quite pleasant. But

    the fact that she liked the devil''s body scent was simply too abnormal.

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    Moreover, the devil knew that she was only pretending. She even said that she liked her act, not to

    mention that she liked Shane too.

    Charlotte felt that she just made a trip to Hell. She might appear calm on the surface, but in reality,

    her heart had already been struck by lightning and turned into scorched brown.

    It wasn''t until she took out her phone that she noticed that her hands were shaking.

    "That is so noob of you," Charlotte dissed herself in her heart.

    With great difficulty, she opened her contacts and tapped on the two words, Shane Fuller. Charlotte

    could only hear her heart thumping wildly.

    "Hmm? You''ve arrived?" A crisp and cold voice rang out from the other side.

    "The director of thepany I partnered with is Curtis Schneider."

    "She..." Shane''s voice was calm.

    "She said that she used to like you and even said that she intends to expand her business in River

    City."

    When she finished her sentence, Charlotte wanted to bite off her own tongue so badly. What was

    she saying? Why did she sound like an angry wifeining about her husbanding home

    toote at night?

    Sure enough, Shaneughed when he heard that. "What are you suspecting?"

    "I''m not suspecting..."

    "You''re the only one who became my real girlfriend."

    "Then what about the ones who didn''t?" After saying that, Charlotte felt the urge to bite off her

    tongue again.

    What happened to her today?

    However, she really wanted to know the answer to these questions, especially at this moment. So

    much so that she had to know no matter what.

    Shane didn''t expect that Charlotte would ask such a question. He pretended to think and didn''t

    answer her. When he heard that Charlotte''s breathing was getting heavier, only did he speak.

    "During that time, I thought that you were Yuliana."

    Charlotte''s breathing stopped for a moment.

    "I didn''t like her."

    "Why... I have no problem with that." Charlotte quickly bit her tongue.

    Another chuckle came from Shane''s side. It was deep, pressing into her ear, and fell into her heart,

    but she thought it was a little sweet.

    "I thought she was the one who saved my life. But if I don''t like her personality, then I won''t like her

    at all. Why would there be a reason?"

    "That''s true.��

    "Don''t worry too much about Curtis. I don''t have anything to do with her. Her arms aren''t that long

    either. She can''t reach me. If she wants to cooperate, we can consider it."

    "I understand now."

    "Is there anything else?"

    "N-no," Charlotte slightly stammered.

    Shane waited for about ten seconds. After confirming that she had nothing else to say, he ended

    the call.

    Hearing the ''beep'' sound from the other side of the phone, Charlotte''s heart finally felt at ease.

    No matter what, she just had to establish a great connection and get this over with. The rest had

    nothing to do with her.

    Soon, people from thepany came and moved the animals into the cars.

    Charlotte counted the animals and got in the car after making sure that there was no mistake.

    "Ms. Emerson, you don''t have to get on the car. Just wait for us in the next city with Ms. Watson.

    The road will be very shaky." The workers were worried.

    "It''s okay. I don''t mind."

    "Do you want to eat a motion sickness pill?"

    Charlotte shook her head. She wasn''t prone to car sickness.

    Seeing that, the workers didn''t force her either and ordered other people to get on the car.

    The car started. It was very shaky, and there weren''t many seats. So the rooms between people

    weren''t that spacious. The smell of their body odor was pervasive in the air. If they didn''t open the

    window and switch on the air conditioner, Charlotte wouldn''t be able to stay in a ce like this for a

    minute.

    Along the way, she chatted with the workers. Charlotte learned a lot about the inside stories of the

    industry that she usually couldn''te into contact with.

    For example, many sellers would unwrap the packages before they load them and wrap them back

    after weighing them. Sometimes, two tons of goods weren''t overweight at first. But when they were

    packaged, they would be overweight.

    "Sometimes, it''s not that we don''t care about safety, but those capitalists are really awful!" one of

    the workers said angrily.

    "Hey, be careful when you talk. The capitalist is here." Another worker poked him.

    The worker scratched his head embarrassedly and said, "Ms. Emerson, I''m not talking about you.

    After all..."

    "I can understand. The capitalists don''t really care about your lives because they wanted to save

    money. If I were you, I wouldn''t be happy either." Charlotte handed him a bottle of mineral water and

    added, "Everyone, just say what you want to say. Don''t worry about me. Just treat me as one of

    your people."

    "Ms. Emerson, it''s rare to see a boss like you."

    "He''s right, Ms. Emerson. Do you want to consider starting apany in our country? We can

    be your workers!"

    Charlotte chuckled and said, "I''ve already asked your leader for their phone number. As long as

    there''s a job here in the future, I''ll find you guys. I''ve seen it. You all are both skillful and efficient."

    "Look, a capitalist with a beautiful and kind heart."

    All the workersughed.

    However, Charlotte''s face was serious. "Let me make it clear. I''m only saying this because I saw

    how well you guys did. If I find out..."

    "Ms. Emerson, don''t worry. No matter how bad we are, our strength and techniques are already

    there. We can''t do worse even if you want us to." The worker was shy and honest but also very

    cute.

    "Thank you for your hard work."

    These people were brought here by thepany, but they didn''t work for thepany.

    If they had to provide for their workers all over the country, the price would be too high for the

    company to bear at the current stage. Therefore, they could only set up a Public Rtions

    Department in thepany. When they needed to load goods, they would ask the Public Rtions

    Department to find workers in different cities.

    The journey was bumpy, but they chatted all the way. Charlotte actually didn''t feel very

    ufortable, so she treated everyone to lunch

    at noon.

    These workers might look ordinary, but in fact, they were a group of experienced people.

    Charlotte carried a notebook with her and jotted down the words they said.

    They were still on their way in the afternoon and at night. Even during midnight, they had to

    continue their journey.

    The workers were used to sleeping in the car, but this was the first time for Charlotte. She tossed

    and turned but still couldn''t fall asleep. In the end, she was too sleepy that she drifted off while

    leaning against the car window.

    Early in the morning, when the workers woke up, they saw that Charlotte''s eyes were still closed, so

    they didn''t speak. Instead, they held their phones and texted in their group chat.

    As soon as Charlotte opened her eyes, the person next to her handed her a ss of water. "Ms.

    Emerson."

    The person who gave her the water was a little girl. She looked to be in her teens, but her face was

    sallow. It seemed like she wasn''t eating well enough. Her body appeared to be emaciated.

    "Thank you. But you can call me Miss Charlotte. You don''t have to call me Ms. Emerson like those

    uncles." Charlotte reached out and patted the girl''s

    head.

    "It''s okay. They all call you Ms. Emerson. I''ll call you Ms. Emerson too. I can''t be special."

    This little girl was very pitiful.

    Her father died in an ident. Her mother took all the valuables and ran away with her younger

    brother, leaving her alone. The uncle next door pitied her and took her to his house. But he didn''t

    have much money himself. At first, he wanted to pay for her education, but the child was stubborn,

    saying that she didn''t want to burden him more.

    So she followed him to work.

    Charlotte knew that this kind of child wouldn''t ept help from others. She could only secretly ask

    the uncle who took her in if he was willing to move to River City to work.

    "Ms. Emerson, I know that you mean well. But I''ve been with my brothers here for so many years..."

    "Haih." Charlotte gave a bitterugh.

    She could understand, but she thought that the child was too pathetic.

    The man scratched his head and said, "It''s not that I''m not unwilling to provide her with a better

    living environment, but she''s too sensible. You or maybe a kind family can adopt her."

    Charlotte was taken aback. "Are you reluctant to

    do that?"

    No, of course he wasn''t reluctant to.

    "Of course I''m reluctant to do that. This girl eats and uses everything I pay for. Why would I not be

    reluctant?" The worker pulled the little girl to his side and said, "If you''re really willing to find her a

    good family, I''ll thank you on behalf of the brother next door!"

    Charlotte looked at the little girl.

    Their eyes met.

 Chapter 296

    Chapter 296

    The little girl had a set of gleaming beautiful eyes, tinted with a thinyer of moisture. They were as

    clear and bright as a newborn deer''s eyes. Although her face was a little dirty, she was intelligent.

    When she grew up, she must be a beautiful woman. No one would dislike a child like her if she took

    a bath and changed into beautiful clothes.

    "Are you willing to?"

    The little girl shook her head.

    Charlotte smiled and said, "Then we won''t find another family for you. Be a good girl and follow your

    uncle. I wille back to see you if I can in the future."

    The girl''s beautiful eyes were shining with dazzling brilliance in an instant. For her, it didn''t matter

    whether she had a rich family or not. What she wanted was to live like this forever. Although it was

    slightly harder and more tiring, she was living afortable life.

    When they arrived at the second city, Charlotte went to the hotel where Zoe lived. Only then did she

    have a chance to take a bath.

    "Tell me, why did you have to do this to yourself?" Zoe leaned against the wall outside of the

    bathroom and talked to the person inside.

    "We have to experience life, alright. Besides, the little animals were very adorable."

    "Come on, the workers told me that you were taking notes all the way. You didn''t even touch the

    rabbits. Now you tell me that little animals are cute?" Zoe''s tone was unpleasant, but she was only

    worried for Charlotte.

    She was the director of apany. Although the size of herpany was not that big, she was on

    equal footing with Shane and Rick.

    When had Shane ever followed the team on his own? When had Rick listened to the opinions of his

    workers? A lot of things were unnecessary. Everyone was just following orders anyway. It was fine

    as long as they earned money. It was a waste of time to understand these things. It was

    meaningless, and she even had to torture herself.

    "I heard from the workers that they don''t have any fixed associations to help them handle special

    situations. Do you know anything about that?"

    "Well, I''ve heard that even the workers in River City don''t have an association. This has nothing to

    do with policy management. The main problem is that no one is willing to hire awyer for them

    because it''s a thankless job." "Why?"

    "The benefits they can offer are greatly limited," Zoe exined.

    Upon hearing that, Charlotte couldn''t help but sigh. She even exerted more strength to rub her

    arms, but her voice was as calm as usual, "I understand now."

    "You don''t want to help them, do you? That''s other people''s job."

    "I''m not that righteous."

    "That''s good."

    However, if there was a chance in the future, she would definitely fight for these people''s welfare.

    She felt veryfortable talking with them. People who lived invish cities often forgot that they

    were people with flesh and blood too. That was where arrogance and prejudice were born.

    Seeing these workers, Charlotte could feel their friendliness. When she talked with them, there was

    a kind of warmth that reached straight to the bottom of her heart.

    After taking a shower, Charlotte dried her hair and changed into her clothes. She looked refreshed.

    "Alright, we have to prepare to go to the next city. I heard that there''s another batch of animals."

    "Are there pandas?" Zoe still remembered the pandas.

    Charlotte nodded, "It''s in Timbend."

    The road leading to Timbend was incredibly difficult to advance. Fortunately, modern roads and

    high-speed trains had already solved most of the problems. But after leaving the highway, the roads

    would still be challenging to get through. Especially this time, they had to go to the animal farms,

    which were generally located in the countryside or suburbs.

    After all, every inch ofnd in the city was like gold. They could use thend to build a zoo, but

    using it to raise animals was too big of a waste.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Therefore, the road was bumpy, and even several workers vomited.

    Zoe leaned against the car with a pale face. Several workers surrounded her while holding water in

    their hands. They looked at her worriedly.

    "Are you all right, Miss Watson?"

    "I-I''m fine." Zoe couldn''t even say a word properly.

    Charlotte pressed on the crook of her thumb and said, "Sorry, I didn''t expect the road to Timbend

    to be so steep. I should have asked you toe here directly tomorrow."

    "It''s not your fault. You''re in the same car with me, and many of them vomited too, which means that

    nobody expected the road to be this steep." Zoeforted Charlotte in turn.

    "In the future, I will try to take all kinds of factors into consideration."

    Zoe didn''t me her, but it didn''t mean that she wasn''t wrong. Charlotte knew that well enough.

    Fortunately, they soon arrived at the farm.

    The pandas were round, furry, and chubby. They were all extremely adorable and nice to pet at the

    same time. Zoe immediately forgot about everything and started petting them. The staff, on the

    other hand, told her about the precautions and tips of transporting pandas.

    Charlotte held a bottle of water and sat on one side. It was not that she wasn''t interested in pandas,

    but she saw the enthusiasm in Zoe''s eyes, so she wanted to let her take full charge of this matter.

    Two tigers couldn''t live on the same mountain. It was better not to have two leaders in one group

    either.

    Of course, she could also take the opportunity to rest. Zoe went fast asleep after that because of

    vomiting.

    Charlotte couldn''t. She forced herself to open her eyelids until she reached the destination. She

    looked bright and beautiful from the outside, but in fact, her stomach was churning, and her mind

    was tangled in a mess.

    The little girl suddenly ran over and handed her an orange. "Ms. Emerson, here."

    "Thank you." Charlotte epted the orange.

    The little girl shook her head and ran back to the workers.

    Charlotte noticed that the little girl didn''t call the worker her father. She always called him uncle.

    Beep, beep, beep��

    Phone?

    Charlotte picked it up and said, "Hello?"

    "It''s me." Peter''s voice sounded on the side. "I justnded. Where are you guys? Can youe and

    pick me up?"

    "You''re in Timbend?"

    "Yeah, don''t worry. I''ve brought myptop with me. It will definitely not hinder my work."

    Charlotte thought about the hustles and sleepless nights along the way. She didn''t doubt Peter''s

    professional temperament, but she doubted Peter''s ability to survive. After all, he looked like a

    typical delicate white cor like Zoe.

    She simply said, "We can pick you up, but you don''t have to work. There''s nothing important

    recently anyway."

    "Actually, I came here because of Mr. Fuller''s order."

    "Shane?" Charlotte was surprised.

    "Well, Mr. Fuller asked me toe here and investigate a person named Curtis Schenider. He also

    said that he wants me to collect all the information about her before she meets you for the second

    time. I checked and realized that it''s not essible in River City, which means I couldn''t investigate

    her. So I could say that I came here for a business trip."

    "But Curtis isn''t from Castleton," Charlotte said with a frown. She peeled off the orange and popped

    a piece into her mouth.

    It was sour and sweet, a little cold, and tasty.

    Peter shrugged and smiled. "Yes, but her hometown is here. I''ve looked it up. All of her routes have

    something to do with her past."

    "What do you mean?"

    "For example, our routes are avable in all directions and can reach anywhere. Even when there

    are ces that we don''t go to, we always have a proper reason for that. It''s either the order was

    rejected or the documents were disapproved. In short, it''s not that we don''t want to go there but that

    we''re not allowed to go there."

    "Well, go on."

    "But Curtis''s routes are different. She can obviously apply for other routes, but she didn''t. She even

    went around it and chose a city where she lived as a primary schooler to serve as a secondary

    transfer station. She had to pay nearly double the price to bribe the people because of that.��

    Charlotte was deep in her thoughts.

    Peter continued, "It doesn''t look like she''s doing business. It''s more like she''s supporting her

    friends."

    "Do you have any reliable evidence?"

    "Yes, but it still needs further investigation and verification. That''s why I''m here."

    "In that case, let''s stay here for a few more days. I heard that there''s a lot of delicious food here."

    Peter chuckled and said, "Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller knew you would make that decision, so..."

    "So what?"

    It was only normal for Shane to read her mind. He was so smart after all.

    "Lottie."

    A frosty and serious voice emerged from the other side.

    In an instant, Charlotte was stunned.

    Peter told her that he had justnded, and Shane''s voice appeared from the other side...

 Chapter 297

    Chapter 297

    "Shane..." Charlotte was dumbfounded.

    "Come and pick us up." Shane could guess her expression by just hearing her voice. His lips

    couldn''t help but curl up. There was even a hint of gentleness behind his cold eyes.

    Peter picked up the teacup and took a sip. He nced at Shane from the corner of his eyes. It was

    obvious Mr. Fuller was deeply in love. He had been with Mr. Fuller for quite some time, it was his

    first time seeing him like this.

    He had been used to his cold demeanour. He was really curious to see this side of him.

    He wondered if Mr. Fuller would act so lovey-dovey every day if he really dated Ms. Emerson. It

    would be a real shocking sight.

    Peter couldn''t help but gossip.

    "Oh, alright. I''ll send someone over right now." Charlotte immediately answered. "But the road here

    is very steep. Are you sure you want toe? Or we can meet at the cityter since I''ll be staying

    for a few more days."

    "You don''t want to see me now?" Shane asked.

    "I..." Charlotte suddenly choked on her words.

    She wanted to see him, she even dreamed of him.

    She was far away from home and it was the first time she had to transport suchrge cargo.

    Although she looked calm on the surface, she actually felt very nervous. What if an ident

    happened? What if one of the workers were injured?

    Although these problems didn''t ur, they kept haunting her mind.

    She would feel much better if Shane was by her side. At least she wouldn''t need to worry about all

    these ''what if''s. She knows nothing couldpare to having Shane by her side.

    "It seems that you didn''t miss home at all."

    "Not at all. Aren''t I home now?" Charlotte smiled ruefully. "I''ll go pick you up right now."

    "There''s no need."

    Doot, doot, doot-

    Charlotte stared at the nk speechlessly. Shane''sst words were so short and cold with a slight

    arrogance in his tone.

    She always had a hard time facing Shane. It was even worse now that he was so full of himself...

    Charlotte thought for a while. Finally, she got up and walked towards Zoe. "Zoe." "Hmm?" Zoe, who

    was petting a panda, turned around. "Do you want to pet it?"

    "No, I wanted to ask if it was okay for you to follow up here alone?"

    "I''m fine with it. What''s the matter?"

    "Peter Brown ising."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Zoe remained calm on the surface but she felt butterflies in her stomach.

    She promised to follow Charlotte because she wanted to avoid Peter. Now, it feels like she just can''t

    escape from him.

    "Really?" She lowered her head.

    "Shane is here." Charlotte sighed.

    Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. It''s better that Mr. Fuller came. At least this meant Peter wasn''t

    coming for her. The situation would be less awkward between them.

    Zoe came back to her senses and turned around to face Charlotte. "So you want to leave

    everything to me and go pick them up?"

    "I''m bringing them to the city so I won''te over anymore. But if you need me here, I will..."

    "They are all experienced workers. They''ll do fine without us. Have a good rest when you reach the

    city. Take a nap." "I''ll leave it to you."

    "I''ll be sure to finish the job you entrusted me to."

    The two looked at each other and smiled.

    Charlotte rented a car and hurried towards the city centre.

    The whole journey was a rush. She was able to rent a car with GPS but she didn''t know where

    Peter and Shane were staying. She asked some people at thepany but no one knew either. As

    Charlotte was at a loss, Peter secretly texted her a message.

    "Ms. Emerson, we''re at the Crescent Hotel. Mr. Fuller went to the gym on the top floor. You have to

    hurry if you want to see him."

    What a coincidence.

    Charlotte was not far away from the Crescent Hotel. She immediately turned around and headed

    back.

    Thanks to the city nner, the road here was much smoother than in River City.

    Charlotte quickly arrived at the Crescent Hotel. She hurried up to the gym after booking a room.

    There were many exercising equipment, barbells and treadmills here. The environment was also

    quite green, there was a man-made stream in a distance. Beside the stream were some umbres

    and lounge chairs. It seemed they were trying to create a tropical environment.

    After Charlotte looked around, she finally found Shane in the rest area.

    He was wearing a ck T-shirt that revealed his muscr arms and ck workout shorts. He also

    wore his favourite AJ sneakers.

    Shane was one of the few people who would prepare three pairs of shoes for a trip.

    That includes a pair of leather shoes, a pair of sneakers and a pair of sandals.

    One could see Shane still lives an enjoyable life even though he''s usually busy.

    However...

    Currently, there was a woman standing before him.

    The woman looked petite but she had a good figure. Her cheeks were red as she spoke to Shane. It

    seemed they were flirting.

    A surge of emotions welled up in Charlotte''s heart. She picked up her phone and dialed Shane''s

    number.

    "Hmm?" He answered the phone.

    "Are you having a good time with that woman?" Charlotte asked impulsively.

    "You sound sour. Are you jealous?"

    Shane leaned over and looked around. Finally, he found her. She looked very beautiful and dazzling

    but her face was filled with weariness.

    His eyes darkened and he furrowed his eyebrows. He took off his earphones as he strode towards

    Charlotte, ignoring the woman in front of him.

    He reached out to pull her into a hug, then he wrapped his fingers around her neck.

    "Your heart is beating so fast? Did you sleep at allst night?"

    "No." She struggled.

    Shane hugged her tightly and propped her up into his arms. "Go to sleep."

    She stopped struggling, but her tone was still sour. "You still haven''t answered me. Did you have a

    good time chatting with that pretty girl?"

    "I don''t know."

    What kind of an answer was that!

    Shane raised his eyebrows with his lips curled. He motioned for her to look at what was around his

    neck. It was a Bluetooth headset. Only then did she remember, he looked like he was talking to that

    woman just now but he didn''t speak.

    So, it seemed that he was chatting with a beautiful woman but instead he was just listening to

    music?

    For some reason, Charlotte regained her good mood. She wrapped her arms around his neck and

    leaned against his chest.

    Shane looked at her helplessly and asked, "What''s your room number."

    "Huh? Didn''t you book a room?"

    "It''s for Peter."

    "I''m at Room 8012."

    Shane nodded. "I''ll take you there."

    "What about you?"

    Charlotte felt something was wrong after she asked the question.

    For the past two days, it felt as if both her mind and tongue were out of ce. What she said made

    no sense.

    "I have some official business."

    "I brought myputer. You could use mine."

    Shaneughed when he heard that. "You mean, you want me to stay in your room?"

    Charlotte was slightly confused by his response. She asked tentatively, "Can''t you?"

    This question seemed pointless.

    Shane didn''t answer and Charlotte didn''t say anything else.

    It was a short trip from the gym to her room. Charlotte actually fell asleep in Shane''s arms. She

    leaned against his shoulders quietly. She looked so sweet and gentle.

    Shane tried his best not to touch her but it was difficult for him to pull out the key card from her

    pocket. It took a long time before he could open the door.

    After cing Charlotte on the bed, Shane''s gazended on her exposed ankle.

    His eyes darkened. He walked over and removed her shoes. Then, he covered her with the nket.

    She seemed to have felt it and she even kicked and scratched her leg.

    Silly.

    Shane had only one word to describe her.

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298

    Charlotte was asleep for a long time. It was already dark when she woke up. She rubbed her eyes

    and got off the bed but she fell down heavily again. Her head mmed into the pillow, it was not

    painful but a little itchy.

    She stood up again in a daze. She tried to look for her shoes but she couldn''t find them.

    Where are her slippers?

    Oh, she was carried back by Shane so she didn''t have her slippers.

    Thus, Charlotte went around to the other side of the room to find the hotel slippers. At this moment,

    the door opened and Charlotte froze as Shane walked towards her with a stic bag in his hands.

    He frowned. "What are you doing barefoot on the ground? Aren''t you cold?"

    His tone was very hostile.

    "I don''t have any slippers," she answered coyly.

    They were both stunned by her words. She had never been coy with him. If she had spoken in a

    more flirtatious tone, he would''ve been even more taken aback.

    Shane put down the stic bag. Then, he picked her up and put her on the bed. He pulled open the

    drawer and took out a pair of slippers.

    His fingers identally brushed her cold foot and he put his palm on it.

    "Shane, you..." Charlotte quickly tucked her legs back under the sheets and looked at him

    cautiously. "I, I''m not cold. Besides, I turned on the heater. I won''t freeze. I''ll just put it under the

    nkets."

    "Okay, remember to put on your shoes." He got up.

    "Remember to wash your hands. It''s dirty."

    Shane lowered his head and stared at his palm. It wasn''t dirty but it was quite cold. He headed

    towards the bathroom, turned on the tap and washed his hands.

    Charlotte sat on the bed with her knees in her arms and buried her head between her knees.

    What did he do just now?

    Rubbed her feet?

    His actions were too ambiguous. Although, they did...

    Charlotte''s mind was in a mess.

    For a moment, she couldn''t figure out if Shane was serious or just giving her a name like before.

    "Are you hungry?"

    Just as Lottie was trying to make sense of everything, Shane spoke up.

    She raised her head and gave him a stiff smile. "I''m a little hungry. Have you bought any food?"

    Shane lowered his head and ced the stic bag in front of her. "Here."

    He bought a lot of things, including potato chips, puddings and cakes. He even bought instant

    noodles and some weirdly shaped bread. They all looked very delicious.

    Charlotte simply picked up a box of pudding, opened the lid and ate a spoonful.

    Shane suddenly asked, "Is it delicious?"

    Uh.

    It was delicious.

    But how could she calmly tell him this?

    Charlotte thought for a moment. She scooped a spoonful of pudding and put it in front of his mouth.

    "Mr. Fuller, please have a bite."

    Mr. Fuller?

    Shane grabbed her wrist and edged closer towards her. Then, he swallowed the pudding he fed her.

    The pudding melted in his mouth in an instant. It tasted very good.

    He withdrew and she moved away the spoon. She lowered her head, afraid of looking at him for

    some reason.

    "What did you call me just now?"

    "Mr. Fuller," she replied in a soft voice.

    "Call me something else."

    What else could she call him? Her baby daddy?

    Charlotte''s head suddenly started to ache but Shane spoke again. "What did you use to call Rick?"

    Charlotte shuddered under his pressure. She answered exasperatedly, "Rick."

    "Zoe?"

    "I don''t care. I just call everyone by their first names." She wanted to cry. "I don''t know any pet

    names, no, nicknames."

    "I like pet names. You''ll have one minute to think of one. You can eat if you think of one. If not, you''ll

    have to go hungry."

    Charlotte widened her eyes.

    Shane grabbed the bag from her hands with a straight face. He even took away the cup of pudding

    in her hand.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    She was hungry!

    Charlotte was furious. She crossed her arms and leaned to one side. "You can threaten me all you

    want. No one would care about my empty stomach anyway. No one loves me. Even my only child

    favours you. I''m nothing but an orphan."

    As she spoke, she started to cry. She didn''t even know if it was real or an act. She just cried.

    Crying?

    Shane had always been stone- hearted when it came to women''s tears.

    But her words sounded too heart-wrenching, he dug a spoonful of pudding and fed it to her.

    Charlotte burst intoughter. She wiped away her tears and reached out to grab the spoon.

    Shane leaned backwards to stop her from grabbing the spoon. But how could Charlotte admit

    defeat?

    She kept leaning forward against him while he kept stepping back. All of a sudden, one of them lost

    their bnce which caused the both of them to fall.

    Shane caught the pudding with one hand and ced it on the bedside table while his other hand

    wrapped around Charlotte''s waist. He pulled her into his arms and used himself as a mattress to

    prevent her from falling on the floor.

    Charlotte blinked and ced her hand on his chest. "I, I''ll get up."

    Shane''s eyes darkened. He sped his hand around her head and pinned her down again.

    Charlotte fell back into his embrace and her lips met his.

    He removed his other hand from the table and slowly wrapped them around her slender waist,

    holding her tightly in his arms.

    This kiss.

    It felt different than before.

    Charlotte forgot everything else as he took over her world wantonly.

    Momentster.

    Shane let go of her. She no longer had the strength to struggle. She leaned into his arms weakly

    like a sheep.

    "Which one is better? Shaney or Shay?" Her brain was filled with pet names for him.

    "It''s just so-so."

    "Then what should I call you?"

    Shane couldn''t bother to think about it.

    Her name had given him too much convenience. He can just call her Lottie and it would be fine. As

    long as she''s his Lottie. He couldn''t care less if anyone called her the same name.

    However, he wanted to be her one and only.

    "Shane, I''ll just call you the devil," Charlotte suddenly joked.

    "Give me a reason."

    "I was thinking back to the time when I called Curtis a demon, I thought of you. She''s indeed a

    demon but you are the devil. There can be many demons but there''s only one devil."

    "Only one?"

    He''s fine with that.

    However, the word "devil" was more or less childish.

    "You can call me that in private," he finally said.

    "So, what do you want me to call you in front of people?"

    "Think about it again."

    Charlotte pursed her lips and lowered her head. Her expression was like a pitiful creature.

    Shane caressed her head gently. He felt sorry for her. "Forget it, you can call me whatever you like."

    "Really?"

    "Yup."

    "You''re the best, Mr. Fuller!"

    Charlotte cried as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Shane pursed his lips and propped

    himself up with one arm.

    She was like a monkey hanging onto a tree. She didn''t want to let go of him. Shane had no choice

    but to carry her up and put her on the bed. Then, he pointed at the bag and said, "Let''s eat."

    Charlotte giggled girlishly. She stretched out her hand to grab the bag and take out the food.

    It was all so delicious.

    It was really nice to have him here.

    She smiled so widely her eyes crinkled up.

    At the same time, in another room.

    Peter was busy tapping away on the keyboard, connecting with local hackers and searching for any

    information on Curtis. This man had a very interesting resume here and abroad. He might miss

    something if he wasn''t careful.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Peter suddenly stopped. His concentration had been broken. He frowned and rubbed his eyebrows

    frustratedly.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Someone was still knocking on the door.

    He walked towards the door anxiously.

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 299

    Before Peter could open the door, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent. He opened the door, the

    woman walked in tantly. In a blink of an eye, she had already put her luggage on the sofa.

    All of his anxiety and anger melted away in an instant.

    He smiled tteringly as he walked to her side and asked, "Zoe, did youe alone? You didn''t tell

    me you wereing?"

    "I was going to find Lottie but Shane answered her phone. I had no choice but to find you. It''s peak

    season now, the front desk informed me there were no avable rooms so I have to wait until

    eleven o''clock." Zoe was so tired sheid on the sofa.

    "Are you hungry? I''ll get you something to eat?" He crouched down beside her and started to

    massage her legs.

    "I''m sure you didn''t eat it yourself."

    "I was working. Now that I''m free, I have time to eat. What do you want? I''ll order it for you."

    Zoe shook her head. "Anything is fine. Just get me the same as yours."

    "Alright."

    Peter quickly ordered the food. But he was worried the food would take at least 30 minutes to arrive

    and Zoe couldn''t wait that long. So he simply went down to buy some food.

    He never expected he would meet Shane at the supermarket.

    "Mr. Fuller." Peter was very surprised.

    "Yes." The man replied indifferently.

    Peter stared at the shelf before him which disyed all kinds of... condoms?

    Peter was still an innocent guy who had no experience in this area. His face instantly turned red and

    he asked, "Mr. Fuller, are you going to be busy with Ms. Emerson all night?"

    Shane gazed at him thoughtfully. "Are you buying one too?"

    "Forget it, I''ll just forget it...�� Peter quickly waved his hand.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    If Zoe knew, she would definitely think that he was a pervert.

    Shane raised his eyebrows and continued to choose one.

    Peter walked around the supermarket and returned to where he met Shane, he had finished picking

    one. Shane was about to pay the bill when

    Peter stepped forwards and said, "Let me pay, Mr. Fuller. It''s quite awkward for you."

    Shane''s expression didn''t change but he looked at Peter weirdly.

    It was alreadyte at night and he didn''t buy anything else other than that...

    Shane wanted to say "no" but realised he forgot to bring his wallet when he put his hands in his

    pockets.

    "Okay, sorry for the trouble." Shane handed the small box to Peter.

    Peter headed over to the cashier.

    When he paid, the cashier even eyed him up and down then suggested if he wanted to buy some

    toys. Peter shook his head and hurriedly put the box in his pockets. Then he rushed out to wait for

    Shane at the exit.

    Soon, Shane came out of the store. Peter passed him the two small boxes and whispered, "Mr.

    Fuller, do you still need to use protection with Ms. Emerson? Don''t you want to give Sheryl a

    younger brother or sister?"

    Peter had never seen Sheryl before but Zoe adored Sheryl so he always had a good impression of

    her.

    A child at this age would hope their parents would spend more time with them. After getting most of

    their love, they would want a younger sibling.

    "The timing is not right."

    Peter nodded. That was also true. Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson weren''t officially married yet. Shane

    only released news about their marriage.

    After saying goodbye to Shane, Peter returned to the room.

    As he was going through the things he bought, Peter noticed there was another box in the bag.

    "What is this?"

    At that moment, Zoe walked over.

    Peter tried to hide the box but Zoe grabbed the box first. She read thebel carefully, "Pr..."

    "It''s pepper voured bubble gum." Peter quickly took the box away and stuffed it in his pockets.

    "Huh? Is there a 0.1mm sized bubble gum?" Zoe asked puzzledly.

    "Yes, there is." Beads of sweat streaked down Peter''s forehead.

    He didn''t know what Zoe would think of him if she knew he bought this sort of thing.

    Zoe reached out and said, "Give me one."

    "Didn''t you say you can''t eat spicy food? This bubblegum should be quite hot? Stop messing

    around and eat." Peter pushed her towards the stic bag.

    She really can''t handle spicy food.

    Zoe shrugged her shoulders and let the matter slide. She had never heard of pepper voured

    bubblegum.

    In the blink of an eye, it was noon of the next day.

    Charlotte couldn''t get up in the morning. She was immediately pinned down by Shane the moment

    she woke up. She couldn''t really exin what happened yesterday night. It was as if a me had

    been ignited between them.

    As for the status of their rtionship...

    She was too embarrassed to ask.

    However, she did notice Shane was a little more ''enthusiastic'' towards her.

    He had never helped her get her shoes or clothes before. Charlotte felt more and more uneasy to

    be alone with him these days so she suggested having lunch with Zoe and Peter.

    Shane didn''t notice anything unusual about her behaviour but he did seem to be missing one of the

    boxes he bought yesterday. Now that he thought about it...

    It probably was with Peter.

    "Okay." Shane took out his phone and called Peter.

    "Mr. Fuller." His voice was very hoarse.

    "Didn''t you sleep well yesterday?"

    "Well, I did sleep well. I''ll tell you about it in a minute." Peter hung up the phone with that.

    Shane put down the phone and stared at the dark screen but there was a slight curve on his lips.

    After a while, there was a knock on the door. Charlotte opened the door slightly. She could see

    through the cracks that Peter was sweating profusely with his hands on his hips. His body was bent

    as he puffed out of breath.

    "Uh, are you alright?" Charlotte opened the doorpletely and poured him a ss of water.

    Peter took the water and drank it all in one gulp. He took out the ''pepper voured bubblegum'' from

    his pocket and tossed it onto the sofa Shane was sitting on.

    Shane stretched his legs and leaned to one sidezily to pick up the box. He raised his eyebrows

    and asked, "You didn''t use it?"

    "I''ll tell you a story." Peter gritted his teeth.

    He told the entire story from the beginning.

    At first, Charlotte felt a little embarrassed. After all, it was Shane who bought it for them. But by the

    end of the story, she couldn''t care less about being embarrassed, she burst out withughter to the

    point she was in stitches.

    Shane didn''tugh. He handed the small box to Peter and said, "Take your bubblegum to the

    restaurant."

    "Mr. Fuller, I beg you. Please take this bubblegum back. I really... If Zoe sees it, she will definitely

    think that I am a pervert."

    "She won''t. Maybe she''ll think that Durex also had a line of bubblegum," Charlotte raised her head

    and said. Then she threw her head down and startedughing out loud again.

    Peter felt so helpless.

    Shane took the box and put it on the table. "You''re too careless."

    "I know. I want to change too. I''ve been with you for so many years, this is not the first time," Peter

    defended himself in a small voice.

    This was indeed not the first time.

    He even took the wrong passport once. Shane was unable to board the ne and he was stranded

    at an airport abroad for three days.

    "I''ll give you a chance to make it up yourself. Pick a good restaurant. If you fail, I will ask Charlotte

    to tell Zoe this joke," Shane said coldly.

    Peter didn''t dare to wait another second. He immediately pushed open the door and ran out without

    another word.

    By that time, Charlotte had finishedughing. She turned over andid on her back as she rubbed

    her stomach. "Peter is usually quite reliable in his work. I didn''t expect him to make such a slip-up."

    "His dependability is intermittent."

    Shane''s words hit the nail on the head.

    Peter chose a hotpot chain restaurant.

    Of course, the taste should be quite good. There''s no need to worry about the freshness of food

    either because it''s a chain restaurant.

    He didplete his task very quick-wittedly.

    However, as soon as the four people were seated, Charlotte leaned towards Zoe and asked, "Zoe,

    do you want to hear a joke?"

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300

    Peter''s face instantly turned red. She looked at Charlotte in disbelief and protested, "Ms. Emerson,

    the dishes haven''t been served yet. I didn''t lose!"

    Zoe was confused. "What did you lose? What joke?"

    "Ms. Emerson..." Peter stared at Charlotte pitifully.

    Charlotte suddenly changed the subject. "Zoe, where did you sleepst night?"

    "I went down to the lobby at 11 and checked into a room at eleven-thirty. Before that, I was working

    in Peter''s room," Zoe replied.

    "How about this, I''ll tell you a joke about Peter but you have to sleep on Peter''s sofa tonight and you

    cannot ask Peter to let you sleep on his bed, okay?" Charlotte smiled mischievously like a fox. Too

    bad she didn''t have a tail. If she did it would definitely be swaying now.

    Zoe was a little hesitant but she really wanted to know the joke about Peter...

    She didn''t mind sleeping on the sofa to listen to a joke. However, she would be less bothered if she

    was sleeping in Charlotte''s room.

    "It''s an interesting story from Peter''s childhood," Charlotte added.

    Initially, Peter was very nervous but now he waspletely stunned. He didn''t expect Charlotte to

    know anything about him from his childhood.

    Shane''s gaze also fell on Charlotte. There was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Peter''s childhood?

    Zoe suddenly became interested. They might not be suitable as a couple but Peter was quite nice

    as a friend. There was no fault in knowing more about a friend.

    Zoe thought about it. Finally, she gnashed her teeth and answered. "Okay, I''ll do it."

    "Peter once told me he fell off the roof when he was a child. That''s how he got the star-shaped scar

    on his shoulder. It was a wound left by a starshaped brooch

    What Charlotte said was true.

    Peter nodded and said, "That did happen."

    "So I went on to investigate what''s the story behind the star brooch. Later, I found one of Peter''s

    ssmates. He told me Peter drew a picture at the time. It was a drawing of a dog peeing against a

    tree. The teacher thought it was interesting so she gave him a star brooch."

    "Pfft..." Zoe instantlyughed. "I didn''t know Peter was so cheeky."

    "Not only that, he probably had dreams about it so one night he wet his bed. He had to pull his bed

    sheet to the riverside and wash it. He was even beaten by his parents for that."

    Zoe couldn''tugh at that.

    But Peter smiled and said, "Ms. Emerson, you know the story quite well."

    "I wanted to know you better so I asked them why your parents hit you." Charlotte looked at Peter

    with determination in her eyes.

    Peter was stunned.

    When it came to the topic of domestic violence.

    Some felt sorry for him and others may pity him. But no one had ever looked at him with such

    determination as if they could pull him out from the sea of suffering.

    He lowered his head. "Ms. Emerson, actually, I also want to know why they hit me."

    "I was very curious so I found them."

    Peter immediately raised his head and looked at Charlotte intensely.

    Found them?

    At that moment, the waiter served their dishes up so the topic had toe to an end.

    Time seemed to pass very slowly but Peter was so nervous he couldn''t sit still. He wanted to know

    what Charlotte had investigated. He also wanted to know if her thoughts were the same as his.

    No one knew about his past. Even Shane wasn''t able to dig up anything on his past.

    Soon, the waitress left.

    Charlotte ced some meat into the pot and raised an eyebrow at Peter. "Peter?"

    "Yes, Ms. Emerson."

    "Mr. Fuller must''ve investigated you thoroughly before. But he wasn''t able to find anything, right?"

    Charlotte asked smugly.

    Peter scratched his head in embarrassment and answered, "Yes, I have blocked all information on

    me."

    "How can you find anything if I can''t?" Shane asked with a frown.

    He didn''t believe that his men were weaker than Charlotte''s.

    In reality, his people were definitely more capable than hers. He had so much experience from all

    these years, how could he lose to Charlotte?

    Charlotte put down her te. "Because I went to investigate it myself. I mentioned before I was on a

    business trip. I happened to pass by Peter''s hometown on the way so I asked someone to

    investigate his close ones. Then, I went door to door and gave them gifts."

    She exined it simply but one could sense the effort behind her words.

    Shane was silent. Peter felt a lump in his throat. Zoe sighed, "Ms. Emerson, you care about Peter

    very much."

    "I''ve said before that I genuinely treat you guys as my friends." There was a glimmer in her eyes. "I''ll

    continue to tell the joke."

    Peter''s parents didn''t have a good rtionship.

    His father was a gambler and his mother liked to spend money on jewellery. They had some money

    but it was all gambled away soon. His father''s conventional business was quickly overtaken by

    technology. Their perfect home was then destroyed.

    People would never acknowledge their own shorings. They would find a million reasons such

    as bad luck or me it on their partners.

    Because they didn''t want to admit they were wrong so they had to vent their anger on their partners.

    When their partners start to fight back, they would turn their anger towards the child.

    "A child can''t fight back. This is the reason."

    After Charlotte finished, she remained silent. The hot pot continued to boil while the three of them

    sat in silence. None of them touched the food.

    After some time, Shane picked up his cutlery and ced a piece of meat in Charlotte''s te. "Let''s

    go get some seasonings."

    "Alright."

    Charlotte stood up with a smile. Just as she was about to walk past Zoe towards the hallway, Shane

    grabbed hold of her wrist. She froze before turning around and followed him from behind.

    Zoe gently held Peter''s hand. "Sometimes, the answer is simpler and much crueler than we think."

    "I can ept it." Peter''s voice was hoarse.

    "Why should you ept it? You can hate it all you want," Zoe said casually.

    Peter was surprised. He opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he remembered Zoe''s

    family was simr to his. She could understand what he felt. Did she mean that hatred was the

    appropriate response to this?

    After a moment of silence, he suddenlyughed. "Yeah, why must I force myself to let it go if I can''t.

    I can hate them and live a good life."

    "You did well." Zoe patted him on the head. "Don''t worry, your girlfriend might break up with you but

    as your sister, I will never abandon you. Don''t you feel happy just thinking about it?"

    "Yes, sis." Peter grabbed her hand.

    It didn''t matter if she treated him as a younger brother.

    In his heart, there were two women he would never let down. The first was Zoe, the second was

    Ms. Emerson. The one man he could never let down was Mr. Fuller.

    Both Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson were his friends. Zoe was his lover.

    It was as simple as that.

    He loved her.

    No matter what others said, no matter what she said, he would work hard to be her ideal man.

    He could change.

    As Peter thought about it, he felt a heavy burden lifted from his shoulders.

    Next to the seasoning table.

    Shane bent down and took a te. He handed it to Lottie and said, "You handled this quite well."

    "Thanks for the praise, Mr. Devil." Charlotte took the te and filled it with chives and green onions.

    "You are more sentimental and thoughtful than I thought."

    "Actually, I was just passing by Peter''s hometown so I asked around about the scar behind his neck.

    To be honest, it was quite frightening," Charlotte sighed.

    Peter had a hard life.

    Shane chuckled as he leaned over to wrap his fingers around her waist. "Is it because he''s Peter or

    because he''s my man?"

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301

    Charlotte''s hand tilted to one side and the te of seasoning almost spilled onto her shoes. Of

    course, she didn''t help Peter because he was Peter. There were so many people in this world, why

    did she have to help him?

    But it wasn''t exactly because he was one of Shane''s men either. The reason was the same. There

    were so many people around Shane, she could''ve helped Braden or Cole. Why did it have to be

    Peter?

    "It''s both. It''s because he''s your man, and he''s Peter." Charlotte gave an ambiguous but appropriate

    answer.

    Shane was rather satisfied with this answer. He always admired this trait in Charlotte. She wouldn''t

    fawn over him because of his one word. Although, she was quite good at ttering him up at times.

    Charlotte put coriander, garlic and spice on the te. But it tasted a little nd so she added some

    soy and beef sauce. Finally, she put in a little vinegar and oyster sauce. It tasted a lot better than

    before.

    She nced at Shane''s te beside her.

    Shane seemed to have only taken a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce. He didn''t even bother to add

    other seasonings.

    "Take some scallions," Charlotte whispered in his ear.

    Shane nced at her, then at the te in his hands. He followed her advice and added some

    scallions and coriander into his te. He didn''t like the taste of scallions at all.

    On the way back, they happened to run into Peter. He had already calmed down and was chatting

    with Zoe.

    The four of them met but neither of them said anything but looked at each other knowingly.

    After brushing past them, Charlotte sighed, "It would be great if Avery was here."

    Shane''s eyes darkened at the mention of Avery. It was as if there was a murderous vibeing

    from him and the surroundings turned quiet in an instant.

    Charlotte turned her head as she sensed something was wrong. She noticed his eyebrows were

    deeply furrowed. His grip on his te was so tight, his veins were bulging.

    "Did something else happen with Avery?" she asked.

    "Yes."

    "Was it the Steven Family or Rick?" "Neither of them."

    "Don''t tell me..."

    Shane didn''t continue but Charlotte could guess from his expression that the Hart Family must''ve

    done something to Avery. She clenched her fist tightly and swallowed back her anger. Then, she

    took a deep breath and calmed down.

    Back to the table, Charlotte put down the te on the table and said in a trembling voice, "Even an

    animal would not eat their child."

    "He''s quite different from Rick."

    "Anyone would envy how the Jane family brought up Rick," Charlotte added.

    "The most crucial thing is Mielle. She even sacrificed herself for him."

    Although it was cruel to say, it was a fact.

    If Mielle did not exist or if she did not stand by Rick, his life would be in so much more danger.

    At this time, Zoe and Peter returned. Both of them were talking excitedly about something.

    Charlotte ced the meat into the hot pot in a daze.

    "Ms. Emerson must like to eat meat very much," Petermented.

    "Not only meat," Shane added.

    Charlotte snorted and ignored them. As soon as the meat was cooked, she quickly dived into the

    delicious bacon strips.

    Zoe also picked up her chopsticks and said, "Let''s eat or Charlotte will finish everythingter."

    "Okay!" Peter chimed in.

    Shane didn''t eat much. He stopped after taking a few bites. Most of the time, he only ate food that

    was given by Charlotte.

    The meal was over.

    Charlotte had to organise the matter with the animals so she had no time to no time to visit other

    ces. Initially, she wanted to let Zoe and Peter go have fun but Peter and Shane wanted to see

    the animals with her. Now her n to give Zoe a holiday was also ruined.

    While Zoe went to the bathroom, Charlotte approached Peter and asked, "Hey, do you want me to

    create an opportunity for you? What kind of animal do you want to see?"

    "Zoe likes pandas. I want to see what a living panda looks like and learn from it."

    Charlotte was speechless. She leaned towards Shane and asked, "Mr. Fuller, why do you want to

    see the animals?��

    "To keep youpany."

    Huh?

    Charlotte didn''t expect him to say that. She lowered her head and fidgeted with her phone.

    After Zoe came back from the toilet, everyone returned to their rooms. Peter rented a car before he

    came so it was quite convenient.

    The workers were very happy to see Zoe and Charlotte return but they were slightly uneasy to see

    two strangers behind them. They weren''t as casual as before either.

    Charlotte felt a little helpless by their reactions. After all, they also acted the same way when she

    first met them.

    "Don''t you want to say hello to them?" Charlotte asked Peter and Shane.

    "No need." Shane refused.

    Peter also shook his head.

    Charlotte had no choice but to take Zoe to work and put aside the workers'' morale issue.

    As time went by, the workers had probably guessed their rtionship with Shane and Peter so they

    were also much more rxed than earlier.

    However, the little girl ran over Shane''s side and handed him an orange then said, "The uncles said

    that you are Ms. Emerson''s boyfriend."

    "Mmhm." Shane didn''t attempt to take the oranges.

    "Ms. Emerson said these were delicious."

    Shane reached out and took it. The little girl smiled at him and ran back to the workers happily.

    Peter, who had been working on theputer looked up and said, "That little girl is very special."

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Why?"

    "Don''t you know? From grandmas to little girls, they would all fall heads over heels for you at first

    sight." Peterughed.

    Although this was slightly embarrassing, Shane''s features were out of this world.

    Shane thought back on the expression on the little girl''s face.

    "Think about it, so many women can''t resist your looks, let alone a little girl. But she was calm and

    mature. She''s not as simple as she looks."

    "Charlotte was right in choosing to work with them."

    "Yeah."

    Peter continued to focus on tracking Curtis.

    However, that little girl looked a little dirty. Logically speaking, such a smart girl shoulde from a

    rich and noble family. How did she end up with these workers?

    It''s not that he looked down on these workers. He just felt that they wouldn''t be able to raise such

    children.

    A child who had such confidence.

    Soon, Charlotte and Zoe finished their work and met up with Shane and Peter.

    Now they had to leave in separate cars. One would transport the Pandas, the other would transport

    the rest of the animals.

    When they were discussing, Peter suggested, "The both of you follow the car with the panda."

    "Why do I have to go with Zoe? I want to be with Shane," Charlotte said as she stood over to

    Shane''s side.

    Of course, she wasn''t a clingy person. She just wanted to create some alone time for Peter and

    Zoe.

    However, Peter was so dense. Each time she tried to set them up, Peter would ruin his own

    chances.

    Peter scratched her eyebrows and exined, "The car that carries the panda is the safest. Besides,

    you see Mr. Fuller every day. You''ll be fine without him for a while."

    "You can go with..."

    Before Charlotte could finish, Shane interrupted her, "You should follow Zoe."

    "Okay, I can take the same car as Zoe. But you''d have to give me an irrefutable reason."

    Charlotte could tell that Peter and Shane had made up their minds.

    But she didn''t understand.

    Why couldn''t she be in the same car as Shane?

    From how they were acting, it seemed that she could be in the same car with Peter as long as she''s

    not with Shane.

    Why?

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302

    "Ms. Emerson, it''s not that Mr. Fuller doesn''t want to be in the same car as yours neither is it

    because I don''t want to be with Zoe. It''s just better if you don''t take the same helicopter or car. The

    rate of idents involving these two vehicles is too high. If anything happens..." Peter sighed.

    The ident rate of nes and trains were low. However, some businessmen would still avoid

    being in the same car or ne as their wives or heirs.

    This way, not everyone will be risked in the case of an ident. It was a cruel reality but it was all

    for the sake of family.

    At that moment, Charlotte was speechless.

    Zoe grabbed Charlotte''s shoulder. "You guys have gone too far. It''s just a car ride. How can there be

    an ident?"

    "It is indeed impossible for the route we took before but what about the mountain roads?" Peter

    didn''t agree with Zoe on this. He looked very serious. "Zoe, I know you''re worried about Ms.

    Emerson because you''re friends but you have to consider these issues for the sake of her and Mr.

    Fuller''s future."

    "This..." Zoe was also stunned.

    "Peter, let''s go." Shane didn''t intend to exin anymore further.

    Regardless of whether she understood or not, this was a fact Charlotte had to ept.

    A long time ago, he had already set three people on this list. One was Grandma, the other was

    Charlotte, and the third was Sheryl.

    Of course, he only added Charlotte and Sheryl onto the list after he knew Sheryl was his biological

    daughter. He wasn''t foolish enough to hand over all his property to Charlotte and an unrted

    daughter. It was too contradictory to his usual reasoning.

    Peter and Shane had already gotten in the car. Charlotte had no other choice, she could only get in

    another car with Zoe.

    "Miss Charlotte." The little girl immediately came up to her.

    "You''re here." Charlotte forced a smile.

    "You don''t seem to be very happy. Did you quarrel with your friends?" The little girl tilted her head

    and looked at Zoe.

    Zoe shook her head and touched her cheek with a smile. "I will never quarrel with Ms. Emerson."

    "Was it the men then? Aunt once told me that men are unreliable."

    The little girl said these words with a serious and sincere expression. The two of them couldn''t help

    butugh out loud. Charlotte''s mood also turned for the better.

    The little girl''s uncle did not follow them because their car was loaded with the panda. So the staff

    on the car were more experienced.

    The road leading into the mountains was also very rocky. Especially between the more remote

    cities, the road was almost non-existent.

    "Lottie, I suddenly feel..." Zoe didn''t know if she should speak out or not.

    "I know. I''m also worried that what they said would happen." Charlotte''s face darkened.

    The rugged mountain road and a car of animals.

    Worse still...

    She looked out and realised it was raining.

    Charlotte no longer had the time to me herself for picking this project, or let Peter and Shane tag

    along. She could only worry if they were able to pass through this road smoothly. If not, they should

    make a stop here.

    With this idea in mind, she stood up and headed towards the front of the truck and sat next to the

    driver.

    "Master, is there a way to stop the car? We can leave after the rain is over."

    "Huh, how is that possible? There''s only one road. If we don''t go up at the arranged time, we will

    run into the carsing from the other way. What would we do then?" The driver sighed.

    "Then can we leave the car behind us and go ahead first?"

    "Well, you''ll have to ask the car in the back."

    Charlotte nodded and returned to her own seat. Then she made a call to Peter and Shane.

    Neither of them answered.

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte''s face darkened in an instant. "Zoe, is there any way to see where they are?"

    "No."

    Charlotte descended into a state of panic. She kept rubbing her hands anxiously. Suddenly, her

    eyes lit up and she turned on her phone. "Previously I ced a signal transmission device on one of

    the boxes to prevent us from losing the goods."

    Zoe also breathed a sigh of relief.

    For some reason, she was still a little worried about Peter. It was hard to describe what she felt...

    She was also worried about Shane but not as strongly as Peter. She didn''t know the reason.

    Charlotte''s phone detected the signal and said, "They have already set off."

    "There shouldn''t be any problems. The journey isn''t long." Zoe handed her phone to Charlotte and

    continued, "It takes only ten minutes to read there."

    Upon hearing this, Charlotte rxed a little.

    There was aw called Murphy''s Law that states anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

    She was now very worried.

    Soon.

    Charlotte and Zoe had reached the designated ce. Although it was raining heavily and the wind

    was very strong, the pandas were all safely transported into the warehouse. Then, they prepared for

    the second transfer.

    It was still raining cats and dogs outside.

    Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour had passed, but the second car had nevere.

    The driver had already called someone to seal off the entrance and exit so no other cars could enter

    the route. At least, the car wouldn''t run into other cars.

    At this moment, Charlotte''s phone suddenly rang.

    It was Shane so she picked it up in a hurry. Before she could say anything, there was a panic voice

    on the phone, "Find Cole."

    No sooner had his voice faded away, there was a loud crash on the other end.

    "Shane!"

    Then the call was cut off.

    While Charlotte was worried, she quickly called Cole. Her hands were trembling and her knees

    gave way.

    "Lottie." Zoe quickly propped her up.

    "I''m fine."

    After Cole answered, Charlotte exined the details to him. She knows Cole would be able to make

    the most urate judgement. Cole and Shane must''ve made countless simr decisions before so

    he would make the most logical choice.

    "Miss Charlotte, please stay where you are. I will contact my friends as soon as possible to ensure

    your safety. In the case where the first car safely arrived, the probability of a mechanical failure is

    lower than 2.1%. You should be more worried about yourself than Mr. Fuller."

    "Do you mean this ident was a set-up?"

    "If my estimation is correct, that should be the case. I''ve investigated and found the number of

    idents in your area is less than 5 every year and among those around 2 urred on a rainy

    day."

    ording to the probability, this wouldn''t be such a coincidence.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but think of Avery''s matter. Her mind was instantly in a state of chaos. "I

    understand, I''ll stay right here"

    "Okay. By the way, I would like to confirm if your ID and passport are with you?"

    "What? Yes, I have them."

    "If something unfortunate happens to Mr. Fuller, you will follow me abroad. All of his property will be

    transferred to you, Madam and Miss Sheryl. You will be the legal custodian of Miss Sheryl''s property

    before she bes an adult."

    "Nothing would happen to him." Charlotte gripped her phone tightly.

    "I hope so, but we must calm ourselves down and prepare for the worst."

    "I understand..."

    After listening to Cole''s exnation, Charlotte sat down and waited for the news. It was still raining

    outside, but it had slowed down.

    Now, all she could do was wait for the news.

    On the other side, Zoe was also nervous. She could guess the situation from Charlotte''s reaction.

    Shane was her superior and Peter was herpanion or even her family.

    They could only wait.

    It was absolute torture.

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303

    Cole''s men quickly arrived at the warehouse and ensured there were no hidden listening devices.

    Then they guarded Zoe and Charlotte and prepared to leave. As for the other workers, they need to

    wait on site. Since the duration of the project was short, it wasn''t a big issue for them to stay at

    Castleton for a few more days.

    Shane and Peter''s well- being were the most important.

    The Golden Hour to rescue someone is usually 72 hours, that was three days.

    Cole immediately sent someone to investigate the signal from Charlotte''s phone. After he found out

    where Shane went missing, he went down to the mountains. However, he did not find any sign of

    him, not even a single trace of blood.

    This was good news, at least it meant he and Peter did not die.

    The next day, they found some dead bodies. They were all workers, but they still didn''t find Shane

    and Peter.

    However, Charlotte''s heart still ached for the workers who died. She stared at the bodies of the men

    who had joked with her before. Her body couldn''t stop trembling especially when she saw the little

    girl''s uncle and she fell to the ground.

    "How could this be..."

    He was such a good person. Why did God treat him like this?

    Zoe quickly held her up. "Lottie, these people had nothing to do with us. Don''t be too sad."

    Nothing to do with her?

    They might have just met not long ago but Charlotte still had developed a personal connection with

    them.

    Charlotte held back her sadness and she leaned against Zoe''s shoulder in pain.

    The little girl was brought by the police to identify the bodies. She recognised her uncle at a nce.

    She was much calmer inparison to Charlotte. She evenforted her saying that her uncle

    was in a better ce.

    Now even Zoe felt that there was something wrong with this little girl. How could she be so calm?

    Of course, she was too embarrassed to ask why the little girl was so calm. It would seem like she

    was judging her.

    Charlotte finally calmed down. She walked out to the hotel''s balcony and stared into the distance.

    Many people suffered this time. There was no way she could cover this up. If she were to take the

    opportunity and establish policies that were beneficial to the workers, she would get bacsh from

    some people.

    But if she didn''t do anything, she would feel guilty. They all died for nothing.

    She knew in her heart, even if Shane died, it would be a matter of karma.

    But those people...

    "Lottie, don''t overthink it. If you really feel bad, we canpensate the victim''s families." Zoe was a

    very indifferent person. She couldn''t empathise with these people like Charlotte.

    "I can give them money, a year''s sry or evenpensate them for the rest of their lives. But a

    wife lost a husband and a child lost a father and those who don''t have families, what about them?"

    "This..."

    "The people that died may just look like numbers to us. We see them as numbers so we use

    numbers to make up for it. But they were all people."

    As she spoke, it hit a sore spot in her heart. She felt as if someone had hit her on the chest. Her

    eyes turned red and she felt short of breath.

    They were all living people.

    Zoe immediately understood Charlotte''s feelings. She wanted to say something tofort her but

    all she said was, "I''m sorry."

    Charlotte shook her head. "There is no right or wrong in emotions. You have your opinion and I

    have mine. I''m just trying to find the most ideal way to deal with this."

    In this world, it seemed that the poor were dependent on the rich but without the poor, there would

    be no meaning in being rich. She just wanted to find the middle ground.

    She didn''t want to be the one who was at the top.

    On the third day.

    It was the most crucial hour.

    Charlotte had not slept for more than 24 hours. There had been no news for 48 hours. She stood

    alone on the balcony and stared at the buildings. Zoe had tried every method possible to persuade

    her to eat.

    Even Zoe couldn''t resist the temptation to eat. Charlotte, on the other hand, didn''t even look at the

    food.

    As time went by, it was getting dark and 72 hours had passed.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Zoe also no longer had the mood to tend to Charlotte. She sat on the balcony and waited for the

    news together.

    At night, in the hotel.

    Cole pushed open the door. "Ms. Emerson, Ms. Watson, we''ve found them."

    In an instant, Charlotte turned around and stared at him. "Are they dead or alive?"

    Cole smiled and said, "Of course they''re alive. Mr. Fuller has already woken up but Mr. Peter''s

    situation is quite grave. Do you want to rest first or..."

    "I''ll go with you." Charlotte immediately interrupted him.

    "I slept yesterday. I''ll go." Zoe was worried about Charlotte''s health.

    "I want to see him."

    In just a simple sentence, neither of them dared to persuade her to rest.

    If she hadn''t experienced the separation of life and death, she wouldn''t know how painful it was to

    miss someone.

    As she sat in the car, Charlotte''s heart was pounding in her chest.

    Shane was fine.

    He must be fine.

    She suddenly felt all her worries for the past few days were nothing. As long as Shane was here. As

    long as she could discuss it with him, she wasn''t afraid the issue couldn''t be handled.

    Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of the hospital.

    Charlotte and Zoe followed Cole to the 17th floor. This floor was full of VIP wards so it was quieter.

    Cole personally brought Charlotte to the ward. "Miss Charlotte, I''ll take you here first. Mr. Fuller is

    awake and he''s not in any serious condition. He''s just slightly injured. It''s best if you don''t touch him.

    There''s nothing else."

    "Thank you." Charlotte grabbed his hands gratefully. "Thank you."

    "No problem. It''s my job. Of course, if you really want to thank me, you can transfer me some

    money," Cole said as he adjusted his sses.

    The joke made both Charlotte and Zoeugh.

    Charlotte entered the ward. Cole''s smile turned grave as he asked Zoe, "Miss Watson, do you have

    any contact with Mr. Brown''s family?"

    "Is it that serious?"

    "It''s not like that. His injury this time is not serious but his blood type is very rare. Now his blood is

    infected, he needs a blood transfusion as soon as possible but the city''s blood bank doesn''t have a

    match so we need to find his family. Otherwise... He may face the same fate as Miss Sheryl."

    Leukemia, blood cancer.

    It was not a big deal for his blood to be infected.

    Zoe took a deep breath and clenched her fists. "I will find a way now but can you tell me what type

    of infection it is?"

    "Aspergillosis."

    Zoe widened her eyes.

    Charlotte pushed open the door.

    The lights were off in the room so the windows were wide open. The wind blew the white curtains

    giving an eerie feeling.

    Charlotte walked along the corridor and into the room. She closed the door gently and slowly

    walked forward in the dark. After a while, she finally reached Shane''s bedside.

    "Why didn''t you turn on the lights?" The man on the bed opened his eyes in the dark night.

    "I thought you were asleep." Charlotte stopped and turned around to turn on the light.

    As the lights turned on.

    Charlotte was shocked.

    Shane''s whole body was covered in blood. Even bandaged areas were still stained with blood. He

    leaned against the back of the bed. He looked so tired with an IV bag stuck in his hand.

    "You, you..." Charlotte''s heart ached for him as she ran to his bed. She wanted to hold his hand but

    it was all covered in wounds.

    It wasn''t a scratch, it was more like red spots. It looked like a round circr wound.

    It was as if he was infected with something.

    "I fell off the cliff with Peter into a small stream."

    "Could this be..."

    A saprophytic fungus.

    It wasmonly found in rivers orkes. They like ces that are dark and damp. The optimum

    temperature for growth is 25 to 30 degrees.

    And the ones that would cause skin lesions on bodies that would constantly bleed would be...

    Aspergillosis infection.

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304

    An Aspergillosis infection.

    Once infected, they have to be careful for the rest of their lives otherwise it would recur. They would

    have to regrly visit a doctor. It would be fine if it was in the early stages but in severe cases, it

    would invade the brain and spread to the lungs. Thete stages of the infection are fatal.

    "You know about this?" Shane was surprised.

    "Well, when I was young, my housekeeper contracted this disease because the wooden house he

    lived in had mold. Everyone''s condition is different based on their body. You are so healthy, you

    shouldn''t have been infected."

    She''s right. In fact, he and Peter didn''t stumble into a stream at all. He just wanted to give her an

    answer she could ept.

    So she wouldn''t worry about him.

    However, Charlotte frowned when she finished speaking. She felt something was suspicious. Shane

    had such a healthy body, how could he get injured so badly by just running into a stream?

    In addition, based on what Cole said, Peter was still unconscious. Which meant...

    "Shane, are you lying to me?" Charlotte could sense there was some inconsistency in his words.

    "Why would I lie to you?"

    "Because you don''t want me to worry about you," Charlotte said frankly. Then she sat down on his

    bed. Although he could not touch him, she could still be close to him.

    Shane''s face was very pale but he was still as imposing as usual. His lips were badly cracked.

    Charlotte''s heart ached as she reached out to touch his lips, "Can''t you drink water now?"

    "I''m not used to being taken care of."

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. She walked to the side, picked up a cup of water and used a

    cotton swab to dab some water on his lips. His dry and cracked skin quickly became moist, no

    longer as frightening as it was just now.

    Shane stared at her intensely and raised his hand to hold her wrist. Charlotte quickly moved her

    hands away warily. "Don''t move, I can''t touch you and neither can you touch me. Cole made that

    very clear."

    "I''m fine."

    "I can see that you''re not."

    Shane was now a patient so he couldn''t resist Charlotte no matter how he tried. He could only lower

    his hand and let her feed him the water.

    Charlotte put down the cup when his lips no longer looked cracked. "I know you don''t like being

    taken care of but let me look after you from today onwards. I''ll discuss with thepany and pass

    the project on to someone else. We''ll stay here for the time being."

    "I will be discharged from the hospital after two days."

    "Then I''ll take care of you for two days."

    Shane suddenly remembered the reason why he was so tempted by Lottie a few days ago...

    Everyone always thought that he was an iron-d man and only asked him for his protection. Only

    she cared about his injury and his pain.

    The one difference between her and the other women captivated him. Although, he never

    expressed his feelings.

    The man closed his eyes and answered in a low and husky voice, "Whatever you want."

    "Shane, I''ve always admired and looked up to you. Today, I realised I might think differently of you."

    She slowly approached him and gave him a peck on the lips.

    In a blink of an eye, her lips were gone.

    Shane opened his eyes instantly. He sped one hand on the back of her head and pushed her

    onto him ignoring the pain. Then, he bit on her lips hard.

    It hurts.

    Charlotte didn''t dare to struggle against him. She could only let him do as he pleased before pulling

    away from him.

    "What are you doing?" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and a thin streak of blood

    smeared across her white skin. His bite actually cut open her lips.

    He was way out of line!

    Shane''s eyes narrowed coldly. He gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw as he said, "Do you only

    think of me differently now?"

    "Huh?" It was only then that Charlotte realized that he was a little angry, and she immediately felt

    aggrieved. "I always thought you just desired me and I depended on you so I didn''t dare to have

    any real feelings for you. You''ve always pressured me, then..."

    She felt so embarrassed she couldn''t say anything else.

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Shane sighed, "I owe you an apology."

    "That''s not what I meant. Ever since I found out that you''re Sheryl''s father, I just wanted to stay

    away from you but I don''t mind being close to you either. It''s just so many things happened in that

    time. It was you who abandoned me so I wasn''t able to get past it. But everything is fine now,"

    Charlotte said with a smile.

    Everything was fine now.

    She was so silly.

    Shane didn''t want to probe any further so he changed the subject to the zoo.

    Charlotte had no experience with an emergency of this sort so she made the calls while he gave the

    instructions.

    His n includedpensating the workers, guarantees to other workers and dealing with all the

    companies.

    The only thing that Charlotte was in charge of was the issue with the victims'' families. Besides

    money, she also promised to offer them better and easier jobs. She would use her personal

    connections to make arrangements for the children.

    They had already lost their father and husband. She didn''t want them to worry about other things.

    Fortunately, there weren''t that many deaths this time. Most of them were sessfully rescued by

    Cole.

    At around two in the evening, Charlotte''s phone rang. She was surprised when she saw the caller

    ID. She showed Shane the screen and said, "It''s Avery."

    "Answer it."

    Charlotte clicked the answer button and turned on the phone''s speaker.

    "Lottie, I heard that Shane and Peter were also attacked."

    "Yes, Shane is fine now. I still don''t know what''s going on with Peter. Zoe has been taking care of

    him," Charlotte exined.

    "Can Mr. Fuller hear me?"

    "I can hear you," Shane replied.

    Avery could tell he wasn''t in a good shape from his raspy voice. He stretched his arms and legs in a

    rxed manner and joked, "I never thought Mr. Fuller would end up like this. I''m so happy to hear

    that. There are very few people in this world who would make their enemies and friends happy

    when they get sick. Mr. Fuller, you''re really one of a kind."

    "Did you call here just to mock us?" Charlotte asked unhappily.

    "It seems like this life and death experience have improved your rtionship. Not bad." Avery''s lips

    curled into a smile.

    "Stop beating around the bush."

    "Lottie, Mr. Fuller must''ve told you the Hart Family attacked me."

    "Yes, he did."

    "Don''t you think it''s strange? The Jane family attacked Rick and Mielle. The Hart family attacked

    me. Now Shane got attacked too. The strange thing was the killer who dealt with Mielle was the one

    who hurt Shane''s first love. The method used to attack me was the style of the Jane family."

    Charlotte suddenly felt a chill down her spine as a thought crossed her mind.

    Avery stretchedzily and said, "I''m not suspecting anyone. I''m very sure that the same person is

    behind all the attacks."

    "This..."

    "I was infected with Aspergillosis," Shane interrupted.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but snort when she heard this. He had lied to her saying he got infected from

    a stream.

    Averyughed when he heard that. "Isn''t this too much of a coincidence? Every generation in my

    family is involved in the chemical industry. You also know we just ventured into foreign trade these

    few years. My family has a fewboratories in our hands. Foreign trading is just to culture these

    products." "So you mean, the Fuller Residence helped the Jane family deal with Mielle and Rick.

    Then the Hart Family helped the Fuller Residence to deal with Shane while the Jane family helped

    the Hart family to deal with you..." Charlotte concluded after a deep thought. She felt a shiver down

    her back that made her uneasy.

    Who would be so cunning?

    Moreover, how did that person know everyone''s schedule so well?

    "I have a guess. But I don''t know if Mr. Fuller would be willing to suspect him, investigate him and

    go against him." Avery said slowly.

    "The Steven family?" Shane frowned.

    "If the answer was that simple, I wouldn''t call you. I can handle that myself."

    If it wasn''t the Steven Family, who else could it be?

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305

    "Mr. Fuller, do you still remember someone who goes by the name of... Christopher Gibson?" Avery

    did not like to keep people guessing. After a minute, he revealed the name to Shane.

    "Christopher?" It wasn''t that Shane didn''t think of him but felt he had nothing to do with this.

    "I got some information from Rick. You may not believe it. I don''t know if you want to hear this, Mr.

    Fuller." Avery smiled coyly.

    "Speak properly."

    Avery picked up a cup on the bedside table and drank it. Then he said, "Rick told me on the day

    before he made a false testimony for Kendall, he met Christopher at a bar."

    "So?"

    "Mr. Fuller, calm down. Let''s analyze the situation. Rick is in a dilemma because he helped Kendall

    make a false testimony. Although you and Ms. Emerson might forgive him, he''s still a thorn in your

    side. Besides, he still loves Ms. Emerson very much. You don''t deny that, do you?"

    Shane was silent. That was why he had not refused any request from Rick until now.

    He did not believe someone who had loved Charlotte for so many years would suddenly have a

    change of heart and be with Kendall.

    Of course, he did expect Rick would break up with Charlotte.

    "Go on."

    "It''s not difficult to change a person''s thinking but to change something ingrained in you... It''s like

    asking you to stop loving Sheryl. Maybe you can do it in 3 to 5 years... but changing a root-deep

    mentality overnight? What do you think that is?" Avery''s answer was on the tip of his tongue.

    He didn''t keep Shane guessing, but he knew that if Shane believed him, he would definitely give

    him an answer.

    But if Shane didn''t believe him, he should stop wasting his time talking. It wouldn''t matter what else

    he said.

    "Hypnosis."

    "It seems that Mr. Fuller has the same idea as me. I''ve investigated that Christopher was supposed

    to go to some ivy league university but he flunked badly so he transferred to one of the top listed

    university of psychology."

    Shane fell silent again.

    Charlotte didn''t even dare to breathe.

    Hypnotism.

    They''ve only heard of this in movies. Now it''s happening in her life?

    How could that be possible? If Christopher knew how to hypnotize someone, why didn''t he use it on

    Shane?

    "If he knows hypnotism, why didn''t he use it against me?"

    It was so obvious Shane and Charlotte thought of the same question.

    Avery sneered, "Are you so sure that you haven''t been hypnotized by him? Or perhaps, both of you

    know that your willpower is strong and that a ime ordinary hypnotism wouldn''t work. Therefore,

    he chose another method."

    "Long term hypnosis?" Shane frowned.

    "You and Braden still treat him like a brother. Is there really no other reason other than you being so

    merciful and smart? Yes, I''ll admit that you are so strong you can just let him be and do whatever

    you want but is this in line with your logic?"

    Every question Avery asked made everything seem clear in an instant.

    Before Shane and Charlotte could react, Avery asked again, "Also, why didn''t he just hypnotise you

    directly? Look at the NCpany, it fell from a toppany into a barely adequate one.

    Christopher isn''t dumb, he wanted you out of the NCpany but he has to wait for the right time."

    "That is to say, he had expected for me to let go of the NCpany?" Shane''s eyes were filled with

    darkness.

    "His n isn''t necessarily for you to let go of it," Avery replied indirectly.

    "Well, after all, he doesn''t know how I do things."

    "This is where the problem lies. Christopher is detailed enough but his EQ is too low. He shouldn''t

    have..."

    "He hates Shane." Charlotte interrupted Avery and looked at Shane. The man next to her nodded at

    her, indicating that she could exin the matter clearly.

    At this time.

    Avery only knew that Christopher was Shane''s biological brother.

    He suddenly realized. "No wonder his EQ is low. He has been blinded by hatred."

    "What do you want to do about this?" Charlotte asked.

    "I''m not going to deal with it."

    "Don''t deal with it."

    Avery and Shane gave the same answer at the same time.

    Avery smiled and flipped his hair. He leaned backzily and said, "Isn''t it enough to know who''s

    behind this? Now we just have to act broken in front of everyone. Shane, I remember you have a

    brother, Braden, who''s marrying Rick''s sister, Anne. That''s good timing."

    "That can be done."

    "What are you guys nning to do at Anne''s wedding?" Charlotte had a wary look on her face.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    It was Anne''s wedding. She would not allow these people to ruin it.

    "Don''t worry, Anne''s wedding with Braden is a joke." Avery''s voice was ice-cold as he said, "We''re

    pretty clear what the Jane and Collins family thinks. Only you would be so naive."

    "I... "

    "It''s normal for you to be nervous. Your best friend is getting married. It''s a once in a lifetime event.

    But I have to remind you, formality can be destroyed by anything."

    Avery''s words hurt.

    But it was terrifyingly real.

    The wedding was just a formality. It would not affect the rtionship between Anne and Braden.

    However, on the contrary, if they did not solve the problem, they would be stuck in between the

    Collins and Jane family. The issue wouldn''t be so simple then.

    Charlotte sighed. "I support any decision you make. If you need me to do anything, I''ll do it."

    "Of course I need you, but you just need to do something extremely simple."

    As Avery exined the n, Shane did not say a word. Obviously, the both of them have the same

    thoughts.

    Charlotte pricked up her ears to listen. The more she listened, the more she felt that Avery had a lot

    of corrupted ideas.

    Interesting.

    There might be a good show when they return to River City after this business was over.

    However, how should she exin it to Anne?

    Charlotte''s heart was in a state of conflict.

    In another ward.

    Peter tried his best to grab the finger. "Mr. Fuller!"

    He screamed in a hoarse voice as he struggled to get up from the bed. He fell heavily on the floor

    with his eyes still shut. All he could do was shout "Mr. Fuller" as he crawled on the floor.

    "Peter!" Zoe heard his voice and hurried over from the break room. She put her hands on him.

    "Are you Zoe?" Peter stopped. He turned his head towards her but he still couldn''t open his eyes.

    Shane had red spots and rhinitis caused by a respiratory infection while Peter had eye meningitis.

    His eyes were red and swollen so he couldn''t see clearly.

    "Yes, it''s me, Zoe."

    "Where''s Mr. Fuller?"

    "Lottie is with him."

    Peter breathed a sigh of relief and then he burst outughing on the cold ground.

    "What''s wrong? Get up from the ground. Your body can''t get infected." Zoe propped him up andid

    him on the bed.

    "Zoe, Mr. Fuller, he saved me. I almost died," Peter said in a tearful voice.

    Zoe was stunned.

    Peter stretched out his hand and pulled Zoe into his arms as he sobbed, "Why do my parents want

    me to die, but my boss wants me to live? We are not even rted. You have no idea how he looked

    at me that time..."

    It was the same as how Charlotte looked when she was joking.

    He was determined and firm. He wasn''t afraid at all.

    What right did he, Peter, have to be saved?

    "You''d better keep this matter to yourself. Mr. Fuller didn''t tell any of us. Even Lottie didn''t know."

    Zoe smiled bitterly.

    Shane looked so cold on the outside but in reality, once he epted someone in his life, he would

    do his best forthem.

    As long as they did not lie or betray him, he would not abandon them.

    Peter''s body was trembling.

    After a long time, he finally came back to his senses. "How''s Mr. Fuller doing?"

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306

    Zoe patted him on the shoulder and said, "Mr. Fuller is fine. Just now Cole was about to check on

    him but he heard Mr. Fuller and Lottie on the phone with Mr. Hart. They must''ve been investigating

    the truth behind this incident. That must mean he has recovered well."

    "That''s good." Peter choked and raised his head. "But Zoe, why can''t I open my eyes?"

    "You got eye meningitis. It will take some time for you to recover. You would be able to see

    tomorrow."

    "Alright."

    After Peter vented his emotions, he calmed down a little. Heid on the bed with his eyes closed.

    He even looked a little cute. But his eyes were slightly swollen so his facial features couldn''t be

    seen clearly.

    Zoe sat next to him and mixed a pack of meal recement powder with water. Then, she fed it to

    him. "You can only eat these for the time being. Just endure it for a week."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "A week?" Peter cried out in surprise. He shook his head firmly. "I don''t care. I''m having steak when

    I get out."

    "The wound will get inmed again. It will leave scars," Zoe said helplessly.

    "I''m a man. Why should I be afraid of leaving a scar? What a joke," Peter snorted with disdain.

    Zoe had nothing to say to this. After all, he was right.

    After Peter finished eating, Zoe asked the medical staff to change his bed sheets and covers. Then,

    they did full-body disinfection for Peter. After they left, she asked Cole to help Peter change his

    bandages.

    Cole was about to help Peter apply the medication so Zoe had to wait out in the corridor.

    "You were really lucky this time." Cole tore apart his clothes and put the ointment on his body.

    "Cole, can''t you be gentler? Have some pity on me."

    "Listen up. If there''s ever a next time, I''ll just leave you by the river and take Mr. Fuller with me even

    if I found you." Cole put even more pressure on him.

    Peter grimaced in pain and said, "What''s wrong with you? I did it for Mr. Fuller. If I didn''t tear down

    all the veins, how could you find us?"

    "So that''s how you got aspergillus on your hands and eyes?"

    "You''d be fine if you didn''t do anything. Now you''d have to stay here for another two more days."

    Peter bit her lips and said sulkily, "At the time, I was afraid no one would find us. Who would know

    we fell down? Mr. Fuller jumped and grabbed me on the way. We fell so deep below, what if you

    can''t find..."

    "I have a GPS, how could I not find you two?" Cole couldn''t help but sigh.

    "Then what took you so long?"

    "Someone blocked the signal. It seems they turn off the signal after you guys fell. But even if they

    didn''t turn it off, I''ve already hacked 72% of it."

    "Huh, they all think that I am the most powerful hacker around Mr. Fuller. The truth is, I am nothing

    compared with you," Peterined.

    "No one can know we studied together. They also can''t find out that I''m a hacker. Understood?"

    "I understand, I understand. I''m doing this for the sake of Mr. Fuller''s safety," Peter replied in a weak

    voice.

    Cole was one of the few people Peter could rely on. After they graduated, it was Cole who tossed

    him an olive branch and offered him an interview at the NC Company. Then, he was promoted by

    Shane.

    If it wasn''t for Cole, perhaps he wouldn''t be here right now.

    Peter thought about it and his heart was filled with gratitude. "Thank you."

    "Forget about what I''ve done. Remember we have nothing to do with each other."

    Cole, who was still joking around with him before, instantly turned cold. Peter sighed, "This is our

    secret rtionship."

    Cole couldn''t help butugh. ''This brat,'' he thought.

    Soon, Cole finished changing Peter''s bandages. He pushed open the door and walked out of the

    room. Then he let Zoe know about the few precautions she should take note of.

    Zoe carefully jotted them down. "Cole, thank you."

    "It''s my job."

    "I know but still, thank you," Zoe said with a smile.

    Cole could only shake his head. He nodded respectfully and gestured for her to enter the room. Zoe

    sighed as she walked into the room. Cole was good at everything except it seemed there was an

    invisible wall before him.

    He closed the door.

    Peter turned to the door and said, "You''re back."

    "I''ve never left. I was just standing outside." Zoe returned to his side and sat down. "Are you close

    with Cole?" "Not really."

    "I always feel that he is quite mysterious."

    Peter shrugged his shoulders and said, "It''s true."

    The topic quickly came to an end. It waste and Zoe had yawned several times. Peter asked her to

    go to bed but she shook her head. She was afraid nobody would tend to him if he had a fever in the

    middle of the night so she wanted to stay by his side.

    Peter was touched but he was also worried about her health. She just said, "I''m already awake. If I

    feel ufortable, I will call the nurse myself."

    "But..."

    "Go get some rest. It''s better for you to sleep well and wake up early to take care of me. When you

    wake up, I''m sure I''ll fall asleep."

    Zoe felt that what Peter said was reasonable so she returned to the resting area.

    All the crises had been ovee, now they just have to wait for the two men to recover.

    The next day.

    Charlotte woke up early in the morning. Today, she had to cooperate with the police to conduct an

    onsite investigation. At the same time, she had to report the issue with the aspergillosis to the

    higher-ups.

    ording to Shane, there had been Aspergillus fungus all the way. This meant the person behind

    this didn''t want them toe out alive. They were lucky enough to have escaped.

    No matter who they were, what their purpose was, they had to carry out Avery''s n. They also

    have to report it. At the same time, they had to report it to the federal investigation bureau.

    Of course, they would usually ignore these personal grudges.

    It would be considered as nothing if they were normal civilians. For those from rich families, Brine

    would normally procrastinate the matter first. Otherwise, as soon as they dealt with the issue, the

    two families would have already made up.

    So who were they supposed to prosecute?

    Thus, after running for an entire day, Charlotte was only able to materialize the problem that could

    be solved with a phone call.

    Charlotte sat on the street and stared at the ring sunlight. She was a little dismayed. Although

    the matter had been resolved...

    "Mr. Emerson."

    The little girl suddenly appeared with an ice cream in her hand.

    Charlotte came back to her senses and reached out her hand to touch her head. "What''s wrong?"

    "Now that uncle has passed away. I don''t think it''s appropriate for me to stay at that house any

    longer." The girl sat down and handed her the ice cream.

    Charlotte shook her head. She didn''t take the ice cream. "Do you want to go back to River City with

    me?"

    "I don''t know where to go."

    "River City is much bigger than here. There would be more people looking to adopt. Of course,

    there are also more rich people. If you have ambition, it''s better to go to River City."

    "Ambition? What''s ambition?" The little girl tilted her head and looked at her.

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. How was she supposed to exin this to a child?

    She had no choice but to exin, "To get better resources, to have more money, and to pursue all

    material goals. That is ambitious."

    "Everyone is ambitious, aren''t they?"

    Charlotte was even more speechless.

    Yes, everyone had ambition, but how many of them coulde true? No one knows.

    The little girl looked at Charlotte with her big eyes.

    It seemed that she was hesitant to follow her to River City. Her gaze slowly shifted downwards,

    finally, itnded on Charlotte''s clothes. She couldn''t help but tug at her clothes.

    The material felt good. It was so different from the clothes her aunt wore. The clothing they wore felt

    rough but hers felt smooth even slightly cold.

    The little girl clenched her fists and said, "Mr. Emerson, I want to go to River City with you."

    "Really?" Charlotte was pleasantly surprised.

    She had thought that the little girl would be reluctant to part with the city.

    The little girl nodded her head. She wanted to leave this ce, wear nice clothes and make a lot of

    money. Then...

    She would give the money to her aunt.

    That was the only thing she could do.

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307

    Charlotte and the little girl chatted outside for a while. Suddenly, a worker came over and knelt down

    in front of her without a word.

    Both Charlotte and the little girl were scared by his actions. She immediately hid behind Charlotte

    and grabbed her sleeves. "Ms. Emerson..."

    "Sir, what can I do for you?" Charlotte was very calm as she looked at the worker.

    "My brother died. In that car. I went to the police station and asked. They said that it was an

    ident but I saw the tires of the car. There were bullet holes in them!"

    Trace of bullet holes.

    Charlotte''s eyes widened.

    "Ms. Emerson, I''m not asking you of anything but weren''t Mr. Fuller and his assistant in the car?

    That guy must be aiming for Mr. Fuller..."

    Charlotte was silent for a long time before sighing helplessly. She reached out and tried to help him

    out but the man refused so she could only withdraw her hand. She held the little girl''s hand and

    said, "Let''s go."

    The workers reluctantly took a step forward but in the end, his eyes darkened and he didn''t try to

    stop them any further.

    "Ms. Emerson, are we going to ignore him?"

    "There''s nothing we can do about him," Charlotte replied.

    The little girl turned around to look at the man but finally she left with Charlotte.

    However, even though that was the case, Charlotte did not forget about this matter. She

    immediately told Shane to see how he would handle and react to it.

    But Shane just said, "Wait."

    Again?

    What were they waiting for?

    Charlotte waspletely at a loss.

    Two days passed in a blink of an eye. Peter was already able to get out of bed. He could walk but

    half of his eye was still swollen. Even so, the first thing he did was pick up hisputer and work

    on the sofa.

    Squeak-

    Charlotte pushed open the door with a document in her hand. "Peter."

    "I''m here." Peter looked up at her.

    One half of his eye was swollen while the other half of his eye was bright and clear. Charlotte

    covered her mouth andughed, "You look quite handsome like this."

    Peter scratched the back of her head and said, "Miss Charlotte, stop making fun of me. What can I

    do for you?"

    "This." Charlotte ced the document in front of him. "Help me upload this onto the orphanage

    website. I have to go to the police station with Shane right now so I can only ask for you and Zoe''s

    help."

    "Okay, don''t worry." Peter took it.

    The information said that the girl''s name was... None?

    Peter was stunned. "Doesn''t she have a name?"

    Charlotte shook her head. "The workers only said that they usually call her Olive, and the ''father''

    who brought her here and she herself also said so. I''ve asked for her real name but she said it was

    in the past. It''s good, the adoptive parents can name her anything they want."

    "That''s convenient." That was all Peter could say.

    A girl who was willing to give up her name. It seemed like her past life must be an unhappy one.

    Soon, Charlotte and Shane arrived at the police station. After giving their statements and seeing the

    evidence, an officer wearing a ck jacket brought the both of them into a private room.

    "Someone tried to release this news online but I stopped it. I want to ask... Was it your idea or..."

    "It''s none of my business," Shane said bluntly.

    The officer breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then I''m relieved. I''ll ask them to block all rted

    posts now."

    Shane nodded, but his eyes fell on one piece of evidence. "Were the aspergillus fungus natural or

    nted by someone else?"

    "Mr. Fuller, aspergillus requires very harsh conditions to grow. Furthermore, if there were aspergillus

    present in the upstream, people downstream would''ve died a long time ago," the official said

    thoughtfully without giving a clear answer.

    "Okay."

    "Also, our forensic experts confirmed one of the people in the car had a knife. It was likely he tried

    to kill you but failed."

    There were two groups of people after him?

    Charlotte couldn''t help but think of Mielle''s death. The first stab wasn''t fatal, she didn''t even notice it

    at all.

    The two of them left the police station. They did gain some information, but it was the same as

    knowing nothing.

    "Do you want to go back?" Shane asked her.

    "Alright."

    "Don''t you want to go shopping?"

    "Your injuries haven''t healed yet, why should we go shopping?" Charlotte grabbed his hand. There

    were still many red spots on his arms. It would be infected again if they stayed out for too long.

    Shane withdrew his hand and said, "I''ll just disinfect the wound when we get back."

    However, Charlotte still shook her head. "I looked at the app yesterday. I found a few take-out

    ces that looked pretty good. We can go back and order some."

    "It''s up to you."

    She smiled and wrapped her hands around his arms. Her face was filled with joy.

    Shane leaned to one side to make it easier for her to grab his arm. As he passed the intersection,

    he suddenly heard a sharp sound of the engine backfiring. Charlotte walked forward oblivious to

    what happened but Shane noticed something was off.

    How could someone start their engine at such a ce?

    It was a dead end, and there was no other road leading to the main road. Which meant the person

    was eithering to the police station or...

    Shane pulled Charlotte back before she could take a step further.

    A cloud of dust flew before her eyes. Countless specks of dust rained down causing her eyes to

    itch. She tried to rub her eyes but she could vaguely see the outline of a car.

    After Shane pulled her 10 meters away from the car, he called the police toe out and

    investigate.

    At this point, the car was on fire. It could explode anytime.

    After all, the police station was not the fire bureau. In the face of a sudden disaster, they could only

    stand by and watch.

    They didn''t have any professional equipment, even if they tried to put out the fire, it would be a

    death sentence.

    "What..." Charlotte was so scared, her face turned pale.

    Shane was silent, his cold eyes stared at the field of fire. The only way now was to wait or

    extinguish it. Then find out who the car belonged to and who was the victim.

    The fire had spread wildly so Charlotte and Shane were brought to a safe ce by the officer. He

    had also contacted the fire bureau as soon as possible and the firemen arrived soon.

    There was no explosion. The firemen arrived very quickly because it was the police station that

    called them.

    The fire was put out but the people inside had already been burned to death. The body was already

    charred ck. Charlotte felt like vomiting at the sight. Her knees buckled and she leaned into

    Shane''s arms.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Miss Charlotte is quite brave." The officer felt like reminiscing his past as he looked at them. "It''s

    not the first time the police station was attacked. My wife met with a bomber once when she came.

    Many people died, the bomber was shot dead. She was sick for several days."

    Charlotte grabbed Shane''s cor tightly as her body trembled. She was really scared.

    Shane looked at the woman in his arms and said, "I won''t bring you here in the future."

    "It doesn''t matter." She did not look up. "I want to be with you. We can go anywhere, even in ces

    of pain and despair. I feel safe as long as I''m with you."

    Her words touched him. Shane gently ced his fingers behind her head and asked, "Are you

    ready?"

    She nodded.

    The officer shifted his gaze. He couldn''t help but think of his then-girlfriend, now, wife. It would be

    great if she was still here.

    The body was carried out of the car by the police. After the autopsy was done, it was determined

    that the man was abour worker. Although he was burned, it was obvious he was quite muscr

    and he had many injuries.

    "Of course, we can''t exclude the possibility that this was an athlete," the forensic doctor added.

    "How could an athlete attack the police station?" The officer was speechless.

    "It can''t be ruled out."

    The forensic experts seemed to be extremely stubborn. He wanted to control the situation.

    Charlotte was a little afraid of him. Of course, she was more afraid of the body so she didn''t step

    forward.

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308

    The forensic expert asked someone to move the body back to the autopsy room. Only then did

    Charlotte dared to take a step forward and stood beside Shane. Of course, she still has some fear

    towards the body. Any normal person would be afraid of a dead body.

    "You can go back first," Shane turned and said to Charlotte.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "What about you?"

    "I''ll wait for the result."

    Charlotte was obviously reluctant. How could she leave Shane alone after something like this had

    happened? After all, he was still a patient and she was the one in good health. If anyone were to

    return it should be the man whose body was covered in bandages. She couldn''t leave him alone

    outside no matter what.

    She wrapped her hands around Shane''s arm and stood by his side firmly. She was determined to

    stay.

    Shane was quite helpless. He reached out his hand to hold her hand, "I thought you didn''t want to

    see the body." "I''ll bear with it." She didn''t want to leave.

    "Let go."

    "As soon as I let go of you, you would chase me away," Charlotte said unhappily.

    Shane sighed. He had no choice but to let go and let her do as she pleased. To be honest, it felt

    quite good to feel her concern. He was just worried she would be scared by the body. After all, this

    was a police station. There were also weapons other than that. She would be afraid for sure.

    About seven or eight minutester, the medical examiner announced the results. He concluded the

    man was abour worker as he did not have distinct injuries which an athlete would have.

    "Distinct injuries refer to elbows, wrists and knees injuries for weight- lifters. A swimmer''s skin is

    fairer than an average person and gymnasts would have calluses on their legs and hands," the

    medical examiner exined, "But this man had injuries all over his body."

    "In other words, they were targeting us." Charlotte grabbed Shane''s hand and looked at him

    worriedly.

    "Can you confirm his identity?" Shane asked.

    The forensic doctor nodded and said, "It''s not difficult. Our department has taken some samples to

    analyze. As for me, I can run a DNA test. As long as the information is in my DNA base, I will give

    you the results."

    Shane nodded. "Thank you for your work."

    "It''s my job. The two of you should be more worried for yourself. They even dared to attack you in

    front of the police station. You should think hard about who you''ve offended and listed some

    suspects that may be connected to this incident."

    "Doctor, do you think this is a premeditated case?" Charlotte asked, "Isn''t this a personal grudge?"

    "I''m a forensic pathologist, not a doctor." The forensic doctor shook his head with a smile. "Miss, I

    know what you are thinking but it''s my responsibility to tell you, amongst so many cases I''ve worked

    on, this is my first time seeing someone sacrifice their own life for a murder."

    Charlotte sighed in response. She knew she was too naive.

    She just... just couldn''t bear it.

    She would rather the perpetrator was a worker who hated her and Shane so badly, he wanted them

    to die. She didn''t want to believe that someone has been used by others to be a puppet of murder.

    Soon, the identity of the workers was revealed. It was an ordinary worker. His family did not die in

    the ident and his friends were all alive.

    Everyone in his social life was not affected by the incident.

    Now, Charlotte had no choice but to believe someone was using these workers.

    "I suggest that you leave this city as soon as possible," the officer read the report and said gravely,

    "We can''t prevent them from intentionally targeting you. It''s also best if no one else knows of this."

    Shane looked at the woman next to him. Charlotte lowered her head, deep in thought. After a

    moment, she suddenly looked at him and their eyes met each other.

    They looked at each other and smiled.

    Both of them had the same n in mind.

    Zoe and Peter were caught off guard by the sudden news that they needed to leave. They were

    about to pack their stuff and head for the airport. But as soon as they got down, they were

    immediately pinned down by someone.

    Zoe couldn''t break free but Peter quickly fought back and knocked the person to the ground. As he

    was about to help Zoe up, he noticed the man was Cole. He was stunned. Cole took the opportunity

    and held him against the wall. "Keep quiet, don''t move."

    Cole sounded very cold and serious as if he was carrying out a mission.

    Peter swallowed hard and stayed still. He leaned against the wall and sweat trickled down his back.

    About five or six minutester, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted in the parking lot. Peter was

    shocked and subconsciously moved his leg. Before he could react, Cole had already kicked him in

    the knee. "If you move again, I''ll cripple you."

    "F**k, can''t you have a little conscience? I was worried about Mr. Fuller, okay?"Peter gnashed his

    teeth and roared at him.

    "Mr. Fuller isn''t here."

    "What? Didn''t you say we were going to gather downstairs and leave?"

    Instead of answering him, Cole pressed the earpiece in his ear and said, "ording to the radius of

    the explosion, the attacker is within 10 to 20 meters. Team A and B, move. C and D, surround the

    area. Capture anyone who looks like a worker."

    As soon as he finished speaking, he let go of Peter. "They calcted the time for you to get down

    the stairs to the car as a signal."

    "Why, why?" Peter was stunned.

    Although he still didn''t know who Cole was referring to, his instincts told him that this situation was

    not good.

    "They wanted to trap all of you. They are quite ambitious but without technical support, they can''t

    monitor your movement so they could not determine what time you got into the car. They could only

    see what time you came down since they have people at the front desk."

    "Who the h*lI are they?"

    "Workers."

    Peter frowned and asked, "Why would they want to kill us?"

    Cole gave him a thoughtful look. "Because they''re poor."

    Peter didn''t like what Cole said. What was wrong with the poor? He used to be poor and he didn''t

    think that someone''s social status could determine their actions.

    Cole seemed to understand what he thought so he continued calmly, "By poor, I mean those who

    are easily incited. They harbour extreme hatred against the rich under certain circumstances.

    They''re tactless and extreme. Their own weaknesses are the reason why they would never be rich."

    "I still think that you look down on the poor." "I do look down on them," Cole answered bluntly.

    "Especially the poor who have done this kind of thing. Think about it, how many of them actually

    want to avenge their friends? How many just want you and Shane dead?"

    "This..."

    "Do you think they will stop because you think highly of them? No, they will not. Instead, they will

    turn around and look down on you thinking you were lucky and they weren''t."

    Peter was speechless. He was silent for a long time with his head lowered. He knew what Cole said

    made sense but he couldn''t look down on the poor just because of that.

    Zoe, who had not spoken, said softly, "The words poor and rich aren''t meant to dignify or degrade

    anyone. They are justbels based on facts. The workers that attacked us are poor while the people

    who wanted to harm you and Shane are rich. Both groups are equally bad."

    "Exactly." Cole nodded. "There are good people who are poor and rich people who are good. But

    goodness has nothing to do with being rich or poor."

    Peter really didn''t understand Cole''s point.

    Cole just clearly said that being poor was a sin. Why did he suddenly change his point and say

    being poor or rich was unrted to being good?

    Zoe smiled at Cole and said, "Mr. y should have been very good at philosophy back then. Very

    few people could point out such views."

    "It''s just a coincidence."

    "So who do you think is behind the attack this time? The poor or the rich?"

    Zoe''s words were filled with bitterness.

    She really wanted to know Cole''s true thought but at the same time she was also trying to protect

    Peter.

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309

    Cole looked down at Peter and shook his head. "It''s hard to say for now. But even if someone rich

    wanted to hurt Mr. Fuller, someone poor would execute it. In other words, all the workers here will

    be removed."

    "Did Charlotte agree to this?"

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "She doesn''t know about this."

    Zoe smiled and shook her head. "You and Mr. Fuller are really arrogant. Clearly, you have a better

    way to solve this."

    "It''s safer."

    The business industry was cruel and cold. Even if they had a better way, they would be willing to

    end everything just for the sake of safety. They seem to have no sentiment towards these workers.

    They can be easily sacrificed like grass.

    Their lives were worth nothing. But Shane would arrange better jobs for them after ensuring they

    were not involved in this.

    Soon, Cole''s men caught four people, which were more than they thought. He asked his men to

    look after Zoe and Peter for the moment.

    Outside the hospital ward, people walked back and forth. They were all bodyguards asked to guard

    them.

    "Now I know what he meant just now. Even we are just chess pieces in his eyes," Peter said

    sullenly.

    "It''s also for our safety."

    "Zoe, I''ve once heard of a joke. A blogger said she loved cats. Someone in thements asked

    her, if someone said they loved you but decides what you ate every day and whether you can have

    kids, would you want to be with him? That blogger said she would be sick of him. Then, the person

    replied that her cat would be sick of her too."

    Zoeughed. It was indeed a good joke.

    Peter sat down at the bed and crossed his arm when he noticed her mood turned better. "So you

    see, they did this for our safety but they''ve never asked for our opinion before."

    "You seem to have a lot of resentment towards Cole."

    "We are all poor people."

    "We are not."

    Zoe''s words stunned Peter.

    He wanted to respond but after some thought about his situation and all the money he had, he was

    speechless.

    Zoe continued, "We weren''t even born in poor families. We''ve never lived a poor life. Most of these

    workerse from the streets, where they hardly have any money."

    "I..."

    "Your opinion isn''t wrong and neither is Cole''s. But if everyone thinks the same way as Cole, society

    would be cruel towards poor people instead of helping them. So, you are right."

    Peter nodded, not fully understanding. He didn''t know if he was right but he knew Zoe was right.

    Half an hourter.

    Charlotte pushed open the doors. The moment she saw Zoe safe and sound, her eyes turned red

    and she ran to hug her. "I was scared to death."

    Zoe and Peter were shocked. Zoe reacted quickly and hugged her back. "I''m fine."

    "I heard the explosion and that you guys wereing downstairs so I rushed towards here. Shen

    didn''t make it clear either. He only told me you guys didn''t get in the car when I got downstairs,"

    Charlotte sobbed.

    God knew how scared she was. She was afraid to see two bodies when she arrived at the hospital.

    She hadn''t been so scared before. But after what happened at the police station, she was really

    afraid of burnt bodies.

    Zoe smiled and said, "Mr. Fuller will definitely protect us. After all, he needs us to make money."

    Upon hearing this, Charlotte hit her on the shoulder. "We''re friends, don''t talk about money with me.

    I''ll get mad next time."

    "You mean, Cole and Shane hid their ns from you?" Peter asked incredulously. They even lied to

    Charlotte?

    Wasn''t this matter also rted to her?

    "Yeah, they''ve gone too far." Charlotte sighed. "But they had no choice, one more person involved

    would mean more coteral. At least they''ve already caught the culprit. Now we just have to

    interrogate them to find out who was behind this."

    "Then, now we..."

    "Let''s go eat something," Charlotte said with a smile. "Since they''re already caught someone."

    Shane didn''t want her to go but she was mad at him so she didn''t listen to him at all. Besides,

    they''ve already caught the attackers, he had no reason to stop them so he let them go.

    Charlotte brought the two of them to a popr restaurant nearby. After waiting for an hour, they

    were finally seated.

    The three of them were so hungry that they ordered a lot of dishes.

    Halfway through the meal, Peter asked Peter tentatively, "Ms. Emerson, do you have any idea who

    did this?"

    "It''s a few workers. They seem to be unhappy with how the situation was handled. But Cole and

    Shane think the Hart family might be behind it," Charlotte exined.

    "What are they nning to do with them?"

    Zoe nced at Peter, hinting at him to stop asking questions and stir up trouble.

    Charlotte shook her head. "We don''t know yet but we have to interrogate them. Even if they don''t do

    it, the police will do it. Besides, this matter is directly rted to Mielle and Avery, they won''t let this

    go."

    Zoe really did not expect Charlotte had thought everything through. However, Peter couldn''t give up

    and he continued, "What about after?"

    "Shane will deal with it. Those workers with no issues would work at his friend''spany. As for

    those who were involved, they would be handed over to the police. I don''t think we should deal with

    this personally since the court will sentence them to life in prison," Charlotte said.

    She wanted to draw a clear line between kindness and hatred. It was one thing for them to get

    along with each other but it was another for them to kill

    her.

    Peter blinked and asked, "Didn''t you have a good rtionship with them?"

    "Did they consider that fact when they tried to kill me?" Charlotte retorted.

    Charlotte and Peter stared at each other. Suddenly, Peter broke into a smile, "I think I''m a fool for

    being concerned about this issue."

    Charlotte didn''t know what he was concerned about so she just tilted her head but Zoe sighed.

    A momentter, Peter left the table to get some condiments.

    "What''s wrong with him?" Charlotte looked at Zoe nkly.

    "When Cole mentioned the workers, he described them as ''poor people.'' Maybe these words

    triggered him."

    "They are quite pitiful but we have no choice. We had to be responsible for our own safety."

    Zoe nodded. She could understand that but she was worried Peter might not ept it so easily.

    After all, in his opinion, Cole and Shane acted with arrogance while the workers were innocent

    people who had to suffer. They would even be willing to do anything extreme. But, what they did

    was indeed wrong and extreme.

    After the meal, Charlotte took Zoe shopping again. She tried to fit in everything she wanted to do on

    thest day.

    In the evening, they flew back to River City without having dinner.

    Cole called the local government on the way home to require transport for all the workers so they

    could go through thewsuit. It was the cheapest method.

    Charlotte stood beside him with a can of coffee in her hands. "Cole, get some rest."

    Cole took the coffee and smiled at her. "Miss Charlotte, thank you."

    "You''re wee. I just wanted to ask you, a worker''s brother died in an ident. How is he?"

    Charlotte sat down beside Cole. "He came looking for me before and I also told Shane about it.

    However, we both didn''t think much of it."

    Perhaps it had something to do with him.

    That was what Charlotte thought.

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310

    "There''s one. He was the mastermind this time." Cole took out some documents and showed them

    to Charlotte. "Right now, we''ve already detained them at River City. Few of the leaders had also

    been captured and we''ve decided to sue the other participants. As for the ones that were innocent,

    everything has been arranged forthem. The panda project has also been taken over by a new group

    of people."

    "I''m confident you and Mr. Fuller would handle this well." Charlotte patted him on the shoulder.

    Cole adjusted his spectacles and asked, "Would you be so confident if it was just me alone?"

    "Of course, you are Cole."

    "You''re too kind, Ms. Charlotte."

    "Alright, don''t be too formal with me. I''ll go back first. You should take care of yourself."

    Cole watched as Charlotte left, then he looked at the coffee beside. He sighed, reached out to take

    a gulp of the coffee. The bittersweet coffee in his mouth instantly made him feel more energised.

    Mr. Fuller really got lucky. If only he had the same luck. He didn''t need someone like Ms. Emerson,

    he just wanted someone cute that would show him concern.

    Cole could only sigh and as he continued working.

    He was already used to working for Shane so he felt slightly uneasy by her sudden concern.

    When the nended, everyone went their own way.

    Charlotte and Shane went to the mansion first things first when they got back. Charlotte was

    nervous as she was bombarded with questions from Raina and madam. Luckily, although Raina

    wasn''t particrly fond of her, she didn''t hate her like before. Even though she was tired of

    answering their questions, she still found them eptable.

    After that, Charlotte spent some time with Sheryl. Then, she was so tired, Shane had to carry her to

    the bathroom.

    It was hard enough for her to take a bath, when she was done, all she could do wasy on the bed.

    Shaneid by her side and tucked in her hair. "Are you okay?"

    "I''m this tired today..." She stretched out her hand and drew some circles in the air.

    First, she drew a small circle, then slowly drew a bigger circle.

    Shane couldn''t helpughing as he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I won''t tease you anymore

    today. Go to sleep. You can rest at the old house tomorrow."

    "What about you?"

    "Hayden wille over and give me my medication. I''ll also take the day off."

    "Alright." Charlotte stretched out her arms and hugged him. "Shane, are we in a rtionship?"

    A rtionship?

    Does this count as being in a rtionship?

    Shane didn''t know how to define a rtionship so he just said, "It''s up to you."

    Charlotte''s ears turned red and leaned into his arms." Then... we''re in a rtionship."

    "Okay."

    It did not take long for Charlotte to fall asleep in his arms. It was mainly because she was too tired.

    Although she wanted to continue the conversation with Shane, she was too tired to talk.

    The next day.

    Charlotte had been ying games and watching TV with Sheryl and old madam. Sheryl was so

    happy to finally spend time with her.

    However, Avery called her and said that he wanted to meet with her and Shane.

    "Can''t we do it tomorrow? I want to spend some time with Sheryl today," Charlotte answered.

    "I''ll meet you tomorrow but there''s also Rick. Are you sure it''s convenient at your home?" Avery

    asked.

    Charlotte couldn''t take it anymore, so she quickly told Shane about it. He was clearly fine with Avery

    coming over but Rick was alsoing. To be honest, he didn''t want Rick to see Sheryl.

    His methods of coaxing children were still vivid in his mind.

    "If you don''t want to, we can meet them outside tomorrow," Charlotte said.

    "Let theme."

    "All right."

    While Charlotte was on the phone with Avery, Shane was deep in thought about one question. Why

    did he be so petty?

    Not only now, it seemed that he had always acted this way when it was with Charlotte but he did not

    realise this issue before.

    After the call ended, Charlotte went up to Shane and asked, "What were you doing just now?"

    "I was sorting out the documents."

    "You have to rest. Your body is still recovering from the injuries," Charlotte muttered.

    "I know."

    "I''ll go be with Sheryl."

    Shane''s brows furrowed as he grabbed her wrist. Charlotte turned around and asked, "What''s

    wrong?"

    He looked at her intensely. After a while, he pulled her into his arms and bit her on the lip before

    releasing her. "Go."

    Charlotte rubbed her face and ran away. Damn it, why were her cheeks burning up?

    They were almost an old married couple, there was no need to blush.

    The next day.

    Avery drove to Rick''s house with his hands out of the window. He leaned against the door and

    whistled, "Baby."

    Rick had been waiting for a long time. He shook his head helplessly. "Are you so close with

    everyone?"

    "No, you''re the only one in my heart. Are you hungry? I''ve prepared breakfast for you." Avery picked

    up a stic bag in the front passenger seat and handed it to him.

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    "Thank you." Rick took the box and sat in the back seat.

    "Baby, I heard from Charlotte that you''re in a rtionship. Why are you still living alone?"

    "I''m used to being alone."

    "You didn''t hit a home run?"

    Rick smiled. He wasn''t that close to Avery.

    Avery didn''t feel the same way. He licked his lips and continued, "That''s because she''s not tempting

    enough. Do you want me to help you test her loyalty?"

    "You have a way to trick her into her bed?" Rick was very surprised.

    "Do you want to see me work my charm?"

    "If she knew you were Avery, she wouldn''t have..."

    "You look down on me too much. With makeup and disguise even Charlotte might not be able to

    recognise me. Irena may only recognise me from my eyes." Avery was very confident in himself.

    Rick was silent for a while. Finally he nodded and said, "Okay, but don''t touch her. She still wants to

    marry in the future."

    "The daughter of the Steven Family wants to marry someone in the future?" Avery sneered, "She

    can go to jail."

    Rick sighed.

    Kendall was really nice to him. It was also because of this even if he did not like her, he did not

    refuse her attempts to get close to him. He wanted her to have a future. They were both very clear

    their rtionship had no future.

    But she was still too immature at times and stepped out of line. So naturally, he would be angry.

    If there was something that could hold her back...

    He didn''t have to be as conflicted as he was now.

    "Rick, I''m asking if you really want me to make a move on Kendall," Avery asked tentatively and

    jokingly.

    He really didn''t expect Rick to understand the meaning behind his words.

    "Don''t touch her. I just want photos."

    "Well, it''s a deal. You can give me anything in return. Oh, right, I like your sister..." Avery deliberately

    trailed off.

    Rick was not angry at all. He quietly waited for him to continue.

    Avery shrugged his shoulders and said, "That''s right. If I wanted your sister, someone else other

    than you would''ve hunted me down."

    Rick shook her head with a smile. Yes, Charlotte was that type of person. Even if they were no

    longer friends nor enemies now, she wouldn''t sit and do nothing when it came to Anne.

    "Your sister made a ne herself called the Blue Summer Night."

    "Yes, it''s the Venomous Summer Night."

    "I want that ne. I''ll still give you the money."

    "Your girlfriend likes it?"

    "Yeah, my new house will be done renovated soon. There have to be some decorations she likes.

    Are you jealous, baby?" Avery started sadly but ended his sentence jokingly.

    Rick didn''t smile this time. He looked out of the window and murmured to himself, "It would be

    better for me to like men."

    Avery looked at his expression through the rearview mirror. He looked sad and lonely with a trace of

    emptiness in his eyes.

    Poor man.

    "It''s no big deal. We can have an Irish wedding after I get the evidence." Avery smiled, "It''ll be a big

    surprise to the Hart and Jane family. At the same time it would solve the problem with the Steven

    Family."

    Next time, when everyone mentions Rick, they would say he was Avery''s baby.

    Yup.

    It was tacky but he liked it.

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311

    "Stop the nonsense." Rick came to his senses and looked at Avery, "Even if I''m willing, are you

    willing to tarnish your woman''s image?"

    "What''s the big deal? She''s dead anyway." Avery lit a cigarette and stretched his hand out the

    window to flick the ash. "Don''t you want to repulse our families? It''s one thing to put on a show, but

    if we were to get married in private..."

    "I''m fine with anything," Rick said with a smile.

    "You are really meek. It''s boring."

    "We are both sheep in wolf clothing."

    Avery was stunned. He threw the cigarette away and gave Rick a look through the rearview mirror.

    He enunciated, "I like it."

    Rick wore a gentle smile on his face. He looked sincere and handsome, his expression showed

    hints of resignation.

    Soon.

    Avery''s car stopped in front of Fuller Residence. It was his first time here. He looked at the English-

    style dome andplimented, "It''s beautiful. It''s really beautiful. So rich, so very rich. What do you

    think, Rick?"

    "I can''t afford it," Rick replied concisely.

    Averyughed, "Come on, let''s take a look inside." Avery led Rick through the small garden, and it

    took them ten minutes to walk from the parking spot to the main entrance.

    An ordinary person''s front yard was only so big, but the garden wasrge enough as it was without

    including the porch. One could easily imagine the floor space and total value of this property. Avery

    mused while shaking his head, ''I could never afford a property in his own territory, let alone this

    mansion in River City.''

    Honestly, it was a bit exaggerated to say he couldn''t afford it. After all, he owned a bigpany

    assuming he could afford a mansion under the premise of cash flow.

    "I suddenly thought of a joke," Rick said.

    "Hmm?" Avery was curious.

    What would Rick''s joke look like?

    "In River City, 50 million is only enough to pay the down payment of a luxury condominium with a

    courtyard. If your friend happens to have one, never let him go."

    "Fifty million is just a down payment. Your words are too upsetting. I don''t even have a fifty million

    deposit," Avery sighed.

    He started his businesste and did not earn any money. He mostly relied on coborating with

    multiplepanies and built a long-term, stable tradingwork. If he didn''te to River City for

    Irena''s sake, he might not have even ten million now.

    s, he needed to thank the owner of this mansion.

    Avery pushed open the door.

    In the living room, Charlotte and Sheryl were working on a puzzle. Two of them crouching on the

    carpet made for an unsightly disy.

    Next to them were Shane and Mrs. Fuller Senior. Raina was absent, but the scene looked happy

    and pleasant, causing a stir of yearning.

    "Mr. Fuller, Charlotte," Avery greeted the two as he dramatically flourished a small box from his

    pocket as if performing a magic act. He walked over to Mrs. Fuller Senior and handed it to her.

    "Madam, since it''s our first meeting, I was unsure what to gift you. I heard you like this, so I hope

    this is eptable."

    It was a small piece of amber with a beautiful small lizard entombed inside.

    This kind of amber was rare and it belonged to a priced collection.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was surprised. "You look young, but I didn''t expect you to be an expert in this

    field."

    "I''m not a professional, I selected this based on my limited knowledge as a hobbyist," Avery

    answered humbly.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior boomed withughter, "Then I''ll shamelessly ept it."

    Charlotte gave Avery an approving look from the sideline. Avery shrugged in resignation. He didn''t

    want to spend too much, butpared to just talking about matters outside, he was even more

    curious about what Shane''s home looked like.

    Rick stepped forward and handed a long box to Mrs. Fuller Senior. "I heard that you prefer flute, so I

    hired someone to craft a pure jade flute."

    Hire someone to craft it?

    It was definitely not crafted in just one day. When did Rick order it? Why did he make it?

    Avery looked thoughtfully at Rick.

    "Yes... Thank you so much." Mrs. Fuller Senior clutched the box happily.

    Rick didn''t exin further. After smiling at Mrs. Fuller Senior, he took a seat with Avery.

    Knowing that the young people needed privacy, Mrs. Fuller Senior led Sheryl out of the living room.

    Sheryl tactfully gathered her puzzle and followed. She didn''t even greet Rick.

    And then, there were only four people in the living

    room.

    Avery took the lead in breaking the silence, "My intention behind today''s visit is to inform everyone

    that under strict monitoring, we have confirmed that Christopher has seeded in hypnosis. We

    found a psychiatrist to perform a second hypnosis on Rick and found an indication of the first

    hypnosis."

    "What is your n?" Charlotte asked.

    Avery said proudly, "Hence I''m here to discuss the matter with you guys. We will pretend to sever

    our rtionship first, then I''ll ask the psychiatrist to hypnotize Rick to forget about our n and me.

    That way, he won''t act strangely in front of Christopher."

    Charlotte was deep in thought. Under such circumstances, Christopher would definitely use

    hypnosis on Rick. It wouldn''t have any effect at all.

    As if he knew what she was thinking, Avery continued, "Christopher will definitely use hypnosis on

    Rick, but we have inquired about this matter. Once we use hypnosis on a person for the second

    time, the knowledge from the first hypnosis will bepletely concealed."

    "Hypnosis could achieve that?" Charlotte was surprised.

    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Hypnosis seems to alter your subconscious. After your subconsciousness undergoes its first

    change, someplications will naturally ur. The final result of suchplication is the failure

    of the first hypnosis," Avery said.

    Honestly, he didn''t know how to exin it in detail. In short, this was what the doctor told him, so he

    could only give Charlotte a vague exnation.

    As for how confident he was, the doctor only said that he would lessen the effect of the first

    hypnosis slightly, so the second hypnosis could easily erase the effect of the first.

    Although Charlotte couldn''t understand this matter, the final decision was still in the hands of Avery

    and Rick after all. She didn''t want to raise too much concern, so she just nodded and said, "As long

    as you are cautious, Shane and I have no problems."

    Shane affirmed. "Yes."

    "It''s safe, but I have another n I need you to consider," Avery said while holding Rick''s hand.

    Rick leaned back a little and helplessly shook his head at Avery. Anyway, it could be regarded as an

    agreement between him and Avery. It would not be a problem for him to announce it, as long as the

    final result was satisfactory. Even if they ended up in a marriage, he would be okay with it.

    Charlotte had a bad feeling. "Don''t tell me that you and Rick..."

    "After the matter is resolved, I intend to let our family see ourst-ditch effort. This will serve as a

    second blow to the Steven Family too, killing two birds with one stone." Avery seemed proud of his

    own n. "Rick failed to handle the Jane Family, and I failed with the Hart Family too. But if I have

    Rick on my side, things will be different.��

    There were two reasons why Avery sought Rick for help instead of Shane.

    First, Shane didn''t own a business now, and even if he had, the Fuller Family''s affairs would be too

    much for him to manage. If anything went wrong, he might be overwhelmed.

    Second, Rick was nothingpared to Shane, but Rick had the upper hand of starting his business

    in the country. It was aunchpad for his sess. If all went well, this could earn him money too.

    As merchants, in the case of ensuring their own interests, they would make as much money as they

    could.

    Charlotte turned to the man beside her and asked, "Shane, what do you think?"

    She felt that this matter needed to be discussed.

    It was too strange.

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312

    Avery was prepared for Shane''s advice. However, Shane just nodded and didn''t say anything,

    which made Avery feel very surprised.

    "You''re not going to give me any advice?"

    "Is there a need for it?"

    "If this decision was made by Braden, would you advise him then?" Avery was curious.

    "He''s not that smart."

    Avery immediately smiled.

    Shane''s meaning was very simple. If Avery was smart enough to make such a decision, it meant

    that he had considered the pros and cons. In that case, there was no need to persuade or remind

    him.

    At this point, the discussion was over, but Avery had no intention of leaving. Instead, he asked for a

    cup of coffee and took out a stack of documents.

    "Come on, let''s continue with our work."

    Sometimes, Charlotte really envied their energy to handle so many things. It had only been 30

    minutes and she couldn''t stand it anymore. She just wanted to find a ce to rest.

    It was a waste of time to think about official

    business.

    On the other side, in the orphanage.

    Under the sun, the trees formed shades on the ground, and children were running around at the

    yground.

    After Peter took the little girl toplete some paperwork, he took her home. Zoe''s house was still

    being renovated, so she and Peter still lived together.

    "Uncle Peter, I thought you wanted to leave me in the orphanage." The little girl climbed into the

    passenger seat and buckled her seat belt.

    "Why do you think so?"

    "When I was a child, my mother adopted me from an orphanage."

    Peter was stunned and pointed to the scar on her arm, "When I asked you the first time, you said

    you got it while working. Is that true?"

    The little girl shook her head. "I''m an orphan. Even if I was brought back from the orphanage, I was

    always abused. They treated me very well in front of outsiders. I don''t know why they could do this.

    They could have treated me well, but they didn''t do so." "Mr. Emerson said that you didn''t want to

    leave for River City. Were you afraid of getting hurt again?" The little girl nodded.

    Peter smiled and took off his shirt, revealing the injuries on his shoulders and arms. "Don''t be afraid.

    I have the same past as you, although I am not an orphan."

    "How do you know for sure?"

    Peter frowned.

    The little girl looked at him seriously. "How do you know that they must be your parents? You don''t

    look like a child who has been abused at home. You''ve had a stroke of luck, haven''t you?"

    "What a mischievous kid." He sighed and turned on the ignition.

    "But a good opportunity requires a good brain. Do you think your parents'' biological child would be

    as smart as you?"

    Peter froze instantly. The little girl reached out and gently held his big hand. "Peter, I am an orphan,

    so I understand. I am different from other children. My parents must be very outstanding, so I''m

    smarter than others."

    "You..." Peter turned and looked at her. Her eyes were as clear as his eyes in the past.

    The little girl smiled at him. "Peter, you like Zoe, don''t you?"

    The focus of the conversation shifted a little too quickly. Peter nodded. "I like Zoe very much."

    "Zoe has a simr experience with us, but she is different. Her eyes show that she is very satisfied

    with her biological family and epts the status quo. Everything she does is to get away from the

    past, and this separation gives her a sense of aplishment."

    "So what you''re saying is..."

    "And Ms. Emerson, although she is optimistic and positive, she is very envious of you and me. She

    keeps sighing whenever she looks at us. But whenever I mention my mother, she has a look of

    longing on her face, which means that her family is not bad. Her daddy is a bit of a jerk, but her

    mom is very good to her."

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Peter gradually believed in what the little girl said. He couldn''t wait to ask, "What did you see in my

    eyes?"

    "I see myself when I grow up," the little girl replied. "That''s why I said you would leave me in the

    orphanage, because if I were you, I wouldn''t want a child with me. It''s so troublesome."

    "I have indeed thought about it, but you are the job that Ms. Emerson assigned me, so don''t worry."

    The little girl smiled sweetly. "We''ll be able to find our own parents, won''t we?"

    Peter answered in a very responsible manner.

    He clearly knew that she was just a child, and she spoke without holding back. He should not have

    taken her words to heart, let alone take them seriously. However, he was actually looking forward to

    the truth behind this matter.

    Back home, the little girl obediently took the tablet Zoe gave her and watched TV.

    Peter was investigating his family background to the best of his ability, and he ended up with no

    conclusive result. But it didn''t mean that he was an orphan.

    It just meant that he didn''t have any information about his birth.

    When he was three years old, his name appeared on the household registration system out of

    nowhere. He then went to school, grew up, and left home.

    He was someone who knew how to hide his identity. Of course, he knew the year he was born. If he

    wanted to hide his identity, then it would be extremely difficult.

    Peter smoked several cigarettes to calm himself down. He took out his mobile phone with a

    trembling hand and made a phone call on the balcony.

    Zoe was cooking when she suddenly heard the sound of something breaking. She immediately

    rushed out and saw Peter smashing everything in sight on the balcony. His hands and legs were

    covered in blood, and his eyes had turned red. He stood at the same spot and heavedboriously,

    as if he was crying orughing.

    The little girl looked at him evenly with no trace of surprise, and even gave him a smile.

    Zoe felt that thismotion was unusual, like the scenes in horror TV dramas. She quickly put on

    her sneakers and ran to the balcony to grab Peter''s hand. "Let me treat your wounds."

    Peter felt that he was engulfed in the darkness, and everything became chaotic and untouchable.

    However, in the next second, a ray of light pulled him out of the chaotic darkness.

    He didn''t know what Zoe was talking about. He only knew that she was dressing his wounds with

    the utmost care and tenderness.

    Peter suddenly turned around and kissed Zoe. He pressed her under his body roughly and bit her

    lips. Zoe was frightened and struggled to push him away, but Peter was stronger and she couldn''t

    break free.

    "Peter..." Zoe shouted at him in a hoarse voice, "Let me go."

    Peter exerted more force and grabbed her arms with both hands. His freshly bandaged wounds

    reopened under the sheer pressure and blood ran down his arms and dripped onto the sheets.

    Two voices in his head urged him.

    To destroy all beauty, or to embrace beauty.

    He stared at the person below him and once again bent down to kiss her. This time, it was even

    more forceful. Her lips were covered with bite wounds, and the metallic scent of blood drifted

    between them.

    Zoe''s threshold for pain was high, but in this moment, her eyes watered from the pain.

    She didn''t understand what was wrong with Peter. She didn''t think what had happened was in the

    spur of the moment. It was more like Peter lost his mind and sumbed to his sea of emotions. In

    the midst of drowning, Zoe was his only driftwood and he desperately clung to her.

    "Peter, can you hear me?" Zoe tried talking to him again.

    Peter just looked at her. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled at her clothes.

    Zoe seized his hand and stared at him. "Peter, talk to me. Calm down!"

    She knew that he wasn''t in his right mind. What did this action mean? He lost all self- control,

    leaving only the primal instincts of an animal.

    And as animals, the most instinctive demand was to take.

    To take food, to take warmth, and to take desire.

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313

    No matter how hard Zoe fought, Peter still managed to tear off her clothes and left a bite mark on

    her corbone. He was not just kissing her, but biting her as if he wanted to devour her.

    This was terrifying. Maybe he would lose his selfcontrol and unintentionally kill her.

    Zoe searched frantically for an escape n, but came up with nothing. Just when she was at her

    wits'' end, Peter suddenly stilled.

    "No..." Peter repeatedly mumbled and copsed atop Zoe as if drained of strength.

    Zoe was frozen and tears spilled from her eyes.

    She didn''t do anything. It was Peter who managed to subdue his emotions.

    Peter was asleep for an entire day. Zoe stayed at his bedside taking care of him. His wound had

    healed quickly, but she was not so lucky. She looked like a victim of domestic violence.

    As night fell, Zoe intended to get up and leave his bedroom to rest.

    Just as she rose, she saw Peter move.

    "Peter?" She asked.

    Peter slowly opened his eyes, which were lucid and covered with a sheen of tears. "I''m sorry."

    He came to his senses and immediately knew what he had done. Although he couldn''t remember

    the details clearly, he knew that he regarded her as prey and wanted to tear her up.

    "It''s okay. Shall I take you to see a psychologist?" Zoe leaned over and touched his forehead. It was

    a little warm, but he wasn''t feverish.

    "Does it hurt?" Peter looked at her lips and couldn''t hold back his tears. "It must be painful. I''ve

    always wanted to protect you, but I acted like a lunatic."

    "It''s nothing." Zoe shook her head. "I will pretend that this never happened, you-"

    Peter suddenly sat up straight and held her tightly in his arms. "I have been thinking, if you are

    willing to be my girlfriend, our first date must be romantic with flowers and the ocean and beautiful

    lights."

    "Peter..."

    "I want to protect you and give you the best, but Zoe, I don''t deserve you," he whimpered like a

    child. "I don''t even have an identification card. He said how could I have an identity card when I was

    picked up on the roadside? He said that I was a liability."

    Zoe gently patted his back. "It will all be over soon." "Zoe, can you stay in a hotel? Take Olive with

    you, okay?" Peter was reluctant to leave her, but he had no choice.

    He did not know what he would do, nor did he know how to face her.

    Fortunately, he woke up in the middle of the night.

    He could see the bruises on her face in the faint moonlight. If it were daytime, he would clearly see

    the evidence of his brutality, and he would be reminded of wanting to destroy her.

    "I can''t leave you alone like this." Zoe touched his cheek and felt her heart ache when she saw his

    teary face.

    In his vulnerable state, she remembered how he had always taken care of her over the past few

    days.

    When she cooked, he washed the dishes. She said she''d help with theundry, instead he quietly

    took care of it. She was too embarrassed to live in his house for nothing in return, but he insisted

    that it''s not a big deal. After all, his home was her home.

    The only thing missing between them was a little bit of intimacy, heartache, and madness.

    Initially, she didn''t think much about it, but when she saw him like this, her maternal instincts surged

    and she felt sorry for him. She wanted to hug him and soothe his wounds.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Even if it had nothing to do with love.

    "I don''t know how to face you, Zoe. I can''t promise that I wouldn''t go berserk if I answered another

    phone call." Peter gently sped her hand. Seeing her fingers covered in wounds, he wanted to kill

    himself.

    How could he hurt her? He only wanted to protect her.

    "It''s okay, it doesn''t hurt." Zoe stroked his head. "Have a good rest and don''t overthink. I''m going to

    bed too."

    She extricated herself from his hold, wanting to head back to her room to calm herself down.

    Before she could take two steps, he enveloped her in his arms from behind and whispered into the

    shell of her ear, "Zoe."

    His voice was tender and it sounded unsure.

    "Hmm?" She responded.

    "I don''t know," he muttered to himself.

    He didn''t know if he was willing to part with her.

    Fortunately, she did not answer immediately.

    Zoe sighed, turned around, and patted him on his head. "Go to sleep. I''ll watch over you. I''ll leave

    after you fall asleep."

    Peter shook his head. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him. He wrapped his arms

    around her tightly like a kid squeezing a teddy bear and buried his head in her chest.

    He asked her with a smile, "Does this count as taking advantage of you?"

    "You told me to leave you, and now you''re holding onto me. You are really fickle." Zoe did not push

    him away, although she felt a little ufortable.

    "You chose to stay," Peter argued.

    "Yeah, I didn''t leave."

    He did not analyze the meaning behind her words, or perhaps, he did not dare.

    Peter felt secure holding her in his arms, and he promptly drifted off to sleep. Zoe gazed at the man

    in her arms and her pulse quickened. Peter was actually attractive, especially his eyshes that

    were as long as a doll''s.

    If a male protagonist in theics came to life, then he must have Peter''s eyes.

    Zoe''s fingers brushed over his eyes and she chuckled.

    Perhaps after seeing his vulnerable and crazed side, she felt oddly at ease. She had witnessed the

    worst of him, and she could finally ept him for who he was.

    Did she have Stockholm syndrome?

    He had harmed her, yet she was intrigued by him.

    People''s feelings were really strange.

    The next day, early morning.

    Peter opened his eyes and saw Zoe. Before he had time to feel happy, guilt swept over him like a

    wave.

    Her lips were still bruised. There was a jacket on the bed that looked like it was torn apart by

    someone. It must have been him, but she didn''t throw it away.

    He leaned over and gently kissed her eyes. "I''m sorry."

    Zoe struggled for a moment, stretched out her hand and hit him lightly. She gave Peter a small

    smile as if to say do not disturb her sleep.

    A whileter, Zoe opened her eyes to see Peter still staring at her. Although this scene seemed

    quite romantic, anyone who woke up to a pair of eyes staring intensely at them would be afraid.

    "Why are you looking at me?" She avoided his gaze.

    "Zoe, you slept in the same bed with me. I''m responsible for you now." Peter held her face, not

    giving her any room to escape.

    Zoe smacked him on the head soundly. "Don''t get cheeky with me."

    Peter took her hand and looked at her. "Is that

    okay?"

    She was stunned.

    He leaned down slowly to kiss her.

    Zoe did not evade his touch. Peter just lightly grazed her lips before quickly withdrawing. He blinked

    rapidly, eyshes fluttering like butterfly wings. He was ted. He bit his lips in shyness and

    happiness. He wanted to hold her tightly, but he held himself back.

    So this was how first love felt like.

    Zoe stopped smiling and kissed him, and then bit him hard on the lips.

    Her voice was soft andzy. "We''re even now."

    "Zoe, I will not make you regret staying with me. I will try my best to love you so you''ll reciprocate

    my feelings." Peter felt like a dog, because if he had a tail at the moment, it would be wagging

    frantically.

    "There''s no need."

    That put a damper on Peter''s affections and his smile froze. He was a little disappointed. "I''m sorry,

    I got carried away. I thought..."

    "I like you."

    Zoe stated frankly.

    She said she liked him.

    Peter felt like he was in a dream.

    It was too unreal.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314

    Peter hugged Zoe tightly. "Really? Are you sure? You said you like me, right?"

    "Yes, I like you," Zoe affirmed.

    "Zoe, you''re my first love. You can''t let me down." Peter suddenly looked dejected and pouted. It

    was obvious he wasining about her indifference.

    Zoe could only pat him on the head like a dog, then touched his face.

    After agreeing to date him, Zoe decided to break the news to Charlotte.

    Charlotte was busy dealing with matters in the office. Just as she was about to take a break, she

    saw Zoe''s message. The brief words read - "I''m with Peter now."

    Charlotte was stunned for a few seconds, then her fingers flew across the screen as she typed a

    reply, "Then I''ll ask the workers to stop the renovation of your house."

    "No, I still have to move back. To be honest, he''s too clingy."

    "Ah, I like the clingy ones," Charlotte typed as she cast a nce to the man beside her.

    Shane had set up a desk in her office. Normally, both of them were always together. Most of the

    time when she was working, he would be at his desk not too far away. However, the two of them

    didn''t talk at all. Even if they spent an entire day together, they didn''t exchange a word.

    If only Shane were a little bit more clingy.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but imagine that scene. Her whole body shuddered in response. She

    couldn''t imagine Shane being clingy at all.

    "Although Mr. Fuller is not a clingy person, he treats you well," Zoe replied.

    "Zoe, sometimes I don''t even know the status of our rtionship."

    Zoe looked at the message sent by Charlotte and was lost in thought. After a while, she typed, "I

    only know that you are married to each other."

    "I divorced a long time ago."

    "But your affections for each other still endure."

    The conversation came to an end. Charlotte rested her head on her hand and twirled the phone on

    her other palm. Her attention drifted and the phone slipped before bouncing off the table twice and

    landed on the carpet.

    She pushed the chair back and ran towards her phone.

    Before she could bend down to pick it up, a familiar hand shot out and grabbed the phone. He

    turned the phone and scanned the screen for cracks.

    "What''s going on?"

    "Uh, it slipped from my hand," she exined.

    "I meant your text messages with Zoe." He brought the phone nearer to her face.

    The screen was cracked, but the messages were still discernible.

    Charlotte lowered her head. "As for that, aren''t we already divorced?"

    "The previous text."

    It''s none of his business.

    And the text was self-exnatory.

    Charlotte didn''t bother exining. She lowered her head and remained silent. Shane looked deeply

    at her, trying his best to control his emotions, but his fingers were trembling. He lifted her chin

    before kissing her.

    In her peripheral vision, he bit down on her lips forcefully.

    Blood diffused between their lips.

    Shane released her and left the office with her cell phone.

    Charlotte gasped for air, her eyes reddened slightly from the pain.

    Shane went straight to Avery to get her phone repaired.

    Avery thought Charlotte would look for him personally, he didn''t expect Shane to show up. He

    teased, "Charlotte needs a demonstration of love from you even when ites to repairing a

    phone?"

    "Will you shut up?"

    Avery noticed something was wrong, so he gave a few reassuring pats on his shoulder. "Looks like

    it''s a rtionship problem. As your friend, I''ll tell you how to cajole a woman in exchange for a free

    meal."

    "You?" Shane frowned with disgust evident in his eyes.

    "Although I have never dated, I still have a couple of tricks up my sleeve when ites to Irena.

    You have to cajole her and give her a sense of security. Otherwise, she will lose her temper, cry,

    and quarrel with you. But pay attention, if she is silent, that''s the real danger."

    "Excuses." Shane shifted into afortable position and his body was subconsciously angled

    toward Avery.

    At this point, he was interested in what Avery had to say, which was his forte.

    "If a woman has nothing to say to you, it means she has no expectations of you. If that''s the case,

    even if you were the king, she would not spare you a nce. She will quietly make up her mind to

    leave you."

    "Hmm." Shane pursed his lips. "If she leaves, I''ll tie her up."

    "Or you could pin her on the hood of your car..." Avery trailed off and his eyes shed.

    Shane was stunned by his description. There was no way anyone saw what he did in that remote

    area. So was Avery talking from first- hand experience?

    Avery detached the screen from the phone and sighed. "Then she will be in pain, sad, and even

    commit herself to another person. As for me, when I saw her lying motionless in a coffin, I became a

    lunatic."

    "You and Irena?"

    "Who else? Oh, I get it. Have you already done these things to Charlotte?" Avery looked up and his

    eyes were cold, "I advise you to be kind to her."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "What''s done is done."

    "She will remember it. If someone is in love with her now, she will definitely leave you."

    "She wouldn''t. We have a child together."

    Avery chuckled. "Shane, imagine Charlotte smiling andughing in another person''s arms, and

    Charlotte as a shell of a person with you, are you sure you''d be impassive and rational to choose

    thetter?"

    "When you see her in such pain, do you want to hug her and let her go, or do you want to possess

    her at all cost?"

    Shane returned to the office with the phone.

    When he opened the door, he saw Charlotte listening to the background music from the

    conference''s livestream. Recently, they had opened a new air route, so they needed to work

    together with airlinepanies to acquire aircraft. The expenditure took up a considerable amount

    of time, and the conference was held for financing purposes.

    The melody was a little sad and she got carried away by her emotions. After listening for a long

    time, she removed her earphones and sighed.

    There was a knock on her door.

    She raised her head.

    A man with a familiar profile leaning against the door frame rapped his knuckle against the ss

    panel. He was looking at her with unfathomable eyes.

    Charlotte took a deep breath and smiled at him, "You''re back."

    Shane walked over and handed the phone to her. "Avery said the inner screen was not cracked, so

    he just repaired the external screen for you. If you don''t like it, you can change the inner screen."

    "I didn''t know Avery could repair phones." Charlotte clicked her tongue in wonder while inspecting

    her phone. "I thought he''s already great, what with his knack for repairingputers."

    In Charlotte''s opinion, every data analyst should know how to repairputers. However, phones

    were in a different ballpark. This was what most girls who were uninformed aboutputers

    thought.

    Shane sat down on her desk beside her and curled his fingers under her chin.

    Charlotte looked up at him. "What''s wrong?"

    His fingers slowly moved to her lips. His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down, he couldn''t express

    his thoughts.

    "It doesn''t hurt," she said with a smile.

    He still could not bring himself to utter those three words.

    Charlotte wanted to lower her head but he resisted and lifted her chin towards him.

    Suddenly she felt nervous and lowered her gaze. Her body could not help but tremble slightly.

    "Who are you to me?"

    His clear voice questioned.

    Charlotte was stunned.

    She should be asking him this question.

    Who was I to you?

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315

    Charlotte took a deep breath and shook her head.

    She didn''t know if she was his wife, or their child''s mother, or just... lovers.

    Shane nted his feet on the ground and bent down again to kiss her again. His mouth was cold,

    and the gash on the inside of her lips felt a little numb. Charlotte''s body went rigid, her hands

    gripped his sleeve uneasily.

    He deepened the kiss, and at the same time his fingers crept into her clothes.

    Heat consumed her body and Charlotte pleaded in a breathy voice, "Not here."

    Shane''s hold ckened, the emotions still evident in his eyes. "Does it really not hurt?"

    She shook her head. "Yes."

    "Do you have an answer now?"

    "You act as if I''m unimportant, as if our rtionship doesn''t matter. I was just a little confused, so I

    said those words to Zoe. " She couldn''t live without him. She felt at peace when she was with him.

    If he wasn''t by her side, or if she couldn''t get in touch with him, she would feel uneasy and agitated.

    But as long as he was here, it would be fine even if they had nothing to do with each other.

    Shane was silent, his fingers gently stroking her lips. After a while, he chuckled and said, "Why are

    you so nervous?"

    "I''m not nervous. I''m just..."

    At this moment, Cole barged through the door and panted heavily. He didn''t even apologize. "Mr.

    Fuller, there''s someone here to see you."

    Shane loosened his hold on Charlotte and turned to look at Cole. "It had better be someone

    important."

    "It''s Heidi."

    The office went silent.

    Shane''s pupils constricted. She had died in his arms. He knew better than anyone that she did not

    exist anymore.

    Charlotte felt his heart pounding erratically, but he quickly regained control of himself and calmed

    down.

    She gently tugged at his clothes and urged, "Go check it out."

    Shane nced at her in silent warning.

    Charlotte swallowed her words. She didn''t know why those words provoked him. The look he gave

    her was fierce.

    Ill H

    Lets go.

    Shane and Cole left.

    Charlotte sighed and returned to her seat, but any intention of working had fled her.

    She knew that Heidi''s death pained Shane when she died in his arms. It was Mrs. Fuller Senior who

    told her about it, and she did not ask Shane for rification for fear of distressing him.

    While Charlotte was still debating, she picked up her phone and called Avery.

    After hearing the purpose of her call, Avery chuckled and said, "Do you need my help checking the

    mistress'' identity?"

    "I..."

    "Don''t worry, Shane is a man of self-restraint. Even if Heidies back to life, it may not affect your

    rtionship. I recall that Tiffany escaped from prison."

    Hearing this, Charlotte nodded. "Yes."

    "Maybe she naively believes that Shane has no ability to resist her sister. It''s a pity, this could be a

    great opportunity. In this case, if Shane finds out about the truth, she will die miserably." Avery felt

    regretful.

    "What if hypnotism is added?" Charlotte asked a question that shocked Avery.

    What if.

    This matter had something to do with Christopher.

    Avery immediately stood and said, "I am going to find Shane now."

    Charlotte held her phone and felt upset, but there was nothing she could do. After all, if Shane didn''t

    want to go, she could persuade him to do otherwise.

    She only hoped that there would not be any trouble.

    Half an hourter, Charlotte received a message from Avery with an address and she immediately

    rushed over.

    It was a vi. At the door, Peter and Zoe were waiting for her.

    Charlotte noticed them at a nce and quickly trotted towards them. "How''s it going? Is Shane

    okay?"

    "Everything''s fine, but you''d better go in and have a look." Peter didn''t know how to exin, it''s just

    too strange.

    Charlotte nodded and walked towards the house.

    The living room and the kitchen were on the first floor, and the main room was on the second floor.

    She climbed up the stairs.

    Pushing the bedroom door open, she saw Shane, who was shirtless, leaning against the window

    frame. He was frowning and his eyes looked troubled. He was breathing heavily and aggression

    was emanating from him.

    Next to him were Avery who was calmly sipping tea and a woman with a disfigured face.

    On the bed was Christopher, who was hogtied.

    Charlotte blinked. "What happened?"

    "When Shane arrived, he was tied up and brainwashed by Christopher. He pretended to be

    brainwashed and turned the tables against him," Avery summarized.

    Charlotte ran to Shane''s side and gently held his hand, but he shook her off. He turned to look at

    Avery. "Get them out."

    "I don''t take orders from you," Avery said in exasperation.

    "Hurry up."

    Avery sighed. He stood up and tapped Charlotte''s shoulder. "Give him some time to calm down."

    Charlotte was worried about Shane, but the way he pushed her was too scary. She didn''t dare to

    linger, so she followed Avery and left the room.

    Once they were downstairs, Avery spoke, "Although Shane imed he wasn''t brainwashed,

    hypnosis still has an effect on people. He is now resisting the effects caused by Christopher.

    There''s nothing we can do."

    "So, what''s going to happen?" she asked.

    "He might fall in love with Heidi."

    "What?" How could Shane love a dead woman?

    Avery said with a bitter smile, "He may call out someone''s name when you''re in his arms, or he

    might just leave you."

    Charlotte''s heart sank.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "Charlotte, it''s up to you to stay by his side, or to take advantage of this opportunity and leave him.

    I''ll just say this since you and Shane are friends, it''s great if the two of you are happy together. But if

    that''s not the case, then so be it."

    "I know." She sighed. "Let''s look at the situation first. Maybe it isn''t that bad."

    Or perhaps, even worse.

    Avery nodded. "I''m d that you''re so optimistic."

    After straightening up the mess, Avery bid goodbye to Peter and Zoe. He had to deal with

    Christopher.

    Christopher was still tied up, so Charlotte couldn''t see his appearance clearly. She didn''t understand

    how he could risk everything for this. She didn''t have the strength to care, her main concern was

    Shane.

    Everyone had left except for her and Shane, and Cole was guarding at the door.

    Charlotte quietly tiptoed upstairs.

    Sounds of objects crashing rang from the room.

    She took a deep breath and opened the door. An ashtray shattered near her feet and shards of

    ss scattered everywhere.

    Shane looked at her coldly. "Get out."

    She stepped on ss fragments and went inside.

    Shane''s face darkened, but he couldn''t stop her from approaching him. When she hugged him, his

    irritation rose. He snatched a tie on the back of the chair and tied her hands before pushing her onto

    the bed.

    He was no longer smashing objects. Instead, he sagged against the wall wearing a cold expression

    trying to regain hisposure.

    Charlotte struggled away from the bed and crawled to his side. She gently wrapped her arms

    around his waist and said, "Shane."

    Her voice was soft and imploring.

    "Could you please look at me?"

    He lowered his head, grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her face toward him.

    It was painful.

    His actions seemed casual but took a lot of effort or maybe he didn''t know the severity of the

    situation.

    Charlotte raised her hand in front of him and said "It hurts."

 Chapter 316

    Chapter 316

    Shane untied her hands and said, "Cole will take you home."

    "No, I want to be with you," she said and clung to him with all her strength. "If anything happens, we

    will face it together. I don''t want you to be sad alone while I sleep back home. Besides, I''m sure I

    can''t sleep."

    "Charlotte, I don''t remember any memories of us." The expression in his eyes did not change when

    he looked at her.

    "I don''t understand."

    "He wanted to use my past memories to conceal my present memories. He seeded halfway."

    Charlotte realized why Avery spoke in a light tone. Maybe it was just a possibility to him. The reality

    was much more cruel and terrifying.

    She shook her head fiercely. "It''s okay, we don''t have many memories anyway."

    No.

    There should be.

    Shane regarded the strangely familiar person in front of him. She clearly matched the face in his

    memory, but he couldn''t figure out if it was really

    her.

    Charlotte suddenly leaned forward to kiss him. A sense of familiarity flooded him, he instinctively

    enveloped her in his arms and deepened the kiss. They fell onto the bed in a mess of entangled

    limbs. She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

    Memories could be deceiving, emotions could be numbed, passion would dwindle as time went by,

    and affection would taper off, but bodies would never lie.

    It didn''t matter if they weren''t connected, they still felt it by just hugging.

    The sky was dark.

    Charlotte rubbed her eyes as she awakened. Her body felt cold and she pulled the quilt up

    instinctively.

    "Are you cold?" The man beside her gathered her in his arms.

    "Yeah." She buried her head in his arms.

    "You moved a lot in your sleep."

    "Did I push you away?"

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    "Obviously."

    Charlotteughed sheepishly for a moment. She snuggled deeper into his hold and her body curled

    up under the nket. She felt warm in his

    embrace.

    Shane looked at the person in his arms and his heart was content. He was sensitive about his

    memories and at the same time, he had forgotten about recent events. But from what he had

    experienced, he did not reject her.

    At least his body didn''t reject it.

    There was tacit chemistry between them.

    "Let''s see a psychologist tomorrow. Rick got better after seeing a psychologist," she offered.

    "Okay."

    They couldn''t spend the night in a stranger''s house, so they got dressed and went downstairs. Cole

    was relieved to see them holding hands. He greeted them with a smile and ushered them into the

    car before sliding into the driver seat.

    After sending them home, Cole stopped Charlotte and bowed to her. "Miss Charlotte, I''m sorry. I

    didn''t know that this would happen."

    "It''s okay. If I saw Heidi on the street, I''m afraid I''d have the same reaction as you," Charlotte said

    with a sigh.

    "Avery found out that the person who impersonated Heidi was Tiffany. But she and Christopher

    were rescued by someone. Peter sustained serious injuries and is in the hospital."

    "I''m sorry for all the trouble."

    Cole shook his head.

    Wordlessly, Charlotte turned and entered the house.

    Shane sat at theputer desk and held a document that he had no memory of. Charlotte walked

    over and hugged his neck. "Don''t fret, tomorrow you''ll remember all of this."

    Shane pulled her onto hisp with an emotionless look on his face. Charlotte sagged in his arms

    and rested her weight on him.

    She didn''t know why she kissed him again.

    In a daze, she seemed to hear Shane asking why Heidi left him.

    Though she was mentally prepared, Charlotte still felt a stab of pain in her heart.

    She recalled Avery''s words about Shane uttering Heidi''s name with her in his arms, but she didn''t

    expect it to hurt so much.

    The pain suffocated her.

    He had never said her name the way he murmured Heidi''s name.

    The next day.

    Avery picked Shane up to see the psychologist, but Charlotte made an excuse and stayed home to

    rest.

    She had a dream but she''d forgotten the specifics. She only remembered that Heidi returned and

    wanted to marry Shane. Sheryl ran and pulled Shane back to stop her, so Heidi killed Sheryl.

    The pool of blood scared Charlotte out of her wits.

    Her hair was disheveled and she was covered in sweat. She leaned against the headboard and

    took several deep breaths, but she was still jittery.

    The bedroom door squeaked.

    The door was pushed open.

    She looked at the door with reddened eyes.

    Shane stood there as usual looking at her impassively.

    As a matter of fact.

    He had always looked at her this way, except towards Heidi. It seemed like she was just a mishap in

    his life. If it were not for her, he would be like Avery, with a ghost living in his heart.

    "Are you okay?" She asked tentatively.

    "Yes."

    "That''s good." She couldn''t tell the emotions behind her sigh.

    Shane walked to her side and rested his fingers on her forehead. "You don''t have a fever, why is

    your face red?"

    She touched her face. "Maybe I overslept."

    His fingers fell to the corner of her mouth before descending to her corbone. It was evident that

    he didn''t treat her with care yesterday. Her exposed skin was covered in handprints. Her tender skin

    had always bruised easily.

    Charlotte''s body stiffened and she subconsciously avoided his touch.

    "What''s wrong?" He frowned.

    She shook her head.

    Shane withdrew his hand and pulled the quilt up. "Don''t catch a cold. I''ve invited a few friends to the

    press conference. There won''t be any problem."

    She nodded.

    Shane leaned over, grabbed the back of her neck, and pressed a kiss on her lips. Then he got up

    and left.

    Was there any difference?

    Charlotte was at a loss. She couldn''t distinguish his behavior between now andst night.

    Shey down and drifted off in a daze. She felt something moving from her lips into her mouth and

    sliding down her throat. It was hot and dense and tasted like eggs.

    She opened her eyes and found herself in Shane''s arms as he fed her.

    I''ll do it myself.

    She wanted to raise her hand, but her limbs were weak.

    She couldn''t utter any words.

    "You do have a fever." Shane took out a thermometer from her clothes and said, "You''re so fragile."

    Charlotte ate the food he spooned her. Fortunately, Shane didn''t feed her much. She wasn''t hungry

    nor full, and she didn''t even have the strength to support herself.

    Shane ced a cool towel on her forehead and fed her medicine. He held her in his arms and never

    left.

    Just as she was about to fall asleep again, his cell phone rang.

    Her ears twitched.

    Shane took out his phone and looked at the screen. He turned on the loudspeaker and set the

    phone down on the bedside table. "Avery."

    "The doctor said your willpower is strong, so there shouldn''t be any problem. Your brain waves were

    normal too. How do you feel?"

    Tm fine."

    "I notice that you like Heidi."

    Both of them fell silent.

    In his heart, Heidi was like his sister. Maybe they could have been together after she had matured

    as an adult. But that''s not possible anymore. He knew better than anyone that she was dead.

    Shane raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. "It''s all in the past. I can''t let Charlotte and Sheryl

    down."

    "Do you love her?"

    Shane nced at the woman in his arms. "No, I don''t. But I don''t hate her."

    "What about admiration?"

    "Yes, you''re right."

    From the moment she appeared, his admiration for her had grown.

    Avery was unsure whether to feel happy or sad for them. He just sighed and said, "She''s

    formidable. She still stood by you under those circumstances. Check if there''s any wound on her

    body. Maybe it''s causing her fever."

 Chapter 317

    Chapter 317

    Shane recalled the shattered ashtray thatcerated her ankle. He lifted the sheets and found a

    nasty gash on her ankle. The bleeding was minimal but it had not healed, and the area was swollen.

    He picked up his phone and asked, "Avery, do you have a private doctor?"

    "What about Hayden?"

    "He went abroad."

    "Oh yes, he''s a mobile doctor. Give me your address and dress Charlotte. I''ll bring someone over."

    "Sorry to trouble you."

    Upon hearing this, Avery was very unhappy. He replied sarcastically, "Oh, Mr. Fuller is so noble and

    dignified that he''s apologizing over such a minor task. It''s my greatest honor. Thank you, Mr. Fuller."

    Avery ended the call immediately.

    Shane put down his phone and held Charlotte in his arms. She was only wearing a thin, provocative

    nightgown.

    He donned loose- fitting pants on her while avoiding contact with her wound. He took off his shirt

    and wrapped it around her. After all, he could sleep in a robe.

    Charlotte was jostled awake. "Shane."

    Her voice was hoarse.

    "Yes, I''m here." Shane leaned over and held her hand, worry creased his forehead. "The doctor will

    arrive soon."

    "I''m fine." She leaned into his arms. "I''m just very cold."

    Shane tightened his arms and his lips thinned. In his heart, he had hacked Christopher into tiny

    pieces. If it wasn''t for him, his memories wouldn''t be muddled leading him to smash everything in

    sight and consequently hurt Charlotte.

    Maybe he was the one to me.

    Though he knew Heidi was dead, hearing her name still made him yearn for redemption.

    If it wasn''t for him, she wouldn''t have died.

    Shane hugged the person in his arms tightly. Was his persistence towards Charlotte a form of

    redemption for the past?

    At least this time, he did not want to mess it up.

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    Half an hourter, Avery arrived with a doctor.

    Shane opened the door and Avery patted his shoulder. "Don''t worry, my friend is very excellent."

    Shane nodded and led them into the house.

    After the doctor examined Charlotte, he took out a first- aid kit and frowned slightly. "How did this

    happen? The wound is deeper than I''d imagined."

    Avery looked over and saw arge wound on Charlotte''s ankle. Although the blood flow was

    stemmed, the injury site seemed frightening.

    The doctor looked at Shane and asked, "Are you sure her wound was only caused by a piece of

    ss?"

    Shane pursed his lips and nodded.

    The doctor sighed. "You are so careless. Why didn''t you bring her to the hospital?"

    Avery touched the doctor''s shoulder to stop his berating and pointed at Charlotte''s wound. The

    doctor nodded and began treating her.

    Having performed intensive surgeries, this wound was a piece of cake for the doctor and he finished

    his ministrations effortlessly. However, he was still displeased that Avery and Shane didn''t bring

    Charlotte to the hospital in time.

    Avery exined in exasperation, "We weren''t aware of the gravity of the situation. If it wasn''t for her

    fever, I wouldn''t have thought to check for wounds." "She didn''t mention it to you?"

    Avery had no way of knowing, so he looked toward Shane. Shane''s face darkened as he shook his

    head. Not only did Charlotte not say a thing, but she didn''t even cry out in pain.

    The doctor looked at the woman on the bed and sighed again. "You young people think you can

    endure everything on your own. But the longer you dy, the worse it gets. You will end up with a

    serious illness."

    "Don''t worry, Shy. My friend is usually clearheaded, but this time he was careless."

    "Don''t do this. You should have been more attentive at times like this." Shy lowered his hands in

    anger and red at Avery before leaving the room.

    Avery rubbed his nose and said, "Mr. Fuller, I''ve done my best for you this time."

    "Thank you."

    "I won''t ask what happened to Charlotte. Just know your limits. What about you, are you okay?"

    "I''m fine."

    "If there is a need, we can visit the psychologist anytime. I''m always free."

    Shane nodded.

    Avery walked past him and left with Shy.

    Charlotte didn''t know how much time had passed before she woke up in a daze. Her fever was

    gone, but she was very weak. She rubbed her shoulders for a long time before getting up. Just as

    she was about to get some food, she saw the door swung open.

    She tilted her head and saw Shane holding food in his hand. When he saw her awake, he was

    stunned. "You''re awake?"

    "Yes," she answered in a hoarse voice.

    Shane put the dishes down on the bedside table and returned with a bed tray so that she could eat

    while lying down.

    Most of them were her favorites. In truth, he instructed Cole to buy her favorite food.

    They were all soft food with the vegetables and roots cut into small pieces.

    "It tastes good." She spooned food into her mouth.

    Her movements looked a little funny. Shane took her spoon and chided in a low voice, "You can''t

    even eat properly?"

    "My hand is weak," she replied softly.

    "I''ll do it."

    Truth be told, eating alone proved to be more enjoyable. Shane''s feeding speed was a little fast. In

    just a short while, the corners of Charlotte''s mouth were covered with porridge stains.

    She reached out and snatched the spoon back. Although her hand was still weak, at least she

    would not make a mess while eating.

    Charlotte put down the spoon after finishing and copsed on the bed. It appeared she was

    resuming her sleep.

    Looking at her, Shane felt peaceful yet restless, two contradictory emotions at war in him.

    Charlotte seemed to have sensed something and waved her hand at him. "Shane, you''re acting

    weird."

    "Hmm?" He didn''t think so.

    "You never scolded me over these things."

    "Did I scold you?"

    Charlotte blinked her eyes. Wasn''t he cursing just now?

    Her heart lurched in anger. He fed her lunch as if she had offended him.

    Seeing her innocent face, Shane knew he was at fault. His fingers reached up to smooth his

    creased brow. "It''s all right, I''ll settle down in a while."

    Just as Charlotte was about to suggest going to the gym, the phone rang. She turned around and

    her phone screen was lit up. Although they had the same ringtone, she had never been mistaken.

    It was probably her sixth sense.

    Charlotte answered, "Hello?"

    "Guess who I am?" The person on the other side of the call said in a nasal voice.

    Charlotte nced at the caller ID on her screen. "Anne."

    "Smart girl. I''m flying back in three days, then I will get married on the 27th. The Collins Family and

    Jane Family will be there. Mr. Fuller can apany you."

    "So fast?" Charlotte was stunned.

    "I''m just going ording to your n," Anne snorted coldly. "Remember to bring Mr. Fuller, the

    originator of this n. He turned my wedding venue into an arena."

    "I''m sorry, Anne."

    "There''s no need to apologize," Anne snapped. "We are way past that."

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh.

    "I wouldn''t dare."

    She really felt sorry.

 Chapter 318

    Chapter 318

    "Don''t you dare, or I''ll kidnap you and do... you know what. Wink, wink."

    "Are you sure?" Shane''s cold voice sounded.

    Anne broke out in goosebumps and she almost screamed, "Charlotte, you''ve overlooked your friend

    after finding love. You allowed Shane to listen in on our conversation. How dare you?"

    She hung up immediately.

    Annoyed, Charlotte looked at the person beside her. "How did you know what I was saying?"

    "Just a presumption."

    Charlotte rolled her eyes. In her opinion, his presumption was a superpower.

    She didn''t even put the phone on speaker. Shane figured out the gist of their conversation just from

    a "I wouldn''t dare." He, too, puzzled out Anne''s answer. He understood Anne quite well.

    "I''m going to pick up Anne in three days. Could you please ask for the address from Braden? If I ask

    Anne, she wouldn''t want to trouble me."

    "Sure." Shane took out his phone and sent a text. The reply came quickly and Shane forwarded it to

    Charlotte.

    Charlotte''s eyes lit up with joy as she held her phone. "Let''s surprise her."

    "Us?"

    Since when had he been part of her n?

    "You''re not going? Then I''ll ask someone else. Rick should be avable. He''s Anne''s brother

    anyway." Charlotte said as she nced in Shane''s direction.

    "Charlotte, are you testing me?" He rolled over and pressed her under his body.

    The intimacy of this position had an undercurrent of anticipation. Charlotte swallowed and

    continued, "If you''re not going with me, can''t I ask someone else?"

    "Did I say I wasn''t going?"

    "Then I didn''t say I would ask others." She countered obstinately.

    Shane kissed and stroked her. He wasn''t going to let up on her after that affront.

    The night''s events left him feeling contented. ? ? ?

    The next day.

    Shane was already gone when Charlotte woke up. He left a note in the living room informing her

    that he was in a meeting at the office. She should manage breakfast on her own and he''d return

    with lunch. Tonight, he''d go over the details of the press conference with her.

    Charlotte looked at the note and stroked it. Her heart felt empty.

    She was unable to face him after what had happened over the past few days, though she had

    already steeled herself for the worst.

    Charlotte sat on the sofa with herptop intending to work for a bit. However, she opened her email

    and realized Shane had already cleared her inbox. Furthermore, Shane''s replies were precise and

    much more methodical than hers.

    "Why is he everywhere?" She muttered to herself as she clicked on her social media, nning to

    chat with someone.

    "You are online." It was Zoe.

    It seemed that there was someone more anxious for a chat.

    Charlotte replied, "Yeah, I just got up. What about you?"

    Zoe said, "Peter woke up and had something to eat before falling asleep again. I''m just idling

    around."

    "Me too, I''m bored," Charlotte added a sighing emoji.

    Zoe initiated a video call. She wanted to chat to kill time, but they were just conversing aimlessly.

    Charlotte did most of the talking and she went along with it.

    She was pleasantly surprised to hear that Anne was returning. "Great timing. I''ve only heard of her

    but I''ve never actually seen her."

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    "Do you want to go with me to pick her up?" Charlotte invited.

    "Sure."

    "That''s great."

    "Anne aside, Mr. Fuller should be your priority."

    At the mention of Shane, Charlotte''s mood immediately darkened. "I don''t know how to face him. I

    don''t even know if I like him."

    Charlotte was unaware that someone was at the door.

    "If you don''t like Mr. Fuller, then what happens to Sheryl? After all, he is her biological father."

    The man at the door halted and silently ced the food on the kitchen counter.

    Charlotte sighed. "I can''t be with Shane just for the sake of my child, can I? I feel as if I''d be living in

    Heidi''s shadow for the rest of my life. This is worse than being a recement."

    "But Mr. Fuller is very kind to you." "Both Rick and Avery are good to me, yet I''m not attracted to

    them," she responded in a low voice.

    Charlotte knew in her heart that Shane waspletely different from Avery and Rick. She was truly

    grateful to Rick, but there was no mutual trust between them.

    Zoe frowned and wanted to persuade Charlotte, but she saw a man appearing on the corner of the

    screen. He leaned against the wall and looked at her with a vague smile.

    Zoe swallowed and opened her mouth to greet him, but he gestured for her to stay silent. She

    lowered her head. "So, do you like Mr. Fuller or not?"

    "I don''t know."

    Charlotte curled up on the sofa and said, "I don''t hate him, but I don''t like him."

    This time, Zoe waspletely silent. She was afraid that if she misspoke, Shane would take this up

    with Peter.

    Zoe cleared her throat and said, "Lottie, the nurse is calling me. Call me whenever, I''m always free."

    "All right."

    After ending the video call, Charlotte shut down theputer. Although Shane mentioned that he

    would bring back food, she was a little hungry. She was going to get some food first.

    However...

    She turned around.

    Charlotte was so startled that her legs went limp. Her voice stuttered, "Sh- Shane."

    "Miss Charlotte was so passionate in bed yesterday. She had a change of heart today?" Shane took

    a step forward and grabbed her with a deep coldness in his eyes.

    Passionate?

    Was she passionate?

    Charlotte attempted to push him away, but he tightened his hold. "Miss Charlotte thinks I treat her

    the same way Avery does?"

    "I do not. I was just making aparison."

    "How can youpare me with Avery?"

    Charlotte wanted to cry but no tears came. She could only try to divert the conversation, "Why did

    youe back so early?"

    "If I hadn''t, how would I know that I''m just amodity to you?"

    That was not what she meant.

    Charlotte bit her lip, looking as if she might cry at any moment. She admitted she was feigning her

    expression, but it wasn''t all an act. She felt wronged, nevertheless, it was clear he cared about

    Heidi.

    Shane flicked her chin and teased, "The woman in an open rtionship with me doesn''t like me.

    Shouldn''t I be the one crying?"

    "Do you really care if I like you?"

    Charlotte found the courage to push him away.

    Shane frowned and reached out to stop her retreat, but she pped his fingers away and started

    crying.

    This was not the first time Charlotte cried in front of him, but it was her first cry with no apparent

    reason.

    "Heidi is dead," he sounded rather miffed.

    "What if she''s not dead?"

    Shane was irritated by that possibility.

    He stated coldly, "I wish more than anyone that she wasn''t gone."

    He wouldn''t allow anyone to make light of this matter.

    "I wish more than anyone that I could exchange my life for hers."

    Charlotte turned and rushed out of the vi.

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 319

    Shane chased after her, but there were three roads from the vi to the main entrance and they all

    led to different paths.

    The neighborhood was surrounded by lush greenery, so the paths were almost hidden in foliage.

    It was difficult to spot someone.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Shane took out his phone to check Charlotte''s GPS location, but she had left her phone in the vi.

    Unless she came back on her own, it would be impossible to find her.

    He wouldn''t have let her run out like that. She hadn''t had lunch and her ankle was still injured.

    And herst sentence.

    D*mn it.

    How could she think that?

    Heidi was Heidi. His feelings for her were independent of his feelings for Charlotte. He thought of

    Heidi as a sister. Even if she was still alive, he wouldn''t allow himself to make a choice between

    both of them. Not to mention, she was already dead.

    But he had never been able to express his feelings urately.

    Avery was astonished to receive Shane''s call, even more so when Shane appeared in front of him.

    "What a dejected Mr. Fuller. Are you doing some kind of performance art?" Avery wound down the

    car window. "Get in, Mr. Fuller. I know a few ces where Charlotte may go. If we can''t find her

    there, then our only option is to wait."

    Shane slid into the car silently. He noticed his hair and clothes were disheveled in the rearview

    mirror. He didn''t pay much attention to his appearance when he ran after Charlotte. No wonder

    Avery assumed he was ying a character. He really looked like a beggar on the street.

    Fortunately, his face did not look like a fool.

    "Mr. Fuller." Avery turned the car around and weaved into traffic. "I have mentioned that women are

    to be coaxed. Did you yell at her again?"

    "She hit me but this is my fault?" Shane said, pursing his lips.

    "Even if she pped you, you can''t be rude to her. Why were you trying to be rational with a

    woman?" He wasn''t, but she was being illogical.

    Avery could tell from Shane''s silence that he had an exnation but chose to say nothing. He

    sighed and said, "Rick was able to snag Charlotte because he''s forting."

    "How did you know?"

    "Rick told me one has to be sincere with Charlotte, but he went against his own wordster. He was

    under too much pressure from you."

    "You two are pretty chummy."

    "No harm in mentioning his past when we''re about to be married," Avery joked, "Sometimes I think I

    prefer marrying Rick than Irena."

    There was a change in Shane''s eyes when he looked at Avery. He thought Avery was just putting

    up an act.

    Avery pivoted toward Shane and caught a glimpse of his expression. He chuckled, "Don''t get me

    wrong. I mean, it was great with Irena, but there were many things we couldn''t talk about. With Rick,

    it''s theplete opposite. Rick is - Will Charlotte be at Rick''s?"

    Avery''s tone changed and he looked serious.

    If Charlotte really went to Rick, it would make matters worse.

    Shane''s face darkened. If that''s the case, there''s no doubt he would tear them limb from limb.

    Avery immediately phoned Rick, but there was no answer.

    Was this for real?

    Avery dialed Rick again.

    This time Rick picked up with a trace of impatience in his tone, "I''m in a meeting."

    "Is Charlotte at your ce?"

    Rick was stunned. He immediately raised his hand to stop the meeting before exiting the room.

    "Charlotte is missing?"

    "Well, she ran away after a fight with Shane. You didn''t know about this?" Avery switched to

    speakerphone so Shane could listen to the conversation.

    "I didn''t know. Why are you calling me instead of her?"

    "Of course we would have tried to locate her via GPS if she had her phone," Avery said.

    Rick rubbed his brows and realized he was too naive, or he took Avery and Shane as fools. Rick

    sighed and said, "I''ll end the meeting right away. Should I meet up with you or look for her

    separately?"

    "Let''s split up. Mr. Fuller is with me. I don''t know why he insisted that I picked him up instead of

    driving on his own." Avery looked at the person beside him.

    "Me? Driving in this state? Do you want to bail me out of jail?" Shane''s tone was full of anger.

    "I believe that Charlotte is lost." Rick shook his head. "Mr. Fuller is frightening. Fortunately, Charlotte

    didn''te looking for me. Otherwise, I would definitely end up in the hospital."

    "Anyway, if you found Charlotte, let us know as soon as possible."

    "Of course."

    The call ended.

    Avery''s face turned grave. "She wasn''t with Rick. Who else could she go to? Zoe?"

    It had been more than an hour since Charlotte disappeared. They had exhausted every option but

    there was still no progress. Everyone was looking for her and they had contacted her

    acquaintances, but it was in vain.

    It was futile.

    Thunder rumbled overhead.

    Heavy rain started pouring.

    Avery looked at the congested road and cursed. He bit out, "This d*mn weather. I just washed my

    H car.

    "She didn''t bring anything." Shane stared at the gloomy weather. He was worried about Charlotte.

    "Lottie is an adult. She''ll take care of herself."

    Shane knew that, but he was still concerned about her.

    She had better gone home. Even if she had found shelter from the rain, it would still be

    ufortable.

    Charlotte sat in a coffee shop and stared out at the rain.

    She was soaked and curled up on a chair like a poor animal.

    The shop''s owner handed her a towel and said, "I can lend you my phone if you don''t have one. You

    should call someone to pick you up."

    The owner was a man in his thirties. He looked mature and had a gentle manner of speech.

    Charlotte shook her head. She fished out some cash and handed it to him.

    The boss dried her hair with a towel and said, "Miss, I did not invite you in for your money. It''s

    raining heavily, it''s not safe for you to be out there alone."

    "I don''t have any family. They''re all dead," she said in a small voice.

    "What about friends?"

    She shook her head. They were all Shane''s friends, so she had nowhere to go.

    The owner felt pitiful. He sat beside her and gently brushed her hair. "If my sister ran away like you,

    I would definitely be worried. Since you have no family and friends and you live alone, there is no

    reason to run. Was it because of your boyfriend?"

    She shook her head in silence.

    "I''ll call him to pick you up. Husband or lover, you need tomunicate with him when trouble

    arises. There''s no point in sulking."

    "I have nothing and I probably don''t deserve him."

    Charlotte''s eyes reddened and she buried her head in the crook of her arm.

    The owner sighed and continued to dry her hair. "You can stay here for the time being. When my

    sisteres back, she''ll bring you a change of clothes."

    Charlotte stiffened.

    "Don''t worry, everything will be fine."

    The boss was extraordinarily affable.

    Charlotte thought, ''There are still many kind people in this world.''

    She felt a lump in her throat again.

 Chapter 320

    Chapter 320

    The owner''s sister returned after a while. She was the same age as Charlotte. She was dressed

    more fashionably with her ears, nose, and lip pierced. Her clothes were more of the punk rock street

    style.

    "I''m a musician." Her voice was gentle and she smiled like an angel.

    Charlotte was confused, but was in no mood to question her outfit. She just nodded repeatedly.

    Charlotte was led to a bedroom and the girl went downstairs. She leaned against the bar and said,

    "Taking in strays again? You already have me, can you manage another one?"

    "She''s different from you. She has loved ones." The owner smiled.

    "Yeah, it''s obvious she has led a sheltered life. Unlike us, we came from the wrong side of the

    tracks." The girl snorted twice and pulled out a harmonica from her pocket.

    The tune sounded as crisp and clear as a piano. The owner tousled her hair. "Silly child, as long as

    we are alive, we are already much better than them."

    Her lips trembled and the notes sounded out of tune. She took a deep breath and continued ying

    the harmonica.

    Charlotte showered, changed into the clothesid out by the girl, and went downstairs. She stopped

    in her tracks when she heard the music. The owner had already spotted her and waved at her.

    Charlotte smiled and resumed walking towards them.

    Charlotte learned the owner''s name was Ryan and the girl was Evelyn. Two of them were not

    biological siblings, but two orphans relying on each other for survival.

    "It''s cool to own a cafe in the city." Charlotte sighed.

    "My brother''s the amazing one. I''m just a burden to him." Evelyn put the harmonica back into her

    pocket and sprawled on the table. "I can only earn four to five thousand yuan per month. I can

    barely pay rent."

    "How much does this cafe usually earn?" Charlotte was curious.

    "In a good month, maybe 40,000 yuan. If not, it''s about 10,000 yuan. The rent is 7,000 yuan," Ryan

    replied. "That''s why I still have some savings."

    They had a good life. Outsiders might think their life was grueling, but their attitude of finding joy

    was rare.

    Ryan took some beer and went to the kitchen to make fried chicken. Three of them sat in a corner

    enjoying the food and the rain. Later, Evelyn mored to watch a gaming tournament in which her

    favorite yer waspeting, so Ryan and Charlotte apanied her.

    Charlotte thought that it was nice having each other in life.

    Ryan let Evelyn have the bedroom on the second floor, so they slept separately.

    An air bed on the floor with a heater made for a good night''s sleep, too.

    "Why don''t you head upstairs to sleep?" Evelyn suggested to Charlotte.

    "There''s no need. I think I''ll leave in a while."

    Evelyn gave her a look, then at her brother. She shrugged and said, "Ryan, are you really going to

    let her leave?"

    She finished her words, turned and ran upstairs.

    Charlotte and Ryan were at a loss for words.

    Ryan brought two air mattresses and electric nkets, and handed one of each to Charlotte. "I only

    have these. You''ll just have to make do."

    "It''s fine."

    Charlotte positioned the mattress against the wall and settled down for the night. She curled up and

    pulled the nket over herself.

    Ryan noticed her, walked over and sat down beside her. "Let me perform a magic trick for you."

    "Hmm?" She looked at him curiously.

    Ryan snapped his fingers in the air and a coin appeared in his hand.

    Charlotte was surprised.

    He tossed the coin in the air and caught it. He kneaded the coin in his palms and it transformed into

    a handkerchief. He turned his body sideways and stuffed it back into his palm again. This time, he

    slowly tugged a flower out of his closed palm and waved it in front of Charlotte. In a flurry, the flower

    turned into a toy bunny.

    "It should have been a living bunny, but I don''t know how to take care of one." Ryan shrugged.

    "You''re amazing." Charlotte took the bunny from him. She didn''t see a coin or a handkerchief in his

    hands.

    "If this shop shuts down, I could still perform magic tricks and y the guitar. At least I won''t starve

    to death." Ryan smiled and snapped his fingers, the coin reappeared in his hand.

    He toyed with the coin and his gaze drifted mindlessly. "I hope I could meet my parents one day and

    care for them. Although life isn''t smoothsailing now, I can still make ends meet with my savings."

    "Many people won''t be able to have a positive outlook like you." Charlotteughed, "Don''t sell

    yourself short. You''re a good person."

    "Thank you."

    Charlotte shook her head.

    Some people just needed a chance, and some people might not appreciate the chances given to

    them.

    Not knowing how much time had passed, Charlotte fell asleep in a daze. Noises filtered into her

    slumber. She felt her body being lifted, as if she was carried. She wanted to struggle, but she had

    no strength.

    "She''s having a fever again," said a familiar voice.

    Was it Avery or Rick?

    Charlotte fell asleep and couldn''t move.

    Shane looked at her in his arms and his expression finally rxed. "Avery, please find a doctor."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Don''t worry, the doctor''s already waiting at your doorstep." Avery nced at Charlotte and sighed,

    "She''s really lucky to run into someone who took her in, what with this weather."

    "Thank you." Shane faced Ryan.

    "Are you her family members?" Ryan asked.

    After all, they all looked young. Although Ryan did not recognize the brand, he could tell their

    clothes were quite expensive. Notwithstanding their attire, the way they carried themselves differed

    from the norm.

    Charlotte imed she was an orphan. What was their rtionship with her?

    Ryan got increasingly ufortable as he thought about it. How could someone as good as her

    be their ything?

    "I''m her fiance," Shane replied, He lowered his gaze at Charlotte, his eyes filled with tender love.

    Rick observed the scene and turned away to give them some privacy.

    Until now, he still couldn''te to grips with the sight of Shane openly acknowledging his love for

    Charlotte.

    "She mentioned she was an orphan, so I guessed she probably had a quarrel with her boyfriend or

    husband and ran away," Ryan said with a relieved smile.

    That man did look like he was in love with her.

    "They have a child together. This was all just a misunderstanding," Avery exined. "Mr. Fuller, you

    can leave with Rick first. I''ll stay here."

    "Sorry to trouble you."

    "Hey, it''s no big deal." Avery pped his shoulder good-naturedly.

    Shane carried Charlotte in his arms and Rick held an umbre over them. Three of them left the

    coffee shop and disappeared into the rain.

    Ryan did not understand the purpose of Avery staying behind, so he asked, "Sir, is there something

    amiss?"

    "I just want to clear things up to avoid any confusion," Avery started.

    Ryan immediately understood what he meant. He waved his hand and said, "You don''t have to

    thank me. It was a coincidence that I met Charlotte. I was just doing my part."

    "I understand."

    Avery took out a nk cheque.

    "This is a token of our gratitude. If this isn''t to your satisfaction, feel free to tell me your request.

    After all, Charlotte is very important to us."

 Chapter 321

    Chapter 321

    Ryan was a little angry. Since he met Charlotte, he had gradually treated her as a friend.

    Furthermore, he thought her personality was sincere. She didn''t look down her nose at him at all.

    However, her friend waving a cheque in his face cheapened their friendship to a business deal.

    "Sir, I think all good intentions should be rewarded, not to mention that you have inadvertently

    helped a friend we cherish very much. Whether it is money or other requests, you deserve it." Avery

    was not in a hurry to hand over the cheque.

    He knew if this matter was not handled properly, Charlotte would definitely skin him alive.

    After all, Charlotte didn''t have many friends. It was very difficult for her to open up to someone. If

    Ryan was driven away by him, he didn''t dare imagine the consequences.

    "Will she repay you like this if you had helped her?" Ryan asked.

    "Of course. Oh, this was what you meant. Don''t worry, this moneyes with no strings attached."

    Avery smiled.

    "Is that so?"

    "I don''t know. ording to your logic, I''m in a partnership with Charlotte. When two of us work

    together, we shouldn''t think about profit and loss, but it''s impossible."

    Avery belonged to the upper crust. He was so wrapped up in self-interest, that he did the same to

    Charlotte.

    However, for ordinary people, that self- interest was synonymous with self- serving and coldblooded

    indifference.

    In the end, Ryan did not ept the cheque. "I don''t want this cheque. Can I make a request?"

    "Of course."

    "I have money and I want to start supplying coffee beans. I need some avenues to get started."

    "Ah, well." Avery fished out Charlotte''s business card. "This is much more convenient. Charlotte can

    return this favor herself as she is in the transportation business. Have you thought about it clearly?

    Do you really not want my cheque?"

    Ryan shook his head. "No amount of money in this world is enough."

    "Actually, with a few million, you can continue your coffee shop business and invest in property."

    Avery shrugged.

    After all, Charlotte''s safety was not something you put a price tag on.

    Ryan still shook his head. "That''s not the life I want."

    "It''s hard to choose between working and settling down. But since you''ve made your choice, I hope

    everything goes well for you." Avery patted him on the shoulder and said, "I don''t have a friend in

    the coffee business."

    As he spoke, Avery left with an umbre over his head.

    Ryan did not know that helping the girl would inadvertently lead to this.

    His dream had almost turned into reality. He looked down at the business card in his hand, her frail

    appearance in his mind.

    That man must have meant a lot to her.

    Although she was an orphan, she still had a home to run away from. Unlike Evelyn and him who

    didn''t even have a home. ? ? ?

    In the vi.

    Shane helped Charlotte take a bath, get dressed, and guided her to the sofa.

    The doctor once again tended to Charlotte. He touched her forehead and sighed. "What was she

    thinking?" "Why don''t you reprimand Mr. Fuller instead? He''ll just ignore you. But if you reprimand

    Charlotte..." Avery trailed off and raised his brows suggestively.

    "Avery, I thought you were quite sensible. Now it seems your vocabry is simr to Braden." Rick

    quipped.

    "Is it, babe? You dare group Braden in the same league as me? You wound me." Avery sidled up to

    Rick, and Rick reached out to hold him.

    Two of them had their arms around each other.

    Shane''s eyes were brimming with disgust. Without sparing them a nce, he scooped Charlotte

    and returned to his bedroom.

    Rick pushed Avery away and observed, "You must be worried about Shane."

    "ording to his temper, when he saw Ryan, he should have given him abination of punches,

    interrogated him about what he did to Charlotte, and finally taken her away." Avery shrugged.

    Think about it.

    Any man who saw his woman spending the night with another man in the same room, no matter

    how innocuous it might seem, would feel angry and confrontational. But did Shane react like that?

    Not at all.

    Since he entered the cafe, all he cared about was Charlotte. Not only did he not get angry with

    Ryan, he even answered Ryan''s questions calmly.

    It was unusual.

    "In the morning, when he assumed Charlotte was with me, he was fuming. But he was emotionless

    seeing her with Ryan. Either he thinks I was too charming, or in these past few hours, his attitude

    has changed." Rick and Avery''s analyses were basically simr.

    "So, I just wanted to tease him and gauge his reaction. Fortunately, he had a normal attitude toward

    the two of them."

    Rick was speechless.

    If Shane''s attitude towards him and Avery was abnormal, then he should be hauled and sent to a

    psychiatrist.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Seeing that it was gettingte, the doctor bade them goodbye. Avery walked him out but did not

    intend to go back with him.

    "You can drive my car home," Avery instructed.

    "Young master, are you not going back?"

    "Rick and I will stay here. I''m sure I can rest assured knowing the house is in your hands."

    The doctor nodded, held the umbre over himself, and walked towards the car.

    Avery returned and saw Rick making coffee and sandwiches in the kitchen. He raised his eyebrows

    and rested his chin on his palm at the bar counter. He looked at Rick with an unruffled expression

    and said, "Rick, you are of housewife material."

    "I had to take care of Anne when I was young." Rick rolled up his sleeves, revealing his wellmuscled

    forearm.

    "It''s quite strange. You''re caring and attractive. If I were Charlotte, I would have chosen you over

    Shane."

    Rick''s fingers froze before resuming his preparation. He poured milk into a pot and brought it to a

    boil. "She did choose me, but I didn''t cherish it. It has nothing to do with her."

    "You love her so much." Avery sighed.

    "Avery, if Shane got his hands on Irena using underhanded tactics and she still regarded him as a

    god, you would still love her, but you will let her go to pursue happiness." Rick''s smile had a hint of

    exasperation.

    He wanted to stay with her until the end. However, Kendall''s appearance made him realize

    something.

    Charlotte was not jealous because of him. On the contrary, she was happy as more people liked

    him, and hoped that he could live happily with them.

    This was a younger sister''s rationale towards her older brother, not an emotion between lovers, so

    naturally he had to let her go.

    "Shane doesn''t like Irena at all," Avery muttered.

    Irena was petty. She could not hold a candle to Charlotte.

    "I''ve never met Irena."

    Shane exited the bedroom. He had already taken off his suit jacket, wearing only a white shirt with

    his sleeves rolled up, revealing slender arms.

    Rick and Shane moved and dressed simrly. Avery nced between both of them, but their

    personality couldn''t be more different.

    Shane wasckadaisical with a hint of coldness in his tone.

    Rick appeared to be gentle and easygoing.

    If they were to be put on stage and the audience were to guess which girl they would fall for, no one

    would have thought it would be Charlotte.

    The world was really amazing.

    Avery sighed, but his heart was looking forward to the confrontation.

    Let the fight begin!

 Chapter 322

    Chapter 322

    "How is she?" Rick poured coffee and milk into a cup. "Do you want any sugar?"

    "She''s fine, and no sugar." Shane sat beside Avery and epted the cup of coffee from Rick. He

    took a sip and closed his eyes. He looked very tired.

    Avery handed him an untouched sandwich and said, "You must be tired today. Rest early tonight.

    Rick and I will leave after a while."

    Shane opened his eyes and nodded. "Sorry to trouble you today."

    "We are brothers, there''s no need to be ceremonious. As for you, talk to Charlotte after she wakes

    up. The lines between self-interest and feelings are blurred for both of you. If something really

    happens, the procedures will be too troublesome."

    "Yes." He nodded.

    Rick prepared two more sandwiches and passed them to Avery and Shane. He washed his hands,

    rolled down his sleeves, and ced his hands on the table. "You''re not going to tell us why

    Charlotte ran away from you?"

    "Heidi."

    "She is still lingering between both of you." Avery frowned.

    Shane looked at him coldly, but Avery was unfazed. "What''s the point of ring at me? Mr. Fuller, I

    respect you, but in this matter, we have different opinions on how to proceed. I could either stay

    faithful to Irena until I die, or fall in love with someone I met. But it''s unfair to let the past affect your

    future."

    Rick nodded in agreement. He thought so, too.

    "It''s different."

    "How is it different?"

    "I don''t love Heidi."

    Avery found it even more hrious. "So love Charlotte, then. Why are you doing this for someone

    you don''t even love? Oh, I got it."

    Avery just realized what the issue was. Shane didn''t love Heidi at all, and because of that, his guilt

    compounded.

    She died because of him. Not only did he not have feelings for her, but he could not even make

    amends to her. Not to mention that Heidi''s only sister went mad because of Shane.

    In any case, Shane couldn''t get over Heidi.

    "What should we do?" Avery felt powerless. He thought this matter could be resolved by exining

    his side. However, he wasn''t aware that Shane did not like Heidi.

    "I always thought only a meticulous person like me would care about these details," Rick said with a

    smile.

    Shane remained silent.

    He wasn''t a meticulous person, but he was too perceptive.

    He assumed he would spend his entire life with Charlotte and took the time he had for granted. He

    felt it was alright to mistreat her. He did not realize he took it too far.

    Shane picked up his coffee and took another sip.

    "How... how did I get home?"

    Three of them immediately looked to the bedroom door.

    Shane and Avery rushed to Charlotte''s side to help her. Rick was the furthest, so he remained at

    the bar and looked at her.

    "You do know that this is still your home?" Shane grabbed her arm and his lips thinned.

    Charlotte lowered her head and didn''t offer an answer.

    Avery immediately pushed Shane away and put his arm around Charlotte''s shoulder. "Ignore him.

    No matter what, your brothers Rick and I will stand

    by you."

    Brother?

    Shane was disgusted by his demeanor.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Unfortunately, in an addled state, Charlotte was drawn in by Avery''sforting manner and her

    tears started flowing.

    As Charlotte sobbed and recounted her story, Avery and Rick finally understood the situation.

    To put it simply.

    Charlotte presumed Shane cared about Heidi, and that she could never rece Heidi.

    Consequently, she was broken- hearted. If she could sacrifice herself for Heidi toe back, she

    would do it. No one cared about her, anyway.

    However, Shane''s logic was even simpler. Heidi could notpare with Charlotte at all.

    "Heidi is like a sister to Shane, the way you are to me. You, to Shane, are like who Irena is to me,"

    Avery exined.

    "That''s true. I wouldn''t put Anne and Charlotte together andpare who''s more important

    because they meant different things to me. But Charlotte doesn''t think so." Rick looked at the

    person who fell asleep in Shane''s arms again and sighed.

    After all, Heidi and Shane weren''t rted by blood.

    Furthermore, when the two of them knew each other, Charlotte hadn''t met Shane yet.

    "This is why I never wanted to date anyone. In fact, I''ve already let it go, sometimes I''m just

    obsessed with it," Avery said as he stood up. "I''ll get you a cup of coffee."

    Who wasn''t?

    Rick looked at Charlotte''s face with a gentle gaze.

    Perhaps, he was the only one who would let go of the obsession and bear the pain and criticism,

    just for her to be safer and happier.

    He was not obsessed, he was in love.

    So it was even more difficult to understand the love and hate between her and Shane. Love should

    be love, shouldn''t it?

    "Tomorrow, you''ll pick Anne up." Shane looked at Rick.

    "Is she back?"

    "You''re her brother, how do you not know? The wedding is on the 27th."

    Rick shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "Everything was arranged properly that even I

    have no idea what''s happening. Are you breaking up with me at my sister''s wedding?"

    "Not with you, but with Christopher." Avery returned to the sofa and nestledfortably on "At my

    sister''s wedding?" Rick frowned. This matter was too strange.

    Avery snapped his fingers and said, "Don''t forget that from your point of view, it''s your sister''s

    wedding. But from Braden''s perspective, this is his wedding, and Christopher is his brother."

    "I see." Rick nodded.

    He had almost forgotten Braden.

    "What''s more, our n is for you to break up with me, then wait for Mr. Fuller to finish up with

    Christopher and get married. It has nothing to do with the wedding n."

    To marry Avery.

    For the first time, Rick actually gave it a serious thought, he felt that it was quite feasible.

    In the eyes of thew, marriage was a legal union between two people who would spend the rest of

    their life together. If lovers could get married, why couldn''t two brothers do it, too?

    "Are you really going to do it?" Shane still couldn''t ept it.

    It was not about s*x.

    Both of them were heterosexuals.

    "I don''t have any thoughts." Avery snorted and said, "It''s just to baffle our family members.

    Besides, marriage doesn''t have to lead to that." "Love after marriage."

    Avery choked on the coffee he was drinking and spattered it all over Rick''s face.

    Rick sighed and wiped his face clean with a tissue. "Avery, I can deal with my face. But please clean

    my clothes and send them to my assistant."

    Avery coughed in embarrassment.

    He didn''t expect his mouth to spray a stream of coffee.

    No, he did not expect Shane to make a tasteless joke.

    It was time for Avery and Rick to go home. Before leaving, Avery swiped an expensive bottle of red

    wine that Shane treasured and hauled Rick home for a nightcap.

    The living room was lively a minute ago, now only the steady breathing of Charlotte in his arms

    could be heard.

    Shane picked her up and walked to her bedroom.

    She was lying quietly and peacefully on the bed, like an angel.

    He stroked her brow. "Everyone has their own destiny. You''re enough for me."

    Charlotte was still deep asleep and didn''t hear what he said. Shane pulled back the nket andy

    down beside her.

    He only hoped that her mood would improve after waking up tomorrow.

    She was still angry.

    He really didn''t know what to do.

    He could solve any problems in the office, but not when it came to her.

    Perhaps, he still had a lot to learn in life.

 Chapter 323

    Chapter 323

    The next day.

    Charlotte woke up with a start. She remembered that she had to pick up Anne today. However, it

    was already two hours past the agreed pick-up time. She unlocked her mobile phone with regret

    and intended to bear the brunt of Anne''s anger. Unexpectedly, there was only a message from her.

    "My brother has told me about the situation. You should have a good rest. There must be some

    misunderstanding between you and Shane. Resolve that, I am in no hurry."

    Rick had picked up Anne himself. Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and the heaviness in her heart

    eased.

    Sheid on the bed, her heart still pounding. Perhaps because she was too tired, she just wanted to

    close her eyes and sleep again.

    After a long time, the door suddenly opened and she saw that familiar face. Her wildly beating heart

    quieted down for a second before picking up pace again.

    "You should eat," He stood at the doorway and said.

    "I''m not hungry." Charlotte lowered her head and refused to look at him.

    Shane frowned. He touched her forehead to make sure she wasn''t feverish, then helped her get

    dressed. Charlotte struggled but couldn''t hold out against him.

    "Let go of me," she resisted in a low voice.

    "Don''t move." Shane held her shoulder and forcibly clothed her.

    Charlotte was angry and anxious at the mercy of Shane. Luckily, Shane was quick with his hands.

    He had managed to dress her in under five minutes, then wordlessly carried her to the bathroom.

    He ced her in front of the mirror. He squeezed out some toothpaste on her toothbrush, hugged

    her from behind, and nudged it into her mouth.

    Charlotte wasn''t sure if she had hurt her ankle or her brain. Shane was taking care of her as if she

    was a child.

    Charlotte was about to speak after rinsing her mouth, but Shane forced her to wash her face. He

    carried her to the dining room, intending to feed her. Charlotte was too tired to fend him off after

    being pushed around by him.

    Charlotte sagged against the sofa after two mouthfuls of food, unwilling to open her eyes. "You

    forced me to wake up, and now you''re forcing me to eat. Are you out of your mind?"

    "You should have breakfast in the morning." He sat beside her and touched her forehead again.

    "You don''t have a fever anymore, but you still have to take your anti-inmmatory medicine."

    "I''m begging you." Charlotte shoved his hand away. "I don''t want to take it."

    Shane''s eyes darkened. He grabbed her lower jaw and forced the medicine and water into her

    mouth. Charlotte widened her eyes and swallowed before shouting, "Shane, are you out of your

    mind?"

    The dam of emotions broke loose.

    Two of them stared at each other wordlessly.

    Momentster.

    Shane picked up his suit and walked out. Ignoring him, Charlotte began to cry loudly while feeling

    aggrieved.

    Shane stopped at the door and turned his body stiffly. He saw her squashing a pillow in her arms

    with tears and snot spilling down her face. She looked like a child whose toy had been taken away.

    Compassion no longer allowed him to leave.

    Shane walked towards her again and held her in his arms. Charlotte struggled with all her strength,

    but in the end she could only slump in his arms. She wiped her tears and snot on him in an act of

    childish and disgusting retaliation, although she did not understand why she wanted to retaliate.

    "Don''t cry." Shane''s voice was hoarse.

    Charlotte cried harder.

    Shane couldn''t helpughing. He held her face and wiped her tears. "I don''t know what to do when

    you cry."

    "The mighty Mr. Fuller doesn''t know what to do?" Charlotte''s eyes were red as she sobbed.

    "A family is not apany, and you are not a subordinate. He doesn''t know what to do." Shane''s

    voice was gentle as he coaxed Charlotte.

    "Is that so?"

    "Don''t cry. If you don''t want to stay home, shall I take you out?"

    Charlotte shook her head. She just wanted to stay home.

    Shane ignored her wishes and picked her up once again. Charlotte resumed struggling. "I didn''t say

    I wanted to go out. Let go of me, I don''t want to go out!"

    "You will be sad at home."

    Charlotte quieted down. She stopped struggling and buried her head in his chest, allowing him to

    carry her out of the vi.

    Shane didn''t put on shoes for Charlotte, so he carried her along the way, attracting the attention of a

    few people.

    When he arrived at the mall, he was still carrying her. He did not allow her to buy a pair of shoes,

    and there was nothing she could do. After all, her ankle was still wounded. It was difficult for her to

    put any weight on her injured foot. Being carried by him was the most convenient way.

    "Look at the woman over there. She''s so delicate."

    "That man is so handsome. I wonder what their rtionship is."

    They heard passers-by whispering.

    Charlotte hid her head in Shane''s chest, as if implying, ''Say what you want, I don''t care.''

    Shane looked down at her and chuckled, "You''re so thin-skinned?"

    "No, I don''t know," Charlotte denied.

    "Even if I bought shoes for you, you wouldn''t be able to walk. Don''t think too much."

    "Then why did you bring me out?"

    "I''m just worried that you''ll get bored at home, so I''m showing you the life of the working ss.

    Maybe now you''ll appreciate your life."

    Charlotte was stunned.

    Working ss?

    She raised her head and finally noticed the crowd of customers and employees. They were looking

    at Shane and her in jealousy or envy. There was almost no other emotion on their faces.

    Shane stopped in front of a boutique and raised his chin at one of the bags. "Look, do you like it?"

    Charlotte nced over and nodded. It was an elegant ck bag. There was a small silver cat on

    the front. Although it was very small and looked like the logo at the bottom, it added a little bit of

    cutesy ir.

    She liked this style very much.

    The tiny details were adorable.

    Shane nodded and looked at the employee. ''TH take it."

    The employee immediately rushed to remove the bag from the shelf. Shane motioned for Charlotte

    to take out the ck card from his pocket. After patting him down, Charlotte finally fished out the

    card and passed it to the employee. Charlotte took the bag and held it in her arms after payment

    was done.

    She looked especially tiny in Shane''s arms, like a small animal. Even while holding a bag, there was

    no noticeable added load.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Charlotte shifted her body to afortable position and delved deeper into Shane''s embrace.

    "Are you still angry?"

    "Hmm? You bought a bag for me. What ulterior motive do you have?" Charlotte raised her

    eyebrows.

    Shane remained silent, which could be regarded as a tacit admission.

    Charlotte burst intoughter, "I thought you wouldn''t stoop so low to buy a bag for a girl like a

    childish boy."

    "You don''t like it?"

    "I like the bag only," Charlotte mumbled.

    He was too insincere.

    Most boyfriends only earned ten or twenty thousand dors, so it was heartwarming to buy

    expensive bags for their girlfriends. But Shane could buy the entire store with a wave of his hand.

    What kind of apology was this?

    "I like it as a gift." Charlotte thought for a moment before adding, "But it''s insincere if you are

    apologizing with this bag. Furthermore, I don''t think you did anything wrong."

    "If I didn''t do anything wrong, why did you leave?" Charlotte didn''t know how to reply.

    She wanted to leave because she was unhappy by his side. But it was not his fault that she felt this

    way.

    Charlotte pursed her lips and said, "I just went out for a breather."

    Shane suddenlyughed.

    Hearing himugh, Charlotte raised her head abruptly. Her eyes widened slowly and the corners of

    her mouth curled upwards.

    Shane smiled.

 Chapter 324

    Chapter 324

    Shane''s smile was appealing which waspletely different from his usual visage.

    Charlotte liked his smile very much, but he didn''tugh often. It''s rare for his lips to curve upwards.

    She looked at him unblinkingly, not wanting to miss a second of his smile, until it faded.

    "What are youughing at?" Only then did she avert her gaze.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "You went out for a breather without taking your phone and instead of going to your friends, you

    chose to camp out in a coffee shop?"

    "It''s not camping if it was in a coffee shop," she argued. As soon as she realized what she said, she

    broke out inughter.

    Shane bent and kissed her between her brows. "You''re not an orphan anymore. You have me."

    Now I had him.

    Charlotte''s heart quavered and she leaned into his arms. She always felt that she would not get

    over the hurdle in her heart, but she seemed to be able to get over it easily.

    It appeared to be in the past.

    Rick''s residence.

    Anne put her suitcase down and took in her surroundings. "Rick, you should redecorate your

    house."

    Before she left, the interior was European-styled, now it became gothic. The wallpaper was jet ck

    and it looked very reclusive. Anne knew Rick didn''t prefer this style because it felt particrly

    repressive.

    What''s going on?

    "Well, I think this style isn''t bad," Rick said. "You can head on upstairs."

    "Rick, aren''t you going to ask me?"

    "Am I still your brother?" Rick smiled. "You can tell Charlotte about this. All I can do is to provide

    amodations and money for you. Anything else doesn''t concern me."

    Anne bit her lip and grabbed Rick''s arm. "You''re angry at me, aren''t you?"

    Rick didn''t break free. Instead, he patted her head. "I''m your brother. I won''t be angry with you no

    matter what. But you don''t have to tell me everything in your life. Nothing good wille out of it."

    Nothing good woulde out of it?

    Anne didn''t understand what he meant, but Braden

    already had his arms around her. He bowed his head and said, "Anne, we can talk about thister.

    Now respect your brother''s wishes and respect yourself."

    He knew Anne didn''t understand why Rick refused to ask her, but she would never tell him the truth.

    Once Rick had asked, it was very likely she would reply, "It''s none of your business."

    Anne had always been insolent.

    Rick returned to his study, turned on hisputer, and saw the photos of him, Anne, and Charlotte

    together on the desk. When he gave Charlotte up, he knew that this day woulde. His sister

    didn''t acknowledge him, and she had nothing to say to him after returning home.

    But he still made up his mind.

    He wasn''t sad about this decision, rather if it was right or wrong. He didn''t have the slightest bit of

    confidence in himself.

    He knew that Charlotte was willing to be tied to his side for the rest of her life in matrimony. She was

    kind and docile, so he had thought of tethering her this way.

    But when she pushed Kendall to him without hesitating, he knew that it was useless.

    A series of beeps alerted him to an iing call.

    A notification appeared on his phone.

    Rick epted it and Kendall''s innocent face appeared. "Rick!"

    Somewhere behind that angelic face hid a malicious disposition. Rick couldn''t help but touch the

    screen. "Kendall, when are youing back?"

    "I want to attend Anne''s wedding too, but I don''t know if I can get there on time." Kendall frowned

    wistfully.

    "Stop frowning. It doesn''t look good on you."

    "Then I won''t frown anymore. By the way, it''s really fun here."

    After dating him, Kendall became more amenable and lovely, just like when she was a child. It

    wasn''t that Rick didn''t like her present self, but the fact that she could do that to Sheryl and

    hypnotize Christopher, he just couldn''t let it go.

    He didn''t expose her, and didn''t want to reveal what had happened. He wanted to see how far she

    would take it.

    Rick heard Caleb''s voice over the phone, as if reprimanding Kendall for loafing all day. Kendall

    snorted, took her phone to the other side of the room, and crouched in the corner.

    Rick''s heart wavered for no reason. He sighed and asked, "Your rtionship with Caleb is

    worsening?" "Yeah, I don''t know what''s up with him." Kendall pouted unhappily.

    Kendall didn''t know, but Rick understood it very well. He had no way to provide more resources to

    the Steven family, so they were getting increasingly indifferent towards her. Although Kendall

    seemed imposing, she was just a pawn sacrificed by the families.

    At that time, she was held in high regard when they were trying to gain a firm foothold in Brine. Now

    that they had seeded, she was cast aside.

    "Will you move in with me?" Rick asked.

    "Is that okay?" Kendall raised her head and her eyes were bright.

    Rick smiled. "Of course you can. But Kendall, I have a question for you."

    "What is it?"

    "Where do you stand between the Steven family and me?"

    Kendall was stunned. She lowered her head and refused to answer the question. After all, if she

    believed in Rick wholly, as long as conflict arose between her and Charlotte, she always felt that

    Rick would choose Charlotte over her.

    But the Steven Family were increasingly standoffish to her.

    "Rick, if Charlotte and I..." Kendall didn''t finish her sentence.

    "You know the answer," Rick responded ambiguously.

    "After all, I''m rted to the Steven Family by blood," Kendall whispered.

    Rick had anticipated this answer. His eyes fell on the desk. "Kendall, if I told you that leaving the

    Steven family was the only way to protect you, were you willing to believe me and stand on my

    side?"

    "Why?" Her voice was hoarse.

    Kendall was not stupid. Of course she had known that she was just a pawn between Rick and the

    Steven Family, but she did not expect Rick to be displeased with the Jane family.

    Rick smiled. What''s with that question?

    "Kendall, do you choose to believe in me, or choose to stay by the Steven family?"

    After a long time.

    Kendall whispered, "Rick, can youe and pick me up? Help me move?"

    "All right."

    Rick ended the video call with Kendall.

    In the end, he still failed to hold himself back. Was this really to save her?

    He didn''t know, maybe this step would plunge him into the abyss.

    Just as Rick was lost in thought, his cell phone rang. Annoyed, he answered, "Hello?"

    "It''s me." Avery''s voice sounded from the other side.

    "What''s wrong? I''m going to pick up Kendall."

    "Hey, you really care about this girl. Aren''t you afraid that I''ll be jealous?" Avery sneered.

    "She''s not evil. If she is willing to ept the sanctions of thew, I''m willing to wait for her to be

    released from prison." Rick''s fingers tapped on the desk, his eyes fell on the chatbox with Kendall.

    Her profile picture was an image of herself. It was pretty, but not as good-looking as her actual face.

    Avery shrugged and said, "Charlotte doesn''t care anymore. It''s you who can''t get out."

    "People should pay the price for what they have done."

    "What about you?" Avery was amused. "If Kendall has to pay for what she has done, the same

    should be said for you. Now I''m standing on the moral high ground asking, what about you?"

    Rick fell silent.

    "On the other hand." Avery leaned backnguidly against his chair. "If it was Charlotte in Kendall''s

    ce, you would do anything to help her." Humans were really two-faced.

    Avery thought.

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 325

    Rick was silent for a long time before he said slowly, "That''s another matter."

    "When ites to Charlotte, it''s another matter. Double standards, I tell you." Avery shook his

    head.

    "Let''s not talk about this. What did youe to see me about?"

    "It''s like this, I wanted to ask if you want to have dinner together. I found a good Japanese

    restaurant. Since you''re picking up Kendall, we can go together. I haven''t seen her for a long time,"

    Avery said while ncing at his watch. "Anne and Braden should be having jetg. You leave them

    be."

    "That''s fine."

    After he finished the call with Avery, Rick went to the Stevens'' residence. When they heard that

    Kendall was going to move to Rick''s house, Caleb and Rnd were very happy and kept teasing

    Kendall.

    Rick turned a deaf ear to this, pretending that he did not hear anything at all. It was not until Kendall

    came out with her luggage that he made a token effort to talk to them both before taking Kendall

    away.

    He put her luggage in the trunk. "Get in the car."

    Kendall shook her head. After Rick finished with her luggage, Kendall suddenly went to hug and

    kiss him.

    Rick instinctively turned his head to avoid the kiss. Kendall''s eyes widened as she looked at him

    with hurt in her eyes. "What''s wrong?"

    "Don''t you have any shame?" Rick shut the trunk door, grabbed her hand, and got her into the car.

    Before Kendall could sit properly, Rick pulled her onto hisp. He held her head and kissed her lips.

    He deepened the kiss steadily. Kendall felt her whole body weaken, and she rxed into Rick''s

    embrace.

    Avery, who was sitting in the passenger seat, snapped his fingers and said, "Please, can you

    restrain yourselves a little?"

    Kendall screamed. She immediately pushed Rick away and buried her face in her hands.

    "Now you feel ashamed?" Rick found her very funny. He took her hands away and hugged her

    harder. "Come on, rx."

    Kendall indeed rxed obediently into his embrace.

    Avery teased and said, "Rick, Kendall is so good to you. She listens to you. If a woman treats me

    this way, I would definitely forget about Irena."

    "Don''t joke. Your love for Irena is deeper than my love for money." Rickughed.

    "Wow, I didn''t think you loved money."

    "Who doesn''t love money?"

    "I can list out a number of people, such as Shane. Or perhaps Shane. Maybe Shane?" Avery

    deliberately mentioned Shane and kept emphasizing his name.

    When she heard Shane''s name, Kendall sneered unhappily. She reached out to hold Rick''s finger.

    Rick patted her head and said, "I can''tpare with Shane. He can easily let go of his own NC

    Company. I have to report it to the headquarters if I even want to take a month-long vacation."

    "Well, you can still take a month off." Avery snorted, "I still haven''t gotten my revenge. I can''t even

    sleep well, much less take a vacation."

    "What revenge?" Kendall asked curiously.

    "It''s better if you don''t know about this."

    "It has something to do with the Stevens family." Kendall guessed it in one.

    Avery just smiled and gave her and Rick a meaningful look. "That''s why you''d better not know.

    Otherwise, how will you face me and Rick?"

    "I''m not afraid of you guys. It''s just that I don''t know how to face my family. Also..." Kendall thought

    of that woman''s name, but she could not be bothered to say it. She turned her body and kept

    resolutely quiet.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Kendall, no matter how good you and Rick''s rtionship is in the future, you won''t be able to enter

    our circle."

    "Avery." Rick frowned.

    "I''m different from you. I''m not good at sweettalking children. Besides, don''t you think it''s better to

    make things clear?" Avery winked at Kendall and said, "Child, what do you think?"

    "What, what do you mean by a child?" Kendall thought.

    Kendall red at him, "I''m not a child. Furthermore, I don''t want to enter your circle. If you and

    Charlotte aren''t happy, you can sue me again. Besides, there''s no one protecting me right now. Just

    lock me up, it''s what I owe you anyway!" "If you knew that you would owe her, why did you kidnap

    Sheryl?" Avery sneered.

    "I just can''t stand that she thinks of Rick as a spare tire. What if I kidnapped Sheryl? After I

    kidnapped her, Charlotte sued me while Rick and my family protected me. What''s wrong with that?"

    Why did Avery think that Kendall had done something wrong just because he was Charlotte''s

    friend?

    She was in the right. Everyone used the resources they had to take what they needed.

    Avery nodded slowly after hearing this. "You''re right. But there''s one thing you got wrong. It''s

    because you think that you''re right that Rick won''t let you enter our circle. People have to pay for

    what they have done, don''t they?"

    Kendall was stunned.

    "The price you must pay for kidnapping Sheryl is to be estranged from Rick for the rest of your life.

    He will neither forgive you nor me you for this incident. This incident has already urred and no

    one can change that. But don''t you think it''s very disgusting?" Averyughed. Then he looked away

    from the two people sitting in the backseat.

    Rick sighed, but he was internally grateful to Avery.

    There were some things that he could not say to Kendall. Once he said it, Kendall would think too

    much. This would not only be detrimental to his n for the Stevens family, but also to his

    rtionship with Kendall. But it was different if Avery said it.

    From the perspective of apletely "evil" character, not only could this allow Kendall to

    understand the logic behind it, but it could also let her know that not epting her had little to do

    with Charlotte.

    "Well, if you lock me up, once I get out, I..." Kendall bit her lip but did not say anything more.

    Avery closed his eyes to rest, pretending that he had not heard her speak.

    The car became very quiet for a while.

    All of a sudden, Avery''s phone rang. He opened his eyes and looked at the screen. He picked up

    the phone with some surprise. "Lottie?"

    "It''s me." Shane''s voice came from the end.

    Avery put it on speaker and said, "Rick and I are going to have dinner together. Do you want to

    come with us?"

    "Yes, she wants to drink." Shane handed Charlotte a coin, feeling helpless and doting, as he spoke.

    "Aim first."

    "What are you doing?" Avery found Shane''s words very strange.

    "ying with a w machine."

    "Aren''t w machines usually in malls? It''s not noisy over there."

    "We''ve cleared the ce out."

    The corners of Avery''s mouth twitched. Rick, who was sitting in the back seat,ughed and said,

    "Mr.

    Fuller, I admit defeat. I really do."

    Just because Charlotte wanted to y on a w machine, Shane had immediately emptied out a

    mall for their use. To achieve this kind of gesture, you needed not only money, but also a great deal

    of influence. Not only did it require a lot of time to get the mall to stop its operations, adding the cost

    and everything else, it would take at least a few million dors.

    Of course, even if someone had millions of dors to spare, not everyone would do such a thing.

    "She doesn''t know."

    "Our Lottie is really innocent." Avery''s sigh held a bit of sarcasm.

    "Where are you going? It''s my treat."

    Avery looked at Rick and pointed his chin at Kendall. His meaning was obvious.

    Rick could only say, "Mr. Fuller, I want to bring some family."

    "Bring them then. It''ll be good for them to see each other."

    "The family member I''m talking about is..." Rick tried to exin.

    Shane interrupted him. "I know. If it was Anne, you would have just brought her over."

    Rick had the feeling that he had met his match again. He smiled, feeling in a good mood. He

    hugged Kendall tighter. "Mr. Fuller, Avery said that he wants Japanese food, do you and Lottie

    mind?"

    "Send me the address." Shane paused and said, "Send it to this number, my phone is dead."

    "Okay," Rick agreed.

    After he ended the call, Rick handed the phone over to Avery.

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326

    Avery held his phone as Shane''s words echoed in his mind.

    "Rick, Shane said that letting Charlotte see Kendall is a good thing. Do you understand what he

    meant?" Avery sent Shane the address and put the phone back into his pants pocket.

    "I don''t know. Let''s talk about it when we see him." Rick also did not understand what Shane meant.

    With Shane''s personality, he shouldn''t think that Kendall and Charlotte had the potential to be

    friends, so what he said was...

    Rick couldn''t figure it out, so he simply didn''t think about it. After all, he knew Shane wouldn''t say

    such a thing. Otherwise, Rick wouldn''t have asked permission to bring Kendall.

    Soon, Rick''s driver parked the car in front of the Japanese restaurant. Avery looked around and saw

    a ck Te. He smiled and said, "Look, it''s Mr. Fuller''s new car. He used millions of dors to buy

    a bunch of batteries and scrap metal."

    "That''s an electric car." Rick shook his head helplessly.

    "Isn''t renewable energy just a bunch of batteries? In a few years, the money needed to change the

    batteries can be used to buy a car." Avery continued to tease relentlessly. In his opinion, buying a

    so- called renewable energy car was stupid.

    Rick looked at him disapprovingly and frowned. "Renewable energy can reduce pollution, and

    degradable batteries are always better than releasing exhaust into the atmosphere."

    "I never thought you were a tree-hugger. Whatever. Based on cost efficiency, I will never consider

    getting this kind of car."

    "My brother said the same thing," Kendall said in a low voice.

    "I''m going to buy a Te then."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Kendall widened her eyes and looked at Avery in disbelief. She huffed, "Hey! You''re so mean!"

    Avery shrugged his shoulders, looking pleased since he knew Kendall couldn''t do anything to him.

    Kendall really couldn''t do anything to him. Even if it was her own brother, he probably couldn''t do

    anything to Avery either. Hence, she decided to remain silent.

    She couldn''t win her argument anyway.

    After the three of them entered the Japanese restaurant, the waiter nodded immediately when he

    heard Shane''s name. He led the way for them with great hospitality.

    "I have a hunch that we probably won''t be able to finish all the dishes that Mr. Fuller ordered." Avery

    looked at the enthusiastic waiter and thought back to a long time ago when he had eaten with

    Charlotte and Shane.

    Actually, there was nothing special about the meal. Shane had simply ordered all the dishes on the

    menu. When Shane entered the restaurant, the waiter fell over himself in his haste to serve them.

    Once, when they went to a Michelin star restaurant, Shane booked the entire venue...

    What could Avery say about that?

    Before he met Shane, Avery had always thought that he was simr to Shane.

    But now.

    Wealth was just a word, but he felt as though he and Shane were worlds apart.

    They followed the waiter all the way into the back of the building. Even though he was mentally

    prepared, he was still shocked by the number of dishes on the table, "Mr. Fuller, you ordered the

    whole menu, didn''t you?"

    Some dishes weren''t avable, so we only have these." Charlotte raised a cup that was filled with a

    pink beverage and said, "Wee,e and eat." Avery smiled and was the first to enter the

    room, followed by Rick and Kendall, and finally Rick''s assistant.

    Kendall felt a little ufortable. He was always deliberately the moment she entered the room.

    She was worried about Charlotte, but the other woman didn''t pay her any attention. She didn''t even

    look at Kendall. After drinking some wine, Charlotte''s face became a little red.

    Kendall stared at her for a while. Suddenly, they met each other''s eyes, which startled Kendall.

    Charlotte nced at her and quickly withdrew her gaze. She took a chicken skewer, saying, "This

    one is delicious. I want some more."

    Shane picked up the electronic menu and ordered two more portions of chicken skewers.

    Rick also went over and ordered two bowls of soup and a sd. He didn''t like to eat raw food, so

    every time he went to a Japanese restaurant, he would order some udon or something soupy like

    that. It was better for his digestion.

    Several minutester, someone knocked on the door.

    "I''ll get it." Avery stood up and opened the door.

    Charlotte was looking at the steak in front of her. However, she suddenly screamed. She was so

    frightened that she threw the fork aside and raised her head in suspicion.

    "This..." Charlotte''s eyes widened.

    The waiter who came in spilled all the soup on Rick''s arm. Although Rick didn''t show that he was in

    any pain, blisters were appearing on his skin. The waiter apologized with a pale face.

    Kendall was panicking. She trembled, not knowing what to do. Avery moved far away and grabbed

    his phone to make a call.

    "Avery, don''t call anyone." Charlotte reached out her hand and stopped Avery. "This kind of burn

    can be treated at any hospital. If you get someone toe here, it might dy treatment even

    more. Send him to the hospital first."

    After he heard this, Avery nodded and put the phone back into his pocket, "Then I will send Rick to

    the hospital."

    "Kendall, can you drive?" Charlotte, however, looked at Kendall.

    Since the two saw each other today, this was the first thing Charlotte said to her. Kendall nodded

    absent-mindedly, "I can do it."

    "Kendall, send Rick to the hospital, Avery, you go pick up your doctor, and then meet up at the

    hospital."

    "Nice, this will speed things up." Avery agreed with her proposal. "You and Mr. Fuller will..."

    "We''ll call the police."

    Avery almost forgot about calling the police. Since Rick was so seriously injured, it would be bad if

    there were any loose ends. It would be better if they made a report and had official records of the

    incident. Avery thought about it and nodded, "I understand."

    They each took action separately.

    An hourter, at the hospital.

    Rick was getting a drip set up in the emergency room with Avery and his doctor, Skr, beside him.

    "It''s not a serious injury. You just need to change the bandage after the drip. But be careful not to

    get it wet." Skr ordered.

    "Thank you," Rick said politely.

    "That''s what I''m here for," replied Skr with a smile.

    "I''ve heard from Lottie too. The waiter said that you stood up and bumped into him. Now he''s at the

    police station insisting that it''s not his fault. I heard that his parents have already gone over there.

    Lottie wants us to talk once we finish up here and get over there." Avery handed the phone to Rick.

    Rick didn''t take it. He shook his head and said, "I don''t want to go. The waiter must be very

    troublesome. Otherwise, Mr. Fuller and Charlotte would definitely deal with this privately. After all,

    we don''t care aboutpensation money."

    "Yes, calling the police was only to get a record done. Otherwise, if the police hear that you got

    injured, they might think it''s something more serious. That would be worse," Avery said jokingly.

    "When ites to this, I admire Shane very much." Rick sighed.

    He taught Charlotte very well.

    After Rick finished with his drip, the three of them went to the police station. By then, it was

    completely dark, and several police officers who were handling the case had also gone off shift.

    The person who greeted Avery was the deputy head of the police station. "Avery, I didn''t expect you

    to be in Brine."

    "I''ve been in Brine for several months."

    "There''s no news from the higher-ups." The deputy head was surprised.

    "My family didn''t know I''vee to Brine. But you, you haven''t changed in a long time. You even

    looked younger and younger." Avery made fun of him.

    "Me? Hahaha, you''re such a sweet-talker, Mr. Hart."

    The deputy director pushed the door open slowly. "Avery, the biggest reason Mr. Fuller asked me to

    come over to greet you is��I''m being honest here�� no matter what happens, you must control your

    temper."

    "Is it so troublesome?" Avery frowned.

    It was just a waiter. It was impossible for his family to be so influential. Moreover, even if he had

    influence, in the whole of Brine, who could oppose Shane?

    The deputy director shook his head meaningfully. "You''ll understand when you see it."

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327

    The deputy head pushed the door open and Avery saw arge group of people crowding together.

    At the center was the waiter from the restaurant.

    "So that''s what''s going on." Avery clenched his fist as he fixed his gaze on the waiter. If looks could

    kill, the waiter would have been dead by now.

    "Lottie asked us toe over, which means that she is prepared to move against them." Rick

    patted Avery''s left shoulder. "Calm down, don''t be impulsive."

    "I''m not being impulsive, and I won''t hit anyone either. I just think this is interesting." Avery''s

    eyebrows curved and he smiled extremely charmingly, "Rick, your hand is too hot. Move it away."

    This guy...

    Rick touched his forehead. He released his hand and returned to Kendall''s side. "No matter what

    Avery says or does, don''t take it to heart, do you understand? Don''t talk to him about what

    happened today either."

    "Oh, sure..." Kendall nodded in confusion.

    "Hey, who are these people? Let me see why there are so many people."

    Avery walked into the crowd with his hips swaying.

    He flounced carelessly to the middle of the fray. Before everyone could stop him, he had already

    reached the waiter''s side.

    "Kid, why yare our eyes still red? Oh, you''re so pitiful." Avery wiped the corners of his eyes with one

    hand and pretended to cry.

    Kendall felt nauseated and almost couldn''t hold back vomiting. She quickly looked away.

    Rick put his arm around Kendall''s shoulder. He looked difited too. "Now do you understand

    what I mean?"

    Kendall nodded forcefully.

    She definitely understood now. Avery was despicable.

    He had no bottom line.

    Some people only attacked their enemies, such as Shane and Rick. Others tended to harm

    themselves at the same time, like suicide bombers. Avery was the second type of person.

    Whether they were friend or foe, anyone who saw Avery like this would be scared.

    "Who are you?" The waiter''s family members looked ready to shove Avery away.

    "Why are you pushing me? You''re not in the right just because you shout." Avery stepped back, but

    kept staring at him with his hands on his waist, "What are you doing? Are you going to punch me at

    the police station?"

    As soon as he said this, the expressions of all the people present became more unpredictable.

    "Don''t, don''t talk nonsense. Who touched you?"

    "How can you say that? Why do you reach out your hand if you''re not going to do anything? I know,

    you''ve been seduced by my beauty and want to sexually harass me. God, aren''t you disgusting?"

    Avery pretended to vomit as he spoke.

    "You, you..." The waiter''s family member pointed at him, his lips trembling.

    Avery cocked his hip and snorted, "What''s wrong with me?"

    By now, Kendall had gotten used to Avery''s manner. She leaned over to Rick and said, "Avery is so

    powerful. Just now, everyone was surrounding him, but now they have all scattered."

    "Could you do it?" Rick asked.

    "I couldn''t."

    "Shane and I can''t do it either. The only person who can do it is him." Rickughed, "That''s why he

    said that it''s impossible for you to join our circle. After all, he is thest piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

    With him, any group will beplete."

    So that''s how it was.

    Kendall pursed her lips. "Doesn''t he like me?"

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    "He doesn''t like women, but he treats Charlotte... He probably treats Charlotte as his good friend,"

    Rick said with a wry smile.

    Rick could guess Shane''s thinking, but he couldn''t begin to guess Avery''s thoughts. He was strange

    and difficult to predict.

    Kendall did not speak anymore. She looked at Avery as if she could glean something from him.

    After Avery was done, he walked over to Charlotte and sat down beside her. "Lottie, you can say

    what you want to say now."

    Charlotte took out a strawberry from her pocket and asked, "Do you want some? Shane bought it.

    It''s very sweet."

    Avery took a bite and raised his eyebrows. He smiled handsomely and said, "Delicious."

    "On the way here, we saw a fruit vendor. It just so happened that there was a promotion on

    strawberries. I checked. One strawberry is less than 1.50 dors. It''s quite a good bargain."

    "You''re right."

    "Did you take Rick to make a medical report?" Charlotte suddenly changed the topic.

    "Yes."

    Avery brought out a document, and the yful look on his face was reced by a cruel coldness.

    "You should think about it carefully. If I bring out this document, you''ll have to pay us at least 50,000

    dors."

    "Isn''t this ckmail?" The family members immediately cried out.

    "Sorry, this is a medical report. It''s a formal report given by the state."

    The family members immediately burst into an uproar. The waiter didn''t expect things to be so

    serious. He immediately shouted loudly, "Obviously, he bumped into me as I brought the soup. Why

    should I paypensation? I was burned too!"

    When Kendall heard this, she was so angry that she could have exploded. She leaned forward and

    wanted to join the battlefield.

    Rick held her still. "You just need to watch."

    "He''s so annoying. It''s obvious that he bumped into you!" Kendall felt wronged and stamped her

    feet.

    Why didn''t he let her join in?

    Before Rick could say anything, Charlotte spoke slowly, "Do you have any evidence to prove that he

    bumped into you?"

    "We have evidence that you bumped into him, but let''s talk about it first. Once this evidence is

    brought out, it will be ced on the official record together with the medical report. By then, the

    courts will determine how much you have to pay inpensation." As she spoke, Charlotte

    yawned. "The difference between a first- degree burn and second-degree burn is 100,000 dors.

    It''s the same between second and third degrees. Do you want to guess which degree the medical

    report says?"

    "You''re ckmailing me! You''re colluding with the justice system. You rich people only know how to

    bully ordinary people like us. You''re shameless!" The family members of the waiter shouted.

    When she heard this, Kendall was so angry that she couldn''t wait to help Charlotte rebuke them, but

    Charlotte just looked at her coldly.

    It was only when they became more and more agitated and said more aggressive words that

    Charlotte raised her slender wrist and revealed the recorder in her hand. "Officer, I want to press

    charges. They are threatening me. I''m worried that I might meet with an ident. I have evidence

    too."

    Evidence.

    That word made the police feel helpless, so they could onlye over and take her recorder. "Miss

    Charlotte, are you going to make a report now?"

    "Yes, I want to file a report and leave this to thew. They are threatening my safety."

    "Okay, Miss Charlotte."

    "How can you just listen to her words and take us to court?" The family was naturally dissatisfied.

    "We want to file aint. We want to report for unfair treatment!"

    When she heard this, Charlotteughed, "Excuse me, ma''am. You''re the one who scolded me. It''s

    you who threatened toe to my house and my office. Who are you trying to fool? You said these

    things yourselves. Do you deny it?"

    "We said all that out of aggravation. It doesn''t count!"

    "Well, it''s fine as long as you admit that you said it." Charlotte looked at the policeman. "Officer,

    please take down my statement."

    Kendall swallowed. "Rick..."

    "What was that?"

    "Do... do you think she only let... let me go because we, we got along before?" Kendall stammered.

    Charlotte was a straight-shooting person.

    Based on how swift and decisive Charlotte''s actions were, if her daughter were kidnapped, she

    would definitely not let the people responsible go.

    It had barely taken a few sentences for Charlotte to mess with these people.

    Yet, Kendall was still standing here, safe and sound...

    Kendall swallowed again.

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328

    Rick smiled andforted Kendall by patting her head. He didn''t make any further exnations.

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    After Charlotte''s move, the other party no longer dared to act recklessly. At that moment, Avery

    stood up and cocked his hip. "Hey, have you finished discussing it yet? Do you want us to hand in

    our evidence and make a case out of it, or do you want to settle things our way?"

    One of them was disgusting while the other was reasonable. Thebination of Charlotte and

    Avery simply couldn''t be beaten.

    Within less than half an hour, the other party finally summoned up the courage to deal with this

    privately. At that point, it was Charlotte who got them to think about it carefully. In fact, submitting

    the evidence wouldn''t be that big of a deal. At worst, he would be kept here while a case was made.

    Then, he''d just have to pay somepensation.

    Of course, she was not short of money, so she did not wantpensation. She only wanted him to

    goto jail.

    At this time, the purpose of the 50,000 dors only revealed the tip of the iceberg.

    "We have a lot of money. It doesn''t mean anything to us. It''s only 50,000 dors. We''d much rather

    see you in jail for three years." Charlotte blinked her eyes as she spoke, "You guys really don''t want

    to think about it? You''re getting three years worth of food and board for free."

    Charlotte''s yful tone made Shane couldn''t help butugh. He reached out to hold her in his arms

    and pointed between her eyebrows with his fingers. "Let''s go back once you''re done."

    "Alright, Kendall, Rick, I''ll leave this to you guys. It''s not me who got hurt anyway."

    Avery nodded with a smile and said, "You''re right. We should let the person in question deal with it.

    I''m not the one who got hurt anyway."

    The family members all wanted to cry, but no tears came.

    It had nothing to do with them and they were leaving now. Why did theye here in the first ce

    anyway? They kept twisting the truth and just left by saying "It wasn''t me who got hurt." Did they

    have any shame?

    However, the others only dared to think this internally. They didn''t dare to say anything at all.

    What a joke. If they dared to talk about this, that woman would bring out another recorder and sue

    them for nder. This whole day was a bad job. It was a waste of time to havee to the police

    station.

    "Rick, how do you want to deal with it?" Kendall looked at the people around her. She felt that Rick

    was such a gentle person that he would not do anything cruel.

    Rick''s smile was soft and bright. He opened his mouth and said, "Kneel down and beg for my

    mercy. Originally, I didn''t want to pursue this matter. But now, you may not be grateful to me even if I

    let you go. I might as well be the bad guy to the end then."

    "Kneel!" The waiter eximed.

    "As Rick said, we didn''t intend to pursue this matter, but you put the me on us before we said

    anything. You couldn''t wait to pin the me on Rick. I can''t let that stand." Charlotte''s eyes were

    filled with coldness.

    After all, Rick was Rick. He was unable to give as good as he got like Charlotte could. After he said

    the word "kneel", he no longer wanted to say anything else.

    The attitude of the waiter and his family members was not good. Kendall also did not expect that the

    usually gentle Rick would actually say such words. However, she found that the way Rick looked at

    the waiter was different from the way he looked at others...

    There was an imperceptible trace of anger on his face.

    It had not been there before.

    "Lottie, why don''t we just start a case. I''m hungry," Rick suddenly said.

    Charlotte was a little surprised. She had thought that with Rick''s personality, he would want to

    minimize this matter. She thought he would scare them a big, get some dignity back. She never

    expected he would be so ruthless this time.

    "Wait, I''ll kneel! It''s my fault. It''s, it''s my fault!" The waiter suddenly shouted loudly.

    Before the others could react, he knelt down in front of Rick.

    Charlotte was shocked by his sudden action and her body trembled. Shane, who was beside her,

    pulled her into his arms and said, "Don''t be afraid, it''s okay."

    Charlotte nodded at him and curiously looked at Rick.

    Rick put his hands in his pockets and looked at the waiter coldly. "Just now, your family said that we

    bully people because we''re rich. Can you tell me, if I didn''t have money, what would you have

    done?"

    "I, I just don''t want to get into trouble..." The waiter said.

    "Don''t want to get into trouble?" Rick pointed to the people behind him and said, "You have called

    so many people here. What do you mean you don''t want trouble?"

    The waiter didn''t know what to do at the moment. All he could think about was that he had already

    knelt down. What if these people went back on their word and took his family to court?

    The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

    Rick looked at him and sighed in extreme disappointment. "This is our country''s new generation.

    This is the kind of child it produced. If I call you, a 20 something year-old person, would you

    respond?"

    "You said that you are afraid of trouble, but you called so many people toe to the police station,

    saying that the rich bully the poor. In truth, do you really even see yourself as a human being?

    You''re just a bunch of sheep. Didn''t you kneel just because I asked you to?"

    "What else can I do?" The waiter suddenly raised his head and looked at him fiercely.

    "I have nothing to say to him anymore. Let''s go." Rick looked up at the three people in front of him

    wearily.

    Charlotte, Shane, and Avery, stood together. They made an impressive scene. They were so

    beautiful that they didn''t fit in in this world. He felt that they didn''t even belong in the same universe.

    They were delicate, and he was tired. He was so tired.

    Avery smiled and walked toward him. He put his arm around his shoulder. "You see, Rick is a

    person who cares about people. Shall we go somewhere else for a drink?"

    "With my arm this way, I''m afraid I can only watch you drink." Rick was annoyed.

    "You can drink soda if you want. Am I right, Mr. Fuller?"

    Shane looked at Charlotte and asked for her opinion.

    If it were any other day, Charlotte would already be very sleepy, but today... if she didn''t find a ce

    to process things for a while, no one would be able to sleep tonight. Charlotte nodded her head and

    said, "Lead the way."

    Avery snapped his fingers and led them out.

    Before she left, Charlotte turned around and looked at the waiter. He was being held by his family.

    The family was asking him if he was scared. They were criticizing him for just kneeling.

    At worst, he would have just been sued. Even if they went bankrupt, they would still help him win.

    Charlotte smiled and turned away.

    However, the waiter stared at Charlotte''s back for a long time and didn''t move.

    He didn''t know what the man called Rick was thinking as he looked at him. But when Charlotte

    looked at him, it was like she was looking at an ant.

    Her gaze was filled with so much disdain. It was like he was just a disposable toy to her. It was a

    mirror for her to look through to the world of mortals.

    "I''m not satisfied..." He muttered in a low voice, but didn''t know why he felt difited.

    Outside the police station.

    Charlotte pulled her clothes around her tighter. "Now that I think about it, I realized that he probably

    just wants to hold onto his job. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have any reason to push the me on the

    guest."

    "He used the wrong method." Avery leaned over to look at her. "If he were to discuss this with Rick

    from the start, even if we were mad, we''d stillply with Rick and let him handle it."

    "I''m not mad. By the time I arrived at the police station, they were already a bunch of people there."

    Charlotte''s face was expressionless.

    "That''s why I think you did a good job." Avery immediately ttered Charlotte.

    Charlotte rolled her eyes at him, but heughed out loud and said, "Lottie, in my mind, you are

    Athena, you are a Muse..."

    "Shut up."

    The person who spoke was Shane.

    If Charlotte had told him to shut up, he would have struggled a little, but since it was Shane, he let it

    go.

    "That..."

    Avery did not dare to speak, but there was one person who did.

    Everyone''s eyes fell on her.

 Chapter 329

    Chapter 329

    Kendall didn''t care about what the others thought. She went straight to Charlotte and said, "I have

    something to tell you!"

    Charlotte wasn''t surprised. Instead, she nodded at Kendall and the two of them went to the side to

    chat.

    "I understand what you mean now." Avery leaned against Rick and looked at the two of them

    walking away.

    "You shouldn''t need to suspect Shane, if you need to suspect anyone." Rick smiled.

    "What?" Shane frowned.

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    It was clear that Shane didn''t quite understand what was going on.

    Kendall followed Charlotte to stand under a streetmp. She didn''t have any time to prepare herself,

    but she braced herself and said, "I don''t regret what I did to Sheryl! I don''t think my family was

    wrong for saving me. So I just want to know, why did you let me go?"

    Charlotte looked at her with her head tilted to one side and asked, "Why do you think that I let you

    go?"

    "I''m just taking care of the Stevens family first." Charlotte looked into the distance and not at

    Kendall. "After I take care of the Stevens family, even if Rick were to protect you, it wouldn''t be of

    any use, right? Furthermore, you''re not my friend, so there''s no need for me to let you off."

    "But you didn''t do anything to the Stevens family."

    "If even you can see through it, your father and brother would have long since ruined my ns

    before they''re even started." Charlotte chuckled.

    Kendall didn''t quite understand. She just bit her lip and stood there. She didn''t know where to put

    her hands.

    After a moment, Charlotte spoke again. "I have something to ask you."

    "What is it?"

    "Was it your idea or Christopher''s for Rick to give false testimony?"

    "Didn''t he do it himself?"

    Charlotte stared deeply at Kendall. Not a single trace of deception could be seen on Kendall''s face.

    She was iparably sincere, and there was even a tinge of surprise in her expression.

    Upon getting her answer, Charlotte walked toward Shane. Kendall stood rooted to the spot for a

    moment before walking to Rick''s side. "Rick, just now, Charlotte asked me if this was my idea or

    Christopher''s for you to give false testimony. What does she mean by that?"

    "It''s all right." Rick touched her head and said, "What else did Charlotte say to you?"

    "She said that she hasn''t let me go. She''s just dealing with the Stevens family first. When the

    Stevens family is ruined, it would be useless even if you were to protect me."

    "That''s her style."

    "But I keep feeling like something is wrong. If she''s really not letting me go, why does she have to

    wait for the Stevens family''s downfall? It''s like telling an ant that I will spare your life today, but I will

    come for you after I kill your ant nest."

    Rick smiled and said, "Don''t think too much. After everything''s over, I''ll go to jail with you."

    "Go to jail with me?" Kendall was stunned.

    "It''s against thew to give false testimony."

    Rick had a scale in his heart. He knew what was good and what was bad. He also knew how to give

    himself, his friends, thew a good exnation for what happened. However, now was not the time.

    He was neither a good person nor a bad person. He just had his own bottom line and interests he

    had to protect.

    Kendall''s heart suddenly ached. She reached out and hugged him. "But Rick, you didn''t give false

    testimony. I was with you that day. I was I who lied to you and left in advance, so I..."

    "Kendall, I didn''t give fake testimony because of you. You don''t have to feel any psychological

    pressure."

    "Then you..."

    Rick thought for a moment and finally told Kendall the truth.

    Christopher had hypnotized him tomit perjury, which was naturally not for Kendall, but for

    ine. Christopher had been protecting ine.

    Only then did Kendall remember about ine. She lowered her head and said, "It''s all because I''m

    bad at judging people."

    "Do you mean that you like Charlotte now?"

    Well, she could not really say that.

    Kendall didn''t answer for a while. After a long silence, she shook her head. "I''m not like her, so I

    don''t like her, but I also don''t hate her."

    "Okay."

    Rick didn''t answer.

    Shane and Charlotte, who were walking in front of the two of them, couldn''t hear what they were

    saying. However, when they saw the two of them acting so intimately, they could guess what they

    were saying.

    "Have you forgiven her?" Shane asked.

    "No, it''s just that I don''t think it''s necessary to be petty with her. I''ll settle things with herter,"

    Charlotte replied indifferently.

    "You sound a bit like me."

    Like him?

    Charlotte was about to deny this, but after thinking for a moment, she smiled again. How could she

    not be like Shane?

    He had pretty much been the one who taught her everything. So how could she not be like him?

    With this in mind, she gently took Shane''s arm and said, "Now Sheryl is very safe with Mrs. Fuller

    Senior. I''m getting better and better at handling thepany''s business. Recently I''ve stolen

    several orders from the Emerson Corporation."

    "It''s not enough to just steal orders."

    "I know."

    Of course, it was not enough to steal orders. It could never be enough.

    A glint shed in Charlotte''s eyes.

    The five people got in the cars one by one. Avery led the way, and Cole drove behind him. Tonight

    was bound to be very entertaining.

    Today was the day Peter would be discharged from the hospital.

    Zoe took him home and cooked a lot of food for him. Olive had been adopted by a rich man in the

    area. She was well-liked because she was very obedient.

    The wounds on Peter''s body were healed, but Zoe felt that his mood had not improved. He still

    looked on the verge of death and seemed particrly listless.

    "If you don''t feel well, you can take two days off like Charlotte and Mr. Fuller." Zoe put some

    porridge in front of him.

    "No need." Peter took the bowl and smiled at her. "They must be busy with Anne''s wedding. It

    wouldn''t be appropriate for me to take leave at this time."

    That was true.

    When Zoe thought of Anne, she could not help but look forward to the wedding. "I think I have met

    Anne before, but I am not familiar with her at all. Most of the time I just pass by her in a hurry. I don''t

    know if we will get along while we''re at the wedding." "Actually, I think you can get along with

    anyone easily." Peter raised his head to look at her.

    "Don''t tease, you''re just making me feel better."

    "It''s true. Look, although you don''t have any good friends, you don''t have any enemies either. This

    means you can get along with anyone," Peter said.

    He was right, so Zoe did not deny it again. When she was about to turn the subject to his physical

    condition, her phone rang.

    When she saw the words dancing on the screen, she didn''t want to answer the call. Peter tilted his

    head closer to her, and when he saw the words "that woman" on the screen, he knew that it was

    Zoe''s mother who was calling.

    Zoe saved her mother''s contact as "that woman", and her father''s as "that man". She hated them so

    much that she didn''t even want to write their names.

    He reached out to press the answer button, and then he turned on the speaker.

    "Your brother is going to get married soon, and the bridal party wants one million dors. Get it

    ready, we need it..."

    "Sorry, from what I remember, Zoe doesn''t have a brother." Peter pressed down on Zoe''s shoulders

    and forced her to sit down. He stood at the table and took her phone.

    "Who are you?"

    "I am her fiance," Peter said.

    "When is she getting married? No, no. How can she get married, she..."

    "We already settled the matter of the house ording to your wishes. I can''t give in and give you

    one million dors too. Ma''am, at the worst, we will all suffer together. Let''s see whether I''m more

    ruthless or you have more tricks to make Zoe bend to your will."

    Peter was very polite, but what he said was ruthless and malicious.

    He didn''t give Zoe''s mother a chance. He hung up the phone and then put the phone on mute.

    He sat down and gently took Zoe into his arms. "I''m here."

    "Peter, the money... I won''t give it to them."

    "I know, you are a very principled person." Peter kissed her temple.

    That house had been left by her grandmother. That was why she had been merciful.

    But now, she had nothing to do with them anymore. She was no longer responsible for her rtives

    or their failures.

    "I can''t bear to sell the house, Peter. Mr. Fuller and Lottie spent a lot of time and effort, but I''m afraid

    that if I go back, my parents will..."

    Zoe''s worry was reasonable.

 Chapter 330

    Chapter 330

    "Why do you want to go back? Aren''t you happy living in my house?" Peter said. "If you are afraid of

    wasting Mr. Fuller and Charlotte''s renovations to your house, I can live in your house. It is no

    problem for you to live here."

    "Peter..." Zoe was moved.

    Her heart was not made of iron. He had helped her solve problems over and over again. Of course,

    she would be moved. Of course, she would rely on him. Of course, she would be willing to do

    everything to be with him.

    Peter did not confess his love for her at this moment. He just leaned against her quietly. As long as

    he was with her, it did not matter if he said those words or not.

    He knew that even if he didn''t say anything, she could feel how he felt.

    Zoe quietly leaned into Peter''s embrace and felt his warmth. Her heart had never been so calm.

    She gradually epted this love between them. Although Peter was much younger than her, he

    was very reliable.

    After the meal, Peter returned to his room. He was going to watch a movie and sleep, but the door

    was pushed open.

    He looked at the door to find Zoe standing there with a thin nket and pillow. She didn''te in

    and seemed to be waiting for him to speak.

    Peter turned over and got up from the bed. He stepped on the cold floor with bare feet and jogged

    to her side. He put her pillow beside his own, and put her nket at the end of the bed.

    He pointed to the sheets, "I have an electric nket. Even if we share it, it won''t be cold. Then, if

    you want, we can turn your room into an office or something."

    "Peter, I have never dated before, and I don''t know what it is to like a person, but I think I can

    probably like you." Zoe looked at Peter in front of her very seriously. She had been thinking about

    this decision for a long time.

    She had slept with him before, but those had been extenuating circumstances. If she wasn''t the one

    who was sick, then it was Peter. There was no romance there at all.

    But now...

    She knew that she was the one making the first move.

    Peter did not think too much. He smiled, took her hand and pulled her to the bed. "Whether you like

    me or not, I like you as always. So don''t worry, I will always love you."

    Zoe was lying on Peter''s bed, smelling everything that held his smell. Her heart was beating

    especially fast.

    She could not help but lean against his shoulder. She put her whole body into his embrace, and

    curled up in it little by little.

    "If my mom calls again..."

    "I''ll take it." Peter hugged her tightly. "Don''t worry."

    "It''s impossible for you to stay with me all the time."

    "No, I''ll always be with you, ready to pick up the phone at any time," said Peter confidently. "Unless

    I''m dead."

    "Don''t talk nonsense."

    Actually, he was not sure what happens after a person dies. So, if he died, as long as there was

    even a one- in- a- million chance, he would risk everything toe back to find her and then

    continue to protect her.

    It was his greatest wish to stay by her side.

    Zoe fell asleep in a daze. She put on some earphones and yed some white noise to help her

    sleep.

    At about nine o''clock, her phone rang again. Peter was ready to pick it up and tell the caller off. But

    he looked at the screen and found that it was Charlotte who was calling. He immediately held back

    his curses and picked up the phone after clearing his throat.

    "Ms. Emerson," he greeted her respectfully.

    "Oh, it''s you?" Charlotte''s voice sounded unhappy.

    "It sounds like you''re not happy to hear from me. Have I lost favor with you?" Peter joked.

    Charlotte couldn''t helpughing. "No. I just have something to talk to Zoe about."

    Peter switched to a video call and pointed the camera at Zoe. "As you can see, Ms. Emerson, Zoe

    is already asleep. You can just tell me whatever it is."

    Charlotte really didn''t expect that Peter and Zoe''s rtionship had improved so much. In a few

    days, the two of them were already sleeping in the same bed. That trace of dislike at the beginning

    had now disappeared.

    Now that the two of them had such a good rtionship, then it didn''t matter if she told Peter.

    "It''s like this," Charlotte said in an unhurried manner.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    After Zoe''s mother called Zoe, she quickly called all her friends. Naturally, she also called her

    superior. At first, sheined about how unfilial Zoe was, and then she talked about how poor

    she was.

    Of course, Charlotte yed along with her. She ced her phone to the side and took a shower, but

    Shane heard Zoe''s mother speaking.

    Shane thought it was ckmail, so he called the police. The police were annoyed to see theme

    back after only just leaving, but they had no choice. They arrested Zoe''s mother anyway.

    "That''s a good thing," said Peter.

    It was great to teach these terrible people a lesson.

    "That''s why I want to talk to Zoe about this. After all, that is her mother."

    "Her mother has never regarded her as a daughter. Naturally, she will no longer treat her parents as

    her parents. Ms. Emerson, the house was ourst concession. We can''t just give them one million

    dors."

    Charlotte admired Peter''s standpoint. "I''m very happy that Zoe will be with you."

    "But, Ms. Emerson, did you say that you called the police station right after leaving the ce? Why

    were you at the police station?"

    Charlotte gave a brief exnation of what had happened with Rick.

    Peter frowned when he heard this. "There are really all sorts of people in the world. It was him who

    spilled the soup on a guest. How dare he make trouble?"

    "That''s right." Charlotte sighed. "If it weren''t for this, we wouldn''t have wasted so much time and

    only get home now."

    "Do you need me to investigate that person?"

    "Avery has already started. He said that he is going to mess with his daily affairs. Maybe Avery will

    disrupt his job or something."

    "It''s a pity that I can''t help," Peter said with great regret.

    He had been so bored recently.

    "You''re busy with Zoe''s problems. Anyway, I don''t have the time to go to the police station again.

    There will be a press conference tomorrow," Charlotte said.

    "That won''t be a problem. However, I heard that Mr. Fuller got a lot of people to handle the press

    conference. It shouldn''t be a big problem."

    Charlotte nodded.

    That was indeed the case.

    She didn''t need to worry too much when Shane was helping her. She just needed to make sure that

    the write-up was good. There were naturally people who expected the best of her simply because of

    Shane.

    They ended the call.

    Peter put the phone back on the head of the bed and turned off the light.

    He hugged the slender figure of the woman next to him and closed his eyes as he smelled her

    scent.

    "Um..." Zoe was not used to being touched by someone else, so she let out a very confused but

    lovely noise.

    "I love you."

    Peter said into her ear.

    Zoe responded in a daze and went back to sleep.

    She was so cute.

    She treated others so coldly, but she was so cute now. This contrast was so cute that his heart

    almost melted.

    At the same moment, in Rick''s vi, the lights were lit up then turned off.

    At this hour, even the servants were asleep, much less Anne and Braden.

    Rick could only take Kendall directly to his bedroom.

    "I''m sorry that you have to stay in the guest room tonight. Tomorrow, I''ll ask the servants to clean up

    a room for you."

    "Can''t I sleep with you?" Kendall put her luggage in an alcove. She liked Rick''s bed. It was big

    enough and it looked soft. Although it was covered in ck sheets and looked gloomy, she could tell

    from the thickness of the quilt that it would feel great to have it covering her.

    Rick frowned. "Kendall, I don''t think our rtionship is at that point yet."

    "I know. You still don''t like me..."

    Kendall bit her lip.

    As a woman, she herself didn''t mind. And yet Rick was the one who said that their rtionship

    wasn''t there yet.

    Did he dislike her?

    She admitted that she was not as good as Charlotte. But... but she liked him more than anyone

    else!

 Chapter 331

    Chapter 331

    Rick had originally wanted to be a little cruel and not exin himself to her, but he suddenly thought

    of how Charlotte was today.

    She was so confident and so efficient. It was probably because she had Shane by her side.

    Although he gave her a lot of things, they were pointless. When she was with him, she could

    be all that she wanted to be.

    They were both people, so he couldn''t treat Charlotte and Kendall so differently.

    "Kendall, if I don''t like you, there is no need for me to sleep with you. If I like you, then I should

    sleep with you even less. So the result is already determined. As for whether you think I like you or

    not, it doesn''t matter to me. You are just adding to your own sadness and sorrow, do you

    understand?" Rick said to her very seriously with a dark expression.

    Kendall lowered her head. Her eyes were red. "I just wanted to hear you clear things up."

    "A murderer won''t tell you that he wants to kill you, and you won''t ask him, either. But why do you

    keep asking me if I like you?"

    "I..." Kendall choked up instantly. There was something wrong with what Rick said, but she couldn''t

    refute it.

    "Let me answer for you." Rick put his hands on her shoulders. "Because murderers are strangers to

    us. We always assume that strangers would deceive us, while people we''re familiar with and trust

    won''t lie to us. But how can you guarantee that I''m not lying if I say that I like you?"

    Kendall really didn''t understand any of this.

    She just wanted to hear Rick say that he did not dislike her, and that he was actually interested in

    her.

    Kendall had been arrogant with others, but she couldn''t talk logic with Rick. She was afraid that he

    would think that she was stupid.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "But, I can still tell you the answer." Rick let go of her and walked to the window with his back facing

    her. "I won''t like you so quickly, but I don''t hate you either. It''s up to you whether you stay or leave."

    "But Rick, you''ve kissed me," she said in a low voice.

    "If you ask Charlotte, she''ll tell you that even when I was engaged to her, I''ve never even kissed her

    on the cheek."

    "Why not?"

    "It''s because she was unwilling to be with me, while you and I willingly to be intimate with each

    other."

    He was willing.

    Kendall suddenly realized something. She asked, "You mean that you''re still willing to be with me

    even though you''re not deeply in love with me, right? So you do have feelings for me. It''s just not as

    intense as true love."

    "You need to find the answer yourself."

    Kendall suddenly moved forward and hugged Rick tightly. "You''re so nice."

    Rick was stunned.

    "I can''t be as smart and ruthless as Charlotte. Maybe she admires the heartless and decisive

    Shane, but I''m different. I like your gentleness. I admire your merciful style of doing things." Kendall

    leaned against Rick''s back and muttered to herself.

    Rick sighed, turned around and hugged her gently. Kendall raised her head and kissed him on the

    lips. "Rick, I like you. I''ve liked you very much since I was a kid."

    "Did youe back because you heard the news that I was getting married?" he asked.

    "That''s right!"

    "If I didn''t do as you expected and gave up on Charlotte because of Shane, what would you have

    done?"

    "I''ll sabotage you and break you up. I''m a wicked viin anyway. Even if I can''t get you, I won''t let

    anyone else have you!"

    That was why.

    Even if he could make wless preparation, there would still be some variables. For example,

    Kendall, whom he always regarded as a good person. For example, Shane, who had done nothing

    but had aroused the strong possessiveness in Rick''s heart and burned away all of his rationality.

    Not to mention Charlotte, who had personally brought Kendall to him.

    Sometimes the scary part about fate was that it waspletely out of anyone''s control.

    When she saw that Rick was silent, Kendall''s heart skipped a beat. She asked in a low voice, "Am I

    so bad? Is it that you dislike me like this? I can..."

    Before the word "change" came out of her mouth, Rick reached out and kissed her on the lips.

    "I don''t think that your nature is bad. Maybe that''s what Charlotte thinks as well, so she ssified

    you as being too childish. I think she didn''t target you because she wants to pin the me on

    Christopher and ine. In other words, she thinks that it was them who made you kidnap Sheryl."

    Kendall was a little confused. After she thought about it for a long time, she shook her head and

    said, "I wanted to kidnap her myself. I kidnapped her daughter instead because I couldn''t find her. It

    was only after I took Sheryl that..."

    "Are you still on ine''s side?"

    "No, what I mean is that this has nothing to do with anyone else. I admit that I was wrong, and I''m

    not asking you to forgive me. As long as I am with you, I don''t mind going to jail."

    This woman.

    Both he and Charlotte had already found an excuse for her. But on the contrary, it was her who

    couldn''t get over it.

    Rick put his hand on the top of her head, but then he moved it slowly all the way down to her

    shoulder. He touched her corbone through the thinyer of cloth.

    Kendall blushed and looked at him innocently with wide eyes. "Rick."

    "Hm." There was a hint of pity in his eyes. "No matter what happens, you only need to remember

    one thing. Whether it''s me or Charlotte, we won''t make things difficult for you. However, you have to

    know in your heart that it''s not because of Charlotte''s stupidity, nor is it because you weren''t wrong.

    She just doesn''t want to pursue the matter."

    "I know this, especially after I was with you. Actually, I think about this every day..." Kendall bit her

    lip.

    "Just wait and well see what happens. When the timees... I''ll..."

    Rick did not continue.

    After all, he was not sure what would happen to the Stevens family if he teamed up with Avery and

    Shane.

    Maybe he would make use of Kendall.

    By then, if Kendall was still willing to be with him, he would marry her and protect her for the rest of

    her life.

    Kendall also had a feeling in her heart. But when she thought that her father and brother''s love for

    her came with an ulterior motive, she hated her family. She thought that, if the Stevens family was

    ruined, would her brother and father treat her like an ordinary woman and love her as more than a

    tool?

    After all, her brother had been nice to her when she was a child, just as nice as Rick was.

    In another room in the Jane vi.

    Anne walked back and forth angrily in the room. "Braden, tell me what Rick is thinking. He actually

    brought Kendall Stevens home. Is he sick in the head?"

    "Isn''t this good?" Braden threw the remote control aside and put his hands into his pockets. "Your

    brother is smarter than us. It''s impossible that he won''t use this opportunity."

    "But the woman has kidnapped Sheryl. Who knows what she will do? I don''t want to call such a

    woman my sister-inw."

    "Charlotte doesn''t even care. Why are you so worked up?"

    "How dare you!"

    Braden got up with a cheeky smile and hugged her. "Anne, your brother and Charlotte are worthy of

    your trust. There won''t be any problems with what they n to do. Besides, I don''t know what

    exactly happened. I heard from Cole that it was Christopher and ine who used Kendall."

    "Who would believe such a thing, I..."

    Right at that moment, someone knocked on the door.

    Anne opened the door in a bad mood. When she saw an innocent and adorable woman standing at

    the door, she was stunned.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Rick asked me to give you this." Kendall handed her a document. "He said he will transfer his

    shares to you as a wedding gift. Just sign it."

    "Transfer them to me? And you agree with it?" Anne was suspicious.

    What was her brother thinking?

    Why didn''t he tell her this himself, but to do it instead?

    9et Kendall

    Was he out of his mind?

 Chapter 332

    Chapter 332

    "Why do I need to agree?" Kendall tilted her head. She wasn''t married to Rick, and this wasn''t

    shared property. Even if she married him, it had nothing to do with her if Rick wanted to give his

    sister his shares.

    She was not the kind of person who got married for money. As long as Rick was by her side, it did

    not matter even if the two of them had to work. She would be with him for better or for worse, for

    richer or for poorer.

    If the situation really became extremely bad, and he became a beggar, then she would be a

    beggar with him.

    "We''re all adults. Is it fun to pretend with me?" Anne did not believe that Kendall was not interested

    in all the Jane family had. Who would not be tempted by money?

    Kendall was even more puzzled when she heard that. "I''m not pretending. These are Rick''s shares,

    not mine. How would I..."

    How dare you act so close to him?"

    Anne suddenly got angry, and Kendall felt extremely wronged. Before she could say anything, Anne

    pped her in the face. Kendall had been pampered since she was a child. The first time she was

    beaten, it was by Shane and Charlotte.

    She didn''t expect to be pped by Anne too. Although Kendall was wronged, she didn''tin.

    She rubbed her face and silently lowered her head to exin, "These are Rick''s shares, not mine. I

    have no right to agree or disagree. He asked me to pass this to you, so I came here."

    "Kendall, don''t think that you''ll be fine just because you''re pretending to be innocent. Charlotte was

    deceived by you, but I won''t be!"

    "I don''t have any ulterior motives." Kendall''s face was pale. She wasn''t here for Rick''s money. She

    wasn''t!

    "No ulterior motives? You went to my brother''s room in the middle of the night and you''re helping

    him pass this document to me. If you''re not expecting to be his wife, what is it you''re up to

    then?"

    Kendall really didn''t have such ns.

    She had always done whatever Rick told her to. She wanted to exin it to Anne, but was

    powerless to do so. All her words seemed useless.

    "Get out of here now." Anne was starting to get

    unreasonable.

    "Anne." Braden couldn''t stand aside anymore. He walked to her side and put his arm around her

    shoulder. "Rick must have his reasons for sending her here. Don''t worry. Maybe Rick is busy or

    something. Don''t quarrel with Kendall."

    There was no need to quarrel. If Rick really wanted Kendall, he wouldn''t be swayed by Anne.

    If Rick didn''t really want Kendall and he just wanted to make use of her for some purpose, then it

    was less likely that Anne could sway Rick.

    Ordinarily, Anne would have thought this through better. But today, she lost her temper and pushed

    Braden away. "Get out of my way. I won''t let it go until I clear things!"

    "I''m not doing it for Rick''s money. Even if he doesn''t have any money, I''ll still like..."

    "Is it possible for him to have no money?" Anne sneered at Kendall. "Do you know that it''s harder

    for him to go bankrupt than for him to make a hundred million dors?"

    "But I..." She really liked him.

    "I don''t care what your motive is. Even if my sister-inw isn''t Charlotte, it can''t be you. Don''t even

    think about it. My brother has many women like you around him." Anne did not hide the disgust and

    disdain in her eyes.

    Anne would have been fine if it were someone else. But why did it have to be someone from the

    Stevens family?

    Not to mention her disgusting brother Caleb. Anne hated everything about her.

    Braden hugged Anne and said, "Hey, Kendall. Why don''t you go and tell Rick that you''ve handed

    over the document?"

    "But, Rick said that he wanted me to watch Anne sign the document before leaving..." Kendall bit

    her lip.

    "Why are you still here!"

    Anne raised her hand again.

    This time.

    When her wrist was caught by someone strong and powerful. She thought it was Braden and was

    about to lose her temper. However, when she looked up, she found Rick. She didn''t even know

    when he had gotten here.

    Anne shook him off and red at him. "What are you doing? Why are you treating this b*tch Kendall

    so well? And you''re even asking her to pass this share transfer agreement to me?"

    "Just now, Charlotte sent me a message asking me to attend an event tomorrow." Rick frowned.

    He just wanted to find an excuse to send Kendall away.

    The event was real, but its purpose was to break up with Avery in public. Therefore, when he made

    the call, it was better for Kendall not to be by his side.

    "Rick, are you sure you want to be with her?" Anne didn''t care whether Rick was busy or not. She

    just hated Kendall.

    "Worry about your own wedding."

    Rick turned to look at Kendall.

    She lowered her head, trying to hide her red and slightly swollen cheek from Rick.

    Rick let go of Anne''s hand and sped Kendall''s wrist.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    As she watched the two of them leave, Anne mmed the door shut and sat down on the sofa to

    sulk.

    "You''ve never been like this before. What''s up this time? Did Kendall step on your tail?" Braden sat

    down beside her and held her in his arms.

    "It''s none of your business."

    Anne answered huffily.

    She didn''t like Kendall because of many reasons. Without even one of those reasons, she wouldn''t

    hate her so much. She couldn''t understand it herself. At least, she couldn''t put it into words on such

    short notice.

    Braden was not frustrated at all. Instead, he squeezed himself closer to her and said, "I am your

    husband. If it has nothing to do with me, it must not be a big deal. So let''s y some phone games.

    Brine Glory maybe. I''ll y against you!"

    Anneughed all of a sudden. She took out her phone and started ying. "Okay."

    Rick brought Kendall to his room.

    She sat on the sofa with her hands on her knees. The way she sat looked just like a primary school

    kid. She looked kind of pitiful.

    Rick took out the first aid kit and applied a thinyer of cool ointment on her face. "What did you talk

    about? Why did she p you?"

    Kendall shook her head.

    When she was beaten by Charlotte and Shane, she didn''t dare to tell him too much, fearing that he

    would hate her because of this. Now that she was pped by his sister, Kendall dared even less to

    say anything. She wouldn''t dare tell Rick even if she had been stabbed by his sister. She knew very

    well how much he liked this sister.

    Both Avery and Rick were famous for spoiling their sisters. These two people could do anything

    fortheir sisters.

    Before she came to Brine, Caleb had especially reminded her that she could steal any woman''s

    man, but she had to be careful of these two people.

    However, when he spoke of Avery, Kendall''s brother''s tone was very disdainful.

    "If you don''t tell me, how am I supposed to get you justice?" Rick sighed. How could he not know

    what Kendall was thinking?

    But he really didn''t want her to feel wronged because of him. There was no need for it.

    Kendall kept shaking her head. "It''s really nothing. I made her angry. Stop asking, Rick."

    "If you won''t tell me, I''ll go and ask Anne."

    "Hey!" Kendall immediately grabbed his sleeve. "I, I''ll tell you..."

    Kendall did not add fuel to the fire. She only told Rick what happened. Kendall even deliberately

    said that Anne was very friendly, and that she only had a very strong reaction when she acted very

    friendly with Rick.

    Kendall had already found an excuse for Anne. "She might just think that I''m just trying to steal her

    brother away from her."

    "Kendall, my sister is going to get married in twenty days. If she is not getting married, I would

    believe you. But she is going to get married soon.

    Why would she have such a big reaction for me? What else are you hiding from me?" Rick did not

    believe the reason Kendall gave.

    He thought that if Anne pped Kendall because of this, then either Kendall was finding an excuse

    for Anne and lying to him, or Anne had found an excuse to p Kendall.

    She had never been so clingy to him even before she had Braden, let alone now that she did.

    She had left without a trace for months. Even Charlotte knew that she hade back while he as

    her brother didn''t. How could she say that Anne pped her because of him?

    It didn''t stand up to logic.

    "That''s what happened," Kendall answered in a low voice.

 Chapter 333

    Chapter 333

    "So, do you want me to ask Anne?" He pointed at her with a finger. Since Kendall was not willing to

    tell the truth, it would be easier to just ask Anne.

    She was still trying to keep Anne out of this. Was Kendall stupid?

    Kendall was anxious. She stopped Rick and said, "I''m telling the truth. Don''t ask Anne. She doesn''t

    like me. If you ask her again, she will hate me more. She is your sister, I..."

    Anne was his sister, but Kendall was nothing to him. At most, she was just someone who kept

    clinging shamelessly to his side. How could shepete with Anne for his affection?

    Rick stared at her for a long time and finally sighed. "You can stay here today. Don''t step out of the

    house without my permission."

    "What?"

    "Wait for me to wake up tomorrow before going out. Don''t leave me alone, do you understand?"

    Rick loosened his hand and sighed again. "I know Anne''s temper, and I have been spoiling her

    since she was a child. She can p you without caring about me once and she can do it again. She

    is different from Charlotte and Shane, do you understand?" "What''s the difference?" Kendall asked

    stupidly.

    "Charlotte and Shane won''t waste any more time dealing with you after realizing that you don''t have

    offensive power. Anne will find a way to make you disappear orpletely lose your ability to do

    anything. She''s very single- minded." After he exined, Rick went to a storage cab and took

    some sheets and a pillow from it.

    He had a couch in his room. It was not necessarilyfortable for him to sleep on, but it was not

    terrible either. Back then, he bought the couch to lie on while he read himself asleep.

    Kendall knew nothing about what Anne was like. All she knew was to jog over to Rick''s side and

    take the things from him. "I''ll sleep on the couch!"

    "Why would I let you sleep on the couch? Are you stupid?" Rick''s one-handed index finger pressed

    on her forehead, and she could no longer take a step forward.

    Kendall''s mouth fell into an 0 shape and red at him. "Can''t you let me do something for you?"

    "Are you trying to scare me?" Rick liked this expression of hers quite a lot.

    There was a bit of grievance and mischievousness in her determination. It was very cute.

    Kendall became distracted all of a sudden. "How would I dare?"

    "I usually sleep on the couch. It''s fine." Rick put the sheets and the pillow on the couch. Because he

    had a lot of experience sleeping there, he arranged the sheets into a veryfortable U-shape.

    Then he pulled up the nket to cover the sofa.

    That way, he would bepletely surrounded by nkets, and he could snuggle like an animal in

    its den.

    Kendall was struck by this sight. "I want to try it out."

    "Go ahead." Rick let her do what she wanted.

    Kendally inside his nket. She made herselffortable and even rubbed her head against the

    nkets.

    When Rick saw her like this, he was inexplicably shocked. He wanted to sleep on the sofa so that

    he could curl upfortably. But because he had long limbs, he couldn''t snuggle the way Kendall

    did.

    He walked over and squatted beside her, gently stroking her forehead. "Kendall, you were too

    impulsive before. Why didn''t you discuss it with me?"

    "I..." Kendall knew that he was talking about kidnapping Sheryl.

    "With your personality, you should have told me. Why did you do it on impulse?"

    Kendall lowered her head. "If I said I don''t know the reason, would you believe it?"

    Rick smiled and bent over to kiss her between her eyebrows. Then he got up and took out his

    phone. Kendall was stunned by his kiss and stared at his back. Suddenly, she found the courage to

    get out of the nkets and hold him tightly, wrapping her hands around his abdomen. She hung on

    him like a ko.

    By that time, Rick had already dialed Charlotte''s number. Before he could speak to Kendall,

    Charlotte''s voice came from the other end, "Did you find anything out?"

    When Kendall heard Charlotte''s voice, she pouted. She let go of Rick and intended to return to the

    couch and snuggle there.

    Rick turned sideways and pulled her into her arms. "Yes. It was just as you thought. She doesn''t

    know the reason. She might not even remember dealing with Christopher and ine. She''s

    protecting ine instinctively."

    "Take her to have a look tomorrow. If everything goes well, we can talk to the court about this

    matter. I''m going to sue Christopher."

    "Why Christopher?" Rick frowned.

    "ine has to be hurt for everything that she has done. I won''t let her go so easily." Charlotte

    paused for a moment. "I''m not going to let her stay in jail and have the chance to repent."

    "That''s fine. You are bing more and more like Shane now."

    "I wasn''t like him at first, butter I found that I became more efficient if I was like him. Don''t worry,

    this will not affect the rtionship between Anne and me."

    Rick hummed in response. He lowered his eyes to look at the person in his embrace. After a few

    tries, he finally said, "Charlotte, what do you think of Kendall?"

    "When I found out that Christopher was hypnotizing you, I already stopped caring about what she

    does. As for why I brought her to you back then, Rick, take some time to look at her eyes. The love

    for you is written in her eyes. This is something that I can''tpare with no matter what," Charlotte

    replied with a smile.

    She didn''t like forcing others to do things they didn''t want to do. She used to trust Rick too. So it

    didn''t matter to her whether Kendall loved Rick or not.

    Instead of bing enemies, it would be better to make friends.

    Now that she had inexplicably changed into a matchmaker, it was really strange.

    "Alright."

    "Then I''ll hang up now. I think there won''t be any more changes. I''ll send you the addresster.

    Arrive before nine o''clock. I''ll buy you dinner with Shane after this."

    "Alright."

    They ended the call.

    Rick put the phone back in his pocket. He leaned over and looked straight into Kendall''s eyes,

    staring deeply into them.

    "What did you say to her?" Kendall wasn''t in a good mood. Her small hands grabbed the corner of

    his shirt, and she put on a sad face.

    "Nothing. I''m taking you somewhere tomorrow. Don''t think too much. Just go there and take a

    H

    nap.

    Kendall bit her lip. "Are you going to sell me out with Charlotte?"

    "Kendall, when you find a rare and valuable pet, would you sell it or keep it with you and enjoy it all

    the time?"

    He was not short of money either.

    Kendall answered after thinking for a while, "Of course I''ll keep it with me. If it''s rare and valuable, it

    would look good for me when I take it out." "I think so too."

    But what did this have to do with anything?

    Kendall was thinking about the connection between the two, but Rick grabbed her chin and pulled

    her into his arms. His lips covered hers. They were sweet, soft, and warm. He grabbed the back of

    her head with one hand and put the other hand to her waist. It was strange, but it was not

    ufortable.

    Kendall closed her eyes. Somehow, her eyes were full of tears.

    When Rick opened his eyes, he saw that she was crying. His eyes darkened and he gently kissed

    away her tears. "What''s wrong?"

    "Rick, is Charlotte okay with you liking me?"

    What kind of question was this?

    Rick bit her lip gently in punishment. "It doesn''t matter if she is okay with me liking you. It would be

    useless for her to dangle you in front of me if I don''t like you. I am my own person, not Charlotte''s

    possession."

    "But you love her."

    "That''s not important."

    Charlotte wasn''t his. Even if he loved her, nothing woulde of it. So why did Kendall need to

    bother if he did?

    Rick had gotten over it. Since he had decided to let go and had gone through those sad times, there

    was no point in feeling angry. There was no point in being sad.

    Kendall did not understand all this. She could only feel bad for Rick. She reached out to hold him

    and leaned into his embrace. "No matter who you love, I will still like you. I have a lot of time and

    energy. As long as you keep me with you, I will not leave."

    "What do you need to take care of a pet? Cat litter?" Rickughed.

    "I want luxury bags," Kendall added seriously. "I want the limited editions too"

    "After lunch tomorrow, I''ll take you shopping."

    Kendall''s eyes lit up. "Rick, are you nning to keep a pet?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 334

    Chapter 334

    "What else do you like except for bags?" Rick led Kendall to the sofa and sat them both down.

    "Lipsticks, cosmetics. Oh right, I came all the way here without bringing any of those things. Rick, I

    don''t have any money..." Kendall opened her eyes wide and grabbed the corner of his shirt. She

    looked pitiful and cute, and there was a hint of craftiness in her helplessness.

    "If you can guarantee that you will stay with me, I can buy all of that for you."

    It sounded like a business deal, but Kendall didn''t think that there was anything bad with that. In

    fact, she felt that it was pretty great. Rick will take care of her like a pet, and she''ll just stay

    obediently by his side. It sounded quite romantic too.

    As she thought this, Kendall nodded at Rick and said, "I can guarantee it. If you buy these things for

    me, I will never leave your side, I will never leave you."

    Rick smiled, a bit helpless. "You should know that''s not what I meant."

    "Then what do you mean?" Kendall blinked her big innocent eyes.

    At this moment, Rick was in a daze. Just now, he tried to step into Kendall''s shoes to try and

    understand her thoughts. He never thought that Kendall would not understand what he was saying.

    It was a mistake that everyone wouldmit. Everyone believed that, as long as they spoke, the

    other party was certainly able to understand. It was their own problem if they didn''t. This was how

    many misunderstandings happened.

    But he would never do this to anyone. His thoughts were his own. If the other party could not

    understand it, it must be because he did not use a method of exining that the other party could

    understand.

    As Rick thought about it, he chuckled. "What I mean is, between the Stevens family and me, you

    choose to let me take care of you."

    This was really a very annoying problem. In Kendall''s mind, she did not need to rely on anyone to

    take care of herself. However, when she remembered that she didn''t have any special skills, and

    that cosmetics were expensive, she immediately nodded seriously. "I choose you."

    "Why?"

    "The Stevens family can''t take care of me for a lifetime, but you can," Kendall answered logically.

    "Why can''t the Stevens family take care of you for

    a lifetime?"

    Kendall was confused for a second, but soon she shook her head. "I don''t know why I have thought

    this way. Actually, when I was very young, about thirteen or fourteen years old, I already had this

    assumptive. I don''t think the Stevens family will be there for me forever. My grandparents will die..."

    Rick reached out and rubbed her head gently. "I''ll die too."

    "That''s different. If they''re dead, they''re dead. If you''re dead, I can die with you."

    Kendall didn''t know how shocked and warm her words made Rick feel. He looked at her and had an

    impulse to kiss her for the first time.

    Perhaps humans were all animals who were unwilling to be lonely. Even though they''ve said

    thousands of times before that loneliness was not something to be afraid of, but as soon as

    someone showed even the slightest bit of warmth, they would give in immediately. It wasn''t because

    he liked Kendall, but simply because she showed him warmth.

    "Idiot, what are you talking about? Even if I die, you have to live well, don''t you know?" Rick touched

    her eyebrows and said with a helpless tone.

    "I know, but my heart will die with you. Once the heart dies, it doesn''t matter whether they are alive

    or not."

    "Do you really like me so much?"

    Rick really could not feel Kendall''s sincerity. Perhaps it was because she loved him too much, which

    made him feel like she didn''t know her own feelings, so she could only like him the way she thought

    she did.

    This kind of love was particrly childish for him. It couldn''t even be called love.

    Kendall looked at Rick and seemed to have sensed the meaning he wanted to express from his

    eyes.

    She opened her mouth and said, "I like you very much, I''ve liked you since I was young. I''ll like you

    no matter what happens. When I was young, I admired you. When I grew up, I wanted to hold your

    hand and even wanted to kiss you countless times. In short, I just wanted to be with you."

    "It doesn''t necessarily mean love."

    "But I never had this feeling with anyone else. Why isn''t this love?" Kendall was puzzled.

    Rick was speechless.

    He suddenly did not know how to answer.

    When it came to love, different people had a different understanding of it. No one thought the way

    that they loved others was wrong. And most people would think that only their own ideas of love

    were right. So ''What is love?1 was a question that could never be answered.

    However, there was a question that he could answer.

    "Kendall, although I don''t want to make you sad, although I am interested in you, love is a strong

    word, do you understand? It represents responsibility..."

    "I know, Rick." Kendall softly but firmly interrupted him. "I can be sure that I love you. I want to

    be a better person because of you. I want to be with you, and then be a better person

    under your wing. I want to proudly say that I am yours when you take me out."

    Rick sighed.

    They were not talking about the same thing at all.

    "I still have onest question, Kendall." Rick''s tone suddenly became unusually serious.

    "What is it?"

    "How long have you liked me? Or shall I say how long do you think that you''ve loved me?"

    To answer this question, she had to go back to when she was very young. Kendall thought for a

    moment and said, "When I first fell in love with you, I was seven years old. My brother and his

    friends all bullied me at that time. You told them not to bully me, and then someone threatened to

    beat you. And then, you calmly said something about arresting them or something. At that time, I

    thought you were very mature, very cool."

    "Afterwards, we were both in the same junior high school. I was so shocked. I didn''t know that you

    were only two years older than me. I always thought that you were much older than me."

    "After you graduated, I missed you all the time. During summer vacation, I saved some money and

    went to the city you moved to and stood outside the museum to see you. Of course, you didn''t know

    that I went there. I think I really started liking you during that summer."

    She threw caution to the wind and fell in love with him. It probably happened during those summer

    holidays.

    Rick didn''t know that such a thing had happened. When he graduated from junior high school,

    Kendall would have been in her early teens. She would not have been much older than 13 years old

    at most.

    "You came to see me alone?" Rick didn''t even dare to think about what would have happened if

    befell her back then. Maybe all this would not happen now.

    "Yes," she replied with a smile. "Aren''t I very brave?

    Back then, technology was not as developed as it is now. I spent a lot of effort on it."

    Rick took a deep breath and suddenly reached out to hold her in her arms. "Next time, no matter

    where I am or how far away we are, you just need to remember to stay there. I wille to you."

    Kendall felt that these words were particrly romantic. She nodded with a smile.

    After Rick arranged for Kendall to sleep in his own room, he went to the study alone.

    After he drank a lot of coffee, he couldn''t calm down. He could only go to the guest room to take a

    cold bath. But he still couldn''t calm down. His brain was very active, and he couldn''t stop thinking

    even thiste at night.

    He held his coffee as he stood in front of the French window, looking into the distance.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    Someone was knocking on the door.

    "Come in," Rick replied in a hoarse voice.

    The door was pushed open.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 335

    Chapter 335

    "Rick, I don''t think you and Anne are in a good mood today, so I came to ask after you." Braden was

    holding two cans of beer. "I didn''t find anything else at home. Is this okay or do you want to continue

    drinking coffee?"

    Braden was a very friendly person. He didn''t care whether Rick needed hispanionship or not.

    He simply sat beside him and opened a can of beer.

    Rick usually didn''t like this kind of person very much. Uninvited guests were very troublesome for

    him. But at that moment, he felt that Braden was being quite nice.

    He also sat down and picked up a beer. After he opened it, he did not drink it. "I forgot how long I

    haven''t had anything to drink. I think it''s been a few months. Kendall is very strict with me."

    "I know that you and Shane have always been at odds with each other. I''m his good friend, but

    you''re my brother- in-w. I''m not being biased when I say that Charlotte really isn''t a good match

    for you."

    "Is she a good match for Shane?" Rick asked.

    "That''s not the same. Let me tell you, Charlotte is definitely not a good match for Shane, but there is

    no other choice. They already have a child together. If the cute little girl pouts and cries, holding her

    father''s thigh and screams about wanting her mother, do you think Shane would be able to resist?"

    Braden smacked his lips. "If I had a daughter with Anne, I wouldn''t even want to bother with anyone

    in the Collins family. I''d live here with you every day."

    "Aren''t you living here now?" Rick couldn''t helpughing.

    "I will go home tomorrow," Braden said sullenly. "I may seem to care about you, but in fact, Ie

    here to talk about my sorrows."

    "What''s wrong in the Collins family?"

    Braden waved his hand. "Let''s not talk about such sad things first. Let me talk to you about your

    situation with Shane and Charlotte. Just tell me if you don''t want to hear it."

    No one had told him anything about Charlotte. Kendall herself still didn''t know anything either. It was

    impossible to count on her to say something useful. Anne was Charlotte''s friend, so she couldn''t be

    objective. As for the other people around her, only her assistant and Avery had a better rtionship

    with Rick. But the assistant couldn''t say anything because Charlotte was their superior. The

    rtionship between Avery and

    Charlotte was too good as well.

    That was why, even if they wanted to say something, they had to look at things from Charlotte''s

    perspective. It was really rare for them to analyze the situation from the perspective of him and

    Shane.

    "Of course I want to," Rick answered without hesitation.

    "From the beginning, Charlotte gave me the impression that she wasn''t someone to mess with. The

    way she looked in professional attire really stunned me. It wasn''t because of her good looks. I was

    honestly scared." Braden recalled that the first time he saw Charlotte. It was really shocking.

    The main thing was that, the time he met Charlotte for the first time was also when he met Anne for

    the first time. It was inevitable for him to think of them both.

    "Later, after we started to get to know each other, I thought she was very capable. Now I''m still

    unable to catch up with her. Not to mention, she works overtime even more than you and Shane.

    Don''t expect to wake up and get to eat any breakfast made by her. Wouldn''t your heart break for her

    once you hear her ask after you considerately?"

    Rick could not help but nod.

    Charlotte was indeed a very hard-working person. After they got engaged, she had thought of the

    Jane Corporation as her own and worked hard in thepany. So at that time, Rick had been

    moved by this but also felt very sad and depressed.

    He really hoped that she would not be so ambitious and put more focus on her private life so that he

    could still have a chance.

    "Then there was the thing with Christopher. Charlotte had a good rtionship with Christopher

    before. It''s as if she is a flower. If someone promises sunshine, then she can leave an indelible

    mark in the heart of that person. Tell me, if Shane and Sheryl didn''t exist and there was only Avery,

    who she met to help you, would you be jealous?"

    "I would." He didn''t even have to think before he answered. If Avery didn''t have Irena, he really

    would have suspected that Avery and Charlotte had some sort of rtionship.

    "Shane is slightly better than you on this point. He has a daughter with her, so he has nothing to

    fear."

    Rick nodded again.

    Since Shane had Sheryl as his trump card, he was not afraid that Charlotte would leave. After all,

    as long as he had his daughter wrapped around his little finger, she could get her mother back.

    "So just based on these two points, Charlotte is not a good match for either of you. But Shane is

    very smart. He let Charlotte handle thepany herself. That way, as long as Charlotte can''t solve

    a problem, she will have to find him. Therefore, he would have the upper hand."

    "But you are different. To put it bluntly, you need someone who can take care of you once youe

    home from work. Someone who treats you gently. Like a little rabbit."

    Rick was silent.

    He recalled the feeling of Kendall being by his side for the past few months...

    He really didn''t hate her.

    Even after she did such a thing to Sheryl, he still did not hate her. Did he really fall in love with

    Kendall''s lips? Was that why they kept being attracted to each other? He really didn''t think so.

    There were far more people who had softer lips than hers. The reason why he wanted Kendall to be

    by his side was that kind of sense of belonging. To put it bluntly, Kendall gave him a sense of

    belonging.

    "That''s why I really feel that it''s normal for you to have Charlotte. If I were you, I wouldn''t have been

    with her for so long. It''s very tiring." "Love is like that. It doesn''t matter if you are tired."

    "The prerequisite is that she has to love you."

    Rick suddenly had nothing to say. As long as Charlotte loved him even a little, he would not let her

    go. There would be no need for him to let her go.

    The two of them drank their beer in silence.

    Braden finished his beer quickly. He ced the empty can to one side and said, "Rick, I''ve always

    admired you guys. Regardless of whether it''s Kendall or Charlotte, I''m truly filled with admiration."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Don''t you think that they are too kind to you? Look at me. I can''t even enter the house if there is a

    fight at night."

    Rickughed at Braden''s words. He finally understood why Braden liked to drink with him after

    coming back. He wanted to chat and relieve his sorrows because he had nowhere else to go.

    Rick got up. "Come on, Braden. You should go to sleep."

    "You''re the best, Rick, but I''m telling the truth. Kendall is better than Charlotte. At least she''s easy to

    lie to, right?"

    Was she?

    Rick felt that he had never lied to Kendall.

    He walked Braden to the door. When he knocked on the door, Anne scolded him. When Anne heard

    that it was Rick instead of Braden, she stopped scolding and opened the door. He watched Braden

    standing in front of Anne and smiling cheekily. Anne was very angry. She pulled Braden into the

    room. Not long after, Rick heard the sound of an argument inside the room.

    He suddenly remembered what Braden had just said.

    Actually, Braden''s hidden meaning was that Anne was not a good match for him, but Anne loved

    him and he loved Anne, so they could be together.

    People had to look for someone they loved. Otherwise, they would look for someone who was a

    good match. If they loved each other, they should not let each other go.

    After he came to this realization, he realized that the path ahead was exceptionally clear.

    What was so-called love, to him, was something that could be had or not. It didn''t matter if he had

    love or not. He had gone through life with it, and also without it.

    So that''s why Braden said that Kendall was a good match for him.

    Rick felt unexpectedly sleepy when he returned to the study. He wiped his face with a wet tissue,

    got up, and walked to the bedroom.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Before he opened the door, the door opened by itself. Rick was stunned.

    A light shone through the crack of the door. Kendall was standing in front of the door. "Rick."

    She sounded like she was crying.

 Chapter 336

    Chapter 336

    Rick took a step forward and pulled her into his arms. "What''s wrong?"

    "I was sleeping when I found that you were gone. I was so frightened that I woke up. You really

    went away," Kendall said as she cried all over him.

    "Idiot, I''ve always been here." Rick patted her on the shoulder. "Go to sleep now."

    "Rick, I''m sad." Kendall looked at him with red eyes. "I''m so sad. Aren''t I helpless?"

    "You''ll be fine after some sleep. Go to bed."

    Rick spent another half an hour coaxing Kendall to sleep. This time, he did not walk to the sofa, but

    lay on his side on the bed. Kendall held his arm and fell asleep with him, listening to her breathe

    and smelling her scent.

    This feeling was not particrly good, but it was not bad. He didn''t dislike it, so it was good.

    The next day.

    When Charlotte yawned awake, Shane was still asleep. She washed up and went to the kitchen to

    make breakfast. When she was halfway through, she sensed that Shane had gotten up. She

    peeked her head through to look at him. "Shane, we are going to the psychiatrist today. Do you

    want to go with me or go to the office first?"

    "Your office or mine?" Shane gave her a very cold look.

    "Aren''t you more hard- working than I am?" Charlotte was impatient. "Actually, it doesn''t matter if

    you don''t go. All the employees know what to do. They can solve their own problems."

    What kind of false assumption was this?

    Shane did not know about the ng and memes used on the Inte. He only thought that this

    logic was... not logical at all.

    By the time Shane finished washing up, Charlotte had already prepared breakfast. After the two of

    them ate together, they went to the garage together.

    Charlotte sat in the passenger seat and took out her phone. "Rick said they''ve already left."

    "Alright."

    "If Kendall was also hypnotized by Christopher, can we sue him now?" Charlotte asked.

    "After the business with the Stevens family is done, we can."

    Charlotte nodded, "Let''s deal with Christopher first. This time, he''s crossed your bottom line. We

    can''t just let him do whatever he wants. Who knows what he will do next."

    Shane was looking at the road. "I don''t know what my father would think."

    This was really a good question. After she thought about it for a long time, Charlotte couldn''t

    imagine what Shane''s father would think.

    He seemed to have maintained his family well. He seemed like he had both fame and fortune, and

    he even had two women at the same time. But in fact, his two sons were at each other''s throats.

    Sometimes life was just about conflicts.

    Soon, they stopped in front of a psychiatric clinic.

    Rick and Kendall were waiting. Kendall was wearing a pink sweater and a white beanie on her

    head, which made her look very cute.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but lower her head and look at herself. She wore a typical ck dress and a

    coat. She looked elegant and mature, but she also looked old-fashioned and mean.

    Sometimes, she was really envious of such a stylish woman as Kendall.

    She had been pregnant during her youthful years, and then she worked hard to support Sheryl. She

    had never lived such afortable life before like Kendall had.

    "Do you need me to go in with her?" Rick looked at

    Charlotte and Shane.

    "You know the process as well. If you feel like it''s necessary, just go in with her. If you think there''s

    no need then don''t," Charlotte said.

    "Then I''ll go with her."

    Charlotte nodded. "Let''s go."

    The doctor had already prepared all the instruments. When he saw that Rick was here, he said,

    "Avery is not here this time, but Mr. Jane is here instead."

    "This is my girlfriend." Rick introduced Kendall to him.

    The doctor was shocked and said, "This person is so vicious."

    Indeed.

    "It''s really vicious."

    The culprit had hypnotized Kendall and Rick at the same time.

    The two of them went into the operating room for an examination. Charlotte and Shane could only

    wait outside for the results. Shane brought aptop with him and wasmunicating with Peter

    about thepany''s matters. After all, the press conference was imminent, so they had to deal with

    it first.

    When they were almost done talking, Peter suddenly said, "Mr. Fuller, I found some information

    today. It says that the Stevens Corporation has been taken over. The mainpany''s shares went

    down nearly 14%."

    "Did Avery make a move?"

    "I asked Mr. Hart for verification as soon as possible. It''s not him, so I think you can take this

    opportunity to ask Mr. Jane about it."

    Did Rick buy the Stevens Corporation''s stock?

    "That''s his style." Shane didn''t intend to ask. If it wasn''t Avery, then the only person who would do

    such a thing was Rick.

    Peter licked his lips and said, "I think so too. We haveid a trap for a long time now. This means

    that even if the hypnosis can affect him, it won''tst for too long. Do you want me to investigate the

    reason why he and Kendall are still dating? What if... we must stay on guard. What do you think,

    Ms. Emerson?"

    Peter knew that Shane would definitely get him to investigate, but that wasn''t necessarily the case

    for Charlotte. That was Rick they were talking about.

    However, what he did not expect was...

    "Investigate," said Charlotte.

    "No," Shane said.

    The two of them hadn''t discussed it at all. They opened their mouths to speak almost at the same

    time.

    When he heard them speak, Peter was dumbfounded. Charlotte also turned her head and looked at

    Shane, "It wouldn''t hurt to investigate it."

    "So there is no need to investigate."

    "It''s not too bad to make sure. How about this? You can have Peter investigate a little. Let''s see

    whether Rick is actually being good to Kendall or is making use of her. Then, we can also judge

    how much effort to put into dealing with the Stevens family."

    Peter nodded repeatedly. "I understand. Don''t worry, Ms. Emerson."

    When the two of them were almost done talking with Peter, the door of the operating room opened.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Detecting and dispelling hypnosis were a piece of cake. There was no need to involve a scalpel or

    anything like that. The examination was only for safety.

    The doctor took off his mask and said, "There are signs of hypnosis, and they''re very deep. I have

    already removed it for her, but she may not recoverpletely so quickly. You can try to ask her

    about her memories." "Thank you." Charlotte handed a check she had

    prepared to the doctor.

    This doctor was different from those from the hospital. He ran this whole clinic. Usually, he only

    provided private services, and he only covered psychology.

    "Miss Charlotte, you''re too kind." The doctor took the check. "I''d like to thank you for helping me

    complete the charity fundraising that would take a year in just a few days. I''ll give you a receipt

    later."

    "Alright, I trust you." Charlotte paused for a moment before continuing, "Whenever you need

    investments or charity funds, you can see us."

    The doctorughed. "I know. I certainly won''t be too shy to ask for your help."

    At this time, Rick and Kendall also came out.

    Kendall needed Rick''s help to walk. She was in a very numb state.

    "Kendall, are you alright?" Charlotte stepped forward and supported her other arm.

    After they made sure that Kendall had been hypnotized, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

    Otherwise, in the future, if Rick really ended up together with Kendall, Charlotte would never want to

    see the two of them again no matter what.

    Kendall turned her head in a daze and nodded at Charlotte. "I, I''m fine. You''re... Charlotte. You''re

    here too."

    "Is there something wrong with her memory?" Charlotte looked at the doctor and asked. "Rick

    wasn''t like this before."

    "Mr. Jane came early, and he has a stronger sense of awareness, so it''s easy for him to get rid of it.

    Unlike her, who will take a longer time to recover," the doctor said.

    Rick immediately said, "I can take care of her."

    When she heard this, Charlotte found it funny. She shook her head helplessly, "Rick, who else can

    take care of her if you don''t?"

    Rick seemed stunned by what he had said too.

    He hugged Kendall and said, "I will take good care of her."

    He definitely would.

 Chapter 337

    Chapter 337

    At noon, Avery came to meet up with the three of them. After he heard that Kendall was hypnotized,

    he did not talk to Kendall anymore. He acted as if Kendall did not exist. In any case, he really did

    not have much to do with Kendall. At most, she was just his ''rival in love''.

    Kendall gradually became more clear-headed, but her movements were still slow and lethargic. She

    did not have the vitality that she used to have.

    "I n to take her to the mall to buy some daily necessities in the afternoon. What do you think?"

    Rick asked.

    "Then I can''t join you for sure," Avery said bluntly. "We are going to break up tonight, how can we go

    shopping together in the afternoon? What''s more, with Kendall with you, the Stevens family will

    definitely be watching you."

    Rick nodded in understanding.

    "It''s not convenient for us to go to the office in the afternoon either," Charlotte said. "I won''t disturb

    your time together. I need to help Anne with the weddingter."

    "That''s fine."

    Rick looked at Kendall beside him. Now she could eat by herself. Rick didn''t know if she was doing

    it on purpose, but it seemed like Kendall was very quiet. You barely noticed her at all. It was as if

    she was blocking herself off from the world.

    Soon after, the meal was finished, Charlotte looked at the messages sent by herpany''s staff.

    She found that there was something wrong with the negotiation group. After she said goodbye to

    Rick and Avery, Charlotte left.

    "Then I''m leaving too." Avery looked at Kendall. The words that he wanted to say were on the tip of

    his tongue. In the end, he swallowed them down.

    "Thank you for your hard work," Rick said.

    "What hard work have I done? I just came here to see what happened. As for you... you''ll be in

    trouble in the future."

    Kendall blinked at Avery and couldn''t help but grab Rick''s sleeve. She didn''t want to trouble Rick.

    Rick patted her shoulder as if tofort her. He turned to Avery. "This is the best thing for now."

    "Is this the so-called responsibility of men?" Avery couldn''t help butugh.

    "Maybe, I don''t know."

    Kendall''s issue waspletely strange to Rick. He didn''t know how to face Kendall at all. He just

    barely learned how to get along with her.

    In the afternoon, Kendall felt very tired, so she did not go to the mall with Rick. Instead, she

    returned home.

    That night, Rick left home to attend an event.

    Today, he was going to perform his and Avery''s massive break-up.

    There were many Brine celebrities at the scene of the event.

    Charlotte and Shane didn''t attend. Instead, they sat in a private room on the second floor and

    looked through the thin ss to see what was going on downstairs.

    As they watched the familiar and unfamiliar people move about, Charlotte felt dizzy. She raised her

    hand and rubbed her eyes. "Why are there so many people?"

    "Some of them are here to watch the show."

    "Watch the show?"

    "I called them here."

    Charlotte giggled. "You''re really mean."

    "Mean?" Shane gave her a sidelong nce. "Please be careful of what you say."

    Charlotte thought for a moment then raised her eyebrows. "You are such an *ss. You are wicked

    and bored. Which do you prefer to hear me say,

    Mr. Fuller?"

    Shane leaned to one side and pinched her chin. Then he pulled her into his embrace. "It seems that

    I''ve spoiled you too much."

    "Is that so? Why don''t I feel that I''ve been spoiled by you?" Charlotte raised her chin. She was not

    afraid of him at all. "I asked to see Sheryl, but you wouldn''t even take me. I suspect that you''re

    trying to ruin my rtionship with Sheryl."

    "It takes a full day to go and see her. What, isn''t it nice to spend time with me? You want to spend

    even more time with me?"

    "You and Sheryl are different. Don''t you want to see Sheryl?"

    "I already have her mother."

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment. Then her cheeks started to turn red. She lowered her head

    and said, "Shane, you''remitting a crime."

    "What kind of crime?"

    "It''s theft. You''ve stolen my heart away."

    Although those words were a little cheesy, they were really what she thought. She really felt that

    what he said just now was too provocative, which made her cheeks burn hot.

    Shane smiled and let go of her hand. He leaned calmly against the back of the sofa, crossed his

    arms and ced them on his abdomen. He looked coldly at the hall on the ground floor and said, "I

    asked them toe here to stress Rick out. The more people are here, the more realistic his acting

    will be."

    "You''re only worried about Rick. Aren''t you worried about Avery?" Charlotte asked.

    "Avery? He''s so pissed off with Rick at all, he won''t give Rick a chance."

    "I thought he had a good rtionship with Rick?"

    Charlotte was a little confused.

    "You''re so naive."

    Shane was toozy to say more, so Charlotte had to follow his logic to think deeper. After half a

    minute, she had a sudden realization. "I understand. You are talking about Kendall. Because Rick

    and Kendall are together, it will be difficult for Avery to deal with the Stevens family."

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    "It''s just a facade."

    "Then..." Charlotte really didn''t understand. What else could cause Avery to hold a grudge against

    Rick?

    "Rick''s attitude towards the Stevens family is not clear. He will not side with Avery because of you

    and me, nor will he side with the Stevens family because of Kendall. What Avery hates is Rick''s

    indecisive nature. He clearly knows that the Stevens family is hostile to him, but he lets the situation

    be worse and worse."

    When she heard this, Charlotte became silent. It was not that she wanted to justify what Rick did.

    But in the current situation, wasn''t it better to stay this way instead of ruining everything with the

    Stevens family like this?

    She asked tentatively, "If it were you, what would you do?"

    "I would marry Kendall as soon as possible and take over some of the Stevens family''s assets. In

    one or two years, I can make the Stevens family copse."

    "Isn''t that slower?"

    "You think we can be fast now?"

    Shane''s question made Charlotte unable to answer. She originally thought that dealing with the

    Stevens family was a very simple task, but after thinking about it carefully, she also dealt with

    Christopher and ine step by step. She started from their transportation to their products. She

    worked on them for months before ruining them.

    It was indeed difficult to decide the oue of an enterprise overnight.

    More and more people gathered in the hall on the first floor.

    The clock slowly ticked over to seven o''clock in

    the evening.

    Rick arrived.

    At 7:40 p.m., Avery entered the hall with a male partner. The other man was handsome, almost as

    handsome as Shane. However, he seemed more other-worldly. He was handsome but unburdened.

    He seemed to be someone in the entertainment industry.

    "That person looks a bit simr to you," Charlotte told Shane.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes, he really looks like you. Look at his facial features. You look maybe 70% alike, but the

    difference in your carriage is too great. He only looks handsome," Charlotte said regretfully.

    To her, someone''s carriage was a very important thing.

    When Shane stood among a crowd, wherever he looked, no one dared to look him in the eye. But

    the man that Avery brought was different. Although he looked cold and indifferent, there was no

    killing intent in his eyes. Instead, there was a weakness in his eyes.

    This kind of gaze was very easily ignored. It was also because of this that, when Charlotte saw him

    for the first time, she felt that this man couldpare to Shane.

    But after she looked for a long time, she felt that he was just so-so. Shane was more handsome.

    "Cole, find out more about that man."

    "Understood," Cole answered.

    It only took a minute for Cole to get Shane and Charlotte the information.

    He was a new name in the entertainment industry. His name was Kale Marsh. He was very low-key

    and was very youthful and sunny. However, it was said that he had a lot of financial support backing

    him. Charlotte had seen him on TV many times. His acting was only decent. But because of his

    appearance, he had quite a lot of fans.

    "What''s the rtionship between Kale and Avery?"

    Charlotte asked curiously.

 Chapter 338

    Chapter 338

    Cole took out a photo. "It''s said that Kale and Avery''s sister used to be students together. They had

    a good rtionship. When Kale first debuted, Avery also took care of him. I don''t know why Avery

    brought him here this time. Mr. Fuller, is this your idea?"

    "He''s just here to attract attention." Shane put Cole''s phone aside and said, "Well done."

    "Indeed, since he brought a celebrity with him, it''s likely that many people will notice him..."

    Charlotte finally reacted.

    Even if he brought Kale with him for other purposes, this purpose was inescapable.

    During their conversation, Avery and Rick had already bumped into each other. The two of them

    chatted and drank as they had in the past. Suddenly, Avery threw the ss in his hand. Charlotte

    could see that Rick was clearly stunned. She did not think that Avery would fall out with him so

    quickly.

    The noise downstairs was so loud that Charlotte could clearly hear Avery''s roaring voice. He was

    saying...

    "You were at the scene when my sister had an ident in Brine. Why didn''t you tell the others

    where she went? Why didn''t you dare tell thew? What are you afraid of? How dare you bring it

    up!"

    Rick''s face was nk. There was nothing he could do but feign ignorance.

    Charlotte and Avery had always shared information. So she was very clear on the fact that the

    group of people who had dealt with Avery''s younger sister did not include Rick. Otherwise, Avery

    would not have been friends with Rick for so long.

    However, he chose to break off all ties with Rick with this excuse, which showed his determination

    to do so...

    Once his sister and Irena were mentioned, it would be impossible for him to turn back. This was

    something that Charlotte knew better than anyone else. Avery wanted to use his sister and Irena to

    remind himself that he could not forget his objective.

    "I used to treat you as a friend, but I didn''t expect that you hid this kind of thing from me. If I hadn''t

    asked you today, how long would you keep it from me?"

    Then Avery burst into tears.

    His crying was honestly a little scary. Even Charlotte didn''t expect him to cause such a scene.

    Shane looked at this scene with a sullen face. Charlotte understood Avery, but she didn''t know how

    relentless Avery was. Although he didn''t know Avery, he could understand his behavior.

    Avery needed a way to vent his emotions. Whether it was Rick or Kendall, he just wanted to shout

    about the unfairness he had suffered. Coincidentally, this opportunity was in front of him.

    Some people began to try to stop them from fighting. The noise increased and the ce became

    even more chaotic.

    The reporter Shane had arranged for rushed into the hotel. Shane stood up. "Let''s go."

    Charlotte still wanted to watch. She stood up and left through the side door. Before she left, she

    turned around to take another look. No one hade out of the hotel. Everyone was left behind at

    that absurd event.

    It was fine that Shane''s men didn''t leave, but why didn''t the rest of them leave?

    Maybe people just didn''t have any empathy. They couldn''t share their pain and sadness, so they

    wanted to watch others fall on their faces, to watch others suffer and relish it with joy.

    After they returned home.

    Charlotte couldn''t calm down for a long time. She sent several messages to Avery, but he didn''t

    reply.

    It was the middle of the night. She was very sleepy, but she couldn''t fall asleep no matter how hard

    she tried. Her mind was unusually clearheaded. She looked at the TV in a daze. She was obviously

    very tired, but she couldn''t close her eyes.

    Suddenly, her phone rang and she shivered. When she came back to her senses, she picked it up.

    "Hello?"

    "What''s wrong? Are you so worried about me?" Avery''s voice came from the other end.

    "Are you alright?"

    "Hey, why don''t you tell her if I''m okay?" Avery seemed to have handed the phone to someone by

    his side.

    "Lottie, it''s Rick."

    "Why are you still together?"

    "It''s a long story. We''re here to see Shane now. I have a piece of good news to tell you, by the way.

    Rather, it''s good news for you."

    Charlotte sensed that something was wrong when she heard this. Any good news that involved her

    could only have to do with the Emerson Corporation. Did something happen with Christopher and

    ine again?

    Charlotte wanted to ask, but Avery took the phone again. "Lottie, it''s a littleplicated. The point is

    that we''ve seeded. There''s someone who wants to cooperate with me. Guess who it is."

    "Christopher?"

    "Hahaha. I knew you were going to guess him. Actually, it''s not him, but someone else."

    "It can''t be..."

    "ine thought that Christopher was about to lose. Then she saw that I had a quarrel with Rick and

    thought that I had nothing to do with you. She thought that even if Rick was with Kendall, he would

    be against you. So, she said that she is going to cooperate with me. What do you think? Are you

    surprised?" Averyughed out loud after he finished speaking.

    This was the best news she had gotten recently.

    When she heard this, Charlotte also felt that ine''s logic was incredible. Not to mention she was

    the one who had brought Avery back to Brine. Even if she wanted to seek cooperation, she should

    investigate the rtionship between Avery and Charlotte, right?

    The rtionship between her and Avery was reallyplicated. Their rtionship was so

    complicated that it wasn''t necessary to get a professional to investigate it. If you inquired about it in

    their circles, you would get a good idea of it. Why would ine still cooperate with Avery? What was

    going on in her mind?

    "I can''t ept her thinking." Charlotte voiced her opinion.

    "Something went wrong with her logic."

    Avery finished speaking andughed. Charlotte couldn''t help butugh as well. After that, she heard

    Rick''sughter too.

    After a while, Avery and Rick came to the car. He pressed the button on the key fob and opened the

    door. He got into the car with Rick. "We''re in the car, Lottie. We''ll talk about it after we arrive at your

    house."

    "Alright."

    After the call, Charlotte didn''t feel sleepy anymore. After she told Shane about it, she began to cook

    a midnight snack. After all, it might take a long time to talk about it. They wouldn''t be sleeping for a

    while. She made some cookies. Since it was sprinkled with chocte chips, the smell was very

    fragrant.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    After making some tea, the doorbell rang.

    Charlotte wiped her hands and opened the door.

    Avery held arge bouquet of roses in his hand. "I heard from Shane that you like this."

    "You''re in such a good mood today that you want to buy me flowers?" Charlotte took the bouquet.

    "And this one." Rick brought forward a cake.

    Avery revealed his other hand, which held a case of beer. It seemed that he was going to get drunk

    tonight.

    After a while, Shane came out of the room. He wore a pair of sses with a gold frame and held a

    book in his hand. Based on the cover, it looked like it was in German.

    The four of them sat down at the table. Avery ced the food on the table and Charlotte also

    brought over the cookies. Once everyone was done eating, it was already eleven o''clock. Rick''s

    phone rang.

    He answered it. "Hello?"

    "Rick..." Kendall''s voice came from the other end. She seemed to be crying.

    "What''s wrong?" Rick''s voice softened.

    "It sounds like Kendall," Avery said.

    Kendall sniffed. "When are youing back?"

    Rick frowned and looked up at the clock. "I''m not sure when I''ll be home tonight."

    "How did you know it was Kendall?" Charlotte asked curiously.

    Rick often used this type of voice to talk to her, so she did not sense that there was anything wrong

    with it. However, Avery understood better than anyone else, so he only gave her a mysterious smile.

    Now, Charlotte was even more puzzled. She lowered her voice and said, "Avery, tell me properly."

    Kendall heard Lottie and Avery''s voices and guessed that Rick was busy. She looked down at her

    legs and then rubbed her stiff cheeks. "That''s all right then. I just wanted to ask. I miss you. I''m

    going to sleep now."

    "Alright. Rest well."

    The call ended.

    Kendall looked at the dark screen and buried her head in her arms.

    Better. She could still be better.

 Chapter 339

    Chapter 339

    After discussing the uing n with Shane, Rick was the first to leave. He was not so sure why

    Kendall wanted to see him. If it was something important...

    Rick left as soon as they finished discussing. He was in such a hurry that Avery looked at his back

    and joked, "This guy said that he wanted to marry me. Well, I''m all alone now."

    "How wonderful is that?" Charlotte couldn''t help but think of the first time she met Kendall. She

    sighed and said, "How nice would it be if our rtionship can remain the same as when we first

    met. Kendall is a good fit for superficial friendship."

    "You''re too tolerant of her." Avery didn''t think that things would be that simple.

    "I''m not too tolerant of her. I''m more tolerant of myself."

    Avery shrugged.

    Charlotte could say whatever she wanted anyway.

    Rick returned home. The whole vi was dark without lights. He walked to the bedroom and pushed

    open the door. It was dark inside too. Thinking that Kendall might have fallen asleep, he did not turn

    on the lights and nned to walk to his desk to turn on themp. But after a few steps, he felt

    something soft on the tip of his toe.

    He frowned and squatted down. When he was about to reach out to touch it, he heard a series of

    shaky breaths.

    "Kendall?"

    Rick called, but no one responded. He immediately turned around and switched on the lights.

    On the floor, Kendall was curled into a ball. The corner of her forehead and her arms were all

    wounded. Her clothes were in tatters, and there was an obvious cut on her abdomen. Rick''s breath

    hitched in his throat. He took her into his arms and shouted, "Kendall! Kendall!"

    She had already lost consciousness and did not respond. Rick immediately called the ambnce.

    Fortunately, there was no traffic at this hour, so the ambnce arrived shortly.

    Kendall was carried onto the stretcher. After some time of emergency operation, she was finally

    safe. Rick was dead tired when he sat in the hospital. He didn''t know how to face Kendall, and he

    didn''t know how to face Anne either. He was afraid that

    Anne was involved in this.

    After more than ten minutes, Kendall slowly regained consciousness. The pain in her body made

    her tremble with fear.

    "Kendall?"

    When she heard the familiar voice, her tears streamed down at once. But she stubbornly turned her

    head away and did not look at him.

    Rick didn''t dare to touch her. He could only extend his hand and wave it in front of her. "Are you

    awake?"

    "No."

    "Dummy, tell me what happened. Who did this to you?"

    "I fell on my own," she answered in a muffled voice.

    "How long are you going to cover up for Anne?"

    Kendall instantly felt wronged. She turned around and stared at him with red eyes. "I want to go

    home..."

    "Let''s move to another ce to live, okay?" Rick stroked her forehead gently, his fingers touching

    her bangs. "I''ll rent a house, just for you and me."

    "Really?" Her eyes suddenly lit up.

    Rick nodded. Gently, he touched the wound on her cheek with his fingers and asked, "Why didn''t

    you dodge?" "Because I''m stupid."

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    "There were more than one person, right?"

    Kendall felt that her lies were useless. She lowered her head and whispered, "Anne and her friends

    came to our house, but I didn''t know. They saw me when I went downstairs to get some juice, so

    Anne called me over. When her friend heard that I was Caleb''s sister, she... Anne actually stopped

    her, but her friend was too crazy."

    "What''s her surname?"

    "Abril Medina. I think so." Kendall tried to recall. "I didn''t think too much. I thought maybe it was just

    because of my brother''s love affair. Then I wanted to hide upstairs. But, she called a lot of people to

    come over. Actually, Anne and I called you, but you didn''t pick it up. So Anne ran out to look for you

    after that."

    "Why didn''t you tell me when you called me?"

    Kendall smiled awkwardly. "I thought that you had something important to do, so I dismissed the

    thought. I originally wanted to call Anne and tell her that I felt a little ufortable, but I had no

    strength."

    The doctor did say that her injury didn''t look serious, and there was no need for her toe to the

    hospital in the first ce. But the unfortunate thing was that her internal organs were a little injured,

    so the signs didn''t appear at once. She didn''tment on this point. Maybe it really had nothing to

    do with Anne.

    Rick''s knitted brows rxed slightly when he heard that Anne had nothing to do with it. "Are you

    sure Anne didn''t hurt you?"

    "I''m sure. Anne isn''t that evil," Kendall exined.

    Rick nodded, and he took out his phone to contact Anne. When Anne heard that he was in the

    hospital, she immediately asked in an anxious tone, "How is Kendall?"

    "You still have the guts to ask me?"

    "Rick, I didn''t know that Abril is a psycho. I owe an apology to you and Kendall for this. You can

    punish me however you want, but first, you''d better tell me where you went. Braden and I have

    searched all the ces we could think of. We''re in the waiting room at the airport now."

    There was indeed the sound of nes taking offing from the other side of the phone.

    Rick massaged the space between his eyebrows and said, "You''ll know tomorrow when you watch

    the news. Now you..."

    "I''lle over right now," Anne interrupted him. "I''ll be right there."

    Toot, toot, toot-

    Anne immediately hung up the phone. Rick didn''t say anything more. He sent the address to her

    through text.

    After a while, Anne arrived at the hospital. Kendall fell asleep again. She was lying on the hospital

    bed, appearing thin and pathetic. Anne felt bad for her. No matter how much she hated Kendall, she

    never wished death upon her. And she looked so small and pitiful, even a little cute.

    Anne dragged Rick to the hospital''s corridor and said, "Braden has sent someone to keep an eye

    on Abril. Do you want to punish her first or me first?"

    "You''re my sister." Rick shook his head helplessly. "Kendall said that you didn''t hit her and even

    helped her to find me. It doesn''t make sense if I me you."

    "Rick, it''s my fault. But I can also see how awful the people from the Stevens Family are to

    outsiders. Do you want to..."

    "Then I''ll make them shut up."

    This was the first time Anne had seen a murderous look in Rick''s eyes.

    His lower eyelids were slightly tightened upwards, and there seemed to be frosty winds and snow

    from the mountains hidden in his pupils.

    Anne had a hunch that the Medina Family might end up in bad shape, but was it worth it because of

    Kendall? The Medina family wasn''t that easy to deal with...

    Anne tentatively said, "Rick, do you want to think about it again?"

    "Of course I won''t do it on my own."

    "Then..."

    "I would definitely pass this favor to Shane and Charlotte."

    Would Charlotte defend Kendall against injustice?

    Anne quirked the corners of her mouth and said, "Rick, why would you think of letting your

    exgirlfriend help your current girlfriend?"

    "It''s not about girlfriends, it''s about..."

    "Shane told me." Braden suddenly opened his mouth to speak. "You pretended to fall out with

    Avery, and then he hid the trading contract between Charlotte and Avery. So generally speaking,

    Shane and Charlotte are standing by your side to resist Avery."

    Rick nodded. "There''s nothing more suitable for me to be allies with the Stevens Family than

    defending Kendall."

    "The most terrifying thing is to turn your enemy into an ally." Braden sighed. "This trick of yours is

    really..."

    "As long as it works."

    Indeed.

    Anne did not leave. She followed Rick into the ward. At this time, Kendall had already woken up,

    and she was staring at the ceiling.

    "Kendall." Anne came to her bedside. Looking at the person on the bed, she felt very sorry.

    "Anne." Kendall turned around and smiled at her. "Thank you for today."

    "You didn''t even suspect me and thanked me first?"

    "There is nothing to suspect. Besides, even if you really asked someone to hit me, I can only ept

    it. Because I still like Rick, even though I don''t deserve him. I still don''t deserve him even if you hit

    me." Kendall said as she made a face.

    Kendall was different from Charlotte.

    Charlotte would never say something like that.

    Anne had been friends with Charlotte for a long time. So she naturally couldn''t stand someone like

    Kendall.

    But she also understood that she had to tolerate this person who her brother liked.

 Chapter 340

    Chapter 340

    Anne couldn''t like Kendall. Just like how some people would run away when they smelled durian,

    but some people couldn''t help but run towards it and hold it in their arms. These were things that

    nobody could control

    However, she wouldn''t allow others to hurt Kendall just because she was unable to like her.

    "Kendall, Braden and I have already looked for a house. Please take care of my brother." Anne''s

    tone was frigid.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "I..." Kendall wanted to say that she was the one who should leave, but when she came to think of

    it, if she left, Rick would go with her too. Rick''s gentle character made it impossible for him to sit and

    do nothing when she was hurt to this extent.

    So this time, Rick would definitely stay beside her and take care of her. Kendall bit her lower lip,

    lowered her head, and said, "Thank you."

    "Rick, I am leaving with Braden first," Anne said and paused. "Kendall, I will never regret helping

    you to look for my brother all over the world today, but I will never regret pping you either. I won''t

    ept you, but that won''t stop me from helping you."

    Kendall nodded slightly and continued to ask in a determined manner, "But, I actually don''t

    understand why you pped me..."

    "Other than me, my brother doesn''t have another sister. You can call him whatever you want in front

    of others. But calling him your brother in front of me would only make me feel like you are asserting

    dominance over him in front of me."

    After Anne finished her words, she left with Braden.

    Kendall believed in this exnation, but Rick really didn''t expect it to be that simple. He always

    thought that Anne was doing it to vent her anger for Charlotte.

    However, if she thought about it ording to Anne''s logic, she was standing from the perspective of

    a little sister to protect her own brother, which was her personal view. Maybe a small part of her did

    it for Charlotte, but it was only a tiny part.

    Anne was herself first, followed by the daughter of the Jane Family, then Rick''s younger sister, and

    finally all kinds of social rtionships.

    Rick might have learned a lesson from his own sister.

    He bent over and put his slender fingers on Kendall''s face. "I will work with Shane to deal with this

    matter. Do you know how to answer if your brother and father ask you about it?"

    "Yes!"

    "That''s good."

    The sadness that had long settled between Rick''s eyebrows caused Kendall''s heart to ache a little.

    She reached out and gently touched the space between his eyebrows. "Rick, I won''t cause you so

    much trouble in the future again. Don''t be sad anymore."

    He was not worried for her.

    Rick couldn''t tell her what he was feeling. Because even if he did, she wouldn''t understand it.

    The next day.

    Caleb and her father came to the hospital to visit Kendall. As Kendall expected, they did not care

    much about her. They kept emphasizing how Rick didn''t protect her and what he should do in the

    future. Half of their discussion was rted to thepany.

    Kendall didn''t know how to interrupt them. She could only hug her body and curl up inside the

    nket alone.

    She was afraid that Rick would abandon her because of this. She was afraid that she couldn''t be

    with Rick anymore because of this.

    "I see," Rick said those words with a polite smile from the very beginning until the end.

    He didn''t care how much profit he would offer for the Stevens family.

    In the end, the Stevens family had to be destroyed anyway.

    While everyone was chatting, the assistant ran in and delivered a message, saying that the Medina

    family had beenpletely pressured by Shane. Shane''s first action was to immediately team up

    with market investors, devalue the Medina family''s funds, and sell them quickly.

    They bought them at the original price, then sold them again when the original price had dropped.

    Once this magical operation reached an irredeemable closing loop, their stock price would copse

    sooner orter.

    "Shane...How could he still have so much power now?" Caleb sneered, "He doesn''t even have NC

    anymore. How could any investors possibly be willing to join forces with him?"

    "ording to my investigation." The assistant took out the prepared documents and continued,

    "Shane didn''t lose NC but left NC with thepany''s stakeholders. To put it simply, NC is only an

    empty shell now. Shane took away the capital flow."

    Caleb knew how daring this operation was and how cooperative the investors would have to be. He

    really didn''t know that someone in this world could actually do that.

    He took the document, and his face looked paler and paler. "Father..."

    "Hmm." Rnd nodded his head seriously. "It seems like it was a right choice not to be his enemy

    on the outside. Bring Kendall to apologize to them if you have time."

    "Okay, father."

    Kendall found thatughable all of a sudden.

    At that time, Charlotte wanted to lock her up in prison, but the Stevens Family was the first to say

    that they would save her and wouldn''t let anything happen to her. She was so moved back then that

    her hatred toward Charlotte and Shane grew bigger and bigger in her heart.

    However, after witnessing the Stevens Family''s true colors, she gradually understood that the

    Stevens Family only used her as a shield so that they could sessfully enter Brine and invade

    Jane Corporation.

    But when she looked at Charlotte and Shane the other way around, they wanted to imprison her so

    badly, but the reason was that she had indeed done something wrong. After learning that there was

    someone else behind the scenes, they didn''t pester her and let her go instead. They just became

    more careful at protecting their own daughter.

    It was easy to differentiate good and bad when youpare two matters.

    At that moment, Kendall really wanted to apologize to Charlotte with sincerity.

    If she hadn''t treated her like an enemy in the beginning because of Rick, the two of them would

    have be great friends. In this way, she wouldn''t have pped Charlotte, wouldn''t have got

    beaten by Shane, and wouldn''t have kidnapped Sheryl either.

    If, it was only if.

    If Shane and Charlotte could stand on her side, wouldn''t it be easier for her to date Rick?

    Why did she treat them as enemies during that time?

    The more Kendall thought about it, the more foolish she felt.

    After Rnd and Caleb left, Rick obviously looked a lot more tired.

    "Your brother wants to bring you to meet Charlotte to test the reaction of you two. He wants to see if

    there''s any reconciliation going on between you and her. You can pretend to be stubborn and act

    like you don''t want to apologize or don''t want to get in touch with them. Both are fine." Rick''s voice

    was already a little hoarse. He definitely spoke too much today.

    "I understand."

    Kendall held his hand dearly and said, "Rick, it''s all my fault. If only I..."

    "Don''t say such stupid words. At this point, no one is innocent."

    Kendall hung her head low.

    "But Kendall, just like I asked you before, do you choose to be on my side or the Stevens Family''s

    side? There''s not much time left for you to make a decision."

    She needed to make a decision as soon as possible.

    Otherwise, once... She would definitely be affected.

    "Rick, I won''t change my answer. I don''t want to change it either," Kendall said in a low voice.

    Rick nodded and replied, "Okay."

    She wouldn''t change her answer, nor would she ever change it. She wanted to be together with

    Rick, and only him.

    Rick was going to tell her that after she got better, he would buy her those pet necessities to let her

    keep them in the vi, but his cellphone rang. He could only swallow his words and pick up his

    phone.

    The word Avery shed across the screen.

    It was rare for Avery to give him a call after they''d purportedly ended their friendship.

    They said they would keep their acting perfect.

    Originally, he and Avery hadn''t called each other for a while to avoid being seen by outsiders and

    being called out. He didn''t expect Avery to call him so soon.

    "You don''t have anyone beside you, do you?" Rick picked up the phone.

    "No." Avery''s voice sounded very deep. "Are you and Kendall free? I''ll go and find you."

    Rick nced at Kendall. Her injury was not serious. In fact, she could be discharged from the

    hospital now. He only let her stay in the hospital just in case anything happened. If he had to answer

    Avery, he was actually free.

    "What''s the matter? I''ll ask her."

    "I want to drink, Rick. I want to drink."

    Avery''s voice was choked with sobs.

    Rick was stunned.

    What happened to him?

 Chapter 341

    Chapter 341

    Kendall knew her body very well. She also knew that she could get up. If her body wasn''t in pain,

    she could get up. Moreover, it was Rick who would be drinking with Avery, not her. There wasn''t a

    big difference between sitting there or lying on the hospital bed.

    So she nodded when Rick asked her. When they arrived at Avery''s house, they realized that there

    were a lot of people there.

    Charlotte and Shane were both wearing earphones. One was sleeping with earphones, while the

    other was monitoring the foreign stock market. Because of the time difference, Shane would

    normally look at foreign stocks at night.

    If he wanted to get thetest information, the best way was to stay upte. Otherwise, everything

    would have been outdated when he woke up the next morning.

    Peter and Zoe were sitting opposite them. Rick and Kendall had seen the two of them before, but

    there was one man that Rick hadn''t.

    "This is..."

    "A new staff I recruited. He was having dinner with me, so I figured I would bring him over," Peter

    exined.

    Rick nodded. He looked around for a while and asked, "I don''t see Avery. Where is he?"

    "He went to the wine cer to get some wine," Peter exined again and paused. "He seems to be

    in a terrible mood today. I tried to find out why but realized that Avery had deleted all the information

    about him in Brine before I did, so..."

    Rick nced at Kendall, who was next to him. If he guessed right, the reason Avery asked him to

    bring Kendall here when there were so many people around him was probably because of

    something rted to Kendall''s father or brother.

    Momentster.

    Avery walked out of the basement. He put the sparkling wine on the coffee table. By using one of

    his magic tricks, he took out a lemon from nowhere. Then, he picked up a knife and carefully cut the

    lemon. His eyes on the lemon as if it were a piece of treasure. Other than Rick, Kendall could also

    notice that he was behaving out of character.

    Which sound person would cut a lemon until their eyes turned red? It wasn''t even an onion.

    Rick and Kendall sat down on the sofa. He ced a thermos cup in her hands and said, "You can''t

    drink alcohol. Drink some water. I''ll ask Avery for it."

    "Okay."

    Kendall nodded obediently.

    Rick walked to Avery''s side and patted him on the shoulder. "What''s wrong with you?"

    Avery turned around and was about to push him away, but he didn''t realize that he was holding a

    knife. Rick''s pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately stepped back. His finger blocked the

    knife as he stepped back once again.

    The knife created a wound on his finger.

    "Mr. Jane!"

    Zoe immediately stood up.

    This incident caused Shane''s eyes to shift to the two of them. Charlotte, who was sleeping, opened

    her eyes too.

    For a moment, the whole living room was quiet.

    "I''m sorry." Avery continued to cut the lemon.

    Rick knew that he wouldn''t get an answer if he kept asking Avery now. He got up, casually took a

    napkin to wipe his finger, and then chose to sit beside Shane.

    Shane took off his earphones and said, "We found out something today. Caleb did something to

    Irena that year..." "Do you have any evidence?" "There''s a witness." Shane paused and added, "He

    even thrashed the witness."

    Charlotte, on the other side, yawned and took off her earphones at the same time. "And you all are

    probably familiar with the witness. It''s Abril Medina. In order to make her speak, we only gave her a

    hard time. We didn''t threaten her to death."

    Kendall also looked up all of a sudden. "What?"

    "During that time, your brother kidnapped more than one woman and locked them up in a house.

    And then..." Charlotte didn''t finish her sentence.

    What could a young and strong man do by locking up so many women? What else could he do?

    If it was not for some messed- up scientific experiment, it could only be a sex dungeon.

    That was why...

    Irena and Avery''s younger sister couldn''t endure the trauma andmitted suicide.

    "That beast!" Rick gnashed his teeth in anger.

    "How could my brother... No, that''s exactly what he would do." Kendall didn''t even try to exin for

    his brother.

    Before she came to Brine and was still at home, her brother and father had treated her very well.

    They always bought her delicious food and drinks. But now, she realized that they treated her so

    well only because they wanted to exploit her in the future.

    They wanted to turn her into a knife, so they constantly honed her. Now that the knife was useless,

    they naturally wouldn''t treat her the same anymore.

    "The point is not why Caleb did it. Instead, it''s the fact that the Stevens Family covered up for him.

    Back then, not only Irena but someone else had even lost their lives on the spot. We also obtained

    a video from the Medina Family. We were afraid that Avery''s mind would go mad, so..." Charlotte

    sighed.

    They could only work at Avery''s house to keep himpany.

    As for asking Rick toe over, it was Avery''s own idea. After all, there were so many people here

    already, so he felt that it wouldn''t be wrong to invite more people over.

    Rick looked at Avery, who was still cutting the lemon. A sour feeling welled up in his heart, and he

    said, "What do you n to do about this? Do you need my help?"

    "Anne''s wedding ising soon. We have to get rid of Christopher first. I don''t want to give him any

    more chances to stab people in the back." Charlotte said seriously, "I''ve been nning for a while

    now. I want to reim Emerson Corporation through honest means, but it''s toote now..."

    Now, the Stevens Family and Christopher were in the middle.

    If they were sluggish, there was a high chance that a wave of unimaginable despair would erupt.

    The wave of despair might note for her. After all, everything was operating normally in her

    company, but she didn''t want people around her to be affected.

    Besides, except for Shane and Rick, Avery had helped her the most along this journey, so she

    couldn''t just sit by and do nothing.

    "All right," Rick replied. "Now that I think about it, Anne''s wedding will be held in just ten days."

    That was right.

    There were only ten more days left.

    Originally, Charlotte had wanted Anne to have a peaceful wedding, but now there was no better

    way.

    Everyone was silent for a moment.

    Rick went back to Kendall''s side. Shane continued to look at stocks. Charlotte put on her earphones

    and closed her eyes as she leaned on his shoulder. Zoe had also sat down and continued to

    discuss technology-rted topics with Peter. The other man also resumed work on hisptop.

    Avery was still cutting lemons. The lemons had been cut into small strips and then into small cubes.

    Rick pursed his lips and wanted to say something to him multiple times, but he felt that whatever he

    said would only be pointless.

    After a while, Avery put down the knife, ced the lemon cubes into a ss, and poured sparkling

    wine into it.

    He drank it in silence. Everyone apanied him in silence.

    A scent of despair filled the air. Kendall felt like she couldn''t breathe under this kind of stifling

    atmosphere. So, she gently buried her head in Rick''s arms.

    Rick patted her on the shoulder and whispered to her, telling her that there was nothing to be afraid

    of.

    She was not afraid.

    She just couldn''t get used to it.

    Fortunately, Kendall fell asleep after a while. Peter took out a pair of earphones and handed them to

    Rick, indicating that he should put them on Kendall. After Rick thanked him, he helped Kendall to

    put on the earphones.

    "Don''t just let me drink on my own. You all should drink too."

    Avery was already a little drunk. He began to walk around with sses in his hands.

    Fearing that he might bump into them, everyone immediately got up and held him.

    He was surrounded by friends.

    They were all his new friends.

    Avery looked at them and suddenly burst intoughter. This voice was deafening and made their

    hair stand on ends.

    "Avery," Charlotte said worriedly.

    "Hey, Lottie. You know, before I came to Brine, I didn''t have friends at all. From my family to the so-

    called circle of friends, I didn''t have a single person who could talk to me. Do you know?"

    Charlotte sighed, "I know, Avery."

    "All these years, I went through everything on my own, all on my own..."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    No one knew how much he suffered.

    No one knew how painful it was for him to face the truth.

    And no one cared about it.

 Chapter 342

    Chapter 342

    It wasn''t easy for him to have someone by his side now.

    Avery looked at all these familiar faces and felt that his life was way too dramatic.

    "Back then, when no one listened to me, I thought that I must take revenge. I must find out the truth.

    And I will go wherever I want after I''ve cleared their names. I don''t want the family''spany and

    all that." Avery suddenly hugged Shane and continued, "But now that I have someone who listened

    to me, and I''ve also discovered the truth, what should I do?"

    It felt like he was speaking incoherently, but in fact, it was a portrayal of Avery''s inner thoughts.

    In the past, when he was alone and in pain, there was hope. If he wanted revenge, if he wanted the

    truth, there was hope. But now, he had lost hope. He knew that even if he died, people would still

    oppose the Stevens Family. He also knew that even if he was gone, people around him would help

    him to avenge his sister and Irena too.

    So why did he still have to live and suffer here? He was distressed and tortured day and night. But

    when he finally received solid evidence, it was just another ride to hell.

    "Calm down," Shane only said two words.

    "Shane, why are you still alive?" Avery suddenly stared into Shane''s eyes and asked.

    "Because of responsibility."

    Who lived not for their responsibilities?

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    People who really wanted to die but didn''t dare to seldom think about themselves because they

    themselves had already been defeated by hopelessness. They had no hope for this world anymore.

    They desired to live, but it was too hard for them. They wanted to die, but they still cared about their

    parents and friends.

    They lived for the sake of their responsibilities.

    If only they lived for themself and for the life they dreamed of, their life would be so peaceful,

    beautiful, and sessful.

    Avery let go of Shane and copsed on the sofa. "I don''t have any responsibility anymore. I don''t

    have to be responsible for anything anymore. I don''t..."

    Avery fell asleep.

    They carried him into the bedroom, locked the window, and took away all the sharp objects.

    Honestly, that was all they could do. Because if Avery really wanted to die, he could smash his head

    against the wall on the spot.

    "Mr. Fuller, the man who adopted Olive called me today. He said that Olive was too smart, and it

    made them feel unsafe. I think..." Peter said softly.

    It would be better to find sustenance for Avery than letting him stay the way he was now.

    Shane was silent. He didn''t want to express any opinions on this matter. In the end, it still depended

    on Avery.

    Forcing him to adopt a child wasn''t necessarily a good thing.

    "After the incident with the workers, Ms. Emerson established a foundation that deals mainly with

    this matter. Many workers expressed their gratitude and hoped to see Olive again. It would be very

    convenient for her to stay with people we''re familiar with," Zoe added.

    Olive''s performance was outstanding. But because she was too outstanding, staying around

    ordinary people would stress her out instead. She might need an ingenious guide.

    "Let''s wait until Avery wakes up." Shane made the final decision.

    This matter could be discussed, but it shouldn''t be discussed by them.

    The next day.

    They unanimously agreed that it was the best idea to let Rick tell Avery about Olive.

    Charlotte and Shane would put too much pressure on Avery, making him unable to consider

    carefully. Although he was close with Peter and Zoe, there was always an inexplicable hostility

    between him and Peter. Moreover, Zoe and Irena looked almost the same. So, it was definitely not

    the best choice for her to convince Avery.

    Therefore, only Rick and Kendall, the couple, was left.

    ''Adopting a child?" Avery muttered to himself, "Let me see the child first. I would like to meet her."

    If he wanted to meet her, it meant that there was hope for change.

    Peter immediately went to pick up Olive and came to Avery''s vi.

    "Peter, that family doesn''t want me anymore. Is it because I''m too smart, or are they afraid of me?"

    Olive had grown taller. She wore a seat belt and curled up in the passenger seat. Her body was still

    slightly trembling.

    "They''re not qualified to be your parents." Peter''s eyes were still fixed on the road.

    "Then, why can''t you and Zoe adopt me?"

    "Zoe and I are still children ourselves. How can I take care of you? And Ms. Emerson already has a

    child. So this time, I will bring you to meet our friend."

    A friend of Peter, Zoe, and Ms. Emerson?

    Olive asked no more questions.

    She behaved smartly because she wanted to live in a good environment.

    Now that she could see their friend, perhaps she could live with them, which was the best way out

    for her. Therefore, it was better for her to be more obedient.

    Soon.

    The car stopped at the gate of Avery''s vi.

    Charlotte opened the door. When Olive saw her, she immediately threw herself into her arms.

    Charlotte smiled and caressed the back of her head before bringing her into the house.

    The first nce.

    When Avery saw Olive at first nce, he immediately believed that this child could be his

    sessor.

    In her eyes, he saw the ambition and desire that hecked. He didn''t know if it was an illusion or

    not, but Avery felt that this child looked a little like him. When he was a child, he was more graceful

    and looked more like a girl. Although the person in front of him was a little girl, she looked very

    heroic, like a little boy.

    "Come here," Avery said.

    Charlotte let go of her hands. Olive walked in front of Avery on her own.

    Avery looked at her. After a long time, he shifted his gaze to Peter and said, "I would like to adopt

    her, but I have a request. None of you can ask me about my education method."

    "Of course." Peter guaranteed.

    "As long as it''s legal, it''s fine." Charlotte was a little more considerate than Peter.

    After all, Olive was a girl. What if Avery whipped her...

    Avery nodded.

    He wasn''t sure what Peter and Charlotte saw in Olive. He only knew that he saw desire and

    ambition. Even though she was only a child, he needed someone determined like her to be by his

    side.

    He didn''t adopt her to find spiritual sustenance. He adopted her to create spiritual sustenance.

    What he wanted was not a child, but a kind of spiritual fire.

    No one understood, and there was no need for anyone to understand either. He was well aware of

    everything.

    After Averypleted the adoption procedure, he took Olive to her previous house to retrieve her

    luggage.

    Her previous family was more or less surprised to see that Olive had found a new home so quickly.

    After all, they had lived together for some time, so they already had feelings for her. They were

    worried that Olive''s intelligence would cause her inconvenience, and they were reluctant to hand

    her over to Avery at the same time.

    Under normal circumstances, Avery would have taken her away at the speed of light, but he did not.

    He just wanted to see how Olive would react.

    Olive''s attitude was frigid. Her previous parents even mentioned that she had grown cold after going

    out for a few days and asked if she was a little forgetful.

    About that.

    Averyughed mockingly in his head.

    Olive wasn''t forgetful. She knew better than anyone that this family treated her well. Too bad, she

    also knew better than anyone that this family no longer needed her. That was why she was so cold

    and aloof.

    Olive behaved distantly, so the family wouldn''t force her and Avery to have dinner with them.

    Back to the car.

    Olive stared at her bag. "What should I call you? Uncle, brother, or father?" she asked, her face

    devoid of expression.

    "I think I''m more like your master."

    Avery''s voice was extremely cold. "I will give you orders, and you must obey. You have three

    chances to make mistakes every month. So, if you can''t meet my requirements, I will immediately

    send you away. Do you understand?"

    Olive was stunned for a moment. Then, she broke into a smile and replied, "Yes, Master."

    She would rather be a puppet of the rich than rot in the house of the poor.

    She could definitely meet his requirements.

 Chapter 343

    Chapter 343

    After knowing that Olive had alreadypleted all the necessary procedures and that she would be

    able to live with Avery today, Charlotte''s heart was finally at ease. She was afraid that something

    messed up would happen during the process. It hadn''t been an easy journey for Olive. She did not

    wish to see her suffer anymore.

    Avery''s mood didn''t improve. He spent most of his time at home or thepany. Charlotte tried to

    ask him out a few times, but she didn''t receive any reply.

    The only good news was that theunch was a huge sess. Charlotte led thepany to receive

    Round A of investment, excluding Shane''s, which made the wholepany''s size doubled. After

    all, they worked in a traditional industry and couldn''tpare with the media industry. Although they

    didn''t earn much, they created a huge impact.

    At that moment, the case of the workers'' car ident was suddenly exposed. There were all kinds

    of news across the Inte and the newspapers.

    Charlotte was busy solving the problem, but she was still greatly bothered by the rumors. She knew

    that it was useless to avoid it, so she could only count on the media to make a statement.

    "Ms. Emerson, several mediapanies had reported the causes and consequences of the

    ident, but..." Peter''s face was unusually pale.

    These media loved to feast on rumors. By allowing an incident to go viral, they could obtain the

    poprity that they desired. Therefore, if any media was willing to issue a rification, it implied that

    thispany was the enemy of other mediapanies.

    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    In a situation like this, they would definitely gain more attention by watching than helping.

    "Let''s wait a little longer." Charlotte looked at thements on the Inte. She would be lying if

    she said she didn''t care. However, she had to wait for a suitable opportunity.

    And it must be ignited directly at once.

    At first, Peter wanted to say that there was no need for him and Charlotte to take care of that with

    Shane here, so she didn''t have to worry too much. She could just ask Mr. Fuller to help her.

    However, when he saw that Shane didn''t even look at him and Charlotte, he knew what was going

    on.

    This was an excellent opportunity for Charlotte to train herself. How could Shane, someone who

    loved her so much, directly protect her under his wings?

    If that happened, she wouldn''t be able to grow her own wings.

    "Ms. Emerson, what are you waiting for?" Peter decided to follow Charlotte''s idea as much as

    possible. Since Shane didn''t want to bother too much, there was no need for him to impose his

    ideas on Charlotte either.

    After a moment of silence, Charlotte raised the corner of her lips and said, "Today, they will enact a

    new decree. It''s rted to workce idents. I''m waiting for the order to be dered."

    This decree was actually very simple. Once an ident happened at work, if the boss and the staff

    had already reached an agreement to make a payment, then the staff would not be able to appeal

    for this matter again unless there was nopensation given or reparation paid from the very

    beginning.

    In other words.

    If anyone were still discussing that topic on the Inte after the decree was announced, they would

    be suspected of viting thew. Because she had alreadypleted thepensation for the

    ident, and the workers and their families had also epted it.

    Upon hearing that, Peter immediately went to search for information. He obtainedprehensive

    information on this decree shortly afterward. Looking at the words written on it, he marveled at

    Charlotte''s calmness in his heart.

    "Ms. Emerson, you already knew about this decree?"

    "No. I looked it up after the incident happened. So don''t worry now. Let''s wait for another five hours.

    We will definitely see the result in five hours."

    There were five hours left until the vast majority got off work.

    All they needed to do was wait a little longer.

    Two hourster.

    The new decree was dered, and the incident from Charlotte''spany rose to a higher level ��

    Was the new decree issued to help Charlotte Emerson specifically? Why did Charlotte Emerson

    have the right to ask the court to issue a decree for her?

    After such spections appeared, even if Charlotte didn''t go to thepany to solve it, the people

    in the office wouldn''t just sit back and do nothing.

    After all, it was a matter that threatened their reputation. It was a threat to the image of the entire

    country as well.

    Suddenly, all the victims of this incident began to disclose their stories. They had their own social

    media ounts and blogs. Countless articles were published. Marketing ounts and numerous

    mediapanies continuously reposted and shared.

    The threat to theirpany''s reputation was followed by the exposure of Charlotte''s personal

    history.

    The fact that she was Shane''s girlfriend, the former chief designer of NC, and had once tried her

    best to save Jane Corporation.

    All of this had been disyed to the public.

    "Honestly, if people like this want to exploit their power, we can''t do anything about it anyways..."

    Someizens'' attitudes were very pessimistic.

    "It''s no fun for this kind of person to abuse their power. Isn''t she already privileged?"

    "I heard that they''ve already paid for thepensation a long time ago. Charlotte and Shane were

    in the car too."

    A stone stirred up a thousand ripples.

    After hearing that Charlotte and Shane were also in the car, everyone investigated this matter like

    crazy. It was fine if they didn''t look into the details. Because when they did, they found out that a

    constructionpany was executing a project there during that time. A mistake urred during

    their operation while it was raining heavily, and that caused a mudslide.

    Besides, Charlotte and Shane had handled this matter very well in the beginning. They even set up

    a foundation for all the workers. It was also because of that that not long after thew was

    promulgated, the media was able to publish a big amount of news without even considering

    anything because many workers wanted to speak up forthem after all.

    So, why would someone bring up a matter that had already been taken care of?

    Why did the only test paper with unprecedented, full marks in a heap of exam papers need to be

    criticized?

    As they went on, the public finally discovered the truth.

    "They said that the constructionpany was investigated by the authorities because too many

    people died and got injured. The locals have been investigating it, so..." Peter looked at the

    information in his hands and didn''t know whether tough or cry. "They only wanted to use us as a

    shield."

    It was indeed a good choice to use public opinion to hide the truth.

    However.

    Charlotte smiled nonchntly and said, "During that time, Mr. Fuller asked me a question. He asked

    me if I needed him to help me promote the foundation because I was the one who paid the money.

    At that time, I said, no, not even one word."

    Upon hearing that, Peter sighed, "If it had been announced back then, perhaps all these wouldn''t

    have happened today."

    "Peter, if someone wants to harm me, then he''ll have to take action sooner orter. Shouldn''t I try

    my best to hide my trump card and retaliate with all my strength when he makes his move?"

    Charlotte asked with a smile.

    Peter really didn''t think of the stakes in this situation. However, as soon as Charlotte exined it, he

    understood. He nodded repeatedly and answered, "Ms. Emerson, I understand now."

    Charlotte flipped through the documents in front of her and checked the social media for a while.

    Now that she had made the final blow, there was nothing left for her to worry about.

    "Let the Public Rtions Department off duty. I''ll pay them overtime fees today except for those who

    left early," said Charlotte.

    "Okay."

    After Peter left, Charlotte finally dared to reveal the tiredness on her face.

    She leaned back in the chair, slightly closed her eyes, and allowed her hands to hang on both sides

    of the chair.

    "I''m so exhausted," Charlotte said in her head.

    "You''re tired already?" Shane walked up to her side. His fingersnded on her shoulders, and his

    fingertips gently massaged her shoulder joints.

    It was sofortable.

    Charlotte looked up and shook her head at him. "It''s much more tiring than I thought. The pressure I

    had to carry waspletely different from before. Sometimes, I don''t even know why you can do

    such a high-intensity job."

    "I''ve been like this since I was young."

    "Since young...This is truly a terrifying phrase," Charlotte sighed.

    If she had been like this since she was a child, she would rather dive into the Mustard River. Of

    course, she didn''t mean that she didn''t lead a hard life in the Emerson family when she was a child,

    but the strictness was mostly directed to the aspects of learning and hobby.

    Those things had a fixed road to follow.

    However, regarding the matter of starting apany, there were fixed roads too, undoubtedly. But if

    she followed them, she would have been close to bankruptcy. That was why she never dared to

    ck off.

 Chapter 344

    Chapter 344

    Charlotte had only rested for a while when the phone beside her rang. She woke up and picked it

    up. "Hello?"

    "Are you okay?" Anne''s voice rang out from the other side. She sounded very anxious. "I just

    finished moving in with Braden, and I saw your news on the Inte. What''s going on?"

    "It''s over already." Charlotte didn''t feel like exining too much. She just wanted to have a good

    rest.

    Anne was her best friend and the person who knew her best. So, she immediately stopped asking

    and just said, "I''ll give you the addresster. You cane with Mr. Fuller. Didn''t you say that you

    wanted to bring someone to meet me? You should bring them over too."

    The person she said she wanted to bring was Zoe. But such a big thing happened today, so it was

    impossible for Zoe to leave thepany. Judging from this point, she and Peter probably had

    something else to work on. Charlotte answered, "All right. Send me the address and time."

    "Okay."

    After the call ended, Charlotte directly called Zoe

    without even wanting to open her eyes.

    Zoe was a little excited when she heard that she was going to meet Anne. After all, she had only

    heard about her and never seen her before. Besides, she was honestly too tired to prepare dinner

    today. So without asking Peter, Zoe agreed to this matter.

    When she told Peter about it, Peter was surprised. "Today?"

    "Do you have something else to do?" Zoe asked, "If so, I''ll tell Ms. Emerson that we''re not going

    anymore."

    Peter really didn''t have other things to do. It was just that today was his birthday. However, very few

    people knew about it. He didn''t tell Zoe about it either. The reason was that he didn''t want her to

    take this matter too seriously and then mess up her routine.

    Peter thought for a while and shook his head. "There''s nothing else. Let''s go together. I don''t know

    which restaurant they''ll choose, but I feel like eating steak today."

    "Ms. Emerson and her friend... would probably choose a normal hotel, right?" Zoe guessed.

    The act of ordering a table of food at the hotel and then collecting the money ording to the table

    was the simplest way to treat people to a meal.

    Peter was slightly disappointed when he heard that but quickly replied with a smile, "The hotel isn''t

    bad either."

    He didn''t actually think that hotels were good, but he trusted the tastes of Charlotte and Shane.

    However.

    The address that Charlotte gave them was actually a small restaurant that the two had never heard

    of. The reason why they called it a small restaurant was that the restaurant had a unique name��In

    the ck Forest.

    This kind of name wasn''t mainstream, and it was normally the name of some hipster cafe, so...

    Perhaps they did serve steaks or something like that.

    The appointed time soon arrived. Charlotte and Shane were the first to arrive at In the ck Forest.

    The restaurant was built of ck ss. Other than the ck ss around them, there were only

    matte ck columns. There was no other decoration except for the two ceiling lights near the front

    door. This minimalistic and odd decoration sent chills down people''s spines.

    The main reason was that these lights could only illuminate a small part of its shape, and the rest of

    it waspletely enveloped in darkness.

    Humans, who were shrouded in darkness...

    Charlotte always felt that the things people hide were either extremely dangerous or extremely

    disgusting.

    "Let''s go in?" Shane looked at the person beside him.

    Charlotte''s leg became slightly wobbly, her stomach quivering.

    She had always been great at dealing withpanies that picked on her in the past. But in the face

    of these things that might have to do with gods and ghosts, she was not doing well at all.

    "Okay..." her lips trembled as she whispered.

    The two of them entered the restaurant.

    The scenery inside was slightly better, but the color scheme was mainly dark colors. ck and gray

    upied the entire space. Countless feathershaped lights seemed to float in the air, and the seats

    were Japanese tatamis. Therefore, they could tell that it was a Japanese restaurant.

    A Japanese restaurant that wasn''t decorated ording to the Japanese style?

    Charlotte was surprised too. After she reported Anne''s name, the waiter led the two of them into a

    private room.

    As they walked inside, Charlotte was shocked to discover that there were actually a lot of people in

    this restaurant. Outside of the private rooms, there were people at every table. Furthermore, the

    private rooms were all illuminated. Thus, she was able to conclude that there were practically no

    empty seats here.

    Unlike its dull exterior, the atmosphere inside was lively and elegant.

    The decoration in the private room hadpletely changed. The main colors were brown and dark

    green. Therefore, although it still looked dim, it gave off a warmer feelingpared to the outside.

    The waiter turned on the air conditioner and lights and handed them the menu with a smile. "We do

    individual orders here. The two set meals are 2100 and 3500 set meals. You can choose the menu

    you want ording to your liking."

    "We have six people in total, and all of us choose the 3500 set meal." Charlotte pointed at the menu

    as she spoke. "Do I order now?"

    "You can also use your phone to order. The QR code is here."

    The process of waiting was a little painful. Moreover, it was an individual order, so the proportion

    was smaller. Therefore, Charlotte and Shane immediately began to order. The others hadn''t

    reached anyways. They could eat first. It wouldn''t be considered as impolite.

    This dining method was quite good.

    Zoe and Peter came next. At first, they thought it would be something like a hotel. They didn''t

    expect it to be a Japanese restaurant. Peter became more excited now. After all, he could order the

    steak that he wanted to eat now.

    Soon, the food they ordered had arrived.

    "What''s wrong with Anne? She''s not the kind of person who doesn''t have a sense of time."

    Charlotte repeatedly looked at the clock, not knowing what to do.

    "Do you want to call and ask her?" Zoe asked.

    The idea of suspecting if others got hurt on the road wasn''t the best, but she could at least help her

    in case that really happened.

    Upon hearing that, Charlotte nodded and called Anne. A few secondster, the people on the other

    side picked up. "We areing soon. Please wait for a while. We''ll be there in five or six minutes."

    "Did you put on makeup today?" Charlotte teased and thought it was funny.

    "No, let''s talk about itter. It''s about my brother and Kendall."

    What''s wrong with Rick and Kendall again?

    Charlotte was curious, but she knew that Anne couldn''t exin it clearly over the phone, so she

    didn''t ask further questions.

    When Anne and Braden came, both of them seemed a little tired. Not to mention the make-up, the

    outfit that Anne put on was very casual too. Even so, one could still notice her elegance.

    Zoe took the initiative to greet Anne. From the faint calmness in Zoe''s eyes, Anne saw that she had

    a very simr side to Charlotte. She suddenly felt good about the person in front of her.

    Anne extended her hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Miss Watson."

    "Me too, Miss Jane." Zoe shook hands with her.

    After the two released their hands, Zoe naturally walked to the opposite side with Peter and sat

    down. She gave the seat next to Charlotte to Anne.

    This kind of thoughtful behavior undoubtedly left a better impression on Anne. Although Anne didn''t

    say it out loud, she secretly had high hopes for Zoe.

    "Let''s talk about your things first. My brother and Kendall''s matter isn''t that urgent." Anne put her

    handbag aside and grabbed Braden''s arm. The two leaned on each other sweetly.

    Charlotte automatically ignored her show of affection and handed the electronic menu to her. "You

    can see what you want to eat first. As for thepany''s affairs, Zoe and Peter, you guys are

    rtively professional in this aspect. You guys can tell Anne about it."

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Zoe and Peter were indeed professional in this aspect, and Peter was actually more professional.

    Therefore, it was Peter who led the conversation while Zoe assisted him.

    After listening to a round of news, Anne onlyughed bitterly and said, "Serve them right?"

    This was an online ng.

    It meant a person deserved the repercussions followed by what they had done.

    Upon hearing this, Charlotte smiled and said, "That''s right. It has really helped me earn quite a bit of

    poprity."

    She actually didn''t suffer too many losses in that case.

    "I''ve finished talking about my things. What''s wrong with Rick and Kendall?"

    Charlotte asked.

 Chapter 345

    Chapter 345

    Anne held the electronic menu and ordered the dishes. She said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "After

    you and Mr. Fuller dealt with the Medina family, my brother, that idiot, gave them another stab in the

    back, and it was a fatal stab. Now that the Medina family is no longer able to handle it, they will

    naturally take revenge. And who they thought of hurting was not you nor my brother, it was Kendall."

    "Kendall or the Stevens Family?" Charlotte focused on the key information. If it was Kendall, the

    situation would not be optimistic. But if it was the Stevens Family, everyone would be pleased.

    "It''s Kendall. If it were the Stevens Family, it would be fine. Maybe it''s because the Medina Family

    can''t touch the Stevens Family now." After ordering the meal, Anne handed the electronic menu to

    Braden, who was beside her, and continued, "Kendall and Rick went shopping. They were doing

    great at first, butter they were suddenly hit by a car. Rick was injured when he was protecting her.

    Then the two of them were sent to the hospital. And that was nothing. But then, the two of them

    decided to have a physical examination. Guess what happened?"

    "It''s fine as long as you don''t tell me that they are long-lost brother and sister," Charlotte joked.

    In fact, she didn''t think that Rick and Kendall would have any physical problems. At most, it would

    just be a farce.

    Anne scoffed and said, "It''s fine if that was the case, but it turns out that my brother''s stuff was too

    weak. After getting their reports, Kendall keptughing at him. Sheughed andughed until she

    choked herself, and everything got dyed until now."

    Everyone was silent. After a while, Bradenughed first. Peter was the second to crack up. Seeing

    that both of them wereughing, Charlotte couldn''t help butugh out loud. When Charlotte

    laughed, Zoe couldn''t hold back either.

    Now only Anne and Shane, who always had a sullen face, were notughing.

    Anne looked helpless, whereas Shane didn''t understand what was so funny about it.

    "She only choked herself. Why are you guysughing?" Shane said calmly.

    It was fine at first. Everyoneughed for a while and calmed down. However, Shane''s words made

    everyoneugh again. Theyughed until they were hupping loudly, their body swaying back and

    forth. When they finally calmed down again, they looked at Shane''s serious expression.

    Peter held back his tears, endured the pain in his stomach, and crawled over to Shane''s side. He

    leaned against his ear and said, "Mr. Fuller, the thing is..."

    After Peter finished exining, the corners of Shane''s lips slightly curved upwards.

    And that reaction made everyoneugh again.

    This matter itself was not funny indeed, and it sounded very twisted. However, once the twisted

    story had a dramatic ending, all the twists and turns would only be a joke.

    It was just like how the story of a hero saving the world was meant to be serious, but if the ending

    was that after the hero saved the world, he couldn''t flush the toilet, people would find it bizarre. This

    kind of strangeness would make people guess where the strangeness came from. They would want

    to know the logic in it, and then they wouldugh.

    What they thought was funny wasn''t that he saved the world or that he couldn''t flush the toilet.

    Instead, it was the fact that there was even a corrtion between saving the world and not being

    able to flush the toilet.

    Everyoneughed at the fact that it all started with the Medina Family going after Kendall but ended

    with Rick having a problem with his vitality.

    That was indeed a big farce.

    When Anne saw that they had finishedughing, she added, "We were dyed for more than an

    hour. That''s why we werete."

    "Your brother is a talented man," Peter sighed. "I always thought that Rick was a decent man."

    Braden responded disappointedly, "What''s the point of being decent when his chicken isn''t decent."

    "Have you seen it before?" Peter raised his eyebrows.

    Braden choked and immediately retorted, "Have you seen it before?"

    Peter spread out his hands and said, "I haven''t seen it before, so I don''t know if his chicken is

    decent or not. But you said his chicken is not decent, so you must have seen it before. Otherwise,

    why would you say that his chicken is not decent?"

    His chicken, his chicken, his chicken.

    That was the first time Charlotte was not able to hold back herughter. She pounded the table and

    laughed for a very long time. She mmed the table until she had no strength left before she fell

    into Shane''s embrace. She raised her head andughed so hard that her entire body was

    trembling.

    "I haven''t seen his chicken before. I''m not as dirty as you think."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Is it very dirty to have seen his chicken? Anne has seen his chicken," Peter said with an innocent

    face.

    Braden widened his eyes and screamed in disbelief, "What!?"

    At this point.

    Shane looked down at the person in his arms and smiled, revealing his teeth.

    Charlotte had always been a sucker for jokes. When she saw that even Shane was smiling, she

    couldn''t hold back herughter any longer. She grabbed onto his suit with all her strength, leaving

    creases on his cor.

    "Well, my brother raised a lot of chickens. He used to have arge chicken coop back at our old

    house. But Peter, how do you know that?"

    "I''ve investigated your brother before. He has the hobby of raising chickens. So I think there''s no

    way you haven''t seen your brother raising chickens."

    Braden was speechless.

    He finally understood.

    The chicken that Peter mentioned was the one that could be eaten, and the chicken he mentioned

    was...

    Braden didn''t feel like saying anything for a moment. The view of him being quiet was another funny

    scene in everybody''s eyes.

    Everyone was so happy while having this meal.

    When they were about to part ways, they were a little reluctant.

    "It was nice meeting you." Before leaving, Anne looked at Zoe and said very seriously, "I''m really

    relieved to have you by Lottie''s side. I''m a person who doesn''t have much ability and can only rely

    on my family. I can''t really help her. So, if she needs something and it''s not convenient for her to tell

    me, or if you need something, you can find me anytime. I have connections and money."

    "Miss Jane, thank you for your appreciation, but I think neither Ms. Emerson nor I will ask you for

    help. Even if we have to die, we must die proudly."

    Anne looked at her and sighed that the people in her life were all so strong to the point where she

    had a feeling that she shouldn''t exist at all.

    "We''ll leave first. Zoe, I''m really d."

    Zoe could tell that Anne was very sincere. She even emphasized that she was happy and grateful

    several times because she was afraid that Zoe couldn''t feel her sincerity. But Zoe didn''t know why.

    She thought that someone like Anne must have a lot of friends.

    On the way back, she told her doubts to Peter.

    Peter smiled and said, "Isn''t that easy to exin? She saw Ms. Emerson''s character in you."

    "Ms. Emerson''s character?" Zoe frowned.

    "I''ve told you before that Ms. Emerson can make it this far because she is a child of the Emerson

    family, and she has Mr. Fuller by her side. But you don''t, and the urgency you showed is simr to

    that of Ms. Emerson. Think about it, won''t Ms. Emerson''s friend be envious of you? Maybe she''s

    even a little jealous of you."

    Jealous of her?

    Zoe looked out of the window. "There''s nothing about me that''s worth being jealous about."

    "That''s exactly what made you even more worthy of jealousy. You had nothing, but you''vee all

    the way to where you are today." Peter reached out and patted the top of her head.

    Because they were at the red light, Zoe didn''t stop his action and allowed him to touch her head.

    Soon, the traffic light turned green and the car sped away.

    When they got home, both of them were exhausted. Zoe went to take a bath first. After the bath,

    shey on the bed and nned to scroll on her phone. She casually picked up the phone and

    entered the password. It was then that she realized she had picked up the wrong phone. It seemed

    like she was holding Peter''s phone.

    No wonder she couldn''t enter the correct password.

    When Zoe wanted to put the phone back, she identally caught a nce at a memorandum for

    today that stated, birthday.

    Peter''s birthday on his identity card was different from his actual birthday.

    He asionally celebrated the birthday on his identity card and sometimes his actual birthday.

    Zoe knew about it.

    But she didn''t expect his actual birthday to be today, and he didn''t mention it at all...

 Chapter 346

    Chapter 346

    Zoe wanted to ask Peter why he didn''t tell her, but she felt that he probably have his reasons. After

    several hesitations, she decided not to ask. She chose to ask him about his thoughts regarding his

    past few birthdays. However, he specially recorded his birthday in a notebook, which meant he still

    cared about it.

    Speaking of which, as her girlfriend, she was indeed quite ipetent. She didn''t even know when

    her boyfriend''s birthday was.

    After Peter finished taking a shower and returned to the room, he noticed Zoe was watching a

    video, which seemed to be about making a cake. Hey down beside her and leaned over to ask

    her curiously, "Why are you suddenly interested in making cakes?"

    "Isn''t there an oven at home? I want to make something to eat," Zoe said.

    "Why can''t we just buy it from the store?" Peter asked disapprovingly.

    "Making it on your own is more special. Think about it. If we can make our own cakes on either your

    birthday or my birthday, isn''t that particrly meaningful?"

    "We''re quite busy..." Peter still thought it was too much work.

    He didn''t tell others about his birthday because he thought it would be a bother. Especially with so

    many things going on in their lives, he still had to take time to celebrate his birthday. Just thinking

    about it made him feel stressed.

    Zoe felt that she could almost grasp Peter''s thoughts, so she stopped watching cake videos and

    changed to other videos.

    Peter ced his hands on the back of his head like a pillow and fell asleep soon. Zoe gave it a deep

    thought, and she felt like she was still a little apologetic towards Peter.

    Although it felt like he didn''t fancy the idea of ceremonies, she couldn''t help but feel a little

    apologetic in her heart now that she had found out. It was still fine if she didn''t know about it. After

    thinking about it for a while, she finally opened the chatroom with Charlotte.

    Zoe tapped on the keyboard with her fingertips and said, "Lottie, are you there?"

    "Yes,m.��

    Almost in a second, Charlotte replied.

    "I want to ask if you can do me a favor tomorrow?"

    A surprise for Peter''s birthday!

    Charlotte looked at Zoe''s message and couldn''t help squinting her eyes. That was a great idea.

    Moreover, she recently found a great dessert shop and wanted to buy some of their desserts to try

    out if she was free. And now Zoe directly gave her a chance.

    At this hour, most dessert shops had already closed. Charlotte had no choice but to make an

    appointment first. Since she had to work in the morning, she ordered the cake to arrive at around 11

    am.

    This way, it would be perfect for lunch and tea time.

    And she bought some flowers too.

    As for gifts, Zoe said that she would buy cologne and clothes, so she would just give them to him...

    Charlotte suddenly felt like there was nothing suitable for her to gift Peter, so she could only ask the

    man next to her, "Shane, I just knew that today is Peter''s birthday. I''m nning to make it up to him

    tomorrow. What should I give him as a present?"

    "Didn''t Peter just celebrate his birthday?" Shane frowned.

    "I heard from Zoe that his actual birthday is different from the date on his identity card..." Charlotte

    didn''t know much about this either.

    Besides, she didn''t think too much after hearing Zoe say that it was Peter''s birthday. She was only

    thinking about how to celebrate Peter''s birthday.

    Shane stood up and pulled open the drawer. He took out an emerald bamboo from the drawer and

    handed it to Charlotte. "I bought a present for him when I went overseas."

    Charlotte took the bamboo in her hand. The bamboo felt cold, which made her feelfortable.

    Even if it was just a piece of jade, it was still a priceless treasure, not to mention the way it was

    carved into a bamboo. It was very suitable for Peter.

    "This is your gift for him. I can''t take it from you, can I?" Charlotte felt it wasn''t very appropriate.

    Peter was one of Shane''s men after all, not her subordinate.

    "We''ll gift this together."

    "That''s too stingy..."

    "This bamboo can buy a house."

    Charlotte instantly felt that it was not too bad for the two of them to give a gift together. There was

    no need for too many presents. Yes, just like that.

    The next day.

    As soon as Charlotte arrived at thepany, she received a call from the flower shop. The florist

    said that they could start delivering flowers and asked when she wanted them to be delivered.

    Zoe decided to have it delivered at 12 pm, and the cake would arrive at 11:30 am. But she thought it

    would be okay if the flowers arrived earlier, so Charlotte moved the delivery time to 9 am. With that,

    not only could she spare some time to prepare, but she could also decorate the flowers if they didn''t

    look fresh enough.

    Soon, the flowers arrived at thepany. Charlotte and Shane took the flowers together and went

    upstairs in their exclusive elevator. Their action unbeknownst to others.

    Zoe also transformed the conference room into a birthday party. Now, she only needed to wait for

    the time to arrive.

    When Peter returned to his seat, he was suddenly given a note. He looked up and saw that it was

    his colleague who sat opposite him. There was only one simple sentence on it�� could you please

    help me to settle a document?

    The colleague was a fresh graduate. So there was practically no problem to help her, but she was a

    girl. If he were to help her, it wouldn''t seem very appropriate.

    He threw the note into the trash and ignored her.

    After a while, Zoe entered the office. Peter instantly stood up and walked to Zoe. "Zoe, are you free

    this afternoon?"

    "What''s up?"

    "I''m going to Avery''s house. Didn''t you say that you wanted to see Olive? Let''s go visit her together

    and help here up with a new name."

    "All right."

    Zoe walked back to her seat from Peter''s side.

    Peter sat down and thought that after taking Zoe to Avery''s house in the afternoon, he could also

    take her out for dinner. In the evening... He heard that there was a firework show around here, so

    he wanted to take her to see it and walk around a little bit.

    After all, they hadn''t had an official date in a long time. He wanted to take some time off work to be

    with her. After all, their job wasn''t that difficult.

    If everything went well, they could even get off work earlier than usual.

    At 12 pm.

    Zoe suddenly stood up and grabbed Peter''s arm. Before Peter could react, he had already been

    dragged away by her. They passed through the long corridor with a lot of doors and came to the

    conference room.

    Peter asked in confusion, "What''s wrong? Why did you take me to the conference room all of a

    sudden? Did Mr. Fuller or Ms. Emerson look for us?"

    Zoe didn''t answer and opened the door. In an instant, balloons and ribbons were dancing in the air.

    Charlotte sat on the table, holding her armsfortably and looking at the two of them. Shane was

    standing beside her like a pine tree. Although he was expressionless, there were a few ribbons on

    his shoulders, and that made everything look pretty.. Jolly.

    Peter was stunned for a few seconds and thenughed. "Are you guys cosying now?"

    "Happy birthday, Peter."

    Charlotte handed a rectangr ck box to Peter.

    Peter opened the box and found an emerald bamboo lying inside. He was slightly shocked, and for

    some unknown reason, his eyes welled. He said with a sob, "Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller, how did you

    know that it was my birthday?"

    "You''ll have to ask Zoe about this," Charlotte said with a smile.

    Zoe?

    Peter looked at the woman next to her in surprise. Zoe would never exin to him. Taking the

    wrong phone by mistake sounded like an excuse to inspect his phone. So she would never tell

    anyone.

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    Zoe ignored him and walked inside. She opened the box for the takeout and the cake and said,

    "Don''t ask. I''m Sherlock Holmes, alright. That''s why I know. Let''s have lunch and eat the cake. It

    would be a waste if we didn''t finish all this delicious food."

    "Zoe, did you investigate me?" Peter walked to her with a silly grin. If he had a tail, it would be

    wagging madly at this time.

    She was so nice.

    She was so, so nice.

    Even though it was a little strange for him to be investigated...

    He couldn''t believe that he would be investigated by someone one day. It was even his girlfriend

    who investigated him.

    It was indeed a little weird, but it was also quite sweet.

 Chapter 347

    Chapter 347

    Zoe slightly rolled her eyes. She never knew how to investigate people. She only saw it by ident.

    But how was she supposed to find a reasonable exnation for her action?

    After many considerations, she nodded her head seriously and said, "I investigated you, Peter."

    "Wow! You''re so nice. Did you investigate me just to give me a surprise? That''s so sweet. I love

    you."

    Peter was as happy as a child and didn''t seem to notice the problem in this matter at all.

    He didn''t notice it, but Charlotte had already discovered the problem in it. How could Zoe investigate

    Peter without the help of Peter? Moreover, it was not easy to investigate Peter''s birthday. The

    connections to his parents and friends werepletely missing. Even he himself couldn''t find out.

    How could Zoe investigate him on her own?

    But it was obvious that Zoe didn''t want to tell everyone the truth. After Charlotte was sure about

    that, she just pretended that she knew nothing of it.

    Zoe said what she wanted to say. She wanted to give Peter a surprise, and it was best for her not to

    ruin it.

    After eating lunch and the cake, Peter had no strength left to get up and leave. He only felt his

    stomach bulging from being too full. He was so tired that he just wanted to copse on the sofa and

    have a good sleep.

    "I''ll let you guys take leave in the afternoon." Seeing him like this, it didn''t feel right for Charlotte to

    continue being a heartless capitalist.

    "Long live Ms. Emerson." Peter raised his arms to express his agreement. "That''s awesome."

    "You can go out and have fun together," she said.

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    Peter nodded with a smile.

    To have fun was exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to take Zoe to Avery''s house too.

    In the afternoon.

    Peter and Zoe left thepany. Charlotte handled the remaining work by herself. Although there

    weren''t many things to settle, they were still heavier than usual work. It was already past seven

    o''clock when she finished almost everything. Only then did Charlotte have time to check her phone.

    The first message was from Anne. She invited her to take a look at the church and the wedding hall

    that the designer decorated in two days.

    Of course, Charlotte agreed. Anne would be getting married in a few more days, which was

    honestly pretty fast.

    When it was time to get off work, thepany''s staff left one by one. When it was past six o''clock,

    thepany was almost empty. Charlotte nned to get off work as well. She nced at Shane.

    He was still reading a book while listening to music.

    She had always been confused. What was so good about the book? Was it worth starting over and

    over again?

    Charlotte walked up to him and waved her hand in front of him.

    Shane took off his earphones and looked up at her. "Hmm?"

    "I''m done with all my work."

    "Let''s go home."

    "All right."

    Suddenly, Charlotte felt like this kind of life was quite nice too. It was like an old couple''s life. But

    she didn''t know when Sheryl coulde back to their side. She hadn''t seen that little girl in such a

    long time.

    Just when the two of them were seated in the car, Charlotte''s phone rang. She answered, "Hello?"

    "It''s me," Avery''s voice rang out from the other side. "Something happened."

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Zoe and Peter had a car ident on their way to my house. The information I could find was that

    this person is rted to the Stevens Family. It might be because of Zoe''s face." Avery''s tone was

    urgent with a hint of wrath.

    Charlotte was stunned. Her fingertips tightened around her phone as she asked, "How are they

    doing?"

    "They''re not in a good condition now. You''d better be mentally prepared."

    Be mentally prepared...

    Charlotte took a deep breath and said, "Avery, I don''t want to be mentally prepared. I can''t let

    anything happen to Peter and Zoe."

    Hearing that, Shane, who was standing aside, turned around and took the phone away. He put it in

    hands- free mode and ced it on the dashboard. "What''s the matter?"

    Before hearing those words, Avery and Charlotte both felt as if a big rock was weighing down their

    hearts. However, the moment they heard his voice, they felt more at ease. It was as if all their

    problems would be solved as long as Shane was involved in this matter.

    Avery told them what happened. Shane parked the car by the road and used his phone to send

    Avery a few numbers. "Contact these people and let them go to the hospital. Lottie and I will go

    there right now."

    "What about the Stevens family?"

    "Ignore them first."

    "Aren''t we going to sue them?"

    "If they can save Kendall, why would they let themselves be incarcerated?"

    Avery realized that he was asking such a stupid question. He sighed and said, "Sorry, my head''s not

    in the right ce today."

    "Rest well."

    After the call ended, Shane reversed his car and sped to the hospital Avery had mentioned.

    Two hourster, Rick received the news.

    Anne identally leaked it to him when he was chatting with her. When Kendall heard that this

    might be done by the Stevens Family, she instantly felt helpless. She had always thought that no

    matter how many things her brother and father had done, they wouldn''t do anything murderous. But

    they actually wanted to kill...

    "In the past, I always thought they were good people." Kendall looked at Rick, who was in front of

    her. Her voice was slightly choked with sobs.

    "You can still think that they are good people, and good people will do bad things. It''s not strange."

    Rick put his phone back in his pocket and ced his palm on Kendall''s head. "Go rest. I''ll go to the

    hospital. Call me if there is anything you want to eat..."

    "Rick," Kendall interrupted him softly. "Can I go with you?"

    "Aren''t you afraid of hearing harsh words?"

    Kendall bit her lower lip. Of course she was afraid, butpared to fear, she was more afraid that

    they would direct those harsh words to Rick, and Rick could only listen to them quietly. She took a

    deep breath and gently grabbed his hand. She did not answer his question, but her action was

    firmer than anyone else.

    Rick took her hand away and asked, "Do you really want to go?"

    "Yes, I want to be with you all the time."

    At that moment, Rick could vaguely guess Kendall''s thoughts. He could tell that she was afraid that

    he would be troubled by others, so she wanted to follow him.

    It was actually better for her to stay by his side. He wouldn''t have to worry that anybody else would

    be seriously injured without his notice. It was better to talk about it bluntly than to do something

    behind his back.

    "Stay by my side and don''t speak."

    "Okay." Kendall was overjoyed.

    Rick set off with Kendall.

    After getting in the car, Kendall kept kneading the hem of her shirt nervously. Seeing that, Rick

    didn''t stop her.

    It had already happened before, so it wouldn''t make sense to ask her to be positive.

    Soon, they arrived at the hospital.

    Charlotte ordered the other assistants to wait at the entrance of the hospital. Therefore, they didn''t

    waste too much time. The two of them soon reached the top floor.

    Avery''s face sank instantly when he saw that Rick came with Kendall.

    "I asked them toe." Charlotte grabbed his shoulder with one hand.

    "I don''t have any objection if you asked Rick toe over, but why is Kendall..."

    "She''s Rick''s girlfriend. Why can''t she follow him here?"

    Avery finally understood. Charlotte was clearly trying to defend Kendall. The corners of his mouth

    twitched as he turned around and said, "Alright, alright, alright. I won''t say anything more. I''m so

    done with you all."

    Charlotte smiled and said, "Every debt has its debtor. If you want to vent your anger, you can go

    look for Caleb."

    "If I can''t find Caleb, then can I vent my anger on his sister?"

    "Yes. I know where my brother is."

    No one had thought that Kendall would suddenly say such a thing.

    Charlotte looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "Did he tell you where he is, or can you guess where

    he is?"

    "I know where he is."

    Caleb didn''t tell him, nor did she guess it. She knew exactly where Caleb was.

    Avery was curious, so he asked, "Try to tell me where he is."

    Kendall took out her phone from her pocket and handed it to Avery. "I know that some of you are

    computer geniuses. They installed an app on my phone so that they can find me anytime. That is to

    say, as long as you reverse it, you will know where they are."

    Avery was speechless.

 Chapter 348

    Chapter 348

    "This is a very useful method. Do you really want to use it this time?" Charlotte reminded him.

    "Of course I won''t use it this time. Plotting murder is a big deal. It''s better to have a piece of

    evidence on your phone before negotiating with them and luring them to confess everything." Avery

    said as he nced at Kendall, "Of course, due to the number of people here, I can''t tell you the

    details."

    Kendall didn''t say anything. She gently pulled Rick''s sleeve and said, "Rick, can you help me get

    another phone number and buy another phone?"

    "Okay." Rick pulled her behind him and said, "Avery, take this phone if you need to. No matter once

    or twice, if things go wrong, I will tell Kendall to say that she''d lost her phone."

    "Yes, that''ll do. I will extract the app and then create an illusion that the phone is power-offed."

    "We won''t participate in this matter then." Rick didn''t know much about machines.

    "Kendall, take back the phone first and remove everything that was bound with the phone number.

    You can send it back to me after Rick has bought you a new phone." Avery passed the phone back

    to Kendall again. This time, he looked at her face without a trace of disgust.

    Kendall took the phone and nodded at him. "Okay, I understand."

    Avery pursed his lips, wanting to say something, but he didn''t.

    Kendall also stood silently beside Rick. She had already said what she should have said, done what

    she should have done.

    There was no way she could stop Avery from hating her. All she could do was to help him as much

    as possible if he needed help. She had already regarded herself as inferior and only hoped that

    they wouldn''t disregard her for the sake of her hard work. She hoped that they wouldn''t marginalize

    Rick too.

    Nobody could see through Kendall''s mind. However, even if she didn''t help, nobody would

    marginalize Rick. After all, he yed an important part in the n.

    Momentster.

    The door of the operating room opened.

    The doctor walked out and said, "The male patient is fine now, but it is unknown whether the female

    patient can wake up or not. We will have to observe her for a while."

    "Doctor, may I ask where is she injured?" Charlotte asked.

    "She had a serious brain injury, but the situation is quite optimistic. There are absolutely no

    lifethreatening signs. She only has to lie in the hospital all the time. I think all of you are her friends.

    Time is tight, as well as money. Do you want to inform their family members?"

    "No matter how much it costs or how many staff you need, we can afford it," Charlotte said as she

    took out a book. "Doctor, I know that you guys don''t ept gifts, but I specially asked my friend to

    find this book. I hope you like it."

    The act of gifting books could easily improve the rtionship between people. The doctor epted

    the book. When he looked at the book cover, he was delighted. To a neurologist, this book was

    simply a holy existence.

    "This book is not cheap. I''ll pay you back, is that okay?" The doctor held the book in his arms, not

    wanting to let go of it anymore.

    "My friend just took it out of the library. I practically didn''t pay any money, but you can pay me the

    delivery fee. It''s about four dors."

    "Thank you, thank you so much."

    The doctor knew that she didn''t care about money. In fact, he might not be able to buy this kind of

    book even if he had money. It would have been an insult to her kind intention if he had paid her the

    original price of the book.

    After learning that Charlotte and the others were not short of money, the doctor introduced them to

    various machines and directly ruled out the prices, only telling them the pros and cons.

    There was no such thing as the most expensive thing in medicine. A simple and efficient CPR was

    worth more than pure oxygen.

    Charlotte and Shane finally chose a machine for Zoe ording to the informationparison. The

    cost of operating the machine for a day was about 2,000 dors, which makes it 60,000 dors per

    month. That was just too much for an ordinary family to afford.

    However, 60,000 dors a month was nothing to Charlotte. When Zoe was present, a single

    contract she signed was worth a lot more than this sum of money.

    In regards to friendship, Zoe was worth it. In regards to ability, Zoe was even more worth it.

    By the time they were done, it was already nighttime. They had no choice but to let Charlotte and

    Shane stay at the hospital. After all, Avery had to go home and take care of Olive.

    "Actually, we can stay here too," Kendall suggested softly when she noticed that Charlotte was

    already worn out.

    "I''m afraid that you will kill Zoe." Charlotte''s tone was gentle, but the words she said were harsh.

    "Sorry, I..."

    "Kendall, you don''t have to be too harsh on yourself," Charlotte interrupted her. "Have a good life

    with Rick. Don''t let him down. It''s the best you can do for us. It''s not that we don''t want to treat you

    as a friend. The time just hasn''te yet."

    The time had yet to arrive. Was it because of the Stevens family?

    Kendall hesitated for a moment and asked, "What will you do to the Stevens family?"

    "Kendall." Rick frowned.

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    Fortunately, she asked that question in front of Charlotte and Shane. If she had asked that question

    in front of Avery, he would have shed a murderous gaze at her. After all, this question was quite

    provocative.

    He said that it was fine to plead for mercy or buy the dips. In short, anyone could ask this question,

    except for Kendall.

    Charlotte raised her hand to stop Rick. "When she thought of asking this question, it proved that she

    had already regarded herself as one of us. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have dared to ask this

    question."

    Kendall felt that Charlotte had read her mind, so she nodded lightly and exined in a soft voice, "I

    won''t tell anyone about this. I just want to know if that''s the case, what actions will you guys take?

    Will my older brother and father die? What can I do for you or them?"

    Charlotte looked at Kendall, who was in front of her and felt a little emotional.

    She was once that little princess who could do whatever she wanted. She was the one who

    kidnapped Sheryl but still acted self-righteous and obstinate.

    What a pity.

    Things could never go back to how they first met.

    "Firstly, how far we go depends on how far they would go. Secondly, what you can do for Rick is to

    quietly stay by his side and not cause him any more trouble. What you can do for us is to pretend as

    if you don''t know us. As for your older brother and father, the only thing you can do for them is to try

    your best not to enrage us, understand?" Charlotte''s tone was solemn.

    The words she said sounded simple, but it wasn''t an easy job to do everything ordingly.

    Kendall was deep in her thoughts as she listened. Then, she gently nodded. "I can do it. I don''t want

    to cause trouble for everyone." "Behave a little better when you''re with me." Rick sighed helplessly.

    "I''ve always been a good girl."

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. "Kendall, have you decided to be together with Rick? You''ve

    changed a lot. If you had been like this a long time ago, your rtionship with Rick would have gone

    much smoother."

    Kendall also felt a little emotional, but she didn''t show it on her face. She just nodded to her and

    said, "I have to be with Rick."

    There were no changes in Rick''s expression, but his body stiffened a little. Nobody had ever

    confessed to him like that before.

    Charlotte just nodded her head.

    Because of Rick, she was somewhat tolerant toward Kendall. She really didn''t bear to diminish the

    sense of worth of a woman who loved Rick when she had already left him.

    "Well, we''ll leave first," Rick said.

    "Alright. It''s fine as long as we''re here." Charlotte nodded.

    Rick looked toward Shane and said, "Mr. Fuller, next time I''ll definitelye and apologize in

    person."

    "No need to apologize. Keep an eye on Jane Corporation''s share price. Don''t always ask me for

    help." Shane didn''t even spare a nce at him.

    Rick smiled bitterly.

    Shane was obviously kind-hearted, but his words were really annoying.

 Chapter 349

    Chapter 349

    Kendall left with Rick. She was still thinking about what Charlotte had said. After a long while, she

    finally asked in a soft voice, "Rick, did Charlotte mean that if I don''t stay by your side, I would bring

    bad things to you?"

    "That''s not what she meant, but the idea is more or less the same," Rick replied.

    What Charlotte really meant was that he would eventually be enemies with the Stevens

    Family. If Kendall wasn''t determined enough to stand on his side, in the end, Kendall wouldn''t be

    able to keep either the Stevens family or Rick. However, if Charlotte said what she really meant, her

    words would upset Kendall.

    Therefore, Charlotte tried to exin to Kendall in simple words that as long as she didn''t stay

    beside him, he would lose everything. With this influence over her, Kendall would be more

    considerate when she took action.

    "I don''t quite understand, but I''ll try my best to listen to you," Kendall said.

    "All right."

    Rick didn''t say much. His gaze was far away. He, who had always been calm, was very enraged at

    the moment. Kendall followed him closely. She felt like she couldn''t breathe. She kept her head low,

    not daring to speak. She knew very well that it was her brother and father''s fault this time. It had

    nothing to do with Rick and the others. These were all unexpected tragedies.

    But what could she do?

    Just like what Charlotte had said, she could only stay beside Rick and put herself in his shoes.

    As for other things, not to mention that she couldn''t do them, even if she could, how should she

    start? And what right did she have to do them?

    Kendall''s mind was getting more and more chaotic.

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    The next day.

    After Charlotte scheduled the time with Anne, she went over with Shane. However, not long after

    they arrived, Shane left when he received a phone call. Charlotte was not surprised. After all, he

    had always been busy. Most of the time, he didn''t even have time to exin to her before leaving.

    "Aren''t you worried?" Watching Shane leave like that, Anne couldn''t help but ask her best friend,

    "What if it was a woman who called?" "What can I do?" Charlotte responded with a casual attitude,

    "If something''s going on between him and that woman, then there''s already a problem. If there is no

    such woman, what can I do? If there''s no problem, it would be meaningless for me to do anything."

    Anne was speechless. She could only give her a thumbs-up and said, "If most women had such a

    broad mind like yours, the Earth would have been united long ago."

    Charlotte cracked up. "Anne, a lot of men call me too. If I have to develop a rtionship with all of

    them, I won''t even have the energy to call you. I''m already so busy, so can you imagine how busy

    he would be?."

    Anne could ept this exnation. It was well-known that Shane was a busy man.

    But even so, she still pursed her lips and said, "I still think that you can''t let your guard down just

    because you have a child. You see, Shane used to have a lot of women around him, and that

    Tiffany too."

    At the mention of Tiffany, Charlotte was silent for a few seconds. But then she shook her head

    helplessly and replied, "Such a situation like that is unnecessary to discuss. Well, stop talking about

    me now. Let''s continue our tour." "Okay, okay, okay. You won''t listen to what I say anyway."

    "It''s not that I don''t want to listen," Charlotte thought in her head.

    Charlotte knew what she had to do. She couldn''t treat Shane like how other girlfriends treat their

    boyfriends. She didn''t know how to act cute or argue with him. First, it was because Shane''s status

    was not equal to hers. Second, it was because she knew Shane too well.

    Ever since Heidi''s incident, she had understood these two things.

    After Charlotte helped Anne to choose everything she needed, it was already dark. But the most

    important detail had yet to be finalized.

    They might still need a little bit of time.

    The Jane Family and the Collins Family were rtively rich. The wedding was so urgent that they

    didn''t have enough time to buy everything. So, each family could only use the fastest and often

    most expensive way to solve the problem.

    After Charlotte and Anne parted ways, they returned home. At first, Charlotte thought that Shane

    wasn''t home yet. But as soon as she entered the house, she saw his shoes ced in front of the

    door.

    She changed into her home slippers and put down her bag before walking towards the study.

    "Shane?"

    Charlotte pushed open the door of the study. Shane was half-leaning against the door, with a

    Bluetooth headset in his ear. He held a document in one hand and ced his index finger on his

    lips with his other hand, signaling her not to speak.

    Charlotte immediately didn''t dare to speak. She lowered her head and walked away from him,

    jogging toward the bedroom.

    Shane looked at her from behind and smiled softly. Then he went back to the study and closed the

    door.

    Only when the door waspletely closed did his face turn serious. "How could he have something

    to do with those people?"

    "Shane, I can''t imagine it at first either. Christopher had always been under our watch all this time.

    Now..." Braden sighed and said, "And I am very sure that Christopher has already bought goods

    from them and promised to offer NC''s shares."

    "How''s our previous n going now?" Shane set the documents down on the table with a solemn

    look on his face.

    "Lower the stock price to entice Christopher to sell his stocks to somebody else and then buy in

    again. So far, we already own about 60% of the shares from NC, so there are actually not many

    shares in Christopher''s hands. 20% is the maximum he can have," Braden sighed.

    Even under this kind of condition, Christopher still had to fight to his death.

    For such a long time, Braden and Shane had acted like they didn''t have any ns. But in fact, they

    had already taken back their shares. They were waiting to strike thest blow on Braden''s wedding

    andpletely cut ties with Christopher. When that time came, those who had been hesitating

    would eventually make a decision.

    As for their decisions, there was an eighty to ny percent chance that they would give up on

    Christopher.

    "Speed up and stop their trade."

    "Shane, if we can''t stop the trade then..."

    "He will die."

    Shane''s light remark left Braden feeling somber. He knew better than anyone else that Shane cared

    about Christopher. Ignoring the kinship between them, they had been friends for more than ten

    years after all.

    "I understand. I''ll let my men take care of it right away."

    The call was over.

    Braden leaned back. The images of him ying basketball with Christopher kept ying in his

    mind.

    He and Shane had never thought of doing anything to Christopher, and they had even been backing

    away all this time. But why did Christopher have to associate himself with those people?

    How could he have done something illegal?

    At the same time.

    At a bar in Brine City.

    Christopher watched from his booth as the dancers performed on the stage. Beside him, ine was

    wearing a leather jacket wrapped in a fluffy leather coat. Her entire existence gave off an

    indescribable aura.

    Christopher lit a cigarette. The man sitting opposite him immediately said with a smile, "Mr. Gibson''s

    taste is not bad. I could hardly get my hands on this cigar in our country. I didn''t expect that this is

    what you smoke every day."

    "You want some?" Christopher took out a cigar box from his pocket and handed him a cigar.

    The man took it and immediately lit it up to take a huge puff. Heughed satisfyingly and said, "Mr.

    Gibson, honestly speaking, I can''t live without this thing. Just give me a price. I can ask anybody no

    matter what. You see..."

    "Okay."

    Christopher uttered one word, then added, "I want this amount."

    He brought up two fingers. The man looked at Christopher and then the cigar in his hand. He

    gnashed his teeth and said, "That amount will do. When are we trading? I can give you the money

    right away."

    "It depends on how much you want. If you want it in bulks, we can trade today."

    "Then let''s do it today."

    Christopher allowed himself to be enveloped by the smoke. He lowered his gaze, his eyes locked

    on the cigar box in his hand.

    The item inside the box was lucrative indeed. If it was used properly, he could fill in all the holes in

    thepany in less than three days. As long as he filled them in and pushed NC back onto the

    right track, with his ability, he would surpass Shane sooner orter.

    It was only a matter of time.

    An ambitious light was glistening in Christopher''s eyes.

 Chapter 350

    Chapter 350

    After leaving the bar, ine stayed beside Christopher. He drank a little too much, stumbling as he

    walked. So, ineined, "Since you already know it was just for a show, why do you still

    have to drink so much? It will only make you feel ufortable."

    "A show? They''re different from Shane. They''re not gentlemen. If I don''t drink, they won''t let me go,"

    Christopher said as he shook her off. "Alright, now go look for your lover. There''s no need to pay

    attention to me."

    "Don''t be like this. At least, the child is still yours." ine gently held his arm. "You are the father of

    my child. No matter what, I still..."

    "Go away." Christopher pushed her away. "I have nothing to do with you, and I don''t care about the

    authenticity of the DNA report. But if you mention it again, I will let you die."

    Christopher''s gentlenesspletely disappeared. The hostility in his eyes was potent enough to

    kill. ine could have died on the spot.

    "No matter what, as long as I publicize the DNA report, then..."

    Before ine could finish, Christopher tightened his fingers around her neck. His nails dug deeply

    into her flesh, and his gaze was more intense than before. His fingers wouldn''t stop closing in as if

    he wanted to strangle her to death. ine struggled forcefully, but she felt herself slowly losing

    consciousness. Fear crept up in her, and she started begging.

    Christopher let go of his hand and looked down at her. "This is thest time. If it happens again, I

    will f*ck you up."

    Christopher left ine alone on the ground and walked away.

    ine sat on the floor, thinking about how unreasonable Christopher was. He actually wanted to

    strangle her to death. Moreover, the merciless force he exerted was nothing like how he used to be.

    How on earth did he be like this? ine was puzzled. She didn''t see anything wrong in her

    cooperation with Christopher, but...

    Christopher was behaving less like himself every day. He didn''t seem to know the boundaries

    whenever he does something. If he continued to behave like this, NC would obviously go bankrupt.

    By then, if Emerson Corporation was affected, all her efforts would be in vain.

    Just when she was thinking.

    ine thought that it would be better to take the initiative, so she immediately phoned Avery.

    Avery was teaching Olive economics theories. Olive was smart enough to understand them easily,

    and she was neither arrogant nor reckless. She wouldn''t ask Avery for toys as a requirement for

    serious learning. Her hard work and intelligence were worthy of her ambition.

    Avery was upset when he received the phone call. He frowned and picked it up, "What?"

    "Avery, this is ine. I have something important to tell you. Christopher''s undercity men contacted

    me, he..."

    The so-called undercity was the city under Brine.

    Originally, Brine was a whole city, but many years ago, an ident divided this ce into the

    uppercity and the undercity. Only a small part of the locals knew about the existence of the

    undercity.

    But everyone in the undercity knew the existence of Brine''s uppercity. They had spent their entire

    lives working toe to the uppercity, or they might as well unify the city.

    "How did Christopher know people from the undercity?" Avery was taken aback at first. But then, he

    started to ask about the situation.

    "He used to live there. Back then..." ine said as she tightened her grip on her phone, lowering

    her

    voice, "He once told me that he could get as many men as he wants from the undercity. I know that

    you have already cut ties with Charlotte and the others, so you will help me, right? I can give you a

    lot of things."

    "How do you want me to help?"

    "If Christopher really cooperate with people from the undercity, NC will be doomed sooner orter. I

    just want to keep possession of Emerson Corporation."

    Keep possession of Emerson Corporation.

    These five words tumbled out of ine''s mouth. It sounded wrong somehow.

    Avery shifted in his seat and leaned backward. He said, "Okay. Do you want toe to my house

    and talk?"

    "Can I bring the child over?"

    "I have a child at home too. It''d be great to let them meet each other."

    He had a child?

    ine didn''t have too much time to think. After she responded, she immediately went to Avery''s

    house with her child. The little fellow got into the car with a confused expression. He waspletely

    clueless about the situation. "Mommy, where are we going?"

    "To an uncle''s house." "Which uncle''s house are we going to again this time..." The little fellow

    struggled in the car seat, curling his body into a ball. He was so sleepy.

    ine brought her son to Avery''s vi. When she stopped the car engine, she held the child in her

    arms and knocked on the door.

    It was a little girl who opened the door.

    "Who are you guys?" The little girl looked at them with cold eyes, like a hunter looking at its prey.

    ine was baffled. She didn''t expect that she would be startled by a girl. She forced a smile and

    said, "I am...your dad''s friend."

    "He''s not my dad. He''s my master."

    The little girl stepped aside and pointed inside. "He''s waiting for you inside, but you only have half

    an hour. I''ll start counting down once you''ve entered. As soon as thirty minutes have passed, I will

    kick you out."

    Master?

    Such a young child and Avery, could they be...

    ine felt bitter, but she was in no ce to say anything. She could only put on a smile, take off her

    shoes, and bring her son into the house.

    Avery was lying on the sofa under the chandelier. His expression was cold, and his eyes were

    gloomy. He held the wine ss in his hand. When he saw her, he grinned and said, "Miss Yuliana."

    ine had known Avery a long time ago. She had met him a few times, but this was the first time

    she had met him at such proximity. His smile suffocated her for a second.

    "Avery." ine took the child to the sofa opposite him and sat down.

    Avery didn''t say anything.

    "I hope you can help me retain Emerson Corporation. As for the price...I can give you anything."

    "Including Emerson Corporation''s shares?"

    Avery''s voice was gentle. It didn''t seem to carry much weight and warmth. However, ine was

    shocked when she heard it. She took a deep breath and looked at him seriously, "Anything is fine."

    Christopher was not reliable anymore. She had to find someone else. Besides, Emerson

    Corporation needed financing anyways.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Since the old man died, thepany had been getting worse every day.

    "I want 50% of the shares in your hand. If you have 60%, give me 30%. If you have 30%, give me

    15%. Okay?"

    This...

    "I can provide you money."

    That was a great deal.

    ine bit her lip and said, "How do I know if you will use the shares to..."

    "Then you can leave with your son." Avery pointed at the door and smiled casually. "Why do you

    think I care about Emerson Corporation? You''ve alreadye to my doorstep, of course I can help

    you. But without the help of Emerson Corporation, I can still do business in Brine."

    Only then did ine realize that the rumor of Avery being a nonsensical gay was fake. What did

    they mean by nonsensical? He was too clever!

    "I understand now." ine''s heart was hurting as she continued, "Half it is then. But I don''t have

    many shares in my hand."

    "It doesn''t matter. I don''t care about half the base number. As long as it''s half of yours, it''s enough."

    While the two adults were talking, Olive was reading a book.

    Jay walked over with curiosity and asked, "What are you reading?"

    Olive closed the book, turning away from him.

    Jay was unhappy. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, I''m talking to you!"

    Olive didn''t say anything and immediately knocked him down on the floor. Jay was not expecting

    that. After he fell to the ground, he began to cry.

    Upon hearing their voices, the two adults abruptly stopped their conversation.

    ine immediately ran to Jay and picked him up. "What''s going on? Why are you so careless,

    sweetheart?"

 Chapter 351

    Chapter 351

    "Mom, she pushed me!" Jay cried out loud.

    Olive continued reading her book without any change of expression. Her indifference was simr to

    that of a judge. Only the supreme judge who was always at the top of the pyramid would showcase

    such an expression.

    "Maybe she didn''t mean it. You are a boy. You can''t cry." ine knew that she couldn''t offend Avery,

    so she tried her best tofort her son.

    "She did it on purpose. I only asked her what book she was reading, and she left just like that. I

    wanted to stop her, but she hit me!"

    Jay actually didn''t have a bad temper, but anyone who got beaten would naturally feel insulted. Jay

    kept crying and almost threw a tantrum. Avery scratched his ear, ced his hand on Olive''s

    shoulder, and asked, "What happened?"

    "He was trying to snatch my book, biting off more than he can chew," Olive said as she closed the

    book. "Master, do I have to settle my own problem?"

    "Go ahead."

    With Avery''s permission, Olive stepped forward and looked at Jay, who was hugging his mother.

    She said without hesitation, "Are you five years old at least? What else do you know other than

    crying? Do you have to snatch my book just because I didn''t want to let you see it? If I don''t hit you,

    who else am I supposed to hit?"

    "I just wanted to ask what you were reading..."

    "Why should I tell you? Who told you that I would respond if you talk to me?"

    Jay didn''t know what to say at the moment. Shouldn''t a person reply when another person talked to

    them? Everyone treated him like that, so why was it different when it came to her?

    Olive continued, "This is Mr. Avery''s and my home. You don''t have the right to snatch our things.

    You also don''t have the right to ask me to do what I don''t want to do. So I''m sorry. Please leave."

    This incident happened at the right time. Their discussion had alreadye to an end after all.

    ine really should go home with Jay.

    ine felt unusually agitated in the presence of Olive. Hence, she did not stay any longer and left

    with Jay.

    "I''m sorry for causing you so much trouble."

    After the two of them left, Olive bowed respectfully to Avery.

    "You didn''t do anything wrong. When dealing with such a shameless person, you have to intimidate

    them. They bully the weak but fear the strong. When you''re tougher than them, they''ll be afraid."

    Avery leaned over and caressed her hair. "As long as you feel like someone''s bullying you, you''ll

    have to fight back no matter what."

    "Master, what if someone tries to hurt me, and I don''t have the ability to fight back?" Olive asked.

    "Then you should endure the pain. No matter what he does to you, as long as you''re still alive, you

    should find a chance to recover and kill him. Don''t ever be soft-hearted. Even if you are imprisoned

    and sentenced to death, don''t let others bully you unscrupulously."

    Avery''s words carried a tinge of his own emotions.

    If his sister and Irena had been taught that way, instead of thinking that girls had to be shameful,

    Irena wouldn''t have chosen tomit suicide and leave him. And his sister wouldn''t have isted

    herself until today because she thought she had done something wrong.

    Olive nodded forcefully to Avery and said, "Your mindset is the same as mine. I will never spare

    those who bullied me. Even if they beat me to death, I would still fight until thest second."

    Avery was gratified. "Go rest now. You don''t need to read today. Today..."

    "No, I want to be a self-disciplined person."

    Olive knew that Avery had work to do, so she took the book and went to the side to read.

    For some reason, Avery felt contented. He left the living room and walked into the sunroom. He took

    out his phone and called Charlotte.

    "What?" Charlotte was stunned when she heard it. "She gave up half of her shares just like that?"

    "I don''t know about the undercity. After all, I''m not from Brine like you are. Do you want to..."

    Avery didn''t continue, but Charlotte understood what he meant. He wanted her to ask Shane about

    it or Peter to investigate it. They were all Brine people, after all. Avery, on the other hand, although

    skilled, wasn''t a local.

    The biggest difference between the locals and non-locals was their understanding of the local

    culture. People who knew the local culture knew which direction to go. First of all, it saved time.

    Second, it was easy to spot important details. Unlike the locals, it was difficult for nonlocals to notice

    the key details and gather information in a short time.

    Charlotte remained silent for a while and said, "I''ll look into it then. I don''t think it''s suitable for

    Shane to know about this." "Because of Christopher?"

    "Well, you know the rtionship between Christopher and Shane. We can''t be careless. I will try my

    best to help. But I need you to cooperate better with Zoe these two days. As for Olive... Do you

    want to bring her over so that my daughter can entertain her?"

    Thinking of Olive''s behavior today, Avery suddenly felt that it was a good choice to let her meet

    Sheryl. "It might be another way round."

    "You have so much confidence in Olive." Charlotte was surprised.

    Sheryl had always been a smart girl since she was a child. She had suffered a lot with Charlotte.

    Although she had the behavior of a spoiled kid, she could still fight through hardships. In that case,

    she was more mature and sleeker than the children from the poor.

    For example, she hadn''t seen Sheryl in such a long time, but Sheryl neverined about it.

    "I''ll ask Olive."

    When Olive heard that she would be able to meet Ms. Emerson''s daughter, she immediately

    agreed, "I want to y with that little sister."

    "How do you know she''s younger than you?"

    "Ms. Emerson is still very young. Suppose that Ms. Emerson gave birth to her when she was 18,

    she can only be five years old at most. I''m already six and a half," Olive replied.

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment. Then, she smiled and said, "I believe what you said. You''ve

    taught Olive very well. Olive, do you miss us?"

    "Ms. Emerson, I miss you all, and I''m also very grateful to you all," Olive answered obediently.

    "Well, I''ll pick you up tomorrow and bring you to meet my daughter. I haven''t seen her in a long time

    too. But I''ll have to work in the afternoon, so I can only apany the two of you in the morning.

    Would that be okay?"

    Would that be okay?

    Olive''s heart softened when she heard that. She lowered her head and replied sweetly, "Okay, Ms.

    Emerson. I''ll wait for you."

    "Good girl. Also, don''t call me Ms. Emerson in front of my daughter. Don''t let others think that you''re

    not as good as her. You''re Avery''s daughter. You don''t have to be so obedient."

    "Then... what should I call you?"

    Olive had also wanted to call her by another name, but she couldn''t think of one.

    "Why don''t you call me godmother? Avery can be considered as my daughter''s godfather,"

    Charlotte said with a chuckle.

    "That''s pretty good," Avery said. "We can be rtives now. But honestly, I''m not really used to

    having another daughter all of a sudden. I can''t be naked at home anymore."

    "I didn''t know you have that kind of habit. I should have installed a camera in your house."

    "Lottie, when youe to pick up Olive tomorrow, can you pick me up too?"

    "Where do you want to go?"

    "I''m going to sign a contract with ine."

    Charlotte sneered and said, "You want me to fetch you to sign a contract with ine? Are you trying

    to scare her?"

    "I can''t wait for her to know the truth."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "We need to at least sign the contract before letting her know, right?"

    "Not really. Think about it. She''s risking her life to ask me for help but realizes she''s only digging her

    own grave. What can she do about it? Cry?" Averyughed triumphantly.

    Charlotte shook her head helplessly. When she was about to hang up, she suddenly remembered

    an important thing, so she immediately reminded, "Avery, I have something to tell you. Remember

    to ask ine about the hypnosis and the reason Shane let Christopher off the hook. Last time,

    Shane was very angry at her for asking Tiffany to pretend as Heidi."

    That incidentst time was all bark and no bite.

    There must be some other secrets behind it.

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352

    "Isn''t it because he still treats Christopher as his brother?" Avery felt that there was nothing strange

    about this matter. "Besides, when ites to dealing with people like Christopher, it''s more

    satisfying to destroy his confidence than sending him to jail."

    "Anyway, you can ask around for a little bit. Tell me if the result turns out to be the same as how you

    expected."

    "No problem," Avery immediately agreed.

    The next day.

    When Charlotte arrived at Avery''s house, Olive had already woken up, but Avery was still sleeping.

    It was already past nine o''clock. Normally, he should have woken up. Moreover, they had already

    talked about this yesterday. Avery really had no concept of time.

    Olive tidied up her backpack and brought her homework as well as toys. Because she wasn''t sure

    what Sheryl liked, so she filled up the entire bag. Charlotte sat beside her. Seeing that she was

    busy, she couldn''t help but ask, "Olive, do you usually like studying that much?" "Yeap. I like

    studying," Olive said with a nod.

    "Why?" "Because only by studying hard can one''s destiny be changed," Olive answered matter-of-

    factly.

    Charlotte didn''t expect a child to have this kind of awareness at such a young age, so she could

    only sigh. "You have to work hard, alright."

    Olive nodded.

    The two of them waited for a while before Avery finally woke up. He got dressed, but he didn''t

    appear to be in a good mental state. He seemed to have had another nightmare. Avery would often

    comin to Charlotte that he would have all kinds of nightmares.

    His dreams were bizarre too. For example, he once dreamt that a cat he had for five years ran away

    from home or that he was locked up in a ce like a confinement ind while battling with others to

    survive. All in all, his peculiar dreams came one after another.

    "Didn''t you sleep well?" Charlotte got up and asked worriedly.

    "It''s not because I didn''t sleep well. I straight up had an amazing sleep," Avery answered meekly. "I

    dreamed that Olive and Irena were shopping hand in hand, and then they were... Forget it. I''m

    already used to it. Maybe it''s because I already think that Olive is my child, so I began to worry

    about her

    safety."

    "Dreams and reality are usually the opposite."

    True. They were the opposite.

    Therefore, Olive could never hold hands with Irena. Therefore, Irena no longer existed. Therefore,...

    There were too many reasons. That was why dreams and reality were the opposite.

    Charlotte''s wordsforted Avery, but at the same time, he also became more dispirited. Whether

    it was words or things, or people, they all had two sides. And this double-sidedness would often

    crush someone when they tried to save another someone.

    Charlotte dropped Avery off at the shopping mall next to the location where he had agreed to meet

    ine.

    "I''ll walk around here for a little bit. You can take Olive with you." Avery unbuckled his seat belt and

    said, "I''ll call you immediately if I need anything." "All right."

    Avery sat in the car for a while. After making sure that no one was following him, he got out of the

    car.

    Charlotte did not lower her guard too. She drove around the city center a few times before leaving

    with Olive. After all, it wouldn''t be worse if someone was following her car instead of Avery.

    When she was driving around for a bit, she bought some cakes and invited Olive to have breakfast.

    "It''s so delicious." Olive held the sandwich tightly in her hands.

    "Slow down. You can buy another one if you want to."

    "Is that alright?"

    "Of course."

    Olive immediately ran over to buy another one. But of course, Charlotte had given her some money.

    As she watched the little girl eat ravenously, Charlotte couldn''t help but think of Sheryl. She didn''t

    know how she was doing now and if she was missing her.

    Soon, the two of them finished their breakfast. After making sure that no one was stalking them,

    Charlotte brought Olive to the Fuller Residence.

    The butler was already familiar with her car. He opened the big iron gate without even asking. Olive

    thought that houses were all tall buildings and vis. No matter how rich people were, their houses

    would more or less be the same. But she never thought that a house could have a garden and a

    sunroom. They even had to drive to get around in the Fuller Residence.

    Olive''s desire to earn more money and to excel in the future had increased drastically.

    Charlotte parked the car in the parking lot and entered the house with Olive.

    "Mommy!"

    A little girl dressed in a pink dress flung herself into Charlotte''s arms.

    "Sheryl." Charlotte hugged her. She couldn''t be more familiar with the little girl''s milky fragrance.

    She felt at ease in the presence of that scent.

    "Where''s my friend?" Sheryl stood beside her and stuck her head out.

    Charlotte looked back and found Olive standing at the door, hesitating over the slippers the servants

    had brought her. She didn''t seem to know which pair of slippers she should wear. Sheryl tilted her

    head and looked at her for a while. Then, she ran to her side and said, "This is cute."

    Sheryl pointed at a pair of pink rabbit slippers. She bought these slippers when she first learned

    how to shop online. They were particrly adorable.

    Olive nodded and chose that pair of shoes. "Nice to meet you. My name is Olive Hart. You can just

    call me Olive."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "I like your name a lot. My name''s Sheryl Emerson. They all call me Sheryl." After greeting Olive,

    Sheryl skipped to Charlotte''s side and said,

    "Mommy, I''m bringing my friend upstairs to y." "All right."

    Charlotte watched as the two kids walked away.

    At this moment, Mrs. Fuller Senior walked out. Charlotte hurriedly went over to help her, "Granny."

    "You''re finally here to see your child? Why didn''t Shanee with you?"

    "He should also be thinking about this question at the moment. The main reason I came today is to

    bring Olive over to meet Sheryl. If hees with us, I''m afraid that Sheryl wouldn''t have time to

    y with Olive if she''s with us all the time," Charlotte exined.

    "You guys didn''t quarrel?"

    "What else do we have to quarrel about?" Charlotte couldn''t help butugh.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior looked into her eyes and shook her head. "It''s good that you didn''t quarrel, but it''s

    not good to not quarrel at all. You still have to show affection to him sometimes."

    Charlotte immediately thought of the incident where she ran away from home. She thought about it

    for a long time before finally telling it to Mrs. Fuller Senior. However, the story didn''t sound

    concerning at all because the problem had already been solved. Instead, she found it quite funny.

    At the end of the story, Mrs. Fuller Seniorughed and said, "It seems that I don''t have to worry

    about you guys anymore. When I get older, I''ll go and find my old man."

    "Granny, you haven''t seen Sheryl grow up yet. Besides, I''m nning to have another child. Don''t

    you want to have a look?" Charlotte particrly didn''t wish Mrs. Fuller Senior to have such a

    negative thought.

    "All right, all right. Of course. Let me see if our Lottie can give birth to another little princess or little

    prince."

    Charlotte really started considering this matter. "If Sheryl were a boy, I would like to have a little

    princess. But since she''s a girl, it sounds better for her to have a brother. Besides, there''s another

    girl from Avery''s side. If I can, I would like to have a boy."

    "That''s great. It''s wonderful to have a son and a daughter."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior stopped speaking for a while and let out a sigh.

    Charlotte suddenly realized what she was thinking and asked softly, "Granny, are you thinking if

    Christopher is a girl, everything would be different?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior didn''t expect Charlotte to guess what she was thinking just by listening to her

    sigh. So, she didn''t hide it from her either and nodded slowly. "Yes. If Chris were a girl, he wouldn''t

    be so greedy. He would have willingly returned to our family."

    "Granny, you might not like what I''m going to say, but it''s already toote..."

    How could granny not understand the meaning of this?

    Granny was not familiar with Christopher, but she took care of Shane since he was a child. What

    would happen to the person who treats Shane as a rival? She didn''t even need to think about it to

    know the answer.

    However, it was unfortunate that Christopher didn''t live a good life.

    "In the end, he was still from the Fuller Family." Mrs. Fuller Senior sighed.

    Charlotte gently held her hand and said, "Granny, as long as he doesn''t take anything too far, he

    can still lead a normal life."

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 353

    When the olddy heard this, she shook her head and said, "Christopher can''t turn back now. The

    only thing he can do is to fight you to the end. Neither he nor Shane would give up. I may be old but

    I can still see this clearly."

    "Grandma, you''re not old, don''t speak nonsense."

    "I''m not going topare myself with Sheryl but even you are calling me grandma. I''m definitely

    old." Thedy grabbed her hand and continued, "I know you''re all very filial to me but there are

    many things you can''t change even if you say so. Just take it from an old stubborn woman."

    Charlotte suddenly didn''t know how to reply. She could only remain silent.

    Upstairs.

    Olive looked around Sheryl''s room, she didn''t even dare to fumble around. "It''s really beautiful

    here."

    "If you like it, you can ask your daddy to build you one. Uncle Avery is a very good person," Sheryl

    replied.

    I cant.

    "He is responsible for you since he adopted you. You have to let him know if you have any requests.

    He would ask you if he has any requests too." "What if he doesn''t want me anymore?" Olive didn''t

    think Sheryl would understand how she felt.

    Although Sheryl couldn''t understand how Olive felt, she also grew up relying on people''s charity.

    She also suffered a lot with her mother. She pursed her lips, "Are you so afraid to be abandoned by

    someone? The truth is, nobody would want you forever. Even if you were able to aplish all of

    their expectations, they might still think you''re frightening."

    Olive was taken aback. All of a sudden, she realized that the girl before her was very different from

    other kids. Sheryl has her own way of thinking like herself.

    "If I told you your mom and dad no longer wanted you, what would you do?"

    Olive wouldn''t have dared to ask other children this question. They would just cry and make a scene

    the moment they heard this question. Then, she would be scolded. In reality, she didn''t have any ill

    intentions, she genuinely wanted to know the answer.

    But those children would just cry. They would think their parents had abandoned them. She really

    didn''t understand their logic.

    "I''ll go collect rubbish," Sheryl replied with her hands on her hips. "It''s not like I''ve never picked up

    trash. Besides, my mommy scolded me when I did it before. If she doesn''t want me, I can pick up

    rubbish openly."

    "Is it fun... to pick up trash?" Olive asked with a smirk.

    "You don''t understand. The feeling of sustaining yourself is very good. Although I have everything

    now, it''s not realistic."

    Yes, it was not realistic.

    Olive lowered her head and added, "But I want to have a home."

    "When we were born, we grew up in our mother''s belly. Therefore, no matter what, we already have

    a home since birth. When we die, we''ll be ced in a box so it would be our home when we die."

    Sheryl took a lollipop and handed it to Olive as she spoke, "Here, don''t be sad. Have a lollipop."

    A lollipop.

    Olive took it and peeled off the wrapping stic. It tasted good, sweet and sour with a hint of

    strawberry vour.

    "But humans still need a home in this process of life."

    "What is a home? Is it a house? Or is it that as long as a certain demand is made, it''s a home?"

    Olive didn''t know how to respond to Sheryl''s question, Olive did not know how to exin it.

    Sheryl also peeled off the wrapper and popped the lollipop in her mouth. "My home is with my

    mommy and daddy. But sometimes they are too busy to take care of me so my home is also with

    my granny. They all love me and I also love myself so wherever I am, it''s home."

    ''Wherever I am, it''s home,''

    Olive pondered on this sentence slowly and felt it really stuck with her. She couldn''t help but ask,

    "Why do you know so much?"

    "It doesn''t matter." Sheryl shrugged and answered, "Because I''ve experienced it."

    "I thought a child like you wouldn''t understand these hardships."

    "We have to be flexible."

    "Like a turtle."

    Sheryl smiled and said, "So turtles carry their homes on their backs."

    Olive felt that she had lost but she also felt it was nice to be with Sheryl. She envied and liked her at

    the same time. She felt jealous of her too. She herself didn''t understand why she had such

    conflicted feelings towards Sheryl.

    When the two of them went downstairs, they saw that Charlotte was chatting with the old madam on

    thetest television series.

    The two of the kids threw themselves onto them. Charlotte quickly stopped them froming onto

    madam. "Don''t you know you have to be gentler around great-grandma?"

    "Well, but I''m always like this," Sheryl defended herself in a low voice.

    "Be careful in the future."

    "Okay."

    Charlotte yed with the two children until one o''clock in the afternoon. She left after because she

    had some work to do.

    Initially, Olive wanted to ask when she could go home and if Charlotte would pick her up. But she

    thought such a gentle woman like Charlotte wouldn''t forget about her here.

    About four o''clock in the afternoon.

    Avery arrived at the Fuller Residence''s old estate. When Sheryl saw him, she immediately pounced

    on him. "Uncle Avery."

    "Hey, little fe, you''ve grown taller." Avery naturally held her in his arms and stroked her hair with a

    smile. "How''s it going? Did you get along well with Olive?" "She''s very cute!"

    "That''s good. I was afraid you wouldn''t click."

    "Uncle Avery, can I go to your house in the future? Or maybe you can bring Olive here more often.

    She''s so good at chess."

    Avery nodded and said, "Of course."

    Although Sheryl was reluctant to part with Olive, she put on a casual act. She waved goodbye to

    Avery and Olive, then turned around and went upstairs.

    However, Olive stared at her for a long time.

    "How was it?" Avery''s voice wasn''t as soft towards Olive aspared to Sheryl''s.

    "I''m jealous of her."

    "She is Shane''s daughter, she deserves to be envied."

    "No, even if she is not Shane''s daughter. She has Ms. Emerson... with my godmother by her side.

    She is very happy. Even if my godmother is not by her side in the future, she will still be very happy.

    She knows the essence and purpose of life," Olive muttered to herself.

    Avery shook his head with a smile and said, "Why does a child like you think so much?"

    "Master, don''t you think too much?"

    "I am different from you."

    "I''ve always thought that I was different from everyone else until I met Sheryl. Then, I realized I have

    something inmon with someone my age. The difference between them isn''t age but state of

    mind and experience."

    "Since you say so, guess the reason why I adopted you." Avery brought Olive to the car.

    Olive was silent.

    "What''s wrong? Can''t you say something? You can make up any reason."

    "No, I''m afraid you won''t be happy if I tell you the truth but I don''t want to lie."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Are you trying to y mind tricks with me? Just tell me, I won''t get angry."

    "You adopted me because you no longer had the will to live. They wanted you to adopt me for this

    reason and the name you gave me should be rted to why you no longer wanted to live."

    Avery frowned and said, "What?"

    "Because you have no reason to adopt me. You are single and young. You are a very promising

    man. Why did you adopt a child?"

    "Why don''t you give birth to one?"

    Olive turned her head and looked at Avery.

 Chapter 354

    Chapter 354

    Avery had not expected Olive to say something like that. He couldn''t answer her questions. He

    opened the door silently. Olive did not say anything else as she followed behind him obediently. She

    sat in the backseat and looked out at the window.

    She loved herself, so she would feel at home wherever she was.

    She would always remember this sentence.

    "My wifemitted suicide and I didn''t want to remarry so adoption was the best option for me,"

    Avery suddenly said.

    Olive snapped back to reality. She tilted her head to look at him. "What if it wasn''t me?"

    "I didn''t intend to adopt a child even though I know it''s beneficial for me. But I see a desire in you

    that Ick."

    Olive suddenly smiled. She felt relieved and said, "Thank you, Mr. Avery."

    Avery did not ask why she thanked him because it was not necessary. Whether it was her or him,

    they both needed this haven. As long as they were both happy in this haven, it was enough.

    In a blink of an eye, it was the day of Anne and Braden''s wedding.

    Charlotte had already been married before so she couldn''t be the bridesmaid. She could only work

    with Shane at the scene. However, there were very few tasks they could help out with.

    The entire church was covered in white roses. Even the carpet was covered in white rose petals. All

    of this seemed rather romantic and peaceful.

    "Do you want a wedding?" Shane suddenly asked her.

    "No, I don''t." Charlotte answered bluntly, "Anne and Braden also didn''t want this wedding, don''t

    they? If it weren''t for this n, they wouldn''t even be bothered with it. It looks so perfect but in

    reality it''s just a waste of time and money."

    "Don''t all women care about this?"

    "Then I''m not a woman."

    Shaneughed and pinched her ear, "If I wanted to give you a wedding, are you sure you won''t

    want to be part of it?"

    "Of course. I''d think about it if you hide it from me at first and I only have to say a few words before

    our rtives. Charlotteid back and continued, "Anyway, I don''t want it to be such aplicated

    process."

    She helped a lot at Anne''s wedding, so she knew the details of the ceremony. Simply put it was one

    word,plicated.

    If she had the time, she would rather read more books.

    Shane did not continue on this topic. The guests arrived at the scene one after another but they

    were enjoying the buffet at the field outside the church. No one was inside so the church halls were

    quite empty.

    "Mr. Fuller."

    A familiar voice rang beside them.

    Shane didn''t move while Charlotte turned to look at the person.

    It was Christopher.

    He and ine walked over slowly. A little boy was holding ine''s hand. Charlotte felt sick and

    turned away from them.

    Christopher walked towards Shane and said helplessly, "Do you hate me that much? We have been

    friends for so many years. Can you really just let go..."

    "I''ve said before that you had used these years to exchange a life."

    "Just because I touched Heidi?" Christopher nced at Charlotte. "Aren''t you afraid your current

    lover would be jealous of you caring so much for someone in the past?"

    Unexpectedly...

    Shane didn''t exin any further while Charlotte didn''t react to his words. The both of them were

    calm as statues.

    Christopher felt angry and said, "Shane, you can act as righteous as you want but you can''t hide the

    evil within you. You just can''t forget Heidi. Don''t say you let me go because of our friendship. It''s all

    because of Heidi''s sister, Tiffany."

    "Where is Tiffany?" Shane looked at Christopher.

    Christopher immediatelyughed hearing he was hooked. "You''re really a hypocrite. I won''t tell you

    where she is."

    "Of course you won''t tell me, because you don''t know where she is."

    Shane sounded very certain.

    Christopher''s smile instantly froze. He frowned and said, "What did you say?"

    "Tiffany is already dead."

    After he finished speaking, Shane stood up with Lottie and said, "Christopher, you have already

    used yourst chance. Stop if you know what''s good for you. Otherwise, I''ll bring you down from the

    top of the NCpany."

    Christopher sneered and said, "Don''t even think about it!"

    Shane left the church with Charlotte and arrived at the grassy area.

    Charlotte stared at the sunlight and sighed, "How did Christopher end up like this?"

    "It''s Karma."

    "In fact, he had a very clear purpose and value but he met you so he has no choice."

    "He wouldn''t have a choice even if he met someone else."

    "Why? If he were my brother, I might be dead now."

    "He''s not that ruthless."

    Charlotte was stunned.

    Was Christopher not ruthless enough?

    He was ruthless enough to turn Tiffany into Heidi. Wasn''t that enough? Charlotte felt Shane wasn''t

    right in this matter. However, on second thought, she couldn''t really point out how ruthless

    Christopher was.

    It seemed that he was really not cruel.

    Charlotte took a piece of cake and a small fork. As she ate, she thought about this question.

    ''Was Christopher ruthless or not?''

    Soon...

    The wedding was about to begin.

    Anne was in a white wedding dress. Her father gave her hand to Braden. Then, the priest asked

    them to exchange rings and kiss.

    After that, the two said their vows. Then, Braden took the microphone from the priest and said,

    "Today is a happy day and at the same time one of the major turning points in my life."

    "I, Braden Collins, give up all my shares of the NCpany to Christopher Gibson willingly and

    resign from all my duties at thepany. At the same time, me and my wife, Anne, would have

    nothing more to do with the Jane and Collins family from this day onwards. This wedding is not an

    arranged marriage."

    There was an uproar amongst the crowd and the reporters, Braden looked at Anne and shrugged

    helplessly. "What do you say, honey? I''m all you have now."

    "You''re the only one I''ve ever had."

    She also had her brother.

    Anne looked at the crowd. Kendall was sitting next to him. Somehow, the picture of the two people

    leaning together was quite pleasant looking.

    Anne held his hand tightly with a smile. "I will always love you."

    Braden put down the microphone and took Anne''s hand. They were about to leave.

    How could the Collins and Jane family let them go?

    They quickly surrounded and stopped the both of them, wanting them to rify the issue. After all,

    the Collins family only had one son. Once he left them, what could they do in the future?

    However...

    "Cole."

    Shane didn''t even get up. He simply ordered calmly.

    Out of nowhere, bodyguards in bulletproof vests rushed into the church. They pushed back the

    Collins and Jane family. Then, escorted Braden and Anne as they left.

    Everyone was staring at Anne and Braden. Only Shane and Charlotte remain seated.

    These events were not rehearsed beforehand but they already knew what would happen.

    "Are we going to look for them?" Charlotte asked.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "They won''t leave. Just tell Rick not to change the lock."

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. Right. Anne and Braden can''t survive on their own. Braden can''t

    live without Shane and Anne can''t live without Rick. Of course, it''s not that they don''t have the

    ability but who would want to work hard if they can enjoy doing nothing?

    What was the point in living if they could be billionaires without working hard?

    Some people were born to fight for their lives while others...

    How good it was to be blessed with a happy life!

    Charlotte was very envious of it.

 Chapter 355

    Chapter 355

    Anne and Braden were walking aimlessly in the city. Both of them were in wedding attires which

    attracted many people''s attention.

    "What do you think they are thinking when they look at us?" Anne asked him.

    "I don''t know. I guess they probably thought we''re some sort of tragic couple. Maybe like Romeo

    and Juliet? A few of them followed us all the way from several streets away. Perhaps they''re afraid

    that we''ll die for love. People nowadays are so caring." Braden stopped and looked at the few

    people.

    Those people quickly turned their heads away when they had been discovered. Braden took out a

    checkbook from his pocket and wrote a 20000 dors check for each of them. "Thank you. But

    we''re not going to do anything crazy. I won''t die with her by my side. Take this money as some

    compensation for your time. Just think of it as the romance of some rich people."

    But those folks just wanted to do some good. Naturally, they didn''t care about money and didn''t

    ept the checks.

    "My conscience can''t be cleared if you don''t ept it," Braden ced a hand on his heart. "So just

    ept it, since it''s not that much money anyway."

    "I don''t want my good intentions to be turned into money." One of them exined, "This money is

    not much but it''s not a small amount either. If you really feel bad about it, you can treat us to a

    meal."

    "That''s fine, I happen to be hungry too."

    Of course, Braden did not simply pick a restaurant. He had several restaurants under his name

    which served delicious food and were free.

    This was also one of the reasons why he dared to cut all ties with the Collins family. With Shane by

    his side, he had made a lot of investments over the years but his family didn''t know of it.

    After a short conversation, Braden found out these people came to Brine to start a business. They

    didn''t have a lot of money, the few of them added together would have a worth of one million

    dors. It was not really a lot in Brine but it was considered a good result for people their age.

    "You don''t have investors? What do you do?" Braden asked curiously.

    "Logistics."

    "Oh, what a coincidence!"

    Braden immediately asked if they were interested in selling thepany or its shares. They

    hesitated for a moment, then they all looked at the man dressed in a ck jacket. Obviously, he was

    the spokesperson for all of them.

    "Yes, but all of us must be together and be the core of thepany."

    "Have you ever heard of Charlotte Emerson?"

    "Of course, she is our role model."

    "Great, do you want to meet her and talk?" Braden raised an eyebrow at them. "Oh right, I forgot to

    introduce myself. My name is Braden Collins, this woman here is Anne Jane."

    At this moment, they suddenly felt good for not being greedy earlier.

    The speaker immediately stood up and bowed. "Sorry, we didn''t recognize you. We didn''t expect

    you to look so amazing after the makeup. We have seen your photos. We are truly blind to have not

    recognized you. I hope you won''t take this to heart."

    "Don''t speak so formally with me." Braden snorted, "I don''t like it and stop doing it. I might believe it

    if it was Shane you were speaking to. But you''re talking to me. Take a clear look."

    The man smiled and said, "Mr. Fuller is really powerful but you''re not bad yourself. We have

    followed several of your investment projects. You''re very unique. If Mr. Fuller knows how to expand

    thepany well, then you are one who would know what young people liked. These two are not

    conflicting factors."

    "Hey, you''re pretty good at talking."

    It was no longer important to eat. Braden couldn''t wait to introduce these people to Lottie.

    They were young men involved in logistics and their abilities sounded quite good.

    However...

    If he went back to the wedding scene, he would be mocked by others.

    Braden decided to exchange contact information with them and make an appointment to meet them

    again tomorrow. By then, it would be convenient for both Shane and Charlotte to meet them.

    "Let''s continue wandering the streets?" Braden turned around and wrapped his arms around Anne''s

    shoulder after seeing the few men off.

    "Let''s find a ce to change our clothes first."

    She was right. So Braden went to a nearby clothing store. He wanted to buy some clothes for them

    to change into.

    The news that Braden took Anne and ran away from home spread quickly across the country.

    When Avery received the news, he was still sleeping. If his assistant hadn''t called him, he would

    definitely have missed this historic moment.

    However, when Avery got up and asked around, he felt he would rather miss this historic moment.

    The main issue was Braden and Anne had not been found yet. What did that mean for him?

    That''s right, he needed to start working and find them.

    Avery received the message from Peter as he realised this. He wanted to ignore him, but he quickly

    received a call from Peter.

    He sighed. Today was his holiday too.

    Avery had no choice but to answer, "Hello?"

    "Hey boss, help us search for them." Peter''s voice was a little hoarse.

    "What''s wrong with your voice?"

    "It''s okay... Some people caused trouble at the wedding. Someone had to deal with them. After all,

    Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson couldn''t do it because they were close friends with the groom and

    bride. The others were too afraid to step up so it was up to Zoe and me. I couldn''t have let Zoe do

    this alone, right?" Peter sighed and grabbed his hair with one hand. "What''s worst is that the Collins

    family wants to issue a warrant for Braden.

    They say he is corrupt and hasmitted tax evasion. It is ridiculous."

    "What did Shane say about this?"

    When Avery heard that things were so serious, he had no choice but to get up. He pulled on a shirt

    and chose to wear pajamas pants. He dragged his feet towards theputer tiredly. As soon as heExclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    turned on theputer, he found the tons of documents Peter sent him.

    He was toxic.

    "Mr. Fuller didn''t say anything at all. That''s why I was so anxious."

    "So Shane didn''t know that Braden would take Anne away?" Avery asked back.

    "This..."

    "If he knew, he would definitely deal with it. Now, Braden must''ve told him he could handle anything

    himself but now he needed Shane to clean his a*s," Avery replied as he opened the files.

    He made a cup of coffee to freshen up himself as he waited.

    Peter was silent. Avery was right. Although he felt that Braden would have informed Shane of

    something so big.

    Avery finished making his coffee and the documents were all opened. He typed in some keywords

    and frowned. "He disappeared after eating at his own restaurant? Aren''t there any surveince

    cameras?"

    "That''s what I''m worried about. Mr. Fuller asked me to follow up on this matter, but..." This was

    obviously unusual.

    Avery didn''t continue reading. He immediately sent the files to his subordinates. "It''s useless for us

    to be worried now. The best way is to wait for Braden to contact us. If he had been kidnapped, we

    would have to wait for the kidnappers to call."

    Other than that, there was nothing else he could do.

    Peter sighed and said, "I know. Then I''ll find more information first. Should I send them to you or..."

    "Send it to me. I''ll help you sort it out then send it to my men."

    "Alright."

    Peter was a very enthusiastic and efficient worker. In less than 30 minutes, he had sent him a lot of

    documents.

    Avery felt overwhelmed but he still carefully looked through the documents before sending them to

    his men.

    Although there were many documents, there were not many words so he was not very tired.

    "Mr. Avery."

    Just when he was burned out, Olive''s voice came from the door.

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 356

    Avery looked towards her and noticed she was standing at the door with her knees half-bent. Her

    legs and thighs were full of thorns.

    Avery immediately put down the mouse and walked towards her. He picked her up and asked,

    "What happened?"

    "I identally fell onto a cactus." There was not a trace of fear in her voice. She was quite calm.

    She was badly injured. Avery couldn''t care much. He quicklyid her down in her room and called

    the doctor. ording to the doctor, he has to disinfect her wound with alcohol to prevent an

    infection. While waiting for the doctor, Olive stared at the ceiling nkly. It wasn''t that she didn''t feel

    pain but she had suffered worse before. Hence, she felt there was no need to fuss about this injury.

    Soon, the doctor rushed to the house. He was stunned when he saw Olive. "This is..."

    My newly adopted daughter. Don''t worry about anything else, treat her wounds first." Avery pointed

    at Olive''s knee. "I''ve already cleaned her wounds a little. But you know I can''t see the thorns well."

    "Don''t worry. I don''t know why you wanted to y basketball that year. Now you''ve ruined your eyes

    and probably your brain too." Skr took out a pair of tweezers from his medical bag and knelt

    before Olive to pull out the thorns on her skin.

    Avery didn''t bother to respond. Skr was surprised and asked, "Don''t you feel any pain?"

    Olive shook her head. "I''m fine," she answered.

    "Avery, is there something wrong with your adopted daughter''s nerve? Did she go through a body

    check-up before you brought her back?"

    Avery never thought of this issue. "No, the family who adopted her before did it and they sent the

    results to me. There was no problem. She just has a stronger endurance than usual people."

    "Do you want to have a taste of this pain?" Skr asked as he wiped off the blood on one of the

    thorns and soaked it into alcohol.

    "Come on."

    "No, Mr. Avery..." Olive was a little worried. After all, it still hurt, it''s just she could tolerate the pain.

    Unlike Olive, Skr didn''t pity Avery. After making sure the thorn was sterilised, he stabbed it into

    Avery''s knee as deep as Olive''s wound. Avery winced immediately, it was so painful he gnashed his

    teeth.

    The pain was hard to describe. It was like the gentle touch of a nail but the feeling of the sharp end

    piercing into the skin was so bad.

    The moment the thorn entered his skin, he felt an ufortable pain.

    To put it simply, the difort was greater than the pain and this kind of difort was more

    unbearable than pain.

    Skr pulled out the thorn.

    "D*mn..." Avery couldn''t help but curse.

    "How did it feel?" Skr asked with a smile.

    "How can you bear it, Olive?"

    "I didn''t. I really don''t feel pain." Olive looked confused. Why did Avery feel pain? Was it because

    Avery liked an indulging life?

    Avery smirked. He only had two choices now. One was to admit there was something wrong with his

    nerves, another was to admit there was something wrong with Olive''s nerves. However, neither one

    of them seemed to be good.

    "Can you test pain receptors?" Avery asked.

    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Sure," he replied. "But you have toe with me to my research room."

    "I''ll go over when I''m done with Braden''s matter. Run a test for me and Olive." "Alright." Skr left

    after treating Olive''s wound. There were many small wounds on Olive''s knee. She might not be able

    to recover in a short time.

    Avery looked at her pale skin and he felt sorry for her. Although she was not his child, they could

    bond through joys and sorrows. His heart ached as he saw her like this.

    "Olive, rest well for a while. You can skip your sses."

    "Mr. Avery, there''s no need to. I hurt my legs but I still can learn. I just can''t run." Olive had a strong

    desire to learn.

    "I said stop."

    Olive felt a little upset. But she just nodded obediently and didn''t protest anymore.

    Anyway, she could secretly do some homework and Avery wouldn''t mind. She knew he just wanted

    her to rest well.

    After taking care of Olive, Avery returned to theputer. He only found out Peter had sent him a

    lot of messages. Avery rubbed his temples. His head ached but he had to continue looking through

    the documents on the table.

    After he finished, his whole body was in pain. Peter didn''t give him a lot of information but some

    were in a foreignnguage. He didn''t know how Peter got them.

    Suddenly, he saw a piece of information and his eyes widened in an instant.

    This...

    No, that didn''t seem right.

    At the same time.

    Charlotte was currently working on somepany''s business. Ever since the wedding, she had

    been extremely busy. It was mainly because she pushed off everything from one week before and

    after the wedding. So now she had to deal with a lot of unfinished work and continue her other work.

    It meant that she had to do at least three days of work in a day. There were too many things.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Someone suddenly knocked on the door as she was busy dealing with the documents.

    She looked up and said, "Come in."

    Peter pushed the door open and answered, "Miss Charlotte, it''s me."

    Charlotte nodded at him. "What''s wrong?"

    "Here''s the thing. Avery noticed some abnormal data, then asked someone to investigate the dock

    and found that Braden had appeared at the dock once. But at that time, he didn''t have Anne with

    him so the two of them may not even be at sea now."

    Charlotte quickly looked at Shane. After all, Braden was his best friend.

    Shane raised his head, but did not make anyment. He just motioned for Peter to go on.

    "What Avery meant was maybe both Anne and Braden had been kidnapped by someone and the

    probability of this happening is not small..." Peter''s voice trailed off as he said, "And the person who

    kidnapped them might be Christopher."

    "Is there enough evidence?"

    "There is enough."

    "Call the police."

    Peter was stunned for a second, then nodded. "I''m going to make a report now."

    As Charlotte listened, she wanted to stop Peter from making a police report but Shane remained

    calm even after Peter left. She instantly understood his intentions. After a long silence, she asked

    softly, "What if Christopher got shot by the police this time?"

    "Do you think he''s a fool?"

    "Not really. I just felt your decision was a little strange."

    Shane was still silent. He leaned back in his chair

    and his eyes fell on the table in front of him. There were all kinds of pens on the table, which were

    used to sign different characters.

    Charlotte shut her mouth after seeing that he didn''t want to reveal more.

    He knew Christopher and Braden better than her. She only understood Anne at most.

    At this time, where would Anne be?

    Charlotte couldn''t help but ponder on this question. After a long time, she raised her hand and

    rubbed her temples. Only Braden had been to the dock. It was known that he just went there, it was

    not clear whether he had boarded the ship or not. In other words, he might have boarded the ship

    and he might have not.

    The results of these two spections werepletely different.

    ording to the different results, Anne''s choice would differ too. One was that Anne got on the boat

    with Braden. The other was that Anne didn''t board the boat with Braden. The third was that Braden

    didn''t get on the boat with Anne, and the fourth was that Anne didn''t get on the boat with Braden,

    but Braden got on the boat.

    These four theories all revolved around the same thing-the boat.

    ording to Peter and Avery''s investigations, the boat didn''t exist at all.

    It didn''t exist...

    Even if they hadn''t boarded the ship, the ship must''ve existed.

    Otherwise, why would they go to the dock?

    Charlotte felt that she had vaguely grasped something.

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357

    "Don''t think too much." Shane suddenly said.

    Charlotte suddenly came to her senses. She looked at him and smiled. "I wasn''t thinking too much.

    I was just thinking about what I would do if I were Anne. I''m not worried about Braden and I don''t

    care if Christopher is smart or stupid. But Anne is my friend, I won''t allow anything to happen to

    her."

    "They will be fine," Shane said firmly.

    "I know." Of course, Charlotte trusted Shane, Peter, and Avery. At the same time, she also believed

    in Anne very much. But, how could she trust Christopher?

    It was because she knew Christopher that she couldn''t watch as Anne got in danger. Christopher

    was now so determined and vicious. What if he threatened Braden with Anne''s life or if he couldn''t

    reach an agreement with Braden? The more she thought, the more she panicked.

    No, she couldn''t waste time on these issues.

    Charlotte couldn''t stop thinking about the boat and the dock. However, her head ached the more

    she thought about it. It seemed Shane''s interruption caused her to lose her train of thoughts.

    About half an hourter, Avery suddenly called. Charlotte was stunned when she saw his name.

    After all, Peter had been keeping her updated the whole time. This meant Peter and Avery had

    been in contact all along. Avery first gave the information to Peter, then Peter would organize it and

    pass it to them. But now Avery was calling her himself. Could it be...

    Charlotte didn''t even dare to answer the phone. She took a deep breath before she answered,

    "Hello?"

    "Lottie, Braden not only went to the docks, but he also went to the airport. He even showed up on

    the highway but he avoided all the cameras. Can you help me ask Mr. Fuller if Braden has a hobby

    of investigating surveince cameras?" Avery asked urgently.

    Upon hearing this, Charlotte turned on the speaker so Shane could hear. She looked at Shane and

    waited for his reply.

    Shane shook his head.

    Charlotte replied, "Shane doesn''t know."

    "Does he not know or is he sure Braden doesn''t have a hobby or talent in this field?"

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte once again looked at him. Shane was silent for a while this time, and finally said, "I''m not

    sure."

    "Alright, I understand." Avery frowned when he heard these words. "Then we can conclude that

    there are two possibilities. The first is that he feels that Brine is no longer safe, but it will be even

    more dangerous if he left Brine. Therefore, he wanted to find a way to stay here while making it

    seem as if he had left. If that''s the case, we have to start investigating the Jane and Collins family.

    I''ll call Rick."

    Avery paused for a moment and drank a mouthful of water before continuing gravely, "Of course,

    there is also the second possibility. He was forced toe to these ces by others which means

    that the kidnapper is very familiar with surveince. So, Mr. Fuller, if you are not sure about Braden,

    what about Christopher?"

    "He doesn''t have the ability or the brains," Shane replied.

    "I see. It makes sense for you to be with Braden for such a long time. Braden is a very smart but he

    looks dim-witted."

    Smart but looked dim-witted.

    These words were the highest praise a person could obtain. A person who seemed to be stupid but

    has the brains to deal with everyone. This was too interesting. She liked the kind of people who

    seemed harmless on the surface but were actually very calcted.

    "He''s fine," Shane replied casually.

    "Aren''t you worried?" Averyughed, "I would be anxious if Rick was in such a situation not to

    mention you and Braden had known each other for so long."

    "I believe in Braden."

    "In other words, you don''t believe in Christopher, do you?"

    Shane shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair, feeling rxed and at ease.

    Charlotte sighed, "I''ve asked a simr question just now. He isn''t nervous at all. Avery, I think we

    don''t have to worry about these things. It''ll just cause us more trouble."

    Avery chuckled and said, "That''s right. Well, I''m not going to bother you anymore. I have other

    things to do."

    "Alright."

    After ending the call, Avery sent the information he found to Charlotte.

    Charlotte flipped through two pages and found that Avery''s guess was simr to hers. He had also

    marked out the four possibilities. However, due to the discovery of the information on the airport and

    the highway, he had rejected all four of the possibilities.

    It was interesting. She closed the files for the information and took out her own documents.

    She had confidence in Avery and Peter. They would only be able to gather enough information for

    them. She would only add to the trouble if she helped.

    Jane Corporation. Conference room.

    Rick''s legs were trembling after he finished the three meetings. He had been walking around the

    room for over an hour. This was worst than training for the military. After all, they had only trained for

    half an hour as the instructor was afraid idents would happen.

    "You''re back." Kendall had been sitting in his office and ying games on hisputer.

    "Mmhm," Rick answered as he picked her up. Then, he sat on the chair while she sat on hisp.

    Kendall looked up at his chin. She only felt that his jawline was very attractive. She couldn''t help but

    reach out and traced his jawline. "Rick, you are really good- looking. Why are you so goodlooking?"

    Her hands were soft and scented, even her voice was sweet.

    Rick leaned over and held her tightly in his arms as he breathed in her scent. The sweet scent of

    her body could help him relieve his stress.

    Kendall lowered her head shyly. "Rick..."

    "Let me hold you for a while." His voice was hoarse.

    Kendall immediately stopped talking.

    People always need a haven.

    In the past, he rarely saw her because Kendall had been studying and she did not show his

    affections for him. Hence, he only had Anne and Charlotte, who was strong yet fragile at the same

    time.

    Charlotte had a very special existence inparison to others. Her existence made him feel the

    need to work hard and improve himself. Otherwise, he would be abandoned by the world.

    Therefore, no matter how tired and annoyed he was, the moment he saw Charlotte, he would be

    reminded of her aim to work hard.

    Charlotte couldn''t let him rx. He had to work hard to control his rights and money.

    Kendall was different. When he was with her, he only wanted to be free. She also allowed him to be

    free. It didn''t matter if he was resting or kissing her, Kendall had always let him do whatever he

    wanted. At first, he thought she was too wild, but after some time, he realised he was captivated by

    the restraining freedom.

    She allowed him to be free and he learned to restrain himself. He felt rxed by venting in such a

    positive way.

    After working hard for so many years, he really needed to rx.

    "Kendall."

    Rick suddenly opened her mouth.

    "What?"

    Kendall''s face was still red as she answered him embarrassedly.

    "After everything is over, I will take you abroad to travel. We''ll go to the ces you want to go. If you

    like it, we will stay there for a few more days. Then, we''ll buy a house to live in when we''re old."

    Rick began to n their future together.

    Since Anne was already married, he should also settle down for his age.

    It was obviously impossible between him and Charlotte. Right now, he no longer had feelings for her

    as he used to. He mostly felt unreconciled with the past.

    And Kendall.

    She really suited him. They could banter at times.

    "Do you want to retire?"

    Unexpectedly, Kendall put on a nk face to tease him.

    "Pfft."

    Rick couldn''t help butugh.

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358

    "If I told you I had this n, would you say I''m beingzy?" Rick asked.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "No, I could feel you are very tired. If it''s possible, I also hope you can take a break," Kendall

    answered very seriously.

    "I might rest until I''m old. Do you have no problem with that?"

    "Resting doesn''t mean you''re not making money. I think even if you really travel with me, you can

    still dabble in investment. That would definitely benefit me. I can have fun while you work at the

    hotel. Hahaha..." Kendalughed with her hands on her hips, obviously thinking of the perfect

    future.

    This was the advantage of being with Kendall.

    She could always make his tense mood rx in an instant. Rick gently massaged Kendall''s temples

    and said, "When this is over, we''ll leave here."

    "Alright," Kendall responded with a smile. There was a glimmer in her eyes.

    Rick''s phone suddenly rang. He came to his senses and took the phone out of his pocket. "Hello?

    Peter? What... Okay."

    "What''s wrong?"

    Kendall leaned over and

    eavesdropped out of curiosity.

    "Peter called. He said Braden and Anne might be on our ne. The Jane Corporation invested in

    an airport. I''ll ask the person in charge about it. I really don''t know what Braden is up to." Rick was

    furious and frowned. He seemed to be burning with anger.

    "Oh," Kendall said. "It''s also possible that they had been kidnapped. He can''t be med for that."

    "I can''t me him if he was kidnapped? Then why did he take Anne away in the first ce? I will kill

    him if anything happens to Anne." Rick dialled another number in anger.

    Kendall didn''t dare to speak anymore. Rick and Anne depended on each other for their lives. She

    has to be careful in talking about Anne before Rick or vice versa. Otherwise, she might get in

    trouble with them if she weren''t careful.

    Rick dialled a string of numbers but there was no news. He had to call Peter again.

    "You can''t find Braden too? Who on earth is this Christopher?" Peter pulled on his hair and said,

    "Even Avery and I aren''t able to find Braden. Why aren''t they in any surveince cameras? Why?"

    "Why are you so sure that they avoided all the surveince cameras?"

    Peter suddenly calmed down. He patted his head and said, "Why didn''t I think of it? Rick, you are a

    saint."

    A saint?

    Was that apliment?

    The corners of his mouth tugged up and he ignored Peter, mainly because he didn''t understand why

    Peter was suddenly so excited. Although he didn''t understand, he had an invincible brain. So he

    made a deduction from Peter''s point of view.

    Peter had looked through all the surveince cameras and still found nothing, so he was very

    frustrated. He also wondered why Braden was able to avoid all the cameras. At the same time, he

    suspected that Braden might have missed some of the newly installed cameras.

    Therefore, at this time, Peter might be investigating thetest cameras and then upload Braden and

    Anne''s photos into the software topare them.

    "It''s a good idea but I''m afraid of the time constraint..." Rick muttered to himself.

    There might not be enough time for the system topare the pictures one by one. The kidnapper

    might kill them if they were not able to make it in time.

    "Rick, what are you talking about?" Kendall was

    confused.

    "It''s nothing. I was just thinking if there was enough time."

    "Is it ten against one or one against ten? Ten against one would definitely be faster."

    Hmm?

    Rick turned around and looked at Kendall with an amazed look. Kendall blinked innocently and

    asked, "Did I say something wrong? If I took one of your pictures andpared it with ten people, it

    would be very fast. But if Ipared ten people with one of your pictures, it would be much slower."

    So that''s how it was.

    This was why Avery and Peter worked so fast.

    When he waited for people to investigate, it was often Kendall''s exnation. They didn''t have any

    reference nor a good software so they could only use dumb methods. But Peter and Avery only

    needed one picture topare it with the surveince cameras. How could they be slow?

    Rick''s heart was finally at ease.

    In any case, now was the time to wait for the result.

    He hoped that the results woulde out soon.

    Peterpared at least 20 streets with hundreds of cameras. He finally found Braden on the

    surveince camera of a small alley. He looked very tired with an earpiece in his ear. Peter was sure

    someone had instructed him to do so.

    "I have checked. This surveince camera was newly installed in March this year. Because of the

    high crime rate, the authorities implemented a lot of protective measures to calm the public. We can

    conclude that the kidnapper is not aware of this. So I conducted another investigation but got

    nothing." Peter put his report on Charlotte''s table and sighed with regret.

    It should have been a good lead but the kidnapper was too cautious or maybe he wasn''t smart

    enough.

    "It''s fine, so now we know he has appeared in Brine today. In other words, he hasn''t left Brine."

    Peter didn''t think of this. After all, even if he appeared in an alley, there was still a chance he might

    have left.

    Charlotte continued, "I''vee to this conclusion because if the kidnappers wanted them to leave

    the city, he would''ve done it two days ago. There''s no reason to hide from surveince cameras

    until now. Which means..." "Is he testing his understanding of the cameras?"

    Peter asked in an instant.

    "Mm. Personally, I don''t think that Christopher would do such a thing." Charlotte paused as she

    spoke, "He doesn''t have the time."

    "If it isn''t Christopher, who would it be?"

    Who else had a grudge against the Collins or Jane family?

    "I think you can ask Avery if Caleb has such a hobby."

    Caleb Stevens!

    Peter really didn''t expect that. He immediately turned around and left the office as he hurriedly took

    out his mobile phone to call Avery.

    Charlotte sighed and rubbed her temples. "Shane, now that things havee to this point, do we

    have any other choice? Are we just going to continue searching like this? What if the kidnapper kills

    them once 72 hours have passed?"

    Shane, who had been reading a book, looked up and nced at her. "There''s no need to do

    anything else."

    Charlotte was speechless.

    She always felt that Shane did not care about Braden. What should she do?

    "Anne has never suffered since young. If she really had been kidnapped, who knows what kind of

    house she''s trapped in..." "Lottie." Shane interrupted her directly. "Didn''t you see Braden''s clothes

    on the surveince footage?"

    Huh?

    Charlotte turned on the monitor again and looked at Braden''s clothes carefully. First, his clothes

    were very clean. Second, it seemed to be quite new. It seemed very trendy and fashionable. Thirdly,

    the sneakers he was wearing looked expensive because had an Air Jordan logo.

    "I don''t understand. What does this mean?" Charlotte frowned. Did that mean Braden change his

    clothes?

    "Braden never wears sneakers. He thinks that he wouldn''t be able to getdies in them," Shane

    simply said. Then he closed his book and put it on the table.

    "Does that mean that the kidnapper gave him the clothes he was wearing?"

    "It''s not just that."

    Charlotte pondered about it further.

    Suddenly, a thought shed through his mind.

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359

    "That is to say, the person who gave Braden the clothes doesn''t know what he likes or even his

    size? That''s why his outfit is so strange. Look at this pair of pants and shirt. They are not of the

    same style." Charlotte pointed at the monitor screen.

    "Yes." Shane nodded. "That''s why you guessed that it wasn''t Christopher."

    "If it wasn''t Christopher, who else could it be? Could it really be Caleb?" Charlotte bit her lip.

    "That''s a good thing."

    "Indeed, if it wasn''t Christopher, at least Braden wouldn''t need to worry about his life. You made the

    right choice by not calling the police earlier." Charlotte clicked open a webpage. Initially she wanted

    to check the maps but she had a bad sense of direction so she gave up eventually.

    She didn''t know where Braden and Anne were.

    It was heart-wrenching.

    In the alley.

    Braden was lying on a reclining chair in the courtyard. His hands were shackled and his feet were

    tied up but this did not affect his mood. He was humming a tune while ordering the man beside him

    to feed him a piece of watermelon.

    It felt good to have someone wait on you whenever you open your mouth.

    "Hey, do you think this is a holiday?" Caleb felt furious when he saw him this way. Why is there no

    response from the Collins and Jane family? Even if they didn''t care, why hadn''t Shane responded?

    Was Braden not his best friend?

    "Isn''t it?" Braden shrugged and moved into a morefortable position. "Did you expect me to cry

    and beg you to release me? Don''t worry, even if you killed me I will thank you for helping me leave

    this dull world. Not only will I not hate you but I will love you for it."

    Caleb twitched the corners of her mouth and said, "There isn''t a single normal person by Shane''s

    side."

    "I think Avery is normal."

    "You''re disgusting."

    "It''s a pity that Avery and Shane are no longer friends. I haven''t seen him for a long time," Braden

    sighed sadly. "I heard that your sister is with that b*stard Rick, right? Don''t you think he is insane?"

    "He''s your brother-inw." Caleb took a chair and sat down in front of Braden.

    He didn''t have time the past two days, now that he sat down and talked to him, he noticed this guy

    was quite interesting.

    "So what if he''s my brother-inw? Can''t I hate him? He''s neither capable nor good looking. I don''t

    even know why my wife treats him like a god. It''s so disgusting.�� Braden ate another bite of

    watermelon.

    "He''s not capable? He controls the Jane Corporation, how can he not be capable?"

    "Don''t you know why Mielle was killed? It was because there was no point in killing Rick." Braden

    looked at Caleb exasperatedly. "You''re quite interesting. You and Rick are partners but you don''t

    know these?"

    Caleb really didn''t know what had happened between Rick and Mielle. At most, he only knew of the

    situation but he didn''t know the details.

    "Hey, ording to you, the Jane Corporation would be finished soon under Rick?"

    "Would Shane allow him to end it? Think about it.�� Braden yawned. "Why would Shane support me?

    Because he has no other way. Everyone could clearly see Christopher''s other intentions. He wants

    Shane out of the NC Company. But I''m different. Although I''m not as useful but I''m loyal."

    "You mean, Rick listens to Shane?"

    "Or else?"

    Caleb''s face instantly darkened. "So, he never meant to work with the Stevens family?"

    "That''s not necessarily true. Maybe it''s Shane''s idea to work with you. Maybe it''s Shane who wants

    to work with you."

    "Shane wants to work with us? My sister kidnapped his daughter. Why would he want to work with

    us?"

    "Huh? Didn''t you know your sister was hypnotised by Christopher? No, you don''t even know about

    this matter?"

    How could Caleb know about this?

    The people who had tested for hypnosis were Shane and Rick. Neither of them told others about it.

    Even Kendall herself didn''t know what had happened. Of course Caleb didn''t know this. But Braden

    obviously wouldn''t tell him this. He told Caleb it was him who realised the situation and brought Rick

    for the test, then he brought Kendall and told them not to tell anyone.

    "Initially I nned to tell you a few weeks after this has ended. But who knows, I have actually

    forgotten about it while talking with you." Braden curled his lips casually.

    "You really thought about it?"

    "Think about it, you would definitely look for Christopher if I told you. Don''t you think Christopher

    would drive a wedge between you and Rick?" Braden snorted coldly. "Let me warn you, don''t

    always treat others as fools and think you are the smartest. You think I''m able to stay by Shane''s

    side for so long because I''m outstanding? It''s because I''m quick-witted."

    Caleb was silent. Braden looked so easy going but in reality, his words were very profound. His

    logic was also very clear.

    "I know what you mean." At this point, Caleb could only go along with Braden.

    Braden changed his posture again. He pped his hands and ordered Caleb to take away the

    watermelon. "Let me tell you, Rick is a sucker that can be hypnotised. What great things can he

    achieve? If I hadn''t investigated this matter thoroughly, he would have fallen out with Avery too. He

    had already lost Shane and Charlotte, he will have a hard time getting back up."

    "So, at that time, Rick made a fake testimony for my sister because of Christopher?"

    "Yes. Christopher''s woman, ine, you know her, don''t you?"

    "Yes." "You know that ine is Charlotte''s stepmother,

    don''t you?"

    Who would''ve known about this? Who would''ve thought about it?

    Rnd gaped at Shane in disbelief as he said, "Didn''t they release the news that Christopher

    bought the Emerson Corporation after the previous chairman died then he helped his woman obtain

    a higher position?"

    "Do you believe this nonsense? Then why did he choose the Emerson Corporation? That time

    Shane and Charlotte weren''t even together," Braden whistled as he spoke.

    Did he twist the truth?

    He didn''t.

    At that time, Charlotte hadn''t been with Shane.

    It was also true that Christopher''s acquisition of Emerson Corporation had nothing to do with

    Charlotte. Who could say it was rted to them except for the people who were involved?

    No one could.

    "Then I understand. After the death of the chairman of Emerson Corp, ine went to Christopher

    and asked him to help her secure her position in thepany. Besides, Christopher had always

    been dissatisfied with Shane. Am I right?"

    "Then I would have to tell you the third thing."

    "What is it?"

    "Christopher is Shane''s half-brother."

    As soon as he said that.

    Caleb immediately stood up from his chair. He strode to Braden''s side and took the bonds off his

    hands and feet. He helped him up and asked, "Should we talk somewhere else?"

    "Oh, now you''re treating me well?" Braden snorted. "I''m telling you I''ve been holding in my

    annoyance for the past few days. If you don''t treat me to a proper meal to appease my anger, I will

    not say a word."

    "Of course, I would even send you back now."

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Caleb only realised the mistake he made now.

    The man before him seemed to be Shane''s best friend. He looked like he was the most useless and

    freeloading person but in reality the information he had was just as useful as Avery''s!

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360

    Caleb immediately brought Braden to Rnd''s study. In addition to repeating what he said

    previously, Braden also exined the love- hate rtionship involved in detail which included why

    Charlotte used to have a position in the Jane Corporation and how he met Anne and so on.

    This was simply like hitting the jackpot for the Stevens family. They were just in need of these data

    from Brine. For instance, they could only find little information on business information which could

    be found by any other people, not to mention people from rich families.

    However, there were only a few people who knew the details. Those that were involved would

    definitely not tell them. Only people like Braden who was in the centre of it could tell them a thing or

    two.

    "So the situation is like this, you''ve always thought that Shane would choose Avery after Avery and

    Rick fought. The truth is, in nicer terms, Avery is a sissy but inyman''s terms, he''s just a good-for-

    nothing," Braden snorted coldly. "People always say that he acts like a meek sheep to prey on

    actual predators, but I think he has been pretending to be a prey for too long. He even treats a

    potential threat like an ally when he sees one."

    "Do you mean that Avery is as useless as Rick?" Caleb rolled his eyes in confusion.

    "Hey, that''s what you said, not me. If Avery was really ipetent, how could he make the whole

    Hart family submit to him? But on the contrary, if Avery was really powerful, why did he end up in

    Brine? Why didn''t he send a few people to build the foundation first like you two, then move over?

    Why did he have to put himself in the front line?" Braden''s question was very good.

    Firstly, he had put the Stevens family on a pedestal. Naturally, the Stevens family would love it if he

    ttered them this way. Secondly, he didn''t invalidate Avery or Rick. If he did, it would make him

    look too arrogant.

    "Dad, I think what Braden is saying that he predicts Shane would choose Rick and not Avery,

    because Avery is not easy to control but Rick is. We could actually agree with Shane on this point."

    There was a glimmer in Caleb''s eyes. "This time we could..."

    "Shut up."

    Caleb was stunned for a moment before falling into a deep silence.

    Braden looked at the two of them and said with a smile, "I know what''s going on with them and I

    know that they are investigating you. I also know a little about Avery''s hatred towards you. Don''t

    worry, I just like to make friends. If you want to talk with Shane, I''m happy to help you."

    "Do you mean that you know Avery''s hatred for us?" Rnd''s eyes suddenly lit up. It''s obvious he

    touched a nerve.

    "Isn''t it just his woman and his sister? In the end it''s just these two matters right?" Braden asked

    nonchntly. "It''s just you and Avery that put this matter onto us. Who cares about your personal

    rtionships? We are all on the same boat. Mr. Stevens, let me ask you a question, do you think I''m

    clean?"

    Rndughed and apuded loudly. "Good point. Braden, do you really think you''re not clean?"

    "Mr. Stevens, people who can reach this point, let''s not talk about me or Shane. Let''s talk about

    Anne and Kendall. Do you think they are really clean? Yes, we have been trying to maintain their

    innocence as much as possible but this is also the reason why they are not clean, isn''t it?"

    Does wiping the blood off your hands make the person innocent?

    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    No, it doesn''t.

    Instead, if you wiped away the blood on your hands once, you might need to wipe off the blood on

    your body the next time.

    "Do you think that Anne is not innocent?" Rnd retorted.

    "Is Anne innocent?" Braden sneered. "From a husband''s perspective, of course I think she''s cute

    and innocent. But from a macroscopic view, how many times did Anne use her status to help

    Charlotte? Are you sure she never hurt anyone in the process?"

    Rnd was silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, "You''re right."

    Braden knew that he had won.

    He shrugged his shoulders with a smile and said, "Of course, we''re not clean. No one is clean in

    this circle. Is it true that Avery himself is clean? If he''s really clean, why did he choose an

    intelligence system? Besides, intelligence is the dirtiest ce of all."

    "Caleb, take Braden to have a walk nearby. Go to our ce and avoid the cameras."

    "Yes, father."

    Braden let out a sigh of relief the moment he was taken away by Caleb.

    Of course, he knew that Anne and Charlotte were innocent. Anyone but these two people would

    have their hands stained with blood. The reason why he said so was to let the Stevens family let

    down their guard and identify Shane as one of them so they could convince themselves they

    understood Shane best.

    They could never understand the hardships behind Rick and Avery''s upright sess.

    Generally speaking, no one would believe what he said. Someone who had never seen darkness

    would not believe they were bad in nature.

    However...

    The same could be said for the opposite.

    As long as one had contact with darkness, even a little bit, they would easily believe their whole

    soul is evil.

    Braden used this method to convince the Steven Family that both he and Shane were dirty like

    them. This is the only way he can obtain their trust in the shortest time.

    To a murderer, the best person they could trust in would be a prison cellmate.

    Three dayster.

    All of a sudden, Braden appeared at Charlotte''s office with Anne.

    Upon seeing both of them, Charlotte quickly rushed forward and hugged Anne. "Where the hell

    have you been?"

    "I went on a trip." Anne hugged her back. "It''s okay. It''s really okay. Let''s not talk about us first.

    Braden has something to discuss with you and Shane. He spent a lot of effort on this."

    "Was it Caleb?" Charlotte looked at Braden.

    "Hey, you guys already know?"

    "I don''t know. It''s just a guess."

    Bradenughed out loud when he heard this. He walked over to Shane and sat down on his legs,

    "Charlotte, I''ll leave my wife to you. Could you lend me your husband for a bit?"

    Charlotte was speechless. She turned around, grabbed Anne''s face towards her and nted a big

    kiss on her cheek without thinking.

    "Wow, not bad." Braden whistled. "Tell me, were you ever in love with each other?"

    "What are you talking about? Hurry up and get down to business." Anne red at him.

    Bradenughed. "Okay, okay. My wife is right. I won''t joke around anymore. First of all, you guessed

    right. Caleb did kidnap me and Anne. I was caught as soon as I left the hotel. The Stevens were

    quite cunning. They had followed us for so long."

    "But, they couldn''t have dreamed that the moment they kidnapped me, I''ve already figured out a

    solution. The n was not really simple, it''s notplicated either. It was to..."

    "Cooperate with them."

    Although Charlotte had guessed that it could be such a thing, she did not expect that Braden would

    actually be able to do it.

    "Did you really do it?" She couldn''t help but ask.

    "What do you think, Mr. Fuller?" Braden nced at the man behind him. He couldn''t hide the pride

    on his face.

    "He wouldn''te back if he failed."

    "Hahahahahaha, he''s indeed my blood brother!"

    Braden''s eyes turned cold and dark as he said, "They''ve been pestering us for so long. Of course, I

    want to gain some interest."

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    Chapter 361

    Charlotte still didn''t quite understand what Braden meant, but Shane seemed to understand it

    clearly. Therefore, she felt it wasn''t a big issue if she didn''t.

    After he kept them guessing for a long time, Braden only started to tell them what he did. In thest

    three days, Caleb had already thought of him as a brother. Anne couldn''t stopughing. "You can''t

    imagine how excited Caleb is to meet Shane and be sworn brothers."

    "What did you say to Caleb?" There were countless questions on Charlotte''s mind. Braden only told

    them what he had done and not what he had said. However, the things he said were the most

    crucial part of this.

    Braden definitely wouldn''t tell Charlotte and Shane that he almost sold them out. He just smiled

    mysteriously and continued, "In short, Caleb is going to discuss working with you now. I''ve already

    provided you with the pen and paper, it''s up to you to draw it.

    "We''ve also thought about working with Caleb but our current rtionship with them is very

    awkward. I''m afraid they''ll have doubts," Charlotte said. "After all, the best strategy is to keep your

    enemies close. Initially, Shane and I nned to cut off their logistics and see their response. Then,

    we''ll decide if we want to set up a meeting with them. I didn''t expect you to take care of that for us."

    Bradenughed, "Of course. Don''t you see who I am, and how powerful I am?"

    Charlotte sighed, "You''re quite formidable but once you did this, we have no way to retreat. We

    have to go through it to the end. Originally, my n was to y the long game which would be

    around three to four years. But now I think the victor would be decided in half a year. It''s either we

    end them or they end us, it''s not necessarily good for us."

    She and Avery had been nning for the long run so they were not in a hurry to attack the Steven

    Family. She also wanted to destroy such a big family within a day but where would she get the

    money and opportunity from?"

    "I know." Braden smiled. "So my idea is this, we have to make it seem like we''re close to the Steven

    Family but we''ll sell their information to Avery. Then we tell the Stevens family of this through other

    means and let Rick take Kendall and Avery for a meal. Don''t you think the Stevens family will get

    mad?" "So what you''re saying is..." "If the Steven Family is angry, who do you think they would work

    with in a rage?"

    Christopher Gibson.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Charlotte immediately came up with the answer.

    Braden knew that both Charlotte and Shane were smarter than him so he didn''t need to keep them

    guessing. He immediately told them his idea in a breath, "In that case, we all know what would

    happen once he works with Christopher. Now Christopher doesn''t even have time for himself. If the

    Stevens family works with him, it might seem to be a way to defeat us but in reality they would be

    dragged down by Christopher."

    "It''s just that... would that be too cruel of us?" Charlotte was still hesitant.

    "You and Anne are both worried about the same thing so I''m more concerned about Shane''s

    thoughts. If you disprove this idea, I will forget about this."

    "I''m not saying it''s a bad idea..." Charlotte was helpless.

    Why did Braden feel that she was disproving him?

    She just thought doing this was against her principles. But she was even more aware that the

    Stevens family had abandoned their morality first.

    "It doesn''t matter."

    Shane only said three words.

    Obviously, both Avery and Braden only yed minor roles in his ns. They wouldn''t make too

    much of a difference. However, no one, including Charlotte, knew what Shane''s n was.

    "Then the two of you..." Braden turned his head around to look at Charlotte and Anne.

    "I am very against it. We can''t turn ourselves into rogues just because we want to deal with one."

    Anne''s opinion was very simple.

    "Well, let''s go and discuss it with Avery. He''s the one who hates the Steven Family the most."

    Braden could ept this exnation. He nodded and said, "Let''s set up a meeting with Avery. I

    suspect the Steven Family is keeping an eye on me. You can meet up with him at one ce then I''ll

    follow behind."

    "Alright."

    Charlotte immediately called Avery. Before she could say anything, Avery said she called just in

    time as Olive wanted to see her.

    Charlotte thought about it and decided to meet up at an amusement park.

    This way it was normal for Avery to go to an amusement park since he has a child. Secondly, the

    amusement park would be crowded so they could easily spot if the same group of people was

    following them.

    Third of all, some ces in the amusement park werepletely closed off. There were only

    security cameras at the entrances and exits of the park. The facilities inside were free of cameras

    so it would be easy for them to hide themselves.

    That way, Olive and Sheryl could also spend some time together.

    "You''re taking the children with you?" Braden was confused. "It''s already dangerous enough that we

    want to meet in secret, you actually want to take two children with you?"

    "That way, we won''t be suspected. You can''t deny that."

    This...

    Braden licked his lips. It seemed reasonable but he was still worried about the safety of the two

    children. He was silent for a long time before he continued, "Well, when we finished talking, we can

    also have a date at the park. It has been a while since Ist went on a date with Anne."

    They haven''t dated in a long time? Charlotte looked at Anne teasingly as Anne fumed, "What? Do

    you go on dates with Shane all the time?"

    "Yeah." Charlotte answered matter-of-factly, "We date every day." "Speak human words..."

    Charlotte smiled.

    After the matter was decided, Charlotte and Avery decided on a time which was tomorrow morning.

    Avery would bring Olive first, then Charlotte and Shane would go with Sheryl while Braden and

    Anne would reach around lunchtime.

    In the early morning, Avery and Olive had looked through the rides at the amusement parks. They

    had made a detailed n on all the rides they wanted to go on.

    "I will definitely talk about business with them. You can go alone, right?" Avery asked Olive.

    "No problem."

    "You can pay for most of the rides with your phone. I''ve taught you before. Here''s an extra 200

    dors in cash. Put it in your bag and don''t take it out. Go on the rides ording to our ns. Wait

    for me at the gate we''ve decided at 8.30 during the firework show. Understood?"

    "I have a phone. I''ll call you if I get lost." Olive felt Avery was very talkative today. She didn''t need

    him to be so detailed.

    She could even deliver goods on her own, not to mention being alone at an amusement park. She

    had learned a lot from the construction workers during her time with them, so she had no problem

    doing so.

    Avery looked at her intensely. He knew her small body harnessed the courage greater than most

    adults but...

    He was still worried about her.

    He just said, "You have to be careful."

    "Don''t worry. If I need you to worry about me like other children, you wouldn''t have to adopt me,"

    Olive said, pouting her lips obviously unhappy with his nagging.

    Avery sighed and rubbed his temples, "I''ve been getting along with you for the past two days. I think

    that you''re a good kid, so I''m concerned about you. Can''t you appreciate that?"

    "Thank you, Uncle Avery," Olive replied in a babylike voice.

    Huh!

    Avery thought that he hadn''t adopted a daughter but an imp.

    However, it was also quite good this way.

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362

    Avery got on a few rides with Olive. He received a call from Charlotte saying they had arrived with

    Sheryl.

    It wasn''t easy to find each other in the vast sea of people, let alone follow someone. It took them

    quite a while to find each other. Charlotte froze when she saw the phone and map in Olive''s hand.

    "Are you going to let her go alone?"

    "Let Sheryl go along then. She has a phone anyway." Avery looked at Olive and asked, "What do

    you think?"

    "I''m fine. Do you want to y with me?" Olive looked at Sheryl with sparks in her eyes.

    Sheryl was in a dilemma. She really wanted to be with her mom and dad but she also knew that

    they had to discuss business with Uncle Avery. She wouldn''t have fun with them, she might even

    create more trouble for them...

    Olive was smart. She immediately said, "Since Sheryl doesn''t want to go, it''s fine for me to go by

    myself."

    "It''s not that I don''t want to, I just think..." Sheryl bit her lower lip. "It''s not easy for me to spend time

    with my mom and dad now. I know they''re very busy but I still want to stay with them for a while

    longer."

    Charlotte suddenly felt guilty. She just wanted to bring Olive and Sheryl out to y. The first reason

    was so they could have fun and the second was to avoid any attention from the Stevens family.

    However, she never thought of it from the child''s point of view.

    Charlotte knelt down and pulled Sheryl into her arms. She said in a soft voice, "After today, let''s go

    have a vacation in the city next door, okay? Your great-grandma also said she wanted to go on a

    holiday."

    "Really?" Sheryl looked at her hopefully. "You can''t break your promise. Also, can Olivee with

    us?"

    Olive knew of Charlotte and Shane''s fake fallout with Avery. She also knew it was one of the

    reasons they met at this amusement park. Avery had told her everything but he didn''t care if she

    understood it or not. She didn''t know she should thank him or resent him for not caring about

    whether her brain could process this information.

    But no matter what, she could not go on a trip with Sheryl.

    Olive said, "Well, I won''t go on the trip. We can have fun today. You can follow me or you can stick

    with your parents. You can''t have both. Besides, travelling would dy my studies. I don''t have the

    time."

    Sheryl felt upset all of a sudden. She reached out and grabbed the hem of Olive''s clothes. "We had

    such a good timest time. Don''t you want to go out with me?"

    "Let''s go y first and leave the adults alone. We can slowly talk then."

    "Hmm? Alright."

    Olive was about to leave with Sheryl, Shane quickly stopped them. He passed Sheryl''s phone to her

    and put 300 dors in her bag. Sheryl sweetly said, "Thank you, daddy!"

    "Go ahead."

    "All right."

    Sheryl scampered off with Olive.

    "Olive..." Charlotte sighed, "She''s too mature. I didn''t expect her to stand in our shoes and think for

    us."

    "I told her about our fallout. That''s why she rejected the idea of travelling together." Avery watched

    as the children left, there was a trace of sadness in his heart. "She''s a good kid. But she''s too

    sensible, it''s frightening." "Even you would feel afraid. It was quite normal for the previous family to

    return her back."

    "Well, so I never med them. Instead, it was because of them that I could adopt Olive. I really

    have to thank you for this. If it wasn''t for her, I don''t know how I could''ve got through these times."

    Speaking of this matter, Charlotte''s eyes darkened. "Peter and Zoe are both fine. It should be a

    good thing, but they actually attacked Peter and Zoe. We can''t let our guard down anymore. This

    time, we came to talk to you about this. Braden will tell you the details. I''ll give you a general idea."

    "It''s not Mr. Fuller''s idea?" Avery frowned. He didn''t really trust Braden.

    It was not that he didn''t trust him.

    He knew that anyone around Charlotte and Shane would be worthy of his trust but Braden was too

    unreliable. He was a happy-go-lucky guy that has never done anything seriously in his life so...

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "It''s a good idea," Shane said calmly.

    "Are you sure?"

    "I don''t like it but you will."

    Avery wanted to say that if Shane didn''t like it, how could he like it?

    But on second thought, he didn''t really have anything inmon with Shane. He immediately

    understood what he meant. "Let''s sit down and talk. When will Bradene over?"

    "Around lunchtime. Speaking of this... I hope the two girls remember to eat."

    "We''ve given them so much money. It''s impossible that they would forget," Avery said with a smile.

    Moms just like to worry. He and Shane didn''t have so many concerns as fathers.

    Olive made a detailed n which included the rides with the least people and the rides that were

    the most fun. Of course, since the both of them had VIP passes, they didn''t need to wait in line. The

    difference in the waiting time was about 5 to ten minutes.

    "It''s nice to have money," Olive sighed as she looked at the golden card in her hand.

    "I heard from my mommy that you used to live a hard life." Sheryl did not use the word ''poor''

    because she knew that it would hurt people.

    However, Olive said with a smile, "It''s not hard but poor. It''s fine. You don''t have to care about my

    feelings. I''m really used to it. I know that I''m poor and my family is poor. We can''t even afford a cup

    of water if we came here, let alone the VIP pass."

    "Olive..." Sheryl''s heart ached for her.

    "It really doesn''t matter."

    "I know you don''t mind it but I do. At least I need to consider your feelings even if others don''t. After

    all, we only have each other now." Sheryl put down her hand and gently held Olive''s hand.

    Olive froze for a moment. Then, she burst intoughter. "I''m really fine," Olive said. "If I have to say

    something, it would be that I disliked you a little when I first met you."

    "It''s normal, after all, I''m so cute."

    "Yes, you''re so cute."

    Right then, it was their turn to go on the ride. The staff were extra cautious and as it was just the two

    of them. They were very well- behaved and nodded along at the staff''s instructions. Finally, they got

    into the ride.

    After they went through several rides, it was already noon.

    "I''m so hungry." Sheryl rubbed her stomach.

    "Do you want to eat something?"

    "Okay." Sheryl picked up the map and said, "Let me see where we should go. Hey, it''s said there

    are different types of foods ording to the areas. There''s BBQ here, the others only have

    hamburgers." "All right.

    Olive looked over and typed in the coordinates into her cell phone. Then she followed the

    navigation.

    The owner didn''t want to serve them at first when they arrived but they couldn''t refuse when they

    saw the children have money.

    "Kids, aren''t you with your parents?"

    Two people dressed like college students came over and asked.

    Olive wanted to say something but Sheryl pointed at her brooch and said, "My dad will find me

    through the GPS so don''t worry. Thank you for your kindness. We''re going to have lunch now."

    The two of them were stunned at first, then they smiled awkwardly.

    "Do you know who they are?" Olive asked with a frown.

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363

    "Yes, I know. He probably wanted to kidnap us." Sheryl answered casually. "My dad puts a lot of

    trackers on me, even I may not know about them. He''ll still find me even if I take them off. I''m

    already used to it so don''t worry."

    This was the child of a rich family.

    Olive sighed in her heart. She had good looks since young. Her parents and uncle had always

    taught her to protect herself well. She had to recognize human traffickers, learn to run away, and...

    Anyway, no one had ever thought of cing a GPS on her.

    "Didn''t Uncle Avery give you one?" Sheryl asked.

    "No." Olive shook her head.

    "Maybe he doesn''t think that you would be separated from him. When I see himter, I will mention

    it to him. It''s better to be safe than sorry."

    Olive wanted to say no but she also wanted to know Avery''s reaction if Sheryl spoke about it to him.

    After they had eaten, they went shopping together. They would buy any delicious food and drinks

    and share them with each other. Sheryl was a big spender, she bought anything she liked. Olive,

    however, was the opposite. She carefully calcted the cost andpared the prices before

    buying something she liked.

    After a while, Sheryl''s bag was already full. Olive wanted to help her with the bags but Sheryl called

    Shane directly. Soon, Cole came over with two bodyguards behind him.

    "Miss Sheryl, we have been looking for you all this time but we didn''t dare toe close to you."

    Cole remained polite in front of Sheryl.

    Sheryl took out a handkerchief from her pocket and helped him wipe the sweat on his forehead.

    "Uncle Cole, I didn''t know you wereing. Now that you''re here, you can y with us."

    "I''m working, Sheryl," Cole said as he took out the things from her bag and ced them into the

    shopping bags carried by the bodyguards. "Should we send these back to the old house or give

    them to Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson so that they can take them back to the vi?"

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Well... the old house." Sheryl puffed out her cheeks. "Are you sending them back now? It''s not

    easy for you to go back and forth.

    "Miss Sheryl, it''s nothing."

    "Then let''s quickly finish our shopping, Olive. You can wait for us awhile!"

    Olive was once again pulled into the shopping area by Sheryl. Influenced by Sheryl, she started to

    spend more too. She paid for everything with Avery''s money. She thought Avery would ask her

    about it, who knows there was no news from him even after she bought dozens of clothes.

    Her cell phone rang while she was paying for a hat.

    She nced at it and saw that it was from Avery. Her heart tightened nervously. Her fingers froze

    for a moment before she picked it up and answered, "Mr. Avery?"

    "Hand over your things to Mr. Fuller''s men first. Don''t take them all by yourself."

    "Oh, oh..."

    "Buy whatever you like. Don''t lose out to Sheryl. Mr. Fuller was showing off to me just now. His

    daughter had already spent three hundred dors. Let me take a look... you haven''t even spent a

    hundred dors. I''ll be sad," Avery sobbed as he spoke.

    This was the first time Olive had seen Avery behaving like this. She got goosebumps instantly and

    said, "Well, Mr. Avery..."

    "Hahaha well, I won''t tease you. You''re a smart child. I know you want to help me save money but

    since you''re out, just spend as much as you want. Don''t think I''ll go bankrupt because you spent

    some money. I have millions of dors. You go have fun."

    Toot, toot, toot-

    An average child might not grasp what a million meant but Olive knew.

    And she knew it very clearly.

    Olive looked at the hat in her hand and suddenly smiled. She turned around and bought the

    matching sets with the hat. She wouldn''t wear these clothes but she liked them.

    Avery could finally let out a sigh of relief when he saw how much she was spending.

    "It''s really not easy raising a daughter. Do you know she didn''t even touch any meat at first? She

    told me meat was expensive."

    "Olive''s previous environment was hard. You have to take good care of her," Charlotte said.

    "I could never raise her like Sheryl. But I''m pretty curious about this, Sheryl didn''t have much money

    before either, right? Howe she spends so much? She spent more than 300 dors in an

    amusement park which is even more than an adult."

    "Because she has a rich godmother," Charlotte answered helplessly.

    "Oh, Anne." Avery nodded with understanding,

    "That makes sense."

    Shane''s gazended on Charlotte as he said softly, "Are you sure it''s Anne, not Rick?"

    Charlotte suddenly coughed violently. It took her a few minutes to recover. She waved her hand at

    him and said, "No, it really had nothing to do with Rick. He didn''t spend a single cent, it was all

    Anne." "I can believe this. After all Charlotte only earns 50 thousand a month in the Jane

    Corporation."

    "Hey..." Charlotte was helpless.

    Why did he mention the Jane Corporation?

    At that time, she was Rick''s girlfriend and fiancee. Was he trying to sabotage her by mentioning this

    in front of Shane?

    "Sure."

    Shane murmured.

    Well, he was jealous.

    Although Charlotte didn''t know what jealousy was and neither did she know what it meant to be

    jealous, she was sure Shane was jealous.

    Fortunately, at this time, Braden arrivedte with Anne.

    Charlotte immediately grabbed Anne''s arm. "Anne,

    when we were abroad

    , you always bought gifts for

    me and Sheryl, right? And you always gave Sheryl what she wanted." "Yes, after all, she is my

    goddaughter." Anne felt the question was very weird.

    "Rick never bought anything for Sheryl, right?"

    Anne frowned and thought for a while. "My brother liked you very much but he was afraid you would

    misunderstand him so he always tried to avoid you. He only started to pursue you after knowing you

    were having problems with your husband. So he didn''t buy anything for Sheryl then, at most, he

    would treat her to a meal."

    "See, I''m innocent." Charlotte ran back to Shane''s side.

    Anne only understood now that someone was jealous.

    She immediately teased, "Mr. Fuller, please spare Charlotte. If she really had a thing for my brother,

    I would''ve dragged them to the courthouse to get legally married."

    "Hmm." Shane''s eyes were less cold as he looked at Anne.

    Obviously.

    He was very happy with what Anne had said.

    "Well, since you''ve cleared up that misunderstanding, let''s get down to business." Avery pulled their

    focus back to the main topic.

    "We can spend some time with the children if we finish this early."

    "Then I''ll start." Braden cleared his throat and said, "Let''s start with my wedding. Of course,

    everyone knows what happened there. So I''ll skip it. First, let me tell you about the people I met

    working in logistics..."

    Avery listened to Braden''s words while looking at the bill notifications on his phone.

    Olive had spent a few hundred dors now. It was an improvementpared to the few dors

    from before.

    He never knew the purpose of making so much money but now he seemed to have found a

    meaning to his life.

    To make more money and spend it on his daughter. Of course he had to buy nice clothes and

    delicious food for her. He would dress her up beautifully like a princess and send her off into the

    hands of her prince.

    Yup.

    It felt good to have a daughter.

    Avery suddenly understood Shane''s feelings.

    "Hey, are you listening?" Braden was very unhappy when he noticed he was absent-minded.

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364

    Avery came to his senses and looked at Braden. He frowned and said, "Your exnation was so

    complicated it''s good enough that I''m still sitting here. Do you expect me to listen to you word by

    word? How could you be so shameless?"

    "You! I''m so pissed. You''ve really pissed me off. Alright, I''ll tell you straight what happened. Now we

    want to work with the Stevens Family, do you want to do it or not?"

    Avery put down his mobile phone and began to think about this issue more seriously. Even though

    he had been sending messages to Olive the whole time, he was also listening. Braden wasn''t

    speaking nonsense, in fact, Braden had exined his n quite well through the whole

    conversation. It was all up to him whether they were going to work with them or not. To be honest,

    he prefers not to. After all, if anything goes wrong...

    Finally, Avery sighed, "Okay."

    He had thousands of reasons not to work with them. He thought it was safest not to do so. Working

    with them felt like walking on a tightrope. However, he would rather take the first step to attack than

    wait for the opportunity toe.

    Avery had already found an excuse for himself. He thought, "They were too ruthless towards Zoe so

    it was necessary to move forward with our ns. This is the only way for us to protect everyone."

    "It''s good that you can convince yourself." Charlotte understood Avery.

    Avery looked at her gratefully. His lips curled up as he said, "Thank you for going through this crazy

    ordeal with me. You wouldn''t have gone against the Stevens family if it weren''t for me and Braden

    wouldn''t have been kidnapped. It''s all because of me and yet you guys still helped me. I really don''t

    know..."

    Some people get along fine when there are no troubles. They wouldn''t thank each other or quarrel.

    But when something happened and they expressed their gratitude or quarrel, they would be able to

    warm his heart the most.

    It was easy to ignore the good in such people. Avery had always thought Charlotte and Shane were

    good people but he couldn''t tell exactly how good they were.

    Until now, he understood he wouldn''t find another group of friends that were as good as them.

    "If it''s possible, I really hope that we won''t grow apart," Braden sighed.

    "All good things muste to an end." Charlotte was very carefree.

    "Yes," Shane answered.

    Avery did not answer.

    Braden and Anne are locals and married so there''s a low possibility that they would move. But he

    was different, he had a city to return to and a family to take care of. So, he had to leave Brine and

    this circle of friends.

    The only thing he could do was spend as much time as he could together with them now.

    They had already finished discussing the matter but no one wanted to leave. Everyone sat at the

    table quietly, staring at the food and drinks on the table.

    Charlotte took everyone''s emotions into consideration. Braden was deep in thought. He was

    probably thinking of the ns for the future. Although he had Shane by his side, Charlotte knew that

    Braden was the mastermind behind this n. He would be carrying out most of the ns.

    Shane took out a book to read, a book and read it. Yes, even if he came to the amusement park, he

    still had to bring a book with him. Charlotte didn''t know why he liked reading so much. Perhaps he

    wasn''t too busy with work recently so he had the time to read books.

    As for Anne, she was still eating heartlessly but her eyebrows were slightly furrowed with worry. She

    was probably worried about Braden and Charlotte. After all, one was her husband and the other

    was her best friend. They were both forced to be involved in this matter with the Stevens family. It

    was normal for her to worry.

    Then, what was Avery thinking about?

    Charlotte nced at Avery from the corner of her eye for a long time but she couldn''t see through

    his thoughts. Avery turned around and was stunned as their eyes met. He smiled and said, "Lottie, I

    will call Olive and bring them around for a while. It''s almost eight, the fireworks show is about to

    start."

    "Okay, please take care of Sheryl for me."

    "I''ll tell her toe here if I see her."

    "Alright."

    Avery left.

    He did not go directly to Olive. He didn''t call Olive after he left either. He walked around aimlessly in

    the amusement park and looked at the people that walked past him. There were couples, children

    and even some tired middle-aged people. They seemed to have never-ending conversations with

    the people around them so it was very noisy.

    Avery found a ce with a beautiful scenery and sat down. He looked at the fishes swimming

    around nkly.

    "Lotusmps, lotusmps. 5 dors for one. Make a wish on a lotusmp.."

    Lotusmps?

    Avery couldn''t help but look over. He saw some people with all sorts ofmps on their hands. It was

    shaped like a lotus but it emitted light. When opened, there was a piece of paper inside. It seemed

    like wishes could be written on it.

    Avery stood up subconsciously and walked over. He took out the money to buy amp.

    The man who sold themp handed him a pen and said, "You can write anything on thentern.

    Either a wish or ask for blessings."

    Make a wish?

    Is there anything he wanted to wish for?

    Avery thought for a moment and picked up the pen but he didn''t know what to write on the paper.

    The man who sold themps didn''t urge him. After a moment, Avery returned the pen to the man

    and said, "Thank you."

    He took out the piece of paper and crumpled it up, then put it inside themps. He ced themp

    on the waters and themp floated away along the waves as the wind blew.

    The man who sold themp looked at him again and sighed, "For so many years, I have never seen

    anyone who wrote nothing. You might not have any wish before but what about now? Don''t you

    want to be rich?"

    "I''m already rich." Avery smiled at him.

    "Then you could wish for the health of your family or being reunited with your lover? Since you have

    money, there should be more things you value and miss. Isn''t money the most convenient thing to

    have in the world?"

    As soon as the light seller finished speaking, he went away.

    Avery smiled.

    Money could solve any problem but the source of all problems was from money.

    Simply put, people were sad because they were too happy, while they were happy because they

    had been sad. If people did not know what was sadness and had never experienced despair, they

    would not know what happiness was and what hope was. It was a very strange thing.

    Therefore, the more money you had, the more problems you have to deal with and the more

    responsibilities you have.

    The reason why he didn''t write a wish had nothing to do with these. He didn''t write anything

    because he couldn''t think of a wish.

    He wanted to wish for Irena''s happiness in the afterlife but he felt that whether or not this wish came

    true, it had nothing to do with him. After all, he would have no way of knowing it.

    He hoped that he, Charlotte, and the rest would never be separated. However, he was also very

    clear that it was impossible for him to stay in Brine once the Stevens Family''s matter was resolved.

    As for hisst wish, he hoped that Olive could grow up happily and healthily.

    In fact, Olive must be healthy because he had an invincible medical team. Even if she was sick, she

    would receive the best treatment. Happiness would be a luxury for Olive as she didn''t need to be

    happy at all now.

    All of his wishes were based on reality, but it was precisely because of that he was unable to make

    a wish.

    After all, his reality was in his hands.

    He was very clear about this matter.

    Avery stood by theke and watched as the lotusmp floated away. At this moment, he envied the

    duckweeds in the middle of theke.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Irena...

    If he could.

    How he wished that they were just two pieces of duckweed that could stand aloof from the world.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365

    "I''m sorry."

    Just as Avery was lost in thought, someone bumped into him. It was a boy. He was holding a rose in

    his hand with red eyes. He seemed to be upset.

    Avery held his shoulder with one hand and asked, "Did you get dumped by your girlfriend?"

    The little boy was stunned, then his eyes turned redder. "I was rejected. She said I had no money

    but I just haven''t found someone to invest in my project. I have already got the patent. I can work

    hard to sell the patent or sell some shares. I can have a better future then. I don''t understand why

    she doesn''t want to be with me. Is it because I can''t buy her expensive gifts now?"

    "I can invest in you." Avery believed that it was Fate. He would not refuse this chance to help

    someone. "What project are you working on?"

    "Automation." The little boy did not expect to bump into a benefactor. "You just said that you want to

    invest in me? Really? Do you really want to invest in me?"

    "My name is Avery. I don''t know if you know me." "Avery! How can I not know you? The Hart family

    is in the automation industry. I''ve heard rumours about you. Many people say you''re gay but I think

    for someone who is as sessful as you and had a girlfriend before, pretending to be gay is one of

    your strategies, right?"

    Avery smiled charmingly. He leaned down and lifted the boy''s chin with one hand. "What if I told you

    the rumours are true?" He said in a soft and seductive man.

    One second, he was a serious and straight man. The next, he turned into a flirtatious gay man.

    This little boy had never experienced these things. His face instantly turned red. He lowered his

    head as he didn''t even dare to look at Avery. He just bit his lips and said softly, "Well, Avery, I''m

    really sorry. Although you can invest in me, I already have someone I like, I..."

    "Hahahaha..." Averyughed and let go of him. "So do you know why the rumours sound so true?

    Even I think that I might really like men. But the person in my heart always reminds me that I still

    love her deeply. I would never give her up. I will always be with her in my heart."

    The little boy was stunned, then nodded hard. "In my heart, she is also such a person!"

    "I can invest in you but you have to promise me that you won''t get into a rtionship with this

    person for three years. Of course, you can have dinner with her and go shopping together but you

    can''t define your rtionship with her. If you can do that, I will invest."

    "I... I can promise you that but may I know the reason?"

    "Since I chose to help you or the both of you, I have to know if this girl wants you or your money."

    How could the little boy understand suchplicated things? He just nodded his head in confusion.

    Avery directly left him his phone number and asked the boy to contact him tomorrow so they could

    sign a contract. As for the patent the boy mentioned, Avery didn''t really care about it. After all,

    anyone who can obtain a patent for automation was quite talented. It wasn''t a loss for him to buy a

    talented technician, not to mention automation was his profession.

    Avery watched the young man run away, full of excitement.

    He knew that he would definitely call the girl and tell her he was going to be sessful. He signed a

    contract with Avery Hart.

    However, how would the girl react?

    Avery suddenly felt that the world was quite interesting. He took out his mobile phone and dialled

    Olive''s number as he walked towards the entrance to the firework show.

    Olive and Sheryl walked back and forth in the crowd. The two of them were carrying a lot of bags

    that contained food. They nned to watch the fireworks while eating snacks.

    "Mr. Avery called me." Olive picked up her phone and reported her location to Avery.

    After she ended the call, Sheryl asked curiously, "Olive, why do you call him Mr. Avery? Isn''t he your

    father?"

    "He is not my real father."

    "I used to call my dad daddy even before I knew who he was," Sheryl said innocently.

    "That''s why I envy you so much, Sheryl," Olive said with a sigh. "I might never be able to be

    like you. But I have no regrets. I''m not a person who knows how to enjoy life."

    Enjoy life?

    Sheryl tilted her head but she still didn''t quite understand what Olive meant.

    Sheryl always felt that there was not much of a gap between her and Olive, but this afternoon, she

    noticed this gap between them wasn''t small. She suddenly remembered that Uncle Peter once told

    her of something called ''the poor people''s verdict.'' It meant that the poor would be poorer

    while the rich be richer. Because of the umting problems, this deep-rooted thinking can''t

    be changed.

    But it didn''t matter. She believed that Olive would get better and better.

    It was just a naive thought.

    "You two really know how to enjoy life." Avery found the two kids. When he saw the food beside

    them, he casually picked up a bag of potato chips.

    Sheryl grabbed it from his hand. "This is mine."

    Avery smirked and asked, "What''s wrong with letting me eat some?"

    "Ask your father to buy some for you."

    "Sheryl, you''re not cute today."

    "Well, I can share with you and be cute if you put a GPS on Olive when you get home," Sheryl

    confidently tried to bargain with a bag of potato chips.

    In fact, these potato chips were all bought by Olive, which meant that they were bought using

    Avery''s money.

    Put on a GPS?

    Averyughed, "I was going to give her one but thepany''s system is upgrading recently. They

    still need a week''s time. The next time you see her, you can connect with each other through the

    GPS." "I''ll give you the potato chips. This is for a father who cares about his daughter." Sheryl gave

    up the potato chips generously.

    A father who cares about his daughter?

    Avery looked at Olive, who had been silent. He sat down beside her and asked, "What did you talk

    about with Sheryl?"

    Olive shook her head. "I didn''t say anything I shouldn''t have said."

    "As long as it''s true, you should tell her even if you think you shouldn''t. No matter now or in the

    future, she will be your friend. She will be your only friend when you don''t have anyone else."

    "Why?" Olive asked in confusion.

    "Only Sheryl will help and trust you unconditionally. Besides, she has no reason to hurt you."

    Olive was taken aback.

    Then she understood the meaning of this sentence.

    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Sheryl was the daughter of Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson. If nothing goes wrong, everything would go

    smoothly in her life. Even if an ident happened, Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson would take care of

    everything for her. In other words, Sheryl has everything. Under these circumstances, there is no

    expense in being friends with her, it could even bring benefits.

    "Can I really be friends with her?" Olive asked, feeling very self-abased.

    She had thought that she would be at least more mature than Sheryl but she didn''t expect she

    would lose her in everything.

    "Whether you agree or not, she has already treated you as a friend. You can only choose to ept

    it."

    "I don''t even have the freedom to choose whether to be her friend or not..."

    "Olive, ice cream!"

    Sheryl noticed someone eating ice cream just now. It looked delicious so she asked for the ce

    and went to buy it. Now she has three boxes of ice creams in her hands.

    It was of different vours which were chocte, vani and matcha.

    Sheryl handed the three boxes to Olive. "Pick first!"

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366

    Olive stopped speaking and smiled as she took the vani voured ice cream. "I like to eat

    anything in the original vour. Thank you."

    "You''re wee but I don''t like the original vor, I like chocte. Then I''ll give this green box to

    Uncle Avery. I only bought it because they said it was nice!" Sheryl passed the matcha-vored ice

    cream to Avery.

    Avery took the ice cream and let Sheryl take a seat. "You two can sit together."

    "Alright."

    Sheryl sat down beside Olive and began to tell her some interesting stories about ice cream.

    Olive listened but her mind was wandering off. She suddenly realised a problem. She couldn''t

    refuse Sheryl''s kindness not because she was Ms. Emerson''s daughter, but because she was

    Sheryl''s. She was considerate and she treated Olive as a friend.

    Even a child from an ordinary family couldn''t refuse Sheryl, let alone herself.

    Olive suddenly felt relieved. If she couldn''tpete with the sun, then she would join the sun and

    be part of the light. At least, this way she could feel the heat and not stand in the shadow.

    Fireworks suddenly exploded in the air.

    Countless screams erupted. Sheryl stood up and waved her arms in surprise. "It''s beautiful. The

    fireworks are so beautiful, Olive!"

    ''No matter how beautiful it was, it passed in a sh.''

    Olive thought but she stood up and reached out her hands with Sheryl, trying to catch the firework

    that could not be caught. "Yes, it''s beautiful."

    While Sheryl was watching the fireworks, Olive was watching Sheryl.

    In fact, apart from friendship, there was another rtionship thatsted even longer. It was

    protecting each other.

    Olive thought.

    If possible, she wanted to protect Sheryl''s smile for the rest of her life. She did not hate sorrow and

    despair. She could slowly forget all the pain. As long as Sheryl was by her side, she had nothing to

    be afraid of.

    Perhaps it was because she was born an optimist.

    After the fireworks were over, it was time for them to part ways.

    Sheryl handed one of the toys to Olive and said, "Look at this when you miss me!"

    "Thank you," Olive said as she took the box.

    "Then I''ll be going, bye bye." Sheryl left very chicly.

    Olive watched as she left. She hugged the toy tightly and looked up to Avery. "Can I protect Sheryl?

    Like how your bodyguards protect you?"

    "Of course, as long as you don''t hurt her, you can do anything." Avery paused and warned her, "But

    you can''t fall in love with her. You know what kind of love I''m talking about."

    "I like boys..." Olive was very speechless. "And Dad, I''m not even ten. Isn''t it too early to ask me this

    question?"

    "Just promise me."

    Olive didn''t know what to say.

    She might have adopted a fake father.

    In fact, from calling him master to Mr. Avery and now to dad, she never felt a sense of difort.

    Avery had never required her to address him as master or dad. He always let her do as she

    pleased.

    She should be quite happy to have such a father, shouldn''t she?

    That was what Olive thought.

    Sheryl yawned after returning to Charlotte''s side.

    "Can you still get up tomorrow?" Charlotte picked her up and asked. Only now did she realise that

    Sheryl had grown quite a lot. She could no longer carry her easily.

    Shane carried her calmly in his arms. He might even be able to carry the both of them without

    breaking a sweat.

    "I can''t get up," Sheryl said in a childish tone. "Mommy, are we going to another city tomorrow?"

    "Sheryl, do you want to go or not?"

    "Can we go in the afternoon?"

    "Alright."

    "Yeah!" After a little happy cheer, she leaned back on Shane''s chest and said, "I''ll go to sleep now."

    She fell asleep immediately after. Charlotte watched as she slept peacefully. She couldn''t help but

    sigh, "Being a kid is the best. I really hope I can go back to the past. My parents were quite loving

    then."

    "I have no intentions of letting my love go in vain or having an affair."

    "What?"

    "I won''t allow what happened to you and Christopher to befall my child."

    Charlotte was just reminiscing her past, she didn''t expect Shane to think she was talking about

    them. She hadn''t thought about their future. After all, he was Shane and she... To be honest, caring

    for him, liking him, loving him and depending on him was one matter but to grow old with him was

    another.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte didn''t know how to reply.

    "You''ve never thought of our future?"

    However, who was Shane? He immediately knew what was on her mind by the expression on her

    face.

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment before she quickly denied, "No way."

    "You don''t mean what you said."

    "I... Shane, I really don''t n on tying you up for the rest of your life." Charlotte sighed, "I''ll be

    honest, even if you had another woman, I won''t say anything as long as you keep her away from

    me. I..."

    Shane suddenly pulled Lottie into his arms and kissed her on the lips. He held Sheryl in one arm

    and Charlotte in the other. He said in a deep, clear voice, "I would be struck by lightning if I had

    another woman."

    "Shane, don''t be like this." Charlotte choked up a little. "Just as I said today, all good things would

    come to an end. Who knows one day we might fall apart. Love is very temporary, not to mention our

    rtionship has little to do with love."

    At this time, he had already walked to the side of the car. Shane put Sheryl in the car and pinned

    Charlotte against the car door.

    Charlotte turned away awkwardly, not daring to look at him.

    "Do you still remember what happened in the car two days ago?"

    "How dare you mention that?" She immediately turned around and red at him.

    "Would I do that if I didn''t love you?"

    "You wouldn''t have done that if you loved me..." Charlotte immediately felt upset at the mention of

    what happened. She reached out and pounded Shane''s chest. "Shouldn''t you respect and protect

    the person you love? But you were hurting me at the time."

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "I''m sorry."

    Was he apologizing?

    For some unknown reason, Charlotte felt very wronged and burst into tears, "Then, if someone who

    looks like Heidi appears in the future, would you love her too?"

    "I don''t like Heidi." Shane didn''t know how else he could exin this to her.

    He really didn''t understand why Charlotte always brought up this matter.

    Maybe it was because he was confused before and called her Heidi when he kissed her. But that

    was because he had been hypnotised, his memory had been tampered with. It wasn''t his true

    feelings."

    "Shane, I still can''t trust you. I always felt you were too perfect so you won''t belong to me alone."

    Shane knew anything he said wouldn''t matter so he just hugged her tight and gently patted her

    back.

    "Perhaps, a wedding will make you calm down."

    "Don''t do that, a wedding is really too annoying." Charlotte broke free from his embrace. "I trust you.

    Really, I trust you now. I don''t want the wedding anymore."

    Shane was speechless.

    If it was any other woman, they couldn''t wait to have a wedding with him. But Charlotte not only

    didn''t want a wedding, but she was even afraid of one.

    What did that mean?

    Did she really think that a wedding would be troublesome or did she not want a wedding of their

    own?

    Shane frowned and his face darkened. "Charlotte, do you not trust me or yourself?"

    Charlotte was stunned.

    What kind of question was this!?

    How could she not trust herself?

    She... she was in love with him.

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367

    "Forget it."

    As he looked at Charlotte''s dumbfounded expression, Shane didn''t want to make things difficult for

    her any longer. He wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and pointed at the car door. "Get

    in. Let''s go back first. It''s too cold outside. Both you and Sheryl are prone to getting sick easily. Let''s

    talk about it when we get back."

    "Shane, I didn''t mean it. It''s not that I don''t have any confidence in myself. You''re just too amazing,

    you have to believe me!" Charlotte didn''t want to end the conversation just like that. She was afraid

    that not exining would cause a misunderstanding between them.

    Shane just looked at her. Then, he put his long fingers on her chin and said, "I never doubted you.

    It''s you who never believed me."

    "It''s not that I don''t believe you. But it''s normal to feel insecure, isn''t it..." she tried to exin in a low

    voice.

    Shane was so handsome and good-looking. That was all she could say about his advantages, but

    she had nothing to say about any shorings he had. He was so excellent that she couldn''t find

    any to mention.

    "Let''s go home."

    Shane went around to the driver''s seat and opened the door. Charlotte had no choice but to follow

    him into the car. Because Sheryl had fallen asleep, after the two of them got in the car, they did not

    speak again. The previous topic of conversation was left unsettled. Charlotte vaguely felt like she

    had said something wrong.

    However, what she said was true, and it was not right to keep these words in her heart. She didn''t

    know how to talk to Shane for the moment.

    Perhaps, she should find a time to take Sheryl out for a vacation. Perhaps a holiday would help her

    rx.

    It waste at night.

    Zoe woke up from her dream and ran to the bathroom to wipe her face. For some reason, she

    dreamed of Christopher''s death. Hey under a bus with blood all over his body. The bus crushed

    his body repeatedly. The image made her scalp go numb and her blood froze. After all, he was the

    person she once liked, so even in the dream she wanted to save him. However, she couldn''t do it.

    She could only watch as Christopher bled more and more, and finally...

    He became a mess of blood and flesh.

    Zoe felt that she was psychiatrically stable. Although she was not as good as Charlotte, she was

    definitely much better than Anne and Kendall.

    But that scene was still...

    Zoe went to the kitchen and drank a few mouthfuls of water. Her heart was beating wildly, and she

    felt terribly uneasy.

    Beep��Beep-Beep��

    Her phone, which she had been using as a light, rang in the dark night. The pale light of the screen

    frightened her.

    "Hello?" She picked up the call.

    "It''s me."

    Zoe felt like having a sixth sense was a very strange experience. It was rather superstitious, a

    pseudoscience. She had just dreamed of Christopher''s death. Now, she received a phone call from

    him.

    She swallowed and replied, "What can I do for you, Mr. Gibson? I''m no longer your subordinate."

    "What''s your rtionship with Peter?" Christopher''s voice sounded a little hoarse through the

    phone.

    "We have recently decided to date," she answered.

    "Someone asked me to send you to his vi. You better be careful." Christopher paused for a

    moment before he frowned. "Don''t say that I didn''t warn you. It''s not always a good thing to work

    with Charlotte. You should have already been targeted by others, right?"

    "I know this. It should have nothing to do with Ms. Emerson. It''s her former partner Avery. I look very

    simr to his ex-girlfriend, but I don''t know if it''s true. After all, I haven''t seen any photos," Zoe

    replied.

    Christopher frowned at first, then he rubbed his temples and said, "What does it have to do with

    Avery?"

    "I don''t know what''s going on either, but ording to various news sources, that''s what it is."

    "Anyway, take good care of yourself. They asked for you and Peter. Since you are a couple... warn

    him as well."

    Zoe''s fingers holding the phone suddenly froze. She lowered her head and said in a somewhat

    aggrieved tone, "Why? Why are you helping me? You and Ms. Emerson are no longer friends. Why

    are you helping me?"

    Why?

    Christopher nced at theputer in front of him.

    Three hours ago, he was sleeping slumped on the table, and then he had a very strange dream.

    In this dream, Shane dumped him on a deserted ind and watched him struggle for survival as

    God with Charlotte. In the end, he was hit by a bus. The wheels crushed his heart and bones, over

    and over.

    Although he had woken up, the pain from the dream was clear and real. He remembered that,

    among all the people watching, only Zoe tried to reach out to save him again and again. But she

    was pulled back by people around her again and again. She cried bitterly as she watched him die,

    and then pushed everyone away in anger and sadness.

    Later, he woke up and dealt with his emails. Among them, there was an email from an anonymous

    person who wanted him to deal with Zoe.

    It was naturally impossible for him to deal with Zoe. On the one hand, it was unnecessary. On the

    other hand, he felt guilty about doing it.

    He couldn''t think of anyone who wanted to deal with Zoe. After all, she was not indispensable. To

    Shane and Charlotte both. They had more capable people who worked for them. In all honesty, Zoe

    only really had a good rtionship with them and was loyal enough. That was it.

    "There''s no reason for it."

    As Christopher recalled everything that had happened in his dream, he hadpletely calmed

    down.

    "Well, thank you." Zoe paused and decided to tell him about her dream. "You have to be careful too.

    I had a dream. You were hit by a bus... Anyway, it was bloody. I''m afraid that something bad might

    happen to you soon, so you''d better take care of yourself. Think of it as a way to get back at Shane

    if you want."

    Did they have the same dream?

    Christopher did not doubt Zoe''s words at all. Instead, he smiled. "You care so much about me. Why

    did you choose to leave me just like they did back then?"

    "Maybe it was because I was scared. After I found out that you werepletely different from what

    I thought, my first reaction was to run," Zoe said self-deprecatingly. "My love is very cheap. Does

    that trouble you?"

    "No."

    "What''s that?"

    "Thank you, I will remember that you liked me. But Zoe, there is one thing you did right. That is, you

    stopped liking me."

    Christopher ended the call as soon as he finished

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    speaking.

    Zoe looked at the screen of the phone. Her feelings were in chaos and her brain was buzzing.

    After a long time, she took a deep breath and calmed her feelings down. She went upstairs to go

    back to sleep.

    It was strange. She didn''t know whether it was a psychological effect, but somehow she felt much

    more rxed.

    On Christopher''s end.

    Christopher was no longer sleepy. He sat in front of theputer and looked at the screen. His

    eyes were burning.

    After a long time, he replied to the email.

    "I''ll deal with Zoe. What benefits can you give me?"

    This was the only way he could protect her.

    Make her disappear from everyone''s sight and hide her away. That would work.

    The person who emailed was not asleep. He replied almost instantly. "I can invest in NC Company. I

    don''t want any shares. I''ll save you from the crisis."

    Who was this person?

    Someone who could spare investments, but not deal with Zoe?

    Christopher felt that this was too strange. His intuition told him not to trust this person.

    However...

    It was best to get to the bottom of the matter.

    "Who are you?"

    Christopher typed to ask.

    "If I can attack her directly, I won''t need to use you."

    A person who couldn''t make a move directly?

    Christopher began to doubt this person''s purpose. It was not until he saw the email address of the

    sender that he suddenly realized there was a problem.

    He did not know this person at all. So, where did they get his email address?

    It was rming. Only the financial department and his secretary had his email address. He only

    used it to process some information.

    Although he did not put up defenses against it, it was not easy to obtain his email address.

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368

    "How can I trust you?"

    "Give me your bank ount number."

    In some doubt, Christopher sent an ount she rarely used. In a sh, the person transferred three

    million dors to him. At the same time, he received another email. "This is a deposit. When it''s

    done, I will give you ten times the money and additional investment. As for my identity, if you want to

    investigate, it''s easy to find it through bank transactions. Of course, you don''t need to tell me what

    you found even if you find it. It''s meaningless."

    Christopher immediately sent the news to his men and waited for the result.

    Several minutester, his men sent back some information. The money came from an overseas

    ount belonging to a man named Caleb Stevens.

    Christopher found out a lot. He knew that Charlotte had a suitor called Rick. He also knew that she

    and Rick had been on the verge of getting engaged. He even knew that Rick now had a girlfriend

    named Kendall. Furthermore, Kendall was Caleb''s younger sister, the child of Rnd''s

    brother.

    It seemed that the Stevens family wanted him to deal with Zoe. What was the rtionship between

    the Stevens family and Zoe?

    Christopher asked his men to continue to investigate and stipted that he wanted it in his mailbox

    tomorrow morning.

    After he finished, Christopher turned off hisputer and went to lie down on his bed.

    There were actually several strands of white hair in his head of pitch-ck hair. There weren''t many,

    but they were rather eye-catching.

    He had never believed in the exaggerated descriptions in literature, such as getting white hair

    overnight. But now, lying in bed, he had an inkling of what it would feel like.

    It was strange that his purpose was not to get this life-saving money, but to find a way to save Zoe.

    The next day.

    When Charlotte and Shane arrived at the office, Zoe immediately told them about the phone call

    she had received from Christopher yesterday. After all, she didn''t understand what he meant.

    "Christopher still has a bit of a conscience." Charlotte shook her head helplessly. "He can still tell

    you this even under those circumstances. It means that he didn''tpletely forget how good you

    treated him previously."

    "I don''t even know what I have done for him." Zoe was impatient.

    She was an honest person. While she had liked Christopher, it was not necessarily true that she

    had done anything for him. All that she did for Christopher could also be seen as her doing it for

    Shane. After all, she had hidden her feelings back then and had been afraid of being discovered.

    "However, what''s worth thinking about is, who would get Christopher to deal with you?" Charlotte''s

    expression was serious.

    "The Stevens family."

    Shane said slowly while reading his book.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Charlotte turned her head to look at him. "Why is it the Stevens family?"

    "They have the money and motive. Although they have talked about cooperating with Braden,

    they''re making other ns too. It is consistent with the usual way they do things." Shane turned a

    page. "As for the reason for dealing with Zoe, it should be because they want to get rid of something

    they can''t have."

    "Is it because of Irena? Irena and Avery were also dating back then. Didn''t he still make a move?"

    "Irena didn''t live with Avery."

    Shane''s meaningful words made Charlotte give up on refuting him. Although it was not difficult to

    tell that Peter and Zoe had not reached an intimate stage, it was a fact that the two of them were

    living together.

    Charlotte thought for a while and finally said, "Why don''t you and Peter work from home? I''ll find

    someone new to join thepany as soon as possible. Once this thing with the Stevens family is

    over, you cane back to work. It won''t be too long. It might take at most one to three months."

    "I can live with this arrangement, but I don''t know whether Christopher..."

    "Since he told you, there are two possibilities. The first is that he refuses to cooperate with the

    Stevens family to protect you. The second is that he agrees to cooperate with the Stevens family

    and tries to kill you and Peter. But no matter which one it is, you shouldn''t leave the house."

    Zoe seemed to understand this, so she nodded. She said gratefully, "Ms. Emerson, thank you."

    "Don''t be so polite with me. You and Peter go back first, let Cole send you back. Check the brakes

    before you get in the car."

    "Alright."

    Zoe agreed and left Charlotte''s office.

    As soon as Zoe left, the office became much quieter. Charlotte looked at the table. She still had a lot

    of work to do today. She hoped to settle it before the end of the day. She had not been having any

    good sleep for several days.

    At Avery''s home.

    Avery sat in the living room reading the newspaper when his phone sounded. It was a message

    from Peter. The message was very simple. Basically, they guessed that the Stevens family wanted

    to use Christopher to target Zoe. They would target both Peter and Zoe.

    While Avery hated the Stevens family, he also thought of Peter as a friend. He immediately replied

    to ask what he needed to do. Peter just told him to do nothing and that it was because he had

    something to do with the Stevens family. It meant that the Stevens family would make a move even

    if they were cooperating recently. Avery needed to be ready to fight back.

    To fight back.

    Avery thought about things carefully. Right then, Olive came over. "Mr. Avery, can I go out? My pens

    are out of ink."

    "I''ll take you." Avery came to his senses and said to her, "It''s not safe these days."

    "Okay."

    Avery went to the stationery store with Olive. Originally, Olive just wanted to buy some pens. She

    didn''t expect that Avery would chat with the owner. Once the owner found out that she used the

    pens to draw, he prepared a set of professional supplies. Olive had never expected this. It wasn''t

    because of the issue of money. She was just messing about. She didn''t think that Avery would

    support her. After all, she was just a child. He would definitely think that painting was nothing

    important.

    Avery grabbed Olive''s things and walked to the car with her. "Do you still want anything else?"

    "Can I get a milkshake?" Olive asked cautiously.

    "If you want to drink it, just tell me. You don''t have to be so reserved." Avery had already got to the

    car. When he heard that she wanted a milkshake, he walked her to the front of the car.

    "I still can''t believe that I can have such a good father."

    Avery smiled.

    He could not be considered a good father. At most, he would try his best to procure the things she

    wanted to buy. That was all.

    He was about to tell her that she didn''t need to thank him for too many things, but a wave of burning

    heat came from behind. Almost instantly, he followed his instinct and pulled Olive into his arms. He

    held her tightly in his arms and covered her forehead and face with his hands.

    Boom-

    The scorching waves were apanied by a violent explosion.

    Even Olive, who had been through some huge events, was terrified by the scene. The children in

    the area were all frightened. Suddenly, the sounds of crying and cursing rose in waves.

    Something had happened.

    This was Avery''s first thought.

    He took a look at the source of the explosion, and his gaze grew darker.

    "Mr. Avery, that was our car..." Olive said in a low voice.

    Of course, he knew that it was his car. Of course, he also knew that if Olive hadn''t suddenly said

    that she wanted a milkshake, he would have opened the car door and gotten in at this time. Then,

    there would be his flesh and blood mixed in the explosion.

    Avery took out his phone to call Shane, but in the end, he just dialed his subordinate''s number.

    After all, he could not determine whether the perpetrator wanted his life or wanted to test who he

    would call at a critical moment.

    If it was to test him and he called Shane, it would be exactly what the perpetrator wanted.

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369

    Avery''s subordinates quickly came to the scene to deal with what happened. In the face of this

    disaster, Avery did not panic at all. He even took Olive to get her milkshake. When Olive was in front

    of the diner, Olive could not help talking to him. "Mr. Avery, is this really okay? The car just

    exploded, but we were here to buy milkshakes. What if the culprit rushed in and stabbed us to

    death? I think that''s what happens in those action films. When explosions don''t work, they''ll use

    knives."

    "You''re still watching action movies?" Avery did not take her words to heart at all. On the one hand,

    he knew how to fight. On the other hand, no one would dare to assassinate them so openly. Once

    everythinges to light, the assassin and the person who hired them would be in danger.

    To assassinate Avery, they would be risking their own life. This was not worthwhile��this was also a

    benefit of the rapid development of the country.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "Oh look, it''s Pewdiepie. I love him." Olive tried to imitate him with a serious expression. "Hello

    everyone, I''m Pewdiepie. Come join me on Genshin Impact. If you join with my code, you can get a

    chest of gold, and several unique bonuses.

    This game is explosive and you can level up easily. It''s a game that isn''t pay-to-y."

    Avery was amused by her antics. "Not bad, not bad. Looks like our Olive has the potential to go into

    the entertainment industry in the future."

    Our Olive.

    Olive''s heart felt warm for some reason when she heard these words.

    After they got the milkshakes, Avery brought Olive back to the scene of the explosion. He realized

    that most of the surrounding people had already dispersed and the police had already arrived. The

    experts were inspecting the scene and examining it.

    "What''s the situation now?" Avery asked his subordinate.

    "Avery, this explosion was meant to cause the car to catch on fire. If you got in the car, you may not

    die directly, but you would have gotten burns on over 98% of your body. You probably wouldn''t die,

    but the effect would have been gruesome," the subordinate answered respectfully. "As for Miss

    Olive, if she were in the car, she would have definitely died. So the culprit has already made an

    attempt to kill someone. You can directly hand the evidence to the authorities." "Alright." Avery

    pointed at the car and said, "Send the whole thing over and send someone else to keep an eye on

    the progress. I want to know who is so bold as to do such a thing in broad daylight."

    "Yes, sir."

    The police were very efficient. Through the surveince footage, they confirmed that it was a man

    who put the bomb on the back door. The bomb was put on the car door so that the explosion would

    not be so serious. Firstly, the explosion only needed to set the car on fire. Secondly, since it was

    ced outside, it would harm fewer bystanders. It meant that the perpetrator did not want to cause

    trouble to themunity. This bomb was set for Avery.

    After Avery sent Olive home, he went to the police station alone.

    The police pointed at the monitor and said, "Look, ording to the angle you walk to the car, these

    are some blind spots. Only in these two ces can he conclude that you entered the car and not

    walked forward."

    Avery nodded thoughtfully. "Is it possible that he didn''t want me to get on the car? Perhaps the

    explosion was just to scare me."

    "We don''t think there is such a possibility. Firstly, the range of the bomb is very small, and there was

    no dy on the bomb. That means that the perpetrator wants to personally confirm that you are

    burned or dead. Second, this person''s target may not be you, but the child."

    "The child?" Avery frowned.

    "Yes, the reason why we are so certain is that we have found someone suspicious when we went

    through the suspects. You should know this person."

    Olive''s previous adoptive father?

    Avery felt that the world was too ridiculous. He put his hands on the table and said, "Sorry, I''m not

    doubting you, but I want to ask if you have any evidence? You don''t have to give it to me. What I

    mean is, please tell me if you have it."

    "Yes," the policeman said decisively. "Not only does it exist, but we can even show you a high

    definition picture. This is not something that needs to be hidden. After all, you have the right to know

    all this."

    "Sorry to trouble you," Avery said wearily.

    Soon the police brought the photos and videos. The video was not clear, but the photos had been

    enhanced.

    Olive''s adoptive father had a remote control in his hand as he hid in the crowd. The person who

    looked like the person who set the bomb was standing beside him. Was this a coincidence?

    Avery could not convince himself.

    He only said, "Thank you. Sorry to trouble you. I would like to handle it myself."

    "Mr. Hart, we don''t usually show this information to civilians. You know that we have to first

    determine your intentions before we can decide," the policeman said.

    "My intention is to meet him and confirm this."

    "That would of course be the..."

    Before the policeman could finish speaking, another policeman in casual clothes hurriedly opened

    the door and gasped out, "Sir, the two suspectsmitted suicide and died. The child''s adoptive

    mother had an emotional breakdown and had an aneurysm. She is now being treated in the

    hospital. Their child is currently in summer camp. Should we protect the child first?"

    When he heard this, Avery had a bad feeling in his heart. This might not be a simple act of revenge.

    These two people might really hate Olive. Then what about the person who gave them the bomb?

    Avery''s mind was in a mess.

    Charlotte received the news from Shane''s friend at the police station. When they heard that

    something had happened to Avery, they passed the news to Shane. They wanted to ask him what

    he thought. After all, ording to the rumors, Shane and Avery were partners.

    "How could such a thing happen..." Charlotte looked at the picture on Shane''sputer and felt

    viscerally ufortable. "How can they do this to a child? Even if they were being used by others,

    there must be some reason. They must really hate Olive."

    But why on earth would they hate Olive?

    Shane only frowned and didn''t express any opinion about this.

    Charlotte continued to flip through the documents. The more she read, the more ufortable she

    felt. In the end, she decided to give up and sat down on the sofa. "Are we going to intervene in this

    matter?"

    "Avery himself didn''t tell us anything."

    "Why wouldn''t he tell us about such a big thing?" Even Charlotte felt that it was very strange.

    "Maybe he thinks that the culprit''s goal is to see whether he will contact us or not."

    Charlotte felt that this spection had the highest possibility of being true. She nodded her head in

    approval. "Then are we just going to wait like this?"

    Shane hummed in agreement.

    In theory, it was better not to be involved in this matter with Avery. However, it was rted to Olive.

    Of her previous adoptive parents, one was dead and the other was in the hospital fighting for her

    life. Charlotte couldn''t just leave this matter aside. But how could she best help?

    Suddenly, Shane came up with an idea.

    "Lottie,e here."

    When she heard hismand, Charlotte obediently walked to his side. Before she could stand

    properly before him, Shane pulled her into his embrace. Before she could react, he ced her in his

    lap and held her arms so she was unable to move.

    "What are you doing? We''re at the office. What if someonees in and sees us?" Charlotte was

    so scared that her little face turned pale. It was not because she was frightened by his intimacy, but

    because his speed was too fast.

    She had just been standing there, how did she suddenly fall into his embrace?

    Shane put his lips close to his ear and said, "I can help you find a way out. But you have to give me

    some benefits, don''t you?"

    Benefits?

    Charlotte''s mind went nk.

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370

    Shane''s long fingers touched her cheek gently, but he didn''t do anything after that. He only said,

    "Do you still remember that you set up a project for those workers?"

    "Of course I remember. We''re still following up on that project."

    "Get the people who helped Olive before to ask for an investigation of this by using your resources.

    Let the local authority deal with this," Shane said lightly.

    "What an idea! Why didn''t I think of that? I love you." As she spoke, Charlotte escaped from his

    embrace and headed towards her own office desk.

    Shane watched her leave, and his thin lips curved into a slight smile. He forced the smile off his face

    before focusing on his keyboard. He naturally had a way to help her solve the problem. However,

    rather than helping her solve the problem, it was better to teach her the way to solve the problem.

    With this idea in mind, she could solve her own problems in the future. As for him, he could just

    watch her. There was no need to think too much about other things.

    Soon, Charlotte contacted the working family that took care of Olive before. The family had received

    a lot ofpensation, so the person who answered the call was very friendly to Charlotte. When he

    heard that Olive had an ident, he was naturally willing to help.

    When the police heard that she and Shane would get involved, they were very happy about it. After

    all, they could get a lot of funds. The expenses covered by the government were limited and needed

    to be ced on bigger cases. This case was neither big nor small.

    After all, the explosion was a big deal, but it was not so big of a deal since there were no casualties.

    The police department had gotten a lot of experience catching culprits. Since this was someone

    involved with Avery, it was great that Avery''s friends intervened in secret.

    So, in the afternoon of that day, Charlotte got all the information regarding the case. The authorities

    didn''t hide anything from her, and even offered to help with technical support.

    Naturally, Charlotte would not go overboard. To ept too much help from the police department

    would be dangerous. If others were to discover that her target was not Olive but Avery, then it would

    be bad.

    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    After she received the information, Charlotte informed Rick and Kendall. Together with Shane, they

    arrived at Peter and Zoe''s house. It was better for Olive and Avery not to go out for now, so she did

    not invite them.

    "This is all the information we have."

    Charlotte put all the documents on the table. She had alreadypiled the files based on their

    numbers. Rick took the lead and grabbed thest document, numbered 7 to read. When he saw

    this, Peter smiled and picked up the file numbered 1. "Thank you, Mr Jane," he said.

    "It''s all the same." Rick did not raise his head and focused on the documents. In a short while, he

    frowned.

    Peter had grabbed the first file, but when he looked at it, he frowned. Peter and Rick''s expressions

    were the same. They were so serious that the hearts of the twodies beside them were moved.

    Shane hadn''t read the documents before. He took a random file and flipped through the pages, but

    there was no expression on his face.

    "This is too much. Why target a child? And once the culprit dies, we can''t even confirm whether

    hypnosis is involved. If it''s hypnosis, then..." Peter began to express his opinion. He put the first file

    on the table and picked up the second one.

    At this time, Rick had just finished reading File 7. He put down the file with a sullen face and picked

    the first file to read. As he read it, he was so angry that his lips were trembling. "What the hell is

    going on? I saw it from File 7 that they targeted a child, but how are four people dead?"

    Among the four people, two of them had been confirmed as Olive''s previous adoptive father and the

    man who set the bomb. The others included the child of the foster parents'' family and the adoptive

    mother who was still being treated for her aneurysm.

    Nearly their entire family was dead.

    "I don''t think Christopher was involved," Charlotte said. "If there is a mastermind behind this, it''s

    obvious that Avery wasn''t the target, but this family. Of course, this is just my personal guess. I want

    to listen to what all of you think."

    "I agree with this analysis as well." Peter put down the two documents. "Based on the information in

    File 2, the perpetrators don''t seem to being for Avery. They don''t have anything to do with him

    at all. In fact, other than Olive, they don''t need to involve Avery at all, let alone kill or cripple him.

    The only possible target is Olive."

    Rick took and read a few sentences of File 2 and nodded. "Indeed, it seems that there''s nothing to

    do with Avery, but the culprit is only an ordinary sryman. Why would he be so ruthless?"

    "I feel like they probably want to kill Olive. Did this child see or does she know something?" Peter

    went on to pick up File 4.

    File 4 was much moreplicated. It contained a map of the rtionships among the people

    involved, including all their colleagues and friends. Obviously, as soon as the police department

    made a move, they weren''t ying. All the information was extremely detailed.

    After Peter finished reading File 4, he was stunned. "There seems to be no mafia involved. Who did

    they offend? Why would they be killed? I really think we have to go to Avery''s ce. Why don''t we

    ask Avery and Olive out?"

    "Recently, Sheryl and I were nning to go on a vacation. Why don''t we go together?" Charlotte

    suggested. "If we all go on a trip, no one will suspect it."

    "Sheryl may not agree," Shane said. He was taking precautions with this.

    "She wanted to go with Olive before. But Olive is sensible, so she didn''t want to go. How about this,

    I''ll call Sheryl and Avery first. You can continue reading." Charlotte took her phone and left the

    table.

    Shane left with her.

    Rick nced at the two of them and shifted her gaze to Kendall. "What do you think?"

    "I think it will be great to spend more time with your friends. Can we go too? About thepany..."

    Kendall was a little worried about the Jane Corporation.

    "Yes," Rick chuckled and said. "Let me see if the new CEO is to my liking."

    "I have investigated your new CEO. He''s very good. The information I gave you is basically his real

    resume. The only difference is that he said that he got his doctorate here, but in fact, he returned

    when he was doing his master''s degree. And he hates foreignpanies and families very much."

    "Yes, he told me that he''s not helping the Jane Corporation, but me. I didn''t know the reason at that

    time, so I asked you to investigate." Rick sighed helplessly.

    He was a great person, but he despised the Jane Corporation. At first, Rick thought it was not a big

    deal. After all, even if he wanted to be independent from the Jane Corporation. It would be

    helpful to have such a person around.

    Peter picked up another file and read it. "So I followed the line of investigation. It seems that this is

    because he had a girlfriend of a renowned family abroad, and the girlfriend was the only child. He

    also wanted to live luxuriously, so the family also gave him some money. But in the end, this woman

    cheated on him. It was with one of the most powerful men in the same circles at that time."

    "Don''t tell me that..." Rick frowned.

    "Yes, we all know this person. He is the young business mogul in Europe, Bugatti di Angelo."

    Rick was speechless.

    Peter looked at him, shocked. He said mysteriously, "Guess how they got together?"

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371

    "How?" Rick was really curious about it. After all, they were in the same circles, but he had never

    heard of these rumors. Of course, he was more curious about how Peter knew about it.

    "Because the woman liked your new CEO. That woman happens to be the one that Bugatti likes.

    What a coincidence. Then Bugatti took away your new CEO''s woman. As for her, if I remember

    correctly, she is staying by your CEO''s side now because she has nowhere else to go. Her family

    can''t take care of her either. Your CEO found her pitiful so..." Peter paused for a while and didn''t

    continue.

    After all, he could notment on this kind of thing, so it was better not to say anything further. As

    for all this romance stuff, it seemed to have nothing to do with this topic. In this matter, the woman

    was the biggest victim.

    She had no choice but to be strung about by others. At the same time, she fell in love with someone

    she shouldn''t. It was a pity.

    "It''s quite interesting, but the woman Bugatti likes..." Rick couldn''t imagine what the woman looked

    like. "I''ll ask Derek if I can go to his house someday. We can meet the woman. Since we found out

    about this, let''s see if I can help them out."

    "I don''t think you should get involved. It''s true that this woman is pitiful, but you don''t need to help

    her. It''s no problem that she doesn''t like Bugatti, but she''s in love with a man who is engaged, and

    she even broke them up. This kind of thing is too disgusting." Peter really didn''t like this kind of

    thing.

    "Although that''s the case, liking someone isn''t something that can be controlled. What''s more, don''t

    you think that the woman doesn''t know who Bugatti is?"

    Peter was stunned. After a moment of silence, he shrugged his shoulders. "If you want to go, I can''t

    stop you. I''m just the messenger."

    "Peter, that''s not what Rick meant. He wants to say that if this woman did it on purpose, then she''s

    a scheming b*tch. No matter what happens, she asked for it. But if she''s innocent, Derek will very

    likely..."

    Kendall couldn''t stand other people misunderstanding Rick, so she helped Rick exin. Moreover,

    she thought from the woman''s perspective. If Derek held a grudge about this and thought of things

    like Peter did, then the woman''s situation was actually very dangerous.

    Only then did Peter understand Rick''s meaning. He immediately said, "If you need anything, please

    call me. After all, it''s someone''s life."

    "It will be enough for Rick and I to go together. If there is anything up with her, we will bring her over.

    Derek came here from abroad. Maybe there is nowhere else for him to go."

    Everyone was silent. After all, Derek''s opponent was Bugatti. It was no surprise that such a

    powerful person would do anything he could.

    On the other end.

    Charlotte had already finished her chat with Avery and Olive. However, Mrs. Fuller Senior and

    Sheryl felt that if they went out together this time, it would definitely not be convenient for them to

    bring the elders with them. Thus, Mrs. Fuller Senior would get a few friends of hers and go on their

    own vacation.

    Things were settled. As soon as she hung up the phone and put it into her pocket, she was caught

    in Shane''s embrace.

    "Shane..." she called his name softly.

    He lowered his head, pressed his lips on hers, and ced his hand on her lower back.

    Charlotte widened her eyes and struggled to stop him. "They are just outside. What are you doing?"

    "What''s wrong?"

    He kissed her even more deeply.

    Charlotte didn''t dare to make a sound. She leaned against the wall and almost melted into the kiss.

    She kept looking out to make sure that no one saw them. Only then was she relieved. She didn''t

    want to be caught by her friends as she kissed Shane. If that happened, she would beughed at

    for a lifetime. Forget about Zoe, if Kendall saw her, then she would think of Shane every time she

    saw Charlotte, not Sheryl anymore.

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    Just as Charlotte was about to move her hand away, she realized that Shane''s hand had already

    slipped past her clothes and was touching her skin directly.

    "Shane, what''s wrong with you today?" She red at him.

    "It''s payment."

    "But don''t ask for it here!"

    "Oh? Okay."

    Shane loosened his grip and walked out.

    Before Charlotte could react, he had already disappeared. She stood in the same ce for several

    minutes before she suddenly realized that she had wanted to refuse the "payment", but then she

    had stupidly paid it!

    Shane was indeed a despicable businessman. He even manipted her in this way. She was so

    unlucky to know him!

    The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she got. She really wanted to throw herself into

    the Mustard River and cut off all ties with Shane. She returned to the group with mixed feelings.

    Right at that time, they were talking about their vacation. She listened to them without saying

    anything.

    While the group chatted, they also finished reading the documents.

    Rick sighed. "If wee back again after leaving this ce, Brine might have gone through a huge

    change."

    Indeed, no matter who was behind this, and no matter what their ns were, Olive might be the key

    to all this. This feeling of being shrouded in a conspiracy made everyone feel particrly

    ufortable.

    "Or is there a possibility that they want to use the move of killing Olive to kill Avery, so that we can

    completely divert the direction of the investigation?"

    It was Kendall who said this.

    After Rick finished reading the document, she had been reading it, so it was normal for her to make

    a conclusion at this time. However, the conclusion she made was full of conspiracy, which increased

    the number of suspects in an instant.

    "Even though I don''t necessarily agree with this, it can still be possible." Peter scratched his head.

    "It''s within the realm of possibility." However, Charlotte felt that it wasn''t impossible as long as the

    enemy was meticulous enough, although there was no need.

    To deal with Olive and to deal with Avery was basically the same thing. If the perpetrator only

    wanted to divert their attention, then the only possibility was that the person who attacked them was

    either Christopher or the Stevens family. However, whether it was the Christopher or the Stevens

    family, they would not set bombs on the street like fools.

    On one hand, it was because they were above all this. On the other hand, once the truth was found

    out, they would lose their reputation, which would affect the family''s future.

    Therefore, it didn''t matter if the target was Olive or Avery, the result was pretty much the same to

    them.

    After they confirmed the time and ce to meet up for the trip, they left.

    Kendall followed Rick out and said softly, "Rick, did I say something wrong just now?" "No, but no

    matter how we deal with Olive and Avery, the direction of the investigation is almost the same. You

    just don''t know the underlying influences."

    "Oh, I see..." She had indeed said the wrong thing.

    Kendall lowered her head and dared not to speak again.

    Rick nced at her and touched her head. "What do you want for dinner?"

    Kendall shook her head. "Let''s go home to eat. There is still food at home. If we don''t finish eating,

    the chef will throw them out again. It''s too wasteful."

    "We can keep them in the fridge until lunch tomorrow. Since we''re out, let''s go on a date. What do

    you think?"

    A date?

    Was Rick talking about a date?

    Kendall''s eyes suddenly lit up. She looked at him expectantly. "If we go on a date, can I hold hands

    with you?"

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372

    Rickughed. Since when was holding hands with him a kind of reward for her? He bent over and

    kissed her between her eyebrows. "We can hold hands at any time. I said that as long as you stay

    with me, I will give you everything, but if I know that you are disloyal, I will not hesitate to abandon

    you."

    "Haha." Kendall''s attention was not on the second half of the sentence at all. She stretched out her

    hand and grabbed his. "Then I happen to want some cosmetics. Let''s go shopping. But I will be

    thrifty. You said before... that it''s not good to be wasteful."

    "Alright," Rick responded.

    Rick took Kendall to a nearby shopping mall. Kendall liked a lot of things, but she did not ask for

    them. Rick watched her silently. As Rick was wondering if she wanted to buy a bottle of moisturizer,

    he reached out to pick up the bottle and said to the store assistant, "I''ll take the entire set for this

    series. Wrap it in a nice box, please."

    "Um... Typically we will only use the box after you''ve decided to buy it. Why don''t you let this young

    lady try and see if she wants these products?"

    "No, wrap it up." Rick paused for a moment. "I''ll pay for it now."

    "Alright, I''ll do it now," the store assistant replied respectfully.

    Kendall grabbed Rick''s arm. "Actually, the moisturizer is enough for me. I haven''t finished up the

    essence at home yet, and the boxset is more expensive than just the products. The set costs extra.

    It''s their marketing trick."

    Rick was impatient. "I told you not to be wasteful, not that you have to pinch pennies. It''s just some

    skincare products. Next time, I''ll just buy them without asking you."

    "I was just listening to you. Why are you telling me off?" Kendall suddenly felt very wronged. She

    turned her head slightly to show that she didn''t want to talk to him anymore. But she didn''t dare to

    make her tantrum so obvious. After all, she really liked Rick. She was afraid that he would abandon

    her if she lost her temper.

    Rick leaned over to kiss the corner of her lips. He said in a low and husky voice, "It''s my fault,

    Kendall. Don''t be angry, okay?"

    His voice was so gentle that Kendall''s heart melted instantly. She turned her head to look at him in

    disbelief, her eyshes fluttering. "Rick..."

    At that moment, the store assistant brought the items back in a bag. Rick took the bag and brought

    Kendall over to pay for it. He even added some lipstick. After he thought about it, Rick realized that

    he hadn''t bought anything for Kendall since getting together.

    He would consider it as making up for the past. After all, Kendall was officially his girlfriend now. His

    friends didn''t dislike her and she was nice and sensible. She deserved a reward.

    Since she said that she wanted to buy cosmetics, Kendall did not look at clothes or perfumes. When

    she passed by those stores, she walked right on by. However, Rick picked out a dress for her and

    got her to try it on. Kendall initially did not want to go, but when she saw that the price was only a

    few hundred dors and she wouldn''t mind the price, she went into the changing room. The dress

    indeed looked good on her. Rick knew her measurements and the styles that suited her very well.

    Rick nodded with great satisfaction. "We''ll get this one."

    The salesgirl immediately packed up Kendall''s clothes. Rick passed Kendall''s coat to her. "Put it on.

    The weather is still a little cold."

    "Okay." Kendall obediently put the coat on, and then held out her hand for him to hold.

    After they shopped, the two ate. Kendall did not chat with Rick as they did. She was very nervous.

    She felt that Rick was not quite the same today than usual. Maybe he was being more gentle with

    her today because they were on a date

    Did this mean that, when they were on a date, she was his girlfriend?

    As Kendall''s thoughts ran wild, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up. "Hello? Caleb... What? I

    don''t know. What happened to Avery? Oh, let me ask Rick. Rick, Caleb said that Avery was injured.

    Do you know about this?"

    "I don''t know. It has nothing to do with me." Rick''s attitude was very cold.

    "Er, Caleb, did you hear that? Oh... Rick, Caleb asked if you want to go to see Avery. It seems that

    there is some grudge..."

    "Didn''t I say before? It has nothing to do with me. If you want to go, go by yourself. Don''t ask me,"

    Rick interrupted her coldly, but his long fingers sped her hand tightly.

    Kendall was very upset by him telling her off, but when she thought about it carefully, if Rick was

    really angry with her, why did he grab her hand harder?

    Kendall felt that Rick didn''t mean to shout at her. There must be a reason. So she said to Caleb

    unhappily, "Caleb, Rick is already angry. Stop asking. I''m hanging up now. Rick is ignoring me now.

    Bye."

    After the call ended, Kendall held Rick''s arm and said, "Is my brother trying to set you up again?

    He''s so nasty."

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    "Yes. I''m used to it." Rick smiled at her, but there was some exhaustion in his eyes.

    "My heart aches for you." Kendall stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. "Let''s go home?

    You don''t look very good."

    "No, let''s eat first. After that, we''ll watch a movie and then go home."

    "Oh," Kendall said. "Actually, you don''t have to give in to me just because we''re on a date. You

    usually take great care of me, and as long as I''m by your side, I''ll be happy. No matter what you do,

    whether I''m your girlfriend or not, even if it''s just... I''ll be willing."

    Rick didn''t say anything. He held her hand and kept walking forward.

    Kendall sighed. "Rick, if you treat liking me as a task to bepleted, will you really fall in love with

    me? Or will you be more unhappy with me in your heart?"

    Rick stopped and looked at her. "Don''t think too much."

    "It feels like you don''t want to be with me at all. Since you keep me here, you have to be

    responsible for me. But Rick, I want to bring you some happiness and security by being with you,

    not to force you to love me." Some people were more reasonable and more assertive the more they

    loved each other, and she was the kind of person who became more humble when she loved

    someone.

    In the beginning, she would have made a scene with him, but now she didn''t dare. She had put in

    more love and time, so she just wanted to be with him. She didn''t ask for anything else.

    Rick frowned and bent down to kiss her. He kissed her so hard that Kendall felt very unsettled. She

    stood there and endured it without saying a word.

    Soon, he let go of her.

    "Let''s eat."

    Kendall obediently held out her hand to him. As she watched him holding her hand, she felt a slight

    ache in her heart.

    After they arrived at the restaurant, Kendall made the orders on the electronic menu and passed it

    over to the waiter. Then, shey her head on the table and looked surreptitiously at Rick, who was

    doing work on hisptop.

    He seemed to have endless things to deal with, but he would still take her shopping, to eat or to

    travel. Sometimes she didn''t know whether he was busy or just pretending to be busy.

    Kendall thought that Charlotte definitely wouldn''t think about this. After all, Charlotte was also very

    busy. It seemed that she was even busier than Shane and Rick. If she could, she also wanted to

    be busy and see if she wouldn''t like Rick if she was so busy. Maybe she could save him some

    effort?

    Soon, the food was served.

    Rick closed theptop and passed Kendall some food. "Why are you still looking at me? It''s time to

    eat."

    "How did you know that I was looking at you?"

    "I''m working, not blind," Rick said as he pointed at the tip of her nose with his long fingers. "You''re

    so silly. What should I do in the future?"

    "As long as you''re here, I''m not afraid."

    "If I''m not here, what will you do?"

    When she heard that, Kendall instantly lost her appetite.

    Her lips trembled. "You... Are you going to abandon me?"

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373

    "I meant if you got lost," Rick said helplessly. Between them, there was nothing about whether they

    wanted each other or not. Regardless of anything, it was difficult for them to be separated from each

    other. The only reason why he said that he was afraid of her leaving was probably because she got

    lost.

    Rick thought that way, but he didn''t know how much Kendall would understand or what she could

    understand. He didn''t know if he expressed himself urately.

    Kendall tilted her head and thought for a while. Then, he suddenly smiled. "Oh, right. That''s true.

    What if I get lost? I have to try my best to survive in the same spot and wait for you toe back to

    pick me up."

    "Yeah." Rick stretched out his hand and grabbed her wrist. "Let''s go."

    "Alright."

    Rick took Kendall one floor down for a walk. This time Kendall did not want to buy anything. She

    just followed him, just window shopping.

    Rick originally wanted to buy her some daily necessities or cosmetics, but seeing that she herself

    didn''t have any opinions, he stopped worrying about it.

    After a while, they left the shopping mall and went home. After Rick got in the car, he took out his

    phone. After he thought for a moment, he dialed Shane''s number. He initially wanted to call

    Charlotte, but he thought that it was better for them to avoid arousing suspicion. So he called Shane

    instead.

    Soon, Shane picked up the phone. "Yes?"

    Shane''s clear and familiar voice sounded in his ears. Rick raised his hand and rubbed his ears. He

    was not used to hearing Shane''s voice. "Caleb called Kendall just now and said that Avery was

    injured. He asked if we wanted to see him, but I refused. I want to know if you know about this."

    "No." Shane paused and added, "Or I don''t know, at least."

    Shane didn''t know, much less anyone else. After Rick thanked him, he looked at the phone for a

    while and then called Peter. The answer Peter gave was almost the same. He didn''t know about this

    news either.

    That meant that Avery might really be injured, but no one knew about it. But it was also possible that

    Caleb was trying to trick him.

    But no matter which it was, it was always the best to stay calm. In any case, he had no experience

    or time to help Avery.

    Back at home, Rick leaned against the window seat and closed his eyes to rest. Kendall was by his

    side. He suddenly stretched out his hand and pulled her to him. Kendall lost her bnce and fell

    directly into his embrace. Her whole bodyy on top of him, and the distance between the two

    instantly became very small.

    "Kendall, don''t tell me anything about your brother''s phone calls in the future. You can do whatever

    you want." Rick''s long fingers moved in her hair, and his eyes fell on her small and delicate facial

    features. She was not ugly, but she did not have the kind of face he liked.

    It was too gentle and sweet, giving off a childish feeling. Even though many people were chasing

    after this youth, he didn''t like it.

    Kendall nodded at him. "I understand. In the future, I''ll deal with him myself. I won''t disturb you

    anymore."

    "You''re not disturbing me. It''s just that once I know the news, I can''t think carefully about how to

    deal with it. You''re different. You''ll think about it carefully for me."

    "Rick, do you really trust me so much?" Kendall leaned into his arms with a smile and hugged him

    tightly. "Rick, you''re so great. I''ll always like you."

    That was enough to be great, to make her like him forever?

    Rickughed. He looked at the person in his arms and felt like his heart was full. He felt an

    indescribable sense of satisfaction from head to toe. At the same time, there was some heat.

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    He leaned over to kiss her. His long fingers slid down to her waist, holding her in his arms. The

    temperature gradually rose.

    "Can I have you?" Kendall suddenly raised her head and looked at him imploringly.

    "There''s no rush."

    Kendall bit her lip.

    He clearly liked her, so what else was he waiting for? Moreover, did she seem to be in a rush?

    She was not in a rush or anxious. She just liked him. She wanted to do everything other couples

    could do with him. Why would he say that about her?

    Kendall''s passion was shot down. She got up and moved away in a fit of anger. When he saw her

    throwing a tantrum, Rick found it pleasing to watch. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her

    from behind. "Are you angry?" He pressed his lips against her ear.

    "What right do I have to be angry? I''m just a robot who doesn''t have any feelings and only knows to

    like you. A robot won''t get angry, and it also has no right to be angry," she said in a huff.

    "Kendall, what I mean about not rushing is that we should at least find a more romantic ce. You

    will spend a lot of time with me in this house in the future. Why are you in such a hurry?"

    Kendall didn''t understand what he meant at first, but when she got it, her whole face turned red.

    She lowered her head and said shyly, "But I just want to be with you. No matter how many times, no

    matter where, as long as I am with you, I will be very satisfied."

    What a fool.

    "There will definitely be some nice scenery on the trip." Rick kissed her earlobe. "If you are still

    willing to go, I will give you a satisfactory answer."

    Give her a satisfactory answer?

    Kendall''s heart began to leap with joy at the thought. Actually, she did not dare to ask for too much.

    But she really did not expect that Rick would give more and more.

    A few dayster.

    They met each other at the arranged time.

    They had scouted ahead, so they didn''t have to worry about being tracked or watched.

    Avery left Olive with Sheryl and instructed, "I''ve already set up GPS tracking on Olive. There should

    be no danger, so it doesn''t matter where the two of you go. Just don''t get separated, understand?"

    "I understand, Uncle Avery," Sheryl answered.

    "I understand, Mr. Avery," Olive replied obediently.

    Avery nodded in satisfaction. "Get in the car and rest."

    As soon as the two children got in the car, the adults had a lot to say.

    Avery handed the luggage to the butler and then turned to Charlotte. "I didn''t ask clearly on the

    phone, so I wanted to ask in person. You said before that Olive might have seen someone

    committing a crime. Do you have any definite evidence forthat?"

    Charlotte nodded and handed over the documents that Rick and Peter had already seen to Avery,

    "This is the file I obtained from the police department. Take a look at it first. After you read it, I''m

    guessing that you''ll have the same thoughts I do."

    "Okay." Avery took it and began to read.

    At this time, Rick and Kendall also arrived. When he saw that he was thest one to arrive, Rick

    apologized in a hurry. "Sorry, we were a little hungry, so we went to buy some breakfast. We

    brought you some too."

    "Great timing. I''m hungry." Charlotte walked over, took out two sandwiches from Rick''s bag, and

    handed one of them to Shane.

    After Shane took it, he unwrapped the stic and handed it back to her. He took the wrapped one

    from her hand and unwrapped it too. Then he began to eat.

    Rick was speechless. He shook her head. "I''m really impressed by you two. It''s just a matter of

    unwrapping the sandwich. Is there a need to show off your affection?"

    "Don''t you help Kendall do this sort of thing?" Shane asked back.

    His words have Rick no room to back down. No matter how he answered, it showed that he was

    ungentlemanly.

    Rick touched his nose gloomily. Unexpectedly, Kendall, who was beside him, unwrapped a

    sandwich and held it to his mouth. "Mr. Fuller, you love Ms. Emerson more, but I love Rick more.

    We are not the same."

    When he heard this, Shane just nced at her lightly. The corners of his mouth lifted a little. "Not

    bad," he said.

    Kendall had spoken brilliantly.

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374

    Kendall was initially not wee here with Charlotte and Shane. One reason was that the two of

    them had some unpleasant experiences before because of Rick. Secondly, the hypnosis had

    caused their rtionship to be worse. However, after she spoke, the estrangement seemed to

    have diminished by quite a bit.

    After breakfast, Avery also finished reading the documents and got into the car with everyone. "Do

    you all think that Olive saw something that she shouldn''t have?"

    At that moment, Olive and Sheryl were ying with a 3D puzzle at the back of the car. They were

    putting hundreds of small wooden blocks together to make a beautiful garden or something like that.

    To girls, this was particrly attractive. These girls had not yet developed any talents, so they didn''t

    pay attention to the adults talking.

    Kendall took the initiative to suggest, "I''ll go y with the kids. You guys can talk."

    Rick followed her when he heard this. "I told you before what I think. Please tell him for me."

    After Rick and Kendall left, Avery smiled. "What''s the matter with Ricktely? Has he be

    Kendall''s dog? Didn''t he dislike Kendall before? Is it because we are going to deal with the Stevens

    family that he''s worried she''ll be lonely and..."

    "Things are different now. Why are you allowed to find the meaning of your life but Rick isn''t allowed

    to like Kendall?" Charlotte asked back with a smile.

    "That''s true."

    "Let''s not gossip. Let''s talk about serious matters. I''ll tell you briefly what Rick thinks. If I miss

    anything out, help me, Peter?"

    Peter nodded. "Ms. Emerson and I are here to help."

    When Sheryl saw Kendalling over, she was not very scared. Instead, she moved over and

    gave her a seat. Kendall felt a little guilty and said softly, "Sheryl, I''m sorry about what happened

    before. I did that because I had a special reason."

    "It''s okay. I''m different from my parents. I don''t me you. You did it for Rick, I know that." Sheryl

    said and handed one piece of the puzzle to Olive. She looked at Rick and said, "Uncle Rick must

    have been very sad back then. You''re forgiven since you keep worrying about him. In any case, I

    wasn''t injured, so it doesn''t matter."

    "Do you really think this way?" Rick frowned. He had the feeling that Shane and Charlotte were

    giving Sheryl a chance to talk to Kendall.

    After all, this was much faster and more effective than Shane and Charlotte helping to absolve the

    guilt in Kendall''s heart.

    Sheryl shook her head. "They didn''t talk to me about this. It was my Great- grandma and Grandma

    who told me these things and made a conclusion. Besides, you adults can''t fight openly. We

    understand."

    Sheryl''s childish words made Kendall feel even worse. "Sheryl, what do you like to eat? Tell me and

    I''ll..."

    "I''m rich. You don''t have to act like this. Just treat me as an ordinary child and yourself as an

    ordinary adult."

    "... I will try." Kendall didn''t know what to say right then.

    Olive and Sheryl were very enthusiastic when it came to putting together the puzzle. Kendall

    thought that Sheryl wasn''t going to ept her efforts, so perhaps she could y with her for a

    while? Since Olive didn''t seem to dislike her either. Thus, Kendall stayed to help the girls with their

    puzzle.

    After all, Kendall was an adult. The puzzle that Olive and Sheryl couldn''tplete after a long time

    waspleted by Kendall in less than three minutes. What was more, Rick was next to her. When

    Kendall was confused by the picture, he guided her. So they finished the puzzle very quickly.

    Olive was a little vexed when Kendallpleted the puzzle. "But how do we put these two

    together? We''ve thought about everything just now, but it doesn''t fit when we put it in."

    "Let me have a look." Kendall took another piece of the puzzle from her hand. After looking at it

    carefully, she still had no clue. "I don''t know, either. Rick, do you know how to do it?"

    Rick didn''t take it. Instead, he looked at Sheryl and asked, "Do you need my help?"

    Sheryl hesitated for a moment. She had brought a total of 20 sets of puzzles. This was the first one.

    Even if she did seven of them a day, it would take at least three or four days toplete one, much

    less seven. Instead of spending a lot of time on a puzzle, it was better to spend more time on

    different puzzles.

    When she thought of this, she nodded fiercely. "Thank you, Uncle Rick."

    Rick smiled and immediately put the puzzle together. Kendall, Sheryl, and Olive couldn''t manage it

    mainly because they rarely yed with puzzles and didn''t know the trick to them. Rick grew up

    ying with all kinds of toys and puzzles. It was not difficult for him toplete this easy puzzle. He

    could easilyplete harder ones.

    "Mr. Jane, you''re so awesome." Olive looked at Rick with great admiration.

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    "They can do the same." Rick pointed to Shane, Avery and others in the distance.

    Did Mr. Avery also know how to y with puzzles? Olive suddenly looked forward to putting puzzles

    together with Avery. Before, she wasn''t interested in ying games in that house full of IT devices.

    Even if Avery asked her to, she may not y, let alone take the initiative to y with Avery. But now

    that she was going on a trip, she could get him to y with her.

    After they finished the first puzzle, Olive took Sheryl to find Avery. Just as Avery finished speaking,

    he heard that the two children wanted him to show off his puzzle skills. He agreed with pleasure.

    "What did Avery say?" Rick brought Kendall to sit down.

    "It''s almost the same as what we thought. He ns to ask Olive about it himself before meeting with

    us. But he says it''s best if you don''t have any hopes. After all, Olive is a special child. Even if she

    did see something she shouldn''t have, she might

    not remember it."

    Rick nodded. That was true. Olive was just too specialpared to Sheryl, much less an ordinary

    child. The main issue was that her intelligence and emotional intelligence was too outstanding.

    Kendall wanted to say something, but she remembered what happened before when she did. She

    kept quiet.

    Charlotte realized what she was thinking. She didn''t want to bother with her but took pity on the fact

    that she was trying very hard to integrate into their circle. She even took the initiative to talk to

    Sheryl.

    Charlotte sighed and she softened up. "Kendall, if you have anything to say, just say it. You don''t

    have to worry about saying the wrong thing. Even if you do, it won''t affect us. Just say it."

    "This, this is what I think..." Kendall was overwhelmed. "Olive might not even remember what

    happened. This means that it''s not necessarily something like murder. No matter how strong a

    person is, they shouldn''t be able to ignore the sight of flesh and blood, right?"

    Rick didn''t help her this time, because what she said was very correct. Everyone was thinking about

    this question silently.

    Charlotte said, "We''ve really made a mistake. We believed that the culprit wanted to kill Olive

    because they had already killed someone and Olive saw it. If we ignore this assumption, what

    Kendall said might be the truth."

    "Yes, as long as it is a person, they will be afraid of blood." Rick had an understanding of

    psychology.

    Even if she was a special adult, she might not be able to deal with all emotions calmly in the face of

    blood, let alone a child. No matter how special she was, she was still a child.

    This was something that could not be changed.

    And if they thought further from this point, they would find that this matter was not as simple as they

    thought. On the contrary, they had taken it for granted.

    Rick turned to face Avery. "I hope you can get some useful information, even if you can just confirm

    the timeline, that would be good."

    Charlotte nodded her head seriously.

    Indeed, now they didn''t even know the exact timeline. It was indeed a mess.

    This was a matter of life and death.

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375

    Olive found that Avery''s skills were slightly worse than Rick''s. Avery needed to see the picture

    clearly before he could start, but Rick could do it without picturing it first. Olive thought that Rick was

    better, but Sheryl didn''t think so.

    Rick seemed like someone who often yed games like this, so it was typical for him to be good at

    it. However, Avery was different. Avery did not look like someone who liked to y these games

    often. That was why he needed to be more careful. Besides, as someone who did not often y

    games like this, he was still able to piece things together in a short amount of time. It was obvious

    that Avery was a little better than Rick. However, the two of them did not argue over their opinions.

    They were just ying with the puzzles in silence.

    "Olive, when you lived with your adoptive parents, did anything strange happen?" Avery asked

    suddenly.

    "What? Mr. Avery, why are you suddenly asking about this?"

    "I''m curious." "No, I didn''t." Olive was confused. Why did he suddenly ask this question?

    Avery faced Sheryl. "Sheryl, have you encountered anything interesting or strange abroad?"

    It was only then that Olive understood that Avery was trying to find a shared topic so that they could

    get along with each other. Sheryl was not vignt in this aspect and talked about many things that

    happened while she was abroad. However, Sheryl was vaguer in her storytelling. She did not like

    talking about her memories. So her words faded away in time. In the end, she did not speak

    anymore.

    Olive began to speak about how her adoptive parents were very good to her. Butter, there were

    other children in the house, and she stuck out among them. The other children were afraid of her

    and theyined about this to the parents.

    "Other children?" Avery sensed that something was amiss. Her adoptive parents had only adopted

    her, so where did the other childrene from?

    "Yeah. They kept bringing other children back home, but they disappeared shortly after. I don''t know

    where they went." Olive thought with a frown. Suddenly, her eyes brightened. "I remember there

    was once a really nice car. Then there was a tall man who nced at me. But my adoptive parents

    quickly brought me into the house, so I didn''t get a good look. It seems like every time they came,

    children would go missing."

    Avery''s finger paused for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal. He didn''t expect that Olive

    would say something so close to the truth.

    "Did they sell the children?" Even Sheryl thought of this.

    Olive shook her head. "I''m not sure," Olive said. "They would stille back. I''ve also asked them

    where they went. They just said they went out to eat or something. They had a day out."

    "Did they all go back before you came to me?" Avery asked.

    "No, some came back, but many didn''t." Olive didn''t want to use her adoptive parents, so she

    added, "I only know that they went out. My adoptive parents were still very good to me."

    "I know. We won''t use a good person."

    Olive let out a sigh of relief and nodded at Avery. Avery helped the two of them with the puzzles

    before returning to Charlotte and the others to tell them the news.

    Everyone was silent.

    If this was a case of human trafficking, then the situation was very serious. Firstly, it was because

    most of the people who would trade humans were mobsters. Secondly, there must be something

    suspicious about the man and the car Olive saw. But it was obvious that Olive could not remember

    the details now. Although they had gotten a clue, they couldn''t do anything more now.

    "For the next two days, let''s have fun with the children." Charlotte was the first to speak. She looked

    at the two children and her gaze turned dark. "No matter what, we can''t let them sense anything

    unusual."

    "I''m going to investigate this case now." Peter took the initiative to pick up theputer and begin

    to investigate.

    Rick''s expression was sullen, but he didn''t say anything. It was Kendall who said, "Is there anything

    I can do to help?"

    "If that''s the case, you can sound out Caleb''s intentions. Just say that you''ve heard the news from

    us. You can pick a few of our conversations and tell them about it, other than the matter regarding

    Avery." Charlotte knew that it was risky to do so, but if she did let Kendall help, Kendall might feel

    excluded.

    Kendall''s interest was immediately piqued when she heard that. "Does it mean that I''ll be a spy?"

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. "You can think of it that way."

    "I can, I..."

    "Lottie, it''s already very dangerous for Kendall to stay with me. I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for her

    to do such a thing too." Rick interrupted their conversation. He frowned and looked at Kendall with a

    warning in his eyes.

    Kendall was used to his gentle appearance, so her heart sank when Rick suddenly red at her.

    She lowered her head and dared not to look at Rick again, but she felt very wronged. She just

    wanted to help him, why was he being so mean? Why was this inappropriate? If he thought she was

    not smart, he could just say that she was stupid. He said such nice words, but wasn''t he still

    excluding her?

    Charlotte felt ufortable when she heard this. She refuted in annoyance, "This is Kendall''s

    business. Shouldn''t she have a choice?"

    "Without my permission, she doesn''t even have the right to see you, let alone make her own choice,

    isn''t that right?" Rick retorted.

    "But since you have brought her here, you should respect her and let her make her own choice.

    Even if she refuses me since you''ve made your point, you should not make a decision for her

    directly."

    This dispute was more like a quarrel between Charlotte and Rick.

    Perhaps, if the two of them had shared their opinions earlier, the two of them would not have

    separated.

    Rick put his hands on the table and said, "You like to take risks, but it doesn''t mean that others are

    the same. She is not suitable for this..."

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    "Rick," Shane said calmly. "You shouldn''t stop Kendall from doing what she wants."

    Avery felt a cold wind blowing past. Shane''s words made the already tense atmosphere even more

    chilling.

    It was obvious that Shane was trying his best to protect Charlotte.

    Not only did he refute Rick, but he also made his stance clear. He told Rick that if he continued to

    be disrespectful towards Charlotte, then he would have to join the battlefield.

    Rick took a deep breath and sat down. He smiled and nodded to the two people on the other side.

    "Alright, alright. Both of you are good people, while I''m the one taking away Kendall''s choice. Fine,

    then Kendall is yours. You can decide what to do."

    Why was he so angry?

    Charlotte frowned. Before she could say anything, Rick had already left. Kendall had wanted to

    follow him, but she did not move. She bit her lip and sat in ce. Her eyes were red, and she

    looked like she was going to cry soon.

    "Don''t be sad. He is annoyed. He doesn''t like these dark things, so you should be prepared. Do you

    want to help us or stay with Rick obediently?"

    "I..."

    "There''s no need to give us an answer so soon." Charlotte interrupted her. "Also, I hope that you

    can think it through. We might not appreciate your help."

    Kendall felt like crying, but when she heard this, sheughed instead. "I''m helping you because I

    want to help, not because I want you to appreciate my help. What kind of person do you think I am,

    Charlotte? Do you think I''m that kind of person?"

    Charlotte waved her hand. "What you''ve done in the past tells me that you arepletely brainless,

    so I hope you can think it through."

    "Actually, I''ve thought it through. If I want to be a good girl and be a little pet for the rest of my life, I

    only need to listen to Rick. But if I still want to do something I want, I should take this step bravely

    and face any danger."

    Kendall''s eyes were full of determination.

    Charlotte could only let out a sigh.

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376

    "Even if you want to do what you want, you don''t need to worry about this. After all, this is rted to

    Braden''s n," said Charlotte.

    Braden didn''t go with them this time. He was already waiting at the resort.

    Recently, he was the most concerned with the issue with Rnd. Perhaps it was because he had

    interacted with Rnd that he seemed to bear more hatred towards the Stevens family. He had also

    contributed more in terms of the n.

    Kendall nodded. "I won''t ruin Braden''s n."

    "That''s not what I meant. Braden isn''t nning to deal with the Stevens family, but your brother,

    Caleb. His ns crumbled one by one. If you really want to help, it means that you will be

    personally forcing your brother into having nothing. Are you prepared for this?" Charlotte asked.

    Kendall did not know how to answer for a moment. She sat there at a loss, and she kept looking

    about. Obviously, she had not considered this matter before.

    Charlotte continued, "Let''s go back. Even if you''re mentally prepared, once your brother finds out

    that you''re involved in this matter, what will he do to you? Kendall, I feel that you should always

    have a clear conscience when doing things. We''re not dealing with your brother because of profits.

    It''s because..."

    Charlotte didn''t go on. She turned to Avery, Peter and Zoe. These three people were the direct

    victims. She was only helping out because of Avery.

    "I don''t think I''ve told you before. My girlfriend died because of your brother," Avery said, looking at

    Kendall coldly.

    He didn''t like any member of the Stevens family.

    Kendall''s face became paler. She shook her head. She did not know about this matter, but she

    always knew that Avery hated her brother and father for a special reason. She did not expect that

    the reason for this was actually so evil.

    "So, this matter is between me and your family. It has nothing to do with the others. You don''t have

    to do it for me, for..."

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    "If this is the case, can you gather evidence and send my brother to prison?" Kendall suddenly

    interrupted Avery.

    Avery chuckled and said, "You''re really naive."

    "If thew really works against Caleb, why would I

    have to go this far?"

    At this time, Rick came back. He sat next to Kendall and patted her on the shoulder. "Take a rest."

    Kendall stood up in a daze and walked towards Sheryl and Olive.

    "Aren''t we being too mean to Kendall?" As he watched Kendall leave, Avery felt a little guilty. He

    hated those people in the Stevens family, but it was another matter for Kendall who did nothing

    wrong.

    Charlotte was silent for a long time before she said, "Do you know that Kendall and Rnd aren''t

    even rted by blood?"

    "I know." Avery paused for a moment. "She''s quite pitiful too."

    "Let''s put this matter to an end." Charlotte paused. "Rick, I have something to say to you."

    Shane nced at her, but didn''t stop her. He let her go with Rick. Avery immediately stood up and

    started gossiping. "Shane, are you letting your woman talk to her ex-fiance alone like this?"

    "You should thank me for allowing your head to remain on your neck."

    "Hahaha, you''re such a joker." Averyughed. "I wonder what they are going to talk about."

    Shane picked up his book and read it, but his fingers tightened.

    in a corner.

    Charlotte handed Rick a cup of coffee. "I know you are very strict with Kendall. Most of the time, you

    want her to stay by your side like an emotionless machine. You can reason with her in everything.

    You don''t have to decide everything. After all... she is also a person."

    "Do you feel sorry for her?" Rick took the cup of coffee. The heat at his fingers made him feel good.

    This kind of feeling had nothing to do with Charlotte, it was mainly due to the warmth that he felt

    comfortable.

    "I don''t feel sorry for her. I''m thinking from her point of view. We are friends, but that''s her brother.

    Tell me, if it were you, how would you respond?"

    "I won''t respond."

    "She has to respond. Rick, I wanted to tell you that you don''t need to participate in this. As for the

    Jane Corporation, we will find a way to deal with itter. Don''t put yourself in an awkward position

    with Kendall."

    It was not that Rick had not thought of it. After all, he had pretended with Avery to stop helping from

    the shadows. Now, he went from helping in the shadows to not needing to help at all.

    After a long time, Rick sighed and said with a smile, "Lottie, I have no deep hatred for the Stevens

    family, but I should tell you that I will not stand by."

    "Why not?"

    "The Jane Corporation is not unshakable, but it is not that fragile. Regardless of what they want to

    do or what our development is like, it is destined that I will have to go against the Stevens family."

    Charlotte immediately understood that going against the Steven Family was the right move for Rick.

    It was very likely that there was something wrong with the Stevens family''s cooperation with him.

    When she thought of this, she couldn''t help feeling worried. "If that''s the case, it''s too hard for

    Kendall to stay with you."

    "That''s why I didn''t want to ept her at first, but there are many things that we can''t help. I don''t

    have a choice. And you don''t either."

    "That''s right, we don''t have a choice."

    A lot of things didn''t leave any room for choice.

    Both of them were silent for a moment. Rick suddenly opened his arms with a smile. "Let''s not be

    so down. Give me a hug. Let''s just celebrate being able to stand here and talk peacefully."

    Charlotte was stunned for several seconds. She hesitated for a moment, then walked forward to

    hug him. Rick only touched her shoulder before letting go.

    For some reason, Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

    "This is good" Rick felt theplicated emotions in his heart disperse. "Thank you for thinking of

    Kendall. In the future, I will think clearly about how to treat my girlfriend."

    "You will be a good boyfriend."

    "You will also be a good mother and a good wife." Rick turned around with a smile.

    He happened to see Shaneing over. Rick didn''t stop and just passed him by.

    Charlotte went forward and grabbed Shane''s arm. She raised her head. "Why are you here? We

    just finished talking."

    "What did you talk about?"

    "I told him to treat Kendall better in the future. I pity her."

    "Have you forgiven her?"

    "What I hate most is that she''s fake. But if her fake behavior is a result of being hypnotized, then

    isn''t it very sad? She suffered my hate for nothing. Of course I must definitely treat her well,"

    Charlotte replied matter-of-factly.

    Shane reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Let''s go back."

    "Alright."

    Rick turned the corner. Before he had taken two steps, Kendall, who had been with the children,

    rushed forward.

    She tilted her head and frowned. She leaned against the wall with one leg bent. Her whole body''s

    center of gravity was somewhat unstable. "Rick!"

    Rick stopped and put his arm around her waist. "Be more careful when you walk, okay?"

    "Okay," Kendall agreed.

    "Don''t think about the Stevens family and Avery anymore. Don''t worry too much."

    "I know. After you left, Charlotte told me a lot of things. She''s really a good person." Kendall paused

    and added, "I really mean it."

    Rick couldn''t helpughing.

    Rick felt that Kendall was very silly for saying such a thing.

    Rick walked toward Sheryl and Olive with Kendall, just in time to see Shane walking out of the

    corner with Lottie.

    The two men''s eyes met.

 Chapter 377

    Chapter 377

    In that moment, Rick felt that there was no need to talk about the past anymore. It was all in the

    past. He wanted to withdraw his gaze, but he still watched Shane and Charlotte leave. Only when

    they returned to their seats did he continue walking with Kendall.

    Kendall tilted her head and looked at Rick. "It''s fine if you keep staring at Charlotte. I definitely won''t

    be jealous. But why are you staring at Shane? Have you fallen in love with him too?"

    Fallen in love with Shane...

    Rick stretched out his hand and flicked Kendall''s forehead. "What do you think about all day long?"

    Kendall stuck out her tongue at him and tilted her head innocently. "I think about you all the time.

    You''re always on my mind."

    "I''m not that foolish. It seems that I don''t take up any space in your head." After Rick said that with a

    smile, he took her to her seat and pointed to the puzzle that Sheryl and Olive were doing. "Go y

    with them. I''ll stay here and rest for a while."

    "Alright."

    Kendall yed with Sheryl and Olive. Rick was watching the news on his phone. After a while,

    Kendall ran to him with a jigsaw puzzle in her hand, looking miserable. "Rick..."

    "Oh!"

    Rick couldn''t help sighing, but secretly he was happy about it.

    They went to a resort with some very beautiful hot springs for their vacation. Braden booked all the

    rooms in advance. Therefore, although the scenery was enchanting, there were not many people.

    Most of them were people who had stayed here before, or they were hotel staff.

    Braden brought Anne to greet everyone. When he saw Rick standing intimately close to Kendall, he

    raised his eyebrows and said, "Rick, you don''t look very good."

    "If you did puzzles with my sister, I''m afraid you wouldn''t be in a good mood either." Rick rubbed his

    temple. "Kendall''spletely brainless."

    "Call me stupid if you want, but why do you have to say I''m brainless? I have a brain, just not too

    many brain cells." Kendall felt very wronged.

    Rick did not express any opinion on this. He was willing to take Kendall on the battlefield, but he

    was not willing to solve the puzzle with her. After all, when she was on the battlefield, he could hide

    Kendall away, but with puzzles... Not only was she unhelpful, but she also made trouble. She was

    not as good as the two children.

    Braden chuckled and waved to the people behind him. "Give me your luggage. I''ll help you put it

    away first. You can get your room keys at the front desk. You guys settle the rooming

    arrangements."

    The rooming arrangements were a problem. After all, there were two children with them.

    Unexpectedly, Sheryl grabbed Olive''s hand and pressed a room card into it. She made it clear that

    they wouldn''t bother with the adults. The two kids wanted to stay in the same room together.

    Charlotte didn''t say anything. After all, Sheryl was used to being independent at home. As for Olive,

    Avery pretty much let Olive run wild. Once the children were taken care of, the remaining couples

    each chose a two-person suite. Only Avery took a single room.

    Peter and Zoe took their room cards first and left. They had a lot of equipment to prepare. Although

    they were on a holiday, they had a lot of work to do. The high efficiency and progress of their work

    were corrted directly to their equipment.

    After they put away their luggage, Charlotte received a call from Mrs. Fuller Senior saying that she

    had arrived as well. Charlotte immediately brought Shane downstairs to pick them up.

    "Grandma, why didn''t you tell me you''re here?" Shane asked, frowning.

    "Isn''t it the same if I tell Lottie?" Mrs. Fuller Senior snorted.

    Shane said helplessly, "I''m your grandson."

    "She is my granddaughter-inw. Isn''t it, Lottie?"

    "Grandmother." Charlotte smiled as she approached Mrs. Fuller Senior and hugged her. "In my next

    life, I''ll be your granddaughter. Shane can step aside."

    "Good, that would be great. Who wants to look at Shane''s ugly face all day long?"

    "That''s right."

    Charlotte was getting bolder. She even dared to joke about his rtionship with his family in front of

    him. However, this was also good. At least it showed that, for her, the Fuller family was no longer an

    unspeakable topic.

    Charlotte and Shane came to the room with Mrs. Fuller Senior. Charlotte kindly helped her to get

    her luggage set aside and was about to say goodbye when Mrs. Fuller Senior sent Shane away and

    pulled Charlotte to her side mysteriously.

    "Before I came here, I went to the public notary. You see, this is the will I prepared a year ago.

    Originally, I nned to take it out after Shane gets married, but you came just in time." Mrs. Fuller

    Senior opened the document and showed it to Charlotte. "When I die, half of the shares will be

    yours and the other half will be given to Sheryl."

    "Why is this? Grandma, you are still so healthy now. Why do you have to make a will?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior just smiled. "It''s better to make a will as soon as possible. Listen to me, once you

    get these shares, don''t transfer them to Shane."

    "This..."

    "These are the shares of the Fuller Group. If that guy bullies you in the future, you can use the

    dividends of these shares to leave him. Whether you want to find Sheryl a suitable father for Sheryl

    or just keep a man with you, it will be enough."

    "Grandma..."

    "I trust Shane. He is a good man, but it''s inevitable for me to think about what happened with my

    son. What if Shane makes the same mistakes? If I''m not here to help you, what will happen to

    you?"

    From these words, Charlotte understood two things. The first was that the Fuller family had already

    acknowledged her, even though it didn''t matter whether they were willing to admit it or not. Since

    she had been together with Shane until now, they were inseparable whether it came to financials or

    feelings. The second was that Christopher''s mother must have received Mrs.

    Fuller Senior''s help in the past. That was why she was able to raise Christopher and survive until

    now. To have such a seemingly beautiful family was not bad, not bad at all.

    That was why Mrs. Fuller Senior had been so considerate towards her.

    But didn''t the older generation think of making a will as a taboo thing?

    Charlotte couldn''t help but say, "Even if that''s the case, you don''t have to set up your will so quickly.

    After all, it''s unlucky."

    "Trust me.��

    "Okay, I''ll listen to you."

    "You''re so good. Let''s go back."

    Mrs. Fuller Senior watched as Charlotte left. Shey down on the bed.

    She always believed in her sixth sense. As early as a month ago, she felt that she might die soon.

    This feeling was very strong, so she made her preparations early. She had squared everything

    away. She hoped that Shane and Charlotte would live a happy life.

    As for herself.

    She would soon be reunited with herte husband. This was a good thing.

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    After Charlotte left the room, she felt uneasy. She hesitated. She wanted to tell Shane about it, but

    she didn''t dare. After all, Mrs. Fuller Senior said not to tell Shane about it.

    Should she listen to Mrs. Fuller Senior or...

    When Charlotte returned to her room, she happened to hear Shane talking on the phone. She

    heard him talking about a will, so she immediately pricked up her ears. When she heard that it had

    something to do with Mrs. Fuller Senior, she immediately decided to tell Shane about what

    happened. After all, he already knew about it.

    After Shane hung up the phone, Charlotte walked up to him and said, "Shane, Grandma prepared a

    will. Did you know?"

    "After her death, her shares will be transferred to you and Sheryl." Shane put down his phone and

    pulled Charlotte into his arms. His fingers settled on her chin. "She treats you better than she does

    me."

    "No way." Charlotte took the opportunity to rx in his embrace.

    "As her grandson, I get nothing. She thinks about you more than she does me. Doesn''t she treat

    you better then?"

    "That''s because she knows you''re very capable. No matter what, you won''t have nothing. However,

    in her eyes, I''m not a match for you," Charlotte replied matter-of-factly.

    After all, herpany was useless.

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378

    Shane chuckled and pressed her deeper into his arms. "Lottie, it''s time to pay me back my interest."

    "What is Shane talking about?" Charlotte thought.

    Before Charlotte could retort, Shane pressed her down. She could tell that he was being serious

    this time. She could only mumble somest words of resistance. "Even if you want to, we... we

    should also take a shower first, right? I feel like I''m starting to stink. I''ve been in the car for the

    whole day."

    Shane didn''t answer. He picked her up and walked to the bathroom.

    That night.

    Kendall was a little bored alone in the room. Rick had gone with Avery to ask Olive about the

    childtrafficking matter. She had nothing to do, so she walked around. When she arrived at the buffet

    restaurant, she saw a very familiar person. She got goosebumps all over her body.

    She immediately found a ce to hide. When she saw more and more people wearing ck

    uniforms around her, she took out her phone and

    sent a message to Rick.

    "At this point, we can be sure that the kidnapper is a human trafficker, so it''s not surprising that he

    killed the others." After Rick spoke, he reached out and touched Olive''s head. "Don''t feel bad. You

    are also a victim."

    "But my parents loved me, right? That''s why they''re giving me to you guys?" Olive retorted. But she

    quickly dismissed her own thoughts. "No, that''s not right. If they give me to you, won''t they be afraid

    I''ll tell you everything? I don''t think that''s right."

    "It''s possible that they thought you wouldn''t take the initiative to mention any strange things to us

    once they handed you over. But if they sell you, it''s very likely that you''ll notice it. After all, you''re so

    smart," Avery said.

    "Oh," Olive said. She did not think that she was smart at all. It was just that she had been through a

    lot of difficulties, which was why she always overthought things out of habit.

    Rick was about to ask Olive to think about it carefully when the phone''s screen lit up. He picked it

    up and frowned. "You guys talk. I need to take this call."

    "What''s wrong?" Avery asked, "I haven''t seen you for a long time. It''s not easy to get to talk to you,

    how can you just leave like this?" "Something happened to Kendall. She saw Christopher. Call

    Shane."

    Avery was stunned for a while. Then, he nodded seriously. "Hurry up and find her. I''ll call Charlotte

    now. By the way, when you are on the way, you should call Peter and ask him to send your location

    to our phones."

    "Okay. If you don''t hear from me in half an hour, call the police."

    "Alright."

    Sheryl had seen Christopher before. When she saw the adults being so nervous, she was a little

    confused. "Uncle Avery, isn''t Mr. Gibson Daddy''s friend? Why are you so afraid of him? Why are

    you going to call the police?"

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "Now they are no longer friends. Sheryl, you still remember that you were kidnapped before, right?

    That''s actually..."

    Avery began to tell Sheryl the whole story. Sheryl listened and nodded. She began to worry about

    Rick. If Christopher could kidnap her, they could kidnap Rick and Kendall as well.

    Sheryl hoped that they woulde back safe and sound.

    Rick went to find Kendall When he arrived, Christopher and his people had already left, leaving

    Kendall leaning against the wall. She clutched her phone as she trembled. The moment when she

    saw himing, tears started falling. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him hard.

    "Alright, alright. Everything is fine. I''m here. You''re safe now.�� Rick softly reassured Kendall, his tone

    gentle as ever.

    "I miss you so much, Rick. I really miss you," Kendall said as she cried. "I was so scared just now.

    They were walking towards me. I thought I was in danger, but they aren''t here for me. I''m so

    scared."

    Kendall cried as she spoke, her entire person was leaning against Rick''s chest. She had lost the

    most basic ability to move.

    Rick held her in his arms and whispered, "I''m already here. I''m sorry, sweetheart. I won''t let you go

    out alone in the future."

    Sweetheart.

    It was the first time he had called her that.

    Kendall sniffed and looked at him in disbelief. "Rick, what did you just call me?"

    "Sweetheart." Rick chuckled. "I called you that in a panic. If you don''t like it, I can change it."

    "I like it. Of course I like it. No matter what you call me, I will like it." Kendallughed and wiped her

    tears with the back of her hand. "I like you so much, Rick. I really like you. It''s so great that you got

    here so soon, I..."

    She went on and on about the same thing.

    Rick''s heart ached for her and pressed her into his embrace. "I''ll take you back to your room, okay?

    Have a good rest."

    "I''m hungry..." she said in a low voice. That was why she hade to the buffet restaurant.

    "I''ll take you out to eat."

    Rick informed Avery and Peter that Kendall was fine once they got in the car.

    Avery breathed a sigh of relief and said to Peter, "What did Shane say about it?"

    "He asked us to find him. He said he wanted to talk to him in person. I was afraid there might be

    danger, so I have asked for reinforcements from Brine. I have also contacted the police."

    "Okay," Avery sneered. "If Christopher does something outrageous this time, we will lock him in

    prison. He won''t cause problems for us again next time."

    "I have also asked the others to stay in their rooms. It should not be a big problem. I only hope that

    Rick and Kendall will not see Christopher again."

    "They went out. I wonder what they''re doing?" Avery frowned.

    "Anne told me about this, Kendall said that she was hungry..."

    "My God, Rick is really out of his mind. Why did he take her out to eat under such circumstances?

    Couldn''t they call for room service?"

    Peter shook his head with a smile. "After all, they''re still in the honeymoon period. I think that Rick

    seems to have let go of Ms. Emerson. I think he''s really let go of it all. It must not have been easy,

    so it''s understandable that his rtionship with Kendall has be good."

    Even if their rtionship was better, they should pay attention to safety. Now they didn''t know where

    Christopher was, let alone why he hade to the hotel.

    Avery was speechless.

    But on second thought, even if something happened to Rick and Kendall, it would have nothing to

    do with him, The two of them could only me themselves for it.

    "Hey, this is the man who was going to marry me," Avery sighed.

    Peterughed at this for a long time.

    After he took Kendall for food, Rick brought her to a shopping mall nearby.

    "Rick, aren''t you afraid of Christopher and the others? Avery and Peter sent me a message saying

    that we should go back early," Kendall said.

    "It''s fine."

    "Can you beat him?"

    "It''s not a problem. He won''t mess with us; there''s no need. We have no business rtionship with

    Shane. If you think about it from Charlotte''s point of view, he''s better off looking for Avery, isn''t it?"

    Rick said with a smile.

    Strictly speaking, it was a smart choice for ine to search Avery out.

    After all, it was almost impossible for the Jane Corporation to cooperate with Shane.

    "Alright." Kendall nodded, not fully understanding. "If we are fine, who will be in danger? Should we

    warn them? After all... they are all nice to me."

    "I''m sure Charlotte won''t go out. Avery''s keeping an eye on the two kids. Peter and Zoe are in the

    hotel as well. Shane is apanying Charlotte... It shouldn''t be a problem," Rick said.

    And yet.

    After he said this, his pupils suddenly contracted.

    "Oh no."

 Chapter 379

    Chapter 379

    Kendall could not help but ask, "What''s wrong?"

    "Shane and Charlotte are both in the hotel. Where is Shane''s grandmother?" Rick''s face was

    ashen. He picked up his phone to contact Shane, but Shane did not answer the phone. He grew

    more worried and could only call Peter. After he exined the situation, his heart sank.

    Even Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson didn''t know where Mrs. Fuller Senior was, let alone him. She was

    staying with some of her old friends. Other than when they ate and went shopping, she stayed in

    another hotel. If Christopher really went to see Mrs. Fuller Senior...

    Peter said anxiously, "I can''t get in touch with Mr. Fuller. I can only be sure that he is in the room

    with Ms. Emerson. This..."

    "Then don''t bother them. If you can''t contact them while they''re in their room, you can figure out

    what they are doing even without thinking." Rick rubbed his temple.

    "Um." Peter had guessed this, and his ears got a little hot. "This also counts as another good thing.

    They are usually so busy. Here, they can rx and work on that second child. But what about Mrs.

    Fuller Senior?" "Can''t you find her at all?"

    "I can''t find her at all. Mr. Jane, I didn''t even think about it in this respect. If it weren''t for you, I

    probably wouldn''t have realized it." Peter sighed.

    In fact, he preferred Rick more than Avery. Rick was calm and reliable, and he was quick and

    gentle. He was much better than Avery, who was more entric. However, Rick''s ability did not lie

    in handling himself. Instead, he was better at handling a corporation.

    That was why Peter was closer with Avery. Avery was exceptionally good at investigation and

    antisurveince.

    "It''s okay, don''t be nervous. If something really happens, Christopher might note for Mrs. Fuller

    Senior, but Mrs. Fuller Senior might see Christopher. So even if we find her, it will be useless." Rick

    sighed.

    "Why?" Peter was puzzled.

    "Shane has given up on NC Company, and Braden has also handed over his shares. Obviously, he

    wants to cut things off with Christopher. If Christopher tells Mrs. Fuller Senior that as long as they

    meet, everything in the past will be written off..." The more Rick said, the more he felt that Mrs.

    Fuller Senior might go to see Christopher

    alone.

    Christopher was very cunning. No one knew what kind of disgusting thing he would do.

    He tapped on the keyboard and tried his best to find Mrs. Fuller Senior, but he didn''t do it.

    He had no clue where Mrs. Fuller Senior was.

    "Peter, stop looking for her," Rick said. "Shane wouldn''t allow others to find his grandmother''s

    number so easily."

    "He wouldn''t block me. Why would he block me?" Peter felt very desperate and finally stopped. His

    eyes were tied. What if Mrs. Fuller Senior really goes to see Christopher?"

    What else could they do?

    Rick nced at Kendall. "We can only wait. We have no other choice but to bring our ns

    forward."

    "Bring our ns forward?" Peter thought for a while and suddenly realized something. "Mr. Jane,

    are you talking about the Stevens family?"

    "Yes. They must be cooperating. If Christopher wants to take action, the Stevens family will

    definitely help. So, we must bring our ns forward."

    Kendall heard this, but she pretended that she didn''t hear anything. She stayed by Rick''s side

    because she wanted to be together with him. She didn''t care anymore, about Charlotte and the

    others'' ns or her father and brother''s expectations for her. As long as she could be together with

    Rick, it was enough for her.

    After Peter answered, he began to investigate the movements of the Stevens family. After a while,

    he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Fortunately, the Stevens family has not taken any action for

    the time being. Their people are all in Brine, and there is no sign of moving out. At least it shows

    that Christopher came alone."

    "Where is ine?" "It''s the same."

    Rick breathed a sigh of relief. At least, there was still time for them to make a move.

    Shane knew someone was calling him, but he turned on silent mode and didn''t want to deal with it.

    He looked down at the sleepy woman in his arms and smiled. "How do you feel?"

    "It was good..." Her voice was as soft. How could she dare to say that sex with him sucked?

    "I''m talking about how you feel."

    "I''m fine. It''s just that it''s been a long time since we had sex. We went a bit too far. I''m so tired."

    Charlotte squirmed into his embrace and buried her head there. Her hand wrapped around his waist

    as she pressed her body against his.

    Shane held her in his arms and stroked her soft hair. "Does this mean we should have more sex

    next time?"

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    "I didn''t say that. By the way, did you use a condom? It was very difficult for me to raise Sheryl. I

    don''t want to do it again. It''s scary."

    "Scary?" He frowned.

    Was she so disgusted to have a child with him?

    "Think about it. Grandma can take care of Sheryl now. But if we have another child, you can''t ask

    grandma to help, can you? We have to keep the child with us. Who will take care of them, you or

    me? If you take care of the child, they will be too spoiled or you''ll be too strict..."

    "So?" Shane pursed his lips, displeased.

    "If I''m the one who''s taking care of the kids, then you''re going to manage thepany. Think about

    it. You left NC Company because you wanted to focus on investment, but now you''ll be hindered by

    handling apany..."

    If they considered all aspects, it was not a good idea to have another child.

    "Are you analyzing it seriously or are you just looking for an excuse?" "Of course it''s a serious

    analysis. Furthermore, I don''t think my body can handle it," Charlotte said in a low voice.

    "What''s going on?"

    Charlotte shook her head.

    It was just that she would asionally feel very tired. Her constitution was weaker.

    Shane looked at Charlotte''s delicate features and felt like he hadn''t shown enough concern for her.

    He tightened his grip on her and sighed. "When we go back, you should have a full physical

    examination. The doctor can give you supplements based on your condition."

    "I take vitamins C and B, even calcium tablets," she said.

    "Take my advice."

    Fine then.

    Charlotte nodded. "Whatever you say."

    In any case, there was no point in her refusing.

    At that moment, Shane''s phone rang again. He nced at it, but he didn''t answer it, since it was still

    Peter.

    Charlotte straightened up. "It''s Peter. Why don''t you answer it? Peter is very sensible. Unless it''s

    something important, he wouldn''t call us. What if

    \Ne miss something important?" "Is there anything more important than sleeping together?"

    He pressed down and trapped Charlotte in his arms.

    Oh.

    Charlotte felt that she shouldn''t have suggested going on a trip back then. She had wanted to build

    a closer rtionship with Sheryl, but why did it feel like Shane was taking advantage?

    "At the very least we should ask Peter about the details before making a decision. What if he...

    hmm..."

    Before Charlotte could finish her sentence, Shane kissed her.

    She felt helpless.

    She could only allow Shane to do whatever he wanted.

    On the other end, Peter put down his phone and pulled his hair. His lips were pale. "What should I

    do? If something really happened to Mrs. Fuller Senior as Rick said, Mr. Fuller would me himself

    since I called him so many times. But if I don''t call him, and something bad happens... It puts a lot of

    pressure on me."

    So frustrating!

    Peter felt like a mess. He really wanted to die. If he died, there might not be so many worries.

    "Don''t be impatient, take your time."

    Zoe gently persuaded him from behind and gently kissed him on the ear. "Peter, take your time."

    She was so close.

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380

    Peter turned and grabbed the back of Zoe''s head, but he did not kiss her. Instead, he brought her

    closer. "Zoe, without you, I would really jump off the building. I have never wasted time doing tasks

    for Shane, nor have I hesitated like this at a critical moment. I don''t know what to do. I just pray that

    Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson can answer the phone now."

    "Even if something bad happened to Mrs. Fuller Senior, it is her own choice. It has nothing to do

    with Mr. Fuller and Ms. Emerson, and it has nothing to do with you. Don''t feel pressured," Zoe

    reassured him softly. "You have done your best. Besides, the one who thought of this is Rick."

    "I know it doesn''t matter, but I''m still worried. I..." Peter said and grabbed his hair.

    Zoe sighed. She tore his hands away hard. "Listen to me. Don''t torture yourself like this. Think

    about it carefully. You can continue to pity yourself here or you can go and find Mrs. Fuller Senior as

    soon as possible."

    "You mean, we should look for Mrs. Fuller Senior?"

    Zoe nodded. "Why should we wait for Mr. Fuller to give us permission? Have you ever thought

    about why Mr. Fuller blocked your ess to Mrs. Fuller Senior''s number? This can only mean that

    she blocked it herself, and Mr. Fuller still doesn''t know about it."

    Peter thought this was very likely to be true, so he immediately nodded. "I understand. Let''s go now.

    Let''s do it first!"

    Zoe was very gratified. She nodded and said, "Okay."

    Zoe and Peter took theirptops and set off. Because there was no destination, they started off from

    the hotel. The front desk of the hotel where Mrs. Fuller Senior was staying confirmed that she had

    gone out three hours ago. To be exact, it was the time when Kendall met Christopher.

    Therefore, it could be concluded that, at least at that time, Christopher didn''t see Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    Peter kept monitoring the surveince along the way. After he confirmed that Mrs. Fuller Senior had

    gone out with some friends, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, it seems that Rick and I have

    thought too much. At this time, Christopher has no chance to approach Mrs. Fuller Senior at all."

    "Have you called Mrs. Fuller Senior?" "I did, but she didn''t answer. But now it seems like she must

    have gone out with her friends."

    However, Zoe felt that things were not so simple. It didn''t make sense that she wouldn''t answer the

    phone because she was with her friends. Mrs. Fuller Senior was a very self-disciplined person.

    Under normal circumstances, people like her would be able to prioritize. Even if she was really

    having fun, she would not refuse to answer the phone.

    "Do you want to check the numbers of the people with Mrs. Fuller Senior? Then, you can ask them

    if Mrs. Fuller Senior is still with them."

    "That''s a good idea."

    While Peter was investigating, Zoe had been paying attention to the pedestrians around. She kept

    feeling like there was an indescribable strangeness, but she didn''t know where it came from.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior stood on the high-rise building of the hotel and looked at the young man in front

    of her. There was a smile in her clouded eyes, but her mouth was set in an ambiguous line. This

    faint smile made her appear to be very astute and cunning.

    "I didn''t expect you to ask to see me." "After so many years, do you still hate him?" The old woman

    stretched out her hand and touched the young man''s face. "Your face ispletely different from

    your father''s. That''s why you''re as strong- willed as your mother. She''s the best woman I''ve ever

    met, but unfortunately, she''s a little too ordinary."

    "Do you think it''s wrong to be ordinary?"

    "If I were to make a choice, I would definitely choose her. What happened back then..." Mrs. Fuller

    Senior said as she shook her head. She continued with a smile, "Christopher, you''ve already gotten

    almost everything that you want. Why don''t you let yourself rx?"

    "It''s not that I don''t want to let myself rx, it''s that no one is letting me rx." Christopher leaned

    over and stroked Mrs. Fuller Senior''s face. "I can''t even call you my grandmother. Do you think that

    I can let myself rx and those who hate me off?"

    "Stop it. Don''t continue. Those children are innocent. If it''s legal, I''ll support you in everything."

    When he heard this, Christopher sneered. "Why do I have to suffer, but I have to praise the results

    of other people''s good luck? Don''t you think that the wicked also needs a savior? What''s wrong with

    me bing such a person?"

    "The wicked don''t need a savior, but someone to teach them how to distinguish good from evil,"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior said sadly. "You must repent. Even if you defeat Shane with evil means, what can

    you get?"

    "I will have won," said Christopher. He straightened up and no longer looked at Mrs. Fuller Senior

    with any respect. "Don''t talk about repentance. I don''t even have the chance to choose to be a good

    person. How can I repent?"

    Mrs. Fuller Senior still wanted to say something more, but she felt that it was toote. She could

    only take out a pen drive from her pocket. "The paternity test results you wanted are in this pen

    drive. As long as you go public with the information in here, you can get everyone''s recognition."

    "I don''t need these things anymore."

    "Then why are you looking for me?" Mrs. Fuller Senior frowned.

    If he didn''t want recognition or to repent, was he looking for her just to vent his frustrations?

    At the same time.

    Peter and Zoe rushed back toward the hotel.

    The strangeness that Zoe had sensed before was that someone had messed with the surveince

    cameras. The person who did it was Mrs. Fuller Senior. She made the video look like she had left

    the hotel when she hadn''t. In other words, Mrs.

    Fuller Senior did not leave the hotel at all.

    She was very likely to see Christopher in the hotel.

    "Someone might die! Call the police!"

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "My God, what''s going on? Who jumped from such a height?"

    "Call the police! Hurry up, call 911. Don''t just stand there, and don''t take pictures. Call the police,

    hurry up!"

    Peter and Zoe looked at each other and looked at the pool of blood. Through the crowd, when Peter

    saw the person on the ground, his pupils suddenly shrank. "Zoe... should we go back or call for

    help? Should we pretend that we don''t know about this or..."

    He had lost his sensibility, and his hands and feet were trembling.

    "I''m already calling Rick. Hello? Mr. Jane, yes, it''s me. It''s..."

    Rick immediately arrived with Kendall as soon as he received the call.

    When he saw the mess on the ground, his face turned pale. The first thing he did was to use his

    connections to seal off the entire hotel. They looked and looked, but they still could not find

    Christopher.

    Rick personally headed up the search in anger, but

    he only found a letter in Christopher''s room. The words in this letter were full of provocation.

    He knew that Shane would not kill him, so he challenged Shane again and again. His original n

    was to let him love Heidi forever and ignore Charlotte. He didn''t expect that Shane''s willpower was

    so strong. He had made a mistake.

    He knew that Mrs. Fuller Senior felt guilty about him, so he wanted her to die after a life of guilt.

    Moreover, she had to die in his hands. He would never allow this n to fail.

    The information he had gotten on arriving in this city was provided by Caleb. And Caleb knew they

    wereing because of Kendall''s phone location.

    When Rick got this news, he threw the letter directly at Kendall. "Why don''t you tell us?"

    "I, I didn''t know..." Kendall was stunned. She picked up the letter in a hurry.

    Her phone location?

    Wasn''t her phone location being blocked by Rick?

    Kendall instantly burst into tears. "I really don''t know what''s going on. Please trust me, Rick."

 Chapter 381

    Chapter 381

    Rick took a deep breath to calm down. "I don''t hate a person. What I hate is people who break the

    rules. I''m not ambitious, but I hope that the Jane Corporation thrives and my friends live a peaceful

    life. I hate these things, not you."

    "I know." Kendall gently held his arm. "Look, it says that this was the man who attacked Avery. He

    asked the family to adopt Olive, and he deliberately let Olive witness those kids being abducted. But

    what he didn''t expect was Olive not going to the police."

    "This person is too repulsive." Rick gnashed his teeth and said, "Peter, you still can''t get through to

    Shane?"

    "I''ve already asked the hotel staff. No one answered the door when they knocked. I suspect that

    they''re asleep. There''s nothing we can do now," Peter answered, his face twisted in annoyance and

    anger. "I''m thinking that it''ll be very painful when they wake up and receive the news."

    "Let''s take it one step at a time. You should tell Shane about this first. It''s up to him if he wants to tell

    Charlotte. You and Zoe will pass this letter to Avery and caution him to stay home."

    "Yes, I understand." Peter took the letter and immediately left with Zoe.

    Rick turned around and saw that Kendall was preupied. He palmed her face and kissed her. "I''m

    not ming you, I was just overwhelmed. I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have ced the me on you. Will

    you forgive me?"

    "Rick, you don''t have to be gentle with me. I know you have removed the locator in my mobile

    phone once. You didn''t me me and told me to leave. For that, I am very grateful. I don''t know

    what''s going on with the locator on my phone. Would you like to check it again?" Kendall handed

    the phone to Rick.

    "Okay." Rick took the phone and stroked her head. "From now on, we''re attached at the hip. No

    matter where I go, you will stick with me. If someone wants to separate you, you must follow me

    immediately, understand?"

    "I understand."

    Rick nodded and led Kendall to collect evidence.

    No one saw Christopher and Mrs. Fuller Senior going upstairs together. In other words, there was

    no evidence.

    Disgusting.

    That was the only word in Rick''s mind.

    She was an elderly person and Christopher still did this to her. Rick could only imagine the emotions

    going through her mind when she showed up for the appointment. Was she surprised or

    apprehensive? Did she hope for reconciliation?

    However...

    The person she was looking forward toing around was the one who fired the shot that ended

    her life.

    With tears welling up in his eyes, Rick roared and reared around to punch the wall. "We''re all too

    merciful."

    If only he had been a little earlier.

    If only he had known that Christopher''s ambition wasn''t to be taken lightly.

    If only he had known that the Stevens family and Christopher were not to be messed with. It would

    be the best choice to kill them.

    Hindsight was 20/20.

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    The notification of an iing call chimed.

    It was Rick''s mobile phone.

    He wiped his tears and answered the phone, "Hello."

    "Come back." Shane''s deep voice sounded.

    "Shane? Do you know what happened?"

    "Come back first. There''s no need to investigate this matter."

    Rick was stunned. He held the phone tightly and asked, "Shane, are you kidding me?"

    "Come back immediately."

    The call disconnected.

    Shane had hung up.

    Rick was dumbfounded. He felt himself dissociated while he brought Kendall back to the hotel. He

    was too drained to specte Shane''s reasoning behind his instruction.

    He took Kendall to the hall.

    The hall was surrounded by ss, the scenery from the windows was spectacr. The interior was

    tastefully furnished. Bodyguards stood watch at the door and the windows. Obviously, it was a

    heavily guarded area, which made Rick''s heart sink.

    He walked into the hall.

    "Shane."

    He raised his head, anger and exhaustion in on his face. The usual cold expression had

    completely disappeared.

    "My men tried to intercept Christopher at the airport, but they were all wiped out." "He came

    prepared." Rick guided Kendall to take a seat. "I don''t want to ask anything else, but I want to know,

    are you aware of this? If yes, how much?"

    "Not much."

    Rick inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.

    Avery sneered, "I know you are still in shock, but should you ask such insensitive questions? That''s

    Shane''s grandmother. No matter how coldblooded he is, he wouldn''t harm his own grandmother.

    What are you thinking?"

    "Sorry." Rick smiled. "After meeting Christopher, I''m starting to be wary of everyone around me."

    "You''d never know for sure," Shane said meaningfully.

    "I understand."

    Soon, Braden and Peter joined them.

    Besides Rick and Kendall, no one brought their family members.

    "Should I leave?" Kendall was a little conflicted. After all, she was not part of this inner circle. It

    would seem as if she was interjecting if she stayed.

    During this sensitive asion, it didn''t seem appropriate.

    "It''s fine," Rick assured.

    "I''ll be honest." Avery shifted. "You are our only hope to connect the dots. This is why Shane and I

    had no qualms when Rick brought you in. We need to know why Caleb cooperated with Braden and

    leaked information to Christopher at the same time."

    "Was he trying to double-cross us?" Braden asked.

    "If Caleb were so smart, wouldn''t he be able to see through our game?"

    "I investigated and found that no one outside knew we were together. They all assume Mr. Fuller

    was on vacation with Ms. Emerson, Sheryl, and Mrs. Fuller Senior. Even if they traced our IP

    address, they could only track Kendall and Rick."

    In other words.

    Caleb would deduce that Rick and Kendall were vacationing with Shane and Charlotte, leaving only

    Sheryl and Mrs. Fuller Senior together.

    In this case, it made sense that he gave their location away to Christopher.

    "Kendall, we need to know what is your brother''s rtionship with Christopher." Avery turned to

    Kendall.

    Kendall hesitated for a moment, then took her phone from Rick and called Caleb in front of

    everyone.

    "Kendall, you and Rick are having fun now. Why are you calling me?"

    "How do you know that I''m with Rick?"

    "You don''t have to worry about that. By the way, you should pay attention to your safety when you''re

    out having fun."

    "Caleb, I saw Christopher. He was in our hotel. I don''t think it''s safe here. Do you think I should go

    back to Brine with Rick? I''m a little afraid of Christopher." Kendall deliberately changed the topic.

    Caleb answered bluntly, "He won''t hurt you for the time being. Of course, you''d better caution

    Shane''s girlfriend. In just two days, Christopher had stolen ourpany''s data, including your IP

    information."

    "Okay, I see. Thank you, Caleb."

    Kendall ended the call and the answer was clear.

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382

    "Christopher is trying to drive a wedge between the Steven Family and us." Braden frowned. "He

    may think that Caleb is scheming, so he wouldn''t tell his sister about the data leak. Consequently,

    we wouldn''t find out about it as well."

    "Yes." Shane nodded. "Caleb isn''t as smart as he thinks."

    Avery sneered. In any case, both Christopher or the Stevens family was considered an enemy to

    him. Even if Christopher''s n seeded, there wouldn''t be any hostility with the Stevens family.

    Kendall handed the phone to Rick, her head was lowered and she was silent. She was feeling a

    little nervous. She didn''t want them to talk about her brother. She felt antsy every time they did, like

    she was shunned and needed to apologize to everyone.

    This feeling was too unbearable. She wished she had never existed.

    "Don''t be afraid." Rick sped her hand gently. "With me by your side, no one can bully you."

    She was not afraid, just a little uneasy. However, Kendall didn''t know how to exin this emotion,

    so she stayed silent.

    This matter was no longer a clear-cut situation between Christopher and the Steven Family. There

    were many corporations on the prowl waiting for an opportunity. Kendall was not stupid, she

    understood these truths, therefore she felt powerless.

    "The matter is within our control, and I don''t want to see any report now," Shane said, facing Peter.

    "I understand." Peter nodded immediately. "I''ll sort out the data and hand them in as soon as

    possible to inform our higher-ups of the current situation. However, the sess rate may not be

    very high. After all, to them, we are a bother."

    "It doesn''t matter. Just control it."

    "All right."

    Avery was on his phone trying to stop this from into turning into a media circus. "The situation isn''t

    too dire. People aren''t curious about the identity of the person who jumped off the building. They

    only know that it''s suicide."

    "Does the person in Brine know about the news?" Shane asked again.

    The "person in Brine" alluded to someone named Raina. Avery understood this implication and

    nodded. "She already knows about this. I told my men to inform her."

    Shane remained silent.

    Avery opened his mouth wanting to say something, in the end only a sigh escaped.

    This matter was too serious.

    When Charlotte woke up in a daze, she looked up and saw Shane. Shane was reclined against the

    headboard, holding a book in his hand. From the cover, it seemed to be in French.

    She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes again, wanting to sleep a little longer. But she was

    suddenly hugged by Shane.

    "Stay away." She immediately hid like a frightened bird.

    "Miss Charlotte isn''t strong enough."

    "Mr. Fuller, you''re making me look bad."

    Shane couldn''t helpughing. He reached out and stroked her head. "Okay, we should eat."

    "All right."

    Everyone gathered for dinner.

    During the meal, Avery casually mentioned that Mrs. Fuller Senior had returned to her own vi in

    the city. He added that she was tired from all the activities, so Charlotte didn''t suspect a thing. She

    just nodded and said, "That''s good, after all, she''s getting up there." "There''s another thing I''m quite

    curious about." Avery raised his eyebrows at Charlotte. "Rick and I were searching for you the entire

    afternoon, but no one replied to our messages. What''s going on?"

    Uh.

    What was she supposed to say?

    Charlotte red at Avery. "I didn''t want to talk to you, okay?"

    Averyughed. "Okay, sure."

    After the meal, Rick was quiet. He seemed to be in a bad mood. Initially, Charlotte wanted to

    comfort him, but she noticed that Kendall had been constantly by his side and murmuring in his

    ears. Rick always smiled before his face fell again.

    Charlotte thought it''d be better to leave the matter of cheering Rick up to Kendall.

    Meanwhile...

    When Sheryl heard that Mrs. Fuller Senior had gone back, she was a little disappointed. After all,

    she hadn''t spent much time with Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    "I''ll y with you," Olive offered.

    "You''re too kind." Sheryl wrapped her arm around Olive''s shoulders and kissed her on the cheek.

    Olive and Sheryl then started ying together.

    Looking at the children, Avery didn''t know if he should voice his thoughts. For the time being,

    Shane had decided not to tell Charlotte. In a few months, he would pretend that Mrs. Fuller Senior

    had a heart attack and was admitted to the hospital. But she couldn''t make it due to old age after a

    few weeks.

    This was the best for Charlotte and Sheryl. They wouldn''t be in too much pain if they were told this

    lie.

    "You two keep ying. I''ll head back to my room now." Avery touched both their heads.

    "Alright," Sheryl agreed.

    "Mr. Avery, be careful on your way."

    Avery nodded and left the room.

    He banged the door shut.

    The smile pasted on his face crumbled.

    He rubbed his face forcefully and a bitter smile appeared.

    He had only met Mrs. Fuller Senior a few times. To him, she was just a friend''s mother.

    If that was the case, why did he feel distressed?

    As if the person who died was not Shane''s family, but someone dear to him. He thought he wasn''t

    empathetic enough toprehend life and death. But he was particrly upset over what

    happened to Mrs. Fuller Senior.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Avery returned to his room and sat in front of the floor- to- ceiling window. He gazed out at the

    crowd. After a long time, he came to a conclusion.

    He was sad for Charlotte and Sheryl.

    Although he was unfamiliar with Mrs. Fuller Senior, he knew she was a loving greatgrandmother to

    Sheryl and a pir of courage and love to Charlotte.

    That was why he was distressed.

    Avery thought he was going crazy and grieving for Charlotte and Sheryl simultaneously.

    His phone rang and he turned to answer, "Hello?"

    "It''s me." Charlotte''s voice rang out. "Shane told me not to go out for the next two days. Do you

    know the reason?"

    "Things are a little chaotic here. A robbery happened yesterday. Anyway, you''re not in a hurry to go

    anywhere. You can go out after they arrest the robber."

    "I''m not in a hurry to go out and have fun, but there''s something else that''s quite urgent." Charlotte

    was annoyed.

    "Oh?" Avery raised his eyebrows. "It seems that Mr. Fuller is very brave."

    What was this all about?

    Charlotte rolled her eyes slightly. "It''s said that there are no decayingnds, only tired and dead

    cows. But I feel the condition of thend depends on the conscience of the bull and its owner."

    Averyughed and said, "Are you thend in this analogy? You''d better take a rest then."

    "Truth be told, I feel like he''s in a bad mood today." Charlotte bit her lips. "Not only that, he just

    seems downcast. He''s never been like this, usually he''s just calm and apathetic."

    A rational person would likely be downcast, but how could an apathetic person be downcast?

    Normally, he couldn''t care less about everything. To him, loving the air was better than caring about

    people.

    Therefore, she was very worried.

    He couldn''t go out for a walk, and he didn''t tell her what had happened. What should she do?

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383

    "I don''t know what happened to him either," Avery lied to Charlotte. "But it''s true that he''s been in a

    bad mood for the past two days. You should just humor him. There''s nothing else you can do but

    stay indoors."

    "You really are a good friend." Charlotte hung up.

    Avery thought it was humorous, he tried forcing a smile by pulling the corners of his mouth upwards,

    but nothing happened. He touched his mouth and sighed miserably. Never mind a smile, he was not

    in the mood to discuss the issue. He wasn''t sad, but he felt panic rising in him.

    However, he wasn''t sure why he was panicking.

    Averyy on the bed facing up. He thought that other people might be in the same state. It was hard

    to exin this stifling feeling he felt.

    Avery fell asleep in the same position and was woken up by his phone. He leaned to one side and

    ced it against his ear, frowning while answering with displeasure, "Hello?"

    "Avery, it''s me." Peter''s voice sounded a little choked up. "We''re going to cremate Mrs. Fuller

    Senior, but we don''t have any local connections. It''s not convenient for Mr. Fuller to help. Can we

    trouble you for help?"

    "I''ll handle it right away." Avery''s fog of sleepiness cleared. He propped himself up on an elbow and

    leaned against the headboard calling his friends.

    Finding a crematorium was a very simple matter. He would nevermit murder, otherwise the

    crematorium coulde in handy. Perhaps this was the benefit of money. Avery''s mind was filled

    with random thoughts.

    After arranging the proceedings, Avery''s mood was still sour. He sighed repeatedly and threw

    himself onto the bed and fell asleep again.

    What the hell was this?

    Brine, vantage point.

    Christopher stood on the watchtower overlooking the city. He was standing on a lighthouse in the

    countryside. It was tall and built on a cliff with a 360-degree view of Brine, which made it a must-visit

    destination.

    Christopher was bathed in the afterglow of sunset. He held a ss of red wine in his hand and was

    downing ss after ss.

    "I''ve helped you achieve your wish. What''s there to be unhappy about?"

    Beside him, a man''s voice drifted like a ghost. It was unknown why his throat had been damaged.

    His voice sounded iparably hoarse, as irritating as nails on a chalkboard.

    Christopher didn''t look at him and kept pouring wine into his ss. He looked out at the panoramic

    view before him while sipping his wine. After a long time, he said with a chuckle, "Now no one can

    persuade me to turn back and mend my ways. I should be happy."

    "Those people who would try to persuade you never knew how Shane tried to kill you. There''s no

    need to show clemency."

    "No, I wasn''t feeling merciful towards Shane. I''m just imagining what Charlotte''s reaction would be

    when she found out about this," Christopher hung his head as he muttered to himself. He raised his

    head and said, "Keep it on the down-low. Don''t let her find out."

    "Why not take this opportunity toe between her rtionship with Shane?"

    "They don''t have deep feelings for each other in the first ce. It''s only a matter of time before

    Charlotte leaves him. It''s impossible for Shane to be in love with someone."

    The man raised his eyebrows andughed. "I don''t know about that. As long as you hinder his

    involvement in thepany overseas, I will provide you with a steady flow of funds." "Tanner, I

    hope we''ll work well together."

    Christopher raised his ss and clinked it with him.

    Two of them downed their wine together in one gulp.

    After a while, Tanner left the lighthouse, leaving only Christopher alone on the lighthouse.

    He gazed at the city below him, but his heart was empty.

    Mrs. Fuller Senior was still trying to convince him even when she was forced to the railing. Her

    expression did not change one bit until she was pushed off. He didn''t know why people would sing

    praises about these things, but couldn''t deal with his mother and him.

    If he had known it would be like this, why would he do it?

    Christopher poured another ss for himself.

    There was a song that sang, a toast to dawn and a toast to death.

    Yup.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    His dawn, and their death.

    Two days passed.

    Peter and Avery confirmed that Christopher had returned to Brine.

    Everyone could finally leave the hotel. Charlotte, Anne, and the two kids were obliviously having

    fun, while everyone else was pensive. Hence, they all trailed behind four of them, just looking at

    their backs.

    "That''s nice." Peter couldn''t help but sigh. "I finally understand why there are people in this world

    shouldering heavier responsibility and duty. If everyone knew the truth, then the world would no

    longer be beautiful."

    "Well, aren''t you honorable?" Zoe held his hand. "We''re just lending a helping hand. We can''t

    compare with those heroes."

    Peterughed. "Of course I knew that, but I still wanted to toot my own horn." Peter turned to her

    and said, "Zoe, we don''t know what will happen in the future. Why don''t we get married soon?"

    Zoe was not ready for the marriage.

    As a matter of fact.

    In her mind, it was very difficult for her to get married.

    Her family implied that she couldn''t marry someone from the same or upper ss. But she was

    unwilling to choose just anyone, yet if someone better liked her, she still wouldn''t agree

    to the match.

    Financially, she had everything, including a house, a car, a job, and a stable ie. But after years

    of toiling, she didn''t have time to settle down.

    But all of this was not worth mentioning to Peter.

    In terms of family background, his was much bleaker than hers. He often said he''d be fine as long

    as she didn''t abandon him.

    In terms of finances, they were almost on par. Ever since they fell in love, Shane had been

    remunerating them equally, no matter if Peter''s job was harder than hers. ording to Shane, he

    must provide her with security, which came in the form of equal pay for Peter and her.

    How they split their expenses had nothing to do with Shane. Therefore, she would give Peter some

    money to be used for household bills every month.

    As for the matter of time, they spent every day with each other. They worked and lived together. It

    felt right, and they also conformed to their roles easily.

    They were not sick and tired of each other.

    In the past few months, she was very satisfied with him, and she knew that he felt the same.

    "I''m not ready to get married yet." Zoe turned Peter down after thinking for a while.

    "I just want to legitimize our rtionship. Please don''t think too much. I don''t mean to force you. Of

    course, if you think I''m forcing you to get married is to give you a title," Peter suddenly leaned over,

    "Then you shouldn''t refuse me."

    "It''s my own fault. I''m not ready." Zoeughed.

    He really wanted to give her a status. Getting married or not didn''t make any difference to him.

    However, she knew it was not that simple.

    The marriage that Peter wanted was to take responsibility for each other and start a new life.

    "Our past had been rough and we can''t change that, so now it''s up to us to create the future. This is

    my idea, so you don''t need to feel pressured, okay?"

    Peter held Zoe''s hand tightly. He was afraid that she would vanish if the wind blew.

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384

    Zoe knew what he meant, and she understood his point. She nodded and said, "I get it, but I need

    to think about it carefully."

    "Okay." Peter beamed in agreement.

    Avery was the first person who heard about the proposal. After all, Peter had never dated anyone

    before Zoe and he needed advice. Everyone else he knew was either an employer or a mere

    acquaintance. Avery was the only one who was friendly with him and of simr status.

    Avery was amused after hearing Peter''s recap. "Never mind the timing of your proposal, but you

    didn''t even get her a ring or flowers? And you proposed casually on the side of the road and didn''t

    treat her to a meal? What were you thinking? Were you born in a barn? You didn''t have to go with a

    pdash approach just to take advantage of her!"

    "I''m not taking advantage of her," Peter said, exasperated. "We were just talking about it, and I felt it

    was appropriate to mention marriage to her. That''s why I came to you for advice. I don''t know what

    she thinks. Did she really mean her rejection, or does she need more time? Or maybe I''m not

    eligible."

    "When Zoe started dating you, she must have thought about marriage. So my advice to you is buy a

    ring and some flowers. Then find a romantic ce for a candlelit dinner and propose to her." Avery

    said in exasperation, "No matter if it''s Zoe or Anne or Charlotte, women like to be wooed. In any

    case, you shouldn''t ask for her hand in marriage unceremoniously by the road. This is the taboo of

    love."

    Love taboo?

    Peter really didn''t understand this.

    How could Avery not tell Charlotte this juicy bit of gossip? After Charlotte learned about it, she

    definitely had to tell Shane. In the end, both of them demanded to meet with Peter to ask for an

    exnation.

    Peter wanted to cry talking about his rtionship problem with his employer. It''s not forbidden per

    se, but why did it feel so strange?

    "Just tell me what you need for the wedding." Shane got straight to the point.

    "No matter what you want or need, we can arrange it in advance. If you don''t want Zoe to know, we

    will privately prepare it for you." Charlotte smiled.

    "Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller, I didn''t want to disturb you at first, but now I don''t know what Zoe is

    thinking. She hasn''t gotten to the point of getting married yet." "Listen to me." Charlotte

    straightened. "Do you know why so many people get caught up with nning a wedding proposal,

    but only a small portion want to buy a watermelon and get married on a boring summer day?"

    Peter nodded in bewilderment.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Charlotte raised her finger and said, "First of all, it''s normal for couples to think about marriage after

    a few years or a few months together. But as time passes, what should they do when passion

    tapers off?"

    "Search for the excitement again," Peter replied.

    "Yes, proposing is one way to show your best to your partner, so she could remember every

    beautiful moment between both of you, and then feel so moved by all the fanfare that she will agree

    to step into the tomb of love with you."

    "I see." Peter was still a little confused. "Well, you mentioned something about a watermelon and

    marriage."

    "That''s different. In that case, to get married is the peak happiness. They experience enough joy

    and surprises daily, so a marriage is just another normal activity to do on an afternoon."

    Peter nodded thoughtfully.

    Shane shot an impassive nce at Charlotte and noted, "How do you know so much?"

    "I did my research." Well, she read lots of rtionship problem posts online.

    "Oh yes, you were engaged."

    What?

    Charlotte instantly felt pped in the face with jealousy. She grabbed Shane''s arm. "I read about it

    online. There''s no engagement, it was called off.

    I belong to Mr. Fuller alone."

    Charlotte wasn''t sure how those cringeworthy words escaped her mouth.

    "Ms. Emerson, Mr. Fuller, I won''t bother you anymore." Peter stood up as he said, making a hasty

    exit.

    What a joke.

    If he didn''t leave now, his sry would be docked.

    After Peter took his leave, Shane pulled Charlotte into his arms and pressed his lips onto hers. They

    were locked in a tight embrace with lips locked passionately.

    Peter returned to the hotel and opened the door.

    He saw Zoe sitting on the edge of the bed changing her clothes. He glimpsed her abdomen and her

    captivating pale arms. He stopped in his tracks and turned his back. "Sorry, I didn''t know you were

    changing." "It''s fine." Zoe put on her clothes, walked to his side, and patted him on the shoulder.

    "How do I look?"

    Zoe was wearing a white chiffon T-shirt with the neckline and sleeves embroidered withce. The

    neckline was slightly lower, her slender figure was faintly visible. Peter swallowed. "It''s beautiful."

    "I just bought it. It looks good," Zoe said with a smile.

    "Are you nning to change your style of dressing? Didn''t you prefer wearing uniforms?"

    This was too magnificent.

    Zoe nodded and said, "I just noticed today that I am already 27 years old. If I don''t grab youth by its

    tail, time will pass me by. If you think it looks good, I will buy a few more pieces like this. What do

    you think?"

    "Of course, you look beautiful," Peter said and took Zoe into his arms. "But I still want to apologize."

    "For what?" Zoe did not understand.

    "I shouldn''t have proposed to you in such a hurry. I''ve decided to take things slow. I want to spend

    the rest of my life with you, to face every hurdle with you." Peter held her tightly and grabbed her

    hand.

    "I know, hence I didn''t turn you down. I just said I needed time to think about it."

    What?

    Peter just remembered that it didn''t seem like a rejection. Zoe didn''t say she didn''t want to marry

    him, just that it was put on hold for the time being. There was still a difference between the two.

    Peter suddenly let go of her and jumped excitedly in ce. "Zoe, I really love you. I love you more

    than anyone else!"

    Zoeughed and said, "I love you too. However, we have more pressing matters on hand. The news

    about Mrs. Fuller Senior was leaked on the Inte. The authorities were used of covering it up

    from the public. We have to deal with it."

    "Okay, shall we go now?��

    "Yes, but I have to change my clothes."

    "Never mind that. If someone stares at you, I''ll gouge out their eyes." Peter raised his chin.

    "Aren''t males supposed to be concerned about how their girlfriends dress? This outfit is quite

    revealing. If I wear it out, won''t you be unhappy?"

    "I''m Peter. Do you expect me to police how you dress? You should just wear what you like. My role

    is to protect you, not to restrict you," said Peter as he kissed her on the cheek.

    Zoe was stunned.

    No wonder everyone on the Inte said that they were going to find a gentleman to fall in love

    with.

    His gentleness was just perfect.

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385

    In the end, Zoe didn''t change her clothes. After all, Peter didn''t mind and she thought she looked

    good. After handling the matter, she could go on a date with Peter. It was nice to dress up, and she

    wore a thin coat.

    This way, it was not too revealing, and she could maintain the style she was going for.

    On the way.

    Peter sat in the back seat with aptop and frowned. "This guy is really sick. He imed that the

    country was behind the cover-up because Mrs. Fuller Senior had ess to some top secret. How

    could such a fool live so long? Why did hee up with a conspiracy theory instead of studying?"

    "We are making peace with each other. Don''t pick a fight with him because of this," Zoe reminded

    him.

    "Don''t worry, when have I dropped the ball when ites to handling matters for Mr. Fuller?"

    Peter''s fingers drummed against theptop. "But I suspect that this matter will not be settled easily.

    Where did you n to meet up with him?"

    "It''s in a cafe downtown. Don''t worry, the ce was chosen by me, and I''ve called someone in

    advance." Zoe said after a pause, "Mr. Fuller gave me temporary authority. I don''t need to worry

    about security. We need to determine his motive and if this is connected to Christopher."

    "Okay, I understand."

    Soon, the car arrived at the coffee shop downtown.

    Zoe parked the car and got out with Peter. They pushed the door open and the aroma of coffee

    wafted past them.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Peter took the photo of the person they were supposed to meet and scanned the room. Finally, he

    noticed a man wearing a hat in a corner. He looked like he was in his early twenties. His face was

    very pale and he looked tired.

    "Is it him?" Zoe was unsure. The man in the photo looked vibrant, and the one in front of her was

    too gloomy.

    "It''s him." Peter nodded. "That''s him."

    Zoe looked at the photo and then at the man again. She shook her head and said, "They don''t look

    alike."

    "If you do what he does for a living, you''ll age horrendously, too." Peter despised this kind of person

    the most, misusing his skills and disrupting society.

    A shameless person.

    They stood in front of the man and slid the photo to him. "Who told you to do this?"

    "Give me 100,000 dors and I''ll delete the post immediately." The man didn''t raise his head or look

    at the photo. He took out a USB sh drive. "You can use this sh drive and remove all the posts

    in an instant."

    Peter frowned in disgust. He had thought of 10,000 possibilities why someone would do this, but he

    had never expected the reason to be money.

    Describing him as disgusting was apliment.

    Peter was afraid there would be a virus embedded in the sh drive, so he took out a spareptop

    and examined it for malware. After finding nothing, he pulled out the sh drive and switched back

    to his originalptop. The post was taken down in an instant.

    After Peter released the document that was prepared by him, he tossed the man a cheque written

    for 100,000 dors and said, "Take it and leave."

    The man took the cheque and lowered his hat, disappearing from the coffee shop.

    "Is it worth doing this for 100,000 dors?" Zoe looked at his retreating back and did not know what

    to say for a moment.

    "One hundred thousand dors is nothing to us, and it''s chump change for Mr. Fuller and Ms.

    Emerson. However, for ordinary people, one hundred thousand could be a year''s sry. Yet he

    made that amount in one day with his skillset. Why wouldn''t he do it?"

    He had a point.

    Zoe nodded thoughtfully.

    They left the coffee shop and returned to the hotel.

    After reporting to Shane, Peter asked in a low voice, "Mr. Fuller, should we follow this person?"

    "No need."

    "What if..."

    "Christopher wouldn''t instruct someone to extort me for just a mere sum of 100,000 dors. In his

    opinion, it would be only a sess if he could hurt me most." Shane rubbed his temples,

    exhaustion lined his forehead.

    Peter sighed. He opened his mouth to offer words offort to him, but did Mr. Fuller really need

    sympathy from him?

    Peter stood silently in front of him.

    At this very moment.

    In the room.

    Charlotte was surfing the web and saw the news of a suicide by jumping. She clicked on it, only to

    find that there were different spections about the case. The general consensus was that an

    elderly person jumped off due to a loan, and the screen was full ofments censuring the victim''s

    unfilial children.

    It was so pitiful.

    Charlotte sighed and exited the page. She felt ufortable reading news like this.

    In the afternoon.

    Charlotte brought Sheryl and Olive for a fun day out. She brought them to a dessert shop and sat by

    the window.

    "Mommy, what''s that guy doing?" Sheryl suddenly pointed out the window with her finger.

    Charlotte nced in the pointed direction and saw a person with a camera taking pictures of the

    lights beside the dessert shop.

    What''s there to take photos of?

    Charlotte didn''t take it to heart. She justmitted the photographer''s face to memory. After

    finishing up, she took the kids to shop for their favorite toys.

    She noticed the photographer again.

    Once was a coincidence, but twice...

    Charlotte wanted to take photos of him, but she felt it was too dangerous. She could only constantly

    turn her head and memorize the person''s appearance out of the corner of her eye.

    If this wouldn''t do, she could find a sketch artist who could draw that person''s portraitter.

    "Mommy, should we go home first?" Sheryl tugged at the hem of Charlotte''s clothes. "The person

    we saw before is still following us."

    "It''s alright. This is the downtown area. He wouldn''t dare to do anything. Have a good time with

    Olive. I''ll take care of it when we get back."

    "Okay," She replied obediently.

    One thing about Sheryl was, as long as she stopped worrying about something, she would

    immediately return to having fun. She was hopping around with Olive on Charlotte''s sides.

    After returning to the hotel, Charlotte sent the children back to their room. However, she did not

    return to her room.

    She went to the hotel''s restaurant and ordered a meal. She turned on herptop and contacted a

    sketch artist.

    Charlotte described the photographer''s appearance to him.

    "Is this urate?"

    Within ten minutes, the sketch artist showed her thepleted portrait. Charlotte marveled at the

    fact that the portrait looked almost exactly the same as the photographer she had seen. She

    immediately paid the sketch artist and forwarded the portrait to Avery, asking him to investigate it.

    Avery was leaning against the floor- to- ceiling window sipping on tea. The vibration of his phone

    irritated him. "Who is disturbing my rest? Oh, it''s Charlotte. That''s fine, then."

    He got up, walked to theputer, and exported the portrait to it.

    As more details appeared, his sleepy, squinty eyes widened.

    This...

    He was silent for a moment. He didn''t reveal anything besides asking, "Did you ask Shane?"

    "Why do I need to ask Shane?"

    "His name is Jackson. He''s a private investigator working for Shane. His younger sister named

    Josephine was crazily in love with Shane before. Everyone knew about this," Avery replied.

    More importantly.

    Why was Shane''s private detective appearing to be following Charlotte?

    Shane was investigating Charlotte. Furthermore, he had sent the older brother of a woman who had

    once loved him.

    Was Shane''s brain filled with glue? How could he do such a thing? What was he trying to do?

    Avery didn''t dare to disclose the information on hand to Charlotte. He thought for a moment and

    decided to exin it to Charlotte.

    However, Charlotte, who only knew one side of the story, let out a softugh.

    "I see."

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386

    Hearing her voice, Avery knew that something was wrong. He immediately reasoned, "He may be

    sent by Shane to protect you. After all, a lot of things have happened recently. He is afraid for you

    and the children''s safety. If you still need other information, I can acquire it for you."

    "Avery, don''t be a bad person. I will deal with this matter myself. Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing.

    I''ll try to be as levelheaded as possible."

    "It''s not about that. We can''t figure Shane out most of the time, but it doesn''t mean we don''t know if

    he''s in the wrong."

    "I know what you mean, but I still want to contradict it. Avery, if this was an act that no one in the

    world approves of, even if it was correct, would people have recorded this act and the person who

    has done it in the annals of history?" Avery smiled bitterly and said, "You''re wrong. Who would do

    something that''s not epted by everyone?"

    "Let''s narrow this down. If Shane, among all of us, did something that we didn''t approve of, would

    you still say that on behalf of him?" "You should believe that he loves you." "I believe it. At the same

    time, I, too, believe that I love myself more."

    Charlotte was not wrong. After all, if Shane had sent someone to take pictures of him, Avery would

    not be happy. Therefore, he stayed silent and did not try to persuade Charlotte.

    After a while, Charlotte demanded, "Don''t tell anyone else about this."

    "I won''t."

    "I''m hanging up."

    "Wait a minute, Charlotte. If you feel wronged, don''t keep it to yourself. You can still find someone

    else to talk about it."

    Charlotte hung up without acknowledging him. Who could she go to? Rick and Kendall were

    obviously out of the question. Peter and Zoe both worked for Shane. Even if their rtionship was

    good, it was meaningless to talk about personal issues. Anne and Braden? Anne would berate

    Shane with her, but it wouldn''t solve the problem. Braden was not even worth mentioning.

    Therefore, she had no one to turn to.

    Charlotte finished the food she ordered and wandered around before returning to the hotel.

    Shane was reading something on hisputer in the room, which seemed to be some old

    documents. He enjoyed reading these literature very much.

    She walked over and snuck a peek, but did not ask him about it. Even if he exined, she would

    not understand a thing.

    "You''re back?" Shane looked up at her.

    "Yes." She nodded.

    "Where did you go?"

    "I strolled around for a while. I''m taking Sheryl and Olive out again tomorrow."

    Shane nodded. He did not show any hint of suspicion. He pointed to hisputer and said, "Come

    here."

    Only then did Charlotte walk over and sit beside him. She looked at hisputer, which was filled

    with characters that she didn''t recognize. She tilted her head and looked at them for a long time, but

    still couldn''t figure out what it was. "What are these?"

    "An ancient Roman transportation strategy."

    "Is it still relevant?"

    "Yes."

    "Then isn''t my transportation strategy the same as before? It''s from several thousand years ago,

    though." Charlotte frowned.

    Shane observed, "The wisdom of human beings is limited. Now everyone is standing on the

    shoulders of giants and enjoying the fruits of our predecessors''bor. Unless there is a massive

    advancement in science and technology, ancient ways will continue to be relevant."

    Charlotte nodded her head without fully understanding.

    Although she knew that the transportation routines had been popr since ancient times, she didn''t

    expect them to still be functional now.

    Shane exined the transportation routines to her in great detail.

    Just as he was about to finish, Charlotte''s phone rang. She picked it up and answered, "Hello?"

    The more she listened, the more solemn her expression became.

    After the call ended, she looked at Shane and said, "We might have to cut our trip short. Something

    happened to our spokesperson."

    "Our spokesperson?" What kind of spokesperson was needed for transportation?

    "The endorser for our new product. Our research department invented a small- sized robot to

    categorize and transport goods at the fastest speed without requiring manpower. The buyers need

    only program the machine to categorize goods," Charlotte exined.

    Shane knew that these robots could be used not only byrge logisticspanies, but also by

    ordinary businessmen andpanies.

    Therefore, it was not rare to have a new endorser.

    "What happened to him?" Shane asked.

    If memory served him right, the new spokesman was named Cassius. He once starred in a TV

    series. Although he was the third male lead, his character was too popr and his fans all dubbed

    him as "Warrior", and so he rose to prominence.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    He was kind and down-to-earth. In addition, his investors were willing to fund his projects.

    Therefore, he had been living in the spotlight for more than a year.

    "However, his rabid fans forced someone tomit suicide. His team was exposed for hiring a

    lawyer for the fans involved. He still hasn''t given ament." Charlotte sighed. "I signed a ten

    million dor contract with him. If we want to break the contract, well have to pay about 50 million

    dors aspensation."

    "I''m not sure about the rules of the entertainment industry. If an artist is cklisted, thepany

    would still have topensate?" Shane frowned.

    The only thing he knew about the entertainment industry was Tiffany.

    It was also because of Tiffany that he was unwilling to understand the inner workings of the industry.

    Charlotte sighed, "Normally, if it''s just a case of having an affair or something like that, then it''s

    justified for us to break the contract. But this is only a temporary setback, thus we have to

    compensate the artist. On the contrary, unless ourpany broke thew, the other party will also

    have topensate us for breach of the contract."

    Shane remained silent.

    "Originally, I chose him because he''s very reliable. His character isn''t bad, and there are quite a few

    people in the circle who praise him. At the same time, he is involved in many projects. Who wouldn''t

    want to coborate with an artist like him? But what is his team doing?" Charlotte sighed as she

    spoke.

    "Do you have any solution?"

    "It''s the same as your previous policy. You either stand behind him and publicly back him as an

    investor, or terminate the contract with him. But we are a logisticspany, it''s meaningless to

    support Cassius. It''s impossible for him to work for us forever."

    And the amount of money needed to back him was probably no less than 50 million dors.

    The teams andpanies behind him were all going to hemorrhage money. Anything that couldn''t

    be acquired should be bribed with cash.

    If there was a tough nut to crack in the process, it would be better to just shell out 50 million dors

    and break off the contract.

    "If you want to venture into showbiz, you can groom him to be a puppet. It doesn''t matter."

    "It''s not a bad idea to enter the entertainment circle. The key issue is that Cassius has not spoken

    yet. Did he choose to stay silent, or is his team silencing him?"

    If he didn''t want to deal with this now, it would eventually backfire on us if we supported him.

    Charlotte pondered for a while. In the end, she took out her phone and contacted her staff to

    investigate this matter. At the same time, she surveyed the reaction on the Inte and decided her

    next step.

    It would be better if she could get in touch with Cassius himself.

    Although she didn''t really want to spoil everyone''s fun, 50 million was a big sum for anypany to

    lose.

    Therefore, the best course of action was to return to Brine.

    "Perhaps I''m going back tomorrow. There are still many ces that Sheryl and Olive haven''t visited,

    and the matter with Olive hasn''t been settled yet." Charlotte''s face was full of sorrow.

    Olive''s incident was associated with Mrs. Senior Fuller, so she wasn''t aware that it had already

    been resolved.

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387

    "We can go back first and leave them under Peter and Zoe''s care," Shane suggested.

    "Are we going back together? Don''t you want to stay here and rx for a while?"

    "There''s no need."

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Shane didn''t care about rest at all. He was used to being busy all year round. Even when he was on

    vacation, he would upy himself with books. For him, it was just a change of environment to read.

    There was no difference. Anything Charlotte needed, he would help.

    Charlotte wanted to remind him that it was best to take a rest. But thinking that he hadn''t touched

    hisputer for the past two days and had just been reading books, she didn''t mention it again.

    The next day.

    Sheryl stered herself against Charlotte and Shane, reluctant to see them leave. "Greatgrandma

    went back, so did you. Only Olive and I are left. So when we return, you have to arrange delicious

    food for us and apany us."

    "I''m sorry, honey. I''ll definitely spend more time with you," Charlotte said apologetically as she

    pulled them into her arms. "Mommy didn''t think that something would go wrong with the endorser.

    Let''s do it next time, alright?"

    "It''s okay, you''re busy. I have Olive and Aunt Zoe. In fact, I''m not afraid of being lonely, but I will

    miss you."

    Sheryl blinked her big eyes, a look of pure innocence.

    "Alright." Charlotte gently stroked her hair and said, "Baby, when we get back, I''ll bring you guys to

    ride a Ferris wheel, okay? Didn''t you always want to ride on one?"

    "No, the Ferris wheel is not fun. Olive said that it is particrly dangerous."

    Charlotte wanted to praise her for being sensible. Before she could say anything, Shane spoke first,

    "Sheryl, do you want to live with Olive? To study with her and attend sses together?"

    Olive''s eyes lit up. She liked being with Sheryl, and Avery said that Sheryl would be her friend for

    life. But what was a friend of a lifetime? In her opinion, it''s sharing fun things and good food with

    her. Then she would lie on her bed and read books and dream together.

    This was the best friend she wanted for the rest of her life.

    "I want to, but I''ve been living with grandma and great-grandma all the time, haven''t I? So, can I

    stay with Olive?" Sheryl got along well with Olive these two days, so she was very eager to live with

    her.

    "Of course, as long as you are willing," Shane replied.

    Charlotte felt strange. Why did Shane suggest for Sheryl to live with Olive? Now their rtionship

    with Avery was precarious. If someone else knew that Sheryl was under his care...

    "Of course I''d like to!"

    "But you can only stay at home."

    Sheryl thought about it, staying at home meant not going to school. She liked kindergarten and pre-

    school sses, not the people, but the atmosphere.

    Sheryl was conflicted. She recalled the scene of reading together with Olive two days ago. Olive

    liked reading and learning, so it might be fun to stay with her. Sheryl nodded resolutely and said,

    "Okay, I won''t go out."

    Seeing that the matter had been decided, Avery began to raise his concern. "Shane, before asking

    the children, shouldn''t you ask��" However, before he could finish his words, Shane shed him a

    look of anger.

    Avery touched his nose and didn''t dare continue. He acquiesced, "You can leave the children with

    me, but I won''t be responsible if something happens."

    "You want something bad to happen to my child?"

    Avery was at a loss for words.

    "Alright, stop provoking him." Charlotte smiled and said, "I know it''s not easy to deal with him."

    It''s the first sensible sentence Avery had heard all day. He said excitedly, "Let''s do this. I can help

    take care of the children. Please find a good tutor and a nanny. That should do it."

    "Sure, there''s someone at the Fuller Residence who is avable at a moment''s notice."

    "Okay, I''ll leave the arrangements to both of you. I''ll bring the kids back to Brine. As for Sheryl, you

    can announce to the public that she went back to the city with Mrs. Fuller Senior," Avery said.

    Shane gave a faint sound of assent and left with Charlotte.

    Avery looked at the children beside him and asked, "Have you really decided to be roommates?

    You''ll live together every day and can''t travel like this. You will have to get ustomed to each

    other''s habits. Therefore, it might affect your friendship."

    "We''ll take care of it." Sheryl stood with arms akimbo. "Anyway, I''m the best at apologizing."

    "I don''t think we have any habits we need to work on. We''re still children, what kind of bad habits

    could we have?" Olive was very rational.

    The corner of Avery''s mouth twitched.

    He had never heard a child being so matter-of-fact about not having living habits. He did worry too

    much. Sheryl and Olive were able to handle bigger matters with ease, let alone this small fry.

    Avery bent down and stroked their heads, "No matter what happens, I will protect you. But Sheryl,

    why didn''t you tell your parents that you wanted to stay with them?"

    "Mommy has been taking care of me for many years. Now that she''s finally found Daddy, I want

    them to spend more time together. Besides, they''re really busy. I heard from Olive that you can work

    from home, but my parents can''t." Sheryl sighed.

    If Mommy and Daddy could work from home, she would have stayed with them. No, actually, it

    would be better for them to have the ce to themselves.

    She would study hard and grow up faster. Anyway, she knew her parents loved her. She had

    Mommy and Daddy, and that was enough.

    Avery did not expect Olive to be so perceptive. He sighed and said, "Is this really Shane''s

    daughter?"

    What happened to Shane''s daughter?

    Sheryl tilted her head, not understanding what Avery meant.

    "Well, let''s go back to our rooms. It''s cold outside."

    "But it''s summer now."

    "Sheryl, you''re not cute."

    Sheryl giggled.

    Withughter like a chime of bells, everyone entered the hotel.

    A few hourster, Charlotte and Shane arrived at Brine. The first thing she did was head back to the

    office. The nning Department and Public Rtions Department had prepared all the information,

    even the Legal Department had drawn up documents.

    This was enough to show that herpany was getting stronger.

    Charlotte sat down and flipped through the documents. She frowned and said, "You mean that

    Cassius''pany is unwilling to negotiate with us, and his team doesn''t want anything to do with

    us, but Cassius himself asked us for help?"

    "Yes, I was also puzzled at the beginning." The PR executive continued, "In principle, he didn''t need

    to set up a meeting with us. He seemed to be very anxious, as if he needed someone to help him."

    "So we can conclude that hispany and team didn''t want him to speak out, not that he didn''t

    want to?"

    "We can''t verify this. We can only say that he is in a very bad situation now. Hispany is willing

    to sacrifice him as coteral."

    Headache.

    Charlotte leafed through the documents and asked, "How much is the cost of saving him?"

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388

    "If hispany makes a move, it''s impossible to solve the problem without a few million dors.

    Even if we fork out the money, there''s no guarantee that we''d be able to save him, not unless we

    find concrete evidence that this is an unscrupulous tactic employed by hispany and other

    artists."

    "Can you do it?"

    "Yes, if we join hands with Peter and Mr. Hart. But we''re not in contact with Mr. Hart now. I''m afraid

    it''ll be difficult to find evidence."

    "Never mind Avery, I''ll ask Peter to investigate first. If it doesn''t work, we''ll think of another way."

    "Does this mean that we won''t terminate the contract with Cassius?"

    "We don''t have many resources in the entertainment industry. Now we have an in with Cassius. I

    think it''s good." Charlotte said as she looked to Shane sitting opposite her. He felt her gaze, raised

    his head, and nodded in her direction.

    Charlotte let out a softugh. "Then let''s proceed ording to this n."

    "Okay." The nning Department''s staff cleared the documents away. "If you have any other

    requests, please let us know as soon as possible." "Sorry to trouble you."

    The staff were stunned. They bowed respectfully and left.

    In the blink of an eye, a few days passed.

    The nning Department had provided them with a lot of information in the past few days. Avery

    and the others had also returned to Brine.

    Charlotte clicked on a web page and typed in Cassius''s name into the search bar. Countless

    headlines about him flooded the screen. Besides the fans running amok, there was very little dirt on

    him. Unlike other artists, his record was clean as a piece of in paper.

    He graduated from an ordinary agricultural university and specialized in all kinds of flowers. After

    graduating, he opened a florist shop and had a girlfriend. But in the end, they broke up after she

    went abroad to study.

    He was shy and a bit of a loner, hence he didn''t have many friends. However, he liked racing. He

    joined a club and was close with the members, so his interpersonal rtionships were

    uplicated. It was bizarre that he chose to enter showbiz.

    He did it for money. The money was initially used by his cousin to treat his father. But the cousin

    had a car ident and his face was disfigured. Therefore, he filled the role of his cousin.

    Unexpectedly, his fame rose to great heights.

    Cassius''s debut was extraordinary. It was as if God had written a script instructing him to do certain

    things at certain time that led to him bing a popr star.

    It was normal to be hated by others.

    Charlotte flipped through the materials and felt that this person was not bad. At the very least, she

    should make an appointment with him first.

    "Shane, do you know the people in thepany behind Cassius?"

    "Who are they?"

    Shane meant that they were too inconsequential for him to be aware of their existence.

    Charlotte thought, ''That''s right. There are many big shots in the industry, they definitely won''t open

    a path for other artists. Only small-timers do it.''

    Therefore, she had to meet Cassius first.

    Charlotte told the nning Department to pause their work for the time being. She would personally

    show up to meet Cassius.

    However, in the process, Emerson Corporation announced that they were terminating their contract

    with Cassius. Only then did Charlotte learn that the spokesperson for Emerson Corporation was

    Cassius, too.

    The opinions on the Inte were divided into two. Even those who were not fans of Cassius felt

    that Emerson Corporation had gone too far. After all, Cassius''s team protecting a fan was their

    business. That had nothing to do with Emerson Corporation''s contract with Cassius.

    On the other hand, some people felt that it was despicable for Cassius to remain silent after his fans

    forced someone tomit suicide and his team stood up to defend them. It gave Emerson

    Corporation grounds to terminate their contract.

    As for the fans, they thought it''s thepany and others that pushed Cassius to the wall.

    There were a lot of people in the industry who supported Cassius, especially artists who had

    worked with him. They agreed that Cassius was a puppet controlled by thepany.

    While Charlotte was waiting for a reply, she created a Weibo ount. She nned to chat with the

    netizens when time came.

    Seven or eight minutester, Cassius informed her that he was willing to meet right away.

    Charlotte immediately forwarded the address of Avery''s coffee shop to Cassius.

    "I''m right next door," Cassius replied.

    "All right."

    After replying, Charlotte left the office and made her way to the underground parking lot. The

    moment she drove out, she received Shane''s text message telling her to be careful and to drive

    safely. Charlotte felt warm and fuzzy in her heart. At the same time, Jackson appeared in her mind.

    Shane was obviously kind to her. Why did he hire someone to follow her?

    Or was it really like what Avery said? Shane just wanted to protect her?

    Charlotte stepped on the elerator.

    When she arrived at the coffee shop, Cassius was already inside. He sat at the piano and was

    ying a tune. He didn''t even notice her approach.

    After the song ended, Cassius put down his hand and raised his head to look at Charlotte. He said

    in surprise, "Ms. Emerson, that was quick."

    "Really?" Charlotte sat down beside him. "The song you yed was by someone named Rudy

    right? If I remember correctly, it''s called ''Across the Cold River at Night''."

    "Yes. But this song was originally a music score for the guqin. I changed it to a piano," Cassius said

    with a smile.

    Cassius was really good-looking.

    He was bare- faced and wore a pair of whiteframed sses. When he smiled, he looked younger.

    Although his eyes and brows were long and narrow, there were no signs of cosmetic surgery.

    Charlotte scrutinized carefully, only to notice that his entire face did not have any telltale signs of

    stic surgery.

    A handsome guy who didn''t go under the knife at all?

    "You never did any stic surgery?" Charlotte asked.

    "No," Cassius replied.

    "You like guqin and y the piano well. You graduated from an agricultural university and your face

    is unmarred by cosmetic procedures. If a novel was written based on your story, and an antagonist

    seeking to destroy you was added to the mix, it would definitely be a very popr TV series."

    Cassius was silent. His life had always been smooth- sailing. The difficulties he faced were nothing

    to him. As long as he could save his uncle''s life, he would do anything. But even so, he still couldn''t

    escape the fate of being framed by people in the industry.

    He didn''t know where to start.

    It was a good thing.

    Because Charlotte knew.

    "I don''t care what kind of person you are. Judging from your piano skills, you do have what it takes

    to be an artist. So, I want to ask you a very serious question."

    "What is it?"

    "Did you refuse to speak out, or did yourpany silence you?"

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "It''s thetter."

    "Well, if I give you enough money, are you willing to publicly expose what they have done to you in

    a press conference?"

    Cassius was stunned.

    Just how much money was she willing to pay?

    He pursed his lips slightly. After a long time, he asked in a hoarse voice, "May I know how much

    would you pay me?"

    "An unlimited amount."

    "Do you think you can give me unlimited money when I ask for it?" Cassius asked.

    "Yes."

    Cassius was speechless. He seemed to have made up his mind and started unbuttoning his shirt,

    revealing an ugly scar on his corbone. "If you could overlook my body looking like this, I am

    willing."

    What''s going on?

    The corner of Charlotte''s mouth twitched. She said, "Put your clothes back on."

    "Don''t you want my body?"

    What was she going to do with his body?

    Framed it up as a specimen?

    Right at this moment.

    Avery sauntered out. He raised his eyebrows and quipped, "Hey, are you going to have an affair?"

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389

    Charlotte pulled away from Cassius and looked at him warily. "Don''t spout nonsense to Shane. This

    is Cassius, the spokesperson I mentioned to you. Ie here to negotiate with him, not to have an

    affair."

    "If being alone with a male star alone isn''t having an affair, then what is?" Avery crossed his arms

    and stood beside Charlotte.

    He sized Cassius up from head to toe. He thought Cassius was good- looking, but not the most

    attractive. In his mind, Shane was much more handsome than the man in front of him. Even Rick

    was in the same league as him.

    "You''re not as handsome as Rick." Avery assessed, "They have the same style."

    He looked like a teenager when he smiled. He appeared to be gentle andid-back. It was easy to

    tell that he was a good man. However, his facial features were much more delicate than Rick''s, like

    a fine sculpture. Both of them were neck and neck in looks.

    Charlotte''s lips tugged upwards. "If Rick knew you still missed him, he would definitely apologize to

    you crying and screaming while dragging you to get a marriage certificate."

    Averyughed and stood beside Cassius. He reached out and pinched Cassius''s shoulder. Cassius

    flinched in pain and lowered his head. He did not dare cry out in pain.

    "You''re too thin. You can''t even take this pinch," Avery said as he extended his demonic w

    towards Charlotte''s shoulder. Cassius could tell that Avery was exerting the same strength.

    However, Charlotte looked rxed and didn''t even dodge.

    Cassius felt a little embarrassed. His body had always been weak. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have

    chosen to major in agriculture. In this line, people worked in the countryside or farnds. Some

    switched to jobs in environmental sciences. Those were physically demanding, thus he chose to

    open a flower shop and muddle along in life.

    Charlotte pped Avery''s hand away and said, "You''ve been training since you were young, and

    I''ve been with Shane a long time. He''s just a newly discovered celebrity. We''re not the same."

    "He''s still too thin. What if something bad happens to him?" Avery said as he circled Cassius. He

    raised his eyebrows and leaned on him coquettishly, "Young fe, how about I take you home for

    some gym training?"

    Cassius took a step back, his lips trembled. "You �� what are you��" He swallowed his words.

    "Cat got your tongue?" Avery returned to his normal personality. He flipped the hair over his

    shoulder and said, "Forget it. It''s boring to tease a cutie like you. Let''s get down to business. Miss

    Charlotte can help you get out of this bind under the premise that you have to speak on your own.

    Do you understand what I mean?"

    "Speak for myself?" Cassius looked at Avery nkly.

    "Yes, just upload a video on your Weibo ount saying what you want to say. We will handle your

    company and team. As for how many fans you would still have after making a statement, it all

    depends on you. Of course, if you want to live stream yourselfmitting suicide, I won''t stop you."

    "Is it that simple? I have too much to say to my fans." Cassius clenched his fists. He was already

    worked up.

    His employers never gave him freedom of speech. As an idol and a star, he never understood why

    couldn''t be candid.

    Avery nodded and said, "It''s that simple. You can say and do whatever you want." "Even if they are

    not in ordance with your interests?" "No matter what you say, it''s in our interests," Charlotte

    reinforced. "But there are a few conditions."

    "What is it?" Cassius could not wait to ask.

    He had too much to say, too many things to do.

    Charlotte curved her lips and answered, "You have an exceptional talent in singing and dancing. As

    for other hobbies, either you give up on them or strive to be the greatest, leaving everyone in the

    industry in awe."

    This request was extremely challenging.

    Never mind singing and dancing, the sheer determination and skill needed to hone his hobby to get

    the approval of the people in the industry were too much.

    Vehicles passed by the window, and the piercing honks outside seemed to urge Cassius to make a

    decision.

    After a long time.

    Only then did he speak carefully, "My hobby is baking. So I''ll talk about it in my video, is that okay?"

    Charlotte and Avery were surprised by his honesty and foolishness. Of course, they were also

    curious about his baking skills. Charlotte and Avery nodded and Cassius took out his phone and

    showed them a video.

    He was definitely adept at baking. He had amassed quite arge following on social media, but he

    had never revealed his face, so there were only about twenty thousand followers.

    "Yourpany doesn''t know about this ount, right?" Avery was pleasantly surprised as if he had

    found a treasure.

    "I don''t know," Cassius answered obediently.

    "Use this ount and post anything you want. But do it tomorrow. Today we''ll help you deal with the

    company''s affairs."

    "Thank you so much." Cassius felt like he was ttened like a pancake.

    "Thank you for your face and your experience. We would have already given up if you were an artist

    with a scandalous past. We just can''t bear to see them bully you." Avery patted his shoulder and

    continued, "Also, go train. In the future, you might need to practice martial arts for a movie role."

    Cassius nodded hard and said, "I understand."

    He sent Cassius away.

    Avery settled himself on the sofa and started ying on his Nintendo Switch. "Aren''t you afraid that

    he''ll tattle by bringing him to my ce?"

    "I have something to ask you."

    "What is it?" Avery''s heart tightened after asking. He continued, "Don''t tell me it''s about Jackson?

    Let me say it first. I don''t know anything."

    "No, I received this message two days ago." Charlotte handed the phone to Avery. "About three to

    four days after returning to Brine, the day before your return."

    "Let me have a look."

    Avery''s pupils constricted when he read it.

    It was in a foreignnguage.

    Charlotte didn''t understand, but he did.

    "What does it say? I wanted to ask Shane, but he was busy these two days, so I came to ask you."

    "Fortunately you didn''t go to him, or he would have erupted." Avery copied the full text and sent it to

    his email, then deleted the original text. "Do you know there are many bizarre websites abroad?"

    "What do you mean?" Charlotte blinked.

    "Yes, those sexually explicit websites."

    Uh.

    Charlotte nodded her head awkwardly.

    What did this have to do with telling Shane?

    "This is an advertisement posted by those websites. It''s a good thing you didn''t click the link

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    below."

    She didn''t understand the foreignnguage so she dared not click on the link. She was a vignt

    person.

    "Disgusting," Charlotte said in distaste. "It''s a good thing I came to ask you. Please help me delete

    it."

    "Of course, it has been deleted. Did you mean that you are d that you didn''t ask Shane?"

    "Of course."

    Charlotte coughed lightly.

    If Shane had found out.

    She might not be able to get out of bed.

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390

    "It''s fine, I''ve already deleted all of them for you. Don''t worry, Shane won''t see it." Avery reassured

    me.

    "That''s great." Charlotte took back her phone and heaved a sigh of relief.

    "I have two new cakes here. Would you like to try some? It''s a sweet and sour strawberry cake with

    a hint of lemon zest that you like."

    "What a sophisticated vor!" Charlotte''s eyes widened as soon as she heard that. "I''ll go take a

    look in the kitchen. You don''t have to follow me. Every time you''re with me, I feel embarrassed and I

    lose my appetite."

    "Well, I won''t follow you this time." Avery pointed at a door in the distance and said, "The kitchen

    was moved to the other side. You can go by yourself. I''ll be here, soe find me when you''re

    done. We need to talk about Cassius. I guess we won''t be resting much today. Do you wanna head

    back?"

    "I''m fine." Charlotte said, "I''m prepared to work overtime."

    Avery smiled and watched her leave. The moment she disappeared, the smile on his face vanished.

    His gaze was fixed on a green leaf outside the window, lips pressed together, and fists tightly

    clenched.

    The email did not contain smut like he had imed. The link led to a provoking article written in a

    foreignnguage. It detailed the death of Mrs. Fuller Senior and how Shane swept the news under

    the carpet. He couldn''t protect Charlotte and her daughter, seeing that he failed to keep Mrs. Fuller

    Senior from harm. There was also a picture of her body attached.

    Who could do such a thing? Only Christopher.

    Avery rubbed his temples. He definitely couldn''t tell Shane about this matter. On one hand, it was

    Charlotte who showed him that email. If Shane, that possessive fe, found out about it, Avery

    might lose his life.

    If he couldn''t tell Shane, he was left with Rick.

    Avery thought, ''He would have to tell Rick about Cassius. It''s better for Cassius to garner more

    support.''

    Rick finished up a meeting and went back to his office. He slumped tiredly on the chair and rubbed

    his temples. He was working like a whirlwind for nearly three hours. When he was about to take a

    rest, he received a call from Avery.

    He sighed. "Avery, what can I do for you?"

    "It sounds like you''re tired."

    "Yeah, two days ago I went to Derek''s house and found that his rtionship with his woman

    deteriorated, so I wanted to help him. As a result, I didn''t have time to deal with my own affairs. I

    have a pile of matters to oversee in the office." Rick reached for the half-smoked cigarette left on

    the ashtray in front of him and lit it up again.

    If he didn''t stimte his brain with a cigarette, he would expire.

    "Do you need help?"

    "Can you help me?"

    "It''s fine, I can manage it online. After all, I need your help, too."

    Rick chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, I''ll send you the materials. Actually, there aren''t many

    things on the list. First, tell me why you need my help."

    "Christopher sent an email to Charlotte. I''ll forward it to you. It''s in a foreignnguage, but you

    should be able to understand it."

    "All right."

    After Rick received the email, he was silent for a few seconds before his expression turned grave.

    "I''lle over now." "What about your unfinished business?" "I''ll call Derek now and ask him to

    come to the office."

    Avery had just received the materials from Rick. After reading it, he realized there was someone

    who could deal with simr things. He offered, "I have someone who could help. Come over, I''ll

    send them over to handle it."

    "Sure."

    "Don''t worry. They''re all people without an official title. You won''t be exposed."

    "Even if you didn''t say that, I still trust you."

    Averyughed.

    Rick''s unsuspecting nature put people at ease. He leaned back and said, "Actually, there is one

    more thing."

    Rick had already packed up and shot a look at Kendall who had been waiting, signaling her to

    follow him to the underground car park. As he walked, he slid the phone into his pocket and wore a

    Bluetooth headset. "What?"

    "Do you know Cassius?"

    "Yes, Kendall likes him quite a lot."

    "Are you interested to invest in him?"

    "How much?"

    "It''s not this kind of investment, it''s a real investment."

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Rick nced at Kendall and asked, "What do you think of Cassius?"

    "Cassius!? Do you want to coborate with Cassius?" Kendall''s interest was piqued and her eyes

    sparkled. "Then can I have his autograph and have a meal with him? I heard that he''s deft at flower

    arranging. Can I learn that from him? I really like him a lot, I-"

    "Stop." Rick stopped Kendall''s frenzied monologue. He sighed helplessly and said, "You heard it."

    Averyughed uncontrobly.

    On the other end, heughed so hard that he was out of breath.

    Rick ushered Kendall into the car and said, "What''s with this Cassius? I only know that he is the

    spokesperson for Charlotte. Why does he have something to do with you?"

    "Anyone associated with Charlotte is associated with me, too."

    "Your statement is very dangerous."

    "I am different from you. I am not interested in other women. I just regard her as my pal. What''s

    more, she brought Olive to me. I really appreciate her." "Really?"

    "If I had underlying feelings for her, why would I be so concerned about her when she was with

    Shane? In this world, apart from love, family, and friendship, there is actually a fourth emotion."

    A fourth emotion?

    Rick frowned and asked, "What are you talking about?"

    "It''s less passionate than love, more trusting than friendship, and needs more time to bud than

    familial affection. It''s called camaraderie. Charlotte and I are ride-or-dierades. But if you want

    me to share a bed with her, then forget about it." Avery said as he narrowed his eyes, "I still like

    Irena."

    Rick understood what he meant, and at the same time, he was happy for him. "Haven''t you... let her

    go?"

    "I''ve let her go a long time ago. But recently I discovered something, rather than being too bogged

    down, I''d better spend the rest of my days with all of you. One day, I will take Olive away. Brine is

    not my entire world."

    "Avery, why don''t you stay?"

    "I came here for revenge. I don''t have any other feelings for Brine. If you really miss me,e and

    visit me." "Kendall and I have ns to travel around the world, but I have to remind you that Olive

    and Sheryl are joined at the hip now. If you return to your city, Sheryl might want to follow you."

    "Don''t scare me. If Sheryl came, wouldn''t Shane and Charlotte follow her?"

    "Unfortunately, that''s what I meant. So you''d better make ns as soon as possible."

    Avery was exhausted. "Don''t, I''m afraid of Shane."

    Rick smiled.

    Half an hourter, Rick arrived at Avery''s cafe. Charlotte was still in the kitchen, nowhere to be

    seen.

    Avery texted Charlotte about Rick''s arrival and told her to give him a call beforeing out of the

    kitchen, lest they be overheard.

    "Let''s talk about the email first, then Cassius. If Kendall feels bored, she can go to the kitchen and

    eat cake with Charlotte," Avery said.

    To eat cake or to apany Rick?

    Kendall was a little conflicted.

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391

    "No pressure." Avery leaned forward slightly. "If you want to find Charlotte, then go. If you want to

    apany Rick, then stay. In any case, there''s nothing I can do to you now. It''s impossible for me

    to poison your cake."

    "I''d better stay," Kendall said as he grabbed Rick''s sleeve. Her intention was obvious, she was

    afraid that Avery would poison her.

    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Averyughed out loud. He leaned back and stretched his legs, his gaze fixed on the clock hanging

    on the wall. "It has been a total of 18 hours since the email was sent. If I were Christopher, I would

    definitely be monitoring the site traffic. Unless he is a fool, he should know by now that Charlotte

    didn''t log into the website. His next step would be to get in touch with her again."

    "Why don''t you deactivate Charlotte''s ount first?" Rick suggested. "Forward all the information to

    you and me. Let''s help her deal with official matters first."

    "Well, what if she finds out and sues us?" Avery frowned.

    It wasn''t that he didn''t believe in Charlotte, but if he didn''t properly exin this matter, it would

    shatter their trust and friendship. It would be unusual if Charlotte didn''t lose her temper with him.

    Rick frowned. He didn''t give it much thought. He just instinctively wanted to protect Charlotte and

    hide this matter from her and prevent her from being harassed by Christopher.

    "Why don''t you tell You- Know- Who?" Kendall definitely didn''t like Shane if she chose not to utter

    his name. She felt morefortable saying "You-Know-Who" than using his given name.

    "It would be more bothersome if he knew," Avery answered and paused. "There are only two ways

    Shane would deal with this. First, he would track Christopher down. If Christopher had anticipated

    this, it would be trouble for Shane. Second, he would hold Charlotte captive, or have someone tail

    her. That would be very unfortunate because his rtionship with Charlotte would be over. His

    approach has always been precise but unscrupulous."

    "Hey, didn''t you say that Charlotte was going to deal with Cassius? Can''t we tell her to handle that

    while you help her with the office matters? This way, you could get her to hand over the log- in

    information for her email ount."

    "Kendall, if I told you that you can''t eat anymore because starting tomorrow, I''m in charge of

    cooking. What will you do?" Avery retorted.

    Kendall''s mouth twitched and she acknowledged, "Alright, I know that was illogical."

    "I didn''t expect you to own up to your absurdity. That''s good." Avery nodded with satisfaction and

    then continued seriously, "At present, the possibility of blocking her from essing her email

    ount is not looking good, but I can try it. I could merge her ount with mine and sieve through

    her emails. But I''ll need her consent." It was difficult to ess her ount directly.

    However, Rick didn''t think so. He countered, "Let''s think about it. If we told her that it''s to prevent

    NSFW websites from sending her more emails, wouldn''t this excuse be easier for her to ept?"

    "That''s reasonable." Avery thought while frowning. "But do you think she would be suspicious if we

    went to such lengths to stop an NSFW website?"

    "We''ll need to coordinate."

    Woohoo!

    In his heart, Avery was looking forward to hatching a plot with Rick.

    A momentter, Charlotte sent a message to Avery. He immediately stood up and said, "I''ll bring her

    over."

    Rick nodded, while Kendall was a little nervous. Every time she saw Charlotte, she would be very

    tense. She was not afraid of Charlotte, just a little uneasy.

    Avery returned with Charlotte and Rick slid a cup of coffee to her. "I ordered your favorite cup of

    coffee. Have a taste. If it''s not good, Avery will have to close up shop."

    Charlotteughed. "I was just thirsty after having cake. They were really good this time." Charlotte

    picked up her cup and took a sip. She raised her eyebrows. "It''s good. I like it."

    "I''m relieved." Rick picked up his cup and casually remarked, "I just heard from Avery that you were

    targeted by an NSFW website?"

    "That''s right, I don''t know who leaked my ount," Charlotte grumbled as she took a seat. "If I ever

    receive such an email again, I definitely wouldn''t dare open it."

    "Avery, you have a quick fix, don''t you?" Rick asked Avery who was still standing by the door.

    Avery smiled and closed the door. "Of course there is. But you may not like it."

    "When have we beat around the bush? Rick knew that I need your help."

    "I''ll merge your ount with mine for a while. I''ll help you filter out any untoward news," Avery said.

    "When I find out who leaked your email information, I''ll be able to block the other party."

    "It''s soplicated, but it''s fine as long as you say so." Charlotte handed the phone over to Avery.

    "Just like before, I''ll leave it all to you."

    It was much simpler than he had imagined.

    Just as Avery took the phone and began to fiddle with it, Rick mentioned Cassius. Charlotte was at

    a loss, but when she heard that he had a n, she was all ears.

    It was not easy to fight against a team backed bypanies in the entertainment industry. It was

    almost as difficult as bringing down the Stevens Family. So, they needed a very solid ploy.

    Avery had a preliminary n, but only the bare bones. That was the reason why he wanted Rick to

    join the team.

    "My idea is actually very simple. Well ruin whatever they do," Rick said as he leaned forward. "We

    should all have the capabilities to do so."

    "How are we going to do it?" Charlotte only cared about that.

    "Avery could stop their information flow. As long as they release a message, they will be cked

    out."

    "It''s simple.��

    "I can do it on the emerce side. I''ll leave the rest to you and Shane. If you don''t understand

    this, I''ll give Shane a list and let him handle it."

    Should I let Shane do that?

    Charlotte had initially wanted to take care of it on her own. There was no need to trouble Shane.

    After thinking about it carefully, why should she do them a favor?

    Sure enough, it was better to leave this to Shane.

    "Okay, I''ll go back and tell him about it."

    "If Shane doesn''t have time, or if you want to solve this problem yourself, there''s another way," Rick

    said.

    "What is it?"

    "There is someone in Airline Union who has been looking for investment opportunities. He doesn''t

    have other skills, but he is particrly good at spying, especially in the film and television business.

    His name is Luciano."

    Airline Union.

    If it wasn''t for Rick mentioning it, Charlotte would have forgotten about this organization. Because of

    the incident with Shane, the people in Airline Union werepletely one-sided. It was a pill she

    couldn''t swallow, and Shane wouldn''t just stand idly by. Thus, they had dealt with those people, and

    Airline Union was in tatters now.

    Only a few people were left struggling, ine and Christopher included.

    "Will he ept our invitation?" Charlotte was unsure.

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392

    Rick chuckled. "I did a background check before rmending him to you. I will not talk about

    other aspects of his life, though. But I''ll say that he has already refused Christopher, and he is short

    on money. Am I clear?"

    Charlotte nodded immediately, "I think I understand what you mean. I''ll contact him right now. I have

    his contact information. However, should we call him here or find another ce? After all, outsiders

    are still under the impression that you and Avery are estranged. If someone discovered that you two

    were actually on good terms, it might be quite troublesome."

    "He doesn''t have toe over. He just needs to do it ording to my list. You can contact him with

    my phone, and I''ll talk to him."

    "All right."

    Charlotte, Rick, and Avery went to work. Kendall was left twiddling her thumbs, so she resorted to

    ying games on her phone. Rick had already reassembled her phone, hence there was no need

    to worry about being located. However, her phone ran out of juice. Kendall lowered her head in

    frustration. She was unable to help and she did not have a phone to kill time with. What else could

    she do here?

    Suddenly, Rick grasped her hand. She turned her head to him and he handed his phone to her,

    "Avery is done with Charlotte''s phone. You can use mine."

    "You still have business to attend to. I''m fine." Kendall waved her hand and did not take the phone.

    "It''s okay." Rick smiled and stroked her head. "It''s boring for you to be here alone. You can install

    apps or watch videos."

    Kendall held his phone and felt restless. She didn''t know what to y, or how to return the phone.

    She could only sit stiffly in ce.

    Charlotte and Avery paid no attention to Rick and Kendall. Charlotte had managed to contact

    Luciano and had a lot of things to discuss with him. Avery was busy sniping all the information sent

    by the other party and giving Cassius the exact time to upload the video. Two of them were racing

    against the clock. Rick was seated on the sofa, drinking coffee and eating biscuits. At this point,

    there was almost nothing left for him to do.

    After staying up the whole night, Charlotte fell asleep at the table. Avery found several assistants to

    take over his assignment.

    At five o''clock in the morning, Rick received a call from Shane. After briefly exining the matter,

    Shane only responded lightly. In the next two hours, all their problems disappeared in an instant.

    Charlotte and Avery easily solved every single problem and they were very excited. Charlotte found

    a hotel nearby to rest, while Avery slept in his own shop. By the time Kendall and Rick left the cafe,

    there was only twelve percent of battery left on Rick''s phone. His phone did live up to its reputation

    of having a durable battery life.

    It was five o''clock in the morning and the sky was still dark. It started drizzling and Rick took off his

    coat and draped it on Kendall. "Who do you think was the best today?"

    "Shane." Kendall replied without thinking, "If he hadn''t called at the end to help Charlotte and Avery,

    we would probably still be working."

    "Only him?"

    "No, I think everyone did their best, but Shane was the best," Kendall exined.

    Rick shook his head with a smile. "Have you ever thought how did Shane help urately?"

    Kendall failed toe up with an answer and hung her head dejectedly. "Rick, I know I''m dumb.

    You don''t have to highlight it."

    Amused, Rick startedughing. "Fine, I''ll tell you

    the answer."

    The most powerful person.

    It was Luciano.

    Although Luciano did not make an appearance, he cooperated with Charlotte and Avery and left a

    client server open, so Shane could connect in the shortest possible time and upload all his

    resources without being discovered by Avery and Charlotte. If this matter was left in the hands of

    Avery and Charlotte, they definitely would not be able toplete one- third of what Luciano

    achieved.

    Kendall finally realized how powerful Luciano was. Curious, she asked, "Rick, have you seen him?

    What kind of a person is he?"

    "Are you interested in him?"

    "I''m not interested, I''m just curious. He should be tall and handsome, like those heroes in TV series

    and movies."

    "Sorry to disappoint, but Luciano is an ordinary person."

    Ordinary?

    Kendall blinked. Although she wasn''t disappointed, she still felt that it was quite strange. Simple,

    ordinary, these words didn''t seem to measure up to a genius. But Rick had just painted Luciano as

    a mastermind.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    As Kendall and Rick got into the car, their clothes were damp.

    Kendall took off Rick''s clothes, folded them properly, and held them in her arms. "Shall we go home

    now?"

    "Yeah, are you sleepy?"

    "A little bit."

    "Then let''s go back first. I''ll head to the office after taking a shower and sleeping. You can charge

    your phone, too."

    "All right."

    Rick drove past the hotel where Charlotte was staying the night. He saw a familiar car and shook

    his head with a smile. He sighed, "Who else would do such a thing?"

    "What is it?"

    "It''s nothing."

    That car belonged to Shane, whose license te and model were the same.

    Sometimes he was really envious of Shane who dared to fearlessly express his love. Rick couldn''t,

    he wasn''t that bold.

    Avery slept for a while. When he opened his eyes, it was already noon.

    He tidied up his things in a hurry and went home.

    Sheryl and Olive ran to him and made a big fuss over him. Despite feeling tired, he still took care of

    them before returning to his room to take a bath and sleep.

    As soon as hey down, he remembered that Cassius should have uploaded a video at this time.

    He took out his phone and as expected, Cassius was already trending with multiple tforms

    showing his video.

    Avery clicked on it.

    "Hello everyone, I''m Cassius. I apologize for not speaking out regarding recent events. I''m very

    grateful to Ms. Emerson for helping me get out from under mypany. Without her, I wouldn''t

    have a chance to stand here and make this video."

    With this sentence alone, Avery knew that there would not be a problem.

    Cassius did not mention him and Rick, which was enough.

    Avery turned off his phone and went to sleep.

    At the same time.

    Charlotte was also watching the video. She had just woken up, plopped against Shane''s chest

    eating a bowl of strawberries and apples with a fruit fork in her hand.

    "The purpose of this video is to stop the rumor mill. Firstly, I did not help my fans with thewsuit.

    This was all thepany and the team. Secondly, I never wanted to be their puppet. I am a person,

    and I have no strings. Yes, I admit that my brother''s father needs money, and my brother is

    seriously injured. Therefore, I have to join the entertainment industry to pay my debts. But it doesn''t

    mean that I am not human."

    "I have my own hobbies. I love cooking. In this ount, you can see the dishes I made in the past."

    "I like flower arrangement. I usually go out for a jog and get some fresh air."

    "My social circle is actually very limited. It''s not asplicated as I imed on the Inte."

    For the first time, Cassius was introducing himself to his fans and oblivious passerby.

    For some reason, the rims of Charlotte''s eyes reddened.

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393

    Cassius tried his best to convey that he was an ordinary person and only wanted to live a normal

    life, but he couldn''t do it. If he could, he had hoped to retire from showbiz in the future to avoid being

    in the limelight. However, he would continue doing flower arranging and cooking sses. He

    wanted to be an idol close to his fans.

    Cassius''s words were very sincere, but as he spoke, he suddenly stopped. He looked at the camera

    and said dauntlessly, "I asked Miss Charlotte if she would stop me like others, but she affirmed that I

    could say whatever I like. She saw me for the person that I am, not my fame or my appearance."

    "There are some things I have to say. It''s about the ins and outs of the industry. I don''t know if I will

    offend anyone. But after this, I think it will be toote if I stay silent."

    "The fan whomitted suicide had depression. My team continued harassing her and in turn, my

    fans went on a witch hunt, too. Their aim was to create a massive controversy sopanies would

    start withdrawing sponsorship deals and contracts. But they don''t want to pay the penalty. As long

    as my team and thepany promise that they would promote another artist, they wouldn''t have to

    pay the penalty. Manypanies have agreed to this."

    "I don''t me anyone here as it''s a cutthroat industry. But I do want to say that using an innocent

    fan as a pawn without a care for their life and suppressing other artists. Is this really all that is in the

    entertainment industry?"

    "How can this be entertainment? Where''s your moralpass? I know that you would do anything

    for money, so I refuse to be a part of you."

    "You''re wee to sue me. I''m Cassius, and I eptwyer''s letters from anypany."

    After watching the video, Charlotte sent a thumbs-up emoji to Cassius, praising him for doing well.

    Cassius immediately replied, "I thought you would reprimand me. After all, I have stirred the

    hos'' nest for you."

    "It doesn''t matter. We must create a big scene since we had just entered the industry. You did a

    good job this time, so don''t feel pressured."

    "Thank you, Ms. Emerson."

    "Call me Emerson. From today, I will be the person behind you and your agent, but I''m giving you

    free rein to make your own decisions."

    "Okay, no problem."

    After concluding the conversation, Charlotte stretched and fell asleep in Shane''s arms. Now that the

    matter had been resolved, she could have a good sleep.

    After putting down the phone, Cassius picked up his guitar and plucked a few notes. He found that

    he couldn''t calm down after starting the live broadcast. This was something he didn''t dare dream of

    in the past as his team would never allow this. But now it was different. He was independent and

    free, he could interact with his fans if he wanted.

    Less than ten minutes after he started the live broadcast, the number of fans had increased

    exponentially from 10,000 to 300,000. Cassius''s head was lowered as he yed the guitar. When

    he looked up, he found himself on the home page, and many people were giving gifts.

    He was a little confused. "Why are there so many people? I only had a few hundred thousand fans,

    didn''t I?"

    Immediately, there were fans exining that many people came to this tform to watch his live

    broadcast. Although he only had a few hundred thousand fans, there had been a lot more since he

    spread the news.

    "I see." Cassius looked at the screen and noticed that his followers had also increased. He beamed,

    "That''s good. I can livestream when I miss you guys in the future. By the way, do you have any

    questions for me today? You can ask me anything."

    "What''s the rtionship between you and Charlotte?"

    There were a lot ofments simr to this question.

    The fans were most interested in this. Althoughw enforcement had stepped in to investigate the

    company behind Cassius, However, if Cassius escaped from the hands of thatpany just to

    jump from the frying pan into the fire, they would be revolted. Besides, Charlotte was young and

    beautiful.

    "Oh, Charlotte, she is like a sister to me," Cassius answered truthfully. "If you''re not convinced, I will

    show you our chat history from yesterday. She said she will be my agent, but she will be giving me

    more freedom to explore my interests. Later, I went to find her and asked her what will happen if I

    make a decision that adversely affects her interests. She wasn''t really concerned."

    "Ms. Moneybag is that generous?" There was an uproar on the screen.

    "You may not believe it, but I am the new spokesman of her corporation. At the start of this

    controversy, she and her nning Department calcted that it would be better to publicly back me

    than to terminate our contract. Moreover, theirpany did not have any business in showbiz, so

    everything just fell into ce."

    Cassius was fine about noting clean to his fans. But as soon as he said it, their interest in

    Charlotte stirred.

    If there was anymotion among the celebrities, the fans would rush to the front line immediately.

    Countless fans of Cassius started looking into Charlotte. Soon, her information was all over the

    ce.

    Of course.

    Shane only allowed certain details toe to light, thus they were all good news that added on to

    her mysterious persona.

    The daughter of Emerson Corporation who hade so far.

    After knowing Shane, she showed her mettle by not turning her back on him when he gave up on

    NC. Both of them ran thepany together, and she had been friends with many people in Shane''s

    life. Even the matter of Zoe was revealed.

    Praises were sung about Charlotte on the Inte.

    They called her the beautifuldy boss who wanted to marry into a rich family but the opposite

    happened.

    After a long sleep, Charlotte woke up and found that she was popr, so she created an ount.

    "I heard that you all want to be my children? Utterly ridiculous and stupid."

    It was said in jest.

    Charlotte was being witty.

    Under Charlotte''sments, a group of people started calling her "mom."

    Charlotte thought it was fun, so she began to chat with them. Now, she would not be lonely

    anymore. It was nice to post a message and chat with theizens.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Cassius''s matter was solved smoothly. Not bad." Seeing that she was enjoying herself, Shane said

    mildly.

    "I heard from Rick that after a phone call with you, everything started moving without a hitch. If it

    weren''t for you, things wouldn''t have gone swimmingly." Charlotte put down her phone and hugged

    Shane''s arm. "I didn''t want to trouble you, but in the end, I still needed your help."

    "It''s not good to rely on me?" Shane pursed his lips.

    "How did youe to this conclusion? It''s not that it''s bad to rely on you, it''s just that I don''t want to

    be a bother to you," Charlotte said in a low voice.

    How could she be a trouble?

    Shane leaned over and whispered into her ears, "It''s really troublesome when you turn down my

    help."

    Charlotte realized that recently Shane had been a little more hot- blooded than usual. She

    immediately stopped him, "Don''t, I still have to go to work."

    Shane was about to tell her to rest today when his phone rang.

    Charlotte identally nced at the screen, and there was one word on it��

    Jackson.

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394

    Charlotte stared nkly for two seconds, then lowered her head and tried her best not to look in

    Shane''s direction. She was trying to convince herself that this had nothing to do with her.

    "What''s the matter?" Shane picked up the phone. Whatever he heard made his face darken

    instantly. "No matter what you do, I want to see results within an hour."

    On the other side, Jackson replied with a wry smile, "Mr. Fuller, it''s not that I refuse to follow him,

    but there''s simply no other way for me to do so. That man named Christopher is too cunning. He

    sent my address and information to my enemy. You know that I only care about Josephine in my

    life. Let''s not mention how much she has done for you. I just want to keep her alive."

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    When Josephine was mentioned, Shane''s eyes darkened. "Protecting Josephine andpleting

    your assignment are both your responsibilities."

    "Mr. Fuller, I can only try my best."

    The sound of the call disconnecting was his only reply.

    Shane had hung up.

    Charlotte pretended to ask casually, "Who is that guy? I saw the caller ID. I wasn''t aware that you

    knew someone named Jackson."

    "I hired him to track Christopher. His people are crafty, so I needed someone seasoned."

    "I see." Charlotte smiled. Of course, she chose to believe Shane. Or rather, she had no choice.

    Why would a person who should have been tailing Christopher appear in her vicinity? Was

    Christopher nearby that day? Suspicion bloomed in Charlotte''s mind, but she had no proof and

    could only remain silent.

    As soon as Charlotte returned home after work, she received a message from Luciano. Although

    they had only worked together once, seeing as she and Rick gave him capital, Luciano had be

    their pawn in Airline Union. His message this time was simple - Emerson Corporation was looking

    for someone to acquire shares, and they were about to go bankrupt.

    Charlotte had been expecting to hear this, but it still took her by surprise. She knew that it was only

    a matter of time before Emerson Corporation went bankrupt. Countless people, including investors,

    were circling them covetously.

    However, she didn''t expect Emerson Corporation to take a nosedive so quickly.

    "Can youe forward to buy shares?" Charlotte

    asked.

    "Of course. However, if I step forward now, would they be suspicious? After all, I was on the verge

    of bankruptcy earlier."

    "It doesn''t matter. The money was tunneled from an offshore ount that belongs to Jane

    Corporation. They will not notice that you are on our side."

    "If someone asks, how should I answer?"

    "You could say that you have a distant rtive who went abroad in his early years and worked hard

    all his life. But before he passed, he realized he was all alone, so he decided to leave arge sum

    of money to you." This cover story was not fabricated by Charlotte. She had discussed it with Avery

    and Rick for a long time before settling on this narrative.

    On one hand, no one would find out. On the other hand, there were many people with simr

    experiences in this world.

    Only after a lifetime did he realize that he was born with nothing and would die with nothing, thus he

    entrusted his wealth to an irrelevant person before kicking the bucket.

    Luciano thought this was a good idea. He gave a thumbs-up to Charlotte.

    Charlotte smiled but did not reply.

    The next day.

    The situation at Emerson Corporation suddenly improved. Luciano sent a message saying there

    was no need for the story.

    Charlotte was suspicious, so she immediately ordered Peter to investigate.

    Christopher came into some money unexpectedly, but the source was unknown. He couldn''t find the

    original investor at all. Simply put, it was very likely that this money was stolen. Even if the money

    was acquired legitimately, it might have belonged to a bad person.

    "And they also bought the brokeragepany which Cassius invested in. I think they are going to

    wipe him out. I heard that there is a man around Christopher who knows the agent of the artist who

    hurt Cassius. This artist is disgusting." Peter was wearing a headset, and the click-ck sounds of

    his fingers flying across the keyboard could be heard.

    Charlotte was just about to head to Cassius''s vi. Last night, he sent her a message informing that

    he was injured. She was going to visit him today. Wearing a Bluetooth headset, she was on her

    laptop, and the fatigue between her eyebrows was obvious. "Have they found out about Luciano?"

    "No, they released the news that they went bankrupt this time. It seems like they were trying to

    smoke out the people you''re hiding, but they didn''t obtain anything," Peter answered.

    "That''s good."

    "About Cassius, do we still follow the n? We''re practically in a direct confrontation with him in the

    entertainment circle."

    "Of course we have to continue. I won''t stop until one of us goes down."

    Charlotte was shocked at the vehemence of her words. Cassius was a very important pawn to her.

    She would not allow anyone to trample on him easily, let alone ine.

    Peter, too, did not expect that. On top of being surprised, he sighed with emotion. "I didn''t think

    there would be a day when Miss Charlotte would be so courageous. Well, I will find a way to solve it

    as soon as possible. It''s about nine o''clock in the evening. They should not be able to speak, but

    they still need Avery''s help. I can''t make a big difference by myself."

    "Avery will always leave eventually."

    Peter was stunned. "Ms. Emerson, what do you mean?"

    "After he deals with Stevens Family, he will leave. We all knew this."

    Peter sighed and was at a loss for words.

    It saddened him to ept the truth.

    Charlotte arrived at the vi and was led to Cassius''s room by a private doctor. Cassius had begun

    his livestream. He put on makeup and tried to appear as lively as possible, but he still looked

    exhausted and sickly.

    Charlotte initially wanted toment that he was rocking his slightly haggard look. But she found

    that he was still sluggish despite trying his best to put up a cheerful front. His fans should be able to

    tell that something was amiss.

    On the contrary, this effect was better than his dispirited manner.

    When Cassius heard a sound, he turned around and saw that it was Charlotte. He immediately

    stood up and greeted, "Miss Charlotte."

    "How is it going?"

    "Thank you very much for saving me. I''m fine now, everything can go on as nned."

    "Tell me what''s going on."

    Charlotte''s attitude was cold.

    Cassius was indeed injured, but when he thought of his state yesterday and the fact that she had

    come all the way here to visit him twice, he did not have anyints. He even felt that she was

    bothered because he did not protect himself.

    Cassius whispered, "Let''s start from yesterday afternoon."

    In the afternoon, he had nothing to eat at home, so he went to the supermarket to get some

    groceries.

    When he was about to pay the bill, he met his friend and started chatting. Someone knocked on his

    door just after he got home. He was already tired after going to the supermarket, so he opened the

    door without thinking and found that it was Zayn''s agent, Zachariah.

    Zachariah was known for being ruthless and vicious in the industry. He could do anything.

    "He threatened me that if I didn''t quit my career, everyone in the industry would know what kind of

    person I am." Cassius shook his head with a wry smile and continued, "But what can I do?"

    To ede? That''s impossible.

    To reject? He didn''t have the guts.

    Therefore...

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395

    Cassius chose the seemingly smartest but actually the stupidest solution, which was to escape. But

    of course, he failed. Instead, he was caught and beaten up by Zachariah''s men. That was how he

    got the bruises on his body. They were also the ones who injected Onyx into Cassius''s body.

    Cassius was never the one to lie, so he told Charlotte everything.

    As Charlotte listened, she frowned and said, "Where did Zachariah find the courage to do that?

    Wasn''t he afraid that you would call the police?"

    "Do you think I dare to do that? If it weren''t for you guys, who else would seek justice for me? Even

    if I went to the police station and reported to the police, what could I do if Zachariah buys them off

    by treating them to a meal? Besides, they injected Onyx into my body because they were afraid that

    I would call the police. I took the drug... I could have been in terrible shape if it weren''t for you

    guys." Cassius smiled bitterly.

    "Don''t be afraid." Charlotte patted him on the shoulder, her expression bing much softer than

    before. "I will help you solve this problem, you..." "Miss Charlotte, I don''t want to bother you. This is

    aplicated matter. I''m scared that it will cause you trouble, so I hope that I can have a fair

    competition with Zayn Kiefer. I think I''m going to take part in the filming of the recent musical,

    ''Eternal Love''."

    "You want to have a showdown with him on screen?" Charlotte frowned.

    "That''s right."

    "No problem, but you''ll have to wait until the problem is solved. I can hide my identity first, and you

    can y along too. But if something happens, you must tell me as soon as possible, okay?"

    Cassius smiled softly and bowed to her. "Miss Charlotte, I''ll remember everything you said, and I

    hope you can believe in me. Although I''m not that capable, I''m loyal, and I''m willing to be your

    pawn."

    Charlotte didn''t know what happened to Cassius, but she had always thought that he was quite

    pitiful, so she said, "You don''t have to say all these unnecessary words. Film better videos and

    make all the fans stand up for you. That will be the first thing you do for me. As long as this is over,

    even without me, you can still have a meteoric rise in the future."

    "Miss Charlotte, I don''t want a meteoric rise without you." Cassius looked at her seriously.

    "I have a husband." Charlotte frowned and continued, "And I don''t have the slightest interest in your

    appearance. I advise you not to ask for humiliation."

    Ask for humiliation.

    The smile on Cassius''s face instantly froze. He lowered his head and said in a low and hoarse

    voice, "I''m sorry that I bothered you. Perhaps, you don''t understand the mind of a pessimist like me.

    I was already pushed to the edge of the cliff. And you were still willing to help me during times like

    this. I want to protect you no matter what. Even if I have to give up my life, I will always stay by your

    side. As long as you give me this opportunity, I..."

    "Stop. We''re just partners, and I''m only using you. You don''t have to do this. Otherwise, I don''t mind

    paying the penalty to you immediately."

    "That''s not what I meant. I just want to say that I don''t have any romantic feelings for you. It''s just

    sheer loyalty that I have for you. Was Sucky Barnes enamored with Captain America? Was Captain

    Marvel in love with Nick Fury? But, they could still sacrifice their lives and blood for their leaders.

    The same goes to me," Cassius said as he knelt on one knee and held up four fingers. "I swear."

    Charlotte was speechless. She helped Cassius up and said, "You really don''t have to do this. Our

    n has seeded. You are a free man now. You..."

    "Actually, I''ve always had a question to ask you."

    "What''s that?"

    "Why did you choose to help me instead of giving up on me?" Cassius was really curious about it.

    Everyone chose to give up on him, so why did Charlotte insist on saving him? And how did she

    manage to do it sessfully?

    Charlotte shrugged and said, "Because the price of saving you is more worth it. Didn''t I tell you

    about this before? Do you still have to ask?"

    "Is there no other reason?"

    "No."

    "Okay, I understand now. I''ll continue to make videos. Can... can you ept what I proposed just

    now?"

    "About being in a team with Zayn, right? No problem. But there''s something I have to remind you.

    Since they could do something as outrageous as that, they could easily do something else to you

    too. I''ll send someone to protect you."

    Cassius nodded with a smile and said, "Thank you."

    Charlotte waved and left.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    After settling Cassius''s matter, she went back to thepany. However, she saw a familiar figure

    as soon as she got off the car.

    She would never forget this person for the rest of her life.

    "I didn''t expect to meet you here again." ine took off her sunsses.

    "Mypany is right here. Did youe looking for me? Or did youe here to look for a sugar

    daddy?" Charlotte was sitting in her car. She had no intention of paying attention to her. "If you

    know what''s good for you, then screw off. I don''t want to run over you."

    "I haven''t seen you in a while, and your temper has actually gone worse. I''m just here to share a

    piece of good news with you. Recently, Emerson Corporation had received a new investment. You

    all might not be able to witness the bankruptcy that you all had been anticipating."

    "Do you think that we didn''t know that you released the news of bankruptcy to lure us into

    negotiating with you?" Charlotte let out a sarcastic chuckle and continued, "You were trying to find

    out which subsidiarypany is ours, right? So delusional."

    "You..." ine was shocked.

    Christopher''s n was obviously wless, but how did Charlotte know about it?

    Looking at her surprised expression, Charlotte shook her head with great sympathy. "ine, I admit

    that you were very smart. But unfortunately, your brain couldn''t cooperate with your n. The result

    of being too stupid is that your ambition couldn''t match your n. Don''t worry. I will let you go down

    in mes, but not now."

    When Charlotte finished, she drove away.

    ine stood rooted to the ground for a long while. Only then did she realize that Charlotte was

    mocking her. She instantly flipped out. However, what could she do when Charlotte had already

    left?

    "You can be cocky all you want. Emerson Corporation is in my hands. I don''t believe that you stand

    a chance to ruin it!" ine stamped her feet hard.

    At thepany.

    Peter was investigating what Cassius had said. At the same time, he also found out that Onyx was

    a highly potent drug. The individual who consumes it would itch all over their body and also harm

    themself. However, because this kind of self-harm would not lead to death, many people liked to

    use it to relieve stress. Now, it was one of the most important subjects that the Ministry of Public

    Health studied.

    Charlotte arrived at thepany. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Peter talking on

    admit that you were very smart. But unfortunately, your brain couldn''t cooperate with your n. The

    result of being too stupid is that your ambition couldn''t match your n. Don''t worry. I will let you go

    down in mes, but not now."

    When Charlotte finished, she drove away.

    ine stood rooted to the ground for a long while. Only then did she realize that Charlotte was

    mocking her. She instantly flipped out. However, what could she do when Charlotte had already

    left?

    "You can be cocky all you want. Emerson Corporation is in my hands. I don''t believe that you stand

    a chance to ruin it!" ine stamped her feet hard.

    At thepany.

    Peter was investigating what Cassius had said. At the same time, he also found out that Onyx was

    a highly potent drug. The individual who consumes it would itch all over their body and also harm

    themself. However, because this kind of self-harm would not lead to death, many people liked to

    use it to relieve stress. Now, it was one of the most important subjects that the Ministry of Public

    Health studied.

    Charlotte arrived at thepany. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Peter talking on

    the phone. So, she ced a cup of coffee beside his hand.

    Peter looked at her gratefully. She only shook her head with a smile.

    After Peter hung up the phone, he took a sip of coffee. It was the vor that he liked. He suddenly

    felt warmth in his heart because Ms. Emerson and Mr. Fuller made him feel at home.

    When he was busy, his phone suddenly vibrated. He looked over and saw that it was a call from

    Zoe. He suddenly grinned and picked it up. "Hello?"

    "Peter..."

    "Where are you?" Peter noticed that her voice didn''t sound quite right.

    "I''m in the mall now, and I''m being blocked by some people. So, I''m hiding in the facility now. They

    can''t take me away in front of so many people..."

    "I''ll be right there. Send me your location."

    "All right."

    Peter hurriedly asked for leave from Charlotte and Shane. He rushed out of thepany and into

    the parking lot. The speed of the car instantly reached its maximum. When he stepped on the pedal,

    Peter''s car sped out of the car park as if it could fly.

    20 minutester, Peter finally arrived at the address provided by Zoe. She was sitting next to a

    group of children, hugging her knees, looking very lost.

    Peter wanted to rush in, but someone stopped him. "Do you not know how to buy a ticket at this

    age? Besides, this is a children''s yground. Why are you going inside? You..."

    Peter took out 100 dors and threw it on the table. The man stopped talking instantly.

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396

    Peter dashed into the children''s yground and toward Zoe, wrapping her in his arms. "Don''t be

    afraid. I''ll take you out of here. No one can hurt you now that I''m here."

    "Peter..." Zoe looked up at him and said in a hoarse voice, "I know that person. We''ve seen his

    photo before. His name is Caleb. I don''t know why he wanted to do that, but he''s really scary. I..."

    Zoe had always been mature, steady, and rational. It was the first time she acted like that, so it was

    clear that Caleb had traumatized her. He hugged her tight andforted her softly, "It''s all right. It''s

    all in the past now. Everything will be okay. Believe me, all right? No matter what happens, I will

    always be here to protect you."

    Zoe''s entire body was shaking. After hearing his words, she felt slightly better. But she was still in a

    daze and couldn''t stand up at all.

    Peter sat with her for a while before helping her up and leaving the children''s yground with her.

    The two of them walked for some distance and arrived at a rtively quiet and unupied ce. It

    was then that four men, who were dressed in ck, surrounded them. And right after that, Caleb

    appeared.

    "It looks like the car identst time failed to teach you a lesson, Mr. Brown," Caleb smirked. His

    fingers caressed his lips as he looked at Peter with a half-smile. "Even Avery is not qualified to

    compete with me. What right do you have to..."

    "She''s not Irena. She''s Zoe. If you only care about someone who looks exactly like Irena, why don''t

    you pick someone who likes you to get stic surgery?" Peter stood in front of Zoe and gazed

    fearlessly at Caleb. "Do you think you''re really that powerful? Avery might think so, but it''s a pity that

    I''m not afraid of you at all. Do you know why?"

    Not afraid of him? Why wouldn''t he be afraid of him? Caleb squinted and said arrogantly, "You''re not

    afraid of me? What right do you have to not be afraid of me?"

    "Because we have nothing to be afraid of. Zoe and I are just two orphans. If you try to hurt us, our

    first reaction is not tomit suicide to preserve our reputation but to find a way to stab you to

    death." Peter said as he took out a knife from his pocket. "Do you know that I have always been

    waiting for this day?"

    Surprised, Caleb took a step back and pointed at the bodyguards beside him. Suddenly, the four of

    them started walking towards Peter.

    Without hesitation, Peter stabbed one of them in the neck. The person immediately staggered back,

    his hand pressing on his throat. Even so, a bruise appeared on the back of his hand.

    "Mr. Stevens, he''s for real. He didn''t care if I would die or not." The bodyguard stood respectfully by

    Caleb''s side and said, "I''m afraid what he said is true. Besides, judging from his ferocious strength

    and techniques, the four of us might not be able to control him. If we push him too far, he might kill

    the five of us... You''ll be in danger."

    Caleb could tell that Peter was serious. Furthermore, he was no different from his bodyguard in

    Peter''s eyes. Caleb chuckled coldly and said, "If that''s the case, Peter, why don''t you tell me what

    you like about Zoe? I''m really upset at the fact that I can''t have her. If I''m unhappy, I''ll send both of

    you to the underworld. But if you can make up a story that will make me happy, I''ll show you mercy

    and allow you two to be together. What do you think?"

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "I like everything about her. As for sending us to the underworld... I think that''s a great idea. Come

    closer if you dare. Let''s see if you have more men or if I can kill them all without difficulty."

    "You..." Caleb frowned.

    "I told you before that I''m not Avery. Unlike Mr. Fuller and the others, I also don''t care whether you

    are from the Stevens Family or not. To me and Zoe, living together is a part of life. Even if we die

    here, it''s also a part of life. Wepletely have no expectations for life. What we have are

    expectations for each other."

    Zoe never knew what she liked about Peter. He clearly wasn''t that extraordinary, and he was clearly

    not her ideal type either. Until now, she finally understood. What she liked about Peter was the

    expectation that he gave her.

    The feeling of one-winged angels embracing each other was exactly what she liked.

    Caleb looked at the determined man. For some reason, he suddenly thought of the girl with long

    hair. She was also as determined as Peter was, so much so that she wasn''t even willing to give

    birth to a child for him. Brutally, he removed her uterus, but in order to preserve her innocence, she

    committed suicide.

    Yes, that girl was Irena. Avery''s Irena. But he couldn''t understand. She was already Avery''s girl.

    And all he wanted was only for her to give birth to a child for him when Avery was not around. Why

    did she have to be so defensive? They had once loved each other.

    If she hadn''t been so persistent, he wouldn''t have f*cked Avery''s sister in front of her.

    What on earth were they so persistent about?

    Wasn''t it better to surrender to authority?

    "Caleb, do you think that everyone should follow your orders because you have everything in the

    world?" Zoe suddenly pushed Peter away and took a step forward.

    She clenched her fists. Her body was trembling all over.

    Caleb looked at her and nodded his head in azy and arrogant manner. "Yes, so what?"

    "Let me tell you this. You actually have nothing at all. Do you really think that you can still survive if

    you weren''t from the Stevens Family? You think that you have money, but many people in this world

    don''t care about money. You think that you have power, but desperadoes like Peter and I can still

    survive in this world. So what if you have everything? There will always be people who think that

    you have nothing at all!"

    Nothing at all?

    Caleb smiled and said, "Not only do you two look the same but you two also talk the same. Irena,

    too, had once said that I have nothing at all. I''m really curious about it, Zoe. Why do you think I have

    nothing at all?"

    "I just told you clearly."

    "Tell me a little more in detail. I''ll let you two go once you''re done talking." "Because others don''t

    care about what you have. If you want someone to love and care about you, you must make that

    person care about you and love you for who you are, not love and care about the things you have."

    "You''re saying that although I have a lot of money, Irena doesn''t care about that? Although I love

    her very much, she doesn''t care about that either. Then what does she care about Avery? What

    does Avery have that I don''t?"

    "A heart."

    Zoe said without hesitation.

    Caleb was stunned for a second beforeughing out loud. He waved his hand and said, "You guys

    can leave now. I can''t keep you here anyway. Just like you said, you guys are only desperadoes.

    There''s no need for me to worry about your life and death. You only look like her. She would never

    say something like that."

    He wasn''t just heartless.

    Peter held Zoe''s hand and ran away. After making sure that no one was chasing them, he let out a

    sigh of relief.

    "I didn''t expect him to let us go so easily," he said.

    "Let''s head back." Zoe paused and said, "Don''t tell Ms. Emerson and Mr. Fuller." "All right.

    Peter took Zoe to his car. At first, he wanted to drive home immediately, but he realized that Zoe

    was upset, so he suggested driving around. Zoe dly epted it.

    Watching as their car drove into the distance, Caleb took out a pocket watch that contained a photo

    of him and Irena when they were young.

    Rich families had smart people, so naturally, ordinary families would have smart people too. Irena

    was one of those smart people.

    He had met her at apetition. He heard that Irena and Avery had met each other at a

    competition too.

    "Why do you think she had to do that?"

    Caleb sighed.

    He only wanted her body, wanted her to give birth to a child for him. Was that too much to ask?

    Was it worth killing herself for that?

 Chapter 397

    Chapter 397

    When Peter and Zoe reached thepany, Charlotte just happened to be looking for the two of

    them. She noticed that Zoe''s eyes were swollen, so she immediately walked up to her and asked,

    "What''s wrong? Did Peter bully you?"

    Zoe shook her head and lowered her head in silence. It seemed like she was frightened by Caleb.

    Peter had no choice but to ask, "Ms. Emerson, in your opinion, am I just a bad person who only

    knows how to bully Zoe?"

    "She went out with you but came back with a somber expression. What should I expect?"

    Peter looked at the passersby and said, "It''s a littleplicated. Let''s go inside and talk about it." A

    lot of things should not be heard by others. It was not like anything would happen if they heard it

    because they wouldn''t even understand it if they heard it. If they spread what they heard without

    understanding it, it would be hard for them to deal with it.

    Charlotte realized that things might be a little serious, so she nodded to Peter and turned around to

    ask Zoe, "What about you? Do you want to join us or return to the office first?"

    "I''ll go back first," Zoe said.

    "How about this? You can help me trante this document. The sooner you get it done, the better. It

    would be best if you could send it to me before you clock off." Charlotte handed the document in her

    hand to Zoe and instructed, "Trante them into Chinese and Arabic. I don''t know Arabic, so you

    better prepare the Arabic trantion first. We have to send it to the Middle East as soon as

    possible."

    "Okay. I understand." Zoe took the document, suddenly filled with motivation.

    As he watched Zoe walk away, Peter sighed and said, " At first, I was still thinking about how to

    comfort her for the rest of the day. I didn''t expect that she would immediately feel better after Ms.

    Emerson handed her a document."

    "Zoe is always dedicated like that." Charlotte smiled and said, "Next time, you can prepare some

    questions. It doesn''t matter if they''re rted to thepany or not. Give her instructions in the

    name of Shane or me, and she will definitely speak to you immediately."

    "I got it," said Peter as he lowered his head. "I don''t know her well enough. I..."

    "You don''t need to know her well enough. If you can understand her perfectly on your own, what''s

    the purpose of her friends, bosses, staff, andpanions?"

    Peter was stunned. This time, he bowed respectfully and said, "Ms. Emerson, I understand now."

    Charlotte patted him on the shoulder and said, "Back then, I couldn''t understand either. But being

    together with Shane for a long time, I realized that I had to learn his way of doing things. Maybe it

    won''t be effective, but at least we don''t have to worry about making mistakes."

    "I understand."

    They arrived at Charlotte''s office.

    After Peter confessed everything to Charlotte and Shane, the two of them exchanged a nce.

    Then, Shane stood up and left the office.

    Peter scratched his head in confusion and asked, "Where is Mr. Fuller going?"

    "To look for Caleb."

    "What?"

    "Is it strange? We''ve already cooperated with Caleb, but he attacked Shane''s employee. Don''t you

    think we should look for him?"

    Peter honestly hadn''t thought of that. He thought that he would be able to fight Caleb or even kill

    him on his own.

    He didn''t expect that Shane could help him solve the problem. Or maybe, he just didn''t want to

    trouble Mr. Fuller.

    "I didn''t want to bother you two at first, and I also thought that the problem has been solved..."

    "The problem has indeed been solved, and you have also solved it very well. However, Shane and I

    must take a stand too." Charlotte was very serious. "Peter, I hope that when you face this kind of

    problem again in the future, you can inform us immediately."

    "I understand, Ms. Emerson."

    Charlotte nodded.

    At that moment, Shane returned. He picked up his suit and said, "Caleb invited us to dinner. Please

    inform Rick and Kendall and ask Braden to bring Anne along."

    Charlotte stood up and asked, "What about Peter and Zoe?"

    "They have toe too."

    "But to let Zoe see Caleb again..."

    "She''s going to feel worse if she keeps holding in her emotions."

    "Okay, I understand."

    Peter didn''t know how the whole thing became known to everybody. It was obviously better for both

    sides to discuss it in private.

    But he trusted Charlotte and Shane.

    He was willing to go with them.

    Zoe happened to knock on the door at that moment. She had finished tranting the document

    assigned by Charlotte earlier. Charlotte was surprised and said, "So fast? Zoe, I don''t want you to

    help Peter anymore. Come back to my office. I feel like dying every time I trante. It will be much

    easier with you by my side. Why don''t you transfer back to my office from Peter''s department? I

    don''t have any other assistants and secretaries anyways."

    Before Zoe could answer, Peter grabbed Zoe''s hand and pulled her behind him. "I disagree. Unless

    you''re dating Zoe, or I won''t let you have her."

    "Peter," Shane spoke calmly. The warning in his voice was extremely evident.

    "Mr. Fuller, even if you have to fire me, I won''t agree to this matter!" Peter lifted his chin in

    determination. "I won''t be able to see my girlfriend at work if I let her transfer. Think about it. You

    and Ms. Emerson won''t be able to be alone together if Zoe starts working in your office."

    The reason Shane called him by his name was to suggest that this kind of decision concerned work

    efficiency and had nothing to do with rtionships.

    Normally, everyone could joke around with each other. But when it came to this kind of thing, work

    andpany were their priority. Using jokes between friends to reply to Charlotte was equivalent to

    viting the rules of thepany.

    However, Peter''s argument was reasonable. After all, work was not only just work. It was also

    rted to life.

    Shane slightly tugged the corner of his lips and said, "Well then, forget about it. We''ll ask Zoe to

    come over only when we need her."

    Charlotte smiled with a smirk and said, "Shane, can''t you see that I''m joking with Peter? If it''s really

    for thepany, I would have found a trantor by myself, okay?"

    Shane instantly fell silent.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Peter immediately burst intoughter. "Mr. Fuller, I''ve worked with you for such a long time, and this

    is the first time I''ve seen you acting so cute. It''s so great that you''re with Ms. Emerson."

    So great.

    Zoe thought that it was really great too.

    Whether it was Charlotte and Shane, or herself and Peter.

    Actually, everyone was only a small boat in a sea of people. So, to have found someone who

    understood you was indeed a lucky thing.

    When Rick received the news that Caleb had invited Shane to dinner, he was dumbfounded.

    He leaned over and said, "Kendall."

    Kendall, who was gaming, suddenly stuck her head out and looked at him innocently. "I didn''t scold

    anyone while gaming today."

    Rick was speechless. He got up and sat down beside her. He realized that she was ying a

    mobile game, and she was in a team with someone. The person who was teaming up with her was

    even a man.

    He frowned. "Who is this?"

    "Oh. It''s Olive."

    "What?" Rick thought there was something wrong with his hearing.

    "Olive from Avery''s house! Sometimes it''s Sheryl. Being a couple in this game has a lot of benefits,

    so we got married. By the way, we can talk to each other through voice chats. Hello, is Olive there?"

    Kendall turned on the mic in the game.

    After hearing a series of rustles from the other side, a childish but calm voice rang out, "Yes,

    Kendall. Come and have dinner with me in a while. Our intimacy level will be No.1 in the whole

    server."

    "Okay," Kendall replied happily. "The main thing is that Rick wants to know who I''m gaming with."

    Olive was quiet for a while and said, "Rick, are you jealous of me? Don''t worry. I just like being the

    Mage, but there are no female Mages, so I could only choose to be a male Mage."

    What else could Rick say?

    He really didn''t expect that a kid would know how to y mobile games. She was even as good as

    Kendall.

    After all, if she weren''t good at it, Kendall would not have yed with her.

    Although Kendall wasn''t that arrogant in front of Rick, her temper remained the same. She would

    actually scold noob yers.

 Chapter 398

    Chapter 398

    After Kendall proved that it was Olive, she turned off her mic and went on messaging her. "We don''t

    usually talk to each other. Olive said that it was already weird to marry someone in a game. And if

    that person is someone she knows personally, she will feel guilty too. So we usually treat each other

    as strangers who game with each other."

    "What game is this?"

    "You don''t have to y with us." Kendall knew what he meant. "It''s enough to have Olive to y

    with me. If you really want to spend time with me, then work hard. We''ll talk about it if you have

    extra time after work."

    "I just want to know more about your interests. You''re my girlfriend, after all."

    He took Kendall by surprise. Then she put down her phone and threw herself into his arms. "Rick is

    the best. Rick is the best boyfriend in the whole wide world. Rick is especially handsome, tall, and

    good-looking. I like Rick the most. So even if he doesn''t y games with me, I still like him the

    most, and I want to be with him the most!"

    Oh, well.

    Rick thought that even if she gamed with him, he wouldn''t have much time either. Maybe she even

    had toplete their tasks on her own. Forget about it. He didn''t want to disrupt her when she was

    having fun. She needed a world that belonged to her, after all. It was best not to bother her.

    "Let''s not talk about this first. I wanted to tell you that your brother invited Shane and the others to

    have dinner together. We have to join them too."

    "Wait, hold on. My brother invited Shane to dinner?" Kendall blinked in disbelief. "Aren''t they

    ipatible with each other? I told you two days ago that when I went home to take my things, I

    overheard my brother saying that he wanted to ruin Charlotte and Cassius''s business..."

    "That''s why I''m surprised too. I don''t know what happened exactly. But I asked around, and Avery

    was not there, so..."

    "I got it. We have to put on a show." Kendall said with a solemn expression, "I''ll try not to talk, and

    also not to mention Avery."

    "It actually doesn''t matter. There''s nothing to be afraid of, even if we let them know that we''re still in

    contact with Avery. They''ll most likely assume that we''ve gained some benefits from Avery after

    falling out with him. Therefore, if we act as if we have reconciled with Avery, they will believe that

    we''re actually targeting Avery. Otherwise, why would we need to steal benefits from him?" Rick''s

    logic was clear and precise.

    Kendall found it quite reasonable too.

    It wasmon for someone to cut ties with another person. What was umon was that they

    still had to demand something from that person. It was normal for couples to argue. What was not

    normal was that they still had to split their houses and cars when they divorced.

    "Then, will Anne and the others go there?"

    "Yes, all of them are going. However, what caught my attention was that Peter and Zoe are going

    too. So, I guess that something must have happened to Peter and Zoe. And Shane had gone to find

    your brother. Your brother then decided to treat us to dinner. He probably called all of us there to be

    witnesses, so you better be prepared. We might have to leave early. You should think about where

    we should go after that," Rick said.

    Kendall nodded and replied, "Then let''s head out first. I''ll think about it along the way."

    "All right."

    Rick noticed that the temperature was a little low today, so he took off his suit and put it on Kendall.

    "Be sure to stay warm. You haven''t worn enough clothes these days. It''s the change of seasons. It''s

    not good for your health." "I know." She held tight onto his suit.

    She felt something warm in her heart.

    Meanwhile...

    After Braden and Anne received the news, their first reaction was that Zoe and Peter were in

    trouble.

    Otherwise, there was no reason to invite them to dinner. After all, they didn''t belong to this circle.

    Even if Caleb wanted to invite them, he would have invited them in private.

    "Maybe well have to leave early. I think we''re only going there to be witnesses." Braden put his

    phone aside and said, "Anne, we haven''t been to the bar for a long time. Do you want to go and

    have fun?"

    "All right." Anne was changing clothes in front of the mirror. She twisted her slender waist and said,

    "Let''s go to the bar to rx."

    Braden got up and hugged her. He rested his head on her shoulder and said with a smile, "You''re

    getting more and more beautiful."

    "You''re saying that I wasn''t beautiful enough in the past?"

    "Of course not. You have always been beautiful." Braden said as he bit her earlobe, "Otherwise,

    why would I leave everything behind just to be with you forever?"

    "When have you left everything behind for me? You didn''t want to stay in the Collins family anyway,"

    Anne said coldly.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "As long as you''re here, I have no reason to stay in the Collins Family. However, you have to be

    ready to live a tough life with me. Although we have some money in our hands, we can''t simply

    spend our money like how we did when we lived with Rick."

    "Do you know how much money I have?" Anne turned around with a smug expression.

    Braden knew that Anne had money, but he also believed that Anne wouldn''t have too much money.

    One reason was that Anne spent a lot of money every day. The other reason was that Rick didn''t

    tell the Jane Family the actual reason Anne ran away from home. So Anne couldn''t receive any

    bonus for the time being.

    And Rick had invested all the money in thepany. It was already difficult to withdraw money. She

    probably had a few ten thousand dors but not more than that.

    Therefore...

    Braden was silent for a moment. Then, he asked tentatively, "200 thousand dors?"

    "That''s too little. I have about six million dors now. If I retain my previous consumption habit, I can

    still sustain myself for about five or six years. If it''s for ordinary people... We can buy a house, rent it

    out, and collect rent. That way, we can live a great life too," Anne lifted her chin happily.

    "Where did you get so much money?" Braden was surprised.

    "I''ve always had a lot of money. I had approximately five million dors before I was with you. And

    this is all my money. Just like how Shane invited you to invest together, I invested with my friends

    too. Rick didn''t give me the money. If I counted the money Rick gave me, I have around ten million

    dors. So I''m not afraid at all."

    She indeed had nothing to be afraid of.

    For an ordinary person, one million dors was already more than enough, let alone ten million

    dors.

    Braden suddenly felt that he was so much weaker than his wife. So, he said gloomily, "Darling, I''m

    just a poor manpared to you."

    "You can invest all you want. I''ll support you if you lose all your money."

    "It''s okay. I suddenly lost all my motivation. Can you support me please, rich woman? I don''t want to

    work hard anymore."

    Huh?

    She didn''t seem to be unwilling either.

    Anne thought about it for a moment and said, "It''s actually possible. You''ve been so busy recently.

    We don''t even have time to go to the bar. If you think that you can let go of your ambition, I''ll support

    you financially. Well definitely have money to eat, drink, and y with. Well only have more money

    and never less."

    "You have more than ten million dors, which means that even if we spend 100 thousand dors at

    the bar every day, we can be drunk and have fun for three years." Braden sighed, "But I''ve worked

    hard for the past three years, and it was considered not bad that I could get it started."

    "That''s why I said I would support you. But you will have to let go of your pride and ambition."

    Braden was silent for a while before he said, "I know what you meant, so I think maybe I can let it

    go."

    Anne did not expect him to say that, so she was a little surprised. "Are you willing to let go of your

    ambition, notpare yourself with anyone, and just have fun with me every day?"

    "Yes, I thought that if I didn''t work hard enough, you would lose the life that you''ve been living. But

    now I feel that even if I work hard and try to provide you afortable life, it''s not me but Jane

    Family and Rick who gave you that life. I only serve as a foil. In that case, why don''t I just be your

    foil?"

    Many people in this world wanted to be gigolos, but no one could be an innocent gigolo. They were

    as ambitious and arrogant as before.

    But Braden thought that he used to be Shane''s puppet, so what difference could it possibly make

    now that he was Anne''s puppet?

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399

    Anne raised her eyebrows and said, "It''s good for you to think that way. Let''s have fun together and

    stop worrying about those things that Shane has to worry about. That''s what life is about. I''ve

    always thought that you don''t really like the atmosphere in the office. People who like to be free will

    only be more ufortable if they shut themself inside of a box."

    "What about you? If I could let go of everything, would you think that I''m just a useless piece of

    garbage who''s only waiting to eat and die?"

    "Isn''t it good to be a piece of garbage? Why does everyone think it''s not good to be a piece of

    garbage? Well, I am a real piece of garbage who''s willing to be a piece of garbage. I have someone

    to support me, to teach me how to manage my money. I have thousands of dors of ie every

    day when I wake up. Isn''t that nice? Why do I have to work hard?" Anne asked.

    Braden could not utter an answer, or in other words, he felt the same as Anne did. "I don''t know,

    Anne. I only know that if you don''t see me as a piece of garbage, I would like you to support me."

    "Deal."

    Braden suddenly felt relieved. After they finished handing over their work to somebody else, Braden

    helped Anne carry her bag and took her to their car. "Let''s go have dinner!"

    "Why are you suddenly acting so servile..." Anne smirked and grabbed her bag.

    "I hope that this rich woman can love me forever. So, I have to please her more often."

    Anne thought that it was hrious, but at the same time, she liked the way it was.

    To have Braden apany her forever was better than him going out to work every day and

    making her unable to go out and have fun on her own. When he was not around, she didn''t even

    dare to go to the bar alone, fearing that he might think that she went to find a handsome guy to

    cheat on.

    When Charlotte and Shane arrived at the ce, Peter and Zoe were already waiting for them. A

    momentter, Rick and Kendall also arrived. Braden was a little slow, so everyone went straight in

    without waiting for them.

    Caleb had already ordered a table of cold dishes. When he saw theming, he immediately got

    up and greeted them. At the same time, he instructed the men beside him to hand out gifts to Peter

    and Zoe. "I''m so sorry. As my token of apology, I prepared these gifts for you two. I really didn''t

    mean to frighten the both of you."

    "What''s going on..." Peter waspletely baffled.

    "It''s nothing. Juste over and have dinner. Oh, wait, someone is still not here yet. It''s okay. We''ll

    order moreter." Caleb grinned and snapped his fingers. "Well, get ready to serve the dishes."

    Peter and Zoe took their seats in confusion. Charlotte leaned closer to Shane and said, "Has Caleb

    believed the fact that Zoe is not Irena?"

    "Yea. Avery had done a paternity test, proving that Zoepletely has nothing to do with Irena''s

    parents. Caleb attacked them multiple times just because he didn''t believe it."

    "I understand what you mean now. Caleb thinks that if Zoe is Irena, she should be furious with him

    now and have a falling out with him. She shouldn''t be afraid of him. This meal seems to be the final

    test."

    "That''s right."

    If that was the case.

    It would be quite a headache. There wasn''t anything wrong with that, but if Zoe couldn''t get rid of

    Caleb''s doubts, then unless Avery and Shane really destroyed the Stevens Family, or else...

    "Zoe, Peter, please don''t take it personally. I have mistaken her as someone else," Caleb said as he

    picked up a ss of wine. "Come, I''ll toast to you two."

    Peter believed Shane, so he picked up his ss. When Zoe saw that, she stopped doubting and

    picked up her ss to clink sses with Caleb. After the three of them drank the wine, Caleb sat

    down with a smile. Peter and Zoe knew very well that it was only a fake smile.

    He looked disgusting when he smiled but dangerous when he didn''t.

    "I heard that you two are married?" Caleb asked.

    "Yes," Peter answered. "ording to thew, we are already married."

    Zoe was confused. She didn''t marry Peter. Why did Peter say that they were married? But she

    knew that Peter, Shane, and Charlotte were people who would never hurt her. So even if she didn''t

    understand, she didn''t say anything and just sat there silently like a statue.

    It suddenly dawned on Caleb. "Well, that''s pretty good. How did you guys know each other?"

    Peter told Caleb everything about their encounter, and Zoe would asionally add a few words.

    The two of them indeed looked very affectionate. More importantly, Zoe seemed to rely on Caleb

    with all her heart.

    "I used to like a girl, she..." Caleb took the opportunity to tell them about his rtionship with Irena.

    Their rtionship was actually not thatplicated. To say that there was a lot of love, hate, and

    sorrow was an overstatement. It was only a simple story.

    There was actually no need to say that out loud. But because Irena started dating Avery and died

    afterward, this story sounded extremely sad and bleak.

    "Honestly, you guys make a pretty good couple. Why did she want to date Avery instead?" Zoe

    couldn''t quite understand. "Didn''t she love you very much?"

    "Perhaps she thought that Avery was more suitable for her," Caleb said with a smile.

    "I''ve seen Avery a few times. He''s not bad but unreliable. If youpare yourself with Avery, I

    actually don''t think you will lose. But if youpared yourself with Mr. Fuller, I definitely think that

    Mr. Fuller is better," Zoe paused and said, "Sorry, I''m a straightforward person. If you''re not happy

    about that, I can apologize to you."

    Instead, Caleb burst intoughter. "No need, no need. I''m indeed much more confident if I have to

    bepared with Avery. After all, even though I''m a very sinister and cunning person, I won''t put on

    an act like he does. However,pared to Mr. Fuller, I''m indeed far too inferior. Mr. Fuller has

    always been a true gentleman ever since he was young. All my life, I have always wanted to be

    friends with him."

    Zoe remained silent and suspicious toward him.

    Peter continued, "I won''t say anything about Avery''s personality. But Mr. Stevens, I''ve heard a lot

    about your personality. I have something that I don''t quite understand, and I hope you can answer

    them."

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    At that moment, Kendall, who had been gaming all along, perked up her ears. She was quite

    concerned about what other people thought of her brother.

    "Ask away."

    "Rumour says that you love women and have even stolen women from your father. Is that true or

    false?"

    In a split second.

    Caleb''s smile disappeared.

    Zoe tugged the corner of her lips and said, "What kind of question are you even asking, Peter? Are

    you crazy?"

    Instead, Peter frankly responded, "I ept Mr. Stevens''s apology, and I also understand that Mr.

    Stevens has condescended toe and talk to usmoners. That''s also exactly why I dare to

    ask this question. I want to know, Mr. Stevens, what exactly do you think women are in your eyes?"

    "You''re right. I''ve indeed stolen my dad''s women." Calebughed again and continued, "I personally

    admire you a lot for taking advantage of Shane''s presence to disrespect me. However, since I''m

    apologizing to you, and you''re also asking things that are rted to women, I will answer you.

    Because if I get angry, it''ll make me seem too petty. So, I can say, yes, I love to steal women."

    Kendall blinked her eyes in shock.

    "Excuse me," Rick suddenly said, "I''ll take Kendall out for a while."

    "No, I want to listen." Kendall didn''t want to leave.

    "Don''t worry, Rick. It''s not something unsuitable for children to hear. On the contrary, you guys will

    get to know me better if you listen." Caleb''s expression turned serious. "When I was very young, my

    father already had other women by his side. Everyone, if it was you, would you snatch his woman to

    seek justice for your mother, would you develop a rtionship with those women in front of him to

    let him know that his son is not to be trifled with, or would you just treat him as a beast and ignore

    him?"

    That was a good problem.

    "To deal with wicked people, I decided to be a wicked person myself," Caleb said with extreme

    confidence.

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400

    Technically, this was the Stevens Family''s own business. If Irena and Avery weren''t involved in this

    matter, Caleb''s idea, no matter right or wrong, had nothing to do with anybody else. However, it was

    his fault for hurting other people just because he wanted to seek justice and confront the wicked.

    It was just like how a person would say that he wanted to kill someone. There was nothing wrong

    with that. He couldin about it for a lifetime, and no one could do anything to him. But if he

    really did it, then everyone would trample on his dignity and morality.

    Zoe looked down on people like Caleb, who tried to hurt others in the name of justice, but she didn''t

    dare to say it out loud. She simply said, "No matter what, those girls were innocent..."

    "Innocent?" Caleb chuckled. "I''m extremely sorry to Irena. But apart from her, all the other women

    were willing to lie in me and my father''s arms. What kind of innocence do they have? How are they

    innocent? Shouldn''t they pay for getting everything they wanted?"

    Zoe was suddenly struck speechless, but Peter smiled and said, "Indeed. If a mediocre woman

    caught Mr. Fuller''s eyes, I wouldn''t be too happy either. So, I''m very grateful that Mr. Stevens is

    willing to tell us the truth. But if it''s rted to Irena, I must say that she had not done anything

    harmful to others. Our feelings toward someone can change over time. I can say that I don''t like you

    now, but maybe I''ll like you in the future. This is not contradictory, is it?"

    Caleb leaned forward slightly and said, "If this person is not Irena, but Zoe, what will you think?"

    "As long as she''s happy and free, it''s the best thing for me. I decided to be with her because I want

    to make her happy and contented, not because I want to make her suffer and not because I want to

    force her to a dead end." Peter''s eyes turned colder.

    He was prepared to y games with Caleb. When Peter was about to speak, Caleb nodded and

    said, "Indeed. So, when your wife cheats on you, you mustn''t divorce her. Instead, you have to keep

    providing for her and congratte her on starting a new family. So, when your friend stabs you, you

    shouldn''t call the police either. He probably wants your kidney because his mother is diagnosed with

    a critical illness."

    Peter didn''t expect him to say something like that. He knew very well that Caleb was secretly trying

    to contradict him, but he couldn''t refute him.

    Kendall frowned with worry. The situation now was not very beneficial for both Caleb and herself. It

    would be too embarrassing if they ended up on bad terms. She was thinking, perhaps she could say

    something at the moment, but what could she say?

    "Is Mr. Stevens saying that you were after Irena because she had an affair? I don''t think so. If I

    remember correctly, she had already broken up with you a year ago. She left Brine because you

    kept pestering her and had met Avery along the way." Charlotte picked up the ss in front of her.

    She looked at the wine inside and squinted in intoxication. "ording to what I know, Avery initially

    didn''t have any feelings for Irena. He was only helping her to leave you, am I right?"

    "Is Miss Charlotte suggesting that an outsider will know more than the actual person involved?"

    "I''m not necessarily an outsider. During the year Kendall met Avery, something happened to me too.

    That''s why..." Charlotte pursed her lips and continued, "I was on the same flight as them."

    She was not lying.

    Avery had always been investigating Irena''s death. Naturally, he would know something about

    Charlotte. He did not think of her at first. But when his investigation was going nowhere, it was more

    effective to start from the people around him.

    Hence, that was how he managed to find out about her past.

    And the reason why she was on that ne...

    It was all thanks to Shane.

    So, it was a big mistake to say that she was an outsider. She was the one who watched Avery and

    Irena leave, although she didn''t know them at that time. And it was exactly because she didn''t know

    them that she could provide an objective perspective.

    Caleb stared intensely at Charlotte. If his eyes could throw mes, Charlotte would have turned into

    a burnt corpse at that moment.

    Charlotte didn''t seem to be frightened by his gaze at all. She even smiled and said, "Mr. Stevens,

    you don''t have to be angry. It''s not shameful to admit that you wanted to take revenge on Irena

    because of your selfishness. Will you only confess your evil intentions when you have found a good

    excuse for them? That''s a little too pathetic."

    The whole room was silent.

    He would only confess his evil intentions when he had found a good excuse for them.

    Not only Kendall, but even Shane, who was next to Charlotte, was also praising her words in his

    heart.

    He and Rick understood this principle, but they might not be able to exin it clearly even if they

    want to. To them, having a moderate range of social rtionships was the best choice. But the

    others might not be as wise as they were. They probably could not understand and grasp the

    meaning of it.

    Therefore, the only person there who could say that was Charlotte.

    "Actually, Mr. Stevens, I''ve always thought that it wouldn''t be a problem to take revenge on

    someone who has hurt you before, but that doesn''t mean that it''s correct to do so. Why do you think

    that homicide and excessive self- defense are against thew? It''s so that you know that you did

    those things because you had no choice, not because it was inevitable. Of course, you deserve the

    punishment for putting other''s lives under threat."

    "So, if a person hurts another person because of his own selfish desires, should this behavior be

    chastised? Does it count as a crime?"

    Charlotte exined further.

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    Caleb looked at her, the anger in his eyes slowly fading away. In the end, only indifference and

    calmness were present in his eyes. "Is Ms. Emerson trying to convince me to turn myself in?" "Have

    you done something wrong? Why do you have to turn yourself in?" Charlotte smiled as she put

    down her ss. "I just felt that you were too harsh on Irena. Neither did she want to be your father''s

    woman nor be together with Avery. It was you who forced her into Avery''s life. It was also you who

    made her lose her freedom of choice and forced her to end her life."

    "So, you want me to admit all of this?"

    "Shouldn''t you admit it?"

    "I don''t admit it."

    "Then that''s the problem with your arrogance. Everyone knows that."

    Caleb shifted his gaze to Shane as he contained his anger. "Mr. Fuller, do you think so too?"

    "It''s none of my business." Shane paused and pointed at Kendall. "You have someone on your side.

    You can ask for her opinion."

    Caleb looked directly at Kendall. His gaze was clearly telling Kendall that if she didn''t stand on his

    side, he wouldn''t mind sending her off to heaven.

    Kendall blinked her eyes in shock.

    She looked innocent.

    "Mr. Fuller, don''t harm the little critter," Rick said very seriously, which made Zoe and Peter smile

    instead.

    Caleb was first taken aback, then the corners of his mouth twitched. "Critter?"

    "She is first my personal property and then your sister. So I can answer the questions on her behalf.

    Since you all want to know what''s right or wrong, then I will say one thing. Is there anyone who

    benefitted from this? Obviously not. Everyone had lost something that they wanted. Then, why do

    we still have to argue over what''s absolutely right or wrong?"

    Rick''s argument was even more interesting.

    From the perspective of gain and loss, if a person takes action, they must have their own purpose.

    Whether it was for the sake of benefits or their own needs, it all came down to desire.

    Desire pushed people forward and also forced people to anticipate everything at the same time.

    Some had desires for women, and some for money.

    However, all of this was on the promise of benefits.

    "If everything that Caleb did ends up causing him to lose everything he wants, then he himself is

    also the victim in this case."

    Rick straightaway stated the most significant part of his opinion.

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401

    Caleb didn''t expect Rick to speak up for him from his own perspective. He raised his eyebrows in

    surprise and said, "Rick, do you really think so? Or are you just standing on my side and simply

    trying to find an excuse for me?"

    "To be honest, I don''t think the truth is that important. Do you really care about what I think? I don''t

    think it''s necessary." Rick replied with a smile, "I was only thinking from your perspective. Everyone

    here knows that I was once engaged with Charlotte. Well, I lost the woman I wanted because I

    made the wrong decision. Am I not the victim?"

    Charlotte didn''t like that metaphor. Just as she was about to speak up, Shane grabbed her by her

    wrist. She subconsciously turned around and saw him leaningzily on the chair. Then, she

    immediately understood that Shane was hinting to her that she should believe in Rick and not ruin

    his n no matter what.

    Charlotte quickly quieted herself. She did not have any intention of speaking anymore. Next, she

    leaned back on her chair and watched as Rick carried out his n.

    "By using your personal experience as aparison, you are suggesting that you have regretted

    doing that. But I don''t."

    "I think you misunderstood. I used my personal experience as aparison to show that I don''t

    regret it at all. If I didn''t lose Charlotte, how can I date Kendall? It all boils down to being optimistic

    or pessimistic."

    "Are you saying that I''m pessimistic?"

    "I can''t answer that. Only you will know."

    Caleb''s anger was springing to life again. When he was about to have a good conversation with

    Rick about that, the door was suddenly pushed open. Braden, who waste, carried a strong

    metallic odor of blood on his body. Beside him, Anne was helping him to stand straight. Her body

    appeared to be smudged with dirt too. The two of them didn''t seem to be seriously injured, but they

    weren''t in good conditions either.

    Charlotte immediately walked up to the two of them. She held Anne in her arms and helped her to

    sit on the sofa. "What''s wrong?"

    "Something happened." Anne gripped Charlotte''s hand and said, "When we were on our way here,

    we encountered a car ident. But that''s not the point. The car ident isn''t the highlight. It''s the

    fishpeople."

    Fishpeople.

    At the mention of this disease that had not appeared in ages, Charlotte''s jaw dropped. If she

    remembered correctly, when the ck Death pandemic was raging, many fishpeople had already

    been cured. Although they couldn''t develop vines and immunize the masses like how they did

    for smallpox, it wouldn''t go so far as to cause a big issue. So, what was happening now?

    Charlotte frowned. She was deep in thoughts, but she couldn''t think of anything rted to the

    fishpeople, so she asked Anne again, "Don''t panic. Tell me slowly."

    "Someone was infected again. Now they are out there causing troubles. It was them who caused

    the car ident. They evenmitted suicide on the spot. At first, we wanted to ignore it, but we

    received the news saying that their next target is Emerson Corporation because Emerson

    Corporation didn''t donate money before that..."

    What...

    Charlotte was utterly bewildered. She had never cared about those who wanted to take revenge on

    Emerson Corporation. She would definitely not help ine and Christopher. But if it was the

    fishpeople, she couldn''t just watch and do nothing. She wouldn''t allow those poor patients to make

    mistakes andmit crimes again.

    Although the country would punish them leniently, they were already pathetic enough...

    She pondered for a while and immediately said, "Peter and Zoe, follow me back to thepany for

    discussion."

    "Yes."

    Peter and Zoe immediately stood up.

    "Braden, Shane, Anne, Rick, prepare your protective gear. If it''s unnecessary, don''t go outside.

    Kendall, I need you to contact Sheryl and ask her not to go out with granny." Charlotte picked up her

    coat and car keys after she finished talking and walked outside.

    Braden watched as she left and sighed, "Shane, what purpose do you serve now?"

    "I''m doing pretty good." Shane was still in his seat, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at

    Charlotte.

    He didn''t usually act like an alpha male. The more resolute she was, the more he thought he had a

    good taste. Besides, she was going to settle serious business. If she needed him, he would be

    there any time. However, it was best if she didn''t need him.

    "I''ll contact Sheryl first." Kendall picked up her phone and ran to the sofa area with her shoulders

    arched.

    When Charlotte asked her to contact Sheryl and granny, it was actually just a code, hinting at her to

    contact Sheryl and Olive.

    And the best way to get in touch with them was obviously through games, a ce where they

    wouldn''t be easily spotted.

    Rick looked at his watch and said, "There''s no point in continuing this dinner anymore. I happen to

    have something to deal with at thepany too. Let''s just wind it up after we have made ourselves

    clear."

    "Sure," Caleb nodded haughtily. "Give me the information I want."

    "They''re all here." Braden only came to deliver the document.

    The document contained all the details about Zoe and Peter since they were born.

    Caleb reached out and took the document. He flipped through it for a moment before closing it. "I''ll

    read it when I reach home. I''ll ask the chef to continue serving dishes. Since I''ve already paid the

    bill, I won''t disturb you all now. I''ll excuse myself first."

    "Caleb." Kendall looked up at him worriedly.

    "Caleb? Now you know that I''m your brother? You didn''t even help me just now." Caleb''s animosity

    for his little sister was clearly written on his face.

    Then, he left, not even sparing a nce at Kendall.

    This time, Kendall felt deeply wronged. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to help Caleb, but that she

    couldn''t. Rick didn''t want her to help him either. Moreover, Rick had already helped him. The more

    Kendall thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Her eyes started to well.

    "Just ignore him." Rick walked to her side and ced his hand on the top of her head. "We have

    received quite a lot of information today. It seems like Caleb and Avery could never see eye to eye,

    we..."

    "Why does Avery have to make up with that guy?" Braden asked as he sat down opposite Rick and

    hinted at him with his gaze.

    Rick was stunned. He fell silent for a while, then pursed his lips and said, "Avery making peace with

    the Stevens Family will bring us more benefits."

    "Why do you need so much money? How many wives do you n on having?"

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    "What are you talking about?" Kendall was already sad. So, when she heard that, she felt even

    sadder.

    Bradenughed sheepishly and said, "Did I say something wrong?"

    As he spoke, he looked down at his phone and noticed that the red dot on it had disappeared.

    Only then did he curse, "This rascal Caleb is so d*mn wicked. If it weren''t for my intelligence, you

    guys would be dead already. This isn''t the correct way to y with him."

    "Sorry," Rick apologized.

    "Brother- in-w, please don''t apologize to me. You''re making me shy. Just treat me to a good

    meal."

    Rick smiled helplessly and said, "Okay. I''ll buy you whatever you want to eat."

    Kendall was a little confused. It was Anne who couldn''t stand it and told Kendall that Braden had

    said that because he knew Caleb hadn''t gone far. He wasn''t really picking a bone with her and Rick.

    Only then did Kendall feel at ease.

    By then, she had already contacted Sheryl and Olive. "I''m already full. Should we leave first?"

    "All right," Rick replied. "It just so happens that we''re the outsiders here."

    "Howe? You are my dearest brother-inw." Braden grinned widely. "How happy it is that we''re

    all here together. I think it''s Kendall who wants to leave and eat cakes, right?"

    "That''s not true!" Kendall''s ears were all red because she had actually wanted to go out and eat

    cakes. Rick had also said that he would take her there. Although she was afraid of the fishpeople,

    she really wanted to have cakes.

    Braden wanted to continue teasing her, but Shane spoke, "Take her to wherever she wants to go. If

    something happens, you''d better not go out."

    Rick frowned and asked, "Is it that serious?"

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402

    If things were not serious, Braden and Anne would not havee to the hotel with wounds all over

    without treating them first. Shane was very clear about that, and he also knew that Rick wouldn''t

    understand this bond between them, so he reminded him without going into details.

    However, Rick was Braden''s brother-inw, after all, so he decided to point it out, "Rick, if things are

    not serious, will Anne and I rush over looking like this?"

    "I''m sorry." Rick massaged his eyebrows. "A lot has been going inside my mind these days. I''m not

    sure how I can help. But if you need anything, just call me. I''ll leave with Kendall first."

    "Bye bye." Braden waved at him.

    As soon as Rick and Kendall left, Braden immediately sat down. He removed the wrapping paper of

    the chopsticks and started eating. The dishes were quite delicious, but his hand was injured, so it

    was somewhat inconvenient for him to move. His movements were very sluggish too. "Initially, I

    wanted to go to the hospital to find a private doctor first. But there is one thing that I have to tell you

    in person."

    "Say it."

    "Christopher has a fishpeople who works for him, and he''s the mastermind behind this incident. I

    suspect that he''s pressuring you guys to take action. Otherwise, he''d destroy Emerson Corporation.

    After all, thepany is a product of Charlotte''s parents'' painstaking effort. She wouldn''t just sit by

    and do nothing, so..." Braden shrugged and continued, "I just want to tell you as soon as possible

    so that you won''t fall into a trap." "How much money is required to take down Emerson Corporation

    through illegal means?"

    "Around one billion dors, I guess." Braden kept shoving food into his mouth and said

    nonchntly, "Emerson Corporation is worthless, so it''s not hard to acquire it through Short sale.

    But the problem is that if we really acquire it, Christopher will be able to achieve his goal."

    Shane remained silent.

    Anne, who was beside, added, "Moreover, one billion dors is only a conservative estimate. I

    calcted it on the way here. If the value rises, it will be a loss."

    "I''ll take care of this. You guys keep an eye on Charlotte, don''t let her go overboard," Shane said as

    he picked up his suit jacket and draped it over his shoulders. Only when he was about to find his car

    key did he remember that Charlotte had taken it.

    Braden tossed his car key to him. "Here, use mine."

    "Thank you."

    "Brothers don''t need to thank each other." Braden arched his eyebrows at him and said, "You can

    use it for the next few days. Anne and I will travel to the neighboring city to look into the fishpeople

    incident these two days. We just want to go on a trip for a little while."

    "Be careful."

    "Don''t worry. I won''t put my wife in danger."

    Shane nodded and left.

    Only Braden and Anne were left in the once noisy private room.

    When Braden almost finished his meal, he opened a pack of wet tissue and wiped the corner of his

    lips. "Should we go to the bar or go home now?"

    "You''re already injured, yet you''re still thinking about the bar?" Anne rolled her eyes slightly and

    took out her phone to call the butler toe and pick them up. "Let''s go back and clean our

    wounds first. Well talk about the bar another day."

    "All right."

    After Braden responded, he cleaned the blood on his face with a wet tissue. Soon, the white wet

    tissue was dyed scarlet by the blood, and he picked up another new tissue. His face only became

    cleaner after using three wet tissues in a row.

    Braden took out his phone and opened the front camera. Looking at himself, who was covered with

    wounds, he sighed.

    It was too hard to live a peaceful life these days.

    Of course, Charlotte did not take Peter and Zoe to thepany.

    At this point, even if she went to thepany, she wouldn''t be able to find something useful. So,

    she brought Peter and Zoe to Avery''s studio instead.

    Because Olive and Sheryl had to attend sses, Avery did not stay at home most of the time.

    Instead, he stayed at his studio. He moved his homeputer, which was worth more than ten

    thousand dors, and his main device to his studio. He even set up numerous overseas servers to

    connect to his devices. With these servers, he could enjoy high inte speed and browse any

    website he wanted, even if they were blocked by firewalls.

    When Avery saw that the three of them hade together and that Charlotte''s expression was

    rather serious, he thought about how to lighten up the mood. So, he teased, "What happened? Did

    Caleb bully you today?"

    "No, something happened," Charlotte said as she sat down on the sofa opposite him. The dazzling

    cyberpunk decoration on the wall illuminated her face with a blue-violet glow, making her appear

    especially glum. "The fishpeople reappeared, and they are going to attack the masses and Emerson

    Corporation."

    "How could that happen? Haven''t we already settled the issue back then?" Avery frowned.

    Charlotte smiled bitterly.

    If she had known how things had turned out this way, she would not havee here.

    Avery immediately straightened his back and started working on hisputer. After finding a record

    of a surveince camera, his expression turned solemn. "Indeed. They have done something to the

    car. I have already contacted the police and asked them to investigate it. As for us, the best thing

    we can do is to contact the fishpeople and see if we can solve the problem with money. If we can''t,

    then this might turn into a tragedy."

    "I''ve already warned people on the Inte," Charlotte said with a sigh. "It''s all my fault. Ifst time

    I..." "Don''t me yourself." Avery patted her head. "You''ve already done a good job. It''s all because

    of these disgusting people. Peter, don''t just stand there. Come and take my ce. Lottie and Zoe,

    follow me upstairs to get the USB and theptop we need. Let''s prepare to stay up all night today."

    It was not easy to stay up all night.

    Zoe was the first to fall asleep. She copsed on the sofa before 3 am. Peter stayed up until 5 am,

    while Charlotte kept pouring herself coffee to stay up until 7 am.

    However...

    No matter how much coffee she drank, it couldn''t get rid of her fatigue.

    Charlotte sighed, "We''ve only found less than one-third of the information we''ve expected. At this

    rate, it''ll take us at least three days. But now, we don''t even have three days."

    "Don''t worry. It''s fine as long as we can find the leader. But even if we can''t, that''s our fate."

    He might be right. That was our fate.

    Around 8 am, Charlotte really couldn''t hold on anymore and fell asleep on the sofa. In a daze, she

    felt like someone had picked her up. She didn''t know how long it took until she suddenly felt the soft

    andfortable bed under her body. She couldn''t be more familiar with the scent of the

    surroundings.

    It seemed to feel like...home?

    Charlotte was so shocked that she immediately opened her eyes.

    This design and decoration... She was at home!

    Charlotte immediately got off the bed and searched for Shane. Finally, she found him in the

    bathroom.

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    He was standing in front of the mirror, cleaning up his stubble.

    "You brought me back from Avery''s ce? When? Why didn''t you wake me up?" Charlotte suddenly

    had a lot of questions to ask.

    "Well, I saw that you were sleeping soundly." Shane nced at her and said, "Go change clothes.

    It''s cold."

    "I don''t feel cold yet. I''ll change it after I make up my mind. I''m still sleepy." Charlotte yawned as she

    spoke. She turned on the tap next to him and started brushing her teeth. "Shane, did Avery give you

    any information? We''ve been busy the entire night, and in the end..."

    She didn''t even want to talk about the result.

    It was not that she didn''t get anything done, but she didn''t manage to retrieve any important

    information. And that made her feel extremely dispirited.

    This was even worse than chicken ribs. They could at least throw away chicken ribs. But they

    definitely couldn''t bear to discard the information they had discovered, and it wouldn''t even be

    helpful if they put it to use. If Charlotte were to start investigating the people involved in the case

    based on yesterday''s information, it wouldn''t be too strange for her to find nothing in the end.

    "Peter sent me." Shane paused for a while and continued, "I''ll go with youter."

    He wanted to go to Avery''s ce too?

    Was it to search for information?

    Charlotte was confused. "Didn''t you always say that this kind of thing is a waste of time? You would

    rather read books..."

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403

    "You guys are too slow atpiling. I can speed it up. All you need to do is send me the info,"

    Shane said as he closed the book in his hands. "Also, I''m not reading. I''m preparing for the

    postgraduate exam."

    "Post...graduate?" Charlotte almost thought that something was wrong with her hearing.

    "Yes. I''ve been preparing for the postgraduate exam during this period of time."

    Charlotte didn''t know how she fell asleep. But she probably fell asleep after being startled by

    Shane.

    When she woke up the next day, she was still in a daze.

    By the time she arrived at Avery''s house, Charlotte was still in a blurry state. On the one hand, she

    knew that Shane had quite a few degree certificates. On the other hand, she thought that Shane

    was taking a break from work during this period of time, but he ended up saying that he was

    preparing for the postgraduate exam. Charlotte was instantly bewildered when she heard that. She

    thought that Shane no longer cared about these things anymore.

    No, it was not necessarily these things. It was...

    Forget it. Her mind was in chaos, and she had no idea what she was thinking or doing.

    Avery took hisptop and connected it to the Wifi. He took out a few small printers and ced them

    aside. "If you need to print something, just use this one."

    "Alright." Charlotte took one and linked it to herptop.

    Shane took hisptop and connected it to his keyboard and mouse. After the screen lit up, he linked

    hisptop to the printer. He did not speak, as if he had shifted into work mode.

    After a while, Peter and Zoe also came over. Rick and Kendall arrived half an hourter too.

    However, Kendall had never participated in these investigations. She was always gaming alone in

    the corner.

    They had been busy for the whole day.

    "I''m sleepy." Rick massaged his temples and said, "Avery, do you have coffee?"

    "Do you want to nap for a while?" Avery was worried about him.

    Before Rick could answer, Shane said lightly, "Sleep more when you can. You won''t know when''s

    the next time you''ll open your eyes."

    What?

    Everyone was stunned. Rick blinked in shock before asking, "Shane, I think you meant, I won''t

    know when''s the next time I''ll close my eyes."

    "Open your eyes."

    "Are you cursing me?" Rick said with a smirk. It was true that he had a good temper, but it didn''t

    mean that he wouldn''t care about being cursed. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to walk

    towards Shane.

    "If you don''t sleep, you won''t be able to open your eyes in the future," Shane said calmly as he

    typed away on the keyboard.

    "You!"

    Rick stopped walking and sighed helplessly.

    He didn''t even know how to refute him. After all, no matter how his words sounded, Shane was only

    worried about him.

    "It''s time to sleep. It''s already past 3 am." Avery looked at his watch and said, "I have plenty of

    rooms here. You can sleep in any one of them. They''re all the same."

    "All right."

    Rick took Kendall upstairs.

    "So they''re sleeping together now?" It was Peter who spoke. Although it was not the right thing to

    discuss with your bosses, he was really curious

    about it.

    What stage in a rtionship were Rick and Kendall at?

    "Maybe." Avery sat down beside Peter and looked at hisputer screen. "I just looked through the

    data you collected. Most of them are rted to Christopher. Do you have any opinions?"

    "Yes, I think this has something to do with Christopher. Since you all didn''t want to investigate him, I

    did it." Peter said as he tapped on the backspace key, "Look at this data. Christopher will transfer a

    sum of money from NC every month to a public organization that''s helping the fishpeople."

    Avery nodded thoughtfully.

    Charlotte''s voice rang out from the other side, "It''s not that I don''t suspect Christopher. I just feel

    that if no one else is suspected of cooperating with him, then this incident must have something to

    do with him. If so, we''d better finish the Stevens Family as fast as we can. And about that, we will

    return to Peter''s question."

    Peter''s question.

    About Rick and Kendall.

    Avery looked at Charlotte. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Why do you care so much about Rick

    and his girlfriend?"

    "I personally think that you''d better not look down on love." Charlotte said, "Of course, you shouldn''t

    look down on the power of a girl who''s caught between family love and romantic love."

    "If that''s the case, why don''t we split into two groups to investigate? I''ll be with Peter, and you''ll be

    with Shane."

    "All right."

    However...

    Who knew what Shane was investigating?

    Avery walked to Shane''s side and noticed that he was actually investigating Caleb. Then, Avery

    sighed, "You and Charlotte really are a family."

    Shane didn''t even pay attention to him as he continued typing on the keyboard.

    Fine.

    He was only unnecessary.

    Avery returned to his desk, feeling down. As he looked at how Charlotte leaned against Shane and

    how Peter was beside Zoe, loneliness welled up in his heart.

    How nice would it be if only she were still alive?

    Upstairs.

    Rick noticed that there were a lot of rooms, and it was enough for everyone to have a room each.

    He pointed to the opposite door and said, "You can choose a room to sleep in."

    "Can''t I sleep with you? I''m afraid of being alone in an unfamiliar ce. It''s okay if I''m home..."

    Kendall instantly ran up to him and held his arm. "Rick, I want to sleep with you. Can I?"

    Rick was silent.

    About that.

    Rick had always had a headache about that.

    He was afraid of inconvenience. And it would be very inconvenient for them to sleep together

    because it didn''t make sense to exchange their sleeping quality for a seemingly sweet snuggling

    session.

    If they wanted to hug and lean against each other, they could do it after they had woken up.

    "Rick, I only want a small section of the bed, just like how you allowed me to sleep next to you

    before."

    "That was because you had a fever back then," Rick said helplessly.

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    "But I''m afraid of being alone here. Rick, just let me go in with you. I really won''t disturb your sleep."

    Rick slightly frowned and looked at her with a hint of frustration. "Kendall, are you really sure that

    you''re afraid? Or do you just want to stay beside me?"

    "I... "

    Kendall suddenly didn''t know how to answer that.

    Of course she wanted to stay by his side. She was already an adult now. Even if she was afraid,

    she was certainly not that afraid. It was still possible for her to ovee it by herself, but she did

    not want to. She just wanted to stay by his side.

    When Rick saw that she was silent, he instantly knew what she was thinking. He opened the door

    first and noticed that the bed was spacious, and there was a sofa and a television. So, he sighed

    and said, "Forget it, you cane in. If it doesn''t work out, I''ll sleep on the sofa."

    "I won''t disturb you!"

    Kendall was overjoyed and went into the room with him.

    This room was huge indeed.

    It might be around 90 square meters. If it was located in another ce, this room could be sold

    alone as a house. But in Avery''s house, there were at least ten rooms like this on a single floor.

    "Avery seems to be very rich." Kendall looked at the decorations and picked up a candlestick."This

    is a product of an interior designpany from G Country. If not mistaken, thispany has

    existed for 337 years and is one of the best interior designpanies in the world."

    "You seem to know a lot." Rick took off his coat and turned to look at her. "What else do you know?"

    "I know a little about luxuries and design. As for other things, I might not know that much. For

    example, I can only tell that the price of this carpet is about 3,000 dors per square meter, but I

    don''t know the brand or which factory it came from," Kendall answered.

    She had never thought of that as an amazing talent. Countless people in the circle were better at

    distinguishing luxury goods than her.

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404

    Rick looked at the carpet and thought, he really had no idea how much it cost. But Kendall''s skill

    was quite interesting. He said, "I can help you establish apany specializing in the

    rmendations and evaluations of these. If you''re interested, you can start anytime. This way,

    you can use your energy on something else."

    "You... Are you tired of me being by your side?" Feeling sad, Kendall said, "Rick, don''t kick me

    away, okay?"

    " I once said that I would set Jane Corporation aside and go on a vacation. By then, we would need

    a stable source of ie, just in case."

    "But you don''t have extra time or energy to start a newpany. If I''m good enough to manage the

    company you mentioned, we can work while traveling. We''ll have enough money, time, and

    energy..." Kendall was a little tempted, but she was also afraid of leaving Rick.

    Rick nodded and said, "Yes. Jane Corporation''s Law Department had set up a subsidiarypany

    two days ago. You should know about that. Jane Corporation now has its ownw firm."

    "I know that."

    "So, the office on the 27th floor will be vacated. When the timees, I will renovate it. You and

    your team will move there. I will be the legal person of thepany, and you will be the CEO. Then,

    I will grant you my right as a legal person to set up apany that has nothing to do with Jane

    Corporation. In this way, as long as we don''t get married, our ie and shares will be entirely

    unrted to Jane Corporation." Rick had everything nned out in a split second.

    Kendall admired his idea. But at the same time, she was a little unsure. "If we suffer a loss, I..."

    "It''ll be fine."

    After saying that, Rick walked into the bathroom. He really didn''t care much about profits and

    losses. He had enough money for her to squander, as long as she had this skill.

    Kendall hesitated for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, she rushed into the bathroom.

    Rick had just taken off his clothes and turned on the shower. He was standing with his back facing

    the door. The water flowed down along the perfect lines of his body. Kendall was stunned at the

    sight and covered her eyes. "Ri-Rick, I want to ask you, are you sure you want to give us so much

    money? Do you really think that I can do it?"

    There was no answer for a long time. Kendall slowly uncovered her eyes and saw that Rick was

    looking at her with a speechless expression. "Kendall, I want to take a shower."

    "What''s up with that?" Kendall was really unhappy to see him covering his body here and there.

    "You are my boyfriend. Is there anything wrong with this?"

    "Wouldn''t you think that it''s an offense if I did that to you all of a sudden?"

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    "Then, do you want to see it?"

    Looking at Kendall''s innocent eyes, Rick really didn''t know what to say. He sighed in irritation.

    "Kendall."

    Kendall was actually a little angry.

    He had clearly started to care about her, but he still kept a distance from her. His kisses were not

    deep, and his hugs were only small hugs. She had wanted to take their rtionship to another

    stage many times, but he never said anything about it. Even now, he was already so freaked out

    when she looked at his body.

    Was she a monster?

    Feeling down, Kendall''s hands began to move as well.

    Rick turned his head, his gaze no longer on her.

    "Kendall, listen to me, go out."

    "I want to take a shower, too."

    Rick did not expect Kendall to be so bold. He extended his hand behind him and shook her off. "You

    are a girl. Why can''t you be a little more careful of your behavior?" His tone sounded harsh.

    Kendall fell and sat on the ground. Her knees were kneeling on the cold ceramic tiles. The water

    was warm, but it felt cold when it fell on her body, just like Rick. He was gentle to everything, but his

    gentleness felt cold when it touched her body. Or perhaps, in his heart, she could never upy a

    small space of love no matter what.

    She wiped her face carelessly. Her tears came rushing down at once.

    She said with a sob, "I am shameless. I don''t care if I acted that way. I am cheap and inferior. I only

    hope that I can stay by your side. Even if I have to be a cat or a dog, like a pet, I just want to stay

    with you and want you to spare another nce at me. I had never expected you to love me, but you

    made me feel loved. We are all greedy and selfish..."

    "If you hadn''t treated me so well, I wouldn''t have had such expectations of you. Rick, you''ve been

    so kind to me. Why can''t you..."

    Her shoulders were shaking, and she looked so delicate and fragile. Rick''s heart was softened at

    the sight of that.

    Rick massaged his temples and said, "Kendall, I''ve told you many times about why I kept you by my

    side. If you''re having delusions because I treated you too well, from today on, I can treat you like

    how I did before this. If you ept that, you can continue to stay with me. But if you don''t, you can

    leave."

    Leave?

    Where else could she go?

    Kendall lifted her head and looked at Rick. Her eyes were filled with confusion and despair. "Rick,

    where can I go if I leave you?"

    "That''s your business." His attitude was cold.

    "You''re so nice to me because you want to calm me down and not to hurt me? Isn''t it because you

    like me?"

    He did not hate her.

    But that was under the condition that she would not cross the line.

    He did not have that kind of feeling towards her. To put it bluntly, even if she stood in front of him

    now and did something out of line, he would not respond to it at all. He kept her around for a

    purpose, for the sake of responsibility. Other than that, he could give her nothing else.

    This had always been a tacit understanding between the two of them. Why did she have to break it

    today?

    "No." Rick decided to give a rtively cruel answer. "Whether I like you or not, you should be very

    clear about that yourself."

    Kendall stood up stiffly. Her eyes were red from crying. She threw herself into Rick''s arms and said,

    "Then I''ll make you like me."

    He didn''t like her and didn''t respond to her, but it didn''t mean that he could stand her sh*t.

    Rick closed his eyes. He did not have any intention of responding to her.

    "If you say I''m shameless, then I''ll be shameless to the maximum. Rick, I don''t regret it."

    What was she going to do?

    Before Rick had time to react, he could tell what she was doing.

    "Kendall!" Rick looked at the woman in front of him in disbelief.

    She sobbed and said, "Rick, if I can''t be your woman in this life, I''d rather die."

    Had she gone mad?

    Rick wanted to leave, but when she saw the blood on her body, he was stunned.

    It was not her who was crazy, it should be him.

    He was insane to tell her that he didn''t like her and provoked her to do such a crazy thing.

    He clearly knew how much she loved him, and he knew that she had always risked everything to be

    with him. It was not surprising at all that she did such a thing. It was him who was crazy. It was him.

    "Kendall." He hugged her. "Can you stand up?"

    She didn''t know.

    She probably couldn''t stand up now.

    Kendall shook her head. The ice- cold water trickled down her hair andnded on her body. She

    shuddered. Her entire body went limp, and she fell to her knees.

    Rick gritted his teeth. "Kendall?"

    "It hurts," she thought.

    Kendally with her cheek on the floor.

    If only the water could reach her nose and drown her just like that.

    That way, Rick would definitely regret saying that he did not like her.

 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405

    After all, she was his girlfriend. Rick still felt sorry for her. So, he carried her out of the bathroom.

    Kendall kept shaking, but she did not dare to move. All the nerves in her body were snapped. Her

    eyes were hollow as she gripped the sheets, and her teeth had left a bloody mark on her lips. "Rick,

    look, you still feel sorry for me. You care about me, don''t you?"

    However, Rick did not pay attention to her at all. He turned sideways and pressed on her shoulders,

    keeping a distance from her. The pain she felt was mixed with an inexplicable emptiness.

    Kendall immediately moved closer to him. He was dodging her, so she tried harder.

    "Ouch!" Kendall burst into tears.

    "Are you crazy?" Rick grabbed her shoulders firmly and said, "If you keep acting like this, I''ll send

    you to the hospital tomorrow!"

    "Let''s break up tomorrow..."

    Kendall muttered to herself.

    What?

    Rick thought he must have heard wrong.

    Suddenly, Kendall decided to leave him. She threw herself off the bed and dragged herself away

    from him. She tugged at the quilt but felt that it was no longer necessary. Because no matter what,

    she had already be a disgusting person in his heart.

    "Let''s break up! Don''t you want to get rid of me? I''ve already thought it through. I''m not cheap

    anymore, and I will not follow you around anymore." When she said that, she did not dare to look at

    him, for she was afraid that she would waver if she saw the slightest trace of reluctance in his eyes.

    "Are you sure?" Rick''s tone remained the same.

    To him, losing her was indeed a problem. He would have a hard time exining it to Shane and

    Charlotte, whereas Avery and Braden''s n might be leaked to the Stevens Family by Kendall. But

    to him, personally, he wouldn''t have to take care of her feelings from now on and wouldn''t have to

    spend time with someone he didn''t like. He had never enjoyed spending time taking care of her and

    taking her out to have fun.

    The reason why he said that he liked her was most likely because he didn''t bear to give up on the

    time he had devoted.

    The lost time had made him force himself to ept her.

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    At least that was what he thought.

    "I''m sure."

    Kendall''s voice quivered but sounded extremely resolute.

    Suddenly, she lifted her head and stared at Rick. "I want to break up with you..."

    She finally understood that he would not feel reluctant. When she left him, he would only light up

    firecrackers and celebrate. And just like in the past, he would work, sleep, and eat every day. No

    matter how sad and desperate she was, his mood would be as calm as the surface of the water,

    without any ups and downs.

    Just like how she had risked everything a moment ago, but he only wanted to flee from her.

    "It''s up to you."

    After saying that, Rick walked into the bathroom again.

    Kendall looked at him in misery as he walked away. Only after a long time did she finally stand up.

    On her way to the door, she stumbled and fell several times, but she did not cry out in pain. She left

    from one room to another, then took out her pajamas and put them on. Then she slid into the

    nket and went to sleep.

    She cried softly as she held on to the edge of the nket.

    Initially, she didn''t want to break up with him. She had wanted to tell him that she was a maniac, a

    maniac who loved him only.

    When Rick came out of the bathroom and found that Kendall was no longer there, he frowned and

    ignored it. He nned to sleep after he had finished cleaning up the mess. After all, he was worn

    out.

    However...

    As soon as hey down, he saw a blotch of zing red.

    Stunned, he reached out and touched it.

    As she grew from a girl to ady and a woman, Kendall had always cared about him with all her

    heart. He couldn''t force himself to be brutal toward her, and that was why he kept her by his side.

    But in the end, not only did he hurt her, but he also wasted his time.

    Perhaps he should have been more heartless from the very beginning.

    Rick sighed and ignored the bloodstain. Hey down on the bed and closed his eyes.

    The next day.

    Kendall got up early in the morning. She had wanted to drive away secretly, but she saw that

    Charlotte was still in the living room. So, she walked downstairs nervously.

    "Uhm, Charlotte..."

    Charlotte had just woken up. She didn''t have the habit of sleeping during the day, so she woke up

    soon after dawn.

    Seeing Kendall walk down in her pyjamas, she joked, "Did you sleep well with Rick yesterday?"

    "I broke up with him."

    "Is it because he failed to satisfy your needs?" Charlotte teased as she patted her head. "Don''t say

    angry words. You have to be more patient with the people you like."

    "He likes you so much. So, why can''t you find a way to like him?" Kendall asked with her head hung

    low.

    "Yeah, he does like me. But he loves himself more."

    "I want to love myself a little more, too."

    "You''re different from me. Do you have any other goals after leaving Rick?" Charlotte continued to

    caress her hair. "Honestly, Kendall, I''m very envious of your absolute courage to love and hate. So

    even when I hated you the most, I onlymented over why you would be nice to me when you want

    to and extremely cruel to me when you said you wanted to p me."

    "I''m sorry, I..."

    "I''m not ming you. I just want to say that you treated me that way because I''m not that important

    to you. But it might be different in Rick''s case."

    Kendall bit her lip and shook her head.

    Charlotte stopped trying to advise her. She put down her hand and said, "It''s not really elegant for

    you to go out like this. This is my windbreaker. You can wear it and leave."

    "Thank you."

    "Is there anything else you want to say to Rick?"

    "I''m going home to pack my luggage first. Can you help me to distract him for a little bit? I''m afraid

    I''ll be reluctant to leave if I see him."

    "All right."

    Shortly after Kendall left, Rick went downstairs.

    He saw Charlotte at first nce and walked to her side, "Have you seen..."

    "She has already gone home to pack her luggage and even told me to distract you for a while. She

    said she was afraid that she wouldn''t want to leave once she sees you. It''s not toote to chase

    after her now. This is the key to Shane and my car." Charlotte took out the key from her pocket and

    passed it to Rick.

    Rick took the key but did not move.

    "If you don''t go now, she''ll reach home soon."

    "If I break up with her, will it affect your n?"

    Charlotte raised her eyebrows and said, "Rick, I really didn''t realize that you''re an a*shole. You''ve

    been dating her for so long, and you''re just going to dump her like that?"

    Dump?

    Before yesterday, he had never touched her at all.

    Rick only smiled bitterly and said, "This is why I don''t want to be with her."

    In the end, he still took the key and left. Just like what Charlotte said, he had to take responsibility

    for Kendall, even if he never wanted to sleep with him.

    Charlotte was stunned.

    Rick had actually been a gentleman for such a long time?

    Such a pro.

    If only Shane were half like him, she might have been abroad with Sheryl by now.

    Charlotte was lost in her thoughts as she put the cocoa powder into her milk.

    If Kendall really returned to the Stevens Family, would she betray them? That was indeed a

    problem.

    On the other side...

    Kendall returned to Rick''s house. She looked around the house that brought back memories and

    cried while she packed her clothes. Her hands were really fast, as if she was rushing for time.

    Rick arrived downstairs. But he didn''t get off the car after he parked it.

    He stared nkly at the rattan chair on the balcony of the second floor. He recalled the times when

    he had to work overtime at thepany and Kendall had to go home and y games because she

    was bored. Kendall would sit there every day. She even caught a cold several times because of

    that. He had reminded her many times, but she never listened and only bought a small nket

    online.

    She would fall asleep there every time and wait for him to carry her back to her room.

    Rick massaged his temples.

    At that moment, Kendall came out with her suitcase. Before she could take a few steps, her legs

    went limp, and she mmed into the wall.

    She seemed to be stunned by herself. So, she leaned against the wall for a long time before finally

    crying out loud.

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406

    Rick was shocked. He immediately opened the car door and walked towards Kendall. Kendall was

    sitting on the steps, crying. She did not notice him walking over. When she regained her senses,

    she was already tightly wrapped in his embrace.

    "Are you stupid?" His tone was soft. He ced his lips at the corner of her forehead and said,

    "Kendall, let''s not break up, okay?"

    "I won''t go back to the Stevens Family. No one there likes me anyway." She whispered, "You don''t

    have to worry about me betraying you guys because I can''t even remember what you guys have

    said. Rick, you don''t have to force yourself to like me. Those things that you''re worried about won''t

    happen, so you don''t have to ask me to stay because of that."

    "Have you really decided? Even if I want you to stay, you wouldn''t..."

    Kendall directly interrupted him, "I don''t want to listen. I don''t want to listen, Rick. Please stop

    talking. I can forget about what happenedst night if I leave you. If I stay with you, I''ll have to

    convince myself that you will like me. You were just angered by my impulsiveness."

    "Kendall, I apologize for what happenedst night."

    "And?"

    Rick was speechless.

    Yes, he could apologize and make up for it, and?

    He still had no feelings for her, and he was still wasting a lot of time searching for their nonexistent

    eternity.

    "Rick, I don''t think it''s possible for us in this lifetime. But I would like to be your sister in my next life.

    Then, I can quarrel with you without worrying if you''ll hate me. Even if you really hate me, I will still

    force you to like me because I''m your sister," Kendall said and kissed Rick on the lips. "I''ll go first."

    She stood up unsteadily and walked away while crying.

    Rick took a deep breath and clenched his fists. He got up, looked at her back, and said in a hoarse

    voice, "Where are you going? I''ll drive you there."

    Not only did Kendall not turn around, but she also didn''t stop walking and continued forward.

    "Kendall."

    He called her name.

    She still kept walking.

    Rick ran up to her and grabbed her wrist.

    "Kendall."

    Kendall froze for a moment, but then she shook off his hand. This time, she didn''t cry. Because her

    legs were still hurting, she hopped a few times when she walked away, just like the first time she

    went to look for him at hispany. Her ankles were scraped when she fell, so her posture was a

    little unusual.

    You see.

    Rick asked her to stay, walked up to grab her hand, and said that he would drive her, but he didn''t

    even notice that she was injured.

    He kept saying that as long as she stayed with him, he would give her everything. But he didn''t

    even know where she was injured.

    "Don''t do yourself wrong," she said in her head.

    As Kendall thought about that, she started to smile.

    Watching her walk away, Rick''s heart ached. He slowly walked towards his car and got into it. He

    took out his phone and looked at the dot on the map as it moved farther and farther away from him.

    Finally, it stopped at the subway entrance.

    Kendall''s social circle was extremely small. Where could she go?

    When Rick returned to Avery''s vi, Peter had already discovered the direct clue proving that it was

    Christopher who had gathered the fishpeople so that they could acquire more benefits and

    resources through this method.

    "Vo, did you lose your tail?" When Avery saw that Rick had returned alone, he arched his eyebrows

    and said," I didn''t even believe Charlotte when she told me that Kendall had broken up with you.

    Why? Did it finally dawn on her that she doesn''t need a scumbag like you?"

    Rick silently returned to his seat and sat down. "Now that we finally have a conclusion, just tell me

    what you need me to do. Jane Corporation and I will give everything we''ve got."

    "Nothing much. I just want you to schedule a meeting with Caleb. However, judging from the current

    situation, it''s a little difficult. So, I n to get Braden to do it. You don''t have to be there on that day.

    Of course, I won''t go either. Charlotte and Shane will take care of the rest."

    "Ask Caleb to deal with Christopher?" Rick asked.

    "Of course we''re going to finish the Stevens Family first so that we can deal with Christopherter.

    Hence, you''d better keep an eye on your tail."

    Tail.

    Rick took out his phone.

    The red dot on the screen had disappeared.

    He had asked someone to look into it on his way here. Kendall had sold her phone cheaply to a

    store owner and bought a new phone, as well as a new phone card afterward. Moreover, she did

    not even buy it with her name. And because it was a random phone card, even the store owner

    didn''t know her exact phone number.

    It seemed like she was really determined to leave him.

    Rick smiled bitterly and said, "Does it have anything to do with me even if she''s dead now?"

    "Are you really willing to let her go?"

    "Do you not know who''s the one who got dumped?"

    "It was true that she dumped you, but it''s not because she doesn''t love you." Avery found it funny.

    "You couldn''t bring her back because you don''t love her at all. You know this better than anyone

    else."

    Irritated, Rick ruffled his hair and said, "If there''s nothing else, I''ll go back and rest first."

    "All right."

    Avery patted him on the shoulder and said, "Think carefully. If you really want to find her, will it be

    that difficult?"

    Rick kept thinking about whether he should look for Kendall on the way home.

    Avery was right. It was really easy for him to find Kendall.

    But what was the point of that?

    Nothing.

    The n to finish the Stevens Family came ahead of schedule.

    It was probably because they were really afraid that Kendall would leak their n. Rick would

    receive messages from Avery every day, telling him that they were in action. When he saw that the

    Stevens Family''s resources were decreasing little by little, he thought that Kendall would call him,

    but she did not. After he heard that the Stevens Family had announced the end of all their local

    business, she still did not call him.

    When Rick finished his meeting, he went back to his office as usual. As soon as he sat down, he

    received a message from his assistant.

    The Stevens Family was done.

    Avery was under arrest.

    "What happened? Why did it happen so fast?" Rick immediately shot up from his seat. Why did he

    know nothing about this?

    "We just received the news too. It seems like Avery has stabbed Caleb, and Caleb is still under

    rescue now. But the Stevens Family has dered bankruptcy. Miss Kendall fainted because she

    was too shocked. She is still in the hospital now..."

    "Which hospital?"

    The assistant quickly told him the address.

    Rick picked up the car keys and rushed out of the office without faltering.

    Along the way, he kept thinking about what he would say when he met her. He could either

    apologize to her or ask her where she had been recently, or...

    Until he arrived at the front of the ward.

    Kendall was lying on the bed. She looked rather pale and weary, not as energetic as she used to

    be.

    Beside him, a guy was walking back and forth, but she didn''t even spare a nce at him. Rick

    hesitated. Instead of pushing open the door in a hurry, he just stood outside.

    "Sis-inw, can you just eat something?" The guy, who was seemingly in his early twenties, was

    feeding fruit to her.

    "I''m not hungry." "If you don''t eat, how can I exin it to boss? Boss said I would need to feed you

    no matter what."

    Kendall was silent.

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    The guy begged her, "Please, eat a little. If bosses in and sees that you aren''t eating anything,

    I will be shredded into pieces. Sis-inw, I beg of you."

    Just as Kendall was about to speak, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the

    person she was most familiar with.

    She looked at him in shock.

    And he was also looking at her.

    She opened her mouth, wanting to call out his name, but she held back. Then she turned her head

    away as if she had never seen him. "Where''s your boss?"

    "He went to see your brother. He''ll be back soon. He..."

    Before the guy could finish, the ward door was opened.

    Kendall looked over.

    Rick was standing beside a tall and sturdy man. They seemed close and were talking andughing

    as they walked inside.

    "How are you feeling?"

    Rick walked to her side and held her hand.

    Kendall froze in disbelief at the sight of Rick''s smile.

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407

    Kendall snapped back to reality and smiled at the man in front of him. "I''m fine, boss."

    "If you''re not feeling well, just tell me, okay?" The man seemed fierce, but his eyes and the way he

    moved were very gentle. He caressed her head and said, "About the Stevens Family''s issues, I will

    try my best to help you solve them. Don''t worry about it."

    "Okay," she replied dutifully.

    The man nced at Rick and got up to leave the ward with the other guy.

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    The room was dead silent.

    Kendall had no intention to exin to Rick, so she pulled the quilt up and turned around, nning to

    sleep.

    "Kendall," Rick called.

    "Besides calling my name, what else can you do?" Kendall''s attitude toward him was even worse

    now. Like she didn''t want to speak to him and hoped that he could die as soon as possible.

    "You like Zayden?"

    "No, but he likes me."

    Rick smiled when he heard her answer. He sat down next to her, looked at her pale face, and

    whispered, "Come back to me, all right?"

    Feeling sad and regretful, he reached out to touch her cheek.

    "Rick, you don''t like seeing me with somebody else, do you?" Kendall pushed away his hand and

    said, "But sorry. I know I can be really shameless when I like someone, but I don''t like you anymore.

    I really don''t want to see you at all."

    "Does it hurt a lot?" He ced his hand on her abdomen.

    She pursed her lips, clueless about what to say.

    "I see that you''ve been frowning all this while. I think it''s probably because Zayden has been

    spending time with many women these days, so he may not have the time to take care of you.

    You..."

    "Are you nuts?" She pushed his hand away once more and said, "I don''t know what''s the

    rtionship between you and Zayden, but I have already broken up with you. And I don''t care if

    Zayden has a lot of women around him. I just want to be with him. Besides, he is very kind to me.

    You don''t have to worry."

    Instead, Rick sped her wrist and responded, "If Zayden really cares about you, he won''t let me

    be alone with you."

    "What does he want from me? A wrecked Stevens Family?" Kendall asked with a sneer.

    "Zayden has already acquired most of Stevens Family''spanies, so you are somewhat correct.

    He needs to use your name toplete the integration. Only in this way can he be more justifiable."

    "I don''t believe it, you..."

    "When I came, he immediately knew that the rumor about us breaking up was fake. That''s why he

    took his man outside. Kendall, if you think he''s good to you, you can tell me how he''s good to you. I

    couldn''t do it, but I''ll learn, okay?" Rick leaned in slowly and kissed her forehead. "I''ve been looking

    for you all this time."

    Kendall looked away.

    She bit her lips. Her feelings were already tangled in a mess.

    Seeing her acting like that, Rick chuckled softly and gently held her in his embrace. "Are you still

    angry? Are you avoiding me because you''re scared that I''ll hurt you again? Or that you''re afraid of

    loving me again?"

    "Let go of me." Her voice started to sound tearful.

    "Zayden doesn''t like you."

    "What about you?" Kendall suddenly turned to face Rick. Her red eyes stared at Rick with intensity.

    "What about you? Do you like me?"

    Rick nodded at her.

    However, Kendall pushed him away. "To Zayden, at least I''m still useful. But to you, I''m just a living

    problem. A problem that you have topromise. You said that you''ve been looking for me all this

    time, then why didn''t youe in immediately? Were you guessing and analyzing my thoughts

    because you saw someone else around me? Or were you thinking about what I''ve been through

    during this period of time?"

    "When you stood there looking at me, you were thinking whether it was worth it to get me back or

    not, weren''t you?"

    "I''m not as rational as you think. I don''t know how to face..."

    "Rick, you''re so smart. You''re incredibly clever. But why don''t you understand? I don''t love you

    anymore. I can''t afford to love you anymore. Even if I want to run towards you, even if I want to

    throw myself into your arms and act cute, I''m already scared."

    Rick lowered his eyes. Suddenly, he stood up and took out his phone from his pocket. "Bring them

    here."

    Kendall had no idea what he was going to do. So, she stared at him warily. "What are you doing?"

    Rick didn''t answer her. A sense of gloominess seemed to loom over him.

    About ten minutester, a group of well-trained bodyguards arrived at the ward.

    "Seize all of Zayden''s men. Take her away," Rick said as he pointed toward Kendall, who was on

    the hospital bed. "Also, arrange for Caleb to be transferred to another hospital after his operation. It

    doesn''t matter if he''s dead or alive."

    "Yes, sir."

    "Move now."

    After saying that, Rick left.

    Kendall was suddenly carried onto a stretcher and sent back to the vi she used to live in.

    The only difference now was that she had several family doctors around her, and many bodyguards

    appeared, standing outside the vi.

    Intuition told her that Rick had held her captive.

    Kendall was not in great danger as she was only traumatized. So when she registered the situation,

    she immediately ran downstairs, demanding to let her go outside. However, these people were

    Rick''s bodyguards, not Rick. Naturally, they would not be gentle with her. Hence, she was covered

    in bruises all over after a while.

    Kendall gritted her teeth and screamed in her head, "I''ll just die here at worst!"

    She braced herself and dashed outside. But this time, nobody stopped her. Just when she was

    suspecting, she ran into a familiar embrace.

    She looked up.

    "You call this keeping an eye on her?" Rick held her shoulders and frowned, looking at the

    bodyguards.

    "We''re sorry, Mr. Jane. We''ll be hit harder next time."

    "Hit harder? Are you trying to turn her into a corpse and lock her in the room?"

    The guard immediately fell silent and bowed deeply at Rick. "I''m sorry, Mr. Jane. We''ve been

    careless. But this person is too annoying. We only used violence because we had no choice."

    "If it happens again, you''ll just wait and die."

    Rick finished his words in a cold tone. He then grabbed Kendall''s arm and brought her upstairs.

    Kendall did not break away.

    It was mainly because.

    She couldn''t believe that Rick would say something like that. She was a little terrified.

    At the hospital, he changed his attitude out of the blue and brought her back to lock her up without

    hesitation.

    What on earth was he trying to do?

    Rick took Kendall to his room and let her sit on the sofa. Then, he went to the storage cab and

    took out the medical kit. He squatted in front of her and treated her wound gently.

    His finger touched her wound. The coldness of it was a little soothing. But then, Kendall shrank

    back and said, "Rick, why did you bring me back? I thought I had made myself very clear, we..."

    "Don''t move." He pressed on her arms and legs.

    "Let go of me." She struggled.

    "It''s not safe outside recently, and the Stevens Family is gone. If you continue to wander outside or

    stay by Zayden''s side, you will only bring trouble to yourself."

    "That''s none of your business."

    "Even if we''re not lovers, you have always listened to me since you were a child. Now that we can''t

    be lovers, you don''t even want to let me be your friend?"

    "Friend?" Kendall thought that word sounded really ironic. She chuckled bitterly and said, "Will your

    friends hold you captive and lock you up? Will your friends let a group of crazy men keep an eye on

    you? I just wanted to go out for a walk. Why did I have to be beaten up like this?"

    She pointed at the wounds on her body andined.

    Rick looked down and said, "I didn''t expect that they would hurt you. It won''t happen again."

    "I used to like you so much, admire you so much, and love you so much. But, what have you given

    me..."

    The more Kendall said, the more heartbreaking she felt.

    Why did he turn a blind eye to her when she wanted his love? And why did he keep pestering her

    when she wanted to escape from him? What on earth did she do wrong to be so cheap and be

    toyed by him like this?

    Rick sighed and took her into his arms. "Kendall, I can change the things about me that you''re not

    satisfied with. Please don''t leave."

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408

    "Change what? Change to love me? Change to like me? Or force yourself to do something that you

    don''t like? Rick, don''t make things difficult for yourself, and don''t make things difficult for me too."

    "Okay, then I won''t change, and I won''t love you either. When it''s over, I''ll let you go."

    Kendall really couldn''t understand. Rick had always been a clear-headed person. How could he be

    so lost when it came to love? She smiled bitterly and said, "Rick, I don''t care who locked me up,

    whether it was Avery, Anne, Braden, or even Shane and Charlotte. Even if they send me to jail, I''m

    okay with that. But you know what? It can''t be you."

    "Kendall." Rick''s expression turned cold. "I did make a mistake that night. I thought I didn''t hurt you.

    But the truth is, everything I did to you was hurting you. I admit it, and I''m willing to pay the price for

    it. But can you give me another chance?"

    "Having been with you for so long, if what I gave you were not chances, then what were they?"

    Kendall blinked. Her eyshes, which looked like butterfly wings, were damp with a thinyer of

    tears. "Rick, don''t you know how much I like you?"

    Rick was silent. When he was about to say something, he saw a wound on her ankle. He leaned

    over, held her ankle, and lifted it to eye level. "What happened to your ankle? When did you hurt

    yourself?"

    "Way back," she said, wanting to pull back her foot.

    "Don''t move. It seems like the wound is notpletely healed. Did you scratch it?"

    Kendall did not speak and only pursed her lips.

    Rick looked at her and shook his head with a sad smile. "You probably got injured when you left me

    or before you left me. To remind yourself how much you hate me and how big of a jerk I am. That''s

    why you keep scratching your wound, right?"

    "Why are you still asking when you already know?" She turned her head away stubbornly. Her eyes

    were red and swollen. "Let me go."

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    "I''m sorry." Rick wrapped gauze around her wound after he sterilized it. "I''ve never expected things

    to turn out this way."

    Rick finished his sentence with a hoarse voice. He then put her leg down and got up, his face pale.

    Because he had been squatting for too long, he felt dizzy and staggered a little. "Kendall, rest well

    in here. Don''t go out for the time being. I won''te here, and I respect your decision. I will exin

    it to you after this."

    Kendall pursed her lips.

    "Charlotte and Shane will be here soon. If you have anything you want to ask, you can ask them."

    Rick left the room in a hurry.

    If Zayden''s appearance was a heavy blow on him, then the wound on her ankle was a shame to

    him. He had never expected that one day he would force a woman who loved him deeply to harm

    herself and remember how much of a bastard he was. He had always thought that he could retain a

    perfect rtionship with everyone. Even with Charlotte, he hadn''t argued with her to the point where

    they wouldn''t talk to each other.

    But when it came to Kendall, he could still choose to hurt her again when she had risked everything

    for him.

    He shouldn''t have.

    Charlotte and Shane rushed to Rick''s house. Charlotte was startled when she saw the bodyguards

    that surrounded the house. She turned sideways and said, "Shane, the fishpeople aren''t a big threat

    to Rick, are they? Isn''t it a bit too much for him to do this?" "I''m afraid it''s not because of the

    fishpeople."

    Not because of the fishpeople...

    Charlotte lifted her head thoughtfully. Suddenly, she thought of someone and said in surprise, "Is it

    because he went to look for Kendall and took her here? Then it makes sense that he called us over.

    Well, this is definitely not because of the fishpeople incident. It''s because of Kendall and the

    Stevens Family."

    "Yes." Shane nodded.

    "But this has nothing to do with us. He should have looked for Avery instead." Charlotte couldn''t

    help but sigh.

    However, the thing was that no one had seen Avery for the past two days. Even Sheryl and Olive

    did not know where he was all day long.

    When Rick saw the two of theming, he got up from the chair and went to greet them. "Kendall

    is upstairs. I invited both of you here to tell her about the current situation. She wouldn''t listen to me

    and kept wanting to go out."

    "Rick, she wouldn''t listen to you because you''re Rick, not because of what happened to the Stevens

    Family." As a very sensible person, Charlotte brutally told him the truth.

    "I know..." Rick sighed. "That''s why I hope the two of you coulde over." "I can help you calm

    Kendall down and let her stay here, and then? I hope you can think about this problem."

    Charlotte said as she walked up the stairs.

    Shane didn''t go upstairs. He was different from Charlotte. Kendall had offended him before, so he

    would never help him. He would never forgive a person who had hurt his girl, even if his girl had

    already chosen to be a saint and forgive her.

    Shane found a seat and sat down. Then, he took out a book as usual. Before he started to read,

    Rick sat down opposite of him.

    Shane raised his eyebrows and put his book away. "It seems like you have something to tell me."

    "What Lottie asked me just now, Kendall had also asked me the same thing before. You know Lottie

    the best. I want to know what exactly they meant?"

    "Your attitude."

    "My attitude?" Rick obviously did not expect those words from Shane.

    "Your attitude towards women decides whether they will trust you or not."

    Rick contemted for a moment and instantly understood what Shane meant.

    Shane was saying that what Kendall and Charlotte meant was not about how he should treat

    Kendall right. Rather, it was about how he should show her the side of him that she liked. The

    attitude she wanted was perhaps his affection, or perhaps something else.

    But what kind of attitude did Kendall expect from him?

    Rick eagerly searched his mind for an answer.

    As soon as Charlotte went upstairs, she saw Kendall sitting in front of the French windows, staring

    at the scenery. She walked over to sit beside Kendall and said, "Rick sent me to talk to you."

    "Lottie." Kendall looked at her helplessly. "You are too straightforward."

    "So you should be straightforward with me too. Do you still love him?"

    Kendall was silent for a while and slowly shook her head. But shortly after, she bit her lips and

    nodded reluctantly.

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. She patted her head and said, "I can understand."

    "You do?"

    "Actually, Rick has always been very nice to you. If possible, give yourself a chance."

    Not to give Rick a chance, but to give herself a chance. Kendall was a little confused. She blinked

    and asked in a soft voice, "What do you mean?"

    Charlotteughed and answered, "Give yourself a chance to pursue happiness. Apart from you,

    Rick doesn''t have any other women by his side. It''s not because he has someone else that he

    doesn''t like you. He doesn''t like you that much because, for so many years, no one has told him

    what love is. That''s why he would avoid it without knowing."

    "How do you know what happened..." Kendall was a little surprised.

    "I don''t know, but I think that''s probably the case. After all, your problems are easy to guess."

    Suddenly, Kendall was struck speechless. She didn''t have the courage to say what happened that

    day...

    However, she really wanted to listen to Charlotte''s analysis.

    After a multitude of considerations.

    Kendall gritted her teeth and said, "I''ll tell you what happened."

    After Kendall finished her story, Charlotte couldn''t even utter a single word. She waspletely

    dumbfounded.

    First, she didn''t expect Kendall to take such a big risk. Second, she didn''t expect Rick to be so

    heartless.

    Neither of them was right nor wrong. Because if such a thing happened, it might go on forever...

    If the same thing happened to her and Shane, she would have taken Sheryl to a foreign ce,

    where even Anne couldn''t find her.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte''s head started to ache.

    After holding it in for a long time, she finally said.

    "Rick, this guy..."

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409

    Kendall looked at Charlotte innocently. "If Shane treated you this way, would you still like him?"

    "I don''t like him right now either," Charlotte replied impatiently. "We are only together because of our

    child."

    "I don''t believe you."

    "Yeah, you''re right. I said this in order tofort you," Charlotte joked.

    "I''ve already given up a lot of things for the sake of liking Rick." Kendall moved closer to Charlotte.

    "Can I put my head on your shoulder?"

    "Okay."

    Kendall leaned gently against Charlotte''s shoulder. She closed her eyes and her nose twitched. She

    said in a low voice, "I never liked anyone else before. I didn''t mean to treat you guys horribly back

    then either. I just loved Rick and wanted to do something for him. But now that I think about it, if I

    had persuaded you to make peace with him at that time, I wouldn''t have given up on him either..."

    Charlotte patted her head gently. "I''ve always treated you as a willful little sister who doesn''t know

    better. In any case, I don''t have any feelings for Rick. Even if you''re really trying to persuade me, I

    won''t go back to him. You don''t have to worry about me. As long as you like him, don''t give up.

    Besides, he''s already agreed to be your boyfriend. If he doesn''t treat you well, you should tell him."

    "But I am afraid that he might hate me."

    "He doesn''t like you anymore. Are you still afraid of him hating you?" Charlotteughed.

    Kendall was confused for a moment, but she nodded her head anyway.

    It was like a person was afraid of snakes and got frightened by ropes. Even if they dispose of any

    rope they stumble upon, they will still run into more. Since there was no way to avoid this situation,

    it was better to throw them into a pit full of snakes. They would either learn to handle the fear or it

    would be even worse. Regardless, the fear was already there and there was no use in

    struggling against it.

    Charlotte apanied Kendall for a while before she went downstairs. Kendall thought for a

    moment and tried to muster up the courage to look for Rick. However, an ice-cold pair of eyes

    appeared in her mind...

    Why was Rick, who was very gentle to everyone, so cruel to her?

    Kendall couldn''t figure it out, so she didn''t go down and fell asleep on the sofa alone.

    Not knowing how long it had been, Kendall suddenly felt that she had been picked up by someone.

    She struggled subconsciously and tried to escape in shock. She identally fell to the ground and

    mmed into the coffee table. It was so painful that she gritted her teeth.

    "Rick!" She knew that he was the only one in the vi who would carry her this way.

    "Does it hurt?" Rick came to her side and carried her again. "Don''t move, I''ll take you back to bed."

    "If you didn''t pick me up, I wouldn''t have gotten hurt. What''s wrong with me sleeping here? What''s

    wrong with you? Are you sick?" Kendall red at him. "Can you think before you act?"

    Rick did not say a word as Kendall told him off. He lowered his head in silence, and the way he

    looked at her was a bit helpless. The way he looked at her was often very helpless.

    Kendall hated the way he looked at her, so she reached out and batted him away. "Get out of my

    way."

    "Kendall..." Rick was at a loss. "I don''t know what to do. Can you teach me? Don''t push me away

    like this." "You better stay away from me!"

    Rick looked at Kendall, who used to like him. Now she ran away from him like she saw a ghost. He

    felt unspeakably confused and depressed. He could only sigh. He reached out his hands and slowly

    stepped back. "Don''t worry, I won''t get close to you anymore. Can you go back to sleep?"

    Kendall turned around stubbornly and left.

    Rick could only go downstairs.

    He sat down on the sofa and took out his phone.

    He stared at the screen.

    Over the past few days, he had looked at this screen countless times.

    Before, he heard a song with these lyrics: If I use your photo as my phone background, could I love

    you more?

    After he had inadvertently heard these lyrics, he changed all his backgrounds to photos of Kendall.

    Every day, he saw Kendall when he woke up, when he was working, and before he went to bed. It

    was like he was hypnotizing and brainwashing himself into liking her. But if he didn''t like her. There

    was no point trying. Habit was habit, and love was love.

    Rick knew that he was thinking too much. The person who was forcing him to fall in love with her

    wasn''t Kendall, but Rick himself. It was also because of this that they had be like this.

    After a while, he heard a rustling noise.

    He did not look back.

    "Rick."

    He didn''t turn around until he heard that familiar voice.

    He looked at Kendall in astonishment.

    Kendall was staring at him with red-rimmed eyes. There were wounds all over his hands and legs.

    Rick''s pupils contracted sharply. He immediately stood up and went to her side. "What''s going on?"

    "It hurts." Kendall''s legs were shaking where she stood.

    "Okay, let''s not talk about that first. I''ll take you to the hospital, okay?"

    She shook her head.

    "Then should I get a doctor toe here?"

    She nodded.

    Rick immediately called the family doctor. Before the doctor arrived, he first bandaged her up with

    the supplies in the medical kit.

    It was not hard. It was just that he was afraid that Kendall might have scars, so he only dared to use

    alcohol for disinfection. When he saw her crying silently in pain, Rick was very upset. Fortunately,

    the doctor came at that point. He handed her over to the doctor. He sat behind her, held her in his

    arms, and covered her eyes with his hands. "If you don''t look, it won''t hurt."

    She curled up in his arms and sobbed like a wounded animal. "I hate you."

    "Alright, it''s all my fault. It''s all my fault. I bullied you." Rick softlyforted her.

    "The wounds aren''trge, but they''re very deep. From the looks of it, did ite from a broken

    ss door?" the doctor asked.

    Kendall nodded.

    "This requires debridement. It won''t be good if the ss enters the blood cirction. Hold on a little

    longer, it''ll be all right soon."

    Kendall nodded again.

    It was indeed very painful.

    But Rick was with her, Kendall didn''t want him to think she was weak, so she gritted her teeth and

    didn''t cry out in pain.

    After he cleaned her wounds, the doctor said, "Don''t do any intense exercise for now and don''t

    bathe. You can use a wet towel to clean yourself. Keep this up for about five days."

    "Okay," Kendall responded.

    The doctor left.

    Rick took her back to the bedroom. Because her hand was injured, she couldn''t change clothes

    herself. Rick helped her take off her outer clothes. When his hand reached for her underwear,

    Kendall was alert. "What are you doing? Take your hand away, don''t touch me!"

    "Getting you changed." Rick touched her forehead impatiently. "I''ve seen everything before."

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    "What do you mean you''ve seen it all before? Get out!"

    "Who do you want to get to help you? I don''t have any maids here."

    He didn''t like having women around him. On one hand, it was too troublesome. On the other hand,

    he was afraid that he would act inappropriately. Thirdly, he liked to keep his own things tidy. He

    didn''t need extra hands to care for himself.

    Kendall was furious. "Then I''ll let your bodyguards change for me. The point is that I don''t want you

    to do it."

    "In your eyes, am I not even as good as an unfamiliar bodyguard?"

    "I don''t care. I don''t want you to touch me. You don''t like me anyway. You''ll only hate me when you

    see my body!" She cried as she spoke.

    No.

    He had never hated her.

    Rick endured Kendall''s abuse and struggling and forcefully changed her clothes. He also redid the

    loosened bandages.

    She cried louder and louder.

    Rick lowered his head and put his hands on her knees. "Do you need me to prove that I don''t hate

    your body at all?"

    Kendall was surprised by this. She immediately drew back her legs in rm. "I don''t need you to

    prove anything, I..."

    She just didn''t want him to praise her.

    She didn''t want to hug or kiss him.

    He didn''t like her. Why should he hug her or kiss her?

    She didn''t want him to be close to her.

    She didn''t want it.

    Kendall didn''t want Rick anymore.

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410

    Rick watched her throwing a tantrum and felt himself grow more tired. He sighed. "If I''ve really

    be so indifferent to you that I don''t bother with anything you do, will you be happy?"

    Kendall''s heart sank, thinking that her unreasonable behavior finally broke Rick''s patience. She felt

    sad but also relieved. She nodded at him. "Yes, from today on, treat me as though I''m invisible and I

    will be happy."

    She had been the one who hade to him the moment she got injured.

    Rick didn''t know how to deal with her. He thought that he should let her cool off for a few days and

    said, "Alright, from today onward, I will treat you as if you don''t exist."

    After he said this, Rick indeed did not go to her side anymore. Kendall did not wake up until almost

    noon. When she went to the kitchen to get food, she found that Rick did not leave her a note like he

    did on other days. When he came back in the evening, he did not go to her room to talk to her.

    Although they were in the same house, it was like they were worlds apart.

    Although Kendall felt lost, she also felt more at

    ease.

    Thissted for two days. On the third day, Kendall really couldn''t endure the itching of her scalp.

    She wanted Rick to get someone to wash her hair for her or something.

    She bit her lip and stood in front of his study. When she was about to knock on the door, she heard

    Rick''s voiceing from inside. "I won''t marry her, nor do I need to marry her. Even if the matter

    with the Stevens family involves me, it still has nothing to do with me. As for Kendall, as long as you

    can find her, you can do whatever you want with her. It has nothing to do with me. But it''s disgusting

    that you got someone to mess up my ce because you couldn''t find her."

    "Kendall isn''t here with me, I''ll say it again. I''ve long since had nothing to do with her. I don''t need to

    prove that to you, and I won''t ept your marriage requests."

    After he said so, Rick pushed the door open.

    Taken by surprise, Kendall took a step back. Her eyes were blinking madly.

    Rick put the phone into his pocket and walked out without looking at her. Kendall suddenly reached

    out and grabbed him. "Rick."

    He immediately stopped. He did not want to injure her already wounded hands.

    "What''s wrong?" He leaned over to look at her. He was gentle and modest, exactly the same as the

    first time she saw him.

    "I need to wash my hair. Can you find me a hairstylist or something..."

    "Okay, I''ll arrange it. Why don''t you go upstairs and wait?"

    He was polite, gentle and distant.

    Kendall blinked. She had thought that after Rick said that he would treat her as if she did not exist,

    he would be particrly cold to her, but she had never thought that he would be gentle to her. She

    was not used to it. She nodded. "Okay, then I will go upstairs first..."

    "Be careful on the stairs."

    Rick said the most considerate words, but the way he turned around and left was also natural and

    decisive.

    Kendall looked at his retreating back and sensed that something was wrong, but she couldn''t tell

    what it was.

    Shey on the bed staring at the ceiling in a daze. In her mind, she thought of Rick''s usual behavior.

    She remembered the time they spent together. She felt that the Rick she was in love with was not

    the same Rick who spoke to her today.

    Half an hourter, Rick''s stylist came to the vi.

    As he did a scalp treatment for Kendall, he joked, "I have never seen you before. Are you Rick''s

    new girlfriend?"

    "I... don''t think so?" she answered awkwardly.

    "I don''t know if you know Miss Charlotte. I have seen her before. Her hair is much more difficult to

    managepared to yours. It''s too long."

    That was right.

    Perhaps it was because her hair was not long enough that Rick didn''t like her.

    "But, your hair feels nicer, soft and fluffy."

    Kendall silently waited for the stylist to finish. She returned to her room and wanted to go to sleep.

    However, as soon as she opened the door, she saw Rick standing inside.

    She was stunned.

    Rick smiled at her and said, "Can you sit outside for a while?"

    "Oh, okay."

    Kendall scratched the back of her head and left the room. She went to the lounge on the second

    floor and sat down.

    She rested her head on her hands.

    She still couldn''t figure it out. Maybe it was better to ask someone else.

    The first person she asked was not Charlotte, but Anne. In her mind, she felt quite silly for going to

    ask Charlotte about Rick. But when she asked Anne about Rick, it was better. Maybe it was

    because Anne was Rick''s sister, and Charlotte had nothing to do with Rick now.

    Anne quickly replied with a message. "My brother is like this. He is particrly gentle to others, but

    he is particrly fierce to me. But when you were with him, he became gentler with me. I really think

    there''s something wrong with him, because he is particrly harsh to people who are close to him."

    "Did he do the same to Charlotte too?"

    "Maybe? He''s very nice to Charlotte, but he wasn''t very close to her. He said that he likes Charlotte

    a lot, but he still acted the same way. Otherwise, why didn''t Charlotte like him? He''s a better man

    than Shane."

    In other words.

    Rick treated the people he didn''t care about with tenderness while he showed his inner self to those

    he cared about?

    Kendall felt that Rick was quite strange. Shouldn''t people be kind to those they are close to and

    treat strangers indifferently?

    It didn''t matter. She really didn''t understand Rick, so she didn''t think about it anymore.

    Late at night.

    Kendall wanted to towel herself off, so she went back to her room. Rick was still inside. There was

    someone else there too.

    "I will still take a while here. If you''re sleepy, you can sleep in my room for a while." Rick was still

    smiling at her.

    "I want to take a shower," she said.

    "There is a bathroom in the other room."

    Kendall nodded and turned to leave.

    Rick''s smilested for a few seconds and then disappeared. He frowned and thought for a moment

    before getting up immediately and went in her direction.

    "Kendall."

    He suddenly grabbed her wrist.

    Kendall was confused. "What''s wrong?"

    "Your hand hasn''t healed yet. Do you want me to help you with it?" he asked.

    "No, I can do it myself. Why don''t you get me a pair of gloves?"

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    "Okay."

    Rick quickly sent a pair of gloves over.

    Kendall put them on and the water temperature.

    Then she put down the towel and said, "I''ll take a shower now. You can go out."

    Rick left the bathroom and closed the door, but he didn''t go far. He just sat on the edge of the bed

    and didn''t get up until Kendall came out.

    Kendall was stunned when she saw him. "Why are you still here?"

    "I was waiting for you."

    "Is there something wrong?"

    "I will be going abroad in two days. Don''t go out."

    "I see."

    Rick smiled at her. "Then I''ll take my leave."

    Kendall hesitated for a moment, but still said to him, "Aren''t you going to take me too?"

    Rick stopped. When he heard this, he was extremely shocked. But soon, he returned to normal. "It

    would be very inconvenient. If you want to go out, it''s better for you to go yourself in the future."

    "What if something happens to me while I''m here..."

    "Kendall, I don''t understand what you mean." Rick turned to look at her. "You wanted me to treat

    you as if you didn''t exist, but took the initiative to ask me to take you abroad. What on earth do you

    want?"

    "I think you are very pitiful." Kendall approached him and stared at him with innocent eyes. "Rick,

    aren''t you tired of pretending for me? Does it feel good to take your temper out on the people

    closest to you? Do you want people to think that those who care for you are crazy that they put up

    with you? And if they keep a distance from you, they will..."

    "I can''t deal with having an intimate rtionship." Rick interrupted her. "If it weren''t for this, I

    wouldn''t have been unable to keep Charlotte by my side."

    "What about me?"

    Rick was stunned.

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411

    "I don''t understand. What on earth do you think of me? I don''t have an intimate rtionship with you

    and I''m not your friend. I don''t understand. Why didn''t you treat me like this when you were dating

    me?"

    "Do you want to go with me or are you testing me?"

    "I..." Kendall choked on her words.

    Rick smiled and approached her. He opened her arms wide and said, "Should I say, ''Kendall,

    wee back. Would you please continue to care about me?"''

    Kendall''s nose twitched. She mumbled, "Who cares about you? Who wants toe back?"

    "Don''t you want it?" Rick took another step forward and said. "You''ve clearly seen through me. Don''t

    you want to give yourself a chance to change?"

    He couldn''t fall for her, but perhaps she had a way to do it?

    He originally wanted to leave and hide from her for a few days so that he and she could think more

    clearly. But he did not expect that she was more courageous than he had imagined. If she could say

    that she wanted to go with him in such a situation, then he also wanted to keep her by his side and

    find some light in this pointless life.

    Kendall looked at his arms, hesitated for a moment, then moved forward and hugged him. "Let me

    say it first, I haven''t forgiven you, and I don''t want to be your girlfriend. I just think you are too

    pitiful."

    "Okay." Rick kissed her between her eyebrows. "Kendall, I''ve been waiting for you all the time.

    Other than you, there may be no one else in the world who can make me so troubled."

    "I know. I made you troubled. I shouldn''t have done it."

    "No." Rick''s lips traveled downward. "I want to prove that I don''t hate you, Kendall."

    Rick had always been good at flirting. Kendall was immediately intoxicated in his embrace. She

    wanted to melt into his arms. However, Rick spoke up again. "But now, we can''t do anything. You''re

    still hurt. Kendall, believe me that I don''t hate you. I just didn''t think about it properly that day. I

    wasn''t ready. I hate others forcing me to make a decision."

    "I''m sorry, I had a problem that day too..." she said in a small voice.

    "I know that you have suffered a lot by my side. I won''t let you suffer in the future."

    Kendall sighed.

    She did not forgive him.

    How did she end up in his arms again?

    Perhaps, it was really her destiny that she liked Rick.

    Charlotte found out about Rick and Kendall early in the morning on the same day.

    She handed the phone to Shane and said, "I really didn''t expect Rick to be so slow. It took so many

    days for him to finally settle Kendall. It''s good that they have reconciled. This way, we don''t have to

    worry that Kendall will be caught by the Stevens family."

    "Alright, how''s the Stevens family situation?" Shane didn''t care about gossip at all.

    It didn''t matter to Shane who Rick was with. It would be fine as long as it was not Charlotte.

    "It''s not going very well. It''s more difficult to deal with than we expected. Their overseas branch

    retaliated against the Jane Corporation. We miscalcted..." Charlotte sighed. "I didn''t expect

    Rnd to discover that Rick and Avery were partners. I don''t know where they found out about

    this." "It doesn''t matter. Losing the Jane Corporation is a good thing." "After the Jane Corporation is

    lost, Rick should have more free time. It''s indeed a good thing for him that the domestic branch can

    come out independently without being sucked in. But it''s not good for him after all."

    "He still cares about his reputation?"

    That was true.

    Rick no longer needed his reputation.

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then finally opened her mouth. "Shane, there is something else."

    "What''s that?"

    "If the Jane Corporation is lost, should we help Rick?"

    "No."

    "Why is that?"

    "If Rick needed it, he would have asked for it earlier and wouldn''t have waited until now."

    Although Charlotte did not quite understand the logic behind it, it was indeed a little difficult for her

    to divert her attention to help Rick. After all, there was still the matter regarding the fishpeople and

    Christopher.

    Charlotte continued to work. She yawned a few times but didn''t stop. Shane grabbed her hand and

    said, "Go to sleep." "I only have a bit more to finish."

    "I''ll do it."

    "Him?" Charlotte thought.

    Charlotte was momentarily stunned. Only then did she remember that the people around her were

    much more capable than her in handling official matters. She handed theputer over to him and

    leaned on his shoulder, "Then you can handle it. I''ll rest here. When you''re done, we''ll go and rest

    together."

    Shane nodded and started tapping on the keyboard. In a short while, hepleted the document.

    The two of them returned to the bedroom and Charlotte went to take a bath first. As soon as she

    finished washing and stood in front of the mirror, a message popped up on her phone. She frowned

    and clicked on it.

    "I am a worker you took care of. I have been working in a factory nearby for the past two days. I

    heard that there was a murder case in a ce where you have been to before. I felt that this matter

    was strange and asked a local friend. They said that the deceased was an old woman in her 80s

    and a member of the Fuller family. She did not return to Hartsville as the others said. I don''t know if

    this matter is helpful to you or not."

    "I don''t quite understand. Are you saying that Mrs. Fuller Senior is dead?"

    "I didn''t say anything about it, and I didn''t see anything anyway. It was someone else who said it. Do

    you need to know about it?"

    Charlotte was very surprised. After all, Mrs. Fuller Senior had sent gifts to Sheryl and Olive only a

    few days ago. The two children were having quite a good time. If Mrs. Fuller Senior had died then

    were the gifts sent by a ghost?

    Moreover, if Mrs. Fuller Senior died, then Shane would have held arge funeral for her. How was it

    possible that she didn''t even get news about it?

    "Do you have time? Can we meet?" Charlotte sent him a message.

    "Yes, I''ll call my friends too. Can we have lunch together tomorrow afternoon?"

    Charlotte agreed and dried her hair. She left the bathroom and went back to bed to sleep.

    The next day.

    Charlotte didn''t go to the office. Instead, she stuck a Post-It to herputer to tell Shane that she

    had gone out and asked him to deal with thepany''s affairs.

    After leaving the house, Charlotte went to the restaurant that she had agreed on with the other

    party.

    This restaurant was very popr recently, which dispelled a lot of Charlotte''s worries.

    She came to the reserved table and saw two uniformed workers sitting there. She sat down. "Are

    you Riley Francis?"

    "That''s me." A man wearing a khaki uniform jacket reached out his hand. "Mr. Emerson, it''s me who

    asked you here."

    "Well, why don''t we eat first? Or we can talk while eating. You must be hungry."

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    "Of course," Riley said with a simple and honest smile. "Ms. Emerson, we have to thank you for

    what happened before. If it weren''t for you, so many people would have died in the rainstorm. Many

    people survived to help their families. Now their families are better, they can die in peace."

    Charlotte lowered her head. There was a slight sorrow in her eyes. "After all, it''s a human life."

    The people she talked to were good men. They struggled for their families and lived for their

    children. However, the rainstorm and rockslide destroyed all hope.

    Sometimes, life was really unfair.

    "Yes, so we don''t do that now. You gave us so much money that many of us have been transferred

    to a safer construction site." "That''s great. You cane to me if you run into any trouble on the

    new construction site in the future."

    "That''s great."

    "Do you have a lot of money?"

    Another person suddenly opened his mouth to ask.

    Charlotte looked at him and narrowed her eyes, "That depends on what it''s for."

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412

    "I can''t guarantee that my information is urate, but there is absolutely no one who knows better

    than me." The man stared fixedly at Charlotte. "I need some money now. Not much, only 100,000

    dors. As long as you can give it to me, I will tell you all the information I have."

    "I''m sorry." Charlotte leaned back. "Other than selling this information to me, you have no one else

    to sell it to. After all, this happened in another city. If Shane can handle it such that I didn''t even

    know about it, that means that the people around him have already taken care of arge portion of

    it. If he wanted to hide it from me, he would need at least three people to help. That is to say that,

    besides me who can give you money and need this information, no one else will do business with

    you at all. Under such a situation, it would be too stupid of you to negotiate with me."

    "If you can''t even pay me 100,000 dors, do you still think you can get my information?�� That

    person was particrly arrogant.

    Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "Then let''s not cooperate. I don''t care what Shane did. Even if he

    tells me the truth, I will believe it unconditionally. Whether you sell it or not, I don''t care. You might

    as well sell it to the newspapers. Oh, of course, that would be on the condition that Shane allows

    these things to show up online or in the newspapers."

    When he saw that Charlotte was about to leave, the person finally couldn''t sit still anymore. "Do you

    think that no one else wants it?"

    "It''s up to you what you think. The point is I don''t want it anymore." Charlotte paused and looked at

    him with a half-smile. "I can spend a few million dors to get professional hackers to help me

    investigate. I believe that they will be honest with me. They will definitely be able to guarantee that

    the information is absolutely urate."

    Charlotte left right after speaking. Whether it was Riley or that person, she did not want to meet

    them again.

    Their behavior of treating her as a sucker was too disgusting. Even if it was only 100,000 dors,

    she would never cooperate with such an idiot who used such a small advantage as a weapon.

    Charlotte was nning to shop for a while before leaving, but she saw someone following her in the

    mirror. After she went into a few boutiques and used different mirrors, she still found that the person

    was following behind her. He was even dodging from her view. He didn''t look like a good person.

    However, judging by his height, this person was very likely to be Jackson.

    Her gaze darkened. She wanted to go directly up to him to question him when her phone rang. She

    had no choice but to pick it up. "Hello?"

    "It''s me, do you want to have dinner together? We''re going to have a barbecue at home." Kendall''s

    voice came from the other end.

    Charlotte smiled and said, "Okay, I''ll go there right now."

    "Bring some food that you like too. I don''t know what you like to eat, so I only bought a few things. I

    have already bought all the drinks too." Kendall sounded very happy.

    While she replied perfunctorily, Charlotte was searching for Jackson. However, he seemed to have

    discovered that she was looking for him. She did not know where he was.

    He was really tricky.

    Charlotte decided to find a ce to sit down and chat seriously with Kendall.

    "How''s it going with Rick?" Charlotte ordered a cup of coffee and nestled on a sofa.

    "I don''t know... He has been very nice to me since we made up, but I always get the feeling that he''s

    not very happy. Every day, he looks sullen. But no matter how bad-tempered he is, he always

    smiles when he talks to me. I don''t know what happened to him. I really want to share his burdens.

    But he just held me and said that it''s okay." Kendall sighed when she mentioned this.

    Kendall suddenly arranged a barbecue party only for Rick''s sake. She wanted to make him happy.

    Charlotte seemed to be thinking about something as she spoke. "Kendall, I''m not saying this to

    scare you. It''s very likely that Rick will go bankrupt. I mean it. The result of the Stevens family''s

    desperate struggle is to have the Jane family go down with them, so..."

    "What?" Kendall was stunned. "How could this happen? What on earth happened?"

    Charlotte was silent.

    Kendall continued to ask about it. "Rick told me about it before. He wanted you to tell me these

    things, but because I have been telling you about me and Rick, you and Shane didn''t have time to

    talk to me. So I still don''t know what happened in the days when I was not with you."

    "I''m going to see you now."

    "Okay, I am at home."

    After she ended the call, Charlotte immediately entered the mall''s underground parking lot. She

    nned to go straight to Rick''s vi.

    What happened was neither simple norplicated. If Kendall''sprehension was high, she

    might be able to understand it in a moment.

    As she thought about this, Charlotte felt that it was indeed necessary to tell Kendall about the

    possibilities.

    Soon.

    Charlotte arrived in front of Rick''s vi.

    When Kendall saw Charlotte''s car, she rushed to Charlotte''s side. She hugged her. "I missed you!"

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    "Don''t miss me and don''t be so nice to me. Otherwise, if you betray me again one day, I''ll really

    throw you and Rick to the wolves." Charlotte took her arm away.

    "Oh, how could that happen?" Kendall smiled and blushed. "I will listen to all of you in the future and

    won''t do anything I shouldn''t. Things that happened before will definitely not happen again. Besides,

    you have forgiven me."

    "Just because I''ve forgiven you means I can''t bring it up anymore?"

    "Charlotte, you''re the best and prettiest. Don''t make things difficult for me, okay?"

    Kendall acted like a spoiled child.

    Even Charlotte couldn''t withstand it.

    She reached out, grabbed Kendall''s ear and pulled her forward. "Let''s go in quickly."

    As Kendall begged for mercy as sheughed. The two of them made their noisy way to Rick''s side.

    At this moment, Rick was sitting in a daze at the table. He looked at his fingers, looking distracted.

    "Rick?" Charlotte called out to him.

    He didn''t say anything.

    "Rick!" Kendall called out.

    Rick suddenly came to his senses and looked up at her with a smile. "What''s wrong, sweetheart?"

    Charlotte was speechless.

    So she was being ignored by Rick, was she?

    Charlotte was not unhappy at all. She was even quite happy. It was really a good thing for her that

    Rick and Kendall were getting on better. But, he didn''t have topletely ignore her, did he? She

    didn''t do anything that offended Kendall or Rick. What was the reason why he ignored her?

    And yet.

    As time passed...

    Charlotte noticed something.

    Rick wasn''t ignoring her. Rather, he ignored anyone other than Kendall.

    Every time Kendall called him, he would answer immediately. When other people called him, he

    would sometimes reply, and sometimes he would be in a daze.

    "I suspect that there is something wrong with Rick''s brain."

    Charlotte pulled Kendall to her side and said this.

    If this was said by someone else, Kendall would have already lost her temper. However, after she

    heard what Charlotte said, she could only blink her eyes. "Charlotte, I, I know that you''re very

    familiar with Rick, but you''re not..."

    "I''m serious. Have you called Avery? He might need to go to the hospital for an examination.

    Haven''t you noticed that he ignores anyone who calls him except for you?"

    "What?" Kendall really didn''t notice it.

    She followed Charlotte and observed things for a while. She realized that Rick was acting just like

    what Charlotte had said. Rick didn''t respond to anyone that called him. The others didn''t even

    respond to her calling him. It was only when she called him that he would turn his head.

    There might not just be something wrong with Rick''s brain, but also something wrong with his

    behavior too.

    Kendall scratched her head thoughtfully. "I called Avery and asked him to bring Sheryl and Olive

    here. But he didn''t say he woulde. After all, he doesn''t like me very much..." "Then I''ll call him.

    You keep an eye on Rick first.

    Don''t let anything happen to him."

    "Alright."

    Kendall followed her orders and walked over.

 Chapter 413

    Chapter 413

    When Avery received Charlotte''s call, he was tidying up the refrigerator. He originally did not want to

    go to the barbecue party, but after he took a look, he found that there was a lot of meat in the

    refrigerator. The two children had not gone out for a long time. They mostly spent time reading at

    home. He tried to tell them to go out and have a walk, but it was useless. He thought that it would

    be good to take them out.

    The moment Charlotte opened her mouth, she said, "There may be a problem with Rick." Avery was

    shocked to the extreme. The corner of his mouth was raised. "Did Kendall tell you that I''m not going

    for the barbecue and you''re looking for an excuse to lure me there?"

    "Would I do that?"

    "Then tell me, Rick is a man, not a machine. How could there be something wrong with him?" Avery

    said impatiently.

    "This is what happened," Charlotte exined the situation to him.

    What a situation.

    Avery didn''t even have the mood to check the refrigerator anymore. He mmed it shut and said,

    "What''s the matter with Rick? Is he depressed or something?"

    "I don''t know, so I want you to bring a doctor here. You know, the doctors who are familiar with

    Shane are all surgeons. You are better at dealing with these psychological matters."

    "Okay, no problem, but I have a request."

    "Alright. I''ll let you see Caleb, but you can''t do it again. If you do anything again, you''ll really have to

    go to prison, you know?"

    "Alright."

    After she finished the conversation with Avery, Charlotte looked at Rick again. He was still the same

    as before, but now he was asionally distracted when talking to Kendall. He didn''t know what he

    was talking about. Moreover, his hands would tremble when he talked to Kendall. Charlotte felt that

    this was quite strange. Was it possible that Rick was afraid of Kendall?

    There was no reason for it.

    About half an hourter.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Avery brought Olive, Sheryl, and the doctor to the vi. Charlotte took the two children to her side

    and pointed to the backyard. "Rick and Kendall are both over there. You can just bring the doctor

    there now." "Leave it to us to deal with."

    "You''re so reliable."

    Avery just smiled.

    Rick was also indifferent to Avery, and he didn''t even look at the doctor. Kendall had to ask all the

    questions guided by the doctor.

    Fortunately, Rick still responded to Kendall. After a few questions, the doctor said with a solemn

    expression, "He is thinking too much, which causes the brain nerves to slow down to the stimuli of

    the outside world. In principle, such a person should have no reaction to anyone. But he is very

    strange in that he responds to Miss Stevens."

    "What should we do?" Avery asked.

    "We need to do an examination first, but I don''t think the situation is good."

    Avery sighed and walked over to pass this information to Charlotte.

    Charlotte didn''t expect it to be so serious. "How can this be? Rick is not such a weak person.

    What''s more, the Stevens Family is going against the Jane Corporation. He has no love for the

    Jane Corporation. There is no reason for him to be depressed because of the Jane Corporation."

    "Kendall was there just now so the doctor didn''t dare to say it. When Kendall left, he told me that it

    might be because of Kendall."

    "What should we do?"

    "Rick may not know how to deal with Kendall, so he''s avoiding the truth. But at the same time, he''s

    forcing himself not to avoid Kendall. That''s why his brain is telling him to avoid everyone but not

    Kendall."

    What this meant was that.

    Rick had forced himself into having a psychological break.

    Charlotte rubbed her temples. "Is there any way to treat him?"

    "We have to do an examination first. In addition to doing that, we have to let Kendall stay with Rick

    alone for some time. Only then can we do something."

    "About this..."

    "Just leave it to me. I''ll deal with the two of them. Just let me see Caleb."

    Charlotte looked at him vigntly. "You''ve been wanting to see him all this time. What is your motive

    for doing so?"

    Avery smiled bitterly and said, "I just want to end this with him. I hope that he will regret what he did.

    I don''t have any ulterior motives."

    "You''d better not." "Of course."

    The matter was decided for the time being.

    After half an hour, Shane arrived. After he heard about Rick''s situation, he onlymented that

    they should "find a good doctor for him", and did not make any morements. Averyined.

    "I think after Rick is done with his depression, you''ll be next. You always talk so little."

    "Are you looking for trouble?"

    "And you''re threatening me." Avery rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I''m so scared."

    "Shouldn''t I be the one saying that?" Braden led Anne inside. "You''re already here. I thought we

    would be the first ones to arrive."

    "You guys continue chatting." Shane brought Lottie upstairs to hide from the crowd.

    "This guy..." Avery smiled.

    Bradenughed and said, "Come on, don''t you know how he is? He''s a cold-blooded guy."

    Avery shrugged his shoulders. "Let''s not talk about him. I want to tell you about Rick and ask for

    your opinion."

    Braden was confused. "What''s wrong with Rick?"

    At the same time.

    Rick and Kendall were barbecuing in the yard.

    Kendall was worried about Rick''s condition, so she called him softly, "Rick, are you all right?"

    "Hmm?" Rick leaned over and looked at her. "Why did you ask me this all of a sudden?"

    "When other people call you, you don''t respond to them. What happened?" She asked.

    Rick was at a loss. "Who called me?"

    "Charlotte and Avery."

    "When did they get here?"

    Kendall sighed.

    She had just told Rick about it, but he had forgotten it so quickly. She hugged him gently and leaned

    into his arms. "Rick, it''s all my fault. I put too much pressure on you. Maybe it''s best for me to leave

    you. Back then, we..."

    "Nonsense!" Rick suddenly grabbed her shoulders. "Why do you want to leave me?"

    "I..." Kendall choked on her words.

    Rick''s gaze was so scary.

    He grabbed her shoulders so hard that she was in pain. He held onto her even harder. "Kendall,

    don''t leave me again, don''t hide from me!"

    "Okay," she replied in a low voice. "Can you let go of me? It hurts."

    "I''m sorry." Rick let her go as if he had just woken up from a dream.

    Kendall shook her head.

    She did not think that Rick was not nice to her, nor did she feel that the pain was unbearable. After

    all, she had suffered more pain than this. She was only worried about him.

    If only she could be as free and easy as before. She could just escape him if she wanted to.

    Besides, Rick didn''t care about her anymore. But now, it was different. Rick had be like this

    because of her. Although she did not hear the doctor tell Avery this personally, Kendall could guess

    something when he saw them talking when she walked away.

    Rick being like this probably had something to do with her.

    Kendall held Rick''s hand gently. "If you don''t want me to leave you, I won''t leave. If you want me to

    leave, I''ll leave. Rick, I love you so much. How can I not listen to you?"

    "Really?" Rick asked.

    "Of course it''s true. I love you," Kendall answered naturally.

    Rick didn''t believe her. He looked at her deeply and opened his mouth to speak a few times, but he

    didn''t say anything. However, Kendall took the initiative to move forward and kiss him. "Whatever

    happens, I will stay with you, and apany you from sunrise to sunset. As long as you need me, I

    will be there."

    Rick held her waist. He leaned over and took away all her breath with his kiss.

    In a daze, Kendall seemed to hear Rick calling her. She didn''t know why, but every time she heard

    him call her name, her ears would feel hot.

    It felt so sweet.

    "Hey, do you care about other people''s feelings?"

    Avery leaned against the door and covered his eyes with his hands. "Should I clear the room for

    you?"

 Chapter 414

    Chapter 414

    "Ah!" Kendall struggled away shyly and held her face with her hand. "Avery, when did youe

    over?"

    "Excuse me, Kendall. I''ve been standing here for a long time, but you didn''t see me." Avery wore an

    innocent look. "But don''t worry, I covered my eyes when you were about to kiss."

    "You!" Kendall red at him.

    Avery spread out his hands. "I am here to wait for Peter and Zoe. Braden and Anne went with the

    doctor to see Charlotte and Shane. I am the only one left, and I have to take care of the children

    and wait for them. I originally wanted to chat with you, but you don''t seem to need mypany. You

    don''t seem to need me at all."

    "We didn''t..." Kendall''s face was getting redder and redder.

    "Regardless of what you guys did or didn''t do, let''s just talk about Rick. He looks a little better. At

    least, he notices me now." Avery pointed at Rick.

    Rick hadn''t looked at him just now. Rick had ignored Averypletely. Now Rick was staring at

    him.

    Kendall turned her head and looked at Rick. It seemed that Avery was telling the truth. "It''s

    amazing. Rick, can you hear what Avery is saying?"

    Rick nodded. "I can see him. What''s the matter?"

    "But you didn''t see him just now." Kendall was confused. "What''s the matter?"

    "Rick, do you still remember that you said you wanted to marry me?" Avery wanted to test Rick.

    "Are you joking?" Rick smiled helplessly. "Back then, I was being pestered by Kendall and had no

    choice. You were still looking for ways to deal with the Stevens family. That''s why we had such an

    arrangement."

    "Good, you seem back to normal now." Avery took out his phone. "Hold on a minute and stay this

    way. I''ll get the others to observe you."

    Rick was speechless.

    What''s wrong with his current state? Could it be that he had changed when he kissed Kendall? Rick

    was very helpless, but he was already used to this kind of thing. After all, Avery would often do and

    say weird things. It was normal for him to do and say something he didn''t quite understand.

    After a while, all the people upstairs came down. Shane was the first person to approach Rick. He

    stared at Rick for a few seconds before opening his mouth and asking, "Who am I?"

    "Shane, why are you asking weird things like Avery?" Rick was extremely helpless.

    "Who am I?" Braden asked.

    "... Braden."

    "What about me?" Anne also came over.

    "If I don''t even know my sister, then I''d really be hopeless. Please stop asking. Just tell me what

    happened, okay? I am really in a panic now."

    Everyone, including the doctor, looked at each other in dismay. This could not be exined

    scientifically or medically.

    The point was.

    It could not be exined at all.

    "Do you still remember when we arrived today?" Anne asked tentatively.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "You..." Rick was stumped. He was silent for a while and then he shook his head. "I only remember

    that I woke up and then I kissed Kendall here. I don''t remember anything else. When did you get

    here? Maybe I didn''t check the time on my watch and forgot."

    It was not that he didn''t check his watch, but that he didn''t remember at all.

    "Then, do you still remember who came together?" Charlotte asked.

    This was an extremely crucial question.

    It could determine whether Rick knew what was going on.

    Rick was silent for a while and then shook his head. "I don''t remember. I only remember that you

    came with Shane. Is that right? I think I was the one who asked you toe?"

    "He should still be examined," Charlotte said. "He''s messed up today''s memories and the memories

    from before."

    "Could it be a side effect of hypnosis?" Avery asked.

    "No," the doctor replied. "In his situation, he must be having selective memory. It''s not a big

    problem, but it will be difficult for you to deal with the second time. I think we''d better do an

    examination and see if there''s any blood clots in his brain. If there''s no blood clot, he needs

    psychological help."

    Avery asked, "How long will it take?"

    "It won''t be long. It''ll be over in ten minutes."

    "Then let''s go take a look at Rick''s CT scan after eating."

    "I agree," Anne raised her hand. "I just want to know what''s different between our brains. Howe

    he''s apany president and I''m so useless?" "Nonsense, Anne. You are so amazing that you can

    even support my lifestyle." "Don''t be so cheesy in front of everyone." Anne pushed Braden away.

    Everyone was talking, but Rick was still in a daze.

    What on earth had happened?

    The barbecue went a bit slowly. Everyone arrived after 5 o''clock, but the food was ready after 6

    o''clock. They ate until 10:30pm. Fortunately, they all drove and no one drank, so they went straight

    to Avery''s house.

    Avery''s house was veryrge. In addition to the main vi, there was also a small vi which was a

    temporary medical area. There were all kinds of equipment in it, which was convenient for the

    doctors. At first, Avery prepared this for Sheryl and Olive. After all, it didn''t cost a lot of money, but it

    could ensure that the children would be treated immediately.

    Olive was his darling. If something bad happened to Sheryl, Shane might beat him to death. No,

    Shane would definitely beat him to death.

    Therefore, it was better to be careful.

    But he never thought that the first person to use this set-up would be Rick.

    However, this was also good.

    Avery could see if the equipment was good.

    It was inconvenient for there to be too many people in the room, so only Kendall and Anne

    apanied Rick inside.

    "Is it okay that we told Kendall so much about the Stevens family?" Avery suddenly asked.

    "What''s wrong with that? It''s something she wants to know herself," Charlotte replied.

    "After all, they are her brother and father..."

    "I don''t think so," Peter said. "I have the right to speak in this respect. I saw the look in Kendall''s

    eyes at that time. It was simr to the way I felt when I heard the news about my parents. It was the

    kind of look that was hateful, helpless and at a loss of what to do. In her heart, she knows clearly

    that this is her family, but she does not want such a family."

    Charlotte nodded. "I feel the same as Peter."

    "The Stevens family has made their decision. Even if she can''t ept it, she has to," Shane said

    lightly. He showed his wristwatch. "In another three hours, the ownership of Rnd''s equity will be

    transferred."

    "It will belong to me," Avery sneered. "I have finally avenged Irena. I finally..."

    As he spoke, he choked on his sobs.

    Charlotte patted him on the shoulder and said, "Irena will definitely want you to have a good life.

    What''s more, you have a child now. Don''t do anything impulsive. It''s not easy for us to get you out

    of prison."

    Avery broke intoughter. He stretched out his hand and fiercely pounded Charlotte''s shoulder with

    his fist. "Every time I feel moved, you act like this and trip me up."

    Right at that moment.

    The doctor pushed the door open.

    "I did a detailed examination, but I didn''t find anything wrong with his brain. What he needs is

    psychological help."

    "Then he and Kendall can stay here with me first?" Avery asked the people behind him.

    "If you think it''s convenient, we have no objection."

    Avery nodded. "Then let''s call it a day. I can also do some work on Kendall. If you have time

    tomorrow morning, you cane over."

    "Alright," Charlotte agreed.

    "Then I''ll leave with Anne first? Or do you think it''s better to let Anne stay?" Braden asked.

    He really wanted to take Anne away.

    However, Rick was Anne''s brother.

    Something had happened to her brother. It seemed to be a little ridiculous if she was not there.

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415

    Avery couldn''t make up his mind. He could only turn to the doctor and ask for his opinion.

    "Well, if their rtionship is particrly good, it''s better for her not to stay here, because it will affect

    his condition. After all, Kendall is the key to the matter. It''s not a good thing if someone else is

    involved." The doctor exined coolly.

    Braden nodded as he listened. "I understand. Then I''ll bring Anne home first. Shall wee over

    tomorrow morning?"

    "Right." The doctor''s tone was serious. "This is no small matter. If he suddenly enters this state

    while driving, there''s a high chance that he''ll have an ident."

    Everyone''s expressions became more serious.

    After Braden left, the others waited for Rick to fall asleep before leaving.

    Charlotte and Shane sat in the back seat, while Cole sat in the driver''s seat and drove the car. The

    moonlight outside the window was very strong, and the bright light fell directly on the car.

    Charlotte usually spoke very little with Shane. In any case, she was not in the mood to talk about

    thepany''s affairs, so both of them were

    silent.

    Charlotte kept looking out of the window. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She took it out and nced

    at it. It was a message from Riley. In addition to some information, there were also very clear

    pictures and videos. She just nced at it for a moment and turned the phone off. Her heart beat

    faster and faster. She was afraid that Shane would notice.

    After a while, she took out her phone again and transferred all the information to her inbox to store

    it.

    She didn''t know why Riley had sent her the information although they hadn''t reached an agreement

    yet. However, since he had sent her the information, she had to give them the money.

    After she returned home, Charlotte asked for Riley''s ount and immediately sent 100,000 dors

    to him.

    Actually, she was the kind of person who would pay even more than this. However, because Riley

    had been rude to her before, she didn''t want to say too much to him and didn''t want to give him

    more money.

    As for the information...

    A glint shed in Charlotte''s eyes. She would ask Avery about it another day.

    If Avery could confirm the veracity of the information, and if Shane had asked Avery to cover it up,

    she would really be disappointed in Shane.

    She didn''t understand why he had to hide it from her.

    In Avery''s vi.

    Kendall sat on the swing in the garden and looked at the moon.

    Rick was already asleep, but she didn''t feel sleepy. She didn''t know why, but she didn''t want to be

    close to him now. When her enthusiasm subsided for him for so many months, she felt that it was

    not necessary for her to like him.

    When she thought about it, Kendallughed and shook her head.

    It was impossible for her not to like Rick.

    Right at that moment.

    Her phone rang.

    "Hello?" She came back to her senses and picked it up.

    "It''s me."

    A low and deep voice came from the other end.

    "You are... Zayden?" Kendall almost forgot who the man was.

    "Yes," Zayden replied. He flipped through the report in his hand and said with a chuckle. "Have you

    been living with Rick recently?"

    "I..."

    "Don''t lie to me. Since I didn''t betray Rick, it''s impossible for me to betray you. Many people have

    been looking into you. The highest price for information about you is more than four million dors,

    did you know that?" Zayden''s voice was very low and cold, but his tone was very soft. There was a

    sense of extreme contrast.

    Kendall was taken aback. "What did you say?" she asked in disbelief.

    Zayden lowered his voice and said, "I say, a lot of people are looking for you, and they''ve offered a

    high price. Do you know about this?"

    "I, I don''t know."

    "I thought so. Rick must be protecting you very well."

    Kendall suddenly thought of the state that Rick was in. Her heart pounded. She immediately braced

    herself and asked, "Zayden, can you exin it to me clearly? Why are they investigating our

    whereabouts?" "Have you eaten?" Zayden asked.

    "But now I... just forget it. Can we meet now?"

    Rick was asleep and didn''t need her, but if she could meet Zayden now, it would be fine.

    Zayden nced at his watch and his smile widened. "Of course, it''s not a problem. But Kendall,

    won''t your Rick be angry at you having dinner with another man in the middle of the night?"

    Why would he?" Kendall mumbled. "Besides, whatever I do doesn''t matter to him. It used to be like

    this and will be like this in the future, unless he likes me."

    "He likes you."

    "Come on, I would rather believe that you like me."

    "Well, I really like you, Kendall." Zayden got up and switched the hand holding the phone. "In fact,

    Kendall, I should admit that I have been paying attention to you from the beginning because of your

    value. After all, even if the Stevens Family is gone, the shares you have are enough for us to split

    the Stevens family''s assets."

    Kendall was speechless as she clutched her phone. "And here I thought that you were really

    worried about whether I was hungry or not."

    "It''s probably this stupidity that makes me like you very much, Kendal." Zaydenughed. "Have you

    ever thought that Rick is not suitable for you at all? He has a lot of responsibilities. People like him,

    who have many problems to consider every day, may not be able to give you all his love."

    "We''re not going to talk about this."

    "Okay, I''ll pick you up now. Give me an address, somewhere far away from where you live."

    "It doesn''t matter. If you want toe, thene. In any case, I''ve been talking to you for so long

    that you should be able to track me by now." Kendall hung up the phone directly.

    Zayden looked at the address he tracked on theputer screen, and his thin lips curved slightly.

    He held his forehead helplessly and turned to look at the remaining lights in the dark city.

    They said that she was a little fool, but in fact, she was very smart.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    That was right.

    If she was not smart, how could she stay with Rick for so long?

    Zayden''s car was parked in front of Rick''s vi. He did not call out to Kendall. He stood in a corner

    she could not see and observed her in the backyard.

    She rested her head on her hands and looked at the twinkling stars and the moon in the sky.

    She looked a little depressed with her lips pouted.

    Zayden reached down to pick up his phone and dial her number.

    "Have you arrived?" Kendall asked in a low and muffled voice.

    "Hungry? I see you rubbing your stomach."

    "I didn''t eat much today..."

    She hadn''t bought a lot of food. And she was busy cooking for Rick because he was in such a good

    mood. She hadn''t eaten much at all. Now she was asked by Zayden, of course she was even more

    hungry.

    Zayden chuckled and said, "Do you like barbecue?"

    Barbecue?

    "Do you want to treat me to a barbecue?" Kendall''s eyes suddenly lit up.

    "Can I?"

    "Let''s go! Where are you now?"

    Zayden slowly drove the car to the front of her and stopped outside the gate. He rolled the window

    down and smiled at her. "Kendall."

    Kendall turned around abruptly. When she saw Zayden, she ran over at once. "I''m starving!" "Don''t

    worry, eat this first." Zayden opened the

    glove box and took out a chocte bar. "I often eat this to fill my stomach. You won''t be too hungry,

    so it doesn''t matter if you don''t eatter. So don''t eat too much, just half or a third will be enough."

    "Is this very filling?" Kendall tore open the package and took a bite. It was so sweet. It was delicious

    and not bad at all. But she just didn''t like it very much.

    "It''s okay. It''ll be better if you drink some water." Zayden opened another box.

    "Is your car magic?"

    Kendall looked surprised.

    How could there be so much food here?

 Chapter 416

    Chapter 416

    Zayden shook his head. "I have a younger sister. She likes sweet things a lot, so I usually prepare

    something for her in the car."

    "Where is she now?" Kendall asked.

    "She... is dead."

    "Oh. I''m sorry. I didn''t know. I... I''m really sorry. I didn''t mean to bring it up."

    "I''m fine." Zayden smiled, but the light in his eyes was very dull. "She was kidnapped and forced to

    sleep with that man. She couldn''t stand the humiliation andmitted suicide. I thought that I had

    forgotten about her. It was not until I saw you that I realized that I had not actually forgotten her."

    Kendall was reminded of Irena when Zayden mentioned his younger sister. Zayden said that he

    only remembered it when he saw her. Kendall asked tentatively, "Is it Irena? I, uh, I''m not trying to

    pry. It''s just that you said you thought of it because of me. Irena was the same. I don''t have a good

    rtionship with Avery, but I know about it because Avery loves Irena very much."

    "Shouldn''t your first reaction be to wonder why myst name is Crawford and hers is Chambers?"

    Zayden turned on the car''s engine.

    "Avery told us that she wasn''t brought up by both her birth parents. Her mother raised her with her

    stepfather. Although their financial situation wasn''t as good as before, her stepfather liked her a lot

    and they lived a happy life. It was also because of her birth family that she became acquainted with

    my brother." Kendall sighed. "It''s a pity that I''ve never met her."

    Zayden gave her a sideways nce. "Your rtionship with Avery doesn''t seem good."

    "I''m not the same as my brother." Kendall''s voice was very soft. She didn''t think that this was

    something to be proud of. "Regardless of whether it''s from my brother''s or Avery''s standpoint, I feel

    that it''s too much of a pity. Irena is too pitiful, so I don''t want to stand on that side."

    "I knew there was a reason I like you so much, Kendall."

    "... Do you really like me?"

    "Of course."

    "Are you sure? Do you want me to like you so that it will be easier to avenge your sister?"

    He had this kind of idea before.

    Later on, he found out that she was as guileless as his sister. In the end, he could not do it.

    Zayden rolled up his sleeves and showed his arms. On his well- defined and muscled arms, there

    was a very beautiful green dragon. The lines of the tattoo were beautiful and the details stunning.

    What was more, his muscles were like mountains and moved as he flexed. The dragon seemed

    alive.

    "Do you think that I need to use you to take revenge on you or your elder brother?"

    Kendall blinked and said with an embarrassed smile, "It seems that you don''t."

    "So, Kendall. I would like to ask you what you think of Rick."

    "What?"

    "Aren''t you going out for dinner with me in the middle of the night for Rick? Do you think it''s right for

    you to have to do so?"

    Kendall was silent for a while. She clenched her fists and raised her head. She looked at Zayden

    firmly and said, "Whether it is right or not, I like him very much. I used to think that I could just walk

    away if he hurt me. But I was fooling myself. As long as he wants me back, I will return to him."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Even if he stays with you because of guilt?"

    "I don''t care why."

    Zayden sighed. "You could have had a better life."

    Kendall didn''t say anything.

    Zayden took Kendall to a Michelin star barbecue restaurant.

    Kendall really didn''t expect that there were barbecue restaurants with two Michelin stars. Both the

    decoration and the waiters here exuded a kind of superior air, which was very exquisite. It didn''t

    look like a ce to eat barbecue at all.

    It was the first time she hade to a ce like this, so she was shy as she looked around.

    When he saw this, Zayden grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side. "Don''t worry, this is mine."

    "What? This two Michelin star restaurant?"

    "I paid for the rating." Zayden was very honest. "I don''t have many interests. The only thing I like is

    to eat and y. So I own many restaurants and entertainment centers. They are all over the world

    so I need to travel often."

    "That sounds good..." She sighed. "I want to live a life like that, too."

    "That''s easily done. You can marry me." Zaydenughed.

    "Um."

    "I know you don''t want to. Many women don''t want to either. Although I''m rich and good-looking, I''m

    far from a proper gentleman like Rick. Even if I pretend to be elegant, I''m just a gangster, right?"

    Zayden took off his suit, revealing the shirt beneath. The buttons against his chest were strained, as

    if they were going to fly off at any moment. She could see how scary his chest muscles were.

    "It''s not that I wouldn''t want to. I think you''re a good person, but..."

    It was just that she had returned to Rick''s side now.

    If, and only if, Rick hadn''t found her and Zayden said such things to her, she would have chosen

    Zayden.

    Perhaps it was because she thought that she had no other choice, so she could only choose

    Zayden. Or maybe it was also because Zayden was very handsome that she thought it wouldn''t

    look bad if she was with him.

    "It''s because you already have Rick," Zayden answered for her.

    "Maybe..." Kendall lowered her head. "Doesn''t it hurt you if I say that?"

    "You are so cute. Isn''t Rick afraid that someone will steal you away?"

    Kendall had a nk look on her face.

    Zayden leaned over to get closer to her. "Kendall, if I give you all the information on the market if

    you sleep with me, would you do it?"

    "What do you think I am!?" Kendall was furious.

    "It''s just sleep."

    Kendall was stunned. She was angry, but she was at a loss. She blinked her eyes madly and asked,

    "What are you talking about?"

    Zayden smiled. "Let''s eat first."

    How could she still have the appetite to eat?

    "I won''t eat until you exin it to me clearly."

    "Alright, I''ll exin." Zayden leaned forward a little bit. "Watch me sleep. Apany me to sleep

    and make me breakfast tomorrow. I will give you all the information, and I can even help you solve

    your difficulties. What do you think?"

    "If I needed someone''s help, wouldn''t I get Avery and Charlotte to help? Do you think I''m stupid?

    When you had me, I just didn''t want to contact them," she muttered.

    "It doesn''t matter. If youe back to me now, I will forgive you."

    What the what?

    Kendall looked at him warily. "You still have ns for me? If you do, I will run away."

    "If you can''t even sacrifice this for Rick, how can you say you love him? You''re so selfish." Zayden

    was not worried.

    He had plenty of time to set Kendall up.

    Rick''s biggest mistake was that he didn''t appreciate Kendall. Or rather, he didn''t control what she

    did. She was well protected by Rick before.

    Maybe it was because he protected Kendall too well that she was like a ko now.

    Cute without any lethality. She wanted to be protected. Only by having someone to protect her could

    she survive.

    "She doesn''t have to do it."

    Just as Zayden was feeling confident about his n, a tired voice came from behind him.

    Kendall instantly raised her head. When she saw the person behind her, she immediately stood up,

    like an obedient student. Her movements were particrly stiff. She wanted to speak, but she

    couldn''t manage a word.

    Zayden''s gaze deepened. "You''ve delivered yourself to my doorstep? Aren''t you afraid that I have a

    trick up my sleeve?"

 Chapter 417

    Chapter 417

    Rick did not pay attention to Zayden. He walked up to Kendall and pulled her behind him. Then he

    looked at Zayden and said, "You can kill me or torture me. When I lose the strength to fight back

    against you, then you can do anything you want to my woman. After all, it would be my fault that I''m

    ipetent. But as long as I can get up, as long as I can, you can''t do anything to her. If you want

    to eat her food, you cane to my house and eat it openly. I would wee you at any time."

    "Rick..." Kendall was still stunned. Wasn''t he sleeping? Why was he here?

    Zayden stood up with a smile and stood in front of Rick. He grabbed Rick''s cor easily and said,

    "But Rick here looks too thin and weak. Are you sick? Why is your face so pale? You look really

    haggard."

    "I can still deal with you." Rick pushed Zayden back. His eyes were full of malicious intent. "Zayden,

    we all know what you are. If you trick Kendall, then you''ll be going to hell."

    "Are you threatening me? This is my territory. Do you think I''ll be afraid?" "That''s enough." Kendall

    stood in front of them to block them off. "I''m not worth the two of you fighting over me. Zayden, I

    won''t be with you. If you both want to use me to steal what the Stevens family has, you don''t have

    to act in front of me. I know that I''m not a smart person, and I don''t deserve anyone''s love for me.

    I..."

    Her eyes reddened as she spoke.

    Rick was very protective of her, but Rick had never said in public that she was his woman before.

    He had never been so determined to protect her.

    It was only because he felt insecure now that he showed his love for her in front of Zayden.

    She knew that there was no need to act this way.

    "Kendall, don''t talk nonsense." Rick held her hand firmly and hid her behind him again. "In the past,

    I didn''t know to cherish you, but in the future, I won''t let anyone bully you, nor give anyone the

    opportunity to do so. For me, you are the only answer."

    In fact.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    He had already gone to sleep.

    He didn''t know why, but he felt uneasy, so he got up to drink some water. When he did, he saw

    Kendall get in Zayden''s car. He followed her phone''s GPS to get here. Fortunately, he had gotten

    up. Otherwise, his uneasiness might have be a foregone conclusion.

    His might be weak, but it didn''t mean that he couldn''t even protect her.

    Even if Zayden beat him to death, he had to protect her before he died.

    Zayden raised his eyebrows. "Rick, do you think I''m Rnd? I am not as arrogant as you think, and

    I really like Kendall. I just want to ask you a question. Are you ready to marry her? Are you ready to

    love her? Are you protecting her because you love her, or because of your sad possessiveness?"

    Rick frowned and was about to say something, but Zayden raised his hand and interrupted him.

    "You don''t have to give me an answer as long as you know what you are doing. I only have one

    thing to say. I really like Kendall, so if you don''t treat her well, then I''m sorry."

    "I may have to let you down. I won''t treat her badly." Rick replied firmly.

    "I don''t know what happens between you two. Only she knows how you treat her, doesn''t she,

    Rick?"

    Zayden left smiling.

    The moment his back disappeared from view, Rick released his hand. He turned his back to Kendall

    and asked, "Why?"

    Kendall was so scared that she reached out to grab his sleeve. "What do you mean? Why are you

    here? I..." "Do you think I''m so useless? Do I need you to sleep with some man who''s interested in

    you for intel?"

    "I..." "I''m also worried about you," she thought.

    Kendall''s eyes were red.

    "That''s true. You''re such a..." Rick took a deep breath and swallowed his hurtful words. Then he

    turned around and stroked Kendall''s hair. "Let''s go home, okay?"

    "Rick, you don''t have to take back what you said. I know what you mean, and I know what you''re

    going to say. Yes, I''m shameless. I shouldn''t have gone home with you. I should be thrown away.

    You like Charlotte. Yes, she is so great. She''s like a shining diamond. You can let her take control of

    the Jane Corporation and Shane can give her the chance to make it into a toppany. I can''t do

    the same even if you gave me the chance."

    "Kendall, you don''t have topare yourself with her. I was just angry. I didn''t mean to hurt you."

    Rick sighed helplessly.

    "I know that it''s tiring to be with me, because we are not the same kind of people, isn''t that right?"

    Rick was silent.

    Kendall''s tears started falling. "I know that you won''t tell me you''re tired, so you shut yourself away.

    As long as I am a person who can listen to you, you don''t have to be so tired. Rick, it''s my fault. I

    shouldn''t like you."

    "I don''t me you anymore."

    "Rick, do you like me?"

    "I like you," he answered without hesitation.

    "If you like me, shouldn''t you respect my decision and let me pursue my happiness?"

    She still wanted to leave.

    Rick was not surprised by this.

    He had hurt her before. Meanwhile, Zayden knew how to treat her well and brought her out to eat

    sote at night.

    He was someone who was so busy that Kendall would not see him all day if she didn''t apany

    him at the office. Meanwhile, Zayden had the freedom to take her out and have fun.

    In the past, she did not have a choice. She only stayed with him because she liked him. But now,

    things were different.

    Now that she had gone through the hard times and saw a light in the distance, of course she would

    walk toward it.

    Rick closed his eyes.

    For the first time, he really felt heartache.

    It was as if countless shards of ss pierced into his heart, their sharp edges flowing through his

    blood and spreading all over his body.

    Thest time he had this kind of feeling, he had given up on Charlotte. At that time, his pain was

    tinged with unwillingness and anger. This time, it was just pain.

    "The first time you left, I didn''t force you to stay. I thought you woulde back to me, but you

    didn''t. You didn''t think abouting back. If I let you go this time, will I see you again?"

    Rick opened his bloodshot eyes. He grabbed Kendall''s shoulders forcefully. "You came out to eat

    with Zayden at night and were going to exchange yourself for information. Don''t I have the right to

    be angry with you? Kendall, do I have to be your dog for you to believe that I like you?"

    "That''s not what I mean, I..." Kendall was at a loss for words.

    "What if I can?"

    Rick suddenly got down on one knee in front of her.

    He lowered his head, his eyes covered by the hair of his fringe. His expression was numb, and his

    voice was cold and trembling. "Don''t leave me, Kendall. Don''t leave me."

    He grabbed her pant leg with one hand as his shoulders kept shaking.

    "Kendall, give me some more time. I will control my emotions. If I see you with others, I can smile

    and ignore it. Can you not leave?"

    He cried.

    Kendall cried even more than he did.

    She wanted to lift him up, but he was so tall and big, like a hill. How could she get him to stand up?

    She gave up and put down her hand. She begged in a low voice, "Rick, don''t be like this. I was

    wrong. I was wrong. Don''t do this. I''m sorry, Rick..."

    She did not intend to force him to stay.

    She didn''t want to force him to admit this.

    It didn''t matter whether he liked her or not.

    She was too stupid. It had nothing to do with Rick.

 Chapter 418

    Chapter 418

    When Rick saw Kendall crying, the pain in his heart magnified. Finally, he raised his hand and held

    her face. "Kendall, you aren''t choosing between Zayden and me. You are choosing whether you

    want me or not. It doesn''t matter who you choose if you leave me. That is your choice. I just want to

    know if you really want to give me up."

    "I... you... don''t force me. I don''t want to force you either."

    There was nothing else left unsaid.

    Even now, she still believed that she was the one who forced him to stay.

    Rick smiled. He lowered his head and wiped her face. "Zayden hasn''t left yet. You may still have

    time to leave. But, Kendall, let me tell you clearly. If you leave, don''te back. I don''t have such a

    good temper that I can ept a woman who left me."

    "I..." Kendall choked on her words.

    Rick let go of her hands and walked out.

    She was reluctant to make a decision, so she decided to do another bad thing.

    She used to like him more, so he could hurt her and abandon her at will. Now he loved her more, so

    he had to make a decision to be good to her. It would be a good thing if she left him.

    She had to leave him.

    That was what Rick thought. But he couldn''t help but feel sad. His legs suddenly turned into jelly,

    and he fell directly to the ground.

    "Rick!" Kendall immediately ran to his side and held him up. "Rick, what''s wrong? Are you okay,

    Rick? Wake up."

    Rick''s lips were pale and his eyes were closed. His forehead was covered with sweat. Kendall

    called out to him helplessly as she cried. After a while, she remembered that she should call

    someone to help. She took out her phone from her pocket and hesitated for a moment before

    calling Charlotte.

    Of course, it was impossible for Charlotte to sleep. No matter how tired she was, she usually slept

    around two o''clock, because there were many things that she needed to deal with.

    But when she saw Kendall''s iing call, she was still stunned. "What''s wrong?"

    "Rick, Rick suddenly fell into aa..."

    "Get a doctor."

    "We are outside."

    Alright.

    Something strange had happened.

    After Charlotte came to this conclusion, she immediately asked for the address. She took her car

    keys and set off. When she was halfway to the car, she suddenly remembered that she had not told

    Shane about this. She had wanted to call him to tell him about it. But after she thought about it, she

    realized that she might get home before he noticed she was gone. Therefore, she didn''t do

    anything.

    It wasn''t too far away, so Charlotte quickly arrived at the location.

    Kendall sat on the side of the road crying. Beside hery Rick, while Zayden stood beside them.

    "Mr. Crawford." Charlotte got out of the car and greeted Zayden first.

    "I didn''t expect Miss Charlotte toe alone."

    "Are you disappointed? It doesn''t matter. After that, you cane home with me for a sit. Shane

    has been obsessed with reading recently."

    Zayden smiled and took a step forward. "There''s someone following you. Do you know that?"

    Charlotte leaned closer to him and asked, "How did you know?"

    "I saw that person. I can deal with this matter for you. What I want isn''t something important. Just

    Shane''s preserved flower. My grandmother likes it very much." "This?" Charlotte immediately took

    out a pink flower.

    Why did she have it with her?

    Zayden smiled. "You..."

    "We have mass-produced it. How about this? If your grandmother likes it, I''ll have someone bring

    some to your grandmother tomorrow. How about that?"

    For your grandmother.

    It sounded like she was cursing someone out, but Zayden couldn''t consider it that way. It was so

    infuriating.

    He shook his head with a wry smile. "Alright. Thank you then. As for that tail, leave it to me. I''ll help

    you out since you''re doing me a favor."

    "Then I''ll bring Rick and Kendall to the hospital."

    "Alright, after you arrive at the hospital, I''ll bring some people with me. Please give me the address."

    "Let me add you on TheyChat."

    After they scanned the QR code to add each other, Charlotte helped Kendall carry Rick into the car.

    Kendall kept crying, and Charlotte was a little annoyed by it. She said unhappily, "What''s the point

    of crying now? What were you doing? It''s not like you don''t know that Rick is at risk now. Use your

    brain before you do something next time. Don''t always be so impulsive."

    "I know. I''m sorry for making you worry." Kendall lowered her head and said in a particrly

    aggrieved tone.

    "Alright, tell me what happened."

    Kendall told her everything truthfully.

    "You are really stupid. Zayden obviously has a crush on you. Why would you meet him for Rick? If I

    were Rick I wouldn''t just let you go. I''d throw you in Zayden''s bed and watch you two at it." There

    was no one else there, so Charlotte''s words were unfiltered and harsh. "Kendall, let me warn you. It

    doesn''t matter what happens to Rick. No one would dare to do anything to him. But you are

    different, do you know that?"

    "I know."

    "Let''s not talk about this simple thing. Your brother and your father really didn''t get discouraged. If

    we use you to threaten them, the Stevens family will go bankrupt. Whether here or abroad,

    everything will fall apart. When the timees, the Stevens Family will not let you go."

    Kendall lowered her head and didn''t say anything.

    Charlotte tilted her head and looked at her. "At least we have a reason to deal with Caleb. They

    have no reason to deal with you, it''s all for their own benefits."

    "I know that too."

    "Don''t go out again, okay?" Charlotte stretched out her hand and patted Kendall''s head.

    Kendall''s eyes turned red in an instant. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it. I''m sorry."

    Charlotteughed. "Don''t talk about such useless things. Take good care of Ric. When everything is

    over,fort your brother and father. As long as they are willing to start over again, none of us will

    be stingy with our resources."

    "Okay!" Kendall cheered up all of a sudden.

    Kendall was just like a child.

    That was what Charlotte thought of her.

    After they got to the hospital and did a detailed examination, the doctor only said that Rick had gone

    through a lot. Charlotte had no choice but to call Avery''s doctor over for another examination. There

    was a slight change in the diagnosis. The main thing was that Rick couldn''t withstand any

    provocation. As long as he had emotional fluctuations, his brain would shut down.

    Thankfully, this time Rick was still fine. Otherwise, the dy in getting him here would have been

    enough to kill him.

    Charlotte felt very ufortable when she heard this. She asked tentatively, "Then, can he be

    cured?"

    "Yes. You don''t have to worry," the doctor said with a smile. "It''s not a big deal. I told you before that

    he needs good rest and some psychological counseling. But..."

    He looked at Kendall.

    Kendall lowered her head guiltily.

    Charlotte nodded. "Then let Rick suffer a little. He deserves it."

    "Miss Charlotte, you are really heartless."

    "There is no other way. He was also very ruthless to Kendall."

    After Charlotte made some arrangements, she left and went to wait for Zayden. It was enough to

    have Kendall take care of Rick alone.

    Kendall was watching over Rick.

    About thirty minutester, Rick slowly opened his eyes.

    Kendall was surprised and held his hand. "Rick!"

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    He slowly blinked his eyes and replied with a grunt.

    "I was so worried about you." She threw herself into his arms and hugged him hard.

    "I didn''t know that you would worry so much for me."

    Rick gave a self-deprecating smile.

    "Of course I''m worried about you!"

    "There''s no need to worry about my health. With Avery and the others by my side, I''ll be well taken

    care of. Whether you want to leave me or not, you can decide on your own."

    "I just didn''t want to leave you," Kendall answered immediately.

    "You were wavering just now, weren''t you?"

    That was because...

    Kendall wanted to find an excuse, but she couldn''t even find an excuse to fool him.

    She bit her lip.

    "Rick, I don''t have..." She could only defend herself, her face pale.

 Chapter 419

    Chapter 419

    "You what?" Rick lifted her chin and asked. "You don''t want to leave me?"

    "No." Kendall nodded immediately. "I never wanted to. Rick, please believe me."

    "If you don''t want to leave me, prove it to me."

    Prove it to him?

    How could she do that?

    Did she have to be as shameless as she had been before?

    Kendall''s face instantly turned pale. Her trembling fingers moved toward his neck. She licked her

    lips and her breathing gradually elerated. Her gaze was confused. For some unknown reason,

    she was crying. She reached to reveal Rick''s neck. Rick did not stop her. It was only when she

    pulled his shirt aside and revealed the hideous scar on his chest that he reached out and pressed

    his hand against hers.

    "That''s enough, Kendall," he called softly.

    "What is this..." Kendall''s face became paler, and there was no trace of blood on her cheeks.

    "You can touch it."

    She stretched out her hand to touch it. Although it had healed, she could tell that it had been a small

    cut. Her eyes widened. "Rick, you didn''t..."

    "That''s right."

    "Why? Is it, is it because of me?" She raised her voice in disbelief.

    "That''s right."

    Rick''s agreement caught Kendall off-guard. She shouted, "Why? Why did you do this? And no one

    told me. Even when you were examined, I didn''t notice anything wrong with you. Why didn''t you tell

    me that you hurt yourself, why did you..."

    "The old me, he didn''t even notice that you were hurt, did he?" Rick asked with a smile.

    She was silent. She had a bad feeling about this.

    "Now, you can''t even see that I''m hurt. I''ve seen how you were when you loved me before, so I

    know you don''t love me now. You should leave with Zayden."

    The world was so big.

    There was nothing that they could not get over.

    He chose to let her go as an act of mercy to himself.

    Kendall''s eyes were very red. She reached out her hand and grabbed Rick''s cor tightly. She

    growled in a hoarse voice, "This wound is new. I''ve seen you naked before. This wound was made

    either today or yesterday. Why did you..."

    Kendall''s eyes suddenly widened because Rick kissed her.

    With his eyes open, he looked at her pale face, and chuckled. "Am I decisive enough? Just like how

    you left me with no way out, I''m forcing you to leave without any choice. In fact, I have thought

    about how you and I havee to this point."

    "Actually, it is very simple. I forced Charlotte to leave. She wouldn''t hate me because she didn''t love

    me. No matter how much pain and sorrow I felt, no matter how much it hurt, she wouldn''t have to

    suffer it. She wouldn''t feel sad about it either. Therefore, the deeper my hatred was, the more

    useless I became. I gave up on her."

    "But we are different. Kendall, we love each other, so we torture each other."

    Kendall''s eyes were wide open, and the tears flowed down her face and onto Rick''s chest.

    The gruesome scar was now covered with ayer of moist liquid, like a meandering stream in the

    wilderness.

    "Leave," he said in a hoarse voice. "Don''t let me shed tears and bleed for you."

    "I''m not leaving! Rick, if you love me, why should I leave?" She suddenly hugged him hard. "I''m not

    leaving, I don''t want to go."

    "Do you want to stay and watch me die?"

    Rick couldn''t helpughing.

    Kendall shook her head hard.

    "I''m not going anywhere." She went to kiss his lips. "Rick, I''m not going anywhere. I won''t go out at

    any time of day. I don''t even go out to the balcony. Don''t force me to leave."

    Did he still have the courage and ability to love again?

    Rick looked at the person in his arms and asked himself.

    He was actually thinking about it.

    She said so many times that she didn''t want to leave, but why didn''t she say "I love you"?

    She clearly knew that it was more useful to say that she loved him than that she wouldn''t leave.

    However, she didn''t say it.

    "Kendall, if you stay by my side without loving me, you will only provoke me."

    "I love you!" she answered without hesitation.

    "You know that I don''t believe you."

    Then how could she make him believe her?

    She pressed her lips against his.

    At first, it was an impulsive move, but the kiss became gentler and gentler. Later, she removed her

    lips, held his face, and gently stroked his cheek. Suddenly, she smiled.

    "What is it?" Rick looked at her tenderly.

    "It seems that you love me." Like a child who got some candy, she smiled brightly.

    "Yes, I love you very much."

    "I don''t believe it."

    "I don''t mind digging my heart out to show you."

    "You better not. You''ll die if you do that. What will I do if you die? What will happen to me and my

    nonexistent child?"

    Now that she mentioned it.

    That was indeed the case.

    "Do you want a child to exist?"

    Kendall thought this question was pretty romantic. Though it was too straightforward, she was pretty

    happy with it.

    She nodded vigorously.

    "I do."

    Kendall and Rick had probably made up.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Charlotte had even received a text from Kendall asking about contraceptives.

    Although they wanted to have a child, now neither

    Rick nor Kendall were in good health. The child might die or be deformed. So they had to change

    some bad habits before they had a child.

    Charlotte looked at the question on the screen of her phone and shook her head silently. She could

    only type helplessly. "Buy the thin ones. Also, your current health is not good. Shane and I haven''t

    gotten pregnant after so long. One or two tries should be enough. Don''t think too much about it."

    "Wow, you are so direct, I like it a lot."

    "Don''t be disgusting."

    "Did Zayden find you? When are you going home?" Kendall sent her an emoji telling her to be

    careful.

    "Don''t worry. I can take care of myself."

    "If you were a man, I''ll definitely marry you."

    "And then stab me in the back?"

    Kendall sent her a crying emoji.

    Charlotte didn''t bother to talk to her anymore. She just put away her phone. Coincidentally, she took

    a few more steps before bumping into Zayden.

    He held a woman in his grasp.

    "Who is this?" Charlotte frowned.

    "ording to her, her name is Josephine Hans. I have investigated her. She has an older brother

    named Jackson who works for Shane."

    "Why are you following me?" Charlotte stretched out her hand to lift Josephine''s chin.

    Josephine''s face was covered in wounds after being beaten by Zayden''s men. She looked at

    Charlotte fiercely and said, "If you dare, call Shane over!"

    Charlotte raised her eyebrows.

    She had to think carefully about this matter.

    It just so happened that Zayden wanted to see Shane. It would be good to get it done together.

    When Charlotte brought Zayden and Josephine home, Shane had just finished his video conference

    and left the study room.

    When he saw the captured Josephine, he frowned and said, "Let go of her first."

    "How can I let her go if you don''t exin clearly?" Although Zayden smiled and released her,

    Josephine still had electric shackles on her hands and feet.

    If he didn''t want her to move, she couldn''t move.

    "What''s going on?" Shane looked at Charlotte.

    "You asked someone to follow me, and now you''re asking me what''s going on?"

    "I only did it for the sake of your safety."

    "That''s great. You got my rival in love to ensure my safety. Shane, you are really creative."

    Charlotte''s tone was neither cold nor hot, neither low nor high. She looked at Shane with an

    exceptionally calm and indifferent expression, "You can choose to exin to me or not."

    Shane was not the kind of person who liked to exin. He frowned. "Don''t you trust me?"

    "Why should I trust you?"

    Shane remained silent.

    Zayden found that the situation was not quite right. He kicked Josephine with his foot and said, "Tell

    them yourself."

    "There''s nothing much to say. I took Mr. Fuller''s money so working for him is my mission. But I do

    like Mr. Fuller." Josephine didn''t look at Charlotte and Zayden at all.

    After all, she was dispensable to Mr. Fuller.

    If Mr. Fuller could ask her brother to follow her, she was definitely not a good person.

    "Alright." Charlotte nodded. "Shane, what do you have to say?"

 Chapter 420

    Chapter 420

    "What does what I asked Jackson to do have anything to do with you?" Shane looked at Josephine.

    "We''re very close, Mr. Fuller. You should have known this before. He fell from his motorcycle. Since

    he thought that you and Charlotte were at home, it would be fine if I watched you for a while. We

    didn''t expect this to happen," Josephine answered defensively. Obviously, she was dissatisfied with

    the fact that Charlotte had got someone to pick her up.

    "Lottie, you got Zayden to..."

    "Shane." Charlotte stared into his eyes and enunciated, "I''m very disappointed in you. Zayden, let''s

    go."

    Zayden threw a remote at Shane and said with a faint smile, "I don''t know if you know, Mr. Fuller,

    but you''d better not anger a woman, especially your own. Otherwise, you might find yourself dead

    without knowing why."

    Shane narrowed his eyes and strode forward. He pushed Zayden aside and grabbed Charlotte''s

    hand. "Don''t start a tantrum. Wait..." "Mrs. Fuller Senior is dead, right?" Charlotte''s sudden

    statement caused Shane to fall silent. The hand that held her wrist also stiffened.

    How did she know? Did someone tell her, or did she investigate it herself?

    "Is that a confession?" Charlotte turned around and pulled her hand away. "You got someone to

    follow me. When your grandmother died, you hid the news and she didn''t even get a funeral. I

    always thought that you were distant, but you''re still a very loyal person in reality. Right now, I can

    only think that you''re terrifyingly cold-blooded."

    "Sheryl couldn''t find out." Shane frowned.

    "How about me? Why can''t I know?"

    "The fewer people who know..."

    "Shane, I don''t think living together is such a good idea. I will transfer my and Mrs. Fuller Senior''s

    shares to you as soon as possible." After she spoke, Charlotte turned around and left.

    People said.

    You could turn someone into a mirror of yourself.

    That someone could be equally calm, coldblooded, equally proud and indifferent.

    Therefore, Shane could understand Charlotte''s reasonable anger. He just didn''t expect that she

    wouldn''t even give him a chance to exin even though he didn''t know what to say. She should be

    the person who knew him best, but she was also the person who would leave him in a heartbeat.

    Shane immediately called Jackson and asked him to take Josephine away.

    Regardless of what happened to him, he still needed toe and take Josephine away.

    When he heard about this, Jackson knew that things were not going well. He immediately rushed to

    Shane''s vi and took his sister away.

    Jackson, who had limped all the way to the vi, looked at Shane, who was sitting on the sofa and

    smoking a cigarette. "Mr. Fuller, didn''t you quit smoking? You said that you had a child now so..."

    "Take her away."

    Shane''s tone was very cold.

    "Yes, sir." Jackson didn''t dare to socialize again.

    "I''ll give you some money. Complete the mission ahead of time."

    "Yes, sir."

    Jackson took Josephine and the remote control away.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Shane was the only one left in the empty vi. He looked at the dark TV screen and frowned slightly.

    Charlotte organized a press conference and announced that she and Shane no longer had anything

    to do with each other. After that, she disappeared. Avery also went missing as well.

    However, Avery had only returned to his own city and began to fight for his inheritance with the rest

    of the Hart family. After all, he had already avenged Irena. Olive went with him too.

    Just like that, Sheryl was left behind.

    She never imagined that her mother would leave her and not even tell her.

    "Eat something." Shane put some porridge in front of her.

    "I don''t want to eat." Sheryl pouted and didn''t even look at Shane.

    "I''ll bring her back."

    "She''lle back on her own and take me away. Daddy, you''ll be all alone!"

    Shane felt helpless. He squatted down and gently stroked the child''s hair. "When shees back, I

    will exin it to her."

    "If Mommy wanted to listen to your exnation, why would she leave?"

    "Because she was too angry at the time."

    "Daddy, what on earth did you do? Why was Mommy so angry that she even abandoned me?"

    Shane didn''t know.

    Out of concern for her and Sheryl, he did not tell her the truth. He instructed Jackson to follow her in

    order to protect her and to ensure that she would not be targeted by some random people. He did

    not want to obstruct her or anything like that.

    He believed that he didn''t make any mistake when it came to his rtionship with her.

    They were publicly acknowledged to be a couple to be envied.

    "Knock, knock!"

    When she heard the knocking, Sheryl''s eyes lit up. She ran over and opened the door. Maybe her

    Mommy came back!

    When she saw Rick and Kendall standing in the doorway hand in hand, Sheryl''s nose twitched and

    she threw herself into Rick''s arms crying.

    "Don''t cry, little princess." Kendall bent down to pick Sheryl up. "Rick is feeling a little bad, so can I

    hold you?"

    "Okay." Sheryl nodded with tears in her eyes.

    "What''s wrong?" Kendall held her up in one arm and stroked her head with her free hand.

    "My Mommy doesn''t want me anymore." The kid cried furiously.

    "It will be fine." Kendall turned to Shane and said,

    "Mr. Fuller, I came here with Rick to tell you that Ms. Emerson is looking for you."

    "Ms. Emerson?" Shane frowned.

    Kendall had never addressed Charlotte in this way before.

    Kendall nodded. "She has recently messed with the Jane Corporation and the Stevens family. If you

    have been watching the news, you will see that my brother has been sent to prison. My father

    escaped because of health reasons. So now, whether it is the Jane Corporation or the Stevens

    family''s domestic projects, she is dealing with them."

    How did Charlotte be that powerful?

    Shane remained silent.

    "She''s looking for you because of her acquisition of NC Company. Mr. Fuller, this may be your best

    chance."

    "Give me the address."

    Kendall told him the address.

    Shane didn''t talk to the two of them anymore. He picked up his car keys and coat, and left.

    Rick turned to see his retreating back and said with a sigh, "He''s just like me in the past."

    "You''re not the same. At least, he''s still in love with Charlotte." Kendall gave a cold snort. "Looks like

    we''re going to be taking care of Sheryl today."

    "Isn''t that good?" Rick looked at her tenderly.

    "It''s not so bad to take care of Sheryl. It''s not so good to be kept without freedom by you."

    "So my Kendall wants to be free?" Rick hugged her gently and kissed her earlobe. "What did I do

    wrong now?"

    "Ew..."

    Sheryl covered her eyes and ran away from them. "You are more disgusting than Daddy and

    Mommy."

    Kendall''s face turned red. That''s not true. It''s all Rick''s fault. Let me go now."

    "Sheryl, this is not disgusting, this is love." Rick corrected her.

    Oh.

    What was the difference?

    Sheryl sat on the sofa and propped her head up.

    Right now, she only wanted her Mommy toe home.

    She missed her Mommy so much.

    She hadn''t seen her Mommy in a long time.

    She didn''t want to be an orphan.

    As Sheryl thought about it, her eyes turned red again. She held back her tears, but she started

    crying anyway.

    When she saw this, Kendall immediately ran over and hugged her. "Sheryl, you have to know that

    your Mommy does everything for your future. Don''t worry, she will soone back to you."

    "Okay..." The little girl threw herself into Kendall''s arms and cried.

    Oh!

    Kendall sighed.

    "What is this all about?" she wondered.

    On the other end.

    Charlotte sat by the window in a coffee shop, her fingers tapping on herptop''s keyboard. By her

    hand was a cup of coffee.

    From time to time, she would stop and take a sip from her coffee cup.

    The door of the coffee shop was suddenly pushed open. A familiar smell followed.

    Without a word, Shane pulled Charlotte up and held her tightly in his arms. "Where have you

    been?"

    With this finally urring after so long, Charlotte should be happy, right?

    However, Charlotte only felt that his hug was irritating. She struggled and said, "It has nothing to do

    with you."

    The words were cold and without any emotion.

    "What exactly do you want?" Shane frowned. "What happened with Josephine was an ident. You

    know better than me why I didn''t tell you about my grandmother''s death."

    "Yes, I understand. That''s why I have to leave you." Her voice was neutral.

 Chapter 421

    Chapter 421

    "Are you saying that you want to leave me?" Shane held her shoulders with even more strength,

    and the veins on his jaw bulged. "Charlotte, are you leaving me and Sheryl behind just because of

    these two small matters? Did you even think about how she feels?"

    "Is it important?" Charlotte replied coldly. "When you had me followed, you didn''t think about my

    feelings, did you?"

    "This kind of thing won''t happen in the future."

    "Do you still expect me to be with you in the future?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "The circumstances of Mrs. Fuller Senior''s death are unclear. Whether you are secretly investigating

    this doesn''t matter. What is important is that I don''t know anything even though I sleep next to you

    every night. Do you really think that I won''t wonder whether, if I die in the way Mrs. Fuller Senior did,

    you will make use of my death as well?"

    Shane gritted his teeth. "Charlotte Emerson!"

    "What? Did I say something wrong? Didn''t you use Mrs. Fuller Senior''s death to catch bigger fish?

    Did you really hide the news just because of Sheryl? Do you dare to say that without any guilt?"

    Of course he had wanted to use it as bait to catch Christopher.

    But a bigger part of it was because he was indeed very indifferent to the death of Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    Charlotte wasn''t wrong. He was a cold-blooded, rational person who only cared about personal

    gain. However, she was different from his grandmother. She was already a part of his life that

    couldn''t be removed. How could she not understand this truth?

    Shane didn''t answer her, but rather asked in a low voice, "You really don''t trust me at all?"

    "I want to trust you. These things happened so long ago, Shane. Did I ask you about it or suspect

    anything? But what happened in the end? I discovered Josephine. Do you really think I''m that

    generous?"

    Charlotte''s eyes were slightly red, but she held back her emotions. She clenched her fists and said,

    "Today, we won''t talk about these things. This is a contract."

    The contract was for Shane to give up his right to Sheryl.

    Shane frowned. "You should know that I won''t sign it."

    The child was thest chip he had to negotiate with her. How could he give the child to her?

    "It doesn''t matter if you don''t sign it. We can talk about it in the court. Look at you... Oh..."

    Before she could finish speaking, Shane had already grabbed her. He dragged her out of the coffee

    shop and stuffed her into his car. He tied her wrists together with his necktie. Her body was tied

    down by the seatbelt. She couldn''t jump out of the car even if she wanted to, so she could only

    re at him.

    Shane took her home immediately.

    Rick and Kendall had not left yet. They were watching TV with Sheryl.

    When they saw Charlotte tied up, they knew how serious the situation was.

    Kendall stretched out her hand and pushed Rick''s shoulder. He put down the things in his hand and

    walked toward them.

    "Shane, let me talk to her." Rick followed the two to the bedroom.

    Shane was about to tell Charlotte everything that had happened between Mrs. Fuller Senior and

    Hans siblings. He didn''t want Rick to talk to her, but seeing that Charlotte was crying, he thought

    that it would be good for her to calm down a little first. He nodded his head and left things to Rick.

    Rick closed the door.

    He walked up to Charlotte and removed the tie. "We''re all very worried about you. Even if you don''t

    talk to Shane, you can still talk to me. If you find it inappropriate, you can talk to Kendall as well."

    Charlotte didn''t know why he came, so she didn''t intend to speak.

    "Shane wasn''t the only one who was involved in Mrs. Fuller Senior''s death. Avery and I both knew

    about it."

    Charlotte instantly raised her head to look at him.

    "Except you, everyone knew about it. So if you want to me someone, you should me all of us

    for making the same decision."

    "Why?" she asked.

    "No reason. Christopher is already willing to kill people. If we told you and you went looking for him,

    he might kill you like he killed Mrs. Fuller Senior. Tell me, what should we have done then?" Rick

    took a step forward and held Charlotte''s hand tightly. "If anything happens to you, what should we

    do? What should Shane do? What should Sheryl do?"

    "Then what about Jackson?"

    "With everything that happened with Christopher, is it so wrong for him to want to protect you?"

    Charlotte remained silent for a long time before she let out a softugh. "There''s nothing wrong with

    it, but there''s nothing wrong with me not being able to ept it either. It will be the same if he can''t

    ept what I do. If that''s the case, then we should split up and bear our own responsibilities. Isn''t

    that good?"

    "Do you want to give up Shane?"

    "Rick, I used to be very self-righteous and I know Shane very well. But now, not only do I not know

    him, but I don''t even understand his logic. I don''t want to give him up. Just think of it as me being...

    not worthy of him."

    Rick was still holding Charlotte''s hand tightly. He looked down and said, "No, it''s all my fault. If I

    hadn''t given up on you back then, this kind of thing wouldn''t have happened."

    "Kendall is more suitable for you. I''m not good enough for you, Rick."

    "Lottie, you were not like this before, you..."

    "Rick," Charlotte interrupted him softly. "Actually, I understand it all. It''s because I understand that I

    know that I can''t escape. I really can''t."

    Rick was stunned for a moment, and then he sighed.

    There were some things that he could not say.

    After a while.

    He got up and left the room. When he saw Shane squatting down and talking to Sheryl, he opened

    his mouth, but he couldn''t tell him that talking to Charlotte for so long didn''t work. She was like a

    stubborn mule, and neither hardness nor softness could affect her.

    "Rick." Sheryl ran to him. "Daddy said that he will take me out to y for a few days. Do you also

    want to go with us?"

    Rick rubbed her hair and looked at Shane. Shane nodded to him. "Okay, if you''re inviting us, of

    course well go," Rick said.

    "Then I''ll go in and ask Mommy."

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Rick just wanted to stop her, but when he thought that since he had taken all the bindings off

    Charlotte, it should not be a big problem, so he did not stop her.

    He walked up to Shane and said, "I''m pretty useless."

    "Is she very determined?"

    "In my opinion, it''s not just determination."

    Shane nodded and said, "I guessed so."

    "Guessed?" Rick wondered.

    Rick did not know what he had guessed, so he kept silent.

    A momentter, Sheryl and Charlotte came out of the bedroom. Only then did Kendall get up and

    join them. He stood beside Charlotte and talked to her. "You''re finally back. Did you know that, while

    you weren''t here, Rick bullied me a lot? And I couldn''t even ask for help. It was really terrible."

    Her tone was aggrieved, with a hint ofint.

    Charlotte looked at her as if she was lost in thought. She could only shake her head.

    "What''s wrong with you? Do you feel unwell? Do you want me to take you to see a doctor?" Kendall

    asked in concern.

    "I''m fine."

    Rick also did not expect that Charlotte woulde out so quickly. He smiled and said, "It seems

    that Sheryl did a good job. I can''tpare with her."

    Kendall alsoughed in a silly manner. However, Charlotte did not say a single word.

    Usually, she wasn''t the kind of person who didn''t respond.

    For a moment, the atmosphere was frozen again.

    Kendall turned her gaze elsewhere. "Well, let''s not be stuck here. Let''s go out to eat something,

    shall we? I am so hungry."

    "Are we going to eat?"

    Shane looked at Charlotte, who was right in front

    of him.

    Although he didn''t know why she came out and what Sheryl said to her, it was a good thing that she

    was willing toe out to see him.

    At this moment, Charlotte didn''t have much appetite. Of course, she didn''t want to go. However,

    when she saw Sheryl''s eyes, she recalled what she had just said.

    She nodded and said, "Why don''t we get sukiyaki? I haven''t had sukiyaki in a long time."

    When they heard her say so, everyone was overjoyed.

 Chapter 422

    Chapter 422

    On the way, Rick purposely had Charlottee with him and Kendall to hand Sheryl over to Shane.

    This naturally made Shane feel displeased. Rick leaned over and said in a rushed voice, "Shane,

    think about it, Sheryl must have said something to Charlotte, otherwise her attitude wouldn''t have

    changed. So don''t worry about it now. You must first find out what changed. What did Sheryl say to

    her?"

    "You are indeed a strategist." Shane stretched out his hand and patted Rick on the shoulder.

    "Thanks, my friend."

    "It''s not easy for you to call someone your friend," Rick said with a smile as he shook his head.

    When Rick saw Shane take Sheryl to the car, Rick went to Charlotte''s side again. "What did Sheryl

    say to you just now?"

    Charlotte was silent.

    "Look, if you don''t tell me and Sheryl tells Sher, I won''t be able to help you."

    "Did you do it on purpose?" "I don''t think you can say that. Since you already have a child together,

    why not use her to make you show your hand?"

    Kendall had heard what Rick said to Shane. Of course, she also heard Rick talking to Charlotte, so

    she was a little lost. She didn''t understand who Rick was helping. However, she thought that Rick

    would definitely help Charlotte. In terms of personal interests, it was better to help Charlotte.

    Therefore, he must have helped Charlotte. But why did it sound like he was helping Shane?

    Oh, my God. Her mind was in a mess. She didn''t want to think about it anymore.

    On the other end.

    Shane got in the car with Sheryl.

    "Daddy, do you and Uncle Rick want to know what I said to Mommy?" Sheryl held out her hand

    greedily. "Give me money and I''ll tell you."

    "Who did you learn that from?" Shane frowned.

    He did not think that it was bad to see his daughter asking him for money. He could even buy

    anything she wanted for her. Even if she wanted a ne or a cannon, as long as it wasn''t illegal, he

    would buy it for her as a toy. However, he did not like her hiding her intentions and even using

    money as a bargaining chip.

    Money could indeed solve most problems. Sometimes it was everything, but he didn''t want

    Sheryl to think so.

    "I just wanted to see Olive and Uncle Avery," she said in a low voice. "But you don''t care about me.

    Why don''t you let me go and y with them?"

    "You can ask us directly. Who told you to ask me for money, Avery or Olive?"

    "It was Uncle Avery," Sheryl said obediently. "He even said that if you ask this question, I have to tell

    you. You''re so scheming. No wonder Charlotte didn''t want you and ran away."

    Shane was speechless.

    He stretched out his hand and poked at the space between Sheryl''s eyebrows. "That''s your mother,

    how can you call her Charlotte?"

    "Hehe." Sheryl gave a silly smile. "Then, Daddy, do you want to know what I said to Mommy?"

    "Tell me."

    "I told Mommy that a child raised by a single mother is very sad and may suffer depression. I told

    her that I felt my heartbeat going very fast these days and I feel like jumping off a building. Mommy

    was scared, so she agreed to stay with me for the time being. She said that she would not let me

    get hurt. If I don''t want to, she won''t force me to go with her, so she hopes that I won''t force her..."

    Shane pursed his lips.

    Sheryl grabbed up a bottle of water and took a sip. She proudly looked up and said, "Then

    something amazing happened. I said that Mommy should go and I will tell Daddy where to buy a

    cemetery plot. Mommy got scared again. She said that I can''t do this to myself."

    "I thought that I should y it up since I already started. So I told Mommy that since she can''t

    understand me, then I shouldn''t try to understand her either. It''s a two-way street. It''s the same with

    her and Daddy."

    Shane frowned.

    "Mommy told me that her rtionship with Daddy isn''t that simple. It isn''t like what I think. So I said

    that it''s just about Great-grandma dying."

    "Who told you about that?"

    "Someone sent me a message on my phone. I saw that it was some other country''snguage, so I

    searched about it online. I guessed that it happened too, so I cried for a few days..." Sheryl said,

    "Great- grandma loves me the most. Even more than Mommy."

    Shane felt a buzz in his head.

    He opened the window a little.

    He didn''t feel better until the cold wind blew into his face.

    Coincidentally, they had stopped at a red light. He looked at Sheryl beside him with a hint of

    selfmockery in his expression.

    What on earth was he doing all this for

    Sheryl, who shouldn''t have known the truth, had already found out.

    Charlotte, who he wanted to keep the truth from the most, had already found out.

    They had found out so easily, while Shane had spent so much effort to hide it. Was there no such

    thing as a secret in the world?

    "Then Mommy asked me how I knew about this and what I thought about Daddy. I said that I love

    you, so what you did must be right. Even if you''re wrong, you''re still right, because you''re my

    Daddy." Sheryl raised her face and looked at Shane expectantly. "Will I get a reward?"

    "I''ll allow you to visit Avery for two months during the summer."

    "I love Daddy so much!"

    As they chatted, they arrived at their destination.

    Rick waved to them. "Mr. Fuller, I''ll bring Sheryl into the restaurant to order first. Lottie said there

    was no drink here that she wants. Would you like to go buy some with her?"

    "Okay." Shane walked to Charlotte''s side.

    The three of them walked into the restaurant.

    Shane reached out and grabbed Charlotte''s hand. "Let''s go."

    "Wait a minute."

    He stopped in his tracks, looking at her in confusion.

    "Shane, let''s date," she said all of a sudden.

    "Date?"

    Shane was very... unfamiliar with this concept.

    He was extremely unfamiliar with it.

    He had never dated before, not even once. If Charlotte counted, then he had. However, dating was

    too narrow to define the rtionship between the two of them. What he had with her was more than

    that.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Right, I have thought about it. Things havee to this point because I don''t love you enough.

    And the reason for that is because we are too used to each other, but we have never truly loved

    each other."

    "Do you mean that I don''t love you?" Shane felt like he was being pranked. "Charlotte, if I don''t love

    you, who else does?"

    "Rick talked to me about it. He said that we think we love each other a lot. My love for you is like

    giving you an apple a day not knowing that you might want a watermelon instead. 1 thought about it

    and he''s right. We love each other enough, but the way we express our love is wrong."

    Rick had always made his points clear.

    As long as he analyzed human nature using psychological methods, he would be right. However, it

    was unknown whether it was because Rick waszy or he disdained to use this method. A lot of the

    time, he did not rely on psychology and human nature to analyze things.

    Shane still trusted Rick, so he nodded. "I can ept this theory."

    "So, let''s date and try to get to know each other better. If it doesn''t work, I''ll still go. Whether I take

    Sheryl with me or not, I won''t say another word. At least, let our acquaintance have an ending."

    The wind blew past them.

    It was a little cold, and after Charlotte finished speaking, she shivered.

    Shane took off his suit jacket and put it on her shoulders. "Let''s buy some drinks first?"

    "Alright."

    She nodded.

 Chapter 423

    Chapter 423

    After arriving at the supermarket in the mall, Charlotte picked out Kendall and Sheryl''s favorite

    juices. Other than the two of them, the rest of them didn''t like drinking juices. Most of them liked tea

    and wine.

    "Do you like this?" Shane pointed at the apple juice in her hand and said, "What a dumb consumer."

    "Your daughter likes it more than I do," she answered, feeling helpless. "Don''t you know what I

    usually like to drink?"

    "Make a table when we go back."

    Make a table?

    Charlotte was stunned. She asked in disbelief, "You want a list?"

    Shane nodded and said, "About what you like and don''t like. What you usually do and will never do.

    Make a table out of them. I''ll add what I like when you give it to me. That''s faster."

    It was very reasonable, but very much like working at the office...

    Charlotte thought for a while and decided not to answer him for now. After all, it was quite tiring to

    make a table because it required a lot of thinking. If it wasn''t necessary, she could just ignore it,

    unlike at the office. If she still had to make a table for dating purposes, she would go crazy for real.

    She came to the cashier with the beverages in her arms. Shane handed his card to the cashier and

    put the drinks in a bag. He held the bag in his left hand and held her hand with his right hand. "Do

    you want to eat now?"

    "Sure," she replied.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "What did you do in the past few months when you disappeared?" Shane asked the person beside

    him.

    "Uh... Nothing much. I justbined the resources in my hands and found out that you actually

    hold an important position in apany overseas, so I immediately changed my target. In short, I

    think that logistics is very important, so I decided to construct aboratory and study cold chain

    logistics and general logistics," Charlotte replied.

    "Not bad. How much is the starting fund?"

    "Three billion dors. That''s all my savings," she said with a wry smile. "If it doesn''t work out, I''ll be

    broke. By then, I''m afraid I may not be able to support myself anymore, let alone Sheryl."

    "That''s simple. I''ll support you."

    The only person in this world who could say that without any emotion was probably Shane.

    Charlotte was speechless and amused. "I don''t want you to support me."

    "When you were away, you should have heard about the Emerson Corporation, right?" Shane

    changed the subject.

    "Yea. At first, I thought you wanted to persuade me toe back, so I sped up my work. Butter, I

    realized that you were quick but slow. Actually, I never understood why. With your ability, you could

    have easily finished off Christopher. So, why did you have to boil the frog?"

    "Since you know that I''m boiling the frog, you should understand that it''s the safest way for me to do

    so."

    Charlotte pondered for a moment before nodding her head.

    That was indeed the case.

    Unless they directly killed Christopher, there was no point in using any other method to destroy him

    because nobody knew when Christopher would suddenly obtain another chance again. Therefore, if

    you constantly gave him chances, constantly allowed him to find opportunities, and cut off his wings

    when he was on the verge of death, you could avoid his unexpected retaliation.

    The two of them arrived at the Korean restaurant. Rick and Kendall had already ordered the dishes.

    Kendall waved at Charlotte and said, "I ordered many of the dishes that you like. Look."

    When Charlotte saw it, she was pretty surprised. "How did you know that I like to eat these?"

    Kendallughed. "I guessed it. Mr. Fuller has to learn from me. I don''t have any special abilities, but

    I''m the best at guessing what people like."

    Towards the end of the meal, Kendall drank a lot of alcohol. Perfect! Because no one could stop her

    from going crazy when she was drunk. Rick was afraid of bothering the owner, so he had to take

    her home first.

    On the way home.

    Kendall kept babbling. Rick ignored her babble and put her in the bathtub after they reached home.

    Just as he was about to take off her clothes, she muttered, "I don''t like Rick..."

    Was she finally confessing the truth after a few drinks?

    Rick found it funny. He slightly pinched her nose and asked, "If it''s not Rick, then who do you like?"

    "I like meat buns..."

    "If meat buns were a person, he would definitely want to marry you." Rick shook his head

    speechlessly and took off her clothes to help her

    take a bath.

    After a great deal of hard work, Kendall began to vomit.

    Rick silently swore in his heart that he would never let her drink again. This girl''s alcohol tolerance

    was too low.

    It took him a lot of effort to finish taking care of her. Finally, he could rest for a while. Lying on the

    bed, he stared at the ceiling as if in a trance.

    For some reason.

    He was a little worried.

    Not about Kendall, but Charlotte and Shane.

    In the car, he had proposed several ns to Charlotte. But in the end, she still chose to try dating

    Shane. Although both Kendall and himself were very eager to see the result, could Shane really be

    in a rtionship with someone?

    Rick looked at Kendall, who was next to him. Until now, he had not learned how to be in a

    rtionship with her. And several months passed by just like that.

    Meanwhile, Charlotte only gave herself a month. A monthter, if Shane...

    Rick didn''t dare to think about the consequences.

    Charlotte was someone whom he had once loved deeply. She was also an important friend in his

    life. He did not want to watch her miss out on her happiness.

    "Rick." Kendall suddenly opened her eyes and nuzzled against his chest. "My head hurts."

    "You''ll be fine if you just lie down and sleep for a while."

    "I don''t want to sleep anymore. The more I sleep, the more my head hurts. I want to go out and y.

    Take me out to get some fresh air."

    Deal.

    Rick carried Kendall in bridal style and said, "Kendall, how much did I owe you in my past life to

    make you want to torture me like this in this life?"

    Kendall giggled and answered matter- of- factly, "That''s because you love me."

    She was right.

    He loved her.

    That was why he especially wanted to see her throw small tantrums and hoped that she could rely

    on him. That was why even if he was really tired, he would not tell her anything but would try his

    best to fulfill her requirements.

    "I love you." Rick nted a kiss on her eye. "Kendall." "I love you too, Rick." Kendall hooked her

    arms around his neck and snuggled into his chest.

    He smiled.

    Meanwhile...

    When Charlotte reached home, Shane forced her to sit in front of theputer and make a table for

    him.

    In the living room, she was sitting on the sofa with aptop in herp. In front of her, Sheryl and

    Shane were ying games.

    To be honest, she was now a little envious of her daughter.

    She was carefree and could still y with toys, while she could only rack her brain to make a table.

    "Daddy, Sheryl wants to eat ice cream."

    "Okay."

    "No."

    Shane and Charlotte spoke at the same time.

    Shane had already got up. He turned to look at Charlotte and asked, "Reason?"

    "She ate two portions at the restaurant. And now she wants to eat again. How can her stomach

    cope with that?" "After she vomits or has diarrhea, she will know that she can''t eat so much next

    time. On the contrary, if her stomach is stronger than other kids, there is no need to control her

    diet."

    Listen.

    Was that what he should say?

    Charlotte was furious. "Shane, do you have a brain? If something happened to her stomach, is she

    the one going to the operating room or you?"

    Sheryl blinked in shock and said, "I don''t want to eat anymore..."

    Charlotte continued typing on the keyboard.

    Standing there, Shane felt a little unfamiliar with the person in front of him.

    Sheryl gently tugged at Shane''s sleeve and said, "I''m sorry, daddy. I didn''t mean to cause you

    trouble. I just really wanted to eat ice cream. The weather is so hot today. If I can''t eat ice cream,

    then can I have juice?"

    Sheryl was holding onto Shane, but thetter half of her sentence was meant for Charlotte.

    Charlotte nodded her head and said, "Sure. Pour it into the ss. One for mommy, and one for

    you."

    "Thank you, mommy!"

    Sheryl ran into the kitchen happily to pour drinks.

    "It''s just an ice cream. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it ?"

    Shane sat down beside her.

    Charlotte instantly stopped typing.

 Chapter 424

    Chapter 424

    Charlotte tilted her head sideways and looked at Shane. "If you think that I''m making a big deal out

    of it, I can just leave. From now on, you will be in charge of the child. I definitely will not interfere."

    "Is that necessary?"

    "Do you think it''s not?"

    When Sheryl came back, she saw that her father and mother were at loggerheads. Although the

    two of them stopped talking, the look in their eyes didn''t appear quite right. Moreover, no one

    heeded her when she came back. She looked at the three cups of drinks in her hands and suddenly

    felt upset. After a while of hesitation, she still decided to walk over slowly. "Drinks?"

    Charlotte quickly changed her expression and smiled at Sheryl. She removed the cup from her

    hand and took a sip of the drink, saying, "Thank you, darling."

    Sheryl smiled and handed the other ss to Shane. "Daddy."

    Shane didn''t reach out to take it. He red at Charlotte, then stood up and walked into the study,

    closing the door behind him.

    Sheryl put down the ss and sat down beside

    Charlotte. "Mommy, daddy is actually very nice to me. I ate a lot of ice cream today, and that''s why I

    wanted more..."

    Sheryl''s voice was especially adorable when she tried to be cute. However, Charlotte didn''t even

    spare a nce at her. Sheryl felt as though her mother had changed. She wasn''t like this before.

    "Mommy." The little girl grabbed onto Charlotte''s sleeve and said, "Stop being angry."

    "I''m not angry."

    "You''re obviously angry. Sheryl won''t eat ice cream anymore. Don''t be angry. You don''t even want

    to look at Sheryl."

    Charlotte did not find Sheryl adorable. Instead, she felt annoyed. And she didn''t know what was

    wrong with herself either. She actually felt like scolding Sheryl. Charlotte took a deep breath and

    pushed the little girl away. Then, she got up, went into the bedroom, and locked the door. Sheryl

    stood in the living room, baffled. On the verge of tears, she knocked on the study''s door.

    Shane opened the door. When he saw Sheryl''s upset face, he immediately held her up in his arms

    and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "Daddy, I think mommy doesn''t love me anymore." Sheryl suddenly burst into tears.

    "She''s in a bad mood recently. Let''s leave her alone for a little while. When her mood goes back to

    normal, we''ll get even with her." Shane caressed the little girl''s head and said, "Where does Sheryl

    want to go? I''ll take you there."

    "Sheryl doesn''t want to go anywhere. I just want to stay at home." Sheryl lowered her head.

    Little liar.

    She was clearly worried about Charlotte.

    However, Shane didn''t expose her. He put her down, pulled out a book from the bookshelf, and

    handed it to her. "You can read for a while."

    Shane walked away from her and turned the knob of the bedroom door. When he realized that he

    couldn''t open the door, he unlocked it with a spare key.

    Charlotte wasn''t working. Her eyes were dull as she looked out of the window. She seemed to be

    looking at a bird, the clouds, or the blue sky. She was nkly staring at something that she usually

    didn''t look at.

    "What''s wrong?" Shane sat down beside her.

    "Don''t talk to me."

    "Do you want to go to the doctor''s?"

    Why did she have to visit a doctor when there was absolutely nothing wrong with her?

    Shane grabbed her wrist and said, "She''s your daughter. Think about how much you''ve sacrificed to

    her. How can you bear to leave her alone and let her cry?"

    Charlotte wanted to retort him. But when she wanted to speak, she could only gulp.

    After a while.

    Only did she speak with resentment and anger, "Isn''t it because of you?"

    Shane pressed his other hand between his eyebrows and convinced himself not to be harsh on her.

    "You''ve been in a very bad moodtely. Go to the hospital and do a checkup."

    "Are you saying that I''m crazy?"

    "More or less."

    "Shane, you!" Charlotte was choked with anger.

    She was so angry that her lips turned pale. Suddenly, she cked out and fell straight into his arms.

    Shane was stunned for a few seconds before he immediately took her to the bed and did CPR on

    her. "Sheryl."

    Sheryl immediately ran into the room. When she saw what was happening, her mouth fell agape,

    and she said, "Daddy, what are you doing?"

    "Call the ambnce."

    The ambnce...

    Of course Sheryl knew what it meant. She immediately panicked, and tears started falling down her

    cheeks. But she didn''t dare to slow down, so she quickly called the ambnce.

    After some time, paramedics from the hospital arrived.

    Shane was leaning against the wall with a pale face, watching as doctors and nurses walked in and

    out before him.

    "Don''t worry, family members. There''s nothing wrong with her vital signs. It should only be a shock."

    The doctor handed the basic report to Shane. "Take a look at this first. If there''s no problem, well

    take her to the hospital for first aid."

    "Can I go with you?" Shane was not in the mood to read the report at all.

    "Of course, but it''s best for the child not to follow."

    Shane nodded.

    After he called and asked Rick and Kendall to look after Sheryl, he immediately left with the doctor.

    As soon as Rick arrived, he saw Sheryl sitting alone on the sofa with a devastating look. His face

    sank, and he went over to hug the child. "Tell me what happened, Sheryl. Don''t keep everything to

    yourself. It''s okay. Believe me. It will be fine."

    "Rick, mommy doesn''t seem well..." Sheryl said with teary eyes, "She suddenly passed out, and

    then daddy was above her, pressing on her chest, but she still didn''t wake up. I only felt pain when I

    looked at her, and she still didn''t wake up. Will she never wake up?"

    "Of course not. You have to trust the doctors."

    "I..."

    Sheryl felt even sadder.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    She wanted to trust the doctors, but what if something went wrong?

    When Charlotte woke up, she realized that there were a lot of people around her.

    Besides Shane, who was the nearest to her, there were also people who were wearing sses and

    suits. They didn''t look like businessmen. And they were holding notebooks and some... medicine in

    their hands? Those in the test tubes should be drugs, which appeared to be transparent and clear.

    Apart from these people, there was another person she was incredibly familiar with��Avery.

    "Her condition should be PTSD, but there are no major issues. So, she''ll be fine as long as she

    receives treatment," The person standing next to Avery said.

    "Is there any way to cure it at this stage?" Avery

    asked.

    "No, how could there be such a thing? There''s no shortcut when ites to psychology. It''s the

    same as what happened to Rick," said the man. "However, Rick is luckier because he had someone

    by his side. Besides, after he was triggered, he got what he wanted. I''m more concerned about

    whether you all know what Miss Charlotte wants or not."

    What did Charlotte want?

    Avery was stunned, and Shane was silent too.

    The doctor shook his head and continued, "In this case, the best way is hypnosis. But it depends on

    you..."

    "I don''t want that!"

    Charlotte stood up immediately. She held herself up and glowered at the crowd in front of her. "Why

    do you want to hypnotize me? What are you guys trying to do?"

    Avery reached out and gently held her shoulder. "Lottie, if you need anything, you can tell me. At

    least I''m not an outsider to you, you..."

    "I don''t need that!"

    Charlotte''s temper was worse than usual.

    Avery was shocked. He immediately looked at Shane and asked, "What happened?"

    Shane kept quiet. His gaze, whichnded on Charlotte, was filled with sharp pain. Avery would be

    stupid if he still didn''t understand the situation.

    He pulled the doctor closer and said, "Did you see that? How can you exin her current situation?

    In case something life-threatening happens to her, I don''t think I''ll be brave enough to walk out of

    here."

    "Well... Then you have to be ready to move all the projects to the Brine."

    "It doesn''t matter what price I have to pay," Avery said solemnly. "Without them, I won''t be able to

    carry out my revenge."

 Chapter 425

    Chapter 425

    Charlotte''s condition was not optimistic. At first, she was furious. Next, she was depressed. Then,

    her body was trembling all over, and her tears were streaming down uncontrobly. Everyone

    thought that it was anxiety and emotional obstruction. She also fell into self-doubt because she

    couldn''t regte her emotions.

    It was a vicious cycle.

    The more she doubted herself, the more difficult it would be for her to get her emotions under

    control. For a short period of time, she didn''t even want to listen to anybody''s advice. If she went on

    like this, there would only be two results. She would either die or live like a dead person.

    It won''t be easy for her to get through this on her own.

    Avery had no choice but to let his subordinates manage thepany. Then he traveled overnight to

    find Olive and started babysitting Sheryl and Olive so that Shane could have enough time to take

    care of Charlotte.

    When he returned to the city again, he felt a little bit unfamiliar with it. He should have been familiar

    with it.

    He brought the two children to the most famous beach in Brine. Far in the distance was the sea. His

    heart ached as he stared at the sea.

    Irena''s ashes were scattered in this sea, cold and bone-piercing.

    "Is she cold?" Avery thought.

    "Mister, can you help me take that?" A boy''s cute voice sounded.

    Avery snapped back to reality and looked toward the direction the boy was pointing at. It was a ball.

    He immediately picked it up and handed it to him. "Be careful. Don''t lose it next time."

    "Okay. Thank you, mister." The little boy bowed deeply.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Freddie, why are you running around like that on your own? Do you know that your father and I are

    very worried about you?"

    This voice...

    Avery was stunned for a few seconds before he shot up his head.

    Half of the person''s face was burned, appearing particrly terrifying. But the other half of it still

    looked pretty. However, due to arge number of scars, he couldn''t really see her actual

    appearance.

    He stood up and said, "Hi. Who is this child to

    you?"

    The woman looked at him in hysteria and said, "I''m sorry, my son has caused you trouble. I''ll go

    first."

    He couldn''t be wrong.

    The face could be wrong.

    The voice could be wrong.

    But the feeling would never be wrong.

    Avery really didn''t expect that the person he was missing a second earlier would appear in front of

    him all of a sudden. He grabbed her wrist and said, "Aren''t you dead? Irena, why didn''t you contact

    me? You..."

    "You''ve mistaken me for someone else. I''m not Irena." The woman denied it but did not break away.

    "Really? My reputation is not that good, so it''s only normal for me to mistaken random people as my

    lover." Avery instantly let go of her hand. He smiled, but the light in his eyes was broken. "I really

    shouldn''t have bothered you. Your child is adorable. If you''re not her, then I''ve mistaken you for

    someone else."

    The woman lowered her head and remained mute.

    "Dad."

    At that moment, Olive ran over to Avery and said, "Sheryl fell, and there''s a lot of blood and sand on

    her wound. I''m afraid that she''ll get infected."

    Avery and Irena were both stunned when Olive called him dad.

    Avery nced at the boy beside Irena and smiled again. He let out a long sigh and said, "Let''s go.

    Dad will bring you to take a look at Sheryl."

    "Great!"

    Avery and Olive walked away.

    "Irena, why didn''t you tell him that I''m your boss''s son?" Freddie narrowed his eyes and asked,

    "He''s the Avery that my dad often talks about, right?"

    "If you use your 190 IQ on studying, you must be a straight-A student now." Irena bent over and

    gently touched his forehead. "I promised your father that I would never tell anyone about my past.

    They all think I''m dead."

    "But you didn''t die. That day, you threw yourself onto my dad''s car and only broke a few ribs."

    Freddie''s voice was frigid.

    To outsiders, he was truly an eight-year-old kid. But to those who were close to him, he didn''t try to

    hide his nature as a child prodigy at all.

    He was already studying in high school when he was eight years old. However, he was toozy to

    go to school, so he dropped out and self-studied physics. He preferred ancient poetry and music,

    and his dream was to be a bard.

    He was only eight years old, but he had already achieved goals that twenty-year-olds couldn''t even

    achieve.

    He was so mature and introverted to the point where it scared people.

    However.

    Irena had never been afraid of him. She was still as gentle as ever. She gently stroked Freddie''s

    hair and said, "Irena is already dead. I am now Freddie''s mother, the disabled wife of Nathan, whom

    he had deeply loved for many years. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t havee back to Brine either."

    "I did it on purpose."

    "I know, and that''s why I know I''ll run into him. Even if I don''t, you''ll continue to investigate and

    make us bump into each other, right?"

    Freddie was struck speechless. He hated the feeling of being outguessed. He frowned and walked

    forward on his own. "That''s why, I said, women, are creatures who don''t know what''s good for

    them."

    "If you say that, a lot of girls will be sad."

    "That''s their business."

    Very soon.

    Freddie purposely took Irena to the rescue station.

    Just like a fated encounter, he spotted Sheryl standing in the crowd at first nce.

    Even though she was injured, she was acting silly to cheer up the people beside her. She had lovely

    dimples and adorable double ponytails. She was wearing a pink dress and dainty shoes. The girl

    from earlier that looked unfriendly and tough was standing next to her.

    Freddie pointed at Sheryl and said, "Mom, I want her."

    "Don''t speak nonsense." Irena pushed his finger down.

    "It''s only Avery''s daughter. I can just snatch her from him," Freddie said as he walked forward.

    "Hey!"

    Irena couldn''t stop him.

    Freddie walked up to Avery and Sheryl and bowed like a gentleman. He said, "Mister, I didn''t expect

    that we would meet again."

    Avery also did not expect to see Freddie again. He was stunned at first, and then he looked behind

    him. As predicted, he saw Irena standing there. He could feel his heart thumping loudly. Then, he

    stood up, wanting to walk up to her, but then he thought it was pointless. After all, she already had a

    child.

    "She''s my father''s secretary," Freddie said casually. "My father used her as a shield to ward off

    women. Back then, she tried tomit suicide and flung herself onto my father''s car."

    "What did you say?" Avery thought there was something wrong with his ears.

    "I think I''ve said it clear enough. Mister, let me take care of this girl, okay?" Freddie looked at him

    innocently, slightly raising the intonation of hisst word, making it sound cute and charming.

    Sheryl was fine. She only had to sit there and wait for the ointment to dry.

    Avery, of course, wanted to see Irena. He nodded and said, "Olive, take care of Sheryl."

    "All right."

    Olive, Sheryl, and Freddie.

    Once again, Freddie sensed the call of fate.

    He walked up to Sheryl and said, "You are so beautiful."

    "What are you doing?" Olive took a step forward and blocked his path with one arm. "We aren''t

    close to you, are we?" Olive said.

    "I have a beautiful castle. If you want to, you can bring your sister there to y with me." Freddie

    ignored Olive.

    Olive frowned.

    Sheryl tilted her head and asked, "Do you know who my father is?"

    "Avery?"

    "His name is Shane Fuller. My dad said if a boy asks me out, I should just tell him my dad''s name."

    Was it that Shane Fuller?

    Freddie had heard of this name before, of course.

    However.

    He smiled proudly and said, "Your dad should have told you my father''s name too. His name is

    Nathan Nonsen."

    Nathan Nonsen?

    Sheryl was confused. She blinked and said innocently, "Well, what''s with Nathan Nonsen? What

    does he do? Is he not a local? Does he have a business in Brine? Why have I never heard of him?"

    Freddie''s face froze.

    Sheryl''s words stung him like a bee. "Is he super rich?"

 Chapter 426

    Chapter 426

    The news of Sheryl getting injured was a big deal, so Shane naturally had to go and find her. When

    he arrived, he noticed that Nathan was there too.

    They hadn''t seen each other since thest international exhibition. It should have been at least five

    years since theyst met. If Shane still looked the same as before, then Nathan had definitely

    added some weight. Although he still looked handsome, you can hardly see his jawline from his

    previous years now. He still had the same noble and charming smile, but he already had wrinkles

    on his forehead.

    "Shane, howe you did not age?" Nathan was astonished.

    "I''m seven years younger than you." Shane frowned and said, "Seven yearster, I''ll look as greasy

    as you are now."

    Nathan burst intoughter. "Seven years ago, I wasn''t as self-aware as you are," He said as he

    pulled his son closer to him. "This is my son, Freddie. You''ve seen his mother before. She passed

    away because of ALS. I''ve always loved her and missed her. And I''ve never wanted to find

    someone new. That''s why I let Irena stay with me. After all, her heart is already dead. There''s no

    need to worry that she might have any bad intentions."

    "She is the lover of my friend," Shane said.

    "I know. That''s why I''ve been very generous. I can still manage those troubles. However, I did that

    for your daughter''s sake."

    "Daughter?"

    "My son said that her name is Sheryl and that she''s very cute. He wants to invite her to our house. If

    she agrees, she can take Avery''s daughter with her too. Of course, both of them will have to agree

    first."

    "I disagree." Olive opened her mouth without even considering it.

    This matter had nothing to do with her from the start. Besides, she didn''t like Freddie either. He

    looked too cute and small, like an ant. She could easily p him to death. A kid like him thought he

    had the potential to flirt with Sheryl? He could just dream on. Maybe it would still be eptable if it

    was an older kid.

    Sheryl couldn''t speak as freely as Olive did. She knew that her words and actions represented

    Shane, and the education Shane and Avery received waspletely different.

    Avery never restricted Olive''s behavior. If Olive was in trouble, he would have just helped her out.

    He wouldn''t care about losing face.

    However, Shane was different. Sheryl could always mess around with Shane at home, but as long

    as she was outside, not to mention mess around, it would be better if she didn''t act cute to her

    daddy too. Unless there were only daddy, mommy, and daddy''s friends around, she could only be

    an obedient and put-together child.

    She didn''t think it was a bad thing. After all, it was easy for her to behave like a polite and sensible

    child when she was outside.

    Nathanughed again and asked, "What do Mr. Fuller and your daughter think?"

    "I don''t ept marriage of convenience. As for other things, it''s up to you."

    "If that''s the case, then that would be the best. I also think that there''s no need for me to arrange a

    marriage. So, Sheryl, do you want to go back with me and y for a few days?"

    "Mister, my mommy has been hospitalized these two days. She''s very unwell. I don''t want to go too

    far away from her, so I can''t go to your castle to y," Sheryl replied politely.

    "That''s a pity." Nathan was actually taken aback by her answer.

    Freddie was upset. Just as he was about to say that he could help her solve her mother''s problem,

    Sheryl spoke again.

    "But my daddy also has a castle. You all can move there."

    Nathan cracked up.

    He was shocked by her answer andughed until he almost fell to the ground. He pinched Sheryl''s

    cheek with a big smile on his face. "You''re so lovely. Much more lovely than your father."

    "You''re very talkative, aren''t you?" Shane spoke coldly.

    "Your daughter is so cute." Nathan carried Sheryl on his shoulder and said, "How about this, Mr.

    Fuller. I have a medical team too. Let them help your daughtere up with a solution. As for the

    other children, just let them stay home and y. What do you think?"

    "Not that great."

    "I can help take care of the children." At this moment, Irena returned to Freddie''s side and brought

    Avery back with her at the same time. "I''ve already exined everything to Avery. He respects my

    decision and promised not to reveal anything about me."

    Nathan''s eyes fell on Avery, and he said with disdain, "Irena''s achievements in the past few years

    are beyond your reach."

    Upon hearing that, Avery was infuriated.

    Initially, he had wanted to thank Nathan because he was the one who saved Irena after all.

    "Be polite to my friend." Shane eyed Avery and said, "Bring Sheryl and Olive home first."

    "Okay." Avery nodded and turned to Irena, saying, "Do you want toe with us, Irena?"

    Irena was a little embarrassed. She was not used to being close with him so quickly.

    But Avery didn''t feel like something was wrong. He treated her just like how close they used to be.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "If I don''t let you have Irena, my son''s wife may be gone. You can go."

    "Boss!" Irena bit her lips.

    "Are you going to disobey my order?" Nathan smiled.

    "I don''t dare to..."

    Now, Irena could only leave with Avery.

    After Nathan put down Sheryl, he took his son with him and asked him to discuss the current

    international situation with Shane.

    Shane thought he was only showing off at first, but slowly he realized that something was wrong.

    After asking a few questions, he fell silent.

    "Mister, why did you stop?" Freddie was actually more or less in awe of the man in front of him.

    The first reason was that Shane was already a genius since he was a child, just like him. Second,

    even his father had to bow to him in his own territory. So as a son, he certainly couldn''t show any

    disrespect to him.

    "How much is your IQ?"

    "190," replied Freddie.

    Did you know what it was like to have a 190 IQ?

    Stephen Hawking''s IQ was only 170.

    The IQ of the smartest person in the world was 210. This person could read thenguage of four

    countries at the age of four, and he was able to study abroad at the age of eight.

    So, with his 190 IQ, even if he only pursued the easiest job in the future, he would still be able to

    be the best in that industry due to his intelligence.

    "Great genes," Shanemented.

    "If he had brain damage at birth, can you guess if I would exchange him for the life of my lover?"

    "I will."

    "I''ll do the same thing too. He can still live if he has brain damage, but I only have one lover. I''m

    d that we think alike. After so many years, I can still have a good chat with you." Nathan patted

    Shane''s shoulder and said, "I also feel sorry toward my child for venting all my anger on him before.

    He really hadn''t done anything wrong."

    Shane waved his hand and Freddie immediately walked up to him.

    "Do you like my daughter?"

    Freddie nodded.

    "Why?"

    "She glows," Freddie replied without hesitation. "When I look at her, she''s glowing. And when I don''t

    look at her, she''s still glowing. Moreover, I feel like she seemed to be the person I was destined for.

    There''s a voice in my mind telling me that it''s her."

    Mind that he was an eight-year-old child.

    Shane nodded and said, "I have a vacant vi. So, I''ll have to ask you to take good care of Sheryl

    with Avery and Irena''s help for a short period of time."

    "It seems like we came just in time." Nathan raised an eyebrow.

    "My lover is also very important to me." Shane left as soon as he finished speaking.

    Nathan looked at his back and shouted, "Send the hospital address to Averyter."

    Shane didn''t respond, but Nathan knew that he heard him.

    Freddie asked, "Can I go look for Sheryl now?"

    "Your mother named you Freddie Doyle. So you will always be Freddie Doyle."

    Freddie sounded nice.

    Freddie felt that Sheryl would call him Freddie no matter what.

 Chapter 427

    Chapter 427

    Eventually, Freddie arrived at Shane''s vi to meet Sheryl. Olive didn''t like Freddie, so she didn''t go

    downstairs to wee him. At first, Sheryl didn''t want to greet him either. However, as the host, she

    had no choice but to go. It was impolite not to greet the guest.

    "Wee. Your room is on the second floor with Olive''s and mine. Your father''s room is on the third

    floor." Sheryl pointed to his luggage. "Do you need me to help you carry it upstairs?"

    "I can do it myself. You''re a girl." Freddie carried his bag on his back and looked at the man beside

    him. "Dad, I''ll put my luggage upstairs first."

    "Okay." Nathan nodded. He then turned to Sheryl and said softly, "I''m handing my son over to you,

    Sheryl."

    "No problem. Daddy told Sheryl that I must take good care of you two!" Sheryl''s rosy cheeks made

    her look super adorable.

    Her cheeks must be really soft.

    Freddie swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

    However, Sheryl didn''t notice his abnormal behavior. She took him to the second floor and

    introduced theyout of the whole house to him.

    She told him that there were a lot of things they could do at her house, so it was better not to go

    outside. Because it would take 3 minutes to drive and 10 minutes to walk from their vi to their

    neighborhood''s entrance. Even picking up a parcel required a long time.

    "But it''s not that bad because the housekeeper will help to pick up the parcels. The housekeeper

    can drive, which is awesome."

    Freddie listened and even nodded from time to time.

    When he put down his luggage, Olive just happened to walk out of the room. Seeing the two of

    them walking together, she put her guard up and held Sheryl''s hand. "Sheryl, don''t go to his room.

    Let him unpack on his own."

    Freddie frowned.

    He didn''t really like Olive.

    Even if he liked Sheryl, even if he really wanted to marry Sheryl, how old was he? He was only eight

    years old. What did you expect an eight-year-old boy to do to a six or seven-year-old girl? Wasn''t

    she overly vignt? It made sense if he was eighteen years old, but he was only eight years old!

    Setting his IQ aside, he was still only eight years old!

    Sheryl smiled andforted Olive, "It''s fine. If he bullies me, daddy will deal with him. However, it''s

    indeed not that convenient for girls to watch a boy unpack his luggage. So, you''ll have to do this on

    your own, Freddie. I will go back to building puzzles with Olive. You cane over after you''ve

    finished tidying up."

    "Alright." Freddie nodded.

    Sheryl held Olive''s hand and skipped away. Olive snorted coldly, not even sparing a nce at

    Freddie.

    It was her duty to protect Sheryl.

    When Freddie was unpacking, he suddenly realized that Sheryl seemed to call him by his name just

    now. He only told her once that his name was Freddie, and she remembered it. She even called him

    Freddie. This meant that just like him, she liked the name Freddie too.

    Sweet.

    Although she looked small and silly, she was exceptionally cute.

    After a while.

    Freddie finished unpacking his luggage and came next door to join Sheryl and Olive. Puzzles are

    just a piece of cake for him. Hence, he stood on one side most of the time, watching the two girls

    assemble their puzzles. He would only give them pointers when they had no idea how to continue.

    However, the good thing was that they were very perceptive, and he did not need to say too much

    sometimes.

    "I''m so tired. I want to go eat some ice cream. Do you want to go, Olive?"

    Olive shook her head. "I like building puzzles. Plus, I don''t like ice cream."

    "Then you two can y here. I''ll go downstairs first."

    Freddie did not stay upstairs. Instead, he followed Sheryl. Seeing the two of them being so close,

    Olive pursed her lips.

    She sighed.

    Olive felt that she was about to lose favor with Sheryl. From now on, there would be one more

    person around Sheryl. She didn''t know why, but she was quite upset. And she couldn''t exin why

    she was so sad.

    When Sheryl opened the fridge, she noticed that Freddie had also followed her downstairs. She

    turned around and looked at him. "Omm, Freddie, what kind of vor do you like?"

    "I''ll watch you eat." His interest was not in the ice cream.

    "Okay..."

    Sheryl took out a box of yam-vored ice cream and ran to get a purple fork.

    She liked purple and liked to eat yam.

    Freddie secretly made a mental note.

    "Freddie, I heard from your dad that you''re exceptionally good at Olympics Maths. Can you teach

    me some tips?" She sat on the swing with ice cream in her arms and swung her feet.

    Standing beside Sheryl, Freddie looked at her innocent face and only felt a yearning for her. He was

    stunned for a few seconds and did not say anything.

    "It''s confidential, isn''t it?" She asked.

    "No, studying is particrly boring. I think you''re doing quite well. Mathematical Olympiad... is not a

    must."

    "Of course I know. But don''t you think it''s a personal choice to choose whether I want to study or

    not? A stupid person like me can study hard, whereas a smart person like you can not study. If

    you''re not telling me the tips because you want me to live the way you want me to, then we can''t be

    friends. You are emotionally ckmailing me."

    Freddie was baffled by her exnation and did not know how to reply all of a sudden. He clenched

    his fists, wanting to say that he did not emotionally ckmail her.

    Honestly, Sheryl didn''t care about his feelings. She ate two spoons of ice cream and patted her

    small belly, saying, "If you don''t want to teach me, that''s okay."

    "I didn''t say I don''t want to teach you. Sorry." Freddie did not know why he apologized.

    "You didn''t do anything wrong." Sheryl snorted. "If you think I''m forcing you, then you don''t have to

    teach me anymore. I just feel like I''m a human, and you''re a human too. If we respect each other,

    we can be friends or even get married. But if you think I''m your pet... then I''ll be sad."

    It was only at this moment that Freddie came to his senses. He had apologized earlier because he

    did not treat her like a human being.

    He brushed his nose and fell silent.

    Sheryl jumped off the swing, leaned into him, and kissed him on the cheek.

    Freddie''s eyes widened in shock.

    "Oh, you smell good." Sheryl didn''t feel weird for kissing him. On the contrary, she even reached out

    and touched the ce where she kissed earlier and muttered to herself, "Is this considered a kiss?

    Freddie is good- looking. It''s safer to kiss him first."

    Hold on!

    Wasn''t he the one who liked her?

    Wasn''t this happinessing a little too suddenly?

    Freddie felt his mind going haywire.

    "Well, let''s go back now. Olive must be worried."

    She said as she walked inside on her own.

    In the future.

    If someone asked Freddie.

    "When was Mr. Doyle''s first kiss?"

    At that time, he would be a popr star.

    And she would be the director of severalpanies, traveling around frequently and often leaving

    him alone. She wouldn''t even think of him.

    "Eight years old."

    The reporter had never thought that he would answer the question.

    After all, Mr. Doyle had always been cold and distant. The reporter did not expect that he would be

    so lucky to receive an answer from Mr. Doyle.

    The reporter immediately continued asking, "Mr. Doyle, when you were eight years old, were you

    with Miss Emerson?"

    Freddie thought the reporter was referring to Sheryl instead of Charlotte.

    "Yes." Freddie gave a simple and straightforward answer.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Later.

    Rumors would be flying all over the city, saying that Ms. Emerson had already started treating Mr.

    Doyle like her future-sonw when she was eight.

    Further into the future.

    Sheryl had returned to the country, and the first sentence she would say to him when she saw him

    was,

    "Be careful with your mouth."

    Freddie sighed.

    He had always missed the time he spent with Sheryl during his childhood.

    She was such a cute girl. How did she be so cold after she grew up?

    "I would be mad," Freddie thought.

 Chapter 428

    Chapter 428

    Avery sent a picture of Sheryl and Freddie to Charlotte. When she woke up, she immediately saw

    Avery''s message. Seeing that Sheryl was happy, she felt happy too. However, her happy mood did

    not evenst for a few seconds. She could not grasp the feeling of happiness.

    Charlotte put down her phone and went to stand by the window. She looked at the scenery outside

    but felt empty inside.

    Suddenly, someone lifted her off the ground, forcefully moving her away from the window. She was

    confused. "Shane, what are you doing?"

    He pursed his lips and said nothing.

    Charlotte turned around and met his cold gaze. Puzzled, she asked, "Why are you looking at me

    like that? I just wanted to breathe some fresh air. Why did you carry me away all of a sudden? Are

    you insane?"

    Shane didn''t like exining himself. Even though she said those words, he still didn''t speak.

    Charlotte didn''t bother to pay attention to him. So, she pushed him away and went back to bed

    angrily. During dinner time, she broke all the tes and dropped all the food. Not long after the

    nurses finished cleaning up, she dropped a second portion.

    But Shane was rich. He kept buying more food when she kept ruining them. In the end, Charlotte

    was so angry that she experienced yet another shock.

    "I don''t think you''re suitable to take care of people," the doctor said bluntly. "You''re always standing

    on the opposite side of the patient. How can her anxiety be eased that way?"

    But now, who else could take care of her except him?

    Shane massaged his temples and said, "Doctor, I just want her to eat."

    "Do you not know how to have a good conversation with others? You shouldn''t be asking her if she

    wants to eat or sleep. And you also shouldn''t be pressing her onto the bed or forcing her to eat

    nutritious meals that she doesn''t like at all. She doesn''t need to take care of her diet now. It''s

    already a tough job for her to stay alive."

    Back to the ward.

    Shane stopped at Charlotte''s bedside. She turned to the other side of the bed, ignoring him.

    He lowered his gaze and said, "I''m sorry."

    "You were right. I know that I''m crazy. The doctor said that something''s wrong with my brain

    recently, so can you just leave me alone?"

    "What should I do?" Shane suddenly held her shoulders and said, "I don''t know what to do. There''s

    no form. I can''t find answers in my books either. This is my first time as a father, and the first time

    being in a rtionship. I know I hurt you, and I..."

    Forget it.

    There was no point in saying these.

    He slowly let go of her and said, "I will not leave you alone."

    Charlotte was annoyed, so she covered her head with the quilt.

    That night.

    After she fell asleep, Shane called Braden to the bar.

    Silently, he drank bottle after bottle. Braden and Anne, who were beside him, felt sorry for his

    stomach even when they saw him.

    "What the hell is going on?" Anne couldn''t help but ask.

    "What else can it be? Ask your bestie." Braden sighed. "Rick had just recovered. And now,

    something''s happening to Charlotte. The two of them are really..."

    Shane froze when he heard this. After a while, he said with a self-deprecating smile, "Should I have

    helped them at that time?"

    "That''s not what I meant. Don''t misunderstand, okay," Braden immediately stated. "I think that you

    and Charlotte were born to be together. Don''t break up just because of what I said."

    "Where is Rick?"

    "He should be making babies with Kendall at this hour." Braden said seriously, "Please don''t ruin

    other people''s happiness."

    Shane looked at him with disdain, "I''m just trying to ask him for help. What are you thinking about?"

    "I think you will kill Kendall any time soon and then throw Rick onto Charlotte''s bed." Braden had

    never kept his mouth shut, so his words were always unfiltered and random.

    "I''m not that crazy."

    "You will only be crazier than this."

    Shane didn''t bother to reply to him this time. He continued drinking.

    After a while.

    Braden couldn''t hold it back anymore. He asked, "Buddy, can you tell me what''s going on?"

    After hearing Shane''s exnation, Braden''s head was about to explode. "There''s no way she was

    shocked because of something like this. I suspect

    that she might have recalled some traumatic events. You might have reminded her of something

    from the past for keeping those two incidents from her."

    Something from the past?

    Her... parents?

    Shane suddenly recalled Charlotte saying that he would never treat her nicely because he was so

    cruel toward Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Was it because her father might have given up on her mother for some reason and caused her

    mother to die of an illness that caused her to recall the event? And that was why she no longer

    trusted him and regretted giving him all her heart. Was that what triggered her?

    Shane thought that was very likely.

    However, there was no way to find out the truth for the time being.

    The next day.

    Shane came to the hospital with a hangover.

    Charlotte was standing in front of the window again. This time, he just stood next to her and said, "I

    won''t hurt you."

    "Who knows." She didn''t even look at him.

    "What you''re worried about won''t happen to us.

    What happened to granny was an ident."

    "Even if I understand all the truths, what can I do?" She was perplexed, so she said, "Shane, your

    selfishness frightens me. Even if I know that it is for my own good, it still terrifies me."

    Shane remained silent.

    Charlotte let out a long sigh. "I don''t even know why I''m here either. Actually, I don''t think there''s

    anything wrong with me. I''ve just been overthinking a lot. My heart feels too..."

    All of a sudden, Shane turned and kissed her.

    Charlotte''s eyes widened as she tried to break away with all her might.

    Shane held her tightly. He opened his eyes and stared at her pale face for a moment before slowly

    letting her go.

    "What are you doing!"

    "One month. Date me for one month. You said this before."

    "Sorry, I won''t date someone who called me crazy." She hadn''t forgotten how he infuriated her.

    Shane was rendered speechless.

    He felt agitated.

    Charlotte suddenly thought of Kendall. She propped her head up and arched her eyebrows at

    Shane, "Why don''t we split up for a few months?

    I''ll give you the child and the rights, and you''ll take over thepany. I can tell you where I am, but

    you can''te looking for me, and you can''t restrict me from making friends. What do you think?"

    "It''s safer to stay in the hospital."

    "Well then, are you not afraid that I would find an opportunity like how I didst night and jump down

    from here?" Charlotte pointed at the window sill.

    "Charlotte!"

    "You don''t dare to bet it because you don''t know how to exin it to Sheryl."

    "Why must you leave me?" Shane was at a loss to understand her.

    "Before this, I had no idea, but now I know. I''m particrly worried that I will be a person who

    doesn''t have her own mind, who only knows to depend on you. Only when I leave you can I know

    who I truly am, and only when I leave you can you really know who you are to me."

    In the end.

    Shane still let Charlotte go.

    He kept the truth from everyone and only told them that she had been transferred to another

    hospital. Nathan and Avery thought that Shane didn''t trust their medical team. But they didn''t say

    anything about it. After all, that was his wife. They could only offer him mental support. Ultimately, it

    was not their responsibility,

    Charlotte disappeared after she took three hundred thousand dors.

    To be urate, she had disappeared in real life but was still living a great life on social media.

    Every day, she went out to eat and y and even made a lot of friends.

    Half a monthter.

    Shane received messages from Charlotte. Apart from telling him that she was safe, she also...

    "I don''t have money left." Charlotte texted, followed by a crying emoji.

    "How much do you need?"

    "It''s not about how much I need. I''m currently trapped..."

    "I''ll pick you up. Where are you?"

    "I would already turn into ashes if you travel here all the way from home."

    Shane finally realized that Charlotte must have encountered a problem. After knowing which

    country she was in, he went to ask a local friend about it.

    It turned out that Charlotte was harassed by a local rich guy. That guy was forceful with her, so she

    beat him up. And now she was locked up.

    "Help me keep an eye on her."

    "Don''t worry. There won''t be any problem as long as I''m with your wife."

    The man on the other side of the phone asserted.

 Chapter 429

    Chapter 429

    "Keep an eye on that man." After sending out the message, Shane switched to another app to

    purchase tickets.

    Initially, Charlotte thought that Shane was only looking for someone to help her settle her problem.

    She actually didn''t want to trouble Shane, but that rich guy seemed to be very powerful. He

    detained her just because of a p. She had nothing to say because she was indeed the one who

    pped him after all.

    She waited and waited, but he still had note.

    Just when she thought that Shane didn''t care about her anymore, she saw him. That man who she

    had not seen in a long time.

    Behind Shane, a huge number of people in ck bulletproof vests were following. She didn''t know

    those people. They didn''t look like people from her country or Brine. They seemed to be...

    mercenaries?

    Shane smashed the lock with his gun and pulled her out of the room.

    "Uh..." Charlotte was a little embarrassed and didn''t dare to look at him.

    "Did he hurt you?"

    "No. I''ve protected myself very well," she replied honestly.

    "Okay."

    Shane picked her up in bridal style and carried her out of the room that looked like a cell. It was only

    then that Charlotte realized she was not at the police station at all. She was at an abandoned

    warehouse instead. She didn''t dare to move in Shane''s arms until an explosive noise rang out

    behind her. The zing heat caused her ears to burn.

    "Shane..." she called him softly.

    "I''m here."

    "Why did youe?"

    "I miss you." Shane paused for a while and continued, "Besides, I don''t think I''m a forgiving person."

    She understood the first sentence, but what was the meaning of the second one? Charlotte didn''t

    dare to ask again. She simply acknowledged his words and proceeded to bury her head in his arms.

    Shane brought Charlotte to his hotel and left to deal with the rich guy.

    Being alone in the room, Charlotte was bored. When she was walking around, she saw Shane''s

    phone, which he left in the room. She picked it up and went through it.

    His social media was very clean.

    There were only Sheryl, Avery, and Rick.

    Once in a while, Cole would appear. As for Jackson and Josephine, she didn''t even see their

    names.

    After scrolling through his phone multiple times, Charlotte did not discover anything strange. In the

    end, she ced the phone back and sat down on the sofa.

    When she was dozing off, she felt as if someone was carrying her.

    "Shane." She knew that he was back.

    "Yes?"

    "What did you do?" She said in a somewhat disappointed tone, "There are so many blonde girls

    with big boobs out there."

    So, she thought he went to flirt with girls?

    Shane couldn''t helpughing. "Do you think I came all the way here to find you just because I want

    to see other women?"

    She pouted.

    He bent over and kissed her forehead. "The man learned his lesson. He was sent to undergo

    chemical castration. I''ll tell you the results when ites out tomorrow."

    Charlotte had no idea what he was talking about at first. After thinking about it for some time, she

    suddenly realized that Shane had personally traveled here to seek revenge for her.

    She immediately pulled him into a tight embrace. "He won''t being after you, will he?"

    "I''m not scared of him."

    "That''s good. I''m sorry. I''ve caused you trouble again."

    He carried her to the bed and sat down, supporting her back with his fingers. His gaze fell on her

    sleepy eyes. She looked so cute and attractive when she was half-awake.

    "I thought you had a couple of boyfriends? That man is not ugly. Why didn''t you take him with you?"

    When Shane said this, his heart ached.

    He had been stalking her on social media all this time, so he naturally knew that she was living an

    interesting life.

    She was going out with different guys every day.

    "No, I don''t have a boyfriend," she said with a smile. "I''d like to date them too. But I''m afraid they

    only treat a backpacker like me as a... Hold on, why did you ask this?"

    "Don''t you know why?" He leaned in closer and nibbled on her ear. "Do you really not know?"

    His lips continued to move downwards.

    His angry bite was a little painful, but Charlotte was aroused. She arched her body and moved her

    neck closer to him. "Harder. If vampires knew that you suck on a human''s neck like this, they would

    definitely be ashamed of you."

    "It doesn''t hurt?" He looked up.

    His eyes, as dark as ink, carried a noticeable desire.

    Charlotte pressed her index finger on his lips and said with a half-smile, "Are you going to stop just

    because I say it hurts?"

    He really stopped and did not even move an inch.

    "Shane, are you okay?" She pulled the corners of her mouth.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "You''re as obedient as a dog."

    A dog?

    Whatever,

    He didn''t care what he was.

    It was fine as long as she liked it.

    Seeing that he didn''t retort, Charlotte recognized the severity of the problem. So, she asked,

    "What''s wrong with you? I haven''t been around you for just half a month, and you''ve already

    changed so much?" "I miss you," he replied directly. "If dogs can stay by your side, I don''t mind

    being a dog."

    "Hey, don''t say that. I remember that we''re still not a thing." She was slightly surprised.

    "You don''t want me?"

    What kind of words were those?!

    Charlotte frantically shook her head.

    Shane nodded and let go of her. He stood up and walked to the front of the window. "You''ve

    traveled alone for so long without a boyfriend. Aren''t you lonely?"

    "Of course not. I''m full of strategies every day, and I still have you to support me financially. Why

    should I feel lonely?" She copsed onto the spacious bed and said, "You''ve been very lonely

    without me, haven''t you? So, you hope that I feel lonely too?"

    "No."

    "Shane, I was nning to go home after I solved this problem."

    He was silent.

    It was not good news to him for her to go home.

    After all, if she continued to stay abroad, he would have to keep giving her money. But, at least she

    would tell him how she was doing every day. If she went home, it was very likely that she would

    have to... separate with him.

    Seeing that he didn''t reply to her, Charlotte continued to speak, "I feel like this mutual silent

    treatment is quite scary. Sheryl hasn''t spent several days with both her mom and dad. I''ve thought

    about it. I shouldn''t be so selfish. So, I want to go back to her and be a good mother."

    "What about me?" Shane turned around. "You''ve thought about Sheryl. Have you ever thought

    about me then?"

    "It''s not that I''ve never thought about you. It''s just that I chose to avoid this question every time.

    Shane, I always felt that we..."

    She didn''t continue.

    Shane walked over step by step and asked, "We?"

    "He''s so tall," Charlotte thought.

    And he had such a sharp nose.

    How could someone be so outrageously handsome?

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    Charlotte beckoned him over. Her gesture was likened to that of calling a puppy.

    Shane pursed his lips, but he still walked over and stopped beside her. Charlotte hooked her arms

    around his neck and whispered into his ear, "I can''t leave you..."

    "You were the one who wanted to leave."

    "When I left, I realized that I would miss you."

    "So, you''reing back?"

    "Let''s date for a month. If we can really fall in love with each other, we can let our marriage live up

    to its name. If it doesn''t work out, we''ll just continue our marriage for the sake of our child."

    In fact.

    From the very beginning.

    She must have done it because of Sheryl.

    If it weren''t for the child, if it weren''t for the fact that she cared so much about the child''s biological

    father, she would probably have been together with Rick, who loved her more.

    You see, she cared so much about love, but when she said that she would give up on Rick, she

    really did give up on him.

    She clearly believed that Shane did not love her, but she still had to say that it was for the sake of

    the child.

    "So, my only advantage is that I made you pregnant with Sheryl?" Shane lifted her chin and looked

    at her with an inexplicable expression.

    Was it pain? Or was it sadness?

    Charlotte couldn''t tell. She just felt like it wasn''t right.

    She reached out to smooth out his brows.

    "Do you love me?" she asked.

    Women were always fixated on this question. Even if they knew that he was a jerk, they could

    always forgive him as long as he loved her. Of course, she couldn''t let him go easily. Didn''t he force

    her into anxiety just because he wanted to know the answer?

 Chapter 430

    Chapter 430

    Shane thought that the answer was pretty obvious. How could he not love her? What reason did he

    have not to love her?

    Of course he loved her.

    Just like loving Sheryl, that was already a part of his life, a part that he could never discard.

    "Yes," he answered without hesitation.

    "All right."

    Honestly, Shane didn''t quite understand what Charlotte meant by that. But he could clearly hear her

    stomach rumbling. Since destiny didn''t allow him to probe deeper, he simply decided to take her out

    for dinner.

    A feeling of romance seemed to roam the streets of the foreign country.

    It waste at night and the bright moon hung high in the sky. Coconut trees lined the streets.

    "I''ve been thinking about whether these coconuts would suddenly fall from the tree and smash into

    my head," Charlotte suddenly said with a chuckle. "I''ve been worrying about that every day since I

    first arrived in this country. I probably worried about it for nothing. Even when I looked it up, I

    couldn''t find any news reporting that someone has been hit on the head by coconuts."

    "In many countries, a lot of coconut trees don''t bear coconuts," Shane said.

    "Really? I''ve never paid attention to that, but that should be right. Maybe there are no coconuts on

    the trees or that they wrapped them up with stic bags. That way, they won''t have to worry about

    coconuts falling on anyone."

    "That''s basically the case."

    "As expected from the businessman. Your point of view is always one of a kind."

    "Aren''t you a businesswoman too?"

    "I''m just following your orders. There''s actually a really big gap between me and you."

    Shane shook his head with a smile. He took over all her factories. In just a few months, he could

    see that she had her own style in doing business. If she were to follow his orderspletely, she

    would have been disqualified. Her way of doing things was obviously different from his. But, he

    didn''t expect that she would have her own unique style.

    Perhaps, staying by his side had actually limited her future.

    But perhaps, without him, she would not have be so outstanding.

    "I don''t know what to eat. How about that?" Charlotte pointed at a restaurant.

    "Sure."

    Shane brought her in.

    While they were eating, they heard someone talking about something rted to an attack at the

    next table.

    Only then did Charlotte remember. "I almost forgot that this country is still a warring country. It''s not

    very suitable to stay for too long. Why don''t we go home earlier?"

    "It''s best if you''re willing to go back."

    "I''ll check out the flights for these two days," Charlotte said and immediately looked it up.

    After a while.

    She found a flight that would take off 7 hourster, and theter flight would be in 13 hours. She

    couldn''t make up her mind all of a sudden, so she asked Shane, "Which flight do you think is

    better?" Shane nced at her and said, "7 hourster will do. After we finish eating, let''s go back

    and sleep for 5 hours. We can continue our sleep on the ne."

    "That''s fine too."

    Because their take-off time was quite near, so the two quickly ate their meal and went back to the

    hotel.

    When Charlotte woke up, Shane had already finished packing their luggage and changed into a

    new set of clothes.

    She yawned with a splitting headache. "Aren''t you sleepy? Doesn''t your head ache?"

    "I''m used to it," he said. "It always happens to me."

    "What an enviable and heart-wrenching habit..."

    If a person didn''t sleep well or slept too much, they would experience headaches. It would be a

    painful process to get up and do things. Therefore, many people suffered a variety of symptoms.

    They either didn''t sleep then sleep for the whole day on the next day because they thought it was

    essential to the body. But it was actually our brains that thought waking up and sleeping were too

    painful, so we chose to avoid it.

    This was why people nowadays tended to stay upte.

    Both of them were ready to go.

    When they arrived at the airport, they still had half an hour before the ne took off. The timing was

    perfect.

    Charlotte felt very sleepy, but she couldn''t fall asleep leaning on Shane''s shoulder because it was

    too noisy. "I really didn''t expect that you''ll be the one to take me home in the end."

    "What were you expecting at first?"

    "Well... I actually wanted to travel to a few other countries, visit all the countries around the world,

    and then go back to take care of Sheryl," she said with feigned seriousness.

    "I think you''ve already expected that I would be the one who takes you home," Shane brutally

    exposed her.

    "I have not."

    "You were already prepared when you were no longer anxious."

    "You don''t have to know me so well. It''s kind of scary."

    Shane leaned over and nted a kiss on her ear. "As long as you''re honest, I don''t mind acting

    along."

    This man!

    Charlotte rolled her eyes and said, "Don''t be happy too early. You still need to go through a month

    of assessment."

    "You know that you and I can��t live without each other."

    "If I still have to suffer from anxiety for being around you, then I don''t want it."

    Those words.

    Shane was struck speechless.

    In some way, he had indeed traveled to so many ces because of her. And it was indeed because

    of him that she had suffered from this annoying anxiety.

    When the ne was about tond, a riot had erupted at the airport all of a sudden.

    Suddenly, some ck-robed armed men broke in, Shane immediately took Charlotte outside, but

    there were too many of them. Not only did they fail to run away, but those men had also managed to

    catch them too.

    Charlotte was fine, but Shane was bleeding profusely because he took a bullet.

    "What should we do now?" Charlotte asked the person beside her.

    "Did you bring your phone?" Shane leaned against the wall, colors draining from his lips.

    "Yes."

    "Find a country."

    A country?

    Although Charlotte was confused, she still followed Shane''s advice and found Rick and Avery.

    Then, she asked them to call the police.

    However, even if the government could send people over, Shane''s injury...

    Charlotte looked at the expanding bloodstain on his legs and shoulders and felt sick with worry.

    If he continued to bleed like this, he would die.

    The positions of the bullets were quite coincidental. It was not a fatal wound. But with his current

    amount of bleeding, he would faint in less than thirty minutes and would definitely die in forty-five

    minutes.

    Charlotte could only pray in her heart, hoping that Avery and Rick were fast enough and that the

    government and Brine could speed up their actions too.

    "Sleep for a while." Shane put his fingers on her eyes.

    "You''re bleeding like this, and you want me to sleep for a while?" Charlotte pulled his hand away

    and said, "I understand that you know first aid. After tying your legs with a cloth, your bleeding has

    indeed been reduced, but you''re still bleeding. The bullet is still in the wound, once..."

    She choked on her sobs and stopped talking.

    What kind of cold-blooded creature did he think she was?

    Even if it was several months ago, she still could not watch him bleed so much and sleep.

    "When you wake up, you and I will be all right." Shane didn''t care about the injuries on his body. "On

    the contrary, if it doesn''t get better after you wake up, you and I will just die here. Instead of

    worrying about me, you should think about whether you will die or not."

    "Is there anything else in your brain besides rationality?" sheshed out.

    Shane didn''t respond. He just looked at her.

    Charlotte''s eyes welled up as she lowered her head. "I never med you. I knew from the very

    beginning that I wasn''t worthy of being with you at all. I can''t understand anything about you. No

    matter how hard I tried to imitate your habits, I could only learn a little. I..."

    Before she could finish her words, Shane''s bloodstained hand grabbed the back of her head. He

    took her to his arms and kissed her.

    However, he did not have much strength and let go very soon.

    "Whether you think you''re worth it or not, you are the only one."

    Later.

    Charlotte didn''t know what happened to her.

    She actually fell asleep.

    And it was a deep sleep

    Even if she felt that someone was touching her, she could not open her eyes to have a look. She

    only kept her eyes closed.

    "Lottie? Lottie!"

    The people around her were calling her name loudly, shaking her.

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    Only then did Charlotte open her eyes sleepily.

    Yes, it was indeed the pungent smell of disinfectant.

 Chapter 431

    Chapter 431

    "I... Where am I?" Charlotte didn''t feel any difort in her body. Instead, she could even sit up

    straight without feeling any pain. Even her head was not aching anymore.

    "In the hospital. Back in our country." Avery immediately helped her up and said, "You''re not injured.

    So, howe you were unconscious for so long? The people sent by our country said that when

    they saw you like this at that time, they thought that you had internal injuries, so they brought you

    back for a full examination. It turns out that nothing was wrong with you, but there was no way we

    could wake you up."

    "I don''t know. I was especially worried about Shane at that time. How could I have fallen asleep?"

    Charlotte was at a loss.

    "Well, I think I know now." Avery''s face fell. "Shane really learned hypnosis."

    "What?" Charlotte was even more puzzled.

    "My doctor said that when he hypnotized Shane, he found that Shane had a hidden talent. It was

    probably rooted in his photographic memory. Hence, it was very likely that Shane had already

    picked up the technique of hypnosis during

    Christopher and Skr''s hypnosis."

    Charlotte''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "I didn''t take it seriously at first, and I thought it was not a bad thing that Shane knew hypnosis. So

    now it seems that he had hypnotized you."

    "Hypnotized me..."

    "Then, as far as I know, there is one type of hypnosis that can make people fall asleep without

    waking up. The only way to wake them up is to let someone familiar call their name. So, that''s why

    you''ve been sleeping before I came. I woke you up by calling your name as soon as I arrived."

    Avery said, gnashing his teeth, "What kind of monster is Shane?"

    Charlotte remained silent. She didn''t want to express her opinion on this. She already felt that she

    wasn''t worthy of Shane. He knew so many things.

    After a short while, she suddenly remembered something important. She grabbed Avery''s shoulder

    and asked, "Where is Shane?"

    "In the next ward. He''s all right. It''s just that there''s ack of oxygen to his brain due to excessive

    bleeding, and he can''t recognize anybody now."

    "And you said he''s all right?"

    "Duh. Because of excessive blood loss, he fell into a shock. So, having temporary amnesia is

    already considered a good result. If you want to see him, you can go and see him. Maybe he will

    recognize you."

    Charlotte twitched the corners of her mouth, then instantly left the bed and walked to the next room.

    She pushed the door open.

    Shane was sitting on the hospital bed. His gaze was clear, and his face looked innocent. In an

    instant, Charlotte''s face was filled with love.

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    "Eh, Shane?"

    Shane turned his head and looked at her in surprise. He raised his eyebrows and slightly curved his

    sexy lips upwards. "Hello, miss. May I know why I''m here?"

    "What did you call me?"

    "Miss," Shane replied crisply.

    "Shane, how old are you now?" Charlotte quickly sat down beside him.

    "Twelve," he answered.

    Charlotte was lost for words.

    So, this was temporary amnesia?

    It should be called re-entering youth instead.

    Charlotte asked hesitantly, "Then, do you remember me?"

    Shane shook his head and said, "Miss, I will never forget such a beautiful woman like you."

    What?

    Was that Shane?

    Charlotte waspletely dumbfounded.

    If this was really Shane, then all the men in the world would be cuties.

    She couldn''t believe that Shane actually had such a sweet mouth.

    Oh my god.

    "Can you guess what''s your rtionship with me?" However...

    Charlotte quickly got rid of her shock and decided to tease Shane.

    "Rtionship? I don''t know. If you''re not my real sister, then we can be anything."

    "What if we''re enemies?"

    "I''m still a child. Why would I have enemies?"

    "But Shane, you''re almost thirty." Charlotte burst intoughter and tilted her head.

    Shane frowned. He left the bed and walked to the front of the mirror. When he saw that the person

    in the mirror was different from the one he remembered, he was stunned. Charlotte walked to his

    side and leaned against his shoulder. "I''m not lying to you, right? Look at you. You''re already thirty."

    "Miss, now that I''m thirty, am I married?"

    "Take a guess."

    "If I''m married, you are definitely my wife. Otherwise, you won''t be so close to me. If I''m not married,

    then you might be my girlfriend. So, our rtionship is quite intriguing, isn''t it?"

    Even though Shane had transformed into a 12-year-old, he was still as smart as he was.

    So smart that it was enough to incite Charlotte''s jealousy.

    When she was twelve years old, what she would think about every day was why the male

    protagonist and the female supporting role didn''t end up together and why the female protagonist

    didn''t end up with the male supporting role. Yes, she only knew to watch cliche soap operas all day.

    "Well, then I''ll stay a little further away from you." Charlotte withdrew her hand.

    "Miss, you''re not the first person who came to see me, but you are the only one who talked to me.

    They seem to only care about my health."

    "I only came here to check on your health too. In short, we have nothing to do with each other."

    Charlotte said very seriously, "Our only rtionship is that I''m your child''s mother."

    This time, it was Shane who was speechless.

    They already had a child, and yet she still said that there was nothing going on between them?

    Shane turned his head sideways and looked at her calmly. "Miss, are you ying with me?"

    "Come on, do you have anything to ask me? I can tell you anything, except for the things about you

    and me."

    What could he ask?

    Shane contemted for a moment and thought of a person. He asked, "Heidi. Is she married?"

    Charlotte''s smile instantly froze.

    This time, she did not feel jealous. She just...felt sorry for Shane. If 12-year-old Shane knew that

    Heidi would die because of him at the age of 18, he would certainly be sad and start ming

    himself. So, how should she salvage this?

    She couldn''t bring Heidi back for him to see.

    Wait a minute.

    Shane had no idea what 30-year-old Heidi looked like.

    Charlotte''s eyes lit up, and she began making up nonsense. "Heidi is married, and her husband is

    super handsome. I was always jealous of you and her, butter she..."

    She went on and on about Heidi.

    She told him how Heidi was still ying the piano and thought it was a pity for him to give up on

    piano.

    "So I gave up on piano." Sadness settled between Shane''s eyebrows. "I thought I would y piano

    for the rest of my life."

    "I wanted you to continue, but you''re always busy."

    "Miss, can you take me to y the piano?"

    Yes, of course she could.

    Charlotte immediately went to handle Shane''s discharge formalities. This hospital was like their

    house. They coulde and go as they wished. Since they had private doctors at home, she could

    just contact them when something happened. After all, he was in great condition right now, and she

    was quite willing to spend time with 12-year-old Shane.

    At least 12-year-old Shane looked more like a human being. He was very lively and cute.

    Not only did he y the piano, but Charlotte also brought him to many other ces. When he saw

    the transformation of the city, Shane was both curious and amazed.

    After an entire day of observation, Charlotte found that Shane had only reverted to a younger state

    of mind. His management and life skills had not degenerated in any way. He could even settle the

    work that he had to deal with when he went overseas to look for her. However, he didn''t even know

    why he would remember it.

    Soon, it waste at night.

    At Shane''s request, Charlotte led him to the piano room again.

    Shane sat in front of the piano. He ced his long and slender hands on the keys.

    A beautiful melody poured out as his fingers danced on the piano. Soft and mellow.

    Shane, I used to be the person who hoped that you could forget about the piano. But now, I was

    also the one who wished that you could y it again.

    Charlotte looked at the man on the stage, her eyes filled with love and adoration.

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432

    Shane finished ying and got off the stage. When he saw that Charlotte was staring at him, he

    beamed and asked, "Miss, did I y well?"

    "Yes, you did." Charlotte stepped forward and handed him a bottle of water. "Shane, can you

    promise me that you would continue to y the piano when you restore your memory? Whether it''s

    thepany or our child, I can handle them all. I feel that you''re the most like yourself when you''re

    ying the piano."

    "I don''t know why I gave up, so I can''t promise you." Shane took a sip of water and said, "However,

    you can talk to me. I will probably agree to your requests."

    "Why?" Charlotte was very curious.

    He didn''t seem to know a lot about her now.

    "Because you look beautiful."

    "Huh?"

    "Miss, I know you must be my wife. Because no matter what, I will keep you by my side."

    Charlotte was confused for a moment. Was Shane really back to 12, or was he just pretending?

    Shane saw the confusion in her eyes and reached out to pinch her nose. "Humans are visual

    animals. If we don''t hate someone at first sight, we won''t hate them at second sight either.

    Therefore, I would definitely marry the person who I fell in love with at first sight."

    "There are so many women you fell in love with at first sight. Are you going to marry every single

    one of them?" Charlotte was amused.

    "It''s different."

    What was the difference?

    Charlotte wanted to ask, but she didn''t. After all, 12-year-old Shane wouldn''t know anything. When

    she was 12, she was really obsessed with an actor. Every day, she said she wanted to marry him.

    And it was all because she thought he was very handsome at first sight. But after so many years,

    she had already forgotten who he was.

    It was better not to make things difficult for a 12-year-old child. Just a little teasing would suffice.

    Avery was worried sick when he heard that Shane had left the hospital. But when he found out that

    it was Charlotte who left with him, he let out a sigh of relief. Only after asking around did he learn

    that Shane had experienced age regression.

    It was all going to be fun and games now.

    Everyone gathered together in an instant.

    Shane was sitting on the chair in the center, surrounded by Braden, Anne, Rick, Kendall, Peter, and

    Zoe.

    Avery and Nathan were sitting farther away from the table with Charlotte.

    The three children were ying 3D puzzles on one side.

    ''Are you really only 12 years old?" Rick was the first to speak. "Shane, do you know who I am?"

    "Mister, I don''t know you, but you must be very smart. Since you came in, you have been looking

    around. Obviously, you haven''t been here for a while, and there have been some changes. So you

    were trying to find the differences between now and then."

    Rick twitched the corners of his mouth and turned to look at Charlotte. "Look at how chatty he is. I

    can guarantee that he isn''t the original Shane."

    Charlotte shook her head helplessly. "This is the only thing I can guarantee. Also, I can assure you

    that he doesn''t know all of us."

    "Then, who does he remember?"

    "Heidi."

    As soon as the word came out of Charlotte''s mouth, everyone was silent.

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    Shane felt that something wasn''t right, and his heart sank. He had a bad feeling. But he didn''t doubt

    the credibility of what Charlotte had told him earlier because it sounded so real. He only thought that

    there might be some sort of hostility between Heidi and Charlotte.

    Could it be that in the future, he would actually be two-timing her?

    Shane felt a sense of self-loathing.

    He had despised his father the most.

    He despised that his father was unfaithful to her mom.

    "Mr. Fuller, do you still remember our code?" asked Peter tentatively.

    "What code?"

    "You told me before that there''s a code that only you and I know. I''m Peter. I can give you a hint.

    The beginning of our code is east and west."

    Shane frowned. After thinking for a moment, he rxed his brows and asked, "The Theory of

    Substitution?"

    Peter nodded and said, "Correct."

    "I remember."

    "Then, do you still remember you''ve predicted that the stocks will drop to a particr point?"

    "I do," Shane replied without even thinking about it.

    Avery, who was standing beside, had already recorded this scene and sent it to the doctor.

    Soon, the doctor responded, "I''m not very sure if he has a problem with his brain or if he has

    hypnotized himself. You must find out why he decided to stay at 12 years old."

    Avery nodded thoughtfully and said, "Well, Shane, your age is almost the same as your daughter''s

    now. Why don''t you go to y with your daughter first?"

    "You really deserve a spanking." Shane didn''t like Avery the slightest.

    "Trust me. You do that to me a lot. Hurry up, and apany your daughter. We, adults, have

    something to discuss."

    Shane twitched the corners of his mouth and looked at Charlotte with a dissatisfied expression as if

    he wasining that Avery had gone too far. Charlotte immediately walked up to him, patted his

    head, and tried to persuade him in a gentle voice. After a while, Shane walked towards Sheryl with

    a smile.

    Everyone who witnessed the entire process was dumbfounded.

    "That''s Shane?" Rick said in total shock.

    "It turns out that Mr. Fuller can also act...cute?" Kendall was caught off-guard too.

    "Mr. Fuller was such a lovely little angel when he was a child. How did he grow into a cold-blooded

    creature?" Zoe said.

    "Let''s stop talking nonsense." Avery interrupted everyone''s conversation seriously. "All of you are

    focusing on having fun. Let''s hurry up and find out why he stopped at the age of 12."

    What reason could there be?

    Braden immediately thought of the first thing. "Something unforgettable happened to him at the age

    of 12."

    "And he doesn''t want to turn 13," Rick continued with a reason.

    "I think this is an interesting question. Why is Shane stuck at the age of 12 instead of any other

    age? Braden, you''re the closest to him."

    "I really have no idea about this. Even if I''m the closest to him, I wasn''t even that close with him at

    the age of 12. Actually, I know someone who might know the reason, but... she might not be alive."

    "No. If it''s Tiffany, no."

    Charlotte directly rejected the idea.

    If Tiffany knew about Shane''s condition and then started saying whatever she wanted, everything

    would be doomed.

    What she was most worried about now was that Shane would be sad if he knew that Heidi was

    dead, and Tiffany was the biggest variable.

    "Well, there is someone else," Braden said.

    "Who is it?" Charlotte asked.

    "Raina."

    Although Charlotte didn''t want to remember Raina, it was the best they could do now.

    So, she immediately called Raina.

    After learning about Shane''s condition, Raina was extremely worried. She asked, "How did he

    be like this?"

    "We got attacked when we were abroad. It''s all my fault."

    "To be honest, I still don''t like you. But that doesn''t make a difference now, so I won''t say anything

    about it. It doesn''t matter as long as you and Shane can treat each other well." Raina was silent for

    a while before she continued, "I won''t ask too much about it. Just tell me why you''re looking for me."

    "I want to know what happened when he was between 12 and 13 years old?"

    What...

    Raina thought about it for a while, but she really couldn''t figure it out. So, she said, "I''m not very

    clear about this, but there''s one person who might

    know."

    "There''s someone else who knows his past better than his mother?" Charlotte was astounded.

    "That man used to work in our house. He was in charge of documenting Shane''s life experience.

    Later, he was dismissed by Shane. His name is Zander Flowers. You can look for him."

    "All right. I understand now."

    After receiving a clue, Charlotte and the rest started to get busy.

    Some people were busy finding information, and some were busy ying with Shane.

    Braden and Anne were the ones who yed with Shane.

    After all...

    This would be the perfect timing for them to seek revenge.

 Chapter 433

    Chapter 433

    It was not easy to find Zander. But when they did, they realized that he was already dead.

    He was very generous. Every day, he would go to the restaurant and invite a few of his friends to

    eat and drink together. Sometimes, he would drink for an entire day. It was not surprising that such

    a person would die. He was only in his fifties, but he was all skin and bones. He looked like a dead

    person in his pictures.

    Halfway through, there were no more clues.

    "Just what could happen at the age of 12..." Charlotte was racking her brains.

    If they didn''t investigate this matter thoroughly, it would be almost impossible for Shane to regain his

    memory.

    "Honestly, I think he''s doing pretty good now," Avery said as he pointed his head at the door. "Look.

    He''s having so much fun."

    Charlotte looked in the direction he was pointing at. Braden and Rick were indeed enjoying

    themselves. Not only were they teasing Shane, but they were also calling each other funny names.

    The two of them had obviously been bullied by Shane very often. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have

    treated him like this. Not to mention Braden, but even Rick was ying with him like that. It just

    showed how amusing it was to y with Shane.

    Charlotte massaged her temples and said, "It''s up to you all then. Just pray that he will not be able

    to recover his memories for the rest of his life and that he will not remember the things that

    happened recently either."

    "It''s a good time to have fun." Avery burst intoughter. He sounded pretty optimistic.

    He was optimistic, but Charlotte was not. She took out her phone and read the message that Peter

    had sent her. Suddenly, an article caught her eyes. Her finger hovered over the message and lightly

    tapped on the blue link. An article popped out.

    A fire.

    Charlotte elbowed Avery''s arm and said, "Hey, look at this. Do you know this person who died in the

    fire?"

    Avery turned and looked over with cold eyes. "Of course I know him. He''s my brother that I''ve never

    seen before. If he hadn''t died young and my family didn''t think that I was too weak, my sister

    wouldn''t have been born. Why are you asking this kind of question?" "The fire. Your brother died in

    a fire."

    "And?"

    "It was exactly on Shane''s 12th birthday."

    Avery froze for a moment. But then, he felt that it was impossible, so he waved it off and said, "If

    Shane knew my brother, then why did he pretend not to know me at that time? He knew my brother,

    but didn''t know me? It doesn''t make sense."

    "That''s why I have to confirm two things now. The first thing is that whether Shane knew about this.

    The second thing is that the fire seemed to happen at a restaurant during that time, and Shane

    might be having a birthday party there. If he happened to be in the same building with Shane,

    then..."

    Charlotte didn''t say anything else. She immediately walked towards Shane.

    However, Avery still did not think that it made sense.

    If Shane knew his brother, why did he pretend that he didn''t know him and everything about the Hart

    Family?

    Moreover, at that time, his brother was about 15 years old. Why did hee to Brine alone?

    Charlotte walked over to Rick and said, "Rick."

    Rick was talking about economics with Shane. As soon as he saw hering, he immediately

    moved aside. "Looking for him?"

    "No, I want to ask you, did Shane tell you which point of twelve years old he''s at? Such as his

    birthday or the period after Children''s Day and so on."

    "He did mention that. Shane said that it would be his birthday in three days. When he heard Avery''s

    name, he even asked us if Avery is rted to Augustus. We''re all very curious about who Augustus

    is, but Avery is always talking with you, so we didn''t ask."

    "Augustus is Avery''s brother. He died in a fire on Shane''s 12th birthday. It seems like we have a

    guide now."

    "Then, what kind of rtionship do they have? This Avery... No, do you think Augustus and Shane

    are business partners?" Charlotte pondered.

    "They were only children. There''s no way they were partnering with each other. When I was 15, I

    had no idea what trade was. I only finished learning all the theories when I was 17."

    "What if the two of them are geniuses? Just like... Freddie?"

    Rick''s eyes found Freddie in the crowd.

    He was very young, but he was brainy.

    Apart from economics, he even knew a little about political affairs. Even if he was influenced by his

    family, it was impossible for him to know so much at the age of eight. The only exnation was that

    he was too smart. After all, he could speak fournguages. Even Rick couldn''t do that now.

    Talent was a scary thing.

    "Shane didn''t even show that side of him..." Rick massaged his temples and said, "We actually got

    to know him better after he reverted to 12. Can you believe that Shane knew Augustus back then,

    but Avery had no idea about that?"

    Charlotte''s eyes turned cold as she said, "We still have to respect him no matter what. We only

    know this because we want to help him recover his memories."

    Shane, who was on the other side of the room, suddenly stopped ying. He nced at Charlotte

    and then lowered his head with a chuckle.

    "Daddy, what are youughing at?" Sheryl asked innocently.

    "I''m kind of happy." Shane stretched his arms and legs as he asked, "Your mom... is she very good

    to us?"

    "That''s for sure. However, mommy was very angry with you before, and she even ran away from

    home. Daddy, now that you''ve turned into a 12-year-old, I''m really afraid that mommy will throw us

    away and leave us alone."

    Ran away from home?

    Shane was deep in thought. Based on Charlotte''s character, she shouldn''t have done such a thing.

    Coupled with what she had just told Rick, he had every reason to suspect that he wasn''t always

    honest with the people around him after he grew up.

    "I''m going to investigate the matter about Augustus. Please help me keep an eye on him and the

    children," said Charlotte.

    "No worries."

    "One more thing, Rick. If it''s possible, you should settle down with Kendall as soon as possible and

    then start nning for your trip. We might have to speed up our amalgamation. With Shane being

    like this... I''m afraid that someone might try to find a chance to ruin it."

    "I was just thinking about that. We also have to see what Nathan, Avery, and Braden think. But I

    don''t think they will stay."

    "Let me do it. You all can decide on your own."

    "I didn''t expect that in the end, the core of all our dreams is actually..." Rick frowned, his heart

    aching.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Charlotteughed and said, "It''s not strange. I don''t have any opinions about dreams, love, or

    family. What I want is to see people around me happy. I don''t have any demands. Since both of you

    have something that you want, I might as well support you, am I right?"

    "I''m too tired."

    "Then, should I allow this property to fall into the hands of others like you all did? It''s okay if it''s a

    man of ambition, but what if it''s a bad person?"

    Rick was silent.

    Charlotte patted him on the shoulder and said, "I enjoy doing this. Didn''t Ie back in the end

    after running away from Shane? Although I didn''t contact you, thepany and Sheryl are more

    important in my heart. It''s not so bad for me to take care of thepany and the child in the future.

    As for Shane..."

    She wanted him to y the piano.

    She wanted to make Shane y the piano no matter what.

    Rick didn''t say anything else and watched Charlotte leave.

    "Hey."

    Kendall walked closer to him and said with an unhappy face, "Do you have to be so affectionate

    when you look at Charlotte? Don''t try to steal Shane''s wife when you see him like this. What about

    me? I''m all alone."

    "Why would I? I have you already." Rick smiled and pulled her into his arms. "I just think that it must

    be hard for her."

 Chapter 434

    Chapter 434

    Kendall lifted her head and said, "Ask your conscience, are you really sure?"

    "Of course. I love you very much. I only admire and respect Lottie now. In fact, you and I both know

    that now Charlotte and I are on an equal footing. Even if she wants to drive me away from Brine, I

    won''t be angry. She is qualified to do so now."

    "But that doesn''t conflict with the fact that you like her." Kendall pouted with a sad face.

    "Kendall, you think too highly of me. How can someone like me have the energy to love two people

    at the same time? Rest assured, I have too manymon memories and liabilities with you. Even if

    I don''t love you one day, I can''t leave you."

    "So you will stop loving me one day?"

    "You..." Rick choked on frustration. He did not expect her to keep pestering him like this.

    Kendall made a face at him and said, "I don''t care. Maybe I would be the one to stop loving you

    first. Well, I''m leaving. You can y on your own."

    Rick was at a loss for words and stood still at the same spot. After a while, he shook his head and

    smiled helplessly. It was not because of what she said. It was because of her hypocrisy. One

    second she was worried about whether he would love her, and the next, she said she would stop

    loving him. He found this sharp contrast hrious. After all, he was afraid that he would no longer

    love her and that she would no longer love him too.

    She might not understand how difficult it was for aposed person like him to give up the love

    that he had always beenfortable with in the past and love someone so spontaneous like her.

    Of course, he did not ask for her to understand. He had always thought that it was enough for him

    to bear some things alone.

    Charlotte had found a lot of information rted to Augustus.

    Needless to say, he had been a top student since he was a child. The most important thing was that

    he had already reached the 10th division in Go when he was 15. This kind of achievement...

    Charlotte could not help but topare Augustus to Freddie. In the end, she felt that Freddie might

    not be as good as Augustus. As an objective factor, there was a big chance that Augustus might

    have cooperated with Shane before.

    As for Shane, she couldn''t find too much information about him, so she went to ask Raina.

    "I didn''t expect you to treat me to a meal."

    Raina sat in the extravagant western restaurant. Her eyes traveled around, feeling like she was in a

    dream. A year ago, she would never have thought that she would be eating in such a ce with her

    son''s woman.

    And Charlotte was neither a nobody nor a nobledy. Instead, she was a rather mediocre character

    who rose to fame in a short period of time.

    "I need your help, after all." Charlotte couldn''t help butugh. "But it''s nothingplicated. I just

    want to ask you about Shane."

    "Shouldn''t you know more about him than I do?"

    "It''s about his childhood."

    Raina muttered, "It seems like Zander is no longer alive. I can only guarantee that most of them are

    urate, but I''m not sure about the details. At that time, my focus in life was not on Shane. His

    father cheated on me, so I had a lot of other things to do."

    "I can understand. What I want to ask is pretty general."

    "Hmm?" Raina asked in doubt, "Are you sure you cannot find anything about it even with your

    means?"

    "It''s impossible for us to find what Shane had buried.�� "If that''s the case, you can ask away. I''ll try to

    answer them."

    Charlotte shook her head. "There''s no hurry. We can talk while eating."

    After ordering some dishes, Charlotte handed the menu to Raina and asked her to order. She

    declined politely and only said, "I''ll eat whatever you order. I''m certain you won''t treat me badly."

    "Okay then, make it two." Charlotte pointed at the menu and said, "However, for one portion, the

    coffee needs to be reced by juice, swap the pork with chicken, and add more gravy. If it doesn''t

    taste good... I think I''ll have to talk to your chef."

    When the waiter saw that Charlotte had an extraordinary temperament and was very specific with

    her meals, he immediately nodded and bowed, saying, "Don''t worry. There won''t be a problem."

    Charlotte handed over a blue banknote and said, "Thank you."

    After the waiter left, she looked at Raina and said, "Here''s the thing. I want to know if Shane had

    won any prizes when he was a child. Or anything about his school and hobbies."

    "Piano. He''s really good at it," Raina replied immediately.

    "Is there anything else?"

    "He learned Go and French when he was a child. I heard that he met a Chinese boy at a

    competition in Paris. The boy was better than him, but he seemed to have passed away. He was

    devastated for a period of time. After that, he never yed Go again."

    "Was he...really good at Go?"

    "Yes." When Raina mentioned this, she leaned forward. "Not only was he good at Go, but he was

    also good at everything. Since young, we never had to worry about his studies. We had tried to

    persuade him to go to college earlier, but he refused. He insisted on going to college step by step

    and would only skip grades if he really couldn''t stand it. When he had extra time, he would spend

    them on his hobbies and preparing to take over thepany."

    Shane was so clever.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but feel astonished.

    But it must have been so hard for him.

    Charlotte''s heart was filled with pity again.

    When he was a kid, Shane was already smart enough to know that he shouldn''t expose himself too

    much to the public. Augustus''s death might be rted to his character of being too boastful. As for

    why Shane had shut himself out ever since he was a child... It was probably because of his family.

    Unlike the Hart family and the Jane family, the Fuller family had a lot of unnecessary dramas

    because of Shane''s father. If he wanted to break this chain, he first had to shut himself out.

    Moreover, the existence of those people from the Fuller family who had helped Christopher had

    shaped him into who he was today.

    Once they finished their meals, Charlotte already knew a lot about Shane''s childhood.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Even if Augustus and Shane were not cooperative partners, they were still really great friends.

    Therefore, Shane felt the happiest before the age of 12. That was why he stopped at the period

    before he turned 12.

    Because after he turned 12...

    He lost Augustus, lost Heidi, and lost...

    He might have lost more than Charlotte could imagine.

    The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt.

    She went back to Avery''s vi and found most people had already left. Only Nathan and Freddie

    were still there.

    "Freddie, I''ll leave Sheryl to you. I''m going to do my homework now." With that being said, Olive

    headed upstairs.

    "What do you mean by leaving her to me? She was already mine, to begin with," muttered Freddie.

    Charlotte walked up to him with a smile and said, "Freddie"

    "Hello, Ms. Emerson." Freddie immediately bowed and greeted her in a gentlemanly manner.

    "What are you ying with Sheryl?"

    "Puzzles and hide-and-seek. But..they are not my match." Freddie shrugged. "I n to teach them

    chess to train their brains in a couple of days."

    "Well, thank you."

    "You can count on me!"

    He was eager to make his wife smarter.

    Charlotte just gave him a smile.

    Shane was sleepy at first, but when he saw her getting closer and closer, he immediately opened

    his eyes and got up. "Miss."

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment. She then reached out to caress his hair, saying, "Would you

    like to go upstairs and sleep?"

    "All right."

    Shane followed Charlotte upstairs.

    Freddie looked at the backs of the two of them and tilted his head. "Father, look at Ms. Emerson

    and Mr. Fuller. They look a little strange." "Aren''t you a genius? Can''t you tell what''s going on?"

    "Eh?" Freddie was puzzled.

    "Mr. Fuller has lost his memory."

    I see. No wonder Mr. Fuller didn''t call Ms.

    Emerson by her name.

    "Both Sheryl and she call me Freddie."

    Freddie spoke so softly that only he could hear himself.

 Chapter 435

    Chapter 435

    Charlotte brought Shane back to the bedroom and handed him his clothes. "You should know how

    to wear them, right?"

    "Yes," Shane took it and answered obediently. "Miss, where did you go in the afternoon and

    evening? I''ve been waiting for you."

    When Shane sincerely said that he had been waiting for her, Charlotte could feel her heart melting.

    She smiled meekly and held him tight in her arms, gently stroking the back of his head. "I went to

    find your mother and asked about you. Shane, do you know that Avery is Augustus''s younger

    brother?"

    "Is that so? Then, why is Augustus not here with me?" he asked.

    "He''s..."

    "Is Heidi married to him? I think they make a good couple, although they always quarrel when they

    see each other." Shaneughed. "Ever since I knew Augustus, I thought he would be together with

    Heidi one day."

    No wonder.

    Shane always said that he had never liked Heidi before. It turned out that, in his mind, Heidi was the

    perfect match for Augustus. So, when she was mad at him because of Heidi, was he missing

    Augustus very much while trying to exin the situation to her? Was he sad and lost but had no one

    to talk to?

    Charlotte''s heart ached again. She couldn''t imagine how much pain and sorrow Shane had suffered

    alone.

    "Miss?" Shane called her softly.

    "That''s right. They, the two of them are together, they..." Charlotte stopped speaking and lowered

    her gaze. She couldn''t bear to lie to him.

    "It''s okay even if they''re not together." Shane thought that she was feeling guilty for lying to him

    about them being together. "They have their own happiness, and I will give them my blessings too."

    "Go take a shower and go to sleep. I''ll tell you about Augustus and Heidi another day, okay? You

    must care about them very much."

    "Okay, that''s a deal."

    Then, Shane went to take a shower. Charlotte sat on the bed, her eyes brimmed with tears.

    How was she supposed to tell Shane about this?

    They were both your childhood best friends. One died for you when you were 18, and the other died

    in a fire on your 12th birthday.

    The three of you were more intelligent than ordinary people in your teens. You all were on top of the

    world back then. Your lives had just begun. However, your lives, too, might havee to an end

    when you all were only teens.

    They died physically, but you...

    The more Charlotte thought about it, the more she felt sorry for Shane.

    When Shane came out, Charlotte stared at his face in a daze.

    "What''s wrong?" Shane sat down beside her and said, "Is it because a 12-year-old soul is living

    under this skin, and you don''t like it?"

    "It''s not that. I feel sorry for you."

    "With you by my side, no matter what happens, everything would be fine, right?" Shane said

    happily.

    Charlotte lowered her head and remained silent.

    After finding out what happened, should she let him restore his memory?

    "Should I let him be happy forever by allowing him to continue living as a 12-year-old, or should I

    brutally make him remember all the pain he had gone through?"

    The next day.

    Charlotte woke up.

    She opened her eyes, noticing that Shane had already woken up. He sat by the bed and looked out

    of the window with a frown.

    "Shane?" she called him softly.

    Shane turned to look at her and gave her a slight nod. "You woke up."

    "Are, are you the twelve-year-old Shane or..."

    "My memory has been restored." His voice was t. It was so emotionless that it sent chills down

    her spine.

    She lowered her head, not knowing what to say.

    "About Heidi and Augustus being together. It would be great if they were really together," Shane

    said as he stood up and lowered his gaze to look at her. "What else do you know?"

    She shook her head.

    Shane''s intense eyes were fixed on her. He said, "No matter what you know, stop investigating."

    "I really want to know what has happened to you all those years to mold you into who you are today.

    Maybe I don''t deserve to know it. But it doesn''t matter. Shane, I have made up my mind. Whether

    you are willing or not, I will take everything from you." "Oh?" He narrowed his eyes.

    "y the piano. I like the way you look when you y the piano." She looked at him seriously. "If

    you''re not willing to y it, I''ll make you y it with all my might."

    Shane looked at her quietly.

    Charlotte clenched her fists and said, "l-l may not know all the things that happened to you in the

    past, and I don''t care what kind of person you''ve turned into because of those things. I only know

    that I own your present and future."

    "Don''t tell anyone that I have restored my memories."

    "What?"

    "I want to see what tricks they''re going to y on me."

    Charlotte blinked and reached out to tug his sleeve. "Shane..."

    "Don''t worry, I can tell right from wrong. If you like watching me y the piano, I''ll y it. There''s no

    need to threaten me." He turned to grip her hand and said with a faint smile, "As for the debt that

    you''ve incurred for threatening me, I''ll eventually let you pay for it in the future."

    "Umm..." She sighed softly and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Forget about that. Do you

    know how much my heart ached for you? I wanted so much to meet you earlier and experience all

    those things with you. Whether it''s the thing about Augustus or Heidi, if they''re still alive, they''ll

    definitely hope that you can be happy and contented."

    "Charlotte, if it wasn''t for that ident, and if you hadn''te back to our country, I would be

    neither happy nor contented." He looked down at her face, his eyes filled with tenderness. "There

    are some things that I haven''t had the chance to tell you. I think that now is the right time."

    "Shane..."

    "I love you." He ced his fingers on her lips, not allowing her to interrupt. "And I will only love you.

    Other people are dispensable to me. But if you die one day, I will take your ashes with me and find

    an uninhabited ind. I''ll let the workers build a castle there. You and I will be sleeping in the castle

    until disaster arrives."

    Charlotte''s tears started rolling down her cheeks in an instant.

    Shane wiped away her tears with his thumb. His eyes flickered as he said, "Don''t cry."

    "Shane, I love you too. Although I''ve never thought about what I would do after you died, I think

    your idea is amazing. Let''s make this a promise then. No one will leave the other. As long as one of

    us is dead, the other has to find an uninhabited ind."

    "Okay. I''ll buy one in two days."

    "We will put lots of refrigerators and food in the castle. We also need fertilend to nt vegetables

    and trees. We''ll need a and..."

    Before she could finish, he had already shut her up with a kiss.

    After they pulled away from the kiss, he held the back of her head with his fingers interlocked and

    said, "When we buy it, let''s design it together."

    "All right."

    She nestled in his arms and said, "Shane, go ahead and do whatever you want. Leave everything

    that binds you. The Fuller Family, money, and status. Just leave them all to me."

    "If one day, you can''t bear it anymore, you must tell me."

    "No, I want you to y the piano forever."

    "Do you like watching me y the piano so much?" He felt helpless.

    "There is light in your eyes only when you y the piano."

    Oh well.

    Just let her do as she liked.

    The door was pushed open at that moment. It was Avery who walked in. He widened his eyes and

    said, "D*mn, Charlotte, you are wild. How can you do that to a twelve-year-old child? Our baby

    Shane is so sad. Am I right, baby Shane?"

    Avery reached out and patted Shane''s head.

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    Charlotte was struck speechless.

    She held her forehead with one hand and closed her eyes as she silently prayed in her heart.

    "God, please don''t let Shane be angry. Please give your blessings to Avery so that he won''t die.

    Please."

    "Mr. Hart," Shane said.

    This time, Charlotte was panicking.

    Sh*t.

    "Oh, God. You don''t have to bless him anymore. Just take me with you. Let''s sit down and have a

    nice chat instead."

    As the only one who knew that Shane had regained his memories, Charlotte felt that she might die

    from holding in herughter.

 Chapter 436

    Chapter 436

    "Shane is such a good boy. Come, let''s go have breakfast."

    Charlotte could only watch as Avery took Shane away. She massaged her temples and felt a sense

    of foreboding. Who would Shane trick? Would it be Avery, Rick, or...?

    Forget it. She didn''t want to think about it. She couldn''t figure out 12-year-old Shane, let alone 30-

    year-old Shane. She''d rather pray that she wouldn''t be involved.

    Slowly, Charlotte crept downstairs. She watched as Rick, Avery, and Braden teased Shane like they

    did a few days ago. She was petrified and dared not get close to them, fearing that someone would

    punish her along with them if he got angry.

    "Can you all be nicer to Shane?" Charlotte only dared to give such a reminder. Because the

    moment she spoke, Shane''s cold gaze instantly turned towards her.

    "But this is the perfect time to take revenge," Rick said with a smile.

    Charlotte subconsciously looked at Shane. He was eating while pretending that he didn''t

    understand those words... It gave Charlotte an appalling headache.

    During the meal, Avery even mentioned the ident that happened to his big brother. Charlotte had

    originally wanted to stop him from telling the entire story, but luckily, Avery didn''t say anything about

    Augustus''s death. So, Charlotte was able to let out a sigh of relief.

    However...

    "Where is Augustus now?" Shane asked.

    When 12-year-old Shane kept asking that, she was quite annoyed by it. But now that she knew that

    he was not the 12- year- old Shane, his words triggered goosebumps to scurry all over Charlotte''s

    body. She could not wait to find a ce to bury herself alive.

    "H-he is in X Country." Avery immediately thought of a very suitable country. "He likes ying Go,

    so he moved to X Country. It is said that more people y Go in X Country and fewer people y

    Go in our country, so he went there. If you miss him, I can take you to see him."

    "Sounds good."

    Shane''s reply caused everyone''s gaze to focus on Avery, except for Charlotte, because she had

    already covered her entire face with her hands.

    "Then I''ll give him a call," Avery said and ran away.

    Shane was still eating breakfast calmly as if he didn''t see through all that.

    Charlotte sat on one side and frantically shoved eggs into her mouth. She was afraid that she might

    not be able to hold back and then reveal the truth.

    "I''m full." Shane stood up and went upstairs.

    Charlotte immediately put down her cutlery and followed him.

    Rick looked at Charlotte and Shane. After contemting for a while, he leaned over to Kendall and

    said, "Don''t you feel that there''s something wrong with Shane and Charlotte?"

    Kendall nodded and said, "For the past two days, Shane was the one who has been following Lottie

    around. But today, Lottie was the one who''s following Shane. Could it be that Shane has regained

    his memories?"

    "That''s not possible. ording to the report from the hospital, he won''t recover so fast."

    "Then..."

    "Charlotte must have done something that made him angry." Rick found a great excuse for their

    behaviors.

    Kendall blinked in confusion and thought, "But it seems kind of..."

    Before Rick brought it up, she didn''t notice anything strange. But after he did, she started to see the

    peculiarity.

    Charlotte followed Shane upstairs. After making sure that the door and windows were closed, she

    pulled Shane to sit on the sofa and said, "You already know that Augustus is dead, but you still

    asked Avery to find him for you. Where is he going to find a brother who has been dead for so many

    years? Avery was only around 10 when Augustus died, wasn''t he?"

    Shane nodded. "I''ve met him."

    "Then you..."

    "It''s just self-defense." Shane pulled her onto hisp and said, "Sit down."

    "I''m just curious. Why are you teasing Avery like that? Is it only because you want to take revenge

    on how he treated you the past two days?"

    "Yes."

    Charlotte pursed her lips and said, "Now I finally know why men are all scumbags. You''re not telling

    the truth at all. You obviously don''t want to take revenge on them. Otherwise, you would have used

    a better method. Why do you have to use such an ipetent method? I suspect that the only

    purpose you mentioned Augustus was to test whether Avery still knows his brother well."

    It was simple but alsoplicated.

    The simple part was that Shane wanted to test Avery. Avery didn''t understand why, but from the

    way he immediately made a phone call, he already knew that such a day woulde because he

    was only waiting for Shane to mention Augustus. Although in his n, Shane was still 12 years old.

    He knew he only wanted to see Augustus because of the childhood memories that they shared.

    Theplicated thing was Shane''s idea. He wanted to test Avery by speaking about Augustus.

    Charlotte thought, "Shane had tested Avery before, so this time, would it be another test or thest

    test?"

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    As Charlotte pondered on it, her thoughts had already traveled to somewhere far away.

    "You''re half right." Shane nodded his head lightly. "But the other half is that I''m still evaluating him."

    "So, it''s really an evaluation then? How many evaluations do you n to do on him? Also, if you

    hadn''t lost your memory, what methods would you use to evaluate him?"

    "I''lle up with another method eventually."

    "That is to say your evaluation is not fixed but improvised?"

    Shane nodded. He could guess what she was about to ask.

    "Then have you ever evaluated me before?"

    Sure enough, he knew she would ask such a question.

    However, Shane didn''t feel like answering her question, and it didn''t make any sense. But his

    answer meant a lot to Charlotte. So, she asked again, "Shane, you don''t have to give me reasons.

    Just tell me if you have ever evaluated me."

    "No."

    "I don''t believe it. ording to your character, how could you not have evaluated me when you''re

    doing it to Avery?"

    He didn''t do it because she was Charlotte. Did she really think he was a cold-blooded monster? He

    was clearly fond of her, so why would he try to make things difficult for her?

    If he was really such a person, why would she stay by his side until now? She would have run away

    a long time ago.

    Charlotte didn''t believe Shane. But seeing that he didn''t have any intention of telling her, she didn''t

    ask more. After all, there wouldn''t make a difference whether she asked or didn''t.

    They stayed in the bedroom and didn''t go out until the afternoon.

    As soon as Charlotte went downstairs, Kendall came up to her and whispered in her ear, "Lottie, did

    you make Shane angry? I noticed that there''s a dramatic change in your attitude toward him.

    Previously, he was the one who followed you, but now it''s you who are following him."

    Of course she had to follow him.

    However, it seemed unsuitable for Kendall to know the truth for now.

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment before saying, "I''m sure you know that people have lust. Even

    though he''s twelve years old, his body is still the same."

    Upon hearing that, Shane, who was drinking juice with Sheryl, choked.

    "Daddy, are you all right?"

    "I''m fine." Shane calmly replied, but his gaze fell on Charlotte''s slender waist.

    She really hadn''t been touchy with him in the past two days. Even if she knew that he had regained

    his memory, she had not done anything to his body. He even suspected that she had lost interest in

    him.

    Shane lowered his head and inspected his body.

    His abs and pectoral muscles were still there, and the lines on his legs were no different from

    before. So, what was the problem?

    "Uhm." Kendall did not expect that that would be the truth. She lowered her voice embarrassedly

    and asked, "Then... does it feel the same as it did before he lost his memory?"

    What?

    Charlotte searched her mind for an answer.

    She had no idea if it felt the same, but she knew that Rick might be in danger.

 Chapter 437

    Chapter 437

    As there was no answer, Kendall asked curiously instead, "Well, the twelve- year- old Shane also

    treats you pretty..."

    Charlotte coughed loudly and interjected, "Kendall, do you want to experiment on Rick?"

    "I''d like to, but I can��t possibly knock him out just like that..."

    She would like to?

    Charlotte began to pray for Rick. She hoped that Kendall was just fantasising and did not n to

    truly execute it.

    Not a whileter, Avery came back. He then walked to Charlotte''s side and said, "I''ve already found

    Augustus, so we'' re left with one final problem now. Do we want to find someone to take up Heidi''s

    role?"

    Charlotte was startled by his words. She pushed him aside and asked, "It was difficult enough to

    find Augustus. Why do you think bringing Heidi into this will be a good idea? What if you get

    exposed?"

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "That won��t happen. I��ve already had everything nned out. Shane and Augustus have been

    friends for many years, right? Well, my brother likes fishing so obviously they would go do that

    together. He also likes to y chess, and collect antiques. Oh! And he loves cake, he has a

    particr favourite vour for it. Fortunately, I was able to ask around and got the recipe for it,"

    Avery said, looking away.

    ''Avery, are you alright?" Charlotte asked with concern.

    "I''m fine. I just recalled when I was younger, my brother and I were very close. We only drifted apart

    after Shane appeared. Now, he doesn''t even think about me twice. I''ve actually forgotten about this

    and that fellow��s existence. I don''t know what to do with this memory..."

    "Well, your brother is a very powerful man." Charlotte tried toe up with something to say after

    that. "He''s probably made a lot of enemies..."

    "I understand what you�� re trying to say, but I honestly don''t want to take revenge anymore. I''m sick

    of all this. Even if we do resolve the issue with the Stevens Family, I won''t get any joy out of it.

    What''s more, Irena came back to me. I still have Olive with me, so my life finally has a purpose now.

    I''m just thinking about how Shane would deal with all of this once he recovers his memories.

    Perhaps he��s already forgotten my brother, just like I did."

    Charlotte gazed silently at Shane.

    ''Shane definitely did not forget who Augustus was, he would never. He was willing to remain twelve

    forever which was enough to show everyone just how important Augustus was in his mind,�� she

    thought.

    Avery seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion after some thought as well. He looked up and

    muttered to himself, "But if he really forgot my brother, he wouldn''t want to stay twelve, right?��

    As Shane was still ''pretending'' to be sick, most of the official business was handled by Charlotte.

    Whenever he was free, Charlotte wouldn''t let him look at any of the documents and would just throw

    him in front of the piano.

    "I feel like I was probably forced to practise the piano when I was younger." Shane sat in front of the

    piano and shook his head helplessly.

    "It doesn''t matter. Your main priority now is to gain some of your muscle memory back. You can do

    that by practising the piano all day, I''m sure it''ll help."

    "But I really don''t think this is necessary."

    "Your piano teacher says otherwise."

    Shane was rendered speechless by that.

    Was he really about to heed a piano teacher''s words?

    In the beginning, he had learned how to y the piano by himself. He couldn''t believe that he had to

    listen to some random teacher now. It felt unbing.

    As a matter of fact...

    It didn''t matter if a genius like Shane had any muscle memory or not. He could memorise the music

    score at a nce, and could y the entire thing fluently three or four times in the end. Charlotte

    sat next to him and listened to him y the piano while getting some paperwork done.

    When he heard the melodious notes of the piano, Freddie walked over. He stood behind Charlotte

    and watched Shane y with gleaming eyes.

    After a while, Sheryl followed behind him and asked, "What are you doing?"

    "I''m watching your father y the piano."

    "He looks very handsome, doesn''t he?"

    Freddie nodded.

    However, his attention was on other things.

    He remembered that before this, Shane had not been able to y without stuttering through most of

    the notes, as if he was having difficulty adjusting to his grown adult fingers. However, as Freddie

    looked at the man ying at that moment, it seemed that not only had Shane ovee that initial

    hurdle, he could also y a new score perfectly, after practicing several times.

    In other words, Shane had either recovered his memories or he was more of a prodigy than

    Freddie.

    However, Freddie felt that the idea of Shane being more of a genius than him was unrealistic. Even

    if he himself lost his memories and was thrown in front of the piano, it would be impossible for him

    to recall his muscle memory and y the piano so fluently.

    Shane was great in this regard. In such a short period of time, he had been able to develop muscle

    memory.

    However, the premise of muscle memory was that he could perfectly mobilise every muscle in his

    body.

    He thought It was impossible for the mentally twelve-year-old Shane to master his adult body like

    that.

    "Let''s go y outside." After taking a look around, Freddie felt that there was nothing interesting to

    see, so he decided to bring Sheryl out of the room with him.

    "Alright."

    Before they left, Sheryl regarded Shane suspiciously. She tilted her head in confusion before

    shrugging it off.

    "What''s wrong?" Freddie asked.

    "Don''t you think there''s something off about my dad? The way he was ying the piano just now

    was really different from before. Don''t you think so?"

    "Are you sure? I can''t see what could be wrong..."

    "Well, if you think nothing''s off, then I must have been mistaken." Sheryl instantly cheered up. "Let''s

    go y. I was just worried that my dad''s memory might have been restored."

    "Why don''t you wish for him to regain his memories?" Freddie asked, puzzled.

    Logically speaking, shouldn''t she be hoping that Shane would recover his memories?

    Sheryl was silent for a moment, and then began to exin meekly, "Because he is happier without

    his recent memories. I''m worried that after he regains his memories, he will turn back into the same

    person he was before. I don''t think the person he was was horrible, but I just feel that he''s much

    happier now."

    Freddie fell silent.

    Perhaps she was right.

    He should have a chat with his future father- iw.

    Charlotte returned to her bedroom to attend a video conference.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Freddie went to Shane and said, "Mr. Fuller, I have something

    to discuss with you."

    Shane stopped ying the piano and looked at him wordlessly. He did not utter a single word.

    ''The way Freddie had greeted him was weird,'' Shane thought.

    Freddie had not spoken to him so formally before. Could it be that this child...

    "I know that you have regained your memories. I wasn''t sure at first, but Sheryl told me that you

    were behaving strangely today. I''m here to confront you about it, and hope you''ll be honest with

    me."

    "What are you trying to say?" Shane did not admit that he had recovered his memories, nor did he

    insist that he was twelve years old. Instead, he averted that topic entirely and started chatting with

    Freddie.

    "Sheryl said that she wants you to never restore your memories, because that way, you''ll always be

    happy. She said that she likes how happy you''ve looked ever since you''ve lost them. Mr. Fuller, it

    may not be my ce to tell you this, but I honestly understand how you feel."

    Freddie himself was a genius. Heck, he could even be called a child prodigy by some.

    He was strong and did extraordinarily well in his studies. He also had several equally talented

    friends by his side. He knew that if those friends of his died, he would be very lonely. He had also

    asked his father many questions about Shane.

    Even though Shane''s life looked great, it was just a facade.

    He and his brother had turned against each other, and all of his friends had passed away.

    Additionally, those he had trusted had betrayed him, and he had also lost the ones who he cared

    about most in the world. If this was the price of intelligence, he didn''t want it.

    "So?" Shane retorted.

    Shane did not have much affection for this b*stard who wanted to take his daughter from him.

    Even though this b*stard was only eight years old.

 Chapter 438

    Chapter 438

    "She wants you to be happy." Freddie looked at Shane with a solemn expression and continued,

    "Perhaps I don''t understand your world. But I��m sure that you, as a twelve-year-old, have the same

    wishes as my eight-year-old self. I don''t wish for you to live a meaningless life. Do you really want to

    live a life where everyone is constantly afraid of you?"

    "That��s none of your business." Shane frowned.

    He did not care what anyone had to say about his life choices. He was a stubborn man, and

    decided that no one had the right to judge him, let alone an eight-year-old child who knew nothing

    about life.

    "Then what about Sheryl? Does it not involve her as well? I know that when she was growing up, all

    she ever wanted was a father.��

    "Did you learn to spout such nonsense from Nathan?"

    "No, I��m aware that his thoughts on the matter are simr to yours." Freddie lowered his head and

    continued, "But I don''t want to be whatever he��s nning for me. I want to sing and y the

    guitar. Eventually, I want to perform on stage. I have endured this long for this greater dream of

    mine. But you on the other hand, I know you don''t have a dream anymore."

    "Reality will hit you when you least expect it."

    "You''ve been brought down by reality, haven''t you?"

    "Money is more important. It can buy you anything."

    "But it can''t buy my happiness."

    The conversation ended badly. Freddie did not know what point he was trying to get across before,

    but he felt angry and regretful after the encounter. He sulked the entire way back to the vi.

    He didn''t really want to concern himself over Shane''s well-being, but when he saw how worried

    Sheryl looked, he couldn''t help himself. If he had a daughter in the future who felt the same way

    about him, he would definitely feel upset.

    Freddie returned to his room looking rather glum. He stared at hisputer on the table in a daze.

    "What''s wrong?" Nathan asked as he gently ruffled his hair. "What''re you looking at?"

    "Dad, why is Shane so odd?"

    "He wouldn''t be Shane if he wasn��t."

    "His life before sounds really unhappy. But when he was ying the piano just now, I saw a spark of

    life in his eyes. It''s all gone now."

    This made Nathan realise that Shane must have already regained his memories but was keeping it

    a secret from everyone. He had no idea why Shane told Freddie though.

    "Why do I get the feeling that you'' re more concerned about him than he is?" Nathan mumbled.

    "Well, that''s because he''s my future father-inw," Freddie replied with a note of discontent.

    "The keyword being ''future'', right?" Nathan reminded his son.

    His father had a good point.

    Since they were technically not rted at the moment, he had no right to concern himself with

    Shane��s dilemma. Freddie rubbed his forehead in frustration and said, "Well, never mind then. I

    guess I can''t do much anyway. I��ll leave him be."

    This eight-year-old child looked quite cute when he did that.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Just as Nathan was about to speak, someone knocked on their door.

    He got up to open it.

    At the door, Charlotte handed a fruit tray to him. "This is for the children. Also, is Olive in here?"

    "She should be with Sheryl at the moment. She doesn''t particrly like spending time with my son,"

    said Nathan as he took the fruit tray from her. "Thank you for this."

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "It''s all right. I''ll go look for her somewhere else. If you need anything to eat, just call me."

    "Alright. Thank you for everything."

    Charlotte nodded her head and left.

    She had no idea where Olive was.

    Meanwhile, Nathan took out his mobile phone and called Sheryl. Soon enough, Sheryl picked up.

    "Hello?"

    "Hi, Sheryl. Are you with Olive right now? Your mother is looking for her."

    "No, I''m not. She told me that she wanted to go y on the swings in the garden this afternoon,"

    she answered in a low tone.

    "What happened after that?"

    "After that... I don''t know..."

    Where else would Olive go?

    Nathan felt that something was off about this situation.

    Meanwhile, Charlotte and Avery were busy searching the premises for the child, but their attempts

    were futile. As Olive did not bring her phone with her, they could not track her whereabouts on the

    GPS. They had already checked all the ces Olive usually frequented, but to no avail. As such,

    burning with anxiety, Avery rushed to the local police station and requested to look at the

    surveince footage around the area. However, there was no evidence suggesting that Olive had

    left the neighbourhood.

    The surveince footage at the police station was very clear. Every car that passed by in the

    residential area was captured on video. As such, it was impossible for Olive to be taken away

    without them noticing.

    "Don''t worry, she might still be in the neighborhood. Maybe we can look for her again." Charlotte

    gently patted Avery''s shoulder and continued, "We must''ve missed some areas."

    "Where else could she be? Shane and Rick already have people check everywhere else. Moreover,

    she isn''t even ten years old yet! How is she able to hide from so many people? If this really is her

    doing, I''ve got to give it to her, she''s talented. Hopefully, this will give the bodyguards a wake-up

    call."

    Charlotte sighed. "Children can burrow into all sorts of ces. They''re creative like that. It''s hard to

    guess where she could be hiding at the moment." "Let''s look around for her again."

    "Alright."

    Charlotte apanied Avery on the search, but unsurprisingly, Olive was nowhere in sight. Avery

    was about to go crazy with worry. Even though he had not interacted with Olive for long, he was

    very emotionally invested in her wellbeing.

    Charlotte could tell that Avery was getting more and more anxious. Worried that he was going to

    break down, she hurriedly gave Irena a call. Fortunately, Irena replied and told her that she would

    come to them as soon as possible.

    Soon enough, Irena arrived at the vi and walked up to Avery''s side. She gently held Avery''s hand

    and said, "Avery, don''t worry. Olive is a very independent child, remember? Even if she''s in danger,

    she will definitely figure out a way to reach out to you."

    "I''m just worried that she identally slipped and fell into a hole somewhere. She might be crying

    out for help right now, and we''re nowhere close to finding her." Avery became more anxious after he

    heard what Irena had said.

    "I heard from Olive that she likes to frequent ces with water. There��s a bunch of hills behind the

    vi, right? I remember there''s argeke. But since an ident had urred, no one ever goes

    there anymore. Have you searched for her there?"

    "No, I haven'' t." Avery shook his head and continued, "There are surveince cameras there

    though, so..."

    "Well then, I know a secret passage that will get us there. I will lead the way."

    "Irena, that must��ve been really difficult to find. How did you know about this?" Charlotte asked,

    curiosity colouring her tone.

    "When I was younger, I had sses here. I was ying around with a few friends when I came

    across this passage. I followed along it out of curiosity and realised that it led to the hills outback. If

    we climb over the hills, we��ll be able to see ake."

    A look of realisation dawned on everyone��s face.

    Charlotte nodded and looked as if she was deep in thought.

    The three of them hurried to theke and as expected, came across a sleeping Olive.

    Olive had covered herself with a small nket, which she had taken out with her from the vi. She

    laid a pic cloth under her, and some food and water in a basket could be seen nearby.

    At the moment, she was lying on the pillow with an eye mask on.

    "See, I told you not to worry. Look at how good she is at taking care of herself." Irena breathed a

    sigh

    of relief.

    She knew Avery very well. She knew that if anything happened to Olive, Avery would definitely go

    crazy. Fortunately, Olive was safe and sound.

    Avery looked at Olive, who was lying on her pillow peacefully, and took a deep breath. "Thank

    goodness she''s alright. Okay, I''m going to stay here and wait for her to wake up, you guys can...��

    "We''ll apany you," interjected Charlotte.

    Irena nodded in agreement.

    The three of them waited for about half an hour before Olive finally woke up.

    When she got up, she groggily registered the people around her and murmured in surprise, "You

    guys..."

    "Olive, did you know how worried Avery was?" Charlotte reached out her arms and hugged the little

    girl as she asked, "Why didn''t you leave a note to inform us that you wereing here? Why didn''t

    you bring your phone?"

    "I just wanted to get some fresh air. I was going to just take a short nap before heading back. I didn''t

    think I would sleep for so long... I''m sorry." Olive lowered her head in embarrassment.

    "I''m d that you''re alright." Avery went forward and began to pick out the leaves in her hair as he

    asked, "Why did youe to theke alone?"

    Olive shook her head and remained silent.

    All of a sudden, Charlotte asked with concern, "Were Sheryl and Seven bullying you?"

 Chapter 439

    Chapter 439

    Olive shook her head as she spoke, "They didn''t bully me. I��m not here because of them. I just

    heard that the workers wanted to take me back, and that they were going to negotiate the terms

    with you. I honestly don''t know why I''ve turned into a bargaining chip for them to use. I didn''t know

    who to talk to, so I came out here to clear my head."

    Charlotte rubbed her temples and cast Avery a re.

    Avery smiled awkwardly and coughed. "Well, I''ll make sure to take my surroundings into ount

    whenever I make phone calls in the future...��

    He walked up to Olive and squatted next to her. "Olive, why didn''t you juste to me with your

    worries? You can�� t possibly keep everything bottled up inside. I know you'' re sensible, but I don''t

    want you to think that you can''t talk to me about things, alright?��

    "I''m sorry." Olive lowered her head.

    It was not that she didn''t want to talk to Avery. She just couldn''t gather up enough courage to do so.

    She was afraid that the workers on the phone would continue to pester him, and thought that he

    might send her back to them out of annoyance.

    Avery sighed and said, "Alright, don''t overthink it. Come back with me and let''s talk about this."

    "Okay." Olive nodded obediently.

    Avery led Olive back to the vi.

    Charlotte and Irena trailed behind them.

    After a short while, Irena suddenly asked, "Are you and Avery close?��

    "We�� re alright," Charlotte replied. "If you want to know more about him, I can gather some of his

    information and send the file to youter.��

    "I don''t want to make him feel like I'' m investigating him. All these years, I''ve done nothing but let

    him down. In the past..." Irena trailed off with a smile and shook her head. "Speaking of which, I

    forgot to thank you. If it were up to just me and Avery, we wouldn''t be able to deal with the Stevens

    Family by ourselves."

    "Have you spoken to Rick yet?��

    Irena nodded. "I know he has Kendall with him. When I first heard her name, I already made the

    connection. What''s more, she looks so much like her brother."

    "Irena, there��s something I don''t quite understand."

    "What is it?" "After so many years abroad, did you not want to return to the country? Didn''t you miss

    Avery at all? Why did youe back so muchter? Your family missed you very much, you

    know?"

    Irena tilted her head and looked up at the blue sky. She muttered to herself, "But I''ve already had a

    change of heart, why would Ie back? All I want is to remain in the shadows and erase all traces

    of the old Irena. I feel indebted to Avery, that''s all there is. If the both of us stayed together, it would

    just be painful."

    "Did you fall in love with Nathan?"

    Irena shook her head and said, "No, I haven''t. To be honest, if you�� re up to speed with the

    international news, you will know that Nathan has a younger brother. Although he''s a genius, he''s

    certifiably insane. He used to lock himself in a room for an entire day, and he has proimed that

    my existence is his only ray of sunshine."

    "Does he like you?"

    "He does. But because he works for the government, he can''t get married to me. If he marries me, I

    will be investigated by the country. If they do that, I won''t be able to hide my identity anymore.

    What''s more, the wound on my face is too horrifying to look at so I can''t show myself in public. And

    because Nathan didn''t have anyone else to marry, he settled for me instead so that I can take care

    of his younger brother and Freddie."

    "Then...

    "A few months ago, Nathan''s younger brother died on a mission for the country. Freddie thought

    that it would be best if I exined the situation to Avery and made amends, so he brought me here.

    I have no way of refusing both Nathan and Seven after all. If I leave them, I will have nothing to live

    for." Irena smiled bitterly.

    "I understand." Charlotte nodded thoughtfully and remarked, "Poor Avery."

    "I know I''ve wronged him..." Irena sighed.

    Charlotte didn''t reply after that.

    Avery was indeed pitiful, but Irena''s actions were not the main problem. She had be a ''walking

    corpse'' due to Avery''s rtionship with Caleb. In this situation, it was already very difficult for her to

    stay alive, not to mention fall in love with someone. For her, her main priority is to live a meaningful

    life.

    Once the four of them returned to the vi, Avery took the child to his room upstairs.

    Irena sat on the sofa alone and decided that she would have a good talk with Avery after he was

    done with Olive. When they had been by the seast time, they were in a hurry, so she didn''t have

    time to exin the situation to him clearly.

    "Mom," Freddie called out and sat beside her. "I''ve asked around and found out that Avery hasn''t

    taken to any other women these few years. Charlotte''s the only one he seems to be close to."

    "I know. I''ve also asked around..."

    "So you understand that it''s better for you to return to his side, right? You should stop trailing after

    me and my father all the time. I really don''t think you'' re suited to be part of our family," Freddie

    stated mercilessly.

    "Freddie, Avery deserves so much better than ___ n me...

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Do you really think someone like Avery, who has not given up on you after so many years, will find

    happiness with anyone else? Mom, although I am just a child, you can''t possibly lie to me like this."

    Irena was rendered speechless all of a sudden.

    Freddie had a point.

    This was an extremely interesting paradox.

    If she thought that Avery could acquire more happiness with someone else, then she would have to

    falsely admit to herself that Avery wouldn��t be happy with her. But she knew better than anyone that

    even if she wanted nothing to do with him and merely hung around, Avery would be content with

    just that, because he still loved her.

    Freddie patted Irena on the shoulder and advised, "No matter who you end up with, I''m still going to

    regard you as my mother. I just hope you can try to reim your happiness instead of living in the

    shadows for the rest of your life."

    "Thank you, Freddie."

    "Don''t worry. As long as you have a proper chat with Avery about everything, my father and I will

    definitely give you our blessings."

    Irena could not help butugh.

    As the two chatted, Charlotte made her way downstairs and called out to them, "Freddie, Irena, do

    you two want to go out for a meal together? Shane wants to eat out today, do you guys want to

    come along?"

    "Yes." Freddie immediately epted the invitation.

    If Charlotte and Shane went out to eat, they would definitely bring Sheryl along with them.

    And wherever Sheryl went, Freddie would follow.

    "Alright then. How about you, Irena?"

    "I''lle as well. After all, I need to keep an eye on Freddie."

    Charlotte nodded and took out her phone to inform everyone else. After a short while, Sheryl and

    Shane made their way downstairs, Avery followed behind.

    Irena did not expect to see Avery at that moment, so she didn''t know what to do.

    Unexpectedly, Avery didn''t even look at her. He walked straight towards Charlotte and said, "Olive

    cried a bit just now and is sleeping upstairs. I wanted to tell you about this matter a few dayster,

    but it seems like we''ll have to settle this now."

    "You should have told me when you first got the news."

    "I''m sorry." Avery sighed and continued, "They threatened me. Now that Shane is in such a state,

    and with how busy you are with official business...

    I didn''t want to burden you with this. I didn''t expect Olive to hear me."

    "Avery, are we friends or not?" Charlotte shook her head, not knowing what else to say.

    Avery also felt immensely upset with the situation.

    He had originally wanted to help lessen Charlotte�� s burden, but in the end, he had dragged her into

    this mess. Moreover, he even wasted her time today searching for Olive. D*mn, why did everything

    go wrong like this?

    "I''m hungry."

    At this time, Shane interrupted the two of them.

    "I''m hungry too. Sheryl, what about you?" Freddie added.

    Sheryl nodded, looking a little confused. She didn��t understand why they felt the need to proim

    their hunger.

    "We should get going then." Freddie grabbed Avery�� s arm with his left hand and Irena''s with his

    right and added, "Let''s go eat now. I''m so hungry."

    Once Charlotte saw that the three of them had already walked out of the door, she helplessly shook

    her head and muttered, "That child has both the shrewdness of an adult and the innocence of a

    child. I wonder what nationwide disasters he''ll cause once he grows older.��

    The main reason why Charlotte thought Freddie might wreak havoc in the future was because of his

    innocent appearance.

    It was too deceiving for its own good.

 Chapter 440

    Chapter 440

    Charlotte purposely picked a buffet restaurant so that she didn''t have to order for the children. The

    kids could just pick whatever they wanted to eat without hassle. There was also ice cream and

    desserts to satisfy them too. Even though the cost was rtively high, she thought it was worth it.

    She liked to bring them to buffet restaurants for meals.

    As it was not the weekend, there were not many people around.

    "Well, I have the information right here. Do you want to have a look?" Avery suddenly moved closer

    to Charlotte. "I think you must be aching to read the information about my brother."

    "Your brother?" Charlotte''s interest was piqued. She put down her utensils and turned her head to

    look at him. "What''s there to know?"

    "My brother was burned to death, wasn''t he? Why do you think that happened?"

    "Perhaps he offended someone?"

    "That''s right. Guess who it was."

    How could Charlotte guess that?

    However, the way Avery spoke about this matter made her think that it was probably a very powerful

    person. Furthermore, she could probably guess who it was judging by the powerful people

    Augustus kept around him... Charlotte had a bad feeling about this. She lowered her voice and

    asked, "Could it be Shane? It can''t be, right?"

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Where''d you get that idea from?" Avery rolled his eyes. "My brother offended the Animal Protection

    Association."

    That was wholly unexpected.

    This was an organization that could not get along with Augustus. Augustus liked to abuse animals.

    As such he bought a lot of cats, dogs, and some parrots just to inflict pain on them. Everyone in the

    circle knew about this matter, and some have even reported him for it. It was said that the first

    person who reported him was a man with the surname Zhang. The man owned a Samoyed who

    had given birth to a puppy which he had given to Augustus as a gift. But not long after, Augustus

    told him that the puppy had died.

    The Samoyed owner felt that something was off about the matter. Generally, pet owners would have

    brought their pets to the vet for check-ups when they thought their pets were unwell. It was odd for

    them to just die like that with no medical records. Even though Augustus had raised so many

    animals before, it seemed like none of them had been sick. They had all just died suddenly.

    Thinking that it was suspicious, the man secretly collected evidence, and then reported Augustus to

    the Animal Protection Association.

    Augustus was the first young master of the Hart family. Ordinary citizens, even Shane, could do

    nothing about it at that time, so the association decided to teach Augustus a lesson themselves.

    That fire was part of the lesson.

    "Shane was the one who orchestrated everything." Avery lowered his voice. "But he had only

    intended to frighten my brother, not kill him. After all, Shane wasn''t personally responsible for

    carrying out that whole operation, but the people from the association. This is also the reason why

    Shane chose to hold the birthday party at the crime scene."

    Charlotte was dumbstruck by the information.

    "So it makes sense why he''s been struggling to ept how everything turned out because he

    technically had a hand in killing him. Not to mention, he had found out that his childhood best friend

    was a pervert. What would you have felt if you were Shane?"

    "I would probably fall into a deep depression..."

    "Yeah, that''s what I thought. Don''t tell anyone, but I did find some evidence of Shane''s depression

    at that time. Very few people know about it. I found this out from Zander''s children"

    Charlotte took a deep breath, but even that couldn''t calm her down.

    Avery continued, "What''s more, many things have happened since. Because of his depression,

    Shane had impulsively destroyed the Animal protection Association in the country. So now Brine

    doesn''t have one anymore..."

    "Why would Shane do such a thing?"

    "Think about it, Augustus killed a lot of people''s pets, right? Shane must have had a pet or two

    when he was growing up as well. People like him loved things with all their heart, so he must have

    loved his pets as well. So let''s assume that Shane gifted Augustus his pet, or perhaps even gave

    him their babies. Instead of taking care of them, Augustus ends up killing them..."

    Charlotte shivered at the thought.

    If that were the case, it was possible that Shane wanted to take his revenge on Augustus.

    She rubbed her temple and said, "Shane''s twelve-year-old mind is soplex. I can''t believe we''ve

    worked under him for so long..."

    "There''s one more thing..." "There''s more?!" Charlotte yelled out in disbelief.

    Avery spread out his arms and said, "I did more digging and found something interesting that

    happened between him and him. You would never guess..."

    "Just tell me!" Charlotte eximed, exasperated.

    "Although Shane was only twelve years old, he''s so much better at chess than Augustus. Because

    of that, Augustus didn''t like him very much. He had already dered Shane as his enemy. Also, I

    heard that Augustus had feelings for Heidi, but he thought that Heidi liked Shane back then, and

    that Shane returned her feelings as well."

    He continued, "Basically, Augustus acts like Shane''s brother on the surface, but in reality, he was

    very dissatisfied with Shane for stealing his limelight."

    "If Shane wasn''t sharp, he wouldn''t have picked up on Augustus'' animosity towards him. However,

    Shane eventually realised that he did not have his friend''s loyalty. As such, at the age of twelve,

    Shane had taken the initiative to strike.

    "That''s why I''m suspicious of this matter. Perhaps Shane stopped ageing once he turned twelve

    because he wanted to switch up Augustus'' fate. Of course. I''m not saying that he''s a cold-blooded

    murderer. Maybe he already knows that Augustus has died before, so he wants toe up with a

    better n to deal with Augustus. Shall we check his ns?"

    At the mention of that, Charlotte was reminded of Shane''s odd behaviour before. She remembered

    that Shane had opened the mapping software on herputer when he was using it to deal with

    official mattersst time. At that time, she had been confused but did not say much about it even

    though she didn''t know why he needed to do so.

    Maybe Avery''s guess was right.

    On the same day, after eating, Avery offered to take the children out to y. As Irena had seen him

    and Charlotte discussing something together these few days, she assumed that the two must be

    brewing up a n, and diverting the children''s attention should be part of it. As such, she offered to

    help take the children out as well.

    "Well, since Irena will being... Shane, why don''t youe with us too?" Avery immediately

    suggested.

    "I want to go read an encyclopedia."

    "Come on, that''s so boring! Once you recover your memory, you''ll find that you''ve already read the

    whole thing before," Avery said and pulled Shane to him. "Let''s go then. Lottie, you can head back

    now."

    Without even bothering to say goodbye, Charlotte left. Shane''s gaze remained on her retreating

    back for a long while before he finally withdrew his gaze.

    His intuition told him that Charlotte and Avery must be nning something.

    "You and Charlotte have been secretly talking about Shane, am I right?" Irena walked up to Avery''s

    side, holding Freddie''s hand with her right hand.

    "That''s right. I''ve asked her to go look over the ns on herptop." Avery paused for a short while

    and said, "We have to keep the children away from the vi as long as possible."

    "It seems that my guess was right."

    Avery quirked his lips into a smile and said, "It seems that you know me well, as always."

    Irena didn''t say anything after that.

    The first thing that Charlotte did when she got back was turn on the mapping software on her

    computer.

    Shane seemed to have drawn a hotel''s internal structure diagram, which contained a lot of

    passages and stairs. However, she found that the entire diagram looked strange.

    What caught her eye was the style of the diagram. One half''s style lookedpletely different from

    its other half.

    Charlotte looked at it for a long while and felt a chill down her spine.

    It couldn''t be, could it?

    After Shane lost his memory and mentally became a twelve-year-old, the first thing he did was draw

    the first half of this diagram. As he needed to do something about Augustus in three days, there

    was no time for dy. As for the other half of the diagram, Shane must have recovered his memory

    andpleted it.

    But why did he do it?

    Why was he still drawing this diagram even after he recovered his memories?

    Charlotte felt that she did not understand Shane anymore.

 Chapter 441

    Chapter 441

    Charlotte continued to look through herputer for clues. Apart from the diagram, Shane also had

    a document saved. When she opened it and looked through it, she noticed that there were two

    different writing styles in it as well. She was familiar with one of them, the other style was more

    immature and spiteful. It was a style filled with maliciousness.

    She could not believe that Shane, a twelve-year-old, would write something like that. His anger was

    tinged with murderous intent by the looks of it.

    When she read the more familiar writing style, she found that the tone it had taken was rtively

    mild. There was no mention of killing Augustus, or crippling him.

    However, if Shane already knew that Augustus was already dead, why did he still continue to write

    this?

    His n had already seeded after all, so why didn''t he delete the things he wrote when he was

    twelve?

    Just as Charlotte contemted, the door was suddenly opened. Frightened, she hurriedly closed all

    the tabs on herputer and quickly opened up her browser and looked through thetest news

    reports.

    "Why did you leave me alone with Avery?" Shane walked to her side and sat down. He reached out

    and put his arm around her shoulder and leaned on it. He looked exhausted. After that, he closed

    his eyes and Charlotte could see ayer of sweat had formed on his forehead. The tip of his nose

    was covered with it as well.

    Charlotte took out a piece of tissue and wiped his face for him. She said, "Isn''t it fun to y with

    other children? Don''t forget, you''re only twelve now."

    "You left me alone just so you can look at the news?" Shane asked with his eyes half-closed as he

    looked at herputer screen.

    "What''s wrong?" She asked nonchntly.

    "Do you think the news is more important than me?" As he spoke, he leaned into her as he held her

    in his arms. However, this movement made him catch a glimpse at some of the unclosed tabs on

    Charlotte''sputer. His gaze suddenly turned cold.

    However, Charlotte did not notice this change. She hooked her arms around his neck and raised

    her eyebrows as she looked at him. "Did Avery let you run around with the others just now? Once

    you''ve recovered your memories, you''ll be surprised by how different it is to y with them as an

    adult."

    Shane remained silent.

    "What''s wrong?" She asked suspiciously.

    Shane didn''t answer her, merely leaned over and kissed her.

    He was being very aggressive and had torn off Charlotte''s clothes in no time. Unable to withstand

    his heavy weight on her, she reached out her hand and pressed it against his chest. "Shane, you''re

    hurting me. Go gentler please..."

    The man ignored her and continued to assault her with kisses.

    After a long while, Shane finally loosened his grip on her just as she was about to pass out. Sheid

    on the bed with closed eyes and was so tired that she did not want to move. Shane left hickeys all

    over her body.

    She pulled up the quilt to cover her body before ring at the man sitting at his desk. "Shane,

    what''s wrong with you today?"

    "You''ve seen the diagram, haven''t you?"

    Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat and she felt herself go cold. However, she quickly came back to her

    senses and asked, "What diagram?"

    "Augustus."

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    "You left some of the tabs unclosed, you know?" Shane dered impassively. "You were looking

    through them just now, weren''t you?"

    Charlotte didn''t want to tantly lie, but she didn''t intend to admit to Shane''s usation either. She

    merely stayed silent and curled up in bed.

    Seeing that she was not denying it, Shane ced theputer in front of him then walked up to

    Charlotte one step at a time. Charlotte backed away fearfully, but her body was still sore from what

    they had done just now so she could not retreat any further. She could only watch as he walked

    closer.

    Shane held her chin and said with disappointment, "Why didn''t you just ask me if you wanted to

    know the truth?"

    "I..." She did not know what to say.

    Shane caressed her cheeks. He had a lot to say to her, but in the end, he found that he couldn''t get

    any words out. Looking at her glowing face, he couldn''t help but get upset.

    Shouldn''t he be the one Charlotte trusted most?

    Why would she choose to work with Avery behind his back to lure him away? Why was she not

    willing to just ask him herself?

    Charlotte was intimidated by his re. She lowered her head and braced herself as she spoke,

    "Avery and I were curious about the thing with Augustus, so he went to dig up some information on

    what exactly triggered everything. Avery spected that the reason why you had mentally returned

    to the age right before your twelfth birthday was to modify your n, so that Augustus wouldn''t die,

    even if he was punished."

    "So, you read my n?"

    "That''s right..."

    "What do you think about it?"

    "I don''t understand it." Charlotte swallowed her saliva and said, "You''ve obviously recovered your

    memories, so why did you stillplete the previous n? Isn''t the issue settled already? Augustus

    is already dead! Even if you devise a near-perfect n right now, you can''t prevent all that has

    already happened, unless you want to..."

    Charlotte''s voice stopped abruptly. She widened her eyes in disbelief, "Hold on, don''t tell me you''re

    nning to..."

    "I''m nning to exact the same n, but aim it at someone else." Shane gave the answer with a

    poker face.

    "Who are you targeting this time?" Charlotte immediately grabbed his shoulders and shook her

    head furiously. "Shane, no matter how much someone has offended you, there are other ways..."

    "Christopher."

    In an instant, Charlotte was rendered speechless.

    If anyone else were to get killed, she would definitely feel pity for them. But if it was Christopher, she

    wouldn''t bat an eye.

    Christopher had done too many horrible things and even killed Mrs. Fuller Senior. She really did

    think that a man like him should just die.

    "Shane, let''s forget about that for a while, alright?" Charlotte hugged his waist tightly. "Just pretend

    you''ve really lost your memories and rx these few days. When the timees, we''ll seek justice

    at court once Christopher is captured, okay?"

    "I don''t disagree that he has to be judged by thew. But before that, I must exact my revenge on

    him." Shane pushed her hand away.

    "Shane!" Tears welled up in Charlotte''s eyes. "There are many ways to punish evil people like him,

    but turning yourself into one of them is simply foolish!"

    "I was never a good person to begin with! There, I''ve said it! Are you disappointed with me now?"

    Charlotte was struck speechless.

    It was impossible for Shane to go on in life anymore without some blood on his hands. Even though

    she had never thought about killing someone, she was responsible for ruining many lives. How

    many people have lost their jobs because of her? How many have gone bankrupt and even died?

    "Shane..." Charlotte whimpered.

    At that point, Shane had already reached the door.

    However, the way Charlotte called out to him was filled with despair and sadness. It was impossible

    for him to take another step forward.

    He sighed and turned back to her.

    Before he could do anything else, she pounced on him and hugged him tightly. "I know you would

    support me if I decided the same thing as well. So, since you''ve decided on this, well, I will support

    you."

    He looked at the woman in his arms with utter fondness.

    "I''ll go anywhere with you, even if that ce is hell."

    "There''s no need for that."

    "Please don''t leave me. I can support you in every way you ask me to. Don''t keep any secrets from

    me anymore. I really don''t want to lose you, okay?"

    Shane didn''t answer.

    Charlotte tilted her head upwards and kissed his lips.

    "After this thing with Christopher is over, I''ll go y the piano as you have always wanted. If you

    want to know anything else, just ask me and I''ll tell you. But before the dilemma is settled, I will not

    tell you anything."

    After that, he pushed her aside and turned to leave.

    The sorrow and pain Charlotte felt in her heart magnified as she stared after Shane''s retreating

    back.

    Sometimes, she really couldn''t understand him.

    A whileter...

    Charlotte took out her phone and made a call.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    The person she was calling picked up fairly quickly.

 Chapter 442

    Chapter 442

    Avery stood in front of the French window while he held his phone to his ear. "I just saw Shane drive

    away. Have you guys gotten into an argument?''1

    "I want to ask you for a favour."

    "Oh?" Avery raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Does it have anything to do with Shane?"

    "I want to see Christopher."

    Avery was stunned. He stiffened and replied, "No way, don''t be silly! Why do you want to see

    Christopher? You''ve just had a lover''s quarrel with Shane, haven''t you? What would you..." Avery

    shook his head fervently as he did not know what else to say.

    "Don''t worry. He won''ty a hand on me. Just help me sneak an email to him, alright? Tell him that

    I��ll be waiting for him at his mother''s temple at nine o''clock tomorrow morning."

    "That''s..."

    "Listen, his mother will be there. He won''t do anything to me in front of his mother. Don''t worry."

    Avery sighed and said, "Why must you see him? Don''t you think you should ask Rick or Peter for

    their opinions first before you do this?"

    "I don''t want to ask them. I just want to meet up with Christopher face to face. Please don''t tell

    anyone else about this."

    "Charlotte, why do I feel like I''m about to be your aplice? I thought that all of us were

    standing together, but now, you''re suddenly asking to go meet Christopher by yourself..." Avery

    didn''t want to doubt Charlotte, nor did he want to question her decisions. However, this move was

    simply too risky.

    He didn''t even understand why she would take such a risk. Did she just want to see Christopher?

    What was she nning to achieve after the meeting?

    Avery had a headache just thinking about this. He really wanted to find someone to vent out his

    frustrations but he was afraid that he would disrupt Lottie''s ns.

    "I can''t just stand by and watch Shane turn himself into a criminal." After saying that, Charlotte hung

    up the phone. It was obvious that she didn''t want Avery to ask any more questions.

    Avery sighed and immediately went to find Christopher''s address which wasn��t very difficult to get

    hold of. After tracking his email down with Charlotte''s, he was able to send a message to

    Christopher without pinging his IP address.

    After sending the message, he got a reply in less than a minute. "Who are you?"

    "Charlotte."

    "You are not her."

    "Avery."

    "We have nothing to talk about."

    "You sure?"

    "If you think it''s not safe for her toe meet me by herself, you cane too. Here��s the address.

    Just tell me ahead of time and I''ll get someone to pick you up. I''ll even send you to an excellent

    spying spot where you can watch me and Charlotte meet. You can even listen in on our

    conversation."

    Avery hated Christopher. But when he saw that message, he found that Christopher seemed to be

    acting decent for once with his offer. He didn''t sound like a murderer at all. This piqued his curiosity

    as to what happened between Shane''s grandmother and him that made Christopher want to kill her.

    Soon, he sent a message back to Christopher, "I''ll be there. Where do I have to wait for the pick

    up?��

    "Sharktooth Road. The driver will take you to a ce with a good view of us. If you think it��s

    necessary, bring some bodyguards with you if you want."

    "You'' re not nning to harm me or anything, right?��

    "You tell me, Avery. You''re a wise fellow, aren''t you? You��re not as cute as the rumours seem to

    imply."

    ''There were rumours about me being cute?�� Avery thought.

    Avery frowned a little and continued to type, "You'' re really annoying. I can''t wait to see your stupid

    face."

    Meanwhile, Christopher was grinning maniacally on the other end. "Looking forward to it."

    Avery let out an unexpectedugh at that.

    It seems that things have taken an interesting turn.

    The next day.

    Charlotte arrived at the ce that they had agreed upon.

    There was ake in front of her and a temple behind her.

    On the other side of theke, there was a park. Many children could be seen wandering around and

    ying with each other while they were apanied by adults.

    At 9:30 a.m..

    Christopher finally arrived and walked up to her. "I didn''t think you would willingly meet up with me

    for anything. ine has already lost the ability to make life difficult for you, so if you''re here to talk to

    me about that, it won''t be necessary."

    "It''s not that. I''m just here to tell you that if Shane asks you out for a meal one of these days, you''ll

    have to watch yourself." Charlotte didn''t look at him.

    "Oh?" Christopher burst intoughter as his eyes brightened. "Are you warning me in advance for

    old time''s sake?"

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I just don''t want my beloved to be a criminal."

    "Oh? Is he nning to deal with me like how he dealt with Augustus?" Christopher squinted as he

    gazed upon theke. He stretched out, picked a stone off the ground, and threw it into theke.

    The stone skipped on the surface of theke five times before sinking to the bottom.

    Charlotte widened her eyes and gasped in shock. "You know what happened to Augustus?"

    Christopher picked up another stone and threw it into the water again. Unfortunately, this time, the

    rock only skipped thrice before sinking.

    He shrugged his shoulders with a smile and said, "I know everything about Shane. As his nemesis,

    of course I have to know him inside out. In fact, I think I might even understand him more than you

    do."

    Charlotte was struck speechless by that.

    "You didn''te here just to tell me this, did you? You wanted to exchange favours. You''re going to

    ask me how I killed Mrs. Fuller Senior, aren��t you?"

    "That��s right. Aren''t you worried that I might be recording this entire conversation? You just admitted

    to murder."

    "There is no proper evidence to support that im. Even if I admit that I��ve killed Mrs. Fuller Senior,

    the police will need to investigate that im to arrest me. Unfortunately for them, they won��t be able

    to find anything because there is no evidence left."

    Charlotte sighed and gave up on goading the man. "I��m not recording you, alright? That is my show

    of trust to you. If we don��t even have the most basic form of trust between the two of us, I suppose

    we can just leave it at that. There��s nothing for us to discuss anymore."

    "Alright, since you��ve chosen this ce as our meeting spot, I''ll believe that you weren�� t recording

    me."

    "So? Are you going to tell me how you did it?" "Well, since you''ve asked so nicely..." Christopher sat

    down on the grassfortably and began to exin, "Mrs. Fuller Senior was a woman who took

    great care in protecting her dignity. She didn''t want an illegitimate child like me, but because she

    didn''t want me to cause her any trouble, she showered me with plenty of care over the years. I only

    killed her because she was begging for it. She came to me willingly that day on the empty rooftop. I

    knew that she wanted me to do it so that I would live the rest of my life feeling guilty and restless for

    being a murderer. Unfortunately for her, I thought she deserved to die.

    "If it weren''t for Raina and her, my mother''s life wouldn''t have turned out like that, and I wouldn''t

    have to live my life like an orphan. When Shane was born, he had everything he could ever want.

    He was even capable of killing Augustus at the age of twelve, but what about me? I was worried

    about how I was going to survive in the Gibson Family at that age! We have the same father, but

    why did I get treated so differently?"

    "If someone from the Fuller Family had been willing to take care of me, things wouldn''t have turned

    out like this."

    "I understand why you wanted to take revenge, but I didn''t think you were nning to kill them!"

    Charlotte interjected.

    Christopher shook his head with a smile and said, "What better vengeance is there other than death

    itself? You cannot possibly envision the satisfaction in killing someone that has treated you like dirt

    all your life. It feels great."

    Charlotte became silent.

    "Are you scared of me now?"

    "I was just thinking... If I hadn''t stood by Shane at that time and trusted you as Zoe did instead,

    would things have turned out differently?"

    "Zoe..." Christopher muttered her name to himself.

    The ones who had loved him, he would always remember.

    Zoe used to love him without reservation. Unfortunately, she was not suited for someone like him.

    He knew that she could live a great life without him, so there was no need to drag her into his mess.

    Perhaps, he had been reluctant to ept Zoe into his life because he cared too much about her.

    "I heard that Zoe is going to get married to Peter. I''ll make sure to send her an extravagant gift

    during her wedding. I guess that can be regarded as myst act of kindness towards her."

    Charlotte looked at Christopher silently. It did not feel like he was a stranger to her at all.

    On the contrary, he still felt like her old friend.

    She felt that this person next to her right now was no different from the Christopher that she had first

    met.

    She suddenly realised that perhaps Christopher might have always been like this since the

    beginning. However, no one was willing to notice it, no one wanted to notice him.

 Chapter 443

    Chapter 443

    "I don''t want to ruin her image in your mind so let��s just forget about the issue with Mrs. Fuller

    Senior, alright? You can choose to believe what I��ve just told you, or you can just assume everything

    I��ve said was just a lie. Take this as an opportunity to gain more information from me, so you can

    figure both me and Shane out. Now that you''ve gotten what you came here for, are we done? "

    asked Christopher.

    "I still regard you as a friend, you know? I''ve never thought of hurting you."

    "I know, but that��s just an excuse, isn��t it? All of you tell me that you�� ve thought of me as your

    grandchild, your friend, and even a lover, but you guys don��t mean it. To put it bluntly, you guys just

    want to protect Shane from me."

    "Shane doesn''t need our protection."

    "Do you hear yourself? If you have so much confidence in him, then why are you still here? Do you

    think I need you to warn me about Shane''s n to keep myself safe? In your heart, I will never be

    as good as him, will I?"

    Christopher said as he stood up. He walked up to her, exuding a cold aura. He stopped a few steps

    away from her and muttered, "Charlotte, I''ve always thought of you as my friend as well. However,

    your mother''s death and whatever happened with Emerson Corporation... I nned all of it. So you

    really don��t have to worry about me since I��m not nning to return the favour at all.��

    After that, he left. Charlotte remained motionless.

    She had thought that she would be angry, but she felt nothing but calm.

    Just as Christopher had said, she already had all the information she needed to piece the truth

    together. Her heart did not waver in the slightest after what Christopher had said.

    Why did shee here today?

    Maybe, it was just as Christopher said. She did it so that she could protect Shane.

    Everyone loved Shane, didn��t they?

    He was thest person on this that needed protection from anyone else, but everyone

    wanted to protect him just the same.

    Raina and his grandmother did everything they could to protect him. Now, Charlotte was doing the

    same thing as well. Christopher on the other hand, was just a side character inparison.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    People didn''t need a reason to love Shane, but it was different for Christopher. He was despised by

    everyone else just because of one person, that person being the father he and Shane shared.

    Life was really ironic like that.

    In the distance, inside a tall building.

    Avery took off his headphones and gazed upon theke. After a while, he grinned like a Cheshire

    cat and said, "Mr. Gibson, don''t stand at the door since you''re already here. My bodyguards aren''t

    bold enough to throw you off this building."

    Christopher emerged from the shadows and sat in front of him. "Avery, pleased to finally meet you."

    The man''s smile was bright and gentle. He moved elegantly as he glided into the room. If it weren''t

    for his background, Avery would have been captivated by his handsome features.

    "You have such a harmless face, but you''ve done plenty of shady things, haven''t you? What would

    your mother think?"

    "Oh? And you''re much better?"

    "At least I''ve never killed anyone before."

    "But how many people have died because of you?"

    "Mr. Gibson, you'' re making some bold usations here. Even if I had killed those two monsters

    with my bare hands, I would have done the world a favour!" "Then why can''t what I''ve done be

    considered a favour for the world as well? Just because the person who died was your friend''s

    grandmother, you think I shouldn''t have done it? Have you asked the Stevens Family about their

    thoughts on Rnd and Caleb''s deaths? Do you think they think you''ve done them a favour by

    killing them?�� Christopher pushed up his sses, eyes gleaming behind the lenses.

    "They killed Irena!"

    "Irena didn''t die."

    Avery instantly turned his head and stared at Christopher. "What did you just say?"

    Christopher casually picked up his goblet filled with red wine and swirled it around. "I know your

    every move, Avery. I know that Irena and Nathan got married, and I know that she''s staying with him

    because of Nathan''s dead younger brother. Are you surprised?"

    "How can that be possible?" Avery gripped the armrests with both hands tightly and said, "I

    clearly..."

    "You must be confused, right? You''ve clearly taken many preventive measures to ensure your

    network stayed private. You even blocked anyone else from essing it. Why do you think I didn''t

    come looking for you guys since I''ve known for so long." "There must be a spy among us."

    "I guess you can say that. Who do you think it could be?"

    After saying that, Christopher stood up and walked closer to Avery. With a faint pitiful smile, he said,

    "Our game has just begun. To be honest, I have to thank you for destroying the Stevens Family.

    Maybe you weren''t aware, but just a year ago, I''ve heavily relied on the management of the Stevens

    Corporation. Even though the results weren''t ideal in the beginning, now, the only person who can

    take over the management is me."

    Avery stared at the man''s back in shock.

    Avery''s face had paled significantly. His hands tightened around the armrests of his chair, and he

    could not stop trembling.

    He should tell Shane about this.

    He had to.

    However, how was he going to tell him?

    He can''t possibly tell him that he helped Charlotte set up a meeting with Christopher, and found all

    this out after chatting with him! It was not justifiable.

    He was in a dilemma.

    Brine, a high-ss residential area.

    Christopherid himself on his sofa, feeling dizzy. At this moment, he was alreadypletely drunk.

    There was a pile of broken beer bottles around him.

    The broken ss cut his ankles but he was toozy to deal with them. He let the wound seep blood,

    staining his trousers dark red.

    It hurt.

    However, this pain was the only constant reminder that he was still alive.

    "Squeak!��

    The door creaked open.

    "Charlotte and Avery went to look for you today?"

    Christopher tilted his head up and looked at the man who just came in. He chuckled and replied

    lazily, "Shane, Charlotte told me you were nning to kill me the same way you killed Augustus."

    The others might never understand.

    Shane also hated the feud that was happening within the Fuller family.

    No one could have expected that Shane was the spy.

    Other than the initial confrontation they had, the rest that followed had been faked.

    Of course, Mrs. Fuller Senior''s death had been an ident. But she was just asking for it that time,

    and Christopher couldn''t really me himself because all the while, Shane had backed him up.

    Shane strolled to his side and sat down. He picked up a tissue from the table and wiped

    Christopher''s bleeding ankle. He could see that some of it had dried, so he was unable to wipe it off

    completely.

    "I have an idea."

    "You'' re not even going to greet me? I''m your brother, aren'' t I? Gosh, your manners are appalling!"

    "What are your ns?"

    "How do you think the others will react if I tell them you were the spy all this time? They''ve tried so

    hard to protect you..."

    Christopher suddenly stood up and red at Shane. "What if they find out you''re also a liar as well?

    Do you think the world will end if I told them what you''ve been doing?"

    Shane cleaned his wound and reached over to feel his forehead. After making sure that he was not

    feverish, he got up and walked to the bathroom. "I* m going to get the first aid kit."

    Shane was walking around leisurely, as if nothing was at stake. Christopher hated the nonchnce

    he portrayed. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Shane, you''re not human!"

    Soonter.

    Shane returned to his side and helped him apply some ointment. "What''s wrong?"

    "You know, among everyone, the one best at keeping up a facade is you. You''re great at hiding your

    emotions."

    "They''ll just think that I was the one sensible enough to settle our dispute without any bloodshed.

    They''ll think it''s wise."

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444

    Christopher nearly choked on his own spit.

    He spat hard and asked, "What made you think that I would cooperate with youst time?"

    The cooperation between the two began with Tiffany. At the time, Shane had been hypnotised, but

    quickly, he learned tobat it and took up the skill himself. He had used his new-learned hypnosis

    skills on Christopher. However, he did not force Christopher to listen to his orders. Instead, he had

    made Christopher tell him everything the Fuller family had done. Shane had told him about his own

    unhappy childhood in return.

    If there hadn��t been a spy, it would be impossible for Christopher to escape, let alone not get caught

    until now.

    No one would suspect that Shane, who appeared to be nning Christopher''s demise, was the spy.

    As such, while the cooperation between the two was surprising, it was less dangerous.

    "You either cooperate with me or die."

    "I just didn''t think that you would be so miserable. The pet rabbit you gave Augustus was even

    eaten by him! Your father''s a b*stard for letting such a thing happen."

    In front of Shane, Christopher didn''t need to pretend to be gentle. He didn''t need to be elegant or

    easy-going. He could act like himself in front of Shane. After all, the man was his brother.

    Shane helped him put a bandage on his cut and said, "He''s not just my father, he''s ours."

    "No, he''s not! I refuse to have a monster like him as my father." Christopher pursed his lips.

    Shane put the rest of the bandages back into the medical kit, got up, and kicked away the beer

    bottles. "You''ve been injured, it''s best if you stop drinking for a few days. If not, your wound might

    not close up. It''ll hurt much more if you don''t let it heal properly."

    Christopher scoffed. "Wouldn''t you be d if I died? You were nning to kill me anyway."

    "I wasn��t nning to use Augustus''s n on you."

    "Then who are you nning it for? Do you have other enemies?" Christopher was curious.

    "You��ll get to read all about it in the papers soon enough."

    "What do you need me to do?"

    "Tell Avery and Charlotte that I''ve invited you out for dinner. Have them stay with you the entire time,

    that''s all I ask."

    "And when will that be?" ''TH tell youter."

    Christopher took a deep breath and leaned back into his chair. "Well, I''ll look forward to reading the

    newster. I wonder who it could be..."

    After that, Shane picked up his suit and said, "I''m going to head out first."

    "Bye."

    He was gone just like that.

    Christopher looked outside the window.

    Everyone loved Shane.

    No one knew that deep down, Christopher needed love too.

    They have given all their love to Shane.

    "I don��t know if I should love or hate this ability of his."

    Christopher muttered to himself.

    After Charlotte returned home, she felt that there was something very strange about the entire

    situation.

    The main concern she had was that Christopher''s attitude was too nonchnt. He didn''t seem to

    care about how Shane treated him. He only wanted to vent his anger to her just now. She could feel

    that this particr anger was not even directed at Shane, but at the Fuller family.

    If she remembered correctly, whenever Christopher mentioned anything that had to do with Shane

    before, he would sound hateful. However, when they had talked about him just now, he spoke of

    Shane just like he would any other person, with no strong emotions attached to his words. It did not

    sound like he harboured any hatred for Shane anymore.

    Just as she was contemting this, her phone rang.

    "I have something to tell you," Avery said in a dull tone.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "I already know what you and Christopher were chatting about today. You don''t have to update me

    about that. I just want to tell you something else about him. He knows everything about us. It seems

    that someone on our side has been spying on us for him. He even admitted to it, and proved it by

    telling me some details about our situation right now. He even knows that Irena didn''t die."

    "How can that be possible! Nathan has already secured all themunicative channels! News

    about Irena shouldn��t have gotten out at all! Even Irena''s parents don''t know about this.��

    "So he''s not lying to us then. There must be a spy among us."

    Charlotte was silent.

    After a while, Avery said, "That''s not all. I suspect that Shane is going to kill Christopher. I got the

    news today that Shane has been seen around the building where Augustus died in. But I couldn''t

    find out which floor he went to. He must be setting everything up."

    "He''s really going to..." Charlotte was upset.

    She really didn''t want Shane to do anything stupid.

    "We''d better find a way to get closer to Christopher."

    Charlotte nodded her head.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    It was the right thing to do.

    Once Shane asks to have a meal with Christopher, they could probably stop him if they got to them

    before anything happened.

    Soon enough, Avery and Charlotte had a n finalised. However, since neither Shane nor

    Christopher made a move, the two of them would have to sit back and wait cautiously before they

    could do anything.

    Charlotte had been looking for a chance to talk to Shane but he kept ignoring her. She felt as if he

    had abandoned her.

    She had to find a way to stop him.

    Later that day.

    With Cole''s help, Charlotte managed to corner Shane.

    "Just when are you going to stop hiding from me?" Charlotte walked up to him and stood close.

    "I haven''t been hiding." Shane stopped walking, but he didn''t look at her. He lowered his eyes and

    continued in an impassive tone, "If you want to talk to me about Christopher, forget it."

    "I missed you. Can''t I just spend some time with you?"

    "You missed me?" He looked as if he had heard the funniest joke in his life. "Do you really?"

    "Follow me."

    Charlotte pulled his hand and guided him into a car.

    She forced him into the passenger seat while she drove. Poor Cole could only take Charlotte''s

    money and waited for a taxi by the road.

    "Where are we going?" Shane asked as he had no idea.

    "We''re going on a date."

    She was simply going to drag him out to dinner with her.

    She booked a private room at a restaurant and ordered Shane''s favourite dishes. The two of them

    sat opposite each other without saying another word.

    "You did all that just so you could have dinner with me?��

    "What else was I supposed to do?" She said in a fierce tone. "How long have you been hiding from

    me? Shane, do you even have a conscience?! Don''t you know that I''ll miss you? Oh, I get it! You

    must not have thought about me at all these few days! That''s why you don''t miss me, right?"

    It was a logical assumption women always made.

    Shane shook his head with a smile and said, "Of course I missed you. I'' m just busy at the

    moment."

    "What are you busy with?" She asked.

    "There are a lot of things that need my attention, especially those deals with thepanies

    overseas. If I don''t hurry and close those deals, how do you expect me to find time in the future to

    y the piano for you?"

    Charlotte asked suspiciously, "Is that really the case?"

    "Of course." "Then what about the thing with Christopher..."

    "I invited him to dinner, but he hasn''t agreed to that yet. I have something to discuss with him."

    Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat at that. "What do you need to discuss with him?"

    Shane was amused. He leaned to one side and tapped on her forehead lightly. "You''re worried that

    I''ll kill him, aren''t you?"

    Charlotte shook her head in denial at first but switched to nodding instead. She looked at him with

    worried eyes and said, "Shane, I''m not saying that you can''t kill Christopher, or that he can''t be

    injured. I just think that you shouldn''t turn yourself into a criminal. We can hand him over to the court

    and let thew decide his punishment. There''s no need for us to personally deal with him."

    "Are you sure thew is just?"

    "I..." Charlotte bit her lips.

    "Don''t worry. I''m not going to kill him rashly."

    "I can only choose to support you now, right? I can''t change your mind no matter what I say."

    "You can try."

    After that, Shane started to eat.

    Charlotte sighed and gently leaned her head on his shoulder, "I''m just worried about you."

    She had spoken softly, with a note of mncholy.

    Shane got a spoonful of fish he knew Charlotte loved and held it to her lips. He watched as she

    opened up her mouth to ept his offering. "Are you still angry with me? Going to let the thing with

    Christopher go now?"

    "I wasn''t angry about that, alright? It was because you''ve been avoiding me! And besides, it''s not

    like anything I saw about your n for Christopher will sway you anyway. There''s no point."

    "So you''re still angry?"

    "I��m not. I''m just worried about you. I''m afraid that you''ll hurt yourself in the process. What if he

    survives and takes his revenge on you? As Sheryl'' s mother, and as your fiancee, I''m allowed to be

    worried about you."

    "Fiancee," Shane echoed back.

    This made Shane recall something.

    He had nned to get them their marriage certificates for a long while now.

    But up till now, he still hadn''t done it.

 Chapter 445

    Chapter 445

    "You don''t have to worry about us." After saying that, Shane leaned back into his seat and closed

    his eyes to rest.

    Charlotte had wanted to discuss the issue with him properly. However, she caught the double

    meaning in Shane''s words. What did he mean when he said ''us''? Was he talking about his

    rtionship with her, or was he talking about his rtionship with Christopher? If he had meant the

    latter, wouldn''t that mean...

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Charlotte stopped herself from overthinking it. She hoped that it was just her overactive imagination

    messing with her. Once they got to a restaurant, the couple did not have much of an appetite to

    enjoy the food properly. They ate in silence.

    Soon enough, night came. Charlotte sent Shane back to the vi, but did not get out of the car with

    Shane.

    "Are you going somewhere else?" Shane frowned as he looked at her.

    "I''m going to meet a friend." Charlotte shook the phone in her hand. "Call me if you need anything.��

    Shane watched her leave.

    Charlotte hadn''t been lying to Shane. She had received a phone call from Cassius, the new

    celebrity in the entertainment circle she had previously worked with. He hadn��t been doing well

    lately. Although he had proven himself recently, manypanies were still not optimistic about his

    future prospects. In other words, although he was well- known, his fandom was declining in

    numbers.

    This was not anything unusual. In the entertainment industry, if a star encountered this kind of

    situation, they would get people to work on fixing the matter. However, Cassius was not one to ask

    other people for help, so he had a mental breakdown when he found out he couldn''t fix it himself.

    After he got rejected from several famouspanies in the industry, his heart couldn''t take it

    anymore...

    Charlotte could only sigh as she thought about his situation. Young people these days were getting

    more and more erratic. In the past, all great actors had to work their fingers to the bone to get to

    where they were today. They had borne countless gossip about them and stood tall.

    "Creak!��

    Charlotte pushed a door open.

    "Miss Charlotte!" Cassius raised his head and looked at her with red eyes. "I didn''t know what else

    to do, so I called you. Can you please help me?"

    "Is this about business?"

    "Not exactly."

    Charlotte raised her eyebrows. She hoped that Cassius had really called her over for a personal

    issue. If it was something about business, she would have been disappointed in him.

    After all, Cassius was one of her sesses. As he was now a brand ambassador, and she was his

    spokesperson, it was necessary for her to help him.

    "What''s the matter?" Charlotte poured a ss of lemon water for herself.

    "I have a friend suffering from a very detrimental disease. He will die if he does not get treated soon.

    It was supposed to be his turn to receive surgery, but some rich fellow went and bribed him with a

    Singers were not like actors.

    It was usually very difficult for amateur singers to stand out because they were not given many

    opportunities to do so. Additionally, although there were some good- looking singers in the

    entertainment circle, most of them were very nice to look at.

    If one could easily be an idol without any artistic talents, then who would want to invest more

    money than they had to in a talented singer?

    In recent years, many entertainmentpanies have not acknowledged singers as much as they

    used to. Even if one did sing really well, they would still need an agency to help promote them.

    If an amateur singer like Cassis'' s friend encountered such a costly problem, all he could do was

    ask the people around him for help.

    "How did that happen?" Charlotte frowned.

    "I don''t know, but I��ve heard that the other person was very domineering. They gave my friend an

    ultimatum. My friend either had to take the money and give up his ce, or he could not take the

    money and live in debt for the rest of his life. My friend had no choice but to take the money! And

    this surgery is very urgent as well. They need to wait for the right organs to be avable in the

    hospitals. Even though the hospital does not take kindly to such bribery, it doesn''t mean that his

    family wouldn''t take it. After all, my friend''s parents are from the countryside, so they can''te up

    here to support him at all.��

    If his friend''s family members were here, Cassius suspected that they would probably take the

    money anyway.

    When Charlotte noticed that Cassius had not mentioned how much money had been offered, she

    guessed that the sum must be rminglyrge. "How much was on offer?"

    "1.2 million dors."

    Charlotte rubbed her temples and asked, "What surgery does your friend need?"

    "A kidney transnt."

    Charlotte''s head hurt even more. She took out her phone and asked Avery to look up which rich

    person had kidney problems. Avery was very efficient. In less than ten minutes, he had already

    found something. "I��m not sure if it''s the person you''re looking for, but I found an interesting one.

    He''s a distant rtive of Rick''s. He''s a good person, but after he made big bucks and got rich in

    recent years, he��s notoriously known to use money to solve all his problems."

    Alright.

    It was someone rted to Rick.

    "I have a friend here who needs the same surgery. Any thoughts?"

    "The surgery itself is not a problem, but is there a kidney avable?"

    "Can you get a hold of that?" "It''s against thew!"

    Charlotte let out a long sigh. Just as she was about to tell Cassius that she might not be able to help

    him, Avery spoke up again, "However, I do know that there are some people who want to sell their

    kidneys in the ck market. They''re all in urgent need of money and I might be able to get a hold of

    them. I could bring Skr to meet up with a willing party and check out theirpatibility."

    "That would be great."

    "I''d like to meet your friend''s friend."

    "Cassius, is your friend free now?"

    Cassius nodded fervently. "Yeah, he is. He''s been waiting to hear from me in the hospital. He''s

    dying, If it hadn''t been urgent, I wouldn''t havee to you. I know how much you hate trouble..."

    Charlotte stretched out her hand and patted him on the shoulder. "It��s alright. You��ve helped me

    make a lot of money, so helping you with this is nothing. Send me the address. We''ll get going right

    away."

    "Alright."

    Cassius choked up with sobs as he sent the address to Charlotte. He cried all the way to the

    hospital. Charlotte couldn''t bear to see him in tears, so she elected to look away.

    Meanwhile, Avery was still on the phone with Charlotte. They had not hung up yet. The man joked

    from the other side, "Is that your boy toy?" "Stop spouting nonsense."

    "I think it''s a pretty good idea. Developing a rtionship with him must be much better than always

    hurting whenever you''re with Shane."

    "Don''t make trouble."

    "I''m serious! The help you''re offering him is too much. Don''t you think it''s fair for you to ask for

    something in return?"

    Charlotte simply ignored Avery.

    Seeing that he wasn��t going to get any more interesting reactions from Charlotte, Avery asked for

    the address and brought Skr with him.

    Half an hourter, everyone arrived at the hospital.

    Charlotte didn''t expect that the friend that Cassius talked about was Westin Ferrell.

    She stared at the star who had once stood on stage with pride. Now, he looked devastatingly pale,

    and could only lie on his sickbed as he waited for death to im him. She felt her heart ache for

    him.

    "Why didn''t you tell me it was Westin earlier? He''s not an amateur singer at all! He used to hold

    concerts all the time, and he has a huge fanbase!" Charlotte eximed.

    "Westin told me to lie about that part," Cassius answered obediently.

    Forget it.

    Charlotte was not willing to scold Cassius, who looked adorable at the moment. She patted him on

    the shoulder and walked up to Westin.

    Westin had told Cassius that if whoever wanted to help him was willing to do it even though they

    knew he was a nobody, he would do his best to repay them. On the contrary, if no one ended up

    helping him, he could only sumb to his fate.

    "You��re pretty lucky." Avery handed the report to him. "It says here that you have at least two

    months. I��m sure these two months will be enough for us to find apatible kidney for you.

    However, you should know that the surgery itself is not the major issue you have to ount for. You

    have to understand that the surgery aftercare is a huge problem in itself as well."

    "I can deal with that," Westin said. "My biggest issue now is that I have no way of leaving the

    hospital. That''s why I had to bother Cassius to help me."

    "Don''t worry. As long as you know how to take care of yourself, we''ll do our best to help you. You

    only need to lie in your ward and rx. As for the ''rich man'' who gave you the money, it''s

    unfortunate that he''s someone we know. Just treat this as an apology on our part." Avery added

    through gritted teeth, "I have to say, Rick owed me a big one!"

    Charlotte couldn''t help butugh and shake her head.

    He could''ve just straight up called Rick a b*stard if he wanted to.

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446

    After receiving Westin''s medical report, Avery brought his men with him and went to search for a

    compatible kidney.

    Charlotte offered to go with them as she didn''t want to mindlessly worry about the stubborn Shane.

    However, Cassius hesitated for a moment and asked tentatively, "Can Ie with you? It''s not that

    I don''t trust you. I just want to help Westin out as much as I can."

    "Of course," Avery answered before Charlotte could speak. "Will you be okay with sharing a room

    with me?��

    "Of course! I can even sleep on the sofa."

    Avery was amused by his words and said, "Do you really think I''ll make you sleep on the sofa?

    Come on, you''re a good-looking fellow. We can share a bed together, and maybe you can show me

    your gratitude by..."

    Cassius was shocked. "Sorry, I don''t do that sort of thing."

    "Do you not do it in general, or do you just not want to do it with me?��

    "I..." Cassius bit his lip and did not dare answer. He was afraid that if he said something wrong,

    Avery would be unhappy and refuse to help Westin.

    "Stop teasing him. He''s just a kid."

    "I''m serious. I''m quite interested in men, but I haven''t met anyone willing to experiment with me yet.

    He''s an actor, isn''t he? It''s not like he has anything to lose. I''ll even pay him for his services. Plus, I

    can offer him plenty of acting opportunities in the future. It''s a win- win situation." Avery nced at

    Cassius through the rearview mirror. "What do you think, Cassius?"

    Cassius''s face had turned pale. He knew that he would have to pay a price or something if he asked

    Charlotte for help, but he didn''t expect that he would be asked to sleep with another man. He did

    not think he could go through with it.

    Feeling that Avery had gone overboard with his teasing, Charlotte cast a stern re at him.

    "Alright, alright. I won''t tease him anymore." Avery wound the window down and lit a cigarette. "I''m

    not interested in men at all. Furthermore, I already have Irena in my life. However, I''m really curious

    about something. Are you really not going to ask anything from him after this? An actor like Cassius

    could provide you with a lot of benefits, you know? Come on, you can tell me. Don''t worry, I won''t

    tell Shane."

    "Shut up." Charlotte had a headache.

    Avery smiled.

    Cassius did not understand what they were talking about. He kept looking down at his feet.

    Soon enough, the news of Charlotte and Avery going on a business trip together reached Shane.

    He didn''t pay much attention to it. He let out a soft hum of acknowledgement and didn''t say

    anything else.

    "Aren''t you curious about why they''ve suddenly gone on a trip together?" Rick sat down in front of

    him on the sofa.

    "Since when have you be so talkative?"

    "They'' re doing all that for an artist named Cassius. It''s not like her to go through so much trouble

    for an artist. Aren''t you the least bit curious?"

    "She''s avoiding me, that��s all. I''m sure she''s not getting involved with anyone else."

    Rick raised her eyebrows and said, "I hope you''re right to feel so confident about it."

    Shane had other matters to worry about.

    "Ever since you''ve regained your memories, you''ve been getting more and more distant. At first, I

    thought about how cruel Charlotte was, willing to

    leave you alone with your twelve-year-old mind... However, who knew that you''ve already recovered

    your memories a long while ago? You''ve just been ying us like a fiddle all this time, haven''t you?

    That''s very mean of you.�� Rick sighed.

    "All is fair in love and war."

    Rick shook her head with a smile.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Shane had a point after all.

    "The whole world''s just a grey area of morals, isn''t it?��

    Rickmented with a sigh.

    What he said did not rte to what Shane had been talking about before.

    Shane''s hand froze mid-air for a second, but he soon recovered from the shock and began to say

    calmly, "Everyone''s just fighting for what they believe in."

    "That''s true."

    At that moment, Cole pushed the door open.

    "Mr. Fuller, I''ve already booked the table for you. When will you be sending out the invitations?"

    "Now would be great. Tell them it''ll be on the seventh."

    "Yes, sir."

    Cole left promptly after that.

    Rick reviewed the conversation in his mind for a short while, then took out his mobile phone. He

    clicked on Charlotte''s number and sent her a message that said, "Shane''s going to treat us to a

    meal on the seventh."

    As soon as Charlotte''s phone vibrated, she took it out and checked it. When she found that it was a

    message sent by Rick, she sighed. "I can''t do anything to stop Shane anymore. Can you help me

    keep an eye on Christopher? As long as Christopher doesn''t go to the meeting, we''ll be able to

    avoid it."

    "OK, will you guys be able to make it back by the seventh?"

    "I''m not sure, I''ll update youter. Sorry for the inconvenience."

    "No problem."

    After that, they stopped exchanging texts.

    Charlotte leaned against the ss and looked out of the window with a solemn expression.

    Seeing that Charlotte looked upset, Cassius felt his heart ache a little. At that moment, he suddenly

    felt his heart prickle.

    Avery had been right.

    It was not that he was unwilling to sleep with other people. It was just that he was only willing to do

    it with one person, and that was Charlotte.

    Avery managed to drive them to a hotel in the neighbouring city.

    The front desk gave them two room cards, one for Charlotte, and the other one for Avery and

    Cassius. Skr and the rest of the medical team were staying in a different ce that had a

    laboratory and a ce to store medical equipment. It was more convenient.

    "Are you short on money? Why''d you only get two rooms for three people?" Charlotte barked at

    Avery.

    "Cassius, don''t you want to sleep with me?" Avery turned to look at Cassius.

    "I can sleep on the floor..."

    Averyughed and said, "It''s alright. I''ll cut it out now. Come on, I won''t do anything to you in your

    sleep, I was just teasing. You don''t have to sleep on the floor. I''m really not interested in you at all. I

    just want to keep a closer eye on you, you know? Even though Shane''s been nothing but cold and

    rude to me, he''s still mine and my brother''s friend."

    Charlotte eventually realised that Avery had just been trying to help Shane keep an eye on her, so

    he had forced Cassius to share a room with him. That way, every move Cassius made wouldn''t

    pass him by.

    It was a pretty good n.

    Charlotte rolled her eyes and said, "I''m going to my room first."

    "As you wish," Avery replied with a cheeky smile.

    As soon as Charlotte left, he dropped the smile. He grabbed hold of Cassius''s wrist and pulled him

    into the elevator. "Let me tell you, kid. Don''t even think about getting close to Charlotte, alright?

    Even if she asks you to, you can''t sumb to her charm, okay? If you do, Shane will tear you to

    pieces!"

    Cassius had already been frightened by Avery in the car just now. After this, he was definitely

    terrified of him.

    Cassius was doing well in the entertainment industry. However, whenever he would meet someone

    like Avery, he would more or less revert his personality and act like a child.

    He was 22 years old this year.

    He debuted before his 19-year-old birthday two years ago.

    Before this, he had been in training for three years. He had been conditioned into bing an idol

    since he was sixteen. While other people his age were busy studying, he was perfecting his dancing

    and singing. While others were taking their exams, he was writing songs and choreographing

    dances.

    While others were trying their best to get good grades, he was studying methods on how he could

    improve his idol status.

    Other than knowing how to be a great idol, he didn''t know anything else. He did not know how

    life worked outside of that.

    "I''m sorry." Cassius lowered his head. "I''ve never thought about any of that. I''m not one to sell my

    body, that''s for sure. But if Miss Charlotte needs anything from me, I''ll do my best to satisfy her no

    matter what it is."

    He was a determined man.

    Avery did not expect him to reply like that. He patted him hard on the shoulder and said, "Oh, how

    manly!"

    Cassius gasped in pain.

    "To be honest, I also just hope that Charlotte can be happier. I know that when she��s with Shane,

    she isn''t happy at all. Well, I''ve told you everything I wanted to, so there''s that. Look, to keep up

    pretences, I''ll pretend to keep an eye on you for Shane��s sake, alright? But in private, whatever you

    do is up to you.��

    "What can I do?" asked Cassius.

    "Whatever you can to make Charlotte happy. Tell her jokes, take her out for a meal, maybe? If you

    don''t mind getting photographed by the media with her, it would be fine."

    If they got photographed by the media...

    Things would get too messy.

    Cassius smiled self-deprecatingly to himself. His feelings for Charlotte didn''t run deep enough for

    that, and he didn''t want to cause more trouble for her.

 Chapter 447

    Chapter 447

    Charlotte didn''t expect that the n Avery had mentioned about obtaining a kidney for Westin

    involved a top secret project supported by another country.

    She did her best to hold back her anger as she listened in on Avery''s conversation with the other

    party. As soon as they left, she immediately mmed her hands on the table and said, "Avery, what

    were you thinking? Are they really selling poor people''s kidneys? Do they even know how risky it

    is..."

    "Charlotte," Avery interrupted her with a sombre look. "I know that you''re a very kind person, and

    you can''t help but think for others. But you know how businesses work, don��t you?"

    "I would never sell anything that goes against my morals!"

    "Your morals aren''t important here. No matter what, we still require a kidney from a willing donor,

    right? Do you know how many people would sell their kidneys just for a hundred bucks? You might

    think it��s unbelievable, but many poor people in that country could survive off it for years! All they eat

    every day is potatoes, you know? If you were them, would you do the same as well? If you could

    just sell one of your organs and get enough money in return that could change the way you lived

    your life, would you do it? Wouldn''t you want to just experience what not living in poverty feels like

    for once?"

    Charlotte instantly choked on her words. "I..."

    "I know you want to help these poor people, but I'' m here to tell you that these people aren''t truly

    poor. They have shelter, and some of them even own houses. The people who have volunteered to

    sell their kidneys are really rare." Avery tossed a stack of papers to Charlotte, "Look here, among

    them, only a handful of them are in perfect health. The vigers poured their heart and soul into

    raising a healthy person, just so that person could sell their kidney at a good price. You know a

    person can live a long and happy life with just one kidney, right? They''re banking on the money from

    the transaction, so their whole vige can prosper!"

    "You keep thinking we'' re viting their human rights. But have you ever thought to ask whether or

    not they wanted to do it or not?"

    After saying that, Avery left with Skr and his medical team.

    As soon as he opened the door, Skr reminded him, "Avery, you don''t have to be so angry with

    Miss Charlotte. She''s just worried about the legality of everything. She doesn''t want to make a

    wrong decision, that''s all."

    "I did that on purpose."

    "What?"

    T m going to get Cassius to persuade her. Although Charlotte came from a poor family, she has

    received great education ever since she was a child. She doesn��t know what real poverty is like, or

    what true pain really is. It''s not conducive to her sess." Avery said after a pause, "If she wants

    Shane to go ahead with his gamen, she has to acknowledge the fact that one has to be at their

    lowest point, to understand how important longing for salvation truly means. Otherwise, she won''t

    learn how to be grateful when true salvationes."

    Skr sighed and said, "Does this have something to do with Shane?"

    "Of course there is! Why do you think Shane wants to make so much money?"

    Avery sneered and continued to walk forward.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Staring at his back, Skr let out another sigh. Of course, he knew that Avery''s words made sense.

    However, Miss Charlotte was a little pitiful at the moment.

    In the conference room.

    Charlotte was still staring nkly at the stack of papers Avery had given her.

    The children stated on the papers were all grownups. However, when she looked at their pictures,

    they did not look like adults at all. They did not look childish nor mature as their gaze fixed sternly

    forward.

    Just like Avery said, selling their organs was the only way out of poverty. In this world, everyone

    despised those who did not cherish their own bodies. As such, those who sold their bodies were

    hated. She had shared the same thoughts as she criticised these people from her high horse before

    her conversation with Avery just now. However, she had never thought that such an act could

    change so many lives for the better.

    If they bought from one of these people, Westin would live a better life, and so would the person

    who sold their kidney.

    "Miss Charlotte, are you all right?" Cassius was worried. "If you don''t think this will work, maybe we

    can find other ways. Perhaps fate has already decided that Westin''s life is...��

    "Cassius." Charlotte interrupted him softly. "I''m fine. In the past, I just didn''t understand why so

    many people took the risk tomit crimes like these. Selling their organs and polluting the name

    of their countries sounded despicable to me. But I understand now. They had no choice in the

    matter.

    They were just trying to survive..." "Miss Charlotte..."

    "I know that Avery is not trying to preach about this to me. I also understand that the world is a cruel

    ce. But today is the first time I''ve properly understood just how cruel it is. Don''t worry, I''m fine. By

    the way, are you hungry? Do you want to go get something to eat?"

    Cassius nodded his head obediently.

    Cassius still had some reputation. When he was walking with Charlotte, he was recognized by quite

    a few fans and some had even been filming them. In the beginning, he had tried to stop them, but

    when he saw that Charlotte didn''t look like she minded, he stopped trying.

    Soon enough.

    Cassius and Charlotte''s ambiguous rtionship became a hot topic of discussion.

    "Isn''t that Shane Fuller''s girlfriend?"

    "Oh, Cassius is her boy toy now, isn��t he?"

    "Stop spreading such rumours! The two of them are just good friends. Let''s focus on Cassius''s new

    movie."

    Various discussions about their rtionship took ce.

    Cassius hurriedly told his agency not to address thements. As such, the rumours grew more

    and more outrageous. While they were eating, Charlotte stood by the window and watched the

    scenery while he sat by her side. He took out his phone and positioned it in a way that the two of

    them would be in the frame. After he snapped a picture of them, he looked at it carefully, then

    posted it onto his social media.

    The caption under the photo said, "My boss is here enjoying the scenery. As her subordinate, I''m

    enjoying my lunch so I can work harder for her in the future!"

    Soon, that post became a huge hit, garnering manyments.

    "Oh, sweetie. You'' ve finally cleared up the situation!"

    "What''s your rtionship with her? We''ll support you if you''re dating, but if you guys are nning to

    get married, no chance!"

    "Cassius, please don''t get seduced by this rich woman''s beauty!"

    Later, someone found out that all thepanies under Shane''s name were slowly being passed on

    to Charlotte within the past year. It seemed that Shane had turned Charlotte into a tycoon as well.

    As such, an Inte conspiracy was afoot. People were saying that Charlotte had deliberately used

    Shane to obtain all thosepanies. After she had seeded, she abandoned Shane and

    snatched up Cassius instead.

    Charlotte turned a blind eye to all of this.

    Cassius felt very distressed and said, "Miss Charlotte, aren'' t you going to rify the situation?"

    "They''re notpletely wrong though, don��t you think?" Charlotte was lying on the sofa in the

    private room, watching a TV series.

    "That''s..."

    Cassius did not understand what she meant.

    "I really did gain ownership of thosepanies because of Shane, and you are indeed an artist I''

    ve taken under my wing. But I didn''t abandon Shane, and I haven''t done anything with you at all. If I

    told them that, do you think they''ll believe me? They''ll just think I''m trying to cover up the truth."

    "Even so, I can''t let them disrespect you like this! They'' re saying awful things about you," Cassius

    said and sat down beside her. "I thought with that post just now, they wouldy off you. I didn''t

    expect them toe at you with insults like that. I'' m sorry. I really didn''t mean to. I just wanted to

    help you out...��

    "I know, I don''t me you." Charlotte leaned over and tousled his hair. "But have you ever

    wondered why they would think that the both of us are in a rtionship?"

    "Because... I''m good- looking?" He replied tentatively.

    Although this was probably the true reason, he still felt a little shameless admitting to it.

    Charlotte nodded with a smile. "You'' re halfcorrect."

    "Why just half?"

    "It''s because they see you as just an idol, not an actor. If you were a normal actor, had a decent

    representative, and didn''t need such media hype to keep you relevant, they would only suspect that

    I''m with you at the moment to discuss a new movie production or something rted to business, am

    I right?��

    Cassius nodded, slowly understanding what this all meant as he nodded. "They think I''m not

    capable enough.��

    Even if that was the truth, he didn''t really want to admit it.

 Chapter 448

    Chapter 448

    "It''s not that you'' re not capable on stage or at singing. You''re just bad at connecting with other

    people. Social connections are important in maintaining your status, you know? I know you''re a man

    with dreams, so you''ll have to buck up to make these dreamse true, alright?"

    "I''m sorry." Cassius lowered his head.

    "I''m not trying to make you feel bad. I won''t give up on you just because you haven�� t been

    ambitious enough to seek those connections out for yourself. You know that it''s not just me that

    wants you to live a good life, right? You still have your fans."

    Cassius nodded his head fervently.

    Late that night.

    Charlotte returned to her hotel room from the bar.

    After her talk with Cassius, the two of them went to the bar with Avery to rx themselves. She

    wanted to forget about the Inte''s opinions about her for a short while. However, after drinking a

    few pints, she felt empty. She leaned on the door frame of her hotel room and rummaged in her bag

    to find the room card, but she could not seem to find it.

    Just as she was going to seek assistance from the hotel staff, arge hand reached out and passed

    her a room card.

    Charlotte tilted her head upwards and was about to thank the other person for their help, but ended

    up gasping in shock at the person standing in front of her.

    "Aren��t you going to open the door and invite me in?" The man raised his eyebrows at her.

    "Why are you here?" Charlotte took the room card from him and brought him into the room.

    She never thought that Shane would be here, let alone pick up her room card from wherever it was

    she had left it before.

    "Can''t I be here?"

    "That''s not what I meant. You didn''t want to talk to me before. Why are you suddenly here with my

    room card and everything? I think it��s reasonable for me to demand an exnation from you, don��t

    you think?�� Charlotte asked with a frown. She leaned back on the sofa and looked warily at the man

    who was leisurely pouring himself a ss of water in the room.

    He was really good at maintaining his cool. No matter what situation he was in, he always looked

    calm. Sometimes, she was really envious of his ability to dothat.

    Calmness was not easy to cultivate.

    "The news." Shane continued to pour water into a ss as he leaned against the wall, ncing

    around the room.

    "Stop looking. He''s not staying with me. Also, it''s impossible for me to share a room with another

    man when I''m clearly still in a rtionship with you." Charlotte took a step forward and stood in front

    of him. "Is that the only thing you''re here for? To check whether or not I''ve been loyal to you? Can''t

    you just call me or Avery to ask about it?"

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    This woman was a menace.

    Did she really want him to tell her that he had missed her to her face?

    Shane took a sip of water and put the ss back on the table casually. He walked up to her and

    pinched the tip of her nose with his long fingers. "Can''t Ie see you?"

    "I''m not saying you can��t. I just thought that you didn''t want to anymore." Charlotte shoved his hand

    away from her face. "I might dy your ns to kill Christopher after all."

    Shane poked at her forehead and said, "Stop bringing that up all the time. There are other matters

    we should be talking about right now, don�� t you think?�� "There''s nothing to talk about." She leaned

    away and didn''t look at him.

    "Don��t you care what people are saying about you online?"

    "Why should I? They can''t hurt me either way, right?"

    "I''m going to have dinner with Cassius tomorrow."

    Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "Just the two of you?"

    Really?

    Was that why he was here?

    Shane pointed a finger at her as he said, "You''d better watch your tone with me."

    Just as Charlotte was about to retort, she met Shane''s intense gaze.

    Her heart sank as she swallowed ufortably.

    His gaze terrified her.

    Shane made himself at home in her room. He took off his suit and went straight to the bathroom.

    As she listened to the shower running, Charlotte felt the whole situation was surreal. She hadn''t

    expected Shane toe over. She didn��t think Shane cared about such matters.

    Charlotte nestled up to the sofa and watched TV. As she watched, she slowly began to doze off.

    "Squeak!"

    Shane pushed the door open, and mist instantly gushed out the crack of the door as he stepped out

    of the bathroom. With her vision obscured by the mist, she looked around in confusion.

    Shane had walked out naked.

    "Why didn''t you wrap yourself in a towel?!" Charlotte hurriedly covered her eyes.

    She had seen everything he had to offer at a nce.

    Shane walked forward and reached her in no time. He pulled her hand away from her face forcefully

    and asked, "It��s not like you haven''t seen me naked before..."

    "You can��t just..." She could not get any words out.

    In the end.

    She was dragged all the way to the bed.

    There was no use resisting Shane''s strength.

    Now that Shane wasn''t in Brine, and both Avery and Charlotte were not around, thepany was

    still running smoothly. However, there were still many decisions pending, so it all came down to

    Rick.

    He had originally nned to retire and travel around the world with Kendall, but unexpected things

    kept springing up. First, Charlotte left. After that, Shane lost his memory. Now that things had finally

    returned to normal, the three of them had somehow gone missing.

    "Does Christopher know anything?" Rick held a document in his hand and looked at Cole, who was

    beside him.

    "I think he might be involved in this. We''re pretty well- acquainted and even asked him out for a

    simple meal. It''s odd that he hasn''t replied to the invitation up till now...��

    "I think it''s a little strange too."

    Rick shook his head and put the document down. "Christopher''s not a big risk taker. Except for the

    vicious fight he had with Shane that one time, he did not take further action after. It feels like he''s

    trying to make himself seem invisible. He hasn��t been as difficult to deal withpared to the

    Stevens Family."

    Cole nodded thoughtfully. "In fact, Mr. Fuller doesn'' t seem to be paying much attention to him at

    all."

    "The deadline ising soon. As long as Christopher agrees to meet up for the meal, we''ll have

    the opportunity to ask them about it. But if Christopher doesn''t show up..."

    Rick always felt that there was something wrong with the way Christopher and Shane interacted. It

    did not seem logical to him.

    After a moment of silence, Cole said, "I think he��lle. He might want to meet up with Mr. Fuller."

    "I''m sure they''ll want to see each other this time round," Rick said. "They''ll have to meet up to

    discuss so they can get an idea of what the other person is thinking. I''m just worried about..."

    "What are you worried about?"

    Rick shook his head.

    He felt that his mind was probably overexaggerating everything from panic. It was likely that

    whatever he was thinking about would not happen.

    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"

    Before any of them could speak, the door opened.

    Kendall was all smiles as she brought in a tray of desserts and fruits. "Both of you should take a

    break before getting back to work. Look, I bought you guys something delicious. You''ll love it, I

    promise!"

    Cole took the tray and put it on the table. "Thank you, Miss Stevens."

    "No problem! Enjoy, I''m going to head out first."

    "Hold on,e over here for a minute," Rick was still staring at hisputer screen. He hadn''t

    looked up at all.

    Kendall obeyed and walked over.

    Rick moved theputer to show Kendall hisputer screen. "What do you see?"

    Kendall frowned and looked at it for a moment. She shook her head and said, "I don''t see anything

    out of the ordinary. It looks like Shane just asked someone out for a meal at a restaurant."

    "Yes, but isn''t it strange that we''ve found Shane''s schedule so easily?"

    Kendall and Cole were both stunned.

    Kendall scratched the back of his head. "I mean, he doesn''t have to keep any secrets from us,

    right? He'' s just going to have a meal with someone, after all. Why wouldn''t we be able to ess

    such simple information?"

    Although Kendall''s words were reasonable, Rick still felt that there was something off.

    Shane knew that Charlotte was going to stop him from executing his n, so how could he let her

    find this information so easily?

    "Stop being so suspicious of everything, you'' re overthinking it. Just keep a closer eye on

    Christopher. Our main goal is to stop Shane frommitting a crime, right? There''s no need to

    worry ourselves about other things," Kendall said. "Lottie wouldn''t want us to worry too much. If we

    start doubting everything he does, I''m afraid we might dig up some things we shouldn''t have..."

    Kendall was right. Everyone had their own dark secrets after all.

    If such secrets were to suddenly be revealed...

 Chapter 449

    Chapter 449

    "How about this? Cole, juste over here and chat with us. Have some snacks and rx a little.

    Let''s call it a day." Rick suggested, having decided to stop thinking about the dilemma with Shane.

    There was no point in probing further after all. Just as Kendall said, if he identally dug up

    anything that Shane wouldn''t be able to exin, it would bring nothing but trouble. Furthermore, it

    was just a matter of inviting someone out for a meal. Keeping a closer eye on Christopher instead of

    worrying about such a small matter was more important.

    After all, no one was able to discern Shane''s thoughts, but they at least had some inkling of

    Christopher''s.

    Cole sat down and said, "I''ve asked Mr. Fuller at what point should I prevent you guys from

    investigating. However, he told me to let you guys have free rein, no matter the circumstances."

    "That just means that he''s certain we''re not going to find anything out of ce if we did investigate

    him further. He''s already prepared for everything, I�� m really..." Rick shook his head helplessly. "I

    don''t know what else to say. I''ve always felt that we were on the same boat, you know? That we

    should be on par with each other, but he always seems to have the upper hand every time! I think

    he just likes toying with me.��

    "I think you might be right." Kendall continued, "I''ve always felt that Shane''s thoughts were unique,

    but he never shares these thoughts with us. It''s really difficult to tell what he''s thinking about most of

    the time. He''s very unlike Braden. Most of the time, I can guess what Braden''s thinking. He''s not

    like Charlotte as well. Her thoughts are always tantly obvious, it shows on her face. Shane''s

    really good at hiding whatever it is he��s thinking."

    Kendall expressed her thoughts. As he listened to her, Rick suddenly had an epiphany.

    Kendall could understand Braden most times, but Braden could understand her much better.

    Furthermore, she could see through Charlotte because she knew and understood her. Therefore,

    Rick couldn''t see through Shane not because he was unfamiliar with him. It was just because

    Shane had never taken the initiative to tell anyone his thoughts.

    Although she didn''t know how Charlotte found out that Shane was going to do something to

    Christopher, Rick knew that Shane must not have told her everything willingly.

    In other words...

    Rick began to feel uneasy, but he held himself back from saying anything. Once Cole left, he

    remained in the room with Kendall and said to her, "Kendall, do you think it��s possible that Shane

    might have joined forces with Christopher?"

    "What? Why would he?" Kendall cast him an innocent look. "Even if they did cooperate, it must be

    for something beneficial, right? Perhaps Christopher has something Shane wants."

    "You might be right. But the thing is, we don''t know what Shane wants."

    Kendall scratched her head. "If we don��t know what it is, do you think Christopher does? Aren''t they

    arch enemies or something like that?"

    Rick felt that something was off about the whole situation, but he couldn''t put a finger on it. He

    thought everything seemed too simplistic on the surface, especially the way Shane was acting. Rick

    had done all that he could to search for his address before, but hade up empty-handed. The

    information he had gathered this time seemed a little too easy to get a hold of. It was suspicious.

    Countless people have tried to find any information they could about Shane, but none have

    seeded. It was too easy this time.

    "It''s too simple. There must be something wrong with it," Rick muttered to himself.

    "Why are you still thinking about Shane at this time? Are you secretly in love with him or

    something?" Kendall pouted her lips in discontent.

    "What are you talking about?" Rick asked helplessly.

    "It''s the middle of the night, and you�� re still yapping on about Shane. Don''t you want to spend some

    time with me?"

    She was right.

    With Kendall by his side, what was he still thinking about Shane?

    Rick held Kendall in his arms and pinched her nose with his long fingers. "Alright, I''ll leave that

    alone for now. Come on, let''s do something together. What do you want to do?"

    "Let''s y a game!"

    She took out her gaming pad proudly, as if she was presenting a treasure.

    Rickughed fondly. He knew that he had to share Kendall''s love of gaming.

    The next day.

    The photo of Charlotte, Shane, and Cassius having a meal together became a hot topic of

    discussion.

    Only then did everyone begin to theorise that Charlotte had been out with Cassius the day before to

    negotiate terms on a future project. The project was said to be proposed by Shane and Avery, and

    Shane had arrivedter than the other three because he had a personal matter to attend to.

    "That''s so funny! Now let''s see if anyone will still say that Cassius is Charlotte''s favourite."

    ''T ve looked it up! Isn''t it true that Shane transferred his money to Charlotte? That means he really

    loves her, right? They must still be together!"

    "You fools really think that just because Charlotte would dare cheat on Shane after he did that? Are

    you dumb?"

    The dilemma was settled just like that.

    Cassius sighed at Shane''s great talents. But at the same time, he felt upset.

    Shane hadn''t done anything but post a picture up on social media. He hadpletely overturned

    the public''s opinion of Charlotte by doing such a simple thing. Cassius himself had done the same

    thing as well, but why did it not work for him? Why was there such a huge difference?

    Cassius could not understand, but he could not help but feel a little undignified.

    Was it because he didn''t have any money?

    "I guess that settles it then." Avery poured a ss of wine and said to Shane, "My dear friend, when

    will you be going back?"

    "Tonight."

    "That''s good." Avery nodded, "We''ll get back as soon as possible after we finish up here."

    "Will you be keeping an eye on me, or Christopher once I get back?"

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Avery did not expect Shane to confront him so directly. He coughed. "Cassius is still here. It''s not

    appropriate to discuss things like that with him here."

    "I don''t think it''s inappropriate."

    The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

    Cassius immediately raised his ss and made a toast. "I really don''t mind. Mr. Fuller, you have

    always been someone I''ve looked up to. If you guys need to discuss anything in private, I can go

    first. I was nning to take a walk in the park nearby anyway."

    "You don''t need to do that." Shane refused. "I have something to discuss with you."

    Cassius sat down awkwardly. He didn''t even know where to put his hands.

    He really didn''t know what Shane wanted to talk to him about.

    "Do you know Zayn?"

    Cassius nodded.

    "He''s keeping himself hidden because of what happened with you before. Now that he''s back in the

    public eye, you''ll have to figure out a way to kick him out of the entertainment circle as soon as

    possible."

    "But can''t you just get him to do that with a word?" "I''m not familiar enough with the entertainment

    industry to do that. I can provide you with the resources you need to do it though," Shane said.

    It was only then that Cassius understood that Shane was negotiating with him, and the purpose of it

    was to kick Zayn out of the industry. He bit his lip and thought for a while. He needed money to build

    his reputation, and he also needed it to help Westin out. Even though Charlotte and Avery told him

    that they would help him out with that, he knew that he would still need more money to help Westin

    out with his surgery aftercare.

    Westin didn''t have much money, and he was still actively doing charity work. He had to help him out

    in his time of need.

    As such, it was necessary to have more money in hand.

    At that thought, Cassius made up his mind.

    Cassius nodded immediately. "Okay, I can do it."

    It was not difficult to kick a person out of the entertainment circle just like that. Although Cassius

    was innocent, he understood that. He knew that something more insidious had to be done to make

    it happen.

    Shane nodded and said, "Get in touch with me if you need anything."

    He handed him his business card.

    On the business card, Shane had hand-written his name and phone number on it. He had used a

    pen with gold ink on the ck card, making his name glint in the light. It gave off a sense of

    arrogance and aggression that made Shane seem infinitely superior.

    This business card gave people the same feeling Shane did. It was overbearing, full of

    selfconfidence and inspired awe, just like the man himself.

    Cassius put the card away in his pocket.

    "I thought that you were looking for Cassius for something else. Why didn��t you just let me handle

    that for you? It''s such a small matter. Why did you have toe all the way here for that?" Avery

    picked up the ss in front of him and gazed at it dully. "I guess you really don''t think I''m capable

    enough to handle this by myself, am I right? I thought after all this time, I would''ve at least won

    some of your trust, Mr. Fuller." "If you couldn��t even dispel the rumours about Charlotte on the

    Inte yesterday, how could I trust you with this?

    Avery''s face froze. He put down the ss and red at Shane. "Are you patronising me?"

 Chapter 450

    Chapter 450

    "Why shouldn''t I?" Shane didn''t give him any face.

    "I admit that I didn''t handle the situation well, but the problem is that the two of them didn''t really

    want to do anything about it! There was nothing much I could do either, other than looking for you.

    However, it''s not because you'' re powerful, it''s because you''re Charlotte''s boyfriend. Look, if I had

    been Charlotte''s boyfriend, I''d be able to settle it in the blink of an eye." Avery retorted.

    The two men red at each other heatedly.

    Charlotte''s face was nk. She couldn''t figure out why she had been dragged into their argument.

    She tried to defuse the situation helplessly. "You��re both really great, alright? The most superior

    beings at this table. Could you both just settle down and stop embarrassing me and Cassius? We��

    re going to get to workter tonight. If you guys start making trouble now, we won''t be able to finish

    our meal in time, and the meeting will get dyed. I don''t want to have to waste another day here,

    alright? Time is of the essence."

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Avery snorted coldly and said, "Then tell your husband to stop patronising me! It''s not like I didn'' t

    want to settle the matter! It''s just that it was nearly impossible for me to do so. If having a meal out

    with someone can be construed as being romantically entangled with someone, then I'' ve probably

    been with hundreds of people! Theizens are looking for gossip anywhere they can, it''s

    unreasonable to me it on me!"

    Charlotte said helplessly, "I know it''s not easy for you, but Shane came all the way here to settle this

    matter, right? No matter how you look at it, he did end up dispelling all those rumours."

    "Of course you'' re on his side! You'' re his wife! Whatever,e with me, Cassius. Let them stay

    here for dinner, we''ll head out first."

    "Oh, alright..." Cassius had been eating. When he heard Avery''s words, he hurriedly put his utensils

    down, and left with Avery.

    "Bang!"

    Avery mmed the door behind them loudly.

    Charlotte walked up to Shane and sat on hisp. "What should we do now? Not only is Avery angry,

    but you are too. I can''t do anything but sit here and watch. Why can''t you just help me out without

    all this drama?"

    "You have a problem with that?"

    "Of course not." Charlotte leaned on his shoulder. "I''m very happy that you''vee all the way here

    just for me. To be honest, Avery hade up with plenty of ideas to dispel the rumours, but

    Cassius and I didn''t think they were feasible. Plus, we thought that there was no need to rify

    anything. After all, we''ve only just eaten together, and we''re just on business. The truth woulde

    out sooner orter."

    "You''re too concerned about Cassius..." Shane held her chin. "You��re too thoughtful."

    "He''s very pitiful." She raised her eyebrows at him. "If you be as pitiful as him, I'' ll definitely

    protect you twenty-four-seven. But s, you don''t seem to need my protection at all. You''re always

    the one protecting me instead. I'' d like to experience what it''s like to protect you just once some

    time in the future."

    "That time mighte very soon."

    She tilted her head in query.

    I''ll be ying the piano, right? At the time, if someone''s being mean to me, you can help protect me

    from them," He said in a calm tone.

    Charlotte almostughed. "Come on, who would dare bully you? You''re Shane Fuller. Just hearing

    that name will make anyone run for the hills, fearing for their lives. Even if they do end up taking

    their revenge on you, they won''t be able to withstand your retaliation. I''m really excited for you to

    y the piano. When will that be?"

    "Give me another month."

    "Are you still nning to deal with Christopher?"

    Shane didn''t respond.

    Charlotte sighed. "To be honest, even if you��ve turned into a wicked viin by the end of this, you''ll

    still be the Shane Fuller I love with all my heart. At first, I couldn''t figure it out from my point of view.

    But now that I think about it, I guess whatever you''re nning to do isn''t unjustified. From your point

    of view, this solution might seem best."

    "Have you thought it through?"

    She nodded. "No matter what you choose to do, I will support you. Even if... Well, whatever it is you

    decide to do, I''ll stay with you."

    "I won''t kill anyone."

    Charlotte nodded.

    She didn''t want him to fall into the abyss, and never be able to get back out of it. But these few

    days, she hade to an understanding.

    If one hadn''t fallen into the abyss already, how could one havee up with such an idea?

    She had tried her best to stop it from happening, but if there was no way to stop it, well, she could

    only embrace it. She loved Shane, that was something that would never change.

    After Shane returned to Brine, Charlotte and Avery went to visit plenty of willing families together.

    They had already established the price for the kidney, but it was difficult to find apatible one.

    Just when the two were about to give up, they finally found someone suitable. The other party was

    also willing to go to Brine for surgery.

    After everything was arranged, Charlotte rushed back to Brine and found a hospital to negotiate

    with.

    After that was settled, she went home feeling exhausted. Just as her head hit her pillow, her phone

    rang out.

    Her limbs felt weak as she stretched out to grab her phone. "Hello?"

    "Where are you?" Rick''s voice was a little hoarse.

    "What''s wrong? I''m at home. I just got back. Are you okay?"

    "Shane''s target was not Christopher at all, but the Fuller Residence! Today, both Shane and

    Christopher were in the same restaurant. It turns out that this had nothing to do with the hotel

    Augustus had died in."

    Charlotte felt that something was amiss.

    "The fire is still burning strong at the moment, and the Fuller family has been rescued. Raina was

    heavily injured in the fire, but at the moment, her condition is stabilised. The rest of them are in the

    ICU. The Brine police force is going crazy. They''re still looking for the person behind all of this, but it

    seems like the whole incident will be ruled as an ident. From this moment on, Christopher and

    Shane have full control over the Fuller family and NC."

    Charlotte involuntarily shut her eyes as she heard.

    Rick took a deep breath and continued, "Shane and Christopher are missing now. I don''t want to put

    the me on him. If I were him, I would''ve done the same to these so- called rtives of mine,

    but..."

    Rick tried his best to get his words out, but it was too difficult.

    "But this also means that Shane and Christopher have nned this whole thing out together, that

    they��ve been working together this whole time." Charlotte finished the sentence for him.

    "What''s more, Shane must'' ve helped hide Christopher from us before. I don''t know when exactly

    they started cooperating, but my best guess is they started since the mysterious investment of the

    Emerson Corporation. Do you remember? Emerson Corporation was on the verge of closing down,

    and when we were about to make a move, a huge investment was suddenly made."

    It must have been Shane.

    Shane had been working with Christopher since the beginning.

    A family feud between the two? That was just an act. In the end, the two brothers had merely put on

    a show in front of everyone else.

    Charlotte didn''t know what to say. She just smiled and replied, "Rick, I regret giving Kendall to you

    now."

    "I didn''t expect things to turn out like this either. Kendall and I are ready to leave this ce soon. If

    you want to, you cane with us as well."

    "There''s no need forthat. I..."

    For some reason, Charlotte rejected the offer right away.

    Perhaps it was because she wanted to hear Shane''s exnation.

    "Alright, I understand. Avery and Peter will be around to apany you. This time, I��m really

    leaving. Lottie, you know that I''m not a person who likes to take risks, and I''m not that well-

    acquainted with Shane anyway. Kendall and I were nning to meet up with you to say goodbye,

    but if you''re at home right now, forget it. I won''t disturb you at the moment." "Rick, what will happen

    to Anne after you leave?" "I''ll leave everything to her. Just like you said, if the both of us need help

    with expenses while we''re travelling around the world, you''ll help us out, right?�� Rick said with a

    smile.

    He had already established apany for Kendall. He had already taught her everything there was

    to know about world- renowned antiques, famous paintings, and luxury products. Now, it was time

    to let her go and put that knowledge to practice.

    She would make enough money to live a rtivelyfortable life.

    In general, it was a very fulfilling job.

 Chapter 451

    Chapter 451

    "No problem," Charlotte replied. "Remember to tell me if there is a city with great scenery. I''ll go visit

    you guys in the future."

    "Of course."

    Both of them were silent, then Rick said softly, "I''ll hang up first."

    "All right."

    Silence descended until Rick finally ended the call. He put down his phone and lit a cigarette. It

    pained Kendall to see him like this. "You care about her so much. Why don''t you tell her that you

    want to take her with you, too? I''m sure she''d agree."

    "There''s no need. I know she will still believe in Shane, just like you believe in me."

    Kendall pouted and said, "I, too, want apanion. Besides, isn''t it dangerous to be with Shane

    after what he''s done? I heard that at least 30 people were admitted to the ICU. The hospital was

    operating beyond its capacity and had to send them to different hospitals. Many members of the

    Fuller Family have returned from abroad because of this."

    Shane just wanted to take lives.

    "They won''t die. They will be in a vegetative state at most." Rick said with a serious look, "That''s

    why Shane has be so terrifying. He has nned every step to thest detail �� even the

    damages sustained by the other party."

    "So." Kendall hugged herself tightly. "Granted that I said I''ll love you no matter what, if you did

    something like this, I would still be afraid. This is too inhumane."

    "Don''t worry about them and sleep well."

    Kendall nodded and slipped under the covers. "I''ll always listen to our handsome Rick."

    Rick smiled and kissed between her brows. "Good night, Princess Kendall."

    Kendall fell into a contented sleep. Rick looked at her face and thought that sometimes, he didn''t

    know if he should thank Kendall or Charlotte. Both of them were indispensable and brought color to

    his life. Maybe he should thank himself. He didn''t choose to give up on Kendall at the most critical

    moment. In short, everything was just right and he must cherish it.

    The news about Rick leaving soon reached Avery. And he didn''t hear it from Rick, but rather, Peter

    told him.

    Avery snarled that Rick was disloyal, but he didn''t pick up his phone to call Rick. He knew why Rick

    didn''t tell him. In everyone''s eyes, he was Shane and Charlotte''s confidante. If Rick were to sway

    him against Shane, that would mean throwing the gauntlet to Shane.

    Avery tried contacting Shane, but he didn''t receive any response from him. He tried Charlotte, but

    she didn''t answer the phone.

    Forget it.

    Avery decided not to get involved in this matter. Just as he was about to turn off his phone and

    sleep, a servant knocked on the door and announced that there was a Mr. Gibson downstairs to see

    him.

    Who else could that be besides Christopher?

    Avery put on a windbreaker and went downstairs.

    Christopher was seriously injured with bloodstains all over his body. Avery wasn''t nning to tend

    to him. Instead, he took a seat on the sofa with his arms crossed, "What''s the matter? Did you brawl

    with Shane?"

    "It''s an ambush. Shane went downstairs and didn''t know what happened. Save him, please save

    him," Christopher rasped thest three words with great difficulty. "Only you can save Shane. He

    came from abroad for his controlling shares in thepany." "Oh? Why do I have to save him? And

    why did you

    Christopher was silent.

    "I''m not Rick, I can''t understand your hemming and hawing. You either get out now, or exin

    yourself clearly."

    "We can talk about what happened between Shane and meter. You can do whatever you want to

    me, but lives are at stake now."

    "You want to talk about human lives? When you gathered all your rtives together and set them

    on fire, why didn''t you think their lives were important? I didn''t expect both of you to join hands.

    Christopher, your acting is terrific. Really, I thought you were sworn enemies with Shane that day,

    but a few dayster, his archenemy had be his partner in crime."

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Christopher didn''t give an exnation.

    Avery sneered, "Don''t let the door hit you on your way out."

    "I''ll tell you." Christopher immediately raised his head and said, "Shane studied the medicine for the

    fish people and understood the interests of the foreign group."

    "Fish people. Of course he did, isn''t he tired from all the scheming?"

    Avery wouldn''t watch Shane die after knowing the reason. Furthermore, what would happen to

    Charlotte if he died? Wouldn''t it be too pitiful if Charlotte was left in the dark?

    At the very least, he had to find out the truth.

    With this thought in mind, he immediately arranged for search and rescue.

    They started from the area where Shane had disappeared and finally found him after four long

    hours of searching. Shane was not seriously injured, but he was knocked unconscious from falling

    into the sea from a great height. He should have drowned, but he was lucky to wash up shore. He

    was fine except for the water in his lungs.

    After a two-hour operation, Shy took off her mask and said, "We can inform Miss Charlotte toe

    over. He will wake up within an hour."

    "I won''t call Charlotte for the time being. You can inform Peter. For the next two days, let Charlotte

    busy herself with thepany''s matters."

    Shy nodded, "Yes, Young Master."

    Avery thought for a moment and told Nano about it. Nano only replied that it had nothing to do with

    him and didn''t ask any more questions. This saved Avery a lot of time.

    Thirty minutester, Shane woke up.

    Avery hurried to the ward.

    Shane was almost covered with bandages from head to toe. He was not badly hurt but he was

    wounded everywhere, so it was bnced. It seemed that there was not a part unscathed on his

    body.

    "That was some move, Mr. Fuller. I really didn''t bank on your conspiring with Christopher. Didn''t it

    feel good to toy with the rest of us?" Avery walked over to his bedside and sat down, grabbing a

    fistful of Shane''s cor. "I was wondering why it took so long to hear news about Christopher. There

    was no way he had been able to escape from under your nose. It was just a diversion all along."

    Shane pursed his lips and remained silent.

    "It''s fine if you choose to be a mute. Now that you''ve fallen into my hands, no one knows you''re still

    alive at the moment. Everyone, including Charlotte, will think that you''re dead"

    "It doesn''t matter."

    It was Avery''s to turn mute.

    Shane continued, "She has all my shares. She knows what I want to do."

    "What do you mean?"

    "After I decimated every single obstacle, my existence wouldn''t matter anymore. NC and the Fuller

    Family will start a new chapter. It''s enough." Shane answered, pping his hand away. "I''ve

    avenged you and paved the way. It''s up to you now."

    It was Avery''s first time seeing Shane looking lifeless.

    He licked his lips and said, "I don''t understand you at all. You should stay here for a few days. When

    Charlotte is done dealing with it, I''ll let her visit you. You''d better exin it clearly by then."

    Once again, Shane didn''t speak.

    Avery cursed and left the room.

    Something strange was afoot with Shane.

    Not only him, Christopher seemed that way too.

    Both of them looked as if they had lost the will to live.

    Avery couldn''t take his mind off of them. What did the Fuller Family do to them? Why did two sworn

    enemies who should have turned against each other, ended up hatching a plot together to kill their

    rtives? There must be something bigger going on.

    Avery narrowed his eyes and took out his phone.

 Chapter 452

    Chapter 452

    The phone rang a few times before the person on the other side picked up.

    Avery spoke first, "Hello, I''m Avery. Do you have time to meet me now?"

    "What''s the matter?"

    "The fire is rted to Shane. I have a few things to ask. If you don''te by yourself, I will send

    someone to get you, Mrs. Fuller." Avery''s tone was respectful, but the bite in his words indicated

    otherwise. He just wanted to achieve his purpose.

    Faina was silent for a long time. She sighed, "I don''t know anything about this. Even if you found

    me, you wouldn''t be able to get much from me."

    "Oh? Everyone is dead except you, and you im that you don''t know a thing? Don''t worry, I''m just

    simting the situation to see who lit the fuse. You don''t want Shane to be caught, do you?"

    Faina fell silent again. Avery was not in a hurry and waited patiently for her reply.

    Four or five minutester, Faina finally opened her mouth and said, "Sure, we''ll meet this one time.

    Where do you want to meet up?"

    "I''ll send someone to pick you up. Don''t worry, you won''t have to wait long."

    "Okay, my address is��"

    Before Raina could finish, Avery had hung up. She was just about to call him again. However, she

    received a message from Avery with her address on it. Raina''s face fell instantly.

    Only Shane knew where she lived. Avery actually managed to find out her address in such a short

    time. What kind of monster was he?

    Meanwhile...

    Avery held his phone and leaned against the wall. After thinking for a while, he decided to shoot a

    text to Charlotte, "Shane is seriously injured in my ce."

    "Take good care of him."

    "Aren''t youing to see him?"

    "There''s no need."

    Avery couldn''t help but admire her apathy from the bottom of his heart. "You are not concerned

    about him at all? To do such a shocking thing, you must have a few screws loose."

    Upon hearing this, Charlotte smiled and said, "There are still many other matters that I have to deal

    with."

    "Is there anything more important than Shane?" "He has you to look after him. There are many

    things that can''t be done without me. I will leave him under your care. I willpensate you

    handsomely after this is over."

    "Why so formal?" Avery sighed.

    "You''ll like this reward."

    "Will you wrap a bow on Irena and gift her to me?"

    "Not quite."

    Avery wanted to inquire further, but she had already hung up on him. He shrugged, he was

    ustomed to her and Shane''s increasingly brusque behavior. But he was still perplexed. Despite

    knowing that Irena didn''t intend to get back together with him, he still didn''t know the reason.

    Could it be that Charlotte had already known the reason?

    Avery narrowed his eyes and rubbed his fingers on the phone. After a while, someone approached

    and said, "Mr. Avery, Raina is here."

    "All right."

    Avery arrived at the hospital''s rooftop garden. Many patients were out taking a stroll, and Raina

    stood out as the only one dressed in casual wear. She looked nonchnt, sitting near a stream

    feeding bread crumbs to the fishes.

    Avery walked to Raina''s side andmented, "It

    seems like you''re in a leisurely mood."

    "Shane didn''t give me any details. The message was from Christopher."

    "He should be more eager to see you die than Shane."

    "To be precise, Christopher''s mother called me with his phone. Christopher probably didn''t want to

    let me off the hook so easily, but his mother was different. She didn''t want him tomit a crime, so

    I thought this incident wouldn''t be blown out of proportion."

    "Wait, did you think that this would happen a long time ago?"

    Raina sighed. "I don''t know. All I know is everyone in the Fuller Family has returned to Brine. No

    one could do that except for my son and Christopher."

    "But you still knew about it, didn''t you?"

    "I didn''t know until I reached the ce."

    Avery understood.

    On that day, Christopher called Raina and instructed her how to escape from the fire. Before that,

    Raina thought it was just a gathering, so there was an invitation.

    "Mrs. Fuller, I have another question. Do you have an invitation this time?" "Yes, but there was

    nothing written on it." "That''s Shane for you." Avery sneered, "Mrs. Fuller, from now on, I hope you

    can forget about Shane. When you are in court, you just need to tell the judge that Christopher

    called you. Can you do that?"

    Faina''s hand paused as she fed the fish. She raised her head. "What do you mean?"

    "Unless you want Shane to go to prison. They incapacitated dozens of lives. Did you really think

    they were going to make a full recovery? They are in aa from excessive smoke inhtion and

    carbon dioxide poisoning. Let''s not forget their burn injuries. Even if they didn''t die, they would

    suffer long- term cognitive impairments. More than a dozen family members would be affected. Did

    you think Shane and Christopher would get away scot-free if they didn''t die?"

    "So, what do you have in mind?"

    "Shane is with me right now and he can''t deal with these matters. Only Charlotte and Christopher

    are avable. As far as I know, Charlotte doesn''t have time to deal with this, so I''ll have to trouble

    you to keep quiet about matters you''re unclear about."

    "Are you all trying to protect Shane?" Faina frowned.

    "Why, you n to send him to prison and assume control over his assets? I hate to break it to you,

    but he has transferredplete ownership to Charlotte. In other words, even if you managed to put

    him in prison, you wouldn''t be getting a single cent. Don''t even think about it."

    Raina tucked her hair awkwardly and denied, "I wasn''t thinking about that. I just think that his

    behavior is disheartening. After all, I am his biological mother, but I had to hear about this from

    Christopher."

    Avery snickered. "We can only get the answer to this matter in the future. Now we have to avoid

    Shane from being investigated by the police."

    ��1 ��

    I see.

    Raina answered as she recalled the scene from that night.

    Christopher''s mother had said that it was enough to have a good egg between Shane and

    Christopher.

    So, did Christopher want to sacrifice himself?

    Raina''s heart rose with an emotion that she couldn''t quite exin.

    After living for so many years, she realized that the things she had fought for back then were

    meaningless.

    Charlotte finished thest procedure and walked out of Emerson Corporation.

    Before she took more than two steps, she was stopped by ine.

    Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "Why did you bother toe? The meeting is over, and you just

    received the news?"

    "Give it back to me!" ine assailed Charlotte with an outstretched arm.

    Charlotte did not recoil from her assault. Cole, who was standing beside Charlotte, grabbed ine''s

    hand and seized her neck. "Miss ine, please have some self-respect."

    ine was pushed onto the ground. She dissolved into a coughing fit and shot daggers at Charlotte

    with reddened eyes. "Aren''t you afraid of retribution by doing this? Those people are-"

    "Didn''t those people try to oust my father to split up Emerson Corporation?"

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Your parents are dead. Emerson Corporation is mine! It''s mine!"

    "The winner takes all. ine, your mistake was not killing me. Now I''m untouchable. You can spend

    the rest of your life repenting in prison."

    "Prison? No, I have a son. I didn''t do anything wrong. Why do you want to put me in prison?"

    Charlotte ignored her and resumed walking

    forward.

    Cole stayed where he was, his voice was clear and cold. "Miss ine, you''re suspected of

    manipting the stock market and two homicide cases. The Criminal Investigation Department has

    already filed a case. I believe well see each other in court soon."

 Chapter 453

    Chapter 453

    No, this was impossible. This was not true. How could she kill someone? She did not kill anyone;

    she did not!

    Cole followed Charlotte and got into the car.

    "Miss Charlotte, are we going to leave her alone?"

    "The police will find her. If she wants to run, then let her. The airports are filled with our people. We''ll

    see if she chooses to be punished by thew."

    Cole listened and adjusted his spectacles. "I really don''t know if you''re bing more like Mr.

    Fuller, or if you''re better at managing these affairs for Mr. Fuller."

    "I''m bing more simr to him, but I''m only at one percent. I can''t do what he has done, can I?"

    "Miss Charlotte, Mr. Fuller has his reasons."

    "Well, when the dust settles, I''ll listen to his side of the story. Although I doubt that I''d understand

    any of it," Charlotte said as she leaned against her seat and closed her eyes. "Drive to Cassius''s. I''ll

    sleep for a while."

    Cole assented and nced at Charlotte. He couldn''t help but let out a sigh.

    She hadn''t had a good rest in two days. Up until now, she was like a tireless machine showing up at

    different ces.

    Although...

    It was nothing. Shane was basically like this, too. However, she was just a woman who needed to

    be protected.

    Cole sighed again.

    Cassius waited for a long time before a familiar car appeared. He immediately ran out, but it was

    not Charlotte who got out, but it was Cole.

    He paused for a moment. "I''m Mr. y, her assistant."

    "Miss Charlotte fell asleep in the car and will get out in a while. Let me bring you up to speed."

    "All right."

    "We need you to sign a contract for an advertisement. The arrangement will be the same as before,

    but we''ll add another ten million dors. The only requirement is that you can''t sign with anyone

    else. Even a contract of intent is deemed a breach of agreement with us. You''ll have to pay 50

    million dors in penalty fees."

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Cassius had been listening with his head down. He knew Charlotte''s visit was to talk about the

    endorsements and advertisements. But he wasn''t expecting a remuneration package of this

    magnitude.

    "I won''t take the ten million dors. You can just draft a contract without the money," Cassius

    replied.

    "Sorry, this is Miss Charlotte''s decision. Mr. Cassius, please don''t refuse the money. Put your eggs

    in different baskets and spread your money in different investments. With the added bonus from

    other advertisements, you can be the voice of the entertainment industry."

    "What can ten million do in the industry?" Cassius asked.

    With his paycheck of tens of millions of dors, it was still not enough for an investment. Nowadays,

    financing a film required up to hundreds of millions of dors.

    "Mr. Cassius, have you ever thought about your next step if someone were to give you ten million

    dors?"

    "To manage or invest in it."

    "That''s right. Why don''t you invest that money in the entertainment industry? You''re familiar with the

    industry after all. You would rather put that money in the sham of a financial industry than to invest it

    in the industry?"

    Cassius was speechless.

    He knew the industry like the back of his palm, that''s why he also knew that investing in it was a

    fool''s behavior. But on the contrary, if he were a senior shareholder, investing in the stock market

    would not be the wisest idea. If he were an investor, he would know which investment idea was a

    bottomless pit or a cash cow.

    In other words.

    He just needed to invest in the projects he was confident in. That was enough.

    "I understand, Mr. y. I''ll think of a way."

    "You don''t have to be so polite with me. I was just softening you up for a talk with Miss Charlotte

    later. By the way, could you please make a cup of coffee?"

    "Okay, I''ll go now."

    Cassius hastened back to his home, and Cole got back into the car again.

    Just then, Charlotte yawned, "What did you say to that silly kid?"

    "He said he didn''t want the money, so I talked some sense into him."

    "You''ve always been trustworthy," Charlotte said with a smile and yawned once again.

    "Why don''t you go back home and rest? This thing with Cassius can be resolved tomorrow."

    "There''s no time. I have two meetings tomorrow from noon until evening. If I don''t solve the problem

    today, then tomorrow''s affairs will be dyed." Charlotte rubbed her temples. She didn''t want to be

    so tired, but there were only twenty-four hours in a day. There was too much on her te to deal

    with, how could she rest?

    Cole took off his suit jacket and draped it on her shoulders. "Do you want to sleep for a little while

    longer? I''ve asked Cassius to make coffee. You can head in to drink it."

    "I''m fine." Charlotte held on to his jacket and felt a little embarrassed. "Sorry for the inconvenience.

    You''ve helped Shane for so many years, but now he''s in trouble and you have to follow me. You

    haven''t taken some time for yourself, have you?"

    "I''m fine. We''re used to it." Cole smiled.

    "Yes, we are."

    We were used to it.

    Cole felt suffocated by those words, like his entire body was being battered. He lowered his head to

    regain hisposure.

    Charlotte sat for a while. After making sure she was not going to faint, she stood up and said, "Let''s

    head in. I know theyout of Cassius''s house. In addition to the master bedroom, there are three

    more guest rooms for us to rest in. We''ll

    stay here tonight and you can send me to my meetings in the morning."

    "When you are in a meeting-"

    "Go back home and take a rest," Charlotte interrupted. "Then pick me up around seven in the

    evening. You''ll take the morning and afternoon off. Even if you don''t sleep, you should rx a little."

    Cole sighed. "Yes."

    Charlotte and Cole stepped inside Cassius''s home.

    Cassius strode over with a coffee pot and said, "The coffee is ready. You can have a taste. If it

    doesn''t suit your preference, I can make a fresh pot."

    "It''s fine." Charlotte poured a cup and added a slice of lemon. "I''m here to talk about your future in

    the entertainment industry. I''m sure you''d think that ten million dors don''t amount to a hill of

    beans, but have you thought about one thing?"

    "What?" Cassius put down his cup and sat down.

    "For 10,000 dors a month, you can hire a fledgling songwriter. They may becking experience,

    but they could make it up with raw talent. And you can hire a thousand people like them for ten

    million dors."

    Cassius was stunned.

    "You can even find people from other industries. Those brilliant songwriters are not necessarily in

    the industry yet, they might be meandering in life somewhere. You could nurture these diamonds in

    the rough and support them."

    "I had a different thought in mind when you first mentioned the industry." Cassius scratched his

    head.

    "It''s the same for actors and actresses. Some of them don''t even have the chance to go to a

    professional college, but it doesn''t mean they are untalented. You have to find them, that''s why I

    reestablished your career in advertising and endorsement. I needed you to make the most money in

    the shortest time, and then take all the time you need to discover these people."

    "I got it!" Cassius clenched his fist. "I can do it."

    "But at the same time, don''t neglect your acting and singing skills. Don''t forget songwriting as well."

    Cassius nodded. "I understand."

    "There''s one more thing," Charlotte added unhurriedly.

 Chapter 454

    Chapter 454

    Cassius braced himself and urged, "Go on, Ms. Emerson."

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    In a moment of desperation, he reverted to her honorific title.

    "Don''t be so nervous. It''s actually quite simple." Charlotte patted his shoulder. "I''ve found an

    assistant for you. He will be in charge of helping you find new talents, and he''ll also help you

    approach business resources. Let''s just say he could be your agent."

    "Well, I used to have one, didn''t I?" Cassius asked.

    "You did before, but that was only one person. We are ready to set up a team for you."

    A team.

    Cassius nodded and said, "Well, what do I need to prepare?"

    "You''ll just have to meet them."

    "Them? Didn''t you say it was only an assistant?" Cassius was suspicious.

    "Ah yes, first an assistant, then a team of nearly one hundred staff overseeing public rtions,

    resources, and product nning. In short, they will be developing your personal brand. Rest

    assured, these people will be managed by me, all you need to do is to meet them."

    "All right."

    There were some misceneous matters that Charlotte did not bring up, but there would be time for

    thatter. When she was about to ask Cassius to stay for the night, he coincidentally mentioned the

    guest rooms. Charlotte smiled and said, "I was just about to ask you to allow Cole and me to spend

    the night here."

    "No problem. My guest rooms arerge andfortable. Usually, someone will clean it, so it''s

    ready for you. Both of you can choose the one you prefer."

    "Then I''ll have to trouble you."

    "Not at all. Are you hungry? Let me cook for you."

    Cassius could cook?

    Charlotte and Cole had a bite to eat at a roadside stall beforeing over. Although they were not

    healthy food, they were enough to satiate their hunger.

    Still, Cassius cooking?

    He sounded eager at the prospect. After exchanging nces with Cole, they saw interest reflected

    in each other''s eyes. Thus, the matter was settled. However, it seemed impolite to take up

    Cassius''s guest rooms and trouble him for a meal, so Cole offered to help.

    Cassius was really good at cooking. He could cook and cut vegetables at the same time. His time

    management was precise.

    Charlotte yawned as she watched him.

    "Are you sleepy? It''s almost done. You can sleep after eating." Cassius even had time to smile at

    her.

    Charlotte nodded. "No matter what, I''ll have to try the dishes you cooked."

    Cassius smiled sheepishly.

    Soon, the meal was ready to be served.

    There were four dishes in total: hot and sour potato slices, mapo tofu, fried bean sprout with green

    peppers, and a rtively difficult braised pork dish. The braised pork was prepared in a pressure

    cooker, it tasted exceptionally soft and savory. Charlotte couldn''t help but finish a few pieces.

    "It seems like Miss Charlotte will have to lose weight tomorrow," Cole joked.

    "Well see how it goes tomorrow. But today I will eat my fill."

    "Yeah, it tastes so good. Even the rice is particrly delicious." "The rice is added with red rice and

    buckwheat, so it will be sweeter and more textured. If you like it, you''re wee to share meals

    with me. I''m always alone anyway. You cane over whenever."

    Charlotte nodded. "Avery ns to bring Irena back to his city. Your ce could be our new hang-out

    spot."

    "That''s great. I enjoy yourpany. I always learn new things from you."

    Throughout the meal, Charlotte mentioned manymon capital operations in the industry. At first,

    Cole did not understand a single thing. But his eyes lit up and he took out a pen and paper and

    started taking notes. The sky was already dark by the time they concluded their meal.

    Cassius scratched his head in embarrassment and apologized, "I''m sorry, you guys are so tired but

    I kept the conversation going for so long. The servants have prepared the rooms. You should rest

    now."

    "It''s not a big deal." Charlotte yawned as she continued, "But I really can''t hold on any longer. I''ll go

    up first."

    Cole stood deferentially at her departure. After Charlotte left, he turned to Cassius and said, "Mr.

    Fletcher, I have something to talk about. Is it convenient for you now?"

    What could it be about?

    Cassius was taken by surprise. He nodded and agreed, "Sure."

    Cole and Cassius returned to the living room and sat down. Cole pulled out a contract from his bag

    and started, "This is the contract I mentioned. Take a closer look at the signature."

    "NC?" Cassius was dumbfounded. "Didn''t NC be a foreignpany after merging?"

    "Yes, the CEO is Mr. Fuller."

    "I see." Cassius lowered his head and felt a little ufortable for no reason.

    "So I want to remind you not to get any ideas. It''s not an easy feat to be friends. You should know

    what I''m talking about."

    "I..."

    "I''ve been in this industry for many years. I''m not easily deceived, or I wouldn''t be working with Mr.

    Fuller for so long. I can see that you have feelings for Miss Charlotte, but her love for Mr. Fuller will

    not change overnight. I hope you know your ce."

    Cassius smiled bitterly. "I didn''t do anything. Why did you take the risk to tell me this?"

    "I have to take everything into consideration for

    Mr. Fuller."

    "Sometimes, I really envy Shane. He has many people around him, as well as an aplished

    woman like Charlotte. But I know my capabilities. Helping Charlotte is the best I can do. If I were to

    make time to woo her, I''m afraid both of us simply do not have time for that."

    Cole raised his brows. "So?"

    "I want what they have, not her. Charlotte treats me well and I will repay her kindness. It has nothing

    to do with her rtionship with Shane."

    "That''s for the best."

    "Mr. y, it''s gettingte. Go up and rest. I''ll clean up and go to bed as well."

    "Much appreciated." Cole stood up and bowed respectfully before heading upstairs.

    Cassius looked at three sets of cutleries in front of him. After a long time, he started transferring

    them into the sink.

    The sound of a te smashing rang out.

    It slipped when he was not paying attention.

    He scratched his brows and bent over to pick up the pieces.

    "Young Master, leave it to us to clean up." The maid hurried forward.

    "Is there any news about my brother?" Cassius moved out of the way.

    "Master''s whereabouts are unknown, and the family wants you back. Would you like to return?"

    "Continue to look for my brother. I will not go back to the cage unless I am sure that he is dead."

    Cassius paused and said, "If you found out who did this to my brother, inform me immediately.

    Blood will have blood. I will not let them escape."

    The maid looked at him worriedly. "Young Master, didn''t you enter the entertainment industry to

    escape from those people? Why are you still..."

    "I don''t know. Perhaps after knowing them, I realized that choosing a weapon to protect myself

    wasn''t outrageous. Weren''t you listening to Charlotte''s theories? Do you think those idiots from the

    family would be able toe up with that?"

    "Young Master, you haven''t been brainwashed, have you?"

    Was he brainwashed?

    If he had to choose between being brainwashed by the family or being brainwashed by Charlotte,

    why couldn''t he choose Charlotte? In any case, he was still a puppet. Since he had lost himself,

    why couldn''t he choose what he liked?

    Cassius bowed his head and smiled coldly. His beautiful amber eyes gleamed with bloodlust. "I''ve

    been asleep for too long. It''s time to wake up."

    The maid wanted to say something but stopped on second thought.

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455

    "You don''t have to advise me. I know what I am doing. I did note this far to end up at the

    guillotine. We have to choose between what we want to do and what we should do. Poppy, you just

    have to believe in me and keep my house in order," Cassius finished and collected the rest of the

    tes.

    Poppy sighed. "We''re here, but you still choose to do it yourself. Young Master, you''re really

    different."

    Different?

    In reality, there wasn''t much difference. He chose to escape from the fog, while others chose to be

    enveloped and used.

    No one was nobler than the other, and no one was better than the other. It was just a personal

    choice.

    "Poppy, I''m done for the night. Please make breakfast tomorrow. They may get up early." Cassius

    yawned. "But just prepare and wash the ingredients. I''ll take care of the rest."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    After returning to his room, Cassius turned on hisputer and found information about what

    Charlotte had told him at dinner. He intended to read up on them.

    He went down the rabbit hole for several hours. He yawned, set the rm clock on his phone, and

    tossed it on the bedside.

    He had learned a lot tonight and needed more time to digest, so he was pacing himself ordingly.

    The next day.

    Charlotte got up and saw Cassius cooking up a storm in the kitchen. He yawned and had dark

    circles under his eyes. She walked over and said, "Are you all right? You look very tired."

    "I''m fine. I was upte reading about the thing you told me yesterday. I found it quite interesting. I

    made breakfast. You and Mr. y should have something to eat before leaving."

    "Thank you."

    "You said that we are friends. Well, this is what friends would do for each other. Anyway, I can still

    sleep in the afternoon."

    Charlotte looked at the porridge he served her. It looked and smelled great. Even the bowl looked

    cute. She couldn''t help butugh. "I didn''t expect you to enjoy life so much. Perhaps I''m biased, but

    I feel like you guys in the entertainment industry work harder than us, but you can still whip up

    delicious meals." "I don''t know about others, but I do enjoy life to the fullest." Initially, Cassius

    wanted to refute, but he thought about it and changed his mind.

    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    He did like to cook and watch ssic films.

    "This is good. Instead of loving some random things, it''s better to love everything around you."

    "Yeah, do you still want more?"

    "I''m good. This is enough for me." Charlotte took her bowl and left.

    Cassius looked at her back and shook his head with a smile.

    She ate so little.

    Soon, Cole came downstairs and was a little surprised to see that breakfast was ready and was

    prepared by Cassius. "Up so early?"

    "I can still sleep in the afternoon." Cassius handed Cole his portion and asked, "Mr. y, when are

    you leaving?"

    "Initially I nned to leave now and then have breakfast, but since you have made breakfast, we

    must finish it first." Cole epted the bowl and took a seat.

    Cassiusdled a bowl of porridge for himself and sat down with both of them.

    "I will be busy with two meetings this afternoon, so I might not be able to cope with your situation for

    the time being. Will you be able to handle them yourself?" Charlotte asked Cassius.

    "I''ve always been alone. I''ve checked the contract, and there are about two days left. I can go for

    the shoot once I''m ready. Although I''d prefer to have you around with me, it''s fine either way. I can

    take Westin with me."

    Speaking of Westin, Charlotte was a little sad. "He is a very outstanding person. As for the n I

    told you, if he wants in, I hope you can invite him as well."

    "He will certainly ept my invitation. He owes me one," Cassius said with a smile.

    Charlotte nodded. After all, it was such a big favor to find him a kidney. Westin had no reason not to

    go along with Cassius.

    However...

    Cassius meant something that had happened between him and Westin many years ago. However,

    he was still very young at that time and was at home, so it was a lesser-known event.

    Charlotte and Cole left after the meal. Cassius stood at the door and saw them off. When the car

    was a spot in the distance, he turned around and returned to his room.

    He was nning to sleep, but he wasn''t sleepy at all. He took out his phone and started reading

    again.

    He wasn''t usually quick on the uptake. Cassius thought maybe he was influenced by Charlotte, or

    maybe he had realized that he could no longer continue to live in ignorance. Even if he browsed

    through some inane materials, he still felt at peace in his heart.

    Speaking of which, it was strange.

    Charlotte headed straight to the conference room. She only came out twice with Peter. The rest of

    the time, she was rooted to her seat.

    After solving the problems in his department, Peter left the conference room and returned to his

    office. He unscrewed a bottle and gulped a mouthful of water. He leaned back in his chair tiredly

    with his eyes closed.

    "What''s wrong? You look very tired." Zoe brought a cup of coffee. "Do you need a boost of energy?"

    "I''m fine. It''s Ms. Emerson." Peter opened his eyes and took a sip of coffee. "She''s an animal. I''ve

    never met someone so driven. Even Mr. Fuller wasn''t like this."

    "We have to get used to it," Zoe said with a smile. "She used to work just as hard when I was with

    her. Now all the resources have been amalgamated. Previously she just had to attend one

    company''s meetings, now she''s in charge of bothpanies. It''s normal for her to hustle."

    Peter shook his head helplessly and said, "I won''t be able to survive for another two days at this

    rate."

    "Then I''ll go on your behalf. It''s all the same."

    "No, you will be carried out after an hour. Didn''t we have a deal? I will attend meetings while you

    handle the business trips. If we can work together, we''ll do it together."

    "It''s because you''re too tired."

    "But I''m more concerned that you''ll feel tired."

    Did this count as sweet nothings?

    Zoe was not used to it for a moment. Her ears and face started blushing. She turned her head away

    and said, "Well, let''s not talk about this. I will finish up my work. You can finish your coffee or rest for

    a while."

    "Got it, dear wife." Peter chuckled.

    Zoe bolted out of his office.

    Peter looked at her back and smiled broadly. That was why he liked Zoe. Although she appeared

    aloof, she was easily embarrassed after a few teasing words. It was adorable.

    Four hourster.

    Charlotte finally walked out of the conference room. The first thing she did was to take two Vitamin

    B pills and guzzle some water to wash them down before returning to the office.

    In the blink of an eye, the evening lights were lit.

    Cole informed her that he was waiting in the parking lot.

    Charlotte went downstairs and got into the car. She sighed. "I can''t believe a day has passed just

    like that."

    "Miss Charlotte, I''ve seen the schedule for tomorrow. Your workload is not as heavy as today''s, and

    there is an advertisement shoot for Cassius tomorrow. Do you want to stop by and have a look?"

    "Forget about it. I''d rather go home and sleep." Charlotte dismissed the idea immediately.

    Cole released a sigh of relief.

    Before Mr. Fuller came back, he had to keep an eye on Miss Charlotte so that no man could take

    advantage of her.

    As Charlotte reached home and sent Cole away, her phone rang.

    She looked at the screen and it was Avery.

    "Hey. Is there any good news?" Charlotte took off her jacket and flung it on the coat rack.

    "Christopher turned himself in."

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456

    Charlotte suspected there was something wrong with her ears. Her movements ckened as she

    removed her coat. She asked in disbelief, "What did you say? Who turned himself in?"

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Christopher," Avery repeated. "He went to the police station and turned himself in. Yesterday when

    I saw Raina, I wanted to pin everything on him to save Shane. I didn''t expect that he would make

    the first move and turn himself in. I really don''t understand. What is his motive?"

    "I happen to have time tomorrow."

    "Well, let''s go and visit him together?"

    "Where is Shane?"

    "I told him the news, but he gave me no reaction. When this matter is over, you cane over to

    see him. Otherwise, I am afraid that something will go wrong if this continues."

    "Got it." Seeing Shane so disinterested in this new development, Charlotte started to have qualms

    about seeing him.

    Despite not knowing much about the past Shane, she was familiar with him. However, that version

    of Shane whom she was familiar with would never gather all the Fuller family members and set

    them on fire. She was afraid to see a cruel Shane who waspletely different from the one in her

    memories.

    Avery said, "He is quite strange recently. He either eats and sleeps or swipes on his phone �� a

    complete couch potato. But he has been working so hard for many years. It''s natural for him to take

    a long vacation. So don''t be horrified, no one else in this world can pull Shane out of this state

    except you."

    "He''s not my shit, why should I drag him out?" Charlotte seethed. She evenughed coldly and

    said, "No matter what, I don''t want to see him for the time being. Let''s settle the matter with

    Christopher first. Also, I''ve been very busy recently."

    "Okay, I got it."

    Avery and Charlotte continued discussing business matters. They didn''t hang up until they ran out

    of topics. The critter next to Avery couldn''t wait any longer. She reached out to tug at his clothes

    and asked, "Uncle Avery, what did my mommy say? When will she and Daddye to see me?"

    "Your mommy..." Avery sighed, lifted her up, and positioned her on top of his shoulders. "They may

    not be able toe in the meantime. Don''t you have fun with Olive and Freddie? There''s no need

    to see Mommy. Think about it, now that your Daddy is ill and I have to take care of him, and Uncle

    Rick is no longer here, everything falls on your Mommy''s shoulders. She is very busy. Didn''t she

    alwayse to apany you when she was free?"

    "I am afraid that Mommy will leave me and Daddy again." Sheryl lowered her head, feeling

    aggrieved.

    "Don''t worry, it won''t happen." Avery gently patted her head. "You have to believe in your Mommy

    and Daddy."

    "Okay."

    After coaxing the child to sleep, Avery let out a long sigh.

    Sheryl didn''t have a father before. Now that he was back in her life, her mom was absent. She didn''t

    have a normal childhood. Who knew what kind of person she would turn out to be in the future?

    The next day.

    Charlotte and Avery met up in front of the police station and was greeted by Karsen, the Deputy

    Director of the police station.

    "Mr. Bradsaw, it''s been a while." Avery extended his hand to shake his hand. "I''m Avery, this is

    Charlotte." "I''ve heard a lot about you two."

    "We''re here for Christopher."

    "I know, because it is a critical period, it''s the prisoner''s choice to receive or decline visitors. We

    have informed Christopher and he is eager for your visit on one request." Karsen led them into the

    police station.

    "What request?" Charlotte asked.

    "He said he wanted to eat lychees. As long as you two can produce lychees, he will give the go-

    ahead," Karsen replied.

    "Lychees? It''s off-season now, where can we get them?" Avery pulled up the corners of his mouth.

    "Forget it, I''ll call someone to send it over. Never mind lychees, if he wants the crap of Queen

    Bloody Mary. I''ll make it happen."

    Charlotte did not say a word.

    The analogy was repugnant.

    Avery stepped away to make a phone call. Karsen came to Charlotte''s side and said, "Miss

    Charlotte, I heard that your rtionship with Shane was unique. What''s your rtionship status

    now?"

    "He''s my fiance," Charlotte answered. "But his health hasn''t been very good recently, so he is

    resting at home. Do you have anything to say to him? I can convey a message or bring him for a

    visit next time. After all, you know that this matter regarding Christopher is rted to the Fuller

    family."

    Karsenughed. "That''s great to hear. It doesn''t matter whether I meet him or not. After all, his

    resources and connections are in your hands. I''m just worried that Mr. Fuller might be displeased

    with today''s oue."

    "You have nothing to worry about. I speak for him but he doesn''t speak for me," Charlotte assured

    with a smile. "From the day he handed over the reins to me, he should have expected this to

    happen."

    "Yeah, many people don''t understand why he entrusted it to you. But it seems that his decision was

    not a poor one."

    Avery came back in the middle of their conversation. He slid the phone in his pocket and huffed, "I

    bought the lychees. It''ll take three hours to transport them. Well have to see Christopher first, then

    eat the lycheester."

    "I''ll ask for the prisoner''s permission. Please wait a moment." Karsen took out his walkie-talkie and

    spoke to the person on the other end, "Ask him. Yes, the lychees will arrive three hourster. Yes.

    Okay. Please follow me."

    Karsen ushered Charlotte and Avery to a huge ss window. He pointed at two doors behind him

    and exined, "In a while, the prisoner wille out of that door. Use the phone in front of you to

    talk to him. The entire conversation is confidential and will not be recorded. Under normal

    circumstances, it is necessary to record it. However, it''s pointless in your case."

    Charlotte said, "Thank you."

    "Please do as you wish."

    After Karsen and his men took their leave, Christopher came out in a short time.

    Christopher sat down behind the ss. He looked at Charlotte and Avery with a faint smile. "You

    didn''t expect me to turn myself in, did you?"

    Charlotte gazed at him. After a long while, her fingers touched the ss pane. "Why are you doing

    this? I would rather you sit here for revenge than to conspire with Shane."

    "Do you feel wronged for me?" Christopher blinked andughed. "I didn''t expect you to feel that for

    me. Yes, I should feel aggrieved. But do you know, I don''t feel that way at all because my brother

    and I killed our enemies. As long as they die, it doesn''t matter what happens to me. And death isn''t

    necessarily my fate. I just set the fire, I didn''t know they would be inside."

    "You didn''t know they were inside? How do you exin the invitations?" Avery frowned.

    Christopher burst outughing. "I had nothing to do with the invitations. There are too many plot

    twists that you don''t know about. Shane can tell you all about it in the future. You can ask me

    anything rted to me, though."

    "I just want to know if you''ll be sentenced to death." Charlotte stared deeply at him.

    Death penalty?

    Christopher shook his head and said, "First of all, I hurt them identally. Secondly, I attempted

    suicide in the past. Thirdly, I was officially diagnosed with mental illness. At most, I will be locked up

    in a psychiatric hospital."

    However...

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457

    However, the security in the psychiatric hospital wasx, thus it was easy to get Christopher out. In

    a way, Christopher would escape the long arm of thew.

    For a moment, Avery had mixed feelings. He hoped that this matter had nothing to do with Shane

    and Christopher, but he also hoped that Christopher would be brought to justice for murdering Mrs.

    Fuller Senior.

    Avery couldn''t understand why Shane forgave scum like Christopher and even helped him to get

    away with the crime.

    "Although you didn''t ask, I want to say that I have been abandoned since I was a child. But Shane,

    he had everything that I always wanted. Do you know how miserable I was? He knew I was hostile,

    but still he chose to be roped in behind your backs and stood with me toplete the n."

    "So I turned myself in. I didn''t want to lose to him. I turned myself in because I wanted to be known

    as the mastermind. I wanted the lucky survivors in the Fuller family to know that I was the one who

    pushed them into the abyss!"

    Avery was speechless. He had nothing more to say to Christopher. He just wanted to leave the

    police station as soon as possible and let Christopher disappear from his sight.

    Charlotte narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why did you want to harm the Fuller family? I understand

    your resentment towards them, but why did Shane want to kill them?"

    "Is it hard to understand? Charlotte, don''t you want to kill everyone who watched your mother die?"

    Christopher sneered, "Avery, when you attacked those two from the Stevens family, did you

    consider the possibility that someone might take revenge on you in the future? Don''t you think killing

    them all would ensure that doesn''t happen?"

    "I''m not you, I''m not depraved."

    "This is not a matter of depravity, Mr. Hart. Don''t you think this is the best-case scenario? It''s not

    necessary to kill all of them. It will be enough if they can''t open their mouths. Silence them once and

    for all and do not give them a chance to retaliate."

    "You''re insane. You''re a psychopath. What''s going on in your brain?" Avery couldn''t stand it

    anymore. He mmed the ss window and said, "Do you know how many innocent lives you

    took?"

    "Innocent? Why do all of you hound Shane for not catching his grandmother''s murderer, instead of

    questioning his indifferent rtionship with his family?"

    In an instant.

    Avery and Charlotte were silent.

    No one had asked this question, not because they didn''t care about Shane, but because no one

    dared ask him personal questions. Everyone tacitly agreed that his family situation was umon

    and perfectly wed.

    However, Mrs. Fuller Senior was not only nice to Shane, but also to Sheryl, as well as to Charlotte.

    No one would think that Shane hated Mrs. Fuller Senior.

    There was no reason.

    She loved him very much.

    "It seems like you don''t know." Christopher crossed his legs leisurely. "I''ll tell you this. When Shane

    was young, his father was often absent. Most of the time, he was left under his grandmother''s care.

    But she was too tired to raise him alone, so she asked my mother for help."

    "What?" Avery suspected there was something wrong with his ears.

    "Why was my mother forced out of the family? Why did Shane''s father die young? Why did Raina

    seem to be afraid of Mrs. Fuller Senior and was at odds with her?"

    Charlotte was silent.

    Avery rubbed his ears and said, "Do you mean that Mrs. Fuller Senior asked your mother to take

    Shane?"

    "That''s right."

    "Then what about the rest of the Fuller family?"

    "What else could it be? At that time, the Fuller family was in crisis and everyone was divided. Shane

    and my father were forced to marry Raina. What do you think happened? What else could it be? If it

    weren''t for them, Shane wouldn''t have been born, and maybe I wouldn''t be here too. In short, don''t

    ask. I just had to kill everyone to relieve the hatred in my heart." Christopher startedughing

    maniacally.

    Christopher looked deranged, or maybe he was putting up an act.

    Charlotte sighed. "Avery, let''s go."

    "Your lychees will be delivered within a few hours." Avery paused and said, "Christopher, I admire

    you very much."

    As soon as he finished, he left with Charlotte.

    Admiration?

    Christopher stoppedughing.

    Yes, even he admired himself. He could y the part of a madman and ended up in this dank ce

    with no sunlight just toe out on top of Shane. He had already taken revenge on the people he

    hated the most, and the victory he wanted had already been won.

    He had won.

    He was the wicked savior.

    Not only did he fulfill all his evil deeds, but he could continue living in this world unscathed, leaving

    the others to feel powerless.

    He, Christopher, lord of the wicked.

    Oh yes.

    He was the lord of the wicked.

    Charlotte and Avery returned to the car. No one broached the subject of who should drive. Instead,

    they silently stared at the ground in the distance.

    "After so many years, they still hate the Fuller family to the core. Regardless of what we say, the

    truth cannot be changed," Avery said softly.

    "Yeah," Charlotte replied before closing her eyes. "There''s nothing we can do when ites to

    Shane or Christopher."

    "What happens now?"

    "Please send me back to my office. I have a lot of things to do."

    "Alright then."

    Avery started driving resignedly. Initially, he wanted to bring Charlotte back to see Shane, but she

    hadn''t mentioned him and Avery didn''t feel right bringing it up, so he could only put that idea on the

    back burner.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    After sending Charlotte to her office, Avery returned to the vi. He washed his hands and went

    upstairs and opened the door.

    Shane was sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window reading a book.

    He was wearing a white high cor sweater. His whole body was bathed in sunlight, the gold-

    rimmed sses perched on his nose glimmered, and the shadow of a distant tree fell on the tip of

    his nose.

    It would be a picture of tranquility if the person wasn''t Shane.

    "Christopher has surrendered. I went to visit him with Charlotte."

    The sound of pages turning halted.

    Shane raised his head slowly and his eyes shed with vehemence. "Did you force him to do that?"

    "I''m not capable of that. ording to what he said, he would be rescued on ount of his mental

    illness anyway, so he chose to own up and be known as the brains behind the ploy. This way,

    he will win for once. It''s really a tear-jerker."

    Shane lowered his eyes.

    "I''ve asked Charlotte, by the way. It''s not that I failed to bring her here, but she doesn''t want to see

    you. Perhaps she doesn''t know how to face you."

    "There''s no need to bring her here."

    "There''s no need or do you not want to see her?"

    "It doesn''t matter."

    Avery sighed and sat down beside him. He fiddled with a lint on his clothes. "She''s been doing

    great. But she''s a woman, what if someone else took notice of her?"

    "Who would that be?"

    "Who else? He''s just a celebrity. Cole told me that he made breakfast for her and is caring and

    attentive."

    "Cassius?"

    Avery snorted but did not answer. He was determined to make Shane feel a little anxious.

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458

    Shane''s gaze fell to the book in his hand. After a while, he chucked it at Avery''s midriff and ordered,

    "Tell me."

    "It hurts." Avery kneaded his abdomen and gave him a disgruntled look. "Why are you so cruel to

    your brother? Fine, I''ll tell you. It''s Cassius. Are you satisfied?"

    Shane closed his eyes.

    "Aren''t you nervous at all?"

    Why? He was a heinous b*stard in Charlotte''s eyes, or maybe he was just a stepping stone that

    shouldn''t exist in her life. Now that she didn''t need him anymore, if she was with Cassius, it was not

    his ce to say anything.

    "Why don''t I send you to the hospital? I''ll just tell Charlotte that you''re sick and ask her to take care

    of you. You''ve got so many injuries anyway, what''s one more? Don''t get me wrong. I just think there

    is more to Cassius than meets the eye. As you know, it''s normal for an artist to be mediocre, but

    he''s still carrying on. Moreover, it''s very suspicious that he has a constant supply of resources."

    "You didn''t check it out?" "Didn''t we find out that he''s just a passer-by? But I don''t think so. He''s too

    clean. Have you ever seen an artist with such a spotless background? There''s no dirt on him. He

    went to school, then entered the entertainment industry. Why did he have to enter showbiz?" Avery

    pulled a chair and sat down beside Shane. "It''s not that I can''t tolerate a stand- up guy. But the

    entertainment industry is a quagmire. An innocent person could never survive there."

    "Even if you survive, who would want you? Do you really think they are stupid? They worked hard to

    raise and fatten a sheep, just for it to be led away by others?" Avery shrugged. "What''s more, he

    became our spokesperson. Oh, yes, do you still remember why they hired him as a spokesperson?"

    "High poprity. Someone in thepany rmended it," Shane replied.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Therein lies the problem. There are many popr celebrities rmended by thepany. Why

    was he chosen? There must be something else. Think about it carefully."

    Shane tried to recall, but he didn''t remember anything noteworthy. It seemed that the decision was

    made by passing a vote in a meeting. The only memorable detail was the majority of shareholders

    mentioning Cassius'' name and giving a plethora of reasons, mostly that he was tall and handsome.

    However, Avery''s words made sense. Attractive and popr celebrities were a dime a dozen. Why

    were they specifically championing Cassius?

    Shane asked, "Do you have an answer?"

    "I don''t have an answer, I just have a crude spection. As you can see, there is nothing significant

    in Cassius''s background, but if someone in our circle spreads the news that he is good-looking and

    popr, what do you think will happen?"

    "Everyone will believe it."

    "That''s right. People in our circle are only thinking about ways to make more money every day. At

    least, they will find activities to fulfill their time. Who will pay attention to the entertainment industry

    all day? Even if they are concerned about the industry, they are only interested in data reports. In

    this case, if someone says that Cassius is impressive, and we had just checked the data to confirm

    that Cassius is indeed impressive, then what are the odds that we''d choose Cassius?"

    Shane didn''t think about it before, but now he was uncertain.

    Based on his first impression, he had decided to do a background check and he found Cassius to

    be dependable, so signing with him was inevitable.

    "Do you mean that Cassius is also a member of our circle?"

    "Most likely, and I''m sure that he''s one of Jovanni''s."

    Jovanni onnell.

    He was a big cheese and was well over 90 years old. His grandchildren were already in their forties.

    His great-grandson was a foreign diplomat, and his grandchild was a high- ranking executive

    somewhere. In a nutshell, he was a big shot. Even on the battlefield, he was guaranteed a seat at

    the table.

    As long as Jovanni wanted to protect a person, nothing could get in his way. However, even for

    such a powerful old man, he was not able to save his great-grandson.

    "He only has a great-grandson. But as far as I know, he has been secretly raising another great-

    grandson."

    "Jovanni''s great- grandson in showbiz? Is there something wrong with your brain or my ears?"

    Shane frowned.

    This was utter nonsense.

    Even if Cassius was Jovanni''s great-grandson, he would never set foot in the entertainment

    industry.

    "Listen to me. One of Jovanni''s great-grandsons is missing, isn''t he? Then where do you think is the

    safest ce to hide the other one?"

    Shane couldn''t answer immediately.

    It was definitely not safe abroad. It would be over If someone conducted an investigation. It was

    also impossible to hide him in the political circle.

    Avery continued proudly, "Like you, there are many people who think it is impossible for Jovanni to

    stow his great- grandson in the entertainment industry, but that is the truth. ording to Cole,

    Cassius doesn''t even know how to receive and allot resources."

    "Who''s the one overseeing his affairs?"

    "A manager, and he''s Jovanni''s people too. You didn''t see thising, did you? I didn''t expect it at

    the beginning either."

    No, he definitely did not see thising.

    This was as if Shane had another child besides Sheryl and the child went missing. Thus, he sent

    Sheryl into the entertainment industry to acquire information. Furthermore, Shane started pumping

    in money to bump Sheryl up to the top. Somehow, no one suspected that Sheryl was his child.

    This was a very clever method. It''s so overt, it''s covert.

    Jovanni openly championing Cassius decreased the chances of anyone suspecting Cassius to be

    his great-grandson.

    "Besides, I''ve also thought about his reason to enter the industry. It''s a ludicrous market, who

    wouldn''t want to hold a celebrity''s purse strings? They make a lot of money just by smiling at the

    cameras."

    "So he entered the industry to find information?"

    "This is my theory, because I noticed his ys were very interesting. They were all from the same

    equity firm called Desertex. You should have heard of it."

    He could not be more familiar with that name.

    Desertex was an equity firm that engaged in short selling. Their expose could devastate a business.

    There was even a period of time when the stock price of apany would plummet every time they

    closed their short position.

    Although it was a domesticpany, the owner was a foreigner and an enigma. There was no way

    to find out the owner''s past.

    "Cassius is indeed not simple." Shane''s face fell. "It''s bad news for him to be by Charlotte''s side."

    "Yes, that''s what I thought," Avery immediately answered. "So I''m asking you, do you really think it''s

    okay for him to be with Charlotte? If you believe my ims are groundless, you can relinquish

    Charlotte over to Cassius. He''s loaded anyway."

    Avery bet Shane would be in a dilemma now. It was impossible for him to let Charlotte go without a

    fight.

    Never mind the affection between him and Charlotte, they still wouldn''t let Cassius be.

    Leaving aside the fact that Cassius and Charlotte grew closer with each other in the past two days,

    even if they were just in a strictly professional rtionship, it was still too dangerous.

    Cassius was a ticking time bomb.

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459

    No one knew if Cassius or Jovanni had enemies who wanted them dead. If that''s the case,

    Charlotte and Shane would be caught in the crossfire. Although Shane and Charlotte were affluent

    now, they would still be vulnerable in the political circle.

    Business was business; politics were politics. It''s best to avoid them and keep them away from

    families.

    "You should investigate Cassius carefully. You should try to be as meticulous as possible, even if

    there''s seemingly nothing hidden," Shane said.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "So, do you want to fake an illness and go to the hospital with me? Coincidentally, I feel a little sore

    in my ribs these two days and need to have a physical examination done."

    "Sure."

    With Shane''s approval, Avery began to make arrangements. First, the hospitalization, then a list of

    misceneous orders. Finally, he sent Shane in. He administered an IV drip for Shane that delivered

    abination of glucose and antibiotics. Shane had a lot of old injuries and needed to recuperate,

    so this was not just for

    show.

    Previously when Skr treated Rick, he mentioned that Shane had injuries from being hypnotized.

    They had to pay close attention to any potential brain damage. Therefore, he needed a baptism of

    disinfectant in the hospital more than anyone else.

    "Well, I''ve sent the news on social media. I believe that our lovely Charlotte will call me soon. It will

    be an opportune moment to bring her here. You should y the role of a patient who doesn''t want

    to talk or eat, so she will be forced to stay with you."

    Shane pursed his lips.

    "Having second thoughts? Well, envision Charlotte and Cassius together, then think about Jovanni.

    Now, picture Jovanni with Charlotte. What you have given Charlotte will be her dowry,

    because I don''t believe that Jovanni wouldn''t fall for Charlotte."

    Charlotte was flushed with resources and money now, even more so than Shane. Avery''s words

    were not an exaggeration.

    "Got it," Shane said.

    "You''d better get it. Well, I have my physical examination now. Stay here, Skr will be here in a

    minute to examine you. Take this moment to get all your wounds checked out."

    Avery finished and left. It was always rowdy with him around. The sudden silence was jarring in his

    absence.

    Shane heard his own pulse beating and the constant dripping from the IV bag. The room was sterile

    and devoid of any colors. Even the curtains were pure white. Outside the window, the clouds were

    white, too. The sky was not blue, but a little gray that it looked whitish.

    Never in his life did he foresee himself feigning ill in a hospital.

    He closed his eyes, intending to take a nap.

    As soon as his eyes were shut, a picture of Charlotte and Cassius standing together materialized.

    Their involvement had only been a rumor, and it was Cassius who had rified it at that time.

    Now that he thought about it, perhaps Charlotte did not wish to shed light on the allegations

    because she wanted to cement their rtionship.

    Any thoughts of sleeping vanished. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling in a daze.

    He had never felt so frustrated before.

    Charlotte saw Avery''s WeChat Moment four hours after it had been updated. She did not expect

    Shane to suddenly fall ill. However, she recalled Avery saying that Shane went missing due to his

    injuries.

    It seemed that the incident was orchestrated by the Stevens family. To think that they wanted Shane

    dead and would stop at nothing to aplish it, he must have been mortally wounded.

    She started feeling a little anxious.

    After a moment, she decided to call Avery.

    "Oh? Shane? Well, his old and new wounds reopened and he has been hospitalized. I''d be busy in

    the hospital these two days. Don''t bother me if there''s nothing important." Avery deliberately cut

    himself off of Shane and Charlotte.

    Sure enough, Charlotte felt more anxious after hearing these words. "What happened, exactly? Can

    you tell me more?"

    "Weren''t you unconcerned about him? It''s not strange for someone to die an untimely death, let

    alone someone whose body is battered and breathing hisst. I finally got the chance tough at

    him."

    "Didn''t you take him to your vi? Why did he go to the hospital all of a sudden?" "Do you think

    Shane would stay still? You really think I can keep him in check? Charlotte, you think too highly of

    me." Avery sighed. "Alright, I still have to take care of Shane. Text me if you need anything.

    Goodbye, sweetheart."

    Avery hung up.

    Charlotte was speechless.

    Earlier on, Avery had insisted that she should visit Shane, but now he said he was busy and not

    once did he urge her to take care of Shane. Was he seriously injured? Was that why Avery decided

    to hide it from her?

    Would Shane die?

    The more she thought about it, the more frightened she felt.

    In the end, she sent Avery a message asking for the address of the hospital Shane''s in.

    Avery, who imed to be extremely busy, was currently daydreaming in his ward. He received her

    message and jumped in excitement, "Nice! I told you this method would work. Shane, look,

    Charlotte asked me for the hospital''s address. She''sing over."

    "Right now?"

    "That won''t work. I definitely won''t let here right now. I need to make some preparations, and

    you have to fake as if you''re at death''s door."

    Shane didn''t say a word.

    Shane suddenly got a sense of foreboding that Avery wasn''t concerned about his future with

    Charlotte. He was taking advantage of this opportunity as retribution.

    Avery wasn''t worried about what Shane thought. He was in Avery''s hands now. He could y with

    Shane in whatever way he wanted.

    Avery left the room and found a quiet corner to make a phone call to Skr.

    "Young Master." Skr picked up immediately.

    "Let me ask you, is there anything that could induce temporarya after ingesting? Nothing that

    could put someone''s life at risk, of course." Avery asked in a serious tone.

    "Yes, there is. Why do you need it?

    Avery chuckled andid out his n in detail to Skr. "Isn''t my n wless?" Avery proimed

    proudly.

    "If Mr. Fuller and Miss Charlotte found out, your integrity might bepromised."

    Boohoo.

    Avery spat in outrage, "Who do you work for? There''s no integrity topromise if I have none."

    "That''s true. Right now, all you have is your virg..."

    Skr deadpanned.

    "What the f*ck did you say? Do you want to get fired? Say the word and I''ll grant your wish." Avery

    rolled up his sleeves and continued, "If you were here now, I''ll definitely beat you up."

    "Young Master, when did you want to begin?" Skr changed the topic.

    It could be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. He was uncertain when Charlotte woulde. It

    had to happen on the day she decided to visit.

    Otherwise, with Charlotte''s vignce and Peter, his lies would fall apart.

    Therefore, Avery said, "Tomorrow."

    Tomorrow, he would have to get Charlotte toe to the hospital.

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460

    "Okay, Young Master. I''ll arrange it as soon as possible." Skr eded respectfully.

    "Then go and rest." Avery hung up the phone and texted the address to Charlotte. He asked if she

    needed any car service. He was around the area and needed a break.

    Charlotte immediately agreed and made an appointment with him for lunch. Avery let out a sigh of

    relief. The most important part of the n went without a hitch. There was no need for him to worry

    about the n anymore.

    He would definitely seed!

    The next day.

    Charlotte got out of bed, gazed around the empty room, and felt a little dejected. She tried to take

    her mind off of Shane. She couldn''t pine for the days with Shane, otherwise her heart would soften

    when she saw him in the hospital. Nothing good ever happened to anyone who lowered their guard

    around Shane. Her thoughts and heart were in a mess.

    After hastily finishing her breakfast, Charlotte got someone to host a video conference and made

    arrangements for tasks to be done in the afternoon. She began to do yoga and before she knew it, it

    was already ten o''clock in the morning. She took a shower, changed her clothes, and walked to the

    square next door. She and Avery had agreed to meet at a Japanese restaurant they frequented

    while they were still on good terms. After he went back to his city, they hadn''t been to the restaurant

    in a while. Now, it was time to revisit their old haunt again.

    Charlotte took the liberty to order food. Her stomach was rumbling in hunger but she waited until

    Avery''s tardy arrival, only then did she ask the kitchen to serve the food. After all, Japanese food

    was best eaten fresh. Some people thought that a minute''s dy was intolerable, let alone ten

    minutes or half an hour. Therefore, the food could only be served when everyone had arrived.

    Fortunately, the dishes were served swiftly.

    Avery brought a piece of salmon to his mouth and chewed it with a satisfied hum. "Ah, the food still

    tastes the same as before. You don''t know how long I''ve been dreaming about the food here. The

    food back there wasn''t as delicious."

    "Your city isn''t exactlyckingpared to Brine and the capital," Charlotte said.

    "It''s not a coastal city. No matter the price, seafood in Brine is always fresh. That''s not the case in

    my city. Even if you pay a premium price, you''ll only get frozen goods. The texture is inferior, and

    the soy sauce and wasabi can be easily bought in supermarkets, unlike the horseradish here."

    "That''s true. Even in Brine, it''s difficult to find a Japanese restaurant with decent horseradish."

    Avery sighed. "Yes, it''s a pity. Oh, by the way, I have another thing to talk about this time. It''s about

    Cassius. How much do you know about him? I have new information about him, I don''t know if you

    would like to read it."

    "It''s about Jovanni, isn''t it?" Charlotte asked.

    "Yes, how did you know that?"

    "I sent my people to investigate and they found out that his manager was Jovanni''s. So I went

    directly to Cassius and he admitted that Jovanni is his great- grandfather. I didn''t expect that he

    would have such a vast background. No wonder he looked like a babe in the woods. I thought that

    might be attributed to a sheltered childhood, but now it seems that his family protected him a little

    too well."

    "Do you think that..." Avery trailed off.

    "Do I think that there''s something wrong with him? Not really." Charlotte frowned. "For me, he is not

    indispensable, but with Jovanni backing him, our objective is to make him the best in his field to

    rake in money. I figure this is Jovanni''s game n as well."

    "You want to be Jovanni''s shield, don''t you?"

    "Why can''t I? Jovanni has already lost a great-grandson, so I don''t want him to lose another.

    Besides, if I was able to safeguard his scheme, would we stillck resources?" Charlotte smiled as

    she picked up a sweet shrimp and ced it in her mouth. She chewed it slowly and allowed the

    taste of sweet shrimp to fill her mouth before sighing in satisfaction. "The taste is really good."

    Avery picked up his teacup and sipped on wheat tea. He said, "Let''s have a meal with Cassius one

    day. I''m curious about him and Jovanni."

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "But since we were able to find out about Jovanni, someone else may already know about this, too."

    "Don''t worry. I''ve already sealed off any channels that might lead to this discovery. If Jovanni''s

    people try to dig some dirt on Cassius now, they might not seed, let alone some random

    person."

    Charlotte nodded. "I''m always at ease when you deal with these matters."

    "Compared with Cassius, don''t you think Shane is quite important now? I don''t know how he is now.

    Although he is kept under observation by Skr and other nurses, he has be very sensitive.

    He feels uneasy when I''m not around him. I have no idea why. Maybe I have a unique scent?"

    Avery began making up stories with a straight face.

    Charlotte didn''t know the specifics anyway. The list he had was rted to his previous illness.

    Charlotte frowned. "You mean Shane''s mood is unstable?"

    "I don''t know. The doctor said that there were people out for his blood and they seemed to damage

    his brain. On top of that, he was previously hypnotized. So he is having a full-body physical

    examination now."

    Charlotte felt a headacheing on.

    She was really worried about Shane when something happened to him. Moreover, after knowing

    this, she couldn''t focus on her work anymore. Her mind would always drift to Shane.

    Avery saw her expression and knew she still had feelings for Shane. He pressed on, "You know, I

    am very busy, especially these two days where I''m scheduled for a trip abroad. No one will look

    after Shane. I had wanted to ask for your help, but you refused to see him. There''s nothing I can do

    but to leave Shane to Skr and Peter."

    "I''ll be free for the next two days," Charlotte blurted out.

    D*mn it.

    What was she saying?

    Why did she say that?

    Did she still want to take care of him? But how was she going to face him? After persuading him for

    so long not to do anything foolish, he had been nning something even more stupid behind their

    backs. He yed her and the others like a fool.

    Although Mrs. Fuller Senior''s death and what happened to the Fuller family were inconsequential to

    Christopher, she still felt infuriated.

    In short.

    Charlotte''s thoughts were too convoluted. She didn''t anticipate that she''d subconsciously still

    wanted to take care of him. If Shane knew that she had offered to take care of him without

    hesitation even after knowing what he had done, he wouldugh at her.

    He would probably say, "The bottom line of your principles is unremarkable."

    Just guessing his expression made Charlotte apprehensive.

    Charlotte''s mouth twitched and she was about to retract her words, but Avery had answered,

    "Really? That''s great. It''s best to have your help. You know Shane the best among all of us, and you

    are the only one who can take good care of him."

    Charlotte could only smile weakly. "You think too highly of me."

    "Shane has been undergoing tests and sleeping most of the time. He just needs a person to keep

    an eye on him all day. You don''t need to interact with him."

    That would be nice.

    Charlotte thought to herself, ''She should just go and visit for a while. What''s the worst that could

    happen?''

    If she felt that it was not working, she could always hire a nurse. She gritted her teeth and decided,

    "If you need to go on a business trip, leave Shane to me."

    She was good at taking care of Shane.

    God willing.

    She hoped nothing would go wrong.

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461

    "Why do I feel that you''re unhappy? It''s okay, I can find someone else to take care of him. However,

    you know Shane''s situation is not looking good now. Gee, why did this happen?" Avery said as he

    raised his teacup for another sip, as if it was a ss of wine.

    "No, it''s just that I don''t know how to face him, or perhaps I''m worried that it''s the opposite."

    Charlotte''s gaze lowered to the teacup in her hand, the beverage inside undted gently, simr to

    ripples across the surface of ake.

    "I think the only thing you need to worry about is how to keep him safe. Although the Fuller family

    are in the ICll, they are not to be underestimated. Everyone is looking for Shane and Christopher.

    Now that Christopher is in prison, Shane is the only one left."

    Charlotte fell silent.

    "I''m not doubting your choice. We are all friends. I don''t want any of you to regret it."

    "No matter what I do, I won''t regret it. Even if I feel like I owe you, I will just make it up to you. You

    don''t have to worry about me." Charlotte paused and said, "Let''s not talk about this. Well eat first,

    then we will go to the hospital."

    "All right."

    The meal continued on in silence. Avery knew that Charlotte was still conflicted, but his goal had

    already been achieved. No matter how Charlotte felt, eventually she would still take care of Shane.

    By the time his n seeded, there was a high chance that Charlotte would not be able to leave.

    All he needed to do was to say a few suggestive words, and both of them would definitely kiss and

    make up.

    s, it''s tiring to be a matchmaker.

    They were finished with their meal in no time. Avery drove Charlotte to the hospital and parked the

    car downstairs. He led her to the elevator and pushed the button for the 17th floor. He looked up

    and observed, "This is just a metal box, yet it''s capable of being hoisted up a dozen floors in just a

    minute. I wonder if anyone from several hundred years ago would have thought that there would be

    such a day."

    "Just like how we can''t understand science and technological advancements in the future, at that

    time, they definitely couldn''t understand our current technology either." As soon as Charlotte uttered

    thest word, the door slid open.

    "That''s true," Avery answered with a smile. "This floor is full of our people. The patients in other

    wards are all high-ranking businessmen. They''re one of us. Don''t worry."

    "There are so many people in the hospital?" Charlotte was surprised.

    "Did you think Christopher was the only one capable of doing this? Here, I saw a 17-year-old whose

    eyes were gouged out by their brother. I have seen too many of these people, hence I''m not

    surprised at what Shane and Christopher did anymore."

    Charlotte answered.

    Avery ushered her into the ward. When the door was pushed open, Charlotte saw Shane lying on

    the hospital bed. He looked pale and had dark circles under his eyes. It was hard to tell if he was

    sleeping or resting with his eyes closed. There was an IV catheter inserted in his left hand, attached

    to a bag hanging above his head administering fluids to his body.

    His bones looked more prominent, his veins were more visible in his skin. He had lost weight.

    For a tall man like Shane, it was noticeable even if he had lost only a few kilograms. He was already

    lean to begin with.

    Looking at him, Charlotte''s heart twisted.

    "He seems to be asleep. Well, let me give you some instructions. This medicine needs to be

    changed every three hours. I''ll leave it to you, then. I''ll go back and pack my luggage."

    "Alright." Charlotte nced at the IV bag and noticed that the fluids were almost drained. She

    reced it with a new IV bag.

    Avery looked at her and let out a sigh of relief. He then quietly pushed the door open and left.

    Charlotte kept an eye on Shane for a while and went downstairs to get food. Avery gave her a list of

    food and necessities that Shane required for the duration of his stay.

    She ran into Nathan downstairs. He stood out like a sore thumb in the ER waiting room''s crowd with

    his head and arm covered in blood.

    Charlotte immediately walked over to him. "Are you Freddie''s father, Nathan Nonsen? What

    happened to you? Are you alright? Why are you bleeding so much?"

    "It''s fine." Fortunately, Nathan was still alert and responsive. "Can you help-"

    "Yes, no problem," Charlotte interrupted. "Don''t talk and preserve your strength. Leave everything to

    me. Don''t worry."

    Charlotte took out her phone and made a phone call to Skr, before helping Nathan to the 17th

    floor. She had glimpsed an empty ward on that floor. She assisted him onto the bed and stopped

    the bleeding and disinfected his wounds.

    At least Charlotte could manage the small wounds. Anything bigger would require surgery. Skr

    arrived, assessed the situation, and contacted Avery for assistance. He could not handle this alone.

    Therefore, Avery, who had just arrived home and was packing his luggage, was forced to rush back

    to the hospital. He stowed his luggage in the trunk and hurried upstairs.

    He reached the 17th floor.

    Avery was stunned when he saw Nathan covered in blood. "What the f*ck is going on?"

    How could Nathan be injured? How could anyone in Brine dare to hurt him?

    Nathany down without saying a word. He was too weak from blood loss to move his lips.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Never mind that. Can you arrange a surgery for him as soon as possible?" Charlotte said worriedly,

    "I don''t really know anyone in this field, so I can only ask for your help."

    "Leave it to me. It''s good that you stopped the bleeding first." Avery took out his phone and leaned

    over. "Skr, go and check on Shane with Charlotte. Don''t let anything happen to him again. We

    can''t waste time on both sides."

    "Yes."

    Charlotte and Skr returned to Shane''s ward. At first, Skr didn''t notice anything amiss, but

    gradually, something began to nag at him. His expression changed. "Miss Charlotte, which bag of

    medicine did you administer just now?"

    "The one with the glucosebel," Charlotte replied.

    "Oh no."

    Skr pressed the emergency button immediately. In an instant, several doctors rushed into the

    ward.

    Charlotte was bewildered. First Nathan, now Shane. She was frozen to the spot, only halflistening

    to what the doctors were saying. In the midst of themotion, she pieced together enough bits of

    information to realize that she had administered the wrong medicine, and that it wasn''t glucose as

    she thought.

    But she had clearly checked thebel. She raised her head to look at the bag and was shocked.

    There was no "glucose"bel on the bag. Her face instantly turned as white as paper.

    Could it be that she was so out of her mind that she unknowingly added something else into

    Shane''s body?

    Shane was sent into the operating room. There were two operating rooms on the 17th floor and

    they were both upied by Shane and Nathan.

    Charlotte stood in front of the operating room, lost in her thoughts. She was wringing her hands, the

    word anxiety seemed to be written inly on her face.

    ''He''ll be fine,'' she thought to herself.

    "I just called Irena. She wille over to take care of Shane and Nathan with you. In a while, they

    will share the same ward. Don''t worry too much. I have changed the ticket and will fly out tomorrow

    afternoon." Avery came to Charlotte''s side, took off his suit and covered her shoulder.

    Charlotte''s face was bleached of color as she asked, "Will Shane be alright?"

    Avery was silent.

    He really didn''t know what to say.

    This matter came out of the blue. His ns didn''t ount for this turn of events.

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462

    The degree of Nathan''s injuries weren''t as rming as they had looked. Therefore, he was out of the operating room in less than half an hour. With Irena by his side, there was no need to worry about his condition. Irena finished seeing to Nathan''s needs and noticed Avery and Charlotte still waiting outside the door.

    She walked over and said, "I just asked the doctor. They said that Shane''s case is equivalent to ingesting pesticide. It will take a long time to dilute it. We can only hope that the medicine''s effect is not too strong."

    "It''s all my fault." Charlotte rubbed her temples and said, "I should have checked properly before administering it. I didn''t think this would happen." It''s toote to say anything. It''s her negligence that led to this mishap. If only she had caught on to her mistake earlier.

    Irena shook her head and assured, "This is not your fault. Stop overthinking. When I was administering medicine to Nathan, I noticed the hospital did notbel many items. When Nathan and Shane have recovered, we can lodge a joint report for medical malpractice. Don''t shoulder all the me yourself when the hospital should be

    held responsible as well."

    Charlotte sighed and nodded. Avery immediately added, "Although Shane isn''t out yet, you''ll need to take care of him when he does. He''ll be indebted to you, then. It''s good for him to be in someone''s debt."

    Charlotte was dumbstruck. "Avery, sometimes I really think that you have nothing between your ears."

    "Why, don''t you feel gleeful about his suffering?" Avery sneered, "Compared to both of you at odds with each other, I really think it''s better for you to feel guilty about him. Have you ever thought about why Shane was hurt? It''s because no one was watching him. He''s always pursuing some nonsense, and because he was alone, this happened to him. Do you think this would happen if you were by his side?"

    "It''s not that I didn''t want to be with him. I''m just..." Charlotte trailed off mid-sentence with a sigh. She really didn''t know how to face Shane.

    "Give it a rest," Irena nudged Avery gently. "Charlotte must be in a bad mood right now. There''s no point in aggravating her further."

    "Whatever, I''m leaving now. I''ll leave them to both of you. I''ll stop by tomorrow and will leave for my business trip in the afternoon." Avery nced at his watch and decided to take his leave first.

    Irena looked at his back, her eyes shing for a moment before turning back to Charlotte again. "Miss Charlotte, do you want to go in and rest for a while?"

    "There''s no need. I''ll be waiting for him here."

    "But we don''t know how long it will take. It must be ufortable for you to stand here. Don''t copse as soon as Shanees out. It''s better to find somewhere to sit down."

    Although Charlotte was reluctant to leave, Irena''s words did make sense. She made her way to a bench and took a seat.

    She fell asleep after a while.

    In a stupor, Charlotte felt as if she was in an otherworldly state. She heard a cacophony of sounds, like birdsong and blooming flowers, or cascading waterfall.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Her forehead was covered in a sheen of sweat.

    Despite being asleep, she still broke out in a cold sweat for Shane.

    Heavy rain.

    Sheryl sat in the living room with a doll in her arms, looking at the rain outside with a stoic face. She felt uneasy every time it rained, but she liked the rain. Hence she slowly started epting this emotion.

    The sound of a thunderp reverberated.

    The person beside her quivered at the loud boom. She turned and saw Freddie''s ashen face as he clung tightly to his pillow.

    "Wow, I''ve discovered that you''re actually afraid of thunder," Sheryl said in a child-like voice.

    "I''m not afraid of thunder!" Freddie denied vehemently.

    At this moment, a crack of thunder boomed. Freddie was caught off guard and his entire body flinched violently. Sherylughed out loud and said, "You really are afraid of thunder and you still denied it. As a man, you are actually afraid of thunder. What a shame."

    "Shut up!" Freddie was extremely embarrassed.

    "Even if I shut up, you''re still afraid. Why don''t we y a game?" Sheryl grabbed his hand and led him to the window.

    A peal of thunder followed.

    At the same time, a bolt of green-purple white lightning shed across the sky and struck a nearby building. Freddie was so frightened that his face paled. He kept retreating and tried to leave the window, but Sheryl grabbed him, refusing to let him go.

    She started counting from 1 in a low voice.

    As she counted, another crack rang out at the moment she reached 9. However, this time, Freddie was not scared. He stared at Sheryl as if she had some sort of magical power.

    Sheryl started counting from 1 again.

    The first time was 9, the second time was 10, the third time was 13, and the fourth time was 16. Just like that, the interval between each thunderp was getting farther.

    Freddie gradually calmed down.

    When he finally rxed, Sheryl

    pointed at a streak of lightning and

    said, "Look, not only is the tet

    getting farther away, but the lightning too. Next time you can count and see if the thunder is getting further away or not!

    Another crack of thunder was produced.

    Thunder and lightning appeared at the same time.

    This time, not only was Freddie not afraid, he was looking forward to it. He stared at the gloomy sky and started counting.

    Freddie reached 17. Just when he thought that the thunder and lightning were gone, thunder sounded again. Lightning shed from a particrly far distance. His eyes lit up and he began over again.

    Finally, they reached 60 without any lightning or

    thunder.

    Sheryl raised her chin proudly. She looked like a regal queen with her hands on her hips. "Look, we defeated the lightning and thunder!" Freddie tugged at the corner of his mouth.

    "Every time I count the thunder, they will quickly recede. If I don''t, it willst for a long time. So, the more you are afraid of something, the more you have to face it head-on. Only making to 1 is also a victory. If you are unwilling to take a step to reach 19then the remaining 99 wouldn''t appear in the future."

    "Why are you so philosophical?" Freddie pursed his lips. He did not agree with what she said.

    Lightning and thunder were a natural reaction. No matter if you count them or not, they would happen anyway. No one could change that.

    "In any case, I believe that no matter what, I am in control of everything in my world, not the opposite."

    Freddie did not say anything.

    Sheryl yawned and said, "I am so sleepy. Let''s go upstairs to sleep."

    "My dad hasn''te back yet."

    "He may note back today. It''s already sote. Don''t wait for him anymore. We kids need to go to

    bed early and rise early to grow up."

    Freddie was still worried about Nathan.

    He knew that both he and his father

    had many enemies in the world. Now they hade to uncharted territory. If they met enemies

    familiar with the territory, there

    would be no escape. If his father was targeted by those people, the consequences would be

    unimaginable.

    However...

    If that''s the case, what could a child like him do?

    Freddie sighed. "Alright, I''ll go up and rest with you."

    Sheryl raised her eyebrows and observed with a smile, "Freddie, you seem unhappy today. Are you worried about your father?"

    "That''s right," he answered irritably.

    "But you can''t do anything."

    Sheryl''s words were really heart-wrenching.

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463

    Freddie''s mouth twitched. "Do you even know what you are saying?"

    "What I said is true. A child should do what they do best. Even if you have the smartest brain, you are only 8 years old." Sheryl justified, "Maybe the 18-year-old you could help your father with his troubles, but what can you do at the age of 8?"

    Freddie didn''t say a word.

    He had no way of arguing against her.

    Sheryl yawned and returned to her room. She went to bed after taking a bath. However, Freddie was wide awake. He stared at the ceiling and felt as if it was descending, like it could crush him at any moment. Only then did he realize his sense of security stemmed from his father. When he disappeared, Freddie was just aimlessly floating. He felt nothing other than self-pity for himself.

    Was what Sheryl said true, that he could not do anything at this age? Freddie did not believe it. He tossed and turned, eventually he took out his cell phone and dialed an unfamiliar number. After 10 seconds, the other party picked up and asked, "Is this the Young Master of the Doyle family?" "Uncle Peter, can you help me find out where my father is?" "I can tell you without investigating. Your father is injured and now in the hospital. Irena and Charlotte are taking care of him. Your Uncle Shane is also in the hospital. What''s the matter? Did you miss your father?" The sound of Peter''s fingers flying across the keyboard could be heard. "There''s a car service around you. It should be quite convenient. You can visit your father if you want."

    Well.

    He really wanted to see his father, but he didn''t see the point of doing so. He lowered his head and said, "I''m sorry to trouble you, Uncle Peter, but I don''t intend to see my father. I can''t be of much help anyway."

    "Don''t say that. It''s natural for a son to want to see his father. I was nning to pick you and Sheryl up tomorrow, but I didn''t expect you to call me first. So, do you want to go with Sheryl tomorrow or go alone at night?" Peter asked.

    "I''ll go alone, but I''m afraid that it''s not safe."

    "Well, I''ll ask someone to pick you up and follow you to the 17th floor before leaving. Don''t worry, now the hospital is full of your father''s and Shane''s people." "Why are there so many people?" Freddie''s face

    was nk.

    It was not strange to have a few men with them, but it seemed as though the hospital was chock full of their people. That would cost a lot of money. "Your father and Shane were attacked. We don''t know if the attackers are working together or not."

    "Could it be AN?"

    This so-called AN was part of the World Trade Organization and a capital group.

    They had a lot of money. Their reach extended to many countries and they had devastated many people. They only cared about interests. Shane and Nathan were reckoned to be one of the top dogs, but they were still not strong enough in the face of AN.

    It was not because of theck of intelligence or connections, but AN had existed for hundreds of years. First, it was in Zecluysau, then Neshueles. Now, their influence had expanded to every corner of the globe. The only purpose behind the people in theirpany was to ensure the prosperity of AN.

    AN had tried to rope his father to work for them, and the only reason was to benefit themselves.

    Freddie understood this point very well. His father was an intelligent person, and it was unfortunate that he was the same. Thus, even if his child was not a genius, he would not be an idiot either.

    If he could sire more children and let them infiltrate AN, then it would be equivalent to having countless fighting forces.

    His father did not want such a thing to happen, and he did not want to be a tool. Therefore, both his father and he refused.

    Now that Freddie thought about it, could it be them?

    "You know AN too?" Peter was surprised. "We did suspect them. Previously, AN wanted to work with the Fuller family, but Shane turned them down. AN was disgruntled. So, we asked many Fuller family members, but in the end..."

    Peter did not go on, but Freddie had already gotten the picture. He said bluntly, "I know, it was AN. Uncle Peter, if I''m not wrong, even Uncle Shane may have been targeted by them. Now that it''s time for a personnel change, it''s normal for them to bring in new blood."

    "I didn''t expect you, an 8-year-old, to be aware of such things."

    "It''d be strange if I didn''t understand. I have read much of the information, and I have a photographic memory Uncle Peter, I want to remind you of one thing. It''s not easy to bypass the firewall in the building, so once you encounter a particrly strong firewall, you should leave your address. Don''t attempt to crack it, or you will be in danger."

    "Only leave the address? Then what''s the point of investigating?"

    "After having the address, we can attack it from a backdoor ess. I don''t know if you have tried this before. First you find their server, but circle around to ensure that you can establish a mirror server yourself."

    "So what you''re saying is..."

    "If you don''t have a way to defeat the enemy, then join them. In that case, the enemy will treat you as a part of them. At this point, you have ess to all superficial information that they don''t really care about." Freddie paused andughed innocently. "However, that''s just my guess. I''ve only asked a few of my father''s friends and came up with this conclusion. It''s not necessarily correct."

    "No, it''s right." Peter decided to use this method. I''ve never thought about using a mirror server to

    disguise myself. I remembered it et

    ck the

    when you said that. I can''t password. It''s not easy to impersonate one of them." "Then I

    Wish you the best."

    "Okay, little fellow, wait for about half an hour and my people will pick you up." "All right."

    The call ended.

    Freddiey on his bed and gazed at the ceiling.

    His phone rang and he nced at it. It was a call from Peter. His men must be here already.

    From the moment he hung up, he hadn''t moved at all.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Freddie stood up and rolled his shoulders, put on his windbreaker, grabbed his phone, and left the room down the stairs.

    He was going to see his father soon.

    But he still felt a little uneasy.

    He didn''t know why.

    After getting into the car, Freddie sent a message to Peter: ''I''m already in the car. I think I''ll arrive very soon.''

    Peter: ''Okay, stay safe.''

    Freddie did not reply. He turned his head to look out the window. Although it was alreadyte, the streets were still bustling. The road lights were illuminated and the shops were open, as if beckoning the lonely souls.

    He yawned and asked, "Uncle, how long will it take for us to arrive?" "We''re a few minutes out. After this traffic light, well reach soon," the driver

    replied.

    Well, then.

    He wouldn''t take a nap.

    As the driver said, it was a straight shot after the traffic light. They arrived at the hospital in no time.

    Freddie straightened his clothes. The moment he got out of the car, he was grabbed by a burly man wearing tight-fitting clothes and carrying a gun at

    his hip. Freddie''s pupils contracted violently as he saw the man.

    It was prohibited to carry guns in Brine, but this person had a gun.

    Who was he?

 Chapter 464

    Chapter 464

    Freddie tried to struggle. However, he could not even make the other person look straight at him, let alone try to loosen his iron grip. He suddenly remembered Sheryl''s words - he was just an 8-year-old child. What could he do?

    Yes, he was smart, but that was it. In terms of physical strength or experience, he could not bepared with an adult.

    "What are you doing? He is the son of the big boss!" The driver was dismayed at the scene. He shouted, "Put him down quickly. Do you know who he is? He is Freddie Doyle. How can you treat the Young Master this way?"

    "I know who he is."

    This voice.

    "Since you knew, why did you manhandle him?" The driver pursed his lips. In his heart, he had already lit candles for this brute''s tribute. The boss was not to be trifled with.

    Freddie stopped struggling. Instead, he was surprised and said, "Uncle Gavyn? Uncle Gavyn, you''re here? Why didn''t you tell me that you came? I could have picked you up." "Why are you still talking so much nonsense?" Gavyn pulled up the corner of his mouth and flung him to the ground. From his point of view, it didn''t take much effort. However, in the eyes of others, Freddie seemed to have been catapulted. The driver looked on with his heart pounding. Freddie, on the other hand, merely rolled on the ground, shot up, and ran to Gavyn. "Gavyn, I missed you so much." Freddie started bawling.

    Freddie, who looked like a proud little prince in front of outsiders, lost hisposure in front of Gavyn. He was like a puppy seeking love from a wolf. Gavyn''s huge palm gently caressed Freddie''s head, but in the eyes of the onlookers, his action seemed to be a forceful pat.

    The driver was struck dumb.

    Gavyn looked like he was at least 6 feet 8 while Freddie was at most 4 feet 5 tall. He had yet to go through puberty. Two of them were opposite extremes. In front of Gavyn, Freddie was as light as a two-dimensional critter.

    "Child, I know that Ist saw you three months ago. But is this really necessary?" Gavyn said as he pinched Freddie''s cheek.

    Freddie immediately took a few steps back. With a slighted expression, he said, "Gavyn, you are like my mother. Forget about three months, even if it were three days or three hours, I would still miss you."

    "Come on, I''m not like your mother." Gavyn tugged the corner of his mouth and pointed to the hospital. "Come on, I''ll take you to see your father." "All right."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    The driver watched them with wide eyes and took out a handkerchief to wipe off his perspiration.

    This.

    It was so terrifying.

    The driver informed Peter, but because there was too little information, even Peter could not find him. He had to ask Avery for help. Fortunately, Avery was still awake at this time. When he heard the words ''Gavyn'', he immediatelyughed. "I told you to take a look at the foreign data, but no one listens to me. You don''t even know who Gavyn is. How are we to associate internationally in the future? Listen carefully, Gavyn is Wor rkson, also known as Toothache Gavyn."

    "What the h*ll?" Peter was confused.

    "Let me put it this way. Gavyn is a foreign mercenary and is known as Wor rkson. Once he got out, he definitely couldn''t go by ''rkson'' anymore. However, he didn''t have a name at that moment, since he had always used ''rkson.'' One time when he waspleting a mission with Nathan, a pack of wolves appeared. He single-handedly faced 40 wolves and won. He protected Nathan and he escaped unscathed. Since then, the foreigners started calling him Gavyn."

    "What''s with Toothache Gavyn?"

    "He had a toothache."

    "Young master Avery."

    Avery burst outughing. "Fine, I won''t tease you anymore. It was said that Gavyn had a toothache and maintained the same expression all day. Even when he spoke, his lips didn''t move. Later, someone took a shot of his expression and created a toy figure in that image. They named all the dolls and watches in that series as Toothache Gavyn."

    Peter was speechless.

    You couldn''t make this stuff up.

    "I can make aparison about how powerful Gavyn is. His current record is 100%. In other words, when he was an assassin, he never once failed. You didn''t even know such a powerful person, and you still had the nerve to reveal that you''re in IT. How embarrassing." Avery hung up as soon as he delivered his speech.

    "This guy is as annoying as Braden." Peter gnashed his teeth and tossed his phone aside.

    But soon.

    He began to think about what Avery said. He was right. Peter was indeed not qualified. ording to Avery''s statement, Gavyn was a powerful individual that could not be brushed aside. But Peter did not know he existed.

    S

    It shouldn''t be like this.

    On the 17th floor of the hospital.

    Nathan had woken up a long time ago. Although he was heavily injured, he could still move around rtively well. He was practicing martial arts and working out the kinks in his body.

    The oor was opened.

    Someone wasing.

    Under the moonlight, Nathan''s stance remained rxed and he continued his movements without craning his head. "Gavyn?"

    "My Lord, the little prince is here to see you." Even the usual ruffian became respectful and loyal in the presence of Nathan.

    "I''m fine." Nathan continued a series of punches.

    "Father, I have thought about it. It is very likely that AN did this to you and Uncle Shane."

    Nathan froze and finally faced them. He said meaningfully, "If you knew, of course we had figured it out as well. But we don''t know who AN sent and their objective."

    "Then..."

    "Gavyn, keep an eye on him."

    "I understand," Gavyn said as he pulled Freddie into his arms. "It''s my duty to protect My Lord and the young prince."

    However, Freddie was somewhat displeased. "Father, I can take good care of myself."

    "If you win against Gavyn, you are qualified to do so."

    "Me? Win against Gavyn? Dad, you''re making things difficult for me, aren''t you?" Freddie felt that it was funny In a rush of emotions, he took a step forward. "I know that I''m still a child, but you

    you didn''t have to say that it''s impossible to strike me down, right?

    You wouldn''t be able to defeat

    Gavyn as well."

    "If I beat him, you''ll listen to me?"

    Nathan swiveled around, released a deep breath, threw out a fast jab, and then withdrew his palm.

    Until this moment.

    He hadpleted a set of movements.

    "Yes! But Gavyn can''t go easy on you!"

    "Come here, Gavyn."

    Gavyn touched his nose and moved forward reluctantly. "My Lord, be gentle."

    "Come on."

    Gavyn sent his fist towards Nathan

    in a quick jab Freddie''s pupils shrank. He understood Gavyn very.

    well and the strength in his movements. Gavyn had used all of his power to punch him. Never mind

    blocking this punch, if he could

    survive it, he, Freddie, was already very powerful.

    However...

    Nathan easily blocked it with his arm. He grabbed Gavyn''s arm and flipped him while steadying himself on both feet. In the blink of an eye, Gavyn was already lying on the ground.

    Gavyn straightened at the same time when Nathan stopped attacking. Just as Gavyn shot his leg out at him, Nathan unhurriedly leaned to one side to avoid the attack and grabbed his ankle.

    He wanted to give it a hard crush.

    "My Lord, please show me mercy, My Lord. I am your loyal, old Gavyn." Gavyn immediately began to beg for mercy. "If you don''t stop, my leg will be

    gone."

    "How long has it been since you''ve practiced?" Nathan withdrew, looking at him with a hint of sternness.

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465

    Gavyn hurriedly got up and patted the soil off his body. Then he said with a goofy smile, "Not too long, only a month."

    "I''ve told you that ording to your stamina, your hands would not be able to keep up with your brains if you stopped practicing for even 10 days. Do you even listen to me?" Nathan approached coldly. "What have you been doing for the past month? How did you train when I wasn''t around you?"

    "No, no, sir, I''ve been practicing. It''s me... Ah, I''m sorry, Sir. I went gambling. You know I have this hobby, I..."

    p! p!

    Nathan raised his hand and pped Gavyn in the face. "You know your body isn''t well. Even a week can cause your life to be in danger if your muscles weaken. You can die and no one would care, but who would rece you after you die?"

    "Dad, aren''t you being too cold-hearted?" Freddie was very protective over Gavyn. He immediately ran in front of him and shielded Gavyn with his hands. "Uncle Gavyn has been with you for so many years. Even if he didn''t achieve anything, he worked hard. How can you treat him this way? He didn''t do anything wrong."

    "No, sir. Your father isn''t wrong." Gavyn lowered his head. "Sir, rkson has been with you for so many years. You gave me the job and I got hurt for you. My reputation is also because of you. I am your loyal dog. I''ve always been clear of my identity."

    "You!" Nathan was stunned. "Do you think this was what I meant?"

    "A leopard can''t change his spots." Gavyn''s point was on these words. "I know gambling isn''t good but I can''t control myself. I know my body can''t take it even if I stopped practicing for a day but I get tired of doing this for so many years. Lying down is really much morefortable for me than standing up."

    "Are you trying to piss me off?" Nathan pulled Freddie away and grabbed Gavyn''s cor tightly with his hands. "I am really a failure. I can''t make my son listen to me and I can''t make my employee listen to me either!"

    "Sir, I didn''t mean to..." Gavyn felt helpless.

    "You didn''t mean to... Ahem, ahem..." Nathan started to cough violently all of a sudden.

    Gavyn immediately helped him up. "Sir, sir! Are you alright? Don''t be mad, okay? I''ll train with you every day from today onwards. I won''t let my muscles weaken. I''ve been eating chicken breast and wheat bread all along."

    Nathan pushed him away and turned around toy on his bed.

    This was Freddie''s first time seeing his father acting so irrationally and furious to the point he didn''t know what to do.

    "Sir." Gavyn half knelt down before his bed and said, "This time we came here to... ask you to discipline us. We are your soldiers abroad and we can also be your sword in the country."

    "Do you really think that I care about you protecting me?" Nathan didn''t even look at him.

    "Sir..."

    "If it wasn''t for Seven, if he didn''t suggest for us... I don''t even know that you lived such a reckless life when I''m not here!"

    Gavyn lowered his head in shame.

    At this moment, Freddie finally understood the reason behind his father''s anger-Gavyn and the rest were his trusted aides. Instead of saying that his father was worried that no one would be able to rece Gavyn in the future, it was more appropriate to say his father couldn''t get used to Uncle Gavyn''s absence.

    "Gavyn, let Father rest for a while first," Freddie

    spoke first.

    "This..."

    "Get the hell out of here."

    "Yes, Sir."

    Freddie left the ward with Gavyn. The two of them sat on chairs in the corridor of the hospital.

    Gavyn didn''t say anything. After a moment of silence, Freddie said, "Uncle Gavyn, you''ve always supported me in everything in my life. You are very important to me. Of course, to my father as well."

    "Our affairs have put you in a difficult spot."

    "No, I just feel... that there is a misunderstanding between you two."

    A misunderstanding?

    Of course, there was a misunderstanding.

    Sir did everything for his own good but he can''t control his own selfish desires. It was a big misunderstanding, a misunderstanding that could not be resolved.

    Gavyn smiled and sighed, "Freddie, you would need to take over the family business in the future. Both your father and I will grow old one day. You just look smart but the truth is you''re useless."

    "You..." Freddie was very angry.

    "What''s wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

    Gavyn snorted. "Your father was able to recruit me by the time he was eight."

    "He was able to recruit you?" Freddie was rmed.

    "There was always a rumor that I only followed him after bing a mercenary. That''s bullsh*t. I became a mercenary because of him. He wanted me to gain some reputation before working for him so no one would dare to assassinate him. It''s weird to think about it. He has never been assassinated before facing AN."

    "So, did he reject AN because of me or..."

    "Don''t think about nonsense all day

    long. Who is your father? Do you think he''s a piece of sh*t like the other families? he rejected AN because he didn''t want to be down. Everything is over once about theN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    tied down. I''m not talkingce he''s

    family but the soul. Do you understand?"

    "The soul...?" Wasn''t that non-existent? Freddie didn''t take it seriously.

    "I knew you wouldn''t understand. Having a soul is to be true to yourself. Your true self is made from your soul. Your soul will reflect on your true self. Don''t think that I''m just a fighter but I didn''t waste so many years following Sir."

    Freddie fell into deep thought.

    "You still have a long way to go if you want to surpass your father. Back then, your father was..."

    "Hello."

    A crisp female voice interrupted them.

    Sheryl smiled and bowed, "Nice to meet you, Uncle Gavyn. I''m Shane and Charlotte''s daughter. You can call me Sheryl."

    Gavyn looked her up and down. "You know me?"

    "Wor rkson, to be honest, I never understood why Eit named people so simply. I''ve seen a dessert shop named soap before but there''s a soap shop named Crepe beside the dessert shop. It was so weird."

    "That''s because they have a limited set of vocabry. They can''t think of names like ''Fish and Frogs'' in the country."

    "I think it''s because they''re located in

    a cold ce. People in cold ces don''t really like to use their brains so most mercenaries from Eit are unreasonable people. But Uncle Gavyn you''re different." Sheryl s''at down beside Freddie. "I asked Uncle Peter before I came, he told me you had a 100% military record when

    you were at Wor."

    "Little girl, do you doubt my identity?" Gavyn squinted. This girl in front of him was much more interesting than Freddie.

    Sheryl shook her head and said, "I don''t doubt your identity. I just thought it wasn''t wise for someone as smart as Nathan to establish Eit alone. So wanted to ask if you had a twin?"

    Twin!?

    Did Gavyn have a brother?

    Freddie widened his eyes as he started to think.

    "Who told you this? Or should I say, who asked you to test me?" Gavyn''s face was also very dark. If the girl before him wasn''t Shane''s daughter, he would''ve have grabbed her by the cor and forced an answer from her. Only Sir and he knew this secret.

    Yes, even Nathan''s son, Freddie, didn''t know about this. How did this little girl know about it?

    It was absolutely impossible for her to figure it out on her own. It was absolutely impossible.

    No one could do that.

    The only possibility was that she had a powerful team behind her, but... but she looked too calm!

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466

    "Don''t worry. No one knows but me," Sheryl said as she yawned. "I was worried when I noticed Freddie was gone during the night. I asked the driver about it and he said he brought him here. I thought someone must have asked the driver to do that so I called Uncle Peter. Once I knew you were from Wor, I started to suspect you were a twin."

    "How did you..." Gavyn still didn''t believe her.

    "It''s normal that you don''t believe me. Let me exin. I heard from my father that Nathan saved someone when he was around 10. That person had a weak body so he wasn''t suitable to practice martial arts at all. But the next year, this man went to Wor and registered under the name rkson. Isn''t that weird? A man who was heavily injured from drowning and was on the verge of death was able to join Wor in just six months."

    "What kind of ce is Wor? It was a heaven for mercenaries. There are countless of powerful men inside. How many of them were in their own element and how many of them died a gruesome death? Uncle Gavyn, tell me how did that man survive? How did he survive 100% of all his missions? Is he that gifted? If that was the case,

    what was he doing before?" Sheryl smiled slyly like a fox.

    Gavyn fell silent.

    Sheryl did not intend to let this go. She continued, "So I guessed that was either your brother or your twin. You were saved by Nathan. Your twin entered Wor and obtained the perfect record so you can make a name for yourself by Nathan''s side. Nathan also used this time to make some changes to your body."

    "What you said is reasonable, but why would sir do this? This takes a lot of time and there''s no assurance my brother could do this. Besides, I am loyal to sir, but won''t he suspect that one day my brother and I..."

    "But what if the person who drowned was actually Nathan?" Sheryl tilted her head.

    Gavyn''s eyes darkened.

    "Ah, did I say something wrong?" Sheryl stood up and said, "I''m going in to see Uncle Nathan."

    "Gavyn, what is going on?" Freddie was at a loss. "Is Sheryl telling the truth? Are you really my father''s brother?"

    "No, my brother was the one at Wor. At that time, it was I who saved sir and not he who saved me." Gavyn thought of the past with a sharp pain in his heart. "I promised sir, no matter what, we would train together so our muscles would not weaken and not let the condition of our lungs worsen. That was why he was so angry. Because to him, our lives are closely connected to each other."

    Freddie was immediately at a loss for words. "So Sheryl guessed everything correctly?"

    "If this little girl was really guessing, then sir, you have to keep her by your side even if you don''t like her."

    "I love her. I will respect her." Freddie answered very seriously. He stared at Gavyn and said, "Uncle, I can listen to you and father in everything but anything that has to do with Sheryl, I have to listen to my brain."

    Gavyn did not expect such an answer. He smiled with gratification and said, "Good, good, I finally see a trace of your soul in you. It''s a good thing." Freddie did not reply. He was lost in thought as he looked in Sheryl''s direction.

    He was determined to win her heart.

    Squeak, squeak-

    Sheryl pushed open the door and closed it again. She said in a childish voice, "Uncle Nathan, did you hear my reasoning just now?" "Hmm." The man repliedzily.

    "Are you serious about what you said before?"

    "Sheryl, do you hate Freddie so much?" Nathan turned around and looked at her with his head propped up in one hand.

    Sheryl shook her head and said, "I don''t hate season Freddie. I want you to take him away from me for his own good. He would be pressured to death if he stays by my side. I want a cute boyfriend not a follower."

    "Did your father teach you this?"C��ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

    "My dad won''t teach me this. I learnt it from watching TV myself." Sheryl said as she moved closer, "Uncle Nono, actually I like people like you. Although you''re not very smart, you have enough wisdom."

    Nathan didn''t know what to say

    Should he thank her for praising him?

    Nathan scratched his eyebrows with his other hand. "If you like me, shouldn''t you like Freddie too?"

    "No, if both you and I remain by his side, he would never be you. Don''t you think you''re too protective over him? Based on my reasoning just now, you used to be chased down a lot when you were small, right?"

    So?"

    "Freddie didn''t. He has never faced death." "Isn''t it good to be a smart good-for-nothing?" Nathan asked.

    Sheryl was ready to protest but she thought of this sentence again. She shrugged her shoulders and said, " have no objections if Freddie''s own father says so. I can get a lot of benefits and money from marrying Freddie, so I am very willing to do SQ"

    "You are just as snobbish as Shane."

    "I''m just epting circumstances that are beneficial to me."

    Nathan shook his head helplessly.

    He was afraid that his son would be yed in the hands of Sheryl.

    The next day.

    Sheryl ran into the ward and stayed close to Charlotte and Shane.

    Charlotte felt guilty as she looked at Sheryl in Shane''s arms. She touched the back of her head and asked, "How''s your homeworktely? Can you keep up?"

    "My homework would be fine with Olive here. I also bought a lot of extracurricr books. Recently, I''ve been very interested in calculus." "Uh..." Charlotte instantly choked on her words.

    "Your mother is a bad student," Shane said with his pale lips. He looked particrly weak and he was thinner than before. His skin was almost as white as snow.

    Charlotte couldn''t bear to argue with him like this. She could only reply, "Sure, sure. Your dad is right. Don''t mention calculus, I''m not even good at addition and subtraction."

    "Then Mommy, you''re too stupid. Let daddy teach you. I won''t bother you anymore. I''m going to see Freddie."

    Sheryl left after she finished speaking.

    Charlotte was stunned for a few seconds, then she looked at Shane suspiciously, "Is your daughter going out with Freddie?"

    "Isn''t that good?"

    "How old is she?"

    "They would have more time to learn about each other."

    "You''re going to settle the engagement just like that?" Charlotte smirked.

    "Nathan told me that the reason he didn''t object Freddie for bringing Irena back to the country is because of Sheryl If Sheryl was a boy, they would be business partners. If she was a girl, they would marry. He blindly worships me."

    Charlotte reached out her hand and pinched his nose, "He worships you blindly? Are you not embarrassed to say so? Isn''t Nathan better than you?"

    "It''s true that he is better than me, but he is no match for me," Shane said as he propped himself up. "What''s wrong? Are you so dissatisfied with me? Are you going to pick Nathan between me and him?"

    "Who said that I''m going to pick him? Besides, how am I dissatisfied with you?" Charlotte helped him adjust his bed and supported him up. "I''m taking care of you so thoughtfully and I still have to be told

    el

    off by you? It''s not easy for me, okay?"

    "You''re not dissatisfied with me at all?" The man leaned forward slightly as he spoke. He hooked his fingers around her chin.

    He couldn''t be thinking about...

    A cold glint shed across Charlotte''s eyes as she directly pushed his hand away.

    It was an insignificant move...

    A gash of blood appeared on the back of Shane''s hand.

    She was stunned.

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467

    "I''m sorry." Charlotte immediately took out some alcohol and bandages from the drawer. "I didn''t expect this to happen."

    "Sorry?" Shane chuckled. Suddenly, he sped the back of her head, his eyes were overwhelmed with emotions. "You have a lot more to be sorry for. There are still many things you do not know."

    "I..." She choked up and looked into his eyes. She was suddenly filled with guilt. She lowered her head and said, "I know you''ve sacrificed a lot for me so I always wanted to repay you. I''m not a hard-hearted person but Shane, that fire and old madam really made me... I''m afraid one day, I''ll be one of your chess pieces and I wouldn''t know it. Just like our previous marriage agreement. I can only hide and watch you leave helplessly."

    "I won''t leave you."

    "Of course you can say that. You also said you would guarantee the interest of the Fuller family. You really looked like the perfect grandson when you helped her down the stairs just like how you are the perfect lover to me now. But Shane, do you know which you said was true or false?" Charlotte''s tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke.

    She thought she could be strong enough to face the ups and downs of the mall but she immediately turned into an ordinary woman before Shane. His every move affected her heart.

    Even if it was just a sentence, it would make her feel uneasy. She really didn''t understand why she couldn''t escape him.

    "Old Madam''s death was an ident. Rather than saying Christopher wanted her to die, it is better to say that she was using her death to put pressure on Christopher. I remember telling you this before."

    "Then, what about the fire?"

    "Charlotte, do you know why I want to transfer everything under your name? I want them to know that you are in charge of everything in the family. Then they wouldn''t dare toy their hands on you and Sheryl. Meanwhile, I''ll be observing their every move from behind the scenes. This is the only way to ensure your safety."

    Charlotte was speechless, "I know this..."

    "We can''t be at the mercy of others forever. Even Avery knows to take revenge against the Stevens Family. Don''t you think I would know what the Fuller family would do to you in the future?"

    "But you can''t..." She sighed.

    "If you were them, do you think they would let us and Sheryl go?"

    Shane''s voice was very soft and cold, but it sounded powerful.

    Charlotte felt that a piece of her heart was broken at once. Her eyes welled up with tears and her voice became choked up. "I know all these but is this the only solution?"

    "Do you have a better idea?"

    "Can''t we kill them at the mall?"

    "Let them be like the Stevens Family? Their whole family was broken up by Avery so they would kill themselves one by one?"

    Charlotte was once again speechless.

    Shane looked at her with disappointment, "Charlotte, since when did you be so softhearted?"

    "Because of you," she answered without hesitation. "Because you are the one who did this. It would be so easier if it was someone else, wouldn''t it? Everyone wishes for unlimited power to defeat all those that hurt themselves, to create a path of justice in their own ways. But if it were to happen to the people around them, the people they loved, would they still be able to do it easily?" "When the blood of justice is smeared on the people they loved, can they still in good conscience say they did a good job? Should we use the same methods as they did to deal with them?"

    "Yes, no one wants to be a saint nor be pushed around. They all want to act like nothing happened after taking revenge. But... Shane, think about it, how would you feel if I killed many people just to protect you?"

    After a long silence.

    Shane answered in a word.

    "Good."

    Initially, Charlotte found it hard to believe as she listened. Then, she fell silent. Finally, she let out augh.

    She nodded. "Okay, one day, I will do as you wish."

    Their conversation just ended like that.

    The two of them were in the same room but they did not speak.

    Until Sheryl came in again, the two of them seemed to have the talent for acting. They put on a show as a very affectionate couple in front of Sheryl. Sheryl was very smart.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    However, she did not want to tear down their act. She longed to be with her parents too much. She wanted to be spoilt in their arms and she wanted them to love her together.

    Five dayster.

    Avery returned home.

    This time, he was not only the young master of the Hart family but also the only master of the Hart family.

    He integrated all the resources at home and abroad. Then seized all the resources that were scattered outside. There had never been a person like him in the Hart family. He was probably the first and thest to do so.

    The report of Avery''s return was announced in the newspaper.

    Charlotte nced at the newspaper before ncing at the man, sitting with his legs crossed and eating a

    peach before her. She shook heret

    head and sighed, "The people who see you in real life after reading the news would surely feel as if they''ve been deceived."

    "What do you mean?" Avery snorted and took another bite of the peach. "I''m hungry, okay? Let me tell you, went to see Rick and Kendall. They are so in love now. I suggest you two can learn from them and go on vacation. Don''t always get locked up by trivial matters."

    "No thanks, we are very busy." Charlotte rolled her eyes.

    "All right, Sheryl told me that the both of you are fighting every day. What? Is it about the fire?"

    "What else could it be?"

    "I think it''s about time I told you something important about AN. Shane, you should know about it."

    Shane nodded.

    Avery quickly finished the peach and threw the seed into the trash can. He took out a wet tissue and wiped his hands. "AN has already found me. Aren''t they good?"

    "Why are they looking for you?" Shane frowned.

    "Hahaha, they want me to deal with you and Nathan. They said I can get your resources if I worked with them. If I miss you guys, I can ask you to work with them together."

    "What did you say?"

    "Of course I sent them away one by one." Avery stood up and sat down beside Shane. He put his arm around Shane''s shoulder and said, "I would never betray you even if I had to betray the world."

    Avery winked at him flirtatiously.

    Shane was silent for a moment, then turned his head and began to throw up.

    He really threw up.

    "What the f*ck is this?" Avery asked exasperatedly, "Shane, how dare you throw up? What is the meaning of this? Do you even have a heart? You this f*cker!"

    "Stop cursing." Charlotte red at him.

    Avery stopped.

    It was so unreasonable.

    He just gave Shane a loving look and he threw up. But it was his fault for cursing at Shane? He couldn''t live with this any longer. He should just drown

    himself.

    Shane''s face was even paler after he

    threw up. His skin was as white and translucent like paper. Charlotte''s heart ached as she watched him

    She always felt the blood vessels beneath his skin would burst if she even touched him.

    Normally, someone sick would look pale but he looked almost transparent.

    His blood vessels, red, green, and purple were bulging out of the surface of his skin. It was even more apparent on his lower jaw, his blood vessels looked like spider webs.

    "Your face looks a bit..." Avery also noticed that something was wrong with him. "I didn''t pay much attention to it just now. But now I see you''re...

    different."

    "Even an Avatar would not look so translucent." Charlotte looked at him anxiously. "Avery, did Skr tell you anything about Shane''s situation? I don''t think it''s that simple but Skr said he just needs a good rest."

    "If he said so but his skin..."

    Avery thought of a disease and asked tentatively, "Do you think Shane is bing a fishperson too? But I only heard of scales growing on their

    bodies. His..."

    It didn''t seem like it.

 Chapter 468

    Chapter 468

    "Do you want to go for another physical examination?" Charlotte asked.

    "When was hisst physical examination?"

    "About five or six days ago, at that time, hisplexion wasn''t that bad. Besides, he was quite energetic then, unlike now he looks so depressed," Charlotte said as she handed over Shane''s report to Avery. He was much more familiar with this than she was.

    Avery read the two pages and shook his head. He said, "It looks normal. Then let''s run another physical examination. I''m here anyway, I can discuss the situation with Skr."

    "Alright."

    Avery called Skr over. He was so shocked that he couldn''t say a word when he saw Shane. Avery immediately knew that an examination had to be done when he saw Skr''s reaction. It was very rare for him to tell there was a big issue with just one look.

    However, there was nothing wrong with Shane when the report came out. Everything was normal other than the low blood sugar, which was very strange.

    "Then it may be a physiological reaction," Skr said as he poked on Shane''s skin. There was nothing wrong with it. It felt the same as usual. This was a very strange fact, in theory, it''s not possible for his skin to have no change at that stage.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    At the very least, it should feel as thin as paper, otherwise, it would not look so translucent.

    However...

    "Is it that our machines aren''t good enough?" Avery gave a reasonable suspicion.

    "No." Skr shook his head. "The equipment all over the world is the same. If the machine says there is no problem, then there isn''t. Let him have a good rest and try not to go under the sun too much. In short, we''ll be trying everything we can to treat him. You have to be prepared for the worst." Charlotte immediately panicked upon hearing Skr''s words. She stood by Shane''s side closely.

    "Don''t raise any false rms. I know my body very well. " Shane was almost dizzy as he watched her pace back and forth in the room.

    "What would Sheryl do if you left? She has finally found her dad, she..." Charlotte waved her hands around as she spoke. "Let''s not talk about these useless things. I''ll go overseas in the next two days and find out if there is any other way."

    "Come here."

    Although Charlotte didn''t want to, she felt it would be inhumane to refuse him. She had no choice but to walk over to his side.

    Shane reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her into his embrace. "It''s enough for you to stay by my side. Doctor''s abroad might not be as good as the doctor''s here. Isn''t Skr from overseas? I just need a good rest."

    "But you... Huh? Your skin doesn''t look so translucent anymore." Charlotte rubbed her eyes. "What is going on?"

    "It''s probably nothing." Shane said, "Don''t some people''s hair turn white overnight?"

    "I hope so."

    Charlotte felt guilt in her heart so she took care of Shane the best she could. She looked after him from every single aspect. When Sheryl came, they would have a meal and chat with Shane. He also recovered well. His wounds were all healed and his skin no longer looked so translucent but he still looked thin and weak.

    Charlotte thought of many ways to feed Shane but his body was like a ck hole. She couldn''t see any changes even after he ate, she could only wait anxiously.

    On this day.

    Nathan was about to be discharged from the hospital. He brought some fruits and flowers over to visit Shane.

    "I''ll bring Sheryl home first. It''s not good for a child to be at the hospital all day long," Nathan said. "Sorry for the trouble."

    "I''m not the one who would be troubled." Nathan smiled. "I n to return with Gavyn once. I''ll hand over any affairs in the country over to Irena. If you have the time, you can help me bring together Avery and her. After all, so many years have passed, my brother had also be a skeleton." "Sheryl told me about Gavyn. Although I know this is a very impolite question, but..."

    "I know what you want to ask. They aren''t the same person but no matter Gavyn or me, we only have each other." Nano paused and continued, "Besides, I''m going back to pick up some AN''s documents too."

    "I understand. I will help you watch over anything here. You can contact me anytime if you need me," Charlotte said. "Although we do not have much power abroad, the Jane Corporation will listen to your orders unconditionally."

    "The Jane Corporation is also..."

    "That''s right."

    charge

    Rick and Kendall went on a trip and opened an antique store. They collected and sold famous paintings all day now. They two had so much fun, no one wanted to be of the Jane Corporation. So Charlotte and Avery had to take over half each. Avery is in charge of public rtions while she was in charge of nning.

    ?? ?

    Therefore instead of saying they were each in charge of half thepany, it was just to create healthypetition within thepany. It didn''t matter if the

    people sided with Avery or Chal

    they had to make outsiders think they werepeting with each other. This would make the

    company more energetic.

    Apany where only one person has a say in anything wouldn''t have any vitality.

    "It''s really amazing." Nano sighed, "No wonder Sheryl is so smart at such a young age."

    "She? Sheins about me as a mother all day long." Charlotte couldn''t help butugh.

    "To some extent, you are very sessful."

    Charlotte was stunned for a moment.

    Nano left with Sheryl and Freddie. Avery and Irena also left not long after. Only Shane, Charlotte, Cole and a few men were left at the hospital. It wasn''t too safe for them so Charlotte also asked for Shane to be discharged.

    He could rest at home or at the hospital but it was more convenient for him to stay at home. After returning to the familiar home, Charlotte felt as if she had entered a different world, t

    "I never expected in my life that I would be with you in this house again," Charlotte sighed.

    Shane sat down on the sofa with her help. "I never thought that I would be separated from you."

    "Yes, so many friends and so many things have bound us tightly together. Even if we were to separate, the others might not necessarily agree." "Even money also wouldn''t agree," Shane added.

    "Alright, I''ll cook for you first."

    "Lottie."

    "Yes?"

    She was about to wash the vegetables. She looked up at him and asked, "What''s wrong."

    "I want to y the piano."

    "You... Do you want to perform on stage?" Charlotte didn''t expect he would say that. There was a glimmer of hope in her heart. "Are you doing this willingly or because I said that I wanted you to y?"

    "Both." Shane had always told the truth. "There''s no difference for me." "When are you nning to go?"

    "After a good rest."

    "Okay, I know a lot of people in the entertainment industry. I''ll try my best to promote you then. All you have to do is y well. I''ll take care of the rest," Charlotte said as she washed some fruits and ced them in front of him. "Eat this first, I''ll make dinner."

    "Who will lead me in the entertainment industry?"

    That was indeed a problem.

    Although ying the piano was

    more high-end, it was also considered as part of the entertainment industry. So he must have to sign with a manager. Ideally, it would be the safest for Avery or her to be his manager but the both of them were too busy. Besides, she didn''t want to spend so much time with Shane. She only took care of him now because she felt guilty. She really didn''t have the heart to help him get to the top.

    At least not before she investigated and got to the bottom of the problem, she would keep her distance from him. But then neither she nor Avery would be able to be his manager. Unless...

    There was one more person.

    "Do you remember Cassius? He has been involved in these sorts of thingstely. It should be around two months now. If you''re willing to work with him, he''s absolutely qualified to be your manager.

    Besides, he sings well, he can duet with you." "Cassius?" Shane pursed his lips and said, "You''re quite considerate of him."

    "What?" Charlotte felt amused. "Didn''t I say only if you''re willing to work with him? You can forget about it if you don''t want to. What do you mean by

    ''I''m considerate of him''? I''m clearly thinking for your sake."

    For his sake...

    Shane lowered his eyes and said in an indifferent mocking tone, "Will you still think for my sake now?"

    Charlotte froze. For some reason, there was a sour feeling welling up in her heart.

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469

    In the end, Shane still went with Cassius. Cassius had experience in the entertainment circle. Moreover, he was very concerned about the rtionship between Cassius and Charlotte.

    However, after he talked to Cassius, Shane no longer felt this man was a threat. There was nothing more important than acting and singing in Cassius''s eyes. He spent every day in the practice room. He only talked with Charlotte asionally over some trivial matters.

    In a blink of an eye.

    Ten months had passed.

    Shane had turned from a businessman into one of the world''s top pianists. He was very good at ying the piano. No one else could learn his style. He was also able to y a few ssical pieces perfectly. Therefore, some people called him a man who was able to drive the industry further. Not to mention he had an endless stream of investors behind him to push him higher.

    October was Shane''s time of glory as well as the time of farewells for some people.

    Nano wanted to return back to his country, Seven didn''t want to leave but Irena wanted to follow

    Nano.

    Avery tried to convince her to stay twice but Irena still didn''t change her mind. He also stopped trying. As long as he knew she was still alive, he could continue to live for her just like in the past.

    "Why don''t you look for her again?"

    In Avery''s house, Freddie leaned against the doorframe, looked at Avery, and asked, "You obviously like my godmother very much. If you look for her again, maybe she will stay."

    "She doesn''t want to stay, why should I force my feelings onto her?" Avery asked back.

    "Aren''t all rtionships forced?" Freddie tilted his head and looked at him. In his eyes, his parents'' love was forced out of each other.

    Averyughed, "You''re just a kid. How do you know that?"

    "Why can''t a child know this?" Freddie pouted unhappily. "Or is it that you care a lot about the fact my godmother used to like my uncle?"

    "I don''t mind. I would be grateful as long as she lived. I don''t care who she likes in the process."

    "Then why don''t you look for her?"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Avery didn''t know how to exin this to the kid.

    In fact, after he thought about it, it was normal for Freddie to have such an opinion. After all, in his world, there was nothing he couldn''t have with a wave of his hand.

    "I''ll go look for her now. Thank you, Fred." Avery decided to get rid of the child first. He still had time to deal with the issue with Irena. They weren''t leaving tomorrow anyway.

    "My name is Freddie." Freddie rolled his eyes and left.

    Avery was speechless.

    He realised children nowadays had quite a bad temper.

    The next day.

    Avery made an appointment with Irena and waited at the door of her house.

    As soon as the door opened, he saw Irena walking out of the vi behind Nano. Irena was so subservient she looked like a maid. Nano didn''t even look at her as he walked forward.

    After a few steps, Avery wanted to go forward but he heard Nano speak.

    "What''s your n after returning?"

    "I have no ns. He asked me to take good care of you so I will take care of you."

    "He is no longer here." Nathan stopped. He leaned against the car and looked at Irena. "We do not belong in the same world." "I know." Irena lowered her head. "I don''t deserve to be with you."

    "No, you shouldn''t be with us."

    "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

    "Someone else is suitable for you. He needs you more than me. Seven also needs someone to take care of him here."

    "What about you? You would go back alone?" Irena''s tone became agitated. "If you go back alone, what''s the point of guarding the room? I really don''t understand."

    Nathan looked up at the blue sky and said, "I promised her that if she died, I would raze the world to the ground, then I would live in her favorite house until I die of old age. Now that she is dead, I have no one else to worry about."

    "Freddie hasn''t grown up, he..."

    "Irena, I don''t think Shane will treat my son unfairly."

    Suddenly, Irena had nothing to say.

    Freddie and Sheryl were still too young. No one would know if they were just fooling around or serious. If Nathan was able to determine Freddie''s happiness in the future based on just that, then, she could only say Nathan trusted Shane too

    much.

    Irena took a deep breath. A bitter smile appeared at the corner of her scarred mouth. "I think I understand. Since this is your decision, then I can only wish you and Little Master well."

    "You stay here and help me keep an eye on Freddie. As for Avery, he''s a reliable person. If reincarnation exists, I would wait for someone I love rather than someone who loves me. I can see you''re guilty."

    Irena looked down.

    Nano got into the car and left.

    Irena sighed and muttered to herself, "Does it matter if I''m feeling guilty or love? I''ve already promised him that I would not marry anyone for the rest of my life. I..."

    "It doesn''t matter." Avery came out

    of the shadow. He put his hands in his pockets and smiled arrogantly, "We already have Olive. As for

    marriage, it doesn''t matter if you

    aren''t afraid I would run away with someone. If you are, I can get married to some rando at egro as a ceholder for this position."

    "Avery? You, when did youe here?" Irena was surprised.

    "Just now." Avery reached out his hands. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I killed and did some crazy things for you. I caused Rick and Kendall to go through a big circle just to be together. I would''ve lost too much if you don''t stay with me."

    Irena smiled bitterly, "I really don''t deserve to be with you... oh..."

    Avery kissed her on the lips.

    Momentster.

    el

    He gently loosened his grip and leaned against her ear, whispering, "Have I told you I love you? If I didn''t, then listen well. Irena, I love you. Whether you''re alive or dead, whether you''re beautiful or ugly, as long as you''re by my side, as long as you''re here, I''ll always love you. Even if you aren''t by my side, I force myself to love you until I die."

    "You would stop loving me if I died?" Irena thought that he was childishly cute.

    "I''ll try my best, okay? If I can still love you after I die, I will continue to love you." Avery raised his hand.

    Irena sighed.

    "What have I done...?"

    "In the past, Charlotte asked me a question. She asked me why I wanted to wait for you. I answered just because I wanted to wait for you."

    Not far away.

    Nathan sat in the car and looked at Avery and Irena, who was hugging each other, and shook her head with a smile.

    "You know what Second Master thinks so why did you send her off to someone else?" The butler in the driver''s seat asked. "I''ve watched the both of you grow up. All these years, you''ve always had a simr taste in things. Since Second Master liked Miss Chambers so much, I''m sure you..."

    "Alfie, in this world, only love could not be shared," Nano answered softly.

    "Sir, you and Miss Chambers..."

    "Not to mention that no one could tell if she was beautiful or ugly from her face. Even if her past self stood before me, it couldn''t evenpare to the

    love I had."

    "Do you really love Young Madam that much?"

    "I love her, just like Avery loves Irena. So isn''t it a good thing?"

    Anyway, he didn''t need Irena at all. It was better to give Irena to someone who felt she was important to them. He smiled because he saw his brother''s shadow in Avery. His brother had died. Even if heaven existed, he couldn''t bring Irena

    el

    happiness. All the so-called "no''s" were just shackles.

    Irena would be shackled but he wouldn''t be.

    To him, people could only willingly be shackled

    and restrained of their freedom.

    That''s why.

    He wanted Irena to make her own choice.

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470

    In the end, Avery decided to settle down in Brine.

    Olive stayed behind as well.

    Initially, the issue with his residency was an extremely difficult matter to solve but Charlotte only made two calls before it was settled. Avery clicked his tongue in wonder. Charlotte asked him not to tell anyone else about it. After all, a person''s connections were only useful if kept secret. Otherwise, it would just be gossip. Fortunately, Avery was a reasonable man. Not only did he keep quiet about it, he told people who asked about it that the matter was still in the process.

    It wasn''t until he officially bought the house that he announced his residency. It had been three years since he decided to stay, so no one cared whether it was true or not.

    In the past three years, Shane had been performing at different ces. Charlotte would be with him each time and Cassius would dance for him asionally.

    It was worth mentioning that Cassius was already at the pinnacle of sess. Many artists, entertainers and songwriters had signed under him. Directors and screenwriters also couldn''t wait to stay at his house all day. He himself was a big IP with many promising artists working for him. Now, he had a bright future.

    Braden and Anne had also settled down in Brine. They relied on some of Anne''s assets to live. asionally they would go grocery shopping together hand in hand.

    They had a car, a house and some deposits. They had the ability, money and time to live a life free from the chaos of the world. They were basically living the lives of gods.

    In a blink of an eye.

    Caleb and Rnd were released from prison. Both of them were sentenced to prison for five years and fined 1 million dors for attempted murder and tax evasion.

    Kendall and Rick returned to the country as fast as they could when they received this news. They arrived at the prison before Caleb and Rnd could leave.

    "You still remember you had a brother and a father?" Caleb''s eyes went red with fury when he saw her. He raised his fist and rushed forward. Rick grabbed his hand and said coldly, "You don''t need me and Kendall to remind you of what evil things you''ve done. Avery and we may have contributed to the situation you''re in but in the end you just reaped what you sowed!" "Reaped what we sowed? Rick, can you assure us that your hands are clean..."

    "I can assure you."

    Caleb was instantly speechless. Kendall gently held Rick''s hand from the side. "I used to think there are no clean businessmen in the world too but after I met Rick and the rest of them, I suddenly realised it doesn''t matter if you''re clean or not. What''s important is helping the people in need."

    "Even if Rick is dirty, he is still trying to help everyone. His money is in the right ce."

    Caleb pursed her lips. "Isn''t it all for your own selfish desires?"

    "Rick, forget it." Kendall sighed.

    For the past few years she was with Rick, she had gradually understood the other''s logic. They made money to give back to the society in order to bring greater benefits towards them unlike his father and brother, who only wanted to expand their family''s riches. Rick and the others never cared about these. They only wanted to live their own lives and do what they should do.

    If the people they wanted to take advantage of were extremely evil, they would not be softhearted either.

    That was them.

    The righteous ones.

    "Since we have nothing else to say, please choose a country. We''ll give you a piece ofnd with a decent house. You''ll have bodyguards and housekeepers. They would protect and take care of you twenty-four hours a day. We would also provide you with any other needs such as vacations and so on." Rick paused. "It''s a prison and you have no choice."

    After he finished, he and Kendall left without waiting for an answer. At the same time, he signalled for the men behind him to apprehend the both of them.

    He could vaguely hear them cursing behind his back but he couldn''t care less.

    "Rick, it''s a good thing that I''ve always liked you." Kendall held Rick''s hand tightly with a slight blush on her cheeks.

    "Shouldn''t you say that it''s fortunate that you like me?" Rick burst intoughter.

    "It''s the same thing."

    Indeed.

    As long as the two of them were together, it was the same.

    After the problem with the Stevens Family waspletely solved, Charlotte no longer had any worries. She developed thepany so that it was even more renowned than before.

    "Christopher will be released in a few days, we..." Zoe, her assistant, reminded her in a low voice.

    Thepany had grown bigger and it was on a muchrger scale but the people around her remained the same.

    Now.

    Zoe was the chief assistant, her husband, Peter was the chief adviser and also one of the directors of thepany. For many years, they had umted wealth far beyond any ordinary person. It could be said they had aplete transformation. They had be a shining

    diamond that the world could not ignore.

    Charlotte put down the documents in her hands and answered, "I know. I would meet with himter and see what choice he makes."

    "Although the people from the Fuller family didn''t die, they do have a lot of resentment against you. I also don''t understand, why did you protect Christopher before?"

    Charlotte didn''t reply. She simply smiled.

    Zoe sighed and said, "Alright, I

    understand. It was so Shane would have another family to talk to, right?" "Well, Raima chose to go to the nursing home as I expected. After all, she doesn''t like me and Sheryl. Besides, now that Freddie''s here, that vi is just right for them and the housekeepers. Avery and Irena could also have some privacy in their own vi."

    "But you and Shane... You have been apart for so long these few years. You said you were going to get married, but even Sheryl is about to be an adult soon."

    "Come on, there are still five years before she bes an adult."

    "Don''t you remember? You''ve already known Shane when Sheryl was only five years old."

    That''s right.

    In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed.

    Just as Charlotte was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang. She nced at it and her eyes darkened. She immediately stood up and said, "Cancel all of today''s meetings."

    "What''s wrong?" Zoe was shocked when she saw her grab her keys and bag in a hurry. She watched as Charlotte paced around in a blur.

    For the past few years, Charlotte rarely acted this way.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Shane is in trouble. I have to go and see him."

    As soon as she finished speaking, Charlotte directly rushed out of the office.

    Shane was in trouble?

    Wasn''t he performing?

    What happened?

    In the hospital.

    Shaneid on the bed. He tried many times but he couldn''t raise his left hand.

    In fact, from the moment he fell off the stage, he had already expected this. In the future, he might not be able to use his left hand at all. Instead of feeling disappointed, he felt that this was inevitable. He had been ying the piano for so many years but he never mixed around. He enjoyed so many resources yet he never befriended anyone. It was normal for others to be jealous of him.

    In addition, he was no longer in charge of thepany. He had left everything to Charlotte but they weren''t married...

    Therefore, it wasn''t surprising if others would think he was a pushover.

    "Shane!"

    Just as he was lost in thought, he heard a familiar voice.

    He leaned to one side. Charlotte entered his ward with beads of sweat on her forehead.

    "I''m fine," he said.

    "The doctor has already told me that

    your hand can''t move for now. But that''s okay, I''ve asked Skr to find the best doctor. I''ve also asked Peter to deal with the people who did this to you. They wouldn''t think about touching the piano again from now on. I''m sorry..." Charlotte held onto his hand.

    His hand was so cold.

    Shane raised his right hand and asked in amusement, "What do you have to be sorry for?"

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471

    "I..." Charlotte was speechless for a moment.

    Over the past few years, she had been avoiding him. Of course, work was one of the reasons but most of the time it was because she didn''t know how to get along with him. They both avoided flirting with each other. Most of the time, they talked about business and she would check in with him on what was happening in the entertainment circle. Even if they were free, they never went on dates.

    So she was sorry to him. She clearly said that she would give him the best life. She also said that even if she took over everything, she would not ignore him. But in the end, she let him get hurt. In the past, it was so difficult for people to meet him, let alone hurt him. Now...

    She failed to protect him, so she apologised.

    "There''s no need to be sorry."

    "Sorry." She apologized again.

    "You haven''t fulfilled your promise of one month."

    "What one month?"

    "Dating."

    It was only then Charlotte remembered there was such a promise but now...

    Charlotte felt a little awkward as she said, "I''m really too busy right now. If I take some time off to be with you, I won''t be able to do anything else." "In the past, I also took time off to be with you."

    "Alright..." Charlotte couldn''t turn down these words.

    That''s right.

    In the past, Shane was much busier than her. After all, she took over everything from him. Besides, he had to build thepany on his own before. It was much more difficultpared to her work. However, where should they go on a date?"

    Sheryl noticed her parents seemed to have be much closer recently. They often went out together. Sometimes they would take her and Freddie out too. Although she really liked going out, she was even more curious about the sudden change in their rtionship.

    However, it was quite sad that Shane''s left hand was impaired. He could no longer carry Sheryl on his back like he used to.

    On this day.

    Sheryl and Freddie were doing their homework at home. Suddenly, the door burst open. Olive ran in and sat down beside Sheryl. "I''m so angry." "What''s wrong?" Sheryl reached out and touched her hair.

    "The new school I''m at is way out of line."

    Freddie looked up and shot her a disdained look. "Why me the school for your own ipetence?"

    "You''d better shut your mouth and wash it with soap." Olive rolled her eyes in annoyance.

    "Alright, can you stop arguing the moment you see each other?" Sheryl asked helplessly. "Olive, ignore Freddie. Tell me what happened."

    "They didn''t tell me when they were ying with the time capsule!"

    "What is a time capsule?" Sheryl asked.

    "That is..."

    A time capsule was a game the children liked to y. They would put a note or toy into a small box and then bury it. When they grew up, they would dig it out again. Most of the time, it was yed with two or more people as doing it alone would be boring.

    Olive longed to y this game but no one in school wanted to y with her. Of course, she couldn''t care less to y with them either but it was quite pitiful to be ignored during activities.

    "If I had known, I would go to the same school as you," Olive sighed.

    "Thank you but I don''t want to. Furthermore, you are too old. You won''t be able to pass the tests." Freddie retorted without lifting his head.

    "You crazy..."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Alright, alright, stop arguing." Sheryl''s head was starting to spin.

    As she thought about it.

    This year, she would soon be fifteen years old. Freddie would be sixteen and Olive, eighteen. So Olive would be the eldest, but she was the immature one amongst them. She was hot and impulsive, like a ball of fire and she was also especially...cute? Or it should be said that she was childish. For something like the time capsule...

    Sheryl thought that it would be something she was interested in during pre-school.

    Freddie shut his notebook and stood up. "I''m going back to my room to study."

    "You!" Olive''s eyes widened with anger.

    "Calm down. I''ll y the time capsule with you." Sheryl patted her head and asked, "Olive, have you decided which college to go to?" "Yes, geology university. I''m going to study ecological studies in the future. What about you?"

    "I''ve discussed with Freddie. He''ll apply for a performing arts college in Brine while I''m going to study Biotechnology and minor in finance. Next time..." Sheryl lowered her head and smiled, "He wants to be a singer."

    Olive was speechless.

    Was he crazy?

    Olive could never understand Freddie''s choice. She coldly answered, "Then you should make your own choices. If you feel that he''s not good enough for you, you can find someone else anytime."

    "Okay," Sheryl agreed.

    Olive left not long after.

    Sheryl propped her head up with one hand as she looked towards the distance.

    After a while, she yawned. Her soft hair flowed down her shoulders.

    Of course, her future was bright, but there were still some things she cared about very much.

    Squeak, squeak-

    The door was pushed open again.

    Sheryl thought that Olive left something behind, so she did not look up.

    "Sheryl."

    She didn''t raise her head until she heard the familiar voice. She rushed to the door without hesitation and hugged her. "Mommy!"

    "You''re already such a big girl, why

    do you still act like a child?"

    Charlotte cupped her face and sighed, "You used to be so sma// when theld you in my arms. I didn''t expect you to be as tas me now."

    "I''m only 5 feet tall, mommy..." Sheryl felt very helpless.

    "Hahaha." Charlotteughed. She looked very happy.

    "Mommy? Why do you look so happy?"

    Of course, she was happy.

    Charlotte took out a red book mysteriously and waved it before her in a smug manner. "Look, what is this?"

    Sheryl grabbed it and read it carefully. Her eyes turned red when she realised the seal was real. "You guys finally got married? I''m no longer a poor girl without a home."

    Freddie walked out of the room on the second floor and leaned against the armrest as he looked down.

    Sheryl looked so cute with her red eyes. He couldn''t help but feel like hugging her tightly tofort her.

    "Yes, we''re married," Shane said as he entered the room.

    His left hand still couldn''t move but he could still open and close doors. He also held a red book in his right hand.

    "Now everyone knows that those people left the music industry because of me." Shane handed the book to Sheryl. "It hasn''t even been a month, why are you so anxious?"

    "I know that you love me and only me. Of course I''m anxious," Charlotte said as she grabbed his arms. "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?"

    Tell her earlier?

    She would have to listen, too.

    Shane didn''t know what else to say.

    "It doesn''t matter. Anyway, it''s a good thing that you''re married. Freddie, my parents are married!"

    Sheryl was so happy that she ran up. She threw herself into Freddie''s embrace without a second thought. "My parents are finally married. I am so

    happy!"

    She felt very soft in his arms.

    Freddie smiled as he ced his fingers on her hair. "Let''s get married in the future."

    "Are you going to marry me?" She raised her head, her eyes still filled with tears of excitement.

    "It''s been my dream since I was a child. What about you?"

    "I..." Sheryl hesitated for a moment. It wasn''t that she didn''t like him but they were too close to each other.

    Most of the time, she couldn''t tell if

    Freddie was her brother or her future fiance. She even had the thought that if a new girl appeared by his side one day, he would go for it without any hesitation. After all, he was too familiar with her.

    Freddie seemed to know what she was thinking about. He leaned over and whispered, "Next time, you would take over thepany and would enter the entertainment circle. Don''t you want to be my benefactor? Then you can do whatever you want with me."

    "Really?" Her eyes suddenly lit up.

    "Sure."

    "Yay!"

    Charlotte couldn''t help but sigh as she listened to the two children arguing upstairs. "The thing that I was the most worried about has now be

    something I''m most unconcerned about."

    Shane put his arm around her shoulder and said, "It''s enough to have you by my side."

    That''s right, it''s enough to have him by her side!

    (The end)

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!