《My Wife is a Sassy Queen》


 Chapter 1 – Little girl of his memory

    *****Prologue


    ¡°And now I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.¡± The priest announced.


    Jonathan looked at his bride, the angelic face and clear eyes of the women who had schemed and forced him into marriage. He was not sure how she managed to sway his grandmother and his parents, but she did and so here they were.


    He leaned into her for the kiss and for a second he was distracted by her nervousness and loud heartbeat which spiked by the second. He had to, yet again, remind himself not to fall for her facade.


    He nted his lips against hers and told her exactly what he thought.


    ¡°Did you really think you can be my wife because you schemed and trapped me into this? You can enjoy the empty position as Mrs. Smith that you covet so much. But you will never have a ce in my heart and life.¡±


    He saw the shock and pain in her eyes, but it did notst long as she scanned the surroundings and sighed in resignation. She took a deep breath and her eyes held determination.


    He was correct, she was scheming indeed.


    Whatever he thought of her, he did not appreciate others bullying her right in front of his face. He told off the gossipers who had bluntly asked her how she had tricked him into marriage.


    Although that was the truth, he did not like beingughed at. Besides, there was something in her silence and her steel eyes that bothered him.


    He drank away his iprehensible thoughts andpleted other proceedings as they both maintained the loving newlywed facade.


    There were not many people invited which was another thing he had found strange. His family did not invite many people because he was opposed to this, but he had expected the scheming woman to invite half the city and reporters to ensure everyone knew she was Mrs. Smith.


    He ignored Lydia Aprice. She was his sister-inw now, even though she was not rted by blood with his wife. In any case, he did not want unnecessary rumors.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    His grandmother and a few otherdies took the bride away as he drank some more.


    Soon after he realized something was wrong.


    He could not believe that the despicable woman had drugged him. He saw Lydia making her way to him, but he asked his assistant to deal with her and escaped.


    He was even more frustrated as the lights were out.


    He made his way to the study and cursed as he found the door was locked. But he had the master key, so he pushed it open and went directly to the bathroom.


    His so-called wife was asleep in the tub in her wedding gown. The gown was torn in a few ces. He wondered what she was doing there in that state.


    A sudden tightness on his pants brought him back as his fury burned thinking she had drugged him.


    He was stunned by the icy cold water. How was she still hot inside that cold water?


    In the candlelight, he could see her flushed skin. Was she also drugged?


    He shook his head muttering a curse as he tried to throw her out.


    The next thing that he recalled was her cry of pain as she hit him and scolded him for being so harsh. He vaguely remembered coaxing her and trying to be gentle, trying to make her feel good. He also recalled how she had asked many times if he was her husband, Jonathan Smith.


    The rest of the night and the entire next day and night were blurry.


    The next time he woke up, he was naked in bed with his wife. There was no need to think about what had happened.


    Lying on the bedside table were two red booklets, their marriage certificates that he did not remember taking.


    He suddenly felt sympathy for her, especially seeing that she was bleeding. But he immediately shook off his thoughts thinking of all the horrid things she had done.


    He left her a card with a note and left.


    There were few rumors that his wife had slept with multiple men in their marriage bed on the day of their wedding. There were photos that showed her in her wedding gown surrounded by four men in what was supposed to be their wedding room.


    It made him wonder if she was a victim in the marriage too. He recalled her sleeping in the cold bath in the study in her torn dress which indicated struggle.


    Though how she managed to escape when drugged and overpowered was very much a mystery. Perhaps she had staged the entire thing for his benefit.


    Nheless, he shut those rumors immediately and sued the people responsible. After all, she was now his legal wife and he had taken her virginity.


    No one dared to gossip about her after that. Soon everyone forgot the controversial Mrs. Smith.


    He never saw or heard from her again and eventually forgot about her and that he was even married.


    ****Little girl of his memory*****


    Liliana Green looked at her little girl who was running to a toy showroom. She had only loosened the grip as she had to pick up a call.


    Six years old, Joyanna Green had taken advantage of this and ran ahead. She had to buy toys for her twin brother, who was too sick toe to the shopping mall.


    But before she could reach the store, she ran into a pair of long legs.


    A stern good-looking man picked her up and his eyes widened seeing her. He poked her face and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Jonathan Smith looked at the little girl in front of him in shock. She looked exactly like the girl in his memory.


    Before the little girl could reply, the woman beside him, Vivian Stone grabbed her arm and separated her from him.


    She cried in pain, ¡°Ouch, that hurt.¡±


    He wanted to stop Vivian but before he could respond, an rmed voice came.


    Liliana cried, ¡°Jo!¡±


    She had been stunned seeing the man that her daughter had run into, even more so seeing the woman holding his arms.


    But she was brought back from her reverie when Jo eximed.


    ¡°Let go of her.¡± Liliana held her daughter and said frostily, ¡°She is a child, you don¡¯t need to pinch her arm. Let go of her, NOW.¡±


    Vivian Stone looked at Liliana, the one person in the world that she hated beyond anything. Even after all these years, she recognized her right away.


    She had be more beautiful, and more authoritative, she could not help but grit her teeth as she involuntarily pinched the little girl harder.


    ¡°Ahh¡±, Joyanna cried.


    Jonathan snapped out of his trance and held Vivian¡¯s wrist tight forcing her to release the child.


    ¡°She is a child.¡± He roared at her. ¡®How dare you hurt her?¡¯ He said in his mind. He knew he had no right to ask anything on the little girl¡¯s behalf.


    Vivian did not know how to reply.


    ¡°Mom.¡± Joyanna cried as she snuggled in Liliana¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Let me see, honey.¡± Liliana coaxed her gently.


    She saw the red bruise on her arm and red at Vivian.


    She kissed the bruises and kissed her daughter¡¯s face.


    ¡°It does not hurt anymore, Mom,¡± Jo said timidly.


    ¡°What did I tell you about running around and watching the way ahead?¡± Liliana asked.


    Joyanna instantly changed her tunes, ¡°Mommy, it hurts so much.¡± She blinked her doe eyes and showed all her teeth in a smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll apply ointment when we go home. And no more running around.¡± Liliana could only shake her head and pinch her daughter¡¯s nose at her cheekiness.


    ¡°I am sorry, Mommy. I won¡¯t run anymore. I will hold your hand and listen to you.¡± Joyanna said instantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± Liliana hugged her and turned around to gather the things she had dropped.


    Vivian looked at them with venom in her eyes. She was even more irritated seeing Jonathan looking at them with longing in his eyes.


    Unable to control herself, she pretended to tumble forward and ¡®identally¡¯ pushed Liliana.


    Liliana managed to get her footing, but Joyanna had jumped at her rescue and fell towards the esctor.

 Chapter 2 – Mother’s protection

    Jonathan tried to catch Joyanna but Vivian threw herself at him and he missed at thest second.


    He pushed Vivian away and rushed towards Joyanna but Liliana beat him to it.


    She clutched Joyanna who was rolling towards the esctor and tried to bnce herself but failed.


    When Liliana realized they were going to roll down the esctor, she bent her body and shielded her daughter¡¯s small framepletely.


    Jonathan ran towards them and held them, but they had already tumbled halfway through.


    Liliana had no time to look at Jonathan as Joyanna was having trouble breathing.


    She ran ignoring her own wounds and got her bag.


    She assembled the inhaler and cradled Joyanna in her arms.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Jo, breath. Take a deep breath, Jo. Look at me, sweety.¡± She coaxed Joyanna and patted her in the back soothing her.


    With her other hand, she called Henry Qazi, ¡°Henry,e to the Western Mall, 10th floor, in front of Crosswords. Jo tumbled down the stairs and isn¡¯t breathing well. Send someone to bring Li as well.¡±


    Henry Qazi was the doctor who had been looking after her twins Jo and Li from day-0.


    She continued to caress Jo and called Liam Preston, who was the children¡¯s godfather and army personnel.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± She cried as the phone went unanswered.


    She called Liam¡¯s apanying officer, Eric, who picked up promptly.


    ¡°Tell Liam that we are in the Western Mall and Jo fell down the stairs and isn¡¯t breathing well. I have called Henry.¡±


    She hung up and Jonathan understood her kid had health issues and she was probably well versed on it.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can I do something?¡± Jonathan asked hesitantly as she hung up and continued to message Joyanna.


    ¡°Can you clear everyone? I need air.¡± Liliana said faintly.


    Jonathan sent everyone away and made sure no one came close. Vivian tried to fake concern but he threatened to throw her in jail if she did not stay away.


    Joyanna started to takeborious breaths as Liliana kept talking to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, baby, just a little more and we can take the pump.¡±


    ¡°You are doing so good, my little bundle of joy. Keep it up, baby girl.¡±


    ¡°You are my whole world, Joyanna. I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°Keep it up baby, for me, please. I know it hurts, but please keep breathing.¡±


    ¡°Five more and we will take the pump.¡±


    ¡°You can do it, Jo.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±


    She breathed a sigh and gave her the pump as she asked her to blow on it ten times.


    Joyanna started to breathe more easily after that, and Liliana slumped beside her, still cradling her closely.


    ¡°I am okay, Mommy,¡± Joyanna said word by word, which indicated how difficult it was for her to speak.


    ¡°You are so brave, Jo. Mommy is so proud of you.¡± Liliana said through tears as she continued to caress her back.


    A few minutester Henry came and took a look at Jo.


    Jonathan was surprised to see him but he knew it was not the best time to ask.


    Henry said Jo was okay, just needed rest and monitoring. Then he looked at Liliana and eximed, ¡°You look like a wreck, Lil. Hair-line fractures or at least ligament tear. Let¡¯s get you to a hospital.¡±

 Chapter 3 – Inexplicable emotions

    Henry took Jo from Liliana¡¯s arms and only then noticed Jonathan.


    ¡°Jonathan, what are you doing here?¡± Henry asked.


    ¡°Survey. Smith Group will acquire this.¡± Jonathan replied sinctly.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, I forgot you were expanding in Maple city,¡± Henry said.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± Jonathan asked about Jo.


    ¡°Yeah, she will be fine. Why don¡¯t youe to the hospital with us? Her twin has the same blood type as you.¡± Henry asked.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jonathan replied before Liliana could interject. She only frowned but did not say anything.


    She had already gathered her purse and important things. The rest of the shopping bags had been taken by her bodyguard.


    Jonathan took her frowning to mean she was in pain, so he offered his help.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can manage.¡± She cut him off but limped the next second.


    He took her purse from her and hung it in his arms, before picking her up. She widened her eyes, but Henry showed Jonathan how to hold her given her injuries as per his quick assessment. She could only shut up and not overthink.


    They arrived in the hospital at the same time as Nathaniel Green, Joyanna¡¯s older brother by 15 minutes.


    ¡°Li?¡± Liliana eximed and tried to jump off Jonathan¡¯s arm.


    He held her tight and walked forward hastily instead.


    Eric was holding Li and they all made their way to the VVIP ward that Henry had reserved for them.


    Eric smiled at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Lil. He is doing fine. Just fell asleep on the way here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Eric,¡± Liliana smiled as she caressed her son¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger,¡± Eric mumbled.


    ¡°In that case, get me CCTV footage from the mall earlier,¡± Liliana said.


    Eric clicked his tongue in feigned annoyance.


    Jonathan responded before he could say anything, ¡°Give me your number. I will send it to you. My assistant has already emailed all the footage to me.¡±


    Liliana was stunned, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jonathan smiled warily, ¡°I could not protect her. It was my fault.¡±


    Liliana felt her heart clench at those words. ¡®What does he mean? Does he know?¡¯


    She kept silent, a frown on her face, as she thought about it all but could note to a conclusion.


    The two men assumed she was in pain and kept quiet as well.


    Jonathan ced her gently on the bed. Eric and Henry ced Li and Jo in adjacent beds.


    Henry called another doctor to look into Liliana as he hooked both kids to the various monitors and took their vitals.


    Jonathan watched from the side lines, many different emotions jumbled in his head. He could not tell what exactly he was feeling but the inexplicable emotions in his heart and eyes were strong.


    But one thing was for certain, he had a certain score to settle with several people.


    Jonathan had been around enough to see that Vivian had deliberately tried to harm them. He did not know why, but he was determined to teach her a lesson.

 Chapter 4 – Father and Son

    Jonathan stayed behind as he watched the doctors check up on the family of three.


    He looked at the twins closely after the mother was sent for an X-ray.


    Jo was indeed the carbon copy of the little girl in his memory. So, the girl he had met at 13 must be Liliana. Everyone called her Lil, just like the little girl.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The boy looked different, he had Liliana¡¯s mouth and nose but the face-cut, forehead, and square jaw probably belonged to his father. He felt a strange familiarity with his features like he had seen them before.


    He winced at the thought of their father, at the thought of Liliana being with another man.


    He mentally kicked himself, he had no right to think that.


    He wondered where their father was as he looked at the kids sleeping peacefully.


    Henry took him for blood donation, in case there wereplicationster. It¡¯s best to be prepared.


    During the blood donation, Henry told him how he had met Lil seven years ago when they were both on a one-way ticket from P city to Maple city.


    She had passed out on the ne and he, being the trainee doctor, had helped. They had kept in touch mostly because Lil wanted to repay the debt of gratitude, and eventually they became friends.


    The twin¡¯s poor constitution was due to the poor conditions on how they had been conceived. Despite knowing they would have health issues, Lil had wanted to keep the babies.


    Henry had been their private doctor since Day-0.


    Jonathan asked about their father, but Henry only shook his head. He knew he must be someone from P city, and they probably had a bad rtionship given she had taken her maternal grandmother¡¯s name for herself and the twins aftering to Maple city.


    Henry was not sure if they were divorced though. He cursed saying if they were, it¡¯s the man¡¯s loss since Lil was an amazing person.


    Jonathan smiled self-deprecatingly.


    He had promised to fall in love with her, woo her, marry her, love her, cherish her, and treat her like a Queen. Yet, he was talking about her husband and asking about her kids to another person.


    He went back to the ward after blood donation.


    Nathaniel was awake. Jo was still sleeping, and Lil was not back yet.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Li asked Jonathan, ¡°You look like our biological father.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Jonathan was shocked and did not know how to respond.


    ¡°I indirectly caused Jo¡¯s fall. I am sorry.¡± Jonathan apologized to the boy. There was something about the sharpness on his eyes that indicated he was smarter than average.


    ¡°Did you help Jo and Mommy afterward?¡± The little one asked.


    ¡°Yes, I tried.¡± Jonathan felt strange. He felt like a kid confessing his bad conduct to his stern father. He shook off the awkward image and focused on the boy.


    ¡°Did you donate blood?¡± He asked, looking at the juice and snacks in Jonathan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Yes. We have the same blood type.¡± Jonathan replied. He was strangely happy about that.


    ¡°Then, you are forgiven. Everyone makes mistakes, it¡¯s okay as long as you correct it,¡± Li said like an adult.

 Chapter 5 – He forgot her

    Jonathan looked at him as an emotion he could not catch seeped into his heart.


    He sat beside Li¡¯s bed and looked at him carefully.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Oh! I forgot to introduce myself,¡± Li replied, ¡°I am Nathaniel Green, you can call me Li. I am 6 years old. I will be seven in a few months. This is my twin sister Joyanna Green, you can call her Jo.¡±


    ¡°Why is your pet name Li, shouldn¡¯t it be Nat like Jo for Joyanna and Lil for Liliana?¡± Jonathan asked curiously.


    ¡°Nat is dad¡¯s pet name, so I can¡¯t be Nat. Besides, I wanted a pet name from Mommy¡¯s name,¡± Li shrugged like an adult.


    ¡°What¡¯s your father¡¯s name?¡± Jonathan asked, his heart galloping for no reason.


    ¡°His name is Jo¡­ Mummy, you are back!¡± Li eximed halfway through answering when he spotted his mother.


    Liliana did not know what to say. She had heard Jonathan¡¯s question and realized he had no idea that the kids were his. Maybe he did not recognize her as his wife either.


    That made sense. They had not seen each other for seven years after the day of their marriage.


    But knowing that he forgot she was his wife still pained her.


    She fixed her expression but Jonathan had caught the sadness before she covered it up.


    He wondered what made her sad, was it her husband?


    ¡°You are awake. How do you feel?¡± She asked Li.


    ¡°I am okay. I was just chatting with this sir here. I have forgiven him. He helped you and donated blood,¡± Li answered.


    Jonathan was shocked at his changed demeanor. He was no longer stern adult-like, in front of his mother, he was just a young child eager to prove himself.


    Lil kissed him on the face, ¡°You did great. I am proud of you. Both you and Jo did great today.¡±


    Nathaniel looked at her sadly, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t always worry so much about our health. We are not that fragile. We are Petrovas. We are tough and unbreakable.¡±


    Lilughed through her tears, ¡°Yes. We are unbreakable.¡±


    Jonathan frowned on hearing the name Petrovas. If he was not mistaken, the little girl in his memory also called herself Petrova.


    Lydia Aprice would also brag about being a princess. Clearly, that was a lie.


    Liliana coughed which brought Jonathan back to his senses.


    ¡°Thank you for today.¡± She did not know what to say to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it was my fault anyway.¡± Jonathan shook his head.


    ¡°Is it okay with you if I sue her?¡± She enquired, a knot in her heart. She did not know what she ought to do if he protected Vivian.


    ¡°You can sue her. You don¡¯t have to ask me. She is just a business partner. Everything between Vivian Stone and me is strictly based on contracts.¡± Jonathan exined as he did not want any misunderstanding between them.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Lil said, visibly confused.

 Chapter 6 – Childhood friends

    ¡°Mom, you should lie down. You never care about your health,¡± Li interrupted them.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You must really be well since you have started nagging already,¡± Lilined as she went to the bed.


    Jonathan helped her as she was struggling on getting up given the cast on her hands and feet, and back.


    Liam Preston came inside without knocking just as she hadid down.


    ¡°Lil, Jo, Li, how are you guys?¡± Liam asked, huffing. He had clearly rushed inside.


    ¡°Ever heard of knocking, Liam,¡± Lil asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just you, why should I?¡± Liam shrugged.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Liam asked Li.


    ¡°I am an adult and I am right here,¡± Lil grumbled.


    ¡°You always downy your injuries.¡± Liam retorted leaving her speechless.


    ¡°Mommy, Daddy Liam is right,¡± Li exposed her as he added, ¡°Daddy Henry said that she has two hairline fractures on the arms. Ligament tears on her ankle and sprain on her back. It will take 6 weeks to heal and she should not overexert herself during this time.¡±


    Jonathan was shocked when the kid called both Liam and Henry Daddy, and the way he said it was also weird.


    Liam exined, ¡°Henry and I are their godfathers.¡±


    Jonathan was visibly relieved. Lil did not know what to think.


    She looked at Liam quizzically and Liam raised an eyebrow at her in dare. Clearly, he knew Jonathan was her husband and the father of the twins. She had never mentioned it, but he was an army Colonel, he would have investigated her when they had just met.


    Henry came inside after he knocked on the door.


    ¡°Oh Liam, you are here?¡± He said and turned to Jonathan, ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    Jonathan was embarrassed. He knew he had no reason to stay back. He smiled at Li and told him to take care before he left.


    Henry thought the atmosphere was weird in the ward and looked at them inquiringly.


    ¡°How do you know him, Henry?¡± Lil asked.


    ¡°Oh, Jonathan, James, and I are childhood friends. We all went to the same school. Later Jonathan and James went to study abroad. And I came to Maple City to study medicine.¡± Henry answered truthfully.


    ¡°Do you know Vivian Stone?¡± Lil asked.


    ¡°She is the daughter of the Stone family and will inherit the Stone family business after her father retires. She also has a luxury boutique that she opened. I have heard that it has several issues like giarism, low quality. Mostly she is Jonathan¡¯s rumored girlfriend. He despises her, we know because we are his friends. But he does not refute the rumors.¡±


    Henry shrugged and thought something was wrong. When did these two aloof people want to gossip?


    Lil asked, ¡°You said his blood type is the same as Li.¡±


    Henry nodded, ¡°Yeah. And they arepatible too. Almost all the blood transfused to Li over the years was donated by him.¡±


    Lil did not know what to think, ¡°He is generous.¡±


    Henry scratched his head, ¡°Not really. He happened to be here coincidentally when they were born and he offered help. He would regrly donate blood every three months just in case. It became a routine after that.¡±


    Liliana slumped on the bed, not knowing what to think.

 Chapter 7 – Past

    Vivian had followed others and came to the hospital after them.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Seeing Jonathan help Liliana while being cold to her was very much an eyesore. She hated Liliana even more than she already did.


    It had taken her years of scheming and swallowing her pride to be Jonathan¡¯s girlfriend, even though she knew it was but a hollow title, she had been satisfied.


    But as soon as Liliana showed up, all his attention was swept away by her.


    Vivian could not take it lying down. She followed them in hopes of finding more about her.


    But they went to the VVIP ward and no matter what she did, no one revealed anything. In the end, she was forced to wait outside the hospital.


    The only thing she had found out was that Jonathan had donated blood.


    She was fuming when Jonathan came out.


    He merely nced at her coldly and strode off. Vivian felt like she could vomit blood.


    Jonathan leaned on the backseat of the car and thought back on his life.


    Lydia Aprice had indeed done quite well. She had doctored the photos, altered travel records, hotel records, ruined surveince cameras, and more to make him believe she was the girl he had promised to marry.


    When he was 22, he had returned from abroad to take charge of Smith Group. He began to look for his Lil, but Lydia showed up saying it was her.


    He did not believe her, her eyes were wrong. So he sent his subordinates to investigate. All the results pointed to Lydia.


    But deep in his heart, he did not believe for one second that Lil was Lydia. Even so, he could not rebuke her and cut her offpletely when she came iming an acquaintance.


    He let her twirl around him, hiding his annoyance, and would find one excuse or the other to get rid of her.


    At that time he was too busy trying to get his hold and prove himself in Smith Group. So, he had no time to think or worry about her.


    Some five odd years after that, when he had cemented his position as the CEO of Smith Group and expanded the group as was expected of him, he became rtively free, and she became quite an eyesore.


    To get rid of her, he had sent her abroad to study further. He had taunted her saying a young heiress or a woman wanting to marry into a noble family ought to have decent academic qualifications.


    He had been able to tell from her expressions that she had not gotten the sarcasm, but she did leave.


    It had been five or more years since then, and she was supposedly still studying. He would have forgotten Lydia¡¯s existence had he not run to Jo earlier and realized how he had been cheated.

 Chapter 8 – Vivian Stone

    Jonathan had only ever had Lil in his mind and heart.


    He never had any girlfriends or scandals, but even so, girls would find their way into his hotel rooms or his associates would send him ¡®gifts¡¯.


    He had dealt with all of them harshly. But, they never stopped.


    It was four years ago, he was in a business meeting when he met Vivian Stone.


    He realized he had been drugged and locked himself in his hotel room.


    But unfortunately, whoever had schemed against him that time had been prepared.


    He was locked inside, thendline had been cut, his cell phone had no reception, there was no WIFI, and worst of all, there was no water in the bathroom.


    He had thought he would die or get some serious mental deficiency other than kidney deficiency that day.


    It was then a male voice had knocked on the door. It had sounded very much like his assistant and he had confirmed it.


    When he was sure, he asked him to open the door using the master key that the hotel managers keep and take him to the hospital.


    But when the doors were opened, it was Vivian Stone who had stepped in before locking it again.


    She hade wearingce lingerie which did not leave anything for imagination. Jonathan had been repulsed by the sight though the difort on his body was growing.


    She had proposed a deal ¨C she would be his on-call girlfriend, and get rid of all females around him. While he would support her family business and admit to the rumors regarding two of them.


    He hated being coerced and had told her to fuck off.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    But she had sat by silently waiting for the drugs to override his rationale.


    Thest thing he remembered was passing out after hitting his head in the wall.


    When he woke up again, he was naked in the bed with Vivian Stone. And there were reporters taking pictures.


    The so-called agreement had his thumbprint.


    He had left the phone recorder on ever since someone knocked at the door. But in the morning his phone was in pieces. He had no evidence to refute the rumors in a way that would not harm him or Smith Group.


    He had fed her emergency contraceptives and left. She had, however, toed the line since then. So, he did not pursue the matter immediately.


    He never slept with her or took her anywhere, but he never denied the rumors of Vivian being his girlfriend.


    At least the flies that buzzed around him had stopped.


    Since that incident, he had kept a habit of keeping some anti-dote on him whenever he went to social gatherings.


    Jonathan was a vindictive person and he was never going to let Vivian off the hook. He had just dyed it as it served its means.


    Now, it seemed the time hade for him to get even with her.

 Chapter 9 – Her not so dream wedding

    Liliana dozed off in the hospital bed after the medication took effect and dreamt of the events 7 years past.


    ¡°And now I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.¡± The priest announced.


    Liliana¡¯s heartbeat picked up as Jonathan leaned into her to kiss. Her first kiss that she had saved up for him.


    She was a bundle of nerves, which was quite unlike her calm, collected, and confident self.


    But the moment their lips met, he said the most hurtful words that she had ever heard, ¡°Did you really think you can be my wife because you schemed and trapped me into this? You can enjoy the empty position as Mrs. Smith that you covet so much. But you will never have a ce in my heart and life.¡±


    The others saw them as a loving couple who kissed and cherished the moment they were bound as one.


    But Liliana knew that it was the beginning of her doom.


    She was coerced into the marriage, and she knew he was forced as well. But she had hoped that they could live harmoniously as they got to know each other and develop feelings gradually.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Her hopes for a happy marriage were shattered by the same kiss that had bound them as one.


    The odious ceremony wasplete and they maintained the loving couple facade before others.


    Liliana could see the hatred in Lydia¡¯s eyes. Her father, Lester Aprice had remarried only a few weeks after her mother¡¯s death. Lydia was her stepmother, Rose¡¯s, daughter.


    But Lester had taken everything from her, his biological daughter, and given it to Lydia who was not rted to Lester by blood.


    Liliana knew Lydia best. She knew the night of her wedding was not going to end without a few ¡®gifts¡¯id for her by her so-called sister.


    She gritted her teeth and followed the flow. As hurt as she was with Jonathan¡¯s indifference and disdain she had no time to dwell on it.


    There were worse things than him awaiting ahead.


    Sure enough, there were some people who asked her point-nk how she managed to trick Jonathan into marrying her.


    Liliana took a note of all thosedies but kept mum looking at them frostily. She was coerced into this and was forced to endure all injustice.


    Thankfully her humiliation did notst long as Jonathan retorted by asking if they thought of him as a push-over who could be forced.


    She knew he had probably only said it to save his own image. But she was grateful that no one dared to make things difficult for her.


    When she was escorted to her wedding room at 1 am, her intuition had proved to be right.


    She had only drank a little and she was already feeling dizzy. Moreover, as soon as thedies who had escorted her left, four men came out of hiding.


    She did not have time to react as a screen lit up showing Lydia¡¯s smug face ¨C ¡°How do you like my present, little sister?¡±


    Liliana did not doubt there were hidden cameras in the room.

 Chapter 10 – Honey Traps

    Instead of defending herself, Liliana turned off all the lights. That had caught the assaulters off-guard.


    As expected, she was sneaked out of the window and she locked herself in the small study room.


    She could tell she was drugged but there was no way she could escape and keep her cover at the same time.


    Without bothering to take off her gorgeous wedding dress, she submerged herself into the cold water in the tub.


    Just as she had dozed off, the bathroom door was pushed open.


    Her husband came stumbling in and cursed.


    ¡°I never knew you would stoop so low that you even drugged me.¡±


    He was sluggish himself as he tried to lift her and throw her out. But unbeknownst to both, they ended up consummating their marriage.


    Just as they were about to drift to sleep in the morning, they were dragged out, and they got their marriage certificates, both still in their addled state.


    Everyone who looked at them saw a loving couple who couldn¡¯t keep themselves sober enough to get the certificates. But they themselves were too addled, with drugs, drinks, and sex to realize what was happening.


    They had brunch as nned and who would have imagined that the groom¡¯s 77-year old Grandmother would mix aphrodisiacs in their food before locking them in another bedroom.


    The newlyweds fell asleep but ended up following their instincts shortly after in their half-conscious state.


    When Liliana regained her consciousness again, she was alone and in a lot of pain, and she seemed to be bleeding.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    She had not hoped for anything but it still hurt.


    There were two red booklets on the table stand. She opened it andughed.


    She did not know if she wasughing at the clearly inebriated faces of the people on the marriage certificate or at herself or at her failed marriage.


    Besides the marriage certificate, there was a tinum debit card and a note.


    ¡°The pin is ****. This is my assistant¡¯s number -¡­-, you can call him if you want anything. Or ask the butler.¡±


    Herughter died in the throat and she sat there for god knows how long. She got changed and left the house without taking anything ¨C neither the marriage certificates nor the card.


    She stayed in the hotel which was supposedly her dowry. The Petrova family doctor treated her and asked her to rest for a few days. They ran blood tests after a few days to ensure all the drugs were out of her system.


    After three weeks, she found out she was pregnant.


    She did not know what to do with the news. She thought it was best to sit down with her husband and talk things out.


    She knew he had not gone back to their wedding home, so she went to the Smith Group instead.


    She had intended to make an appointment the normal way and not show off that she was his wife.

 Chapter 11 – Help a stranger

    Liliana had been wearing a mask to ensure she was not recognized.


    As luck would have it ¨C her father Lester Aprice, and her step-sister Lydia Aprice happened toe at the same time.


    Ironically, it was Lydia and not her biological father who had recognized her.


    Lydia berated her and called her names, but she only looked at her father. Lester, however, treated her like foul air.


    Infuriated by her indifference, Lydia rushed towards her, but she side-stepped, and Lydia fell by herself due to inertia.


    Lester finally reacted as he pped her in the face.


    That was what Jonathan saw as he exited the lift with his assistant.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± He asked coldly. He did not seem to like the Aprice family either.


    Before Liliana or the receptionist could reply, Lester said, ¡°This shameless shank pushed Lydia causing her to bleed so much. She kicked a fuss out of nowhere and hurt her.¡±


    The receptionist looked at him with her eyes wide open.


    Jonathan just frowned. Liliana smiled in self-mockery.


    Jonathan said, ¡°Take your fights elsewhere, or I will have the guards throw everyone out. This is mypany, not an alley.¡±


    He left after saying that.


    Lydia feigned hurt and sniffled, ¡°Jonathan!¡±


    He frowned and said, ¡°I am busy. Get out of here.¡±, before striding forward without a backward nce.


    Lester grabbed Liliana and forced her to a hospital. She did not resist, not even when he told the doctor to draw 1000ml of blood from her body topensate Lydia.


    Liliana did not mind.


    This was thest time she had allowed him to hurt her. From that day onward, she would get rid of the Aprice surname. He did not deserve to be her father.


    However, she was worried about the child in her belly. Drawing that much blood would undoubtedly harm the fetus.


    She did not have to worry too much as Jonathan¡¯s assistant, Vincent, came and stopped the transfusion.


    He said they had checked the footage and he apologized on behalf of Smith Group for the injustice she had suffered.


    He gave her a card and asked her to contact him if she ever needed any help. The Smith Group owed her one.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Liliana realized that Jonathan and Vincent had not recognized her. They were merely offering help andpensation to a stranger who was wronged on their territory.


    This time, Liliana kept the card and left P city after a few days.


    She woulde back when it was time to take back what was hers.


    On the ne, she met Henry which turned out to be a blessing since he was highly skilled and helped her a lot.


    Unknowingly, Jonathan had defended her, prevented any rumors about her, saved their kids from harm by stopping her blood transfusion, and donated blood to Li over the years.


    Liliana did not know what to think about all of that.


    Perhaps they were always fated to cross paths.

 Chapter 12 – Back to P city

    Three months after their encounter in the mall, Liliana packed up and flew back to P city with her twins.


    She was back, and this time she would not leave her home or her heritage.


    A weekter, she showed up in Smith Group again. This time she directly gave Vincent¡¯s card to the receptionist and asked for a meeting.


    The receptionist was surprised to see the old worn-out card. But she nheless called Vincent and asked for his confirmation.


    Vincent, having known Liliana in Maple city, came downstairs to pick her up personally.


    Jonathan pretended to go out to ask Vincent for something and ¡®identally¡¯ met Liliana.


    Having seen through him, both Vincent and Liliana¡¯s mouths twitched.


    Vincent coughed to save his boss from embarrassment.


    ¡°Miss Green, this way please.¡±


    Liliana nodded and followed.


    As soon as they were seated, she said, ¡°Please call me Mrs. Liliana, and don¡¯t mention myst name from now on.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Vincent was stunned. ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    Liliana curled her lips, ¡°Because I am married and Green is my maternal Grandmother¡¯s maiden name. There¡¯s no need to use it from now on.¡±


    Jonathan asked, ¡°Why did you use it until now?¡±


    Liliana smiled, ¡°That¡¯s a personal question, but since we are going to cooperate, I will answer it to show good faith.¡±


    Vincent stared at her wide-eyed as she answered, ¡°I was ying ¡®cats and dogs¡¯ and used a cover.¡±


    Jonathan smirked, something about her was still the same as the quirky girl in his memory, ¡°And you don¡¯t need a cover anymore?¡±


    Liliana saw the amusement in his eyes and answered half-jokingly, ¡°Let¡¯s just say some people mistook a sleeping Lioness for a dewed cat. Hibernation is just about over, now it¡¯s payback time.¡±


    Jonathan asked, ¡°You said something about cooperation.¡±


    Liliana bit her lips to hide her smile, ¡°You were the one who asked for a cooperation, with astonishingly generous terms, I might add.¡±


    Jonathan furrowed his brows and looked at Vincent who shook his head.


    Lilianaughed, ¡°Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Liliana, founder and chief designer of L&L designs.¡±


    Vincent eximed, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    Jonathan looked at her wide-eyed, but then he calmed himself.


    He recalled she had said that she would grow up to be an outstanding person.


    ¡°You are hard to find, even more so pursue, Mrs. Liliana,¡± Jonathan remarked.


    ¡°I will take that as apliment,¡± Liliana answered.


    Jonathan smiled, ¡°It was meant as such. Shall we discuss the terms?¡±


    Liliana clicked her tongue, ¡°Before we do that, I seem to recall Vincent saying that Smith Group owes me one. When do you think I should collect?¡±


    Vincent was surprised, ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    Liliana gave an exact date, name of the hospital, and handed him the worn-out card.


    Jonathan suddenly stood up from the chair making it fall with a thud.


    ¡°That was you?¡±


    He could not believe he had let that bitch Lydia Aprice and her father abuse his precious Lil.

 Chapter 13 – Her Conditions

    Liliana looked at Jonathan in surprise.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since they met in Maple city, his reactions had been weird.


    ¡°Am I missing something here?¡± She asked in a neutral tone.


    Jonathan gulped a ss full of water to keep himself from choking.


    ¡°I am sorry about that day. It was my fault.¡± He did not know what else he could do other than give empty apologies.


    ¡°What exactly are you apologizing for?¡± She asked him straightforwardly.


    ¡°For not protecting you, for not seeking justice for you, for letting you get hurt in my turf, for letting them walk away Scott free.¡± He listed his reasons. ¡®For not recognizing you, for not finding you sooner,¡¯ he added in his heart.


    ¡°As long as you are not apologizing for them, we are fine.¡± Liliana smiled sadly.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Vincent asked.


    ¡°That brings me to our conditions ¨C I have a history with the Aprice family and Vivian Stone. That episode seven years ago had nothing to do with you. The same goes for what happened in the mall. While your presence may have acted as a catalyst, it was never the main ingredient. Our decades-long feud ising to an end. And I want your assurances that you will be neutral,e what may. I do not want to fight you and I do not want you to speak for me. You helping me will onlyplicate things.¡±


    Jonathan listened to her intently and frowned, ¡®decades-long feud? What was that?¡¯.


    ¡°Why would my helpplicate things?¡± He asked slowly, unsure whether he wanted to know the answer or not.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want a target on your back. Nor do I want you to be used as bait.¡± She said calmly.


    Vincent choked on air, ¡®isn¡¯t that supposed to be the man¡¯s line?¡¯ he thought in his head.


    Jonathan red at him coldly and he looked away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. They can¡¯t touch me. They have only beencent because I had better things to prioritize. But now, I want to y, and I am afraid with your history with them both, you will end up as coteral damage. I know they would not care. You are a person, not a prize or a thing. Besides, you have donated blood to Li for so many years.¡± She exined calmly.


    Jonathan felt stuffy in his chest. He cleared his throat and answered, ¡°I promise. I won¡¯t meddle. No matter what. I was not going to help them anyway. But since you have asked, I will just be neutral.¡±


    Liliana nodded emotionlessly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jonathan continued, ¡°Since we are being candid, let me rify my equations with them both.¡±


    Liliana clenched her fists and answered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Jonathan answered unhesitatingly, ¡°I want to.¡±


    She just nodded.

 Chapter 14 – His Equations

    Jonathan looked at the girl who was most certainly the girl from his childhood, one he had wanted to cherish and marry.


    He did not know how to tell her that someone pretended to be her to hurt her.


    ¡°Lydia Aprice pretended to be someone I once knew as a kid and came to im an acquaintance. I felt she was lying but she had all the proof that she was indeed the person that I knew. I have never had any rtionship whatsoever with her. The only thing is I let her hover around me until she got in my way or my nerves. And that was because I had no proof that she was fake.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Liliana looked at him quizzically.


    Jonathan did not want to strain their rtionship so he kept things vague and concise.


    He drank some water and confirmed, ¡°You can rest assured that I won¡¯t be helping her out. I have a score to settle with her as well.¡±


    Liliana nodded with a nk face, ¡°Alright¡±


    Jonathan added, ¡°Vivian Stone is someone I despise from the bottom of my heart. She initially coerced me. But after some time I realized she was rather useful, so I have not gotten back at her. That doesn¡¯t mean I have forgiven her or forgotten the incident. I am just dying what is due. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold.¡±


    Jonathan smiled coldly and took a sip.


    ¡°So, Mrs. Liliana, you can rest assured that I won¡¯t be helping them at all. As for staying neutral, I will follow your lead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Liliana said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! My concern is the same, I don¡¯t like being taken advantage of. As long as we both are clear on where we stand, they won¡¯t be able to y us against each other,¡± Jonathan covertly exined why he exined everything to her.


    Liliana hid her emotions as she nodded, ¡°On that, we can agree, though I am afraid, I might be your enemy by the end of it all.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I will probably use you or at least the cooperation during the time.¡± She said matter-of-factly.


    Heughed at that.


    ¡°You can do that without overthinking it. It will be my pleasure to see them miserable, especially knowing I contributed or at least was used.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s discuss the terms. And you don¡¯t owe me anything.¡± Liliana said.


    Jonathan, Liliana, and Vincent spent a good two hoursing to terms. Then another hour when they finalized and signed the agreement before parting as partners.

 Chapter 15 – Game on

    A few dayster a sensation broke out in P city.


    Smith Group had partnered with L&L Designs.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    L&L Designs was a sophisticated luxury brand in Maple city that had spread around the world in the past but they had refused to enter P city.


    Many big brands were trying to coborate with them but had failed.


    Theizens and the socialites in the P city went crazy.


    No one had seen the mystery founder and designer behind L&L Designs. Everyone wondered how Smith Group managed to get the partnership.


    L&L Designs had always had its own studio and had never cooperated with anyone before.


    This time around, they ventured to open a branch in the central mall owned by Smith Group.


    Vivian went blue reading the news. She was supposed to be Jonathan¡¯s girlfriend, but he had mercilessly rejected her proposal to open her boutique in one of Smith Group Malls.


    Now he signed up herpetitor in such a high-profile manner. It was a p in the face.


    Even worse she heard it from the news and was totally unprepared for it.


    She had been trying to uncover the mystery founder behind L&L Designs. But all her efforts hade short.


    As soon as Vivian arrived at her boutique, she was swarmed by reporters.


    She was tactful and acted like the news did not affect her at all.


    She pretended to have known about it before and went on about not mixing business with pleasure.


    She even said that Jonathan had insisted that she open her boutique in his mall, but she had declined to separate her private matters from professional goals.


    The inte painted a nice picture of the perfect modern girlfriend from her answers.


    She started trending after L&L Designs, Mystery founder, and the coboration.


    Even though she was behind the top 3 trending topics it was good publicity for Vivian, not to mention free.


    Jonathan saw that as well. He hated being taken advantage of and wanted to refute her and suppress the news immediately.


    But remembering what he had promised Liliana, he called her first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t meddle on it,¡± She replied nonchntly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like being taken advantage of,¡± He said sulkily.


    ¡°Really? What were thest four years?¡± She huffed.


    ¡°Hit it where it hurts. I pity your enemies,¡± He remarked, mildly irritated.


    ¡°Sorry, it just slipped out. Get your popcorn and watch the show. Because it¡¯s Game on,¡± She said in a soft silky voice but it sent shivers down his spine.


    She hung up without waiting for his reply. He could hear Jo asking for something in the background.


    He wondered about their father again. How could he be stupid enough to abandon his wife and kids, not to mention a woman like Liliana?

 Chapter 16 – Do you know her?

    The day went exceedingly well for Vivian, despite it being the grand opening of herpetitor.


    However, in the depths of the inte, a small titbit had gone viral.


    ¡°Does Miss Vivian know the founder of L&L Design?¡±


    ¡°All designers know each other professionally.¡±


    ¡°Founder of L&L is the winner of the annual Fashion week for thest 5 years, there is no way the insiders don¡¯t know who she is.¡±


    ¡°Did you say ¡®she¡¯? Does that mean it¡¯s a girl?¡±


    ¡°Indeed Miss Vivian is too principled to reveal others¡¯ secrets, she sure knows the founder of L&L Design.¡±


    ¡°I bet both the women are best of friends given the simr age.¡±


    Between hundreds of thousands ofments and threads, these stood out though not by much.


    And soon enough by mid-afternoon, everyone was convinced that Vivian knew the founder of L&L Design and they were on good terms.


    It became a viral topic, and the social media of Vivian¡¯s boutique were flooded with questions.


    Vivian felt it would be too embarrassing for her to deny it.


    She posted ament saying they were not that close to iming friendship, just professional acquaintances.


    Liliana clicked her tongue seeing that. After all these years, Vivian was still the same. She could be provoked so easily.


    It was a child¡¯s y for Liliana to lead her into her trap.


    She called Jonathan and asked if he had some time in the next few hours as a friend of hers had something important to discuss regarding the cooperation.


    Jonathan told her that he was free after an hour and a half. Though he was confused why someone else was visiting him instead of her since he could not think of anything else that was left to discuss. But he was too busy to ask further.


    Jennifer Cox was the nurse Liliana had met seven years ago when she was forced by Lester to draw blood for Lydia.


    The nurse had realized that she was pregnant, and things were not as they seemed.


    So, she had slowed down the transfusion very meticulously.


    After that, she switched the empty bag with the blood bag in storage and helped her without asking anything.


    When she tried to talk to her, she scolded her sternly and loudly making sure Lester would not suspect her and there was no evidence.


    Shortly after Vincent hade and stopped the entire thing. She had barely drawn 5 blood.


    Liliana had someone dig up on Jennifer and sponsored her after knowing she was an overall kind person who helped people in need without iming credit.


    They had be good friends after Jennifer moved to Maple city to further her studies, and eventually became Henry¡¯s most trusted nurse and right hand.


    Jennifer sashayed inside Smith Group just as the tea break was over. Thus a lot of people saw Vincent personally escorting her as she lowered her head and blushed.


    A receptionist had overheard them saying L&L Design, so everyone assumed that the well-maintained mousy woman was the founder of L&L Design.


    The news spread like wildfire. Vivian, who had bribed a few people in the Smith Group to spy on Jonathan, thought it was the best day of her life.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 17 – Who are you?

    Jonathan looked at the woman standing in front of him with a big grin on her face and he instantly knew she had nothing whatsoever to do with the L&L Group.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Jennifer Cox. I am a nurse. Henry said you were his friend.¡± She answered, grinning.


    ¡°Care to exin!¡± Jonathan sighed wondering what Lil was ying at.


    ¡°Henry called you a few times and you did not answer. He sent me to enquire when are you throwing a bash to celebrate the coboration with L&L Design. He said based on L&L Design¡¯s reputation it must be grand. And you must make it ¨C a couple entries only.¡± She continued as Jonathan did not speak.


    ¡°Lil overheard us and told me to act like this and dressed me up. This is my first time, I think I did great. What do you think? Oh, and she also asked me to pass this to you.¡± Jennifer chippered away happily.


    Jonathan had a hard time thinking of her as a nurse. But he got the note and started reading it all the same.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a press conference in two days. Make it big!


    Add a teaser if you will. You can take the left side profile of Jennifer. I can send you the pic if you are unsure, but taking it in your office makes it more authentic. Make sure her face is not visible. Sending samples in text.


    PS: Fire employee with ID 1425, 678, 1368, 844 unless you like being spied on.


    PPS: Might wanna tell a good reason why a nurse was visiting you. Jenn is a prankster (hard to believe, I know) and I am afraid you won¡¯t like what she woulde up with.¡±


    Jonathan read it twice and did not know if he shouldugh or cry.


    She really was having a st like ying a game. He was enthralled and scared at the same time, but it was a good kind of scared.


    He looked at Jennifer and shook his head.


    ¡°Miss Cox,¡± he started but was cut off by her, ¡°Oh, please, you are friends with Henry and Lil. Call me Jenn.¡±


    Vincent had just entered the office with refreshments and held hisugh.


    Jonathan cleared his throat but was cut off before he could even speak.


    ¡°Oh my Goodness! This is my favorite. You are so nice. It¡¯s Vincent, right? Will you be my date for the bash they will hold for Lil?¡± Jenn asked Vincent, leaving both men speechless.


    Vincent coughed awkwardly and was immediately held by Jennifer who thought he was choking.


    Jonathan was speechless.


    So was Vincent.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jenn asked worriedly.


    Vincent untangled himself from her and said, ¡°Yes, I am fine. Thank you!¡±

 Chapter 18 – Just go with her

    Jonathan looked at Vincent and sighed, ¡°Just go with her.¡±


    Before Vincent could reply, Jenn snapped, ¡°This is abuse of power. How can you choose his date for him?¡±


    Vincent had finally managed to get his head around and immediately answered.


    ¡°He thought I was embarrassed because of his presence, so he answered like that. I would love to be your date.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Good.¡± Jennifer sat back on the chair sipping her drink.


    ¡°You were saying something?¡± She asked Jonathan.


    He replied, ¡°Well, please tell Henry that he won¡¯t be disappointed with the bash if he makes it to the guest list. I will also consider his suggestion. Can we take a profile picture of you for the teaser?¡±


    Jennifer nodded repeatedly and looked around the office.


    She walked straight to the window and leaned against it while sipping her drink. Then as if she was reminded of something, she switched to the left profile and Jonathan took the picture with his phone.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    He immediately sent it to Liliana for review who okayed it right away.


    He looked at Jennifer and asked, ¡°If the reporters asked you why are you visiting me, what would you say?¡±


    ¡°That you have ED and your friends send me to verify. As a nurse, I am qualified to give you a professional assessment.¡±


    Jonathan looked at her horrified. She did not even hesitate.


    ¡°How about you go with something else?¡± He suggested.


    ¡°How about your grandmother found out that you have been a celibate all these years and hired a pretty nurse that you are already acquainted with and trust so that you will lower your guard and allow professional assessment.¡± She added.


    ¡°Does it have to be about my virility?¡± He snapped.


    ¡°Why else would a nurse visit you during working hours, all pretty and dressed up to boot?¡± She asked with a ¡®duh¡¯ tone.


    ¡°Think of something else!¡± He added.


    She sighed, ¡°The second option is good. It¡¯lle in handyter when you want to clean the air with the Stone girl.¡±


    Jonathan looked at her surprised. ¡°Did¡­¡±


    She cut him off, ¡°Yep, Lil suggested it. She protects her own. You are in good hands now. I am proof after all.¡±


    Jonathan was stunned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jennifer smiled wistfully, ¡°7 years ago, she was forced to draw blood. She was pregnant but did not say anything. I helped her out. Later I received a huge sponsorship and even got to work under Henry. When I met her again, I realized she had never needed my help at all. But that small kindness changed my life.¡±


    Jonathan became suspicious. She was pregnant and came to Smith Group, and had an altercation with Lydia and Lester Aprice.


    Who was she?


    Jonathan was getting more and more curious about her, but he knew she would not answer his questions, so he kept quiet.

 Chapter 19 – Interrogation

    Vivian had been irked by Jonathan¡¯s indifference but fortunately, the heavens were in her favor and things were looking great for her.


    She had boosted her image, her brand got free publicity, the sales had increased, and she finally managed to find the mysterious head of L&L Designs.


    Herckeys in the Smith Group informed her that the girl had spent quite some time in Jonathan¡¯s office.


    As much as she hated other women spending time with the man she had considered her own, Vivian could only endure it for the time being.


    She asked her assistant to figure out who she was.


    Within 2 hours she had her information ¨C Jennifer Cox, came to P city from Maple City a week before.


    Her other information had been hidden. But these fit the bill.


    Vivian knew that the head of L&L was a young woman in her midte twenties, was from P city, had established herself in Maple city. It proved their spection, Jennifer was the head of L&L Designs indeed.


    Vivian had someone follow her after she exited Smith Group, and sure enough, she drove straight to the Central Mall and looked after the renovations.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Vivian then bumped into her by ¡®coincidence¡¯.


    ¡°Oh, I am so sorry. I was just so busy on the phone. Are you alright?¡± Vivian asked Jennifer.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Miss. I was not paying attention either. No harm done.¡± Jennifer smiled and turned to leave.


    Vivian looked around and asked curiously, ¡°Pardon the intrusion, but I saw you checking out the renovations. Are you perchance the head of L&L design who has been the talk of the town recently?¡±


    Jennifer looked stunned as she answered, ¡°No! No! How can I be her? You are mistaken.¡±


    Vivian only smiled craftily at her, ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry. I could not hold back the curiosity.¡±


    Jennifer heaved a sigh, ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±


    Vivian replied in the most humble tone she could fake, ¡°How about I buy you coffee as an apology?¡±


    Jennifer looked at her curiously and denied, ¡°Please don¡¯t. I was also at fault here.¡±


    Vivian insisted, ¡°Please I insist. Otherwise, it¡¯ll nag at my conscience.¡±


    After a lot of back and forth, Jennifer ended up having an awkward coffee date with Vivian where she was covertly and overtly interrogated.


    She slurped her coffee with much haste, burning her tongue a couple of times, and fled.


    Vivian smiled triumphantly looking at her retreating back.


    Everything about her proved that she was indeed the head of L&L Designs.


    The rumors that the head of L&L Designs has strong backing must be true given Jennifer Cox was truly a timid person.


    But everything about her proved that she was sophisticated.


    Vivian could not be happier.


    Since herpetitor was so timid, it made her job so much easier.

 Chapter 20 – Invite and date

    Vivian anonymously posted her photo having coffee with Jennifer and them talking outside the showroom on the inte.


    Coincidently Smith Group also released a teaser and announced that they were having a press conference in two days.


    Right after the press conference, there would be a Wee Party for the head of L&L Designs. It would be hosted in thergest 7-Star Hotel in P City and was couples only.


    The guest list was hidden and would not be announced.


    Theizens went crazy.


    The girl in the teaser and the one in Vivian¡¯s photo were wearing the same dress, had simr profiles and figures.


    Her identity was exposed.


    Vivian¡¯s social media was full of questions asking for rification. Even the social media of her boutique was full of questions asking for a statement from her.


    Vivian confidently posted the photo of them having coffee and tagged it ¨C Jennifer Cox, a close acquaintance.


    She neither rified nor denied it directly, but it sure exposed herpetitor¡¯s identity.


    To top it off, she sent a text to Jonathan saying she was forced to do so given how they had been photographed by theizens.


    Not surprisingly Jonathan did not reply.


    Vivianforted herself thinking there was a couples-only bash and Jonathan was bound to invite her as his date.


    Vivian bathed in her glory and her own intelligence for a day.


    The next day, however, proved to be an anxious one as she did not receive an invite nor a message or call from Jonathan.


    It would be embarrassing to not be invited to Jennifer¡¯s weing bash after she had announced publicly that she knew her, even more so as she was Jonathan¡¯s girlfriend.


    The next day, the press conference would be held at 5pm and they would go directly from the press conference to the venue of the party.


    Left with no choice, she called Terry Draw.


    Terry was the manager of Central Mall where L&L Designs was opening their branch.


    Vivian had received a call from Terry the day before. He seemed to have called her immediately after he received the invite.


    She had stalled him as she was sure Jonathan was bound to ask her to be his date.


    Now, she had to swallow her pride and ask Terry instead.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Fortunately, Terry had been trying to pursue Vivian for years already. They had been ssmates when they were abroad. Terry was a studious student and good at his job.


    He quickly rose to be the manager of Central Mall despite his young age and even Jonathan admired his work.


    Unfortunately, Vivian had her sights on Jonathan, so Terry never stood a chance. But he served a purpose nheless, so she had been leaving him hanging.


    Terry immediately agreed to cancel his date and go with Vivian instead.


    Vivian realized that Terry had thought she had an invite and only needed a plus one.


    But she could not demean herself and correct him by revealing that she did not have an invite.


    So, she went with the flow and asked him to pick her up from her boutique.

 Chapter 21 – Her Identity

    The press conference started at 5pm in the lobby of the 7-star hotel where the wee bash was being held.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Vivian watched the press conference on the TV while getting her hair and makeup done.


    Jonathan guided a woman whose face was covered in the veil on her headpiece.


    Her figure and profile seemed the same as that of Jennifer but Vivian had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.


    Anxiety that she could not make sense of settled in and Vivian was so uneasy that even the makeup artist could tell something was wrong.


    ¡°Are you alright, Miss Stone?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Perhaps I ate something bad in the afternoon. I am feeling a little queasy. Can you please get me some water?¡± Vivian had to give an excuse.


    Shortly after a try full of in water, juice, coffee, and tea were ced in front of her.


    Vivian smiled and continued with the make-up.


    On the other side, there was a buzz in the press conference.


    Since all the people invited by Smith Group were professionals, it only took a few minutes for the host to silence everyone.


    Finally, the press conference began.


    ¡°Miss, why are you in a veil? Could you show us your face?¡± A reporter asked.


    ¡°This is a new piece designed by a secret budding designer in L&L. I wanted to showcase her first-ever piece since the designer is personally very important to me. Hence I am dressed like this for this event and our first-ever cooperation.¡± Liliana answered.


    She slowly raised her veil and showed her face.


    There was a silence in the hall as everyone had expected to see Jennifer¡¯s face underneath the veil.


    Vivian choked on the juice she was drinking on seeing Liliana on the stage.


    How could it be her?


    The makeup artist looked at her with a strange expression but she reverted back to her professional smile within half a second.


    Vivian acted nonchntly and continued with her makeup. There was no way she could back down now.


    On the stage, even the host was stunned.


    Lilianaughed after a few seconds and joked, ¡°I did not think I was so pretty to stun everyone to silence.¡±


    They broke out of their trance at that and started questioning.


    The host picked the questions one by one as Liliana and Jonathan answered professionally.


    ¡°I have no idea what Miss Vivian Stone had been doing or what she intended to imply. She has seen me as her rival since we were in Kings High.¡±


    ¡°Even when she did not know I was the person behind L&L Designs, she still saw me as a rival. As such I am not the correct person to answer your questions.¡±


    ¡°As for the person in the news, I am sure there are hundreds of people who go to see Mr. Smith every day.¡±


    ¡°After all, being a CEO is not all morous as it looks. It¡¯s a difficult and tiring job which requires more working hours than any other person in thepany.¡±


    Without giving an inch, Liliana debunked the rumors that Vivian knew who she was, or that she and Vivian could be friends, and she implied that the person in the pictures could be anyone.

 Chapter 22 – The mystery behind the fake girl

    Vivian felt her blood boiling.


    Liliana did not even spare her a way out.


    Another reporter asked why that person was wearing the same clothes as the one in the poster.


    ¡°Well, it is a non-exclusive trial product from L&L Designs. We have designed a few sets which could fit a working woman who needs to dress up for asions.¡±


    ¡°In order to test usability on various asions ¨C business meets, dates, not entirely formal meetings, just everyday use ¨C and their suitability on repeating the clothes ¨C we have made a few copies and sent them to some of our friends and acquaintances who are in different fields.¡±


    ¡°I picked the dress for the teaser for obvious reasons. I have always loved shades of Blue.¡±


    Some reporters questioned if she knew the girl and she replied affirmatively.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, the girl in the pictures is Jennifer Cox. She is a nurse. She is Doctor Henry Qazi¡¯s lead scrub nurse and right hand.¡±


    Another one asked if Jennifer was friends with Vivian.


    ¡°While I do know her, she is an adult who can have many friends. I don¡¯t get a vote on who she is friends with nor do I get real-time updated data on who she meets every day.¡±


    Someone asked Jonathan why a nurse was visiting him.


    He stiffly said it was his private matters and ended it.


    The press conference came to an astonishing end and the reports made their way to the exit while Jonathan led Liliana to the room that was prepared for their rest.


    Coincidently, on their way out, the reporters stumbled upon Henry and Jennifer as they arrived at the hotel.


    Henry escorted the timid Jenn inside and they were surrounded by the reporters.


    Henry was a prodigy doctor and was very well known. Not to mention the Qazi family hailed a long list of doctors.


    Henry refused to say anything about his work citing he was only there to support his friend Liliana.


    The reporters turned to Jennifer who was visibly startled.


    Henry tried to stop them saying she was not a celebrity and did not like her privacy to be vited.


    However, the reporters were relentless and continued to probe her for answers.


    She stifled her cry and said that she did not know anything.


    ¡°I went to Smith Group to run an errand. Then I went to the mall to pick a dress. Thedy ran into me and I was pressured into having coffee with her as she kept asking weird questions.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, she asked if I was the founder of L&L Design. But how could I be her? I told her that she was mistaken and she apologized for making assumptions. I did not tell her about Lil, it was not my ce to expose her privacy.¡±

 Chapter 23 – Sympathy

    The reporters did not buy her exnations at all and questioned her further.


    ¡°I am nobody. How can I possibly ask Miss Stone for an exnation? Please let it go. I don¡¯t want any trouble. Please respect my privacy. I don¡¯t want to be entangled in rich people¡¯s affairs. If I knew it would bring so much trouble, I would have never epted the free dress, even though it is beautiful. I am too scared to wear it now.¡±


    ¡°Why will Lil give me clothes? She is not my guardian. And I am an adult, I can buy my own clothes. The clothes in L&L Designs are too expensive. It¡¯s for rich people only. Those expensive one-time-use clothes are not for job holders like me. I have to n for my future and retirement. Besides, Lil only wears clothes designed by herself. I am too scared to even borrow her expensive clothes.¡±


    The reporters andizens alike felt for the timid girl.


    After all, a normal nobody would not like to be entangled with rich people. Much less be used as a chess piece by them.


    However, the reporters would not let her leave without asking one important question.


    What was she doing at Jonathan Smith¡¯s office?


    She almost cried citing privacy reasons and that she was only a nurse.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Henry also tried to diffuse them but they would not leave.


    ¡°Are you perhaps dating President Smith?¡±


    ¡°What is your rtionship with President Smith?¡±


    ¡°As a nurse, why would you dress up and visit President Smith in his office?¡±


    ¡°Are you President Smith¡¯s secret lover?¡±


    Jennifer was close to tears. Henry tried his best to take her away as she kept mumbling ¡®no¡¯ repeatedly.


    Henry had asked one of the staff to get some guards to escort them in.


    But Jennifer lost herposure before they could be rescued and blurted.


    ¡°Henry asked me to visit him and picked my best dress. President Smith is a celibate and would not let him assess him. So, he wanted my help in assessing him professionally. But President Smith did not agree with me to go to the hospital or let a professional assess him privately. He said there was nothing wrong with him and he just did not like those women. He even threatened Henry if he pulled a prank like that again. I don¡¯t know anything, please let me go. This has brought me enough trouble as it is.¡±


    Within one hour Vivian Stone had lost all credibility.


    Jonathan and Vivian¡¯s rtionship was brought into the lens and theizens began to look for every minor detail.


    Jennifer and Jonathan both received everyone¡¯s sympathy, albeit for different reasons.


    Jonathan was put into the limelight as everyone spected on his health and preferences.

 Chapter 24 – Take care of my own

    Inside the hotel, Jonathan massaged his forehead while looking at the screen.


    He and Liliana were lounging in a room taking refreshments and snacks.


    ¡°Is she really a nurse?¡± He asked Liliana.


    ¡°Oh, yeah! She is quite good,¡± Liliana replied.


    ¡°She would make a good actor,¡± Jonathan said curtly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not acting. She has stage fright, so the panic and tears are real. That¡¯s why the panicky act suits her so well. The emotions are raw. Just her words are a pile of nonsense,¡± Liliana rified.


    ¡°She said you take care of her,¡± Jonathan probed.


    ¡°We should protect our own. It¡¯s a good principle to have,¡± She shrugged.


    ¡°Is that why you are protecting me?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°I have not protected you,¡± She smiled sadly.


    He was confused at her sadness. Why was she sad?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He probed unsure if she would answer.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°This is not protecting you. This is forcing you to choose and do things at my terms and my pace. I am very clear about the difference,¡± She rified.


    ¡°So this is a test,¡± He asked.


    She did not answer, which was a silent acquiescence.


    ¡°What do I get if I pass?¡± He asked light-heartedly.


    ¡°You get more choices.¡± She turned away but not before he caught the mncholy in her eyes.


    Who is she? What is she hiding? What are her secrets? What made her sad?


    Jonathan wanted to ask her so many things. But he did not dare. They were only business partners and he had no right.


    The door to the lounge opened and revealed Henry and teary-eyed Jennifer.


    Jenn ran towards Liliana as thetter shouted, ¡°Careful! Heels!¡±


    Jenn ignored her as she asked, ¡°How did I do?¡±


    Liliana could only shake her head and ask, ¡°You do know you are older than me right?¡±


    Jenn huffed, ¡°But I am your responsibility.¡±


    Lilianaughed at that as she pulled her beside her.


    ¡°You did very well. Your brilliant teacher, Jo, must be sitting by the TV with her nose turned upward now.¡± Liliana said with a warm smile in her eyes.


    Right about then her phone rang. She shook her head and passed it to Jennifer, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    ¡°Aunty Jenn, you did so well. I am such a good teacher. I am so proud of myself.¡± Jo¡¯s booming voice came from the phone and just as Lil had described, her face was turned up.


    ¡°Little brat! I was the one who did all the hard work.¡± Jenn feigned anger.


    Li snatched the phone from Jo and said, ¡°You were so amazing, Aunty. I will learn from you and face my fears.¡±


    Jenn clicked her tongue at him, ¡°Why are you always so mature? It makes me feel bad.¡±


    Li scratched his head and asked,  ¡°Where¡¯s mommy?¡±


    Jenn teased him, ¡°Momma¡¯s boy! Can¡¯t even stay away from your mother for a few hours, huh!¡±


    Li answered solemnly, ¡°I just wanted to check how she is doing.¡±


    Jenn passed the phone to Lil as she sighed, ¡°I envy you.¡±


    Lil teased her, ¡°You can have your own.¡±

 Chapter 25 – You are never serious

    Liliana looked at her twins on the phone as she asked, ¡°Have you both been behaving well?¡±


    Jo answered her immediately, ¡°Yes, mommy. We watched the press conference and Daddy Henry and Aunty Jenn¡¯s interview.¡±


    Li answered, ¡°Mommy the bad aunty will want to take revenge. Be careful!¡±


    Lil nodded, ¡°As you wish, your highness!¡±


    Li was annoyed, ¡°Mommy I am being serious. You never take things seriously unless it¡¯s our health or your job.¡±


    Lil had to console her little guardian, ¡°I know honey. I will be careful. Don¡¯t worry. Besides, Mer will be here tonight.¡±


    Jo eximed from the side, ¡°Really? Aunty Mer is back. Mummy, you hid it from us.¡±


    Henryined, ¡°You little rascals. I have been taking care of you for so long. Why do you always side with Mer?¡±


    Jenn chimed in, ¡°Because she is more reliable than you.¡±


    Henry was speechless, ¡°You are fired.¡±


    Jenn teased him, ¡°You can¡¯t fire me. You love me.¡±


    Lil shouted at them, ¡°Stop it both of you. You guys behave okay. Mommy will be back as soon as I can.¡±


    Li asked, ¡°Will Aunty Mere with you?¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Lil shook her head, ¡°She justnded half an hour ago. She will get dressed on the way ande directly to the venue. I will send her home first.¡±


    Li nodded, ¡°Okay Mommy! We¡¯ll go to bed in time. Don¡¯t worry about us and take care.¡±


    Lil blew them a kiss, ¡°Bye darlings. I love you!¡±


    Jo chipped from behind, ¡°We love you the most mommy.¡±


    Jonathan felt something was pricking his heart seeing how far he was from them despite being in the same room.


    He kept quiet, afraid that he might choke if he said anything.


    Liliana saw the longing in his eyes but kept mum.


    She did not know what to tell him, where to begin, how to tell him.


    Henry¡¯s rambling broke her from her trance.


    ¡°Why is Mering back?¡± He asked.


    ¡°P city is her home, Henry. Just like ours.¡± Lil replied, amused.


    ¡°She is a nuisance.¡± Hemented.


    Jenniferughed at him, ¡°She is awesome. She just doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    Henry was frustrated, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she like me?¡±


    Lil asked, ¡°Do you like her or are you just annoyed that she doesn¡¯t like you?¡±


    Henry rolled his eyes, ¡°I am annoyed. And she is always going against me.¡±


    Lil looked at Jonathan and said, ¡°Henry, your friend is out of the loop here.¡±


    Henry looked at Jonathan and answered, ¡°Lil¡¯s bestie ¨C Mariana Jacobsen. I don¡¯t know what beef she has with me. She hates me. At first, I thought she hates all men, but nope it¡¯s just me. She and Liam are quite tight.¡±

 Chapter 26 – Kings High 1

    Jonathan wanted tough at Henry¡¯s face but held back, ¡°Are you talking about Andrew Jacobsen¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Henry mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Lil rolled her eyes, ¡°Yes. Andrew Jacobsen¡¯s daughter. You will meet her soon. She will take over Uncle¡¯s work and their cooperation with Smith Group is on the top of the list.¡±


    Jonathan was stunned. Wasn¡¯t she a little too well informed?


    ¡°Mer is my best friend since diapers. We tell each other everything.¡± Lil only shrugged at Jonathan¡¯s enquiring eyes.


    Jonathan nodded at her and did not ask further.


    ¡°You mentioned that Vivian Stone was your rival in Kings High.¡± Jonathan changed the topic.


    Jenn raised her hand, ¡°I also want to know.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Liliana shook her head, ¡°We were in Kings High together. I am a year younger than her, but we were in the same ss and I always got better grades than her. She saw me as her rival, I saw her as a spoiled brat. To be fair, my indifference might have pushed her over the edge. But then again, I can¡¯t be held ountable for her character ws.¡±


    Henry raised a brow, ¡°In that case she probably hates you.¡±


    Liliana just shrugged her shoulders, ¡°Who cares? If she had not hurt Jo, I would not have bothered with her. This is just a lesson for her. If she toes the line, I will ignore her. But it¡¯s safe to say, she won¡¯t do that. Too much ego, too little brain.¡±


    Jenn chuckled, ¡°Sometimes, I feel very fortunate I never crossed you.¡±


    Lil snorted, ¡°No, you were the stupid little girl who risked her job to help a stranger without listening to me at all. For all you knew, I could have been the bad guy.¡±


    Jenn replied smugly, ¡°My instincts are pretty urate.¡±


    Henry asked, ¡°Jonathan, James, and I also studied in Kings High. We were the 168th batch. We should be your seniors.¡±


    Lil nodded, ¡°We were the 173rd batch.¡±


    Kings High was abination of middle school and high school, grades 5-12.


    Given their 5 year difference, they would have been in the school around the same time had the boys not left before.


    Jonathan frowned, ¡°We left after freshman year. I guess we would have crossed paths in school if we had not gone abroad.¡±


    Lil chuckled, hiding her true emotions. ¡°I suppose we were always meant to cross paths with each other.¡±


    Jenn asked curiously, ¡°I have heard that you have to have noble blood to enter Kings High, is that true?¡±


    Lil answered, ¡°It¡¯s yes and no. There are three ways to enter Kings High.¡±


    Jenn frowned, ¡°What do you mean by Yes and No?¡±


    Jonathan asked, ¡°There are only two, right? One is grade plus money. Another is to educate 50 children in one of the best schools in P city, basically, more money.¡±

 Chapter 27 – Kings High 2

    Liliana exined, ¡°As I said Yes and No.¡±


    ¡°The first one is the most underrated and overlooked one. If you score an A+ either in the entrance or in the ss, you get a schrship. A+ is 95% for Kings High and it¡¯s not easy to score. There were only seven students in thest three decades who managed it. As a sub-use to this, the schrship student can also pass on the schrship to another student who did not get in.¡±


    She rified to the avid listeners, ¡°This sub-use was added at my request. The chosen student has to pass a series of tests which were also designed by me. And trust me when I say, none of those tests are easy. The student who was sponsored by my schrship managed to earn his own after two semesters and we sponsored another one and subsequently ended up sponsoring 4 students throughout my tenure in Kings High.¡±


    She paused to see if they had any questions and continued, ¡°The second is like Jenn said ¨C you have noble blood. This is an outdated concept though. After democracy was established in P city 88 years ago, this was altered to ¡®scoring A- or above and the enormous school fees¡¯.¡±


    She continued as they nodded along, ¡°Thenstly you have the rich people rule. If you sponsor 50 underprivileged students who managed to score B+ and above in the Kings High entrance, then you get one seat with the enormous school fees again. Those 50 students get to study in one of the finest schools in P city. They have to maintain A- and above grade otherwise they get swapped out next year. The students are monitored by Kings High ¨C the school selection, grade evaluation, everything is managed by Kings High.¡±


    Henry concluded for her, ¡°Basically, you have to have a ton of money or you have to be very smart to enter Kings High.¡±


    Jenn cocked her head at Liliana and said, ¡°The Gods are unfair, how can you have both?¡±


    Jonathan asked, ¡°I did not know about the first rule.¡±


    Henry snorted at him. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t. No matter how many times I said it, you never believed me. You guys always thought I got in because of my family¡¯s status.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Liliana debunked him, ¡°Before democracy, you would have got in because of your family¡¯s status. Qazi¡¯s have been traditional medicine practitioners for generations and are quite respected. Your father tried to straddle both and hence your fortune was depleted dramatically. But with your sess in modern medicine and your cousin Amelia¡¯s research in traditional medicine, you should be back on track.¡±


    Henry frowned, ¡°How do you know Amelia?¡±


    Liliana smirked at him without replying.


    Henry understood it right away. No wonder Amelia¡¯s research was going so well. It was sponsored by PRI ¨C Petrova research institute.


    Henry looked at Liliana and sighed, ¡°I hate you.¡±


    Jenn seconded him, ¡°It¡¯s kind of scary how she knows more about what¡¯s going on in P city than all of usbined.¡±


    Liliana shrugged at them, ¡°Not all, just the important things and people.¡±

 Chapter 28 – Mariana Jacobsen

    Jonathan wondered if he was one of the people she took note of.


    Was he important enough?


    More than that he wondered who she was.


    The door of the lounge was pushed open and with it came a click-ck of heels that caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Look at the heartless women who did note to see me for five months.¡± Liliana sighed as she got up and walked to the door.


    Mariana hugged her tightly and sighed, ¡°Damn! I missed you.¡±


    She looked at Jenn and eyed her toe closer. Jennifer trotted towards them and joined in the hug.


    Henry ran towards them and eximed, ¡°Group Hug!¡± as he wrapped the three girls in his embrace.


    Mariana broke the hug and pushed him away and eximed, ¡°Who wants to hug you?¡±


    Henry sat back on the couch, ¡°Your temper has not changed.¡±


    Mariana saw Jonathan and for once did not retort to Henry. She stared daggers at Jonathan instead.


    Jonathan was confused at the hostility in her eyes. As far as he knew it was their first meeting.


    How did I ever offend her?


    He could not recall ever seeing her before but she obviously hated him. Why?


    Liliana pulled Mariana to the couch and whispered, ¡°Remember your words, Mer!¡±


    Mer snapped at her, ¡°Sister before Mister!¡±


    Lil flicked her forehead, ¡°Always! But be nice.¡±


    Mer looked at Lil and asked aloud, ¡°You are having fun.¡± She turned to Jenn and asked, ¡°What are you guys ying at this time? And here I thought y¡¯all missed me.¡±


    Jenn eximed, ¡°She yed that Stone girl like a fiddle.¡±


    Mer smirked with a dangerous glint on her eyes, ¡°Oh this is going to be fun!¡±


    Jennughed, ¡°This is so much fun. I finally understood why you guys enjoy it so much.¡±


    ¡°Attagirl!¡± Mer patted Jenn and asked Lil, ¡°Is she still that dumb?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Lil answered, ¡°You have no idea. Her ego has inted though.¡±


    Mer looked at her and said, ¡°Can I join? My lovely Lil, My precious Lil, please let me y. You kept me from settling the score with her thest time.¡±


    Lil shook her head, ¡°You can y as long as you can stay calm. You are so easily provoked, even someone as dumb as Vivian Stone can manipte you.¡±


    Jenn chimed in, ¡°Can I also join?¡±


    Mer answered right away, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Lil denied it, ¡°Shut it, Mer!¡±


    Mer pouted, ¡°C¡¯mon, Lil. She is having fun.¡±


    Jennifer nodded vigorously at that and implored with the best puppy eyes that she could manage to be allowed to join in the fun.


    Lil was resolute, ¡°She can have fun as long as it does not hurt her. You know how vicious Vivian can be. Or have you forgotten what happened when we were 16?¡±

 Chapter 29 – See the whole picture

    Mariana was not reconciled, ¡°You were the one who stopped us from retaliating.¡±


    Henry shook his head, ¡°You still don¡¯t see the whole picture.¡±


    Mer huffed at him.


    Jenn asked, ¡°I did not understand either. What happened when you were 16?¡±


    Lil heaved a sigh, ¡°She could not beat me in exams. So, she decided to get the first ce by making sure that I will be incapacitated and unable to write exams. She isughable. Truly!¡±


    She sighed at the wasted potential and added, ¡°The fact is she can¡¯t touch me. She might not know it, but we know she can¡¯t. Mer is the heir of Jacobsen. Vivian will toe the line with Mer. Even if she does not, Mer is nked by a bodyguard all the time.¡±


    She turned to Jennifer and said, ¡°You, my lovely Jenn, do not have that luxury. You have a younger sister who is still in college, a grandmother in a hospital which the Stones have a few shares of, parents who are working in smallpanies, and a bunch of other rtives, childhood friends. Can you guarantee their safety?¡±


    Jenn and Mer exchanged nces. Neither had thought of that.


    Jonathan, on the other hand, was stunned. He knew Vivian was not so simple, but he had not known she was so vicious.


    Once again he wondered who Liliana was. It was the second time she had said that she could not be touched. And it was clearly not some empty bragging.


    Moreover, her knowledge of everything was indeed scary.


    Mer finally muttered, ¡°I did not think all that.¡±


    Jenn nodded, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did not think of my own family.¡±


    Lil gave a weary smile that did not reach her eyes. ¡°It would be exhausting to live if you think about all this nonsense. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to entangle you in my mess.¡±


    Henry chuckled, ¡°I think they got it now. See the silence.¡±


    Mer scoffed at him, ¡°As if you thought of all that.¡±


    Henry nodded, ¡°I had themon sense to know that Jenn does not belong on our battlefield. As close as we are, she is not equipped to deal with the consequences. And she is a person with her own life, dreams, family, her own stubbornness, pride, and dignity. She is not a pet we can guard.¡±


    Jenn rolled her eyes, ¡°Yeah, not offensive at all.¡±


    Henry gave her a look.


    ¡°I know what you mean. I am not dumb enough to think I belong in the upper ss. In the beginning, I used to be embarrassed when you guys were so inclusive. It was hard to believe you all were so down to earth despite being loaded.¡± Jenn sighed dramatically and said, ¡°I should go find some friends with whom I can discuss my pitiable sry and retirement ns.¡±


    They all chuckled at that.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Jenn looked at Mer and said, ¡°Perhaps Mer can apany me after she bankrupts herpany with her short-sightedness.¡±


    Mer frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it!¡±


    They all chatted and had their snacks until it was finally time to make an appearance at the Wee bash.

 Chapter 30 – Denied entry

    While one group was having fun in the lounge, Vivian Stone was facing another bout of humiliation at the entrance of the venue.


    She had not received her invitation, so she had asked Terry to be her date.


    However, Terry had assumed that she only needed a plus one and gave his invitation to his assistant who also wanted to bring a date.


    Now they stood at the entrance in an awkward state.


    Vivianined saying she did not bring her invitation as she was apanying Terry. She tried to pull her rank and shouted saying how could a lowly guard not recognize her and stop her.


    ¡°How dare you stop me? Do you know who I am? A lowly guard like you is not even worthy of washing my shoes! Get out of my way!¡±


    Terry was embarrassed. He had only seen Vivian being gentle and polite. Even in his dreams, he could not have imagined she could throw her weight around despite being in the wrong.


    However, he tried his best to meditate as he escorted Vivian to the side and talked to the guard.


    ¡°This is my card. You can call anyone in the Central Mall or even Smith group executives who are in charge of overlooking the Mall to verify this.¡± He politely bowed to the guard and offered a way out.


    As the guard lowered his hostility, Terry continued, ¡°All Smith Group events have tight security, not to mention this is as high profile as our annual event. So, you must have a guest list with you. Can you please search my name through the list?¡±


    The guard was embarrassed and answered, ¡°Actually Sir, we did search for Miss Stone¡¯s name and she was not invited. Hence we could not let you in.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Terry was stunned, ¡°In that case, it¡¯s my fault in being presumptions. I assumed she would have the invite, so I gave my own invitation to my assistant who had wanted to bring his sister to this high-profile event as it¡¯s her 18th birthday today and he wanted to show her how the other side lives.¡±


    The guard nodded thoughtfully, ¡°I understand sir. These banquets are not something that we people can even imagine.¡±


    Terry smiled helplessly, ¡°I am too embarrassed to ask for my invitation back now. Did you find my name?¡±


    ¡°The list is too big. It¡¯s still loading.¡± The guard answered, ¡°Ah! Here it is. Terry Draw, manager of the Central Mall, invited with a plus one.¡±


    Terry finally heaved a sigh, ¡°Thank Goodness. Can we go in now? I promise to tell my friend not to eat anything inside. He and I can grab some chicken and beer after this is over. Please do me this favor.¡±


    The guard reluctantly agreed and they were let in.


    However, themotion created by Vivian was enough to alert the people around them.


    And soon the news spread that the supposed girlfriend of President Smith was denied entry in the Smith Group event.

 Chapter 31 – Perfect Match

    Terry escorted Vivian inside who was still grumbling about those lowly people.


    For the first time, Terry felt like he was seeing the real Vivian.


    He had been over the moon when she had called back saying she would be his date.


    She had declined him when he asked. Perhaps she was waiting for a better offer. She had been unapologetic when he said he would have to cancel his date.


    Now, he realized she only used him for his invite. No wonder she had not been bothered that she was messing up his ns. For her, they were simply people unworthy of her concern.


    He vowed to distance himself from her in the future. It ought to be easy since he was always the one who had been vying for her attention.


    After all the guests had arrived, the stars of the show began to tidy themselves.


    Henry and Mariana made quite a stir. They were both quite catchy.


    Only a few people in the upper ss knew Mariana as she had left for Maple City at 16 with Liliana. While she frequented P city quite a lot, she had not been involved in her family business or attended many events.


    People were curious to know about Henry¡¯s gorgeous date.


    Also, the gossip mongers were curious to know what happened to the timid girl who had made such a revtion.


    After them came Jennifer and Vincent. Vincent was well known as Jonathan¡¯s right-hand man. While Jennifer had made quite a buzz in thest two days.


    Vincent¡¯s confident stance made quite a contrast to Jennifer¡¯s timid ways. People could not help but feel protective of her.


    Vincent was once again amazed by Jennifer.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Finally, the stars of the event ¨C Jonathan and Liliana made a grand entrance.


    They looked like a match made in heaven. Their clothes, the cockiness in their stance, their aura ¨C everything matched perfectly well.


    Jonathan started the party with a simple speech as he proposed a toast for the sessful partnership.


    That in itself was quite a big deal as it was usually others making a toast to Smith Group.


    People were curious about thedy behind the veil. While she had shown her face in the press conference, she was still a mystery.


    Everything about her was regal. From the way she held herself, from the way she casually scanned the surroundings like she owned the ce to the way she smiled carelessly atpliments.


    She looked like someone who was used to being ttered and looked up to. Please could not help but feel subservient to her charm.


    Moreover, everyone was curious about her. She had introduced herself as Mrs. Liliana. Apart from the quick reveal in the press conference, she was still hiding behind the veil.


    Vivian tried tofort herself thinking it was because she was too ashamed to show her face.


    But even she could not help but feel it was more akin to Princess and Queens hiding behind the curtain.

 Chapter 32 – Differing Class

    Vivian had been hearing hushed whispers about her fall from grace and Liliana¡¯s praises.


    She had dumped Terry as soon as she was inside and had been surprised when he had not pressed for it.


    She saw him in a corner with another man and an underage girl, both of them had a strong likening to poverty. She sneered in her heart. At least, he knew his rightful ce.


    Terry on the other handpletely ignored Vivian. The way she had got rid of him validated his assessment beyond any doubt. He also recognized Liliana as the person who had sponsored his entry into Kings High.


    On the other hand James Miller, Jonathan and Henry¡¯s best friend, recognized Mariana as the woman who had rammed into his car and pretended to be pitiful to get away with it when they were abroad.


    They all mingled in the crowd as Jonathan introduced Liliana to several of his partners and big-wigs.


    Liliana carried herself with ease, and Jonathan was pleasantly surprised at how good she was at having things her way.


    She was the seemingly ¡®fresh¡¯ face yet she had that natural air like she owned everyone and everything.


    She was not aloof or cold, but warm and inviting. Yet, she had that aura that prevented anyone from getting close.


    Her boundaries were clear and maintained without exceptions.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    The more time he spent with her, the more he was in awe of her and he was curious of her.


    Liliana saw first-hand how Jonathan flitted in the crowd. He was still young, yet men twice his age were respectful to him and dared not cross him. He was a business prodigy indeed.


    The women eyeing him were everywhere and she was pleased to know he never even acknowledged their presence, much less give them any encouragement.


    Vivian made her way towards them and asked Liliana if she could excuse them as she had something to talk to ¡®her man¡¯ in private.


    She had been quite confident that Jonathan would not embarrass her in public. After all, she had the agreement and the photos to tie him.


    But Jonathan gave her a p in the face.


    He avoided her touch and snorted, ¡°I am not your man. And Miss Stone as far as I know Stone group was not in the guest list.¡±


    Jonathan said in the same octave as she had talked. Everyone around them heard the conversation loud and clear and the news spread across the venue.


    ¡°Jonathan, don¡¯t be like this.¡± Vivian tried to act like a wronged girlfriend.


    ¡°It¡¯s President Smith for you. And stay away from me. I have never acknowledged you as my girlfriend.¡± Jonathan snapped.


    Vivian decided to change her strategy and target Liliana. If she was to be humiliated, she would paint Liliana as a home-wrecker as well.


    The onlookers could clearly see the difference between the two women.


    One stood proud and tall while the other tried to bring her down rather than climb up by herself.

 Chapter 33 – You can have both

    Vivian looked at Liliana as if she had been wronged and pleaded aloud.


    ¡°You already have kids. Leave Jonathan alone.¡±


    Lilianaughed out loud.


    ¡°Miss Stone, you are greatly mistaken. Married women with kids can have a business of their own. It¡¯s not a choice between kids and careers. We don¡¯t live in the 18th century after all.¡±


    She paused for effect as she added, ¡°Just like all the admirabledies out here ¨C I can see Mrs. Cadewell who had been managing her husband¡¯spany rather admirably.


    Miss Jessica, who got marriedst month, had taken the helm of her father¡¯spany on verge of bankruptcy at the age of 16 and it now has expanded to three cities and she has gotten a Doctorate on the side all the while dating her high school sweetheart for 11 years.


    Mrs. Henley started her ownpany at the age of 18 with the savings from her part-time jobs and schrships and is now sessful enough to sponsor 50 underprivileged children while her son volunteers four hours every weekend in the city orphanage.¡±


    She continued as Vivian¡¯s face paled. Vivian has not expected such a response, ¡°Last I checked there was no rule in Smith Group which forbids them from having a partnership with married people or with people with kids or married women or women with kids or married women with kids. Why then have you signaled me thus, Miss Stone?¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The gossip mongers who had started tattling just as Vivian pointed at Liliana were dumbstruck.


    Liliana was not affected at all. She retorted calmly proving the point ¨C a clean hand needs no washing.


    Vivian was seething inside as she eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t act all high and mighty! Do you deny that you met Jonathan in Maple city?¡±


    Liliana smiled coldly, ¡°Oh! How could I forget it? After all, no mother would forget a woman who pinched her little girl¡¯s arm, identally pushed me down the esctor, deliberately fell on others so they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold my daughter as she was about to fall down the esctor. You should count your blessings that I have not sued you yet.¡±


    Vivian eximed, ¡°So, you agree that you trapped Jonathan to sign the contract with you using the incident.¡±


    Liliana clicked her tongue, ¡°How ignorant! Smith Group has been trying to coborate with me for two years already. I did not trap him, I signed a contract with him out of my generosity. But of course, how would you know anything about that?¡±


    Liliana taunted Vivian at the end.


    Vivian was unable to take it anymore and eximed, ¡°You bitch. How dare you? You are just an unloved daughter of¡­¡±


    Liliana cut her off and sneered, ¡°You are right. I am just an unloved motherless daughter and yet here I am. You have two loving parents and yet here you are. If you don¡¯t have any arguments to make Miss Stone, please clear the way. It¡¯s time for the opening dance.¡±


    Jonathan coldly stopped Vivian from rebuking, ¡°Miss Stone, don¡¯t make me call security. And don¡¯t ever try to feign a rtionship with me ever again.¡±

 Chapter 34 – Opening Dance

    Jonathan led Liliana to the center of the stage as the lights were dimmed and the focus light shone on them.


    They took the positions and bowed to each other in the standard opening as the music started.


    They were both members of the upper ss who had been trained in all kinds of social dancing and thus the chemistry was palpable.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have asked me for the dance,¡± Liliana asked as they moved as one with the rhythm.


    ¡°I am afraid you would have refused had I asked,¡± Jonathan answered.


    ¡°Why would you think so?¡± Liliana chuckled.


    Jonathan shrugged.


    ¡°It is not quite like the President of Smith Group to be unconfident.¡± Liliana teased.


    ¡°It¡¯s not business. I suck at pretty much everything else. I have failed and broken promises.¡± Jonathan answered sadly.


    ¡°My mother once said, if you are capable of remorse, you are worthy of redemption.¡± Liliana consoled him.


    ¡°I am sorry about your mother,¡± Jonathan said after taking a deep breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright. My mother was an amazing person, she was too pure for this world. Perhaps that¡¯s why she was taken away so early. But she has never left me. I can see her in my heart, even now, telling me to let the music flow within and let the rhythm guide me. A person like Vivian would never understand that. She knows the price of things and the use of people, not their value.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like an amazing mother.¡± He noted.


    ¡°She was. She still is.¡± She smiled.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your beef with Vivian Stone?¡± Jonathan asked.


    Liliana thought for a while and answered seriously. ¡°I can¡¯t see through her head but this is what I think happened. She had studied in a normal primary school, where she was the rich smart kid. She had been used to being the center of attention, being the most popr kid.¡±


    Jonathan nodded, ¡°That would not have been the case in Kings High.¡±


    She replied, ¡°Yeah! At least she was top of her ss as Mer and I were her juniors. Later we skipped grades and suddenly she was not even top of her ss. All the resentment she had from not getting the Princess treatment and not being the most important in Kings High was channeled into a rivalry she formed in her head.¡±


    Jonathan shook his head, ¡°The old problem, I see.¡±


    Liliana chuckled, ¡°I never paid any attention to her which turned her rivalry into hatred. Little by little she focused entirely on sabotaging me and not on her grades to the point she was close to getting expelled. She picked up her studies after that but trying to ruin others became a part of her nature, which I believe her parents encouraged.¡±


    He acquiesced, ¡°Most likely! Kings High is very transparent with the pupil¡¯s guardian.¡±


    Liliana sighed, ¡°She has gone from calling me ugly and poor to calling me a third party and opportunist. If only she was not blinded she would have known that there can¡¯t be any poor kids in Kings High. Even the kids who get in via schrship get a generous schrship which elevates their financial status dramatically because the student¡¯s family is not allowed to take the money.¡±

 Chapter 35 – What’s your story

    Jonathan listened thoughtfully and agreed that it was most likely the case. He could see it was quite within Vivian¡¯s character, even though he had never paid attention to her.


    Liliana looked at him for a while and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your story?¡±


    Jonathan looked at her in surprise, ¡°My story?¡±


    Liliana smiled, ¡°Everyone has a story.¡±


    Jonathan thought for a while and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t have any story.¡±


    She looked at him in the eyes and asked, ¡°I can see the sadness and longing in your eyes. What makes you sad?¡±


    He tried to maintain hisposure and not blurt out, ¡°You!¡±


    As she spun back to his arms, he answered, ¡°I was stupid and blind and was fooled by others. I missed what was most precious to me.¡±


    She asked, ¡°Is that why you channeled all your energy into work?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°There isn¡¯t anything else to do.¡±


    She pitied him. In so many ways he was still the 13-year-old brooding boy who seemed too sad.


    She looked away to contain her emotions but he caught her overwhelming mixture of emotions nheless. He seemed to always catch what she was hiding.


    She replied after some time, ¡°Sometimes what you think is lost is just hidden around you. If you look for it, maybe you will find it.¡±


    He gulped. The song ended and the apuse brought them back as she scanned around cursorily and looked away with determination in her eyes.


    They both bowed to the audience as another song started and others joined in as well.


    Jonathan was struck by her expressions. The conflicted expression, scanning the surroundings and turning backposed in a determination. This sequence ¨C he had seen that before.


    Henry came to ask her for a dance as Mariana had already ditched him. Liliana danced with Henry who teased her throughout the dance.


    ¡°I never knew you could sync so well with others.¡± He started.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°We have all learned social dancing. It¡¯s only understandable.¡± She answered him with raised eyes in the provocation.


    ¡°Why do I think that the chemistry was off the charts?¡± He continued.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s what happens when you are so awesome. I can have a great rapport with everyone.¡± She replied smugly.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t want to admit it. I know there is something between you and Jonathan. I may be a little dense but I have known you for seven years, my dear Lil. And Jonathan and I have been friends since childhood.¡± Henryid his cards on the table.


    ¡°I will tell you when the time is right,¡± Lil sighed.


    ¡°I am cing bets with Jenn,¡± Henry said confidently.


    ¡°Go easy on her,¡± She chided.


    ¡°She always wins the bets,¡± Henryined.


    They bickered away as they danced for a few songs.


    Once they were off the dance floor, other men also asked her but she politely declined.

 Chapter 36 – Familiar

    Jonathan on the other hand met with James.


    ¡°When did youe back?¡± He asked his bosom-friend.


    ¡°Yesterday. You were too busy being the trending topic,¡± James mocked.


    ¡°How is work over there?¡± Jonathan asked, ignoring hisment.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled. But I need to send someone reliable to keep an eye on things.¡± James answered with a frown.


    ¡°Need any help?¡± Jonathan offered.


    ¡°No need. At least not yet,¡± James declined. ¡°Your date looks familiar.¡±


    Jonathan frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    James rolled his eyes, ¡°Just that, literally.¡±


    Jonathan looked at Liliana in the distance as he sighed, ¡°It¡¯s her. The girl I met at the beach when I was 13.¡±


    James was shocked, ¡°But wasn¡¯t that Lydia?¡±


    Jonathan shook his head.


    James understood. ¡°She is really something. Their entire family worked to make the perfect lie.¡±


    Jonathan looked down at his wine ss thoughtfully without saying anything.


    James realized something was off and blurted, ¡°She is married with kids.¡±


    Jonathan took a deep breath and gulped down his wine.


    ¡°Henry knows her. She is separated from her husband, not sure.¡± Jonathan answered.


    ¡°The girl that was Henry¡¯s date. Do you know her?¡± James changed the topic.


    ¡°Andrew Jacobsen¡¯s daughter and heir. Lil¡¯s best friend.¡± He replied curtly.


    ¡°Lil¡¯s best friend! Really?¡± James cocked his head and asked, ¡°Are you going to y gatekeeper?¡±


    Jonathan remarked sarcastically, ¡°Do I even have the right?¡±


    Jamesughed at his friend¡¯s misfortune.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Let¡¯s go with the flow. Things might resolve by themselves.¡± James consoled him.


    They looked at the stage and saw Lil and Mer chatting happily while Henry and Jenn were dancing.


    Jennifer was obviously not trained and kept on stepping on his foot, and it looked like he was scolding her as her eyes were wet.


    Jonathan looked at them for a while and realized it was a part of Liliana¡¯s scheme. She wanted to present a pitiful Jenn so she would not get targeted by others. And even if someone was hostile towards her, they woulde unprepared, giving Jenn a little edge.


    He marveled at her foresight. She really looked at things full circle.


    He looked back at them and saw that the few women she had mentioned while berating Vivian had approached them and they seemed to be talking animatedly. Cooperation perhaps?


    He recalled she had said she cooperated with him out of her generosity and she seemed to mean it.


    Smith Group was valued at a few hundred billions and he was one of the richest people in P city, how could she say she was being generous to him. Shouldn¡¯t that be his line?


    She caught him staring at her and winked at him.


    That caught him off guard as he was embarrassed and nearly spilled his drink. He saw her trying to hide her smile.


    There was something vaguely familiar with her and not just as the little girl he had met on the beach.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 37 – Restless enemies

    The coboration of L&L Designs and Smith Group, their press conference, and the wee bash caused quite a stir.


    The buzzsted a week.


    Vivian¡¯s lies had been exposed and she was hiding in her house trying to think of various torturous ways to get back at Liliana.


    The Jacobsen had a quiet party at their home as Mer and Lil both hade back for good. They adored the twins and were happy to get acquainted with Henry, Jenn, and others.


    The Aprice family was thrown into a disarray. They had thought Liliana was dead.


    Not only was she alive, but she had also firmly established herself as the founder of L&L Design and cooperated with Smith Group without anyone knowing.


    Lydia Aprice got wind of it abroad and flew back right away. She had only been acting like she was studying anyway.


    Lester Aprice tried to contact Liliana but he could not get her phone number or address.


    Having no choice, he went to the Central Mall to look for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. He could not create a scene with the staff, so he inquired about the inauguration and left.


    Lydia showed up at Smith Group as soon as shended.


    She had been living in her head where Jonathan was in love with her and had missed her terribly and would even cancel his schedule for the next few days to apany her.


    s, her dreams turned out to be just that.


    She was forced to make an appointment and when she finally managed to see Jonathan, he was impatient, irritable, and cold.


    She fumed and went to Central mall and tried to harass the workers.


    That got Jonathan¡¯s attention.


    But he sent his bodyguards to deal with it instead. He did not even bother to deal with her personally. That was a great blow to her ego.


    Lydia was angered to death.


    But she was unable to find Liliana and vent her anger. Instead, she smashed the things in Aprice Mansion.


    Jonathan was stunned seeing how the entire Aprice family was reacting to Liliana¡¯s return.


    He could not figure out what the feud between them was.


    A few weekster, L&L Designs announced its inauguration date.


    Aprice Group and Stone Group did not receive an invitation. That only inmed them further and hardened their resolve into messing things up for Liliana.


    Liam was transferred back to P city as nned.


    Liam had asked Liliana to pick them up and help reassure his son, Kyle, that P city was now his home but everything would remain the same.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Moreover, they had also decided that it was best to let Kyle have some sense of familiar security before he was thrown into the chaos that Kyle¡¯s presence would undoubtedly cause in the Preston family.

 Chapter 38 – Deal

    Liliana was on her way to the airport when she received a call from Jonathan.


    ¡°Hey, how have you been?¡± Jonathan asked.


    ¡°Since when are you so free to ask that?¡± Liliana joked.


    ¡°You did not answer my question,¡± Jonathan replied.


    ¡°I have been fine. The kids are just getting used to the new environment. They have poor health so they need a few weeks to get used to the new city. After the inauguration is over, I n to take them out, show them their hometown. For now, they are just getting bored at home.¡± She exined.


    ¡°What about you? Been busy throwing out the flies?¡± She teased him.


    ¡°You are always so well informed.¡± He teased her back, ¡°Do you mind if I visit the kids someday?¡±


    ¡°You are more than wee. Just so you know Li likes making robots and cars, and Jo likes designing.¡± She informed him.


    ¡°Thanks! I was gonna ask Henry what they like.¡± He confessed.


    ¡°Anyway, I am sure you did not call me to just chat.¡± She got to the point.


    ¡°Well, I wanted to ask a few things. Can we meet sometime?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Personal questions, I assume. Let¡¯s make a deal. I am on my way to the airport to pick Liam up. His son likes ying with guns. If you can meet me at my ce with proper gifts for all three kids, I might actually answer,¡± She teased him.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± He was stunned at her reply.


    ¡°Tick-tock! Tick-tock! Mister,¡± She said,ughter evident in her voice.


    ¡°I will see youter,¡± He hung up on her.


    ¡°Vincent, clear my schedule for the rest of my day.¡± He said while hurrying towards his private elevator.


    Jonathan made several calls along the way and made a few quick stops.


    He managed to arrive at Liliana¡¯s ce at the same time she arrived.


    ¡°It¡¯s a tie!¡± Sheughed as she half hugged him while he was panting.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± He cursed.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. Let me introduce you guys properly.¡± Liliana held his arm and introduced him to Liam and his son Kyle Preston.


    ¡°This is Liam Preston. He is a colonel in the P city military. You must have heard of the Preston military family of P city, right?¡± She asked.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Jonathan nodded and she continued, ¡°As per the Preston family tradition, their men must forge their careers away from home and are only allowed back after they have attained some des. He just transferred from Maple City to the P city.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Colonel Preston. It¡¯s an honor to be acquainted with someone from the Preston family, especially someone as young as yourself who managed to be the Colonel in Maple city. Even a capitalist like me knows how strict Maple city¡¯s Military training is.¡± Jonathan offered a handshake politely.


    ¡°Please call me Liam, Mr. Smith. Your reputation precedes you.¡± Liam shook his hands.


    ¡°All good things, I hope. I would hate to be on your bad side.¡± Jonathan said lightly.

 Chapter 39 – Allies and families

    Liliana then introduced the little guy, ¡°This is Kyle Preston, who is also my Godson. Kyle is three days younger than Jo and Li. I met Kyle¡¯s mom when we were both in the hospital. We both had aplicated pregnancy and had the same doctor. She was a great woman. I am quite indebted to her.¡±


    Jonathan offered a handshake to Kyle just like he had done with Liam, rather than treating him like a child.


    This created a good impression on Kyle.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Little soldier.¡± He said.


    Kyle held his hands on his smaller ones with what was his best attempt at a firm handshake.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine, Mr. Smith. Hope we have an amicable rtionship as your contributions to the city¡¯s economy are outstanding.¡± Kyle said, which stunned Jonathan.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine. I will ensure I don¡¯t break anyws. It is bad for business to have an enemy in the force.¡± Jonathan replied immediately.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough introductions. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Liliana said, breaking the handshake between Kyle and Jonathan.


    ¡°I missed you, Kyle. Liam is a heartless bastard who would not let me bring you along with Jo and Li.¡± Liliana told Kyle as she picked him up and kissed his face.


    ¡°I know Mommy. Daddy can be such a bore sometimes. He did not even cook for me. Six weeks I had to suffer from canteen food, and no takeaways either.¡± Kyleined right away.


    ¡°You brat! I told you I was busy and Eric was there anyway.¡± Liam gnashed his teeth.


    ¡°Go away, Liam.¡± Liliana pushed him as she took Kyle and headed in first.


    Jonathan listened to them lost in thought.


    He had noticed a pattern in Liliana¡¯s introductions and exnations. It was weird like you were introducing families, not business partners or recent acquaintances.


    Yet, there was a clear line between them.


    He was confused about their dynamic. It was just business, yet it was not.


    He shook his head and looked around. It was his first timeing to her house.


    The security struck him. It was better than that in an airport.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    They had to get out of the car at the gate. The valet would check and park the car. Their luggage would get scanned and they had to walk through a scanner. Though it was wide enough to not be a hindrance.


    Who was she?


    They all went inside the inner gate after Liliana entered her fingerprint, a code, and voicemand.


    What¡¯s with the security?


    ¡°Li, Jo, look who is here?¡± Liliana said as soon as they had changed the shoes.


    ¡°Kyle! Daddy Liam! Mom¡¯s partner!¡± Jo answered as she dashed towards them.


    Liam picked her up and started chatting with her.


    Li made his way towards them quietly like a little gentleman.


    They sat down and talked like family, like allies. Jonathan was not sure.

 Chapter 40 – Ready to face the music

    Amidst light-hearted conversation and food cooked by Liliana, the kids and adults all had a good time.


    During dinner, Liliana asked, ¡°Ready to face the music, Liam!¡±


    Liam shook his head, ¡°God help me! I have half a mind to leave Kyle under your care and never tell anyone.¡±


    Kyle interrupted, ¡°I am okay with that.¡±


    Li countered him, ¡°No. That¡¯s not eptable. He is your son. You must grant him his rightful ce in the family.¡±


    Liam signed heavily, ¡°I never said I was going to hide him. He is a Preston. He has a ce in the family tree. It¡¯s just exhausting having to exin who his mother was.¡±


    Kyle looked down sadly, ¡°It¡¯s alright Daddy. I have Mommy Lil. You don¡¯t have to feel bad.¡±


    Lil shot a dirty look at Liam and exined, ¡°What he meant was his family would want to know her whereabouts, which family she was from, and all the details. Liam respects your mother too much to dig into her background after she has been long gone. The people who don¡¯t know this might take his silence to mean he has something to hide, while the truth is the opposite.¡±


    Kyle looked up at her as she caressed his head, ¡°She was an admirable woman and he does not want to disrespect her by discussing her heritage after she is no longer in this world. That conversation is only for you when you grow up and want to understand your roots. Not for others to poke their noses into.¡±


    Liam looked at Liliana gratefully who scrunched her nose at him.


    Kyle looked at her and smiled, ¡°I understand now, Mommy.¡±


    Liliana pinched his cheek and exined, ¡°I had twins and I was in poor health after delivery, so were the kids. It was difficult enough to breastfeed them. When your mother passed away, I breastfed you to repay her gratitude. Unknowingly, she ended up giving you a mother, and me another child in herst few days. Don¡¯t ever doubt her ce in Liam¡¯s heart and don¡¯t ever think badly of her. You are lucky to be her blood.¡±


    Kyle looked at her solemnly and exined, ¡°I know, Mommy. I was just worried about Daddy. He should also have someone in his life. After all, my mother has passed away.¡±


    Liam rolled his eyes at him, ¡°You focus on growing up, Kyle. I will take care of my business.¡±


    The kidsughed at him. He was exasperated as Liliana also joined them.


    Jonathan had never been around kids much and he certainly had never seen six-year-olds being treated as adults.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    But listening to them talking about adult matters so seriously with the kids was an eye-opener.


    Moreover, the kids also seemed to be smart enough to understand them.


    But what surprised him the most was that they did not bother to hide things in his presence. He was after all a nobody to them.


    After lunch, Liam and Kyle left for the Preston residence.


    Liliana kissed Kyle and said, ¡°Give me a call whenever you want toe here and I will send someone to pick you up. Your room was prepared along with Jo and Li¡¯s room.¡±


    Kyle was teary-eyed as he kissed her all over the face and left.


    Liam made a phone gesture to Liliana as he drove out.

 Chapter 41 – What did you want to talk about?

    The twins continued to y with the toys Jonathan had brought for them after lunch.


    After Liam and Kyle left, she sent the twins to take a nap.


    Finally, Jonathan and Liliana sat on the swing in the garden as they talked.


    ¡°You seem very free today,¡± Liliana broached the topic.


    ¡°I cleared my schedule,¡± Jonathan said without mincing it.


    ¡°I am ttered,¡± She said with augh.


    ¡°Why does the entire Aprice family hate you so much?¡± He asked directly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She feigned ignorance.


    ¡°I heard Lydia Aprice came back to P city after our press conference. Lester Aprice and Lydia Aprice have both been looking for you. They even went by your studio in Central Mall. They clearly have something against you,¡± He rified.


    ¡°s, the first question you have asked, I am unable to answer. At least not entirely,¡± She sighed.


    ¡°Just tell me how deep the grudge runs. I need to update security ordingly. The Aprices and Stones are not invited for the inauguration,¡± He exined.


    ¡°The Aprices want something that belongs to me. My existence is a threat to them,¡± She exined with coldness in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the security. You don¡¯t have to make it any different than what it usually is for such events.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Are you not worried?¡± He asked curiously. He wanted to know more details on what they wanted from her. But he knew she would not answer, otherwise, her answer would not have been so vague.


    ¡°Do you remember what I said in your office? They mistook a sleeping Lioness as a dewed cat. It¡¯s time to teach them a lesson. It won¡¯t be so much fun if I ended things directly.¡± She said frostily.


    ¡°Who are you really?¡± He asked, unable to resist himself.


    She turned and looked him in the eye. He saw an ocean of emotions there, but mncholy and hurt were most evident.


    ¡°I¡­You¡± He did not know what to say to make it go away. He fumbled for words but she smiled softly.


    ¡°You will know who I am soon enough. When you do, I will answer all your questions.¡± She said as she looked afar.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± He said.


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked, confused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just¡­it feels¡­I am just sorry.¡± He said. He felt an ache in his heart. He did not know where the pain hade from. But it was intense and he felt like he deserved it.


    She looked at his confused eyes and clenched fist and bit her lips.


    The urge to hold him in her arms and reassure him was too strong.


    She had an inkling why his emotions were off. She did not know how to feel about that.


    If she was not mistaken, he recognized her for the girl he had met on the beach, not as his wife.


    If that was the case all his expressions, and his story about Lydia pretending to be someone else made sense.

 Chapter 42 – Inauguration

    Liam¡¯s house was in chaos as he showed up with a 6-year old son when no one had ever seen a woman around him. The boy looked too much like Liam to doubt his gics.


    His grandmother, not unexpectedly, exhausted all means to find out who Kyle¡¯s mother was and her background. But Liam was tight-lipped about it as can only be expected of an army personnel.


    She loved Kyle though, she felt bad that he had to grow up without a mother. But the kid was too smart and too well nurtured toin.


    The other rtives, however, did not think so.


    ¡°She was probably a whore he fucked.¡±


    ¡°Who knows if he screwed someone while interrogating her and was forced to take the responsibility.¡±


    ¡°He is an unlucky bastard who killed his mother at birth.¡±


    ¡°If she was any good, Liam would not be so tight-lipped.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Liam just picked a random child because of familiarity, that¡¯s why he does not know anything about his mother.¡±


    ¡°There was never a woman around Liam, the child is probably not his.¡±


    These were the most hurtful things Kyle had to endure, apart from the incessant sarcasm.


    The Prestons had a lot of side branches and rtives who wanted to use Liam¡¯s father¡¯s influence for their profit. But Liam, his father, and his grandfather were all men of honor who would not use their power for uwful gains.


    Those who resented them used Kyle as their punching bag.


    While they could not hurt him physically, bruising words followed Kyle throughout the house.


    Kyle wanted to call his mother Liliana and hide in the safety of her arms, but even at six, he knew he must be strong, after all the real world was like that.


    So, he continued to endure. This way he would also test his limits.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Soon enough came the day of inauguration.


    The security was tight and the entire floor had been closed off to prevent non-invitees from interrupting the event.


    Even so Vivian Stone, Lester Aprice, and Lydia Aprice managed to sneak in.


    Both Jonathan and Liliana were aware of it. But as per Liliana¡¯s ns, they were left alone as they smugly flitted across the venue,uding themselves for tricking the strict security.


    Moreover, they were all rather confident that Jonathan would give them face and not cause trouble.


    The press was having a good time taking pictures and dropping titbits of the ongoing event to the public.


    A few bold reporters were hoping to draw quite arge clickbait with the surprise that Miss Vivian Stone had been invited as well despite the farce at the banquetst time. But they soon found a serious problem.


    Any negative post regarding Vivian Stone was getting reported and removed immediately.


    Since they were looking for it, Mariana and Jennifer found it right away.


    Jonathan was once again struck seeing the look of pure excitement and anticipation on Mariana and Jennifer¡¯s faces as soon as they saw the paid trolls keeping Vivian¡¯s name clean.

 Chapter 43 – Don’t screw up!

    ¡°Lil, I am going to enjoy it,¡± Mariana shouted.


    ¡°Me too!¡± eximed Jenn.


    ¡°Jenn, don¡¯t use your own devices. You suck at anything electronic not medically rted. They will find you within minutes. Use Mer¡¯s alternate phone.¡± Lil exined.


    ¡°Mer, you know what to hold and what to release, right?¡± Lil asked, vaguely.


    ¡°I know. I know. It¡¯s like the 10th time you have said it since morning. I will just provoke her enough.¡± Mer replied, exasperated with the nagging.


    ¡°I have a professional team who could have done this without my nagging. Don¡¯t give me that attitude, darling. You wanted to do it. Don¡¯t screw up!¡± Lil snorted.


    Henry giggled and Mariana red at him but did not retort.


    ¡°You are so nice to Jenn, but fierce with Mer, why?¡± Jonathan moved to sit beside her and asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Personality differences. Jenn, despite the yfulness, is quite serious about anything she does. Mer just bulldozes through her work, hence the reminders. Not all mess can be cleaned up well. Also, Mer was born in our world. She knows how to y the game. Jenn is rather new, and since I was the one who liked her and brought her in, I ought to protect her.¡± Lil exined.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Jonathan asked out of the blue.


    ¡°What about you?¡± She cocked her head and asked innocently.


    ¡°Never mind!¡± He sighed. He did not have the courage to ask where he held up in her life.


    ¡°Nathan, I am sorry. I am too proud to exin things to you. When the timees, you will know.¡± She said, sadly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad!¡± He said instinctively hiding his surprise at the address.


    ¡°It¡¯s only fleeting. I am too upied with other things to be sad all the time.¡± She exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s even worse.¡± He said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the price we have to pay for our privilege.¡± She countered.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Why are you so wise?¡± He asked.


    ¡°My mother passed away when I was 8. I had to grow up quickly.¡± She seemed to have an answer to all the questions.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± He said, ¡°You simply acquiesced to being wise.¡± He added changing the subject.


    ¡°I have a high IQ and EQ. While I might not be wise, I am not too bad. Besides my mother, and my grandparents had spent quite an effort to get me to be a principled person.¡± She answered cockily, raising her chin in a dare.


    Henry looked at the two of them whispering and he had to admit they made a decent couple.


    Mer and Jenn were having the time of their lives leading Vivian into a trap.


    He kept looking at his phone to check their progress.


    Vincent had asked for James¡¯s help in double-checking everything in the venue was right.


    They came back when it was time, and soon the entourage proceeded to the main venue.

 Chapter 44 – Accident

    The group answered a few questions from the reporters and the ribbon-cutting went without a hitch.


    They all proceeded to follow Liliana inside as she along with her assistant and manager for the studio began to show them around the ce and exined a few design pieces that were relevant or special.


    Things were almost at an end when Vivian pretended to simply nce at a wedding gown in the store which was for disy only. She had drawn quite a crowd as she eximed how ethereal the dress was.


    Just as they bent over, the ss frame toppled over the onlookers as they retreated hastily. Vivian, unfortunately, stumbled and the entire showcase tumbled upon her.


    Vivian screamed and created quite a ruckus.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Reporters were busy snapping pictures and some people did a live stream and showed to all how the proceedings went.


    The entire venue and the inte were abuzz once again.


    Jonathan looked at Liliana who was sporting a nk face but he was close enough to catch the hint of a smile.


    Vivian cried and feigned grievances. Though, to be fair, the wounds on her body were quite serious.


    The security hired for the event isted the area quickly, preventing others from tampering with anything.


    Thus, Vivian was lying alone in the midst of shattered ss, some of which had prated in her skin, and the gorgeous wedding gown was also lying in shambles close to her.


    Vivian had not expected to be so severely hurt, nor had she expected to be isted so quickly without anyone around her.


    While she could hear the whispers pitying her and questioning L&L Designs, something still seemed off.


    Liliana seemed far tooposed given the circumstances.


    Jonathan quickly called the police after Liliana whispered in his ears.


    People started questioning them for they had not called the ambnce.


    ¡°I never knew President Smith would be so ruthless to his own lover. He dumped her like she was nothing and humiliated her publicly. Now she is injured at Smith Group property, he is even preventing others from helping her out or calling an ambnce.¡±


    ¡°I had thought Mrs. Liliana was a decent woman given how high and mighty she was in the Wee banquet. But she appears to be apathetic instead.¡±


    ¡°Instead of taking responsibility for things on their end, they were just standing motionless preventing others from helping the victim.¡±


    ¡°I am going to dissolve all partnerships with Smith Group. No one wants to work with heartless people like him.¡±


    ¡°You are right, my cooperation with Smith Group is also due to be renewed in a few months. I guess I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°I am never buying anything from L&L Designs.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps Miss Vivian Stone was the abandoned victim all along. President Smith treated her so mercilessly to catch favor with a married woman. And she clearly treats Miss Stone as her rival.¡±


    And so the people chattered on, cing all me on Jonathan and Liliana.

 Chapter 45 – Staged

    However, arge number of the guests were smart enough to guess something was off.


    ¡°Maybe there is more to it than meets the eye. We should wait and see things through before judging anyone.¡±


    ¡°President Smith may be ruthless in business but he is not so cold-blooded.¡±


    ¡°President Smith is smart enough to know that if Vivian Stone is truly the victim here, it will negatively affect him and L&L Designs. His silence means things are yet to unfold.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Liliana is definitely a kind person. L&L Design has been sponsoring 100 underprivileged students in Design major, and 100 in other fields. She loudly proimed Vivian is her rival. She does not seem like someone who would do something sneaky.¡±


    ¡°Judging by things, it looks like they are waiting for the police. Maybe Vivian Stone staged all of this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very likely as she had created quite a farce at the Wee banquet as well.¡±


    The chatter continued as Liliana looked at Jonathan and whispered.


    ¡°Are you getting this?¡±


    Jonathan nodded. He had guessed the reason she had asked him to call the police quietly and not take any action.


    He was now sure she had used this incident to sort between good and bad partners.


    With that, he also realized that she was already aware that this was going to happen, but she let it anyway.


    He wanted to ask a ton of questions but refrained from it.


    His musings were interrupted by Lydia.


    Lydia had been drawn in by themotion. She had been staying away from the crowd as Lester and Rose had repeatedly told her to be discreet and not get on Jonathan¡¯s bad side.


    But she could not let this opportunity pass, ¡°You are such a bitch. Trying to act all high and mighty while retorting to such cheap tricks to seduce a rich man.¡±


    Jessica, who had formed an acquaintance with Liliana during the Wee banquet stepped in.


    ¡°Miss please mind yournguage, you can¡¯t say anything at will without proof.¡± She had wanted to mind her own business since it was clear both Liliana and Jonathan were up to something.


    But she could not remain quiet when Liliana was used of seducing Jonathan Smith. As someone who had faced such criticisms throughout her career, she was quite sensitive to how even baseless rumors can affect a woman¡¯s life.


    Lydia looked at her and screamed, ¡°You probably are a slut just like her.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jessica wanted to rebut her but she saw Liliana signaling her to be quiet. She just looked at Lydia coldly saying, ¡°There is no use arguing with an uncultured person.¡±


    Lydia just sneered at her and strode towards Liliana as she started screaming.


    ¡°You stole Miss Stone¡¯s man, humiliated her publicly, and now you are trying to kill her. How can you be so vicious?¡± She started to yell looking at Vivian and trying to get to her and help her as a kind person.


    Liliana kept mum.


    Jonathan wanted to stop Lydia from spewing nonsense, but Liliana held his hand and gave him a wink.

 Chapter 46 – Servant

    Lydia, who was too dumb to notice something was amiss, went on and on with her verbiage.


    Finally, a woman could not take it anymore and shouted at her.


    ¡°Even if she did all those things, what right do you have to berate her?¡±


    Lydia who had been waiting for this question eximed.


    ¡°Of course, I do. She used to be a servant at my home.¡± Lydia said, the smugness in her voice was hard to miss.


    That created an uproar.


    ¡°How can the legendary founder of L&L Design be a servant?¡±


    ¡°She said she was in Kings High. How can a servant be qualified to study in Kings High?¡±


    ¡°Who is this woman spewing nonsense?¡±


    ¡°She looks like a cheap woman, while Mrs. Liliana has the aura of nobility on her. One should at least make a believable lie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is clearly a jealous bitch spewing nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Lydia Aprice. She has been trying to bag President Smith for years already. The Aprices sure are shameless.¡±


    ¡°I had heard that she is President Aprice¡¯s second wife¡¯s daughter. Like mother, like daughter.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Lydia who had been fuming at the insults did not get the sarcasm and smiled like a dummy on thestment.


    She actually thought she was beingplimented by that.


    ¡°Of course, I am just like my mother. We are both from the upper ss, unlike this servant here.¡± She said gloatingly as she pointed at Liliana.


    The crowd burst intoughter after she said that.


    It was only then she realized something was amiss.


    She ignored the onlookers and pointed at Liliana saying.


    ¡°You bitch, you are nothing more than the filthy dog raised by my family. Come and wipe my shoes with your face and maybe I will help bail you out when Miss Vivian sues you.¡±


    Jennifer, finally, could not take it anymore. She went up to Liliana and asked in a small voice, ¡°Are you going to let her yap nonsense like that? I want to beat her and break all her teeth.¡±


    Lilianaughed at Jenn and said aloud, ¡°My lovely Jenn, you are too innocent. I me Henry for mixing you up with the upper ss. People here will eat you alive and not even spit the bones.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°No, I am not going to retort to her. If a dog barks at you, you should not bark back. Besides, she clearlycks good character or upbringing, I will only humiliate myself by talking to her. Since she also seems mentally deranged, I probably won¡¯t be able to sue her for nder. Why should I stick my head in the mud for her? If a piece of garbage can provoke me, what does that make me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should get the security to send her away!¡± Jenn asked innocently.


    ¡°The Aprices and the Stones were not in the guest list. I am guessing the Aprices won¡¯t let their only child go rabid like this. So, let¡¯s just see when someone from the Aprice familyes and brings her back. The police will be here shortly, don¡¯t worry.¡±

 Chapter 47 – As vain as a person could get

    The crowd burst intoughter. Mrs. Liliana was the queen of sarcasm.


    Lydia was about to vomit blood hearing Liliana¡¯s words.


    That was what she had always hated about her. Her sense of superiority and the aura. Even when she was forced to act as the servant at the Aprice Mansion, Liliana had quietly gone about her job like she owned the ce.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Lydia hated her to the core. She could not wait to tear her to pieces.


    ¡°You bitch, how dare you?¡± She eximed and made her way towards Liliana.


    ¡°Miss Aprice, stop it!¡± Terry Draw stopped Lydia in her tracks.


    A lot of people in business knew Terry as he was an elite employee hired by Smith Group with generous rewards. Besides he had managed to be the manager of the Central Mall at such a young age all on his own merits without any background help.


    A lot of people admired him and wanted to poach him, but Terry had shown excellent strength of character and wisdom by depicting loyalty and not changingnes for profit. He was smart enough to know where he would get long-term benefits.


    Unfortunately, Lydia was one of those ignorant fools who only saw background and money and not people as individuals with their own merits. She fancied Jonathan because he was rich, powerful, and handsome. She was as vain as a person could get.


    Not talking Terry seriously was within her character trait.


    Liliana was not even surprised when Lydiashed at Terry, ¡°Who do you think you are to talk to me? You are nothing but a servant working for Smith Group. You and this bitch are both lowly servants.¡±


    Terry Draw was calm, ¡°As a manager of Central Mall, I would request you to leave the premises. The Aprices were not on the guest list and you are not only trespassing but also ndering our most important partner. Please leave before I call security.¡±


    ¡°How dare you order me, you filthy dog? You must be out of your mind to call this bitch your most important partner. She is nothing but my servant.¡± Lydia retorted without rhyme or reason.


    Terry understood that there was no point talking to Lydia, so he changed tactics, ¡°Dear guests, I hope there will be no confusion here. Miss Vivian Stone and Miss Lydia Aprice were not on the guest list and are trespassing.¡±


    There was a loud murmur as everyone could tell what Terry was saying was the official truth. He had a reputation as a manager of Central Mall, he represented Smith Group as well.


    Vivian looked at Terry with a deep scowl. She could not believe how fickle he could be. He was always trying to woo her and now he was throwing her under the bus when she was down.


    Terry, however, ignored Vivian. He had not spoken earlier as a show of respect for old time¡¯s sake.


    But he could not keep quiet when Lydia used Liliana of whatever.


    After all, he was indebted to her.


    He could have left Vivian¡¯s name out. But he could not be partial while speaking as the manager of Central Mall.

 Chapter 48 – Terry’s benefactor

    Terry walked up to Liliana and bowed deeply to her which stunned everyone to silence.


    He straightened his back and did not wait for Liliana to speak as he continued, ¡°I can personally attest to the character of Mrs. Liliana. She is my benefactor as she gave me her schrship to King¡¯s High because she was rich enough to pay for her own tuition. She was also the one who gave me relevant materials to prepare for entrance to Kings High after I had passed her tests.¡±


    The crowd was in an uproar. ¡®She got a schrship in Kings High and gave it away.¡¯ Both things were inconceivable to everyone.


    Terry continued ¡°After I entered Kings High, she directed me to use the alumniwork to secure a schrship abroad which was extremely generous and was until post-grad conditioned upon my grades only. I can personally assure you there were three other people like me who could never dream of studying in Kings High but received the opportunity because Mrs. Liliana qualified for the Kings High Schrship throughout her tenure in Kings High.¡±


    He paused as he added, ¡°I know a lot of people have never heard of Kings High Schrship. That¡¯s because it¡¯s extremely rare to qualify for it. Only seven people have qualified for schrships in thest three decades. Mrs. Liliana is one of those brilliant seven. One other person amidst us who had qualified for it was Doctor Henry Qazi.¡±


    He then looked at Lydia as he added, ¡°She was also rich enough to pay the exuberant tuition, so she transferred her schrship to others. I was the first to receive her benevolence, after I went abroad, she transferred that schrship to another student and when she went to another state with a schrship prospect simr to mine, she sponsored another and ultimately ended up changing the lives for four kids like me. Mrs. Liliana is a person blessed with money, a brain, and most importantly a generous heart. She was born with a crown on her head. Whether she unts it or not is up to her, but she was, is, and will always be a Queen. I hope none here would take the words of her detractors seriously.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    When Terry finished his speech, the murmurs in the venue grew louder. Everyone was looking at Liliana strangely.


    ¡®She was one of the only seven people to receive the unheard-of Kings High schrship.¡¯


    ¡®She received the Kings High Schrship like legendary doctor Henry did. Does that mean they have the same level of intelligence?¡¯


    ¡®She gave her schrship to others because the exuberant tuition meant nothingpared to her riches.¡¯


    ¡®She was Terry Draw¡¯s benefactor.¡¯


    ¡®She changed the lives of four people when she was in middle and high school only.¡¯


    Admiration for the mysterious Mrs. Liliana swept across the hall in waves.


    But the topic of discussion, Liliana herself, looked as unaffected as ever.


    She had this air around her like she did not belong to the masses. She was above them all and would grace everyone with her presence as per her will.


    But somehow that arrogance and ethereal disposition suited her perfectly instead of being unbing.

 Chapter 49 – Not reconciled

    While everyone was sighing in admiration for Liliana, two women were extremely embarrassed.


    Vivian could not have imagined she could get humiliated further after her fall and be isted like she was. Not to mention the cuts hurt so much.


    She had always been looked up to as Kings High alumni and for her prestigious degree that she got from abroad.


    But Liliana hogged all the attention away from her in one fell swoop.


    While Vivian had never even heard of Kings High schrship, Liliana had not only qualified for it throughout her time in Kings High, she had also sponsored other students with it.


    With one kick she had cemented her position as someone with both intelligence and money.


    Everyone was talking about how wonderful a person Liliana was and they hadpletely ignored Vivian. Even when they looked at her, it was a gaze full of pity or loathing.


    Lydia was not reconciled.


    She hade here to humiliate Liliana but someone had ended up being the butt of jokes herself.


    Moreover, she was too stunned with the news that Liliana had qualified for a schrship but given it away in Kings High.


    She knew Liliana had studied in Kings High and had paid the exuberant tuition which her mother had already paid for her tuition in entirety usingpany funds before the old hag passed away.


    Lydia¡¯s entire childhood had been marred by the dissatisfaction of not being able to do anything about that.


    But to find out that the bitch she hated the most in the world had been even more outstanding than she and the rest of her family had realized was too hard a blow to her.


    She was rendered speechless for a long time and the whispers of others barely reached her.


    On the other hand, Liliana was quite unaffected. She looked like someone who was used to everyone singing praises of her.


    She merely clicked her tongue and shook her head at Terry.


    ¡°Ah! Terry! You are as eloquent as ever. I must admit I was expecting a ¡®hi¡¯ from you. I saw you at the banquet the other day but you were having fun with what looks like your assistant and his sister/cousin, if I may guess boldly. I did not want to be too presumptuous and start a chat, but this is how you greet people, really?¡±


    She raised her eyebrows in question as she added, ¡°And here I was reminiscing about our childhood when you called me a stinking piece of old test paper who was probably born from a pile of books and not my mother¡¯s tummy.¡±


    The crowd burst intoughter as Terry scratched his head in embarrassment.


    Liliana passed Terry a card as she said, ¡°Give me a call when you want to talk to an old acquaintance and friend.¡±


    Terry took the card and fed the number in front of everyone and called her.


    Liliana waved her phone at him as she teased, ¡°Afraid I would give you the wrong number?¡±


    A few people had looked awkward despite Liliana not even looking in their direction.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    They had thought she was only putting on a show and would not give the correct number to the poor student she sponsored.

 Chapter 50 – Beautiful inside out

    Terry smiled helplessly, ¡°I knew it was right. You only give wrong numbers to your pursuers, I am not one of them. I just wanted to make sure people don¡¯t gossip behind your back saying you just put on a show to make yourself look humble while secretly disdaining poor people like me.¡±


    Liliana chuckled, ¡°As expected of the Kings High alumni, of course.¡±


    Terry smiled as he said, ¡°I will excuse myself, Lil. Let me buy you some tender coconut water someday. It was my childhood dream which you ruined by talking sense into me.¡±


    Jennifer piped in, ¡°Why would she ruin your dream?¡±


    Terry looked at her and answered truthfully, ¡°Ie from a very humble family. We barely managed our daily needs and had no money for insurance, education, or healthcare. I had grown up thinking my dream of going to a good school would be just that. When Lil made my dreamse true I wanted to buy her something as a treat.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    He had a faraway look as he added, ¡°She used to drink tender coconut water from a stall by the intersection behind Kings High. Iter found out she went there regrly to drink coconut water so her pursuers would do the same and the old half-blinddy could make her living more easily. When I got the schrship abroad, I wanted to treat her the same. I had the schrship money after all and it did not cost much.¡±


    He scrunched his nose and added, ¡°Lil, however, told me to save every penny except for bare necessities. I was not rich enough to treat her or help others just yet but had potential to do better and help others more meaningfully. I thought she was being too harsh but I listened to her nheless.¡±


    He smiled sadly as he added, ¡°Two years after I went aboard, my father was in an ident and I had just enough money for the hospital bills. Had I not saved every penny as she told me, I would not have had anything and would have had to borrow. None of my friends were rich, so I would have been forced to give up my schrship. Now, I am indeed capable of helping others a great deal more.¡±


    Heughed as he joked in the end, ¡°But that dream of buying a drink for the person who saved my life is still iplete.¡±


    Liliana shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s enough nonsense from you. Give me a call and I will show you where you can help.¡±


    Terry chuckled loudly, ¡°As expected, you are still beautiful inside out, Lil.¡±


    Liliana cocked her head at him, ¡°You have be quite a charmer. Is it a requirement in Smith Group? Nathan is just the same.¡±


    Everyone was shocked at how offhandedly Liliana called Jonathan Smith, who ruled the business world in P city and had never excused any trifles.


    Her friends knew she did it purposefully. She knew she was trying to goad Vivian and Lydia further.

 Chapter 51 – Submit to him

    Liliana ignored everyone and tilted her head to look at the police officers who had just entered the venue. Vincent was whispering something to them.


    She guessed he was probably informing them that Aprices were not on the guest list.


    ¡°Right on time!¡± She said softly.


    Lydia hade to her senses in the meantime and rushed to her to topple her to the ground.


    Just as Lydia was about to reach her, Liliana sidestepped in the nick of time.


    Jonathan held Liliana close as Lydia fell to the ground.


    The crowd burst into peals ofughter.


    Lydia was not reconciled and cried, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Lester Aprice had wanted to keep a low profile. But he could not leave his daughter in the dumps. He had doted on her for so many years that giving her the best of everything and helping her out had be quite an instinct.


    ¡°How dare you hurt my daughter?¡± He roared at Liliana, ¡°You insolent brat! Kneel and apologize to Lydia now!¡±


    Liliana felt absolutely nothing. This was exactly how they had parted terms seven years ago and now they were back at the same junction and he still chose Lydia over her.


    Nothing new, nothing unexpected.


    But this time, she felt relieved.


    All the affection she had for her biological father had long died when they had treated her worse than a ve after her mother passed away.


    She had been worried that her heart would still ache on seeing him treat her like that while valuing his step-daughter so preciously.


    But she waspletely unaffected now. She even found their situation funny.


    He was her biological father and the love of her beloved mother¡¯s life. It seemed she no longer had to give him any concessions.


    She could now fight back with a clear conscience.


    ¡°Mr. Aprice we seem to have a different understanding of what we call hurting others. The way I see it, getting out of the way when someone clearly intends to harm me is just good oldmon sense.¡± Liliana said indifferently.


    The crowd burst intoughter once again. Even Jonathan had to bite the inside of his mouth to hide his smile.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Lester was stunned and nearly dropped Lydia who he was helping get up from the floor.


    In his memory, Liliana had always been gentle and submissive. She would look at him with clear eyes filled with affection and some other hidden emotions.


    Never in a thousand years had he expected her to call him ¡®Mr. Aprice¡¯, and talk to him with so much indifference.


    He wondered how she had changed so much in a few years. But no matter what, he had raised her for so many years. She was obligated to submit to him.


    He steadied Lydia on her feet and turned to Liliana to give her a piece of his mind.

 Chapter 52 – Plans made in desperation

    Lester was enraged and was about to p Liliana in the face and show her rightful ce.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    But the police approached them and he held back his impulse.


    It would not do well to create a scene in front of authorities and half of the upper ss.


    Both Lester and Lydia were blissfully unaware that both the authorities and anyone worth something in the upper ss had already pegged them for the uncultured aggressive opportunists that they were and would never give them the time of the day.


    The police came and Liliana answered their questions


    The police then secured the perimeter and Henry treated Vivian¡¯s wounds after the police cleared her for the same.


    ¡°You are that bitch¡¯s friend. Who knows if you are working with her?¡± Vivian eximed.


    Her n had not worked as expected and she had a sinking feeling that she would get exposed. Hence she wanted to discredit people around Liliana to leave herself some room for maneuver.


    But ns made in desperation are never the wisest ones.


    If she was in the right frame of mind, she would have disdained herself for belittling the medical prodigy and the Qazi family¡¯s decades-old reputation.


    Sure enough, as soon as she said those words there were murmurs everywhere and people were looking at her like she was crazy.


    Having realized her mistake soon enough, she corrected herself.


    ¡°I am sorry, Henry. I was just too restless and in too much pain. So, I could not think straight.¡± Vivian apologized, excusing her behavior.


    ¡°Please call me Doctor Qazi, Miss Stone. After all, we are neither friends nor rted. I will treat you now under everyone¡¯s observation.¡± Henry said nonchntly.


    He cleaned her wounds, removed the ss shards, stitched the wounds, and bandaged her up with surprising efficiency.


    People had heard of his skills but none had seen him in action before. Seeing him like that affirmed his status as the prodigy doctor and shut his detractors alike.


    After he was done, he cleaned up the equipment and stood up before saying out loud.


    ¡°Miss Stone, please be sure to get yourself checked with a doctor you trust lest something go wrong and I get med for it.¡±


    Henry then passed all the medicine he had used to the police officer.


    ¡°Officer, I wish to submit these as evidence in case Miss Stone uses me of something in the future.¡± He did not even bother to hide his irritation.


    The officerplied and sealed all of those before handing them to his subordinates.


    Henry thanked him and looked at Vivian once again who was getting red from anger and embarrassment.


    ¡°Miss Stone, try not toe to me for treatment in the future. While I am obligated to see all my patients, I would rather not take on patients who doubt my moral character.¡±


    With that, he left to clean up and get himself something to drink while enjoying the show that was about toe.

 Chapter 53 – Evidence

    When Henry was treating Vivian¡¯s wounds, some police officers were busy checking all the surveince cameras.


    They came and inspected the venue and called another team to gather fingerprints.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    After an arduous hour, the evidence was conclusive.


    ¡°Miss Stone, pleasee with us to the police station.¡± The officer said.


    ¡°Officer, since I am injured, can I file thewsuit from here or send mywyer for the same? Do I need to go there personally?¡± Vivian was smug about her victory.


    ¡°Miss Stone, you are being apprehended as the prime suspect for sabotaging this event.¡± He exined to her clearly.


    Vivian was so shocked that she stood up abruptly and hurt her wounds.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She eximed.


    Trying to regain herposure, she asked.


    ¡°I am the victim here. I am the one who got hurt. How can you arrest me and not her? She is the organizer, she should be responsible. Or did she perhaps bribe you?¡± She asked, annoyed.


    Some people echoed her thoughts.


    ¡°Yes, she is clearly the victim here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the Smith group and L&L Designs bribed the police and used Vivian as their scapegoat.¡±


    ¡°How can the police arrest her after she is hurt?¡±


    The police officers were unfazed.


    ¡°P city police department is not like the part-time workers of the PTW association who can be bribed with a thousand dors by you, Miss Vivian. Neither are we stupid enough like their technician who could not even delete the surveince footage of youing herest night at 1 am and loosening the screw of the box, and adding a ss-covered ma which you removed just now to make the box fall.¡±


    Vivian was horrified, but she still yed innocent.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± She asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything you are saying.¡±


    The police officer looked at her impassively as he answered, ¡°You also sneaked inside the venue without an invitation. Everyone who received an invitation was fitted with a maic shoe case on the soles of their shoes without them knowing. This was done for additional security in case anything like this happened as there have been 5 cases in thest 2 months where the ss box toppled and the people were hurt. The maic shoe is designed to repel the particles which were mixed while making these boxes. While it¡¯s not a full-proof solution, it has been proved effective to a great extent in preventing people from getting hurt, or at least getting hurt severely.¡±


    In order to test the theory, a lot of people wanted to step forward and test it.


    The security staff let them test it out, a few people at the time, and indeed, it did repel or slow down the ss shards, which would greatly minimize the chances of people getting seriously hurt.


    They had to admire the preparation of L&L Design and Smith Group. It was not unheard of that showpieces topple over sometimes causing great harm.

 Chapter 54 – Rose Aprice

    Vivian was taken into custody by the police officers despite her protests.


    Her reputation went from bad to worse.


    She has hurled abuses online and people boycotted her Design firm offline.


    She had destroyed herself with her bare hands. Even so, she was thedy of the Stone family and was released on bail. She did not have to suffer in the police station even for a night.


    The night ended a lot more positively for both the Smith group and L&L Design.


    The party went on after Vivian, Lester, and Lydia were escorted out.


    Even though it did not go as nned and there was a lot of sensation, it was publicity after all and they hade out on top without any mud on them.


    Liliana¡¯s dynamic with Aprice family went under scrutiny but no one found anything about it and it was eventually regarded as nder.


    Jonathan received word as soon as Vivian was released. He called to tell Liliana about that only to find out that she already knew and gave permission for her to be released.


    Jonathan was once again curious about her background but held himself back.


    Lydia and Lester were thrown out of the venue after the issues with Vivian were resolved and Jonathan cklisted all of them from the Central mall entirely.


    Their embarrassment was only exceeded by their anger towards Liliana and they all vowed to teach her a lesson.


    Rose Aprice was Lester¡¯s mistress when he was married to Liliana¡¯s mother, Anne Petrova. She had managed to wrap Lester into her fingers and eventually established herself as Mrs. Aprice merely weeks after Anne¡¯s death, even turning her daughter into the housemaid.


    Rose being the smartest of the bunch knew Liliana was not as simple as she looked.


    But her limited knowledge of the upper ss, unwillingness to think of Anne as someone powerful or anything really other than a doormat, as well as the low-key manner of Petrovas prevented her from connecting the dots.


    Even so, she urged Lester and Lydia to keep a low profile for the next few weeks and let the rumor die down.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    She also asked Lester to hire paid trolls to suppress any negative news about them from the media while hyping up the few charities they had done to whitewash their image.


    Eventually, the rumor did die down as is the case with all rumors.


    In the meantime, Rose had asked someone to dig up on Liliana.


    She was both angry and relieved on seeing the information.


    Liliana did not seem to have made any connections during her stay in Maple city, which was quite a relief as it meant she was easy to deal with.


    But on the other hand, she had managed to establish L&L Design by herself and brought it to unattainable heights. Which means she was not to be underestimated.


    However, Rose knew Anne¡¯s daughter was probably a goody-two-shoes like Anne was. Hence she could notpare to Rose¡¯s cunning.


    Moreover, Liliana had two sick children. They would always be her weakness.


    She looked over the information once again and asked another firm to dig up on her to ensure there were no mistakes.


    Looking at Liliana¡¯s address, her eyes shed a dangerous gleam.

 Chapter 55 – Husband against wife

    Rose sneered seeing that Liliana was staying in one of the Smith family vis.


    No wonder Lydia was losing her head. She had been coveting Jonathan for ages, and now Liliana showed up out of nowhere and started to live in Jonathan¡¯s vi with her two bastard children.


    Rose wondered if either Jonathan or Liliana remembered that they were married.


    From the looks of it, it did not seem to be the case.


    The wheels in her head started turning and she knew the first thing to do was break Jonathan and Liliana apart.


    Jonathan¡¯s distaste of his forced marriage was well known.


    She would send Lydia to instigate Jonathan for a divorce all the while pointing out that Liliana had given birth to someone else¡¯s children.


    If Jonathan had developed feelings for Liliana without knowing she was his wife, the news of being cuckolded would turn the husband against his wife for sure.


    Rose had used the same trick with Lester and Anne.


    She could do the same with Anne¡¯s daughter as well. With that thought, an evil glint appeared in her eyes.


    The next two months went by peacefully.


    Having suffered humiliation during the inauguration, Vivian and the Aprices kept a low profile.


    L&L Design was booked for the next six months and they had to stop bookings for the time being as they were too full.


    Keeping quality in mind, Liliana had refused to hire sub-par designers and insisted on taking limited orders rather than having too many orders which would result in sub-par hiring of employees and low-quality results.


    The public could hardlyin, so they only lined up and started cing orders for half a yearter.


    To keep up with the fashion trends, they only had to book slots and when the time came, they would discuss the design ideas and make alterations before designing anything.


    Jonathan, not unexpectedly, did not renew the contracts with people who were quick to use him without any evidence.


    He especially filtered out people who had said something nasty about Liliana.


    While he did not terminate contracts right away, any keen observer could see the trend.


    Jonathan was unfazed and he simply said that he did not want to work with people whock judgment and y fence.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    After things dialed down a bit, Lydia tried to make an appointment with Jonathan but was denied entry in the Smith Group.


    She wanted to teach the receptionist a lesson, but Rose¡¯s words came back to life and she restrained herself.


    In order to create a good impression on the Smiths, she needed to curb her anger and always be pretentiously sweet and gentle.


    However, she couldn¡¯t hide the disdain or the vileness in her eyes.


    All the staff of Smith Group, even the receptionist and the security guards were specially recruited. They could easily tell what kind of person she was.


    They did not give her an inch despite their smiles and polite response.

 Chapter 56 – We are not close

    Lydia was stopped at the reception of Smith Group and left in disgrace.


    She could not help but recall the times before Jonathan was forced to marry that bitch Liliana.


    She was the woman of Jonathan¡¯s dream and could get in anytime she wanted without prior engagement.


    The truth was Jonathan only ever let her inside when he was sure to be called into a meeting in a few minutes and she would then be forced to leave.


    Deep in his heart, Jonathan knew Lydia was not his Lil, but he could not snub her outright since she clearly knew something about it. So, he had adopted this tactic.


    Lydia was too dumb to realize it.


    Lydia stormed inside the Aprice Group whilst reminiscing about her wonderful past with Jonathan.


    She barged into Lester Aprice¡¯s office and shooed everyone away despite the fact that the people Lester had been talking with were major shareholders of Aprice Group and were older than even Lester.


    The shareholders looked at Lester coldly and huffed.


    They were veterans of thepany and knew that the Aprice Group was originally the Petrova Factory.


    The only reason they had stayed behind was to see the Petrova heir take her rightful ce and right all wrongs Lester Aprice had done.


    To watch Lester Aprice squander his wife¡¯s property while pampering his mistress, and dote on his step-daughter without any principles after throwing out his biological daughter who was the actual owner of everything he owned was quite distasteful.


    Experienced as they were, they were aware that they had no choice but to swallow the humiliation and keep quiet. Aprices would have their reckoning soon.


    Lydia yed coy with her father and, expectedly, he agreed to send her for the confirmed appointment with Jonathan which was three dayster.


    Aprice Group had proposed a coboration with Smith Group. While Jonathan was not keen on coborating with them, the appointment had been fixed in advance and he had to show courtesy and attend. He had an image to maintain after all.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    The appointment was at a downtown cafe which was famous for its privacy and ambiance.


    Jonathan arrived exactly at the appointed time and frowned on seeing Lydia rather than Lester.


    ¡°Jonathan! You are here. I have been waiting for you for such a long time.¡± Lydia pouted coquettishly.


    ¡°Call me President Smith, Miss Aprice. I don¡¯t think we are so close.¡± Jonathan tried his best not to belch on seeing her act.


    ¡°Jonathan, how can you be like that?¡± Lydia could not suppress her anxiety as she eximed, ¡°We have been together for so long. I only went to study abroad so I could be a better person who could match you.¡±


    ¡°Miss Aprice, call me by my name once more time and I will make you wish you had never met me.¡± Jonathan threatened her directly, ignoring her piteous cries.


    Lydia felt a chill down her spine.

 Chapter 57 – Do you love your wife?

    Lydia stammered for a while and could not even form coherent sentences.


    Fortunately, amidst shock and fear, she remembered her purpose ofing to see Jonathan.


    ¡°President Smith, if you are not close with me, who are you close with? Your wife?¡± Lydia hissed, ¡°Do you love your bitch wife now? Have you already forgotten how she had schemed to marry you before?¡±


    Jonathan frowned at that and asked, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? What wife?¡±


    Just as the words had left his lips, he remembered that he was indeed married before.


    He had hated being forced to marry a stranger so much that he had rejected everything about her instinctively. He never thought of her, in fact, he actively rejected any thoughts about her.


    Since she did not show up in front of him again, he soon forgot that he was even married.


    Lydia¡¯s words reminded him that he was married.


    All this time, he had been thinking about Liliana and how she had a family of her own leaving no ce for him in her life. He had often wondered who her husband was, who could leave his wife and children just like that.


    But now he realized that he was worse than her husband. He had even forgotten that he was married, much less anything about his wife.


    Lydia watched him as he went in a daze and his face became pale as realization hit him.


    ¡®He does not remember that he is married. So, there is no way he would remember that bitch Liliana is his wife.¡¯ Lydia thought jubntly.


    ¡®Does this mean that Liliana also does not remember who her husband is?¡¯ This thought made her ecstatic.


    She schooled her expressions and wore a pitiful one as she thumbed her ss on the table bringing Jonathan back from his daze.


    ¡°I have loved you for over a decade already. Even when you were forced into marriage, I was understanding and did not doubt your affections for me. Yet now you fell for a woman who already has a child with someone else. How could you do this to me, Jonathan?¡±


    Lydia cried miserably.


    Jonathan looked at her and his frown deepened indicating his heightened displeasure.


    He could not believe that someone could be so shameless and pretentious.


    ¡®Does she really think this act is believable?¡¯


    Jonathan was speechless with her horrible acting.


    He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Miss Aprice, I don¡¯t have anything to do with you. I have not even gotten even with you for misleading my investigation and pretending to be someone else. I have not sued you for barging into the press conference. If you interrupt any Smith Group event again, I will personally see to it that Aprice Group goes bankrupt.¡±


    He took a long pause and looked at her chillingly as he added, ¡°And, don¡¯t you dare nder, my wife, ever again!¡±


    Jonathan stood up and left a sniveling Lydia without care.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 Chapter 58 – Forgotten wife

    Jonathan was still trying to process the fact that he was married. He drove around the city aimlessly lost in thought.


    The revtion hade from nowhere. He hadpletely forgotten that he was married.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    It had been a forceful marriage, and a blurry three nights and two day where they managed to get the certificates and consummate the marriage in their half blurry drugged state.


    He suddenly wondered where his wife was, and then he realized he could not even recall how she looked or what her name was.


    He felt sorry for her. He had assumed that she was a scheming gold-digger who had managed to sway his family into forcing him.


    But thinking back, perhaps she herself was also forced.


    She had never asked him for anything, she never published their marriage, she clearly did not do any of the nonsense he was expecting of her.


    Lydia had filled his head, and Lester Aprice and his wife Rose Aprice had confessed that his wife, whose name he could not remember, was Lester¡¯s daughter from an escort who had drugged and slept with him for money.


    The girl was supposedly worse than her mother.


    They had even hinted that she might have done something with his father to force the marriage.


    At that time he was too blinded by rage to see the truth.


    But thinking about it now, if she had something on his father, he would have killed her. His father was not someone who could be coerced.


    Besides, he had seen her sleeping in the tub in cold water in the study. Surely, that could not have been nned. He was expected to go to the wedding room or even any other guest room. Not the smaller study room.


    Having slept with her and how she had scolded him in her half-conscious state, and how she had repeatedly asked for confirmation on who he was, he knew that was her first time and she was not a promiscuous woman.


    The scandal after a few days had proved as much.


    What were Lydia and the Aprices ying at?


    He was enraged thinking about how they had taken advantage of his anger and reluctance and manipted him.


    He had said some very harsh words to her and left her bleeding on the bed. He had left her a card as if she was a ¡­


    He could not even bear to finish the thought. And even more so, he hadpletely forgotten her existence.


    The best that could be said was that he had defended her when others poked at her or spread rumors about her.


    He called Vincent and asked him to check the expenses on his card, the Vi that was supposed to be their wedding home, and her bride gifts.


    Thinking about the bride gifts, he realized how stupid he had been. The Aprices had raised such a fuss about the bride gifts being in her name rather than theirs. After that, they asked for a cash gift.


    He should have seen their real faces then. Even though he had not been in the discussion, it was known to everyone in their household and had reached his ears.


    But he had grumbled that his soon-to-be-bride was too greedy.


    Heughed at his stupidity thinking of that.

 Chapter 59 – His side of the story 1

    Jonathan drove aimlessly and stopped outside Liliana¡¯s Vi. He had no idea why or how but he was there.


    He wanted to drive around and leave, but suddenly received a call from Liliana.


    ¡°Come in, since you are already at the gate.¡± She said and she hung up before he could say anything.


    He went inside unhurriedly with a ton of disturbing thoughts in his head.


    In thest few months since Liliana had moved back to P city, Jonathan had formed quite a good equation with Liliana and her kids.


    The longing in his heart kept increasing day by day.


    He could only be their mother¡¯s friend to the twins. He hated it so much. But he had no right to ask for more.


    Liliana seemed to have seen his somber mood as she guided him to the swings in the garden instead of inviting him inside the house where the twins would be taking sses at that time.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She asked directly, trying to sound normal and hiding her emotions.


    He looked up at her with aplicated expression and she panicked.


    She quickly added, ¡°I am sorry for being rude. You don¡¯t have to tell me if it¡¯s not something I should be privy to.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    He lowered his head and sighed before saying, ¡°I am married.¡±


    Liliana was stunned, ¡°What?¡±


    He decided to exin things properly and rifyter in case she misunderstood.


    He had never opened his heart to anyone before, but he could not resist when Liliana asked him.


    He started from the beginning, ¡°When I was 13, I went to a beach tomit suicide.¡±


    Liliana felt her heartache at his words. When they had first met, they were both kids. She had thought that he looked too sad, but she had never realized he had gone there tomit suicide.


    Oblivious to Liliana¡¯s difort, Jonathan continued, ¡°At thest moment, I thought I should not give up. I should not make things that easy for my family. Just as I was thinking things over, an 8-year-old girl showed up out of nowhere. She pulled me down and kissed me on the lips.¡±


    He smiled at that but it was a sad one, ¡°Then she very self-righteously said that since she had given her first kiss to me, after I grow up, I should fall in love with her, woo her, marry her, love and cherish her for the rest of my life and treat her as a Queen. I spent a week with her and her mother. That was the best week of my life.¡±


    Jonathan said that so wistfully with a faraway look on his face as if he was reminiscing the past.


    Liliana hadplex feelings. ¡®If that was the case, why did you forget me?¡¯


    She wanted to ask it out loud but the words felt too heavy to leave her lips.

 Chapter 60 – His side of the story 2

    Jonathan continued after a small pause, ¡°After I returned home, I went abroad. I came back to P city when I was 22, she must have been 17 then. I searched for her but since we were just kids at that time, we had not shared a lot of details. Lydia Aprice came to me saying it was her. She had pictures, travel records, hotel records, and more photos.¡±


    Liliana was stunned at that revtion. She had no idea that Lydia had started to y tricks at such a young age.


    But she could not have done it at all by herself. Lester must have helped her.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She realized she needed to investigate it further.


    Jonathan had no idea what the news meant to Liliana. He continued, ¡°I instinctively thought it was not her, and sent Vincent to investigate. All search results led back to Lydia. Even so, I thought it was not her. The eyes, the vibe, everything seemed wrong with her. However, we could not find anything, so it was just there.¡±


    Jonathan sighed revealing his weariness at that part. Ever since he had met Jo and Lil in Maple city, he had been regretful of his failure.


    He continued with his tale, ¡°I had just taken over Smith Group at that time and was incredibly busy. I had no time to sort things with Lydia Aprice. I neither dated her, nor acknowledged her, but at the same time, I never stopped her as hovered around me nor did I cut her off directly.¡±


    He added in a low voice. ¡°At 26, I was forced to marry Lester Aprice¡¯s other daughter. I was fed a lot of lies by Lydia and Lester on my wife¡¯s character and that of her mother. I wanted to find and marry the girl I had met on the beach but was forced to marry someone else.¡±


    He lowered his head in shame as he added, ¡°I have no excuses for my behavior or thoughtlessness here but I believed all the lies told by the Aprices. While I don¡¯t have any proof, and I have not looked into her, I believe my wife is a decent person and not at all like the promiscuous gold-digger as the Aprices painted her to be. I treated my wife horribly. I don¡¯t remember her name, I don¡¯t remember what she looked like, I don¡¯t remember anything about her at all, I don¡¯t know where she is. Until a few hours ago, I had forgotten I was even married.¡±


    He held back his choking emotions as he added, ¡°Shortly after my marriage, I instigated Lydia Aprice to study abroad. I forgot about her existence soon after. A few months ago, I found the girl I had met at the beach. Which makes it even more certain that everything the Aprices told me about my wife and my mother-inw was lies. I don¡¯t know the whole truth about my wife, but thinking back on what I can remember, she is the biggest victim in our marriage.¡±


    Liliana lowered her head to hide her emotions.

 Chapter 61 – His side of the story 3

    Liliana listened intently. She did not know what to think or feel anymore. She was overwhelmed with all sorts of conflicting emotions.


    Jonathan took a deep breath and continued.


    ¡°Despite hating and not really knowing my wife, I had only ever been with her. Well, apart from the abrupt kiss on the beach when I was 13.¡± Jonathan said somewhat embarrassedly.


    They both knew he did not need to reveal that to her.


    Liliana was shocked. She had only ever been with him, but she had not hoped for the same.


    Jonathan¡¯s next words however made her burn in fury, ¡°At least that was the case until 4 years ago. I was at a business party in another city and I was drugged. I had locked myself in a hotel room. There was no phone connection, no WIFI, no water. Vivian Stone tricked me and entered the room. She tried to negotiate into being my mistress in exchange for my support for herpany. I declined. Thest thing I remember is passing out.¡±


    Liliana¡¯s heart was filled with anger as she heard him. She could not believe the proud Vivian Stone would demean herself like that. Did she know that Jonathan was her husband before she did that?


    Jonathan was also shaking in anger as he continued, ¡°When I woke up I was in the bed naked with Vivian Stone while half of the media in the city were taking pictures. I don¡¯t think anything happened. It did not feel like I had sex, but I guess I will never know. I have no rtionship with Vivian Stone. I merely let her go because she is indeed effective in keeping other women away. I could not find any evidence that she was the one who drugged me. I never slept with her either.¡±


    His eyes glinted coldly as he added, ¡°I had always nned to have my revenge on Vivian Stone for that incident four years ago when the timing was right. The moment Smith Group pulls its support from Stone Group, they will go bankrupt within a week. I am just waiting for you to vent first. Today, I realized that I don¡¯t even know if I have cheated on my wife.¡±


    Jonathan hung his head low in shame.


    They both stayed quiet for a long time, both lost in thought.


    Liliana asked after she had finally calmed down, ¡°Can I ask you something personal?¡±


    Jonathan nodded at her.


    ¡°What will you do when you find your wife?¡± This question left him stunned.


    He looked at her and smiled warily, ¡°Apologize. See if there¡¯s any chance I could redeem myself. Not only did I treat her horribly, but also I am not sure if I cheated on her. We were legally married after all.¡±


    Liliana¡¯s eyes misted, she looked down and asked, ¡°What about the other girl?¡±


    Jonathan looked at her and said, ¡°Thank her and move on. Or be normal friends. I am married. I know now that she and I were never meant to be.¡±


    Liliana looked away, clenching her fists hard.


    ¡°Maybe your wife also has a story to tell. Maybe she also wronged you in ways you won¡¯t understand.¡± Liliana said softly.


    Jonathan had no expectations at this point, ¡°I guess I will have to sort that out with my wife when I find her.¡±


    Jonathan stayed there for a while longer. He thanked her for being a good listener and left.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 62 – Wife Search

    Vincent had been searching for Mrs. Smith for two weeks, but the trail had hit a dead-end outside their wedding house.


    Finally, they switched to priority-2, looking at the finances.


    They looked into the debit card Jonathan had left for her, the household expenses of their wedding home, the state of all the properties that were given to her as bride price.


    Jonathan¡¯s remorse crossed all bounds on seeing the results.


    The woman he had used of being a gold-digger was paying all the expenses including the staff sries on their wedding house, the debit card had moneying in on the 1st of every month for thest seven years, there was no debit transaction, the properties that had been given to her were flourishing and had expanded, but she had clearly never taken a penny from it for herself, reinvesting it instead.


    He did not know what to think anymore.


    He had someone check the finances of the Aprice Group. Her name was nowhere to be seen. Clearly, she was not taking anything from the Aprice Group.


    Even more so, the case gift of 100 million that the Aprices had asked for was spent by Rose and Lydia Aprice.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Jonathan was stunned by their shamelessness.


    He investigated their ounts further and dug deeper.


    It turned out Lydia had drugged them and had plotted to get his wife raped. Not only that, she was the one who had paid for the rumors.


    And then paid for their silence when he had sued them.


    He felt like a fool.


    He made his way to the wedding house and stood outside for an hour before finally gathering the courage to go inside.


    The butler and the maids were shocked on seeing him.


    The butler led him inside but he dismissed everyone.


    He called the butler and asked him if Mrs. Smith had been there.


    The butler told him that she had left the same day after he had, and came back only once around a month after their wedding. She went to the bedroom and left. She hardly stayed for 5 minutes.


    Jonathan was surprised to hear that she had been back.


    He went up to what was supposed to be the wedding room. He looked around carefully and found that there were broken hidden cameras and the lock on the window was broken.


    He could tell his wife was not a simple person.


    He went to the study where they had consummated their marriage and again, the lock on the window was broken.


    He deduced that she had escaped from the window of their wedding room and entered the study from the window as well.


    How did she manage it while wearing the wedding gown?


    He looked around but did not find much of anything.


    Lastly, he went to the room where he had sleptst, where he had left his bleeding wife without a backward nce.

 Chapter 63 – Letter from wife

    Jonathan looked at the messy bed and a lot of strange emotions surged into his heart.


    He took a calming breath to keep away the sob that filled his chest.


    It turned out that the bed had not been made for so many years. Perhaps she had told the maids not to enter their bedrooms without permission.


    The marriage certificates were there just as he had seen them before. He opened them hesitatingly and saw two names ¨C


    Jonathan Tyler Smith


    Liliana Petrova Aprice


    Heughed at the irony. His wife that he had hurt had the same name as the woman he had imed to love. But it was the face that stopped hisughter mid-sentence.


    Why was the face so much simr to Liliana who was the girl from his childhood?


    Was she his wife?


    He shook his head vigorously. He was not sure if he wanted them to be the same person or not.


    Either way, unless he had concrete evidence, he was not going to say anything. This time he vowed not to screw things up.


    Besides the marriage certificate was the card that he had left for her. No wonder it had never been debited, it was just lying there collecting dust for seven years.


    There was an envelope instead of the note he had left.


    He opened it and found a letter. Unsure what it would include, he opened it hesitatingly.


    Dearest Jonathan,


    I would have called you husband, but I did not want to rub salt on your wounds knowing how much you hate this.


    I started this thinking of all the things I want to say to you. But as I am writing, nothinges to mind.


    So, let me get straight to the point.


    I am sorry that you were mixed up in my feud with Aprice family. While I was also coerced into the marriage, I have a history with them. You were innocent.


    I had nned to fake my death to escape the marriage. They could not possibly coerce me if I was dead. But I identally found out that I was marrying you, so Iplied instead. In that sense, you were right to think I was in the wrong. I could have ended it but I did not, making me their abettor.


    I wanted to be mad at you for the things you said and did, but I could not find it in myself to do so. Inadvertently, you ended up protecting me, even though it might not have been your main agenda. In the little time that I spent with you, I could tell you are a good person, just what I had hoped for. And that makes it that much harder to write the next lines.


    Since I cannot protect you or prioritize you or even tell you the entire truth at the moment, I can only let you go.


    I am sorry for what happened, I am sorry that the best I could do for you is this. I am sorry for not being able to prioritize or protect our marriage. Guess I really failed here!


    If I ever get a chance, I will try my best to make it up to you.


    Yours Truly!


    Lil


    PS: You can leave my divorce certificate in the civil affairs office. Or you can pass it to Andrew Jacobsen the next time you meet him; Smith Group has a coboration with Jacobsen textiles.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 64 – Mystery behind her

    Jonathan read and re-read the letter. However, the more he read it, the more he felt the Liliana he was working with was his wife.


    If she was, then were the twins his? Is that why she hade to his office seven years ago?


    He shook off his thoughts once again. Even if she was, since she did not say anything, he could not corner her just like that. It was his fault, after all.


    He was the one who wronged her first. He never gave their marriage a fighting chance. She should not have to sacrifice her dignity and wait for him to change his mind while suffering from all the schemes and injustice.


    He looked at the divorce agreement and was startled to see thepensation. Why was he receiving so muchpensation from her?


    Wasn¡¯t it always the richer party who gave thepensation? Did this mean that she was richer than him? How could that be possible?


    Anyhow, he was not going to sign it. There were many things between them that he wanted to sort out and apologize for.


    He wondered what was the rtionship between her and the Jacobsens.


    More importantly, he was struck by her name. Only idiots would not know Petrovas in the P city.


    If she was a Petrova, then she was royalty.


    How could the measly Aprice family contain a royalty, even if they were former royalty?


    He thought back on what Lester Aprice said of her and her mother. An escort who had drugged him and slept with him for money?


    What was that about?


    If his wife¡¯s mother was a Petrova, it would be Lester Aprice who would have seduced and tricked her, not the other way around.


    What was all the mystery about?


    He had promised Liliana that he would stay neutral with her feud with Aprice family. He meant to keep that promise. But that did not mean he was not going to find the truth, even partial truth for himself.


    He resealed the envelope, made the bed, and drove to his grandmother¡¯s ce.


    He was never close to his family. His grandmother had forced his parents to have a child, and he was that product.


    There was no love, no family bond between them. They needed an heir for the Smith Group and so they had him and trained him.


    It was that simple.


    That was also the reason he had wanted tomit suicide at 13. He wanted to deprive his family of their so-called heir. But he has changed his mind thinking it would be such a waste as his parents were still young and could have had another child. He had meant to postpone his n but ran into Liliana who changed the course of his life.


    That was also he had never for a second considered that the woman they were forcing him to marry could be the one he had wanted to marry all along.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Nheless, he ought to get some answers from his grandmother. She was old but still very sharp and had only one weakness.

 Chapter 65 – Late but right in time

    A month had passed by since Jonathan¡¯s abrupt confession.


    Liliana had not heard from him apart from work. Although he would visit the twins, it was less frequent and he maintained an appropriate distance between himself and her.


    Liliana did not know whether tough or cry.


    She knew that he had gone back to their wedding house and was looking into her.


    But she was not someone he could look into. He needed to know that.


    Liliana guessed that Jonathan was probably not ready to face the truth yet.


    She did not mind. She had waited for him for almost 20 years, she could wait some more.


    When they were both forced to marry each other, it was the worst timing ever. She had been upset about how their marriage had ended, but time was a great healer. And as the hurt subsided, the rity that even if they had stayed together, their lives would have been miserable came shining clear as a day.


    They had too many enemies at that time and the one thing she wanted to protect was in the hands of Aprices. She had no legal means to get it, hence she could only endure.


    Liliana understood that even if Jonathan had stayed with her, their lives would be full of conflicts and schemes and plots. Seven years ago, they were both immature and insecure. It would not have worked. Had they stayed together, they would have only hurt each other more. As such, she did not feel wronged.


    This was okay. None of them had betrayed each other.


    Even though Jonathan had forgotten that he was married, he had wanted to stay loyal to her and that was enough.


    After finding out that he was married, Jonathan had maintained a distance between the two of them. She was amused and wanted tough in his face, but his actions had created a ripple in her heart.


    She was d that he was a good person. Her feelings for him had not been for naught.


    It was only a matter of time before they had their happy ending.


    Liliana was sitting in the living room of her home with Jonathan, Henry, Liam, Mariana, Jennifer, James, and Vincent.


    They all had a lovely dinner and the three kids went off to bed.


    The maids were all sent away and Liam locked the doors before they started to talk.


    ¡°Is everything ready?¡± Liam went straight to the point.


    ¡°More or less!¡± Liliana answered.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are you nning for the auction?¡± Jonathan asked.


    Liliana took off the scarf which she had rolled around her neck and everyone could see the elegant ne which sat on her neck perfectly like it was custom designed for her.


    It was made of pure gold and had sixty small marquise cut diamonds and on the middle sat arge blue diamond.


    It was a sight to behold and expectedly everyone present eximed on seeing it.

 Chapter 66 – Family heirloom

    ¡°Wow!¡± Mariana was the first to break the silence, ¡°Is this a set with¡­ you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡± Liliana casually agreed.


    Jennifer was left gaping at her.


    ¡°My lovely Lil, you also have matching jewelry. Isn¡¯t this already too magnificent? I would think if you drape yourself in some sheets and just wear it, you would still outshine everyone.¡± She said tremblingly.


    ¡°Silly girl! This is not something I can wear casually.¡± Liliana was amused at her reaction.


    James asked, ¡°Is this a family heirloom?¡±


    Liliana nodded.


    ¡°What does this mean to you?¡± Jonathan asked.


    Liliana looked at him and took off her ne as she recounted, ¡°This was my mother¡¯s ne that went missing a few months before she passed away. My people had it and did not actually let it be stolen and safeguarded it for years. My mother did not see it again before she passed away.¡±


    She caressed the ne slowly and said, ¡°I remember she had been searching for it a few days before¡­well¡­I guess she had some inkling that she would leave soon and wanted to pass it along. At that time, we did not know it was even missing. We had assumed it was just misced. I had promised her that I would find it.¡±


    Henry asked, ¡°Why did it go missing?¡±


    Liliana kept the ne on the table and looked up with a hardened expression.


    ¡°Someone who had no right to it had given it away,¡± Liliana said in a cold voice.


    ¡°What for?¡± Henry asked, sensing the fury behind her cold eyes.


    ¡°My mother was pregnant. Someone mixed abortifacients in her supplements,¡± Liliana said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± Jennifer said, holding her hands.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Liam asked after a pause, ¡°What do you want to do with this?¡±


    Liliana looked up at him and smiled with a twinkle in her eyes, ¡°This is mine. I want to im it publicly.¡±


    James understood, ¡°You want to put it in the auction and then buy it.¡±


    Liliana looked at him and smiled, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    James was confused, ¡°What then?¡±


    Jonathan guessed, ¡°You want to use it as a trap to lure both parties.¡±


    Liliana smiled, ¡°Bingo!¡±


    Mariana looked at her, ¡°That¡¯s great, I will buy it for you.¡±


    Liliana shook her head, ¡°Do you know how much it costs? And what the starting bid would be?¡±


    Mariana grumbled, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t afford it?¡±


    Liliana was amused, ¡°Do you want to be famous in the business circle as the person who spent a few billion dors on a ne?¡±


    Mariana pouted as Jennifer eximed, ¡°It costs over a billion dors!¡±


    Henry looked at her and snorted, ¡°What did you think?¡±


    Jennifer shook out of her daze and grumbled, ¡°How would I know? Do I look like someone who knows about diamonds or jewelry? Besides, we mean different things when we say expensive.¡±

 Chapter 67 – Plan

    They allughed at Jennifer¡¯s cute expressions.


    Liliana enlightened everyone, ¡°This is a family heirloom with a history. If I sell it to a collector along with the rest of the set-pieces, it¡¯ll be over 200 billion dors, which will bring its worth to more than 20 billion. At least that was the price I was offered a few years back.¡±


    Henry was curious, ¡°What else do you have along with it?¡±


    Mariana exined, ¡°Tiara, ne, three different pairs of earrings, a few rings, two different bracelets.¡±


    They were all stunned.


    James asked her curiously, ¡°You know it so well.¡±


    Mariana pouted at Liliana, ¡°This is the one set of jewelry she won¡¯t let me wear.¡±


    Jennifer asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Liliana wrinkled her nose at Mariana as she turned to Jennifer, ¡°It¡¯s a family heirloom. People outside the family can¡¯t wear it.¡±


    Liam asked, ¡°Are you going to put everything up for auction?¡±


    Liliana shook her head, ¡°No, just the ne for now.¡±


    They all caught the implication. Jennifer asked, ¡°For now?¡±


    Liliana nodded absentmindedly, ¡°This is not Mom¡¯s only piece of jewelry that had gone missing. I want to start with this first. Once the perpetrators realize they are in a pickle and start their scheme again, we will lead them to my trap step by step.¡±


    Henry asked, ¡°Under whose name will you put it up for auction?¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Liliana asked, ¡°Anonymous, but with someone finding out who is doing it just when they are short on cash and realize what they have in hand is just a replica.¡±


    Jonathan asked, ¡°Makes sense. Why this auction, though?¡±


    Liliana looked at him and for a second did not know if she should tell him the truth or not.


    Mariana scoffed but held her tongue.


    Only Mariana and Liam in the group knew that Jonathan was Liliana¡¯s husband.


    While Mariana knew that this auction was organized once every four years where the spouse of the heir was supposed to im a Petrova heirloom and present it to the heir to make their pairing official, Liam was smart enough to sense it must be one of Liliana¡¯s royal traditions.


    The rest of them waited for Liliana¡¯s exnation who did not know what to say, ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s special. After all, this auction is widely anticipated, so anything that happens in there will make quite a sensation.¡±


    Jonathan understood she did not want to reveal her secrets and did not push for it even if he was curious.


    James nodded in understanding, ¡°I guess, unless you want to buy it yourself, Jonathan is the one who should be buying it for you.¡±


    Henry felt something was weird. He had known Liliana for years and she was not the one to ept favors from others. But she had included Jonathan in her life and schemes and taken his help multiple times over.


    He looked at Mariana who had a scowl on her face, Liam who had a poker face on as always and he could not decipher anything. Jennifer was just as clueless as the rest of them.

 Chapter 68 – Humor me

    Jonathan frowned at James¡¯s suggestion.


    He would have happily done anything for Liliana a few weeks before. But after finding out that he was married, he wanted to keep a distance.


    At the same time, he did not want to reject the idea in front of everyone.


    Liliana bit the inside of her mouth to hide her smile.


    Taking a sip of her juice she answered, ¡°Let¡¯s think about thatter. Let¡¯s go over other details. I don¡¯t want any slips.¡±


    They talked about the n in detail and everyone left after an hour. Jonathan stayed back to talk to Liliana.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Worried your wife will misunderstand?¡± Liliana asked him before he could even say anything.


    ¡°Yes,¡± He frankly admitted.


    Liliana clicked her tongue as she nodded thoughtfully, ¡°I would have thought you would be more interested in taking revenge on Vivian Stone.¡± She looked at him and cocked her head, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the details but how about this? Humor me this time and I promise your wife won¡¯t misunderstand and you will have your revenge.¡±


    ¡°Do you know my wife?¡± Jonathan was surprised.


    ¡°Yes! She said the marriage was just bad timing and you are a good person. But she was hurt nheless and she would patiently wait for you to go and find her. She won¡¯t seek you out on her own initiative.¡± Liliana exined.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± He asked, his voice trembling.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. You must find your own way to her when you are ready to face the truth. Until then, take your time. She has waited for you for so many years, so a few more days is nothing. Betterte than bad timing again. She also has her own secrets.¡± She said, trying earnestly to keep her voice normal.


    Fortunately for her, Jonathan was too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice.


    ¡°I owe her a lot,¡± He said, his voice filled with pain.


    ¡°Nathan, I have always known you to be a confident and cocky person, but when ites to your wife you look depressed. As a woman, let me tell you, no self-respecting person would want to be the reason a confident and arrogant person bes so insecure and depressed.¡±


    She took a deep breath to calm herself and added, ¡°Yes, you wronged her. But she did not fight for the marriage either. If you want your marriage to work, forgive yourself first. Make sure you are in the right frame of mind and make sure you are yourself before you seek her out. This time things are different. You both have the maturity to look into things rationally and put the required time, effort, and emotions into your rtionship. Don¡¯t wallow in self-pity and remorse so much that you lose yourself. Your wife would want to meet the real you, not a depressed and self-loathing version of you.¡±


    Liliana expressed her innermost thoughts while referring to herself as a third person.

 Chapter 69 – What do you want me to do?

    Jonathan listened to her silently and felt a lot better.


    ¡°You should be my therapist.¡± He joked to lighten the mood.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Let me be your friend and confidant first,¡± She, however, replied with sincerity.


    ¡°How is my wife doing?¡± He asked.


    ¡°She is fine. She asked me to keep an eye on you if you must know. She does not want to show up now, because she wants you to realize by yourself who are all the people trying to separate the two of you and how far are they willing to go.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Does she hate me?¡± He asked, his voice thick with different emotions.


    ¡°No, she does not. You mean a great deal to her in ways you would not understand until you know the entire truth.¡± She answered as clearly as she could without giving anything away.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked.


    ¡°She knew you before. She was coerced into getting married but she was not told with whom. She had nned an escape for herself. But she found out that you were the groom by mistake and so she agreed. She has never med you.¡± Liliana answered, trying to hold back her tears and keeping her voice calm.


    ¡°I wish I had done things differently.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get stuck in the past, Nathan. Let it go and forgive yourself. When you see her again, she will tell you her side of the story. Then you will know why she had always owed you,¡± Liliana ced her hand on his arms as she consoled him.


    Jonathan looked at her hand on top of his and was absent-minded. It was the first time she had done something intimate. Yes, they had held each other close when they were in public, but this was intimate and different.


    He reached for a ss to avoid her hand without being too direct.


    She merely shrugged and took up her own ss.


    ¡°Anyway, your wife will have no concerns with what happens between us in this event. You have my word on that,¡± She said nonchntly.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He asked, reading between the lines.


    ¡°I mean you should buy the ne and put it on my neck in front of everyone. Better get on your knees and ask me to ept a token of appreciation and admiration from you.¡± She said, cocking her head with a mischievous smile on her face.


    ¡°What?¡± He was stunned. He had not thought it would be like that.


    ¡°My guess is the people who want to separate you and your wife have probably figured out that you have no idea who your wife is. What do you think they will do when they see us getting so close and intimate in public. What do you think they are going to do if they hear the rumors that you are going to divorce your wife and suspect that you are doing it for me?¡± She asked in amusement.

 Chapter 70 – Plan it with my wife

    Jonathan was shrewd enough to see what she was nning.


    He could not have brought Smith Group to its heights without seeing through people¡¯s schemes.


    Liliana was a bundle of surprises. But whenever she said something cryptically, he was able to decipher it urately enough.


    ¡°Did you n this with my wife? Who is she to you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°She is the one person I failed to protect in the past and I am going to make up for that error as soon as I can.¡± She said looking into his eyes.


    Jonathan got suspicious at that. The way she said it and the emotions in her eyes were hiding a big secret.


    But what was that?


    The suspicion that she was his wife grew stronger.


    There was something very simr about her sad smile, the color of her eyes, the vibe he got with her, the feel of her body when they had danced together, the steely determination in her eyes, her indifferent face. Those things strongly reminded him of his wife of three days.


    But if she was his wife, why would she not say anything?


    Most importantly, if she was his wife, are the twins his?


    ¡°Who is the father of the twins?¡± He asked, finally mustering the courage to ask the question he had wanted to ask since he saw them in Maple city.


    ¡°My husband.¡± She replied nonchntly.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Close by.¡± She said vaguely.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± He asked, clenching fists.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the interrogation?¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°I was just curious,¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°Never mind that. You will meet my husband soon enough.¡± She closed the topic, ¡°I take it you have agreed to buy the ne and present it to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I also want to identify and remove obstacles between me and my wife,¡± He answered.


    ¡°Excellent! Make sure you use your personal money for it,¡± She added. ¡°I don¡¯t want to involve either of our businesses in this.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same,¡± He agreed.


    ¡°Li and Jo are going to have a check-up tomorrow. Do you want toe?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Will it be okay if I do?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Of course. Why else would I ask you?¡± She answered breezily, ¡°Jo likes you a lot. Li as well but he thinks he should not like anyone but me. I wish they could grow up as normal children and would not overthink everything. Even Kyle has be somber after he returned home. I feel like I have failed as a mother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself with it. It¡¯s a good thing that the kids are sensible and principled. With their intelligence, they could have been unruly and capricious. It¡¯s your parenting that has shaped them into a good person from a young age.¡± He consoled her.


    It made his heart ache to see her doubting herself.


    She was the most amazing woman he had ever met. He had seen first-hand what an amazing mother she was. He wanted so badly to hug her in his arms andfort her.


    But he pushed the thought away immediately.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    If she was not his wife, such thoughts were a mental betrayal.


    He did not want to wrong his wife any more than he already had.

 Chapter 71 – Hospital

    Liliana took the three kids to the Petrova Private Hospital. Henry and Jennifer along with a team of doctors were already ready for them.


    Liliana herself was the major shareholder of the hospital followed by Smith Group.


    Henry had umted some shares in exchange for a life-long contract. Liliana had talked him into it with a generous offer and flexible timings which allowed him ample time to do research without worrying about finances.


    Jonathan had arrived a few minutes before Liliana did.


    Everyone was on their toes with such bigheads making personal visits.


    They directly went to the VVIP ward which was exclusive for the Petrovas and major shareholders who had more than 10% shares of the Petrova Private Hospital. Only four families were qualified to use it.


    The kids were allowed to y in the children¡¯s area as Liliana and Jonathan talked to the doctors.


    After a detailed discussion which Jonathan suspected was for his benefit because obviously Liliana and Henry knew how the kids were doing, the kids were taken for aprehensive check-up.


    They had everything checked from vitals to blood, urine, and stool test, to sensory tests apanied by a veteran general physician, therapist, and pediatrician, while Henry, Liliana, and Jonathan watched from the sides.


    Jennifer was the nurse who took care of the kids throughout everything.


    It was the first time Jonathan had seen Jennifer working and he had to admit she was good at her job. Gone was the yful and mostly silly girl who was always up to some mischief and was rather gullible.


    While at work, she was focused, emphatic, precise,passionate, friendly, and immensely energetic.


    No wonder she was valued so much by both Liliana and Henry.


    They discussed the results that were out and had to wait for blood culture reports which would take three days.


    After scheduling another appointment, Henry and Jennifer tagged along with the family of five as they went for ate lunch.


    Coincidently, Vivian happened to see them as they entered the VIP room of Smith Gourmet which was close to Central Mall.


    In order to maintain her facade as Jonathan¡¯s girlfriend, she had spent a lot of money and time to secure a VIP ess card for most of the Smith Group properties.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    The outsiders believed Jonathan had given her all of it owing to Vivian being his girlfriend. Over time, Vivian forgot how she had to spend a ton of money and use her connections to get those.


    Having forgotten that Jonathan had never epted her as his girlfriend and that she had drugged and coerced him into acquiescing to her ims, Vivian thought she had been betrayed.


    Jonathan and Liliana had been held back by amon acquaintance, so Henry and Jennifer had entered earlier with the kids.


    As such Vivian only saw Jonathan and Liliana and assumed they were on a date.


    She focused all her energy into destroying Liliana and vowed to have her revenge.

 Chapter 72 – Mother’s worry

    Liliana and Jonathan, however, purposefully ignored Vivian even though they had seen her seething at them.


    ¡°It looks like your entanglement with her will be over soon,¡± Liliana whispered to Jonathan with a coy look.


    Jonathan smiled at her and shook his head. ¡®She is really yful.¡¯


    To Vivian¡¯s eyes, they were sweet-talking in public. She stormed into the surveince room and made up an excuse to get the footage.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Little did she know, the security guards had been previously informed to let her take the footage.


    In her arrogance and rage, Vivian did not realize she had been lured into a trap.


    If she had been sane, she would have realized something was fishy based on how quickly she was allowed to make a copy of the surveince tape and delete the original from their servers. All Smith Group businesses were famous for their privacy and security and she had been recently infamous fortching onto Jonathan despite his uninterest.


    s, herck of control got the better of her as it did most of the time.


    Inside the private room, the party had a wonderful meal amidstughter and friendliness.


    The next day, Jonathan and Liliana went to the hospital without the kids.


    Although he knew he was doing that to fan the mes that Vivian was causing, he still felt like the husband apanying his wife and kids.


    With that thought, he frowned the entire way.


    Liliana was amused seeing his expression, ¡°If you hate it so much, you can ask Vincent to call you for some emergency and leave.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I promised you, didn¡¯t I?¡± He off-handily replied.


    ¡°Alright, then. Don¡¯t overthink things, I promise your wife won¡¯t mind you apanying me,¡± She said, barely hiding her smile.


    ¡°You are having quite augh at my expense,¡± He snorted.


    ¡°You look rather cute with that confused frown,¡± Sheughed out loud.


    ¡°Stop making fun of me! I feel weird as it is,¡± Jonathan grumbled.


    ¡°Where did your poker face go? I have been seeing so many expressions on your facetely,¡± She teased him.


    ¡°I guess my poker face went on vacation,¡± He snapped.


    ¡°You are hrious, Mr. Smith,¡± She giggled.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± He changed the topic.


    ¡°My kids are tough, and Henry is a good doctor. There¡¯s also Mr. Brown who is a renowned pediatrician. They are in good hands. Li is always looking after me, rather than me looking after him. It makes me feel bad. Sometimes I wish he was immature and childish,¡± She sighed.


    He remained quiet, patting her head in constion.


    They both knew they were being captured by the camera but they did not mind.


    After all, without their inside help, those lousy spies would not have been able to track them or enter the hospital premises.


    Liliana had instructed the guards to make things difficult for the so-called spies Vivian had sent. Finally, those spies were blocked off before the VVIP ward where Liliana and Jonathan received the test results.

 Chapter 73 – Test results

    Joyanna¡¯s asthma was getting better as per the results but while getting better, there were likely to be a few difficult episodes, so they were instructed to be alert for the next six months.


    Luckily, the ce where they were staying in P city had better air quality and the kids had not suffered from dust allergy since arriving in P city, which was definitely something to celebrate. Otherwise, two kids sneezing all the time would have been quite arduous to handle.


    Kyle had a weak digestive system which required careful diet nning, but otherwise, he was doing great.


    Nathaniel, however, was still having issues with liver failure. Constant fatigue, listlessness, low appetite, and severe stomach pain were his everyday life. The kid had a higher IQ and EQ which made things easier for all. But Liliana always felt her heart break for her son.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Henry estimated that having a partial-liver transnt after a few months would be suitable as the medications had stabilized Li¡¯s conditions quite a lot and he had improved his other vitals and organs through carefully monitored yoga and diet.


    Neither Jonathan nor Henry knew he was the father of the twins. Otherwise, Henry would have started preparing for the surgery.


    ¡°I will start looking for suitable donors,¡± Henry said after they had decided on the course of action.


    ¡°Li and I have the same blood type. Try mine first.¡± Jonathan urged.


    He was healthy and he had donated blood to Li several times. With his limited medical knowledge, he assumed it would be good if they were a match.


    Besides for a kid, they would only need a small part of his liver which regenerates by itself anyway.


    Liliana bit her lips and looked at him with wet eyes. But the words were stuck in her throat.


    He squeezed her hand but otherwise did not say anything.


    He loved the kids. He always felt a strange familiarity with them. Besides Liliana was the girl he had promised to love and marry. Since he had already decided to break his promise and love his wife, this was the least he could do for her.


    Henry had the same thought about Jonathan being a match and was happy knowing that he would not have to persuade Jonathan for this.


    While the surgery wasplicated, Doctor Brown and he were well prepared and Henry was confident of the sess. At least, he had made several backup ns for all possible consequences. Hence, he assumed it would be okay to ask Jonathan for this favor.


    Finally, Jonathan left some samples for the test and he exited the hospital with Liliana.


    Henry gave Jonathan a lot of anecdotes on how to keep himself healthy and maintain high hemoglobin levels.


    They would draw a little blood a month before surgery so there would be some of his own blood in reserve.


    Henry repeatedly instructed him to stay fit and maintain good vitals. It showed how confident he was on them being a match. His sixth sense as a doctor told him that they would bepatible.

 Chapter 74 – Hug

    Liliana had been strangely quiet since Henry and Jonathan started to discuss the transnt.


    Jonathan thought she was upset thinking of Li¡¯s health, so he tried to console her.


    But she seemed far away in her thoughts and he had a feeling she barely heard him.


    It was the first time he had seen her notposed. He panicked looking at her. He held her by the shoulders and shook her out of her trance.


    She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and hugged him tightly.


    He was caught off guard as he had not expected her to hug him like that. He came back to his senses as he heard a low sob as she uttered ¡°I am so sorry¡± over and over.


    He was not privy to her thoughts and could not tell why she was sorry. But he felt a strange twitch in his heart on seeing her fragile side.


    He could not bring himself to hug her back as he had sworn to get over her and love his wife.


    Knowing that he would never be the man in her life, he did not try tofort her. He won¡¯t be the person she could rely on as he wanted to love and take care of his wife. She, despite being his first love, would not be his priority.


    And so, he patted her head and kept saying that everything will be okay, but did not hug her back.


    Liliana calmed down after a while and let go of him, embarrassed.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I just¡­¡± She was too embarrassed to say anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± He said handing her some tissues.


    Unintentionally, they ended up giving quite a lot of footage to their spies. But they were too engrossed in their thoughts to know that.


    In the car, Liliana closed her eyes as she thought back on what happened.


    After a quiet contemtion, she realized that Jonathan had kept his word and maintained a clear distance between them.


    She was filled with guilt. She knew she should tell him the truth but she did not have the heart to do so.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Jonathan!¡± She said softly.


    He could feel the vulnerability in her voice which took him aback. He did not know what to think. ¡°Hmm¡± He simply said.


    ¡°When you find your wife, please try and forgive her.¡± She said in a low voice.


    He kept quiet, a strange feeling surging in his heart.


    He did not know how to respond to her.


    ¡®Why would I need to forgive her when I am the one who wronged her all along?¡¯ He thought.


    But he did not voice his thoughts because he knew she would not answer anyway.


    Another thing that kept bugging him was her overwhelming emotions. When she asked him to forgive her, it was almost like she was pleading. But why?


    The car ride was silent with both of them absorbed in their own thoughts.

 Chapter 75 – Lessons learned

    Vivian went mad seeing the two of them hugging each other.


    She noticed how tightly Liliana was clutching onto Jonathan andughed in satisfaction on seeing how Jonathan did not hug her back.


    Vivian had learned her lessons thest time and did not post things haphazardly.


    She knew that Liliana was the abandoned daughter of the Aprice family. Hence she decided to use the brainless Lydia for her schemes rather than being in the frontline.


    She waited her time and did not do anything yet.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    As soon as something popped up, and it was bound to happen since the two of them were not being low-profile at all, she would strike. With that thought, Vivian curbed her impulses and went on with her life maintaining a low profile.


    Liliana was quite impressed with her behavior. This should be the reaction of an educated and smart person. Her previous responses were rather tasteless and cheap.


    Liliana had quite a different view of the world. She would admire anyone who showed intelligence and acted shrewdly. Even if they schemed, at least the schemes should be worthy enough to draw her attention.


    She particrly disliked Lydia because she was a shrew. She was vicious, ruthless but a dumbass nheless. Her tricks were vicious parlor tricks, but cheap tricks all the same.


    Vivian¡¯s patience this time impressed her. Vivian used to be one of the toppers of Kings High. Now she was finally acting like one.


    Liliana knew that Vivian had pictures of her and Jonathan together and was nning to use them to nder them, but she did not care. After all, Jonathan was her legal husband and she had something against Vivian that would destroy her.


    Liliana did not want to use extreme measures since they were both women and she wanted to save her dignity.


    But between her husband¡¯s reputation and Vivian¡¯s she could choose the former in a heartbeat. Besides, gender differences aside, Jonathan was indeed the victim of Vivian¡¯s schemes.


    Liliana only hoped that Vivian had learned her lessons well and would stay in check from then on.


    But she knew Vivian too well to hold her breath.


    Mariana, on the other hand, was agitated. She could not wait to tear Vivian apart. Their grudges went back to Kings High and she had been biding her time all these years.


    Henry taunted her openly citing how herck of impulse control would be the end of her someday.


    Little did anyone know that there woulde a time in the future when she would show infinite patience and break herself apart in the process.


    Jonathan had read and re-read the letter his wife had written him seven years ago.


    Every day, he was all the more convinced that she was Lil.


    He had driven to his grandmother¡¯s a couple of times since the first time he had realized he was married, but he had not been ready to face the truth and had stepped back each time.

 Chapter 76 – Beacon of light

    Jonathan was trapped in his own dreams and dreads and had not found a way out yet.


    A part of him was convinced that his wife and Lil were the same. Another part of him was in denial as it meant that the kids were also his and he had not only been a terrible husband but also a worse father.


    The dread of his worst nightmareing true had stopped him in his tracks every time he wanted to seek the truth.


    However, every time he felt like he would sink into depression, Liliana¡¯s words about forgiving himself and their marriage being no one¡¯s fault woulde back to him like a beacon and save him.


    Jonathan had lost a lot of weight in just a few weeks and was also suffering from insomnia.


    Liliana had told him several times to rx and forgive himself but so far he had not seeded.


    On the other hand, in a neighboring country, a middle-aged man with a potbelly was losing his mind as everything he had put his money on kept on shutting down and he was about to be homeless.


    His name was Romeo but the name did not match his sleazy appearance at all.


    Romeo seemed to have fallen into some stroke of bad luck as everything he did ended up in a loss.


    His car broke down, his house had a gas leak and exploded, the insurance people denied his ims stating it was either his negligence or deliberate attempt to extort money from them, his investments all turned sour, his store suffered losses, his ex-girlfriend came to make a scene and his current girlfriend ran away with his money, and even worse he lost a lot of money in gambling.


    Unable to handle the pressure Romeo visited a renowned astrologer who scared him out of his wits.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He ran away from her ce but her words kept ringing in his head giving him nightmares.


    ¡°You ruined her life and her daughter¡¯s. She wants vengeance.¡±


    ¡°You killed her unborn baby.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter stole what belonged to her daughter.¡±


    ¡°You have something valuable which belongs to her.¡±


    ¡°She will not rest until it is returned to its owner.¡±


    ¡°Whoever has her daughter¡¯s belongings will suffer her wrath.¡±


    The middle-aged man kept running and even forgot to call a cab. He started to pant after running just short of a mile. Years of living in decadence would do that to anyone.


    He was almost hit by a car which nearly gave him a heart attack.


    Finally, he managed to hail a cab and return back to his house.


    He frantically dug into a marked spot under a tree and took out an inconspicuous box that was locked with a code.


    He punched the code and took out another box and opened it to reveal an elegant ne made of pure gold, sixty small marquise cut diamonds, and arge blue diamond in the middle.


    His eyes gleamed as he thought all his troubles would go away if only he could sell the ne.


    He would get arge amount of money and the jinx will go to the buyer.


    Romeo smiled a cunning smile and went to sleep after hiding it in a secure ce.

 Chapter 77 – Conned

    The next day, Romeo ordered himself avish breakfast.


    He was already making ns on how to spend thatrge amount of money the ne would fetch.


    Just thinking about it made him giddy like a teenager and he managed to eat twice his usual portion size for breakfast.


    Romeo tidied himself up and went to a collector in heavy spirits.


    To ensure the ne was not stolen, he had secured it on his waist and wrapped it with gauze under his clothes.


    He took the ne for assessment only after he had secured a private audience with the manager.


    However, his hopes were to be quickly dashed.


    ¡°Is this your idea of a joke?¡± The manager mmed the table where he was inspecting the ne.


    Romeo had a bad feeling about it.


    As far as Romeo knew, the ne was the family heirloom of Lester¡¯s first wife and should be valued in the tens of millions at least. How could the manager think it was a joke unless he was cheated.


    Either the manager was trying to cheat him, or his ex-wife Rose, the current Mrs. Aprice, cheated him.


    Out of the two, it was likely to be thetter.


    But he kept his thoughts to himself and asked the manager to rify.


    ¡°This ne is one of the hottest items in the uing auction in P city. Only we insiders know that it is going to be on the list, no one from the outside knows that. How dare youe to me with this cheap replica and try to fool me? Even if you were a thug, you should have at least stolen a legit item.¡± The manager spat out thest words disdainfully.


    Romeo had been a rich person since he had helped Rose be Mrs. Aprice. He had not faced such humiliation in a long time and could barely keep a clear head.


    The manager¡¯s tone reminded him of his younger years when he had been looked down on and disdained for being poor.


    He never wanted to go back to those days. Especially since he knew that Rose was still enjoying the luxurious life of being Mrs. Aprice.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    He politely replied to the manager despite his misgivings.


    ¡°I think there should be a mistake. This ne has been with me for over ten years now. At that time, I bought it from a woman who told me she was forced to sell her family heirloom because of financial difficulties and it cost me a pretty penny too.¡±


    The manager looked at him considering his words and shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Well, then you have been cheated. This is a replica. If you want I can show you by breaking the diamond. But feel free to take it to others to verify. Any collector worth his salt could tell you this is fake. You will understand when you see the real one.¡±


    Romeo clenched his fists under the table and asked with an embarrassed smile, ¡°Who put it on for the auction? I want to know if it¡¯s the same bitch who conned me!¡±

 Chapter 78 – Betrayal

    The manager fidgeted a bit at that. Them knowing about the ne being on the auction was a piece of inside information.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    They did not want to share the inside details with a stranger.


    Romeo understood it and tried to weasel his way into it, ¡°If it¡¯s okay, I also want you to look at another item and appraise it for me. Unless I had been conned both times, I would like to sell it too.¡±


    The manager probably misunderstood him as some nouveau riche who suddenly stumbled upon money and decided to collect notable jewelry without any knowledge.


    This was a good opportunity to trick him into selling him one at a cheap price.


    Romeo could read the manager like a book.


    The manager relented and exined, ¡°The ne is put into the auction by some anonymous person. I have heard a woman, Mrs. Something, I forgot exactly. But you can find more details in P city.¡±


    Romeo nodded at him, ¡°Thank you! Please do see me tomorrow as I would like you to appraise a few things for me.¡±


    He added in an obnoxious tone to dere his own superiority and show off to the manager who was the boss and who was a mere employee.


    The manager treated him politely. All his previous disdain was gone, as soon as he realized Romeo was a prospective client. Romeo left the ce with his chin up and arrogant face despite seething inside at Rose¡¯s betrayal.


    As he turned around he could not see the manager¡¯s look of disgust and contemptuous smile. Romeo had been yed marvelously and he did not even know it. He had left looking like a clown while he strutted out like a peacock.


    He made a trip to several ces and everyone told him pretty much the same.


    While no one knew the identity of the auctioneer, everyone unterally believed it was a married woman.


    Romeo finally managed to sell the fake ne to a young person who seemed new and naive at the job. He managed to get five grand for the fake replica which he was going to use to get back to P city and confront Rose.


    Thinking of Rose, he thought it was a good idea to go back to P city permanently and settle there or get settled in a neighboring city so he can extort his ex-wife more conveniently.


    Romeo had never thought about going back at all. He had been enjoying his rich life for thest twenty years.


    But Rose¡¯s betrayal had whetted his appetite just when he had lost everything. He thought it must be fate that he was going to get tangled with Rose once again.


    Little did he know everything around him was being controlled as if he was a puppet. He arrived in P city just as Liliana discussed her ns with Jonathan and the others.

 Chapter 79 – Conning the con-man

    Romeo enquired about the ne, especially who was putting it on the auction, and coincidentally saw Rose talking about the ne to someone.


    His doubts had been confirmed. Rose had indeed betrayed him.


    He paused and waited for the day of the auction before confronting Rose.


    The ne was supposed to be his, so he was going to ensure that he would extort more money than what she would get from the auction.


    Romeo spent the next few days idling around P city and meeting some old friends.


    During these days, he thought back on the time he had met Rose for the first time.


    Romeo was in his mid-twenties and was pretending to be a rich posh man to con a wealthy woman into marrying him which would, in turn, guarantee his care-free rich life. He was okay-looking, good at his game, and knew how to bend things to his advantage.


    He met a meek but sexy-looking Rose in herte teens who, unbeknownst to him, was doing the exact same thing.


    Both of them were good at tricking people, but fortunately or unfortunately met each other instead.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    They got married after a whirlwind romance as they both yed their parts. Focused on their own actions, and high on the prospect of their sess, both of them had missed the many red gs.


    However, after they got their certificates, neither got their way and began to suspect the truth.


    By the time they realized the truth, they were already married and had published their marriage in a rather high-profile manner. Not that anyone cared about them but their high-profile marriage had been something neither of them was rich enough to erase.


    They had spent the next few months arguing and insulting each other. Worst of all, Rose had been pregnant.


    In order to cement themselves with those they had thought as wealthy inws, they had both put in quite an effort to get pregnant. That blew on their faces spectacrly.


    Moreover, Rose had someplications and the doctor advised against abortion saying it might be difficult for her to get pregnant again and even if she did get pregnant, she might not carry the child to term.


    Ultimately they ended up having Lydia, who was neither strikingly beautiful nor smart.


    As parents, they still loved her nheless.


    After years of argument when Lydia was around five years old, Romeo and Rose finally managed to bury the hatchet and form a strange alliance.


    Their goal was unchanged after all those years. They nned to trick someone wealthy into marriage and achieve their dream of a work-free wealthy life.


    It was a simple n ¨C either Rose would pretend to be a meek woman and trap some rich man. Or Romeo would seduce some rich woman. Whoever seeds would take their daughter with them and give enough money to the other to live a life of luxury.


    They had tried to trick several people ¨C both men and women ¨C and finally seeded with Lester Aprice.

 Chapter 80 – Hunter becomes prey 1

    Lester Aprice had met Anne Petrova in a remote mountain. Lester, Anne along with a group of other people had gone there for social work.


    While most of the people like Lester had gone there for ulterior motives like higher pay, publicity, adding a charity in their resume, Anne had gone there out ofpassion.


    Anne was a Petrova and wanted to draw everyone¡¯s attention to those remote mountain viges whichcked basic health care, and education.


    She pretended to be a normal social worker and organized a four months-long event which was quite a hype in P city.


    Hence there was arge group of about 35 people.


    Anne was a striking beauty with amiable nature, gentle mannerisms, and inborn sophistication. But she dressed up as a humble social worker.


    She had tickled everyone¡¯s fancy, and she attracted many suitors. But she had rejected everyone who had tried to court her. They were only looking for a fling and augh which was quite obvious.


    The rejected boys, unknown to her, started a bet on who could score her.


    Lester had realized she was a genuine person who was working out ofpassion. Hence, instead of courting her overtly, he started to help her around.


    Finally, Anne lowered her guard against him after a few weeks and they became close. After two months, they were dating.


    Lester had won the bet and had already collected the money even though he had not managed to sleep with her as per the bet.


    However, he did not break up with her immediately because he enjoyed herpany in the remote mountain where there was not much to do for entertainment. He was wondering when she would finally figure out that he was just role-ying.


    Unsuspecting Anne fell for him hard as she thought he loved her for who she was.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    The day they were supposed to take off from there, Lester went to look for Anne to break up with her, but before he could say anything, the richest man in P city, Leon Petrova, arrived to escort his only daughter back.


    They had been in the mountains for four months and Leon had missed Anne. He was proud of his daughter¡¯s resilience in surviving and helping others in such a remote ce.


    Anne was born in riches and had everything at her beck and call. Leon was quite impressed with her and nned to announce her as his heir after they went back to P city.


    Watching Leon check on Anne who they had all assumed was a poor social worker, Lester Aprice realized that he had hit a lottery.


    Instead of breaking up with her, he proposed to her.


    Leon was sharp enough to catch the change in Lester¡¯s expressions, silent exchange between the boys, and the few careless words that had escaped their mouths.


    He never trusted Lester, but Anne was stubborn in love.


    Leon agreed to let Anne marry Lester but with several conditions, one being not telling Lester on the exact Petrova power.


    Anne trusted Lester wholeheartedly and agreed to everything as she was sure Lester would win over Leon with his sincerity.

 Chapter 81 – Hunter becomes prey 2

    Lester married Anne Petrova hastily and had a child.


    Lester was biased towards boys and had wanted a son, but got a daughter instead.


    He had converted the Petrova factory that he had received as his dowry into the Aprice Group and turned Anne into a meek housewife. Yet, his wife¡¯s poprity still outshone his own.


    By the time Anne realized that she had made an enormous mistake in seeing through Lester, Liliana was already three years old.


    Anne knew she was not strong enough to shoulder her father¡¯s responsibilities, but her daughter was already showing promising signs.


    Anne spent more than a year contemting the future.


    Anne knew herself well. She had been heartbroken and she knew she would never be able to take over Leon¡¯s burden. She also had health issues and she was unlikely to have another child.


    As much as she hated it, Anne had no choice but to put those heavy responsibilities on her young daughter¡¯s shoulders.


    After spending months thinking, trying to change Lester¡¯s heart, discussing with her parents all the while dealing with her guilt and heartbreak, Anne vowed to train Liliana well and asked Leon to dere her as his heir.


    She refused to divorce Lester and held hope.


    When Liliana was seven years old, Leon and his wife passed away in an avnche when they were skiing.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    After Leon¡¯s death, Lester revealed his sinister colors overtly.


    Lester, who had been preying on the Petrovas, became Rose and Romeo¡¯s prey a few months after that.


    Lester had never been a good man at heart, nor had he loved Anne wholeheartedly as she had loved him. It was a piece of cake for Rose and Romeo to trap Lester and use his jealousy and inferiority against him.


    The vile couple had found that Anne had given birth to a daughter only and was incapable of having more children. Lester¡¯s desire of having a son was not well hidden.


    Rose used that to her benefit quite well.


    And so Anne and Lilian¡¯s misery started.


    Lester was a greedy man, but if only he had treated Anne wholeheartedly, his life would have had a happy ending. After all, Anne was well trained and she had an elite group of people to handle most things.


    But Lester could not even manage that.


    He was too proud and conceited to realize that he had everything he had ever dreamed of in the palm of his hands but he crushed it and threw it instead.


    Eventually, Anne lost her life, Liliana spent eight years suffering in Rose and Lydia¡¯s hands.


    But Karma is a bitch.


    Lester who had the opportunity to live a carefree life spent his entire life trying to salvage Aprice Group which quietly floundered under his care over the years while also taking care of his vain wife who had always looked down on him for being stupid, and pampering someone else¡¯s daughter even at the cost of his dignity.


    Twenty yearster, the roles were reversed and, now, it was Liliana avenging her mother while Rose and Romeo were being hunted, though they were yet to realize it.

 Chapter 82 – Cat on hot bricks

    Rose had been feeling like a cat on hot bricks since she found out the ne belonging to Anne Petrova which was supposed to be safely hidden by Romeo or discreetly sold was being auctioned in a high-profile manner.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She could not tell anyone why she was so agitated though Lester and the maids had realized something was off. She simply med the bad weather and mood swings.


    Rose had spent quite a sum of money to find out who had ced it in an auction, but she did not find anything other than the fact that it was done anonymously.


    Finally, the day of the auction arrived, and anyone of some importance was seated in thergest auction house in P city which had been the talk of the town for months. The organizers had spent over six months nning the auction. Every single minor detail had been examined by amittee and approved by the head of the auction house.


    Every item ced in the auction was examined for authenticity, every guest was invited with a clear purpose.


    And most of the wanna-be bigwigs of P city bought their way in paying for the expensive tickets.


    The Aprices were one such guest who had spent over a million in just tickets and dresses to fit in. However, they were shameless enough to brag that they had been invited.


    Romeo who had been paying attention to Rose sneered hearing them. No wonder they were invited, they had donated such a big piece of jewelry.


    Rose felt someone looking at her, but she could not find anyone. She thought it was the stress getting to her and did not think too much about it.


    Romeo, however, was enjoying making her fidget. He was also thinking of several different ways he could make her fidget. They had been husband and wife for years, he knew her too well and she had aged well.


    Liliana was looking at them all from the topmost box as Jonathan observed her expressions.


    ¡°Who is that man?¡± Jonathan asked her.


    ¡°Lydia Aprice¡¯s biological father, Rose Aprice¡¯s first husband and co-conspirator.¡± Liliana summarized.


    ¡°Wait! Lydia is not Lester¡¯s daughter?¡± Jonathan asked, stunned.


    ¡°Nope! She just wants to be. I guess it¡¯s her parent¡¯s genes that make her covet everything that¡¯s not hers.¡± Liliana snorted.


    ¡°Who are they to you?¡± He asked, hoping for an answer that scared him and enthralled him.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Nathan!¡± Liliana sighed. ¡°This is something you must figure out on your own.¡±


    ¡°Are you who I think you are?¡± He asked clenching his fist hard.


    Liliana held his fist and unclenched it. ¡°Yes and No.¡±


    She looked at him and dropped his hand as she said with determination, ¡°When you find the answers you are looking for,e to me, Nathan! I will answer everything else. Until then, please forgive me, because the best I can do is say that I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. Not to me!¡± He said as he patted her head. ¡°Let¡¯s do this, shall we?¡± He changed the topic.

 Chapter 83 – The bait and the fish 1

    The auction went on and they both betted on a few items.


    Jonathan bought a set of vintage model cars for the twins and Kyle.


    Liliana bought a pair of vintagemps made in the 17th century from gold, diamond, pearls, and crystals.


    The Aprices bid for a few items but most of the things in the auction were too expensive for them.


    But they still had to purchase something to show off.


    They started to bid for a small ring made of gold and jade. It was a beautiful ring, though not an antique so it did not catch Liliana¡¯s fancy.


    ¡°Table number 13 says 200 thousand dors.¡± The host announced, ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    ¡°We see the window open again. 300 thousand dors from Box 1.¡± The host announced.


    ¡°And Table 7 says ¨C 500 thousand dors.¡±


    ¡°Table 13 ¨C 600 thousand dors.¡±


    ¡°Table 2 ¨C 700 thousand dors.¡±


    ¡°Table 13 ¨C 800 thousand dors.¡±


    ¡°Box 1 ¨C 900 thousand dors.¡±


    ¡°Table 13 ¨C 1 Million dors.¡±


    ¡°Box 1 ¨C 1. 5 Million dors.¡±


    Lester hesitated but then he saw one of hispetitors looking at him with a smile and the host¡¯s impatient eyes as he looked at him.


    Having no choice he raised his hand.


    ¡°Table 13 ¨C 3 Million dors.¡±


    ¡°Box 1 ¨C 5 Million dors.¡±


    ¡°Table 13 ¨C 10 Million dors.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else? Table 13 ¨C 10 Million dors going once, going twice, and this is thest call. Anyone else? Table 13 ¨C 10 million dors and sold!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions to Mr. and Mrs. Aprice for owning this beautiful ring for 10 Million dors and supporting our charity.¡±


    The host said with a small round of apuse as they cleared it up and started to showcase the next item.


    Lester smiled while clenching his fists hard.


    The ring was hardly worth 100 thousand dors, yet he was goaded into spending 10 million for it by his wife and the others.


    He thought of all the items that had been sold before at 10 million and could only regret it.


    This ring would only go on his vain wife¡¯s jewelry collection and people wouldugh at him for buying it for 10 million dors.


    Still, he consoled himself, since the highest product bought so far was only worth 400 million dors, he could still get a namete.


    Everyone who has spent 1% or more than what the highest item was sold for would get a card of his name. It was a great prestige and Lester consoled himself thinking he managed to finally get it. It was like an entry into the uppermost ss.


    Unless someone bought something for more than 1 billion, he would be qualified.


    He was happy with the prospect and finally rxed.


    Liliana had raised the bid higher and higher to make a fool of the Aprices and she had indeed seeded.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Jonathan shook his head at her childishness.

 Chapter 84 – The bait and the fish 2

    Liliana pouted and blinked innocently at Jonathan as she said, ¡°What? I am only getting help for the children in the rural mountains who would get hospitals and schools with this money.¡±


    ¡°I believe you!¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°You are only teasing me,¡± Liliana sniffled, making himugh louder.


    Vivian heard Jonathan¡¯s chuckle while passing through. She knew he was in Box 1 with Liliana and she knew his voice.


    His happyughter made her feel like her heart was being ripped.


    Unaware of her sufferings, Liliana and Jonathan continued to banter as the auction went on. Liliana also bought a few relics that the Jacobsens, Mariana¡¯s parents, had fancied but gave up when some collector raised the bid a lot higher.


    That made Jonathan wonder how rich she was.


    He recalled his wife¡¯s letters and the divorce agreement where she had given him so much alimony.


    The wheels started turning in his head again. He forced himself to calm down and pay attention to the task at hand.


    Finally thest and the most anticipated item was put on disy.


    Rose felt like her heart dropped in the middle of the ocean.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Romeo looked at her mockingly and took her nervousness as her excitement at getting her hands on arge sum of money.


    Lester stared at the ne for a long time. It was dazzling.


    But his curiosity was aroused by the fact that it seemed familiar. He had never thought of Anne Petrova all these years, but seeing this ne reminded him of her gentle and beautiful face.


    But with that memory, he also remembered her inborn nobility which had made him feel less. He was a man, it was not his wife¡¯s job to hide herself to make him shine.


    He had always hated Anne¡¯s generosity and taken it to mean that she also thought he was inferior.


    Poor Anne only wanted her husband who liked being the center of attention to get what he wanted and did not want to be a hindrance.


    But Lester hadbeled her maniptive and given her colorful names for that.


    He never epted her, no matter how she behaved. If she was being her natural self, he felt small, if she moved to the side-lines, he felt he was being mocked.


    Seeing this ne, although he did not recognize it, all those bitter feelings came back to him.


    Consumed by his own emotions, he didn¡¯t notice Rose¡¯s uneasiness.


    The Petrovas had always been low-key. They followed traditions without letting anyone know what it meant.


    The ne was put on disy. All the bigwigs of the city immediately realized that showing a Petrova heirloom in such a conspicuous way meant only one thing ¨C the Petrova heir was back to take his/her ce and with a partner to boot.


    Jonathan felt the change in the air and could sense there was a deeper meaning to what they were doingter.

 Chapter 85 – The final item

    Jonathan looked at Liliana but she was staring at her ne with determined eyes and a distant smile. She looked regal and untouchable.


    He looked around and saw the notable people looking at their box to catch sight of someone. Liliana. He immediately realized that they were trying to get a glimpse of her.


    Vivian could tell something was about to happen. She did not really care about the auction or any other people there.


    She hade there knowing Jonathan would be there. But the way everyone was looking at Box 1 made her nervous like something bad was going to happen.


    Rose and Lester were immersed in their own worlds. They would not have understood the significance of the ne anyway.


    But even they could tell something was off as the host did not exin anything about the ne. He very subserviently bowed at it and said let¡¯s begin. His whole demeanor had changed and he was being utterly focused.


    Yet, he did not even announce the starting price of the ne. This was very odd. No auction item would be left without a bidding price.


    A well-known collector started the bid with 500 million dors.


    Romeo was stunned and thenughed venomously. He was not going to let Rose off the hook.


    Rose shuddered to the core. Was that bitch Anne really so rich?


    Rose had randomly picked this ne amongst a sea of jewelry in Anne¡¯s closet.


    Another collector immediately raised the price to 1 billion dors.


    Not to be outdone, another collector raised, ¡°1. 2 billion dors.¡±


    The first collector sighed, ¡°1. 5 billion dors.¡±


    Some other collectors and private enthusiasts kept on raising the price while the elites of the P city cooled down watching the show.


    It was very strange that most of the established and older elites kept quiet and enjoyed the show.


    The people who had been familiar with Leon knew this ne would never leave the possession of the Petrovas. It would not do to y a silly game.


    However, some new blood wanted to prove themselves and joined the game as well.


    ¡°2 billion dors.¡±


    ¡°2. 5 billion dors.¡±


    ¡°3 billion dors.¡±


    ¡°3. 3 billion dors.¡±


    Thepetition became less fierce after this.


    ¡°3. 5 billion dors.¡±


    ¡°4 billion dors.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°4. 1 billion dors.¡±


    ¡°4. 3 billion dors.¡±


    Finally, Jonathan ced his bid and everyone quieted down in helplessness.


    ¡°10 billion dors.¡±


    The private collector who had offered 200 billion dors to Liliana a few years back offered 15 billion dors.


    Jonathan smiled at him, ¡°20 billion dors.¡±


    Everyone there knew that the CEO and President of the Smith Group, Jonathan Smith was extremely wealthy and ruthless. He always got what he wanted.


    There was no point in getting in his way and irritating him. He had money to squander, which was not the case for others.


    And so Jonathan bought the ne for a whopping 20 billion dors amidst most of the upper ss and most of the collectors around the world.

 Chapter 86 – On the stage

    Another unexpected thing happened in the auction.


    Normally, when a bid waspleted, a staff member would go to them privately and ask them to pay.


    But the host called Jonathan on the stage.


    ¡°See you up there!¡± He told Liliana as he made his way to the grand stage.


    All lights were on him as he paid for the ne in front of everyone.


    ¡°Wow! I did not think we would be so privileged to see your personal cheque. Thank you, President Smith!¡± The owner of the auction house and the main organizer hade to greet Jonathan on the stage as well.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine! This is personal, this has nothing to do with Smith Group.¡± He said firmly.


    ¡°May we ask?¡± The owner of the auction house said cautiously.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Jonathan smiled, ¡°This is a gift for someone I admire a lot. She is an amazing person, and she fulfills every role perfectly. This is but a humble token of appreciation for someone so dazzling that she will grace this elegant ne.¡±


    The entire venue gasped at his words.


    ¡¯20 billion dors for a humble gift?¡¯


    ¡®Who is the luckydy?¡¯


    ¡°Is he into someone?¡¯


    ¡®Where can I find a man like President Smith?¡¯


    ¡®I am so jealous!¡¯


    ¡®I have never seen anyone showing off humbleness with 20 billion dors.¡¯


    The organizer asked, ¡°May we call her on the stage?¡±


    Jonathan looked at the box and said, ¡°Lil, would you give me the honor of presenting this to you?¡±


    Liliana walked up to the stage amidst everyone¡¯s envious gazes.


    Rose had a sense of foreboding on seeing her.


    Lester was immediately reminded of Anne on seeing a regal-looking Liliana but her eyes were cold and distant which reminded of Anne¡¯s father, Leon. It made him feel so small that his dislike for Liliana intensified.


    Romeo was busy fantasizing about the rich life he was going to live from then on, so he did not even see what was going on.


    Vivian was in the worst shape. She could not believe the high and mighty Jonathan Smith would be subservient to anyone like that.


    As soon as Liliana went up the stage, Jonathan went on his knees, but Liliana held him up before he could kneel and said that it was easier to put it on while standing.


    Ignoring the curious and envious gazes of everyone, he put the ne on Liliana¡¯s neck.


    Liliana smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek which stunned him, but he did not show it.


    Just as Liliana turned towards the stage, there was a standing ovation.


    The older people realized what it signified and wanted to celebrate. Most of them had some ties with the Petrovas as the Petrovas invested in many things and it was time for the younger generations to renew those equations. Seeing them the others were obligated to stand as well.


    They could anticipate changes and busy times ahead.


    Jonathan knew something was up. He was determined to clear all his doubts the first thing in the morning.


    It was toote to visit his grandma now.

 Chapter 87 – The Why

    This time Jonathan did not hesitate.


    He went inside and asked the butler to inform his grandmother while he waited in the garden.


    Emma Miller-Smith, his grandmother, showed up looking very much fit at the age of 84.


    ¡°To what do I owe this pleasure?¡± She said sarcastically.


    ¡°I want to ask you something,¡± He replied just as coldly.


    ¡°And I am expected to answer because?¡± she snickered.


    ¡°I am getting a vasectomy tomorrow,¡± he answered calmly. He knew that was what mattered the most to her. After all, he was the proof himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± As expected, she eximed.


    ¡°Watch me!¡± He threatened.


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± She conceded.


    ¡°The truth or for every lie I uncoverter, I will donate 10% of the Smith Group shares in my hand to charity.¡± He answered.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± She cried.


    ¡°I am not, you made sure of that.¡± He said mockingly. ¡°It¡¯s about my wife.¡±


    ¡°What about her? She died seven years ago.¡± She huffed.


    ¡°Why did you force me to marry her?¡± He asked hiding the shock on that information all too well.


    ¡°When you were 13, Anne Petrova, came to betrothe her only daughter, her only child to you. There was no reason to refuse. Even after Anne¡¯s father gave the Petrova factory to her husband in dowry, which he renamed as Aprice Group, the Petrovas were richer than all of us by leaps and bounds, not to mention their resources, which is unounted for. Furthermore, she said you had stayed with them for a week on a beach when you had run off from home.¡± She answered sinctly.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    That rified all his doubts. His Lil was his wife all along. He hid his jumbled emotions and continued to stay unaffected.


    He frowned, ¡°Lester told me the woman I was to marry was his illegitimate daughter.¡±


    Emma sneered, ¡°That slimy git probably doesn¡¯t even know the extent of Petrova power for it never came to his hands. Besides Leon Petrova, your grandfather-inw ensured the information about their property and resources were sealed.¡±


    ¡°Lester Aprice married his mistress only a few weeks after his wife died, that was shortly after you two were betrothed. Then, he reced his biological daughter with his step-daughter thinking he could fool everyone and steal her inheritance.¡± She said with disdain, ¡°Anne¡¯s girl is royalty, by blood, demeanor, brains, everything, while the other one is a mistress¡¯s daughter from someone else. She is not Lester¡¯s brood, not that it ounts for much.¡±


    Jonathan was surprised. ¡®How did Liliana survive her childhood with a father like that?¡¯


    ¡®I am just an unloved motherless daughter.¡¯ Her words when she was retorting to Vivian came back to him. Still, he hid his emotions in front of his grandmother.


    She paused and sipped some tea before she resumed, ¡°Moreover, Lester tried to pass off his son with his mistress as Anne¡¯s son. He even named him Petrova. If he thinks he can steal the Petrova property that way he is dreaming. Those of us who knew Leon could tell you even ten Lester won¡¯t be able to defeat one dead Leon.¡±


    Jonathan was stunned at her words.

 Chapter 88 – What happened to her?

    ¡°Petrovas announce their heir publicly without actually specifying what it entails. It¡¯s been a tradition since they were Kings. Leon announced your wife as his heir at her 5th birthday party.¡± Emma Miller-Smith informed a clueless Jonathan.


    Jonathan¡¯s suspicion deepened. ¡®They want what belongs to me.¡¯ Those were Liliana¡¯s words. No wonder she was furious.


    ¡°I guess Lester and his mistress are too dumb to understand that all the Petrova property and resources belonged to your wife since she was 5. She could have imed it all, including everything the Aprices are currently enjoying, on her 18th birthday. Even if Lester¡¯s son is Anne¡¯s, he does not get anything unless your wife wants to share.¡± Emma¡¯s voice was filled with contempt for Lester.


    Jonathan ignored her tone. He was only concerned about Liliana.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case why has no one ever heard of her?¡± He was curious about her anonymity.


    Emma smiled, ¡°Because she had more Leon in her than Anne.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    It was the first time Jonathan had seen his grandmother admire someone like that.


    She continued, ¡°She was protected since she turned 5 and became heir. Not that she wasn¡¯t protected before. Any rich idiot can have bodyguards. Petrovas are protected by a family who have been their bodyguards for generations.¡± ¡°The heir gets a shadow who never lets the heir out of sight unlessmanded.¡±


    She thought for a while and added, ¡°The fact that she stayed back with Aprices and endured abuse, even worked as their servant for seven years and has not imed her inheritance yet means she has something more important to do. Besides, even without the Petrova property she would be a force to be reckoned with. She was Leon reborn with women¡¯s instincts.¡±


    Jonathan was now confused, ¡°You knew her.¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°We all used to see her in birthdays and celebrations. Even at 5, she could debate with Leon and hold the fort longer than most adults. She also had a knack for business.¡± ¡°After her mother passed away, she disappeared in oblivion. But I kept a lookout for her since she was betrothed to you. She hadpleted high-school at 16 and had been the city Valedictorian every single time. She disappeared after 16.¡±


    She paused and added, ¡°I don¡¯t know how Lester called her back for marriage. I was prepared to use her mother¡¯s name andst wish to bend her but surprisingly she agreed. A month after that she faked her death and disappeared.¡±


    Obviously, Jonathan knew why she agreed, he asked, ¡°How can you be so sure she faked her death?¡±


    Emma raised her brow, ¡°Because the Aprices all saw her die in front of their eyes. They even tried to marry off the mistress¡¯s daughter to you. I refused, of course. As for how I know it¡¯s fake. It¡¯smon sense. She probably just wanted them off her trail. Also, she sent back the man I had sent to follow her in a sac with threats.¡±

 Chapter 89 – The Bride Price

    Jonathan was stunned, ¡°You sent someone to follow her.¡±


    She was unaffected, ¡°So what?¡±


    Jonathan sighed, ¡°What was the issue with bride price?¡±


    Emma cocked her brows, ¡°Lester tried to change the betrothal from Anne¡¯s girl to his step-daughter. The audacity to humiliate the Smiths with a mistress¡¯s filth!¡±


    She sneered, ¡°I refused, of course. To spurn us, he said she has demanded a hotel, a golf club, and a winery. We agreed but transferred them to your wife¡¯s name instead of his name.¡±


    Jonathan was surprised. No wonder she was drugged and framed to be raped on their wedding night.


    Emma continued, ¡°Lester tried to get us to change it in a round-about way. His mistress-wife asked directly to give those to her brood. The nerve of them to make such demands. When it was refused, he demanded a 500 million cash gift. I reduced it to 100 million. Your wife returned it three days after your marriage with interest to boot. She had wanted to transfer the properties back as well, but I refused.¡±


    Sheughed and added, ¡°Given how they have expanded over the years, it was a great choice. She has managed to expand it astonishingly well.¡±


    Jonathan asked, ¡°What was her maternal grandmother¡¯s name?¡±


    Emma thought for a while before she answered honestly, ¡°Katherine Green, as far as I can remember.¡±


    Jonathan listened some more and left.


    All his doubts had been confirmed.


    His wife was the girl he had always wanted to marry, and the one he had just partnered with.


    On the other side, Liliana knew that Jonathan had been to his grandmother¡¯s house.


    It could only mean one thing, he had confirmed all his suspicions about her.


    The ball was in his court.


    She would handle it when hees knocking. If he does not, she would pretend she did not know.


    Jonathan drove to the hill and sat on the edge of a cliff for almost an hour.


    He needed that to gather his courage for what he was going to face.


    He did not know how to face himself or her.


    He had hurt her, he had never been there for his children. He had two kids now. He did not even know how to process that or how to introduce himself to them.


    He was angry. With her, with fate, with Aprices, but mostly with himself.


    Why couldn¡¯t he be there for her? Why was he so stupid to fall for Aprice¡¯s tricks? Why did he not make the connection? Why did he leave her?


    Why could he not ask her the first time he had doubts?


    Why did she not tell him?


    Jonathan stopped thinking and took several calming breaths ¨C inhale-hold-exhale, inhale-hold-exhale.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Finally, he managed to calm himself after the longest hour of his life.

 Chapter 90 – Her side of story 1

    Jonathan drove directly to Liliana¡¯s house after he left the cliff.


    Liliana did not want to have a long conversation in front of the kids, so she met him outside the gate.


    When Jonathan reached Liliana¡¯s house, he found her leaning against a car at the point where he would have to hand the car over to a valet.


    She opened the car door for the passenger seat and sat on the driver¡¯s seat.


    He got in and buckled up as she drove away.


    She drove him straight to the beach where they had met for the first time.


    There was a deafening silence in the car as no one attempted to talk.


    She walked out and sat on a swing where they had spent a lot of time ying together in the week he had spent with her.


    He asked the attendant to bring some tea and water and put it beside her before he sat down by her side.


    ¡°Do you feel cheated?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No¡± He answered without hesitation. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me the truth seven years ago?¡±


    ¡°I did not get the chance. And before you apologize, you were not my priority.¡± She answered bluntly.


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked, feeling a sting of pain.


    ¡°Because I am not a normal person. I am someone who was born with a ton of privileges and responsibilities. My personal happiness will never be a priority in my life. That is the price I ought to pay for the crown.¡± She said with conviction. There was no remorse or guilt in her voice, only faint loneliness.


    ¡°Tell me your story!¡± He asked.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± She said, realizing that he had already forgiven her.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± He said. He did not want to say anything yet.


    Liliana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had a faraway look in her eyes as she started to recount her life.


    When I was a child, I was a real-life princess. I had a loving mother, doting grandparents, amusing help. My father was a bit distant, and I always felt his love and care were fake. I loved him, nheless, and thought that if I became exceptional he would love me.


    I guess I was too young to see through my father. As I grew up I realized he disliked me for not being a male and hated me for being exceptional. He probably would have cared for me better if I was stupid and clumsy and relied on him.


    My mother loved my father. If she did not, she would not have been so miserable.


    I became the Petrova heir at 5. While I did not get what it meant at that time, I knew I would have to work hard and eventually take over my grandfather¡¯s responsibilities.


    Sure enough, my various training sessions began the next day. Not that I hadn¡¯t taken several lessons before, but this was something entirely different.


    My mother never got over that guilt. My father never realized what was going on.

 Chapter 91 – Her side of story 2

    Lester had never loved my mother. I did not know the truth at that time, but even then I could tell.


    He wanted a son and would taunt my mother for not being capable of bearing another child, for not being woman enough. He never asked for another child directly because he was afraid of my grandfather. Afterall all his power and positions had been his dowry.


    My grandparents passed away when I was seven. After that, my father became a real asshole. He neverforted my mother for her loss. Sure, he put on several shows publicly but privately he seemed to be celebrating.


    He practically ignored me after that.


    He forced my mother to be pregnant and after a year, she had conceived her second child despite her ill health and risks to her life.


    But my father seemed to be having an affair. I had seen him with Rose with my own eyes. I just did not know what it meant at that time.


    Because Rose also got pregnant at the same time, my father mixed abortifacients on my mother¡¯s supplements. Someone told me that it meant she ate bad medicine which would take my little sibling away.


    She miscarried and brought me here to recover.


    I met you. You looked so beautiful but so sad that I wanted to wash away all your grief.


    I kissed you and told you I would make you happy without actually realizing what I was talking about.


    That was the best week of my life after my grandparent¡¯s death.


    After I went back home, I realized a serious problem. I did not know anything about you, so how could I be a good wife and make you happy. I did not know what you needed. So, I got trained in everything including housework ¨C cooking, cleaning, hand-washing the clothes, drying, scrubbing the dishes, polishing the shoes, gardening, everything.


    This was in addition to the other training I was going through, now secretly, as the Petrova heir.


    I guess Mom must have gone to your family for betrothal. I had no idea.


    A few monthster Mom suddenly fell and was taken to the hospital. She passed away.


    A few weekster Lester brought a very pregnant Rose and Rose¡¯s daughter Lydia home and married her.


    She moved me to the servant¡¯s quarter and piled a lot of housework on me. Because I had been learning it anyway and wanted to continue, I simply did that withoutints. I had formed a good bond with all the servants at home, so they protected me. I was never as miserable as the Apices wanted me to be.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    A few weekster Rose gave birth to a baby and they brought him home.


    But I knew in my heart that he was my brother. He loved me. Even as a few days old, he would cry whenever Rose, Lester, or Lydia picked him up.


    But he would smile immediately on seeing me or hearing my voice.

 Chapter 92 – Her side of story 3

    The maids knew enough to know that we would all be punished if I touched the baby boy. Everyone worked really hard to sneak him in and out and let us spend some time together.


    It was oddly fun at that time. I practically raised him on my own. At least I put a great deal more effort than all the three Apricesbined.


    It was because of him I never left. I had a ton of options, but I let Rose and Lydia bully me and stayed back. I could not let my innocent baby brother be raised by those evil people.


    The first word that my brother uttered was ¡®Sis¡¯ and the second was ¡®Lil¡¯.


    When I was 16 and he was 7, we both left home. Well, I left and he was sent abroad. I made sure of that.


    I lost contact with all of them after that.


    The next time Lester called me was when I was already 21 and he forced me with the threat of my brother¡¯s life to marry someone.


    I did not know it was you, so I nned to fake my death in front of them. But I identally saw you and realized you were the boy I had wanted to marry anyway, so I changed my ns and went ahead with their scheme.


    Then you made my wedding day rather memorable which made me realize how dumb I was to expect you to reciprocate my feelings without actually knowing me amidst all the lies and nder. I could not say anything to you in their presence, so I could only watch as you reaffirmed your thoughts about me.


    But you defended me all the same. You have no idea how happy that made me.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Lydia drugged us both. She sent some men to rape me on our wedding bed while being recorded, and I can only guess she wanted to sleep with you.


    I escaped but somehow we managed to sleep together and register our marriage.


    When I woke up, you were gone, I was hurt ¨C more than just physically.


    I spent the next week nursing myself back to health and thinking of our future.


    My brother was only 12 and you were not in the right frame of mind, so I was helpless. I hated it.


    I found out I was pregnant when I was still undecided, so I went to look for you. I had thought we could at least be hospitable co-parents.


    Lydia and Lester managed to ruin that as well.


    I faked my death and left.


    During pregnancy, I realized that even if I had stayed back, we would not have worked out.


    I had never med you, not really. Because I wanted to be a good wife for you, I learned a lot of chores which made me very close to all the servants of the house. My life after my mother¡¯s death was not as miserable as it could have been because of that.


    Even when you thought I was a gold-digging, maniptive, promiscuous bitch, you defended me and sued others. You saved me and made it easier for me to conceal myself.


    Even when you did not know the kids were yours, you still donated blood to Li for years.

 Chapter 93 – Reconciliation 1

    Liliana looked Jonathan in the eye and said, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Nathan. I have never med you. I just hate that we will never have a peaceful life. Unless we have a really strong bond, our marriage is doomed to fail. We will have other priorities, and we will also have enemies in the dark. We will have to wade through lies and schemes.¡±


    She took a deep breath as she said, ¡°I did not tell you the truth because what was I even supposed to say? I wanted you to know me, to see me, and decide with a clear head.¡±


    Jonathan asked, ¡°Why did you give me the divorce papers?¡±


    Liliana was surprised by his question. After all these, that was what he was curious about.


    ¡°I could not hate or me you, and I could not prioritize or keep you. So, that¡¯s all I could think of.¡±


    Jonathan sighed audibly and crouched before her as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I cheated on you.¡±


    ¡°You did not,¡± Sheughed through her tears. She could tell he had forgiven her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked, frowning as a thought formed in his mind.


    ¡°You have had a shadow since you married me. Don¡¯t worry, I have no idea what you are up to. I had only given orders to keep you alive and help you out if you are forced. I have never taken any feedback from your shadow. I did not know anything about Vivian and you. But when you told me everythingst time after you found out that you are married, I enquired, and there¡¯s a video.¡± She rified, rubbing her head.


    ¡°Why did you not tell me?¡± He was taken aback. How could she keep the truth from him when she knew how tormented he was?


    ¡°There was no right way to tell you.¡± She bit her lips nervously.


    ¡°Did you have fun tormenting me?¡± He sullenly asked.


    ¡°Hahahahaha! Yeah, it was really funny when you kept a safe distance with me after finding out that you were married.¡± She directlyughed at him, something she had been itching to do for months.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed six years of my children¡¯s life.¡± He eximed.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± She said, apologetically. She really felt bad for him, for her children, and for herself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start over, shall we? No regrets, no guilt, no looking back.¡± He asked, expectation clear in his eyes.


    ¡°Are you going to hug me?¡± She asked, ignoring his question.


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked.


    ¡°If you want to start over, give me a hug. I have wanted to hug you for a really long time.¡± She snorted.


    Jonathanughed and held her tight in his arms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s trust each other, okay. We¡¯ll tell each other everything.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I will introduce you to the kids.¡± She said, pulling back.


    ¡°Will they ept me?¡± He asked, worried about his children¡¯s eptance.


    ¡°They already know you are their father. They have been waiting for you to recover your memories.¡± She said, biting her lips.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked, stunned at her words.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 94 – Reconciliation 2

    Liliana leaned into Jonathan¡¯s arms as she exined.


    ¡°I told them you were their father and there was an ident right after our marriage due to which you lost your memory. The bad people were trying to harm all four of us.¡±


    The kids were smart and had wanted to know why she left him and why she came back.


    ¡°The bad guys had kept their little uncle hostage, hence, I ran away but I left a guard to save your life and protect you from their maniptions in secret. Now that we are stronger, we can stay around you and slowly help you regain your memories. Also, this way you get to know us and won¡¯t believe bad people¡¯s lies about us, even if you never recover your memories.¡±


    Jonathan was immensely grateful for her thoughtfulness.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± He said emotionally as he tightened his grip around her waist.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not say ¡®Thank you¡¯ and ¡®sorry¡¯ for the past, okay.¡± She sighed.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It must have been hard for you.¡± Hemented.


    ¡°Not really. I have always had people to love, people who loved me, people who depended on me, people who protected me. I had power and purpose. I have lived a fulfilling life. You were the one who lived without enthusiasm. Youcked everything worth living for. I knew that when I was 8. And it¡¯s still true.¡± She shook her head and consoled him.


    ¡°You fulfilled all your promises. I was just too dumb to see it.¡± He said in a cracking voice.


    Liliana broke away from his arms and held his face.


    ¡°Jonathan, remember my words. Whatever happened in the past has happened. We can¡¯t change it, we can¡¯t go back. But we can ensure it does not affect our future. Let¡¯s start over, okay. Have you ever thought things through, about us, I mean?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We both want to provide our kids aplete family and I have no doubt we will co-parent well. But we are adults, we can¡¯t force feelings. We have too many expectations from each other and too much guilt. If we don¡¯t let go of it, our marriage will fail.¡± She exined her views.


    Jonathan shook his head at her words as his eyes were stung with tears.


    Liliana wiped his tears with her thumb and said softly, ¡°I have loved you since I was 8, Jonathan. But I have never had a chance to get to know you, to understand you, to see the real you. It¡¯s the same with you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe when we live together, we will find out we are notpatible at all. Maybe we will turn out to be a match made in heaven. In either case, I would rather not destroy our chances with unrealistic expectations, guilt, and trying too hard.¡±


    ¡°No matter how our story will end, by the end of it, I still want us to be ourselves. I don¡¯t want to be a shell of who I am, nor do I want you to change yourself to fit into what I wanted you to be. Let¡¯s start with a clean te. This, right now, is our starting point.¡±


    Liliana kissed him on the corner of his lips as she said that.


    Jonathan was stunned for a second. He held her face on his palms and kissed her ever so softly.


    He did not deepen the kiss and left her lips shortly after. He ced her head on his chest and held her tight.


    It was a promise, and she understood.

 Chapter 95 – United as a family

    Liliana and Jonathan took some time to calm their emotions.


    They had ate lunch before going to see the kids.


    It waste evening when they arrived at Liliana¡¯s Vi.


    Liliana called the kids to the living room and sent all the maids away.


    ¡°Nathan, these are our kids. Nathaniel Petrova Smith is older than Joyanna Petrova Smith by 15 minutes. I call them Li and Jo. Ibined our names ¨C Jonathan and Liliana ¨C for both of them the best I could.¡± She introduced the kids to Jonathan formally.


    ¡°Li, Jo ¨C your father and I are very sorry for not providing you with aplete family all these years. Let¡¯s start over, okay. We both promise that we will do better from now on.¡± She exined to the kids and subtly hinted for them to not raise this issue over and over again.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Jo eximed right away and jumped into Jonathan¡¯sp. She already loved him very much but was coaxed by Liliana to keep the truth.


    ¡°Father!¡± Li called, solemnly. He also wanted to love his father carefreely as his sister did. But he was older and meant to protect his mommy, even if it was from his daddy.


    Jonathan¡¯s words were caught in his throat and he could not say anything to his own children as Liliana introduced them.


    He picked Jo up and hugged her tight as tears rolled down his eyes. Li only greeted him formally.


    Jonathan was too happy to mind the formality. He stepped forward and hugged Li in his arms as well.


    He understood that a part of Li¡¯s maturity came from having been raised by a single parent only. He wanted to show with his actions that his son could have a carefree childhood because he would be there to shelter them from then on.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Jonathan knew the differences between words and actions. He decided not to seek forgiveness via words. He would show his repentance via actions instead.


    The kids could feel the strong emotions from their parents and the joy of being held by their father the first time was immense. Jonathan had hugged them before, but he did not know the truth at that time.


    Jonathan finally broke the hug and went up to Liliana. He kissed her on the forehead and the family of four were engaged in a group hug once again.


    ¡°This feels perfect,¡± Liliana murmured.


    ¡°Yes, this does. I love you guys so much.¡± Jonathan said.


    ¡°When are you going to move in?¡± Li asked straightaway.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together to my Vi. I will pack my stuff and bring it back. I will show you our other house by the mountain. You guys can tell me what you want to change and I will ask the decorators to change it and update the security. We can move there when it¡¯s time.¡± Jonathan answered.


    He looked at Liliana and said, ¡°We need to figure out amodation. I have to go to the office every day and I don¡¯t want the security to bepromised.¡±


    Liliana nodded, ¡°We will figure something out.¡±

 Chapter 96 – The scandal 1

    The day ended cheerfully for the family as they were finally united.


    Immersed in their happiness, they paid no heed to the situation outside.


    Vivian had finally made her y. Having learned from her previous defeat, this time she refrained from going after Liliana directly.


    Besides, the Aprices were more than willing to cause trouble for Liliana, so she did not have to worry.


    Vivian intercepted Lydia¡¯s investigators and led them to the intimate pictures of Jonathan and Liliana, as well as pictures of herself in bed with Jonathan.


    She knew Lydia would not be smart enough to use it, so she orchestrated an borate y to ¡®let Lydiae up with a brilliant n of tarnishing Liliana¡¯s reputation¡¯ bybeling her as a homewrecker despite being a mother.


    Lydia had been going nuts thinking how Liliana stole her man. She had conveniently forgotten that Liliana was Jonathan¡¯s wife as well as the little girl from his childhood that he was in love with. She also chose to forget the fact that she only managed to even get acquainted with Jonathan by pretending to be Liliana.


    As much as Lydia hated Vivian for being intimate with Jonathan and being his girlfriend, it was still nowhereparable with her hatred for Liliana. In the end, despite her misgivings, she chose to frame Liliana for ruining Jonathan¡¯s rtionship with Vivian.


    Rose did not know what to think. On one hand, she was relieved that no one inquired about how the ne came to be in the auction. On the other hand, Liliana got her hands on it. Jonathan gave it to Liliana so freely letting everyone know that she had his protection. And the standing ovation sent chills down her spine.


    Lester was at a loss. The ne reminded him of Anne, and seeing it on Liliana made him want to kill someone. Even more so seeing Jonathan spend 20 billion on Liliana. His dislike for Liliana stemmed from his equation with Anne as Liliana looked very much like her. Seeing her so dazzling just as Anne had been made him tremble in fear and anger.


    Romeo was busy formting ns on how to spend his twenty billion. Moreover, Rose had been his wife in the past, and seeing her still so well-maintained, he wanted more than just money. He nned to have an extravagant affair with her and started nning for it as Rose and Lester would foot the bill anyway.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Mariana watched the events unfold on the screen and hoped for her best friend¡¯s happy marriage. She knew what it meant, and she could see Jonathan was not a bad person. She was still not reassured enough to forgive him though.


    Her musings did notst very long as a scandal between the people she was thinking about popped out.


    Mariana opened the news but was interrupted by a text in their internal group. She clicked on the text and saw the picture of a family of four along with the invitation to have lunch together the next day.


    She only replied with a shrugging emoji and proceeded to see the news.

 Chapter 97 – The scandal 2

    The news spread like wildfire and P city was rife with discussions about the love triangle. The inte blew up and people werementing left and right while taking sides.


    ¡®She pretended to be so righteous while having an affair with someone else¡¯s man. Poor Miss Stone, my heart goes out to her.¡¯


    ¡®Poor Miss Stone, no wonder she acted recklessly in the inauguration ceremony. No one would stay put and swallow humiliation like this.¡¯


    ¡®The homewrecker sure is crafty. Ever since she showed up, Miss Vivian has been having one misfortune after another. I wonder if she is being deliberately targeted.¡¯Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡®I did not think President Smith would be such a scum.¡¯


    ¡®What did you expect? We all saw how he treated Miss Stone in the inauguration party.¡¯


    ¡®I wonder who posted these.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t think Mrs. Liliana and President Smith would be such scums. Maybe there is more to this than meets the eye.¡¯


    ¡®Are these photos real?¡¯


    ¡®Several experts have verified the photos are real.¡¯


    ¡®Anyone else seeing that President Smith is actually smiling when he is with Mrs. Liliana, while his pictures with Miss Vivian look like she is hovering around him and he is annoyed by it.¡¯


    ¡®I did not see it but now that you said it, I can¡¯t unsee it.¡¯


    ¡®Could it be that President Smith and Mrs. Liliana are actual lovers and Miss Stone separated them?¡¯


    ¡®No matter what, Mrs. Liliana is married with a child. She should not be unfaithful to her husband.¡¯


    ¡®Everyone has the right to pursue true love. Besides, she might be divorced or separated.¡¯


    ¡®I think there¡¯s something wrong with Mrs. Liliana, she has never revealed her full name. She is deliberately mysterious.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe she has many dark secrets to hide.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe she just wants a low-key life.¡¯


    ¡®The pictures don¡¯t say anything. They might be normal friends. What¡¯s wrong with business partners having dinner together? And aren¡¯t they hugging outside the hospital? Maybe something happened there?¡¯


    ¡®Does not change the fact that President Smith is dating Miss Stone?¡¯


    ¡®He has never agreed to that, has he? And he denied dating her before any of these happened. For all we know, all of them are single.¡¯


    ¡®That makes me wonder, why did their picture in bede out now? Who even takes pictures like this? It looks like they were caught in the act by paparazzi or maybe it was nned. The timing of it looks odd.¡¯


    ¡®What¡¯s odd about it? President Smith is scum and so-called Mrs. Liliana is a cheater and a homewrecker. #boycottSmithGroup #boycottL&LDesigns¡¯


    ¡®Like you could afford L&L Designs!¡¯


    ¡®Maybe they can afford the products L&L Design produces each year for charity and donate to several shelters and orphanages.¡¯


    ¡®I think a kind-hearted person like Mrs. Liliana who has been mass-producing high-quality clothes, specifically for donating and has been personally involved in relief work should not be a cheater or a homewrecker. Innocent until proven guilty, and these photos do not mean much. #WaitForTruth.¡¯


    ¡®Who said that?¡¯


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it well known that L&L Designs produces two lines of clothes every year for charity ¨C summer and winter clothes? And the founder of L&L Design has received several awards in Maple city for personal involvement and donations to social causes. They have even provided jobs for physically challenged people without any pay disparity and additional benefits based on their talents.¡¯


    And so the hashtags #boycottL&LDesigns #boycottSmithGroup #WaitForTruth and #SupportVivian became trending in social media.


    The main culprits however kept mum.

 Chapter 98 – Friends and family

    Jonathan and Liliana, along with their twins, were enjoying their time together without bothering about the news.


    For the first time in his life, Jonathan was immensely happy and content at the same time. He vowed to protect his wife and children to the best of his abilities. He wanted to spend the rest of his life making up for his absence for the past 7 years.


    Neither went to work or checked social media.


    The next day all their friends joined them for lunch. Liam and Kyle, Mariana, Henry, Jennifer, James, and Vincent were present.


    Liliana proposed an unusual toast to them saying, ¡°If my husband and I are separated again, I hope you all will stay neutral and be friends with us both. And Mer, please don¡¯t hold grudges anymore. I am equally at fault, and it can¡¯t be excused just because I got pregnant and chose to give birth without telling him. Cheers to a fresh start!¡±


    Liam knew it already so he just congratted them, ¡°Congrattions! You finally fessed up, Lil. And Jonathan, Lil is my sister and the only mother my son has ever known. I will bomb your house andpany if you treat her badly.¡±


    Mariana was still unhappy that Lil forgave him so easily, ¡°I won¡¯t say anything for Lil¡¯s sake. You better be nice to her and the kids.¡±


    Vincent was in a trance and finally eximed, ¡°Oh my God! I have been searching for you for ages, why did you hide from us? Well, congrattions boss, your wife turned out to be your first love. That Lydia and all the Aprices are despicable.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    James was in a daze, ¡°Why was I not invited to your wedding?¡±


    Jennifer finally found her voice, ¡°Oh My God! This is huge! Cong¡­Congrattions! I hope you will always be together and be each other¡¯s strength.¡±


    Henry was thest one to recover, ¡°I thought I was friends with you both. You did not even invite me to your wedding and you hid it from me for so long. I can¡¯t believe you two. Wait! Jonathan, have you been donating blood because you knew he was your son all along? No wonder you volunteered for the liver transnt.¡±


    Liliana and Jonathan spent a lot of time exining their rtionship as concisely as possible and finally, all the friends knew that they had been separated for seven years.


    The kids were having fun by themselves and Kyle decided that he would call Jonathan ¡°Daddy Nathan!¡±.


    The group of friends and family spent the day together and celebrated the joyous reunion. Though all of them had seen the news spreading outside, none mentioned it as they all knew that the couple was more than capable of handling it.


    Besides, everyone other than James and Vincent knew of Liliana¡¯s identity. They waited to watch a good show.


    After dinner, everyone left for their own homes and the twins also went to bed by themselves.


    The previous night the family of four had slept on the same bed as the kids had wanted to experience sleeping between their parents on the same bed.


    Since it was the second day already, Li insisted on sleeping in their own bedrooms and dragged an unwilling Jo with him.

 Chapter 99 Sleeping together sober 1

    Liliana sighed looking at her way too mature son. She had hoped for him to be more childish but he was growing up to be more and more mature and private.


    Jonathan rubbed her head and hugged her shoulders as she sighed with a defeated look on her face.


    ¡°He will be fine. I was also like that as a child. He may have taken after me.¡± He tried to console Liliana.


    She shook her head, ¡°You were happy when you stayed the week with me and Mom. I feel like I have failed as a parent when I see Li behaving like an adult.¡±


    Jonathan rubbed her back and said, ¡°You are the best mother the kids could have hoped for. It is my fault that Li is like that. He has assumed my responsibility. That and his natural personality have made him like that. Let me handle this. I will show him that he can be carefree because I will be there for him, his little sister, and for his mother.¡±


    Liliana sniffled and hugged him, ¡°Do you hate me? It was my sole decision to hide this from you and to give birth to them without your consent.¡±


    Jonathan replied unhesitatingly, ¡°How can I possibly hate you for the biggest blessing of my life? I just feel guilty for my behavior. I did indeed create an environment where you couldn¡¯t tell me that I was going to be a father.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°But as you said, I would rather focus my emotions on loving and caring about you all and make up for my absence all these years. There is no benefit to wallowing in self-reproach. Mrs. Liliana Petrova Smith, you were the one who told me that if I was capable of remorse, I was worthy of redemption.¡±


    Lilianaughed through her tears, ¡°It¡¯s easier to spit nonsense than follow it.¡±


    Jonathan kissed the top of her head, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I am very happy today.¡±


    Liliana looked up at him and suddenly the atmosphere turned ambiguous as their lips were hardly two inches apart.


    Liliana cursed herself in his head. Why did she have to look up like that?


    Jonathan could feel her breath on his face and he saw her eyes that were filled with expectation, embarrassment, confusion, and self-reproach.


    He dipped his head and kissed the top of her nose and pressed her head on his chest.


    Liliana sighed in relief. They had both been in love with each other for fifteen years but they had never gotten a chance to know each other. This time she wanted to take things nice and slow and get to know each other rather than jump headfirst in the fire pit as she did with their marriage.


    She untangled herself after a few minutes and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go check on the kids. They must be asleep by now.¡±


    Jonathan held her hand as they made their way to the kid¡¯s room.


    Jonathan was surprised to see that the kids were sound asleep. They kissed both the kids on their forehead, tucked them in, adjusted the temperature, enabled the sensor which would get triggered if they hadborious breathing, and quietly closed the door.


    ¡°Did you train them to fall asleep quickly like that?¡± Jonathan asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes. I was also raised like that. I can fall asleep within three minutes even in a noisy ce, but I am a very sensitive sleeper, I get up even at the slightest disturbance.¡± She exined.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good habit to form,¡± Jonathan remarked and thought he should join all the exercises the kids and Liliana did every day and regte his behavior as well.


    He exercised in the gym for two hours in the morning but every other thing in his life was in chaos.


    Jonathan went to shower in the guest bedroom as Liliana went to bathe in their bedroom.


    She was still in the shower when he came back.


    He sat on the bed and waited for her.

 Chapter 100 Sleeping together sober 2

    Liliana had dried her hair in the bathroom beforeing out. Her face was slightly red and she looked rather sexy in the nightgown as she walked while fixing her short hair into a bun. Although she was wearing a very conservative loose nightgown which made it impossible to know much, knowing that she was naked underneath it reminded him of some very vague but pleasing moments of their wedding night.


    He shook off his thoughts as she stood by the bed unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Do you want me to go to the guest room?¡± He said after a fake cough.


    ¡°I want to, but I know I should not.¡± She replied with a pout and re.


    ¡°Do you remember anything from our wedding night?¡± He asked, pulling her wrist and making her sit beside him.


    ¡°Not much. Just some vague things. I remember you were actually nice to me after I scolded you.¡± Sheughed as her cheeks had a faint blush.


    ¡°I am sorry about that. I was trying to throw you out of the room but I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    He scratched his head as he continued, ¡°I can vaguely remember that you were also drugged and you asked about confirmation on whether I was your husband again and again. And that I took your virginity.¡±


    ¡°It was my first time as well. I remember trying several things to find out what would make you feel better and coaxing you because you hit me and scolded me.¡±


    Liliana did not know what to say. ¡®Why did he bring that up? It¡¯s scary.¡¯


    Jonathan also realized that the conversation was not appropriate, so he cleared his throat and drank some water.


    ¡°This is my first time sleeping with a woman in the same bed, sober.¡± He said in a low voice.


    ¡°Mine too.¡± Liliana sighed as he leaned on the pillow, ¡°Our romantic life is quite pathetic.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°It¡¯s equally pathetic, so it¡¯s fine.¡± Jonathan consoled her as he pulled up the nket and covered them both.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good perspective to have.¡± She nodded and went inside the nket.


    Jonathan kissed her forehead and said, ¡°Good night, wife!¡± andy down beside her looking at the ceiling.


    ¡°Good night!¡± She murmured and closed her eyes.


    After half an hour of lying inplete silence, they were both quite aware that they were both awake.


    Jonathan sighed and pulled her in his arms and spooned her without saying anything.


    Liliana was stunned but as she realized that he was only going to hug her and not do anything else, she rxed and quickly fell asleep.


    Little did she know that after her breathing had evened out, Jonathan opened his eyes and looked at her with a loving gaze unblinking for a while.


    He slowly caressed her face without waking her up and continued to stare at her. He had almost missed her.


    Jonathan was once again filled with remorse as he thought of all of her hardships and the heavy burden she had been bearing all this while.


    He had loved her all his life but he had never done anything for her. He had fallen Lydia¡¯s and Aprice¡¯s trap and mistreated her.


    Jonathan had always felt bad for himself knowing that he came from an unusual family where no one really cared about him, but he had never imagined that she had it worse. Having an uncaring father was much better than having a father like Lester was to her.


    He wondered how life would have been if he had known the truth seven years ago. But he also realized that she was right to think it might not have worked.  They were not ready then.


    This time they were both ready and able to fight for their marriage, to fight for each other.


    He shook off his thoughts, vowed to do right by her, and stole a quick kiss before falling asleep.

 Chapter 101 Waking up in husband’s arms

    Jonathan woke up in the morning at his usual time. His biological clock was urate and he did not even need an rm.


    He was surprised to find that his lovely little wife was using him as a pillow and half of her body was sprawled on his body. He wondered how she slept with the kids like this.


    But then he remembered how she had woken up and checked on the kids repeatedly the night before. He looked at her dotingly and mentally swore to let her sleep this carefreely for the rest of her life.


    He watched her for a while without moving and fell asleep again.


    Liliana woke up and found herself entangled with Jonathan. She had wanted to make him sleep in the guest room at night and yet managed to partially sleep on top of him at night. She scolded herself for her clumsiness and slowly moved to a less embarrassing position.


    Her careful slow movements were enough to wake Jonathan up, but he pretended to be asleep and did not move. He wanted to know how she would react.


    She was always calm and confident. Apart from the nervousness he had seen during their wedding, she had always been aware and in control.


    Liliana looked at his face and said softly, ¡°I always knew you would be good-looking.¡±


    ¡°Shhh!¡± She hissed as she traced his face with her fingertips and said, ¡°This face must have attracted flies all over.¡± She pinched his cheeks a few times and continued to trace his face with her fingers.


    Just as she was tracing his lips he bit her finger as he opened his eyes. She was startled and looked at him wide-eyed. He sucked her fingers which brought her back to her senses and she pulled her fingers away.


    ¡°You!¡± She stammered, not knowing what to say.


    Heughed out loud at her reaction which annoyed her a lot, however, she couldn¡¯t help butugh as well.


    ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± She asked after they had calmed down.


    ¡°I wake up earlier in general. I went back to sleep today and woke up after you started ying.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Hmm!¡± She mumbled, not at all affected at being caught. ¡°You freshen up first. I will take a walk outside.¡± She said as she got off the bed, made the bed, opened the curtains, and wore a thin jacket before going out.


    She walked through the garden to check the air quality and humidity to decide if the kids should y outside. Both the kids were sick and she was always very careful about everything.


    Jonathan was still in the washroom when she came back to the bedroom, so she cleaned up a bit. She had never allowed the maids to enter her bedroom or that of her kids.


    Jonathan went to wake up the kids when Liliana went to freshen up.


    He had seen her usual routine the day before and wanted to take on equal or more responsibilities.


    Jonathan woke Jo up and helped her freshen up before waking Li up.


    Jo needed more time to get ready, especially making her hair, but Li had been waking up earlier for more than a year already so he could help his sister and ease their mother¡¯s burden.


    Jonathan had seen through him right away and stepped in without a word. It was his way of getting along with his taciturn son.


    Liliana came to the kid¡¯s room and saw both of her children were almost ready.


    She looked at Jonathan who was fussing around Jo¡¯s hair while ying a YouTube video on hairstyles on his phone and thought it was wonderful to wake up with her husband.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    She smiled in contentment which brightened up Jonathan¡¯s mood for the entire day.

 Chapter 102 Deal with nuisance 1

    The kids went off to their own thing ¨C sses, training, exercise, and so on. They were both home-schooled and had a set routine.


    Liliana was aware that being her kids and Jonathan¡¯s kids came with its own set of responsibilities, other than the privileges. She meant to groom the kids well so they can ease into their roles or find their own footing when the time came. At the same time, she wanted the kids to enjoy their childhood until they came up to a certain age.


    Finally, Jonathan and Liliana sat down to discuss the issue at hand ¨C their scandal which was still very much hype after three days.


    ¡°How do you want to deal with this?¡± Jonathan asked Liliana. He had been absent from work thest two days and everyone seemed to take his absence as admittance.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one being called a home-wrecker?¡± She joked.


    ¡°This is your y. You are the boss.¡± He emphasized as he was in no mood for fun.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You are no fun.¡± She snorted. ¡°Resolving my part of it is easy. I can upload the entire video from the restaurant and hospital and let everyone know it¡¯s a deliberate attempt to cken my image.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± He could sense her reluctance to take the next step.


    ¡°As a woman, I would rather not ruin Vivian¡¯s imagepletely.¡± She sighed, ¡°As much as I want her to be ountable for what she had done, I don¡¯t want to release the footage of what had transpired. I am a public persona, doing something so distasteful would lower the bar of how a woman should be treated and how we should fight back.¡±


    Jonathan looked at her in admiration. He had never really thought about things like that. It was an eye for an eye approach for him and he conformed to his own standards. He did not care about others.


    He thought for a while and said, ¡°How about I sue the posters and publicly ask Vivian to rify her stance on the matter?¡±


    Liliana nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do that first. I am not optimistic, but let¡¯s try that.¡±


    Jonathan said, ¡°Alright then. I will set the two things straight from my end. I am off to work now and I will see you in the evening.¡±


    Liliana looked at him for a second before she asked, ¡°Do you want to meet your shadow? You realize you have not asked anything about that.¡±


    Jonathan only smiled at that, ¡°I don¡¯t want to, not yet. There¡¯s nothing to ask. I should thank you for protecting me.¡±


    Liliana blinked several times before asking, ¡°Do you not me me?¡±


    Jonathan shook his head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t. You have not vited my privacy or restricted me in any way. There¡¯s nothing to mind.¡±


    Liliana bit her lips unsure of what to say. Jonathan rubbed her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I will go to work now ande back soon. Let¡¯s have dinner together with the kids.¡±


    Liliana nodded and he left with a smile.


    Jonathan¡¯s eyes turned cold as soon as he exited the gate.


    He called Vincent directly and asked, ¡°What have you gathered? What¡¯s your n to deal with this nuisance?¡±


    Jonathan treated Vincent like a family and groomed him in all things rather than asking him to execute his orders directly.


    This helped Vincent immensely in his personal development and also eased Jonathan¡¯s burden as he could leave thepany in Vincent¡¯s capable hands when he wanted a break.


    Vincent also kept an elite team of specially recruited people and trained them to work in his stead.

 Chapter 103 Deal with nuisance 2

    Vincent was frozen for half a second on hearing Jonathan¡¯s angry growl. But he came back to his senses right away. He had been used to it after all those years.


    Having known Jonathan, he was already prepared to deal with the scandal, he was only waiting for his go-ahead. So, he could answer his livid boss right away.


    ¡°I have the n ready and will move everything in ce by the time you arrive in the office. The underground parking has been cleared of all reporters. And there are security guards ced in case of anything.¡± Vincent replied confidently having known his boss¡¯s temper.


    ¡°Be there in twenty minutes, email me anything urgent.¡± Jonathan hung up after that.


    Vincent was capable and Jonathan did not need to be worried.


    Jonathan worked on hisptop throughout the ride and was just done going over all the important emails as they entered the underground parking lot of Smith Group.


    It seemed Vincent had made it look like Jonathan wasing in from the front door and diverted everyone there and cleared his way.


    A few strollers who had stayed back were removed by the security team.


    Jonathan could feel the eyes of everyone in the Secretarial office outside his cabin as he exited his private elevator.


    He was not at all bothered as he had been the center of attention his entire life. He went inside his cabin with Vincent at his heels.


    Vincent began before he could ask.


    ¡°Since you and Mrs, are indeed a couple, it would backfire if we publicly say there is nothing going on between you. However, I can publish the entire video from my ount without any captions. It sends the message without any official instance.¡±


    ¡°As for the matters rted to Vivian Stone, Madam has sent the full video to me. We can ask Miss Stone to rify things herself and if she does not, we can release the end portion of it along with your blood test report.¡±


    ¡°I have already sued the first poster and all influencers who have been spreading it for defamation under the Smith Group¡¯s name.¡±


    Vincent recounted everything he had nned and hoped he would not find faults.


    Jonathan nodded and said, ¡°Good Job¡± which almost made Vincent choke on air. When had his boss be so benevolent?


    He could see that Jonathan was in a very good mood, despite keeping a straight face.


    Vincent chose to ignore his praise. The less he spoke, the fewer chances of being made fun of.


    He kept to the point and added, ¡°It was Miss Lydia Aprice who orchestrated it.¡±


    Jonathan nodded and said, ¡°I expected as much. Leave her be, Lil will deal with her when the timees.¡±


    Vincent nodded and added it to his notes before asking if there was anything else.


    ¡°Yes, hire the best designers to renovate my Vi by the mountain. Add more security around the perimeter, renovate two rooms adjacent to the master bedroom for the kids, prepare a yroom, add a swing in the garden, increase the size of the garden, have perimeters set between the Vi and the back garden. And make sure everyone you hire is trustworthy. Do extensive background checks on everyone.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Vincent jotted down all his requirements and said, ¡°Sure, I will get the blueprint approved from you before we start on the actual work.¡±


    Jonathan dismissed him and continued with his day.

 Chapter 104 Office Gossip

    Even though Jonathan had taken two days off without proper nning, there was not as much work as one would expect. Thanks to Vincent and his elite team of sub-secretaries, most things were taken care of. Only some important and sensitive things were held off waiting for his approval.


    But even then Jonathan had a busy day as there was still a lot to handle and too many meetings to attend. He wanted to finish everything early and go back to his wife and children. His family!


    He smiled involuntarily thinking of his family. The word and what it meant to him brought a fresh gush of gratitude and contentment.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    The day passed in a blur for Jonathan, but that was not the case for others.


    The Smith Group was buzzing.


    Jonathan hade to the office that day and was in a splendid mood. This news had spread like wildfire throughout thepany.


    ¡®Why did the President take two days off after the auction?¡¯


    ¡®Maybe he was celebrating a mini-honeymoon with Mrs. Liliana. Did you see the light in his eyes?¡¯


    ¡®He seemspletely unbothered with the news.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe he simply does not care about other people¡¯s opinion, he is powerful enough to do that.¡¯


    ¡®His scandal had caused an uproar in the city and the shareholders have been lobbying in thepany, but our President is not at all unaffected. How cool is that?¡¯


    ¡®Oh My God! Did you see this?¡¯


    ¡®What is it?¡¯


    ¡®Let me see! Oh, dear!¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe people are so shameless. They have turned a simple group dinner into an affair.¡¯


    ¡®Why are they outside the hospital? And my heart breaks for Mrs. Liliana. Never had I imagined my Goddess to weep so sorrowfully.¡¯


    ¡®Is this real?¡¯


    ¡®The experts are evaluating. Looks real to me though.¡¯


    ¡®Our President is really admirable. Such a beautiful woman is weeping on his chest and he is just patting her head. Any man would have hugged the beauty close. He deserves my respect. I want to marry someone like him.¡¯


    ¡®I knew my idols were the best. Thank God for rewarding my loyalty. Never had I imagined, I would be seeing such raw emotions in my Goddess¡¯s face.¡¯


    ¡®Looks like this really is real, the experts have confirmed. I vote for the people who fabricated this be lynched publicly.¡¯


    ¡®I vote on that too. Such shameless bastards to try and sling mud on my Goddess.¡¯


    ¡®But they do make such an amazing couple.¡¯


    ¡®I hope they both get together if they are both single.¡¯


    ¡®Mrs. Liliana hides her husband and children. Maybe her rtionship with her husband is quite bad.¡¯


    ¡®I think she is doing the right thing by protecting their privacy.¡¯


    ¡®President Smith gifting a 20 billion dor ne to Mrs. Liliana does not make any sense.¡¯


    ¡®They make a great couple. #ship¡¯


    ¡®My Spidey senses are tingling. There is more to them than meets the eye.¡¯


    Right after Vincent released the two videos there was an uproar in thepany and the world outside.


    The mysterious designer of L&L Designs who had won everyone¡¯s heart and earned everyone¡¯s admiration and envy was once again the talk of the town.


    The people who had insulted her and gloated on her misfortune were being made to admit their faults by the loyal believers who had decided to believe her charity and contribution over the years and everything they had seen for real rather than photos.


    Many such envious people were made to leave the inte and another round of minor cyberbullying continued.

 Chapter 105 Rose’s scheme

    Liliana only posted one statement a few minutes before Vincent¡¯s post. Though it only became viral after Vincent¡¯s post.


    She wrote without tagging anyone.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°I have a clear conscience in my marriage. I have my reasons for not revealing my husband and children in public. I hope you will respect my privacy.


    I thank everyone who has shown their support and believed in me.


    I hope everyone will show kindness and empathy, be it in real life or on the inte. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.¡±


    People fawned over her post which was simple and to the point. She did not rify who her husband was or anything about Jonathan and since it came before Vincent¡¯s post, everyone assumed it was not rted.


    The cyberbullying of the anti-fans decreased dramatically and many loyal fans apologized to the anti-fans for their aggressive behavior. This in turn helped Liliana garner many more fans and her anti-fans converted to loyalists.


    Vivian was enraged seeing that.


    But sheforted herself thinking there was nothing going on between them.


    Despite telling herself that many times over, she could not get over the fact that they were close and Jonathan had gifted Liliana a 20 billion dors ne in such a high-profile manner.


    On the other hand, Lydia and Rose were losing their marbles wondering if Liliana knew Jonathan was her husband. Rose was also worried if Liliana knew that ne belonged to Anne.


    Rose had lost a bit of weight and barely went out these days. A sense of foreboding was ever-present in her mind.


    She could not however ignore her daughter. She had no choice but to act on her scheme to separate Liliana and Jonathan. That was the only way to fulfill Lydia¡¯s wish.


    She fanned the mes on the inte and had her minions start a thread on the biological father of the twins.


    ¡®I was hoping for Mrs. Liliana and Jonathan to be a couple. #whatapity¡¯


    ¡®Me too. But the kids belong to aplete family. Mrs. Liliana ought to be with the father of her children despite how charming President Smith is.¡¯


    ¡®Agreed since her children do not belong to President Smith, she ought to keep her distance with President Smith.¡¯


    ¡®I wonder who is the father of her child?¡¯


    ¡®Unknown father of the child.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe he is just as mysterious as her.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe she did something shameful and does not remember who the father of her child is.¡¯


    ¡®What matters is that the kids do not belong to President Smith. They ought to set a good example by keeping a distance.¡¯


    ¡®Agreed! Kids belong to aplete family.¡¯


    Vincent reported this to Jonathan who asked him to ignore it.


    Vincent had sued the posters and involved authorities in a defamation case.


    This move took everyone by surprise as they all wondered why would the Smith group take this seriously given Vincent¡¯s post had already solved the issue at hand.


    The parties involved ¨C Vivian Stone, and the Aprices were thinking the same.


    Vivian began to feel conflicted and wondered what was going on.


    She realized Jonathan would only take this to court if he knew he would win.


    In ast-ditch attempt to save herself, she decided to rify things between the two of them.


    But she was toote as she had been tagged in a rather unfriendly post.

 Chapter 106 Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Stone?

    There was a question from Jonathan¡¯s official social media which tagged Vivian¡¯s verified personal ount.


    ¡®That picture is remnants of someone¡¯s failed attempt to frame and coerce me. I have never had any rtionship with Miss Vivian Stone, never dated her, never slept with her, never even kissed her. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Miss Stone?¡¯


    Three pictures were attached to the official post.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Vivian began to tremble as she hesitantly clicked on the pictures.


    It was a toxicology report from three differentbs ¨C the three most reputedbs of P city.


    It was dated a few hours after their pictures in bed were taken.


    The report clearly said Jonathan¡¯s blood contained aphrodisiac in a small quantify but the anesthetic was in a high quantity which meant he had to have been asleep for several hours and was incapable of having sex.


    There were records of Jonathan getting IV drip with medications to neutralize the toxins in his body and prevent any mishaps.


    It took a long time for Vivian to realize it was real. She read and reread it multiple times, washed her face, and even rebooted her phone. But it remained unchanged. Only the likes, reposts, andments on Jonathan¡¯s post were increasing rapidly.


    Vivian knew she only had two choices now.


    She could bet on Jonathan not having actual proof and take a gamble. But with the toxicology report, even if it was proved that Jonathan had slept with her, it would not benefit her in any way.


    Or she could withdraw and paint herself as a joint victim, whose innocence was intact. This would make her lose her leverage on Jonathan but she could save her chances for the future.


    After thinking of this for a long time, she decided to take option two. She could leave room for herself and rise to power when the time came.


    She forwarded Jonathan¡¯s post and said, ¡°Finally, the truth is out and I feel free of the shackles. I had never dared to hope that I coulde out of this web that I was trapped in with my innocence and integrity intact. Thankfully, fortune favors the worthy.¡±


    She directly admitted that she had nothing to do with Jonathan and she was a victim herself.


    Everyone sympathized with her.


    They even excused her previous transgressions thinking she was coerced. Vivian had yed her card well and this time she came out on top. All of her previous matters were whitewashed with her ¡®victim¡¯ status as Vivian employed paid tools and used her PR team to do that.


    The Aprices, however, were not reconciled.


    Lydia had spent a ton of money on this but she did not get anything out of it. Instead, Vivian was the one who benefitted the most.


    Moreover, to cover the cost of thewsuit and make sure no one knew of her involvement in it, she was forced to pay an additional 500 million worth of damages.


    The reporter who had epted the bribe was cklisted, and he did not receive any money.


    Unbeknownst to Lydia, all the 500 million she had collected by selling her shares had gone to Liliana and her shares were also acquired by Liliana.


    When Lester found out what had happened, it was already toote.


    He had passed onto 5% of his personal shares to Lydia. And she sold all of it in one go and emptied her ount after breaking all FDs.


    Lester had squared away some of the money and created FDs under Lydia¡¯s ount. In case something bad happened, that money would have helped them start over, or relocate elsewhere, but Lydia had lost all of it for a foolish cause.


    Lester was too helpless to deal with her as it was all done and dusted by the time he found out. And knowing that they had a new unknown shareholder in thepany raised another problem.

 Chapter 107 Delayed Gratification

    Mariana showed up very upset at Lilian¡¯s home only to find her working attentively.


    She made several exaggerated noises before she finally got her best friend¡¯s attention.


    ¡°I hate you!¡± She sniffled.


    ¡°I knew you woulde, so I had Aunty Lisa prepare your favorite blueberry cheesecake,¡± Liliana said with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you as much as I thought I did,¡± Mariana changed her tunes.


    ¡°Jo learned this act from you. I knew it!¡± She snorted before copsing on the couch beside Mariana.


    ¡°That¡¯s only to be expected. Jo ought to be like her beautiful and charismatic godmother,¡± Mariana shrugged proudly.


    ¡°Whatever floats your boat! On a scale of 1 to 10, how upset are you?¡± Liliana went to the point. Having been friends all their lives, they knew each other too well.


    ¡°8. I am more upset with you.¡± Mariana said as she slumped on the couch in a moreid-back manner than she already was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You will have your revenge. If you don¡¯t trust me, trust Vivian and Lydia. They would rather die than admit defeat in front of me.¡± She consoled her friend in the most unusual way.


    ¡°I would rather they be miserable every day.¡± Mariana was not reconciled with Liliana¡¯s slow pacing. She had seen her best friend suffer under her own house for years and she wanted to avenge her. Even though Mariana knew Liliana was hiding something which would ruin the Apricespletely, she wanted them to be miserable every day. Only then Liliana¡¯s sufferings would be evened out.


    Lilianaughed, ¡°If anyone heard you, they would think you are an absolute imbecile.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Mariana snapped. ¡°You ungrateful wretch.¡±


    Liliana caressed her head and massaged her shoulders, ¡°You are still impatient Mer. Sometimes dyed gratification is worth the dy. And only you know what I am hiding. But don¡¯t be too sad because let me tell you, they are miserable.¡±


    Mariana huffed. She did not believe Liliana at all.


    ¡°Rose paid so much to let everyone know that my kids are not Jonathan¡¯s. She is ying a long game. She wants to use the ¡®fact¡¯ that I had someone else¡¯s kids to make Jonathan divorce me. They had schemed for me to be raped on our wedding night and as far as they know Nathan and I never slept together. She is going to use this to tarnish my image and split me from my husband, so her daughter could be Mrs. Smith.¡± Liliana exined.


    Mariana felt her blood boiling as she recalled how her wedding day had been but did not interrupt.


    ¡°Vivian just lost her biggest trump card. Lydia sold all her shares and spent all of Lester¡¯s money.¡± Liliana further exined.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Mariana finally realized what she was getting at, ¡°They are losing their pawns because they are sure of their final victory. But you and Jonathan have already reconciled and your kids are indeed Jonathan¡¯s kids.¡±


    Although whatever had happened till then had not been a big drawback for any of their enemies, they were losing their chips andforting themself thinking they would get returns in the end. It would make the end more satisfying if they all tethered to onest lifeline only to find out that was the first thing that had been cut.

 Chapter 108 You are superficial

    Liliana smiled coldly seeing Mariana finally wrap her head around things.


    ¡°So, my lovely Mer, what would you like to have? Lydia spent 500 Mil. How do you want to spend it?¡± Liliana joked as Mariana¡¯s scowl receded.


    Mariana thought for a while before she lit up, ¡°Ask your bastard husband to give you all the money aspensation publicly. I want to see that bitch Lydia vomit blood.¡±


    Lilianaughed, ¡°Now that sounds like the Mer I know.¡± She ignored Mariana calling Jonathan a bastard. She knew her friend was only worried about her.


    Mariana nudged her away andy down on herp, ¡°You are heartless. I love you so much and you always pick on me. You forgave your husband so easily.¡±


    Liliana did not know whether tough or cry.


    ¡°You are mine to pick or protect or berate. My husband is different. Besides, you know I never med him for anything.¡±


    Mariana did not like her answer, ¡°How is he different?¡±


    Liliana flicked her forehead as she said, ¡°If I had to look after him like you, I would be too tired. Husband and wife must bepatible. You can¡¯t expect someone to be your perfect fit, it¡¯s not movies after all, but he ought to get you and understand your personality, principles, and priorities and ept you and love you for what you are.¡±


    Mariana was skeptical, ¡°And you believe he is the one.¡±


    Liliana thought for a while before she said, ¡°Jonathan understands that I will never have the luxury to prioritize him, and more often than not, he might have to bend to my ns rather than the other way around.¡±


    ¡°To be someone admirable in his own right and notpete with me for limelight nor overshadow me, to not get jealous nor resent me, to not feel threatened nor unimportant. These are all contradictions that my husband ought to have.¡±


    ¡°I would not have given Jonathan the chance if I did not have the confidence that he is the one. I knew my choice was right seven years ago despite everything. I only gave him the divorce papers because I did not want to control him. But clearly, fate had other ns.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°This is also why I let him find out the truth in his own time and pace, so he could make an informed decision.¡±


    Mariana was speechless and only said in a low voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t I see the qualities that you see in him?¡±


    Liliana did not mince her words, ¡°Because you are superficial.¡±


    Mariana was angered, ¡°Hey!¡±


    Liliana exined, ¡°You see that he left me seven years ago. You discount his emotions and his perceived truth at the time.¡±


    ¡°You see that he did not treat me right, but you don¡¯t realize that despite hating me and despising me, he did not treat me wrong.¡±


    ¡°He even defended me, whatever his motivations might have been when he could have easily used that against me. This shows his character.¡±


    ¡°He wanted nothing to do with me, but he wanted that in a clean and sophisticated way. He did not want to lower himself to cheap tricks like Lydia.¡±


    ¡°You see Vivian as his w, but I see both his mercy and his ruthlessness. He used Vivian to get rid of all the unwanted female attention, but behind the scenes, he is already poised to make her world crumble in the word go.¡±


    ¡°You see that he did not help me raise the kids. But you ignore the fact that he never knew that I was pregnant with his child. I never told him, much less asked for his opinion or discussed children with him.¡±


    ¡°I was the one who disappeared from his world. Since he was forced into the marriage anyway, he forgot about me. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. I did not fight for our marriage. I deprioritized him from the word go.¡±


    Mariana was thoughtful as she thought things over but Liliana knew some things would only sink in when the time was right.

 Chapter 109 Boy problems

    Liliana flicked Mariana¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°Don¡¯t fill your pretty head with these worries. Whatever has to happen wille to pass.¡±


    Mariana asked, ¡°Do you think I am stupid?¡±


    Liliana answered, ¡°I think you are blissfully ignorant. You have never really had to face the challenges that could scar you for life or change who you are as a person. And I pray to God that it will always be your reality.¡±


    Mariana could sense the ¡®but¡¯ in her statement, ¡°But?¡±


    Liliana ruffled her hair, ¡°I am worried because you are passionate, which is a good thing. I know how stubborn you can get when ites to things you really believe in or really really want.¡±


    ¡°Remember those dreadful piano sessions. When you started ying I could hardly believe anyone could be that bad, but now you could y in a concert.¡±


    ¡°I am worried one day you will be stubborn about something that you should not be and lose yourself in the process. I don¡¯t ever want to see you break or bend.¡±


    Mariana shook her head, ¡°I will never lose myself.¡±


    Lilianaughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you. Worsees to worst, I will raise you.¡±


    Mariana was not in a mood to joke though, ¡°I think Mom wants me to change.¡±


    Liliana answered, ¡°Aunty doesn¡¯t want you to change. She just wants you to be a little more aware so you can protect yourself.¡±


    Mariana nodded and smiled as she thought of her father, ¡°Dad does not think so.¡±


    Liliana sighed, ¡°Uncle loves you too much to see any w in you.¡±


    Mariana quibbled, ¡°You are just jealous.¡±


    Liliana let out a dramatic cry, ¡°I have no father.¡±


    Marianaughed, ¡°I almost felt bad.¡±


    Liliana joined in the chuckle, ¡°Your father had spilled over his love for you to me. Thanks to him, I have nevercked a father. I think I am blessed with everything good in life. Even those things I did not get, lifepensated me with something better. Except for Mom, of course.¡±


    Mariana snorted at her as she said, ¡°I want margaritas.¡±


    Liliana pulled her cheeks and asked, ¡°Boy Problems?¡±


    Mariana grumbled, ¡°More like an annoying douche.¡±


    Liliana narrowed her eyes, ¡°What did James do to you?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Mariana answered, ¡°He is taking revenge for the car ident abroad. I feigned ignorance, so he imed to be my one-night stand and is acting like a boyfriend in front of others. My staff thinks I am dating him.¡±


    Lilianaughed, ¡°That¡¯s funny. Someone finally got on your nerves.¡±


    Mariana was annoyed, ¡°It¡¯s not funny. I am annoyed to death. He is like a sticky glue that does note off. I have tried everything but he does not leave.¡±


    Liliana was amused but she warned her, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Mariana did not even hear her words, ¡°I even considered acting like an annoying whiney girlfriend to get rid of them. You know those sickeningly sweet types who are into PDA. Ugh!¡±


    Liliana was not a big fan of such tricks. More often than not, people end up getting hurt in those games.


    ¡°Maybe not go that far.¡± She cautioned.


    ¡°It was just a momentarypse of judgment. I am not actually going to do that. Let¡¯s stop talking about that. I don¡¯t want to ruin my mood.¡± Mariana said as she slept on the couch once again.

 Chapter 110 Taking the first step 1

    Jonathan came home to see his wife feeding, literally spoon-feeding, blueberry cheesecake to Mariana Jacobsen.


    The twins were giving her head massage and leg massage.


    He was dumbstruck at the door for a while. He shook his head and went straight to his room. He freshened up first beforeing downstairs to the living room.


    The kids were excited and Jo wanted to jump in her father¡¯s arms but her godmother grunted and she stopped.


    Jonathan came down and pecked his two kids on their heads.


    ¡°Daddy, you should also kiss Mommy,¡± Jo eximed.


    Jonathan kissed Liliana on the forehead as well and looked at Jo, ¡°I was going to do that anyway, my little angel.¡±


    He joined the family and served Mariana some juice which smelled suspiciously like a cocktail.


    Liliana bit the insides of her mouth to stop herself fromughing out loud.


    Mariana was unbothered as she enjoyed their service.


    After she was full, she raised her hand and dismissed them like how ancient kings would dismiss the people after they were done serving him with the flip of his hand.


    Jonathan followed everyone¡¯s footsteps and retreated.


    He cornered Liliana and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    She coughed to stop herself fromughing and said, ¡°She is annoyed that I got together with you, and the kids epted you so quickly.¡±


    He nodded like a child being scolded, ¡°My fault then. I will do my best to win her over.¡±


    She giggled at his seriousness which made him stare at her.


    Sensing her embarrassment, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°You look beautiful, by the way. Are you wearing my t-shirt?¡±


    She looked up at him and shook her head, ¡°This is so small, how can it be yours. It¡¯s mine. I have a bunch of male clothes. I find themfier than women¡¯s clothes to wear at home.¡±


    He tucked in her hair as he said, ¡°In that case, we can all wear the same clothes and go out. It would look great.¡±


    She gotfortable leaning on the wall in their corner and asked, ¡°Are you praising yourself?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    He shook his head, ¡°I am praising my gorgeous wife and my adorable children who would make me the ugly me look good.¡±


    That made herugh, which she stifled by covering her mouth with her hands, ¡°It¡¯s good that you know your ce.¡±


    He only shook his head as he asked, ¡°Did you stay at home today?¡±


    ¡°Mhhm¡± She responded.


    ¡°Worked from home, I see. What did the kids do?¡± He enquired.


    ¡°Ask them at the dinner table.¡± She proposed.


    ¡°You are right. I should ask them directly. I still have a long way to go.¡± He said, frowning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself.¡± She patted his arm.


    ¡°I know. I am not so easily defeated.¡± He said, cockily, ¡°It¡¯s just a lot of things that don¡¯te to my mind. And I want to be a real father and husband, you know. Don¡¯t worry, I am very confident.¡±


    ¡°Did you add too much narcissism in your evening coffee?¡± she asked in all seriousness.


    ¡°I was too busy for coffee.¡± He replied, sullenly. As he had expected, she was concerned.


    ¡°Did you eat lunch, at least?¡± She asked, a little worried.


    ¡°A little.¡± He said truthfully, enjoying her concern for himself.


    ¡°I am really controlling myself from giving you a lecture and making a diet n for you.¡± She said, frowning.


    ¡°You can do both. But don¡¯t frown.¡± He said rubbing her forehead to smoothen her brows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t skip meals. I will have someone send lunch over from tomorrow on.¡± She said, mentally making notes.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want topromise our safety.¡± He declined. The more peopleing in and out of the house, the higher chances of security risks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about security. I will handle it.¡± While security was a big concern, she did not want to restrict or restrain themselves due to security risks.

 Chapter 111 Taking the first step 2

    Marianay on the couch with half-open eyes sipping her margarita.


    She could see the kids ying in the living room. The sight of them ying always had a calming effect on her. She was sometimes amazed how these kids never failed to lift her mood, even after they were already six years old and she had already seen most of their antics.


    Perhaps because Liliana and she had raised them themselves with the help of equally inexperienced friends, the kids meant a great deal more to them. Their good behavior and good sense were the fruit of their hard work over the years. The twins and Kyle were their achievements in a way.


    She turned her gaze to her best friend and her husband. She understood Lil¡¯s reasoning but she still felt wrong for her friend. But since Lil had decided to make things work with him, as her best friend, the least she could do was respect her decision.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Besides, she could not overlook the impact of a father on children¡¯s life. The twins and Kyle were all sensible, but some of their early maturity came from the fact that they were from single-parent families.


    Had they been a part of aplete family, they would have been more carefree.


    She really wanted the kids to have aplete home. If forgiving Jonathan was the way to get that, then it was the right way to go, especially since Jonathan was really putting on an effort.


    Mariana heaved a deep sigh.


    She nced at Liliana and Jonathan again. Even though they were just talking casually, and were not even touching each other, their intimacy was obvious. She could not deny that both of their eyes had a certain glow on them since they reconciled.


    Mariana had never been in love. She did not really get Liliana¡¯s feelings. She respected it and supported her. But she could not really understand the depth of it.


    ¡®Perhaps Jonathan gets it.¡¯ She mused.


    Mariana was reluctant to forgive Jonathan because, despite everything, the fact was Liliana had been hurt. She had watched her friend deal with her heartbreak while trying to keep herself happy and calm during pregnancy.


    Every ultrasound had been pure torture wondering if their condition had deteriorated. The kids had poor health and they had been too exhausted for too long trying to be parents.


    Moreover, it had been quite a task exining to the kids why they did not have a father.


    She wanted to put Jonathan in some sort of probationary period and only allow him into their lives after he had passed all the tests. Even she knew that was a ridiculous thought.


    But one thing was clear to Mariana, the best way for everyone involved would be to move on without any baggage.


    Mariana was lost in her thoughts for a long time.


    Liliana had been paying attention to her friend despite being engrossed with her husband.


    She saw the changes in Mer¡¯s expressions and could guess what was going through her head. They had been friends their entire lives after all.


    Mariana coughed loudly and Jonathan volunteered to ¡®serve¡¯ her.


    Mariana was surprised at him bringing her water and asking about her preferences for dinner.


    She feigned nonchnce and narrated a list.


    Jonathan went to the kitchen to give directions and even called Vincent to send over the chef of his personal vi to cook some special dishes for everyone.


    Jonathan knew how much Mariana meant to his wife and kids. He could see that she had filled the role of a parent when he was absent and worse, oblivious.


    He wanted to show his sincerity and win them over. Words were just words and did not hold much value. He would prove himself through actions.

 Chapter 112 Taking the first step 3

    ¡°Miss Jacobsen, I have been expecting you in Smith Group for at least three weeks now. The partnership between Smith group and Jacobsens needs renewal along with new terms to cover the upscale.¡±


    Jonathan started a conversation with Mariana after he was done discussing their daily activities with the kids. Li was reluctant but he knew how to coax words out of his son without being forceful. Jo was delighted to share her tales which made his heart smile.


    ¡°This is a dinner table, we don¡¯t talk shop here,¡± Mariana grunted.


    Liliana was about to tell her to behave but Jonathan ced his hand on her thigh under the table and patted it to tell her to chill.


    Liliana did not show any change in her expression, nor did she turn to Jonathan but she kept mum.


    Jonathan smiled and added, ¡°I did not know that. I will keep that in mind from now on.¡±


    He continued, ¡°But since I have brought it up already, let me rify that I was not going to talk business right now.¡±


    ¡°I merely wanted you to prioritize this because as per our contract Jacobsen textiles should be reaching out to Smith Group three months before the contract expires and discuss renewal. I am afraid the people in charge of this coboration from Smith Group would start looking for your recement given yourck of approach.¡±


    Mariana understood his gesture but somehow wanted to provoke him and asked, ¡°Is that a threat?¡±


    Jonathan cocked his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s an olive branch. If I excuse your tardiness and still cooperate with you, you are going to be known in the industry as someone who used her personal connections for the business, and you would never be able to get rid of that stigma.¡±


    ¡°I am sure you won¡¯t want to be immersed in rumors right away. But this can also be your chance as you are aware yourpetitors are trying to snag this for years. This cooperation has quite the eyes on it and is a perfect stage tounch your career as the future CEO of Jacobsens.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Mariana stopped provoking him and asked in all seriousness, ¡°What do you think I should do?¡±


    Jonathan said after a small silence, ¡°Send a notice and give a personal call confirming that you will see us a few weeks from now for renewal and you might as well prepare some exciting off-the-box suggestions. Come up with a few unique profitable ideas which would be good for both ourpanies.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°I was thinking of just that, minus giving you a notice.¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°The notice is important. It shows you value our partnership. The fundamentals are always important. If you cover all bases, in case Smith Group wants to terminate cooperation with you, we won¡¯t be able to excuse it by pointing to yourck of interest. It would be bad faith on our part, not your fault. Even though you would suffer losses, you would have a good reputation and you would earn goodwill.¡±


    Mariana nodded at him, ¡°Thanks! I did not think about that. I will give you a call tomorrow.¡±


    Liliana smacked her head, ¡°Not him. Call the person in charge and negotiate with the person in charge. It should be someone else escting it to their CEO, not you jumping hoops.¡±


    Mariana looked at her and asked, ¡°You always jump hoops.¡±


    Liliana raised her brows in the provocation, ¡°I have never had to cooperate with anyone. It¡¯s others wanting to cooperate with me. I am only personally involved in a few important things, so naturally, it would be a direct negotiation with the top. Like my negotiation with Nathan directly for the Smith Group coboration. Smith Group wanted to coborate with me, I could have easily opened a studio of my own like I have done in all other cities.¡±


    Jonathan added, ¡°The dynamics change depending on who you are dealing with. The L&L Design cooperation was always going to bring more value to Smith Group, hence I was lobbying for Lil and was directly involved. But Jacobsen textiles has more to gain here, and I actually already have anotherpany in mind which can potentially rece you without affecting us much, hence the initiative has toe from you.¡±


    Mariana huffed, ¡°I suddenly feel very poor, which is kinda weird.¡±


    Liliana ignored her jab, ¡°If you want to cooperate with me, you won¡¯t get to jump hoops either. You know that, right?¡±


    Mariana rolled her eyes, ¡°I know. I have some ideas but that¡¯s forter after I am better settled.¡±


    After that, the conversation flowed into more light-hearted topics and they all had a wonderful chat amidst a hearty meal.


    That dinner was the first step towards the friendship between Mariana and Jonathan. They would over the years be closer like family, and not just through Liliana.

 Chapter 113 Kyle’s troubles

    While things were improving for Liliana and her family, her godson was having quite a difficult time.


    Kyle had been trying to hide his worries from his godmother, but Liliana had raised him along with the twins and knew him best.


    She could see through him right away but yed along. He was unfortunately born into a toxic family and he had to learn to endure and navigate his way. She could not change the circumstances of his birth, so she had to harden her heart as he found his way.


    However, one day on the video call Kyle kept trying to blur his image. She was agitated, but she knew it was not the time for her to expose herself yet.


    Hence, she looked at Jonathan with puppy eyes. Jonathan was amused at her expression. The more time he spent with her, the more adorable she seemed to be.


    He wanted to tease her but that was not the time for jokes. He understood her worries and drove to the Preston family mansion during dinner time.


    Jonathan Smith was the richest man in P city. His name spelled money and power. He was directly led inside and the butler brought him straight to the living room.


    The entire Preston family was at the dining table, except for Liam who was outside the town for work.


    Liam¡¯s grandmother, the head of the Prestons, made her way to the living room, having halted her dinner.


    The entire family followed.


    Kyle was the only one left alone at the table.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Kyle was taught proper etiquette since he was a child by the real-life royalty Liliana herself. Naturally, she did not teach hierarchy or respect owed to others based on their pecking order. As far as he knew, there was no one important enough to forgo etiquette and halt his dinner.


    Besides, he weed the chance to eat alone in peace as per his wish without bothering about his so-called rtives.


    Jonathan apologized for his uninvited interruption without actually sounding or looking apologetic. He made small talk with Liam¡¯s grandmother while epting pleasantries from everyone.


    The non-army personnel family members of the Preston n were especially engrossed in ttering Jonathan. Everyone knew that getting on his good side could turn their life upside down.


    Finally, after ten minutes, Kyle was done with his dinner and also went to the living room.


    The family members who thought of Kyle as an embarrassment wanted to hide him from Jonathan¡¯s eyes. As far as they were concerned, Kyle was Liam¡¯s bastard son with an unknown woman of no status.


    One peculiar cousin of Liam¡¯s who has made Kyle¡¯s life miserable moved to take him away.


    ¡°Sorry, President Smith, please don¡¯t mind the child. He was not supposed to be here but you know uneducated children don¡¯t listen to elders.¡± Alisa Preston stammered to provide an exnation for Kyle¡¯s presence without introducing him.


    By then, Kyle had gotten over his shock on seeing Jonathan and rushed towards him, his face shing joy.


    The entire family held his breath, having failed to catch and stop Kyle.


    Jonathan was well known for being cold and he did not like being touched. They did not want to face Jonathan¡¯s wrath, especially owing to Kyle.


    They were quick to dismiss Kyle as a nobody and distance themselves from him.


    ¡°President Smith, this child does not belong to the Prestons. Please don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes, President Smith, it is an unruly child that Liam has brought from outside. We apologize for his behavior. He has not been taught well.¡±


    ¡°I will personally see to his punishment, President Smith.¡±


    ¡°Let me throw him out, President Smith. I am sorry he ruined your clothes.¡±


    Jonathan cast a cold nce at everyone who was yapping nonsense about Kyle and turned to Liam¡¯s grandmother.


    She knew he was asking for an exnation.

 Chapter 114 He is a Preston

    Jonathan neither hugged the child back nor did he push him away.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The Prestons were unsure of what to make of it. They just assumed Jonathan was being courteous and showing respect to Madam Preston by not throwing the child off.


    They all waited with bated breath for her response.


    ¡°President Smith, this is Kyle Preston, my great-grandson. His father is the current army Colonel of P city, Liam, who just transferred from Maple City.¡± Madam Preston loved Kyle and had no intention of hiding him away.


    ¡°He is usually very well behaved, so I am not sure why he is acting like this today. I hope you don¡¯t mind. He is a child after all, and unfortunately, his stay in the family home has not been going as pleasant as I had hoped as you can clearly see.¡± Madam Preston said clearly apologizing for the bad behavior of her family members.


    She loved Liam and Kyle dearly, both being her direct bloodline. While she was apprehensive about who Kyle¡¯s mother had been, it was not good enough a reason to not acknowledge Kyle, who was her own flesh and blood.


    Even if she did not like them, she would have responded simrly because Kyle looked too much like Liam to deny their rtionship. And Jonathan was not stupid. He must have seen people¡¯s dislike for Kyle right away.


    The other family members were stunned.


    They had not expected the matriarch to say something like that.


    Those who had bad-mouthed Kyle were too embarrassed to say anything. They shuffled in their feet and tried to say something nervously.


    Alisa tried to say something unpleasant and drag Kyle to the mud. Since her dislike was already revealed, she did not want to appear pretentious.


    ¡°Please forgive us, President Smith. He is Liam¡¯s child but of unknown origins. Since Liam had never been married, it¡¯s hard to call him a Preston. Grandaunt is too old and loves him too much to see any ws, I am afraid.¡± She added righteously. She clearly had no regard for Kyle¡¯s feelings.


    Jonathan felt Kyle tremble in his arms. He finally raised his hands and hugged him back tight, caressing his back forfort.


    ¡°Madam Preston, your family doesn¡¯t seem like my Godson. As a child, he is even subjected to hearing such bad things about his origins. It¡¯s bad enough his mother passed away shortly after giving birth, he is now subjected to such from the people who ought to love him and make up for the loss. His mother was a great woman whom my family owes quite a debt of gratitude. I had really hoped for a better environment for my Godson.¡±


    His words caused a stunned silence. He had purposefully stressed on ¡®Godson¡¯ and repeated it twice for effect.


    He did not mind the crowd as he added, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t have any objections if I take him away. Liam will fetch him back when he returns. And I assure you he will be treated very well.¡±


    Jonathan had liked Madam Preston¡¯s answer and he could see that she loved Kyle. It¡¯s just their family was quiterge and most of the rtives were quite the bloodsuckers.


    Jonathan treated Madam Preston respectfully. He casually called Kyle his Godson which gave a clear message, Kyle was under his protection.


    The entire family had assumed Kyle¡¯s mother was a nobody. But seeing Jonathan mention her as someone whom he owed a debt of gratitude, they were all stunned.


    They looked at Kyle with renewed eyes as they saw Jonathan hold him tightly.


    It was clear that he hade there to fetch Kyle.


    How important was Kyle to be personally fetched by President Smith who was the richest man in P city and was on top of the pyramid?


    They could not have assumed that Kyle¡¯s mother was someone rted to the Smiths, moreover, Kyle was clearly familiar with Jonathan. No wonder he had jumped into his arms as soon as he had seen him, which was out of his character.


    Liam and Jonathan also knew each other.


    The entire Preston family was left to digest that shocking news.

 Chapter 115 Teaching the kids 1

    Jonathan picked Kyle in his arms and brought him away while the Preston family was still recovering from the shock.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Madam Preston has agreed to his request and called a maid to pack an overnight bag for Kyle.


    But Jonathan cut her off saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that Madam. His room has everything he might need in my home. I assure you he won¡¯tck anything.¡±


    The Prestons were even more baffled. Kyle had his own room in Jonathan Smith¡¯s house.


    That was beyond anyone¡¯s expectations.


    Madam Preston finally sighed in relief. Her great-grandchild would not be bullied anymore. She smiled and called everyone back to their leftover dinner.


    Being Jonathan Smith¡¯s Godson meant he would be curried favor with and never be looked down upon or humiliated.


    The rest of the family, especially Alisa, were too shocked to continue their dinner. They were still processing the events of that evening and thinking of how to get on Kyle¡¯s good side.


    One of the women, Julie, quickly called her sister, Jessi and asked her toe over and stay with them for a few weeks.


    Jessi has just turned 21 and was quite pretty. She was sought after by many rich men in P city but Jessi had her eyes on James Miller. Julie knew James was fickle and Jonathan was a way better option.


    If Jessi could curry favor with Kyle and managed to get hooked with Jonathan through Kyle, then their lives would turn around.


    The family started thinking of making use of Kyle for their benefit without reflecting on their behaviors in the past.


    On the other side of town, Kyle was all smiles ying with Jo and Li. He even managed to eat a small portion of dinner with everyone.


    Liliana examined him from top to bottom and immediately called Henry to inspect the red bruises on the side of his face and neck and shoulders.


    Henry was busy with surgery and so was Jennifer being his lead scrub nurse.


    So, Liliana called the Petrova family doctor instead.


    He arrived after 30 minutes and gave a thorough examination to Kyle.


    Kyle had fallen down and had bruises all over. Apparently, Alisa had tripped him and he had fallen down hitting a table which made him fall further. But thankfully it was nothing serious.


    During the night, after they were done with the dinner, Liliana and Jonathan sat down with the three kids. All the maids were excused.


    ¡°Kyle, how has your stay been in the Preston family home?¡± Liliana asked despite knowing the answer.


    Kyle and the twins knew that tone. It meant she was serious and teaching them a lesson. They could not get cheeky.


    ¡°They hate me, Mommy. They always say bad things about me, and about my mother. They are bad people.¡± Kyle said truthfully.


    ¡°Do you know what will happen from now on?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Kyle said truthfully. He was confused at the question.


    Liliana looked at the twins with raised eyebrows. Joyanna shook her head indicating she did not know either.


    Nathaniel frowned for a while and said hesitatingly, ¡°They will be nice to him because Daddy is rich and powerful.¡±


    Kyle looked at him for a second and nodded as realization dawned on him. That made sense.


    Kyle finally understood why Jonathan had taken his time to hug him back and stressed the word ¡®Godson¡¯ so many times. Other info like the Smith family owing to his biological mother, and him having a room of his own in his house had also seemed irrelevant at that time.


    It all made sense now.


    Joyanna did not get it. She thought for a while and said, ¡°Daddy was always rich and powerful. Will people be nice to us because we are Daddy¡¯s children and they want Daddy¡¯s help?¡±


    Jonathan felt bad for having to teach such things to the kids. That¡¯s too much for a kid to worry about.


    But he knew where Liliana wasing from. Their kids had to learn this in order to protect themselves.

 Chapter 116 Teaching the kids 2

    Jonathan held Liliana¡¯s hand and helped her out. It must be even harder on her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Jo. You will meet three kinds of people who will be nice to you.¡±


    ¡°One ¨C you friends and family who love you like us, your aunty Mer, aunty Mer¡¯s parents, aunty Jenn, Henry, Liam, Vincent, James.¡±


    ¡°Two ¨C people who are nice people and they will be nice and polite to everyone ¨C your aunty Jenn is nice to everyone, whether she knows them or not, whether she loves them or not.¡±


    ¡°Three ¨C people who will be nice to you because they want something from you. For example ¨C if someone wants a favor from me or your mommy or Liam or Mer, they know that being on good terms with you or basically having your support will make things easier. Never trust these people.¡±


    ¡°You should also try to attain everything with hard work. And respect everyone who works hard. Keep your distance from people who want to take shortcuts instead of working hard or improving themselves.¡±


    Liliana chimed in, ¡°For example ¨C Your aunty Jenn. She is a nice person and she is hardworking. She is friends with us and she works in the hospital we own.¡±


    ¡°But she has never asked for a pay raise or asked for any benefits. You all know how many ns she has canceled over the years because she had work or she was taking her colleague¡¯s shifts. Being our friends, she could have used a shortcut or could have even asked Henry to help her ease off her working hours.¡±


    ¡°But she does not do that. That¡¯s because she has high moral standards and good character. You three should also strive to be like her. Despite having options that might look tempting and easy, always work hard. In the long run, that will have better benefits.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°And as Daddy said, try to differentiate between people who are actually a nice person by themselves or genuinely love you or those who are trying to use you. But you should still be nice to everyone while being vignt and not letting others take advantage of you. Being good-mannered shows what kind of person you are and how you were raised. Never get provoked either.¡±


    The kids understood things in their way though they were too young to get exactly what the elders were trying to tell them.


    Li was the smartest of the bunch.


    ¡°You did not tell anyone that Kyle was rted to us because you wanted him to know which Preston family members are genuine and which ones are fake.¡±


    He asked, guessing his parent¡¯s intention.


    Jo and Kyle also understood them. Kyle asked hesitatingly, ¡°And Daddy Nathan came today because I was hurt.¡±


    Liliana nodded. ¡°Yes. As much as I want to shelter all three of you, I would rather let you guys learn and find your own way. We won¡¯t be there to protect you forever, so the faster you learn to see through people, the fewer chances of you being used or hurt.¡±


    ¡°We understand, Mommy. We will be more observant.¡± Jo chipped, spelling observant with great difficulty.


    ¡°I know, Mommy. I will be careful of people who will be nice to me from now on for no reason.¡± Kyle answered.


    ¡°Good! Off to bed, now.¡± Liliana and Jonathan took them to their room and gave each of them a kiss as the kids settled in.


    Jonathan suddenly pulled Liliana in his arms and hugged her tight as soon as they entered their own bedroom.


    ¡°You are a good mother. The kids are lucky, and so am I.¡± Jonathan said without bothering to hide his admiration.


    Lilianaughed. She had been calm after the doctor said Kyle was fine and he did not have any serious injuries.


    ¡°And why are you lucky?¡± She teased him as she leaned into his embrace inhaling deeply.


    ¡°Because I get to learn from you. And even if I do a sloppy job, the kids will still grow up well.¡± He joked.


    ¡°Ahh! So you mean to mooch off me.¡± She punched him on the back as she pretended to be angry.


    ¡°Yes, dear wife. I mean to live off you.¡± He said shamelessly.


    That suddenly reminded Jonathan of something, so he led her to the bed and questioned her seriously.

 Chapter 117 Does it bother you?

    Liliana was surprised at his sudden seriousness and the grim look on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± She asked, sitting beside him and holding his hands as she looked at him.


    ¡°I just remembered someone had given me astonishingly generous alimony as a divorce settlement. Even I, who has been filthy rich since the day I was born, was stunned at the properties and shares I was to receive.¡±


    Jonathan spat through gritted teeth, not bothering to hide his annoyance and exasperation.


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Liliana shrugged. She had thought it was something serious.


    ¡°I told you I was not thinking straight when I gave you the divorce papers,¡± She understood that he was annoyed at the thought of divorce while he was only curious about her wealth.


    ¡°Since I could not prioritize our marriage or you, I wanted to set you free. Let¡¯s go there tomorrow. I will personally tear it to shreds in front of your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, okay.¡±


    ¡°As for the alimony, it was just a small portion of my properties. I am the Petrova heir, remember.¡± She said it matter of factly.


    She was after all born a Princess, she had never taken it seriously.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s family is royalty, and they were all good businessmen, especially my grandfather who was very shrewd. Everything he invested in turned to gold. He expanded our wealth and influence in every field.¡±


    She looked at him and added, ¡°I even own a few shares of Smith Group, I bet even you don¡¯t know that. He usually used aliases and covers, otherwise, it would be too troublesome to stay low-key. I do the same.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± Jonathan suddenlyughed, ¡°I would have never imagined I would marry up in terms of social status or wealth. I seemed to have stumbled into treasure on that beach.¡±


    ¡°Does it bother you?¡± Liliana asked him directly. She had grown up watching her father resent her more superior mother. Even though she knew it was an insult to Jonathan Smith topare him to Lester Aprice, she still could not help but ask since they were talking about it anyway.


    Jonathan could see her doubts. He held her face in his palm and kissed the tip of her nose. He wanted her to be herself and he did not want her to change.


    He wanted her to know that. He would spend the rest of his life showing that with his words and actions.


    ¡°It bothers me in the sense you don¡¯tck anything and you don¡¯t need me. But we bothe from rich, broken families, and what we desire has never money or status. So, I can still provide you what you really desire deep down ¨C a sincere rtionship and aplete family.¡±


    ¡°It bothers me in the sense that you and our kids will always have to shoulder a heavy burden, you will always have to be cautious and shrewd enough to spot and root out enemies which will never die down. But that would have been the case even if you were not, well, you. Besides, I can protect you, give you a shelter where you can drop your guard and rest. I can teach our kids with you, I can shoulder your burden.¡±


    ¡°It is also very amusing to know that I will be called the gold-digger when your identity is revealed. It¡¯s exciting to know that I would have to work really hard to impress you since you have the best of everything already. I have never had anyone to keep me on my toes and make me work hard and get excited about the results.¡±


    Liliana was relieved at his exnations. Sheughed out loud as he jested in the end.


    ¡°Thank Goodness! For a second I was worried.¡± She revealed her doubts despite knowing that he knew her worries too well.


    ¡°I know. I would be too. But we don¡¯t have to be so cautious with each other.¡± He kissed her forehead and rubbed her nose.


    ¡°You are good at making me rx. If one day, you betrayed me, I really would lose.¡± She sighed as she moved close to him and hugged him tightly.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°You better be nice to me, then. I still have some advantages.¡± Jonathan made a jest of her words. Giving verbal assurances was nothing.


    She snorted and closed her eyes as she rested.

 Chapter 118 Mr. Husband

    While things were looking good for Jonathan and Liliana, the world of the inte was still in chaos.


    Rose had been fanning the mes that Liliana¡¯s kids were not Jonathan¡¯s. The paid trolls andizens alike requested, cautioned, told, and threatened Liliana to keep a distance from Jonathan as he was not the father of her children.


    Liliana sneered looking at the tone of the topic. They mentioned the father of her children rather than her husband as the Aprices were well aware that Jonathan was her husband.


    Jonathan took the phone away from her hands.


    Jonathan was getting ready to go to the office while Liliana sat on the bed scrolling her phone.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, help me put on a tie, please,¡± Jonathan asked Liliana.


    He called her Mrs. Smith to remind her that she was his wife and husband and wife ought to be more intimate. He did that only asionally for minor things like helping him dry his hair or tie his tie, or when he wanted to massage her hair and neck as they talked in the bed after tucking in the kids, or when he wanted to wear matching clothes with her or feed her something.


    Sheughed as she stood on her knees on the bed to reach for his neck.


    ¡°I feel sorry for you. You have such an unaware wife that you need to explicitly remind her,¡± She teased him as she clicked her tongue.


    He wrapped his hands around her waist which froze her actions.


    ¡°Go on, Mrs. Smith! You look very beautiful when youugh, don¡¯t stop on my ount,¡± He taunted as if she had stoppedughing because of his presence rather than his actions.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°You are vindictive, Mr. Husband,¡± She took a deep breath and rxed as she tried to get used to his touch and intimacy.


    Apart from sleeping on the same bed, and her crawling on top of him at night in her sleep, they were more like roommates rather than husband and wife.


    Liliana knew that they ought to be more intimate and Jonathan wanted more, but she could not bring herself to get physically close to him. She did not even dare to kiss him.


    Perhaps, she was reluctant because of her experience during their wedding. It was her only experience after all.


    Jonathan knew it was his fault that she was reluctant to get physically close to him. No girl would want to lose her virginity the way she did. He did not push her to do anything she would not befortable with.


    He was content in pulling her into hugs and stealing kisses after she had fallen asleep at night. It was enough, at least for that moment. He was more than happy to wait for her to be morefortable.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, I am no match for you,¡± He teased her.


    ¡°Mr. Husband, how could you call me vindictive? I thought I was the paragon ofpassion and forgiveness,¡± She pulled his tie to express her discontent.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, you are strangling your husband,¡± He faked a pained expression.


    ¡°Mr. Husband, don¡¯t make jokes like that. I don¡¯t want to be a widow,¡± She said, wrinkling her nose.


    Jonathan thought she was cute. He could not help but kiss her on the top of her nose.


    ¡°See, you sure look good.¡± She said with a sigh as she fixed his tie.


    ¡°And that makes you unhappy because?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s so good about attracting so much female attention?¡± She said in exasperation.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, you are jealous,¡± Heughed out loud.


    ¡°Mr. Husband, you are mine. Remember to keep away from others,¡± She said domineeringly dering her sovereignty.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, you should mark your territory properly,¡± He teased her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She frowned as she could not think of what he was suggesting.


    Jonathan pinched her on the waist lightly, making her tickle.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She eximed.


    He held her hands and loosened his tie, and unbuttoned the top two buttons.


    He ced her fingers on the side of his neck and said, ¡°Bite here. It will be barely visible but with the hawks watching us, I am sure the word will spread that there¡¯s a female in my life.¡±


    She widened her eyes as her face went pale before she blushed. Her hands trembled but she did not move.


    Sensing her embarrassment, he suggested, ¡°Or you can just pinch around my neck. It¡¯s the same.¡±


    She stared at him for a while and lowered her head and bit him. She then licked and sucked on it to lessen the pain.


    When she looked at her masterpiece, she blushed even more but then she smiled proudly.


    Jonathan was amused at her reaction.


    He pinched her nose and kissed her cheeks before he fixed his clothes.


    His face turned serious as he discussed the ongoing scandal while still holding her in his arms.

 Chapter 119 Glad we are not enemies

    Liliana wrapped her arms around Jonathan¡¯s neck as he steered the topic to their problems.


    ¡°How do you n to handle it?¡± He asked her.


    The titbits on the inte did not bother him, but he did not like seeing her ndered and used.


    ¡°Guess?¡± She said yfully.


    Jonathan shook his head with a smile hanging on his lips. She was enjoying it.


    ¡°What do you have against Rose Aprice?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Ahh, you are no fun,¡± She scrunched her nose. He resisted the urge to kiss her.


    She was scarily well equipped and seemed to be in total control. He was d they were married. If they had a sh against each other both would incur heavy losses with many coteral damages.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. I am gettingte,¡± He coaxed her.


    ¡°Remember Lydia¡¯s biological father, during the auction? He is broke, he thinks Rose conned him and owes him 20 billion, he has gotten fat and old while Rose still looks decent for her age at least when she goes out all dressed up,¡± She pointed out without actually giving a direct answer.


    ¡°You are going to let the media and Lester catch them in the act,¡± He saw where she was going with that, ¡°And with all the ¡®be with biological father¡¯ troops she has hyped up, it will blow up in her face.¡±


    ¡°Especially if everyone finds out that she has been the one spreading those rumors,¡± She finished.


    ¡°Have I told you that I am really d we are not enemies?¡± He asked as a shudder ran through him.


    ¡°Ahh. I don¡¯t mess with people who leave me alone,¡± She said, offended with the insinuation.


    ¡°I know. I like this side of you,¡± He added, ¡°shows you can protect yourself.¡±


    ¡°I can do more than protect myself,¡± she scoffed, ¡°but don¡¯t give me too much credit because I inherited the Petrova resources. It¡¯s nothing to brag about since I only had to do a little work, not to mention I have been specially trained since I was five.¡±


    Liliana never took her privileges or her training lightly. She had always been very conscious of the fact that without those she would not have been where she was.


    She had inherited her down-to-earth personality from her mother, despite having her grandfather¡¯s shrewdness. Jonathan thought that it was a deadlybination. The right amount of innocence and craftiness rolled into one.


    Jonathan was enamored with her down-to-earth personality in private and the regal untouchable aura in public.


    He hoped his little daughter would grow up to be the same.


    Liliana looked at his stunned face and waved her hand in front of his face.


    He came back to his senses and hugged her tight which surprised her even more.


    ¡°I hope Jo grows up to be exactly like you,¡± He said in a voice dripping with sincerity and adoration.


    ¡°You are so good at ttering me,¡± Sheughed happily.


    ¡°You should know that I am not trying to tter you, Mrs. Smith. I am saying this from the bottom of my heart.¡± He rified even though they both knew she was only joking.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I hope our kids get the best parts of us,¡± She stopped joking as well.


    They hugged each other tightly until they were interrupted by Jonathan¡¯s phone call.


    He picked up the call while still holding onto his wife.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He sternly asked his assistant on the phone.


    Vincent was unfazed, ¡°There are reporters here asking for a rification on your rtionship with a married woman with kids. I told them it¡¯s your personal life and you have never vited or caused anyone to vite the sacredws of marriage.¡±


    Lilianaughed, ¡°You are so funny. Good job, Vincent. It¡¯s quite catchy, you can post that statement from Jonathan¡¯s personal social media handle.¡±


    Jonathan was speechless, ¡°Are you having fun at my expense, wife?¡± He asked her after hanging up.


    He had never imagined a day woulde when his assistant would hang up on him because he could not control hisughter.


    ¡°That was funny,¡± She insisted, quite unbothered with his sullen face.


    Jonathan held her face and squeezed her cheeks in annoyance. That was as far as he dared to go when he was angry or displeased with her.


    They joked and teased for a while before Jonathan had to go to the office.

 Chapter 120 Aprice slander saga

    Rose had been feeling that something was amiss since the day of the auction.


    But despite all that, she could not rest while her daughter was anxious. Lester was making things difficult as well. He had been directly and indirectly questioning her stupidity for spending that much money without proper investigation.


    She spent a lot of money getting the paid trolls to pivot the public to separate Jonathan and Liliana. Jonathan and Smiths would never ept being cuckolded.


    Moreover, even if Jonathan had fallen head over heels in love with Liliana, the Smiths wouldn¡¯t agree and the public would point to him as a home-wrecker.


    Rose was convinced that there was no way out for Jonathan and Liliana from her intricate trap.


    On the one hand, Jonathan and the Smiths would condemn her for cuckolding him and giving birth to some other man¡¯s bastards. On the other hand, she would never be allowed to live with Jonathan when her children belonged to someone else.


    Rose thought it was very fortunate that Anne¡¯s goody-two-shoes daughter had ruined herself by having someone else¡¯s children.


    The sh might even benefit her daughter as the Smiths could hastily arrange a marriage between Jonathan and Lydia to hide the fact that he was married to Liliana and cuckolded.


    They could spin the whole thing by painting Lydia as Jonathan¡¯s childhood sweetheart and child-bride. Liliana would be med for being maniptive and marrying Jonathan in Lydia¡¯s stead through some schemes and then not even keeping those marriage vows after separating the two destined lovers.


    Rose could finally see the light ever since Liliana had been back.


    Rose felt free and liberated as she nned things through.


    She instructed her minions to divert the public towards Liliana¡¯s husband and the biological father of her child.


    She wanted to draw attention towards Liliana¡¯s husband and her child¡¯s father being different people and Liliana being a promiscuous person in private despite acting all innocent.


    She also passed on an ambiguous picture of Liliana to the media where she was seen being carried to a car by an old man with her clothes partially torn. And another simr picture where she was hugging an old man who kissed her head.


    Theizens guided by the paid trolls were once again provoked to curse Liliana and call her names.


    The online opinion was against herpletely and she was once again in the limelight for her private life.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe she is such a bitch.¡¯


    ¡®She was a slut even when she was still a teenager.¡¯


    ¡®I wonder if she became sessful owing to her sugar-daddies.¡¯


    ¡®No wonder she hides under a veil, she is afraid of being recognized by her many lovers.¡¯


    ¡®I bet her kids are not even her husbands.¡¯


    ¡®I bet she is not even married. She is just using privacy to shield her outrageous behavior.¡¯Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡®She is such a slut. Never thought she would be such a vixen under that facade.¡¯


    ¡®President Smith, please distance yourself from her, lest you get some unmentionable diseases.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, president Smith, you should cancel your coboration with her.¡¯


    Lilianaughed out loud when the pictures came about.


    She had been waiting for it toe out, or how else would she be able to have her vengeance.


    Mariana called her fuming in anger. Liliana spent some time pacifying her and making her see reason.


    She could not retaliate in clear conscience without them provoking her first.


    Liliana would have forgiven the Aprices for the things they had done to her, but she had found out all the things they had done to her mother and she was not going to let them be without driving them to their utter ruin.


    Mariana finally agreed to leave things be and watch the y after she found out she had it all under control.


    Jonathan recognized one of the men in the picture as Andrew Jacobsen and he had a bad feeling about how Liliana¡¯s childhood had been. He carefully analyzed the picture and it seemed Andrew was carrying an unconscious Liliana whose clothes seemed to have been torn when she was beaten.


    He had known that her life with the Aprices had been bad, she had said as much. But the picture made him panic.


    When hebined that with how their marriage had been and how he had treated her, he wanted to castrate himself and whip himself with nails. He was utterly grateful that she had given him a chance.


    Unable to handle his feelings, he drove back to their Vi.

 Chapter 121 His move

    Jonathan had just sat in his car when he thought he should do something to help resolve this then just apany her.


    With that in mind, he went back to his office confusing his driver, assistant, and his many staffs.


    Only Vincent smiled in understanding. He knew the inside story after all.


    That morning, Vincent had posted a statement from Jonathan¡¯s social media handle as per Liliana¡¯s instructions.


    It was being hyped along with Liliana¡¯s other pictures circted by Rose.


    Some people still supported them as they awaited the truth.


    Jonathan and Vincent then came up with another superb idea to show their support for Liliana.


    He recorded a video and posted it from all his social media handles.


    ¡°Mrs. Liliana, I had spent two years to finally convince you to coborate with Smith Group when you could have easily opened a studio of your own and maintained your anonymity. Because of me, your private life is being intruded upon and you are being ndered left and right. As an apology, please allow me to present to you thepensation I received from the previouswsuit. I have also donated the same amount to several charities on your name.¡±


    He showed a 500 million cheque written to her and also receipts of several donations made to several charities all amounting to more than 500 million.


    His move shook the inte again.


    While Rose had been guiding theizens to ask Jonathan to dismiss his coboration with her, he showed his support in such a high-profile manner which was quite unlike him.


    The inte was in an uproar as they did not know what to believe.


    An hour after that, Liliana posted a statement saying, ¡°Thank you, Nathan! The children of Green Children¡¯s Foundation are very grateful to you.


    Perhaps I ought to thank the people who ndered me as well, for their 500 million was put to good use.


    And I am more than happy to coborate with the Smith group!.¡±


    With that, she attached the cheque being routed to the GCF, and a few other pictures of the kids showing card that said ¡®Thank you, President Smith!¡¯


    Jonathanughed out loud seeing this. His wife was sure enjoying it.


    She had deliberately called him Nathan to show off that they were close and she had nothing to hide.


    Rose was gritting her teeth. She had not expected Jonathan to act that way. Perhaps it was time to announce that he was also married.


    She locked herself in her room contemting her next move.


    On the other hand, Mariana finally smiled seeing all these. Jonathan Smith had a conscience after all.


    Jonathan drove back to the Vi taking his work with him. He had resisted driving back right away to be useful.


    But he could not take it anymore and left.


    Liliana was surprised to see him home so early.


    ¡°You are back early?¡± She questioned looking up from her desk as he entered the study room.


    Jonathan came directly to her without saying anything.


    He put his bag on the table, spun her chair around, knelt on the floor, and held her close on his arms.


    Liliana was stunned for a while. When she realized that he hade back early to apany her, she was touched.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She took the initiative to kiss him on the cheeks to thank him without words.


    Jonathan held her face and leaned in to peck her on the lips.


    He looked at her closely but she closed her eyes nervously and her whole body went stiff. Seeing this, he cursed himself and kissed her on the forehead before he hugged her back.


    She heaved a sigh and rxed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I won¡¯t do anything to you without your consent ever again.¡± Jonathan said, slowly.


    ¡°I know.¡± She confessed. ¡°I know that and I trust you. Last time, it was not your fault. I just need some time. I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I will happily wait a lifetime for you,¡± he reassured her without any hesitation.


    ¡°Did youe back tofort me?¡± She changed the topic as she pulled him to the couch and snugged on his arms. That much she wasfortable with.


    To make it up to him, she did not shy away from the bare minimum intimacy that she wasfortable with.


    ¡°Yes, I had no idea your life with the Aprices was that bad,¡± He did not mince his words.


    The way he saw it, she was a strong independent woman, and treating her otherwise was an insult to her.


    Lilianaughed at that.


    ¡°I am the Petrova heir, do you think they were able to bully me?¡±


    She raised her head in his embrace as she asked.

 Chapter 122 Her ace

    Jonathan was stunned. He looked at the woman in his arms whose eyes were twinkling in mischief.


    Liliana was touched by his actions and worry, but at the same time, she was also amused.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked as he tilted his head back to better see her face and expressions.


    Sheughed hysterically.


    ¡°The Aprices never knew of the extent of Petrova property or power. Since I was named the heir, Lester Aprice did not need to know and all my training was kept a secret. I have had round-the-clock protection since I was five.¡±


    She exined seriously.


    He asked, ¡°But the picture is not forged.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She tilted her head and thought aloud, ¡°I am conflicted, Mr. Husband. Should I exin to you? Or should I keep you in suspense so you can watch the drama unfold?¡±


    He shook his head in helplessness.


    ¡°You can keep me in suspense, just tell me if you were hurt?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No, I was not. I did the household chores, but I was not physically abused. Or should I say they never realized that they had not seeded?¡± She exined vaguely.


    ¡°What exactly are you hiding?¡± Jonathan realized she must be hiding something big. She had no reason to stay back with Aprices or suffer given her resources.


    ¡°Mr. Husband, give me,¡± she checked her phone and she answered, ¡°Give me 6 months and 18 days. I will show you the ace up my sleeve.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± He was confused.


    ¡°It has to be nurtured and well grown for it to work. I can tell you now, but it will be more satisfying to personally show you. You can understand me better when that happens.¡± She exined while still being vague about what it was.


    ¡°I trust you,¡± He wrapped her in his arms again, ¡°I am d they did not seed. I was worried.¡± He confessed.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have someone worry about me for the things that happened over a decade ago,¡± She added as she held him tighter.


    They were interrupted by the knock on the door.


    Li, Jo, and Kyle hade to find Liliana. They were surprised to see their father was also home at that time of the day when he was expected in the office.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Jo eximed as she ran towards Jonathan.


    Li only frowned as hemented, ¡°Daddy! You are home early.¡±


    ¡°I brought work home. I wanted to see your mother, so I came early,¡± Jonathan exined the unasked question.


    Li only nodded at him, but his eyes were less stern. He had liked his father¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Mommy, we saw something on the inte,¡± Kyle asked directly.


    ¡°Ignore it! It¡¯s fake. I still need some time to introduce you to everyone,¡± She said indifferently.


    ¡°Mommy, were you hurt?¡± Jo asked.


    ¡°No, darling. Mommy was not hurt. Mommy is too smart and clever to be hurt just like that.¡± She replied to her family arrogantly.


    ¡°Mommy, be serious.¡± Li frowned.


    ¡°Little Li, if you frown so much, you will be old man Li before your age reaches double digits. I am telling you the truth,¡± Liliana pulled Li and Kyle in her arms and smoothened his brows.


    ¡°I am not lying to you to pacify you. I did not suffer. Everyone helped me trick the bad people. They tried to hurt me and failed. Instead, I ended up having a lot of evidence against them. Just like right now, the bad people are trying to harm me but they are digging their own grave.¡± She exined to her kids.


    The kids were still not convinced, so Jonathan added.


    ¡°She is telling the truth. I was also worried so I came to apany her but she was fine and she even teased me for worrying endlessly.¡±


    Jonathan pinched Jo¡¯s cheeks as he reassured the kids.


    This put rest to their worries.


    ¡°I have no presence in your lives. I said it and I was ignored. He said it and you believed him.¡± Liliana pouted to lighten the atmosphere.


    The kids giggled as they kissed her and hugged her from all sides.


    She raised her eyes at Jonathan in the provocation, which everyone found hrious.


    He joined the kids and encircled everyone in his long arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have a family.¡± He said emotionally as he kissed all four of them saying, ¡°I love you all.¡±


    Jo was the most cheerful of them all as she thered her father¡¯s face with saliva.

 Chapter 123 Stupid and emotional

    Rose was having a tough time. She seemed to have fallen into a bad spell as everything was going against her.


    To better cope with the pressure, she went to a high-end pub and started drinking alone in a private room.


    Romeo had finally found his chance after waiting around for months.


    He went inside disguised as a waiter and started flirting with Rose.


    Rose told him off and asked him to leave her alone. She was visibly enraged at being hit by a lowly waiter.


    ¡°You filthy piece of shit! How dare you flirt with me? Where¡¯s your manager? I will get you fired and jailed for this insolence.¡± She fumed and started cursing.


    Romeoughed and removed his disguise.


    All of Rose¡¯s protests died down as she looked at his familiar face that had grown chubbier with a double chin and the visible potbelly which was not that different from that of Lester¡¯s.


    ¡°What? What are you doing here?¡± She stammered, unable to form coherent words.


    ¡°Why? My darling ex-wife, I missed you.¡± Romeo leered at her. Her deception of sending him away with the fake ne while selling the original at 20 billion was fresh in his mind. He would never let her live it down. But it would spoil the fun if he mentioned it right away.


    ¡°Why are you in P city? You were never supposed toe back.¡± Rose felt an unprecedented panic on seeing him. There was something about the timing of things that made her lose her senses.


    Being half drunk and in a bad mood, her tone was rather disdainful and using which made Romeo angrier. But it was not enough to suppress his lust.


    Not wanting to talk to her anymore, he went up to her and pushed her on the couch. He pinned her down and kissed her violently suppressing all her protests.


    They had been married for years, after all, Romeo knew very well how to make her submit and get her into the mood.


    Soon enough only the sounds of groans and moans came from the private room.


    The erotic sound which was not contained by the room, which had not been soundproof, to begin with, would have made anyone redden in shame.


    Lester would never believe the wife he had thought as virtuous and innocent could be so licentious.


    Rose, who had been restrained with Lester to maintain a facade and give him a sense of superiority for almost two decades, was very unrestrained and vented all her pent-up desires and all other emotions.


    In the end, it was Romeo who was tired out while Rose kept on urging him on.


    They were at it for more than two hours and when they were done, Rose felt alive for the first time for a very long time. It was certainly the happiest and most content she had been since Liliana had made an appearance back in P city.


    Sheid on top of Romeo, spent and sated, and with newfound rity.


    However, when the euphoria died down, the recklessness of the entire thing came crashing down on her.


    They were in a high-end bar and the room she had taken was not soundproof. Hence, there was no doubt that their rendezvous was overheard by anyone who had passed by or the people in adjacent rooms.


    She had to be careful in leaving the bar and had to ensure she erased all traces of her being in that bar.


    It would be the end of her luxurious life if Lester ever found out that she had cheated on him.


    Rose and Romeo had done extensive research on Lester before they had trapped him. And she had been married to him for over two decades.


    Rose knew Lester very well.


    He was a petty man with a big ego and not all that much capability. He thrived on his sense of superiority and would never bear being cheated on.


    She had used his inferiority to cast doubt in his heart and separate him from his first wife. If he knew she had cheated on him, he would make her life miserable and Lydia would suffer as well.


    When she had calmed down, she fixed her clothes and woke Romeo up.


    Together they made ns to erase all traces of what had happened in that room.


    To Rose¡¯s dismay, Romeo, however, wanted to continue their affair and was asking for money as well.


    Rose knew she did not have it in her to defy Romeo. After all those years, Romeo still knew how to push her buttons. And Romeo did not have anything to lose while her entire life was at stake. Rose understood the dynamics well.


    Having no choice, she agreed to most of Romeo¡¯s conditions, not that she needed all that convincing. That evening had opened up a new sense of excitement and ecstasy within her and she was unable to resist. Romeo knew this very well.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Finally, they managed to escape from there and Romeo pretended to be a waiter again to erase some of the surveince records and Rose¡¯s booking records.


    Unbeknownst to both, however, the entire fling had been filmed by Liliana¡¯s men.

 Chapter 124 Revelations

    Liliana and Jonathan were talking in bed when she received the message that the fish had taken the bait.


    She clicked the video to hear what they had talked about only to see porn. She looked at Jonathan in embarrassment and her panic, she forgot to turn it off as well.


    Jonathan reached for her phone and forwarded it to the part after the steamy scenes were over.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not taint our eyes or ears, okay,¡± He said as if he was coaxing her to stop watching it despite her unwillingness.


    She gave him a stink eye as she focused on the content ahead.


    ¡°Wow, they make me change my opinion of the world again,¡± Lilianamented.


    The first step of their n was over. The next would follow soon enough.


    Before she could discuss things with Jonathan and take his opinions on the matter, she received a message in their friend¡¯s group.


    James had tagged a trending topic that was gaining momentum by the hour.


    Someone had noticed the hickeys on Jonathan¡¯s neck on the short video he had recorded to show his support for Liliana.


    Theizens were quick to catch it and once it was caught, the topic of the woman in Jonathan¡¯s life became a heated discussion.


    Liliana, Vivian, daughter of one of the shareholders, Henry¡¯s cousin, Jennifer were all considered possible candidates.


    Liliana flushed seeing the zoomed photo.


    Jonathan, however, had a smug look on his face.


    ¡°I told you, it was a good idea to mark your territory.¡±


    Jonathan said withughter evident in his voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, alright. Let¡¯s not do this again,¡± She said in a low voice.


    ¡°On the contrary, we should continue as it would provoke both Lydia and Vivian.¡±


    Jonathan had other ns in mind.


    Liliana looked at him in all seriousness and could guess what was going on in his mind.


    ¡°You want to use Rose to reveal that you are married and disclose our marriage.¡±


    She said with certainty. Jonathan smiled as he kissed her on the cheeks.


    ¡°Have you realized that we get each other really well?¡±


    He asked her in a happy voice.


    ¡°I know. It feels great,¡± She said happily. Since they had agreed to give their marriage a shot, they had been very open about their feelings.


    There was no tug of war going on between them. Neither wanted to control and wished for an equal partnership instead.


    Since both wanted simr dynamics between them, they got along rather well.


    For two people who had both grown up being superior amongst their peers, it was rather endearing to see them being so open andying bare their hearts without any y for control.


    They talked for a while and ignored the teasing and suggestive remarks sent by their friends.


    They both fell asleep while the people stayed awake guessing and hyping about the woman in Jonathan¡¯s life.


    Vivian had been trying to stay low-key and bask in her whitewashed image but everything between Jonathan and Liliana was challenging her bottom line.


    Seeing Jonathan record and upload a video just to show his support for Liliana when he was widely known as someone who never cared for other people¡¯s opinions was a bitter pill to swallow.


    Never had Vivian imagined that someone would call Jonathan ¡®Nathan¡¯ and he would allow it.


    They had been openly showing off their intimacy and flirting in public.


    Vivian had broken several things in her room before she had finally curbed her impulse to retaliate against Liliana despite the cost. Just as she had calmed down, she stumbled upon the article which showed the hickey on Jonathan¡¯s neck.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Vivian knew without any doubt that it was Liliana¡¯s doing.


    She could not believe Liliana was such a bitch.


    She hired some paid trolls to hype her rtionship with Jonathan.


    She would make everyone believe that she was a couple with Jonathan before a married Liliana stepped in and ruined her rtionship.


    She would also tell everyone that Liliana had forced her to tell everyone that she had been tricked into sleeping with Jonathan and she was never in any rtionship with him.


    This would make sure that even if Liliana and Jonathan got together, Liliana would always bear the tag of being the mistress, cheater, home-wrecker, and promiscuous woman.


    Theizens had barely managed to sleep through the previous news when they woke up to find new revtions and ¡®truths¡¯ on the ongoing scandal.

 Chapter 125 A married man

    Perhaps things would have worked better if Vivian and Rose had coordinated their schemes.


    s, they did not and instead of going against Liliana together, they sort of ended up going against each other. Well, at least their paid minions had a fierce battle amongst themselves with one side iming that Jonathan was perhaps married and the other side iming that Vivian was and had always been the woman in his life.


    After an entire day of arguments that had theizens divided, they concluded that half of their goal had always been the same. Both parties wanted to ruin Liliana and separate her from Jonathan.


    And so they both, in the interest ofmon goals, worked together to paint Liliana as the bitch who dangled with a married Jonathan while still raising children she had borne for someone else.


    Rose had very helpfully supplied a picture that showed Jonathan on the altar with a bride whose face was hidden beneath the veil and as she had her head tilted as such she was not at all visible.


    ¡®Oh My God! Jonathan Smith is a married man.¡¯


    ¡®Bless my heart! This picture looks old.¡¯


    ¡®President Smith is married! Howe something this big was hidden all this time?¡¯


    ¡®Oh My God! Why did he have a hidden marriage?¡¯


    ¡®Hold your horses, guys, the experts have yet to verify the pictures.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah! President Smith¡¯s marriage can¡¯t possibly be a secret.¡¯


    ¡®This is probably a fake picture.¡¯


    ¡®The verdict is out. The picture is real.¡¯


    ¡®He is married.¡¯


    ¡®He is indeed married.¡¯


    ¡®The most eligible bachelor in P city is not a bachelor at all.¡¯


    ¡®No wonder he never had any scandals, he had been a married man all along.¡¯


    ¡®I smell a conspiracy.¡¯


    ¡®Me too. This seems too coincidental a time for this piece of a bombshell toe out.¡¯


    ¡®Agreed, there is something else going on here.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe his wife is so ugly that he is too ashamed to reveal her.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe he was forced to get married and so he never acknowledged her.¡¯


    ¡®That sure sounds like something that happens in the upper ss.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe she is not a nice person and he does not want to ruin his reputation by showing her to the public or acknowledging her.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s someone who schemed to be Mrs. Smith for his money.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe they prefer low-key life like normal people without everyone¡¯s scrutiny and based on the responses here, that sure sounds like something one ought to do.¡¯


    ¡®Come to think of it, Mrs. Liliana has never revealed her husband¡¯s name. I wonder if they are married.¡¯


    ¡®No chance or the Smiths would have announced having an heir and the new generations. Mrs. Liliana has a child with someone else.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah! As much as I want to ship them both, it would mean breaking two marriages and separating the kids from theirplete family.¡¯


    ¡®Too bad they can¡¯t be together.¡¯


    ¡®I am so sad I have to abandon this ship! They would have made a great couple.¡¯


    And on and on thements went on.


    While some guessed that they might be married, the majority, as guided by the paid trolls, believed them to be an impossible match.


    But one thing was true beyond a doubt.


    Jonathan Smith was a married man.


    Mrs. Liliana was a married woman.


    Mrs. Liliana had kids with her husband.


    And so, Jonathan and Liliana were never meant to be.


    These were the public sentiments.


    Both Liliana and Jonathan were asked to keep to themselves and maintain decorum.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Rose had been sessful in her n to put all the public opinion between Jonathan and Liliana.


    Vivian though, unsatisfied with the results, was still happy to have separated Jonathan and Liliana.


    Liliana and her friends had quite augh.


    But Vincent was getting grilled left and right on who his mysteriousdy boss was and whether he knew the inside story.


    He knew the inside story, but he was in no position to reveal it.


    Vincent could only muddle through and hope for his boss and his wife toe forward and save him.

 Chapter 126 Flirting in text

    Liliana was unfazed on seeing the posts.


    She instead forwarded the post showing their wedding photo that Rose had supplied to Jonathan and asked, ¡°Mr. Smith, you never told me you were married.¡±


    Jonathan was amused seeing her text.


    ¡°My dear Lil, I seem to recall talking about a certain Mrs. Smith quite often in your presence.¡± He replied to Liliana¡¯s text very cheekily.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Smith, you are no fun. I was having such a st looking at all this nonsense.¡± She replied unamused with his reaction.


    ¡°Sorry to ruin your fun, but I would rather focus on my work and go home early to apany my Mrs. Smith,¡± Jonathan replied ending their flirting.


    As much as he wanted to flirt with his wife, Liliana had texted at a rather bad time. He was on his way to a board meeting and unfortunately he had no time to entertain her.


    One board member had mistakenly assumed that since Jonathan was busy dangling with two women, he would bex in his work and would be an easy target to pick.


    ¡°President Smith, we have never questioned your unorthodox ways of running thepany. We have supported every decision you have made, but the current public mood is rather different.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Our Stock prices have been fluctuating heavily these days. Ourpany¡¯s reputation is in shambles and we have received calls from many of our long-term clients about the certainty of the future.¡±


    ¡°This is the worst situation we have seen in over a decade and for a worthless cause at that.¡±


    ¡°I think we should trust President Smith to handle this scenario just like he has handled everything well since he took up his position.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Everypany has to face some storm and bad publicity from time to time.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly! This also gives us the chance to vet out the bad actors be it within thepany or with the partners and coborators.¡±


    ¡°Good idea! It was an excellent move from President Smith to publicly fire three people for spying on him. We should use this opportunity to remove the corrupted ones.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t fire any employees just because they have doubts. They also have a family to feed after all and need to be cautious lest they be left stranded. But I agree that this is a good opportunity to vet outpromising people in positions.¡±


    And so the arguments went on. The shareholder who had been trying to make trouble for Jonathan had been drowned out by others.


    Jonathan had yet to make a statement. But most shareholders were of the option that they should leave Jonathan to handle his private matters as he sees fit. He had earned that right over the years by making them significantly richer than they already were.


    The arguments paused as they heard a message tone.


    Jonathan was very strict about keeping their phones on silent mode during meetings, so everyone was rather curious about who had dared to miss it that time.


    The spectators looked at each other only to be dumbfounded as Jonathan mumbled a perfunctory ¡®sorry¡¯ before looking at his phone.


    His face remained impassive but his eyes had a certain glow to them as he read the text.


    ¡®Mr. Husband,e home early today. Let¡¯s go night fishing. Book a private restaurant for a private dinner please.¡¯


    Jonathan could barely suppress his glee on reading the text. He read and re-read it multiple times before replying.


    ¡®As you wish, Mrs. Smith. Is this a date or family outing?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not a family outing.¡¯ She replied promptly.


    Jonathan took that to mean it was a date but Liliana seemed to have read his mind from across the phone as she sent another text.


    ¡®Mr. Husband, you have never asked me on a date. And yet I gave you two kids. How lucky you are?¡¯


    Jonathan had to bite the inside of his mouth to stop his smile.


    His wife was expressing her grievances. He could only reassure her and make it up to her.


    ¡®My mistake, Mrs. Smith. Be prepared for the surprises that will follow. I promise to make it up to you.¡¯


    ¡®Keep your words, Mr. Husband.¡¯


    ¡®You can use this as evidence, M¡¯Lady. I will text youter, in a meeting now.¡¯


    ¡®Keep up the good work, Mr. Husband. Your wife and kids are very high maintenance.¡¯


    ¡®I am up for the challenge.¡¯


    Jonathan put down his phone and schooled his expressions before looking up.


    All the shareholders were looking at him agape.

 Chapter 127 Office Politics

    Jonathan took a sip of water and said indifferently.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    The shareholders looked at each other and did not speak.


    Jonathan first addressed the shareholder who was trying to make trouble for him and hisckey.


    ¡°Mr. Cox, you seem to have doubts about my ability to manage thepany. And you too, Mr. Windt.¡±


    Mr. Cox was embarrassed at being called out like that. Apart from Mr. Windt and another small shareholder, all the rest had supported Jonathan.


    He could not stand on his own against Jonathan. He could only muddle though as he was being put on the spot.


    ¡°President Smith, we do not doubt your ability as we have seen first-hand how capable you are over thest decade. But the rumors are indeed not good for thepany.¡±


    Mr. Windt echoed his words as he said, ¡°Yes, President. We were just concerned about the ongoing rumors. Hardly a day has gone by without scandal since we signed up with L&L Designs.¡±


    Mr. Cox supported him, ¡°yes, we, as shareholders, only want an exnation.¡±


    Another shareholder was indignant and echoed, ¡°We, as shareholders, should support him in trying times rather than make trouble. Besides as long as the rumors are false, this will all be free publicity by the end. And I am sure none here doubt Jonathan¡¯s character.¡±


    Being an older shareholder, he treated Jonathan rather kindly having seen him grow up over the years.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He was not going to let some minor shareholder boss around them for trivialities by calling impromptu meetings out of nowhere.


    ¡°Mr. Winston, we were only asking for an exnation. Surely, that is allowed.¡±


    Mr. Cox was indignant for being told off like that in front of everyone and retorted coldly.


    Jonathan finally spoke.


    ¡°Mr. Cox, no one is allowed to question my private life. Surely you have seen the severalwyers¡¯ letters sent to several people since the scandal began. Unless you were looking only for selective news which might create trouble, which I am sure you are not.


    Mr. Windt, after 10 years of working together during which the stock price has increased by 5x and so has your dividend, if you and Mr. Cox have that little faith in me or thepany, you are free to sell your stocks to me. I assure you, you will get 20% more than the current price.


    Mr. Winston, Thank you for your trust. This will be sorted in due time, but for personal reasons, I am going to let it linger for a while.


    Mr. Jason, you are right about vetting the partners. Vincent is already working on it and we have most things sorted.


    And, no, unless the employees start gossiping or do something to harm thepany, they won¡¯t be fired. It¡¯s within their right to jump ship to save themselves and their family when things look dire.¡±


    He gave a few seconds to everyone to absorb things and asked.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    The shareholders shook their heads.


    Jonathan stood up as he said, ¡°Lastly, don¡¯t call meetings for trivialities as we are all busy.¡±


    Mr. Cox and Mr. Windt were left too embarrassed to say anything.


    Mr. Cox owned 7% of the shares of Smith Group and was one of the major shareholders, yet the arrogant CEO had shown him no respect.


    He internally swore to teach him a lesson and drive his ego down a few notches. Just because he was capable did not mean he could disrespect others like that.


    Mr. Cox knew the best way to make Jonathan a little humble was to have support enough to scare him. And the best way to do that was to take the help of the mystery shareholder who held 15% of Smith Group shares.


    With that in mind, he huffed and left, hell-bent on acquiring more shares of Smith Group and extending his reach.

 Chapter 128 Treat her well

    Mr. Winston followed Jonathan back to his office and sat downfortably on the couch as an assistant served him tea and closed the door.


    ¡°You have reconciled with your wife, I see,¡± He teased.


    ¡°Nothing goes past you, Uncle,¡± Jonathan admitted.


    ¡°I was very happy when you were married to Leon¡¯s granddaughter. I had not seen the girl since Leon passed away, but there was no doubt she was a decent girl and highly capable. It was unfortunate that your marriage did not go as nned, even more so as I watched you forget that you were even married. Thankfully, you both have found your way back to each other.¡±


    He admitted frankly.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°You knew her?¡± Jonathan was surprised.


    ¡°Leon and I were alumni. He had helped me out when I was having trouble getting married to my wife whoes from a wealthy family in a foreign country as you already know. I had hoped that Anne and my son would make a match since they were familiar with each other and my son was rather smitten with her. But s, fate had other ns.¡±


    He exined sighing at the old times. So many years had passed and so many people he knew were gone or they had drifted apart. Even their children were having their own lives now.


    He sighed again, thinking of simpler times when the Inte was not so avable at everyone¡¯s fingertips was considered a privilege and used for work or knowledge.


    Jonathan took a while to absorb the information.


    He smiled as he realized that fate had rather blessed him when he had run into Liliana at that beach almost two decades ago.


    ¡°Thank you for telling me, Uncle. I have missed out on a lot when ites to my wife and kids. I want to do things right this time around,¡± Jonathan admitted.


    ¡°I know you will treat her right, Jonathan. But I still want to tell you, treat her well. All the Petrovas I had the fortune to meet have been good people, down-to-earth, and verypassionate. They have also never had messy rtionships. You have won a treasure, I don¡¯t want you to lose her the second time around.¡±


    Jonathan smiled gratefully and bowed, ¡°Thank you! I will try my best.¡±


    Mr. Winston stopped talking about it and asked, ¡°When are we going to meet your wife and kids?¡±


    Jonathan smiled happily as he added, ¡°That will take some time. My wife has some matters to resolve. Maybe half a year from now.¡±


    Mr. Winston stood up to leave as he said, ¡°I won¡¯t keep you busy then. Take care of yourself. Keep an eye on that Cox. He will surely y tricks now.¡±


    ¡°I am on it. Let me send you off, Uncle.¡± Jonathan walked him to the lift and came back to his office.


    He booked the entire rooftop of the Green Wine and Food which was the best restaurant in town. Their building was exquisite as it was one of thergest skyscrapers in town. They were gearing up to open the rooftop section a few days after the recent renovation and Jonathan had to pull some strings to get it booked even before the official opening.


    Having done that, he dived back into work. His wife had called him home early and he meant to satisfy her.


    Thinking of Liliana reminded Jonathan how she had been equally angry and concerned when he had missed his lunch.


    He did not want to worry her again, so he ordered Vincent to get him some light snacks and coffee.


    He cleared up the food and focused back on his work.

 Chapter 129 First Date

    Liliana heard the door open and knew it was Jonathan even before he hade inside. She smiled realizing that he had kept his word, and came back early.


    Jonathan saw a smiling Liliana who had just turned her head towards the door as soon as he stepped inside.


    The three kids were ying around her and she seemed to be monitoring them.


    He could not describe the happiness he felt on seeing her smile and the kids ying around her as soon as he came home.


    The word ¡®home¡¯ finally made sense to him and the scene would forever remain in his memory as one of the best moments of his life.


    He came back to his senses after a few seconds and walked straight to them.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, please go on a date with me tonight.¡±


    Jonathan went on his knees and gave her a bouquet of fresh purple Lily.


    ¡°Thank you. I would love to go out with you.¡±


    Liliana took the bouquet and kissed him on the cheeks.


    The kids pped and hooted at the scene.


    Jonathan pecked her on the nose and said he would be right back. He had gone out to the farmers market to get the flowers and did not want to touch her or the kids without showering.


    He dashed upstairs to the master bedroom, took a quick shower, and changed intofy pajamas beforeing downstairs.


    He picked up his little daughter and kissed her on the cheeks as soon as he came down. He settled her on hisp and hugged Li and Kyle together.


    Finally, he looped his arms around his wife and kissed her on the cheeks as well.


    The family talked about their day and discussed a bunch of kids-appropriate things together, and yed games together.


    Later in the evening, the kids went off to their ss before dinner time, while Liliana and Jonathan went to get ready for their date.


    Jonathan hugged her as soon as they entered their bedroom.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liliana asked as she leaned into his embrace and hugged him back, one hand holding his waist and the other caressing his back.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I missed you, wife,¡± Jonathan said, ¡°I talked to someone who knew your grandfather and you as well. He told me to treat you well.¡±


    ¡°You should listen to him,¡± Lilianaughed.


    ¡°Hmm. I intend to. Let¡¯s go get ready. We can talkter.¡±


    Jonathan pecked her on the cheek and led her to their shared wardrobe.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wear matching clothes,¡± He said excitedly, having never worn matching clothes or been on a date before.


    ¡°Alright,¡± She beamed. It was a first for her as well.


    They color-coordinated their clothes which did not take much time as they both had plenty of clothes to choose from and all custom-designed for them.


    Jonathan had picked up something Liliana had designed for them as a couple. But she declined it saying it was too overt.


    After 30 minutes they were both ready to go as they stood in front of the mirror and admired themselves.


    Jonathan personally drove her to the restaurant and escorted her to their private elevator and towards the surprise he had prepared for her.


    Liliana was ecstatic as it was their first date together. Seeing Jonathan just as excited as she was all the more increased her happiness.


    Jonathan personally led her to the terrace. There were no attendants and she could see the anticipation in his eyes.


    She took a deep breath just as the elevator opened to the rooftop and she was amazed by the low-key romantic setting.


    Everything had been cleared and there stood only one table with candlelights on them. The candles were on beautiful sses which were being recycled by themselves as the wax was falling inside and the asymmetrical shapes it was creating were quite good with the glittering wax.


    The night sky was lightly starry and a bit cloudy with strong winds.


    There were drapes everywhere were a silky gauze that was very soft to touch and it blew with the wind making everything very sensual.


    There was a small vase that had fresh roses of multiple different colors. It was some type of hybrid which was grown in one vase making it always fresh and unique for decorations.


    A piece of soft instrumental music was ying and there were food chillers and barbeque on the side which was all self-serve as neither of them wanted their privacy to be intruded upon. If they wanted anything even fresher than the food in the chillers, they could always order.

 Chapter 130 Second Dance

    Liliana loved everything. It was not too mushy, had the most privacy, and was tastefully romantic.


    ¡°This is incredible. Thank you!¡± She looked at Jonathan and said as she kissed him on the cheek.


    Jonathan exhaled audibly which made herugh.


    He ignored her amusement and said seriously, ¡°I am very happy you like it. You have no idea how anxious I was.¡±


    She looped her arms around his neck and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too anxious. I would have liked anything as long as it was prepared by you. But this is beautiful. It shows how much you understand me.¡±


    ¡°Do I get a reward for this?¡± He asked as he wrapped his hands around her waist and led her to the dance floor.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I already in your arms? What more do you want?¡± She asked cockily.


    ¡°I want to dance with you,¡± He said as they started to sway with the soft music.


    ¡°You just want an excuse to hold me in your arms,¡± She countered without any intention of breaking free.


    ¡°I love how well you understand me,¡± He admitted.


    They bothughed at that as they continued to sway with the music pressing closer and closer to each other.


    Liliana kept her feet on top of Jonathan as he pulled her flush against his body. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest as he continued to lead her.


    After what seemed like forever and no time at all they broke apart and sat on the chair.


    Jonathan opened a bottle of wine and Liliana held the sses as he poured.


    They sat down and sipped the wine as they began to talk.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did I disturb you when you were busy today?¡± Liliana asked.


    ¡°I was busy but you did not disturb me. You texted at the right time as I was about to blow my top,¡± He said.


    ¡°Any problems?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We had a shareholders meeting today,¡± Jonathan said.


    ¡°I know. Did they call that impromptu meeting to make trouble for you using the recent scandals?¡±


    Jonathan raised his eyes at her.


    ¡°Yes. One person and hisckey tried. But others were with me, so I did not have to do much,¡± He admitted frankly.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Are you going to watch him for me?¡± He joked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± She admitted.


    ¡°I can handle it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He held her hand and assured her.


    ¡°I know that. I just want to make sure that he does not y any games behind your back or has any partnership with any of the Petrova group entities,¡± she sneered.


    ¡°Honey, don¡¯t worry about it! I will handle him. I have a n,¡± He rubbed her hands to soothe her.


    She frowned but before she could reply, he added, ¡°I am loving the concern, by the way. It¡¯s good to see you this worried about me and eager to get rid of my detractors.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at that but smiled nheless.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t meddle. Just let me know if you want any information on anything. Don¡¯t tire yourself out,¡± She stepped back.


    ¡°I will. Now that I have a wife and children to take care of, I will take care of myself as well. I want to be this happy for a very long time,¡± He consoled her.


    ¡°You are so good at making me smile,¡± She shook her head as she said.


    He gripped her hand and kissed her knuckles, ¡°I hope I can always make you smile andugh, unburden you, and always be there for you. You have given me a reason to live, a reason to look forward to the next day.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention you were told to treat me right,¡± She quipped, making a joke.


    ¡°Yeah that too,¡± He pinched her fingers as he added.


    ¡°Who was it, by the way?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°Guess?¡± He smirked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I purposefully never looked into Smith Group or you. I don¡¯t know who your shareholders are. I am sure that information is essible in mywork somewhere, but I don¡¯t know it as of now,¡± She said truthfully.


    ¡°Why did you not look into me?¡± He asked. He had been curious about that for a long time.


    ¡°I just wanted to give you space. I also did not want to affect my emotions as I was too busy taking care of the kids and I had other responsibilities as well,¡± She said.


    ¡°Thank you! I don¡¯t know how I would have felt at being spied on. But I am d that you gave me a shadow to protect me while still giving me privacy and space.¡± He said seriously. He wanted to assure her that he was okay with her arrangements as he was aware that it bothered her.


    ¡°I am d you think so. I have been worried, you know.¡± She said.


    ¡°I know. You don¡¯t hide your emotions from me. I am sure you are perfect at that, but you don¡¯t do that. I like it,¡± He told her.


    ¡°I did not want to y the guessing game with you. We have lost enough time as it is. And I am d that you share everything with me as well.¡± She piped in.

 Chapter 131 Childhood memories

    They talked for a long time and the conversation flowed naturally between them even as the wine bottle had been emptied.


    They had been eating appetizers and were already almost full.


    Jonathan began to heat some of the food as he wanted her to taste the signature dish of the chef.


    ¡°Hey, you have not yet answered who it was that asked about me,¡± Liliana asked as she remembered that they had left that thread of conversation behind.


    ¡°Oh yeah. It was Jeremy Winston. He is a family friend, and one of the major shareholders,¡± Jonathan shrugged.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think I remember him. Does he have green eyes, light green quite simr to that of a cat? And golden hair. Tall and broad.¡± Liliana said as she tried to recall her childhood memories.


    ¡°Yeah, that would be him,¡± Jonathan confirmed, ¡°He said he used to see you when your grandfather was still alive.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he was friends with my grandpa as far as I can recall. He used to quiz me whenever he used to visit on birthdays and asions. We used to have fun when we stayed at the Petrova Mansion. Lester was not allowed to go there. Grandpa Winston¡¯s son had wooed my mother if I am not wrong. He used to say that I could have been his granddaughter if not for his ill fate.¡± Lilianaughed as she said.


    ¡°What do you remember about your grandparents?¡± Jonathan was curious about Leon Petrova.


    ¡°He was very funny. Everyone tells me that he was a great person, a business prodigy, shrewd, intuitive,passionate, and so on. But I only remember he was funny, not like ¡®he fell in a ditch, hahaha¡¯ funny but smart and sarcastic funny.¡±


    Liliana thought for a while and added, ¡°I also remember he was very helpful and treated everyone as equals. He would help everyone in need be it in their education, or help them in their everyday lives or business. And he did not do it in a way that made the other person indebted, it was more like friends helping each other out. At least that¡¯s what he tried to do. And he was good with everyone. I assisted Terry and others by following his footsteps only.¡±


    She sipped a drink and continued, ¡°Grandpa used to love Grandma so much. Even when they were that old, I remember seeing them stealing kisses and always being glued to each other. His eyes would light up on seeing Grandma and she was the same. I did not understand it at that time, but it always stuck to me because their equation was very different from that between my mother and father.¡±


    She had a faraway look on her face as she remembered her grandparents.


    She shook her head and added, ¡°And one time I remember someone had tried to steal from hispany or something. He already knew it but yed along and exposed him when there was no turning back. A lot was going on at that time, I did not understand it. But I very clearly remember he had told me that it was during the time of distress that a person¡¯s characteres shining out. People can sometimes make small mistakes but as long as they correct them, they should be forgiven and given a chance.¡±


    Jonathan listened raptly and held her hand as she remembered the family that she had loved and lost.


    ¡°He sounds like someone we would all have loved to get to know and learn from or even just have fun,¡± He added.


    She nodded, ¡°Yes. He was great. He used to teach me things practically. I never even realized I was being taught things. When I grew up and used those lessons, I realized he had been grooming me the entire time.¡±


    She held his hand and turned to him as she added, ¡°That¡¯s also why I treat the kids as adults and exin things to them properly. They are going to have to shoulder all my responsibilities and yours too as they grow up, so I would rather they not be some spoiled brats and be sensible and calm no matter what. Most of all I want them to grow up to be decent human beings ¨C good andpassionate individuals.¡±


    Jonathan kissed her nose and said, ¡°You did well. I will follow in your footsteps. They are too smart to be treated as kids anyway. I am d you have groomed them well.¡±


    Liliana leaned into him and confessed, ¡°They are our children, Nathan. I want us to be on the same page regarding everything about them.¡±


    Jonathan held her tightly, ¡°We are on the same page now. We will keep at it.¡±

 Chapter 132 Night Fishing

    After their dinner date, Jonathan and Liliana changed out of their suit and gown intofortable clothes to go night fishing.


    Jonathan owned arge private park that housed a naturalke surrounded by trees. It was a great ce to unwind as it was managed in its natural setting and even the house that was there was very simple and not exuberantly luxurious.


    As they were changing, Liliana smirked and said, ¡°Our date is over, let¡¯s go catch some fish and lower some bait.¡±


    Jonathanughed and added, ¡°What are you nning now?¡±


    Liliana just smirked as she said, ¡°Just wait and see.¡±


    She wore a hat that covered her face and they were rather eye-catching as they left drawing a few eyes to them.


    Jonathan could tell they were being followed but knowing it was Liliana¡¯s n all along, he let it be.


    They had to get down for a security check before entering the park Premises. This was a rule Jonathan had made for himself as there was no security inside the park.


    Liliana waited for Jonathan to open the door for her and escort her out.


    He pulled her into his arms and kissed her nose. With Liliana¡¯s hat covering their faces and their bodies stuck together, it looked like they were kissing.


    Liliana could tell he did that on purpose so she teased him, ¡°You are so good at this, Mr. Husband.¡±


    Jonathan did not know whether tough or cry. He shook his head and carried her bridal style inside.


    After they had cleared the security checks, they drove inside and made themselvesfortable as they began to fish.


    With food, drinks, and conversation, they did not realize howte it had been until Liliana checked her phone to show him something.


    They decided to spend the night in the park and cleaned up theke house.


    Exhausted, theyy on the bed, spooning, and quickly fell asleep.


    Jonathan woke up in the morning earlier than Liliana as usual. He looked at the quiet woman in his arms and could not resist a doting smile.


    She was regal and sophisticated in the day but at night, when she was sleeping she knew no decorum. She iled her hands and feet every which way. Even then, she had thrown both of her legs in between his, and her arms were holding one of his arms while another arm was on the other side of the bed.


    He untangled her from his body carefully without waking her up, stole a quick kiss, and tucked her in before going to the washroom.


    Just as he closed the door of the washroom, Liliana opened her eyes. She had a confused look on her face as she caressed her lips.


    ¡®Had he been stealing kisses all these days?¡¯


    She knew Jonathan wanted more intimacy from her, but he had never once pushed for it knowing she was not ready.


    Perhaps it was his way of getting closer without making her feel ufortable.


    ¡®A stolen chaste kiss after seven years of celibacy.¡¯ She thought bitterly.


    Lost in her thoughts she did not notice when Jonathan came out of the bathroom.


    Jonathan came out of the bathroom and saw Liliana was lost in thought while running her hands through her face and hair.


    She had not noticed him, so he sneaked up to her andid on top of her, startling her.


    Instinctively, she iled her hand and tried to hit him but he was prepared and restrained her.


    When she noticed it was Jonathan she did not resist but she had her hands bound on top of her head while he was pressing his torso on top of her pressing her on the bed.


    Liliana felt parched and did not quite understand what was happening.


    ¡°What were you thinking that had you so lost in thoughts?¡± He asked as he rxed his hold on her arms.


    ¡°I was thinking of how to cheat you out of your property,¡± She snorted.


    ¡°Do you know how cute you look right now?¡± Heughed. He loosened her arms and caressed her cheeks.


    ¡°How am I supposed to know that?¡± She mumbled.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    He traced her face with his fingers and kissed her forehead, her eyes, her nose, and her cheeks before he took a bite just under her chin.


    ¡°You are irresistible, my wife,¡± He said, leaning his forehead against hers.


    Liliana had held her breath when he started kissing her. She slowly exhaled when she realized he was not trying to push for anything.


    ¡°Does it upset you?¡± She asked, they both knew she was talking about theck of intimacy.


    ¡°No, it does not upset me. I won¡¯t deny that I want more, I desire you a great deal and I am sure you can see that. But it does not upset me. Realistically, it has been less than a month since we got together. Had we dated the normal way, we would have been even less intimate. Besides I get to hug you and cuddle you to sleep every night. I am happy.¡±


    He rified once again.


    She nodded but did not say anything even though she was a bit skeptical.

 Chapter 133 Jonathan Smith’s wife

    While Liliana and Jonathan were having fun, another piece of news was making rounds on the inte.


    A photo of Jonathan kissing a woman under a hat at the gates of his park had been released and everyone began to specte who the mysterious wife of President Smith is.


    Jonathan and Liliana escaped everyone and left for their Vi early in the morning.


    They got home just in time to wake up the kids.


    As usual, Jonathan first woke his daughter up and only woke his sons after she had freshened up.


    He helped her dress up and do her hair. By the time Joyanna was ready, the boys were ready as well.


    They had breakfast together and Jonathan went to the office early. He was gearing up to finish most of the important work by the end of the week.


    Their liver transnt surgery had been scheduled for the following week and he meant to stay home and keep fit a few days before that.


    Jonathan was surrounded by reporters as soon as he drove closer to his office building.


    Since Vincent had cleared everyone off building premises, they seemed to have surrounded all the entry gates.


    Vincent called him right at the time and said, ¡°Boss, try getting in from the Exit gate. The reporters have surrounded all the parking lot entry gates since they were chased off the building entrance.¡±


    Jonathan shook his head helplessly, ¡°A little toote for that, Vincent. I am already surrounded.¡±


    Vincent was bbergasted, ¡°Oh, sorry about that boss. I thought you would bete given your datest night. I did not think you would be early instead.¡±


    Jonathan snorted at him and hung up.


    He waspletely surrounded and there was no way out.


    Unable to take the incessant questioning, he made a statement and managed to get through the crowd and into the building.


    ¡°The woman in the picture is my wife who I married seven years ago. We had been separated due to a misunderstanding and have only recently reconciled. Anyone who tries to invade my privacy or harass my wife will have to deal with me.¡±


    His explicit threat made everyone retreat and Jonathan was able to enter his office building.


    He ignored all the curious and dumbstruck faces of his employees and went about his work.


    Keeping in mind his uing leaves, he grilled everyone to push all the important projects forward and had a rigorous day.


    Liliana sent him packed lunch in the afternoon and sent home-baked cookies and muffins for his secretarial staff as well.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Jonathan¡¯s staff had already started to like theirdy boss for that small gesture.


    Jonathan could not help but admire her. As soon as he announced he had a wife, she began to make her presence known.


    The entire office was itching for gossip but with Jonathan grilling them to fast forward some of the projects, they could only focus on their work.


    Moreover, rumors spread like wildfire that he was going to be taking two weeks off.


    Everyone spected whether he was going to spend that time with his recently reconciled wife.


    Jonathan Smith¡¯s Wife became a hot topic on the inte as everyone spected who she was.


    Vivian was out of the running as she had been hovering around him all the time.


    Jonathan¡¯s statement hade as a p in the face. This made her desperate.


    The Aprices, however, were dumbstruck. Did Jonathan and Liliana find out that they were married to each other?


    They could notprehend what was going on.


    Meanwhile Rose had been building a lot of traction on the inte about kids staying inplete families and she was un-bothered about the news.


    Jonathan and Liliana had never been together, so what if they found out. She had made him a cuckold after all. They were going to end in divorce.


    There was a lot of news about Liliana¡¯s shenanigans on the inte. They only needed a little push before she is painted as a promiscuous woman who could not keep her vows.


    Rose sneered thinking that poor Anne¡¯s girl would find out she was Jonathan Smith¡¯s wife only to divorce right after.


    She ignored the news and looked at Romeo who was lightly snoring beside her.


    Thinking of the joke that Liliana will be, she could not control her thrill and went down on Romeo, waking him up hard and ready for her.

 Chapter 134 Mariana’s predicament

    Two dayster, Jonathan was still as busy in the office as always. He was close to wrapping things up and had informed everyone of his nned leave.


    Despite the grueling work, the employees were happy knowing that their boss was going toe back happy, and hopefully, they would get some bonus if his rtionship with theirdy boss improved.


    On the other hand, Liam came back from his out-of-town mission only to find his family praising Kyle and his mother, while Kyle was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Where is Kyle?¡± He asked his grandmother.


    ¡°Jonathan Smith came to pick him up and said that he was taking away his godson,¡± Madam Preston said gloatingly.


    While she disdained her rtives as they fawned at power and switchednes faster than F1 drivers, she was nheless happy that her great-grandson would no longer be bullied.


    Kyle was bound to meet a lot of fake friends and fake rtives in life, so this change did not distraught her much, as it was necessary learning for him.


    ¡°You did not tell me you were friends with the Smiths,¡± she asked curiously.


    Everyone held their breath waiting for Liam¡¯s answer.


    Knowing that Kyle was with Liliana, Liam was rxed and did not bother about anything.


    He had been tired from his mission and wanted to rest for a while.


    He closed his eyes leaning on the couch as he said offhandedly, ¡°Kyle¡¯s mother and Jonathan¡¯s wife knew each other. I got to know Jonathan as his wife took Kyle as her godson.¡±


    Everyone was shocked at the intel.


    Jonathan Smith was married and his wife was friends with Liam.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Julie and Jessi exchanged looks and did not know how to move forward.


    Jonathan had himself admitted to having been separated from his wife and recently reconciled. Thinking of this, Julie and Jessi got a bold idea.


    Liam had his eyes closed and did not bother about anyone¡¯s reactions. Their rtionship was bound toe out sooner orter. It was only a matter of time, and it did not hurt to let his family know some vague details.


    On another side of the town, Mariana¡¯s mood was going from bad to worse.


    James had been pestering her way too much to be ignored. The rumors were flying left and right, but she could not deny anything as James had threatened to tell everyone that they had had a one-night stand abroad if she did.


    Mariana was exasperated beyond her limit and James was practically present in herpany every day making a mess of everything.


    Her mood had slightly improved when Jonathan admitted to being with his wife, but she did not get to rejoice much as James came in with a bouquet of red roses professing his love.


    Her short tenure in herpany was marred with gossip to the point that she had to order everyone to shut it or lose their jobs.


    Most observant people could see that James was pestering Mariana without any inhibition and they chose to ignore it as it was none of anyone¡¯s business.


    But there were a lot of gossipy people who could not help themselves but create conjectures on what was going on between them.


    Mariana was having quite a hard time given that the news had reached her parents as well.


    Part of her wanted to confess that she was wrong and she should not have yed the victim card after crashing into his car and asking for forgiveness. But instinctively she knew he would gloss over it.


    Another part of her wanted to y the game with him and see who gets bored first. But she did not think it was a good idea as more often than not such games ended with someone getting badly hurt.


    Unable to get out of her predicament, she could only grow a thicker skin and pretend that he was not there. But it was getting increasingly difficult with even her parents asking about things between them.

 Chapter 135 Fire Chilly

    Liam came to Jonathan and Liliana¡¯s ce to see everyone, and Liliana decided to have a gathering and invited everyone over.


    Mariana, Jennifer, Henry, Liam, James, Vincent, and Eric all came bearing gifts for the three kids.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make it a habit. They have enough things as it is,¡± Liliana told them to stop bringing gifts for the kids every time.


    ¡°Shut it, Lil. Why can¡¯t I get things for my own kids? You are too stingy,¡± Mariana had never liked the ¡®don¡¯t spoil the children¡¯ preach Liliana would give every now and then.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I am saying this, but I have to agree with Mer here. They are ours as well. We get to bring things for them whenever we want.¡±


    Henry supported Mariana to everyone¡¯s dismay.


    Vincent said, ¡°I have never gotten the chance before. Let me get to know the little bosses better, M¡¯am.¡±


    Only Eric and Liam had not brought anything.


    Jennifer teased, ¡°Liam, howe you are empty-handed?¡±


    Liam only shrugged, ¡°I was on a closed mission. We did not even get delicious food. Forgot about buying stuff for them.¡±


    Eric joked with Jennifer, ¡°My dear Jenn, I am sure you won¡¯t approve of getting ammunition as gifts for kids.¡±


    They allughed at that.


    James had been silent because he did not want to cause a scene at someone else¡¯s home.


    Besides, they were his best friend¡¯s kids, he was not going to shy away from spoiling them.


    Mariana was thankful for his silence. She did not have the energy to deal with him there as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste of breath talking to you guys. Suit yourselves,¡± Liliana had no choice but to shrug it off.


    ¡°I have not seen them in ages,¡± Henrymented.


    Jennifer echoed him, ¡°Yeah, we have been so busy these few weeks. I missed you guys.¡±


    Jonathan quipped, jokingly, ¡°Well, we will be staying in the hospital for a week at least, so you can enjoy taking care of the kids.¡±


    Henry frowned at that, ¡°Not funny, Jonathan. But good that you brought it up. Here¡¯s your diet chart and schedule for the next 7 days. Everything is good to go as scheduled.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Henry,¡± Jonathan said, seriously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± Henry shrugged it off.


    Jonathan understood his point of view. Henry had, along with Liliana¡¯s other friends, raised the kids together. He was, despite being the biological father, the neer in the children¡¯s life.


    But he was thankful, nheless, for everything.


    Mariana changed the topic, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Vivian?¡±


    Eric teased her, ¡°Why, Mer? You seem quite interested in her.¡±


    Mariana scoffed, ¡°Of course! Her retribution is due. How could we let her off for all the things she did when we were in Kings High.¡±


    James asked, flirtatiously which made everyone raise their eyebrows at him.


    ¡°What did she do to piss off my fire chilly?¡±


    Mariana blushed with embarrassment. He had been flirting and teasing for over a month already. But it was quite different to be teased in front of her friends.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Liliana frowned as she could see that James was only interested in teasing her. It was different from teasing someone while being interested in it as in that case people would draw a line and not hurt the other person. But James seemed rather nonchnt.


    Others looked at the duo questioningly as they could see there was no affection between them.


    Liam, havinge to the same conclusion as Liliana, also shook his head in annoyance. Mariana was a little temperamental but she was rather naive in many things. This turn of events would not do her any good.


    Mariana red at James and retorted, ¡°Shut up, James. The joke has gone on long enough, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    James yed innocent. He loved getting a reaction out of her.


    ¡°What joke are you talking about? I am being serious.¡±


    Jonathan interrupted them before it got ugly. He knew James well enough to know he could never back down and he had no limits. He wanted to spare Mariana the embarrassment.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! You can sort out your issues on your own time. This is not the time or ce for it,¡± Jonathan roared in a no-nonsense tone.


    Mariana understood that he was trying to give her face and gave him a grateful smile.


    The rest of the evening and the sumptuous dinner went quite peacefully and harmoniously.

 Chapter 136 First Sober Kiss

    Liam and Eric stayed behind as Liam wanted to spend some time with the kids.


    They decided to let Kyle live there until Nathaniel¡¯s surgery. That way Joyanna would havepany when the adults were otherwise upied.


    Later at night, Liliana kept tossing and turning without falling asleep.


    Jonathan was exasperated and turned on the lights and pulled her up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop thinking about James and Mer. He is going to drive her to the edge and enjoy as she trips over, isn¡¯t he?¡± She asked, straightforwardly.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Jonathan said. He felt a bit responsible for James¡¯s actions as he was his friend.


    Perhaps things would not have been as bad if that was not the case.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You are not him. I am just worried about Mer,¡± Liliana rified. She did not want it to get between them. They had only just found each other, and she was reluctant to let anything spoil things between them.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I know. I just felt that things would not have been as bad if he was not my friend,¡± Jonathanid out his worries.


    ¡°It does not matter. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°I will talk to James, but to be honest, I don¡¯t think he will listen.¡±


    Jonathan frowned as he said it.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. You talk to him and I will warn Mer. Hope things won¡¯t be as bad as I am imagining it.¡±


    She said holding Jonathan¡¯s hands.


    Jonathan turned towards his wife and looked at her closely.


    She looked so lovely that he could barely resist himself. But he knew he should not push her.


    He caressed her face and looked into her eyes as he dipped his face. When their noses touched each other, he quietly said, ¡°close your eyes!¡±.


    Liliana was nervous and kept looking at him as she blinked repeatedly. He was patient and waited for her to be ready.


    They both knew what was toe.


    Finally, after two agonizing minutes of silence, she closed her eyes slowly. Her grip on his waist tightened and Jonathan could feel her nervousness.


    He pulled her to hisp, so she was leaning against him sideways.


    He turned both their faces. He slowly caressed her back and face tenderly for a long time before he felt her rx.


    Only then did he kiss her face. He slowly kissed her eyes, her forehead, her nose, her cheeks over and over again until she got used to his pecks.


    After a while, she smiled and he felt her heart race. She moved closer to him unconsciously and tightened her hold on him. But this time it was not due to nervousness.


    Finally, he slowly pecked on her lips.


    She instantly stiffened at that. But she did not break free clenching her fist instead.


    He held her clenched fist and unclenched them one at a time as his other hand kept caressing her face and hair.


    He simply pecked her continuously without doing anything. It was long and lingering but it was a chaste kiss all the same.


    Liliana could finally sense some security and rxed again. She ran her hands across his back before finally grabbing him by the shoulders.


    Only after that, Jonathan licked her lips and traced her seams with his tongue, and sucked on her lips without asking for entrance. Liliana held her breath but she did not resist or break free.


    He suckled on her lips and stopped when he realized she needed to breathe.


    He leaned his forehead against hers after giving her onest peck and waited for her to open her eyes.


    Liliana slowly opened her eyes to meet Jonathan¡¯s loving gaze. Whatever lingering nervousness she had was swept away by the intense look in his eyes as he looked at her.


    Jonathan smiled and asked, ¡°Was that okay for you?¡±


    She simply nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Can I kiss you when we are alone from now on?¡± He asked casually. Despite trying to keep his voice even, Liliana could sense the expectation in it.


    She nodded at that without saying anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t do anything that you are not ready for.¡± He reassured her.


    She nodded her head to tell him that she understood.


    ¡°This is the first time I have kissed someone because I wanted to. I did not want that wedding kiss as I had misunderstood you, and then we were drugged, I can barely remember anything.¡±


    Jonathan admitted, hoping that it would ease her concern.


    Liliana leaned into his embrace and hugged him tightly. It was the first real kiss for both of them.


    They fell asleep shortly after.

 Chapter 137 The adultress

    The sweet night ended and Jonathan and Liliana¡¯s morning started with a loud phone call.


    Jonathan grumbled as he picked up the phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you Vincent?¡± Jonathan roared.


    Liliana yawned as she fixed her hair and prepared to get out of bed.


    Jonathan held her and pulled her into his embrace resting his chin on top of her head.


    She was stunned at first but rxed soon after and wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Boss, bad news. There are photos of Mrs. Smith everywhere and she has beenbeled, I am sorry to be the one to break this to you, but she is beingbeled as an adulteress. The pictures are real, I had them verified. So, someone took misleading photos of her and is using it to sway public opinion.¡±


    Vincent was breathless having spoken so urgently.


    Liliana squinted her eyes and sneered, ¡®Rose had finally cast her dice.¡¯Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Jonathan, however, was not happy to wake up to this. He wanted to whip those people and throw them in the ocean amidst sharks.


    ¡°How long has this been?¡± Jonathan asked icily.


    Before Vincent could reply, Liliana snatched Jonathan¡¯s phone and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Vincent. I will take care of it.¡±


    She hung up without waiting for Vincent¡¯s reply. Vincent, who had been worried out of his wits, was speechless.


    Liliana tossed Jonatha¡¯s phone to the bed table and pushed Jonathan on the bed. She slumped on top of him using his as her pillow and bed.


    ¡°Honey?¡± Jonathan asked after a while as he realized she was not going to say anything.


    Liliana had already fallen asleep and did not reply. He could only shake his head at that.


    Jonathan too closed his eyes and went back to sleep. They still had an hour before they needed to be up. Besides, Jonathan was on leave from that day on and he wanted toze around with his wife.


    The outside world, especially the inte, however, was not as peaceful.


    ¡®Oh my god! what is this?¡¯


    ¡®Did I have to wake up to see such shameless things in the morning?¡¯


    ¡®Oh, my eyes! Such promiscuous behavior is making my eyes go blind.¡¯


    ¡®Another scandal, Geez. Are they trying to be celebrities?¡¯


    ¡®Even third-grade actresses who get their roles by sleeping around are purer than her. What a hypocritical bitch!¡¯


    ¡®I hereby dere myself a hater. I can¡¯t believe I took her as my goddess.¡¯


    ¡®I waited and waited for the experts to say these pictures were fake. But got pped in the face instead.¡¯


    ¡®I believe there is more to the story.¡¯


    ¡®Get away from the married Jonathan Smith, slut!¡¯


    ¡®Stay away from our President Smith, filthy bitch!¡¯


    ¡®I wonder whose bastards are her kids.¡¯


    ¡®How did she manage to pull a wool over Jonathan Smith¡¯s eyes?¡¯


    ¡®Such crafty bitches are scary indeed.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe someone took misleading photos to defame her. Has anyone noticed that she is always getting marred by controversies?¡¯


    ¡®I wonder if she giarized other people¡¯s work to found L&L designs.¡¯


    ¡®Boycott L&L Designs.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe she founded L&L Designs to cater to the wives of her sugar daddies.¡¯


    ¡®Now I am sure all those reports of her being a good social worker were lies.¡¯


    ¡®She is so dirty, if you throw cow dung at her, it woulde back filthier instead.¡¯


    ¡°The adultress¡± became a trending topic on the inte.


    Rose¡¯s paid trolls made sure that any positivements would get drowned out.


    The entire plot was rather good.


    Liliana¡¯s reputation waspletely ruined overnight.


    Rose smiledcently. It only took six photos to achieve that.


    One with the old gardener in the house when she was just 15 which showed him holding her in his arms.


    The second photo was with Andrew Jacobsen when she was 16 as he held her bridal style as she looked intoxicated.


    Third with Terry as they are hugging each other tightly.


    The Fourth photo was of her in a wedding dress as she is looking at someone icily but the groom¡¯s face is not visible.


    The fifth photo was her in her wedding dress again, on her wedding bed but surrounded by four men who were clearly not the groom.


    Thest photo of her inebriated state clearly showed signs of having sex but she was being escorted into a hotel room by a middle-aged man.


    Forizens guided by the trolls and who were being fed stories for weeks already, Liliana was, beyond a doubt, an adulteress.

 Chapter 138 You make me fidget

    The rumors were spreading like wildfire and the trending topic was gaining more and more traction.


    But Liliana, Jonathan, L&L Designs, and Smith Group kept mum.


    This fuelled everyone¡¯s imagination as they took their silence as their acquiescence.


    Thements on the inte were going from bad to worse, but Liliana did nothing to stop those.


    Jonathan was surprised to see her reaction. It seemed she was waiting for something and would only retort when she got it.


    She seemed utterly unaffected by the news. Jonathan had never seen anyone so nonchnt. She always had that air that everything was under her control.


    He wondered what would make her fidget and worry. But then he knew the answer to that ¨C the people she loved. He was unsure if he fell in that category.


    Liliana gave the kids two weeks off due to the scheduled surgery. Part of her wanted to keep their sses as it would keep their mind off things, but she dismissed the idea thinking her kids deserved better treatment owing to their maturity.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The following two days flew past quickly with the entire family having fun and taking breaks from their respective schedules. They turned off their gadgets and ignored the outside world enjoying their time alone.


    One evening when the kids went to take a nap, Jonathan could not help but ask her.


    ¡°Are you really going to ignore what¡¯s happening outside?¡±


    ¡°For now, yes. I am waiting for the Aprices to announce that we are married. Besides, I am also waiting for Vivian Stone¡¯s reaction.¡±


    She said very calmly like she was talking about a 3rd party unrted to her. The news simply did not affect her.


    ¡°I am surprised how unaffected you are about the news,¡± Jonathan admitted.


    ¡°People are entitled to have their opinions, I have the luxury to choose whether to let it bother me or ignore it. I can¡¯t let it get to me,¡± Liliana shrugged.


    ¡°Does that include everyone¡¯s opinion?¡± He could not help but enquire, almost scared of the answer.


    Liliana cupped his face and answered as she looked into his eyes, ¡°You make me fidget.¡±


    Jonathan smiled involuntarily. She pinched his cheeks as she added.


    ¡°The opinion of people close to me matters to me. You are the person I fell in love with when I was 8, without even knowing what it meant. Your opinion matters, your peace of mind matters, your opinion of me and my actions mat¡­¡± She tried to exin but was cut off halfway as Jonathan grabbed the back of her head and kissed her.


    Liliana was dumbfounded.


    She stared wide-eyed at him as he looked into her eyes and kissed her softly.


    They had kissed a few times in thest two days, but never like that.


    Liliana felt her knees go weak and held onto him for support.


    He lifted her up and made her sit on the table as he settled himself in between her legs.


    Holding her face in his hands, he slowly added, ¡°I have heard what I needed. You don¡¯t need to exin anymore. I love you so much. I promise to tell you straight away if I ever have any questions orints.¡±


    Liliana smiled. That¡¯s what she needed. An open and frank rtionship.


    Jonathan did not give her a chance to react as he kissed her again.


    Slowly and sensually, he moved his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and parted her lips for better ess. But she did not kiss him back.


    Jonathan was okay with it. Knowing that he made her fidget was enough. It meant that he had a ce in her heart.


    He did not care that she had not opened up enough to kiss him back. Knowing that she could ept his kisses without inhibition was enough for the moment.


    He kissed her for a long time and only stopped when she let out a soft moan.


    She jerked away and covered her mouth in shock.


    He chuckled at her reaction as she buried her head in his neck with embarrassment.

 Chapter 139 Mommy is gone

    Vivian was shocked to find out that Jonathan was married. Even more, he had reconciled with his wife.


    ¡®Was this why he was never interested in me?¡¯ She thought begrudgingly.


    But what bothered her the most was the probability that Liliana was his wife.


    ¡®No, no. She can¡¯t be his wife.¡¯


    Vivian kept denying the possibility of Liliana being Jonathan¡¯s wife but her mind seemed to have a will of its own as the same thought kept popping in again and again.


    Unable to take it anymore, she made a bold decision.


    She sent a message to her assistant and waited for the results.


    On the other hand, Mariana, in a fit of pique, yed along with James and pretended to be sickly sweet with him. She had been sick and tired of being harassed by him and made the bold decision hoping it would wear him out.


    Only time would tell what the oue would be.


    James was ted with her reaction.


    He had been expecting some nd response, he had even thought she might take it up to Jonathan and Liliana to curb his behavior. But her boldness had caught him off guard, nheless, he had been pleasantly surprised.


    James only pushed her further and further in their game. He had never enjoyed something so much in many years.


    Henry and Jennifer were busy prepping for the surgery and trying to clear up schedules to have ample time off when Jonathan and Nathaniel would be admitted, and more importantly, making sure they were well-rested and ready for the several hours-long surgery.


    Finally, it was the day before the scheduled surgery.


    Henry insisted that they both get admitted the day before so their vitals could be monitored for more than 24 hours before the surgery.


    Liliana was agitated, despite her trying to hide it.


    Jonathan rubbed her hands and kissed her lightly, silently giving assurances that everything would be okay.


    The VVIP ward of P city hospital was well equipped to house two patients as Liliana had added another floor and prepared a room for her kids after finding out she was carrying twins. Moreover, it wasrge enough with a private lounge that Liliana could stay back with Joyanna and Kyle.


    The surgery was supposed to take around 8 hours and Liliana wanted a safe ce to wait without causing a fuss for Henry, Doctor Brown ¨C who had been Li¡¯s doctor since the beginning along with Henry, and Doctor Cox ¨C who was the Petrova family doctor and a well renowned general surgeon.


    Mariana, James, and Vincent also came to show their support. But they all had matters to attend to and could not stay behind for a long time.


    Besides, since Henry and Jennifer were there, they did not need to worry too much.


    Liam was busy, so he could not make it.


    The surgery had started, and Liliana along with the two kids waited outside for a while with the others.


    Knowing that the surgery would take a long time, Liliana urged everyone to leave. She reasoned that she would need their help after they are moved from ICU to a general ward and it would be better if the others were well-rested.


    She also took the two kids inside and waited in the lounge.


    Every 15 minutes, one of them would go and check if there had been any changes.


    One of the nurses was tasked to keep them updated every 15 minutes, and they would be reassured with each note.


    The kids had been lying in Liliana¡¯s embrace looking somber and talking only asionally.


    They would obediently walk up to get the status when it was their turn ande back and sit down again after telling everyone.


    Finally, Joyanna came back running jubntly.


    ¡°Mommy, they will be out in the next ten minutes. Let¡¯s go wait outside,¡± She eximed as she jumped into Liliana¡¯s arms.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Liliana finally heaved a sigh and went outside the Operation theater to wait for Henry and the others toe out.


    She received a call from someone when they were waiting and she told the kids to wait patiently and go back to the ward if she is not back.


    Kyle frowned but nodded as he held Joyanna¡¯s hands.


    When Henry came out twenty minutester, he found the two panicking kids with their mother nowhere in sight.


    Kyle and Joyanna kept waiting but neither Liliana returned nor the doors of OT opened as they had expected in ten minutes.


    They rushed toward Henry and said, ¡°Mommy is gone!¡± which shocked Henry to speechlessness.

 Chapter 140 She was kidnapped

    Liliana woke up in a strange environment and felt that her hands and feet had been tied.


    She frowned recalling what she remembered. She had been waiting for Nathan and Li toe out from the OT and she received a call from the old gardener at the Aprice Mansion asking her toe to a remote ce because Andrew Jacobsen, Mariana¡¯s father, had been kidnapped.


    She rushed out after leaving instructions for the kids but was knocked out before she even reached her car in the parking lot.


    Looking around it looked like a hotel room, moreover, her hands and feet had been tied. She waited to see what was toe next.


    While scanning around, she saw a pinhole camera on. She could faintly guess what was going on.


    Who had been so bold to set her up?


    But more importantly, why was she allowed to be kidnapped?


    Liliana turned around and could see the faint gestures of her shadow. She had been specially trained for years along with her shadow tomunicate non-verbally.


    She understood and waited.


    She thought about Jonathan and Li ¨C the surgery must have been over by then. They ought to have regained consciousness even. Will this stress cause issues during recovery? She hoped not, otherwise, her wrath would be terrible.


    She then thought about Joyanna and Kyle ¨C those two must be worried sick waiting for her anxiously and not seeing her. They would tell Henry directly, who would inform Liam, Vincent, and James.


    She was sure that by that time, they all knew that she had been kidnapped.


    Liliana sighed and looked at the ceiling as she closed her eyes in extreme fatigue.


    Henry was shell-shocked for a moment when he saw the surveince footage of Liliana being knocked up and taken away by a man inplete ck with not even his eyes visible.


    The jeep they had carried her in did not have a license te.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    It took him a few seconds toe out of his shock and he immediately called Liam. After briefing him on the scenario, he called Vincent and James. Then he also called Mariana lest she made him suffer for being left in the dark.


    They all rushed to the hospital right away and looked at the footage.


    Liam called a few people and started the search. Vincent and James did the same.


    Mariana received a call from her father¡¯s assistant. ¡°That bitch¡±, she eximed as soon as she hung up the phone.


    She went towards the others and told them what her father¡¯s assistant had told her.


    ¡°My father went for a meeting with someone from Hazel Inc and Vivian¡¯s father was also there. It has been two hours and he is not back yet.¡±


    She sneered and added, ¡°Vivian is definitely behind both of these disappearances. She knows that I have a good rtionship with Lil, and my parents treat her the same as me.¡±


    James looked at her angry eyes and thought it was really hot. Realizing that his mind was getting off track, he shook his head and looked at her again.


    He frowned as he saw Liam rubbing her head while half hugging her.


    Mariana was his girlfriend, even if it was a joke only. How could Liam hold her in front of his eyes?


    She seemed oblivious of his presence. He swore to remedy that as soon as the matters at hand were sorted.


    Jennifer was busy taking care of the kids. She knew she could not help others in searching for Liliana, so she helped the kids keep their minds off things while the others dealt with the situation at hand.


    The kids were visibly anxious, but they held back their tears and cries as they waited for the news. They knew that their mother would be safe, and will be found soon. They repeatedly told themselves to be patient and wait for her.


    They did not want their mother to worry about them. And wanted to prove that they could be relied upon.


    If Jennifer knew what was on their mind, she would cry. The kids were too sensible.

 Chapter 141 Their plan

    Liliana woke up again when she felt someone touching her face. Her hands and feet were no longer bound and there seemed to be two people in the room.


    Liliana pushed the hand touching her away and sat up.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She sneezed several times at the weird fragrance.


    She shook her head and tried to steady her breath before she looked around.


    She was surprised to find Andrew Jacobsen was the one who was trying to wake her up. There was also the old gardener from the Aprice mansion who seemed to have been badly beaten up and was lying beside her on the bed, barely conscious.


    ¡°Uncle, what happened?¡± Liliana asked anxiously. She tried to get up only to realize she seemed to have been too weak to stand up.


    Moreover, she was getting a weird feeling that suspiciously reminded her of her wedding night.


    She was drugged.


    Moreover, uncle Andrew and the gardener grandpa also looked a bit off.


    She shook Andrew before he sobered up enough to react.


    ¡°Lil, what¡¯s going on?¡± He asked. All his focus seemed to be on trying to stand still, and not sway with dizziness.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°I have no idea. I suddenly felt dizzy when I was in a meeting and woke up here,¡± He said leaning on the wall.


    ¡°We have been framed, uncle,¡± Liliana said.


    ¡°I figured as much,¡± He said. He looked at her and sighed.


    ¡°Tell Mer and her mother that I love them,¡± He said as he started to bang his head on the wall.


    Liliana was horrified and scrambled with great difficulty to get up and reach him.


    ¡°Uncle, what are you doing?¡± She anxiously asked.


    ¡°You may not be my blood, Lil, but you are my daughter. I would rather die than even entertain the possibility of having any inappropriate thoughts about you. I don¡¯t know what I have been drugged with, but I am starting to see Merideth in you. Don¡¯t stop me. I would rather die with dignity and a clear conscience than die after losing it.¡±


    He caressed her cheeks and kissed her forehead before he proceeded to bang his head on the wall again.


    Liliana used thest of her strength to push him to the bed.


    She herself staggered and fell to the floor.


    Sheughed hysterically and turned to face the camera and eximed.


    ¡°I thought as a woman, I should raise the bar on how another woman should be treated. I thought I should not be too ruthless while dealing with another woman as it sets the wrong example. I even asked my husband topromise and suffer grievances just to give you some dignity. And this is how you repay me. This is how you p my mercy back on my face. Remember whatever happens next is your fault.¡±


    Liliana had thought that Vivian and the Aprices were only watching the video from the other side. She had no idea that they had live-streamed the entire thing.


    Vivian¡¯s assistant had reached out to Rose to form an alliance. They would together target Liliana and tarnish her reputation leaving her no way out.


    Their n was simple.


    Rose had beaten and knocked out their old gardener and had someone imitate his voice to call Liliana from his phone and ask him to go somewhere remote.


    They would pin her location during the call and kidnap her en route.


    Vivian and her father had trapped Andrew and injected him with drugs.


    After drugging Liliana, Andrew Jacobsen, and the gardener, they would throw all three of them in a bedroom and light special incense which causes hallucination.


    They had set up cameras and uploaded the entire video live. The rest would follow through as the drugs and hallucinogens would do their work.


    Vivian, Rose, and Romeo were rather thrilled at their n. They had taken meticulous care to ensure they would not be caught.


    For example ¨C the jeeps used to kidnap them were inconspicuous and were burned to a crisp. They had contacted a thug anonymously to set up the entire thing.


    However, as they watched the live youtube feed they had a sense of foreboding.

 Chapter 142 No signs of rejection

    Jonathan woke up groggily feeling a bit out of it and in a lot of pain.


    He grunted as he looked around. He could see that he was in an HDU and his son was in the next bed.


    He made some noise to attract attention and Doctor Cox came inside immediately.


    Henry was spending time with the kids as the others were still looking for Liliana.


    Doctor Cox moved some of the tubes attached to Jonathan making it easier for him to breathe normally.


    He dabbed his lips with water but gave him only a small sip for his parched throat.


    Then he began to look at all the vitals again and asked him about how he was feeling.


    When they were done, Jonathan finally asked, ¡°How is my son doing?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Doctor Cox smiled as he nced at the boy in the next bed and said, ¡°His vitals are normal. There¡¯s no sign of rejection yet. We will know more when he wakes up and he would have to be in close observation for the next three weeks before we clear him out. So far, all signs are promising.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I will ring the bell when he wakes up. When can I be discharged?¡± Jonathan asked.


    ¡°After 5 days at the earliest. We need to monitor your vitals closely as well.¡± Doctor Cox replied.


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor! How are my wife and my kids doing?¡± Jonathan asked.


    ¡°They are doing fine. The kids are quite sensible. I will prepare them to visit you after some time. You still need some uninterrupted rest,¡± Doctor Cox replied gently.


    ¡°Thank you! Please tell Lil, not to worry too much.¡± Jonathan said with a yawn.


    Due to the effects of the drug he fell asleep again.


    The next time Jonathan woke up when he faintly heard Li groan.


    He rang the bell and Doctor Brown showed up within a minute.


    Jonathan watched as Doctor Brown adjusted the monitors for Li and talked to him.


    He heaved a sigh after knowing his son was doing well.


    But Jonathan intuitively thought something was wrong. For one Henry was nowhere to be seen and Liliana would not have stayed away. Granted there were hospital protocols to follow, but she owned the hospital.


    He did not reveal anything in front of his son and watched him go to sleep. Only after he had heard Li¡¯s even breathing, he pressed the bell again and asked for Henry.


    Henry came to the HDU knowing full well what Jonathan wanted to ask. His wife was missing and it was only right that he knew about it.


    Henry went inside with a high-definition mobile bed and transferred Jonathan to it as he pushed him towards another room. They did not want to risk Li finding out.


    Jonathan suspected something was up as soon as Henry showed up like that. Moreover, the kids looked somber and Joyanna¡¯s eyes welled up as soon as she saw him.


    Joyanna ran towards Jonathan, but Kyle held her back.


    ¡°Daddy Nathan is injured. Hug him from the side and lightly only.¡±


    Kyle still remembered what Liliana had told them earlier on how to hug and stay close to Jonathan and Nathaniel for the next month.


    Joyanna nodded and slowly walked up to Jonathan and she hugged him lightly. Jonathan pulled her towards another side and made her sit on the bed resting her head on his shoulders.


    Kyle sat on the bed close to his legs.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked no one in particr.


    ¡°Mommy has been kidnapped. Grandpa Andrew as well.¡± Kyle was the one who broke the silence.


    Jonathan looked around and everyone nodded to indicate that it was indeed the truth.


    Jonathan breathed heavily to suppress his anger.


    How could she get kidnapped from the hospital?

 Chapter 143 Found her location

    Jonathan took deep breaths and caressed Joyanna¡¯s head and patted Kyle¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Your mommy will be fine. I promise! Don¡¯t tell this to Li yet, because it will affect his recovery,¡± He told them calmly.


    The kids nodded sensibly. He was surprised how they did not make a fuss at all.


    Jonathan looked at the time and asked them gently, ¡°Did the two of you have dinner?¡±


    Kyle nodded, ¡°Yes, Aunty Jenn made noodles for us.¡±


    Jonathan smiled, ¡°Good! Very good. Now, go to your room and sleep. Aunty Jenn will keep youpany. I will find your Mommy for you, okay?¡±


    The two kids nodded and left with Jennifer albeit reluctantly.


    Jonathan pulled them, kissed them both, and nodded his head, showing that he would definitely find her.


    Jennifer led the kids to their lounge and kept thempany as they slept. She herself was too restless to sleep.


    Jonathan looked at Vincent and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Vincent surmised, ¡°It was around 10 minutes before the surgery ended. She received a call and left. She was kidnapped from the parking lot.¡±


    He paused to let Jonathan process this and added theirbined findings so far, ¡°Her phone has been found in the dumpster right outside the gate. The car was traced to a point where there was no surveince. There are 10 minutes of dead-end there, after that the car is driven straight to a channel and dropped from there. The kidnapper jumped out right before the crash and disappeared in the river.¡±


    Mariana also added, ¡°My father went missing at the same time. He was having a meeting with someone from Hazel Inc, and unexpectedly Vivian Stone¡¯s father had shown up. When his assistant realized something was amiss, he was nowhere to be found. His trail ends exactly the same way. Inconspicuous vehicle dumped in water after a 10-minute dead end.¡±


    Jonathan nodded, ¡°Who did she receive the call from?¡±


    Mariana answered, ¡°Gardener from Aprice mansion. They have a good rtionship.¡±


    Jonathan frowned and said, ¡°So this was plotted by Vivian and Aprices. Find out any connections between the two and where have they been in thest two weeks. Check their finances.¡±


    Vincent said, ¡°I am on it. It¡¯s taking some time to get the info. We should have it in two hours. And Romeo¡¯s whereabouts as well.¡±


    They were interrupted by a knock on the door. They turned around to see Doctor Cox holding his phone.


    ¡°You should see this.¡±


    They all looked wide-eyed as the live stream of the youtube video began showing Liliana in a bed with one man while another was shaking her awake.


    The bedroom was dimly lit and there was smoke making it more sensual.


    ¡°That¡¯s dad and gardener,¡± Mariana eximed with clenched teeth.


    ¡°I am going to kill that bitch,¡± She shouted.


    Vincent¡¯s phone rang and he put it on the speaker, ¡°There¡¯s a live stream video going on. Found the location. Sending someone to check it out with an ambnce and Inspector Harry.¡±


    The voice from the other end made everyone heave a sigh.


    ¡°Make it quick! Send me the location, I wille as well,¡± Vincent added.


    Jonathan was about to get up but was held down by Doctor Cox.


    ¡°She is protected. Nothing will happen to her. Take care of your body and the kids in the meantime.¡±


    The aged doctor told Jonathan, ignoring the scowl on his face.


    Mariana chimed in, ¡°He is right. Don¡¯t make her worry ab¡­¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She was cut off as she saw her father bang his head on the wall.


    They were all horrified as they saw what transpired on the screen.


    Listening to Liliana roar at the screen, she seemed to have figured out who was behind the scenes.


    Jonathan felt his heart clench as he saw her angry and aggravated face.


    He clenched his fists tight and vowed in his heart to make the culprits pay.

 Chapter 144 Determined to destroy them

    Jonathan looked at Vincent and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to go there. Let the team handle it. Go back to the office and deal with Stone Group. I want them facing bankruptcy before I get discharged.¡±


    Mariana nodded, ¡°Make sure you look into all their overseas business and ounts as well. She studied abroad, so look into those connections as well. That bitch Vivian should not get the easy way out to run overseas.¡±


    Henry hugged her as she seemed to be shaking with anger.


    Jonathan looked at Henry and Doctor Cox and said, ¡°Get ready to receive them and treat them as soon as they arrive here.¡±


    Mariana was still shaking as he told her, ¡°Go freshen up. Then go to sleep with Jo and Kyle. Jennifer will be busy after they arrive.¡±


    Mariana took deep breaths as she rxed and went to the bathroom.


    Jonathan resumed looking at the video as Liliana looked at a corner and a robe was thrown at her.


    Liliana wore the robe and took off a very realistic human body cover which seemed to be clinging onto her body as if it was her skin and the skimpy clothes that she had seemed to be wearing that had left nothing to the imagination.


    Jonathan stared wide-eyed for he could not believe she was wearing something like that.


    She tightened her robe and turned over the skin-colored covering and saw a section inside was bulging with some sort of liquid.


    ¡°Get this to theb and identify what I was injected with. Take these damn incense also and have them tested. It¡¯s making me dizzy.¡± She ordered as she threw her bodice cover and a few incenses towards the same corner.


    She then proceeded to put out all the incense and open all the windows, turn on the lights, and went to the bathroom.


    She came back with a gon of water and looked for something.


    When she did not find anything, she took a small handkerchief from her robe and dabbed it with water before wetting the lips of those two unconscious men.


    Just then the door was jerked open and she did not even look around before she announced, ¡°P city hospital. Step on it! Call Henry and ask him to be ready.¡±


    She then caressed their heads and kissed their forehead before she stepped away.


    Jonathan heaved a sigh seeing that she was unharmed but she had clearly suffered.


    He then asked Vincent to tell his assistant to prepare a proposal to acquire the Aprice Group in the shortest time possible.


    Jonathan was still giving out instructions when Vincent cut him off saying he should check the news.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Jonathan hung up and clicked on the trending topic to see his marriage certificate with Liliana.


    Heughed sarcastically.


    He texted Vincent to step on it as he waited for Liliana.


    Jonathan asked a nurse to take him to see his kids. When he saw all three of them sleeping soundly, he went back to the lounge and took his tablet.


    He was determined to leave no inch while destroying Viviana and Aprices. He made a n to ruin thempletely.


    Stone family¡¯s rtives who were in a high position and were likely to help them, their debt and enemies over the years ¨C he went through everything and made a detailed n to squeeze all their options.


    Dealing with Aprice family was trickier than handling the Stones as it was Liliana¡¯s family. But Rose, Lydia, and Romeo were fair targets. He had had someone dig up on them sometime back after he reconciled with Liliana and he made another n to destroy them.


    Jonathan did not want them to suffer quick losses. He meant to torture them until they beg for release.


    He had never felt so angry in his entire life.

 Chapter 145 A shoulder to cry on

    After agonizing twenty minutes, Liliana arrived at the P city hospital.


    She had fixed herself a bit and seemed to be calm.


    She directly ignored the reporters that had crowded the hospital. As she was nked by a team of two dozen bodyguards, no one could get near her.


    Henry, Doctor Cox, and Jennifer were waiting by the entrance along with a few other staff of the hospital.


    As soon as they arrived, they escorted the two elderly gentlemen to a stretcher and wheeled them inside.


    Liliana immediately went to the VVIP ward and found Jonathan sitting on a mobile bed attached with various drips and monitors waiting right outside the elevator.


    She gulped as she looked at him and wheeled him to a vacant room.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    As soon as she had closed the door, she hugged him tight from one side still making sure not to hurt him.


    She did not say anything, but just held him and closed her eyes.


    Jonathan felt choked as he saw her like that. He caressed her arm but did not know what to say.


    After a while, he felt tears on his shoulders. Her tears felt very hot and they left a scorching feeling in his heart.


    He immediately pulled her towards himself and kissed her hard. That was the only thing he could think of doing.


    The kiss was passionate and fuelled with many emotions ¨C Love, Anger, Relief, Apology, Promise, and so much more.


    He kissed her hard sucking on her tongue ruthlessly and only let go when they were both out of breath.


    His wounds hurt with the overexertion, and he gasped.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Liliana asked when she saw him gasp and hold the side of his stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I am sorry. I should have protected you,¡± He apologized.


    Jonathan had been feeling like a failure the entire time he waited for her.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t say that. I would have had those enemies with or without you. I am d I have you, I have someone to rely on, a shoulder to cry on when I feel wronged. I love you, Jonathan, so much.¡±


    Liliana said emotionally as she hugged his arm.


    ¡°I love you too, honey. I love you so much. If I could, I would take away all the sadness and worries from you,¡± He confessed.


    They sat there like that clinging onto each other for a while.


    Finally, Liliana asked, ¡°How do you feel? Did you talk to Li?¡±


    ¡°It hurts a bit but otherwise I am fine. I am not supposed to eat or drink anything, so the parched throat is killing me,¡± Jonathan pecked her and added, ¡°Li woke up for a while but fell asleep again due to medication. Doctor Brown said all signs are good.¡±


    Jonathan caressed her as she heaved a sigh of relief, and added, ¡°Jo and Kyle were so sensible, it breaks my heart.¡±


    ¡°I know. They have always been like that. But it¡¯s good. I would rather they be sensible than be spoiled brats,¡± She sighed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take you back to the HDU. You need rest. We will talk about what to do next by tomorrow,¡± She said as she got up and started to wheel him out.


    ¡°Alright. Talk to Vincent, I have briefed him on a few tasks,¡± He agreed. Jonathan knew that he needed to rest and recuperate well. Only then he could ease her worries and help her with other tasks.


    Liliana stopped by Li¡¯s bed as soon as she arrived in the HDU. She caressed her son and kissed his head as she read the vitals on the monitors. She could not understand much, but based on her limited knowledge, everything seemed normal.


    Nathaniel stirred awake as if he had felt someone¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Shh! Go back to sleep, my little baby. Mommy loves you so much. I will bring your siblings to see you tomorrow. Sleep easy now.¡±


    Liliana mumbled a little and her son went back to sleep.


    Jonathan felt he had slept soundly after she talked to him.


    She then helped Jonathan to the bed and called a nurse to help hook the monitors correctly.


    She pecked his lips and told him to go to sleep as well.


    Then she made her way to their room and woke Mariana up. Mariana had fallen asleep while crying on the chair by the bed.


    Liliana gently woke her up and hugged her before she ushered her out. Mariana went to see her father and called her mother to the hospital.


    Liliana took a quick shower and snugged along with her two kids.


    Their family had a peaceful sleep while Vivian¡¯s nightmares had just begun.

 Chapter 146 Failed completely and thoroughly

    Vivian was in a spa getting treatment as the youtube feed about Liliana had gone live.


    She could hardly hide her smugness when the video first started.


    ¡°Oh My God! Isn¡¯t that the founder of L&L Designs, Mrs. Liliana?¡±


    Someone in the spamented.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she is this shameless. I was still defending her when those pictures were released saying those could be taken with malicious intent. I never realized she was actually worse.¡±


    ¡°Sleeping with two elderly men, and the older one seems to have tired out after some action. I never expected her to be this slutty.¡±


    ¡°Such a slut!¡±


    ¡°And the audacity to broadcast it live!¡±


    ¡°She is a ssic example of a bitch who would die and take all others with her to hell.¡±


    The more Vivian heard, the smugger she became. This was exactly what that bitch Liliana deserved.


    Vivian had taken a foot spa and chosemon sitting rather than a private room as she was wont to always do.


    Listening to the remarks about Liliana, Vivian thought it was worth looking at other people¡¯s ugly faces.


    However, her glee turned out to be short-lived.


    She saw Liliana wake up and Andrew Jacobsen bang his head on the wall.


    All the chatters stopped as he did so and everyone heard his words loud and clear.


    Some people had recognized him as one of the men in one of those scandal photos of Liliana that had been exposed.


    ¡°Did he just try to kill himself rather than¡­. because she is like his daughter?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what is happening?¡±


    ¡°Oh My God! Are they victims all along?¡±


    ¡°No wonder she stays low-key. Why would someone do this to a woman?¡±


    ¡°I feel so ashamed for having judged her so quickly.¡±


    Vivian turned green with rage as she heard thements on Liliana turning around along with Andrew¡¯s confession.


    ¡®What¡¯s so great about that bitch that Andrew Jacobson would rather die?¡¯


    Vivian had never expected this result.


    Having drugged all three of them and having lighted incense which causes hallucinations, she was extremely confident about seeing R-rated content.


    But this was beyond her expectations.


    Vivian¡¯s rage turned into fear as the rest of the video went on.


    ¡®I even asked my husband topromise and suffer grievances just to give you some dignity.¡¯ Those words made her feel ufortable.


    However, it was Liliana¡¯s next words that sent a chill down Vivian¡¯s spine.


    ¡®Remember whatever happens next is your fault.¡¯


    The icy look on Liliana¡¯s face was deadly. Her ring eyes seemed too intimidating.


    It took a while for Vivian to calm herself down.


    ¡®I have erased all traces of my involvement. There is no way she could link it back to me. She has nothing against me. Even if this failed, everyone saw her almost naked appearance.¡¯


    Vivian tried to calm herself, however, what transpired on the screen next made her vomit blood.


    Lilina zipped her clothes and took off what everyone had been thinking of as her skin.


    Vivian was not reconciled. She had spent so much money, and she was not even exposed.


    It seemed their n had failedpletely and thoroughly.


    She suddenly felt likeughing.


    Vivian had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep herself from blurting out something.


    She controlled her expressions the best she could. But the person who was giving her foot massage had more or less seen all of it.


    As soon as Vivian left the Spa, she couldn¡¯t help but gossip amongst all her colleagues.


    ¡°You guys won¡¯t believe what happened earlier.¡± The masseuse said as they were discussing the youtube feed.


    ¡°I think we all saw what happened.¡± Someone scoffed.


    ¡°Oh No! Miss Stone was very happy and excited when the video started. The anticipation on her face was as if she had orchestrated the entire thing.¡±


    ¡°Hush, do you want to die? Don¡¯t say such things recklessly.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Shh! Trust me. She seemed very angry when Mr. Jacobsen chose to hurt himself rather than rape her. And you know she was clenching her first so hard when nothing happened. Not to mention, she was scared when Mrs. Liliana mentioned her husband.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡±


    ¡°You can check the monitors if you don¡¯t believe me. Trust me Miss Stone is not at all the kind and pure person as she acts out to be.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention this, I did think it was weird that she sat in themon area today. She has been a regr here for more than three years, and it was the first time she had skipped the private area.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Oh My God! She is scary. When you serve her next time, remember not to piss her off.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s best if we be invisible in her eyes.¡±


    ¡°I feel sorry for Mrs. Liliana. Bing rich also does not seem like a very good thing.¡±


    And so thements went on.


    By the end of the next day, Vivian was already known as a bitch within the working ss of the high-end establishments.


    She had set out to destroy Liliana but ended up screwing herself over.

 Chapter 147 They were married

    The inte was on fire the next day.


    Theizens spected on the contents in detail.


    Some were shocked that Liliana was framed like that with someone who was like her father.


    Some admired that bond between Andrew Jacobsen and her.


    Some said it was staged given her clothes and the help she had.


    Some said she had nned the entire thing.


    But mostly they were all positive towards her.


    The fact that she had turned out to be Jonathan Smith¡¯s wife was somehow unexpected.


    People called her out for cuckolding her husband.


    Thosements were rather harsh as most people agreed that despite not being promiscuous, she had indeed cheated on Jonathan.


    Some sharp-eyed people also noticed that they still did not know Liliana¡¯s full name.


    Thements, analysis, hate, support ¨C everything went on relentlessly.


    But like always, Liliana was quiet. Too quiet even.


    Theizens did not know what to make of her silence.


    They also awaited at the entrance of Smith Group to catch Jonathan Smith, who surprisingly turned out to be Mrs. Liliana¡¯s husband.


    Some people also traced the events back to the rtionship between Vivian Stone and Jonathan Smith and wondered what the married couple was ying at when they denied being in any rtionship when confronted by Vivian.


    Thementers were harsh while defending their icon.


    ¡®The shameless couple yed with the innocent Miss Stone.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, they pretended to be innocent but they were obviously married and insulted Miss Stone like that.¡¯


    ¡®I wonder if they are going to put the me on Miss Stone for this farce again.¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s protest outside of the Smith Group building. Just because he is rich, does not mean he gets to y Miss Stone like that.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, Jonathan Smith was obviously married, yet he never denied his rtionship with Miss Stone.¡¯


    ¡®He slept with Miss Stone despite being married.¡¯


    ¡®Cheater and a loose woman. They make a perfect match. Thank God, our innocent Miss Stone got to see their colors early.¡¯


    ¡®Poor Miss Stone has been targeted by that bitch Liliana since they were in school. She even used her husband to trap her. I have never seen anyone that shameless in my entire life.¡¯


    ¡®Even textbook viins are more decent than her.¡¯


    ¡®I feel for Miss Stone.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t despair, Miss Stone. We are here for you.¡¯


    Vivian waited with bated breath for Liliana and Jonathan¡¯s retaliation. But even after a few days, there was no response.


    She heaved a sigh thinking that they did not have any proof.


    Vivian had spent quite a lot of money and called in a few favors to have her eyes and ears in the police station. She wanted to be promptly informed whether there had been a policeint against her.


    Her taut nerves finally calmed down after there was no response from them for three days.


    Moreover, she got busy as someone seemed to be targeting their business overseas.


    At first, she had suspected Jonathan, but it turned out to be local investors who had teamed up to root out the foreign capitalists as they called it.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Vivian thought they wereughable as anyone who was doing business was a capitalist of sorts.


    Her father was swift in dealing with them.


    But unfortunately, they had ruffled some features and had to spend almost all of their off-shore capital to buy their silence.


    Their off-shore ount and business were just a back-up in case something happened in P city. Not that it was likely as they had been strongly ced in the industry in thest two years, but it did not hurt to be cautious.


    After two more days, the matters with their off-shore business had been resolved, despite them losing a lot of money. It did not deter the Stones as they could build their capital again.


    Vivian did not think too much about it as most of her focus had been on Liliana¡¯s reaction.


    After five days of the incident, she still had not responded.


    Theizen¡¯s support for Vivian had been growing exponentially in those days.


    But people supporting Liliana had been depleting.


    Thinking it was the right time to strike, Vivian posted on her social media.


    ¡°I am sorry for the misunderstanding, Mrs. Liliana. I never knew you were married to Jonathan. He never mentioned it in thest four years that we have been friends. Nor did I see you in hispany, or even in P city for that matter. I am sorry if I have offended you in any way.


    I truly did not know that you were married. I am sorry.¡±


    Theizens went crazy seeing the multiple apologies on her post.


    They all praised Vivian to be humble and down-to-earth, some even praised her to be a modern fairy.


    On the other hand, they spew dirt on Liliana and Jonathan.


    The topic #despicablecouple became trending on social media.


    Jonathan and Liliana were hurled many profanities as they had seemingly misled Vivian and forced her to be a third party in their marriage just to humiliate her.

 Chapter 148 I miss sleeping in your arms

    Jonathan squinted at Liliana again and sighed more audibly than thest time as he read thements on his tablet.


    Kyle and Joyanna snickered from the sides as Liliana ignored them and focused on talking to Mariana instead.


    Jonathan cleared his throat and coughed again to draw her attention to no avail.


    Finally, Mariana could not take it anymore and cursed.


    ¡°Do you want medications for your cough, President Smith? Enough disturbing us.¡±


    ¡°I am the patient here, Miss Jacobsen. Also, why don¡¯t you go and apany your father?¡± Jonathan could not believe her audacity.


    She was in his room and was using him of disturbing her when it was her who had been keeping his wife busy throughout the day.


    ¡®How could they talk so much?¡¯


    ¡°No thanks! My father has his wife by his side. He does not need me.¡± Mariana shrugged.


    ¡°But I need my wife, so please make yourself scarce,¡± Jonathan grumbled.


    The kids burst outughing and Mariana choked.


    ¡°Jonathan Smith, she is my best friend first and your wifeter. Don¡¯t be presumptuous just because she loves you.¡± Mariana did not think anything was wrong with her statement.


    But Jonathan looked at her aghast and at his wife, whose shaking shoulders showed her mirth while she stayed quiet.


    ¡°Say something!¡± He begged his wife. But unfortunately for him, she burst outughing instead.


    Jonathany back on the bed defeated as he stared at the ceiling tuning out all of them.


    He was so lost in thought that he did note to his senses until he felt a cooling sensation on his lips.


    He gulped involuntarily at the sweet taste of his wife¡¯s lips which disappeared so quickly that he thought he must have drifted off to sleep and dreamt it.


    He looked around and saw Liliana staring at him with a smile on her lips and the kids and Mariana were nowhere in sight.


    He looked back at her with pursed lips showing his grievances.


    Lilianaughed out loud seeing him like that which infuriated him further as he turned his back on her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. It will hurt your wound. You need to take care of your body.¡± She said as she gently turned him around.


    Jonathan stayed quiet and just looked at her.


    Liliana looked at the closed door and got inside the coversying beside him resting her head on his shoulders and encircling her arms around his waist.


    ¡°Recover quickly, Mr. Husband. I miss sleeping in your arms.¡±


    Liliana said with her eyes closed, her voice muffled as she pressed her face on his neck.


    Jonathan could not help butugh. She was good at making him angry and making himugh effortlessly.


    ¡°Why did you ignore me, Mrs. Smith?¡± He asked as he moved, gettingfortable with her in his arms.


    ¡°I was not ignoring you. I was trying to get Mariana to understand the various stages of retaliation. She is too naive and innocent and wants to deal a fatal blow. I am a vicious bitch who likes to torture her prey.¡±


    Jonathan felt her calm voice tinged with a sense of mncholy.


    He grabbed her chin and made her look into his eyes. Seeing her eyes, he knew she was not happy.


    ¡°You are a daughter, a friend, a mother, a wife, and a Queen. You have to endure the heavy burden of having to do justice and protect the ones you love. If you are a pushover, the ones you love will get hurt. And they deserve worse than what you have in store for them.¡±


    He kissed her eyes slowly as he continued.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Your retaliation is much more forgiving and gentle than what they did to you in the first ce. In your ce, I would have made them suffer worse than what they had nned for you. Don¡¯t think badly about yourself.¡±


    Liliana nodded, but then sniffled as she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you find me repulsive?¡±


    Jonathanughed, ¡°I find you very admirable. You are the kind of person I want Jo to grow up to be like. That should tell you how much I like you.¡±


    Liliana finally smiled which made Jonathan smile involuntarily.


    ¡°I love you so much. I don¡¯t think there are enough words in all thenguages in all of our history to describe it.¡±


    Jonathan said with so much conviction that Liliana had no doubt he meant it.


    She kissed him on his cheeks and smiled.


    Jonathan felt his heart melt at her smile.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, as your punishment for ignoring me, kiss me on the lips.¡±

 Chapter 149 Let’s do that again

    Liliana looked at Jonathan wide-eyed at his request.


    They had been kissing frequently these days, but it was always Jonathan who kissed her. She had not mustered enough courage to kiss him back yet.


    She looked at his eyes and his lips and was suddenly reminded of how he had kissed her on that day. She had felt like suffocating at first, but after she had eased into it, she had felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.


    She stared at his lips and gulped audibly making Jonathan shake his head in helplessness.


    ¡°Honey? What¡¯s on your mind?¡± He probed seeing her frozen.


    ¡°I¡­You kiss me.¡± She said, confused.


    ¡°Nah! This time you take the initiative.¡± He said, amused.


    ¡°But¡­¡± She bit her lips unsure of what to do.


    Seemingly having read her thoughts, he said, ¡°Rx. Do what you feel like. Don¡¯t think too much, okay.¡±


    She heaved a defeated sigh and took a deep breath as if she was gearing up for a battle.


    Jonathan could only shake his head.


    She slowly inched closer and closed her eyes as she pressed her lips to his and for a second froze like that.


    Then she remembered how much she liked it when he licked her lips and sucked on them, so she did the same slowly and cautiously.


    Jonathan tightened his hold on her waist to keep himself from taking over and ravaging her mouth.


    Feeling his reaction, she pulled back and looked at him. He had his eyes closed and seemed to have a look of anticipation on his face.


    That somehow gave her the courage to continue and so she did.


    Licking and sucking his lips, Liliana realized it was not all that difficult, she just had to close her eyes and stop thinking. Her feelings and their body gestures would do the rest.


    After a while, Jonathan could not take it anymore and started to reciprocate. She froze as he did and he slowed down as if waiting for her.


    It only took a few seconds before she got the hang of it and they kissed for a long time.


    It was a gentle delicate dance like a spring of flowing water. They just followed their feelings without fighting for control and only let go after they were both out of breath.


    Liliana opened her eyes after she had evened out her breathing and was shocked to see she was lying on top of him with her hands running on his chest and neck, and his hand caressing the back of her head and face.


    She abruptly got up and asked, ¡°Did I press your wounds?¡±


    Jonathan smiled, ¡°Nope!¡±


    Seeing her skeptical reaction, he lifted his shirt and showed her that his wounds were indeed fine.


    She finally rxed and then smiled.


    ¡°That felt so good. Let¡¯s do that again.¡± She eximed.


    Jonathan was stunned at her reaction andughed, ¡°I am d you think so. Feel free to kiss me anytime, anywhere, and anywhere you like.¡±


    He added with a wink and it took a few seconds for her to realize what that meant. When she realized, her eyes widened and she looked horrified.


    ¡°Honey, have you ever thought about how Jo and Li came to be?¡± He asked with a frustrated look on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault, Jonathan Smith. I never even let anyone hold my hand and waited to have all my firsts with you. You called me a gold-digger.¡± She huffed.


    She poked his chest and added, ¡°Do you even know how rich I am?¡±


    She looked at him with a pout which made him smile but he coughed and said seriously, ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    She chuckled at his reaction and said, ¡°Ah! You are so cute.¡± She kissed his nose as she added, ¡°Of course, I know how Jo and Li came to be. I do remember some things vaguely. Even if I did not, I was not living under a rock you know.¡±


    She sighed and added, ¡°It¡¯s just I feel like I was turned off from intimacypletely after what happened. Not to mention, over the years, now and then I wondered if you were with someone else which made me instinctively resistant.¡±


    She bit her lips as she added, ¡°Honestly speaking, Nathan, I probably would not have agreed to work things out with you if you had been with some other woman. I know it¡¯s not your fault, but even so.¡±


    He held her tight and kissed her head, ¡°It¡¯s alright. It was my fault, even if you don¡¯t me me. It¡¯s okay. I would not have epted you if you had been with someone else either, at least not this easily. We both are the same in this regard, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I don¡¯t want to dwell on this and waste our time on what-ifs.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°Want to kiss again?¡± He probed.


    ¡°Can we?¡± She asked expectantly, her eyes twinkling.


    ¡°Why would you think we can¡¯t?¡± He was confused by her question.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want you to be in any difort. Your wound has not healed yet, and I would rather you heal quickly.¡± She said with her head tilted.


    ¡°You are a gem, my dear wife.¡± He said as he crashed his lips on hers.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    This time Jonathan took the lead and she followed.


    She froze as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, and only reciprocated after a few seconds.


    He was very patient as he allowed her to set the rhythm she wasfortable with. After a minute they were in perfect sync, and he slowly started to nudge her again as the kiss slowly got passionate and their hands started roaming around.

 Chapter 150 First step of retaliation

    Jonathan and Liliana were thoroughly enjoying their kissing sessions when they were interrupted by a call on Liliana¡¯s phone.


    ¡°Hang up!¡± Jonathan said with a pout, which made Lilianaugh as she picked up the phone and put it on the loudspeaker.


    ¡°Boss, everything is ready. Shall we proceed?¡± Vincent asked.


    ¡°Vincent!¡± Jonathan eximed before Liliana could respond, ¡°When did you switch jobs?¡± He asked as he looked at Liliana.


    ¡°She pays better, boss.¡± Vincent joked.


    Jonathan was speechless as Lilianaughed.


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead Vincent. Coordinate with Alice, and tell Mer as well. You can discuss the aftermath with Alice. Don¡¯t bother with Smith Group¡¯s PR.¡± Liliana sinctly said.


    ¡°Alright boss. I will get to it.¡± Vincent hung up and proceeded with the first step of their retaliation.


    Jonathan looked at Liliana who seemed to have taken over his role, and his assistant and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to talk to Vincent? I had him coordinate with my assistant, Alice. Stone Group¡¯s offshore business and all their off-shore capital is gone. Now that their back-up is gone, and she has been over-smart posting nonsense like that, the next is the video and then their business, and then the things she did in Kings High.¡±


    Liliana exined as she lifted Jonathan¡¯s shirt to check on his wound again.


    ¡°Why did you not tell me?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I divided our works. I deal with them, and you make me happy.¡± She said tilting her head to the side as she looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes.


    ¡°I like this division. You take Vincent and all my resources, delegate all work, and I will make you happy all day long,¡± Jonathan said with a smirk.


    Lilianaughed as she understood his point.


    ¡°Alright! You rest well. I will go get the kids. I don¡¯t want them to be with Mer when the newses out. She has no filter, as you may have noticed.¡±


    Jonathan wanted to continue making out but he nodded. He did not want kids within earshot of Mer¡¯s outbursts.


    Liliana arrived at the VIP ward and saw the kids ying ludo with Andrew and the gardener. Mer was lying on the side with her head on her mother¡¯sp.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She took a photo quickly and joined them.


    When the game ended, she asked the elders to rest as she took the kids away.


    ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± Mariana eximed, making everyoneugh as her mother hit her on the back of her head.


    ¡°Lil, take me away, your aunt is bullying me,¡± Mariana cried instead which made her mother shake in anger.


    Andrew knew his wife and daughter best, so he pulled Merideth to his side and asked her for some water, distracting her. As she turned around, he gestured for the kids to go quickly.


    The two older gentlemen were doing alright, but Liliana had insisted that they stay in the hospital for at least a week which was a good opportunity for them to rx as they also got full body check-ups.


    The P city hospital¡¯s VIP and VVIP wards were for the ultra-rich people and so staying there like a vacation was not a big deal as they were just spending money on expensive hospital rooms which were empty anyway. It was not like they were hogging empty beds which could have been used by actually sick people.


    Mariana asked Liliana what was the matter as soon as they were in the VVIP corridor.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. You can check the news.¡± She simply said as she first entered the HDU.


    They were first escorted to a separate room by a nurse who had them wear istion gowns and then they were allowed inside to see Li.


    For better monitoring, Henry and Doctor Brown had insisted on keeping Li in HDU for a week before he was transferred to the VVIP ward where he would have to stay for one more week.


    Li was sleeping when they got there but he was awakened by the noise.


    Doctor Brown had assured them that it was okay to wake him up and talk to him from time to time as long as he was not overly excited.


    They chatted for a while as the kids filled Li in on Jonathan¡¯s grievances in the afternoon.


    Just as they were narrating the story, Jo stopped halfway through and sighed, ¡°Oh, No! We came without daddy again. He had wanted to go with us. Last time he scolded us when we forgot and said that if we alle individually, you will be tired.¡±


    Li had an imperceptible smile on his face as he heard that.

 Chapter 151 Son’s hard-won acceptance

    Nathaniel had not been sure about his father who had been missing for years, and he had not believed his mother¡¯s story about his amnesia. But knowing that there must have been something between his parents, he did not make a fuss.


    Jonathan was proving himself to be reliable and Li was d. He could finally lower his guard around his father slowly.


    Liliana saw his reaction and turned around to hide her tears.


    ¡°I knew you guys would forget me!¡± Jonathan bellowed from the door as soon as she turned around.


    He had arrived shortly after they had but had stayed behind and watched.


    ¡°Nathan, why are you walking?¡± Liliana eximed as she went forward to support him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad!¡± He whispered in his wife¡¯s ears as he leaned on her.


    She simply nodded and they went towards their son¡¯s bed.


    ¡°How do you feel, buddy?¡± Jonathan asked.


    ¡°I am okay. I drank some fluids in the afternoon, they have to see the resultster and then I will get to eat liquid food if everything is okay.¡± Li exined once again.


    ¡°Do you feel any difort?¡± Jonathan probed.


    ¡°Not that bad,¡± the little guy shrugged as he yawned.


    ¡°Alright! Go to sleep now!¡± Jonathan patted his shoulders.


    ¡°You also take care, Daddy!¡± Li added with another yawn and Jonathan stiffened.


    It was the first time his son had expressed his concern for him and called him ¡®Daddy¡¯ warmly.


    Jonathan bent down to kiss his forehead as he swallowed the lump in his throat.


    Liliana ruffled her son¡¯s hair and kissed him as they all left.


    Liliana put the two kids in bed for their afternoon nap and went up to Jonathan¡¯s bed after they had fallen asleep.


    Jonathan was staring at the ceiling again when she came inside.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± She asked as she made herselffortable in the bed beside him.


    ¡°I think Li has finally started to ept me,¡± Jonathan admitted, his voice thick with emotions.


    ¡°Yes, he has!¡± She smiled in relief.


    ¡°This is one of the happiest moments in my life,¡± Jonathan confessed as he caressed her face, ¡°I have never felt this proud of myself. It is an incredible feeling to be able to win my son¡¯s approval.¡±


    ¡°I hope we can always be this happy and close as a family,¡± she said.


    ¡°We will. We are bound to have some minor disagreements, but we will always be there for each other and the kids. We will always be a united family,¡± He said with conviction.


    ¡°Hmm¡± Liliana nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a party after Li is discharged,¡± Jonathan proposed.


    Lilianaughed, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to celebrate Li epting you?¡±


    ¡°Am I that transparent?¡± Jonathan frowned before shrugging it off, ¡°Yes, I want to celebrate my son¡¯s hard-won affection. I had not hoped to be able to win him over so quickly. I had made up my mind for a probationary period of a year at least.¡±


    Liliana wound up chuckling.


    ¡°You and Mer are going to be great friends. She had wanted to keep you on probation before allowing you into our lives as my husband and the kids¡¯ father only after you pass.¡±


    Jonathan was speechless.


    He looked at his wife who wasughing in mirth before he flipped her over and kissed her.


    Liliana was surprised and instinctively looked at his wound. She rxed as she realized she was not pressing on his wound and looked at her husband who was looking at her with an expectant face.


    ¡°Let me set the pace, okay?¡± She asked.


    Jonathan raised his eyebrows. He was surprised at how quickly she gotfortable with their kissing. But he was more than happy about it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll alternate, okay?¡± Shepromised.


    ¡°You set the pace, I will take overter. And Mrs. Smith, you better practice more while I am still in the hospital. I won¡¯t be holding backter.¡± He said with finality.


    Liliana felt equally nervous and excited at his deration as she pouted before she leaned in to kiss him.


    As he had said, he let her set the pace for a while before taking the lead and making her breath hitch.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Liliana pulled apart after a long time as she felt a strange sensation.


    She panted hard as she clutched her stomach.


    ¡°I feel funny,¡± She said.


    ¡°You are aroused, honey. And I am ufortable.¡± He said with a sigh as he stared at the ceiling again and took long breaths.


    His wounds hurt a bit, kissing with that intensity and the exertion that came with it but it was worth it.


    Liliana looked down at his pants and covered her mouth to suppress her snigger.


    Jonathan could only shake his head, but herughter had indeed helped suppress himself.

 Chapter 152 Vivian Stone’s true colors

    Vivian had finally managed to breathe normally after being anxious for a few days on end.


    Liliana and Jonathan clearly did not have any evidence against her, they were touted as a despicable couple while she had whitewashed herself.


    While Vivian was still disgruntled about Liliana being Jonathan¡¯s wife and her escaping their plot scratch-free, it had led to further spection about her. Not to mention she had dug her own grave by cuckolding Jonathan.


    After calming down, Vivian realized that even though she did not get the results that she had wanted, Liliana had suffered losses. This thought made her mood inexplicably better.


    Vivian was humming a song while working in her office quietly when her assistant barged in without knocking on the door.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Before she could scold her assistant, she was shown a video that sent chills down her spine.


    Vivian sat back on her chair with a force as she watched the four years old video ying on the screen.


    ¡®How? Who did this?¡¯


    She was shell-shocked and froze, unable to hear her assistant¡¯s words.


    By the time Vivian came back to her senses she was sitting in her car while they were rushing trying to lose the media which was hot on her tail.


    The entire scandal had been a hot topic for almost the entire week, but Jonathan, Liliana, or the Jacobsens were nowhere to be found.


    Finally, this video of Vivian drugging and trying to sleep with Jonathan because she knew he was Liliana¡¯s husband came forth and the media hounded Vivian like anything.


    With great difficulty, Vivian¡¯s driver managed to dodge the reporters and get away from them. However, they could not return to their mansion or any of her apartments as they were bound to be surrounded.


    Left with no choice, they drove to the outskirts of the city where she hid in a three-star hotel that was booked under her assistant¡¯s name.


    Vivian knew she was finished as soon as she had seen the video.


    Moreover, she could not believe she had forgotten her initial purpose of approaching Jonathan after not seeing Liliana or any other woman beside him for years.


    ¡®How could I have forgotten he was married to that bitch? How?¡¯


    ¡®Where did he get that video from? I had not kept any camera there, and I had destroyed his phone.¡¯


    A million questions formed in her head, but ultimately she knew it was futile. No matter how, with the existence of that video, her reputation was ruined.


    The inte went ame as they finally saw that Liliana¡¯s assistant, Alice had reacted.


    Alice was well known in Maple city and within the industry as the assistant of the founder of L&L Designs. Before Liliana had shown herself, Alice was the face of L&L Designs.


    When she posted something, everyone knew it was Liliana¡¯s statement.


    ¡°I could not sit by and watch my boss, who is one of the most amazing people I have ever had the chance to meet, being ndered like this. After years of separation, she had finally reconciled with her husband but the schemes and traps that had marred their marriage seven years ago have only gone from bad to worse.


    And Miss Stone, maybe you should google the word, ¡®conscience¡¯.¡±


    The post had tagged Vivian and her so-called ¡®apology¡¯. And most importantly, it contained a video that showed Vivian Stone¡¯s true colors.


    Jonathan was seen being restless and trying his phone.


    ¡®Fuck! Fuck!¡¯ He kept cursing and walking back and forth and looking dangerously hot as he did so.


    After a few minutes, a male voice could be heard and Jonathan repeatedly confirmed if it was Vincent.


    But when the door was opened, Vivian Stone stumbled inside and took the chance to lock the door behind her as Jonathan was stunned.


    ¡®Get out,¡¯ Jonathan hissed.


    The video clearly showed Vivian¡¯s shamelessness as she had sold herself as a hooker to Jonathan and his disgust towards her.


    Moreover, Jonathan had hurt himself in resistance.


    The deal-breaker was Jonathan had fainted suddenly, and Vivian hadughed aloud.


    ¡®Liliana, you bitch! We will see how you can still be so haughty when you see your husband sleeping with me. What¡¯s so good about being all that pretentious when you could not even keep your husband by your side? I can¡¯t wait to see you break as your husband runs in circles around me.¡¯


    Everyone could see the venom in her eyes as she fessed up having trapped Jonathan to take revenge on Liliana as he was her husband.


    What was more shocking was she also suddenly passed out.


    The next part was fast-forwarded which looked like nothing had changed.


    Vivian had woken up first and cursed herself for having fallen asleep.


    She had then taken Jonathan¡¯s phone and smiled coldly.


    ¡®You are indeed smart, President Smith. You still managed to open your recorder in such a dire state.¡¯


    She then proceeded to unlock his phone using his fingerprint and deleted all backups.


    Then she crushed his phone and stripped herself. Then she stripped Jonathan but before she could touch his belt, there was some noise. She hastily threw Jonathan in bed and made a mess. Lastly, she pinched herself to give herself hickeys and pinched her lips making them swollen.


    Then the reporters came in and took pictures.


    Jonathan woke up next and threatened everyone before he forced Vivian to swallow a contraceptive pill.


    The video ended there.

 Chapter 153 The wannabe mistress

    Liliana¡¯s scandal had been in hype since she had stepped foot in P city.


    No one had forgotten the blood test reports Jonathan had shown about him being drugged or him asking Vivian to rify their rtionship.


    Judging by the video, it was clear that Vivian was the wannabe mistress, while the married couple had been more than merciful towards her.


    Even when releasing the video, they blurred her naked form.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this is true.¡¯


    ¡®The experts have verified.¡¯


    ¡®I thought the experts were bribed, so I took all the footage that has been released in this case, and had them personally verified ¨C and guess what they are all real.¡¯


    ¡®Was the gentle and kind Miss Stone a facade? Have I been blinded for years?¡¯


    ¡®How can she sell herself like that just for petty grudges?¡¯


    ¡®Oh my god!¡¯


    ¡®Hey, does this mean Miss Stone had tried to hurt Mrs. Liliana? She had clearly said ¡®I even asked my husband topromise and suffer grievances to give you some dignity.¡¯ It must mean this, right?¡¯


    ¡®Why doesn¡¯t Vivian Stone kill herself?¡¯


    ¡®Such a cheap slut!¡¯


    ¡®No wonder President Smith had never admitted to being in a rtionship with her.¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe she would do this to another woman.¡¯


    ¡®Mistress uses the married couple of duping her. What a story!¡¯


    ¡®I apologize to President Smith and Mrs. Liliana for saying those things wrongfully.¡¯


    ¡®I wonder why President Smith never released this footage.¡¯


    ¡®The couple must have had enough to finally retort to this.¡¯


    ¡®Do you guys remember when Vivian Stone had called Jonathan her man in front of Liliana and used her of holding onto Jonathan despite already having a kid? Had anyone expected this twist?¡¯


    ¡®Oh, God! That reminds me, Mrs. Liliana referred to Vivian Stone as the woman who hurt her daughter. How vicious is she?¡¯


    ¡®Why is she so vicious?¡¯


    Vivian was still in shock by night. She was robotically reading thements as they increased in number and curses.


    She felt too numb as she realized how spectacrly she had failed.


    At around dawn, she finally fell asleep due to exhaustion, only to be awakened shortly after by her assistant who said her father was on the line.


    Vivian whimpered as soon as she held the phone, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Mr. Stone, however, was not in the mood to console her, ¡°Vivi, what the hell did you do? Why is ourpany getting targeted?¡±


    Vivian felt that a bucket of cold water had been poured on her head waking her up instantly, ¡°What do you mean, dad?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Mr. Stone hissed, ¡°Someone is deliberately targeting Stone Group. At this rate, our capital chain will break within the next two days. After that, it¡¯s just a matter of time before we go bankrupt.¡±


    Vivian hesitated before she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t we have any cooperation with Smith Group?¡±


    Mr. Stone was infuriated by her question, ¡°How can you still be obsessed over a man after all this? Do you think he will help you?¡±


    Vivian, however, still held hope. After all, the video had been released by Liliana¡¯s assistant and not by anyone from Smith Group.


    Besides, they still had a trump card. Liliana had given birth to someone else¡¯s children, cuckolding Jonathan.


    Thinking of this, Vivian confidently said, ¡°I will fix this, dad. Give me some time.¡±


    Vivian then texted Rose and hyped up Liliana¡¯s bastard children.


    Slowly, she also built momentum on the fact that Jonathan had started a rtionship with Vivian after finding out that his wife had cheated on him.


    The video was a deliberate attempt from Liliana to screw things between them that had been scripted behind the scenes.


    Vivian nned to salvage her reputation by ying the victim card as she turned Liliana into a big bad victim.


    Vivian felt relieved after sorting out her thoughts.


    She had a backup n ready even if Stone group went bankrupt. She had established a shellpany and had used it tounder money. Behind it, she had saved up quite a bit of capital which would allow them to start fresh even if everything went south.


    Thinking of this, she finally rxed and gave instructions to her assistant to buy a vi on the outskirts of P city immediately under her maternal grandmother¡¯s name, and an apartment in the P city center under her fake ID. This would give them a ce to stay when they wanted to be secluded.


    While her assistant went out to carry on her instructions, she took a quick shower and got changed before heading out.

 Chapter 154 Caught in the act

    Lydia had been on cloud nine since she found out that Liliana was going to be gang-raped live. There was no way Jonathan would ept her after that.


    Her mood had been depressed since Jonathan¡¯s announcement that he had reconciled with his wife. But the anticipation of Liliana¡¯s utter ruin made her ted.


    However, the video did not turn out to be as they had hoped.


    Even so, she was pleased to know that it was out there in public that she had cheated on Jonathan and had given birth to a bastard child.


    On the other hand, Rose and Romeo were tangled in their tango as they watched youtube in anticipation.


    However, things turned out differently, killing their mood at once.


    Rose could still see the silver linings in their failure.


    Liliana suspected Vivian, her cheating and cuckolding Jonathan was out there, and most people believed that she, herself, had orchestrated the entire thing.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Even though she had escaped, she had note out unscathed, while Vivian was the one who would take the burnt for it.


    Thinking of this, Rose was in a great mood as she rode on Romeo once again.


    Guided by the paid trolls, the keyword warriors did not go easy on Liliana for cuckolding Jonathan and giving birth to someone else¡¯s bastard child.


    Liliana had ignored everything that was said about her, but as soon as people started saying things about her children, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Finally, she issued a notice from her social media handle that anyone who nders her kids would be treated harshly and would receive herwyer¡¯s letters soon.


    This move significantly reduced the trolls who said anything about her children, but the bacsh she received was on a whole new level.


    Rose was in a suit with Romeo as she watched the farce y out.


    However, the wifi connection was interrupted which messed up her enjoyment.


    Unable to take it, she called the reception and had them fix it as soon as possible.


    Romeo sensed her bad mood and tried to cheer her up the best way he could.


    However, they were once again interrupted by the doorbell.


    Rose was seething with anger at the interruption which amused Romeo. He inserted something inside of her and spanked her as he asked her to be obedient.


    Wrapping a towel around his bby waist, he went to the door as he enquired about it.


    The attendant timidly said that he was there to fix the wifi as something seemed wrong with their connection and the next rooms did not notice anything.


    Romeo opened the door and asked them to be quick about it.


    Unfortunately for them, Lester was right outside the door along with a few media personnel. Romeo froze at the sight unsure of what to do, same as Lester.


    Lester Aprice hade to a hotel to personally review their services and then finalize the investment n. While he was doing the rounds with the manager and a few attendants, they ran into a few folks from the media who were doing some photoshoots in the same hotel.


    As they were chit-chatting and making their way to the VIP rooms, one of the doors suddenly opened and Lester inadvertently nced inside to see his wife, Rose Aprice in apromising position.


    Worse still, the media people recognized her and began snapping pictures.


    Rose was writing in pleasure unaware of the cmity that was at the door. Unable to sensations anymore, she moaned loudly and eximed, ¡°Ah! Romeo! What¡¯s taking you so long? Come here this instant, you big bastard.¡±


    Her scious moans and her words were enough to convince everyone of what was going on.


    Romeo was brought out of his trance and moved to close the door but it was toote as the media vultures were quick to move inside and capture their prey.


    What Rose and Romeo were unaware of was that Smith Group had already published all the proofs showing Rose being the one who had been instigating trolls to use Liliana and nder her.


    As such, Jonathan had sued Rose for defamation.


    The Media, obviously aware of it, had apanied Lester to get any inside information.


    But they had never expected to see such an exclusive piece of news on their way.


    Rose Aprice had been hiring paid trolls to defame Liliana while cheating on her husband.


    By the time Rose realized what had happened, it had been toote.

 Chapter 155 Bastard child

    Two dayster, the news was still dominated by scandals only.


    ¡°Rose Aprice pays trolls to nder Mrs. Liliana Smith while cheating on her husband.¡±


    ¡°Jonathan Smith issueswyer¡¯s letters to protect his wife.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Liliana is the wife of President Smith.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Jonathan Smith had sued and won against people who had ndered his wife for cheating on the night of their wedding.¡±


    ¡°Vivian Stone forces herself on a drugged Jonathan Smith for a school rivalry.¡±


    ¡°Vivian Stone and Rose Aprice collude to ruin Mrs. Liliana Smith.¡±


    ¡°Lydia Aprice is not an Aprice. Daughter of cheating Rose from her first marriage.¡±


    ¡°Rose and Romeo ¨C the parents reunite again. Is divorce and remarriage in the picture?¡±


    ¡°Jonathan Smith sues people for defaming his wife. Is she innocent or is this whitewashing using clout?¡±


    ¡°Stone Group faces bankruptcy as the broken capital chain is confirmed.¡±


    ¡°Is what happened to Stone Group co-incidental or is this President Smith¡¯s retaliation?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Liliana Smith seems to be getting framed and ndered all the time. What¡¯s her story?¡±


    ¡°Rose Apice released ambiguous photos of Mrs. Liliana, and drugged her and framed her to be with those people. What are the grudges between them?¡±


    The news articles and the inte were rife with spection.


    Theizens had dug up old stories of Liliana being surrounded by four burly men on the day of her wedding on their wedding bed.


    But Jonathan had won thewsuit on defamation on that one, so it was proven that it was a fabricated story.


    Lydia had been in limbo since her mother¡¯s scandal came out.


    To find out that the pot-bellied man was her father and he was penniless was quite a blow to her ego.


    Lester had had a huge row with Rose and had dered that he would be divorcing her.


    Lydia did not want them to be separated as it would mean she would lose her reputation as Miss Aprice, and all the privileges that came with it.


    Rose was at her wit¡¯s end. Having to hear crap from ipetent Lester and acting demure was not easy. But she had yet toe up with a n to get out of the mess.


    To top it off, Romeo had been unreachable since they were caught in the act.


    In the meantime, she was being sued by Jonathan for defaming his wife and children.


    Rose could not tell where things went wrong.


    ¡®She had been so careful, so, how could Lester catch them like that?¡¯


    ¡®How could Jonathan sue them publicly so confidently?¡¯


    ¡®Who was trying to get against her and destroy her?¡¯


    Rose locked herself up and thought hard about what was going on.


    But she could only think of Liliana who had something against her. Perhaps she was the one who had been behind all this and pivoted the topic away from her bastard child.


    This thought gave her some sce as she could still drag Liliana down with her.


    Thinking of this, Rose felt a little better.


    She urged Lydia to continue hyping about Jonatha and Liliana¡¯s messy marriage and Liliana¡¯s bastard children.


    Lydia did as she was told, but she did not have her parents¡¯ cunning, only viciousness.


    Her ns were easily intercepted and she too was sued.


    This created quite a joke as the actual bastard daughter was enjoying her step-father¡¯s fortune and using it to defame others.


    Lydia fought against theizens and trolls making a fool of herself.


    People were quick to dig up old news and found out how Lydia had ndered Liliana at the L&L Design¡¯s inauguration as well.


    Everyone continued to specte what had happened as it was getting increasingly clear that Liliana had been framed. While the pictures were real, she was innocent.


    A bunch of people began to dig up everything they had on Liliana and everything about the people she had been seen with to find out the truth.


    But s, they could note up with a reasonable exnation and had to wait for the official announcements.

 Chapter 156 Hospital party

    After a week of the surgery, Jonathan was discharged after he was given a series of instructions.


    Jonathan thought it was unnecessary as he was staying in the hospital until Nathaniel was discharged.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Even so, he was quite happy to see Liliana noting everything seriously.


    The doctors took Nathaniel¡¯s vitals and left after they had reiterated the instructions.


    The kids crowded around Li who was happy to be transferred into the general ward and out of HDU.


    Jonathan took this chance to close the door and bring Liliana to the lounge outside.


    ¡°Lil, Li is going to find out what happened,¡± Jonathan said, frowning at the thought.


    Li was smart enough to know what was going on and he could not be able to take it calmly.


    Jonathan wanted to resolve this as soon as possible but did not want to butt into Liliana¡¯s ns either. So, he could only talk to her and discuss things.


    ¡°You are right. Let me call Alice and have her handle it,¡± She called Alice and asked her to rify her stance.


    Jonathan then called Vincent and asked him to coordinate with Alice and delete everything negative about Liliana from the inte after two days.


    Vincent confirmed that it would be done in the next half an hour and hung up.


    ¡°Did you have everything nned already?¡± Jonathan asked his wife curiously.


    ¡°Yes, pretty much. My PR team works 24¡Á7 and handles everything as soon as they crop up. I told them to pause and hold for these because we can use this to show why we had to be separated for so many years. It would havee up after our marriage was announced and we needed an exnation on why we were separated and why we acted like we were just work-partners earlier.¡±


    Liliana exined as she sent some instructions to Alice via text.


    ¡°You are so thoughtful. You even have topromise to make up for my shorings.¡± Jonathanmented.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. We could have been a family seven years ago, and you would not have lost out so much on your children¡¯s childhood if only I had prioritized us. I did not know that.¡± She exined.


    Jonathan grimaced at that. She did not me him and that made him feel guiltier.


    ¡°Nathan, we agreed to not dwell on the past. I love you and you love me. We both want to make this work. Let¡¯s not count and track things. We will both lose that way.¡±


    Liliana held his face and kissed him on the lips gently as she voiced her stance on their matter.


    ¡°If this is how you convince me, wife, I would agree to everything you say.¡±


    Jonathan murmured on her lips making herugh as he held the back of her head and kissed her softly letting her feel all his emotions.


    They broke apart as they heard the knock on the door.


    Mariana¡¯s parents had been discharged and she hade to the hospital to stay the night.


    Henry and Jennifer had a quiet day as they joined them.


    James was also present, still acting like Mariana¡¯s boyfriend.


    Vincent and Alice showed upter in the evening bringing gifts for the children.


    Liam and Eric were thest to arrive to join in their hospital party.


    They all chatted with the kids and checked on Li first before they moved their party to the lounge.


    Li fell asleep after his dinner and Jo and Kyle slept on the adjacent bed.


    Li was happy that his mother was no longer as worried as she used to be.


    Having a father had his usage after all. For the first time in all his stays in the hospital, Nathaniel slept with a big grin on his face without any worries.


    Liliana and Jonathan hade to check on them and Liliana kissed Jonathan and said, ¡°Thank you! This grin on his face came from the security that you provided.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I should do as their father and your husband. Thank you for teaching our kids well. I love you so much.¡±


    Jonathan confessed. They tucked in the kids and left.


    In the lounge of the ward, the adults were having fun drinking and teasing each other.

 Chapter 157 Marli twins

    Mariana steered the topic to their scandals as soon as Liliana and Jonathan were back.


    ¡°Are you going to sue Vivian?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jonathan said without any hesitation.


    James saw the satisfied expression on Mariana¡¯s face and his lips curled up involuntarily.


    Henry asked something he had been curious about for a long time, ¡°Why do you hate Vivian so much? By rights, shouldn¡¯t you dislike the Aprices more?¡±


    Mariana wanted to snort and ignore Henry as she had been doing for all these years. But suddenly she realized she did not dislike Henry at all. Only discontent with Henry was basically her grudge against Jonathan that had spilled over, but she had already begun to forgive and ept Jonathan. As such, she was unsure how to interact with Henry.


    Everyone could see the conflict on Mariana¡¯s face and could barely hold on to theirughter.


    Liam saved her from embarrassment as he asked, ¡°I was curious about that too.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Jennifer piped in, ¡°Me too. I have seen Lydia and Lester force you to donate so much blood, while Vivian only does petty things outside.¡±


    Mariana looked at Liam appreciatively who winked at her to show it was cool. James clenched his fist at the exchange.


    Mariana was his girlfriend, yet it seemed like it was always Liam who had her back and was her go-to person in distress. Now that the scandal had been taken care of, James swore to make Mariana feel his presence.


    Mariana did not realize what was going on in James¡¯s mind. But Liam could more or less guess his thoughts.


    Clueless, Mariana exined, ¡°Well, Lil has a reason to not get back to Aprices for now. We have around 4 and a half months before you all know the ultimate ace up our sleeve.¡±


    Jonathan looked at Liliana curiously. Previously she had said there were about 6 months before she revealed the truth.


    It had been almost a month and a half since then, and Mariana gave the same timeline.


    He wondered what the girls had in store for them.


    The others knew them well enough to not enquire further. The girls were as tight-lipped as theye.


    Mariana continued, ¡°Besides, the Aprices never managed to do much damage. Lil, do you remember most of our Kings High secrets involved how you had managed to trick them. We used to have quite augh at their expense.¡±


    Liliana smiled, ¡°Those days were quite fun. It was one of the best phases of my life. I was so busy with everything. It was quite lively and full.¡±


    Mariana chuckled, ¡°And oh, so satisfying. Despite everything, we need to thank the Aprices for turning us into adults quicker than our time. Not in a tragic or depressing kind of way. More like in a fun and games that they always lost but never realized.¡±


    Jennifer asked, ¡°Hold on! Were you the Marli twins who had turned Miss Aly into the butt of jokes when I was in freshman year?¡±


    Mariana answered, ¡°Ohh you remember that! Hahahaha! Now you understand why I don¡¯t bother about them. They have always been a lost cause, and to be honest they are quite uninteresting.¡±


    Eric asked curiously, ¡°I think I have heard the term Marli twins. But I don¡¯t remember the details.¡±


    Jennifer exined, ¡°As far as I can remember, Marli twins used to write scraps on P city kids weekly newsletter. It used to be a story about the stepdaughter who bullied the actual daughter. But the end of it would include a riddle. After you solve the riddle, you would get the code, and if you applied that code to the riddle, you get the twist on the story.¡±


    Vincent was curious, ¡°How?¡±


    Mariana exined, ¡°Let me give you an example ¨C Once Lydia tore up Lil¡¯s notebooks right before the exam and made quite a farce at Lester¡¯s birthday party. We were 10 at the time and it had not been long since Aunty had passed away. Lester used to keep the appearance of a doting father and Rose would act like thepassionate stepmother who truly loved Lil. He slowly stopped doing that, but that¡¯s another story.¡±


    Liliana shook her head at Mariana¡¯s excitement, but she stayed quiet and let her continue.


    ¡°Lydia made quite a big deal about Liliana going to Kings High and getting good grades and all that. She had been jealous that Lil went to Kings High despite all of them trying hard to stop it. She had nned to embarrass Lil after she failed the exam. The story said as much and ended with Lydia dreaming about Lil being ridiculed and orchestrated.¡±


    Jenniferughed as she recalled the story and added, ¡°That was the end and there would be a PS which was a keyword. If you used the keyword as a code that was very simple to use ¨C then the riddle would read something like ¨C Lil was already in 7th grade instead of 5th, so what Lydia tore were old notebooks for a ss that Lil had already passed with flying colors.¡±

 Chapter 158 Lydia v/s Vivian

    They allughed, while Jonathan squeezed Liliana¡¯s waist. He could see the suffering of the 9 years old motherless child who had also lost her father, and her home and was forced to live with an abusive stepmother and stepsister.


    Liliana understood his gesture and added, ¡°Lydia and Rose are very easy to read. They are vicious, greedy, thrive on other¡¯s misfortune, are easily jealous,ck all moralpass, and don¡¯t have all that much brain. They are petty people who can be read, dealt with, and manipted easily. But most importantly, they were always fated to be doomed. We are just dying it for our amusement.¡±


    Jonathan smiled helplessly at her simple gesture of consoling him.


    Liam was paying attention to everyone, a habit from work. He was happy to see them getting along so well.


    He could also see some sparks between Vincent and Alice as they bickered and very subtlypeted.


    What worried Liam the most was James and Mariana¡¯s interactions. He knew the joke and scuffle between those, but they seem to be treading dangerous waters.


    Henry added after he had finishedughing, ¡°Why do you say as if it was a lot of fun? It must have been hard for you.¡±


    Liliana shrugged, ¡°It was very fulfilling. I was sure they were not capable of harming me in any way. I could have had them disappear from P city without a trace but I wanted them to pay for my mother¡¯s sufferings, so I waited. And to be honest, at that time I was going through some lessons, and staying in front of them served as a great way to learn how to keep a poker face.¡±


    Mariana seconded her, ¡°They are very easy to trick. I can guarantee they never managed to one-up Lil. The only time they had seeded was with her marriage, and that was only because Lil was in love with him. It was more like Lil giving in for Jonathan¡¯s sake.¡±


    Jonathan¡¯s face clouded at her words, so Lilianaughed, ¡°Worked out fine though. We are together and we have two lovely kids and Kyle. I was honored to have been acquainted with Kyle¡¯s mother.¡±


    Jonathan heaved a sigh at her words. She had really gotten past their past. It was time he did the same. It all ended well for them and fate had always been in their favor. He should also get over his guilt at the petty wrongs that Lil had suffered and move on ahead together to a brighter future.


    Alice asked, ¡°That proves why you don¡¯t take the Apices seriously, but why do you hate Vivian so much?¡±


    Mariana¡¯s eyes were full of anger thinking of Vivian Stone.


    She took a deep breath before she exined, ¡°Vivian is smart. She has a high IQ and EQ. Not anythingparable to Lil, of course, but she was smart and a good actor. She faked being the gracious ssmate who wanted to groom the young prodigy and framed us multiple times. If not for Lil seeing through her tricks, she would have seeded in getting us expelled several times. And each time, she used someone else as a scapegoat.¡±


    Liliana could see the resentment on Mariana¡¯s face as she added, ¡°Mer used to idolize our music teacher and she was quite open about it. But Vivian sexualized it in the most perverted way. We were able to resolve the misunderstanding and prove Mer¡¯s innocence but the damage had been done. She left the ss and never stood in front of the teacher due to embarrassment.¡±


    Mer added, ¡°She had always been nasty. Our GK teacher used to be very strict and I was quite bad at it, while Lil was good at it. She used it to separate us, create misunderstanding between us, ruin Lil¡¯s image in front of the teacher, and on and on. As soon as we jumped a year and became batchmates with her, she spent every passing minute plotting against us.¡±


    Liam asked, ¡°I never understood why you jumped ss. I get Lil¡¯s reasons but you are definitely not the type.¡±


    Mariana did not know whether tough or cry at that while the others sniggered, ¡°Why? Thank you for thepliment!¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Liam shrugged as she red at him, ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    Mariana just shook her head in helplessness, ¡°Well, Lil used to tutor me because she did not want to be alone.¡±


    Henry eximed, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Mariana shrugged, ¡°To be honest, she simply did not want to bother ying friends with other people. As you may have noticed, our friend circle is pathetically small.¡±


    Liliana cheered, ¡®touche¡¯. She was never bothered with that.


    Liliana had always been aware of her special identity and knew it was quite bothersome to find real friends, besides it was impossible to ascertain that those friends would remain loyal throughout the end.


    Getting acquainted with Henry, Jennifer, and Liam had always been a lucky coincidence and she was grateful for that.


    But that did not change her fundamentally taciturn personality.


    Jonathan was the same, so he smiled at that.


    The friends continued their chit-chat as they finally understood where Mariana¡¯s grudge against Vivian had stemmed from.


    Both Mariana and Liliana had avoided the other thing that Vivian had caused, but that was for a show and it would ruin the surprise reveal if they mentioned it just like that.

 Chapter 159 The truth behind the pictures

    While the friends were having fun inside the hospital room, the inte was going crazy.


    Alice had shared a lengthy post which was immediately re-shared by Vincent.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The long post was titled ¡°the truth behind the pictures¡± and it showed the six scandalous pictures of Liliana that had shown up a few weeks back and the real truth behind those.


    ¡®The first post showed her with the gardener grandpa hugging her in his arms. The actual short video included Lilina showing him her eptance letter from the best university in the country with a full schrship for her double degree in Business and Designs. The old man had been tearful and kissed her forehead saying, ¡®I knew you would get it. Your grandfather and your mother went to this university. They would have been proud to see this.¡¯ Liliana had hugged him and the video was frozen at that frame which was the photo circted.¡¯


    ¡®The second post showed the picture of her being held bridal style by Andrew Jacobsen while she looked intoxicated. The short video showed Rose trying to press her back which looked like she had been whished and Andrew Jacobsen taking her away while scolding Rose. There was also another video where they were in Jacobsen¡¯s Vi and Mariana had hugged her and asked her to take off the body armor after which the two girls had left the living room. After a few seconds, Mer hade back and happily told them that Lil did not even have a bruise on her and howughable the bitches Rose and Lydia were.¡¯


    Andrew Jacobsen reshared it with the caption, ¡°Our two little girls ¨C Mer and Lil. @Merideth ¨C Look how they have grown.¡±


    ¡®The third post showed a street where Terry had been waiting for Liliana. He had hugged her before picking her up and spinning her around. After a few seconds, he put her on the ground and bowed deeply. ¡®You are being dramatic again, Terry,¡¯ Lilianaughed as Terry exined, ¡®I got a full schrship until my graduation. I would have been working on a construction site with my father if not for you. This is something I had not even dared to dream.¡¯ Terry confessed emotionally. ¡®Good thing our paths crossed then. Don¡¯t be so emotional. When you are back and sessful, I will give you an orphanage to manage. I always meant to get back my investment, so don¡¯t be too grateful.¡¯ They bothughed and the video ended.¡¯


    Terry Draw immediately re-posted it with the caption, ¡°The day my dreams had taken flight and the angel who gave me wings. Still waiting for the orphanage, though.¡±


    ¡®The fourth post was her wedding photo. It was apanied by another photo in the same still but from a different angle which also showed Jonathan who was also wearing a scowl on his face.¡¯


    It was self-exnatory as it meant someone had said something to offend the couple.


    ¡®The fifth post was in her wedding gown as she was surrounded by hooligans beside her wedding bed. It was apanied by a short video that showed Lydiacently saying, ¡®Hope you like your wedding gift.¡¯ It also included another photo that showed the four hooligans on the ground after being beaten to a pulp in the same room. It also attached the proof of Lydia circting the same photo seven years back and defaming Liliana and other things which showed Jonathan had sued them and won thewsuit.¡¯


    The post not only rified that Liliana was timely rescued, but also exposed the perpetrator which had been previously unknown. It also showed that Jonathan had always been aware of the malicious intentions toward Liliana and protected her. The unaware naturally thought it was Jonathan who had rescued her which was exactly what Liliana had intended.


    ¡®Thest post included the picture of Liliana entering a hotel room with a middle-aged man in her inebriated state which clearly showed signs of having had sex. The next photo included the hotel being her bride-gift, the room having been booked in Jonathan¡¯s name, the picture of the doctor¡¯s license which showed him to be Doctor Cox, and another picture where Liliana was inside the room surrounded by several doctors, nurses, and Mariana.¡¯


    Alice and Vincent managed to prove without a doubt that Liliana was being targeted by the Aprices since she was a teenager. It also showed that Jonathan was at least somewhat aware of the conditions.


    Meanwhile, Liliana¡¯s PR team guided theizens into thinking that they had been separated to protect their kids and raise them in a healthy, non-toxic environment.

 Chapter 160 Jonathan’s statement

    Jonathan woke up the next day to see Liliana sprawled half on top of him as always. It was the first time since his surgery that she had agreed to sleep on the same bed as him and he was more than happy to wake up to that sight.


    He gently untangled himself from her and went to freshen up.


    He then checked on the kids and adjusted their positions in bed.


    Nathaniel woke up suddenly when Jonathan tried to straighten his hands which he folded in his sleep. Since he was still hooked to monitors, he was forced to sleep in a straight position.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early. Go back to sleep!¡± He said as he gently straightened his posture and checked on the tubes and all.


    ¡°Where is mommy?¡± Nathaniel asked groggily.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°She is sleeping. It¡¯s still early. Go back to sleep, buddy. I will wake you up when it¡¯s time for the rounds.¡±


    Jonathan gently caressed his face and kissed his forehead.


    Nathaniel closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Jonathan was happy to see his son drop his guard.


    His son used to be vignt against him when he was alone with them. Jonathan had been pained to see that but he knew he had to earn his ce in their heart. It had been his fault all along.


    Jonathan went back to the lounge and found Liliana patting the bed on both sides. He got into bed and she touched his face and sniffed him before hugging him close and going back to sleep.


    Jonathan felt he was on cloud nine.


    He was too giddy to go back to sleep, so he decided to surprise his wife instead.


    That morning when the inte was still abuzz with Alice and Vincent¡¯s posts, it was in an uproar once again.


    Jonathan Smith had finally spoken.


    ¡°Seven years ago, people who did not want us to get married tried to break us apart, and I could not protect you as well as I should have.


    You were strong and resilient and you protected yourself and our marriage admirably. To protect our twins and raise them in a non-toxic environment, it was still you who took up the mantle.


    You suffered so much and raised our kids well, while I only watched from afar. When I could not take it anymore and asked you toe back, you are still being defamed and in the center of conspiracy and gossip.


    This time I hope to shield our children and you and yours from any harm and hope to be worthy of you.


    I love you, Liliana. In my heart, you will always be the 8-year-old chirpy little girl who I fell in love with and waited a dozen years to be able to marry and call mine.¡±


    The inte went on fire.


    Jonathan Smith said he was in love with Liliana when she was only 8 years old.


    His post eradicated any remaining doubts that anyone had about their rtionship.


    They were childhood sweethearts and people targeted her because they did not want her to marry him.


    They had two children.


    They were separated for the sake of their children.


    They were very much in love.


    People were gushing about their love story marred with trials and tribtions which they were able to ovee and finally be together.


    However, some people were losing sleep over this.


    Lydia could not believe that Jonathan had already known that Liliana was the girl he had been looking for.


    Her resentment towards Liliana sored high. ¡®If that bitch had note back, Jonathan would have believed that I was his childhood crush. I would have been the person to receive his favor. I would have been the person he doted on, protected, loved. It was all that bitch Liliana¡¯s fault.¡¯


    Vivian was helpless.


    Just the day before she had finally realized that it had indeed been Jonathan who had bankrupted herpany for revenge. They were about to lose their house and all their properties. And she had received awsuit from Jonathan and Liliana.


    The couple had sued her in a united front.


    Vivian did not know what to do. She had called her rtives and friends but everyone refused to help.


    She had fallen from her pedestal as the daughter and heir of Stones to a pauper.


    Rose and Lester were both burning in anger. They had whipped Liliana so many times over the years. And to find out that she had never been hurt andughed at them behind their backs. It was intolerable.


    Jonathan¡¯s statement had crushed all of their hopes.

 Chapter 161 Happy morning

    Liliana woke up to see Jonathan looking at her affectionately.


    She began to fidget at the intensity of his gaze and he chuckled at her nervousness.


    He caressed her head and told her to freshen up.


    ¡°How are the kids?¡± She asked as she drank water.


    ¡°Sound asleep. Li had bent his hands, I untangled it and he went back to sleep as well,¡± He exined with a soft smile on his face.


    ¡°You look happy,¡± She remarked.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful feeling to be able to provide security to your wife and kids,¡± He admitted.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful feeling to feel secure as well,¡± Sheughed.


    Liliana looked at her phone after she had freshened up and was surprised to see Alice¡¯s messages.


    Alice had been her assistant for years and she knew her well. She would only send sinct messages for important stuff, so Liliana had been used to checking her messages first.


    Mariana¡¯s messages wouldest because she was used to bombarding all her thoughts in text.


    Liliana saw Jonathan¡¯s statement and was teary-eyed.


    She had never doubted his affections for her nor had she thought they had stemmed from wanting to provide aplete family to the kids. But he had been surprising her and proving his sincerity every chance he got.


    That warmed her heart as she felt wanted, cherished, safe, and secure with him.


    Jonathan saw her teary eyes and panicked for a moment.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, concerned.


    ¡°These are happy tears. It feels good to be loved and cherished,¡± she shook her head and replied.


    ¡°You worried me,¡± heined.


    ¡°You woke up early and managed to write a post as well. You don¡¯t care about health, do you?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°I wanted to give you a surprise, and I am feeling just fine,¡± He added as he cupped her face.


    ¡°I loved the surprise, thank you!¡± She answered.


    ¡°Where is my prize for it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What prize do you want? Isn¡¯t it the husband¡¯s duty to keep surprising his wife and keep the sparks alive?¡± She snorted but the smile hanging on her lips was obvious.


    ¡°My lovely wife, I am asking for a prize that keeps the sparks alive as well, and it¡¯s rather amusing how you can say such things with a straight face when you are quite unaware of the sparks,¡± Heughed.


    Jonathan felt it was a great way to wake up in the morning.


    Before she could retort, he cupped her face and kissed her softly. She pouted on his lips and started to reciprocate as he nudged her again and again, setting the pace.


    They broke apart at the sound of giggles.


    Liliana went wide-eyed at the two kids who had covered their eyes but were watching them through the gap between their fingers.


    Moreover, Kyle had the door wide-opened so Li could watch them as well.


    The kids were happy to see their parents get along well.


    Kyle was the first to break the silence, ¡°Mommy, does that mean we will get a little sibling soon?¡±


    Jonathan was surprised. He had never thought about having another child. He was very satisfied with having a family and had not thought ahead. Besides, they were facing a lot of things and it was not the right time.


    But Kyle¡¯s question made him yearn for another child. He wanted to go through the entire journey that he had missed.


    He looked at Liliana meaningfully who was looking at starry-eyed Kyle.


    The kids all figured out that the decision-maker for their little sibling would be Liliana, so they all stared at her.


    ¡°Do you guys want another sibling?¡± She asked, ¡°you never mentioned it before.¡±


    ¡°We are triplets, we want a younger one,¡± Kyle answered.


    ¡°I want a little sister,¡± Joyanna said.


    ¡°We did not have daddy before. Aunty Mer told us, we need daddy and mommy to be together to get another sibling,¡± Li confessed.


    ¡°What nonsense is Mer teaching you guys?¡± Liliana said angrily.


    ¡°But that¡¯s the truth, isn¡¯t it?¡± Li questioned.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the truth,¡± Liliana felt defeated.


    ¡°So, will we get another one?¡± Li asked expectantly.


    ¡°I want another twin. A baby brother and a baby sister,¡± Kyle asked.


    Joyanna nodded to show her approval.


    Liliana shook her head, ¡°Daddy and Mommy are busy these days. We will think about this next year.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Jonathan was the first one to exim with joy which made the kids snigger at him again.

 Chapter 162 The tug of war

    The following week passed by peacefully for the Smith family as Nathaniel and Jonathan recuperated well and finally, Li was cleared to be discharged as well.


    They went home and spent another joyous week together without any work or studies. ying together, building things together, cooking together, working in their garden together, climbing trees together, and doing all sorts of activities together.


    Jonathan had never been so happy as he had been in that week.


    The family of five enjoyed their time off as they recuperated and created memories. Liam and the others dropped by often and they all had fun.


    On the other hand, James and Mariana were still having a tug of war.


    They were pretending to be a couple, both unwilling to be the first to give up. James was having a lot of fun watching Mariana act all cute and clingy while seething in anger inside.


    Mariana, on the other hand, was scared. She was scared that one or both of them would end up taking things too far to the point of no return. She also hated being so pretentious around him. She wanted it over with but she knew James would not stop until he had had his fill of fun.


    Mariana was beginning to be afraid that she had met the one person she was unable to deal with and she would end up losing in the end. She was not scared of losing this game between them, but an unexpected sense of fear had crept into her heart and she did not understand what it was.


    Mariana sat at the table sipping her beer slowly. James was helping her with barbeque and feeding her.


    After some awkwardness, she had stopped feeling weird and started to enjoy food without a care.


    ¡®I will just treat him as the personal waiter.¡¯ She thought and focused on the food and chatter.


    Mariana was nning a simple dinner with some of her staff to celebrate the sess of her first project in thepany. Someone had proposed a beer and barbeque party with karaoke to lighten the mood, and so they were all seated in a barbeque joint.


    James had run into them when they were leaving and had epted a staff¡¯s invitation with much enthusiasm.


    Mariana was already tired of ying lovey-dovey with him and decided to ignore him.


    How could James let her ignore him though?


    ¡°Honey, where is my reward for serving you?¡±


    After Mariana proposed a toast to the group for their efforts and their help in grooming her, James quipped, making Mariana speechless.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± She fumed.


    James was unfazed. He made a pitiful expression and said, ¡°Honey, I canceled so many important things to apany you to this celebration because this meant so much to you. Don¡¯t I get a sweet reward?¡±


    Mariana realized what nonsense he was asking for and stammered, ¡°Shut up! There are so many people here.¡±


    After so many weeks, she knew James was shameless and unreasonable, so should only try to act shy.


    ¡°They don¡¯t mind, do you guys?¡± James was adamant to get what he wanted.


    The staff cheered, ¡°Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!!¡±


    Mariana tried to act shy and embarrassed, and even angry but nothing seemed to work.


    While the others thought she was just not into PDA, James saw her reluctance very clearly.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    It ticked him off so much that he held the back of her head and waist and kissed her hard in front of everyone, ignoring her feeble struggles.


    Mariana wanted to brutally torture James and kill him for that. But she had to pretend to be shy amidst the cheering crowd.


    James did an exaggerated bow which made everyoneugh.


    Mariana was even more embarrassed.


    She excused herself and went to the washroom.


    She rubbed her mouth and rinsed several times but her irritation kept growing.


    Frustrated, she went out to a balcony and leaned on the railing trying to calm herself in the gentle breeze.


    She wanted to call Liliana and talk to her as they had always done.


    But just as she was about to press the call button, she hesitated. Her friend had finally found her happiness after two decades of struggle. She did not want to ruin their family time. The kids, too, had never been that happy, that carelessly happy.


    She sighed deeply and took a long breath feeling a sense of mncholy that suddenly seeped in.


    Finally, she called Liam, just to hear a familiar voice.


    ¡°Hey Mer, what¡¯s up?¡± Liam asked.


    ¡°Did I call at the wrong time? Are you busy?¡± Mariana asked.


    ¡°Are you sick? Where are you? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Liam asked worriedly.


    ¡°Why would I be sick? I am in Pits. Had a small celebration with some of my co-workers. Why would you think I am sick?¡± Mariana asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Because you called me so cautiously. That¡¯s not like you. I am used to you being mboyant. And a little overbearing too.¡± Liamughed.


    Mariana was speechless butughed along after a few seconds. All her previous bad moods were gone.


    ¡°Do you think that badly of me?¡± She asked with a fake sniffle.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing. We are friends, you don¡¯t have to be cautious with me, and you can be yourself.¡± Liam said gently. He had sensed her bad mood earlier and had a hunch who had caused it.


    ¡°Hahahaha! That sounded suspiciously like how my father talks to me.¡± She had barely finished saying it when she burst outughing again.


    ¡°Now that you feel better, tell me why I get the honor of receiving your call today. I know Lil is on your speed dial.¡± Liam asked.


    ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t like how perceptive you are.¡± She grumbled.


    ¡°Force of habit.¡± Liam snorted.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything serious, and I did not want to disturb her family time. She and the three kids are so happy these days. It¡¯s a dreame true and I did not want to disturb it.¡± Mariana admitted.


    ¡°How about you keep me on a speed dial? I am rtively free for the next three or four months. I could use somepany.¡± Liam proposed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you sweet?¡± Mariana teased.


    ¡°Go on ahead with your celebration. I will talk to youter.¡± Liam said.


    ¡°Alright, bye!¡± Mariana hung up with a smile.


    Her friends always managed to make her feel better.

 Chapter 163 Jealousy

    James got worried when Mariana did note back for a while.


    He went looking for her and finally found her on the balcony sighing while looking at her phone.


    Despite her bad temper, he thought she was charming.


    He watched as she pouted and scrolled her phone and finally called someone.


    In just a minute, she wasughing.


    But James felt bitterness in his heart when he saw herugh.


    She was always scowling in front of him, and yet there she wasughing like a giggly teenager while talking to someone else.


    They hung up quickly enough and she smiled, shaking her head.


    He went close and she frowned on seeing him.


    His irritation grew.


    ¡°I was looking for you. You disappeared when you came out.¡± He said gently.


    She looked at him strangely at the gentle tone and shook the goosebumps off.


    James wanted to strangle her but kept his temper in check.


    Her next words, however, made him fume.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I was just talking to Liam and lost track of time. Let¡¯s go inside, and please don¡¯t kiss me again.¡± She said, nonchntly.


    Mariana was feeling much better after talking to Liam and had calmed down. It was just a kiss, she was single, and was not in love with anyone. She did not like being kissed without her consent, but since it was already done, there was no use making a big deal out of it.


    James was even more annoyed at her indifference.


    ¡°What if I want to?¡± He asked through gritted teeth.


    Mariana was stunned at the change in his expression, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Annoyed with her reaction, he pushed her to the railing bar, caged her between his arms, and kissed her again.


    He kissed her hard, punishing her for something he could not understand.


    The more she resisted, the harder he kissed her.


    James came back to his senses when he tasted something salty. He pulled back and saw her tears.


    That sobered him up quickly. He wanted to apologize and say something but panicked and could not say a word.


    Mariana had never felt that humiliated before. She tried to leave when he let go, but he pulled her back again. But this time he kissed her gently soothing all her grievances.


    This sudden change stunned Mariana and she even forgot to push him away.


    They were brought back by a loud ¡°Opps¡±. They pulled back to see a gorgeous woman in a sexy ck dress.


    ¡°James, is that you?¡± She looked excited and rushed to hug James, ¡®identally¡¯ pushing Mariana away.


    James was stunned for a moment and when he came back to his senses he looked at Mariana instinctively only to see her teary eyes filled with indignation.


    Mariana wiped her face and tried to go away again, but he pushed the beauty away and held her hand.


    ¡°This is Alice, she is a family friend.¡± James tried to exin.


    Aliceughed, ¡°Oh, James! Are you trying to deceive this poor helpless woman? Darling, don¡¯t be deceived by his devilish charms. I am his first love, his first kiss, his first time, and forever a part of him, right babe?¡±


    She looked at James and kissed him on the lips.


    Mariana tried to break free but James held her back.


    ¡°Go away, Alice. You and I broke up a long time ago! And don¡¯t touch me again.¡± James said, pushing Alice away.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Mariana finally spoke.


    She had never been that humiliated before.


    James could not even give her the most basic self-respect by not kissing another woman right in front of her less than a minute after forcibly kissing her.


    It just showed how much he did not care about her. It was all his revenge, and she wondered how far he was going to go before he stopped.


    ¡°Mer, this is not what it looks like.¡± James tried to exin.


    James did not know what to apologize for. He kissed her gently to apologize for his earlier rudeness.


    He was shocked to see Alice there. She should have been abroad.


    Moreover, he was stunned at her self-introduction. When he was still trying to understand what she was up to, she kissed him.


    He was too surprised to act. It was Mariana¡¯s tugging to break free that brought him back to his senses.


    But just a look in her eyes, and he could tell the damage had been done.


    Alice sniggered before he could say anything.


    ¡°Why are you still here? Get out of my face!¡± James roared at her.


    ¡°Fine! Grumpy bear. I will see you around!¡± Alice threw him a kiss and left without sparing a nce at Mariana.


    ¡°Listen, nothing is going on between Alice and me. We were over a long time ago, and I did not even know she was back to P city.¡± James tried to exin.


    ¡°We¡­¡± James paused when he realized he was about to confess something very embarrassing to Mariana.


    But Marianaughed, making him forget that train of thought.

 Chapter 164 Unclear emotions

    There was no humor in Mariana¡¯sughter.


    ¡°James, it¡¯s just you and me here. Can we stop pretending? Have you not humiliated me enough? When is it going to be enough so you can stop your revenge?¡± She asked in extreme frustration and agony.


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± James was surprised.


    He admitted that he pestered her to have his revenge for their encounter abroad.


    But after getting to know her he just wanted to spend more time with her and tease her. He had long forgotten about revenge.


    They were sort of friends, and they had spent a lot of time together in thest few months. Especially in thest 3 weeks, they had been so close.


    No matter how they had started, he thought they had formed a bond. But clearly, he was wrong.


    ¡°Is that not true? Do you like me? Are we dating? Is there anything going on between the two of us?¡± Mariana asked.


    James could not answer her. His feelings were unclear and he did not know what to say since Mariana was practically crying now.


    ¡°Did you forcibly kiss me before kissing your first love in the next second right before me to show me how much you care about me? I have never been this humiliated in my entire life, and to think it was out of anger and you were sorry. I must be an idiot. Congrattions, James, you have seeded in making me feel like a tramp.¡±


    Marianaughed, belittling herself to the extreme.


    She had managed to pull away when he was in trance and left.


    James came back to his senses only to see a sad figure making her way to the bathroom again.


    Mariana wanted to lock herself in one of the stalls and cry, but luck was against her and she did not even get that luxury.


    Alice was reapplying her lipstick in the bathroom when she opened it, and a wave of nausea came over.


    She ignored Alice¡¯s mocking gaze and rushed inside a stall before she started puking.


    She barely managed to get up and go to the washbasin but was stunned to see red marks all over her body.


    ¡°Shit!¡± She eximed realizing that her allergic reaction had started.


    She was only allergic to saffron and could not think of anything that she had eaten that day that included saffron.


    Another wave of nausea hit her and she rushed back to the washroom again.


    Alice watched her with disgust clear in her eyes.


    When Mariana entered the stall she had not locked it since she was feeling weak and dizzy already.


    She did not realize when Alice locked it from the inside and added an ¡°Under repair, Dirty!¡± signboard outside her stall.


    Alice smiled and walked away.


    She found James pacing back and forth outside a private box.


    She walked up to him and said, ¡°Waiting for that bimbo!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± James red at her.


    Alice shrugged and said, ¡°She left with a bulky man.¡± before walking away.


    James was stunned.


    He wanted tough at his naivety but controlled himself.


    ¡®I was waiting for her like a fool. And she left with another man already. It must be Liam. Did she call him over on the balcony right after he had kissed her?¡¯


    James could not feel but mock himself for feeling bad about her.


    ¡®She is just a bitch! I was not wrong about her when I met her abroad.¡¯


    ¡®How naive of me to be fooled by her pitiful face?¡¯


    He went to the bar and started drinking.


    Inside the locked stall, Mariana barely had any strength left.


    She feebly knocked on the door but it barely made any noise.


    She tried to call for help but her tongue was swollen and she was vomiting continuously.


    She managed to press her speed dial and call Liam.


    But passed out before the phone connected.


    After drinking for a while James called Mariana again.


    ¡®Maybe Alice is lying.¡¯ He thought and called her.


    But she did not pick up. ¡®What an idiot!¡¯ He thought and tossed his phone aside.


    Half an hourter, he saw Liam rushing inside with a worried look on his face.


    Liam called the manager and asked him to get him some surveince videos.


    ¡®Did he want to erase the videos of me and Mariana kissing?¡¯ James thought scornfully.


    He downed another ss, but looking at Liam who sped off right after talking to the manager, he was curious and followed.


    Liam had received a call from Mariana but he only heardbored breathing.


    Worried about her, he located her phone and saw that she was still in Pits.


    Afraid that she might have been drugged or worse, he hastily made his way to her and asked the manager to get him all the surveince videos of thest hour.


    Then he followed the location pin and was surprised to find it led to the bathroom.


    He followed inside and found her inside a locked stall.


    Someone had intentionally locked her inside.


    He picked her up and she smelled terribly of vomit, moreover, she was breathing with great difficulty.


    He took a good look at her and saw her allergic reaction.


    He called Henry and asked him to get ready for her.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Mariana¡¯s severe allergic reaction was not unknown to any of them.


    Around two years ago, she had obliged Kyle and ate a sweet he gave her knowing that it had saffron.


    After eating it and praising him, she pulled Henry away and told him to treat her.

 Chapter 165 Jealousy v/s remorse

    James was stunned to see Liame out of the stall holding an unconscious and very bad-looking Mariana in his arms.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± He asked Liam.


    Despite his irritation, Liam answered honestly.


    ¡°She was locked in the bathroom from the outside. She is allergic to saffron and has passed out due to it. I am taking her to Henry, she should be fine in 2-3 days.¡±


    He did not stop walking as he asked, ¡°Were you with her? Where the hell are her bodyguards, howe they did not realize that she was missing for this long?¡±


    James froze and felt his head spinning.


    He was the one who had sent her bodyguards away. He had wanted to test her limits and made a farce before her. To avoid further drama in front of her colleagues, she had sent her bodyguards away.


    Moreover, he had seen her go inside the bathroom. How could he have simply believed Alice and not looked for her?


    James was filled with remorse.


    It was his fault she was in that state.


    He almost choked when he thought of that.


    But he pulled himself back, he would treat her better and make up for that.


    When he looked up, Liam was already at the door.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    He ran to him and tried to take her away.


    But Liam, effortlessly, pushed him away.


    ¡°You are drunk and she is short of time. I am taking her to Henry, you are free to visit her in the hospital when you are sober.¡± Liam said and left without giving him a chance to speak.


    James was angry ¨C both with himself and at Liam. And he was jealous.


    How could Liam make herugh when she only scowled before him, her boyfriend?


    How could Liam take care of her when she was sick when he, her boyfriend, was right there?


    How could another man take her away from him?


    His jealousy outweighed his remorse for not treating her better and not caring about her enough.


    And he was too drunk to realize that they were not together. What they had was merely a game that had already slipped out of hand.


    When he was stewing in jealousy, some of her colleagues saw him and asked where Mariana had disappeared to.


    He managed to pull himself back, but barely.


    He forced a smile and said, ¡°She had an allergic reaction. She is on her way to the hospital. Let me take her stuff, my driver should be arriving shortly.¡±


    Those colleagues thought he was so thoughtful and that his gloomy face was because of Mariana being sick.


    James could tell what they were thinking and another wave of jealousy and bitterness coursed through him.


    He took her stuff and left. His driver was already waiting for him in the car.


    Suppressing his emotions, he asked his driver to take him to the P city hospital.


    He arrived just in time to see Liliana rushing to Liam, and Jonathan walking behind her.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Liliana asked breathlessly.


    ¡°No idea. It¡¯s not good. She arrived here at least 45 minutes after her allergy started.¡± Liam said, anxiety clear in his voice.


    ¡°How?¡± Liliana hugged Jonathan and asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. We had talked earlier and she had told me that she was having a small celebration with her college in Pits. Then sometimeter, I received a call from her but no one spoke. I could hearbored breathing.¡±


    Liam frowned and added, ¡°I thought she was drunk or drugged, so I searched for her based on her GPS location. Found her locked inside a stall in the bathroom, passed out with the phone beside her.¡±


    Liliana cursed, ¡°What about her bodyguards? Howe they did not realize that she was missing?¡±


    Liam shook her head, ¡°She had dismissed them earlier in the evening.¡±


    Liliana seethed, ¡°I am going to kill her when she gets better.¡±


    They were from the upper ss and along with money and privilege, they were also heirs to death threats, kidnappings, and more.


    Dispensing bodyguards was not something Liliana forgave easily.


    James heard the entire conversation and was drowned in remorse again.


    Jonathan asked Liam when Liliana was still cursing.


    ¡°Did you find out who locked her inside?¡±


    Liam shook his head, ¡°No, at least a dozen people entered and exited the washroom between the 5-minute window before and after she called me. Some of them half-drunk themselves. It will be impossible to find out.¡±


    James had a hunch that Alice might have been the one who locked her.


    But then he shook his head, Alice probably only wanted to rile him up. He did not think she was capable of being so uncaringly ruthless to a stranger.


    James slowly approached them. Washed with guilt and remorse, he sat there quietly without talking to anyone.


    They waited for 10 minutes but Henry was not back.


    Liam looked at his watch and said, ¡°Alright, I have some work. I am leaving. Give me a call when you know something.¡±


    James looked at him quizzically but Liam left without turning back.


    ¡®He is going to leave just like that. Could it be that they are just friends?¡¯


    James was not sure what to think.

 Chapter 166 Good to have you by my side

    Half an hourter, Henry finally came out.


    ¡°She is fine now.¡± He sat beside Liliana and exhaled.


    ¡°How bad was she?¡± Jonathan asked.


    ¡°She is allergic to Saffron. It starts with vomiting, rashes, tongue swelling, and thenbored breathing. It has never gone far from that, but you can imagine the next. When she arrived today, she was hardly breathing a few times a minute. Thankfully, Liam called ahead and we were prepared.¡± Henry exined.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Jennifer also came out, and added, ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is why would she eat it?¡±


    She pointed out, ¡°Thest time she had saffron was when Kyle gifted her a saffron candy, and she could not say no to him. But she had immediately pulled Henry aside and asked him to take her to the hospital.¡±


    James filled in, ¡°I think it was mixed in one of the pickles in the barbeque.¡±


    Henry asked, ¡°You were with her?¡±


    James lowered his head, ¡°Yeah. I was not aware that she was allergic. We fought and then she disappeared. Her phone was working but she was not picking up. I thought she had left.¡±


    Henry did not know what to say, ¡°Well, pay attention next time.¡±


    Jennifer said, ¡°Alright, go home guys. She will be fine. Henry and I are on duty anyway.¡±


    Liliana nodded, ¡°We should go. The kids are alone at home. I will send someone over to take care of her. Don¡¯t overwork yourself, Jenn. Also, don¡¯t tell her parents. I will call Aunty in the morning.¡±


    Jonathan rubbed her head, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have asked Vincent to hush it up in case she was caught by the media.¡±


    Liliana went inside the ward and looked at Mariana for a while before she left with Jonathan.


    She called Liam and informed him that Mer was okay.


    James stayed back much to Henry¡¯s surprise. But he was too busy to pry just then.


    James looked at the sleeping beauty who was still breathingboriously.


    He kissed her on the forehead and said, ¡°I am sorry. I won¡¯t neglect you again.¡±


    He stayed all night watching her.


    The maid sent by Liliana arrived half an hour after they had left, but James asked her to stay in the lounge as he took over watchman duty.


    Liliana heaved a long sigh after shey on the bed.


    Jonathan pulled her closer and rubbed her head.


    ¡°Nathan, I am starting to rely on you instinctively,¡± Liliana said much to Jonathan¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°Huh?¡± He mumbled.


    She put her palm on his heart and said, ¡°Don¡¯t break my heart. If you do, I might blow up the entire city.¡±


    Jonathanughed.


    ¡°Mer will be fine. Don¡¯t be scared. She is a grown-up, you know. She has to figure some things out on her own.¡±


    He pinched her cheeks and added, ¡°I love you so much, how could I bring myself to break your heart. I am not a masochist. Besides, the kids will leave me and avenge you. I am not an idiot.¡±


    ¡°It sure feels good to have you by my side. I was not as scared today as I usually get.¡± She exined.


    Jonathan flipped over and pressed her beneath him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I will always be by your side. All those years that you faced everything without me, I will make up for all of those.¡± He vowed.


    ¡°I trust you.¡± She giggled.


    ¡°Now, where¡¯s my reward?¡± Jonathan asked.


    ¡°Why do you always need a reward? Can¡¯t you just kiss?¡± Liliana pouted.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, I just want to ensure you don¡¯t refuse me,¡± Jonathan said in a low voice filled with grievances.


    ¡°Mr. Husband, you can just seduce me, can¡¯t you?¡± Liliana teased.


    Jonathan burst outughing at her tease.


    ¡°If you say so, dear wife!¡± He mumbled on her lips before kissing her slowly and seductively making her toes curl in pleasure.


    Taking her advice, he kissed sensually, taking his time and making sure she was okay with the pace.


    When he left her lips, he trailed open-mouthed kisses on her jaw, neck, behind her ear, and circled back to her lips again.


    Liliana felt a strange sensation between her legs and knew that she was aroused. It was her first time feeling so aroused when sober.


    Her hands had already started running up and down his torso, and his back.


    ¡°Do you want to stop?¡± Jonathan asked hoarsely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± She managed in between moans.


    Jonathan continued to kiss her the same way and nudged her legs apart. When he settled himself between her legs, she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. He started to grind himself on her, making her feel his erection through their clothes.


    When she moaned louder and did not try to push him away, he slowly started to dry hump her.


    He continued, slowly increasing the speed while continuing to kiss her until she came.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± He asked breathlessly.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± She replied immediately but mped her mouth shut right after.


    He held her hand and licked the inside of her palm while grinding herself against her.


    She got the hint and nodded.


    He asked her to close her eyes and started kissing her again, but this time he put her hands to good use.


    Feeling sticky in their pajamas, they both took a quick rinse, changed, and went to sleep spooning.

 Chapter 167 Plot in the party

    Mariana woke upte in the afternoon to see Liliana¡¯s scowling face.


    Thetter scolded her for ten minutes before asking how she felt.


    After Liliana and the others left, James still stayed back.


    Mariana did not want to talk to him because he was just too unreasonable.


    However, James mistook that for her anger and silent treatment.


    James apologized and took really good care of her despite her refusal. The maid just watched them fight from the sides.


    Later in the evening, Mariana went to Liliana¡¯s house. She would stay there for the night before returning to her parent¡¯s house.


    While Mariana was in the hospital, the Aprices had finally made peace.


    Rose, through tears and maniption, managed to convince Lester that she was framed by Liliana who wanted to separate them.


    She assured Lester that she was waiting for Lester in the hotel and she was given some drugs which made her see that fat guy as Lester.


    After several weeks of fights, silent treatment, verbal diarrhea, and insults, they finally reconciled.


    Lester did not believe Rosepletely, but given the situation, he chose to save his pride. It was a better narrative that his wife was targeted and framed by an ungrateful bitch rather than him being cuckolded.


    Besides, other than Rose and Lydia, there was no one else in the house. His son was still abroad, partying, whoring, and car racing.


    Lester had a few moments of doubt where he wondered if life would have been different if he had not treated Liliana that badly. At least, she would have managed thepany well which neither Lydia nor his wayward son seemed capable of.


    But, the same thought would stop him in his tracks. Liliana was too much like her mother. She would have overshadowed him eventually.


    He did not want to be an incapable father, just like he had always been overwhelmed by Anne.


    When Lydia came up with a n to sabotage Liliana, he agreed readily.


    Lydia had always thought that Liliana cared about her father, so what better way to piss her off than to show that Lester only cared about her.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Showing off to Liliana that Lester only cared about Lydia and not his biological daughter was the best revenge for her.


    Or so they imagined.


    Lester transferred 10% shares of Aprice Group to Lydia, the rest he had kept for himself and his only son, who would ultimately receive all his assets.


    Coincidently, Lester¡¯s birthday was around the corner, so they organized arge party and invited many bigwigs.


    Despite being the CEO of Aprice Group, Lester was not one of the key yers in the business. Especially older generations like Jonathan¡¯s Grandmother knew how he came about his fortune.


    As such he was always looked down upon.


    Noone really important had nned to attend the party. But the news spread that Jonathan and Liliana would be making an appearance.


    To watch the drama, many people RSVP¡¯d.


    Lydia was waiting for just this.


    Their n was very simple: catch Liliana off-guard by transferring arge chunk of Aprice Group to Lydia, rile her up by showing off affection that she was never the recipient of, and sow discord between Jonathan and Liliana while letting everyone know that Lydia and Jonathan had an unusual rtionship.


    Lester did not want to mess with the Smiths, but every time he was reminded that Liliana had humiliated him by making him a cuckold publicly, he would lose all reason.


    If Liliana were to be dumped by Jonathan publicly, he would be relieved.


    Thinking of this, he gave Lydia free rein to do whatever she wanted.


    Blinded by his pride, he did not pause to reason how Lydia was so crafty.


    As usual, in front of Lester, Rose was timid and advised caution at each turn. Behind his back, she was leading the entire thing with Lydia in the front.


    Finally, the day arrived and everyone made their way to the banquet hall with different agenda.


    Lester had spent a lot of money on the party.


    The Aprices were not reconciled with their previous defeat and humiliation. Hence, they had spent a lot of resources and money to get back at Liliana.


    None of them had realized that there was no gain for them. All their ns included just making Liliana feel bad. They did not have anything in mind to make Liliana lose or to get any benefits.

 Chapter 168 Flattering Mrs. Smith

    Lester could not believe that most big-wigs of P city had turned up for his party.


    He obstinately believed that they were there for him, and puffed up with each VIP entering the banquet hall.


    However, his mood turned sour when he saw a few people. Mariana hade on behalf of the Jacobsen group. Lester had not wanted to invite them, but it wasmon courtesy since they were both businessmen and he was hoping to cooperate with them in near future.


    Andrew Jacobsen was easy-going, but his daughter Mariana had a sharp tongue. Lester could only hope that the girl minds her own business but even he knew it was an extravagant hope.


    He all the more resented Liliana for making friends with bigwigs to retaliate against him.


    Nheless, he schooled his expression and wore a ttering smile.


    As more and more guests came up, Lester regained his jubnt mood.


    Finally, Jonathan and Liliana showed up, holding each other¡¯s arms.


    It was their first appearance after their marriage was exposed.


    Lester was no longer happy since all the attention had shifted on the newly arrived couple.


    However, the guests could not care about Lester, at least those he wanted to tter.


    Some of the people who had been aware of the Petrova lineage had attended the party in hopes of building a connection with Liliana and Jonathan.


    Some of the people hade to suck up to Jonathan.


    Some of them were just interested in watching the show.


    While some of them who were of lower status than the Aprice family hade to show their respect and hopefully reap some benefits in being with an affluent crowd. Though, these people were in the minority.


    Vain, as Lester and Rose were, neither, would even look at people who they considered beneath them.


    Amongst them was also a young woman who was there in the hope of getting into L&L Designs by showing off her work to Liliana. It was Alice Geller.


    Alice had spent a lot of effort sucking up Lydia for the chance to attend the party.


    Now, all her hopes rested on Liliana that she notice her talent and offer her a ce in L&L Designs. Her life would be sorted if that happened.


    As such, she made her way to Liliana and proposed a toast.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, please ept this toast. You are an inspiration to women like us who aspire to be famous designers someday and hopefully establish a brand as you did. If this is not too much to ask, could you please take a look at this gown? I designed and stitched it myself. Maybe I will get the honor to work for you one day.¡±


    Knowing that she only had one chance, she said everything she wanted to say quickly and ttered Liliana as much as she could without being too over the top.


    ¡°You tter me. Miss?¡±


    Liliana had seen all kinds of people in her life, and she could tell Alice¡¯s hidden agenda right away.


    ¡°Alice. Alice Geller. It is a great honor to see you up close, Mrs. Smith. And your gown is exquisite.¡± Alice did not miss a single chance to tter her.


    ¡°Why? Thank you, Alice! I hope you will be able to fulfill your dreams. Keep up the good work!¡± Liliana said with a gentle smile.


    Alice¡¯s eyes shed, but she reverted to a polite smile.


    ¡°What do you think of this dress, Mrs. Smith?¡± This time Alice asked directly.


    ¡°As one designer to another, I think a banquet is not the right ce to discuss dresses and designs. Besides, I am just a guest here. We should not be rude to the host, right?¡± Liliana replied diplomatically.


    Alice was not reconciled with Liliana¡¯s indifferent response. All the things she had done to gain Lydia¡¯s favor to get this chance would be in vain if she did not get her leg inside L&L Designs.


    ¡°Of course, Mrs. Smith. I admire you so much, that I couldn¡¯t help but take this opportunity to ask for your opinion. Your opinion could change my life. Please, pretty please.¡± Alice tried to y ardent fan and use her age and naivety to her advantage.


    ¡°Please, excuse us, Miss Alice,¡± Liliana was stern.


    Alice could no longer take it anymore and blurted out, ¡°Mrs. Smith, I had always admired you, I never knew you would look down on new talent just because we are poor.¡±


    Their little banter had already generated quite a bit of audience and suddenly people began to whisper.


    ¡°What¡¯s so bad about giving an honest opinion, especially when the girl was already so humble.¡±


    ¡°I know right. She is showing her true colors now that everyone knows she is Mrs. Smith.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she would spurn her so rudely.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well, technically she is not entitled to give her opinions for free or judge any designs. The girl was rude to bother her at a banquet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s someone else¡¯s birthday banquet. The girl should not have bothered her when she had already said it¡¯s rude to the host.¡±


    ¡°She really could not get a hint.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, Mrs. Smith could have taken the higher road and shown mercy.¡±


    ¡°The girl looked so naive. Most likely she did not get the hint. She could have shown her some mercy. Her rudeness was uncalled for.¡±


    Alice was secretly happy to be in the limelight, especially since most people were talking negatively of Liliana.


    But outwardly, she even managed to squeeze out some tears. She apologized to Liliana while stubbornly saving herself some dignity by not shedding her tears.


    This worked in her favor as thements targeting Liliana became harsher.


    Lydia had not been happy with Alice¡¯s behavior, but now she was gloating inside. She even liked Alice a little bit.

 Chapter 169 Lester intervenes

    Lydia chimed into the conversation. Rose, as usual, was being the quiet meek wife, so naturally she would not speak up.


    ¡°You really are so arrogant. Who do you think you are to humiliate my friend like this when she was only trying to be nice?¡±


    Lydia rebuked Liliana loudly.


    She also patted Alice on the shoulder and hugged her to show her kindness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Alice, I will support you!¡± She said loudly even as she pretended to whisper to Alice.


    Mariana could not help but scoff at her.


    Lydia looked at Mariana in annoyance and said, ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡±


    Mariana smiled and said innocently, ¡°I was just wondering since she is such a good friend of yours, why don¡¯t you give her a job in yourpany. When she makes enough money, she can start her own design studio!¡±


    Her words sounded reasonable, but everyone knew it was impractical and nigh impossible unless the person was extremely talented and hard-working.


    Lydia red at her and said, ¡°Mind your own business.¡±


    Mariana refuted, ¡°I was doing just that. It was you who meddled in other people¡¯s business.¡±


    Lydia clenched her fists and said, ¡°Alice is my friend and this is my family¡¯s event. Everything here is my business.¡±


    Mariana sneered, ¡°In that case, how are you going to deal with your friend who disturbed your guest even after they had clearly wanted to cut short the conversation. Unless you invited the founder and chief designer of L&L Designs so she could give free counseling to your friends.¡±


    Lydia was stunned. She had not thought Mariana would be able to turn things around just like that.


    The other guests also looked at each other.


    Truthfully speaking, it was very rude to pester such a person by asking them to judge their clothes. Getting a meeting with Liliana was a mammoth task in itself. She had refused to be the judge of all fashion events and for a random nobody to seek her advice like that was, frankly, disrespectful.


    Put it like that Alice was in the wrong. Liliana had already ended the conversation from her side, but Alice had pestered her.


    James looked at Mariana in amazement. She was really smart and glib.


    Lydia tried to muddle through, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with asking for an opinion? After all, these banquets are for people to socialize.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    There was a gasp and many people looked at her like they were looking at a clown.


    Alice was so far below in the food chain, and in their work that she could have nothing to talk to Liliana. How could Lydia call it socializing?


    Mariana had expected such stupidity from Lydia, ¡°Of course. Miss Lydia, I have heard that the beggar outside of Kings High wanted to beg inside the Aprice Group. Maybe I could bring him here, so he could socialize with you. What do you think?¡±


    A lot of people sniggered.


    Lydia and Alice¡¯s faces had grown red from embarrassment.


    Lydia looked at her father hopefully, and Lester decided to save her face.


    ¡°Please be respectful, Miss Jacobsen.¡± Lester interrupted.


    Mariana only shrugged indifferently and took a ss from a waiter marking the end of their conversation.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you reply to the girl? She is a designer and wants to work with you. Do you have to show off so much and bully the innocent?¡± Lester put all the me on Liliana.


    Jonathan was shocked. He had never seen anyone being that shameless and unreasonable while pretending to be righteous.


    Liliana had expected it. Her father was always like that.


    ¡°I have my brand¡¯s reputation to protect after all. I can¡¯t hire just anyone.¡± Since Lester had not addressed her in any way, she did the same.


    Alice paled.


    Lydia spoke before Lester could. ¡°How could you call her just anyone? She is very talented. Or is it because she is my friend?¡±


    This created another round of buzz.


    The gown Alice was wearing looked nice. With proper guidance, she could do better. Any non-designer thought Liliana was being too strict.


    But as usual, Liliana ignored all the gossip. She acted as if she could not hear it at all.

 Chapter 170 A liability

    Liliana tilted her head and said, ¡°Since the hosts of the banquet want me to provide my opinion so badly, I can onlyply to show my respect.¡±


    Alice felt hope surge within her.


    Mariana had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep herself fromughing.


    Liliana looked at Alice and asked, ¡°Miss Alice, did you design this yourself or did you get anyone¡¯s help?¡±


    Alice thought Liliana was being vengeful since she could not fault her design, so she puffed up, ¡°Of course, I designed itpletely by myself.¡±


    Liliana probed again, ¡°Are you sure? Maybe you took inspiration from the inte?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Alice was irritated and shouted, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, please just say so. You don¡¯t have to humiliate me like this.¡±


    Lydia sneered, ¡°Are you looking for excuses because you could not find anything to justify your bad behavior?¡±


    Liliana shook her head and added, ¡°Miss Alice. I have given you several chances to stop putting yourself in the spotlight. I even gave you many outs, even suggested ways to save your dignity. I can no longer help you.¡±


    She called the manager and asked for theputer which was hooked on the screen.


    In front of everyone, she asked the manager to search for several specific pieces of dresses and asked him to project the results on the screen.


    ¡°Miss Alice, the front of your dress including the intricate embroidery is exactly like that of the 2nd runner-up of the 2017 Autumnpetition.¡±


    ¡°The design in the bodice including usage of pearls to show the curves is an exact replica of the winner of the 2015 Springpetition.¡±


    ¡°The re design with the gauze and the printed inside of the lower design is the same as the 1st runner up of the 2019 Summerpetition.¡±


    ¡°The overall concept and the back is the exact same as that of the 2018 Annual designpetition winner.¡±


    Alice paled.


    Not only had Liliana urately identified where she had copied everything from, which even Alice herself had forgotten, but also the former had named the specific time, date, design, and the piece name while showing it to everyone.


    Alice¡¯s career as a designer was finished even before it began.


    Lydia was not happy, ¡°So what? Everyone copies things from here and here. And people can have the same ideas. Since she is good, why can¡¯t you help her? You could mentor her and guide her.¡±


    Everyone, including Lester, was speechless.


    How could Lydia be so dumb?


    Liliana did not humor that idiocy with a reply.


    Alice decided to grope that chance and beg.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, please forgive me. I only wanted to impress you. I had seen all those designs before, but I swear I did not create them by copying. I must have mistakenly picked up everything subconsciously. Please give me a chance to prove myself.¡±


    Liliana was impressed by her act and shamelessness.


    She decided to end the farce once and for all.


    ¡°Miss Alice, if you wanted a chance, you could have submitted your resume along with your copyrighted original works via the recruiting portal of the L&L Designs. Why did you not do so?¡±


    Liliana asked.


    Alice could not say, she was rejected on the preliminary check itself. So, she decided to twist the truth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think L&L Design hires newbies who don¡¯t already have a reputation. Please give me one chance.¡± Alice continued to cry.


    Liliana was once again impressed. Alice was way craftier than Lydia.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Liliana agreed.


    Alice heaved a sigh thinking it meant Liliana would hire her.


    But Liliana¡¯s next words doused all her hopes.


    ¡°Give this youngdy a pair of scissors, a few rolls of threads of her choice of colors, and this tablecloth.¡±


    Alice looked at her horrified.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Liliana smiled, ¡°Miss Alice, given L&L Design¡¯s poprity and prestige, you must have guessed the caliber of our designers. I want you to produce an original work from these by the time this party is over. If I find it satisfactory, I will immediately hire you as an intern.¡±


    Lydia could not believe her ears, ¡°How can anyone create something from this tablecloth? Are you trying to find excuses for not hiring her?¡±


    Liliana sneered, ¡°I have no reasons to hire her. She is already a liability considering she tried to pass off her copied product as her original. I am only trying to show my respect to the host of the banquet since he intervened.


    Miss Lydia, do you think anyone can be the designer of L&L? Are you naive or just in stupid?¡±


    Lydia bellowed, ¡°Shut up, you bitch!¡±


    Jonathan finally spoke, ¡°Mind yournguage unless you don¡¯t want your tongue anymore.¡±


    Just then, the manager came with a pair of scissors, and a box full of thread rolls. He passed it to Alice along with a tablecloth and told her to get the waiter to bring her something if needed.


    Alice could only thank him reluctantly.


    She had never hated anyone as much as she hated Liliana at that moment.

 Chapter 171 My only daughter

    The party started after the fiasco and soon the time came for Lester to cut the cake.


    ¡°Lydia,e darling. Help your old man cut the cake!¡± Lester said.


    People gushed about what a doting father Lester was.


    Lydia looked at Liliana provocatively.


    Mariana felt her blood boil at their shamelessness.


    James held her hand and rubbed her palm to distract her. Mariana was too shocked to say anything and the cake cutting went well.


    Lester proposed a toast and thanked everyone foring to wish him on his birthday.


    ¡°Lastly, I want to thank my darling daughter for being the light of my life. I love you, darling. I am lucky to have a filial daughter like you.¡±


    Lester said emotionally.


    ¡°No, daddy! It¡¯s my good karma that I was fortunate to have a loving father like you. I love you the most.¡± Lydia said tearfully, showing off their lovely family rapport.


    Jonathan looked at Liliana who had a faint smile on her lips, but he could see her disdain up close in her eyes.


    d that she was unaffected, he looked back at the farce on the stage.


    Lester then passed on a gift box to Lydia who epted reluctantly after Lester said he wanted to shower her with all the best things in the world.


    During this little y, Lester and Lydia would frequently look at Liliana but they were disappointed to see herck of reaction.


    Lydia opened the gift box in front of everyone and acted surprised on seeing the papers inside.


    ¡°Daddy! What is this? Are these the shares of Aprice Group? But..?¡± Lydia eximed in astonishment, apparently, forgetting the people around.


    ¡°I wanted to surprise you for nning this fantastic party for me. This is 10% shares of Aprice Group. Take it as your pocket money.¡± Lester said dotingly.


    Many were envious of their disy of affection.


    They congratted both Lester and Lydia for having such a good daughter and loving father.


    Mariana could not take it anymore and said loudly, ¡°I must say, I am impressed by how much you love your stepdaughter, Mr. Aprice.¡±


    Everyone could hear the sarcasm in her voice, especially when she stressed ¡°stepdaughter¡±.


    Lydia¡¯s mouth quivered, ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean stepdaughter?¡±


    Lydia¡¯s parentage was not known to everyone since Lester was not all that important. Most people only knew of him because he got married to Anne Petrova. But that was ages ago, and with changing times, the new generation was not aware of the dynamics.


    Lydia could not take this slight when she had sessfully provoked Liliana.


    Mariana pretended to be innocent, ¡°Why Miss Lydia? I was just praising your stepfather. How generous he is to someone who is not his own flesh and blood! If only all stepparents in this world were as good as him, wouldn¡¯t the world be a lovely ce?¡±


    Lydia did not have anything to retort.


    But everyone present could see that Lydia was not Lester¡¯s daughter.


    Lester had not expected to be this embarrassed.


    ¡°Lydia is my daughter and an Aprice. The dynamics of my family are none of your business, Miss Jacobsen. And why should I not dote on Lydia? After all, she is my only daughter.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Lester silenced Mariana and everyone else at once.


    Some observant people could see that he had looked straight at Liliana while saying so, but they could not tell what was going on.


    A few people who were aware of Liliana being the Petrova heir and Lester¡¯s daughter could only shake their heads at his stupidity.


    Anyone who knew of their rtionship could see that the entire birthday fiasco was designed to provoke Liliana. They sneered in their heart.


    They had never seen anyone who had thrown away an unlimited gold mine for a piece of copper.

 Chapter 172 Slap in the face

    The gift-giving started after some time.


    Lester epted everyone¡¯s gift and kept it aside politely after marking them.


    Finally, the time came for Liliana¡¯s gift.


    Lydia sashayed in and took the gift before Lester could touch it.


    Liliana curled her lips subtly but others could only see her regal aloof appearance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what the mighty Mrs. Smith has given as a gift!¡± Lydia taunted shamelessly.


    ¡°What? What is this?¡± Lydia eximed as soon as she saw the paper.


    That drew everyone¡¯s attention.


    Lester looked at the papers on seeing how Lydia had paled.


    ¡°How did you get this?¡± Lester bellowed, unable to suppress his anger.


    Liliana merely shrugged, ¡°Aprice Group is a listedpany, anyone can buy its shares. Besides, my grandfather left me a lot of things. I hope you like my gift. I thought it would lessen your burden a bit if you owned an extra 15% shares of thepany.¡±


    Everyone was astonished.


    Gifting 15% of shares of a listedpany worth hundreds of millions!


    And she just shrugged it off like it was nothing.


    Before people couldment on how prodigal the wife of Jonathan Smith was, Jonathan beat them to it.


    He looked at his wife and asked, ¡°Why did you not tell me that you owned shares of Aprice Group?¡±


    Liliana looked at him with twinkling eyes, ¡°It never came up. Besides, I told you not to fret over the gift. It¡¯s more sincere to prepare gifts by ourselves instead of asking your assistant to buy something expensive.¡±


    Jonathan was amused, ¡°Fine! You are in charge of all gift-buying from now on.¡±


    James chuckled, ¡°Are you trying to save your money by mooching off your wife?¡±


    Liliana ignored them, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Move over, a lot of people are waiting.¡±


    Jonathan nodded, ¡°Happy birthday, Mr. Aprice. Wish you a long life!¡±


    Lester was even more embarrassed.


    Lydia¡¯s face was clouded.


    She wanted to tear the document apart, but Lester¡¯swyer took it away to verify its authenticity, and indeed he was shocked.


    His expression when he looked at Lilliana made it clear to everyone that the documents were indeed real.


    Lester, Lydia, and Rose had nned perfect humiliation for Liliana. They had not imagined that they would be pped in the face like that.


    Moreover, Lester trembled when Liliana said that her grandfather had left her many things so casually.


    How could she know what Leon left her?


    He had tampered with Leon¡¯s will and made his son the beneficiary of everything that had been passed onto Liliana.


    Did Leon have more properties that he was not aware of?


    No, how could that be possible? He had been married to Anne for many years. He had received everything that had belonged to Anne.


    Leon did not have any more children. That was not possible.


    Lester received all the gifts and well-wishes in a dazed state after Liliana¡¯s casual remark.


    On the other hand, Rose pulled Lydia away and gave her an earful. Lydia hid all her dissatisfaction and focused on the n ahead.


    Lydia inched closer to Jonathan and spoke in a sultry tone.


    ¡°Jonathan, can I talk to you in private?¡±


    Jonathan frowned at her and stepped away.


    ¡°We are not on a first-name basis, Miss Lydia. Mind your words!¡± Jonathan said directly without giving her any face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry with me, please. I know it was my fault previously. I just wanted to show you our childhood pictures.¡± Lydia said timidly.


    It gave everyone the false impression that Lydia and Jonathan knew each other in childhood and there was something going on between them.


    Lydia¡¯s n was simple. She wanted to create an opening to wedge herself between Jonathan and Liliana using public opinion.


    Before Jonathan could reply, Lester cut him off.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t create a scene here. Go to the private room upstairs to solve your misunderstandings.¡±


    Lester had intervened to make sure Jonathan followed Lydia so they could proceed with the next step.


    They had banked on Jonathan giving face to Lester at his own banquet.


    But Jonathan did not care.


    ¡°That would be a good idea, except I don¡¯t have anything to talk to Miss Lydia about. Unless, Miss Lydia wants to exin why she had forged pictures, travel records, and hotel records to dupe me into thinking that she was the love of my life that I had met in childhood instead of my Lil. Not that I ever fell for it, but it would be nice to know.¡±


    Lydia was speechless.


    She had not expected Jonathan to be that ruthless.


    The guests gasped in surprise.


    It had already been proven that the Aprices had tried to sabotage Mrs. Liliana and the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Smith.


    It seemed like it was because they had wanted Lydia to entrap Jonathan and failed.


    Lester froze and did not know what to say anymore.


    Lydia¡¯s eyes welled up as she looked at Jonathan with a lovesick expression without uttering any more words.


    Rose pulled her away to save further embarrassment.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 173 The definition of brilliant 1

    Finally, the party was about to end.


    Unlike all other banquets, however, the guests did not start to leave right away as they were waiting to see Liliana confront Alice.


    Alice was a nobody, but Liliana was the mystery that was clouding over all of their heads. The temptation to know more was irresistible.


    Lydia was miserable. All their ns had failed and she had been humiliated in every aspect.


    She saw Alice as thest chip to get back at Liliana, unpromising as it was.


    Lydia pushed Alice towards Liliana for a confrontation.


    Alice clenched her fist, she was not in any state to say anything against Lydia.


    ¡°Miss Alice, are you done?¡± Liliana asked.


    The guests all became quiet as they started watching.


    ¡°There was not anything to work with and with the short time, this was all I could manage.¡± Alice stammered as she highlighted theck of materials and time.


    She had turned the tablecloth into a simple free-size off-shoulder top which was one of the simplest things to do and anyone who could stitch could do it.


    It was barely a cut at the neck with an off-shoulder. And the off-shoulder part had been strewn to close the top.


    Liliana asked one of the waiters to fetch the tools that Alice had used and a new tablecloth.


    When the waiter was getting the things, Liliana walked around Alice, eyeing her body.


    Alice shivered under her scrutiny but held on.


    When the waiter arrived, Liliana cut the table cloth and started working on it.


    Within half an hour, she had turned it into an exquisite top with a choker neck, and a flower on the left chest. There were irs made of tablecloth at the bottom which gave it an uneven pattern that looked like streams flowing downward. The back was detachable to make the top backless up to the waist and the detached part could be folded inside the top giving it apletely different style. There was a belt that would hold it in ce when it was turned backless.


    Just with the help of a tablecloth, a needle, and thread, Liliana had produced an exquisite top.


    Liliana showed it to everyone, and a waiter volunteered to wear it.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Liliana agreed and gave it to the waitress who put it on in front of everyone by using another tablecloth as a towel to hide while changing.


    The guests were speechless.


    Liliana showed it both ways ¨C with back and backless and it looked like two different tops.


    Liliana did not speak with Alice but asked for a bouncer to be brought in.


    She asked the waitress to take off the top and asked the bouncer to tear the stitching apart.


    He tried but the stitching could note off. He stopped when the tablecloth was slightly torn in ce of stitching which stubbornly remained intact.


    Then she passed him the top stitched by Alice whose stitches came off with a smile yank.


    ¡°Miss Alice, as someone who is interested in fashion, I hope I don¡¯t need to exin many things to you.


    L&L Design has never had a single case of wardrobe malfunction. This had be a huge scoop sometime back and is known to everyone. Why then would you show me a top which can be pulled out by just anyone?¡±


    Liliana asked Alice.


    Alice felt defeated. It was as bad as it could get. If it was a w in the design, she would still have chances to muddle through. But a defect in fundamentals was not something anyone would tolerate.


    And they were talking about L&L Designs, the leader in the fashion industry.


    Lydia was not reconciled, especially seeing the beautiful top. She had never managed to get anything from L&L Designs.


    ¡°You should have specified what you wanted from the start.¡± Lydia shrieked.


    Liliana ignored Lydia much to thetter¡¯s fury.


    Liliana then turned to Alice and said directly, ¡°Actually, your chances of getting into L&L Designs were dashed the moment you spoke with me.¡±


    The guests were all surprised.


    Alice looked at her in horror.

 Chapter 174 The definition of brilliant 2

    As usual, Liliana was unfazed by everyone¡¯s reactions.


    She calmly exined.


    ¡°If you were a fan of my work, you would have called me Mrs. Liliana, not Mrs. Smith. I have never introduced myself as Mrs. Smith.¡±


    Jonathan made a face at that but did not interrupt.


    ¡°Moreover, your choice of words was peculiar ¨C ¡®aspire to be a famous designer someday and hopefully establish a brand¡¯. At L&L Designs all of us, including myself, aspire to produce notable works and develop our skills further. Recognition for our work and establishing thepany have always been secondary. Our goals do not align, and you would not have been a cultural fit.¡±


    ¡°You proposed a toast to me. Toasting to someone else at the start of the banquet is considered bad etiquette and disrespect to the host. While I am sure that it was unintentional on your part, it does not change the fact that your focus on this party was to get your leg inside L&L Designs.


    Otherwise, you would have waited until after the cake cutting.


    Besides, with the clear animosity between Lydia Aprice and me, anyone sane would not have approached me as her friend. Which means you two are not friends and you used her to get a chance meeting with me, while she used you to provoke me.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, you should not have asked me to review your gown at a banquet. If you had run into me in the hallway, or even in the washroom, whether deliberately or identally, in a more secluded setting, it would have made sense. Asking with such fanfare is a clear indication that you were trying to use me to springboard your career.¡±


    Alice looked at Liliana in shock.


    Everything she had said was true.


    Lester was displeased. That was exactly why he had always hated Liliana. She was too much like Leon.


    The guests were speechless. They looked at her in fear and awe.


    She was too good. She was the definition of brilliant.


    Mariana merely smiled and rolled her eyes before exiting the banquet. The show was already over.


    James gaped at Liliana and then followed Mariana.


    Jonathan felt proud. He finally understood what his grandmother had meant when she had used the phrase, ¡°Leon with woman¡¯s instincts.¡±


    His wife was too brilliant, he must up his game. That was the only way to match her and protect her.


    Alice felt tears trickle down her face. This time there was no animosity or anger in her eyes. Just despair.


    The waitress also looked at Liliana and stood frozen. She had volunteered to get the top in the end. But she was too embarrassed to ask. Even the tips of her ears had turned red in shame.


    Liliana looked at the waitress, fixed the top which was slightly torn by the bouncer, and ced it in her hands.


    ¡°Whoever designed your headband has good skills. Ask him or her to go to the P city library and find the librarian Miss Henley. She can provide the required materials to study for the entrance exam of Apex University. It has the best fashion design course, schrship, and cement options.¡±


    The waitress¡¯s eyes welled up. ¡°Thank you, thank you so much!¡±


    Liliana nodded and said, ¡°There is nothing wrong with grabbing an avable opportunity. As long as you don¡¯t step on others to do so. Go on now!¡±


    The guests were even more stunned.


    Liliana had proven her prowess and debunked every negative rumor about her, again.


    She seemed to have a ir for it.


    Alice apologized, ¡°I am sorry.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Liliana nodded, ¡°That¡¯s alright. You have good taste, Miss Alice. The moment you design something because you want to from the bottom of your heart and not because you want something out of it, you will be a good designer.¡±


    Alice bowed and left as she said, ¡°Thank you! I will try.¡±


    As Liliana and Jonathan made their way to the exit, Lydia tried to nder them again.


    ¡°Did you n all these, bitch?¡±


    Jonathan snapped, ¡°Hope your tongue if you don¡¯t want to lose it. Did you think she founded L&L designs and brought it to its current glory all on her own without talent or brains? Did you really think you were anything in front of her?¡±


    Lydia paled, but Jonathan was not done, ¡°She does not bother with you because you are not worth it. She was only trying to show her respect to Mr. Aprice, otherwise, I would have had you thrown to the wolves for your insolence.¡±


    With that, Jonatan held Liliana by the waist and left.


    The rest of the guests left one after the other as well. The show was already over.

 Chapter 175 Treasure her

    Terry Draw walked out of his office with a spring on his step.


    This was the day he had been waiting for. Finally, he could pay off his debt of gratitude.


    Though his happiness had bloomed from the fact that he would be getting a big responsibility now. It was akin to getting inducted into the Petrova family.


    Liliana had changed his future, and it was something he would be grateful to her for the rest of his life. His immediate and extended family had managed to get out of abstract poverty and it was not something that he would ever be able to repay her.


    Taking care of an orphanage for her was just his way of lessening her burden. If she were to ask him to manage a few more of her many charities, he would not mind.


    Liliana had called him a few minutes earlier and scheduled a meeting for the next morning at Green Children¡¯s Foundation.


    Terry was ecstatic. He went about his day in a wonderful mood.


    Before lunch, he received another update.


    Jonathan Smith had arrived in the office after almost a month of absence.


    Not unexpectedly, Jonathan called for a meeting in thete evening.


    Jonathan was known to spend a lot of time talking to his employees and visiting his manypanies and business ventures personally.


    In thete evening, Terry gave a brief summary of his work ¨C the new challenges, proposed next steps, anything peculiar he had encountered, mizing opportunities, and so on.


    Jonathan, a few other management staff, GMs from other Malls, and entertainment units that were a part of the Smith group were all present.


    After a long discussion and reports from everyone, the meeting finally came to an end.


    That was another good habit of Jonathan, he kept all the people in one room and encouraged discussions. His approach was quite good. Learn and Grow, and keep learning and keep growing.


    At the end of the meeting, as Jonathan got up to make his way out, Terry called him back.


    ¡°President Smith, can I have a word with you in private?¡±


    Jonathan looked at his watch and nodded asking him to follow him.


    Terry went inside Jonathan¡¯s private office and sat on the couch when Jonathan asked him to take a seat.


    This was his way to indicate that what he wanted to talk about was not work-rted.


    Jonathan asked Vincent to get someone to send something to eat and drink.


    He told Terry to wait and made his way to the window which was on the farthest corner.


    He called Liliana who picked up right away.


    ¡°Let me guess, husband, you will be runningte.¡±


    Liliana could guess why Jonathan called just by hearing his unhappy ¡°hey¡±.


    Jonathan could not help butugh, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Smith. I have ast-minute meeting. This should not take long. Wait for me, please! I want to have dinner together.¡±


    Lilianaughed at his childishness, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I nned to wait for you anyway. Go on now, or you will just get dyed further.¡±


    Jonathan heaved a sigh, ¡°Bye! Darling!¡±


    Liliana was stunned at the endearment and smiled after a few seconds.


    Jonathan sat opposite Terry and just eyed him without speaking.


    Terry started, ¡°I saw the news! I had no idea that you are Lil¡¯s husband.¡±


    Jonathan nodded, ¡°Yeah! We married 7 years ago and were separated. It¡¯splicated.¡±


    Terry did not probe, ¡°I understand. She never said anything, not that I was in any position to know about it, but she did not have a loving home when I knew her.¡±


    Jonathan waited for him to speak. Terry looked at Jonathan and spoke without beating around the bush.


    ¡°President Smith, I know it¡¯s not my ce to say anything, but Liliana is my savior. I have personally witnessed her kindness and seen her use her charm to help those in need. To me and my family, she is an angel. I don¡¯t know about your dynamics and it¡¯s not my ce to probe, but I really hope you treasure her.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Jonathan looked at Terry and smiled.


    ¡°Thanks, Terry! I am aware that I am lucky to be married to her. I will make sure to be worthy of her. Thank you for your advice. I appreciate it.¡±


    Terry was pleased with Jonathan¡¯s reaction.


    They spent another half-hour as Terry recounted how he had met Liliana and how she had helped him hone his knowledge and get into Kings High.

 Chapter 176 Green Field Foundation

    Liliana arrived at Green Children¡¯s foundation early in the morning.


    She had spent two days with her kids sorting out all the things that they longer used or had outgrown.


    Other than that, she had requested a few brands, and stores to sell or donate all their off-season products ¨C clothes, shoes, stationery items, etc, in bulk.


    Liliana spent around 2 hours distributing things and checking out all the stocks in the foundation.


    She was halfway done when Terry had shown up.


    Liliana showed Terry all the ropes and went through all the procedures together. Being the manager of Central Mall of Smith Group, he was well versed with the chops, but getting to know how a non-profit foundation worked was a good learning experience.


    When they were done, Liliana and Terry sat in the cafe inside the foundation.


    ¡°I have been curious, why is this called Green Children¡¯s foundation? I was under the impression that Petrova properties are named P or Kings or Petrova directly.¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°After my Grandmother¡¯s name ¨C Katherine Green,¡± Liliana replied sinctly.


    ¡°But this foundation is at least 80 years old, and should have been before your grandparents were married,¡± Terry questioned.


    ¡°If I am not wrong, my grandfather took charge of this personally and expanded it, renamed it to woo my grandmother before they were married,¡± Liliana exined with augh.


    ¡°It sounds like they were very much in love,¡± Terry remarked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Liliana did not design to exin. As much as she liked Terry, he was not a family.


    Terry did not probe further.


    After a few seconds, Liliana told him about her purpose.


    ¡°I wanted to build another orphanage. This is going to be overcrowded in half a year based on how we are getting the inhabitants.¡± Liliana exined. ¡°Initially, I thought of adding another building here, since there¡¯s quite a bit of space avable, but I have changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the barrennd around two miles from King¡¯s High?¡± She asked.


    ¡°The one on the back, where there¡¯s no gate?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°Ummmm.¡±


    Terry remarked, ¡°You want to turn it into an orphanage. It will be a lot of work, starting from turning the barrennd green. It has be a waste dump in thest few years, so there is that to consider.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Liliana quipped.


    She had no designs to exin. The reason she had picked Terry for this project was to use his reputable degree and his connections in both extremes of the social and economic scale.


    Moreover, she inherently had the mentorship qualities and would guide people into reaching the goal on their own rather than forcing them into a set path.


    Terry thought for a while as the wheels turned in his head. This was an ambitious task, especially given the time limit and he was getting excited with the adrenaline surging within.


    Perhaps because he had studied at a break-neck pace to hold onto his schrship, anything challenging would fill him with great enthusiasm.


    After a few minutes, he added, ¡°I was thinking of setting up a recycling nt for Central Mall. In fact, this is something I have been working on to propose to Smith Group for next year¡¯s KPI.¡±


    Liliana just looked at him and he continued, ¡°I can fast forward it. I already have a rough estimate of everything. It will take a year toplete, but if approved, we can start the waste sorting and storage right away. With a dozen people, the entire area can get cleaned up within two weeks, give or take.


    During the same time, boundaries can be erected and the maps can be finalized, and approved. All the formalities can bepleted by then.¡±


    Liliana continued to stay quiet, silently urging him to continue.


    ¡°The next step would be troublesome. We would have to turn the soil, test it out, nt grass and trees, set up water supply, have an in-house hand pump supply, and so on. These alone would take at least three months. We could even make field projects out of it for the children in GCF.¡±


    Liliana nodded.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Terry continued, ¡°If these things along with plumbing and drainage are sorted, the rest are easy. Funds should not be an issue, since the auction donated almost half of it to GCF. In any case, we can organize two charity events ¨C one for turning the barrennds into Green Field and another after the opening.¡±


    ¡°The supplies can also be sorted. The Central Mall itself is home to several brands, and I can formally request all of them in the name of GCF to donate their off-the-rack products instead of disposing of them. Moreover, since you n to turn it into a Green Field, we can go with a non-harmful approach and avoid everything that is made from animals ¨C like leather, silk, etc. It will work as a good selling point for charities.¡±


    Terry looked at Liliana to get her feedback. That was all he could think of off the top of his head.


    Liliana nodded, ¡°Your idea is good. We could name it Green Field Foundation. Are you sure you will have enough time to handle all of it on top of your work in Smith Group?¡±


    Terry nodded, ¡°I can manage. I have an assistant. We can hire one more person.¡±


    Liliana did not probe further, ¡°As long as you are sure! I will ask Alice to send you the contract and all the necessary details. Alice is my assistant, you can reach out to her for anything.¡±


    Terryughed, ¡°When you had told me you would give me an orphanage, I had assumed you would ask me to manage one of the orphanages that you are the patron of. It was out of my imagination that you would make me in charge of, well, all this.¡±


    Liliana rolled her eyes, ¡°I did tell you not to thank me too much and I would get back my investment.¡±


    They joked for a while and formalized a few things before leaving.


    The next half-year was going to be delightfully tiring and very fulfilling for Terry and his assistant.

 Chapter 177 Confrontation 1

    Another month went by and Jonathan and Nathaniel had almostpletely recovered.


    While Nathaniel would have to be careful of his diet and exercise, following a strict regime his entire life, hailing from an affluent family he had all the necessary care that money can buy.


    From having a doctor on call in addition to the Petrova family doctor and Henry to having an in-house nurse for emergencies, and teaching him yoga and meditation, to having a nutritionist for managing his diet, Nathaniel had it all.


    On the other hand, Vivian Stone had lost it all. Being born into a rich family and being intelligent, she had always stayed on a pedestal. But her recent altercations had left her in the lurch.


    Except for when she was tangled with Liliana, Vivian had always enjoyed being the center of attention and being someone important. But whether it was in Kings High or in the fashion industry, or in Jonathan Smith¡¯s life, whenever she stood against Liliana, she had alwayse up short.


    Recently, she had called Terry and asked him out. Like all her previous friends, even Terry declined her invitation.


    Terry had not wanted to show his back to Vivian, but he was just too busy. Despite everything, she was his crush, the first girl he had ever liked.


    One weekend, he found a little bit of time and asked Vivian out.


    Vivian epted with mixed feelings.


    But Terry, always being the gentleman, especially in front of the girl he liked made her feel wanted and cherished.


    Vivian nearly cried.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± Terry asked when the waiter left after taking their orders in the Italian restaurant that Terry had chosen.


    ¡°I am okay. As best as I can be given the situation.¡± Vivian said with mncholy.


    ¡°Cheer up! It¡¯s not the end of the world.¡± Terry encouraged without probing into details.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± Vivian changed the topic.


    ¡°Busy! This is the freest I have been in the entire month.¡± Terry confessed.


    ¡°What are you busy with?¡± Vivian asked curiously. She knew that Smith Group encouraged healthy work-life bnce, so just his work would not keep him busy.


    ¡°I have another project that I am working on, apart from the regr job. So, I am always upied even on the weekends. I am notining though, it is very fulfilling.¡± Terry said with contentment.


    ¡°You always seem too happy and content,¡± Vivian remarked. She had never realized thatpared to Terry, she was never as happy nor as content.


    ¡°Perhaps because I came from nothing. The moment I went into Kings High, all my dreams were already fulfilled. I only had to work hard after that.¡± Terry confessed.


    ¡°Are you here to brag about your angel Liliana and rub it in my face?¡± Vivian sneered.


    ¡°Why would you say that? I didn¡¯t even bring her up. Besides, she is my savior, and that¡¯s the fact. I was merely stating that my dreams were simple and since they were fulfilled, I can be happy and content.¡± Terry exined but chose to not argue with her.


    ¡°I am sorry. I couldn¡¯t help it. She ruined my life.¡± Vivian realized that Terry was perpetually on Liliana¡¯s side. The fact that he was willing to go out with her without any judgment was already a big deal.


    Terry chose to keep quiet. He did not think Liliana had done anything to Vivian. Merely retaliated when provoked.


    But Vivian was not in any state to make sense of it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think she is wrong, do you? You probably me me.¡± Vivian snarled.


    ¡°Vivian, let¡¯s not talk about that. My opinions won¡¯t change the truth.¡± Terry said with a defeated sigh.


    ¡°That clearly means you agree with her, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She said with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Vivian, I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Whatever is going on between Liliana and you is between the two of you. It¡¯s not my ce to judge.¡± Terry exined.


    ¡°But you helped her rify matters.¡± Vivian continued.


    ¡°I merely stated a fact.¡± Terry was getting irritated.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Before Vivian could reply, the waiter brought food and interrupted their conversation.


    After the waiter was gone, Vivian broached the topic again.


    She was not going to let it go. She had not had a proper talk with anyone in ages, and she had no way to vent her anger with Stone Group getting bankrupt, and thewsuit she had already lost which required her to pay a shit ton of money to escape jail time.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just speak your mind, Terry?¡± Vivian continued.


    ¡°Vivian, does it really matter?¡± Terry dropped his fork and asked. He had lost all appetite by then.

 Chapter 178 Confrontation 2

    ¡°Yes, it matters to me,¡± Vivian said determinedly.


    ¡°Fine, then tell me, how do you think she ruined your life?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°What do you mean? Is that not clear enough already?¡± Vivian snapped.


    Terry shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s not clear. I don¡¯t know what happened between the two of you. I only know what I saw on the inte, which I have no way of telling is true or false.¡±


    Vivian was stunned. She could not find fault in Terry¡¯s words.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    After a long time, she said, ¡°She had always tried to sabotage me. Even when we were in Kings High, she tried to sabotage me. She took away my position.¡±


    Terry let her grumble about how Liliana had made her life miserable in Kings High.


    When she was done, Terry asked, ¡°Vivian, before Liliana, you used to be in the first ce, so does that mean you tried to sabotage the person who hade 2nd and 3rd?¡±


    Vivian stared at him wide-eyed, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I didn¡¯t even know them, I was just trying to do my best.¡±


    Terry asked, ¡°You realize that¡¯s exactly what Liliana did, right? She was just trying to do her best, and she did not know you. She did not owe you anything.¡±


    Vivian sneered, ¡°I was the heir of Stone Group.¡±


    Terry shrugged, ¡°Apart from the fair few schrship students, everyone in Kings High was somebody. And Liliana is Petrova ¨C shees from monarchy, literally. The P city is called ¡°P¡± after Petrovas. She is richer than even the Smiths. If you areparing wealth during that time in Kings High, the gap between you and me, and you and her were simr. And my family was in abstract poverty.¡±


    Vivian froze as if she had been electrocuted.


    It was the first time someone had said that she was a nobody whenpared to Liliana.


    It took her a few minutes to find her voice, though all words had fled from her.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. She used toe in rags. She would walk to the school and her notes were all torn.¡± Vivian shuttered.


    ¡°That does not change the fact that she is royalty. Whatever her reasons for hiding her identity, she does not owe an exnation to anyone, does she?¡± Terry broke all her fantasies.


    ¡°She could have told me,¡± Vivian grumbled stubbornly, though she felt defeated.


    ¡°Vivian, I don¡¯t mean to disrespect you, but you did not mean anything to her. Why would she take care of your emotions? Who were you to her? She did not owe you anything. She earned whatever she got. Besides, you think she should have given way to you because of your status, but, in reality, her status was way higher than yours.¡± Terry blurted out without giving her any chance to refute.


    ¡°And honestly Vivian, you are asking me, the person who directly benefited due to Liliana¡¯s hard work, to agree with you that she should have given way to you. Do you think you are making any sense right now? If she had backed down and let you win, she would not have qualified for a schrship, and I and my entire family would still be living in abstract poverty. And it¡¯s not just me, it¡¯s four other people, four other families like mine.¡±


    Vivian was ashamed, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Terry pressed on, ¡°Really? Then what was your logic? Did you really think of anything beyond your ego?¡±


    Vivian felt mortified, ¡°Is that really what you think of me?¡±


    Terryughed, ¡°Vivian, you have always known that I fancy you. I had a crush on you when we were studying abroad. You are the only person I have ever liked in my entire life.¡±


    Vivian did not know what to say, ¡°Terry¡­¡±


    Terry interrupted her, ¡°When we were abroad, you were this hard-working, self-sufficient, happy-go-lucky person who mingled with everyone and did not differentiate based on ss. You used to take help from me, and others who had better grades than you, and you used to help others who were worse than you. You were amazing. You were nice and kind, you were a lot of fun, and you were the life of the college events and parties without being ostentatious or easy. You were so good.¡±


    Vivian looked at him agape. No one had ever said anything like that to her.


    Terry shook his head and looked at her sadly, ¡°What happened to that girl, Vivian? Why did you lose the best parts of yourself?¡±


    ¡°When I ran into you here, you had be this snooty person who would not even acknowledge that you were acquainted with someone like me whocked background. You look down on people, you are looking for shortcuts, and trying to use people. I used to wonder who was real, the Vivian who was my ssmate and friend abroad, or the Vivian Stone in whose eyes I was beneath her, worthy of only serving her and not someone who could stand on the same level as her.¡±


    Vivian felt choked, ¡°Stop!¡±

 Chapter 179 Confrontation 3

    Terry did not show Vivian any mercy, ¡°Why would you do this to yourself? You had everything ¨C you had a loving family and rich parents who fulfilled all your wants, you were smart and intelligent ¨C someone capable of being a brand, being someone important on your own, you were alumni of the best high school in P city, and one of the best Universities in the world.¡±


    Terry finally hit the nail on the head, ¡°Was it so awful that Liliana was slightly more intelligent than you, she was slightly luckier than you in love, she had a better background than you?T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    And if you were constantlyparing why did you notpare that she was practically an orphan after her mother passed away?


    Why did you notpare that she was living with an abusive stepmother and stepsister who were leeching off her inheritance while making her work as their servant?


    Why did you notpare that she had more responsibilities on her young shoulders that even now are greater than that of Jonathan Smith, the supposed richest man in P city?


    Why did you notpare that she has a 300 years old legacy to maintain that will forever ensure that she can never prioritize herself?¡±


    Vivian had tears in her eyes as she suppressed her sobs in her palm.


    ¡°Stop! Please stop!¡± Vivian cried.


    Terry was sick of her attitude and continued, ¡°No, Vivian! She was never wrong. She worked hard and gave the benefits and rewards from her efforts to others who were less fortunate than her.¡±


    ¡°What did you do? You tried to rape, and yes, as disgusting as it sounds, you did try to rape her husband. And for what? Petty high school grudge?¡±


    ¡°She did not even retaliate for that. Despite always having proof against you. You tried to hurt her daughter ¨C an innocent 6-year-old. And she still did not do anything. Her retaliations were more like small pranks before. She only really retaliated when you tried to harm Mr. Jacobsen and her old gardener.¡±


    ¡°Vivian, look at yourself in the mirror and see whether those acts were worthy of you. You were the heiress of Stone Group, well-educated, well-established, and aplished. Do those cheap and dirty methods really resonate with you? Did you really let your jealousy and ego eat away everything good and noble about you?¡±


    ¡°No! Please! No!¡± Vivian threw the tes, unable to hear him.


    But Terry merely added, ¡°Fine! But I will say this onest time, Vivian, go and see if the girl that was my ssmate and friend abroad is still there lurking beneath the hideous person you have now be. Go and see if the real Vivian, who was kind andpassionate, is still there somewhere.¡±


    With that Terry left her alone to cry and vent.


    He paid the bill, paid for the damages in the private room, arranged a ride for her, and left.


    Terry brought a bottle of whiskey and food and locked himself in his apartment, drinking away his lingering feelings for Vivian Stone.


    He had known Vivian when they were in college abroad. She was a year younger than him but they were in the same ss.


    She used to be a nice person who was kind and helpful to everyone. Not a push-over by any means, but fun and easy-going.


    She was well-liked by everyone.


    When he came back, he could hardly believe it was the same person.


    Terry shook his head.


    No, he would no longer think of Vivian Stone.


    She was not the person he had fallen for.


    His n was simple. He would drink away all his feelings and never think of her again.


    He picked up his phone and sent her a small text.


    ¡°Goodbye, Vivian. It was my honor to meet you abroad. I hope you find your past self again. Have a good life!¡±


    Terry did not wait for her reply and directly blocked her.


    There was no point keeping that route open.


    Unbeknownst to Terry, a week after that, Vivian sent a letter to Liliana apologizing for her past behaviors.


    Vivian had thought long and hard about her future. Before meeting Terry, she was still holding onto resentment and looking into ways to get back at Liliana.


    But, eventually, Terry¡¯s words had haunted her. Deep down, she had always known Terry had liked her. And he had fancied her for who she was, and not the heir of Stone Group.


    That was the reason why she was so affected by Terry¡¯s words. When he had not confessed that he liked her, it was easier for her to deceive herself and look down on him. But after he had said so much, she could no longer deceive herself.


    Using whatever money she had left, she uprooted her family and went abroad to start over.


    They did not have much having lost everything ¨C theirpany, her clothing line, their overseas business. But, Vivian had always been smart and had made backup ns within backup ns.


    Hence, even after paying the hefty penalty after losing thewsuit, they had enough to make do for half a year if they lived frugally.


    Vivian would, in a decade, go on to re-establish her boutique and create a name for herself.


    Thanks to Terry¡¯s intervention, she had decided to start over and take a new leaf.


    She or her parents never stepped into P city again.


    Perhaps that was the difference between a truly smart person and a fool. She had enough sense to see the truth and stop herself fromplete decay.


    Unlike the Aprices who were truly lost.

 Chapter 180 Dirty secrets 1

    On the other hand, Aprice mansion was always filled with conflicts. Not a day had gone by since Lester¡¯s failed birthday banquet where they did not fight.


    Frustrated with the situation at home, Rose sneaked out when Lester was not at home and went to drink.


    Unexpectedly, she ran into Romeo. Perhaps it was not too much of a coincidence since Romeo was hellbent on keeping an eye on Rose until he got his 20 Billion back.


    Not to mention, that Anne¡¯s daughter had gifted Lester 15% shares of Aprice Group with such fanfare.


    Rose was irritated to see Romeo again. Her previous scandal was still hanging on top of her head, and Lester had not slept with her since. Not that she cared, but it was a loss of power.


    Seeing Romeo brought out all her emotions ¨C frustration, anger, anxiety, hate, resentment, and many more. Romeo was quick to deal with her breakdown and seduce her.


    In the private room of a high-end club, Romeo and Rose once again became lost without any inhibitions.


    When they were done, Rose opened up to Lester¡¯s changed behaviors and expressed her concerns about losing his support and eventually her rich life.


    Romeo thought she was trying to y him for a fool since she had clearly made 20 billion dors.


    Romeo was sarcastic and sneered at her acting. Rose could not understand what was going on with him.


    Unable to take his insinuations anymore, sheshed out at him.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude, you bastard?¡± Rose eximed.


    ¡°Ehh! You are showing your true colors now, Mrs. Aprice. I was wondering when you will stop acting in front of me.¡± Romeo snapped.


    ¡°What the fuck do you mean acting? I am losing my mind here. That bastard Lester has been suspicious and has been making a scene at home every day. He has not touched me since he caught us thest time. And you, you think you can lord over me.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Are you not satisfied with one man? Missing your worthless husband now? How about we go at it again? I can go rougher and maybe use some tools to satisfy you, you slut?¡±


    ¡°How dare you? How dare you say that to me?¡±


    ¡°If you can do it, why can¡¯t I say it?¡±


    ¡°Why did youe back, Romeo? Did youe back because you got tired of yourfortable life and thought you would make mine miserable as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course, ex-wife! How could I let you enjoy the fortunes alone when we made it together?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean fortune? I gave you most of that bitch Anne¡¯s jewelry and a lot of money. Enough tost a lifetime! And did you think I was having fun all these years?¡±


    ¡°Hohoho! Do you mean you conned me with fake jewelry while selling her original jewelry at an auction? Or were you expecting me to die early so that little money would be enough for me?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ¡®con¡¯ you? We did everything together. Every single step we took to trap Lester and separate him from his wife was nned between the two of us. How could I have gotten the chance to cheat you?¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I thought! But you still managed to con me. I have underestimated you, my lovely Rose. And if you thought that you could enjoy being Mrs. Aprice while leaving me at the lurch, you are sorely mistaken.¡±


    ¡°You have gone senile! Did you think I had it easy? That bitch Anne died, but somehow her presence still lingers. People look down on me and talk behind my back. Even if Lester never cared about that bitch¡¯s daughter, she is back and married to the Smiths. Do you have any idea how hard I tried to make Lydia marry Jonathan Smith? But that bitch Liliana managed to integrate herself with the Smiths. She is having her revenge now, and my life has been miserable ever since she showed up back in P city.¡±


    Rose yelled out all her frustrations but Romeoughed at her.


    That incited another round of loud verbiage from them and they continued to fight oblivious of the audience that had already formed outside their door.

 Chapter 181 Dirty secrets 2

    Romeo sneered when Rose paused for breath.


    ¡°That bitch¡¯s daughter is another goody-two-shoes just like her mother. Do you want me to believe that she screwed you over? Have you lost your touch, Rose? Besides, you did kill that bitch. Now you want to be a novelty as well? Was the money not enough?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! There was no money. Lester, that bastard, is as stingy as he is stupid. He has managed to ruin the thrivingpany and turned it into a small business. Yet, he is too proud to see that. The way things are going, we will be living like paupers soon. Even if you don¡¯t care about me, think about your daughter, who will lose hervish lifestyle if you sabotage me.¡±


    ¡°How dare you? How dare you threaten me with Lydia? We promised we would keep her out of our schemes. Don¡¯t mention her in front of her. And you have no right to bring her up?¡±


    ¡°I have no right! I have no right! I raised her, taught her. Where were you? What were you doing when I was breaking my head to get her into a reputable college? Drinking? Whoring? Gambling?¡±


    ¡°And why would you have needed to break your head? You could have taught her well. You took away that bitch Liliana¡¯s inheritance, and everything she owned. You made sure to separate her from the Smiths and ruin her marriage. Yet, she managed to be rich by herself and reconciled with the Smiths.


    And see what you made of our daughter? She could not get into any good university. She doesn¡¯t know shit. She could not even argue properly with that goody-two-shoes bitch Anne¡¯s daughter. Is that how you educated her?¡±


    ¡°You know what, Romeo. You can call me whatever you want, but don¡¯t ever say I did not raise Lydia well. I did everything I could for her. If you have so many objections to how I raised our daughter, why don¡¯t you teach her yourself?¡±


    ¡°You know what? I will do that. I will teach her myself. Clearly, you failed to raise her well, and turned my daughter into a pushover.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? You can¡¯t go near Lydia! If Lester sees you, he will cut her off his will.¡±


    Rose panicked at his words.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Why? Are you scared, Rose? Lydia is my daughter. What¡¯s wrong with me meeting my own daughter?¡±


    Romeo taunted her. In the heat of the moment, he had forgotten that his meeting with Lydia could rouse Lester who might take Lydia off his will.


    But Rose was very aware of the consequences.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You can¡¯t see Lydia. If Lester suspects anything, it will be disastrous for all three of us.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so scared of that man? Did you forget how easy it was to trick him? If he was any threat, we would have never seeded in marrying you to him and throwing his biological daughter out of her own inheritance and house. If he was any capable, our Lydia would not be enjoying what she is now.¡±


    Rose felt her blood boil at Romeo¡¯s frivolity.


    ¡°I am concerned because he can feed abortifacients to his own wife to kill his child. If he can steal his biological daughter¡¯s inheritance, and throw her out just because he felt inferior to his wife, how far do you think he will go if he ever finds out that we have been tricking him this entire time. Don¡¯t forget Lydia is not rted to him! Do you want your daughter to suffer from your carelessness?¡±


    Romeo knew the consequences, of course. He had just forgotten it in the heat of the moment.


    On hearing Rose, he calmed down a bit. He took a deep breath and gulped down a lot of wine before speaking again.


    ¡°We should n a contingency in case anything goes wrong.¡±


    Romeo finally spoke.


    ¡°We will need to wait until Leoes back and takes away all the property from Liliana. After that, we will get him to transfer his assets to me and Lydia, instead of transferring them to Lester. Then we can dump Lester.¡±


    Rose had already been thinking of getting rid of Lester. The constant fights at home were getting to her and she did not want to pretend any longer.


    ¡°Alright, when is your good for nothing soning back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know when he will being back or where he is. He does not know that despite taking that bitch Anne¡¯s name, he is my child. We will have to be very careful when dealing with him. Besides, he is Lester¡¯s son, so unlike Lydia, he might have some affection for Lester. We can¡¯t be rash. We have waited for so many years, a few more months is not a big deal. We can¡¯t ruin our ns due to impatience.¡±


    Rose was always the moreposed of the two.


    Romeo nodded, ¡°Fine! But make sure to send money to me regrly. I don¡¯t have anything on me.¡±


    Rose wanted to snap but chose to eat her words, merely nodding her head.


    Romeo liked the submissive side of her and diverted the topic.


    ¡°Now that we have sorted that,e here. My cock is ready for you.¡± Romeoid down on the couch and demanded, stroking himself.


    ¡°All these years, you have be fat andzy. Now, you don¡¯t want to fuck and want to enjoy it lying down. What do you take me for? One of your prostitutes?¡±


    Rose snapped, though already getting on top of him.


    ¡°You are my bitch, my Rose with thorns. Don¡¯t forget who had plucked that cherry! Besides, let¡¯s not pretend that you don¡¯t like being on top,¡± Romeo leered with a wink.


    ¡°I would not talk so much if I were you,¡± Rose said as she slid him inside swiftly and moaned aloud, ¡°You are at my mercy.¡± With that, she rotated her hips making Romeo curse out loud.


    Then they were back at it again giving the audience outside quite a bashful experience.

 Chapter 182 Lester’s plan

    The voyeurs outside Rose and Romeo¡¯s private room included Lester, his assistant, and hiswyer.


    Lester was supposed to be in a meeting in another town, but he had urgent work which required him toe back early.


    Unexpectedly he had such an eye-opening moment.


    Lester was frozen outside the private room.


    He could not believe his ears. Rose, the timid fearful Rose that he hade across when she was fleeing from her abusive husband was just a facade. And he had been entrapped by them all these years.


    Lester wanted to rush inside and hit them both to the brink of death, but hiswyer stopped him.


    Lester¡¯s Lawyer, Mr. Miller suggested that since they had been nning a coup against him for so long, they might not hesitate to physically harm him.


    Under Mr. Miller¡¯s persuasion, Lester restrained himself and stopped barging in.


    Instead, he asked his assistant to remove any trace of him being there to ensure that Rose won¡¯t be wary of him.


    After that, he went back to his office with hiswyer and discussed the next steps.


    The first part was to ensure that Rose and Lydia do not get any of his property. And he would have his revenge for their betrayal.


    Angry at being used as a cash cow Lester had failed to see that he had treated Anne the same way.


    Anne, the unsuspecting lovely Anne, who had loved him with all her heart had been betrayed and hurt by him. Not to mention, he had fed her abortifacients himself under Rose¡¯s influence.


    Lester did not even once feel remorse for his own actions but continued to n his revenge against Rose.


    Mr. Miller suggested that he mend his rtionship with Liliana since she was his biological daughter. Their bigger motivation was that she had proven herself capable and married to Jonathan Smith ¨C which meant she could bring Aprice Group to new heights.


    But Lester rejected the idea outright. Liliana was too much like Leon and out of control.


    Instead, he suggested they find out if Leon had left anything else for Liliana that could be transferred to his son and if there was anything that could be used to get shares of L&L Designs.


    Mr. Miller, despite being Lester¡¯swyer and friend for years, was shocked. But they were two peas in the pod and he started racking his brains for possibilities.


    Lester went home the next day and acted as if he knew nothing. Rose could sense something was wrong with him but put it down to her own unease.


    Moreover, she had been feeling unwell and did not have time to ponder over Lester¡¯s mood swings.


    A few dayster Lester called Lydia to his office out of the blue and made her sign a few documents. Unsuspectingly, Lydia signed all of them without checking what was written on the long pages.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Lydia did not think much of it, but when she mentioned it to Rose in passing, Rose reacted violently.


    However, she was attacked by another bout of nausea and rushed to the bathroom.


    Lydia felt disgusted and left the room.


    When Rose came back, she felt dizzy and slept, without having any strength to enquire further.


    As usual, Lester visited her at night and perfunctorily asked her to call the doctor or go to the hospital.


    That put Rose at a bit of ease because Lester¡¯s perfunctory concern was within her expectations.


    Rose did not want to go to the hospital, at least not by alerting anyone since her symptoms were quite simr to morning sickness.


    Rose and Lester had not slept together in months, and if she suddenly got pregnant, it could only prove that she had cheated on him.


    As such, she ate and slept and took some medications but stayed put.


    When she was recovering, Lester changed a few things in thepany and his will. He cut Rose and Lydia off from everything and took back everything he had previously assigned to Lydia.


    He forged a new identity and brought property for himself abroad and created an off-shore ount.


    But he could not take back the money that was in her bank ount already.

 Chapter 183 Lydia was kidnapped

    One day, Lester said he was going abroad for a business meeting for a week and might not be reachable on the phone as the meeting ce was quite remote.


    Rose suspected that he had found himself a young woman and was going out to have fun with his mistress.


    Rose hated it, but she needed some time to take care of her own health and possibly have an abortion if she was pregnant. As such, she could only swallow her anger and wish him luck.


    Lester could guess what she was thinking but did notment on it.


    After Lester left, Rose waited for two hours and when it was confirmed that he had boarded a 19-hour flight, she finally left home.


    She had spent a lot of money to ensure that Lester was indeed out of town and out of reach.


    When Rose waited outside the doctor¡¯s office waiting for her test results, she received a call from Lydia.


    ¡°Lydia, I am busy. I will call youter!¡± Rose directly said before Lydia could speak.


    ¡°Oh then, how about we have some fun with her while you are busy,¡± The malicious voice that came instead of Lydia made Rose jolt in fear.


    ¡°Who are you? Where is my daughter?¡± Rose eximed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I show you?¡± The person said and disconnected the call.


    Almost immediately Rose received an MMS which showed Lydia being tied to a pole and her clothes were torn and a hand removing all her garments.


    Rose called back immediately, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her! What do you want?¡±


    The manughed, ¡°I want 500 Million dors in non-traceable cash in two hours. You better have everything ready when I call you back. Or your daughter will be raped live.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her! Hello! Hello!¡± Rose cried but the phone had already been disconnected.


    Rose ignored the calls from the doctor calling her inside and frantically ran away.


    In her anxiety, she did not look back or she would have seen Lester¡¯swyer enter the consultation room.


    Rose rushed to her car but could not think of what to do. She could not call the police or her daughter¡¯s dignity would bepromised.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She called Lester frantically but his phone was switched off. She tried Lester¡¯s assistant but his phone had been switched off as well.


    She then called his office but a secretary said that Lester should be on a ne and wouldnd in another 12 hours or so.


    Hearing the secretary¡¯s words she remembered that Lester was indeed away. She hade for the doctor¡¯s appointment only after confirming that he had boarded the ne.


    She mumbled something to the shocked secretary saying that she had forgotten that he would be away for a week and med her old age.


    Then she went home and asked the butler to arrange for 500 million dors ASAP.


    The butler looked at her perplexed but did not move.


    ¡°Why are you still standing? Did you not hear me? Move?¡± Rose cried.


    ¡°But Madam, how can I arrange so much money? We don¡¯t have ess to Sir¡¯s funds. Before leaving, as usual, Sir said that if we need anything we should ask you or Miss Lydia as he had transferred money to you for an emergency.¡± The butler bowed politely.


    ¡°Useless!¡± Rose snapped and threw a cup on him before dismissing him.


    Rose then called Romeo and told him what happened.


    But unfortunately, Romeo was broke and threatened to ruin her if she did not save his daughter in time.


    Romeo did not believe that as mistress of the Aprice Group, Rose did not have 500 Million dors.


    Rose broke some more furniture and yelled her frustrations.


    When her daughter was in trouble, no one helped. Neither Lydia¡¯s biological father nor her stepfather.

 Chapter 184 Rose’s anxious day

    Rose received another MMS after the 30 minutes mark.


    The new MMS showed Lydia¡¯s naked torso.


    It sent shivers down her spine.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Immediately, Rose looked into all her ounts. Including all FDs, and everything, she barely had 200 million dors.


    She knew Lydia¡¯s ounts had already been emptied during her altercations with Liliana before.


    Rose immediately went to the bank and requested for all the money to be withdrawn immediately.


    When that did not work, she called Lester¡¯swyer. After a lot of begging and ckmailing, he finally pulled some strings and she was allowed to withdraw the money in non-traceable cash.


    Then she sold all her jewelry and all the shares that she owned. Finally, she came close to 450 million dors.


    By then she only had half an hour left. She had already received two more MMS showing Lydia¡¯s tied-up naked frame from the front and the back.


    Left with no choice, Rose sold all of Lydia¡¯s jewelry, and cars to make up a total of 500 Million dors.


    Although Rose knew that she had been cheated and she had barely gotten 60% of the actual cost of the things and shares, she was desperate and did not have time to bargain.


    Finally, she was ready, and in time too as her two-hours-mark was up.


    When she received another call from the kidnapper, she frantically said that she had everything and not to hurt her daughter.


    The kidnapper threatened her again to not involve anyone and gave her an address.


    Halfway through, Rose realized she was being tailed.


    Her car was stopped in the middle of an abandoned road without any surveince and some brusque men in masks took away all the cash and her car. They threw a naked and unconscious Lydia from their car and left.


    Rose did not even have time to curse them. She hurriedly pulled her own clothes and covered Lydia.


    Thankfully, Rose had managed to hold her purse with her, and she still had some loose cash and phone.


    She immediately called Romeo and asked him to pick them up.


    Then she proceeded to wake Lydia up.


    Lydia, however, remained unconscious.


    Romeo arrived not long after and took Lydia to a hospital. She was merely unconscious after ingesting some sleeping pills but otherwise had not been harmed.


    They were told to take her home, and wait for her to wake up. Since there was nothing wrong with her, Rose took her back home to avoid any scandals.


    Later in the evening when she had her tea and wanted to take a nap, Rose received a call from the hospital.


    They asked her if she wanted the reports to be sent home since she had left in a hurry and had not shown up after.


    Rose¡¯s nerves which had finally begun to settle were frayed again.


    She rushed to the hospital but she was already beginning to feel dizzy.


    Thankfully, the gynecology section was almost empty since the consulting doctor¡¯s working hours were over.


    The doctor had been waiting for Rose since Rose had begged and bribed.


    As suspected by Rose, she was pregnant.


    While the doctor congratted her and started talking about the risks involved given her age andplications from prior pregnancies, Rose interrupted and asked her to abort it right away. The doctor looked awkward which made Rose squint at her suspiciously.


    ¡°Mrs. Aprice, are you sure? I understand you must be scared, but I advise you to think things through. If you are concerned about the risks, please get a second opinion and we can discuss the next steps,¡± The doctor assumed that Rose was agitated due to the risks involved and cautioned her.


    That made Rose rx her vignce as she asked for an immediate abortion since the pregnancy was unnned and unwanted.


    The doctor looked uneasy but the patient was a consenting adult, and given how much Rose paid her, she could only prep for the abortion.


    She called her assistant for some tea and poured a cup for Rose before taking one herself.


    They sipped tea as the OT was being prepared and the doctor continued reviewing her files.


    Rose was feeling dizzy and sleepy which she thought was the result of exhaustion, stress, and pregnancy.

 Chapter 185 Lester’s revenge

    A nurse knocked on the door and told the doctor that the operation theater was ready.


    She also brought a set of forms which the doctor took and waved the nurse away.


    The doctor walked up to Rose who was feeling increasingly dizzy by then.


    Rose barely heard when the doctor exined the procedure and theplications and risks.


    She merely nodded perfunctorily and signed the forms without reading them. Rose was perplexed on why she had to sign so many forms but she was too dizzy and the doctor¡¯s non-stop exnation made her unable to concentrate and think straight.


    Finally, she was ushered to the operating table and hooked with a bunch of tubes.


    The doctor injected her with anesthesia and asked her to count backward from ten.


    Rose did not need to count since she was already feeling dizzy and passed out right after.


    The doctor waited for a few minutes and examined her before she changed her scrubs and pushed her to another operating room.


    Then she went back to her office where Lester and hiswyer were waiting for her.


    The doctor that Rose had met was none other than the Lawyer¡¯s wife and a nurse. Their son needed a kidney transnt and Rose happened to be a perfect match.


    When Lester had found out about Rose¡¯s schemes, he and hiswyer friend had devised an borate trap to outfox Rose.


    Lester had been feeding Rose some medications which produced pregnancy-like symptoms.


    A few maids were tasked to gossip about that hospital being good for their privacy and many actresses went there to get abortions without getting caught. That nted an idea in Rose¡¯s head.


    Finally, Lester had acted like he was going away and had Rose sell everything to save Lydia. He had someone kidnap Lydia and scare Rose by sending her naked pictures. He could not bring himself to harm the girl since he had taken her for his daughter for so many years, but that did not mean she could not be used.


    As ast nail in the coffin, Lester had drugged Rose and made her sign divorce papers and a consent form for a kidney donation.


    Given Rose¡¯s age, the surgery had some risks and even if everything went well, she would still suffer for the rest of her life.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    All of this had been hiswyer, Mr. Miller¡¯s idea.


    All Lester had cared about was getting back everything from Rose and divorcing her.


    And he had seeded swimmingly.


    But he knew he could not divorce Rose right then. He had to wait until their son was back and he got everything that Leon had left for Liliana.


    Since he was not close with his son, he could only maintain the facade of ying a happy family and use Rose to get things done.


    But he was d to know that he had one-upped Rose forever.


    Romeo suspected something was wrong when he drove Lydia back.


    He pretended to be a janitor and went to the hospital where Rose was having an abortion to see how things were going on.


    He was astonished to see Lester in the hospital.


    It was then he realized Lester had known about them and probably everything that had happened was Lester¡¯s revenge.


    He could not make a scene just then, so he pretended to work and left naturally.


    On the other hand, Lester went abroad as nned and set things for himself as a backup.


    The Vi he had brought and the 500 Million he had squared away would suffice as a backup.


    Unbeknownst to them, Liliana was keeping track of all their schemes.


    She smiled mockingly and chose to keep away.


    ¡®Let them destroy each other,¡¯ she thought.

 Chapter 186 Psychological issues

    Jonathan saw Liliana smiling mockingly at her phone and stepped closer.


    He sat on the study table and looked at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Lester and Rose are killing each other,¡± She said emotionlessly with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°And you are nning to?¡± Jonathan asked in confusion.


    ¡°Watch the show, silly!¡± Sheughed.


    He could only shake his head at her.


    Jonathan pulled her up and sat on her chair and held her in hisp.


    ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Husband?¡± She teased.


    ¡°Feeling my wife up, Mrs. Smith!¡± He provoked her by moving his hands about her curves.


    Liliana got all tense when he grabbed her breast which put an end to their banter.


    He stopped teasing and hugged her, rubbing her back soothingly.


    When she stopped shivering he pulled up her chin to see her eyes were wet.


    Jonathan panicked and wanted to apologize but she beat him to it.


    ¡°I am sorry. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Her voice was full of frustration and helplessness.


    Liliana knew what had happened on their wedding night was an ident, and that Jonathan loved her with all his heart. Yet, she could not bring herself to cross that hurdle in her heart. She could not bring herself to be intimate with her own husband.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything. I will be careful.¡± Jonathan soothed her which made her feel worse. The guilt and worry in his voice and eyes made her tear up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! It makes my heart ache to see you cry,¡± Jonathan consoled her.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Nathan. Maybe I should visit a psychiatrist,¡± Liliana proposed.


    ¡°We have talked about this. It¡¯s too risky. Besides, what will we tell the kids?¡± Jonathan counted her suggestion unhesitatingly. They had discussed this before but being public figures, they had limited choice.


    ¡°But I feel so bad. For you, for us. We are a married couple and yet¡­¡± She could barely finish her words.


    ¡°I know. I know, honey! But I don¡¯t mind. I love you. I was being thoughtless today. I¡­¡± She interrupted before he could finish.


    ¡°You are not being thoughtless. We are married. It should be normal. I¡­¡± It was Jonathan¡¯s turn to interrupt her.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think like that. I will fix the problem I caused. Just be patient and give me some time,¡± Jonathan consoled her.


    Liliana shook her head but did not say anything.


    When she had calmed down, he lifted her chin and brought her face closer to his.


    He slowly kissed her while keeping their eyes locked with each other.


    When she closed her eyes, he stopped which made her open her eyes again.


    But he continued before she could say anything, making his intentions clear.


    With their eyes locked, they kissed softly as Jonathan slowly caressed her face with his fingers.


    He caressed her face, ran his fingers over her hair, caressed her cheeks again, yed with her ears, and trailed over her neck and shoulders.


    They paused when they were out of breath and he ced soft kisses on the same trail.


    Then they were back to kissing again with their eyes still locked and he trailed his fingers lower from the curve of her breasts to her waist.


    She shook in nervousness and he slowly moved his hands back to her face and neck.


    When she calmed down he repeated the process until she was okay with it.


    They finally stopped when they heard a knock on the door.


    Liliana ced her head on his chest and heaved loudly.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jonathan asked softly, still caressing her hair.


    ¡°Yeah! Thank you!¡± She pecked his chin and said softly.


    ¡°Silly!¡± Jonathan knocked on her head yfully for thanking him.


    When they had calmed down, they opened the door to see three kids waiting patiently.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 187 First family trip

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Joyanna cried with a pout as she jumped into her father¡¯s arms.


    Jonathan picked her up and kissed her, cing her in hisp.


    The two boys just shook their heads at her childishness.


    ¡°Mommy, why is your mouth swollen and face red?¡± Nathaniel asked worriedly.


    Before Liliana could react, Jonathan exined, ¡°Mommy and Daddy were practicing how to make your siblings.¡±


    ¡°Nathan!¡± Liliana red at him.


    ¡°They would know sooner orter,¡± He just shrugged.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Liliana could not believe her ears.


    ¡°Why do you need practice?¡± Kyle asked.


    Joyanna said, ¡°Did you identally make us while practicing?¡±


    The adults just looked at each other.


    Jonathan exined, ¡°Making babies is hard work. It does not always work, so we have to keep practicing for a long time.¡±


    Liliana looked at him agape, ¡°Nathan!¡± She eximed again but Jonathan ignored her.


    ¡°Honey, they ought to know. They will know sooner orter.¡± He pacified her in the most unusual way.


    Before she could say anything, he turned to his daughter and added, ¡°You are my little treasure, honey. You guys are not idents. You are my little miracle and our biggest blessings.¡±


    Joyanna was happy to hear that.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    But Nathaniel had another concern.


    ¡°Daddy, why is mommy¡¯s face red and swollen? Does it hurt to make babies?¡± He asked childishly.


    This time Jonathan looked at Liliana meaningfully.


    She was too flustered to say anything but knowing her kids they would not let it go before their doubts were cleared.


    She thought for a second before she answered, ¡°Darling, it hurts when youugh too hard. It is difficult and might hurt in the beginning when you try a new exercise or anything new. But those are good kinds of pain.¡±


    Kyle frowned, ¡°That means it hurts.¡±


    Liliana rified, ¡°Having a baby is not a joke. It¡¯s a responsibility and a privilege. If it does not hurt a little, people might take it too simply. But pain and difort are just indicators of how badly you wanted that child. But most importantly having you guys in my life made everything worth it. If we get 100 do-overs, we would still want to have you guys. Just like we will also try our best to give you another sibling.¡±


    The kids did not understand it fully but they realized that it hurt their mother to have them but she loved them enough to bear it withoutint.


    ¡°We will be good, Mommy!¡± Nathaniel added.


    ¡°I know, baby. Mommy and Daddy love you guys the most.¡± Liliana pacified them.


    Kyle asked, ¡°Mommy, does it still hurt?¡± He touched Liliana¡¯s swollen lips and asked.


    ¡°Practicing to have a baby does not hurt,¡± Jonathan said shamelessly.


    ¡°Nathan!¡± Liliana roared but could not say anything more in front of the kids.


    ¡°Your Mommy and I were thinking of taking a family trip on a cruise. What do you guys think?¡± Jonathan changed the topic.


    Joyanna¡¯s face lit up.


    ¡°Really Daddy? I love you the best.¡± She said kissing her father.


    ¡°You are so easy to bribe,¡± Nathaniel said with contempt.


    ¡°When will we go? Will dad alsoe?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°Liam might not be able toe. How about the five of us go first? And during the new year break when Liam is free we all will go again,¡± Liliana asked Kyle.


    She did not want to disappoint the child but Liam was indeed busy. And she was aware that Jonathan wanted it to be their family trip, and might not want to include anyone else.


    It was already quitemendable that Jonathan had epted Kyle as his own and always acted like he had three kids instead of two. She did not want to push him too much.


    Kyle was used to his father¡¯s busy schedule. He was a tad bit disappointed but going on a family trip was too exciting a prospect. Nothing would dampen his spirits. While Jonathan might not be Liam, Kyle could sense that Jonathan also loved him the same as Li and Jo.


    Nathaniel had always had poor health and all their previous trips had been too cautious. This was the first time he was going on a trip after his surgery, and it was their first trip with their father. Despite being naturally calm and collected, he could not hide his joy.


    Joyanna started asking random questions about the trip. It was obvious her excitement was not going to die out until after their trip.


    The three kids were ted.

 Chapter 188 Many firsts

    At night, the kids went to bed, and the couple snuggled on their bed.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly think of a trip?¡± Liliana asked.


    ¡°I have been nning this since our surgery. I wanted to surprise you. We have never gone on a trip together. I am very excited,¡± Jonathan kissed her nose and expressed himself candidly.


    ¡°It was a nice surprise. I am really happy. The kids are excited,¡± Liliana did not hide her feelings.


    ¡°I have more surprises for you,¡± Jonathan said mysteriously.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked with a gleam in her eyes.


    ¡°It would no longer be a surprise if I told you,¡± He pinched her cheeks and exined.


    ¡°You should not have said anything. Now my imagination is running wild,¡± Sheined.


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I said it,¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°You are mean, Mr. Husband,¡± Liliana said in fake anger.


    ¡°And you are exceptionally gorgeous, Mrs. Smith,¡± Jonathan added.


    Lilianaughed and pecked on his lips.


    ¡°Have I ever told you that I am d to have you by my side?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes! But I won¡¯t mind hearing it again!¡± He teased her.


    ¡°I am happy to have you by my side. It feels so light,¡± She said seriously.


    ¡°I am happy too. I have been happy since the day I found out you are my wife,¡± He exined.


    She just smiled.


    ¡°Actually, I want to experience everything with you and the kids. All the firsts I have missed, I want to have them all,¡± He exined.


    ¡°I know. We will have many firsts together. You may have missed their childhood, but there is so much more toe,¡± She exined.


    Jonathan did not say anything, just kissed her softly and gently to express all his feelings.


    They kissed for a while but Liliana suddenly broke it when she remembered something.


    She pushed him away and sat up ring at him which stunned him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I hurt you?¡± Jonathan asked worriedly as he turned on the lights.


    ¡°I am fine. I just remembered what you told the kids today,¡± She said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°We had to say something,¡± Jonathan mumbled.


    ¡°You know they already are too smart. Why would you tell them nonsense?¡± Liliana was not happy with his response.


    She did not want to fight in front of the kids, so she stayed quiet. But now she wanted to clear the air.


    ¡°Honey, they are going to see swollen lips and hickeys often. We have to tell them what it means, otherwise, how are you going to exin it all the time.¡±


    Jonathan reasoned as hey back on the bed. He looked at her and roamed his eyes across her body making her fidget and forget the argument.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She eximed, crossing her arms over her chest.


    Jonathan could not help butugh at her actions.


    He sat up and held her face in his hands and exined seriously.


    ¡°Our kids are too smart. They would have figured things out one way or the other. Besides, since we are intimate and will eventually be more intimate, they are bound to see things that will make them curious. Telling it simply like that will put their worries to rest.¡±


    Liliana nodded begrudgingly.


    ¡°Fine!¡± She conceded. As awkward as it was, it seemed to be the best way to handle things.


    ¡°And Mrs. Smith, remove your hands, please. I would love to take a peek if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Jonathan stared at her breasts and straightforwardly expressed his interest.


    Liliana lowered her head in embarrassment.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 189 Trust me

    ¡°Come here!¡± Jonathan pulled Liliana on hisp and turned her so she was straddling him.


    He uncrossed her arms and kissed her gently.


    ¡°Look at me!¡± Jonathan locked eyes with her and slowly slipped the straps of nightwear from her shoulders.


    Liliana closed her eyes, but he told her to open them again.


    ¡°You are my wife, Lil. But more importantly, you are the love of my life. The only person I have ever loved, and the only person I want to love and be with for the rest of my life and for all lives until eternity.¡±


    ¡°I desire you and I want more. But more than that I want you to be happy,fortable, and content.¡±


    Jonathan whispered sincerely as he slid down her nightwear and exposed her torso.


    Lost in his eyes and words, Liliana forgot her embarrassment and only realized what was going on when she felt a warm finger brush against her bare breasts.


    She shivered and gasped but he held her chin and made her look in his eyes.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± He asked her gently, kissing the corner of her mouth, his other hand still on her waist and fingers brushing her breast slowly.


    Liliana nodded her head, but felt it was not enough, so she added breathlessly, ¡°I trust you.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Jonathan smiled on her lips and held both of her hands. He pecked both of her palms and put them around his neck.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and caressed the back of his head as she continued to look into his eyes.


    Jonathan caressed her cheeks and brushed her lips with his thumb and moved lower, caressing her slender neck and the curve of her breasts with the back of his fingers.


    She shivered but he kissed her gently and soothed her nerves as he continued to trail one of his hands across her torso. His other hand firmly held her back.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± He asked her gently as he nibbled her lips.


    ¡°A little!¡± She whispered back.


    ¡°Trust me! I won¡¯t hurt you!¡± He whispered back and kissed her eyes.


    ¡°I know!¡± She whispered but she was still a bit tense, especially with her eyes closed.


    ¡°Look at me!¡± He said after a while.


    Sheplied and locked eyes with him.


    Jonathany her on the bed and hovered over her.


    He slowly traced her face with his fingers as if she was the most precious thing in the world.


    Then he trailed his entire palm over her cheek and neck and down to her breast while continuing to lock eyes with her.


    She closed her eyes, but he asked her to open them again.


    ¡°Look at me and don¡¯t close your eyes!¡± Jonathan whispered in her ears, biting and licking them softly.


    Liliana shivered but did as she was told. She trusted him enough to follow his lead.


    This time he did not lock eyes with her but she looked at him as he traced her body with his eyes and hands.


    He slowly kissed her lips and moved lower, leaving open-mouthed kisses in his wake.


    Liliana curled her hands in his hair but continued to look at him.


    He kept kissing and pecking him till her navel and trailed the same route back.


    Then he kissed her on the lips and sighed, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°You are so beautiful, so perfect, so hot. I would not have believed that you are a mother of two if I did not know.¡± He whispered on her skin as he continued to kiss her.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He traced her ribcage with his fingers making her shiver. But this time he knew it was not because she was scared or nervous.


    While whispering sweet nothings on her skin, and kissing her, Jonathan kissed and caressed every inch of her torso until she gotfortable with his touch.


    It took them the better part of the night. Jonathan was painfully hard but he suppressed himself as he continued to let her get used to his touch.


    It was close to dawn when she got off and Jonathan helped himself to the shower. Then they both went to bed.


    Barely three hourster they woke up as usual.


    Jonathan kissed her passionately, interrupting her as she said, ¡°Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Wife, I was torturedst night. When you get used to me, I will keep you up all night returning the favor.¡±


    Jonathan promised. It took her a few seconds to realize what he meant, and when she did understand him she looked at him wide-eyed.


    Jonathanughed and went to the washroom leaving her to sort out her thoughts.

 Chapter 190 The J factor 1

    In the Preston household, things were quiet.


    Ever since they had found out Kyle was Jonathan Smith¡¯s godson, everyone had wanted to integrate themselves with Kyle. But Jonathan had taken Kyle away and had not sent him back.


    Liam had been busy with work, often going to assignments outside, and was barely home.


    Finally, Grandma Preston could not take it and called Liam asking him to bring Kyle back.


    Liam exined that Kyle was going on a family trip with the Smiths and will be back after that.


    Grandma Preston disapproved of calling it a family trip since Kyle was a Preston and not a Smith, but she held her tongue.


    The poord did not have anyone in the Prestons that could be called a family. It was good that at least the Smiths took care of him as their own.


    The rest of the household listened with keen interest when Kyle was mentioned.


    After all, it hade to everyone¡¯s attention that Kyle was the Godson of Jonathan Smith, President of Smith Group, and his wife, founder of L&L Designs.


    Everyone wanted those connections.


    Liam¡¯s cousin-inw Julie and her sister Jessi wanted to get close to Jonathan.


    The J sisters were confident that Jessi could get close to Jonathan and get her way. After all, she was young, pretty, and well-educated.


    Julie used all her filial piety and acting skills to find out the details of their family trip.


    Then they plotted to get inside their private cruise.


    Since it was Jonathan¡¯s own cruise, there was no way for them to get entry inside. Left with no choice, Jessi pretended to be a waitress and onboarded.


    Finally, the luxurious cruise ship started.


    It only had their family of five, five bodyguards, two hidden shadows, and twenty staff including waitresses, Skipper, his deputy, rescue personnel, chefs, and a nurse.


    Jonathan knew the captain and deputy personally while the rest of the staff was selected by them and approved by one of the secretaries.


    Jessi had a hotel management degree along with an internship and short-stint in one of the seven-star hotels which qualified her for the job.


    Besides, she had no red gs on her background or resume. She was unsuited for a long-term contract, but for a three-week job, she was quite good.


    As usual, even on a trip, Liliana expressly ordered everyone not to enter her bedroom or the kid¡¯s bedroom. She would clean those herself.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    After living together for months, Jonathan had also learned to clean their own and kids¡¯ rooms. So, it became even easier. Especially as the kids did not create all that much mess as they grew up.


    The family of five started the journey by standing on the deck as they watched the city be smaller and smaller.


    They had some snacks and drinks as they yed board games on the deck looking over the ocean and the city.


    In the evening the kids ran around on the deck while the couple stayed on the deck just watching the kids and the view. Jonathan was standing behind Liliana with his arms around her waist as they stood on the deck enjoying their close proximity.


    Jessi watched them from the lowest deck which was for the staff, eyes green with jealousy.


    ¡®How could a controversial woman with unknown background and scandalous personal rtionship be Mrs. Smith, the most coveted position in P city.¡¯


    ¡®NO!¡¯ Jessi was reluctant, ¡®Only someone as sophisticated, well-educated, pretty, and with a good background as me was suited to be Mrs. Smith.¡¯


    Jessi had seen Jonathan in the seven-star hotel when she was working there on a short stint for the experience.


    It had been love at first sight for her. She had tried to impress him with her immacte performance and professionalism.


    But Jonathan had not even nced at her. Nor had he shown any interest in any other woman.


    She had been obsessed with Jonathan since then, but her elder sister Julie had discouraged her despite wanting to enjoy the benefits of the connection.


    Jonathan was not someone to be provoked.


    But when Julie found out about Kyle and Liam¡¯s connection with Jonathan, she had taken a chance.


    The J sisters wanted to get close to Jonathan and use that connection to enhance their business and their presence in P city.


    Being rted to Kyle was their biggest bonus.


    This trip would give Jessi the chance to get to know everyone better, so they could n things ordingly.

 Chapter 191 The J factor 2

    The first day ended pleasantly and the kids were too tired byte evening.


    It was Nathaniel¡¯s first experience of ying all day long until he got tired. Before his surgery, his body was quite weak and they were always careful.


    After the surgery, there was an adjustment period where he was closely monitored. And even after that, his strenuous activities and ytime had increased gradually.


    To be allowed to let loose without care was an entirely enriching experience.


    ¡°Look how happy Li is!¡± Liliana said emotionally.


    ¡°Yeah! He is turning into a normal kid now. Well, as normal as our kids can be!¡± Jonathan added proudly.


    Liliana chuckled and pecked him on his nose.


    ¡°Because I am happy, I am going to forgive you for being too handsome and catching flies even on our vacation,¡± Liliana teased.


    ¡°Honey, usually wives be happy and proud that their husbands are good-looking,¡± Jonathanined.


    ¡°Too bad you have an unusual wife, husband. I would rather no one covet what¡¯s mine,¡± Liliana said domineeringly.


    ¡°I love how you get jealous and possessive,¡± Jonathan said, sucking her earlobes.


    Liliana pressed her lips to control her moan.


    She calmed down and managed to whisper, ¡°The kids are here, don¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°The kids are busy and they won¡¯t mind,¡± Jonathan retorted as he moved to nibble the back of her ear making her clench her fists.


    They were interrupted by an angry voice.


    ¡°Daddy, why are you biting mommy?¡± Nathaniel red at Jonathan nked by Kyle and Joyanna who were also ring at Jonathan.


    Jonathan coughed as he choked on air and did not know what to say.


    Liliana¡¯s face had turned red due to embarrassment. She patted Jonathan and passed him some water to make him feel better.


    The three kids continued to re at him.


    ¡°I was not biting mommy,¡± Jonathan exined, ¡°She was itchy and I was helping.¡±


    Liliana¡¯s mouth twitched but she stayed quiet.


    After a lot of reassurances, the kids were convinced that their father was not hurting their mommy.


    When they turned back to their games, Liliana admonished her husband.


    ¡°I told you to be careful,¡± She chided.


    ¡°I tried and failed. You are too tempting,¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°We need to stop them from asking all these questions. It¡¯s getting kind of awkward,¡± She added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. I will be more careful in front of them, but they are bound to see something. It¡¯s better we tell them what¡¯s going on rather than risk them taking their curiosity elsewhere,¡± He exined.


    ¡°You are right,¡± She sighed and turned around to enjoy the view as he wrapped his arms around her again.


    In the meantime, Jessi sneaked inside the kid¡¯s bedroom.


    All the staff had been explicitly told that the two bedrooms were private and no one was allowed to enter.


    But as a senior staff member, Jessi had managed to get the keys and sneaked inside.


    The kids¡¯ room was simple with three adjacent beds, a shared wardrobe, and arge table with three chairs. Nothing special or fancy. But cozy in its own way.


    Jessi did not notice the baby monitor as she shuffled about the room.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    But Liliana¡¯s phone chimed in and she and Jonathan watched her lurking around.


    When Jessi exited the room and entered the master bedroom, Jonathan had logged into the surveince system of the boat, but there was no surveince inside their bedroom.


    In any case, looking at her stunned and gloating face when she had exited the room, they knew she was up to no good.


    Jonathan called the chief of staff and had them fire Jessi on the spot.


    He also asked Liliana to ask his shadow to clean up the room and make sure nothing was wrong.


    All themotion alerted the kids who were ying by themselves and they watched a waitress being escorted away from their cruise.


    Kyle thought she had looked familiar but could not ce her.


    Jessi kept apologizing for her thoughtlessness and asking for a second chance, but Jonathan was livid.


    His surprise for Liliana had been ruined by her.

 Chapter 192 The surprising surprise

    Throughout the dinner, Jonathan was grumbling that his surprise had been ruined.


    Liliana coaxed him for a while and kissed him and bit his lips to break his trance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her ruin your mood, husband. Or I will be jealous,¡± Liliana whispered.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    That made Jonathan chuckle. His little wife had an unusual way of cheering him up.


    After dinner, Jonathan, through Liliana, confirmed with his shadow that everything was fine.


    That got Liliana all excited, but he held his tongue.


    They put the kids to bed, but Joyanna requested a story. The kids had long outgrown their habit of listening to stories before going to bed. But this had been a special day.


    Jonathan was ted since he had thought he would never get to read for the kids.


    He volunteered and read them the story of Hansel and Gretel as they fell asleep.


    ¡°Happy?¡± Liliana asked as they exited the kid¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°Yes, very!¡± Jonathan admitted cing a kiss on her forehead.


    He led her to their bedroom and had her close her eyes.


    When they were inside, he locked the door, checked a few things, and asked her to open her eyes.


    Liliana was surprised to see the candle-lit room decorated with fairy lights on the bedpost and across the drapes of the four-poster bed.


    The bed seemed like it had been hastily arranged by a non-professional. The silk sheet was sparingly covered with flower petals and the bedside table held an assortment of exotic choctes.


    It looked really beautiful and Liliana thought she could get drunk just looking at it.


    She was really touched by his gesture.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± She whispered.


    ¡°You are beautiful,¡± He said, kissing her lips, ¡°Come here!¡±


    Jonathan led her to the bathroom which was simrly decorated and the tub was already full with petals swimming elegantly and scented candles wafting an intoxicating aroma.


    ¡°Let me help you!¡± Jonathan whispered sensually, running his hands through her curves.


    Although nervous and unsure, Liliana wanted to give it a try, and so she nodded.


    Jonathan slowly undid the zipper of her dress and stripped her naked, all the while keeping his eyes on her face and kissing her softly.


    That helped Liliana rx as she followed his lead.


    When she waspletely naked, he guided her to the tub and stripped himself before joining her.


    He pulled her to hisp and they sat on the water, sipping some wine and getting drunk on each other.


    After Liliana had adjusted to their proximity, he slowly ran his hands through her body making sure she wasfortable with it.


    It took a long time, but Jonathan managed to seduce her into letting him touch her all over.


    When they were done, they took a quick rinse and he picked her up andid her on the bed.


    He blew out the candles and turned on the lights and rolled all the drapes on their bed.


    Then he rolled some drapes which happened to be covering all sides of the room, something she had missed before.


    Liliana was shocked to see mirrors all over the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She asked shakily.


    ¡°Look at us when we make out. Make sure to keep your eyes open and look at the person touching you, kissing you, savoring you,¡± Jonathan replied as he hovered over her.


    She looked at him wide-eyed, unsure of everything.


    But she held her words. She trusted him enough to follow his lead. He would not do anything that made her ufortable.


    Jonathan slowly removed the towel that she had wrapped around her, turning her into a bundle of nerves. He skimmed his fingers ever so lightly over her body which made her itchy and her toes curl.


    Very slowly and sensually, he caressed and kissed her while muttering sweet nothings in her ears. Letting go of her hurdles, she slowly turned into jelly.


    It took a long time and only after dawn after Jonathan had spent the entire night getting her to loosen up, did they manage to make love.


    When they were done, Liliana fell asleep only to wake up a few minutester at her usual time.


    Jonathan coaxed her back to sleep and watched her as she drifted off to dreand.


    But he was too edgy and hot to get any sleep.


    He went to the washroom and took a long cold shower, before checking on the kids.


    Jonathan had breakfast together with the kids and asked his most trusted security staff to keep an eye on them.


    He told the kids that he would get some sleep along with Liliana and joined her in bed.

 Chapter 193 The other couple

    Liliana woke up in her husband¡¯s arms, naked, and satisfied.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    With Jonathan¡¯s care, she managed to ovee her phobia and she could not be happier.


    Jonathan felt her heated gaze in his sleep and woke up to see her staring at him with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt? I am so sorry.¡± Jonathan reacted instinctively.


    Liliana hugged him tight and cried on his chest.


    ¡°I am so lucky to have you as my husband. These are happy tears,¡± She sniffled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, honey. I don¡¯t like seeing tears in your eyes. I am lucky to be your husband, to be your partner. I love you,¡± Jonathan rubbed her back soothingly.


    ¡°Are the kids awake?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah! I had breakfast with them before getting some shut-eye,¡± Jonathan told her as he kissed her head while his hands involuntarily started to roam across her curves.


    ¡°You should get some rest then. I will wake you up for lunch,¡± She pushed his hand away feeling goosebumps all over.


    Jonathan pulled her in his arms and pinned her beneath him.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± He asked seriously.


    ¡°Great! It¡¯s very rxing and I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off,¡± She confessed without hiding her feelings.


    Jonathan removed the sheets that she was trying to wrap herself with and ran his hands over her torso.


    ¡°Still ufortable?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No. As long as I can see you and know that it¡¯s you, it feels good,¡± She confessed.


    Jonathan pressed a long kiss on her forehead to express his relief.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Liliana said emotionally.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Jonathan stopped her from thanking him.


    ¡°I meant to thank you for being patient, for being tolerant. I knowst night was very difficult for you,¡± She exined.


    ¡°I have always loved every moment I have spent with you. You don¡¯t have to feel guilty,¡± He consoled her.


    ¡°Get some sleep now. I will freshen up!¡± Liliana urged him.


    ¡°I just want to hold you. You have no idea how addicting you are, wife,¡± Jonathan teased.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that! I need to use the washroom,¡± She pushed him away.


    ¡°Alright! Go on! Wake me up for lunch,¡± He let her go and covered his yawn before getting some sleep.


    On the maind, it was another busy day for Mariana.


    She had been handling more and more important projects and her workload was shooting through the roof.


    She finished anotherte meeting and went back to her office while stifling a yawn.


    She closed the door disregarding the weird look on her assistant¡¯s face, slumped on her chair, and stretched herself.


    James had been waiting for her in her office. On seeing how tired she was, he walked behind her and started to massage her shoulders.


    Mariana was startled and stood up picking a paper holder to hit whoever it was.


    James held her hand before she could smash his head and she breathed a sigh on seeing him.


    She sat back and eximed, ¡°Are you a ghost? Where did youe from?¡¯


    ¡°I was waiting for you. You were too tired to notice,¡± James said patiently.


    After that ident in the barbeque, James had be unusually forbearing with her. He would still steal kisses but those kisses were now very gentle.


    Mariana would still try to push him away. But unconsciously, she had been resisting him less and less feebly.


    The entire office knew James as the doting boyfriend and she had no way to refuse them.


    She was starting to believe that they really were dating, but she was not sure what they were exactly.


    In any case, she had been too tired these few weeks to mind him. So, she let things be and decided to talk to him in a few days. She needed time and patience to talk to someone as shameless as James.


    Conversely, James thought they were already dating. He thought of Mariana¡¯s increasingly feeble resistance as her anger from earlier which had yet to go down.


    In any case, he was not cheating on her and there was nothing going on between him and his ex. He was not afraid of confrontations and he thought he had shown his sincerity to Mariana.

 Chapter 194 Misunderstanding

    One weekend, Mariana called James and asked him to meet in a tea house.


    She was finally free and she had mustered the courage to clear the air with him.


    However, half an hourter, James did not arrive, but she received a photo of Alice and James kissing.


    Marianaughed at her own stupidity and decided to leave.


    But as luck would have it, she ran into Jacob, her college friend, and bestie after Liliana.


    ¡°Mer bear!¡± Jacob shouted.


    ¡°You finally could not stay away from me, huh?¡± Mariana teased as they hugged each other tightly.


    They talked about old times, and Jacob showed her the ns for his new house that he was building in the suburbs of P city.


    That turned into banter and they kept throwing punches at each other.


    Unable to take her jab anymore, Jacob pinned her to the wall and said, ¡°Lady, don¡¯t make dirty jokes as if you know what it means.¡±


    Mariana onlyughed before pushing him away.


    This was what James saw when he showed upte.


    James was on his way to Mariana when he ran to Alice. He had tried to leave early to ensure he arrived before time. He did not want to give any reasons to Mariana to find fault and ignore him.


    He had not seen Alice after that night in Pits. So, he asked her why she had lied about Mer leaving when it was clearly not the case.


    Alice only shrugged and said, ¡°Maybe I mistook someone else for her.¡±


    James did not know what to believe. He could not bring himself to think that his first love could be that ruthless, but seeing her indifference he was unsure.


    He told her to stay away from him and Mer and started to leave.


    But Alice held him back and pestered him.


    Someone, they ended up in an argument, and Alice kissed him out of nowhere again.


    This time, however, he did not hesitate. He pushed her away, rinsed his mouth, and scolded her before walking away.


    The entire time, James had been worried that Mariana was waiting for him.


    Never in his wildest dream had he expected to see herughing in another man¡¯s arm.


    James, in his jealousy, forgot all the reasons and acted impulsively.


    He walked briskly to Mariana and tugged her in his arms.


    She lost her bnce but he held her by the waist.


    ¡°I am sorry I amte babe,¡± James said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, ¡°have you been waiting for long?¡±


    Mariana was dumbfounded. He was wearing the same clothes that he was wearing in the photo that she had anonymously.


    She frowned in disgust but James took the wrong way.


    ¡°Is he your boyfriend, Mer bear? Why is he so rude?¡± Jacob teased.


    ¡°Let go, James,¡± Mariana snapped, ¡°For the love of God, stop ying games with me already.¡±


    James tightened his arms around her waist while Jacob made a weird noise.


    ¡°Jacob, shut up!¡± Mariana snapped at him as well.


    Jacob muttered, ¡°Grumpy bear¡± and shut up, enjoying the drama.


    James wondered if he had misunderstood the rtionship between them, and loosened his grip, but still held her in his arms.


    ¡°Who is he, darling? Won¡¯t you introduce me?¡± James asked smilingly and this time amusement was evident in his eyes.


    Mariana continued to struggle in his hold and frowned.


    ¡°James, who are you to me? Why should I introduce anyone to you? Just get as far away from me as possible and suck your ex¡¯s face. Stop pestering me.¡±


    Mariana said frustratingly and James frowned at her choice of words.


    They stared at each other. Frustration and indignation were clear in Mariana¡¯s eyes which made James feel guilty.


    On the other hand, Mariana could not read him at all and wondered how he could be so casually shameless. How little must she mean to him to y her like that?


    Jacob was the one who broke the silence as he mumbled, ¡°Lover¡¯s spat!¡±


    Mariana red daggers at him while James took that chance to kiss her gently pouring out all his apologies and feelings in that kiss.


    Mariana continued to struggle and pushed him away.


    She ran away from him with tears in her eyes.


    James felt his heart hurt because of that, but he could not figure out what was wrong with her.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 195 Warning

    Jacob changed his demeanor after Mariana ran away.


    James wanted to follow her but was held back by Jacob.


    ¡°Mer¡¯s boyfriend, James, right?¡± Jacob asked.


    ¡°Let go!¡± James roared.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Let¡¯s chat,¡± Jacob said and let go of him gesturing to a chair.


    James sat down begrudgingly.


    ¡°My name is Jacob Tanner. Mer and I were friends in college. I am her closest friend after Liliana.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Jacob introduced himself with his rtionship with Mariana. That made James rx.


    ¡°James Miller. Mariana¡¯s boyfriend.¡± James said haughtily. He still did not like this Tanner in whose arms Mer wasughing. Whenever he held her, she would always try to get away.


    ¡°Mr. Miller, if you are Mer¡¯s boyfriend, may I ask why you were kissing your ex-girlfriend even missing your appointment with Mer?¡± Jacob asked directly which made James¡¯s eyes widen.


    James muttered, unsure of why he was exining to this guy, ¡°I have nothing to do with Alice. I ran into her and we got into an argument which made mete. And what do you mean by kissing my ex-girlfriend?¡±


    Jacobughed, ¡°I have never known anyone who argues with their exes by kissing while supposedly being in a rtionship with another.¡±


    He turned all serious and said before James could retort, ¡°I don¡¯t know what game you are ying, but Mer is a family to me. Hurt her and I will make sure to have my revenge.¡±


    Jacob left before James could digest his words.


    But when he did digest his words, two things were clear.


    Somehow, Mariana had seen it when Alice had jumped him.


    Jacob was Mer¡¯s best friend and they did not have any unusual rtionship.


    James thought it was easy to resolve their misunderstanding and called Mariana. But she hung up again and again.


    But James relented and continued to call her. Frustrated, she switched off her phone.


    Mariana ran away from James and went to the beach.


    Beaches were her go-to ce when she was overwhelmed, well, after Liliana.


    However, the day seemed to have no respite since James found her there in two hours.


    James did not want to continue his misunderstanding with Mariana and asked one of his buddies to track her. He found her sitting on top of arge stone on the beach, looking very vulnerable and lovelorn.


    His heart melted at the sight and he vowed to never hurt her again. But s it was a vow he was not fated to keep.


    Mariana was so lost in thought that she did not realize when James had arrived and sat behind her on therge rock.


    She kept thinking about everything and nothing, but could not make sense of anything.


    James was just taking his revenge. That was an indisputable fact.


    But his actions in the past month had confused her. He was very patient and gentle.


    If not for the bad blood between them, she would have believed that they really were dating.


    But she knew the truth.


    He did not like her. He did not love her. He just wanted to hurt her. And he had seeded.


    James watched her as she drowned in mncholy and unknown helplessness built up in his chest.


    He slowly patted her back and when she turned, he hugged her in his arms.


    He mumbled, ¡°I am sorry. I am so sorry. I did not kiss Alice, she jumped me and I pushed her away immediately. I rinsed my mouth afterward and threatened her to stay away from me and you. Please don¡¯t be mad. I am sorry.¡±


    James continued to say soothing words to her until she calmed down and stopped resisting him.


    James pulled apart so he was looking into her eyes, ¡°Mer, I know we started off the wrong foot and with wrong intentions. But please give us a chance, baby. I really want to make us work. Please!¡±


    ¡°Please Mer. Let¡¯s not fight anymore, okay. I am sorry. Please!¡±


    Mariana kept quiet, unsure of how to answer. It was clear that James had made a decision and he would shamelessly keep hovering over her. She did not need to agree, but she felt like it was the beginning of an end.

 Chapter 196 Internal conflicts 1

    Rose woke up in enormous pain.


    She could not understand why she would experience so much pain when she was very early into the pregnancy and the abortion was supposed to be painless.


    An unfamiliar nurse came to check up on her and asked her a few questions regarding her health.


    Those were routine questions and she came inter and injected painkillers into her IV bag.


    Rose lost consciousness again and thest thought in her mind was that she had to go home in time, otherwise Lester would suspect her.


    This repeated a few times and Rosepletely lost track of time.


    When she was finally cognizant, it was already three dayster.


    She was shaken at the realization. Lester would not let her be at this rate.


    She hurriedly picked up her phone but it had been discharged. She saw several missed calls and texts from home after she charged the phone and turned it on.


    Rose was a little disappointed to see that Lydia had not called or texted her even once.


    The nurses came and checked her up. When she asked for the doctor, she was told that she was on personal leave.


    Rose did not think too much of it given they were treating her quite well. She assumed that it might be because of her age, that the simple abortion was so painful and she had been unconscious.


    But she was rmed when the nurse described that she needed at least a few months of bed rest.


    Rose was still feeling quite weak and dizzy, and she had not figured out what to tell at home, so decided to continue to rest.


    When she woke up the next time, she felt slightly better than before. She was able to eat liquid food and use the washroom, but overall she still felt a lot of pain and was quite weak.


    Later that night, Romeo sneaked inside her room which startled her.


    He stopped her from screaming by pressing her mouth with his palm.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Don¡¯t shout! We need to talk,¡± Romeo said.


    The calmness andck of sarcasm in his voice made Rose feel like they were back to the old days when they had trapped Lester.


    She calmed down instantly, but she could tell something was wrong.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! What¡¯s done is already done!¡± Romeo said.


    That made Rose panic, instead of having the intended effect.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush! What¡¯s going on?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°That day when Lydia had gotten kidnapped, I could not shake the feeling that something was fishy. I followed you to the hospital and saw Lester when you were having surgery.¡± Romeo told her what he had seen.


    ¡°How could that be?¡± Rose panicked.


    ¡°It gets worse. I enquiredter on since you were out for a long time. You were never pregnant. You just donated a kidney to a child.¡± Romeo informed her.


    ¡°What?¡± Rose eximed aloud and sat up straight. This abrupt action almost blinded her with immense pain.


    Romeo held her down and rubbed her back until she stopped writhing in pain.


    ¡°Calm down! If you are this agitated, you will only ruin your body and you won¡¯t be able to get revenge on Lester.¡± Romeo consoled her.


    Rose¡¯s anger spiked on hearing Lester¡¯s name, but the prospect of revenge calmed her down, nheless.


    When Rose¡¯s pain subsided after a long time, she looked at Romeo again.


    ¡°Why would Lester take my kidney? This does not make any sense,¡± Rose could not understand where things went wrong.


    Romeo muttered, ¡°If I am not mistaken, he probably knows what we did. The kidney was donated to his Lawyer¡¯s son. After the surgery, their entire family fled abroad. Lester must havee up with an arrangement with him.¡±


    Rose gnashed her teeth. She could not believe that her years of hard work had been ruined.


    Lester was ruthless.


    ¡°How is Lydia?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°She is fine. I am keeping an eye on her and I have installed a tracking app on her phone,¡± Romeo assured her.


    Despite all their wickedness and debauchery, they loved their daughter.


    Rose heaved a sigh at his assurances.


    ¡°Why did youe back?¡± Rose asked seriously. That had been bugging her for a long time.


    ¡°Anne Petrova¡¯s ne that you gave to me was fake. I lost my business, my house caught on fire, my mistress ran off with my money, and I lost money in a poker game. I was broke and wanted to sell it, but it turned out to be a fake. I heard it was put up for auction by a woman anonymously and thought you had conned me.¡±


    Romeo exined everything without mincing his words.


    Rose was speechless.


    Romeo continued, ¡°I thought you were ying me, but when Lydia got kidnapped, I realized something was wrong.¡±


    Rose wanted to shout at him, but she too had been trapped, and she did not want to fight with Romeo. They had bigger problems to solve.

 Chapter 197 Internal conflicts 2

    ¡°I did not con you and I was not the one who put it up for auction,¡± Rose swallowed her anger and pride and exined.


    ¡°I figured as much. I saw you sniffing around the auction house. I guess we both have been yed by someone. Our marriage and affair were exposed, Lydia¡¯s parentage came out, and Lester found out everything and even tricked you into this. This is all nned by someone.¡±


    Romeo had spent thest few days when Rose was unconscious thinking things through.


    He realized that they had both been yed.


    All these months, he had been thinking that it was Rose who had yed him, but Lydia¡¯s kidnapping had cleared his doubts.


    And judging by how things were going Lester was clueless as well.


    So, it could only be that bitch Anne¡¯s daughter who must have lured him back to P city.


    It was too coincidental. Lester had found out about them as well.


    Rose lost her kidney, and Romeo was kicked out of the hotel where he was staying despite spending a lot of moneyvishly.


    They needed to clear the air between them. Rose and he had schemed against Anne and Lester decades ago and won with flying colors. They could not let their daughter win, especially since their own daughter would be the one to eventually suffer.


    Rose took a while to digest the news.


    ¡°Tell me what you think,¡± Rose slowly asked.


    ¡°It is too coincidental that everything went wrong at once at my end. You know I never keep all my money in one ce for safety reasons. But I was broke and barely had enough money toe back. It makes me wonder that I did note back here, I was brought back,¡± Romeo said through gritted teeth.


    Rose took a deep breath as she realized the severity of the situation.


    ¡°You guys spent 10 Million on a simple ring, she goaded you into it. And us getting caught. We had always been very careful. And it can¡¯t be a coincidence that we got caught just when she exposed you and Lydia for inte things. Everything had been going wrong since she came back to P city.¡±


    Romeo analyzed everything and exined that they were being yed like a fiddle the entire time.


    Rose sucked in a deep breath to control her anger. Getting angry was not the way to go when they were already in a pickle.


    Romeo caressed her and brought a ss of water to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. We will deal with her just like we did with her mother. But first, Lester has to pay for his crimes.¡±


    Romeo said with venom, ¡°He should not have brought Lydia into his schemes. Even though he did not do anything to her, and she was only drugged the entire time, he still should not have touched her.¡±


    Rose nodded.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Yes, before we deal with that bitch, I want Lester punished. How dare he hurt Lydia?¡±


    ¡°First, think of what you are going to tell everyone once you go back home,¡± Romeo said.


    Rose nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it. Let¡¯s move to a new hospital first. If I die before having my revenge on Lester, I will turn into a ghost.¡±


    Romeo dissuaded her, ¡°That will alert him. Don¡¯t do that! I think there should not be any problem now. The ones on Lester¡¯s side have all fled. The nurses who take care of you don¡¯t know that you were duped.¡±


    ¡°Find me a slow poison which can be mixed in his food without suspicion. Since he took away my kidney, I will make sure all his organs rot,¡± Rose spat.


    Romeo patted her, ¡°Alright! I will look for something on the ck market.¡±


    He hesitated for a while and added, ¡°You should alert Lydia.¡±


    Rose stiffened at that. Lydia made her hopeless. ¡°I don¡¯t know who she takes after. She is really stupid. I am scared for her, Romeo. No matter what happens, you must protect her.¡±


    Romeo nodded, ¡°How about we send her abroad?¡±


    Rose shook her head, ¡°I sent her abroad to study. She only partied and shopped for six years and came back as soon as Anne¡¯s daughter came back. While Anne¡¯s daughter raised kids by herself and even formed apany, Lydia only spent money. She does not listen to anyone and has no sense of danger.¡±


    Romeo let out a frustrated sigh, ¡°Maybe she just needs a push. I will meet her and talk to her.¡±


    It was quite ironic to see how Romeo and Rose were concerned when their daughter was involved, despitecking even a sliver ofpassion when it came to Liliana or anyone else.


    Since they only wanted money, they could have simply treated Liliana better and enjoyed her fortune after marrying Lester.


    But, of course, their venomous heart could notprehend that.


    They wanted her fortune, they also wanted to ruin her, they wanted Lydia to be better than her, and they wanted to be on the high ground as well.

 Chapter 198 Internal conflicts 3

    A weekter, Rose was discharged.


    She went home and found that Lester was still on his business trip.


    After inquiring a bit, Rose found that Lester was indeed away on a business trip. He had just left one dayter after he had had his revenge.


    Knowing that she had been tricked, Rose knew she could not trust anyone at home.


    She had tried to talk to Lydia many times, but everything she was trying to say had fallen on deaf ears.


    Lydia was being Lydia.


    One day, Rose took Lydia out to a resort on the outskirts and introduced her to Romeo.


    Lydia only frowned at Romeo. She did not want a no-named father.


    She wanted to be the princess of the Aprice family.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Both Rose and Romeo felt helpless seeing their daughter like that.


    After spending an entire afternoon, they finally managed to convince her that Lester was not her biological father and was going against her. He had even kidnapped her.


    Lydia refused to believe them and unwittingly revealed that he had even given her more properties when she had visited his office a few weeks back.


    That stunned Rose and Romeo. Lydia had not read the documents and had just assumed that she was getting properties.


    Rose did not know where to bang her head.


    It was a no-brainer that Lester had probably transferred all the property back to himself.


    Tired of their nagging, Lydia promised to be careful.


    That was the best they could do.


    Besides, Rose could not leave Lester or do anything overtly since their son was yet toe back. Most of that bitch Anne¡¯s property was still under Liliana¡¯s name. Only by using their son could they get all of that.


    Even the house they were staying in belonged to Liliana. After getting discharged, Rose worried that Liliana mighte and ask them to evacuate anytime.


    Finally, after two weeks, Romeo had managed to find a specific poison that was in powder form and could be inhaled orally. He also brought an antidote for Rose.


    It was an extremely slow poison and would be effective if ingested daily for a few months. It would be deadly if ingested daily for half a year.


    The best part about that was it was not easily traceable in normal blood tests.


    When Lester came back, Rose made quite a show about being duped at the hospital and losing a kidney.


    Lester also, very kindly, offered to call the cops and identify the culprits, but Rose remembered very few details, so she asked to forget it.


    In the end, Lester asked the butler to cook nutritious food for Rose and even booked an appointment with a nutritionist to better nurture her body.


    If Romeo had not seen him in the hospital, Rose would have never found out that Lester was the one who was behind everything.


    Lester, unaware that Rose already knew of his schemes, continued to act as usual.


    Their internal conflicts kept on growing with each party ying their part. Both of them had their agenda and goals.


    They all waited for their son toe back and get the property back from Liliana, and ultimately pull the rug from beneath the other.


    All their pawns were in ce and they were waiting for the ultimate checkmate.


    In the meantime, both of them were strengthening their safety for the worst-case scenario.


    Lester had bought a property and secured arge sum of money overseas.


    Rose and Romeo had done the same. Taking advantage of Lester¡¯s acts, exaggerating Lydia¡¯s usual spending habits, she amassed money to buy a few properties for Lydia.


    Even if everything goes against them, Lydia would have a house to live in and some renting in each month to manage her expenditures.


    Liliana knew what they were doing, but on ount of Romeo and Rose¡¯s love for their daughter, she turned a blind eye to it.

 Chapter 199 Practice

    While Lester, Rose, and Romeo were moving to disce each other and waiting for the ultimate showdown, Liliana was enjoying her conjugal life.


    Kyle finally went back to the Prestons after their vacation.


    Reluctant as he was, Kyle understood that he was a Preston and not a Petrova-Smith.


    Kyle went back to his family, and Liliana sent an antique candle holder for Grandma Preston as a gift with apologies for not visiting in person.


    The Preston family members were ecstatic. This showed them another chance of climbing up the socio-economicdder.


    They began to fawn over Kyle and treated him like royalty. Kyle, who had been treated poorly before, was polite and detached. But that did not deter anyone as they did not believe they could not sway a child.


    On the other hand, Liliana and Jonathan got busy with their work. They had taken too many days off and there was a lot of pending work.


    The kids resumed their sses which they had dropped since the surgery.


    The first two weeks after their vacation on the cruise became extremely busy. They still managed to have breakfast and dinner together, but after that, they would both lock themselves in their respective study rooms.


    One day when Henry came to visit, Nathaniel asked him to check on Liliana which surprised the adults.


    ¡°What happened to me? Why would I need a check-up, Li?¡± Liliana asked her son.


    ¡°Mommy, you slept in a lot during the vacation. You never sleep in,¡± Li exined.


    Jo chimed in, ¡°Yes Mommy, and you were walking funny most of the time.¡±


    Liliana turned red in embarrassment while Jonathan choked.


    Henry, however, burst outughing.


    The twins could not understand what was going on.


    They looked at each other, and at the adults and asked.


    ¡°Mommy, what happened?¡±


    Henry controlled hisughter long enough to say, ¡°Oh, your parents were exercising.¡±


    He continuedughing after that and Liliana threw a cushion at him.


    Jonathan exined, ¡°You guys wanted another sibling, right? Mommy and Daddy were practicing.¡±


    Liliana sighed. She hated this conversation.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Li asked curiously, ¡°Mommy does it hurt a lot?¡±


    Henryughed even louder and was on the floor clutching his stomach by them.


    Liliana only red at him.


    She held her kids close and exined, ¡°Remember when the three of you yed on the beach the entire evening tillte at night. You all could barely keep your eyes open even in the shower, and you were so tired we had to feed you and carry you to bed. You couldn¡¯t even walk properly.¡±


    Jonathan attested, ¡°It¡¯s the same thing. Mommy and Daddy had too much fun until she was tired. She was not hurt. I promise!¡±


    Li and Jo looked at each other and shrugged.


    Jo asked, ¡°Daddy, why do you need to practice so much?¡±


    Henry was panting and had tears in his eyes by then.


    Liliana muttered under her breath unsure of what to say.


    Jonathan, very unaffectedly, exined, ¡°Practicing how to make babies makes mommy and daddy closer. Our rtionship will get better like that.¡±


    Liliana exined further, ¡°And Li, Jo, what happens between a couple, between Mommy-Daddy, is a private matter. I have taught you about privacy, right? You should not discuss it with others. We exin it to you because you are curious and worried. But it¡¯s still a private matter. Next time, you can only ask it only when Daddy and Mommy are alone, okay?¡±


    Li nodded, ¡°Okay, Mommy. I understand.¡±


    Henry coughed from the floor where he was still holding his stomach, ¡°Oh, so you won¡¯t tell me from now on?¡±


    Jonathan red at him, ¡°Shut up, Henry!¡±


    They allughed and continued.

 Chapter 200 What’s on my mind?

    Later at night, Jonathan and Liliana put the kids to bed and retired to their bedroom.


    Jonathan turned on all the lights in the room when Liliana came to the bed after taking a shower.


    ¡°Honey?¡± He leaned closer and traced her curves as he slurred.


    ¡°This conversation is getting more and more embarrassing and awkward,¡± Liliana pouted as she pushed his hands away.


    Jonathan just mumbled an intelligible, ¡°Mhm¡± and continued to feel her up.


    ¡°Are you even listening?¡± Liliana asked, yet again pushing him away.


    ¡°I am listening, Mrs. Smith. Just not in the mood to talk about our kids when my thoughts are running south,¡± Jonathan pinned her hands and removed the nkets as he answered her.


    ¡°Howe you are never embarrassed when they ask questions?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, it¡¯s a great achievement to be able to satisfy my wife. Nothing to be embarrassed about,¡± He replied and waited for her further questions.


    Jonathan pinned her hands above her head and hovered above her, bncing his weight on his arms. He paused, not wanting to discuss their children during intimacy.


    Liliana became nervous when he paused.


    They have been intimate several times on the cruise and after they were back, but she was still not veryfortable with it. She was also aware that Jonathan was always holding back and was extremely patient with her.


    But she could not do anything about it, so she stopped overthinking.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Liliana asked sheepishly. Her voice was husky with nervousness and faint arousal.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, you are the only one on my mind,¡± Jonathan said, inching his face closer to hers, but just out of touch.


    ¡°Really?¡± She asked, unsure of what to say.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Jonathan mumbled, enjoying her uneasiness.


    ¡°But I am right here,¡± Liliana mumbled.


    ¡°Even so, you are the only one I can think of, wife,¡± He teased her, ¡°I can¡¯t stop thinking of the things I want to do to you.¡±


    He lowered himself and let her feel his readiness right where she wanted to and brushed his lips on her nose and cheeks.


    ¡°What is that?¡± she asked, unable to make sense of his words.


    ¡°I want to feel your bare skin against mine,¡± Jonathan said domineeringly and kissed her intensely, making her toes curl. He stripped himself and her whilst kissing her.


    Liliana only realized that they were both naked when she felt him against her folds providing the much-needed friction.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    But even when aroused, she got tense. Intimacy was still an issue for her and it always took a long time for her to loosen up.


    This time, however, Jonathan seemed to have a different n. Unlike all the previous times when he could kiss and caress her till she loosened up, he just paused and looked at her getting stiff beneath him.


    Liliana looked up at him and her eyes were wet.


    ¡°Wife, are you curious about what else is on my mind?¡± Jonathan asked, notmenting on her stiffness.


    Liliana nodded.


    ¡°Use your words, Wife,¡± He said, blowing slowly on her face and ears but not kissing her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± She mumbled, feeling strange.


    ¡°Yes, what?¡± He teased further.


    ¡°I want to know,¡± She answered with much difficulty.


    ¡°What do you want to know, wife?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°I want to know what you want to do to me, husband,¡± she managed to utter with great difficulty.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to tell you, wife,¡± He said, biting her cheeks teasingly, ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to tell me?¡± she asked. By then, she had been quite curious about his answer, though it was clear what he generally wanted to do.


    ¡°What should I do, wife? As much as I want to tell you, I don¡¯t think you are all that curious,¡± He asked, expressing his grievances.


    ¡°I want to know,¡± She immediately replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked, pushing himself a little closer so their torsos were slightly brushing without touchingpletely.


    ¡°Yes, husband,¡± She replied with determination.


    Jonathan kissed her softly. Despite her fears, she was ying along because she didn¡¯t want him to be wronged.


    Jonathan had never believed that someone would love him that much. It made his heart swell and he swore to himself that he would always make her happy.


    ¡°Are you sure, wife?¡± He asked onest time.


    ¡°I am sure, husband,¡± She replied unhesitatingly.


    Jonathan could not hide his smile as he mumbled, ¡°quid pro quo!¡±


    Liliana looked at him quizzically, so he exined further.


    ¡°You tell me something ¨C something you feel about me or something you want to do to me. And I will tell you what I have on my mind. Quid Pro Quo, my lovely Lil.¡±

 Chapter 201 Quid pro quo

    Jonathan did not give Liliana any chance to back out as he said, ¡°I love you, Lil. I love you so much that sometimes I worry my heart will overflow.¡±


    All of Liliana¡¯s apprehensions died down on hearing his words.


    She pushed her head up and gave him a quick kiss as she replied, ¡°I love you too. I am so happy to be with you.¡±


    Jonathan kissed her softly and said, ¡°I am happy to have a family, to have a home toe back to every day. You have given me a reason to look forward to a new day.¡±


    Liliana tugged her hands and when he did not release them, she muttered, ¡°I want my hands freed so I can wrap them around you.¡±


    Jonathanughed as he freed her hands. He ced his arms beside her and bnced his weight on them getting closer.


    Liliana took a sharp intake of breath as her breasts brushed against his chest.


    Jonathan caressed her face and said, ¡°I want to go to sleep every night with you in my arms, and wake up every morning with you sprawled on top of me.¡±


    Lilianaughed and pulled his hair, ¡°I want that too.¡±


    Jonathan grumbled, ¡°That does not count as he moved up and down rubbing his entire body on hers.¡±


    Lilliana rebuked him, ¡°That counts.¡±


    ¡°That does not count,¡± he mumbled and continued to glide up and down brushing their entire body against each other.


    She grunted and he lowered himself. He pressed himself closer and moved faster rubbing their torsos almost painfully.


    That made Lilina chuckle and sheughed out loud amidst the slight sting and building pleasure.


    Jonathan took this chance to push himself inside her slightly which made her gasp.


    ¡°Still waiting for your turn, Mrs. Smith,¡± Jonathan stilled at that but continued to rub his chest on hers.


    ¡°I want you to tell me what you want to do to me,¡± Liliana said, surprising herself and him.


    Jonathan kissed her until she was breathless and said, ¡°I want to paint your neck with hickeys.¡±


    He proceeded to do as he said, making Liliana unconsciously push forward which made him enter inside her a little bit more. But she was already too aroused to notice.


    ¡°What do you want, honey?¡± Jonathan asked on her neck.


    ¡°Nathan!¡± She cried.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hmm!¡± He moaned as she caressed his back and bit his earlobes.


    ¡°I want to kiss you,¡± She said, each wording in between hard pants.


    Jonathan looked up and she kissed him passionately. She moved down his neck and sucked the area where once she had made a hickey purposefully.


    She continued to kiss him and did not realize when he had pushed forward entirely.


    She moaned at the sudden feeling of being full.


    She looked at him to see his hooded eyes and clenched jaw. He had been suppressing himself for too long.


    ¡°I want you to move,¡± she moaned.


    ¡°No breaking rules, sweetheart. You get punished for that.¡±


    He grumbled and flipped them over.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked but stopped mid-sentence as he spanked her lightly.


    ¡°Rules and punishment!¡± He muttered squeezing her ass.


    ¡°I want you to arch up and y with your beautiful breasts while I y with these pert globes,¡± He said, nibbling her shoulders.


    Liliana was getting overwhelmed with all the foreign sensations. She hadpletely let go and was willing to follow his lead, so she did as she was told, giving up all inhibitions.


    But without experience, she did a clumsy job at that.


    Jonathan squeezed and spanked her ass alternating as he slowly moved, making her bounce on his cock.


    When she let out a loud moan and closed her eyes, Jonathan kissed her hard.


    ¡°Your turn!¡± He said breaking the kiss which made her groan.


    ¡°I want you to make me cum,¡± She asked, ring at him in frustration.


    ¡°With pleasure, darling,¡± Jonathan said as he flipped them over and kissed her hard.


    Liliana closed her eyes at the sensations and opened them again before long.


    He continued to kiss and caress her while moving in and out building her up.


    Liliana closed her eyes again as he sucked on her breasts while ying with her clit.


    But scared of the darkness, she opened her eyes again. Seeing Jonathan made her rx and she would drown in the sensations and close her eyes again. Only to repeat the process.


    When they both tumbled from their high, Jonathan kept still on top of her as they caught their breath.


    Finally, he pressed their forehead together as he waited for her to open her eyes.


    ¡°I want you to remember my touch, baby. Remember my taste, remember the feel of my skin, remember the feel of my cock inside of you, remember the feel of my hands and mouth all over your body.¡±


    Jonathan watched as she looked at him with wide eyes.


    He kissed her eyes and added, ¡°When you remember all of that and when your body remembers mine, you won¡¯t be scared anymore.¡±


    Liliana realized what he had tried to do and nodded, ¡°I love you, Nathan!¡±


    He kissed her softly and muttered on her lips, ¡°I love you too, my lovely wife.¡±


    They stayed like that for a while until Jonathan asked.


    ¡°Can we do that again?¡±


    Liliana kissed him and guided his hand to her breast which made Jonathan bite her in euphoria.

 Chapter 202 Childhood training

    Jonathan and Liliana spent the rest of the month familiarizing themselves with each other¡¯s business and meeting a lot of people.


    Jonathan was surprised to see that Liliana knew almost everyone important in the P city, barring people close to him.


    She had explicitly kept herself off any news about him, but otherwise, she was way too well informed.


    Moreover, she had a knack for spotting talent from afar and identifying fakes.


    He could only wonder how hard she must have trained her entire life. As the heir of Smith Group, he had been extensively trained since he was young.


    But spending time with her at work, he could tell her training was on a whole different level.


    Apart from that, they also started talking about slowly inducting lessons for the kids.


    The kids were getting home-schooled so far, but their training had been far lighter than what she had gone through.


    But, now that their health issues were sorted and Jonathan was with them as well, it was time they were groomed well.


    It took them three days to finally agree upon a schedule for them.


    There were too many things to teach the kids ¨C they needed to start training with their respective shadows right away.


    Language sses, and world history.


    Face yoga, learning to keep a poker face and show what emotions they needed to show rather than what they felt.


    Self-defense, mixed martial arts, sports.


    Psychology, history, business, and economics.


    Etiquette, arts, music, dance, and so on.


    Being born into a noble family, the kids were bound to spend arge chunk of their childhood studying.


    They also had to n how to include Kyle in some of the sses.


    It was time for Liam to start Kyle¡¯s training as well. Being a Preston, Kyle was expected to be a military prodigy, and his training, while slightly different from that of Jo and Li¡¯s training, was bound to be just as hard.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    But they could arrange somemon activities for them during weekends so the kids could learn and enjoy themselves together.


    After discussing three days amongst themselves and with Liam, they had finallye up with a schedule.


    Moreover, the kids were being homeschooled so far. All of them unanimously decided to not waste time on primary school and prep the three kids for King¡¯s High entrance when the time came.


    In so many ways, normal life had begun for them.


    Previously, their family was iplete, and they were in a different city.


    But now, they were home and their family wasplete. Their health had improved.


    While Liliana still had a few things to sort out, and being who they were, their lives could never really be normal. But in those months, all of the Petrova-Smith family¡¯s life stepped on a track on which it will run for years toe.


    On the other hand, Grandma Preston was also happy that Kyle¡¯s training had started. It would keep him busy.


    The rest of the Preston family was happy with the prospect that Kyle would spend all his weekends with the Smiths.


    It gave them an excellent opportunity to integrate themselves with the Smiths and use that connection to climb up.


    Moreover, since Kyle would be going there every week, it was akin to having opened a road to them.


    If only they knew how strict Liliana and Jonathan were, perhaps they would not have rejoiced so soon. But greed has a way of blinding people when they would have otherwise seen things through.


    Henry had started research on a secret project, and he was going to be upied for half a year or more. At the same time, Jennifer became even busier.


    Apart from assisting Henry, Jennifer also had to ensure she was getting enough hours each week inside the operating theater. As a senior scrub nurse, to maintain her position, and to ensure she was good at her job, she needed to fill minimum hours each week at least.


    Jacob, Mariana¡¯s friend, had started to expand his business in P city. He had opened it a few years back, but had not been able to put in the required amount of time or money. This time he had both and was determined to seed.


    Mariana and James were still entangled in aplicated rtionship.


    James thought they were dating, but Mariana did not think so. After all, their rtionship had always been unequal. James had never let her have any say in it.


    But James was too blinded and confused by his emotions to see that.


    Terry was busy managing the Central Mall and trying toplete the Green Field Orphanage within the stipted six months.

 Chapter 203 Jealous ex

    Time flew by, and soon it was close to Liliana¡¯s 29th birthday.


    Jonathan had prepared a surprise for her and had asked the kids to keep quiet about it.


    Nathaniel had nodded his head in appreciation when Jonathan cornered the three kids to talk about their mother¡¯s birthday.


    Jonathan could only shake his head. Li was still observing him. Although he had epted him wholeheartedly, he was still keeping an eye out.


    Jonathan felt bad for his son, but he did not mind. Being vignt was never a bad thing.


    Liliana had, as usual, forgotten about her birthday. She had been curious about what the kids were cooking with Jonathan, but she did not pry. It was good to see them bonding.


    Jonathan had shared his ns with Mariana, who had made a few changes, and was on board with the overall idea.


    These few months had brought Mariana and Jonathan unexpectedly closer.


    Mariana had, as suggested by Jonathan, had reached out to the person in charge of their coboration with Smith Group, and had prepared a very bold and lucrative proposal.


    Unable to take the decision, the person in charge had beenpelled to bring it up in the Smith Group¡¯s weekly managerial meeting and to Jonathan.


    It had expectedly elevated Mariana¡¯s reputation. She was Andrew Jacobsen¡¯s daughter and heir of Jacobsen Textiles, but she had behaved as a newbie. Not that shecked her inborn and cultivated nobility, but she had not used her status or her connections.


    Jonathan had treated her as a newbie and grilled her, which had stunned the manager, and as the news spread, the entire Smith group and Jacobsen Textiles.


    However, along with that news and a few gossips, the news that Mariana had bagged the deal had also spread around.


    Everyone was keen to see how she fared.


    At the same time, there was one person who was looking at Mariana hoping she would fail.


    James had told his family that he was dating Mariana which had surprised his family, but they had all been happy.


    Being in the same business circle, they knew the Jacobsens. Mariana had a good reputation and good connections.


    She had everything they could have wanted in a political marriage, so it was great news that James was dating her.


    But this news had not sat well with James¡¯s ex-girlfriend, Alice.


    Alice had tried to worm her way back to James, but James had refused her vehemently and had not bothered to give her face in public either.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Unfortunately for Mariana, through no fault of her own, she had be Alice¡¯s target.


    Alice had tried to sabotage one of the Shippings of Jacobsen Textiles, but she had not expected their security to have another backup and even their backups had backup.


    It had cost her quite a lot of favors and a huge amount of money to keep herself out of it. But it had alerted the Jacobsens and made any further schemes that much more difficult and costly.


    Finally, her chance came when she saw Mariana having a celebration party with her colleagues.


    She bribed a waiter to mix recreational drugs in fresh lime juice ordered by Mariana.


    Unsure of what had happened, Mariana chugged down her lime juice to keep herself from getting drunk on cocktails.


    But after some time, she started to feel hot. She had never taken drugs before, but the sensations she was feeling did not leave much room for doubt.


    She immediately called Liam as she knew he was quite free those days.


    Liam rushed back to her, but he was not close by, so it took some time.


    On the other hand, Jamespleted his meeting and rushed to their celebration unaware of what was going on.

 Chapter 204 Accidental Step

    James arrived at Mariana¡¯s celebration party and Mariana¡¯s drunk colleagues made him down three sses of wine as punishment.


    As far as they all knew, James was Mariana¡¯s doting boyfriend. Ordinarily, they would not have dared to jest with him, but drunk they had the confidence.


    Being called Mariana¡¯s doting boyfriend, James was ted and followed through. But Mariana, who had supposedly gone to the washroom, was still missing.


    James wondered if she had an allergic reaction again and dashed inside the Ladies¡¯ room causing quite amotion.


    He saw Mariana holding on to a sink and sshing herself with water. She was biting her lips and was bleeding already. Her upper body was almost entirely soaked and her lingerie was visible.


    James felt his body react at the sight, but he pushed it away and slowly approached her.


    She reacted violently and told him to step away.


    James saw her hooded eyes, how her nipples had stiffened, the goosebumps on her arms when he touched her, and the mixture of scream and moan when he caressed her cheeks.


    He could tell she was drugged, but he was not sure if she had enough time to keep herself sane when he drove her to the hospital.


    He sshed cold water on her face and shook her.


    When she squinted at him, he asked, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°James, save me, please!¡± Mariana muttered after a few seconds and copsed in his arms. She was hot and shivering.


    She kept muttering, ¡®it hurts¡¯ ¡®help, please¡¯ ¡®hurts¡¯ and screaming and moaning together.


    James tried to soothe her and carried her to a private room.


    Alice, who had been waiting to see Mariana make a fool of herself and had even contacted a few media personnel to ruin her reputation, was left to swallow her anger.


    All her ns had been thwarted by James showing up out of nowhere.


    Inside the room, Mariana had lost all her senses. She had been trying to stay conscious before, but as soon as she saw James, she rxed, and then shepletely lost her rationality.


    Jamesid her on the tub and filled it with cold water, but it was simply not enough.


    Mariana moaned and started rubbing herself in the tub hoping the cold marble could soothe her burning pain.


    She took off all her clothes and started to scratch herself.


    Unable to see her suffer and clouded by his drunken judgment, James kissed her hard, pinning her hands on her back.


    One thing led to another and they soon found themselves tangled in bed. Unfortunately, however, their thoughts were on opposite extremes.


    James thought since they were dating, it would have happened sooner orter. While he might have preferred better circumstances, he took the entire thing in stride.


    Mariana woke up feeling groggy and sore. When the reality settled in, she could not believe that she had slept with someone just like that. She thought James should have taken her to the hospital instead of screwing her when she was out of it.


    One thing led to another and the next thing they knew they were bickering and fighting.


    James did not appreciate that his drugged girlfriend who he helped was insulting him as if he had raped her.


    Mariana could not believe that James could even sleep with her so casually just for revenge. If he cared for her even one bit, he would not have taken her virginity that way.


    While it was not rape, it was too casual for herfort.


    Knowing what she was going through, she had already called Liam, so she was not in any immediate danger.


    Hearing Liam¡¯s name, however, made James snap and he hatefully snorted.


    ¡°Stop acting like a prude. It¡¯s not like you were a virgin.¡±


    James regretted his words as soon as he spat them out. The look of pure hurt on Mariana¡¯s face made his heart clench.


    But he was too proud to admit it.


    He added, ¡°Don¡¯t make a big deal out of it! We are a couple, it would have happened sooner orter.¡±


    But it only made things worse.


    ¡°Leave!¡± Mariana said in an unemotional tone. Her indifferent face and hurt eyes made him choke.


    James looked at her and tried to hold her but she flinched from his touch.


    ¡°Leave! I want to be alone, please leave,¡± She said without any hint of emotion as if they had not slept together a few hours ago, as if they were not fighting a few minutes ago.


    James felt like he was suffocating but he was too proud and too unsure of Mariana¡¯s reaction to say anything.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mer, please¡­I am sorry, I should not have said it. Let¡¯s not fight.¡± He tried to console her.


    But it just sounded like he should have been more thoughtful and hid his opinions lest she felt bad.


    Mariana just closed her eyes and turned the other way, away from him.


    James let out a curse and left, banging the door on his way out.

 Chapter 205 Liam saves the day

    Liam woke up with a start.


    He had arrived at the private club after Mariana¡¯s call. But he was toote, James had taken her to a room.


    He was unsure of their dynamics, but he knew James was not thoughtful enough to take his intrusion kindly.


    The one to get hurt would be Mariana ultimately.


    Liam thought of leaving, but he saw the woman Alice, who was supposedly James¡¯s ex-girlfriend or current fling, he was unsure. She was talking to some reporters and that rmed him.


    Hence, he had decided to wait and see if Mariana needed him. As such, he booked the room next to theirs and stayed overnight.


    The rooms were soundproof, so he kept the door of his room slightly open and slept close to his door in case of an emergency.


    In the morning, he woke up with a start when James and Mariana¡¯s door was banged close.


    Liam decided to check and he could see a fuming James leaving their room without even closing the door properly.


    Liam went inside and found a crying Mariana.


    He told her to get a shower and put some clothes on and cleaned up the room.


    If anyone showed up, it would be bad for Mariana if the room looked and smelled of sex.


    Liam told her to get ready to leave through the bathroom door and went to his room to freshen up.


    When he was still brushing his teeth, he overheard somemotion and went to check after cleaning up hastily.


    Mariana was screaming in the middle of the room covering herself with a nket as reporters were taking pictures of her.


    Liam closed the door with a bang and locked the door from inside.


    He made his way to Mariana who immediately threw herself in his arms.


    The reporters were disappointed to see her in proper clothes. But they were ecstatic to see the man and to see them hugging each other.


    They had received quite a few headlines and click-baits for the next few days.


    Liam looked at them coldly and held Mariana tight.


    He took his phone from one hand ignoring their jarring questions and the sh of their cameras.


    ¡°Chief Cruise, Liam speaking. I am staying in Room 1403 of Tansy¡¯s Private Club. Let¡¯s have some tea while we look into the privacy and security of this club.


    Send someone to Room 1402 to arrest reporters for trespassing, invasion of privacy, and defamation. And find out who it was who spiked my best friend¡¯s drink.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Mariana Jacobsen, Andrew Jacobsen¡¯s daughter, best friend of the wife of Jonathan Smith. You know who she is?¡±


    The reporters stopped clicking pictures as they stood transfixed.


    Unless Liam was showing off, which did not seem likely judging by his demeanor, he had just called the chief of police of P city ¨C Jeffery Cruise.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Their astonishment turned into fear when they heard him calling someone else.


    ¡°Lil, do you know who owns Tansy¡¯s Private Club?¡±


    ¡°Someone spiked Mer¡¯s drinkst night. She stayed back in Room 1402 only to wake up surrounded by reporters. It¡¯s a good thing she was only disheveled and not naked because this does not look good.¡±


    ¡°She is pretty shaken.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but send them to Room 1403, I stayed in the adjacent room to keep watch.¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment, I am meeting Chief Cruise in a while. It will take some time. Send someone to take Mer back, and for the love of God, teach her to not dismiss her bodyguards.¡±


    ¡°I will see youter. By the way, I am sending you a picture of all the reporters in this room. You know what to do.¡±


    ¡°This is P city, no woman should have to worry about their drinks getting spiked, or about reporters barging into their private rooms, or to be defamed like this.¡±


    ¡°I will handle the investigation. You take care of these immoral reporters. Who even gave them the license?¡±


    The reporters all shuddered and stopped filming.


    Liam had not spoken even one thing to them directly.


    He took a picture and sent it to Liliana as he had said he would.


    Before they could evenprehend what was happening, one of them received a call.


    ¡°What? I am fired, why?¡±


    The room stilled as they looked at Liam and Mariana in horror.


    Soon, several knocks came and a few officers came with arrest warrants.


    Liam did not bother listening to them and carried Mariana out.


    She was still sobbing quietly.


    He looked at James coldly and he at least had the good sense to lower his head in shame.


    Liam took Mariana inside his room and called someone to bring him tea.


    James passed him the breakfast set he had brought and hesitated on what to do.

 Chapter 206 Love or what?

    James stormed out of the private room and smoked three cigarettes back to back.


    Only then did he calm down.


    He banged his fist on the wall and cursed.


    James was not sure what was wrong with him. He liked Mariana a lot. He was not sure if his feelings were love or something else, but he liked her and cared for her a great deal.


    He wanted to make her happy and see her cheeky smiling face all day long.


    But every time they were together, they ended up fighting. He would say something hurtful and humiliating.


    He could not understand what was wrong with him. He could not bring himself to leave her, at the same time, he just seemed unable to make her happy.


    They had made lovest night. It was amazing. She was not a virgin, he could not feel any barrier, but she was very clearly inexperienced.


    He was slightly annoyed that she had a man that she had liked and trusted enough to get intimate with, but at the same time, he was also happy that she had not lost her virginity while on drugs. Besides, he was not a virgin either, so he did not mind it.


    However, he spat venom while arguing. Even he could tell that his words had made her feel cheap.


    Now that he had calmed down, he could not understand what the fuck was wrong with him. How could he have said something so demeaning to her?


    James heaved a sigh. No, he was not going to let this get between them.


    He would get breakfast for her, apologize to her, and they would make up.


    He liked her and did not want to lose her.


    James vowed to make things right and rein his anger this time around.


    Fate, however, seemed to be against him.


    When he was waiting in the queue to get Mariana¡¯s favorite croissants and carameltte, he received a call from his mother.


    Before he could speak, his mother bellowed, ¡°James, what is going on between you and Mariana? I thought Andrew Jacobsen¡¯s daughter was a good girl. But what is going on?¡±


    James was confused, ¡°Mom, slow down! What¡¯s going on? What are you talking about?¡±


    She stammered and added, ¡°Did you not see the news? It¡¯s live.¡±


    James had a bad feeling about it.


    He hung up and quickly checked his phone to see Mariana being surrounded by reporters.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    He was about to dash when the waitress brought his order. He picked up and left without a word.


    James kept an eye on the phone as he drove back to the club.


    He heaved a sigh to see Liam taking care of Mariana, but at the same time, he hated himself that he could not protect her.


    He watched as Liam indirectly threatened everyone and insinuated that Mariana was resting alone.


    James did not know how to feel when Liam stressed that he had been watching over her from the adjacent room.


    Was Mariana agitated because he had brought her instead of Liam?T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    But he was sure that Liam and Mariana were just friends. Did she like him secretly?


    No! James shook his head.


    He had doubted her enough times and ended up hurting her. He was not going to do that anymore.


    James arrived at the club and found the door locked.


    Only when the cops arrived, was the door opened.


    James felt his heart clench on seeing Mariana hiding in Liam¡¯s arms like an injured animal.


    He lowered his head in shame. He had no right to even go to her andfort her.


    He was indirectly responsible for this.


    Had he not fought with her, had he not stormed out like that, he could have protected her.


    James passed Mariana¡¯s breakfast to Liam and stood outside.


    He was going to personally investigate who had tried to sabotage her and take his revenge.


    James took onest look at Mariana and left with a heavy heart.

 Chapter 207 National Media Station

    Five dayster, there was an uproar in P city again.


    National Media Station had fired one of their senior employees who had been with them for more than ten years and had be a minor shareholder.


    It was an unprecedented action that took everyone by surprise.


    Moreover, National Media Station also did a feature on him, which was truly unexpected.


    The fired employee, Steven Bryce, had been one of the specially recruited employees after his manymendable works.


    The feature highlighted notable columns that Steven had run throughout his career.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The difficult conditions of the construction workers in the outskirts of P city; the red-light district; the underground drug cartel which had put his life at risk; the rescue project where he had outed a bunch of abusive pet owners; and so on.


    Steven had been one of the most prolific reporters of his time. More than ten years ago, when Steven had joined National Media Station, it had been the talk of the town for a few days.


    After he joined National Media Station, his works became even more prominent. Not only was he given full support from NMS, but also, he had received extensive security.  A special helpline had been set up for emergencies for reporters only.


    Steven Bryce and NMS had be a sore topic for corrupt government officials, pet abusers, tax evaders, undergroundw-breakers, people who used sexual favors, indecent directors and producers, and so on.


    With the support of the P City Police and National Media Station, Steven had made himself popr and garnered many enemies.


    However, a detailed investigation after Mariana¡¯s incident in the Tansy¡¯s Private Club had unraveled his corruption and misuse of authority in thest two years after his promotion as the Associate Director.


    Instead of educating the new blood and leading them to the true path of journalism, he had sold the integrity and reputation he had built with more than 17 years of hard work amidst death threats.


    The P-city was depressed.


    Steven Bryce was a name that had brought journalism and free speech to a new height and showed the true power of media.


    But he had also be the mask that hid the things he was known to expose.


    The inte was in chaos once again.


    Some peoplemented the loss of a righteous soul who had turned to the dark side.


    Some thought they should have hushed it up in favor of his previous contribution.


    Some thought exposing him was akin to reinstating the purpose of media.


    But those words did not affect the people involved in the conflict.


    Inside an exuberantly decorated Vi, Steven and his family were having a heated discussion.


    Alice Moss, James¡¯s ex, cried, ¡°Aunty, how can you me me for what happened?¡±


    Steven¡¯s wife, and Alice¡¯s aunt from her mother¡¯s side, rebuked, ¡°It was the investigation on those reporters who had been promoted by you and your father, those who you called to frame that Jacobsen girl, which led to all these.¡±


    Alice¡¯s mother was anxious. It was a massive blow to everyone because everyone in the family had benefitted from Steven¡¯s position and connections. Now, they were all concerned about being investigated.


    She questioned her daughter, ¡°Alice, why would you target that girl in such a high-profile manner? You should at least check people¡¯s background before going against them.¡±


    Alice could not handle the rebuke from her mother.


    ¡°Mom, are you ming me too? I thought Uncle would handle everything, being the associate Director and shareholder of National Media Station.¡±


    Shemented, ¡°How was I supposed to know that the mere Jacobsens would be able to dig all these?¡±


    Her aunt ignored her words, ¡°why are you so against that girl anyway?¡±


    Alice cried, ¡°Aunty, she stole James from me. James and I were together. But she showed up out of nowhere and hoodwinked James. I just wanted to reveal her true face to everyone.¡±


    Steven finally asked, ¡°James Miller has no sway over NMS, and neither do the Jacobsens. It is someone else who is helping the girl.¡±


    Alice cried, ¡°It must be that brute, Liam.¡±


    Steven shook his head in distaste, ¡°Alice, use your brains, and if you don¡¯t have one, just obey, don¡¯t think.¡±


    Alice¡¯s father rebuked him subtly, ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh, Steve!¡±


    Steven rified, ¡°That brute is Liam Preston, Colonel of P city Military, who had won des from Maple¡¯s Military force. He is untouchable. Prestons have been a Military family for generations, well-reputed senior officials. They do not have any influence on NMS. Neither does Jonathan Smith.¡±


    Alice¡¯s father finally understood the gravity of the situation, ¡°What do you suspect?¡±


    ¡°That girl Mariana Jacobsen has someone more powerful than the Smiths, Prestons, and Millers protecting her. Based on what I gathered, Jeffery Cruise investigated the entire thing, did a thorough investigation on Tansy¡¯s Private Club, and reporters leading back to the NMS because of Jonathan Smith¡¯s wife.¡±


    Steven had, over the years, built a very reliablework across all fields. But even so, he could not find out who that woman was.


    ¡°That L&L Designs founder who is always knee-deep in controversy?¡± Steven¡¯s wife asked.


    Steven scoffed, ¡°Based on my observations, all the controversies were easily suppressible, but they let it be a hot topic on purpose. As we all saw, every single time, she came out looking better.¡±


    He continued before anyone could interrupt, ¡°Her background is hidden. I have asked around but to no avail. She is the one who has some clout in NMS, and that should tell you something.¡±


    Alice panicked, ¡°Uncle, what should I do?¡±


    Steven groaned, ¡°Lay low for now. It¡¯s a good thing that you have sent that waiter away. It¡¯s better if he does not return to P city until the dust is settled, or better yet never.¡±


    ¡°What will happen to you?¡± Alice¡¯s mother asked.


    ¡°I am not sure. If this is revenge, then you should be careful,¡± Steven analyzed, ¡°All the reporters involved have beenid off with their licenses revoked. Being the main aggressor, you should be careful.¡±


    ¡°In my case, it depends on what the CEO of NMS decides. That person is as mysterious as Jonathan Smith¡¯s wife. Despite working there for decades, none of us know his or her name. Besides, it depends on the connection between the CEO of NMS and Jonathan Smith¡¯s wife, or that Jacobsen girl.¡±


    Steven said with a sigh.


    His unruly niece just had to provoke someone with deep connections. And now, his entire life had been discredited.

 Chapter 208 The CEO’s promise

    While Alice and her family were in shambles, James was busy trying to find out who had drugged Mariana.


    They had found out that Alice had called the media, but they were trying to find out who had drugged Mariana.


    If it was Alice, James vowed to bankrupt their business.


    But Mariana and Liliana saw things differently. Irrespective of who had drugged Mariana, Alice was wrong.


    Alice used James and her family¡¯s connections with the Millers as a shield to escape punishment.


    James¡¯s family, the Millers, had a good connection with Alice¡¯s parents, the Mosses.


    Alice had gone to them crying about misunderstanding Mariana and creating trouble the same day.


    At his mother¡¯s insistence, James acquiesced to letting Alice off. It bound Liliana¡¯s hands.


    Mariana and Liliana had assuaged Mer¡¯s parents that everything was under control.


    Mer stayed in Lil¡¯s house for a week dealing with her emotions.


    Liam was busy tracking the source of recreational drugs. Recreational drugs were illegal in P city. Someone had to be operating an illegal business for it to show up.


    James was trying to locate the waiter, who had escaped from P city.


    Jonathan spent the week that Mariana stayed with them to teach her some business rules.


    Liliana posted a statement from NMS¡¯s official social media handle.


    __


    ¡°NMS was established with a clear purpose to share news and knowledge across the residents of P city. As the City grew and times changed, NMS undertook another responsibility ¨C finding out the truth and bringing the overlooked and underhanded to attention.


    I am very regretful to admit that I did a poor job managing NMS which led to corruption from the inside. NMS, whose goal was to keep the P city informed and expose the truth, became the means to attack the innocent and shield the oppressors.


    THAT ENDS NOW!


    The drastic actions from the past few days mark the start of a new chapter in NMS.


    A periodic and random audit by a third party will scrutinize everyone¡¯s actions. Irrespective of whether you are an intern or a shareholder.


    Misuse of power and position will not be epted.


    I apologize for not doing my job well. And I will rectify it to the best of my abilities.


    I hope to shepherd NMS to the right path, so it can once again be the symbol of truth, transparency, and free speech.¡±


    __


    While only a handful of people knew NMS was also one of the Petrova properties and was under Liliana¡¯s management, the entire P city could feel the tremors of changes that were toe.


    As promised, Liliana swiftly established a core audit team of her most trusted people and sent them to investigate each Petrova property.


    From checking the books to reviewing everyone¡¯s works. From ensuring every hire was merit-based to reevaluating everyone¡¯s designation and pay. The audit team did it all and made swift changes everywhere.


    Naturally, such a monumental change would take time toplete. But the changes had started.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Ironically, one of the foremost people who were affected by the change was none other than Jennifer and Henry.


    Jennifer came to Liliana and Jonathan¡¯s ce with a box of cakes and a pack of beer.


    Jennifer bowed exaggeratingly and said, ¡°Congrattions on your sessful project, My Queen!¡±


    Mariana looked at her quizzically while Henry bit the inside of his mouth to keep himself fromughing.


    ¡°You demoted me!¡± Jennifer cried, unable to build suspense.


    ¡°What? Why would I demote?¡± Liliana trailed off as she realized what had happened.


    Mariana and Henry burst outughing.


    ¡°I am so sorry. I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Liliana was speechless for once.


    Jennifer pouted and feigned a hurt expression.


    ¡°I work so hard, yet you demoted me,¡± Jennifer fake cried.


    Liliana had gathered her wits about and questioned, ¡°There should be more to it. I could not have demoted you just like that. You are doing exceptional work.¡±


    Henry chimed in with his grievances, ¡°Yeah, you made me pay her from my sry.¡±


    That elicited another round ofughter.


    ¡°Well, I am sure you will survive!¡± Liliana shrugged.


    She had given Henry too many benefits, flexibility, and a high enough pay for this small thing to matter.


    Besides, her instructions had been clear. People doing their job well would not be affected.


    She was going to review everything anyway.


    Jonathan asked, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Jennifer joked, ¡°Guess?¡±


    Mariana and Jonathan looked at each other and said in sync, ¡°Remodeled sry structure.¡±


    Henry wrinkled his nose, ¡°You guys are no fun.¡±


    Jenniferughed, ¡°From enemies to besties, huh!¡± She teased them.


    They just shrugged and did not answer.


    Henry exined, ¡°Instead of the head of General surgery, I am Consulting Surgeon. As such, I get paid per surgery basis.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I still get paid quite well for research, and I am still an employee of the P city hospital with tenure.


    But it¡¯s quite a deductionpared to my previous pay. The offset is royalties for any sessful research.¡±


    Mariana teased, ¡°So, instead of paying as if you have already developed whatever you are working on, you will be paid minimum for research and then bnce it by the royalties of your invention. Hmm, if you develop something good, you will be swimming in money.¡±


    Henry shrugged, ¡°I would not call it minimum, but then again, it¡¯s probably pennies for a rich heiress like you.¡±

 Chapter 209 Preston interruption

    Liliana remarked, ¡°This works well for both of us. If you seed, you get more money. At the same time, the hospital does not lose much in case you don¡¯t.¡±


    Henry cocked his brow, ¡°I did not say it was unfair! Just more demanding.¡±


    Jennifer echoed, ¡°Yeah, your new rules will keep everyone on their toes. I am notining. A strict merit-based system is a blessing for people like me who don¡¯t have a powerful backing.¡±


    Mariana chided her in fake anger, ¡°How can you be called someone with no background?¡±


    Liliana smiled, ¡°That was my intent anyway.¡±


    Jennifer exined, ¡°I got demoted, but I am still a senior nurse. I just lost some management rights, which works in my favor. I was not handling it well, and that dragged my overall performance. My pay also included a lot of variable entities, depending on my time in OT v/s ER v/s research. Overall, I am quite satisfied. It works well for me.¡±


    Liliana heaved a sigh, ¡°As long as you guys are fine.¡±


    They chatted for a while until a maid came inside reporting the arrival of a guest along with Kyle.


    Jonathan immediately made a face that piqued Henry¡¯s interest.


    ¡°Who can annoy you so much?¡± Henry teasingly asked.


    Mariana answered gruffly, ¡°Liam¡¯s family members are quite shameless.¡±


    Liliana echoed, ¡°I wonder who it is this time.¡±


    Jennifer asked, ¡°Should I hide?¡±


    Liliana gave her a stink eye.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jenn. I will protect you,¡± Mer dramatically vowed and made everyoneugh.


    Kyle showed up with an annoyed look as Jessi had mped his hands tight.


    Jessi was the waitress on their cruise ship. Jonathan had thrown her out in anger for breaking protocol.


    Jessi pretended as if it had never happened and often showed up with Kyle, feigning acquaintance.


    For Grandma Preston¡¯s sake, they tolerated her and did not expose her. But Jessi was getting more and more presumptuous.


    Other than her, other members of Preston¡¯s family also showed up with Kyle. But she was the one who often interrupted them.


    It was a nuisance for the drivers as well. They had to take unnecessary detours to protect the exact location of the Mansion where the family of four was staying.


    Even so, it was more exposed than they would have liked.


    Liliana ignored them since their stay there was a temporary one.


    She would move to Petrova family Mansion and would divide their stay between Petrova family Mansion and Jonathan¡¯s Vi.


    Jonathan had proposed to personally design and build a Mansion exclusively for them, but Liliana had dismissed the idea. They already had too many ces that even in the future if all their kids decided to take one Vi each, they would still have spare.


    Jonathan could see the truth in that and stopped thinking of it. There were other things he could do.


    Jonathan, who had tuned out Jessi, was brought back to his senses when Liliana elbowed him.


    ¡°What is it, honey?¡± Jonathan asked gently, caressing her face.


    Mariana teased Jonathan, ignoring Jessi and her redundant question.


    ¡°Jonathan, I was just telling Lil about your ns to open a Harem like the old emperors did, have a bunch of concubines on the side. Were you lost nning that?¡± Mariana asked innocently.


    Before Jonathan could retort, Jessi chimed in, ¡°How could you say something like that? Everyone knows President Smith has high standards and does not y around. Or perhaps it was someone else who suggested this.¡±


    Jessi thought herself clever to defend Jonathan andy out a reasonable doubt.


    If Jonathan had not been close to Liliana, if he had not gotten to know Mariana personally, and if he had been insecure in their marriage, then perhaps he might have fallen for that.


    But that was not the case, and they only thought of Jessi as a cartoon character.


    ¡°Wow, President Smith, you sure are highly valued and popr among women,¡± Liliana snorted at Jonathan, giving him a stink eye.


    Jessi thought Liliana was jealous, but others could tell that they were merely being cheeky.


    ¡°What can I say, Mrs. Smith? I was born charismatic.¡± Jonathan yed along.


    ¡°You must be so smug about having so many choices, President Smith,¡± Liliana sarcastically remarked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me President Smith, darling. I prefer Mr. Husband,¡± Jonathan teased.


    Liliana bit back her smile and continued, ¡°You did not answer my question, Mr. Husband.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She said ¡®husband¡¯ through gritted teeth as if she was truly angry.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have options, Mrs. Smith. After all, life is too long and can get lonely,¡± Jonathan teased her provocatively.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I shorten it for you, Mr. Husband? After you are gone, I promise to find our kids a young stepfather so they can have fun together!¡± Liliana asked with twinkling eyes.


    Mariana burst outughing at the change as Jonathan looked horrified.


    Jonathan pulled Liliana closer and retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t even dare, Mrs. Smith. Even if I die, I will be a ghost and haunt you.¡±


    Liliana grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pulled him closer as she said domineeringly, ¡°Depends on your performance, Mr. Husband. I don¡¯t like chasing flies from my things.¡±


    Jonathan smiled at her possessiveness and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my performance, darling. I promise you won¡¯t be able to walk tomorrow. Your possessiveness is too arousing.¡±


    Liliana bit the inside of her mouth to control her smile and blush.


    Jessi, who was enjoying the fight, finally realized that they had been flirting all along.


    To add insult to injury, their friends also started teasing them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like them anymore,¡± Jennifer grunted.


    Henry disagreed with her, ¡°I like them better now. It¡¯s good to see Jonathan¡¯s arrogant ass wrapped around Lil¡¯s fingers.¡±


    Liliana smiled and looked at him provocatively.


    Jonathan leaned in and whispered in her ears as she blushed.


    ¡°Keep smiling, babe. I will have you wrapped around my finger tonight.¡±


    Mariana saw her blushing face and clicked her tongue, ¡°You have let me down, Lil.¡±


    They all bantered good-naturedly, ignoring Jessi, who still shamelessly continued to overstay her wee.

 Chapter 210 Self-appointment

    Jessi maintained a polite smile and calm facade though she was seething from within.


    ¡®How could a random nobody like Liliana be worthy of Jonathan Smith? Only someone as capable and noble as her could stand by his side.¡¯


    Realizing she was not a part of their banter, she coughed to get her attention and asked.


    ¡°I have been meaning to ask, how old are you, Lil? You look quite young for someone who has two kids.¡± Jessi asked, hoping to take a dig at Liliana¡¯s age and highlight her youth.


    Liliana had enough of her antics and could no longer bear her hypocrisy.


    ¡°Please call me Mrs. Liliana or Mrs. Smith, Miss Jessi. We are not that close for you to be calling me by my pet name. I would hate to drag you down with me by iming an acquaintance we do not share.¡±


    In Jessi¡¯s eyes, Liliana had humbled herself, but everyone else could see the sarcasm in her words.


    Jessi could barely contain her disdain as she apologized, ¡°I am sorry, Mrs. Liliana. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡±


    Liliana waved her hand, ¡°That¡¯s alright. I am not easily offended. Though I must admit, asking my age in front of my husband and friends is quite rude, is that not?¡±


    She cocked her head and forced Jessi to answer.


    Jessi stammered, ¡°I was only trying topliment you.¡±


    Lilianaughed and did not say anything.


    Jessi regained some sense and asked, ¡°President Smith, I was wondering if you could give me a chance to work for you. I have reviewed the portfolio of your secretaries, and I think I can do a good job at that.¡±


    Everyone was agape at her self-evaluation.


    Liliana answered her, shattering all her illusions.


    ¡°Miss Jessi, I hate to break it to you, but I don¡¯t think you are qualified to be my husband¡¯s secretary.¡±


    Jessi looked at her in horror, ¡°Mrs. Liliana, do you perhaps not like me?¡±


    Jessi expected to gain some sympathy and get a job close to Jonathan.


    Liliana looked at her coldly and answered politely, ¡°Ms. Jessi, we do not know each other. I am courteous to you as a show of respect to the old madam Preston. I neither like you nor do I dislike you. But I do wonder on your motive is foring here.¡±


    Jessi paled at that. She had not thought of Liliana asking her things like that.


    ¡°What motive could I have? I was simply dropping Kyle off since I was worried about his safety.¡± Jessi stammered and looked pitiful.


    ¡°Oh, then, I must thank you for caring so much about my son¡¯s safety.¡±


    Liliana smiled harmlessly, which made Mariana roll her eyes.


    Jessi, however, continued ignoring her sarcasm. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. Kyle is Preston. His safety is paramount.¡±


    Liliana eyed her coldly and asked, ¡°Miss Jessi, you are not a Preston. Your sister married into Prestons, but that does not make you one.¡±


    ¡°Besides, are you trying to insinuate that you, a very distant barely-rtive, are more concerned than me about Kyle, my Godson whom I had known since before he was born? Are you trying to say that I, someone who had raised Kyle with my own children to the point that they think they are triplets, would not care about his safety?¡±


    Jessi did not know how to retort to that and managed a weak, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I was just concerned about Kyle. After all, he is my sister¡¯s nephew, and I wanted to take care of him better.¡±


    Before anyone could retort, she used Liliana, ¡°I was just trying to be helpful. I did not expect you to misunderstand me. I am sorry if I have offended you.¡±


    Taking her pitiful stance, she decided to leave.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I will take my leave now. Thank you for your hospitality, President Smith and Mrs. Liliana. I will see you at the office, President Smith. Have a good day!¡±


    Jessi hurriedly left before anyone could say anything.


    Jennifer was the first toment, ¡°Has she beening here all the time?¡±


    Mariana answered, ¡°You have no idea. I have seen narcissists, but she takes it to a new level.¡±


    Henry shuddered and added, ¡°I feel bad for whoever marries Liam.¡±


    Liliana looked at Jonathan and teased to lighten the mood, ¡°I feel bad for you, Nathan. It must suck to be admired by someone like that. I am starting to miss Vivian.¡±


    Everyoneughed while Mariana scowled, ¡°Don¡¯t mention that bitch. I am still mad at you guys for letting her off so easily.¡±


    Liliana exined, ¡°Mercy, my dear, is a great thing. The ability to be merciful and let people off in hopes that they will correct their actions takes courage.¡±


    She exined her action toward Vivian to Mariana, ¡°Vivian had been stripped off all the rose-tinted sses and was left bare. She fell from her pedestal, which was the most important part of her self-identity.¡±


    ¡°Terry was like a mirror to her. And she had the intelligence to correct her actions. If you can save a soul, why condemn it to smithereens.¡±


    Jonathan added to Liliana¡¯s point.


    ¡°Mercy is for the strong. It takes courage. But forgiveness is for yourself. If you lose yourself in getting even, your enemy wins. Remember, Mer, your opposition wins the moment you lose who you are.¡±


    Mariana grumbled, ¡°Fine! I will forget about her.¡±


    Jennifer shifted the topic to lighter subjects, and they had a rxing evening.

 Chapter 211 See it to the end

    James reached out to Mariana two weeks after that fateful event.


    Mariana avoided him, but as usual, James cornered her.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Mer. I swear, I did not mean a thing I saidst time. I regretted it the moment I misspoke.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I like you so much. Please give me onest chance. I swear to make it up to you. I am so sorry. Please, Mer.¡±


    ¡°Please, give me onest chance. I know I messed up before. I will make things right this time around. Please!¡±


    James uttered his most sincere apology.


    He had been tracking down the waiter who had spiked Mariana¡¯s drink. He had finally found him abroad andid all the cards to force him back to P city.


    Only then did James muster the courage to confront Mariana and apologize.


    Unfortunately, what Mariana heard was that even after everything that had happened, James was not ready to end the farce between them.


    Perhaps, because they had both been on the opposite spectrum from the beginning of their rtionship, they never saw things the same way.


    Mariana, being on the receiving end of James¡¯s revenge, could not fathom that James could go from teasing her to falling for her, primarily because he had never expressed himself clearly.


    He said he liked her, but she could not see it. Nothing in his behavior resembled that of a person who cared for another.


    Conversely, James failed to see that he had never given Mariana a choice.


    While he had a change of heart, he was unsure of his feelings. Thus, he could not rify his stance.


    He meant it when he said he liked her and expected Mariana to understand that their game had ended and they were now dating.


    But he could not understand her perspective, just like she could not see his heart or intentions.


    Mariana had lost all the will to argue with him. She hade to ept that whatever was between them would only end when James decided it was over.


    Thus, she did not contradict him and thought to see things through. Besides, they had already slept together; it could not get any worse. Or so she naively thought.


    With their thoughts out of sync, Mariana and James started dating.


    A few weekster, James could not be happier. He would often find himself smiling at how well things turned out between him and Mariana after their fight in the room right after their first time together.


    He thought everything was going well.


    Mariana¡¯s thoughts were all over the ce. She could not make sense of James¡¯s newfound gentleness and care.


    Part of her knew it was not real, but she couldn¡¯t deny that it was exceedingly good. It was surreal.


    However, she prepared herself for the other shoe to drop. She was not naive enough to think James loved her.


    Liliana and Liam were worried about them. They could tell James, despite his age, was more like a teenager who saw his rtionship with Mariana through rose-tinted sses.


    While James was sincere, he had never thought of things from her point of view. He liked her but could not treat her right.


    The onlookers could tell that their rtionship was doomed, and both would get hurt. They could only hope that it wouldn¡¯t be too bad.


    Jonathan had tried to talk some sense into James but had failed. James had blissfully blinded himself.


    Jonathan warned Mariana to be careful and promised to be there for her, but he was helpless. As an onlooker, he could not do much.


    On the other hand, Alice had eventually begun to rx. A month had passed since Mariana¡¯s incident, and nobody hade after her. It could only mean that there was no evidence against her.


    Feeling safe, she started to look into Mariana again. But she did not get another opportunity to sabotage her.


    Her chance came a few weekster when she chanced upon an invitation at James¡¯s home.


    Alice acted coquettishly and piteously and asked for a chance to be able to apologize to Mariana. She convinced James¡¯s mother to take her to Liliana¡¯s birthday bash.


    Alice was sure that Mariana would be at Liliana¡¯s birthday party, and she would get her chance to discredit her.

 Chapter 212 Birthday Bash

    Jonathan spent almost two months preparing for a perfect birthday party for Liliana.


    Once again, he had booked the entire rooftop of Green Wine and Food.


    He had the entire rooftop decorated with purple lilies and soft lights. Knowing Liliana did not like any extravagance, the decoration was tastefully minimal.


    The guests were family and friends only. It was to be an intimate bash.


    Jonathan had gotten the gifts approved by his kids and Mariana to ensure she would like them.


    Finally, the day came, and Jonathan and the kids woke Liliana up at midnight with a surprise homemade cake.


    Liliana had been expecting Jonathan¡¯s surprise for her birthday.


    Jonathan, the three kids, and Mariana had not been able to hide their smugness about having nned a surprise. It had been a dead giveaway to their supposed secret.


    Liliana had yed along.


    But seeing her husband and three kids with a misshapen cake at midnight was a pleasant sight, nheless.


    She was very touched and happy seeing the people she loved the most in the world putting so much effort into making the day special.


    She cut the cake and kissed them all. They all had the cake that tasted weird since none of the three children nor Jonathan was good at making cakes.


    The kids urged her to open the gifts as they were ecstatic to see her reaction.


    The three kids had given their mother a toy robot. They had personally assembled it from their other toys and tweaked it so it would sing ¡°Happy Birthday, Mommy. We love you!¡±.


    Liliana loved it and immediately ced it on her bedside table.


    ¡°This will be my rm from now on.¡± She dered, and the kids cheered at the approval.


    Then she opened Jonathan¡¯s gift. It was a set of a ring, a ne, earrings, bangles, and a tiara. It was aplete set from Soul jewelry.


    Soul Jewelry was unique for its custom design and one set of jewelry per-person rules. Getting theplete set at once was tantamount to dering his eternal love for her.


    Liliana understood the gesture and kissed him on the cheeks, unable to speak due to overwhelming emotions.


    The family of five squeezed together in therge queen-sized bed.


    In the morning, Mariana showed up with a delicious homemade cake and lunch set personally prepared by her mother.


    She also brought a limited edition bag and a pair of matching shoes as gifts. Her parents also sent gifts.


    The Jacobsens had always celebrated Liliana¡¯s birthday ever since she was young. At the very least, they would send personalized gifts.


    In the evening, they all got ready for the party.


    Jonathan had been nning it for months. He had informed everyone early, so they could clear their schedules and be present.


    Liliana loved the minimalist decor and the close-knit group of people.


    Although it could be considered rude, Jonathan did not want to be bothered by Liam¡¯s pesky rtives. Hence, he had only inhibited old Madam Preston.


    Mariana, her parents, their family¡¯s butler, cook, and personal assistants were present. It went to show how close Liliana was to Mariana¡¯s family and how well Jonathan understood that.


    Henry, his grandfather, his parents, and his cousin Amelia was also in attendance. Liliana personally knew old Master Qazi. It would have been rude to exclude Henry¡¯s parents. And Amelia was working on traditional medicine for Petrova Research Institute (PRI).


    Jeremy Winston, a family friend of both Jonathan and Liliana, was present with his son Alister Winston and his wife.


    Jennifer had brought her younger brother. He had just started working in one of the Petrova Group¡¯s properties, and Jennifer meant to show him how the other side lived.


    Terry Draw, his assistant, and his assistant¡¯s sister were present. They were equally awkward and grateful.


    Jacob, Vincent, and Liliana¡¯s assistant Alice McDraw were also there.


    James and his parents were there. However, James¡¯s parents had invited James¡¯s ex Alice Moss, which became instantly awkward as they saw the very intimate crowd.


    Alice Moss, however, was ecstatic to be able to go there. It elevated her sense of importance as she knew she wouldn¡¯t get kicked out despite the hosts not wanting her there.


    She flitted about the party with her head tilted up in the air.


    James saw Mariana¡¯s displeasure and excused himself from Mariana and co to talk to his parents.


    ¡°Mom, why did you bring her? The invitation was quite exclusive. How can you bring an outsider here?¡± James asked his mother.


    His father rebuked him for his rudeness, ¡°James, be careful how you talk to your mother.¡±


    Mrs. Miller was feeling guilty and awkward for bringing Alice. James¡¯s usatory tone made her angry.


    ¡°Alice is your childhood friend, and Mosses are our good friend, been so for decades. So what if I brought Alice? Can¡¯t your friends amodate one more person for your sake?¡±


    James sighed at their tone. He had known that tone for years. That meant he had to show filial piety and not argue with them.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not my party. Jonathan arranged it for his wife and only invited close friends and family members. Alice is neither. Besides, she had made such trouble for Mer just recently. How can you bring her just like that?¡± James tried to reason with his parents.


    His mother rebuked him, ¡°Alice had been very remorseful for that. She just wanted an opportunity to apologize to Mariana since your girlfriend has been too busy to even ept her apology despite Alice being humble.¡±


    James could not believe his mother, ¡°Mom, she deliberately framed Mariana and has been trying to cause conflict between us since she came back to P city. She ran to you to avoid punishment. And she has not tried to apologize once.¡±


    Mrs. Miller, however, did not believe him. She snorted and added, ¡°How do you know if she has been trying to be apologetic? It¡¯s not like you stay with her all the time.¡±


    James tried to retort but was interrupted, ¡°Since she is already here, it¡¯s pointless to discuss now.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    James was irritated and left her to enjoy the party.

 Chapter 213 Goodbye 20s

    On the other hand, Jacob and Liam tried their best to cheer Mariana up.


    She wasughing non-stop at their jokes. Seeing her so unaffected made Alice and the Millers very unhappy.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    After all the guests had arrived, Jonathan escorted Liliana and the kids to the open rooftop.


    Liliana showed up wearing an elegant gown that she had designed herself. Jonathan and the three kids were all wearing matching clothes.


    The appearance of the family of five made everyone gasp at how picture-perfect they looked. It was as if they were born with an extra dose of beauty and grace.


    Jonathan introduced his wife and kids to everyone.


    Most of them had not seen the kids before and were ecstatic to meet the children born with good genes and silver spoons.


    Mariana called the kids to her as soon as the introduction was over.


    A private photographer took pictures of the couple and posted them on Social Media. They were careful about protecting the children¡¯s privacy.


    Jonathan proposed a toast and wished Liliana a happy birthday.


    Liliana epted the toast and only said, ¡°Good-Bye, 20s!¡± as she gulped it down in good humor.


    However, she was utterly astonished by the surprise gift Jonathan presented.


    She had expected the Soul Jewelry collection to be her gift, but apparently, it was only a teaser.


    Jonathan bowed and said, ¡°Lil, for someone as kind-hearted as you, I could not think of a better gift than Liliana Corp. A non-profit organization that produces clean electricity from wind and sr energy and distributes it for free in rural viges. The first of which is the vige for which your mother personally organized her first charity event. I hope you like it.¡±


    Vincent and Alice McDraw recorded the moment and posted it on social media to show their boss¡¯s affection.


    Liliana was genuinely surprised by this.


    She was speechless and said, ¡°Nathan!¡± emotionally. That one word carried all her emotions.


    ¡°I love you, Lil!¡± Jonathan said as he kissed her on the cheeks.


    Mariana sent the kids over to them to prevent any further PDA.


    Their touched audience pped, and the party continued.


    After the cake cutting, Liliana made a short speech.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone, for taking your time to make my day special. I hope to spend more time with you all in my thirties than I managed to in my twenties. Thank you!


    Goodbye 20s! Wee 30s! I can already see the good times and the adventure. Cheers!¡±


    Everyone enjoyed the cake, chitchat, and the food.


    Liliana and Jonathan took their time to greet and talk to every guest. Everyone invited was someone close to them.


    Except for Alice Moss.


    Alice saw Mariana talking to everyone unaffected by her presence and curled her lips in displeasure.


    James seemed to be following Mariana around. But it was subtle since Mariana never went anywhere alone. She was in a group. Especially Liam and Jacob.


    Alice took that as an opportunity to nder Mariana in front of Millers.


    She went to Mrs. Miller and said, ¡°Aunty, I don¡¯t think I am wee here. Mariana is always together with a bunch of men. She is not even talking to James. She had note to greet you personally either. Her parents also did not greet you properly. I don¡¯t think she will ept my apology.¡±


    The Millers were already offended that Mariana and her parents had not been courteous to them. They had greeted them politely like any other guest but had not been enthusiastic given the rtionship between James and Mariana.


    Alice¡¯s words fanned the mes of their disapproval.


    James¡¯s mother asked Alice to call James over so she could reprimand her son and teach him some values.


    Alice took this opportunity to go to James and start a conversation.


    James dismissed her and told her off, but she sobbed, acting pitiful, as she used his mother¡¯s name to drag him away from Mariana.


    Mariana only looked at him quietly without any expression.


    Whenever things came between Alice and her, James had always chosen Alice, so she was prepared for him to do the same.


    In the best-case scenario, she hoped for this farce of their rtionship to end.


    Liam saw her empty look and patted her head.


    He hugged her and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I am here. If anything happens, I will cover for you. We are all here.¡±


    Mariana could not help but hug Liam back.


    Her friends were always there for her. They were her rock.


    Liliana saw the exchange and nodded at Liam as thanks, but he just winked at her to show it was alright.


    The Millers saw the exchange and thought Mariana was unsuited for their son, given her ambiguous rtionships.


    Mariana¡¯s parents ignored everything.


    They knew their daughter was passionate but tactless. Thankfully, she had a group of friends who would protect her. They let her be and continued to support her, no matter what.


    James curled his lips in displeasure. Whenever Mariana was upset or needed someone, he was never there for her. He wondered if it was fate or if he was just that unreliable.

 Chapter 214 Fighting for a man

    Alice saw James looking at Mariana. Taking advantage of his distraction, she kissed him on the lips.


    That shocked most people as they had assumed something was going on between James and Mariana.


    James was stunned for a few seconds as he could not believe that Alice would catch him off guard and kiss him in front of everyone despite his multiple warnings.


    Alice had learned from her previous lessons and let go of James before he could push her away. Since James did not get the chance to break the kiss, it looked consented.


    James knew his rtionship with Mariana had circled back to square one as soon as the kiss was over.


    He had promised Mariana to make it up to her, and he had not pushed Alice away when she had kissed him in front of everyone. Mariana would never bear such indignation.


    He tried to go to Mariana, but Alice was one step ahead.


    Alice went to Mariana and apologized, ¡°Miss Jacobsen, I hope you wouldn¡¯t hold grudges against me for my rtionship with James. I know you like James, but he and I have been together for years, and we were on a break due to a misunderstanding. I am sorry for the trouble I caused youst time. I was just jealous. I am so sorry.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Alice made it seem like Mariana was a third party in the rtionship.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense, Alice¡­you.¡±


    James tried to set things straight but was interrupted by his mother.


    ¡°James, why did you not tell me that you and Alice were together? I have always treated Alice as my daughter-inw. It¡¯s such fantastic news.¡±


    Mrs. Miller showed her support to Alice openly.


    James tried to argue, ¡°Mom, what are you saying? She is just talking nonsense. You know that I.¡±


    Once again, he was interrupted. This time by his father, ¡°Don¡¯t contradict your mother, boy.¡±


    ¡°Dad, this is my personal..¡± James tried to stand his ground, but Alice cut him off.


    Alice had managed to grab Mariana¡¯s hands and said aloud, ¡°Miss Jacobsen, please forgive me. Your blessings would mean everything to me.¡±


    Mariana was sick of their self-orchestrated drama and finally spoke, ¡°Are you done, Miss Moss? If so, let go of my hand.¡±


    Alice continued to act pitiful, ¡°Miss Jacobsen, please don¡¯t take revenge on me.¡±


    Mariana was irritated, ¡°Miss Moss, congrattions on getting together with Mr. Miller! Please don¡¯t forget to invite me to your wedding. I will be sure to send you a gift. Let go of me. NOW!¡±


    James eximed, ¡°Mer!¡±


    But Alice cut him off. She continued to be pitiful and eximed, ¡°Miss Jacobsen, please. James treats you as his friend and is afraid of hurting you. Please give us your blessing.¡±


    Mariana¡¯s father wanted to step in but was held back by his wife. Merideth Jacobsen knew that it was a battle her daughter had to fight alone. She held back her husband while curbing her urge to beat the Alice girl.


    Mariana suddenlyughed, ¡°Miss Moss, I am curious. What does your rtionship with James have to do with me? Have I held onto him? Pestered him? Threatened him? Forced him to be with me? Do you see me getting in between you and him?¡±


    Alice had not thought Mariana would talk back. During all their previous altercations, she had been quiet. So, Alice had thought her to be timid.


    She froze for a moment while Mariana continued.


    ¡°Miss Moss quit the victim act. I have had enough of your nonsense. I could have sued for intentional homicide. You locked me inside the washroom when I was sick and lied that I had left. Good thing I had called Liam before passing out, or, thanks to you, I would be dead by now.¡±


    Everyone gasped at that.


    Mariana continued to question Alice.


    ¡°I did not even sue you for drugging me and then sending reporters to defame me.¡±


    ¡°I already excused you multiple times when you called me ¨C what was it again? A gold digger and a long list of simr adjectives in front of my employees. I have forgiven you for gate-crashing my private work-gatherings multiple times over. And yet, somehow, you still have the gall to pretend to be a victim.¡±


    The Millers looked at each other, unsure of who to believe. They had known Alice since she was a baby. Compared to her, Mariana was a stranger whose character was unclear. Ultimately, they chose Alice.


    Mariana continued without giving Alice any chance to defend herself.


    ¡°Only because you are associated with the Millers, who happen to be Jonathan¡¯s family friends, did I excuse all your provocations. Did you think you are someone who can influence me in any way?¡±


    She tilted her head and pointed to James.


    ¡°You want James, go ahead. I am not holding onto him. You might want to cling to a man who can never bepletely yours and create drama to annoy other people. Thankfully, I have more self-respect than that.¡±


    She looked at Alice coldly and added, ¡°Stop disturbing my life because next time, I won¡¯t be merciful, even if you are the daughter-inw of the Millers.¡±


    James felt his heart clench at her words. ¡®Does she have no feelings for me?¡¯ He thought warily but got no answer.


    The Millers were infuriated at the insinuation that James was unfaithful and unreliable.


    Alice reddened with shame and ¡®identally¡¯ pushed Mariana towards the drinks counter.


    She ¡®identally¡¯ slipped andnded onto Liam, who had extended his arm to grab Mariana.


    That caused Mariana¡¯s fall while Liam ended up holding Alice.


    James wanted to go to her instinctively but was held back by his mother. He could not push away his mother and go to Mariana.


    It would have made things messier than it already was.


    But what he saw next made his eyes widen. He froze, unable to think for a long time.

 Chapter 215 The man in her life

    Mariana fell on top of sses and drinks.


    ss shards pierced her body everywhere. But worse still, a few bottles fell on top of her.


    Liam had tried to grab her, but Alice stopped him.


    He pushed Alice aside and tried to grab Mariana, but it was toote. She was already hurt.


    He quickly held the injured Mariana as Henry and Jennifer rushed to take care of her.


    Liliana called to ready the ambnce and went to the kids. The children were frightened by the turn of events.


    Everyone froze as an unusual amount of blood began to flow from Mariana¡¯s lower body.


    While everyone was worried that she could be badly injured, Alice thought to create a scene by shouting.


    ¡°Oh! My! God! Is she having a miscarriage?¡±


    Everyone looked at Mariana and Alice agape.


    Liliana looked at James, who stood dumbly like a frozen statue. She shook her head in disappointment.


    She signaled her assistant Alice and Jonathan¡¯s assistant Vincent to handle everything. She hugged the shaken kids and consoled them.


    Alice McDraw and Vincent understood what she meant right away. Vincent saw the guests off while Alice worked with her PR team to suppress any unnecessary news.


    The PR team was working to prevent leaks, especially the picture of the kids. Now, they had one more task at hand.


    Liliana looked at Jonathan, and he understood her unsaid words.


    Jonathan went to the Jacobsens and told them not to worry. He drove them behind the ambnce.


    Henry would take care of Mariana. The ambnce was already ready downstairs. Mariana would get treated immediately, and Alice would pay for everything. The Jacobsens understood Jonathan¡¯s words but could not get a grip.


    They had held back previously because of the Millers, but this party had proved it unnecessary.


    They were concerned about Mer but alsoforted that she was in good hands.


    At the same time, they were also concerned about the man in her life.


    Mariana had told them about James ying games with her for revenge, and they had seen the live stream before.


    Now, they did not know what to think anymore.


    James only unfroze after he felt someone shaking his arm. By then, Mariana was gone as well as most everyone.


    He felt electrocuted at Alice¡¯s touch. He immediately pushed her away and pped her hard in the face.


    The remaining guests looked at them and saw James¡¯s red eyes and face contorted with anger and fear.


    Mr. and Mrs. Miller were shocked to see such a violent reaction from James.


    James grabbed Alice by the neck and threatened, ¡°Count your days, Alice. I will pay back in kind.¡±


    He rushed outside to follow Mariana, but his parents held him back.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± He roared.


    His father rebuked him for being disrespectful, but he onlyughed, ¡°Respectful?¡±


    Mr. Miller was angry and tried to hit James. Mrs. Miller stopped her husband and pointed at the guests.


    The remaining guests left hurriedly to give the family their privacy.


    Mr. Miller shouted at James as soon as they were left alone, ¡°How dare you to talk back?¡±


    James continued tough.


    ¡°You are right, Dad. I should thank you instead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for bringing this tramp to this party.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for helping her create and deepen the misunderstanding with the woman I love.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much for encouraging her to nder the love of my life.¡±


    ¡°Most of all, thank you for protecting the person who killed my unborn child.¡±


    He looked at his shocked parents and added.


    ¡°And Mom ¨C I used to date this bitch when we were abroad. That was until I found her having a threesome with my roommates.¡±


    ¡°Ever since she came back, she has only created misunderstandings between Mer and me. And framed and ndered her without any provocation.¡±


    Mrs. Miller was horrified and denied instinctively, ¡°You are lying. She is not that kind of person.¡±


    James could not help butugh as tears trickled down his eyes.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Since you like her so much, why don¡¯t you take her as your God-daughter? And you better do that quickly because I will make sure to pay back every hurt she has caused Mer.¡±


    James shook his head and added sadly before leaving.


    ¡°I finally realized why Mer never trusted me. I have only caused her endless misery.¡±


    ¡°Even now, she is bloodied and battered because of me and possibly miscarrying my child. But, I am not with her.¡±


    He smiled mockingly and added.


    ¡°While her friends are there for her, I am far away. No wonder she has no expectations from me and never fought for this rtionship. Why would anyone like someone as unreliable as me?¡±


    Mrs. Miller had never seen James that wretched. She felt heartbroken for her son.


    They decided to follow him to the hospital.


    They left Alice behind and told her to inform them when she reached home.

 Chapter 216 The bloody end 1

    Vincent sent away all the guests and then drove the children back home.


    Alice, Liliana¡¯s assistant, arranged for everything with the Petrova PR team and went to Liliana¡¯s Vi with the three kids and Vincent.


    She tried to console the kids, but there was not much to do.


    After they recovered from the initial scare, the kids turned back to their sensible selves.


    They were always like that. Too sensible for a six-year-old, making the adults guilty.


    In the hospital, Mariana¡¯s parents, Liliana, Jonathan, Liam, his grandmother, and Jacob were waiting in the OT waiting hall.


    Henry and Jennifer were inside the OT. They had called in a trauma surgeon and a gynecologist for aid.


    After around thirty minutes of waiting, they received word that Mariana was doing fine. While the operation was still ongoing, there was not anything critically wrong that would not recover with proper care.


    Andrew and Merideth Jacobsen finally managed to regain some sort of calm after hearing that.


    Liam¡¯s grandmother was wondering about the rtionship between Mariana and Liam.


    She had never seen her grandson getting so close to any female.


    Before Kyle had shown up, she was unsure if Liam was impotent or gay. After Kyle showed up, she was still not sure.


    Even after Kyle, Liam seemed to detest all females. She had never seen him care for any woman ¨C before or after he had Kyle.


    Seeing him so close to Mariana and being rmed at her condition made her wonder.


    But then again, there was that fiasco with James and that nasty woman, Alice.


    She was itching to question Liam but held back given the circumstances.


    James had arrived with his parents, and it was pretty clear that they had fought.


    James was too ashamed to ask what was going on. Seeing their son being so hesitant, the Millers resented Mariana even more.


    When the news came that she would be fine, everyone felt they could finally breathe. James felt the heavy weight on his heart was gone.


    But he knew that the pain in his heart would take much longer than Mariana¡¯s injuries to heal.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Merideth Jacobsen took a few deep breaths and finally popped the question.


    ¡°You guys have been keeping things from me, Lil.¡±


    She said it in a way that made Liliana lower her head in shame.


    ¡°I am sorry, aunty,¡± She said in a low voice, ¡°we thought we could handle it.¡±


    Andrew could not see his daughters being glum. He interrupted his wife.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself with it. I am sure you guys did your best.¡±


    He avoided his wife¡¯s re and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you guys should tell us what is going on? Things have alreadye to this. We should at least know who our daughter is dating.¡±


    Liliana did not know how to answer that question, ¡°Uncle, Mer¡­I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    Mrs. Miller could not help but snort at that, which sounded loud and clear in the empty room.


    James exhaled a deep breath and tried to rify things, ¡°Mr. Jacobsen, I¡­Mer and I.¡±


    Mrs. Miller cut him off as she eximed, ¡°Are you going to cover for her?¡±


    James was beyond infuriated at his mother, ¡°Mom, go home, please, I beg you. Let me handle this.¡±


    His father shook his head disapprovingly.


    James tried to speak with Mariana¡¯s father again, but he was too ashamed to form coherent sentences.


    ¡°Mr. Jacobsen, I am so sorry for what happened. I! Mer and I.¡±


    Andrew lost his patience and told him off.


    ¡°Mr. Miller, I am quite aware of the grudge between you and my daughter. She bumped your car and pretended to be innocent when you guys were abroad. When you ran into each other here, you pestered her pretending to be her boyfriend. Is that it? Or did I miss something?¡±


    James was shocked that Mariana would tell her parents about that. He looked at Andrew in surprise.


    Andrew continued when James did not speak.


    ¡°I never meddled into your affairs because I trusted you all as adults to handle your matters well. Besides, it was indeed Mer¡¯s fault. But this is taking it too far, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    James shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s¡­That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    Andrew took a deep breath to calm himself. He could not remember thest time he had been that angry.


    ¡°Mr. James, we did not press charges against your girlfriend and future wife for what happened in Tansy¡¯s private club before. Just because we let a few things off the hook out of respect for our acquaintance does not mean my daughter, her reputation, her life, or that of my first grandchild is dispensable.¡±


    James froze at the mention of the child.


    He felt his chest constrict as he remembered the blood trickling down Mariana¡¯s legs.


    But he was aware that he had no right to feel that way.


    He could only lower his head in shame to hide his heartache.


    But the onlookers thought he was avoiding responsibility.

 Chapter 217 The bloody end 2

    Andrew took a few deep breaths to suppress his urge to punch James. He wanted to beat him to a pulp but took deep breaths to calm down.


    He said in a tone that warranted no arguments.


    ¡°Please get out of here. My daughter¡¯s well-being is none of your concern. We do not want you here.¡±


    James mumbled a weak apology, ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    Contrary to his feelings, his parents thought that the Jacobsens were being rude.


    ¡°Mr. Jacobsen, the hospital does not belong to you. Are you trying to hide your daughter¡¯s shame by chasing us away?¡± Mrs. Miller said conceitedly.


    James glowered at his mother, ¡°Mom! Stop talking! I beg you.¡±


    Before she could retort, Liliana spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s quitete. James, you should send your parents home.¡±


    James knew she was sending him away. He begged, ¡°Please, let me stay.¡±


    Jonathan added, ¡°I will call you when we have more news. Go back.¡±


    Mrs. Miller was even more indigent. Jonathan had always been respectful to them previously.


    She asked, ¡°Are you trying to chase us away?¡±


    Instead of Jonathan, Liliana answered, ¡°As a matter of fact, this is a private hospital which I happen to own, so the answer to your question would be affirmative.¡±


    Everyone who did not already know it was stunned at such a deration.


    Before the Millers could get their senses back, Liliana added.


    ¡°I am sorry I did not get to introduce myself properly earlier. My name is Liliana Petrova Smith. I believe you knew my grandfather, Leon Petrova.¡±


    The Millers and Grandma Preston looked at her wide-eyed.


    Of course, they all knew who Leon Petrova was.


    Mrs. Miller could not believe she had just offended a Petrova. They had shown them respect by inviting them to their close-knit party just for being James¡¯s parents.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    But they unknowingly offended her.


    Moreover, Liliana confirmed her stance before they could process the news.


    ¡°Since Jonathan thinks fondly of you, I will visit you personally when I get the chance. These days I am going to be busy taking care of my sister. Please allow me to escort you to the lift.¡±


    Liliana gestured politely.


    Everyone could tell it was an order wrapped up as a polite request.


    The Millers started to move involuntarily.


    As they started walking, Liliana dealt another blow.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, please help your daughter-inw in preparing a strong defense. As you may already know, Petrova firm of Lawyers has never lost a case. She will be hearing from me soon.¡±


    ¡°I had held back previously because you payed for her. But she has crossed all limits now. I am sure you can appreciate my concern. If I hold back again, the Petrovas would be mistaken for pushovers. I can¡¯t let that happen on my watch.¡±


    Seeing that Mrs. Miller wanted to talk, she continued.


    ¡°I am a mother of three. As a mother yourself, Mrs. Miller, I am sure you can appreciate how paramount my reputation is to the safety of my children. I apologize in advance for any altercations toe.¡±


    With a few words, Liliana cut off all means of a settlement.


    While Liliana was walking the Millers back, James tried to make himself invisible by sticking to a corner far from everyone in the room.


    He was not going to leave no matter what. And he did not want to offend Mariana¡¯s parents anymore.


    Everyone knew he was trying to hide there but chose to ignore him.


    When Liliana came back, she looked visibly annoyed.


    Jonathan held her in his arms and rubbed her back tofort her. That was not how he had imagined her birthday to go.


    But the day was far from over.


    Merideth Jacobsen could not take the suspense any longer. She questioned Liliana again.


    ¡°Why is it so difficult to answer who Mer is dating? It¡¯s not like we have banned her from seeing anyone. We understand things work differently between couples now. We just want to know.¡±


    Liliana did not know how to answer that question.


    ¡°It¡¯s just not my ce to tell. I am sorry, Aunty.¡±


    Merideth took that the wrong way and asked with a horrified expression, ¡°Or is she not seeing anyone at all?¡±


    James thought he should exin that he was dating Mariana.


    But he stopped himself from rifying as he thought about everything that had happened that evening.


    There was no way the truth would sit well with anyone.


    He just lowered his head and clenched his fists.


    How did he turn out this pathetic? He was always arrogant.


    How did he let things be so bad that he could not even admit that Mariana was his woman and she was carrying his child?


    He vowed to make things right.


    But fate had other ns.

 Chapter 218 The bloody end 3

    Liam could not bear to see Mer¡¯s mother¡¯s horrified expressionced with a thickyer of guilt.


    Nor could he let Mariana¡¯s image get ruined like that. He had promised to be there for her.


    Since James had resolved to deny responsibility, he had to step in.


    Liam looked at Jacob, who smiled at him in resignation and nodded.


    Liam went to Mariana¡¯s parents and dropped to his knees.


    He lowered his head and spoke with utmost respect and apology.


    ¡°Uncle, Aunty, I am so sorry. Mer and I have known each other for six years, and we have had feelings for each other for ages. But we were unsure about each other, so we always held back rather than risk our friendship.¡±


    ¡°A few weeks back, after the incident at the hotel, she was quite upset. I brought her out for dinner to help her rx. We got drunk and made drunken confessions. One thing led to another, and we jumped the gun.¡±


    ¡°Realizing that we both like each other, we decided to date. But we keep things low-key. We did not want to risk breaking the group or making things awkward if we did not click.¡±


    ¡°We wanted to tell you formally that we were together after we were more sure of our feelings. We had liked each other for so long. We wanted that initial mor to subside before letting anyone know.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry that things ended up like that. I am sorry I could not protect Mer. But, I hope you still give us a chance.¡±


    Liliana did not know how to react to that.


    She instinctively called Liam in rm.


    ¡°Liam!¡±


    But before she could say more, Jacob came to her side and patted her.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Lil! We all know that this is not how Mer would have wanted her parents to know. But since things havee to this point, it¡¯s only right her parents know what is going on.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect Liam to keep the suspense going given how increasingly agitated aunty is. Especially if he still wishes to continue dating Mer.¡±


    Liliana looked at Jacob, who nodded at her.


    She leaned towards him, and he hugged her, raising his eyes at Jonathan provocatively.


    But Jonathan read between the lines and looked at him curiously.


    Liliana mumbled a grateful, ¡°Thank you!¡± to Jacob. Only Jonathan and Jacob could hear her whisper as they were close to her.


    Jacob whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t! You know we would take a bullet for her.¡±


    He gave her a sad smile and leaned back.


    Jonathan held his wife in his arms and instinctively looked at James.


    James was looking at Liam with a horrified expression as he stood frozen.


    The implication of what had just happened had hit James hard.


    At that moment, as he watched Liam take responsibility for him, James knew that he had lost Mariana. There was no going back from there.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    As he saw Mariana¡¯s mother¡¯s expression change from shock to relief, James knew he had never deserved Mariana.


    Tears streamed down his face. He was rooted in the spot, unable to speak. Every breath felt heavy like lead.


    The thought that he had lost her forever kept repeating in his head.


    Grandma Preston suddenly stood and smacked Liam on the back.


    Before Liam could reply, she gasped and held her arm. She rubbed her arm as if she was in pain.


    Jacob was the first to get to her as he massaged her arm.


    Liam looked at her quizzically and asked, ¡°Grandma! What was that for?¡±


    That made Madam Preston re up again.


    She tried to hit him again, but Jacob stopped her and punched Liam on his shoulders.


    Liam red at him. Jacob ignored Liam and asked, ¡°Shall I hit him again, Grandma?¡±


    Grandma Preston patted Jacob affectionately and said.


    ¡°Liam, were you waiting for the girl¡¯s reputation to bepletely ruined before taking responsibility, or were you waiting for her parents to get a heart attack out of anxiety?¡±


    Liam could see what his grandma meant. In his attempt to console Mariana¡¯s parents, he had overlooked that his grandmother was also there.


    When Liam did not speak, his grandmother became angrier.


    ¡°Did you lose your tongue? Or were you hit in the head that caused you to be deaf? Or did you lose your memory?¡±


    ¡°When that pesky woman kept ndering your girlfriend, why did you not speak up?¡±


    ¡°When the Millers said bad things about your woman, why did you not speak up?¡±


    ¡°She was drugged and framed before. And what did you do? You ran after the drug dealers!¡±


    ¡°Why are the people who drugged her not in jail? How did you even get in the force?¡±


    She went on and on about how Liam had let down the Prestons and her education.


    Even Mariana¡¯s parents felt sorry for Liam with how much she scolded him.


    But James was the one who was most affected by Grandma Preston¡¯s words.


    With every usation she hadid on Liam, he realized the gravity of his carelessness and mistakes.


    Just when the olddy piped down a bit, she suddenly eximed.


    ¡°Did that ugly woman hurt my great-grandchild?¡±


    Her face contorted in anger as the realization sank in.


    ¡°Liam, I am giving you onest chance to atone for your sins. Make sure that bitch ends up in an isted prison. How dare she hurt my great-grandchild?¡±


    Andrew and Merideth felt worse on hearing her.


    Merideth slumped on her husband¡¯s shoulders and sniffled softly.


    James felt wetness on his face. At that moment, he knew the pain would stay with him for the rest of his life.


    His child. His child with Mariana.


    He might not have been the one to push Mariana, but he had killed his child with his own hands.


    James slumped on the wall, unable to stand straight.


    He hid his head on his knees and wept silently.


    Noone went tofort him. He knew he did not deserve anyone¡¯sfort or sympathy. He had brought it upon himself.


    The bloody end of his rtionship with Mariana was his own doing. Only he had never expected to lose his child and his heart.

 Chapter 219 Aftermath

    Sometimeter, Henry finally came to the waiting room.


    ¡°She is fine. A lot of wounds everywhere ¨C internal and external. But nothing that won¡¯t heal. She will need bed rest for a month.¡±


    Everyone heaved a sigh.


    Jacob asked, ¡°Will she have lots of scars?¡±


    Henry suppressed his urge to roll his eyes. ¡®That was the first question he had.¡¯


    Seeing the expectant expression on Mariana¡¯s parent¡¯s faces, Henry looked at Liliana and joked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal! I will make sure no scars remain on the outside. You make sure there aren¡¯t any scars on the inside.¡±


    Everyoneughed at the joke.


    The Jacobsens had tears in their eyes. They could finally breathe.


    Liliana finally looked at the Jacobsens and said.


    ¡°Uncle, Aunty, you should go back and rest now. We won¡¯t be allowed to see her tonight. You should get some rest before seeing her tomorrow.¡±


    Merideth wanted to argue, but Andrew stopped her.


    ¡°She is right. We should get some shut-eye. Otherwise, we will be too tired to take care of tomorrow.¡±


    He looked at Liliana and said, ¡°You guys should go home too. Don¡¯t leave the kids alone.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He turned to Madam Preston, but she spoke before he could.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Jacobsen, I am sorry for my grandson¡¯s irresponsibility. Your daughter will not suffer grievances on my watch.¡±


    Andrew wanted to argue, but she cut him off.


    ¡°I am not sure how much you know about Liam. But you must know that Liam has a son, Kyle. I believe you already know Kyle. Liam has never told me about Kyle¡¯s mother, except that she is gone. I don¡¯t want there to be any misunderstanding from our end. The Prestons have wronged you very much already. I am too ashamed to even ask for another chance.¡±


    Jacob interrupted them before they said anything.


    ¡°Alright, Grandma! That¡¯s too much info dump in one sitting. Let¡¯s allow Mer to get better. We can have this conversation when everyone has calmed down. We should still give Liam and Mer a chance to inform everyone properly.¡±


    She still had much to say but did not get the chance.


    He genially smiled and said, ¡°Here, Mdy! I will escort you to the car.¡±


    She could only shake her head and hold his arm.


    Grandma Preston left with Jacob.


    Andrew looked at Liam and held him in a side hug as he whispered, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Liam realized that Andrew had figured out that he was lying.


    He looked at him and whispered with utmost sincerity.


    ¡°Uncle, she is my friend. I would take a bullet for her. We all would.¡±


    Andrew gave him a tired smile.


    ¡°You all, but not the father of her child, it seems. I am d she has you guys. I can rest assured. Go home, Liam! Take care of your grandmother.¡±


    Henry stretched himself tiredly and addressed Liliana, ¡°I am leaving. Jenn and I will watch her tonight. Go home! You should not end your birthday in the hospital.¡±


    Liliana and Jonathan also left.


    Only Liam and James remained in the waiting hall.


    After everyone left, Liam went to James. He pulled James up by grabbing his cor.


    Before James could react, Liam had punched him hard in the face.


    James did not even feel the pain from the punch. He felt blood trailing down his face, but not the pain.


    He suddenlyughed.


    But theughter was full of mncholy and heartache.


    ¡°I swore to take better care of her after what happenedst time.¡±


    Jamesughed again and added, ¡°That¡¯s not sure. I swore to do that even before that.¡±


    Liam lost his will to fight him.


    James looked wrecked, too hurt, too lost.


    Liam slid down the wall beside him and said.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what you have done? What a terrible mess! She is like a sister to me.¡±


    Liam questioned. They both knew it was rhetorical.


    James could not even bring himself to react.


    Inside the ward, Henry looked at sleeping Mariana and sat beside Jennifer.


    ¡°Did you tell them?¡±


    Henry sighed, ¡°No! I think no one should know. At least for now.¡±


    Jennifer asked, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how Liam ended up taking responsibility when James was right there.¡±


    Henry shook his head, indicating that he was also unaware.


    ¡°I have never seen James like this.¡±


    Jennifer gritted her teeth and remarked, ¡°I want to punch him.¡±


    Henryughed, ¡°Get in the line, feisty pants!¡±

 Chapter 220 Awake

    Mariana woke up the next day feeling groggy and itchy all over her body.


    She instinctively tried to move and felt a painful tug on her arm.


    Her groans woke the nurse hired for her, Jennifer, and Henry. They quickly scrambled to her bedside.


    Mariana looked around to see where she was.


    As she scanned her surroundings and looked at herself, the events of the night before came to her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She cursed involuntarily.


    Henryughed out loud at that.


    ¡°Good morning to you too!¡± Henry said sarcastically.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you are fine,¡± Jennifer¡¯s voice was sincere. She was clearly perturbed.


    ¡°I am going to kill that bitch. She ruined Lil¡¯s birthday party. Do you know Lil had not celebrated her birthday like that since her mother passed away? How dare she cause trouble at Lil¡¯s birthday party? Not only did shee uninvited, but she also ruined her party and made her worry. We must have our revenge.¡±


    Mariana was so agitated thinking of Alice that she continued rambling until she pulled on her IV line.


    Only then did she stop talking.


    When Jonathan and Liliana came to the hospital in the morning, they saw James slumped by the door of her ward.


    It was clear that he had not slept a wink the entire night.


    Liliana was angry at him, but her harsh words died in her throat when she saw his red and swollen eyes. She told him to wait in the lounge and not show up in front of Mariana or her parents.


    James nodded at her and whispered a choked ¡®thank you¡¯ in gratitude.


    When they entered the ward, they heard Mariana rambling about her ruined birthday party.


    Jonathan smiled at that. He was very clear about how much the girls meant to each other.


    Liliana, however, shook her head in helplessness.


    James felt even more guilty if that was possible.


    They went inside to see Jennifer helping her drink some water.


    Liliana knocked on top of Mariana¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Mariana cried.


    ¡°How about we address the fact that you are hurt and in need of hospitalization for a few weeks?¡± Liliana asked sarcastically.


    ¡°A few weeks? Are you kidding? I will die of boredom.¡± Mariana eximed.


    James had been listening to them from the outside. He felt relief wash over him hearing her words. Knowing that Mariana was still herself was like a silver lining to everything else in his life.


    He breathed a sigh, too chocked for words.


    Liliana asked everyone to leave so she could talk to Mariana alone.


    Mariana slumped back on the bed and groaned as the cuts hurt.


    Liliana sat by her side and did not speak. She gave her time to process everything.


    Mariana asked, ¡°Tell me what happened after I was pushed by that bitch!¡±


    Liliana exined the events of the previous night as Mariana listened almost emotionlessly. Liliana did not leave anything out.


    The Mariana she knew was strong enough to handle everything that happened. She would not appreciate the kid-glove treatment.


    Mariana heavily sighed after she finished saying everything.


    ¡°What on earth am I supposed to tell my parents and Liam¡¯s grandmother about our rtionship? What a mess?¡±


    Marianamented.


    ¡°Do you not mind James¡¯s behavior?¡± Liliana asked curiously.


    ¡°Why should I? His behavior is as I expected. We were not dating. That Alice woman is his girlfriend, first love, whatever. Why should he abandon his priority for me?¡± Mariana said.


    She did not notice the slight hint of jealousy in her tone as she said it.


    Liliana was speechless.


    ¡°Did you know you were pregnant?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No! We did it a few times, but we always used protection. Besides, I probably would have aborted, anyway. I am neither married to him nor do we have any rtionship. We do not have feelings for each other, and this farce was to end one way or the other.¡±


    Mariana exined, looking at Liliana quizically.


    Liliana looked at her best friend and did not know what to say.


    She considered for a moment and exined.


    ¡°James has feelings for you. I am not sure when or how it began. But he has had some feelings for you ever since you got an allergic reaction.¡±


    Mariana looked at her wide-eyed.


    ¡°You are kidding, right? It¡¯s not funny.¡± She finally mumbled.


    ¡°I will let him in when no one¡¯s around. You guys need to talk. I mean, seriously.¡± Liliana said.


    Mariana groaned. She had thought their fake rtionship had ended.


    ¡°Mer, hear him out properly, will you? The two of you need to talk in a non-confrontational environment. Your differences are not helping either of you. As much as I hate him right now because he did not speak up yesterday, I can not deny that whatever is going between you should be resolved. For your peace of mind, talk to him.¡±


    She exined.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Mariana nodded, ¡°Alright!¡±

 Chapter 221 Wounds

    Mariana changed the topic because she did not want to discuss James.


    ¡°Can you call everyone in?¡± She pleaded.


    Liliana shook her head but called everyone inside, everyone except James.


    Henry finally asked, ¡°How do you feel? Any difort anywhere?¡±


    Mariana rolled her eyes and muttered.


    ¡°I feel itchy everywhere. When are you going to remove the drip? I need to use the washroom. I would also like a shower, please.¡±


    Henry shook his head and asked in dismay. ¡°You are going to be a difficult patient, aren¡¯t you?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Liliana answered on Mariana¡¯s behalf, ¡°Yes, she is a nightmare when she gets sick. Never follows instructions. Anything serious, Henry?¡±


    ¡°Nothing serious. Some internal injuries need longer observation, but nothing that should not heal perfectly fine.¡± Henry confirmed, reassuring everyone.


    ¡°She can¡¯t wet her wounds and must be on the drip for at least a week. After that, you can take her away to your ce and monitor her for two more weeks.¡± Henry added.


    Jennifer exined, ¡°Because heavy objects fell on her, there was internal bleeding. The results look fine for now. But something could show up in the next 2-3 weeks. If everything is clear after that, she can go on as usual. She has full body specs every six months anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Any diet restrictions?¡± Liliana asked.


    ¡°A few. I had it emailed to your house.¡± Jennifer answered.


    ¡°Thanks, Jenn!¡± Liliana said.


    ¡°Can we now discuss what to do about that woman?¡± Mariana grumbled from the side.


    The visitors were astonished at herplete disregard for her health.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to freshen up?¡± Jennifer asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be allowed to shower with all of you here. I will sneak inside when you guys leave.¡± Mariana said innocently.


    ¡°We will be in the lounge. Freshen up first. You can eat something after that. Don¡¯t take a shower. The nurse can wipe you if you want.¡± Henry admitted defeat.


    He unhooked the IV line so she could go to the washroom. But the insertion remained intact on her hand, so she had to be careful.


    The nurse guided her to the bathroom after they left.


    Forty minutester, Mariana had freshened up, and the nurse wiped her body. She did not like it at all, but she had no choice given the IV line and the injuries on her body.


    Mariana was shocked at the cuts littered all over her body. She realized she must be on a high dose of painkillers as she did not feel pain.


    The nurse sprinkled some medicine on all her cuts before binding them. Henry had created it for personal usage. It was not scble or marketable, so he had not published it. But for speciferations like Mariana¡¯s,  it was highly effective.


    Using an external medicine was betterpared to taking or injecting medicines as external medications would not have too many side effects.


    When everyone came inside, Mariana looked at Henry pitifully.


    ¡°Will there be scars?¡± Mariana asked. Finally, some sense of being injured registered in her brain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You won¡¯t look like a scary monster. If you follow my rmendations for three weeks, that is.¡± Henry cheered her up a bit.


    ¡°Fine, spoilsport!¡± Mariana grimaced. She hated hospitals with abandon. More often than not, she could always call for their family doctor or the Petrova family doctor if she fell sick.


    But she understood that getting scars all over her body was worse than three weeks of difort.


    ¡°How many painkillers did you inject? I don¡¯t feel any pain at all. I must be high.¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°You are not high. The painkillers were the smallest dose. The external medication applied to all yourcerations has some pain-relieving elements. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t feel any pain. At the same time, the side-effects are minimal.¡±


    Henry exined with a yawn. ¡°Any more questions?¡±


    Mariana shook her head.


    ¡°I gotta go. Let¡¯s go, Jenn. Call me if anythinges up.¡± Henry said as he proceeded to leave with Jennifer. He was busy with research.


    Liliana sent the nurse away for a break so she and Jonathan could discuss the next steps with Mariana.

 Chapter 222 Last chance of atonement

    James received a call from his subordinate tasked with bringing the waiter who had spiked Mariana¡¯s drink back.


    He picked it up and received confirmation that the waiter was back.


    James finally smiled after a night of crying. A murderous glint on his eyes.


    He messaged Jonathan and Liliana that he was leaving to deal with the waiter and Alice.


    Liliana called him inside and asked Mariana to behave.


    ¡°Why should I behave? I am the patient here.¡± Mariana grumbled but kept quiet.


    Mariana was shocked to see James. It was clear that he had not slept a wink. Even wrapped in bandages, she looked better than James.


    He had not slept a wink.


    He had cried himself until his eyes dried.


    He had not eaten anything.


    He had freshened up before loitering around Mariana¡¯s ward.


    He had smoked continuously.


    Liam had punched him in the face, and he had not bothered to treat it.


    James looked like a wreck. Mariana had never seen him less than immacte.


    The fact that she might mean something to him began to register in her brain. The thought made her very ufortable.


    It was easy for her to dismiss James when she thought they did not have anything between them, that he did not care for her.


    But acknowledging that she might be someone important to him made her ufortable. A lot of grievances surged up in her heart.


    She swallowed it all back and suppressed it. She did not want to feel like that.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    But she knew she would have to confront him sooner orter. She parked it forter.


    James sneaked a nce at Mariana and felt his heart break anew.


    He did not dare to look at her directly. He had lost all rights.


    ¡°The waiter who spiked her drink is back. I have a n. I will handle Alice, the Mosses, and my parents. If you are unsatisfied with the results in a week, you can take it up as you like. I will share every copy of the evidence with you.¡±


    James hurriedly exined before anyone could talk.


    Jonathan looked at James, who had lowered his head like a child caught red-handed.


    Jonathan looked at Liliana, and Liliana turned to Mariana, who was looking at James with aplicated expression.


    Mariana looked back at her and nodded.


    Liliana agreed, and James heaved a sigh. Risking onest nce at Mariana, he left the hospital.


    James thought of it as hisst chance of atonement. He was not going to waste it. He would do everything in his power to earn the right to look at Mariana, to worry about her.


    Jonathan went outside with James and left Mariana and Liliana to chat alone.


    ¡°Lil, I feel so bad.¡± Mariana sighed.


    ¡°It will be alright. Leave everything forter. Focus on getting better now.¡± Liliana pacified her.


    ¡°Do I have to pretend to be dating Liam? It¡¯s awkward.¡± Marianamented.


    Jacob showed up in time to overhear her words. He teased, ¡°You think it¡¯s awkward, huh?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Jacob.¡± Mariana scolded him with a yawn.


    ¡°I feel hungry and tired,¡± Mariana looked at Liliana and added.


    ¡°The food should be arriving shortly. Your parents as well, so wait a while before going to sleep. No one expected you to wake up this early.¡± Liliana exined.


    ¡°Is it my fault now?¡± Mariana pouted.


    Liliana and Jacob looked at each other with resignation.


    Mariana was a difficult patient. She got easily bored and hated constraints. She did not like IV drips and always ended up with swollen arms.


    She would not follow the diet n. She would run away from the ward.


    This time she was acting like Jo would. She was pouting and acting like a spoiled child. It was much better than the rebellious teen act.


    A few minutester, food arrived as expected.


    When Mariana was eating, her parents arrived as well.


    They stayed with her for a while before she sent them away.


    As much as she loved her parents, she did not want them to watch her in the hospital. It would only irritate her and make them anxious.


    Besides, a nurse was there to take care of her. She was just going to sleep anyway.

 Chapter 223 Hospital food

    Jacob and Mariana were very much alike.


    As soon as he came, he teased her instead of asking about her condition.


    Liliana shook her head. But she was happy to see Mariana upbeat rather than upset.


    Food arrived soon after Jacob did, and they fought for the food. Aware that many people would be on the ward, Liliana¡¯s chef had sent arge portion.


    When Mariana¡¯s parents came, they were surprised to see Mariana up and about. She was fighting with the Jacob guy for food while Liliana was working.


    ¡°Uncle, Aunty!¡± Liliana put away her tablet and stood up to greet them.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Jacob saw the lunchbox in Merideth¡¯s hand and jumped.


    ¡°Aunty, pretty aunty! You brought food. You are so awesome.¡± Jacob eximed and hugged her.


    ¡°Hey, leave my mother alone. And don¡¯t touch the food she made. You already stole from this.¡± Mariana grumbled.


    The Jocobsens breathed a sigh of relief. Mariana was doing just fine. She was not as severely injured as she looked the night before.


    ¡°How are you doing, Mer?¡± Merideth asked gently.


    ¡°I am fine, mom. Henry said I would not have any scars. Jennifer has already emailed the diet n to Lil¡¯s chef, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much. You know they have a live-in nurse for Li. I will be fine.¡±


    Mariana shrugged.


    Merideth was speechless. As much as she loved Liliana like her own daughter, she had never approved of Mer treating Lil¡¯s house and resources without any inhibition.


    She pinched the bridge of her nose to keep her temper. She did not want to scold her hospitalized daughter.


    Andrew shot his daughter a re to be more conscientious and rubbed his wife¡¯s arms to calm her down.


    Jacob suppressed his smile while Liliana shook her head.


    ¡°Aunty, don¡¯t worry about her. I will take good care of her. As it happens, the kids are studying to take care of themselves and others, a part of their survival training. They will get to know things first hand.¡± Liliana tried to ease Merideth¡¯s anger.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you girls will listen to me. I just did not want you to be too tired.¡± Meridethmented but dropped the topic.


    Jacob lightened the mood by opening the food.


    ¡°This smells so good.¡± He dramatically eximed.


    ¡°Eat more,¡± Merideth smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, aunty,¡± Jacob said.


    He poured some soup and smelled it before tasting it and showing it to Mariana.


    ¡°Jacob! I will beat you when I get discharged.¡± Mariana said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°You gotta get discharged first, Mer-bear!¡± Jacob taunted.


    Liliana also took a bowl of soup for herself. She tasted it and did not recognize any ingredient Henry said to avoid. She poured the remaining contents for Mariana and passed it along.


    Jonathan came back when they were all drinking soup. He sniffed a little, and Liliana passed her bowl to him.


    Mrs. Jacobsen had bought some nourishing porridge, but Mariana had already had breakfast.


    Mariana tasted a little while Jacob, Liliana, and Jonathan finished the rest.


    Merideth sent them away after they had eaten.


    ¡°You all should go to work. I will stay here.¡± She told everyone.


    ¡°Sure, Aunty. I will bring the kids over in the evening. Please go home if you feel tired. She looks like she will sleep through the day.¡± Liliana said.


    Merideth waved them away. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough worrying about me.¡±


    Mariana soon fell asleep after eating.


    The rest of them left for their respective jobs.

 Chapter 224 Moving out

    James arrived home to find his parents having a serious discussion at the breakfast table.


    Mrs. Miller was shocked to see James so disheveled.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She anxiously asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He shrugged it off, stepping away from her touch.


    Mrs. Miller felt electrocuted. Never had her son treated her so indifferently.


    He went up to his room and hastily packed some of his things. He chose the things that meant something to him rather than things he used or needed.


    He was rich; he could always buy stuff. But some things were priceless the way some people were irreceable. It took losing Mariana and his child to realize that.


    Mr. and Mrs. Miller were stunned to see Jamesing back carrying his luggage.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± Mr. Miller asked. He could not take the tant disrespect.


    ¡°I am old enough to live by myself and make my own decisions,¡± James emotionlessly replied as if his heart was dead. He felt like that.


    ¡°James, don¡¯t be like that. A woman is not worth it. Let¡¯s talk,¡± Mrs. Miller tried to convince.


    She did not realize she was using all the wrong words.


    ¡°She is worth everything in the world. I am the bastard who does not deserve her.¡±


    James looked at his mother and said with conviction.


    ¡°Are you being threatened? That girl might be bluffing. Moreover, Jonathan is your childhood friend; you don¡¯t have to feel pressured. The Mosses will help you as well. Don¡¯t take drastic actions.¡± She tried to convince him.


    James just shook his head.


    He bypassed his mother and started walking away.


    ¡°If you leave today, don¡¯t think ofing back. You are nothing if not a Miller. If I can make you CEO of the Millers, I can take away your position as well.¡±


    Mr. Miller threatened his son. Usually, it would work.


    Butst night, James had grown up to understand what Jonathan had been trying to tell him for weeks. It had been a harsh lesson at the cost of heavy losses, but he understood many things now. He knew the words, of course, but it had not sunk in before.


    James had realized that some people were more precious than all vanity. His pride, money, position, wins, ego, image, and feelings did not matter if he had no one special by his side.


    How could his emotions amount to anything when the other person could not feel them?Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    When Jonathan told him that Mariana wasn¡¯t aware of his feelings for her, he had gaped at him for a long time. But Jonathan had remained stoic, and he had to admit it was the truth.


    With that admission came the realization that he had never treated Mariana right. He only took and took from her. He got his amusement, got to kiss and bed her, rile her up and annoy her. But he never won her heart. When he was falling for her, she was waiting for the farce between them to end.


    And what an irony that it did end!


    He ended it, and when the god had given him a chance to prove himself onest time, he had let her down.


    James did not even hesitate at his father¡¯s words. He left without turning back.


    James drove his private car to his apartment.


    James and Jonathan had started a business when they were in college as a joke. Both their family members were cold-hearted and treated them as tools rather than someone to love.


    They had joked that they should have a backup because their prestigious family would not back them up.


    Between cruel jokes, bets, and part-time gigs ¨C they had opened an auto parts store.


    It surprisingly worked well. And ten yearster, it had multiple branches.


    With his private money, James had bought a car and an apartment. He had made small investments here and there without making his presence known.


    James moved to an apartment that nobody knew he owned. He had secretly bought it a few years back.


    He took a shower and got changed. He forced himself to eat something as he had to n his revenge.

 Chapter 225 Retaliation

    Alice Moss was getting agitated.


    She had tried to post something about Mariana on the inte, anonymously or using paid trolls. But none worked.


    She also tried to get around the problem by posting something about the Jacobsens or Smiths. But nothing worked.


    It was as if someone was carefully monitoring her activities and stopping her.


    Her frustration turned to shock and disbelief when she got a notification about James¡¯s new post.


    James had sued her for assault.


    Aliceughed out loud. It was probably a joke.


    But herughter died out when she received a call from her father.


    They had received awyer¡¯s letter from James.


    James also posted the clip that showed her kissing James, followed by him pushing her away. She had sent that misleading picture to Mariana.


    At that time, James violently pushed her away and threatened to sue her if she tried to kiss him again.


    The clip had clear audio that showed as much.


    An expert verification result verifying that the clip had not been tampered with was in a follow-up post.


    The second follow-up post included a lengthier clip that had events before and after the shorter clip. It painted a clearer picture for suspicious folks.


    It showed their chance encounter and him trying to avoid her before their argument. She had kissed him suddenly without permission. After threatening her, James rinsed his mouth and brushed until his lips swelled.


    ??


    The clip made it clear that Alice had forced herself on James.


    The other clip was from Liliana¡¯s birthday that showed James looking elsewhere with aplicated expression when Alice suddenly kissed him and quickly detached herself before he could react.


    James had made it public that he was suing Alice Moss for assault and defamation.


    Alice could not believe that James would go so far.


    She then re-posted it and added their previous pictures when they were dating.


    James was waiting for that moment.


    He could not point out what had happened between them previously without provocation from her side.


    Alice had pointed out their past rtionship, called it a lover¡¯s spat, and hinted at an ¡®other woman¡¯ being the 3rd party causing the dispute.


    Alice¡¯s nonsense gave him a reasonable excuse to air her dirtyundry in the pretense of clearing his name. James was determined to tear off her hypocritical mask.


    Alice was smart enough to know James meant business when he had posted those videos.


    Hence, she had rushed to the Millers. She wept by Mrs. Miller¡¯s feat and wailed until the older woman trusted her.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She had included her pictures with James with his mother¡¯s approval. She had egged her and made it look like it was her idea.


    Thus any bacsh from it would be Mrs. Miller¡¯s headache. She was going to guilt-trip her into helping her.


    As expected, soon after Alice¡¯s post, Mrs. Millermented on it and tagged James scolding him for airing their dirtyundry in public. All couples fight. She told him not to bully her daughter-inw.


    It gave everyone a new perspective on their family.


    The wealthy families were known for their internal conflicts and interests. Miller family¡¯s squabble proved the point.


    Jamesughed mirthlessly on seeing his mother¡¯s post.


    He called Jonathan and asked him out. Jonathan had been watching their drama. He had nned to call James after work, so he agreed to meet him in their usual spot.


    When Jonathan arrived at their private reserved box, he found an already wasted James.


    He was drinking as if he was on a mission to kill himself.


    Jonathan asked him to slow down.


    Jamesughed sarcastically.


    ¡°I should have slowed down when I was annoying Mariana. I should have slowed down when I started falling for her. I should have slowed down when I bedded her.¡±


    James cried. James and Jonathan had been friends since they were in kindergarten. He did not need to hide in front of him.


    ¡°Instead, I slowed down when the time came to take responsibility. I slowed down when Mer got hurt. I slowed down when she was in trouble. When she needed someone, I caused trouble while some other man helped.¡±


    He added bitterly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of slowing down now?¡±


    Jonathan did not ask him to slow down after that. James was in too much pain. He needed an outlet toe to terms with it.


    He changed the drinks to ones with lower alcohol content and made him eat some food and non-alcoholic beverages for hydration.


    Jonathan knew James would not want to go back to Millers. So, he brought James back home with him.


    James had passed out, and he was mumbling in his sleep. He kept repeating Mer over and over again.

 Chapter 226 Questioned by the kids

    In the hospital, Liliana went to see Mariana with the kids.


    ¡°Aunty Mer, I will apply Daddy Henry¡¯s special medicine on your wounds. You will be better in no time. Then we can y and beat the bad guys.¡± Joyanna said sweetly.


    ¡°My little princess loves me the best,¡± Mariana cooed and kissed Jo¡¯s face.


    Nathaniel pursed his lips and did not say anything. Mer had raised the kids with Liliana, so she understood them well.


    ¡°Just spit it out, you brat. What is it?¡± Mariana said in dissatisfaction. She knew Li was criticizing her.


    ¡°Aunty Mer, when she held your hand, why did you not jerk her off? Why did you not hold Daddy Liam¡¯s hand? Why did you not pull her with you? Your reflexes are bad.¡± Li questioned her mercilessly.


    ¡°I did not think she would do something like that in front of all people,¡± Mer grumbled, feeling stupid at the little boy¡¯s words.


    ¡°Limiting your imagination is the worst thing you can do to yourself,¡± Li repeated the words of one of his teachers.


    ¡°Hey! I did not limit my imagination. I am just not a vile person,¡± Mariana justified her actions to her godson.


    ¡°What is a vile person?¡± Jo asked innocently.


    ¡°It means a bad person, Jo,¡± Li exined to his sister and asked Mariana, ¡°Aunty Mer, when she started scolding you, she had already proven her bad character. What other proof was required?¡±


    Mariana thought about it and realized that was indeed the truth.


    Li¡¯s questions made her question other stuff as well.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    She thought back on the first time she had met Alice.


    James had kissed her forcefully, but realizing her feelings, he had kissed her gently, soothing all her grievances.


    Alice had seen them kissing.


    Yet she had interrupted them, ignored her, kissed James casually, and implied they had an unusual rtionship. James had exined that they did not, but she was too angry at that time to think straight. She had felt too humiliated at that time to care.


    Another time, she had sent her a photo of them kissing. She had believed it without a second thought.


    Now that things hade to this, Mariana doubted everything.


    But she shrugged away her thoughts.


    She was not in a rtionship with James. She should not care about his flings.


    Jo nudged her and asked, ¡°Aunty Mer, don¡¯t worry about Li. He only wants you to protect yourself next time. Mommy said when we make a mistake, we should reflect on ourselves. We should try never to repeat our mistakes. And when we get hurt, we should strengthen ourselves and not get hurt again.¡±


    Mariana kissed the adorable girl giving her an exnation for her taciturn brother.


    Li had pursed his lips, but his silence was his acquiescence.


    Mariana, of course, knew where Li wasing from, but she was in a hospital with no source of amusement.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I think so?¡± She grumbled, looking cross at Li.


    Li¡¯s eyes shed. But his face remained neutral.


    He had not meant to hurt his godmother. He thought she must be joking with him.


    ¡°Li is looking down on me. He thinks I am stupid and clumsy. He doesn¡¯t care about me or love me anymore.¡±


    Mariana sniveled, hiding her choke, and continued as Li only frowned at that but did not react much.


    ¡°I am in so much pain. My whole body hurts. But my kids look down on me and scold me instead of taking care of me. How pitiful! I am so pitiful; my heart hurts more than my body.¡±


    Li could not take it anymore.


    He walked up to Mariana and kissed her cheeks.


    ¡°Get well soon, Aunty! I love you!¡± He whispered in her ears before walking two steps back.


    Marianaughed out loud.


    ¡°I know, little brat. I am so awesome. How could you not love me?¡± Mariana said smugly.


    Li shook his head at that.


    He knew she was joking. He just did not want to take that small risk.


    What if she was hurt and was feeling negative? He had been hospitalized long enough in his short life to know how one could get irritated when sick.


    He did not want to hurt her even a tiny bit. Being fooled by her was better than unknowingly hurting her.


    Liliana saw through her son and sighed.


    All her children were precocious.

 Chapter 227 Confrontation

    Mariana was in deep thought after Liliana left the hospital with the kids.


    Her mother had wanted to stay behind and take care of her, but she decisively sent her home. Her father agreed with her. She was okay, and a nurse, as well as a maid, was there.


    Liam was busy, and Liliana had mentioned Jonathan had gone drinking with James after their family drama.


    She kept thinking of James. And catching herself thinking of James, she kept getting irritated.


    Truthfully speaking, she had always seen James via a narrow lens. She firmly believed that he was only annoying her to take revenge. When they got intimate, she thought he was a bastard without a bottom line who could go to even such extents for fun. And that he simply did not care for her or respect her.


    Whenever they were in an altercation because she had assumed he was only ying her, she felt humiliated but not heartbroken.


    His reactions, orck thereof, had been within her expectations.


    Now when she thought he may have had feelings for her, she had many grievances.


    She hated it.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Why should her reaction change with his feelings?


    So what if he liked her? So what if he did not?


    She was not in love with him. She was clear about that.


    Mariana cursed James in her heart. If she knew her little stunt abroad would cause her so much trouble, she would have owned up and taken responsibility.


    But she was gettingte and had a flight to catch.


    She was lost in her musings when the door opened, and James stumbled inside.


    He looked haggard. In the morning, he looked like crap. But he looked even worse by the end of the day.


    ¡°Mariana!¡± James whispered in a low voice.


    She had never heard his voice so soft and gentle. He sounded scared that a loud word might hurt her.


    He had been gentle before.


    When he found her crying by the beach, he hugged her and was exceptionally gentle with her. But he was also domineering and had not given her a choice.


    This time, he sounded different.


    Mariana looked at him without any prejudice for the first time.


    She noticed that despite being haggard, he was a good-looking man. His eyes were red, and the way he was blinking made it seem like he was trying not to fend off dizziness.


    He had short hair and dark brown eyes. A faint scar on his left temple gave him that rugged look.


    Jonathan and James both had that aristocratic air about them. She had the same vibe, so she had never paid attention to it.


    James had woken up in the middle of the night and realized that he was in Jonathan¡¯s ce.


    He had asked one of the drivers to drive him to the hospital since he felt dizzy. Noone stopped him.


    He asked the driver to wait, stumbled inside the lift, and went to Mariana¡¯s ward.


    James called Mariana softly, afraid to disturb her. He had to blink several times and shake his head to be able to see clearly. He felt too dizzy.


    Mariana kept looking at him as if she was seeing him for the first time.


    ¡°Mariana!¡± James called again.


    ¡°James!¡± Mariana called him just as softly.


    Her soft voice, different from when she scolded or told him off, made his eyes water.


    He knelt by Mariana¡¯s bed and held her hand with an IV line. His own hand was trembling. He caressed her hand softly and ced a tender kiss.


    Mariana felt her heart tremble at the gesture.


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± James said softly. His voice was thick,ced with tears and several emotions.


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked. Mariana did not know what she was asking him. She just wanted to hear his side of things.


    ¡°At first, I thought you were fun. I just wanted to tease you. Then, I got you to know you better,¡± James exined.

 Chapter 228 Confession

    James kept caressing Mariana¡¯s hand. Her hand was cold. He stroked her fingers and rubbed them softly, trying to warm her up.


    ¡°You bite the top of your pen when you focus on work. You bite your lips when annoyed but want to keep your temper in check. You eat hot pot or anything spicy like you are on a mission. It makes me wonder if you actually like it. Or you got used to it some other way.¡±


    James smiled through his tears.


    ¡°You treat all your employees very well, not because it would ease your way when you take over from your father or with any diabolical agenda. But because you genuinely think that¡¯s the right way to treat your employees. You remember all your maids, drivers, bodyguards, and things about their family because you care about them. You are kind andpassionate. You are short-tempered and easily annoyed. You roll your eyes more often than you smile.¡±


    Jamesughed a little as he pressed a kiss on her palm.


    ¡°You love the kids so much. You would take a bullet for your friends. You are also veryzy. If you had a choice, you would have chosen a high-paying white-cor job instead of taking over apany; not because you are incapable of managing it orck the talent for it. But because you don¡¯t want to be responsible for that many people¡¯s livelihood.¡±


    Mariana was stunned at his words. She had never shared it with anyone. Of course, Liliana knew. But she never understood because she was naturally more responsible and had that inherent quality within her.


    Hearing such things from James made her feel many different things at once.


    James continued, oblivious to Mariana¡¯s changing emotions.


    ¡°I never realized when I started to notice things about you. I did not realize when I started to fall for you. Before I knew it, I was already predicting your expressions in my head. I was already getting jealous of Liam that he could make youugh when you were scowling at me just minutes before.¡±


    ¡°I hated everyone who was there for you when you needed someone instead of me. Every time after calming down, I would realize that I wascking. You have no idea just how many times I have vowed to do better by you. But when the time came, I always failed.¡±


    ¡°I always med fate and poor timings. But now I realize I never treated you right. I never thought of things from your point of view. Even when I fell in love with you, I always thought of my feelings and emotions ¨C never yours.¡±


    James choked, and fresh tears streamed down his eyes.


    ¡°I should have thought of making you happy. I should have focused on making you feel secure and rxed. I should have tried to love you the way you wanted. Instead, I went from teasing you to falling for you and didn¡¯t even give you the memo. I never treated you right, so how could you possibly figure it out?¡±


    James kissed her palm and rested his forehead on the side of her bed like an injured homeless animal.


    Mariana felt her eyes burn at that.


    James seemed to remember something and added, ¡°Alice and I dated when we were in college. It was only a fling. I caught her having a threesome with two of our ssmates. We never dated after that. I don¡¯t love her. I never did.¡±


    ¡°I was only shocked that she would kiss me out of nowhere despite my previous warnings.¡±


    ¡°When she tried to touch me after you got hurt, it burned. I felt sick and disgusted. I avoided her instinctively as if she was a contagious gue. I should have done that from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°From the moment I realized I had feelings for you, I should have instinctively avoided all women.¡±


    ¡°I should not wait for you to get hurt before I understand the word loyalty.¡±


    ¡°I was so shocked to see you bleed and lose our baby that I froze. What good am I if I freeze instead of taking care of you at the most critical moment? We lost our baby. I didn¡¯t even get to be happy about having our child, and I failed you and our child so badly that your friend had to take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Mariana, I killed our child with my bare hands. How could I do that? How did that happen?¡±


    James wailed sorrowfully at that. Even so, he was careful not to hurt her hand.


    Mariana also teared up seeing him like that.


    She had never given him any credit. She always thought he was being an ass, so she never thought deeply about anything.


    She could not make sense of her feelings. She felt ufortable but did not know what it was.


    James stiffened and raised his head a little when his tears dried out.


    He looked at Mariana¡¯s t belly and raised his hand.


    He paused a few inches from her belly and asked, ¡°May I?¡±


    Mariana nodded.


    He caressed her belly gently as if she was still pregnant. He stood on his knees and kissed her tummy.


    ¡°I am so sorry, baby. Daddy is so sorry! Daddy loves you and your momma!¡± James whispered on her belly.


    He added in a voice filled with remorse and grief, ¡°Daddy failed you. Daddy lost you and your mommy. Daddy is a pathetic bastard.¡±


    James kissed her belly and cried. After a long time, he fell asleep after he was tired.


    But Mariana could not sleep.


    After thinking for a while, she called the bodyguard outside, located the driver, and asked him to send James back to Liliana¡¯s ce.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    James kept crying and muttering ¡®Mariana¡¯ in his sleep.

 Chapter 229 Doomed

    James woke up feeling disoriented but light.


    He hated himself. He had hurt Mariana so much. How could he feel light-hearted just because he drank himself into a stupor?


    His feelings validated his opinion of himself. He was a conscienceless bastard who did not deserve Mariana or anyone or any happiness.


    When James freshened up and came out, everyone was already seated at the dining table.


    ¡°You look well,¡± Liliana said sarcastically.


    ¡°Liliana, I am a bastard who deserves to be miserable for eternity. I don¡¯t deserve happiness at all. I got drunk, and now, I feel light-chested. How could I feel better after hurting her so much?¡± James self-deprecatingly asked.


    He did not care to hide his self-loathing at all. His pride had long vanished.


    Jonathan did not want to see James so miserable.


    ¡°Last night¡­¡± Jonathan started, but Liliana cut him off.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you realize it,¡± Liliana said brutally.


    James had hurt Mariana. Because of him, Alice had injured Mariana; because of him, the Millers had said bad-mouthed Mariana.


    But because of their friendship, her hands were tied.


    Liliana thought it was an eptable punishment for him.


    Jonathan frowned but kept quiet. He did not even hesitate to pick his wife over his childhood friend.


    Joyanna was confused.


    ¡°Uncle James,st night¡± Jo wanted to ask James why he had disturbed Mariana sote. She did not fully understand what the adults were talking about and waited her turn.


    Nathaniel, however, understood that his mother did not want Uncle James to know that he had gone to see Mariana in his drunken stupor.


    Hence he stopped his sister, ¡°Alright, Jo! Don¡¯t annoy Uncle James. He is not feeling well.¡±


    Jo pouted but listened to her brother. He would exin thingster.


    James tried to eat a toast and barely managed. He left soon after.


    Jonathan questioned Liliana as soon as James left.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°He should suffer a little,¡± Liliana shrugged.


    James went back to his apartment and printed a resignation letter.


    Then, he drove to thepany, submitted the resignation letter, cleared his desk, and left without a backward nce.


    Then he called hiswyer and transferred all his shares back to his father.


    James had not thought giving back his shares or resigning would feel this rxing.


    Despite making James the CEO, his father had never stopped managing the work.


    James was never allowed to execute a n or pursue a project without his father¡¯s approval. He had always felt like a glorified employee and not the owner.


    Then he posted a video exining how he and Alice dated when they were in college until he found her having a threesome with his ssmates.


    After that, they never got together and lost contact after college.


    He happened to have a video of Alice having a threesome which she had emailed him ages back asking him to join, but he had declined.


    He posted a screenshot of the email she had sent along with his reply. He added that he had already passed the video along to hiswyer for the case.


    He addressed Alice and said, ¡°See you in court!¡±


    Alice had bargained on James toeing the line for his mother¡¯s sake. James¡¯s move had caught her off guard.


    She knew there was no way out of it.


    As ast attempt, she went to the hospital to see Mariana. Alice lied that she was Alice McDraw since she knew McDraw was Liliana¡¯s assistant.


    She was allowed inside the ward and saw Mariana lost in thought.


    Alice turned to Mariana and asked, ¡°How do you feel, Miss Jacobsen? Is the baby alright?¡±


    Mariana frowned at the woman, ¡°How did you get in here?¡±


    Mariana was in no mood to entertain her and called for her maid, ¡°Lily?¡±


    But Aliceughed. ¡°I have already sent them away.¡± She shrugged.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Marianazily asked.


    ¡°Oh, I want James, and I want you dead, you bitch!¡± Alice snarled with venom.


    Alice had brought a drug with her and injected it into Mariana¡¯s IV bag.


    Her n was simple ¨C add a drug to her IV bag and bargain with James for the antidote.


    Right that instant, the doors opened. A few people and cops came inside to arrest her.


    Alice could not register what happened until she got unceremoniously thrown inside a jail cell.


    Alice regained her senses after she touched the cold hard floor.


    They hadid a trap for her. And she had fallen right into it.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She was doomed.

 Chapter 230 James’s plan

    James stopped the live video and took a deep breath.


    He was not satisfied with just that. He wanted to toss Alice in jail for at least a few years.


    For that, he needed more evidence against her. He must disclose that she had drugged Mariana before. It was his secret weapon. He would only take it outter in court to catch them off guard.


    He reluctantly called Liam and asked for his opinion.


    Liam was already keeping an eye on his actions.


    Liam told him to send the waiter to him. He would interrogate him as possessing a banned drug was a bigger crime than spiking a drink.


    James followed Liam¡¯s advice. Liam was the expert, after all.


    Liam then asked him to keep an eye on Alice.


    Since Alice had hit a dead-end, she was likely to take drastic action. If caught red-handed, she would be doomed.


    Following Liam¡¯s advice, James thought hard and kept watch on Mariana¡¯s ward.


    He sent one of his subordinates to follow Alice discreetly.


    James kept himself updated on everything Alice was doing. When he heard from his subordinate that she had gone to a ck market before heading to the hospital, he knew she was up to something sinister.


    Two days ago, he would not have believed Alice could be so conscienceless.


    James made the arrangements for Alice to be allowed in.


    He begged Mariana for her cooperation. Mariana was more than happy to help send that bitch to prison.


    They had the nurse adjust the IV line. It would appear connected to her arm without injecting anything into her bloodstream.


    Then he turned his phone to airne mode, turned on the video recorder, and hid it behind the lunchbox.


    After the preparation wasplete, James asked Mariana to act weaker than she was.


    Alice, expectedly, fell right into their trap.


    James left with the cops to give his statement and hand over other proofs. He also made sure to share a copy of it with hiswyer and keep a copy for himself.


    Mariana vacantly watched as James worked precisely and urately. It was a side of him that she had never seen before.


    It also made her realize that he was only ying with her before. If he wanted to take revenge, he would have found a dozen ways to do so.


    Her jumbled emotions got even more tangled.


    On the other hand, olddy Preston was eyeing everything closely.


    On that eventful day, she had been too excited. Liam was paying attention to a girl. It had never happened before.


    When he confessed to dating her, she had grabbed that straw. She wanted a granddaughter-inw and did not want to miss the only chance.


    At the same time, if the kids were acting, she did not want to force them.


    Feelings can not be forced or faked.


    She was old enough to know that.


    That boy, James, was clearly in love with the girl. He seemed childish in his ways of going about it, but there was no denying the look in his eyes.


    She had waited for confirmation from Liam, but nothing came. Even Kyle was tight-lipped about everything.


    Sometimes, she worried about Kyle. Kyle was unnaturally cold and detached. Sometimes she felt that he was shrouded. Only he would decide who to let into his world.


    Perhaps because of his upbringing, or perhaps his mother was like that. She would never know.


    But Kyle was too mature for his age. He could read people well.


    She wanted to go to the hospital to visit the girl, but Liam had stopped her. She then used Kyle as an excuse saying Kyle wanted to see the girl.


    But Kyle saw through her at once.


    He innocently declined, citing his lessons and that he would see her on the weekends anyway.


    He proposed staying at Liliana¡¯s ce when she stayed there after discharge to better take care of her.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Old Madam Preston was speechless.

 Chapter 231 News and punishments 1

    A week went by as Mariana recovered slowly.


    Most of the flesh wounds had scabbed away without any scar.


    Some deeper ones were healing nicely.


    A few good news came one after the other.


    Alice Moss was convicted. She was sentenced to 5 years in prison, 200 thousand dors inpensation towards Mariana within a week, and 1000 hours ofmunity service within two years after her release.


    The Mosses went to the Millers and asked for an exnation.


    James¡¯s parents had nothing to say. They had not been able to process the events that had happened in a few days.


    James had resigned from thepany, returned his shares, left home, and had not contacted them after that day. He had fallen for a woman but had ruined all his chances with her.


    They had offended the Jacobsens and Jonathan¡¯s wife. If she was Petrova, that was even worse.


    Alice, whom Mrs. Miller had publicly supported as her daughter-inw, turned out to be a convict. She was involved in illegal drugs, spiking drinks, assault, defamation, and attempted murder.


    The Millers drew a clear line with the Mosses after the verdict was out.


    They could not support a convicted murderer no matter how close their family was.


    Mrs. Miller deleted her post on social media and called James.


    But James was determined to freeze them out.


    On the other hand, news came out that Lester Aprice vomited blood during an auction for a piece ofnd and passed out.


    Lester was immediately sent to a hospital by the organizers, and they called the police.


    The scans found that several of his organs were slowly deteriorating. None of them had deteriorated to the fullest and were curable. But it would be a long and painful process.


    There were no signs of poisoning. Feeling relieved, the organizers cleared their names and left with the police.


    Lester¡¯s health was not their concern. The organizers were only concerned about being dragged into whatever was going on.


    Lester knew it was Rose¡¯s doing, but he could not figure out how.


    They were eating the same food and drinking the same beverages.


    Rose had not stepped foot in the kitchen.


    They were sleeping in the same room. There were no signs of any poisons in the room.


    Lester had not been able to sleep restfully for months. As such, he would frequently wake up in the middle of the night, so she could not have injected him with anything when he was asleep.


    Nevertheless, he knew it was Rose¡¯s doing. The most important thing was to recover, so he asked the butler to keep an eye on Rose and parked her issues forter.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Jonathan saw the news and cleared his schedule to apany Liliana. Despite their differences, he knew Liliana had a soft spot for her father. She was not cruel enough to be unaffected by the news.


    But his worries seemed to be in vain.


    Liliana was in Mariana¡¯s ward, along with Henry, Jennifer, Liam, Jacob, and James.


    He wondered why everyone had gathered there and walked straight to Liliana.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked tenderly.


    ¡°Jonathan Smith, I am the patient here. Your wife is fine!¡± Mariana answered before Liliana could react.


    Liliana smiled and patted his arm in assurance, ¡°I am okay.¡±


    Jonathan was confused, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Liliana was amused, ¡°Nathan! Do you want me to be NOT okay?¡±


    Mariana burst outughing.


    Jonathan frowned. He could not tell what was wrong.


    Liliana scooched to the side and pulled Jonathan to sit beside her.


    ¡°Mer and I finished our high school at 14. Vivian was not aware of that. She was worried about the Valedictorian title she had been vying for since she joined Kings High.¡±


    She started to exin. But the rest of them, apart from Mariana, did not know where it was going.


    ¡°She had found out that I had an arrangement with the Principal to send fake mark sheets to Lester for the parent¡¯s signature. Rose had made a rule to whip me if I got B or A grades, so the fake mark sheet had B- or C grades.¡±


    Jonathan held her in his arms and kissed her. He felt agony on hearing her say all that calmly.


    The rest of their friends also felt sorry for her. Having an abusive parent can make your life miserable like nothing else.

 Chapter 232 News and punishments 2

    Liliana gave Jonathan a quick kiss on his jaw and continued.


    ¡°To secure her position, Vivian went to the Aprices and congratted my father on having a talented daughter who always scored A+, and asked him about his ns to celebrate my being a Valedictorian.¡±


    Jennifer eximed, ¡°What?¡±


    Mariana gritted her teeth, ¡°That¡¯s why I hate her so much. She was the first person I wanted to take revenge on. But Lil let her go.¡±


    Jonathan asked fearfully, ¡°What happened then?¡±


    Liliana shrugged, ¡°On the pretext of going to the bathroom, I wore that body shield. After Vivian left, Lester got one of his bodyguards to find him the most painful whip and personally whipped me until he was sweating and tired.¡±


    Mariana trembled in rage, ¡°Rose had her thrown to the room and forbade them from treating her wounds or calling a doctor. Dad went to rescue her.¡±


    Liam asked, ¡°The clip about your father rescuing her ¨C was it the same?¡±


    Liliana nodded, ¡°Yeah. I never went back to Aprice Mansion after that.¡±


    She patted Jonathan, who was slightly trembling with worry and rage.


    ¡°After the first time she whipped me, I asked my security team to upgrade the body suit. It absorbs pressure and blunt force to a small extent. If you throw a table at me, I would still get hurt, but if you throw a small ss, I would only feel a slight sting. Besides, I had all the whips changed, so with the body shield, I wouldn¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Liliana exined to the worried Jonathan.


    Jennifer sighed with emotion, ¡°I feel sorry for you.¡±


    Jacob seconded her, ¡°Your childhood must have been hard.¡±


    Liliana shrugged, ¡°It was fulfilling and enlightening. We had a lot of fun.¡±


    Mariana added, ¡°Unless Lester was involved, Rose and Lydia were not all that capable. We used to trick them all the time.¡±


    Liliana exined, ¡°After that, and even more so after our marriage, all my feelings for my father dried up. I still held hope after I left. But after our marriage, I simply got tired.¡±


    ¡°When I had kids, all leftover feeling, hope, and desire I held towards my father dried up over time. I could lie to myself, but as a mother, I wanted my kids to love themselves more.¡±


    ¡°A toxic rtionship is a toxic rtionship. There is no way around it.¡±


    ¡°One should not bear with it just because you share the same DNA. I wanted Li and Kyle, especially Jo, to know that.¡±


    Jonathan held her close and, once again, thanked the heavens for blessing him with her as his wife.


    James wondered if what he had with Mariana was toxic. He still wanted to try for a chance. But he would let go if he was unhealthy for her.


    Jacob sifted the topic to lighter things, and they continued their impromptu gathering.


    An hourter, Jennifer received a page and left to collect some reports.


    Jennifer and Henry shared a look that did not go unnoticed by anyone.


    Jennifer came back and handed the report to Henry.


    ¡°You all should go to the lounge. I have something to discuss with Mariana,¡± Henry announced with a frown.


    They all left.


    As close as they were, they all understood doctor-patient confidentiality.


    ¡°Lil, wait!¡± Mariana cried.


    Liliana and Mariana had never kept anything from each other. There was no point sending her away and then repeating the conversationter.


    Henry, Jennifer, Liliana, and Mariana were in the closed ward.


    ¡°You are still pregnant!¡± Henry directly announced.


    Mariana thought she was hearing stuff. It took her a full minute before she screamed, ¡°What?¡±


    Liliana shook her head.


    ¡°You knew?¡± Mariana asked.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, the gyne who operated on you told me. I ran into the doctor in the parking lot the other day. I did not want to stress you out. Because of other wounds, abortion was risky. The fetus was unstable. You could have miscarried by now. I guess thetest scans show the fetus is stable, huh?¡± Liliana exined as she asked Henry.


    Henry nodded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Mer. I did not want to lie to you. If you were any other patient, I would have told her. But I did not want to stress you out with everything going on.¡±


    He added, ¡°The fetus is still unstable and needs proper care for the next six weeks. But if you want to abort, it can be scheduled for next week. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Mariana went quiet at that.


    Liliana held her hand and hugged her.


    ¡°I am here! We are all here for you. Whatever you decide, I will be there,¡± She said.


    Jennifer hugged her from the other side and rubbed her arm.


    Mariana looked up, and a lone tear escaped her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s harder to decide to abort a child, even though I never wanted it.¡±


    Jennifer caressed her hair, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mer. We will be there for you.¡±


    Mariana looked up and said, ¡°Thank you, guys! I got to think of the whole pregnancy thing more rationally. If I had known earlier, I would have freaked out.¡±


    They all waited for her decision.


    ¡°Henry, can you slot me for abortion for next week? Whenever you think it is better!¡± Mariana asked. She had made her decision.


    ¡°Okay! I will slot it at the same time as your follow-up,¡± Henry agreed.


    ¡°What do you want to tell the others?¡± Jennifer asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, especially my parents.¡± Mariana requested.


    ¡°Alright, we will tell them that your gyne scans showed some problems, and you need another ultrasound and other tests next week,¡± Henry suggested.


    ¡°Thanks, Henry!¡± Mariana was grateful for their thoughtfulness andck of judgment.


    ¡°What are friends for?¡± Henry joked and raised his eyebrow in the provocation.


    They had been frenemies for six years before Mariana decided to forgive Jonathan.

 Chapter 233 His confession

    No one pried on the details, and everyone left in the evening.


    James was not aware of his drunken rendezvous with Mariana. He had tried to talk to her the entire week but had not mustered up the courage.


    This time, aware that Mariana was upset about something, he stayed back after everyone left.


    ¡°Mariana,¡± James softly called.


    He was too scared to call her name out loud.


    ¡°Yes!¡± She stoically replied, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± James gently asked.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± She remarked instead.


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± James sincerely said.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± Mariana said. She did not know what else to do with his apology.


    ¡°It will never be alright,¡± He involuntarily murmured loud enough for Mariana to hear.


    ¡°I am still pregnant,¡± Mariana told him out of the blue.


    ¡°What?¡± James was shocked and walked in front of her to check if she was being honest.


    ¡°I said I am still pregnant,¡± Mariana repeated.


    James¡¯s shocked face turned into pure delight.


    Since that night, she saw his happy expression for the first time. She felt even worse seeing his beaming face.


    Mariana lowered her head and bit her lips.


    James realized something was wrong when he saw her lowered head.


    He felt his heart clench at the realization. But he also knew he had no right to make demands.


    He was the one who had denied responsibility for his child.


    How dare he feel bad for the child he had not acknowledged?


    James took a deep breath to calm his emotions. He thought it was probably even harder for her.


    He moved by her side and held her in his arms. He caressed her head and held her close as she teared up.


    It took a while before Mariana calmed down. But she did not move.


    James realized that Mariana was too overwhelmed to say anything. He started talking.


    He had to tell her how he felt. He could not be a coward any longer.


    ¡°I enjoyed annoying you very much. Your reactions were so amusing. I could spend the rest of my life watching you make funny faces when I tickle your raw nerve.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when I started to fall for you. Those emotions only sank in when I watched you cry by the beach. For the first time, it hurt.¡±


    ¡°Before that, I had felt anger and jealousy. I was angry that I meant nothing to you. I had no presence in your life.¡±


    ¡°Liam could make youugh when you were upset with me. You hugged Jacob andughed in his arms. I only really held you by force. I was angry that you called Liam when you were in trouble.¡±


    ¡°And I was jealous. I have never been so incredibly jealous of anyone in my entire life. I was so jealous of your rtionship with everyone but me.¡±


    ¡°But being the spineless bastard I am, I did not try to cultivate that rtionship with you. I did not try to give you security or a sense of ease. I did not make you feel better. I was never there for you.¡±


    ¡°Instead, I forced myself on you.¡±


    ¡°When we made love for the first time, I was so happy. I was already in love with you by then. But when you questioned me as you rightfully should, I snapped. I instantly regretted every single word that I said that day. I only left so we could both calm down.¡±


    ¡°But I had not realized that I had put you in danger. And Liam had to save you.¡±


    ¡°Only after listening to Liam did I realize he was on his way and would have taken you to a hospital. Instead, I took your choice from you.¡±


    ¡°I genuinely wanted to do better. But I never realized that a forced rtionship without any foundation, trust, familiarity, respect, or empathy was bound to be doomed.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Mariana Jacobsen. At the same time, I know that being loved by someone like me is probably insulting.¡±


    ¡°You deserve the very best. You deserve to be protected, spoiled, respected, and more importantly, you deserve to be someone¡¯s epic love.¡±


    ¡°This baby does not represent our love. This baby represents my bad character andck of respect and understanding towards you.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I will be there to hold your hand as you go through the procedure. If you want it, I will be there. If you allow me, that is.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry, Mariana. Everything that you had to suffer was my fault.¡±


    ¡°It is my greatest honor to get to know you and fall in love with you. But you are not obligated to reciprocate my feelings.¡±


    ¡°However, being the selfish bastard I am, I still hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me eventually. And give me a reluctant chance. Even if that takes a lifetime.¡±

 Chapter 234 Her decision

    Mariana continued to hold James.


    She was trembling, and he provided the emotional support she needed.


    ¡°I have never thought past your revenge on what happened abroad.¡±


    Mariana confessed after a long time.


    ¡°I never expected anything from you. Because in my eyes, you were just taking revenge. I was a nobody to you, and you were not obligated to care about me.¡±


    ¡°I never saw past that. I never tried to get to know you or understand you.¡±


    ¡°When I saw you kiss Alice, or when someone sent me a photo of two of you kissing while you stood me up for our appointment that day, I believed it without second thoughts. I was not heartbroken, just humiliated.¡±


    ¡°That day, I wanted to rify matters with you. Talk face to face in a calm and non-urgent environment, and be open. Whatever was going on, I did not want to drag it any further.¡±


    ¡°But when I got the picture, I felt so humiliated. And so stupid for expecting you would give me that basic respect.¡±


    ¡°I was leaving when I ran into Jacob. And you showed up sometimeter wearing the same clothes as was in the picture and with swollen lips, proving my point.¡±


    ¡°When you told me you liked me, all I understood was you were not ready to end the drama yet.¡±


    ¡°For me, your revenge was the hard-coded truth.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think, James.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this baby. I am not ready. We don¡¯t have a rtionship between us. My parents think I am with Liam. But it feels so bad.¡±


    James felt a stab in his heart with every word that she uttered. But he knew he deserved it.


    If he had shown up at that appointment on time, probably things would not have been so bad between them.


    But then again, he would have hurt her sooner orter. He loved her without respecting her. He never gave her a choice.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°If you feel bad, cry. I am here. I will always be there for you.¡±


    ¡°If we are fated, I will grow and prove myself worthy of you. If not, it is my loss.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself.¡±


    He consoled her softly and caressed her hair.


    Mariana cried until she fell asleep in his arms.


    As much as James wanted to continue holding her, she needed rest to recuperate well.


    Heid her down gently without waking her up.


    He got a warm wet towel and wiped her face without waking her up.


    Then he sat on a stool by her bedside and caressed her tummy.


    His first child that he would lose in a matter of days. He only had himself to me for that.


    He whispered a soft sorry and ced a tender kiss on her belly before he held her hand and kept rubbing her arms devoutly.


    The next day, Mariana woke up to see James sleeping with his head on the bed. His hands were holding her hand tightly.


    She tried to pry away her hands slowly, but he woke up at once.


    ¡°Mariana, are you alright?¡± James asked. His eyes held concern and care.


    James¡¯s eyes looked less red and tired. It seemed it was the first time he had slept in a week.


    ¡°I feel much better now. Thank you, James. And I am sorry.¡±


    They both knew why she was sorry.


    ¡°Mariana, don¡¯t thank me. And please don¡¯t apologize. If you apologize to me, I won¡¯t find a ce in all the universe to hide my shame.¡±


    James sincerely said. His voice was dripping with remorse.


    ¡°I will probably get discharged today. Henry said he will schedule the appointment for next week, on the same day I am supposed to get a follow-up exam.¡±


    Mariana said firmly. As bad as she felt, her decision was resolute.


    ¡°Do you mind if I stay back at Liliana¡¯s ce as well?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I want to take care of you, please,¡± James begged.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother. There are a lot of people at their house,¡± She said.


    James felt even worse at that, ¡°Mariana, it¡¯s not a bother. I want to take care of you. It¡¯s my selfish decision. Even after hurting you, I still want to stay by your side.¡±


    Mariana bit her lips. She was not sure what to think.


    Though they had opened up the night before, the fact was she did not have any feelings for him.


    James felt his heart clench at her expression, ¡°You don¡¯t have to give in to my selfish whims, Mariana. I will never force you into anything ever again.¡±


    Mariana sighed, ¡°You can stay. It¡¯s fine. And I will appreciate it if you apany me during the procedure.¡±


    James nodded, ¡°I will. I promise.¡±


    Mariana nodded.


    ¡°I should freshen up now.¡±


    She changed the topic.


    James helped her up and led her to the bathroom. He helped her with everything that the caretaker was helping her with before.

 Chapter 235 Scheming schemers

    A few months had passed by in a blink since Rose¡¯s surgery.


    Lester and Rose continued to scheme against each other while ying dumb.


    Rose had only one kidney. In the months during her recovery, she had the flu and some stomach problems.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Moreover, she continued to hire private investigators to track down the doctor who had scammed her.


    Lester had to agree to keep up the pretense. So, he continued to give herrge sums of money.


    Rose was amassing all the money to prepare for her exit n. She and Romeo had already bought a small vi and put it under Romeo¡¯s name to avoid suspicions. There¡¯s where Romeo stayed these days. They had already squared away some loose cash and created FDs forter.


    Neither of them knew anything about business or stocks. So, they could not invest in shares.


    But one day, Romeo overheard someone talking about arge piece ofnd in the suburbs close to ake. Rumor was ¨C Smith Group was nning to build an amusement park less than a mile from there.


    Everyone predicted that its price would skyrocket by the following year.


    Many investors mored to buy thatnd, even paying 10x the price.


    Romeo could not resist the temptation. He told Rose about it, but she was afraid it might be a trap.


    They tracked down the owner and spied on him for a few days. On seeing him getting approached by multiple people throughout the day, they confirmed the legitimacy of the situation.


    Finally, Rose could not resist her greed, and they leased their vi to collect all the money needed for the purchase.


    Romeo went to the man and spent many days persuading him to sell thend.


    He offered a higher price than most people and finally convinced him.


    They did not waste any time in sealing the deal.


    Romeo and Rose celebrated their victory in a small club.


    On the other hand, Lydia continued her life as usual. She was not smart enough to see the stiffness andpetition between Lester and Rose. She continued to socialize and spend money without doing anything productive.


    Lester was getting increasingly sick.


    He knew it was Rose¡¯s trick, but he could not do anything to her. He even had to spendrge sums of money almost every week to pay for the phony investigators.


    He panicked when hospitalized for failing organs. He was not old enough to have multiple organ failures.


    As hey there, he suddenly thought of Liliana. She was his biological daughter. She would donate her organs if required.


    Thinking of this, he rxed a lot.


    Besides, he had his backup n ready. His properties abroad were developing well, and his house was well managed. Ready to move at any time.


    He even found a young woman abroad who was infatuated with him.


    Emily was knocked out by her step-sister and sent to a club. She was being forced and was clearly out of her depth.


    She seemed unaware of most things and looked like someone who had never been to a pub or had a drop of alcohol. She continued to recite holy texts and implored everyone to behave.


    Lester had pitied her and saved her.


    She had been smitten with him ever since.


    Emily thought that Lester was her guardian angel. She thought he was an old bachelor with no family who had saved her out of pity.


    Lester let her work in his house and manage it.


    He would have time to y with her after he settled his issues.


    Lester focused on recuperating.


    He had most things ready. He was waiting for his son toe back.


    He would ultimately win, and Leon would roll over his grave, regretting the moment he had decided to pass some of his assets to Anne and Liliana rather than handing everything to him.

 Chapter 236 Preston family problems

    In the Preston household, things were chaotic as always.


    Jessi had caught wind that Liam was involved in a love triangle between Mariana Jacobsen and James Miller.


    She thought it was great news.


    If Liam married Mariana, Prestons would get closely tied with the Smiths. She would have more chances with Jonathan.


    Mariana was the heir of Jacobsens, so that would be beneficial to them as well.


    Jessi and Julie made ns to force them together.


    One night at the dinner table, Jessi brought up the topic when Liam was absent.


    Jessi pretended to be conflicted and said, ¡°Grandma, I heard something today. I am not sure if I should say it out loud.¡±


    Old Madam Preston did not like her pretentious gesture and remarked politely, ¡°If you are conflicted, dear, maybe you should not have brought it up.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Jessi was speechless. Despite the olddy¡¯s polite tone, her rebuttal was unmissable.


    Jessi gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Some of my friends saw Liam drinking with a guy. They said the vibe between them was weird.¡±


    Olddy Preston would have to be a fool to miss the intent of her words.


    She kept quiet and looked at Jessi, silently telling her to continue.


    Jessi continued, ¡°I rebuked them and told them that Liam was dating someone secretly and that they should not spread rumors. Serious issues like these could affect his job.¡±


    Grandma Preston nodded at her but did notment.


    Jessi was not satisfied with her response and said more directly.


    ¡°I mean, Grandma, how could Liam be gay? He had Kyle. But Kyle¡¯s identity has not been exposed to the world, and even if it is, the question of why Liam is not married would stille up.¡±


    Julie added to support her sister, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. I mean, Kyle is young, and Liam is always away. It would be nice if Kyle had a mother to guide him and shape his character. Despite being Liam¡¯s child, Kyle has not spent much time with Prestons and is unfamiliar with the family rules and culture.¡±


    Jessi added oil to the fire, ¡°Yeah! He is more aware of the Smiths. Not even Smiths, he is more aware of Jonathan Smith¡¯s wife¡¯s customs.¡±


    Few other people in the family also supported their argument.


    ¡°That¡¯s honestly true. Not only are we unaware of who Kyle¡¯s mother is, but we are also unaware of who his Godmother is. What is she teaching him? His education and values are very different from our family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Liam should get married and have his wife educate Kyle properly.¡±


    Olddy Preston took a sip of water to conceal her expression.


    The people in her family were truly shameless. If they knew that Kyle¡¯s Godmother was Petrova, they would ask that Kyle stay with them permanently. And then urge them to visit him frequently.


    But, not knowing her background and not having received the expected benefits, they were swinging the other way.


    Based on what she had seen, Kyle was getting educated very well. His manners were impable, his tone polite but firm, his nature mature and thoughtful, his demeanor reserved and calm.


    She would have to be insanely greedy to wish for her great-grandchild to be any better than that.


    But she kept quiet.


    Instead, she appeared thoughtful and asked, ¡°That seems reasonable. What do you all suggest?¡±


    Jessi was quick to answer her. ¡°Since Liam is, supposedly, involved with the Jacobsen girl, maybe we should get them engaged. Kyle also knows her well. She would fit in well with the family.¡±


    Someone elsemented, ¡°That¡¯s true. Besides, the Jacobsen girl is the heir of the Jacobsens. If Kyle chooses a different path in the future, he would have no problems.¡±


    Olddy Preston was full of contempt for their greed. She thundered, leaving no room for arguments.


    ¡°A Preston man who needs to marry a rich woman for his future or his son¡¯s future is no Preston. Liam already has a child. Kyle is getting educated exceedingly well and does not need an unpaid nanny. Liam does not need to get married. But if he wants to, I will surely support his choice, irrespective of whether the girl is rich or poor.¡±


    Jessi and the rest of the family members were stunned.


    It was as if the old madam had let them all talk only to rebuke them all at once and save her breath.

 Chapter 237 Marriage concerns

    At Liliana¡¯s ce, the vibe was depressing.


    Mariana aborted the child as nned. She did not regret it or second-guess her decision even for a moment, but she was inexplicably sad.


    James had, finally, stayed true to his word. He also stayed at Liliana¡¯s ce and took care of Mariana. Though rather subtly to avoid embarrassing her.


    He had held Mariana¡¯s hand throughout the procedure and all her checkups.


    But he had kept his distance from her in public. He did not want to ruin her reputation anymore.


    Jennifer had taken two days off to apany Mariana through that phase, but Henry was too busy, and she had rushed back.


    Besides apanying Mariana without being explicit, James also helped her manage her office work.


    He had been interfering with her work already, so he slipped into that role effortlessly. He contacted Mariana¡¯s secretary and helped her clear all her pending work.


    One weekend, Kyle came to their ce as usual, but instead of looking cheery as he always did, he looked upset.


    Nathaniel asked him what was wrong, but he shook his head.


    After dinner, he asked Liliana, ¡°Mommy, I want to ask you something.¡±


    Liliana knew he was asking for a private audience, so she led him to her study.


    ¡°What is it, honey?¡± Liliana asked.


    Kyle pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Mommy, what is gay?¡±


    Liliana was stunned. She did not know how to answer his question. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±


    Kyle answered, ¡°I heard it from Aunty Jessi. She said people called daddy ¡®gay¡¯ and it would affect his job. Is that a bad thing?¡±


    Liliana rubbed her brows. The Prestons were indeed troublesome. ¡°No, honey. It¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±


    She tried to exin the best she could to a six-year-old child. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing at all. Don¡¯t let others tell you otherwise. As for what exactly it means, how about I exin it to all three of you together?¡±


    She internally thought, ¡®Nathan knows how to exin these things shamelessly. I honestly don¡¯t know how to do that.¡¯


    Kyle nodded, ¡®Mommy always exins new things to us together.¡¯


    Kyle asked another thing that had been bugging him for days, ¡°They were talking about Daddy and Aunty Mer¡¯s marriage. Great-grandma said that daddy would not marry anyone for money and unpaid nanny. She would support anyone he wants to marry, but he does not need to because he has me. What does that mean, Mommy?¡±


    Liliana said truthfully, ¡°One of the reasons people get married is to continue the family. Traditionally the family line is maintained by the boys ¨C sons and their sons and so on.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Kyle furrowed his brows in concentration.


    Liliana continued, ¡°For example ¨C my grandfather was Leon Petrova. He had only one child ¨C my mother, Anne Petrova. My grandmother¡¯s family, Green, had other people to maintain the family line. Her uncle and his son. Hence my mother was only called Anne Petrova and not Anne Green Petrova. She could still get named like that and probably would have in an ordinary case, but she was to take her father¡¯s responsibilities. Work-wise it¡¯s easier if you have just the family name.¡±


    ¡°I was named Liliana Petrova Aprice. Because I was my mother¡¯s only child, my grandfather¡¯s responsibility fell to me. Later, my father did not want me to manage his responsibility, so I became Liliana Petrova.¡±


    ¡°Jo and Li are called Petrova-Smith because they have to manage my and Nathan¡¯s responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°Are you with me so far?¡±


    Kyle nodded, ¡°I think so, Mommy.¡±


    Kyle tried to exin. ¡°If Aunty Mer gets married, her kids will be Jacobson-something. She is an only child and has to manage Grandpa Andrew¡¯s work. If Aunty Jen gets married, her baby need not be Cox-something because aunty Jen has brothers to help their father with work. Is that right?¡±


    Liliana beamed in pride, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. In your case, Liam already has you. You can have a child and continue the Preston name. As such, Liam does not need to get married and have children.¡±


    Kyle nodded in understanding.


    Liliana added, ¡°About work and unpaid nanny ¨C your great-grandmother meant that Liam should work hard if he needs money. And that he is raising you well. He does not need to get married so that someone can teach you lessons and monitor you.¡±


    Kyle frowned. The adults wereplicated.


    Liliana continued, ¡°For example ¨C I have lots of money, and Nathan has lots of money. Even if we never work and only enjoy going on vacations, shopping, and having parties all the time, we will still have lots of money left.¡±


    ¡°Some people arezy. They want to marry someone like Nathan because they want vacations and expensive things without earning it.¡±


    ¡°Aunty Mer is also rich. Anyone who marries her can spend her money without working hard. Your great-grandmother wanted to tell everyone that such people are bad people.¡±


    ¡°And since Liam is a good person, he won¡¯t marry Aunty Mer just to spend her money.¡±


    Kyle nodded.


    ¡°I think I understand it, Mommy.¡±


    Liliana hugged him, ¡°Good! Don¡¯t worry about all these things. No matter what happens, we will all be a family.¡±


    Kyle nodded and sighed in relief.

 Chapter 238 Gay – 1

    When everyone was seated in the living room, Liliana gathered the kids.


    She did not want to be the one to exin what ¡®gay¡¯ meant, so she called them when Jonathan, James, and Mariana were there.


    Jonathan was always better at exining awkward stuff to the kids ¨C like their bedroom activities.


    The three kids, aware they would be getting a new lesson, gathered around.


    Liliana went straight to the point, ¡°Have you guys heard the word gay?¡±


    Jonathan looked at her quizzically and shook his head. He could vividly see that she was unsure how to exin, so she gathered them around him, Mer and James.


    Mariana was excited. She always had fun teaching new stuff to the kids. It made her think about things from a new perspective.


    James did not know why they were exining such stuff to the kids. It was not his ce to meddle, so he kept mum.


    Nathaniel exined, ¡°One of the meanings is happy. I did not read the other one because Aunty Jen said if I see the word sex, I should stop reading.¡±


    Joyanna shook her head, ¡°I have not heard, Mommy.¡±


    Liliana looked at Jonathan silently, begging him to exin.


    Jonathan looked at the kids and pretended not to see her expression.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Liliana knew he was doing it on purpose and tugged his arm.


    Jonathan leaned in and whispered, ¡°I will take over if you promise to take the initiative tonight.¡±


    They had not had sex since her birthday. It had been almost a month since then, and Jonathan felt starved.


    Liliana looked at him wide-eyed, ¡°Are you serious? They are your kids.¡±


    ¡°I am your husband. And we have not done it in ages.¡± He whispered his grievances.


    Liliana looked at him agape, ¡°You can¡¯t use our kids like that.¡±


    Jonathan shrugged. His wife did not have that many buttons for him to push.


    Liliana could only agree, ¡°Fine!¡±


    Jonathan smirked and turned to the kids.


    They were holding theirughter. It was not very often that Liliana did not know how to do something and had to take help.


    Jonathan exined, ¡°You know how boys and girls are different from each other ¨C in a sense, they are opposite of the other, right?¡±


    The kids nodded.


    Jonathan added, ¡°Simrly, gay is for boys, and lesbian is for girls. And both of them have the same opposite ¨C straight.¡±


    The kids looked at him quizzically.


    He continued, ¡°When a person is straight ¨C you get mommy and daddy ¨C like your mommy and me. When a person is gay, you get two daddies. When a person is lesbian, you get two mommies.¡±


    Everyone looked at him curiously.


    Jonathan asked, ¡°Are you with me?¡±


    Jo shook her head. She did not get it at all.


    Kyle concentrated on processing the words.


    He could not think of an example. He understood best with examples.


    Li had his brows furrowed. After some time, he asked.


    ¡°Daddy, does that mean ¨C straight people marry girls and boys? Gay people marry boy and boy, and lesbian people marry girl and girl?¡±


    Jonathan nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Li asked in confusion, ¡°So gay people are from a different city with this tradition?¡±


    Jonathan was speechless.

 Chapter 239 Gay – 2

    Mariana answered, ¡°No, honey. They are just normal people from everywhere like you and me.¡±


    James chimed in, ¡°For example ¨C if Mariana and I get married ¨C we would be a straight couple ¨C husband and wife. If Liam and I get married ¨C we would be a gay couple ¨C husband and husband. If Mariana and Jennifer marry ¨C they would be a lesbian couple ¨C wife and wife.¡±


    Kyle nodded, ¡°Okay, so gay, lesbian, or straight depends on whether you want to marry a boy or girl.¡±


    Mariana nodded, ¡°Yeah, more or less.¡±


    Nathaniel asked, ¡°Does that mean you can change whether you are straight or gay or lesbian anytime?¡±


    Liliana answered, ¡°No. People are generally attracted to boys or girls. Very rarely, they are attracted to both. So, it¡¯s not interchangeable.¡±


    Joyanna asked, ¡°What does attracted mean, Mommy?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Liliana answered, ¡°Do you know what I told you about kissing?¡±


    Joyanna nodded, ¡°We can not kiss anyone on the lips because we are six years old, not babies. If we want to kiss our family members, we can only kiss them on the cheeks. We can¡¯t kiss outsiders.¡±


    Liliana answered, ¡°When you turn 16 or older, you will want to kiss someone ¨C either a boy or a girl on the lips. That means you are attracted to that person.¡±


    Li vigorously nodded, ¡°I think I got it, Mommy.¡±


    Kyle nodded as well, ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    Joyanna pouted, ¡°If I want to kiss a boy, I am straight. If I want to kiss a girl, I am lesbian. If Kyle wants to kiss a boy, he is gay. Is that it, Mommy?¡±


    Jonathan answered, ¡°Good girl!¡±


    Kyle furrowed, ¡°It¡¯s a normal thing, right, Mommy? Why did Aunty say it was a bad thing?¡±


    Mariana chimed in. ¡°Do you remember what I told you about narrow-minded people?¡±


    Joyanna lit up. ¡°They are people who do not want to learn new things and grow. We are broad-minded because we take sses every day and grow taller.¡±


    Liliana said, ¡°It does not mean growing taller, but growing as a person as in bing a good person. But you are more or less correct.¡±


    Mariana exined, ¡°Some narrow-minded people think only boys and girls should marry each other. That¡¯s not true, and it¡¯s wrong to force people. These people think being gay and lesbian is a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°For example, Lil and I are the same age. She is married, but I am not. Some people think it¡¯s a bad thing. To force me to marry someone, someone they chose, they will call me a lesbian and try to shame me. Because they are narrow-minded and think it¡¯s a bad thing.¡±


    James exined further. ¡°We should not care about those people because it¡¯s not wrong to be a gay or lesbian. But sometimes, if your teacher or your boss is narrow-minded, they can cause you problems.¡±


    Nathaniel nodded, ¡°Narrow-minded people make trouble for gay or lesbian people. And other narrow-minded people force them using the fact that they are gay or lesbian.¡±


    Kyle added, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing. But bad people make it a bad thing. Is that correct?¡±


    Liliana confirmed, ¡°Yes, you are right.¡±


    Joyanna chippered, ¡°I understand, Mommy. I will be a broad-minded person who will like everyone and won¡¯t cause trouble.¡±


    Jonathan pulled her in his arms, ¡°My little Jo is the best.¡±


    Nathaniel rolled his eyes. ¡®Daddy is not even secretive about being biased.¡¯

 Chapter 240 Biased

    Liliana saw Nathanial rolling his eyes and shook her head at Jonathan¡¯s shameless bias.


    She pulled her sons into her embrace and kissed them.


    Jonathan looked at her expectantly, making the kids snigger.


    He frowned for a while as his wife red at him. He realized why in a few seconds.


    He patted Li and Kyle on their shoulders when he realized he had been too obvious.


    As if he had done a great job, he looked at his wife expectantly.


    Mariana burst outughing at their antics.


    James looked at Mariana with an imperceptible smile, but the sadness in the depths of his eyes was unmistakable.


    But Mariana missed it.


    She teased Jonathan, ¡°It¡¯s good to see President Smith begging for his wife¡¯s attention.¡±


    Jonathan smirked and was about to say something when Li stopped him.


    ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t say weird things. Jo is here.¡±


    Jonathan was embarrassed. Liliana punched him lightly.


    Mariana almost fell offughing.


    Kyle shook his head. He kissed Liliana on the cheek and said.


    ¡°I love you, Mommy.¡±


    Liliana chucked and kissed him over his face, ¡°I know, Darling. I love you too. The three of you are my most precious treasures.¡±


    Li hugged his mother and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be good, mommy. We will take care of Jo.¡±


    Joanna felt left out of their confession and went to Liliana¡¯sp.


    ¡°I love mommy the most.¡± She announced, unwilling to be outdone by her brothers.


    Kyle ruffled her hair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go y. I will teach you a new move.¡±


    Jo nodded vigorously and got up. She kissed her mother on the cheek and jumped on Jonathan¡¯sp. She kissed him all over the face marking her territory.


    The three kids left, and Jonathan pulled his wife in his arms, stealing a quick peck.


    She snorted, ¡°petty!¡± But Jonathan just shrugged.


    Mariana asked, ¡°Jonathan, aren¡¯t you even a little embarrassed about being tantly biased?¡±


    Jonathan shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. Jo looks exactly like Lil did at that age.¡±


    James was stunned, ¡°So you are essentially biased towards younger Lil. Poor Jo!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make it so awkward. Of course, I love Jo for herself. It¡¯s just great that she looks exactly like her mother.¡± Jonathan exined with a frown.


    Mariana shook her head, ¡°You are not making any sense. Don¡¯t be so tantly biased.¡±


    He was unperturbed, ¡°it¡¯s alright. Boys need harsher lessons. Girls are to be cherished.¡±


    Liliana shot him a re, ¡°don¡¯t speak nonsense. She should be educated and trained well. When the timees, she must be capable of protecting herself. Don¡¯t spoil her too much.¡±


    Jonathan looked at her smugly and said, ¡°Give me another daughter then. I will spoil her, and you can educate Jo.¡±


    Liliana shook her head at his childishness.


    Mariana asked, ¡°Why did Kyle ask about being gay?¡±


    Liliana snorted angrily. ¡°The Preston family means to force Liam to marry you. Old Madam supports Liam, but I am worried. When ites to Liam¡¯s future and Preston¡¯s family reputation, will she still be tolerant?¡±


    Jonathan looked at Mariana and James meaningfully and said to no one in general. ¡°You should be ready.¡±


    Mariana was stunned, ¡°That came out of nowhere.¡±


    James was most shocked by the news. If Mariana married Liam, he would have no future with her.


    But Liam said Mariana was like a sister to him.


    He shook his head. He had no right to interrupt.


    Jonathan looked at James and Mariana but did not know what to say.


    In the bedroom, Jonathan and Liliana hugged each other on the bed and chatted.


    ¡°Why are you so biased towards Jo?¡± She asked.


    Jonathan kissed her and teased, ¡°Jealous?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°You are not making any sense.¡±


    He signed and pinned her beneath him, ¡°Have you noticed how tightly she holds me and kisses me all over the face? She is not normally that clingy.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yeah, she sure loves marking her territory.¡±


    He flicked her forehead, ¡°She is insecure. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t hide my bias.¡±


    Liliana was shocked, ¡°What?¡±


    Jonathan kissed her soothingly, ¡°She is insecure. Li took a while to ept me. He is rational, too rational even. Kyle takes you, and only you, at face value. But Jo warmed up to me even before I knew the truth. She is insecure. She is never cheeky with me and is always well-behaved.¡±


    Liliana nodded. She had not paid attention to that.


    Jonathan could sense her feelings and said, ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself with it. I should also do something for my kids, right? You don¡¯t have to care about everything. Leave something for me as well.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t meddle.¡±


    Jonathan kissed her and asked, ¡°Now, my lovely Lil. You promised to take initiative tonight.¡±


    Liliana stared at him and said, ¡°Since you are already in position, how about you get started.¡±


    He shook his head with a cheeky glint in his eyes.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 241 Arrival

    The depressed Aprice family sprang back to life once again.


    The arrival of their son made both Lester and Rose very happy.


    Even before Leonardo was born, Lester and Rose used him as a chess piece and ced him to take over the queen.


    They named him Leonardo Petrova instead of Leonardo Aprice and announced that he was Anne¡¯s kid born posthumously.


    Leon had left some of his properties to Liliana and Anne directly, and Anne had passed her inheritance to Liliana. To get these assets, Lester and Rose wanted to pass Leonardo off as Anne¡¯s child and stake his im.


    They had never let Liliana know that she had something on her name. At Lester¡¯s birthday party, she had rattled them by saying, ¡®My grandfather left me some things.¡¯


    Now that Leonardo was finally back, they meant to take back everything.


    Lester and Rose were also in a secretpetition as each wanted to one-up the other and take away everything.


    Lester was recovering well. He had stayed at the hospital and asked the doctor to insist on it.


    Rose acted as the worried wife and visited him every day.


    On the other hand, Lester pretended to care about Rose¡¯s frequent illness and asked her to stay back at home.


    Rose had reluctantly agreed.


    Now everyone was home to wee Leonardo.


    Lydia did not like all the attention her half-brother was getting. She knew he would also get all the inheritance, but she did not mind.


    She had more than enough shares and bank bnce tost a lifetime. Moreover, she would get married to a rich guy and live wonderfully.


    She had yet to give up on Jonathan. She was sure of her sess because Leonardo would help her now.


    Only a fool would reject ties with Smiths.


    Leonardo arrived home with the sounds of bass thumping loudly and breaks screeching.


    Lester and Rose frowned.


    Leonardo had always been unruly. He had dropped out of college. He was into drag racing and was arrested several times for street fights.


    He was even worse than Lydia when it came to reckless spending. He changed girlfriends like changing clothes.


    Over the years, Rose had almost emptied Anne¡¯srge chest of jewelry so she could spoil him. One specific gold-digger girlfriend of his wanted jewelry made in P city, and she would send it to him behind Lester¡¯s back.


    Leonardo thought he was Anne¡¯s son, and Rose was his stepmother. Rose¡¯s only way of getting into his good side was to indulge his every whim.


    Moreover, she also had to ensure he hated Liliana. So, she always told him about Liliana¡¯s rotten character and how heartbroken she was because of Liliana¡¯s behavior.


    Rose broke out of his thoughts when a tall-lean-bearded man showed up in the living room, whistling and nodding at them.


    ¡°Dad, Stepmom, stepsister!¡± Leonardo said nonchntly.


    He sat on the couch opposite them and ced his feet on the table.


    He snapped his fingers and looked over his shoulders to no one in particr, ¡°Get me a drink. Be quick about it!¡±


    Lester finally could not control his anger and snapped, ¡°Leonardo, what is with this attitude?¡±


    Rose, however, took this chance to drive a wedge between them, ¡°Don¡¯t be harsh on him. He has lived abroad all these years. It will take some time to adjust to our customs. Be patient, please!¡±


    Leonardo looked at Rose and mumbled, ¡°Thank you, stepmom.¡±


    Lydia, however, was starry-eyed, ¡°Brother, you rock!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Leonardo roared inughter.


    Lester shook his head and took deep breaths to control himself. After a while, he said, ¡°how have you been?¡±


    Leonardo replied, ¡°Pretty good.¡±


    Lester waited for Leonardo to ask about him, even if it was out of politeness but was disappointed.


    He clenched his fist to control his anger and said, ¡°When do you think you can join thepany? You should learn the hoops from me and take over quickly.¡±


    Leonardo frowned and asked, ¡°Where is elder sister Liliana? Why is she not here to wee me?¡±


    Lester, Rose, and Lydia were speechless.


    Leonardo had lived abroad since he was eight and did not understand their family dynamics.

 Chapter 242 Family Dynamics

    Lester froze at Leonardo¡¯s question. He had not expected him to ask about her.


    But then again, he thought of Liliana as his biological sister. He could not forget her that easily. Lester could not help but get angry at Liliana.


    Rose did not know how to exin everything to Leonardo.


    But she knew she had to nip his feelings in the bud.


    ¡°s, I was hoping you would not notice. Liliana, god bless her, she got married. She did not tell us anything and gave us some money to sever the rtionship. We did not know what she was trying to do, but she threw a tantrum. We had to listen to her.¡±


    Rose faked a sniffle and added.


    ¡°Later, we found that she had painted herself as a victim and married into the Smiths. She simply did not want to associate herself with us. She even used the Smith family¡¯s power to humiliate us at numerous events. We have tried to mend things with her and gave in at each turn, but she despises us.¡±


    Rose started to weep sorrowfully at this point.


    Lester finally saw her acting prowess and was impressed.


    He mentally pped himself for being deceived by her all these years ago.


    Suddenly, he thought of Anne. She was never fake.


    But he shook himself in time. Anne¡¯s mere presence made him feel small.


    Leonardo was shocked at the revtion.


    He mumbled, ¡°I can¡¯t believe she would be like that.¡±


    Lester nodded, ¡°yeah, as a father, I feel like a failure that my kid turned out that way.¡±


    He shook his gloomy feelings and added, ¡°Anyway, as I was saying. I am not young anymore. I want to teach you the ropes and leave everything to you. When do you think you can join?¡±


    Leonardo frowned and said, ¡°I have to find a house first. I am still jetgged. Let¡¯s see next Monday?¡±


    Lester was not happy at his flippant attitude but nodded all the same.


    He needed Leonardo to take over Leon¡¯s assets.


    He had been managing most of them as Liliana¡¯s guardian, but it was a ticking time bomb.


    She coulde and im it at any time.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Thankfully, he had altered the will and destroyed the original.


    Everything will go to Leonardo. And he will transfer it to himself after that.


    Leonardo took arge sum of money from Lester to buy a Vi and hire some maids and butlers.


    Finally, he settled in the new vi but did not tell anyone where he was staying.


    He shook off the spies sent by Lester and Rose effortlessly.


    The butler and the maids were hand selected by his secretary and had been with him for years.


    He had flown them back with him on a work visa, and all of them were adamant turn into permanent residents and eventual citizens.


    Those people were the ones Leonardo had met over the years at different junctions, and they had mutually helped each other.


    After a quick dinner, Leonardo settled in his study and sent a message ¨C Ready to go, joining on Monday!


    He continued to look at the text and wondered when he would be able to talk to that one person face to face.


    It had been many years, and he was dying to meet that person. It was their vocation and a reminder.


    His thoughts went to Lester and Rose, and his face clouded with anger and disgust.


    Leonardo had seen many shameless people over the years, but none hade close to the level of shamelessness Lester and Rose depicted.


    Lydia was an airhead. At most, she was a nuisance.


    Leonardo took a deep breath and shook his head to ward off his thoughts.


    He took a quick rinse, settled in bed, checked the phone onest time for a reply, curled his lips downward in disappointment, put aside his phone, and went to sleep.


    Three minutester, he was fast asleep.

 Chapter 243 Blast from the past

    As nned, Leonardo showed up at the Aprice Group on Monday.


    But to Lester¡¯s annoyance, he arrived at noon ¨C close to the lunch break. Yet he was yawning.


    Even so, Lester smiled genially at Leonardo and introduced him to everyone important.


    Lester arranged things quickly and helped Leonardo settle into thepany as nned.


    One day, they were out having a lunch meeting with one of their prospective partners when Mariana showed up in the same restaurant with her assistant, Jonathan, Vincent, and the person in charge of the coboration between Smiths and Jacobsens.


    Jonathan scowled on seeing Lester but did not show any reaction.


    But Mariana froze on seeing the person sitting beside Lester.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Leonardo saw Mariana and eximed, ¡°Mariana Jacobsen!¡±


    He could not hide the smile on his face or the twinkle in his eyes.


    He walked up to her and pushed away the assistant who tried to stop him.


    Jonathan wanted to stop this stranger. But Mariana kept staring at him with aplicated expression, so he chose to observe.


    Leonardo grabbed Mariana¡¯s face and kissed her on the lips.


    Everyone, including Mariana, froze at that.


    She wanted to push him away, but he held her close and whispered something in her ears.


    Mariana pushed Leonardo away, pped him on the face, and screamed, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    Leonardo rubbed his face and shrugged indifferently, ¡°I promised I would kiss you the next time we meet. It is next time, baby!¡±


    Mariana was speechless, ¡°When did I agree to that?¡±


    Leonardo squinted at her, ¡°But I did promise, no?¡±


    Mariana huffed, ¡°Get away from me!¡±


    Leonardoughed and pecked a kiss on her cheeks. ¡°Until next time!¡±


    Leonardo left her with the words.


    Everyone, including Lester, was embarrassed at his emboldened shamelessness.


    As soon as Leonardo sat back at the table, he offered a half-hearted apology.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± He said with a smile, ¡°She is a st from the past.¡±


    The pride in his voice was unmistakable.


    The people at the table were speechless.


    Lester tried to smoothen things and said offhandedly, ¡°Kids nowadays are truly forward. Back in our times, things were different.¡±


    The others got the hint and turned their focus to the project they were discussing.


    Inside the private room, Jonathan squinted at Mariana after everyone was seated.


    He did not ask anything and acted nonchntly out of respect.


    He acted as if nothing had happened and continued their discussion.


    When the project manager went out to receive a phone call, Jonathan sent Vincent and Mariana¡¯s assistant away.


    He directly asked, ¡°Who was that? What did he say to you?¡±


    Mariana chortled. ¡°You curbed your curiosity long enough.¡±


    Jonathan frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic.¡±


    She only shrugged, ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not my ce to tell. Let¡¯s just say Leonardo is someoneplicated. You will understand when the timees. The end is near now. You should watch the show.¡±


    Jonathan guessed in mind. But he kept mum.


    Jonathan could think of a significant person in Liliana¡¯s story who had yet to show up.


    He was sure that he was that person. But it was not his story, so he did not pry.


    Soon after, the others returned and continued their discussion amidst the meal.

 Chapter 244 Planning something

    Jonathan did not ask anything further to either Mariana or Liliana about the identity of that person with Lester.


    That is until a fewter when he identally saw a text from an unsaved number on Liliana¡¯s phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. nning something ¨C can¡¯t wait! Love you!¡±


    Intuitively he thought the message was from the same person.


    Maybe he was a spy nted by Liliana on Lester¡¯s end. But he could tell she would not do that. Besides, why would her spy say ¡®Love you!¡¯.


    Jonathan asked her if she was nning something.


    Lilianaughed at his words. She closed herptop and stood close to him.


    Standing on tiptoes, she looped her arms around his neck.


    ¡°Do you think I am too scheming, Mr. Husband?¡±


    Jonathan pinched her cheeks and pulled her closer by holding her waist.


    ¡°I think you are a very good person, Mrs. Smith. As long as no one rubs you the wrong way.¡±


    Jonathan pecked her nose dotingly.


    She could not help butugh.


    ¡°How long has it been since we reconciled?¡± She asked, raising her eyebrows.


    Jonathan got his answer.


    They had reconciled for almost seven months.


    She would be showing the ace up her sleeves.


    He kissed her until she was breathless and added, ¡°I am looking forward to it.¡±


    She pressed her head on his chest and snuggled closer.


    ¡°When this is over, let¡¯s take a long vacation. Just the five of us.¡±


    He hummed in approval.


    ¡°There will be arge party very soon. We will have to announce some things officially.¡±


    He mumbled, ¡°alright!¡±


    She continued, ¡°But I want to hold off on announcing anything about the kids. Let¡¯s meet your family.¡±


    She added after a while, ¡°I know you are not close with your family. However, we should show the kids the ropes.¡±


    ¡°After that, let¡¯s have arge party at your residence to introduce the kids.¡±


    Jonathan kissed her in appreciation. She took care of his self-respect and ego when she nned, even though he would not have minded if she handled everything at her convenience.


    ¡°We can have the official party at Smith¡¯s family mansion. It¡¯srge and has huge ground. I will be appropriate symbolically.¡±


    ¡°Sure! I will leave everything to you. Alice will send the guest list to Vincent from my end.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Shall we do it on the kid¡¯s 8th birthday? It¡¯s in two months.¡±


    Jonathan asked.


    Liliana thought for a while and shook her head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that. It might be a tradition. I don¡¯t want Li and Jo to do anything out of obligation.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of a party on a cruise with select guests. Something intimate. Besides, it¡¯s the first time you will be present on their birthday. I want it to be about us.¡±


    Jonathan had to agree to that. ¡°That sounds great. Let¡¯s go with your n.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Liliana hugged him tighter and ced a kiss on his heart.


    ¡°I love you, Nathan. I am extremely pleased to be your wife.¡±


    Jonathan felt his eyes water. He kissed her passionately, pouring all his affection into the kiss.


    Liliana went limp. Jonathan had to settle her on the desk.


    He parted her legs and settled between them without breaking the kiss.


    When she was breathless, he pressed his forehead to hers and said, ¡°I love you more.¡±


    She smiled involuntarily.


    Jonathan felt his heartbeat spike. He turned around to check the lock on the door.


    Satisfied to see the lock on the door, he kissed her further without inhibitions.


    When she was breathless, he moved down to her neck.


    When Liliana realized what was going on, she found herself sprawled on the desk and Jonathan feasting on her breasts while his hand was opening her folds.


    He swallowed feeble protests with intense kisses as his hands turned her body into a puddle.


    Jonathan managed to live one of his fantasies.

 Chapter 245 Trouble

    Jonathan was too busy throughout the week as one of his shareholders tried to y with the stocks and ruin one of his shipments creating a notable hup.


    The financial loss was insignificant, and he saved his reputation by apologizing and weaving off the charges to appease the client.


    But it was clear that an internal clean-up was necessary.


    He could not allow just anyone to mess with Smith Group.


    Jonathan quickly assigned some tasks to Vincent that made it seem like he was too busy cleaning up the mess.


    In the meantime, he got his private security and privacy team to dig up on everyone.


    After he had sufficient evidence, Jonathan called for a board meeting.


    Heid out everything he had found about the staff passing information to third parties, revisedpany security policies, and fired around 15 people for security breaches to set an example.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    This move raised many eyebrows, and the press and gossipers mored outside Smith Group for an exclusive interview.


    Jonathan had his staff send away everyone.


    Vincent posted a note on the Company¡¯s official handle. And it was clear that was all they were going to say.


    ¡°To provide the best to our employees, customers, and partners alike, Smith Group conducted an impromptu check to see if there were any leaks or security breaches.


    While we did not find any security breach, we did spot a few people who did not imbibe thepany culture.


    From dereliction of duty to uncertain loyalty to a few minor security protocol failures, there were many reasons which made us realize they might better fit other organizations.


    As such, we had to let go of a dozen staff members.


    Smith Group has provided a fair assessment of employees¡¯ work and wishes them the best for the future.


    The Smith Group-sponsored health insurance will remain effective until the end of the year.


    Additionally, we have enforced a few strict security measures that will impact some of the ongoing processes.


    Multiple workshops have been scheduled over the next four weeks to educate all our employees and partners.


    We hope to provide the best and continue to improve as we grow.¡±


    It was generally frowned upon ifpanies publicly announced why they fired someone. It could affect their entire future.


    While there was no legal precedent, it was very uncalled for in the business world.


    Jonathan took this harsh step to send a silent warning to all 2000+ employees of Smith Group.


    If they turn into spies, the Smith Group will not tolerate them.


    Given the shareholders¡¯ problem, it was necessary.


    Jonathan kept mum about the shareholders who caused all these issues.


    He did not have enough proof to boot them out, so he sidestepped the issue. He hoped it would rx their vignce.


    True enough, it worked as expected.


    Liliana told him some people had reached out to her to n a coup since she had Smith Group shares.


    She was the anonymous shareholder with high enough shares to be 3rdrgest shareholder.


    No one was sure exactly how many shares she held. But having her on their side would up anyone¡¯s chances of winning.


    Jonathan had been tracking them but had not thought they would dare to contact the mysterious shareholder.


    If Liliana had sided with them, they would have caused severe problems for him.


    Thankfully she was his wife and firmly on his side.


    Liliana calmed him down and said she would y along to help him gather evidence.


    They assigned one of Liliana¡¯s assistants to take over those discussions to understand their end goal.


    On the other hand, Lester had transferred all of Leon¡¯s property to Leonardo.


    The only thing left was to transfer those back to him.


    But he had not thought of a good reason to do that.


    Leonardo yed along and signed everything Lester and Rose told him to sign.


    Lydia came to the office to butter him up and tried to be discreet about sabotaging Liliana and Jonathan¡¯s marriage.


    Leonardo pretended that he could not understand Lydia. In the end, she said it out loud.


    Then, he acted horrified by the idea of using hical means to ruin someone¡¯s marriage.


    Moreover, he told her to be a better person and forgive Liliana for her capriciousness.


    Internally he was seething.

 Chapter 246 A banquet

    A few weekster, Rose and Lester were under the impression that they had won.


    Leonardo had signed everything that they had brought in front of him.


    Lester was running into some issues with notarizing the transfer documents. Rose wasn¡¯t aware she had to do so.


    But otherwise, they were both living in their pink bubble.


    They received an invitation from the founder of L&L Enterprise.


    L&L Enterprise was a rtively newpany. But like L&L Designs, it had taken the business world by storm.


    Thankfully, for Lester¡¯s sanity, the twopanies were unrted.


    It was a great privilege to be invited to a banquet hosted by L&L Enterprise.


    Moreover, Lester¡¯s invitation specified ¨C wife and kids ¨C it was a high honor.


    Having their entire family invited was very shocking but pleasantly so.


    Lester called Leonardo and ordered Leonardo to get ready on that day. He wanted to go as a family of four, but Leonardo dismissed him.


    He indifferently said, ¡°I will see you there. Send me a copy of the invitation.¡±


    He hung up before Lester could get another word in.


    P city was abuzz once again.


    The founder of L&L Enterprise would host one party each year in different cities and invite all the bigwigs.


    Being a guest was a stamp on their being upper ss.


    While someone like Jonathan would not care about it, most people would prepare for it for days and weeks.


    The business world is like that. One needs to keep track ofpetitors and rising threats to survive and maintain their dominance.


    Merely improving yourself is not enough.


    Finally, the day of the party came.


    An ancient mansion that looked like a pce was tastefully and elegantly decorated.


    It looked straight out of a fairy tale but more elegant and low-key.


    For a banquet that was to start at 7 pm, people began to arrive at 4 pm.


    The Mansion stood on top of a small hill. The entire hill belonged to the owner of that mansion.


    Hence, they had set up barriers at the bottom of the hill preventing any non-invitees from barging in.


    Moreover, there were two more checkpoints from the bottom of the hill to the top.


    At the 3rd andst checkpoint, the valet would help park the car, while the guests would have to walk 200 meters on the cobbled road to reach the mansion.


    The carpeted pathway made the short walk morefortable, especially for women in high heels.


    It also made it easier for the designated photographers to take pictures and report the event live.


    By 6:30 pm, most guests had arrived and were busy mingling. Such banquets provided a suitable opportunity to form alliances.


    The Aprices arrived at 6:45 pm. Lester had deliberately dyed and arrivedte to show his significance.


    But even so, they stood out like a sore thumb.


    The veterans of the P city, who knew what the mansion signified, were appalled on seeing the puffed-up Aprices.


    But Lester, Rose, and Lydia were too indulged in their fantasy to notice.


    Finally, at 7 pm, Jonathan escorted Liliana in a very high-profile manner.


    Unlike everyone else, they drove straight to the mansion.


    They were escorted inside by a group of uniformed bodyguards. They protected the couple from all sides.


    It was very unusual to see two people escorted by sixteen people.


    But Mr. and Mrs. Smith arrived at the mansion like that.


    They were led straight to the first floor while everyone else was on the ground floor.


    Lydia felt her blood boil in jealousy.


    Lester felt struck by lightning.


    He had seen this procession once.


    On Liliana¡¯s fifth birthday, Leon had escorted Liliana just like this.


    A sense of foreboding rose in his heart.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Rose did not know what was going on. But she wished Jonathan hadvished such care on her daughter instead. She had tried everything to get Lydia to marry Jonathan Smith, but the old crone of the Smiths had thwarted all her attempts.


    If only that old crone had not intervened, Lydia would be enjoying such avish wee.


    The few people who knew or had a vague understanding of what was going on stood up to show respect.

 Chapter 247 A stunning revelation

    After Jonathan and Liliana were seated on the high tform on the first floor, the host began.


    He formally weed everyone to the banquet and added something which made everyone curious.


    ¡°I would like to apologize for having gathered everyone under the ruse of L&L Enterprise while the agenda is a little more than just that.¡±


    ¡°As much as I would love to spill secrets here, I am unaware of the main agenda in its entirety, so without further ado, let me wee the CEO of L&L Enterprise.¡±


    ¡°I know no one here has seen the CEO of L&L Enterprise yet. As it happens, he is not quite himself just yet. He had undertaken an exemry challenge, and it¡¯s time it came to fruition.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to wee Mrs. Pa Grint, the Managing Director of the Cancer Institute of P City, who will further introduce the founder and CEO of L&L Enterprise.¡±


    All the guests began to apud in confusion.


    Most of them knew Pa Grint as she had run several charity events to raise funds for the Cancer Institute of P city. Moreover, she organized several free workshops across the city, neighboring towns, and ruler areas raising awareness.


    Her motto was very ambitious.


    ¡°Cancer is incurable, but only atter stages. Identify early, and save a life.¡±


    The campaign has been very sessful, and she held several des and prizes for her phnthropy.


    For her to show up at such an event and even act as a half-host was a tremendousmendation.


    The curiosity about the identity of the founder of L&L Enterprise peaked again.


    Theizenspping up all the live news kept the inte world lively.


    ¡°Hello, everyone! I am Pa Grint, Managing Director of the Cancer Institute of P City.¡±


    ¡°Today, I am here to personally wee and express my most sincere gratitude towards a young man who is very empathetic to the plights of the less fortunate.¡±


    ¡°Someone who has worked extremely hard to be where he is and has given away arge portion of his hard-earned fortune to several charities, especially the Cancer Institute.¡±


    ¡°He, who was blessed to be born in a well-off family and could have livedvishly without working a single day, has worked harder than most people because of his innate belief that he was blessed with better circumstances so that he could make the world a better ce.¡±


    ¡°He leads by example and does not make empty promises.¡±


    ¡°Before we wee him on the stage, let me tell you all a secret.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°From the beginning of L&L Enterprise, the Cancer Institute of P City has held 10% of its shares.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have heard it right!¡±


    ¡°L&L Enterprise, from the moment it was registered, gave away 10% of the shares, 10% of the profits to the Cancer Institute.¡±


    ¡°And its ie only shares which means the Cancer Institute will perpetually get 10% of the profits of L&L Enterprise but won¡¯t be affected by any losses.¡±


    ¡°If there was any precedent of this, I am unaware. It is the first time I have seen amitment this strong.¡±


    ¡°I greatly admire this young man who has earned my respect and gratitude for life.¡±


    ¡°Most recently, he has been growing his hair and beard long enough to donate to cancer patients.¡±


    ¡°Without further ado, let¡¯s wee the founder and CEO of L&L Enterprise, Leonardo Petrova, and his barber to make the hair donation.¡±


    The entire floor erupted in apuse at the revtion.


    At the same time, gossip also started.


    ¡®There is a male Petrova heir.¡¯


    ¡®Didn¡¯t Anne have only one child ¨C a daughter?¡¯


    ¡®Where did a male Petrovae from?¡¯


    ¡®Did Leon have bastard children?¡¯


    ¡®Is this real?¡¯


    People began to gossip but kept their eyes firmly on the stage.


    Lester, Rose, and Lydia were stupefied.


    ¡®Leonardo had been mucking around the entire time. How did he be the founder and CEO of L&L Enterprise?¡¯


    ¡®Perhaps he meant to surprise us; that¡¯s why he invited the whole family.¡¯


    ¡®If he is the host, why did he invite that bitch Liliana with such fanfare?¡¯


    The Aprices couldn¡¯t grasp the situation, but they were unimpressed.

 Chapter 248 Let’s protect them

    Leonardo made his way to the tform where Pa Grint was apuding him.


    He held her hand and kissed her knuckles in the ssical gentlemanly manner.


    ¡°Thank you for doing this, Pa. I owe you one.¡± He said quietly.


    ¡°Oh! C¡¯mon! I stopped counting how many I owe you. Don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± She rolled her eyes good-naturedly.


    Leonardo only smiled and did not say anything.


    He sat on a stool, and the barber cut his hair and beard within fifteen minutes.


    When he cleaned up, he thanked the barber and bowed toward where Liliana was seated.


    She gave him a nod, and Leonardo began to speak.


    ¡°First of all, thank you foring here.¡±


    He gestured towards the mansion and added.


    ¡°As the veterans might already know, this is the Petrova family mansion, and only the Petrova heir is allowed to host a banquet here.¡±


    He looked back at Liliana and said, ¡°Thank you, sis. I could not have asked for a better wee home present.¡±


    Leonardo turned around and stood still before he started his speech seriously.


    ¡°Before we get into everything, I am sure you all must be wondering why we chose to start the banquet this way?¡±


    ¡°Let me rify that first!¡±


    ¡°For the past three years, under the leadership of Mrs. Pa Grint, Cancer Institute of P City has been researching how to slow down and maybe, hopefully, reverse the spread of cancerous cells.¡±


    ¡°I, on behalf of the Petrova family, am deeply honored to be able to sponsor the research. So far, the results are promising, but we still have a long way to go.¡±


    ¡°One thing we can say for sure is, if identified in an early stage, the possibility of curbing it is high. At least we can get an extension on the life span.¡±


    ¡°If nothing else, we can at least give you a chance to say goodbye to your loved ones.¡±


    ¡°So, please show your support. Donate! You can donate your money to facilitate the research or treatment.¡±


    ¡°You can donate your hair to the brave children who fought cancer and won. They will start school soon; let¡¯s ensure they won¡¯t feel like an outcast.¡±


    ¡°While I do not think a shaved head is something to be ashamed of, children are fragile, so let¡¯s protect them the best we can. That¡¯s all I ask!¡±


    Leonardo¡¯s speech ended with thunderous apuse and a standing ovation.


    The inte went on fire.


    ¡®Oh! My! God!¡¯


    ¡®I love him already!¡¯


    ¡®Rich and conscientious. God don¡¯t make them like him anymore.¡¯


    ¡®Who is he?¡¯


    ¡®He is so hot. I am melting.¡¯


    ¡®You and me both, sister.¡¯


    ¡®Wow! He saved his head to make a point. Respect!¡¯


    ¡®Respect!¡¯


    ¡®Nah! Sounds like a nned stooge.¡¯


    ¡®C¡¯mon! No one saves their head for publicity.¡¯


    ¡®He is rich; he does not need it.¡¯


    ¡®Respect!¡¯


    ¡®He is my idol from now on. Haters are damned!¡¯


    ¡®Haters are damned. Respect!¡¯


    ¡®Anyone notices that he looks very simr to Mrs. Liliana?¡¯


    ¡®Oh my god! I thought I was the only one. They could easily pass off as siblings.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t you guys think that it¡¯s weird both theirpanies are named the same?¡¯T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    On the other hand, Lester, Lydia, and Rose were in a trance. They were having a hard timeing to terms with whatever was happening.


    The worst thing was ¨C Leonardo looked very much like Liliana.


    ¡®Why would he look like that bitch?¡¯


    A strange sense of gloom enveloped them.


    ¡®Could he be Anne¡¯s son?¡¯ A thought came unbidden to Lester.


    He shuddered as a chill ran down his spine.


    When Rose got pregnant, he had personally mixed abortifacients in Anne¡¯s supplements and sent them to her.


    He had seen her bleed.


    The thought that Leonardo could be Anne¡¯s son was jarring.


    Lester shook his head. He was just overthinking things.


    Even though Leonardo did not know, he knew that Leonardo was his son with Rose.


    They had named him Petrova to get their hands on Liliana¡¯s property.


    That does not make him Anne¡¯s son.


    He shook himself again and drank some more.


    He looked up at Rose and was startled to see the same horror in her eyes.


    He shook his head and focused on his drink.

 Chapter 249 My Everything

    After the noise died down, Leonardo continued.


    ¡°My name is Leonardo Petrova. I do not im to know what the Petrova lineage signifies. To me, it has always meant privilege and responsibility. It is 300 years of legacy.¡±


    ¡°But most importantly, it means that one person who means the world to me.¡±


    ¡°My grandparents ¨C Leon Petrova and Katherine Green, passed away before I was born. My mother, Anne Petrova, passed away while giving birth to me. I spent the first few months of my life in an incubator.¡±


    ¡°When I got discharged, I was left in the capable hands of my elder sister ¨C the Petrova heir ¨C Liliana Petrova.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, she is now, Liliana Petrova Smith.¡±


    ¡°My sister is my everything ¨C my mother who loved me unconditionally and imbibed me with culture and principles. She is my father who protected and sheltered me, yet trained me, tempered me, and raised me to be someone capable of standing on my own.¡±


    ¡°She is my guide, mentor, first teacher, muse, and inspiration to strive for better. She is the one who told me to always empathize with others. Not pity or sympathize with the less fortunate, but understand my privilege and empathize.¡±


    ¡°She taught me the first word, helped me walk my first step, sang lubies for me, and raised me when she was a child. She was barely 9 when she undertook the responsibility of raising me.¡±


    ¡°I established L&L Enterprise to lessen her burden. L&L ¨C Liliana and Leonardo.¡±


    ¡°So, allow me this opportunity to share a secret. The true owner of L&L Enterprise is and has always been my sister ¨C Mrs. Liliana Petrova Smith.¡±


    ¡°Everything that I own is automatically hers. The first thing I did when I turned 18 was to make a will saying so and notarize it.¡±


    ¡°So, please wee on stage, my everything ¨C the best sister a person can have ¨C Mrs. Liliana Petrova Smith.¡±


    Jonathan escorted his wife onto the stage and went back to his seat.


    She gave him a peck on the cheek and smiled.


    ¡°Wee home, Brother!¡± She said to Leonardo with a smile.


    He knelt in front of her and bowed.


    ¡°We are Petrovas. We do not bow or bend.¡± She said simply.


    ¡°We are unbreakable!¡± She added as she helped him up and hugged him.


    That hug was years in the waiting.


    Years of separation! Years of longing!


    When she turned to the stage, she had retained her regal demeanor.


    ¡°Wee to my home!¡± She started.


    It let everyone know who was in charge.


    She was the heir. She was back. She was going to im everything that was hers.


    The entire mansion went silent for a while.


    But then everyone stood up and gave her a standing ovation and bowed.


    Led by the veterans, everyone else had to follow along.


    Everyone invited was from the upper ss.


    While they did not know what was happening precisely, they could feel the shift of power.


    Lester froze.


    It was his worst nightmareing true.


    Liliana looked and sounded too much like Leon.


    Lester thought he was hallucinating. He saw Leon on the stage looking at him with a disdainful gaze and mocking smile.


    ¡®No! It can¡¯t be true.¡¯ He told himself repeatedly.


    ¡®Leonardo is not Petrova.¡¯


    ¡®Moreover, why is there no mention of this mansion in the will?¡¯


    Lester¡¯s shakiness turned into anger.


    ¡®Is there another will? What else did Leon hide from me? Why did Anne never mention this?¡¯N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Lydia was looking at the stage agape.


    ¡®How can this bitch Liliana have a mansion like this?¡¯


    ¡®No, no, no! It is just a bad dream.¡¯


    ¡®Why would everyone show so much respect to her?¡¯


    Rose was transfixed.


    ¡®Who was this goody-two-shoes Anne?¡¯


    ¡®Was she truly this powerful?¡¯


    Theizens on the outside, however, were in a st.


    ¡®My Goddess raised my idol.¡¯


    ¡®My Goddess is awesome!¡¯


    ¡®My Goddess and my idol are siblings.¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe my Goddess became an orphan at 9. It must have been hard to grow up like that.¡¯


    ¡®Rich people are always taken advantage of by others. I can only imagine how difficult childhood was for my idol.¡¯


    ¡®Weren¡¯t Petrova¡¯s the Kings before? P city is named P city after Petrovas, right?¡¯


    ¡®Most of the institutes named P or Kings belong to the Petrovas and now L&L. Holy Moly!¡¯


    ¡®Guys, I just realized Jonathan Smith ¡®The Jonathan Smith¡¯ married up.¡¯


    ¡®Lol! From the richest man in P city to marrying up the socialdder. Someone ought to write a book on this.¡¯


    The inte went wild once again.

 Chapter 250 Honor my predecessors

    Liliana looked at the crowd that had stood up in honor of the Petrova lineage and slightly bowed back courteously.


    ¡°Please be seated, everyone. I am already very honored by your presence.¡± She said matter of factly.


    ¡°We invited everyone over to celebrate the return of my brother. P city is our home, and historically it has been the ce where for generations, we Petrova¡¯s have toiled our blood and sweat.¡±


    ¡°From the protectors of P city to the primary drivers of its economy, knowledge, and independence, as a family, we have always been closely integrated here.¡±


    ¡°My Grandfather named me his heir when I was five. In an unprecedented move, he passed over my mother ¨C his only child, the apple of his eye.¡±


    ¡°I was too young to know what it meant. I only remember bits and pieces of it.¡±


    ¡°One thing, however, I have always remembered. Even though I did not understand it fully as a child, it had struck a chord and always stayed with me.¡±


    ¡°He told me that in P city, the word ¡®Petrova¡¯ means power, prestige, privilege, pedigree, pride, and a dozen other things. But as a Petrova ¨C more so as the Petrova heir ¨C I should always remember that ¡®Petrova¡¯ means promise.¡±


    ¡°Promise to the thousands of people whose livelihood depends on me. Promise to the hundreds of students whose life can get impacted by my wrong decisions. Promise to all the citizens of P city who will be the recipient of false news if I do not do my job well.¡±


    ¡°Today, on this asion, I take a solemn vow to keep those promises to the best of my abilities. I will not allow any selfish motive to overtake my responsibilities. I will lead by example and encourage everyone to the path of humanitarianism.¡±


    A big round of apuse followed Liliana¡¯s speech.


    ¡°Lastly, Grandpa told me that legacy means people. It does not mean property or shares or power or privilege. It means people who will ensure that what you stood for will continue to be a priority after you are gone.¡±


    ¡°Looking at my little brother, I can proudly say ¨C I did not let my grandfather down.¡±


    Laughs and apuse followed her statement.


    ¡°Lastly, I want to thank my guardian.¡±


    ¡°My granduncle, Jake Green. Uncle, will youe up here, please?¡±


    An aged man, neatly dressed and showing a majestic aura, came up to the stage.


    People recognized him as the aged man who had shown up with Liliana previously.


    Once, in the picture, and that other time when he was drugged and framed along with Andrew Jacobsen.


    ¡°I think some of you have recognized him. He is the famous retired lieutenant of the PCPD who retired at his peak. He is my grandmother¡¯s twin brother and my grandfather¡¯s best friend.¡±


    ¡°My grandpa entrusted my security to him when he named me his heir when I was 5. That cost him his career because he thought protecting me was a full-time job, especially after my grandparents passed away. He did not want to have divided loyalties.¡±


    ¡°But he had different ns, so he stayed anonymous for more than two decades watching over me and teaching me by example.¡±


    Liliana leaned toward Jake and added.


    ¡°Granduncle,e live here from now on. This mansion holds your memories with Grandpa and Grandma. I wish for you to spend your sunset years here. Please give us a chance to take care of you.¡±


    Jake Green hugged and kissed her on the cheeks and said he would stay.


    ¡°I remember when we were in training, Leon and I used to spar a lot. One day my twin sister, Kathy, decided to visit me and snuck in.¡±


    ¡°She was very charming and was not averse to using it for her benefits. You have that from her, Lil.¡±


    ¡°I got distracted when I saw her, and Leon could not control the punch he had already swung and ended up breaking my nose.¡±


    ¡°Kathy thought it was foul y and punched Leon on the face while he was examining mine.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That little skirmish ended up in a marriage filled with love andughter. They were the most in-love couple I had ever known.¡±


    ¡°People think Anne was passed over as the heir because she wasn¡¯t cut out for this. But the truth is, she inherited a congenital disease from the Green family genes and was always in poor health.¡±


    ¡°Forty years ago, the medical line was not as advanced as it is now. And whatever Anne achieved in her short life was despite her poor health. And from my biased perspective, I think she did tremendously well.¡±


    ¡°She spent thest few years of her life regretting that Lil had to shoulder what should have been her burden. But I am sure, wherever they are now, they all should be celebrating.¡±


    ¡°You kids have honored your predecessors. For that, you have my respect.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, I would like to request everyone to please proceed to the garden. Terry Draw needs no introduction.¡±


    ¡°He has kindly epted the challenge to turn a wastnd into something more.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear from him in the garden.¡±

 Chapter 251 Shrinking

    Terry greeted everyone and thanked Liliana for the opportunity to give back to society.


    He exined the Green Field orphanage project in detail.


    The Green Friend orphanage was one of its kind for several reasons.


    The building was built on wastnd-turned-fertilend before the authorities dered it liveable for children.


    It used only clean and green energy and products.


    Terry exined how everything went with the energy nt the Smith Group was nning that created electricity and gas from waste.


    Each minute that passed by made Lester feel smaller.


    He was shrinking, and his hatred for Liliana intensified.


    He could not believe how she had lured Leonardo away from under his nose.


    Rose was still in limbo, unable to figure out what was happening.


    Lydia was dying of jealousy.


    People around them kept chattering about Liliana, and she couldn¡¯t take it any longer.


    ¡®Why was that bitch so lucky?¡¯


    ¡®Why does everyone praise her?¡¯


    Jonathan kept a low profile and escorted Liliana everywhere. They were seated at the front when Terry was presenting everything.


    Leonardo and Jake were also at the same table.


    Jonathan kept feeding Liliana some fruits as she drank wine.


    Liliana was too happy that day.


    Her family wasplete. Her hibernation was over.


    She could openly own her identity from then on.


    Perhaps because she was intensely happy, she kept drinking.


    Jonathan took it upon himself to feed her while she drank.


    The socialites cast jealous nces at them, but there was nothing they could do.


    They could not match Liliana in family background, sess, intelligence, or even beauty.


    Not to mention Jonathan had made it very clear that they were childhood sweethearts.


    Lydia, however, could not take it lying down.


    She decided to ruin the party by exposing Liliana¡¯s identity as their maid.


    She called the butler and asked him to send Liliana¡¯s old photos.


    But she got a call back saying everything rted to Liliana had vanished.


    Lydia tried to cut off the power supply to make a scene. But she was stopped by security guards.


    She tried to get to Liliana. But she was stopped again.


    She tried to be loud and embarrass her. But she was threatened by the guards.


    Frustrated, Lydia drank and threw the ss on the floor with a noise. But the trained staff came and cleaned up so quickly that she did not even get to catch them.


    It was as if they had prepared for all the temper tantrums.


    Terry exined the project, and people could not help but praise him for his foresight and ambitious project.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He humbly gave all the credit to Liliana, who shook her head.


    ¡°I only said, how about¡­,¡± Liliana announced, ¡°Everything else was Terry¡¯s idea. Own it, Terry!¡±


    ¡°Also, the reason we brought it up here is ¨C Green Field orphanage is my wee home present for my little brother.¡±


    Liliana¡¯s words left everyone bbergasted. Managing an orphanage was not a joke.


    How could it be a gift?


    Theizens were also in heated debate.


    ¡®She just dumped a huge responsibility on him.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not even apany. It¡¯s non-profit. Only work and no gain.¡¯


    ¡®Gee! The rich operate on a different wavelength than us.¡¯


    Leonardo, however, took it in stride.


    ¡°Thank you, sister.¡±


    He looked at Terry and asked, ¡°Do I get brother Terry as well?¡±


    Everyone was amused at his words.


    Liliana only shook her head.


    ¡°Terry is not a thing. I can¡¯t decide for him. Ask him yourself.¡±


    Leonardo only smiled as a n formed in his head.


    He needed people, trustworthy ones.


    Finally, the official announcements ended.


    The buffet started, and the drinks got poured more frequently.


    The unofficial n of the banquets is always rtionship building andworking.


    No one wanted to lose such a chance to build a rtionship with Petrovas.


    The Aprices, however, were miserable.


    Mariana was having fun watching Lydia squirm.


    James¡¯s parents were also present and weren¡¯t feeling all that great either.


    They had burned bridges with Liliana by treating Mariana the way they did.


    James had not even returned home yet.


    James, on the other hand, kept an eye on Mariana.


    When the dance started, he asked her straight away, and she epted with a smile.


    Their rtionship had reached a weird point.


    They were neither dating nor friends.


    James had turned himself into Mariana¡¯s assistant and nanny.


    He had been taking care of Mariana since she got discharged and continued even when she started office.


    Everyone could see the drastic change in their rtionship, but nonemented.


    This time James was adamant about winning her over with his sincerity. He never once crossed the boundary.

 Chapter 252 Lovely ladies

    Lester tried several times to get close to either Liliana or Leonardo. But each time, his efforts were thwarted by others.


    Rose was not faring any better. She could tell the people wereing in her way deliberately, but she had no proof.


    Lydia was increasingly angry, but Rose kept a lid on her temper. They could not afford to make themselves look uncultured in such apany.


    On the other hand, Liliana and Jonathan flitted around the venue introducing Leonardo to everyone.


    They stopped close to two women, and Liliana continued the introductions.


    ¡°Brother, meet Mrs. Cadewell. Her management of Cadewell Textile is verymendable. You should learn from her.¡±


    ¡°And this is Miss Jessica. She got married half a year ago. But she is still maintaining her husband¡¯s anonymity. I envy you.¡± She joked and added, ¡°That¡¯s an impossible feat for someone as sessful. Try to emte that.¡±


    ¡°Lovelydies, this is Leonardo. He is still young. Please guide him.¡±


    Leonardo greeted them both and said affably, ¡°Please take care of me, Mrs. Cadewell, Miss Jessica. I have so much to learn from you.¡±


    The twodies stood flustered by his humility.


    Liliana added, ¡°Mrs. Cadewell,st time you mentioned that you were trying to bring the traditional fabric into mass production. Leo had a simr idea. Why don¡¯t you two coborate? He has enough money for investment.¡±


    Leonardo got excited on hearing that, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Mrs. Cadewell. My initial inspiration was to mass-produce banana fabric. Hopefully, we can get to a point where it can rece silk. Do you mind if I visit you sometime this week?¡±


    Mrs. Cadewell was overwhelmed. She stuttered.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure, Mr. Leonardo. Here¡¯s my card. Please give me a call whenever you are free.¡±


    Leonardo scanned her card in his phone and passed it to his assistant.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Cadewell. Please enjoy the party. I will make an appointment with your assistant.¡±


    He turned to Miss Jessica and added.


    ¡°Miss Jessica, I am not sure if you remember me, but we ran into each other three months ago in an alumni meet.¡±


    Jessica looked at him in astonishment.


    ¡°I thought you looked familiar, Mr. Petrova. I was not sure. So, we are alumni.¡±


    She added with augh.


    Leonardo smiled, ¡°Yes, we are both the survivors of Doctor. Diva.¡±


    Jessica raised an eyebrow but did not say a word.


    Leonardo continued, ¡°She was the one who told me to get acquainted with you in the alumni meet. She is a wonderful woman and highly talented. Despite all the name calling, she had held her head high.¡±


    ¡°For her to rmend your acquaintance, you must be exceptional.¡±


    Jessica rxed, ¡°I never knew my reputation preceded me. And it is with great honor that I say I have been lucky enough to be mentored by her.¡±


    Leonardo looked at her in awe, ¡°You, Ma¡¯m, are amazing.¡±


    He joked in light humor, ¡°I am so co-operating with you. I will start a newpany if I have to.¡±


    Liliana rolled her eyes, ¡°Childish!¡±


    ¡°Please enjoy the party, Miss Jessica, Mrs. Cadewell. I will see you next week.¡±


    Mariana showed up just in time to ask, ¡°What¡¯s next week?¡±


    Liliana introduced them and exined.


    ¡°There¡¯s a women entrepreneur summit next week.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Henley, who could not make it today because of a family issue, was invited to a woman-speak week in the capital. She worked extremely hard to organize the same in P city for all of us.¡±


    ¡°I am expecting to see a great deal of talent there.¡±


    Mariana grumbled, ¡°Why am I not invited?¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Leonardo teased, ¡°You are yet to take over Uncle Andrew and truly be an entrepreneur.¡±


    After a few more introductions, the friends moved towards the buffet.


    In most banquets, people did not eat dinner. But Liliana was not like that. It was such a waste of food and effort.


    Since she made her way to the buffet, most others did as well.

 Chapter 253 Face-off

    Lester finally managed to get hold of Liliana and Leonardo in the buffet.


    ¡°Leonardo, I have something to discuss with you,¡± Lester authoritatively added.


    Liliana told her assistant to escort them to a private room for an audience.


    Reluctant and angered, Lester, Rose, and Lydia still followed Alice. They wanted to talk to Leonardo, and this was the only way.


    It was Liliana¡¯s turf, and she had made it clear that she was unapproachable.


    ¡°How dare she treat us like this? That bloody servant!¡± Lydia roared.


    As soon as they were on their own, Lydia began to rant.


    The anger they had suppressed the entire evening and reluctance to admit what they had seen spilled forward.


    ¡°What was that bitch saying about Leonardo being her sibling?¡± Rose asked.


    Lester took a deep breath and replied with gritted teeth. ¡°They don¡¯t know the truth.¡±


    ¡°This works in our favor. Leonardo can ask for his inheritance.¡± Lester added.


    Rose wasn¡¯t reconciled with the events that evening. ¡°Did you know about this mansion?¡±


    Lester was annoyed by her questioning.


    ¡°What does it have to do with you? It¡¯s not yours.¡± He snapped.


    Rose could tell that Lester was unaware of it.


    ¡®Just how rich was Anne?¡¯ Rose wondered once again.


    Their greed knew no bounds.


    Even after two decades of Anne¡¯s death, they were worried if they had managed to con her. Realizing they might not have seeded was not something they could calmly ept.


    They sat there arguing and staying quiet for a long time.


    As time went by, they were even more miffed as Liliana had made them wait that long.


    On the other hand, Liliana, Leonardo, and Jonathan sent all the guests away with parting gifts.


    Lastly, only Liliana, Jonathan, Leonardo, Mariana, and James remained in the venue.


    Liliana had already sent Jake back to his rooms to rest. He was getting on age, and she was worried about his health. He didn¡¯t need to flit around people who were of no consequence to him.


    Their assistant also left. The catering staff was cleaning up, and another group was cleaning everything.


    Liliana yawned loudly and stretched her limbs.


    ¡°I must be getting old now. It was tiring.¡± She said with a yawn.


    Jonathan rubbed her head, and she looped her arms around his neck. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.


    ¡°We still have to deal with our biological father,¡± Leonardo said, interrupting her.


    Liliana¡¯s good mood was gone.


    She snarled, ¡°Let him wait.¡±


    ¡°He has taken his privilege for granted long enough. It¡¯s time he learns what it means to be a pauper in front of royalty.¡±


    James asked, ¡°Do you want me to go?¡±


    Mariana added, ¡°I am not leaving.¡±


    Liliana shook her head, ¡°Up to you!¡±


    She gestured to the high table and walked up there with Jonathan, ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there.¡±


    The rest of them followed.


    Finally, she asked the butler to bring the parting gift she had prepared for Lester.


    Then, she asked him to bring the Aprices forward.


    The time hade for the face-off between them.


    Lester, Rose, and Lydia had never received such bad treatment in their entire life.


    They were locked in the private room for three hours.


    And by that bitch Liliana, no less.


    Lester felt his entire life was crumbling down.


    He had worked so hard, schemed so much.


    Yet, when he closed his eyes, he could see Leon¡¯s smug face, eyes looking at him in disdain.


    He hated that when he was alive.


    He could not wait to tear Liliana apart. Only then will he feel better.


    Lydia was not faring any better.


    She could not reconcile with the fact that Liliana had so much. Leonardo had treated her like a Goddess, while he had not even mentioned them.


    Jonathan Smith had acted like her assistant the entire evening.


    How did their gardener be ex-force? And her grand-uncle?


    She hated everything, but she was clueless about what to do.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Rose, however, had calmed down.


    As much as she hated it, she had to admit that goody-two-shoes Anne was indeed someone more powerful than she had imagined.


    Since even Lester was unaware of so many things, Anne must have nned things in advance and given her power and property to Liliana.


    She wondered if her life would have been any different if she had treated Liliana well. But that ship had sailed, and there was no point dwelling on it.


    Her main concern was Leonardo.


    It would be difficult to tell him about his parentage.


    They could kiss all their ns goodbye.


    But Leonardo was so sessful by himself. As long as he epted his parentage, they would live on money for the rest of their lives.


    It should be simple. There were paternity tests to prove it.

 Chapter 254 You lost

    The butler escorted Lester, Rose, and Lydia to the hall.


    Liliana, Leonardo, and Jonathan were seated on the high tform. Mariana and James were behind them.


    The butler gestured to Lester and the others to sit below the tform in general seats.


    Lester was fuming.


    Before he could speak, the butler handed him a parcel.


    ¡°Mr. Aprice, please ept your parting gift. Our mistress has prepared it personally. I hope you will like it.¡±


    Lester had no choice but to open it.


    The evening had been proof that he had to y ording to Liliana¡¯s tunes.


    He begrudgingly opened the parcel, and his jaw nearly dropped.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± He snarled.


    But everyone could see his voice had equal fear and anger.


    Liliana blinked her eyes and yed innocent.


    ¡°Why? I am giving you what you have always wanted.¡±


    ¡°This was mine, to begin with.¡± Lester snapped.


    Liliana cocked her head. ¡°Is it now?¡±


    ¡°As far as I can recall, Apriice Group was formerly the Petrova factory. Are you a Petrova?¡±


    ¡°No. Hence, it¡¯s not yours. My grandfather gave you a few shares and made you CEO, but he left everything else to me. Ergo, I am the actual owner of it.¡±


    ¡°But since I don¡¯t want it. I am just giving it to you. Didn¡¯t you always want it?¡±


    ¡°The Aprice Mansion was my mother¡¯s wedding gift. It was always hers, and she passed it down to me. Since the three of you have been living there for years, I was toozy to throw you out.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you on a lucky streak? You have got a mansion and apany for free.¡±


    Lydia was stunned.


    Rose was stunned.


    Lester, of course, knew, but he had already changed the will and transferred them to him.


    ¡®How could she still be the owner?¡¯


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Lester grumbled, ¡°It belongs to me.¡±


    Lilianaughed, ¡°You mean you had forged my grandfather¡¯s and mother¡¯s will and taken over my property? How could you be so naive?¡±


    Lester thought he was talking to Leon and not Liliana.


    It made him realize, once again, why he hated this daughter of his.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense! Do you have any proof?¡±


    Leonardo could not take it anymore.


    ¡°Mr. Aprice, I never knew you to be delusional. After tonight, do you still believe you are capable of taking anything from the Petrova¡¯s? Do you even know how powerful the Petrovas are?¡±


    Lester could not believe his ears. Mr. Aprice?


    Rose finally spoke, ¡°Leonardo, he is your father. You should not talk to him like that.¡±


    Leonardoughed, ¡°Who do presume you are to educate me? Oh, wait, the mistress!¡±


    Rose cried, ¡°I am your mother.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Leonardoughed even louder.


    Lester jumped in, ¡°I am your father. How could you talk to me like that?¡±


    Leonardo chimed in, ¡°I am aware of that, biological father. The same way I know you fed my mother abortifacients to get rid of me.¡±


    Lester trembled.


    A small part of him had alwaysmented killing his unborn child.


    Lester shook his head and rified.


    Things had alreadye to this.


    Only the truth would work in their favor.


    ¡°You are not Anne¡¯s son. You are my son with Rose. I never wronged you.¡±


    Rose vigorously nodded.


    Liliana rolled her eyes.


    Leonardo cocked his head and asked rhetorically.


    ¡°Ah! You mean I am not the child you wanted to get rid of in my mother¡¯s womb? But instead, I am the child you have been trying to use as a chess piece from the moment I was born.¡±


    ¡°I am your ace to steal my sister¡¯s property. Did I get this right?¡±


    Rose trembled, ¡°Who told you all these lies?¡±


    Leonardo sneered, ¡°If I am your son, why was I named Leonardo Petrova? None of you are Petrovas. And you have the call to call it a lie.¡±


    Rose pleaded, ¡°Leonardo, listen to me.¡±


    Liliana yawned and added, ¡°That¡¯s enough. You have already lost.¡±


    The words ¨C you lost ¨C rang in their heads.


    Liliana gestured to the butler, and he passed some documents to Rose.


    Rose stumbled and fell on seeing what was inside.

 Chapter 255 The child she lost

    Lester took over the documents from Rose, and he was dumbfounded.


    ¡°No, No! It can¡¯t be.¡± Lester rambled.


    Lydia couldn¡¯t understand what made her parents react that way.


    She asked Liliana, ¡°What did you do to them bitch?¡±


    Jonathan snapped, ¡°Guards! The next time she disrespects my wife, take out her tongue.¡±


    Liliana kissed him on the cheeks.


    She turned to Lydia and exined, ¡°Why? Your mother had a stillbirth child. But she was so focused on using her baby to steal my inheritance that she threatened the doctor to ensure that she gives birth to a healthy baby.¡±


    ¡°She even went as far as to kidnap the doctor¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°The poor doctor didn¡¯t have any choice, so instead of taking the dead fetus out of her body, he continued the charade.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime, he asked his senior to help locate his family.¡±


    ¡°When he located his family, your mother became ill because ofplications of carrying a dead fetus.¡±


    ¡°The doctor wanted revenge. So, he let her stay in the hospital for three months. He took out her ovaries and uterus and ultimately saved her life.¡±


    ¡°In the end, the doctor passed my brother ¨C Leonardo Petrova ¨C to her as her own.¡±


    ¡°The greedy pair thought Leo was their child but announced that he was my mother¡¯s so they could use him to take over my inheritance.¡±


    ¡°They never knew Leo was my mother¡¯s and had been staying in the incubator because of premature birth.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I stayed behind with you idiots when I could have taken over the Petrova empire? I could have lived like a Princess, but I only stayed back to ensure you all don¡¯t corrupt my brother.¡±


    ¡°My mother gave birth to him as a gift for me. She didn¡¯t want me to be lonely after she was gone. I protect what¡¯s mine.¡±


    Rose shook her head.


    ¡°No! No! You are lying.¡±


    Liliana shrugged, ¡°Why don¡¯t you check the DNA analysis?¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    She looked at Lester and smirked, ¡°You did a DNA test with Leo because you doubted Rose. You should have done one between Rose and Leo.¡±


    Lester shook. His soul had left his body.


    ¡°This is fraud. I will sue you.¡±


    Leonardoughed.


    ¡°Go ahead. Tell the judges that you fed abortifacients to your wife to get rid of me because your mistress was pregnant.¡±


    ¡°After killing your biological child, you tried to pass your illegitimate child as yourte wife¡¯s son to steal her daughter¡¯s inheritance.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and sue us for outsmarting you.¡±


    Lydia finally asked, ¡°You are not my brother.¡±


    Leonardo heaved a sigh, ¡°Thank the gods!¡±


    Rose, however, was in a trance.


    She kept mumbling, ¡°No! No! No!¡±


    Liliana looked at her in disdain.


    ¡°Why Rose? Are you regretting what you did to the child¡¯s remains? You thought it was my mother¡¯s child and treated his remains with such hatred. How does it feel to know it was your child?¡±


    Rose rushed to the side and vomited.


    They had cremated the dead child.


    But Rose hated Anne so much that she had thrown the ashes in the dustbin.


    She had not wanted to give a proper send-off to Anne¡¯s child. It was her ultimate victory over her.


    But to know that she had been spoiling Anne¡¯s child all along.


    Her child was never alive, and she had thrown his ashes in the dustbin with her own hands andughed.


    ¡®Oh! God! How did sheugh!¡¯


    Lester could tell Rose had done something without telling him.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Lester asked.


    Mariana said, ¡°She threw the ashes in the dustbin andughed.¡±


    She had never hated anyone as much as she had hated Rose.


    It showed her the absolute evil of humankind.


    Lester stumbled and fell.


    Lydia also could not believe she could treat the remains of a dead child like that. But then, she thought, the child was gone. Who cares what happens to its remains?


    Rose threw up until she passed out.


    Jonathan gestured to the bodyguards.


    They took the documents from Rose and escorted them out.


    Their car was waiting for them, and the driver drove away.


    The Aprices were too shocked to react.

 Chapter 256 Complete

    Marianaughed and did a happy dance.


    She had wanted to see this for twenty years.


    Leonardo picked her up and spun her around.


    He kissed her on the lips.


    ¡°Mer bear, are you happy?¡±


    ¡°Leo, you brat, I will hit you if you kiss me again.¡±


    ¡°I told you I will have my revenge. Why did you kiss me so much when I was young?¡±


    ¡°You were a baby. You are not a baby anymore. Don¡¯t you dare kiss me again! And put me down.¡±


    ¡°But I promised to pick you up when we meet again.¡±


    ¡°Leo, you brat. Why do you remember everything from thirteen years ago?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have teased me when I was a child, Mer bear.¡±


    ¡°When did I tease you?¡±


    ¡°You used to pick me up and kiss me all the time.¡±


    ¡°That was me expressing my love.¡±


    ¡°Think of this as me expressing my love.¡±


    Before Mariana could react, he spun her around until she became dizzy.


    ¡°Did you practice this, little brat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I knew you would be heavy. I had to practice.¡±


    Leo teased and stole a kiss before running off.


    ¡°Lil, send him abroad again.¡±


    Leonardo went to Liliana and hugged her. He rested his head on his shoulders andughed.


    ¡°It feels like I have returned to 15 years ago.¡± Liliana reminisced.


    ¡°Did they used to fight like this back then?¡± Jonathan asked.


    Sheughed, ¡°You have no idea. They always fought. Mer, do you remember what you used to call Leo?¡±


    She caressed Leo¡¯s head and asked.


    Leonardo answered before Mariana could. ¡°First failed attempt at parenting.¡±


    They allughed.


    Mariana went to them and hugged them both.


    ¡°It feels soplete,¡± Mariana said emotionally.


    Leonardo teased her, ¡°How could this beplete? My nephew and niece aren¡¯t here.¡±


    He earnestly added, ¡°You should get married soon. You are not young anymore. Stop running after Lil¡¯s problems all the time. It does not contradict your happiness and life events.¡±


    Liliana added, ¡°That¡¯s what I keep telling her. She doesn¡¯t listen.¡±


    Mariana grumbled, ¡°You fell in love at eight. I should fall in love before getting married.¡±


    James¡¯s ears perked up at her words.


    He must up his game and woo her quickly. They weren¡¯t young anymore.


    Liliana yawned again.


    Jonathan told them all to go to bed.


    Liliana didn¡¯t want to walk.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She raised her arms and looked at Jonathan.


    He carried her bridal style, and she guided him to the bedroom.


    She felt weird using that room. It used to belong to her grandparents.


    But she shrugged it off. That was the way of life.


    Jonathan helped her out of her clothes and helped her shower.


    She just stood robotically with her eyes closed.


    Heid her on the bed and spooned her. But she didn¡¯t want the night to end.


    Liliana turned around to face him.


    He was looking at her with so much love it melted her heart.


    She kissed him slowly and gently.


    A whileter, she deepened the kiss.


    Then it wasn¡¯t slow or gentle anymore.


    When she moaned aloud the first time, Jonathan stood up from the bed at once.


    She couldn¡¯tprehend what was wrong. She did not even get a chance to react to his unusual response to intimacy as he quickly went to the door.


    She saw her husband checking all the windows and re-locking the door before she could ask.


    As excited as Jonathan was, he remembered where they were.


    Liliana¡¯s grand-uncle was in the house.


    It would be too disrespectful if they were loud and disturbed him.


    He quickly returned to the bed and turned on the soft lights.


    He rummaged through the drawer and found what he wanted.


    Thankfully, the person preparing their room had prepared for all possibilities.


    How they knew his size was beyond him! He stopped thinking. It wasn¡¯t crucial.


    His wife took the initiative for the first time and looked buzzed.


    He threw the nket aside and hovered over her.


    He kissed her gently, and then it was nothing gentle.


    They chased their pleasure again and again, but they were insatiable.


    They only stopped when Liliana passed out.

 Chapter 257 A second blow

    Jonathan helped Liliana wash up.


    Not unexpectedly, she thrashed when touched, and he had to talk to her and calm her.


    He took a quick rinse while carrying her in his arms.


    He ced her on the couch and changed the sheets.


    Hey her on the bed and covered them both with nkets. He did not bother with their clothes.


    When he looked at the time, it was already 5 am.


    Ideally, he would be waking up at this time. He turned off the rms on both their phones and spooned his Lil before drifting off to sleep.


    On the other side of town!


    Lester, Rose, and Lydia arrived back in the Aprice mansion to see the butler waiting for them.


    Other than him, a few maids and other workers were also in the living room.


    Lester acutely sensed that those were the people he had hired.


    He had gotten that Vi as his wedding home with Anne.


    It was a wedding gift from her parents. It hade with all the maids, workers, and a butler.


    After Leon passed away, he reced the butler and hired a few new staff. Otherwise, he had kept the rest.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    That evening after thirty years, he realized that the Vi had never belonged to him in the first ce.


    Seeing the people waiting up for him in the living room, a sense of foreboding rose within him.


    Lester sat on the couch and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The butler was embarrassed, but he had to report it to him. He bit the bullet and replied, ¡°Earlier this evening, everyone other than us submitted their resignation. Effective immediately! They had everything in order ¨C the original contract, the amended contract that showed Miss Liliana as the employer, a letter of clearance from the employer, and the approved termination from Miss Liliana. I objected, but they showed the property rights which belonged to Miss Liliana.¡±


    He added in a low voice, ¡°I had no legal reason to stop them. Moreover, one of the security guards confessed that they had been receiving their sry from the Petrovas all this time and received very generous severance pay. They wouldn¡¯t need to work anymore and could start something small on their own ¨C like a small shop or a food cart in their hometown.¡±


    A maid added, ¡°The other maids said they would return to their family homes in their hometown or move to a smaller town with their children and build a small house in the outskirts.¡±


    The jealousy and remorse in her voice were evident.


    All these years, the master and mistress had treated her better since they had hired her.


    But suddenly, she came to know a shocking truth.


    The other maids were receiving way betterpensation than her, and now, they had the chance to get out of their life of servitude and build a home.


    They all had health and life insurance and schrships for kids who performed well.


    She felt frustrated. But she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Lester was too stunned to react.


    Rose felt a chill run down her spine.


    ¡®How powerful was Anne? And Liliana was even worse. She showed her hand today, and they got caught off guard.¡¯


    Lydia could not take another harsh blow on the same night.


    She bellowed, ¡°What do you mean? How could they leave just like that? My parents have been paying them the entire time. We will sue them for fraud.¡±


    The butler answered, ¡°Miss Aprice, the Vi belongs to Miss Liliana, so technically, we can¡¯t sue them. Moreover, all employees in the house get paid directly from thepany ount ¨C thepany also belongs to Miss Liliana.¡±


    Lydia shook her head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible. That lowly servant can¡¯t be the owner of everything. How dare you spread lies?¡±


    Lydia¡¯s hysterical cries woke up Lester.


    He said, ¡°Go to bed, everyone. I will deal with this tomorrow.¡±


    Rose did not say a word.


    Her soul had flown out.


    The ashes she had dumped in the dustbin belonged to her child.


    She had reared her enemy¡¯s child all these years.


    These thoughts consumed her mind and heart.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to verify things.


    She went straight to Leonardo¡¯s room.


    It had nothing of value.


    She frantically looked at the sheets, but the maids had already washed them.


    She looked at the dressing table and hair brush but couldn¡¯t find a single strand of Leonardo¡¯s hair.


    She rummaged through the room and found one stray strand in the back of his chair by the study table.


    She put it in the ziplock bag and sat in his room, waiting for the morning toe.


    On the other hand, Lestery on the bed, reeling from the shock.


    He took a shower and went to his study.


    He opened his safe and took out his old marriage certificate. Besides, it was a photo frame of their wedding photo.


    Looking at Anne¡¯s innocent face and clear eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but sneer.


    ¡®How could she be innocent? She was scamming him from her grave.¡¯


    They all stayed in separate rooms trying to process the events from the evening.

 Chapter 258 Walk of shame

    The next day! Petrova Mansion!


    Liliana woke up close to noon with an aching body.


    She was alone in bed. When she came to her senses, she could hear the water running in the bathroom.


    She drank some water and tried to find a robe to wear.


    She got out of bed and hobbled to the wardrobe to get a robe.


    Too tired, shey back in bed, staring at the ceiling.


    She thought of their party and smiled.


    Her family wasplete now. She did not have to hide any longer.


    Then she thought about how she had taken the initiative and how they had gone at it relentlessly.


    ¡°Oh! Dear! God! I am so ashamed.¡±


    She blurted out loud.


    Jonathan came out of the bathroom just in time to hear those words.


    He burst outughing.


    Liliana threw a pillow at him, but it fell close to the bed.


    Jonathan picked up the pillow and leaned toward her.


    He kissed her on the forehead, ¡°Good morning, wife!¡±


    ¡°Is it still morning?¡± She asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s close to noon.¡±


    He looked at her intensely. Liliana did not know what to say or do next.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    She asked in a low voice. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Jonathanughed, ¡°This is the first time I can see you so embarrassed.¡±


    She rolled her eyes.


    He added, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you like this. Please repeat your passion fromst time more often.¡±


    She shrieked, ¡°Nathan!¡±


    Heughed, ¡°Yes, I loved hearing you scream my name.¡±


    She hid her face under her palm, ¡°Oh! God!¡±


    He removed her hands, ¡°Are you embarrassed, Mrs. Smith?¡±


    She snorted, ¡°Mr. Husband, don¡¯t forget I am your wife. Why would I be embarrassed? I only took what belonged to me.¡±


    Jonathaughed.


    She was always domineering and sassy.


    He teased, ¡°You are right, your highness! Shall I serve mydy in the bath?¡±


    She smirked, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I n to take a quick rinse only.¡±


    He asked in amusement. ¡°In that case, I shall wait for you to get enough time for a long bath, mydy! It will be my honor to serve you.¡±


    She patted his head, ¡°Of course! I will have my assistant inform you of my schedule for the rose and milk bath.¡±


    Jonathan was speechless.


    He pecked her nose and helped her to the door of the bathroom.


    She was walking funny and wobbling.


    Mariana teased her when she saw them walking down the stairs.


    ¡°Tch! Tch! The famous walk of shame!¡±


    Liliana rolled her eyes.


    However, she was modified when her granduncle spoke.


    ¡°Leon was shameless enough. You guys are even worse. Redo the soundproofing of your bedroom.¡±


    Liliana screamed, ¡°Oh dear God!¡±


    He waved his hands, ¡°Don¡¯t let the kids hear such unholy sounds.¡±


    Jonathan wrapped Liliana in his arms as she hid her face in his chest.


    Leonardo chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t bully her, Nuncle!¡±


    Jake Green snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t indulge her too much! She has kids now and should show some decency.¡±


    It was a first for Jonathan.


    He had never seen anyone talking to Liliana like she was an average mischievous child.


    Jonathan helped her to the dining table as she murmured.


    ¡°I will go bury my head in the sand, Uncle.¡±


    Mariana chortled.


    ¡°I missed you, Uncle.¡± She hugged his head from behind.


    Jake patted her, ¡°I missed you too, Mer bear. When are you getting married?¡±


    Mariana sat by his side and made a face.


    Leonardo teased, ¡°Nuncle, I think she changed her mind about missing you.¡±


    Mariana retorted, mildly irritated. ¡°I did not miss you, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Leonardo rolled her eyes, ¡°We both know you love me, Mer bear.¡±


    She turned to Jake and cried, ¡°Why did he be like this?¡±


    Heughed.


    He had missed this lively environment.


    He asked Leonardo, ¡°Where are you staying these days, Leo?¡±


    He replied seriously. ¡°I have a Vi by the outskirts. I made Lester pay for it. It¡¯s close to Jonathan¡¯s Vi that he renovated recently.¡±


    Jake shook his head, ¡°I see you brats nned to make me watch your house while you have fun elsewhere.¡±


    Liliana came back. She and Jonathan ate something light as it was almost time for lunch.


    ¡°How could that be, Uncle? We have homeschooled the kids, and we both have jobs. But I n to stay here during weekends. Nathan has promised to stay home every weekend ¨C Saturday and Sunday.¡±


    James teased Jonathan, ¡°Really?¡±


    Jonathan gave him a side nce. ¡°We can work from home.¡±


    They bantered together and had a lively lunch.


    After that, they all made their way to Liliana¡¯s house, where the kids were.

 Chapter 259 Kids

    The three kids had received etiquette training ever since they were young.


    Unlike normal children, they never ran to the door when someone came. They stayed put doing whatever they were doing until someone called them.


    It was the same.


    Jake shook his head in sadness.


    Heirs never got to be carefree and enjoy their childhood. Beneath all the mor and nobilityy harsh training and lost youth.


    Liliana saw through her granduncle¡¯s mood and hugged him.


    ¡°We take them out for fun, and every Saturday is family day where all of us do things together ¨C gardening, painting, cooking. It¡¯s not too bad. We try to make memories with them. Nathan is very creative, nning our Saturdays. You will see.¡±


    Jake patted her head and kissed her forehead.


    Liliana might be many things to the people. But to him, she would always be the lively child who lost her innocence and her family. Circumstances forced her to grow up and shoulder responsibilities without any preparations.


    Thankfully, Anne, Leon, and Kathy had done a great job grooming her. She was a born leader. She had turned things around and found peace and happiness wherever she was.


    But Jake always felt sorry for them.


    For both Liliana and Leonardo.


    Leonardo looked at them and remained quiet.


    His elder sister had sheltered him, sacrificing a few years of her youth.


    A nanny brought the three kids to the living room. Joyanna broke free from her grip and ran straight into Jonathan¡¯s arms.


    Nathaniel rolled his eyes and let out a sigh in exasperation. Kyle just smiled.


    Jo cried, ¡°Daddy!¡± and kissed her father all over his face.


    Leonardo burst outughing. ¡°Now I understand why you washed your face as soon as you came in.¡±


    He looked at the boys and said, ¡°Come here! Let me see you up close.¡±


    Nathaniel looked at his mother, and when she nodded, he walked up to Leonardo.


    Leonardo hugged him and Kyle together.


    He looked at both the boys and essed their faces carefully.


    He pointed at Li and said, ¡°He has your smile and nose, sister. But Jonathan¡¯s eyes and jawline. He will be a heartbreaker with my elder sister¡¯s smile.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked at Kyle carefully and said, ¡°I give up! Who does he look like?¡±


    Mariana couldn¡¯t hold back herughter anymore andughed out loud.


    Leonardo looked at her questioningly.


    Mer stifled herugh and said, ¡°You little brat! Is that how you meet kids for the first time? Aren¡¯t you going to ask their names? Aren¡¯t you going to introduce yourself?¡±


    Leonardo scratched his head.


    Li asked him curiously, ¡°Are you our little Uncle?¡±


    Leo nodded and looked at Mer provocatively, ¡°See! He knows me.¡±


    Liliana shook her head, but a smile danced on her lips.


    She called the kids to her. ¡°Li, Jo, Kyle! Come here!¡±


    Jo was sitting snugly in her father¡¯s arms, looking at everyone curiously.


    She kissed her father once more and went to Liliana.


    Liliana brought them in front of Jake and introduced them.


    ¡°Uncle, these are my twins. Nathaniel Petrova Smith is older than Joyanna Petrova Smith by fifteen minutes. You can call them Li and Jo.¡±


    She looked at Kyle and introduced him, ¡°This is Kyle Preston. Kyle is three days younger than the twins. He is Liam¡¯s son. His mother was my benefactor.¡±


    ¡°She passed away shortly after Kyle was born. He is my godson. I breastfed him along with the twins.¡±


    Liliana turned to the kids and said, ¡°Kids, he is my granduncle ¨C Jake Green. His twin sister ¨C Katherine Green, was my mother¡¯s mother. When we were in Maple City, we took the family name Green from his name. Twins run in the Green family line.¡±


    ¡°He is my oldest living ancestor and someone I admire very much. Do you know what you should call him?¡±


    ¡°Great-granduncle?¡± Kyle responded.


    Liliana nodded.


    Jo did a curtsy bow, ¡°Hello! Uncle! I am Jo ¨C Mummy¡¯s little bundle of joy and Daddy¡¯s heart. I will love you from now on.¡±


    Jake hugged her and kissed her temple, ¡°You are so wonderful, Jo. I have loved you since before you were born. I will always love you.¡±


    Li answered, ¡°Mommy, can we call him great-grandfather?¡±


    Leonardo answered, ¡°Sure, you can call him great-grandfather.¡±


    Li bowed to him and said, ¡°Hello! Great-grandpa, please teach us well.¡±


    Kyle followed him as well, ¡°Hello! Great-grandpa, please teach us well.¡±


    Jake pulled them both into his hug. He kissed them all on their foreheads and gave them the gifts he had prepared.


    After that, Liliana introduced Leonardo.


    ¡°Leo, these are my triplets. Kids, this is my younger brother ¨C Leonardo Petrova. He is nine years younger than me.¡±


    Joyanna was the first to react, ¡°Little Uncle! Why have you note to see us all these years? Mommy said you were studying. Did you not get breaks?¡±


    Leonardo hugged them three and passed their gifts.


    ¡°I was working during my breaks. I am sorry, sweety. I will stay with you and won¡¯t go away.¡±


    After the introductions, the two new people questioned them and yed together.

 Chapter 260 Introductions

    In the night, after dinner, Liliana and Jonathan sat together and called the kids.


    The kids sensed their mother¡¯s tone and stood in front of her obediently.


    She asked, ¡°We haven¡¯t introduced you three to the public yet. Do you know why?¡±


    Jo ¨C We were only five and too young.


    Kyle ¨C You were waiting for Daddy Nathan and little uncle.


    Li ¨C You had your reasons. You wanted to protect us.


    Liliana nodded, ¡°All three of you are correct. I was waiting for them. You were too young, and we wanted to protect you.¡±


    Jonathan added, ¡°Until now, we protected you by hiding you. Now to protect you and to tell everyone that you are our children ¨C our blood, our heart, and our heir ¨C we have to make your identities public.¡±


    Li asked, ¡°Daddy, how does that affect us?¡±


    Liliana thought for a while and asked, ¡°Do you guys remember when Jonathan brought Kyle back and announced to the Preston family that he is his godson?¡±


    Li answered, ¡°I think I understand now, Mommy.¡±


    Kyle also nodded, ¡°We will be careful and protect Jo.¡±


    Jo asked, ¡°Mommy, will the bad people hurt us and teach us bad things?¡±


    Nathan picked her up and sat her on his thighs, ¡°Yes, honey. Unfortunately, many bad people don¡¯t like us. Previously, we did not tell anyone about you guys because we wanted to protect you. Now that everyone knows we have kids.¡±


    ¡°If we do not introduce you publicly, they will say we do not love you. You know we love you most, but your friends might use that to tease you and bully you in schoolter.¡±


    ¡°If we introduce you, they will try to hurt you. Or take advantage of you or teach you bad things.¡±


    Jo nodded her head in understanding.


    Kyle added, ¡°Jo, I told you about uncle and aunty at Daddy¡¯s house. Do you remember?¡±


    Jo nodded. ¡°Yes. They are bad guys. They bullied you, but now they pretend to like you because they want to be friends with Daddy. I don¡¯t like them.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Liliana chimed in. ¡°Just like Kyle, when your identity gets revealed, you will also have to face such people. You should be careful who your true friends are and who are trying to be friends with you because of Daddy and Mommy.¡±


    Li asked, ¡°Mommy, you work so hard. Your life is difficult. We will grow up quickly, so you don¡¯t have to be so bothered.¡±


    Kyle nodded, ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡±


    Leonardo patted their head and said, ¡°Now that I am here, I will help your mommy. Then she won¡¯t be too tired. You guys should enjoy your childhood. When you grow up, you won¡¯t get it back.¡±


    Jonathan added, ¡°When you grow up, you can take over from your little uncle. For now, you don¡¯t have to worry about us.¡±


    Jo added, ¡°I will take over from you, Daddy. I love you!¡±


    Jonathan kissed her, ¡°I know, darling. But Daddy is still young, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it now. There are still many years left before you need to worry about it. Now is my turn, okay?¡±


    Li rolled his eyes ¨C his father was bing more and more tant.


    Kyle pursed his lips, hiding his smile. Seeing Jo getting treated like that made him very happy.


    Leonardo gawked at Jonathan¡¯s tant favoritism but did not say anything.


    He looked at Liliana, who was looking at Jo and biting her lips. He started to understand what was going on.


    He changed the topic, ¡°How are you going to introduce Kyle?¡±


    Kyle¡¯s face fell. Li held his hand and asked, ¡°Mommy, Kyle heard from his grandmother that people from the army and business should not be friends. Otherwise, bad people will frame them for working together to cheat the government exams.¡±


    Liliana pulled them both in her arms and said, ¡°She is right. But that does not change that you are my son, Kyle.¡±


    Kyle nodded.


    Jonathan exined, ¡°However, that¡¯s not why your mommy and I have decided not to introduce you along with Jo and Li, Kyle.¡±


    Kyle looked at him with wide eyes.


    Jonathan exined patiently, ¡°The Preston family isplicated, and Liam is not married yet. If we make our rtionship public, it will affect Liam, and you will be hurt the most in other people¡¯s schemes.¡±


    Liliana exined, ¡°Previously, Jonathan went to fetch you personally. It was to show the Preston family that you are under our protection and they shouldn¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Li interrupted, ¡°Mommy, can I guess?¡±


    Liliana nodded.


    Li said, ¡°Currently, Uncle Liam¡¯s family are nice to Kyle and will continue to be nice to him. But at the same time, if you don¡¯t publicly acknowledge that he is your son, they can¡¯t use Kyle for their benefit. They will be stuck in the middle, not knowing Kyle¡¯s status in our family.¡±


    Kyle widened his eyes.


    Liliana nodded, ¡°You guess it right. It is the most basic reason. There are others as well.¡±


    Jonathan added, ¡°Kyle, no matter what anyone says or does, you are our son. But biologically and legally, you are a Preston, and they are also your family. Indulging some of them is not a big deal for us, but you are not amodity to be used.¡±


    ¡°We want to protect your self-respect and individuality. People should respect and love you for who you are. Not because of your connections and how they can use you for their benefit.¡±


    Kyle smiled, ¡°I understand, Daddy Nathan. I will not let them manipte you. I know you and Mommy love me.¡±

 Chapter 261 Crumbled

    In the CEO¡¯s office in the Aprice Group!


    Lester had thought that the shock he had received in the evening was too much. But Liliana had dealt him another blow which he came to know only the next day.


    He sat on his chair ¨C he loved and had fought for many years for that position. But that morning, he felt nothing but gloom.


    He stared wide-eyed at the resignation letters from over three dozen employees, veterans all. And letters ¨C no, not a letter ¨C derations of relinquishing shares from five shareholders, all of whom had been in the Aprice Group since Leon¡¯s time.


    His assistant had briefed him that they had received equal shares of L&L designs for leaving behind the Aprice Group¡¯s shares for him.


    It felt like a massive p in the face and a huge charity.


    Suddenly, Lesterughed.


    Hisughter was full of darkness ¨C it held anger, despair, defeat, and rage.


    Oh! How he hated Leon and his disdainful eyes!


    And Anne, the so-called gentle and pure Anne, had hidden many things up her sleeve. She was haunting him from down under.


    He should have strangled her when she was alive.


    He thought of Liliana, who looked so much like Anne and even more like Leon. Her eyes and her wit always reminded him of Leon.


    Her patience and ruthlessness were on another level altogether.


    He should have killed her in the cradle. He should have never let Leon raise and groom her.


    Lastly, he thought of Leonardo! His pride, his ace, his hidden trump card.


    He felt a shudder down his spine when he thought of Leonardo.


    He had already asked his butler to ess the DNA between Rose and Leonardo.


    But deep down, Lester knew it was futile.


    So what if he analyzed the DNA? So what if Leonardo turned out to be Rose¡¯s son?


    He had made his stance clear. He was firmly on Liliana¡¯s side.


    Heughed andughed as he thought back on his life.


    How had he failed so much?


    Anne had been dead for two decades and hade to haunt him.


    She had yed her cards well. Instead of dealing with Lester directly, she stayed in the corner and honed her daughter as a weapon. In turn, Liliana raised Leonardo as her dagger.


    Together, his biological children dealt him the fatal blow.


    Lester choked on hisughter and passed out. His health had been deteriorating for months.


    His assistant sensed something was wrong and came to his rescue.


    In the hospital, his assistant saw Rose.


    Rose was reading the DNA test report in her hands. She was frozen. Lester¡¯s assistant shook her many times before she came to her senses.


    She looked lifeless and dull.


    The doctors gave Lester many antibodies to heal his damaged organs. But he was on limited time.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Rose went home on some pretext and met the butler. She asked him about her child¡¯s grave, and she went there.


    But only she knew that the grave only had ashes of burnt grass.


    She knelt in front of the grave and cried.


    Romeo found her there and brought her to his hotel.


    Lydia received all the news, and she felt lost. She didn¡¯t know whom to console ¨C her father, mother, or herself.


    How did Liliana defeat them all in one day?


    Lester got discharged after three days.


    He had thought long and hard about what had happened. He had no choice but to admit defeat.


    There was no point denying the truth.


    His biological children disdained him. Lydia had always been an airhead.


    His health was deteriorating.


    Thankfully, he had the foresight to square away some of his assets.


    He promptly divorced Rose and kicked her out of the house along with Lydia.


    Rose was immersed in her grief about her child and didn¡¯t realize when the blow came.


    It shook her awake. But Lester threw the divorce certificates at her, and she had no choice but to leave.


    Everything Leonardo had signed before seemed to be a farce. She had nothing left.


    Lydia cried and screamed, but Lester was resolute.


    Lydia had no choice but to ept the harsh truth ¨C Lester was not her father. It was the most brutal blow since she had genuinely loved Lester.


    To her, Lester had always been a superman.


    Within three days, the Aprice family crumbled and fell with no chance to get back up.

 Chapter 262 Crushed

    By the time Rose realized what had happened, she was thoroughly crushed.


    Her second child was dead. No, he was never alive. She had personally thrown his ashes into the dustbin andughed.


    She was mortally terrified. Her health had been weak since donating her kidney. It got worse due to her mental state.


    However, the mes of revenge burned even bright.


    She would never forget Liliana, nor would she forgive Lester. That bastard kicked her to the curb as soon as he had no use of her.


    She decided to go public and humiliate Liliana for abandoning her father.


    Rose and Romeo contacted several media people on the pretext of having massive news on Liliana.


    But they were nobodies, and no one significant paid them any mind.


    The few media folks that had gathered were wanna-be-big reporters with little impact.


    They sat and listened to Rose rant about Liliana being an unfilial daughter.


    Rose was still going on about her sad story when a reporter eximed.


    ¡°Bitch! You are a murderer.¡±


    Rose shuddered as a chill ran down her spine.


    The other reporters looked at their phones, and Rose did the same.


    Lester had sued her for attempted murder. There were pictures of Romeo buying illegal drugs and handing them to Rose along with Lester¡¯s health records which confirmed that his suddenly deteriorating internal organs were due to that drug.


    Rose and Romeo froze. They heard the buzzing sound of police cars.


    The reporters had started to curse them for misleading them and wasting their time.


    Hearing the sounds of police cars, they were ecstatic about capturing a live arrest. They finally got some scoop.


    Rose and Romeo got sentenced to five years in prison and a penalty. Since the evidence against them was irrefutable, their case was closed very quickly.


    Lydia was thoroughly crushed.


    Out of the blue, she had be ¨C homeless, penniless. She had no parents or shelter. She did not know where to buy her next meal.


    She began to hyperventte and passed out on the side of the road. A kind passerby sent her to the nearest hospital.


    But she had no money to pay her bills. The person gave her a few bucks and left.


    She looked at the loose change in her hand and cried even more bitterly.


    The next day, she went to the prison to visit her parents.


    She cried and wailed in the waiting room. The person in the adjacent cell couldn¡¯t take it anymore and scolded her.


    Rose turned to him and scolded him. But Romeo froze on seeing him.


    He had bought that supposedly preciousnd from him.


    Romeo realized something was wrong. He stammered, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    The man recognized him as well.


    He chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s you. You are in as well. What is your expertise?¡±


    Rose asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He answered, ¡°My specialty is real estate fraud. I sold this man a wastnd for an exorbitant price. Hahaha!¡±


    Rose realized what was going on and froze.


    The man continued, ¡°If I knew you were a fellow mastermind, I would have given you a discount.¡±


    With that, he turned around and continued to chat.


    Lydia did not know what had happened.


    She cried and asked.


    Rose looked at her with her heart breaking into pieces.


    Despite all their faults, she and Romeo loved their daughter. But now, they were imprisoned and had no way to help her.


    Lydia left in tears.


    She walked to the Aprice mansion. She did not know where else to go.


    But Lester denied her entry.


    She slumped outside the gate and passed out.


    One of the drivers took pity on her and brought her to the outhouse.


    They gave her food and drinks. They even have her clean clothes to change.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Lydia felt gratified. But soon, she realized something was wrong.


    She felt dizzy and hot.


    Looking at the lecherous smile on one of the driver¡¯s faces, Lydia realized she was doomed. They had drugged her.


    ¡°How could you?¡± She asked feebly.


    ¡°Why, young Miss? We learned these from you. You have been doing such things to your stepsister for years. Your mother is even more vicious. All these years, you mother and daughter forced us to keep quiet without paying. Don¡¯t you think you should pay us now?¡±


    Lydia mumbled feebly, ¡°This is wrong.¡±


    Another driverughed, ¡°Don¡¯t go about teaching morality now! We all know you don¡¯t have it.¡±


    Lydia knew they meant business. A shudder passed through her.


    She had wanted to marry Jonathan. And hence, she had never been with anyone.


    During Jonathan and Liliana¡¯s wedding, she had hoped to sleep with him, but Liliana had ruined her ns.


    The thought of losing her virginity to those lecherous drivers made her die a little from the inside.


    Suddenly she thought of the same wedding. She had nned to let a few men rape Liliana.


    ¡®Was this retribution?¡¯


    That was herst thought before she cked out.

 Chapter 263 Saved

    When Lydia woke up next, she felt disoriented and thirsty.


    She looked around and gulped a ss of water from the table stand.


    As she drank the water, the events before she had passed out came to her, and she shrieked.


    A woman opened the door when she heard the scream.


    Lydia screamed, ¡°Who are you? What did you do to me?¡±


    The woman frowned, but she kept her temper and exined.


    ¡°My husband brought you backst night. He saved you from an unfortunate situation.¡±


    Lydia did not believe her and started throwing things at her.


    The woman was exasperated and locked the door from the outside.


    Lydia screamed and scolded her some more. She became quiet when she felt tired.


    After waiting for some time, Lydia looked around the dingy room.


    It did not even have an attached bathroom.


    She looked into it properly, and it seemed like a poor person¡¯s bedroom. She did not feel any difort, and her body did not seem to have any marks.


    ¡®Did the woman tell the truth?¡¯


    With that thought, Lydia tried to open the door but found it locked from the outside.


    Then she became angry again and started to hammer the door from the inside.


    She began her verbal abuse once more and kept at it until she slumped on the floor due to exhaustion.


    Her throat was dry, and there was no water.


    After a long time, the same woman opened the door again.


    She stoically asked if she was hungry.


    Lydia wanted to shout at her again but refrained from it.


    She nodded robotically.


    The woman brought her outside and showed her to a bathroom. Their entire house seemed to have only one bathroom.


    ¡®How do they live like this?¡¯


    Lydia thought in her mind but kept mum.


    In the bathroom, she got more shock as there was no tissue paper. There was water, and she had to clean up using water.


    She washed her hands, scrubbing them with soap over and over again.


    She had never felt so ufortable. After that, she freshened up the best she could and came out.


    The woman gave her a toothbrush.


    Lydia stared at it for a while ¨C it was a standard toothbrush from an unknown brand. It had been years since Lydia used a regr toothbrush. She was used to an electric one.


    She took it anyway and brushed her teeth.


    After that, she went to the dining room. It seemed to double for the living room as well.


    She bit back herments and sat down.


    But the woman did not seem to have any interest in feeding her.


    She busied herself in the kitchen without care.


    Lydia cleared her throat a few times. Finally, she got a reaction, but it wasn¡¯t what she had hoped for at all.


    She came out of the kitchen and admonished Lydia for being ungrateful and rude.


    ¡°My husband saved your life, even got beat up for you. And you dare to be rude and demanding. Who do you think you are? Are we your servants? Why should I cater to you?¡±


    Lydia fumed, having forgotten her predicament. ¡°You are a poor uncouth bitch. How dare you talk to me like that? See how I teach you a lesson.¡±


    ¡°This poor uncouth bitch and her husband saved you from being raped. I could have sold you to a hotel for a pretty penny, but we took you in and cared for you when you were all hot and bothered. Is this how you repay us for our kindness?¡±


    Lydia frowned.


    She had no retort for the woman¡¯s words. Indeed she had not been raped. But she couldn¡¯t believe such a rude woman had saved her life.


    As such, she started her verbal diarrhea.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    She was the youngdy of the Aprices. How dare a filthy woman look down on her?


    At that moment, Lydia had entirely forgotten that she was homeless and her parents were in jail. She had nowhere to go.


    Lydia¡¯s verbiage ended when the woman pped her in the face.

 Chapter 264 Her savior

    Lydia was stunned.


    She stood there ¨C horrified. Noone had pped her that hard ever.


    Lydia felt her head ringing as stars blurred her vision.


    A few momentster, someone opened the door, breaking their silent stalemate.


    Lydia recognized the man right away. He was one of the drivers who had resigned en masse.


    Her sense of ire red up on seeing him.


    ¡°You! How dare you bring me here?¡±


    She walked up to him and tried to p him, but the woman stopped her.


    The man ignored her and talked to the woman.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Leena. I will talk to her.¡±


    The woman, Leena, curled her lips in displeasure, ¡°If I knew she was this bad, I would have let her be. We saved her, and they even kicked you so much.¡±


    The man, Lydia recalled his name was Jonas ¨C something, went up to Leena and hugged her.


    ¡°Miss Lydia, I am not sure if you know my name. My name is Jonas Kent.¡± He pointed at the woman in his arms and introduced, ¡°This is my wife ¨C Leena Kent.¡±


    Lydia only snorted at him.


    The man remained unaffected even as Leena bristled.


    He calmly said, ¡°I am not sure how much you remember what happenedst night. Let me exin what I know or saw.¡±


    He gestured towards a chair on the table, and Lydia took a seat.


    Leena and Jonas brought the food to the table and ted three tes.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Lydia was too hungry toin about them sitting at the same table.


    Jonas exined after they all began their meal.


    ¡°Last night, Leena and I went to the Aprice servant quarters because I couldn¡¯t find my driving license. I figured I had dropped it in my dormitory in the Aprice quarters, so I went there with Leena. She drove as I did not have my license with me.¡±


    Lydia huffed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a driver? How can you not have a license?¡±


    Jonas put some food on Leena¡¯s te and ignored Lydia¡¯s jab.


    ¡°I was indeed a driver for many years. But Miss Liliana gave us a very generous severance pay. I bought a second-hand cab as I n to drive my private vehicle moving forward. I only know how to drive. I am not educated and don¡¯t have any other qualifications.¡±


    Lydia was offended at hearing Liliana¡¯s name. She snapped, ¡°You can only buy a second-hand car from your generous pay. How un-generous!¡±


    Leena seethed, ¡°We also paid off all our debts, and now, we own the house where you are sitting.¡±


    Lydia wanted to retort, but Jonas cut her off.


    ¡°Anyway, as I was saying, Leena and I went there to see if I had left my driving license there. But we found that some of them were trying to take advantage of you. You were unconscious.¡±


    Lydia¡¯s hand trembled. They did notment on it and pretended not to notice.


    Jonas continued, ¡°There were too many of them. Leena said she would start the car, and I should grab ¡®the victim¡¯ ¨C well, you ¨C and run out. We would not be able to take them all on our own. I pretended to call the police and brought you out. But they had figured out my ruse and ran after me. Thankfully, Leena had driven very close to the gate, and they only caught up with us after I had stuffed you in the backseat.¡±


    Leena added, ¡°Those beasts tried to beat you and even damaged the car.¡±


    Jonas soothed his wife and continued, ¡°Since they were drunk, I was able to throw them off long enough to get inside the car and lock the doors. Then Leena whisked us away. We did not know where to go, so we brought you here.¡±


    He looked at Leena and said adoringly, ¡°You were drugged and started to get bothered, so my wife spent the entire night taking care of you. She wiped you with iced water and helped you shower and change all night.¡±


    Lydia was stunned.


    She did not know what to say. She, of course, knew that she, thankfully, wasn¡¯t raped. And she was thankful to them.


    But she could not bring herself to lower her pride and bow to them.


    She usingly asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t they all your friends? You all worked together for many years.¡±


    Jonas let out an exasperated sigh.

 Chapter 265 The Truth

    Jonas patted Leena¡¯s head and put some more food on her te.


    He looked at Lydia and exined.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the butler or your parents who hired me. It was Mr. Jake Green, the gardener, who had hired me. I mostly worked for him only. Very infrequently, I worked for you or your parents. So, everyone looked down on me. But Mr. Green had told me to keep things quiet, so I never told anyone anything.¡±


    Lydia asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jonas exined, ¡°I always knew, as did some of the other employees, that we worked for Miss Liliana and the house and thepany belonged to her. It was her mother¡¯s and maternal grandfather¡¯s property, and she had inherited it. She never bothered to im it, but it was always hers.¡±


    Lydia became stupefied once again. She had not quite figured out how Liliana suddenly became so rich.


    Seeing her speechless, Jonas exined.


    ¡°Miss Lydia, don¡¯t take it the wrong way. It is anyway the fault of previous generations. Mr. Aprice had married Miss Liliana¡¯s mother ¨C the only child of the rich Petrovas. He was a simple office worker before that. But after marriage, he did not appreciate her. Her father seemed to have seen through him, so he never told Mr. Aprice everything about his assets. He handed everything to Miss Liliana directly and left a capable group of people to protect and train her.¡±


    Lydia was horrified, ¡°What are you saying? Of course, my father was a rich young master himself.¡±


    Jonas continued, ¡°Not at all! Almost everyone in the previous generations knows this. And you can read it from the old newspaper clippings. Anyways, after Miss Liliana¡¯s grandparents passed away, Mr. Aprice had an affair with your mother.¡±


    Leena added, ¡°Based on the news, your mother and biological father nned to con your stepfather for his money. The conversation between your biological parents is quite an eye-opener.¡±


    She shuddered.


    Jonas shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Lydia. It is all the previous generation. No one faults you for this.¡±


    ¡°Based on what I know, Mr. Aprice fed abortifacients to his wife, and she died shortly after. Then he married your mother, who was also pregnant. You know what happened after that.¡±


    Lydia asked, ¡°How do you know all of this?¡±


    Jonas shrugged, ¡°My father was Miss Anne¡¯s driver. Mr. Aprice dismissed him directly after she had passed away. I flunked exams and couldn¡¯t do much other than drive. So, my father asked Mr. Green if he could employ me.¡±


    He added, ¡°The Petrovas pay the highest sry to everyone. It¡¯s much above the market rate. And the benefits are also quite good since they expand everywhere.¡±


    Leena rebuked him, ¡°As if a rich person would understand. Why exin it to her?¡±


    Lydia red at her and ignored her.


    She timidly asked, ¡°Do you know what happened to my parents?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand how her world had crumbled out of the blue.


    Jonas looked at her as if she was an alien.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do you truly not know?¡±


    Lydia shook her head.


    He tutted helplessly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know the whole story, but based on what I was able to gather, Mr. and Mrs. Aprice seemed to be killing each other.¡±


    Lydia eximed, ¡°What?¡±


    He exined, ¡°Mr. Aprice found out that Mrs. Aprice had duped him for money. He tricked her and took away her kidney, and even fake kidnapped you. Then Mrs. Aprice drugged him, and now all his organs are failing.¡±


    Lydia cried, ¡°How could that be?¡±


    Jonas looked at her curiously, ¡°Miss Lydia, how could you not know that? Everyone knows that. All the servants were talking about it in the house.¡±


    Lydia stammered, ¡°But¡­ But they love each other!¡±


    Leenaughed, ¡°You, Miss! Are you delusional or crazy? Both of them are selfish people. They both married up for their gain. Lester Aprice married Anne Petrova for her money and cast her aside. Then your mother came to him as his karma and did the same. Now that everything¡¯s out in the open, they are trying to kill each other.¡±


    She paused and added, ¡°Though, I must say, Miss Liliana Petrova, outsmarted them both. She had her revenge without dirtying her hands.¡±


    Lydia seethed, ¡°Liliana ¨C that bitch ruined my life. You are in cahoots with her.¡±


    Jonas and Leena were speechless.

 Chapter 266 A chance

    Jonas asked, ¡°Miss Lydia, do you know what you are saying?¡±


    Lydia pped the table, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s all her fault. Everything went wrong when she came.¡±


    Leena rolled her eyes.


    Jonas shook his head and spoke.


    ¡°Miss Lydia! It doesn¡¯t matter. It was the grudges of previous generations. You should let bygones be bygones. What will you do now?¡±


    Lydia was stunned. She did not know what to do anymore.


    She ordered, ¡°Send me to the Aprice Mansion.¡±


    Leena wanted to rebuke her, but Jonas stopped her.


    He said, ¡°Sure, I can drop you at the Aprice Mansion. But I should caution you. Mr. Aprice has already cut ties with you. Based on what happened yesterday, I think it¡¯s safe to say he doesn¡¯t care about you. Yesterday¡¯smotion would have attracted his attention, but he did not save you.¡±


    Lydia looked at him agape. It took a long while to digest his words.


    She tried to deny it as she was too scared to ept the truth, ¡°But¡­ That can¡¯t be right. My father loves me.¡±


    Leena pitied the girl for a moment, but she spoke the harsh truth anyway. Someone had to say it.


    ¡°Girl, Lester Aprice gave abortifacients to his wife and killed his biological child. You saw how he treated his biological daughter. How can you expect him to care for you ¨C a stepdaughter? Especially since your biological parents made him sick. He is dying because of your parents. You think he will care for you.¡±


    Lydia looked aghast.


    She kept shaking her head. But she had to ept the truth.


    That can¡¯t be.


    She looked as if her soul had flown out of her body.


    The Kents did not have the heart to send her away. They let her be and ignored her.


    Jonas and Leena went to the kitchen as they cleaned up together.


    They had their problems to discuss.


    Leena suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you call Mr. Green? Maybe he can help.¡±


    Jonas nodded, ¡°Yes! I did not want to bother him from the beginning, but since we couldn¡¯t find it yesterday, I better do that. We won¡¯t be able to get inside the Aprice mansion anymore.¡±


    Leena paused whatever she was doing and spoke, ¡°Jonas, I am afraid. What if the drivers hold a grudge against you ande here?¡±


    He rubbed her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Why would they care about it?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    She was uneasy, ¡°It¡¯s easy for us to say. Anyhow, they were all unhappy because of your severance pay. Let¡¯s not take any chances. I am scared.¡±


    Jonas nodded, ¡°Alright! Don¡¯t worry too much. The doctor told you to reduce the stress; otherwise, the baby would be affected.¡±


    Leenaughed, ¡°Silly! I have to be pregnant for that first.¡±


    Jonas kissed her forehead and hugged her.


    He took out his phone and called Jake Green right away.


    ¡°Mr. Green! Hello, this is Jonas Kent speaking. I am sorry for disturbing you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! Edward Kent¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Green, I ran into some trouble and wanted your help. I am so sorry for being presumptuous.¡±


    After that, he briefly exined how he lost his license and rescued Lydia. Then he ryed his wife¡¯s fears.


    Jake paused for a while and spoke.


    ¡°Yes, Sir! I would love that. Thank you!¡±


    He hung up after a while and hugged his wife.


    Leena asked nervously, ¡°What did he say? Will he help us?¡±


    Jonas nodded, ¡°He said we need to report to the police that my driving license has been missing since whatever date. That way, the authorities will cancel the current one and re-issue a new one.¡±


    She heaved a sigh.


    Jonas continued, ¡°He said I could work for him until the issue subsides. And you can also move into the servant¡¯s quarters. So, we will be safe for a while. Later we can think of what to do.¡±


    Lenna nodded in relief.


    Finally, they got their chance.


    Without Mr. Green¡¯s protection, their dreams of a better life would have remained just that.

 Chapter 267 Choice

    Lydia had overheard some of their conversations. A sense of nothingness spread over her.


    She had no ns, no destination. She could only follow them wherever they were going.


    Otherwise, where else could she go?


    Lydia had lived a sheltered life and did not know how to care for herself.


    Lester had spent a lot of money on her education, but she had barely paid attention to her studies. She had bribed the lecturers and done the bare minimum needed to get the passing grade. Even that had been too tough for her.


    She knew how to shop and party and enjoy her life. But now she was homeless and destitute. How could she do any of that?


    She did not even know how to earn her next meal.


    As much as she did not like Leena¡¯s haughty attitude, she had no choice but to stick with them.


    She threatened to sue them for kidnapping her, and after a lengthy quarrel, they had no choice but to agree with her.


    Jonas went out to file a police report, and they tidied up everything quickly.


    Jonas also asked his neighbors and friends to help him with renting out his house.


    They would make some steady money instead of keeping the house unupied.


    Finally, Jonas, Leena, and Lydia went to the Petrova Mansion.


    A maid escorted them straight to the servant¡¯s quarters, which were well furnished and looked way more luxurious than Jonas and Leena¡¯s house.


    Sometimeter, the butler came with an employment contract, and they finalized a few things.


    Jake did not need another driver, per se. But he hired Jonas nheless because of his father. Besides, for Jake or the Petrovas, having a few extra drivers meant nothing.


    Jake and Leena stayed in one room. Lydia, who was not employed, had to share with them. So, in one bedroom, which only had onerge bed, three people made their amodation.


    Lydia felt small and vulnerable, but what other choice did she have?


    Jonas promised to get her to meet Liliana in a few days so she could n her path.


    They couldn¡¯t keep her with them all the time.


    Lydia huffed and agreed.


    The next day, everyone went about their work. But Lydia had nothing to do and nowhere to go.


    She stayed in the room she shared with the couple and looked outside the window.


    Coincidentally, her window faced the Petrova Mansion.


    She saw Liliana and Jonathan taking a walk in the garden.


    Since the servant¡¯s quarters were a bit far from the main mansion, the images were not very clear.


    But she could recognize them right away.


    They had interlocked their fingers and talked while strolling.


    Lydia saw Liliana running, and Jonathan chased after her.


    Soon, three kids joined them, and Lydia enviously watched the five of them running and ying.


    Lydia could not move her eyes away from them.


    She watched as a maid brought them something. Then everyone wore gloves and started to work in the garden.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    The gardener walked behind them and guided them.


    Lydia continued to watch them for hours. She did not know why but she could not move away from them.


    She had never experienced a time like that.


    She had never yed with her parents or worked in the garden.


    By the time she came to Aprice, she was already old, and Lester would not y with her.


    Before that, her parents were always arguing and nning something.


    They all doted on her, catered to her whims, and spent money on her.


    But they did not have pure memory with them.


    She did not know why, but suddenly she felt very hollow.


    When she was an affluent Princess, she was not bothered, but now when she had lost everything, Lydia realized she did not have too many memories either.


    Most of her memories aftering to Aprice were ¨C bullying Liliana, showing off, shopping, or partying.


    Lydia continued to watch them until she was tired.


    Then she went to bed and slept.

 Chapter 268 Job of sorts

    A few weeks went by, but Lydia stayed in her limbo, unable to cope with her circumstances.


    One day, out of the blue, Jonas came back looking flustered and said a man who imed to be friends with her father was out to see her.


    Lydia had never acknowledged Romeo as her father, so she assumed one of the friends of Lester¡¯s or Aprices hade to help her.


    But when she went out the door, she was dumbfounded.


    The man in front of her was visibly a thug. She internally chagrined at being seen with him.


    But she had to remind herself of her circumstances and bite the bullet.


    The man offered her a job of sorts.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Lydia went back to her room with a head full of thoughts.


    Although she hated Liliana very much, she could never hurt a child.


    But she had no money and no ce to stay. She was conflicted.


    The people had promised that they would only scare the kids at most. She kept swaying either way and did not return to her senses after a long time.


    A few dayster, she was still undecided.


    Coincidently, the butler tasked everyone with some work for a big party in the Smith family manor.


    Lydia¡¯s eyes became teary as she heard the butler assign her the role of a waitress.


    She thought about the task that the strange man had proposed.


    She wondered if it was a coincidence that she stood conveniently positioned to carry them out. A shudder ran down her spine.


    A sense of foreboding came to her, but she suppressed it deep inside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. If you don¡¯t think about it, it won¡¯t happen.¡± Lydia consoled herself and stopped her wandering mind.


    In the meantime, Liliana and Leonardo were utterly busy.


    After they revealed their identities, many of their coborators sought a meeting, and they could not refuse them.


    It would have looked suspicious if they had refused everyone.


    As such, they meet a lot of people. It was equally exhausting and fulfilling.


    Jonathan also had some issues to attend to, so he became even busier than them.


    Every evening he woulde back in time for dinner, but right after that, he would promptly lock himself in the study room.


    One day, Liliana could not help but ask, ¡°What is keeping you so busy these days?¡±


    He yawned and wrapped his arms around her waist. Resting his head on her shoulders and yawning again, he muttered sleepily.


    ¡°I suspect some ws in some of the projects. Very subtle but critical. I am trying to figure out if the project manager in charge made a mistake or if there¡¯s a bigger problem.¡±


    She asked with concern, ¡°Are you vetting everyone personally?¡±


    He mumbled, ¡°Hmm!¡±


    She caressed his head, ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    He kissed her neck and shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can manage.¡±


    She asked again, ¡°But you are so busy these days?¡±


    He yawned again, ¡°I know. I only want to fix things before the banquet. Hence the rush.¡±


    She helped him lie on the bed and hugged him, ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself. Let me know if you need any help.¡±


    He kissed her temple and yawned again.


    She shook her head, ¡°Go to sleep. I will find you in the office if I have anything to tell you.¡±


    He drank a ss of water and said, ¡°No! That is preposterous. Tell me what¡¯s going on!¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I have a suspicion, but granduncle is handling it. And Leo is on it. I don¡¯t need to do anything.¡±


    He probed for details, ¡°What is it exactly?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! If it were anything important, I would have told you.¡±


    Jonathan wanted to interrupt, but she kissed him, stopping his words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep. You have been too tired these days.¡±


    Jonathan was too exhausted to press her further. He fell asleep within minutes.

 Chapter 269 Telling Kyle

    As the Smith family banquet came near, Liliana and Jonathan had an awkward problem.


    Kyle was a Preston, and they could not introduce him at the banquet.


    Liliana called Kyle in the study and asked him directly.


    ¡°Kyle, you know, there¡¯s going to be a banquet in Jonathan¡¯s old house in two weeks.¡±


    Kyle nodded his head, ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡±


    Liliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°Initially, we nned to have you stay back with Granduncle Green, but now the ns have changed.¡±


    Kyle looked at her curiously.


    Kyle was getting several different training sessions and was bing a poker face like his father.


    Because of who his mother was, Kyle had a natural affinity for hiding his emotions and not letting anything slip. He was getting so much better at it that Liliana was worried that she would not be able to read him soon enough.


    She suppressed her emotions and hugged Kyle.


    ¡°Kyle, you are my son. I love you so much. I don¡¯t want you to be a part of an adult¡¯s scheme. But I can not change your birth. The same as I can¡¯t change Li and Jo¡¯s birth and their responsibilities and burdens.¡±


    Kyle patted Liliana¡¯s back and mumbled, ¡°I know, Mommy. We don¡¯t feel wrong, so don¡¯t worry. I know you love us the most.¡±


    She kissed his face and added, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do any of these, let me know. As your mother, it¡¯s my responsibility to protect you. And I want to protect you and shield you from all harm. But like I said, I can¡¯t change our births. We were born with privileges. And with thates responsibilities and danger.¡±


    ¡°I tell the three of you many things that a normal parent would not tell her child. That is because I am not a normal person, Kyle. The same way your parents aren¡¯t regr civilians.¡±


    ¡°The Prestons have a long history of military associations, and your mother was something else entirely. If it everes out who your biological mother is, you will be in grave danger. That¡¯s why we train you so hard. That¡¯s also why your training is very different from Li and Jo¡¯s. Despite everything, Jonathan and I are wealthy merchants, but your parents were involved in much more secret stuff.¡±


    ¡°This is also why we are always so tight-lipped about your mother¡¯s identity. We will tell you who your mother is in due time. We will tell youter when you are old enough to appreciate her sacrifices and protect yourself.¡±


    Kyle stayed quite deep in thought before he nodded, ¡°I understand, Mommy.¡±


    Liliana nodded, ¡°Anyway, back to what I was saying. Initially, we nned to have you stay back with granduncle Green during the next two weekends as we take Jo and Li to the Smith Family ancestors and have the banquet.¡±


    Kyle nodded at her.


    She continued, ¡°But Leo said if we are trying to throw off the Prestons from using you as a bargaining chip or a springboard, we should let you stay back with Prestons. That¡¯s also for safety reasons.¡±


    Before Kyle could respond, she added, ¡°However, the weekend after that, we will bring you back personally. Well, Jonathan will personally fetch you back. That way, the Prestons won¡¯t dare to mess with you, but at the same time, they won¡¯t be able to take advantage of you.¡±


    Kyle nodded, ¡°I understand, Mommy.¡±


    Liliana gave him a sad smile. ¡°You are too young to be involved in these politics, Kyle. But we can not shelter you forever. We don¡¯t want to stunt your growth. You must bear such a burden at a young age.¡±


    Kyle nodded, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mommy. I also want to be strong enough to protect you and Jo.¡±


    Liliana smiled, ¡°I know, honey. I love you so much. Don¡¯t ever forget that.¡±


    Kyle smiled at her and hugged her.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Liliana exined the same things to Nathaniel and Joyanna though in simpler terms.


    Nathaniel only frowned but did not say anything. Joyanna was visibly upset and clung to Kyle, who yed with her and soothed her worries.

 Chapter 270 Meeting the Smiths

    [A/N ¨C I am sorry for the dy. There was dengue and COVID viral ¨C one after the other ¨C in my ce, and my entire family was affected. I have been too busy and sick ¨C flitting about the hospital and work these past few months and did not get the time. I willplete this as soon as possible. Thank you for your support.]


    _____Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Liliana and Jonathan took their twins to meet Jonathan¡¯s grandmother ¨C Emma Miller Smith.


    The visit was scheduled weeks in advance.


    Old Madam Smith had tried her best to call her son and daughter-inw back home. But they had declined irrevocably.


    Jonathan¡¯s parents ¨C Tyler Smith and Sophia Smith, had left P City when Jonathan returned to take over thepany at the age of 22. They had not even bothered to teach him the ropes or help him establish his position.


    They handed him the shares and the reins and just left. They had not returned since, and it seemed they did not n to return anytime soon.


    Jonathan wasn¡¯t surprised.


    His grandmother had forced his parents to have a child ¨C an heir.


    His mother was infertile, and they had used her eggs, which ¨C thankfully ¨C were viable to make him in IVF.


    Then they used an unnamed surrogate to give birth to him.


    His parents were college sweethearts, but his mother was a foreigner, and the union suffered a lot of bacsh.


    Emma had forced Sophia to change her name to Sophia Smith to better integrate with the family and had vehemently denied adoption.


    The entire childbearing business had traumatized her.


    She never wanted a child and couldn¡¯t forget the tons of medications, injections, the painful procedure of extracting her eggs, and the trauma and taunts associated with the ordeal.


    Ultimately, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to love the child born with her DNA.


    It did not help that Jonathan did not inherit any of her features. Maybe, he mirrored her expressions and personality, but she had never paid enough attention to him to find out.


    Emma Miller-Smith wanted an heir to take over and expand the Smith Group. If she loved her grandson, Jonathan never knew.


    He never felt the family love, belongingness, or sense of home.


    The Smith family dynamics were as frosty as they could get.


    Liliana knew, of course, and kept mum. She did not want to poke his wounds.


    Nathaniel sensed something was wrong and kept quiet.


    Joyanna, on the other hand, was too curious to notice anything. She thought her parents were nervous about meeting the inws, as she had heard from the maids.


    She consoled her mother gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Momma. You are the best. Daddy¡¯s family will also love you. They won¡¯t throw water and money in your face.¡±


    Liliana was speechless.


    Jonathan was shocked. He asked, ¡°Honey, where did you hear that from?¡±


    Joyanna spoke guiltily, ¡°Daddy, I wanted a drama in Jasmine¡¯s room. She went to search for my kitten toy and left it on. Sometimes, I sneak into her room and watch the drama.¡±


    She added when none spoke.


    ¡°In the drama, the inws throw money and water in Mommy¡¯s face. Jasmine caught me, and I never found out why they did that.¡±


    Joyanna pouted. She had wanted to know more about that, but the maid wouldn¡¯t allow her to watch soap operas.


    She wondered why the inws would not like the mommy. She was also afraid that they might take her and her brother away. But she shook herself out of it.


    Her mother would never allow that. Her mother was a superwoman. Joyanna knew from the bottom of her heart that her mother would always keep them close and protected.


    She did not need to worry about getting pped by the ¡®inws¡¯ or ¡®other woman¡¯ as in the TV.


    Joyanna looked at her parents, who exchanged a look between them andughed out loud.


    Liliana patted her head and corrected her, ¡°Honey, none of that will happen. I am only worried because your great-grandma is old. We returned to P City more than half a year ago, but we still haven¡¯t gone to meet her. You should not ignore your ancestors like this.¡±


    Nathaniel asked curiously, ¡°Mommy, why did we not visit her sooner?¡±


    Jonathan answered, ¡°Because I was busy. I wanted to focus on our health and get to know you better before bringing you to meet anyone. That way, I can take care of your mommy better.¡±


    Nathaniel nodded and did not ask further.

 Chapter 271 Hello, Great-Grandma

    Jonathan, Liliana, Nathaniel, and Joyanna sat in the garden waiting for the olddy Smith.


    The entire household was abuzz. The butler had informed all the servants to be on their best behavior as they would receive the heirs of the Smith family for the first time.


    They waited on the family of four on hand and foot.


    The butler escorted Emma Miller-Smith to the garden. Her health had started failing recently, and it affected her mobility.


    But she wanted to ensure the younger generations knew she was the head and in charge.


    She sat down on the couch and looked at them.


    Liliana was mindful of her courtesies. She went to the olddy and knelt before her, showing her respect.


    She passed her a wrapped gift box and muttered.


    ¡°Grandma, please ept my greetings. I am sorry for not paying you respect for all these years.¡±


    The old madam did not dare to make things difficult for her. Jonathan had warned her that any future visits would depend on her performance.


    As such, she helped her up and asked her to sit beside her.


    ¡°No need for such courtesy. We are a family. I am sure you had your reasons for staying away all these years. I am not unaware of your difficulties. Let the past be where it belongs.¡±


    Liliana smiled at her genially, ¡°Thank you, Grandma!¡±


    She turned to her kids and instructed, ¡°Li, Jo ¨Ce here. Meet your great-grandmother.¡±


    The kids sensibly went forward and knelt just like Liliana had done.


    ¡°Grandma, these are your great-grandchildren. Nathaniel Petrova Smith and Joyanna Petrova Smith ¨C Li and Jo. Li is older by 15 minutes.¡±


    Nathaniel bowed and replied, ¡°Hello, great-grandmother.¡±


    Joyanna was excited, ¡°Hello, great-grandma. I am Jo. I am mommy¡¯s little bundle of joy. I will love you from now on.¡±


    Olddy Smith teared up.


    She wasn¡¯t entirely unfeeling. Circumstances had forced her to be ruthless and audacious because of her husband¡¯s untimely death and her only son¡¯s indifference.


    In thest few years, she had lived alone in solitude. None of her off-spings would call or visit her unless necessary.


    She was respected and revered, even feared, but not loved.


    Seeing her great-grandchildren and hearing Jo¡¯s sweet words make her feel equally happy and depressed.


    She wondered if she would ever get the chance to enjoy familial bliss before departing the world. She did not have that long to live. Maybe a few more years filled with sickness and loneliness.


    Maybe she would get the divine opportunity to get some warmth after all.


    She hugged the two kids and did not speak. She was afraid she would choke.


    She spoke after she had gained someposure, ¡°I am so d to meet you ¨C Li, Jo. I am sorry. Great-grandma should have visited you when you were babies.¡±


    Joyanna kissed the old woman¡¯s cheeks, ¡°It¡¯s okay, great-grandma. Let¡¯s y together from now on.¡±


    Liliana left the two kids to sit with the old Madam Smith and went to Jonathan.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    He was stunned. He had never known his grandmother was capable of emotions. He was still debating whether she was acting or if she was indeed a human.


    Liliana held his hands and inteced their fingers.


    ¡°The kids know what they are doing. Let¡¯s move on. From your past and mine.¡±


    She whispered.


    Jonathan looked at her and smiled.


    Yeah, they should move on.


    There was no need to wallow in self-pity and self-me.


    If his grandmother wanted to nurture a rtionship with their kids, so be it.


    They will anyway protect and guide the kids well. They could spend some time with the old Madam Smith now and then.


    If his parents ever came back, he did not think it was likely, but if they did, they would cross that bridge when they got there.


    The Smiths simply did not love him or care for him as a person. Otherwise, they weren¡¯t a risk like the Aprices.


    They did not need to separate the kids from them. At least they could give the rtionship a fighting chance.


    The old madam had prepared gifts for everyone.


    She presented a family heirloom to Liliana and some trinkets and toys to the kids.


    Jonathan felt like the old one out. But he kept to himself.


    The old madam had prepared their rooms for them, and they spent the weekend with her.

 Chapter 272 Leonardo’s revenge

    It had been a month since Romeo and Rose¡¯s imprisonment.


    Lester¡¯s health was rapidly failing, and so was the Aprice Group. He struggled to clear his tasks and leave P city.


    He was unhappy about leaving P City with his tail between his legs, but what other choice did he have?


    Leonardo sent his assistant to meet Rose and Romeo.


    Rose was surprised to see that Leonardo had sent over his assistant, but she could not hide her hope.


    She had raised Leonardo as her own.


    The assistant informed her how sorry Leonardo was for her. Irrespective of everything, she was innocent of Lester¡¯s ruthlessness in feeding his mother abortifacients to get rid of him.


    For the sake of years of affection, he had sent a gift.


    The assistant passed along the proof of Lester and hiswyer tricking Rose out of her kidney and attempting Lydia¡¯s kidnapping.


    Leonardo¡¯s assistant also gave them a t on the outskirts of the town. It wasn¡¯t much, but Lydia would have a roof over her head.


    Romeo was ecstatic.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    He could finally have his revenge on that old fart. But most importantly, his daughter would not be homeless.


    They profusely thanked the assistant and begged the guards to call their daughter.


    They never knew how the guards managed to contact Lydia, who had lost her phone in that unfortunate ident and didn¡¯t have a ce to live. But it never crossed their minds.


    They showed everything to Lydia and asked her to file aint against Lester.


    Lydia was reluctant to do so as she genuinely loved Lester.


    Rose and Romeo had to convince her for a long time before she agreed.


    Moreover, the prospect of having a roof over her head and not having to work at the Smiths at that party and carry out that task was a wee chance.


    If Rose had known Lydia¡¯s reasons for agreeing, she would have vomited blood.


    She hadn¡¯t realized that she was solely responsible for what she did to her child¡¯s remains. Instead, she med Liliana and was unhappy about herck of chances at revenge.


    If she had known Lydia had the chance to hurt that little bitch¡¯s kids, she would have used every which way to convince her.


    Surprisingly, vicious as she was, Lydia somehow knew where to draw the line. She had no qualms about doing every unimaginable thing to Liliana but was reluctant to hurt children.


    Funnily enough, she would not hesitate to hurt them if only they were slightly older or had grown up a little bit.


    Only God would know how she came about such strange morality of sorts.


    Nheless, she filed a case against Lester, and he was convicted. The police brought Lester¡¯swyer and his wife back and charged them.


    One day, Leonardo went to meet Lester at the police station.


    Lester was surprised to see his son. He was utterly conflicted about seeing Leonardo.


    He had loved him and raised him, but at the same time, he had tried to get rid of him.


    Lester had lost weight and aged several years.


    He sneered, ¡°Are you here tough at me?¡±


    Leonardo shook his head, ¡°No, I am here to see my handiwork. Elder sister wanted to let you be and ignored your soon-to-be-mistress abroad and your properties. But I wasn¡¯t satisfied. I had to beg her to let me deal with you. And well, here you are.¡±


    He smiled at Lester¡¯s dumbfounded face and asked, ¡°How does it feel, biological father?¡±


    Lester shook his head, ¡°Why?¡±


    Even he did not know what he was asking. Why did Liliana let him go? Why did Leonardo treat him so hatefully?


    But Leonardo understood.


    He answered all his unspoken questions.


    ¡°Lil sees you as the man mother loved with all her heart. Mother saw your true colors and was disillusioned but loved you too much to leave. She even gave all the Petrova inheritance to 5-year-old Lil because she knew she was biased towards you and hence disqualified.¡±


    ¡°No matter how hateful you are, she has a soft spot for you ¨C the man mother loved.¡±


    ¡°But I am different. I never got to meet my mother. I don¡¯t understand what the word ¡®mother¡¯ means except for elder sister. I saw you beat and abuse her. I saw you treat the person who loved me unconditionally like garbage.¡±


    ¡°How could I let you off so easily?¡±


    Lester was too shocked to speak.


    He knew Anne loved him. As insecure as he was, he knew deep down that he had managed to take advantage of Anne because she loved him.


    At the end of the rope ¨C when he had lost and his body deteriorating ¨C his son forced him to face the bare truth.


    And it burned.


    But the past was gone. Just like Anne! Just like his glory days! Just like his life!


    He was on limited time and counting his days.


    Heughed.


    The truth of what he had and what he lost finally sank in.


    All he wanted ¨C he had it all. All he had to do was love Anne and their children. But he couldn¡¯t even do that.


    Heughed andughed until he coughed blood.


    But Leonardo had long gone. He left without turning back.

 Chapter 273 Mariana’s respite

    Time flew by as Rose, Romeo, and Lester ¨C and their aplice ¨C served their terms.


    Rose was in poor health. She had acquired a scornful attitude when she was Mrs. Aprice, which made it difficult for her to live in prison with other inmates.


    The frequent scrimmages made her life miserable, for she would often get beaten. They would steal her food and leave the most disgusting or difficult work for her.


    Moreover, she was depressed because of the loss of her second child. Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she was almost at the end of her life.


    But when she was close to kicking the bucket, she received another piece of news.


    Her son had been cremated and buried. His ashes were waiting for her.


    She begged the guards for an audience with Liliana, but Liliana had cut off her past.


    Liliana did not want to deal with her or Lester or any past. She had moved on and no longer cared about petty grudges.


    As far as Liliana was concerned, Lester, Rose, and Romeo had gotten their due. The dead were long gone, and she was smart enough to move on from the conflict. She did not want to waste away in revenge.


    But Mariana was happy to spend her time gloating in their misery. Instead of Liliana, Mariana visited Rose to rub salt in her wounds.


    Rose had a bad feeling when she saw Mariana.


    Liliana always acted like she was above all of them. She had that aloof and untouchable air about her. Rose could count on Liliana to settle things and move on. She was too proud to mingle with their likes.


    But Mariana Jacobsen was different. She liked the tit-for-tat approach and did not mind getting down in the gutter to get even.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Rose asked impatiently, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Mariana sneered, ¡°Why are you so impatient? It¡¯s not like you have anywhere to go.¡±


    Rose took deep breaths to suppress her anger and panic.


    Mariana watched her patiently as if she had all the time in the world.


    Rose closed her eyes and counted backward.


    She had to hold on until she found her child¡¯s remains.


    Mariana chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you miserable. I had waited so many years for this. Not that you ever managed to cause any harm to Liliana, but even so.¡±


    Rose dug her fingers into her thighs to keep her temper.


    Everything was done and dusted. Rose only cared for her child¡¯s remains and Lydia¡¯s wellbeing.


    Mariana lost interest in her and showed her a video clip.


    Rose perked up on seeing what was on the screen.


    An eight-year-old Liliana was talking to a doctor.


    ¡°Ms. Petrova, how would you like to handle the fetus?¡±


    Liliana winced at the word ¡®fetus¡¯ and asked, ¡°Is there no way to save the baby?¡±


    The doctor shook his head, ¡°The baby was never alive. If she hadn¡¯t kidnapped my family, I would have removed it and conducted a proper burial months ago. But now, even the corpse is decaying inside her body. I am sorry.¡±


    Liliana scrunched her nose and took a deep breath.


    ¡°In that case, please preserve the remains. No matter what, the baby was my half-brother. He should get buried in my father¡¯s family graveyard. I will handle the rest ¨C please safeguard his remains.¡±


    The doctor mumbled a fewpliments and left.


    Liliana stood transfixed and walked to the NICU. It was a private room, and only one child was inside.


    ¡°What shall we do, little brother?¡±


    The video ended, and Rose¡¯s heart leaped in her throat.


    She cried and asked, ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Mariana shrugged, ¡°That is for us to know and you to find out.¡±


    Rose cried and begged.


    ¡°Please, just tell me.¡±


    ¡°Please, I am begging you.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me what she did to my child.¡±


    ¡°Did you bury him in Aprice¡¯s graveyard?¡±


    ¡°Was he ced in the Aprice family tree?¡±


    ¡°What happened to his ashes?¡±


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°I will apologize to Liliana. I will kneel in front of her mother¡¯s grave for three days. Just tell me where my child is.¡±


    Mariana was satisfied with her reaction.


    Liliana had asked her to tell the truth to Rose and move on from the past.


    Mariana wanted respite, and she was finally happy.


    She arranged for Rose to kneel in front of Anne¡¯s grave for three days.


    Surprisingly, Romeo joined her.


    For all their faults, Rose and Romeo were good parents. For their children, they could do anything. Unfortunately, they did not care about other people¡¯s children and had no qualms about mistreating them.


    After three days, Mariana took them to the Aprice graveyard, where Lester and Rose¡¯s sony buried.


    Liliana had named him ¨C Roger Lester Aprice.


    Rose wept in the graveyard for many hours until the police escorted them back to prison.


    Lester had already visited his son once. He did not know whether tough or cry.


    Ultimately, Liliana moved Lester abroad to his backup house with his new identity to live out the rest of his remaining days with the woman he had saved.


    Lester had one foot in the grave, and she did not want his death on her conscience.


    And with that, the grudges of the previous generations ended.


    Lester passed away after a year due to multiple organ failures. He had spent hisst year bedridden ¨C in remorse and guilt.


    Rose and Romeo spent three years in prison. Rose died soon after she was released, and Romeo followed her after half a year.


    Lydia had learned from her lessons and taken a job at a supermarket. She had a roof over her head, so at least she and her parents had a ce to die.


    Lester had donated all his property to charity. Aprice Group copsed, and manypanies swept in for the prize.


    Liliana asked her assistant to keep an eye out and help qualified people with prospective employers.


    Lester¡¯swyer friend and his wife lost their licenses and fortune. But their son was healthy, and they lived a low-key life abroad after getting out of prison after three years.


    Mariana stopped thinking about the past. She had spent her childhood being heartbroken for her best friend. But since they hade out better, she did not want to lose herself.

 Chapter 274 A new enemy

    Finally, the much anticipated day of the Smith Family banquet arrived.


    Jonathan Smith ¨C the golden bachelor and wealthiest man of P-City turned henpecked husband who had married up ¨C hosted arge banquet in the Smith family mansion to introduce his wife and kids to everyone.


    Liliana Petrova Smith was an enigma, and her children ¨C the future heirs of more than half of the P City economy ¨C were even more mysterious.


    Jonathan and Liliana had done a great job hiding their children.


    When the word got out that they had kids, they had to announce it formally and introduce them to everyone.


    Most bigwigs of P city had received an invite. Their business partners, family friends, close associates, senior employees, board members, and many people came together to see the kids.


    Jonathan and Liliana, being the hosts, weed everyone and walked around the hall since the first guest showed up.


    Leonardo, Mariana, James, Vincent, and Alice helped them receive their guests.


    Henry, Jennifer, and Terry formed a click and enjoyed themselves.


    Henry did not like being the center of attention and believed as a doctor ¨C he should not mingle with the people.


    Jennifer did not belong to the upper ss. She didn¡¯t know anyone, so she kept to herself.


    Jennifer¡¯s brother also came with her, but he disappeared soon after. He was young and vain. She hoped he would not make a fool of himself. He always got provoked easily, and their mother manipted him ¨C filling his head with half-truths.


    Jennifer had hoped he would watch and learn. She had brought him with her to broaden her horizons. But with each passing minute where he was missing, she began second-guessing her judgment.


    Terry saw through her perturbation and consoled her.


    Terry knew most people, but he was mindful of when and where he should build connections.


    He would mingle and show his respect after the main event was over.


    Finally, Jonathan proposed a toast and thanked everyone foring to celebrate homing for his wife and kids.


    They allughed at his good humor as he introduced his twins.


    A few people had spected about the children¡¯s identity and even made various conjectures about their parentage.


    But seeing Nathaniel ¨C who looked simr to both his parents ¨C all the detractors kept mum.


    Appearances can be a great asset in the upper ss.


    The banquet went on as Jonathan and Liliana brought the well-behaved kids along and introduced them to their close friends and families.


    Finally, they all went to the buffet and indulged in the mouth-watering delicacies.


    However, something happened when they were eating.


    Joyanna ate something and started coughing. Perhaps because they were twins and affected each other¡¯s emotions, Nathaniel began coughing after a few minutes.


    The turn of events rmed everyone.


    Henry, Doctor Brown, and Doctor Cox came forward immediately and began examining the kids.


    They made them vomit and found a small metal-like object in their vomit.


    That was even more jarring as kids ate with silver utensils. Liliana never fed them anything without taking a bite first.


    If the food contained poison or anything harmful, they would have known. But they did not.


    The banquet was at a standstill, and the head of security, Vincent, and James looked at the security footage.


    They identified an unnamed culprit who looked simr to one of their long-time household help.


    After a short search, they found the same person unconscious and locked in a cupboard.


    The new enemy had worn a mark to feed something poisonous to the kids.


    Fortunately, Nathaniel had not liked it and stopped eating it. ordingly, Joyanna had thrown away the snack.


    As a result, only a small amount of poisonous substance made it into the children¡¯s bodies. Henry and Doctor Brown had given them some antidots in advance. That helped contain the spread of poison.


    The children were only mildly affected.


    Leonardo escorted the kids inside the house and kept watch. Vincent and the head of security started the investigation.


    In the meantime, the banquet continued. Although, it had lost most of its mor.


    Jonathan exined why he preferred to keep the children far from the spotlight and why they might not see them in the forefront in theing years.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    The couple had used the unfortunate ident to announce their ns to homeschool the kids for the next few years.


    No one could fault them for wanting to protect their children.


    In the meantime, James helped Alice to strengthen security and identify their new enemy.


    The press release to announce the identity of the Petrova-Smith heirs also exined they would get homeschooled for the next few years.


    They had effectively blocked ess to their children.


    Lydia watched the news from her small apartment. She saw Jonathan and Liliana¡¯s inteced fingers and subtle intimacy.


    She watched the kids getting sick and rescued.


    She had mixed feelings about it. She pushed it to the back of her head. She had nothing to do with them. They would never cross paths again.

 Chapter 275 Amusement

    Inside the Petrova Mansion!


    Jake Green looked at Jonas and his wife- Leena, coldly and unemotionally.


    Jake went through their phones and analyzed everything he could gather from them ¨C particrly the location of the person who had sent them several cryptic messages.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    When he found what he was looking for, he left with his subordinate, leaving them alone in the dark basement.


    From the beginning to the end, he did not speak with them. He had no interest in listening to their lies.


    Jake was specially trained and was the head of the P City Police Department in his prime. He knew how to deal with people like Jonas and Leena.


    The moment Jonas had called him, he knew something was wrong. Instead of alerting the enemy, he let them be. On the other hand, he asked Leonardo to investigate.


    Jonas tried to speak, but Jake¡¯s men had tapped his mouth, and he could only create muffled noise.


    Leena, however, was looking at him coldly.


    After a few days, Leonardo found his way to them and removed the tape from their mouths.


    He cocked his head and looked at them curiously, ¡°Anything?¡±


    He asked, utterly uninterested in knowing their answer.


    Leena spat at him. However, she was too weak and only ended up dirtying her clothes.


    Jonas, on the other hand, kneeled and begged.


    ¡°Please, they have my father. Please, help him!¡±


    Leonardo sneered, ¡°Your father¡¯s life is precious. And my nephew¡¯s life is dispensable. Is that right?¡±


    Jonas cried and begged some more to no avail.


    Leena, on the other hand, was clear-headed.


    She asked, ¡°Where is that bitch?¡±


    Leonardo looked at her curiously and answered, ¡°Surprisingly, she had a button line. She left and started over.¡±


    Leena probed further, ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    Leonardo stared at her unblinkingly, in interest, ¡°Uncle knew that Jonas is gay.¡±


    Jonas stopped sobbing.


    Leena shook her head in resignation.


    So many months of nning went down the drain for something so silly.


    They had not counted on them knowing so much about their employees. They were prejudiced against the rich and did not think they would care about something that trivial.


    She smiled. Her worldview had changed.


    Then sheughed. Where was the fun in knowing all that? She was captured and would get killed. So what if she knew?


    Leonardo observed all her minute expressions and left with a smile hanging on his lips.


    He was amused. How could such a silly woman be a spy?


    Leena¡¯s face fell as soon as Leonardo had left. She rolled her eyes in disdain.


    Leonardo was young, and she knew how to manipte him.


    She crawled to the wall and rested her eyes. Jonas was still sniveling.


    She yelled, ¡°For the love of God! Stop it already! Your father is dead.¡±


    Jonas shook his head, ¡°No, you are lying. I talked to him a few hours before they captured us. He is alive. He must be alive.¡±


    Leenaughed mirthlessly, ¡°So what? They have captured us. Do you think the master would let him leave? No! He would have killed him instantly to set an example for his other subordinates.¡±


    Jonas looked at her, horrified.


    She mocked him further. ¡°And stop counting on the Petrovas to help him. Are you truly that stupid to believe they would help the father of the man who tried to kill their children?¡±


    Jonas shook his head, ¡°But I changed the medicine. I did not give them the poison. I changed it to axative and reduced the quantity.¡±


    Leena looked at him agape, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Jonas nodded and repeated, ¡°I changed the poison toxative.¡±


    Leenaughed, ¡°The master is far-sighted. He knew you would falter, so he made backup ns. The poison was in that piece of metal. The medicine on it was just a small mercy for the kids as it would have caused instant death. But the metal would corrode their internal organs and cause a painful death.¡±


    Jonas sighed in resignation, ¡°How could you people be so cruel?¡±


    Leena shrugged, ¡°They can only me Leon Petrova for being cruel. And his daughter for being heartless.¡±


    Leonardo and Jake listened to their conversation from another room and discussed the next steps.

 Chapter 276 Who will bell the cat?

    Liliana and Jonathan returned to the Petrova Mansion the next day.


    Jonathan asked, ¡°Any news?¡±


    Leonardo updated him on the progress.


    Liliana asked, ¡°Did you find Jonas Kent¡¯s father? Edward Kent?¡±


    Alice answered, ¡°Yes, he is in the P city hospital now. Thankfully, Jonas came clean before anything bad happened.¡±


    Jake said, ¡°There must be spies inside the Mansion. Don¡¯t let Jonas know the truth for now.¡±


    Jonathan seconded him, ¡°Either they have spies everywhere ¨C Aprice Mansion: quite likely but inconsequential, Smith Mansion: I doubt it as everyone went through extensive background checks, the Vi where we are currently staying: also doubtful, and this Mansion. Or someone very close to us is helping them.¡±


    Liliana nodded thoughtfully.


    Leonardoid out his guess, ¡°I think it¡¯s thetter. I doubt they have managed to rope in our assistants or butlers. Besides, everyone¡¯s roles are distinct. Apart from Alice and Vincent ¨C no other person is involved in everything. And I don¡¯t have a shred of doubt about Alice and Vincent.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°In which case, the only possibility is someone close to us.¡±


    Liliana changed the topic, ¡°Leo, what are your ns? Where do you n toplete your studies? L&L Enterprise is doing great ¨C but you still need toplete your studies.¡±


    Leonardo looked at her agape.


    ¡°Sister, we were talking about serious stuff here.¡±


    Liliana gave him a stink eye, ¡°And your future or academic progression is not important?¡±


    Leonardo stammered, ¡°But I want to help. It¡¯s my turn to take over your burden.¡±


    Jonathan sided with his wife, ¡°She is telling the truth. We have so many people here to help us. You should focus on your studies. There¡¯s an appropriate time for everything.¡±


    Jake, however, had a different idea.


    ¡°You can¡¯t shelter him forever, Lil. They were his family too. He should know the blood and gore, not just the glory of his lineage.¡±


    Leonardo understood something and asked, ¡°Did you already guess who did this?¡±


    Liliana and Jake stared at each other, neither willing to back down.


    Jonathan answered on their behalf.


    ¡°They both have a good guess on who is behind this and who helped them from behind.¡±


    Leonardo asked sulkily, ¡°Let me handle this, please. I also want to know. You can¡¯t always protect me.¡±


    Liliana sighed, ¡°You are still young. I don¡¯t want you to deal with the grudges of the previous generation. They are my legacy because I knew them and learned from them.¡±


    ¡°You, my dear brother, never met them. You did not get their love orpanionship. You did not get to make memories with them. You did not learn from them.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s unfair that you should get their grudges and enemies.¡±


    Leonardo stopped talking.


    It was a sore subject between them.


    Jake had a different perspective.


    ¡°You are right, Lil. But they are his ancestors. Wherever Leon and Kathy are, wherever Ann is ¨C I am sure they must be watching over him. Don¡¯t stop him from being a part of their stories, even if it is only posthumously.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want your younger brother to face hardships and leftover evil from their time. I respect that, but I disagree.¡±


    ¡°He should get a chance to be part of their story, even if it¡¯s a footnote at the end. Don¡¯t take it away from him.¡±


    Liliana asked Leonardo, ¡°Are you sure, Leo?¡±


    Leonardo nodded, ¡°Yes! Grandpa¡¯s enemies must be from his time. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a great learning opportunity? I also want to hear their side of the story. Get to see the past from a different perspective.¡±


    Liliana shook her head in resignation, ¡°So be it, little brother.¡±


    Jonathan piped in, ¡°We will leave everything to you. We won¡¯t ask what you are up to or interfere. But if you need help, you know we are just a phone call away.¡±


    Leonardo smiled at him and winked.


    Alice rolled her eyes.

 Chapter 277 Beginning or the end?

    Mariana went about her days in a mundane manner.


    She would go to work ande home on time. She would often visit Liliana¡¯s house and y with the kids.


    James worked as her assistant and even asked for a valid contract for the role. She would be a fool not to take such an opportunity.


    James was qualified to be the CEO. Because of him, her work improved tremendously, and she learned a lot.


    He took care of her subtly and never overstepped his boundaries. He let her handle decisions and decide for herself. He only spoke up and taught her if she asked.


    The entire office saw the change in their dynamics but did notment on it.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The upper management and shareholders rxed upon seeing this change. They had been worried about their future CEO having such an unusual dynamic with James Miller, the CEO of Miller Group. But now that James had resigned from Miller Group and legally worked as Mariana¡¯s assistant, their fears proved unfounded.


    On the other hand, James¡¯s parents were getting restless. They were aware of James¡¯s ongoing activities. A small part of them acknowledged their faults, but they were too proud to admit it.


    Besides, James was their only child. He should have shown them respect and tried to gloss over the issue. If only James could grow a spine, they wouldn¡¯t be in such a predicament.


    But it was done and dusted, and they felt helpless. Mr. Miller was getting angrier by the day because James left without notice, and he had to take over all the work in thepany.


    Not that he wasn¡¯t involved in it before. But now, he had to do everything by himself. It was very tiring as he was getting on age.


    A woman came to them bringing gifts and a n which provided them some respite.


    The Millers did not like Mariana. They had approved of her previously because she was the heir of Jacobsens and had a good reputation. But seeing the hold she had on James, they changed their minds.


    They did not want anyone challenging their authority.


    Moreover, James had already chosen her over them. They couldn¡¯t go to James with a tail between their legs.


    When Mariana was enjoying her mundane life, a rumor broke that upended her life.


    The inte went rife with the news that Liam Preston, the Colonel of the P City Military, was suspended for his illicit affair.


    He had impregnated Andrew Jacobsen¡¯s daughter, Mariana Jacobsen, and left her without taking responsibility after her miscarriage. Then, he threatened James Miller and forced him to take responsibility.


    James¡¯s childhood sweetheart ¨C Alice Moss ¨C was thrown in prison because Liam had led her tomit a crime. James, afraid of implicating his parents, had left his family and worked for Mariana Jacobsen to assuage Mariana when Liam did not want to take responsibility.


    Mariana¡¯s mother, Meredith, fainted on seeing the news.


    Liam¡¯s grandmother had a panic attack, and the butler quickly brought her to the hospital.


    The doctors advised that they needed to observe her for two days because of her ill health.


    At the same time, someone sent an anonymous letter to Liam¡¯s superior and his superior¡¯s superiors, which brought everything under scrutiny.


    The final nail in the coffin came from the Millers. James¡¯s mother admitted to the rumors on social media and begged for justice.


    She repeatedly stressed that Liam had threatened James ¨C and James was unwillingly taking the me.


    When Old Madam Preston came around, she analyzed everything and realized someone from her family, who knew the ins and outs of the Military, was the culprit behind everything.


    She was utterly embarrassed and did not know how to show her face to Mariana or her parents.


    Mariana was caught unaware!


    She couldn¡¯t wrap her head around the sudden disaster. She knew she would nevere out of it unscathed.

 Chapter 278 An unusual solution

    Ordinarily, Liliana and Jonathan would have helped Mariana suppress the news.


    But with the Military getting involved, they could only wait and watch.


    Liam got suspended ¨C temporarily until the investigators resolved the matter.


    An investigationmittee started to look into Liam¡¯s personal life.


    Liam panicked. He rushed to Liliana¡¯s ce, where he knew he would find Mariana and James.


    Liliana saw the panic on Liam¡¯s face and went to hug him immediately.


    ¡°We will figure something out. Don¡¯t worry! Worsees to worst ¨C I will take care of him.¡±


    But Liam did not feel reassured. The secret he was protecting was too precious to rx his vigil.


    Mariana saw his panic and hugged him to show her support.


    It all happened because of her. She did not know how to resolve the issue.


    Mariana choked and apologized, ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    James felt a lump down his throat. He bowed to Liam and apologized.


    ¡°This is my mistake. You got dragged into my equations with Mariana because of my ipetence. And my mother has made things worse. I don¡¯t know how to resolve this.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what I can do, and I will do it.¡±


    James spoke from the bottom of his heart.


    Liam patted his shoulder, and they all sat down.


    Liam assuaged James, ¡°Someone from my family did all of this. Only they amongst our detractors know the ins and outs of the Military. They want to force my hand to marry the heir of Jacobsens. Even without you guys, I would be in some or the other scandal.¡±


    Liam looked at Jonathan and James andughed in resignation.


    ¡°I guess Lil never told you guys ¨C Kyle is my half-brother, not my son!¡±


    Jonathan and James looked at Liam dumbfounded. They had never anticipated this twist.


    James asked after a full minute, ¡°Why?¡±


    Liliana cut them off before Liam could speak, ¡°It does not matter. The fewer people who know the details, the better. Henry and Jennifer don¡¯t know this either, so please mind your words. And obviously, the kids don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Jonathan frowned but did not interject.


    James realized the reason behind Liam¡¯s panic and looked up at him.


    ¡°The Military will have ess to the hospital records, and they will see you admitting to being the father of my child.¡±


    Liam nodded, ¡°Yes! And then they will dig into Kyle¡¯s parentage.¡±


    Jonathan had a bad feeling and a worse solution.


    ¡°You must get ahead of the curve if you want to hide it.¡±


    Liliana questioned, ¡°The question is how?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    They were interrupted by the knock on the door as a maid announced Jacob¡¯s visit.


    Liliana asked her to let him in.


    Jacob looked like he hadn¡¯t slept through the night and ran from his ce to there.


    He closed the door behind him and plopped on the couch alone.


    Marianamented, ¡°You look wrecked!¡±


    Jacobughed, ¡°And you look like you would get married in the past.¡±


    Jacob quickly surmised the one solution that hade to everyone¡¯s mind, but none wanted to acknowledge it.


    Liam closed his eyes and hung his head. He had never felt that helpless in his entire life.


    James had the same reaction. But he was also curious about Jacob¡¯s destion.


    They were good friends. Was he in love with Mariana?


    He shook his head. He needed to focus on the critical matter. He looked at Mariana to find she was already looking at him.


    For the first time in his life, he saw affection and reluctance in Mariana¡¯s eyes for himself.


    It hurt. What could have been a joyous moment ¨C hurt like hell. He knew she had already decided.


    It also concerned her mother¡¯s health and sanity and her own reputation.


    James went to her and hugged her. He murmured, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Whatever you decide, I will behave. Nothing will change.¡±


    Liliana asked Liam, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Liamughed in despair ¨C ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    Liliana snorted!


    They hade up with an unusual solution, and it changed everything.

 Chapter 279 It changes everything.

    Jonathan looked at his wife in surprise.


    Liliana was always well-mannered and polite ¨C she could be sassy, but she was always nice to the people she liked. He had never seen her looking at someone so condescendingly.


    Liam felt his hair rise on the back of his head.


    Liliana looked between Liam and James and chuckled.


    ¡°You suck!¡±


    ¡°Your families are influential. You have better things to prioritize, so you think you can push my best friend around.¡±


    ¡°Did you think Mariana is incapable of defending herself or proving her innocence?¡±


    ¡°Just because she keeps mum and doesn¡¯t speak up because she values you as her friends and wants to give you a face ¨C do you think you can go around toying with her life?¡±


    Mariana looked at her horrified, ¡°Lil!¡±


    Liliana was on a roll. She snapped at Mariana, ¡°I will get to youter.¡±


    She turned to James and asked, ¡°What do you n to do about your family? At first, we let go of Alice Moss because of your family. Which ultimately resulted in Mariana¡¯s ident. Yet, time and time again, they continue to push my buttons.¡±


    ¡°Yes! You have left home, but they have found a better way to force you back. How do you n to resolve this?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Either you handle them, or I will. And you won¡¯t like it when I take action.¡±


    James was too ashamed to contradict her. He simply nodded, ¡°I will handle them onest time. If that doesn¡¯t work ¨C you can deal with them as you like. I won¡¯t interrupt.¡±


    Liliana replied coldly, ¡°Good!¡±


    She turned to Liam and asked, ¡°Your family abused Kyle. I did not say anything because it¡¯s a Preston family issue. I did not want to meddle.¡±


    ¡°Then that pesky rtive of yours ¨C Julie or whatever her name was ¨C dared to join our cruise and snoop around the kid¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Then they keep showing up here with no reservations. I haven¡¯t said anything because we will move after three weeks. And I did not want to disrespect your grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Do they think we are pushovers? How dare they frame my best friend?¡±


    ¡°And you think I will allow you to marry her without a permanent solution to this problem?¡±


    Liam looked thoughtful for a while and nodded, ¡°You are right. I have neglected this. What do you have in mind?¡±


    Liliana shook her head, ¡°We both know you won¡¯t like it when I deal with them. Besides, Kyle is a Preston, and it will jeopardize his safety. I won¡¯t meddle in your family affairs unless I must.¡±


    ¡°Having said that, I don¡¯t agree with Mariana living with them or them getting any benefits from the Jacobsens.¡±


    Jacob asked curiously, ¡°Where do you want them to live?¡±


    Jonathan thought for a while and answered, ¡°I have a Vi. I purchased it so we could move there after fixing it per our requirements. But Lil pointed out we already have too many ces. But the renovation had already started, so I let it be. It should beplete within the next week.¡±


    Jacob proposed, ¡°How about we all pitch in for it? It will look like a wedding gift from her friends.¡±


    Liliana seconded him, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    She asked her husband, ¡°Did you design it personally?¡±


    Jonathan shook his head with a smile. His wife was adorable in her love and care.


    ¡°Nah! I nned to, but you refused, so I let Vincent deal with it. I only asked to keep in mind the growing kids and their needs. And privacy ¨C so it should be ideal for your sham marriage.¡±


    They finalized the wedding date ¨C a few days after Mariana¡¯s supposed miscarriage and made several ns.


    Liam returned to Preston family Mansion and moved out with Kyle¡¯s belongings.


    He told his grandmother of his ns to move out and promised to visit her whenever possible.


    The Preston branch family members, who had nned to gain benefits from Jacobsens, Smiths, and Petrovas, were left in a mess.

 Chapter 280 Married

    Mariana went to her parents and told them that she was already married.


    She cried and lied.


    She told them she felt sorry for the child she had lost. She was mildly depressed and wanted to bury him properly. She married Liam in a rush because of that.


    James had buried all the remains and used disposable tools from her abortion. He had bought a small ce on a hill and marked a grave.


    Coincidently, he had not wanted to draw undue attention to Mariana, and the grave was marked vaguely.


    Ivy ¨C Mommy, and Daddy love you. If there¡¯s a next life, we will do better by you.


    Mariana was able to spin the lie easily to console Merideth.


    Andrew Jacobson, however, already knew the truth. He was surprised about the grave. He had seen the changes in James since the incident and was expecting something from James.


    But Mariana¡¯s sudden marriage to Liam surprised him. He kept quiet and let the mother and daughter talk.


    Mariana exined how Military marriages have other significance, and they were still unsure ¨C which was the reason behind the secrecy.


    Mariana exined while Merideth cried until she was satisfied.


    Merideth was still in the hospital. He told Mariana to watch over her mother and left.


    Andrew drove to Liliana¡¯s ce and demanded an exnation.


    Liliana knew she would have to rify things with him sooner orter. She and Liam had discussed as much.


    She did not hide anything from Andrew. He was Mariana¡¯s father and loved her fiercely. He was entitled to know what his daughter was getting herself into and have a say in it.


    She exined Kyle¡¯s parentage and the secret about his mother. She told him about Liam¡¯s fears and Mariana¡¯spromise.


    Andrew did not know whether tough or cry.


    His little girl was grown up and could make such big decisions. But at the same time, he had hoped for a happy life for her.


    Andrew knew how stubborn Mariana could get. Since she was hiding the truth from them, it was clear she would not change her mind.


    He left Liliana¡¯s ce in despair. He ran into James outside her house and epted James¡¯s proposal for a drink.


    They went to a private restaurant and settled down.


    James went to his knees and apologized for his ipetence and thoughtlessness.


    He promised to always stay by Mariana¡¯s side and help her deal with everything without crossing boundaries and harming her reputation.


    Andrew felt relieved after James¡¯s assurances and stopped worrying about Mariana.


    Many decades ago, when P city still had a monarchy, the Petrova family head was ordained with clergy in the oldest church in P City.


    The tradition continued as nothing significant happened that warranted a change. As such, Liliana still held clergy and could officiate a private wedding which would have legal precedence.


    On the day when Mariana had gone for an abortion, she had added her name to the registry. She had only included Mariana¡¯s name and not the groom¡¯s name for protection.


    The registry continued with the next event and the next day without any infringement.


    As such, Liam and Mariana managed to get a marriage certificate dated two months back without actually messing with thew.


    Coincidentally, Henry and Jennifer had assisted the gynecologist in conducting Mariana¡¯s abortion in private. As per Liliana¡¯s instructions, they hadn¡¯t entered the procedure in the P City hospital records. There was no proof of it.


    Liam shared his marriage certificate with his supervisors. They investigated the church records and realized it was legit. There was no infringement.


    Since it was legit, they did not have to look further.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    James publicly announced that he was breaking out from the Miller family because of a sh in principles.


    James went to visit his parents to talk some sense into them. But not unexpectedly, they were smug about their sess and wanted to use that chance to force into a political marriage.


    The Millers were too proud and had never loved James as a person. They only saw him as their heir and the means to an end.


    Perhaps because they grew up just as cruelly ¨C they did not see anything wrong with their ways.


    James had had enough and took the chance to break the news to them before making it official.


    His parents did not believe him and thought he was merely bluffing. They were ready to call his bluff and wait it out.


    Unexpectedly, James removed himself from the Miller household as he had said he would. He even went as far as to announce it publicly.


    It was a massive p in the face.


    The Millers were shocked as they hadn¡¯t foreseen that result.

 Chapter 281 The surprise revelation 1

    Two weekster, when the buzz on the inte had died down, another news began to float on the same issue.


    Mariana¡¯s assistant had posted Mariana¡¯s marriage certificate and pointed out the date.


    The date was almost three months prior. It left the spectingizens speechless.


    The person they used of abandoning his lover and the shameless hussy ¨C they were a legit married couple.


    Mariana¡¯s assistant also posted another picture for a private banquet introducing the family only.


    She added a simple caption without any exnations.


    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome being rich. People try to break your marriage when they know you are married. And people try to force you into marriage when they don¡¯t know you are already married. The men are always bastards, and women are always sluts.¡±


    It was sarcastic but exined the marriage debacle between the two best friends.


    Theizens recalled how Liliana was targeted and realized both girls were dealing with shameless people who could stoop very low to discredit them to achieve their selfish motives.


    The rumors died down naturally.


    James¡¯s parents were stunned.


    If Mariana was already married to Liam, what was James doing?


    They began to regret mingling with Jessi and Julie ¨C Liam¡¯s family members to separate Mariana and James.


    They made themselves the enemy when there was nothing to fix between the youngsters.


    They also began to doubt the motive of both sisters.


    Mrs. Miller called James and asked, ¡°You told me Mariana was pregnant with your child.¡±


    Jamesughed sarcastically, ¡°When did I say that? If you thought Mariana was with me, why did you go on Twitter announcing otherwise, ruining my friend¡¯s reputation?¡±


    His mother was speechless.


    James added further. ¡°Mom, I think you are getting on age and mixing people. Mariana is with Liam, and they are already married. Yes, I love Mariana, and I tried to pursue her. But you meddled and ruined my chances. Instead, it allowed Mariana and Liam to realize their mutual feelings and act on them.¡±


    ¡°I must congratte you for bringing them together.¡±


    The sarcasm and self-mockery in his voice were evident. His mother did not know how to retort to him. Until then, James still imed to be in love with her.


    Were they wrong?


    She did not have anything to say and hung up.


    She feared for their rtionship. It seemed James was determined to freeze them out. He sounded rather heartbroken and disheartened.


    On the other hand, Liam got reinstated. He finally heaved a sigh. He acted unconcerned and asked for a week off to make the matter public and formally introduce his wife to the family.


    His supervisors allowed it without a fuss.


    But they demanded an audience with his wife and asked him to register it as a Military marriage.


    Mariana was having trouble dealing with the reality of her situation. She was married to the man she saw as her brother, and the timing for it was even more incredible. It happened when she was starting to develop feelings for another man.


    She had lost some weight and was forlorn. James had tried to cheer her up, but it made her feel worse.


    Mariana met with Liam¡¯s supervisors and was respectful to them.


    When they asked about the nature of their rtionship, she hesitated.


    Liam felt his heart would leap out of his throat. But he kept his expression deadpan.


    He trusted Mariana, but she was talking to some of the most well-trained people in the City. They could sniff a lie from a mile away.


    She was no Liliana and hadn¡¯t received rigorous training like her. Besides, Mariana was naturally an upfront person. She was emotional and sheltered.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam felt awful for subjecting her to his problems.


    What kind of man was he to subject his best friend, his sister, to that horror? He was practically ruining her life and her chances.


    His supervisors looked at him, but he maintained a deadpan expression.

 Chapter 282 The surprise revelation 2

    After a pregnant pause, Mariana braced herself and exined.


    ¡°I started liking Liam a few years back. I remember the first time I realized my feelings for him when I had to kiss him while ying truth and dare. We had yed such games before, and a simple peck was not a big deal amongst friends. But that time, I felt butterflies on my stomach and all the jazz.¡±


    ¡°I never said anything because we were friends, and I did not want to change our dynamics. I was scared of ruining our friendship and making things awkward for our friends.¡±


    ¡°Around six months ago, James Miller, a close friend of ours, started to pursue me as he thought I was single and unattached. I did not deal with it very well. It¡¯s ame excuse, but I wasn¡¯t sure about my feelings and strung him along.¡±


    ¡°His ex became jealous and created trouble for me. During that time, Liam and I made drunk confessions and got together. However, we were still unsure of the depth of our feelings, so we kept it a secret.¡±


    ¡°I ryed the same to James, and he was supportive. However, it was a secret, and others did not know. Alice Moss, James¡¯s ex, intentionally pushed me and caused my miscarriage.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that I was pregnant. I was upset and wanted to send off my child well. So, Liam and I secretly married in the church and buried the remains of our child.¡±


    ¡°We never intended to tell anyone or even have a Military marriage because we understand the gravity of it. Besides, we haven¡¯t spent time alone in a calm environment. We haven¡¯t casually dated without something or the other hanging over our heads.¡±


    ¡°And now, my mother passed out, and his grandmother had a panic attack. We had to reveal the truth. But it has put a strain on our budding rtionship. I am worried about how it will end up. Whatever hopes and dreams I had seemed unattainable now.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we have to think about others as well. It¡¯s been very stressful and not at all as insanely joyous as I had envisioned it would be. It feels like it¡¯s about other people and not us.¡±


    ¡°I love Liam from the bottom of my heart. I am attracted to him and want to see where it leads. I care about Kyle as if he was my own. But now, we have all this pressure, and I don¡¯t know if I can deal with it.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°As friends, I know Liam would take a bullet for me. As partners, as a married couple, I don¡¯t know how things would end up. If we live together, will we still like each other? He is always absent, and I have apany to run. I am still trying to get a firm hold on mypany, so my father can retire easily.¡±


    ¡°We never got the chance to deal with any of this. We never discussed any of this. We haven¡¯t lived together. I am so nervous and scared that I will mess it up, and we will both end up hurt. Worse still, we would hurt other people and set a bad example for the kids.¡±


    Liam was stunned. So were his supervisors.


    They finally understood the reasons behind Liam¡¯s secret marriage.


    Investigations yield a lot of data and details. But rtionships are made of emotions ¨C and they couldn¡¯t uncover them by investigating.


    Mariana had ayed their suspicions but also put them on the spot.


    They couldn¡¯t ask them to get a military marriage after she had exined so much.


    They were afraid if they asked them to apply for Military marriage ¨C she would get a divorce instead.


    Liam felt sad for Mariana. At the same time, he wasughing on the inside. She had yed them and added a way out for herself.


    She was bing more and more like a businesswoman she did not want to be.

 Chapter 283 The banquet 1

    Liam and Mariana stayed quiet and absent-minded throughout their way back.


    They returned to Liliana¡¯s ce as Liam had moved out from Preston Mansion and was staying at Liliana¡¯s house temporarily.


    As soon as they entered the living room, Jonathan came down the stairs, and Mariana ran up to him.


    She hugged him tightly andughed.


    She eximed, ¡°I did it!¡± and did a happy dance.


    Their issues had caused such amotion that Liliana and Jonathan had been working from home most days.


    Liliana looked at her and shook her head. She sat on the couch as Mariana kept hugging Jonathan.


    James was still in Jacobsen Textiles. Being Mariana¡¯s assistant, he needed to be at work even when she was absent.


    Jonathan left Mariana and sat by his wife¡¯s side.


    Liliana murmured, ¡°I love how quickly you two are bing friends.¡±


    Mariana¡¯s movements paused. She had forgotten that she had hated Jonathan for close to eight years.


    She made a face and slumped on the couch opposite them.


    Liam sat beside her andmented, ¡°So it was Jonathan who taught you that. I thought it was Lil.¡±


    Mariana shrugged.


    Liam hugged her shoulders and said, ¡°I will do my best to try for a divorce quickly.¡±


    Jonathan interjected, ¡°You should try for a year and a half ¨C two years at least. Otherwise, it would be suspicious.¡±


    Liliana added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you have your child via a surrogate during that time?¡±


    Mariana looked at her agape. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jonathan shrugged, ¡°Lil and I were just talking about it. We supposed you can never tell anyone that you are gay, at least until Kyle¡¯s parentage issue settles.¡±


    ¡°While you are married, you might as well take help from a surrogate and have your child. You and Jacob can both try that and see what sticks.¡±


    Liliana nodded, ¡°Yeah! You can take advantage of your predicament to settle your other problems. I know you love Kyle, but that¡¯s no reason to sacrifice your own life. You can fulfill your dreams and still love Kyle like your own.¡±


    Jonathan urged further, ¡°The Vi has a security check on the second floor and up. It¡¯s extremely private. Besides, you can always say Mariana, and you have some issues. It makes a viable pregnancy very risky.¡±


    Liam and Mariana exchanged nces.


    Liam spoke, ¡°Thank you! That had never crossed my mind. We will discuss this and take it from there.¡±


    They stopped talking about it any further and started discussing the banquet.


    The banquet would be in five days, and they had many things to prepare.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Liliana had designed a couple¡¯s outfit for Mariana and Liam. Initially, she had prepared it for Mariana and James, but things had taken an unexpected turn.


    Thankfully, she got enough time to adjust it for Liam. As Liam had a different build than James and he was perpetually tanned, she had to redo it entirely.


    She also added a matching outfit for Kyle, making them a close-knit family of three.


    Mariana went to the office as usual and continued her work. James continued to help her, but the interactions between them changed slightly.


    The onlookers could see theck of romantic ir between them and wondered if they had assumed it in the past.


    Finally, the banquet started, and everyone gathered to celebrate their union.


    Mariana¡¯s mother was ecstatic. She was happy to see her daughter getting married, even though it was unusual.


    She liked Liam and trusted him. Liam¡¯s grandmother had given her several reassurances and was very respectful to them.


    It showed how she would care for Mariana.


    Moreover, Liam had moved out of the house because his rtives had caused themotion on the inte. And she was acutely aware that they had wanted to take advantage of the Jacobsen family.


    The banquet hall was in thergest 7-star hotel in the P city. Jonathan had wanted to give that as a gift, but Liam¡¯s grandmother had refused.


    Liam also wanted to splurge on his wife to let everyone know how much he valued her.


    The Prestons had fully booked the banquet hall, rooftop, and one entire floor of the hotel.


    The venue was adorned with daffodils,vender, rose, and jasmine flowers. They were all Mariana¡¯s favorite flowers.


    The dimly lit chandeliers created a romantic vibe.


    The open bar was overflowing with champagne and cocktails. Madam Preston had personally selected and approved the food menu.


    It was an exquisite affair, and the Jacobsens were happy that the Prestons had shown so much importance to their daughter.


    Little did they know James had decorated the venue per Mariana¡¯s preferences.

 Chapter 284 The banquet 2

    The banquet started with a toast and a wee from Madam Preston.


    She professed her admiration of Mariana and her approval of the match. She even apologized on behalf of the Preston family forcking in their hospitality and not taking care of the bride well.


    The invites were from all the bigwigs of the P city and a few people from the Military. They understood her unspoken words clearly.


    The rumors were just that. Preston branch family members had made amotion out of a personal family affair to force the marriage for their benefit.


    Mariana was utterly grateful for the kinddy¡¯s protection. She couldn¡¯t help herself and hugged thedy tightly.


    Madam Prestonughed. She was delighted with her warm reception.


    She introduced Kyle as her grandson and told everyone that the banquet was to wee her granddaughter-inw and her great-grandson.


    Many people had heard of Liam¡¯s son, but it was the first time seeing him.


    Kyle looked too much like Liam to doubt his parentage. However, he excluded a coldness and detachment that was even more intense than Liam.


    They wondered who his mother was, but it was not an opportune time to ask.


    Kyle smiled at Mariana and called her, ¡°Mommy!¡± sweetly.


    His inherent coldness and aloofness were gone.


    Mariana chuckled and hugged him, ¡°I have a son now. If I knew you would call me Mommy so sweetly, I would have married Liam ages ago.¡±


    The guestsughed and stopped talking about his biological mother.


    Kyle rolled her eyes and hugged her.


    James sat by the open bar nursing his cocktail. He looked at everything with a somber expression.


    His parents had caused such trouble for Mariana. And Liam¡¯s grandmother was protecting her by belittling her own family.


    He lowered his head in shame. He couldn¡¯t hide the panic and restlessness of his heart. The woman he loved was married to a man she considered her brother because of his ipetence.


    Jacob sat by his side and nursed his drink.


    James looked at Jacob, who had a simr tumult expression, and wondered what caused the man such grief.


    He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Jacob shook his head, ¡°Not the time or ce.¡±


    James nodded in understanding, and they continued drinking.


    On the other hand, Madam Preston introduced Mariana to all her friends and influential people.


    She kept a noticeable distance from the Preston branch family members, but they were simply too shameless to get the hint.


    An uncle came and started talking familiarly with Mariana. She only gave curt replies and had a professional smile on her face.


    Madam Preston brought her to a corner and exined, ¡°I am sorry to say this, but the Preston family members who are into business are no worse than vultures. Traditionally, our family has been a Military family. Most branch families are also in the Military, and we have a good reputation.¡±


    ¡°While not all the family members are high ranking, they all hold a good reputation.¡±


    ¡°Some people from my father-inw¡¯s generation branched out to business. But they did not achieve a simr sess as the family had in the force.¡±


    ¡°I believe they intended to make the Preston family a giant in both business and the force, but in the business, they have failed spectacrly. Some of the rtives wanted my husband to use his power to help them advance their business careers, but he vehemently declined. Liam¡¯s father did the same, and so did Liam.¡±


    ¡°As such, they hold a grudge against us. They forced you into this marriage for your family property. But make no mistake, I do not want you to help them in any way. I only want Liam to have a happy home toe home to after work. And for Kyle to have a mother.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°I know Liliana, your best friend, has always been Kyle¡¯s mother. But I still hope Kyle can have aplete family with you and Liam. When you are ready, maybe in a year, have a child, so you all can get closer. That¡¯s all I ask.¡±


    Her straightforwardness surprised and delighted Mariana, as she had a simr personality.

 Chapter 285 The banquet 3

    Mariana hugged the olddy and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I am not easy to bully.¡±


    ¡°Besides, I already know what kind of people they are as I have seen how they treated Kyle. Their behavior at Liliana and Jonathan¡¯s house was a tell-tale.¡±


    ¡°So, please rest assured that I will handle myself and protect Kyle to the best of my abilities. We already have a Vi where we will stay. Liam selected each maid and worker after extensive background checks and research.¡±


    ¡°We will be fine. And I won¡¯t allow anyone to take advantage of me. These are some things I need to learn anyway as I will take over my father¡¯s role.¡±


    Madam Preston nodded in approval.


    That was exactly what she wanted. A pushover would have ended up ruining the family.


    They talked to everyone and introduced everyone to everyone.


    Kyle left Madam Preston, Liam, and Mariana after a short introduction and went to Liliana.


    Jonathan held him up and talked to him a bit. After drinking some juice, Kyle went to Mariana¡¯s parents and stayed with them for the entirety of the banquet.


    Mariana¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t be happier.


    Kyle was always friendly with them, but it seemed he had acknowledged them as his grandparents very quickly.


    Andrew looked at James and Liam and shook his head. The kids were doing what they wanted.


    He could create a fuss, but his meddling would only cause them mental pressure. It wouldn¡¯t change their mind or solve the issue.


    He kept quiet and introduced Kyle to his friends.


    The Preston family tried to talk to Mariana¡¯s parents to establish a business rtionship, but he quickly denied them.


    Andrew rejected them politely, ¡°Please, talk to my assistant and schedule a meeting. It is my daughter¡¯s wedding banquet. It¡¯s highly inappropriate to talk about business in this setting.¡±


    But Julie and Jessi were adamant about getting a recent project from them.


    They continued to babble and talk.


    James was keeping an eye on Mariana and his parents. He had promised Mariana that he would take care of her. He meant to keep his promise.


    He was done being ipetent and not taking responsibility.


    He would do what a son-inw should do and when the time came, he would sweep in and propose. It might take a few years, but he was adamant about waiting. It would give him time to prove his grit.


    It was his fault that they were in such a predicament. And he was hell-bent on proving he was worthy of Mariana.


    He went to her parents and said, ¡°Miss Jessi, you are barking up the wrong tree.¡±


    Jessi was stunned. Before she could retort, James added, ¡°I am Mariana Jacobsen¡¯s assistant. I am overseeing all new partnerships. Please don¡¯t bother President Jacobsen at his daughter¡¯s important event. He has already delegated those tasks to his juniors.¡±


    ¡°As a junior yourself, I am sure you wouldn¡¯t want President Jacobsen toe out of his partial retirement for you, do you?¡±


    Jessi and Julie could not retort to James¡¯s questions.


    If anything, they felt a chill down their spine.


    If they continued to ask Andrew about a partnership, it would be in poor taste. It would project them as money grubbers trying to climb the socialdder.


    They mumbled a quick apology and said something about the misunderstanding before they departed.


    James snorted at them and turned to Mariana¡¯s parents.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry about them. I assure you I will take care of everyone trying to take advantage of Jacobsen Textiles.¡±


    Mariana¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t happy with James.


    She retorted, ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother. It¡¯s not your job.¡±


    James lowered his head and said, ¡°I am sorry, Aunty. I am doing this of my volition. As Mariana¡¯s assistant, it will be my job when she takes over Uncle¡¯s position. I am trying to elerate the process so you and Uncle can retire and be at peace. I have my selfish motives here. Please don¡¯t deny me this opportunity.¡±


    Before his wife could speak, Andrew stopped her.


    ¡°Alright, do what you will. I will leave it to Mer¡¯s discretion. You kids would decide for yourselves. There¡¯s no need for us old people to meddle. The floor belongs to you youngsters now.¡±


    James mumbled a ¨C thank you ¨C and walked away.


    Andrew whispered to Merideth to calm her.

 Chapter 286 The banquet 4

    Leonardo remained quiet throughout the banquet and observed everyone.


    Julie and Jessi had nned to force Mariana and Liam to get married. Then James would be unupied, and they would get their chance.


    Their initial target was Jonathan, but after several attempts, they had to concede defeat.


    Jonathan had a track record of being uninterested in women. Moreover, he had made his affection for his wife in for everyone to see.


    His wife was a big shot and no pushover. Getting Jonathan was a gargantuan task. As much as Jessi loathed to move on from her crush, she had no choice.


    Liliana had outsmarted her in every conversation and every attempt to sow discord between them. She had a higher status than Jonathan. Even if she could seduce Jonathan, a clever man like him would never let go of such an affluent wife.


    In the custody battle, Liliana would get full custody of their children. They were both affluent, and she had raised them.


    Jessi was smart enough to know Jonathan would never leave Liliana, even if their rtionship fizzled out.


    It would mean leaving behind so much wealth and power and his children.


    James, on the other hand, was a known dandy. His rtionship with Mariana and love triangle with Liam were not a secret.


    They had thought being with James would be easy.


    They had dared to go to the Millers with a proposal. While the Millers weren¡¯t interested in marriage between James and Jessi, Mrs. Miller had nheless coborated with them to force Liam and Mariana.


    But that did not go as expected either.


    It turned out that Liam and Mariana were already married. So, their intervention wasn¡¯t needed at all.


    Moreover, James cut off his rtionship with his family.


    In their previous argument, James made his disdain clear.


    They had to find a n C for climbing up the socialdder.


    Seeing Leonardo look like a lost puppy gave them a new idea.


    The J sisters shared a look and parted.


    Jessi took a ss of wine and approached Leonardo to start a conversation.


    Jessi started, ¡°Mr. Petrova, how are you doing?¡±


    Leonardo replied politely, ¡°I am doing well. Miss?¡±


    Jessi replied by giving him his hand, hoping he would kiss her knuckles gentlemanly.


    ¡°Miss Jessi! Please call me Jess.¡±


    Leonardo, however, shook her hand formally.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Miss Jessi.¡±


    He replied formally and used her full name to show theirck of familiarity.


    Jessi wasn¡¯t disheartened. She shrugged and continued as if she did not see what he was doing.


    She faltered, ¡°May I confess what an absolute honor it is to meet you here!¡±


    Leonardo chuckled, ¡°Why, Thank you, Miss.¡±


    Jessi tried to delve more into his life.


    ¡°Where have you been all these years, Mr. Petrova? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    He answered, ¡°I have been around.¡±


    She did not take the hint and continued, ¡°Are you back to P City for good?¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°Who knows!¡±


    She was getting irritated by his flippant nature and asked, ¡°By the way, is there an office for L&L enterprise in P City? I have yet to see one.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Yeah! You will get to know when the timees. We haven¡¯t disclosed it yet.¡±


    She asked, ¡°Can you tell me, please?¡±


    He finally looked straight into her eye and asked, ¡°Why should I?¡±


    She was stunned at the change in his demeanor and the offensive question.


    She tried to muddle through, ¡°Well, since we are somewhat rted already, I was only asking if you don¡¯t mind. Please ignore it if you do.¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind. I just don¡¯t wanna tell.¡±


    She was even more stunned. Leonardo was tantly insulting her.


    Before she could reply, Leonardo murmured, ¡®Excuse me!¡¯ and left.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He went straight to Mariana and hugged her before carrying her in his arms and spinning her around.


    Mariana screamed and shouted at him to put her down, but he onlyughed.


    He kissed her on the cheeks before saying, ¡°I was waiting for my turn, Mer Bear.¡±


    Sheughed and hugged him, ¡°You little brat! You are making me angry again.¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°You love me too much to be seriously angry with me, dear sister.¡±


    They chuckled and joked as he presented her with a gift.


    He passed her a set of keys and said, ¡°This is from all of us ¨C Sister and brother-inw, James, Jacob, Henry, and me. I hope you will live there with Kyle from now on. It¡¯s close to the Petrova Mansion, and the kids can grow up together.¡±


    He turned to Madam Preston and said, ¡°Madam Preston, it¡¯s an honor to meet you! I hope you don¡¯t mind our interference. My sister and we all hope that Mer and Kyle can stay close to us. Liam is always away, and Kyle grew up with my nephew and niece. Besides, Mer is still learning the ropes in the business. It would be good to stay in a closepany so we can all look after each other, as we have done until now.¡±


    Liam had already discussed it with his grandmother, so she replied genially.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! I was worried she would get too lonely with an olddy like me. I am d you all thought things through and made such a decision.¡±


    Mariana added, ¡°Grandma, we hope you will stay with us. I don¡¯t mean to uproot you from Preston Mansion, but do spend some time with us and guide us.¡±


    She agreed, and they all continued having fun at the party.


    The Prestons were speechless. They had pushed for this marriage to build more roads between them and Petrova-Smiths.


    But they had cut off all ess.


    They wanted to object, but Madam Preston had already warned them against it. They did not want to get kicked out of the family.


    Finally, the banquet ended without idents, and everyone left for their homes.

 Chapter 287 The repercussions 1

    Finally, the fiasco of Mariana and Liam¡¯s rtionship had died down.


    Then James, Liam, Jacob, and Leonardo began their revenge on the culprits involved.


    James had investigated the matters thoroughly and identified all the culprits involved.


    The Preston family.


    Julie and Jessi.


    His parents.


    Steven Bryce ¨C the ex-employee of National Media Station and a family member of James¡¯s ex ¨C Alice Moss.


    Liam¡¯s supervisors had filed aint against the mediapanies who had published such incorrect news bringing shame to their troops.


    Liliana asked NMS to do a feature on it and exined the meaning of ¨C responsible journalism. Spreading news without verifying its authenticity and ruining people¡¯s low-key life was against journalism ethics.


    She let everyone in NMS know she expected better behavior from NMS and would not tolerate such blunders.


    Thankfully, because she intervened in Steven Bryce¡¯s case and the audits that followed ¨C only good, only the responsible people were left on the job. Hence, they had not featured this story.


    One of the journalists went to dig deeper and found Steven Bryce¡¯s involvement in the matter. They did a feature on it and brought the conspiracy to the forefront.


    In turn, the police investigated Steven Bryce. They uncovered more of his scandals and even implicated the Moss family.


    The Moss family slowly went downhill and was poised to sell their business anytime soon.


    On the other hand, Leonardo, James, and Jacob cut off all business associations with the J sisters and their family or rted business.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    In their attempt to springboard their status and family fortune, the two sisters ended up depleting it entirely. But they were undeterred and still held hopes of roping someone from the upper ss for their ambitions.


    Liam and his grandmother added more restrictions. Old Madam Preston slimmed down their primary family and removed the culprits.


    She made it clear that she was healthy and she was in charge. She would not tolerate people stepping over others to gain benefits.


    The Preston family was known as a righteous family for several generations. She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to ruin that glory under her watch.


    The ones who had cooperated with Julie to instigate the Military to force Liam and Mariana together not only did not receive any benefits but also lost their minor privileges.


    Ultimately, they punished everyone except for the Millers.


    One day James knocked on Liliana¡¯s door when she was working.


    After half an hour of discussion, James left their house. He felt he was carrying an enormous burden and hoped Liliana could help him lift it.


    Mariana, Liam, and Kyle had moved to the new Vi they had prepared for them.


    Jacob would often crash at their ce. But James had respectfully kept his distance.


    A few dayster, Liliana and Jonathan went to visit the Millers. Jonathan had always been respectful of them despite their frosty rtionship with James.


    Liliana hadn¡¯t visited them after returning to P city. That visit was long overdue.


    Liliana had, as usual, brought antique items as gifts to show her respect.


    They chatted in a stiff environment. The Millers couldn¡¯t figure out why those two were visiting.


    They knew about their fallout with James. Besides, Liliana was Mariana¡¯s best friend.


    Mrs. Miller was agitated. She wondered if they were there to mock or rub salt in their wounds.


    However, she held her temper. She did not want to provoke thebined forces of Petrova-Smith.


    However, one conversation led to another, and Mrs. Miller could no longer hold herself back.


    She had been in a bad state since James left home. He was her only child, and she was dealing with her conflicted emotions.


    From anger and vindication to guilt and panic!


    Relieved and hopeful to scared and resentful!


    She did not know how to feel about the entire thing.

 Chapter 288 The repercussions 2

    Finally, Mrs. Miller couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°I hope your friend Mariana is doing well. After she miscarried James¡¯s baby, she married the Prestons. She sure is skillful.¡±


    Mr. Miller rebuked her, ¡°Stop talking!¡±


    Lilianaughed.


    Jonathan looked at her and inteced his fingers with hers.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    He couldn¡¯t tell if she wasughing at Mrs. Miller or James.


    Mrs. Miller asked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Liliana shook her head and asked, ¡°Aunty, if you knew she had miscarried James¡¯s child, why did you go online and say it was Liam¡¯s and Liam was forcing James to cover for his indiscretions.¡±


    ¡°Based on what you are saying now, it seems you tried to use public opinion to hide James¡¯s indiscretions.¡±


    ¡°And you even sent false details to the Army. You realize they are punishable offenses. You could get jailed for it.¡±


    Mrs. Miller stuttered. She did not have aeback for it.


    Liliana continued, ¡°Previously when James was pursuing Mariana, Alice Moss became jealous and tried to hurt and humiliate Mariana repeatedly. Mariana and James kept quiet to show you respect since the Mosses were your family friends.¡±


    ¡°They retaliated against her because she had caused too many issues. They couldn¡¯t continue to ept getting bullied. As a public figure and as people close to their friend¡¯s children ¨C it¡¯s imperative to set the right example.¡±


    ¡°But you went on record to scold your son.¡±


    ¡°You supported the woman who had cheated on your only son with his roommates.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, your intervention and Alice¡¯s schemes pushed Liam to confront his feelings and confess. It ultimately brought Liam and Mariana together. They had been hiding their feelings for many years.¡±


    ¡°However, it seems that you aren¡¯t against Mariana as much as you are trying to push James¡¯s buttons. You simply don¡¯t want your son to be happy.¡±


    Liliana finished her verbiage.


    ¡°To answer your question, Aunty ¨C I amughing at the irony of everything. I don¡¯t know if I should feel sorry for James or congratte Mariana on the bullet she dozed. Imagine being your daughter-inw!¡±


    The Millers trembled with rage, but they couldn¡¯t deny her allegations.


    They had nothing to retort against her words. They had to stew in their anger silently.


    Jonathan changed the topic and talked to Mr. Miller for a short time.


    Liliana and Jonathan left soon after that amidst fake smiles and insincere wishes.


    Mrs. Miller broke everything in the living room after they left.


    She was in a fit of rage and hadn¡¯t been able to vent her anger. She smashed everything in the living room before she had a sinister idea.


    She copied the surveince footage of the living room and sent it to the butler to edit it to smear Mariana¡¯s reputation.


    She waited with bated breath for the clip. She would hire ghostwriters to besmirch Mariana and cut off the root of the problem.


    However, before the butler came back, James sent her an email.


    He had attached theplete footage withplete audio. The subject line of the email said ¨C Watch me!


    There was no email body.


    It was a silent warning.


    If she tried to defame Mariana, he would expose her.


    Besides, James knew the ins and outs of their family. If he wanted, he could hurt them.


    In the end, Mr. Miller consoled her and sent her abroad after two weeks.


    He had arranged for a Vi with maids and hired a psychologist for her.


    In the end, the Millers decided to stay low. Eventually, James would return on his own ¨C or they would see what they could do when the time came.


    It was clear to them that trying to harm Mariana or any of their friends would only end badly for them.


    Finally, everyone involved in Mariana¡¯s case was punished and dealt with savagely.


    The Preston branch family was an ongoing problem without any permanent solution.

 Chapter 289 A new enemy or an old one – 1

    On the other hand, Liliana had left the issue of culprits trying to harm their children to Leonardo.


    She had moved out of their current Vi and shifted to Jonathan¡¯s Vi.


    Every weekend, the family of four would visit Petrova Mansion. They would always stay the weekend in Petrova Mansion, making things lively for the old Grand-uncle Green. It also made it easier for Leonardo to spend time with kids.


    As usual, Kyle, Mariana, Liam, Eric, James, Jacob, Henry, Jennifer, Vincent, and Alice would visit from time to time whenever they were free.


    But they also hadmitments and couldn¡¯t always make it each weekend.


    Liam would often be away as was required for his job. Hence, Mariana and Kyle spent almost all weekends with the Petrova-Smiths.


    When the Smiths would visit their old Matriarch, Mariana would take Kyle to meet the Preston family¡¯s old Matriarch.


    In so many ways, their life formed an order and pattern that would continue for many years.


    Liliana soon noticed Leonardo would often go to the basement to visit the female captive -Leena, who was responsible for poisoning her twins.


    Leena, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the attention.


    She thought Leonardo was just a green boy who had yet to grow his facial hair. It would be an easy job to seduce and take advantage of him.


    One such day, after Leonardo left, Leena snorted in disdain and rolled her eyes.


    Jonas couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they are listening and watching you?¡±


    Leenaughed, ¡°You fool! Look around you! There¡¯s not a single switch or camera. It¡¯s just in white walls without decoration ¨C no ce to hide a camera. There¡¯s just the overhead light. How could they possibly see anything?¡±


    Jonas shook his head, ¡°I think you do them much disservice. Just because they are rich doesn¡¯t mean they are stupid or cruel. They had been holding us here for three months now. But they have never hurt us.¡±


    ¡°You, on the other hand, I don¡¯t know what you have done to my father. Being poor doesn¡¯t make you a messiah or a Robinhood. You are just a cruel person with a ck heart.¡±


    Leena rolled her eyes at his remark. In her eyes, Jonas was just a spineless faggot.


    Jonas stopped speaking after that.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Leonardo watched their reaction and clicked his tongue.


    He requested his uncle to help him in the study room and showed him arge wall with pictures of people, ces, and events, threads of several colors crisscrossing between them, and notes everywhere.


    Jake looked at the wall-turned board and felt a headacheing.


    ¡®Where did the kid learn this?¡¯


    He wondered in his head but chose to hold his thoughts back. Then they set to work.


    After three hours of intensive investigation, fact correction, and analysis ¨C they had narrowed out the usual suspects.


    Jennifer¡¯s mother was Anne Petrova¡¯s maid. Later in the years, she went in cahoots with Lester for some money. She had brought the abortifacient mixed supplement to Anne to abort Leonardo.


    But Anne already knew of the scheme and yed along while she protected the baby.


    But Lester threw her under the bus and fired her. Not only did she not make any money, but she also lost her privileged job.


    She had held that bitterness for years. Her husband realized her nature and distanced himself from her.


    While he did not divorce or cheat on her, he maintained a subtle distance. Moreover, he took the task of Jenn¡¯s upbringing upon himself and roped in his parents for help.


    That created a barrier between Jenn and her mother. Jenn was kind andpassionate, and from an early age, she realized that her mother was a bit twisted. She did not voice her thoughts and continued to respect and love her mother, but there was a palpable boundary between them.


    Later, Jennifer¡¯s father adopted a rtive¡¯s daughter when they perished in an ident.


    Since the girl was many years younger than her, Jennifer personally took care of her and mentored her.


    Later, when Liliana sponsored Jennifer¡¯s education, she moved away. She also helped her younger sister in education and guided her to earn a schrship abroad. Hence, the two sisters became even more distant from Jennifer¡¯s mother.


    After Jennifer moved back to P City, her mother realized Anne¡¯s daughter was friends with her daughter and had sponsored her education.


    Rather than being grateful, she felt insulted. Her heart was full of hatred. So, she filled her son¡¯s head with bitterness and vengeance.


    Jennifer¡¯s brother ¨C Patrick Cox ¨C was spoiled by her mother. From a young age, he became entitled and arrogant. While Jennifer and her younger sister listened to their father and grandparents, her brother was close to his mother.


    Later, some people ¨C Leena and her cooties ¨C reached out to Patrick and paid him for exchanging a sweet prepared for Liliana¡¯s children.


    Patrick did not even question what was in the sweets. He only cared about the money.


    He became worried when he realized he had unwittingly poisoned the children. Hence, he ran away and hid in his house.


    After a month, when there was no movement from the Smiths, he breathed a sigh and started going out again.


    Jennifer remained unaware as she was too busy to think about the changes in her brother¡¯s behavior.


    He suddenly became very friendly with her and wanted to see different lifestyles, so she had him tag along.


    But then he seemed uninterested and shut himself in the house. She was too busy with Henry¡¯s research and slept at the research center more often than at night. She simply did not have the time to bother about his activities.

 Chapter 290 A new enemy or an old one – 2

    Leonardo and Jake were hesitant about dealing with Patrick Cox since Jennifer was a wonderful soul and Liliana¡¯s close friend.


    Besides, Jake felt the kid was misguided rather than evil. So, there was hope.


    They left it for thetter and focused on the others.


    Jonas and his father were just pawns. Jonas followed along because Leena had threatened him with his father¡¯s life. But as soon as the children were involved, he got cold feet and fessed up.


    They had rescued his father but continued holding Jonas in for the show.


    Meanwhile, Leena was tricky. She was born in the criminal underground and left to fend for herself as an unimed child. Then she was groomed by some gangsters for her grit and fearlessness. She was born in the mud and never knew life outside of hatred and greed.


    She did not understand the concept of rich and kind people. In her world, they did not exist. She knew greed, poverty, fighting for her life and money, and doing things for money.


    Leonardo pitied her, but he could see she was irredeemable.


    All the people under her were the same. They were the nameless viins in the dark, but ironically, they were also pitiful.


    They had never had a meal they did not earn without working hard for it ¨C using manualbor, fighting, or whoring. And recently, spying.


    They never received education or kindness. They never knew there was a different way of life.


    Leonardo knew taking out Leena or her subordinates would not solve the problem. It was like cutting off the leaves of a tree that grew in the poison field. It was bound to bear poisoned fruit and leaves.


    Besides, they had received the mission from someone else. They were not the mastermind.


    At the same time, albeit their influence, Leonardo and Liliana were just powerful merchants. They did not have the authority or permission to mess with the underground.


    As such, Leonardo had thought long and hard to devise a n to deal with them before asking his grand-uncle to fact-check and correct him.


    His n was simple. He had nned an utterly strict military-protected farnd in the wilderness outside of P city.


    It was his voluntary donation to the P city military and police force.


    The harvest from the farms would feed the people in the Military force. They could send the excess to several orphanages and non-profit organizations.


    L&L Enterprise would cover all the costs until it was up and running until the first harvest.


    After that, the Military would manage it. And Leonardo or L&L Enterprise would stay out of Military business. That was his way of drawing a line.


    Leonardo nned to send all the underground ragged people to that field. They all would need to serve some punishment ¨C working to grow something would show them a different way. Working tirelessly in the harsh areas for five years non-stop would be enough to change their mind.


    When they were released, they would get a new lease on life ¨C a new identity, PFs, a bank ount with the wage they had earned in the five years, a job, and a ce to live.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    If they toed the line, then well and good. Otherwise, there were always empty prisons waiting for new inmates.


    However, he needed precise locations before the police and army would form a n to capture everyone in one shot to eradicate the underground force.


    Liam was the expert in that field and poised to n and take on the entire project.


    Jake had friends he could contact and get more information.


    Together they formed an outline of a n, and Liam went to work. Then it was Liam¡¯s job as he had the authority, knowledge, expertise, and resources to handle something like that.


    Liam estimated it would take him around three months to gather information and execute a n. He would need to spend those three months away ¨C in the barrack or undercover.


    Before leaving, he asked James and Jacob to look after Mariana, Kyle, and his grandmother. He asked his grandmother to move with Mariana and Kyle to teach Mariana and Kyle more about the Preston family.


    James and Jacob moved in with them as well.


    Having handed over the task to Liam, Leonardo and Jake focused on the mastermind.

 Chapter 291 A new enemy or an old one – 3

    Leonardo spent weeks tracking every little trail and tracking every penny before he managed to pinpoint the mastermind.


    Bronsson lory used to work in the Petrova factory before he was fired and arrested for stealing thepany¡¯s secrets.


    However, shortly after Leon and Kathrine Petrova passed away, he got released from prison. The details around his early release were vague.


    Leonardo could see Bronsson had some influence, but Leon had suppressed him. As soon as Leon died, he was able to spring free.


    Bronsson lory then left P city and established himself abroad with a new name ¨C Brian Lory.


    His business remained the same as that of the Petrova factory, whichter became the Aprice Group. Moreover, he was involved in several other underground dealings as well. He developed connections with the mafia in the foreign country and became a supplier for P City.


    He would supply drugs and arms to the P city underground in exchange for girls and organs.


    They had an extensivework and had bribed several authorities over the years to keep themselves safe.


    However, Bronsson has learned from his previous mistakes and kept all his chickens in different baskets.


    Alice Moss had previously bought illegal drugs to harm Mariana. Bronsson was the supplier of that drug. However, in front of Bronsson¡¯s vast criminalwork ¨C Alice was like a drop of water in the sea.


    She was merely a minor customer who held no value.


    But her actions had a ripple effect.


    Liam had investigated and ended their dugwork ¨C effectively cutting off Bronsson¡¯s one arm.


    But his influence on the P citywork did not diminish. After all, he kept his drugs, arms, and prostitution businesspletely separate from one another.


    The prostitution and arms business was even more extensive than the drug supply.


    Bronsson killed his contact and cut off his links in time to minimize losses.


    Besides, his attention had already shifted by then.


    He held a grudge against Leon and always kept an eye on the Petrova heirs. His influence hadrgely vanished when he remained locked up for years.


    He was busy picking himself back up post moving abroad. During that time, he had beenx, and Leonardo and Liliana had disappeared for years. But they had recently surfaced under his watchful eyes.


    Bronsson began nning his revenge immediately after Liliana announced her partnership with the Smith Group.


    It took him a lot of time to gather intelligence because Liliana had kept strict security around her children.


    So he started to nt seeds within the Smith group as it was a giant conglomerate, and one couldn¡¯t possibly keep a tight lease on everyone.


    Finally, Liliana showed her hand at the Petrova family banquet, and he finalized his ns.


    Liliana and Jonathan kept everything under wraps, and Bronsson couldn¡¯t figure out where things went wrong.


    Moreover, those were just disposable pawns, and he didn¡¯t care about them.


    The n was several folds. Since the kids escaped, he had nned to throw the me on Patrick Cox. At the bare minimum, it would jeopardize Liliana¡¯s rtionship with Jennifer.


    While Leonardo was investigating Bronson, Jonathan was busy dealing with several issues in the Smith Group.


    The shareholder Mr. Cox, who initially only had 7% shares, had acquired the odd lots. He held 13% shares, and that increase exponentially elevated his arrogance.


    Mr. Windt had 7% shares.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    United, those two had 20% shares of the Smith Group. It was a lot, and they had been trying to topple Jonathan for a long time.


    Bronsson had coerced three project managers for some of the most important projects of the Smith Group. Concurrently, they messed up all three projects. That directly resulted in thepany losing more than five Billion in investments and money spent on the initial development and acquiring the projects.


    It wasn¡¯t much for Jonathan, but from apany and shares ¨C it was a massive loss, and the share price dropped drastically.


    Mr. Cox and Mr. Windt were waiting for that chance and immediately called shareholder¡¯s meetings.


    The agenda was to rece Jonathan for his mismanagement.


    However, they had severely underestimated the mysterious shareholder they couldn¡¯t contact.


    At that shareholder¡¯s meeting, several unexpected things happened.

 Chapter 292 A new enemy or an old one – 4

    Jonathan had told Leonardo that he wouldn¡¯t meddle in his investigations and would leave everything to him.


    But he and Liliana were too simr and too protective of their children.


    When Leonardo was busy investigating everything from scratch, Liliana tasked her spywork to find everything about Bronsson lory.


    She had all his information within a week.


    She had passed her investigation results to Liam, and they had nned to discuss it with the chief of Police ¨C Jeffery Cruise.


    However, things took a turn because of Mariana¡¯s scandal. Investigations began, and they suspended Liam. As such, they had to put Bronsson¡¯s matters on hold.


    Finally, things had settled, and their lives had returned to normal.


    Liam nned to start his investigations. But he was worried about Mariana and Kyle¡¯s safety. Mariana had a knack for getting into trouble and ignoring security measures.


    Liam had estimated that he would be gone for several months. He went to Liliana to discuss Mariana¡¯s safety with Liliana, Jonathan, James, and Jacob.


    Leonardo called him to share the findings on the undergroundworks just at that time.


    Liliana sent Liam away, and they re-grouped when Liam returned from the Petrova Mansion.


    Jonathan could only shake his head at his wife¡¯s mischievousness. He was also grateful that she had given him space when they were apart.


    She was very capable of being utterly intrusive.


    Liliana was impressed with her brother¡¯s results. He was quick and had made thorough ns.


    His idea would solve the problem and likely reform many people. At the same time, he would build a good reputation in the force and gain many priceless connections.


    Leonardo¡¯s tactic was a little different from Liliana¡¯s.


    Liliana always cut off the head and quickly rolled down to cover all bases when there was disarray.


    While Leonardo swept from the bottom up, paralyzing the enemy before dealing the fatal blow.


    Both siblings were ruthless and thorough in their unique way.


    Jonathan once again thanked all deities that he was married into the family. Had they shed, the entire P City would have felt the tremors.


    Nheless, he had also instructed Vincent to look into Bronson ¨C especially his influence in the business sector.


    Vincent had assigned some men to keep an eye on Mr. Cox and Mr. Windt for many months since they shed in thest meeting.


    They were already aware of what those two were doing. Looking into Bronsson filled all the missing gaps in their investigations.


    Together ¨C Leonardo, Liam, Liliana, and Jonathan ¨C they had everything they needed. They were ready and poised to strike.


    Bronsson had made one fatal mistake ¨C he waited to see the results of his first move before making his next move.


    If Bronsson had dealt all the blows together, he might have caught them unaware and harmed them as he had wanted.


    Bronsson wanted to y with his prey. He wanted to watch them stumble from one struggle to another and tire themselves out.


    But to y the hunter, you need to understand your prey better.


    He knew Leon passed away when Liliana was five, while her mother left the world when she was nine.


    He underestimated her and did not think she was capable of anything.


    Business ¨C sure! She was highly educated and talented.


    But he did not think she was capable of ying the game. He thought the constant scandals and troubles were proof of her ipetence. He figured it was Jonathan cleaning up after her.


    ordingly, Bronsson did not think much about Leonardo ¨C as he was just a green boy.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    He only considered Jonathan as his ultimate enemy. But he underestimated him as he was untrained.


    A cat ys with the mouse only when she knows she is chipping away his strength with every blow and won¡¯t get outwitted.


    Bronsson failed to ensure whether his moves had caused the required damage.

 Chapter 293 The shareholder’s meeting – 1

    The Smith Group was abuzz!


    The three failed projects were very high profile, and everyone had their eye on the pie.


    The consistent drop in share prices was rming to shareholders and employees alike.


    Everyone was afraid!


    The shareholders were afraid of losing their money.


    The employees were afraid of gettingid off.


    The upper management employees were afraid of getting picked on because of the high-profile failure of the projects.


    The shareholder¡¯s meeting, as expected by everyone, was scheduled. And somehow, everyone was aware of the meeting.


    All the employees waited with bated breath for the consequences.


    On the day of the meeting, Jonathan brought his wife to thepany for the first time.


    They walked hand in hand as their assistant followed them closely. Jonathan showed her around and whispered in her ear.


    Vincent seemed to be cing bets and jesting with Liliana¡¯s assistant ¨C Alice McDraw.


    The employees were stunned. They hadn¡¯t seen Jonathan for ages as he went in and out of thepany through his private elevator.


    They did not know what to make of the carefree attitude of the couple.


    Some admired them for their calmness. Some thought it was Jonathan¡¯sst chance to show off to his much-wealthier wife as the CEO.


    Some thought he had brought out big guns for protection because his position seemed to be quickly slipping away.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Some thought Jonathan had everything under control, so he was merely trying to reassure the employees.


    Nheless, they held their breath in front of the couple and were respectful and polite.


    As soon as they had moved away, the chatter began.


    ¡®I think we are safe now!¡¯


    ¡®What does that even mean? How can Mrs. Liliana save us? She is likely to dump President Smith for his mismanagement. You know about political marriages between the rich.¡¯


    ¡®My Idol is not that kind of person. She is here to show support. She would back her husband.¡¯


    ¡®If it is a political marriage, they would have to stick together even more. Or, Mrs. Liliana would never be able to whitewash her image.¡¯


    ¡®Our President looks too rxed. It can only be because he is unafraid.¡¯


    ¡®They are the power couple. They will emerge from this crisis and stun everyone with their brilliance.¡¯


    ¡®I am getting positive vibes, guys. This crisis shall pass.¡¯


    ¡®Aye! This too shall pass!¡¯


    The tter stopped when all the employees received a ping on their work DM.


    ¡°Mrs. Petrova-Smith has brought pastries and chips for everyone. Everyone, please proceed to the cafeteria for the snacks.¡±


    The employees did not know what to think of it as they all went to the cafeteria.


    In the President¡¯s office ¨C Jonathan led his wife to his office and ushered her inside.


    He closed the door and rolled the windows while she sat on his chair without scruples.


    Jonathan went to her and teased her, ¡°You have taken my spot, Mrs. Smith.¡±


    Liliana raised her eyes and said, ¡°So what?¡±


    Jonathan couldn¡¯t help butugh. He loved everything about her.


    He picked her up and sat down on the chair, holding her in hisp.


    Liliana did not even exim at his behavior.


    Jonathan kissed her and said, ¡°This is much better, Mrs. Smith.¡±


    Sheughed and straddled him, ¡°Is that so, Mr. Husband?¡±


    He caressed her face and lips before covering them with his lips. His hands moved on their own ord as they sneaked beneath her top.


    Liliana stopped his wandering hand, pulled down his cor, and bit him.


    She purred in his ears, ¡°You are being naughty, Mr. Husband. We have a meeting in an hour.¡±


    Jonathan kissed and teased her, ¡°One hour is enough, Mrs. Smith.¡±


    Sheughed, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Jonathan sensed the provocation in herughter. He had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough, her words made him jerk back in shock.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s continue, Mr. Husband. We will keep the one-hour counter at home as well.¡±


    ¡°I was wrong, Mrs. smith! How can one hour be enough? Besides, this is my workce. I need to work hard to feed my wife and kids.¡±


    Lilianaughed.


    Jonathan could only look at her and shake his head.


    She sat sideways on hisp and watched him as he worked.


    Finally, the much-anticipated shareholder¡¯s meeting started.

 Chapter 294 The shareholder’s meeting – 2

    All the shareholders knew that Jonathan had brought his wife to the meeting.


    They couldn¡¯t understand why he would bring his much-richer wife to a meeting where he would most certainly get questioned and admonished.


    Mr. Cox and Mr. Windt, however, were drunk in their victory. They thought he had brought his wife for support because he was afraid of being pushed out. With that thought in mind, they swaggered inside even more pompously.


    Soon everyone settled down, and the meeting officially started.


    Jonathan sat at the head of the table as usual. However, this time, he shifted his chair to the side and added another chair for Liliana.


    Liliana smiled at him and took the seat unhesitatingly. She passed a cursory nce across the room and scanned all faces fleetingly.


    She gave a slight nod and smiled at Mr. Jeremy Winston. He beamed at her instead and winked.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Jonathan looked at him with raised eyebrows. ¡®Had he figured something out?¡¯


    However, he looked away and gestured at everyone to speak. Liliana held his hand below the table and drew circles on his palm.


    One of the shareholders spoke up, ¡°Mrs. Petrova-Smith, it¡¯s good to see you in person in thepany. I hope you will join more of our meetings.¡±


    His statement left everyone speechless. That was not the purpose of the meeting.


    Liliana¡¯s eyes twinkled as sheughed.


    ¡°Why? Thank you, Mr. Cooper! I was afraid I would intrude and cause unnecessary distractions. I am ttered!¡±


    Mr. Cooper blushed. He had not expected her to know his name.


    Another shareholder added, ¡°Ah! Young Blood! It¡¯s the first time you have spoken without being explicitly asked, Cooper. I see you were saving your breath to wee thedy boss.¡±


    Liliana shook her head.


    He looked at Liliana and added, ¡°Wee, Mrs. Smith! I hope you will stay.¡±


    She replied with a polite smile, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Jeremy Winston intervened before everyone could wee her personally. They were all busy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started. Windt, why have you called us again? If you miss us, try changing the venue to golf clubs!¡±


    Liliana had to hide her smile.


    Mr. Windt was embarrassed at being mocked. He braved it and spoke.


    ¡°Mrs. Smith, it¡¯s good to see you here. We never knew you existed all these years, so please forgive us if our hospitality has beencking. Having said that! Wouldn¡¯t you be morefortable resting in the CEO¡¯s office?¡±


    He gestured around him and said, ¡°This is just a boring shareholder¡¯s meeting.¡±


    Liliana replied politely, ¡°Thank you for being so considerate, Mr. Windt. However, I would have been morefortable at home. But I received a notice about the meeting. I couldn¡¯t ignore it every time without it seeming disrespectful.¡±


    Mr. Windt¡¯s smile fell. Mr. Cox cleared his throat to change the topic.


    Mr. Windt smiled and added, ¡°Well, President Smith, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our share prices have fallen drastically. It¡¯s the lowest it has been in thest three years.¡±


    Another shareholder snorted, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it news. We are all shareholders, and we all know. We always know when the price fluctuates.¡±


    Mr. Cox added, ¡°That may be the case, but some of us have more to lose. I dare say it keeps me awake at night.¡±


    Mr. Windt coughed before anyone could retort to that and added, ¡°The news of those three project failures and more than five billion in losses is floating around the industry. The Analysts are predicting that our capital chain will break soon.¡±


    Liliana yawned visibly, and everyone gawked at her.


    Shezily asked, ¡°Is there an actual agenda? We are all busy people here. Let¡¯s skip to the good part, shall we?¡±


    Jonathan had to bite the inside of his mouth to stop himself fromughing.


    Liliana pinched his thighs under the table.

 Chapter 295 The shareholder’s meeting – 3

    Mr. Windt was embarrassed. No one had dared to humiliate him like that ever.


    He red at her angrily but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Liliana seemed to realize her mistake and added, ¡°I am sorry if I offended anyone. I simply did not want to tiptoe around the issue and waste everyone¡¯s time. We are all busy individuals.¡±


    ¡°Besides, let¡¯s be frank here! People tiptoe if they are trying to soften the blow or don¡¯t know how to say it.¡±


    ¡°In this case, I think we all know ¨C it¡¯s the former.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my husband wants everyone to pamper him. So, let¡¯s just get to the point.¡±


    Mr. Windt did not have an answer for her. He looked at Mr. Cox, who was equally angry, and they shared a look.


    Mr. Cox added, ¡°Well, then! To put it bluntly ¨C we are just not sure about President Smith¡¯s ability to lead anymore.¡±


    Liliana looked at him as if she was waiting for him to continue.


    When he did not speak, Jeremy Winston couldn¡¯t take it any further and asked, ¡°One needs to have proof to support each usation, Cox.¡±


    Mr. Windt added, ¡°As we discussed thest time, President Smith is always entangled with scandals and seems busy with his personal affairs. We have put our trust in him, time and again.¡±


    ¡°Even when he fired two dozen employees publicly, which tickled some feathers with thebor union, we did not speak and trusted him.¡±


    ¡°But three projects failed in such a high-profile manner. Ourpany has lost five billion! The analysts are saying our capital chain will soon break.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the five billion is just chump change to President Smith. After all, he could afford to buy jewelry for twenty billion. We are not that privileged.¡±


    ¡°President Smith is married to royalty. Maybe he no longer cares about this smallpany and wishes to retire. But we need to think for ourselves.¡±


    Lilianaughed.


    Mr. Cox looked at her sarcastically and asked, ¡°Mrs. Petrova-Smith, what¡¯s so funny?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Jonathan looked at her strangely.


    She looked at her husband and teased, ¡°Ah! Mr. Smith, I can¡¯t decide if Mr. Windt is trying to praise your good fortune for marrying me or scold you for indulging me. Or maybe it¡¯s both!¡±


    Mr. Windt looked at her speechlessly.


    ¡®That¡¯s what she got from all that!¡¯


    Mr. Cox remarked condescendingly, ¡°You have mistaken him, Mrs. Liliana. Perhaps the petty shares¡¯ matters are beneath you.¡±


    Liliana looked at them frostily and added, ¡°How could that be, Mr. Cox? After all, I built L&L Designs from scratch. And your boss had to beg me to coborate with him. I understand politics quite well.¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, I also understand what it means to be long-winded.¡±


    ¡°Having said that, I would let everyone else add theirments first. Lest anyone feel I swayed other people¡¯s opinion.¡±


    She looked around, but most people did not speak.


    A few showed their support instead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any issues with President Smith¡¯s management.¡±


    ¡°I would like this to end, so we can all leave. I don¡¯t have any issues.¡±


    ¡°We can all see the share prices have dropped drastically, and it¡¯s the lowest it has been in thest three years. However, as long-term shareholders, I am sure we all know that it¡¯s still much higher than before President Smith took the helm of thepany.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any issues either! But I would love to hear more about the failed projects. I smell something fishy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the projects dropped in a very unusual way. And the way they spread, it looks suspicious to me.¡±


    Jeremy Winston concluded for everyone!


    ¡°I think we have established that we all want to know about the projects. But otherwise, we don¡¯t have any issues. Except for Cox and Windt.¡±


    Liliana answered, ¡°Thanks, NUncle!¡±


    Jonathan was speechless.

 Chapter 296 The shareholder’s meeting – 4

    Liliana looked around, and her demeanor had changed.


    She said, ¡°Finally, we know the agenda. Let¡¯s make sure to include the agenda in the meeting invitations from now on, please.¡±


    She added flippantly, ¡°I keep getting meeting invites without agenda, and it irks the hell out of me. How should I figure out if it¡¯s worth my time?¡±


    ¡°I have been ignoring all invites so far, but this time, I just wanted toe and clear things up.¡±


    She cleared her throat and began, ¡°Anyway, as I was saying ¨C agenda!¡±


    ¡°There are two items here ¨C the three failed projects and the losses associated with them. I will let Nathan rify that. As shareholders, you ought to know what¡¯s happening in thepany. And let¡¯s be frank here, it¡¯s Nathan¡¯s responsibility to ensure he is up to date about such critical projects and minimize the losses in time.¡±


    ¡°As a shareholder, I would like to know as well.¡±


    ¡°The other agenda is about Nathan¡¯s responsibility to lead thepany. While I think that should havee up after we had assessed the first point and reviewed RCAs from each project manager, it¡¯s the shareholder¡¯s right. No judgment there!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cox and Mr. Windt, let¡¯s be open here! Who do you think is better suited to lead thepany, if not for Nathan?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Jeremy Winston snorted, ¡°Make sure to support your theory with proper arguments and proofs.¡±


    Mr. Cox and Mr. Windt were in a bind.


    Jonathan never talked during the meetings until the end. They had expected it to be the same.


    They nned to sway the shareholder¡¯s opinion and freeze him out for a few months.


    They did not want to take over his responsibility. It was much easier to stay as a shareholder and count money. Besides, they did not doubt Jonathan¡¯s ability to lead.


    Neither could they ce their sons or rtives in the position just like that.


    But Liliana had ruined their n. She had taken control and forced them into a corner.


    Mr. Windt spluttered incoherently! ¡°We did not want to rece President Smith. We just want him to be more careful.¡±


    Liliana replied as if she only then grasped the situation, ¡°Ah! I see! You only wanted to teach my husband a lesson. And here I was under the impression there was a reason for this meeting.¡±


    Mr. Cox¡¯s face went red.


    He had never thought Jonathan¡¯s wife would disrespect him so bluntly.


    Mr. Windt swallowed his saliva. He was sweating profusely and downed half a bottle of water.


    Liliana, however, was on a roll.


    ¡°Well! Never mind that! Since there is no agenda, let me hijack this one. Any problems?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads.


    She looked at Jonathan and said, ¡°All yours, darling!¡±


    Jonathan gawked at her. She had never called him ¡°darling¡± in public before.


    He hid his emotions and took up his phone.


    ¡°Vincent,e in!¡±


    Before he had hung up the phone, Vincent and Alice came inside with a batch of files.


    They distributed the files to everyone and left.


    Everyone began to flip through the pages while Jonathan yed with his wife¡¯s fingers under the table.


    For the next seven minutes, the only sounds in the room were rustles of pages getting flipped.


    There were gasps and murmurs, which became louder by the minute before they stopped abruptly.


    Jeremy Winstonughed out loud, and soon most people joined.


    Mr. Cox and Mr. Windt, however, looked horrified.


    Liliana added salt to their wounds, ¡°If you had waited a few more days, this meeting wouldn¡¯t be required. However, it was nice to meet everyone.¡±


    ¡°And like NUncle Winston said ¨C let¡¯s make it the golf club next time.¡±


    Mr. Cox asked tremblingly, ¡°How?¡±


    Jonathan cocked his head, ¡°Why? Mr. Cox, you don¡¯t sound happy.¡±


    Jeremy Winston snorted, ¡°And Windt looks like he is about to piss his pants. Do you want a toilet break?¡±


    Everyone at the tableughed!


    Liliana, however, stared at them coldly.


    Ultimately, Mr. Windt excused himself and dashed to the bathroom.


    It caused moreughter while Mr. Cox looked like he had lost his soul.

 Chapter 297 The Truth

    After a few minutes, Jonathan started speaking.


    ¡°A few months ago, the three project managers came to see me. Unexpectedly, it was because someone had kidnapped their family members to coerce them into sabotaging their projects at thest minute.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, we involved the police discreetly and rescued the hostages. My wife suggested keeping everything under wraps to see who else had conspired with the mastermind from inside thepany.¡±


    ¡°After all, the mastermind was halfway across the world and had no grudges against me. Someone from the inside had to tell them who was in charge of which project.¡±


    ¡°So, we pretended to have a high-profile project failure. And here we are.¡±


    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Cox?¡±


    Mr. Cox trembled as everyone looked at him in shock.


    He stammered, ¡°You can¡¯t use anyone without proof, Jonathan.¡±


    Jonathan opened a file and mmed several proofs of him hiring ghostwriters to nder Jonathan and his management. He was the one who had leaked about the project¡¯s failure.


    There are open secrets in business, and then there¡¯s selling that info to the tabloids.


    Mr. Cox did not realize it had been a trap from the beginning. He had thought Jonathan would be busy cleaning up the mess and salvaging the situation.


    Even then, he had been careful. But who would have thought even the cops were involved?


    Jonathan dealt him another blow, ¡°By the way, I filed awsuit against you for sellingpany secrets and spreading false news. It¡¯smercial fraud, for it looks like you are trying to short-sell our shares.¡±


    Mr. Cox had lost all arrogance by then. He muttered, ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡±


    Jonathanughed, ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    He looked at Mr. Windt and spat, ¡°Mr. Windt, you wanted to rope my wife into making trouble for me?¡±


    Mr. Windt looked at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°How could I? President Smith, that¡¯s not true. It must be a misunderstanding.¡±


    Liliana spoke, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Then, why did your assistant send me so many emails?¡±


    She passed a tablet to him, and he choked on his saliva.


    The mysterious shareholder they had tried and failed to rope into topping Jonathan was his wife.


    He shook his head in denial, ¡°This can¡¯t be!¡±


    Liliana clicked her tongue and rified, ¡°You mean that I can¡¯t be the mysterious shareholder with 25% shares of the Smith Group? That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    ¡°As I said, I understand shares and shareholder¡¯s meetings better than you think.¡±


    Mr. Cox and Mr. Windt were visibly shaking by then.


    Jeremy Winston trembled with rage.


    ¡°How dare you?¡±


    The other shareholders found their voice as well.


    ¡°Mr. Cox, how could you?¡±


    ¡°We all know you don¡¯t like President Smith. But kidnapping the employee¡¯s family! That¡¯s a new low.¡±


    ¡°You should boycott the shares. We don¡¯t want you tainting thepany.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they need to be removed.¡±


    ¡°President Smith, let¡¯s file awsuit against them. They need to be in jail.¡±


    ¡°For ourpany¡¯s security, we need to remove them as soon as possible.¡±


    After some five-odd minutes, everyone quieted down.


    Jonathan spoke, ¡°Sign this! Leave all the shares to thepany. I will pay you based on the market price. I hope you can retire and leave P City. Otherwise, I will be bound to keep you behind bars.¡±


    Mr. Windt sobbed, ¡°President Smith, trust me, I had no idea about the kidnapping. I thought he had bribed the project managers like I was.¡±


    Jonathan snorted, ¡°Why do you think I am letting you off the hook?¡±


    Mr. Cox folded his hands in a prayer-like gesture and spoke, ¡°He will never let us off.¡±


    Liliana said flippantly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Bronsson lory or Brian Lory¡¯s is next on the list.¡±


    Mr. Cox looked at her in shock, ¡°How? You knew all along?¡±


    She shrugged.


    Jonathan was speechless. His wife made it look like it was child¡¯s y for her.


    It had taken Vincent two weeks to gather all the information.


    He wondered how soon she knew of everything. ¡®Did she know everything since Windt contacted her?¡¯


    He looked at her in awe. He shifted a bit in his seat as he felt turned on.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 298 The suggestions

    They soon wrapped everything up and left.


    Cox and Windt left all their shares as Jonathan wanted. They took the payouts and retired abroad immediately.


    The shareholder¡¯s meeting ended, and Jonathan called Vincent to pass some instructions.


    They had to make the news about their projects public and reassure their employees.


    Finally, Liliana hijacked the meeting as she said she would.


    ¡°Alright, now that the good parts are over, let¡¯s just chat.¡±


    Jeremy Winston chuckled, ¡°What was good about that?¡±


    She cocked her head and answered innocently, ¡°Why? NUncle, I won¡¯t get too many letters from my husband¡¯spany.¡±


    Jonathan gave her a look, and she looked at him curiously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have given me any shares?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Everyone suppressed theirughter.


    Jonathan immediately replied, ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s make a deal. I will give you 10% of everything I own, and you give me 10% of everything I own.¡±


    One of the shareholdersughed, and the other followed.


    Liliana cocked her eyebrows and snorted, ¡°I think I will pass. I am afraid you won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±


    Jonathan choked.


    He did not want to tease her in front of all his board members, so he shook his head.


    Lilianaughed and continued.


    ¡°Anyway, enough jokes! I just had a few changes I wanted to rmend. And please don¡¯t think I am trying to enforce newws. Let¡¯s vote on it and have an open discussion.¡±


    ¡°First of all ¨C let¡¯s add the agenda to the meeting invites. Even if it¡¯s as vague as discussing the recent project failures.¡±


    ¡°Second ¨C let¡¯s have an informal meeting every month. Not mandatory, but open to all. We can go to a golf course on Friday evening or something equally rxing and private. It doesn¡¯t make sense to only regroup when someone is dissatisfied. We can chat if it¡¯s something we are curious about and call a meeting if there¡¯s anything urgent.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, I was thinking of an annual weekend getaway for all Smith Group employees ¨C yes, all two thousand plus employees. It seems we arecking in terms of the interrtionship between employees and management and employees. Let¡¯s try to build an openpany culture.¡±


    Jonathan added, ¡°As my wife said, it¡¯s not a mandate. We wanted your opinion on these matters. Since the two items would cost money to thepany, which will be out of all our pockets.¡±


    ¡°Please think it through, and if you have doubts, we can discuss this another time. Or just anonymously vote and go with the results.¡±


    Murmurs and discussions followed, but soon Mr. Cooper spoke.


    ¡°I agree! My wife¡¯s cousin¡¯spany is a startup with a very open culture. She always talks about thepany culture ¨C how good the management is, how cool the annual events are, how supportive and empathic the management is, and the empathy andpassion they promote.¡±


    ¡°From an employee¡¯s perspective, it sounds like a second home and somewhere where you would love to stay for a long time. Their employee satisfaction is off the charts. 3X higher than ours.¡±


    ¡°President Smith, I have an appointment with you in 10 days. I wanted to discuss this only. We need to revamp our HR team.¡±


    A few other shareholders added their thoughts.


    Fifteen minutester, they had all agreed to all three points. Jonathan and Liliana hadn¡¯t spoken a word since Jonathan asked them to think about it.


    One of the shareholders noticed that Jeremy Winston wasn¡¯t speaking and nudged him.


    ¡°Mr. Winston, what are your thoughts?¡±


    Jeremy Winstonughed out loud.


    ¡°I did not want to speak because I did not want to influence anyone¡¯s opinion. But it looks like you are all on board.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, all I thought was ¨C they own two-thirds of thepany. They will always be more affected by the share price than we allbined. If they think it¡¯s a good idea ¨C it is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think either of them is stupid enough to bleed money for no reason.¡±


    Everyone was shocked, and then they allughed. They all agreed to the idea and left.


    Jonathan would finalize everything. Vincent would reach out to them or their assistants.

 Chapter 299 Office romance

    Jonathan had discreetly texted Vincent to clear his schedule for the day.


    After the meeting ended, he took his wife to his office and locked the door.


    He had already drawn the windows earlier. As soon as the doors closed, he stalked toward his wife, looking at her intensely.


    Liliana had walked into his office and started going over his bookshelf.


    She felt his intense gaze on her and turned over.


    But before she could react, he hugged her from behind and held her tilted head by the hair.


    He kissed her passionately without any notice.


    Liliana looked at her with wide eyes and instinctively struggled. But he had held her head and body firmly.


    After she got over the shock, she eased into it and rubbed his arms. She started to kiss him back, even though she couldn¡¯t figure out what caused his intense passion.


    They kissed until Liliana became breathless. Jonathan left her lips and trailed kisses on her jaw and neck.


    Liliana looked at the door and window and panicked. But Jonathan seemed turned on as he kept rubbing himself on her backside.


    Liliana tried to take deep breaths and calm herself but couldn¡¯t settle her nerves.


    She uttered, ¡°Nathan! Stop! I feel ufortable.¡±


    Jonathan abruptly stopped and moved away. Her words were like a basin of cold water on a raging fire.


    He moved so quickly that Liliana became disoriented and stumbled.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Jonathan eximed and held her gently.


    Liliana turned around and buried her head in his chest. She was silently crying, as evident by her shaking shoulders.


    He kept patting her back and caressing her head until she looked up.


    Jonathan tensed and asked quickly. ¡°Are you alright? Did I scare you?¡±


    Liliana shook her head. ¡°What is it with you? Why are you so agitated?¡±


    Jonathan was stunned and shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    She held his face in her hands, his cheeks on her palms.


    ¡°It matters to me. Your thoughts and emotions are important to me.¡±


    He leaned into her palms and closed his eyes. He said, ¡°In the meeting ¨C when you said I couldn¡¯t handle it, I got turned on. I kept holding it in during the meeting. But I couldn¡¯t help it when we were alone.¡±


    Lilianaughed.


    Jonathan kissed her on the nose and bit her lips as punishment.


    She caressed his hair and yed with his ears, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the lounge.¡±


    He declined, ¡°No need! Let¡¯s go home! I have cleared my schedule for the day.¡±


    She insisted, ¡°But I want to see your lounge.¡±


    Jonathan had no choice but to take her inside. It was a small bedroom with an attached bathroom, a small cupboard, and a tea table.


    Jonathan used to crash in the lounge most nights before his wife returned to P City.


    She looked around and said, ¡°This is nice!¡±


    Jonathan looked at her curiously and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Let¡¯s go home!¡±


    Liliana went up to him, stood on tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    She kissed him gently and rested her head on his shoulders.


    She murmured, ¡°Let¡¯s lie down a bit! I feel a bit ufortable.¡±


    Jonathan immediately picked her up and ced her on the King-Sized bed. He took off her shoes and tucked her in.


    Then he took off his shoes andy beside her, spooning her.


    Liliana spoke after a few minutes.


    ¡°I got startled when you suddenly kissed me. I turned around because I could feel someone close. I was just startled.¡±


    ¡°Then I calmed down a bit and kissed you back. But I suppose my nerves hadn¡¯t settled down. When you kissed me down my face, I got scared.¡±


    ¡°What if people can see us through the windows? What if someonees in?¡±


    ¡°I was overthinking and hadn¡¯t settled down from the initial scare.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. You did nothing wrong.¡±


    Jonathan mumbled, ¡°I should have been careful.¡±


    Liliana countered him. ¡°It¡¯s not a crime to desire your wife. I would be more worried if you didn¡¯t want me.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t startle me in the future. I get instinctively defensive, and I guess trying to calm down while kissing you doesn¡¯t work.¡±

 Chapter 300 Making babies

    Jonathan and Liliana stopped talking and embraced each other while lying quietly on the bed.


    Jonathan was about to drift asleep when Liliana spoke.


    ¡°Do you still want to have another child?¡±


    He was stunned and sat up immediately.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She turned around and asked, ¡°Well, you never brought it up since we talked about it half a year ago.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t understand what she was getting at. He asked, ¡°So?¡±


    She mumbled, ¡°I just think it is the right time, and maybe we should try. I will turn thirty soon, and it might causeplications.¡±


    He asked, ¡°I still don¡¯t know what you are trying to say.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and asked, ¡°I want to know if you still want another child. It¡¯s been half a year since we started living together. What do you think? Are you ready? Do you think having Li and Jo is enough?¡±


    Hey down and turned her towards him.


    ¡°This half a year is the best half year of my life. I love you very much and would love to spend the rest of my life with you. Jo and Li are enough. But I still want to experience the journey of parenthood with you. If you are ready, then let¡¯s prepare for one.¡±


    She heaved a sigh!


    ¡°Phew! You scared me for a second there. I am d you think so. Let¡¯s go for a check-up sometime this week. We will then try. Okay?¡±


    Jonathan nodded.


    Liliana bit her lips and asked, ¡°Nathan!¡±


    He hugged her closer and mumbled, ¡°Hmm!¡±


    She inched closer and rubbed herself on his body, ¡°Do you want to?¡±


    Heughed, ¡°Honey! If you want to, then just say it. I have wanted to since the meeting. Don¡¯t force yourself just because I want to.¡±


    She kissed him and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have work today?¡±


    He bit her earlobes and replied, ¡°I have cleared my schedule for the day, Mrs. Wife.¡±


    She moaned and tried to get rid of his coat. The clothes were bing a hindrance.


    ¡°What if someonees in?¡±


    He pushed up a bit and removed his coat. ¡°I have locked the door. No one wille.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    She unbuttoned his shirt and remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t have spare clothes.¡±


    He pulled her up and made her stand on her knees. He took off her dress slowly and put it in the wardrobe.


    Then he took off her bra and kept them in the wardrobe.


    He wanted to do the same with her panty, but she stopped him.


    He grabbed one of his shirts and made her wear it. Then he took off his coat and pants and threw them around.


    Liliana wrapped herself in the nket as he removed his clothes.


    He spooned her inside the nket and asked, ¡°Feel better?¡±


    She nodded, but she bit her lips.


    He pried her lips from her teeth and suckled them, ¡°What is it?¡± He asked in a whisper.


    She trailed her fingers on his chest and murmured, ¡°We don¡¯t have protection.¡±


    Jonathan pulled her close and kissed her before speaking, ¡°We don¡¯t have to do it. Let¡¯s justy here for a while. Thest few weeks have been very hectic for both of us. Let¡¯s take this break.¡±


    She squinted her eyes and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He spooned her and held her tightly, ¡°Yes, Mdy. Please close your eyes now. I would love to get some shut-eye.¡±


    She queried further, ¡°Aren¡¯t you ufortable?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°No! But you are hell-bent on making me so.¡±


    She giggled and kissed his face ¨C eyes, forehead, nose, cheeks, jaw, and lips.


    She touched and kissed him until he started breathing heavily and clenched his hand in tight fists.


    She asked again, ¡°Are you sure you want to get some shut-eye?¡±


    He flipped her over and kissed her torso. When she wanted more, he flipped her on her stomach and kissed her back.


    He spanked her in teasing and rubbed her until she was about toe.


    Then he stopped.


    Then he flipped her on the back again and hovered over her.


    ¡°What do you want, Mrs. Smith?¡±


    She looked at him with hooded eyes and asked, ¡°You! I want my husband.¡±


    He entered her and ended both of their frustrations.


    They had a wonderful time together. But they stopped after one time as they had had a long week.


    They spooned each other naked and drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 301 Good News!

    The next four months went by uneventfully, except for Liam being missing for that long and the Preston family members trying and failing to get any benefits from Mariana.


    Finally, a series of good news came one after the other.


    Liliana was pregnant. The couple had wanted to keep it a secret until the first trimester ended well. Then when the doctor confirmed everything was alright, they made the big announcement to their friends and family members.


    Liam came back afterpleting two different massive projects.


    He had ended Bronsson lory¡¯s illegal businesspletely and had apprehended him.


    Jeffery Cruise kept lory in strict custody until the courts sentenced him to life imprisonment. Then he was sent to a high-security prison that held long-term inmates.


    lory¡¯s entire business, allworks, all partners and associates, clientele ¨C the police had nabbed all of them.


    Consequently, Liam worked with several different authorities to arrest everyone from the criminal underground and put them on the farm as per Leonardo¡¯s proposal.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Leena was amongst them. She couldn¡¯t believe that the green boy had outsmarted her. He had used her to gather intelligence when she was smug about trapping him.


    Moreover, it seemed the police had rescued Jonas¡¯s father months back. Jonas cried buckets and left P city with his father.


    On the other hand, Leonardo had started a partnership on a long-term project with Mrs. Cadewell and Miss Jessica.


    Mariana was doing well in herpany. James¡¯s help and guidance helped her elerate much more quickly.


    Jennifer started dating Dr. Cox junior. Dr. Cox was Petrova¡¯s family doctor, and his son was taking over the practice from his father, who would be on for consulting only.


    Jennifer was his ssmate in high school, and during the high school reunion, they became friends and then started dating.


    Liliana had yet to tell Jennifer about her brother¡¯s actions. She did not know how to broach the topic, so she let Leonardo handle it.


    Jennifer was surprised that Liliana had sponsored her despite always knowing who her mother was. She quickly called her, and the two friends decided not to bear the burden and grudges of the previous generation.


    Jennifer told her father what her brother had done. Her father pointed out that her mother was the root of it all.


    Patrick wouldn¡¯t see reason until her mother stopped her coddling and maniption.


    Leonardo proposed a solution. He went to visit Jennifer¡¯s mother. No one knows what he told her, but she became a recluse and stopped talking to everyone ¨C including Patrick.


    Nheless, it was an eye-opener for Patrick as he realized how close he was to getting into life imprisonment for attempted murder. It woke him up, and he tried to change his ways.


    On the other hand, Mariana was getting along very well with Liam¡¯s grandma. She learned a lot from the olddy. She was wise and tended to provide a unique perspective on everyday life.


    Kyle finally had a stable family situation that he loved.


    However, the trouble in paradise was Mariana¡¯s damaged uterus. She was unable to carry a child to term.


    She decided to have a child with Liam via a surrogate.


    Liam, Mariana, Jacob, and James had an extensive discussion and ended up with an unusual solution.


    They would have two surrogate children.


    A Preston with Mariana and Liam¡¯s genes! Since they were married, they needed to show something about it.


    Jacob Tanner¡¯s child using a sample from a random donor.


    Besides, Jacob also nned to adopt another child.


    James and Jacob became close friends when they lived at Liam and Mariana¡¯s ce.


    It was an unusual setting, but Grandma Preston allowed it. She lived with them and witnessed their liveliness, friendship, and boundaries.


    One day James asked Jonathan out for a drink. Instead of going out, they went to James¡¯s t, which had been collecting dust for months, and ordered food and drinks.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you now?¡± Jonathan asked after half a bottle of wine.


    Before that, they talked about their business and other things.


    James replied in a low voice. ¡°I found something yesterday.¡±


    Jonathan probed, ¡°Which is?¡±


    James closed his eyes and exhaled heavily before speaking, ¡°Jacob is Mariana¡¯s first kiss.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    Jonathan was equally angry and embarrassed.


    ¡®He started sleeping around when he was 17. What is wrong with him?¡¯

 Chapter 302 First kiss!

    James remained unperturbed andughed.


    He added when he had calmed down.


    ¡°Jacob said he kissed Mariana and realized that he was gay.¡±


    Jonathan was speechless. He hadn¡¯t expected that twist.


    James ignored his friend¡¯s expressions and slurred, ¡°He said they were best friends and sort of dating. But the vibe between them was closer to cousins than lovers. When they kissed, he realized how much he never wanted to kiss any girl in his life ever again.¡±


    Jonathan had to stifle hisugh.


    ¡®Good for Jacob!¡¯


    ¡®Poor Mariana lost her first kiss like that. Tch! Tch!¡¯


    James continued his ramble.


    ¡°Then they became even closer. Which may have been why Mariana never dated anyone.¡±


    Jonathan thought about it and added, ¡°Makes sense! She wouldn¡¯t have needed to look for a rtionship, and others would have assumed she wasn¡¯t avable.¡±


    James continued, ¡°Jacob once took her horse riding. She fell and had a fracture. Her hymen tore when she fell. Then I slept with her and shouted at her for making a fuss when it wasn¡¯t even her first time.¡±


    Jonathan finally understood why his best friend was so depressed.


    He would have been depressed if Liliana hadn¡¯t pulled herself from the hell of marriage where he had left her.


    Thankfully, the heavens were on his side, and his sarcastic, ruthless, loving, and intuitive wife dazzled so bright that he never had to face her scars.


    She opened up and showed them one at a time, giving him time to recover and pull out of grief.


    She would ensure he was being himself and wouldn¡¯t wallow in self-pity or self-me.


    She was heartbroken, but she pulled through and graciously forgave him for the sake of their love and family.


    James, however, had the exact opposite story.


    Mariana was never heartbroken. She was humiliated and insulted. At times, she felt hopeless and bitter ¨C but she would crash at their ce, curse James all night long, eat and drink, and spring back up.


    However, Mariana ended up in one ditch after the other ¨C thanks to James.


    She finally found some respite, but the cost was marrying a gay man she loved like an elder brother.


    Now she was nning to have a child with him through a surrogate.


    James couldn¡¯t figure out what he felt for her. That directly screwed up Mariana¡¯s life.


    Now, James had broken off with his family. He worked as Mariana¡¯s assistant and lived in Liam and Mariana¡¯s marital house with Liam¡¯s grandmother, half-brother, and lover.


    It was all wrong and screwed up in all different ways.


    James spoke again, interrupting Jonathan¡¯s musings.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did you know Liam is gay and Jacob is his lover?¡±


    Jonathan¡¯s head jerked back, ¡°Wait! Are you telling me you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    James asked in a drunken haze, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Jonathan was speechless. ¡°I thought you knew. I guess everyone knows. No one told me explicitly, and they are very good at keeping up their appearance. But if you analyze their behavior, you can tell they make decisions together.¡±


    James grumbled something unintelligible.


    He was still ignorant. He hoped to gain more perspective and focus in these two years.


    James downed his ss and thumped it hard on the floor.


    ¡°I will keep my distance until she remains married to Liam. But I will take good care of her and be worthy of her. When they get divorced, she will only think of me.¡±


    Jonathan patted his shoulders to calm him down.


    ¡°You also need to build a good impression with her parents. Aunty especially hates you, and she doesn¡¯t know anything.¡±


    James deted like a balloon. But he filled his ss and drank it all.


    ¡°I will make it!¡±


    And he did make it.


    Three yearster, after being married for three and a half years ¨C Mariana and Liam got a divorce.


    A year after their divorce, Mariana and James would tie the knot in a simple ceremony with Liam¡¯s grandmother¡¯s blessing.

 Chapter 303 Kyle finds out – 1

    Liliana, Jonathan, and all their friends lived a non-gossipy, uneventful life in the next few years.


    Jennifer got married to Junior Doctor Cox.


    Jacob¡¯spany got listed.


    Leonardo stabilized his business and left toplete his studies.


    Vincent and Alice McDraw tied the knot.


    Henry had a whirlwind romance with a difficult patient, and they ended up in a shotgun wedding.


    Henry coborated with his cousin Amelia to perform some of the miraculous medical feats which brought the Qazi family to the forefront of the Medical industry as they had been for generations.


    Terry Draw ended up with his assistant¡¯s sister. Surprisingly, that was the most challenging match as his assistant used him of betraying him. He took a long time to ept the truth.


    Terrypleted the Green Field orphanage within the stipted time. His achievements were widely renowned, and he ended up as the spokesperson for Green Living.


    He would go on to coborate with several charities and manage most of the non-profits under Liliana¡¯s wing.


    Eventually, he left Jonathan¡¯spany to work full-time for Liliana. His entire family ended up in one or the other job under the Petrova empire. Terry was insanely strict with his rtives to ensure Liliana would never have a reason to doubt him. He did not want to be the reason behind any negative news about the Petrova family.


    Mariana and Liam brought home a pair of twins ¨C a boy and a girl ¨C from a nameless surrogate.


    Jacob had a boy, and he adopted a girl of simr age to make them like twins.


    Liliana had given birth to twin boys. Fortunately, those boys came out screaming and healthy.


    Five years after Liliana gave birth, at 35, Mariana naturally gave birth to a boy with James.


    With twice as many boys in the house ¨C the three girls were everyone¡¯s darlings. However, Liliana kept them on their toes.


    They would make a fuss and had opened a ¡°Hate Mommy Lil!¡± club when they were pre-teens. But as they grew up, they always visited her for advice or dresses. Later in their twenties and post that ¨C the girls had a much friendlier rtionship with Liliana.


    The boys, however, were very protective of their mothers and sisters. Their fathers had drilled it deep in their bones.


    ________


    Kyle had enjoyed aplete family life for three years. He had a mommy, daddy, grandma, and siblings.


    As such, Madam Preston was very upset about Liam and Mariana¡¯s decision to divorce.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    However, she found no reason to decline when Mariana brought it up.


    How could she?


    She had witnessed Mariana living like a widow for three years and raising her children with the help of her friends.


    Liam was busy and barely ever home. His work kept him away from his marriage.


    He was running after some drug dealers, in some rescue mission, undergoing closed training, attending an honorary event, or working in some drill.


    He had achieved multiple des and brought the P City Military and Preston family to new heights, but his marital life was a total failure.


    Mariana had summed up their marriage very eloquently.


    ¡°Grandma, I love you. I will always love you. You will always be my family.¡±


    ¡°I had always seen Liliana¡¯s triplets as my own. Kyle will always be my family, and he will always call me Mommy.¡±


    ¡°But Grandma, next time anyone asks for my husband¡¯s name, I am afraid I will take Jonathan¡¯s name or Jacob¡¯s or James¡¯s. Or even Eric.¡±


    ¡°I used to see Liam way more when we were just friends. He always made an effort to see his friends. Besides, he is always working with Lil on some intel she has. So, we saw more of him.¡±


    ¡°Liam and I were afraid this would happen. That¡¯s why we never wanted to get married in haste. But now we have tried and failed. I can see how hard he tries. I don¡¯t want him to think about what¡¯s more important ¨C spending time with me or eradicating prostitution.¡±


    ¡°This is so unfair for both of us.¡±


    Grandma Preston had no choice but to agree.


    She couldn¡¯t ask them to continue to live together miserably.


    Mariana moved out to a Vi between Preston Family and Jonathan¡¯s Vi. She kept the twins with her. Kyle only had a few months before joining Military school, so Kyle also stayed with her.


    She made sure all three kids spent time with their great-grandmother.

 Chapter 304 Kyle finds out – 2

    One day after the divorce, Mariana took the twins to see grandma Preston.


    Kyle was supposed to leave with her but changed the nsst minute when Nathaniel called, saying he had something to discuss with Kyle.


    On the other hand, James had taken Jacob¡¯s twins out with him.


    Jacob did not realize that Kyle and Nathaniel were at home.


    He turned on Netflix and beer and enjoyed the rare me-time.


    Liam unexpectedly came back, and upon gathering that they were alone at home, they locked the doors and windows and started making out.


    Their time together was always short. They had to act like they were just friends.


    It was tiring, and Liam always felt sorry for Jacob. The man had left everything and followed him to P City, but he kept him away like a dirty secret.


    Their noise had attracted the two kids who were deep in discussion in Kyle¡¯s room. They thought it was a thief and tiptoed to find him.


    Unexpectedly, they witnessed something not appropriate for their age.


    They hid behind the curtains and listened in. They had covered their mouth with their palm and held each other¡¯s hands for support.


    Kyle was crying because he understood that his father was ¡°gay¡± and he was supposed to have two fathers. But Liam deceived Mariana and gave him Mommy.


    Liam and Jacobpleted the deed andy in each other¡¯s embrace.


    Liam kissed him and looked at him with guilt.


    Jacob punched him in the shoulders and scolded, ¡°Every time we are together, you have this look on your face. It makes me wonder if you regret being with me.¡±


    Liamughed, ¡°Gez! You know why I am guilty. If I was a regr person ¨C if I did not have to pass off my half-brother as my son, I could have embraced you openly ¨C married you and adopted kids as a couple.¡±


    Kyle couldn¡¯t contain the scream that left his lungs.


    Liam quickly wrapped a towel around him and opened the door to see two kids in tears.


    He didn¡¯t know how to exin things to Kyle. He asked them to wait and promised he would exin everything.


    Kyle shook his head and ran away.


    Nathaniel ran after him.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam cursed, ¡°Damn it!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t run after them smelling like Jacob.


    He looked over to Jacob, who was running off to the bathroom.


    Jacob screamed over his shoulder. ¡°Call Lil! Take a quick shower, and we will go after them.¡±


    He turned around and added, ¡°Kyle would have known sooner orter. Li is always protected. They will be fine.¡±


    Liam heaved a sigh and picked up his phone on his way to his room.


    ¡°Lil! Kyle and Li saw me with Jacob.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it was normal, why would I call you?¡±


    ¡°He knows that he is not my son. He ran away, and Li ran after him. Find him, please. Bring them to your ce. I will be there.¡±


    ¡°I will call Mariana to go to your ce as well.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    Kyle cried and ran until he stumbled.


    Li ran after him and didn¡¯t try to stop him. He gestured towards his guards to follow them closely but give them privacy.


    The driver drove behind them as the bodyguards followed them from behind.


    Kyle hid his face in his palms and cried after he fell.


    Li hugged him and cried together.


    Li gestured for his bodyguard to get them a bottle of water when they became parched, and their cries turned to dry sobs.


    They drank some water and sat down on the ground.


    The two boys ¨C brothers and best friends ¨C sat side by side on the ground and looked up at the sky.


    Li broke the silence, ¡°Let¡¯s ask Mommy! She must know. She saw you being born.¡±


    Kyle looked at him with wide eyes. Of course! She had to know. He recalled how she always reminded him that his mother was a good person.


    Kyle nodded, and Li called the car over.


    They went to Jonathan¡¯s Vi to find Jonathan, Liliana, James, Mariana, Liam, and Jacob waiting for them in the study.


    Kyle avoided looking at Liam, Jacob, and Mariana and looked at the ground.

 Chapter 305 Kyle finds out – 3

    Liliana walked up to them and hugged them.


    She checked them from head to toe, much to the boy¡¯s embarrassment. When she was satisfied that they were unharmed, she spanked them.


    Li looked at his mother incredulously, but she red back at him.


    ¡°How dare you run away? Didn¡¯t you know the address of your home? If you encounter something you can¡¯t handle, youe to me. Is that such a difficult concept to grasp?¡±


    ¡°Look at how filthy you have be! Is this how you n to set an example for your siblings?¡±


    Kyle hugged her and sobbed, ¡°I am sorry, Mommy.¡±


    Li did the same, and Liliana hugged the two children close.


    Liliana eximed, ¡°Ah! It reminds me of when we had just returned to P city. Jo ¨C that traitor, left me for her father. I had the two of you to hug.¡±


    She led them to the ensuite bathroom and asked them to clean up. She sat them down and asked them to drink water and eat the pies she had made that afternoon.


    After the kids were well-fed and hydrated, she sat on the couch with the kids on each side.


    Jonathan sat on the arm of the couch. And others sat down as well.


    Liliana asked, ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what¡¯s worrying you the most.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Kyle lowered his head and clenched his fist. Li held his hand and spoke for him.


    ¡°Uncle Liam is gay. Kyle should have Daddy and Daddy, but he tricked Aunty Mer and gave Daddy and Mommy.¡±


    He surmised the best he could.


    Mariana couldn¡¯t help but cry. The kids loved them so much.


    She went up to Kyle and sat beside him. She hugged him and scolded him gently.


    ¡°I always knew Liam and Jacob were gay. In fact, I was their matchmaker. You guys know what matchmaking is, right?¡±


    Li nodded.


    Mariana added, ¡°We cooperated to fool others. But that wasn¡¯t because of you, Kyle. It was for your sister ¨C Ivy ¨C and other political reasons.¡±


    Liliana interjected, ¡°Do you remember when we exined gay and lesbian to you guys? Narrow-minded people think being gay or lesbian is bad, so they make life difficult for them. It is one of the reasons, amongst others, that resulted in Liam and Mariana¡¯s marriage.¡±


    Jonathan seconded them, ¡°It was a well-thought-out n between us. We tricked the bad people ¨C and some of our family members because they worry too much. But no one in this room tricked another.¡±


    Kyle nodded.


    He directly asked, ¡°Who are my parents?¡±


    Liam looked at Kyle for a long while and muttered, ¡°I was looking for a ¨C ¡°Sorry, Dad! I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you.¡± ¨C but sure!¡±


    Jacob gave him a stink eye. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯


    He saw the look on Liam¡¯s face and understood his concerns. Kyle was too young.


    Liam did not want Kyle to carry that kind of burden.


    But the cat was out of the bag, and they needed to spill the beans.


    Jacob held Liam¡¯s hand and inteced their fingers. He gave him a reassuring nod and smiled.


    Liam looked at Kyle again and said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. It started many years before you were born.¡±


    Mariana didn¡¯t know the entire truth, so she only gawked at him. Just like everyone else.


    Liliana snapped, ¡°Wow! Such a nice bedtime story! Should we all go to bed?¡±


    Liam cried back, ¡°Hey! You exin then! I will see how you make these 11-year-olds understand it.¡±


    Liliana snapped, ¡°They are almost 12, and my kids are smarter than you think, dickhead.¡±


    ¡°And before youe with a smarteback, remember we are in this predicament because you couldn¡¯t keep it in your pants.¡±


    Jonathan coughed and patted his wife¡¯s shoulders to calm her down.

 Chapter 306 Kyle’s parentage -1

    Liliana began when Liam stalled for time.


    ¡°Kyle, your motheres from a long line of military spies. You know what a spy is, right?¡±


    Kyle nodded.


    ¡°Traditionally, only men are sent as spies because women are physically more vulnerable andparatively more emotional. However, during your mother¡¯s time, there was a very powerful mafia in Z city. He was extending his terror in P city. He had bribed and coerced many people at higher positions ¨C so he would not get caught. Someone inside the Military betrayed us, and he found our spies.¡±


    Liam added, ¡°He killed 25 of our most trained and skilled spies within a week. It left the P City Military in a very vulnerable position. My father was the Army Commander at that time. My grandfather was in a higher position, and the mafia approached my grandfather for something. When he refused, he killed him.¡±


    ¡°Among the 25 spies, three were from your mother¡¯s family. Apart from them, almost 100 people from the force ¨C Police and Military ¨C lost their lives. In total ¨C your mother¡¯s primary and branch family lost five people, the Preston family lost three, plus my grandfather.¡±


    Liam paused because he wasn¡¯t sure how to continue further. Kyle was too calm and emotionless. His face was a mask, and Liam couldn¡¯t see underneath.


    Liliana continued for him.


    ¡°At that critical time, your mother, who only had regr training, volunteered to go as a spy. Liam¡¯s father opposed it, but he was out of options. People were dying, and there were drugs anddy parts selling businesses everywhere.¡±


    Li interjected, ¡°We have already studied prostitution in ss. We know what it means ¨C you don¡¯t have to change it. We also read about human trafficking and selling organs.¡±


    Liliana heaved a sigh and continued, ¡°Yes, well! That person did all of these. So, ultimately under Kyle¡¯s mother¡¯s constant begging, Liam¡¯s father relented and agreed.¡±


    Liliana added, ¡°By the way, your mother¡¯s name is ¨C Keira Brown-Preston. ¡±


    Liam continued, ¡°I used to call her sister Kia back then. Well, Aunty Keira was only twenty-five back then. She was my senior and used to tease me a lot. She was a kind and sunny person ¨C so I don¡¯t know where you inherited that resting bitch face from.¡±


    Jacob coughed, and Liam went to the point.


    ¡°She went as a spy, and it took her almost six months ¨C only god knows how rigorous hard work she went through ¨C before she got in the position to find anything about them.¡±


    ¡°She was beautiful and resourceful. She knew the pity act and how to use that to her advantage. She started passing information onto my father slowly.¡±


    ¡°They had multiple people sniffing for spies on the inside, so she had to be very careful to avoid the traps and sort between real and false information.¡±


    ¡°She did a great job.¡±


    ¡°All those months, my father was working towards restoring the peace and gathering info on him on his way. So they all knew that he was behind him. She was his only hidden trump card.¡±


    ¡°My father used her information by camouging them and making it look like he gathered it from somewhere else.¡±


    Li questioned sharply, ¡°Why?¡±


    Kyle answered for him, ¡°Protection! Otherwise, the bad people would pinpoint the spy.¡±


    Liam nodded, ¡°Yeah! She reported directly to my father and no one else. They were very close to sess, but my mother ruined ten lives.¡±


    Mariana spoke, ¡°I am getting a terrible feeling here.¡±


    Jonathan looked at her, and she saw the same conclusion on his face.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Liam lowered his head and mumbled, ¡°Now you know why I never wanted Kyle to find out until he was older.¡±


    ¡°It goes from heroic to tragic with a lot of blood and gore.¡±

 Chapter 307 Kyle’s parentage -2

    Liam took a while before he braced himself for the next part.


    ¡°My mother thought my father was cheating on her with Aunty Keira.¡±


    ¡°My father kept everything about Aunty Keira a secret because he hadn¡¯t identified all the people on the inside who worked for him. So for her safety, he dealt with everything directly. He had created a fake ID and passport for her for an emergency. If she ran into any trouble, or if he died, then she could flee and settle down abroad.¡±


    ¡°My mother thought he was nning to elope with her. She went after him when he had sneaked out, and she took photos. The next day, she posted all those photos in the newspaper calling Aunty Keira a bad person for flirting with a married army man and ruining a military marriage.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, everyone found out, and the bad people captured and bullied Aunt Keira.¡±


    ¡°The n was almostplete. As per military protocols, my father had to prioritize the mission. My father had thest bits of information in ce. So he hastily organized many different operations, and he personally led the resume mission.¡±


    ¡°It took them one week to cut through theirwork and identity and capture all their spies and the people they had bribed or coerced. However, they couldn¡¯t find her anywhere.¡±


    ¡°In another few days, ten days after her capture, they had seeded in the mission and broken their main headquarters in the Z city. Finally, the special forces neutralized the mafia and their core strength.¡±


    ¡°But your mother was still missing.¡±


    ¡°My father found her on the 13th day of her capture. She was half-dead.¡±


    Liliana corrected him, ¡°No, she wasn¡¯t half dead, but she would have been better off dead. I wouldn¡¯t wish what happened to her on my worst enemy.¡±


    Mariana asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    She added, ¡°You know we, I mean I, have an extensive spywork. Because I was underage, I wasn¡¯t allowed to use it unless it was rted to my safety. But thework was active. It was just lying around gathering data but doing nothing. Spies don¡¯t get caught when they don¡¯t do anything with the data ¨C so mywork was safe.¡±


    ¡°Liam¡¯s father reached out to NUncle Jake for help when he couldn¡¯t locate sister Kia after two days. He asked me for help because only I have the authority to use it. But I was abroad, and because of all the Military operations ¨C there were no flights. Besides, my security detail wouldn¡¯t let mee.¡±


    ¡°It took me five days to get here. It took us another five days to locate sister, Kia.¡±


    Liam added, ¡°She is underying it. Without her input ¨C the operation would have failed because my father¡¯s second-inmand was helping the mafia.¡±


    Liliana added, ¡°She was in such a bad state that I needed therapy. She was so courageous ¨C even after 13 days of constant torture of every kind imaginable ¨C she did not break. She never spilled the beans. They never found out who she was.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t go into the details of what happened to her. Kyle, when you be Colonel, you will get ess to her files. She saved the city ¨C and you need to be worthy to get her files.¡±


    Kyle nodded through his tears.


    Liam continued, ¡°Anyway, my father sent her to Liliana¡¯s hospital. She gave them the entire VIP floor and free treatment.¡±


    ¡°He resigned, declined his award, and divorced my mother. He exined what he could to my grandmother and wholeheartedly took care of aunty Keira.¡±


    ¡°She spent 15 months in the hospital. After that, they left P city with her fake ID and settled in Maple City.¡±


    ¡°She slowly regained her senses, and it took many months to ept and live with the past.¡±


    ¡°My father married her in Maple City to avoid any legal reputations and take care of her in the legal right. It was a fake marriage for around five years. By then, I was in Maple City Military, and he briefly updated me on the details. Lil filled in the rest after Kyle was born.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Five yearster, they became real husband and wife. They had already be good friends and had manymon interests. I think they were happy at that point in time and had moved on from the past.¡±


    ¡°Then she became pregnant, but my father¡¯s health was already failing. He wanted her to abort because her health wasn¡¯t good, but she was stubborn and refused.¡±


    ¡°I think that was why she bonded with Lil. She was also in poor health and refused to abort despite the doctor¡¯s rmendation.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, my father passed away when she was eight months along, and then she passed away after giving birth.¡±


    ¡°Around that time, Lil heard from the spywork that mafia people were looking for Aunty Keira ¨C so I deleted the hospital records and imed you as my child.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, you look just like me. I mean ¨C we both look like our father.¡±

 Chapter 308 The end!

    Liam finished his narrative and went close to Kyle.


    He knelt beside his half-brother and said, ¡°Kyle, you are my brother by blood. But in my heart, you have always been my son.¡±


    ¡°I will do anything and everything for you. Not because I feel obligated or you were a responsibility thrust onto me, or because my mother ruined your mother¡¯s life. But because I love you from the bottom of my heart. If anything happens to you, I will lose my mind.¡±


    ¡°What happened to previous generations is their karma and their lives. What we do defines our life and our karma.¡±


    ¡°You are my son and will remain so until you return to P City Military as the Colonel. Until then, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡±


    ¡°I never told you about your mother because I have immense respect andpassion for her. I did not want to lie to you or gloss over her story. I wanted to tell you when you are older, so you can appreciate her sacrifices.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, you will always be my son and my highest priority. I love you so much. I want you to grow up happy and healthy.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Kyle nodded his head repeatedly and hugged his father.


    Li asked, ¡°Uncle Liam, did you marry aunty Mer to stop your superiors from investigating you?¡±


    Mariana replied for him, ¡°Yeah! That was one of the reasons. It was also about my reputation. My mother had fainted.¡±


    Liliana added, ¡°It was my suggestion for them to have kids so Kyle can have more people at home. Besides, Liam should have offspring as well.¡±


    Jacob nodded, ¡°Everything worked out very well for us. Unusual and awkward at times, but worked out for us all.¡±


    Kyle asked, ¡°Mommy!¡±


    Mariana replied, ¡°Yeah, honey. You remember when I divorced Liam, I told you to continue calling me ¨C Mommy! Remember your words!¡±


    Kyle smiled, ¡°Will you get married again?¡±


    James answered, ¡°Yeah, Mer and I will get married maybe a yearter. However, that does not change your rtionship with her.¡±


    Jonathan decided to help his friend, ¡°After you guys came home, you started calling me Daddy Nathan, right? My addition to the family did not change your equation with your mommy or triplets, right? That¡¯s the same.¡±


    Jacob added, ¡°Besides, Military marriage doesn¡¯t permit gay marriage. Liam and I can never have a Military marriage. We never expected it. It¡¯s already very fortunate that we can be ourselves with ourrge group of friends.¡±


    Slowly the adults pacified the kids, and they shifted the conversation.


    Kyle took a few days to process and ept everything. Li went to live with Kyle to help him through it.


    This brotherhood between Kyle Brown-Preston and Nathaniel Petrova Smith, in another two decades, would perform legendary feats ¨C knitting the Petrova family closely with the P City Military.


    Jo and two younger boys would handle the non-profits and business aspects of the family.


    But Leonardo would guide Li for more sterner stuff.


    The Petrovas only ever had one heir.


    Traditions are there for a reason!


    _______The End_______


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!