《My Mommy’s Brave Heart》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The night was as ck as ink. A gut-wrenching scream came from the warehouse at the backyard of the Daugherty mansion. Adina Daugherty¡¯s face was pale, and her cracked lips bloodless. She suffered a contraction, and blood gushed out of her private parts. She had just been pregnant for eight months, so why did she feel like she was about to give birth¡­ Was she going into pretermbor? It was extremely dangerous to give birth when she was only pregnant for eight months¡­ The moment that thought entered her mind, she didn¡¯t waste a single second more and crawled to the door on all four, then mmed her fists against it. "Mr.Granger, I¡¯m about to give birth. Please send me to the hospital. I¡¯m begging you¡­" A man in his forties sat outside the door while smoking. "Miss Adina, you don¡¯t even know who the father of your children is," he said coldly. "Do you think the master and madam will send you to the hospital so that everyone could see how much of an embarrassment you are? Just stop causing a ruckus and stay quietly inside!" Adina started weeping uncontrobly. Eight months ago, reporters caught illicit pictures of her in a hotel, and she became the biggest laughing stock in the city. Then, she discovered that she was pregnant. Her father found her an embarrassment to him and tried to force her to abort the babies, but before the operation she suddenly jumped off the operating table and fled. She would rather die than abort her babies. After that, her father ordered the servants to lock her in the warehouse, where she had to stay all by herself. She was locked up for eight months and didn¡¯t get to step out even once during that time. "Mr.Granger, I¡¯m begging you. Please save my children, or they¡¯ll die¡­ Please, help me¡­" Searing pain surged through Adina¡¯s abdomen, and her pleas grew weaker. But the man in front of the door acted as if he did not hear her. He continued to smoke in a rxed manner. Blood continued rushing out of Adina¡¯s private area, and her dress became drenched. She was now sitting in a pool of her own blood. In despair, she grabbed the door handle and started throwing herself at the door. She could not let her babies die in her womb! She refused to! "Are you mad?! What are you doing?!" Mr.Granger opened the door in anger and annoyance. He ignored the blood and grabbed Adina by the hair to drag her deeper into the warehouse and away from the door. But then¡­ "What¡¯s going on?" a cool voice asked from nearby. Mr.Granger¡¯s hand froze in the air. He turned around and greeted the woman respectfully, "Miss Dew." Adina looked up and saw the woman walk into the warehouse. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. It was Dew Daugherty, her sister! They had grown up together and were really close to each other. Adinatched onto her like a drowning man onto a floating log. "Dew, please, help me. Save my babies¡­" Dew sneered at her and said coolly, "Mr.Granger, this is the eldest daughter of the Daugherty family. How could you drag her around like a dying dog?" Mr.Granger immediately understood what she meant and said even more respectfully, "Miss Dew, I didn¡¯t cross any boundaries. Miss Adina just didn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her and wanted to run to the hospital. If any outsiders learned that she¡¯s pregnant with bastards, it would ruin the Daugherty family¡¯s reputation. I was only doing it for the family." "Not bad," Dew praised him. "I¡¯ll tell my father to increase your wagester." She turned around, and her gazended on Adina¡¯s stomach. "Your babies sure cling to life like cockroaches. When Father told you to abort them, you insisted on keeping them despite being told that the Daugherty family won¡¯t take care of them. If they survive, we¡¯ll have to consider them having unrivaled tenaciousness. But it¡¯d be so much better if they just died. The Daugherty family would then get to retain its spotless reputation." "No, my children cannot die¡­" Adina could sense Dew¡¯s hostility, and she crawled back while covering her abdomen. She was bloody all over, and her dress was drenched as well. Even her hair and face were covered in blood and sweat. Her lips were so dry that they had cracked open, and it looked like she was crying tears of blood. Those who didn¡¯t know the whole story would think that she had crawled out of a garbage dump. Dewughed at the sight of the most beautiful woman of Sea City being reduced to this state. "Adina, do you know why you slept with a man eight months ago?" She bent down and sneered mockingly. "It¡¯s because I made arrangements for that." "What?!" Adina was stunned. At the same time, she experienced another contraction, and more blood gushed out. Dew smiled in satisfaction. "You were always the princess of the Daugherty family. You had half of the Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares, and on your eighteenth birthday, you became the heiress of the Daugherty family. Do you have any idea just how jealous I was? If you¡¯re so pure that you stand above everyone else, then I will turn you into a whore who sleeps with everyone!" "Y-You!" Adina was in disbelief. She had considered countless possibilities, but not once did she think that her beloved sister could be the person who had nned that event, which ruined her life. "In the eight months you¡¯ve been locked here, I became the new heiress of the Daugherty family. Adina, from now on, you¡¯re only the woman with the worst reputation in Sea City. You¡¯re a whore who gave birth to b*stards, who¡¯ll never even know who their father is! Your life is ruined! Hahaha!" Great pain surged through Adina¡¯s stomach as she listened to her shocking words, and she felt as if her private region had torn apart. She was in so much pain that she nearly fainted. "Aaaaahhhh!" A scream tore through her throat, and she fell on the floor. Her pale face stared at the ceiling, and she opened her legs instinctively. Waves of blood gushed out from her private region. Something pushed at the area between her legs, and she felt as if she had been torn into several pieces. It felt like centuries passed by, but in truth, only some time went by when, suddenly, the cries of babies rang out in the warehouse. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Adina drew a sharp breath from the pain. She looked down and lifted her blood-soaked dress. Then, she saw two babies. They were covered in blood, and they clenched their fists as they wailed. They were her children, twins. Before Adina could rejoice, they suddenly stopped crying. Their faces turned ck and blue. "Don¡¯t be scared. Mommy¡¯s here¡­" Her heart clenched as she crawled over. She extended her hand toward her children to gather them up, but Dew stepped on the back of her hand. "You¡¯re amazing, Adina. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I can¡¯t believe you gave birth to twins." Dew stared at the children coldly. "But unfortunately, your b*stards didn¡¯t get to live long. They only survived for a few seconds." "Shut up! My babies aren¡¯t dead!" Adina¡¯s heart ached at the sight before her. She reached out once more to hug her babies, touch their faces, and pat their butts. But before she could touch their soft bodies, a maid walked over and grabbed the two children from the floor with an aloof expression on her face. "Miss Dew, what am I supposed to do with the dead infants?" Dew did not care about the two babies¡¯ survival. If they died, she would get to see Adina¡¯s face painted in grief, which would give her a lot of joy. But even if the two babies survived, it would be just as good. Adina would never be able to rise to power again if she had to take care of two b*stard children. Dew¡¯s gazended on the two babies, and she froze. The twins looked exactly the same. Since their mother had suffered from malnutrition, their faces were thin, and their bodies skeletal, but the lines of their faces were clear. Their little faces reminded her of Duke Winters, the demon who could do whatever he wanted in Sea City. Then, she remembered something. The day after she set up Adina, the Winters family had started searching for a woman all over the city. Could it be that Adina had a one-night-stand with Duke Winters? My God¡­ Dew¡¯s eyes went wide in shock, and she could not say a single word for a while. "Dew, we¡¯re sisters. Please send them to the hospital. They¡¯re not dead yet. They¡¯re alive¡­ The doctor will definitely save them!" Adina grabbed the hem of Dew¡¯s dress and begged her to save her children. "I¡¯ll do whatever you want. As long as you save my children, I¡¯ll give you the shares and won¡¯t fight you for the status of the Daugherty family¡¯s heiress¡­" Dew snapped out of her thoughts, raised her leg, and kicked Adina away. "Your b*stards are dead. No hospital can revive the dead," she said coldly. "Bring them out and bury them somewhere." "No!" Panic flooded Adina¡¯s mind, and she crawled to the maid. But Dew kicked her away once more. "Adina, you just gave birth to twins, so you should rest. Look at you, you¡¯re still bleeding. Father won¡¯t send you to the hospital if you lose too much blood. Do take care of yourself." After saying that, Dew left the warehouse with the maid and shut the door behind herself. "No! Dew! Dew Daugherty, don¡¯t do this! Give me back my babies!" Adina grabbed the metal bars of the door and screamed in rage. Her bloodshot eyes were filled with grief. Then, hatred like she¡¯d never felt before rose in her cold eyes. If her children died, then Dew would be their murderer! Her gaze was so fierce that Dew shivered when she saw it. Animals who lost their cubs always took revenge. So, if Adina survived, Dew would have to face a powerful enemy¡­ Adina still had the shares of the Daugherty Corporation in her hands, after all. She might also end up working together with Duke Winters, which might ruin all of Dew¡¯s ns¡­ Dew turned to the guard coldly. "Mr.Granger, we will have an important guest visiting us in a few days, so go to the courtyard and make it presentable. There¡¯s no reason to waste time standing guard here anymore." ¡®Hah! ¡®Your children died right after being born, so now your body is weak from childbirth and your mind is weak from the heavy mental blow. You¡¯re probably going to go through another major loss of blood because of it. ¡®And there¡¯s only one oue for those who lose too much blood, and that¡¯s death! ¡®I didn¡¯t want to kill you, Adina, but you just had to sleep with the most powerful man in Sea City¡­ ¡®l have to send you off now.¡¯ Dew picked up the lock and locked the metal door. Right when she started walking away, the maid returned. "Miss Dew, the two b*stards aren¡¯t dead yet. They¡¯re crying again! Should we still bury them?" Dew froze up. ¡®Her b*stards sure are tenacious. I¡¯m surprised they¡¯re still alive¡­ ¡®But if they¡¯re Duke Winters¡¯s children, then they¡¯re the only grandchildren of the Winters family¡­ ¡®And as their mother, Adina is the most important woman in Sea City¡­ ¡®No, Adina cannot be allowed to live! I must do something!¡¯ Dew took the two dying twins and said coldly, "Don¡¯t tell anyone about what happened tonight." The maid nodded. Meanwhile, the smell of blood in the warehouse grew stronger¡­ Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 While lying on the blood-drenched floor, Adina did not even have the time to grieve for her twins since the pain of another contraction crashed into her. She was all too familiar with this pain by then. It hade right before she gave birth to the twins earlier. She touched her abdomen, but didn¡¯t sense anything strange. Could it be¡­ that she hadn¡¯t yet given birth to all the children? Adina¡¯s eyes went wide. She did not dare to dy anymore and pushed again, which made blood gush out of her body. Pain flooded her body, as if she was being torn apart, but determination kept her conscious. Otherwise, she would have fainted a long time ago. But Adina knew that she could not faint. If she did, her babies would die of asphyxiation. She bit the tip of her tongue and drew blood. That was the only way she could remain awake. "Waaaahhhh¡­" Faint cries rose in the air. Adina¡¯s tears mixed with blood as they slid down her face. Her eyes lit up, and with great effort, she pushed herself up to take a look. Two babies! She actually gave birth to quadruplets! It was no wonder her stomach had been so big! And it was no wonder that her appetite had grown so much! So, she had been carrying four babies all along? God had blessed her with four children¡­ But her first two babies were gone¡­ If Dew had delivered them to the hospital, there was no doubt that they would have survived. Adina had never hated the sister she loved for years as much as she did at the moment. When she was locked in the warehouse for eight months, she thought she deserved it, because she had be the embarrassment of her family. But it was only at this moment that she knew that it was all actually the set up of her sister. Dew had done something so iprehensible just to steal the position of the heiress of the Daugherty family. Adina would not spare the Daugherty family, who let it happen¡­ She forced herself to crawl to her babies. They were a boy and a girl. The two babies were covered in blood, but it could not hide their beautiful eyes. They were her babies, and Adina swore to protect them with all she had. She carefully hugged them to her chest. Soon though, she noticed that the warehouse was getting ufortably warm. She looked around and saw the entrance up in mes. mes mercilessly charged through the gaps in the metal door and surged into the warehouse. There was furniture near the entrance, and it was on fire in a few moments. "No¡­ Someone! The warehouse is on fire! Help!" Adina struck the door in a frenzy. But no one came to help. It took her a moment to understand what was going on. Someone had set the warehouse on fire! Dew had indirectly killed her first two children, and she wanted to kill her, too, because most of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares were still in her hands. As long as Adina was alive, she would be the greatest shareholder of Daugherty Corporation and threaten Dew¡¯s heiress position. Hence, she had to die. The situation was great for it, too. If Adina burned alive in a warehouse after being unable to escape due to major blood loss from childbirth, no one would question it. Adina was forced into a corner because of the fire. Her babies sucked on their thumbs while theyy in her arms,pletely unaware of the looming danger. "I won¡¯t let any harme to you, my dears¡­" Adina narrowed her eyes and looked at the window; it was two meters up. ¡­¡­ The Daugherty family¡¯s warehouse went down in mes in the middle of the night. There were a lot of mmable items in the warehouse, so with the help of the wind outside, the mes quickly ate up the whole building. Firefighters were called right away, but the fire grew quickly, and it spread so fast that half of the mansion was affected. The damages it caused reached hundreds of millions. The firefighters only managed to put out the fire at dawn. A servant went to the master of the house and reported the situation. "Master, the firefighters have cleaned up the area, and they said that someone had started the fire intentionally." Aaron Daugherty, the master of the family, mmed his fist on the table. "Someone set us on fire? Who would dare to do that?! How brave of them! Find out who it was!" Dew was standing next to her father, and a thought sprung into her head at that moment. She whispered, "Father, this isn¡¯t the time to look for the perpetrator. We should first check if anyone is injured. We have dozens of people in the mansion, and if anyone died in the fire¡­" The servant shook his head. "The fire started from the warehouse. It was empty at the time, so we have no casualties." ¡®What?! No one died?!¡¯ Dew¡¯s eyes went wide in shock. ¡®Adina was in the warehouse! And I locked the door! That fire should have burnt her to death! ¡®How could that witch¡¯s body not be there? ¡®If she ran away, then my ns will be ruined.¡¯ She sucked in a deep breath and said slowly, "Father, Adina was locked in the warehouse. She went intobor all of a sudden yesterday and begged me to send her to the hospital, but I didn¡¯t agree¡­ Did she fly into a rage and set the ce on fire?" "How could I have given birth to a ck sheep?! Search for her and bring her back!" Aaron¡¯s face was alight with fury. The mes had consumed furniture and other household items worth hundreds of millions, and also left one billion dors in liquidated damage. If it were not for the fact that the Daugherty family had a lot of money, they might have gone bankrupt on the spot. At that moment, another servant came into the room in a hurry and said, "Master, we discovered a woman¡¯s corpse in theke a thousand meters away from the manor. We believe it¡¯s Miss Adina¡­" "She jumped into theke andmitted suicide because she couldn¡¯t ept her fate? It¡¯s all my fault¡­" Dew sucked in a deep breath, and tears slid down her face. "She gave birth to two babiesst night, but now, they¡¯ve be orphans. What should I do¡­" Aaron was not at all sad about losing a daughter. He was just angry and impatient. "Why would you keep those two b*stards around?! Send them to an orphanage! Don¡¯t let them stay here and be an eyesore!" "Father, those two children look like Duke Winters¡­" Dew said slowly. "The man Adina slept with eight months ago might be the master of the Winters family¡­" Aaron was skeptical. "Duke Winters?" N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The Winters family was the strongest family in Sea City, and the Daugherty family could only admire it from a distance. "Plenty of people want to work with the Winters family, but never get the chance. Yet now we have Duke Winters¡¯s sons in our hands, so why don¡¯t we use them?" Aaron narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, Dew?" "I¡¯d like to take the children to the Winters family." Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Four yearster¡­ A fine-dressed man lunged at Adina and pinned her underneath him. He ripped her clothes off and touched every inch of her skin, but she did not have the strength to push him away. She tried to see his face, but it was hidden in fog and appeared blurry. She could only see a pair of eyes. The man¡¯s gaze was as sharp as a hawk¡¯s, and even if they were doing something only couples should do, there were no emotions in his eyes. It frightened her. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat, and she opened her eyes. "Mommy, did you have a nightmare?" a soft voice asked from right next to her. It was only at that moment that Adina realized that she had fallen asleep in an airne and dreamt about the night of hering-of-age ceremony. Five years had passed since she was set up by Dew Daugherty back then. It was something from a long time ago that she had put behind her, so why did she dream of it? When Adina met her son¡¯s clear eyes, she felt a little embarrassed. "I¡¯m fine. The long flight has just tired me out." Alden handed her a warm cup of water. "Mommy, you¡¯ll feel better once you drink it." Then, he put a soft cushion behind her back. "You¡¯ll also feel better if you¡¯refortable." Adina¡¯s heart melted away at his care, and she kissed his cheek. "Alden, the two of you are my greatest blessing in life." She then nced at the girl sleeping quietly at her side, and a satisfied smile bloomed on her face. Four years ago, she had risked tooth and nail to escape the fire, and in the end, she managed to do it. Her two children had been born premature and were in danger of dying, so the hospital she went to told her multiple times that she was to prepare for their deaths. Alden had a stronger body, so they managed to save him, but the doctors gave up on treating Melody. With no other choice, Adina took her children to another country for treatment. In the end, Melody managed to survive, but¡­ While Adina was deep in thought, the girl woke up. She had beautiful eyes. They were dark and bright, like watery grapes or the stars that hung high in the night sky. But if anyone took a closer look, they would notice that the girl seemed dazed. Adina squashed the regret and sadness in her heart before she chuckled and said, "You¡¯re awake, Mel. Would you like milk or water?" There was no reply. The girl just stared at the clouds outside the window. Her behavior was as aloof and distant as ever. Adina pursed her lips. Melody¡¯s autism was getting worse. It was one of the reasons why she had suddenly decided to return to the country. "I¡¯ll get some milk for you, Sis. Here, hold the handle. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Drink this way. That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t dirty your shirt." Alden handed the milk to Melody and patiently reminded her how to drink it. Even though he received no reply, he still talked to her nonstop. Adina ruffled her son¡¯s head. He was the greatest blessing in her life. If she did not have him around, she did not know whether she could have gotten through thest four years. "Mommy, if you continue ruffling my hair, it will get messy," Alden grumbled in displeasure. Adinaughed. "You¡¯re still young, kiddo, and you¡¯re already vain?" As the mother and son chatted the time away, the airne reached Sea City. Adina took her children to retrieve their luggage, but she was stopped by amotion in the area ahead. A boy of no more than five charged into her arms in a panic. He looked cool with a baseball hat and a suit jacket, and his leather shoes made it clear that he was a son of a rich family. Adina did not want to get into trouble, so once she helped him to his feet, she took a step backwards. But the boy held her hand. "Someone is trying to catch me. If you help me, I¡¯ll do any one thing for you." Harold Winters stared at the woman in front of him with his chin raised. He gave off an imposing aura despite his age. "Who¡¯s trying to catch you?" Adina asked. She stared into the boy¡¯s eyes, and for some reason, she felt a string in her heart. Just when Harold wanted to answer, the people caught up and surrounded him. "Master Harold, stop running around! The master will be angry!" "Master Harold,e back with us, please!" The bodyguards pleaded for him to return with grief on their faces. Harold hid behind Adina while tightly holding the hem of her dress. "Let go of my mommy¡¯s dress!" Alden said and pushed Harold away. The bodyguards caught him the moment he was away from Adina. "Master Harold, stop acting up. The master will be here in a moment, so there will be dire consequences if you run away again¡­" Harold could not move in the bodyguards¡¯ hands, so he just stared at Adina. For some reason, he wanted to see her again. "What¡¯s your name, Madam?" he asked. "None of your business," Alden said coldly and took Adina¡¯s hand. "Mommy, our luggage is out." Adina cast a nce at the unfamiliar child, then left with her children to grab their luggage. In a few moments, they disappeared in the crowd. The usually stubborn and disobedient Harold Winters started to tear up. He pursed his lips and said, "I¡¯ll go back with you, but you must find me everything about that woman within three days." Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Harold was brought into a VIP room by the bodyguards. A man with an imposing presence sat on a couch there. He was dressed in a ck suit, and looked at them with cold and grim eyes. Even if he said nothing, his air of superiority was enough to make everyone feel inferior. He cast his gaze on his four-year-old son. "Didn¡¯t I tell you that you¡¯re not allowed to leave without permission?" Harold straightened his back defiantly. "I just went out for a walk. Can¡¯t I even do that?" "No." Duke¡¯s voice was cold, and whoever met his stare felt a chill crawl down their spines. He stood up and walked over to Harold. "Do you have any idea how many people are after you? Do you know what fate may befall you if you run out by yourself?" "No!" Harold turned his head to the side. He remembered the woman he met just now. Once he had her information, he would sneak out again¡­ At that moment, the woman, who had also been sitting on the couch, stood up and walked over. "Don¡¯t be angry, Duke." She was wearing a fitting long dress that made her appear graceful and a thinyer of makeup that made her look full of life. She squatted down in front of the boy. "Harold, your father is just worried about you, that¡¯s why he¡¯s so mad. You should listen to him and stop going outside to y, okay?" "No! Why should I listen to you?" Harold pushed her hand away. He showed her no respect at all. The woman before him was no one else but Dew Daugherty. She stiffly pulled her hand back, and suddenly, tears slid down her face. "Harold, I¡¯m your mother. Why are you acting like this? I gave birth to you after carrying you for eight long months and suffering great pains. Could you not talk to me that way?" "Hmph!" Harold¡¯s face was full of scorn. He was still young and did not understand what it meant for a woman to be pregnant for eight months, but he knew that he did not like Dew. He absolutely despised this woman who referred to herself as his mother. "Harold Winters, apologize to your mother!" Duke¡¯s eyes turned cold. He was about to blow up. The Winters¡¯ children could be aloof, but they had to respect their elders. A child who did not respect his own mother would be chased out of the family. "Forget it, Duke¡­" Dew said in a choked up voice. "Even though I¡¯m his mother, I didn¡¯t bring him up properly, so it¡¯s normal that he doesn¡¯t acknowledge me as his mother. Don¡¯t scare him." She paused for a moment before saying, "Duke, I¡¯m a disposable person to the children since we aren¡¯t married, so there¡¯s no way they would respect me. I¡¯ll show up less in the Winters mansion in the future. Otherwise, my presence might have a negative impact on them¡­" She wiped away her tears in a sorrowful manner. She knew how to make Duke pity her, and she put on her most pitiful expression. Four years ago, she had brought the children to the Winters mansion, thinking that she would be Mrs.Winters right way. However, Duke only took the children in. He did not agree to marry her. She tried every method at her disposal, but not a single one helped her join the Winters family. In the end, she could only hold onto the identity of Harold¡¯s mother. It was the only thing tying her to the Winters family. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Her efforts over the four years weren¡¯t in vain, however. Harold might dislike her, but George, the elder son, listened to her every word. George was also the next heir of the Winters family, so as long as Dew kept him under her control, she would definitely be Mrs.Winters. As for Harold¡­ Heh, the worse Harold treated her, the more Duke pitied her. One day, they would be together! ¡­¡­ Adina walked out of the airport with her children in hand and found a car waiting for them at the entrance. It had been there for a long time. "Miss Adina, please get in. The madam has been waiting for you." Adina nodded and helped the children into the car. They drove to the Xavier mansion. The Xaviers were her mother¡¯s family, and her grandparents were the ones behind the rise of Daugherty Corporation. That was the reason as to why her mother had fifty percent of thepany¡¯s shares. When she passed away, those shares ended up in Adina¡¯s hands. With half of thepany¡¯s shares, she was doted upon in the Daugherty family and was appointed as the heiress of the family when she turned eighteen. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, reporters took illicit photos of her on the second day after hering-of-age ceremony. After that day, she was locked in the warehouse and could be said to have lost her life¡­ All of that was arranged by Dew. After Adina fled the fire, she headed to the Xaviers to seek help from her grandmother, but Dew organized a press conference and told the whole world that Adina had given birth to children before wedlock. She also said that after her children died moments after being born, Adina set the Daugherty mansion on fire, which resulted in billions of dors worth of damage. Then, shemitted suicide because she was afraid of being punished. This story made Adina into a person despised by everyone online. Since she was the Xaviers¡¯ granddaughter, the reporters also attacked her grandparents. Adina did not want to bring trouble to the Xaviers, so she left. In any case, she was already dead in the world¡¯s eyes. The best thing for her to do was to leave this hotbed of trouble. This was why she had lived abroad for four years. She stayed hidden the whole time and stopped being the eldest daughter who was deceived and framed in the past. The Adina Daugherty of back then was dead. The car soon reached the Xaviers¡¯ mansion. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The Xaviers¡¯ mansion was in Lake Bay. The scenery around it was lovely, and it was a quiet ce, typical of an area where the rich lived. The servants respectfully led Adina and her two children into the courtyard. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "Addy, you¡¯re finally back¡­" Madam Xavier had been waiting at the entrance for a long time. When she saw Adina walking over, she felt as if she was looking at her deceased daughter. Her pitiful daughter had lived a short life, and her pitiful granddaughter¡¯s life was full of hardships¡­ "Grandmother¡­" Adina rested her forehead on Madam Xavier¡¯s shoulder and let herself feel a moment of peace. If she had to name one other person besides her children whom she loved, it would be her grandmother. She had lived in a small town abroad during the four years, and her grandmother had often sent people to persuade her toe back. However, Adina knew that most of the Xaviers would not wee her, which was why she dyed her return repeatedly. "You must be Alden and Melody. Both of you are such good-looking children." Madam Xavier bent down and touched the children¡¯s faces. Alden smiled. "Great-grandma." Melody took a wary step back with an aloof expression on her pretty face. Madam Xavier knew about the two children and their situation. She sighed and said, "I¡¯ve already contacted a doctor. He¡¯ll drop by and check on Melody a few dayster." Adina did not actually harbor a lot of hope that her daughter would be cured, but she still nodded and led the children into the mansion. The Xaviers were gathered in the living room. They were in the main mansion, so all those who lived in it were direct descendants. Hence, they were all Adina¡¯s uncles, aunts, and cousins. "Mom, why did Grandma ask us toe here today?" Sophia Xavier asked impatiently. She was a twenty-eight years old cousin of Adina, who had married and lived elsewhere, but grandmother had asked her toe back to the mansion. The eldest aunt took a sip of her tea and said, "Your grandmother is already old. Since she asked us toe back so earnestly, I have a feeling it has something to do with her will." "Will?" Sophia¡¯s eyes sparkled. She was married into another family, but she was summoned back to the main mansion. Did this mean that she would have a part of the Xaviers¡¯ legacy? She was not the only one who was excited. The other people in the living room started considering their positions in the family as well. All of them were concerned about the will. However, just as they were thinking about how much money they might get, Madam Xavier came into the room. She was followed by a young and beautiful woman, who wore jeans and a dress shirt. Her hair hung casually behind her back, which matched her simple getup, but everyone in the room was stunned by her beauty. Her elegant and ethereal presence was so unique that no one in Sea City could emte her. Sophia was sure that she had seen that woman before. "Addy, your uncles and aunts are here. Go and greet them." Madam Xavier pushed Adina forward. Adina put on a rxed and calm smile. "Uncle Richard, Aunt Morganna, Uncle Henry, Aunt Maple¡­" She greeted all of her elders. And the living room sank into pin-drop silence. "Addy? Adina Daugherty?" Sophia was in disbelief. "Didn¡¯t you die four years ago?" "What nonsense!" Madam Xavier schooled her face. "Adina just didn¡¯t want to attract a lot of attention, so I never told you about her being alive." The Xaviers were so shocked that their eyes were about to pop out of their eye sockets. But who could remain calm when someone who had died four years ago suddenly popped up? However, judging by Madam Xavier actions and words, it was clear that she had known about Adina¡¯s situation from the start. They were just surprised that she had been so tight-lipped about it! Morganna¡¯s eyesnded on the two children. "Addy, did you give birth to two more b*stards?" Her choice of words infuriated Adina. She looked up and said rudely, "Aunt Morganna, when you married into the Xavier family, you were already pregnant with Sophia, so should I call her a b*stard too?" "You!" If looks could kill, Morganna would have killed Adina a hundred times over. "You¡¯re so rude!" She had gotten pregnant out of wedlock, which was something rarely seen among the upper-ss in the past, and had resulted in a lot of mockery aimed at her. Everyone had forgotten about it in the thirty years since then, but someone not even of her generation had actually brought it up again! It made her boil with anger right away. Sophia was also furious. "Adina, how dare you say that I¡¯m a b*stard while in the Xaviers¡¯ mansion?! You have no right!" "Enough!" Madam Xavier roared, and all of them instantly fell silent. She looked at each person in the living room. "If I hear anyone call Addy¡¯s children b*stards again, I will punish you!" The younger generation of the Xavier instantly hunched their shoulders, but they found this situation unfair. Adina¡¯s mother was Madam Xavier¡¯s only daughter and was doted upon since young. When she got married, she was even given twenty million dors to create Daugherty Corporation. Madam Xavier treated her as if she was the most precious jewel in the world and gave her everything good. Then, when she passed away, they thought that Madam Xavier would remember them, but to their surprise, Adina became the next target of her affection. They had no idea what Madam Xavier had given to Adina over the past four years, but they began to burn with jealousy. Adina knew what they were thinking, but just smiled without saying anything. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°Grandmother, I came back to make a business deal with the Xavier family.¡± Adina opened her bag and took out a set of documents. She ced them on the table and said coolly, ¡°I majored inputer science, and over the past few years, I did postgraduate studies in Harfard and developed a smart chip. It¡¯s not sold in the market yet, and I¡¯m currently searching for business partners. I hope that the Xavier Corporation may be one.¡± ¡°Hmph. Adina, aren¡¯t you tooting your own horn? Why should we work with you just because you asked us?¡± Sophia pouted in disdain. ¡°The Xaviers own one of the top ten corporations in Sea City, and plenty ofpanies are begging grandpa and grandma to work with them, but they don¡¯t even spare them a nce! So why should you be any different?¡± Madam Xavier was about to speak, but Richard interrupted her. He took a step forward and said, ¡°Mom, Adina is my niece, and I pity her too, but we can¡¯t do business with her just because we pity her. Right now, Xavier Corporation is trying to enter the IoT market. It¡¯s tough, and we can¡¯t bend the rules just because Addy needs it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already bought a copyright for a smart chip abroad and are about to enter the production stage. Why should we change our business partner just because of what she said?¡± ¡°Come on, Adina just wants to use this partnership to get money from Grandma. It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be dead. Why did youe back here?¡± ¡°Grandma loves her a lot. Her name is definitely in the will¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Daugherty! Why should she have a share? And she even brought so much shame to us in the past¡­¡± The family members didn¡¯t shy away from sharing their opinions. They had always been fighting among themselves, but this time, they showed a rare sense of solidarity. Madam Xavier had longed for her granddaughter toe back, and after four years, she was finally willing to do so, but she had to face such animosity from her own family. Her temper red as she listened to it. However, before Madam Xavier could say anything, a soft voice spoke up. Alden was a quiet boy, but he would not just stand by and do nothing when his mother was attacked. He took a step forward and looked at Richard. ¡°Granduncle, did Xavier Corporation buy the rights for Ander Corporation¡¯s MCP12?¡± Richard frowned. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I also know that while that chip promises smooth operations, it¡¯s not perfect and can¡¯t receive manymands. However, if you use AMP1 and RIWE-34, it will improve the chip,¡± Alden stated coolly. ¡°But if you want thepany to get a slice of pie in the AI market, you shouldn¡¯t choose this chip.¡± He was just four and could not be seen in a crowd of people, but his words made the adults¡¯ expressions change. The younger generation who did not work in Xavier Corporation did not understand what he just said, but Richard and many others did. His assistant had mentioned every single thing the boy said, and he had also thought about modifying the chip, but this was a new market, and even multinationalpanies could not produce perfect chips. Hence, Xavier Corporation could only make do with the chip they chose. The scorn in Richard¡¯s eyes finally faded away. ¡°H-How do you know so much about it?¡± When he was four, he was still ying with mud. He did not even know what smart chips were, much less how they worked. ¡°Mommy taught me!¡± Alden said. ¡°Mommy is known as a chip genius by Harfard lecturers. If you work with Mommy, you¡¯ll have a bright future.¡± Adina stroked her son¡¯s hair while feeling resigned. Alden was the true genius. He had been interested inputers since birth and was already a hacker at the age of four. Alden had helped her develop the chip. Otherwise, she would not have managed to do it so swiftly. Adina pushed the contract over and said faintly, ¡°Uncle Richard, you should read the description of my chip in the contract first.¡± Richard opened the contract withplicated feelings. Then, he froze in ce. Xavier Corporation had spent three months and hired more than one hundred programmers to develop their chip, but they hadn¡¯t managed to make one that could let them gain a standing in the market. Yet Adina had done it. If the smart chip she developed could really deliver as the contract stated, Xavier Corporation could rise to the top of the IoT market! ¡°Addy, have you sold this chip to any company?¡± Richard asked with suppressed delight. ¡°Not for the time being,¡± Adina answered in her usual cool voice. ¡°I¡¯ll sign the contract now!¡± Richard stated and asked for a pen. Sophia¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Dad, have you gone mad? Can¡¯t you see that Adina and her b*stard are just lying to you?N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Countless pairs of eyes trained on Sophia after her words. The sharpest stare came from Madam Xavier. There was a warning in her eyes, along with displeasure. If it were not for the fact that there were so many people around, Sophia had a feeling that her grandmother would have actually struck her with the cane. She gulped and took an indignant step back, which made her step on her son, and he started crying from the pain. Enraged, Sophia pped him. ¡°Why are you crying so much? What happened, are you mourning someone¡¯s passing?¡± Leo Gardner, her six-year-old son, began to cry harder. ¡°You¡¯re horrible, Mommy! You¡¯re a witch! I hate you the most!¡± Sophia was already in a bad mood, so when her son said that he hated her in public, she got so angry that she wanted to p him again. The atmosphere in the living room became hostile from their actions. Madam Xavier¡¯s expression turned dark, and she said, ¡°Addy, once you sign the contract,e to my study room.¡± Adina nodded. She signed her name on the contract and bent down to speak to her boy. ¡°Alden, take good care of your sister. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Alden nodded in a mature manner and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Mel, Mommy. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Naturally, Adina was not worried. Alden had grown up to be a sensible boy in thest year and picked up the job of taking care of Melody. Adina could not take good care of them by herself because she had to leave to earn money. On days that she worked during the day, Alden took good care of Melody at home. Even though he was only four years old, he had already learned how to be a good older brother. Adina followed Madam Xavier into the study room, where her grandmother sat down, and squatted down by her chair. ¡°Addy, you must have lived a hard life over the past four years.¡± Madam Xavier took Adina¡¯s hand and let out a long sigh. ¡°I thought that you hid yourself out of stubbornness after you left your house four years ago. I never thought that Aaron would lock you up for eight whole months! Addy, after the Daugherty family proimed you dead, all of your shares were transferred to your half-sister, but since you came back alive now, the Daugherty family must return the shares to you!¡± Adina leaned against Madam Xavier¡¯s knee. Her grandmother still loved her as she did when she was young. Part of the reason why Adina brought Melody back was because she hoped that the girl could experience more love. Her grandmother would surely love Melody just likeN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. she loved her. She whispered, ¡°Grandmother, you¡¯re already eighty-three years old. You shouldn¡¯t bother about these things. I will retrieve what belongs to me by my own hands. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m no longer the ignorantdy of the Daugherty family. I will seek justice for myself and my children who died in vain¡­¡± The image of the two blue and ck babies lying on the warehouse¡¯s floor rose in her mind. Those were her sons. They had died quietly, and she did not even know where they were buried. Tears pooled up in Adina¡¯s eyes. ¡°Addy, my good girl, it¡¯s all in the past now. Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Madam Xavier patted her back. ¡°Stay in the Xavier mansion from now on. You can treat it as your home.¡± Adina nodded. Her grandmother was the leader of the Xaviers. As long as she weed her, Adina would stay in her home. Besides, she would not be living in the Xavier mansion without giving anything in return. Her chip would help the Xaviers climb further up the socialdder. She did not feel any guilt at all for deciding to stay. After a short while, they heard a loud wail outside. Madam Xavier frowned. ¡°Is Leo crying again?¡± Leo was Sophia¡¯s son. Every time she came to the Xavier mansion, she brought him with her, and he always caused trouble. Madam Xavier could not be bothered and wanted to continue talking, but Adina had a bad feeling. She got up and went to the door. Right when she opened it, she saw Sophia bringing her hand up and swinging it at Melody. Meanwhile, Melody still had a nk look on her face. She did not seem aware of the impending danger. ¡°Stop!¡± Adina roared and charged over. Sophia narrowed her eyes and made sure to swing her hand even faster. She had always hated Adina, because even though she was not part of the Xaviers, she got all the benefits only a Xavier could get. Meanwhile, Sophia received no limelight, even though she was a truedy of the Xaviers. Later, Adina had a one-night stand with a man and became the main character of practically all illicit photos in Sea City, which had delighted Sophia a lot. After Adina gave birth to her b*stards and Dew said that she set the warehouse on fire beforemitting suicide because she wanted to escape being punished, Sophia pped her hands in joy. But she did not expect that Adina would one daye back alive. And the moment she returned, she started causing trouble for her! ¡®Hmph! Even if I can¡¯t do anything to Adina, I can still p her b*stard.¡¯ She swung her hand toward Melody¡¯s face. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Boiling water flew at Sophia and sshed all over her chest. The water was so hot that she jumped, and her palm missed Melody¡¯s face. ¡°Who threw hot water at me?!¡± Sophia was fuming. When she looked down, she saw Alden holding an empty ss. The moment she saw him, she threw all caution to the wind and ran over to grab him by the cor. Then, she swung her hand at him. Adina grabbed her hand midwing, even if it felt as if her bone was about to be crushed. ¡°Abusing my kids while I¡¯m not around, Sophia? It¡¯s been years since west met, but you¡¯re as uncivilized as ever.¡± Adina flung her hand away and bent down to hug Alden and Melody. Sophia was so angry that she felt as if she was about tobust. She pointed at Melody and roared, ¡°Your daughter pped my son! Either let me p her, or do it yourself!¡± Adina looked over and saw the palm print on Leo¡¯s face. But Melody never took the first step to hurt others. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s not Mel¡¯s fault,¡± Alden said. ¡°Leo called her a mute and spat at her.¡± He sounded like he was ming himself. His granduncle had called him over to talk about the chip, so he had stepped away from Melodie for just a few minutes, but it was enough for someone to bully his sister. It was his fault. He had made his mother worry again. When Adina heard her son¡¯s words, rage stirred in her heart. There were two things she could not tolerate: people calling her children b*stards and peopleughing at Melody¡¯s condition. Sophia had just done both. p! A loud p rang through the living room. Sophia¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You witch, how dare you hit me?! I won¡¯t let this go!¡± She no longer cared about her image and lunged at Adina like a crazed woman. Her hands were outstretched toward Adina¡¯s throat. Adina avoided her coolly, and Sophia missed. She crashed face-first onto the floor. Blood poured down her face. Sophia had never been in such a pathetic state before, and she wanted to tear Adina to shreds. ¡°Sophia, your son has a foul mouth, so that p was for him!¡± Adina said while looking down at her. She then bent down and picked Melody up. Her daughter opened her eyes wide, and her long, curledshes fluttered. It looked like she had no idea what had just happened. Morganna was so furious that her hand trembled. ¡°Adina, you wh*re, how dare you hit my daughter?! As long as I¡¯m one of the Xaviers, don¡¯t you dare to even think about staying here!¡± ¡°Are you thinking about chasing me out of the house, too?¡± Madam Xavier walked out ofN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. the study room with her cane and stopped in front of Adina like a protector. Morganna suppressed her anger and said in a quivering voice, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Mother. You saw what happened just now. Adina has no respect for her elders and hit her cousin. She¡¯s too arrogant, and it¡¯ll bring unrest in the family. I only want what¡¯s the best for the family¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯ll bring unrest to the family!¡± Richard roared. ¡°If you can¡¯t ept Addy, go back to your family!¡± Morganna felt ashamed after being rebuked by her mother-inw and husband in front of others, but she did not dare to say anything else. She picked Sophia up from the floor while feeling indignant and grabbed the wailing Leo, then went upstairs. Even though the incident hade to an end, Adina could not calm down. It was just the first day of her return, and they had already started fighting. There was definitely going to be more trouble in the future. Adina was not afraid of Morganna or Sophia, but Melody was still young, and Adina could not possibly watch over her 24/7. The others would definitely find a time to mock and abuse her, which would worsen her condition. It seemed that staying in the mansion was not the smartest decision. Madam Xavier saw through Adina¡¯s thoughts and said, ¡°Addy, you¡¯ve always been opinionated, and I was never able to change your mind once after you¡¯ve made a decision, but could you do this for me? Please, stay in the house I¡¯ll give you. This way, I¡¯ll be at ease.¡± Addy hesitated for a while before she nodded. ¡°I intend to hold a birthday party for you so that everyone will know that the most beautiful woman of Sea City is alive.¡± Madam Xavier patted the back of her hand. ¡°After it, you can move out.¡± Alden tugged at Adina¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of Mel, Mommy. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Sophia had acted really aggressively, so Adina was still worried. But then, it had been years since she hadst met her grandmother. It would be wrong to not even stay for a few days. She could move out immediately after the party ended. Since Adina was still worried about Sophia abusing her children, she brought them along when she went to Xavier Corporation the next day. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Adina went to Xavier Corporation to insert the chip she developed into thepany¡¯s products. This way, the data in the chip could be inserted into the programmes of the products. Adina and her children sat in the backseat of the car while waiting to arrive at their destination. ¡°Alden, y with your sister in the waiting roomter. Once I¡¯m done, we¡¯ll go back home together, okay?¡± Alden nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone hurt Mel, Mommy. Don¡¯t worry. You can just go to work.¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± Adina stroked his hair and kissed her daughter¡¯s cheek. The girl¡¯s pretty face was soft, just like cotton candy. Adina could not resist pinching it. ¡°Mommy, why are you bullying Mel again?!¡± Alden quickly stopped her. Adina felt a little guilty. ¡°Well¡­ Mel is just too cute, you know? I couldn¡¯t resist¡­¡± Suddenly, the car came to a screeching halt. The three people in the backseat were all thrown forward. There was a loud noise from the front of the car. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Adina. I seem to have run into the car in front of us. I¡¯ll go out and handle the situation,¡± the driver said apologetically and opened the door to get out. Adina checked on her children. They were fine. But suddenly, the usually unresponsive Mel suddenly grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. It opened by a crack. ¡°Mel, we¡¯re on the road. You can¡¯t open the door, okay?¡± Adina shut the door. But the girl opened it again. Before Adina could close it again, Mel slipped from her hands and jumped out of the car. A man came out of the car they had rammed in the back. He had an imposing presence. His tall and lean figure was d in a ck suit, and he had a cold look on his face. The Xavier family¡¯s driver did not know him, but he could sense his powerful presence. This man was even more imposing than Richard, the head of the Xavier family. ¡°W-We¡¯ll take full responsibility, Sir. You¡­¡± the driver said nervously. Duke¡¯s face was as cold as ice. He usually had a driver to take him around, but today, his driver called in sick, so he chose to drive himself. But someone tailgated him the moment he left his mansion. He could not be bothered to deal with this sort of matter, but he had to. Just when he was about to speak, a small child in pink suddenly charged at him and crashed into his leg. It immediately ruined Duke¡¯s day. He was a neat freak and hated touching strangers. He took a step back to get away from the child, but the girl in pink followed him and even hugged his leg. His expression darkened. ¡°Let go.¡± The two words made chills crawl down everyone¡¯s spines. They sounded like pure ice. The driver was so scared that his heart nearly stopped beating. He quickly went over. ¡°Miss Melody, please let go¡­¡± He wanted to pick her up, but Melody refused to let him touch her. She turned her head and bit his hand. She bit so deep that she drew blood. Duke¡¯s expression turned even darker. He had no idea where the child hade from, and she was even aggressive, to boot! He raised his hand and grabbed the girl by the cor. Their gazes met, and her eyes went wide. They were ck and shiny, just like the stars in the night sky, while her hair was fluffy, which made her look like a kitten. Duke¡¯s cold heart softened at the sight of her. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked. Perhaps it was because his voice was cold and harsh, but the girl hunched her shoulders in fear. Duke felt a second of regret, but before he could figure out why he would feel this way, a fair hand suddenly reached over and grabbed the girl. When the girl left his reach, he felt as if she took a piece of his heart with her. ¡°Sir, I apologize on behalf of my daughter. If she offended you in any way, please don¡¯t take offense to it on the ount that she is still a child,¡± Adina said slowly while holding Melody in a protective embrace. She was really surprised. Her daughter usually avoided strangers like the gue, but she had actually hugged this man¡¯s leg of her own ord. She really wanted to know why, but the man seemed aloof and not like someone she should cross paths with on a normal day. Besides, she found the man slightly familiar. It was as if she had seen him somewhere before¡­ ¡®Wait!¡¯ Adina remembered where she had seen him, and she cried out in surprise, ¡°Are you Duke Winters?¡± Duke sneered. Women had used all sorts of ways to approach him in the past, but this one was rather unique. She had actually sent a child to approach him. ¡°No.¡± After saying that, he opened his car door and returned to the driver¡¯s seat, then drove away. Adina¡¯s eyelids fell partially shut. She might have left Sea City for four years, but she would never misidentify this man. While she was regarded as the most beautiful woman in Sea City, Duke Winters was known as the richest man in Sea City. Many netizens had photoshopped their pictures together and said that they were the perfect upper ss couple¡­ Even though they had never met each other before, she had seen many of his photos, so it was not difficult to recognize him.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Adina was absolutely certain that the man they met was Duke Winters. But why did he deny it? She recalled everything that had happened a moment ago, and her expression turned dark. Did Duke Winters think that she used Melody to approach him? Could he be any more narcissistic? Adina rolled her eyes in an extremely udy-like fashion. Then, she looked down at her daughter, only to notice that Mel¡¯s eyes were still fixed on Duke¡¯s car. ¡°Mel, do you know him?¡± she asked with surprise. But her daughter did not give her any response. It was only when the car vanished that Mel looked away and hugged Adina¡¯s neck. Adina checked the driver¡¯s hand and said guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. When Mel gets worked up, she sometimes bites. I¡¯ll bring you to the hospital to get it treated¡­¡± The driver waved his hand in dismissal and said, ¡°It¡¯s normal for children to bite people. My son often bites me too. This is nothing. Miss Adina, you should get back into the car.¡± Adina sighed. She had been trying to correct Melody¡¯s habits, but it didn¡¯t seem to be working. They went on their way, and soon, they stopped in front of Xavier Corporation. Adina brought her children to the waiting room and asked Alden to take good care of his sister before she went to the office. The person who was going to help her upload the chip¡¯s program into the main product system was her cousin, Ethan Xavier. He had gone to study abroad when he was eight and only returned to the country once every year. Before everything, Adina had not known him. But she had to admit, he was really amazing. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to stand out among the dozens of younger members of the Xavier family. ¡°Addy, let me take a look at the code of your chip.¡± Ethan went straight to business the moment they saw each other and started talking about work. Adina did not dy things either. She sat down in front of the computer and started typing away on the keyboard. Soon, a whole page of code appeared on the screen. Ethan had also majored in programming, so when he saw the string of code on the screen, he was stunned. His cousin had used the simplest programmingnguage of all¡ªC++¡ªto write the most complicated code he had ever seen! If they inserted chips written in it into their products, Xavier Corporation¡¯s products would surely rise to the top of the IoT market. It was no wonder why his father had been in such a hurry to sign the contract. ¡°Ethan, I¡¯ve already uploaded the optimized code into theN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. system. You just need to connect it to your internal¡­¡± Adina gave Ethan the instructions in an organized fashion without missing out on the tiniest of details. Ethan stared at her with admiration. ¡°If we seed inunching these products, you¡¯ll be one of our greatest contributors.¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s because you and Uncle Richard are willing to trust me that this chip is able to be put to use, no?¡± Ethan shook his head. He was sure that plenty ofpanies had contacted Adina before them. If she hadn¡¯t approached them, the Wilheim family, Lorde family, and countless others would fight tooth and nail to work with her. The Xavier family was only able to get this chance because Adina was Madam Xavier¡¯s granddaughter. When they got ready to take a look at thepany¡¯s prototype, Ethan¡¯s secretary suddenly walked in. ¡°Young Master Ethan, Miss Dew came over to talk about a cooperation.¡± Adina narrowed her eyes. ¡®Miss Dew? Dew Daugherty?¡¯ But that made sense. Daugherty Corporation was built with the help of the Xavier family, so it had deep ties with Xavier Corporation. Even though the Xavier family and Daugherty family had a falling out four years ago, it was not easy to just cut all ties in the business world as well. Adina turned to Ethan and asked, ¡°What sort of business cooperations is Xavier Corporation involved in with Daugherty Corporation?¡± ¡°The Daugherty family has been wanting to get a share of our smart products and join us in working with them,¡± Ethan said. ¡°But the Daugherty family has never shown much sincerity, so my father is still considering this cooperation. He hasn¡¯t signed the contract yet.¡± Adina tapped her finger against the table. ¡°Ethan, if you trust me, could I handle this deal?¡± Her eyes were calm when she looked at him, but Ethan could guess what emotions were stirring behind that calmness. The day before, he had heard about what had happened four years ago from his grandmother. The Daugherty family had actually killed two of Adina¡¯s children. Honestly, if no lives had been involved, he would have been fine with the Xavier family turning a blind eye and working together with the Daugherty family. But two lives were lost. Even if he was not close with his cousin, he could not ignore this. ¡°Addy, part of this project¡¯s shares are yours since you provided the tech, so you can make the decision regarding this. I¡¯ll let you handle it,¡± Ethan said softly. ¡°Thank you, Ethan.¡± Adina exhaled. Meanwhile, Dew leaned against the couch in the meeting room with an impatient look on her face. She had been waiting for twenty minutes, but the Xavier family did not send anyone over. They actually dared to ignore her like this! Since the Xavier family was Adina¡¯s maternal grandparents¡¯ family, she actually did not want to have anything to do with it! But she had no other choice. She was the heiress of the Daugherty family, and Daugherty Corporation¡¯s business was going downhill. Hence, she had to prioritize thepany in anything she did. It would be great if Duke just announced her status to the public. Then, countless people would try to get on her good side. Yet Duke had ordered her to never tell anyone about the children, much less say that she had any ties to the Winters family. This meant that even though she had sessfully made Duke believe that she was the children¡¯s mother, she did not get any benefits from the Winters family. This thought always made her fume. Dew finished her coffee in a rage just as she heard the sound of heels outside. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 The door of the meeting room opened, and a woman in a white suit walked in slowly. She had long ck hair falling behind her back and light makeup. Her eyes were long, same as her eyebrows, and her lips red. ¡°Isn¡¯t your corporation getting arrogant? How could you make your business partner wait for thirty minutes¡ª¡± Dew turned her head around while mocking the woman, but her voice died away halfway through her sentence. The woman¡¯s eyebrows, eyes, and other features were the exact same as her sister¡¯s! But didn¡¯t Adina die four years ago? She might not have burned alive, but she had jumped into the river and drowned! Why then¡­ Why was she standing in front of her? ¡°A-Are you a human, or a ghost?¡± Dew¡¯s voice quivered, and her face drained of blood. Even though she did not personally kill Adina, she had engineered her downfall and had nightmares over the past four years of her sister turning into a ghost anding back to take revenge! ¡°Would you prefer if I were a human or a ghost?¡± Adina walked over and sat down on the couch. She smiled coldly with a chilling re in her eyes. Her gaze was razor sharp when she looked at Dew. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not dead!¡± Dew shivered. ¡°You¡¯re alive! Adina Daugherty, you¡¯re actually alive?!¡± She did not die from a major blood loss during childbirth! She did not die in the fire! And she did not even die after falling into a river! Why did this witch cling to life so desperately?! ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you sorely disappointed?¡± Adina said airily. ¡°We¡¯re sisters. Shouldn¡¯t you be happy that I¡¯m alive?¡± She raised her chin, and her gaze was as sharp and aggressive as ever. For some reason, Dew suddenly thought of Harold Winters. He often did that, too, and his expression was identical to Adina¡¯s! If Harold ran into her¡­ the consequences would be dire! Dew¡¯s heart raced, but she clenched her fists tightly and quelled her fear. She blinked, and tears spilled down her face. ¡°This is great, Adina! You¡¯re not dead¡­ Do you have any idea how much I regretted my actions over the past four years? I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone in the warehouse that night. Dad misses you a lot, Adina. Why don¡¯t youe back and visit him? If he were to learn that you¡¯re alive, he¡¯d be really happy¡­¡± Adina sneered. Before she turned eighteen, she really thought that father loved her. But after her illicit photos came out on the second day after hering-of-age ceremony, he pped her. A father who truly loved his daughter would not lock her in a warehouse after she suffered a major mentalContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. trauma nor would he leave her alone for eight months. All the love he showered upon Adina since her birth had to have been because of her shares. ¡°Dew Daugherty, you¡¯ve been living the past four years in peace. It¡¯s about time that peacees to an end.¡± Adina¡¯s voice wasced with burning hatred. ¡°I¡¯ll take back all that belongs to me.¡± Her gaze terrified Dew, and she took an unwitting step back. The first thing she thought about were the two twins in the Winters family! ¡®Does she want to steal them from me?¡¯ ¡°And I¡¯ll make you pay for my children¡¯s deaths!¡± Adina dered slowly. Each word cut into Dew¡¯s heart like knives, but then she froze. ¡®That¡¯s right! The two children are already dead to her! She thinks they died right after being born! ¡®So, Adina can¡¯t possibly havee back to steal the twins from me!¡¯ Dew had never felt so fortunate before. Thank goodness Duke Winters had never publicly announced the children¡¯s existences before, or Adina would definitely figure out the truth. If that time came, Dew would not be able to hide anything. However, even if Adina didn¡¯t know about the children, she could not be allowed to live! The sinister look in Dew¡¯s eyes faded away, and she said, ¡°Adina, your children died the moment they were born. I¡¯m their aunt, so how could I possibly have killed them? I buried them four years ago and even set up tombstones for them. I also sweep their graves every year during their death anniversary. How could you say that I killed them?¡± Adina stood up swiftly and grabbed Dew¡¯s cor. ¡°Where did you bury them?¡± ¡°In the cemetery in the suburbs east of the city¡­ It¡¯s hard to describe the exact location, so why don¡¯t I take you there tomorrow?¡± Dew said tentatively while hiding the calctive spark in her eyes. Adina had dreamt of her two bluish-ck children over the past four years and longed to see them again. Even if she could only go to their graves to visit them, it would still soothe her pain a little. Despite that, she would not forgive the people who caused their premature deaths¡­ Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Adina¡¯s return to life made Dew forget her purpose foring to Xavier Corporation, and she left the company in a panic. Alden followed Dew¡¯s figure as she passed by the first floor¡¯s waiting room. She was his mother¡¯s half-sister and the person who, four years ago, had forced his mother to go to another country. ¡®Dew Daugherty, the heiress of the Daugherty family, huh? ¡®Hah!¡¯ Alden scoffed. He turned to theputer in the waiting room and walked over to it. Melody was reading a picture book on the carpet and did not notice that her brother had left. She waspletely immersed in her own world. Alden turned on theputer. It was a little low, but it was still capable of doing what Alden needed it to do. He started typing away on the keyboard, and the screen turned blue. Rows of code appeared. His mother was an expert programmer, while he was an expert at deciphering already written code. In other words, he was a hacker. He easily hacked into Daugherty Corporation¡¯s website. He copied all the information about thepany¡¯s clients he found on the website, then used a foreign IP address to upload that information on a certain website. Then, he changed some symbols in the Daugherty Corporation¡¯s official website¡¯s code, and it crashed! They lived in the age of the inte, and if the official website of a major corporation crashed, it dealt a severe blow to thepany¡¯s image. Before tech specialists of Daugherty Corporation could fix the website, they heard another piece of bad news from foreign news outlets. Their clients¡¯ information had been leaked! In half an hour, Daugherty Corporation¡¯s stocks fell by ten ticks. Alden calmly watched the news online with a cold sneer on his lips. This was just a small lesson. If they offended his mother again, he would make the Daugherty family pay an even greater price. Suddenly, someone drew closer to him. Alden turned around and saw that Melody hade over at some point in time. Her eyes were huge and watery, like ake. At that moment, her gaze was fixed on theputer screen. But there was nothing interesting about financial news, so Alden decided to turn off theputer screen. However, Melody grabbed his hand and stopped him. She moved his hand away and drew closer to theputer screen. It was only at that moment that Alden noticed that the video had changed because of auto-y, and an aloof face was now on the screen. ¡®Isn¡¯t this man¡­ the person we ran into on the road just now? ¡®Mel seems to beContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. really interested in him¡­¡¯ ¡°Mel, do you know him?¡± Alden asked slowly. But he received no reply. Melody just pawed at theputer screen, as if she wanted to pull the man out from it. Alden¡¯s eyes fell partially shut as he pondered over her actions. He quickly took a screenshot of the man and uploaded in sauceNAO. Soon, all the information about him showed up. Duke Winters, 28 years old, the CEO of Winters Corporation. Alden was certain that Melody did not know this person. So, why would Melody want to get closer to a stranger? ¡®Wait!¡¯ In a sh, Alden remembered something the doctors once said. ¡°Autistic children will reject all strangers except their own blood rtives¡­¡± ¡®Could this man be our¡­ ¡®But that¡¯s ridiculous!¡¯ Alden had asked Adina about his father before, but she always changed the topic, so he stopped asking after a while. He had thought that her refusal meant that his father was dead. But¡­ Alden scrutinized the man¡¯s features and noticed that his sister had simr eyes and mouth. If things were really as he spected, then he had to find a way to do a DNA paternity test. The Daugherty Corporation¡¯s misfortune was snowballing into a major problem. Aaron was exhausted from doing damage control. ¡°It¡¯s clear that someone is attacking us from the shadows. You¡¯re trash! How could you not have found them yet?! Did we hire you to sit here for fun?!¡± The people in the meeting shivered and did not dare to even breathe loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Dad. We should focus on how to handle the situation right now¡­¡± Dew said. ¡°Tech department, repair the website asap. Customer service department, contact our major clients to appease them. Public rtions department¡­¡± She gave orders calmly, and the people in the meeting room began to carry them out. Dew then looked at her furious father and said calmly, ¡°Dad, do you know why Daugherty Corporation suddenly faces this crisis?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Adina is back.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Aaron stood up. ¡°I thought that jinx died a long time ago?¡± ¡°I went to Xavier Corporation today and saw Adina. She¡¯s alive and kicking.¡± Dew bit her lip. ¡°She also said that she¡¯ll take back everything that belongs to her. There¡¯s a possibility that she¡¯s the one who leaked the information about our clients today¡­ Dad, I¡¯m really worried about her knowing that the twins are alive¡­ She¡¯s their mother, so they should return to her side¡­ ¡°But they also have Duke Winters¡¯ blood flowing in their veins. If Duke were to learn that we lied to his family for four years, what do you think would happen to us?¡± Aaron sucked in a deep breath. Had had gone to Winters Corporation to make himself known as the grandfather of the twins more than once, but Duke Winters never showed him any respect. If he learned that they had been lying to him¡­ Aaron would be done for! Daugherty Corporation would also be done for! ¡°Dad, I thought of a way to solve this problem once and for all, but I need your help¡­¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Spring mornings were quite cold, so Adina asked Madam Xavier to take care of her children before she went to the cemetery. When she was about to leave, Alden called after her. ¡°Mommy, you have to be careful outside today.¡± The boy had a frown on his face, and his eyes were full of worry. For some reason, he had a bad feeling. Adina smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯lle back the moment I¡¯m done.¡± She did not tell Alden that she was going to the cemetery. The two deceased twins were the greatest secret she kept from her children. She did not want Alden to know that he had two brothers who passed away right after they were born. Adina took the car Madam Xavier gave her and headed to the cemetery. It was located at the most rural suburbs in Sea City, and it took Adina more than an hour to reach it. Right after she got out of the car, she saw Dew walking toward her in a long, ck dress. ¡°Adina, you¡¯re finally here¡­¡± The sad look on Dew¡¯s face was absolutely fake in Adina¡¯s eyes. She pursed her lips and said coldly, ¡°Lead the way.¡± ¡°Did youe alone, Adina?¡± Dew asked slowly. ¡°Who else would havee with me?¡± Adina retorted coldly. After leaving Sea City for four years, she had lost all of her old connections. The only person who still wanted to protect her was her grandmother, but there was no way she would ask her grandmother toe to this ce to be sad. Dew hid the scheming look in her eyes perfectly and sighed. ¡°Oh, Adina. We really thought you were dead, which is why we also erected a tombstone for you. It¡¯s right beside your twins¡¯ tombstone. Ever since you left, Dad has been crying every day. When I told him yesterday that you were alive, he was ecstatic¡ª¡± ¡°Was he? Since he was so happy, why didn¡¯t hee with you today to see me?¡± Adina mercilessly exposed Dew¡¯s lies. Dew¡¯s expression froze, but she quickly recovered and pretended that she still loved Adina as a sister. ¡°Dad got so excited yesterday that his blood pressure spiked and he needed to go to the hospital this morning for a checkup. He was also worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control his emotions when he saw you, which is why he didn¡¯te today. Once we¡¯re done visiting the twins, I¡¯ll bring you to the hospital to see Dad.¡± Adina showed no response to her words. She did not even bother replying. Even so, Dew did not find the situation awkward. She kept talking as she led the way, and soon, they entered the cemetery. But Dew did not linger around the main area. She turned to the side and said in a hushed voice, ¡°Based on the rules of Sea City, premature babies are not allowed to be buried in the cemetery, but Dad pulled some strings and got the twins a good ce. It¡¯s in the corner over there. Let¡¯s go over, Adina.¡± She walked there first, and Adina followed her with a cold expression. They went to a secluded area. The corner Dew led them to was covered in weeds, and with just a single nce, Adina knew that no one regrly visited it. But Dew just kept on walking forward, away from the main area of the cemetery. ¡°Stop.¡± Adina stopped, and her eyes shone with an icy light. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Dew turned around with a smile. ¡°To visit the twins, of course.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already outside the cemetery.¡± Adina scoffed. ¡°What exactly do you want? You might as well say it. I have no time to walk in circles with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything¡­ It might be because it¡¯s been a long time since I came here, but I don¡¯t quite remember the way anymore. Please be patient, Adina. We should look around slowly, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find it.¡± Dew gritted her teeth. ¡®Why won¡¯t she act ording to how I want her to?!¡¯ Impatience burned in Adina¡¯s eyes. She was no longer the naivedy of the Daugherty family, so there was no way that she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that Dew had an ulterior motive for bringing her there. She had been prancing around with Dew because she wanted to see her children¡¯s tombstone, but it was clear that Dew had no interest in showing it to her. Since that was the case, there was no need for Adina to waste anymore time with her. She turned around and started walking away. ¡°Adina, where are you going?¡± Dew panicked. ¡°I remember now. The twins¡¯ tombstone is right ahead. They¡¯re less than one hundred meters away¡­¡± But Adina did not stop walking. She could just look for the gravekeeper or ask the Xavier family to find it for her. Why did she need to walk in circles with someone as disgusting as Dew? Dew was so angry that she gnashed her teeth. Everything was already in ce. She could not let her work go to waste. Dew narrowed her eyes and waved her hand coldly. When Adina took a few more steps forward, she heard rustling nearby, as if someone was walking toward them. But she hadn¡¯t seen anyone in the area earlier, so where did what sounded like more than ten peoplee out from? Did Dew call them over? That made a lot of sense. Four years ago, Dew had tried to kill her with fire, so it was only logical that she would try to kill her again four yearster. Why else would Dew have been so nice as to bring her to the cemetery? Adina turned around, dashed a few steps back, and grabbed Dew¡¯s thin neck. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Dew did not expect Adina to suddenly turn back, much less grab her neck. ¡°W-What are you doing?! Let go!¡± Her face drained of color. Adina slowly tightened her grip and said coldly, ¡°We didn¡¯t discuss you bringing other people.¡± ¡°I did not!¡± Dew denied it. However, when the bodyguards of the Daugherty family saw that Dew was captured, they rushed over and surrounded them. Adina took a quick nce. ¡®Nearly twenty people.¡¯ The Daugherty family had sent so many people to kill her? They had to be thinking that she was immune to bullets or something. Even though she had learned Taekwondo to protect herself while she was abroad, there was no way that she could fight against twenty bodyguards. Adina moved behind Dew and locked her neck with her arm. ¡°I¡¯ve juste back, and you¡¯re already so eager to kill me. Are you that scared that I¡¯ll steal the position of heiress from you?¡± she asked coldly. The pain of her neck being locked was so great that Dew nearly fainted. ¡°Adina, you¡¯re mad! How dare you grab my neck?! Do you want to die?!¡± she asked with fury in her voice. ¡°You killed me once four years ago, and you thought I would just stand still and let you kill me again?¡± Adina¡¯s voice wasced with ice. ¡°Since you love the position of heiress so much, I¡¯ll let you have a taste of how it feels to lose something you love!¡± Dew¡¯s heart trembled. Suddenly, she realized that Adina was no longer the naivedy of the Daugherty family from four years ago. She was really going to snatch the position of heiress from her. If she were to also learn that the twins were still alive, then¡­ Dew began to panic. But she did not have time to think. Adina had already started dragging her to the east side of the cemetery. She was dragged forward with her neck in a locked position. It made it hard to breathe, and her mind grew hazy. But the Daugherty family bodyguards did not dare to act rashly. They followed them while keeping them surrounded. ¡°Adina, don¡¯t do anything stupid¡­¡± Dew said while gasping for breath. ¡°If you hurt me, you won¡¯t have a good ending, either. Why don¡¯t you let me go? If you have something to say, we can just sit down and talk¡ª¡± ¡°If we¡¯re to talk, we should talk alone. Make them leave,¡± Adina said coolly. Dew gnashed her teeth together. If the bodyguards left, she would definitely get killed. She had nearly taken Adina¡¯s life four years ago via fire, so this b*tch had to havee back to kill her! But unbeknownst to her, Adina had no ns to dirty her hands with blood. She hade back for revenge, but she did not intend to kill anyone. The best vengeance was to make the target live in hell, no? She dragged Dew to the east of the cemetery, where there was a river. It was long and passed through all of Sea City. Adian walked to the shore and smirked coldly. ¡°Dew Daugherty, if you won¡¯t make them leave, I¡¯ll push you into the river.¡± Dew shuddered. This was something she would do, so she believed that Adina would do it too. ¡°Y-You wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± she hissed. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? You brought so many bodyguards to kill me, didn¡¯t you? Before I die, though, I should drag you down to hell with me. If I manage to do that, it won¡¯t be a big loss for me.¡± After saying that, Adina let go of Dew¡¯s neck and shoved her forward. Dew was so scared that she shut her eyes and screamed, but the next second, she felt a vicious tug on her neck. When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing precariously close to the river. One step forward, and she would fall into the rushing waters. She clenched her fists. ¡°A-All of you, leave!¡± Otherwise, she was going to drown in the river! The bodyguards looked at each other, then moved back step by step, but they did not go too far away. If anything happened to Dew, none of them would see the next sunrise¡­ At that moment, Adina stepped forward and jumped into the river with Dew. Both of them fell into the rushing waters, which were really cold, since it was early spring. The bone-chilling cold made Dew break down. ¡°Help! Somebody! Help me!¡± The bodyguards rushed over when they heard her, but since they were quite a distance away, Dew had almost drowned by the time they pulled her out. Meanwhile, Adina had already disappeared. ¡°Find her! You have to find that b*tch! I¡¯m going to skin her alive and drain her blood!¡± Dew shivered, and her face twisted into a savage expression, which made her look like a witch who had crawled out of hell. The bodyguards jumped into the river again to look for Adina. But with just a few dives, Adina had already swum more than one hundred meters away. It allowed her to stay far away from the Daugherty family¡¯s bodyguards. In the four years abroad, she had gone to swim in winter so that she could be stronger. The water there was so cold that sometimes there was ice floating on its surface. Compared to that, this temperature was nothing. Soon, she swam to a ce where she could pull herself up to the bank, but she heard someone talking above her¡­ Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Adina found herself in Riverview Pavilion, a recreational space in the suburbs. It was mostly used by the upper-ss society and government officials for rxation. Everyone who visited it was rich or had a noble status. A group of people was fishing by the river at that moment. Trent Sundend cast a nce at Duke¡¯s bucket and said indignantly, ¡°Say, Duke, what¡¯s going on? Why are the fish all heading to your bait? We¡¯re yet to catch a single fish!¡± Duke continued to sit calmly by the bank. He was dressed in casual clothes, so when the spring sun shone on him and a light breeze blew at him, he looked even more handsome than usual. The group was lucky that there were no women around, or they would have started screeching at the sight of him. Trent clicked his tongue. ¡°Gosh darn it, why are you so annoyingly hot? You¡¯re not allowed toe to my house again!¡± His sister was just fifteen years old, and she was absolutely enamored with Duke. It would only get worse if she saw him like this¡­ Trent returned his gaze to the river and suddenly froze. ¡°The hell?! No one warned me that there¡¯s a mermaid in the river!¡± he cried out. Em Walker gave him a scornful look. ¡°Could you be quieter? Don¡¯t scare away my fish!¡± ¡°Why are you still fishing?! Look! There¡¯s a woman in the water! Is it a mermaid?!¡± He sounded serious, so the others also looked into the water. It was just as he said, there was a woman in the clear water! ¡°Did the owner of the pavilion hire someone to pretend to be a mermaid?¡± ¡°If they had, they should have at least dressed her up as a mermaid¡­¡± While they were talking, the woman suddenly broke the water¡¯s surface and took in a deep breath. Her fair face was covered in water droplets, which made her face shine with a dazzling light under the sun. ¡°The hell?! She¡¯s beautiful!¡± Chapter 16 ¡°She¡¯s too beautiful! I didn¡¯t know there was someone so beautiful in Sea City!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she a bit familiar?¡± ¡°Seriously, Trent. You¡¯re such a womanizer. Whenever you see someone beautiful, you find them familiar to you¡­¡± Adina heard the men the moment she popped her head out of the water, but since she was some distance away, she could not make out their words. However, she had already swum around four hundred meters and was exhausted. She had to get to the shore. She caught hold of a bluestone b by the bank and climbed up. Her hair was wet and spilled down her shoulders, which made her look like an enchanting flower that had bloomed in the water. Her skin was fair and had a crystalline look to it, which made Adina look transparent under the sun. She seemed like someone out of this world. Her eyes were like pools of water, and water droplets covered her red lips. One could mistake her for a beauty who had jumped out of a painting. Meanwhile, her clothes stuck close to her body and revealed the outline of her graceful figure. The men by the river were all stunned. ¡°The hell¡­ She¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± ¡°Gosh, I¡¯ve got a nose-bleed!¡± ¡°I definitely know her!¡± Trent widened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve absolutely seen her before!¡± The others booed at him. For some reason, Duke felt a slight tinge of aversion in his heart when he heard his friends discussing the woman¡¯s beauty. He moved before he could think about it. He tossed his fishing rod to the side and walked down theN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. stone stairs to the bank. Then, right before everyone¡¯s bbergasted looks, he removed his ck jacket and ced it over Adina¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Duke, you sneaky b*stard! You actually made a move faster than I did!¡± Trent hissed. ¡°I thought Duke doesn¡¯t like women. Why is he much faster than us today?¡± ¡°Who said he doesn¡¯t like women? If he didn¡¯t like women, where would he have gotten his Chapter 16 sons from? The storks?¡± Everyone immediately remembered that Duke had sons. They had forgotten about them because he was incredibly tight-lipped about the twins. Even his childhood friends seldom saw them. Hence, it was rare for them to remember that he had children. Adina was thinking about where to go next when an aloof man suddenly appeared in front of her and ced his jacket on her shoulders. She recognized him. It was Duke, who she had run into the day before. When she remembered how self-righteous he had been, her expression turned cold. She scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t need it, but thank you.¡± Started removing the jacket while saying that. Duke¡¯s eyes remained frosty. ¡°There are perverts at the top of the stairs. If you¡¯re not scared, you can go up without covering yourself.¡± Adina wanted to tell him that she was dressed, but then realized that her clothes were stuck to her. She might as well¡­ have not been wearing anything. She pursed her lips and asked, ¡°How much does your jacket cost?¡± Duke cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best for me to pay you for the jacket, since we¡¯re strangers.¡± Adina took out her purse from her drenched pocket and shoved a stack of wet bills into Duke¡¯s hands. ¡°Keep it, Mr. Winters.¡± After saying that, she walked up the stairs without giving him another nce. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Duke immediately gave off a dreary aura. He held the wet bills between his fingers as a sneer formed on his lips. This was the first time someone had shoved money into his hands. This woman really did not know what was good for her! If it were not because they had seen each other the day before, he would not have put his jacket around her shoulders! Duke chuckled coldly. When he looked up, he saw his friends surrounding Adina at the top of the stairs. His gaze turned even colder, and he walked up the stairs swiftly. Despite being surrounded by eight men, Adina did not appear distressed or troubled. She surveyed all the men surrounding her. Trent Sundend, the second son of the Sunden family. Em Walker, heir of the Walker family. The eldest young master of the Caddel family. All of them were the upper-ss of the upper-ss. , Four years ago¡­ No. Five years ago, before the ident, she had met all of them before. However, all of them thought that she was dead. They would never even consider that the person standing in front of them could be Adina Daugherty, the eldest daughter of the Daugherty family, because she was no longer among the living. ¡°Why were you in the river, babe?¡± Trent went over and started flirting with her. ¡°Since your clothes are drenched, why don¡¯t I buy you new clothes from the supermarket?¡± Since Duke could not score her, he would show him how it¡¯s done. He had been flirting around for years, so there was not a single woman who would not fall for his charms! However, Adina did not even look at him. She just said coolly, ¡°Move.¡± ¡°We reserved this ce today, babe. It¡¯s ours now, so I shouldn¡¯t be the one moving, no?¡± Chanter 17 With a smile, Trent drew even closer to her. ¡°¡®Tell me your name and your contact number, then I¡¯ll let you go.¡± The next second, a pained scream simr to that of a pig being ughtered pierced the air, No one in the group had seen what had happened. They just saw Trent being thrown to the ground in a miserable fashion. Adina dusted her hands calmly. ¡°Young Master Trent, you¡¯re as shameless and perverted as ever.¡± She kicked him away and left. The men were shocked and didn¡¯t dare to stop her. ¡°Are you okay, Trent?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine!¡± Trent struggled to sit up, then, as if the pain did not exist, he looked up in delight. ¡°Did you hear that? She just said that I¡¯m as shameless and perverted as before! This means that she knows me! I told you, I definitely know her! I just don¡¯t remember from where right now!¡± Em rolled his eyes. ¡°Everyone in Sea City knows that you¡¯re a womanizer.¡± Duke walked over while giving off a dreary aura. Em pulled Trent to his feet. ¡°Duke fancies that woman, so better keep your hands to yourself.¡± But Trent said in a carefree manner, ¡°Fancies her, my foot. Are you telling me Duke wants to get a stepmother for his brats?¡± Duke let out a cold huff. He had not even married his sons¡¯ biological mother, so why would he marry someone to be their stepmother. Besides, that woman had a daughter. He turned to warn Trent not to flirt with a woman who was already married and had a daughter, but his phone buzzed. He cast a nce at the caller ID. It was the bodyguards from the Winters family. ¡°Sir, bad news! The second young master ran off again!¡± After Adina left Riverview Pavilion, she did not dare to go to the cemetery to retrieve her car. Chapter 17 She just pulled the ck jacket tighter around herself and called for a cab. Since she was beautiful and had an eye-catching figure, the driver kept staring at her through the rearview mirror. However, her expression was cold, and her gaze was as sharp as a knife, so he was too terrified to ask anything He might have found her attractive, but he did not dare to do anything to her and just sent her to Lake Bay¡¯s residential area. Adina paid him and walked into the residential area. But just as she nted one foot inside the area, a soft voice called her from behind. ¡°Wait, Madam.¡± This voice¡­ It sounds familiar¡­¡¯ Adina turned around and saw a fair boy standing behind her. ¡®Isn¡¯t this the boy I saw at the airport?¡¯ ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked in surprise. Harold walked over while staring at her like a man who had seen an oasis in the desert. Once his bodyguards found her information, he did not bother about anything else and came over. He did not know why, but he needed to see her! Adina looked behind him and found no one. She frowned. ¡°Did you run away again?¡± ¡°I did not!¡± Harold denied it without even thinking, but since he was too quick, it made him seem like a liar. He pursed his lips. ¡°My cat is missing, so I came over here to look for it. Could you help me look for it?¡± Since there was no way Adina could reject helping a four-year-old boy, she asked, ¡°What color is it? And how old?¡± As they began to search for the cat in the residential area, the Winters family descended into chaos.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Adina searched the whole residential area with the boy but found no cat. In the end, she realized that she might have been deceived. She stared at the boy coldly. ¡°Are you really here to look for a cat?¡± Harold¡¯s heart trembled under her stare. He was not a boy who liked lying, but if he did not lie, he would not have a proper excuse to stay with the woman. He pursed his lips and said nothing. Adina knew that she had guessed right, and she asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name? Where do you live? I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Suddenly, Harold felt sad. He hade so far and taken such a huge risk to see her, but she wanted to send him back before even spending half an hour with him! He was so sad that tears began to collect in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back!¡± He stared at Adina stubbornly, and the sadness in his eyes nearly turned into tears that gushed out of his eyes. In an instant, Adina felt as if someone had seized her heart, and her breath caught in her throat. She had two children of her own. Her son was mature and obedient, while her daughter was obedient but unsociable. Neither of them was a crybaby. The number of times they had cried in their life did not even exceed five. But at this moment, someone else¡¯s son was about to start crying in front of her. For some reason, her heart ached for him. Adina sighed and squatted down to speak to him gently. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go back, you cane to my house for a while. But you¡¯ll have to go back after that. Otherwise, your parents will be worried.¡± Her voice was gentle and soft, just like cotton candy, and all of Harold¡¯s sadness instantly vanished. He could no longer control the raging emotions in his heart, and he threw himself into Adina¡¯s arms. Chapter 18 Caught by surprise, she nearly fell over. She picked the boy up and whispered, ¡°There¡¯s a yground here. Why don¡¯t we y there for a while?¡± However, when she turned around, she suddenly heard many footsteps behind her. Before she could understand what was going on, she was surrounded by more than ten bodyguards dressed in ck. They gave off an even more imposing aura than the bodyguards from the Daugherty family. Adina thought that Dew had sent her bodyguards to catch her again, but a momentter, she saw a man walk over from behind the bodyguards. It was Duke Winters. He gave off an incredibly imposing presence, and his rage was so icy cold that it felt like whatever he looked at would turn to ice. Adina could sense the boy in her arms tense up. She held him tighter and cocked her eyebrow before she said coolly, ¡°Mr. Winters. To think that we would meet each other twice in a day. What a coincidence.¡± Duke noticed the ck jacket on her shoulders. He had been the one who had put it on her two hours ago But before she even removed that jacket, she was already thinking of ways to approach him! He narrowed his eyes and said with a mocking tone in his voice, ¡°You investigated the Winters family and repeatedly tried to approach me. What do you want?¡± He kept his sons¡¯ identities a secret, so few people knew that he even had children. But this woman had urately singled out Harold and approached him! Harold shrank further into Adina¡¯s arms. He was so scared that his face turned pale. He could sense that his father was livid, and he was definitely going to end up heavily punished. Adina patted his back and frowned before she coolly retorted, ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m the one who should be asking you this question. You entered my residential area with so many bodyguards. What do you want?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. They stared at each other, and the tension grew so thick that it was about to erupt. The mocking sneer on Duke¡¯s lips grew. Chapter 18 ¡®You¡¯re really asking for it?¡¯ He pressed his tongue against his pte, like how a hooligan would, and said, ¡°Harold Winters,e over here.¡± Harold trembled after hearing it. Adina cast a nce at the boy in her arms, then at Duke. Suddenly, she cocked her eyebrow. She pursed her lips and asked, ¡°You¡¯re Harold Winters?¡± The boy¡¯s face turned even paler. ¡°I¡¯m going to count to three. If you don¡¯te over, you know what will happen to you.¡± Duke¡¯s expression turned even colder, and impatience burned in his eyes. Before he could even start counting, Harold jumped out of Adina¡¯s arms. He shuffled over, but before he could even reach his father, Duke grabbed the back of his cor and tossed him into the arms of the bodyguard behind him. ¡°Take him away!¡± Duke ordered coldly. The bodyguard did not dare to go against his orders and left with Harold. Out of sheer stubbornness, Harold shouted, ¡°Daddy, I snuck out to look for her! It has nothing to do with her! I¡¯ll ept the punishment, but don¡¯t vent on her!¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 A spark shed in Adina¡¯s eyes. At the moment she heard Harold¡¯s name, she deduced that he would be a member of the Winters family, but she did not expect that he would be Duke¡¯s son. The boy appeared to be around the same age as Alden. He should also be four years old, But when she was in Sea City four years ago, she hadn¡¯t heard anything about Duke getting married. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you learned about my son, but take that information to your grave.¡± Duke warned her. ¡°If I find that you¡¯ve leaked anything to the public, I won¡¯t spare you, nor your daughter.¡± Adina let out a bark ofughter in anger. She did not care about anyone threatening her, but this man should not have threatened Melody! She red at him and smirked coldly. ¡°Mr. Winters, even though your family can do anything it wants and no one dares to offend you, I¡¯ll make you understand what regret means if you so much as touch my daughter.¡± ¡®Threats, huh? I know how to make them, too.¡¯ Adina red at him onest time before leaving. Duke watched her disappear behind the corner before looking away. When he turned around, he stared at Harold, who was still in the bodyguard¡¯s hands. ¡°So, why did you come here?¡± No one knew just how terrified he had been when the bodyguards told him that Harold had disappeared. He might not have gotten his sons out of his own will, but they did fulfill his desire to have a family, which was a desire he was never able to squash. If he really lost Harold, he would never be able to forgive himself. Harold lowered his head and said nothing. He did not like staying at the Winters mansion. He would rather escape and hide somewhere for a day than stay in the mansion for even a second. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to say anything, I¡¯ll have to do something about that woman,¡± Duke saidnguidly. Harold looked up and said stubbornly, ¡°I told you that I was the one who came here to look for her. This has nothing to do with her. Can¡¯t you tell the truth, Daddy?¡±. ¡°Am I the one who can¡¯t tell the truth, or are you the one who refuses to listen to what I tell you?¡± Duke retorted coldly. ¡°We¡¯re going back, and you¡¯re grounded for three days.¡± ¡°Ground me all you want! I don¡¯t care!¡± Harold scoffed. He was locked in the Winters family every day in any case. It didn¡¯t really change anything if he was locked in the mansion or the study room. Duke felt frustrated because of his attitude. There had never been such a disobedient child in the Winters family before. By the looks of it, he really needed to look for a stern teacher who would punish him! When Duke brought Harold back to the Winters mansion, Dew ran over with a look of panic on her face. ¡°Harold, are you okay? The butler told me you were gone, and I was terrified¡­ Let me take a look at you. Are you hurt?¡± She rushed over and tried to hug Harold, but he would rather be held by the bodyguards than her and pushed her away. Dew fell back on the couch and started crying. ¡°Harold, how could you push me? I¡¯m your mother¡­¡± Harold did not even look at her. He just ran to the study room and mmed the door shut. Dew covered her face and wept. ¡°Duke, how did Harold end up like this? I take care of his every need, but he always gives me attitude. Is it because he thinks I¡¯m an embarrassment because I gave birth to him out of wedlock?¡± Duke was feeling frustrated, and her crying only made it worse. Dew knew that she should not overdo it with her acting, but she could not afford to wait any longer. With Adina dead, she had as much time as she wanted to get into the Winters family, but now, Adina might discover George and Harold at any moment, so Dew¡­ had to get married to Duke as soon as possible. She could not wait any longer. If she did, something might happen! ¡°Duke, could you let Harold stay with me for the time being? I want to get closer to him¡­¡± Dew bit her bottom lip and spoke with tears in her eyes. ¡°Harold must be acting like this Chapter 19 because we¡¯ve never spent time together, just the two of us. As long as we stay together for a while, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get closer¡­¡± Duke turned a sharp gaze on her. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you not to desire things that do not belong to you?¡± ¡°This is not it! I just want to get closer to Harold¡­¡± Dew felt as if her heart was cut into pieces because of his gaze. ¡°I gave birth to Harold after carrying him for eight long months, so I just don¡¯t want to be estranged from him. Duke, I¡¯m begging you. Could you let me stay in the mansion? Just one month will do¡­ No, half a month will be enough¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 When Duke looked at Dew, his gaze was cold and mocking. If Dew really liked children, he would not have minded marrying her for the twin¡¯s sakes. But he often saw her staring at Harold with a cold and ruthless gaze. If the boy was forced to spend more time with her, he would probably end up even more stubborn and rebellious. Duke could not understand why he would have slept with a scheming woman like her five years ago. She hade to him the day after the twins were born and made it clear that she wanted to be Mrs. Winters through them. Meanwhile, he had looked for her for eight months because of that one night. If he had known that she was like this, he would have never entered the room that night. ¡°Duke, I¡¯m Harold¡¯s mother. Everything I do is for his good. I don¡¯t care for anything else Dew pleaded with him. ¡°Won¡¯t you give me a chance to live together with my child?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to hire a private teacher for Harold, and it won¡¯t be convenient for you to stay here. I¡¯ll have someone send you back,¡± Duke said coolly. After saying that, he turned around and walked into the study room. Dew was the only one left in the huge living room. She gnashed her teeth together, and her fingernails dug into her palms. Duke was just too cold. She brought the twins to the Winters family, but this was how he treated her?! If it were not for the fact that she really had no other choice, she would have never begged him to let her stay with Harold¡­ Dew sucked in a deep breath and called George, who had gone abroad to learn how to manage the company. But it was his secretary who picked up the phone. ¡°Miss Dew, Young Master George is in a meeting and can¡¯te to the phone. Please call him in four hours.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. It would be night in four hours, so what would be the point of talking to him then?! Dew was so angry that she hung up. Chapter 20 Nothing was going in her favortely. Adina had to have brought bad luck with her! She had to be killed no matter the price! Adina returned to the Xavier family drenched. Alden had been waiting by the door, and he quickly stood up. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you wet?¡± ¡°I identally fell into a pond. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Adina stroked her son¡¯s hair, then went into the bathroom. Alden scowled once she was gone. He could smell the scent of a river on his mother. It was clear that she had not fallen into any pond. But there were no rivers orkes near Xavier Corporation. Where did his mother go, and what had happened to her? Alden bit his bottom lip. He was too weak and unable to protect his mother. He had to grow up faster so that he could stand in front of his mother and sister to protect them. When Adina finished bathing and came out, Alden brought over a hairdryer and helped her dry her hair. Melody sat on the carpet next to them and yed with puzzles while Madam Xavier basked in the sun on the balcony. The room had a quiet, happy atmosphere. Only Madam Xavier and her eldest son¡¯s family stayed in the mansion. Her other two children¡¯s families had their own houses. During the day, Richard and Ethan went to thepany, while Morganna went out for gatherings and social events. There was rarely anyone at home. However, in less than half an hour, the quiet was broken. ¡°When you see your great-grandmotherter, speak nicely to her. Your great-grandmother has a lot of great things, so we can¡¯t let the two bastards of the Daugherty family take everything.¡± Sophia¡¯s voice drew closer to the room. ¡°If you throw a tantrum likest time, I¡¯ll p you.¡± Chapter 20 She strode into the mansion and was caught off guard when a sharp stare was trained on her. The hair on her skin stood up when she met Adina¡¯s cold gaze. When Sophia realized that she was scared stiff by Adina, she became even angrier. ¡°Adina Daugherty, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually shameless enough to stay in My house!¡± Adina stood up and gave off an imposing aura as she said coldly, ¡°Sophia, if this mansion is listed under your name, I will move out without another word, but if it isn¡¯t, you shouldn¡¯t speak like that. Otherwise, I will hit you every time I hear it.¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± Sophia was so mad that she almost lost her cool. ¡®She¡¯s staying in MY mansion, and she¡¯s acting so arrogantly?! Who gave her the right?!¡¯ She had been ppedst time, and before she could reim her dignity, she was threatened again! She was so angry that she lunged at Adina. But Melody suddenly stretched out her leg. Sophia tripped over it and fell face first on the floor. Her forehead hit the ground with a loud thud, and blood poured out. When she touched her forehead, her hand was stained with blood, and she was so terrified that her face turned pale. Leo started bawling. Madam Xavier snapped awake and walked over with the help of her cane. Her face burned with rage. ¡°Send Mrs. Gardner back to the Gardners!¡± Judging by the fact that she had just called her own granddaughter Mrs. Gardner, Madam Xavier was livid. Sophia trembled from rage. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m the one who is a Xavier! I¡¯m the granddaughter who still carries yourst name! Aren¡¯t you going to seek justice for me after Adina injured me again?!¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 When Soph¨ªa saw the disappointment in Madam Xavier¡¯s eyes, her heart ran cold. She was the granddaughter who bore the samest name as her grandmother. She was a true Xavier, but her grandmother was intent on protecting an outsider! Why was she the one getting chased out when she was a Xavier?! Sophia hissed in exasperation. ¡°Grandmother, if you insist on protecting Adina, then you might as well disown me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re already married to the Gardners. You¡¯re Mrs. Gardner now, so you shouldn¡¯t visit this family so often anymore,¡± Madam Xavier said mercilessly. ¡°Send Mrs. Gardner and Young Master Gardner back,¡± she told the servants. Sophia was so angry that her face turned red. She had given an ultimatum in order to gain her grandmother¡¯s favor, but her grandmother did not fall for it. She felt as if she had been pped in the face. At that moment, Richard parked his car before the porch. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. As if she had seen her savior, Sophia grabbed Leo and ran to him. ¡°Dad, Grandmother wants to chase me away! She told me not toe to the Xavier mansion in the future¡­¡± she said as tears fell down her face. Richard frowned. ¡°You¡¯re already twenty-eight years old, so why are you crying like a kid? Your grandmother is right. You¡¯re a Gardner now. The Gardner family hasn¡¯t been peacefultely, so you should spend more time there to handle its matters. Don¡¯te to the Xavier mansion so often for the time being.¡± Sophia felt like she was about to faint from anger. Was Richard even her father?! How could he say that?! She wanted to continueining, but Richard rushed into the living room. When he saw Adina sitting on the couch, he went straight to her. ¡°Addy, Xavier Corporation developed a sample using your chip. Do you want to go to thepany to take a look?¡± The sample was more amazing than all their previous products! Richard was not the only one shocked. Everyone in thepany was amazed. UL The sample was not approved for production yet, but they could already foresee that the product would sell like a hotcake the moment it entered the market. Chapter 21 Adina looked up and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Uncle Richard. Ethan has already sent me the video.¡± Richard suppressed his excitement and said, ¡°Addy, Ethan and I want to hire you. Would you be interested?¡± ¡°Thanks for the kind offer, Uncle Richard, but there¡¯s no need for that. I intend to set up my own workshop.¡± Adina¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Once I do, I hope that you¡¯ll frequent my business.¡± Richard was a little disappointed. There was no software programmer as talented as Adina in all of Sea City. If she joined Xavier Corporation, it would definitely jump in market value in half a year. But he could not force her to work for him. Since Adina intended to set up her own business, he would just have to support her with all he had. When Sophia saw her own father talking happily to Adina, she felt like she was about to die from rage. No matter what, she had to chase Adina out of the Xavier family! However, before she could think of a way to do that, Madam Xavier sent her back to the Gardner family, and peace returned to the Xavier mansion. Troubled, Madam Xavier said, ¡°Addy, Sophia grew up spoiled, and her personality is already set in stone. It¡¯ll be hard for her to change, so I hope that you won¡¯t mind.¡± Adina pursed her lips and said nothing. She did not care about Sophia slighting her, but she should not have constantly referred to her children as b*stards. Her twins were getting older, and they were soon going to understand what the adults said. The word ¡°b*stard¡± could strip them of their dignity, and she did not want her children to feel sad. Madam Xavier sighed and had her servant bring a box. She opened it and took out a crystal ne that shone brilliantly under the light. ¡°Addy, I had wanted to gift it to your mother, but she died before I could do it. It¡¯s yours now.¡± Madam Xavier patted Adina¡¯s head. ¡°Wear it at the banquet tomorrow. I¡¯ve also prepared a gown for you. It¡¯s tailored ording to your measurements.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Adina stared at the ne in her hands. The crystal seemed to be shining with a brilliant lighting from within it. She could tell at first nce that it was a priceless family heirloom that was passed down through generations. The ne was worth cities, and perhaps could not even be bought with money. Yet, her grandmother had given it to her just like that. Adina felt touched. ¡°Thank you, Grandmother.¡± She put the ne away. After a moment, she asked, ¡°Grandmother, will the Daughertiese to tomorrow¡®s banquet?¡± ¡°The Daugherties are just a bunch of ungrateful wolves! If I had invited them, it¡®d be the same as bringing mud to decorate our mansion.¡± Madam Xavier¡®s eyes lit up with ice¨Ccold fury.¡° They did everything they could to kill you in the past, so the best way to humiliate them is to ensure that you live a much better life now away from them!¡± Adina took Madam Xavier¡®s hand and squeezed it tightly. She felt calm at that moment. Night fell, and the streemps lit up. It was not even eight o¡®clock in the evening, but a string of luxurious cars were parked outside the Xavier mansion. The Xavier family was an important family in Sea City, so all the nobledies and socialites of the upper¨Css society were invited to its banquet. However, the Xavier family had kept the reason behind its banquet a closely¨Cguarded secret. No one knew the purpose of it. The guests gathered in the courtyard and drank wine while chatting among themselves. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Meanwhile, the main character of the banquet was doing her makeup in the changing room. Adina wore a dark¨Cgreen brocade gown in an elegant retro style. It had ayer of exquisite camellias sewn on its cor and straps that tightened the gown to make sure that her waist looked thin. The skirt of the gown spread out. It was covered in countless camellias., and its hemline was dotted with gemstones that shone like stars. When the light shone on it, the gown sparkled. Chapter 22 Adina looked stunning in it. She also wore a pair of crystalline ruby earrings and the crystal ne. Her jewelryplemented the gown and made her astonishingly beautiful. Sophia opened the door toe in and saw Adina in all her breathtaking glory. She was so jealous that she nearly turned green. Her jealousy spread to every corner of her body, and she wanted to rush forward to tear Adina¡®s gown to pieces. But she did not dare to do it. If her grandmother learned of it, she would be chased out of the family in front of everyone. Then, she would be utterly humiliated. But Sophia had another way to solve the problem. She took a champagne flute ss and went over to Adina with a smile. ¡°As expected of the most beautiful woman in Sea City. You look gorgeous in any dress, Ah!¡± Before she finished, the ss in her hand tilted and spilled all over the dark green dress. ¡°Addy, I¡®m so sorry! I didn¡®t do it on purpose¡­¡± Sophia pretended to apologize, but she looked really pleased with herself. There was no way Adina would be able to find a suitable gown to rece the ruined one on such short notice! This was the first time she would show up in public after four years, and she wanted to shock everyone with her presence? Dream on! Sophia wanted Adina to be an object of scorn, just like four years ago! However¡­ ¡°It¡®s fine, Sophia.¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°When I was the most beautiful woman in Sea City, people would often spill wine on me whenever I attended parties to embarrass me. So, today¡­¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Adina lifted the skirt a bit, and the champagne rolled off the gown Not a single stain could be found on the dark green dress, ¡°There are so many people who are jealous of me, so i could only use brocade for my dress, That way, no wine could possibly stain it.¡± Adina smirked, ¡°But you couldn¡®t possibly be jealous of me. It was just a careless mistake, wasn¡®t it?¡± Sophia was furious. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡®What¡®s this stupid dress?! Why won¡®t alcohol seep through it?! ¡°If you want to cause a ruckus, you should just go back to the Gardner family, Sophia.¡± Ethan was also in the dressing room, and he had seen the whole thing with his own eyes. Besides, anyone with brains could tell that Sophia had spilled her champagne intentionally He simply could not understand why his sister would do something so stupid. Unlike him, Sophia could not understand why her own brother would protect an outsider, She wanted to throw a tantrum, but there were other people in the room, so she could only suppress her anger with all her might. Adina turned to the mirror and put on lipstick, which made her even more beautiful, Then, she moved to stand beside her cousin. ¡°Let¡®s go, Ethan.¡± He nodded, and they went outside shoulder¨Cto¨Cshoulder. The guests had already arrived, and since they hade to the Xavier mansion¡®s banquet, they were dressed to the nines. It was very lively inside. Everyone was trying to figure out why the Xavier family had decided to hold a banquet, Suddenly, they heard amotion at the entrance. They looked over and were shocked, ¡°My god, why are the people from the Winters family here as well?¡± ¡°What on earth does the Xavier family want to do? Why is Duke Winters here as well?¡± ¡°Duke Winters seldomes to the banquets. Something important must be happening tonight, considering that he¡®s here.¡± As the crowd became abuzz with people discussing what was going on, Duke entered the banquet hall. He wore a ck suit that made him appear even more imposing than usual, and a trace frost seemed to linger wherever he passed. ¡°Duke, enough already!¡± Trent could not help but grumble. ¡°You¡®re like a walking fridge. No socialite will come to talk to me if you keep on acting like this.¡± Duke gave him a cold look. ¡°You¡®re the one who insisted on meing here with you.¡± Em scoffed. ¡°Trent fancies the second daughter of the Larson family, so he wanted us toe here to boost his courage. But Duke, you must have been really bored, since he actually managed to drag you here.¡± Duke looked down and said nothing. Trent was not the reason for his presence at the Xavier banquet. He hade because he had seen that woman walking into the Xavier mansion. She was most likely one of the Xaviers. Hence, when the Xaviers sent him an invitation, he set aside his work and came to the banquet. However, the banquet had been going for a while, but he hadn¡®t seen even a glimpse of her. When Duke entered the banquet hall, he attracted countless people¡®s attention. All the socialites of Sea City fixed their eyes on him. Many of them wanted toe over and talk to him, but he was simply too aloof and distant, so they missed their best chances as they hesitated about whether to make a move or not. A light lit up at the stairwell leading to the second floor. Then, a man and woman walked down the stairs. Everyone recognized Ethan Xavier, the eldest son of Richard Xavier, and instantly had an inkling as to why the Xavier family had decided to hold a banquet. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ¡®Tonight¡®s banquet must be an engagement banquet for Richard Xavier¡®s eldest son.¡® The Xavier family was among the top ten families in Sea City, so Ethan was a desirable bachelor that the richdies of Sea City had been trying to win over for a long time. Everyone wanted to know which socialite was fortunate enough to be the fiancee of Richard Xavier¡®s eldest son, and hundreds of gazes shifted to the woman beside Ethan. A series of sharp intakes of breath echoed through the banquet hall. ¡®She¡®s gorgeous! ¡®Where did shee from? How could she be so ridiculously beautiful?¡® The moment the woman came closer, the socialites in the banquet hall felt as if they could notpare to her. ¡°My goodness, where did Ethan Xavier find his fiancee? She¡®s so beautiful! Her looks are out of this world!¡± ¡°She¡®s so fair, and she has a great figure, too. Even I am attracted to her, and I¡®m a woman! Oh my goodness!¡± ¡°Don¡®t you think Ethan Xavier¡®s fiancee looks like the eldest daughter of Aaron Daugherty? They¡®re both astonishingly beautiful.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Adina Daugherty? Heh. She was once the most beautiful woman in Sea City, but she can¡®tpare to Ethan Xavier¡®s fiancee!¡± Adina had be even more beautiful since everyone had seen herst. Five years ago, she had been eighteen and extremely naive. Her eyes were filled with ignorance and dreams of a bright future. But after she experienced the trials of life, her eyes filled with determination and calmness. She had also filled outpared to five years ago and be even more elegant and charming. When she smiled, she stole hearts left, right, and center. ¡°My god! Isn¡®t she the mermaid from yesterday?!¡± Trent¡®s wide eyes were full of disbelief. Emughed at his misfortune. ¡°The mermaid is now Ethan Xavier¡¯s fiancee. You won¡¯t be able to woo her anymore.¡± Meanwhile, Duke¡®s expression turned cold. ¡®Does this mean that I was mistaken? Did she really not approach me intentionally? But how could she when she¡®s Ethan Xavier¡®s fiancee! Very well!¡® He suddenly felt gloomy and clenched the wine ss in his hand tightly. Adina smiled in a calm and rxed manner while standing beside Ethan. Suddenly, she felt a sharp gaze on her. with a scowl, she looked over and met Duke¡®s cold gaze. *This man¡­ Why is he staring at me like that?¡® Adina pursed her lips and looked away. Ethan bowed a little to the crowd and said, ¡°Everyone, thank you foring to the banquet despite your busy schedules. However, I am not the main character of tonight¡®s banquet, and neither is it any of the Xavier family members. The main character tonight is my cousin, Adina Daugherty.¡± The moment he finished speaking, the banquet hall fell silent. Another momentter, the conversations picked up with the roar of a tidal wave. ¡°Adina Daugherty?!¡± ¡°My ears aren¡®t ying tricks on me, right? Ethan Xavier really said she¡®s Adina Daugherty? Didn¡®t she die four years ago?¡± ¡°I was saying that she looked like Adina Daugherty just now, and you didn¡®t believe me! Now do you believe me? She really is Adina Daugherty! Her eyes and figure are exactly the same!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But isn¡®t she dead? How could she be standing before us now?¡± ¡°Her scandals were on the news for months five years ago. She burnt the Daugherty mansion and committed suicide by jumping into a river to escape punishment. You can find all about it online!¡± ¡°I remember her having a one night stand with some random guy at hering-of-age ceremony. The reporters took pictures of it, then she disappeared for eight months and gave birth to a pair of stillborns. She med the Daugherty family for it and burned down the mansion¡­ But she¡®s not actually dead?¡± ¡°Did she think that we¡®ll forget her scandals after she pretended to be dead for four years? No way!¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 The mention of scandals from five years ago caused a huge stir The Daugherty family was also an important and dignified family in Sea City. It had held a grand banquet for Adina on her eighteenth birthday, which had made countless people envious, However, the very next day, Adina had been caught sleeping with some man by the reporters. From then on, the image of the most beautiful woman in Sea City was destroyed, and she ended up bing a target of scorn After that, she disappeared from sight for almost a year, and when everyone nearly forgot about the scandal, the Daugherty mansion went up in mes. Adina¡®s crimes were then exposed. She had slept with a man when she turned eighteen, got pregnant out of wedlock, gave birth to b*stards, went through a difficultbor that led to her children¡®s deaths, set the mansion on fire, and jumped into the river tomit suicide. Each of these things could send the inte into an uproar, so when all of the events were linked together, the storm was even worse. Adina¡®s name had been present in countless headlines for two whole months. This meant that there was no member of the upper ss society of Sea City, including Duke, who did not know her name. Her actions had caused a major uproar four years ago, so he had heard about it as well, even though he seldom paid attention to news like this. Yet he simply could not link the person who was scorned and denounced by everyone four years ago with the brilliant woman before him. ¡°So, we¡®ve really seen each other before¡­¡± Trent said with a dumbfounded expression ¡°The most beautiful woman in Sea City¡­ My mom tried to matchmake us, if I¡®m not mistaken¡­¡± Em shook his head. ¡°If those things did not happen four years ago, Adina might have already be your wife, but do you actually think your mother would have let you marry her now?¡± Trent gave him the stink eye. ¡°I didn¡®t say that I wanted to marry her. I was just joking around. Why would you think I was being serious?¡± ¡°I seem to recall that you came here for the seconddy of the Larson family,¡± Em kindly reminded him, ¡°Bah. The seconddy of the Larson family is nothing before the most beautiful woman in Sea City,¡± Trent said with a perverted tone. ¡°Just you wait. I¡®m going to woo Adina.¡± ¡°She¡®s not someone you should touch,¡± Duke said coldly. Trent immediately went over to him. ¡°Why not? Do you like her?¡± ¡°No,¡± Duke denied it. Trent clicked his tongue and shook his wine ss, but said nothing. The people in the banquet hall were talking up a storm. Countless people spoke about Adina without a filter, and their words reached her ears. Ethan frowned. He prepared to say something, but Adina spoke before he could. 51 ¡°Looks like all of you know me, so I¡®m not going to introduce myself.¡± She nced at the people in the hall coldly and lifted the hem of her gown to walk down the stairs. Despite her petite figure, she was the most eye¨Ccatching person in the crowd. An unbothered smile formed on her lips. ¡°There are plenty of stories about me from years ago, but since I¡®m standing here alive, doesn¡®t it show that everything you heard were just rumors?¡± Everyone said that she was dead, but she was still alive, so they should not treat the rumors as truth. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. However, no one would not be convinced by a single sentence. The Daugherty family had said that Adina was dead and that she had died in a really pathetic fashion, so she could not possibly prove her innocence with just a few words. Besides, since Adina was beautiful, there were plenty of people who were jealous of her. Some of the socialites who were burning with jealousy approached her. ¡°Miss Adina, you¡®re a Daugherty, so why did you hold a party announcing that you¡¯re alive in the Xavier mansion instead of the Daugherty mansion?¡± ¡°Miss Adina, you can¡®t possibly deny the fact that you had a one night stand with a random man in the past, right? After all, the photos are all over the inte.¡° Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡°Miss Adina, you did a lot of shameful things in the past, so how could you show up in front of us again?¡± Each question was harsher than thest. However, Adina had already predicted that she would be asked these questions when she agreed to attend the party. She did not appear troubled, but her voice became as cold as ice. ¡°I¡®d like to use this chance to announce that I might be a Daugherty, but I no longer have anything to do with the Daugherty family. ¡°As for the illicit photos from five years ago¡­¡± A brutal re shone in her eyes. ¡°I believe that most of you have boyfriends and fiances, my dear socialites, but if I spent some money to hire detectives to investigate you, in half a year, the headlines of Sea City would be filled with your illicit photos, too.¡± The socialites¡® expressions changed after her words. Since they were daughters of rich families, they had nothing to do and often entered into rtionships with men. It was not unusual for them to sleep with various lovers as they dated people of their own status on the outside. If someone with ulterior motives followed them, they would definitely be able to capture pictures of them having sex¡­ In an instant, no one dared to rebuke Adina anymore. Trent finished his wine in one go. ¡°What a sharp tongue. She¡®s seriously a woman you shouldn¡®t mess with.¡± Duke clenched his teeth. The words she used to attack the socialites were a double¨Cedged sword that stabbed her as well. She was indirectly admitting that the illicit photos from five years ago were real It meant that she had really slept with a random man before. For some reason, it made Duke angry. But once he thought about it carefully, he realized that she had to admit to it. If she hadn¡®t slept with a man before, there was no way she could have given birth to a daughter! He had to be under some spell, otherwise, how could such a shameful woman affect his emotions After that, there was no mention of Adina¡®s scandals in the banquet hall. She sighed in relief Even though she did not mind the people saying awful things about her, she could not handle being surrounded and attacked by such a huge crowd. She picked up a champagne flute ss to toast the guests, but a woman in a yellow gown suddenly approached her. ¡°Miss Adina, did you really give birth to a pair of stillborns four years ago?¡± Her question immediately caused Adina¡®s expression to turn as cold as the North pole. The two stillborns were the greatest taboo in her heart. She red at the woman who had asked the question and instantly recognized her. It was Sophia¡®s best friend, Pam Wilson. It was obvious that Sophia had asked her friend to go over and ask the question. Adina suddenly felt that she had pped Sophia too lightly. By the looks of it, she needed to teach Sophia a lesson. When Pam saw that Adina¡®s expression had changed, she smiled coldly and said, ¡°Looks like it¡®s true. The most beautiful woman in Sea City has already given birth, but her children died right after being born. Otherwise, I¡®d like to see if your children inherited your looks.¡± Each of her words cut into Adina¡®s heart like a knife. She looked up with a murderous gaze, but before she could reply, a teasing sound voice spoke from behind her. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Trent had walked over with a smile and was looking at Pam¡®s stomach. ¡°I hope I¡®m not being rude by asking this question, but how far along are you, Miss Pam?¡± Pam was stunned. ¡°What do you mean, how far along?¡± ¡°Your belly is huge, so you must be pregnant. Let me guess. Four months?¡± The wicked smile on Trent¡®s lips was growing wider. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Pam¡®s face turned red. She had a good family background and above average looks, but her body was just a little too much on the heavy side. Her stomach was the biggest problem. She had a lot of extra flesh there. Even if she wore a loose gown, she could not hide her body¡®s shape. That was why she was jealous of Adina. She could not stand that Adina looked so beautiful and had a good figure. But before she could humiliate Adina, she was embarrassed instead. Pam gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡®m not married yet, so how could I possibly be pregnant? Mister Trent, your words may cause a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ So you know that words can cause a misunderstanding, huh, Miss Pam? Then, why did you ask Miss Adina that question?¡± Trent mocked her. ¡°If you haven¡®t given birth to children before despite your figure, then it¡®s even less likely that Miss Adina has.¡± His words humiliated Pam once again, and she felt so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide in it. She stomped in ce, then gritted her teeth and fled into the crowd. Adina did not expect someone to stand up for her at this moment, and even less for it to be Trent, the man she threw over her shoulder the day before. She smiled. ¡°Thank you for helping me, Mister Trent. Allow me to toast you.¡± Trent quickly clinked his ss against hers. ¡°Miss Adina, we met five years ago. Do you remember me?¡± Adina nodded. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Trent was an infamous womanizer in Sea City even back then, so there was no way that she would not have known of him. Her father and stepmother had also wanted to make her marry him. Duke and Em walked over while they talked. The atmosphere became dreary the moment Duke came closer. It was impossible for Adina to not notice him. *T have to toast the other guests as well. Please excuse me,¡± Adina said. ¡± ¡®m the Miss Adina, so let me apany you.¡± Trent went after her like her shadow. Duke suddenly felt a little angry and said, ¡°Trent, are you that eager to be her daughter¡®s step father At the moment those words left his lips, he knew that he had said something that he shouldn¡®t have ¡°Have I gone mad? Why did I say something like that?¡® But since the words were already spoken, it was impossible for him to take them back. He put on a cold, stern face, and stood with his back straight. Trent scratched his chin. ¡°But I don¡®t think Miss Adina has given birth before¡­¡± She had a great figure, so there was no way she could have given birth before! Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 The seconddy of the Larson family walked past them while they were chatting. Trent¡®s eyes stuck to her like glue, and he went after her. ¡°Miss Lydia, you¡®re really beautiful today...¡± Em did not know what to say. His pity was wasted on this guy¡­ Adina followed Duke to the balcony. One of them was breathtakingly beautiful, and the other astonishingly handsome. When they walked together to the balcony, they immediately attracted countless people¡®s attention. ¡°My god, did Adina charm Duke the moment she came back to Sea City?¡± ¡°I thought Duke doesn¡®t indulge in sexual pleasures. Why is he going off to talk alone to Adina?¡± ¡°It¡®s over. Now that she¡®s back, we won¡®t get to date the top bachelors anymore.¡± The socialites sighed and whined, as if all of their energy had been sucked out of their bodies. They still remembered how Adina had attracted the men¡®s attention whenever she attended parties five years ago. Even if she did not put on makeup, extravagant clothes, and stood in the middle of a crowd, she was still the most eye¨Ccatching person. They were incredibly jealous, but could do nothing about it. They could only postments online from anonymous ounts. Hence, even before the end of the banquet, the inte was full of people talking about Adina. A light breeze blew at the balcony, and chilled the two people standing outside. Adina¡®s ck hair danced in the wind andnded on her red lips. She tucked her hair behind her ear and said, ¡°Mr. Duke, let¡®s make a trade.¡± Duke smiled calmly. ¡°What kind of trade? Tell me.¡± ¡°I couldn¡®t find anything about your son online, which means that you don¡¯t want your child to be exposed to the public. I¡®m willing to keep his existence a secret. At the same time, I hope that you will also keep my daughter¡®s existence a secret, on the ount that you are also a parent.¡± Duke remembered the words he had heard earlier. They were so hurtful, harsh, and unpleasant that even a man like him was shocked, so it must have been even worse for Adina, who was a woman If the girl with the fluffy hair were to hear someone saying all those nasty words about her mother, she would get sad and start crying For some reason, Duke suddenly wanted to meet the little girl. However, he squashed that strange thought as soon as it came. ¡°I don¡®t mind agreeing to it, but what¡®s in it for me?¡± Adina did not expect him to agree so easily. She was stunned for a second, then smiled and said, ¡°What sort of benefits do you want, Mr. Duke?¡± Duke pondered it for a moment before he said, ¡°If I ever need your help, you¡®ll have to aid 1. me) Adina was surprised for a brief moment, then nodded in agreement. She did not think that she could ever be of help to the master of the Winters family, but she did not have any room to refuse. She raised her ss and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Duke.¡± Her lipstick left a stain on the wine ss, and Duke suddenly felt his mouth go dry. He looked away and asked in a gentler tone, ¡°Did you really give birth to a pair of stillborns four years ago?¡± He was not intentionally pouring salt over her wound. He just wanted to get to the bottom of what happened. The news mentioned that she gave birth to a pair of stillborns. Then, what of her daughter? Adina clenched her fists. She hated it when people talked about her twins. It made her recall the two purplish¨Cck babies. She sucked in a deep breath. ¡°It¡®s all obviously fake. You shouldn¡®t believe any of it, Mr. Duke. I need to entertain the guests now. Please excuse me.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. She lifted the hein of her gown and fled the balcony. Duke frowned The twins either did not die, or only one of them did. After all, she had a daughter who was Chapter alive and kicking¡­ When Adina disappeared into the corridor, a small head popped out of the corner of the very same corridor. It belonged to Alden, who had been hiding behind the curtain. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Alden walked out slowly from behind the curtain. He saw Duke and quietly followed him. Melody acted really strangely when she saw this man, and the only reason Alden could think of was that he was their father. Hence, he had to get samples to perform a paternity test. ¡®A person¡®s hair, saliva, blood, and nails contain their DNA¡­¡® Alden pursed his lips and trailed after the man. Duke took a sip from his wine ss and walked into the banquet hall, but before he could even take two steps inside, he sensed someone following him. There¡¯s someone who actually has the gall to follow me here?¡® Duke scoffed. He put his wine ss casually on the table and continued forward. After taking just a few steps, he suddenly turned his head around, and Alden was so shocked that his heart nearly stopped. He quickly turned around and pretended to just be passing by. When Duke saw his back, the sneer on his lips turned even colder. ¡®Harold¡­ He actually snuck into the party! Can¡®t the bodyguards keep the boy in their sight for at least a few hours?!? ¡°Stop,¡± he said coldly. That one word was filled with ice. Alden had never been afraid of anyone or anything, but when he heard that voice, his palms started sweating He pretended to not have heard anything and continued walking forward. ¡°Harold Winters, if you take another step forward, I¡®ll send you out of the country this very night.¡± There was an obvious threat in Duke¡¯s voice. Alden finally stopped. Chapter 29 He turned around, and there was puzzlement on his young face. ¡°Did you mistake me for someone else, Mister?¡°. Duke looked at the unfamiliar face in front of him and suddenly felt awkward. He mistook his son for someone else! But why did this boy¡®s back look exactly the same as Harold¡®s? He pursed his lips. ¡°Why were you following me?¡± ¡°I was not.¡± Alden blinked. ¡°I lost my toy car. Mister, did you see it?¡± Duke shook his head and left. Alden sighed in relief. When Duke left the corridor, Alden quickly went to the table and picked up Duke¡®s wine ss. He took out a paper¨Cbased DNA extraction device and pressed it against the area from which Duke had drunk. He was putting the paper into his pocket when Adina spoke from behind him. ¡°Alden? What are you doing here?¡± Alden was so shocked that he trembled. N?velDrama.Org ? content. He knew just how much his mother hated his father. It was to the point that Alden did not even need to ask to know that she hated him. If she learned that he was secretly trying to figure out who his father was, she would definitely be displeased. He sucked in a deep breath and let the hand with the paper fall naturally to his side. Then, he looked up and smiled, ¡°Mommy, I came out to get some cake for Mel. You know how much she loves ck forest cake.¡° Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Adina ruffled his hair. ¡°Come, let¡®s find Mel together.¡± She had already shown her face at the banquet, so there was no need for her to continue wasting time talking to people who had ulterior motives for talking to her. It was better to spend more time with her children. Adina took Alden¡®s hand and went to the waiting room upstairs, Madam Xavier was old and did not like attending banquets. Instead of going downstairs, she spent the evening looking after Melody in the waiting room, Morganna and Maple did not want to watch Adina shine under the spotlight, so they stayed in the waiting room and spoke with Madam Xavier. Melody sat on the balcony and read a book. She was fair, and her milky¨Cwhite skin captured everyone¡®s attention. Her longshes were like a thick fan that cast a faint shadow on her porcin¨Clike skin. When she sat by herself, she shone as brilliantly as the child stars in the movies, Once she grew up, she would definitely be a beautiful woman who captured everyone¡®s heart. Morganna stared at her with jealousy and sighed. ¡°Melody is really beautiful. When she grows up, she¡®ll definitely be even more stunning than Addy. It¡®s unfortunate that she¡®s mute, and who knows who her father is¡± Morganna felt a cold re on her, and all of the horrible things still on her tongue died away. ¡°Mel can speak. She just chooses not to,¡± Madam Xavier said coldly. Morganna pouted. ¡®There¡®s no difference between a person who can¡®t speak and a person who won¡®t. They¡®re both mute.¡® Maple tried to smooth over the situation. ¡°I have a nephew who is also autistic, just like Mel. I heard from the doctors that it¡®s hard to cure this condition. But if the parents are around, it¡®s more likely. Madam, just who is Mel¡®s father? Why won¡®t Addy tell us anything about him?¡± She was indirectly asking about Melody¡®s father. Madam Xavier was furious, but before she could chase them out, Melody suddenly threw her book away, opened the door, and ran out. ¡°After her! If anything happens to Melody, I¡®ll send both of you back to your parents!¡± Chapter 30 Morganna and Maple knew that Madam Xavier loved Adina¡®s children, so they quickly sent the servants after the girl. Melody rushed down the flight of stairs. There were a lot of people in the hall, which scared her, so she turned to the side and went to the backyard. ¡°Look! The mute is out!¡± Leo was ying with a group of children when he saw Melody rushing over like a headless chicken. He charged over and blocked her way. The mute had not only bullied him, but also his mother, so he needed to teach her a lesson. Since Leo was the leader of the children, the others came over after him and surrounded Melody. ¡°Wow! This is the first time I¡®ve seen such a good¨Clooking mute.¡± ¡°She¡®s so pretty. She¡®s even prettier than my sister!¡± Everyone talking about Melody¡®s beauty angered Leo even more. He grabbed a clump of dirt from the flower bed and tossed it at Melody¡®s face. She red at him and tried to bite his arm. ¡°She wants to bite me! Pin her down!¡± At Leo¡®s order, five boys around six years of age pressed down on Melody¡®s shoulder. She struggled with all her might and disyed an astonishing burst of strength that almost shook two of the boys off of her. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Leo was so angry that he gritted his teeth, walked over, and shoved her back. Melody fell into the flower bed. The sharp branches cut into her tender skin, and a few gashes instantly appeared on her arm. ¡°You¡®re mute! And you¡®re ugly! Just try and bully my mom again!¡± Leo grabbed more dirt and tossed it at Melody. The other children found it fun and followed suit. They also started throwing dirt at her. Melody¡®s beautiful face, charcoal ¨C like hair, and snow-white dress were instantly stained brown. Xavier mansion¡®s backyard was seldom visited by anyone, but on that day, someone had decided to take a different path. 2 Harold jumped over the Xavier family¡®s fence and snuck inside. His servants had investigated the woman and told him that she was holding a party at the Xavier mansion that night. After thinking about it, he decided to risk it all ande over. Chapter 31 When Harold was about to go to the banquet hall and look for Adina, he heard the sound of children ying ¡°Haha! The mute has be an ugly girl!¡± ¡°Bring her here so that we can take a photo. We¡®ll use the photo tough at her and see if she still dares to bite others!¡± The kids yanked Melody from the flowerbed, but to their surprise, Melody opened her mouth and bit them. The back of a boy¡®s hand was bitten so hard that he instantly started bleeding. ¡°Get her! Kill her now!¡± Leo gritted his teeth in hatred. His mother always flew into a rage whenever she saw that b* stard. If he killed her, his mother would definitelypliment him. When Leo thought of it, he found a big stone and threw it at Melody. As Harold turned around, he saw Melody¡®s beautiful, emotionless gaze. He suddenly felt his heart tighten, and he shouted, ¡°Stop them, somebody!¡± From the hidden area behind him, a bodyguard instantly rushed over and blocked the big stone from Leo. Harold ran over, pulled Melody toward him, and stood in front of her. He stared at the people in front of him and spoke firmly. ¡°Hit them back ten times harder than the way these people hit this girl.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Harold!¡± The bodyguard cracked his wrists and took Leo on first. Thud! Leo was thrown into the flowerbed. He was so scared that he peed his pants and cried loudly. ¡°Mommy, help me. Someone¡®s trying to kill me!¡± The bodyguard instantly grabbed some soil and stuffed it into his mouth. The other kids were also thrown into the flowerbed. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 There were stones and sharp branches in the flowerbed. When the kidsnded, they immediately started crying. Harold finally felt satisfied. He looked at the dirt¨Ccovered girl and gently asked, ¡°Are you injured?¡± Melody stared at him warily. She pursed her pink lips without answering. Harold held her hand. ¡°Your body¡®s too dirty. I¡®ll find a ce and help you clean up.¡± However, Melody pulled her hand back and appeared to be on guard against him. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Harold suddenly felt a little hurt. He had helped her, so she should thank him at the very least, right? Why did she remain silent? Hold on, those b*stards had seemingly called her mute just now. This little girl was so pretty. Was she unable to speak? Harold was a little sad. ¡°I won¡®t bully you. Let me bring you to get a shower, okay?¡± he whispered. He tried to hold her hand again, but Melody did not even look at him. She just turned around and left, though not sessfully. The shockingly loud cries had alerted the people in the banquet hall. Many richdies attended the banquet with their children. When they heard the kids¡® cries, they immediately arrived to see where the sounds wereing from. Morganna was walking at the front. She chased after Melody but lost her. When she heard the children¡®s cries, a bad feeling rose in her heart. As soon as she walked over, she saw about eight children wailing while lying in the flowerbed. Morganna instantly saw her biological grandson. She rushed over and carried him out. ¡°Leo, what¡®s wrong? Who bullied you?¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°Sob! Sob! Grandma, the mute bullied me!¡± When Leo saw his grandmother, he instantly felt supported, so he began to tattle, Morganna looked up and saw Melody standing behind Harold with a cold and hostile expression She became furious at that moment. It was not the first time that this b*stard had bullied her grandson! She rushed over angrily, raised her hand, and attempted to pinch Melody¡®s ear, However, Harold immediately pushed her away. ¡°I beat them up. Why? Do you want to hit me back?¡± He was only four years old. His stature was small, but he had a strong imposing manner. He red at her, and the aura in his eyes was exactly the same as Duke¡®s, Morganna was stunned as a result. ¡°Grandma, he asked his bodyguard to throw us into the flowerbed!¡± Leo cried and yelled. The other children also shouted, ¡°Yeah, it was him. His bodyguard threw all of us into the flowerbed.¡± ¡°He even let his bodyguard throw some dirt into my mouth! Sob! Mommy, please don¡®t let him get away with it!¡± The children kept telling on Harold. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. The children¡®s guardians were filled with rage Those who attended the Xavier family¡®s banquet were reputable and famous big families, and these children were usually cherished by their families. Now, their precious children looked so embarrassed. There were even bloodstains on their faces and bodies¡­ ¡°Mrs. Xavier, I don¡®t care who this kid is. He has to pay the price!¡± Mrs. Walker angrily said, ¡°He dares to injure my child. I¡®ll get him back tenfold!¡± ¡°We can¡®t spare these two kids!¡± Mrs. Brooke was furious. ¡°Arrest his bodyguard too!¡± When Morganna saw how everyone cooperated to condemn the mute, she was extremely happy. Charities? She did not purposely trouble the b*stard. Instead, the girl had recklessly offended so many people herself. Just as Morganna was about to call her bodyguards, she suddenly sensed a cold aura. Following that, Duke¡®s figure appeared in the backyard. He put one hand in his pocket and gave off an austere presence. He slowly cast a nce at Harold with an unfriendly gaze. Harold was so terrified that he trembled, but he still gritted his teeth and protected Melody behind him¡­ ¡°Mr. Winters, what brings you here?¡± As the host, Morganna took the initiative to ask him. ¡°Ten minutes ago, I was taking some fresh air on the balcony. Coincidentally, I saw the children fighting. About five children are injured and bleeding. We should call the police,¡± he said indifferently. Mrs. Jackson gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You¡®re right, Mr. Winters. We have to call the police. They¡®re little, but they¡®re so aggressive. We have to let the police educate them for a few days before releasing them.¡± Mrs. Brooke added, ¡°How can it be enough if they¡®re just jailed for a few days? It¡®d be the best if they¡®re jailed for three months!¡± ¡°Since the few of you here aren¡®t opposed to this, it¡®ll be easy to handle.¡± Duke gently pped his hands. ¡°Someone, please send the kids from the Jackson family, the Brooke family, the Gardner family¡­ to the police station. Tell the director of the station to release them after three months.¡± As soon as he said that, everyone was shocked. Morganna said, ¡°Mr. Winters, have you gotten it wrong? The kids who should be jailed are these two kids with unclear backgrounds!¡± ¡°These two kids defended themselves righteously. What mistake did they make?¡± he said with displeasure. ¡°This kid from the Gardner family and the other kids bullied the younger ones. Seven boys bullied one little girl. Who do you think should be jailed and educated?¡± His words made everyone speechless. They knew their grandchildren very well. Their grandchildren always provoked and bullied other people. So, it was also possible that they had bullied the girl together. But, even if they had bullied her, so what? Chapter 32 Their families were huge. Could they not allow their own grandchildren to bully an unknown girl? The richdies gritted their teeth in hatred. However, their opponent was Duke, so they dared not say a thing. Duke raised his hand and cast a nce at the time. ¡°Ten more minutes, and the police will arrive.¡± The richdies became flustered. No matter what, they could not let their grandchildren be jailed. If this got out, their families would be embarrassed. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Duke stood straight. He was standing in the courtyard with a ck suit on, and his surroundings were filled with his cold aura, Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. It was the beginning of spring, yet everyone on the spot felt like it was winter. Some of the more timid children were so terrified that theirplexions turned pale. Duke¡®s imposing manner was sufficient to prove that he was not joking. The police would really arrive and bring the children to the police station. Their families had high statuses in Sea City, but the Winters family had an even higher status. As long as Duke said something, there would be no way of getting around it. The richdies had been so arrogant earlier, but now, they gritted their teeth in hatred. They nced at Harold and Melody with profound gazes before they unwillingly looked at Duke. ¡°Mr. Winters, the kids were just fooling around. We don¡®t need to call the police, do we?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters. Our families are in a working rtionship. We don¡®t have to blow this out of proportion, right?¡± ¡°Besides, my kid is also injured, so let¡®s call it even.¡± Duke scoffed. ¡°So, do you just want to let this go?¡± The richdies exchanged looks at a loss before they forced a smile. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Apologize,¡± Duke said coldly. ¡°Apologize to whoever was injured.¡± Morganna was so angry that her body shook. Leo was already injured, and she still had to apologize to the mute? No way! All the richdies thought the same thing too! Their kids were injured, and they did not n on looking into it either. Yet, they still needed to lower their heads and apologize? That was impossible! The richdies appeared gloomy, and their faces were filled with suppressed anger. Duke shrugged indifferently. ¡°Okay, let¡®s involve the police then.¡± Chapter 33 The word ¡°police¡± hit a sore spot for the richdies. If the police got involved, this incident would definitely be big news. Then, the reporters would publish it, and the image of their family group would be affected. The richdies contemted for three minutes before they came to a consensus. Then, they turned back and looked at Melody who was covered in dirt. ¡°Sorry.¡± When Harold saw that his dad could make the richdies surrender with just a few sentences, he felt extremely satisfied. He scoffed. ¡°Your voices are too low. Your apology isn¡®t sincere at all.¡± The richdies were speechless. They really wanted to stuff this boy¡®s mouth with dirt! Morganna was livid. She carried Leo, who was gasping heavily from the nonstop crying, and disdainfully said, ¡°Melody, your cousin was wrong today. He shouldn¡®t have mocked you for being mute, and he shouldn¡®t have hit you either. I apologize to you on his behalf.¡± When the richdies heard that, they were stunned. Mrs. Xavier knew the girl? The girl was Young Master Leo¡®s cousin? So, whose daughter was she? It was such a huge incident, but why had no onee to look for their child? ¡°Since you¡®ve apologized, you can leave now,¡± Duke said in an unfriendly manner. The people on the site could not wait to run away. Staying in the same ce with Duke almost froze them. The richdies carried their grandchildren and immediately evacuated the spot, while Morganna cast an angry nce at Melody. Finally, the crowd left. Duke walked toward Harold slowly. The boy was so scared that hisplexion instantly turned pale, and his body became stiff. When he ran away from home yesterday, his dad had grounded him for three days, but he had sneaked out again. His punishment might be more terrifying¡­ (what hannanad tha slonf Dulon nel..d Harold scoffed. ¡°Didn¡®t you witness it from the balcony, Dad?¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Duke pursed his lips. In truth, he never saw anything. He just heard the sounds of children crying. When he walked over and saw the girl, whose body was covered in dirt, he could not help but feel angry. The little girl was adorable, so she could not have hit them first. Hence, the only possibility was her being bullied. He had simply made up a story, and those richdies ended up backing down. Duke cast a cold nce at Harold¡®s bodyguard. The bodyguard took one step forward before he respectfully reported, ¡°Those childrenughed at this youngdy for her inability to speak and for being a mute, so both parties had some conflicts. Young Master Harold could not bear it, so he ordered me to help the youngdy and avenge her.¡± Inability to speak? A mute? There was shock in Duke¡®s ck eyes. He looked at Melody, and pain suddenly filled his heart. He squatted down to the girl¡®s height before he waved at her. ¡°Come here. Let me see if you¡®re injured.¡± His figure was reflected in Melody¡®s eyes. She pursed her pink, thin lips, and slowly walked toward Duke. Then, she held Duke¡®s fingers. When Harold saw this, he felt very unhappy. He had clearly been the one who rescued the girl. Why was she not willing to hold his hand? He was cuter and more handsome than his dad. Why did the girl not like him? Harold pouted in dissatisfaction, but nobody noticed him. Duke was someone with severe germaphobia. Whenever he saw something dirty, he would keep a distance. But now, he actually carried the dirty girl in his arms. Chapter 34 The little girl was that cute and cuddly! How could she be bullied like that¡­ ¡°Come on, I¡®ll get you cleaned up.¡± Duke carried Melody toward the resting lounge, while Harold followed them with an unhappy face. At this time, Adina was on the brink of losing it. She found out that Melody had suddenly lost her temper and run away after she brought Alden to see Mdm. Xavier. She looked for Melody all over the vi, then she heard from the servant that a little girl had been bullied in the backyard. Therefore, she went to the backyard. She got there right in time to see Duke carrying Melody away. Even though they were a few dozen meters away, Adina could instantly see that her daughter looked embarrassed. She rushed over and grabbed Melody before Duke could react. Adina looked at her daughter in her arms and instantly became angry. She stared at the man and the boy. ¡°What did you do to my daughter?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Duke frowned. ¡°What do you mean, Ms. Daugherty?¡± Adina¡®s hands were shaking. She took a deep breath and tried hard to calm down. ¡°I know my daughter offended you a few days ago, but she¡®s just an immature child. Mr. Winters, aren¡®t you going too far?¡± Duke nearly burst outughing. He had felt sorry for the girl, but it was a total waste. He pursed his lips, stared Adina in the eyes, and refused to say anything. ¡°Auntie Adina, you¡®ve misunderstood us¡­¡± Harold pulled the hem of Adina¡®s dress and sorrowfully said, ¡°We didn¡®t bully her¡­¡± Harold¡®s eyes turned red with grief. No wonder the madam did not like him. It turned out that she had such a cute and beautiful daughter. She seemed to have a son as well. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Harold sniffed and suppressed his griet, Tears could be seen in his eyes, which pulled at Adina¡®s heartstrings. This kid was a little mischievous, but he would not bully Melody, Besides, Duke was an adult, Why would he hit a four¨Cyear¨Cold girl? She was insane to actually think that the Winters had bullied her daughter. Adina pursed her red lips and gently said, ¡°Mr. Winters, Young Master Harold, I was mistaken. I¡®m sorry. Thank you for helping Melody.¡± ¡°So her name¡®s Melody. It sounds nice.¡± Harold blinked his ck eyes. ¡°Auntie Adina, can I be Melody¡®s elder brother? I¡®ll protect her like I did tonight. I won¡®t let anyone bully her!¡± Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°You¡®ll have to see if Melody wants that or not.¡± Harold quickly went to hold the girl¡®s hand. ¡°Melody, can I be your brother?¡± However, he did not receive any response. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Melody kept staring at Duke, her eyes full of longing. Adina did not understand why Melody was so interested in Duke. She had also behaved the same way on the road a few days ago She held her daughter in her arms tightly before she indifferently said, ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡®ll go ahead and take care of Mel¡®s injuries. Please excuse us.¡± ¡°Auntie Adina, my hand hurts too. Can you please help me?¡± Harold took the chance to raise his arm? He had identally scratched it in the flowerbed earlier. It was just a small cut, which would not even leave a scar. However, Young Master Harold¡®s skin was too soft, so the injury could not be ignored. Adina smiled softly and said, ¡°You cane upstairs with me then.¡± They walked up to the second floor via the staircase in the backyard, and before they entered the room, she realized that someone else was behind them. She frowned and looked at the man who was following them. ¡°Mr. Winters, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡®m worried about leaving my son with strangers,¡± Duke pursed his lips and said coldly. y Adinashrugged in a casual fashion, She pushed the room door open, walked inside, and put Melody down. She helped Melody take off her dirty clothes before she carried her into the shower. The Winters were now left in the room on their own. ¡°Have you been sneaking out a few times just to see this woman?¡± Duke sternly asked. Harold scoffed. ¡°It¡®s none of your business.¡± ¡°I think your punishment¡®s too light.¡± Duke stared at him coldly. ¡°Since I can¡®t ground you at home, you should go overseas and reflect on your actions for a few years before youe back.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Harold yelled in objection. If he went overseas, he would no longer be able to see the woman. He had never liked someone so much that he desperately wanted to stay with her every day! His dad was clearly trying to separate them! Duke¡®s lips were full of disdain. George was the eldest son, so Duke was especially strict with George. Now, George was already independent, but Harold still seemed like a three¨Cyear¨Cold kid. The gap between the brothers was getting bigger, and there would be a lot of conflicts in the future. Training Harold should also be included in his schedule now. Harold froze when his dad stared at him with such a gaze. He could sense that his life would not be good in theing days¡­ While they were in a stalemate, the bathroom door opened. Adina carried the cuddly and rosy girl out of the bathroom. Being surrounded by the vapor from the shower room, Melody¡¯s skin was soft like a peeled boiled egg. It gave those around her the feeling of wanting to bite her. Her wet hair stuck to her forehead, and as she blinked, her long eyshes moved up and down along her watery eyes. She was so pretty that she took people¡¯s breath away. Duke¡®s heart instantly melted. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Why did he have two sons? Why did he not have a daughter? If he had a daughter, he would definitely pamper his daughter to the point that she would be a little princess whom everyone envied the most. Duke wanted to go over and hug the girl, but he suppressed his urge. She was Adina¡®s daughter! This woman had hidden intentions, so her daughter might only look beautiful! It was tough for Duke to look away from her. He put one hand into his pocket and continued to emanate a cold aura. Meanwhile, Harold rushed over. He could not hold back and just pinched Melody¡®s cheek The girl moved his hand away indifferently, and she seemed to look at him with caution. ¡°Mel, I¡®ll be your brother. I¡®ll protect you. Can I help you dry your hair?¡± Melody, who usually did not respond to any external sound, shook her head strongly. Adina was extremely surprised. No matter what she said in the past, Melody would not respond. She even rarely nodded or shook her head. But now, Melody had actually reacted to the strange kid. It seemed that Melody treated the Winters very differently. What was the reason? Adina applied some ointment on Melody while she whispered, ¡°The boy won¡®t hurt you. Let him dry your hair, okay?¡°. ¡°Yes, I¡®ll be very gentle. I¡®ll make sure that you won¡®t feel any pain. If you feel pain, you can just hit me!¡± Harold promised loudly. After a long time, Melody finally nodded. Adina¡®s gaze became moreplicated. She had initially wished that her grandmother would give Melody more love so that she could break out of her shell. Unexpectedly, the people who changed Melody ended up being two strangers. Harold was extremely happy. He held the hairdryer and mimicked the action of blowdrying Melody¡®s hair. The three of them sat on the carpet by the bed, and it made for a very warm scene. Duke stood far away and suddenly felt ufortable. He was a living person who was standing there. Why did this woman not invite him to have a seat? That brat, Harold, did not care about him either after he got himself a sister! Duke felt that his presence was unnecessary. He turned around and wanted to leave. But the little girl suddenly looked at him. Her gaze immediately melted his heart like the sun shining brightly on a cier. Duke¡®s cold aura instantly disappeared. He felt calm and smiled faintly. The atmosphere in the room was harmonious. The room door was not closed, and a kid was standing behind the door gap. Alden looked away with a shocked gaze. He never thought that the man, whom he suspected was his father, would actually have a son. Besides, his son was of a simr age to him. ? In other words, if Duke was really his and Melody¡®s father, when their mother got pregnant five years ago, another woman had also gotten pregnant with Duke¡®s child. N?velDrama.Org ? content. He had made two women pregnant at the same time. Such a man was not qualified to be Melody¡®s father. He did not deserve to be liked by Melody either. They did not need a father like that. Alden took the saliva test paper out of his pocket and threw it into the trash can expressionlessly. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 The Xavier family¡¯s banquet finally ended at 10.00 pm. Right then, the news on the Inte had already be sensational to the maximum point. All kinds of hot topics were trending. [The most beautifuldy in Sea City in the past is stunningly back!] [Throwbacks to the scandals of the most beautifuldy in Sea City!] [Adina Daugherty is cutting ties with the Daugherty family.] [Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares will belong to¡­] The Daugherty family instantly became the headlines of all the news tforms in Sea City. When Aaron saw the news on the television, he angrily smashed the remote control. ¡°I should¡¯ve strangled her to death! She dared to cut off ties with the Daugherty family in front of the media. How dare she say that!¡± ¡°Dear, please don¡¯t get angry. That girl clearly came back to take revenge on us.¡± Ruby scornfully pouted. ¡°Cutting off ties with us is better. In this way, she won¡¯t have the reason to take away those shares.¡± After Adina died, the 50% shares under her name were officially transferred to Dew. Now she came back alive, and she took the initiative to cut off ties. So, she would not be able to take back those shares again. Aaron¡¯s anger was finally suppressed. However, Dew suddenly screamed in shock. ¡°Dad, that b*tch, Adina, hired many ghostwriters to nder our family!¡± She handed over her phone. When Aaron saw the trending searches on the phone, he could not breathe and nearly fainted. Ten minutes ago, an ount published a blog post, which mainly talked about the change of shareholders in Daugherty Corporation. Then, the blogger illustrated a drama about internal competition for power in a rich family. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. (When Adina was eighteen years old, she held 50% of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares, and she even became the future heiress of Daugherty Corporation. But she got in trouble the day after she became the heiress, tuming into the biggest joke of Sea City. When Adina was in trouble, her biggest beneficiary was Dew Daugherty, her stepsister. Mrs. Daugherty and Ms. Dew Daugherty intended to frame Adina. (However, after Adina got into trouble, she was not willing to hand out her shares. So, Mrs. Daugherty and Dew were in for a penny. They just killed Adina and naturally took her shares of Daugherty Corporation. Dew also became the Daugherty family¡¯s heiress. [Who would have thought that Adina did not die. Instead, she even came back alive! (No matter what, the Daugherty family members are sick. Mrs. Daugherty is good at scheming, Dew is hypocritical and vicious, while Aaron is stupid, lousy, and easily manipted by others¡­ How dare these people steal the shares that belong to Adina? (When you persist in evil acts, it will destroy yourself. Daugherty Corporation will be doomed!) A round of boycotting the products of Daugherty Corporation was initiated. Affected by this incident, the share price of Daugherty Corporation actually reduced drastically. In just two hours, thepany lost two hundred million dors. Aaron was so angry that he had chest pain. ¡°Adina is such a bringer of misfortune. Why doesn¡¯t she just die somewhere else? The moment she comes back, Daugherty Corporation faces trouble! Damn it!¡± he said with hatred. ¡°Dad, now¡¯s not the time to say that. We bettere up with a solution,¡± Dew clenched her fists and said, ¡°I¡¯m the heiress of Daugherty Corporation now, and I¡¯m the one who stole Adina¡¯s position. If I return the position of the heiress to her, public opinion on the Inte won¡¯t be established.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Ruby gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who can lead Daugherty Corporation toward prosperity. Why do you want to give it away to that b*tch, Adina?!¡±. ¡°Your mom¡¯s right,¡± Aaron scoffed. ¡°Only I can solve this. Call the reporters now. We¡¯ll hold a press conference.¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Dew sighed in relief. She wanted to be Mrs. Winters, so she did not want to get involved with these dumb issues. Since her father was willing to get involved, she would not look for trouble. The Daugherty family took action very quickly. At 6.00 am the next morning, the press conference was ready. Aaron appeared in front of the cameras like a lovely father. He did not sleep the entire night, hence he appeared to be haggard and gloomy. Before he spoke, some people had already sympathized with him. ¡°Addy¡¯s my daughter. She¡¯s my first child. My love for her can¡¯t be described in words¡­ Five years ago, she made a terrible mistake, and I became furious. I grounded her so that she could reflect on her actions for a few months, and that approach was wrong of me. But, if all of you think about it from a father¡¯s perspective, you would understand me. ¡°Later, she set fire to the mansion and tried to burn the Daugherty family, causing Daugherty Corporation to lose a few billion dors. But that was nothingpared to her death. Thinking that she¡¯s been for the past four years, I even got her a tombstone, and I visit her grave every year. When she came back alive recently, I didn¡¯t receive any news. If I had known that Addy was still alive, I would¡¯ve held a more extravagant wee party for her. ¡°Addy, I know we¡¯ve had our misunderstandings, but I really love you. Come home! Pleasee back. Everything that belongs to you will be transferred to your name.¡± As he finished speaking, his tears flowed nonstop. Public opinion, which had initially been negative, was instantly divided into two sides. Adina became a capricious, rebellious, and disobedient daughter, while Aaron became a lovely father, who had always been worried about his daughter. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Alden sat in front of theputer and wore a cold smile. That old brat, Aaron¡­ How could he say such shameless things? ¡°Alden, can get the surveince footage of the cemetery in the suburbs? Adina sat beside him and asked in a low voice, Alden turned around. ¡°Mommy, why do you want the surveince footage of the cemetery?¡± ¡°just retrieve it. I have my reasons.¡± Alden nodded and tapped on the keyboard with his slim and long fingers. Soon, he found a section of the surveince. He clicked on the surveince video, and when the video started to y, hisplexion instantly turned pale. His mommy had been chased in an attempt to kill her! She had even jumped into the river! No wonder she was drenched when she came back the other day. Alden clenched his fists tightly. He had to be stronger. He could not allow his mommy to be in such danger again. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Alden.¡± Adina hugged him. ¡°I learned taekwondo before. Nobody can hurt me. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Since they were a single-parent family and his sister had autism, Alden endured more than other kids did from a young age. Adina knew that her boy had deep thoughts, so she needed to rify some things. She gently patted his back and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m an adult, so I can protect myself.¡± Alden nodded hard. He dared not behave strangely anymore. He cut out the surveince video, saved it in a hard drive, and handed it to his mommy. Adina¡¯s eyes were full of coldness. Since Aaron dared to make those statements so shamelessly, Alden would let his mommy use the surveince footage to humiliate him. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 After Aaron held the press conference, public opinion on the Inte did be slightly better. The price of their stocks, which had been going down, also gradually started to increase. Everything seemed to be developing in a good direction. However, in less than half an hour, a video broke the fake harmony. Theizens who watched the show without participating in the discussion could not help but express their opinions as well. ¡°Oh, my goodness! What era is she living in? She dares to hire hitmen to murder people! How bold of her!¡± ¡°Those people are clearly Dew¡¯s bodyguards, and they wanted to kill Adina!¡± ¡°Luckily, Adina was smart. She grabbed Dew as her hostage in time. Otherwise, she would have definitely died in that graveyard.¡± ¡°She¡¯s capable of doing such a ruthless act to her own family. Would she be more vicious when she deals with herpetitors in business?¡± ¡°Daugherty Corporation has undergone considerable development. They must have used a lot of vicious tactics. The government has to investigate Daugherty Corporation. They¡¯ll find a lot of shocking secrets!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°I also support investigating Daugherty Corporation!¡± Dew was furious. Had she not asked her people to destroy the graveyard¡¯s surveince footage? How did that bi* ch, Adina, manage to find it? Although she was angry, she still had to handle public opinion on the Inte, If this continued to progress in such a way, the price of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s stocks would definitely drop until it stopped. *Dew, no matter how much it costs, you have to remove this surveince video! Ruby gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to marry into the Winters family and be Mrs. Winters, The presence of this video is affecting your image! Dew¡¯s face was clearly visible in the video. Theizens kept saying that Dew had hired the bodyguards to kill Adina Their opinions described Dew as a vicious sister. Her features were distorted in anger. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get some people to delete the video.¡± She spent $10,000,000 to recruit the biggestpany in the country that could handle it. However, half an hourter, the $10,000,000 was returned to her ount. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Daugherty. This video has been restricted with 108 passwords. We can¡¯t delete it.¡± A furious Dew threw the ss in her hands to the floor and coldly asked, ¡°Who can delete it then?¡± ¡°You can only hire a hacker to do it. We don¡¯t have skills for this.¡± The call ended, and Dew¡¯splexion turned pale. Adina was doing this on purpose! The harder it was for her to delete it, the more she wanted to remove it! Hacker? Haha! Coincidentally, George was an excellent hacker! Dew took her phone and made a roaming call. The secretary then answered her call. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Daugherty. Young Master George is¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what he¡¯s doing now. Ask him to answer my call now, or he won¡¯t be able to see me again when hees back.¡± Her voice was filled with limitless anger. The secretary was shocked. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Okay, please wait for a moment, ¡¤ Ms. Daugherty,¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 After a long time, a childish but deep voice finally came from the other end of the line. ¡°Mom, why are you calling me?¡± ¡°George, only you can help me now. I¡¯ve run out of options¡­¡± Dew covered her lips, and her tears kept falling. She said in a sobbing tone, ¡°Someone is viciously attacking Daugherty Corporation. There¡¯s tons of negative news about Daugherty Corporation on the Inte now. The corporation¡¯s stock prices have also dropped to the minimum now. If this progresses, thepany will need to announce bankruptcy¡­¡± While she spoke, there were audible tapping sounds from the keyboard on the other end of the line. A whileter, the deep voice could be heard again. ¡°Mom, Daugherty Corporation has a lot of wealth, so it won¡¯t go bankrupt just because of this. All the negative rumors on the Inte now are based on a fifty-four-second surveince video. Mom, may I know if you¡¯re the person in the video?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me¡­ Why would it be me?¡± Dew instinctively started to deny it. ¡°Someone purposely made that fake video to take down the Daugherty family!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Tapping sounds on the keyboard rang out again. The deep voice had a cold quality to it. ¡°There are no traces of manual edits on the surveince video. Mom, why are you lying?¡± Dew suddenly panicked. Why did she forget that George was way more intelligent than a normal person? she must have been blinded by anger. She had actually lied to George. She took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, George. I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. Your grandpa forced me to do this, so I had no choice ¡­ I was afraid that you would misunderstand me for being a cruel and vicious woman, so I dared not admit it. George, help me delete the video, okay?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± After George uttered that word, he did not speak anymore, He sat in front of hisputer and stared at the screen with his ck eyes. The video thatsted for fifty seconds was easily broken down into countless scenes, and the scenes were ripped into pieces in the blue background before they were thrown into the bin. Just when he thought that he was going to seed, suddenly the ripped scenes automatically recovered and formed the original video. The video could not be removed! George squinted. He had been gifted inputing since he was younger, and he was especially gifted in hacking. Frankly speaking, if he participated in a hackerpetition, he should be able to get first ce easily. But now, he could not even get rid of a simple video. ¡°George? Are you still around, George?¡± Dew¡¯s nervous voice came from the other end of the phone. George frowned discreetly but respectfully said, ¡°Mom, the video has been added with a password by the hacker, so it¡¯s not easy to remove it. I¡¯ll contemte it.¡± ¡°What? Even you can¡¯t delete it?¡± Dew was extremely disappointed. ¡°Where did that bitch, Adina, hire her hacker from? Even if you can¡¯t deal with them!¡± ¡°Mom, if the news on the Inte is correct, Adina should be my aunt. What conflict do you have with her?¡± George asked indifferently. ¡°Well¡­ I have too many conflicts with her! George, bear this in mind. Your aunt¡¯s a selfish person. She almost caused the Daugherty family to go bankrupt five years ago. Now, she¡¯s be more aggravated. She insists on destroying the Daugherty family! Your grandparents have fallen sick because of anger, and I haven¡¯t slept for the whole night. I¡¯m having a severe headache right now¡­¡± Dew started crying again. ¡°If this video can¡¯t be removed, thoseizens on the Inte won¡¯t spare me. What should I do¡­?¡± ¡°Maybe we can do this.¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°I recently became in charge of a project, and I haven¡¯t confirmed my coborator yet. If I make the announcement to cooperate with Daugherty Corporation, maybe it can distract the Inte¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°George, do you really mean it?¡± Dew became extremely happy All these years, she had used countless ways to connect Daugherty Corporation to the Winters family, However, Duke had turned down their coboration for different reasons all the time She did not expect to actually benefit from this misfortune! If Daugherty Corporation achieved a coboration with Winters Corporation, Daugherty Corporation would immediately get promoted to an unattainable height. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 When Winters Corporation announced their new project coborator, it shocked everyone. At this critical time, Winters Corporation actually chose to cooperate with Daugherty Corporation. This was something that no one had expected. ¡°The stock price of Daugherty Corporation is going down. Why would Winters Corporation choose thispany?¡± ¡°These twopanies never cooperated in the past. Why would they cooperate at this crucial moment? Unless Winters Corporation helps Daugherty Corporation, Daugherty Corporation will be ruined this time.¡± ¡°Daugherty Corporation is really lucky!¡± ¡°The members of the Daugherty family really have some tricks up their sleeve! They were actually able to cling on to the Winters family.¡± ¡°Would anyone still dare to offend the Daugherty family this time?¡± ¡°Not at all! They have all run away!¡± YVE The share price of Daugherty Corporation was restored to the normal level in half a day. It was like the crisisst night had never happened. When Adina read the news that had been posted online and was constantly updated, she kept frowning She thought that she could hurt the Daugherty family greatly this time, but she did not expect that the Daugherty family still would have a backup. The Winters family.. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Even if the Daugherty family were to be multiplied by ten, they would not be able to be on par with the Winters family. When the Winters family protected them, she was unable to deal with Dew. Adina let out a long sigh. ¡°A few years ago, there were some rumors about Duke Winters wanting to marry Dew. I thought those were just rumors,¡± Ethan said, voice deep. ¡°In this case, the Daugherty family still has a good rtionship with the Winters family. Although they are not connected by marriage, the Winters family is at least willing to lend a hand to the Daugherty family when they are down. This is worth thinking over.¡± ¡°No one can rely on others for their whole life. Can the Daugherty family rely on the Winters family forever?¡± Old Mrs. Xavier said indifferently, ¡°The Winters family helped the Daugherty family because of loyalty, but it doesn¡¯t mean the Daugherty family can rely on the Winters family and live their lives without worries. Addy, we can¡¯t rush some things. We must take things slow.¡± Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°Grandma, let¡¯s not think about this. Ethan, please help me clean up the living room.¡± In the early morning, Adina brought her two kids and moved to the vi. Which TV LAVE-V This ce was located at the city center in Sea City, and it was a high-end neighborhood with a market price that was nearly six figures. It was a detached two-storey cottage, and the surroundings were very elegant and quiet, which was very suitable for living. Adina liked the surroundings here very much. It was very simr to the ce where she lived abroad. Alden was gardening in the yard while Melody was sitting on the rattan chair sunbathing. The situation was quiet and nice. They did not have much stuff, so they finished unpacking in less than an hour. ¡°Grandma, Ethan, please don¡¯t leave now. It¡¯s noon. I¡¯ll prepare lunch for you,¡± Adina put on the apron while she said. Old Mrs. Xavier¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°Addy, you¡¯re my granddaughter. You should be treated like the treasure you are. How can you do this kind of rough work?¡± i ELUL Finan As she said that, she turned back and ordered, ¡°Ethan, let the chef of the Xavier familye and cook three meals everyday¡­.¡± ¡°Grandma, I really don¡¯t need that!¡± Adina felt slightly helpless. ¡°It¡¯s just cooking. I already got used to it in thest four years. It¡¯s nothing to me.¡± ¡°Addy, you¡¯ve suffered so much¡­¡± Old Mrs. Xavier held her hand, and her eyes were teary. ¡°If your mother was still alive, you wouldn¡¯t have suffered like this¡­¡± ¡°Great Grandma, Mommy¡¯s cooking is very delicious!¡± Alden was in time toe in and interrupt Old Mrs. Xavier¡¯s painful reminiscence. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 The boy leaned on Old Mrs. Xavier¡¯s knees and said with a soft voice, ¡°Mel just likes to eat Mommy¡¯s food. She slims down these days because we are staying with the Xavier family.¡± Old Mrs. Xavier chuckled. ¡°If I don¡¯t let your mommy cook, will I be a bad person?¡± ¡°No, I just want you to try Mommy¡¯s cooking. It¡¯s really good.¡± Alden blinked. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you try.¡± ¡°Alden, you¡¯re really a good boy!¡± Old Mrs. Xavier affectionately caressed Alden¡¯s head. He was just a four-year-old boy. Not only did he take care of his sister, but he also helped Addy handle a lot of work. Considerate boys like this were really lovely. Meanwhile, Adina prepared food in the kitchen. The two kids were born prematurely, so they were weaker than their peers since they were little. When they reached the age that they could eat proper food, they also refused to eat. So, she started researching how to cook Before she was eighteen years old, she was ady who did not do house chores. But after she had two kids, she started trying everything. Then, she slowly liked the feeling of cooking. She liked to use all sorts of ingredients to prepare nutritious and delicious food, and she liked to see people she loved finish the food she cooked. This was the simplest happiness to her. An hour later, the dining table was served with five dishes and a bowl of soup. There was chicken ham that was suitable for the olddy, pumpkin soup and chicken wings that suited the children, steak and chicken chops that smelled good, and a bowl of mushroom soup. ¡°Addy, did you make these?¡± Old Mrs. Xavier looked disbelieved . ¡°Your cooking skills are on par with the chefs in restaurants.¡± Alden picked up a slice of chicken ham and put it into Old Mrs. Xavier¡¯s bowl. ¡°Great Grandma, once you try this, you will know Mommy¡¯s cooking is better than those chefs.¡± Old Mrs. Xavier took a bite with suspicion, and she became more surprised. The chicken slice was smooth and soft, and it just melted in her mouth. It was tastier than those that she had eaten before. ¡°Addy, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Old Mrs. Xavier took a bite, and her eyes were full of shock, ¡°The chef in the Xavier family is not even half as good as you.¡± Adina chuckled, ¡°Why do you sound so dramatic?¡± But the performance of the people at the dining table proved that it was not just theatrics. Her cooking wasContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. really good. Melody lowered her head and focused on eating. She finished her food in a few minutes, then hntahawanted to eat more Oldve Alden, who was calm and reserved, licked his lips before he added more food onto his own te. Old Mrs. Xavier was old, and she did not have a good appetite. She usually was full after eating half a te, but she too refilled her te with food today. All the food on the table was finished by the five of them. ¡°Addy, you can run a restaurant with your cooking skills. It¡¯ll be very famous,¡± Ethan sincerely said. Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in running a restaurant. But speaking of this, I want to ask you for two favors, Ethan.¡± She paused for a while before she resumed. ¡°I n to open my own studio, so I need to rent an office. Please keep an eye out for me. Besides, Alden and Mel are four years old, so they should go to kindergarten now. Ethan, do you have any good kindergartens that can be introduced to me? It would be best if they could ept a special child like Mel.¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°Grandma has asked me to find some kindergartens. Golden Sun International Bilingual Kindergarten has top-notch resources and facilities. Most importantly, they treat every child equally. If you¡¯re free in the afternoon, we can go over and take a look first.¡± Her children were always the top priority for Adina. She postponed the matters in the afternoon as she decided to take the children over to take a look. At this time, in front of Golden Sun International Bilingual Kindergarten, Dew brought Harold out of the car. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Golden Sun was a prestigious kindergarten. It looked like a castle. Dew held Harold¡¯s hand to walk inside, but her hand was swung away by Harold fiercely. Her gaze was filled with coldness, but she forcefully suppressed it. ¡°Harold, this is your dad¡¯s decision. Why are you angry at me?¡±. ¡°Do I look angry to you?¡± Harold scoffed. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to touch me.¡± ¡°You!¡± Dew was so angry that she nearly lost herposure. She took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯d better behave well and not cause any trouble, or I won¡¯t be able to exin it to your father.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we handling the suspension procedure now? What trouble can I cause?¡± Harold looked irritated. ¡°Quickly go and sign. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better wait here. If you dare run away, your dad won¡¯t spare you.¡± Dew turned back on her high heels, and anger kept filling her heart. She should have strangled Harold, the bas*ard, to death. She raised him, and he just kept causing her trouble! Harold sat on the staircase outside the teaching building, and he looked very unhappy. After finishing the suspension procedure, it would not be so easy if he wanted to leave the Winters family. He used to think going to kindergarten was childish, and it was very boring to sing and dance every day, so he always sneaked out to y in every ss. Butpared to being grounded in the Winters family, he would rather sing and dance with these childish kids everyday¡­ While Harold felt bored, he saw that a car stopped in front of the kindergarten, and a group of four people got out. His eyes instantly brightened. It was Auntie Adina! N?velDrama.Org ? content. And there was Mel! But who was the boy who held Mel¡¯s hand? Harold squinted, He recalled that at the airport a few days ago, it was this boy who pushed him away, and he even called Auntie Adina mommy, So, this boy was Auntie Adina¡¯s son and also Mel¡¯s brother! For no reason, Harold felt very unhappy, This unhappiness made him emit a cold aura. The group of four, who walked far away, did not notice him. Adina held the two kids¡¯ hands and walked into the kindergarten. She whispered, ¡°Alden, you apany Mel to familiarize yourselves with the environment of the kindergarten. We¡¯ll go inside and talk to the teacher.¡± She had to tell the teacher about Mel¡¯s disorder in detail. If the teacher was willing to ept her, only then they would continue talking about it. Adina and Ethan walked into the teachers¡¯ office. The person who received them was a young female teacher. ¡°Hello, Mr. Xavier, Miss Daugherty. I heard about the kid¡¯s situation from Mr. Xavier. Actually, autism is a verymon disorder, and our kindergarten also has epted a lot of students like this. If you send an autistic child to a special needs school, you will make the child realize that she is different, and she will close herself more. A ¡°But if you send the child to a normal kindergarten, after being influenced by the normal, cheerful children, autistic children will slowly want to approach everyone, and it will also slowly reduce the illness. Our school has experience in this aspect, so you can rest assured.¡± The young female teacher spoke about all the problems, which made Adina¡¯sst bit of worry disappear. Alden took Melody to the swings. The little girl was dressed in a puffy princess dress. When she swung up high, her skirt fluttered in the wind. She also shed the ghost of a smile. Melody looked so pretty when she smiled. Harold hid behind the tree, and he greedily stared at Melody¡¯s smiling face. How great it would be if she was his biological sister. He could then openly y with her, His gaze became stunned, and he suddenly thought about something. Then, he turned around and ran away Alden cast a nce at his departing silhouette, and he shed a cold smile, Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. It was really a small world when they could also meet the man¡¯s son in this ce. But this was none of his business. Alden continued pushing Melody on the swing. Five minutester, Harold carried a bunch of toys and ran to Alden. ¡°I will give you these toys.¡± Alden frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will give my toys to you, you lend Mel to y with me,¡± Harold lifted his chin and said arrogantly. He always yed with these toys in kindergarten. An airne cost a few thousand dors. The teacher said these toys were very expensive, so they never allowed other children to y with them. He did not believe that Melody¡¯s brother would not be interested in these toys. But Alden was not interested. His eyes were filled with coldness as well. ¡°My sister is a person, not a toy.¡± As soon as he spoke, he emitted a cold aura. Harold was shocked. Why did this person¡¯s tone of speaking sound like George? He pouted. ¡°Tell me, what should I do to make you let Melody y with me?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t y with her no matter what you do.¡± Alden carried Melody out of the swing, turned back, and left. ¡°Hey!¡± Harold was unhappy: ¡°How could you be like this? Maybe Melody is willing to y with me.¡± He moved one step closer and poked Melody¡¯s cheek. Before he spoke, his arm was grabbed by Alden ¡°Don¡¯t touch my sister!¡± Alden¡¯s voice was full of coldness. He strongly swung Harold away before he stood in front of Melody, Since Harold was little, he had always been the young master who was pampered by everyone. He was never swung by anyone rudely like this before, He was so angry that he red at Alden, and he wanted to rush over and fight him. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t approach my sister, and don¡¯t go close to my mommy.¡± Alden opened his mouth and spoke firmly, ¡°If you bully my sister again, don¡¯t me me for being rude, After he spoke, he pushed Harold away, Harold did not stand firmly. He staggered, and he nearly fell down on the floor. He was so angry that his eyes turned red.. But he also felt helpless. Melody was not his biological sister! When Dew came out from the office, she witnessed the situation. When she saw that the little rascal was nearly pushed down to the floor, she was so satisfied. She really hoped that the two kids would fight, and it would be best if Harold could be beaten up. But the conflict between the kids just stopped. She walked over like a lovely mother. ¡°Harold, what happened? Who bullied you?¡± Harold hated her hypocritical concern the most. He coldly said, ¡°None of your business. Go away!¡± Dew¡¯s expression became stiff. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Harold, can you please not talk to me like this? I¡¯m also worried that you won¡¯t tell me after being bullied¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to worry about me!¡± Harold strongly pushed Dew away before he ran away. Dew gritted her teeth and chased after him. Alden held Melody¡¯s hand while he frowned. Why was the bad woman from the Daugherty family so close with the young master from the Winters family? What was their rtionship? Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 The admission procedure for the two kids was settled very quickly. Al 10 the next 170mm. Adina sent the kids to kindergarten. ¡°Alden, take good care of your sister 11 anything happens, call me, okay?¡± Alden obediently nodded. ¡°Mommy, you can go to work I¡¯ll take yood care of Mal.¡± Adina caressed her kids¡¯ heads and she kept turning back as she left It was only after her departing silhouette disappeared from the entrance of the kindergarten that Alden held Melody¡¯s hand and walked into the kindergarten, They were arranged at the Ninth ss as the new transfer students. The te her of the ss was a young female teacher in her twenties, and her name was Ava Jones As soon as Ava saw these two beautiful children, she immediately liked them ¡°Hi, you¡¯re Alden Daugherty, and this should be your sister, Melody, right?¡± Alden politely answered, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Alden Daugherty, and this is my sister, Melody Daugherty, We¡¯ll be students of the Ninth ss. We¡¯re happy to be here.¡± His speed of talking was neither fast nor slow, and he spoke eloquently. His gaze was clean and sensible, and he did not have stage fright at all. Ava touched their heads before she turned back and introduced them to other kids, ¡°They are our new ssmates. All of you can be friends.¡± Everyone liked their good-looking new ssmates. The kids also expressed their strong, enthusiasm to wee them. During the break, all the children surrounded them, but they soon realized that Melody, their new ssmate, would not speak. ¡°Melody, I¡¯m talking to you. Why do you ignore me?¡± ¡°Melody, you are so pretty. I want to be your friend. Can you look at me?¡± ¡°Melody, are you mute?¡± As soon as this was said, Alden¡¯s expression instantly became cold. He pushed his sister behind him before he stared at the girl who spoke, and said coldly, ¡°What did you say? Try to say it again!¡± Children who studied in this kindergarten were kids from rich families, and they grew up being pampered by their parents. Even their teachers dared not speak harshly to these kids. When the girl was coldly treated by Alden in front of everyone, she angrily spoke loudly, ¡°I said she is mute, so what? We¡¯ve talked to her for so long, but she didn¡¯t answer at all. If she is not mute, what is she?¡± A few girls from the side, who were jealous of Melody¡¯s beauty, also came forward. ¡°Hmph! Since she doesn¡¯t speak, we will call her by a nickname. She will be called Little Mute!¡± ¡°Haha! Little Mute! This nickname sounds good!¡± ¡°Blek! Melody Daugherty is Little Mute!¡± Melody did not respond at all when she was surrounded and called Little Mute. She stared nkly out of the window with her big eyes, as if the people and sounds around her did not exist Alden gently patted her back before he looked up. He stared at the girls who provoked him with a cold and sharp gaze. He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s unfair to call my sister by that nickname. Why don¡¯t I also give a nickname to each of you? We can all call each other nicknames.¡± He stared at the first girl, scoffed, and said, ¡°Your skin is so dark. I¡¯ll call you ckie.¡± The girl was shocked. She knew she had dark skin, but her family was rich, so nobody dared tough at her. But this new boy dared to call her by this nickname! Before she was able to resist, Alden spoke again. ¡°Your tooth is missing. I¡¯ll call you Leaky Rat.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so fat. You¡¯ll be called Fatty.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Alden¡¯s voice was very cold, and he emitted an imposing aura, which caused the children on the spot to not have any strength to resist. Basically, all the kids whoughed at Melody were given a nickname. Alden never liked to use people¡¯s appearance to attack them, but these kids should notugh at Melody Since they daredugh at Melody, they should also experience how it felt to beughed at. Indeed, after Alden gave nicknames to the four girls, the other boys in the ssughed and shouted. ¡°ckie! Leaky Rat! Fatty! We¡¯ll call you these names!¡± The girls instantly cried because of anger. The cries were heard in the ssroom. When Ava came after she heard the sounds, the four girls cried as they went toin. ¡°Teacher, Alden gave us nicknames!¡± ¡°Teacher, Aldenughed at me for being fat. Aaah!¡± Ava was slightly startled. The boy, Alden, looked very educated. He should not have done this kind of despicable thing, right? ¡°Teacher, they said giving nicknames will make us closer, so they called Melody ¡®Little Mute¡¯. I also gave them nicknames as a courtesy,¡± Alden indifferently said, ¡°Other people can also testify.¡± The boys around also nodded. ¡°Yes, they called Melody Little Mute first, so Alden gave them nicknames.¡± Since they had said that, would Ava still not understand? Yesterday, she knew that there would be two transfer students in her ss, and one of them was an autistic child. She firmly said to Alden¡¯s mother that she would take good care of Melody, but this happened on their first day. Ava took some tissues to the girls who cried to wipe off their tears before she strictly said, ¡± Now you know it feels bad to be called by a nickname, right?¡± The girls gasped due to crying, ¡°Ye¡­ yes.¡± ¡°If you continue calling Melody Little Mute, then other ssmates can also continue calling you by your nicknames, and I won¡¯t stop them,¡± Ava indifferently said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want other ssmates to call you nicknames, you have to promise that you won¡¯tugh at Melody again. Can you do that?¡± The five-year-old girls were at the age when they cared about their appearances. No girls would be able to bear being criticized for having dark skin and being fat. As soon as Ava spoke, the girls nodded. They even held hands and walked to Melody. ¡°Sorry, Melody. We shouldn¡¯t laugh at you. Can you forgive us?¡± Melody did not have any reaction. Alden said, ¡°I also shouldn¡¯t give a nickname to your appearances. Sorry.¡± The girls immediately smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we made a mistake first. Alden, can we be friends with you and Melody?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Alden indifferently nodded. He did not need friends, but his sister needed them. If these people sincerely treated Melody, he would also sincerely ept these people to be in his and Melody¡¯s world. When Ava saw that the children were harmoniously ying again, she finally sighed in relief. She turned back and went to the office to get some teaching materials. As soon as she walked into the office, she heard some voices from the office, and they even mentioned the names of the two students who were transferred today¡­Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¡°The new pretty girl is an autistic child It looks like her autism is quite severe.¡± ¡°]t seems like this is the first time that our kindergarten has epted such a severely autistic Child They should¡¯ve sent her to a special needs school since she has this disorder. Why did they send her to our kindergarten.¡± ¡°Autistic children also have the tendency to attack people What if she suddenly feels overwhelmed and bullies other children.¡± The teachers in the olnice kept talking Ava pushed open the door and walked inside. ¡°Melody is indeed autistic, but I don¡¯t think she has a tendency to attack anyone for the time being, Please don¡¯t discuss a child behind her back¡± ¡°It¡¯ll bete when you realize she has the tendency to attack people, ¡± An old teacher said sincerely, ¡°Since nothing has happened, quickly get an excuse to suspend her. It is very difficult to cure this kind of autistic patient Sending her to our kindergarten is causing trouble for teachers like us.¡± Ava¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Even if she causes trouble, she will only do that to me. You don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡± After she said that, she opened the door of the office and walked out, After she left, a small figure walked out from behind the pir outside the office. Alden¡¯s face looked so solemn. No matter if they were abroad or in their country, whichever school his sister went to, it seemed that they would encounter this problem. He was really experienced in handling these matters. He must perfectly solve this matter while his mom did not know anything, or his mom could not work at ease. Alden put his hand behind his back and took out a tablet from his bag. People usually watched videos and yed games using a tablet, but the tablet was a very good tool for him. He quickly tapped on the virtual keyboard on his tablet. A whileter, the screen of his tablet becameContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. blue, and different letters popped out. Ten minutester, Alden turned off his tablet. He got up, walked over, and pushed open the door of the office. The teachers in the office had switched their topics of gossip from Melody to other things. When they were happily chatting, the door was opened, and a child showed up at the door. ¡°Which ss are you from? Didn¡¯t anyone teach you that you should knock before you enter the room?¡± An old teacher furrowed her eyebrows and scolded him. She had been a teacher for a dozen years, so she knew what kind of expression would make a kid scared. Unfortunately, the child in front of her was not a normal kid. Alden indifferently walked inside as if there was nobody there. He pulled out a chair and sat up. His imposing manner was slowly shown like an invisible that surrounded the office. . He gently said, ¡°I also want to ask you something. Didn¡¯t anyone teach you that gossiping about other people behind them is an immoral act?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± The old teacher showed an extremely cold and angry expression. ¡°Tell me, which ss are you from? How bold you are to speak so arrogantly in the teachers¡¯ office. Our school doesn¡¯t ept students like you! Ask your parents to come. We will talk about your suspension.¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Alden calmly said, ¡°Teachers who talk about students behind their backs are also not qualified to teach and educate students.¡± The old teacher became furious. This was the first time that someone dared teach her a lesson face to face, and that person was a four-year-old child! One of the teachers recognized Alden. ¡°Ms. Fitz, he seems to be one of the transfer students in Ninth ss. He seems to be called¡­ Alden Daugherty. Yes, it¡¯s him!¡± Only then Ms. Fitz realized why this kid would suddenly rush into their office. It turned out that he heard what they said about the autistic child. ¡°Melody is my sister. I won¡¯t allow you to gossip about her.¡± Alden raised his chin, and his eyes were filled with bone-chilling coldness. ¡°If I hear this once again, I¡¯ll go to the Ministry of Education.¡± The adults were so frightened by his gaze that they took a step back. When Ms. Fitz realized that she was frightened by a four-year-old kid, she became angrier.¡± You¡¯re so small, yet you came to cause trouble in the teachers¡¯ office. You¡¯re really not educated. I¡¯ll make a call to your guardian now and ask them to bring you back!¡± ¡°Before you call, please listen to my data.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Alden jumped down from the chair. He casually picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a few numbers on the small ckboard. ¡°Ms. Fitz, you¡¯ve been a teacher for eighteen years. During this eighteen -year teaching life, your personal assets have been multiplied numerous times. Out of curiosity, I investigated you. Then, I found out that you receive some pocket money from the parents every year. The smallest amount is ten thousand dors, and the biggest amount is two hundred thousand dors.¡± Alden shed a cold smile. ¡°After so many years, the amount of the pocket money you collected is four and a half million dors. ording to thew, this money is illegally obtained. The amount is huge, so it may constitute a criminal offense.¡± Ms. Fitz¡¯splexion instantly turned pale. Her lips trembled as she said, ¡°You¡­ that¡¯s nonsense!¡± ¡°Since you think what I said is nonsense, I¡¯ll submit the evidence that I found to the Ministry of Education. I believe they will investigate it.¡± When Ms. Fitz heard what Alden said, she nearly fainted in anger. Other people in the office subconsciously moved one step away to keep their distance from her, as if she were some kind of gue. Alden scornfully smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be innocent. I investigated you guys as well. Although the amount you received is not as much as Ms. Fitz, once the Ministry of Education knows about this, all of you will never be able to teach again.¡± The teachers¡¯ expressions changed at the same time. The five of them looked at each other, and they saw anxiety in each others¡¯ eyes. 01 WAN 1 HO unwritten rule in the industry that the teachers received bribes, and everyone knew S EN Was made about this, they would not be able to keep their jobs. This was a top notch and prestigious kindergarten in Sea City, and their monthly pay was five tine¡¯s higher than other kindergartens. How could they reluctantly give up such a sensible and hesh puid job? A fewher, who was younger, took a deep breath before she spoke, ¡°Alden, we receive the money beruause we want to make the parents feel at ease. This is the unspoken rule that exists in every kindengarten. If you make a big scene about this, you won¡¯t have any advantage.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any advantage. I just want to see people who look down on my sister pay the price, ¡°Alden said coldly: ¡°Of course, I know receiving bribes is very normal, but once this thing is exposed, people who are involved will be punished. If you don¡¯t want to make it a big scene, vou have to promise me three things.¡± He had something on them, so they dared not say no. They just forcefully nodded. Firstly, don¡¯t ever discuss my sister behind our backs. ¡°Secondly, don¡¯t look at my sister with a strange gaze. ¡°Thirdly, if any other kidsugh at my sister, you have to educate them.¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Alden rxingly went back to the Ninth ss. Ava sighed in relief. ¡°I was about to go and look for you. Where did you go?¡± ¡°I went to the restroom.¡± Alden walked into the ssroom and sat beside Melody. Ava stared at him, and she felt that this boy had a very strong demeanor. Sometimes, she dared not even look at his eyes. But Alden was polite and obedient. When he spoke, his voice was soft and nice. This seemed like the imposing manner she saw was in her imagination. During the break, Ava was summoned by Ms. Fitz. About six teachers surrounded her and ordered her in a low voice. ¡°Alden¡¯s sister is autistic, but our school has experience in this. If you don¡¯t understand anything, just come and ask me.¡± ¡°Melody is very pretty. Such a beautiful kid is considered the pride of our school. You have to take good care of her and must not let her quit school.¡± ¡°Miss Jones, if you¡¯re not that patient, you can transfer Melody to our ss.¡± The corner of Ava¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to get an excuse to expel Melody?¡± ¡°We were just testing you to see if you have thepassion that a kindergarten teacher should have,¡± Ms. Fitz awkwardly smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Fitz, I hope you can help Melody recover from her autism with your responsibility andpassion as a kindergarten teacher.¡± Alden had evidence that they took bribes. If Melody left, Alden would definitely expose their corruption. At that time, they would lose both money and dignity. So, they would serve these two VIPs well and let them sessfully graduate. At that time, would they only be free. Although Ava did not know why these teachers suddenly changed their attitude, this did not get in her way. She did not judge Melody differently, so she naturally would not care what others thought. After school, Alden held Melody¡¯s hand while waiting for their mom to pick them up. Although there wereContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. obstacles on their first day in kindergarten, they were solved perfectly. The kids looked very calm. Adina rushed over in a hurry. She smiled and greeted the teacher. ¡°Miss Jones, thank you for the day. Are the kids obedient?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, don¡¯t worry. Alden is very mature, and Melody is also very obedient. The children in the ss also wanted to befriend them.¡± After Ava spoke, she touched the kids¡¯ heads. ¡°When you go back, you can revise the song and dance that you learnt today with Mommy. Okay, goodbye.¡± Alden obediently waved. After Adina bid goodbye to the teacher, she led the kids to get into the car. She was slightly surprised as she said, ¡°Alden, does Ms. Jones like Melody very much?¡± Alden nodded. ¡°Ms. Ava treats Mel very nicely. Mel also doesn¡¯t refuse to let Ms. Ava hold her hand.¡± Adina finally sighed in relief. When she saw that Ava touched Melody¡¯s hair, she was worried that the girl would darken her expression. Unexpectedly, she just epted it. It seemed that this kindergarten could really treat every child fairly like what Ethan said. She could finally feel rest assured. Adina drove to the wet market to buy fresh groceries before she went to the supermarket to buy some snacks for her kids. Then, she drove back home. Melody was autistic, but she was actually very independent. When she went home, she just sat on the carpet and yed with puzzles. She was very quiet. Alden followed Adina into the kitchen and helped to wash the vegetables. Although he was just four years old, he could basically do all sorts of house chores. When Adina was busy on usual days, he would even prepare lunch for his sister. While Adina cooked, she talked to her son to understand what happened in kindergarten today. At this time, her phone suddenly vibrated. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 She got a new phone number after she came back, so not many people knew it. She thought it was an advertisement, so she immediately hung up. But the number called back again. She wiped her hands ar JUIC WIpea nel s and DICRed Ud the call landni ¡°Adina, is that you?¡± As soon as Adina heard the man¡¯s cold voice on the phone, her expression became cold. It was actually her father, Aaron. She had been back for a few days, but her father only called her after so many days. He used to be a good father who used to pamper her since she was small. Adina scoffed and said, ¡°Mr. Daugherty, how have you been?¡± Aaron choked. He took a deep breath before he said, ¡°Adina, I know you¡¯re ming me. But if you look at it from my perspective, you will understand why I would do that. You set fire to the Daugherty family and left at that time, and you dered war on the Daugherty family when you came back now. Can I not get angry?¡± ¡°So, Mr. Daugherty, to you, your daughter is not as important as thepany,¡± Adina said coldly. ¡°In this case, why are you still calling me?¡± ¡°Family should not hold grudges.¡± Aaron tried hard to make his tone softer. ¡°Adina, you¡¯re my daughter, and you¡¯re my first child. Can¡¯t I care about you? Your family name is not Xavier, so it¡¯s not justified for you to stay in the Xavier family. I¡¯ll send someone to bring you back.¡± Adina¡¯s smile became colder. He suddenly became so friendly to her, so there must be something in it for him. Did he want her to live in the Daugherty family so that he could let Dew try to kill her again? She was not that stupid. Adina coldly said, ¡°No need. I won¡¯t go back to the Daugherty family.¡± Aaron was so angry that he nearly mmed his phone down. He swallowed his pride to call his disobedient daughter, yet she dared reject him. She used to be very obedient and mature, so why would she be so arrogant now? He forcefully took a deep breath. He suppressed his anger and said, ¡°Your grandmother is going to have her 70th birthday celebration. Are you also not nning toe back and visit her?¡± Adina was stunned. When she was small, the person who loved her the most was her grandmother. She could still remember that her grandmother opposed her father¡¯s marriage to Ruby. Butter, Ruby got pregnant before they got married, and she secretly gave birth to Dew, so her grandmother was forced to let Ruby marry her father. When Ruby first came to the Daugherty family, Adina¡¯s grandmother had been staying in the family in order to protect her from being bullied by her stepmother. But Ruby was very good at acting. She bought Adina the most beautiful clothes and delicious snacks, which made Adina call her ¡®Mom¡¯. In the subsequent years, Ruby also never exposed her true self. She was ying the role of a lovely mother. But after Adina left the Daugherty family, she slowly recalled what happened in her childhood. Then, she realized that Ruby pampered her with an intention. Aaron¡¯s love for her was forced. Dew¡¯s friendliness to her was also fake. She was only eighteen years old at that time, and she was really stupid. Therefore, she was set up, and she got pregnant before marriage. She even nearly died in the fire and five lives were lost at once. ¡°Your grandmother thought you died, so she had a heart attack. She has stayed in the hospital for about four years. When she heard you came back alive, she insisted on getting discharged from the hospital to hold a birthday celebration.¡± Aaron¡¯s voice was heard again. ¡°Adina, I won¡¯t force you to come back. But before you make your decision, please think about your grandmother.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Adina held the phone, sighing inwardly. Whatever reason it was, she should visit her grandmother. She had been missing for four years, so she owed her an exnation. But she did not know whether her grandmother would still protect her like she did in the past¡­ ¡°Mommy, the food in the pan is going to get mushy.¡± Alden frowned and reminded Adina. Adina quickly put down her phone and started to cook attentively. Half an hourter, three main courses and one bowl of soup were prepared. After Melody smelled the aroma, she walked over and sat at the dining table without anyone calling her. She looked like she was ready to be fed. Alden smiled. ¡°Mommy, look at Mel. She is so cute.¡± Adina poured a bowl of soup for the girl before she grinned and said, ¡°Mel, eat while it¡¯s still warm. You can be a pretty girl only if you eat more.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Melody lowered her head, looked down at her bowl, and started eating her food with big bites. All the food on the table was finished very quickly after the two kids ate earnestly¡­ At the same time, in the Winters family, the long dining table was full of scrumptious food. Only two people sat at the big dining table, who were Duke and Harold. The two of them sat across each other, and their expressions were dark. The atmosphere in the dining hall was stifling. Harold threw his fork away before he pursed his lips and unhappily said, ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡± He pushed away his chair and wanted to leave. ¡°Who allows you to leave?¡± Duke coldly said, ¡°There is no rule in the Winters family that allows you to be such a picky eater. Sit down. You can leave only after you finish your food.¡± Harold stubbornly stood straight. ¡°So Dad, I don¡¯t even have the freedom to choose my food now?¡± Since he quitted the kindergarten , he had been grounded in the Winters family. About eight teachers took turns to teach him in different fields. He was close to going insane. When it was finally dinner time, none of the food on the table was to his liking. He would rather starve than eat such food! Duke stood up, walked to him, and said coldly, ¡°Freedom is not the same as indulging you for no reason. If you finish your dinner, you can eat whatever you want. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± He was already making concessions. But Harold clearly did not know it. He raised his chin and yelled with red eyes, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re going too far! I don¡¯t like you! I don¡¯t want to eat with you anymore!¡± After he yelled, he ran upstairs and mmed shut the door of his room. Duke held his forehead. It was also in his nature to be aggressive and rebellious, but even so, he was also not this disobedient when he was small. Was it because George was so obedient that the juxtaposition made Harold look all the more naughty? Duke felt troubled as he sat on the sofa. He never felt this troubled when he was handling the project that cost billions of dors. ¡°Sir.¡± Mr. Brown respectfully walked over. ¡°The food today is a little on the sweeter side, so it¡¯s normal that Young Master Harold didn¡¯t like it. Should we do this? I¡¯ll go and recruit a few chefs to make something different for Young Master Harold. There will be one that fits his appetite.¡± Duke coldly said, ¡°Since he was born, we have recruited more than one hundred chefs in the Winters family, and none of them could satisfy him.¡± Clearly, Harold was deliberately making things difficult for him. Harold wanted to challenge his limit on purpose. Mr. Brown sighed. ¡°Sir, Young Master is growing up. How can he not eat?¡± Duke was so angry that his face darkened. He took a deep breath before he said, ¡°Since the local chefs can¡¯t satisfy him, just recruit someone from overseas, no matter how much money it needs.¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Mr. Brown immediately answered. Master usually looked cold and indifferent, but he knew that no one loved the young masters more than him. People said a father¡¯s love was as sturdy as mountains. Mr. Brown wanted to say that a father¡¯s love was as deep as the ocean. It was as deep as the ocean, and it could also put up with anything like the sea. On the second floor, Harold sat on the balcony, and his eyes were filled with tears. He was starving, so he secretly took out a biscuit from his bag and took a few bites. But he identally choked on it, and his tears rolled down soundlessly. ¡°I hate Dad the most¡­¡± Harold cried while he yelled. Dad was horrible! He was always so strict with him. He did not even allow him to leave the house, and he made him stay at home to learn those boring things¡­ He wanted to sneak out. He wanted to see Auntie Adina. He wanted to touch Melody¡¯s face¡­ The more he thought about it, the sadder he felt. Suddenly, his phone rang. He looked at it, only to see that it was his elder brother. He was so shocked that he quickly wiped his tears before he pressed the answer button. ¡°Harold Winters, you¡¯ve grown up now. You would actually hide and cry alone.¡± Harold was shocked. ¡°George, how did you know I cried?¡± ¡°Did you just forget that we are twins, and our minds are linked?¡± George indifferently said,¡± Everytime you cry, I¡¯m aware of it, but this time, you seem to be particrly sad. Tell me what happened.¡± Harold looked very embarrassed. ¡°I fell down, and my knees were bleeding. So the pain made me cry.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll ask Papa Brown to go and apply ointment for you.¡± ¡°No!¡± Harold irritatedly scratched his head. ¡°George, can you stop being such a smartypants? Can you also not mind my business? I was just in a bad mood, so I cried. Why? Do I also lose my freedom to hide away and cry now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you from crying. I just wanted to know what you are crying for.¡± George¡¯s indifferent voice was heard. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to tell me, I also won¡¯t force you. That¡¯s it. Bye.¡± ¡°Hey, wait!¡± Harold shouted. He sat in the corner and sighed. He did not have any friends, so he could only speak about what was on his mind to his brother. ¡°George, I met a woman. She is very beautiful and gentle. I like her a lot¡­ But Dad made me quit school, and he wouldn¡¯t allow me to leave the house. I can¡¯t see her again. I¡¯m very miserable now. Everyday, lessons start right after I wake up at 7 in the morning, throwing a million different things at me. I¡¯m going crazy¡­¡± George interrupted his moaning. ¡°Who¡¯s the woman?¡± ¡°I like the woman. Her eyes are very beautiful, like the moon in the night sky. Her voice is enchanting. If she could tell me a bedtime story, it would be awesome. I would sleep very soundly¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you topliment the woman. I¡¯m asking you who the woman is, and what her name is.¡± ¡°Oh! She is Adina Daugherty¡­¡± George instantly narrowed his eyes. Adina Daugherty! Dew¡¯s half-sister from a different mother! The woman who was said to be dead for four years, but suddenly came back alive a few days ago! Why would that woman know Harold? Did she deliberately approach him? George coldly said, ¡°Harold, if you¡¯re smart, stay far away from that woman. She is not a simple woman.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Harold quickly grew furious. ¡°George, I am pouring out my secrets to you, and you¡¯re pouring cold water over my head. I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. Hmph!¡± He angrily hung up, and he was so angry that he could not continue eating the biscuits. George, who was abroad, coldly turned around and looked at his assistant. ¡°I need to go back to Sea City tomorrow. Book the flight ticket for me.¡± ¡°Young Master George, you need to inspect the branchpany tomorrow, and you have to attend the overseas general meeting on the day after tomorrow. Mr. Winters arranged all this.¡± ¡°Book the flight ticket three dayster.¡± George¡¯s expression was dark as he said. That woman, Adina, was so aggressive that even his mother¡¯s family was unable to escape her wiles. He had to go back. Besides, Adina had approached Harold with motives of her own, so he had to go back and keep an eye on him. Otherwise, Harold, the silly boy would fall into the trap. Old Mrs. Daugherty¡¯s birthday celebration was on this Friday. After Adina sent her kids to the kindergarten, she drove toward the Daugherty family. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. The Daugherty family was being criticized in the limelight of public opinion, so they dared not organize Old Mrs. Daugherty¡¯s birthday party on arge scale. People who attended the birthday party today were the closest rtives of the Daugherty family. When Adina showed up at the doorstep of the Daugherty family, she attracted everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really Addy. You did not die.¡± ¡°Addy, you¡¯re more beautiful than five years ago. Come over, let me take a look at you.¡± Sammy and Becky came forward, held Adina¡¯s hands, and touched her. They asked her about her recent activities over the past years. Compared to her indifferent father, the greetings from these two auntsforted Adina slightly. She smiled and said, ¡°Aunt Sammy, Aunt Becky, both of you look much younger than five years ago. I nearly couldn¡¯t recognize you.¡± She smiled obediently, and she calmly chatted with the rtives of the Daugherty family. Dew stood at the entrance, and the coldness in her eyes nearly could not be hidden After five years, Adina the bitch was unexpectedly still the same as she was in the past. As soon as she showed up, everyone surrounded her, Dew was clearly the heir of the Daugherty family now, but the rtives of the Daugherty family were still focusing on Adina! Dew was so angry that she gritted her teeth. It was only when Ruby walked over and pulled her slightly that she suppressed her anger. ¡°Dew, you¡¯re the future mistress of the Winters family, so you have to stay calm. On this asion, you have to maintain your elegance and poise. Do not lose yourposure.¡± Ruby lowered her voice and said that before she walked toward Adina. Her face was initially cold, but when she walked to Adina, her tears quickly fell. ¡°Addy, you¡¯re finally back¡­¡± Ruby instantly held Adina with her arms. She cried and said,¡± It¡¯s my fault at that time. I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to ground you in the warehouse and let you live on your own. Addy, over these past five years, this has been my deepest regret. Since you left, I¡¯ve never had a single night of sleep. I really miss you. You¡¯re finally back. Our family of four can finally reunite¡­¡± She kept crying so sadly. People who did not know the fact might think Adina was her biological daughter when they saw her looking like this. Adina produced the ghost of a smile. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Since Ruby still wanted to y up the illusion of mother-daughter harmony, she was willing to cooperate. She was hugged by Ruby for a while before she pushed her away. She said with grief, ¡°Mom, I also miss you very much. When I wandered outside and was homeless for the past five years, what I missed the most is your love and protection for me. Now I¡¯m back. Will you still love and pamper me like in the past?¡± Pride could be seen in Ruby¡¯s eyes. Adina the brat was indeed the same as five years ago. As long as she pretended to show some concern, this brat would jump into the trap she set up. Did this stupid brat still want to take revenge on the Daugherty family? Ha! No way! Ruby¡¯s smile only widened. She held Adina¡¯s hand and affectionately said, ¡°Of course. I always love you like my own daughter. No matter what mistakes you make, I¡¯ll still love and pamper you.¡± As she spoke, she held Adina¡¯s hand and walked into the house. A few people were already sitting at the round dining table. Adina¡¯s second and third uncles, as well as Aaron, sat next to Old Mrs. Daugherty ordingly, while Ruby held Adina¡¯s hand and sat at the other side of the dining table. When Adina saw Old Mrs. Daugherty whose hair turned gray, her eyes suddenly became teary. She suppressed her emotion, and she whispered, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m back.¡± Old Mrs. Daugherty¡¯s hand trembled. She gently patted the back of Addy¡¯s hand, sighed, and said, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re back¡­ it¡¯s great¡­¡± She just said this sentence, but said nothing more. Adina felt a little disappointed. But she could also understand why her grandmother would behave like this. After all, she went missing for four years, and she disappeared from the Daugherty family after falling victim to such miserable tactics. Over the past five years, Ruby and her daughter might have convinced her grandmother with countless stories. Perhaps her grandmother also believed that she had set the fire at that time, and she humiliated the family by giving birth before marriage¡­ If her grandmother believed these stories, but still did not act indifferent toward her, this also meant her grandmother still cared about her¡­ ¡°Addy, you slimmed down a lot. Eat more meat¡­.¡± Ruby yed her role of a loving mother to the fullest. She kept adding food for Adina, and her te became full very quickly. Although many things happened five years ago, and the Daugherty family was also on the inte headlines five days ago, everyone had a tacit understanding that they did not mention any of that up in this birthday party. Sammy and Becky kept showing their concern about Adina as if they really cared about this niece. But Adina knew that Aaron had dominated the family these years, and he controlled the Daugherty Corporation. The second and third uncles had been terribly suppressed. Now she was back, so Sammy and Becky would want to use her to deal with Ruby. But she also nned to use Sammy and Becky to frame Ruby. Both parties were in a mutual rtionship, so there was no psychological barrier to their cooperation. Before Adina started toy out traps, Dew suddenly spoke. Since the start of the meal, Dew had been showing a smile. She fully embodied how ady should be like. But when she saw how well Adina was getting along with the Daugherty family members, she finally could not hold herself back. ¡°Addy, the previous incident was really a misunderstanding¡­¡± Dew spoke in a coquettish tone, ¡°I¡¯m not the heir of the Daugherty family, so when I go out, the bodyguards will protect me. Those bodyguards actually protected me. They did not ambush you there on purpose. We made such a huge misunderstandingst time, and I could not sessfully bring you to find the two kids¡¯ graves. Why don¡¯t I bring you there again today?¡± When Adina heard that, she kept scoffing. Dew was no exining herself about why Adina was attacked by the bodyguardsst time. She was leading the conversation to tell everyone here that she, Adina, had given birth to two kids whose backgrounds were unknown.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Indeed, as soon as Dew said that, people¡¯s expressions changed at the dining table, Five years ago, the fire scorched the entirety of the Daugherty family. It also burned stocks worth billions of dors. The Daugherty family finally got over the change only after two whole years. Everyone in the family was involved. In other words, Adina was already ¡°dead¡± at that time, but the family members still gritted their teeth whenever they talked about her. Adina saw all the changes in their expressions before she smiled faintly, chuckled, and said, ¡°I always want to ask Mom this. What drink did you give me on my 18th birthday? Why did I just be unconscious after I drank it? When I woke up, I was actually on the hotel bed¡­¡± As soon as Adina said that, Ruby¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She squinted. ¡°Addy, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°Grandma, you know me very well. I was a little capricious, but I was not an easy girl.¡± Adina bit her bottom lip, and her eyes were teary. ¡°During the eight months when I was grounded in the warehouse by dad, I thought about a lot of things, but I could also rte it to the ss of wine in the end. It was the ss of wine that made me encounter so many things that I could not control. Grandma, I really did not intend to humiliate our family.¡± Ruby gritted her teeth. She had done this very quietly without leaving any evidence. But if Adina the bi*ch frequently brought it up, Old Mrs. Daugherty would definitely suspect her! She was thedy in charge of the Daugherty family, as well as Duke¡¯s future mother-inw. She must not have any ws on her record. When Ruby thought about this, she took a deep breath. ¡°Addy, you¡¯re my most loved daughter. Why would I harm you? That incident happened five years ago, so let¡¯s not bring it up again. Now you¡¯re back, so the most important thing is the future. In the future, our family must be in good condition.¡± ¡°Yes, we should move on.¡± Adina shed a strange smile. ¡°Did Dew say she is the heir of the Daugherty family now?¡± For some reason, Dew¡¯s heart suddenly thumped. She forced a smile. ¡°Addy, everyone thought you¡¯re dead at that time, and I was the only child in the Daugherty family. So, naturally, I would be the heir¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯m back now. So, Dew, should you return the status of the heir?¡± Adina¡¯s face showed a gentle smile, but her eyes were full of fierce gaze. None of them had expected that Adina would bring up the matter of inheritance on the first day she came home. The Daugherty family had been in the business industry for many years, and they were used to beating around the bushes. Adina directly asked for the status of the heir, and Aaron totally did not expect that this would happen so quickly. Adina looked more aggrieved. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d pamper me like you used to? I want to get back my status as the heir. You¡¯ll help me, right?¡± Ruby was caught off guard, and her smile nearly slipped. ¡°Addy, today is your grandma¡¯s birthday. Let us talk about that tomorrow, okay?¡± When this rascal died tomorrow, the matter rted to the heir would not be brought up again. Unexpectedly, Sammy said, ¡°Ruby, I think what Addy said is right. She died, so the status of the heir was transferred to Dew. But Addy is back and alive now, right? If Dew still forcefully upies the position that rightfully belongs to Addy, isn¡¯t this unreasonable?¡± Becky also helped. ¡°I think Ruby is reluctant to return the shares back. It¡¯s 50%! It¡¯s a huge amount of money. If I were her, I would be reluctant, too.¡± Ruby¡¯splexion turned pale. These two sisters-inw wanted to see her lose everything! U UP ¡°How can we just make such important changes as and when we want?¡± Aaron coldly said, ¡° Addy, don¡¯t cause trouble as soon as youe home. Eat your food!¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Adina¡¯s gaze became colder. Even while Ruby worked hard to maintain the pretense of a loving mother, her father just exposed his true self. She naturally knew it was impossible to get her shares of the Daugherty Corporation. No, based on the shamelessness of the Daugherty family, it was impossible for her to get back the shares if she did this. But she insisted on asking it at this time. It was also good to cause some trouble for these people. She bit her bottom lip, and she pitifully said, ¡°Dad, I do not want to be the heir, but can you return the shares of Daugherty Corporation to me? That¡¯s the heritage my mother left for me. I hope you can give it back to me.¡± Aaron¡¯s expression became darker. Initially, he begrudgingly put up with this daughter, but it looked like there was no need to keep her. She humiliated the family five years ago, and she should have died in the fire. As soon as she came back, she just caused trouble. If she was still alive, she would only bring more trouble¡­ ¡°What Addy said is right.¡± Old Mrs. Daugherty, who had been silent, spoke. ¡°Those shares. initially belong to Addy. Since she is still alive, they should belong to her.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Ruby felt worked up. She finally could not keep up the act. ¡®Dew contributed to Daugherty Corporation a lot these years. But she has nothing now, as soon as Addy came back? I¡¯m not biased toward Dew, but I just think we have to be fair, no matter what we do. Addy and Dew are the daughters of the Daugherty family. You can¡¯t be biased to any of them.¡± Adina did not expect that her grandmother would speak up to protect her. Actually, she did not even expect to get back her shares today, because no one would return what they had already taken. But since her grandmother said that, she would want to make Ruby give up a portion. Adina resumed, ¡°You¡¯re right, Mom. We have to be fair in everything. Let¡¯s do this. From the legacy my mother left to me, I¡¯ll give 25% of my shares to Dew. Dad, what do you think?¡± When Dew heard it, she wanted to faint. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Adina was saying that she would give the shares to her! But the truth was that she actually had to take out 25% of her shares from her assets to Adina the bi*ch! She would not agree to it. Old Mrs. Daugherty stared at Adina seriously, ¡°Are you really willing to give 25% of the shares to your sister?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandma,¡± Adina said in a low voice, ¡°All these years, Dew is the heir of the Daugherty family, and she sacrificed a lot for the family. She deserves these shares.¡± Old Mrs. Daugherty nodded. ¡°Dew, you should thank your sister.¡± Dew nearly fainted in anger. She needed to give up on some of her shares, and they still wanted her to say thank you. Why should she? Ruby¡¯s expression also darkened a lot. From the first day she joined the family, this old hag had been protecting Adina the rascal. They had not met for five years, but the old hag still thought about Adina. Why did this decrepit hag not die on the hospital bed? Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Adina smiled faintly. If she could get back half of the shares today, her visit was not a total waste. As for the remaining half, she believed she would be able to get them back after some time. She chuckled. ¡°Dew and I are sisters. She doesn¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Old Mrs. Daugherty was not very healthy, so it was already difficult for her to find the strength to attend the banquet. When she finally saw the eldest granddaughter who went missing for four years, she finally felt rest assured, so her body instantly sagged down again. ¡°Simon, prepare the shares transfer agreement now. They will sign it now.¡± Old Mrs. Daugherty coughed before she coldly gave her instruction. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She was sick, so she could pass away anytime. She had to sort this trouble out before she died. ¡°Grandma, there¡¯s no need to rush this, right?¡± Dew suppressed her unwillingness, and she said, ¡°It¡¯s the same to sign it again tomorrow.¡± Ruby also said, ¡°Yes. Mom, why should we rush it now? It¡¯s your birthday today. It¡¯s not toote if we handle the transfer of the shares tomorrow.¡± Old Mrs. Daugherty frowned. As she was about to speak, a bone-chilling voice suddenly came from the entrance of the dining hall. ¨C ¡°What are you talking about? Why do you sound so lively?¡± A tall figure got in from the entrance. He was dressed in a ck suit, and he emitted an imposing manner like an emperor who had everything in control. His face was like the handicraft that was carefully carved by God. No matter from which angle, not a single w could be seen on his face. As soon as he walked inside, Dew¡¯s eyes brightened. She was in disbelief. Duke really came! It was her grandmother¡¯s birthday today, Out of courtesy, she had called to invite him to attend the banquet. These years, she invited him whenever the Daugherty family organized a banquet, but he never showed up, so she also did not put any hope this time. Who would expect that when she finally ran out of hope, he woulde? Duke really came! Dew could not hide her excitement, she stepped on her high heels and went forward. ¡°Duke, why didn¡¯t you tell me when you wereing? We should have waited for you to start the banquet.¡± Duke drawled indifferently, ¡°I just passed by, so I came over to wish Mrs. Daugherty. Mrs. Daugherty, this is top quality tea. I hope you will like it.¡± He put a gift box that was wrapped exquisitely in front of Old Mrs. Daugherty. Old Mrs. Daugherty knew that the Winters family was quirky, so she did not mind his indifference. She just asked the servant to add one more set of cutlery. Then, Duke took his seat. Aaron and Ruby were extremely happy. These years, Duke never stepped into the Daugherty family, let alone having a meal in the family. But he came tonight. Did this prove that Duke had finally decided to marry Dew? Other people from the Daugherty family were also very happy. If Dew really married into the Winters family, they could also have their status promoted. ¡°Duke, please try this food. Its taste is authentic. It¡¯s pretty good¡­¡± . Dew excitedly added food for Duke. But the man looked indifferent, as usual. ¡°Don¡¯t you know I have mysophobia?¡± ¡°L¡­¡± Dew instantly became speechless, and her face turned blush. ¡°So¡­ sorry, Duke. I was too happy, so I forgot about this.¡± She immediately took away the food from Duke¡¯s te. Their conversation made the atmosphere at the dining table very awkward. Duke also seemed to have noticed this. His clear eyes subconsciously skimmed over Adina before he indifferently asked, ¡°What were you talking about? Why didn¡¯t you continue?¡± ¡°No¡­ nothing.¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Dew immediately denied it. She ruthlessly red at Adina, and she hoped this bi*ch would sensibly leave earlier! However, she was destined to feel disappointed. Adina chuckled. Now she knew that the Daugherty family had climbed on the Winters family, but Duke did not seem to like Dew. But she did not know why Duke still wanted to stay here and deal with the Daugherty family members when he clearly did not like Dew. But all this was none of her business. She just needed to know that the Daugherty family wanted to maintain their dignity in front of Duke. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, we were discussing the shares of the Daugherty Corporation. You can also be our witness.¡± Duke seemed to be interested. ¡°Oh, what kind of witness?¡± ¡°Addy!¡± Ruby angrily interrupted Adina. ¡°This is the family matter of the Daugherty family. You don¡¯t have to say it out loud and have the outsiderugh.¡± But Old Mrs. Daugherty suddenly said, ¡°Duke is also like our family. It¡¯s nothing for him to know.¡± Like our family? What did she mean? Adina was clearly stunned for a while. When she raised her head, she saw that Dew kept staring at Duke. Was the Daugherty family engaged with the Winters family through a marriage? No wonder when the stock price of the Daugherty family almost dropped to a stop a few days ago, the Winters family woulde and lend them a hand. It turned out that there was such a rtionship between them. Adina discreetly looked down and indifferently said, ¡°Since you¡¯re part of the Daugherty family, you can¡¯t be the witness.¡± Dew¡¯s fiance naturally would take Dew¡¯s side. She did not need to say these rights and wrongs out to establish another enemy for herself. However, Duke was very interested in this, Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He knocked on the table with his slim and long fingers, and he indifferently said, ¡°Mrs. Daugherty, what you said is not correct, I was never a member of the Daugherty family. Didn¡¯t Miss Dew Daugherty know about this?¡± Dew¡¯s face turned pale. She had been with Duke for so long, but he always called her Miss Daugherty. The ¡°Miss Dew Daugherty¡± made her anxiously realize that Adina was back, and the bi*ch was the real woman who slept with Duke. Her true face would be exposed one day, and she would be hated and abandoned. No! She did not allow this thing to happen! Dew¡¯s lips shivered, and she forced a smile. ¡°Grandma, Duke and I are not what you think. Please don¡¯t say that anymore.¡± Old Mrs. Daugherty pursed her wrinkled lips. In her perspective, her granddaughter had given birth to his sons, so he naturally had to marry her granddaughter. But the Winters family was too powerful, so she did not have any ability to make Duke be responsible for Dew. She used to advise Dew to give up, but Dew refused. ¨C So she also did not want to bother them. ¨C Duke leaned on the chair. ¡°Okay, Miss Adina Daugherty, please continue.¡± Adina did not know what this man meant. Tonight was the private banquet of the Daugherty family, but Duke had suddenly shown up. This could state that his personal rtionship with the Daugherty family was pretty good.. Since their rtionship was quite good, why did he keep humiliating Dew? Was this how Duke and Dew usually got along? Forget it. Overthinking matters was meaningless, and it did not have anything to do with her. Adina pursed her blushed lips, and she said, ¡°Mr. Winters, you should¡¯ve heard about me, right? I died four years ago¡­¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Adina calmly exined about the background and dubious whereabouts of the 50% of shares of the Daugherty Corporation. After she exined, she indifferently said, ¡°In your opinion, is it reasonable for me to get back the shares that my mother left to me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not reasonable.¡± Duke indifferently answered. Dew¡¯s expression showed excitement. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. This man had really taken her side! When Duke ¡®said that, she had the reason to refuse signing the transfer agreement of the shares. Even her grandmother could not criticize her. Adina¡¯s expression turned cold. Indeed, she should not have entertained this man. She had wasted her time talking to him. When she was about to speak, Duke¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Miss Daugherty, if I were you, I would use all methods to get back 100% of the shares.¡± The man¡¯s voice was filled with coldness. ¡°How can you give half of your mother¡¯s legacy to others?¡± Adina was startled. Was this what he meant when he said it was unreasonable? Did she misunderstand him? ¡°Duke¡­¡± Dew¡¯s lips shivered. ¡°You¡­ ¡­¡± She opened her mouth, but she did not know what she should say. She gave birth to two sons for the Winters family, but Duke embarrassed her in front of Adina the bi*ch. This made her feel like she had been pped a few times ruthlessly. ¡°Haha!¡± Ruby awkwardly chuckled to ease the atmosphere. ¡°Duke, you may not know that Dew and Addy are very close, so Addy is willing to give half of her shares to Dew. This is between the sisters, so let¡¯s not interfere, Come, Duke, just keep eating. You haven¡¯t taken more bites yet¡­¡± If the discussion continued, the other half of Dew¡¯s shares might also need to be given away because of what Duke said, Old Mrs. Daugherty¡¯s gaze at Duke was filled with more admiration. She indifferently said, ¡± Simon, is the share transfer agreement ready?¡± The housekeeper went to prepare it after Old Mrs. Daugherty gave her order. At this time, he stood at the entrance of the dining hall with the documents. Dew and Ruby stared at each other, and they saw unwillingness from each other¡¯s eyes, Half of the shares was worth a few hundred million. How could they be willing when they had to give them away like this? But Duke was here. If Dew refused to sign it, her image in Duke¡¯s mind would be totally ruined. She wanted to marry into the Winters family and be the mistress, so this share was nothing to her! Besides, Adina the bi*ch might also not be able to see the sun tomorrow! If Adina died, these shares would still go back to her! When Dew thought about this, there was finally more sincerity in her smile. She walked over and took the initiative to leave her signature on the agreement. In this way, Adina got back the 25% of the shares. She kept the agreement away, and she looked very calm, as if this was just a small matter. ¡°Please enjoy yourselves. I¡¯ll go and rest for a while.¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Old Mrs. Daugherty no longer had the strength to support herself. She got to her feet with the help of the housekeeper. Adina also got up. She held Old Mrs. Daugherty¡¯s right hand. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll help you in.¡± Old Mrs. Daugherty nodded. Then, the two of them went into the resting lounge. The atmosphere dining hall was still chirpy. This was the first time Duke visited the Daugherty family, so all the family members thought that the marriage between the family and the Winters family was a done deal. ¡°Duke, they have recently released a new movie. You should go and watch it with Dew in the afternoon,¡± Ruby grinned and said, ¡°After the movie, you can go shopping for a while before you have a candlelight dinner. How romantic that would be!¡± Dew shyly lowered her head. She wanted it, but she still said, ¡°Duke should be very busy in the afternoon. How would we have the time for a movie?¡± ¡°Well, no matter how busy you are, you still have to take some time to cultivate the rtionship with your girlfriend,¡± Sammy said. ¡°You¡¯ve been in a rtionship for about four years already, so you should n for the wedding. Duke, please don¡¯t mind me bbering. Look, Dew is not young anymore. If you keep dying it, she will be an olddy. The sooner you hold a wedding, the better it is¡­¡± Halfway through her sentence, an icy gaze was cast. Sammy felt a cold shiver down her spine. Duke shed a cold smile. ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t have a girlfriend. Secondly, I won¡¯t marry Dew Daugherty. Thirdly, even if Dew turns into an olddy, that¡¯s none of my business.¡± What he said had cut off the ties between them. Dew had always known that this man was not willing to marry her, but he never once made it so clear like today. He also never embarrassed her like today. Since she became the mother of the young masters of the Winters family, her status had gained significant ground in the Daugherty family. She always abused her right and used the Winters family to suppress the second and third uncles¡¯ families. But now, Duke just tore off her hypocritical, extravagant facade in front of everyone. Her body was shaking, and she nearly fainted. At that moment, Adina walked out from the resting lounge. She picked up her bag from the dining chair, and she indifferently said, ¡°I have something else to do, so I have to leave first.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave together,¡± Duke pushed away the chair, got up, and walked out with Adina, His legs were very long, so he could catch up with Adina after taking two strides. Then, he walked side by side with her and left the vi of the Daugherty family. The grief in Dew¡¯s eyes instantly turned into anger. Duke had suddenly insulted her like this, and that must be because Adina was back! Adina the bi*ch must have known something! ¡°Wow, why would Duke suggest leaving with Addy?¡± Sammy added fuel to the fire, and she sought to rejoice in Dew¡¯s misfortune. ¡°It can be hard to exin theplicated rtionship between men and women. Addy doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Duke, right?¡± ¡°Aunt Sammy, you can remain quiet if you have nothing else to say.¡± Dew gritted her teeth.¡± If I can¡¯t be Mrs. Winters, the Daugherty family will forever be in the secondary family line.¡± ¡°Dew, why are you so rude to me?¡± Sammy unhappily said, ¡°When Duke said those harsh words to you just now, you didn¡¯t quarrel with him, either. I¡¯m just telling the truth now, yet you¡¯re venting yourself at me. You¡¯re just bullying me for not having the power to speak in the Daugherty family.¡± ¡°Exactly! You don¡¯t have the ability to make Duke fall for you. Why are you ming us?¡± Becky also added. ¡°Besides, Addy is more beautiful than you, so perhaps she can marry into the Winters family. Addy is a Daugherty family member. If she bes Mrs. Winters, the Daugherty family can still join the primary family line.¡± Sammy and Becky echoed each other, which made Dew furious. She took a deep breath, lowered her voice, and said, ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t put up with her anymore. Don¡¯t wait until tomorrow. Find someone to kill her now!¡± Ruby patted her back. ¡°The bi*ch has raised her guard after you failed in the cemeteryst time. We have to n for this. Let¡¯s take it one step at a time¡­¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Adina opened the car door and got into the driver¡¯s seat. Just as she was about to start the engine, the door to the passenger seat opened. Duke bent down and got in the car. He looked calm and rxed as if he was in his own car. Adina shed him a sarcastic smile. ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°My car broke down. Please send me back.¡± Duke leaned back in the seat as he spoke nonchntly. ¡°It won¡¯t be a waste of your time.¡± Adina moved her hands away from the steering wheel before she calmly said, ¡°I believe that the Daugherty family members would be willing to send you back. Should I call Dew?¡± ¡°Are you really afraid of being alone with me?¡± Duke suddenly lowered his body, and his cold face moved a few inches closer to Adina. They could feel each other¡¯s breath, and for some reason, the air between them became flirty. Adina¡¯s heart fluttered all of a sudden. She pretended to remain calm as she turned around and held the steering wheel. ¡°Thank you for saving my daughter at the Xavier family¡¯s banquetst time. This will be my way of repaying you,¡± she said indifferently. She started the engine and drove steadily on the road. Duke noticed that she would habitually drive on the left side. It looked like she had truly lived abroad in the past. He suddenly became very interested in her life over the past four years. However, this woman had her walls set up high around him. He guessed that no matter what he asked her, she would not answer. He leaned back in his seat and calmly said, ¡°I came to you this time because I wanted to discuss a coboration with you.¡±. Adina did not look to the side as she continued driving. ¡°Go on. What¡¯s this coboration about?¡± ¡°The Winters Corporation is involved in a wide range of industries. We¡¯ve been targeting the automobile industry in thest few years. I¡¯ve always wanted to embed a smart chip in the cars and make the cars achieve true intelligence.¡± Duke¡¯s cold and deep voice echoed in the car.¡± But there are too few people who can develop such smart chips in the country. I¡¯ve had this idea for two years, yet I haven¡¯t been able to realize it. Ms. Daugherty, would you be interested in it?? Adina squinted. ¡°Mr. Winters, have you been looking into my background?¡± Only the Xavier family knew that she could develop smart chips. Even though Sophia was ignorant of important matters, she would never expose a trade secret. So, the only possibility was that this man had secretly checked her out. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, are you perhaps overthinking things? Why would I suddenly look into you?¡± Duke sized her up with a sharp gaze. ¡°Although you¡¯re beautiful and you live up to your title as the most beautiful woman in Sea City, there¡¯s no need for me to get someone to investigate you.¡± Adina pursed her lips. If he did not scope her out, how did he discover her talent in developing chips? ¡°When the Winters Corporation went overseas to recruit programming talents, a professor from Harfard University rmended an Adina Daugherty to me,¡± Duke said elegantly.¡± Adina Daugherty is a programming genius.¡¯ That was thepliment from the Harfard University professor. The genius should be you, right?¡± Adina felt slightly embarrassed. She had really been overthinking things. She was too paranoid! ¡°Mr. Winters, I think your idea is pretty interesting. I¡¯ll have to look at the relevant documents in question to confirm whether we can work together,¡± she said leisurely. She had been busy establishing her studio over the past few days. It was naturally great if someone reached out to her for a coboration at this time. Yet, she somehow had a feeling that this man was very dangerous. Since she had two kids, she acted very carefully no matter what she did. She was afraid of losing everything if she acted otherwise. She could not afford that. ¡°Winters Corporation is a huge enterprise, and our business model is well-developed. If you coborate with Winters Corporation, you basically won¡¯t need to consider any risk.¡± Duke continued to say, ¡°Of course, if you have your concerns and want to turn down this coboration, I¡¯ll also respect your decision.¡± Adina held the steering wheel and drove quietly. But her mind was fully upied with her thoughts.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 She had investigated the business situation in Sea City, and she could tell that Winters Corporation dominated it. If she could work with Winters Corporation, it would be like boarding a safe ship. She could just wait to receive money. But why would Duke choose her? Was it just because the professor from Harfard University rmended her? She had not been the only student talented in designing chips at Harfard University. She had only managed to be ranked third best. While Adina contemted in silence, she finally arrived at the Winters¡¯ family vi. It was situated halfway up the mountain. The three-story independent vi was not very big, but the pool, garden, and yground upied at least one thousand square feet. This was the real mansion. ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯ll think about the coboration. I¡¯ll give you my answer in three days.¡± Adina wore a polite faint smile as she spoke. Duke opened the door, nodded, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll await your good news then.¡± Soon after, he walked toward the vi. Just as Adina was about to start driving, she saw that a ck men¡¯s wallet had been left behind in the passenger seat. Duke had been the only other person in her car. So, she picked up the wallet and got out. ¡°Mr. Winters, you left your wallet!¡± she shouted. Harold was reading on the second floor when suddenly, he heard a clear and familiar voice. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He instantly widened his eyes and rushed to the balcony. A woman in a beige suit was standing at the entrance of the vi on the first floor. The woman was smiling, and she shone brightly under the sun. Harold had been gloomy for the past few days, but his sadness disappeared at that moment, He rushed downstairs without any regard for everything else. Mr. Brown was so startled that he immediately chased after Harold. ¡°Young Master, stop running Come back, now! The sir is back. If you rush out like this, he will be mad¡­¡± Unfortunately, Mr. Brown was old. How could he catch the boy, who was running speedily? Harold did not have the time to care if his dad would be angry. He just knew that he wanted to see the woman very much! He did not want to miss the opportunity. Right after Adina handed the wallet to Duke, a falr, cuddly boy suddenly rushed toward her and immediately held her thigh. Then, the boy used all his limbs to climb up to her arms before he ced his arms around her neck. ¡°Waaa! Auntie Adina, you¡¯ve finallye to visit me!¡± Harold held her as spoke in between tears. Adina snapped out of her daze after she was taken aback for a few seconds. She looked up at Duke and silently asked by moving her mouth, ¡°Is your son all right?¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s my fault for not looking after the young master. I¡¯ll bring him upstairs right away!¡± Mr. Brown waste. He walked over and tried to carry Harold away. However, the boy kept holding on to Adina¡¯s neck and refused to let go. Mr. Brown was worried that he would hurt the young master, so he dared not exert too much strength. He was so anxious that his head was covered in sweat. ¡°Harold, you¡¯re grabbing my hair,¡± Adina said indifferently. The boy released his grip, as though he had been electrocuted. He felt guilty as he looked at her. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Adina seriously stared at Harold. ¡°You¡¯re a boy. You can¡¯t cry so easily.¡± Melody was a girl, and she rarely cried too. ¡°I won¡¯t cry anymore, Auntie Adina¡­¡± Harold sniffed. ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t seen you for such a long time. I¡¯ve missed you¡­¡± As soon as he said that, his face turned red. The corner of Duke¡¯s lips twitched. When did this rascal learn how to say such cringey words? Why had he not been aware of it? Besides, what kind of charm did this woman have to make this mischievous boy, Harold, look so pitiful and sad? Adina felt embarrassed because of it too. She was actually fond of the kid, but Harold was a child of the Winters family. If she showed him too much concern, they might suspect her of trying to seek connections with the Winters family. She put Harold on the floor and said in a low voice, ¡°I still have something else to do, so I¡¯ll be on my way. Goodbye.¡±. ¡°No!¡± Harold hugged her thighs. It sounded like he was choking up again. ¡°You just got here, but you¡¯re already leaving. I haven¡¯t seen enough of you.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Duke was speechless. Where did he learn such cheesy words from? Adina held her forehead helplessly. ¡°Harold, I really have something to do¡­¡±. ¡°Waaa! I¡¯m miserable¡­¡± The tears that Harold had held back for a long time finally flowed.¡± Dad grounds me at home and makes me study every day. I can¡¯t sleep and eat well. I haven¡¯t eaten my lunch yet. I¡¯m hungry. I¡¯m starving¡­ You don¡¯t like me either. You want to leave the moment you see me. Am I annoying?¡± The boy let go of Adina¡¯s thighs, squatted on the floor, and kept crying. His tears kept rolling down, and the floor became wet. Adina¡¯s chest tightened, and she felt suffocated, She squatted down as well and whispered, ¡°You said you haven¡¯t eaten lunch yet?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten for a week. I¡¯m starving I¡¯m dying¡­¡± he cried, Adina looked up at Duke. It looked like she was ming him, and she seemed to be wondering why he would let a child starve. Duke pursed his lips. He did not bother to exin, and he did not have to exin his son¡¯s situation to an outsider. Mr. Brown immediately said, ¡°The young master is picky about food. He doesn¡¯t like to eat the food prepared by the chef, so he leaves the dining table after he takes a few bites every day. The master is also worried about him.¡± Adina understood. This boy had truly not eaten any food for a few days. She held Harold¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll cook lunch for you, okay?¡± Harold immediately raised his head and looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Auntie Adina, are you serious?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to see if your dad¡¯s willing to lend his kitchen to me.¡± As soon as Adina spoke, Harold turned around and hugged Duke¡¯s thighs. ¡°Dad, please let Auntie Adina prepare lunch for me in the kitchen¡­ Dad, I promise I¡¯ll be good. I won¡¯t run away anymore¡­¡± The feeling of having his thighs hugged by his son was very unfamiliar. ¨C Ever since his sons could think and talk, they never had too much physical contact with him. Harold had not been so affectionate toward him before. He never thought the little devil would lower his pride to act that way for Adina. It really surprised him. He nodded and said, ¡°Harold, you asked for this, so no matter what food she prepares, you have to finish everything.¡± ¡°Yes, Dad!¡± Harold nodded happily and even gave him a salute. Auntie Adina was gorgeous, so the food she prepared had to be delicious. He was already looking forward to it. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Duke, on the other hand, looked down on her. She was ady, who had lived a pampered life. Would she be able to cook? Even if she picked up some cooking skills over the years, it was impossible for her to be better than the chef, whom the Winters family hired and paid handsomely. Adina did not care about what the Winters thought. So, she followed Mr. Brown into the kitchen. There were different kinds of fresh ingredients there, and it looked like the kitchen of a big hotel. She nced around before she took two tomatoes and a pack of spaghetti out. She nned to make a simple spaghetti with tomato sauce. Mr. Brown stood at the side and reminded her, ¡°The young master doesn¡¯t like spaghetti¡­¡± He was hinting at her to change the dish. However, Adina chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s been skipping many meals. He should eat something light so that his stomach can digest it.¡± After she spoke, she lit up the stove and poured the oil into the pan. She moved swiftly and did everything in one go. Mr. Brown stood aside while he silently observed her. Young Master Harold always regarded others with disdain, but this woman was special to him. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Besides, the master brought this woman back. In other words, this woman had received recognition from the master and Young Master Harold, so she could not be offended. A te of spaghetti with red sauce was soon prepared. Adina carried it out of the kitchen, and ced it on the dining table, When Duke looked at the spaghetti, he subconsciously frowned. Although he firmly believed that this woman did not know how to cook, was this te of spaghetti not too basic? ¡¤ Whenever that brat, Harold ate, the table had to be full of all kinds of delicious food. If he was only served a te of spaghetti, the rascal would definitely flip the table¡­ However, Harold pped his hands happily. ¡°Wow, Auntie Adina, you¡¯re amazing! You prepared the spaghetti so quickly!¡± The boy gasped in excitement. ¡°It smells so good! I¡¯ve never smelled such aromatic food before! Auntie Adina, can I eat it right now?¡± Adina stroked his head. ¡°It¡¯s still a bit hot, so eat slowly.¡± Harold picked up his fork and started eating. He took one bite after another, and he could not stop at all. Mr. Brown waspletely stunned. The kitchen used to serve spaghetti previously, but as soon as it was served, the young master threw it away, so they dared not cook any more spaghetti for him after that. Yet, now, the young master was about to finish the entire te¡­ Was the chef he hired too terrible? Mr. Brown doubted himself very much.. Meanwhile, Duke found it unbelievable. Harold had been picky ever since he could eat solid food. But he was taking big bites of the spaghetti at this time. He was enjoying it. Was the spaghetti really that delicious? Duke then switched his attention to the spaghetti. There was nothing special about it. So, what was it that captured the boy¡¯s heart? Suddenly, Duke had the urge to taste the spaghetti¡­ Perhaps the father and son¡¯s minds were connected because Harold seemed to sense Duke¡¯s thought. He instantly held the whole te in his arms and rmingly said, ¡°Dad, Auntie Adina made this spaghetti specially for me. You can¡¯t steal it!¡± Duke nearly fainted, Even if he wanted to eat it, he would not steal food from a kid, okay? Harold felt that his dad was too dangerous, so he held the te and moved closer to Adina. However, he was careless. He missed his footing and fell forward. Therge te of spaghetti spilled onto Adina¡¯s chest without warning¡­ Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 The te of spaghetti contained tomatoes, which gave the sauce apletely different color from water. When the sauce sshed onto Adina¡¯s chest, her top immediately got wet, and the outline of her bra became visible. ¡°So-Sorry!¡± Harold was terrified. Auntie Adina finally came to see him, but he did such a stupid thing. ¡°I¡¯ll wipe it for you¡­¡± He quickly went to get some tissues and wipe Adina¡¯s chest. Duke suddenly frowned. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He did not like Harold touching the woman there. He stood up indifferently and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you should go and get changed.¡± Adina used the tissues to cover her chest. She could feel that her top and bra had gotten wet. She definitely could not leave the house with her outfit looking like that. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to take a shower and dry my shirt. I wonder if it¡¯s convenient for you, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Harold immediately nodded before he held Adina¡¯s hand and walked upstairs. He pushed open the door to a room on the second floor. ¡°This is my room. I have many new clothes in my closet. Auntie Adina, you can choose any one of them.¡± When he opened the closet door, it revealed all kinds of cool clothes for boys. Adina was speechless. No matter how skinny her figure was, she would never be able to fit in a child¡¯s clothes, right? ¡°Ms. Daugherty, there are some women¡¯s dresses.¡± Duke was somehow standing at the door now, and he spoke to her nonchntly, Adina patted Harold on the head before she followed Duke to the room next door, There was a big closet in the room, and it was full of different luxurious branded dresses. The price tags had not been removed, so she could tell that they were new. ¡°You can choose any one of them,¡± Duke said indifferently as he sat on the couch. Adina pursed her lips. Thank you, Mr. Winters.¡±. She walked to the closet and simply took out a white dress. Just as she was about to take the dress to the bathroom, she saw a sticky note on the dress A name was written on the sticky note. (Dew Daugherty) These clothes had been prepared for Dew! She suddenly felt like she was holding something dirty, so she immediately put it back. The Winters family had actually prepared some clothes for Dew, so it could only mean that Dew and Duke were closer than she had imagined. Adina suddenly did not want to change her clothes. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I think I better go home and get changed. I¡¯ll leave first, Mr. Winters.¡± Duke squinted. He could feel the woman¡¯s emotions change drastically after she saw the clothes. The clothes were new. Was there anything wrong with them? ¡°Ms. Daugherty, your face is sufficient to trigger people intomitting a crime. What do you think would happen if you went out in this outfit?¡± Adina lowered her head. She saw that the front of her top had be transparent due to the wetness, and her pinkce bra could be clearly seen. It was inappropriate for her to go out like that.. She took a deep breath. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll dry my shirt then.¡± Duke got up and left the room before he walked back in a while with another shirt in his hand. ¡°This is my shirt. If you don¡¯t mind, you can put it on for the time being.¡± He threw the shirt over, and Adina quickly caught it. She would rather wear Duke¡¯s shirt than touch anything that belonged to Dew. She held the shirt and walked into the bathroom. Pitter-patter! Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 It was the sound of water flowing out of the showerhead. Duke sat outside and suddenly felt thirsty. He looked to the side a little and could see her blurry figure behind the bathroom¡¯s ss door. After Adina finished taking care of the sauce on her chest, she started washing her top. She threw Duke¡¯s shirt to the side, as she did not n to put it on. However, after she washed her top, she realized that there was no hairdryer in the bathroom. She could look for it outside or ask the man outside to deliver a dryer to her, but she could not walk out naked. So, she could only put the shirt on helplessly. The white shirt was sorge that it came down to her knees and covered her whole body. Adina opened the bathroom door and walked out only after she looked at the mirror and made sure that there was nothing wrong with her reflection. The water vapor from the bathroom instantly flew out, and her body seemed to be surrounded by a thin layer of mist. It seemed that even her skin was also covered in mist, and she was as fair as a new-born baby¡­ Duke raised his head and became stunned. He had never lost hisposure before. Even when Dew came to him with two sons, he still looked incredibly calm. Yet, he was dumbfounded at this moment. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. This woman was so gorgeous that she made his heart flutter. No wonder she had been called the most beautiful woman in Sea City before she turned twenty. She deserved the title. Receiving his passionate gaze, Adina felt a little embarrassed as well despite being a calm person. She cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, may I know where the hairdryer is?¡± Her voice instantly snapped Duke out of his daze. D*mn it! What was he doing? He had actually stared at a woman who had just taken a shower! Where were his manners? ¡°I¡¯ll go and get the hairdryer for you.¡± Duke walked out of the room like he was running away and found the hairdryer in his bedroom.. Just as he was about to go back next door, he stopped walking. He could not look at the woman again, or else something serious would happen. He was going to call Mr. Brown to deliver the hairdryer, but then, he thought of something. Mr. Brown was also a man. Although he was old, he was still a man. All men had the same nature. Duke surrendered to his fate as he delivered the hairdryer to Adina. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters.¡± Adina turned around, walked into the bathroom, and closed the door. Then, she focused on drying her clothes. Duke sat outside. As he listened to the sounds of the hairdryer, the heat in his heart slowly dispersed. Ten minutester, Adina put on her top and walked out. She shed him a polite faint smile. ¡°Mr. Winters, thank you very much for today. I¡¯ve washed and dried your shirt.¡± She handed the white shirt over, and Duke took it. It seemed that the shirt was still faintly stained with her scent. He gulped before he casually said, ¡°Come to Winters Corporation tomorrow. We¡¯ll talk about the coboration officially.¡± ¡°Okay, see you tomorrow.¡± Adina walked down the stairs in her high heels. Harold was doing his homework in the living room. When he saw her walking downstairs, he rushed up to her happily. ¡°Auntie Adina, can you please stay for a while?¡± Adina dared not stay any longer. The man¡¯s gaze earlier had been terrifying. The way he stared at her was like someone staring at his prey. ¡°I¡¯ll visit you again. I have to leave now. Harold, don¡¯te after me, otherwise, I won¡¯t visit again next time.¡± 1. Harold swung his hand gloomily, ¡°See you next time, Auntie Adina¡­¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Adina raised her wrist and looked at the time. It was already 4.00 pm, and the ss in the preschool was going to be over soon. She had unknowingly been with the Winters family for so long. She had initially wanted to go to her studio and take a look, but it waste. Hence, she just went straight to the preschool to pick up her kids. Adina drove there, and after she waited for a while at the entrance, she saw her kids walking out while holding hands. Her kids were even surrounded by arge bunch of children. ¡°Alden, you were awesome today. You have to be the smartest kid in our preschool!¡± ¡°Alden, you¡¯re so handsome. I want to be your friend too. Can you sit with me tomorrow?¡± ¡°I want to sit with my sister,¡± Alden said indifferently. ¡°If you want to be friends with my sister, I¡¯ll be friends with you too.¡± ¡°Melody¡¯s so pretty. If I y with her, I¡¯ll be a beautiful princess like her!¡± ¡°I want to be friends with Melody too!¡± Therefore, the children surrounded Melody. However, they also knew that Melody did not like to speak, and she was also not fond of other people touching her. So, although they surrounded her and talked, they did not cross the line. As a result, Melody did not push them away. But no matter what the children said, she did not respond at all. When Adina saw the scenario, she felt veryforted. She never expected the children to willingly be friends with Melody. She walked over in her high heels and immediately caused some major reactions. ¡°Wow, Alden! Is this your mommy? She¡¯s so pretty!¡± ¡°Your mommy¡¯s like a goddess from Heaven. No wonder you and Mel look so good!¡± The children surrounded Adina and kept talking. Adina gently smiled and said, ¡°Eat more fruits and drink more water. Then, your skin will be fair, and you¡¯ll be prettier!¡± The girls who loved to dress up secretly remembered her advice. After Alden bade them goodbye, he finally held Melody¡¯s hand and got in the car. Adina drove as she smiled and said, ¡°It looks like the teachers and children in this preschool are quite proficient. I think Mel should be able to make some friends here.¡± Alden nodded, ¡°The kids are very enthusiastic. Mel doesn¡¯t resist them either. Don¡¯t worry, Mom.¡± As long as he was there, nobody could bully and despise his sister. When Adina personally witnessed that scene earlier, could rest assured. She did not say anything else and concentrated on driving. Alden turned sideways and looked at the scenery outside the windows that kept moving backward. Suddenly, he frowned, pursed his lips, and said, ¡°Mom, that ck car at the back¡¯s been following us.¡± Adina frowned and looked at the rear-view mirror. Sure enough, a ck van was following her car from a normal distance. She held the steering wheel and turned to the left. The ck van also turned to the left. When she turned to the right, the van also turned to the right, and it remained fifty meters away from her. ¡°Alden, hold Mel and sit tight. I want to shake that car off!¡± Adina stepped on the elerator and drove speedily on the road, constantly overtaking other cars. However, the driver of the ck van was clearly quite skilled. The van managed to follow Adina tightly even though she had sped up.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Alden frowned. ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go to that restaurant and see who they are from there.¡± Given the circumstances, that was all they could do for now. Adina turned the steering wheel, and just as she was about to park in front of the restaurant, she suddenly heard a loud bang behind her car. When she looked back via the rear-view mirror, she noticed that the van had been hit by a sedan. There was arge dent in the van, and it could no longer be used. The van driver was guilty, so he dared not get out of his van to ask forpensation. He quickly drove his dented van away. When the sedan door was opened, a man in an ash gray suit stepped out. The man was someone who would make thedies scream as soon as he showed up. His eyes were brown, and they appeared dazzling under the evening light. Upon closer look, they were just a pair of standard charming eyes. The man smiled faintly and walked up to Adina¡¯s car with his long legs. He leaned on the window, knocked on the door, and shed her a charming smile. ¡°Addy, I told you we¡¯d meet again.¡± Adina lowered her car window and stared at him with a cold smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where you go. You¡¯re just as much of a f*ckboy as ever.¡± Flint Morton was a man from a rich family, and she had gotten to know him when she was abroad. He was also a well-known yboy in the circles of the rich families overseas. When they first met, this f*ckboy pursued her madly. In the end, after she threw him over her shoulders, he surrendered. Only then did he give up on going after her. Once the man stopped pursuing her, both of them gradually became friends. Before she returned, they had a farewell meal together. She thought it would be hard for them to meet again because Flint lived abroad, and she would not travel overseas anytime soon. Who would have thought this f*ckboy woulde to Sea City? ¡°Uncle Flint, why are you here?¡± Alden moved his head closer and tilted his head as he asked, ¡°Hey, Alden, how many times have I told you that it sounds too distant if you call me ¡®Uncle Flint¡¯? CallThis content is ? N?velDrama.Org. me ¡®Daddy,¡¯ and we¡¯ll be closer.¡± Flint tussled Alden¡¯s hair roughly. He curled his lips and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to call me ¡®Daddy, ¡®I can still ept¡¯ Godfather.¡±¡± Alden hid from his hand before he pursed his lips indifferently. ¡°If my mom¡¯s okay with it, I¡¯m okay.¡± Flint rolled his eyes. If Adina agreed, the sun would rise from the west. He blinked before he looked at the obedient girl. ¡°Mel¡¯s always the cutest. Here, let me hug you.¡± He forced himself into the back passenger seat and held Mel in his arms. While the girl was not very responsive, she did not resist Flint touching her hair either. Therefore, he caressed the girl¡¯s soft puffy hair more fearlessly. Adina chuckled as she shook her head. There were less than five people in the world whom could Melody could ept, and Flint was one of them. She continued driving while she asked, ¡°How long will you stay in Sea City this time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay until you¡¯re fed up with me,¡± Flint said with a yful expression, ¡°Addy, I haven¡¯t had your cooking for a long time. I¡¯m craving for it! I want to eat Sea City¡¯s specialties. I want to eat all of them¡­¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Adina red at him. ¡°I¡¯ll cook for you. After that, get lost.¡± She drove to the supermarket and purchased some groceries before she went home. Flint carried Melody out of the car and eximed, ¡°D*mn! Your vi looks amazing! How did you have the money to buy such a great vi?¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Adina carried the groceries and walked into the vi as she said, ¡°This is my grandmother¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Your grandmother¡¯s really nice to you.¡± Flint clicked his tongue. ¡°But no matter what, the house belongs to your grandmother. It¡¯s not under your name. Perhaps you can marry me. I¡¯ll give you a seaside vi with a sea view, and it¡¯ll only be under your name.¡± Adina gave him a kick. ¡°Flint Morton, if you keep talking cr*p, you can get out!¡± ¡°Hey Addy, be gentle! It hurts!¡± Flint carried Melody while he pretended to hide. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t joke with you again.¡± He ran to the living room and sat on the floor to keep Melodypany as she yed with her blocks. Alden cast a nce at his sister before he habitually switched on hisptop and logged into his personal ount. Suddenly, he frowned, and his warm gaze was filled with some coldness. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Someone was actually decoding the surveince video that he had encrypted. Half of the 108 passwords had already been cracked. He immediately tapped open the program page and instantly entered battle mode. Whenever his opponent cracked a password, he would strengthen the protection of the next password. As this went on round after round, the video became encrypted with a few hundreds of passwords¡­ Yet, his opponent did not n to give up. ¡°Alden, what are you doing?¡± Flint suddenly moved his head closer. After he realized what was happening, he suddenlyughed. ¡°There¡¯s actually a hacking expert as skilled as you. This is interesting.¡± This boy had demonstrated his extremely gifted hacking skills at three. Right now, he was just four years old, but he had already be one of the best hackers in the world. If Addy had not forbidden Alden from using his hacking skills to earn money illegally, maybe Alden would have be a very rich man a long time ago. He always felt that if Alden got serious, he would be the number one hacker in the world. However, at that moment, Alden seemed to be facing a strong opponent. Flint stared at the screen for a while before he moved anotherptop over and promptly entered into battle mode as well. The two of them encrypted the video at the same time, and they acted two times faster than their opponent. On the other end of theptop, George tapped on his keyboard speedily. His fingers were so fast that only the shadows of his fingers could be seen. His forehead was full of sweat, which fell on his keyboard drop by drop. ¨C In all his years in the hacking world, he had never encountered such a capable enemy. It was the surveince video of his mother ambushing Adina at the cemetery. It had been trending on the Inte for many days, and the number of shares was shocking, so he had to remove it. . George took a deep breath, and his fingers moved more quickly. Despite that, he still could not defeat those two individuals alone. Soon, all the scenes that he had decrypted were encrypted once again with S-Level passwords. At this time, Duke pushed the door open and walked in. Duke did not turn the lights in the study on, but when the blue ray from the computer screen refracted off George¡¯s face, it made the sweat on his forehead look clearer. ¡°George, what are you doing?¡± Duke stood a meter away from him and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that you¡¯re not allowed to do anything rted to hacking?¡± George pursed his pale lips and slowly said, ¡°I have to do this for Mom¡¯s reputation.¡± He did not stop working. Instead, he tapped more quickly. Unfortunately, it was useless no matter how fast he was. His opponent went after him so aggressively that he did not have time to rest. Duke got closer with each step and finally saw the video clearly. It was a part of the surveince video that had been discussed online for a few days. Dew had ambushed the cemetery but ended up being attacked and strangled by Adina. Although the heat from public opinion had reduced, as long as the video existed, Dew would never be able to clear her name. No matter how vicious Dew was, she was still the boys¡¯ mother. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Duke pursed his lips. He moved forward and lifted George by the back of his cor. ¡°Dad, let go of me!¡± George resisted. ¡°I swear that this is myst time being a hacker¡­¡± Duke threw him aside and sat in front of theptop. George thought that his dad would shut down theputer, but he saw Duke put his fingers on the keyboard to type. Outsiders just knew Duke as a genius in business. However, only George knew that his dad was a real hacking expert. When he was three, he had identally seen his father fight a foreign hacker using theputer, and that uncovered his talent in the same field. The problem was finally solved with his dad¡¯s help. Half an hourter¡­ ¡°F*ck! Is the opponent a demon or what?¡± Flint threw a punch at theputer. ¡°I was f* cking killed!¡± Alden pursed his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°Our opponent changed. The person who cameter is a real hacking expert. I¡¯m not as good as him.¡± He had been in the hacking field for a year, but he had never encountered those two people. The former wasparable to him, but thetter was ten times better than him. He had lost this round. Adina came out with four dishes and a soup before she nced over. ¡°Flint, what bad thing did you influence my son to do again?¡± Flint stuffed the twoptops under the couch before he calmly said, ¡°Addy, I was just asking him what I should do so that he¡¯d be willing to call me ¡®Daddy.¡¯¡± ¡°You might stand a chance in your next life,¡± Adina said indifferently. ¡°Addy, you¡¯re ruthless!¡± Flint touched his heart and said dramatically. ¡°I¡¯ve pursued you for four years. Even a cier would melt. How can you be so heartless? Why am I so pitiful¡­?¡± Adina was at a loss for words, He could really be an actor, Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Alden pulled his chair out, sat down, and casually said, ¡°Uncle Flint, pleasee and eat now. Otherwise, Mel¡¯s going to finish all the food.¡± Flint was shocked, so he quickly sat at the dining table. He had seen Melody¡¯s appetite. She ate more than him. If he took his time, he would only drink soup in the end. They ended their meal withughter and conversation. Flint held a nket on the couch and refused to leave. ¡°I don¡¯t have a house in Sea City. I¡¯ll stay in your ce today.¡± Adina kicked him in the leg. ¡°I¡¯ll give you money. Book a hotel room.¡± ¡°No! I have mysophobia. If I sleep in a hotel, I¡¯ll have a rash.¡± Flint held Melody in his arms and kept crying. ¡°Mel, I love you the most. Your mommy¡¯s chasing me out to sleep on the street. I¡¯ll freeze to death at night. Mel, can you please help me?¡± Adina suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and slowly said, ¡°Do you want me to throw you out?¡± Right then, Mel suddenly walked away and pushed open the door to the guest room on the first floor. Then, she looked at Adina with her big, watery eyes. Adina understood what Melody meant. She wanted Flint to stay. Besides relying on her and Alden, Melody trusted a third person, Flint. Perhaps because Flint was the only adult male in Melody¡¯s life, she naturally trusted and relied on him. Adina pursed her lips and said, ¡°You have three days. You need to get out of my house after that.¡± 1 Flint carried Melody and held her up high. ¡°Haha! Awesome! Mel, you¡¯re my lucky star!¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Sunlight shone in from the balcony as Adina tidied her hair and sat up. She stared into space for three seconds before she got up and went to get ready. After she sent the kids to preschool, she had to go to Xavier Corporation and attend the press conference for the new product. Then, she had to go to Winters Corporation to discuss the coboration. ¨C ¨C She pulled open her closet and chose a work dress. As soon as she got changed, she heard some noise from downstairs. ¡°Who allowed you to stay here? I¡¯m giving you three seconds. Get out, now!¡± Ethan was standing in the living room and looking very angry. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ride to the press conference in Xavier He hade over because he wanted to give Corporation. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the house, he saw a man only in his pants lying on the couch and sleeping soundly. He instantly became furious. Meanwhile, Flint was just as angry. He had slept in the studyst night, but there had been too many mosquitoes in the room. So, he had no choice but to sleep on the couch in the living room. He was a man, who had been pampered in a rich family, hence he was not used to sleeping on the couch. He only managed to fall asleep when the sun was almost up. However, not long after he fell asleep, he was awakened by the angry yells of a man. When Flint opened his eyes, he saw Ethan, who looked like a gentleman in his suit, so he squinted. He leaned back on the couch before he scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m Addy¡¯s boyfriend. Why can¡¯t I stay here?¡± Ethan was filled with so much rage that hisplexion turned blue. ¡°Don¡¯t try to ruin Addy¡¯s reputation. If you¡¯re not leaving, I¡¯m going to ask the security guards to throw you out.¡± ¡°Hmph! If you throw me out, Addy won¡¯t spare you,¡± Flint said recklessly. ¡°Who are you? You just rushed in here without knocking or asking for permission. You¡¯re invading a person¡¯s house illegally. ording to thew, you should be jailed for at least fifteen days,¡± ¡°This is my house. Do I need your permission before Ie here?!¡± Ethan yelled angrily, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m the master here!¡± Flint shook his head to dere his ownership. Suddenly, it dawned on him.¡±Did you say that this is your house?¡± Last night, Addy had seemingly mentioned that this was her grandmother¡¯s house. Was this man. Flint immediately pulled the nket over to cover his shirtless body. Oh, my gosh! He had actually been so rude to Adina¡¯s cousin! Ethan was livid. Although Addy had two kids, she was still an innocent girl to him. Would he not get angry when he suddenly saw a topless stranger lying on the couch in Addy¡¯s house? Ethan red at Flint. Flint, who had been arrogant earlier, already noticed that he had made a huge mistake. He got up gloomily and ran toward the study quietly. Adina was already downstairs. ¡°Ethan, why did youe over so early?¡± she asked in surprise. Flint¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The man was really her cousin! ¡°Who¡¯s that man?¡± Ethan suppressed his anger and asked. ¡°Be honest with me, Addy.¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡°He¡¯s Flint Morton. He¡¯s a friend I met overseas. He came to Sea City yesterday, and he didn¡¯t have a ce to stay, so I let him stay the night,¡± she nonchntly said with a straight face. When Ethan saw her honest expression, he sighed in relief. ¡°He said that he was the master of this house.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that!¡± Flint cowered and exined in a weak voice, ¡°Mr. Xavier, you misheard me¡­ What I meant was that it¡¯s inappropriate for a guest like me to be dressed like this. I-I¡¯ll go and get changed¡­¡± He ran away gloomily. ¡°Addy, you¡¯re a single mother. It¡¯s not appropriate to have a man stay overnight in your house. If he doesn¡¯t have a ce to stay, you can ask him to stay a night with the Xavier family,¡± Ethan said sincerely. Adina nodded obediently and said, ¡°Ethan, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll go to the Xavier Corporation after I send the kids to preschool.¡± Flint stuck his head out and shouted, ¡°Addy, you can go to work. I¡¯ll send Alden and Mel to their preschool.¡± When they were abroad, Adina would always let Flint take care of the two kids. The guy might have seemed unreliable, but he was extremely attentive when it came to looking after the kids. She put their bags at the door and said, ¡°Leave only after you watch them enter the preschool, okay?¡± ¡°Hey, Addy, I¡¯m not three years old. Do you have to give me instructions like that? Go to work!¡± Only then did Adina grab her bag and get into Ethan¡¯s car. As soon as the car was driven out of the neighborhood, Adina was sharp enough to notice that another car was following them. Before she spoke, Ethan said, ¡°Addy, when I came in the morning, that car was parked near the entrance of the neighborhood. Once we left, they followed us. It looks like they¡¯re tailing us.¡± ¡°When I picked up the kids from preschool yesterday, someone tailed me too.¡± Adina had a stern look. ¡°I just came back a few days ago. Who did I offend?¡± ¡°Who else could it besides Dew Daugherty?¡± Ethan said coldly. ¡°You just obtained 25% of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares, It¡¯s like taking a part of them, so why would they spare you that easily?¡± Adina frowned, and her heart was filled with contempt. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Addy.¡± After the press conference ends, I¡¯ll get a few bodyguards who are good at martial arts to protect you,¡± Ethan said. ¡°I¡¯ll also send a few people to keep an eye on the preschool. I won¡¯t let the Daugherty family hurt the kids.¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Thank you, Ethan.¡± The car at the back did not let up. It just kept following them from a distance. After they arrived at Xavier Corporation, Adina stepped out, while the other car just stopped in front of Xavier Corporation. Ethan cast a nce at Adina tofort her before he brought her upstairs. This time, the press conference for Xavier Corporation¡¯s new products was extravagant. It was being held in the lobby on the first floor, the reporters from different mediapanies had arrived before it began. Adina went to the resting lounge first. As soon as she went in, she saw Sophia ying with a small robot. ¡°Dad, I told you that you¡¯ve been fooled by Adina. This product isn¡¯t intelligent at all. It doesn¡¯t understand what I say. Will everyone laugh at us during the press conferenceter?¡± Richard stared at her coldly. ¡°If you have no clue, don¡¯t spout nonsense. Just stay in the corner.¡± ¡°Why would I be clueless?¡± Sophia scoffed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a smart home robot? I may not know how to develop it, but wouldn¡¯t I know how to use it?¡± ¡°Sophia, you really have no idea.¡± Adina entered in her high heels. She smiled faintly, picked up the 20-cm-tall robot, and said, ¡°Xavier, Xavier, sing a nursery rhyme.¡± The robot immediately yed a song. ¡°Sophia, this is a product that Xavier Corporation developed independently. How can you not know that you have to say the robot¡¯s name twice before you give it instructions?¡± Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°You don¡¯t even understand your own product. How can you hold the position of Marketing Department Manager?¡± Sophia¡¯s expression instantly darkened.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 **I¡¯m a daughter of the Xavier family. Who dares to criticize me for being the Marketing Department¡¯s manager?!¡± Sophia yelled angrily. Adina seemed indifferent as she said, ¡°I have nothing to say, of course. I just feel that it would be better to do some homework before you doubt others. Uncle Richard, the press conference is about to start. Shall we go now?¡± Richard nodded before he led Adina to the site of the press conference. Sophia kicked the table in fury, but the table was so hard that it hurt her toes tremendously. Xavier Corporation was using a gimmick in this press conference for their new products. They utilized the new concept of intelligent devices as the title, and that attracted a lot of people. Even George, who had recentlynded in Sea City and had not recovered from his jetg, also decided to attend the press conference this morning. The intelligence market was booming, and Winters Corporation also nned to invest in the industry. George wanted to see how otherpanies went about it. His assistant held his invitation and protected him in the hall as they made their way to thest row. Just as they took their seats, Adina showed up with Richard under the spotlights. Under the numerous light sources, Adina¡¯s skin shone brightly, and it looked like she was sparkling¡­ George immediately spotted her. He had seen this woman from the photo and knew that she was incredibly beautiful. However, he never thought that she would be this gorgeous. People always said that beautiful women were not easy to deal with. But why did he have the urge to approach her when he stared at the woman? As soon as Adina showed up, the hall burst into a ruckus. After the most beautiful woman in Sea City came back alive, the discussion about her on the Inte never stopped. The reporters initially went there to fight for a story in their business edition, but as soon as they saw Adina, they decided to also get a story for their entertainment section. As long as their report had the name ¡°Adina Daugherty,¡± they did not need to worry about having noCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. views ¡°Ms. Daugherty, may I know why you¡¯re here in the press conference for Xavier Corporation¡¯s new products ¡°Ms. Daugherty, may I know what your role is in today¡¯s event?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you used to be the heir of Daugherty Corporation, but you¡¯re not back with the Daugherty family now. Can you share with us why?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty¡­¡± The questions came to her like an avnche. Adina smiled faintly. She picked up the nearest microphone and calmly said, ¡°Hello, reporters. I am Adina Daugherty, the designer of the smart chip for Xavier Corporation¡¯s new product. I personally designed the integrated smart chip that¡¯s been embedded into the smart device. This smart chip has a mix of the traditional integrated circuit mode. Based on this¡­¡± Her voice echoed in the hall. . When boring technical words came out of her mouth, people subconsciously wanted to listen to her carefully. The reporters who were not interested in technology could also briefly understand the new product¡¯s operating concept. ¡°This smart device aims to make our lives more convenient. In the future, Xavier Corporation will keep updating the smart chip so that everyone can fully experience the convenience brought to our lives in the information era.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°This smart robot will be avable on the market in one week. We¡¯re calling for partners to coborate. We wee you to contact Xavier Corporation¡¯s Marketing Department. Thank you.¡± She then put down the microphone and bowed before everyone in the hall. Following that, loud apuse was heard in the hall. George did not p his hands. He narrowed his eyes and judged Adina with a fierce gaze. This woman was excellent. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. No wonder she could make his mother so fearful. Perhaps it was due to their biological rtionship, but he could not hate this woman. However, once he remembered that the purpose of this woman¡¯s return was to mess the Daugherty family up, he could only suppress his good impression of her. His mom had given him life, so he had to protect her. When Adina stood on the stage, she could feel a constant sharp gaze on her. When she looked around, she could only see the crowd. Just as she was about to carefully pinpoint the source, a microphone was pointed at her. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, we would like to know how your rtionship with the Daugherty family is. Can you please share with us?¡± The previous incident had caused such a big fuss, and it was not officially over, so the crowd had been curious for a long time. Adina looked away before she calmly answered, ¡°I¡¯m a daughter of the Daugherty family, and that will never change. The family has transferred 25% of their shares to me, so I¡¯m now the third biggest shareholder of Daugherty Corporation, and I¡¯ll participate in the management of the corporation.¡± As soon as she said that, the hall went into an uproar. Previously, the Daugherty family and Adina had fought online, so the crowd thought that the Daugherties would remove this daughter from the family. Unexpectedly, the Daugherty family made a concession and transferred the shares to Adina. So, was the Daugherty family actually not as vicious as theizens had imagined? While the reporters were stunned, Richard and Ethan shielded her. When the reporters did not pay attention, she turned back and left the stage. Actually, she did not like to attend such asions. But in order to survive, she had to frequently show up under the spotlight. About the change of shares in Daugherty Corporation, she had to take the initiative to expose Otherwise, Dew would conspire with Ruby to make herself look like a kind and innocentdy, That way, theizens would sympathize with her. However, Adina had already told theizens about it in advance. The cleverizens would definitely find out that the shares initially belonged to her. Then, she would hire ghost writers to lead public opinion, and the other half of the shares in Dew¡¯s hands would be a target for online attacks. After Adina attended the press conference, she felt relieved. She was about to go to the resting lounge when a young female secretary walked toward her.¡° Ms. Daugherty, Mr. Xavier asked you to wait for him in the meeting room over that side. He wants to discuss a few details with you.¡± Adina did not give it too much thought. She just followed the secretary to the other end of the corridor. Everyone was attending the press conference in the lobby, so there were not many people around. The secretary pushed open the meeting room door before she led Adina inside. ¡°Please have a seat. I¡¯ll go and get you a cup of coffee.¡± The secretary walked to the door, closed the meeting room door, and used her phone to make a call. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ve done as you asked¡­¡± She stood in the corner while she made the call, and she did not notice that a four-year-old kid was standing behind her. George frowned. The press conference had not ended. When he saw the woman leaving, he also left. He did not know why he ended up walking there. He did not even expect to hear what the secretary said. There was only one big family in Sea City, whose family name was Daugherty. ¡°Ms. Daugherty,¡± whom the secretary referred to on the call should be his mother, Dew. Why did his mom want someone to trick Adina intoing to the meeting room? Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 George stood at the end of the corridor and looked indifferent. This woman had brought disaster to the Daugherty family four years ago, and after all that time, she continued to frequently attack the family again. If his mom wanted to teach this woman a lesson, it would be reasonable. It was fine to let his mom vent her anger too. He hoped that this woman would hold back after this incident and not go against his mom constantly. George turned around to leave. Right then, four muscr men walked toward him. ¡°This is a great job. Our employer says that she¡¯s the most beautiful woman in Sea City. She¡¯s supposed to be a gorgeous woman whom countless rich men have failed to pursue, but she¡¯s in our hands now.¡± George instantly stopped walking. He raised his head and looked at the approaching four men. All of them were at least 1.8 m tall, and every one of them looked fierce. Bad intentions shed in their eyes. If these men entered the meeting room, it would not matter what they did. Adina would not stand a chance. The four men did not notice the child standing in the corner, and they continued their discussion in hushed voices. ¡°I saw the woman at the event just now. Her legs are really long, and she has big boobs.¡± ¡°Stop thinking about that. Our main mission is to kill the woman, or else, we won¡¯t receive the $5,000,000.¡± ¡°Killing a woman is easy. Anyway, I want to have some fun with her first before we kill her.¡± George¡¯s gaze instantly became profound and cold. His mom wanted to kill Adina! Adina was ultimately still his mom¡¯s sister. How could his mom be so cruel? George took a step back and pulled out his phone to make a call. Meanwhile, Adina was sitting in the meeting room. She felt so bored that she took her phone out and read the news, There was already a report on her speech from the event earlier, Xavier Corporation¡¯s new product didContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. not attract a lot of attention. Clearly, theizens were more interested in the fact that she had be the third biggest shareholder of Xavier Corporation (Who said the stepmother and stepdaughter in the Daugherty family are vicious? Show yourself and receive your punishment!) (Exactly! If they¡¯re really that vicious, why would they give away half of the shares? If I were them, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be so giving.) [Guys, are you blind? Please think before you read the information. The shares in Dew¡¯s hands initially belonged to Adina. Now that Adina¡¯s back, Dew just returned half of it. Besides, Dew hasn¡¯t returned her heiress status! Twenty-five percent of the shares are worth more than $ 1,000,000,000. Even if all your family members worked together, they wouldn¡¯t earn that much money!) (So, Adina is still the victim. She was forced to fake her death for four years. After she returned, she still couldn¡¯t get back the things that belonged to her! I heard that those shares were handed down from Adina¡¯s mother, but her stepmother¡¯s got her grubby hands on it now. Sigh! I¡¯m really worried about her.) (If Dew still has any conscience, she should return all her shares!) ¡°Unfortunately, she doesn¡¯t have a conscience!) . When Adina swiped through thements on the Inte, she smiled slightly. At this point, it was useless even if Dew wanted to pretend to be miserable. One day, she would force Dew to return her mother¡¯s inheritance. At that moment, someone suddenly knocked on the meeting room door. Adina kept her phone away and casually said, ¡°Come in.¡± Four muscr men entered the room, and she frowned. Just as she was about to ask what was going on, thest muscr man who entered the meeting room locked the door. The four of them approached her and surrounded her. Adina was always alert. She had already noticed that she might have fallen into a trap. She stood up vigntly and held one of the sses tightly. ¡°Are you Adina Daugherty?¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 The muscr men¡¯s leader shed her a despicable smile and questioned her first. ¡°Who are you? Why are you looking for me?¡± Adina remained calm as she continued to move backward. The muscr men slowly walked toward her. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, we heard that you¡¯re the most beautiful woman in Sea City. We purposely came to see what makes you the most beautiful woman.¡± One of the muscr men suddenly raised his arm and grabbed Adina¡¯s wrist. She was prepared. She threw the ss to the floor and used a sharp shard to scratch his wrist. ¡°How dare you, b*tch!¡± The muscr man was angry, and he quickly rushed over. Adina grabbed his arm and mmed him over her shoulders. The man was so heavy. He should have weighed more than 400 pounds. She only managed to m the man on the ground after she used almost all of her strength. ¡°This b*tch knows martial arts!¡± The remaining three muscr men looked at each other and secretly broke into cold smirks. Luckily, they were prepared. As they spoke, the man who was standing at the back took out a bottle of powder from his pocket. He poured it in Adina¡¯s direction when she was not paying attention. Adina just got a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. Before she could respond, her legs suddenly felt weak, and she also became a little dizzy. ¡°Haha! B*tch! You¡¯re so fierce. Unfortunately, you¡¯re up against a few of us.¡± The muscr man, who had been thrown on the ground, got up and smiled coldly as he moved toward Adina. Adina held her breath while she kept moving backward¡­ The muscr man quickly moved forward, grabbed her chin, and shed her a wicked smile as he said, ¡°We initially wanted to kill you instantly, but you¡¯re so ignorant. In that case, don¡¯t me us. Ab*tch like you should have slept with a lot of men, right? Just cooperate, or else l¡¯ll give you a fate worse than death!¡± Adina¡¯s gaze turned cold, She gathered all her strength into her knee and ruthlessly hit him with it. The muscr man screamed in pain. The four men finally realized that Adina was not easy to deal with It would be impossible for them to make this woman sleep with them obediently! They looked at each other and decided not to go ahead with it. They would directly take the woman and kill her! Adina¡¯s response became very slow. She sensed that she was about to faint, but she could not. Alden and Mel were still waiting for her. She could not be ruined like that. ¡°Dew hir¡­. hired you, right¡­¡± When she spoke, her tongue became twisted. She held her breath and said, ¡°How much has she paid you? I¡¯ll pay you ten times!¡± ¡°If you had behaved yourself, perhaps we could¡¯ve had a discussion. But you¡¯ve been too ungrateful. You have to die today!¡± The muscr men looked cruel as they walked over and emitted a killing intent. Adina¡¯s heart slowly sank. She initially thought that Dew wanted to get some people to defile her, like how she had found a man to sleep with her five years ago. She did not expect Dew to actually want to kill her. They grabbed both her arms and stuffed her mouth with a cloth. Then, they ced a cap on her head. Subsequently, they got a wheelchair out of nowhere before they pressed her down into the seat. The drug had taken effect, and she did not have the strength to resist at all. She would be pushed out of the building like a disabled person, and the security guard would just let them go¡­ Adina felt hopeless.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 The four muscr men pushed the wheelchair outside. When they just opened the meeting room door, they saw a dozen security guards walking toward them in the corridor. ¡°Who are you?¡± The head of the security team walked over with a baton. ¡°This is ourdy. She hurt her leg, so we came to pick her up,¡± the leader of the muscr men said calmly. Adina wanted to speak, but her mouth was stuffed, so she could not say a word. She wanted to struggle and cause a disturbance, but she realized that she did not have any strength. She could not even move her fingers. But this was her only chance! She wanted to turn over and roll down from the wheelchair, but the muscr man was pressing her shoulders down. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He remained very calm. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll leave.¡± The security guard head did not notice anything suspicious, so he let them go. Adina¡¯s heart sank to the bottom again. ¡°Hold on.¡± At that moment, the cold voice of a child was heard. George walked out from behind the security guards. He had purposely called the security guards over, but these pieces of trash did nothing unexpectedly. So, he had to do it himself. He walked over with disdain, raised his hand, and tried to take the cap off Adina¡¯s head. The muscr man grabbed his hand and harshly said, ¡°Kid, ourdy is of noble status. You can¡¯t simply touch her,¡± George raised his head and cast a coid nce at the man. His eyes were full of contempt, as he had mastered 90% of Duke¡¯s demeanor. The 18-meter-call muscr man was so frightened by his gaze that he let go of his hand. Then, George just look off Adina¡¯s cap. A woman, whose mouth was gagged with a cloth, appeared before them. The situation was dear. Everything suddenly became bright, and Adina saw a child. She tried her best to open her eyes. She looked at the boy and whispered, ¡°Alden¡­¡± Why would Alden be there? However, George did not look at her at all. ¡°This is an intentional abduction. I¡¯ll leave it to you guys,¡± he said to the guards coldly. After that, he just left. Adina could only see his departing silhouette. She snapped out of her daze. That voice did not belong to Alden. But why did the boy look so much like him? Before she could think about it in depth, the dozen of security guards were already fighting the four muscr men. The men were tall, but they did not have weapons. The security guards held batons, so they easily took the four men down. Right then, Ethan arrived in a hurry. ¡°Addy, what happened?¡± Adina did not have the strength to speak. She just shook her head weakly. The head of the security guards immediately exined the situation. This must be Dew Daugherty¡¯s doing!¡± Ethan was so angry that hisplexion turned pale.¡± She has framed you again and again. Does she think that all the Xavier family members are dead? Addy, let me send you to the hospital first. I won¡¯t spare the Daugherty family this time!¡± Ethan carried Adina into the car before he drove speedily to the hospital. Lucaly, she had just been drugged by something that made people dizzy. Once she took some medication, she would slowly recover, While Adina was bedridden, the boy¡¯s face kepting up in her mind. If I had not been for the boy, she would have definitely been killed today, The boy had saved her. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Over in the Daugherty Family, Dew threw a bunch of things onto the floor in a fit. ¡°You¡¯re all trash!¡± Her chest heaved with anger, and she wanted to smash everything in the room. Why did she keep failing again and again? Was she not just a woman? Was it so hard to kill a woman? ¡°Stop, Dew. Don¡¯t get angry.¡± Ruby walked over and patted her back. ¡°There were security guards in Xavier Corporation¡¯s building, so it was hard to do anything. Don¡¯t me them. We should think about how we can stop the four men from talking so that they won¡¯t expose the Daugherty family.¡± Dew scoffed. ¡°If they want their family line to end with their generation, they can expose the Daugherty family!¡± When she hired these men, she had their children controlled, so these men would not dare to say anything ¡°That b*tch, Adina, is really strong. I have to take some extreme measures. I¡¯m really worried that she¡¯ll find out about the two kids one day. If that happens, I¡¯ll bepletely doomed,¡± she said with displeasure. ¡°Don¡¯t lose your head. Just don¡¯t visit the Winters family or Winters Corporation for the time being,¡± Ruby slowly said, ¡°You can¡¯t let Adina discover your rtionship with the Winters family.¡± Dew nodded. Just as she was about to speak, her phone vibrated. She took a look at the iing call. It was from George. Her eyes were immediately filled with excitement. Even though George was the friendliest person to her in the Winters family, he had never called her on the phone! She picked up the call with excitement. ¡°Mom, I arrived in Sea Cityst night. Are you avable for a meet-up now?¡± Dew kept nodding. ¡°George, I¡¯m really happy that you called me. I¡¯ll head over to the Winters¡¯ to meet you.¡± After she hung up, she wanted to go and get changed. Ruby warned her from the side. ¡°Dew, George is the future heir of the Winters family. You have to hold on to that child. In the worst ¨C case scenario, even if we can¡¯t cover up that past incident, as long as George is with you, no one can touch you. Do you understand me?¡± Dew nodded. ¡°Mom, please rest assured. George respects me a lot. He¡¯s very obedient, and he never dares to stand up to me.¡± She put on a new dress before she drove to the Winters¡¯ ce, She was the mother of the young masters in the Winters family, and she would visit the Winters family once in a few days. The servants of the vi were very familiar with her. ¡°Ms. Daugherty.¡± As soon as she got out of the car, the servants respectfully greeted her in unison. Dew enjoyed the feeling very much. Unfortunately, only the servants of the Winters family knew that she was the young masters¡¯ biological mother. How great would it be if the whole world knew that she had given birth to two kids for the Winters family? Dew sighed before she quickly entered the vi. She knew that Duke would not be at home during the day, so she was extremely rxed. She just sat on the couch in the living room and made herself at home. At this time, George appeared at the staircase. Dew habitually faked a smile. ¡°George,e over and let me take a look at you. We haven¡¯t seen each other for a month. It looks like you¡¯ve grown thinner. I guess you¡¯re not used to the food overseas¡­¡± She walked over and reached out to touch George¡¯s face. But George avoided her indifferently. He stood at the staircase, and he was on the same eye level as Dew. He tightened his jaw and coldly said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions. Please be honest with me.¡± Dew¡¯s heart dropped. She knew that George actually did not like her, but George had an excellent upbringing. He always respected her as his mother and never spoke to her in such a tone. Yet, now, George¡¯s tone was cold, and his gaze was piercing. He looked exactly like Duke. She took a deep breath before she asked, ¡°What would you like to ask, George?¡± ¡°Mom, did you try to kill Adina Daugherty?¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 George¡¯s judging gaze was fixed on Dew. She felt a shiver run down her spine, and it creeped her out. It was the first time she had found George more terrifying than Duke. She bit her pale bottom lip before she slowly said, ¡°George, is there some kind of misunderstanding? Adina and I are sisters. No matter how much I hate her, I wouldn¡¯t kill her. ¡°Mom, since I¡¯m asking you, it means I already know something.¡± George walked down the staircase and firmly said, ¡°I just want to hear it from you. Why do you want to kill her?¡± Dew had never felt that frightened before. Even when Duke spoke indifferently to her, he never stared at her in that manner. Why would a four-year-old kid have such a menacing power? She suppressed her fright before she slowly said, ¡°George, it wasn¡¯t me. I¡¯ve never thought of hurting Adina, but your grandfather can¡¯t tolerate her¡­ ¡°George, do you know that Adina forced your grandfather to give away 25% of the shares? Since then, Adina became Daugherty Corporation¡¯s third shareholder. She has management rights in Daugherty Corporation. She¡¯s back because she wants to exact revenge on the Daugherty family. If Daugherty Corporation falls into her hands, she¡¯ll manipte it until it goes bankrupt. ¡°Your grandfather built Daugherty Corporation from the ground. How could he stand to see it being ruined? So, he asked me to find some people to kill Adina. George, I¡¯m not as vicious as you think. I only did it for your grandfather¡¯s sake. I¡¯m sorry. I made a mistake. George, can you forgive me?¡± George squinted before he stared at her in an unfriendly manner. ¡°You mean, Grandpa wants to kill his own daughter?¡± Dew nodded hard and said, ¡°Actually, your grandfather didn¡¯t want to, but Adina forced his hand. George, if you can help us get back those shares that she¡¯s taken, your grandfather will stop.¡± George frowned deeply. He walked away and sat on the couch. His demeanor was imposing, which made him unapproachable. A few minutester, he coldly said, ¡°The conflict between Grandpa and Adina isn¡¯t rted to you. Besides, I hope that you won¡¯tmit another vicious crime like you did today. If you do it again, don¡¯t me me for not epting a murderer as my mother.¡± Dew bit her bottom lip. She was being threatened by a little b*stard. She had suffered so much to raise these two b*stards, but they turned out to be two ungrateful ¡¤ rascals. Harold had always pulled a face at her. Now, George had also started to threaten her. She was their mother. How could these b*stards do this to her? Dew¡¯s chest heaved in anger. She could no longer hold her rage back. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°George Winters, I gave birth to you and raised you up. How dare you say such an ungrateful thing?¡± When George saw her losing herposure, he felt disappointed. He really did not understand why a woman like that could be their mother. He used to fantasize about a mother¡¯s love like many kids, but Dew was unable to give it to him. She always pleased and ttered him, but there was no love in her eyes. This woman just wanted the power and status of the Winters family. He and Harold were just the tools for her to achieve that purpose. Even if he had known about it a long time ago, he could not kick this woman out of his life. She had given birth to him, and his body came from her. Without this woman, he would not have existed.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want your hands to be stained with blood. That¡¯s why I said what I said.¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was rude. Please don¡¯t mind me.¡± Dew sighed in relief. She was so afraid that George would chase her out. Luckily, this little b*stard was not that bold. She calmed down before she casually said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t try to kill Adina again.¡± She had sent her people to deal with Adina today, but George found out. That meant somebody in the Winters family was keeping an eye on her. She could not give orders for things that would affect her image. Otherwise, George¡¯s attitude toward her would worsen. ¡°Why are you here again?¡± Harold was walking down from the second floor. When he saw Dew, his face was full of dissatisfaction. Dew¡¯s emotions, which had finally calmed, were triggered again. However, she realized that she had lostposure once, so she could not forget herself again. She forced a faint smile and said, ¡°Harold, I heard from Mr. Brown that you¡¯ve been undergoing closed learning. How are your studies?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Harold stared at her with disdain. ¡°Get out of my house. I don¡¯t want to see you anymore.¡± Whenever Duke was not at home, Harold would be especially presumptuous and arrogant. Mr. Brown lowered his head and dared not say a word because he knew that Young Master Harold hated this Ms. Daugherty the most. Each time Ms. Daugherty visited the winters family, Young Master Harold would lose his temper. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Dew was stunned before she said, ¡°Harold, I know that you don¡¯t like me. I¡¯m leaving now. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± She stood up, paused for a while, and added, ¡°George, I hope that you can help solve the issue I told you about.¡± After she said that, she finally left the Winters¡¯ ce. Harold leaned on the couch unhappily and asked, ¡°George, what did that woman ask you to help with again?¡± ¡°She¡¯s our mother, not ¡®that woman.¡¯ Mind yournguage,¡± George said coldly. ¡°Let me ask you something. Have you met Adina recently?¡± At the mention of Adina¡¯s name, the coldness in Harold¡¯s expression instantly disappeared. He sat on the couch, swung his short legs, and spoke in a soft voice. ¡°Auntie Adina came to our house last night. She even cooked super delicious spaghetti for me. I really like Auntie Adina. It¡¯d be great if she could live in our house¡­¡± George¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Did you say she came to our house yesterday?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Harold blinked. ¡°Dad brought Auntie Adina here.¡± George¡¯s heart sank. No wonder Grandpa wanted to eliminate Adina. That woman was so pervasive, and she could not be kept at bay. She was even connected to their dad. ¡°George, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Harold moved closer. ¡°I just thought of something all of a sudden. Look, if Dad marries Aunties Adina, wouldn¡¯t I be able to see her every day?¡± George frowned. ¡°Do you know who Adina is? How dare you let her marry into our family?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who she is. I like her!¡± Chapter 81 Chapter 81 hapter 81 Harold raised his chin, and arrogance shed in his ck eyes. He scoffed. ¡°If Dad doesn¡¯t want to marry Auntie Adina, I¡¯ll marry her after I grow up. I want to be with her every day.¡± George¡¯s expression became very sullen. He did not want to tell Harold about those things at first, but if he kept them from Harold, he was worried that Harold would be more and more obsessed with Adina. He slowly said, ¡°Do you know that Mom has a sister?¡± Harold scowled. ¡°Why are you talking about that woman? It¡¯s got nothing to do with me whether she has a sister or not. I don¡¯t know about it, and I don¡¯t care about it either. Don¡¯t talk to me about her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to you. Mom has a stepsister, and her name¡¯s Adina.¡± George used his phone, searched for a news article, and threw it to Harold. ¡°Adina supposedly died four years ago, but she came back because she wants to ¡®exact revenge on the Daugherty family and Mom. You¡¯re the best tool for her to use against Mom.¡± Harold cast a nce at the news, and his gaze was filled with disbelief. ¡°George, if I understand this correctly, is Auntie Adina our biological aunt?¡± George was speechless. He had never seen Harold call Dew ¡°Mom,¡± but he was pretty good at calling Adina ¡°Aunt.¡± ¡°No wonder I like Auntie Adina so much. She¡¯s our aunt, and we¡¯re biologically rted!¡± Harold jumped with joy. ¡°So, I can officially call Auntie Adina my aunt, right?¡± George had no words for him. Their mother had a closer biological rtionship with them, right? Why did this brat dislike their mom? Wait a minute, that was not the main point! ¡°Adina approached you because you¡¯re Mom¡¯s son. She¡¯s using you,¡± George said coldly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Harold scoffed. ¡°George, no matter what you say, you can¡¯t change how 1 like Auntie Adina. You don¡¯t have to waste your time persuading me.¡± He jumped down from the couch before he went upstairs with his short legs. The muscles around George¡¯s chin were tense. In the Winters Corporation¡­ The sun set at 5.00 pm, and it colored the clouds to form an orange evening sky. Duke was standing in front of a French window. He raised his wrist and gave it a nce as his gaze turned colder and colder. He had canceled all his appointments in the afternoon to talk about the coboration, but that woman, Adina, dared to stand him up. It was the first time that somebody dared to ignore his invitation for a coboration. This woman was bold. Great! He would remember this. ¡°Mr. Winters, Ms. Daugherty called,¡± his secretary stood at the door and said with fear. He did not enter the office, but he could feel the chilling tension in the CEO¡¯s office. Duke did not turn back. ¡°Just tell her that I¡¯m in a meeting.¡± His secretary nodded before he turned to get out of there. However, something seemed to suddenly ur to Duke, and he added, ¡°Hold on, which Ms. Daugherty is it?¡± Dew¡¯s family name was Daugherty, and Adina also had the same family name. Perhaps it was Adina? His secretary carefully answered, ¡°Ms. Daugherty said something happened in the afternoon. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t make it to ourpany to discuss the coboration with you. But I¡¯m not very sure which Ms. Daugherty she is.¡± Duke¡¯s stern, furrowed eyebrows instantly loosened before he knitted them again.¡±Call over and ask her what happened.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± His secretary trotted back to the secretarial office before he returned the call.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Adina was still a little dizzy. After she made the call to exin her condition to Winters Corporation, she got ready to call Flint. She would not be able to go to the preschool for the time being based on her current condition. As such, she had to ask Flint to pick the kids up from preschool. Before she could make the call, she received another iing call. ¡°Hello, Ms. Daugherty. I¡¯m the secretary from Winters Corporation. May I know what happened to you in the afternoon?¡± Adina pressed her eyebrows and said, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯m in the hospital for an infusion. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Please rest well, Ms. Daugherty. We can discuss the coboration after you recover.¡± The secretary politely hung up. Just as he was about to turn back and knock on the CEO¡¯s office, he saw that Duke was already standing behind him. He waspletely taken aback before he immediately reported, ¡°Mr. Winters, Ms. Daugherty is in the hospital for an infusion. She won¡¯t be able toe over today.¡± Duke nodded before he walked toward the elevator. His secretary plucked up the courage to run after him. ¡°Mr. Winters, a part of your schedule in the afternoon has been shifted to 7.00 pm tonight. You have a meeting in half an hour. You¡± ¡°Postpone the meeting to tomorrow.¡± The cold Duke pressed the button to close the elevator doors. His secretary was sweating. He wanted to know who this Ms. Daugherty was. How could she make the calm Mr. Winters lose his composure? After Adina received the infusion in the hospital, she recovered a lot. While she was having dinner in bed, Flint entered the ward with her two kids. ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡¯ Alden walked up to the bed and asked with a worried expression. Adina grinned and touched his face. ¡°I just caught a cold, so I came over to receive an infusion so that I can recover quickly.¡± ¡°Alden didn¡¯t believe me. I told him you just caught a cold, but he insisted oning to the hospital!¡± Flint casually sat by the bed. ¡°Addy, this is my first time in Sea City, but I¡¯ve be a caretaker for your kids. Why do I have such a miserable life?¡± Adina rolled her eyes at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be a caretaker, you can leave my house tonight.¡± ¡°Mel, your mom¡¯s bullying me again!¡± Flint carried the little girl to protect himself. ¡°I¡¯m so pitiful. Nobody loves me. I even have to sleep on the street tonight¡­¡± Alden secretly took a step back Mom was healthy, and she rarely caught a cold. Even when she did, she would just buy some medicine. She never came to the hospital. Yet, Mom was bedridden now, and she had received at least four packs of infusion. What happened? Alden felt a little anxious. He secretly left the ward and knocked on the attending physician¡¯s room. ¡°Hi, Dr. Louis, I¡¯m the son of Adina, the patient in Bed No. 6. My mom asked me to check with you to see if she could be discharged tonight.¡± Alden was cute and handsome. Plus, he was polite when he spoke. The doctor had a good impression of him, so the doctor patiently answered, ¡°Your mother inhaled too much valium, so she can be only discharged after a night of observation. But if she has something to do, it¡¯s possible for her to be discharged tonight.¡± ¡°Thank you, Doctor. I¡¯ll let my mom know.¡± Alden smiled and said thank you before he turned around and left the office. As soon as he walked out, his smile instantly disappeared. Valium was a drug that could make people dizzy. It was used to treat psychiatric diseases. Why would his mom overdose on it? Did someone try to harm his mom?This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Alden clenched his fists and looked regretful, which did not fit his age. He was too useless. He could not protect his mom. How great would it be if he could grow up faster? He pursed his lips as he walked slowly to the ward. But he suddenly stopped. Was the man walking in front of him Duke Winters? Why would this man appear in the hospital? Besides, it seemed that he was heading toward Mom¡¯s ward. He did not purposelye here to visit Mom, did he? When did Mom have such a good rtionship with this man? Duke walked with his long legs and reached Adina¡¯s ward in only a few steps. Before he arrived, he did not think too much of it. But when he stood in front of the ward, he suddenly felt that he was acting strangely. He was not rted to this woman at all. What would she think if he suddenly came to visit her? Most importantly, he did not know why he was there. Nevertheless, he was there, and running away midway through was not his style. Just as he was about to knock on the door, he realized that it was not closed. Through the gap of the door, he could see the bedridden woman. She was sitting up on the bed, and her face was pale. Her long wavy hair fell behind her neck, making her skin look as fair as the snow in winter. She seemed to be smiling faintly, and it was bright. She was breathtaking. It turned out that the most beautiful woman in Sea City could even be so beautiful when she was sick It was the first time that Duke realized a human being could look that gorgeous. He extended his long hand and gently pushed the ward door open. Then, he saw a man in a suit sitting beside the bed while peeling a banana. After the man peeled the banana, he fed it to Adina. The woman did not avoid it and took a bite. Duke¡¯s gaze instantly became extremely cold. Adina had just bitten the banana in her mouth, but before she could swallow it, she sensed a cold presence. When she looked up, she saw Duke standing at the ward door with displeasure. He looked like a demon who had arrived from hell and wanted to eat human beings. Adina choked on her banana and broke into a coughing fit. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Flint quickly patted her on the back. He even handed her a cup of water. ¡°Addy, why are you in such a hurry to eat the banana? Slow down¡­¡± Adina felt the temperature in the ward fall with her keen senses. After she drank some water, she could finally swallow the banana. She raised her head, looked at the man by the door, and calmly asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, why are you here?¡± Duke¡¯s expression totally darkened. He had driven half an hour to visit her, but he was witnessing this woman flirt with another man 1 He should have known that a beautiful woman like her would notck a man. Was his behavior any different from those men who pursued her? Duke scoffed. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you stood me up. Shouldn¡¯t you give me an exnation?¡± Surprised, Adina sat up straight before she said, ¡°Mr. Winters, did you purposelye all the way here just to get an exnation?¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 She could have exined it with just a phone call. Did this man have too much free time? He purposely came over¡­ ¡°I just happened to be around the area,¡± Duke answered coldly, and his expression was full of dissatisfaction. Adina pursed her lips. She was wondering why this man would purposelye to the hospital for that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Winters. Something happened to me in the afternoon, so I couldn¡¯t attend the meeting,¡± she said casually. Duke sized her up. He realized that she was in good spirits, so he guessed that it might not have been anything serious. While he scrutinized Adina, Flint scrutinized him in return. Flint had known Adina for four years. He was more aware than Adina about the men who pursued her. Once a man appeared around Adina, there was an 80% possibility that the man wanted to be with her. Flint scoffed. ¡°There are billions of people queuing up to discuss a coboration with our Addy. Who the heck are you? How dare you question why Addy stood you up. She can stand you up whenever she wants. It¡¯s her right. Do you have the right to question her¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Adina yelled at him. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Flint swallowed the words that he was about to utter. ¡°Addy, you yelled at me¡­¡± he said sadly. As he spoke, he even grabbed Adina¡¯s sleeve and swung it. When Duke saw the situation, the veins on his forehead became visible. ¡°Our Addy¡± had already annoyed him, but this man had even grabbed Adina¡¯s sleeve so casually! How were they rted? Right then, Alden walked into the ward. As soon as he came in, he attracted Duke¡¯s attention. ¡ª ¡ª¡ª From where he stood, he could see the boy¡¯s head. He looked like¡­ the boy he had met at the Xavier family¡¯s banquet. His silhouette was very simr to Harold¡¯s, and when Duke looked at him from a high vantage point, the boy resembled George as well. While he was feeling puzzled, Alden made his way in. He indifferently said, ¡°Daddy, the doctor says we can¡¯t proceed with the discharge today. You can keep Mompany in the hospital tonight.¡± Flint widened his eyes. This rascal was usually indifferent. Why did he suddenly be enlightened and call him Daddy? When he nced at Duke, he understood. He got up and raised Alden high. ¡°Alden, you¡¯re my good boy. But it doesn¡¯t sound nice when you call me ¡®Daddy.¡¯ I want to hear Mel call me ¡®Daddy.¡¯ Her voice has to be very sweet and soft He instantly grabbed Mel who was sitting on the balcony. He held one kid in each arm and smiled proudly as if he was the biggest winner. Meanwhile, Duke¡¯s expression became extremely dour. Adina actually had two kids: one boy and one girl. It looked like they were twins. This man was actually the children¡¯s father! The family of four was happy. Meanwhile, he had driven for half an hour and rushed over, looking like a joke. Immeasurable gloom instantly filled Duke¡¯s heart. He used all the strength he could muster to suppress his emotions. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the coboration in Winters Corporation at 3.00 pm tomorrow. If you stand me up again, the coboration will be over,¡± he said coldly. After he said that, he turned back and left. As soon as Duke was not there, Alden struggled out of Flint¡¯s arm. ¡°Such an ungrateful rascal. You just ignore me after you¡¯ve used me. You¡¯re more heartless than your mother!¡± Flint said unhappily. Before he continued criticizing him, Mel also struggled out of his grasp and jumped down. Then, she quickly ran outside. ¡°Hey, Mel, where are you going?¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Alden secretly thought, ¡®Oh, no.¡¯ Duke was very special to his sister. Whenever she saw Duke, she would be automatically drawn to him. He had made a mistake this time. He quickly ran after Melody and instantly grabbed her arm. ¡°Mel, don¡¯t run. Mom¡¯s going to be worried.¡± Alden gently coaxed her. ¡°Mom¡¯s not well. If she¡¯s worried about you, she won¡¯t recover.¡± Melody finally stopped running. She walked up to the handrail in the hospital¡¯s corridor and looked downstairs. She only looked away after Duke¡¯s figure disappeared. Alden looked down and clenched his fists tightly. Duke Winters was very likely their father. However, that man had made two women pregnant at the same time, so he was not qualified to be their father. If his sister acknowledged Duke as her father, she could possibly be hurt once again. He did not want his mother and sister to get hurt. He was a man. He would grow up soon, and he would take care of the family on his own. After Adina received the infusion, she felt much better, but she was still quite dizzy. So, she decided to be discharged tomorrow. Her two kids were very obedient. Alden led his sister to the other bed in the ward, and they slept there without a sound. Flint sat by Adina¡¯s bed and whispered, ¡°I already sent some people to investigate the incident. The Daugherty family¡¯s behind it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Adina pursed her lips before she said, ¡°Ethan went to the police station earlier. He identified the suspect, but they refused to admit a thing. They just said that they were horny, and they were not afraid of any sentence.¡± ¡°Since the Daugherty family has decided to go this far, they¡¯re not afraid of being exposed,¡± Flint said coldly. ¡°But now that they¡¯ve resorted to dirty tricks, we can operate on the concept of an eye for an eye.¡± As he spoke, he took a stack of documents from behind him. ¡°This is Daugherty Corporation¡¯s customer list. They¡¯re in contact with some important customers. Take a look.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Flint touched his own nose. He dared not say that Alden had given it to him. If addy found out that Alden had stolen anothor nominalna lidentinin hacking, hisptop would definitely be confiscated. He cleared his throat before he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am? I¡¯m the Morton family¡¯s young master. I have a lot of power. How can I not find such easy information? Just take it. I¡¯m sure you know better than me how to use this information to counterattack the Daugherty family.¡± Adina took the documents and casually nced at them. The information was very detailed. Even the customers¡¯ favorite colors and where they enjoyed their leisure time had been uncovered. One could say that having this name list meant she had a 50% leverage over Daugherty Corporation. She sincerely said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t have to say thank you.¡± Flint casually waved his hand in dismissal before he shed her a naughty smile. ¡°But if you really want to thank me, why don¡¯t you¡­ marry me?¡± The light feeling of warmth that filled Adina¡¯s heart instantly disappeared, and she nced at him in annoyance. ¡°Do you want to be punched?¡± Flint scowled. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. You don¡¯t think I¡¯m being serious, do you?¡± Adina was at a loss for words. If Mel had not epted Flint, she would have kicked this man out of Sea City. At 8.00 am the next day, Flint brought the two kids to preschool while Adina got herself discharged from the hospital. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 After she went back home and got changed, she drove to Daugherty Corporation. It was her first time there after she returned from abroad. Five years ago, it had been Daugherty Corporation¡¯s old building. Now, this building had been renovated. Its exterior wall was iid with blue ss, which refracted the blue sky and white clouds. It looked extraordinarily extravagant. Adina calmly walked inside. As soon as she showed up in the lobby, she attracted the attention of countless people. She was the Daugherty family¡¯s eldest daughter and the most beautiful woman in Sea City. Either one of those titles was sufficient to shock all the staff in Daugherty Corporation. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Adina? Why is she back in thepany?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the news yesterday mention that she¡¯s be the third biggest shareholder of Daugherty Corporation? There¡¯s a shareholder meeting today, so naturally she has toe.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t visited thepany for about four years. I guess she doesn¡¯t even know what the current operating direction of thepany is.¡± ¡°You never know. She¡¯s here to dere her rights this time. She can let the professionals manage the company. It¡¯s not necessary for her to understand it.¡± ¡°I feel that there¡¯s going to be a struggle for power in Daugherty Corporation.¡± ¡°Me too¡­¡± While everyone talked about her, Adina looked rxed as she entered the elevator. She went directly to the highest floor. When she was eighteen, she had gone there to sign the agreement to seed her mother¡¯s legacy. Unexpectedly, in less than a day after she inherited the legacy, tragedy would happen. This time, she felt everything had changed. ¡°Why are you here?¡± After Aaron received a call from his secretary, he immediately rushed out. They coincidentally met in the corridor. Their gazes were very cold, and the atmosphere was tense. Adina curled her lips and smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m a big shareholder of Daugherty Corporation. Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Aaron gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t study business management, and you don¡¯t know how to do business. It¡¯s meaningless for you to attend the shareholder meeting. I¡¯ll ask someone to send you back¡± ¡°Dad, you didn¡¯t study business management either, did you?¡± Adina¡¯s smile became mocking. ¡°When Daugherty Corporation was first established, you had no idea how to do business, but Daugherty Corporation still managed to be developed pretty well. Oh yeah, it had nothing to do with you when Daugherty Corporation expanded. It was because of my mom. My mom is an MBA graduate from Samsoon University. Without my mom, Daugherty Corporation would have fallen as soon as it was established.¡± Aaron¡¯s cheeks trembled. He was clearly livid. He hated it the most when someone brought that woman up in front of him. She had been so excellent that it made him look like trash. He admitted that Daugherty Corporation would not have developed without the woman. However, that woman had been dead for twenty year, and Daugherty Corporation had also been developing for twenty years. The achievement in these twenty years had nothing to do with the woman, okay? He had allowed Daugherty Corporation to obtain honor and glory! Adina¡¯s eyes were full of contempt. Aaron had actually yed the role of a loving father for eighteen years just to take away half of her shares. It had been a total of eighteen difficult years. He scoffed. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve inherited my mother¡¯s business ability. Why don¡¯t you choose to believe in me, Dad?¡± Aaron was furious. He suppressed his anger and yelled, ¡°If you mention that woman once again, you can leave the company!¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Even if I get out of here, you can¡¯t change the fact that my mother established Daugherty Corporation.¡± Adina¡¯s gentle tone and calm expression was a stark contrast to Aaron¡¯s anger. A few secretaries in the corridor were so shocked that they dared not breathe heavily. The atmosphere froze, and the situation was tense. Adina took a step forward, and there was a light sh in her cold eyes. ¡°Dad, you really won¡¯t ept me?¡± Aaron gritted his teeth and said, ¡°From the moment you set that fire four years ago, i no longer acknowledged you as my daughter.¡± ¡°What if I told you that I didn¡¯t set the fire?¡± ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t start it, the fire was set because of you.¡± Aaron¡¯s eyes were ruthless and profound. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee back alive.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand now.¡± Adina smiled brightly. Since their father-daughter rtionship had progressed to such a point, any so-called affection had also disappeared. So, she did not need to fear anything now. ¡°Dad, Adina, please don¡¯t quarrel.¡± Dew rushed over in a new pair of high heels. She begged them like she was the middle person. ¡°The shareholder meeting is about to start. The men are waiting in the meeting room. Dad, Adina, if you quarrel now, the outsiders are going tough at us. It¡¯ll ruin the harmony in our family too. Why do you want to do this?¡± Adina suddenly cast a fierce gaze at Dew. Is it worth killing me just for my shares?¡± she asked coldly. Dew was stunned before she widened her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Adina, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t know it. You just need to remember one thing. If I find the evidence, I¡¯ll send you to jail with my own hands.¡± Adina whispered into Dew¡¯s ear before she walked toward the meeting room. Dew clenched her fists tightly. Aaron looked furious too. ¡°How could I have such a rebellious daughter?¡± ¡°Dad, Adina must have noticed something. She won¡¯t spare me,¡± Dew said in a sobbing tone.¡± I tried to kill her yesterday, but George discovered it. He said that if I tried to hurt Adina again, he wouldn¡¯t acknowledge me as his mother anymore. Dad, George is so smart. Will he soon realize that I¡¯m actually not his mother? I¡¯m doomed. Everything¡¯s over. I shouldn¡¯t have lied four years ago¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine if i¡¯m doomed, but the Daugherty family would be affected too. Dad, I¡¯ve sinned against the Daugherty family.¡± Compared with Adina¡¯s coldness and aggression, Dew¡¯s gentle and weak tears made Aaron feel like a father again. He held Dew¡¯s shoulders, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°It has nothing to do with you. I have to bear some responsibility for the lie too. In the worst-case scenario, I¡¯ll confess to the Winters family.¡± Dew was shocked. ¡°Dad, what would you tell them?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say I forced you to be the mother of those kids. You have nothing to do with anything,¡± Aaron said. ¡°But things haven¡¯t progressed to that point, so I wouldn¡¯t be so silly as to make such a confession.¡± Dew¡¯s heart sank No matter who George and Harold¡¯s mother was, it would not change the fact that the young masters were the grandsons of the Daugherty family. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Her father could get out uninjured, but she would not be so lucky. Once the truth was exposed, she and her mother would be in great trouble. Dew took a deep breath. ¡°Dad, the shareholder meeting is starting. Let¡¯s attend the meeting first.¡± Most of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares were held by the Daugherty family members. Aaron had 35%, Dew and Adina had 25% respectively, and the rest held a small portion. Dew had initially been the biggest shareholder. After her shares were divided, she ranked second with Adina. To increase her power, Aaron transferred 1% to her. So, Adina became the third biggest shareholder with just 1% less than Dew. Aaron sat in the main seat, while Dew and Adina sat on either side of him. The big shareholders in the room had naturally heard about the change in the Daugherty family¡¯s shares. Many of them were senior employees who had worked hard with Aaron in the past, so they knew the Daugherty family well. Before the meeting started, Dew had even talked to each of them personally¡­ A dozen of the shareholders exchanged looks and knew what to do. ¡°Are you Ms. Adina Daugherty? Why don¡¯t you introduce yourself?¡± Mr. Lawson, the fourth biggest shareholder, was the first to speak, and he sounded sarcastic. Adina raised her eyebrows, and her beautiful eyes were filled with indifference and arrogance. ¡°Uncle Lawson, don¡¯t you already know me from the past? Do I still have to introduce myself This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. to you?¡± Mr. Lawson faked a smile. ¡°Kids grow up and change a lot. Your appearance has changed. If you don¡¯t introduce yourself, how can we know for sure it¡¯s you? Besides, we¡¯re also interested to know what you¡¯ve been through thesest four years and whether you¡¯re qualified to sit here and attend this meeting with us.¡± ¡°We need to set the course for the next quarter in each quarterly board meeting. If that¡¯s not something you can do, it¡¯d be better for you to turn left and leave the meeting room,¡± Mr. Porter added from the side. Another director also looked over with an unfriendly gaze. Adina was mentally prepared for this. She calmly said, ¡°This is the shareholder¡¯s meeting. As long as I have a share, I can sit here. Even if I¡¯m an idiot, you¡¯re not allowed to chase me out.¡± As soon as she spoke, Mr. Lawson¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, of course you can sit here. But after the meeting starts, please don¡¯t simply interrupt others. Learning how to remain silent is also a kind of wisdom.¡± Adina smiled indifferently. ¡°Okay.¡± The meeting finally started only when they made sure that Adina was silent. Aaron was the first to give a speech. He mainly concluded the sales and development of this season. ¡°The growth of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s sales in the first two months of the quarter increased steadily. But after public opinion took effect, a sinall boycott that started on the Inte caused the umtion of some products in the warehouse. Public opinion continued to take effect, causing the stock price to start dropping drastically. Luckily, Winters Corporation lent their hand to us. In the next half a year, ourpany should be able to increase its stock price Adina calmly listened to him. She did not expect hereback to affect Daugherty Corporation so greatly. Huised on her rough estimation, thepany had lost at least $3,000,000 in sales However, Daugherty Corporation was connected to Winters Corporation, which was a huge enterprise. Its corporate earnings should look good in the next six months She just did not know in what way Winters Corporation and Daugherty Corporation were coborating While she thought about it, Mr. Lawson spoke up. ¡°Mr. Daugherty, I¡¯ve seen the project with Winters Corporation. It¡¯s regarding an old city renovation in the western suburbs of Sea City The duration of the project is too long. There are at least three years of relocation work at the beginning. In other words, the project will only start three yearster, and we have to wait four years to gain profit.¡± Adina smiled faintly. It looked like Winters Corporation had just given Daugherty Corporation a rubber check The rubber check must have been used to dismiss public opinion from a week ago. If they wanted to earn money from this project, they would have to wait another four years. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 The shareholders sitting in the meeting room were experienced businessmen. When they thought about it, they understood Winters Corporation¡¯s intention If there was no connection between Winters Corporation and Daugherty Corporation, they would be lending their hand when Daugherty Corporation was in trouble. If Winters Corporation was close with Daugherty Corporation, they would just be giving them an arbitrary project. Mr. Porter said, ¡°No matter what, this project will only be advantageous to Daugherty Corporation. Since it will only start in three years, we¡¯ll talk about this project three years later. Now, Ms. Dew Daugherty, please talk about the big projects that are currently progressing in Daugherty Corporation so that we can have a brief idea.¡± Dew flipped through her documents and slowly reported, ¡°There are three main projects in Daugherty Corporation. Two of them are going to bepleted soon, and another one is in process. Besides, the company is also in talks for other new projects¡­¡± ¡°You mean the huge Daugherty Corporation is only profiting from one project now?¡± Mr. Lawson¡¯s tone was a little unpleasant. ¡°You have to get a few more projects, or the financial report for the next six months will be awful.¡± ¡°Uncle Lawson, we¡¯re already trying our best to do that,¡± Dew answered weakly. Mr. Lawson spoke coldly in a deep voice. ¡°Tell me which customers you¡¯re in talks with now. I¡¯ll see if I know any of them.¡± Dew was stunned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle Lawson. I didn¡¯t prepare the list of customers. I¡¯ll send it to your email.¡± She had been anxious recently because of Adina, so it had been some time since she focused on her work. She did not know which customers thepany was contacting, and which projects they had. Aaron naturally knew about her situation, so he said, ¡°There are mainly three important customers we¡¯re in contact with now. One of them is Mr. Williams. The Williams family is engaged in the ocean transportation industry. Daugherty Corporation¡¯s factory can produce aponent for their production line. Another one is Mr. Jones. The Jones family focuses on heavy machinery. Theirrge machinery ¡°Excuse me, I have to interrupt,¡± Adina said indifferently. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve made a mistake.¡± Dew softly said, ¡°Adina, Dad¡¯s speaking. How can you interrupt him? That¡¯s very rude.¡± Aaron¡¯s expression wasContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. cold, and his eyes were filled with anger. The fact that Adina was sitting there already made his eyes sore, and now she had interrupted him while he was talking. He really wanted to ask someone to throw his daughter out. ¡°I¡¯d rather be rude than disrespect our customers, ¡°Adina said stoically. ¡°The Williams family works with heavy machinery while the Jones family has an ocean transportation business. Dad has messed up the information of these two customers. People here are members of Daugherty Corporation, so there¡¯s no problem if he makes a mistake. But if he makes such a joke in public, the Williams and Jones families would never coborate with Daugherty Corporation.¡± Aaron¡¯s face turned pale. His own daughter had exposed his weakness in front of everyone. He was so angry that he could not wait to flip the table. However, his daughter was right. If he flipped the table, it would mean that he was flustered, and people would criticize him. He scoffed. ¡°You know a lot.¡± ¡°Adina, how do you know about the Williams and Jones families?¡± Dissatisfaction crossed Dew¡¯s eyes. ¡°These two corporations aren¡¯t localpanies, and you just came back not long ago. Howe you know so much? Did you¡­ peek at our customers¡¯ information?¡± Aaron squinted. ¡°Our customers¡¯ information is of the highest confidentiality in ourpany. Did you steal a look at them?¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°Dad, you just believe in whatever Dew says. People might think you¡¯re Dew¡¯s puppet.¡± She turned around, looked at the other shareholders, and nonchntly said, ¡°I¡¯m a daughter of the Daugherty family, so I¡¯ve been following Daugherty Corporation¡¯s progress. I never neglected my responsibilities in thest four years. A few years ago, I noticed that the Williams and Jones families needed coborations in those areas, but I wasn¡¯t a staff in Daugherty Corporation. So even if I had good intentions, I couldn¡¯t do anything back then. Since I¡¯ve be a member of Daugherty Corporation, I naturally have to tell you what I know. What do you think, everyone?¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 She was beautiful and arrogant. Her every move and smile appeared confident and casual. Besides, she really understood the customers, so the seated shareholders subconsciously listened to her. Mr. Lawson¡¯s expression improved, and he said, What else do you know? Carry on.¡± ¡°Actually, I think Daugherty Corporation should target Boyd Corporation instead of the Williams and Jones family.¡± Adina looked up with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°Boyd Corporation is going to build a city of heavy machinery in Sea City. I guess all of you can estimate how many products Daugherty Corporation can produce without me exining it.¡± Dew suddenly chuckled. ¡°Adina, since you know Boyd Corporation, it means you¡¯ve really been following Daugherty Corporation these past four years. But, how can you not know that Boyd Corporation doesn¡¯t work with any localpany?¡± Mr. Lawson criticized Adina. ¡°I thought you¡¯d have a good idea. It looks like you¡¯re only good at empty words.¡± Mr. Porter also scoffed. ¡°Even if Boyd Corporation is willing to coborate with a localpany, Daugherty Corporation wouldn¡¯t be one of them.¡± Everyone spoke to exclude Boyd Corporation as if it was not in their consideration. Adina shook her head. ¡°What if I told you that I know the person in charge of this project in Boyd Corporation?¡± As soon as she said that, the meeting room became quiet. Networking was the most important part in a business negotiation. As long as you knew each other, the coboration was partially established Mr. Lawson and Mr. Porter looked at each other. ¡°Do you really know anyone from thepany?¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t have to lie about that.¡± Dew secretly clenched her fists. Before the meeting, she had reached a consensus with the shareholders that they had to unite against Adina. Even if they could not do that, they still had to treat Adina as though she did not exist. Yet, the shareholders were actually talking to Adina. Dew suppressed her annoyance and anger before sheCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. slowly said, ¡°Adina, is the person you know the chief of the project or just a project manager? There¡¯s a huge difference between the two.¡± As soon as she said that, Mr. Lawson suddenly came to his senses. If Adina just knew a project manager, that manager would not have the ability to change the executives¡¯ decision. Besides, it did not look like Adina would know the executives of Boyd Corporation. Adina watched the changes in the shareholders expressions before she tapped on the table with her long fingers and calmly said, ¡°I know you doubt my abilities. Why don¡¯t we do this? I¡¯ll be in charge of securing the project with Boyd Corporation.¡± ¡°Adina, you shouldn¡¯t go there and be rejected.¡± Dew frowned and advised, ¡°Boyd Corporation looks down on localpanies. If you seek a coboration with them, you¡¯ll be insulted.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to be insulted as long as I can get the project.¡± Adina chuckled and said, ¡°If I manage to secure this project, I hope I can work in Daugherty Corporation. I wonder if you¡¯re willing to give me the chance, Dad?¡± When Dew heard that, she instantly became anxious. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 It was difficult to secure the project with Boyd Corporation, but it was not entirely impossible. If Adina resorted to dirty tricks like sleeping with an executive , maybe the executives would lower their requirements and sign the contract. The project was incredibly important, but Dew would rather not cooperate with Boyd Corporation than allow Adina to work in Daugherty Corporation¡­ Adina was like a wild wolf that was waiting for the right moment. If Adina entered thepany, the Daugherty family would no longer know peace. ¡°Adina, Boyd Corporation is well-known for being hard to deal with. I think you shouldn¡¯t waste your time,¡± Dew said. ¡°If you really want to do something for Daugherty Corporation, you can try to approach Mr. Williams¡­¡± Adina raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Not even ten Williams families and Jones families can compare to a project from Boyd Corporation. I¡¯ll convince the staff of Boyd Corporation to sign the contract in three days.¡± Her tone was filled with arrogance. Not many people in the room believed in her, but they had hope. If Adina truly achieved the coboration with Boyd Corporation, Daugherty Corporation would not need to worry about getting customers over the next six months. Mr. Lawson was the first to speak. ¡°Three days is too little time, you¡¯ll end up rushing to finish the job. One month is a more reasonable deadline.¡¯ ¡°If you can really sign the contract with Boyd Corporation, it¡¯ll show that you¡¯re a capable woman.¡± Mr. Porter also said, ¡°If you¡¯re able to secure such a big but tough customer, you can hold the position of manager in the Customer Service Department.¡± Since things had progressed to this point, Dew was unable to stop Adina. She took a deep breath. ¡°Adina, business negotiations are not a game. I hope you¡¯ll only decide after you think about it.¡± She could not give Adina any chance to enter Daugherty Corporation! Even if the possibility was 0.1%, she had to destroy it. ¡°If I can¡¯t make a deal with Boyd Corporation in three days, I won¡¯t attend the shareholder¡¯s meeting anymore,¡± Adina said indifferently, ¡°But if I seed, I hope the shareholders here can keep your promise and make me the Customer Service Department¡¯sContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. manager.¡± Dew had nothing to say about that. She opened her mouth but could not utter a word.!. Her sixth sense told her that Adina would seed. She wanted to stop it, but she did not know what to say. She heard the shareholders agree to it and also heard Aaron giving Adina a chance. Just like that, everything was set. Adina put her stuff away before she turned around and walked out of the meeting room. Actually, she just needed to make a call to sign the contract with Boyd Corporation. She had requested three days because she wanted to give Dew some time to mentally prepare herself. She hoped that Dew would not let her down. As soon as she walked out of the meeting room, Dew came after her. ¡°Adina, wait. I want to talk to you.¡± Adina turned around, and her lips curled into a sneer. ¡°There¡¯s nobody else here. You don¡¯t have to put up that act of sisterly camaraderie with me.¡± ¡°How about we make a deal?¡± Dew raised her chin. ¡°Quote a price for the shares on your hand.¡± ¡°Oh, do you want to buy my shares?¡± Adina seemed to be interested. She smiled and said, ¡° The price for Daugherty Corporation¡¯s stock has dropped a lot, so I can¡¯t sell my shares at a premium price. If I sell it for $1,000,000,000, would you want to buy it?¡± The overall market price for Daugherty Corporation was less than $3,000,000,000, but Adina was asking for $1,000,000,000 for her 25% share. She was being greedy. Even so, Dew nodded, gritted her teeth, and said, ¡°One billion dors is doable, but aside from that, you have to promise me one thing.¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Adina was calm. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you another $10,000,000,000, so it will be a total of $11,000,000,000. After you get the money, get as far away from Sea City as possible and never evere back.¡± Dew¡¯s heart bled as she said that. She did not have that much money in her ount, so she had to go and get a loan from the bank in order to collect the $11,000,000,000. But what other solution did she have? George had sent some people to watch her closely, so it was impossible for her to find someone to assassinate Adina again. Besides, if she killed Adina and people found out, she would never be able to marry into the Winters family. If she could make Adina go away by spending some money, she would try her best to produce the cash. If she lost the money, she could earn it back again. But if she was exposed, there would be no way to turn the situation around¡­ Adina stared at Dew¡¯s dynamic and interesting expressions before she chuckled. ¡°Dew, you¡¯re not someone who operates at a loss. If others take advantage of you, you get back at them ten times over. Why would you willingly buy my shares even if you¡¯ll suffer loss? Your main goal shouldn¡¯t be the shares, but to force me out of sea City, right?¡± Dew appeared stunned, and she instinctively denied it. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to join Daugherty Corporation and compete for control.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re clearly afraid¡­¡± Adina took a step forward. ¡°Why are you afraid of me joining Daugherty Corporation? Dew, tell me, what are you afraid of?¡± ¡°You must be overthinking. Why would I be afraid of you?¡± Dew yelled, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see you. I don¡¯t want to see you appearing in my territory. I wish you could go far away and never appear in my world again!¡± Adina scoffed. It would be great if it was that simple, but unfortunately, it was not. If Dew merely did not want to see her, there were tons of other methods for her. There was no need to hire those killers to kill her either. There had to be something that Dew was afraid of letting her know. What was it? Adina thought about it for a while but could note up with anything. Nevertheless, it was fine. There would be a lot of time for them to interact, so she could still dig it out of Dew. She cast an indifferent nce at Dew before she turned back and left. ¡°Adina, you haven¡¯t promised me to leave Sea City!¡± Dew ran after Adina in her high heels.¡± You¡¯re not allowed to walk away when we haven¡¯t made things clear!¡± ¡°I only have one word for you: Impossible.¡± Adina avoided Dew¡¯s touch, and her eyes were full of coldness. ¡°Sea City is my hometown. I was forced to leave this ce for four years when I didn¡¯t wish for it, and now, you¡¯re asking me to not return again. You wish!¡± ¡°You!¡± Dew was so angry that she lost control. This bitch was not moved by force or persuasion. She really wanted to push this bi*ch down from the stairs. Adina was very happy to see Dew losing control. She smiled faintly. ¡°Dew, you¡¯re pretty close with Mr. Winters from the Winters Corporation, right?¡± Dew widened her eyes. ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡± This bi*ch knew nothing, right? ¡°I¡¯m going to Winters Corporation for a work discussion. Do you want to tag along?¡± While Adina spoke, she stared at the changes in Dew¡¯s expressions. ¡°Work discussion? You don¡¯t need to go!¡± Dew instantly grabbed Adina¡¯s arm. ¡°The project with Winters Corporation was taken by me. I¡¯m in charge of it. Don¡¯t wish to use work to approach the Winters family!¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dew, you still have no idea, do you? I¡¯ve opened a studio, and I¡¯m ready to coborate with Winters Corporation at this point.¡± Adina¡¯s beautiful face was filled with a bright and prideful smile. She raised her fingers and tucked her fallen hair behind her ear. ¡°My coboration with Winters Corporation isn¡¯t rted to Daugherty Corporation. How are you going to stop me?¡±. Dew immediately widened her eyes. ¡°No way! Winters Corporation wouldn¡¯t coborate with you! What did you do, huh? I¡¯m warning you not to approach the Winters family. I won¡¯t allow you to go near Duke Winters!¡± Adina narrowed her eyes nonchntly. Dew was easily triggered. What was she afraid of this time? Was it rted to Winters Corporation? Was Dew afraid that she would snatch Duke away? Pfft! Hrious! Adina was toozy to engage with Dew further, so she just turned around and left. Dew¡¯s heart seemed to be ripped into pieces amidst Adina¡¯s snickers. Her mind was nk, and she dered her ownership by reflex. ¡°Adina, I¡¯m the young masters mother in the Winters family. I¡¯m the future mistress of the Winters family. Regardless of what dirty trick you pull, it¡¯ll be impossible to change my status.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Adina turned around, and her indifferent gaze tufned cold. Only then did Dew realize that she had done something stupid. Her mother had asked her not to mention anything about the young masters in the Winters family to Adina. Why did she let it slip? She moved her lips and wanted to cover it up, but Adina spoke. ¡°Dew, do you think I was clueless about Sea City when I was away for four years?¡± Adina shed her a scornful smile. ¡°The young master of the Winters family is four years old. When I left Sea City, you weren¡¯t pregnant.¡± Dew widened her eyes. ¡°How did you know that the young master of Winters family is four years old?¡± Duke protected his two sons very well. Outsiders did not know that there were young masters in the Winters family, let alone how old they were. ¡°I also know that the young master of the Winters family is Harold,¡± Adina said coldly. ¡°So, you¡¯ve racked your brain just to be a stepmother to another kid.¡± Dew¡¯s heart slowly sank How did Adina know about all this? Did Adina meet Harold? She suppressed her fear, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°So what if I want to be the young master¡¯s stepmother? Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°I can only say, all the best.¡± Adina cast a meaningful gaze at her before she walked into the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Dew felt weak and leaned on the wall. Half an hourter, Adina parked her car in front of the Winters Corporation building. The Winters Corporation building was andmark in Sea City. With a total of eighty-eight floors, it towered into the clouds, and it was magnificent. Those who came and left were white cor workers with hurried steps. Everyone looked very busy. Adina walked into the building in her high heels. It was her first time visiting Winters Corporation. As soon as she entered, she was confused by the directions. She walked up to reception and calmly asked, ¡°Hi, may I know how to get to the CEO¡¯s office?¡± The receptionist who was busy with her work raised her head. Before she could speak, she waspletely taken aback. The woman, who had suddenly shown up before her, was absolutely stunning. Her bare face without heavy makeup was so gorgeous that others could not take their eyes off her. It was as if her face contained the entire scenery of the world. News of the most beautiful woman in Sea City was sensational, but it was only limited to people who belonged to certain social circles. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 As for the staff who were working in Winters Corporation, even the receptionists would think of themselves as people with higher status, so they would never pay attention to gossip on the Inte. Therefore, the receptionist did not recognize Adina. She just merely thought that the woman was good looking, and she could be the most beautiful woman she had ever met. ¡°Ahem.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Adina covered her lips and gently cleared her throat. Only then did the receptionist suddenly snap out of her daze. ¡°Oh, sorry. Do you want to go to the CEO¡¯s office?¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± the receptionist continued to ask. ¡°No.¡± Adina shook her head indifferently. ¡°I have a verbal appointment with Mr. Winters.¡± When the receptionist heard that, her impressed gaze was filled with some contempt. Countless people came to thepany to look for Mr. Winters, and among them were beautiful, alluring, and sexy women¡­ Although this woman looked much better than those who had visited previously, it still did not change this woman¡¯s nature. She had come to Winters Corporation to seduce the CEO with her beauty. Did she think that she could seed with only her beautiful appearance? ¡°You can¡¯t enter Winters Corporation without an appointment. Please leave,¡± the receptionist said coldly. ¡°I really have a verbal appointment with Mr. Winters. If you don¡¯t trust me, you can give the CEO¡¯s office a call,¡± Adina said coolly. ¡°If everyone whoes to see Mr. Winters asks me to make a call, the secretaries in the CEO¡¯s office will not have time for other tasks. They¡¯ll just be busy answering calls,¡± the receptionist sarcastically said. ¡°Since you have a verbal appointment with Mr. Winters, why don¡¯t you call him and get him to send some people over to receive you?¡± Adina smiled and chuckled. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave then.¡± She turned back and left, not staying there a moment longer. For some reason, the receptionist felt anxious. If Mr. Winters truly had an appointment with this woman, but she blocked the woman at the entrance, would it be a huge mistake on her part? However, the woman had definitely not made an appointment. ording to thepany¡¯s rules, she had not done anything wrong. When the receptionist thought about it that way, she felt much more at ease. Adina calmly walked out of the Winters Corporation building. She was in the middle of preparing her studio, so she had more than enough to deal with. She did not have the time to argue with a receptionisti. As soon as she walked out, two men in suits came her way. Trent and Em were talking while walking into the lobby. The moment they raised their heads, they saw Adina walk out of the lobby with an indifferent expression. ¡°Is that the most beautiful woman?¡± Trent narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why is she walking out of Winters Corporation?¡± Em nudged his shoulder. ¡°I told you that Duke¡¯s really interested in this Ms. Daugherty. Perhaps they¡¯ve been in a secret rtionship for a long time.¡±. ¡°I don¡¯t think Duke has the ability to woo the most beautiful woman.¡± Trent scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s no better than me aside from being richer and more handsome. If Ms. Daugherty isn¡¯t blind, she should know who to choose.¡± Em was speechless. It was great that this young man was confident, but being over-confident was not great¡­ At this point, Adina was already in front of them. Trent immediately smoothed his suit out and stood in a way that he thought made him the most handsome. However, Adina stared ahead without a concern and did not notice him at all. She just walked out very quickly. ¡°Hey!¡± Trent was unhappy, so he promptly ran after her) ¡°I¡¯m alive, standing here and waiting for you. Can¡¯t you see me?¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Adina looked up. When she saw the man who had suddenly appeared in front of her, she casually said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Mr. Sundend. I was wondering who was blocking me at the entrance.¡± The corner of Trent¡¯s lips twitched. Why was this woman so sharp-tongued? He had not done anything, yet she had just criticized him. Could he still keep his dignity? ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Adina started walking. Trent subconsciously grabbed her arm. He had yet to rify things But before he could speak, he felt dizzy. At the next second, he was thrown to the floor. Previously, the ground in Riverview Pavillion had been covered in grass, so he did not feel pain when he hit the ground. This time, however, the floor was marble-tiled. He felt as if his bones were about to break apart. When Em saw what happened, he gasped. Ms. Daugherty was truly not an easy person to deal with. He immediately went over and helped his buddy up. ¡°Adina, are you mad?¡± Trent was so angry that his face turned pale. ¡°Do you know what the consequences are if you offend me?¡± Adina patted the dust off her hands and nonchntly said, ¡°I don¡¯t like people touching me. Do you remember now, Mr. Sundend?¡± She shed him a casual, cold smile, and her eyes were full of arrogance. She did not look fearful in the slightest. She looked extremely cocky, but the sexiness that she exuded remained evident. Herbination of strength and gentleness rendered Trent speechless when he looked at her. ¡°Ahem!¡± Em pulled him up with great force. ¡°Are you okay? Otherwise, I¡¯ll get someone to send you to the hospital.¡± ¡°How can a man say he¡¯s not okay? I¡¯m perfectly fine!¡± Trent pushed Em away and forced himself to stand up straight. However, his lower back had hit the ground. When he stood straight, his bones were in. extreme pain. He felt weak in the knees and nearly fell down again. Em could not bear the sight. He smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, drive safe. We¡¯re leaving now.¡± After he spoke, he dragged Trent into the Winters Corporation building. ¡°Hey, why are you dragging me? I haven¡¯t avenged myself!¡± Trent said angrily. ¡°I¡¯ve lost to this woman twice. I won¡¯t let this slide!¡± Em rolled his eyes. ¡°So, tell me how you¡¯re going to avenge yourself?¡± Trent was quite upset. He could not refute her or defeat her if they fought. It was his first time encountering such a difficult woman. Then, something twinkled in his eyes before he chuckled coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll pursue her and make her fall for me before I abandon her. That¡¯s the best revenge to exact on a woman.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being childish?¡± Em was really at a loss for words. ¡°Please don¡¯t walk with me. Don¡¯t tell anyone that I know you.¡± The two of them arrived at the CEO¡¯s office while they teased each other. ¡°Please have a seat first. We¡¯ll talk when she gets here,¡± Duke said indifferently as he read a document. ¡°Who¡¯s our coborator this time? You¡¯re treating her like she¡¯s such a big deal,¡± Trent said. ¡± There aren¡¯t many people in Sea City who can make our Mr. Winters willingly wait.¡± Em was quite curious too. ¡°Duke, you mentioned it was a genius chip designer whom you recruited from Harfard University? Is she really that brilliant?¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Duke nodded. ¡°She¡¯s really capable. You¡¯ll know when you see herter.¡± This R&D Project regarding automotive intelligent systems was by their team of three. It was considered an internal coboration among threepanies. They failed to find a suitable smart chip designer previously, so the project had been dyed. The day before yesterday, Duke had suddenly called them, and they had been incredibly surprised. This project was considered the first of its kind in the country. People who were not capable or gifted would not be able to bear the burden. The two of them were very curious about the person whom Duke hadplimented as capable. Time slowly passed while they chatted. The three of them waited for almost half an hour, Even the good-tempered Em also felt slightly irritated. He frowned and said, ¡°This genius is really not punctual.¡± Duke frowned coldly. Was that woman still in the hospital? He called his secretary toe to his office. ¡°Call Ms. Daugherty.¡± His secretary nodded before he immediately went to make the call. As soon as he said that, the other two people in the office were stunned. There were two Ms. Daugherties in their social circle. Why was he not calling the genius designer? Why was he contacting the Daugherty family? ¡°Duke, why did you ask your secretary to call Ms. Daugherty?¡± Em asked. ¡°Is it Ms. Adina Daugherty or Ms. Dew Daugherty?¡± ¡°Adina. She¡¯s our partner for Project A-F,¡±Duke said indifferently. ¡°What? Adina¡¯s the genius chip designer you were talking about?¡± Trent said in disbelief. ¡° Stop kidding, okay? She doesn¡¯t look like a genius to me!¡± People who worked in chip design were usually thirty- to forty-year-old balding men, right? How could Adina be one of them? Beautiful women were usually not smart. That was his experience and conclusion after being involved in many rtionships. Duke raised his eyebrows in an aloof manner. ¡°You¡¯ll naturally understand why I invited her for a coboration after you meet her.¡± ¡°Hey, when we came just now, we saw Ms. Daugherty leaving. Did you talk to her already?¡± Em scratched his head. ¡°Did Trent and I arrivete?¡± ¡°Did you say she came just now?¡± Duke frowned a little. ¡°We met her downstairs earlier. I was thrown to the floor before I could say anything.¡± Trent scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m going to be doomed if she and I be coboration partners.¡± Em looked at him with contempt. ¡°Are you afraid of a woman?¡± The two of them started quarreling. Duke, on the other hand, tapped open thepany¡¯s surveince system. He moved the timestamp to half an hour ago. Then, he saw Adina walking into the Winters Corporation building. He called his secretary to his office. ¡°Go to the reception and ask why Adina left.¡± His secretary immediately took action. Meanwhile, the receptionist was gossiping with her colleague. ¡°A gorgeous woman came just now. I thought she was a lady from some family, but she instantly said that she wanted to go to the CEO¡¯s office. She¡¯s just another woman who wants to seduce the CEO with her beauty.¡± While she spoke, the secretary arrived in a hurry. He was just a junior secretary in the CEO¡¯s office but because he worked for Duke, the staff in thepany dared not offend him. The receptionist immediately went up to him. ¡°Mr. Wilson, why are you here?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty came to Winters Corporation half an hour ago. Why did she suddenly leave?¡± The receptionist¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she still retained her smile. ¡°Which Ms. Daugherty are you talking about?¡± ¡°The one who looks stunning. You won¡¯t forget her once you¡¯ve seen her. Mr. Winters and Ms. Daugherty have an appointment for a coboration, but we still haven¡¯t seen Ms. Daugherty until now. What happened?¡± ¡°She¡­ She really has an appointment with Mr. Winters?¡± The receptionist¡¯splexion turned pale. ¡°1-I asked her to leave¡­¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Jake narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you know how long Mr. Winters, Mr. Sundend, and Mr. Walker have waited for Ms. Daugherty?¡± 1 The receptionist¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Mr. Wilson, she told me that she hadn¡¯t made an appointment, so I just took action ording to thepany¡¯s policy. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, did I? She-She didn¡¯t state her identity either. How could I know have known that she was Mr. Winters¡¯ guest?¡± ¡°Alright, you better think of a way to exin this to Mr. Winters.¡± Jake cast a cold nce at her before he turned around and returned to the CEO¡¯s office. The receptionist¡¯s legs lost all strength, and she nearly fell. Meanwhile, Adina was driving toward her studio. Ethan had found the studio for her, and it was in a strategic location. The office was a hundred square meters in size. It looked small as well as exquisite, and every corner was filled with warmth. Before she started working, her phone vibrated. It was an iing call from Jake. ¡°Hello, Mr. Wilson,¡± she answered nonchntly. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Mr. Winters is waiting for you to discuss the coboration. May I know what time you¡¯ll arrive at Winters Corporation?¡± Adina smiled. ¡°Since Mr. Winters wants to discuss the coboration with me, please ask him toe to my office. I¡¯ll send my address to your phone.¡± After she said that, she hung up and sent him her office¡¯s address. When Jake looked at the text message on his phone, he felt his head go numb. He knew Mr. Winters¡¯ character. Mr. Winters would not easily wait for anyone, but he had made an exception and waited for half an hour this time. Yet, after much back and forth, Adina refused toe. 1 Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Jake really did not how to exin it to Mr. Winters. Nevertheless, he had to force himself to say it. Jake walked into the office like he was doomed. Before he spoke, Trent said, ¡°Jake, don¡¯t tell us yet. Let me guess how Adina replied.¡± Jake chuckled in resignation. ¡°I bet she said that you have to fire the receptionist, or she would never step into Winters Corporation, right?¡± Trent said confidently. That woman would also get even when it came to small matters, so she would definitely bring up such a request. But Jake shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Trent stroked his chin. ¡°Aha! She must have asked Winters Corporation to send people to pick her up. Only then would she be willing toe and talk about the coboration, right?¡± Jake continued to shake his head. Trent still wanted to guess, but Em covered his mouth. ¡°Okay, can you just let Jake speak?¡± Duke nced over. Jake cautiously said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty said, if Winters Corporation is interested in coborating with her, then¡­ you¡¯ll have to go to her office and discuss with her, Mr. Winters. This is the address.¡± ¡°D*mn it! That woman¡¯s really arrogant!¡± Trent kept criticizing her. ¡°Countless people want a chance to coborate with Winters Corporation, but they can¡¯t get one even if they beg. But this woman actually raised such a strange request! Duke, we¡¯re men. We can¡¯t concede!¡± However, Duke got up and simply said, ¡°Prepare the car. We¡¯ll go over.¡± Trent was speechless. Was this still the noble Mr. Winters whom he knew? He actually lowered his pride for that woman, Adina! However, Em nudged him in the shoulder and whispered, ¡°See, I told you Duke¡¯s interested in that woman.¡± Trent stroked his chin. ¡°I see it now. But he¡¯s clearly not as good as I am at pursuing women. Would you believe that I can pursue Ms. Daugherty in just three days?¡± 11 Em took a deep breath. ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of death, feel free to offend Ms. Daugherty.¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 At that time, Ms. Daugherty and Duke would work together to beat Trent up. He would not help him. Trent seemed to think of something as he scowled and said, ¡°I have slept with a lot of women, so it¡¯s nothing for me to sleep with one less woman. Duke just slept with one woman once in his life, so he really needs a woman to brighten his life up. I¡¯ll quit then. Is that okay?¡± When Duke heard his name, he turned back and coldly asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Em covered Trent¡¯s mouth and followed Duke into the car. Adina was busy with some misceneous matters in her office. After she was done with those tasks, she went online and published some advertisements for hiring. Before she could send out the advertisements, someone knocked on her office door. She thought the property owner hade for the registration, but when she opened the door, she saw three people. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She curled her lips and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to cast your nobility aside ande here, Mr. Winters. Pleasee in and have some coffee.¡± She moved aside for the three of them to enter. Honestly, she never expected Duke to make the trip. After all, Winters Corporation was the biggest corporation in Sea City. As the CEO, Duke might be so busy that he did not even have time to sleep. She had asked him toe over just to test him. In the end, he actually came. It proved that he really cared about her being his coborator. So, everything could be discussed. Adina then served them some coffee. Trent smelled the coffee and expressed disdain toward it. ¡°Is this instant coffee? Ms. Daugherty, can¡¯t you make some good coffee?¡± Adina spread her arms helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m still putting my studio together, so I don¡¯t have the funds to buy a coffee maker yet. Please bear with me, Mr. Sundend.¡± ¡°Are you really that poor?¡± Trent scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to deliver you a coffee makerter. Just ept it as my donation.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sundend.¡± Adina did not feel insulted, and she grinned as she epted his offer. The way they chatted looked like they were both good friends. Duke¡¯s expression darkened a little ¡°You were just beat up earlier, but now you¡¯re in a rush to send her a coffee maker. Are you so shameless that you don¡¯t mind being beaten up?¡± Duke said coldly. Trent did not care about him as he said, ¡°When a woman ps you, you have to turn the other cheek and let her p you again. That way, the woman will cool down. Forget it, why should I talk to you about this? You¡¯re forever alone. You won¡¯t understand.¡± Duke ended up being insulted by him. He scoffed. ¡°Stop talking about irrelevant things. Let¡¯s discuss work.¡± Adina took the documents and handed one set to each of them. ¡°Two years ago, I worked on a smart car project with my mentor. Back then, Harfard University recognized the results of our research, but the investment required was too huge. So, our research wasn¡¯t implemented in the end. While it was considered a sess at that time, technology has rapidly advanced over the past two years. When I look at it now, that research is already outdated. Based on the experience I have, I¡¯ve drafted a new design report. Please take a look¡± Duke flipped through the document. There were only four pages, but the content on the concept of the smart chip design and blueprint sketch wasplete. He remembered that he had just brought up the coboration with her, but she had already nned everything in just two days. ¡°A few years ago, the smart car focused mainly on being driverless, but my concept aims at improving the experience of human-vehicle interaction,¡± Adina calmly said. ¡°If we want to achieve the perfect experience, the most critical part is the sensor. Currently, the best sensor in the world is pretty good in smart homes, but it presents a great w in dynamic cars¡­¡± Adina spoke confidently for half an hour, and she also managed to give perfect solutions when Trent asked questions from time to time. Duke¡¯s gaze on her was filled with more admiration. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 ¡°Mr. Winters, Mr. Sundend, Mr. Walker, do you have any questions?¡± Adina sat down and nced at the three people nonchntly. Trent stroked his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t understand many of the terms that you¡¯ve mentioned, but because I don¡¯t understand, you seem very professional. I don¡¯t have any opinions.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you really live up to your title as a smart chip designer.¡± Em sincerely gave her a big thumbs-up. ¡°With your participation in Project A-F, I believe the designed cars will be avable as scheduled.¡± Duke nodded indifferently. ¡°Let¡¯s sign the contract.¡± Em took out the contract that he had brought along. There were some empty spaces for the profit sharing and signatures. Trent was the first to say, ¡°The project¡¯s profit is distributed evenly among the threepanies: Winters, Sundend, and Walker. Since Ms. Daugherty is joining us, we¡¯ll give the remaining 10% to her.¡± Ten percent profit of such a huge project was actually considered very high. Just as Adina was about to nod, Duke suggested, ¡°Each of us can have a share of 25%.¡± Trent looked at Duke as if he was joking. ¡°Each of us has invested at least $100,000,000 into this project. She just designed the chip, and she can already share a quarter of the profit? This is so unfair.¡± ¡°Without her, this project wouldn¡¯t be implemented,¡± Duke calmly said. ¡°Trent, you can choose to quit.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Trent was dumbfounded. He actually wanted to curse! So, that was how people valued love over friendship. He finally experienced it today. Em stroked his nose. ¡°Duke¡¯s right. Each of us can have a 25% share. Ms. Daugherty is investing her skills, so it¡¯s a deal. Let¡¯s sign.¡± He stuffed the pen into Trent¡¯s hand by force. Trent kept grumbling as he signed. Adina smiled faintly, but she nced at Duke out of the corner of her eye. This man was unpredictable. The fact that he had taken the initiative toe over and discuss the coboration with her was already surprising. Now, he had even distributed a quarter of the profit to her, Did he care about her as a coborator so much? While Adina thought about it, they finished signing the contract. Trent was the unhappiest one at the negotiation table. On top of being beaten up today, a portion of his profit was also taken away. He leaned back on the couch, scoffed, and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re the biggest winner today. Shouldn¡¯t you treat us to a meal?¡± ¡°If I have the time in the future, I¡¯ll definitely be the host and treat you to a meal. But it¡¯s already 5.30 pm, and I have to pick my kids up from preschool.¡± Adina packed her stuff as she spoke. Trent was stunned. ¡°Kids? Didn¡¯t your kids die four years ago?¡± The news mentioned that she had given birth to a pair of dead twins four years ago and set fire to the Daugherty mansion out of anger. Then, she escaped punishment for the crime. Had the news been fake? As soon as he asked, he immediately noticed that something was off. Adina¡¯s face turnedpletely cold. She looked up and replied in a distant manner. ¡°Mr. Sundend, you¡¯re my business partner, so I won¡¯t avoid talking about my kids, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can casually pry into my private life.¡± Her voice was as cold as the frost in winter. She did not look at Trent again after that. She turned back and walked out of the office. Trent sighed in relief. ¡°That woman¡¯s gaze was so scary. I almost freaked out.¡± Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 ¡°Stop talking crap then.¡± Em rolled his eyes at Trent. ¡°Was it my fault?¡± Trent felt quite wronged. ¡°The Inte said she gave birth to two stillborns, so I thought her kids died a long time ago. But she¡¯s going to pick her kids up in preschool. What¡¯s going on, guys?¡± ¡°Two of her kids are still alive. They didn¡¯t die. Don¡¯t say such things again,¡± Duke said indifferently. Trent appeared totally shocked before he gulped. ¡°So, she has two kids, and you have two kids too. If you get together, there¡¯s going to be four kids in total! Oh, my gosh, isn¡¯t the house going to be chaotic?¡± Duke cast a cold nce at him. ¡°Who says we¡¯ll be together?¡± ¡°Fine, just deny it!¡± Trent scoffed. ¡°Adina¡¯s so beautiful. I¡¯m guessing a lot of men want to be her children¡¯s stepfather. If you act too slow, don¡¯teining to us.¡± Duke recalled the scenario in the hospital yesterday. She truly did notck a man. He just wondered if that man was her children¡¯s biological father or just their stepfather. When Duke thought about it, his heart sank He stood up, pursed his lips, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to The Rock Bar. My treat.¡± ¡°How strange! Mr. Winters is actually inviting us to the bar. Did the sun rise from the west today?¡± Trent was surprised as he spoke. Em quickly pulled him over. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Duke¡¯s in a bad mood?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen him in a good mood? His expression is always dark as if people owe him millions of dors. Let¡¯s go and get some drinks. I¡¯ll try to drink until Duke goes bankrupt today!¡± After Adina fetched her two kids home, she entered the kitchen to cook. She noticed that Flint had not come home even though she was done cooking. She frowned and said, ¡°Alden, where¡¯s Uncle Flint?¡± ¡°Sorry, Mommy. I forgot to tell you that in the morning, Uncle Flint said he was going to meet an important client, so he won¡¯t be back for dinner.¡± Alden obediently helped her to arrange the table. Adina nodded and asked Melody to sit at the table for dinner.. Without Flint¡¯s gibble-gabble, the atmosphere at the dining table was extremely warm. After dinner, Adina got ready to bring the two kids out for a while, but she received a call from Flint. She answered the call, but before she could speak, she heard some cries from the other end of the line. ¡°Addy, you have to help me this time. Someone set me up¡­¡± Flint¡¯s voice rang out from the phone. ¡°My wallet¡¯s been stolen, and I¡¯ve lost all my bank cards. You¡¯re the only one who can help me now¡­¡± Adina suppressed her urge to roll her eyes. ¡°How much alcohol did you drink?¡± ¡°Not much¡­ About one or two bottles of red wine.¡± Flint sounded really drunk ¡°They need to receive $5,000,000 before they release me, or they¡¯ll call the police. Addy, you know how fierce my father is. If he finds me locked up because of this, he¡¯ll kill me¡­¡± Someone suddenly grabbed the phone, and Adina heard a coarse and stern voice. ¡°Bring $ 5,000,000 to The Rock Bar in half an hour, or we¡¯ll call the police.¡± The man hung up right after he spoke. Adina¡¯s expression became very dark Alden raised his head with worry. ¡°Mommy, did something happen to Uncle Flint?¡± ¡°He¡¯s drunk. I¡¯ll go and pick him up. You and Mel stay at home, okay? Be good.¡± Alden nodded before he held Melody¡¯s hand and obediently sat on the carpet in the living room. Adina grabbed her car keys before she quickly drove to The Rock Bar. On the way, she secretly cursed Flint nonstop.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 When Adina arrived at The Rock Bar, she pushed open the door to a private room and went inside. Soon after, she saw that Flint had been tied and thrown on the floor. ¡°Addy, you¡¯re finally here¡­¡± Flint wiggled over like a caterpir. Just then, he was kicked to the side by a man in a ck suit. The man in the ck suit walked over with a cigarette. ¡°Did you bring the money?¡± Adina threw the box over. ¡°Five million dors, not a penny less.¡± The man in the ck suit threw the box to his people behind him to let them count the money. The group checked for ten minutes before they were done. Adina grabbed Flint by the cor and walked outside. ¡°Addy, I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t be mad. I won¡¯t hang out in a ce like this again.¡± ¡°Mad at you? Ha! Do I have the time?¡± Adina pushed him strongly. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If you get into this kind of trouble again, don¡¯t call me!¡± This man was already twenty- five years old, but he was still getting into ckmailing situations. Who would believe that? If this brat had not gotten horny, why would he have fallen into the trap? When Adina looked at him, she just found him very dirty. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You have to pay me back $6,000,000 on top ofbor costs.¡± After that, she just walked away. Flint staggered as he followed her. Original from N?velDrama.Org. He was the Morton family¡¯s young master, and it was also his first time being ckmailed. He was so angry that his body was in pain. However, when he saw that Adina was furious, he could not be bothered with getting back at those people who had ckmailed him. He immediately went after her. He was drunk, though. Plus, he had been beaten up earlier. When he moved faster, he could not walk in a stable manner. As a result, he staggered and fell on the floor, which made those around himugh. Adina was beside herself. She felt embarrassed when so many people looked at them. She walked over and gave Flint a kick in the butt. ¡°Get up now!¡± Flint covered his knee and pitifully said, ¡°Addy, I can¡¯t move. Come on, help me.¡± Adina nced at him. There were still scratch marks and hickeys on his neck from women. She was worried that they would make her hands ¡°dirty.¡± ¡°Okay, if you love being embarrassed, just stay here,¡± she said angrily. Her expression turned cold, and she continued to walk out. Suddenly, she could feel a strong gaze on her. She looked over and instantly became speechless. It was Duke and his gang. The group had actually witnessed the embarrassing situation. Adina secretly cursed Flint again! She thought that she should go and greet Duke as well as the gang. After all, they had just be business partners today. However, before she could move, Flint got up from the floor and leaned on her. ¡°Addy, I really don¡¯t have the energy. Please help me. I willpensate you with $6,000,000, okay?¡± Hisplexion looked terrible because he was really ufortable. Adina was annoyed, but she did not want anything to happen to him either. She nodded at Duke from afar before she brought Flint out of the bar. The two of them quickly disappeared through the door. ¡°Tsk!¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Trent drank a ss of wine, and seemed regretful. Em stared at him. ¡°Whatever it is you want to say, you better think twice first.¡± As he spoke, he intentionally cast a nce at Duke. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t know the man who was with Adina just now, but I¡¯ve heard his name a lot.¡± Trent shook his head and said, ¡°He¡¯s from Anbarica. He¡¯s a typical rich boy from a rich family. People call him the Prince of Love. The women around him never show up repeatedly. Compared with this Mr. Morton, I wouldn¡¯t dare call myself a yboy.¡± Em was in disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s actually someone more disloyal than you?¡± ¡°Adina¡¯s such a tough woman, but she still fell for Flint.¡± Trent sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s such a shame for this gorgeous beauty to be with Flint. The bar¡¯s boss said that a rich man was ckmailed. Looks like it was Flint. You can imagine how Mr. Morton ended up like that.¡± Duke red at him. ¡°Who says she¡¯s fallen for Flint?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Trent said. ¡°The two of them hugged each other and went out together. They have to be a couple.¡± Duke¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°She¡¯ll never fall for someone like that.¡± He came to drink tonight because he wanted to relieve his gloominess. But when he saw the scenario earlier, his mood became worse. He raised his head and finished another ss of wine. Trent and Em looked at each other at a loss. Was he trying to drown his sorrows with alcohol? ¡°Hey, Duke, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for Adina,¡± Trent lowered his voice and said. Having fun with women was very normal in their circle. They could be interested in a woman today, but it could change tomorrow. For instance, while Trent was quite interested in Adina, if Adina continued to ignore him, he could immediately switch targets. But for Duke¡­ Trent had known Duke for a long time, but it was his first time seeing the dude being interested in a woman. ¡°Duke, if you really like Adina, I¡¯ll help you pursue her.¡± Trent patted his own chest. ¡°I¡¯m here for you. That Flint Morton won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°If you want to be a stepfather, feel free to pursue her,¡± he replied coldly. Trent clicked his tongue. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. This dude was just reluctant to admit it! He clinked sses with Em before he purposely spoke with excitement. ¡°Em, do you think Adina has a daughter or a son? If she has a daughter, that will be great. If I sessfully pursue her, I¡¯ll have a considerate daddy¡¯s girl, right? Just for that reason alone, I¡¯ll have to work hard to beat Flint.¡± The more he spoke, the more sullen Duke¡¯s expression got. Adina put in a lot of effort to finally bring Flint home. She threw him on the couch and did not want to bother about him anymore. However, Flint instantly grabbed her wrist and pitifully begged her, ¡°Addy, I feel so ufortable. Please get me some warm water¡­ Get me some hot water to wash up. I¡¯m so dizzy¡­¡± Adina really wanted to throw him out. When she recalled that this brat did not know anyone else in Sea City, she just epted her fate and got him some water. Alden walked downstairs and instantly saw the hickeys on Flint¡¯s neck. He also smelled the strong, pungent scent of some perfume. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Uncle Flint, what happened?¡± ¡°Alden, I¡¯m so pitiful!¡± Flint cried andined, ¡°I got drunk, and some people set me up and ckmailed me. I was even beaten up¡­¡± Even though Alden was brilliant and precocious, there were still some things that he did not know. He frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s ¡®ckmail?¡± ¡°Shut up, Flint Morton. Don¡¯t teach my son the wrong things!¡± Adina walked over and threw a hot towel on Flint¡¯s face. Alden took one step back and typed the term ¡°ckmail¡± on his smart watch. He had a cold and profound look after that. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 When Alden was growing up, Flint was in their lives almost every day. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sometimes when his mom was busy, Uncle Flint woulde over and send them to school. He would always bring them out. Many neighbors had also misunderstood that Uncle Flint was their father. He knew that they would return to Sea City one day, so he never dared to think about it too much. However, a few days ago, Uncle Flint had suddenly reappeared in their world. Alden had been wondering if Uncle Flint married his mother, would there be one more person who could protect his mother? But now, his fantasy had shattered into pieces. Uncle Flint had gotten involved with another woman and even asked his mom to help him out. Alden really regretted calling Flint ¡°Dad¡± the other day. He moved forward and nonchntly said, ¡°Mom, you can go ahead and do other things. I¡¯ll help Uncle Flint clean up.¡± While Adina was more than irritated with Flint, she did not want her son to take over. She twisted a towel as she said, ¡°It¡¯ste. You should go to bed now.¡± ¡°Mom, Mel just said that she¡¯s hungry. Please cook something for her. You can leave this to me,¡± Alden said calmly. Clearly, Melody¡¯s needs were also a priority. Adina threw the towel aside before she went to the kitchen. Alden took the towel and pressed it strongly on Flint¡¯s face. Flint was intoxicated, so he had fallen asleep in a drunken stupor. However, he was awakened when the towel began to suffocate him. ¡°Alden, what are you doing? Do you know you nearly suffocated me?¡± Alden calmly said, ¡°Uncle Flint, you¡¯ve been in Sea City for three days. Please go back to Anbarica tomorrow.¡± Due to his calm expression, Flint did not catch some of his emotions. Flint held his dizzy head and unhappily said, ¡°Alden, your mother hasn¡¯t chased me away. What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°If you stay in Sea City, you¡¯ll cause trouble Mom. She has to work and take care of me as well as Mel. She has too much work to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alden¡­¡± Flint instantly expressed his guilt. ¡°What happened tonight was an ident. I guarantee that it won¡¯t happen again! Alden, didn¡¯t you call me ¡®Dad¡¯? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take responsibility as a father and protect you!¡± ¡°I called you ¡®Dad¡¯ because I really wanted you to be our father. But Uncle Flint, you let me down.¡± Alden¡¯s face still looked calm. ¡°You¡¯re not good for Mom, so you¡¯re not good to be our father. Please leave tomorrow morning.¡± Flint was totally stunned. Although he had always talked about marrying Adina and wanting to be the children¡¯s father, he and Adina had always known that it was a joke. He never thought that Alden would take it seriously. If Alden took it seriously, then Melody probably took it seriously too. That meant the kids had actually hoped to be a family with him. But he messed it up. Flint was totally sober now. Four years ago, he had met the lonely and helpless Adina on the street in Anbarica. He was blown away at the first nce, and he fell for her. Sadly, this woman¡¯s heart was like stone. No matter what he did, he could not make her heart flutter. Besides, Adina felt that he had bad intentions, so she would always ignore him. After he had a girlfriend, she finally allowed him to enter her circle. He had used such a terrible method just to be in her world. He wanted her to let her guard down, but he ended up destroying all the possibilities that could have allowed him to be with her. ¡°Alden.¡± Flint chuckled in resignation. ¡°I¡¯m really not good enough for your mom. I know that more than anyone else.¡± He never thought that he would be good enough for her either. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 If was fine as long as he could be in her life. But Alden was asking him to leave now. ¡°I¡¯ll leave on the earliest flight tomorrow.¡± Flint pulled the nket over and covered his face.¡± I¡¯m tired. I want to get some sleep.¡± Alden silently held the basin and entered the bathroom. He felt guilty and med himself. His face was full of anxiety. No matter what, Uncle Flint had lent his mom a hand when she was in trouble, but he was chasing Uncle Flint away. Was he being too selfish? The next morning, when Adina went downstairs to make breakfast, the couch was empty. There was a note on the table in the dining room. (Addy, my father¡¯s calling for me. I¡¯ll go back home first. See you next time.¡± Adina pursed her lips. Flint came from a rich family, but he was unreliable, and his bank card had been frozen for a long time. She guessed the Morton family must have been shocked when he returned $6,000,000 to her yesterday. She had expected the Morton family to call him back as well. ¡°Mom, did Uncle Flint leave?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Alden held Melody¡¯s hand and walked downstairs as he asked softly. Adina turned around and freaked out. ¡°Alden, what happened to you? Why do you have dark circles? Alden rubbed his eyes. ¡°There were mosquitoesst night. They kept buzzing around and woke up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go in and spray some repellentter.¡± Adina caressed his hair. ¡°You two, hurry up and eat breakfast before we head to preschool.¡± Alden¡¯s mind was upied. He ate some bread while he asked, ¡°Mom, did Uncle Flint tell you anything before he left?¡± ¡°That dude always travels around the world. It¡¯s rare for him to stay in Sea City for three days,¡± Adina said casually. ¡°If you miss him, just give him a call in a few days. He¡¯ll fly over and visit you.¡± Alden shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just asking.¡± After breakfast, Adina drove and sent the kids to their preschool. At the same time, Dew drove to Golden Sun International Bilingual Preschool. Harold¡¯s teacher had called her to take all of Harold¡¯s books, clothes, and toys from the preschool. She had initially refused to go, but to repair her rtionship with the kids, she had to personally make an appearance. She picked up the items at the teacher¡¯s office, and just as she got in her car, she saw a red sports car stop in front of the preschool. She also had a red sports car, so she could not help but look at it a little longer. Then, she saw Adina getting out of the car with a child in her hand. It was a girl. She looked fair, as well as rosy, and her face was exquisite. She looked exactly the same as Adina when she was a child! Dew instantly widened her eyes! Even without any evidence, she could conclude that the girl had to be Adina¡¯s daughter! The little girl looked to be about four years old. Could it be that after Adina left the country four years ago, she had immediately hooked up with another man and given birth to this little illegitimate child? Dew¡¯s gaze was deep and uncertain. She was about to take a closer look when the preschool¡¯s bus suddenly stopped at the entrance and blocked her sight. By the time the bus drove away, Adina¡¯s figure had long disappeared. Dew even wondered if her eyes had deceived her Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Dew took Harold¡¯s things and went directly to the Winters¡¯ house. As soon as she got out of the car, she saw George walking out with a cold expression. ¡°George.¡± Dew went forward quickly. ¡°Mom,¡± George greeted her politely. ¡°Harold¡¯s in the bedroom. You better not go up to the second floor.¡± Wherever Harold was present, Dew would try not to go there. Since that young master never respected her, she would never make a fool of herself. Dew handed the things to Mr. Brown, the housekeeper, before she softly said, ¡°George, I need your help with something.¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°George, I know that your father has given you plenty of manpower. Can you ask your subordinates to help me check on Adina¡­¡± Dew sighed and looked sad. ¡°Adina¡¯s the thirdrgest shareholder of Daugherty Corporation now. Her every word and action will affect thepany¡¯s share price¡­ But I saw a little girl calling her mom this morning¡­ She isn¡¯t married yet, so how can she have a child?¡± George narrowed his eyes. ¡°Mom, do you want me to breach Adina¡¯s privacy?¡± ¡°Her privacy is closely rted to Daugherty Corporation. If we can discover things like this before it¡¯s toote, your grandfather can also be prepared beforehand.¡± Dew sighed quietly. ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult for you, so forget it. I better send someone to investigate her myself¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you investigate her.¡± George nodded indifferently. ¡°You guys are too much!¡± Harold suddenly came downstairs and red at the two people in front of him. ¡°What does Aunt Adina being married or not and having children have anything to do with you? It¡¯s against thew for you to snoop into other people¡¯s private matters! I¡¯m going to have the policeman arrest you, witch!¡± He rushed over in anger and pushed Dew hard. Dew stumbled a step back in her high heels. She held onto the railing to stand steadily before she asked in shock, ¡°Harold, what did you just call Adina?¡± Aunt Adina? Did she mishear him? Harold was a naughty and mischievous child, who always shouted at her, either calling her a bad woman or a witch. Yet, Harold had actually called Adina ¡°Aunt.¡± Dew¡¯s face was full of disbelief. She squatted down and pressed Harold¡¯s shoulder. ¡°When did you meet Adina? She has motives toward the Daugherty family, and she¡¯s only back this time to get back at me! You¡¯re my son. I gave birth to you after a ten-month pregnancy. She approached you so that she could deal with me! Harold,e to your senses. Don¡¯t be fooled by that b*tch, Adina!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the b*tch!¡± Harold pushed her away with great force. This time, he used all the strength in his body. Dew was caught off guard, and her whole body fell backward. ¡°Harold, what are you doing?!¡± George shouted angrily. Harold had called his own mother ab*tch and done that to her. Why would his brother be that way? ¡°Harold, I¡¯ll count to three. Help Mom up.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Harold raised his chin stubbornly. ¡°If you want to set Aunt Adina up, then you¡¯re my enemies! I¡¯m never going to talk to you guys again! Hmph!¡± He turned around and stomped up the stairs. Dew felt like her heart was being hung, and she was in complete fear. That little b*tch, Adina, had just returned, yet she had managed to change Harold like that. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Was it because of the blood tie between the biological mother and son? Dew raised her head, and her lips trembled as she spoke. ¡°George, have you¡­ have you seen Adina?¡± George narrowed his ck eyes. ¡°Mom, are you afraid? Can you tell me what you¡¯re afraid of?¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 ¡°I ? Dew grabbed her own cor. Of course she was afraid! She was afraid that Adina would discover who the two young masters in the Winters family actually were! She was afraid that the Winters family would find out what happened four years ago! She was afraid that all her beautiful dreams over thest four years would break into pieces. Dew bit her bottom lip with all her strength before she was able to suppress her anxiety. ¡°George¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± She moved forward and held George¡¯s little hands. ¡°Adina and I are stepsisters, but the conflict between us is too strong. It can¡¯t be resolved. She¡¯s back now, and she won¡¯t easily spare me. She¡¯ll hurt you and your brother.¡± She looked down and continued to slowly say, ¡°I asked you to investigate Adina¡¯s child because I want to have something on her. That way, she¡¯ll think twice about doing anything. Who knew that Harold would misunderstand like this? George, forget it. Don¡¯t look into her. You and Harold are sons of the Winters family. Adina wouldn¡¯t dare to hurt you. I was worried for nothing. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± She raised her hand and stroked George¡¯s hair before she turned back and walked out. George pursed his lips. He recalled his first gaze on Adina that day. He felt extremely surprised, like a person who was seeing snow for the first time. However, what came next was the chilly coldness. Even he was fond of Adina, hence Harold could only like her more. Harold was a little stupid, so he would definitely fall into Adina¡¯s trap. He had to let the woman expose her true self before Harold fell into her trap. Adina was busy the entire day. When it was time, she went to pick her kids up from preschool. The traffic today was pretty good. There was no congestion, so she arrived at the preschool¡¯s entrance five minutes early. She sat in the driver seat as she waited, but she suddenly saw a sneaky person hiding behind a big tree near the entrance. She narrowed her eyes and stared for a few seconds before her gaze turned cold. It was Dew! Why was that woman at the preschool? Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Did Dew already learn of Alden and Melody? There was a hidden glint in Adina¡¯s eyes. She pushed open her car door and got out. She shut it loudly, and a loud thud was heard. Dew was already edge when she hid behind the tree. The moment she heard the loud thud, she subconsciously looked over, just in time to meet Adina¡¯s eyes. ¡°Dew, what are you doing here?¡± Adina¡¯s voice was gentle, but her gaze was as sharp as a knife. Dew pretended to be calm as she walked out and shed her a smile. ¡°I was just passing by. I¡¯m walking around.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Adina scoffed. ¡°Are you done walking around?¡± Dew slowly walked closer. She flicked her red-colored nails before she sarcastically said, ¡°No wonder you were so silent abroad and didn¡¯t return for four years. It turns out that you¡¯ve been raising a child. Tsk! You gave birth to a pair of dead twins, then you immediately got pregnant and seamlessly gave birth to a daughter. Adina, oh Adina, why are you so sl*tty?¡± Adina did not get angry. Instead, she chuckled. ¡°Is that the purpose for your visit to the preschool today?¡± ¡°Ha! I want to let everyone see how sl*tty the most beautiful woman in Sea City is.¡± Dew¡¯s face was full of mockery. If news of Adina giving birth to an illegitimate child spread out, the most beautiful woman in Sea City would definitely be the biggest joke in town. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Just then, the bell in the preschool rang. School was over. A group of four-year-old children ran out happily. Dew raised her finger and sneered. ¡°Your daughter¡¯sing out. She looks exactly like you when you were a child.¡± She made it sound as if she had seen Melody countless times ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll always remember how my two sons died four years ago. One day, I¡¯ll make you pay with your blood.¡± Adina grabbed Dew by the cor. ¡°If you dare to hurt my daughter, I¡¯ll scrape the flesh off your body piece by piece!¡± The hatred in her eyes was so strong like an endless fire. Dew¡¯s heart tightened for a while. She forced herself to calm down and said, ¡°I¡¯m your sister and the child¡¯s aunt. Why would I hurt her?¡± She moved out of Adina¡¯s grip before she took a step back and coldly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare a gift this time, so I won¡¯t say hello to your daughter. Goodbye!¡± After she finished speaking, she turned around and left. She only had one purpose for today¡¯s visit, which was to confirm whether Adina really had a daughter. Since the matter was confirmed, she had no reason to stay any longer. Dew then drove away. If she had stayed there thirty seconds longer, she would have been able to see Alden, who was running over quickly, Then, she would have found out that this child also called Adina ¡°Mom.¡± She could have even noticed that Alden and George looked about 70% simr. ¡°Mom, what happened?¡± Alden looked anxious as he asked Adina. If there had not been too many children surrounding him and his sister just now, he would have rushed over to protect his mom. Adina smiled gently. ¡°I ran into an acquaintance and had a chat. It¡¯s fine. Come on, let¡¯s go home.¡± Alden pursed his lips and could not remain silent. ¡°Mom, that person was Dew, right?¡± Adina became silent.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Alden had been smart since he was a baby, so she really could not hide anything from him. She led the two children to the car before she slowly said, ¡°No matter what Dew ns to do, I¡¯ll protect you. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Alden said, ¡°Dew was also in the car that followed usst time, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Adina pretended to smile in a rxed manner. ¡°That was a misunderstanding back then. Alden, you¡¯re only four years old, so don¡¯t worry about the adults.¡± Alden was very sensible, so he did not speak again. Since his mother did not want him to worry, he would listen to her. Melody did not react to the conversation between the two of them. The pretty little girl leaned against the window and stared out the window with her big, watery eyes. They were at the preschool¡¯s entrance, so there were many cars. Plus, Adina was driving very slowly. All of a sudden, Melody was attracted by a scene on the roadside. A pug had abruptly broken free from its reins, and it was running around wildly. Then, a little girl got scared and cried out. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t be afraid. Daddy¡¯s going to protect you.¡± A man came forward and carried the little girl. The little girl wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s neck and broke into a smile. ¡°Daddy¡¯s a big hero. Daddy¡¯s here to protect me. I¡¯m not afraid of anything!¡± The two of themughed as they walked away. Melody leaned on the window, and her eyes were filled with sadness. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± she murmured softly. Her voice was very low. ¡°Mel, did you say something?¡± Alden had good hearing, so he turned around and looked at her. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 However, he found that Melody¡¯s face was expressionless, while her eyes looked gloomy. It seemed like the word ¡°daddy¡± had just been a hallucination. Melody had never even said ¡°Mom.¡± Why would she say ¡°Daddy¡±? He must have heard it wrongly. After dinner, Adina helped Melody take a bath and cleaned up before she put the little girl to bed. Ever since Alden turned three and became more mature, she no longer had to help him with such matters. After she took care of Melody, she returned to the study to continue working. Her studio was in its preparation stage, but she already had two projects on hand. One was Xavier Corporation¡¯s daily maintenance and subsequent update of intelligent products, while the other was the initial design preparation for Project A-F. Thetter project required a lot of manpower, but she was having trouble with recruitment. It seemed that she had to look for her cousin for help. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. She remained busy until midnight. Adina did some stretches before she got ready for bed. Suddenly¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± : A scream came from Melody¡¯s room. Adina immediately pushed open the next room¡¯s door. Right then, she saw Melody rolling around in bed with a pained expression. ¡°Mel, what¡¯s wrong with you? Mommy¡¯s here.¡± She rushed in and hugged the little girl in her arms. She lowered her head and kept kissing the teardrops on Melody¡¯s face. Ten minutester, Melody finally calmed down. ¡°Mommy, did Mel have a nightmare again?¡± Alden stood in the room¡¯s doorway, and his face was mostly shrouded in darkness. Adina covered Melody with the nket before she walked out of the room and softly said, ¡° She hasn¡¯t had a nightmare in over a year. Did something happen in preschool today?¡± Two years ago when Melody had just turned two, it also happened to be Adina¡¯s busiest time at work. Therefore, she would send the two kids to a child care center, but the teacher in that center did not have the slightest professional ethics. Melody went to the nursery for just three days and ended up having nightmares for six months. It was a good thing that she picked Melody up in time, or the consequences would have been unthinkable. After that, she no longer dared to send her children to school. Today, however, Melody had a nightmare again. Was it because the preschool that Ethan had found was not suitable either? ¡°Mommy, the preschool¡¯s really good. Ms. Jones likes Mel, and the children enjoy being friends with her too. No oneughs at her.¡± Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°I think Mel was scared.¡± Adina snapped out of her daze. ¡°You mean she was frightened by Dew?¡± Today when the children were dismissed from ss, she was holding Dew by the cor, and Dew showed a grim face. Melody had been born prematurely, so she was skinny and weak. She was also very timid. She should not have gotten into a fight with Dew in front of the preschool. Adina regretted it a little and sighed. ¡°I was careless. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Mommy, I should be the one apologizing. If only I had shielded Mel¡¯s eyes in time.¡± Alden lowered his head with a self-ming look Adina¡¯s heart was soft. She hugged Alden and slept in Melody¡¯s crib for the rest of the night. They slept well throughout those hours. When she woke up, Melody seemed normal. Aside from her eyes being a little swollen, Adina could not tell that she had criedst night. Adina sent her two children to preschool and watched them follow their teacher into the ssroom before she left. There were some morning exercises in preschool, and Ms. Jones from Ninth ss had gathered all the children. When it was time to count the number of children, Ava started to panic. ¡°Where are Alden and Melody? Where did they go?¡± The ss leader raised his hand. ¡°Teacher, Melody disappeared half an hour ago, and Alden went to look for her.¡± ¡°What? Melody¡¯s missing?¡± Ava¡¯s face turned pale, and she could not even support herself. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Original from N?velDrama.Org. On the street with a lot of traffic, Alden anxiously looked to the left and right before he finally saw a little girl in a pink dress. It was Melody! He immediately rushed toward her. Who would have thought that a sports car would speedily approach and drive past him? By the time the car drove away, Melody had disappeared. Alden¡¯s head was full of sweat. When they went to preschool that morning, he had sensed something was wrong with Melody. He talked to her for a long time, but she did not respond. Then, he went to the toilet, and when he came back, Melody was gone. If Mom knew that Melody had gone missing from preschool, she would lose her mind. He had to get his sister back before his mom found out! Alden took a deep breath and continued to walk along the road, looking for Melody from store to store. At the same time, Melody was getting on a bus. She was following a woman with a child. She sat beside the woman, and the boy in the woman¡¯s arms secretly looked at her. She stared ahead without looking away, and there was no emotion on her pretty face. After the passengers came and left for some time, Melody finally got off at a station. She went down alone, and the passengers on the bus hurriedly said, ¡°Madam, your daughter went down alone. Why aren¡¯t you going after her?¡± The woman holding the child was shocked. ¡°That¡¯s not my daughter!¡± She was just wondering why the beautiful child was not apanied by an adult. ¡°Huh? She¡¯s not your child? Whose is she then? Her parents are so careless to let such a pretty little girle out alone.¡± ¡°That child looks just over three years old, She¡¯s so bold to ride the bus on her own!¡± ¡°The little girl wasn¡¯t crying or making a fuss, so maybe she actually came out alone.¡± ¡°That little girl¡¯s quite smart.¡± While the people on the bus talked, the bus slowly drove away. Melody stood on the street and looked to the left and right to get her bearings before she walked south for ten minutes. In the end, she stopped at the entrance of a magnificent building. It was the Winters Corporation building, thendmark of Sea City. The outer walls of the building were iid with ss, reflecting the whole city off the skyscraper. It looked majestic and invible. Melody stood at the door, and when she saw the words (Winters Corporation), she went inside resolutely. ¡°This isn¡¯t a yground. Children aren¡¯t allowed to go in!¡± The security guard at the door dutifully blocked the entrance. Melody looked up at the security guard and bent down to move under his arm. ¡°Hey! I said you can¡¯t go in!¡± The security guard reached out and grabbed her by the back of her cor. Melody kept struggling hard. However, she was just a four-year-old girl. How could she move out of an adult¡¯s grasp? ¡°Go outside and turn right. There¡¯s a yground fifty meters away. That¡¯s where you should go!¡± The security guard lifted Melody and threw her out. Unexpectedly, Melody once again bent down and rushed toward the building. The security guard was simply exhausted. If this little girl was not pretty, he would have used violence. He took a big step to chase after her. However, the little girl ran into a crowded area and even got under the table. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll only say it one more time. Come out!¡± The guard leaned over the edge of the table before he stared at Melody and yelled. The little girl held onto the foot of the table and red at him warily. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 hapter 110 ¡°What happened, Mr. Perez?¡± Jake went downstairs to do some work and saw Mr. Perez, the tall and imposing head of the security team, lying down on the floor. He looked slightly hrious. Mr. Perez stroked his own nose. ¡°A little girl rushed in, and she¡¯s hiding under the table. What do you think I should do, Mr. Wilson?¡± Jake cast a nce at the bottom of the table. Mr. Perez lifted the table cloth so that he could see the little girl¡¯s wide eyes from where he was. Her eyes were filled with vignce, fear, and anxiety. The lighting was dim under the table, but Jake could still see that she was a fair and cute little girl. Jake¡¯s heart melted a little, and he said, ¡°It looks like this girl is just about three years old. Her guardian should be nearby. Don¡¯t frighten the kid. Just bring her to the resting lounge and wait for her guardian to im her.¡± Mr. Perez hummed before he bent down, went under the table, and retrieved the little girl. When Melody saw the hand that extended toward her, she was so scared that her eyes were filled with terror. She let go of the foot of the table, turned around, and ran. ¡°Hey, stop running!¡±. By the time Mr. Perez came out from the bottom of the table, Melody had already disappeared from the lobby. Jake nced over before he went upstairs with some documents. There were too many things for him to handle every day, so a kid would not grab too much attention from him. He then entered the CEO¡¯s office with the documents. Just as he was about to report his work, he heard Duke speaking on a call. ¡°He sneaked out again? ¡°Send more people to look for him.¡± When Jake heard that, he knew that the young master of the Winters family had sneaked out again. He saw Duke hang up and hold his forehead with a cold and profound expression. That was a sign of disaster. Jake felt flustered. He was not about to report good news either. Mr. Winters would definitely rebuke him when he spoke later. Even if Mr. Winters did not scold him, he would also have to bear the man¡¯s cold aura. He gulped, awkwardly chuckled, and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, you don¡¯t have to worry too much Kids are very smart nowadays. Young Master Harold is already four years old, so he won¡¯t get lost.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was deep and cold. ¡°I wish he would get lost.¡± Every word was cold, and Jake felt a shiver run down his spine as if he was experiencing winter. He continued to awkwardly say, ¡°When I went downstairs to get the documents just now, I saw a little girl who had run into our building alone without thepanion of an adult. The security guard was tired out¡­¡± ¡°Can anyone simply enter our building now?¡± Duke¡¯s voice became colder. ¡°If you see any kid coming in again, just throw them out!¡± Jake almost cried. Original from N?velDrama.Org. He brought the little girl up because he wanted to lighten the atmosphere, but Mr. Winters grew angrier instead. He surrendered to his fate as he flipped open the documents and started reporting on the project. At 10.00 am, Duke wanted to go to the factory for an inspection. A group of people surrounded him while he walked out of the elevator, and they moved quickly. The security guards at the entrance of Winters Corporation stood up straight and greeted him in unison, ¡°Mr. Winters!¡± Duke was expressionless . He emanated a strong imposing vibe, which made others afraid of staring straight at him. Jake quickly proceeded to open the passenger door at the back. At that moment, a little girl rushed out from the flower bed and approached Duke. She immediately held his leg. Everything became quiet for an instant. Then, Jake spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°Mr. Perez, quickly, take the kid away!¡± Mr. Perez was almost shocked to death. Had that girl not run away a long time ago? Why was she hiding in the flower bed? Besides, she was even bold enough to hug Mr. Winters¡¯ leg! She was totally deceptive! Mr. Perez looked fierce as he walked over and grabbed Melody by the cor. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Melody looked up at Duke with her ck eyes. She looked so pretty like an exquisite doll, but this doll seemed slightly embarrassed now. She had hidden in the flowerbed for two hours. Her dress was torn up, and her face, as well as hands, were full of dirt. Her pink little dress had be yellowish, and there were a few pieces of leaves in her hair. Her eyes were the only clean and clear parts of her entire body. Mr. Perez lifted her with contempt. How dare this dirty kid hug Mr. Winters?! If her parents were there, they might need topensate him until they went bankrupt! ¡°Throw her out!¡± Jake reluctantly gave the instruction. It was really cruel to throw an adorable little girl out. However, he knew that Mr. Winters had severe mysophobia. If the little girl kept staying there and getting in his way, the consequences would be terrible for her. Mr. Winters could even hurt his own sons, more so a dirty little girl. Jake motioned for Mr. Perez to bring the little girl away. But¡­ ¡°Hold on.¡± They slowly heard Duke¡¯s voice. Mr. Perez¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He looked at the girl in his arms with sympathy. The girl looked lovely, but she was so ignorant that she bumped into Mr. Winters. She was clearly seeking death. Mr. Perez took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, how should we handle her?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, we still have to go to the factory for the inspection,¡± Jake quickly changed the subject. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get in the car first? Otherwise, we won¡¯t make it.¡± Duke raised his leg coldly. ¡°Do you think I can still attend the inspection?¡± There were two handprints on the bottom part of his pants. The yellowish dirt print on his high-end tailored pants stood out. He looked up and suddenly extended his arm to Melody. Mr. Perez was so shocked that he took a step back. Was Mr. Winters going to deal with this girl personally? The little girl was just about three years old. She was little and immature, so she had unintentionally been rude to Mr. Winters. How could he harm a little girl? Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Mr. Perez had initially lifted Melody by the cor, but he had somehow ended up holding the girl in his arms. The girl had been resisting, though. ¡°Mr. Winters, this¡­ You can just leave this small matter to the Security Department. Haha!¡± Mr. Perez¡¯s head broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Hand the kid to me,¡± Duke said coldly. Mr. Perez dared not breathe heavily because of Duke¡¯s cold aura. In the end, he cast a sympathetic nce at the girl before he finally let go of his hand and handed her over. The moment Duke¡¯s long hand touched Melody¡¯s shoulder, she immediately wrapped her hands around his neck and held him tightly. Then, everyone saw the white cor of Mr. Winters, who had mysophobia, turn into yellowish soil color. His high-end tailored suit had be dirty because of the little girl. Mr. Perez and Jake closed their eyes together. They really did not want to see Mr. Winters using violence on a three-year-old girl. Unexpectedly, they heard a soft and deep voice. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± It was a familiar voice, but something seemed off with the tone. Jake opened his eyes and saw the noble, resolute Mr. Winters lower his head slightly as he patiently spoke to the little girl in his arms. The little girl¡¯s face was full of dirt. When Mr. Winters questioned her, she did not answer at all. ¡°Cancel the inspection at the factory.¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Duke carried Melody, turned around, and went into the Winters Corporation building. Two hours ago, Jake told him that a little girl rushed into the building. If he got downstairs earlier, Melody would not have been frightened like this. This beautiful girl almost became a little beggar. Everyone at the entrance looked at each other at a loss. ¡°Mr. Wilson, what¡¯s going on?¡± Mr. Perez widened his eyes. ¡°Mr. Winters took the girl. Nothing will happen, right?¡¯¡± Jake recalled Duke¡¯s speaking tone, and he shook his head. ¡°It should be fine. Please pay attention to the entrance. Maybe some parents who lost their daughter wille over to look for her.¡± Mr. Perez quickly nodded and went back to his work. Jake stroked his chin. Why did he feel that the girl¡¯s eyes looked slightly simr to Mr. Winters eyes? If he did not know that this girl¡¯s background was unknown, he nearly thought that she was thedy of the Winters family. Duke carried Melody to the top floor. ¡°Why would you appear here?¡± He stared at Melody, and he tried his best to soften his voice. Melody widened her eyes and stared at him without answering. 0 Duke was a little upset as he frowned. Why did he forget that Adina¡¯s daughter did not speak? He raised his hand and took off Melody¡¯s dirty jacket. When he lifted her cloth, the little girl¡¯s round belly was shown. Honestly, Duke had never taken off his sons¡¯ clothes. He was an adult man, so he should not help the little girl shower either. He frowned and gave up. ¡°Ms. rk,e in!¡± he shouted. Ms. rk was the only female secretary in the CEO¡¯s office. Duke did not like women getting close to him, so her presence in the Secretarial Department was not noticeable. This was the first time that Duke directly called her. Ms. rk entered in her high heels and instantly saw the dirty little girl, who was standing on the couch. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The couch had initially been beige in color, but it was now a yellowish soil color. Ms. rk looked away and respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Winters, is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°Help her take a shower,¡± Duke said indifferently. As soon as he spoke, Melody suddenly jumped from the couch and into his arms. She held his neck tightly and trembled in fear. It felt like he was the only person who made her feel safe. The feeling made Duke¡¯s heart melt. He silently sighed, and his voice became deeper and more gentle. ¡°Melo, let thisdy help you take a shower. After the shower, we¡¯ll go and look for your mommy.¡± But the little girl stubbornly held on to his neck. Duke¡¯s neck and face became unavoidably dirty. Ms. rk furrowed her eyebrows. Mr. Winters was actually so patient toward this little girl. However, she just heard that Mr. Winters had two sons. When did he have a daughter? In an instant, different thoughts filled Ms. rk¡¯s mind. She wore a sweet smile on her face.¡± Little girl, can I help you take a shower? I¡¯ll be very gentle. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± As she said that, she went forward to grab Melody¡¯s arm. No matter who this little girl was, she had to be someone whom she could not offend. Mr. Winters was so patient toward this girl. If this little girl liked her, maybe Mr. Winters would like her too¡­ When Ms. rk thought about that, she used more strength. ¡°No!¡± Melody screamed in shock. Duke¡¯s expression changed, and he coldly said, ¡°Let go of her. Get out!¡± Ms. rk was so scared that herplexion turned pale. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Winters. I didn¡¯t do that on purpose¡­¡± ¡°Get out first!¡± Duke held the kid in his arms tightly, and his gaze was filled with suspicion. Did this girl not know how to speak? Why did she say ¡°no¡±? Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 After Adina talked about recruitment with Ethan, she attempted to drink some coffee. Her phone suddenly vibrated on the table. She cast a nce. It was from Ms. Jones. It had been some time since the kids went to preschool, but Ms. Jones had never contacted her during school hours. Adina put down her ss and answered the call, ¡°Hello, Ms. Jones.¡± ¡°Mdm. Daugherty, something happened.¡± Ava¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Melody¡¯s missing.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Adina instantly raised her voice. She found a quieter ce, tried her best to stay calm, and said, ¡°Miss Jones, what happened? Please speak slowly.¡± ¡°Alden and Melody went missing during the morning exercise time today. I checked the surveince camera at 8.40 am, Melody left the preschool alone. Ten minutester, Alden also sneaked out of school to look for his sister.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Adina¡¯s heart was hung up. ¡°Do you mean Mel went missing for two hours?¡± She held the phone tightly, grabbed her car key, and walked outside. ¡°Madam Daugherty, Alden did not allow us to inform you. He said he will find Melody. But two hours have passed, and he still hasn¡¯t found Melody. So we have to contact you¡­¡± Ava¡¯s voice was full of self-condemned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam Daugherty. It¡¯s our responsibility. The headmaster has already called the police.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Adina just hung up and called Alden. At this time, Alden was standing by the street where people came and left. His eyes were lost and helpless He had been looking for Melody along the street for two hours, but he had found nothing. He had lost his sister. Buzz¡­ His smart watch vibrated. He took a look, and it was his mom. He pursed his pale lips and picked up the call. ¡°Mom, Mel¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Tell me where you are.¡± Adina sat in the car, held the steering wheel, and started the engine. Alden told her an address. Adina said with a deep voice, ¡°Wait there. I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± She stepped on the elerator, and the car was driven away speedily. Eight minutester, her car stopped right in front of Alden. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Alden¡¯s eyes turned red, and his voice was sobbing. Adina got out of the car and stroked his hair. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Tell me, where did youst see Mel?¡± Alden pointed at the opposite side of the road. ¡°I saw her on the opposite of the road. When I wanted to go after her, a car passed by in front of me.¡± It was a lively street, and there were a lot of cars. At this time, the only thing Adina felt blessed was that Melody did not get involved in any car ident. She pursed her lips and asked, ¡°Have you checked the surveince of the street?¡± Alden seemed to have snapped out of his daze. He took a breath. ¡°I forgot.¡± He was really too anxious. He just kept looking for his sister, and he forgot everything else. Adina took out aptop from the car and handed it to Alden. Five minutester, the surveince of the street was found. ¡°Mom, Mel showed up here atst.¡± The scene came to a pause, and Alden gently spoke as he pointed at the surveince. Adina saw Melody stand at the lively street alone, and her gaze was lost and helpless. Adina felt upset. Melody had severe autism, and she was unable tomunicate with the outside world. The doctor had said Melody must not be allowed to go out alone. She was such an ipetent mother. Adina suppressed her anxiety for a long time, but it was exposed the second she saw Melody. She stared at the screen for a few seconds before she pointed at a red car at the roadside and slowly said, ¡°Zoom in.¡± Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Alden did as Adina said. He zoomed in on the car, and the car¡¯s te number was clearly seen. Adina¡¯s heart instantly sank. She had seen this car before. It was Dew¡¯s newly bought sports car. In the surveince, this car had passed by Melody. Had Melody been kidnapped by Dew? Adina strongly bit her bottom lip. She closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze became resolute and ruthless.¡± Alden, go back to your ss and continue learning.¡± Alden stopped moving his fingers. ¡°Mom, I want to look for Mel.¡± ¡°I think I know where Mel is. You¡¯re a good boy. Just go back to the first.¡± Adina put him in the car before she stepped on the elerator and drove to preschool. Alden turned around and looked at Adina¡¯s cold and profound face. He came up with a bad suspicion. His mom did not look like she was going to look for Mel. She looked more like she was taking revenge. He sat in the passenger seat at the back. He tapped on the mouse, and theptop screen instantly turned blue. Countless alphabets and symbols popped up. He searched for a while before he found the owner of the red car. It was Dew Daugherty. She was Mom¡¯s biggest rival. Alden clenched his fists tightly before he slowly said, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Adina indifferently said, ¡°Miss Jones is very unhappy when you skipped the ss in the morning. You¡¯re a good boy. Just go to ss at ease.¡± Alden lowered his head, and his gaze was frustrated. He was too small, so he could only surrender when his mom said that. But, he was unable to let his mom go to the Daugherty family alone. Alden took a deep breath before he tapped on the keyboards with tapping sounds. When Adina heard his tapping sounds on the keyboard, she also roughly knew what Alden was doing. If this had happened in the past, she would have stopped him. But Melody was missing now, and she might be facing some kind of torment. Adina drove Alden back to the preschool, and she drove away before Ms. Jones could apologize to her. She drove speedily with a madness of destruction. A few days ago, Dew sent some people to tail her. At that time, she should have been more alert. Why did she not take any action? Besides, Dew had sneakily hidden at the entrance of the preschool yesterday. Adina could tell she wanted to harm the two kids. Why did she not take action on time? She failed to be a mother! If anything happened to Melody, she would never forgive herself! Adina drove speedily on the road, and her vision slowly became blurred. But she also forced herself to suppress her tears. Why did she want to cry? How could she cry? She instantly braked her car and stopped in front of the vi of the Daugherty family.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. This was the ce where she lived for eighteen years, and she was familiar with every corner here. She held the car door. When she was about to get out of the car, she saw that Dew walked out of the vi in her high heels. Dew put on a sexy dress, and she had exquisite makeup. When she walked, she swayed her body. She even hummed a song. It looked like she was in a very good mood. Adina slowly held the steering wheel and stepped on the elerator. She recalled Dew¡¯s arrogant face when she walked into the warehouse four years ago. The two kids were indirectly killed by Dew. Even after four years, Adina still could not suppress her hatred. Instead, it was imprinted strongly in her blood. She held herself back without taking revenge because of her two kids. But Dew harmed Melody now. She could not hold herself back anymore! She was unable to hold herself back! Adina strongly stepped on the elerator! Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Buzz! Her phone suddenly vibrated. Adina cast a nce. It was a call from Duke. This phone call knocked Adina in the head like a hammer. If she hit Adina to death, she would not be able to escape thew. What about Alden? Alden did not have a father since he was born. If she was jailed, Alden would lose his mother. Original from N?velDrama.Org. There were tons of methods to take revenge. She must not kill anyone by herself! Adina made a U-turn. Her car turned to the road at the side, and it passed by along Dew¡¯s shoulder. Dew was shocked. She staggered in her high heels, and she fell down on the roadside. It was only when Adina drove the car to the back of the vi of the Daugherty family that she stepped on the brake and stopped the car. She breathed out heavily before she picked up the phone that kept vibrating. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you must be really busy. You only answered my call after so long.¡± Duke¡¯s sarcastic and impatient voice came from the other end of the call. Adina slowly asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, may I help you?¡± If Duke did not make this call, she might have already done something dumb, so she did not mind the sarcasm in Duke¡¯s voice. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, haven¡¯t you realized that you lost something?¡± Duke coldly asked. Adina held her car key, pushed open the car door, and said with a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m very busy. I don¡¯t have the time to y a dumb riddle with you. If you have something to say, please just say it.¡± ¡°No matter how busy you are, you shouldn¡¯t neglect your kid, right?¡± Duke¡¯s voice was colder than hers. ¡°Your daughter has been missing for two hours. As a mother, how can you still be in the mood to work?¡± Adina stopped walking. ¡°How did you know that my daughter has gone missing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s with me. Come over now.¡± Duke directly hung up. Adina could not believe it. Melody was with Duke? What was going on? And Dew? Adina got in the car and slowly drove past the entrance of the vi of the Daugherty family. She was in time to see Dew getting up from the floor. ¡°A mad person drove speedily in front of my house, and they nearly killed me. I sprained my ankle. It¡¯s so painful. We¡¯ll go shopping next time¡­¡± Adina saw that Dew walked into the vi with a limp. The servants in the vi looked normal, and nothing strange was seen. So, she really misunderstood Dew today. Adina stepped on the elerator. Fifteen minutester, the car stopped in front of Winters Corporation. She looked so gorgeous, and everyone in the circle knew that she was the most beautiful woman in Sea City. When she came over this time, the receptionist just let her in. She walked to the door of the CEO¡¯s office in her high heels. The door was not closed, and she could see Melody sitting on the couch through the gap. The little girl had just taken a shower, and wet strands were on her forehead as Duke wiped her hair with a towel. This man looked cold and overbearing, but his move was extremely gentle. Melody closed her eyes, and she looked very sleepy. Adina¡¯s tension was finally relieved. She gently pushed open the door, and the two¡¯people on the couch raised their heads and looked at her at the same time. Duke casually threw the towel that he had used to wipe Melody¡¯s hair before he curled his lips with displeasure. ¡°Have you done your work, Ms. Daugherty?¡± Adina ignored his sarcasm. She walked to her daughter, bent down, and lifted her up. ¡°Mel, are you okay?¡± The little girl blinked, and she looked dumbfounded. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Adina sighed. She stroked Melody¡¯s hair and rubbed her forehead with her cheek Then, she looked up at the man who sat at the table in the CEO¡¯s office, and she softly said,¡± Mr. Winters, thank you for looking after my daughter.¡± Duke yed with the pen in his hand, and his gaze was cold. ¡°If I didn¡¯t meet her, your daughter might have been in the hands of the human trafficker.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, why¡­ did my daughter appear in Winters Corporation?¡± Adina pursed her lips and slowly asked. Alden had been very smart since he was little, so she never had to worry about him going out and taking the bus alone. In contrast, Melody had been pampered and protected by the family. She never left home alone, especially because she had difficultymunicating. Adina really did not understand why Melody would go there. Duke leaned on the chair and coldly said, ¡°I also want to ask you this. Your daughter is still so small. Why did shee to Winters Corporation alone?¡± He sounded like he was testing her out. Adina narrowed her eyes. ¡°Mr. Winters, do you think I purposely let here here to look for you?¡± Duke¡¯s gaze was cold and profound, and he did not speak ¡°Countless women want to be Mrs. Winters, but I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not interested in bing a stepmother.¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°The police have established a case for my missing daughter. They mighte to you for a statementter. I have a reminder for you. When you found the missing child, you should¡¯ve contacted the police immediately. Otherwise, it¡¯s very easy for people to misunderstand and think that you kidnapped my daughter!¡± Her gaze was as sharp as a knife. Tas Duke was speechless. He suddenly sneered. He was so kind to help her daughter, but she still threatened him. This woman was really ungrateful! He got up and slowly walked toward Adina. He was more than 1.8 meters tall. When he stood up, he blocked out most of the light from the ceiling. He emanated a very threatening aura like he was a demon from hell. Adina held Melody in her arms as she took a step back. The girl in her arms also seemed to feel a little anxious as she held Adina¡¯s neck tightly. Duke continued moving closer until he cornered her to the wall. ¡°Adina Daugherty, if this happens again, I¡¯ll throw your daughter out!¡± He just wanted to let Adina know his bottom line, Unexpectedly, as soon as he spoke, Melody suddenly turned back and red at him. Then, she raised the milk in her hands and poured it on his face. The sticky milk dropped from his hair, and his face turned extremely pale. He purposely asked his secretary to buy the milk to coax the little girl, but half of it was poured on his face. He had lived for more than twenty years, but this was his first time having milk poured on his face. Adina was also shocked. She did not expect Melody to do that to the man. She quickly held Melody tightly, bent down, and moved to the side. ¡°Mr. Winters, it¡¯s really my daughter¡¯s fault. I apologize to you on her behalf. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time. Please don¡¯t be mad at a kid.¡± While she spoke, she looked at Duke¡¯s expression. The man¡¯s expression was getting colder. It seemed that Melody also realized she had made a huge mistake. She buried her face in Adina¡¯s chest, and her body trembled. ¡°Mr. Winters, I still need to go to the police station to dismiss the case. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Adina held Melody and left. Duke raised his hand and wiped his face. His hand was full of milk. Before Adina came, the little girl had clearly relied on him a lot. She only felt at ease in hispany. He had helped her take a shower, wash her hair for her, put on her clothes, and dried her hair. But now, the little girl just poured the milk on him. His heart instantly turned cold. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 It was only after Adina carried Melody to the lobby that she sighed in relief. The little girl let go of her neck, and she looked self-me and guilty. ¡°Mel, tell mommy why did youe to Winters Corporation?¡± Adina asked in a low voice. However, the girl looked dumbfounded as she widened her eyes. She could not say a word. Adina sighed. ¡°You just need to shake your head or nod. Did anyone bring you here?¡± Melody shook her head. ¡°So, did youe here on your own?¡± Melody nodded. Adina pursed her lips. She wanted to ask why Melody would go there, and she also wanted to ask how Melody knew the ce. But Melody did not speak, so it was useless even if she asked. She stroked her daughter¡¯s hair. Only then did she realize that Melody had changed her clothes. When she left the house, she had worn a pink dress, but she was wearing a loose long sleeved blouse and pants now. Besides, when she arrived at Duke¡¯s office just now, it seemed like Melody had just stepped out of the shower. What happened for Melody to need a shower? Adina slowly pursed her pink lips. She should not have left in a hurry just now. She had not even asked about certain things that she should have asked. She held Melody tightly as she walked out of the building, and she coincidentally heard a conversation between a few security guards. ¡°The little girl today is really pretty. She was taken by Mr. Winters for so long. I wonder if she is fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time to see Mr. Winters show such a gentle expression. He will not do anything to the girl.¡± ¡°Hey, what rtionship do you think is between the little girl and Mr. Winters? Why did such a small kid hide in the flower bed for two hours just to wait for Mr. Winters toe out?¡± ¡°Also, the little girl was in Winters Corporation for about two hours. Her parents didn¡¯te and look for her. Do you think Mr. Winters is her father?¡± ¡°The girl looks so dirty, but Mr. Winters actually did not mind it. He just held her with his arms. Maybe she is really his biological daughter.¡± ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t talk nonsense, or you¡¯ll be cklisted by Winters Corporation!¡± ¡°Bah! Don¡¯t spread this out and ruin Mr. Winters¡¯ reputation, or I¡¯ll not be able to stay in Sea City¡­.¡± When Adina listened to the conversation, her expression becameplex in an instant. Did they mean Melody came to Winters Corporation alone, and she hid in the flowerbed for two hours after she was refused entry to the building? Melody was not a patient person because of her disorder. No matter what she did, it would notst for more than an hour. Yet, she had actually squatted in the dirty flowerbed for so long just to wait for Duke. Why did Melody want to see Duke? Adina recalled the first time they met. Melody rushed into Duke¡¯s arms on the road that day. Was the man so attractive to Melody? She lowered her head and whispered, ¡°Mel, do you like Duke very much?¡± Something shed in the girl¡¯s dumbfounded gaze before she nodded hard. Adina¡¯s feelings became moreplicated So, she had really misunderstood Duke today. Duke had carried Melody out of the flowerbed. He had also helped Melody take a shower and even changed into new clothes. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. But she had criticized him for no reason. Melody even poured a ss of milk onto his head. Adina stroked her nose awkwardly. She could not go upstairs again and apologize. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Forget it. They were business partners, so she had a lot of chances to make it up to the man in the future. Adina ced Melody in the back passenger seat before she drove to the police station and dismissed the case. Then, she went to the preschool to pick Alden up. ¡°Mdm. Daugherty, I¡¯m really sorry! We were too careless. I¡¯ll surely keep my eyes on Melody next time. This will never happen again!¡± Ms. Jones apologized with a guilty expression. Adina knew that she could not me the preschool completely. She held the kids¡¯ hands and softly said, ¡°Alden, Mel, you have to listen to the teacher, okay? No matter where you want to go, you have to tell Ms. Jones. You can¡¯t sneak out alone again. Understand?¡± Alden nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯ll take care of Mel.¡± Melody innocently widened her eyes before she nodded. Ava¡¯s heart melted. ¡°Melody is really adorable. Okay, wave at me. We¡¯ll see each other tomorrow.¡± Melody obediently raised her arm and casually waved. She was autistic, so it was great enough that she could interact like this. At the very least, it proved that she did not resist Ms. Jones. After they bade goodbye to the teacher in the preschool, Adina put the kids in the car. Alden asked in a low voice, ¡°Mom, where did you find Mel?¡± ¡°Mel went to Winters Corporation.¡± Adina drove while she said, ¡°Alden, Mel usually spends the most time with you. Can you tell me how she knew Duke?¡± Alden clenched his fists tightly. Mel actually sneaked out to look for Duke? Did Mel know that Duke was their father? ¡°Mel met Uncle Dukest time when you were in the hospital. Maybe she has something to look for Uncle Duke,¡± Alden answered in a low voice. Adina nodded without saying anything else. After Adina went home, she went to cook in the kitchen, and Alden sat beside Melody ¡°Mel, look at me.¡± His voice was very deep like some kind of magic. Melody, who focused on ying the puzzles, raised her head and stared at him in the eyes. ¡°Do you like Duke very much?¡± Alden gently asked. Melody paused for a few seconds before she slowly nodded. Something shed in the little girl¡¯s ck eyes before it disappeared again. But Alden still noticed it. Melody never showed such an expression when she looked at Flint. Alden felt a little upset. If Duke were a loyal man, he would not mind his mother being with Duke. However, the man had made his mother pregnant while he also got another woman to give birth to his children. How could this kind of jerk be good enough to be with his mother? How could he be good enough for being Melody¡¯s father? Alden took a breath. He held Melody¡¯s soft fingers and said firmly, ¡°Duke Winters will not like you.¡± . Original from N?velDrama.Org. Melody widened her eyes, and her eyes immediately became teary. ¡°He has a son. You¡¯ll never be as good as Harold to him,¡± Alden said cruelly. ¡°Mel, you need to stop liking Duke. He doesn¡¯t deserve your love.¡± The little girl immediately moved out of his grip. She stood up and ran away. She kicked over the block castle, and the small blocks scattered all over the floor. Alden felt very heartbroken. . The person he wanted to hurt the least in the world was Melody. But he had to do this resolutely so that his sister would not get hurt. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Over in the Daugherty family, Dew had sprained her ankle, so she was working in the study in the afternoon. Adina had suddenly returned, so she had begun putting all her efforts into dealing with Adina some time ago. It made her neglect a lot of work as a result. Adina wasing for her aggressively. If she did not work hard, she would possibly be reced by Adina. After dinner, Dew continued amending the documents. It was Daugherty Corporation¡¯s tender proposal. The bidding party was an old business partner that Daugherty Corporation had been working with for more than a decade. This hardcopy was just a formality, and Daugherty Corporation would get the tender in the end. Dew had always managed such simple projects because they were easy wins. Once she seeded, she would be the project¡¯s biggest contributor. Dew leaned on her chair and checked the tender proposal for thest time. When she roughly read it, there was really no problem. However, she saw the document on herputer screen suddenly disappear at that moment! She worked so hard in typing the document, but it was ripped into snowkes. Then, the whole document became nk. ¡°What the heck? What happened?¡± Dew widened her eyes. She quickly took out her phone and called George. ¡°George, please take a look at myputer. Is myputer infected with a virus?¡± George was also working. He wrote a series of codes and entered Dew¡¯sputer immediately. ¡°Mom, yourputer was forcefully nted with a trojan horse three hours ago. I already got rid of it for you. You can normally use yourputer now.¡± Dew sighed in relief. ¡°What about my document? Can you get it back?¡± ¡°The document can be restored, but it takes at least three days,¡± George indifferently said.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No way! I need to use the document in the morning tomorrow! It has to be recovered tonight!¡± Dew sounded like she lost control. ¡°George, you¡¯re a hacker expert. You should have a way to recover it, right?¡± George thought for a while before he spoke, ¡°Mom, the person is also a hacking expert. His Trojan horse virus is too powerful.¡± What he meant was that it was impossible to recover the document tonight. Adina was furious. ¡°George, somebody must be plotting against me! When I went out in the afternoon, a car passed by me. It was so close to me that I was nearly hit to death! The person failed to kill me, so they hired a hacker to attack myputer! I have to use this document at 8.00 am tomorrow. Without the document, how can Daugherty Corporation participate in the tender? This is a huge project that can earn us at least $50,000,000 of profit, and it¡¯s just ruined like that!¡± Dew was so angry that her body ached. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll find out who the mastermind is. Please rest assured.¡± After George finished speaking, he hung up. After Adina sent her two kids to preschool, she drove to Daugherty Corporation. As soon as she stepped into the office, she heard many staff members gathering in the pantry and chatting. ¡°Ms. Daugherty is really incapable. She even managed to ruin a project that was a sure sess. I admire her ability.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a tender for this project every year, and ourpany gets the bid every time. But this year, wow! The shareholders should not pass her the project.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty is the future heiress of Daugherty Corporation. If they don¡¯t hand it to her, should they hand it to you?¡± ¡°The real heiress is Ms. Adina Daugherty, okay? Dew Daugherty just took over her position.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 When some sounds of coughing rang out, a few female staff members in the pantry were so shocked that they trembled. As they slowly turned back, they saw Adina standing behind them with the ghost of a smile. Clearly, she heard what they had just said. At that moment, they felt extremely fortunate for not talking smack about Adina. If Dew heard them discuss her like that behind her back, they would get fired. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss¡­¡± The female staff members stammered. They did not know how to address Adina. Aaron was Mr. Daugherty, and Dew was Ms. Daugherty, but how should they refer to Adina? ¡°Why don¡¯t you call me Ms. Daugherty?¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll be the Customer Service Department¡¯s managerter on.¡± After she said that, the female staff members looked at each other in confusion. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. They had also heard about the bet between Adina and the shareholders. Boyd Corporation was a multinational conglomerate. They always coborated with foreignpanies and never chose the local ones. Daugherty Corporation was very well-developed in Sea City, but it did not match Boyd Corporation¡¯s standards. Intending to coborate with Boyd Corporation in three days was even more difficult than going to the moon. Yet, Adina had actually started to imagine herself bing the Customer Service Department¡¯s manager. People on the site subconsciously sighed for her. Adina was not aware of it. She leaned on the door frame and casually said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be lunchtime. Let me treat you guys to lunch.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that inappropriate, Ms. Daugherty?¡± ¡°Junior staff like us should just eat in the canteen.¡± 118 The female staff members turned her down. ¡°A new western restaurant just opened near thepany, and their food looks delicious. Don¡¯t you want to go there and try it?¡± Adina smiled faintly as she asked. The average price in the new restaurant was above $500. Who would not want to go? However, Adina was the Daugherty family¡¯s first daughter, and she frequently appeared in the headlines in Sea City. They really did not want to have anything to do with such a character. ¡°I¡¯m a neer. I just want to hear some things that everyone knows in thepany.¡± Adina tucked her hair behind her ears. ¡°But if you¡¯re not willing, forget it. I¡¯ll treat some other people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join!¡± A chubby junior took one step forward. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ll join you in the western restaurant.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll join too!¡± another girl with sses nodded and said. With the temptation of food and Adina also lowering her status, a total of five people ate together at noon. All of them were young girls in their early twenties. After they got together, they kept chatting about all kinds of gossip in thepany. For example, the Technical Department¡¯s manager had an affair with his secretary, the husband of Ms. sewald from the Customer Service Department had cheated on her, and the nning Department¡¯s assistant manager was in a rtionship with two people¡­ Adina also chatted with the girls, and they grew closer after lunch. In the CEO¡¯s office, Aaron looked furious. ¡°Dew, what did you dost night? How could you ruin such an important deal?¡± ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t I exin it to you? Myputer got infected, and the document was corrupted, so I couldn¡¯t participate in the tender this morning.¡± Dew felt exhausted. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a $ 50,000,000 project? I can just cover it with my own money, can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the money!¡± Aaron mmed the document on the table. ¡°This is an old customer who¡¯s coborated with Daugherty Corporation for decades. This time, he chose anotherpany, and he¡¯ll get used to working with otherpanies next time! We¡¯ll lose $ 50,000,000 a year and $600,000,000 in a dozen years!¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Dew had a headache due to all of Aaron¡¯s nagging The project did not fail because of her. Why did he let her take the me for everything? ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a client? Winters Corporation is worth ten small clients like that,¡± she said impatiently ¡°The project with Winters Corporation only starts after three years. Don¡¯t bring it up again!¡± Aaron paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. He frowned and said, ¡°Oh yeah, how¡¯s it going with Boyd Corporation? Today is the second day. Has Adina looked for the person in charge of Boyd Corporation?¡± Dew massaged her forehead. ¡°When I came to thepany this morning, I heard that Adina was here too. I don¡¯t know why she was around.¡±. Aaron tapped on the table and coldly said, ¡°If she really can secure the contract with Boyd Corporation, I might give her another chance.¡± When Dew heard that, she was shocked. Give Adina another chance? What did he mean? Would he really let Adina work in Daugherty Corporation? If Adina joined thepany, she would need to keep her eye on Adina all the time. She would not be able to spare any attention for her own work! Adina would also steal her status as the heiress one day. Dew moved her mouth and wanted to say something, but she gave up. Aaron was also Adina¡¯s father. It was better for Dew to discuss her problems with her mother. Dew reported some things rted to work before she left the CEO¡¯s office. As soon as she arrived downstairs, she saw Adina walking out of the Finance Department. The sisters met in the long, narrow corridor. Adina smiled faintly. ¡°Dew, did you not sleep well?¡± Dew had spent half an hour putting on her makeup this morning, but she still could not cover her dark eye circles. She suspected Adina of hacking herptopst night, but she did not have any evidence. It was alright, nheless. George had already begun to investigate it. As long as he found evidence, she could send Adina to jail. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Dew inhaled before she coldly asked, ¡°What were you doing in the Finance Department?¡± Adina smiled casually ¡°I just came over to hang out and have some tea. I heard a juicy piece of gossip, by the way.¡± She took a step forward, and her voice was filled with sarcasm. ¡°A project we secured was ruined by you. If Daugherty Corporation is handed over to you, I think thepany will go bankrupt in three months.¡± ¡°You!¡± Dew was so angry that her features were distorted. She had always been the one who caused Adina trouble, but the b*tch had actually taken the initiative to provoke her today. Did this b*tch really think that she could sessfully secure the contract with Boyd Corporation? Dew clenched her fists while she spoke in a hostile manner. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll just have to wait and see whether Daugherty Corporation will really go bankrupt.¡± She red at Adina before she left. Adina tucked her hair behind her ear and swung the pendrive between her fingers. Daugherty Corporation¡¯s staff were used to beingzy. She had just treated them to a meal and easily gotten her hands on the Finance Department¡¯s ounts. However, she did not study ounting, so checking the ounts might take up a lot of her time. Dew stormed back to her office with a profound and gloomy gaze. Without any sense of warmth, she then asked her assistant toe to her office. ¡°Contact the person in charge of Boyd Corporation. nder Daugherty Corporation¡¯s reputation to him as much as possible.¡± Her assistant looked confused. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, what are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Ha! I¡¯d rather lose this big project than allow Adina to join Daugherty Corporation,¡± Dew viciously said. ¡°If you do this job well, I¡¯ll give you $1,000,000. You won¡¯t have to worry about a day in your life anymore.¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Her assistant became good-spirited. ¡°Yes, Ms. Daugherty. I¡¯ll get it done now.¡± Adina took the ounts and went back to her studio. It was the ounts that Daugherty Corporation prepared for external parties, and it had been done wlessly. Taking a brief nce, you would not spot any mistakes at all. She took a picture of the ounts and sent it to Flint. [Find the loopholes in the ount in three hours.] [Addy, I¡¯m a Finance graduate. Isn¡¯t it too much to ask me to look at the ounts again?] [This isn¡¯t an exam question. It¡¯s Daugherty Corporation¡¯s ounts. There will be a prize if you find the loopholes.) After Adina sent the text over, she did not pay attention to it anymore. She turned on herputer and started writing some code. The A-F project was actually notplicated. It just mainly consisted of several indirect points in the design. If she did not sort them out, she would fall into the mundane, and the product would ovep with current products on the market. Adina worked until five o¡¯clock before she was ready to head to her children¡¯s preschool. However, at this time, she received a call. She took a look before she smiled faintly and picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Arison.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ve already sent the digital contract to your mailbox. The contract is already in effect.¡± ti ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Arison,¡± Adina said as she walked. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal after Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shareholder meeting tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, Ms. Daugherty. It¡¯s an easy matter. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± Mr. Arison paused for a while before he said, ¡°An hour ago, the general manager¡¯s assistant from yourpany contacted me and said that she wants to have a meal with me alone. How do you think I should handle this?¡±. Daugherty Corporation¡¯s general manager was Dew, so that also meant Dew had sent her assistant to approach Boyd Corporation. Her purpose was clear without any exnation. Adina scoffed. ¡°The signature dish in Sea City is pretty good. You can give it a try tonight.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ept your suggestion.¡± In Daugherty Corporation. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Mr. Arison has agreed to the dinner!¡± The assistant happily rushed into the office. ¡°It¡¯s at 7.30 pm.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Dew¡¯s gloominess instantly disappeared. She had been unlucky for so many days, and there was finally great news. She paced back and forth in the office a few times before she pursed her lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for me to handle this personally. You need to attend the dinner alone. Bear in mind that you have to persuade Mr. Arison to turn down the coboration with Daugherty Corporation!¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ll do my best. Please don¡¯t worry.¡± Dew¡¯s assistant then calmly attended the appointment. Dew waited for her news the entire night. At 9.00 pm, her assistant called her, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ve spoken to Mr. Arison. He said Boyd Corporation ns to coborate with the Jones family, and they never considered Daugherty Corporation. Ms. Adina Daugherty has lost the bet, and she will never be able to join the Board of Directors. You can rest early.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job. I¡¯ll transfer the money to your bank ount tomorrow.¡± After Dew hung up, she curled the corners of her lips. Kicking Adina out of the Board of Directors was just the first step. Next, she would slowly get back the shares from Adina. The next morning, Dew went to thepany in good spirits. It was the third day of the bet. The Board of Directors¡¯ meeting was special today, and it was very lively in front of the meeting room. Some people with insider news had spread it around. ¡°I heard that Boyd Corporation signed the contract with the Jones family.¡± ¡°I told you Boyd Corporation wouldn¡¯t coborate with Daugherty Corporation. Only Ms. Adina Daugherty dares to have such a wilful dream!¡± Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Adina held a small leather bag and walked into Daugherty Corporation. The people around her cast a strange nce at her. ¡°Ms. Adina has just gotten a share of Daugherty Corporation, but she¡¯s going to be kicked out of the Board of Directors now. What a poordy.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not poor. She spoke arrogantly without thinking about the situation, so it¡¯s just backfiring on her now.¡± ¡°It looks like Ms. Dew is more suited to manage thepany. Ms. Adina should just be somewhere else where she¡¯s meant to be.¡± ¡°Did you forget that Ms. Dew ruined the tender project yesterday?¡± Adina pretended as if she did not hear the murmurs. ON She walked into the elevator and headed to the meeting room on the top floor. She stood in front of the meeting room and nced around. Great, everyone was there. The moment she took a step in with her high heels, Mr. Lawson sneered. ¡°Adina, you didn¡¯t secure the contract with Boyd Corporation, so you don¡¯t have the qualification to attend the shareholders¡¯ meeting.¡± Mr. Porter nodded. ¡°We¡¯re having an internal meeting today. Please leave, Adina.¡± ¡°You suggested the bet, and since you¡¯ve lost, you should admit to it,¡± Aaron said coldly. ¡°Get out!¡± Adina had spoken firmly the other day, which made him think this daughter of his could really secure the Boyd Corporation project. Yet, this morning, everyone said that Boyd Corporation had coborated with the Jones family. He should have known that Adina was useless. How could she convince Boyd Corporation¡¯s person-in- charge? He should not have such high expectations of his daughter! ¡°Dad, no matter what, Adina is still a shareholder of thepany. It¡¯s really not suitable to kick her out.¡± Dew smiled and said, ¡°She has 25% of shares, so it should be fine for her to be the manager of the Sales Department, right?¡± She sounded gentle, but her words were filled with evil intent. As soon as she spoke, the shareholders in the meeting room burst into a ruckus. ¡°The position of Sales Manager is very important. Not everyone can hold it!¡± ¡°The Sales Department is in charge of getting big clients for thepany. If she joins the department, I guess all of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s clients will be scared away.¡± ¡°In short, I don¡¯t agree with her joining the Sales Department.¡± Everyone nodded at the same time, and their attitude was clear. Dew curled her lips. She had been unlucky for so many days, and there was finally great news. She paced back and forth in the office a few times before she pursed her lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for me to handle this personally. You need to attend the dinner alone. Bear in mind that you have to persuade Mr. Arison to turn down the coboration with Daugherty Corporation!¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ll do my best. Please don¡¯t worry.¡± Dew¡¯s assistant then calmly attended the appointment. Dew waited for her news the entire night. At 9.00 pm, her assistant called her, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ve spoken to Mr. Arison. He said Boyd Corporation ns to coborate with the Jones family, and they never considered Daugherty Corporation. Ms. Adina Daugherty has lost the bet, and she will never be able to join the Board of Directors. You can rest early.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job. I¡¯ll transfer the money to your bank ount tomorrow.¡± After Dew hung up, she curled the corners of her lips. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Kicking Adina out of the Board of Directors was just the first step. Next, she would slowly get back the shares from Adina. The next morning, Dew went to thepany in good spirits. It was the third day of the bet. The Board of Directors¡¯ meeting was special today, and it was very lively in front of the meeting room. Some people with insider news had spread it around. ¡°I heard that Boyd Corporation signed the contract with the Jones family.¡± ¡°I told you Boyd Corporation wouldn¡¯t coborate with Daugherty Corporation. Only Ms. Adina Daugherty dares to have such a wilful dream!¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Everyone was also curious about why Boyd Corporation would choose to coborate with the Jones family. Adina nced at everyone in the meeting room with her beautiful eyes before she tapped open her phone and yed a recording. ¡°Mr. Arison, the internal situation in Daugherty Corporation is actually terrible. The superiors there love to frame big clients, and they like bigpanies like yours. If you sign the contract with Daugherty Corporation, it will bring an unestimated loss to Boyd Corporation.¡± When she yed the recording, people in the meeting room were lost. However, as it continued to y and the recording reached the part about the defamatory behavior of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s superiors, everyone in the room looked angry. ¡°That¡¯s absolute nonsense!¡± Mr. Lawson mmed the table and got up. ¡°Adina, where did you get that recording from?¡± Adina seemed nonchnt. ¡°You have to ask Dew.¡± Everyone looked at Dew at the same time. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Dew bit her bottom lip in disbelief. Others had no idea, but she knew that the voice in the recording belonged to her assistant. She did not have time to think about why Adina would have a recording of her assistant and Mr. Arison because everyone in the meeting room was staring at her. She clenched her fists tightly while she slowly said, ¡°Adina, I¡¯d like to know what happened regarding this recording too. Why did someone nder our image in front of Mr. Arison?¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°Dew, don¡¯t you recognize your assistant¡¯s voice?¡± She got up, and her voice gradually became stern. ¡°To stop Boyd Corporation from working with Daugherty Corporation, you sent your assistant to nder Daugherty Corporation in front of Mr. Arison. That¡¯s why Boyd Corporation chose to coborate with the Jones family in the end!¡± ¡°You¡¯re falsely using me!¡± Dew felt wronged as she yelled. ¡°Adina, it¡¯s no surprise that you didn¡¯t secure the project with Boyd Corporation because thepany is already a difficult case. We didn¡¯t me you. But how can you me me for your failure? I¡¯m the Daugherty family¡¯s heiress. I desperately want ourpany to be business partners with the big enterprises. Why would I interfere? ¡°Adina, you simply got your hands on a recording and imed that it¡¯s my assistant. Isn¡¯t that a little too convenient? My assistant attended a banquetst night, so she didn¡¯t have the time to meet Mr. Arison!¡± Dew¡¯s words sounded logical and reasonable. Everyone immediately took Dew¡¯s side. ¡°Adina, you just didn¡¯t get the contract. Why do you want to defame others?¡± CD ¡°Dew has worked in Daugherty Corporation for four years. Although she hasn¡¯t made any big contributions, she would never do something so despicable.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she also an executive in Daugherty Corporation? Why would she let her assistant nder her?¡± Everybody kept talking as if they knew for a fact that Adina had spread the rumors. Adina calmly smiled. ¡°Dew, did you say that you and your assistant attended a banquetst night?¡± Dew raised her chin. ¡°Yes.¡± She and her assistant had discussed their alibi for this, so she was not afraid of being exposed. ¡°So, what is this about?¡± Adina took out her phone and tapped open an Instagram post. She pushed her phone to the center of the table. ¡°Mr. Arison posted this on his Instagram at 8.00 pmst night. He was having dinner with your assistant.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dew¡¯s expression changed, and she picked up the phone. It was a photo of Mr. Arison and her assistant, while the background behind them included the restaurant¡¯s clock, which showed 8.00 pm. ¡°The recording could have been faked, but I couldn¡¯t have faked Mr. Arison¡¯s Instagram post, right?¡± Adina¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can call Mr. Arison right now.¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Dew¡¯s exnation seemed extremely hrious now that there was Mr. Arison¡¯s Instagram post Mr. Arison was the CEO of Boyd Corporation¡¯s Sea City branch, and he was also the person whom many businessmen in Sea City wanted to seek connections with. A person with such a status would not collude with Adina to make a fake Instagram post. Everyone in the meeting room looked at Dew with a more judgmental gaze. ¡°Ms. Dew, does this mean that you really sent your assistant to lie to Mr. Arison about Daugherty Corporation¡¯s reputation?¡± Dew clenched her fists tightly. She let out a long sigh and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ My assistant did it on her own. It has nothing to do with me¡­¡± It was a weak exnation. Mr. Lawson and Mr. Porter, who were the biggest shareholders , revealed disappointment in their eyes. ¡°Even if my assistant didn¡¯t treat Mr. Arison to a meal, Boyd Corporation would still never coborate with Daugherty Corporation.¡± Dew grasped at thest straw and said, ¡°You can¡¯t me my assistant for being the reason that this coboration failed!¡± As long as the coboration was not sessful, Adina would not be allowed to join the Board of Directors! However, at that moment, the phone on the meeting room table vibrated. Adina broke into a faint smile. ¡°Mr. Arison is calling.¡± She pressed the answer button, and a clear voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, the digital contract is attached in a file. I just sent the information about the project to your email. Please check and verify that you¡¯ve received it.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Arison. I hope we have a good coboration.¡± Adina smiled slightly. ¡°I still have something to deal with at the moment. I¡¯ll treat you to a mealter.¡± Mr Arison then hung up on his end Adina held her phone and looked around at everyone in the room. ¡°So, would you still like to chase me out now?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Dew shouted. ¡°Boyd Corporation has coborated with the Jones family. Why would they sign a contract with you? Stop pretending!¡± ¡°Dew, do you really hate to see Daugherty Corporation coborating with Boyd Corporation? It¡¯s a fact, yet you still refuse to believe it?¡± Adina snapped her fingers, and someone opened the meeting room door. Soon, her assistant ced the printed documents in front of everyone. ¡°This is inside information about the Boyd Corporation project. If we aren¡¯t their coborators, we wouldn¡¯t have ess to this. Dew, what else do you have to say?¡± she said coldly. Dew¡¯s face turned pale, and she bit her bottom lip really hard. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Her assistant had clearly sealed the deal with Mr Arisonst night. Why¡­ Why would this still happen today? Which part had gone wrong?¡± ¡°It was you! You purposely set a trap for my assistant!¡± Dew widened her eyes. ¡°Mr. Arison has agreed to coborate with you for a long tinje, but you purposely tempted my assistant to have dinner with Mr. Arison! Adina Daugherty, why are you so vicious? You actually set this up just to take me down!¡± Adina shook her head. ¡°So, everyone, do you also think that I purposely set Dew up?¡± Everyone in the room should know whose side to take if they were not dumb. ¡°Since Ms. Adina Daugherty has signed the contract with Boyd Corporation, she¡¯ll be the manager of the Sales Department from now on,¡± Mr. Lawson said in a deep voice. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Mr. Porter added, ¡°Adina holds a big portion ofpany shares, and she also just secured such a big project. She¡¯s qualified to be the Sales Department¡¯s manager. I have no objection.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have other opinions either.¡± Most of the people in the meeting room agreed, and it was not possible for Dew to salvage the situation. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Aaron was not happy about Adina¡¯s arrogant demeanor, but ultimately, Adina had still helped turn the tables for thepany. With the Boyd Corporation project, thepany did not need to worry about its ie in the next six months. He tapped the table indifferently and said, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll let Addy be the Sales Department¡¯s manager. The current manager of the department will be your assistant.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡± Adina smiled obediently and sat down. When Dew saw that, she became so mad that she gnashed her teeth violently. She kept holding herself back, but anger continued to fill her heart. She finally could not take it any longer. She suppressed her anger as she spoke, ¡°Dad, the current manager of the Sales Department is a PhD holder who returned from abroad. She¡¯s an existing staff member who has worked for us for about eight years. Isn¡¯t it too rash to just let her be Adina¡¯s assistant?¡± ¡°What Dew says also makes some sense.¡± Adina nodded in a serious manner. ¡°Elina Osborne is a PhD graduate, and she also graduated with an MBA. She would really feel wronged if we just ask her to be the manager of the Sales Department. I think the position of General Manager is quite suitable for her.¡± Dew widened her eyes. She was Daugherty Corporation¡¯s general manager! What was that b*tch, Adina, trying to do this time? ¡°Dew, you graduated from a Tier 1 university, and you studied design for your degree. It¡¯s totally unrted to corporate management. I think you can step down and let Elina take over the position.¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯ve made no contributions to thepany as general manager for four years. Oh, I didn¡¯t say that. Mr. Lawson just mentioned it. Since you don¡¯t have the skills, you should give the position away to the right candidate. What do you think?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Aaron mmed the table. ¡°You just joined the Board of Directors, and you want to interfere with thepany¡¯s staff arrangement of thepany?¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°Dad, this is for the sake of thepany¡¯s development.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use such a self-righteous excuse to deal with your sister!¡± Aaron said coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think that you can do anything you want in thepany just because you¡¯ve got a big client.¡± ¡°Dad, now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I¡¯ll have to bring something up regarding Daugherty Corporation.¡± Adina looked helpless. She took a document out of her bag and threw it on the table. ¡°Mr. Lawson, Mr. Porter, you can read ounts, right? This is Daugherty Corporation¡¯s annual financial statement from last year. If you look at it carefully, you¡¯ll understand why I¡¯m forcing Dew to step down from the position of general manager.¡± Mr. Lawson and Mr. Porter appeared puzzled as they flipped through the ounts. In three minutes, their expressions changed concurrently, and they red at Dew. Dew¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her sixth sense told her that she had something to do with the ounts. She wanted to grab the document, but Mr. Lawson passed it to the next shareholder. In less than ten minutes, the ounts document had been passed to all the shareholders. Mr. Lawson was the first to stand up. ¡°Dew, you¡¯ve wasted our trust. Are you ying with our trust?¡± Dew¡¯s lips turned pale. ¡°Uncle Lawson, I didn¡¯t do anything. Adina must have done something to nder me.¡± ¡°The ounts are clearly recorded. How could she have set you up?¡± Mr. Porter looked very disappointed. ¡°You took at least $100,000,000 from the Finance Department in the project¡¯s name, and we signed the proposal only because we trusted you. But, what did you do? You embezzled the money from thepany and faked the ounts. How can you still be the general manager?¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 A dozen pairs of eyes were filled with anger as they stared at Dew. She did not expect this to happen today. She had purposely hired professionals to prepare the ounts for the Finance Department. How did she get discovered? It was Adina! When this b*tch just returned, she took half of her shares, and now, she was forcing her to step down from the position of general manager! She was the one who wanted to chase that b*tch out of the shareholders¡¯ meeting today! Yet, why was she forced to resign from the general manager position in the end? Why did that b*tch keep going against her? Dew¡¯s fingers were shaking. Her lips turned pale, and she was trembling. ¡°Adina purposely faked the ounts to set me up. I didn¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Dew, since you think that I purposely set you up, fine, let the police investigate it.¡± Adina faked a smile. ¡°Do you dare to call the police?¡± Dew¡¯splexion lost all color, and she fell on her chair. Everyone understood the situation when they saw Dew¡¯s appearance. The heiress of the corporation, who was also the second biggest shareholder, had been involved in faking the ounts. If they called the police, she would be arrested and investigated. If Dew dared to call the police, everyone could still choose to believe her. However, she fell on her chair with a pale face, and her body was shaking. Mr. Lawson shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Mr. Daugherty, I think Dew isn¡¯t suitable as the general manager.¡± ¡°If Dew remains as general manager, we don¡¯t know how many ounts she¡¯s going to fake again,¡± Mr. Porter said angrily. ¡°She has stolen $100,000,000 in a year, and each shareholder has a few million dors less in our dividend now. Mr. Daugherty, shouldn¡¯t youpensate us for this?¡± ¡°Mr. Daugherty, the Daugherty family has to give us an exnation.¡± ¡°Dew, you better take the initiative to resign. If we make a big fuss about this, it¡¯s not going to look good¡­¡± Everyone kept talking, and different voices filled Dew¡¯s ears. She suddenly felt suffocated, and her eyes rolled back before she promptly fainted. The meeting room instantly became chaotic. Adina scoffed. She would have taken action earlier if she had known that Dew was so weak. Once Dew was kicked out of Daugherty Corporation, she would focus her attention on how to reenter thepany, not always targeting Adina, They were forced to end the shareholders¡¯ meeting because Dew had fainted. 1 After Adina reported to the Sales Department, she finally called Mr. Arison and invited him for a meal. ¡°Thank you for your help, Mr. Arison.¡± Adina raised a ss of red wine and toasted to Mr. Arison. ¡°If you need any help, just let me know.¡± Mr. Arison took a sip of wine, smiled, and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you for a favor, Ms. Daugherty.¡± Adina put down her wine ss, nodded, and said, ¡°Please, say it.¡± She had joined an event overseas and gotten to know Mr. Arison by chance. The two of them had interacted because of work, and they had been great business partners. In the present, Boyd Corporation had handed over the project to Mr. Arison. When Adina mentioned it, Mr. Arison just agreed to coborate with her. So, no matter what he asked her to do, she would try her best. Unexpectedly, Mr. Arison snapped his fingers, Then, the restaurant¡¯s waiter walked over with a big bouquet of roses. Adina was taken aback. Why had she not realized that Mr. Arison had a crush on her?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Mr. Arison felt frightened by her gaze, so he quickly exined , ¡°Mr. Flint Morton asked me to send this to you on his behalf.¡± Adina was speechless.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 That brat already left Sea City. Why was he still haunting her? She pursed her lips. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Mr. Arison shed her a relieved smile. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Mr. Morton is a bit unfaithful, but he really cares about you. I think you can consider being his girlfriend.¡± ¡°Hey, Mr. Arison, isn¡¯t this just a project? I don¡¯t have to give myself to that b*stard, Flint, do I?¡± Mr. Arisonughed. ¡°I¡¯m just giving you a suggestion. The decision is yours.¡± Adina rested her chin on her hand at a loss for words. She had introduced Mr. Arison to Flint, and as a result, the executives of Boyd Corporation acknowledged Mr. Arison. Since then, he had been sessful in his career. It was also the reason why Mr. Arison was willing to coborate with Daugherty Corporation. However, if she knew that Flint was waiting around with a bouquet of flowers, she would not have asked Mr. Arison for help. While Adina and Mr. Arison chatted happily, someone kept staring at her. George was sitting in a corner near the window, and he stared at Adina with aplicated expression For some reason, when he saw Adina chatting happily with another man, he felt very ufortable. He never had such a feeling before. ¡°Mr. Winters? Mr. Winters?¡± The woman sitting opposite him raised her voice and called him. She only resumed when she noticed that he had finally snapped out of his daze. ¡°Are you sure that you want to invite Ms. Alice for sses? She might not have that much time.¡± George nodded indifferently. ¡°A lesson per week is enough. When will the lessons be?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be at 2.00 pm every Saturday.¡± The woman smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, please prepare a child sized piano. It¡¯ll be smoother when you y it.¡± George shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s learning. It¡¯s a woman who¡¯s the same age as you.¡± He remembered that his mother had learned the piano when she was little, so he decided to arrange piano lessons for her. ying the piano could cultivate one¡¯s temperament. He hoped that after his mother yed the piano, she would be less restless. He and Harold hoped that their mother would be an elegant and decent woman, not a woman who kept framing others all the time. ¡°Mr. Winters, see you on Saturday.¡± The piano teacher kept her documents before she turned around and left the restaurant. George remained in his seat and could not help but look in Adina¡¯s direction again. He had veryplicated feelings toward this woman. Although she was his biological aunt, there was a strong grudge between her and his mother. Hence, the Daugherty family had never formally introduced Adina to him. He had put in a lot of effort to investigate Adina, but he could only find information about her life before she turned eighteen. It seemed like someone had purposely erased all data of those four years she had lived abroad. Adina was talking about the project with Mr. Arison, but she suddenly felt a strong gaze on her. She frowned. When she looked over, she saw a kid sitting in the corner near the window. When she raised her head, the kid turned around, so she could only see his side profile. His side profile looked familiar. He appeared very simr to Alden, but he was not Alden. She felt like she had seen him somewhere. Oh, yes! Adina¡¯s eyes widened. He looked like that kid who had helped her on the day that Xavier Corporationunched its new product. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She had even asked Ethan to investigate the kid¡¯s whereabouts after she got discharged, but they failed to find anything. Unexpectedly, they managed to meet here, After Adina excused herself from Mr. Arison, she walked toward George. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 When George saw Adinaing over, he casually got up and left. After he took two steps, his phone vibrated. He nced at it, and the caller ID was (Mom). He pursed his lips like Duke before he picked up the call. Just as he pressed the answer button, sounds of sobbing came from the other end of the line.¡± George, I¡¯m doomed. I¡¯m totally doomed.¡± George frowned. ¡°Mom, please speak slowly. I¡¯m listening.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Adina set me up. I¡¯ve been forced to resign from the position of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s general manager, and I¡¯ll never be able to join the Board of Directors!¡± Dew cried and yelled.¡° I¡¯m Daugherty Corporation¡¯s heiress and thepany¡¯s second biggest shareholder. I don¡¯t want to ept that. George, help me. You have to help me.¡± George frowned even more. ¡°Why would this happen?¡± Why had a big shareholder of thepany been forced to quit the Board of Directors for no reason? He slowly asked, ¡°Mom, did you do anything to anger the Board of Directors?¡± ¡°L¡­ I¡­¡± Dew mentally broke down and cried. ¡°Last year for your birthday, in order to buy you a birthday present, I¡­ I embezzled $100,000,000 from Daugherty Corporation¡¯s public funds. Adina found the evidence somewhere and forced me to resign.¡± ¡°Embezzlement of money is actually unforgivable,¡± George said indifferently. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry, Mom. This really is your fault.¡± ¡°George, how can you say the same thing as those people? I made a mistake, but was Adina, right? She purposely showed the evidence to so many people and used all sorts of methods to force me to quit the Board of Directors! She is like a starving wolf that wants to take over everything of Daugherty family regardless of all! George, I end up like this because I bought a birthday present for you. You have to help me out!¡± George¡¯s eyes were full of coldness. The birthday present he received on his birthdayst year was a piece of jade. He knew a bit about jade. The jade that his mother gave him was worth at most two million dors. But now, his mother actually said she embezzled one hundred million dors because of him. His mother just put such a huge me on him without hesitation. This was his mother. She was such a selfish woman. George scoffed. ¡°Mom, how do you want me to help you?¡± ¡°Make Adina take out everything that she has taken away!¡± Dew gritted her teeth and said, ¡± George, I know you¡¯re smart, so you must have an idea! I¡¯m your mother. I¡¯m so wronged now. You have to find justice for me!¡± George held his phone without answering. ¡°George! Did you hear me?¡± Dew¡¯s voice sounded slightly crazy. ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯m going to do it in my own way!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you.¡± George indifferently hung up. His mother¡¯s methods were too profound and cruel. He did not want his mother to kill people. If someone had to deal with Adina, he would be the one. He would silently make this woman pay the price. George stopped walking, and he stood outside the restaurant to wait. Adina quickly rushed out. When she saw that he had not left, she obviously sighed in relief. She shed a gentle smile, bent down, and softly asked, ¡°Hello, do you remember me?¡± Her voice was very gentle like the rainwater dropped from the rooftop onto the green te drop by drop and slowly scattered around. George¡¯s irritable mood was strangely calmed. He raised his head and stared at Adina. His voice was very indifferent. ¡°Yes.¡± Adina smiled more brightly. ¡°You helped mest time, but I haven¡¯t thanked you yet. Let me give you a present.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± George stared at her, and the corners of his lips suddenly became cold.¡± You just need to answer one question.¡± Adina was stunned. This kid had an extremely strong imposing manner. Besides, why did his darkened expression look slightly familiar? Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 She felt like she had seen a simr expression somewhere. She got rid of the strange thoughts from her mind before she squatted down and gently said,¡± Okay, go ahead and ask.¡± ¡°Why are you dealing with the Daugherty family?¡± George spoke resolutely. Every word from him was as sharp as the edge of a knife. Adina was totally stunned. The child was her savior, so she was ecstatic when she met him. However, her happiness faded away at that moment. Only then did she notice that his gaze was full of coldness when he looked at her. It was not the gaze that a four-year-old kid should have. She pursed her lips and questioned him with a straight face. ¡°How do you know about the Daugherty family?¡± ¡°Dew Daugherty is my mother.¡± George¡¯s voice was cold, and his tone was extremely distant. His gaze became much more hostile. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. He was very calm, but Adina felt like she had been struck by lightning. sh! She was shocked. She moved her lips, and her voice was a little hoarse. ¡°You¡¯re Dew¡¯s biological son?¡± George nodded. ¡°Because of you, my mother has now been admitted to the hospital. Are you happy now?¡± His voice was deep. When Adina looked at the boy, who appeared as tall as Alden, she was extremely shocked. This boy looked about four years old. However, Dew had not gotten pregnant four years ago! How could she suddenly have a son? Adina noved her lips. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you that ¡°George¡¯s eyes were cold and stern ¡°You better stop what you¡¯re doing, or i¡¯li inake you pay the price¡±. His eyes were filled with contempt when he stared at Adina. After the ups and downs Adina had gone through, her heart had be very strong. In thest four years, she had never feared anyone¡¯s gaze. Now, however, she felt like she had been shot by arrows, and the pain ripped her heart. She covered her chest, and her forehead was beaded with sweat. ¡°I won¡¯t stop until I take back what¡¯s mine.¡± Adina frowned and spoke in a calm tone. ¡°Boy, this is between adults. You better not interfere.¡± ¡°My mother¡¯s business is also my business.¡± George looked at her deeply before he turned around and left. Adina¡¯s heart hurt like it had been stabbed. It was as if someone had taken something very important to her. She stared at George¡¯s back withplicated feelings. The boy defended Dew a lot, so he should be Dew¡¯s biological son. If this child was about four and a half years old, she would have been grounded in the Daugherty family¡¯s warehouse when he was born. She would not know about Dew getting pregnant and giving birth to a son. Even so, why had she never heard about Dew having a son when she had been back in Sea City for so long? Besides, since Dew had a son, why did the Daugherty family still want her to marry into the Winters family? Could a family like the Winters family ept a woman with a son? Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 After he parted ways with Adina, George went to the hospital. Dew was bedridden, and she looked extremely dispirited. Only after she saw George walking in that her expression improved slightly. ¡°George, I know you¡¯re a good boy. I¡¯m really happy to see you visiting me in the hospital. The luckiest thing She held George¡¯s hand and kept caressing it. George felt ufortable. He calmly moved out of her grip and indifferently said, ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t think about thepany. Just rest well.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How can she not think about it?¡± Ruby said coldly as she sat by the bed. ¡°George, your mother has been kicked out of the Board of Directors, and Adina has sessfully joined thepany. In a few days, Daugherty Corporation will be Adina¡¯s property. Once that happens, it will be meaningless no matter what we do! It wasn¡¯t easy for her to give birth to you after a ten-month pregnancy. She has been terribly wronged, so you can¡¯t just watch with folded arms.¡± George clenched his jaw before he apathetically said, ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve been the general manager for four years in Daugherty Corporation, but you¡¯ve never made any big contributions to Daugherty Corporation. It¡¯s sufficient that you don¡¯t have the talent in doing business. Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just quit Daugherty Corporation¡­¡± ¡°How dare you?!¡± Ruby said angrily. ¡°B*stard, are you taking that b*tch¡¯s side?¡± Dew bit her bottom lip and cried, ¡°George, I¡¯m really not as smart as you, but I¡¯m the heiress of Daugherty Corporation, and I¡¯ll have to take over thepany one day. If I just leave thepany in a dejected manner, thepany will belong to Adina. When she bes the general manager, what¡­ What will I do?¡± ¡°You still have me,¡± George calmly said. ¡°I¡¯m here, so nobody dares to look down on you.¡± ¡°But nobody knows that you¡¯re my son!¡± Dew lost control and yelled. ¡°I can quit Daugherty Corporation, but the condition is, the Winters family has to make my status known!¡± If everyone in Sea City knew that she was the biological mother of the Winters family¡¯s young masters, it would be fine for her to give up the position of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s general manager! George shook his head indifferently. ¡°Dad will not tell the world about me and Harold.¡± The Winters family had too many enemies. If his father announced that he had two sons, he and Harold would be targets of their family¡¯s enemies. Despite that, his mother did not seem to care about his and Harold¡¯s safety. George clenched his fists and coldly said, ¡°I¡¯ll think of a solution for the Daugherty family. Please rest well, Mom. Don¡¯t overthink things.¡± When Dew saw his uncaring face, she knew that it would be impossible to achieve her purpose. She covered her face and started crying. ¡°I should¡¯ve aborted you and Harold five years ago. I shouldn¡¯t have given birth to you. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would still be the innocent Ms. Daugherty, and I could marry a good man. But now? Because of you and Harold, I dare not marry any man! ¡°Your father refuses to marry me, and I can¡¯t marry someone else either because I¡¯ve given birth to two sons. My only support is the Daugherty family, but Adina is going to take over the Daugherty family at this rate. Why should I still be alive?¡± Ruby sat by the bed while she wiped her tears. ¡°My poor daughter! You gave birth to two sons for the Winters family, but you¡¯ve gained nothing at all. If I and known this, I would¡¯ve forced you to go through with the abortion back then. Dew, my poor Dew! We really can¡¯t live anymore.¡± George frowned. When he saw Dew crying, he did not feel sorry for her at all. He just felt annoyed and irritated. He hated having a mother like her the most. He would rather he had never been born. However, this was his reality. How could he change it? He closed his eyes and slowly opened them again after a few seconds. ¡°Mom, do you really want to marry into the Winters family?¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Dew opened her eyes wide and nodded. ¡°George, I love your father as well as you and Harold. I want to be a part of the family with you. But your father never wants to look at me. I¡¯m really afraid that he¡¯ll marry another woman and give you a stepmother. I¡¯m scared that your stepmother will abuse you and treat you unfairly. I¡¯m also afraid that your stepmother will treat you so nicely that both of you will forget me as your biological mother.¡± Those were Dew¡¯s real thoughts. She spoke while she cried, and her expression was that of sorrow. ¡°Dad has wasted five years of your time, and it¡¯s really his fault. I¡¯ll talk about this with Dad today.¡± George stood up and slowly said, ¡°Mom, please rest well and wait for the news.¡± 1 After he spoke, he walked out of the ward. Dew looked incredibly surprised. She grabbed Ruby¡¯s hand and excitedly said, ¡°Mom, did you hear him? George wants to talk to Duke for me. He¡¯s really smart, so he must have a way to convince Duke to marry me.¡± CO ¡°Duke Winters is a cruel jerk!¡± Ruby cursed in a low voice. ¡°You gave birth to his sons, and you¡¯ve waited for him for so many years, but he¡¯s never thought of marrying you! Luckily, George is mature, or you might not be able to marry into the Winters family even when you¡¯re old!¡± Dew curled her lips into a sneer and said, ¡°After I marry Duke, Adina Daugherty will be the first person I deal with! i¡¯ll let her enjoy the next few days for now. When she¡¯s at the top of the world, I¡¯ll pull her down to hell. That way, she¡¯ll fall more miserably!¡± George went back to the Winters family manor. It was still quite early, and Duke had not returned from hispany. George quietly went upstairs and pushed open the door to the study. A teacher was teaching with enthusiasm, while Harold was resting his head on the table and sleeping with a book on top of his head.¡± George walked in and spoke gently. ¡°Mr. Davis, let¡¯s end the ss here. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± Mr. Davis sighed in relief. He just taught one student, the young master of the Winters family. He had seen him fall asleep a long time ago, but what else could he do? The young master was ¡°obedient¡± when he was sleeping. If he woke the boy up by force, he would make a big fuss. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Harold had thrown Mr. Davis¡¯ sses into the fountain downstairs the day before yesterday and ripped his teaching materials into pieces yesterday. Today, the boy had hidden his shoes somewhere in the morning, and he had yet to find them. Mr. Davis put down the book and helplessly went out to look for his shoes. George took the book down from the top of Harold¡¯s head and sighed helplessly. He did not know why Dad wanted to take this approach to force Harold into studying. preschool and act freely. 1 ¡°George, why are you back?¡± Harold rubbed his eyes in a daze. George patted him on the shoulder. ¡°If you¡¯re sleepy, you can sleep on the bed. Leaning on the table isn¡¯t good for blood cirction.¡± Harold looked around and did not see the teacher. Just as he felt happy and was about to say something, he suddenly heard the sound of a car parking downstairs. His expression instantly darkened. ¡°Dad¡¯s back.¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Duke walked into the vi, and Mr. Brown immediately went forward to take his briefcase. ¡°Sir, Young Master Harold is in ss, and Young Master George just came back.¡± Duke nodded. He put on some slippers, went upstairs, and entered the study. SO While he had just returned from thepany, he still had to handle many things. As soon as he pushed open the door to the study, he saw George sitting on the couch. He was clearly waiting for him. ¡°Dad, are you free to talk?¡± George raised his head and asked indifferently. Duke nodded. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± This son looked like him the most. He was just four years old, but he was already growing to be an excellent heir. He kept putting up with Dew mostly because Dew had given him such an excellent heir. ¡°I want to talk about Mom.¡± As soon as George said that, Duke¡¯s expression became cold. He loosened his tie impatiently. ¡°Why do you want to talk about her?¡± He did not want to hear anything about that woman. ¡°Dad, I know you don¡¯t like her, but she¡¯s our mother,¡± George said firmly. ¡°You should also know that her biggest wish is to marry into the Winters family and officially be our mother.¡± Duke sneered. ¡°George, you have aplex mind, but you can¡¯t hide it from me. You¡¯re actually the same as Harold. Both of you don¡¯t like that woman.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s my mother. Nobody can change that.¡± George sounded very indifferent. ¡°I just want to ask you something. Will Mom marry into the Winters family one day?¡± ¡°No,¡± Duke answered coldly. He never had the thought of getting married. If he did not have his two sons, perhaps he would have a business marriage to continue the Winters family bloodline. However, he did not need to do that now. He would rather live alone for his whole life than marry Dew. For some reason, Adina¡¯s figure suddenly entered his mind at that moment. They were talking about whether he would get married, but why would he think about that woman? How hrious! ¡°I got it.¡± George nodded. ¡°Dad, can you take care of Mom¡¯s life since she¡¯s given birth to Harold and me?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Mom likes power and money. Can you introduce Mom to a man who has both?¡± George paused for a while before he resumed, ¡°If she can marry a rich man, she¡¯ll stopining.¡± Duke was speechless. Was his son asking him to be a matchmaker? He did not have time for a hobby! When he saw George¡¯s expectant gaze, he had topromise. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get my assistant to see if there¡¯s any suitable candidate in Sea City.¡± Once Dew had another target to focus on, she would not approach the Winters family again, and he could also enjoy some peace. Duke lowered his head and made a call. ¡°Mr. Winters, there¡¯s a business banquet tomorrow night. The top ten entrepreneurs in Sea City will be attending it. You can approach them personally during this event.¡± ¡°Okay, give me two invitation cards.¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 George silently sighed in relief by his side. After Adina picked up her kids, she drove to the Xavier family¡¯s vi. There would be a family gathering in the Xavier family vi every Friday. As such, Adina purposely chose to go over on Thursday. Only Mdm. Xavier and Ethan would be there. Dinner was ready in the dining room when she got there. ¡°Great Grandma, Uncle Ethan.¡± Alden held Melody¡¯s hand and walked inside before he greeted them obediently. Mdm. Xavier stroked the kids¡¯ heads and smiled at them lovingly. ¡°Alden is looking more handsome by the day, and Mel is also getting prettier.¡± ¡°Grandma, please don¡¯tpliment them too much,¡± Adina said helplessly. ¡°Alden used to be a reserved boy. But ever since he joined preschool, his teachers, ssmates, and other parents have beenplimenting his good looks. He¡¯s be very proud now.¡± Alden blushed. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m not proud.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not proud. You just unt your handsomeness more shamelessly!¡± Adinaughed and pinched his cheek. Alden immediately avoided his mother¡¯s hand. He had to show off a little so that the girls in ss would like him. If the girls liked to y with him, his sister would not have to sit alone in the corner. But Alden would never tell Adina about that. Mdm. Xavier was old, and she did not have a good appetite, so Adina purposely went to the kitchen and cooked some tomato soup for her. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Addy, it¡¯s a shame that you don¡¯t have a restaurant with your cooking skills.¡± By the time Mdm. Xavier finished eating, her forehead was covered in a thinyer of sweat. ¡°If you evere around to the idea, I¡¯ll invest in you.¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I coulde over and prepare dinner for you every day.¡± e Mdm. Xavier held Adina¡¯s hand. She touched the calluses on Adina¡¯s palm and sighed discreetly. If Adina did not live a tough life, how could she force herself to train her cooking skills? When Ethan saw Mdm. Xavier sigh, he knew that it hit her sore spot again. So, he quickly changed the subject. ¡°Addy, are you free tomorrow night?¡± Adina turned around. ¡°Aside from picking the kids up from preschool, I don¡¯t have anything else to do for now. Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask my assistant to pick the kids up for you. You can attend a business banquet with me.¡± Ethan took out two invitation cards. ¡°This is the most elite banquet in Sea City, and people who attend the banquet are reputable bigwigs of Sea City. If you show up there, it¡¯ll help your studio with future coborations.¡± Adina took the invitation card, smiled faintly, and said, ¡°Thank you, Ethan.¡± She had just returned to Sea City, hence she needed to expand herwork so that her studio could slowly develop. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry about us. Just go. I¡¯ll take care of Mel,¡± Alden said obediently. When they were overseas, Adina would often go out for work. It was Alden who would always take care of Mel on a daily basis. Adina naturally felt more at ease since Ethan¡¯s assistant would help look after them. After Adina finished her work on Friday night, she put on an exquisite dress and a pair of high heels before she got in Ethan¡¯s car. The business banquet was being held in the biggest hotel in Sea City. It could amodate up to one thousand people. Before the sky turned dark, many luxurious cars had already parked in front of the hotel. Men and ladies, who were dressed to the nines, walked in one after another. People had perfume on and gorgeous clothing. They raised wine sses and toasted each other. It was very lively. Adina held Ethan¡¯s arm, and the two of them walked into the banquet hall. Suddenly, there was amotion up ahead. Adina narrowed her eyes and looked over. Then, she saw Duke standing among the crowd. Then, she saw the woman standing next to Duke; it was Dew. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Dew was holding Duke¡¯s arm. It was her first time attending a banquet with Duke. She had looked forward to this for four years, and her wish finally came true tonight. She knew that George must have talked to Duke. Hence, this man had brought her to this important business banquet. She had purposely dressed up for tonight. She was wearing an $ 800,000-worth ocean starlight dress with Chanel¡¯s new limited edition diamond ne. Besides, the leather purse in her hand was also custom-made and unique in the world. Her outfit was destined to make her the most dazzling woman in the banquet. Dew raised her chin to receivepliments from everyone¡¯s gaze. Everyone in their circle knew that Duke rarely attended any business banquet. Even if he attended one, he always came alone. It was their first time seeing Duke attend with a female partner. Daugherty Corporation was also quite famous in Sea City. Besides, there had been some news not long ago. Many people in the hall recognized that the woman beside Duke was Ms. Dew Daugherty. ¡°When did Ms. Dew Daugherty get involved with Duke?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the Winters family previously help the Daugherty family when they were in trouble? I think their rtionship should be quite good.¡± ¡°I even heard that the Winters family and the Daugherty family have ns for an arranged marriage.¡± ¡°Are you sure? That¡¯s not possible, right? Ten Daugherty families can¡¯t evenpare to one Winters family. Why would Duke marry Dew?¡±. ¡°Can¡¯t you see it? Dew is Duke¡¯s first female partner. It¡¯s possible for her to marry into the Winters family.¡± Dew heard the discussions around her. She stood more confidently. She had to take this opportunity to be a part of the Winters family tonight. She had to be Duke¡¯s woman! Only she could be Mrs. Winters! ¡°Mr. Winters, it¡¯s been a while. You look younger.¡± A chubby middle-aged man walked over, raised his ss, and toasted to Duke. Duke narrowed his eyes and sized the man up before he calmly replied, ¡°Mr. Johnson, you should be twenty-two this year, right? Are you married?¡± Mr. Johnson was a famous petroleum tycoon in Sea City. He had started his own business ten years ago and ventured into the petroleum industry. He had earned a lot. However, he had worked very hard for his career¡¯; to the point that it made him slightly bald. He mocked himself by stroking his bald head. ¡°I look like this. No good woman would like me.¡± When he wanted to have fun, many women would go to him. But, if he was to get married, he still desired ady from a reputable family. ¡°This is Ms. Daugherty. This is Mr. Johnson. You can get to know each other,¡± Duke said indifferently. Mr. Johnson instantly stared at Dew. Adina was the most beautiful woman in Sea City, and Dew was her stepsister, so she was naturally gorgeous too. On top of that, Dew had purposely dressed up tonight. One could say that she really was the most dazzling woman at the banquet. Mr. Johnson rubbed his hands nervously. ¡°Hi, Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯m Adrian Johnson.¡± Dew smiled faintly. ¡°Hi, Mr. Johnson. I¡¯m Dew Daugherty.¡± She was the general manager in Daugherty Corporation for four years, so she had naturally heard about Mr. Johnson. . Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Whenever people in their circle talked about Mr. Johnso e in their circle talked about Mr Johnson, they would describe him as a voung and capable man who had started his own business from scratch. The Johnson family worked in the petroleum industry. In recent years, petroleum resources had been getting scarce, but the Johnson family¡¯s business kept getting better and better. They grew to be a new power in Sea City. So, she knew Mr. Johnson was an important client to Winters Corporation. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Duke had introduced an important client of the Winters family to her. What did that mean? It meant Duke treated her like family! When Dew thought about that, her smile became brighter. ¡°Mr. Johnson, even though you have less hair, you still look quite handsome.¡± She ttered Adrian softly. When the beautifuldyplimented his looks, Adrian felt extremely happy. He humbly said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re truly a gorgeous woman. I attended so many banquets in Sea City, but this is the first time I saw someone like you who looks more beautiful than Marilyn Monroe.¡± Dew¡¯s eyes crinkled when she smiled. No woman hatedpliments, especially when they came from a sessful man like that. She lowered her head and pursed her lips. She acted like she was a coquettish person. Duke drank half of the wine in his ss before he indifferently said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty has just been discharged from the hospital, so she isn¡¯t feeling very well. Mr. Johnson, please help me look after her.¡± Adrian immediately nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Winters. I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± Dew sensed that something was wrong, so she turned around and said, ¡°Duke, it¡¯s better to have you take care of me. I¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom, so I can¡¯t look after you.¡± Duke moved out of her grip before he turned around and walked away. Dew bit her bottom lip, and the bad feeling in her heart grew stronger. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, let¡¯s have a seat over there and talk.¡± Adrian smiled and spoke in a ttering manner. ¡°I heard that the Daugherty family has some heavy industry business. I wonder if I have a chance to coborate with the Daugherty family.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. When Dew heard it, she immediately suppressed her bad feeling. If she could secure the Johnson family as their client, she might be able to salvage her bad image in the minds of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shareholders. She nodded before she followed Adrian to the resting lounge at the side to talk. Adina from the far saw everything, ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between Duke and Dew?¡± Ethan frowned and said, ¡°A person like Duke actually lowered his status to introduce a client to Dew. This is shocking.¡± He paused for a while before he continued saying, ¡°If Dew can secure Adrian the big client, the shareholders of Daugherty Corporation are likely to change their side again.¡± The shareholders of Daugherty Corporation were a bunch of businessmen who prioritized profit over everything. They were willing to support whoever could earn money for them. ¡°Addy, I¡¯ll introduce a few clients to you,¡± Ethan said in a deep voice. Adina smiled faintly. ¡°Ethan, don¡¯t panic.¡± Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shareholders cared more about profits, but they knew which project, from Boyd Corporation and the Johnson family, was more profitable. Even if Dew had some kind of coboration with the Johnson family, it did not mean anything. Adina did not take this seriously. But Ethan was very anxious. He directly led her to get around the guests, and he kept introducing clients to her. Adina was gorgeous, and every move and smile from her were charming. Many men were unable to hold themselves for a long time. Ethan¡¯s move had given them the excuse toe forward and hit on Adina. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I heard that you¡¯re the manager of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s Sales Department now?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if you need help, just let me know. I¡¯m willing to be your client.¡± ¡°I hope I also have the honor to coborate with you.¡± About eight men surrounded her, and they instantly squeezed Ethan out. Ethan frowned, and he felt something was wrong. When he looked away, he saw a pair of eyes staring at them coldly from ten meters away. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Duke walked around outside before he went back to the banquet hall. Then, he saw countless men surrounding a woman. This woman had fair skin. When light shone on her face, her face looked a little rosy, and her red lips also appeared glossy. She was wearing a simple white dress. The strapless dress entuated her waistline and the perfect curves around her hips. Her long, fair legs were nted in a pair of high heels. Her ankles were well-defined, and her toes were round as well as dainty. Duke suddenly understood why some people were interested in women¡¯s feet. Some women¡¯s feet were so pretty that people could not take their eyes off them. He took a sip of his wine, and he forcefully looked away. But he saw that Adina smiled brightly while talking happily to the men. Some unclear feelings filled his heart. When he snapped out of a daze, he was already standing in front of Adina. Duke was born with a strong imposing manner. When his expression darkened and he remained silent, his imposing manner was even stronger. People who surrounded Adina and chatted happily felt a cold shiver down their spines for some reason. ¡°Mr. Winters.¡± Adina still smiled faintly, and she raised her ss to Duke. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re truly the most beautiful woman in Sea City. As soon as you show up, countless men fall for you.¡± Duke curled his lips into a sneer. Those men at the side felt something was wrong. They cast a nce at each other before they took a few steps backward. Adina chuckled, but her smile was cold. Something shed in her eyes before she suddenly scoffed. ¡°Mr. Winters, don¡¯t just mock me. Look at your back.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Duke was puzzled as he turned around. It was the resting lounge behind him. From his angle, he could see Dew and Adrian. Adrian was clearly drunk, and he kind of lost control. He actually held Dew¡¯s hand in front of everyone. Perhaps Dew feared Adrian¡¯s status, so she did not push his hand away. It was only after she said something that she moved her hand out of his grip. When Duke saw this, he smiled faintly. to LO It looked like Dew was very happy with Mr. Johnson. In this way, he could also exin to George now. The smile on the corners of his eyes was seen by Adina. She frowned, and she could not understand what was going on. Was Dew not Duke¡¯s scandalous fiancee? Why did this man look quite happy when he saw that another man took advantage of his fiancee? Could it be¡­ Adina¡¯s eyes were filled with contempt. ¡°Mr. Winters, you¡¯re really generous. For a coboration, you would actually give your woman¡­¡± She did notplete her sentence, but the implication was obvious. Duke darkened his expression. Was he that despicable? This woman actually thought that he was someone who would resort to anything for the sake of his projects! He exhaled before he said, ¡°She¡¯s not my woman.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Adina replied indifferently. Of course, this man would not admit it. She could understand. Duke was silent. Why did he feel like he had shot himself in the foot? He held the ss tightly before he exined, ¡°She was interested in Mr. Johnson, so I introduced them.¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Adina. ¡°What?¡± If she was not mistaken, Dew cared about a man¡¯s appearance very much! If Mr. Johnson looked handsome, she might have believed what Duke said. However, ording to her understanding of Dew, that woman would never be interested in bald men. Duke saw that the contempt in Adina¡¯s eyes be more obvious. He drank some wine before he resolutely changed the subject. ¡°How¡¯s Melody?¡± he casually asked. After she took the little girl away, she did not even call him back. He was a little worried about Melody¡¯s condition. Adina initially wanted to say, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business¡±. However, it was this man who had taken Melody upstairsst time. He had helped her take a bath and change her clothes. Adina pursed her pink lips and nonchntly said, ¡°She¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I know a specialist who treats child autism. Do you want to send Melody over?¡± Duke said with a deep voice. ¡°Melody can speak now, and that shows she¡¯s had a breakthrough with her autism. You should take this chance to treat her ¨C¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Adina looked up at him. ¡°Mel can speak?¡± Duke tightened his jaw. ¡°Why? Didn know your daughter could speak?¡± He started to sound sarcastic again. Adina frowned. ¡°She has never said a w since she was born.¡± She did not look like she was lying. Even though she was busy, as the mother, it was impossible for her to not know that her daughter could speak. In other words, it was possible that Melody had spoken for the first time yesterday. The little girl had spoken for the first time in front of him. For some reason, Duke felt an indescribable sense of aplishment. He paused for a while. ¡°When I brought her back to my office, I asked my secretary to shower for her. She said ¡®No¡¯ and she was quite loud. It¡¯s impossible that I heard it wrongly.¡± Adina¡¯s expression became slightly stern. ¡°Mr. Winters, you¡¯re not lying, right?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you when it involves kids?¡± Duke said indifferently. ¡°Besides, I won¡¯t get any advantage if I lie to you.¡± Adina clenched her fists. She suddenly lost interest in staying at the banquet. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She wanted to go back and ask Melody if she could speak. ¡°Autistic children are used to closing themselves, so they will not easily speak. They will let their guards down only in a specific environment and in front of certain people,¡± Duke resumed, ¡°I might sound arrogant, but I¡¯d still like to say that your daughter seems to rely on me a lot. Maybe that¡¯s why she spoke in front of me.¡± Adina wanted to deny what he said, but she decided not to after she thought about it. Melody really liked this man for some reason, and even Adina, the mother, did not know why. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if you trust me, you can bring Melody to my office. We can reenact yesterday¡¯s scene.¡± Duke toasted to her and did not stay any longer. Adina stared at his back and pursed her lips. She did not want to wait any longer as this was rted to Melody After she informed Ethan about it, she lifted her dress slightly and left the banquet hall. Half an hourter, her car stopped in front of the vi. Adina pushed open the car door and got out. When she was about to go inside, someone suddenly rushed out from the flowerbed. She was totally shocked, so she quickly hid to the side. The figure directly fell to the ground and cried out. ¡°Aunt Adina, why didn¡¯t you catch me? I fell down, and it really hurts¡­¡± ¡°Harold?¡± Adina quickly squatted down and lifted him up. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 ¡°Aunt Adina, I miss you.¡± Harold cried loudly as he held Adina¡¯s neck tightly. He leaned on her shoulder and kept sobbing When Alden heard the cries, he walked outside. When he saw Harold, his gaze became unfriendly. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Adina carried Harold and frowned as she asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Aunt Adina, I came to look for you, but he didn¡¯t allow me toe in. He chased me out.¡± Harold sobbed as heined. ¡°I miss you and Mel. I just want to see you. I won¡¯t do anything bad.¡± Blue veins popped up on Alden¡¯s forehead. An hour ago, Harold had knocked on their door and insisted on rushing into the house. Alden had asked Uncle Ethan¡¯s assistant to leave for a long time, so only he and Melody were at home. Why would he allow a stranger to enter? He closed the door strongly, and he thought Harold would sensibly leave. Unexpectedly, Harold waited at the door for an hour. What was more unexpected was that Haroldined about him to his mother. Adina felt a headacheing. This young master of the Winters family was really mischievous. Why did hee to her house in the middle of the night? Luckily, she had left two hours early, or this brat would definitely catch a cold when he hid in the flowerbed. She sighed and helplessly said, ¡°Okay, stop crying. Let¡¯s go inside and wash your face.¡± She carried Harold into the living room. Harold leaned on her shoulder. He secretly stuck his tongue out and made a face at Alden. Alden was speechless. He knew this brat was up to no good! He walked in and nonchntly said, ¡°Mom, he must have sneaked out. His family should be looking for him now.¡± Harold remained silent. He did not want to go back yet. Adina knew that this was not the first time Harold sneaked out of his house. She put Harold on the sofa, took out her phone, and called Duke. ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m Adina.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Duke was about to leave the banquet when he received a call from Adina. He thought she was calling to ask for a meeting time tomorrow. He copped an attitude and indifferently asked, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, what is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, your son¡¯s with me. Please send someone toe and pick him up.¡± After Adina spoke, she hung up. Duke frowned and called Mr. Brown. ¡°Where¡¯s Harold?¡± ¡°Sir¡­ Young Master Harold is missing.¡± Mr. Brown was extremely helpless. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people out to look for him. We¡¯ll find him soon! Sir, please carry on with your work. You don¡¯t have to worry about home.¡± The young master always sneaked out, and Mr. Brown did not report it many times. Anyway, they would find him in the end, so he did not need to tell Sir to increase more trouble. Unexpectedly, Sir knew it! ¡°You don¡¯t have to look for him. I¡¯ve found him.¡± Duke hung up coldly before he drove to Adina¡¯s house. ¡°Aunt Adina, can I stay here for the night?¡± Harold held Adina¡¯s arm pitifully and acted in a cute manner. ¡°I really like you, Aunt Adina. I want to be your son. Can I¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Alden said coldly. ¡°My mom already has a son.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to have one more son?¡± Harold felt very wronged. ¡°I¡¯ll respect you, and I¡¯ll also treat Mel like she¡¯s my own sister. Aunt Adina, please¡­¡± Adina felt her head ache because of his whining. She was not a friendly person, and she was actually not very fond of kids in general either. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 She really did not understand why Harold always went after her. When she looked at Harold¡¯s pitiful face, she suddenly recalled what happenedst night. Melody had sneaked out of preschool to look for Duke, and Harold had sneaked out of his house to look for her. Why was this happening? Adina could not figure it out even after she thought about it. She stroked Harold¡¯s hair, which was a mess. There were rotten leaves and dust from the flowerbed stuck in it. She carried the boy helplessly. ¡°Your Dad will arrive in twenty minutes. I¡¯ll take you to take a shower first.¡± Duke helped Melody take a shower, and she helped Harold take a shower. Both of them had settled the score. Just as she got up, Alden followed her and indifferently said, ¡°Mom, he should be four years old. He can take a shower on his own.¡± Adina¡¯s scent made Harold feel secure, and he did not want to let her go. He held Adina¡¯s neck tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to take shower. I also don¡¯t know how to take off my clothes. Aunt Adina, please help me!¡± ¡°Boys and girls shouldn¡¯t have physical contact. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Alden spoke, and his voice was unquestionable. Adina put Harold down and gently said, ¡°Harold, you¡¯re already four years old. You should learn how to take a shower independently. Let Alden bring you to the bathroom and teach you how to shower.¡± ¡°No!¡± Harold grabbed her wrist tightly and stubbornly said, ¡°Besides, I should be older than him. I¡¯m the big brother!¡± Alden rolled his eyes. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Four years old!¡± Harold raised his chin. ¡°You should be three and a half years old!¡± Alden continued to calmly ask, ¡°Which month were you born?¡± Harold scratched his hair. ¡°I can¡¯t remember, but I must be older than you!¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you¡¯re older than me, but you don¡¯t know how to shower, it has to be because of your IQ,¡± Alden said indifferently. Harold pouted and put his hands on his waist. He looked fierce. ¡°Mom said we should do our things on our own. She likes independent kids,¡± Alden said again. Harold felt discouraged, and he lowered his head, ¡°Okay, you teach me how to shower.¡± He wanted to be a mature and obedient boy so that Aunt Adina would not kick him out. He took the initiative to go into the bathroom. Alden followed him, and he shut the bathroom door behind him. A light thud was heard, and Harold suddenly felt that something was wrong. He red at Alden. ¡°Why did you close the door?¡± ¡°Do you have some kink about not closing the door when you shower?¡± Alden took out a new towel in an unfriendly manner. ¡°Do you know how to turn on the heater?¡± Harold remained quiet. Could he say no? When he was at home, Mr. Brown and at least two servants would help him with his shower. He just needed toy in the bathtub. But when he saw Alden¡¯s contemptuous gaze, he had to suppress the word. He walked to the bathtub and turned on the faucet. Alden¡¯s voice was indifferent. ¡°This is hot water. Do you want to boil yourself to death?¡± Harold turned the faucet slightly to the left. Alden said, ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of coldness, this temperature is fine.¡± It was only when Harold took off his clothes and stepped into the bathtub that he understood what Alden meant. The water was too cold! Harold could no longer bear it and angrily said, ¡°You¡¯re bullying me!¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 ¡°Who¡¯s bullying you?¡± Alden sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to run the water. Now you¡¯re ming me?¡± He had always been an obedient and mature good boy in front of Adina and Ms. Jones. But now, his expression was 70% simr to Duke¡¯s. His sneer was filled with some hostility, and his gaze was filled with mockery. Harold was usually fearless, but his face turned red because of anger. He came to look for Aunt Adina, not to be bullied! He was the little devil in the Winters family. Since he was born, he had never been bullied like this. He got out of the bathtub and quickly went to open the door. Alden stopped in front of him. ¡°Promise me one thing, and I¡¯ll let you out.¡± Harold was so angry that he wanted to put on a fight with Alden. However, he was naked, so he had already lost partially in terms of his imposing manner. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Aunt Adina is so gentle. Why does she have such a bad son like you?¡± Yes, he was a terrible person. Wo He had been faking his obedience and maturity, acting like a good boy in front of everyone. But only he himself knew how terrible he was. He had chased Uncle Flint out. He did not allow Melody to look for Duke. He even bullied a child in the bathroom. Alden smiled more brightly. He held the bathroom door and spoke firmly. ¡°If you dare to go after my mom again, I¡¯ll throw you out through the window.¡± His voice sounded cunning and cold. Harold felt frightened as if a venomous snake had climbed up along his bare leg. He could no longer hold back his fear. He mentally broke down and cried. ¡°Bwah! Aunt Adina, Alden¡¯s bullying me!¡± He kept mming the door and crying loudly. Alden suppressed the coldness in his eyes. Duke was so powerful in Sea City, so he thought the man¡¯s son would be great. But Harold was like this. Alden would not allow any Winters family member to approach his mom! Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. If their mom knew that their father even had a kid with another woman, she would be hurt no matter how tough her heart was. He would not give anyone the chance to hurt his mom! ¡°Harold, what happened?¡± Adina was telling Melody a story downstairs, but she suddenly heard the loud cries upstairs. She just ran upstairs before she was able to put on her slippers. Harold pulled open the bathroom door with great force and rushed into Adina¡¯s arms with tears on his face. He sobbed as he said, ¡°Aunt Adina, Alden¡¯s bullying me. He said he wants to throw me out the window.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°Did you hear him wrongly?¡± Alden was not a person who would do that. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Harold cried loudly as heined. ¡°He locked the bathroom door, turned on cold water for my shower, and even threatened me to not see you again. Then, he said he wanted to throw me out the window! Aunt Adina, I¡¯m not lying. I¡¯m telling you the truth!¡± He kept breathing hard because of all the crying and even started to have hups. Adina was puzzled as she looked at Alden. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t bully him,¡± Alden calmly said. ¡°We have to lock the door when we take shower. He put the cold water on. Also, there¡¯s no window in the bathroom. How can I throw him out? I don¡¯t have the strength to throw him either.¡± Adina paused for a while before she said, ¡°No matter what, Harold doesn¡¯t know how to take shower. You should¡¯ve helped him turn on the hot water.¡± Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Alden clenched his fists. It was the first time that his mom had spoken to him in a stern tone ever since he could remember. It was all because of Harold. Alden pursed his lips, lowered his head, and admitted his mistake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I made a mistake.¡± ¡°Alden, go downstairs and tell Mel a story. I¡¯ll help Harold take a shower.¡± Adina carried Harold into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Alden stared at the door for a while before he turned around and went downstairs. Ten minutester, Adina carried Harold downstairs after his shower. ¡°Alden, I let him put on some of your clothes. Do you mind?¡± Alden obediently said, ¡°Harold, you look good in that shirt. It¡¯s my apology gift to you.¡± Harold turned to the side. He did not want to wear Alden¡¯s clothes, but if he refused to wear them, he could only be naked or wear Melody¡¯s dress. Adina patted his head. ¡°Alden already apologized to you. What should you say?¡± Harold scoffed. He would never say, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡±! Two minutester, as Adina stared at him with a stern gaze, he unwillingly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, but you can¡¯t treat me like that again!¡± Alden nodded. ¡°I know that you don¡¯t know how to turn on the hot water now. I¡¯ll help you next time.¡± Harold was at a loss for words. He was not talking about that! Alden was really cunning. He did not seem like Aunt Adina¡¯s son! Mel was more lovely. Harold then went toward Melody like a pug. Meanwhile, Adina sat down beside Alden and calmly said, ¡°Alden, I know you don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± Alden just said two words before Adina interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m your mother, so I can roughly guess what you¡¯re thinking. Harold is actually quite innocent. He¡¯s not cunning. Besides, he treats Mel very nicely, and Mel doesn¡¯t reject him either. Isn¡¯t it great to have one more person who likes Mel?¡±. Alden looked at Harold, who was ying puzzles with Mel not far away, and he pursed his lips. Harold and Melody were stepsiblings, so Melody naturally did not reject him. It was also because of Harold¡¯s identity that Alden could not let Harold approach his sister and mother. Alden lowered his head and held his fingers together. After he remained silent for a while, he said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Adina stroked his hair, smiled, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be stolen. You and Mel are my only kids, and I only have love for you. Don¡¯t be sad. Go and y with Mel.¡± Alden nodded before he walked to the crawling mat in the living room. When he went over, Harold became alert and hid behind Melody. Alden¡¯s happy mood sank again. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°You said that you would protect Mel. Is this the protection you meant?¡± When he was in danger, he did not protect Melody but hid behind her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Harold felt embarrassed as he touched his own nose and scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re a danger to me, but not to Mel. Is there anything wrong with me hiding behind her?¡± Alden did not reply. He just sat beside Melody. Harold felt a little scared when he saw Alden. His threat in the bathroom sounded hrious, but he still felt that Alden was capable of such things. He discreetly moved a few steps away from Alden. Right then, the doorbell outside the vi rang. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Duke was standing outside the vi. He could see the living room from his angle. Under the yellowish light, three kids were sitting on the mat while ying puzzles. Adina was sitting on the couch while tapping away on herptop. She would raise her head and take a look at the three kids from time to time, and her smile was very gentle. The scene was so warm that Duke felt reluctant to ruin it. Eventually, he pursed his lips and pressed the doorbell. Ding dong! Adina raised her head, put down herptop, and came over to open the door. When she saw the man with the cold aura, she paused for a while before she said, ¡°Mr. Winters, this is the second time that your son hase to me.¡± Duke did not answer. If he counted carefully, this should be the eighth time. Mr. Brown had stopped Harold a few times, and the brat hade over at other times, but there was no one at home. However, Duke would not tell the woman about that. He stood at the door and spoke with a straight face. ¡°Harold Winters, get over her.¡± When the doorbell rang just now, Harold had already hidden under the table. He held the foot of the table, and as though he had been wronged, he stubbornly said, ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± He had finally escaped and found Aunt Adina. He did not want to part with her anymore! Even if Dad wanted to spank him angrily, he still would not surrender! Harold was mentally prepared to be beaten up. Unexpectedly, Duke did not get angry. He just nonchntly said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you another twenty minutes. We¡¯ll head back home once the time is up.¡± Twenty minutes was short, but it was better than just leaving straight away. The boy¡¯s chubby face finally showed some signs of joy. He came out from the bottom of the table and cautiously stared at Duke who walked inside. ¡°Harold, you can y with Mel and Alden for a while,¡± Adina said helplessly. After she said that, she found it a little hrious. Alden was a few minutes older than Melody. In that case, Melody should also be older than Harold. However, Melody had been born prematurely, and she was a girl. She looked like she was only three years old, so it was fine for her to act as a younger sister. Adina smiled before she went to make some coffee in the kitchen. Later, she handed the coffee to Duke. ¡°Mr. Winters, please have some coffee before you leave.¡± Duke epted it and took a sip. ¡°It¡¯s better than the one I drank in your studio the other day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring this coffeemaker to the studio then.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Adina sat down across from him and furrowed her eyebrows. She actually did not know what to say to this man. She looked at the three kids who were having fun. Just as she was about to ask which month Harold was born, Duke suddenly said, ¡°Since I¡¯m here today, let¡¯s try.¡± Adina was stunned. ¡°What do you want to try?¡± ¡°Try to get Mel to speak.¡± Duke put down the cup of coffee before he looked to the right with his sharp gaze. His voice was indifferent yet gentle. ¡°Mel,e here.¡± He waved at her. Melody, who was ying with puzzles, raised her head. Her usual gloomy eyes instantly lit up. Her eyes appeared dazzling under the yellowish light. Melody rarely responded to the voices of outsiders, but she did not just respond now. She even had an obvious emotional shift. Adina looked calm, but she actually felt emotional. She held her cup tightly while she calmly looked at the little girl¡¯s response. ¡°Mel, do you remember me? Come here, let me hug you.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was gentler at this point. It was like the first snowke that melted on a mountain. Although it was cold, warmth could still be felt. Harold stood at the side and suddenly felt jealous. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Ever since he was born, Dad had never spoken to him like that before. If Dad could be that gentle and patient with him, he would not have thought of running away from home. But when Harold looked at the beautiful girl, he instantly felt troubled. If he looked one-tenth as good as Mel, Dad would also like him. Why did he look so ugly? . Mel threw the puzzles away and stood up. She stared at Duke and slowly took the first step. But just as she took one step, she hesitantly moved back. She looked down and carefully took a look at Alden. Others did not know what her gaze meant, but Alden understood it. He had told Mel that this man did not deserve their love, so Mel hesitated. Alden felt extremely conflicted. He stood up, held Melody¡¯s hand, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Mel, you can go anywhere you want. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± 11 The little girl pursed her lips and smiled. She held Alden¡¯s hand and walked toward Duke with excitement. ¡°Mel¡¯s a good girl.¡± Duke sighed in relief for some reason. He was actually afraid that the little girl would refuse to go to him. If that happened, his ims to Adina would sound hrious. Luckily, the girl gave him back some dignity. He raised his hand and stroked the girl¡¯s curly hair. His voice became gentler. ¡°Mel, did you say something in my office the other day?¡± Melody¡¯s long eyshes, which resembled butterfly wings, flickered, and her clear eyes were lost. Adina held her hand and whispered, ¡°Mel, tell me. You can speak, right?¡± The little girl was still dumbfounded, appearing no different from her past self. Alden frowned. Did Mel speak when she was with Duke? Was this man so influential to Mel? Original from N?velDrama.Org. Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°Mel, if you can speak, just say one word. Don¡¯t make Mom worried.¡± If this man could make Melmunicate with the outside world, he could force himself to ept him in their lives. Duke squatted down before he folded his long legs and partially knelt on the floor. He stared at Melody with his dark gaze, and his eyes were filled with deep emotions that nobody understood. His voice was deep and gentle as he firmly said, ¡°Mel, I know you like me very much. I¡¯m Uncle Duke. You¡¯ve never called me before.¡± Melody¡¯s unfocused eyes slowly became focused. She stared at Duke¡¯s face and moved her pink lips. It seemed like she was saying something, but she was not making any sound. Everyone in the house held their breath and concentrated on her. Duke continued to say, ¡°Mel, speak louder. I can¡¯t hear you.¡± He had lived for more than twenty years, but he had never been so patient with anyone or anything before. This was his first time. He stared at the girl with an encouraging gaze. Melody seemed to be bewitched. Her vocal cord, which had never made too much sound, slowly went to work. She moved her lips and whispered, ¡°Dad¡­ dy.¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 The autumn night wind blew through the camphor tree in the courtyard, and the leaves made some rustling sounds. The wind whistled outside, but it was silent inside the house. It was so silent that even a pin dropping to the floor could be heard. Since it was that quiet, they did not hear Melody wrongly. Adina had a hard time speaking ¡°Mel, you really can speak.¡± She purposely ignored the word that the girl had uttered. ¡°Mel, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Alden¡¯s ck eyes were full of happiness. ¡°Nobody canugh at you for not knowing how to speak now!¡± ¡°Wow, Mel! You¡¯re awesome!¡± Harold was also ecstatic. He danced around excitedly. ¡°Call me Brother! I want to hear you call me Brother!¡± Melody¡¯s voice was really soothing. It was so sweet, like candy melted in butter, that people were addicted to it. Harold suddenly paused. ¡°Mel, did you¡­ say the wrong thing?¡± Duke was his dad. Why did Mel call him ¡°Daddy¡±? Did he hear her wrongly or did Mel call identify him wrongly? Everyone had initially ignored it, but they could not ignore it now since Harold had brought it up. Duke was in a daze for about twenty seconds because the girl had called him ¡°Daddy¡± with a sweet voice. He suddenly had the urge to have a daughter. He was slightly gloomy as he said, ¡°Mel, I¡¯m Uncle Duke, not your daddy.¡± He wanted to be her daddy, but it was not his ce. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He could not mislead a kid who had just learned how to speak. ¡°Daddy.¡± Melody raised her head and spoke again. This time, her voice did not sound dry or strained. She sounded more firm and stubborn. Something shed in her watery eyes, which reflected Duke¡¯s figure. It was as if her world could only amodate Duke at that moment. When Adina saw it, she felt upset. She had not even heard Mel call her ¡°Mommy,¡± but her daughter had called this man ¡°Daddy¡± twice. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m really sorry. Mel is spe the first time, so she might not know the meaning of ¡®Uncle¡¯ and ¡®Daddy.¡¯ I hope it doesn¡¯t bother you.¡± She stood up and continued. ¡°I¡¯m really thankful, Mr. Winters, but it¡¯ste now. Let me treat you to a meal tomorrow.¡± This man had sessfully made Melody speak. Buying him a meal was nothing. However, as long as Duke needed her help, she would do her best. ¡°We¡¯ll talk again about the meal. You should take Mel to the hospital for treatment. She¡¯s still very young. The earlier she¡¯s treated, the earlier she¡¯ll recover,¡± Duke said indifferently. Adina nodded. She stood up and got ready to send the Winters to the door. Harold took a nce at the time. It had been exactly twenty minutes. He did not have any excuse to extend his stay anymore Even so, Mel had not called him ¡°Brother¡± yet. He did not want to leave. He purposely dawdled. The door was just a few steps away, but he made it look like a long journey. Right then, Melody rushed toward Duke in her pink pajamas. She held the man¡¯s thigh and kept dragging him into the house. Although she did not speak, the meaning of her actions was obvious. ¡°Dad, Mel wants us to stay here for the night!¡± Haroldughed excitedly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just stay here tonight? Can we, Dad?¡± Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Alden stood at the side, and his gaze darkened. He clenched his fists and suppressed the urge to walk over. This man was not qualified to be their father, but he really was their father. When Duke was there, Melody¡¯s autism clearly became better. He could not be selfish and decide for Melody! Alden turned around and did not look at the scene, which made him extremely ufortable. Meanwhile, Adina felt troubled and covered her face. She walked over to lift Melody up. However, when the girl was stubborn, she was as strong as a cow. No matter how strong Adina was, she still could not pull her away. ¡°Aunt Adina, can Dad and I just stay here for one night?¡± Harold blinked. ¡°Mel likes my dad so much, so she doesn¡¯t want Dad to leave. Aunt Adina, I can sleep on the floor. I really can!¡± Duke nonchntly said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ve never slept over in another person¡¯s home before, but I would like to make an exception for Mel today.¡± Adina was speechless. Why did he make it sound like he was being wronged by staying a night in her house? If Mel did not like them, she would have chased them out a long time ago! She massaged her forehead and helplessly said, ¡°Mel, let go.¡± The little girl shook her head hard and hugged Duke¡¯s leg more tightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t let go, how can Uncle Duke wash up?¡± Adina sighed and spoke. Melody¡¯s eyes lit up. Only then did she obediently let go of her hands. When Duke made a move, she immediately became rmed and dragged the bottom of his pants again. Duke subconsciously chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave tonight. I¡¯ll keep youpany here.¡± Melody finally smiled. She was already four years old, but she had never smiled sincerely. It was the first time that Adina had seen Melody smiling so beautifully that her eyes were filled with joy. Adina finally believed that some people were destined for each other, like Melody and Duke. They were totally unrted, but they had established such a connection. Luckily, Duke was not a despicable person, or she would really be troubled. The happiest person to stay there was Harold. He was so excited that he jumped around in the Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. house with pride. ¡°Mr. Winters, there¡¯s a bed in the study on the first floor. You can stay there with Harold. Please bear with it for tonight.¡± Adina carried Melody and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you upstairs and tell you a bedtime story.¡± She carried the girl upstairs and locked the door. Harold was at a loss for words. Was there a difference between staying and not staying overnight at this point? He stayed with his dad on the first floor, while Aunt Adina and Mel stayed on the second floor. The distance was too far. Harold secretly cast a nce at Alden, who sat in the living room and did some reading. When he noticed that Alden was not paying attention to him, he sneaked upstairs, pushed open Melody¡¯s bedroom door, and silently locked it. Adina looked at him hopelessly. ¡°Why are you also here?¡± ¡°I want to hear a story too.¡± Harold leaned on the door and stood there. He felt wronged as he lowered his head, but he dared not walk to the bed Adina could not bear to see him looking that pitiful, so she waved at him. ¡°Come and lie down with Mel so that you can listen to the story.¡± ¡°Yay! Aunt Adina, you¡¯re so nice to me!¡± Harold immediatelyy on the bed, and a light shed in his ck eyes. ¡°Mel called my dad ¡®Daddy. Can I call you ¡®Mommy¡¯, since you¡¯re Mel¡¯s mom?¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Harold hid his hands under the nket and held his them tightly. He was extremely nervous. He stared at Adina bashfully and was afraid of seeing her shake her head. Adina contemted for a few seconds. Honestly, she still had not figured out why Melody would call Duke ¡°Daddy.¡± Besides, why had Melody sneaked out of preschool and gone to Winters Corporation, which was far away? N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Had Duke given Melody some kind of drug? Luckily, Melody could speak now. Adina believed that Melody would tell her the answer after some time. Adina snapped out of her daze before she stared into Harold¡¯s eyes. She softly said, ¡°Mel doesn¡¯t understand what ¡®Daddy¡¯ means, so she made a mistake. But you should know what¡¯ Mom¡¯ means. I¡¯m not your mom. You have your own Mom, right?¡± Harold¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. He bit his bottom lip and felt angry as he said, ¡°I have one, but so what? I don¡¯t like her. That selfish woman can¡¯t be my mom!¡± Adina suddenly felt sad. She did not know why she felt that way either. She caressed Harold¡¯s face and gently said, ¡°All mothers love their children. If your mom hears what you say, she¡¯ll feel hurt.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t feel hurt. She doesn¡¯t love me!¡± Harold bit his lip really hard. ¡°She¡¯s just busy thinking about how to marry Dad and be Mrs. Winters! She never cares about me. She never treats me as her son!¡± Harold felt increasingly wronged. He rushed into Adina¡¯s arms and started crying softly. Adina sighed and gently patted his back. She never found out what happened in the Winters family, but she could roughly guess a little when she heard from this boy. Outsiders did not know that there were kids in the Winters family, and there had never been any wedding rumors about Duke either. In other words, Harold should be an illegitimate child. Perhaps a woman had set Duke up to give birth to Harold just to be Mrs. Winters. Such a cunning woman really did not deserve to be liked by Harold. Even so, the woman was still Harold¡¯s biological mother at the end of the day. He could not just deny their biological ties as he wished. Adina pursed her lips and did not say anything else. Meanwhile, only Duke and Alden were left in the living room downstairs. Alden was holding a book and reading it carefully. Whenever he was reading, he would habitually ignore his surroundings, so he did not notice that Duke had been standing behind him for a few minutes. Suddenly, a long hand with defined joints extended out to take his book away. ¡°Introduction of Logics?¡± Duke took a look at the book¡¯s cover. He found it interesting and curled his lips. ¡°Do you understand this?¡± Alden stood up. His height did not even reach Duke¡¯s waist. He was short, but he had an imposing presence. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± he said indifferently. He stood on his toes to take his book back. Duke raised his arm slightly, and Alden could not reach it at all. Alden kept his hand away and pursed his lips coldly. ¡°Give it back to me.¡± ¡°Answer some of my questions first.¡± Duke flipped through the book and casually asked,¡± What are the logical facies?¡± Alden¡¯s expression turned cold and dark He did not want to answer the man¡¯s question. However, he knew that he would not get the book back if he did not answer him. He had just seen an interesting logical question in the book, and he could not wait to see the results of the analysis. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 He took a deep breath. ¡°Formal logical facies and informal logical facies.¡± Duke was obviously surprised. He thought that this boy was just pretending to read the book, but he really understood it. Books on logic were dull. They were even more boring than mathematics. Regr people would not be able to read such a book and understand it. More importantly, this boy was just four years old. Duke closed the book and casually said, ¡°Let me ask you another question about logic.¡± Alden lost his patience. ¡°I don¡¯t want this book now.¡± ¡°If you want to study logic, you can¡¯t be so impatient.¡± Duke curled his lips sternly. ¡°The question I want to ask is rted to your mother.¡± At the mention of his mother, Alden could no longer stay calm. He pursed his lips and firmly said, ¡°You better leave my mom alone, or¡± ¡°I just want to ask a question,¡± Duke interrupted him. ¡°You ask me to leave your mom alone, or else, you¡¯ll kill me, and at least three people hear it. The next day, I die. How do you exin this from a logical perspective?¡± Alden had been studying logic over the past two weeks. He was greatly interested in logic. had the urge to answer. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He pursed his lips and calmly said, ¡°There¡¯s the hindsight bias, where a certain cause is affirmed because the result is seen. Normally, people will only corrte something to a single cause and effect. If this is established, they will think that I killed you. This is the mostmon logical error made by people¡­¡± He kept talking, and he emanated a special aura. For some reason, Duke saw George in Alden. George used to be interested in logic for a time, but he had put the course aside because he had be busy with work. ¡°How¡¯s that? Are you happy with my answer?¡± After Alden answered the question, he raised his eyebrows indifferently. He looked prideful and confident. Duke curled his lips again. When Adina was around, he would be an obedient and mature boy who took care of his sister. was But when Adina was not around, he showed apletely different side. He was arrogant, as well as prideful, and rebellion was hidden in his eyes. This boy was not as simple as he looked on the surface. Kids with high intelligence could make adults feel less worried, but they could also do shocking things behind the adults. Duke kept George in check, so he would be more reserved. But this boy¡­ Did Adina know that her son had such high intelligence? Duke threw the book back to Alden. ¡°You¡¯re awesome. Carry on with your reading.¡± Alden took the book and went upstairs. After he entered his room, he locked the door. Duke sat on the couch and suddenly felt very awkward. Adina and her kids were on the second floor, while that brat, Harold, had also gone upstairs. Why was he there alone? He took his phone out and swiped the screen. He could not focus on reading the news like he previously could, so he stood up and walked around the house. A family photo was hanging behind the couch in the living room. It was a photo of Adina and her two kids. The background of the photo was a warm yellow, and it looked cozy. He looked at the other side, and another two family photos were hanging in the dining room. They were two single photos of the children. But there was no man visible. It did not look like a man had lived in the house before¡­ Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Adina slowly walked out of Melody¡¯s room only after Duke had gotten bored of waiting downstairs for almost an hour. When she saw him, she was clearly stunned. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Duke was silent. It was only 10.00 pm, and he was not a child. How could he sleep so early? ¡°I talked to your son for a while,¡± he said stoically. Adina walked down the stairs and collected the toys from the floor while she asked, ¡°What did you guys talk about?¡± ¡°Your son is very smart.¡± He paused for a while before he added, ¡°Frankly speaking, he¡¯s a child genius.¡± Adina stopped collecting the toys for a moment. ¡°How did youe up with that conclusion?¡± In reality, before Alden turned three, he had already been extremely interested in coding. The code that he had casually written could work. Back then, it had shocked her, so she had taken Alden to do an intelligence test the next day In the end, Alden¡¯s intelligence turned out to be two times higher than that of children the same age. When Alden almost turned four, she took Alden to do the test again, and the oue was even more shocking. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She still remembered when she left theboratory that day, the invigtor ran after them.¡± Mdm. Daugherty, your son has a very high IQ. If he stays in our base and receives training¡­¡± She turned it down at that time. She did not want Alden to be a teen prodigy, and she did not want Alden to receive training in a secret base from a young age. She just hoped that Alden could grow up happily without worries like other normal kids. ¡°He¡¯s just four years old, yet he can understand a book about logic. That means he¡¯s different from ordinary kids,¡± Duke said nonchntly. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t go to a normal preschool. You could hire a teacher to teach him privately.¡± Adina ced the building blocks into the box while she pursed her lips indifferently. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good for him to attend his current preschool.¡± He could grow up like a normal kid, and he did not need to bear any unnecessary responsibility at this age. He could even take care of Melody. Duke frowned. Did this woman not know how intelligent her son was? Perhaps Alden was on a simr level as George. Duke paused for a while before he resumed. ¡°I can introduce a few teachers to you¡­¡± Adina raised her head and stared at him in a serious manner. ¡°Mr. Winters, is Harold not attending preschool?¡± Duke nodded. ¡°Kids of the Winters family don¡¯t need to go to preschool.¡± Neither he nor George attended preschool. Harold had attended for some time, but it had not helped him improve much, so he withdrew from the preschool. ¡°Alden is not a child of the Winters family, so he needs to attend it.¡± Adina refuted him with a straight face. Having fun was in a child¡¯s nature. No child was willing to be grounded in a room and study alone. Duke frowned. ¡°Geniuses are always lonely. If he studies in a normal preschool, he¡¯ll feel like he can¡¯t fit in. When George turned three, I noticed the gap between his genius and the ordinary kids. It¡¯s a huge gap that can¡¯t be crossed.¡± ¡°George?¡± Adina was stunned. ¡°Who is he to Harold?¡± Duke simply answered, ¡°He¡¯s Harold¡¯s elder brother.¡± Other than those who had a good rtionship with the Winters family, nobody knew about the young masters. Duke did not expect to talk to this woman about his two sons in such a leisurely manner either. Adina¡¯s fingers froze. Elder brother? Harold actually had an elder brother. That meant the woman had given birth to two sons for Duke, but she still could not marry into the Winters family. Adina¡¯s gaze on Duke was filled with more contempt. If this man had been set up to have a son once, he could have been careless. But twice? Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 This man was either an idiot or a jerk. He clearly did not want to take responsibility. Meanwhile, Duke just felt strange. He had just been discussing the children¡¯s education with her in a serious manner, but why did she suddenly look at him with such a gaze? It felt like he was a smelly piece of sh*t on the street that everyone despised. Duke fell silent. He took a deep breath and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Adina looked away and indifferently said, ¡°Alden is my son, so I¡¯ll do what¡¯s best for him. Mr. Winters, you don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯ste now. Please rest early.¡± She turned around, went to her bedroom on the second floor, and gently shut the door. Duke was so gloomy that he stroked his nose. He was a quiet person, and this was the first time that he had spoken so much at once. But the woman did not appreciate him. Alden¡¯s gaze on him was also full of animosity. Why should he care about that brat? Duke made his move and went to the guest room on the first floor. As soon as he went inside, he saw a pair of male slippers by the bed. There was a male suit hanging in the closet as well. He had just wondered if there was any trace of a man living there before, and it turned out that there was. Was this guest room purposely for men who stayed overnight? How many men had stayed in this guest room before him? N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Some disappointment instantly filled Duke¡¯s heart. He turned around and walked out of the guest room. He walked around the first floor and realized it was the only room that could amodate him. He emanated a cold aura as he sat on the couch. He had nned to put up with this situation for one night. However, he was used to sleeping on a big soft bed. How could he fall asleep on the hard, narrow couch? He tossed and turned for about three hours before he finally felt a little sleepy. WO Before he fell asleep, he thought about how he would teach Harold a tough lesson when they returned to the Winters family home tomorrow! If that brat still made him stay over again, he would beat him up. While he was falling asleep, he suddenly heard a scream. scream Duke was very sensitive. As soon as he heard the scream, he sat up straight. He frowned, raised his head, and looked in the scream¡¯s direction. It wasing from Adina¡¯s room, Before he realized it, he had already appeared in front of her room. Just as he was about to push open the door and go inside, a small figure walked out from the corner of the corridor on the second floor. ¡°You can¡¯t go in,¡± Alden said coldly. Duke¡¯s hand froze in the air. ¡°Your mom¡¯s crying in the room. Don¡¯t you hear it?¡± Alden¡¯s expression was blurry in the dim light. He lowered his voice. ¡°Mom¡¯s having a nightmare. That¡¯s why she¡¯s crying. She¡¯ll be fine after her nightmare ends.¡± Mom had asked him before why Melody always had nightmares. He did not tell his mom that it was because Melody had inherited her habit of having nightmares. Whenever something shocked Melody during the day, she would dream of it at night. However, their mom was shrouded in deep hopelessness and sadness. If she had a nightmare, she would not be able to recover for the whole night. He used to try waking her up, but it turned out that his mom would end up crying even louder and more hopelessly. So, he dared not do it again. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 It was clear that some weak cries wereing from the master bedroom. The cries were like a thread that wrapped around Duke¡¯s heart and drew itself tighter, so much so that his heart stopped beating. Duke pursed his lips. He took a few steps back before he lowered his voice and asked, ¡°How often does your mom have nightmares?¡± Alden looked calm andposed, but he was actually flustered. He hated Duke, but he could not help opening up to this man. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Ever since I could remember, Mom has had nightmares frequently. She would have a nightmare once every few days. As I grew up, she slowly got her life together and developed her work circle. Then, she had fewer nightmares. I asked a doctor about it before, and he told me that if she wakes up while she has a nightmare, she¡¯ll remember it, so I dare not go inside.¡± The pain of the past should be forgotten as soon as possible. Once she could forget it, she would not be disturbed by nightmares again. Duke stood outside the room while he listened to her cries that became louder before they grew weaker. Then, he suddenly thought of those opinions about her in the news. The beloved Ms. Daugherty had been photographed by reporters for sleeping with an unknown man on the second day of her 18th birthday. From then on, Ms. Daugherty had be the joke of the city. Ms. Daugherty went missing after that. Eight monthster, Ms. Daugherty gave birth to a pair of stillborns, and she set fire to the Daugherty family. She thenmitted suicide, which shocked all of Sea City. Even someone like him, who did not care about gossip, had also heard the people around him talk about it. If he had known that he would care about this woman so much, would he have pulled her out of the abyss at that time? Over thest four years, she had been raising her two children. He wondered how this woman carried on with her life¡­ Duke sighed. He turned around to stare at Alden while the boy remained shrouded in the dark ¡°Didn¡¯t your father think about taking responsibility?¡± he asked. If a man had reached out to her, her life would not have been so tough. ¡°Ha!¡± Alden scoffed in the dark. He stared at Duke, and his lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Our father died.¡± .. Sunlight shone in through the window. Adina opened her eyes and felt slightly dizzy as if she did not sleep well. Besides, her throat was a little sore, as though she had been screaming. It hurt before she even said anything She got up and drank a ss of warm water. Only then did she feel better. After she washed up, she changed her clothes and went downstairs. The moment she arrived at the staircase, she smelled the strong aroma of food. ¡°Aunt Adina, good morning!¡± Harold was in high spirits as he stood in the living room and politely greeted her. He had slept on the same bed as Melodyst night. Although the bed was very small, he sleptfortably. It was more comfortable than the bed in his house. If it were possible, he would stay there and never leave! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Aunt Adina, pleasee here. I went out and bought breakfast for you!¡± Harold held Adina¡¯s hand and walked toward the dining room. ¡°This is the most delicious grilled cheese sandwich in Sea City. This is our famous waffle. This is our omelet. I also bought other grilled sandwiches. Aunt Adina, you can try them all.¡± Adina found herself speechless. She nearly thought that Duke had prepared breakfast. She seriously should not have such high hopes. Harold then dragged her over to the dining table. She ate a grilled cheese sandwich before she nodded and said, ¡°It tastes really good. Thank you, Harold.¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Harold lowered his head bashfully, and his ears turned a little red. Duke could not help but scoff. This kid was always good at ying nice. When did he learn to be shy? ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home,¡± he said coldly. Harold¡¯s happy face instantly froze. He felt wronged as he dragged Adina¡¯s sleeve and pitifully said, ¡°Aunt Adina, can I not leave?¡± Adina stroked his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to workter, while Alden and Mel are also going to preschool. Why would you want to stay at home alone?¡± Harold acted like a ttened balloon. He lowered his head and spoke absentmindedly. ¡°Can I visit again?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Adina cast a nce at Duke. ¡°You have to get permission from your dad. You can¡¯t sneak out on your own. If you can¡¯t do that, you¡¯re not allowed to visit.¡± ¡°I can do it! I¡¯ll do it!¡± Harold patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Adina. I won¡¯t secretly run away from home again!¡± Duke was speechless. He had scolded and punished Harold before. He had nearly beaten him too, but the brat just refused to listen to him. Harold kept sneaking out of their home repeatedly, throwing the Winters family into chaos all the time, However, a sentence from Adina had already given the brat the determination to change. How could Duke believe it? ¡°Goodbye, Aunt Adina!¡± Harold waved his hand before he obediently turned around and held Duke¡¯s hand as they walked out. When he left, he even said, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t feel sad about leaving. I¡¯ll bring you here next time.¡± Duke was taken aback. Why did this brat think he was sad about leaving? Harold was wearing Alden¡¯s pajamas, but Duke was still wearing the same outfit from yesterday. He had severe mysophobia, so he could not bear to wear the same outfit for two continuous days. He drove back to the Winters family vi. As soon as they walked into the vi, a figure approached them. Dew walked out in a pair of high heels, and she looked anxious. She had reached the vi at 6.00 am, but none of the Winters were at home. Mr. Brown said George had left for the office at 5.00 am, while Duke and Harold had note home sincest night. She did not live with the Winters family, but she knew that Duke was a family-oriented person. It was impossible for him to not go home without a reason. The feeling of having no grip on the situation made her ufortable. A ¡°It¡¯s none of your business where we go!¡± Harold became that little devil who feared nothing again. He red at Dew ruthlessly before he ran upstairs and went to his room. ¡°Duke, look at Harold. He¡¯s treating me like this again.¡± Dew felt wronged and bit her bottom lip.¡±I¡¯m his biological mother, but he never cares about me. He always disrespects and ignores me.¡± Duke was fed up with hearing her whining. In the past, he would ask Harold to respect Dew. However, when he saw Harold¡¯s behavior in front of Adina, he realized that Harold was not the rude one. Dew just did not deserve to be treated politely by Harold. Duke nced at Dew indifferently. ¡°Why did youe to the Winters family vi so early?¡± Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Dew¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. She bit her bottom lip, and her eyes became teary. She looked like a beautiful woman who had just wept. She took one step forward andined about her grievance. ¡°Duke, when you left the banquet earlyst night, you didn¡¯t take me along. In the end, Mr. Johnson sent me home. Do you know how inappropriate he was? He leered at me and even grabbed my hand! If I hadn¡¯t put up a strong resistance, he would¡¯ve dragged me to a hotel!¡± Duke finally looked at her. ¡°Why did you try to resist him?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Dew found herself speechless. The question nearly choked her. Was it not normal for her to resist? Why did he ask such a question? But since Duke had asked her, she needed to answer properly. She blinked, and her tears fell. ¡°Duke, I¡¯m not an easy woman. Our night five years ago was caused by an ident. I regretted sleeping with a man before getting married too, but what could I do? You were drunk that night, and you were so strong. No matter how I fought back, I couldn¡¯t escape. If I were given another chance, I wouldn¡¯t have entered the wrong room.¡± She spoke as she sobbed. It was as if she could faint at any moment from all that crying. Duke was so annoyed that he massaged his forehead. That night five years ago was also the thing he regretted the most in his life. If he did not have George and Harold, he would have kicked Dew out of Sea City. This woman¡¯s appearance was a constant reminder of his stupid past. ¡°Duke, that night five years ago was a mistake, and it doesn¡¯t mean that I can sleep with any man.¡± Dew suddenly moved forward and hugged Duke around the waist. She put her face on his chest and begged in a sobbing tone. ¡°Duke, I love you, so I can¡¯t ept any other man. Please let me be your woman, okay?¡± Duke smelled the pungent scent of perfume, so he raised his arms coldly and shoved Dew away. Dew did not expect this man to be so heartless. She took a step back but tripped over a chair and fell down on the couch. ¡°Duke, how can you do this to me?¡± She cried as she shouted, ¡°I¡¯m the boys¡¯ mother. You slept with me, and I gave you two sons! How could you be so cruel to me? I just want the boys to officially call me ¡®Mom¡¯! Have I done anything wrong?¡± Duke took off his coat. The perfume on his coat was too strong, and the woman¡¯s tears made him incredibly ufortable. He threw the coat directly into the trash can and curled his lips into a sneer. ¡°I know very well what you want.¡± His voice was deep, and his eyes were piercing. ¡°If you don¡¯t like Mr. Johnson, there¡¯s also Mr. Smith, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Jones. There are many young and capable men in Sea City. Feel free to choose.¡± Dew was trembling. Last night, she had suspected Duke of trying to give her away to another man. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be true! She had given him two sons. How could he¡­ How could he do this to her? ¡°No, Duke, I only love you. I just want to be with you¡­¡± Duke stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re not good enough to be with a man like me.¡± He loosened his tie and threw it into the trash can before he went up to the second floor. Dew felt as if her body had been entirely drained of strength, and she helplessly held her knees together. Duke would never marry her. It was impossible. They had slept together that night and also had two sons, but he still refused to marry her.1 Could anyone tell her what to do? Did she really have to be with Mr. Johnson?¡± Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Adina drove her kids to their preschool. On the way, she received a call from her assistant. ¡°The staff from Winters Corporation has arrived? Please wee him for a while. I¡¯ll be at thepany in a minute.¡± After she hung up, she drove faster. Alden frowned. ¡°Mom, are you coborating with Winters Corporation?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a smart car project in Winters Corporation, and it¡¯s considered the first of its kind on the market. I¡¯m actually quite interested in it,¡± Adina casually said. Alden lowered his head. Duke had entered his mom¡¯s life and also coborated with her on their work. If they spent time together frequently, would his mom fall for that man? After all, Duke was the most desired man in Sea City ording to the news. ¡°Alden, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Adina noticed Alden¡¯s expression from the rear-view mirror. She felt worried as she questioned him. It seemed that starting from yesterday, Alden had not been very happy. He appeared to be in a bad mood. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine.¡± Alden tried his best to smile. ¡°I just think that you¡¯re too close to Uncle Duke and his family.¡± Adina cast a nce at him. He was her son. Would she not know what he was thinking about? She parked her car in front of the preschool, turned around, and said in a low voice, ¡°Alden, I don¡¯t know why you dislike Uncle Duke so much. He¡¯s actually quite nice. Most importantly, Mel likes him, and he can even get her to speak. If we get along with him more, it¡¯ll also help improve Mel¡¯s condition, right?¡± Alden nodded. ¡°I know, Mom.¡± Some secrets should just be kept to himself. He did not need to tell his mother. His mom had suffered for so many years, so she should enjoy her life now. Alden held Melody¡¯s hand as they got out of the car, and they waved at Adina before they obediently walked into their preschool. Only then did Adina drive to herpany. Recently, Ethan had hired a few programmers for her, and her studio finally looked like an office now. As soon as she arrived, her staff members greeted her at the same time, ¡°Ms. Daugherty.¡± Adina nodded at them before she took a document and entered the meeting room. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The person whom Winters Corporation sent this time was the person in charge of Project A-F, Mr. Garcia. He had been in this business for more than ten years. That also meant Mr. Garcia was already in the industry when the concept of smart products was just launched. He had witnessed the intelligent industry develop until it reached maturity. Winters Corporation had initiated Project A-F two years ago, but because they could not find a suitable smart chip designer, the project was put on hold. When the project recently resumed, Mr. Garcia thought Duke had found arge smart chip designing company for his coboration. Unexpectedly, it was just a newly established studio. After Mr. Garcia sat in the meeting room, he had a slightly strange feeling. He suspected that Mr. Winters had been deceived, but Mr. Winters was not the kind of idiot who would be fooled. Therefore, he patiently read through the document. Upon careful inspection, the document did look real. ¡°Mr. Garcia, I¡¯m Adina Daugherty, the general manager of LaStar Technology Corporation. Nice to meet you.¡± Adina walked in, smiled faintly, and extended her hand toward Mr. Garcia. Mr. Garcia calmly sized Adina up. She seemed to just be in her twenties, and she was very pretty. She did not look like a program designer. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re already running a program designingpany at this age. You¡¯re really young and capable.¡± Mr. Garcia and Adina shook hands, and he greeted her with apliment. Adina smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s thanks to my friend¡¯s help, or else it would¡¯ve been so smooth sailing.¡± Ethan had helped her find a ce for her office and also introduced a few of the programming staff in thepany to her. If Ethan had not helped her, her studio would still be a mess at this point. Mr. Garcia secretly thought that she might not have merely received help. Perhaps she was just the general manager in name. However, Mr. Garcia was experienced in the industry, so he would not express too much emotion in front of his coborator. He professionally said, ¡°So, Ms. Daugherty, let¡¯s talk about the preliminary design ns for this project¨C¡± Buzz! Adina¡¯s phone vibrated on the table. She cast a nce at the iing call. It was from Flint, and she directly ended it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Garcia. Please carry on.¡± Mr. Garcia nodded. ¡°I just took a look at the n. Are you using Visual Studio Code, which puts the legacy module¡± Buzz! Adina¡¯s phone vibrated again. She looked at it, and it was still a call from Flint. That brat did not usually call her, but he just called her two consecutive times. Did something happen? ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you better answer the call first.¡± Mr. Garcia leaned back in his chair to give Adina some space. Adina shed him an apologetic smile before she answered the call. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°This better be important!¡± ¡°Addy, I helped you with such an important matter, but you didn¡¯t even call to thank me.¡± Flint scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You have to give me a gift to thank me!¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Flint had found the loophole in Daugherty Corporation¡¯s ounts previously. Adina had already bought him a gift, and she was about to deliver it to the Morton family. But after she answered the call, she instantly did not want to pass him the gift anymore, She scoffed and said, ¡°Mr. Morton, you¡¯re rich, so you might not like my gift. I better save my money and buy myself a dress.¡± ¡°Hey, if you want a dress, I can buy it for you!¡± Flint said jokingly. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite brand? I¡¯ll get my assistant to buy it and send it to your house. It¡¯ll be a limited design¡­¡± His voice faintly rang out from the phone, and Mr. Garcia could roughly hear him. He did not believe that Adina could establish apany at such a young age. When he heard her conversation with the man on the phone, it proved his guess. Mr. Winters was brilliant and resolute, but he was still a man at the end of the day. People always said that all men would fall for beautiful women. Ms. Daugherty was gorgeous, so it was possible that Mr. Winters had lost himself due to his attraction to her. Mr. Garcia was just worried that Project A-F mighte to a halt halfway through again. When Adina heard Flint¡¯s constant nonsense on the phone, she hung up coldly and even blocked him. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 One secondter, her Whatsapp was flooded with messages. (Addy, you¡¯re so cruel! [Addy, this is the 999th time that you¡¯ve blocked my phone number. I¡¯ll remember this! [Addy, I¡¯m sorry. Give me another chance!] Adina coldly mmed her phone back on the office desk with the screen facing down. n She then raised her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Garcia. We can continue now. Regarding Visual Studio Code that you mentioned earlier, it is a rather traditional coding software. I¡¯ve amended a few parts¡ª¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I think I better take this preliminary design concept back to Winters Corporation to study it.¡± Mr. Garcia stood up. ¡°A-F is a project that Winters Corporation has invested a lot into. Some details can¡¯t be decided by the two of us.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Adina smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Garcia. We¡¯ll discuss it again after the Technical Department of Winters Corporation audits and reviews it.¡± Mr. Garcia held the thick document with the design while he walked out of the studio. As soon as he got into his car, he casually threw the document on the passenger seat. When he casually flipped through the document earlier, he had not noticed anything. But when Adina was on the call, he had purposely read two pages in detail. Following his careful reading, he realized how hrious the proposal for the program design was. The final expected oue of the proposal was simr to Mr. Winters¡¯ prediction, but the process of realizing it was ridiculous. The mostmon programmingnguages currently on the market had disadvantages in this program¡¯s design. Besides, they were broken andbined into a brand new coding method. Was this woman too gifted or over-confident? Mr. Garcia shook his head and drove back to Winters Corporation. After that, he took the proposal to the top floor. At this time, Duke was having a meeting with the executives in the meeting room. Jake was the only one arranging and storing the documents in the CEO¡¯s office. When Jake saw Mr. Garciae in, he happily said, ¡°Mr. Garcia, did you meet Ms. Daugherty today?¡± Jake might not pay attention to many things, but he remembered everything about Ms. Daugherty. After all, Mr. Winters treated her differently. ¡°Yes, I went over to talk about the proposal for the preliminary design-¡± Halfway through, Mr. Garcia was interrupted by Jake. ¡°Actually, Mr. Garcia, when you go to Ms. Daugherty¡¯spany, it¡¯s better to go with Mr. Winters.¡± Jake winked. ¡°Mr. Winters cares about this project very much, so it¡¯s better that he personally goes and discusses it with her.¡± Mr. Garcia caught the meaning behind his words. Did Mr. Winters care about the project or the person in charge of the project? Was Mr. Winters really attracted to Ms. Daugherty? Did he hand over such a challenging innovative project to a newly established studio because of that? Mr. Garcia seemed a little conflicted. ¡°This is such an important innovative project, and we¡¯re working together with Mr. Sundend and Mr. Walker. They¡¯ve invested at least $ 500,000,000. How could Mr. Winters recklessly decide on a coborator?¡± ¡°Mr. Garcia, you don¡¯t know about this. Actually, Ms. Daugherty is¡­¡± Before Jake could finish his sentence, he saw a cold and tall figure walking over from the other end of the corridor. He immediately schooled his expression before he respectfully greeted, ¡°Mr. Winters!¡± Mr. Garcia also turned around and greeted Duke respectfully before he handed over the design proposal. ¡°Mr. Winters, this is the first draft for the A-F project design submitted by Ms. Daugherty of LaStar Technology Corporation. Please have a look.¡± Duke took the proposal and casually flipped through it. As he read it, he asked, ¡°What do you think about the first draft?¡± Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Mr. Garcia thought about how he should answer before he slowly said, ¡°I admire Ms. Daugherty¡¯s design concept. She has implemented a brand new programming method, which breaks down traditional coding modules andbines them into a new coding rule. I think it¡¯s very challenging.¡± Duke nodded, and his gaze was filled with admiration. He was also involved in programming, and he was confident that there were less than three programmers in the world who dared to design a n like that. Adina was indeed impressive. He threw the proposal back ¡°There are advantages to taking the challenge. The first draft is set for now. Continue keeping tabs on this project.¡± After Duke spoke, he went to the CEO¡¯s office. Jake patted Mr. Garcia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mr. Winters cares about this project very much. If you do well, maybe you¡¯ll be promoted!¡± But Mr. Garcia chuckled in resignation. Mr. Winters was not an IT person, so he naturally did not understand the hidden risks. Mr. Garcia, on the other hand, had been in the IT industry for a dozen years, and he Mr. Garcia returned to the Technical Department with a bitter expression, just in time to meet Brayden Herbert, the department¡¯s deputy manager. ¡°Mr. Garcia, why do you look so gloomy? What happened?¡± Brayden asked with concern. ¡°Brayden, how many projects do you have right now?¡± Mr. Garcia stared at him and asked. Brayden stroked his chin. ¡°I just have a server maintenance project, and it¡¯s going to end soon. I actually wanted to ask you if there were any projects you could distribute to me.¡± ¡°This is Project A-F, the smart car project for the next season in Winters Corporation. I¡¯m handing it to you. Just ask me if you don¡¯t understand anything.¡± Mr. Garcia threw the document to Brayden before he turned around and went back to his office. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Garcia!¡± Brayden said happily. Once Mr. GarciaT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. returned to his office, his assistant came forward and asked, ¡°Mr. Winters purposely handed you the project. If you let Mr. Herbert take over, won¡¯t it make Mr. Winters unhappy?¡± ¡°The server in Winters Corporation needs an update and upgrade. That¡¯s the most important thing for thepany,¡± Mr. Garcia said indifferently. ¡°Brayden has pretty good skills, but he doesn¡¯t have sufficient experience. Taking charge of Project A-F will allow him to learn and approach many things. I¡¯m giving him a chance to train himself.¡± ¡°Mr. Garcia, you¡¯re really generous. You¡¯re always thinking about training the subordinates,¡± his assistant said in a ttering manner. Mr. Garcia silently pursed his lips. Project A-F was destined to fail. It would be better for him to use this time to do something meaningful. Brayden was still young, and experiencing more failures would help him stand better on his own two feet. Meanwhile, in the CEO¡¯s office, just as Duke sat down in his chair, his phone on the table vibrated. He nced at the iing call, and his cold, fierce expression became gentler. ¡°Mom, why are you calling me at this time?¡± While it was morning locally, it was noon in Ascrialia, and his mother would usually be having lunch right then. ¡°Have you made a decision regarding the thing I previously mentioned to you?¡± Mrs. Winters asked nonchntly as she had her afternoon tea. Duke massaged his forehead. ¡°The children are living a good life here. If you miss them, you can move back here.¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 ¡°If the air there were clean, would I have stayed in Ascrialia for such a long time?¡± Mrs. Winters said coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my people to pick Harold up so that he can live with me for a few months.¡± ¡°No,¡± Duke rejected her request resolutely. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged a course for him, so he can¡¯t go to Ascrialia now.¡± ¡°Duke, I¡¯m old, and I need someone to keep mepany,¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ tone was cold and fierce yet inferior. ¡°I¡¯m living alone in Ascrialia in such a big manor. Do you know how I spend my days? I¡¯m not asking you toe and visit me. I just want one of the boys to apany me for some time. Do you have to turn me down like that?¡± Duke became silent, which was rare. When the boys were one month old, he had sent them to Ascrialia for his mother to take care of them. Back then, he could not ept that he suddenly had two kids. Besides, his mother had always wanted to have grandchildren, so he sent them to Ascrialia to fulfill her wish. Unexpectedly, after the boys lived abroad for three months, they were stolen due to his mother¡¯s negligence. That ident made him realize how important the boys were to him. From then on, he officially epted the two children into his life. He brought them back with him without caring about his mother¡¯s opposition and never sent them to Ascrialia anymore. It was only when George needed to go for a work trip that he would visit his grandmother in Ascrialia. ¡°Duke, I know that you¡¯re reluctant to part with George and Harold, so I won¡¯t force you either. Perhaps we could do it this way¡­¡± Mrs. Winters made a concession. ¡°You and Dew should get married as soon as possible, then you can have another child. Once the baby is born, send the baby to Ascrialia, and I¡¯ll raise it for you. It¡¯ll be the same as our past arrangement.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that I¡¯ll never marry her.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was unquestionable. ¡°You slept with that woman five years ago. She¡¯s George and Harold¡¯s biological mother. If you don¡¯t marry her, who are you going to marry?¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t bother.¡± Duke frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll never marry a woman I don¡¯t love. Don¡¯t bring this up again.¡± After he spoke, he hung up. When Mrs. Winters heard the beep from the phone, she sighed deeply. She and Duke had been facing such a situation for many years. No matter what they talked about, they would always end up parting unhappily. Mrs Winters, please don¡¯t sigh.¡± A blonde mixed-race girl held Mrs. Winters¡¯ hand from the side. She spoke English but was not very fluent. ¡°Duke might not be over that incident. Time is the best medicine. He will forgive you one day.¡± Mrs. Winters massaged her forehead. She was to me for that incident, but she had not done it intentionally. She had apologized and even moved to Ascrialia just to atone for her sin. Even so, Duke still refused to forgive her. All these years, Duke never stepped into Ascrialia. When Duke sent the boys to Ascrialia four years ago, she thought that their misunderstanding could finally be resolved. Unexpectedly, after the boys got in danger, their rtionship returned to the way it was. ¡°Catherine, thank you for always keeping mepany.¡± Mrs. Winters looked at the young girl, and her tone was full of gratitude. She lived in Ascrialia on her own. Although she did not need to worry about her life, she was always filled with loneliness. Luckily, Catherine frequently came over to talk to her and have meals with her. ¡°Mrs. Winters, this is something I should do.¡± Catherine looked down. ¡°If I heard correctly, you want Duke to marry as soon as possible?¡± Mrs. Winters sighed. ¡°George and Harold¡¯s biological mother isn¡¯t the most decent person, but she has given the Winters family two sons, so I¡¯ve forced myself to ept a daughter-inw like her. Who would have known that Duke doesn¡¯t want to get married? He¡¯s almost thirty years old, and he has two sons. If he doesn¡¯t marry the boys¡¯ biological mother, what does he n to do?¡± Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 ¡°Mrs. Winters, marriage should exist because of love.¡± Catherine shed her a faint smile. ¡°Without love, marriage is just a grave where love goes to die. Duke obviously doesn¡¯t want to build a grave for himself just for the children¡¯s sake.¡± Mrs. Winters shook her head and did not say anything, She had been in Ascrialia for many years, and she had lost control over her son a long time ago. Whatever she said would not mean anything to him. ¡°Mrs. Winters, I really like Duke¡¯s perspective on love.¡± Catherine suddenly lowered her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for so many years, and I hear Duke¡¯s name every day. But, I haven¡¯t met Duke before. Mrs. Winters, do you have a picture of him?¡± Mrs. Winters cast a nce at Catherine. Catherine had appeared in her life about four years ago. She woulde and visit her every day. In turn, Mrs. Winters would share her personal thoughts with the youngdy who was in her early twenties. Mrs. Winters had even told Catherine about the misunderstanding between Duke and her. If Catherine became her daughter-inw, the misunderstanding between Duke and her would definitely be resolved because of Catherine. But¡­ Duke had two sons, and Catherine was a gorgeous youngdy. Would she be willing to be their stepmother? After Adina finished her work in her studio in the morning, she drove to Daugherty Corporation in the afternoon. She was now the manager of the Sales Department in Daugherty Corporation. Since she held the position, she had to do her job well. She brought her bag along and went to the fifteenth floor. That was the working space for the Sales Department. Lunch hour had just passed, and everyone in the office looked dull. When Adina walked in, everyone finally pulled themselves together. Even staff members on the lowest level had heard about what happened during Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shareholders meeting two days ago. Other departments had not been affected, but a new manager had suddenly been promoted in the Sales Department, while the current manager had been demoted to be her assistant. Everything went through a change in the Sales Department. The new manager would implement new policies, so everyone was cautious. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± Afina smiled faintly as she greeted everyone who was in awe, and she entered the manager¡¯s office. After she closed the door to the manager¡¯s office, everyone sighed in relief. ¡°D*mn! Adina really became the manager of our department!¡± ¡°Ms. Osborne has done a great job, but she was reced just like that. Poor thing!¡± ¡°Ms. Osborne has to pay the price for thepetition between the two Ms. Daugherties. Ms. Adina owns the power in the Daugherty family now, so we better be careful.¡± Although Dew¡¯s embezzlement had been suppressed, those who received inside news still managed to hear about it. Now, everyone knew that Ms. Dew had been kicked out of the Board of Directors and even forced to step down from the position of general manager. Ms. Adina was currently the person on the advantageous side! A female staff member in a crop top coldly said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget that Dew¡¯s the heiress of Daugherty Corporation!¡± As soon as she spoke, the staff members immediately became quiet. It was Queenie Carter, Dew¡¯s best friend. Dew had used her power to make the Sales Department hire Queenie. Queenie had been in the Sales Department for about two years, but she had never gotten any new clients. She never worked hard or put in any effort. Yet, in the quarterly appraisals, she would be praised as an outstanding employee and receive the highest performance award. The staff members in the Sales Department were unhappy with her, but she was Dew¡¯s best friend. Even if they were dissatisfied, they dared not express it. ¡°Dew is thepany¡¯s second-biggest shareholder, and she¡¯s also the heiress. What fuss can Adina create?¡± Queenie sneered and said, ¡°She used such a petty trick to be the manager of the Sales Department, and Elina will be the first person to feel doubtful!¡± Everyone called Elina ¡°Ms. Osbome.¡± Only Queenie dared to abuse Dew¡¯s authority and call the manager by her name. As soon as she spoke, Elina walked over. ¡°Why would I feel doubtful?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 She was a PhD graduate who had returned from abroad, and she was twenty-eight years old. She had ear-length hair and looked smart as well as capable. Queenie scoffed. ¡°You were the manager of the Sales Department for about five years, but you were demoted instead of being promoted. Don¡¯t you feel unhappy at all?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just obeying our superior¡¯s arrangement,¡± Elina said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be Ms. Daugherty¡¯s assistant as well.¡± After she spoke, she walked to the manager¡¯s office and knocked on the door. ¡°Coward!¡± Queenie said scornfully. ¡°A PhD graduate from abroad? You don¡¯t even fight for yourself!¡± At that moment, Elina pushed open the door to the manager¡¯s office, and Elina heard the sentence clearly. She looked over through the gap in the door and saw Queenie, who was dressed up differently. Why did she find this woman familiar? Adina narrowed her eyes and thought about it before she finally remembered. During her eighteenth birthday celebration five years ago, this woman seemed to be next to Dew. She even gave Adina a ss of wine with Dew. She was Dew¡¯s friend! Ha! Dew had actually recruited her own friend in Daugherty Corporation! ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯m Elina Osborne, your assistant.¡± Elina stood in front of the office desk and introduced herself in neither a humble nor arrogant manner.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Adina looked away before she nonchntly said, ¡°You¡¯ll be my assistant for the time being.¡± She had initially rmended Elina to be the general manager because she was really capable. It was a waste of her talent to work in the Sales Department. However, even though Dew had been kicked out, it was still not Elina¡¯s turn to hold the position of general manager. Aaron currently held the position and had all the power in his hands. Adina would help Elina again when there was a chance. Adina contemted for a while before she said, ¡°Who¡¯s the female staff who talked to you just now?¡± Elina¡¯s fingers curled up, and she exined, ¡°She¡¯s Queenie Carter, Ms. Daugherty. She¡¯s very straightforward, so she didn¡¯t intend to say those-¡°. ¡°Please get me all her performance charts from the time she joined thepany,¡± Adina instructed indifferently. Elina¡¯s heart sank. She had been the Sales Department¡¯s manager for about five years, so she naturally understood Queenie. Queenie was an affiliate whom Dew had ced in the department. She just wandered around in the department every day. Yet, when it came time for her appraisal, Queenie would always be the one with the highest performance. Elina had been incredibly unhappy with it for a long time, but what could she do? There had been a time when she criticized Queenie, but Dew had suddenly rebuked her. Therefore, she slowly learned how to be wise and protect herself. As long as Queenie did not affect the department¡¯s work, she could turn a blind eye to whatever Queenie did. Elina paused for a while before she continued in a low voice. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, she is Ms. Dew Daugherty¡¯s friend. Ms. Dew said ¡± ¡°Ms. Dew isn¡¯t working here anymore,¡± Adina said with a straight face. ¡°Get her performance chart now.¡± Elina sighed. She had to go to the archive room to get the performance charts. Adina leaned back in her chair, and her gaze was cold and stern. She would not abuse her power, but she would not allow a loafer to walk around in front of her either. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Elina walked out of the manager¡¯s office with a dark expression Queenie scoffed. ¡°New superiors have new rules, She must have implemented her first rule on you, the former manager. Elina, if you want to stay in Daugherty Corporation, you can talk to me nicely. Perhaps I can help you beg Dew to let you continue working in thepany.¡± Elina stared at her with aplicated gaze. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡± ¡°Why should I be worried?¡± Queenie sneered, ¡°I¡¯m Dew¡¯s best friend. No matter what I say, she¡¯ll listen to me!¡± She had also been involved when Dew set Adina up that year, so it meant that she also held Dew¡¯s biggest secret. Therefore, whenever she requested something, Dew would generally not turn her down. She stared at Elina arrogantly. ¡°You always disrespected me when you were the manager I¡¯m a generous person, so I won¡¯t remember your transgressions. If you apologize to me, I¡¯ll call Dew now.¡± Elina¡¯s expression darkened. Did she disrespect Queenie or did Queenie purposely cause her trouble? She took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± She quickly walked into the archive room. ¡°Tsk!¡± Queenie scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fired, yet you¡¯re still acting like a manager. How funny!¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She sat in her seat in a twisted position before she took out some nail polish from her drawer and started applying it to her fingernails. She did not treat this ce as an office. When Elina came out with the file and saw the way Queenie looked, the anger that she had suppressed finally flooded out again. She was sure that if Ms. Daugherty saw Queenie¡¯s performance chart, she would fire her. But Queenie was Dew¡¯s friend. If Ms. Daugherty fired Queenie, it would cause a lot of trouble. Ms. Daugherty had just been promoted, but she was going to make her superiors unhappy because of this. It would be more disadvantageous to her. As Elina walked, she thought about how she should advise Adina to hold back for the meantime and take things slowly. Right then, Adina held a cup and walked out of her office. she came out to get some water, but she was in time to witness Queenie fearlessly doing her nails in the office. The smell of her nail polish permeated the air. Adina put down her cup before she walked over with displeasure. ¡°Queenie, Queenie¡­¡± People around Queenie reminded her in a low voice, but she did not hear them. She hummed a song as she did her nails. ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job at applying nail polish. You should open a nail salon.¡± A cold voice rang out above Queenie¡¯s head, and she answered, ¡°It¡¯s exhausting to run a nail salon. My slim body can¡¯t bear it.¡± After she said that, something suddenly seemed off. When she raised her head, she saw Adina¡¯s cold ck eyes. She was so shocked that she immediately stood up. However, she soon felt like she had made a big fuss over a minor issue. Dew had suppressed Adina for so many years that she could not salvage the situation. What could Adina do to her? When Queenie thought about that, she straightened her posture and stared Adina in the eyes. ¡°Pass me the file.¡± Adina extended her arm to Elina Chapter 162Brave Heart Chapter 162Brave Heart Chapter 162 Elina immediately passed the performance charts over. When Adina flipped through the performance charts, she smiled coldly. The performance charts were divided into internal employee ratings and department leadership ratings, followed by department administration ratings. Queenie¡¯s internal employee and department leadership ratings were not even 20%, but she scored 100% in department administration ratings. Every performance chart over thest two years was the same. The level of dishonesty was terrible. Did Dew think nobody dared to make a fuss over this, so she could bezy about finding an excuse to fake the performance charts? ¡°ording to Daugherty Corporation¡¯s rules, staff members will be fired if their performance remains poor for three consecutive months,¡± Adina said indifferently. ¡°You can go to the Administration Department and get this month¡¯s sry now.¡± Queenie widened her eyes. ¡°Are you firing me? Adina Daugherty, how can you do this?¡± ¡°I can do this based on these performance charts.¡± Adina raised her arm and threw the performance charts on the table callously. ¡°You¡¯ve failed for twenty consecutive months. It¡¯s good enough that I¡¯m not asking you to return the sry you¡¯ve received. You have to leave in half an hour.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Queenie said angrily. ¡°You¡¯re abusing your power for your personal interest. This is a malicious retaliation!¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°Tell me, why would I exact revenge on you?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m Dew¡¯s friend, and you want to eliminate people who aren¡¯t on your side.¡± Queenie gritted her teeth and said, ¡°If Dew finds out that you¡¯re dealing with me, she won¡¯t spare you.¡± Adina shrugged. ¡°Up to you.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She took her cup and went to the pantry to get some water. She did not care about Queenie at all. Queenie gritted her teeth in fury. Many people stared at her. Some were happy about her misfortune, some were afraid of being involved, while others sighed in relief. ¡°What are you looking at? Why are you looking at me?¡± Queenie yelled. ¡°You¡¯re all going to be fired soon too!¡± She did not pack her stuff and just walked out angrily with her phone. Elina was slightly worried, and she frowned as she walked into the manager¡¯s office. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if you just fire her like that, you¡¯ll be in trouble..¡± Adina drank some warm water before she nonchntly asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the manager of the Sales Department have the right to fire a staff member?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Elina lowered her voice. ¡°Ms. Dew is the heiress of Daugherty Corporation, and Mr. Daugherty also cares about her very much. That¡¯s why he made Ms. Dew the general manager. Although she isn¡¯t working in thepany now, she has a lot of her people in thepany¡¯s other departments. If those people trouble the Sales Department on purpose, we¡¯ll have a hard time doing our job.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here.¡± Adina shed her a faint smile. Elina was taken aback for a while. Adina was a few years younger than her, but she could see Adina¡¯s mature and strong aura ¡¤ Elina was nearly thirty years old, but Adina¡¯s smileforted her. She finally believed those words in the books. Some people were born to be a leader, and Adina was gifted with that ability. Elina might have felt a little aggrieved from being demoted before today, but from that moment on, her heart waspletely calmed. Perhaps it was precious luck to work with Ms. Daugherty. At this time, Dew received a call from Queenie. ¡°Dew, your sister is awful!¡± Queenie cried andined, ¡°On the first day she came to the Sales Department, she insulted me in front of everyone. She fired me! I¡¯m not good at anything, so it¡¯s reasonable for me to be fired! But Dew, I¡¯m your best friend. Everyone in the company knows that we¡¯re closer than biological sisters. Doesn¡¯t it mean that she¡¯s pping you in the face by treating me like this? It¡¯s fine if I suffer, but I¡¯m afraid that others in thepany will criticize you.¡± Dew narrowed her eyes. ¡°What did you say? Adina fired you? How dare she?!¡± Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Dew¡¯s eyes became profound, and she slowly curled her fingers. Aside from kicking her out of the Board of Directors, that b*tch, Adina, had also dealt with her friend! ¡°Dew, everyone in thepany is saying¡­ saying that Daugherty Corporation will belong to Adina. They even said Adina¡¯s more suitable to be the heiresspared to you.¡± Queenie gritted her teeth and added, ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t continue working in thepany, or else I would rip off the mouths that talk badly about you!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you get fired. Just wait.¡± After Dew hung up, anger filled her face, which was covered in exquisite makeup. ¡°Adina, that b*tch! Her cunning mind is extraordinary!¡± Ruby had heard the conversation clearly. She mmed the table and indignantly said, ¡°Dew, we can¡¯t just wait and do nothing anymore!¡± Dew bit her bottom lip and said, ¡°Mom, you think I don¡¯t want to get some people to kill that b *tch? But George has sent some people to watch us. No matter what we want to do, he¡¯ll find out. I don¡¯t want to ruin my reputation in his heart.¡± Ruby thought about it with a dark expression as she said, ¡°That b*tch has returned to Sea City for so long, yet she hasn¡¯t discovered the truth that the two b*stards are still alive. This means it¡¯s impossible for her to think that her dead sons have be the young masters of the Winters family, so we won¡¯t be exposed anytime soon. The most important matter is still the control over Daugherty Corporation. If Adina holds the position of Sales Department manager firmly, you won¡¯t be able to secure the general manager position.¡± Dew nodded. ¡°Dad¡¯s on my side, but Adina¡¯s too sly. The shareholders have acknowledged her even though she hasn¡¯t done anything, and Dad can¡¯t do a thing about it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to your grandmother!¡± Ruby sneered and said, ¡°We¡¯ll get your grandmother to talk to Adina so that she can¡¯t do anything she wants! Those people we¡¯ve ced in Daugherty Corporation mustn¡¯t be eliminated by Adina.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Dew and Ruby went downstairs and headed to Mdm. Daugherty¡¯s room. Mdm. Daugherty was sick, so she would spend most of her time there. It was quite sunny today, so she was basking in the sun on the balcony of her room. ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Dew called out to Mdm. Daugherty in a sobbing tone. When Mdm. Daugherty turned around, Dew¡¯s tears fell nonstop. ¡°Dew, what happened?¡± Mdm. Daugherty got up, and her maid, Mrs. Tuffin, immediately came over to support her. ¡°Mdm. Daugherty, please take it easy.¡± ¡°Grandma, I didn¡¯t want toe to you because of this small matter, but Adina has gone too far!¡± Dew wiped her tears in sorrow and purposely rubbed her eyes until they turned red. The corners of Mrs. Tuffin¡¯s lips twitched. Mdm. Daugherty was ill, and she would purposely hide the things that happened among the Board of Directors from her. But Ms. Dew Daugherty went far enough toin to Mdm. Daugherty. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Mdm. Daugherty was old. If she got admitted to the hospital as a result, would Ms. Dew feel guilty? However, Mrs. Tuffin had a feeling that Dew would not feel guilty when she looked at Dew¡¯s fake tearful face. Mrs. Tuffin purposely said, ¡°Mdm. Daugherty, it¡¯s time to take your medicine. Why don¡¯t you take your medicine first?¡± After Mdm. Daugherty took her medicine, she took a nap to avoid Dew. ¡°Grandma, I won¡¯t disturb you. Please rest well.¡± Dew bit her bottom lip and said, ¡°I deserve it. I made too many mistakes in the past. That¡¯s why Adina¡¯s going against me like this now.¡± Mrs. Tuffin was speechless. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 She would not disturb Mdm. Daugherty? She was clearly forcing Mdm. Daugherty to choose a side! Would Mdm. Daugherty not know what Dew wanted? While she did not leave the house, she had briefly heard about Daugherty Corporation from the servants at home. There was a sh in her blurry yet witty eyes, and she slowly said, ¡°I heard that you quit the Board of Directors and stepped down as general manager. That¡¯s not directly rted to Addy.¡± Dew choked. Without Adina, nobody would have investigated her embezzlement. Why was it not rted to Adina? She gritted her teeth and spoke with grief. ¡°Grandma, I know I made a mistake, so even if I get kicked out of thepany, I won¡¯t oppose it. But what did my friend do wrong? She¡¯s been in thepany for two years, and she found a lot of new clients for thepany. But when Addy joined the Sales Department, she fired my friend. Isn¡¯t she purposely trying to get at me?¡± ¡°I believe Addy has her reasons for doing that. She¡¯s the manager of the Sales Department now, and she has the right to fire the staff in her department. We don¡¯t have the right to interfere,¡± Mdm. Daugherty said coldly. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Dew clenched her fists tightly. She took a deep breath. Just as she was about to say something again, Mdm. Daugherty stared at her. ¡°Dew, George called me yesterday.¡± Dew was shocked, and she could not be bothered with other things at that moment. She anxiously asked, ¡°Why did George call you?¡± ¡°He was showing concern for my health. He even said that he¡¯s found you a piano teacher,¡± Mdm. Daugherty said indifferently. ¡°You used to learn piano for about ten years, and the teacher said you were very talented. After you became Daugherty Corporation¡¯s heiress, you neglected the piano. Now you can pick it up again.¡± Dew bit her lip without answering. She knew that George had found her a piano teacher. On the surface, he seemed to care about her, but he actually just wanted to switch her attention away. She really enjoyed ying the piano in the past, but she had neglected it for four years. She had almost forgotten all the basic skills, so she had no desire to learn them again. ¡°Dew, you¡¯re the mother of the Winters family¡¯s young masters. They¡¯re very noble, so their miother should be elegant, honorable, and graceful. George has found a piano teacher for you because he also wishes to introduce you to everyone when you have a higher status one day,¡± Mdm Daugherty calmly said, ¡°I hope you can understand George¡¯s efforts.¡± Dew¡¯s eyes lit up ¡°Grandma, is that truly George¡¯s true intention?¡± ¡°Otherwise, why would he put in so much effort to find you an excellent French piano master?¡± Mdm. Daugherty. ¡°I heard that your teacher is Ms. Alice. She¡¯s twenty-two years old, but she¡¯s already a top- tier piano teacher who goes on world tours. Countless people want to learn from her, but they can never get a chance. Now, George has given you the opportunity. You better not let him down.¡± Dew was surprised again. Ms. Alice? Was she the piano genius who had be famous worldwide ten years ago? Dew had just started to learn the piano when Alice became famous, and Alice used to be Dew¡¯s idol. George had actually hired Alice to teach her! Dew¡¯s heart pounded all of a sudden, If she could be Alice¡¯s student, her status would increase greatly. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 In the circle of rich families, power and money could divide people into different sses. However, there was one circle that power and money could not affect; it was the circle of culture and art. The circle included illustrators, artists, violinists, and pianists for example¡­ Once an artist like that appeared in any rich family, the family would surpass other families in its circle. Dew clenched her fist in excitement. George was paving the way for her, and he must be hoping that she could confidently marry into the Winters family one day. ¡°Grandma, I understand. I¡¯ll practice the piano.¡± Dew had a surprised look as she Mdm. Daugherty¡¯s room. Ruby immediately stepped forward. ¡°How did it go? What did your grandmother say?¡± Dew told her about the piano lessons, but Ruby frowned. ¡°Why does this sound so strange? Is George really that nice?¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve told you that George is very obedient to me. I told him that I wanted to marry his father, so he came up with this solution for me.¡± Dew smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll learn the piano from Alice. Once I¡¯m able to hold my world tour, I¡¯ll be able to stand by Duke¡¯s side.¡± (0 Adina worked the entire afternoon in Daugherty Corporation. When it was time, she clocked off work and went to pick her kids up from preschool. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, please wait.¡± Ava pulled her to the side with a smile and said, ¡°There was a trial piano ss in preschool today. Mel has good musical sense, and the piano teacher wants to take Mel in. Here¡¯s her name card. If you¡¯re interested, you can give the piano teacher a call.¡± Adina had received a lot of simr name cards before. It looked like an advertisement for piano lessons, so she did not take it seriously. However, while they were on their way back, she noticed Melody leaning toward the window and knocking on it. She was holding the stic stick of a lollipop and knocking on the window rhythmically At first, it sounded like Melody was just tapping away randomly. But when Adina listened to it carefully, she could hear that Melody was ying the nursery rhyme, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with the lollipop stick ¡°Aldeni, how was Mel¡¯s performance in the music ss today?¡± Adina asked in surprise. Alden said, ¡°The teacher mentioned that Mel performed very well. She wants to take Mel in as ber undant.¡± ¡°How many students in the preschool has she epted?¡± ¡°None. The teacher doesn¡¯t ept children. Mel¡¯s an exception.¡± Alden pondered for a while before he said, ¡°Mom, I think Mel¡¯s very interested in piano.¡± Adina became more surprised. When Ava passed her the name card, she thought that the parents of all the students had received it. It turned out that the teacher had only recognized Melody¡¯s talent in piano. In other words, it was not an advertisement for the course, but the piano teacher really liked Melody and wanted to take her in. ¡°Mel, I¡¯ll let you learn how to y the piano. Would you like that?¡± Adina turned around and asked in a low voice. She encouraged the little girl with a gentle gaze, but Melody just widened her eyes. She did not say a word. If Adina had not heard Melody speak that night, she would have almost thought that it was all in her imagination. After Duke left, Melody acted like her usual self again. Adina asked the psychiatrist about itst night. The psychiatrist said that it was an improvement and that they needed to take it slow and steady. However, if Duke had to be around for Melody to speak, Adina did not know how to move forward slowly. If she could cultivate Melody¡¯s hobby, maybe it could open up the girl¡¯s world from another angle Adina turned the car in another direction and drove to a nearby piano shop. As soon as she went inside, she noticed Melody¡¯s beautiful eyes light up. It looked like they hade to the right ce.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 ¡°Hello, Madam, are you looking for a piano for your child? Will it be for the boy or the girl?¡± The shop assistant stepped forward enthusiastically. Adina let Alden hold Melody¡¯s hand, while she followed the shop assistant to look for a piano. They were in the best piano shop in Sea City. The price of the cheapest piano was nearly six digits, and the expensive piano was nearly $1,000,000. Luckily, Adina did notck money. But even if shecked it, she would not want her children to suffer. When she was five, she had learned how to y the piano with Dew, and both of them had learned it for a decade. Although she had been neglecting her piano skills all these years, she still possessed some basic skills. pretty tone, and its vibrato is especially perfect.¡± The shop assistant smiled and said, ¡°You really understand pianos. This is our shop¡¯s signature model.¡± ¡°I have some knowledge. Anyway, I want this piano. Please deliver it to ¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Just as Adina was about to tell him her address, a figure slowly walked up from the side. ¡°Hold on.¡± Dew walked over in her high heels, and her eyes were full of arrogance. She stared at Adina¡¯s slender fingers coldly, and disdain filled her gaze. She had learned to y the piano with Adina in the past, but Adina had always scored much better than her in every piano examination. Feeling extremely jealous, she had bribed the piano teacher for a decade. During those years, Adina¡¯s results would always be worse than hers. Her father had told her that she was gifted at ying the piano, and he had even wanted to send her abroad to study it. She felt guilty and lost the mood to practice her piano skills ever since she became Daugherty Corporation¡¯s heiress, so they were put aside. When she saw Adina trying out the piano, all those bad memories flooded her consciousness again. She had finally decided to practice her piano skills with Ms. Alice, but Adina was also buying a piano at the same time? Was Adina going to do whatever she wanted to do? S i Adina raised her eyebrows and scoffed. The world was really small she was just buying a piano, but she managed to meet the person whom she hated to see the most. She held her arms around her chest andzily said, ¡°Why? Did I get in your way just by buying a piano?¡± ¡°I want this piano.¡± Dew took out her bank card and handed it over ¡°Process the payment.¡± The shop assistant quickly said, ¡°This customer asked for it first. Miss, why don¡¯t I show you our other pianos¡­¡± ¡°No, I want this one!¡± Dew smiled scornfully. ¡°I¡¯m offering you double the price.¡± The shop assistant said, ¡°This is not about the money. It¡¯s about our rule of ¡®firste, first served¡­!¡± ¡°Triple the price.¡± Dew waved her card impatiently Adina suddenly chuckled. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give it to you for three times the price Hey, go ahead and process her payment.¡± Since the customer agreed to it, the shop assistant did not have to hesitate anymore. He went to prepare the bill at the counter Dew sneered, ¡°You¡¯re sensible.¡± Adina nced around the piano shop indifferently. That piano was the best in the shop, and it was not sold anywhere else. Those who had seen good pianos would not look down on any of the pianos there. Melody had just been exposed to pianos, so Adina simply wanted to buy one for her in the nearby shop Unexpectedly, someone still tried to stop her. Despite that, the tripled price was sufficient for Dew to suffer a loss. Adina nced at her uncaringly before she turned around and left Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 When Adina exited the piano shop, the children were already waiting for her outside while holding each other¡¯s hands. When Alden saw Dew earlier, he immediately brought Melody out Thest time Melody met Dew outside their preschool, she had a nightmare, so he dared not let Melody meet Dew face to face again ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you buy a piano?¡± Alden raised his head and asked Just as Adina was about to answer, her phone vibrated in her pocket She nced at the iing call and looked a little surprised This person had not contacted her for one year ¡°Mr. Albert, is anything up?¡± ¡°I came to Sea City to watch a piano performance yesterday, and I thought about you. This is your hometown, right?¡± A haggard voice came from the phone ¡°Do you still remember what I told you a year ago?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Adina paused for a while ¡°I¡¯ve lost iny childhood enthusiasm toward the piano¡± ¡°You¡¯re gifted at ying the no. Why don¡¯t you use that gift to the fullest)¡± Mr Albert uttered some heartfelt words. ¡°I¡¯ve only epted one student, and your talent is even more impressive than his.¡± Adina pursed her lips before she lowered her head and looked at Melody The little girl stared in the piano shop¡¯s direction with her big, clear eyes Somebody was ying a song on the piano in the shop, and the little girl shook her head along with the music Suddenly, the song stopped, and the girl¡¯s eyes were filled with sad confusion Adina held on to her phone ¡°Mr. Albert, would you ept another student?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not nning to take anyone in, why would I be calling you?¡± Mr. Albert thought she had finally changed her mind, so he added, ¡°I¡¯m in Sea City at the moment, and i¡¯ll leave in two days. If you have the time, we can meet up.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll meet tomorrow then.¡± Adina hung up, squatted down, and stared at Melody¡¯s dumbfounded eyes. ¡°Mel, tell me, do you really want to learn the piano?¡± The little girl, who did not usually respond to her environment, opered her eyes and stared at Adina before she nodded strongly ¡°Okay, I¡¯d take you to a techar tomorrow.¡± Adina usted faintly and weaponded dowly A Initially, she had just wanted to cultivate Melody¡¯s interest in ying the piano. It did not matter whether she could y it well. However, right then, she saw an enthusiasm for ying the piano in her daughter¡¯s eyes. Perhaps Melody could really step out from her closed world by ying the piano. The next morning, Dew got the shop to deliver her piano to the Winters family vi. When George asked her to learn the piano, she raised a condition; she had to learn in the Winters family vi. George agreed without asking her for the reason. George was the only Winters family member who would be so generous to her. Duke was reading some documents in the living room. Suddenly, he saw Dew bringing a few staff members in. The four staff members moved the heavy piano into the living room, creating some piercing sounds. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Duke closed his documents, and his expression was cold. He started to emanate an invisible aura, which seemed to cover the top of the living room like a. The staff members, who were already gasping, instantly sweated like a cow. Dew also felt nervous for some reason. She suddenly regretted saying those explicit words. It made her feel awkward as she met Duke. She erased that scenario from her mind before she curled her lips into a gentle smile. ¡°Duke, don¡¯t you know yet? George found me a piano teacher, and my first lesson is this afternoon.¡± Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Duke frowned more. ¡°Are you learning in the Winters family vi?¡± He clearly sounded annoyed. Dew took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as she said, ¡°You know that my grandmother¡¯s sick, and she¡¯s bedridden all the time. If I practice the piano at home, I¡¯ll disturb her rest. ¡°Besides, George found a piano teacher for me. I want him to supervise me during my piano lessons too.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. After she spoke, she stared at the man, who was sitting on the couch, with a glint in her eyes However, Duke did not look at her at all. He frowned and cast a nce at the piano. He rarely interfered with George¡¯s arrangement. Even if he hated it, he would not say anything Dew breathed a big sigh of relief. She was really worried that this man would ask her to move the piano out in front of everyone If that happened, she would be totally embarrassed. At this time, George walked down from the second floor. He saw the piano, which had been ced in the corner of the living room. ¡°Mom, what is this?¡± ¡°George, this is the piano that I bought today. What do you think?¡± Dew raised her eyebrows proudly. It was the best piano in the biggest piano shop in Sea City. This was the imported piano that she had bought for three times the price. George walked up to the piano and pressed the piano keys with his clean fingers. Then, he nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± It was slightly worse than the piano he had chosen, but it would be sufficient for the time being He pressed the piano keys for a while, and the simple, short yet smooth musical notes formed into a melody Dew was stunned. ¡°George, do you y the piano as well?¡± ¡°No.¡± George pursed his lips and kept his hands away. ¡°How much did this piano cost?¡± Since he had suggested that his mother learn the piano, he should not let her pay for it. Dew siniled faintly. ¡°Three million dors.¡± George frowned. ¡°That¡¯s too pricey.¡± The piano of his choice had better tone and pitch, and its price was less than $2,000,000. ¡°It¡¯s really expensive, but this is the best piano in the shop. I acted very quickly to buy it at three times the price,¡± Dew said. ¡°This is the only piano good enough for guidance from Ms. Alice.¡± George was speechless. He used to think his mother was merely selfish, but today, he realized that his mother was also quite stupid. She did not just buy the piano for $3,000,000, but she even thought that she had gained an advantage. Dew held the hem of her dress as she sat down in front of the piano. She had not yed the piano for four years, but she still possessed some basic skills. Back when she was in university, a song she had yed on the piano made her the most attractive girl on campus and a goddess whom all the boys sought after. It seemed that she had not yed the piano in front of Duke before. Dew then confidently pressed the piano keys. She was going to y the song, ¡°Fur Elise.¡± After she discovered that George had hired Alice to be her teacher, she practiced this song hardst night. She hoped that it would keep her and Ms. Alice close. She was familiar with ying the song by now. Duke would definitely change his mind about her after he listened to her y this song. Perhaps he would also admire her or even fall for her. However, just as Dew just put her fingers on the piano keys, someone walked into the vi. She turned around and saw a woman in a long red dress walk in gracefully, Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Alice was thirty two years old, which was the most mature and charming age for a woman. She was a blondedy Her curly golden hair fell on her shoulders, het eyes were green, and her nose was straight. She emanated an elegant auta. Duke was holding a contract and getting ready to leave He was not interested in anything rted to Dew If Dew wanted to practice piano in the daytime, he would note home during that period Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Just as he was about to leave, he saw Aliceing in He raised his eyebrows and looked slightly surprised George had actually hired the famous skilled pianist to be Dew¡¯s teacher Duke had attended one of Alice¡¯s concerts in the past, and he had been very impressed He pulled back the foot that he had already extended and reached out to Alice ¡°Me Alice Alice elegantly smiled. ¡°Mr Winters, I¡¯ve heard about you for a long time We¡¯ve finally met today It¡¯s an honor When Dew saw this, she was slightly taken aback She had been with Duke for four years and had aluo ftuct some clients with him that no matter how great his client¡¯s baskyround was, Duke would look indifferent it was her first time seeing Duke take the initiative to shake hands with someone else Did this mean that Duke respected Alice very much If she sessfully became Alice¡¯s student, would Duke change his mind about her? When Dew thought about it, she walked over ¡°Mx Alice, I¡¯m Dew Daugherty I¡¯ll be your student * Alice turned around she looked at Dew¡¯s fingers before she looked at the piano in the living room. ¡°Let me hear you y so that I can determine your level first,¡± she said indifferently Dew nodded She sat in front of the piano and familiarly yed ¡°Fur Elise¡± Alice stood aside to observe Dew¡¯sposure when she yed the piano while she carefully listened to every musical note After the song, she nodded and said, ¡°I heard from Mr. Winters that you have a Grade 9 m piano You¡¯re really good, and your use of the techniques is skillful Bot..¡± When Dew heard the front part of the sentence, whe was quite happy But when Alice suddenly changed her attitude, Dew¡¯s heart skipped a beat Motore Alle resurred, she already knew wiat Alter was going to say She recalled the period when she attended no lessons with Adina during her treuage 1 Alter every performance, the teacher would say the yed very well before she wlded a ¡°out¡± and deny all her aplishments. She could still remember those things that the teacher had said to her. ¡°You know the piano very well, so no matter what song you are given, you can y it perfectly. But you lack emotions. It¡¯s very hard to describe emotions, and I can¡¯t describe them either. You can listen to your sister, Adina, while she ys the piano. Her piano sound has a realm that you¡¯re unable to reach, but the two of you can talk about it¡­¡± Thosements from a decade ago still lingered around Dew¡¯s mind. She clenched her fists tightly before she slowly said, ¡°Ms. Alice, please give me your opinion.¡± Alice nonchntly said, ¡°The tone of the song ¡®Fur Elise¡¯ is simple and intimate. It is a score written by Beethoven for a young girl, and the music is smooth and joyful, gentle and intimate You yed it smoothly, and while it was in a cheerful tune, I couldn¡¯t feel the emotions behind it at all. All I could hear were cold chords.¡± Her voice ovepped with the voice of a particr piano teacher in Dew¡¯s memories. Even theirments were the same. Dew¡¯s vision suddenly blurred, and she nearly fainted. She had tried to correct her mistake for a decade, yet there was no improvement. She did not think that she could correct it by practicing the piano with Alice¡­ Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Suddenly, she wanted to give up. But when she turned around, she saw Duke sitting on the couch. The man, who had initially been reading his documents, was raising his head and seriously listening to Alice. That meant Duke was very interested in the piano. Dew closed her eyes and slowly opened them again. ¡°Ms. Alice, can I try it one more time?¡± ¡°Of course, you can.¡± Alice smiled faintly and said, ¡°First of all, you need to rx. Let yourself rx before you immerse yourself in the song¡¯s atmosphere. When the emotions brew in your heart, let those emotions flow into your fingertips like water and pour them on the keys.¡± Dew nodded and sat by the piano again. When she learned the piano in her youth, Adina had patiently taught her the techniques before her rtionship with Adina broke apart. However, she hated Adina, so why would she ept the skills that Adina taught her? Only now did she realize that those things Adina had said were extremely simr to Alice¡¯s advice. She closed her eyes and slowly conjured up the image of the teenage Adina sitting by the piano in her mind. She did not know how to blend her emotions into the song, but she could y the song just like Adina did. Before turning eighteen, she and Adina had been close sisters. She listened to Adina y the piano every day, and some melodies were imprinted in her heart. She could even imitate Adina¡¯sposure when she yed the piano. This time, Dew did not y ¡°Fur Elise.¡± Instead, she yed ¡°Melody of theContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Night 5,¡± which was an introductory piano piece that the teenage Adina always practiced. When Dew yed the song, Duke was suddenly stunned. He had heard this song before. When he was eighteen years old, he had returned to his alma mater, Sea City High School, to give a talk When he passed by the musical room, he heard this impressive song. This piece was verymon, and there were a lot of ways to y it, but it had been his first time hearing someone mix sadness and happiness in such a delicate way. He just saw a youngdy ying the piano. By the time the talk was over and he went over again, the youngdy was gone. He wouldter dream about the melody for many nights. Now, he was actually hearing the melody again after eight years. Duke looked at Dew, and his gaze slowly becameplicated. When the song ended, Alice could not help but p her hands. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re incredibly gifted. I just casually reminded you, and you managed to understand my advice so quickly.¡± Dew sighed heavily. ¡°I just yed it on the fly. I hope you don¡¯t think that I was doing the song injustice, Ms. Alice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard ¡®Melody of the Night 5,¡¯ more than a thousand times, but this is my first time hearing it yed in such a way.¡± Alice¡¯s gaze was filled with admiration. ¡°You have great potential. If you learn from me properly, I believe that you¡¯ll be able to seed in the piano world.¡± Dew subconsciously looked at Duke, just in time to see him staring at her in the eyes. Her heart instantly pounded. It was the first time that this man stared at her directly. George was indeed paving a path for her to marry into the Winters family. She would not let George down. Alice coached her for two hours before she left. During that time, Duke sat in the living room. It was only after Alice left that he raised his head and slowly asked, ¡°Did you study at Sea City High School?¡± Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Dew¡¯s heart was filled with excitement. She had known Duke for four years, and he was asking her a personal question for the first time. Did this mean that he had started to be interested in her? She took a deep breath before she smiled gently and said, ¡°Yes, I enrolled in Sea City High School with the highest score in the city.¡± She and Adina had both ranked first. Duke nodded indifferently. ¡°Did you learn piano in the past?¡± ¡°My preschool teacher realized that I yed the piano quite well, so my parents sent me for piano lessons. I got busy after I enrolled in university, so I haven¡¯t yed the piano for a few years.¡± Dew exined very briefly, but her tone was filled with pride that could not be hidden. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Ms. Alice would still acknowledge even though I haven¡¯t practiced the piano for four years.¡± Duke gently rubbed his fingers. ¡°Did you y piano in Sea City High School previously?¡± Dew did not know why he was asking her about that, but she honestly answered, ¡°Sometimes when I was unable to make it to the piano training center, I would practice in the school¡¯s music room. But I just did it a few times.¡± Duke pursed his lips. No wonder when he went to hear the song in Sea City High School again, he no longer heard the impressive piece. After eight years, he thought he had forgotten its melody. When Dew started ying the piece, he realized, to his surprise, that the song had been imprinted in his heart, and it had be an unforgettable memory. He looked up and perfunctorily asked, ¡°Can you y the song again?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Dew was excited. She had bet on the right thing! Duke was truly interested in the piano! If she had known that this would happen, she would not have wasted the past four years on efforts without any progress. Luckily, she had George. Luckily, George was helping her! Dew sat down in front of the piano again. Perhaps she was too excited, or perhaps she was thinking about something else. Compared with the first time, the melody of the second y waspletely different. It grew increasingly different from the melody in Duke¡¯s memory Duke frowned Right then¡­ Bang! Someone pulled open the bedroom door with great force upstairs Harold walked out, leaned on the railing on the second floor, and angrily yelled, ¡°Are you done yet? You¡¯re so noisy!¡± The sound of the piano instantly stopped. Duke raised his eyebrows indifferently. ¡°How can it bother you?¡± The sound instion of every room in the Winters family vi was excellent. When Dew yed the piano on the first floor, it was impossible for Harold to hear it from the room on the second floor Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Harold bit his bottom lip and shouted, ¡°It bothers me! I won¡¯t allow this bad woman to y the piano in my house!¡± Anger shed in his eyes as if he wanted to burn Dew with fire. Dew¡¯s fingers trembled. She did not understand why Harold hated her so much. She had finally found the key to Duke¡¯s heart, but Harold had suddenly appeared and ruined her n She stood up and spoke in a teary and sorrowful tone. ¡°Harold, I¡¯m practicing the piano here because I want to keep you and Georgepany more often. How can you call me a ¡®bad woman¡¯? Why do you want to chase me out?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bad woman. You¡¯re the worst woman in the world!¡± Harold put his hands on his waist while he yelled fiercely. He had not been serious with his studies, so he had heard the noise downstairs for a long time Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. When Dew started ying the piano, he could still hold himself back from going down to make a fuss. Butter, the woman actually caught his father¡¯s attention. His father even gazed at her! If his dad fell for this bad woman, he would marry her. Once that happened, he would have to call this woman ¡°Mom.¡± He just wanted Aunt Adina to be his mom! When Harold thought of that, he became angrier and shouted, ¡°Stop ying the piano here.to seduce my dad! I hate you the most!¡± As soon as Harold said that, Duke¡¯s gaze suddenly turned cold. It was really ridiculous for a four-year-old boy to say the word ¡°seduce.¡± He got up and gave Harold on the second floor a cold, profound gaze. ¡°Come down and apologize to your mother.¡± ¡°Forget it, Duke. Harold is just four years old. He doesn¡¯t know any better. He¡¯s just spoiled.¡± Dew smoothed the situation over in a sobbing tone. ¡°He hates me so much. I must have done something wrong.¡± George clenched his fists. It sounded as if his mother was defending Harold, but she could be adding fuel to the fire. Nevertheless, Harold was ridiculous. He had learned the word ¡°seduce¡± from somewhere and used it on their mom. No wonder their dad got so angry. George remained silent for a few seconds before he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t make a good arrangement for this. Mom¡¯s piano practice in the Winters family vi will definitely prevent Harold from studying. Perhaps we should do this. Mom, you can practice the piano in the courtyard of our house.¡± When Dew heard that, she became flustered. If she went to the courtyard, it would be difficult for her to meet Duke again. She wanted to show him more of her piano skills. How could she just leave like that? Just as she was about to speak, Harold shouted from the second floor again. ¡°Your ying was terrible, yet you still want to keep ying the piano. I feel ashamed for you!¡± After he spoke, he turned around, went into his room, and closed the door with a loud thud. Duke massaged his forehead while he coldly ordered, ¡°Mr. Brown, ground him for three days. He isn¡¯t allowed to step out of his room,¡± Mr. Brown silently nodded in acknowledgment, In reality, the master could not ground the young master all the time. The young master was too smart and clever. If Mr. Brown took a nap, the young master would be able to sneak out of the house, But this time, he would guard the main door! ¡°You can continue practicing the piano here,¡± Duke said indifferently. ¡°Two hours every day.¡± After he said that, he left the vi with his briefcase. A whileter, the sound of a car starting came from the yard, and Duke drove away Only then did Dew¡¯s anxious heart calm down. She looked at George, who was standing in the living room, and gently said, ¡°George, thank you for getting Ms. Alice to be my teacher . Luckily, you¡¯re here, or else, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡± George pursed his lips. Dad had allowed Mom to y the song again, and that decision had surprised him a lot. He knew that his dad loved to listen to piano concerts, but he did not expect his dad to be interested in his mom¡¯s piano ying. He wondered if this was good or bad news, He cast a nce at the closed room door on the second floor, walked upstairs, and gave it a knock. ¡°Harold, it¡¯s me. Open the door.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t open it! George, you¡¯ve gone too far! You helped that woman seduce Dad! Dad can only be with Aunt Adina! I hate all of you!¡± When George heard Harold¡¯s nonsense, he pursed his lips further. Adina again Ever since Harold got to know that woman, he had be obsessed. Not only did he not like his biological mother, but also he was very close to that woman who held a grudge against their mother. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 In Golden Sun International Bilingual Preschool, the sun inte autumn shone down, and it was very warm. The children were running freely in the yground. Alden and Melody were surrounded by a dozen children. ¡°Alden, can I hold Mel¡¯s hand? I want to be her friend!¡± ¡°Mel¡¯s hairstyle is so pretty today. I like Mel so much. Alden, please let Mel y with us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so petty, okay? All of us like Mel. We won¡¯t hurt her.¡± The boys and girls were attracted by Melody¡¯s doll-like face. They kept surrounding her and were not willing to leave. When Alden saw so many people being fond of his sister, he also felt happy. He turned around. ¡°Mel, do you want to y with them?¡± The little girl blinked in a nk manner and slowly nced at the childish faces around her. Children¡¯s smiles were the purest. If they liked you, they liked you. If they did not like you, they would show it. They would show all their emotions on their faces. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. After a few minutes, Melody slowly nodded. Alden let go of her hand and took a step back. He stood outside the circle while he kept an eye on Melody. Melody did not speak, but her beautiful eyes slowly became focused. When a kid talked to her, she would also look at the kid who was speaking. Ms. Jones was also delighted by the side. Melody had just attended preschool for half a month, but her improvement had been speedy. If this went on, Melody would recover from her autism soon. ¡°Ms. Jones, can you take a look at Mel? I¡¯d like to go to the restroom.¡± Alden walked over before he raised his head and spoke obediently. Ava stroked his head, smiled, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just go to the restroom. This time, I¡¯ll definitely keep a close eye on Melody.¡± If she lost Melody again, she would be able to live with herself anymore. Alden turned around and walked in the restroom¡¯s direction, but when he reached the corner, he walked to the preschool¡¯s fence instead. He stared at a figure that was hiding in the grass and coldly said, ¡°I see you. Come out.¡± A figure was arched in the one-meter-tall grass, and he unwillingly rolled over, His high-end outfit became messy after he rolled in the grass. His hair and face were full of grass clippings. He scoffed. ¡°I was just passing by.¡± Alden scoffed. ¡°Leave before the teacher finds you.¡± Harold waved his hands to make a threatening gesture. He had finally sneaked out of the Winters family vi, so he did not want to leave so early. He came to the preschool because he wanted to see Melody, but Melody was surrounded by so many people. He could not see her clearly. ¡°Hey, someone¡¯s pinching Mel¡¯s face. Don¡¯t you care?¡± Harold said angrily. Alden turned around. He saw a boy pinch Melody¡¯s face, but Ms. Jones acted immediately.. The boy was lifted aside, and Ms. Jones patiently educated him. Alden looked away and indifferently said, ¡°Did you sneak out of your house? Your dad doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re missing, right? If I call your dad ¡°No!¡± Harold felt anxious. ¡°You can¡¯t call my dad!¡± But Alden had already tapped open his phone watch. ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± Harold patted the dust off his body and moved back. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m not ying with you anymore! I¡¯m going home!¡± He turned around and ran as if a wolf was chasing after him. When Alden saw Harold run away in a panic, he subconsciously smiled. As soon as he curled his lips, he forcefully suppressed it. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 He would not show any friendly expression to someone who kept going after his mother and sister! Harold quickly ran to the main street, where he immediately saw a familiar car. ¡°Oh gosh, Young Master, my boss, please stop running away.¡± Mr. Brown got out of the car, and his old, haggard face was full of wrinkles. The young master had to y a jailbreak scene once a week, and his old body could not bear the torment. Once the master returned, he would have to ask him to hire more bodyguards to guard the ¡¤ main gate of the house. ¡°Young Master, stop! There¡¯s a car!¡± Mr Brown watched as a car drove toward Harold, and he was so shocked that he almost had a heart attack Luckily, the car was able to stop in time, so no tragedy happened. Harold opened the car¡¯s door and got into the car. Then, the car was driven away. ¡°Oh, my gosh! Wait! My little boss, don¡¯t run away!¡± Mr Brown was so tired that he kept gasping. He immediately turned around, got into his car, and ordered, ¡°Hurry, follow the car in front of us. We can¡¯t let the young master run away!¡± When Harold saw Mr. Brown¡¯s car through the rear-view mirror, he pursed his lips and said, ¡± Sir, please drive faster to get rid of the car behind us.¡± The driver held the steering wheel and said in resignation, ¡°Kid, do you have money?¡¯ Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. He did not want to work so hard and earn nothing in the end. ¡°Of course, I do!¡± Harold casually reached into his pocket and took out a few hundred dors. When he sneaked out of his home for the first time, it was hard for him to go anywhere because he did not bring money Later on, he became sinart. He would stuff a few hundred dors in every shirt. When the driver saw the money, he instantly became motivated. He stepped on the scelerator and speedily overtook a low cars. Mr Brown? almost fainted in the car behind them, The young master used to just run away, but he had now learned how to take a cab. There were can everywhere on the road. It was too dangerous. If anything happened to the young master, the master would not spare him. Mr. Brown slowed down the car and asked the bodyguard to follow the young master from afar, not getting too close to him. ¡°Kid, where do you want to go?¡± The driver recalled that he did not have a destination only after he drove around the main road, Harold rested his chin on his hand as he frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where the ce is.¡± Today was not a weekend, so Aunt Adina should be working in thepany. However, he did not remember what Aunt Adina¡¯spany was called. But, he had heard from George that Aunt Adina had joined Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shareholders meeting He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Please go to Daugherty Corporation.¡± The driver made a turn, and the car headed toward Daugherty Corporation. The Daugherty Corporation building was situated at the city center. Even if it was not during peak hours, traffic would always be terrible. Before the car reached Daugherty Corporation, Harold opened the car door and jumped out. The driver freaked out. ¡°Kid, this is the main road. You can¡¯t get out. It¡¯s too dangerous. Get in the car now! Come on!¡± But Harold ran even faster. He was still one hundred meters away from the Daugherty Corporation building, but he could clearly see Adina walk out of the building. He also noticed that a car door was open. Adina was bending down to get into the car. If he arrivedte, Aunt Adina would leave! He had to rush over before Aunt Adina left! Beep! Loud sounds of car brakes and honks were suddenly heard! Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Adina came to Daugherty Corporation to discuss the Boyd Corporation project. After she confirmed the details, she was about to drive away. Right then, she heard the loud sound of a car braking. She instantly turned around and looked at the main road. She saw a silver sports car and a four -year- old kid, who had run in front of the car. When the kid heard the car honking, he stopped running. But the silver car was unable to stop, and it just hit him. ¡°Harold!¡± Adina¡¯s heart pounded extremely fast. She kicked open her car door. Before she realized what happened, she had already run to the main road. But there were too many cars on the road. When she ran over, Harold was hit by the car, and he fell down on the asphalt road. The car honking around instantly became an invisible background with some buzzing sounds. Adina felt her legs move weakly. She staggered as she walked over, and she squatted in front of Harold. ¡°Harold, are¡­ are you okay? Are you in pain?¡± Then, she saw a lot of blood flowing out of Harold¡¯s head. The sight of the blood made Adina¡¯s head light. She suddenly came up with the scenario in the warehouse of the Daugherty family four years ago. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. That night, she gave birth to four kids, and the floor of the warehouse was also flooded with blood. Her heart seemed to be fired a shot suddenly, and millions of holes were formed. ¡°Aunt Adina, I¡­ I came to see you¡­ I miss you¡­¡± Haroldy on the ground and smiled faintly. He uttered that sentence with difficulty. Adina instantly cried. Meanwhile, the silver sports car behind her suddenly started, and it instantly disappeared on the main road before everyone snapped out of their daze. The car was driven in a hurry. It even hit two cars continuously, which made the crowd on the road scold it. ¡°Young Master! What happened, Young Master?¡± Mr. Brown camete. When he saw Harold lying on the ground covered in blood, he covered his chest. His eyes rolled to the back, and he instantly copsed. Adina casually wiped away her tears before she looked at the Winters family bodyguard who had run over with Mr. Brown. ¡°Take good care of Mr. Brown. I¡¯ll take Harold to the hospital,¡± she said coldly. She squatted down and plucked up her courage to lift the boy up. At this time, Harold already fainted. His face was extremely pale. Adina dared not touch him, but only she could touch him. Her fingers were stained with blood, and she felt dizzy again. She forcefully held herself back. She carried Harold, put him in the backseat of her car, and stepped on the elerator. She quickly drove to the hospital. Mr. Brown suddenly woke up as his car moved speedily on the road. He opened his blurry old eyes and stared at the driver who drove the car. ¡°Did I have a nightmare just now? I dreamed that the young master was in an ident.¡± ¡°Mr. Brown, you weren¡¯t dreaming. The young master was really in a car ident,¡± the bodyguard calmly said. When he saw Mr. Brown¡¯s eyes roll back again, he immediately said, ¡± The young master lost a lot of blood, so he¡¯ll need a blood transfusion for treatment. Mr. Brown, please contact the hospital immediately.¡± Mr. Brown held his chest and struggled to say, ¡°You¡­ You must be lying¡­¡± The bodyguard suddenly stepped on the brakes, and the car stopped in front of the hospital.¡° Ms. Adina Daugherty sent the young master to this hospital.¡± Mr. Brown looked up. It was a small hospital that he had never heard of. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 However, the young master was in a car ident, so he had to be treated on time. It was the nearest hospital, so he had to receive initial treatment there for the time being. Mr. Brown trembled as he pushed open the car door. He moved forward but dared not walk into the hospital. When he thought about the young master who was covered in blood, his legs went weak, and he was unable to walk. He stood in front of the hospital and took his phone out. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the blood bank first. Enter the hospital quickly and pay for the medical bill first.¡± The bodyguard knew that Mr. Brown was old, and he could not bear the trigger, so the bodyguard nodded and walked into the hospital. Mr. Brown made the first call to Sea City General Hospital. The young master had a rare negative blood type, so such a small-scale hospital would not have his blood type in storage. He had to ask some people to send the blood over first. ¡°A pregnant woman with a negative blood type came to the hospitalst night, and we used up all 2,000 ml of negative blood from the blood bank. We¡¯re transferring blood from other ces today.¡± When Mr. Brown heard the reply from the person in charge of the blood bank in Sea City General Hospital, his sight turned dark, and he nearly fainted again. He took a deep breath. ¡°When is the earliest you can obtain a negative type blood?¡± ¡°It will arrive at the blood bank at 8.00 am tomorrow.¡± Mr. Brown closed his eyes. At 8.00 am tomorrow? The young master could not wait so long!T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. He hung up before he called Duke¡¯s number with a shaking hand. Duke was in a meeting in Winters Corporation. His phone suddenly vibrated on the table. He cast a nce at it. It was from Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown had been in the Winters family for more than forty years, and he rarely called Duke during the day. Mr. Brown called him more frequently during this period, when Harold would sneak out of their home. It looked like Harold was being disobedient again today. Duke gestured at everyone to quiet down, and the meeting room instantly became silent. He pressed down the answer button and indifferently asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Master, it¡¯s my fault for not looking after the young master. He sneaked out alone, and something happened to him!¡± As soon as Mr. Brown answered, his voice started sobbing.¡± Young Master was in a car ident, and he lost a lot of blood. He needs a blood transfusion. But the negative type blood in the blood bank of Sea City is used up, and the blood supply will not be avable until 8.00 am tomorrow. Master, please think of a solution!¡± Duke immediately stood up. The office chair fell down on the floor. He pulled open the door of the meeting room and walked out in a hurry. People in the meeting room looked at each other at a loss. ¡°What happened?¡± Jake faintly caught the voice in the call and heard that something had happened to the young master. ¡°That¡¯s all for today. Dismiss,¡± he said indifferently. He left the meeting room with the documents, and he was in time to see Duke massaging his forehead, as if he nearly fainted. Jake immediately rushed over, but Duke already entered the elevator speedily. It was only after his dizziness was reduced that he slowly said, ¡°Go to the hospital and watch the situation closely. I¡¯ll think of the blood source.¡± Duke walked to the parking lot speedily and got in the driver¡¯s seat. He then made a call. ¡°Do you still have negative type blood?¡±. ¡°A pregnantdy lost a lot of bloodst night, so she used up all the negative blood in Sea City. Mr. Winters, why do you need negative type blood?¡± ¡°My son got in a car ident, and he needs blood.¡± ¡°Harold¡¯s been in a car ident? Yes, I remember. He has negative type blood! When he was born, I tested his blood. He mostly inherited this blood type from his mother. Mr. Winters, please find Harold¡¯s mother!¡± Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Dew was lying on the couch while eating grapes in the Daugherty family home. Ruby peeled the grapes¡¯ skin for her while she said, ¡°Duke asked you to y the song again? It seems that he really likes the piano. You have to cater to his taste. Learn from Ms. Alice properly. Maybe Duke will fall for you one day.¡± Dew smiled proudly. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of the same thing, but Harold is too wicked. He doesn¡¯t allow me to y piano in the Winters family.¡± ¡°Why does that b*stard always go against you?¡± Ruby asked coldly. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have sent him to enjoy his life in the Winters family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless to say these now.¡± Dew¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°After I sessfully marry Duke, I¡¯ll teach him some lessons.¡± While they talked, a servant walked inside in a hurry. ¡°Madam, Miss, Mr. Winters is here.¡± Right after the servant spoke, Duke walked inside very quickly. Dew immediately got up from the sofa. She tucked her hair and excitedly went forward. ¡°Duke, why did youe? Why didn¡¯t you inform me early? I¡¯m not prepared yet¡­¡± Duke grabbed her wrist coldly and took her out. ¡°Duke, why are you grabbing me? Where are you bringing me to? I haven¡¯t changed my shoes.¡± Dew¡¯s wrist was in pain from the grip, but she felt extremely excited. This man was very indifferent. He had never approached her or touched her. After she yed the piano for him today, he actually came to the Daugherty family home and looked for her after two hours. He even took her into the car without saying anything. She really liked his quiet overbearing behavior. She hoped that he could be more brutal and rude. It would be best if he threw her in the backseat of the car and tore her clothes into pieces. Dew was thinking too much, though. By the time she snapped out of her daze, the car had already been driven out of the Daugherty family vi. She obsessively looked at Duke¡¯s side profile, but she realized that his gaze was profound and cold like it would rain heavily on a cloudy day. She had a bad feeling for some reason. ¡°Duke, what happened?¡± Duke held the steering wheel, pursed his lips, and coldly said, ¡°Harold¡¯s been in a car ident.¡± Dew opened her eyes in shock She was thinking about how she could discreetly teach Harold a lesson after she became Mrs. Winters. But now she heard that this b*stard had been in a car ident. For some reason, she actually felt subtly happy. But soon she realized that she was Harold¡¯s ¡°biological mother¡±, and her eyes instantly became teary. ¡°Duke, are¡­ are you joking? Isn¡¯t Harold ground by you? Why would he be in a car ident?¡± ¡°He sneaked out and got hit by a sports car. He lost a lot of blood.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was very deep, and he slowly said, ¡°The negative blood type in all the hospitals in Sea City have been used up, so I can only come to you.¡± Dew curled her fingers. ¡°Why¡­ Why do you need me?¡± ¡°The doctor said the negative blood type is mostly inherited from the mother, so I will let the doctor examine if you have the same blood type as Harold.¡± Duke turned the steering wheel strongly. The car made a spin and overtook three cars. Five minutes later, the car stopped in front of a small hospital. Dew instantly widened her eyes.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Blood examination? Was it easy to examine that she had a different DNA from Harold? If Duke found out that she was not Harold¡¯s biological mother, all her sweet dreams would be shattered. ¡°Duke, I don¡¯t have negative blood!¡± Dew immediately said, ¡°Instead of wasting time on me, why don¡¯t you contact other citizens in Sea City who have the negative type¡­¡± ¡°How can you know before you try?¡± Duke parked the car before he dragged Dew¡¯s hand and went into the hospital. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Dew¡¯s gaze was flustered and anxious. She could not draw her blood! She must not draw her blood! She had secretly taken Adina¡¯s hair that had been left in the Daugherty family mansion for the DNA examination to match her kids. If her blood was examined in front of Duke right now, all her ns would be exposed. ¡°Let go of me! Duke, let go!¡± Dew kept struggling. Duke turned around and stared at her calmly. ¡°Why are you resisting?¡± His gaze was cold and fierce, as though he could see the evilest thought in a human¡¯s mind. Dew shuddered for some reason. She stammered, ¡°Duke, I really don¡¯t have a negative blood type. Don¡¯t waste your time on me! I¡¯ll call my friends and ask around to see if there¡¯s anyone with a negative blood type¡­¡± Duke slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked someone to contact other people. You shoulde with me to draw your blood and do the test first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± Dew screamed. She took a few steps back and moved out of Duke¡¯s range of control. She breathed heavily and said, ¡°Harold is my biological son. When he¡¯s in a car ident, the person who¡¯s worried the most is me, his mother! I told you that I don¡¯t have a negative blood type, but why are you still forcing me to draw blood? Duke Winters, I have nothing to do with Harold¡¯s ident. Please don¡¯t vent your anger on me!¡± After she yelled, she suddenly regretted it. Duke was like a demon. Since she had yelled at him, there would not be a good end for her. In the corridor outside the operating theater, Mr. Brown stood at a distance, not daring to go closer When he saw that it was crowded and messy in front of the operating theater, his heart uncontrobly pounded. He held his chest, supported himself on the wall, and slowly sat on the floor. Then, he lowered his head to his knees and started crying. If it was not because of his negligence, the young master would not have sneaked out. If he did not go after the young master too closely, he would not have suddenly gotten out of the car It was all his fault, and that was why the young master would get in the car ident! If the young master could not survive, then he would¡­ he would die with the young master! After Adina finished the procedure, she sat in front of the operating theater and waited. When she looked around, she saw Mr. Brown who was a few ten meters away. She had visited the Winters family before, so she naturally knew this housekeeper. But why was Mr. Brown squatting on the floor? Adina was puzzled as she walked over. When she wanted to speak, Mr. Brown suddenly raised his head. His wrinkled face was full of tears. She was shocked. ¡°Mr. Brown, why are you crying?¡± ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Mr. Brown could no longer hold himself back. He cried out and begged for forgiveness. ¡°Master, it¡¯s my fault. I caused the young master to die. I have to atone for my sin with my death! Young Master, let me go and take ast look at you. I¡¯ll protect you on the way to heaven. I won¡¯t put you in danger anymore.¡± Adina was speechless. When she saw how miserably Mr. Brown cried, she thought about herself on the main road earlier. Had she also cried without caring about her reputation just like him? She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mr. Brown, please don¡¯t cry. Harold is fine.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Mr. Brown cried pitifully and miserably. He held Adina¡¯s wrist and continued to cry. ¡°I watched the young master grow up. I¡¯ve held, coaxed, and fed him from when he was a baby. How can he leave like this? It¡¯s all my fault. If it weren¡¯t for me, nothing would have happened to him¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Brown, I told you, Harold is fine. He really is alright. Please don¡¯t curse him,¡± Adina said out loud. ¡°How can he be fine? The young master lost so much blood. He was just breathing out without breathing in. Without negative type blood, the young master won¡¯t be able to survive!¡± Mr. Brown cried so much that he kept gasping. ¡°How can I exin this to the master? I¡¯m going to die¡­¡± Adina was totally helpless. Besides, she felt a little dizzy. Her legs felt weak after standing for a long time. The Winters family bodyguard came over at this time. He handed the surgery bill to Mr. Brown. ¡°Sir, 800 ml of negative type blood has been sent into the operating theater. The doctor said the young master is fine. He will recover after the surgery.¡± When Mr. Brown saw the words on the bill, his eyes slowly lit up. He said in disbelief, ¡°He¡¯s really fine! The young master is really fine! Where did this 800 ml negative type of bloode from?¡± The bodyguard gratefully looked at Adina. ¡°Ms. Daugherty donated it.¡± Mr. Brown slowly looked away and stared at Adina. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you have a negative blood type?¡± Adina nodded. She had donated 800ml of blood at once, and she felt extremely dizzy now. She leaned on the wall and sat down on the chair. She had never been injured like that since she was little, so she did not know that she had a negative blood type. It was until Melody had a lung infection and coughed up blood about four years and three months ago. She suddenly lost a lot of blood, and only then did Adina know that Melody inherited her negative blood type. She saved Melody once, and she saved Harold once now. She suddenly felt blessed that she was a negative blood type as she could save people whom she loved ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! The young master can be saved!¡± Mr. Brown wept with joy, and he was extremely worked up. He suddenly remembered something. Was Ms. Adina Daugherty not Dew¡¯s biological sister? In other words, Ms. Daugherty was the young master¡¯s aunt. It seemed to be logical when the aunt and nephew had simr blood types. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. If he had known this, he would have called Ms. Dew Daugherty first and would not have cried so embarrassingly Only then did Mr. Brown realize that he had behaved in an embarrassing manner. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°I have to inform the master first so that he won¡¯t worry.¡± In front of the hospital now, Dew¡¯s heart was tense. She stared at Duke¡¯s cold and profound face, and she was so scared that her limbs went weak. Did Duke find out anything, so he forced her to do the blood test using Harold¡¯s ident? If he forcefully took her to the hospital, what should she do? ¡°Duke, Harold is injured. I¡¯m very worried and scared, so I yelled at you. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Dew knew how to show her inferiority. Her eyes were teary. ¡°Can we go and take a look at Harold first?¡± She proceeded to grab Duke¡¯s hand, but he swatted her away with great force. Something crossed Duke¡¯s mind. He frowned and thought about it, but he was unable to catch the important bit. The most important thing now was Harold. He was not in mood to think about anything else. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Chapter 180 He pursed his lips. Just as he wanted to speak, his phone vibrated in his hand. The iing call was from Mr. Brown. When he saw Mr. Brown¡¯s name, he felt his heart break. Whenever Mr. Brown called him, it would be something urgent. Harold was in the surgery now, but Mr. Brown was already calling him. Did it mean¡­ The man was always calm, but his fingers trembled right then. He only managed to press the answer button after two attempts. ¡°Master, the young master is fine!¡± Mr. Brown wept with joy. ¡°The surgery is going to end soon. The doctor said that he will be conscious tonight if nothing goes wrong!¡± Duke¡¯s heart suddenly began to beat normally again. He quickly walked into the hospital and asked, ¡°How did you resolve the negative blood type problem?¡± He had contacted some people, but things could not have been resolved that fast. ¡°Master, you might not know this, but Ms. Adina Daugherty, the sister of the young master¡¯s mother, has a negative blood type!¡± Mr. Brown spoke incoherently. ¡°When the young master got in the car ident, Ms. Daugherty was also there. She took him to the hospital and also donated her blood to him.¡± Duke¡¯s finger stopped moving. ¡°Adina donated the blood?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Ms. Adina Daugherty. She donated 800 ml of blood, and it was sufficient to save the young master.¡± Duke pursed his lips. ¡°Is she still in the hospital?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s in front of the operating theater. The young master¡¯s surgery has ended, so I¡¯ll go and take care of him now.¡± Mr. Brown hung up. Duke moved faster. Meanwhile, Dew stood still like she had been struck by thunder. By the time she snapped out of her daze, Duke had already walked into the hospital. She instantly rushed over and asked with a paleplexion, ¡°Duke, who donated the blood to Harold?¡± ¡°Adina,¡± Duke answered before he cast a nce at her. ¡°She has a negative blood type, but why don¡¯t you have it?¡± Dew¡¯s ears started to buzz. Duke¡¯s gaze felt like a sharp knife that would cut her flesh off and expose her dirtiest thoughts She took a deep breath. ¡°My grandmother seems to have a negative blood type, and Harold may have inherited my grandmother¡¯s gene. Duke, why are you asking me this? Are YAH ming me? I¡¯m Harold¡¯s mother. I want to save him too, but I don¡¯t have a negative blood type. What can I do?¡± As she spoke, her tears fell. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Duke looked away coldly. ¡°It¡¯s settled now, so you don¡¯t have to bring this up again. Harold¡¯s surgery just ended. We should go and visit him.¡± Dew wiped her tears, nodded, and walked inside. They arrived at the operating theater very soon, just in time to see Adina and Mr. Brown push the unconscious Harold toward the ward. Dew¡¯s heart instantly skipped a beat. Adina was smart! If Adina knew that she was Harold¡¯s ¡°mother,¡± Adina would definitely suspect something with her brilliance. ¡°Duke, maybe I got too worried just now. Now that I feel relieved, I¡¯m starting to have a stomachache. I¡¯ll go to the restroom first.¡± Dew covered her belly and left. Duke did not even look at her. He just hurried to the ward. Adina raised her head. ¡°Mr. Winters.¡± Duke looked at her pale face and stoically said, ¡°Donating 800 ml of blood at once is too much for your body. Don¡¯t walk around. You should rest well first.¡± Adina shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I want to apany Harold for a while.¡± She walked into the ward, sat by the bed, and held Harold¡¯s hand. Her eyes obviously looked tired. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Duke sat on the other side of the bed. ¡°Mr. Brown, get us some chocte drinks,¡± he said indifferently. Mr. Brown immediately went to execute the order. Aside from the unconscious Harold, there were only two people left in the ward. The air was filled with the scent of disinfectants. ¡°Thank you for this. If you need any help in the future, just let me know,¡± Duke said in a hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯m very fond of Harold, so I¡¯m willing to save him. Besides¡­¡± Adina¡¯s tongue was a little bitter. ¡°He must have sneaked out of the Winters family vi to look for me. That¡¯s why he met with a car ident.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She sounded a little sad, and she looked down to hide all her emotions. Duke paused for a while before he added, ¡°He really likes you.¡± Adina smiled faintly. When she looked at the bedridden Harold, she subconsciously reached out to stroke his face. When she saw the boy at the airport for the first time, she took a great liking to him. Later, when Harold came to her again and again, she began to let her guard down. Besides Melody and Alden, one could say that Harold was the third person she cared about. Adina raised her head and stared at Duke seriously. ¡°Harold got into an ident when he sneaked out to look for me. I¡¯m suddenly afraid that Mel might also get involved in an ident if she sneaks out to find you. Can you promise me that you¡¯ll take good care of Mel if she ever shows up, regardless of the reason?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Duke promised without any hesitation. That little girl had entered his life like a pure angel. His heart was always cold and hard, but whenever the girl looked at him, his cold, hard walls would instantly crumble. In the past, he did not understand why people always wanted a daughter, and he finally understood some of the joys now. If Melody were his daughter, he would definitely pamper her like a princess so that she would be the envy of everyone in Sea City. Adina looked Duke in the eyes. From his dark gaze, she discovered that the man really liked Melody Suddenly, she felt curious, Why did Melody like Duke so much? Simrly, she was also curious about why Harold liked her so much¡­ Was there any connection between these two urrences? While she stared at Duke, he stared at her in return. As he stared at her beautiful and delicate face, the coldness in his eyes slowly faded. This woman was deadly attractive to him. It was as if she could put a spell on him. ¡°Haha! Dad and Aunt Adina have been staring at each other for three minutes¡­¡± A weak yet mischievous voice suddenly rang out in the ward. Adina turned sideways and looked over. Then, her eyes lit up. ¡°Harold, you¡¯re finally awake. How do you feel? Do you have a headache?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Harold blinked. ¡°The TV says when a boy and a girl look at each other, they like each other. Aunt Adina, do you like my dad? Dad, if you like Aunt Adina too, can you marry her?¡± Adina found herself speechless. After the ident, this boy was concerned about such a thing right after he woke up. Adina suddenly suspected that the car ident was fake! Duke was at a loss for words. Did Harold want to get beaten up? How dare he try to be a matchmaker! Even so¡­ Duke stared at Adina. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 It seemed that he did not oppose the idea of marrying this woman. Adina was sharp enough to sense Duke¡¯s gaze, so she quickly changed the subject. She stared at the bedridden Harold and spoke sternly. ¡°You won¡¯t feel the pain now, but when the anesthetics wear off, it¡¯ll hurt until you cry. When you feel the pain, you¡¯ll know how scary a car ident is! Harold Winters, if you want to look for me, you can call me. I¡¯ll go over and pick you up! If you dare to sneak out like today again, I won¡¯t see you anymore!¡± Her expression darkened, and every word from her was strict. Harold¡¯s eyes became teary. He felt wronged as he said, ¡°Aunt Adina, I won¡¯t do it again. I missed you too much. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you. I wanted you to hug and kiss me.¡± He widened his eyes, and he looked as pitiful as an abandoned puppy. Adina was softhearted. She lowered her head and kissed him on the forehead. When Duke saw this, he frowned. For some reason, he suddenly felt jealous of Harold. ¡°Aunt Adina, I want to kiss you too!¡± Harold hugged Adina¡¯s neck and kissed her on the cheek. Adina quickly grabbed his hand and said with a fierce expression, ¡°You¡¯re still receiving infusions, but you¡¯re as mischievous as ever. Lie down properly.¡± Harold nodded obediently. He stared at Adina and did not want to take his eyes off her. Meanwhile, someone was slowly hiding nearby outside the ward. Dew stroked her chest, and her eyes were full of disbelief as well as anger! She had heard Adina mention Harold before. She always thought that Adina had investigated the Winters family, hence she knew of Harold¡¯s existence. But! When she saw the situation, Adina had clearly known about Harold for a long time! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. On top of that, they were very close! Harold clearly knew that she had a huge conflict with Adina, but he was still so intimate with Adina! Who was she to him? Besides, it was impossible for Duke to not know about the grudge between the Daugherty family and Adina. Yet, he still allowed this woman to appear around Harold. Was he not afraid that Adina would hurt Harold? Dew turned around again and spied on them through the gap in the door. She saw that Harold was staring at Adina with admiration, and she also noticed the gentleness that crossed Duke¡¯s cold gaze. The three of them in the ward looked as intimate as a family. No, they were a real family of three. If she had not made that decision four years ago, Adina would have be Mrs. Winters by now! Dew¡¯s heart was very anxious. She could not wait to rush into the ward and kill Adina. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, why don¡¯t you go inside?¡± Mr. Brown walked over with a cup of hot chocte and felt surprised as he spoke. Dew was totally caught off guard. She pursed her lips. ¡°I still have something to do, so I¡¯m not going in for now.¡± Mr. Brown nodded, and his expression darkened slightly. The young master did not like his mother, so Ms. Daugherty should actually improve their rtionship now that the young master had been admitted to the hospital. Why did shee but refuse to go inside? ¡°Harold gets angry when he sees me. It¡¯ll affect his condition. I better not go inside and disturb him. Mr. Brown, don¡¯t tell them that I visited.¡± Dew chuckled in resignation before she turned around and left. Mr. Brown sighed. He did not know what to say either. When Dew stepped out of the hospital, her face, which was covered in exquisite makeup, instantly looked hideous and sinister. She took out her phone and called George. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Ever since George turned three, he had started to get involved in business. Thepany in his hands was a subsidiarypany that Winters Corporation had nned to divest two years ago. He took over thepany the day before it announced its bankruptcy. After his management this year, Digion Technology became one of the top three most profitable subsidiarypanies under Winters Corporation. George had just finished attending a meeting, and he kept having a bad feeling. He always looked calm. Only when he felt disturbed would he look anxious like a four-year old child. Liam Munoz, his young assistant, respectfully said, ¡°Young Master, your work today is almost done. Would you like to go back and rest first?¡± George shook his head. He held his chest and kept feeling unwell. Did something happen to Harold? He took out his phone. Just as he was about to call Mr. Brown, his phone on the table vibrated. He cast a nce at it, and the iing call was from his mother. He pursed his lips and answered the call, ¡°Mom, what is it?¡± ¡°George, something happened to your brother.¡± Dew¡¯s teary voice came from the other end of the line, and George instantly stood up. He had started to feel uneasy an hour ago. Did this mean that it had been at least an hour since something happened to Harold? The call came toote! George walked out while he asked, ¡°Mom, what happened to Harold? How is he right now?¡± ¡°He was hit by a sports car, and he lost a lot of blood. I nearly thought that he would die.¡± George¡¯s heart sank He staggered and nearly fell down. ¡°But his surgery is over, and he¡¯s already conscious. Don¡¯t worry, George.¡± Only then did George feel alive again. He took a deep breath before he asked, ¡°Which hospital is Harold in now?¡± ¡°George, don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m calling you because I want to tell you something else.¡± Dew stood in front of the hospital, and her eyes were totally profound. She smiled faintly and spoke firmly, but her tone was filled with a creepy coldness, ¡°Harold met with the car ident in front of Daugherty Corporation. He desperately wanted To see Adina, so he was hit by the sports car on the road! This ident is very strange, and I think it was done intentionally. I also heard it was a hit-and-run. Your dad is doing something, but he still hasn¡¯t found the driver yet. ¡°Adina was also on the scene where Harold¡¯s ident urred. She immediately saved Harold and donated blood to him. Harold has a negative blood type, and it¡¯s a very rare blood type. Sea City General Hospital always stores this blood type, but it was used upst night. The coincidences are terrifying. ¡°Now, Adina has be Harold¡¯s savior and a VIP to the Winters family.¡± Listening to Dew¡¯s description on the phone, George¡¯s expression turned cold. He got into a car and firmly asked, ¡°Mom, are you saying that Adina arranged the ident?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just making a logical guess,¡± Dew slowly said. ¡°She hates me. She can¡¯t wait to rip me apart, but I¡¯m an adult, so she can¡¯t deal with me. Therefore, she harmed Harold instead. She has used this ident and sessfully made your dad lower his guard. George, your dad trusts her a lot. He even allowed her to stay in the ward to take care of Harold.¡± George thought about Adina. That woman looked beautiful and gentle when she smiled. Would she ruthlessly hurt Harold?T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll send someone to investigate this. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anyone hurt Harold.¡± ¡°Since she¡¯s taken the initiative to donate her blood and help Harold, she won¡¯t do anything to him anytime soon.¡± Dew¡¯s voice was low and hoarse from sobbing. ¡°Your dad trusts her now, so she¡¯ll take this opportunity to do something greater. George, I¡¯m really worried that she¡¯ll hurt you and Harold. I¡¯d rather that she hurt me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± George ended the call. He turned around, looked at Liam, and calmly said, ¡°Find out what happened in the car ident in front of Daugherty Corporation today.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Then, he took out his phone and made a call. George then instructed his driver, ¡°Go to the hospital.¡± He drove steadily on the road, and before they arrived at the hospital, Liam received a call from the Police Traffic Unit. ¡°Army Street is always congested, and the average speed of each car is within 20km/h. When the ident urred, all the cars were not moving, but the silver sports car suddenly turned a corner and hit the child who ran out in front of it. Fortunately, the sports car was no longer in motion by then, so it did not lead to a tragedy. ¡°After the silver sports car hit the boy, it hit three other cars and fled north from Army Street to the suburbs. There is no surveince footage, so the culprit has not been found yet.¡± Liam frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t you figure out the number te?¡± ¡°This case is rted to the Winters family, so we¡¯ve investigated all we can. The sports car was a stolen car, and its number te was fake. We have suspicions that this is a car ident that has been nned for a long time.¡± George heard every word clearly. He did not trust his mother entirely just now, but he had to believe her spection now. The car had been stolen, and its number was also fake. The surveince camera did not even capture the driver¡¯s face. In other words, the driver knew that the ident would happen. If the traffic was not congested on Army Street, Harold would not have been lucky enough to survive. Who wanted to kill Harold? Adina? Was it her? George¡¯s expression turnedpletely cold and dour. ¡°Young Master, do we continue to investigate this?¡± Liam asked respectfully. ¡°My dad is also carrying out his own investigation. You just need to keep an eye on it.¡± George pursed his lips, pushed open the car door, and got out. He walked into the hospital straight away and went to the ward. It was already 5.00 pm right then. Adina went to pick her kids up from preschool after she apanied Harold for a while. Duke was the only one sitting in theThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ward while reading some documents at this point. Harold was already sleeping, but his sleep was not deep. He would make some grunting sounds from time to time. Just then, Duke closed his documents. ¡°Why are you here? Who told you about this?¡± ¡°This is so serious. How can they hide this from me? Dad, what happened?¡± George asked in a calm manner. ¡°It¡¯s just an ident,¡± Duke said nonchntly. ¡°Luckily, Harold is fine. He can be discharged after a week of observation.¡± George raised his head to look at Duke and slowly asked, ¡°I¡¯ve investigated it. The ident was nned. Basically, this is murder with intent.¡± Duke finally schooled his expression and stared at George. ¡°What else do you know?¡± Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 ¡°When Harold met with the car ident, Adina was also there, and only her blood could save Harold. Dad, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s all too much of a coincidence?¡± George slowly said. His voice was deep and hoarse, and he did not look like a four-year-old kid. Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you suspecting Adina of intentionally causing this car ident?¡± ¡°She has a motive.¡± George pursed his lips and said, ¡°Dad, you know the conflict between Mom and Adina.¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Duke said indifferently. His subordinate had already reported the car ident to him. It was indeed a nned car ident. However, he did not know who was so bold to hurt his son. But that person was not Adina. ¡°Dad, you haven¡¯t investigated it. How can you be so sure that it¡¯s not her?¡± George¡¯s voice became colder. ¡°What if your investigation actually points to Adina?¡± ¡°She would never hurt Harold.¡± Duke looked up at him. ¡°She saved your brother. You shouldn¡¯t suspect her.¡± George¡¯s ck eyes slowly turned dark. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. It looked like Mom was right. Dadpletely trusted Adina. He had just brought up a reasonable suspicion, but his dad already seemed unhappy. His dad trusted that woman too deeply. She might do something with his trust, ¡°Dad, before the truthes to light, I wish that you won¡¯t let Adina get close to Harold again Halfway through George¡¯s sentence, Harold, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°George, what do you mean?¡± Harold red at George angrily. ¡°Aunt Adina is very nice to me. She treats me like her own son. She wouldn¡¯t arrange this car ident! George, how can you use her indiscriminately?¡± George smiled scornfully. ¡°One person will never be nice to another person for no reason. She has conflicts with our mother. Haven¡¯t you thought about her reasons for approaching you? Harold, don¡¯t harm the Winters family because of your recklessness and stupidity.¡± ¡°So, do I look very stupid to you?¡± Duke stood up. He gave off a strong imposing manner, and the temperature in the ward immediately plummeted. George pursed his lips and clenched his fists tightly. He just wanted to make his judgment after he discovered the truth, but Dad and Harold trusted that woman unconditionally. No matter what he said, it was meaningless. ¡°Dad, I still have work to do. I¡¯m going back to the office now,¡± George said before he turned around and left. As soon as he stepped out, Harold¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t believe George. Aunt Adina wouldn¡¯t hurt me. She wouldn¡¯t hurt me,¡± he said as he sobbed. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Duke sat by his bed and appeared calm. TI Meanwhile, George collected himself for a long time before he finally looked calm and aloof again. He turned around and ordered his assistant behind him, ¡°Investigate LaStar Technology Corporation.¡± Liam frowned. ¡°Since when did thispany exist in Sea City?¡± George looked down and sneered. If he had not helped his dad check his documents, he would not know that the woman was already connected to Winters Corporation. She was using a work opportunity to enter Winters Corporation. Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Meanwhile, she had used Harold to win the trust of the Winters family. That woman was such a conniving b*stard. He had to be on guard against her. Adina picked up the kids and went home. While she was cooking in the kitchen, she received a video call from Harold. ¡°Aunt Adina, why didn¡¯t youe and visit me?¡± She heard Harold¡¯s weak voice. ¡°I¡¯m alone in the hospital, and I¡¯m so bored. Can youe and keep mepany? I want you to read me a story¡­¡± Adina waved the spoon in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s toote today. I¡¯ll visit you tomorrow and also bring some chicken soup that I made for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best, Aunt Adina! You¡¯re my favorite person!¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°You should rest now. Don¡¯t stay up too long.¡± ¡°Aunt Adina, could you please give me a goodnight kiss.¡± Harold pouted at the phone screen. His head was still wrapped in gauze. When he made that gesture, he looked pitiful but hrious. Adina chuckled as she kissed the screen and hung up. She brought the soup she had cooked to the dining room and saw her two children staring at her with worry-filled eyes. She was slightly surprised, and she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mom, I heard Harold¡¯s voice just now.¡± Alden pursed his lips before he asked, ¡°Is he in the hospital?¡± Adina pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°Are you worried about him?¡± she asked in a soft voice. Harold had visited their home a few times, and Alden had been unhappy about it the entire time. She naturally realized that Alden did not like Harold very much. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Hence, she did not tell the kids about Harold being admitted to the hospital today. She was surprised to see Alden taking the initiative to ask her about it. Besides, his gaze was filled with worry. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about him.¡± Alden looked away awkwardly. ¡°Mel likes him. I¡¯m asking for Mel.¡± Melody widened her eyes, which were usually aloof. They were filled with worry at that moment. Adina stroked Melody¡¯s curly hair and said, ¡°Harold got in a car ident this afternoon, but he¡¯s fine now. He¡¯ll be discharged after a few days of observation in the hospital. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Alden was stunned, and he asked, ¡°Where was the ident? When did it happen?¡± Adina spoke only after she arranged the cutlery. ¡°In front of Daugherty Corporation, and it was about 3:30 pm.¡± Alden¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. Harold had shown up in front of the preschool at 3.00 pm and gotten into an ident half an hourter. If Alden had not chased Harold away, the ident would not have urred. He suddenly felt guilty. ¡°Mom, can we visit him tomorrow?¡± Alden subconsciously asked. It was immediately followed by, ¡°Mel wants to visit him. I¡¯ll apany her.¡± Adina did not want to expose him either. She just smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll go to the hospital after school tomorrow.¡± The next morning, Adina drove to her studio after she sent her kids to their preschool. LaStar Technology Corporation was the name of her studio. It had been established half a month ago, and she had pretty much settled down for the time being As soon as she sat down in her office, her assistant, Serene Reyes, walked in and reported,¡± Ms. Daugherty, the person in charge of Digion Technology called us. He said that they want to discuss a coboration with you in the afternoon.¡± Adina yed with a pen in her hand. ¡°Digion Technology?¡± Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Digion Technology was an online mediapany. Rumors of its bankruptcy had spread two years ago. After it was purchased, it unexpectedly rose to the top of the Inte industry all of a sudden. However, most information about thepany could not be found online. Adina nced at the avable information on Digion Technology before she nonchntly asked, ¡°What time is the appointment?¡± ¡°At 2.00 pm in Penins Coffee.¡± After Adina finished her work in the morning, she drove to Penins Coffee. She arrived ten minutes earlier and ordered a cup of coffee. Then, she started to read some information online, She looked up thepany again but still could not find anything. Even the family name of the investor was also hidden. She could tell that thispany had a strong backing. She just did not know why thispany would have its eyes on her newly established studio. Adina waited for about five minutes before she heard some footsteps outside the private room. She smoothed out her cor, stood up, and wore a faint professional smile. The private room door was pushed open, and just as she was about to greet the person, her smile froze. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± George walked into the room indifferently and sat on the couch. Wearing a professional suit, he was dressed in ck from his head to his toes, and his imposing manner was overpowering. Adina quickly calmed down following her initial surprise. ¡°Are you the boss of Digion Technology?¡± She chuckled. George nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± When Adina saw the way he looked, she thought of Duke¡¯s face for some reason. That adult and this child were two individuals, but their imposing manners were the same. She sat on the couch opposite him and casually said, ¡°We¡¯ve met a few times, but I¡¯ve never asked you what your name is.¡± George curled his lips into a sneer. This woman was such a great actress! She had already approached Harold, yet she said she did not know what his name was! Besides, he had previously told her that he was Dew¡¯s son! He refused to believe that this woman never looked into him! Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Adina easily caught George¡¯s sneer. She leaned back on the couch and suddenly smiled. How could she forget that this boy was Dew¡¯s son? The grudge between her and Dew was irreconcble! This kid was influenced by Dew, so it would be strange if he was friendly to her. Adina smiled. ¡°Tell me. Why do you want to see me?¡± Liam had entered the room with George. He passed her a document and respectfully said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, please take a look at this contract.¡± Adina nced at the contract as she flipped through it. Then, she looked up. ¡°There are currently a lot of mature models for this mobile program development project on the market. May I know why Digion Technology has chosen my newly established studio?¡± George stared at her. ¡°Because LaStar Technology Corporation is a coborator of Winters Corporation. We would also like to seek a connection.¡± Adina smiled more brightly. It seemed that this child had investigated her. Perhaps he had also checked out all of her family members. She did not feel quitefortable with that. She looked down with a clear gaze and read the contract again. The more she read it, the colder her expression became. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 After she read the contract, she closed it and calmly asked, ¡°Kid, who drafted this contract?¡± ¡°Our young master did it,¡± Liam answered, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if you think there¡¯s no problem with it, the contract will be effective once you sign.¡± Adina chuckled. She was beautiful. Whenever she smiled, the corners of her eyes would curve upward, adding to her charm and coquettishness. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Nevertheless, her gaze was clear, and her beauty was both pure as well as bewitching. When George saw her smile, the coldness in his heart seemed to disappear little by little. Realizing that he had stared at Adina for a few minutes, he instantly became irritated. This woman must have bewitched his dad and Harold with the same smile. ¡°I think there¡¯s a problem.¡± Adina stopped smiling and slowly spoke. She leaned forward slightly while she exerted an oppressive aura. She stared at George, and her pink lips were filled with contempt. ¡°You should study in school when you¡¯re at the right age to attend it. Don¡¯te here and show off.¡± As she spoke, she threw the contract over with great force. The wind produced from the contract falling on the table blew through George¡¯s hair. His expression instantly turned cold and dark. Liam was so shocked that his heart skipped a beat. George was the young master and heir of the Winters family as well as the future owner of Winters Corporation. How dare this woman act so presumptuously?! ¡°Ms. Daugherty, what do you mean?¡± Liam stared at Adina and coldly said, ¡°If you have a question, you can bring it up. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being very rude?¡± ¡°When you handed me this document, you should¡¯ve expected this to be my reaction.¡± Adina smiled scornfully and said, ¡°There¡¯s such a huge loophole in the contract. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell? Boy, if you haven¡¯t learned how to walk, please don¡¯t rush to run. Since you ran into me today, I¡¯ll forgive your mistake. If you encounter other bigwigs, perhaps they might sue you for contract fraud.¡± Adina stood up, grabbed her bag, and left the private room. As she reached the door, she walked back again. She took out $100 from her bag and threw it onto the table. ¡°Today¡¯s coffee is my treat. When you go back, remember to send your mother my greetings.¡± After she spoke, she closed the private room door, and the sound of her high heels outside grew increasingly faint. ¡°Young Master, this woman has gone too far!¡± Liam was furious. ¡°Thousands of people want to coborate with Digion Technology, but they don¡¯t stand a chance. We handed her the opportunity today, but she actually dared to throw the contract on the table. How could such an ungrateful person exist?¡± George¡¯s expression was cold as he flipped open the document. He had drafted countless documents, but he had spent an entire night drafting this particr one. He had nted a hidden loophole in this contract. He thought that no other person besides his father would discover the loophole. Unexpectedly, that woman realized it was a fake contract right after she took a look. She was too smart. She could easily avoid the trap that he had set up. ¡°Young Master, what should we do now?¡± Liam cautiously asked. ¡°Keep an eye on LaStar Technology Corporation. If they make any moves, report to me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± When Adina returned to her office, she arranged and backed up all of thepany¡¯s confidential information again. For some unknown reason, when she saw the four-year-old boy sitting at the table and negotiating with her, she had a strong sense of crisis. The child looked brilliant. He had inherited Dew¡¯s slyness, and he was much cleverer than Dew. Being targeted by a child like that gave her a constant bad feeling. Adina only drove to the preschool to pick up her kids after she strengthened thepany¡¯s firewall Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 After Adina picked her kids up, she drove to the hospital. ¡°Aunt Adina, you really came to visit me!¡± Harold was bedridden, but he was so happy that he wanted to jump off the bed. ¡°Wow! Mel, you¡¯re here too! I¡¯m so happy!¡± Adina immediately walked over and pressed him down. ¡°You¡¯re still receiving an infusion. Don¡¯t move.¡± Harold immediatelyy down obediently. He looked at Adina for a while before he stared at Melody and kept smiling in a silly manner. His head was still dressed with gauze, and there was a faintly visible blood stain. He was receiving an infusion, so the back of his hand was bruised. Clearly, he had been receiving the infusion for the whole night. Alden pursed his lips. He walked up to the bed and took down the medical record book that was hanging on it. When he extended his arm, Harold was shocked. ¡°What-What are you trying to do? Aunt Adina¡¯s here. How dare you still bully me?¡± Alden found himself speechless. He waved the medical record book in his hand. ¡°The doctor¡¯s handwriting is nice. I want to learn.¡± He took the medical record book and walked out to the balcony. Harold fell silent. Did he look timid and useless just now? Luckily, Melody walked over. She handed him a toy bear, which immediately distracted him.¡± Wow, Mel, is this a present from you? It¡¯s really so cute. I love it!¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°This is Mel¡¯s favorite toy. Since she brought it over and gave it to you, it means she really likes you as her friend.¡± ¡°Friend? I don¡¯t want to be Mel¡¯s friend. I want to be her brother!¡± Harold grabbed Melody¡¯s hand as he blinked and said, ¡°Mel, let me be your brother, okay? i¡¯ll love and pamper you. I won¡¯t let other people bully you.¡± Melody appeared dumbfounded with her eyes open wide. She did not respond at all. Adina was worried that Harold would feel hurt, so she changed the subject. ¡°Harold, why isn¡¯t your dad here? Where¡¯s Mr. Brown?¡± ¡°Dad kept mepanyst night and went to work today. He¡¯lle back tonight. Papa Brown was here earlier. He¡¯s out to buy me some food. Mel, wait for a while. Papa Brown¡¯s going to be back with a ton of good snackster.¡± The sound of Harold talking could be heard in the ward, and Adina would reply to him from time to time. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious. Alden stood on the balcony and flipped through the medical record book. The doctor¡¯s handwriting was messy, so he had to carefully differentiate the letters before he could understand everything. The more he read, the colder his expression became. His mom had talked about it casually yesterday, hence he had really thought that Harold was fine. However, he learned that Harold had escaped death yesterday after he read the medical record book. If Harold had not been sent to the hospital in time, he might not have survived. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. It was all because he had chased Harold away from their preschool yesterday. Alden closed the medical record book, and his expression wasplicated. He walked into the ward and hung the medical record book at the end of the bed. Harold scoffed. ¡°How is it? You don¡¯t understand the doctor¡¯s handwriting, do you?¡± He had flipped through the book yesterday when he was bored, but he could not recognize a single word. The handwriting waspletely messy. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid like you,¡± Alden said indifferently. ¡°Stupid? Why am I stupid?¡± Harold was furious. ¡°I¡¯m four years old, but I know three thousand glossaries. I can also memorize Shakespeare¡¯s poems. My teacher says I¡¯m a genius. How dare you call me stupid?¡± Alden looked calm as he said, ¡°When I was three years old, I could understand geography.¡± Harold was speechless. He had to be lying! However, when Harold turned sideways and saw Adina¡¯s proud expression, he knew that it was true! This b*stard, Alden, was actually cleverer than him! He could not put up with this! Harold acted as if he did not care while he said, ¡°Hmph! My elder brother could speak eightnguages when he was three. He¡¯s much better than you!¡± Alden nonchntly said, ¡°Children¡¯s voice systems aren¡¯t fully developed at three years old, so they can only speak up to fournguages. Otherwise, they¡¯ll experience anguage system disorder.¡± Harold became speechless again. George had truly spoken fournguages when he was three, but why would this b*stard know about it so well? Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Oh gosh! Was he really stupid? Adina could not help butugh. Alden was always very reserved. He never showed off his high intelligence. Yet. he had purposely boasted about his intelligence to Harold today. Clearly, Alden treated Harold as his family. Alden hated Harold not too long ago, but why did he suddenly ept Harold? Adina stared at Alden as she tried to figure something out from his expression. Alden felt very awkward because of her stare, so he got up and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯d like to go to the restroom.¡± He pulled open the door and walked out before he hit someone, who was standing nearby. George had been there for a long time. Before he pushed open the ward door, he had heard some happyughter and chit-chatting from inside. He did not have to go inside to know that Adina was present. He had to admit that this woman¡¯s voice was as gentle as the rain in spring. No wonder Harold was deeply fond of her. He had set this woman up yesterday, so not wanting to meet her face to face, he waited outside. Unexpectedly, a child ran into him. When they stared each other in the eyes, both of them saw surprise. Something shed in Alden¡¯s eyes. Why did this boy who was about the same age as him look so familiar? He narrowed his eyes, and countless thoughts crossed his mind. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He slowly asked, ¡°Are you here to visit Harold?¡± George nodded, and his voice was extremely indifferent. ¡°Why are you in Harold¡¯s room?¡± Was he Harold¡¯s former ssmate or what? As soon as George spoke, it reminded Alden of Duke¡¯s voice. Their two voices gradually ovepped, and their two faces slowly merged as well. Alden coldly asked, ¡°Are you Harold¡¯s brother who could speak eightnguages at three?¡± George nodded indifferently. ¡°Who are you?¡± Alden curled his lips into a sneer. He thought Harold had been talking about his cousin. He did not expect it to be his biological brother In other words, Duke had two sons. Duke had two sons, and he was still going after Alden¡¯s mother? That man was an extraordinary jerk! With his keen senses, George could feel it as the boy¡¯s gaze slowly turned cold. He frowned. ¡°Who are you?¡± The feeling of losing control over the situation made George unhappy. Right then, the door to the ward was pulled open again, and Melody walked out in a pink dress. There was a hairband around her puffy hair, and she looked so cuddly like a soft kitten. Her eyes were extremely gorgeous. George had never been sincerely drawn to anyone or anything, but he could hear his heart pounding fast at that moment. He had the urge to approach the girl. Alden discreetly blocked his gaze. He held Melody¡¯s hand and spoke in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the washroom.¡± He held Melody¡¯s hand and gradually disappeared from the corridor. George slowly looked away. Those two kids should be George¡¯s former ssmates. If he asked around, he would learn the girl¡¯s name. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Through the gap in the door, George could see that Adina was peeling an apple for Harold. The atmosphere in the ward was too warm. George pursed his lips and decided not to go in. He could feel that Adina was sincere toward Harold, at least at that moment. He turned around and was about to leave when he noticed that Dew had arrived outside the ward. ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± George asked in surprise. Dew stared at the scene in the ward for a long time before she looked away. She held George¡¯s hand and spoke in a low and cold voice. ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for us to talk here. Let¡¯s chat outside.¡± George nodded and got into a car with Dew. ¡°George, you saw it yourself just now. Your dad is actually okay with letting Adina take care of Harold alone. If she poisons Harold¡¯s food, he¡¯ll¡­¡± Dew covered her lips. ¡°Harold hates me, and he doesn¡¯t want to see me in the ward. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve rushed inside and chased Adina out.¡± George looked up and calmly said, ¡°Adina won¡¯t poison Harold. Mom, don¡¯t overthink it.¡± ¡°George, has that woman bewitched you too?¡± Dew red at him and said in disbelief. ¡°I grew up with Adina, and she¡¯s good at putting people under a spell. She¡¯s the best at being hypocritical. She wants to use your trust to exact revenge on me! George, I¡¯ve already lost Harold. I can¡¯t lose you.¡± George was level-headed. ¡°I¡¯m your son, so you¡¯ll never lose me.¡± His words made Dew feel more frightened. She grabbed George¡¯s shoulders with great force. ¡°George, I¡¯m terrified. I¡¯m scared that she¡¯ll bewitch you, Harold, and your father. I¡¯m scared that she¡¯ll sessfully marry your father. I¡¯m scared that she¡¯ll rece me as your mother. I always have nightmares, and I¡¯m always awakened by these nightmares in the middle of the night. I¡¯m really terrified.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She sobbed as she spoke. George stared at her coldly for two minutes before he felt that his indifference was not very appropriate. He took a pack of tissues and handed it to her. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry.¡± Dew was not lying She had been having nightmarestely. Last night, she kept dreaming of George and Harold calling Adina ¡°Mom.¡± The dream was truly horrifying. She could not imagine what she would encounter once the truth was exposed. She did not know how she could salvage the situation. She had used all the tactics that she could, but she kept pushing the Winters family further away from her. Dew felt hopeless. ¡°George, what should I do?¡± Dew kept crying and became totally embarrassed, ¡°Mom, just practice your piano ying.¡± Georgeforted her emotionlessly. ¡°Once you¡¯re able to hold a piano concert, the world will be different.¡± When his mother had the world in her hands, she would be able to leave the Winters family. Then, she would not be so sad anymore. Amid Dew¡¯s cries, George¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated. He nced at it and saw that it was a call from his assistant, Liam. He pressed the answer button and took the call. ¡°Young Master, the culprit has been found.¡± George became focused, and Dew also immediately stopped crying. ¡°At 6.00 pm today, someone discovered a silver sports car in a moat in the suburbs. When the car was lifted, the driver was found to be dead for more than two hours.¡± George¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m still receiving news on my end. If there¡¯s any progress, I¡¯ll contact you immediately.¡± After the call ended, there were a few seconds of silence in the car. Following the silence, Dew yelled, ¡°It has to be Adina! It has to be her! She killed the driver! A dead man tells no tales, and nobody will connect it back to her! She¡¯s still as cunning and cruel as she used to be! She¡¯s back in Sea City because she wants to exact revenge on me. George, you have to advise your dad to kick Adina out of Sea City!¡± Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 ¡°Mom, calm down!¡± George pressed her shoulders down and spoke in a deep voice. ¡°I¡¯m still investigating this. I¡¯ll make the person behind this pay the price!¡± Dew¡¯s lips trembled, and she finally became quiet. No matter what, she had to nt this incident on Adina. It was the only way to get Duke to take action against Adina! Adina finally took the two kids home after she stayed in the hospital until 8.00 pm. By the time they finished washing up, it was already 9.00 pm. Melody fell asleep obediently, and Alden returned to his room. He was always independent, and he would do everything on his own. While he was brushing his teeth, he heard some rming sounds from theptop underneath his bed. Narrowing his eyes, he held the toothbrush with his teeth while he knelt in front of his bed to take the laptop out. He had assembled thatptop, and all its performance configurations were top-notch. His mom knew of theptop¡¯s existence and did not allow him to use it again. Therefore, he had hidden theptop underneath his bed and would just take it out to use asionally. He had written a program to protect his mother¡¯spany. Since the rm was ringing now, it meant that his mom¡¯spany website was under attack Alden sat on the carpet and bit his toothbrush as his fingers tapped on the keyboard with speed. Soon, he saw the attacking program. The enemy was breaking down the firewall, and Alden found the operation slightly familiar. It seemed that the hacker, who had forcefully removed the video of Dew attempting to murder his mom, had used the same methodst time. Alden scoffed and threw his toothbrush aside. He sped up the movement of his fingers, and their shadows shed across the screen. At the same time, there was a dim and yellow light in a bedroom on the second floor of the Winters family vi. George was sitting in front of his study desk while speedily tapping on hisputer keyboard He had sneaked into LaStar Technology Corporation¡¯s website. Actually, he just wanted to figure out the woman¡¯s background. Unexpectedly, the website was protected with countless firewalls. As soon as he entered the website, he alerted the program, causing it to react. He confronted the program for one minute, and someone immediately controlled the program. The program guard that had been written surrounded him like a big. George smiled faintly. It seemed to be the same hacker whom he had encountered previously. This hacker was very skillful. He had sessfully removed the video only because his dad had helped him. It upset him for some time. He wanted to be the first in all aspects, so others could not suppress him. Therefore, he had been improving his hacking skills since then. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Tonight, he wanted to make his rival flee in defeat. Right then, someone slowly pushed his room door open. The sound of leather shoes making contact with the ground rang out, but it did not pull George¡¯s attention away in the slightest. George ced all his concentration on fighting the hacker, and he was not aware of everything that was happening around him¡­ That was, until a big hand extended over, and a slim finger pressed the shutdown button. Then, his laptop screen instantly darkened. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 George suddenly turned around and saw Duke¡¯s ck eyes, which contained hidden anger. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re doing this for your mom¡¯s reputation again.¡± The man¡¯s voice was cold, and it echoed in the small room. George pursed his lips without answering. He just wanted to figure that woman out. However, he unexpectedly encountered his rival, and things just spiraled out of control. ¡°Tell me. Why are you trying to deal with LaStar Technology Corporation?¡± Duke stared at George and asked coldly. Although the codes on the screen had shed by extremely fast, he had still been able to catch the website¡¯s address. His son, whom he was always proud of, had actually mounted a sneak attack on the website of a newly established studio. George lowered his head and clenched his fists. He gritted his teeth, but he did not say a word. ¡°Your hacking skills are some of the best worldwide, and less than ten websites in the country can defend themselves from your attack,¡± Duke said sternly. ¡°I¡¯m going to say this for thest time. You¡¯re not allowed to attack anypany with your hacking skills again.¡± George suddenly raised his head. ¡°I can¡¯t attack anypany or I can¡¯t attack Adina Daugherty¡¯spany?¡± Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Dad, you know what I mean.¡± George took off his shoes, got on his bed, and covered his head with his nket. Duke stared at his small arching body with a deep frown. George¡¯s animosity toward Adina was odd. The ident was still under investigation. He really did not understand why George kept using Adina of being the culprit. He walked out of the room and gently shut the door. When he returned to his study room, Jake gave him a call. ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯ve investigated Jett Baldwin¡¯s network and discovered that he met the Fuller family¡¯s housekeeper two weeks ago.¡± Jett was the driver who caused the ident. He died after the car fell into the moat. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Duke sat down in front of his desk ¡°Which Fuller family is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Fuller family from Central City,¡± Jake answered. ¡°Twenty years ago, the Fuller family coborated with Winters Corporation on a project. After the project ended, the Fuller family moved to Central City. It¡¯s understandable that you don¡¯t remember them.¡± Duke narrowed his eyes and pondered for a while before he finally recalled some information about the family from his memory. At that time, his father was still alive. His father had handled the project with the Fuller family, so he did not know much. ¡°Send someone to Central City to investigate the Fuller family. Also, continue sifting through Jett Baldwin¡¯s rtionships. Don¡¯t let go of any clues even if they seem normal,¡± he said stoically. ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters!¡± When Adina got to herpany in the morning, she felt that something was off as soon as she turned on herputer. She had intentionally added three firewalls to thepany website yesterday, but the number of firewalls had be five this morning. It was totally strange. After she clicked on the website and entered the server, she finally saw the mess. Clearly, a hacker had attacked the internal site yesterday, and someone had defeated the hacker for her. He had even added two more firewalls for her. There was no question about the person¡¯s identity. Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Adina smiled and cleaned up the mess on the server. While she was busy, Serene walked in. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, someone from Winters Corporation called over and asked if you¡¯re freeter at 11.00 am.¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Someone from thepany wants toe over,¡± Serene said. ¡°I¡¯ll book the meeting room then.¡± Herpany¡¯s first business deal was the project with Winters Corporation, and everyone in her company knew how important it was. Adina nodded. ¡°Print out a few copies of the proposal that we previously amended and put them on the table in the meeting room.¡± Serene immediately proceeded to do it. Adina flipped through the document and read up on Project A-F again. Once she had an idea in mind, she got up and went to the restroom. Just as she walked out through her office door, she bumped into a bunch of people from thepany next door. It was an Inte start-uppany. Thepany had been established two years ago, and it had about thirty staff members. Its development was not excellent, and it could barely survive. When Adina arrived at her office for the first time, it was the owner of thatpany who had introduced her to the environment in their surroundings. He had even told her about the development of a lifeline for small Inte start-uppanies in Sea City. He was a talkative and cheerful middle-aged man. Adina had a pretty good impression of that boss, so she smiled and greeted him. ¡°Mr. Roberts, are you going somewhere in a hurry?¡± When Mr. Roberts saw Adina, his eyes were full of surprise. He stopped walking and said, ¡°Oh, Ms. Daugherty. It¡¯s going to be noon soon, so we¡¯re heading out for lunch. Would you like to join us?¡± Adina was about to turn him down, but Mr. Roberts¡¯ secretary shed them a fake smile and said, ¡°Mr. Roberts, we¡¯re going to meet a client. We can treat Ms. Daugherty next time.¡± While Mr. Roberts still wanted to say something, his secretary lowered his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for us to get an appointment with Ms. rk who¡¯s an important assistant of Mr. Winters. If you bring an outsider like her along and she takes our client, what are we going to do? Mr. Roberts, please don¡¯t forget that Ms. Daugherty¡¯spany is also an ITpany, so she¡¯s ourpetitor. How can you bring her along to our lunch with Ms. rk?¡± The secretary¡¯s voice was very low, but Adina could still hear him a little. She smiled faintly and nonchntly said, ¡°Mr. Roberts, I still have some work to do. We¡¯ll catch up next time.¡± After she said that, she walked to the restroom in her high heels. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The secretary sighed in relief. ¡°Mr. Roberts, I know you¡¯re interested in Ms. Daugherty, but I think you should prioritize thepany¡¯s development. Once ourpany is developed, you can go ahead and pursue her. You¡¯d be sessful, right?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. I just admire Ms. Daugherty,¡± Mr. Roberts said indifferently before he led his subordinates into the elevator and went downstairs. A smallpany like them had to put in a lot of work before they could make an appointment to meet the secretary of Winters Corporation¡¯s CEO. The meeting today was extraordinarily important for theirpany. As soon as they went downstairs, a ck luxurious car parked in front of the start-up building. However, Mr. Roberts and his subordinates were in a hurry. As such, they did not notice that the person who got out of the car was Duke Winters, the CEO of Winters Corporation, whom they had mentioned countless times. Duke directly went upstairs. Serene had been waiting at the entrance. When she saw himing, she felt dizzy for a moment. When Duke, Trent, and Em visited the officest time, she had met Duke. But she was still taken aback after meeting him for the second time. How could someone in this world look so handsome? Her feminine eyes were not as exquisite as Duke¡¯s either. When she saw his face, she felt ashamed. She really could not figure out what kind of woman would be good enough for a man with such a face. Right then, Adina¡¯s delicate and gorgeous face immediately popped up in her head. Yes, only the most beautiful woman in Sea City was good enough for Duke. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Chapter 195 ¡°Mr. Winters, this way please.¡± After Serene snapped out of her daze, she immediately led Duke into the meeting room. Adina was reading the document in the meeting room. When she heard the noise, she smiled faintly and stood up. ¡°Mr. Winters, please have a seat.¡± Duke pulled out a chair and sat down. Then, Serene immediately went out to get some coffee. ¡°Why are you here alone, Mr. Winters?¡± she asked in surprise. She thought that Mr. Garcia would tag along, or Duke woulde with Trent and Em. She did not expect Duke to be there by himself. Duke raised his eyebrows indifferently. ¡°Why? Do you want to meet Trent?¡± Adina was speechless. Could this man speak nicely? She sat in her chair and pushed the document over. ¡°This is the direction of the new design, which I set after my previous discussion with Mr. Garcia. Mr. Winters, please take a look and give yourments.¡± But Duke did not flip the document open. ¡°I¡¯m not here to talk about work today,¡± he said stoically. ¡°What do you want to talk about then?¡± Adina rested her chin on her hand and attempted to ask, ¡°Is it rted to Harold?¡± Duke shook his head. ¡°Was yourpany website attacked by a hacker at 11.00 pmst night?¡± Adina narrowed her eyes. She schooled her expression and asked, ¡°Why? Do you know who did Duke pursed his lips. Although he did not want to admit it, he had no other choice. It was George¡¯s fault. As a father, he had to apologize for his son¡¯s misdeed. ¡°My son attacked yourpany website. I¡¯llpensate you for all the losses that he¡¯s caused to your company,¡± he said in a deep voice. Adina¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°Harold¡¯s a hacker?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t him. It was my eldest son, George.¡± Duke responded in the same deep voice. As soon as he said that, Adina remembered who George was. George¡¯s eldest son was a genius, and he was already the confirmed heir of Winters Corporation N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. When Duke talked about George the other day, his words seemed to imply that George¡¯s intelligence was much higher than Alden¡¯s. No wonder thepany¡¯s server was in a mess. It looked like George¡¯s hacking skills wereparable to Alden¡¯s. ¡°George might have misunderstood you, so he attacked yourpany website. I¡¯d like to apologize to you on his behalf.¡± Duke stared at Adina and spoke seriously. However, Adina smiled faintly. ¡°Does he know that you¡¯re apologizing for him?¡± Duke understood what she was trying to say. He held back his imposing aura and slowly said, ¡°He should really apologize for his mistake, but I¡¯d like to apologize for my own fault as well. I didn¡¯t educate my son well.¡± Adina gave him a firm look It felt like she was getting to know this man all over again. Mr. Winters was always noble and frightening when everyone in Sea City mentioned him, but he had actually apologized to her. She thought nothing in the world could make him lower his head. She chuckled. ¡°Okay, I ept your apology.¡± Duke slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ll give George a call and get him to apologize to you personally.¡± Adina leaned back in her chair and did not oppose it. She was also interested in that child genius who was as intelligent as Alden. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 She leaned back in her chair as she waited. However, she noticed Duke frown before he hung up the phone unhappily. she chuckled and said, ¡°He refused to apologize, didn¡¯t he?¡± Duke¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Intelligent children have their own minds. They refuse to ept the world¡¯s way or submit to anyone,¡± Adina said in an understanding manner. ¡°Not everyone is as obedient and mature as my son, Alden. Mr. Winters, you better put more effort into educating your son.¡± Duke was speechless. Obedient? Mature? Was she really describing that cunning boy, Alden? ¡°I¡¯ll bring him here to apologize to you in person.¡± After Duke said that, he took the document from the desk and left. Adina shrugged as if she could not be bothered. It was normal for kids to make mistakes. She was very tolerant of that. She would be fine as long as they did not make the same mistake again. After Adina clocked off work, she went to pick her kids up from their preschool. Then, she took them to a hotel in the city center. She had agreed to meet with Mr. Albert previously, but it had to be postponed to today because Harold got involved in a car crash. Mr. Albert would leave on a flight at 9.00 pm tonight. She had to finalize things before Mr. Albert left. The three of them took the elevator upstairs before they knocked on a presidential suite door. A haggard voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Adina pushed the door open and held her children¡¯s hands as they walked in. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, it¡¯s been a while. You¡¯re more beautiful than you used to be.¡± Mr. Albert was an old man in his seventies. His hair was gray, but he appeared to be in high spirits. He did not look like a seventy-year-old man. He then walked over with a bright smile. Just as he was about to give Adina a big hug, a small, short kid stood between him and Adina. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He stared at Alden for a few seconds before he suddenlyughed. ¡°Is this Alden, whom you told me about? I thought you were trying to trick me, but it turns out that you really have kids. This is Alden, and this should be Mel?¡± Adina smiled helplessly and said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t needed to raise two kids, why would I have refused to be your student?¡± Three years ago, the kids were just one year old, and they would always fall sick. She had to take care of them while she worked to earn money. She had lived a rough life, so she never had the time to practice her piano ying. Therefore, she had firmly and resolutely turned Mr. Albert down. Nheless, Mr. Albert had been persistent. He had approached her over and over again to persuade her two years ago. Mr. Albert finally gave up after she enrolled in Harfard University for her further studies. It was their first time meeting after a year. ¡°You¡¯re willing to meet me this time. Have you made up your mind?¡± Mr. Albert sat down on the couch. ¡°Your kids seem obedient and well-behaved. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t object if you wanted to practice the piano. What do you think, Alden?¡± Although they were meeting for the first time, Alden had a good impression of this old man. He answered in fluent English, ¡°I respect Mom¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°Haha! He¡¯s a really good boy. He even has a London ent. Ms. Daugherty, your son¡¯s brilliant,¡± Mr. Albertplimented. Adina felt honored and smiled. ¡°Alden¡¯s truly brilliant, but I¡¯d like to introduce you to my daughter today, Mr. Albert.¡± She held Melody¡¯s hand and gently said, ¡°She has a problem withmunication, so she might be a little rude. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Mr. Albert was old, so he was fond of cute and obedient children. He reached out to pull Melody over. Perhaps Melody knew that this was the piano teacher whom her mother had looked for her, but she did not resist him. She walked up to Mr. Albert obediently, which was rare. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 ¡°Mr. Albert, didn¡¯t you want to take in a student? I rmend my daughter, Melody, to you,¡± Adina smiled faintly and said. When Mr. Albert heard that, he felt surprised. ¡°Adina, I want to take you in, but not other people. Even if it¡¯s your daughter, I won¡¯t make an exception.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you let her try?¡± Adina said, ¡°There¡¯s still an hour before you leave Sea City. It¡¯s enough for you to listen to a song.¡± Mr. Albert stared at Adina in a serious manner. He had known Adina for about four years, and he knew that she would not speak without thinking. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Even though she knew about his status, she never ttered or tried to please him. She had even refused to be his student. No other person like her existed in this world. Mr. Albert finally nodded. He stared at the little girl with a gentle gaze and said, ¡°You can y any song. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± There was a piano in the hotel suite. Ever since Mr. Albert turned thirty years old, he would hold piano recitals all over the world every year. As such, pianos had been specially prepared for him in different parts of the world. He held Melody¡¯s hand and walked to the living room before he allowed her to sit in front of the piano. It was a huge piano with ck and white keys. It had long strings, and the age of its resonance te was clearly visible as the seams were thin and straight. Adina could tell that this was a top -tier piano without ying it. However, that was reasonable. How could a piano in Mr. Albert¡¯s hotel suite be a lousy one? Melody sat in front of the piano and tried to press a key. A clear and loud sound was produced by the strings in the upper register, and it was piercing. The girl¡¯s eyes lit up. She raised her hands, closed her eyes, and easily yed, ¡°Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!¡± It was a song that all children were familiar with. It was simple and cheerful. Children who had started to y the piano for a few days would usually y it. Mr. Albert initially had no expectations, but he suddenly widened his eyes after the song ended. He moved closer to the girl and said, ¡°Try thest pause.¡± ¡°Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star¡± originally ended on a fading note at the closing. However, Melody had used a technique to stop it abruptly just now, which brought it to an instant close. That actually created a different artistic mood. Children would not understand such artistic moods. Only adults who had passed the stage of childhood could reminisce about their childhood due to the abrupt end of the tune. The piece would already be considered extraordinarily sessful once it allowed people to resonate with it emotionally. On top of that, the person who yed it was just a four-year-old girl. Mr. Albert got rid of the emotions that the song had generated before he said in a deep voice,¡± Mel, try that again.¡± Unfortunately, the little girl did not understand him. After Melody finished the song, she jumped down from the chair and scurried toward Adina. When Adina saw Mr. Albert¡¯s expression, she knew that she had ced the right bet. Melody had perfectly inherited her talent in the piano. Perhaps, she was even more excellent than her. ¡°Adina, hurry, get your daughter to y the piano again.¡± Mr. Albert walked over as a light shed in his eyes. It terrified Melody so much that she immediately hid behind Adina. 1 Alden red at Mr. Albert with caution and stood in front of his sister. When Mr. Albert saw how terrified the kids were, he stroked his nose. He took a step back before he said, ¡°When I lost myposure for the first time, it was because of you. Now, I¡¯m losing my cool again three yearster because of your daughter. Adina, I¡¯ll ept Melody as my student! Adina chuckled. ¡°Mr. Albert, Melody is much better than me. If you have her as your student, you won¡¯t suffer any loss.¡± She squatted down, stared at Melody, and seriously said, ¡°From today onward, Mr. Albert will be your teacher. He¡¯s different from the teachers in your preschool. In the future, he¡¯ll y the role of a mentor in your life. You have to always respect Mr. Albert.¡± Mr. Albert was a foreigner, so he did not care too much about strict etiquette. Besides, he was going to board a ne, so the ceremony for Melody to formally be his apprentice was simple. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Melody handed Mr. Albert a cup of tea, and that wrapped up the ceremony. From that moment on, Melody had be Mr. Albert¡¯s second student. ¡°I still have recitals in the neighboring country. Once my tour ends, I¡¯ll bring you to meet your senior. He¡¯s also an excellent pianist.¡± Mr. Albert felt satisfied as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you this piano, Mel. I still can¡¯t personally guide you for now, so let this piano grow with you.¡± Adina was shocked. ¡°No way. This piano is too expensive.¡± ¡°Is this expensive?¡± Contempt shed in Mr. Albert¡¯s eyes. ¡°Its strings were made by machine, so there are some distortions in the sound. The strings of the piano that Mel¡¯s senior is using were made by me, and its tone is clearer. When I have the time, I¡¯ll make a piano for Mel. This piano will work temporarily.¡± Adina was speechless. The top-tier piano in her eyes was a mere backup piano for Mr. Albert. Alright, they would just use it for the time being then. She stroked Melody¡¯s head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to thank your teacher?¡± Melody went forward and shook Mr. Albert¡¯s hand. Adina was surprised again. They had just met for the first time, yet Melody appeared to be extremely friendly toward Mr. Albert. It proved that Melody was very interested in the piano. Adina was d that she had made the right decision. Adina brought the two kids along and personally sent Mr. Albert to the airport. Later, she got some staff members to deliver the piano to her vi. The piano was ced at the entrance of the living room balcony on the first floor, facing the sun. After Melody sat in front of the piano, she refused to leave. She kept practicing the two songs that she had just learned. Adina cooked in the kitchen and hummed along to the piano¡¯s melody. Alden sat outside on the balcony with hisptop and kept staring at the screen. He typed away with great speed and finally confirmed an IP address. He copied the IP address, clicked his messenger open, and sent the address to someone. Then, he typed a sentence. (Check where this IP address is from.) A secondter, a dark avatar shed on his screen. A person, whose name was K, sent Alden a message. (Sir Daugherty, it¡¯s been half a year. You haven¡¯t been online for half a year!) Alden¡¯s online username was Sir Daugherty He had simply made it up. Even though he had changed his usemame many times, people in the group still called him by that name He nonchntly typed out another sentence (Don¡¯t waste time spouting nonsense. Help me check this IP address My Inte¡¯s limited 1 One minuteter Five minutester This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ten minutester Alden frowned When did your skills be so rusty K replied, (Matka, this website is encrypted with 109 passwords. It¡¯s not difficult, but I need some time just wall ] Alden replied, What does ¡°matafaka¡± mean?) K answered, 11t mealis motherf*cker!) Alden replied, You insulted my mother for no reason This is the end of our friendship ) K responded, II didn¡¯t know you were a mommy¡¯s boy Hold on, I¡¯ve found it. I¡¯ll screenshot the exact location for you!) Soon, a blurry screenshot was sent over Alden tweaked the screenshot with photo editing software, and the picture immediately became much clearer Once he saw the name of the area, his expression instantly darkened. Chapter 199 Soon, dinner was ready. Adina and the kids then sat at the dining table to have dinner. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s Saturday tomorrow. Can we go and visit Harold in the hospital?¡± Alden obediently suggested. Melody stopped eating, and her gaze was filled with excitement. Adina smiled gently and said, ¡°Alden, don¡¯t you hate Harold?¡± Alden pursed his lips. ¡°He¡¯s quite nice to Mel, so I¡¯ve forced myself to ept him.¡± Adina chuckled. A child¡¯s world was truly innocent and pure. They could change their perspective of someone because of a small matter. She hoped that Alden could always keep his innocence. Meanwhile, Alden looked down, and his eyes were filled with coldness. K had just sent him the name of the area, and he realized that it was Winters Corporation after he took a nce. In other words, the hacker who attacked Mom¡¯spany website that night was associated with the Winters family. He suggested visiting Harold only because he wanted to figure out Duke¡¯s background. On Saturday, the sun was bright, and the weather was wonderful. Harold was bedridden, and he said with a gloomy expression, ¡°I want to go out and y. I want to have fun. Papa Brown, let me out!¡± Mr. Brown seemed gloomier than Harold. ¡°My boss, you haven¡¯t recovered, so you can¡¯t get out of bed. The doctor specifically ordered that, and you should justy in bed for a few days. Once you recover, you can go anywhere you want.¡± ¡°Imph! You¡¯re lying again!¡± Harold said unhappily. ¡°Once I¡¯m discharged, Dad¡¯s going to ground me again. I should just live in the hospital!¡± After he said that, he suddenly lifted the nket and jumped down from the bed. Mr. Brown was so shocked that he immediately caught Harold. ¡°Young Master, please don¡¯t make a scene.¡± Harold instantly grabbed Mr. Brown¡¯s beard and angrily said, ¡°Don¡¯t stop me. Let go! Let go of me! I want to go out and y!¡± After the car ident, Mr. Brown was not as assertive as he used to be. He hugged Harold with all his might and sincerely said, ¡°Young Master, please just stay here for one more day. I¡¯ll take you out tomorrow.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. While they were struggling with each other, someone pushed the ward door open. Dew held George¡¯s hand as they walked inside. When George saw the scene, his face was dour. ¡°Harold, you got into a car ident because you ran away. Why? You don¡¯t think your injury is serious enough? You want to have a taste of it again?¡± His dark expression was exactly the same as Duke¡¯s. Harold subconsciously shrunk back. He felt wronged as hey back on his bed. ¡°George, you¡¯re so fierce.¡± ¡°Okay, George. Don¡¯t be mad at Harold anymore. He¡¯s bored of staying in the hospital alone.¡± Dew revealed a toy in her hand as she smiled and said, ¡°Harold, let¡¯s see what I bought for you. It¡¯s your favorite Transformer!¡± She unwrapped the package before she handed the new toy to Harold. ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± Harold swiped it away. The Transformer toy dropped on the floor and instantly broke into pieces. Dew¡¯s smile froze, and she suddenly sounded like she was crying. ¡°Harold, don¡¯t you like Transformers the most? Why don¡¯t you want it now that I¡¯ve bought it for you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like Transformers anymore. I don¡¯t want it!¡± Harold yelled. ¡°You¡¯re a bad woman. You¡¯re a despicable witch! I don¡¯t want to see you! Get out of my ward!¡± Dew¡¯s shoulders trembled, and her tears fell. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 She had only found out that Harold liked Transformers after she asked George about it yesterday Early in the moming today, she had gone to the store and bought the most luxurious Transformer for Harold However, that little b*stard actually threw the toy that she had carefully selected to the floor Could she never inake Harold acknowledge hier as his mother no matter what she did? ¡°Ms. Daugherty, the young master is still ill, so he needs to rest He can¡¯t experience huge emotional stress. Please step out first. ¡°Mi Brown walked over before he spoke stemly but respectfully Dew bit her bottom lip and refused to leave She was there to work hard on rebuilding her rtionship with her son How could she just leave like that? ¡°Mom, please step out first. You cane in after Harold calms down,¡± George said indifferently When George said that, she had to listen to him She left the ward after she turned back and took a look multiple times However, the moment she stepped out of the ward, her expression became distorted she looked ferocious and scary Mr Brown sighed. He turned around and left the ward before he gently shut the door Only the brothers were left in the waid. George sat down by the bed ¡°George, don¡¯t try to advise me!¡± Harold bit his lip and said, ¡°I can¡¯t ept a woman who called me a little b*stard¡¯ as my mother!¡± As soon as he said that, George¡¯s face turned cold. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°You still remember that?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I remember?¡± Harold¡¯s lips were filled with ¡°She thought that one-year -old children wouldn¡¯t remember anything she looked down on us.¡± During their first birthday party, many people visited the Winters family Dew was taking care of him and George. He was so excited that day that he identally peed his pants. Once Dew took him to the restroom, she rebuked him as she helped him to change his pants He did not remember what Dew said specifically He just remembered her saying ¡°little be stard¡± repeatedly He could not forget the hatred and contempt in her eyes. Later, when he learned how to speak, he told George about it But George remained silent Al that time, Harold realized that Dew had not just insulted him, but she had also secretly cursed George George tried to get him to forget about it, but he could never shut it out. Whenever he saw Dew¡¯s fake concern, he felt disgusted. ¡°George, she¡¯s not qualified to be our mother.¡± Harold looked down and said, ¡°Do you know that aside from calling me a little b*stard¡¯, she would always pinch the inside of my arm when no one was paying attention. I was still really little back then. I didn¡¯t know how to fight back. I just kept crying Whenever I cried, people would say that I wasn¡¯t a good boy. I was actually a good boy She abused me and secretly pinched me. She gave birth to us, but she doesn¡¯t love us. I¡¯m not great, so it¡¯s no surprise that she doesn¡¯t love me. But George, you¡¯re amazing Yet, why does she seem contemptuous when she looks at you somelimes? ¡°Both of us are her biological sons. Why does she hate us?!¡± Harold yelled and kept crying, which made the nket wet with his tears. George¡¯s heart was tightened. The twins¡¯ telepathy made his eyes tum red too. He took out a tissue to wipe Harold¡¯s tears while he whispered, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because she became pregnant with us when she was just eighteen Our arrival ruined her calin life and left her with no other choice¡± Since they were not nned, their mother hated them.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 George picked up the broken Transformer from the floor, fixed it up nicely, and ced in beside the bed ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s our mother You can refuse to love her, but you have to respect her,¡± he said stojcally Harold rubbed his red eyes without answering George knew that they could not keep talking about the subject He paused for a while before he resumed ¡°Were those two lids who came to visit you the night before yesterday your ssmates from preschool?¡± Harold¡¯s mood instantly brightened He smiled falntly, and his eyes were filled with joy ¡°They¡¯re Alden and Melody They came with Aunt Adina lo visit me¡± ¡°Melody?¡± George looked up ¡°The girl¡¯s name is Melody?¡± ¡°Yes, I call her Mel George, I¡¯m telling you, Mel¡¯s so cute she doesn¡¯t like to speak, but her eyes are full of stories. Her eyes are as big as ck grapes Whenever Mel looks at me, I feel like i have the whole world.¡± Harold¡¯s eyes were bright like the Milky Way N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. George was influenced by Harold¡¯s emotions. He nodded and said, ¡°You can invite Mel to our house for dinner next time¡± ¡°Great! But all my toys are cars and airnes, so Mel won¡¯t like them George, help me go to the store and buy some toys that girls would like to y withter Once I¡¯m discharged, 1¡¯11 bring Mel to our house!¡± George had a very important meetingter, but he still promised. ¡°Okay¡± George only left the ward after he apanied Harold for half an hour Dew had been sitting and waiting on the long bench at the end of the corridor Her eyes were filled with annoyance, but the second she saw George, her impatience became grief She walked over in der high heels ¡°George, is Harold feeling better now? Can I go inside and visit him ¡°Mom,e again toinotrow ¡°George pursed his lips and said, ¡°He¡¯s sleeping now.¡± Dew looked disappointed ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll coine again tomorrow.¡± She took the initiative to hold George¡¯s hand and walk out of the hospital George felt very uionable but forced himself not to move out of her grep As they approached the hospital¡¯s entrance, they bumped into three people Adina was holding Alden¡¯s hand on her left and Melody¡¯s band on her nghit hand, and they were walking toward the hospital¡¯s entrance. The two groups of people inevitably inel face to face at the only entrance Adina stopped walking She narrowed her eyes and looked at Dew Then, she slowly looked down at George The boy was really Dew¡¯s son They were holding hands in such a close way Therefore, it was not strange for this boy to deal with her on Dew¡¯s behalf For some reason, she felt an ufortable and strange tingling when she saw the scene. Adina quietly nced over with some judgment in her eyes Meanwhile, Dew started to panic She dared not even look Adina in the eyes She did not say anything and just held George¡¯s hand as she walked away quickly ¡°Mom, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± Once they were far away, George pulled his hand out with all his might, but it was already red from Dew¡¯s grip ¡°I¡¯m sorry, George¡¯¡± Dew bit her lip. ¡°I just saw Adina and got so scared. I was afraid that she would attack me I didn¡¯t want you to see me in my most embarrassing state. Look, George, Mommy didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡± George turned around and could only catch Melody¡¯s pink skirt. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 He slowly asked, ¡°What is that little girl¡¯s rtionship with Adina?¡± Earlier in the ward, Harold mentioned that Melody had followed Adina lo visit him in the hospital Now, Melody was in die same ce as Adina Besides, Adina was holding another boy¡¯s hand He began to suspect something Dew¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beal George rarely showed interest in anything on anyone, but he had actually taken the initiative tu ask about that little b*staru? That little b*stard was Adina¡¯s daughter and also George¡¯s sister! If there was an invisible blood tie connecting the siblings, would George quickly find out that Adina was his and Harold¡¯s biological mother with his high intelligence? In an instant, countless thoughts filled Dew¡¯s mind She took a deep breathi and said, ¡°I¡¯m also curious about Die little girl¡¯s rtionship with Adina Even if Adina iminediately got pregnant after she went missing four years ago, she can¡¯t have a daughter of this age¡± She was trying to say that the gul was not Adina¡¯s daughter George looked away indifferently He would lean about Melody¡¯s rtionship with Adina after he asked Haroldter He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mom¡± But his calm expression made Dew anxious. She went after him and asked, ¡°George, how¡¯s the investigation on the ident? Have you found any evidence rted to Adina?¡± George shook his head ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be rted to Adina¡± Dad already fished out the Fuller family The ident should unsurprisingly be rted to the Fuller family Even If Adina was capable, she could not have possibly colluded with the Fuller family from Central Aty ¡°Why isn¡¯t it rted to be?¡± Dew raised her voice Wlio else besides her would injure Harold? George, you¡¯re not bewitched by Adina, are you?¡± Geor?c frowned ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no evidence that shows it¡¯s rted to Adina¡± ¡°She¡¯s very smart, so she could have gotten rid of all the evidence, and you wouldn¡¯t be able to find anyuung ¡°Dew gitted her teeth and said, ¡°It has to be her! Il can only be her if she isn¡¯t brought to justice, she¡¯ll hurt Harold and you again! George, I¡¯m really worried about the two of you. I¡¯d rather get hurt than see any of you injured and admitted to the hospital¡± Perhaps George had often seen her acting, so he could immediately tell what she was thinking. She just said that because she wanted to use the Winters family¡¯s power to kick Adina out of Sea City If Dad did not care about that woman, perhaps he could deal with Adina for his mom. But Dad did not allow him to do so. When he identally invaded Adina¡¯spany website thest time, his Dad reprimanded him for the first time. Unless he had a proper reason, he would not simply take action. The way he acted made Dew furious Was George also refusing to help her now? Was that b*tch, Adina, so powerful that even George, who had always been on her side, changed? Even if the car ident was not Adina¡¯s fault, she still wanted to twist the truth! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°George, you can choose not to believe me, but the truth will show that I¡¯m right. I¡¯m not going back with you. I¡¯m going to practice my piano ying.¡± Dew took a deep nce at George before she turned around and got into her car. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Adina brought the two kids into the ward. The gloomy Harold jumped happily ¡°Aunt Adina, I love you so much! I was just missing you, and you came with Mel. I¡¯m so happy!¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°Alden suggested that we visit you. He¡¯s worried that you¡¯re too lonely.¡± Harold pouted in suspicion ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He likes to bully me the most. Why would he suggest visiting me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Adina stroked his head and lowered her voice ¡°Actually, Alden¡¯s very worried about you, but he¡¯s shy, so he doesn¡¯t show it.¡± Harold secretly looked up, just in time to look Alden in the eyes Alden did not avoid Harold¡¯s stare. ¡°As long as you like my sister, I can try to like you too,¡± he said indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you like me!¡± Harold turned around awkwardly However, his ears had tumed red. Clearly, he was in a pretty good mood Alden sat down by the bed, looked down, and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your Dad? Why isn¡¯t be in the hospital? ¡°He said that he woulde and keep mepany in the afternoon, but who knows when he¡¯ll finish his work,¡± Harold said with a pout. Alden raised his wrist and cast a nce at the time. Then, he remained silent. ¡°Young Master, lunch is here! At this time, Mr. Browni walked in with a lunch box. When he saw that Adina was there, he grinned and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty. you finally came The young master talked about youst night! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Papa Brown, hurry up!¡± Harold said excitedly ¡°This is Mel, the girl I told you about. Isn¡¯t she extremely adorable and pretty Papa Brown looked al Melody¡¯s face When he saw the little girl, his heart melted. ¡°oh gosh, she¡¯s so cute. I¡¯ve lived for a long time, but this is my first time seeing such an adorable girl Hmm¡­¡± Mr Brown felt suspicious as he stared at Melody¡¯s features. ¡°Why do I find Melody quite simr to you, Ms Daugherty?¡± The little girl had a chubby face, so one would not notice the simrities with just a nce. But the longer he looked at her, the more alike she was to Adina. They were like replicas but of dult ind child versions Harold covered his mouth andughed. ¡°Haha! Papa Brown! Guess why Mel looks like Aunt Adina.¡± Mr. Browni took a look at Adina before he cast a nce at Melody. He felt troubled as he said, ¡± No way It can¡¯t be what I¡¯m thinking, right?¡± He had been the Winters family¡¯s housekeeper for more than forty years, and it was his first time seeing the master being interested in a woman He had always thought that something would happen between Ms. Adina Daugherty and the master Ms. Daugherty was the children¡¯s aunt, and their rtionship was a little messy Nevertheless, if the master liked her, there would be no problem. But now! Could someone tell him why Ms Daugherty had a daughter? ¡°Haha!¡± Harold pped the bed andughed. ¡°Papa Brown, Aunt Adina ts Mel and Alden¡¯s mor ¡°What? Mr. Brown looked at Alden who was sitting quietly at the side again He was instantly in shock So, Ms. Daugherty had two kids? And they were twins? Wait a minute! He needed to digest this! Mr Brown recalled the public opinion on the Inte some time ago. The news mentioned that Ms Daugherty had given birth to a pair of stillborns four years ago Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 He had always thought all that was nonsense Right then, he finally realized that they had been partially right Ms. Daugherty had given birth to a pair of twins, not stillborns. The boy was obedient, and the girl was beautiful. They were easy on the eyes! Mr Brown stared at Alden for a while before he was suddenly taken aback again Why did this boy look exactly like the master when he was little? The boy¡¯s imposing manner as he sat in the chair was a replica of the master¡¯s Oh gosh! He must be too old, and his sight must have be blurry for him to have such a misperception Mr. Browni shook his head strongly to get rid of the ridiculous mistake. Then, he squatted down, grinned, and said, ¡°You¡¯re Alden, right? Can I call you ¡®Young Master Alden?** Alden politely replied, ¡°You can call me Alden.¡± You¡¯re such a good boy. Come, I¡¯ll give you some candy¡± Mr. Browni took out plenty of fruit Candies from his pocket. These were the items that he would usually use to coax Harold However, Alden shook huis head. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Brown, but I don¡¯t eat candy.¡± When Mr. Brown talked to Alden, he kept sensing an invisible force of oppression, and it felt simr to when he talked to Young Master George This boy seemed obedient and well-behaved. Mr. Brown wondered why he had such a feeling This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He shook his head before he coaxed Melody with the candies The little girl usually did not like candy, but she actually made an exception and picked up a candy today She even put it into her pocket. Adina¡¯s smile grew gentler She noticed that Melody was slowly stepping out of her closed world, which initially just consisted of her mother and brother. Now, there were more people in her life. There were the children in preschool, Harold, Ms. Jones, Mr Albert, Mr Brown, and Duke¡­ Just as that name papped up in her mind, a tall and slim ligure showed up at the door Adina turned around and looked over. Then, she saw Duke¡¯s ck and profound eyes, She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Mr Winters.¡± In the workce, she would address him respectfully When they met privately, she would smile slightly as she greeted him. Perhaps there were children around, but her voice was so soft like heaven flowing down to Parth The way she uttered ¡°Mr. Winters¡± with a slightly melodic endnote hooked into Duke¡¯s heart and made it flutter Mr Browni supported his waist and stood up. ¡°Master, let me introduce them to you. These are Young Master Alden and Ms. Melody They¡¯re Ms. Daugherty¡¯s children.¡± Duke nodded indifferently. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Mr Browni was speechless. Since he knew, why was he still so close with Ms. Daugherty? Was he not afraid that Ms. Daugherty¡¯s husband would take action on him? Mr Brow felt troubled as he nced at the people in the ward. When he looked at them, they really looked like a family Mr. Brown did not want to trigger his heart, so he made up an excuse and left the ward. ¡°Hey, Papa Brown, where are you going? If you leave, who¡¯s going to feed me?¡± Harold was receiving an infusion, so he could not eat on his own. He pouted as he felt wronged. Adina sat by his bed and softly said, ¡°I¡¯ll feed you. You can¡¯t be a picky eater.¡± Harold immediately became happy. Papa Brown really loved him. He had axtually created this chance for him. Harold opened his mouth obediently and waited to be fed. Alden stood up, walked to Duke, and slowly said, ¡°Uncle Duke, I¡¯d like to ask you about something Can we go out and talk?¡± Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Alder and Duke walked to the corridor outside the ward. Harold ate while he curiously asked, ¡°Why did Alden want to talk to my dad?¡± He was frightened when he saw his dad, and he did not want to talk to his dad alone Adina also felt slightly curious However, Alden had his own secrets, and she would not ask him about them She smiled and said, ¡°Your dad¡¯s great, so Alden wants to be a great person like him too.¡± Harold¡¯s curiositysted for a while before he immediately forgot about it. He was still much happier with Aunt Adina and Mel. His dad had better note in anymore! Duke still had no idea that his own son despised him. ¡°What would you like to talk about? You can go ahead and say it.¡± He spoke indifferently I¡¯ve been interested in programmingtely. I wonder if you have any opinions about it, Uncle Duke)¡± Alden took out an Introductory Programming Tutorial book and seemed to be thirsty for kriowledge Duke was not surprised Geniuses were probably interested in one thing for only three months because they could quickly grasp its core kanowledge in that short span Previously, Duke had seen Alden study logic, and he guessed that Alden had taught himself to a scary degree Therefore, Alden was changing directions. However, programming had a bigger and more complex knowledge system. A four-year-old kid might not be able to study it thoroughly. ¡°I know programming well what would you like to ask?¡± Duke said in a deep voice Alden asked, ¡°Which software do you usually use to write the scripts?¡± ¡°Either Python orva. It mainly depends on why you¡¯re picking up programming I can rmend some books and videos. ** Alden denched his lists. He looked down with pursed his lips and said, ¡°I want to be a hacker Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡°A hacker? Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you the reason yet. Can you suffest samne relevant leaming materials to me?¡± Alden had yet to raise his head Duke¡¯s expression became more stern George had also dreamed of bing a hacker when he was three. Although Duke tried to stop him, George would still secretly contact other hackers on the Internel. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. It was easy for a hacker to make the wrong choice when they wanted to be sessful in the profession Ny percent of hackers were foreign criminals. A four-year-old kid would not be able to differentiate their messages. Duke wanted to advise Alden, but he held himself back after some consideration Even George would not listen to him, let alone someone else¡¯s son. Gentuses were persistent. A few sentences would not change their minds He would just ask and guide Alden properly in the future Besides, maybe this kid would lose interest and give up on it after some time Duke nonchntly said, ¡°Hackers usually use the Linux system skillfully. When you master the operations of that system, I¡¯ll teach you the knowledge.¡± Alden¡¯s lowered gaze was filled with coldness In that case, Dulce should know some hacking skills. He could likely be the person who had sneaked an attack on his mom¡¯spany that night. Be that as it may, he was the CEO of Winters Corporation. Did he really need to attack apany that had just been established two weeks ago? Alden slowly loosened his fists. He raised his head and said, ¡°Actually, I want to be a hacker because I want to protect my mom¡¯spany. Uncle Duke, do you know that my mnom has opened a company?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m coborating with your mom¡¯spany.¡± Duke nodded indifferently. Alden added, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Daugherty Corporation.¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 ¡°It¡¯s LaStar Technology Corporation, right?¡± Alden¡¯s heart sank This man knew everything indeed He pursed his lips and walked into the ward He pushed the door open and stood at the door. ¡°Mom, I want to go home¡± Adina was feeding Harold, and she was stunned. ¡°Why do you suddenly want to go back? Give me live more minutes. We¡¯ll leave after I finish feeding Harold.¡± ¡°I want to go home now.¡± Alden was rarely that insistent. He almost never acted presumptuously in front of so many people Adina thought that he was not feeling well, so she just ced the remaining food in Duke¡¯s hand. You can feed Harold then. We¡¯ll be off now.¡± Alden tiad already turned around and left. Adina then held Melody¡¯s hand and ran after him. Duke and Harold were instantly left in the ward. Harold still had some food in his mouth that he had not swallowed. When he looked at the suddenly empty ward, he pouled. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re terrible You just scared Alden and made him leave as soon as you camne! He¡¯s gone, and Aunt Adina and Mel are gone too. Whaa! Why am I so unlucky?¡± He opened his mouth and cried out loud. The food in his mouth instantly spilled onto the bed. Duke was speechless He also wanted to know why Alden would suddenly want to leave He even thought that they had a pretty good conversation earlier. No matter what, he could not figure out whiat he had said to offend Alden. However, this was not the time to think about that. Harold cried so terribly that he even flipped a bowl of soup on the table the ce was a mess. Adina brought the kids along and walked to the hospital¡¯s entrance She had initially thought that Alden was not feeling well, but she could tell it was not that simple at this point She held Alden¡¯s hand and softly asked, ¡°Did Duke tell you something earlier? Alden pursed his lips without answering He did not want to talk about certain things If it had not been because he could not hold back his emotions just now, he would not have rudely asked to leave He used to long for a father¡¯s love and dream about being with his father, but his father had attacked his mother¡¯spany. He could not ept that lying down Perhaps he was too depressed because even Melody could feel it. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The little girl walked up to him and gently shook his sleeve. ¡°Alden, don¡¯t keep anything to yourself. I¡¯m your mom. You can trust me.¡± Adina stared at him seriously. ¡°Can you tell me whai happened?¡± After Alden remained silent for a few seconds, he finally said, ¡°The night beforest, a hacker attacked yourpany website.¡± Adina nodded. ¡± kulow, and?¡± **Duke¡¯s very likely the person who attacked your website.¡± After Alden said that, his gloominess faded slightly. It seemed that he really had to vent out his emotions so that he would not feel so depressed Adina smiled as she stroked his hair and softly said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t him. You¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Alden¡¯s gaze froze. ¡°The hacker changed his IP address overseas to hide his whereabouts that night. He attacked the official website after he got himself a small ¡®vest.¡¯ He hid intelligently. but I still figured him out. The IP address came from the Winters family. It has to be Duke! ** Adina shook her head. It¡¯s a Winters mernber, but it¡¯s niat Duke¡± Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Alden slowly curled his fingers. There were only three members in the Winters family, including Duke, Harold, and the boy whom he had met outside the ward that day. Harold was not capable. Mom said that it was not Duke. Then, it could only be¡­ ¡°George Winters, Harold¡¯s elder brother,¡± Adina softly replied. ¡°Duke already apologized to me on his behalf, and he¡¯s also willing topensate me for all the losses. Alden, you don¡¯t have to look into this matter anymore.¡± Alden pursed his lips. ¡°So his name is George.¡± Adina felt surprised. ¡°Have you met him?¡± She was quite curious about George¡¯s appearance, but she did not have a chance to properly meet him. ¡°I met him outside Harold¡¯s ward,¡¯ Alden said. ¡°Did he apologize to you, Mom?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Adina smiled and did not talk about it again. She held her children¡¯s hands and softly said,¡± Both of you are just four years old, so your most important mission now is to study. You don¡¯t have to care about anything else, especially you, Alden. You have to study and take care of Mel. Don¡¯t waste your time thinking about the adults, okay?¡± Alden nodded and obediently said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Mom.¡± On the way back, he kept talking to Melody while he secretly thought about it. When he met George the other day, he could sense that George was not an easy person. That was the truth. George¡¯s hacking skills were not worse than his, and he could be considered an expert. However, why did Alden not see George¡¯s name on the offshore hacker ranking list? Just as they arrived home, Alden received a message. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go upstairs and get changed.¡± He looked calm as he went upstairs. As soon as he shut the door, he turned on hisptop. K typed, [Sir Daugherty, you¡¯re horrible. The hacker who attacked you previously is actually a kid!] Alden narrowed his eyes. (How did you know?] K replied, (I found his registration information. Read it yourself.] Kthen sent him a screenshot. Alden clicked on the picture and erged it. The registration information was simple. [Nickname: Harold Who Loves Milk] [Age: 4) K replied. [This information has to be freaking fake, right? All four- year-old kids drink milk. I would assume that they have no idea about hackers, right?] The four-year-old Alden silently pursed his lips. He stared at the nickname for a while. He did not understand why George wanted to use Harold¡¯s name as his nickname. Besides, George seemed so unfriendly. Would he love to drink milk? Alden silently sent, [Four-year-old kids nowadays are different from those in the past. Uncle K, you¡¯re behind the times.) K replied, [Who allowed you to call me Uncle? I¡¯m only thirty years old! It¡¯s the most charming age for a man! You must be a forty-year-old brat, or else you wouldn¡¯t be typing so fast! Hey, we¡¯ve known each other for such a long time, but I still haven¡¯t seen a picture of you. Send me one and let me have a look.) Alden replied, (I¡¯m not a woman. There¡¯s nothing for you to see.) Although he did not know why men loved to look at women, whenever he talked to K, the conversation would always end with K going on dates with women. That was enough to show how attractive women were to K. Alden chatted with K while he searched for information about Harold Who Loves Milk in the system. However, the page was empty. It did not even contain the ount history. The ount had been registered a year and a half ago. Apart from having participated in some system-issued tasks, it did not leave any trace until the night beforest. The attack on LaStar Technology Corporation finally made this sunken ount noticeable. Alden said, (Uncle K, I¡¯d like to ask you something.) Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 K typed, (Let me say it again. I¡¯m not an uncle!) Alden asked, (Does Dark Net organize the Challenge Duel every year?] K replied, (Hey, why are you interested in it now? I asked you to be the ringmaster last year, but you turned me down.] Alden responded with, (just say yes or no.) Kthen typed, [Yes, it has already started this year.] One minuteter, a notification popped up on Dark Net¡¯s system. [The Supreme Hacker, Sir Daugherty, is challenging the Bronze Hacker, Harold Who Loves Milk] K said, [D*mn it! You¡¯re actually challenging a Bronze hacker. You¡¯ve embarrassed the Supreme hackers! Sir Daugherty! Hey, Sir Daugherty, don¡¯t go away. Come back here and talk to me!] But Alden directly went offline. If he stood against George in person, he would not be able to exin it to his mother. Therefore, they had to have a man-to-man showdown on Dark Net. ¡°Beep! Beep!¡± George suddenly received a message in his invisible ount. He frowned and clicked on it. It was a notification sent by the system. (Hi, Harold Who Loves Milk, a Supreme Hacker, Sir Daugherty, is challenging you. Please respond within three days, or it will be considered a rejection after the duration is over.] He had registered his ount on Dark Net about a year ago. At that time, his dad had summoned him halfway through his registration. Harold then sneaked into his study and helped himplete thetter stage of his registration. Therefore, he was forced to have such a nondescript nickname. He did not like the nickname, and his dad did not allow him to do anything that involved hackers, so he rarely used the ount. It was just the night beforest when he suddenly thought of investigating Adina that he used the ount. He had covered himself with a small shield, bypassed the IP address, and entered LaStar Technology Corporation¡¯s official website. GeorgeThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. cast a nce at the ount and realized that a dozen thousand users were following him for no reason. It was not easy to be involved in the hacking industry. Any slight movement would attract everyone¡¯s attention. George pursed his lips, deleted the notification, and quit Dark Net. He was not interested in the challenge at all. However, the person who challenged him was called Sir Daugherty? Was this person the strong opponent he had met when he sneaked into the official website? What was his rtionship with Adina? There were only a few members in the Daugherty family. Could it be Adina? But that did not feel right when he thought about it. Dark Net gathered top hacking experts in the world, and only the top ten ounts on Dark Net would be awarded the ¡°Supreme Glory¡± title by the system. While Adina was a programmer, she was unlikely a hacker. George frowned and pondered for a while, but he still could not figure it out, so he just put it aside. Alden waited over the weekend, but he did not receive any response. On Monday, Adina sent the kids to preschool, and Alden became the little brother who was obedient and well-behaved. She only drove away to herpany after she saw her kids enter their preschool. She parked her car in the parking lot, took the elevator, and went upstairs. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw a group of people in the corridor outside her office. It was so crowded that the corridor was packed with people. Even the staff members of thepany next door had alsoe out to watch the show. While Adina felt puzzled, a fifty-year-olddy suddenly rushed over from the crowd. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 ¡°It¡¯s you! You killed my son!¡± The middle-aged woman suddenly rushed toward Adina and instantly grabbed her by the cor. She raised another hand and attempted to p Adina¡¯s face. Adina frowned. She calmly raised her hand and grabbed the middle-aged woman¡¯s wrist before she turned her hand back and suppressed the woman. Adina had her hands locked. ¡°Who are you?¡± Adina¡¯s voice was cold, and her eyes were filled with contempt. The middle-aged woman¡¯s wrists were pressed against her own back, and she could not move at all. She broke down and cried, ¡°It¡¯s you! You killed my son! You instigated my son to hit the boy, but you were afraid that my son would testify against you, so you assassinated him! You little b*tch! Give me back my son! Give me back my son!¡± The woman cried out loud. The surrounding people kept talking about it. ¡°I heard about this ident from my family. The driver hit a boy and escaped, but he ended up dead the next day.¡± ¡°It was a hit and run. Doesn¡¯t he deserve to die?¡± ¡°My uncle¡¯s a police officer. He said that the driver had been instructed by someone who had orchestrated the car ident for a long time.¡± ¡°No way! Could Ms. Daugherty have instructed him?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°I can¡¯t tell! Ms. Daugherty is so pretty. Why would she instruct someone to create a car ident?¡± Adina initially did not know what had happened, but she instantly understood after she heard the discussion from the people around her, She never followed up on Harold¡¯s car ident. She thought it had just been a hit-and-run ident. Unexpectedly, there was actually a conspiracy behind it. Her expression turned cold, and she firmly asked, ¡°Why do you think I instructed your son?¡± ¡°Who else could it be other than you?¡± The middle-aged woman cried as she poured her heart out. ¡°The day before the ident happened, you went to my son. I saw you! I only saw you once, but you¡¯re so pretty that it¡¯s impossible for me to forget you! You killed my son! It couldn¡¯t be anyone else besides you! My son is dead, and I won¡¯t spare you! I¡¯ll kill you to avenge my son!¡± The middle-aged woman suddenly took out a dagger from her sleeve, turned back, and tried to stab Adina. Adina could not be bothered with such a childish trick. She turned sideways, raised her leg, and hooked it around the woman in a cold manner. As a result, the middle-aged woman dropped her dagger on the floor. The eyes of Mr. Roberts from thepany next door were filled with admiration. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Ms. Daugherty knew martial arts.¡± His secretary beside him said in a low voice, ¡°I think Ms. Daugherty isn¡¯t a regr person, and now she¡¯s in awsuit that involves human life. We better stay away from her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the culprit,¡± Mr. Roberts said. His secretary shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s her or not. This is still rted to her. A big client ising to ourpanyter. Mr. Roberts, we better go inside and make preparations.¡± Thepany was truly more important than watching the show. Mr. Roberts turned around and entered his office. He even called his staff members who were still watching the show to go back. Adina squatted down, turned her hand, and gained control over the middle-aged woman again. She grabbed the woman by the cor tightly and dragged her out. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± The middle-aged woman panicked. ¡°Let go! Let go of me! Are you trying to kill me? Someone, please help me!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this in the police station.¡± Adina directly threw her into the backseat of her car. She locked the car door and drove speedily to the police station. It was only a five-minute drive to the police station. When she stopped the car, the middle aged woman immediately tried to run away. But Adina grabbed her by the cor and threw her into the police station. While the police interrogated them, the middle-aged woman kept whining, and Adina finally understood the whole situation Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 The car that had hit Harold the other day was actually part of a nned ident. The police and members of the Winters family had searched for him in the city, but the driver¡¯s car had fallen into the moat. By the time they discovered him, rigor mortis had set in. The police were highly concerned about the case, and they were still searching for clues. ¡°My son was kind and timid. He would never go and harm someone! It¡¯s her! She gave my son a lot of money and instructed him tomit the crime! My poor son! He died just like that!¡± The police interrogated the woman sternly. ¡°You mentioned that Ms. Daugherty went to see your son. When exactly did it happen, and where was it?¡± ¡°It was at about 9.00 pm, right in front of my house.¡± The middle-aged woman covered her mouth and cried. ¡°I didn¡¯t see her, but my neighbor saw her.¡± The police looked at Adina. ¡°What were you doing at about 9.00 pm that night?¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°I was on the phone with a pianist, Mr. Albert. You can check my alibi.¡± Melody had be Mr. Albert¡¯s student, so he would teach her via video call at 9.00 pm every night, and she would also apany Melody for piano practice. After the police spent half an hour obtaining Mr. Albert¡¯s testimony, Adina was acquitted. However, the middle-aged woman was involved in the development of the case, so the police kept her behind for the ongoing interrogation. When Adina stood outside the police station, a cold breeze blew over her, and her mind became clearer. If the middle-aged woman was telling the truth, it meant that a good-looking woman had approached the driver. In Sea City, only one beautiful woman seemed to resemble her: Dew! Did Dew go to the driver? Did Dew want to kill Harold? Why? Adina frowned. Dew wanted to marry Duke. Should she not please Duke¡¯s son? Why did she want to kill Harold? Adina could not figure it out after a while of thinking. By the time she snapped out of concentration, she had already parked her car outside the Daugherty family vi. She sat in the driver¡¯s seat and turned sideways to look at the Daugherty family vi. The house where she had lived for eighteen years in the past looked so strange to her now. The house still appeared the same, but it had already lost its original meaning. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. She pushed the door open and got out of the car. Just as she was about to knock on the door, she saw that Mdm. Daugherty was sitting in the courtyard under the sun. Mdm. Daugherty saw her as well, so she immediately asked her servant to open the door. Adina walked in and sat beside Mdm. Daugherty. ¡°How have you beentely, Grandma?¡± Mdm. Daugherty stared at her and let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m still the same. Addy, when are you moving back?¡± ¡°Grandma, living on my own has been pretty good. I came today because I wanted to ask you something,¡± Adina said in a deep voice. She suddenly wanted to know about Dew¡¯s son. If Dew wanted to pave a path for her own son, she had a motive to kill Harold. She suddenly thought it was a shame that the boy who looked simr to Alden was Dew¡¯s biological son. How could such a good boy have a mother like Dew? ¡°Just ask away.¡± Mdm. Daugherty closed her eyes slightly. ¡°I¡¯m stepping into my grave soon, and my biggest wish is for my family to live peacefully. I wonder if I¡¯ll see that daye.¡± Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Adina just remained silent when she heard Mdm. Daugherty¡¯s muttering. Dew and her led two different lives. She would never be able to live peacefully with Dew. She opened her mouth and softly said, ¡°Grandma, I met a boy the other day. He said that he was Dew¡¯s-¡± Crashh! N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. A loud crash suddenly came from the second floor. Broken ss pieces were scattered around, and some fell from the second floor to thewn in the courtyard. Adina frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± However, Mdm. Daugherty seemed to be used to it. ¡°Whenever Dew loses her temper, she throws things. I wonder who made her angry this time. Addy, you quarrel with Dew whenever the two of you meet. It¡¯d be better if you don¡¯t stay for dinner.¡± Adina nodded. She stood up, walked over, and raised her head slightly. She could see Dew¡¯s room. She furrowed her brows with dissatisfaction before she slowly walked up to the second floor. Meanwhile, Dew was not holding back. She raised her hand and threw a vase beside her to the floor. ¡°Trash! They¡¯re all trash! They can¡¯t even do this properly!¡± Dew yelled in anger. ¡°Is Adina really that difficult to handle? Why can¡¯t I do anything to her even after putting in so much effort?¡± Ruby gently advised her, ¡°The video has been removed, so our work actually hasn¡¯t been in vain.¡± ¡°But Adina sent that woman to the police station. If she testifies against me and says that I bribed her to frame Adina, what am I going to do? I don¡¯t want to go to the police station and give a testimony!¡± As soon as Dew said that, the room door suddenly opened. The two of them turned around in unison. They saw Adina standing at the door with a smile. Her arms were wrapped around her chest as she leaned on the door. None of them knew how long she had been there. Dew¡¯s eyes instantly widened. ¡°When¡­ When did you get here? Who allowed you to step foot in my house?¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t visited, I wouldn¡¯t have heard such an interesting conversation.¡± Adina kicked the broken pieces of ss on the floor away before she walked in slowly. She glowered at Dew, and her voice turned extremely cold. ¡°Why did you bribe the driver¡¯s mother to frame me?¡± Dew scowled at Adina. ¡°Do I need to exin whatever I do to you?¡± ¡°You got your son to deal with me first, then you did it yourself. Dew, do you fear my presence that much?¡± Adina tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Why are you so afraid of me? Could you please tell me?¡± Dew was stunned. ¡°When did I as Adina scoffed. ¡°Stop acting. I know what kind of person you are. Dew Daugherty, I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re plotting, but you better keep yourself in check. I could be capable of anything if you piss me off.¡± After she said that, she turned around and left. Dew walked to the balcony, and after she saw Adina driving away, she kicked the table angrily. ¡°That b*tch! She¡¯s such a b*tch! How dare she act so arrogantly? D*mn it! She¡¯s really getting on my nerves! Mom, what do you think we should do?¡± Ruby squinted. ¡°How did that b*tch, Adina, know that you have a son?¡± ¡°She¡¯s met George before, so she knows about him. But she still doesn¡¯t know that Harold¡¯s my son.¡± Dew clenched her fists. ¡°No matter what, I can¡¯t let that b*tch figure out that I have twins, or else I won¡¯t be able to hide anything.¡± Ruby paced back and forth in the room before she resolutely said, ¡°Let George stay abroad. We mustn¡¯t let Adina discover that George is a child of the Winters family!¡±. ¡°I know!¡± Dew nodded, and her expression made her look vile and cruel. At that moment, her biggest regret was not killing one of the twins back then. If one of them were dead, things would be much simpler. Now, all kinds of things were entangled andplicated. Her head was in a mess, and it irritated her as well as made her anxious. The first thing she did was turn on her phone and send George a video. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Then, she sent him a voice message. ¡°George, my friend sent me this video. The middle-aged woman in the video is the mother of the culprit who hit Harold. If the culprit¡¯s mother is telling the truth, then Adina has to be behind it!¡± That morning, George had a course to attend. He was reading a book in his study when his phone started vibrating. He narrowed his eyes and looked at it, spotting Adina¡¯s name. Perhaps Harold was too invested in Adina. Perhaps Adina had a grudge against their mother. Perhaps it was because of other reasons. Whatever it was, George was highly interested in everything that was rted to Adina. Previously, he would never answer any call or text message from Dew whenever he was working or studying. This time, however, he tapped open the message, and the video automatically yed. After the video finished ying, Dew sent him another voice message. ¡°George, Adina did this. You have to get justice for Harold!¡± George pursed his lips and attempted to turn off his phone. A big hand suddenly extended from the side and took his phone away. When he raised his head, he saw Duke who had appeared next to him out of nowhere. Duke tapped open the video. After he watched it, he scoffed. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s my fault for not investigating the culprit¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to look into it,¡± George said after he stood up and pursed his lips. Duke stared at him and slowly said, ¡°Give me a reason.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°When the culprit¡¯s mother speaks, her gaze wanders, and her demeanor¡¯s stiff. You can tell that she¡¯s practiced her speech many times.¡± George looked down and said, ¡°Besides, Mom coincidentally recorded this scene and sent it to me. It¡¯s not hard to guess who directed it. Mom has always feared Adina, so she¡¯s doing this to chase Adina out of Sea City. I understand her fearful mentality, so I hope you can give her another chance.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t believe that Adina has anything to do with Harold¡¯s ident?¡± Duke asked indifferently. ¡°I sent some people to investigate it, and true enough, it¡¯s not rted to Adina.¡± George raised his gaze. ¡°But I¡¯ll never agree if she ns to use Harold to marry into the Winters family.¡± Duke scoffed. ¡°How old are you? Do you understand what ¡°marriage¡± is? Read your books. Stop worrying about the adults.¡± After he said that, he turned around and left the study. George sat in front of his desk with a dark and profound gaze. He felt extremely conflicted. He hated Adina for using Harold, but something about that woman gave him a good feeling. He could not help but pay attention to everything rted to her. He did not know what was wrong with him. On top of that, he realized he hated his mother even more. In the past, he would usually suppress his hatred deep down in his heart, but recently, he had been unable to hide it. While George thought about that, the phone on his table vibrated. He cast a nce at the iing call and gave it a backhand to snap the phone shut. Yet, the phone vibrated tirelessly. The beeping sounds it produced annoyed George immensely. He frowned and answered the call. ¡°George, did you see the video I just sent to you?¡± Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 When George heard Dew¡¯s voice, his frown deepened. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it.¡± ¡°George, Adina has made her move on Harold, and you¡¯ll be the next. We can¡¯t just sit and wait for death!¡± Dew gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You have to think of a way to chase that b* tch, Adina, out of Sea City!¡± When George heard the term ¡°b*tch¡±, he felt disgusted. He did not know why he felt that way. He took a deep breath. ¡°Mom, stop it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dew was stunned. ¡°I said, please stop before you go too far. It¡¯s obvious that this video is self-directed. If I can see it, Dad can too,¡± George said coldly. ¡°If you still want Dad to have a good impression of you, please don¡¯t get involved in this anymore.¡± Dew instantly clenched her fists. Did her n, which had been carefully constructed, get exposed so easily? How was it possible? N?velDrama.Org ? content. How could it be? George, I didn¡¯t direct that scene. My friend sent me the video.¡± Dew still wanted to give it onest shot. ¡°George, you¡¯re smart. Why would I lie to you? I really have nothing to do with this.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± George suddenly berated her. Dew was shocked, and she began to snivel. ¡°George, how could you¡­ speak to me like this? I¡¯m your mother. I carried you for ten months before I gave birth to you and Harold. It¡¯s fine if Harold hates me, but even you don¡¯t love me anymore?¡± George closed his eyes. ¡°Mom, Harold¡¯s going to be discharged tomorrow. Please think about how you should pick him up from the hospital.¡± After he said that, he hung up. When Dew heard the busy tone on the phone, she was in disbelief. How dare George do that to her! George, who always respected, loved, and listened to her, had the audacity to yell at her! How could this happen? Why had everything not been going welltely? Dew took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. Since George had detected her conspiracy, she could not y any tricks for not. She needed to go and pick up that little b*stard, Harold, tomorrow. The next morning, Dew went to the store after she got changed. She bought some toys that boys would be fond of before she asked the driver to send her to the hospital. She then walked toward the hospital¡¯s entrance in her high heels. Just as she took two steps forward, she suddenly stopped walking. The scenario she saw totally stunned her. Early that morning, Harold had asked Adina to go to the hospital. It was also the weekend, so her children did not have sses. Therefore, she brought Melody and Alden along to pick Harold up. ¡°Aunt Adina, will you be freeter?¡± Harold held Adina¡¯s hand and asked softly. Adina smiled and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re free, can youe to my house?¡± Harold¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You saved me and took care of me for so long. My dad says he wants to treat you to a meal. Am I right, Dad?¡± Harold pulled his father over with a strong tug. Duke red at him. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 When did he say that he wanted to treat Adina to a meal? However, since Harold had mentioned it, he would appear stingy about paying for a meal if he denied it. bu retr WinterMy Mommy¡¯s Brave Heart Chapter 214My Mommy¡¯s Brave Heart Chapter 214My Mommy¡¯s Brave Heart Chapter 214s family vi pleasee to t Duke nodded and nonchntly said for dinner.¡± SOL A dina noticed a bright lint in me o said that. Adina noticed a DIGUE KIMILI She still had not figured out why her daughter liked Duke so much. After Melody called Duke ¡°Dad¡± the other day, she no longer spoke. Adina actually hoped that Melody could spend more time with Duke, but she was also worried that if they spent too much time together, Melody would keep calling him ¡°Dad.¡± At that time, she would feel awkward. When Mr. Brown noticed how silent Adina was, he thought that she did not want to go, so he immediately spoke to help. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, the chef bought some fresh prawns and crabs early in the morning. He even bought some chicken to make some chicken soup. I guess the soup should be ready by now. Having some chicken soup in this weather really keeps the body warm. Ms. Melody is at the age where she should drink more chicken soup for her skin¡­¡± While he was talking dramatically, he suddenly saw a figure nearby. He was instantly taken aback. ¡°Ms. Daugherty?¡± H¨¨ called Dew ¡°Ms. Daugherty,¡± and it was a habit that he had developed over the years. The moment he said that, those beside him raised their heads and looked over. Dew¡¯s stiff lips slowly curled. She had initially wanted to hide, but the situation was such an eyesore. She was so angry that she could no longer think straight. By the time she snapped out of it, Mr. Brown had already spotted her. If she ran away right then, it would look like she was covering something up.. Dew shed him a stiff smile and walked over. ¡°Duke, I came to pick Harold up.¡± However, Duke just cast an unfriendly nce at her without replying. ¨C N?velDrama.Org ? content. Dew was filled with such rage that her chest hurt. She held the toys and wanted to give them to Harold to make him happy. But she was also afraid that Harold would call her ¡°Mom.¡± If Adina heard it, she would not be able to keep anything a secret. While she was struggling and feeling gloomy, Harold had already rushed into Adina¡¯s arms. He talked nonstop. ¡°Aunt Adina, my house is a lot of fun. We have a yground in the backyard. There are slides, swings, and rocking horses¡­. I¡¯ll bring Mel to the yground.¡± Adina stroked his hair, smiled, and said, ¡°I thank you on Mel¡¯s behalf.¡± ¡°The wind outside is strong, so Mel might not be able to take it. Just y inside,¡± Duke interrupted them indifferently. Harold pouted unhappily. ¡°It¡¯s not as fun inside the house.¡± The three of them chatted as if no one else was there, and they looked like a close family of three. Dew¡¯s eyes were extremely intense. She knew that she should remain calm and minimize her presence, but the situation triggered her to the point that she could not control herself. She wore a phony smile, moved forward, and ruthlessly squeezed Adina out of the way.¡° Harold.¡± The second she spoke, Harold shouted unhappily. ¡°Why are you here again, you old witch? You hit Aunt Adina. Why didn¡¯t you apologize? Forget it, you don¡¯t have to apologize! Get lost! You¡¯re the person I hate seeing the most!¡± Every word from Harold was like a strong p on Dew¡¯s face. She had heard them before, but this time, it happened to be in front of the b*tch, Adina. She felt like a clown in front of Adina. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, let me send you back,¡± Mr. Brown quickly stepped forth and said. Whenever the young master saw Ms. Daugherty, there would be a huge fight. Such urrences troubled him the most. Hence, he needed to send her away so that he could feel at ease. Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Dew was furious. She was the young masters¡¯ mother in the Winters family. She was the future mistress of the Winters family. How could Adina rece her and stand beside Duke? Why was she the one being kicked out? ¡°Ms. Daugherty, the young master has just recovered, so he can¡¯t go through an emotional episode. Please leave for now.¡± Mr. Brown bowed slightly while he advised her respectfully. Dew looked at Duke. That man did not look at her at all. If she continued to stay there, it would make her more embarrassed. When Dew thought about it, she turned around and left, while Mr. Brown quickly followed her. Adina turned around slightly and stared at Dew¡¯s back. Mr. Brown was unexpectedly respectful toward Dew as if he was facing his master. But Adina also could not be bothered with it. She bent down, carried Harold, and gently said, ¡°Harold, it was wrong of you to act like that.¡± After Dew left, Harold transformed from a furious lion cub to an obedient kitten. He blinked and asked, ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be rude whenever you speak to someone.¡± Adina touched his hair. ¡°No matter how much you hate that person, you can¡¯t be rude. If you don¡¯t like them, you can ignore them. If you be furious, you¡¯ll lose control. You¡¯re the young master of the Winters family. How can you lose your elegance and imposing manner?¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Harold stroked his nose. He was usually quite elegant, but he would get mad whenever he saw Dew. That woman was despicable! It would be better to not talk about such an annoying person with Aunt Adina. The chatty Harold changed the subject and said, ¡°Aunt Adina, the pasta you madest time was so delicious. Could you cook it for me again?¡± Adina smiled and nodded. N?velDrama.Org ? content. However, they heard Alden¡¯s voice right then. ¡°Are you treating my mom to dinner or are you asking my mom to cook for you?¡± Harold choked. ¡°Oh¡­ maybe next time.¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just some pasta. It¡¯s not a big deal. Alden, you can¡¯t talk like that.¡± Alden pursed his lips and remained silent. He did not oppose his mom going to the Winters family vi mostly because he wanted to meet George. He had sent him a challenge message but never received any reply. He wanted to ask him what had happened. Later, the whole group got into one car. Duke drove, while Adina and the three kids sat in the back. Harold was extroverted, active, and lively. Hence, he could be heard talking in the car. When Duke looked at the scene through the rear-view mirror, he found it very warm. Meanwhile, another car was following them. Dew was sitting in the backseat with a ruthless gaze. Mr. Brown, who was driving, subconsciously shuddered in fear. He held the steering wheel and said in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡¯ll send you back to the Daugherty family vi.¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I go to the Winters family vi?¡± she asked with dissatisfaction. Mr. Brown smiled in resignation. The young master had already chased her out. He really did not understand why she insisted on following them. Besides, Ms. Adina Daugherty was also there. He had roughly heard about the grudge between the Daugherty sisters. If they were under the same roof, he dared not imagine what would happen. ¡°I left something in the Winters family vi. I¡¯ll leave after I take it,¡± Dew said coldly. Mr. Brown sighed. He could just continue driving, but he slowed down a lot. At the Winters family vi, the group of five got out of the car. Harold held Melody¡¯s hand as they walked into the vi. ¡°Mel, let me bring you to my room. There are a ton of toys. I have Transformers, remote control cars and airnes¡­¡± Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Alden slowly sized the Winters family up before he pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Uncle Duke, is Harold¡¯s brother at home?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at the office. He¡¯ll be backter,¡± Duke said nonchntly. Alden nodded. He walked up to a book rack, took a book, and flipped through it. Adina, on the other hand, nced at the kitchen. The servants were preparing to cook, so it was crowded there. It would be better for her to cook the pastater. She casually sat down on the couch, but she realized that Duke was sitting across from her. Two of the kids were upstairs, while Alden was reading a book. Only the two of them ¡°had nothing to do¡± in the living room. Adina felt awkward for some reason.. She nced around before she saw the piano at the corner of the living room. She finally knew what to do. She smiled faintly and asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, can I y the piano?¡± Duke nodded indifferently. ¡°Yes.¡± He stared at Adina in surprise. Did this woman also y the piano? Adina walked over. She pressed the piano keys, and the familiar sound stunned her. Why did she find this piano familiar? She then walked to the back of the piano. When she saw the brand logo carved in gold, she instantly understood. It was the piano that Dew had grabbed for triple the price. It had actually been delivered to the Winters family vi. Somehow, Adina felt extremely ufortable. She turned around and sat back on the couch. She would rather sit there awkwardly than touch that piano. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you y?¡± Duke stared at her and slowly asked. ¡°I suddenly didn¡¯t feel like ying anymore.¡± Adina leaned back on the couch and casually grabbed a magazine. She acted as if she refused to talk to him. Duke stroked his nose gloomily. This woman switched so quickly. She still appeared gentle, but why did she suddenly be grumpy? While Duke was feeling extremely dejected downstairs, Harold was not faring any better upstairs. He had taken out all his favorite toys and put them in front of Melody. ¡°Do you like this one? What about this one? And this! My dad bought them for me. I like to y with them. Why don¡¯t you like them?¡± When Melody saw that the Transformers model was the same height as her, she fearfully took a step back Harold quickly pushed the toy onto the table. ¡°Mel, you can tell me what you like. I¡¯ll ask Papa Brown to buy them now.¡± Melody shook her head, and her expression did not change much. ¡°Oh, yeah! Harold held her hand and walked out. ¡°George bought a lot of toys that girls like the other day. How could I forget? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you there so that you can have a look!¡± He then dragged Melody to George¡¯s room. His bedroom was decorated in cool tones, and the carpet, wallpaper, as well as curtains, were gray. It looked like the room of a grown man. Melody did not go inside. She just stood at the door. Harold searched everywhere and found a set of pink Barbie toys from the cab. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He walked up to Melody attentively and handed her the toys as if he was presenting her with treasure. ¡°Girls should like these. Take them. We can y together.¡± However, Melody turned to the side and avoided the toys. She had yed with Barbie dolls when she was two, and she did not like them anymore. Although she did not ept the toys, Harold had already let go of them. Thud! The set of Barbie dolls dropped to the floor, and the Crystal Princess¡¯crown broke in half. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 ¡°Mel, don¡¯t you like Barbie dolls either?¡± Harold looked troubled as he frowned. Guessing Melody¡¯s thoughts was even harder than solving a mathematics question. He sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s sneak out and y. We can¡¯t let Dad find out.¡± Melody obediently went downstairs with him. Harold held her hand and passed by the bottom of the stairs. Just as they took a few steps, Melody stopped moving. Compared with ying the slides, she preferred ying the piano. Mr. Albert had given her new homework yesterday, and she had yet to practice. Therefore, the little girl swung Harold¡¯s hand away and sat in front of the piano. The elegant sound of the piano echoed. Harold¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Wow! Mel, you can y the piano. It sounds awesome! I¡¯ve never heard such a melodious song.¡± The sound of the piano finally broke the awkwardness in the living room. Duke turned around. A girl in a pink dress was sitting at the piano next to the staircase. She sat up straight, and her long, fair fingers pressed the piano keys. She yed a happy nursery rhyme, which delighted those who listened to it. Duke was slightly surprised. Melody was just four years old, but her piano skills were actually great. She had to be very gifted in music. Just as he was about to say something to Adina, she suddenly got up and walked over. ¡°Mel, you yed the wrong key just now.¡± Adina stood beside the piano and guided Melody patiently. Melody tilted her head and listened to Adina¡¯s suggestion seriously before she yed again. ¡°It¡¯s weird.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°The tune¡¯s urate, but it feels wrong. Follow me, Mel.¡± She then sat on the other end of the long bench. The two of them yed the piano together as if nobody else was there. Harold did not like music. Whenever Dew yed piano, he would find it noisy. Yet, at that moment, he felt as if the song had magic. He was intoxicated and rxed. Duke looked at Adina¡¯s back. He found her posture of ying the piano familiar for some reason. He once again recalled his memory of meeting the girl in Sea City High School many years ago. Why did he find the view of Adina¡¯s back simr to that teen girl¡¯s? This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Perhaps his stare was too intense, because Adina could feel someone staring at her from the back She suddenly stopped ying, and the music instantly stopped. Melody turned to the side, and her eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°You better ask your teacher when we go back at night. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s wrong either.¡± Adina stood up and acted nonchntly as she turned around. Coincidentally, she met Duke¡¯s dark, profound, and curious gaze. Why was this man staring at her like that? Adina¡¯s heart pounded quickly all of a sudden. She pursed her lips before she calmed down and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now. I¡¯ll go and cook some pasta for Harold.¡± She turned around and went to the kitchen. Duke looked down. He did not know why, but this woman was clearly avoiding him. He pursed his lips, got up, and went to his study upstairs. He also had a few questions about Project A-F to ask her. Only Harold and Melody were left in the living room. Melody was stubborn. She insisted on understanding things that she was not clear about, so she kept ying the same song again and again. Outside the vi¡­ Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Dew had heard the sounds of a piano before her car stopped. There was only one piano in the Winters family vi, and it was the one she had bought. Who was touching her piano? Dew pushed the car door open, got out, and quickly walked to the living room¡¯s entrance. She nced around the main door and the living room before seeing a pink figure sitting in front of the piano. The figure looked exactly like Adina. How could that b*tch¡¯s daughter y her piano? Before Dew realized it, she had already rushed into the living room and pushed Melody away. Melody was ying the piano. Her fingers swept over the keys quickly, and she was so close¡­. so close to figuring out which part had gone wrong. But at that moment, a strong breeze blew over. Itpletely lifted her. One second she was sitting on the high bench, and the next, she had unexpectedly fallen. The bench was for adults, so it was tall. When Melody hit the ground, she screamed in pain. ¡°You little b*stard! How dare you touch my piano?!¡± Dew was livid. When she saw Melody¡¯s face that resembled Adina¡¯s, she instantly recalled her terrible childhood memories. Since Adina looked prettier than her from a young age, no matter which school they attended, Adina would always be the most beautiful girl in the school. Meanwhile, she would always be the sister of the most beautiful girl! It had been many years, and she had managed to suppress her anger, but this little b*stard just brought it all back. Dew raised her arm angrily and tried to p Melody without mercy. ¡°Mel, get away!¡± Harold was completely shocked by the situation. He never thought that Dew would have the guts to behave atrociously in the Winters family vi. By the time he snapped out of it, Melody had already fallen to the floor, and Dew was raising her arm.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. His mind instantly became nk, so he could only rush over and hold Melody in his arms. p! A loud p was delivered to Harold¡¯s face. The clear sound resonated in the living room. Dew suddenly became sober as if she had been struck by lightning What had she done? She had pped Harold! When Duke opened the door of his study and went downstairs, he witnessed the situation His eyes were filled with contempt. He slowly walked down the stairs and emanated a cold aura. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harold. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Dew¡¯s voice was shaking When Harold was little, she could pinch him whenever she wanted. She did not have to fear anything But ever since Harold started to understand things, she never hurt him at all. She was extremely afraid of doing that because Duke cared about the boys too much Dew¡¯s hand trembled as she tried to touch Harold¡¯s red and swollen cheek The moment she extended her arm, Harold bit her. ¡°You foul witch! You¡¯re a winch! Get out of my house right now! Get out!¡± He pushed Dew away with all his might. Melody pulled him over before she stroked his face with her gentle hand. Harold instantly calmed. He held Melody¡¯s hand and felt a little lucky Fortunately, it was not Mel who had gotten pped. If her delicate pink face had been pped, he would make Dew pay the price one hundredfold. Meanwhile, Dew knew that she had made a terrible mistake. She should not have rushed in so recklessly She should not have hurt the little b*stard. She should not have pped Harold. As she raised her head, she saw Duke walking down the stairs slowly, and she became incredibly frightened. She blinked, and her tears instantly fell. ¡°Duke, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I never wanted to hurt Harold. I never wanted to..¡± ¡°So, who did you want to hurt?¡± Duke walked over, and disdain filled his voice. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Dew felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Her tears fell nonstop like the water in a flowing river. ¡°You pped me, but I¡¯m not crying. Why are you crying?¡± Harold¡¯s voice was full of hatred.¡° If you want to keep crying, just get out!¡± Dew forced herself to stop crying. She bit her bottom lip and stared at Duke as she tried to exin. ¡°I don¡¯t like people touching my things without my permission. I bought this piano for $3,000,000, and it¡¯s unique in the city. I was afraid that the kid would break my piano, so I pushed her away. Who knew she would be so weak? I really didn¡¯t intend for it to turn out like this.¡± She should not have exined herself because once she did that, Duke¡¯s expression became colder. He looked down and curled his fingers gently. ¡°I also don¡¯t like people invading my house without my permission.¡± ¡°Mr. Brown, send our guest away!¡± he shouted reproachfully. Dew widened her eyes. ¡°Duke, are you chasing me out? Why? Is it because of this little bast* rd? Duke raised his head and looked at her. If the coldness in his eyes were a physical object, Dew would have been full of holes by now. He sneered. Did she realize that he did not hit women? This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He turned around, casually took a ss of water, and poured it on the piano. Dew widened her eyes again. ¡°Duke, what are you doing? I spent $3,000,000 on this piano!¡± ¡°George already paid for the piano, so it has nothing to do with you.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was filled with hatred. ¡°It¡¯s dirty because you yed it, so there¡¯s no need for it to remain in the Winters family vi anymore. ¡°Someone please throw this piano out.¡± Two bodyguards immediately walked in. They lifted the piano on each side and carried it out. Dew¡¯s eyes were on stalks at this point. Duke had always been impatient toward her, but he had never talked to her in that tone! Why? Why did he suddenly be like that? Dew instantly turned around and looked at the kitchen. The kitchen door was closed, and the exhaust hood was on, so it was very loud. Hence, Adina did not notice themotion in the living room. Alden was helping her in the kitchen, and the two of them were chatting happily. It was calm in there, while Dew was being chased out. ¡°Duke, are you falling for Adina?¡± Dew questioned him indignantly. ¡°She can¡¯t stand me, so you¡¯re chasing me out. Is that the case?¡± ¡°So, you still don¡¯t realize what you did wrong?¡± Duke had lost all his patience. He nced at Mr. Brown coldly. Mr. Brown walked over and softly said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, please leave. Don¡¯t make this more embarrassing than it has to be.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a servant. Who are you here to teach me a lesson?¡± Dew vented all her anger on Mr. Brown. She yelled without caring about her reputation, ¡°I¡¯m George and Harold¡¯s mother. They are my sons. If you want to chase me out, fine! But I¡¯m taking one of them with me!¡± Melody heard that as she was stroking Harold¡¯s face, and she instantly stopped. She raised her head and stared at Dew in disbelief before she gazed at the silly-looking Harold. At the next second, she pulled her hand away and took a few steps back Harold was clueless, so he continued to move closer. ¡°Mel, it still hurts a lot. Could you continue the massage?¡± Melody¡¯s fair face suddenly turned cold. She normally had a simr expression when she did not speak. So, now that her demeanor was cold, she looked no different than usual. She pursed her thin pink lips before she walked toward the kitchen. Harold could not tell the difference. He just followed Melody to the kitchen. Meanwhile, the hostile aura continued to permeate the living room. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Dew soon regretted what she said. Unfortunately, there was no way for her to take back her words now. She had to pluck up her courage to stare Duke in the eyes. The man¡¯s ck and dark eyes were harsh. He curled his lips into a sneer. ¡°You wanted to give birth to them, and you did. Now, you want to take them away as you wish. What is the Winters family to you?¡± Dew relented again. ¡°Duke, I gave birth to George and Harold after a ten-month pregnancy. You said that I was always wee to the Winters family vi, and I coulde over whenever I miss the boys. But you¡¯re chasing me out right now. I¡­ I¡¯m really scared that I won¡¯t be able to see the boys anymore.¡± ¡°Your biggest mistake was calling Melody a little b*stard.¡± Duke raised his voice coldly. ¡°Mr. Brown, why are you still standing there? Why aren¡¯t you bringing her out?¡± Mr. Brown nodded and stood in front of Dew. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if you don¡¯t cooperate and leave, I¡¯ll have to get the bodyguards to throw you out.¡± Dew waspletely dumbfounded. She kept reying what Duke said in her head. She should not have called Melody a little b*stard¡­ Was Melody not the daughter of that b*tch, Adina? Duke was actually defending the little b*stard, whom Adina had birthed! Why? How could he? When Mr. Brown saw that Dew was still standing there, he stopped ying nice and called two bodyguards over. The bodyguards grabbed Dew¡¯s shoulders as they dragged her out. Dew would have definitely struggled aggressively under usual circumstances, but she waspletely stunned at that moment. She had assumed that she was being chased out because of her p on Harold. She never would have expected the reason to be Adina¡¯s little b*stard. Why was this happening? How could it be? Dew was soon thrown outside the Winters family vi. When a cold breeze blew over, it promptly sobered her up. She noticed that her piano had been discarded outside, and sanitation workers drove over before they threw the $3,000,000 piano into the garbage truck. Her heart instantly sank Before she could get over her anger, she saw the servants walk out with arge pile of clothes, and they threw the clothes into the garbage truck as well. Those were dresses that George had custom-made for her. George had asked her to take the dresses back with her, but she had always refused using all kinds of excuses. She thought that the Winters family vi was her home, and it was only proper for her to keep her clothes in their vi. But now, Dew, her clothes, and her piano had been thrown out of the house together! She stood outside the vi as she looked through the iron gate into the living room. She could faintly see Adina walking out of the kitchen with a te. She could even hear Harold¡¯sughter. Hisughter was piercing! It punctured her heart like a needle and left thousands of holes. Adina walked out of the kitchen with a te of pasta and a gentle smile. Just as she was about to say something, she was taken aback. ¡°Harold, what¡¯s wrong with your face? Why is it red and swollen?¡± Harold had initially been quite tough, not crying even after he got pped. However, when Adina asked him about it, his eyes immediately turned red. ¡°The witch pped me. It really hurts. Look at it, Aunt Adina.¡± He sniffed. He took the opportunity to climb onto Adina¡¯s body. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Melody was standing obediently by the side. Unexpectedly, she raised her head and put her arms around Adina¡¯s neck first. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Melody had been different from other children since birth. People always said that daughters were sweethearts, but Melody was not the affectionate type. She never cried or made a fuss, and she rarely asked for a hug. This was the first time that Melody had taken the initiative to climb on Adina over the past year. ll! Naturally, her daughter was more important than another person¡¯s child. Adina carried Melody and softly asked, ¡°Mel, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The little girl hugged Adina¡¯s neck without answering. Duke walked over and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± Adina narrowed her eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Aunt Adina, that witch bullied Mel!¡± Harold said angrily. ¡°Luckily, I responded quickly. I shielded Mel, or else, Mel¡¯s face would have been swollen!¡± He stood up straight, feeling proud. ¡°I¡¯m a man, and I¡¯m her brother. I said I would protect Mel. Aren¡¯t I amazing, Aunt Adina?¡± . Adina stroked his head. ¡°Thank you, Harold.¡± She was smiling, but her eyes were cold. She had thought of letting Melody be around Duke more, but how could she still have such thoughts when a certain time bomb named Dew was around there? Melody was only four years old, yet Dew hurt her. Dew¡¯s heart was indeed as vicious and twisted as it used to be. ¡°This won¡¯t happen again.¡± Duke pursed his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and eat.¡± Adina looked down. Today would be thest time. . She would not bring her children over again. She could not expose her children to Dew. After the four of them took their seats, Alden nonchntly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Harold¡¯s brother? Isn¡¯t he going to eat with us?¡± ¡°I called Young Master George an hour ago, and he mentioned that he woulde backter. I¡¯ll ask him again.¡± Mr. Brown then turned around to make the call. George had packed his documents. Just as he was about to go home, Mr. Brown called him. ¡°Young Master, Ms. Adina Daugherty is here. How long will it take you toe home?¡± George was stunned. ¡°Papa Brown, you¡¯re saying there¡¯s a guest in the Winters family vi today, and the guest is Adina?¡± Mr. Brown smiled and said, ¡°The master and your brother invited Ms. Adina Daugherty for lunch in the Winters family. They¡¯re waiting for you at the moment. How long will it take you?¡± George put his briefcase on the office desk again, and his voice was indifferent:¡±¡±I still haven¡¯t finished one of my projects, so I¡¯m not going back. You folks can enjoy your food.¡±. After he hung up, his gaze turned profound. He would face that woman after he figured out how he felt about her. The Winters family enjoyed a nice lunch. Harold had just recovered, and after lunch, he fell asleep in Mr. Brown¡¯s arms. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, let me send you home,¡± Duke said indifferently. Adina had not driven over, and they were quite far from the Daugherty family home, so she did not turn Duke down. She took her children into Duke¡¯s car, and Alden sat in the backseat before he blurted out,, Uncle Duke, is Harold¡¯s brother very busy?¡± Was he so busy that he could not evene back for lunch?Duke nodded. ¡°I gave him apany. He needs to handle everything there, so he is quite busy.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Alden remained silent. George was the same age as him, but George was already managing a company while he was still studying in preschool. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 One should neverpare themselves with other people. However, it was the third time Adina had heard her son ask about Harold¡¯s brother. ¡°Alden, why are you asking about him?¡± she inquired curiously. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Harold¡¯s always saying that he has an incredible brother, so I¡¯ve been wanting to see how great he is,¡± Alden answered nonchntly. ON Adina could not help but chuckle. Alden was usually very mature, which always made her think that he was a grown-up. Alden would only show his childish desire to win when it came to such matters. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll arrange for the two of you to meet,¡± Duke said as he drove. ¡°George is a genius, and you¡¯re not any worse. If both of you chat, perhaps you can help open up a new perspective for each other.¡± Alden pursed his lips and said nothing else. But Adina became more curious about George. George asked his assistant to send him home after he finished working on hisst case. It was 3.00 pm, and the vi was silent. Only the rustling sounds of the wind blowing through the treetops could be heard. George walked into the vi, changed his shoes, and went upstairs. He pushed open the door to his room and saw a barbie doll set on the floor. The doll was dressed up like a princess in the set, and her crystal crown was broken. George¡¯s expression turned cold. He picked up the toy from the floor before he walked to Harold¡¯s room and knocked on the door. He knocked a few times, but he did not hear a response. So, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. He saw that Harold was sleeping on the bed, while the nket had been kicked off the bed. His round belly was exposed. George frowned and walked inside. He impatiently ced the nket on Harold before he shouted, ¡°What time is it? Why are you sleeping?!¡±. Harold pulled the nket over his head and sullenly said, ¡°I¡¯ve just been discharged. Dad said I could sleep. Don¡¯t wake me up!¡± ¡°I want to ask you something. Did you go to my room and take my things?¡± Harold stuck his head out and narrowed his eyes as he looked at his brother. Then, he saw the Barbie doll. ¡°George, you don¡¯t have good taste. Girls don¡¯t like the toy you bought!¡± he said gloomily. George¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it for you. Who allowed you to touch it?¡± Most of Harold¡¯s sleepiness had faded by now. He frowned and said, ¡°George, isn¡¯t this the toy that I asked you to help me buy for Mel?¡± George nodded indifferently. He rarely paid attention to unrted people, but after he met Mel outside Harold¡¯s ward the other day, he could not forget the little girl. He was extremely busy every day, but he managed to find two hours to visit the store and carefully choose a gift after he met Mel for the first time. However, the gift was broken before he even got to meet her again. How could he not get angry? ¡°George, it¡¯s just broken. You don¡¯t have to mind it. Mel doesn¡¯t like Barbie dolls at all.¡± Harold rested his chin on his hand. He pondered for a while and said, ¡°Mel came to our house and yed the piano today. I think she likes the piano. George, if you have the money, you can buy her a piano.¡± George narrowed his eyes. ¡°Mel came to our house today?¡± ¡°Yeah, Dad and I invited Aunt Adina to our house. Mel didn¡¯t have to go to school today, so she came over too.¡± George pursed his lips tightly. ¡°Why did shee along?¡± Harold stared at him as if he was a fool. ¡°Mel¡¯s only four years old. Of course she has toe along with her mom. What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Chapter 223 Chapter 223 George¡¯s dark gaze suddenly froze. Melody was Adina¡¯s daughter? ¡°But Mel likes to be with Alden more. She just loves Alden. I wonder when Mel will consider me as her brother.¡± Harold wore a sad expression and sighed. George felt troubled as he asked, ¡°Her own brother?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Obviously he¡¯s her brother!¡± Harold nced at George again. ¡°George, didn¡¯t you investigate Aunt Adina? Howe you don¡¯t know that she has two kids?¡± George fell silent. He had done a background check on Adina, but the information did not reveal that Adina had kids. In other words, Adina protected the two children really well, so information about them could not be found publicly. It was the same way his dad protected Harold and him. So, the boy he had previously met outside Harold¡¯s ward was Melody¡¯s brother? That boy looked like he was four years old. Was he Melody¡¯s twin? Just like Harold and him? ¡°Mel is the most beautiful girl I¡¯ve ever seen. Her eyes are gorgeous like ck grapes, and her face is like cotton candy. I poked her cheek once, and it was so soft. It¡¯d be great if I could kiss her on the cheek. I bet she tastes sweet!¡± Harold fantasized about it like a demented man. George pursed his lips. He had also thought about kissing Melody. Why would he be fond of Adina¡¯s daughter? What the hell? ¡°George, do you know that the witch tried to p Mel today?¡± George turned around. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You bought a piano for that witch, didn¡¯t you? Mel can also y the piano. She yed it for a while, but that witch pushed her off the chair. She even tried to p Mel. Luckily, I took the p for Mel, otherwise, Mel would nevere to our house again.¡± ¡°Is Mel alright?¡± George clenched his fists and asked. ¡°I took the p for her, so she¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Harold was speechless. He had been pped, but why did George not ask if he was alright? Chapter 224 Chapter 224 George stared at the Barbie doll in his hand and stoically replied, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®what should I do?¡¯¡± ¡°Your dad vented his anger on me for the sake of a little b*stard. He even banned me from going to the Winters family vi again. George, your dad also threw out the piano that you bought for me. That was your gift to me. How could your dad be so cruel? George, I¡¯m so sad and frustrated. I don¡¯t know what to do. I feel helpless¡­¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. George frowned. For some reason, when Dew called Melody a ¡°little b*stard,¡± he felt angry. He pursed his lips and coldly said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t hurt Mel, Dad wouldn¡¯t have gotten angry at you. There has to be a reason for everything. Mom, you better reflect on your actions a little more.¡± 11 ¡°But I didn¡¯t p that little b*stard. I didn¡¯t even touch her finger.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re ady, but you keep saying ¡®little b*stard.¡¯ Where¡¯s your elegance? Where¡¯s your temperament?¡± George¡¯s voice was filled with mockery. ¡°Mom, you better spend more time practicing your piano skills. It can nurture your emotions and improve your perspective.¡± Dew was so angry that she almost had a heart attack. AT O P She was this little b*stard¡¯s mother, but he dared to speak to her as if he was teaching her a lesson! ¡°Mom, if you dare to hurt Mel again, don¡¯t me me for blocking your number.¡± UO After George said that, he instantly hung up. ¡°Excuse me, George?! I gave birth to you after a ten- month pregnancy. How could you think about blocking my number? How could you¡­Hey! Hey!¡± Dew held her phone as the line went dead, and she stomped her foot in fury on the street. Duke defended that little b*stard! Harold treated that little b*stard like a treasure! Even George cared about that little b*stard now? She was furious to the point that she wanted to smash her phone. ¡°Dew?¡± A man¡¯s voice suddenly rang out behind her. Dew hid her angry, twisted expression before she slowly turned around and saw a familiar face. ¡°Hey?¡± She opened her eyes wide in shock. ¡°Hello.¡± The man shed her a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you on the street. This means we¡¯re not done with each other yet.¡± Dew quickly schooled her expression and indifferently said, ¡°We already broke up. Stop pestering me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pestering you. I was just walking on the street when I coincidentally bumped into you.¡± The man¡¯s eyes were filled with affection, ¡°Dew, it¡¯s been four years. We haven¡¯t seen each other for four years. I miss you every day and night. Have you really tossed our love aside? You suddenly asked to break up with me, and I still don¡¯t understand what I did wrong. I can¡¯t figure out why you were so resolute¡­¡± Dew took a step back. Four years ago, after she discovered that Adina had given birth to the young masters of the Winters family, she came up with a perfect n. She immediately broke up with her boyfriend before she went to the Winters family with the two children and looked for Duke. She made it a clean cut, and the man disappeared from her life for four years. Unexpectedly, they would meet again. He had been her boyfriend back in high school. They had been in a rtionship for a few years, and they had been close. If it were not for that incident, perhaps she would have gotten married to her first love. She had always kept her first love to herself, believing that she did not care about this man. However, her heart was broken at the moment. When she saw the affection in this man¡¯s eyes, she was suddenly filled with grief. ¡°Dew, why are your eyes red?¡± The man took a step forward and held her shoulders. Dew¡¯s eyes turned redder. In thest four years, she had been going after Duke. She had been by Duke¡¯s side every day and paying attention to his emotions. However, everyone had ignored her emotions. Right then, she finally realized that she deserved to be cherished too. She raised her head and asked the man in front of her, ¡°Don¡¯t you mind that I broke up with you four years ago?¡± Chapter 225 Chapter 225 ¡°Dew, about what happened four years ago, I won¡®t ask you for the reason. I just want to ask you, do we still have a future?¡± Dn Houghton¡®s eyes were filled with affection as he caressed Dew¡®s shoulders. His hands were warm, and that made Dew¡®s heart pound really fast. Ever since she set her sights on bing Mrs. Winters, she had never gotten into a rtionship with any other man. It had been four years since shest slept with a man. The man rubbed her shoulders, slowly stirring the desire in her heart. She licked her lips. ¡°Dn, we won¡®t have a future.¡± ¡°People always say that we should cherish the present moment instead of asking for eternity.¡± Dn stared at her, and his voice was bewitching. ¡°Will you let me own you for a moment?¡± Dewpletely fell for him. She could not wait for it. The feeling of sleeping with a man from four years ago filled her heart, and her cheeks became flushed. Dn chuckled. ¡°Dew, I¡®ll love you and take care of you. Don¡®t be afraid.¡±. He slowly moved his hand from her shoulder down to her waist. The two of them checked into the nearest hotel right after. The car stopped in front of the vi. Adina got her two children out of the car before she bent down and spoke softly to Duke who had driven them home. ¡°Thank you for sending us home, Mr. Winters.¡± Duke looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you have any ns this afternoon?¡°. When he saw her shaking her head, he directly unfastened his seatbelt. ¡°Good. Let¡®s go over some details regarding Project A¨CF.¡± Adina never neglected her work, so she nodded and led Duke into her house. It was not Duke¡®s first time visiting the vi. He changed into a pair of slippers and sat on the couch with familiarity. Meanwhile, Adina took the children to the climbing mat on the balcony for them to y with some toys. Then, she walked over and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, let¡®s go to the study. The information about the project is on my computer. I can show you the simtion of the smart experience.¡± Duke nodded and followed her upstairs. The renovation of the study on the second floor was simple, clean, and bright. There was aputer on the office desk, and there were also a few programming¨Crted books. Adina pulled out a chair and sat in front of her desk. She turned on theputer and clicked on the simtion webpage. It was the simtion model that she had built. She had just created the framework and had yet to send it to the project team for assessment. There was only one chair in the study. Since Adina was sitting, Duke just stood beside her. He supported himself on the table, leaned forward slightly, and looked at the simtion system on the screen. (This is the simtion framework that I built. It uses thetest programming technology, which can be found in the most current sports car model on the market. After the iy of ¡®intelligent systems, the car can go on autopilot¡­ Adina patiently exined and operated it. Suddenly, herputer started tog, and the screen kept shing. She frowned. ¡°I just built this system yesterday.¡®|| She pressed the keyboard skilfully, and theputer screen shed. All of a sudden, the simtion screen disappeared, and a video popped up. Before Adina realized what the video was about, a woman¡®s voice rang out in the room. It left little to the imagination. A man and a woman were naked on the screen, and they were in bed. Oh, gawd! Why was herptop infected? Such an erotic video even started y at this critical time! Adina immediately pressed the key to shut it down. Yet, no matter what she pressed, the video continued to y. The man and the woman in the video grew more passionate with each second. All kinds of moansThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. that could make the heart pound echoed, and Adina¡®s face instantly turned red. ¡°I didn¡®t know you had such a hobby.¡± She heard a deep and hoarse voice above her head. When Adina raised her head, she saw the man¡®s dark and profound gaze. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Her heart subconsciously skipped a beat. She looked away before she pretended to be calm and said, ¡°Mypany website was attacked and infected previously. I think there are still some remaining viruses that I haven¡®t cleaned up. Let me get rid of them first.¡± She calmly operated theputer. However, for some reason, theputer, which would usually be under her control, refused to obey her instructions today. The video on the screen was simply unbearable. Even though Adina was a calm person, she could not stand looking at the screen. She just narrowed her eyes and pressed any key at this point. Who would have thought that the scene would suddenly erge? The voices also became louder, which made the room¡­ ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you invited me to the study to watch this video?¡±. It sounded like Duke was teasing her. He leaned forward. Adina was shocked. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing?¡± This man¡®s desire had not been triggered by the erotic video, had it? ¡°Ms. Daugherty, your methods are not working, but you¡®re not allowing me to help you? Do you want this video to rey again and again?¡± Adina¡®s face continued to turn red. She immediately moved to the side and gave way to him. He pressed his articted hands on the keyboards, and the screen turned ck. Adina felt slightly embarrassed. He dealt with it so easily, while she took such a long time just now N?velDrama.Org ? content. Duke kept his hands away. He stared at the woman¡®s red face, and for some reason, he found her expression slightly familiar. It was as if he had seen it somewhere. He pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, did we meet a few years back?¡± Just as Adina was about to reply, she smelled a familiar scent. The scent immediately brought her back to five years ago. That night, during her eighteenth birthday celebration, the man who had recklessly defiled her gave off the same scent. She instantly widened her eyes and stared at Duke: Their gazes met Buzz! Right then, someone¡®s phone vibrated. Adina immediately touched the phone in her pocket and realized that it was not her phone. Duke stood up straight, walked a few steps to the side, and answered the call. ¡°Duke, where are you?¡± Trent¡¯s nonchnt voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°In the Daugherty family vi. What is it?¡± Duke replied indifferently. ¡°The Daugherty family? Adina¡®s house?¡± Trent whistled. ¡°Oh, my days, you just found your way to Adina¡®s house without us knowing. I was even worried about you, mate.¡± Duke frowned. ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss work with her.¡± ¡°Why didn¡®t you bring me and Em along if you wanted to talk about work? We invested in this project too, okay? We¡®re having a cruise party over here. Bring Adina over and have some fun. We can also talk about work!¡± Duke nodded. ¡°I¡®ll ask her.¡± After he said that, he hung up. He raised his eyebrows and noticed that Adina was testing herputer. The virtual simtion experience appeared on the screen again. He walked over and leisurely said, ¡°Bring yourptop along. Let¡®s go somewhere.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Adina initially did not want to go. She would take her children out every weekend and put work aside. ¡°Mom, I¡®ll look after Mel. You can rx and go ahead.¡± Alden smiled faintly. ¡°Pleasee back early.¡± Melody was practicing the piano obediently, and Adina really did not have to worry about her. She caressed her children¡®s heads and changed before she left with Duke. As soon as the car disappeared from the entrance, Alden went upstairs and took out theptop that he had hidden under the bed. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He opened a social media webpage. When he logged in, he found that he had received many messages. The messages had been sent by K, and they were all filled with nonsense. Alden tapped on the keyboard and quickly sent Ka sentence. (Uncle,st year, you mentioned that you wanted to form a studio of hackers. How did that turn out?] K: [A hacker studio without you would be soulless, so I gave up on the thought.] Sir Daugherty: (I agree to join.] K: [Damn! Have you finally made up your mind? Didn¡®t you say that your mom disagrees with your job as a hacker? But don¡®t mind me saying this. You¡®re a man. If you¡®re too obedient to your mom, you¡®ll look like a momma¡®s boy. Women wouldn¡®t like a man like that.] Sir Daugherty: (If you keep talking crap, I¡®ll establish my own studio without you.] K: [Okay, I¡®m sorry.] .. Alden tapped on the keyboard speedily while he discussed the details with K. He had wanted to do this for a long time, but his mom never gave him permission. Hence, he had been forced to suppress the thought. But! George¡®s handling of apany had strongly triggered him. If George could take charge of his own establishment, why could he not? If he could sessfully build the studio, he would slowly be stronger. One day, he would be able to help his mother solve a l?t of problems! By the time Adina arrived at the jetty with Duke, it was already 6.00 pm. The sky slowly turned dark, and the lights by the sea turned on. When the lights shone on the sea¡®s surface, it looked like a gxy in the universe. A huge cruise ship was parked at the jetty, and the lights on the deck were on. Men and women, who were nicely dressed, raised their champagne sses while they chatted happily. Adina frowned. ¡°Didn¡®t you say you were bringing me here for a work discussion?¡± ¡°Trent and Em have booked a private room. Let¡®s go there.¡± Duke made his move and walked up to the cruise. There was a very high step. He turned around and extended his arm to help Adina. However, the woman directly lifted the hem of her dress, raised her knee, and got on the cruise with some effort. Duke frowned. ¡°Let me help you next time.¡± Adina smiled faintly, ¡°There won¡®t be someone around every time, so I should do it myself.¡± Duke cast a nce at her and did not say anything else. The two of them walked up the steps one after another. One was the young CEO of Winters Corporation, while the other was the most beautiful woman in Sea City. When they appeared, they instantly attracted everyone¡®s attention. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡®re the most beautiful one in the vicinity as always.¡± Trent held a ss of red wine and winked in a vague manner. ¡°You¡®re in a purple dress, and Duke put on a purple tie. Why do I feel like the two of you are wearing matching outfits?¡±. Adina faked a smile. ¡°Mr. Sundend, are you asking for another punch?¡± She moved her fingers and cracked her knuckles. Trent pursed his lips. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, can you stop being so violent? Many people are watching. Can you show me some respect?¡±. ¡°You should mind your language then.¡± Adina¡®s expression was cold. Under the lights, her rosy face was covered with a cold expression, and it made her look extremely gorgeous. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Trent clickedehis tongue. If Duke had not fallen for this woman, he would have pursued her. Unfortunately, he was no match for Duke. Oh no, it should be said that he was no match for this woman. Many people looked at them, and there were also some murmurs. ¡°Mr. Winters is bing more and more handsome. I wonder which luckydy in Sea City is going to marry him.¡± ¡°Stop dreaming. Can¡®t you see that the most beautiful woman in Sea City has already taken Mr. Winters¡® heart? He¡®s a man, and men have bad habits. When they see a beautiful woman, they won¡®t walk away.¡± ¡°Sigh! I¡®m so disappointed in Mr. Winters. He¡®s the man I want to marry the most, but he¡®s unexpectedly so superficial.¡± ¡°I¡®m disappointed in Mr. Winters too.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. When Trent heard those words, heughed out loud. If the beautiful women in Sea City were disappointed in Duke, it meant that he stood a chance! Duke¡®s expression turned slightly dark. Whenever he attended such asions, countless women wouldment on him. It really disgusted him. ¡°Didn¡®t you say you have a private room?¡± he asked coldly. Em raised his wine ss and said, ¡°Let¡®s go to the private room and talk.¡± The group of four then walked toward the room. As soon as they entered it, Adina turned on herptop. ¡°I¡®ll demonstrate it to you once. If you have any questions, feel free to bring them up.¡± Trent grinned. ¡°It¡®s a cruise party. It¡®s too boring to talk about work here.¡± Adina stared at him in annoyance. ¡°When would be a better time to talk about it, Mr. Sundend?¡± ¡°Tomorrow¡®s Monday, so we¡®ll go to yourpany and talk about it. Let¡®s just have fun today. We rarely have such a good chance.¡± Adind closed herptop. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll wait for you tomorrow. I¡®m leaving first.¡± Trent was speechless. Why was this woman not down to earth at all? They were having so much fun, but she could still talk about work with her usual expression? He used to think that this woman was gorgeous and he could have fun with her if she became his girlfriend. But now, he realized that they were totally notpatible. He guessed that such a workaholic would fit Duke. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, since you¡®re here, let¡®s just talk about it before you leave.¡± Em chuckled to smooth the situation over. ¡°Trent and I don¡®t know how far Project A¨CF has progressed, so we can listen to you now.¡± Duke nced over coldly. ¡°You don¡®t want to talk about work, Trent?¡± Trent stroked his nose. ¡°No, of course we¡®re talking about it.¡± He had also invested a few hundred million in this project, so he could not neglect it. Otherwise, when his father asked about it and he had no answer, his legs would definitely be ¡®broken. Adina sat down and opened the simtion system again. After she uttered a few sentences, Duke¡®s phone vibrated. He nced at the iing call. ¡°It¡®s from my mother. I¡®ll step out and answer the call.¡± He pulled the room door open and walked out. ¡°Let¡®s continue after Duke finishes his call.¡± Trent leaned back on the couch, and a light shed in his eyes. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, are you thirsty? Would you like some drinks?¡± Adina did feel a little thirsty. It was mainly because it was quite stuffy in the private room. Plus, the cruise ship shook slightly, and she felt a little dizzy. She nodded indifferently. ¡°Please hand me a ss of wine, Mr. Sundend.¡± Trent smiled faintly. Duke, don¡®t say that I didn¡®t help you. I can only help you with this.? Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 When cold wine flowed down Adina¡®s throat, she finally felt better. Duke also coincidentally returned following his conversation on the phone, so Adina started to operate the simtion system. ¡°After the sports car is installed with this smart system, it will reach the realm of human vehicle unity. Before the driver reacts to road conditions, the system will intelligently switch driving modes¡­ Cough!¡±. Adina¡®s throat felt a little hoarse, so she took another sip of the wine. She spoke for a while before her body was suddenly filled with abnormal heat. Was the room too hot? But she only had a dress on, so she should not be feeling that hot. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, why do you seem unwell?¡± Trent blinked. ¡°Should we just end here for today?¡± Adina could feel her forehead bing beaded with sweat. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I have to visit the restroom first. Please give me a few minutes.¡± She got up and left the private room. As soon as she stepped out, there was a huge wave, so the cruise lurched a bit. Adina could not stand firmly; and she nearly fell down. She supported herself on the railing and rested for a while before she quickly walked into the restroom. She turned on the tap and patted her neck with some cold water. Only then did she feel a little sober. Just as she turned around and was about to go back to the private room, she felt some heat in her body. It was an extremely familiar sensation! Five years ago, at her ?18th birthday party, her stepmother had handed her a ss of wine. After she drank it, the same kind of heat filled her body like waves. Had she been drugged again? She had only drunk a ss of wine the entire time she was on the cruise. Was it the wine that Trent had handed to her? N?velDrama.Org ? content. Had Trent drugged her? Adina¡®s flushed face showed a terrifying coldness. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists tightly. She slowly room in her high heels. ked toward the private Suddenly, someone walked over from the corner. She did not have a firm footing and identally bumped into the person. It was a middle¨Caged man in his thirties. He was slightly chubby and wearing sses. He looked like a sessful businessman. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Adina apologized hoarsely. Those who attended the cruise party were not normal people. The middle¨Caged man did not mind it either. He turned around and was about to leave. However, when he heard Adina¡®s voice, he instantly stopped moving. He stared at Adina¡®s face in disbelief. This woman looked exactly the same as the woman who had shown up in his room five years ago. The man instantly grabbed Adina¡®s wrist. ¡°I¡®ve finally found you.¡± Adina immediately moved out of his grip. When she exerted herself, she felt very dizzy, and her knees went weak. She supported herself on the railing and took a step back. However, the man walked forward, spread his arms, and locked her in a small space. ¡°Five years ago, you looked just as delirious when you were sent into my room. I¡®ve been looking for you for so long.¡± The man slowly reached out to lift the hair that fell on her ears. Over in the private room¡­ ¡°Duke, she isn¡®t back yet. Did something happen to her?¡± Trentzily said after he drank the ss of wine in his hand. Duke frowned slightly. That woman had been gone for ten minutes. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 It should nottake that long to go to the restroom. ¡°Duke, you better go and look for Adina. If you¡®rete, you¡®ll mess it up!¡± Trent gestured dramatically with his hands. Duke looked at him coldly, ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I made a ss of wine for Ms. Daugherty. I added something good into the wine.¡± Trent shed him an ambiguous smile. ¡°It¡®s a booster that you can¡®t even buy with money. I¡®ve done you a great favor. How are you going to thank me?¡± Duke¡®s gaze instantly turned dark. He took the wine ss that Adina had drunk from and smelled it. His expression soon changed. He poured the wine on Trent¡®s face before he turned around, pulled open the door, and walked out. ¡°Hey! Are you insane?¡± Trent immediately wiped the wine off his face. ¡°Em, has he lost his mind? I put so much effort into helping him, but he dared to do this to me. What the heck?!¡± Em rolled his eyes. ¡°Can¡®t you see that Duke¡®s pursuing Ms. Daugherty seriously? Now that you¡®ve done this, it looks like Duke set Ms. Daugherty up. Maybe he could have been sessful tonight, but after this, Duke and Ms. Daugherty definitely won¡®t get together.¡± Trent was stunned. ¡°Do I still have time to run away?¡± The drug had taken effect, and Adina had seemingly lost all her strength. The man blocked her way and even grabbed her wrist. Worse still, this man was actually the man who had defiled her five years ago. In other words, he was Alden and Melody¡®s father. Adina felt disgusted and nauseous. He had ruined her life the night she turned eighteen. As a result, she hated the children¡®s father very much. She raised her arm and pped him with all her might. p! The clear sound of the hit traveled over the bobbing waves. The man did not expect her to have the strength to p him despite being in such a condition. He was so angry that hisplexion turned blue, Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He instantly grabbed Adina¡®s wrist and spoke in a cold, intense tone. ¡°Don¡®t you just want to hook up with a rich man on the cruise since you¡®re this drunk? You did this five years ago, and you¡®re doing the same thing five yearster! Since you¡®re so gorg !!s, I¡®ll turn a blind eye to how many men have slept with you all these years!¡± The man maintained his grip on Adina¡®s wrist and dragged her into the private room at the side. Right then, a tall and straight figure appeared on the other end of the corridor. As soon as he showed up, the temperature in the corridor instantly dropped more than ten degrees. It was as if winter had suddenly arrived. ¡°Let go of her.¡± Duke slowly walked over. His expression was cold, intense, stern, and ruthless, just like a demon from hell. Adina saw a savior. She had initially held her breath as she nned to sneak an attack on the man once he stopped paying attention. But she breathed out at that moment. For some reason, she waspletely sure that Duke would not let anything happen to her even though the two of them were not very close ¡°Ahh, Mr. Winters.¡± That man narrowed his eyes. ¡°We¡®ve met once in Central City: Do you still remember me?¡± Duke scoffed. ¡°Why would I have to remember a nobody?¡± He was rude, and his voice was filled with sarcasm. The man¡®s expression turned colder. No matter what, he still held some power in Central City, but he had been insulted in such a manner. Before he could say anything, Duke walked over. He extended his strong arm and pulled Adina into his arms. Duke red at the man. ¡°If you have the audacity to long for things that don¡®t belong to you, you can forget about staying in Sea City.¡± He supported Adina as he turned around and left. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 The sky turned dark. Dew was lying on a hotel bed and feeling very conflicted. She never wanted this to happen today, but things just developed naturally. If Duke found out, how could she still be Mrs. Winters? A bare arm reached out to her from the side. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Dew pursed her lips. ¡°You can¡®t tell anyone what happened today. Only you and I should know.¡± There was a glint in Dn¡®s eyes. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll do whatever you say.¡± Dew sighed in relief. Luckily, this man was sensible, or else, she would have to persuade him. Buzz! Someone¡®s phone vibrated. Dn immediately picked up his phone. He peeked at the iing call, and his expression changed. ¡°I¡®ll answer it.¡± He rushed into the restroom, naked. He even locked the door. Dew narrowed her eyes. What call did he have to answer behind her? As she pondered it, her phone vibrated. She took it from underneath the pillow and nced at the screen. It was a call from an unfamiliar number. She thought about not answering at first, but she had nothing else to do, so she just pressed the answer button. ¡°I never thought I¡®d still be able to contact you through this number after five years, Ms. Dew Daugherty. It looks like you¡®re a loyal person.¡± Dew was instantly taken aback. Why did this voice sound so familiar? She massaged her forehead as she tried very hard to think of the owner of this voice. She did not respond fos a long time, so the caller could not help but remind her, ¡°Grand Emperor Hotel, five years ago. Have you forgotten, Ms. Daugherty?¡± ¡°Are you Mr. Tyson Osborne?¡± Dew seemed completely startled. Five years ago, Mr. Osborne had traveled to Sea City for a business trip, which happened to be a coboration with Daugherty Corporation. That day, her mother and Mr. Osborne had attended a banquet, and Adina had coincidentally gone to deliver something to her mother. As such, Mr. Osborne managed to meet Adina. Her mother told her that Tyson was interested in Adina. Therefore, the two of them nned a perfect setup. That night when Adina turned eighteen, they sent Adina to Tyson¡®s bed. However, Dew had yet to figure out how Adina ended up giving birth to Duke¡®s children instead. ¡°I asked you where the girl was, and you said that she was dead,¡± Tyson said coldly. ¡°But I met her tonight. She¡®s still as gorgeous as she was five years ago. Ms. Daugherty, I can give you whatever you want, but you have to deliver that girl to me again.¡± Dew¡®s gaze was profound. Adina was no one five years ago, so it was a piece of cake for her to do anything to Adina back then. That b*tch, Adina, was not easy to deal with now. It would be harder to send Adina to Tyson than go to Mars. She bit her bottom lip before she slowly said, ¡°Mr. Osborne, I wonder if I should tell you something.¡± She paused for a while before she resumed. ¡°The girl who slept with you five years ago is my biological sister. Her name is Adina. She went missing for four years, and we thought she was dead. But she came back alive not long ago with two kids. All of a sudden, I feel like her kids look pretty simr to you. Perhaps¡­ they¡®re your kids.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course I am. Why would I lie to you?¡± Dew smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Osborne, please wait patiently for a few days. I¡®ll find more information on the kids before I send anything to you. You can search for the kids yourself.¡± ¡°I¡®ll return to Central City in three days. You better have an answer for me by then.¡± Dew happily agreed. She did not know who the biological father of those two little b*stards was. But that would not stop her from nting it on Tyson. The Osborne family fell within Central City¡®s powerful circle, and they were a big family with a huge business. They would not allow their own children to stray. If Tyson insisted on getting the children back from Adina, she would be in trouble for some time. In that case, Adina would not Chapter 232 Chapter 232 On the cruise¡­ Adina seemed to be on fire. Her face, neck, and even chest turned abnormally red. Duke immediately got her a cup of cold water. ¡°Drink it now.¡± Adina drank it all in one go, but her throat was still very dry and hoarse. On top of that, the fire within her body was growing bigger. She subconsciously loosened her cor, exposing her fair chest¡­ Duke looked away. He turned around with a frown and left the private room. He kicked open the door of the room next door, raised his arm, and grabbed Trent by his cor. ¡°Where¡®s the antidote?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Trent was shocked. He pretended to be calm and said, ¡°The antidote is a man¡­¡± ¡°You¡®re shameless!¡± Duke punched him in the face. Then, he lifted Trent by the cor again. He gritted his teeth as he firmly asked, ¡°Is there any other way besides that?¡°. Trent gasped. ¡°No¡­ Nope.¡± Duke kicked Trent away before he turned around and left the private room. ¡°You¡®ve gone too far this time!¡± Em was startled. ¡°I¡®ve never seen Duke look so angry before.¡± Trent leaned on the couch. ¡°It¡®s so difficult to be his buddy. Last time, Adina punched me, and now, Duke¡®s hitting me. If they get together, am I going to be beaten up by the mixed double?¡± He silently mourned for himself. Em rolled his eyes at Trent. He could not be bothered to say anything else. Meanwhile, the temperature in the private room next door kept increasing. Adina felt like a fish stranded on the beach. She tore off her cor, wishing that the cold air would cover her so that she could feel better. However, the private room was closed without any venttion. She kept gasping as she supported her body, and she hovered over the edge of life and death. Duke stood by the door, and his gaze was profound. He kept thinking about what Trent had said. But he could not do it. One night five years ago, Trent had made him drunk, and something unimaginable happened that night. He slept with Dew. It was the thing that he regretted the most and was most unwilling to recall in his life. To him, men and women should be with each other on the basis of love, not because of some kind of drug. However, Trent had set Adina up because of him. He had a responsibility to help her. Duke made his move and slowly walked to the bed. *The man¡®s scent floated in the air. It was very familiar. It was the smell of sea salt mixed with strong hormones. Adina shuddered. That night from five years ago filled her mind like a nightmare. While she was in a daze, she seemingly spotted a man walking toward her. He was like a hungry wolf. He pinned her down on the bed. No matter how she resisted, she could not escape. That man just heartlessly defiled her. She was just eighteen years old. Her imagination of a beautiful future was ruined that night. She was forced to grow up and be stronger. She was forced to bear things that she should not have borne. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Duke went tothe bathroom, got a wet towel, and came over. He stood by the bed, leaned forward, and whispered, ¡°I¡®ll help you lower the temperature.¡± When he extended his arm, the smell of his musk grew stronger. Adina¡®s pupils immediately constricted. She curled up her body and kept moving to the corner of the bed. She picked up a pillow and threw it over before she fearfully said, ¡°Don¡®te over. Don¡®t touch me. Get out! Get out right now! Don¡®t touch me!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Her gaze was full of desire, but she also looked terrified. Duke pursed his lips. ¡°I won¡®t do anything to you. I just want to make you feel better.¡± His voice helped sober Adina up a little. It was Duke! It was not that devil from five years ago! Her voice trembled as she said, ¡°Mr. Winters¡­ can you¡­ send me¡­ to the hospital?¡± Duke frowned as he felt upset with himself. How could he forget that they could go to the hospital? He had actually allowed himself to be misled by that unreliable b*stard, Trent. He took off his coat before he replied in a deep voice, ¡°Put this on. I¡¯ll carry you down the cruise ship.¡± Adina reached out to pick up the coat. However, she did not have any strength in her arm at all. When she tried to hold the coat, it fell on the bed. Her hand was shaking, and she could not grab the coat no matter what. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Duke bent down and moved over, while Adina curled up in fear. This man¡®s scent would always conjure up those terrifying memories of what happened five years ago. If she had not met that demon earlier, she would have almost thought that it was Duke. ¡°I won¡®t do anything to you. Don¡®t be afraid.¡± Duke¡®s voice was low, gentle, and deep. It was filled with a strange kind of magic. Adina slowly rxed. ** He held her shoulder before he put the coat on her back. Then, he lifted her up. He carried her as he quickly walked outside. Although Adina¡®s face was covered by the coat, they still attracted a lot of attention. ¡°Mr. Winters can¡®t be carrying Adina right now, can he?¡± ¡°Adina Daugherty¡®s the only one wearing a purple dress. She¡®s a really alluring woman. She actually managed to capture Mr. Winters¡® heart.¡± ¡°Where is Mr. Winters bringing her?¡± ¡°Where else can they go? A hotel!¡± ¡°I¡®m heartbroken!¡± ¡°My dreams are shattered.¡± While countless women watched, Duke carried Adina into the car, cing her in the backseat. Her body was curled up, and she was shaking. Her will slowly fell apart. Buzz! Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She took out her phone and tried her best to open her eyes before she saw the caller¡®s name. She instantly became more alert. She supported her body with the help of the seat belt before she slowly said, ¡°Mr. Winters, can you answer the call for me? Just say I¡®ve gone to the restroom so I¡®m not avable to answer the call.¡± Why ¨C ¨C She was in such a condition, and her voice was extremely hoarse. If Alden heard it, he would be very worried. She did not want Alden to worry. Duke held the steering wheel and calmly said, ¡°Your son is smart. Do you think he¡®ll believe what I say?¡± Adina held her phone tightly. Yes, Alden was brilliant. If she allowed Duke to pick up the call, Alden would find it even more suspicious. She took a deep breath and tightly bit the tip of her tongue before she answered the call,¡° Hello, Alden. I¡®m a bit upied here.¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 ¡°Mom, why does your voice sound so strange?¡± ¡°I ate some spicy food just now, so my throat¡®s a bit dry. I¡®ll end the call here. I¡®ll call you backter, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± After Adina hung up, she ?ay directly in the seat. The tip of her tongue was bleeding because of her bite, and the smell of blood slowly filled her oral cavity. Duke looked at her through the rear¨Cview mirror, and he could feel a slight pain spreading through his heart. His heart was hurting. Was this a heartache? He drove in silence and stepped on the elerator to the maximum. Ten minutester, the car stopped in front of the hospital. Meanwhile, Adina had already lost consciousness. A trickle of blood dripped from her lips. She was beautiful, and the trickle of blood only made her look more alluring. Duke seemed to be bewitched. When he bent down and carried her, his lips unintentionally brushed against hers and made contact with the blood. The blood tasted metallic yet sweet. It caused the emotions in his heart to quickly grow. Some of the emotions that he had buried in the depths of his heart instantly grew into a big tree. Adina was sent into the emergency room for a gastricvage. Duke stood in the corridor, and his gaze was profound. In the first twenty years of his life, he had never cared about anyone. The two boys, who had appeared out of nowhere, were the first people he had ever cared about. However, the kids had a biological tie with him, so he was naturally protective of them. But what about Adina? Why would he fall for her? It was not a temporary interest or an impulse Why would he have such affection for her? Why would it be so strong? Duke sat outside the emergency room for half an hour before Adina was pushed out. A nurse pushed Adina into the ward and gave her an infusion before the doctor gave Duke N?velDrama.Org ? content. instructions. ¡°Once she bes conscious, she can only drink water. Prepare some food like oatmeal for her after twelve hours.¡± Duke nodded. ¡°Does she need to stay in the hospital tonight?¡± ¡°She had an overdose, so she has to receive an infusion for a night in the hospital. She can be discharged tomorrow in the morning.¡± ¡°I got it. Thank you, Doctor.¡± After the doctor left, the ward became quiet. Only the dripping sounds of the infusion could be heard. Duke sat by the bed, and after he ced the nket over Adina, he took her phone. He found Alden¡®s number and immediately gave him a call. ¡°Hello, Mom, are youing back?¡± Alden¡®s obedient voice rang out from the other end of the line. 3 .¡°It¡®s me.¡± Right after Duke said that, he could feel the boy hold his breath for a moment. Duke resumed. ¡°Your mother can¡®t go home tonight. I¡®ll ask Mr. Brown to go over and take care of you and Mel.¡± He had initially thought that he could send Adina home after she received an injection. Who would have known that she would need an infusion after the gastricvage? Plus, this woman was still unconscious. Alden would call and ask sooner orter, so he should juste clean. That boy was too smart, and his IQ could not be lower than George¡®s. He did not need to beat around the bush when talking to a smart person. Duke¡®s voice was indifferent. ¡°Something happened to your mom, and she¡®s receiving an infusion in the hospital. Don¡®t worry, and don¡®t tell Mel.¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± Alden¡®s voice became colder and deeper. Duke admired this kid even more. If another child heard that something had happened to his mother, he would be so anxious that he would cry. However, Alden was different. He was so calm that he did not seem like a four¨Cyear¨Cold kid. ¡°She took the wrong ss of wine, so she needed to get a gastricvage in the hospital,¡± Duke answered honestly. ¡°It was just a misunderstanding. I¡®ll send your mother home, uninjured, tomorrow morning.¡± Alder slowly clenched his fists. He took a look at Melody who kept yawning while she leaned on the couch, and his voice became deeper. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Duke. Papa Brown doesn¡®t have toe over. I can take care of Mel.¡± Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Alden hung up before he walked over with a calm expression. ¡°Mel, I¡®ll help you wash up.¡± Melody obediently extended her hand and allowed her brother to take her upstairs. Alden helped Melody brush her teeth and wash her face. He turned on the water for her so that she could take a bath on her own. He also hung a towel by the door, where she could reach when she extended her arm. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Five minutester, Melody stepped out of the bathroom. Her skin was so fair that it shone, as though she had just taken a milk bath. Meanwhile, her ¡¤ eyes were so bright and clear like they had been washed with water. Alden walked over and dried her hair. The little girl sat by the bed and slowly lowered her head. After a while, she fell asleep. Shey down sideways on the bed. Alden covered her with a nket and switched off the light before he gently walked out of the room. As soon as he went back to his room, the calmness on his face disappeared. He appeared cold, deep in thought, and worried. If Melody did not needpany, he would have rushed to the hospital. He tapped on the keyboard with his long fingers and hacked into the hospital¡®s surveince. When he saw that Adina had indeed only undergone a gastricvage, he finally sighed in relief. He stared at Duke¡®s face in the surveince, and his emotions wereplicated. This man was their biological father. Melody had a strong attachment to this man, and he used to long for a father¡®s love too. How great would it be if this man did not have other kids? Then, he would let his mom be with this man. Unfortunately¡­ Alden¡®s eyes were filled with disappointment. He sat on the balcony with hisptop. Under the dim yellow light, his expression was serious and focused Early in the morning, Adina slowly opened her eyes. The light was off in the ward, so it was quite dim. The moment she opened her eyes, she did not know where she was. ¡°You¡®re awake?¡± She heard a familiar deep and low voice. Adina instantly became less dazed. The memory ofst night instantly filled her mind, and she suddenly sat up straight. Aside from feeling slightly weak, she did not feel ufortable at all. Thanks to that, her nerves quickly eased up. ¡°Where are we?¡± As soon as she spoke, she realized that her voice was extremely hoarse. Duke poured a ss of water and handed it to her. ¡°You¡®ve been in the hospital sincest night. I¡®ll get the doctor toe and examine youter. If you¡®re fine, you can be discharged.¡± Adina was shocked. She did not go homest night, so Alden had to be feeling worked up. She pulled the nket away and tried to get out of bed. Duke seemed to know what she was thinking, so he calmly said, ¡°I already told Alden about your condition. He knows that you¡®re in the hospital.¡± Adina paused for a while before she pursed her lips and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± She thanked him for not doing anything to her given yesterday¡®s circumstances, and he even sent her to the hospital She also thanked this man for apanying her in the hospital for a night and for exining things to Alden. ¡°You saved Harold, and I saved you. We¡®re even.¡± Duke stood up and stoically said, ¡°I¡®ll call the doctor over.¡± Adina stared at his face and felt quite conflicted. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Whenever she met this man, he would always look clean and handsome, but there was actually a light stubble around his lips now. They were not very close. They were just coboration partners, but he had stayed by her side in the hospitalst night. While she thought about it, Duke walked out of the ward. Adina looked away and took out her phone to call Alden. ¨C¡°Hello, Mom, are you awake?¡± Alden¡®s obedient and mature voice did not sound out of the ordinary on the other end of the line. Adina wore a gentle smile and said, ¡°I¡®ll be discharged soon. Wait for me at home for about half an hour. I¡®ll send you to preschool.¡± ¡°Mom, you can rest in the hospital for a little longer. I can take Mel to preschool,¡± Alden said obediently. ¡°We¡®ll take Bus 13 to preschool, and we can get off after five stops. It¡®ll only take ten minutes. Don¡®t worry, Mom.¡± Adina secretly sighed. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. If she were a responsible mother who was not too busy with her work, would Alden be so mature? Her children were born without a father, and she was constantly busy with work. Compared with other children, Alden and Melody really had an unfortunate childhood. Suddenly, Adina recalled that middle¨C aged man she had met on the cruisest night! That man could precisely tell her what happened that night five years ago. He was the person who ruined her back then! That beast! That demon! They met again five yearster, and he tried to do the same thing again! Adina closed her eyes and slowly said, ¡°Alden, you and Mel have to be careful. I¡®ll go and pick you up in the evening.¡± After she hung up, her expression became cold. She had to discover the identity of the man who had ruined her. Alden, took Melody along to board Bus 13. One of them looked like a noble prince from a fairy tale, while the other looked like a princess who had run away from a rich family, As soon as they got on the bus, they attracted the passengers¡® attention. A middle¨Caged man approached them with candy. ¡°Kids, are you two alone? Where are your parents?¡± Alden held Melody¡®s hand tightly and responded indifferently. ¡°Why are you asking?? ¡°You¡®re so young, and it¡®s very dangerous for you to take the bus alone. Where would you like to go? I can send you there, okay?¡± The uncle handed over the candy before he raised his arm and suddenly reached out toward Melody¡®s fair and gentle face. Alden held Melody¡®s hand and avoided the man. His eyes were filled with disdain. ¡°How dare you touch my sister?!¡± The man was terrified by the coldness that Alden¡®s eyes emanated. ¡°I¡®m just worried that kids like you are going to be tricked. You¡®ve misunderstood my good intentions.¡± The man kept grumbling as he sat back in his seat. Alden¡®s eyes were filled with coldness. His sister was too pretty, so people always targeted her. Luckily, Melody was not responsive to her surroundings. She just stared out the window nkly with her big eyes. After five stations, they arrived at their preschool. Alden got off the bus with Melody before they entered the preschool. ¡°Alden, Melody, you came on your own today? Why are you so amazing?¡± Ms. Jones led the kids inside, and as they walked, she said, ¡°If your mother¡®s not free to send you over, just give me a call. I¡®ll go and pick you up next time.¡± Ava was so fond of these two children that she would be willing to pick them up every day free of charge. Once the three of them disappeared from the entrance, a sports car stopped in front of the preschool. The car door was pushed open, and Dew stepped out of the car. She walked in straight away and went to the dean¡®s office. She had personallye to go through the procedures for Harold¡®s admission and withdrawal. The dean knew that she was very close to the Winters family, so he promptly received her with the utmost respect. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 ¡°Ms. Daugherty, why are you here?¡± The dean politely gave Dew a ss of water. Dew looked down as she arrogantly and coldly said, ¡°I¡®vee to investigate some information about two students.¡± The dean was stunned. ¡°The preschool¡®s rules require that all student information remain confidential. Nothing can be disclosed.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters ns to let Harold return to continue his studies, but he wants to check the qualifications of his ssmates. I¡¯ll just bring the information back and show it to Mr. Winters. I won¡®t spread it. You don¡®t have to worry about this,¡± Dew said nonchntly.¡± Besides, Winters Corporation is a huge company. Your students¡® information is useless to them.¡± When the dean heard that, he was ecstatic. Harold, the young master of the Winters family, had studied in this preschool for half a year before. Back then, the Winters family had invested at least $30,000,000 in the preschool. When Harold left, they instantly lost a money bag. If Harold came back to preschool, Winters Corporation would definitely invest in them again. This was great news! When the dean thought about that, he immediately brought her the information about the kids in ss. Dew nced at the file. That used to be Harold¡®s ss in the past, and she knew all the kids there. ¡°Bring me the name lists for all levels. Mr. Winters wants to pick the best ss,¡± she said indifferently. The dean turned around and brought her all the name lists. Dew quickly nced through them and finally stared at the Ninth ss. [Alden Daugherty.) [Melody Daugherty.) They were Adina¡®s little b*stards. Dew curled her lips into a sneer. She extended her finger and said in a casual fashion, ¡°I want to see detailed information regarding these two students.¡± The dean was just focused on the amount of the investment, so he did as he was told. He went through the archives and looked for it. Then, he finally found the forms that had been filled up during the registration. Dew took the two forms and carefully read every word on them. The birth date on the first row instantly shocked her! N?velDrama.Org ? content. Oh, gawd! Why were the little b*stards¡® birthdays exactly the same as Harold and George¡®s? Those little b*stards, especially the girl, looked like they were only three years old! How could they be almost four years old? Dew looked up with difficulty before she slowly asked, ¡°Is it possible to fake the kids¡® age?¡± ¡°There might be false elements in other aspects, but the age is usually not fake,¡± the dean said. ¡°Even if the children¡®s ages are a month apart, there would be huge differences in their behavior and language. The teachers will be able to tell immediately.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Dew slowly walked out of the preschool, and she felt a little dizzy. If Alden and Melody were also four years old, and they were also born that night¡­ it meant that b*tch, Adina, gave birth to quadruplets! She gave birth to two sons first before she gave birth to twins of different sexes! She had four children! They were quadruplets! No wonder her belly had been big, She had been pregnant with four babies! Dew stood on the street, and the cold breeze messed up her hair. She kept thinking about that night four years ago. After Adina gave birth to the boys, she locked the door to the warehouse and left. She even set it on fire. Chapter 238 Chapter 238 The warehouse door was locked, and there was a raging fire outside. Yet, Adina still managed to escape under those circumstances. It was due to the presence of these two children. Adina must have survived that desperate situation because she wanted to protect her children. Why did Dew not wait for a little longer four years ago? If she had gotten rid of all of them, she would not be facing such a difficult situation now. Dew felt extremely troubled. She never expected there to be quadruplets. Buzz! Right then, her phone vibrated violently. 1 She cast a nce at the iing call. It was from Tyson. She instantly calmed herplicated and messy emotions. She could still salvage the situation as long as there was Tyson. ¡°Mr. Osborne, you called me just in time. I just obtained some information about the kids.¡± Dew wore a cold smile and said, ¡°They were bornte in the summer four years ago. I calcted the time. I think you made Adina pregnant that night, and she gave birth to twins of different sexes. Tyson was very happy, but he caught himself. ¡°I met that woman yesterday. She waspletely drunk, and I wondered if she would sleep with any manst night. She slept with me five years ago, and it¡®s possible that she slept with other men too. Those two children might not be mine.¡± Dew smiled indifferently and said, ¡°Mr. Osborne, Adina is a daughter of the Daugherty family. The day after she slept with you on her 18th birthday, my father grounded her in our warehouse, and she never once got out for eight months. How could she have slept with other men? I don¡®t know about after that, but I¡®m sure that those kids are yours! CD ¡°As for the kids, the elder brother is Alden Daugherty, and the younger sister is Melody Daugherty. They¡®re very good¨Clooking. They study in Golden Sun International Bilingual Preschool, and it dismisses the children at 5:30 pm. You can wait outside the preschool. When you see the kids, you¡®ll know that I¡®m not lying.¡± Outside LaStar Technology Corporation¡­ It was a public office building, and there were threepanies on the same floor. A tall figure was standing in the public corridor. He was pacing back and forth anxiously. A few of Mr. Roberts¡® staff members surrounded the reception area while they peeked at the figure and gossiped about him. ¡°Wow! That man looks handsome. Who is he?¡± Oh, gawd! Why were the little b*stards¡® birthdays exactly the same as Harold and George¡®s? Those little b*stards, especially the girl, looked like they were only three years old! How could they be almost four years old? Dew looked up with difficulty before she slowly asked, ¡°Is it possible to fake the kids¡® age?¡± ¡°There might be false elements in other aspects, but the age is usually not fake,¡± the dean said. ¡°Even if the children¡®s ages are a month apart, there would be huge differences in their behavior andnguage. The teachers will be able to tell immediately.¡± ¡°I got it.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. Dew slowly walked out of the preschool, and she felt a little dizzy. If Alden and Melody were also four years old, and they were also born that night¡­ it meant that b*tch, Adina, gave birth to quadruplets! She gave birth to two sons first before she gave birth to twins of different sexes! She had four children! They were quadruplets! No wonder her belly had been big! She had been pregnant with four babies! Dew stood on the street, and the cold breeze messed up her hair. She kept thinking about that night four years ago. After Adina gave birth to the boys, she locked the door to the warehouse and left. She even set it on fire. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 ¡°Mr. Sundend, wee to ourpany. Sorry for not receiving you downstairs. Please,e in.¡± Mr. Roberts grinned as he walked over. He appeared respectful and humble. When Trent saw the group of people that suddenly surrounded him, he was a little dumbfounded He was the general manager of Sundend Corporation. This building belonged to Sundend Corporation, and there was also a floor devoted to his office. Therefore, he thought the people around him were also staff members of LaStar Technology Corporation. He dared not offend the staff members under Adina either. So, he nodded politely. ¡°Has she reached the office?¡± When he threw them the question, Mr. Roberts was taken aback. She? Who was she? Who was he referring to? Was Mr. Sundend asking if the distant rtive of the staff¡®s cousin was there? Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Mr. Roberts kept signaling at his secretary. His secretary took the hint, so he turned around and went back to the office. He got ready to ask the staff to summon the girl over immediately. At that moment, the elevator doors opened on their floor. Adina walked into the corridor in a pair of high heels. When she showed up, the secretary was shocked. Trent was famous for being a yboy. He would have a new girlfriend every five days, and all his girlfriends were extremely beautiful. Ms. Daugherty from thepany next door was the most beautiful woman in Sea City! If Mr. Sundend saw Ms. Daugherty, their business would definitely be stolen! When Mr. Roberts¡® secretary thought about that, he immediately walked toward Adina. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, can you please walk through the other side? A very important guest is visiting ourpany.¡± Adina had dealt with Mr. Roberts before. He was quite bright and cheerful. On top of that, he was very easy to get along with. She nodded indifferently. ¡°Sure.¡± Therefore, she decided to enter herpany the other way. Just as she turned around, she heard some footsteps behind her. Trent immediately rushed over. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you left right after you saw me. Are you still angry at what happened yesterday?¡± Adina slowly turned around and saw Trent¡®s face. She squinted. Trent felt a cold shiver down his spine when Adina stared at him. He stroked his nose awkwardly. ¡°I was wrong yesterday. I shouldn¡®t have done such a ridiculous thing. Look at my face. I¡®ve been punched. There¡®s also a huge bruise on my leg. I¡®ve been terribly beaten up. Please forgive me.¡± When the secretary heard the way Trent talked to Adina, he widened his eyes. Was the noble Mr. Sundend asking Adina for forgiveness? What was going on? Did Mr. Sundend note here for Mr. Roberts? Mr. Roberts was just as stunned! Mr. Sundend had been wandering outside theirpany for so long, but he was not there for him? It looked like Mr. Sundend was really close with Ms. Daugherty? Mr. Roberts slowly moved closer. He wanted to see if he could take the opportunity to say a few words¡­ However, before Mr. Roberts could reach them! Bang! A loud thud was heard. ¡°Argh!¡± Then, a scream of misery rang out. Trent, who was 1.8 meters tall, was thrown to the ground with great force, stirring up dust. Everyone in the corridor was shocked. Adina patted her hands and coldly said, ¡°Don¡®t mess with me again.¡± After she spoke, she pushed open the ss door and entered her company. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Trent held his waist, and he was in so much pain that he kept gasping. He had expected this to happen, but he was still frightened when he was lifted and thrown to the ground. He looked really pitiful. ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Sundend?¡± Mr. Roberts immediately went over and helped him up.¡° Your waist must be injured. There¡®s an ointment in my office. I¡®ll help you apply it.¡± When Trent heard that his waist was injured, he became so furious that his expression darkened. ¡°Your waist is injured! Your whole family has injured waists! How dare Adina do this to me?! I¡®m not done with her!¡± He uttered thatst sentence just to gain some respect for himself. He supported his waist as he stood up with difficulty and limped into the elevator. ¡°What the heck just happened?¡± Mr. Roberts said in confusion. ¡°Mr. Roberts, didn¡®t you see? Ms. Daugherty threw Mr. Sundend to the ground just now, and he¡®s livid!¡± his secretary said with a stern expression. ¡°Mr. Sundend from Sundend Corporation isn¡®t just a yboy, but he¡®s also a demon! Those who offend him won¡®t receive anything good. Ms. Daugherty is doomed! I¡®m sure that LaStar Technology Corporation will only survive until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mr. Roberts seemed doubtful. Why did he feel that Mr. Sundend appeared inferior to Ms. Daugherty? Adina sat in her office chair, turned on herputer, and found the information aboutst night¡®s cruise party. She discovered the list of guests who had attended the party, and she filtered each of them ording to their pictures. Then, she finally found that man. Tyson Osborne! She narrowed her eyes while she keyed in the man¡®s name in her search engine. There was a lot of information about Tyson on the Inte. He was the CEO of Osborne Corporation, and he was thirty¨Cfour years old. He was married, and he had a child. His son was already ten years old. Osborne Corporation was apany involved in electronic processing, and it was quite famous. It was established in Central City, so it was considered one of the powerhouses in Central City. Coborating with foreign enterprises was advantageous. Tyson had traveled to Sea City this time because he wanted to attract some investors. Being in Central City¡®s powerful circle was very useful, and many investors in Sea City were drawn to his corporation. Adina pursed her lips. Five years ago, Tyson was twenty¨Cnine years old. At that time, he was also married, and his son was five years old. Yet, this man defiled an eighteen¨Cyear¨Cold girl in Sea City and ruined her life. This man had built up a reputation of being a good husband and good father in front of the media, winningpliments fromizens. Adina found him repulsive. She closed the webpage and was filled withplicated emotions. N?velDrama.Org ? content. All these years, she had been purposely avoiding the subject of her children¡®s biological father. Whenever Alden asked about it, she would divert the conversation. But Tyson had appeared. ¡± If Tyson knew about the children¡®s existence¡­ She dared not imagine the scary consequences. For some reason, Adina felt strong anxiety. She drove over before the school¡®s dismissal time. She parked her car opposite the preschool and waited quietly. There were still ten minutes before sses ended, and she saw a ck MPV. She took a peek and noticed the driver get out of the car. He approached the door to the back seat and pulled it open. A middle¨Caged man in a professional suit stepped out. When Adina saw the man¡®s face, she felt like she had been struck by lightning. It was Tyson! She had worked so hard to investigate this man during the day, and he showed up now. Why would hee to the preschool? Did he know about the children¡®s existence? Adina was shaking. The nightmare from five years ago suddenly returned, and she was extremely terrified. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She was an eighteen¨Cyear¨Cold girl five years ago, so it was reasonable to be afraid of everything back then. However, she was twenty¨Cthree years old now. She was a mother of two, and she could not be afraid anymore. No matter what Tyson¡®s aim was, she had to face it. No matter what was about to happen, she would protect her kids. Adina took her phone out and gave Ava a call. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Once school was almost over, the kids in the preschool began to carry their bags as they waited for their parents to pick them up. Ava was maintaining order, so she did not hear her phone vibrating. Right then, the dean walked inside. ¡°Alden, Melody, your father¡®s here to pick you up.¡± Alden immediately frowned. Melody speedily turned around as well. ¡°Mr. Cooper.¡± Ava immediately walked over and said in a lower voice, ¡°Alden and Melody don¡®t have a father. They are from a single¨C parent family.¡± ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Mr. Cooper was stunned. ¡°That can¡®t be. Their father¡®s waiting outside.¡± Ava stroked her chin. ! She could vaguely remember Alden¡®s mother mentioning that they did not have a father. Why did their father suddenly show up? ¡°Mr. Cooper, let me bring the kids out and have a look.¡± Ava then held them in each hand. Alden frowned but obediently went out because he wanted to see who was iming to be their father. Conversely, there was a glint in Melody¡®s eyes. Her zed eyes were bright with excitement and happiness. Ava had gotten along with the kids for a long time, so she could easily sense the little girl¡®s emotions. She gently asked, ¡°Mel, do you want to see your father?¡± Melody did not answer, but the radiance in her eyes was a sufficient indication Ava sighed. It seemed that the children¡®s parents were divorced. Perhaps the father was so busy that he only came to visit the children once every few months. In just a few minutes, Ava imagined a big show in her head as Mr. Cooper led them out of the preschool. Adina was sitting in the car. She had made a few calls, but nobody had answered them. When she raised her head, she saw Ava holding her children¡¯s hands while walking toward Tysoni¡®s car. Meanwhile, Tyson leaned against the car where he stood. He kept staring at the kids. Adina was stunned. She pushed the door open and got out of the car before she waved. ¡°Ms. Jones, I¡®m here.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. As soon as she spoke, everyone looked over. Ava looked at Tyson before she nced at Adina. Then, she held the children¡®s hands and changed direction. ¡°Alden, Melody, I¡®m taking you to your mother.¡± Ava was clear on what to do. The mother was the children¡®s guardian, so she needed to hand them over to their mother. Whether the mother allowed them to see their father or not was not something that she could interfere with. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Jones.¡± After Adina thanked Ava, she held her children¡®s hands and walked speedily toward her car. Melody nced around, but she did not spot the man she had expected. Her eyes were soon filled with disappointment. Alden narrowed his eyes and calmly sized up the man who was standing nearby. He clearly knew that Ms. Jones and Mr. Cooper had tried to take him and Melody to this man earlier. ¡± He had never met this man. Why would he call himself their father? . Their father was Duke. Countless thoughts crossed Alden¡®s mind. Adina hurriedly returned to the car, so she did not notice his emotions. She then pulled the door open to get the children into the car Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 The calm voice of a man rang out behind her. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, why are you leaving in a rush?¡± Tyson slowly walked over. Adina could feel a venomous snake crawl up from her ankle, and it was extremely terrifying. said, ¡° Iden ng Mel into the car and lock the doors. I need to deal with She soft something.¡± Alden obediently helped Melody into the car. He closed the car door only after he raised his hand and took a photo of Tyson. Adina took a deep breath and turned around. ¡°You¡®re Mr. Osborne, right? Let¡®s go to the side and talk,¡± she said coldly. She took a few steps to the side. She did not want Alden to hear the conversation between her and this man. This man was terrible. He was not worthy of being Alden and Melody¡®s father. Tyson cast a nce at the kids who were sitting inside the car. The boy was obedient and well¨C behaved, while the girl was beautiful and adorable. They were his children! It was unbelievable! He had easily found information about Adina on the Inte. After this woman slept with him, the Daugherty family put her on house arrest for eight months. In other words, she could not have given birth to another man¡®s children. These fraternal twins of different sexes were his children! ¡°I bet you¡®ve also checked me out since you know myst name is Osborne.¡± Tyson chuckled.¡° You secretly gave birth to my kids and hid this from me for five years. You didn¡®t think that I would find you, did you?¡± Adina curled her lips into a sneer. ¡°Who says the kids are yours?¡± ¡°I¡®ll know whether they¡®re mine or not after a paternity test.¡± Tyson lit up a cigarette. ¡°Once I get the report for the paternity test, I¡®ll take custody of the kids. I want the kids!¡± Adina¡®s expression turned cold. A paternity test report was a court¨Capproved document. Once Tyson obtained it, they would be embroiled in awsuit. She pursed her pink lips and firmly said, ¡°You wish!¡± Tyson¡®s expression also became cold. ¡°It looks like you want to file awsuit against me. Fine, go ahead and get awyer. I don¡®t believe that I won¡®t be getting my own kids back!¡± After he said that, he threw the cigarette to the ground, swung his hand, and left. Adina clenched her fists angrily. That man had approached her aggressively, so she could not sit around and wait. She only turned around after she calmed down. Then, she pulled open the car door and entered the car. As she fastened her seatbelt, she heard Alden¡®s voice from the backseat. ¡°Mom, who¡®s that man?¡± Adina¡®s hand froze for a moment before she spoke in a casual fashion. ¡°He¡®s just a coborator. You don¡®t have to pay him any mind.¡± Alden pursed his lips and continued to ask, ¡°But why did he call himself our father?¡± Adina¡®s heart sank. She immediately came up with an exnation and nonchntly said, ¡°He¡®s been pursuing me, and he wants to be your stepfather. I¡®m not interested, so he came to your preschool to approach you. He wanted to get on your good side first. Alden, remember that man¡®s face. Whenever you see him, you have to stay away from him. Don¡®t talk to him.¡± If their father were a bright and open¨Cminded man, she would not handle things in such a manner. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately, Tyson was a jerk. He was disqualified from being a husband and a father. He was not even good enough to show up in front of the children. Even though the children needed a father¡®s love, she would notpromise and let such an immoral man enter their lives. Each of the three people in the car had different thoughts. After they reached home, Adina cooked in the kitchen, Melody practiced the piano, and Alden sneaked into his room. He transferred the photo that he had taken into hisptop. When he did a search on it, a lot of news articles popped up. He frowned and carefully read every single piece of news. Suddenly, he saw an article from five years ago. ¡°Congrattions to Osborne Corporation from Central City and Grand Emperor Hotel in Sea City for their coboration. Mr. Osborne, the CEO of Osborne Corporation has been invited to stay in Grand Emperor Hotel¡®s Premium Presidential Suite¡­¡± His mother¡®s 18th birthday party fell on the same day too. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Alden moved the mouse and clicked on all the news. The news generally painted Tyson as a good entrepreneur who loved his wife and child. That night, five years ago, in the Grand Emperor Hotel¡­ This man imed to be his and Melody¡®s father. Had Alden made a mistake? The brilliant Alden started to doubt himself. He should have done the paternity testst time. Daylight cameter in thete autumn. When Adina woke up, it was already 7.30 pm. The lighting in her room was dim, and some sunlight only shone in when she drew the curtain to the side. She then stood on the balcony and gave Ava a call. ¡°Ms. Jones, the man from yesterday isn¡®t Alden and Melody¡®s father. If he visits the preschool again, please don¡®t let him approach the kids.¡± Ava naturally gave Adina her word, and she sighed in relief. Next, she would have to look for awyer. She would not admit defeat in this battle. Adina took a deep breath and inhaled the coldte autumn air before she began to get ready. By the time she went downstairs, her children had already woken up, and Alden wasbing Melody¡®s hair. Two braids fell on either side of her face, which made the little girl look soft spoken and elegant. Adina smiled gently at them. ¡°Alden, where did you learn how to do braids?¡± Alden felt a little shy. ¡°I watched a tutorial video yesterday, so I tried it today. It¡®s quite easy.¡± Adina stroked her son¡®s head. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Her Alden was truly the sunshine in her life. Taking Alden and Melody away from her would be like taking her own heart. After the three of them got ready, Adina sent her children to preschool and drove to Xavier Corporation. After Xavier Corporation¡®s smart products wereunched, they were highly praised by the market. Countless agencies had approached them to get the products, and now, the factory was working overtime every day. They were extremely busy, and the price of thepany¡®s stock had also begun to grow slowly. They were bing a strong dark horse in the stock market. Adina had a technical stake in the project as well, and she received a good amount of dividends as a result. She walked into the lobby, took the elevator, and went to the top floor. When she stepped out of the elevator, she met the person she did not want to meet the most. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it the most beautiful woman in Sea City?¡± Sophia had just exited another elevator before she saw Adina. Adina¡®s makeup was light, and she was wearing a white shirt along with a pair of jeans and ck high heels. It looked like she was casually dressed. But even though her outfit was casual, she was absolutely stunning. That made Sophia so jealous that her eyes turned red, and she also spoke sarcastically. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hook up with Duke from Winters Corporation? Why would you still have the time to wander in Xavier Corporation?¡± Adina red at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why are you still pretending? Everyone knows that you and Duke went to the hotel after you left the cruise the night beforest!¡± Sophia rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡®s not reported in the news, but everyone in the circle knows about it, okay? Every woman in Sea City wants to marry Duke Winters. You¡®ve really gotten yourself a treasure.¡± Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Adina smiled indifferently. ¡°Everyone wants to marry him? So, would you also like to marry Duke? Aha! If your husband hears what you¡®ve just said, I wonder how he¡®s going to react.¡± Sophia¡®s expression instantly darkened. ¡°Don¡®t try to create rumors!¡± ¡°If you can start a rumor, why can¡®t I?¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°I can just add something to it.¡± Sophia was so angry that she almost fell down. When she saw someone in her group chat mention that Adina had hooked up with Duke, she became so filled with rage that she almost fainted. On top of that, there were photos as evidence. All the women in Sea City had a desire to be Mrs. Winters, and she was, of course, no exception. But she knew who she was, so she only dared to dream about it. If her husband found out that she dared to think about another man, he would probably get himself a few mistresses to cause her trouble. f Adina nced at Sophia before she walked into Ethan¡®s office in her high heels. She did not care about the gossip in their circle. There was too much news about her. If she paid attention to every piece of news, she would die from anger. ¡°Addy, why are you here?¡± Ethan stood up and got her a ss of water. Adina sat on the couch and casually asked a few questions about the product. Then, she changed the subject and offhandedly asked, ¡°Ethan, some time ago when we spoke, you mentioned that your ssmate opened aw firm after he came back from studying abroad, right?¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°He¡®s running the biggestw firm in Sea City. Why?¡± ¡°I¡®ve opened a studio, haven¡®t I? I¡®d like to get a legal consultant. Ethan, can you introduce us?¡± Adina lowered her head and drank some tea. She did not want the Xavier family to know about the children¡®s custody yet. Her grandmother was old, so she did not want her to worry about such things. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Ethan contemted for a while before he said, ¡°He¡®s the founder of thew firm, and he¡®s also the most seniorwyer in the firm. He¡®s so busy that he always seems to be missing in action. I¡®ll call him and see if he has the time to meet us.¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Ethan.¡± Ethan tapped open his phone, found the number, and dialed it. ¡°Mate, how¡®s it going? Are you busy?¡± The person on the other end said something, and Ethan raised his eyebrows. ¡°Someone from Central City hired you as theirwyer? Your firm¡®s business scope is getting wider and wider¡­¡± When Adina heard that, her heart sank for some reason. She knew that it was rude to interrupt when people were talking on the phone, but she could not help but say, ¡°Ethan, could you ask your friend if his client from Central City is Tyson Osborne?¡± Ethan repeated what she said before he turned around. ¡°Addy, he said ¡®yes.¡®? Adina held her ss tightly and slowly said, ¡°Ethan, I¡®m nning to file awsuit against Tyson. I didn¡®t expect him to move faster than me.¡± Ethan¡®s friend heard what she said, so he apologetically replied, ¡°Mr. Osborne and I signed the contract half an hour ago. He already paid the $2,000,000 consultation fee, so it¡®s impossible for our firm to vite the contract. It would¡®ve been great if you had called me half an hour earlier. I wouldn¡®t have signed the contract.pl Adina shook her head gently.. After Ethan chatted with his friend for a while and hung up. ¨C He frowned and said, ¡°Addy, I still know otherwyers. I can introduce another one to you.¡± Adina pursed her lips and said, ¡°I want awyer who¡®s better than your friend. Does such a person exist in Sea City?¡°. Ethan became silent. His friend had returned from studying abroad and recruited talents from all over to establish the biggestw firm. Thew firm had only been established for about five years, but it was already the topw firm in Sea City. It had the bestwyers in Sea City, and Ethan¡®s friend was the most excellent one in the firm. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Adina ced her ss down. Since Tyson had hired the bestwyer in Sea City, she would find the most outstandingwyer in Central City. As long as she had money, nothing was impossible. Adina knew nothing aboutwyers. She found the number of aw firm on the Inte, so she called over to inquire. ¡°What? He hired Victor Jenkins as his defense attorney? I¡®m sorry. Nowyer in ourw firm can survive three rounds with Victor. Please look for other experts.¡± Victor Jenkins was Ethan¡®s friend. ¡°Isn¡®t there anyone better than Victor Jenkins?¡± Adina asked calmly. ¡°Of course, not! He¡®s the best in the industry. He established the biggestw firm in Sea City in his early twenties. I¡¯m a fan of his. Oh, if there¡®s someone who canpare to Victor, it would be Brenden Watson. Do you know Brenden Watson? He¡®s a bigwig of the legal industry who always stars on the law channels. His silver tongue is legendary. I guess Brenden¡®s the only one who can defeat Victor.¡± Adina¡®s eyes instantly lit up. ¡°How can I hire Mr. Watson?¡± ¡°You¡®re not serious about hiring Brenden, are you? He¡®s very entric. He only epts cases that he¡®s interested in. His family is rich, so he doesn¡®t rely on cases to make money. He just epts two cases a year, and he takes ethical cases that involve rich families. He¡®s really strange.¡± The person on the phone was also awyer, so he was talkative. Adina found a window to interrupt him and directly hung up after she thanked him. Then, she keyed in Brenden¡®s name into theputer. 1 . A few pages of information instantly popped up. The media described the man using powerful words like ¡°the hero of the legal profession¡°, ¡°the pride of the legal profession¡°, ¡°silver tongued¡°, and ¡°the golden attorney.¡± However, they only used one term to describe his character: strange. If he was not interested in a case, he would not ept it even if he was offered a few hundred million dors. If he was interested in a case, he would willingly help with thewsuit even if he had to pay with his own money.. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Either way, this man was outstanding If Adina could make Brenden herwyer, she would not need to worry about having her kids stolen. Adina joined a private group and stalked it for a while before she obtained some critical information. It turned out that Brenden had aw firm in Sea City, but because he was not always around, thew firm was not famous. It was just surviving. At 9.00 am tomorrow, Brenden would attend the annual debriefing session in thisw firm. So, Adina drove to thew firm the following day. Unexpectedly, arge group of people was already waiting there. ¡°I have to see Mr. Watson today. If he helps me, I¡®ll be able to win thewsuit.¡± ¡°Please go away. I came here first. I need to meet Mr. Watson before you!¡± ¡°Everyone, please step away! Mr. Watson¡®s consultation fee is $100,000 an hour. Can you afford it? If you can¡®t, get lost!¡± The group of people continued to cause a ruckus outside thew firm. A whileter, a car stopped in front of the firm. Before the car door was opened, several dozen bodyguards rushed out of the building and protected the area. A man in a gray suit stepped out of the car. He wore a pair of sses and seemed quite gentle. However, behind those sses, there was a sharp glint in his eyes as if nothing could escape his sight. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Adina was squished by the crowd, and she did not have a chance to move forward to approach him. It was too crowded. It was impossible for her to meet Brenden this way, let alone ask for his help with thewsuit. Adina just watched as Brenden entered the building. While she thought about it, the phone in her pocket rang. She nced at it and noticed that it ¡®was an unfamiliar number from Central City. She pursed her lips and answered the call. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡®ve already hired the most famouswyer in Sea City, Mr. Jenkins, for thewsuit. You canmunicate directly with mywyer if there are any issues.¡± Tyson¡®s voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Oh yeah, Mr. Jenkins told me parents have the right to visit their children. In other words, I have the right to visit my kids anytime. I¡®ll go and pick them up from preschool tomorrow. I¡®m just informing you in advance.¡± Adina held her phone, and her chest heaved heavily from anger. Tyson was determined to steal the children from her! She had to meet Brenden no matter what. She sneered. ¡°Sea City isn¡®t Central City. Mr. Osborne, you better notmit a crime. If my kids go missing, I¡®ll call the police, and you¡®ll be the first suspect.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, why do you insist on going against me?¡± Tyson cheerfully said, ¡°I¡®ve hired Mr. Jenkins, so you won¡®t be able to defeat me. In other words, as long as we enter the courtroom, the judge will give me custody of the children. I¡®ll bring them back to Central City and let them live a normal life.¡± ¡°Don¡®t you even dream about it!¡± Adina gritted her teeth, and her voice was filled with rage. ¡°There¡®s another solution for this, ¡± Tyson slowly said. ¡°You¡®ve raised the kids alone. If I just snatch custody from you, it would indeed be cruel. If we get together, the kids will have a father. When they grow up in a normal family, they¡®ll have a happy childhood. What do you think?¡± Adina chuckled in anger. ¡°We¡®ll get together? Tell me how we¡®re going to be together?¡± Tyson thought she had fallen for it, so he immediately said, ¡°I¡®ll buy you a house in Sea City, then you and the kids can live there. After I exin this to my family, I¡®ll marry you, and the kids will be listed as members of the Osborne family.¡± Adina scoffed. ¡°Mr. Osborne, please ask Mr. Jenkins what kind of sentence you¡®ll receive for bigamy.¡± ¡°It looks like you¡®ve looked into my background, Ms. Daugherty. Yes, I¡®m married, but I can also get a divorce,¡± Tyson said in a casual manner. ¡°But you also know that it¡®s more troublesome for a rich family to file for a divorce. It might take a few years. During that period, you¡®ll have to give in. I¡¯ll marry you once I settle my affairs in Central City.¡± Adina felt disgusted. She could not bear to listen to him anymore and simply hung up. Not only that, but she also deleted and blocked his number. When she recalled how this man ruined her five years ago, she wanted to kill him. She told herself to calm down repeatedly before she suppressed her anger. She stood outside the building for a long time. Many people who wanted to file awsuit were waiting outside as well, and it was extremely crowded. When the clock struck five, Brenden was still nowhere in sight. Others could continue waiting for him, but Adina had to make her way to the preschool to pick ¨C up her kids. It looked like she had toe up with another solution. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Adina had to leave for the time being. When Alden sat in the backseat, he could keenly tell that his mother was not in a good mood Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 She drove steadily, and they soon arrived home. Adina pushed open the car door, got out, and went to the back to carry her children out. ¡°Aunt Adina, you¡®re finally back.¡± Adina heard a soft voice behind her. When she turned around, she saw a cool kid in a denim outfit run toward her. He rushed into her arms like a meatball. ¡°Harold, why are you here?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Harold ced his arms around Adina¡®s neck and gloomily said, ¡°I¡¯m so hungry. I¡®m starving. I want to eat the pasta that you cook.¡± Adina was distraught. ¡°You didn¡®t sneak out behind your father again, did you?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡®t!¡± Harold kept shaking his head. ¡°I told Dad. I only came over after he said ¡®yes!!? le ove He clearly remembered Aunt Adina telling him that if he dared to sneak out of his house again, she would stop seeing him. Right then, a young bodyguard who seemed to be about twenty years old walked over. ¡°Good evening, Ms. Daugherty. I¡®m Young Master Harold¡®s bodyguard. I¡®m Lucas Foster. The master ordered me to send the young master here, and he requested that I bring the young master home an hourter.¡± Adina finally felt at ease. ¡°Okay, let¡®s go inside then.¡± They pushed the door open and went inside before Adina said, ¡°Alden, y with Mel and Harold for a while. I¡®ll prepare your food in a while.¡± Alden pursed his lips and nodded indifferently. Harold was very annoying and clingy, but Alden had to admit that Harold sincerely liked Mel. Alden could not hate anyone who treated Melody sincerely. However, when Alden raised his head again, he realized that something was off with Melody¡®s emotions. Her pretty face emanated a terrifying coldness. When Harold approached her, her contempt became more intense. But Harold did not realize it. Melody did not like to speak, so it was normal for her to neglect him. ¡°Wow! Mel, is this the toy that you usually y with? This puzzle looks so difficult. The pieces are in the same color. I don¡®t know where I should put them.¡± Harold took a piece of the puzzle and tinkered with it. Melody extended her fair and tender arm over to take the puzzle piece before she threw it into the box and closed it up. Her expression waspletely unweing. Harold picked up another building block. ¡°Wow, where did you buy this building block? I¡®ve never seen anything like it before. It looks so fun. Mel, can I y with it?¡± Melody looked down and stuffed the building block into her cab. Harold scratched his head. ¡°Mel, the teacher says we have to share our toys.¡± Alden took a toy box and walked over before he nonchntly said, ¡°There are building blocks and puzzles inside. You can y with them.¡± Harold immediately took out the toys from the box. They were toys that Alden had yed with when he was two, and they were suitable for Harold. He had a lot of fun, and he would ask Alden for guidance from time to time. Alden ced a book on hisp and answered Harold¡®s questions incoherently. At the same time, he looked at Melody with worry. Melody¡®s world was very small, and there were only a few people in it. It had not been easy for Harold to finally enter Melody¡®s world, so why was she chasing him out again? Alden stayed with Melody every day, yet what did he miss? Adina cooked as she watched the scene in the living room. Three children were sitting on the climbing mat like three soft balls. It was a very warm and harmonious sight. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Adina had initially felt irritated, but strangely enough, she managed to calm down. She prepared their meal quickly. Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, nuggets, fried chicken wings with c sauce, fresh sd, and mushroom soup filled the table. Lucas was a bodyguard, so he refused to have dinner with them no matter what Adina said. On top of that, he even went outside and stood in the courtyard to guard them. Adina knew that there were rules in the Winters family, so she did not force him. The group of four sat down at the dining table. ¡°Wow! It smells so good. I¡®ve never smelled such a nice aroma! It has to be delicious!¡± Harold dramatically took a deep breath, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. Adina chuckled and said, ¡°Eat more if it¡®s delicious.¡± ¡°I¡®ll make myself at home!¡±. Harold grabbed his fork and could not wait to pick up a chicken wing. He then took a bite. The taste of the tender chicken was mixed with c. It was sweet yet not greasy at all. It had to be the most delicious food in the world. He pouted and ate as he spoke disjointedly. ¡°The chicken with c sauce is really tasty¡­ I want to visit your house and eat here every day, Aunt Adina. Mmm! I¡®m so happy. It¡®s so delicious.¡± Melody lowered her head and kept eating. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. While Harold spoke, she ate three c¨Csauced chicken wings. Alden started eating only after he gave her another wing. When Adina saw the three kids finish all the food, she had a strong sense of satisfaction. Right after dinner, Lucas pushed the door and came inside. ¡°Young Master, one hour is up. We have to go back now.¡± Harold¡®s happy mood instantly became sour. He pouted and said, ¡°I don¡®t want to go back.¡±. ¡°Master said if you don¡®t keep your promise, he won¡®t allow you to visit Ms. Daugherty¡®s house again,¡± Lucas said respectfully. ¡°Ten more minutes, okay? I¡®ll just y for ten more minutes.¡± Harold showed ten fingers. ¡°If Dad asks you, just tell him we¡®re in traffic.¡± Lucas felt a headacheing. Forget him, even Mr. Brown could not control this young master. ¡°Okay, ten more minutes,¡± he said helplessly. Ten minutester¡­ ¡°Hey, wait a minute. We¡®ll go back after I finish this puzzle!¡± Harold leaned on the climbing mat with a frown. He scratched his head from time to time and asked Alden about the puzzle asionally. He was very serious as he worked on it. When Lucas saw that less than one¨Ctenth of the puzzle had beenpleted, he finally understood why Mr. Brown insisted on sending him for this task. He walked over and tried his best to convince Harold. ¡°Young Master, it¡®s already past eight. The master said we have to be at home before 8.30 pm.¡± ¡°It¡®s not even 8.30 pm, right? We¡®ll talk about it at 8:30 pm,¡± Harold said without turning around. He then continued to y with the puzzle. Adina was done cleaning the dishes in the kitchen. She wiped her hands as she walked out and gently said, ¡°Harold, since you¡®ve made a promise with your dad, you have to keep it. Otherwise, your dad won¡®t agree with youing to my house again. Do you not want toe again?¡± Harold raised his head and appeared offended as he pouted. ¡°I want to spend time with you, Aunt Adina. I¡®ve been here for so long, but you¡®ve just been in the kitchen. I¡®ve spent less than ten minutes with you.¡± Adina¡®s heart melted. Just as she was about to speak, she saw a bright light in the courtyard. A car was driving in. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Harold looked out, and his face instantly turned pale from shock. He immediately rushed into Adina¡¯s arms and nervously said, ¡°Aunt Adina, Dad¡®s here! He¡®s here to catch me!¡± Adina raised her wrist and looked at the time. There were ten more minutes before 8.30 pm. Why was this man here so soon to take Harold? While she thought about it, the vi¡®s doorbell rang. Adina got up and went to open the door. The temperature at night inte autumn was very cold, and Duke emanated the aura of such a cold night. He walked in only after he stood at the entrance hall for a while. Harold was nervous, but he pretended to look calm as he said, ¡°Dad, I was about to go home, but you came.¡± ¡°If I didn¡®te over, you would have stayed here for another two hours,¡± Duke said indifferently. Harold flicked his tongue. His dad understood him well. He actually wanted to stay at Aunt Adina¡®s house for the night. ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡®m the one who convinced Harold to stay and y a little longer,¡± Adina spoke to smooth things over. ¡°It¡®s gettingte, so you can take him home.¡± Duke nodded. He nced around before he saw the little girl who was sitting on the climbing mat. The little girl opened her eyes wide and stared at him. When she noticed that he was looking at her, her dark eyes instantly lit up. She picked up a toy bunny from the side before she ran over and stuffed the bunny into Duke¡®s hand. The bunny was extremely soft, and it melted Duke¡®s heart. He squatted down, and his cold, profound face appeared a little gentler. ¡°Mel, you haven¡®t greeted me today.¡± He knew that Melody had not spoken again after the other day. Thinking back to the time she had called him ¡°Daddy,¡± it seemed so distant as if it was just a dream. ¡°Come on, call me ¡®Uncle Duke.?¡± Duke stared at her seriously as he slowly guided her. Melody opened her pink lips repeatedly and finally made a sound after all this time. ¡°Dad¡­ dy.¡± She said it again. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. For some strange reason, Duke¡®s heart was filled with satisfaction.. ¡°Mel, say ¡®Uncle Duke.?¡± Adina squatted down and corrected Melody. ¡°He¡®s Uncle Duke, not your daddy.¡± ¡°It doesn¡®t matter if she says ¡®daddy!¡®¡± Harold blinked. ¡°Mel and I are best friends. My dad is Mel¡®s daddy, so can Mel¡®s mom be my mom too?¡°| Before the adults could understand the meaning behind his words, Melody¡®s expression abruptly turned cold. Something seemed to be on the little girl¡®s mind. She nced at Harold before she turned around and ran upstairs. ¡°Mel, wait for me. Why are you running away?¡± Harold quickly followed her. Alden calmly blocked his way and nonchntly said, ¡°Mel¡®s going to the restroom. You¡®re a boy. Why are you following her?¡± Harold stroked his chin. ¡°Why do I sense that Mel¡®s suddenly feeling unhappy?¡± Alden rolled his eyes at Harold. It took Harold more than an hour to finally realize that Melody was unhappy. At least he was not helplessly stupid. The two children stood at the staircase and chatted. Meanwhile, the atmosphere among the adults was weird. Adina awkwardly said, ¡°I¡®m sorry, Mr. Winters. Melody must have heard Harold calling you that, so she learned from him. I¡®ll correct her and make sure this doesn¡®t happen again.¡± ¡°A kid at the age like Mel desires a father¡®s love the most. Ms. Daugherty, have you thought about getting her a father?¡± Duke asked indifferently. The question was rted to Adina¡®s private matters. However, her daughter had called Duke ¡°Daddy,¡± hence it was not very ridiculous for him to ask about it. Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Adina slowly said, ¡°I don¡®t really think about getting a father for my kids because I can give them whatever a father can.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, are you overestimating yourself?¡± Duke¡®s voice was a little deep. ¡°There are some things that a mother can never give.¡± Adina pursed her pink lips. She looked up indifferently and gently asked, ¡°What about you, Mr. Winters? Why haven¡®t you thought about giving Harold aplete family?¡± Duke¡®s gaze became stony and profound. ere filled with coldness as he spoke indifferei 1. ly. ¡°Because it¡®s not necessary.¡± If he married a woman he did not love for the sake of the children, the rest of his life might be miserable. Adina smiled faintly. She realized that she and Duke were quite simr in some ways. She did not want topromise and marry a man she did not love for the sake of her children. Meanwhile, this man would not marry Harold¡®s biological mother for Harold either. Buzz! This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The vibration of someone¡®s phone interrupted their conversation. Duke took out the phone from his pocket. He nced at the iing call and smiled faintly. Adina was just two steps away from him. When she looked up, she saw the name on the phone¡®s screen. [Brenden Watson] Brenden Watson? It dawned upon her after she snapped out of her daze. She looked up with her clear eyes and stared at Duke. Duke did not move away as he answered the call. He just chatted with the person on the phone in a rxed manner. ¡°When did you get back to Sea City? ¡°Treat me to a meal at 9.00 pm? Mr. Watson, please show some sincerity, okay? ¡°I¡®m very busy. I don¡®t have the time.¡± Duke hung up straight away. Adina pursed her lips. Mr. Watson should be Brenden Watson. Based on Duke¡®s tone, he seemed to be very close with Brenden. If she asked him for help, would he oblige? But she did not have any other choice at this point. Adina walked over and slowly asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, may I inquire if the person in the call with you is the famouswyer, Brenden Watson?¡± Duke nodded. ¡°It¡®s him. Do you know him?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know him. I¡®ve just heard about him.¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°I¡®d like to hire Mr. Watson as my lawyer. I wonder if you can introduce me to him?¡± Duke raised his eyebrows. ¡°Since you¡®ve heard about him, you should know that he doesn¡®t ept business cases. He will not be a legal consultant for any company.¡± Adina responded after she remained silent for a while. ¡°I would like to fight for custody of my kids. Mr. Watson appears to be very experienced in that regard.¡± Duke narrowed his eyes. He looked down at the woman in front of him. Herplexion was incredibly fair, and her thin lips were as red as a rose. Her cold, exquisite face was filled with some anxiety and worry that did not suit her. He slowly asked, ¡°Who¡®s their father?¡± Adina peeked at Alden, who was far away. Once she confirmed that her son could not hear her, she whispered, ¡°Tyson Osborne, the CEO of Osborne Corporation in Central City.¡± A figure immediately popped up in Duke¡®s mind. The man who had grabbed Adina¡®s wrist on the cruise that day was Tyson. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Adina anxiously clenched her fists. To hire Brenden, she told Duke about her unpleasant past. She revealed those things in hopes that Duke would introduce her to Brenden. If Brenden was willing to file thewsuit for her, she would be able to keep her custody of the kids. Displeasure shed past Duke¡®s eyes. He knew that she had two children, but he had never connected her with any man. When he heard her talking about the children¡®s father, he suddenly realized that she would have had to sleep with a man to birth two kids. The thought of something happening between her and another man five years ago¡­ When he remembered that she had given birth to two kids for another man, his heart became filled with gloom. It flooded him like raging waves, suffocating him a little. He did not know why he felt like that. He just knew that he was very ufortable. Why was the adorable and pretty Melody Tyson¡®s daughter? Why was the brilliant and cunning Alden Tyson¡®s son? Melody called Duke ¡°Daddy,¡± so she was supposed to be his daughter¡­ The moment Duke thought about that, he immediately snapped out of his daze. Was he insane? How could he think of such a scary thought? ¡°Mr. Winters?¡± When Adina noticed that he had not answered her, she called out to him. She took a deep breath before she slowly said, ¡°If it¡®s really inconvenient for you, just forget it.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°There¡®s nothing inconvenient about it.¡± Duke curled his lips nonchntly. ¡°I¡®m just wondering why I should help you.¡± Since he said that, there was still room for discussion. Adina¡®s tension was finally relieved. She smiled and said, ¡°Feel free to raise any condition you have, Mr. Winters. If I can do it, I won¡®t refuse.¡± Duke fiddled with his fingers. What condition? He did not have a condition. He just felt ufortable when he thought about how she had a tie with Tyson that she could never cut off. All of a sudden, he felt like he was being unreasonable. He looked up and saw Harold. Harold was scratching his head while talking to Alden. Alden had said something, and Harold was thinking about it for a long time with a frown. That made him look like he had a very low IQ. MB Duke pursed his lips before he said, ¡°Harold enjoys eating the food that you cook.¡± Adina¡®s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you saying that if I take care of Harold¡®s daily meals, you¡®ll be willing to introduce me to Mr. Watson?¡± When Duke saw the light in her eyes, he was stunned. He added, ¡°You just have to prepare dinner for Harold in the Winters family vi every night.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°But I still have to take care of Alden and Mel.¡± ¡°Bring them along to the vi,¡± Duke said indifferently. ¡°You can bring the kids home after dinner with the Winters family.¡± Adina seriously considered it for a few seconds. It seemed fine for her to prepare dinner in the Winters family vi. It also seemed fine for her to take her kids to the vi and eat there. However, she would interact with Duke more, and it would also be easy for her to meet Dew. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Dew was a venomous snake. If she did not pay attention, she would be bitten. Adina said, ¡°We better let Harold eat in my house. I¡®m used to my own kitchen.¡± Duke stared at her and calmly said, ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Adina kmew this man was brilliant and she could not hide anything from him. She did not beat around the bush and just said, ¡°We met Dew in the Winters family vi previously, and she nearly injured Mel. I don¡®t want to take the risk again.¡± Duke suddenly broke into a faint smile. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡®re jealous?¡± Adina instantly widened her eyes. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Who¡®s jealous? When did you see me being jealous?¡± ¡°Okay, you¡®re not jealous.¡± Duke shrugged. Adina was speechless. TO She was not jealous in the slightest! Why would she be jealous? Was this man not too narcissistic? If she did not want him to do her a favor, she would have chased him and his son out! ¡°Don¡®t worry, Dew Daugherty won¡®t being over to the Winters family vi anymore.¡± Duke schooled his expression and said, ¡°I¡®ve told Mr. Brown that she isn¡®t allowed to step into the vi again.¡± Adina was a little surprised. Was this man that heartless? Dew¡®s dresses and piano were in the Winters family vi, but he just kicked her out on a whim? But following further consideration, she could also understand. Dew had pped Harold. How could a person like Duke allow others to hurt his son? If she were him, she would have pped Dew ten times over. When Adina thought about it, she felt more at ease. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll make dinner every night in the Winters family vi then.¡± Duke nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll take you to Brenden at 3.00 pm tomorrow.¡± Right after they made the agreement, Harold walked over with his short legs. ¡°Dad, you can talk with Aunt Adina for a little longer. I¡®ll go upstairs and y with Mel.¡± ¡°We¡®re going home now,¡± Duke said indifferently. The little boy¡®s expression darkened. ¡°I¡®ve just been ying for an hour. I¡®m not done yet. Aunt Adina, I don¡®t want to go. I don¡®t want to leave you. Whaa¡­¡± Adina held him up with a smile and said, ¡°I¡®ll go to your house tomorrow night. Now, are you happy?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Harold widened his eyes. ¡°Really? Are you really going to my house, Aunt Adina? Don¡®t lie to me.¡± ¡°I¡®ve talked to your dad. I¡®ll go to your house and make dinner for you every night.¡± ¡°Wow! Awesome! I¡®m happy!¡± Harold cheered. He danced nonstop, and he was extremely delighted ¡°Good boy. Go back and sleep early. We¡®ll meet tomorrow.¡± Adina lifted him and walked over to Duke before she ced him in Duke¡®s arms. Duke carried him impatiently. He then grabbed Harold by the cor and plopped him on the floor. It was getting dark. Harold held Duke¡®s hand and turned around from time to time as he left. Alden slowly walked over. ¡°Mom, why are you going to Harold¡®s house and making dinner for him?¡± Adina had thought about the exnation. She bent down and softly said, ¡°Harold¡®s a picky eater. He¡®s actually the same age as you, but he¡®s a few pounds slimmer than you. It¡®s because he doesn¡®t eat every day. His father and I are business partners, so I promised to make him dinner for some time so that he can grow healthily.¡± Alden looked down. While he had stood at the staircase and talked to Harold, he had also asionally looked out of the corner of his eye at his mother. He had noticed his mom and Duke discussing a very serious topic. Assuming that it was about work, he did not pay attention to it. Even so, he felt like his mom was hiding something from him. However, it was fine for them to go to the Winters family vi for dinner. He could find a chance to obtain Duke¡®s hair. This time, he had to conduct a paternity test no matter what. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 At 3.00 pm, Adina drove to the office building that she had visited yesterday¡­ The building¡®s entrance was quiet today. Nobody was around. Only two security guards watched the entrance. As soon as she parked her car, a ck car parked beside her. Duke stepped out after he pushed the car door open. Adina unfastened her seatbelt before she also got out of her car. . The two of them walked toward the office building side by side, and nobody stopped them. Duke took the elevator and walked to an office in a familiar way. He raised his arm, knocked on the door, and directly pushed it open. ¡°You really came to find me. I thought you were messing with me!¡± The man sitting in the office chair stood up. Before he continued, he saw Adina behind Duke. He was slightly surprised as he asked, ¡°When did you get yourself such a beautiful secretary?¡± ¡°She¡®s not my secretary,¡± Duke answered coldly. Adina smiled faintly and took a step forward. ¡°Hi, Mr. Watson. I¡®m Adina Daugherty. Mr. Winters and I are business partners.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Brenden pushed his sses up a little, and his gaze on Adina was sharp. Then, he looked at Duke. ¡°Just business partners?¡± Based on his intuition as awyer, these two people were definitely not merely business partners. Duke cast a cold nce at him. Brenden came from a poor family. Hisndlord had chased him out while he was studying abroad. Just as he arrived at a dead end, he coincidentally met Duke. Duke¡®s family was rich, and he lived alone in a three¨Cstory vi. After they met, Brenden became attached to Duke. Brenden lived in Duke¡®s house for more than a year. After he graduated and became sessful, he always wanted to repay Duke¡®s kindness. However, Dukecked nothing. Brenden wanted to have a meal with him, but he never got a chance. Since he returned from abroad, the two of them never had a proper meal together. ¡°I need your help,¡± Duke said indifferently. Brenden¡®s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Say it! Tell me now!¡± He had been wishing for Duke to ask him a favor all these years. He could not wait to repay the kindness he owed him in the past. Duke motioned Adina to move forward. When Brenden saw her, he immediately understood. He looked at Adina with a judgmental gaze. Back when they were studying abroad, Duke was known as the genius in school, and countless juniors wanted to get close to him. But from the time Duke graduated till he returned, no female student ever got lucky enough to be with Duke. This dude did not seem to like having women around him. In the past, Brenden had even suspected Duke of having different kinds of interests¡­ Once he saw Adina, he realized that it was not this guy who did not like women, but those previous women were simply not his cup of tea. ¡°Mr. Watson.¡± When Adina noticed that Brenden kept sizing her up, she smiled faintly and interrupted his gaze. ¡°I would like to ask you for help with keeping custody of my children.¡± Brenden became puzzled and shocked. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you have children?¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 ¡°I have a son and a daughter. They are four years old.¡± Adina was honest. ¡°I¡®ve raised my children alone for four years, and their father has approached me recently. He wants to take custody of them. Do I have a chance of winning?¡± Brenden tried very hard to suppress his shock. He initially thought that there was something between Duke and Ms. Daugherty. It looked like he had the wrong expectation. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He pushed his sses up and finally remembered that he was awyer. He schooled his expression and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, please tell me everything about the kids, their father, and how you¡®re raising the kids at the moment.¡± Adina nodded and sat down across from Brenden. ¡°Five years ago, because of an ident, I ended up sleeping with the kids¡® father. Eight monthster, I gave birth to my kids prematurely, and I brought them out of the country. I¡®ve been raising the kids alone over thest four years, and their father has never shown up. He has also never paid any child support. The kids don¡®t know who their father is. ¡°The man is Tyson Osborne. He¡®s an entrepreneur, and Osborne Corporation is worth about $ 5,000,000,000.¡± Brenden quickly recorded everything with his pen. Meanwhile, Duke was holding a teacup not far away, and a profound light shed in his eyes. Adina told Brenden whatever she knew. ¡°So, the children¡®s father is a sessful entrepreneur, and his family is very rich. On top of that, to outsiders, he has a harmonious family,¡± Brenden concluded. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, your family is rich as well, but you¡®re single, and the children have been living in a single¨Cparent family.¡± He gave his sses a push before he resumed. ¡°The judge will make a decision based on the children¡®s mental health development, and they¡®ll most likely give custody to the father.¡± Adina curled her fingers. ¡°Will thew still favor him even though he hasn¡¯t put in any effort and money for the kids all these years?¡± Brenden nodded. ¡°If he¡®s known of their existence but has refused to take responsibility, the court won¡®t favor him. But from your exnation, I understand that you gave birth to the kids without the father¡®s knowl Adina pursed her lips. When she first found out that she was pregnant, she had thought about aborting her babies. However, once shey down on the operating table, she suddenly did not want them to be gone. She recklessly got off the operating table and ran away. She would rather be locked up than lose her babies. She knew this day woulde, but she never expected it to happen so early. The kids were just four years old. She could not lose Alden and Melody. Adina¡®s throat was dry. ¡°I still can¡®t salvage the situation even with your help?¡± Brenden slowly said, ¡°I have a very high sess rate inwsuits, and there is a chance of salvaging the situation, but I think you want your probability of winning to be 100%.¡± Adina nodded. If she did not want it to be 100%, why would she spend so much effort toe and look for Brenden? ¡°¡®There¡®s a method for you to win custody 100%,¡°Brenden said. There was a glint in Adina¡®s eyes. Please tell me, Mr. Watson.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡®re the children¡®s mother, and you¡®ve raised them for four years on your own, so the children will definitely choose to be with you. If you can find them a father, the court will definitely let you keep the children. When Adina heard what Brenden said, her expression suddenly changed. She could do anything for the kids, except¡­ get married. She could not just marry any man. ¡°A fake marriage is still a marriage. You can get a divorce after thewsuit,¡± Brenden said indifferently. ¡°Of course, if you refuse to take this suggestion, just pretend as though I never mentioned it. I¡®ll try my best to win thiswsuit for you.¡± Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Adina stayed in thew firm for about an hour. After she spoke with Brenden, she realized that the situation was not as optimistic as she had imagined Tyson was the children¡®s biological father, and she had secretly given birth to them. The court would definitely favor Tyson in that regard. Besides, Tyson¡®s public reputation was of a good father and a good husband. He also had a stable family. That would be very advantageous in thewsuit. Meanwhile, she was all alone. She had to juggle both work and the children. She would neglect a lot of things. If she were the judge, she might give the children to Tyson too without any inside information. At the moment, the only solution seemed to be marrying a man. As long as she had a stable family, Tyson would lose all advantages. If both of them stood on even ground, she would have a higher chance of winning. ¡°If you have a stable rtionship, the judge will take it into consideration,¡± Brenden slowly added. ¡°Even though the case is going to trial, it will take at least one month. Don¡®t be anxious, Ms. Daugherty.¡± Adina nodded before she said, ¡°Tyson will bring hiswyer to the preschool and pick the kids up today. What reason can I use to stop him from meeting the kids?¡± She did not want her children to know that they had such a terrible father. Compared with not having a father, having an immoral father was clearly more uneptable. Brenden cast a nce at Duke who was sitting nearby. He talked to Adina for more than an hour, and Duke was seated at the side the whole time. He had asked Duke out for a meal yesterday, but the man had told him he was busy. Yet, such a busy man had waited here for such a long time. It looked like Ms. Daugherty was a very important person to Duke. In that case, he could not simply deal with her. Brenden pushed his sses and said, ¡°Let me meet Mr. Osborne. I¡®m your defense attorney, after all. After we meet Tyson¡®swyer, let me do the talking.¡± Adina was incredibly grateful. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Watson.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Brenden packed up the documents on the table before he got to his feet and said, ¡°Let¡®s go together.¡± Duke stood up as well, and the three of them walked out. Adina and Duke drove over, and Brenden directly entered Duke¡®s car. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, please lead the way.¡± Adina nodded. She started the engine and drove ahead.¡± Brenden sat in the passenger seat while hezily leaned back. He waspletely different from his public posh attorney persona. ¡°Duke, are you interested in Ms. Daugherty?¡± he said and winked. Duke stared straight ahead without looking around. ¡°Do you want me to throw you out of the car?¡± ¡°Hey, let me be honest. Ms. Daugherty¡®s quite pitiful. She raised her kids alone, and just as things started to look up, the kids¡® father came to her.¡± Brenden shook his head. ¡°I actually don¡®t have complete confidence in thiswsuit, so I had to ask her to get a boyfriend. It¡®d be the best if she could find a rich and powerful one.¡± Halfway through his sentence, he could feel a cold gaze on him. He continued adding fuel to the fire. ¡°Hey, I think I fit the bill. I¡®ve been rated by the media as the most popr young and talented bachelor among women. If I be Ms. Daugherty¡®s fake boyfriend, she¡®ll win without filing awsuit.¡± Duke¡®s gaze was extremely sharp. ¡°You talk too much nonsense.¡± Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 He abruptly floored the gas pedal as he held the steering wheel and drifted aggressively. ¡°Hey, have you lost your mind?¡± Brenden scrambled for the handle. ¡°This is the main road. Drive slowly! Slowly! Ah!¡± The car charged down the road and quickly overtook Adina¡¯s car. Adina frowned Why was Duke speeding? Even if they arrived at the preschool right now, ss would not be dismissed yet. Besides, there was a speed limit on the road. Was he trying to help the traffic police out with their KPI? A ck car was parked outside Golden Sun International Bilingual Preschool. Ava was surrounded by a few people, and she dealt with them while she felt incredibly stressed. ¡°Mr. Osborne, even if you¡¯re Alden and Melody¡¯s biological father, you can¡¯t see them right now. We have to take responsibility for the children on their guardian¡¯s behalf.¡± Ava took a deep breath and said, ¡°If you insist on meeting the kids, please contact Alden¡¯s mother. If their mother agrees, I¡¯ll bring the kids out immediately.¡± Tyson took a step back and allowed hiswyer to move forward. ¡°Thew states that parents have visitation rights, and no one can deny a child¡¯s parents visitation rights. If you stop Mr. Osborne from visiting his kids, you¡¯ll vite at least three acts. If this recorded conversation gets exposed, this preschool will be under heavy criticism from the public, and that would be the least of it. If we decide to call the police, you¡¯ll be arrested by the police for investigation,¡± Victor said indifferently. Ava¡¯s face turned pale. She was just a youngdy in her early twenties. She had never experienced such a situation before. However, she remembered the call that Adina had made. No matter what, she would not hand the children to this man. Victor resumed. ¡°Ms. Jones, if you insist on stopping a father from visiting his kids, we will have to take some extreme measures.¡± He waved his hand, and two bodyguards walked over from behind him. Ava was so scared that her legs were trembling. At that moment, a ck car suddenly stopped at the preschool¡¯s entrance. When the car door swung open, Duke stepped out first. He was dressed in a ck suit, and he emanated a cold aura. The second Tyson saw Duke, his expression changed. It was Duke, who had brought Adina away, on the cruise the other day. Adina had to be acquainted with the Winters family. That was why she refused to bring the children to the Osborne family. Victor lived in Sea City, so he naturally knew Duke. He fell into a contemtive silence while he sized Duke up, choosing not to say anything for now. He always remained silent before he figured out a situation. Right then, Brenden finally snapped out of his daze and got out of the car. It had been a wild ride all the way there, so he felt nauseous. When he saw the group standing at the side out of the corner of his eyes, he forced himself to suppress his difort. After he stood up straight, he became the cold and noblewyer, Mr. Watson, again. He walked over and pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. His eyes were sharp behind the shining lenses. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Victor was shocked. He immediately stretched his hand forward. ¡°Are you Mr. Watson?¡± ¡°Are you Victor Jenkins, Mr. Tyson Osborne¡¯s defense attorney?¡± Brenden asked indifferently. Victor nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m taking Mr. Osborne¡¯s case for the time being. Um, how did you know?¡± It could not be, right? It should not be what he thought, right? Brenden was his idol. He became awyer mostly because Brenden inspired him. If he and Brenden became opponents in court, he would not stand a chance of winning¡­ Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 ¡°Hi. I¡®m Brenden Watson, Mdm. Adina Daugherty¡®s defense attorney. I¡®ll take full charge of this case involving her children¡®s custody. In the future, please contact me directly, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Jenkins.¡± Brenden took out a ck gilded business card from his pocket and passed it to them. He spoke firmly, and his expression was stern as well as serious. He gradually emanated an imposing manner. Tyson frowned. He was not involved in the legal industry, so he had never heard of Brenden¡®s reputation. However, he knew Victor, whom he had hired with arge amount of money, was the most famous attorney in Sea City. If Victor helped him, he would definitely win this case. The only uncertainty now was whether Duke would get involved in this case. If Duke got involved, it might be a little challenging. ¡°I heard that you want to visit the children, Mr. Osborne?¡± Brenden smiled faintly, pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose, and slowly said, ¡°Thew states that parents have visitation rights, but only with their guardian¡®s consent. If the child is taken without the guardian¡®s knowledge, it¡®s equivalent to trafficking. Mr. Osborne, if you would like to have a cup of tea in the police station, you may give it a try.¡± When Tyson saw Brenden¡®s sharp eyes, he felt frightened for some reason. He looked away, scoffed, and said, ¡°Mr. Jenkins says that I can visit, so I will. Do you think I¡®m a three¨C year¨Cold kid who can be scared away by your words?¡± Victor coughed awkwardly. What he said earlier waspletely fine to scare off people who had little legal knowledge. If he yed that trick in front of Brenden, he would humiliate himself like a clown. He looked down and said, ¡°Mr. Watson, I was too hasty indeed. I¡®ll leave with Mr. Osborne.¡± Tyson waspletely taken aback. When did Victor say that he wanted to leave? He wanted to see his children! He was the children¡®s biological father. Why could he not see them? Victor dragged him to the road. Once they were far away, Victor sighed and said, ¡°Mr. Osborne, I¡®m sorry. I think I can¡®t ept your case.¡°. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Tyson red at him. ¡°Didn¡®t you say that you were totally confident about winning custody for me? Didn¡®t you say that you had the professional ethics of awyer and you would help me fight this case until the end no matter what happens? You¡®ve taken my money, and this is how you work?¡± . Tyson criticized Victor, but Victor could not refute him. Why was he so unlucky to encounter Brenden? When Brenden had just graduated, he had defeated an international team ofwyers alone, and that had boosted his reputation ever since. Victor became Brenden¡®s fan because of that case too. He was aware that he was nowhere near Brenden¡®s current skills. If he filed awsuit against Brenden, not only would he offend his idol, but it would also make him look incapable. On top of that, he was the bestwyer in Sea City. If he was defeated, it would be an embarrassing look for him, so why not just give up? ¡°I¡®m sorry, Mr. Osborne. I¡®ll triple yourpensation.¡± Victor and Tyson negotiated. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. Had it been solved that quickly? Was Brenden that amazing? She should have driven faster. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. After Adina got out of her car and walked over, Brenden smiled faintly and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Mr. Osborne won¡®t being to visit the children in the near future. If he dares to pester you and the kids, please just give me a call.¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 ¡°Thank you, Mr. Watson,¡± Adina said sincerely. ¡°You don¡®t have to thank me. You can thank Duke. If he hadn¡®te to me, it would¡®ve been impossible for me to get involved in such awsuit.¡± Brenden raised his wrist and nced at his watch. ¡°I still have things to do, so I need to leave first. Ms. Daugherty, let¡®s keep in touch.¡± Brenden walked up to Duke and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡®ll drive your car. You should cherish this opportunity.¡± Before Duke could say anything, he took his car key and drove away. At 5.00 pm, thete autumn sky was haloed with the yellowish¨Corange evening sun. The sunlight shone on the wall tiles outside the preschool, creating charming refractions. Adina stood outside the preschool and softly said, ¡°Mr. Winters, thank you.¡± Duke turned to the side slightly and stared at her. She had an exquisite face, and as the sunset glow shone on her, she seemed to be surrounded by a layer of golden light. She was wearing a pair of pearl earrings. When the warm sunlight illuminated her side profile, it made her look gentle and charming. Duke pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Have you felt tired all these years?¡± Adina was stunned. When she was in Brenden¡¯s office earlier, she had revealed all the details of her unpleasant past in front of Duke. She thought he would pretend as if he had heard nothing. Unexpectedly, he would ask her about it. She looked at the preschool and slowly said, ¡°Feeling tired has only been one¨Cmillionth of my life in the past few years. It¡®s been filled with much more happiness. Alden and Mel are the most wonderful gifts that God has given me.¡± Duke did not realize it, but his eyes overflowed with tenderness. Ring! Ring! At that moment, the preschool bell rang. The initially quiet preschool instantly became noisy. The happyughter of children could be heard everywhere. ¡°Mr. Winters, please wait here for a moment. I¡®ll bring the kids over.¡± Just as Adina took one step, she heard the sound of leather shoes buckling on the ground behind her. When she turned around, she saw Duke following her. The man shed her an extremely faint smile. ¡°I¡®ll go with you.¡± Adina did not turn him down. So, the two of them walked side by side toward the preschool¡®s entrance. Ava led the children to the lobby and immediately saw the two people in the crowd. Compared with Mr. Osborne, she thought this handsome gentleman looked more like Alden and Melody¡®s father. ¡°Alden, Melody, your mom¡®s here. You can go home now.¡± Ava held the children¡®s hands and walked to the entrance Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. CA Adina thanked her sincerely. ¡°Ms. Jones, thank you for not letting the kids meet that irrelevant person.¡± Ava smiled shyly. ¡°It¡®s my responsibility. You don¡®t have to thank me, Ms. Daugherty.¡± After Adina spoke to Ava for a while, she finally brought the children to the car. Meanwhile, Duke automatically sat in the front passenger seat. When Adina fastened her seatbelt, a question suddenly popped up in her head. Why did Duke not leave together with Brenden? Why did this man stay? Did he just want to keep herpany as she picked up the children? However, when Adina saw Melody¡®s faint smile, she felt that it was actually not bad for this man to stay. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Adina drove to the Winters family vi. Duke had introduced her to Brenden today, so she needed to keep her promise by going over and preparing dinner for Harold. She held her children¡®s hands and walked into the Winters family vi, while Duke followed her from the side. When Mr. Brown came out to receive them, the setting sunlight shone on their faces. They looked like a family of four to him. Besides, the boy¡®s features actually resembled the master¡®s. When he nced at the boy, he looked quite like Young Master George. If he had no idea that this boy was Ms. Daugherty¡®s son, he would have almost thought that there were three young masters in the Winters family. Mr. Brown suppressed his surprise before he grinned and said, ¡°Young Master Alden, Ms. Melody, we meet again.¡± When Harold had been admitted to the hospital some time ago, Mr. Brown had gotten to know these two children. Ms. Melody did not like to talk, but that did not stop her from being adorable. She was wearing a pink dress, and she looked like a cute little princess. Mr. Brown desperately wished for the master to have a daughter because she would definitely look as cute and pretty as Ms. Melody. ¡°Papa Brown, you can just call me Alden and call my sister Mel,¡± Alden said obediently. Mr. Brown caressed Alden¡®s face. He squatted in front of Melody and said, ¡°Ms. Melody, let me carry you inside. I¡®ve prepared a lot of desserts. There¡®s chocte ck forest cake and strawberry ice cream¡­¡± The little girl¡®s initially low¨Cspirited gaze lit up. Mr. Brown took the opportunity to carry her, and she did not push him away either. She just went along obediently. Adina was a little surprised. ¡°Mel doesn¡®t reject Mr. Brown?¡± ¡°Harold¡®s a handful, so Mr. Brown has mastered the secret of coaxing children,¡± Duke exined from the side. ¡°He already started preparing once he heard that you wereing today.¡± Adina nodded and walked inside. When she entered the entrance hall, a maid brought her a pair of pink slippers. It looked like they had just been bought. ¡°You¡®ll being over often, so I got them to prepare a pair for you,¡± Duke said indifferently. Adina looked up at Melody not far away. She was now wearing a pair of little plush bunny slippers. Meanwhile, Alden was wearing a pair of in gray slippers. It fit his personality very much, ¡°Thank you,¡± Adina said softly. ¡°I would also like to thank you. Harold¡®s a fussy eater, so we hire a new batch of chefs once a week on average. If I had another solution, I wouldn¡®t have made this request,¡± Duke gently exined as he led her into the kitchen. The kitchen was huge. The ce where they kept the ingredients was full of fresh produce. It was no less than what you would find in a small food market. The chefs stood at the side and appeared as if they were waiting for instructions. Adina walked inside, took a quick look at the ingredients, and slowly said, ¡°You can take a break. I¡®ll make dinner.¡± The chefs respectfully said, ¡°Ms, Daugherty, you can just instruct us based on whatever dish you want to cook. We¡®ll prepare the ingredients for you.¡± Everyone in the kitchen then got to work in an orderly manner, Duke stood outside and fixed his eyes on Adina. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He suddenly felt that it was not so bad having a woman at home. He leaned on the kitchen door and kept watching until Alden walked over. ¡°Uncle Duke, can I ask you a few questions?¡± Alden pulled the hem of Duke¡®s shirt. Duke snapped out of his daze before he caught a glimpse of the book in Alden¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you study music as well?¡± Alden was holding a piano staff book. Dew had bought it when she previously practiced her piano ying in the Winters family vi, and she had casually ced it on the book rack. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 ¡°Melody recently started to learn the piano, so I¡®m studying a bit too.¡± Alden frowned and said, ¡°But I don¡®t understand a few points here. Do you know a lot about the piano?¡± Duke had learned some piano when he was about five years old, but he put it aside once he lost interestter on. Nevertheless, he had no problems reading the music staff. He took the book, sat on the couch, and slowly asked, ¡°Which part don¡®t you understand?¡± Alden walked up to him and also sat down on the couch. The two of them were seated closely, and that surprised Duke a little. Alden had always kept a distance from him when he was in the Daugherty family home previously. There was always some kind of animosity hidden in the boy¡®s gaze whenever he looked at Duke. But this boy was so near him now. Did Alden finally ept him? Duke curled his lips slightly as he nonchntly said, ¡°This is the most basic piano staff. Every music note represents¡­¡± He kept talking Meanwhile, Alden slowly nced at Duke¡®s shoulder. His ck suit was incredibly neat, and Alden could not see any fine dust. It took Alden a long time before he finally saw a strand of short ck hair on Duke¡®s cor. There was even a hair follicle at the end of the hair. Alden calmly raised his hand and said, ¡°Uncle Duke, there¡®s dust on your shirt.¡± He reached out to pat it. Duke did not realize anything strange and handed the staff book back to him. ¡°Can you understand if I exin it this way?¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle Duke. I understand.¡± Alden took the book and continued reading with great concentration. Duke observed Alden¡®s side profile, and for some reason, he found that the boy was beginning to look more like George. Meanwhile, Melody was taking big bites of her cake. Mr. Brown had ced all the desserts in front of the little girl. He grinned as he watched her eat. ¡°Ms. Melody, take your time. Don¡®t choke. There¡®s still ice cream over here. Eat some ice cream after you take a few bites of the cake. It¡®s really tasty. Young Master Harold loves this ice cream vor the most.¡± As he said that, Harold stomped down the stairs. Harold had heard Adina¡®s voice a long time ago, but he was in a ss. The teacher had blocked the door and refused to let hime down. As such, he had been really worked up. In the end, the teacher only released him after he quicklypleted two mathematical questions. ¡°Mel, I miss you so much.¡± Harold rushed over and held Melody¡®s shoulders. Whenever he met Melody, he would hug her. However, the little girl heartlessly pushed him away. Harold had just rushed down the stairs and had yet to gain a firm footing. When Melody pushed him, he could not avoid falling to the ground. Melody did not expect Harold to fall from a casual push either. She immediately got on her feet so that she could help Harold up. But she suddenly thought of something and sat down again. She lowered her head and continued eating the cake. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mel, don¡¯t you like me anymore?¡± Harold sat on the floor and felt slighted as he raised his head. ¡°You weren¡®t like this before. Why don¡®t you like me all of a sudden? What did I do wrong?¡± When Melody previously avoided him in Aunt Adina¡®s house, he had assumed that Melody was not in a good mood, so he did not mind it. But Melody had actually pushed him today. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chapter 261 ¡°Young Master, get up quickly. The floor¡®s very cold.¡± Mr. Brown promptly went over and carried Harold before he sat the boy on the couch. He earnestly said, ¡°Ms. Melody is having her dessert. When you rushed over, the cream stained your sleeve. Ms. Melody was worried that she would make your clothes dirty, so she pushed you away.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Harold widened his eyes and stared at Melody. However, Melody lowered her head and continued eating the dessert. She looked down, so nobody could see the emotions in her eyes. But Harold could clearly feel that Melody did not like him anymore. Melody never spoke in the past, but she would look at him with her big eyes. He would be able to see his reflection in her eyes, which gave him much joy. However, at this moment, he felt his world turn gray. After Mr. Brownforted Harold, he immediately sat next to Melody again and continued to coax her. ¡°Ms. Melody, please drink some water. Don¡®t choke on the food.¡± Harold was speechless. He felt that Mr. Brown had also stopped loving him. Harold was extremely hurt as he walked up to Alden, and his voice sounded sad. ¡°Hey, was it you?¡± Alden raised his head and frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mel doesn¡®t like me anymore. Did you say something bad about me to Mel?¡± ¡°Would I be that childish?¡± Alden scoffed. ¡°Mel doesn¡®t like people clinging to her too much. You must have stuck to her too closely.¡± Harold almost cried due to his grievance. ¡°I didn¡®t stick to her! I just wanted to hug her just now, but she pushed me away. I fell down on the floor, and it hurt, but Mel didn¡®t help me up. Alden Daugherty, you must have said something bad about me. Otherwise, Mel wouldn¡®t dislike me! I hate you!¡± Alden looked down and did not pay Harold any more attention. Last night, he had already realized that Melody was ignoring Harold. When did this change happen? It seemed that after the incident involving Dew in the Winters family vi, Melody had changed her attitude toward Harold. Why? Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Alden closed the staff book in his hand before he slowly walked up to Melody. ¡°Mel, don¡®t eat too much. You still have dinnerter. Don¡®t let yourself be bloated.¡± ¡°It¡®s fine. It¡®s alright for her to eat like this once in a while.¡± Mr. Brown chuckled as he spoke. Watching Ms. Melody eat desserts gave him great enjoyment. Alden raised his hand indifferently and took the chocte cake away. Melody¡®s cheeks were bulging while she red at Alden, but she quickly lost the battle. She just obediently put her spoon on her te. ¡°You can eat the rest after dinner. I¡®ll put it in the fridge first.¡± Mr. Brown then took all the desserts away. Alden sat next to Melody and calmly asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Melody¡®s gaze became nk she did not understand what he meant. Alden cast an indifferent nce at Harold, who was lying on the couch with a hurt expression. Melody¡¯s ck eyes instantly dimmed. She supported her chin with her chubby hands as she pursed her lips. She had never worn an expression like that ever since she was born. Alden frowned. He initially thought that Mel had just quarreled with Harold, but now, he realized that it might not be that simple. ¡°Mel, you can tell me anything,¡± Alden said, patiently guiding her with his voice. The little girl frowned, and her fair face darkened. She sighed, turned sideways, and grabbed Alden¡®s hand. Her chubby finger slowly traced out a few words on Alden¡®s palm. (Dew is his mother.] The little girl eventually wrote those four words in four minutes, After she was done writing, the siblings stared at each other. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Melody turned away and sighed again. Alden looked utterly shocked. Melody would not lie, and she rarelymunicated with outsiders. Once shemunicated, it would be something that she really wanted to say. It was impossible for her to fake it. In other words, Harold had to be Dew¡¯s son! Dew was his mom¡¯s biggest enemy! So, Harold was the son of his mother¡¯s enemy! No wonder Melody suddenly changed her attitude toward Harold. It turned out that this was her reason. Harold and George were actually Dew¡¯s sons! How could this be? Alden¡¯s usually calm face was filled with shock for a long time. ¡°What happened?¡± Duke had sensed that something was going on between the children. Initially, he did not want to get involved, but he realized Alden had lost his cool. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. This boy was brilliant, wise, and resilient. It seemed that things could rarely make him lose his composure. Did Harold do something outrageous to Melody? Duke frowned and walked over. Alden suppressed his shock. When he raised his head, he red at the man in front of him. If this man was his and Melody¡¯s biological father, that meant Harold and George were their stepbrothers who shared the same father but had different mothers! So, would he be right to understand that Duke made the Daugherty sisters pregnant at the same time five years ago? Alden¡¯s gaze was slowly filled with contempt. Duke curled his fingers. This boy had been very friendly to him just moments ago. Why did he suddenly stare at him with that gaze again? It was cold like snow in winter. Duke knew that Alden was intelligent. There was no point in asking because Alden would never tell him. He slowly bent down and extended his arms to the little girl. ¡°Come over here. Give me a hug.¡± The little girl seemed gloomy earlier. But when she saw Duke, she smiled faintly and rushed into his arms. Duke lifted her and threw her upward. The little girl giggled before she fell into Duke¡¯s arms. Alden had a tight frown. Melody just knew that Harold was Dew¡¯s son, so she stayed away from Harold. Why did she not wonder why Dew¡¯s sons called Duke ¡°Dad¡±? Melody was still too naive ¡°Dad, I want you to lift me too!¡± Harold quickly ran over. He instantly forgot the unhappiness he felt just now. He dragged Duke as he wanted to have fun too. Duke nced at him. ¡°You¡¯re a big boy, but you still want to y like this? Aren¡¯t you being childish?¡± Harold was speechless. He was four years old just like Melody. Why was he the childish one? Besides, his dad never carried him like that when he was three either. Harold had the look of someone who had been wronged as he pouted. He felt as though his world was falling apart. Duke lifted the little girl a few times before he held her in his arms. He softly asked, ¡°Mel, is there something that¡¯s making you unhappy?¡± When he asked her that question, the corners of Melody¡¯s lips, which were initially curved up, instantly drooped. The unhappiness in her eyes was obvious. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Chapter 263 ¡°Mel, if there¡®s something making you unhappy, you can tell me about it.¡± Duke carried her and sat on the couch. His gaze and voice were extremely gentle. Melody pursed her pink lips and pulled his big, rough palm over. Just as she was about to write on it, Adina walked out of the kitchen. She was holding a te of food in each hand, and she grinned as she said, ¡°Dinner¡®s ready. Come over and eat.¡± Harold immediately turned around and rushed over. ¡°Aunt Adina, I miss you so much!¡± Adina quickly put down the tes before she bent down and carried Harold. She smiled gently and said, ¡°We just met yesterday. Why would you miss me already?¡± ¡°My teacher taught me ¡®absence makes the heart grow fonder.¡® I didn¡®t see you for one day, so your absence strengthened my love for you. I want to be with you all the time!¡± Harold put his arms around Adina¡®s neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Adina¡®s heart melted. She lowered her head and also kissed Harold on the cheek. Harold was on cloud nine. As long as Aunt Adina still liked him, it would be totally fine if Mr. Brown and his dad did not like him anymore. He held Adina¡®s neck with his arms and kissed her again. Adina smiled and chuckled, while Alden pursed his lips. He wondered if his mom knew that Harold was Dew¡®s son, would she still be so intimate with Harold? But before that, he needed to confirm if Duke was his and Melody¡®s biological father. Alden lowered his head and hid the short strand of ck hair in his pocket. ¡°Let¡®s eat. I cooked several dishes including soup today. I prepared these chicken wings with Coca¨CC sauce specially for Harold.¡± Adina picked up a chicken wing and put it on Harold¡®s te. This boy was a really fussy eater, and his favorite food was chicken wings. She made a lot today, so it should be enough for him. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Adina!¡± Harold grinned and thanked Adina. He took a bite of the chicken wing before he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. Then, he Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. suddenly put it down, turned back, and ran upstairs. Duke frowned and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡®m going to call George!¡± Harold quickly ran into the study. Mr. Brown pped his thigh. ¡°Yes, how could I forget Young Master George? There are guests today, so I should¡®ve called him in advance and asked him toe back earlier.¡± Harold got upstairs, tapped open his phone, and gave George a call. ¡°George, why aren¡®t you back vet? Didn¡®t I tell you that Mel woulde to our house for dinner today? She¡®ll be gone if you don¡®t make your way back now!¡± George was in a piano shop. He sat on a leather couch as he indifferently said, ¡°I still have something to do.¡± ¡°George, I know you don¡®t like Aunt Adina, but you can¡®t hate Mel just because you¡®re prejudiced against Aunt Adina. Mel¡®s not in a good mood today. She doesn¡®t want to talk to me. If youe back, I¡®m sure she¡®ll be really happy.¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°Why would she be happy when I get back?¡±. ¡°Because you look like Mel¡®s brother! Mel likes Alden the most, and you look like him. She¡®ll like you too!¡± George was at a loss for words. Was he a substitute? ¡°I¡®ll go back in half an hour,¡± he said indifferently. ¡°Okay, I think we still won¡®t be done with dinner at that time. Hurry home, George!¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Chapter 264 After Harold hung up, he stomped downstairs for dinner again. George held his phone, and a light shed in his eyes. He then looked at the staff who was standing at the side. ¡°How much longer will I have to wait?¡± ¡°Twenty minutes,¡± the staff said politely. ¡°After we received your call yesterday, our manager personally contacted the overseas factory. This piano is newly finished, and countless people have pre¨Cordered it. It¡®s also because of our manager¡®s seniority that he is able to grab it from other people. Mr. Winters, please wait for a little longer. The piano will be delivered in a minute.¡± George indifferently nodded. Since he had known that Melody loved to y piano, he made a call and preordered a piano. The pianos disyed in the shop were at general first¨Css level. If he wanted to buy the best piano, he must pre¨Corder it from the original factory. Luckily, he acted very quickly, or this piano would be grabbed by other people. If he used this piano as the present when he first met Melody, she should like it, right? ¡°Mr. Winters, the piano is here.¡± A truck parked in front of the shop, and the door of the back was opened. A ck piano glowed brightly. George did not have the time to examine the piano. He indifferently said, ¡°Process the payment now.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The service assistant smiled faintly and said, ¡°The total is 6.59 million dors. Thank you and please come again.¡± George nodded. ¡°Deliver it back with me.¡± When the staff was about to close the door of the back of the truck, someone suddenly showed up in front of the piano shop. Dew walked inside in her high heels. The piano she previously bought was destroyed, so she had toe and buy another one. After she was chased out by Duke, she did not want to practice piano again. In the end, it was only after she was advised by Ruby that she pulled herself together. ¡°Dew, George let you practice piano also because he wishes that you¡®re qualified to be his mother. He¡®s doing this for your sake. How can you let George down? Besides, Duke doesn¡®t allow you to visit the Winters family anymore. If you also put the piano practice aside, what excuse can you still use to get along with the Winters family? George and Harold are your sons. Don¡®t neglect your sons just because you¡®re angry now. No matter what happens, your identity will never change. You have to keep this in mind!¡± Dew took a deep breath before she continued walking forward. When she looked up, she saw George, and she saw a piano in the truck. Her eyes instantly showed excitement. Was this¡­ the new piano that George bought for her? She really did not raise this son in vain! ¡°George!¡± Dew walked over quickly. When George heard her voice, he frowned. This woman was his mother, but the bottom of his heart actually still repelled Dew. He hid it so well that everyone thought he respected his mother very much. George pursed his lips and indifferently said, ¡°Mom.¡± Dew squatted down in front of him, put her hands on his shoulders, and happily said,¡± George, I know you¡®re the best to me. I know you¡®ll always be by my side. Don¡®t worry, I¡®ll practice piano. I will not let you down.¡± ¡°It¡®s great that you think this way, Mom. I still have things to do, so I¡®ll leave now.¡± George pushed away Dew¡®s touch, and he walked outside without turning back. Dew was stunned for a while before she immediately ran after him. ¡°George, aren¡®t you sending the piano to the Daugherty family? We can leave together.¡± Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Chapter 265 ¡°Who told you the piano¡®s going to be delivered to the Daugherty family home?¡± George stopped walking, turned around, and slowly asked her. His ck eyes were calm and unruffled, but Dew detected a glint of coldness from his gaze. She took a deep breath. ¡°If it¡®s not being delivered to the Daugherty family home, who are you giving it to?¡± George stared at her and pursed his lips tightly. He did not know what he was thinking either. It seemed like he wanted to viciously exact revenge on her while he vented the emotions that he had suppressed all these years. ¡°This is a gift for Melody. I¡®ll be meeting her for the first time,¡± he said unhurriedly. Dew instantly widened her eyes. ¡°What? Melody Daugherty? Adina¡®s daughter? George, have you lost your mind? Are you really giving that little b*stard such an expensive gift?¡± When George heard the term ¡°little b*stard,¡± his gaze became colder. He slowly said, ¡°Mom, if I ever hear you calling Melody ¡®little b*stard¡®¡ª¡°. Halfway through his sentence, he was interrupted by Dew¡®s sharp voice. ¡°What are you going to do? Will you disown me as your mother? George Winters, I gave birth to you. Is this how you obey me? Is that little b*stard worth so much of your effort? What the hell did she drug you with?¡± Dew was furious! George used to take her side, but why did he change sides and choose Adina after a few days? Why? How could this happen? She could not ept it! George nced at Dew indifferently. This was his second time reminding his mother, but she aggravated things. He curled his lips into a sneer. ¡°Since you insist on being like this, I have nothing else to say.¡± He just walked away. His steely gaze terrified Dew. Did he totally not care about her as his mother? If even George did not care about her, how could she still base herself in the Winters family? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°George Winters, stop!¡± Dew ran after him. She grabbed George¡®s skinny shoulders with great force. Her eyes were intense. ¡°No matter what, I¡®ll always be your mother. Your body contains my blood. Don¡®t you dare deny my presence!¡± George raised his hand and moved her fingers away one by one. He looked calm and sounded emotionless. ¡°Yes, you¡®re my mother, but that¡®s just all you are to me.¡± He naturally could not deny the existence of his biological mother. But from today onward, he would not be emotionally invested in the Daugherty family. He would pretend as if he never had a mother. George turned around and got into the car. His driver was worried that Dew would pester them, so he stepped on the pedal and drove away. Seeing the car disappear from her sight, Dew unwittingly squatted down. She held her knees, and her tears fell uncontrobly. She had lost all power. She could no longer control anything. Even George was escaping her grasp. What should she do? Why were blood ties so powerful? Why did Adina have to bring those two little b*stards back? She had heard of telepathy between twins. Plus, Harold and George could always sense each other¡®s emotions. However, they were actually quadruplets. So, was she unable to cut off the ties between the siblings no matter what she did? Should she just wait for Duke to chase her out of Sea City once the truth was exposed? No! She did not want to leave Sea City! Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Chapter 266 She wanted to be Mrs. Winters! Dew wiped her tears away before she stared nkly at the road where the cars came and left. It was not easy to be Mrs. Winters! She had lost all her handles now. What should she do? Right then, her phone rang, and she cast a nce at the iing call. It was from Alice. Alice would personally give her piano lessons every Saturday afternoon. However, Duke had chased her out of the Winters family vi, and her piano had also been destroyed. Was Alice calling her to cancel the ss? Dew took a deep breath before she answered the call. ¡°Good news, Dew!¡± Alice said happily. ¡°I¡®ve been invited to be a live piano tutor on a tour. I can use this privilege to let my student perform on stage. Your skills on the piano are good, so I¡®d like to invite you to join me on this tour.¡± Dew was slightly startled. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you! I promised Young Master George to train you up. This is a great opportunity, so of course I would invite you.¡± Alice smiled and said, ¡°This tour will mainly be held overseas, and there are a total of five shows. Those attending the concerts will be the bigwigs of the industry. This is a great time for you to increase your poprity.¡± Dew held her phone tightly. This was the path that George had previously paved for her. Once she achieved something in the piano world, George would help her be part of the Winters family But now¡­ ¡°Dew, are you listening?¡± Alice did not receive any response, so she subconsciously raised her voice. ¡°I¡®m just so happy that I don¡®t know what to say.¡± Dew pulled herself together and acted as if she was ecstatic. ¡°Ms. Alice, please send me the exact time and venue. I¡®ll rush over this instant.¡± Since the opportunity had been presented to her, she could not waste it. What if she actually became popr in the piano world? What if Duke changed his perspective of her? This was herst chance. She had to join the piano circle! . . . Due to his encounter with Dew, George arrived at the Winters family vi fifty minutester. As soon as his car stopped, he saw Adina¡®s car drive away. There was only a one¨Cminute gap. ¡°George, why are you back sote?¡± Harold walked over unhappily. Melody was unhappy all night, and she did not look at him at all. He was waiting for George toe home and salvage the situation. Unexpectedly, George only came back after Mel had left. George ignored Harold. He turned around and instructed the staff to carry the piano into the vi. Harold frowned. ¡°George, are you mad? Why did you buy a piano for that witch again? I¡®m not going to let you bring this piano inside.¡± George nced at him indifferently. ¡°This is supposed to be a gift for Mel when I meet her for the first timeter.¡± Harold¡®s eyes lit up. ¡°Wow! George, you actually bought Mel a piano. This piano is much better than the previous one. It must be really expensive, right? How much is it? I¡®ll pay half of it. We¡®ll give Mel this gift together!¡± ¡°This is my personal gift for Mel. It has nothing to do with you.¡± George¡®s expression was uncaring. ¡°Please leave it here. Thank you.¡± The staff left only after they ced the piano down. Harold red at his brother and unhappily said, ¡°I met Mel first. I should be the one who gives this to her. How can you give this to her by yourself?¡± ¡°I don¡®t care what you want to give to her. You can buy it yourself.¡± George went upstairs after he responded indifferently. Harold was speechless. If he had the money, would he have shamelessly said all that? Hmph! George had a lot of money in his bank ount simply because he was managing apany. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He would also ask his dad to give him apany tomorrow. He would secretly sell thatpany and buy gifts for Melody as well as Aunt Adina. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Chapter 267 George went upstairs and knocked on the door of the study Duke¡®s voice rang out from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. George walked in and handed him a document. ¡°Dad, this is Digion Technology¡®s financial report for the last quarter.¡± Digion Technology was a smallpany that had been on the verge of bankruptcy. Duke had given it to George, and under George¡®s management in the past year, thepany returned from the dead. It became the top subsidiarypany under Winters Corporation. However, all the information about this company had been hidden to protect George. Outsiders did not know that Digion Technology was a subsidiarypany of Winters Corporation, and they also did not know that the CEO of Digion Technology was the young master of the Winters family. Duke flipped through the financial report and nodded nonchntly while he said, ¡°Good. The earnings have risen exponentially in the third quarter, and they¡®ll explode in the future. You¡®ve done a great job with thispany. Once Digion Technology settles down, I want to transfer you to the headquarters. What do you think?¡± George considered it for a while before he said, ¡°Digion Technology will develop a product that serves blind people. I should join only the headquarters after this product is officially launched in the market.¡± Duke nodded. ¡°It¡®s great that you have a n.¡± He had used up all of the family¡®s resources to train George, and George did not disappoint him. One could say that George was more excellent than him. He was only four years old, but he had already be an outstanding heir. With George¡®s presence, the Winters family would not have to worry for a century. ¡°If there¡®s nothing else, I¡®ll return to my room now.¡± George pursed his lips. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, his gaze suddenly froze. He saw an open report on the table, and it contained the form for a programming application. He had worked on technical parts before. One nce was enough to bring up his interest. He subconsciously walked over, picked up the report, and studied the form carefully. The more he studied it, the brighter his eyes became. He raised his head and excitedly said, ¡°Dad, who submitted this report to you?¡± Duke nced over. It was Project A¨CF¡®s implementation report. Mr. Garcia from the Technical Department had submitted it to him this morning, and he did not have the time to finish reading it yet. ¡°Are you interested in it?¡± he asked indifferently. ¡°Digion Technology is developing software, and we¡®ve faced some problems in the technical parts. This form can perfectly solve our problem. But this report doesn¡®t state everything clearly, so I¡®d like to talk to the person who suggested this form.¡± ¡°Go to the headquarters and look for Mr. Garcia tomorrow. He¡®ll exin it to you in detail.¡± George nodded. He took a photo of the programming form with his phone. After he went back to his room, he wrote the form in his notebook. He derived it repeatedly but still could not deduce the initial form. When he turned on hisputer and keyed in the form, he realized that the form could not be found on the Inte. In other words, this form was an original creation. He knew of Mr. Garcia, but why did he not realize that Mr. Garcia had such an ability? S H Mr. Garcia was reading a programming sheet in his office in Winters Corporation. Brayden knocked on his room door and walked inside. ¡°Mr. Garcia, it¡®s time for Project A¨CF¡®s second review meeting. Ms. Daugherty of LaStar Technology Corporation is here. Would you like to go over now?¡± Mr. Garcia frowned. When this project was brought up a few years ago, he was not optimistic about it. But Mr. Winters and the young masters from the Sundend and Walker families had invested in this project. He was just a staff member, so it was not his ce to say anything. After they could not find a core programmer, they ended up putting the project aside. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Chapter 268 This old project was revived because they had hired a chip designer who was rumored to be outstanding But Mr. Garcia did not see a legendary person. He had met Ms. Daugherty from LaStar Technology Corporation twice. She was gorgeous, and she also looked confident. However, results could not be obtained with just confidence in establishing programming software. Mr. Garcia did not want to waste his time on this project, but Mr. Winters had handed him this case. If he did not go¡­ Right then, a group of people walked over. Two assistants in ck suits apanying a four¨Cyear¨Cold child stood in front of his office. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. When Mr. Garcia saw George, his eyes lit up. He had worked for Mr. Winters for more than a decade, and Mr. Winters trusted him, so he knew the situation in the Winters family. Mr. Winters never exined this young master¡®s identity, but he could roughly guess that this boy was Mr. Winters¡® son. There had to be an important thing for the young master of the Winters family toe to him. In that case, he had a rightful and proper excuse not to attend the second review meeting. When Mr. Garcia thought of that, he turned to the side and said, ¡°Brayden, I¡®ve given you full authority to handle this project before, so you¡®ll chair this meeting. If you encounter any problems, it¡®s not toote to call me over.¡± Brayden was just the Technical Department¡®s deputy manager, so he did not know George. However, he saw how imposing George looked and how he had two bodyguards apanying him. Besides, Mr. Garcia was respectful toward the boy. He could guess that George was not just any boy without thinking too much. He nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡®ll go over right now.¡± Brayden then went to the meeting room with a stack of documents. ¡°Young Master George, please have a seat.¡± Mr. Garcia asked his assistant to get George a cup of tea before he respectfully said, ¡°May I know why you¡®re here today?¡± George raised his hand, and Liam, who was standing behind him, took out a notebook. George opened the notebook, pointed at a form, and asked, ¡°Mr. Garcia, can you exin this programming form to me?¡± Mr. Garcia stared at the form in the notebook for a while and felt slightly surprised.¡± There¡®s a special format for mathematical forms in programming, but the script for this form doesn¡®t seem to be correct. Young Master George, where did you copy this from?¡± George¡®s gaze froze. ¡°You haven¡®t seen this form before?¡± When Mr. Garcia saw George¡®s gaze, he instantly became speechless. He could tell that Young Master George had purposelye to him because of this form. He had seen how smart Young Master George was a year ago. At that time, the young master had used hisputer and easily invaded the dark web overseas. It shocked him for a very long time. The young master was very interested in programming, and he was somehow gifted in it. He could not have taken down the wrong form ande to him. ¡°I¡­ I¡®ve seen it.¡± Mr. Garcia changed his sentence. ¡°I saw it once, but I forgot when I saw it. Let me look at it again.¡± George sat across from him and spoke stoically. ¡°I¡®m trying to derive the most original version of this form, but I keep getting stuck. May I know if you can help me derive it?¡± ¡°Let me try.¡± Mr. Garcia wiped the sweat off his head, while he held a pen and performed the calctions on a draft paper. Half an hourter, George nced at the draft paper and indifferently asked, ¡°Mr. Garcia, who created this form? Please just ask that person toe over.¡± Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Mr. Garcia had never felt so awkward. The young master had purposelye to learn from him, but he did not make any progress after wasting half an hour. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. More importantly, he had no idea who had created this form because he never paid attention to Project A¨CF. While the atmosphere was tense, someone pushed the office door open. Brayden and Mr. Garcia were close, so Brayden rarely knocked on the door before he entered the office. When he pushed open the door and came in, he saw that George was still there, so he immediately took a step back. ¡°I¡®m sorry for the disturbance.¡± After he said that, he immediately closed the door again. ¡°Brayden, pleasee in.¡± Mr. Garcia quickly stopped him. He had handed full authority over Project A¨CF to Brayden, so he thought Brayden should know who had suggested this new form. Brayden pushed the door open and went inside again. ¡°Yes, Mr. Garcia?¡± While he spoke, he dared not look at George. This boy was just four years old, but his aura was too imposing. It made him too afraid of staring at him. Mr. Garcia passed him the paper where the form was written. ¡°Have you seen this before?¡± Brayden looked over, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Mr. Garcia, are you deriving this form as well? I tried to derive itst night, but I couldn¡®t figure out the original form. I asked Ms. Daugherty for advice just now, and she gave me a full demonstration. Mr. Garcia, look carefully. This form is magical. After you write it out, you¡®ll find that it¡®s extremely simple. Before you write it out, you won¡®t be able to figure it out no matter what.¡± Brayden took a pen and wrote down a long series of programming derivation forms on the draft paper with swishing sounds. Mr. Garcia¡®s eyes were slowly filled with shock. When he was trying to derive it, it already did not feel like a simple form. Perhaps it could change the current programming technique. After Brayden wrote out the whole calction, Mr. Garcia suddenly realized that amon person would not have been able to suggest this form. Without a certain level of programming foundation, strong mathematical logic, and a deep understanding of the industry, it was impossible to figure out something so simple yetplex. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Garcia? Isn¡®t this brilliant?¡± Brayden yed with the pen, and his eyes were filled with pride. ¡°Ms. Daugherty is amazing. I asked her for some advice on the problems that I encountered at work, and she managed to resolve them with just a few sentences. She appears to be two years younger than me, but she¡®s unexpectedly intelligent.¡± Mr. Garcia was in disbelief. ¡°Did you just say that Ms. Daugherty suggested this form?¡± How was it possible? Ms. Daugherty seemed to be in her early twenties! How could such a gorgeousdy understand the industry so thoroughly? ¡°Who else could it be besides her?¡± Brayden looked puzzled as he said, ¡°If Ms. Daugherty wasn¡®t capable, how could she establish apany? Mr. Garcia, you need to attend the next review meeting. Ms. Daugherty¡®s perspectives are very unique. If you listen to her, you¡®ll be enlightened.¡± Mr. Garcia was stunned. Was that woman so brilliant? He really could not tell. ¡°Ms. Daugherty? Which Ms. Daugherty?¡± George slowly asked. His sight was excellent, so he was able to see the process of Brayden¡®s derivation on the draft paper. It looked simple and ordinary, but upon careful thought, he realized that the form could not have been derived by a normal person. They could even use the form to apply for a patent. He suddenly wanted to meet Ms. Daugherty. ¡°It¡®s Adina Daugherty, the founder of LaStar Technology Corporation,¡± Brayden said casually. George appeared to be taken aback all of a sudden. Adina Daugherty! Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Chapter 270 How could he forget that Adina was an outstanding student at Harfard University? This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The information stated clearly that she was an outstanding student in the School of Electronics and Information Engineering at Harfard University, and she was known as a programming genius. The information had been presented to him in words. How could he have neglected it? Adina¡­ It was actually Adina! That woman was brilliant. ¡°That¡®s all for today. If there¡®s any progress in this project, please contact me, Mr. Garcia,¡± George stood up and said with a straight face. After he spoke, he turned around and left the office. Once Mr. Garcia sent George out, he looked at Brayden. ¡°Did Ms. Daugherty reallye up with this form?¡± He still found it surreal. Experts in programming tended to be very old or have bald heads. Ms. Daugherty was incredibly young and beautiful. No matter how he looked at her, she still did not look like a programmer. ¡°Of course, it¡®s Ms. Daugherty!¡± Brayden nodded¡°Her logic is extremely strong. She even suggested a new programming theory, but she spoke too fast, so I didn¡®t understand it well. I¡®ll ask her about it when I see her next time.¡± Mr. Garcia fell into deep thought. ¡­¡­ Adina attended the review meeting in Winters Corporation in the morning before she went back to her office to continue working on some misceneous matters in the afternoon. She was so busy that she did not have time to even drink a ss of water. She worked on the project with Winters Corporation and also had to update the chip for Xavier Corporation¡®s intelligent product. Besides, she also needed to contact Daugherty Corporation¡®s clients. Most importantly, her ownpany, LaStar Technology Corporation, had just been established. There were too many things that she needed to handle. It was 5.00 pm in the blink of an eye. Adina put aside her work before she packed her stuff and prepared to pick her kids up from preschool. At that moment, her phone vibrated. She looked at it, and the caller ID showed that it was her grandma She pressed the answer button and turned on the speaker. She packed her stuff as she said, ¡° Grandma, is everything okay?¡± All this while, she would usually call Mdm. Daugherty at night to send her greetings. They never contacted each other during the daytime. ¡°Addy, bring your kids back for dinnerter. I purposely asked the chef to make some of the kids¡® favorite food.¡± Adina was taken by surprise. ¡°Grandma, how did you know about my kids?¡± ¡°If Dew hadn¡®t told me, I wouldn¡®t have known that you gave birth to two kids. Addy, we¡®re your family. How can you hide such a serious matter from your family?¡± Mdm. Daugherty sighed. ¡°I heard from Dew that you have a son and a daughter, and they¡®re already four years old. Bring them back and let me take a look at them.¡± Adina¡®s gaze became cold. She pursed her lips and indifferently said, ¡°Okay, I¡®ll go hometer.¡± After she hung up, the coldness in her eyes became more profound. Dew! It was Dew again! Why did she tell their grandmother about her children? What was she nning to do? Since Dew wanted to create a fuss using her kids, she would go and see what Dew was nning! Adina drove to the preschool, and after the kids got into the car, she gently smiled and said, ¡± Alden, I have something to doter. Can you and Mel hang out in the Winters family vi? I¡®ll take you home later.¡± When Alden heard that, he looked up. ¡°Mom, what are you busy with?¡± ¡°I need to go and meet a client. We might have to talk for a while,¡± Adina drove as she exined. Alden looked at Adina¡®s side profile. For some reason, he sensed that his mother was lying. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271 She drove steadily and arrived before the winters family vi very soon. Harold had finished his homework for a long time, and he had been waiting obediently in the living room. Mr. Brown feltforted. The young master was incredibly mischievous, and he never finished his daily homework on time. Today was the first time. If Ms. Daugherty and Ms. Melody came to the Winters family vi for dinner every day, the young master¡®s academic performance would definitely improve greatly. It would just be a matter of time before he caught up to Young Master George. The moment the car stopped in front of the vi, Harold rushed out. ¡°Aunt Adina, you¡®re finally here. I¡®ve waited for you for a long time! ¡°Mel, your dress is so beautiful today. You look like a princess who just stepped out of the TV!¡± Harold wanted to hold Melody¡®s hand, but she avoided him with a cold expression. The boy felt hurt and pouted, but he quickly smiled again. ¡°Mel, I asked Papa Brown to buy a lot of puzzles and building blocks home today. The difficulty level is the kind that you like. Let¡®s go and y.¡± Melody just stood still without responding to him. Adina walked over, squatted down, and said, ¡°Harold, I have something to do tonight, so I can¡®t prepare dinner for you. But I¡®ll make it up to youter. Can you forgive me?¡± ¡°Aunt Adina, I¡®m a good boy. Why would I be angry with you? If you have something to do, please go ahead. I¡®ll take good care of Mel.¡± Harold stood up straight when he said that, and he looked like he was a little grown man. Alden looked up and said, ¡°I¡®ll look after Mel. Mom, don¡®t worry. You can go to work!¡± Adina turned around and drove away after she stroked the children¡¯s hair. After her car disappeared from the road, Alden turned around and looked at Mr. Brown. ¡°Papa Brown, can you help me look after Mel for a while?¡± Mr. Brown was already holding Mel in his arms. When he heard that, he grinned and nodded.¡± Sure.¡± As soon as he spoke, Alden walked out of the Winters family vi. I Mr. Brown was shocked. He immediately went after Alden. ¡°Young Master Alden, where are you going?¡± Alden turned around and obediently said, ¡°I left something at home, so I want to go back and get it.¡± ¡°I¡®ll ask the driver to send you home.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Alden pulled open the door of a cab that had stopped by the road, and the car instantly disappeared from the front of the vi. ¡°Oh, gosh!¡± Mr. Brown became extremely anxious. ¡°Lucas, why are you still standing here? Hurry! Drive and follow him. You need to bring Young Master Alden back. If he goes missing, how am I supposed to exin it to Ms. Daugherty?¡± Harold grabbed Mr. Brown¡®s hand and muttered, ¡°Alden¡®s very smart. He¡®s almost as smart as George. How can he get lost? Papa Brown, don¡®t bother about him. Quickly, bring Mel inside. I want to y puzzles with her.¡± It was great that Alden was not around. In that case, Mel would not ignore him again. Mr. Brown did not care if Alden was smart. It was too dangerous for a four¨Cyear¨Cold kid to take a cab alone. Lucas realized the importance of the matter, so he immediately drove out and followed Alden. Alden was sitting in the cab. He looked up indifferently and cast a nce at the car that was tailing him. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. He pursed his lips without a word. The driver stepped on the pedal, and the car moved speedily on the road. Soon, they arrived at their destination. Alden used his phone and scanned the code for payment. He did it so skillfully that he did not seem like a four¨Cyear¨Cold boy. The driver lookedpletely shock ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡± Alden jumped out of the car and looked up at the building in front of him. It was a private hospital. He took a peek behind him out of the corner of his eye. The bodyguard from the Winters family had also stopped driving. He got out of his car and quickly walked toward Alden. Alden curled his lips and promptly moved forward. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Chapter 272 He was short, so he could move amongst the crowd. A whileter, he disappeared from Lucas¡® sight. ¡°Young Master Alden!¡± Lucas was distressed. Young Master Alden had disappeared from his sight. He had not been kidnapped, had he? Lucas did not even have time to think about why Alden woulde to the hospital. He kept searching the crowd, but he still did not spot Alden after more than ten minutes. Just as he nned to ask for help in the hospital¡®s broadcasting room, he heard a voice behind him. ¡°Uncle Lucas, are you looking for me?¡± Lucas turned around. When he saw that Alden was uninjured and standing behind him, his tension finally eased. ¡°Young Master Alden, where have you been? You scared me.¡± ¡°I went to buy some Band¨CAids.¡± Alden raised the items in his hand. ¡°My mom¡®s feet are worn out from wearing high heels. I went to buy her some Band¨CAids.¡± Lucas wiped his face. ¡°There are Band¨CAids at home. Why did you travel so far?¡± Alden looked down and did not speak again. ¡°Young Master Alden, let¡®s get into the car. We¡®re going back.¡± Alden nodded obediently before he followed Lucas and entered the car. He sat in the back passenger seat and turned to the side. He looked out the window at the scenery that moved past him while he recalled what the doctor had said. ¡°The result of the paternity test will be out in a week. Even if we rush it, you¡®ll still have to wait for at least three days.¡± In other words, he needed to wait for three more days before he could discover if Duke was his and Melody¡®s father. Duke usually came home from work at about 10.00 pm. However, his car drove into the vi¡®s courtyard at about 6.00 pm today. He pushed open the door and got out of the car. When he looked up, he immediately saw the little girl in pink in the living room. The little girl was sitting on the climbing mat in her pink dress while ying puzzles. Harold was beside her. He was resting his chin on his hands while staring at her with bright eyes. Mr. Brown was sitting next to them while holding an ice cream. He fed the little girl from time to time. It was such a warm¨Clooking scene! Duke¡®s cold expression became gentler. He walked in, hung his coat at the hallway¡®s entrance, and wore a pair of slippers before he walked toward the climbing mat. He squatted down and pped. ¡°Mel,e over here and let me hug you.¡± The little girl turned around. Her zed eyes instantly lit up like fireworks. They were so colorful and fantastical. It was a pleasing scenario, but Duke suddenly felt gloomy for some reason. He suppressed the mysterious emotion and softly asked, ¡°Mel, where¡®s your mom and brother? Why aren¡®t they around?¡± Mr. Brown answered on Melody¡®s behalf, ¡°Ms. Daugherty said she needs to handle some work, so she went to take care of it. Young Master Alden mentioned that he wanted to go home and get something. Lucas just called me and said that he¡®s bringing Young Master Alden back here.¡± Duke nodded. He felt slightly surprised that Melody could actually stay in the Winters family vi on her own. Autistic children would usually refuse to stay alone in a strange environment. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. In that case, Melody must have epted the Winters family. The sky slowly turned dark, and a car stopped in front of the Winters family vi. George opened the door and got out of the car. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Chapter 273 The sky turned dark, and the lights turned on. George got out of the car and looked at the living room where the lights were switched on. Whenever he came home in the past, only the servants would be walking around and cleaning up in the living room. If not, his dad would be sitting on the couch and reading some documents. Right then, the atmosphere under the bright chandelier was warm and harmonious. His dad, who was noble and mighty, was actually sitting on the climbing mat with a few puzzle pieces in his hand. The always mischievous Harold was leaning obediently against the climbing mat without making a fuss. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Mr. Brown, who was usually busy, was sitting at the side while holding an ice cream. His wrinkled face broke into a friendly and warm smile. George walked in slowly. The servant, who was standing at the door, immediately greeted him, ¡°Young Master George.¡± Hearing someone talk, the people on the climbing mat all turned back at the same time. Melody slowly raised her head and looked at George with a clear gaze. She had seen this boy before outside Harold¡®s ward. She still remembered him. He looked a lot like her brother. ¡°Mel, this is my brother!¡± Harold quickly introduced George. ¡°I told you before that my brother looks very simr to yours. Most importantly, my brother is as smart as your brother. No, I should say my brother is a hundred times smarter than your brother.¡± Harold sat up proudly. His brother was brilliant. He wondered if Alden would still dare to look down on him again! George walked over, stood firmly in front of the climbing mat, and softly said, ¡°Hi Melody, I¡®m George.¡± His voice was normally cold and deep, but his voice was subconsciously filled with gentleness at that moment. It was as if he was talking to a fragile porcin doll. He raised his arm and made a gesture to hold her hand. Harold was a little anxious. He had heard from Aunt Adina that Melody did not like tomunicate with outsiders. She did not like to speak and have physical contact with strangers. George had finally epted Melody. If she did not hold hands with George, would he get angry and hate Melody again? While Harold felt anxious, Melody extended her right hand. She stretched her hand out like a kitten, extending and retracting her hands several times. George slowly curled his cold lips and softly said, ¡°If you don¡®t like to hold hands, we can try it next time.¡± As soon as he spoke, the little girl quickly held hands with him. Her palm was as soft as a kitten¡®s palm. The coldness on George¡®s face melted, and his voice became much softer. ¡°Mel, I got you a present. Come, I¡®ll show you.¡± Melody got off the climbing mat. Duke looked down and bent down to help the little girl put on her fluffy bunny slippers. George took the opportunity to hold the girl¡®s hand. Then, he led her to the living room¡®s balcony. ¡°I bought you this piano. Your name¡®s carved over here.¡± George pointed at the edge of the piano. Melody¡®s name had been engraved via hot stamping. It looked elegant, and it was dazzling. She raised her hand and slowly pressed a few keys with the tips of her fingers. Happiness was visible in her big watery eyes. Melody sat down in front of the piano and yed a nursery rhyme. George¡®s eyes were filled with surprise. ¡°You y very well. That was melodious. You¡®re no worse than those international masters.¡± He said that out of sincerity. He was not exaggerating. When Harold heard that, he felt so wronged that he pouted. He just wanted to introduce George to Mel, but Mel did not pay him any more attention after she met George. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Chapter 274 He met Melody first and liked her more. Why would this happen? The boy¡®s eyes became teary and red. Harold could no longer control himself. He rushed over and squeezed George out of the way. ¡°Mel, let me take you over there to y with the puzzle.¡± Harold grabbed Melody¡®s hand. ¡°We had so much fun when we were ying with the puzzle. We¡®ve just completed half of it. Should we go andplete the rest of it?¡± Melody furrowed her beautiful eyebrows and swung Harold¡®s hand away with great force. Harold held her hand tightly and refused to let her go. ¡°Harold, don¡®t you see that Mel¡®s unhappy?¡± George frowned and said, ¡°Let go of her.¡± ¡°I won¡®t!¡± Harold was stubborn. He stood up straight and grabbed the girl¡®s wrist. It was fine if Alden stole Melody from him. That boy was Melody¡®s biological brother, after all. But why could George steal Melody away too? He liked Melody so much and had done so much for her. Why did she treat him like this? Harold felt so wronged that he wanted to cry. He took a deep breath and forcefully held his tears back. George¡®s eyes became much colder. He lowered his head and noticed that Melody¡®s wrist had be red. ¡°Harold Winters, I¡®ll say it one more time. Let go of her!¡± George sounded much sterner. Harold continued to straighten his back and refused to let go of her no matter what. George walked over before he moved Harold¡®s fingers away one by one. Finally, Melody could move her wrist out of Harold¡®s grip. The little girl then hid behind George like a scared bunny. When she looked at Harold, her eyes were filled with caution and hatred. ¡°Whaaa¡­¡± Harold could no longer hold himself back. He just opened his mouth and sobbed. Duke watched the situation and walked over before he said, ¡°B Before you cry, you should take a look at Mel¡®s hand.¡± Harold sobbed as he looked over. Melody¡®s fair and tender wrist was red, and it looked terrifying. ¡°You say that you like Mel. Is this how you treat someone you like?¡± Duke said sternly. ¡°Go back to your room and reflect on your actions for half an hour before youe downstairs again.¡± Harold stopped crying. ¡°Mel, I¡®m sorry. I didn¡®t do it on purpose.¡± Melody hid behind George. She looked down and clenched her fists tightly. ¡°I¡®ll go and reflect on my actions. I have to reflect.¡± Harold cried as he ran upstairs. Then, he closed his room door with a loud thud. Duke massaged his forehead. The day before yesterday, he noticed that Melody had kind of pushed Harold away, and he did not know why. Now, he finally understood it. Harold usually acted rashly. He must have hurt Melody and caused her to hold a grudge. George held Melody¡®s hand, and they sat on the couch before he softly said, ¡°Harold likes you very much, but he doesn¡®t know how to express his feelings, so he identally hurt you. Don¡®t be mad at him.¡± Melody looked down, and her longshes trembled. ¡°What did you do to my sister?¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. As soon as Alden entered the living room, he realized that something was wrong with Melody. Melody had always been expressionless. She rarely appeared happy or sad, and there were not many things that could affect her emotions. However, her eyes were red at that moment. Hershes were trembling immensely, and her eyes were teary. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Alden instantly rushed over and shielded Melody! He red at George with his cold gaze. He hade to the Winters family vi many times, and he finally met George today. If he had known that George woulde home today, he would not have abandoned Melody in the Winters family vi. George looked up and looked at Alden quietly. When their gazes met, there were sparks without smoke. ¡°Ms. Melody, pleasee with me. I¡®ll get you some medication. How did your fair wrist be so red? This is heartbreaking.¡± Mr. Brown walked over with a first aid kit, which eased the tension. Duke carried Melody and sat on the couch at the side. He personally applied the medication for her, and he did so gently. Alden slowly clenched his fists. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He could have done the paternity test at any time. He should not have abandoned Melody. That caused her to be injured. ¡°Don¡®te near my sister again,¡± Alden said coldly and firmly. George frowned indifferently. ¡°You and Melody are different individuals. You have no right to stop me from being friends with her.¡± ¡°You¡®re not qualified to be my sister¡®s friend.¡± Alden lowered his voice. ¡°You¡®re Dew Daugherty¡®s son. You approached my sister because you want to exact revenge for Dew, right? I¡®m telling you that I won¡®t let you seed!¡± George frowned. ¡°What does this have to do with me being Dew¡®s son?¡± Alden¡®s heart instantly sank. He was just testing him, and he did not expect George to directly admit it. In other words, what Melody said was true. Harold and George were Dew¡®s sons. Five years ago, Dew had pushed his mom into the abyss. Five yearster, Dew¡®s son wanted to harm Melody? Harold was not frightening. But George¡­ was unpredictably profound. Alden walked toward Melody. He held her tender hand while he said in a cold yet calm voice,¡± Mel, let¡®s go home.¡± Duke was applying the medication, and his hand froze. ¡°I¡®ll send you home after dinner.¡± ¡°We¡®re leaving now. We don¡®t need you to send us home.¡± Alden¡®s voice was filled with unquestionable resoluteness. Duke felt his head ache, and he massaged his forehead. He could still control the situation when it was only Harold and Melody. The situation spiraled out of control after George came home. But after he sent Harold away, the situation was back under his control. Now that Alden had returned, the situation instantly changed. He could teach Harold and George a lesson, but he was not in any position to teach Alden a lesson because Alden was not his son. Besides, Melody had been injured in the Winters family vi. No wonder there were only two children in a normal family. Forget four children, if there was even one more, the family would be a mess¡­ After he applied the medication for Melody, he softly asked, ¡°Mel, do you want to go home?¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 The little girl jumped down from the couch and held Alden¡®s hand. Although she did not speak, her demeanor made it obvious. Alden held her hand and walked outside while he said, ¡°You should stay away from the Winters brothers.¡± Melody pursed her lips and said in an extremely soft voice, ¡°George¡­¡± Alden trembled. When Melody spoke for the first time, she had called Duke ¡°Dad.¡± When she spoke for the second time, she had also called Duke ¡°Dad.¡± It was her third time speaking, but she was uttering George¡®s name. It had only been Melody and George¡®s first real meeting. Just one meeting was enough for George to enter her world? He took a deep breath and said in a lower voice, ¡°George and Harold are biological siblings, so Dew is also George¡®s mother.¡± As soon as he said that, he saw Melody instantly lose all her energy like a deted balloon. She was like a blooming orchid in the valley that instantly wilted and lost its scent. At that moment, Alden regretted it. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Someone else had finally entered her world, but he had burst her bubble and exposed the truth. Melody had already pushed Harold away. Now, she had also pushed George out of her closed world because of what Alden had said. ¡°Get into the car. I¡®ll send you back.¡± Duke put on his coat and walked out. He pulled open the car door for the back seat. Then, he bent down and carried Melody into the car. He could sense that her emotions were in a worse state than they were earlier. He cast a nce at Alden. Alden looked away and lowered his head to enter the car. Duke drove, and as he held the steering wheel, he spoke in a casual fashion. ¡°Does Mel have any friends in preschool?¡± Alden snapped out of his daze, pursed his lips, and said, ¡°Yes, our ssmates in preschool enjoy ying with Mel.¡± ¡°You¡®ve filtered the ssmates who can approach Mel, haven¡®t you?¡± Duke said indifferently.¡± Mel¡®s social circle is actually your social circle. Am I right?¡± Alden looked up. ¡°Uncle Duke, what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°You strictly filter everyone who approaches Mel, and you chase away anyone who could possibly hurt her. You think you¡®re protecting her, but you might, in fact, be making her close her heart more.¡± Duke continued to drive as he said, ¡°When people are born, they feel happy. angry, and sad. Theyugh, cry, and feel joy as well as sadness. But autistic children have a lower perception of these emotions inparison to normal people. There¡®s a door that separates them from our colorful world. ¡°You¡®ve blocked all the people who might hurt her. That means you¡®ve blocked half of her emotional senses.¡± Duke paused for a while before he resumed. ¡°You think you¡®re doing this for Mel¡®s sake, but you¡®re also injuring her on another level.¡± Alden was shocked. At 6.30 pm, Adina parked her car in front of the Daugherty family¡®s mansion. Before she entered, she could smell the strong aroma of food. It made her recall the nights when she woulde home from school many years ago. Ruby had done a very good job on the surface. The family would always be warm, harmonious, and full ofughter. She had been too naive at that time. She did not notice the conspiracies behind theirughter. Adina suppressed her memories before she walked into the Daugherty family¡®s mansion. The servant immediately came forward and led her into the dining room. ¡°Addy, I thought you weren¡®ting back.¡± Ruby shed her a motherly smile. ¡°I purposely prepared your favorite food. It¡®s the same steak with barbecue sauce I used to prepare five years ago. Whenever I made this dish in the past, you would eat a lot of it¡­¡± Adina curled her lips slightly. ¡°It¡®s been five years. My taste changed a long time ago.¡± Not only had her taste changed, but she had also changed. She was no longer that naive and foolish Adina. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Adina casually contradicted Ruby, and the woman¡¯s expression changed several times before she shed her a smile again. ¡°Addy, why did youe back alone? Where are your kids?¡± she asked. Mdm. Daugherty walked out with a walking stick and looked at Adina¡¯s back with her haggard eyes. She felt a little disappointed as she said, ¡°You didn¡¯te back with the kids?¡± As she grew older, she began to enjoy the liveliness of being surrounded by children. She had even prepared some presents for the children. Adina smiled faintly and helped Mdm. Daugherty to sit down. She tucked her hair behind her ear before she nonchntly said, ¡°My kids are afraid of strangers. I¡¯ll bring them back next time. Grandma, are you feeling better now?¡± Mdm. Daugherty coughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s the same old problem. I¡¯m just holding on.¡± Adina nced around and did not see Dew. She looked down and leisurely asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Dew? Why don¡¯t I see her around?¡± ¡°Dew has been practicing the piano recently. An expert has recognized her talent, so she¡¯s joined a world tour overseas,¡± Ruby said proudly. ¡°Dew is very skilled in ying the piano. Her teacher says that after this world tour, Dew will be the top young pianist in the country, and her future will be bright.¡± Adina curled her lips into a sneer. The Daugherty family had sent her and Dew to piano lessons in the past. They had learned from the same teacher and attended the same sses. Nobody knew Dew¡¯s level better than her. But it was useless to talk about that. She then sat down at the dining table. ¡°Since everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s start eating.¡± She had to return to the Winters family vi and pick her children up after dinner. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to exin to us?¡± Aaron appeared imposing as he pulled out a chair and sat down. His eyes were filled with anger. Adina¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Dad, what do you want to hear from me? Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± Aaron brought the subject up. ¡°Didn¡¯t the twins you gave birth to five years ago die? What really happened to the kids?¡± ¡°What happened? Don¡¯t you know from asking Dew?¡± Adina leaned back in her chair. ¡°Only Dew knows what happened to my kids.¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes turned cold. She wore a hypocritical smile and said, ¡°Addy, you sound so ungrateful. Dew asked about you only because she was concerned about you. If Dew didn¡¯t care about you, none of us would know that you still have two kids. I heard from Dew that the kids actually belong to Mr. Osborne, the chairman of Osborne Corporation in Central City.¡± Adina suddenly looked up, and her eyes were filled with hostility. No wonder Tyson would suddenly approach her! It turned out that Dew had told him about the children! She sneered. ¡°They¡¯re my kids. They have nothing to do with anyone else!¡± ¡°How could you give birth to two kids on your own?¡± Ruby chuckled. ¡°Mr. Osborne has already contacted the Daugherty family. He wants the kids to go back to the Osborne family. Since we¡¯re all here today, we should discuss it.¡± Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 (¡°There¡¯s nothing to discuss.¡± Adina¡¯s expression turned hostile, and her voice was indifferent. ¡°Addy, if the kids are really members of the Osborne family, we really need to discuss this.¡± Mdm. Daugherty sighed and said, ¡°You gave birth to the kids alone, and you¡¯ve worked so hard to raise them. You can¡¯t just raise the kids for the Osborne family for nothing, right?¡± ¡°I said the kids are mine, and they¡¯re not rted to anyone else. I¡¯m not raising the kids for anyone!¡± Adina¡¯s voice was harsh, and she was also slightly impatient as she faced Mdm. Daugherty. ¡°Addy, Mr. Osborne says that he¡¯ll find a way to divorce his current wife, and he¡¯ll bring you and the kids back to the family in Central City. Then, you¡¯ll be the wife of the chairman of Osborne Corporation. How impressive will that be?! Is there anything bad about that?¡± Ruby acted like a caring mother as she advised Adina. ¡°The Osborne family is great. They have power in Central City, and Mr. Osborne likes you very much. When you marry him, not only will you be loved by your husband, but you¡¯ll also be apanied by two kids. Who else in Central City will dare to look down on you?¡± Aaron scoffed and said, ¡°After you join the Osborne family, you can also develop Daugherty Corporation¡¯s market in Central City. This stone kills several birds. You better listen to us.¡± Adina chuckled out of anger. Was tonight¡¯s dinner a trap to force her into marrying Tyson? She pushed her chair away, stood up, and firmly said, ¡°If the Daugherty family wants to get involved in Central City¡¯s circle, you can send Dew over. I believe that Tyson Osborne won¡¯t turn her down. Anyway, he just wants a lover whom he can keep outside. He can find anyone.¡± As soon as she said that, Ruby¡¯s expression changed. However, Adina was not interested in watching the change in their expressions. She turned around and left in her high heels. ¡°Such a rebellious daughter!¡± Aaron instantly mmed the table, and his face was full of anger. ¡°Sigh, Addy is really letting us down.¡± Ruby sighed and looked at Mdm. Daugherty. ¡°Mom, when you¡¯re free, please advise Addy. This is a great thing. Why is this girl turning it away? Does she really want to live the rest of her life on her own with the kids?¡± ¡°Alright, stop talking!¡± Mdm. Daugherty frowned and said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want Addy to raise the kids alone and tire herself, so I asked her toe home. What nonsense did you two just say? Tyson Osborne has a wife and a child. No matter what, it would be impossible for Addy to marry into the Osborne family. Don¡¯t you ever poke your noses in this matter again!¡± Mdm. Daugherty got up and returned to her room with the help of her walking stick. Ruby felt wronged as she said, ¡°Dear, I was just suggesting it for Addy¡¯s sake. Why don¡¯t they appreciate my sincerity?¡± Aaron tapped on the table and pondered for a while before he said, ¡°Osborne Corporation is developing like clockwork. This time, they¡¯vee to invest in Sea City, and countless bigpanies are seeking a connection with them. Daugherty Corporation can¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡± ¡°But look at Addy¡¯s temper. It¡¯d be good enough if she doesn¡¯t offend them. Would she still let the Daugherty family have a chance to befriend Tyson?¡± Ruby said coldly. ¡°Unless, we bring the kids to Tyson. Maybe then, he¡¯ll coborate with us.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Aaron nodded. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of the same thing too. But that girl protects her kids too well. We might not have the opportunity to see the kids alone.¡± Ruby¡¯s gaze was dark and profound. She repeatedly thought about what she should do about this. As soon as she went back to her room, her phone vibrated. She cast a nce at the iing call, and her astute demeanor instantly disappeared. She grinned and said, ¡°Dew, you should be very busy. Where did you find the time to call me?¡± ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you call Adina back for dinner tonight? How did it go?¡± ¡°Sigh, that little b*stard didn¡¯t even listen to your grandma. Besides, she refused to bring the kids back to the Daugherty family home. We couldn¡¯t find a chance.¡± Ruby sighed and said, ¡° Let¡¯s see how Tyson¡¯s preparation is.¡± Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Adina has hired Brenden Watson, the most famous attorney in the country. Tyson doesn¡¯t have a chance of winning,¡± Dew said firmly. ¡°Tyson cares about his reputation very much. Perhaps thiswsuit won¡¯t even be filed¡­¡± Ruby leaned back in her royal chair and sneered. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we add some fuel to the fire and force him to file thewsuit?¡± ¡°Mom, like mother like daughter. We¡¯re thinking of the same thing. I previously asked someone to take a few photos. I¡¯ll send them to you right now.¡± Dew smiled and said, ¡°You can work on it. You better do things neatly. I¡¯m overseas at the moment, so no matter how big the thing gets, George won¡¯t suspect me. Mom, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dew.¡± Ruby tapped on her phone. As she scrolled through the photos, she broke into a victory smile. Right then, it was daytime on the other side of the world, and Dew was at a banquet. After she hung up, she took a ss of wine from a waiter and walked toward the banquet hall. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re stunning today.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re still so young, yet you¡¯re aplished. You¡¯ll be a new star in the country¡¯s piano world.¡± The junior pianists in her circle raised their wine sses, walked over, and greeted Dew. Dew acted elegantly as she smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m just a neer. How can Ipare to talented pianists like you?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you were able to be Ms. Alice¡¯s student. That means you¡¯re outstanding. How enviable is that?!¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I live in Sea City too. After we go back, we can keep in touch. I¡¯d like to seek your advice on the piano.¡± Dew naturally nodded and agreed. She then added these people on WhatsApp. After she finished socializing, Alice walked over. ¡°Dew,e with me. I¡¯ll bring you over there to meet Mr. Albert.¡± When the people around them heard that, they were extremely surprised. Mr. Albert was a legend in the piano world. A few decades ago, when Mr. Albert was just twelve years old, he had be the Prince of Piano, shocking Europe. Over thest sixty years, Mr. Albert had only grown more famous and be a legend whom everyone admired. Everyone who learned the piano knew his name. His name was stated in the basic piano textbooks, and a few of his songs were also included in the textbooks. He was a living fossil in the piano world, and it was extremely hard to get a chance to listen to him y the piano live. Unexpectedly, Mr. Albert had shown up at this event. Meanwhile, Dew, the new star of the piano world, was lucky enough to meet Mr. Albert. Everyone looked at her with envy. Dew straightened her posture. Ms. Alice was already an admirable person in their circle, but Mr. Albert was a greater character than Alice. If Dew befriended Mr. Albert and received some guidance from him, her status would definitely increase greatly once she returned home. She had traveled overseas to join the tour because she wanted to elevate her status. She needed to talk to Mr. Albert! ¡°Mr. Albert passed by the hall just now. He was having a cup of tea backstage, so I guess he¡¯s watched your live performance.¡± Alice gently smiled and said, ¡°If Mr. Albert compliments you, your trip would be totally worth it.¡± Dew suppressed her happiness and said, ¡°Thank you for rmending me, Alice. I¡¯ll continue to perform well.¡± Alice nodded. The two of them then walked backstage. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Alice was also reputable in the piano world. She was lucky to be part of an ensemble with Albert in the past, so she could talk to Mr. Albert. As they approached the resting room, a bodyguard blocked their way. ¡°Mr. Albert is busy. Please leave.¡± Too many people wanted to meet Mr. Albert. The bodyguard¡¯s expression was cold, and he spoke like a robot. Dew smiled and said, ¡°This is Ms. Alice. She¡¯s an old friend of Mr. Albert. Can you please go inside and let him know she¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Mr. Albert told us that he won¡¯t be seeing anyone.¡± The bodyguard blocked the door to his room like a wall. Alice looked very disappointed. ¡°Mr. Albert must be doing something important. We¡¯lle again next time.¡± Just as they were about to turn around and leave, the door to Mr. Albert¡¯s resting room opened. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. An old man with gray hair held his phone and stepped out. As he walked, he said, ¡°Let me show you the international auditorium. Many people won¡¯t be able to perform on this stage in their lifetime. As long as you master this, girl, I¡¯ll bring you to the piano¡¯s birthce and bring you out to perform.¡± While Mr. Albert spoke, he walked toward the auditorium, and a few bodyguards followed him. Dew looked up, just in time to see Mr. Albert raise his phone. He was on a video call, and she could see a little girl¡¯s face on his screen. Dew instantly found the girl familiar after she took a hurried nce. Why did the girl in the video look so familiar? ¡°So the rumors are true¡­¡± Alice muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Mr. Albert has gotten a new student, and she¡¯s a little girl. It¡¯s true. That girl is going to have a bright future since she¡¯s Mr. Albert¡¯s student.¡± Dew was stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Albert stop epting students a few years ago?¡± ¡°He did say that, but I guess that he must have found a brilliant kid who¡¯s extremely talented in ying the piano. Hence, he made the exception and took her in.¡± Alice fell into contemtive silence before she said, ¡°If I have the chance, I¡¯ll ask about the kid¡¯s background. If I can get to know her, maybe I¡¯ll also have a chance to forge a closer friendship with Mr. Albert.¡± Dew nodded and did not say anything else. If the girl was someone whom Alice had to put in effort to know, Dew would not stand a chance. It would already be great if she could achieve half of Alice¡¯s achievements in her life. The little girl sat in front of the piano and yed. A phone was ced on the music desk, where the music sheet was supposed to be, and a wrinkled face was visible on the screen. ¡°Mel, your piano ying is very melodious. The only w is your expression. It¡¯s too stiff.¡± Mr. Albert guided her remotely. ¡°You¡¯ll need to perform on stage in the future, so that expression is not going to cut it. Come, smile with me. Sigh, don¡¯t ignore me. Curve your lips and show me your eight white teeth. Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± The little girl did as Mr. Albert instructed, which was rare. She smiled obediently. But the smile was forced, so it looked very nondescript. ¡°Forget it. You better not ?mile. It¡¯s fine to maintain your cold expression.¡± Mr. Albert was fed up. Duke was sitting on the couch nearby. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the piano. The more he listened to it, the calmer his heart was. It was as if his soul was being cleansed. Half an hourter, Mr. Albert¡¯s ss finally ended. Melody jumped down from the chair and walked up to Duke. He then held her in his arms. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Chapter 281 ¡°Mel, I know you¡¯ve been unhappy thesest two days, and you dislike Harold. Can you tell me the reason?¡± Duke held Melody while he asked her softly. The little girl looked down, and her long, curly lashes trembled. She tightly clenched her fists. Duke was very patient when he dealt with Melody. He slowly said, ¡°I¡¯m your Uncle Duke. No matter how bad things have happened to you, you can always tell me.¡± Melody slowly loosened her fists. She raised her head and stared Duke in the eyes. Alden, who was not far away, walked over. When he was approaching them, he stopped walking. What Duke said to him in the car lingered in his mind again. Mom never made any decisions for him, so should he also leave Melody be? Melody epted Duke, and she was willing to get along with Duke. She was also willing to share her secrets with Duke. What right did he have to stop her? Alden pursed his lips, turned around, and entered the kitchen. Melody did not eat anything before he took her back from the Winters family. He had to cook some pasta for her. Duke nced at the kitchen from the corner of his eye, and his gaze was filled with admiration. He really did not engage with too much idle chatter when it came to such a brilliant person. He just briefly gave some guidance, and Alden could grasp the key of the matter. Alden must have contributed a lot when Adina raised the two kids alone. Duke looked away before he continued talking to the girl in his arms. ¡°Did Harold bully you? Tell me how he bullied you. I¡¯ll beat him up for you.¡± The little girl shook her head. She grabbed Duke¡¯s palm, and she prepared to write something. Duke raised his hand, flipped open an empty page of the book on the tea table, and took a pen over. ¡°Write it slowly. Take your time.¡± Melody leaned on the tea table, and she wrote down a sentence. (I like Harold, but he is Dew¡¯s son, so I don¡¯t like him now.] After she finished writing, she prepared to put down her pen, but changed her mind and added another sentence. (George is also Dew¡¯s son. I also don¡¯t like him now.] These two sentences made Duke tremble. He thought Harold had done something wrong. He even punished Harold to reflect on himself in the room. In fact, Harold did nothing wrong. The person who made the mistake was Duke. It was his mistake five years ago, but Harold innocently bore the mistake. After Melody wrote the two sentences, she did not receive any response. She bit her bottom lip, tore the paper that she wrote on, and rolled it up. She prepared to throw it into the trash bin. Duke held her hand and took over the paper roll. ¡°Mel, I know why you don¡¯t like Dew. I also don¡¯t like her.¡± Duke carried the girl and sat on hisp. His voice was low and soft, like the heavy rain that came in sudden bursts during summers, rapidly driving away the heat. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you still remember how Harold received the p from Dew for you that day? Between you and Dew, Harold chose you without hesitation. You can¡¯t push Harold away because you hate Dew. Do you know how sad he has been these two days? He¡¯s been thinking about what he has done wrong¡­¡± The girl lowered her head. She anxiously pinched her hem, and hershes trembled even more. Alden was initially cooking pasta in the kitchen, and he did not want to get involved in this. But no matter how he controlled himself, he was just a four-year-old kid. He finally could not help but walk out. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Chapter 282 He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Harold sincerely likes Mel, and he will never hurt Mel, but George is different!¡± Duke looked up at him. ¡°Why is George different?¡± ¡°He cares about Dew. If Dew asks him to harm Mel, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll turn her down!¡± Alden raised his chin and coldly said. ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± Duke firmly said. George was his pride. His son had principles and bottom lines. He would never injure a girl. If Dew wanted to injure Melody one day, George might not even admit Dew as his mother. Alden clenched his fists. ¡°If my mom knows that George and Harold are Dew¡¯s sons, she will not go to the Winters family again. She will also never cook for Harold again.¡± Duke¡¯s expression finally changed. Adina¡­ was really beyond his control. He also knew of the grudge between the Daugherty siblings. If Adina knew that he had a past with Dew, perhaps she would really not visit the Winters family again. When Duke thought of this possibility, it filled his heart with gloominess. ¡°So, does your mom not know about this yet?¡± He slowly asked. Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°She will know one day.¡± ¡°Let me be the one to tell her.¡± Duke firmly said, ¡°Can you keep this secret for me for the time being?¡± Alden looked down. ¡°Three days, maximum.¡± The paternity report would be out in three days. He wanted to see his mother¡¯s attitude toward this matter before he made his next n. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Duke nodded. ¡°Okay, three days is the limit.¡± As he said that, he smelled something. ¡°Is anything burned?¡± Alden¡¯s expression changed. ¡°I put oil in the pan, but I forgot to turn off the fire.¡± He speedily rushed toward the kitchen. ¡°Mel, just sit here. I¡¯ll go and help Alden cook the pasta.¡± Duke also went after Alden. Alden could cook since he was three. He stepped on a stool while he threw the onion and garlic into the pan, as if he was in charge. Unexpectedly, the temperature of the oil was too high. When the onion and garlic were thrown inside, sparks instantly exploded, and a fire quickly started. Alden had sufficient theoretical knowledge. He knew how to put out the fire. But he was standing on a stool, and he was so shocked by the fire that he took a step back. He instantly got tripped and leaned backward. When Duke went inside, he saw this bone-chilling scene. He walked over quickly, stretched out his hand, and shielded Alden in his arms. Then, he picked up a lid and put it on the pan. The fire was finally put out. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Alden said, his face pale. ¡°You¡¯re still very young. You¡¯d better let the adults handle the kitchen.¡± Duke indifferently said, ¡°You go out first. I¡¯ll cook the pasta for you.¡± Alden took a step back. When he looked up, he saw a burn on Duke¡¯s left arm suit, and there was oil sshed on the cor of his shirt. When he looked up, he also saw that Duke¡¯s chin had turned red from the oil ssh. There were also several burns that were quickly turning red on the back of Duke¡¯s rough hands. For some reason, Alden felt a tingling around his nose at that moment. He looked down, turned around, and left the kitchen. He went to the second floor, got the medicine box, and came back down. He walked to the kitchen. He was about to speak, but his words got caught in his throat when he saw what Duke was doing. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Duke held a container that contained salt. He scooped some salt out and poured it into the pan. As if he felt that it was not enough, he added a little again, before he added a little more again. He put down the salt before he picked up some soy sauce again. After he smelled it, he kept adding soy sauce to the pan. ¡°Uncle Duke, what are you doing?¡± Alden quickly walked inside. Duke looked very calm. ¡°I¡¯m cooking pasta for you and Mel. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You added three spoonfuls of salt. That¡¯s a lot of salt. You can¡¯t put soy sauce on top of that. It¡¯ll be very salty.¡± Alden frowned and said, ¡°Soy sauce is way too salty.¡± Alden then took a spoon and tasted the vor. In the next second, he spat it out. His expression turned bitter, and he said, ¡°It¡¯s really salty.¡± Duke¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I¡¯ll do it again.¡± Alden looked up and stared at Duke. ¡°Uncle Duke, do you really know how to cook pasta?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve watched the videos online. There should be no problem.¡± He mastered everything as soon as he picked it up. Although this was his first time cooking pasta, it should not turn out too badly. Duke threw the failed product of the pan into the trash bin. He took out the pasta again and directly threw it into the pan with cold water. Blue veins popped out of Alden¡¯s forehead. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Uncle Duke, your chin and hand are burnt. Please go and apply some medication. I can cook the pasta.¡± Duke continued putting the pasta into the pot. ¡°You¡¯re still very young, and it¡¯s not suitable for you to do this. Just go and wait in the living room.¡± Alden was speechless. If he could not cook, he might have been fooled by Duke¡¯s calm expression. This man was messing things up with the most serious expression ever. If Alden really waited outside, Melody and he would not be able to eat anything tonight. ¡°Uncle Duke, let¡¯s do it together.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After Alden said that, he walked over and took out the pasta from the pan. He said solemnly, ¡°You can put the pasta only after the water is boiled, or the pasta will be battered, and we can¡¯t eat it.¡± Duke became speechless. Was he taking lessons from a four-year-old brat? Okay, the teaching video seemed to have said that, but he had not taken it seriously. Duke pursed his thin lips, walked over, and indifferently said, ¡°You instruct, I cook.¡± He got another pot of water before he put it on the gas stove. During the process of boiling the water, Alden instructed him to cut the tomatoes and sausages. He also prepared an egg. By the time he prepared these, the water was already boiling, so he immediately put the pasta into the pot. This was his first time doing this, so his movements betrayed his ineptness. But no matter how chaotic it was, his expression still looked very calm and aloof. Ten minutester, the pasta was finally cooked. Duke poured out the pasta, and it coincidentally amounted to three servings. He carefully took them to the dining room. Melody came over after she smelled the aroma. She tied the bib for eating on her own and obediently sat at the dining table. Her eyes shone brightly. Duke¡¯s heart melted. He put the pasta in front of Melody before he softly said, ¡°Try and see if the pasta I cooked tastes alright.¡± Melody took up a fork and took a bite of the pasta. Her eyes brightened more, and she finished half of the pasta with a few bites. Alden was slightly surprised. He could tell that this was the first time Duke had cooked in the kitchen. But was it so delicious when he cooked it for the first time? Alden ate a little, and he instantly frowned. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Chapter 284 This pasta did not taste so bad that it was impossible to swallow, but it was really not tasty. How could Melody finish half of the bowl at once? But this was Duke¡¯s first time, and they had cooked it in cooperation. Alden should at least give Duke some credit where its due. Therefore, Alden started eating with small bites. When Duke watched the kids lower their heads and ate the pasta, he instantly felt a great sense of aplishment. So this was how it felt when you saw other people eating the food you prepared. He lowered his head and took a bite before his expression instantly froze. This taste¡­ was not even one-tenth the standard prepared by the chef in the Winters family. How could these two kids eat it without changing their expressions? He pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Mel, Alden, what do you think about the pasta?¡± Melody showed an extremely cheerful smile. Alden indifferently said, ¡°This is great for someone who cooked for the first time. Thank you, Uncle Duke.¡± Duke¡¯s heart melted again. He smiled faintly before he lowered his head and finished eating the pasta that did not taste very good. After eating the pasta, he took the three empty tes to the kitchen for clean-up and disinfection. Meanwhile, Alden took Melody upstairs to take a shower in the bathroom. By the time Duke finished doing dishes, he saw an exquisite porcin doll sitting on the sofa in the living room, and Alden was drying her hair. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Duke walked over, and his move was very gentle as he wiped dry Melody¡¯s hair. She leaned on the sofa, and she looked up from time to time. She just kept staring at Duke. Alden sat on the sofa that was across from them. There was a book on his knees. This was a book of fairy tales. He flipped a few pages while he casually said, ¡°Mel, we finished¡¯ Snow White¡¯ yesterday. What story do you want to listen to today?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Melody reached out to take the storybook. She flipped to another page and stuffed the storybook into Duke¡¯s hands. Duke was surprised as he said, ¡°Do you want me to read you a story?¡± ¡°Um!¡± Melody nodded strongly, and she even uttered in affirmation. Duke took up the storybook. It was a famous Grimm¡¯s Fairy Tales, which was Cindere. He sat down on the sofa, and he moved his gorgeous lips. His voice was heard in the living room like a cello. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a kind girl. Her name is Cindere¡­¡± Melody loved listening to stories. She initially sat upright on the sofa. When she listened to the story, she could not help buty down. She put her head on Duke¡¯sp, raised her chin, and stared into Duke¡¯s face. Her eyes shone very brightly like fireworks, Meanwhile, Alden sat on the sofa across from them. He also subconsciously entered the story created by Duke. He did not like to listen to stories, much less fancy fairy tales. But at that moment, he could not help but enter the world of fairy tales along with Cindere. ¡°Cindere wore a pair of glittering crystal shoes to the prince¡¯s ball. She was the most beautiful girl at the banquet. The prince invited her to dance, and she and the prince danced on the dance floor¡­¡± Duke¡¯s voice seemed to be magic. He made Melody slowly close her eyes. She leaned her head on his lap, and she soon slept very soundly. The corners of her lips also curved up, as if she was having a sweet dream. Duke gently put down the storybook. When he looked up, he saw that Alden had taken a seat across them and had also fallen asleep. This boy had erected a castle of walls around himself. Whenever Alden met him, he was always very defensive. He did not expect that Alden would fall asleep in this situation. Could this mean Alden already epted him into their world? When Adina arrived back home, she stood in front of the door, and she saw a warm scenario like this. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Melody and Alden had closed their eyes and fell asleep on the sofa in the living room under the yellowish dim light, Melody slept in Duke¡¯s arms, while Alden slept alone on the sofa across from them. Duke carefully held Melody while he bent over to put on a thin nket for Alden. It was like a picturesque still life painting. If Adina did not know any better, she would have nearly thought that they were a family of three. When Duke heard the footsteps, he turned around, sighed in relief, and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally back.¡± If she took any longer to return, he really did not know how he should take care of these kids who had fallen asleep. He was a father of two, but he had never taken care of George and Harold in person like this over the past four years. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters.¡± Adina thanked him softly. Her intention was to let Mr. Brown take care of the kids. After all, Mr. Brown had the experience in taking care of the children. Unexpectedly, the person who looked after Melody and Alden until the end was Duke. This man was noble, and he did not allow himself to be questioned. But he still took care of her kids. This was really puzzling. Adina gently walked over, bowed, and lifted Melody from the sofa. The moment she bowed, her cor fell downward, and her exposed chest was identally seen by Duke. Shock struck him like a freight train before embarrassment tore his gaze away. Holy crap! He had just caught a glimpse, and he actually¡­ had a desire. Adina did not notice that Duke had lost his cool. She just carried Melody and walked upstairs. Perhaps she walked too quickly, or perhaps she forgot to change her shoes. When she walked on the stairs in her high heels, she staggered slightly. When she took two steps on the staircase, her high heels tilted, and she fell backward. She held Melody tightly by reflex while she closed her eyes and waited for her back to hit the ground. Unexpectedly, she did not feel pain. Instead, she fell into a man¡¯s warm and broad arms, which made her feel very safe. Adina opened her eyes, and she stared at Duke¡¯s ck eyes. Under the dim light, the man¡¯s ck eyes shone brightly like¡­ the aurora light that could only be found in the distant pr region. It shed in an instant before it disappeared. But it was hard to unsee it. ¡°Thank you¡­ Mr. Winters.¡± Adina quickly held onto the railing and stood up straight. Her voice became hoarse for some reason. ¡°Go and change your shoes. I¡¯ll carry Mel upstairs.¡± Duke grabbed the little girl and held her with his arms without any exnation before he quickly walked upstairs. When Adina saw his figure disappear from the stair, her emotions fluctuated for a fair bit. She pursed her lips and suppressed those strange emotions. She went to the entrance hall and got changed into a pair of slippers. Then, she turned around, went to the sofa, and lifted Alden. Alden opened his eyes slightly. When he saw Adina, he closed his eyes and fell asleep at ease again. Adina carried him upstairs and put him on the bed in his bedroom. Then, she suddenly saw theptop that was on the study desk. Thisptop had been assembled by Alden when he was three. Adina kept it away and did not allow him to use it again. Unexpectedly, this boy secretly took it out and used it again. She walked to the study desk. When she was about to turn on theptop, she suddenly heard the slight sound of someone going down the stairs outside. Chapter 286 ? Chapter 286 Duke was still at home. She should send him away first. Adina walked out of Alden''s room before she gently closed the door. When she walked upstairs, she saw Duke sitting on the sofa. He did not look like he was leaving. It seemed that he still wanted to tell her something. She went to the kitchen and got a cup of warm water before she came over and softly said," Mr. Winters, thank you for taking care of my kids tonight." "This is the third time you have thanked me." Duke took over the water, and he looked at her. He pursed his lips. He wanted to say it, but he did not know how he should open up. Only the Winters family and a few members of the Daugherty family knew about George and Harold''s biological mother. He always thought that he did not need to exin this to anyone. But a voice in his heart told him now that if he did not take the initiative to tell Adina, she would not step into the Winters family again after she knew it from someone else. He kept thinking about it, and he hesitated. He never felt struggled like this when he dealt with a big project worth billions of dors. Adina stared at his exquisite features, and she did not know what he was struggling with. Since this man did not know how to open up, she also had something to say. "Mr. Winters, I went back to the Daugherty family tonight." Adina put down the ss of water and leaned backward slightly. This was a self-protective posture. She indifferently smiled. "I always found it strange that Tyson would suddenlye to me after five years, and he wanted to grab the kids'' custody with me as soon as he came. It was only after today that I knew Dew told Tyson about me. In other words, Dew is the person who put me in this situation today." Duke frowned slightly. "Why would she know Tyson coincidentally?" Adina''s smile slowly became colder. Five years ago, Dew knew Tyson, so her eighteenth birthday party was ruined. What was so strange that Dew and Tyson knew each other? But it happened five years ago, so there was nothing to talk about. Adina indifferently said, "I''m telling you these because I want to let you know that I will fight back if Dew hurts me. I hope you won''t interfere with the matters between us." Duke frowned more. "Please say it clearly." This woman was thanking him gently just now. But she suddenly emitted a cold aura in the next second. There seemed to be a knife hidden behind her words. "I know you''re very close with the Daugherty family, and there seems to be something between you and Dew." Adina paused for a while, and her lips were filled with sarcasm. "I heard that you''re going to be engaged with Dew. If Dew is your fiance, will you be able to hold yourself back from interfering when you see me dealing with her?" Duke''s expression instantly became cold. His fingers turned slightly cold as he gently tapped on the table. He firmly asked, "Who told you Dew is my fiance?" Adina pursed her lips. She actually did not want to ask about the rtionship between Dew and Duke, but she just popped out this question for some reason. Even if Dew was Duke''s fiance, so what? When she should take action, she would still do it. She would not fear anything. "She is not my fiance. I have... no rtionship with her," Duke coldly said. Dew was the boys'' mother, but she was not rted to him. They were really not in any rtionship. When Adina heard his answer, her tension was suddenly relieved. She smiled faintly. "Okay, I got it. It''s gettingte now. You should go home now, Mr. Winters." Duke got up. He stared at Adina''s fair face for a few seconds before he still turned around and left the mansion.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He should get another chance to exin about the boys. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Chapter 287 When the sky turned slightly bright, Adina was woken up by her phone ringtone. She narrowed her eyes and searched under the pillow. When she took out her phone, she took several attempts to hit the answer button. ¡°Addy. Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re still sleeping?¡± Flint¡¯s anxious voice came from the phone. Adina stroked her hair and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s only 6 a.m¡­ Why would I not be sleeping at this time?¡± ¡°Something big happened! Only you would sleep through it!¡± Flint raised his voice. ¡°I saw the news about you from overseas. You¡¯re really brilliant. You just went back for a while, but you¡¯re on the headlines from time to time. Since you¡¯re so sensational, you should just change your career path and be a celebrity. Morton Corporation has invested in the entertainment industry, so we can promote you to be an actress¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Adina¡¯s ears were quickly beginning to hurt because of his noise. She drew her nket away, sat up straight, and indifferently said, ¡°Let me see what¡¯s going on with the news. I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± She clicked on the website. Before she searched for her own name, she saw her name on multiple headlines on the local news. (The most beautiful woman in Sea City gave birth overseas five years ago. ording to knowledgeable sources, she gave birth to a pair of mixed-gender twins!] (Breaking! The father of the most beautiful woman¡¯s twins is Tyson Osborne, the chairman of Osborne Corporation!) [The past between the most beautiful woman in Sea City and the chairman of Osborne Corporation that has to be told¡­] When Adina saw the news, her expression instantly darkened. She had protected her kids very well. She had already wiped off all the information about the kids. Unexpectedly, someone had exposed them! Other than Dew, she could not think of anyone else who would do this! She took a breath and clicked on the news. She saw a photo. It showed her going to pick up the kids from the preschool, and Tyson was at the scene. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. [It is known that Tyson Osborne and Adina Daugherty are currently engaged in awsuit. The two of them disagree over the custody of their children.) There were a series ofments under the news. (What the heck! The most beautiful woman in Sea City has kids! She doesn¡¯t look like she is a mother of two! She has taken care of herself well!) [Wasn¡¯t she photographed by a reporter five years ago for having an affair with a stranger? It¡¯s nothing weird that she has kids! The point now should be that the man five years ago was actually Tyson Osborne! Tyson is well known as a good husband and good father. Whenever he is interviewed, he will always mention his wife and kids. Unexpectedly, he cheated five years ago!) ¡°Not only did he cheat, he even has a pair of illegitimate twins! Damn it! His reputation of being a good father and husband is ruined! The stock price of Osborne Corporation will drop dramatically. Guys, quickly sell your shares. Do it now!] When Adina read through theizens¡¯ments, she slowly calmed herself down. Tyson had established his business at a young age. He was a famous entrepreneur. He was always interviewed on the broadcasting channel, so he was definitely more famous than her, the most beautiful woman in Sea City. .. When this matter was exposed, it would clearly affect Tyson more! Adina raised her wrist and cast a nce at the time. It was 7 a.m. now. The sky outside the window just brightened. The whole city was still sleeping, and onlyizens were partying. If she did not solve this problem in time, the fire would be spread over the kids. Theizens were focused on Tyson now. But after this trend passed, perhaps the reporters would go after the preschool. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Adina washed up while she thought about a solution. After she washed up, she sat on the balcony, drank a cup of coffee, and made a call. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. The call rang for a while before someone picked up. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Osborne.¡± The person on the other end of the call instantly became angry when he heard her voice.¡° Adina Daugherty! It¡¯s you! You exposed this, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re so cruel! You even exposed the kids just to take revenge on me. You¡¯re not qualified to be their mother!¡± Adina¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Mr. Osborne, why do you think I exposed this?¡± ¡°Who else would it be?¡± Every word of Tyson was filled with rage. Since this was exposed by the media at 3 a.m., the stock price of Osborne Corporation had dropped three points. In other words, hispany lost five hundred million dors in just three hours! Hispany was surrounded by reporters now, and Central City was slipping out of his control. He was in Sea City now, so he could not help it. He just looked on helplessly as things took a turn for the worst. ¡°The Osborne family still has a foothold in Central City. After the kids are exposed, your father will definitely request the kids to go back. At that time, the whole Osborne family will put pressure on me, and it¡¯ll be very troublesome for me. I have no reason to expose this and cause trouble to myself.¡± Adina drank some coffee and indifferently said, ¡°Since you¡¯re the kids¡¯ father, I can help you ease the public opinion online.¡± Tyson became silent. An hourter, his father called him. He wanted Tyson to bring the kids back to the family, no matter what method he would use. While the stock price of thepany had plummeted, his father still prioritized the kids. But if he really brought the kids back, Osborne Corporation would be doomed. Rich people cheating and having illegitimate children was basicallymonce. The key was that over the past few years, he had been establishing his reputation of being a good father and husband in front of the media. Because of this, thepany had a good social image and was supported by the government. Now his reputation was ruined, and he was involved with the scandals, so there would certainly be at least ten times the bacsh. Osborne Corporation was established by him, and it could not be destroyed in this way. They could discuss the kids in detail again. Most importantly, he had to suppress the online news now. Tyson asked, ¡°How are you going to help me?¡± ¡°Mr. Osborne, you¡¯re the kids¡¯ father, so I can help you, but¡­¡± Adina chuckled and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t show your sincerity, I won¡¯t want to help you. Regardless, if Osborne Corporation falls, it¡¯ll be very beneficial for me.¡± Tyson¡¯s gaze turned dark. ¡°Just say what you want.¡± ¡°I want evidence that Dew set me up five years ago.¡± Adina¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°If you show me the evidence, I¡¯ll immediately hold a press conference and rify about the kids.¡± Tyson clenched his fist. ¡°You know it yourself that it was five years ago. What evidence would I still have?¡± Besides, he had cheated on his wife. That evidence had been deleted for a long time. It was impossible for him to keep those for five years. ¡°I don¡¯t care about this. If you don¡¯t give me the evidence, I¡¯ll just watch it from the sidelines.¡± Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°I¡¯m also nning to join the entertainment industry. The more sensational the news bes, the more popr I will be. A scandal would also boost my poprity. It¡¯ll wash off over the course of my career. But Mr. Osborne, if yourpany falls, it¡¯ll be very hard for you to rise again.¡± After Adina said that, she immediately hung up on him. She got changed into a new outfit before she went to wake the kids up. A new day had begun. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Compared to Adina¡¯s calmness, Tyson only grew more flustered and exasperated. Since the news broke out, people from Central City had been peppering him with calls, and his assistant and secretary ran back and off, reporting on the stock price to him once every five minutes. The group chat of the Osborne family had also burst into a ruckus. His wife kept sending him messages, asking what happened. Tyson sat on the sofa of the hotel, massaging his forehead. If this was not solved, his career and family that he had built up over the course of a few decades would be ruined at once. He took a deep breath before he took out his phone and called Dew. Dew had juste out from the auditorium. This was her third tour. Her performances were constantly improving. More people knew her now, and her poprity had also increased dramatically. After this tour, she believed she could be the most remarkable pianist in the piano circle in Sea City. She cast a nce at the iing call. Then, she walked to a ce where no one was around, and she answered the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Osborne.¡± ¡°Dew Daugherty, I¡¯ll give you one chance to exin yourself. What¡¯s going on with the news on the inte?¡± Tyson coldly threw the question at her. If this was not exposed by Adina, it could only be Dew! ¡°Mr. Osborne, why are you so angry?¡± Dew smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ve also seen the online news, but I can tell you that it¡¯s not me. I¡¯m busy with my tour now, so I didn¡¯t have the time to get involved between you and my sister.¡± She smiled and resumed, ¡°It¡¯s very likely Adina exposed this to the reporter on her own. Mr. Osborne, think about it. You have a wife and a son. Even if you sincerely like my sister, it¡¯s impossible for her to immediately marry you. But if the kids are exposed, your wife will definitely get mad. Perhaps she will ask to divorce you. In that case, my sister will be able to marry you, right?¡± Tyson¡¯s eyes deepened. It was not the time to look into who exposed this. He coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! If you hadn¡¯te to me five years ago, why would I spend the night with Adina? If that night did not happen, I wouldn¡¯t suddenly have two more illegitimate kids. It¡¯s all because of you!¡± ¡°Mr. Osborne, you sound very ungrateful!¡± Dew sneered and said, ¡°You fell for my sister at the first sight, so my mother did you a favor by delivering my sister to your bed.¡± Tyson angrily said, ¡°I thought Adina had voluntarily slept with me. I didn¡¯t expect that your Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. mother and you had drugged her!¡± ¡°If we didn¡¯t drug her, would she be obedient? If we didn¡¯t drug her, would you have sessfully slept with the most beautiful woman in Sea City?¡± Dew said sarcastically, ¡°TO fulfill your wish, my mother and I put in so much effort, but you actually crusaded against us after five years. You¡¯re really ungrateful for our kindness!¡± ¡°What drug did you use on Adina?¡± ¡°A drug that can make her obedient.¡± Adina sat in her office. When she listened to the recording, her sneer slowly became bigger. Tyson was quite smart. Even if he did not have the evidence, he created one on the spot. With this evidence, she would not need to fear of Dew causing any further trouble. She backed up this recording before she stood up and walked outside. Serene immediately walked over. ¡°Miss Daugherty, where are you going?¡± Adina indifferently said, ¡°I¡¯m going downstairs for a while.¡± ¡°The office building has been surrounded by reporters.¡± Serene paused for a while before she said, ¡°Miss Daugherty, you should change into the cleaner¡¯s outfit and leave from the backdoor. The reporters are being very aggressive. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t easily spare you.¡± Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Chapter 290 ¡°Where¡¯s the advertising disy board that was made two days ago? Grab it ande downstairs with me,¡± Adina indifferently gave her instructions, ¡°Ask someone to move a table downstairs.¡± Serene was shocked. ¡°Miss Daugherty, what do you want to do?¡± ¡°When we usually call for a press conference, these big and prestigious media won¡¯te over. Now they have taken the initiative toe to us. Would it not be a shame if we don¡¯t use this opportunity?¡± Adina smiled faintly before she calmly walked into the elevator. Serene finally sighed in relief. LaStar Technology Corpor¨¢tion was not a listedpany, and the negative public opinion would not affect thepany much, but being surrounded by such news still brought attention. When there were so many reporters downstairs, it annoyed her whenever she nced at them. She was initially worried that Miss Daugherty would be troubled because of this. Unexpectedly, Miss Daugherty was able to see the opportunity from this. No wonder Miss Daugherty had been able to establish apany at such a young age. Her temperament and courage could not bepared to normal people. Adina and Serene entered the elevator together. The two of them waited at the elevator for a while. She entered the reporters¡¯ sight in high heels only after the staff arranged the table and chairs, and they disyed the advertising disy stand properly. A few dozens of reporters rushed toward her in a frenzy. Adina calmly walked over and stood after the table. Serene pulled out a chair, and Adina just sat down. She looked calm and aloof. ¡°Please don¡¯t rush, everyone. You can bring up your questions one by one.¡± She raised her wrist at the time. ¡°It¡¯s just 9 a.m. I have two hours, so I can talk to you slowly.¡± When she said that, the reporters at the side subconsciously looked at each other at loss. The main male and female characters who were involved with scandals would usually hide as they were afraid of being stopped and asked endless questions by the reporters. But this Miss Daugherty was different. She actually came to them, and she said they could talk for two hours. Did the most beautiful woman in Sea City really want to use this incident to force Mrs. Osborne to step down so that she could sessfully marry into the Osborne family? The reporters smelled more fishy gossip, so they raised their microphones and headed over. The shlights also kept lighting up. ¡°Miss Daugherty, someone on the inte reported that you have a pair of twins. May I know if this is real?¡± ¡°Miss Daugherty, is the father of your twins really Tyson Osborne, the chairman of Osborne Corporation?¡± ¡°Miss Daugherty, have Mrs. Osborne contacted you? Do you n to let the kids go back to the Osborne family?¡± ¡°Miss Daugherty¡­¡± Questions after questions were raised to her like snowkes. Adina calmly picked up a microphone and indifferently said, ¡°I said we could do this slowly. Why are you in such a hurry?¡± When she cast a cold nce over, the chill in her eyes shone brightly. Those talkative reporters instantly kept their mouths shut. They dared not say anything again. ¡°I do have two kids, and I have to admit this.¡± Adina¡¯s voice was heard calmly. ¡°But their father is not Tyson Osborne.¡± ¡°Miss Daugherty, you¡¯re lying! Someone on the inte exposed the document about you filing a lawsuit with Mr. Osborne. You¡¯repeting for the kids¡¯ custody!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Aizen also provided some photos of you arguing with Mr. Osborne in front of the preschool. You can¡¯t deny it with just a few words!¡± ¡°Miss Daugherty, theizens can¡¯t be fooled so easily.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Adina¡¯s gaze shifted to the reporter who was speaking. ¡°Are you telling me that theizens are not easily humored and insist on giving my children a father?¡± She said coldly, ¡°So, I¡¯m hurting their feelings, just because I¡¯m denying that Tyson Osborne is the father of my children? How does that make sense?¡± She raised her arms and pointed a slender finger at the offending reporter. ¡°Have you heard my children calling Tyson their father?!. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Have you seen the paternity test report in person? ¡°How about you? Have you seen me ruining Tyson and his wife¡¯s rtionship? Have you seen me nning to be Mrs. Osborne anytime soon? ¡°And you, how dare you prematurely deduce my rtionship with Tyson from a single photo? Is it really okay for Orange Newspaper to do suchckluster research when writing their frontpage news?¡± The group of reporters was literally speechless when she asked them these questions. They were overwhelmed, not just because of her sharp words, but also because of her poise. ¡°Again, I don¡¯t have any rtionship with Tyson Osborne. Even if we do, we¡¯re just potential business partners,¡± Adina said inly. ¡°In that photo, Tyson was asking me for a coboration. I didn¡¯t agree on the spot, so Tyson was attempting to persuade me. I didn¡¯t expect this to turn out to be such a big misunderstanding.¡± Finally, a reporter came back to his senses and, feeling unconvinced, asked, ¡°The Osborne Cooperation is one of the top bigpanies in Central City. Mr. Osborne came to Sea City this time to invest in the industry. Manypanies don¡¯t even have the chance to cooperate with Osborne Cooperation. How could Mr. Osborne seek cooperation with you multiple times? As far as I know, Ms. Daugherty, the LaStar Technology Corporation has only been established for a little over a month. Your company is barely even ready to take its first steps, so the Osborne Cooperation is unlikely to choose to coborate with yourpany¡­¡± ¡°Mypany may be small, but the chips produced in mypany are unmatched.¡± Adina gently pped her hands. The two employees standing behind her immediately stepped forward, holding a computer in their hands, and theputer screen showed a virtual interior design of herpany. Adina stood up and tapped a few keys on the keyboard as she introduced herpany¡¯s product candidly, ¡°This is the first chip that mypany hasunched. It was built on a software based on the current status of some machinery factories. ording to what I know, many factories specially hire several workers to take turns working at the boiler. The boiler needs to reach high temperatures to produce the chips, and there are also various reactors around it. It is very harmful to the human body. What¡¯s more, the workers will be tired from this tedious chore¡­¡± The crowd listened to her exnation in silence. This was a live press conference. Theizens who were watching the broadcast were stunned. What the heck? This is a press conference! Why did it be a product promotion and marketing site?) IAdina is so good at doing business! Despite being gued by gossip and denounced by theizens, she still used the opportunity to promote herpany! With such a skill, her smallpany will definitely be sessful in no time!) (Stay focused. The chip that she is presenting is the real deal, and no such software like this has been sold in the market before. Mypany needs this.] (@Lol69,e back to your senses. You don¡¯t even have apany!] [¡­] Adina exined herpany¡¯s first product clearly in ten minutes. She raised her head and smiled at the camera. ¡°If you have any doubts, you can give our marketing department a call. Our number is printed on the exhibition board. Immediately afterward, she shifted her gaze to the reporters. ¡°If you have nothing else to ask, I¡¯ll excuse myself first.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± The reporter at the front finally came back to his senses. He was so frustrated that he felt like pping himself. ¡®I thought I could get Adina¡¯s exclusive news. I didn¡¯t expect her to use this chance to promote her product¡­¡¯ ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if you deny Tyson Osborne to be the father of your children, who is the father, then?¡± Adina took a nce at him and chuckled lightly. ¡°Our country¡¯sw stiptes that citizens have the right to privacy. I don¡¯t need to tell you anything.¡± After she was done talking, she did not leave right away. She stood there, smiling, as if waiting for the reporter to continue asking her questions. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Chapter 292 All the reporters knew that whatever they asked, they would not get anything from Adina¡­ Moreover, she would only continue taking the opportunity to promote her product. Meanwhile, at Winters Cooperation, Duke watched Adina smiling through the tablet in front of him. ¡®I truly didn¡¯t expect this woman to turn things around even when things were looking so hopeless on her end¡­ ¡®A press conference had been the best way to solve this matter. But it¡¯s not without its risks, too. ¡®If Tyson were to step up and deny the matter, this press conference would turn out as a joke. ¡®I must think of something to help Adina.¡¯ While he was lost in his thoughts, Jake came in. ¡°Chairman Winters, all thements against Ms. Daugherty have been removed from the Inte, just as you¡¯ve requested.¡± Ms. rk came in to report to Duke as well. ¡°Chairman Winters, the officials from the Osborne Corporation have issued a legal notice. It said that they would take legal action against those responsible for the rumors. All news regarding this matter today will end today. Theizens will not bring up the news about children anymore. Instead, they will pay more attention to LaStar Technology¡¯s latest product¡­¡± Duke nodded with a frown. ¡®It seems that Adina has talked to Tyson before holding the press conference. ¡®By denying the children were Tyson¡¯s, the Osborne family won¡¯t have any more reason to pester Adina. When he thought of that, his mood suddenly improved. ¡°Chairman Winters, here are the tickets for the piano concert that you¡¯ve booked earlier.¡± Ms. rk handed over several golden tickets to Duke. The concert will be held this Saturday afternoon.¡± Duke took the tickets from here. ¡®I¡¯ve specially booked the tickets for Melody. She loves me. She most probably won¡¯t mind attending the concert with me¡­! The press conference ended in an unexpected fashion. Serene said excitedly, ¡°Chairwoman Daugherty, in just ten minutes, we received calls from sevenpanies¡­¡± Adina nodded lightly. ¡°More customers wille and coborate with us. If we don¡¯t have enough staff, you¡¯ll be in-charge of recruiting some more staff.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Serene was extremely excited. ¡®LaStar Technology Corporation is a newly established start-uppany. When I first worked here, there were only three to four staff members. In fact, she was always so anxious, fearing that the company might notst for the next few months. ¡°I truly did not expect that the demands for the new product would skyrocket the moment it was out! ¡®If this momentum continues, eventually, LaStar Technology Corporation will be extremely sessful in Sea City¡­¡¯ Adina entered her office and closed the door behind her. She then took out a phone to make a call. As soon as the call was picked up, there was a moment of static. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Chapter 293 ¡°Adina, how could you just lie through your teeth? Do you think theizen will truly believe your lies?¡± Dew gritted her teeth as she spoke. A single press conference ruined the scheme that I¡¯ve carefully plotted. ¡®What¡¯s more, how dare this b*tch take this opportunity to win herself countless more business opportunities! Serene was so furious that her gaze could set things on fire. At that moment, she heard a familiar voice at the other end of the call. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°What drug did you give Adina back then?¡± ¡°The one that makes her obedient.¡± Dew paused suddenly. A momentter, she said in disbelief, ¡°Adina, are you scheming against me?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s be clear. Who¡¯s scheming against who?¡± Adina smiled casually, ¡°You vited my privacy, hired a bunch of paparazzis to make up crazy stories about me, and disyed my private affairs as Sea City¡¯s news headlines. Do you really think you can stay out of it just because you¡¯re not in Sea City?¡±. Dew took in a sharp breath. ¡°What did I do wrong? I¡¯m just exposing the truth.¡± ¡°What is said in this recording is also the truth.¡± Adina said inly, ¡°What happened five years ago made me look like the biggest clown in Sea City, and it has ruined my life. To this day, people still bring up the incident as a point of attack. If I expose this recording, what will theizen who attacked me think?¡± Dew shuddered. ¡®When this recording is exposed, those who attacked Adina will turn and criticize me instead. ¡®By then, I¡¯ll be criticized by theizens. They¡¯ll call me vicious, insidious, cunning, and many more¡­ I¡¯ll be denounced and judged harshly by everyone! ¡®No, that must not happen! ¡°Adina Daugherty, no one is going to believe this recording!¡± Dew shook her head. ¡°Theizens won¡¯t be so easily fooled.¡± ¡°Well, of course, I won¡¯t expose this recording. It won¡¯t do me any good, either,¡± Adina said softly. Dew heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this. Immediately afterward, Adina changed her tone, ¡°I¡¯ll submit it to the court. I¡¯ll leave the police to investigate what happened five years ago; from the spiking of drinks and the premeditated raping. Dew, be prepared to face trial in court.¡± Once again, Dew trembled and said in a quivering voice, ¡°You¡­ What do you want?¡± Adinaughed coldly. She had consulted Brenden. This recording was not enough to convict Dew. So, what?! ¡®As long as it can deter Dew, it is enough.¡¯ ¡°From today onwards, if you were to y your trivial games with my children, I will hand this recording to the court.¡± Adina snorted, ¡°Tyson is the father of my children, and he¡¯ll agree to testify for me in court. Dew, if you don¡¯t want to end up in jail, you¡¯d better behave and not mess with me again.¡± She ended the call after she was done talking. Dew was so angry that she almost smashed her phone. She did not doubt what Adina said. Tyson had truly recorded their conversation and sent it to Adina. Suffice it to say that Adina and Tyson had already reached some kind of cooperation. ¡®If Tyson were to testify in court, then my mother and I would be over¡­ ¡®We can get entangled in negative news, but we must not go to prison. If we do, there¡¯s no turning back for us anymore¡­ In just half a day, the news on the Inte had quietly dissipated. Tyson was in his hotel suite, letting out a sigh of relief. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Chapter 294 ¡°It¡¯s okay to deny that the children are mine for now. Once the crisis is over, I¡¯ll find a way to take my children back.¡¯ At that moment, his phone vibrated. He took a nce at it. It was his father. He exhaled and picked up the call. ¡°Father, the matter has been resolved. How¡¯re things in Central City?¡± ¡°You bastard, do you think I¡¯d believe it when that woman denies that the children are yours? Theizens may be idiots, but I¡¯m not! Just like me, you¡¯re a yboy, and you have been hooking up with many women, but you¡¯re not as mature as I am. I have long suspected that you would have created a b*stard somewhere out there!¡± Samuel said coldly, ¡°We must not let any child that¡¯s carrying Osborne¡¯s blood be left wandering out there. Tyson, you must bring the children back to Central City!¡± Tyson pressed his temples. ¡°Father, why do you have to make such a big fuss about it? If I were to bring the children back to Central City, thepany¡¯s stock price would be affected again¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I knew it! Those two children belong to the Osborne family!¡± Tyson clenched his fist tightly. ¡®How dare he trick me¡­! Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Since they belong to the Osborne family, we must not be careless. I¡¯ll n something and find the perfect timing to bring the children back.¡± Tyson became solemn and did not utter anything else after he heard what Samuel said. Now that Father is taking this matter into his own hands, I might be able to bring back the two children, after all¡­ At dusk, Sea City¡¯s sky gradually turned darker. The pale tint of orange with a hint of red in the West side of the sky gradually left, and the city was shrouded in darkness. Duke got out of his car after he returned to the Winters family¡¯s mansion. He could hearughter echoing from the living room, even before he entered the mansion. Theughter belonged to Harold. He was circling a little girl while pping his hands. He looked like a happy pug. Melody no longer ostracized Harold anymore. She watched him going around in circles as the corner of her pink lips slightly raised. Melody looked like she was in a good mood. Alden was sitting at the edge of the couch, reading his book. From time to time, he raised his head and took a nce at Melody. The three children had reached some sort of delicate bnce of harmony that allowed them to get along Melody¡¯s eyes lit up when Duke entered the living room. She tossed the toy in her hand aside and ran up to him. Duke carried her and said gently, ¡°Do you miss me?¡± The little girl nodded her head vigorously. ¡°I want to hear you say it.¡± Duke said gently, ¡°Do you wanna try?¡± Melody opened her mouth, and after a while, she produced a brief utterance. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Great job, Melody!¡± Duke pped and looked at her. ¡°Your voice is so sweet. I love hearing you speak. Speak more next time, okay?¡± The little girl felt shy and hugged his neck. Duke knew that he must rush Melody. She had only started trying to speak. This was a good sign. He took a nce at the kitchen. Adina was cutting some vegetables. A few male chefs were surrounding her. Some of them helped her to wash the vegetables, and some washed the pots. The oldest chef stood the closest to her, teaching her how to dice meat. Duke put Melody down. ¡°Harold, look after Melody.¡± Harold was speechless. Duke turned and headed to the kitchen. ¡®That must be our father. But why didn¡¯t he even look at me when he entered the house?¡¯ He felt like he was the adopted child. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Duke pushed the kitchen door open. The chefs stopped their work and put down the items in their hands. ¡°Hi, sir.¡± ¡°You all may head out.¡± He spoke coldly from the kitchen. The chefs looked at each other. They sensibly got out of the kitchen, even closing the door behind them. Adina did not realize the chefs had left because the cooker hood above her head was noisily vacuuming the steam in. She was cutting the vegetables as she asked, ¡°Chef Zinner, I¡¯m going to cut the onions next. Should I cut them diagonally or¡­¡± As she spoke, a handful of scallions appeared beside her. The hand that gave her the scallion was veiny and slender. Adina instantly looked up and was stunned, ¡°Mr. Winters, why are you here?¡± Duke said inly, ¡°I¡¯m here to learn to cook from you.¡± : ¡°Why would you learn to cook?¡± Adina said as she cut the scallion, ¡°The Winters family has plenty of chefs. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have the chance to cook.¡± ¡°Last night, I cooked noodles for Melody because she was hungry. Your sonughed at me.¡± Duke pouted. He then said, almost self-mockingly, ¡°Even though it was my first time cooking noodles, Melody said it was good and finished it. This means that I am pretty talented in cooking.¡± Adina was stunned. ¡®Did he really cook noodles? ¡®I can¡¯t imagine it. She slowly turned and looked at him. There was a small scar on his chin. There was also an oil ssh on the back of his hand. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She had noticed itst night, but she did not think much about it. ¡®It looked like he got hurt when he was cooking for Melody.¡¯ She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Did you tend your wounds yet?¡± ¡°Do I need to?¡± Duke looked like he could not care less about the wounds. ¡°I¡¯ll heal in a few days.¡± ¡°It will leave a scar if you don¡¯t apply ointment on it.¡± ¡®He¡¯s handsome. It¡¯ll be a shame if there¡¯s a scar on his beautiful face. Adina cleaned her hand and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the ointment?¡± Duke turned and opened the top cab, ¡°I remember Mr. Brown saying that the kitchen is always stocked with medicine for scald wounds.¡± He took out a small box and, sure enough, there were all kinds of medicine, including disinfectant and band-aids. It was aplete first aid kit. Adina found the ointment for scald wounds. She unscrewed the cap and put some of it on her fingertips. She raised her head and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, stoop down a little, so I can apply the ointment for you.¡± Duke bended his knees obediently. Adina leaned over. Her fingertips were a little cold. She gently rubbed the cool ointment on his chin. She was very focused on her task. Duke could see his own reflection through her dark pupils. It was as if he had entirely conquered her world. Adina did not feel awkward tending his wound because she had done it before to her two children. However, when Duke¡¯s intense gaze fixed on her, she suddenly felt that tending his wound was somehow flirtatious. The two of them were less than an inch away, and she could hear him breathing clearly. She could feel his warm breath on her face. Her heart started racing, and it was loud. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Chapter 296 The soft fragrance of Adina drifted away and left him. All of sudden, Duke felt lost, and his arms felt empty. He raised his hand and said, ¡°And the hand, too.¡± He stretched out his right hand. Adina lowered her gaze. ¡°Mr. Winters, you should apply the ointment yourself. I have to prepare for dinner¡­¡± She turned, looking flustered, picked up a knife and started randomly chopping the vegetables. When Duke saw her expression, the corner of his lips lifted, and he let out a chuckle. ¡®It turns out that beneath her aloof and withdrawn personality is a mature and unapproachable soul. ¡°This is my first time seeing this type of woman. She¡¯s so flustered and at a loss¡­¡¯ Adina heard his chuckle. ¡®The noise of the cooker hood is ring, and I¡¯m chopping the vegetables loudly. Why can I still hear his soft chuckle?¡¯ Adina was annoyed by her gaffe. She suppressed the inexplicable emotions in her heart and said calmly, ¡°Mr. Winters, thanks for introducing me to Mr. Watson. He¡¯s really amazing.¡± She changed the topic and finally calmed down, shaking off her fluster. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Mr. Watson on the TV show before. He was amazing on that show. I always thought it was only good camerawork and directing, but after chatting with Mr. Watson face to face, I found out that the TV did him injustice¡­¡± Duke slowly burrowed his eyebrows. ¡®How am I supposed to be okay with a womanplimenting another man in front of me?!¡¯ He said coldly, ¡°Heh, Brenden is only good at talking. He¡¯s just average in other aspects.¡± It was obvious that he was low-key mocking Brenden. Adina took a nce at him, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Watson used to be your ssmate? Why do I have a feeling that you¡¯re not really fond of him?¡± ¡°Back when we were studying abroad, he shamelessly lived in my house for two years. I just couldn¡¯t get rid of him,¡± Duke said coldly as he pursed his lips. It was not in his nature to badmouth others in their absence, but when Adina was giving Brendan such high praise, he just could not help it. He knew that he was being childish, but he could not seem to control himself. Adina had seen news about Brenden. She said as she chopped the vegetables, ¡°Mr. Watson sure knows how to adapt to situations. That¡¯s how he got himself a ce to stay. No wonder he became so sessful after he graduated.¡± Duke was speechless. ¡®Is she praising me for letting Brenden stay in my house for two years? ¡®What great man yields what?¡¯ ¡°Mr. Winters, excuse me. I¡¯m going to stir-fry the vegetables. Step aside if you don¡¯t want to get scalded by hot oil.¡± Adina said, ordering him to get out of the kitchen. Duke pursed his thin lips, and took a step back. The moment the oil hit the pan, a sizzling sound was heard. Duke instinctively wanted to stand in front of Adina. However, he saw her continue to put the onion, ginger, and garlic in the pan to saut¨¦ them until they were fragrant. The oil sshed all over the ce, but she was able to avoid them perfectly¡­ Duke watched as Adina cooked. In just an hour, six different dishes were served. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Her hair still looked neat, looking just as how she entered the kitchen. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡± Adina took off her apron and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve made some buffalo wings. Hal will definitely love it.¡± Duke approached her and helped her to serve the six dishes and a soup. The children sat at the table obediently. ¡°Wow, Auntie Adina is amazing!¡± Harold squealed with delight. ¡°I¡¯ll eat three rounds of food today!¡± ¡®Whenever Auntie Adinaes over and cooks dinner for us, I sure am the happiest kid in the world! Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Chapter 297 It was nighttime, and the sky was pitch dark Everyone was happy with their dinner: Adina held her two children¡¯s hands and walked towards the door. ¡°Al, Mel, say bye-bye to Papa Brown and Uncle Duke.¡± Alden obediently said, ¡°Bye-bye, Papa Brown. Bye-bye, Uncle Duke. Bye-bye, Harold.¡± Mel pursed her lips and waved her hand. ¡°Auntie Adina,e earlier tomorrow evening. We can y before having our dinner!¡± Harold¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Melody, I¡¯ll buy a new puzzle tomorrow. Let¡¯s fix the puzzle together!¡± The little girl looked at him for a moment before nodding lightly. Duke said inly, ¡°Let me send you home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Winters.¡± Adina shook her head. ¡°I drove here. I can go back on my own. After she was done speaking, she then walked out of the mansion with her children. When she reached her car, she opened the door for Melody¡­ As she was putting on the children¡¯s seatbelts, she could feel an intense gaze fixed on her. Ever since they finished dinner, Duke had been staring at her strangely. There was a hint of a certain emotion that she could not understand in those dark pupils of his. Adina got into the car quickly, started the engine, and drove away. The Winters family¡¯s mansion was halfway up the mountain, via a two- lane winding road. It was a secluded area for the wealthy, and not many cars drove on the road. She drove down the mountain, and when she was at the foot of the mountain, she saw a familiar figure standing on the side of the road¡­ She slowed down and narrowed her eyes, looking closely at the child¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s that child! That child saved her once, schemed against her once, and imed to be Dew¡¯s son! Adina stopped her car. She then turned to the back of the car, ¡°Hal, look after Mel. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Harold saw George too. He turned and looked at the little girl beside him. Fortunately, she appeared to be drowsy and her eyes were closed. She did not notice the person outside. Even though he listened to Duke¡¯s words, he still wanted to avoid Melody from getting into contact with the two Winter family¡¯s children. George stood on the side of the road as the cold autumn wind brushed against his cheeks. He was a little cold, so put his hands in his pockets, disying a stern expression. ¡°Did something happen?¡± He heard a clear, cold voice behind him. He instantly looked back. His despairing gaze produced a hint of hope when he saw Adina. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. In an instant, the light in his eyes faded away. He then said inly, ¡°My car broke down. The driver is fixing it.¡± Ever since she had children of her own, Adina became more forgiving to school-aged children. ¡®Even though this child schemed against me, even though he¡¯s Dew¡¯s son, I can¡¯t just let him stand at the roadside and do nothing about it.¡¯ She said inly, ¡°Where do you want to go? I¡¯ll drop you off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± George hid his hands in his pocket, looking like a tiny iceberg. Even if Adina could tolerate children, she would not want to be overly friendly when George gave him a cold shoulder. She said, ¡°Take care, then.¡± She took a nce at him before she turned to go to her car.¡¯ All of a sudden, a loud honk of a motorcycle was heard not far away from them. Very few vehicles drove up the winding road. Not a car would be in sight for at least half an hour, especially in the middle of the night. Thus, it had be a ce with many rich second-generation racing cars. Racingpetitions often happened in that area. At that moment, a motorcycle with blinding headlights was approaching swiftly from afar. The road intersection was mostly upied by George¡¯s car. The pair stood by the roadside as the motorcycle tried to pass through the narrow gap. It wasing in at full speed, and the motorcyclist did not seem to intend to slow down. Adina pulled George into her embrace. The two of them rolled from the road to the grass on the side. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Chapter 298 The motorcycle sped off. Adina felt a chill traveling up her right arm. She looked back and noticed that her clothes were torn. She shivered as cold air breezed through the tear. ¡°Young Master George, are you okay?!¡± Liam, who was fixing the car, came to them hurriedly. He carried George and checked if he was hurt. George¡¯s face was pale, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He looked at Adina withplicated emotion in his eyes. ¡°Thanks for saving me.¡± ¡®If not for her fast reflexes, I would¡¯ve been hit by the motorcycle¡­¡¯ ¡°¡®I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay,¡± Adina said curtly. She turned and went back to her car. She herself was not sure why she would save Dew¡¯s son at that moment¡­ ¡®Why am I being so kind to him?¡± ¡°Mother, is your hand hurt?¡± Harold leaned over and his gaze was filled with worries. ¡°It¡¯s just a tear, but I¡¯m okay.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°Luckily, I¡¯ve got a fewyers on.¡± She put on her seatbelt and stepped on the elerator. She slowly left the winding road. Harold looked at George through the rearview mirror. His gaze remained on them until their car disappeared. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°George Winters is very conniving. I can¡¯t figure out what he¡¯s thinking at all. Mother, you should stay away from him in the future¡­¡± Adina was stunned for a moment as she held the steering wheel. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I say, I hope you¡¯ll stay away from George next time. He¡¯s too¡¯smart. He¡¯s so different from Alden¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that his name is George Winters?¡± Adina instantly slowed down her car. ¡°So, that child just now is George Winters?¡± Harold was in a daze for a moment. ¡®Mother and Duke are close friends. How is it possible that she has never met George before? ¡®But from her actions just now, she obviously knows George. Did she not know his name?¡¯ Harold asked, ¡°Mother, his name is George, and is Alden¡¯s biological brother.¡± 2 Adina became stiff once again. ¡®George Winters. ¡®Hmm¡­! She had heard Duke speak of George many times. She was also aware that George was Alden¡¯s brother. She had always thought that George was at least three or four years older than Alden. The impression she had of George was an eight-or nine-year-old boy. She did not expect that he was the same age as Alden. Perhaps they were twins. 1 Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡®But that child is Dew¡¯s son¡­ ¡®Her son¡¯s name is George Winters? ¡®And Duke¡¯s eldest son is also George Winters. ¡®So, Dew and Duke had children together? ¡®George and Alden are twins. So, Dew gave birth to a twin five years ago?¡¯ 3 Adina was in disbelief. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Harold asked worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Adina came back to her senses and continued to drive. Her gaze was on the road ahead, but her mind was in a whirl. ¡®I asked Duke about his rtionship with Dew. He said that there¡¯s nothing between them¡­ ¡®Hmph! And I believed him!¡¯ Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Chapter 299 It was after 9 o¡¯clock at night. After tucking the children into bed, Adina returned to her room and dialed Madam Daugherty¡¯s phone number. Madam Daugherty was in poor health. She sleptte every day. When she called, the olddy was watching TV. ¡°Addy, why are you calling me at this hour?¡± Madam Daugherty¡¯s voice was tinged with suspicion. Adina pursed her lips. ¡°Grandma, I need to ask you something.¡± She paused and enunciated each word slowly. ¡°Does Dew have two sons?¡± Madam Daugherty paused for a second before she sighed. ¡°Yes. Five years ago, she got pregnant out of wedlock. She gave birth to twins. Back then, when your pregnancy caused a big fuss, her pregnancy was covered up by your father and stepmother. Except for the Daugherty family, no one else knows about that.¡± Adina clenched her fists and continued, ¡°May I know the names of those two children?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the two young masters of the Winters family. One is named George, and the other Harold.¡± Madam Daugherty sounded unusually old and weary. ¡°Dew gave birth to two children for the Winters family, who took the babies away on the very day they were born. The kids are more than four years old now, but I can count the number of times I have seen them on one hand. Those kids are no longer close to our family. Addy, when you have time, visit me with your son and daughter.¡± Little by little, Adina¡¯s heart sank to the bottom. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Okay, Grandma. It¡¯s gettingte, you should rest early.¡± After hanging up, she strolled to the balcony and drew the curtains back. Her cold eyes stared spiritlessly at the dark sky. She could ept that George was Dew¡¯s son, but she could not ept that George was the son of Dew and Duke. How could this happen? Adina let out a deep sigh. Was it because she got too close to Duke that she started to have some kind of fantasy that she should not have? He had slept with Dew, yet she still fantasized about a rtionship with him. Had she gone crazy? Adina let out a snicker before she raised her hand to pull the curtains shut. She tossed and turned all night. She fell asleep a little at dawn. She sat up tiredly from the bed when the rm went off. Sensing that she was in a bad mood, Alden asked worriedly, ¡°Mommy, did you not sleep well Adina put on another coat before leaving the house with her children. After dropping the children off at the preschool, she went straight to the office. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Thepany¡¯s new product had just beenunched. Everyone in the office was as busy as a bee. As the general manager, she had even more on her te. She was busy until five o¡¯clock. While on the way to pick up her children from preschool, Adina felt conflicted. She made a deal with Duke. He would introduce her to Brenden, and she would go to the Winters¡¯ house to cook for Harold. She went to the Winters¡¯ house every day after work these days. The kids were getting along with each other. She thought this would go on for a long, long time. But she did not want to do this anymore. Harold was Dew¡¯s son. She did not understand why she needed to cook for Dew¡¯s son. She continued to dwell on this until she arrived at the preschool. When Alden and Melody got into the car, she noticed a drawing in the little girl¡¯s hand. She gently asked, ¡°Mel, what¡¯s that you¡¯re holding?¡± The little girl unfolded the drawing in her hand. It was a very simple sketch. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Chapter 300 There were two children on the painting, a little girl in a pink dress and a boy in a denim suit. As soon as she saw the painting, Adina knew that the ones on the painting were Melody and Harold. This is a gift that Melody is going to give to Harold.¡± Alden exined indifferently beside her. He looked calm, but his mind was in turmoil. He and Melody grew up together. Melody had never given him a gift. He could not believe that Harold was going to receive a painting drawn by his sister. There was a conflicted look on Adina¡¯s face. If she had known that Harold was Dew¡¯s son, she would never have let Melody and Harold get so close. However, the kids have already epted each other. If she ruined their friendship, she would definitely break Melody¡¯s heart. ¡°Harold will be so happy to receive your gift,¡± Adina said slowly. She started the engine and headed for the Winters family vi. Regardless of the feud between their parents, the children were innocent. Harold was so fond of her, so fond of Melody. She could not push away a child just because of Dew. The car moved slowly on the road. Not long after, it stopped at the entrance of the Winters family vi. Harold ran out of the vi like a happy little bird. ¡°Auntie Adina, I miss you so much! Wow! Mel, is that me in this painting? Did you paint it yourself? Wow! I love it so much! I am so happy! I can¡¯t believe I got a gift made by you!¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Harold rejoiced as he held the painting up. The little girl looked at him quietly with a faint smile in her eyes. The little autistic girl who was dull, taciturn, and emotionless finally slowly opened her tightly closed heart. Alden took his sister¡¯s hand and walked into the vi. Harold came running after them. ¡°Mel, I¡¯ve got a present for you too. Come upstairs with me!¡± Melody obediently followed him upstairs. Alden somehow felt a little jealous. He pursed his lips and went after them. Adina changed her shoes and went into the kitchen to make dinner. She had been in a rxed and happy mood when she cooked two days ago, Her mood today. however, was extraordinarily low. She was surrounded by a faint, glum aura. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, this is the ravioli that Young Master Harold specifically sent me to get. He said it¡¯s your favorite. I will bring it to the tableter.¡± Mr. Brown walked into the kitchen and took out the raviolis from the refrigerator to show Adina. ¡°Young Master Harold has always been carefree, but he is especially attentive when ites to you and Ms. Melody.¡± Adina¡¯s hands, which were washing the vegetables, paused for a second. ¡°Mr. Brown, could I ask you a question?¡± Mr. Brown nodded with a smile. ¡°You can ask me anything you want, Ms. Adina. There¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t know about Young Master Harold.¡± He thought Adina was going to ask him about Harold¡¯s dietary preferences. ¡°May I know why Harold hates Dew so much?¡± Adina lowered her eyes as she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Harold call Dew a bad witch several times and forbade her from ever setting foot in the Winters¡¯ house again. Why exactly does he hate her?¡± ¡°About that¡­ That¡­¡± Mr. Brown scratched his chin. He also wanted to know why Young Master Harold loathed Dew so much, but he had never told him the reason. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Mr. Brown opened his mouth several times, but he did not know how to answer. Adina spoke as she washed the dishes. ¡°Dew is his birth mother. It won¡¯t do him any good if word gets out about how he¡¯s treating her.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well, Young Master Harold is still young. He doesn¡¯t understand what a birth mother means.¡± Mr. Brown exined. ¡°Young Master Harold has always disliked her ever since he could remember. He has never called her mom. Even so, Young Master George has never called her mom either. He did call her mother, whiches across as rather impersonal.¡± Adina lowered her eyes and said, ¡°George is a child with self-restraint and propriety. If he is willing to call Dew mother, that means he acknowledges her. ¡°Young Master George is good to his mother indeed. He prepares all sorts of gifts for Ms. Dew every year. This vi has a room on the second floor that is filled with clothes, bags, and shoes that Young Master George bought for Ms. Dew.¡± On that note, Mr. Brown let out another sigh. ¡°However, Ms. Dew angered Master Dukest time. All the things in that room have been thrown away.¡± ¡°Master Duke dislikes Ms. Dew, Young Master Harold rejects her too, but Young Master George has always respected his mother. Although Ms. Dew is not allowed to step foot in Winters family¡¯s house again, Young Master George has always paid attention to any news regarding her. Ms. Dew¡¯s participation in the piano tour abroad this time was also as per Young Master George¡¯s arrangement.¡± Age had loosened Mr. Brown¡¯s tongue. He casually spoke about some of the things George had done to Dew. The corner of Adina¡¯s lips slowly curled into a sneer. George did care a lot about Dew, his mother. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have deliberately set up a trap waiting for her to walk into it. George went to great lengths to deal with her. Would Alden and Melody be his targets, too? Adina pursed her lips. Her hand that was chopping the vegetables paused. Cooking was the easiest thing for her, but at that moment, she did not feel quite up to it. Just then, a car drove in from outside the house. Mr. Brown¡¯s knitted brows smoothed.¡± Master is home.¡± The old man waved to a few other cooks in the kitchen. ¡°Leave and work on something else.¡± Leave the kitchen to Master and Ms. Adina. He could see that Ms. Adina was quite special to Master. This was the first time he had seen Master show great interest and patience to a woman. Adina slowly chopped the vegetables. The next moment, she heard the sound of leather shoes stepping on the ground. Duke Winters had walked in. She lowered her eyes and continued to work on the task at hand. ¡°I¡¯ll cut the vegetables.¡± Duke Winters walked over and took the kitchen knife from her hand. ¡°Look at these potatoes. You call this dicing?¡± He asked in a low voice. As he spoke, his ck eyes fell on Adina¡¯s face. Adina raised her head and looked at the man before her. He was wearing a ck business suit. His powerful aura was spreading all over the room. A man like this would actually cook in the kitchen. He had probably never stepped foot in the kitchen before this. So, who did he go into the kitchen for? Harold? Melody? Or for her? Adina shoved down the emotions that inexplicably emerged as she said indifferently, ¡°I was just chatting with Mr. Brown.¡± Duke¡¯s lips curled up a little. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About Harold and George¡¯s mother.¡± Duke¡¯s fingers paused immediately. The three-day deadline had not yet expired. He had nned to tell her about it tonight or tomorrow However, she seemed to have found out already now. Duke put down the kitchen knife. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Chapter 302 He was not a man who was used to running away from problems. He had only postponed it repeatedly because he had not figured out how to tell her yet. But now that this woman had brought it up, he had to clear things up with her. ¡°Dewis George and Harold¡¯s mother,¡± Duke said in a low voice. Adina clenched her fingers. Although she had learned that truth a long time ago, her heart still sank when she heard it from this man. She curled her lips, feigning aloofness, and let out a faint smile. ¡°No wonder Harold likes me so much. It turns out that I am her aunt. The children should be considered cousins. No wonder they can get along well.¡± Her tone was rxed. However, Duke could hear a faint hint of sarcasm in it. He stared at her and said, enunciating each word, ¡°Five years ago, Trent got me drunk. He sent a woman into my room. I slept with Dew while I was cked out. After that night, I tried to find her, but it was as if she had disappeared off the face of the earth. It wasn¡¯t until eight monthster that she showed up at the door of our vi with her two children in her arms. That¡¯s how I found out that I have two sons.¡± He exined everything that happened five years ago in a few words. Adina felt a thin rope wrapped around her heart. Every word this man said was like an additional force pulling on the thin rope, gradually tightening the rope around her heart. The feeling of suffocation spread throughout her guts little by little. She did not even understand why she would feel such emotion. Why did it bother her so much about that night from five years ago? What did the past between this man and Dew have to do with her? ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin this to me,¡± Adina spoke slowly in monotone. ¡°I suddenly feel a little unwell. Is it okay if I go home now?¡± She headed toward the exit of the kitchen as she said that. Duke reached out and grabbed her wrist. The moment they made contact, the image of Duke and Dew rolling around on a bed popped up in Adina¡¯s mind. She suddenly felt a little disgusted. She fiercely shook off the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Winters, please behave yourself.¡± Her cold eyes were cold to the extreme, like the ice in the pr regions that was over a thousand years old. Duke¡¯s beautiful thin lips pursed. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°I know what bothers you, and I can assure you that other than that night, Dew and I have nothing more to do with each other.¡± ¡°What happens between you and Dew has nothing to do with me, either.¡± Adina took a step back. ¡°I should go.¡± She walked quickly out of the kitchen, fearing that Duke woulde and grab her again. ¡°Auntie Adina!¡± Harold came rushing down the stairs just in time. He darted toward Adina and tried to hurl himself at her like how he always did. When she saw his face, Adina thought of Dew. This was Dew¡¯s son! All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. No matter how much Harold loathed Dew, it would not change the fact that they were bound by blood! After such a thought emerged in her mind, she moved uncontrobly to the side to avoid him. Harold missed and fell on his back on the ground, **Sob. Auntie Adina, why didn¡¯t you catch me? My butt hurts. Can you help me up?¡± The little guy sat on the carpet and stretched out both his arms. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Harold was sitting on the floor. His eyes shone brightly. Adina¡¯s figure was reflected in his eyes. He was thoroughly convinced that Auntie Adina would pick him up. Adina could not help but take a step back as she looked at him. She did not understand why, but at that moment, the faces of her children who died as babies came to her mind. Those two children who died just after they were born had turned into the nightmare that constantly haunted her. Their deaths were the source of all her pain. How could Dew¡¯s sons be alive and well while her sons rotted in the ground? How could Dew¡¯s sons be the most honored young masters of the Winters family, while her sons could not even look at this wonderful world? And what about her? What was she doing? Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She actually cooked for Dew¡¯s sons and treated them as if they were her own! How could she face her dead children? Her two sons would not have died as babies if it had not been for Dew. Adina¡¯s eyes were suddenly red and watery. ¡°Auntie Adina, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Harold got up from the ground hastily. He grabbed Adina¡¯s hand and shook it gently. When Adina opened her eyes again, there was rity in her eyes. She shook off Harold¡¯s hand and said apathetically, ¡°Harold Winters, I may not be able toe and cook for you anymore.¡± Harold was stunned for a moment. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got too much on my te at work. From now on, I¡¯ll have someone deliver the meal over after I make it.¡± There was an indifferent look on Adina¡¯s face. ¡°Al, Mel,e on. We¡¯re going home.¡± Alden nced around the several people present. He keenly felt that something was wrong, but he did not ask any questions. He took his sister¡¯s hand and walked obediently to Adina¡¯s side. Melody was holding a pink bunny doll. It was a gift that Harold had just given her. She fiddled with the doll in her hand and obediently followed her brother to the car. The car disappeared in front of the Winters family vi. ¡°Waah!¡± Harold cried out loud. He red at Duke with red eyes and roared, ¡°This is all your fault! Daddy, you must have made Auntie Adina mad, that¡¯s why she suddenly left!¡± ¡°Auntie Adina called me Harold Winters instead of Harold! Auntie Adina must be mad at me! What have I done wrong? I didn¡¯t bully Mel. I didn¡¯t fight with Alden. I did nothing wrong. Why doesn¡¯t Auntie Adina want to talk to me anymore?¡± Harold was bawling. He sobbed convulsively and was almost going to pass out. ¡°Oh, Young Master, please stop crying.¡± Mr. Brown felt so bad for him. ¡°Maybe something came up. That¡¯s why Ms. Adina had to leave. She wille again tomorrow. Stop crying. There, there.¡± ¡°She won¡¯te. She won¡¯te anymore. Auntie Adina said she would have someone deliver the food tomorrow. She won¡¯te anymore.¡± Harold buried his face in Mr. Brown¡¯s arms and bawled. ¡°Mr. Brown, why does Auntie Adina suddenly not like me anymore? Why?¡± Mr. Brown seemed confused, too. He had only been out of the kitchen with the other chefs for less than ten minutes when he noticed Ms. Adina walk out with a cold expression on her face. Before he could figure out what had happened, Ms. Daugherty had left with Young Master Alden and Young Lady Melody. It all happened too fast. Mr. Brown stole a nce at Duke. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Mr. Brown saw that the expression on luis face was icy. His eyes were stone cold. His thin lips were livlity pursed. A sullen aura surrounded him, but at the same time, Mr. Browni Caughita hint of helplessness on his face, Helplessness? So, Master did not know what happened either? Or he knew what happened, but he just did not know how to resolve it? Mr. Brown scratched his chin and sighed with great concern. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. When it came to making up with a woman, he knew nothing about it either. Otherwise, he would not have been single for decades. ¡°Buzz buzz.¡± Just then, Duke¡¯s phone rang. He looked at the caller ID, Trent. It was always about drinking and having fun when this guy called. He was about to hang up the call when his finger suddenly paused. Trent Sundend, the second son of the Sundend family, the famous yboy in Sea City. He got a new girlfriend every three days. When it came to understanding women, no one in the circle could outmatch him. Duke pressed the answer button and walked toward the door. Thirty minutester, when Duke arrived at Rock bar, Trent and Em were already drinking, ¡°Duke, it¡¯s a rarity that you would grace us with your presence today.¡± Trent poured a ss of wine and handed it over. Duke took the ss and sat on the couch. With a sullen expression, he lifted the ss and finished the wine in it. Then he handed the empty ss over and gestured for Trent to fill it up. ¡°What has gotten to you? You are actually going all out?¡± Trent immediately filled his ss and leaned closer to him. ¡°I see that there is a dark line of fate running down between your brows, while your cheeks are pink. This is a typical face of someone who is troubled with love. You didn¡¯te here to get drunk just because you¡¯re suffering from rtionship trouble, did you?¡± Duke gave him a look. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Come on, we¡¯re buddies. We can tell each other everything.¡± Trent sat down next to him and put his arm around his shoulder. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Let me guess. My friend, is it about Adina again?¡± When Em heard Adina¡¯s name, he sat closer to them as well. ¡°Duke, I read the technical core report of the project sent by Ms. Daugherty. I¡¯?n telling you, it was impressive. Everyone in Walker Corporation¡¯s technical department was shocked, especially with the new technical programming form she came up with. It¡¯s freaking awesome!¡± Em continued to ramble compliments about her. Duke somehow felt a little proud. The cold expression on his face faded significantly. (Tsk!¡± Trent stared at him. ¡°It¡¯s really because of Adina, that woman. Your very demeanor is actually being controlled by a woman, Mr. Winters. Tell me now, are you just fooling around with her or are you serious about her?¡± Duke gripped his ss and didn¡¯t really know how to answer. Fooling around with her? Or serious about her? He had never even thought about it. He just could not help but want to get closer to the woman. It was like he was being pulled by a mysterious force. ¡°Darn it! This is bad! You have been poisoned!¡± Trent observed his expression. ¡°You¡¯re actually starting to think about this seriously, which means you¡¯re not just fooling around! Duke, Adina is someone who has given birth. You must nip that kind of thought in the bud!¡± Duke nced over coldly. ¡°I have two sons, too.¡± Trent put his hands up to give in. ¡°Fine. You guys are not much different. If you both have feelings for each other, then you deserve to be with each other.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± He leaned closer. ¡°Since you guys are so cut out for each other, what exactly is bothering you tonight, then?¡± Duke took a sip of wine and said in a low voice, ¡°I told her about George and Harold¡¯s mother. She suddenly started to get angry. No matter how I exined it, she just wouldn¡¯t listen. Tell me, why is that?¡± Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Trent drank a gulp of the wine. He smirked and said, ¡°You brought it upon yourself. Why would you bring up the two little guys¡¯ real mother? I don¡¯t think any woman would feel fine with hearing their partner talking about their exes, especially since you have had two children together. It¡¯s easy for her mind to conjure up some age-inappropriate images,¡± Duke spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Why would women not want to hear their partner talking about their exes?¡± ¡°Why else do you think? They would get jealous, of course!¡± Trent snorted. ¡°The more a woman cares about you, the more she cares about the existence of your ex. The moment you bring up your ex in front of her, she would start assuming that you still care about the other woman, and that makes her jealous. When she¡¯s jealous, she¡¯s mad. When she¡¯s mad, she doesn¡¯t want to talk to you anymore.¡± Duke looked up. ¡°Are you saying that she cares about me?¡± ¡°Well, what do you think? Why else would she be mad at you?¡± Trent rolled his eyes. ¡°I say, Duke, with your standing, you are too good even for a princess of the royal family. Why do you seem so unsure of yourself in front of Adina?¡± Em could not help but interject, ¡°Ms. Daugherty is the most beautiful woman in Sea City, after all. Trent retorted, ¡°What kind of beautiful woman flips someone over her shoulder whenever she feels like it? She scares me. If she really gets together with Duke, I won¡¯t even dare to set foot in Winters family¡¯s house.¡± Em and Trent started chatting with each other! With the winess in his hand, Duke¡¯s furrowed brows gradually rxed. Adina took the two children home and prepared some dishes and soup for dinner. Melody was digging into the food, while Alden could not help but keep staring at Adina. After the meal, Melody went to practice piano. Alden followed Adina into the kitchen.¡° Mommy, let me help you with the dishes.¡± Adina gave up her ce by the sink and turned around to clean the stove. Alden rolled up his sleeves. While he was washing the dishes, he said, ¡°Mommy, may I know the reason you suddenly wanted to leave the Winters family¡¯s house tonight?¡± Adina¡¯s hands paused. She continued to wipe the stove top and answered in a t voice, ¡°The Winters family is the most prestigious family in Sea City. People will think we are trying to suck up to them if we go there too often.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°You are not being honest.¡± Alden directly exposed her lie. ¡°Mommy, you lost control of your emotions tonight. Uncle Duke obviously upset you. What exactly did he do to you?¡± Adina frowned in silence, Her Alden was too smart. There was nothing she could keep from him. However, there were some things that simply could not be exined to a child who was just over four years old. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯ve been in a weird mood sincest night.¡± Alden¡¯s voice mingled with the sound of running water and reached Adina¡¯s ears. ¡°You¡¯ve been feeling down since you found outst night that George is Harold¡¯s brother. Mommy, this really bothers you a lot, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Adina¡¯s hands stiffened. She let out a sigh and said, ¡°Oh, Al, I wish you could be less clever.¡± Aldenid the washed bowl on the draining rack. Then, he turned around and said in a serious manner, ¡°Mommy, there are some things that you don¡¯t have to go through alone.¡± Adina knew that if she did not talk to him about this today, Alden would not be able to sleep at ease. She said in a low voice, ¡°Do you know who Harold and George¡¯s mother is?¡± Alden finally understood. He had long figured out that Mommy would not go to the Winters family¡¯s vi anymore once she found out that Dew was Harold¡¯s mother. He just did not expect that Mommy would leave right away without any hesitation. ¡°I see you already know about it.¡± Adina nced at him. ¡°That exins why you wouldn¡¯t allow Mel to hang out with Harold two days ago.¡± She sneered a little. Al was a child, yet he realized it sooner than her. It was like she had learned nothing in all the years she lived. Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Chapter 306 ¡°Dew is George and Harold¡¯s mother. We won¡¯t be going to the Winters family¡¯s mansion anymore, right?¡± Alden raised his gaze and asked solemnly. Adina pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can face Dew¡¯s sons and remain rational. It¡¯s better if we don¡¯t go there anymore.¡± ¡°They¡¯re Uncle Duke¡¯s sons.¡± Alden continued, ¡°He¡¯s special to you, isn¡¯t he?¡± Adina¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath and said calmly, ¡°He¡¯s not someone special to me. He¡¯s just my working partner, that¡¯s all.¡± Alden¡¯s phone started vibrating in his pocket. He wiped his hands and took out his phone. Someone had emailed him a document. [Paternity Test Report] He narrowed his eyes as he opened the email. His gaze fell on the last line of text. Although he had expected this, he was still in disbelief. He locked his phone, raised his head, and asked, ¡°Mel has called Uncle Duke ¡®daddy¡¯. Mother, have you thought of getting together with him? With that, Mel can call him ¡®daddy¡¯ for real, then.¡± Adina could not believe what she had just heard. ¡°Al, what makes you think that way?¡± ¡®Perhaps, I do have some feelings toward Duke. But it¡¯s not to the extent of hoping that my two children would call him ¡°daddy¡±.! ¡°Al, I¡¯ve never thought of getting you both a stepfather.¡± Adina stressed, ¡°Melody is still very young and doesn¡¯t know much about the world. She still has no idea what ¡®daddy¡¯ means. I will correct her gradually.¡± Alden clutched his phone. ¡°What if Mel and my biological fathere and find us?¡± Adina¡¯s heart sank. ¡®I¡¯ve hidden the matter regarding Tyson very well. In just a few hours, the news was suppressed. Realistically, Al shouldn¡¯t have heard anything about it. ¡®But with the way he¡¯s asking me this question, he must have caught wind somewhere.¡¯ She said resolutely, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t n to let your biological father meet either one of you. Unless¡­ You and Mel want a father¡­¡± ¡®If the children truly want to reunite with their father, there¡¯s¡­ no way for me to stop them.¡¯ Alden pursed his lips. ¡°What if¡­. Duke is our father?¡± Adina let out a sigh. ¡®Based on what he said, it¡¯s clear that he doesn¡¯t know about Tyson.¡¯ She walked up to him, patted his head, and said softly, ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s your father. Even if he is, we wouldn¡¯t have any kind of rtionship with each other.¡± Alden¡¯s gaze turned distant. ¡®Should I tell Mother about the report? ¡®But will anything change if I tell her? ¡®It¡¯ll only cause her more worry.¡¯ Adina was not able to sleep well that night. The next day, after she got off work, she fetched her children home directly and cooked dinner. They did not go to the Winters family¡¯s mansion. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. After she was done cooking, she called a delivery service through the Inte to send her food to the Winters family¡¯s mansion. ¡®I¡¯ve promised Harold to cook dinner for him. I can¡¯t go back on my word. I¡¯m not a quitter.¡¯ When the rider sent the thermal lunch boxes to the Winters family¡¯s mansion, Harold was sitting on the swing in the courtyard, staring at the winding mountain road. The hope in his gaze gradually faded as time passed by¡­ Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Chapter 307 ¡°Is Harold Winters here?¡± The rider asked loudly as he stood outside the mansion, holding the thermos lunch box. Harold hurriedly ran over. ¡°That¡¯s me. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your delivery. Please sign here.¡± The rider handed the box to him and left the wind nountain. Harold brought the box into the mansion and opened the boxes. He took in the familiar scent. Tears streamed down his cheeks uncontrobly. ¡°Oh, Young Master Alden. Why are you crying?¡± Colin gave Harold a piece of paper. ¡°These are Ms. Daugherty¡¯s food, aren¡¯t they? She cooked buffalo wings, frittata, and salsa sd. These are all your favorite food. Don¡¯t cry. Let¡¯s eat them while they are warm¡­¡± Harold said as he sobbed, ¡°Is Auntie Adina really noting? Why? I miss her? I miss Melody ¡­ Boohoo, Mr. Brown, what did I do wrong? Why doesn¡¯t Auntie Adina want me anymore..?¡± Colin had no idea how tofort Alden. There was no way he could give him an exnation. Just as he was trying to think of something, he saw a ck car entering the courtyard. Duke had returned home. ¡°Young Master Alden, Mr. Winters is back! Cheer up!¡± Harold raised his teary gaze and saw Duke and George getting out of the car together. He saw George holding a box. It was a pink box that girls usually loved ying with. ¡®George bought toys for Melody, but she won¡¯te to our house anymore¡­? George entered with the box. He frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Whenever Harold cried, he would have a bad feeling. It must be the twin telepathy phenomenon that they shared. ¡°George, Auntie Adina and Melody won¡¯t being to our house anymore!¡± Harold hugged him and cried, ¡°Daddy must have angered her, and she doesn¡¯t want toe here anymore¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. George lowered his gaze and looked at Duke, who entered the mansion with him. Duke looked indifferent. He frowned and exhaled. He truly had not expected Adina to stoping He said inly, ¡°Stop crying, I¡¯ll give her a call.¡± Harold instantly stopped crying. His teary eyes widened, and he sniffled. ¡°Daddy, apologize to Auntie Adina. She¡¯ll forgive you.¡± Duke was speechless, ¡®Why do I need to apologize? What did I do wrong? ¡®Sure, I was wrong five years ago, but I don¡¯t need to apologize to her. ¡®Not like she¡¯s someone special to me¡­¡¯ After a few seconds, it got through. ¡°Hi, Mr. Winters. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Adina¡¯s voice sounded cold on the other end of the call. For a moment, Duke was not sure what to say. After a while, he then said, ¡°Harold told me to call you. He asked me to thank you for the food. They are delicious. Thanks.¡± Harold was at a loss for words. ¡®I still haven¡¯t started eating. When did I say it¡¯s tasty?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯m d you all liked them. I¡¯m currently upied with something, so bye now.¡± Duke was about to speak, but before he could say anything, she had ended the call Harold looked at him. ¡°Daddy, why didn¡¯t you say sorry to Auntie Adina? Call her back!¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Duke shifted his cold gaze to Harold. ¡°Are you telling me what to do?¡± Harold¡¯s arrogance was quickly suppressed. He mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s your fault. What¡¯s so hard to apologize for?¡± George frowned. ¡°What did dad do?¡± Duke wanted to know as well. Harold snorted a little. ¡°Whatever it is, you¡¯re at fault. Auntie Adina wouldn¡¯t be angry at you for no reason!¡± After that, he turned and climbed on the chair. He started opening the lunch boxes and gobbling up the food. ¡°Hmm! Tasty! This is so delicious! Auntie Adina¡¯s buffalo wings are getting tastier!¡± He did not care how he looked. He stuffed his mouth with chicken wings like a squirrel. George knew that Harold was a notoriously picky eater. He was now curious to know how tasty the buffalo wings actually were¡­ Harold saw George staring at his lunch box. He hurriedly put his arms around them and said, with his mouth still full, ¡°George, Auntie Adina made this food for me! It¡¯s only enough for one person. Don¡¯t you dare try to eat my food! It¡¯s your fault that you¡¯ve not been at home for the past two days. It¡¯s your loss for not having the chance to eat Auntie Adina¡¯s delicious food. They are really, really, really tasty. They¡¯re even tastier than the food cooked by our chefs at home¡­¡± The chefs and George were speechless. The entire dining hall could hear Harold gobbling up his food. Duke pursed his lips. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡®I have to admit that Adina¡¯s cooking skill is impressive. T¡¯ve only eaten her cooking twice, but I don¡¯t feel like eating the food cooked by our chefs anymore I can¡¯t mne Harold for being so protective of his food.¡¯ ¡®Sir, this is the Egyptian gold te we got today from the auction hall. When will we be sending in to Aserialia?¡± Colin smiled as he walked toward Duke. ¡°Mrs. Winters loves things from Egypt. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be overjoyed when she receives her birthday gift!¡± George turned, ¡°Grandma will be celebrating her birthday in Ascrialia this year?¡± ¡°She says she¡¯ll being home to celebrate her birthday.¡± Harold mumbled as he continued to eat the buffalo wings, ¡°She told me that herself. I video called herst night.¡± Duke spoke inly, ¡°I¡¯ll call and ask her.¡± He took out his phone. His mother was just a call away. Mabel was drinking her tea in the manor when her phone vibrated on her desktop. She took a nce at the caller with a smile. The youngdy sitting beside her smiled. ¡°It must be Duke.¡± Mabel smiled and nodded. She then picked up the call. ¡°Duke, have you eaten yet?¡± Duke said, ¡°Mother, your birthday is just around the corner. Are you going to host a banquet abroad, or would it be at home?¡± ¡°I told Halst night that I¡¯ll be going back for the birthday banquet.¡± Mabel smiled and said,¡± I¡¯ve been away for too long. Everyone there might forget me if I don¡¯t go back. I¡¯ll be back in a few days. You can arrange the banquet for me.¡± ¡°Okay, I will.¡± Duke ended the call after he was done speaking. There was a hint of bitterness in Mabel¡¯s smile. ¡®Well, my son truly only goes straight to the point. He ends the call right after he has his answers. He didn¡¯t even ask how I am¡­ ¡°Aunt Mabel, so you really are returning for your birthday banquet, huh?¡± Catherine said, feeling sad. ¡°It looks like I can only wish you happy birthday in advance.¡± Mabel looked at her and said, ¡°Are you really going to wish me only?¡± Catherine took out two tickets from her handbag. ¡°These are the tickets to Alice¡¯s live concert for her piano tour. I heard that Mr. Albert will also be performing. These tickets were not easy to get a hold of, but I know you like listening to piano concerts. So, I asked my father to buy them from his friend in business¡­¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Mrs. Winters loved to go to art exhibitions and listened to piano concerts on weekdays. She would not miss any piano concerts, let alone Alice¡¯s or Albert¡¯s performances. She immediately called his driver and asked him to take them to the concert. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Chapter 309 At the international concert hall in Ascrialia¡­ This was Dew¡¯sst concert abroad. She wore a ck silk gown with pearls and gems iid on the ck fabric. Her dress was sparkling under the chandelier. She sat on the stage, her back straight and poised. Her slender fingers flew over the keys on the piano. She could feel all the audience¡¯s gazes were fixed on her as if she was the center of the world¡­ They gave her a round of apuse when her song ended. Dew stood up and bowed. As she slowly looked up, she suddenly felt an intense gaze staring at her. She instantly looked up at the audience and found a familiar face. ¡®That¡¯s Mrs. Winters, Duke¡¯s mother. I¡¯ve only seen her a couple of times. ¡®The first time we met was when George and Harold turned hundred days old. The second time was when we celebrated their twins¡¯ birthday for the first time. ¡®I¡¯m sure of it; I¡¯ve not seen Mrs. Winters for three years. What are the odds of us meeting again at the International Concert Hall¡­?¡¯ Dew hurriedly tried to recall if she embarrassed herself on stage earlier. ¡®My performance earlier was perfect. That¡¯s good. Mrs. Winters wouldn¡¯t be able to notice any of my ws¡­ She smiled a little at Mabel. ¡°Aunt Mabel, do you know the young female pianist on the stage?¡± Catherine asked curiously. Mabel nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to recognize her earlier on. But after she smiled at me, I remembered, She¡¯s the mother of my two grandsons.¡± Catherine was stunned, ¡°Ms. Daugherty is surely gorgeous and elegant.¡± Mabel was indifferent toward Catherine¡¯s remark about Dew. ¡®She does look naturally beautiful. Sure enough, George and Harold¡¯s facial features are as gorgeous as hers.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡®But what a shame her family background is a littleplicated. What¡¯s more, the desire to profit in her eyes is too intense. She is not suitable to be Mrs. Winters. ¡®But because she¡¯s George and Harold¡¯s biological mother, I have to y along and ask Duke to marry her. With that, they would be regarded as aplete family with two children. ¡®But no matter how I persuade Duke, he¡¯s not willing to marry Dew at all¡­¡¯ After the concert ended, Dew invited Mabel to the resting area backstage. Catherine followed along ¡°Madam, if only I¡¯d known you¡¯d be attending the concert, I would¡¯ve reserved the front row seat for you.¡± Dew politely poured a cup of tea for her with a smile. ¡°There¡¯ll be a top international pianist performing in a couple of days. If you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll go and get two tickets for you.¡± All pianists who performed in the international concert hall were all intemationally renowned pianists. It was extremely difficult to get any of their tickets. Dew was Alice¡¯s student, so she could easily ask the organizer to get her a few tickets to the concerts. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Mabel said inly, ¡°I¡¯m nning to go back in a few days. How about you? How long are you nning to stay in Ascrialia?¡± Dew rolled her eyes a little before saying with a smile, ¡°Now that I¡¯m done with my work, I am free to arrange my own schedule. Why don¡¯t I apany you for a few days? We can then head back to Sea City together? ¡®If I can use this opportunity to curry favor with Mrs. Winters, perhaps I¡¯ll have someone to support me to marry into the Winters family.¡¯ Mrs. Winter nodded and turned to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, why don¡¯t youe back to Sea City with me as well?¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Chapter 310 ¡°I want to go to Cairnstan and see its renowned rivers and mountains. But I have been quite upied recently. I don¡¯t think I can attend your birthday banquet in Sea City, Aunt Mabel.¡± Catherine said regretfully, ¡°I¡¯ll be opening a counseling center in Sea City soon. By then, I can meet you and Duke to have a meal together.¡± Dew¡¯s eyelids twitched for a moment. ¡®Aunt Mabel? Duke? ¡®Why does this woman sound like she¡¯s very close with Mrs. Winter and Duke? ¡®Who¡¯s she?¡¯ Dew raised her eyebrow as she looked at Catherine in aposed manner. She then smiled and said, ¡°You can contact me too, once you¡¯ve arrived in Sea City. I can show you the famous scendmarks in Sea City, especially Oriental Pearl, where George and Hal like best¡­¡± She intentionally mentioned her two sons, seemingly trying to remind Catherine of her position. Catherine¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, yes! George and Harold are in Sea City too! Aunt Mabel talks about them every day. I adore them! I must open up my center in Sea City as soon as possible. I¡¯ll be able to see them two every day soon!¡± Dew forced a smile. ¡°Hal is quite headstrong. He doesn¡¯t like to meet strangers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re her mother, right? I¡¯m sure once we¡¯re close friends, Hal will want to y with me. Catherine was so friendly that she touched Dew¡¯s arm. Dew let out a sigh of relief. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡®Despite her knowing Duke and I have had two sons together, she still adores them. Well, that just means she¡¯s not into Duke. Looks like I¡¯m just paranoid.¡± Her smile became more genuine. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting for you in Sea City. I¡¯ll bring Hal to fetch you at the airport.¡± After Mabel was done with her tea, she said, ¡°When did you learn to y the piano?¡± Dew cautiously replied to her, ¡°I learned to y the piano when I was young. I took lessons for a decade. I stopped ying it after I started working at Daugherty Corporation. Until recently, due to an ident, I quit the board of directors. Only then, did I have the time to y the piano again. I was able to go on tour with Ms. Alice because of George. He said he wishes that I can be a world-renowned pianist.¡± Mabel nodded, ¡°Well, since it¡¯s George¡¯s wish, I hope you¡¯ll work hard for it.¡± ¡°Of course, Madam,¡± Dew said politely. Mabel looked at her and did not speak further. Dew stayed in Ascrialia for the next three days, apanying Mabel to art exhibitions and concerts. She learned to y the piano when she was young and had learned art for three to five years. So, Mabel had to agree with her opinion on music and art. At dusk, the streemps that were hidden in the trees gradually lit up the area in the mansion dimly with their faint lights. A tiny figure stood at the entrance. Harold hugged his knees and stared at the road in front of him with teary eyes. Behind him was Colin, who was looking saddened by him. ¡°Young Master Harold, let¡¯s head back It¡¯s no use even if you wait here¡­¡± ¡°Go back if you want to. I¡¯ll stay!¡± Harold gritted as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve not seen Aunt Adina and Mel for three days already! I miss them! I¡¯ll only go back after I see them!¡± Colin had no idea what to do as he sighed. : ¡®Ms. Daugherty is truly ruthless. How can she say nothing and stoping for four days? ¡®I thought that Sir would be able to persuade her. But something has happened to Winters Corporation, and Madam Winters¡¯ banquet will be carried out very soon. There¡¯s so much that he needs to do. He¡¯s forced to put Ms. Daugherty¡¯s matter aside for now¡­¡¯ Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Adina stopped at the entrance of the mansion Before she got out of her car, she saw Colin standing outside the fence, and Harold was beside him She pursed her red lips and opened the door. ¡°Auntie Adina¡­¡± Harold stood there. He hesitated to move and looked at her with his teary eyes In the past, whenever he saw her, he would hurriedly run over to her However, this time, he did not move at all, as if he was afraid of her Adina felt a sharp pain in her heart. The sour feeling slowly faded away ¡°Harold, what happened¡­?¡± Right after she spoke, Harold interrupted her, ¡°Auntie Adina, can you call me Hal instead¡­?¡± There was a hint of yearning in his voice. Adina¡¯s heart finally softened. She sighed and said, ¡°Hal, what are you doing here sote?¡± ¡°I miss you¡­¡± Harold said as tears streamed uncontrobly down his face. ¡°Auntie Adina, you can hit me, or scold me, but you cannot ignore me¡­¡± Even with tears streaming down his face uncontrobly, he did not dare to cry out loud. He bit his lower lip, trying to suppress his tears. Melody, who was sitting in the car, was not sure what was happening. She instantly ran towards Harold and lifted his face to wipe his tears. ¡°Mel¡­¡± Harold held Mel¡¯s hand. His eyes finally lit up again. ¡°Go and wash your face.¡± Adina approached Harold and held his hand. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go in.¡± Harold felt aggrieved as he looked at the hand that held his hand. ¡®Back then, Auntie Adina used to treat me really well. Why the change? What happened¡­?! ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll help to clean Harold¡¯s up,¡± Alden took the initiative and spoke softly and in a well behaved manner. Harold resisted, but Alden leaned over to his ears and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why my mother stoppeding to your house?¡± Harold looked up instantly. He bit his lower lip and said, ¡°Auntie, Auntie, Alden will help me clean up.¡± Adina felt upset seeing Harold¡¯s teary eyes. She needed some time alone. So, she patted their heads before turning and heading toward the kitchen. Alden pushed the washroom door open. Harold closed the door behind him after he walked in. ¡°Alden, tell me what happened!¡± Harold asked pressingly. Alden raised his gaze and looked at him calmly, ¡°Because you¡¯re Dew Daugherty¡¯s son.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡± ¡°I know you like my mother and my younger sister, but George doesn¡¯t.¡± Alden paused as he said each word clearly, ¡°Your biological brother, George, schemed against my mother¡¯spany in secret. He had also once set up a trap to make herpany fall into bankruptcy¡­ He would do anything for Dew. He will definitely harm my sister one day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Harold shook his head and denied, ¡°My brother would never do such a thing! He loves Mel. He even bought her many presents. He will never hurt her!¡± ¡°You should ask him.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Alden turned the tap on and filled up a bowl of warm water. He took a towel and wiped Harold¡¯s face thoroughly. Harold walked out of the washroom in a daze, without uttering a word. Colin hurriedly came over. ¡°Young Master Harold, are you leaving already?¡± Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Chapter 312 ¡°L-Let¡¯s go back.¡± Harold opened the car door and went in. He stared out the window nkly. When Adina came out of the kitchen, she could not see Harold anywhere. She then asked,¡± Where¡¯s Hal?¡± ¡°He went back,¡± Alden said softly. Adina frowned. ¡®Hal is a very clingy boy. He came all the way here. There¡¯s no way he can go back so fast.¡± She looked at her well-behaved son. ¡°What did you say to him?¡± ¡°I just told him the truth.¡± Harold pursed his lips. ¡°He persistently asked for a reason as to why you¡¯ve ruthlessly abandoned him. It¡¯s their fault from the beginning.¡± Adina became quiet. She then sighed and said, ¡°Go y with your sister. I¡¯ll cook¡± After driving on the road for twenty minutes, Harold came back to the Winters family¡¯s mansion. He pushed the door open and ran into the mansion. Colin could feel something odd about him. He hurriedly exited the car and went after him. George, who always came backte, was sitting in the living room, reading some documents. He raised his head when he heard footsteps. ¡°George, did you scheme against LaStar Technology Corporation?¡± Harold walked in and shouted furiously. George put down the documents in his hand and looked at him calmly. ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°Just say yes or no!¡± Harold red at George. There was a t-out rage in his gaze. George stood up and looked at him indifferently. ¡°Yes! So, what?¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s true, then! Alden didn¡¯t lie to me!¡± Harold choked on his words. ¡°Auntie Adina got angry even at me because you harmed herpany and were hostile to her! George, you can hate Auntie Adina, but why do you need to harm herpany? Why?!¡± Geroge pursed his lips, ¡®At that time, I snuck into Adina¡¯spany because I wanted to investigate it. I didn¡¯t n to attack it maliciously. It¡¯s indeed my fault that the incident happened. ¡®I wanted to use the loopholes in our agreement to bring down Adina, ¡®I guess I truly am hostile towards her. ¡®Harold is not wrong.¡¯ ¡°George, go apologize to Auntie Adina. Just tell her that you didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡±Harold grabbed his wrist. ¡°If you don¡¯t apologize, she won¡¯t forgive you, and she will ignore me forever! Please, George¡­¡± He started sobbing right after he spoke. George felt extremely frustrated. ¡®I¡¯m only against Adina because she¡¯s against my mother. My actions are justified. Why should I apologize? But the thought that Mel might nevere to the Winters family¡¯s mansion made George feel like he had lost something precious. He felt sad and empty. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Duke had just only returned. He emerged from the front door and asked in a cold voice. These days, Winters Corporation had encountered some problems, and the wholepany was on high alert. He had not been home for a couple of days. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. As soon as he came back, he noticed his two sons were ring at each other. It was obvious that they were arguing about something. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Chapter 313 ¡°What are you two arguing about?¡± Duke massaged the space between his eyebrows as he went and sat on the couch. Harold bit his lower lip andined, ¡°Daddy, do you know why Auntie Adina no longeres to our house? It¡¯s because George secretly schemed against herpany, and she¡¯s worried that he¡¯ll hurt Mel. That¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t want toe to our house anymore!¡± Duke frowned. ¡®It has been almost a month since George¡¯s attack on the official website of LaStar Technology Corporation, and Adina long knew about it. Why is she only upset now, after such a longpse? ¡®Perhaps Trent is right. Adina is jealous. ¡®She¡¯s jealous that Dew and me used to be together. ¡®I¡¯m extremely upied these days. I don¡¯t have time to think of a solution for this matter. Once I¡¯m done with my corporation¡¯s matter, I¡¯ll think of a way.¡¯ ¡®Tomorrow is the third appraisal meeting of Project A-F. I need to think of something to exin to that woman clearly without causing a huge scene¡­¡¯ ¡°Daddy, say something!¡± Harold walked up to Duke and swung his hand. ¡°This has nothing to do with George.¡± Duke said inly, ¡°Your grandma¡¯s birthday is around the corner. If you are free, find a gift for her.¡± After he was done speaking, he walked up to the second floor. Harold clutched his fist as he looked up and yelled, ¡°Daddy, can I also have apany of my own like George?¡± Duke stopped walking and turned and looked at him indifferently, ¡°You can take over a subsidiary once you finish the business administration course.¡± ¡°Okay, Daddy! I¡¯ll work hard!¡± Harold said sternly as if he was stating some kind of oath. Duke slowly smiled, N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. He used to wonder when Harold would be as sensible as George. He truly did not expect the day toe so fast. Duke went into his study room. Instead of dealing with various project documents, he opened the roster directory of a subsidiary of Winters Corporation. ¡°The Winters Corporation was established half a century ago, and it had already exceeded a hundred subsidiaries, involving all kinds of interdisciplinary, just like a tree with hundreds of blooming flowers. ¡®Each subsidiary is at a high development stage, and its financial ounts are thriving. ¡®Of course, I can¡¯t give Harold such a subsidiary. I need to think of something¡­! It waste at night, the moonlight was shining brightly. The night was quiet and peaceful. In the night air, there was a heavy gasp, and a woman¡¯s voice. Duke¡¯s mind was chaotic. A gust of wind blew the bedroom curtains open, and a ray of light shone in. Duke slowly opened his sleepy eyes and saw a beautiful face. He could see the vague outline of the woman¡¯s face through the faint light. Even so, the blurred facial features surprised him. This woman¡­ ¡®She¡¯s the woman from five years ago¡­ ¡®I¡¯m dreaming! Duke knew that he was dreaming, but he could not move his body. He opened his eyes and looked at the woman¡¯s face. Even so, he still could not see her clearly. He leaned over and got closer, little by little. He was finally able to see the woman clearly. ¡®She¡¯s¡­ How¡¯s that possible?!¡± Duke instantly woke up. He opened his eyes, only to find that he had fallen asleep on his office chair. ¡®It was just a dream¡­¡¯ Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Chapter 314 After that night five years ago, he had never had such a dream. In the dream just now, the face of the woman who was in the bed with him was actually Adina¡¯s. He had a dream that he and Adina were making love in a hotel bed. Duke got up and went into the bathroom to wash his face with cold water. Once he felt his mind clearing up, he suddenly recalled the familiar scent on Adina¡¯s body. Five years ago, the woman he had spent a passionate night with had the same scent on her. Adina and Dew were sisters, but they were not sisters of the same mother. Their body scents should be different. Could it be¡­? A ridiculous thought emerged in Duke¡¯s mind. Once that thought had emerged, it could not be suppressed. When did Adina have hering-of-age ceremony five years ago? If he remembered correctly, it was that same summer night. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Duke immediately took out his phone to search for news. The inte was full of news about the most beautiful woman of Sea City. Her illicit photos from five years ago could still be found on some websites. Duke quickly browsed through all the relevant news. The disbelief on his face only grew. He dialed a phone number. The phone rang for a long time before someone picked it up. An angry voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Duke, look at the time now! You¡¯re calling me in the middle of the night! This had better be about something serious, or I am going to your house tomorrow and teaching you a lesson!¡± ¡°Trent, do you still remember what happened that day five years ago?¡± ¡°What, five years ago?¡± Trent cursed as he sat up. ¡°Damn you! It¡¯s three o¡¯clock in the middle of the night! Why won¡¯t you let me sleep?¡± ¡°Five years ago, you deliberately got me drunk. And then, you sent a woman into my room. Do you remember who it was?¡± ¡°Hang on, why are you asking me about this? That girl has given birth to your two sons. Do you still not know who she is? Speaking of which, I don¡¯t even know who that woman was back then You did a very good job in keeping the identity of George and Harold¡¯s mother concealed. You kept even me in the dark.¡± Duke pinched the spot between his brows. It looked like Trent also did not know who that woman was back then. The face in the dream was exactly the same as Adina¡¯s. However, Adina and Dew were sisters. They only slightly resembled each other. Was he just overthinking it? Duke said slowly, ¡°Sundend Corporation is the major shareholder of Grand Emperor Hotel. Can you get me the security footage from five years ago?¡± ¡°What do you want that for?¡± ¡°Just tell me if you can get it or not.¡± ¡°I can.¡± Trent yawned. ¡°I will drop by the hotel and ask the staff.¡± C D After hanging up, Duke walked out onto the balcony On that night five years ago, he and some of his friends, including Trent, were drinking at the clubhouse opposite Grand Emperor Hotel. Meanwhile, Adina¡¯s 18-year-olding-of-age ceremony had been held in the lobby of Grand Emperor Hotel. When he was drunk, Trent had sent a woman into his room. And the next day, Adina was photographed by a reporter, iming that she had spent the night with some man. The same night, the same hotel, could it really be just a coincidence? It was dawn. Adina forced her eyes open. Last night, she actually dreamed about that night five years ago. It was just another night of being haunted by the nightmare. She covered the dark circles under her eyes with thick concealer. She brushed her teeth and washed her face as usual. Then, she sent her two children off to preschool. She had just watched the children walk into the preschool when her phone vibrated. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Adina nced at the caller ID. It was a number from Central City. She stared at the number for a few seconds before answering the call. ¡°Is this Adina Daugherty? Ms. Daugherty?¡± An elderly voice came from the other end of the phone. Adina frowned and answered indifferently, ¡°This is me. May I know who this is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Tyson¡¯s father,¡± Mr. Samuel Osborne said slowly. ¡°Can we have a chat?¡± Adina¡¯s heart sank a little. Her worst fears after the exposure of her children hade true. Tyson was willing topromise for the sake of thepany, but how could the older generation, who cared a lot about bloodline inheritance, allow their offspring to live outside? Adina pursed her lips and said, ¡°What would you like to talk about, Mr. Osborne?¡± ¡°You raised the children alone. It would be unkind and unjust of our family to take custody away from you so abruptly. The matter of custody shall be discussedter.¡± Mr. Samuel Osborne said, enunciating each word. ¡°However, we must meet the children. Bring the children to Central City or have Tyson bring them back here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s out of the question!¡± Adina coldly refused. She pursed her lips. ¡°They are my children. They have nothing to do with the Osborne family.¡± ¡°That sounds ridiculous, Ms. Daugherty. Did you conceive the fraternal twins solely on your own?¡± Mr. Samuel Osborne snickered. ¡°You should be d that Tyson only has one son for all these years, otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be any room for your son and daughter. I have already spoken to Tyson¡¯s wife about this matter. She has agreed to take the children into our family. What more do you want?¡± ¡°Mr. Osborne, if you are trying to take my children away from me, just contact mywyer directly.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Adina hung up coldly She looked out of the window into the traffic on the street. She had a bad feeling about this. Aller picking up the children and taking them home at night, Adina¡¯s phone rang again. It was also a number from Central City, but it was not the same caller. Adina resisted the urge to reject the call. However, she was afraid of missing any crucial information, When it came to fighung awsuit, it was also best to know what your enemy was up to. She wiped her hands and answered the call. A gentle voice of a woman came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello, Ms. Daugherty. This is Tyson¡¯s wife.¡± The corner of Adina¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. In order to take her children away, the Osborne family had actually gotten everyone in the family to help. She wondered how Mrs. Osborne had managed to swallow the humiliation and make this call. She said indifferently, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Osborne. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I know what you are thinking, but I have to make this call.¡± Mrs. Osborne spoke frankly. ¡°I will not divorce Tyson. Nothing can make me divorce him. If you don¡¯t want people to call your son and daughter illegitimate children, you¡¯d better send them to our family in Central City as soon as possible. I can assure you that whatever my son has, your twins will get the same. I will never favor one over the other.¡± Adina could not help but snicker. ¡°You still want to keep a husband like that, as if he¡¯s your treasure. Don¡¯t you find him disgusting?¡± ; ¡°What happened that night five years ago was an ident. Someone got him drunk It¡¯s normal that he couldn¡¯t control his sexual impulse. You, on the contrary¡­¡± Mrs. Osborne sneered. ¡°You went out of your way to sleep with my husband. That makes you a home wrecker. Not only did you not reflect on yourself, but you secretly gave birth to my husband¡¯s children. You are just trying to use your children to make him marry you, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but you will never get what you want!¡± Adina suddenly felt a little bad for Mrs. Osborne. Her husband cheated on her and had illegitimate children outside. Yet she went out of her way to talk about her husband¡¯s mistake. However, since that mistake was made five years ago, Mrs. Osborne and she were already on opposite sides, although it was not a situation she wanted to see. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Chapter 316 ¡°Mrs. Osborne, nothing you say will change my mind. I will never let my children go back to the Osborne family. I will never give up custody of my children!¡± Adina hung up the phone after finishing her sentence coldly. As she put the phone down and slowly turned back, she immediately met a pair of dark and thoughtful eyes. ¡°Al ? Adina winced internally. Al could not have heard everything she just said to Mrs. Osborne, could he? Alden raised his cold eyes and said slowly, ¡°Mommy, who is approaching you for custody of me and my sister?¡± ¡°Al, you misheard me.¡± Adina¡¯s tongue was dry. ¡°I was just talking to an employee about a case.¡± ¡°Mommy, I was in the kitchen since the moment you answered that call,¡± Alden said slowly.¡± Mommy, I¡¯m old enough to help you share the burden of many, many things, so stop keeping All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. it from me.¡± Adina heaved a deep sigh. Regarding the children¡¯s father, she really hoped she could hide it from them for the rest of their lives. But¡­ He was the children¡¯s biological father. Alden and Melody had the blood of the Osborne family running through their veins. Was that something she could stop? One day, the Osborne family would show up in front of the children. That innate attraction deep in their blood was not something she could muddle through with just a few words. ¡°AI, when you were little, didn¡¯t you ask me who you and Mel¡¯s father was?¡± Adina chuckled bitterly. ¡°A week ago, he came to me and asked for custody of you two.¡± Alden raised his eyebrows in shock ¡°Our biological father?¡± ¡°He is the chairman and president of Osborne Corporation in Central City, Tyson Osborne.¡± Adina squalled down and pressed her hands on Alden¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Your biological father wants you and Melto im your ancestry. What do you think about it?¡± Her voice was rxed, but her gaze was austere, if Alden wanted to go back to his father, did she have a second choice other than letting go? Even so, Alden¡¯s brows were tightly knitted. Tyson Osborne, he looked into that man. He did suspect at that time that this man had something to do with Mommy. However, he did a paternity test afterward. The result showed that Duke was his and Melody¡¯s biological father. Where on earth did Tyson get the nerve to fight for custody of him and Yin Yin? Alden opened his mouth and was about to tell her everything, but then he paused. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Mel and I will stay with you forever. We are not going anywhere.¡± Adina heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I will protect you and Mel. I won¡¯t let anyone take you away from me.¡± ¡°Mommy, is Tyson difficult to deal with?¡± Alden asked slowly. ¡°How sure are you about winning the lawsuit?¡±. Adina smiled. ¡°I hired a famouswyer, Mr. Watson, to represent me. It¡¯s not a big issue. Don¡¯t worry about this. Go on now. Go y with your sister.¡± Alden nodded his head and walked out of the kitchen. He took out his phone and clicked on the news webpage. Then, he typed in the words ¡°Adina Daugherty¡±. Instantly, several headlines popped up. Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Alden¡¯s finger continued to scroll down. The more he read, the colder his expression became. So, something big happened a few days ago. He could not believe he missed such an important thing. It¡¯s a good thing that Mommy hired Brenden as their defensewyer, otherwise, he and his sister¡¯s custody might really be taken away by Tyson. However¡­ Didn¡¯t Tyson do a paternity test before he filed thewsuit? He and his sister were not the Osborne family¡¯s offsprings. However, the Osborne family did not know that, and neither did Mommy. Alden turned around and looked at Adina, who was cooking. Mommy¡¯s brows were knitted so firmly that there were three vertical lines between her brows. Mommy must not be able to get a good sleep because of this. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The Osborne family came on strong, and Mommy did not know the truth. She would pay a great price, in order to protect him and his sister. Alden clenched his fingers. His thin lips were tightly pursed. A meal was quickly prepared. Adina brought three dishes and a soup to the table. Melody put on the bib on her own and sat at the dining table. Her eyes shone brightly as she stared at the delicate and mouth-watering dishes. Adina put vegetables and carrots into her bowl. ¡°Stop eating only meat all the time. Look how chubby your little face has be.¡± Recently, the little girl had gained at least 2.5 kilograms. Her chubby little cheeks were like buns. Alden put a piece of roast pork into Melody¡¯s bowl. ¡°Mel looks prettier fat. She won¡¯t be blown away when there is strong wind.¡± Adina smiled tenderly, Melody was not even one and a half years old when she had learned to walk. She weighed only ten kilograms. She did fall to the ground once being blown by strong wind. She did not expect that Alden would remember events that happened when he was barely over a year old to such rity, After dinner, it was Melody¡¯s piano practice time, Adina washed the dishes while listening to the piano ying in the living room. Alden walked into the kitchen with a piece of photocopied paper in his hand. He said in a low voice, ¡°Mommy, I have something to tell you.¡± As soon as she heard her son speak in a tone like that, Adina knew immediately that Alden must have something important to tell her. She dried the water on her hands. She looked up and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go sit in the living room and talk about it.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better to keep this from Mel for now.¡± Alden took a few steps forward and handed over the photocopied paper in his hand. ¡°You will know after reading this, Mommy.¡± Adina frowned perplexedly. She took over the thin sheet of paper. When she saw the ck bolded headline, her gaze was instantly fixed on it. Paternity test report. Why would Alden have this? She took a deep breath and continued to read. Name: Duke Winters, Alden Daugherty. Adina¡¯s eyes opened wide! She moved her gaze directly to thest column. It was determined that the probability of paternity was above 99.99%. ¡°Al, this¡­ This¡­¡± Adina¡¯s lips quivered. She nced through the entire paternity report again. She still could not believe it. Alden and Duke¡­ How could it be possible? It was unbelievable. ¡°Mommy, this is the DNA test report I got from the paternity testing center. The samples used were my hair and Duke¡¯s hair,¡± Duke said slowly. ¡°Which means Duke is mine and Mel¡¯s biological father.¡± Adina trembled, She held onto the table and stood up straight. She opened her mouth with difficulty and said, ¡± This can¡¯t be possible.¡± Alden and Melody¡¯s father was ¡®Tyson. How did it be Duke now? Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Chapter 318 ¡°Tyson is not our father. You don¡¯t need to fight thewsuit with the Osborne family, Mommy.¡± Alden lowered his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Mommy. I should have told you sooner.¡± ¡°You knew all along?¡± Adina¡¯s throat was dry. She forced out a few words with difficulty. Alden nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve suspected it a long, long time ago. I just hadn¡¯t done the paternity test.¡± Adina recalled that Melody had called Duke ¡°Daddy¡± twice. Her heart trembled a little. ¡°Does Mel also know Duke is your father?¡± ¡°Mel doesn¡¯t know.¡± Alden pursed her lips and said, ¡°But she likes Duke. She has always wanted Duke to be our father, but I don¡¯t think Duke would¡¯ve guessed that we are the children of the Winters family.¡± Adina closed her eyes. Her head was in turmoil as all sorts of thoughts surfaced in her mind. Tyson was not her children¡¯s father, so that meant she did not have to fight thewsuit anymore. However, if Duke found out about Alden and Melody, would he also do everything he could to fight her for the custody of her children? If Duke wanted to file awsuit, there was no way Brenden would help her. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Adina pressed her forehead and said in a low voice, ¡°Alden, go out and stay with your sister. I need some time alone.¡± Alden walked out obediently. Adina kept her head down and did the dishes. She did them very slowly. While doing the dishes, her chaotic mind was gradually relieved. She thought of that night five years ago. She had been drugged and delirious. She could not remember what the man looked like. She only remembered the strong smell of hormones, That day on the cruise ship, after drinking the beverage spiked by Trent, she smelled the same sonell on Duke¡¯s body It was just that she met Tyson that day, and he described that night five years ago urately. She was convinced that Tyson was the man who spent that night with her. The truth was that it was Duke The man who ruined her Was Duke! Adina could not stop her emotions from churning up again. She took a deep breath and put the tes into the sterilization cab one by one before she continued thinking about it. All of a sudden! George and Harold¡¯s figures came to her mind. These two children were the sons of Dew and Duke. ording to Madam Daugherty and Duke, they were the children Dew gave birth to in secret when she got pregnant out of wedlock five years ago. She was pregnant out of wedlock five years ago! Dew was also pregnant out of wedlock five years ago! She gave birth to fraternal twins! Dew gave birth to twins! And the children¡¯s father was Duke. Could this all just be a coincidence? A bizarre thought emerged in Adina¡¯s mind. Could it be¡­? Was it possible that¡­? She tried not to think about it anymore. She was afraid that the loftier the hope, the greater the disappointment. Just then, Mr. Samuel Osborne called her again. Adina took a nce at her phone and hung up directly. A few minutester, Mr. Samuel Osborne sent her a long text message. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, those two children are the bloodline of the Osborne family. We will let them im their ancestry, no matter the price. Children require the support of their father¡¯s family to grow up healthily. You can¡¯t make selfish decisions about your children¡¯s future. If you continue to avoid us, then don¡¯t me us for taking an aggressive approach.¡±. Adina deleted the text message straight away. She was not afraid of the Osborne family at all. She had a more important matter to deal with now. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Eight o¡¯clock in the morning. After Adina dropped the children off at the preschool, she drove directly to the Winters family¡¯s house. She sat in the car. After making sure that Duke¡¯s car was not in the courtyard of the vi, she opened the door and got out. The courtyard was empty in the early morning, not even a single servant could be seen. Adina stood outside the fence and rang the doorbell. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, what brings you by? Pleasee in.¡± Mr. Brown came to open the door for her. He was very surprised to see her standing outside. The two young masters had a big fightst night. The atmosphere in the house was extremely depressing Now that Ms. Daugherty hade over, Young Master Harold would be overjoyed. Mr. Brown ordered the maid to serve tea to Adina. He said with a smile, ¡°¡®Young Master Harold is still in bed. I will wake him up and tell him toe downstairs.¡± Adina did not say anything. She sat quietly in the living room and drank the tea. ¡°What? Auntie Adina is here? Mr. Brown, you are not lying, are you?¡± A surprised voice came from upstairs. His baby voice sounded a little hoarse, as he had just gotten up. It was soft, like fluffy cotton candy. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The corners of Adina¡¯s lips slowly curled up into a tender smile. She looked up and saw Harold stand barefoot on the floor of the stairs. Then, he started running down. ¡°Slow down. Don¡¯t fall down.¡± Adina hurriedly got up and walked over. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you put on slippers? The floor is so cold.¡± Harold blinked Then, he pinched himself hard. While he grimaced in pain, he cheered with joy. ¡°Wow! This isn¡¯t a dream! Auntie Adina really came to see me! Wow! I¡¯m so happy!¡± He darted into Adina¡¯s arms, Adina¡¯s heart had never been as tender as it is at that moment. Ster hand slowly brushed over Harold¡¯s eyebrows, over his eyes, and over his lips. Why hadn¡¯t she noticed that this face resembled Melody¡¯s face a little? **Auntie Adina.¡± Harold raised his head to look at Adina. His voice was soft and sought out for her attention, Adina lookxd at him tenderly and asked slowly, ¡°Hal, could you tell me when your birthday is?? ¡°I don¡¯t remember it.¡± Harold cocked his little head. ¡°Mr. Brown said that my birthdayes when summer arrives. Auntie Adina, are you going to celebrate my birthday with me?¡± Mr. Brown walked over with a smile. ¡°Young Master Harold¡¯s birthday is May 20th, which happens to be in early summer.¡± May 20th. Adina clenched her fingers tightly. May 20th was also Alden and Melody¡¯s birthday. That night, when she was giving birth with difficulty in the warehouse, Dew was standing outside and watching indifferently. There was no way Dew had given birth to the children! Even though she had already guessed the truth, when the truth was right in front of her, she still found it surreal. Who would have thought that the children who died at birth would be Dew¡¯s tools to marry into the Winters family? ¡°Oh, Hal¡­¡± Adina held him in her arms. Her eyes suddenly reddened. Her children, the ones she thought were dead, turned out to be alive. Her children were both still alive and well this whole time. The hatred that was buried deep inside her dissipated at this moment. Dew was evil, but at least, she saved her boys. She even sent them to the Winters family, to their biological father. Her two sons were such outstanding boys, She no longer felt any resentment, She should be grateful, Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Chapter 320 She should be grateful that her sons were still alive. They were still alive. She was d that they were still alive. This had to be a blessing from God. ¡°Auntie Adina, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Adina held Harold so tightly that he felt that he could not breathe, though he did not dare to say anything. He was afraid that an embrace like this was fleeting. But the next second, he felt warm tears fall on his cheeks. He looked up and saw Adina¡¯s watery eyes. Her tears were falling down uncontrobly. He was so panicked that he did not know what to do. ¡°Auntie Adina, what¡¯s wrong? Did I do something wrong again? I¡¯m sorry, Auntie Adina. I won¡¯t be so impudent again.¡± He hurriedly withdrew from Adina¡¯s embrace. Adina felt a twinge of pain in her heart. Over the past few days, she chose not toe to the Winters family¡¯s residence and ignored Harold on purpose. This boy must have been very heartbroken. He was her son, not Dew¡¯s son! How could she punish her own precious son? She had already owed him so much! ¡°Hal, you¡¯ve done nothing wrong. Nothing wrong at all.¡± Adina pulled him over and continued to hold him in her arms. She rubbed Harold¡¯s hair with her chin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hal. It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have ignored you for so many days. Starting today, I wille here and cook for you every day. I will make you whatever you like.¡± Harold¡¯s eyes widened in a daze. ¡°Really? Auntie Adina, do you really mean that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Auntie Adina. You should call me¡­¡± Adina did not finish her sentence. The words got stuck in her throat. ¡°What should I call you?¡± Harold tilted his head and asked. ¡°Just call me Auntie for now.¡± Adina felt a faint bitterness on the tip of her tongue. If she told him all the things that happened five years ago, she would not be able to cover up Alden and Melody¡¯s identities. Duke would definitely take away the custody of her two children. It was such a big stake. She did not dare to risk it. As long as her boys were still alive and well, as long as she could see them living happily, that was more than enough for her. ¡°Auntie Adina, are you sure you are okay?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Harold asked as he gazed at her with a slight concern. . ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Adina wiped her tears. She said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ Too happy that I don¡¯t know what I should say.¡± Harold did not understand what it meant to cry tears of joy. He raised his chubby little hands and helped Adina wipe away the tears on both cheeks. Adina tenderly said, ¡°Hal, can I see your photos of you growing up?¡± Harold nodded fiercely. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go get it.¡± He jumped off the couch and stomped upstairs. A momentter, he came downstairs carrying several thick photo albums. Adina flipped through the photos of the boys¡¯ 100-day- old celebration party. The little ones were lying in their cribs with sparkling, ck eyes open. One was lying obediently like a grown-up. He had the facial features of his father. She could tell right away that that was George. The other one was not lying still as his hands and legs were moving. His eyes were looking around. ¡°Hal, this must be you.¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°You were already so naughty when you were little.¡± She turned the album to the next page. Her fingers suddenly paused. It was a ¡°family photo¡±. Duke and Dew stood side by side. Each carried a baby in their arms. Four people in a photo. It was a standard family photo of a family of four. Adina¡¯s fingertips slightly trembled. She slowly asked, ¡°Is Dew nice to you and George?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s nice to us or not, but I don¡¯t like her,¡± Harold pouted as he said that.¡± Auntie Adina, Dew is my mother, but I like you more. And I¡¯d rather call you mommy.¡± Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Adina¡¯s cold heart gradually melted. She held Harold¡¯s chubby hand and softly said, ¡°I also like you very much.¡± Harold¡¯s eyes brightened, as if a gxy was shining brightly in his eyes. Adina could not bear the sight anymore, or she would not be able to hold herself from crying again. She flipped open the album, gently smiled, and said, ¡°Harold, tell me some interesting things from the time when you and George were even younger.¡± Harold leaned on Adina¡¯s knees and supported his chin with his arms. ¡°George is very old fashioned. He acts like an adult. Nothing interesting ever happened to us when we were even younger. Auntie Adina, my brother is boring, but he isn¡¯t a bad person to anyone. Besides, he likes Mel very much. He will never hurt you, since you¡¯re Mel¡¯s mom. Even if he has hurt you, there must be a misunderstanding.¡± Adin stroked his hair. ¡°I know George is not a bad boy.¡± Harold sat up straight and said solemnly, ¡°Auntie Adina, I apologize on behalf of my brother. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against him, and please don¡¯t ignore me because of him, okay?¡± He tentatively tugged at Adina¡¯s sleeve. Adina chuckled and said, ¡°Why would I hold a grudge against a four-year-old kid?¡± George took revenge for Dew because he thought Dew was his biological mother. Meanwhile, Dew only became the boys¡¯ biological mother because Adina, the real mother, had not fulfilled her responsibility. If she was stronger and wiser on that night from four years ago, she would not have let the boys be separated from her for so long. ¡°Auntie Adina, why did your eyes turn red again?¡± Harold felt worried as he asked. Adina shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Let¡¯s continue looking through the photos.¡± As she flipped through the photos, she seemed to have experienced the four seasons with the boys and apanied them to grow up from babies to kids. The atmosphere in the meeting room of Winters Corporation was dull and suppressive. Everyone sitting in the room lowered their heads, and they looked very skittish. Duke sat on the main seat, and he tapped the office table with his fingers. Jake stood up and softly said, ¡°Mr. Winters, everyone is here. You may start the meeting now.¡± Duke frowned. ¡°Has the entourage from LaStar Technology Corporation arrived yet?¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Winters. I¡¯m Serene Reyes, the assistant of the general manager of Lastar Technology Corporation.¡± Serene stood up, and she respectfully said, ¡°Miss Daugherty has given full authority to me to be in charge of the third review meeting of Project A-F¡­¡± Halfway through her sentence, she could feel the atmosphere in the room choking up even more. She instantly hunched her shoulders. Duke had been to LaStar Technology Corporation a few times previously, and he always chatted quite happily with Miss Daugherty, so Serene always thought that Mr. Winters was an easy-going person. But at this time, when she saw just how terrified the people in the meeting room were and saw this man¡¯s cold and darkened expression, she realized that Duke was more terrifying than the rumors. Duke pursed his lips and looked down coldly. Did the woman n to keep avoiding him? She did not even give him a chance to meet with her. He took out his phone and made a call. It was only when the dialing sound rang in his ear that Duke suddenly realized what he was doing He actually wanted to call that woman and ask why she had note. Did he¡­ lose his mind? TIT All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. But he was already calling her. It was not his style to suddenly end the phone call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Winters?¡± An indifferent voice came from the other end of the call. When he listened to the voice, he could tell that the voice was a little hoarse. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Duke indifferently said, ¡°Today is the third review meeting of Project A-F. You¡¯re the primary person-in- charge, yet you¡¯re absent from such an important meeting. Don¡¯t you owe me an exnation?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯ve passed all the documents of the third review meeting to my assistant, Serene. She has been involved in every session, so she won¡¯t let you down.¡± Her voice in the call was very indifferent and aloof. Duke could imagine the expression on her face as she spoke. He paused for a while before he indifferently said, ¡°I¡¯ve given the review a read. It¡¯s pretty good. It does not disappoint. I¡¯d like to invite you for dinner tonight. What time are you free?¡± As soon as he said that, everyone in the room was shocked. All of them looked at the stack of documents in front of Serene. The meeting had not yet even started. The documents rted to the review meeting were not even flipped through. When did Mr. Winters read them? Besides, Mr. Winters said that the information had achieved his expectation. Even so, his expression had darkened as soon as he entered the room. He was clearly in a bad mood. Did he look the least bit satisfied? But he said he wanted to treat the primary person-in-charge to dinner, so he should probably be very happy with it, right? Everyone in the room finally sighed in relief. However, right after they sighed in relief, they noticed Duke¡¯s eyes frosting up again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Winters. I have other ns tonight.¡± Adina indifferently said. Duke¡¯s gaze slowly turned cold. ¡°Will you be free tomorrow night then?¡± He had to meet her. If he did not sort some things out with her, this woman might avoid him forever. He did this because he did not want Harold to feel sad, not because of anything else¡­ ¡°I will not be free every night in the future.¡± Adina paused for a while before she resumed, ¡°I promised Harold that I¡¯ll make him dinner every night.¡± Duke was stunned. Did this woman not visit the Winters family for a few days? Had this woman not refused to cook for Harold anymore? Why did she suddenly¡­? ¡°Auntie Adina, are you talking to my dad on the phone¡­¡± Harold¡¯s childish voice vaguely came from the phone. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Duke¡¯s furrowed eyebrows gradually eased up, and his stifling aura quickly vanished. He smiled faintly. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± He hung up, and he cast a nce over. Everyone who was terrified in the room immediately lowered their heads and flipped through their documents. They pretended to not have heard anything. ¡°The meeting is adjourned.¡± Duke pushed away his chair, stood up, and coldly said. Serene froze for a while before she quickly stood up and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, the third review meeting has not started yet¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m very satisfied with it. Just execute it ording to the document.¡± Duke briskly walked outside. Serene was stunned once again. There was no problem with the report done by Miss Daugherty, but the investor just approved it without even sparing a nce. Was he not being too aloof about it? No matter what, this was also a big project that cost ten digits. But when Serene recalled that Duke kept confirming with Miss Daugherty¡¯s schedule and he wanted to treat Miss Daugherty to a meal, she knew that it would not be that simple. Duke quickly walked to the elevator. When the door of the elevator just opened, a boy in a suit walked out. ¡°Dad, where are you going?¡± Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 George knew that there would be the third review meeting of Project A-F in Winters Corporation, and he was very interested in the original technical core, so he purposely came over to spectate the meeting ¡°The meeting ended earlier,¡± Duke indifferently said, ¡°If you have any question, you can ask Adina personallyter.¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Auntie Adina refuse to go to the Winters family?¡± Because he attacked LaStar Technology Corporation, the woman refused to cook for Harold again, and she also did not want to step into the Winters family again. He could not see Adina privately, so he had toe over in the name of work. Unexpectedly, he still could not meet her. Duke indifferently replied, ¡°Adina is now in the Winters family. She is about to make dinner for Harold.¡± George was slightly surprised. ¡°Really?¡± Duke nodded. He curled his lips coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t like Adina, you cannot go back home.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. George remained silent for a while before he said softly, ¡°Auntie Adina wasplimented by a professor in Harfard University as a programming genius. I would like to seek her advice regarding a few questions.¡± In other words, he wanted to go home. Duke did not say anything else. He just walked into the elevator, while George turned around and followed him. The father and the son were alone in the elevator. Their faces looked 80% simr as they looked cold as usual like two icebergs. George did not get into his own car. He just directly sat on the passenger seat at the back of Duke¡¯s car. Duke was about to start the car, and he suddenly thought of something. Then, he took out his phone and made a call out again Adina finished looking through the album She raised her wrist and cast a nce at the time. It was actually nearly 5 p.m. Her time in the Winters family today passed so quickly. Time just passed in the blink of an eye. She nned to go and pick up the kids from the pre-school before she came back to the Winters family and cooked for Harold. At this time, her phone vibrated. ¡°Wow! Dad is calling you again, Auntie Adina!¡± Harold quickly picked up the phone from the sofa before he obediently handed it to Adina. The boy¡¯s eyes crinkled due to amusement. His dad called Auntie Adina twice today. Did it mean Dad liked Auntie Adina? If Dad married Auntie Adina, could it mean he was able to openly call Auntie Adina Mom? Harold happily smiled. He curled his lips, and his smile was sweet. Adina was affected by his smile, so her voice became much happier. ¡°What is it, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coincidentally going to do something nearby Golden Sun International Bilingual Preschool. I¡¯ll pick up the kids. You don¡¯t have to purposely go there.¡± When the man¡¯s cold and deep voice came from the other end of the call, Adina wanted to reject him by reflex because Melody did not like to interact with strangers. But¡­ Whenever Melody saw Duke, her eyes shone brightly, and Adina discreetly sighed. Perhaps this was the subtle blood ties between the father and the daughter. When they met for the first time, Melody rushed toward Duke¡¯s arms regardless of everything The natural attraction that was connected by blood was not stoppable by her. The affection could not be cut, just like Harold liked her for some reason. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters. I¡¯ll call their teacher now.¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Duke did not expect her to agree so easily. He smiled faintly. ¡°Okay/¡± From the passenger seat at the back, George asked, ¡°Dad, are we going to the preschool and pick up Mel?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll go and pick up Mel and Alden.¡± Duke turned sideways. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, you can get out of the car now.¡± George found himself speechless. Did he look like he did not want to go? ¡°I¡¯ve finished work already. I¡¯ming along,¡± George gloomily said. The car was slowly driven out. George turned sideways and looked out the windows at the scenery that passed quickly, while he felt more and more gloomy. He did not know what feeling he was experiencing. It irked him to no end. Twenty minutester, the car stopped in front of the preschool. There were still five minutes before the preschool was dismissed. After Ava hung up on a call, she walked to Alden, smiled, and said, ¡°Alden, your mom just called me. She said she has something to do tonight, so she is not free toe and pick you and Mel up.¡± Alden obediently said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mel and I can take a bus.¡± Ava chuckled and said, ¡°Alden, you really look like a little grown-up. You¡¯re brilliant and thoughtful, but your mom also doesn¡¯t feelfortable letting you and Mel take the bus home alone, so she purposely had Uncle Dukee and pick you up!¡± Alden was stunned for a while. ¡°Uncle Duke?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Uncle Duke. He seemed to havee to the preschoolst time.¡± Ava¡¯s face blushed. When Tyson pretended to be Alden and Melody¡¯s fatherst time, it was this Mr. Winters who had brought awyer and chased Tyson away. Mr. Winters¡¯ features and appearance were totally unforgettable. She wondered what the rtionship between these two kids and Mr. Winters was. ¡°Ring!¡± When the bell rang, Ava led all the children to the entrance of the preschool. As soon as they went out, all of them saw an adult and a boy standing outside the preschool. Duke wore a ck suit, and he was dressed up in ck from head to toe. The yellow glow of the setting sun shone on him, offsetting his cold aura by just a little. His sharp gaze, upright nose bridge, and gorgeous thin lips looked much gentler under the sunlight of the setting sun. George beside him was also in a ck suit. The coldness in his eyes was identical to Duke¡¯s. When the kids of the preschool looked over, all of them became shocked. ¡°Wow! That uncle looks so much like Alden!¡± ¡°Alden, is that your dad? He looks so handsome!¡± ¡°Wow! Alden, is that boy your brother? He looks identical to you!¡± The kids eximed and talked. Ava cast a nce. In hindsight, she realized that Alden and the Winters really looked alike. If people who did not know them saw them, they might have thought that they were a family. Alden pursed his lips, and he wanted to exin matters, but Melody suddenly swung his hand away before she rushed out like a stray arrow. Duke squatted down, lifted the little girl who rushed over, and carried her in his arms. The little girl who was always reserved suddenly held Duke¡¯s neck and gently kissed him on the cheek Then, she shyly lowered her head to his chest. Duke trembled, and his heart was suddenly filled with a sense of satisfaction that he never had. Alden watched this scenario from afar. It was only after he turned back and said goodbye to his teacher and ssmates that he slowly walked toward Duke. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Chapter 325 The group of four got into the car. Duke was driving at the front, while the three kids sat in the back George¡¯s cold and serious gaze was tinged with some uncharacteristic tenderness. He took out some colorful candies from his pocket. ¡°Mel, which vor do you like?¡± ¡°Mel doesn¡¯t like candies.¡± Alden indifferently stopped him. George¡¯s hand paused for a while before he stretched out his hand further. ¡°Since Mel doesn¡¯t eat, then you eat them.¡± The bunch of colorful candies were forcefully stuffed into Alden¡¯s hand by George, which left him no chance to say no. ¡°Harold likes the strawberry one. You can try,¡± George indifferently said. Alden pursed his lips and softly said, ¡°Thanks.¡± He usually did not like to eat candies, but he unwrapped a pink strawberry-vored candy and put it into his mouth now. The sweetness spread across his mouth. The strawberry-vored candy actually tasted good. When Duke saw the kids¡¯ interaction from the rearview mirror, his indifferent lips were filled with warmth. The car smoothly glided down the road. About ten minutester, it arrived at the Winters family¡¯s mansion. Alden was a little stunned. ¡°Uncle Winters, shouldn¡¯t you send us home?¡± Duke unbuckled the seatbelt before he indifferently said, ¡°Your mom is cooking dinner in the Winters family, so you naturally need to be here.¡± Alden was stunned again. He had told mom about thatst night, so should she not stay far away from the Winters family? Why did she still go and approach them? While Alden was about to unbuckle the seatbelt for Melody, he realized that George already helped Melody get out of the car. When the car door was opened, the voices clearly came from the mansion. It was Harold¡¯s happy cheers. ¡°Wow, Auntie Adina, look! How cleanly I washed the vegetables!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so amazing, Harold!¡± ¡°Auntie Adina, what else can I do for you? Can I crack the eggs? Oh, gosh! Sorry, Auntie Adina, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± The sound of a bowl being broken in the kitchen was heard. ¡°Is your hand injured?¡± Adina immediately put aside her work, squatted down, and checked his fingers. It was only after she saw he was uninjured that she felt at ease. ¡°Harold, you¡¯d better go out and y. It¡¯s dangerous here.¡± ¡°But Auntie Adina, I want to apany you¡­¡± Harold leaned in Adina¡¯s arms, and his voice was childish. When Duke came inside with the three kids, they saw this situation. Harold and Adina stared at each other, and their gazes showed strong, inseparable, mutual affection and love. Adina had been so indifferent a few days ago, but her attitude totally changed today. What was going on? Duke turned around and looked at Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown bowed slightly and respectfully said, ¡°Miss Daugherty came this morning, and she has been ying with Young Master in the living room for the whole day.¡± He could hardly believe his own words. A busy person like Miss Daugherty actually hung out with the Young Master in the Winters family for the whole day¡­ Duke pursed his lips and asked, ¡°What did they do the whole day?¡± ¡°They were just¡­ looking through the albums.¡± Mr. Brown stroked his chin. ¡°That¡¯s all, I guess¡­¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re back, Dad!¡± Harold rushed out of the kitchen. ¡°Dad, look, Auntie Adina is in our house! She said no matter what, she wille to our house and cook dinner for me. Aww, I¡¯m so happy! Oh, George, why are you also back?¡± George was speechless. Was he not unpopr? He pursed his lips. ¡°I heard that the food that Auntie Adina cooks is very delicious. I haven¡¯t tried it before.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Adina was cleaning up the broken pieces on the floor of the kitchen. When she heard George¡¯s voice, she immediately turned around and looked over. That cold and indifferent small face slowly ovepped with the small, bruised infant face from four years ago. He was her eldest son, the son who was supposedly stillborn. Adina¡¯s tears fell. ¡°Mom, what happened?¡± Alden immediately rushed into the kitchen. He quickly wiped the tears off Adina. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m okay!¡± Adina lowered her head and wiped her tears away. ¡°I rubbed my eyes with my hands after I cut the chilies¡­¡± ¡°Auntie Adina, I¡¯ll help blow your eyes.¡± Harold also walked inside. He leaned close to Adina, pouted, and gently blew. After Melody walked into the kitchen, she held Adina¡¯s arm and also blew. Adina¡¯s heart melted. She held the three kids who surrounded her with her arms, and she softly said, ¡°Mommy is fine. I¡¯m okay¡­¡± The scene in the kitchen made George feel gloomy. He also wanted to walk over and lean into Adina¡¯s arms. But how could he do that? He had attacked Adina¡¯spany, and he also set up a trap for her. He had been so hostile toward her. George stood still, and he dared not walk forward. Adina suddenly nced at him. He felt surprised. He pretended to stand calmly, but his hands on his sides slowly clenched into fists. ¡°So you are Harold¡¯s highly intelligent brother.¡± Adina shed a gentle smile. ¡°This is our first official meeting. What should I call you?¡± Her voice was as soft as the rain that pattered on his heart on an autumn day. George¡¯s tension loosened. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°You can just call me by my name.¡± Adina fell into contemtive silence. When Duke called the kids, he always called them by their names, and it sounded very indifferent. George was already an indifferent person. A four-year-old boy should possess more innocence and childishness. She chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call you Georgie, then.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Harold laughed. ¡°Auntie Adina, when you call George by that name, it sounds like he is a kid¡­¡± ¡°He is a kid. He is just a minute older than you. You¡¯re Hal, and he is Georgie.¡± Adina looked at George and softly said, ¡°Do you mind if I call you that?¡± George¡¯s eyes disyed his disbelief. He had treated her in that way, yet she could still be so gentle to him. He slowly moved his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call you Georgie!¡± Adina smiled. ¡°You kids go and y in the living room. Dinner will be ready in a minute.¡± Harold held Melody¡¯s hand and walked to the living room. ¡°Mel, I bought you some nice building blocks today again.¡± Alden and George stared each other in the eyes. They did not talk, but the tension between them melted away. Duke made his move and walked into the kitchen. As soon as he entered, Mr. Brown sensibly led the chefs to leave. He left the space to the two of them. ¡°Why are you suddenly willing toe to our house again?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Duke stood behind Adina while he slowly asked. Adina¡¯s hands paused as she cut the vegetables. She indifferently said, ¡°I was too busy in the past few days, so I didn¡¯te over. Now that my work is done, I naturally have to fulfill my promise.¡± Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Duke looked at Adina¡¯s side profile. He was very good at seeing through people¡¯s minds. He could tell that this woman was lying. But he did not know why she wanted to lie. He took out a few tickets from his suit pocket before he handed them over her. ¡°I would like to invite Mel to a piano concert. It will be on Saturday afternoon, these are the tickets. May I know if you¡¯ll have the time?¡± Adina cast a nce at the tickets. This was a joint recital by some internationally renowned pianists, and it was very difficult to get even one ticket. And this man had a stack of them? It looked like there were at least five tickets. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°If Mel says yes, I¡¯m okay with it.¡± Duke quirked his eyebrows. Why was this woman being so nice now? It was as though the woman who had coldly treated him was just his hallucination. Buzz! The phone on the cab suddenly vibrated. Adina looked over. It was a call from Brenden. She wiped her hands clean before she answered the call. ¡°Mr. Watson.¡± ¡°Miss Daugherty, thewyer advisory team of the Osborne family contacted me just now.¡± Brenden¡¯s voice was slightly solemn. ¡°Tyson had filed thewsuit alone, so his ability was after all, limited. But now, it seems that the whole Tyson family wants to put all their effort into thiswsuit. Old Mr. Osborne has put in a lot of money to hire awyer team overseas. The number of members in the team is more than fifteen people. They are very aggressive.¡± Adina¡¯s gaze was indifferent. ¡°I got it, Mr. Watson.¡± It did not matter how manywyers the Osborne family had recruited. They would be unable to take the custody away from her because the kids did not belong to the Osborne family. After Adina hung up, she was thinking about how she should open up to Brenden about this. Duke walked forward, and he said softly, ¡°What do you n to do next?¡± He had heard what Brenden had said on the phone just now. The Osborne family had hired awyer team for thewsuit. No matter how capable Brenden was, he would not be able to defeat a team of over a dozen members alone. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Adina looked down. She took a potato, and she said while she sliced it up. ¡°Mr. Winters, can! ask you a question? If Dew did not send George and Harold back to the Winters family, and you knew about their existence one day, would you do whatever it takes to take custody of the boys?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Duke answered without hesitation, ¡°Although the boys did note to the world by my consent, their bodies are filled with my blood. They are the descendants of the Winters family, so they have toe back to the family.¡± Adina¡¯s hand that held the knife paused. ¡°But your situation is different.¡± Duke stared at her seriously. ¡°Tyson has a wife and a son. If you let the kids go back to the Osborne family, Alden and Mel will be the illegitimate children of the family. It will be a mark that they will never be able to leave behind. As for the kids, you have to do whatever you can to keep custody.¡± Adina curled her lips into a sarcastic smile. In other words, if Duke found out that Alden and Melody were the kids of the Winters family, he would also do whatever he could to secure the custody of the kids. He genuinely thought that no other ce was better than the Winters family. When she thought of how Alden and Melody would be taken away from her life, she felt extremely heartbroken. She should take the kids far away from Sea City. If Duke found out about this, she would lose before she filed thewsuit. But she was reluctant to leave Sea City. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 She owed Georgie and Hal four entire years of their lives. How could she just leave like that? She desperately wanted to take custody of her sons, but she was very well aware that she did not have the ability. If she stood up against Duke, it was like throwing a straw against the wind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you thinking?¡± Duke lowered his head slightly, and he looked at her eyes that had turned slightly red. Adina put down the knife. She raised her head, and her indifferent gaze was filled with resoluteness. ¡°Mr. Winters, please be my boyfriend.¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke was so surprised that he widened his cold eyes greatly. He thought that his ears had decided to suddenly malfunction. He took a breath before he said, ¡°Say it again, Adina.¡± Adina stared at the man in the eyes before she said again, ¡°Mr. Winters, you also heard that the Osborne family ising on me aggressively. I don¡¯t want to lose custody of my kids. Mr. Watson said that if I¡¯m in a permanent and stable rtionship, it will be very helpful for thewsuit, so I would like to ask for your help in pretending to be my boyfriend.¡± She stared at Duke¡¯s ck eyes, and she slowly clenched her fists. Duke pursed his gorgeous lips and smiled faintly. ¡°Why should I help you?¡± Adina firmly said, ¡°As long as you help me, I can promise you anything.¡± ¡°Just to win thewsuit?¡± Duke stared at her. This was a somewhat aggressive question. Adina stared at him in the eyes without backing down. ¡°Yes, just to win thewsuit and to keep the custody of the kids.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to think about it,¡± Duke indifferently said, ¡°You should be very clear that I¡¯ve never had any woman. If you be my girlfriend, it¡¯ll stir up public opinion, and it won¡¯t bring the Winters family any good.¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°Mr. Winters, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m asking you to be my boyfriend just to provide the court some evidence, not to publicly announce our rtionship. Don¡¯t worry, even if you agree to be my boyfriend, our rtionship will still be the same. Nothing will change.¡± Of course, there would be changes. After she became his girlfriend, she would have more grounds to visit the Winters family and look after the boys. She wanted to make up for the four-year gap in her motherhood, and she wanted to return the lost affection to her two boys. Four years ago, she gave birth to quadruplets. Nobody knew this except for her. As long as she did not say it, nobody would ever think that her kids were actually part quadruplets with the young masters of the Winters family. Adina¡¯s mind was full ofplicated thoughts, but her movements were not sloppy at all. A whileter, dinner was ready. There were more people for dinner today. She made a total of eight dishes, which fully filled the dining table. The table was rectangr. Duke sat at the main seat, Adina sat next to the main seat, and the four kids sat at the side ordingly. In the end, George was alone by the side, and he looked lonely and pitiful. Adina got up and asked, ¡°Georgie, do you want to take my seat?¡± She took the initiative to sit at the end of the table, and she was right across George. George sat still without moving. He softly said, ¡°This is quite good. There¡¯s no need for the trouble.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Therefore, Duke was abandoned at the main seat, and there was a diagonal distance between him and Adina. He frowned, and he felt unhappy for some reason. Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 ¡°Auntie Adina, your cooking skills are getting much better now. It¡¯s so delicious. I don¡¯t even have words for it!¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Harold lowered his head and ate. He enjoyed it so much that his lips were smeared with oil, and something shone brightly in his eyes. George held the fork tightly, picked up a piece of grilled pork, and put it on his te. The color and aroma of the grilled pork looked simr to those he had eaten before. But after he put it into his mouth and gently took a bite, he finally understood why Harold, a known fussy eater, would admire Adina¡¯s cooking skills so much. It was really delicious. Other than the original taste of the food, there was something about it that drew him closer. He tasted every dish, and he seemed to have briefly understood what this intimacy was. Was it love that had been blended into the food?. George looked down slightly, lowered his head, and kept eating. One te of food usually sufficed for him, but he ate two tes tonight. Compared to Harold and Melody¡¯s appetite, his appetite did not attract any attention. When the dinner was almost finished, Duke took out the tickets for the piano concert from his pocket. He turned sideways and looked at the little girl who sat on his right side. ¡°Mel, are you free on Saturday afternoon? I want to invite you to a piano concert.¡± Something shed in her eyes. She took over the tickets and flipped through them, one at a time. Harold cooperatively counted it loudly. ¡°One, two, three, four, five, six! Wow! There are a total of six tickets. The six of us can go to the piano concert together! Wow! This is so exciting!¡± Adina indifferently asked, ¡°Alden, do you want to go?¡± Alden nodded. He was worried about Melody going to the concert hall with Duke alone, so he had to tag along ¡°George, you should also go!¡± Harold quickly convinced George. ¡°Piano concerts are the best. George, you should put aside your work ande with all of us.¡± George found himself speechless. If he did not remember it wrong, did Harold not hate the piano? Did he not find it too noisy? Whenever Dew yed the piano, it was a noisy din. But when Melody yed the piano, it was melodious music. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°I have the time on Saturday afternoon. I cane along.¡± Duke cast a nce at him. He remembered that there was a press conference for the newlyunched product of Digion Technology on Saturday afternoon, and George¡¯s attendance was necessary. He was turning down the new productunch for the concert. Did this mean his son was no longer hostile against Adina? ¡°Yeah! Awesome!¡± Harold pped and cheered. Auntie Adina, Melody, Dad, and George were going. Um¡­ Alden was also going¡­ He was so excited! ¡°Oh yeah, Auntie Adina!¡± Harold opened his eyes widely and moved closer. ¡°It will be my grandma¡¯s birthday in two days. Can I invite you, Mel, and Alden to attend my grandma¡¯s birthday party?¡± Would it not be crowded if the Winters family held a party? Adina did not want to expose the kids to the public, so she hesitated. As though Duke knew what she was thinking about, he indifferently said, ¡°This is a private party. Mr. Brown will be around, so you don¡¯t have to worry that anyone would expose the kids.¡± Adina remembered that the identities of the young masters of the Winters family were also being kept confidential from the outsiders. The outsiders did not know that Duke had two sons. The secrets of the Winters family were very well-guarded, so she did not need to worry about that. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll bring Alden and Mel over to celebrate Mrs. Winters¡¯ birthday.¡± Adina nodded to agree, and Harold was so happy that he kept dancing. Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Chapter 330 After dinner, it was already 8 p.m., so Adina took her kids home. Duke also walked out. ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Adina looked at him and curtly said. ¡°I hope you can consider my suggestion, Mr. Winters.¡± After she said that, she led the kids into the car. Duke stood outside the mansion. It was only after the car disappeared from the road that he slowly looked away. Should he be her boyfriend? But he just needed to pretend to be her boyfriend. If the word ¡°pretend¡± did not exist, perhaps he would have immediately agreed. ¡°Dad!¡± Harold dragged the hem of his suit. ¡°Dad, are you reluctant to let Auntie Adina leave?¡± Duke turned around and looked at his son. He pursed his lips, and he seemed to look contemptuous. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they do on TV! When you are reluctant to let someone go, you will watch them leave.¡± Harold winked. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be so down. Auntie Adina wille again tomorrow. She said she wille and apany me every night. Yoohoo!¡± The boy chuckled in a silly manner. As though he suddenly thought of something, his expression suddenly became serious. ¡°Dad, can you not invite that woman to grandma¡¯s birthday party?¡± Duke was still thinking about Adina, so he instantly did not wrap it around his head. ¡°Which woman?¡± ¡°That witch, Dew Daugherty!¡± Harold bit his bottom lip, and he said gloomily, ¡°Auntie Adina doesn¡¯t like that witch. If you invite that bad witch, Auntie Adina will not attend the party!¡± George slowly walked over. Harold turned around and looked at him. ¡°George, I know what you want to say. Even if Dew is my mother, I also don¡¯t like her!¡± But George calmly said, ¡°Dad, I also think we shouldn¡¯t invite mom. If shees, she will definitely start a scene with Auntie Adina. To avoid unnecessary trouble, we¡¯d better not send the invitation card to her.¡± ¡°I also have the same thought.¡± Duke nodded. Speaking of Dew, he suddenly remembered that he had let Trent investigate the incident five years ago. He quickly walked upstairs and made a call to Trent. As soon as the call was answered, he heard some obscene sounds from the other end of the call. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Trent, what are you doing?¡± Duke frowned, and his voice was filled with ice. ¡°What else can I do? I¡¯m doing what a proper man does with a woman. If you have something to say, make it fast. I¡¯m busy now!¡± Trent said casually, ¡°Oh yeah, Duke, you¡¯ve been single for so many years, so I guess you must have forgotten what this feels like. I¡¯ll send you an address. Quicklye over. Many women with big boobs and long legs are here today¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Duke coldly interrupted him. Trent caught himself. ¡°Okay, just say whatever you want to say now.¡± ¡°About the incident that I asked you to investigate, what have you learned?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Duke pursed his lips. ¡°Grand Emperor Hotel, five years ago.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about that. I asked my people to get the surveince video, and they seemed to have sent it to me. I haven¡¯t had the time to check my email yet,¡± Trent absentmindedly said, ¡°When I¡¯m done here, I¡¯ll send the video to you. Just wait for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you one minute.¡± Duke directly hung up on him. Trent swore incessantly as he clicked open his mailbox and forwarded the surveince video that his assistant had sent him. Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Ding! Duke received a text message on his phone. The system notified him that someone had sent him an email. He switched on hisputer and downloaded the attachment. Soon, a surveince video was added to his hard drive. It was part of the surveince of the corridor on Grand Emperor Hotel¡¯s eighteenth floor from five years ago. Thepressed video had ten minutes of footage. The lighting in the corridor was very dim, and service assistants would walk back and forth from time to time. At 1.00 am, two women appeared in the corridor. Although the image was blurry, Duke recognized them as Adina and Dew. Adina was clearly drunk. Dew supported her while they walked into the corridor, and they soon stopped in front of a room. The room door opened, and Dew supported Adina inside. The video abruptly stopped at this point. Duke narrowed his eyes before he gave Trent another call. Trent¡¯s voice was filled withziness. ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°The surveince stops at 2.00 am. What about the footage after that?¡± ¡°Oh, I remember. My assistant said that the hard disk¡¯s capacity was limited, so they only kept the surveince videos for the first half of the night. The remaining footage has been automatically formatted.¡± Duke¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Is it possible to get it back?¡± ¡°The new surveince video directly upies the memory of the previous video. Even a top hacker won¡¯t be able to recover it.¡± Trent yawned. ¡°Duke, why do you want to look at surveince from five years ago? Don¡¯t you know who you slept with? If you really don¡¯t know, you can reminisce with a few more women. I guarantee you¡¯ll be able to recall it immediately.¡± Duke hung up. He leaned on the chair as he stared at the scene on hisputer screen. The scene was paused. Adina and Dew were standing outside a room, and the room number could not be clearly seen. He had already forgotten what happened that night five years ago, but his instincts told him that something seemed off¡­ Was Dew truly the one that night? This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Dew had done a maternity test with the boys, so that meant Dew was really their mother. He had only slept with one woman in his entire life, and he had done it that night in a daze. Aside from Dew, who else could it be? He should not have been hallucinating. Duke closed his eyes and suppressed the various guesses he had. On Saturday, the sky was bright, and the wind inte autumn was filled with warmth. Adina drove the kids to the biggest concert hall in Sea City. As soon as she took the kids out of the car, a ck car approached them. Before the car was parked, Harold jumped out of the car. ¡°Aunt Adina, you¡¯re stunning today!¡± He rushed into Adina¡¯s arms and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he pulled out a figurine from his coat.¡±Mel, I personally carved this figurine to look like you. What do you think? Is it pretty?¡± ¡°So you were secretly carving this at night. It¡¯s ugly.¡± George walked over and said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not ugly!¡± Harold said defiantly. ¡°The nose, lips, and eyes look identical to Mel¡¯s. If you say my carving is ugly, that means you¡¯re saying Mel is ugly!¡± ¡°My sister isn¡¯t that ugly,¡± Alden said indifferently. ¡°I might believe you if you say you carved yourself.¡± Harold felt hurt and pouted. ¡°Mel, do you think this looks like you or me?¡± The little girl blinked before she stretched out her chubby finger and poked Harold¡¯s shoulder. Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 ¡°What?! Is it really ugly?¡± Harold held the figurine and kept looking at it. He had stayed up all night, carving this figurine for over ten hours. It was so adorable. Why did everyone dislike it? Right then, a soft chubby hand extended over and grabbed the figurine. Melody blinked and smiled faintly. Then, she put the figurine into the little bag that she carried. Harold was finally happy. ¡°See, Mel likes the present that I gave her!¡± Adina chuckled. She found the scene of the four children standing together visually attractive and harmonious. It was as if everything else in her life was no longer important. As long as the children couldugh with joy, her life wasplete. While she looked at the children and smiled, someone else also stared at her. Duke¡¯s sharp gaze was filled with a gentleness that he did not notice. He suddenly wanted time to freeze at that moment. Adina felt a burning gaze on her. When she raised her head, her gaze met the man¡¯s ck eyes. His eyes were so dark and profound. They were charming like deep ancient wells, which gave her the desire to look into them. She wanted to know what emotions were at the bottom of that gaze. The two of them stared at each other for a long time and did not look away. ¡°Shush!¡± Harold pressed his finger to his lips and pulled Melody, as well as George, a few steps back. He lowered his voice and excitedly said, ¡°This should be what the book means by ¡®casting sheep¡¯s eyes at someone.¡¯ We mustn¡¯t interrupt Dad and Aunt Adina from falling in love.¡± Coll George was speechless. He silently took a step back. Right then, his dad and Aunt Adina were not gazing at each other like a couple would. Alden stood next to Adina. He pursed his thin lips tightly, and his gaze became intense. Did his mom want to be with Duke after she discovered that Duke was his and Melody¡¯s biological father? All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. If that was the case, he should not have told his mom about it. Alden looked down and contemted deeply, subconsciously clenching his fists. ¡°Mel, do you want your mom and my dad to get married?¡± Harold leaned close to Melody¡¯s ear and persuaded her. ¡°If your mom marries my dad, you can openly call my dad ¡®Daddy.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t you be happy?¡± There was a bright glint in the girl¡¯s big watery eyes. Harold continued. ¡°Mel, do you know what happens next after this dramatic scene?¡± Melody shook her head. She rarely watched TV, and it was even more impossible for her to watch soap operas. Harold blinked. ¡°At this time, the onlooking crowd will shout, ¡®Kiss!¡¯ Your mom and my dad will kiss, and they¡¯ll be together. They can get married! When that happens, we¡¯ll have a dad and a mom!¡± Melody¡¯s eyes were even brighter like light pieces were shining in her eyes. She turned around, moved her lips, and suddenly said, ¡°Kiss!¡± Harold was stunned. He had just said it without thinking. Why did Melody suddenly¡­ Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Adina instantly turned around. She looked at Melody in disbelief, and her voice trembled slightly. ¡°Mel, what did you just say?¡± She had only heard Melody saying ¡°Daddy¡± twice. Other than those urrences, Melody had never made a sound again. Adina had consulted a psychiatrist before, and the psychiatrist said that it was important to take things slowly and not rush. She had always acted as if she did not care about it, but nobody wished to hear Melody speak more than her. She finally heard another word besides ¡°Daddy.¡± Adina squatted down, put both hands on Melody¡¯s shoulders, and slowly said, ¡°What did you just say? Please say it again.¡± The girl tilted her head and blinked, but she did not speak again. ¡°Aunt Adina, Mel asked you and my dad to kiss!¡± Harold came over and said excitedly ¡°Mel finally spoke again. Aunt Adina, hurry up and kiss my dad. Hurry!¡± ¡°Harold!¡± Alden frowned before he moved forward and pulled Harold away. Harold was slightly afraid of Alden¡¯s cold and intense gaze. He pouted and hid behind George. Adina did not hear what Harold had said because all her attention was on Melody. The girl tilted her head. She moved her pink lips and finally pronounced two short sybles.¡± Mommy¡­¡± When Adina heard the word clearly, her eyes turned red. It had been more than four years and a thousand days. She finally heard her daughter call her¡° Mommy.¡± The psychiatrist had told her that she might only be able to hear Melody call her ¡°Mommy¡± once Melody was older, but it happened a dozen years earlier. She should be happy. She should not cry. ¡°Mel, you¡¯re my good girl.¡± Adina hugged her daughter, and her tears kept falling. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Melody called her again. She raised her hand and wiped her tears for her. Then, she hesitantly asked, ¡°Why won¡¯t you kiss Daddy?¡± Adina was speechless. The daughter whom she had given birth to after an eight-month pregnancy called her¡° Mommy¡± for the first time to get her to kiss a man? Alden was at a loss for words too. Melody could say such a long sentence, after all. Why had she not spoken to him yet? Harold pped and eximed, ¡°Kiss! Kiss!¡± ¡°Okay, the concert¡¯s going to start,¡± Duke said indifferently. ¡°Harold, if you continue to make so much noise, I¡¯ll get Mr. Brown to bring you home.¡± Harold became speechless. He was not noisy. He was helping his dad to pursue Aunt Adina! Nevertheless, he was still afraid of his father¡¯s stern gaze, and he obediently kept his mouth shut. Adina wiped away her tears before she bent down and carried Melody. The group of six then walked toward the concert hall. As soon as they showed up in the hall, they attracted the attention of countless people. ¡°Wow! They¡¯re quadruplets. The family¡¯s genes are strong.¡± ¡°The boys look like their father, and the girl looks like her mother. This family of six looks so happy.¡± ¡°The man is really good-looking, but his kids are already quite grown. This handsome man got married early!¡± ¡°If I were ten years younger, I could have be this handsome man¡¯s wife. Haha!¡± ¡°You¡¯re robbing the cradle. How shameless can you be?¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Adina heard the discussion among the crowd, but she walked inside indifferently and did not mind it. But Duke slowly broke into a happy smile. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. He had booked VIP seats, which were in the front row, so the group of six walked ahead. Harold instantly forgot Duke¡¯s warning and started to talk noisily again. ¡°Mel, can we sit on this side?¡± Melody jumped down from Adina¡¯s arms and sat at the side with Harold. ¡°George, you sit on my left. Alden, you sit on Mel¡¯s right.¡± Harold arranged the seats clearly. In the end, the remaining two seats on the other side belonged to Adina and Duke. Adina sat next to George, and she could hear Harold speaking from time to time. ¡°Mel, the concert¡¯s going to start. Are you happy? ¡°Mel, I¡¯ve never been to a concert before. If I don¡¯t get itter, don¡¯tugh at me. ¡°Mel, can I hold your hand? Wow, your hand¡¯s so soft.¡± ¡°Harold Winters, can you be quiet?¡± George spoke and sounded annoyed. Harold pulled a face. ¡°Mel likes to listen to me. Bite me! Mel, isn¡¯t that true?¡± ¡°Um!¡± The girl gave a hard nod and even cooperatively uttered a short syble. Harold became more prideful. ¡°See, George! Mel lets me speak!¡± Watching the children¡¯s interaction, Adina smiled gently. Perhaps being apanied by her biological brothers helped Melody to start epting this world and gradually learn how to speak. Harold¡¯s cheerful, carefree, and casual personality in particr was aplete contrast to Melody¡¯s quietness. No wonder Melody was willing to sit next to Harold. They were biological siblings, and the same blood flowed in their bodies, so they were drawn together by that power. The piano concert started, and the lights above the audience¡¯s seats dimmed. Harold finally stopped talking as well. The first piece was a magnificent ode. Two famous pianists yed a duet, and every note was full of praise and love for the great nature. Its melody flowed with enthusiasm. Adina enjoyed piano concerts, but she never had a chance to attend any all these years. She had to work and take care of the kids, so her time was fully upied. She was immersed in the piano piece, and there was light in her eyes. Duke turned to the side When he looked at her eyes that sparkled in the dark, something seemed to hit his heart. It was an emotion that he had never felt in the past. He felt like a traveler who had suddenly seen a clear stream after months of walking in the desert. The feeling was indescribable. Duke slowly leaned down and subconsciously moved closer to Adina. Thud! The sound of a heavy object falling on the floor instantly snapped him out of his daze. He immediately sat up straight and acted calm and indifferent. Adina lowered her head and looked over. Her water bottle had dropped to the floor. She quickly bent down to pick up the bottle. However, the light above the seat had been turned off, and the current lighting was very dim. It was totally dark under the chair, so she could only feel around the floor. Duke looked to the side and noticed that she was bending down to look for her bottle. While the light was dim, he could still see her exquisite features and silhouette. Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Duke stared at Adina¡¯s exquisite face and could not help but gulp. ¡°Mr. Winters, please move your leg a little. My water bottle is under your leg.¡± Adina bent down and patted his leg under the chair. Duke suddenly tensed up. This woman had just touched the hem of his pants, but he felt it in his heart for some reason. He recalled her red face and curvy figure on the cruise that day¡­ and the faint scent of her body. He subconsciously leaned forward and breathed in when he faced the back of her neck. It was the same scent that belonged to that woman from five years ago. How was it possible that she was not the one who had slept with him that night? ¡°Mr. Winters, please move aside¡­¡± Adina reminded him. Duke snapped out of his daze again and immediately realized what he had just done. Was this not something that Trent loved to do? Was he possessed by Trent¡¯s spirit? He nced at the children next to them. They were listening to the piano music intently, so they did not notice the movement on this side. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll help you pick it up.¡± He bent down and searched around his left side, but he touched a soft hand. Before he realized it, the hand shrunk back like it had been electrocuted. Adina immediately pulled her hand away. She raised her head slightly and looked Duke in the eyes. The two of them were bending over the back of their chairs while leaning down. In such a cramped space, it looked like something was going on between them from the way they gazed at each other. Adina¡¯s heart suddenly pounded so fast that it was out of control. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, but she suddenly smelled a familiar scent. It smelled like the man from that night five years ago! It was that man! It was Duke! Adina¡¯sshes suddenly trembled. The dim light brought her five years into the past. The man had rushed toward her like a starving wolf and recklessly torn off her clothes. In the end, she was thrown on the hotel bed like a broken toy. ¡°Your water bottle.¡± Duke picked up the water bottle and handed it to Adina. He stared at Adina¡¯s tremblingshes and frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Adina stuffed her water bottle back into her bag, and her voice was extremely low. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Duke continued to stare at her. He clearly saw panic and fear in her eyes. She looked the same as she did that night on the cruise. Did he frighten her that much? If that was the case, why did she ask him to be her boyfriend? By then, the piano concert had reached its climax. A dozen pianists yed a famous symphony, and the piece was exciting as well as inspiring. Adina¡¯s emotions slowly dissipated, and she waspletely immersed in the music. Just then, she heard the man¡¯s cold and deep voice Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 ¡°I¡¯ve thought about your suggestion.¡± Duke was very close to her. When he spoke, she could feel the warmth of his breath. She moved to the side ufortably before she turned and slowly asked, ¡°What¡¯s your decision, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°I can be your boyfriend, but¡­¡± Duke firmly said, ¡°¡­I¡¯m not good at acting. Unless, you agree to let me be your real boyfriend.¡± What? Real boyfriend? Adina was stunned. She looked up at him. ¡°Mr. Winters, you don¡¯t have to act or do anything. You just need to be my nominal boyfriend to convince the judge.¡± ¡°Do you think the judge can be easily fooled?¡± Duke smiled faintly and looked at her. ¡°You need me to be your boyfriend in order to win custody, and I also need you to be my girlfriend to keep my mother off my back. Since both of us have a need, why don¡¯t we try to be a real couple?¡± Adina found herself speechless. There were so many women around this man. Did he really need her to keep Mrs. Winters off his back? Besides, pretending to be his girlfriend could also put Mrs. Winters off. Why did they have to be a real couple? ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if you refuse, you don¡¯t have to bring this up again.¡± Duke turned back and watched the performance on the stage seriously. However, Adina could not focus on watching the performance because of what he said. She turned to him and looked at the man¡¯s side profile. The dim light blurred his sharp silhouette, making him appear gentler. ¡°Mr. Winters.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. When she spoke, Duke faced her and quietly waited for her to speak. Adina pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it, but we have to make an agreement¡ª¡± Halfway through her sentence, Duke said, ¡°No agreement is needed. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything to you that oversteps the boundary unless we¡¯re forced to act intimately in front of my mother.¡± When Adina saw his righteous behavior, she believed him. She nodded. ¡°Okay, from now on, we¡¯re in a rtionship.¡± It was sufficient as long as she had a reason to visit the Winters family vi. Regarding their rtionship, she could break up anytime she wanted, so she did not have to be mentally burdened. Adina quickly convinced herself before she continued watching the performance. Duke smiled faintly. His curled lips showed the happiness in his heart at that moment. Two hourster, the piano concert finally ended. The group of six then walked out of the concert hall. ¡°Wow, the concert was really nice!¡± Harold held Melody¡¯s hand and kept talking. ¡°Mel, you have to bring me along whenever you attend another concert. I think I have the potential to be a musician too.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to read a music sheet. Are you sure you can be a musician?¡± George said sarcastically. ¡°Blergh! It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Harold pulled a face at George. ¡°Mel will teach me how to y the piano. Then you¡¯ll be jealous!¡± George pursed his lips. He was truly jealous when he saw the unreliable Harold being so close to Melody. However, with how his personality was, he could not shamelessly approach Melody. Therefore, he could only hold back his anger. Adina smiled faintly. Just as she was about to speak, someone held her hand. The man¡¯s rough and warm palm instantly shocked her. She wanted to move out of his grip by reflex. Unfortunately, Duke¡¯s grip was so strong that she still could not move away sessfully after two attempts. She turned around and red at Duke with her indifferent and cold eyes. She stared at him and said in a low voice, ¡°Let go of me, now.¡± Duke interlocked his fingers with hers and nonchntly said, ¡°This is the duty of a girlfriend.¡± Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Duke held Adina¡¯s hand tightly, and she was unable to move away. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You said that we just needed to act like a couple in front of your mother. You¡¯re going against the agreement!¡± Duke¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Harold and Mel want us to be together. Do you want to disappoint them?¡± Adina turned around and looked over. She saw Harold and Melody standing together and talking. The children¡¯s eyes were as bright as the lights in the night sky. Her heart melted for some reason. Her initial intention of letting Duke be her boyfriend was also for the children¡¯s sake. ¡°Uncle Duke, what are you doing?¡± Alden walked over, and his face was full of anger. He pushed Duke away with great strength. ¡°Let go of my mom!¡± Duke did not want to fight a child, so he released Adina¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, is he harassing you?¡± Alden bit his bottom lip and looked mature as well as headstrong, which did not fit his age. ¡°No, Uncle Duke didn¡¯t harass me.¡± Adina stroked his head. ¡°I saw him dragging your hand by force, Mom. You couldn¡¯t move out of his grip after you struggled twice.¡± Alden sounded gloomy. He was still too young, and he could only watch when others mistreated his mother. ¡°No, that¡¯s really not what happened.¡± Adina tried to exin, ¡°I was just having fun with Uncle Duke.¡± Alden widened his ck eyes. He did not understand why this was considered fun when Duke was clearly forcing his mom to do something she did not like. Before he could ask again, Duke walked over again and put his hand on Adina¡¯s shoulder. Adina¡¯s body froze. She suddenly regretted suggesting that this man be her boyfriend. He had promised not to cross the boundary, but he never stopped touching her ever since they stepped out of the concert hall. She initially wanted to move away, but she saw Alden ring at Duke with his ck eyes, and his face was full of rage. He looked like a lion cub that was ready to attack. ¡°Alden, don¡¯t misunderstand. Actually¡­¡± Adina paused for a while before she resumed, ¡°¡­I¡¯m in a rtionship with Uncle Duke, so it¡¯s normal for us to hold hands and hug. Uncle Duke didn¡¯t harass me, so don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± Alden¡¯s anger turned into shock. ¡°Mom, what did you say? You¡¯re in a rtionship with him? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because¡­¡± Adina tried to exin, ¡°¡­we like each other, so we¡¯re trying to be a couple. Alden, I hope you can understand me¡­¡± ¡°Wow! Aunt Adina, is that true? Are you really in a rtionship with my dad?¡± Harold jumped really high. ¡°Does this mean I can call you ¡®Mom?¡¯¡± Melody tilted her head and asked, ¡°Can I call Uncle Duke ¡® Daddy?¡¯¡± She rarely spoke, so her voice was hoarse. But her words were clear. Her soft voice was clean, and it was filled with suppressed excitement. Adina wanted to nod because she was Harold¡¯s mother¡­ Because Duke was Melody¡¯s father. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But she dared not nod. She slowly turned to the side and looked at Duke. The man¡¯s usually cold side profile appeared gentle, and he slowly said, ¡°Mel, didn¡¯t you call me Daddy in the past? If your mommy doesn¡¯t disagree, you can always call me that.¡± Melody¡¯s eyes lit up. She looked at Adina, and her gaze was filled with expectation. Adina struggled before she nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± Melody happily rushed into Duke¡¯s arms, and she was so delighted that she danced. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 ¡°What about me? What about me? Can I call Aunt Adina ¡® Mommy?¡¯¡± Harold raised his head and asked. Duke carried the girl as he nonchntly said, ¡°As long as Aunt Adina¡¯s fine with it, you can call her whatever you want.¡± Harold widened his eyes and looked at Adina, while he excitedly but carefully asked, ¡°Aunt Adina, can I?¡± Adina felt dejected, but she suppressed the feeling as she smiled faintly and said, ¡°Of course, you can.¡± ¡°Yeah! I have a mommy too! I¡¯m so happy. I have a mommy! Mommy! Mommy!¡± Harold circled Adina and shouted as he ran around her. Adina looked at him gently. When she looked up, she saw the two other children, George and Alden, standing one step away from her. Alden had aplex mind, so he might not ept her rtionship with Duke that easily. She would slowly exin it to Alden once they went home. As for George¡­ ¡°Georgie,e here.¡± Adina waved at him. George felt conflicted as he walked over. He had changed his mind toward Adina slightly, but he still found it hard to believe that this woman was his father¡¯s girlfriend. Now that she had be his father¡¯s girlfriend, she would be his fiance very soon. Then, she would be his and Harold¡¯s stepmother. Once this woman married into the Winters family and achieved her purpose, would she still treat Harold as nicely as she did now? Even their biological mother did not love them, but this woman who held a grudge against their mother would? ¡°Georgie, you don¡¯t look good when you frown.¡± Adina raised her hand and smoothed out his frown. Her voice was clear and gentle. ¡°You and Dew are different individuals. I hope that you can put Dew aside and get to know me from scratch again. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± George pursed his lips and nodded gently. Since Dad and Harold liked this woman so much, he would get to know her. While they spoke, Duke carried Melody and walked up to Alden. The 1.86-meter-tall man squatted down, but he was still taller than Alden. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking about, but don¡¯t worry. No matter what, I won¡¯t hurt your mom, ¡± he said calmly. Alden stared at him and clenched his fists. ¡°I hope you can keep your promise.¡± Otherwise, he did not know what scary things he would do. A ck extended luxury car parked at the entrance of the concert hall. After the group of six got into the car, the driver started the engine and slowly drove toward the Winters family vi. Once they arrived at the vi, Harold held Melody¡¯s hand, and they went to y the piano. Alden took a book, sat beside Melody, and read, while George went upstairs to work. Adina entered the kitchen, and Duke followed her. After Mr. Brown lectured them, the kitchen staff knew that they could not be third wheels, so all of them left in an instant. Adina took a tomato and slowly washed it. She spoke without turning around, ¡°Mr. Winters, I think¡ª ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think Mel¡¯s very happy?¡± Duke interrupted her and leisurely said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Mel speak so much, and I¡¯ve also never seen Mel look so happy. As long as she can be this full of joy, I¡¯m willing to do anything¡­¡± Adina remained silent. This man knew where her soft spot was, so he had her under his control, and that convinced her to keep going along. Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Adina lowered her head, and her exquisite chin entuated her perfect jawline under the light. She was wearing a white shirt, and her cor was unbuttoned. It revealed the vicr line of her corbone and her fair skin, which was undting slightly. Duke struggled to look away. Over the past twenty years, his mind had always been clean. Even if a naked woman stood in front of him, he would not be bothered to look at her. But the ridiculous thought of taking Adina¡¯s clothes off invaded his mind at that moment. He thought he was a righteous man, but right then, he finally realized that he was no different from a yboy like Trent. He had just never met a woman whom he was interested in previously. ¡°I¡¯ll help you put on the apron.¡± Duke took out an apron from the cab and helped Adina to put it on. Duke¡¯s musky scent was faintly discernible, and it surrounded Adina like an invisible. When she first smelled him, she was terrified. But after she got used to it, she actually felt alright. Adina cut the vegetables while she said, ¡°Mr. Winters, if you just want to find someone to keep Mrs. Winters off your back, there¡¯s actually a better candidate, like Dew, who happens to be George and Harold¡¯s mother.¡± When she said that, her knife tilted, and she nearly cut her finger. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Duke curled his lips. ¡°She¡¯s like Gori Tape. Once she sticks to me, I¡¯ll never be able to get rid of her, but you¡¯re different.¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°Dew¡¯s the mother of your children. Aren¡¯t you going too far by describing her like that?¡± ¡°She should feel lucky to be George and Harold¡¯s mother, or else¡­¡± Duke¡¯s eyes were filled with terrifying coldness. He did not finish his sentence, but Adina could already guess what he wanted to say. She looked down and said, ¡°You hate Dew so much¡­ Is it because she gave birth to two sons without your consent?¡± ¡°You can say so.¡± Duke¡¯s lips were filled with ruthlessness. Dew had given birth to the boys behind him. The next day after the boys were born, she carried the babies to the Winters family. She even suggested that they do a paternity test. She was just using the boys to marry into the Winters family. If he really married Dew, he would fall into her trap. Adina immediately held the knife tightly. She was actually the person who had secretly given birth to the boys of the Winters family four years ago. If Duke knew the truth, he might not go easy on her. 1 She had to keep this secret to herself. ¡°Mr. Winters, please help me wash some potatoes.¡± Adina changed the subject indifferently. Duke looked to the side and stared at her. ¡°I¡¯m your boyfriend. Isn¡¯t it too formal for you to call me ¡®Mr. Winters? Adina did not look up. ¡°Duke, help me wash some potatoes.¡± Her calling him ¡°Duke¡± instantly brightened his mood. He quickly found the potatoes, turned on the tap, and carefully washed them. Adina nced at him out of the corner of her eye, and much of her gloominess faded. If she did not think of that incident that happened five years ago, it was actually not bad being this man¡¯s girlfriend. After all, who would have thought that the noble Mr. Winters would wash potatoes for a woman in the kitchen? Duke helped to wash the vegetables, while Adina quickly turned on the stove and cooked the food. A whileter, she finished preparing a few dishes. At the dining table, Harold was the only one who kept talking noisily. George spoke to embarrass Harold from time to time, Melody smiled faintly as she listened to them, and Alden frowned. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re the boyfriend. You have to take the initiative and add some food for Mommy!¡± Harold grinned and said. Calling Adina ¡°Mommy¡± came naturally to him. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 ¡°Daddy, Mommy likes to eat potatoes/¡¯ Melody suddenly spoke. She supported her chin with both hands and looked at Duke for a while before she nced at Adina. Adina suddenly felt embarrassed when her own daughter stared at her like that. Her intention was to look after Harold and George. Why were the children watching her be ¡°in a rtionship¡±? ¡°I washed the potatoes. You can see how they taste.¡± Duke ced a piece of potato on Adina¡¯s te. Adina could only lower her head and take a bite of the potato. She felt that all the five people at the table were staring at her. She raised her head before she awkwardly smiled and said, ¡° It¡¯s delicious.¡± She was the one who cooked it, so obviously it was delicious. Did it have anything to do with this man¡¯s washing? Dinner ended in a lively manner. Adina thought about Alden¡¯s feelings, so she informed them that they were going home. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Harold pushed Duke outside. ¡°Daddy, send mommy out. Don¡¯t forget the goodbye kiss.¡± His voice was just coincidentally loud enough for Adina to hear him. She felt her head tingle, so she just held the children¡¯s hands and walked toward her car. ¡°Wait.¡± Duke¡¯s voice came from the back. Adina immediately sped up as if she was afraid that the man would catch up. ¡°Don¡¯t you want your car keys?¡± Duke quickly walked over, and his voice was filled with a teasing tone. ¡°Addy, why are you walking so quickly?¡± He called her ¡°Addy,¡± which made her heart pound very quickly. She turned around and grabbed the keys from the man and acted calmly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to send us. We¡¯ll be leaving now. See you tomorrow,¡± she said. However, Duke suddenly grabbed her arm. He raised his hand to pick a leaf out of her hair. The moment he extended his hand, Adina avoided him by reflex, and there was fear in her clear eyes. But the terrified look disappeared in an instant. She quickly appeared normal and indifferently said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she pulled open the car door, got into the driver¡¯s seat, and drove speedily out of the vi¡¯s compound. Duke pinched the leaf with a slight frown. He was just helping her to take out a leaf from her hair. Did she have to avoid him like that? Also, what was going on with the fear in her eyes? Adina parked her car outside her home. By the time she pushed open the car door and got out, Alden was already holding Melody¡¯s hand and standing outside their mansion. ¡°Mel, can you go inside and y ¡®Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!¡¯ forme?¡± Adina walked over and stroked the girl¡¯s hair. Melody nodded before she turned around and walked into the house. Soon, they heard the happy and cheerful music of the piano. Adina squatted down in front of Alden and softly asked, ¡° Alden, are you unhappy that I¡¯m with Uncle Duke?¡± Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°Mom, you know the rtionship between Uncle Duke and Dew. Why do you still want to be with him?¡± ¡°Actually, Georgie and Hal are¡­¡± Adina moved her lips and nearly blurted out the secret. She stopped talking in time and did not resume. Alden had always worried too much ever since she could remember. If she told Alden about this, he would definitely keep thinking about helping her to gain custody of his brothers. She could slowly n things out. Alden just needed to grow up happily. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Chapter 341 The piano music resounded in the courtyard. Adina held Alden¡¯s hand and softly said, ¡°Every child should have a father as they grow up. Look at Mel. She has smiled more than she ever has in thest four years now that she has a father figure¡ª¡± Halfway through her sentence, Alden interrupted her. ¡°So, you¡¯re with Duke because of Mel and me?¡± When Adina saw the way he was acting, she knew that this child must have reached a dead end again. She stroked his hair. ¡°No, I just find that Duke is really a good person. He¡¯s responsible and caring toward children.¡± Alden looked down. Duke was a man who had made two women pregnant at the same time. How responsible could he be? How could such a person be good enough to be his and Melody¡¯s father? But he had to admit that Melody had almost recovered from her autism because of Duke. ¡°Mom, I support all your decisions,¡± Alden slowly said. ¡°I¡¯ll always support you.¡± It was 9.00 pm, and people wereing and going in Sea City¡¯s airport. It was bustling. Dew was pushing a luggage cart outside. As she walked, she said, ¡°Aunt Mabel, it¡¯s been about three years since youst came back to Sea City, right?¡± Her tone was very friendly. ¡°Sea City has changed a lot over these three years. The airport has also been recently renovated. It¡¯s considered one of the top modern airports in the world. There are also new ces to rx in Sea City. After your birthday party ends, I¡¯ll bring you around.¡± Mrs. Winters nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying in Sea City for some time. I¡¯ll count on you then.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite with me. It would be an honor.¡± Dew smiled and said in a courteous manner. Confidence shed in her eyes. She had stayed in Ascrialia for three days and apanied Mrs. Winters to different asions, so Mrs. Winters was no longer indifferent and distant toward her. As long as Mrs. Winters favored her, she would have the confidence to join the Winters family. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re finally back. Master and the young masters have missed you.¡± Mr. Brown walked forward respectfully but was suddenly taken aback. ¡°Ms. Daugherty?¡± The madam had flown back from Ascrialia. Why was she with Ms. Daugherty? Dew smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Brown, we just haven¡¯t met for a few days. Don¡¯t you recognize me anymore?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mr. Brown quickly shook his head. ¡°Did you fly back from Ascrialia as well, Ms. Daugherty?¡± Mrs. Winters indifferently said, ¡°Dew went overseas to perform, and we met coincidentally. So, I asked her to travel around in Ascrialia ande back with me.¡± Mr. Brown looked down, and his gaze was filled with disbelief. Ms. Daugherty had not visited the Winters family for a few days, so he thought that she had finally learned her position. Unexpectedly, she had gone overseas to seek help. The madam had actually despised Ms. Daugherty in the past. After all, she had gotten pregnant and given birth before marriage. She even intended to marry into the Winters family using the kids. Rich families hated such behavior the most. However, once the young masters grew up, and the master refused to marry other women, the madam could only act as a matchmaker for him and Ms. Daugherty. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Later, the madam no longer returned to Sea City, and that was the end of it. Mrs. Winters and Dew then entered the car. While Mr. Brown drove at the front, his mind was all over the ce. He had heard from Young Master Harold that the master and Ms. Adina Daugherty were in a rtionship. If the madam found out, the Winters family might not be able to live in harmony¡­ ¡°Aunt Mabel, look, it¡¯s a newly built fine arts gallery. It upies nearly 10,000 square feet, and it¡¯s home to more than half of the world¡¯s art treasures. I¡¯ll take you there next time.¡± Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 In the car, Dew kept talking about the changes in Sea City over thest two years, while Mrs. Winters quietly listened to her with an elegant expression. She would ask questions from time to time, and the two of them got along well. Soon, the car stopped in front of the Winters family vi. A servant walked over and respectfully pulled open the car door. Right after Mrs. Winters put one of her legs down, a cool kid rushed over. ¡°Grandma, I miss you so much!¡± Harold rushed into Mrs. Winters¡¯ arms, and his voice was soft. Mrs. Winters¡¯ cold expression instantly became much gentler. ¡°Hal, you¡¯ve grown taller. You seem chubbier too. Are you finally satisfied with the chefs at home?¡± Harold was about to talk about the delicious food that Adina prepared when he saw another person step out from the passenger seat. His expression instantly darkened. ¡°Why are you in my house again, you evil witch? Papa Brown, chase her out. I said I don¡¯t want to see her anymore!¡± He yelled in anger, and Dew was shocked. She blinked, and her tears fell. ¡°Harold, I gave birth to you after a ten-month pregnancy. I even bled massively the day I gave birth to you. Even if I¡¯ve done anything wrong, I¡¯m your mother. How can you¡­¡± 1 She covered her face and started sobbing. ¡°Get out! Get out, right now!¡± Harold yelled. ¡°Stop acting in front of me. I feel disgusted when I see you cry¡­¡± ¡°Harold!¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ expression became cold, and she stared at him with a dignified gaze. ¡°You¡¯re the young master of the Winters family, and the noble blood of the Winters family flows in your body. How can you be so rude? This is your biological mother, and you came out of her body. If you deny her, you¡¯re denying where you came from!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to be my mother. She¡¯s the person I hate the most,¡± he said defiantly. ¡°Shut up,¡± Mrs. Winters said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide whether she is qualified to be your mother or not. Go upstairs and reflect on your actions for an hour.¡± ¡°Aunt Mabel, don¡¯t punish Hal,¡± Dew cried and said. ¡°Ever since they were born, I¡¯ve rarely taken care of them, so it¡¯s normal that he doesn¡¯t consider me as his mother. It¡¯s not his fault. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m the one to me.¡± Mrs. Winters was furious. She had not returned to Sea City over thest three years, so she had no idea how the boys were getting along with Dew. But this situation made her really angry. If her son, Duke, chased her out, she did not know what she would do. The children of the Winters family should not be so rude! ¡°Harold, apologize to your mother, and this will end here,¡± Mrs. Winters breathed in and said. ¡°Hmph!¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Harold turned around and ran upstairs. He would rather have a timeout in his room than apologize to that evil witch. ¡°Aunt Mabel, I better go back to the Daugherty family home today. They don¡¯t wee me here,¡± Dew said tearfully. ¡°Hal is still very young. Once he grows up, he may ept me more.¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ expression darkened as she asked, ¡°When did he start to treat you like this?¡± When the boys had their first birthday, Mrs. Winters hade back and attended the birthday party. At that time, they were fine. Why would they turn out like this now? Even if Dew could not be the mistress of the Winters family, her own sons should not treat her that way. Mrs. Winters did not feel sympathy toward Dew. She just did not want the children of the Winters family to have no manners! Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Dew¡¯s tears instantly flowed. She covered her lips and sobbed as she said, ¡°The kids have been growing up in the Winters family, and I rarelye over, so it makes sense that they¡¯re not close to me. Aunt Mabie, don¡¯t punish Hal anymore. The more he¡¯s punished, the more distant he is from me. I better return to the Daugherty family home. I¡¯lle back tomorrow to celebrate your birthday.¡± ¡°Stay,¡± Mrs. Winters said indifferently. She wanted to see what was going on between Harold and Dew. Dew lowered her head and shed a prideful smile. It had been four years, and she was finally able to stay overnight in the Winters family vi. It looked like she had taken the right step. Right then, the door of the study on the second floor opened. Duke heard the noise, so he walked downstairs. ¡°Mom, what happened?¡± He cast an indifferent nce at Dew. Mrs. Winters looked sideways at Duke and stoically asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Harold? Has his attitude toward his mother been this terrible?¡± Duke pursed his lips. ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to concern yourself with this.¡± He used to care about Harold acting that way toward Dew. Butter, he realized that a person like Dew only deserved to be treated with such an attitude. ¡°Yes, Aunt Mabie, you better not worry about this.¡± Dew forced a smile. ¡°When Hal grows up, he¡¯ll naturally behave himself.¡± When Mrs. Winters saw that the two of them had the same opinion, she suddenly felt that they looked like a couple. No matter what, Duke and Dew had children together. If they could get married, it would kind of be a happy ending. ¡°Duke, I¡¯m going to be sixty years old after my birthday. Shouldn¡¯t you think about yourself?¡± Mrs. Winters asked casually. Duke raised his head indifferently. ¡°What do you mean, Mom?¡± ¡°Dew has waited for you for four years, and she¡¯s even given you two sons.¡± The moment Mrs. Winters said that, Dew pursed her lips and smiled. Her hard work over thest three days was paying off. As long as Mrs. Winters was on her side, she would be the mistress of the Winters family soon. However, before Mrs. Winters could finish speaking, Duke interrupted her. ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯d also like to ask Ms. Daugherty about something.¡± Dew looked up and showed her most elegant and sensible side. ¡° Duke, you can ask me anything you want. I ¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡± ¡°Five years ago, in the Grand Emperor Hotel, how did you end up in my room?¡± Duke stared at her and firmly asked, ¡°Also, why did you disappear the next morning?¡± Dew¡¯s heart trembled. How could she know the details from five years ago? She wanted to ask how that b*tch, Adina, could sleep on Duke¡¯s bed that night too. Before Duke¡¯s sharp gaze, Dew dared not overthink it. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She was afraid that all her thoughts would be exposed. ¡°Duke, I really don¡¯t remember.¡± Dew¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°It was my sister¡¯s eighteenth birthday celebration, and I drank a lot of alcohol. I was so drunk that I couldn¡¯t stand still, so I wasn¡¯t sure which room I slept in either.¡± Duke¡¯s gaze became dark. In the surveince video, Dew seemed to be walking steadily. She did not look like she was drunk. This woman was lying. ¡°Do you still remember how I treated you that night?¡± Duke¡¯s voice was aggressive. Dew took a step back by reflex. Over the past four years, this man had never brought anything up about that night. Why was he asking about it now? Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Did he know something? Did he find out that she had deceived him? What was the consequence of deceiving the CEO of Winters Corporation? She subconsciously shuddered in fear. ¡°Duke, why are you asking her about all this?¡± Mrs. Winters could not bear the sight and coldly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going too far asking a girl about such matters?¡± ¡°I suddenly feel unwell. Can I go upstairs and rest first?¡± Dew lowered her head and asked. ¡°Mr. Brown, bring Dew to the guest room,¡± Mrs. Winters instructed. While they were on their way earlier, Mr. Brown already knew that Dew would stay overnight in the Winters family vi, so he had gotten the servants to prepare the room. When he heard the request, he took Dew¡¯s luggage and led her upstairs. After Dew entered the room, Mrs. Winters casually said, ¡°It¡¯s been a year since west met. Sit down. Let¡¯s talk for a while.¡± Duke sat down on the couch across from her. ¡°I¡¯ve been observing Dew over the past three days. Compared with four years ago, she has be much nicer now.¡± Mrs. Winters took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Although she¡¯s still not good enough for you, at the end of the day, she gave the Winters family two sons. You can try to ept her.¡± Duke¡¯s voice became extremely distant. ¡°If you want to talk about this, there¡¯s nothing to discuss.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you nning to get married?¡± Mrs. Winters frowned. ¡° There¡¯s no such tradition in the Winters family. You have to marry a woman so that she can help you look after the boys and manage the family¡­¡± Duke raised his head emotionlessly. ¡°I already have a candidate. You don¡¯t have to convince me anymore.¡± Mrs. Winters raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Have you fallen for another woman?¡± Fallen for? He guessed he had sort of fallen for Adina. At least, he had a desire for Adina, like a man had for a woman. Duke tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°Yes.¡± Mrs. Winters was stunned. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Her son had been cold ever since he was young, and he never cared about any woman. One time, the daughter of a family friend confessed to him, but his aura scared her to the point that she cried. She used to be very worried about her son not being able to marry. It was only after he had the boys that she felt slightly less worried. Unexpectedly, Duke still had no ns of getting married. George and Harold were already four, so she was getting anxious. Otherwise, she would not want to matchmake Dew and her son either. Mrs. Winters put down her tea cup. ¡°Who¡¯s thisdy you like?¡± ¡°She¡¯lle to the birthday party tomorrow. You¡¯ll find out then.¡± Duke pursed his lips. If he had to marry a woman, Adina seemed to be the best candidate. If Adina became his wife, he would not repel her at all. He kind of looked forward to it too. The Winters family rarely organized a party. Over thest few years, Mrs. Winters¡¯ birthday parties had been held overseas. People in their circle in Sea City had not visited the Winters family mansion for about four years. The birthday party tonight was a small private party. Those who attended this party were the rtives and friends of the Winters family as well as important business coborators. Once the sky turned dark, guests started to show up at the Winters family vi. Dew apanied Mrs. Winters as she changed her outfit in the powder room on the second floor. She had slept overnight in the Winters family vi, so she was in great spirits. Her eyes were lively, and she looked radiant in her pink velvet dress. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Mrs. Winters wore a dark purple dress, which made her look more noble and indisputable. ¡°Aunt Mabel, you look at least ten years young in this outfit.¡± Dew stood at the side while sheplimented Mrs. Winters. Anyone would enjoy receivingpliments, especially an aging woman. Mrs. Winters shed her a smile and nonchntly said, ¡°You look very beautiful today as well. You look like ady.¡± While the two of them spoke, someone pushed the room door open. A few rtives of the Winters family walked in together. ¡° Mabel, it¡¯s been a few years since west met. How is it that you look much younger now? I¡¯m three years younger than you, but I look ten years older than you.¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ smile became brighter. ¡°Alright, stop ttering me. The banquet hasn¡¯t even started yet. Please have a seat in the lounge for a moment.¡± The makeup artist was still doing Mrs. Winters¡¯ hair, so her rtives sat at the side and started chatting. While they chatted, the women discreetly nced at Dew. They sized her up and checked her out as if they were guessing who she was. Dew was not sure whether these rtives knew about George and Harold, so she dared not simply talk to them. She held a cup and sat properly, only responding to them from time to time. ¡°Mabel, Duke has been doing excellently all these years. After Winters Corporation was handed over to him, it experienced great development. He¡¯s be increasingly sessful, and he makes my brat look so disappointing!¡± A distant rtive sighed and said, ¡°Mabel, can you ask Duke to help arrange a position in thepany for my brat? People always say that when brothers work together, they can ovee anything. My son isn¡¯t capable, but he¡¯s very loyal. If he joins thepany, he¡¯ll solve a lot of problems for Duke! ¡± Right after thisdy spoke, someone at the side scoffed. It was anotherdy who had a closer rtionship with the Winters family. She took a sip of the tea and said, ¡°Duke and Charles aren¡¯t brothers. There are countless generations between them¡­¡± ¡°If Duke¡¯s biological brother were here, it would be none of Charles ¡¯ business. But Earl got into that¡­¡± Halfway through her sentence, Mrs. Winters nced over coldly. Thatdy realized that she had said something wrong. She was so scared that she immediately swallowed the rest of her words. She held her teacup and tried her best to reduce her presence. But Dew was stunned. She had apparently heard of the name, ¡°Earl Winters.¡± She used to think that he was a distant rtive of the Winters family. Was Earl Duke¡¯s biological brother? Was Duke not the only heir of the Winters family? What was up with Earl? Dew nced at Mrs. Winters and noticed that Mrs. Winters, who had been smiling earlier, was now cold. Her gaze had be unfriendly. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. It looked like Earl was a taboo subject for Mrs. Winters. Dew looked down, smiled, and said, ¡°Aunt Mabel, now that your hair is done, you look so much more exuberant. You look even younger than forty.¡± Her remarks broke the cold atmosphere in the lounge. The richdies at the side ttered Mrs. Winters too. ¡°Mabel, you¡¯re gorgeous today. When we stand beside you, we look like maids.¡± ¡°I think many guests have arrived. Mabel, let¡¯s go downstairs together.¡± The cold atmosphere dissipated, and Mrs. Winters schooled her expression. She stood up and walked downstairs with thedies. Dew stood beside Mrs. Winters and carefully supported her arm. She even talked intimately to Mrs. Winters. Thedies of the Winters family had more guesses, but they dared not ask for confirmation. After all, they had never met thisdy and seen her show up in the circle of rich families. Ady with a normal family background would unlikely be the next mistress of the Winters family. Once the group went downstairs, Duke walked up to them. He was wearing a silvery-gray suit, and he looked noble from head to toe like a prince who had stepped out of a fairy tale. Dew stared at him in a daze, and her eyes were filled with obsession. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 ¡°Duke, you and Dew go out and wee the guests,¡± Mrs. Winters said nonchntly. Dew felt happy. She took the chance to walk over and stand beside Duke. She was even bold enough to hold Duke¡¯s arm. She smiled coquettishly and said, ¡°Duke, let me go to the entrance with you.¡± Duke coldly moved his arm out of her grip, and he appeared unhappy. He did not want to invite Dew to his mother¡¯s birthday party, but his mother had personally invited Dew instead. Hence, it was not appropriate for him to kick her out. ¡°I can handle it myself,¡± he said with a straight face. He turned around and left. Would Dew miss such a great opportunity? Most of the guests today were rtives of the Winters family. She had to let those rtives know that she would be the mistress of the Winters family. She lifted the hem of her dress and quickly tried to keep up with Duke. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. As soon as the two of them left, the surpriseddies at the side asked, ¡°Mabel, is this Ms. Daugherty the daughter-inw you¡¯ve chosen?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been finalized,¡± Mrs. Winters replied indifferently. She had acknowledged it. In other words, as long as Duke said yes, Ms. Daugherty would be the mistress of the Winters family. When the rtives of the Winters family looked at Dew, they felt envious. ¡°Duke, wait for me!¡± Dew struggled to keep up with Duke. His legs were long, and his steps were big. She had to jog so that she would not be left behind. Duke suddenly stopped moving. She sighed in relief before she quickly went forward and stood beside Duke. As she raised her arm to link it with Duke¡¯s, he took a step back. He stared at her with a sharp gaze. ¡°If you want to remain in this banquet, stay away from me, or I¡¯ll get Mr. Brown to send you home.¡± Dew waspletely stunned. ¡°Duke, d-do you really hate me that much?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you more than once that you better not fantasize about bing the mistress of the Winters family,¡± Duke said in a hostile manner. ¡°You can go back to the banquet hall.¡± After he said that, he turned around and continued walking toward the mansion¡¯s entrance. Dew clenched her fists in dissatisfaction. She had sacrificed so much. She could not back down easily. She saw Duke walking out and Mr. Brown respectfully standing next to the main gate. Meanwhile, there seemed to be two kids standing outside the gate. Were George and Harold standing outside and weing the guests too? Was the Winters family nning to announce the presence of the young masters? Dew felt excited. She lifted the hem of her dress and walked over. Before she reached the entrance, a car suddenly stopped in front of the vi. She observed as Duke personally opened the car door. Harold rushed over happily, and George, who was always tense, shed a smile. Then, she saw Adina walk out after the car door was opened. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much!¡± Harold rushed into Adina¡¯s arms. He climbed onto her body before he kissed Adina on the cheek. Adina¡¯s cheek was full of his drool. She helplessly put Harold on the floor, bent down, and softly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to call me ¡® Mommy¡¯ only when a few of us are around. There are so many guests today. Hal, can you be a good boy and call me ¡®Aunt Adina¡¯ this time?¡± Harold felt regretful, but he obediently said, ¡°Okay, Aunt Adina.¡± Melody got out of the car, and as soon as Mr. Brown put the girl down, she immediately rushed into Duke¡¯s arms. The man carried the girl in his strong arms and softly asked, ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Melody hugged Duke¡¯s neck shyly and whispered into his ear, ¡°I missed you, Daddy.¡± Duke¡¯s cold and hard heart instantly melted. How great would it be if she were his biological daughter? ¡°Uncle Duke.¡± Alden walked over and greeted Duke indifferently. George, who was a few steps away from them, also walked over. He raised his head and looked at Adina. Just as he was about to greet her, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from the back. ¡°George,e to mommy.¡± Dew slowly walked forward. She shed them a gentle smile, but she could not hide her angry and distorted gaze. George and Harold were her sons. How could they be so close to Adina? How could that b*tch, Adina, steal everything in the Winters family from her? This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She would never allow it to happen. No way! Dew walked to George and squatted down. She gave George¡¯s shoulders a hard press and slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. Why are you standing outside? The night breeze is strong. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± As though Dew knew that Harold would not be respectful toward her, she did not look at Harold at all. She held George¡¯s hand and walked toward the vi. George pursed his lips and did not resist. ¡°Stop.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was indifferent. ¡°You can go, but George has to stay.¡± Dew was so angry that her sight turned dark, and she nearly fainted. She turned around, gritted her teeth, and said, ¡°Duke, George is my son. Can¡¯t I bring him in?¡± ¡°There are business partners at the party tonight. The kids can¡¯t be exposed for the time being. I¡¯ll get Mr. Brown to send the kids to the second floor,¡± Duke said calmly. His voice was indifferent, but it was like a p on Dew¡¯s face. She stood in the cold wind and shivered. Adina held Harold¡¯s hand, and her expression grew colder. George was her son. How shameless was Dew to have the audacity to say those words in front of her? Did Dew think that George was really her son after she had stolen him for four years? ¡°Aunt Adina, you¡¯re hurting me!¡± Harold frowned and shouted. Only then did Adina notice that she had subconsciously clenched her fist, squeezing Harold¡¯s fingers until they turned red. She quickly bent down and apologized, ¡°Sorry, Hal. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Adina, you¡¯re a b*tch! ¡± Dew immediately rushed over. ¡°If you hold a grudge, juste to me. Don¡¯t vent your anger on my son! Harold,e to my side. Can¡¯t you see that Adina is purposely getting close to you and intentionally hurting you? Get over here right now!¡± Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Dew lost her cool as she grabbed Harold¡¯s hand and dragged him over with great force. Adina was afraid of hurting Harold if she pulled him back, so she directly let go of him. Let go of me, evil witch!¡± Harold kicked and stepped on Dew¡¯s dress with his leather shoes. He instantly left a footprint on her pink velvet dress. Dew was furious. She grabbed Harold¡¯s arm and refused to let go. ¡°If you want to go crazy, go back to the Daugherty family home.¡± Duke¡¯s cold voice was heard. ¡°Mr. Brown, send our guest away!¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Luckily, other guests had not arrived at the mansion, so not many people witnessed the out-of-control scene. Mr. Brown walked over respectfully. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, this way please.¡± Dew instantly snapped out of her daze as if a bowl of cold water had been poured onto her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving.¡± She grabbed George¡¯s hand, as though he was herst straw. ¡° George, please don¡¯t let your dad chase me out. I can¡¯t leave. I¡¯m very cold. Can you please let me go inside and rest for a while? I won¡¯t make a scene anymore. I won¡¯t¡­¡± She made herself look really small. George¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, but he also seemed reluctant. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Mom, please go upstairs and rest for a while. Don¡¯t attend the party tonight.¡± She would do whatever as long as she could continue staying there. Dew dared not even look Duke in the eyes. She just lifted the hem of her dress and walked into the banquet hall in a hurry. The farce finally came to an end. Alden looked down, walked over, and softly said, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go home after you give her the birthday present.¡± The Winters family was tooplicated. If they did not pay attention, they would be attacked. He did not want his mother to be in such an environment. Adina smiled as she caressed his hair. ¡°What are you worried about, boy? Later, take Mel upstairs and y, okay? I¡¯ll call you once it¡¯s time to leave.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look after Mel. Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Adina!¡± Harold patted his chest and said. Adina smiled and nodded. Then, Duke asked Mr. Brown to send the four children upstairs. It was only after the children left that Duke turned around, looked at the woman beside him, and softly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t send the invitation card to Dew. She¡¯s my mother¡¯s guest.¡± Adina was stunned. Was this man giving her an exnation? Actually, Dew¡¯s appearance at the Winters family party was within her expectations. She did not think that an exnation was necessary. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°I know. Let¡¯s go inside and send your mother my birthday wish.¡± She held the birthday gift while she followed Duke into the vi. Adina was dressed in a snow-colored gown tonight. Under the chandelier, she looked exceptionally stunning like a snow fairy. When she walked next to Duke, she instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Mrs. Winters was sitting in the main seat. The moment she nced over indifferently, she was stunned. Why did she find thisdy familiar? It was as if she had seen her somewhere. Then, Mrs. Winters looked at her son. Her son would always act coldly and arrogantly. He would usually walk very quickly with his long legs. Whenever she walked with Duke, she often could not keep up. However, at this moment, she could clearly tell that her son had slowed down, seemingly allowing the lady to keep up. This woman actually managed to make her son willingly slow down and wait for her. So, was this the woman whom Duke had fallen for? Her appearance was outstanding, and her demeanor was extraordinary. She was indeed more suitable than Dew to stand beside Duke. Mrs. Winters wondered which family thisdy came from Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Adina turned them down with a fake smile. Halfway through the banquet, Dew walked onto the stage. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Today is Aunt Mabel¡¯s birthday, and I prepared a piano performance just for her. I wish you a happy birthday and many happy returns.¡± After Dew spoke decently, she sat in front of the piano. She had spent the whole night with Mrs. Winters, so the guests in the banquet hall automatically thought that she would be the future mistress of the Winters family. Now that she was performing, it confirmed her status. Since she was the future mistress, the crowd in the hall pped as a sign of respect. Dew closed her eyes and yed a happy song on the piano. Her piano ying skills were great. She had also been practicing her piano ying a lot recently, so one could say that her skills were at their peak. When her performance ended, the audience subconsciously gave her a round of apuse. The people who attended the birthday party roughly knew about the piano. They had either learned it from a young age, or they understood it because some children in their families practiced it. When they heard the song that Dew had yed, they were extremely surprised. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you yed the piano piece so well that I nearly thought it was a live performance by a master.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you have such a high level of mastery over the piano. You must have already passed Grade 8, right?¡± That was a question from someone who was not familiar with the piano. Dew pursed her lips, smiled, and said, ¡°1 have a Grade 10 certificate for my piano, but it¡¯s actually nothing. It¡¯s not that difficult.¡± ¡°Grade 10 in the piano isn¡¯t difficult? My daughter has been learning for about eight years, but she has only passed Grade 6.¡± ¡°I heard that Grade 10 piano is of expert level. Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯ve achieved such a high level at such a young age. You¡¯re a piano genius!¡± The crowd kept ttering her. Dew raised her chin confidently. The previous piano tour had given her back her confidence. Ms. Alice had told her that not many local young pianists could be on par with her. As long as she worked hard and practiced more, she would be a master in the piano world. When she looked around, she spotted Adina. Adina was leaning on the railing and standing with a ss of wine in her hand. She had a casual and lazy expression as if she was not paying attention to anything. Dew suddenly chuckled. ¡°Please don¡¯tpliment me. Actually, Grade 10 piano is really easy. My sister obtained the Grade 10 certificate when she was a teenager. She¡¯s much better at ying the piano than me. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Dew narrowed her eyes. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just want to have a casual chat with you. See you on the balcony once the party is almost over.¡± Adina waved at Dew before she held her wine ss and went to the second floor. The four children were ying with an extremely difficult puzzle on the second floor, and they were getting along harmoniously. A few minutes after she apanied the kids, the banquet downstairs officially started, so she stood up and walked downstairs. All the guests had arrived. There were about seventy guests, and every corner of the living room was full of guests who chatted in groups. Duke was also talking to a few business clients. Adina instantly spotted him. This man would always be the most dazzling person in the crowd no matter where he was. Naturally, the most beautiful woman of Sea City would also be the most dazzling person in the crowd no matter where she was. As soon as she went downstairs, men came over and hit on her. Adina turned them down with a fake smile. Halfway through the banquet, Dew walked onto the stage. ¡°Today is Aunt Mabel¡¯s birthday, and I prepared a piano performance just for her. I wish you a happy birthday and many happy returns.¡± After Dew spoke decently, she sat in front of the piano. She had spent the whole night with Mrs. Winters, so the guests in the banquet hall automatically thought that she would be the future mistress of the Winters family. Now that she was performing, it confirmed her status. Since she was the future mistress, the crowd in the hall pped as a sign of respect. Dew closed her eyes and yed a happy song on the piano. Her piano ying skills were great. She had also been practicing her piano ying a lot recently, so one could say that her skills were at their peak. When her performance ended, the audience subconsciously gave her a round of apuse. The people who attended the birthday party roughly knew about the piano. They had either learned it from a young age, or they understood it because some children in their families practiced it. When they heard the song that Dew had yed, they were extremely surprised. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you yed the piano piece so well that I nearly thought it was a live performance by a master.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you have such a high level of mastery over the piano. You must have already passed Grade 8, right?¡± That was a question from someone who was not familiar with the piano. Dew pursed her lips, smiled, and said, ¡°1 have a Grade 10 certificate for my piano, but it¡¯s actually nothing. It¡¯s not that difficult.¡± ¡°Grade 10 in the piano isn¡¯t difficult? My daughter has been learning for about eight years, but she has only passed Grade 6.¡± ¡°I heard that Grade 10 piano is of expert level. Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯ve achieved such a high level at such a young age. You¡¯re a piano genius!¡± The crowd kept ttering her. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Dew raised her chin confidently. The previous piano tour had given her back her confidence. Ms. Alice had told her that not many local young pianists could be on par with her. As long as she worked hard and practiced more, she would be a master in the piano world. When she looked around, she spotted Adina. Adina was leaning on the railing and standing with a ss of wine in her hand. She had a casual and lazy expression as if she was not paying attention to anything. Dew suddenly chuckled. ¡°Please don¡¯tpliment me. Actually, Grade 10 piano is really easy. My sister obtained the Grade 10 certificate when she was a teenager. She¡¯s much better at ying the piano than me.¡± Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Everyone in the banquet hall looked at Adina. ¡°My sister is excellent at ying the piano.¡± Dew smiled faintly and said, ¡°Addy, everyone wants to hear you y. Come on and y a song.¡± Adina curled her lips into a sneer. ¡°I don¡®t know how to y.¡± Dew broke into a sinister smile. Adina really could not y the piano anymore. It was reasonable, since five years ago, Adina had been locked away for eight months. After that, she brought the kids overseas. She had been busy taking care of the kids and earning money every day. How could she have the time to practice the piano? Once you abandoned a skill for five years, you would be unfamiliar with it if you wanted to pick it up again. Knowing how to y piano and ying it well were two different things. She would definitely beat Adina this time! This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Dew suppressed her pride before she added, ¡°Addy, don¡®t be humble. We all know how well you yed the piano when we took piano lessons together.¡± ¡°I haven¡®t yed it in many years, so I don¡¯t know how to y anymore,¡± Adina said indifferently. She did not have to please Mrs. Winters or anyone in this banquet hall, so there was no need to go on stage and y the piano. However, the more she refused, the more Dew was sure that she could not y the piano. ¡°But Addy, didn¡®t you tell mest night that you prepared a performance as a birthday wish for Mrs. Winters?¡± Dew blinked. ¡°This is a great opportunity. Juste and y a song for everyone. It¡®s okay if you can¡®t y it well. Your sincerity matters the most.¡± Many men had fallen for Adina¡®s beauty, and they wanted to see how gorgeous thisdy looked when she yed the piano, so they also tried to convince Adina. ¡°Yes, Ms. Daugherty. Just y a song for our enjoyment. It¡®s okay to not y well. It¡®s just entertainment.¡± Adina smiled and put her wine ss aside before she walked over in her high heels. Then, she smiled faintly. ¡°Since Dew keeps inviting me, I¡®m just going to make a fool of myself.¡± She walked onto the stage and casually tapped on the piano. It was just a general piano, and it had not been urately tuned When she listened to Dew¡®s piano performance earlier, a few of the notes had sounded out of tune. But non¨Cprofessionals would not be able to hear the wrong tunes. She sat down in front of the piano, and her fingers paused. ¡°I¡®ll just y the piece that you yed just now.¡± Caloriin When Dew heard that, she was happy. The difference could be heard clearly if they yed the same song Once that happened, Adina should not me her for being stepped on. The hall fell into silence, and Duke stopped talking. He raised his head and looked at the woman who was seated in front of the piano, She was dressed in a snow¨Ccolored gown, and her long hair fell naturally. Her fair skin glowed under the light of the chandelier. When her long, fair fingers flew over the ck and white keys, delightful piano music echoed in the banquet hall. Everyone was familiar with the piece. When Dew yed it earlier, they thought she yed it very well. It was like a sample song on a CD. However, once Adina yed it, they finally understood why some people could be enchanted by piano music. They felt like they had been transported to a pristine field. The sky was clear, the grass was swaying, and the air was fresh. On top of that, deers and rabbits were prancing past their feet. The fact that it could conjure up such images showed that the piece was on a higher level. They moved along with the music, and in just four minutes, they had seemingly traveled across the pristine forest. When the song ended, everyone in the banquet hall instantly forgot about the sadness in their life. The hall was silent at first before a huge round of apuse was heard. Everyone¡®s gaze changed. ¡°I haven¡®t yed the piano for a few years, so my skills have be rusty. Please forgive me.¡± Adina smiled faintly and calmly walked down the stage. On the stage, Dew¡®splexion turned pale and blue. She looked strangely embarrassed as she stood there. She could clearly hear the discussion in the crowd. ¡°Ms. Adina¡®s piano performance was splendid. She really is better than Ms. Dew.¡± ¡°Ms. Dew focused on her technique, but Ms. Adina focused on her emotions, which was how the piece resonated with us.¡° Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 ¡°Ms. Adina is gorgeous, and she can even y the piano so well. She¡®s truly impressive!¡± Argh! Dew secretly growled. How could this happen? Why would that b*tch, Adina, be in the limelight again? That was not her intention, However, no matter how regretful Dew was, she could not change the men¡®s sight in the banquet hall. When a woman looked gorgeous, she could attract the attention of countless men. If she was talented, she would be popr. After Adina got down from the stage, some men went over to hit on her. But Duke got to her first. There was a different kind of gaze in his ck eyes. ¡°Why didn¡®t I know that you could y the piano?¡± ¡°You¡®ve never asked, have you?¡± Adina replied indifferently. Did she have to tell everyone that she could y the piano? Besides, she was not very close to Duke. Duke looked at her side profile and slowly asked, ¡°I heard from Dew just now that you learned piano with her when you were young?¡± Adina nodded. ¡°You can say that.¡± She did not want to talk about the past. Her life before she turned 18 felt like a dream. But Duke insisted on probing. ¡°Did you study in Sea City High School?¡± Adina continued to nod. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Did you y the piano in Sea City High School?¡± Duke popped up the question that he wanted to ask the most. When Adina yed piano on the stage earlier, he could not help but think of the slender figure from that time. He used to think that the figure was Dew, but when he thought about it, the figure seemed to resemble Adina more. It would be great if it was Adina. He did not know why he would have such a thought either. Adina did not want to answer at first, but she sensed the man¡®s passionate gaze. She pursed her lips, looked down, and said, ¡°I was so stressed about my studies at that time, so I would go to the piano room every day to y for half an hour to relieve my stress.¡± Duke instantly felt relieved. It had to be Adina! This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. It had to be her! The figure he had seen back then had to be her! A strange emotion filled his heart, and he could not help but hold Adina¡¯s waist. His hand was very warm, and the moment he touched Adina¡®s waist, her body trembled. His strong musky scent overcame Adina, which made her instantly recall that night five years ago. She tried her best to stop thinking about it, but when Duke leaned over, all her nerves became tense. She could no longer control some of her emotions. Her red lips trembled slightly. Duke held her waist more tightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± ¡°Let go of me,¡± Adina gritted her teeth and said. Duke held her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. All he saw was fear. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Duke recalled that whenever he got near this woman previously, she would look just as frightened Was she afraid of him, or was she afraid of him getting close to her? He pursed his gorgeous lips tightly. Just as he was about to speak, his phone vibrated in his pocket He released Adina¡®s shoulder and spoke in a low and soft tone, ¡°The banquet hall is a little noisy. You can go to the balcony and get some fresh air.¡± After he said that, he brought his phone to a quiet ce to answer it. A strange ent came from the other end of the line. ¡°Hi, Mr. Winters. I¡¯m Catherine. I wonder if you¡®ve heard about me.¡± Duke raised his head indifferently. ¡°Hi, Ms. Catherine.¡± His mother lived in Ascrialia, and she had a quiet life. Ms. Catherine would always go to the manor and keep his motherpany. In the beginning, he thought that Ms. Catherine had ulterior motives. Butter, he discovered that Catherine was a psychologist with a background in social studies. She frequently visited his mother mainly because she wanted to explore the mental development needs of people in that age group. Since she did not harbor bad intentions, he just had aissez¨Cfaire attitude about it. After that, his mother and Catherine also became very good friends despite the huge gap in their ages. He had thought about meeting this Ms. Catherine, but he was too busy, so he had postponed it for several years. ¡°I¡®ve prepared a birthday gift for Aunt Mabel, and it¡®s outside the Winters family¡®s vi. The sender doesn¡®t have an invitation card, so he can¡®t go inside. Can you go out and get it, Mr. Winters?¡± Catherine¡®s ent was different, and she spoke for about a minute. Duke answered the call as he walked outside. When he saw someone carrying the box and standing outside the vi, he ordered Mr. Brown to take the birthday gift inside. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Catherine. Your birthday gift has been received.¡± He wanted to hang up right after he spoke. ¡°Wait!¡± Catherine said. ¡°Can I add you on Whatsapp? I want to show you something.¡± Duke appeared indifferent as he said, ¡°Sure.¡± After they ended the call, the notification for a new friend message popped up on Whatsapp. Once he added the number to his contact list, Catherine immediately sent him a document. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This is a report of the psychological needs that I¡®ve written using your mother as a sample. She¡®s been living alone in Ascrialia for so many years, and she¡®s longing for family and love. As an outsider, my heart also goes out to your mother. I hope that you can pay more attention to your mother¡®s psychological condition, Mr. Winters,¡± Duke tapped on the document to find a detailed report, He knew about her psychological needs, but¡­ He pursed his lips and closed the document. Living alone in Ascrialia was kind of his mother¡®s way of redemption. Those who had sinned deserved such psychological torment. Adina stood on the balcony while she enjoyed the cold breeze. She stood there for less than three minutes before the door to the balcony was pushed open. Then, Dew walked in with two cups of coffee. ¡°You don¡®t really want to have a cup of coffee with me, do you? It¡®s my treat.¡± Dew ced the coffee on the balcony table. Adina looked over with an indifferent gaze and stared at Dew¡®s exquisite makeup. ¡°Dew, have you been able to sleep every night in the past four years?¡± Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chapter 354 ¡°¡°There¡®s nobody else here, NO Just say whatever you want to say Don¡®t beat around the brush¡± Dew smiled coldly ¡°As I said before, as long as you leave Wa City, lean give you anything, That sull holds true, so you better take that chance¡± ¡°I finally understand why you¡®re so afraid of me being in sea City¡± Adina twirled her red wine ss and soundedzy. ¡°When I returned, you resorted to all kinds of schemes to make me disappear. I always thought that you were afraid of me stealing the position of the Daugherty family¡®s heir, but it turns out, that¡®s not the case.¡± Dew became tense, She stared at Adina who sat across from her. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Didn¡®t youe back this time to take everything from the Daugherty family? I won¡®t give up.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Adina chuckled. She put down her ss of wine before she leaned forward menacingly. Her voice became extremely cold. ¡°Compared to the mistress of the Winters family, the heir of the Daugherty family is worthless. Dew Daugherty, aren¡®t you afraid that I¡®ll rece you as the mistress of the Winters family?¡± ¡°Stop dreaming!¡± Dew gritted her teeth in hatred. ¡°You just look good, and Duke¡®s simply having fun with you. Once he¡®s fed up with you, he¡®lle back to me. I¡®m the mother of his sons, so he¡®ll marry me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Adina curled her lips, and her smile became brighter. Her smile gave Dew goosebumps. She felt as if Adina could see through her. ¡°Are the young masters of the Winters family, George and Harold, really your biological sons?¡± Adina slowly enunciated each word, which punched Dew¡®s heart like a big hammer. Her breathing suddenly became rapid. ¡°Of course they¡®re my sons. I gave birth to them after a ten¨C month pregnancy. You ¡ª ¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Adina interrupted her relentlessly. ¡°I¡®m very curious about how you fooled the Winters family. How did you make Duke Winters, a brilliant person, believe that you¡®re the boys¡® mother? Duke just believed you because you carried the babies to his house? It wasn¡®t that simple, right?¡± Dew¡®s body shook. Listening up to that point, would she still not understand? Adina knew it. Adina knew everything. The trap that she had worked on for four years had been exposed. ¡°Let me guess. You made Duke believe everything after you used my hair to rece your hair m the maternity test ¡°Adina¡®s lips were full of mockery, ¡°Unfortunately, the boys aren¡®t your NaN therefore, no matter how perfect the lies you¡®ve created are, you can¡®t conceal the f ew ties of their bloodline, Do you know that Harold has been calling me ¡®Mommy¡® for a The color instantly faded from Dew¡®s face, and she became terribly pale. Since Harold became conscious of his actions, he had never called her ¡°Mom,¡± He had always har vi her and felt annoyed toward her. He would constantly treat her like his enemy. However, she had also seen Harold rush into Adina¡®s arms intimately. He even kissed Adina on the check That was what a real mother and son should look like. ¡°Adina, if it weren¡®t for me, George and Harold would have died four years ago.¡± Dew¡®s lips trembled, and she was making herst attempt. ¡°I saved both of them, so you owe me two lives. How are you going to repay me?¡± Adina tapped her finger on the tea table randomly. Every tap made Dew feel tenser. If Duke found out, she would be doomed. The Daugherty family would even be affected. ¡°Since you saved my sons, I¡®ll spare you for the time being.¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°While I¡®m willing to spare you, that doesn¡®t mean Duke will agree to do the same.¡± Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Dow¡¯s lips becamepletely pale She had never been afraid of Adina She was just terrified of Duke That man was ruthless and cold frearted He showed no mercy to his enemies, if he discovered that she had deceived him for four years, he would kill her ¡°Adina, help me.¡± Dew grabbed Adina¡¯s hand and begged her in a low volce, Her dreams of bing the mistress of the Winters family were broken Now she just wanted to stay alive and retain the Daugherty family¡¯s wealth and prosperity, ¡°Duke still doesn¡¯t know about the kids,¡± Adina nald Indifferently. Dew sighed in relief. As long as Duke still did not know, there were still countless possibilities, She tried to ask, ¡°So, besides you, who else known about this?¡± Adina was aware of what Dew was nning, She scoffed and said, ¡°Are you going to kill everyone who knows about this so that you can keep it a secret forever?¡± Dew was stunned. ¡°I¡¯ve already written an email, and a DNA report is attached to it. If something happens to me, that email will be automatically sent to the mailbox of all the Winters family members,¡± Adina said nonchntly. ¡°If you dare to hurt me, your biggest secret will be exposed.¡± Dew shook in anger. She had never felt that angry and anxious before. She wanted to strangle Adina to death so badly. ¡°I can help you keep this a secret for the time being, but the condition is you have to behave yourself and not hurt my kids.¡± Adina scoffed. ¡°As long as you stay away from the kids, I can guarantee that Duke won¡¯t know about it for now.¡± Dew slowly calmed down. She looked at Adina¡¯s smile and slowly asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell Duke about the kids? If he knows that you¡¯re George and Harold¡¯s biological mother, and he still has a son and a daughter, perhaps you can marry into the Winters family and be the family¡¯s mistress.¡± ¡°Do you think everyone loves money and fame like you?¡± Adina fiddled with the coffee cup and coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in bing Mrs. Winters.¡± Dew narrowed her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t like Duke?¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If it weren¡¯t because of the kids, I wouldn¡¯t deal with him at all,¡± Adina said indifferently.¡± I¡¯m keeping this secret because I don¡¯t want to get involved in the conflicts of the Winters family for the children¡¯s sake. It just so happens that it will spare you from being held ountable by Duke in the meantime. It¡¯s a win-win situation. I hope you can suppress your urge to do bad things and not trigger me.¡± She did not want to expose the truth because she did not want Alden and Melody to be taken from her. Before she came up with a solution, she would not let Duke know about the children. Dew lowered her head and drank some coffee before she nodded in agreement. As long as Duke had no idea about it, she was still safe. She would be able toe up with a solution and get away. Duke passed Catherine¡¯s birthday gift to Mrs. Winters. The banquet had already ended by then. Most of the guests had left the banquet hall, and only a few people were still chatting there. Mrs. Winters asked the servant to keep her birthday gifts. When she saw Duke turning around to leave, she perfunctorily said, ¡°Wait, I want to ask you a few questions.¡± Duke looked at the balcony where Adina had been. It was empty. Where did the woman go? Had she gone back home? ¡°Is Ms. Adina Daugherty the woman you like?¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ voice was sharp. ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry the boys¡¯ biological mother, but you want to marry the boys¡¯ aunt?¡± Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Duke frowned. ¡°Mother, when I met her, I didn¡®t know that she was my sons¡® aunt This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Now that you know, you should give it up, yes?¡± Mabel said coldly ¡°Daw the serond daughter of the Daugherty¡®s family, gave you a pair of twins, but you want to marry the oldest daughter of the same family instead? 11 this news were to spread, people will mock u!¡± ¡°I love Adina, and it has nothing to do with her being the eldest daughter of the Daugherty family.¡± Duke said inly, ¡°I will not break up with her just because she¡®s from the Daugherty family.¡± Adina, who was bringing her two children downstairs, was caught off guard when she heard what Duke said. She was both surprised and shocked. There were mixed emotions in her gaze ¡®Duke and I are dating, but we¡®re not together because we¡®re in love, ¡®But now, he¡®s saying that he loves me right in front of Mrs. Winters. He even said that he would never want to break up with me¡­¡® The wall that she had built around her heart crumbled a little. Mabel heard some noises upstairs. She did not say anything anymore. She turned and looked at Adina. Her gaze shifted to the two children. ¡®Earlier in the banquet hall, I heard a lot of people saying that the father of the two children of Sea City¡®s most beautiful woman is Tyson Osborne. But it turned out to be baseless rumors¡­¡® Mabel¡®s indifferent expression softened when she saw Melody¡®s cute little face. Adina led the two children downstairs and said with a smile, ¡°Mrs. Winters, it¡®s gettingte. I shall bring my children back home now.¡± ¡°Are these your children?¡± Mrs. Winters asked softly, ¡°How old are they?¡± After she spoke, she reached out to touch Melody¡®s hair. The little girl widened her eyes and she took a step back, looking horrified. She hid behind Adina. ¡°Mother, Mel is afraid of strangers.¡± Duke frowned. ¡°I¡®ll send them home.¡± He bent over and carried Melody with one arm and pretended to rest his other hand on Adina¡®s waist. The four of them then headed out. Mabel leaned into the couch and frowned. She looked up at Colin, who was cleaning up the mess next to her. ¡°Colin,e here.¡± Colin put down the things in his hand, came over, and asked respectfully, ¡°Yes, Madam?¡± ¡°Do the two children from the Daugherty familye here often?¡± Mabel asked softly, ¡°How does Duke act around them?¡± ¡°For the moment, Ms. Daugherty oftenes over to cook dinner. Young Master Alden and Lady Melody don¡®t usually go back right after dinner. Young Master George and Young Master Harold adore Lady Melody. Young Master Harold, especially, wishes that she was his own sister,¡± Colin said with a smile. There was a hint of sorrow in his gaze. ¡®If only Lady Melody can speak, even more people would adore her.¡® Mabel pursed her lips in silence. ¡®I¡®ve never seen Duke ever carrying Hal. But earlier on, he hugged a child that¡®s not even his¡­¡® There was a mixture of emotions in her heart. At that moment, her phone vibrated. Colin instinctively nced at her phone and saw a name he had not seen for a very long time sh on the screen. (Earl] ¡°Madam, I¡®ll go back to my other tasks now.¡± Colin tactfully walked away. She grabbed her phone, got up, and staggered toward the study room. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Chapter 357 ¡°I¡®ll send you home,¡± Duke said as he opened that car door, Adina smiled and shook her head, ¡°I drove here. I can drive back on my own.¡± Duke suddenly lowered her head and leaned into his ears. ¡°Remember, I¡®m your boyfriend now, and it¡®s perfectly reasonable for the boyfriend to send his girlfriend home.¡± Adina recalled what he said to Mrs. Winters earlier. Her ears turned red. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°What should I do with my car, then?¡± Duke turned around and called for a bodyguard. He ordered him to drive Adina¡¯s car and follow him as he drove Adina and her children back. He drove slowly, and they reached the Daugherty¡¯s mansion after half an hour. Adina carried her children down the car and said politely, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters. Goodbye.¡± Alden waved his hand courteously. ¡°Bye, Uncle Duke.¡± Melody whispered, ¡°Bye¨Cbye, Daddy.¡± The moment Melody said ¡°Daddy¡°, the emotion that Adina tried to suppress crumbled a little. ¡®I could¡®ve still faced Duke as normal if he hadn¡®t confessed his feelings in front of Mrs. Winters earlier. ¡®But he said he loves me¡­¡¯ ¡°Aren¡®t you going to invite me in?¡± Duke asked suddenly. ¡°I¡®m a little thirsty after driving for so long.¡± Adina was speechless. ¡®Isn¡®t he being too tant, barging into a single woman¡®s house in the middle of the night?¡± Just as she was about to refuse, she saw Duke take her favorite puffer jacket and walk into her house. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She shrugged helplessly and walked in. It was already nine o¡®clock at night, and it was Mel¡®s bedtime. Adina changed to her slippers and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, have a sit. I¡®ll give Mel a bath. It¡®s already her bedtime.¡± She did not dare to look into Duke¡®s eyes. She carried Melody upstairs into the bathroom. Alden took a book and sat on the sofa. He had an indifferent expression. Duke took a nce at the book and frowned. ¡°Are you still trying to be a hacker?¡± ¡®That book is about advanced hacking. Generally, only graduate students of this major could understand it. How could a four¨Cyear¨Cold child be interested in this book?¡® ¡°I think hacking is very interesting,¡± Alden said without looking up. ¡°I can do a lot of things that I want without getting caught.¡± ¡°That doesn¡®t sound good. Many hackers go astray after making one momentary slip.¡¯ Duke narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°What exactly do you want to do without getting caught?¡± Alden pursed his lips. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± He loweradi his gaze and continued to flip through the book. He read through the book swiftly and seemed to understand every word. Duke propped his chin up and narrowed his eyes. ¡®If I really want to be with Adina, Alden will be my son too. ¡®Since he¡®ll be part of the Winters family, I need to guide him well. He might end up being a hacker on the Inte someday. ¡°But now is not the time¡­? After a while, Adina was done bathing Melody. Melody was wrapped in a pink towel, looking like a soft pink burrito, looking fluffy, giving everyone a warm fuzzy feeling when they looked upon her. Duke stood up and went upstairs. ¡°Mel, do you want me to read you a story?¡± Melody¡®s eyes lit up in excitement as she reached out and hugged Duke¡®s neck. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Chapter 358 This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Adina was speechless. I¡®ve raised her for four years for nothing! Now that she has her Daddy, she has totally forgotten about me! I guess it¡®s true when people say that a father is a daughter¡®s first love...¡® She twitched her lips and went downstairs to find Alden. When she noticed him still reading thatte into the night, she said helplessly, ¡°Al, you should wait until you¡®re older to read suchplicated books. You should be reading storybooks at your age.¡± She led Alden upstairs. ¡°It¡®s gettingte. Go take a bath and get some rest. Do you want me to help you?¡± Alden hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No, thanks. I can do it myself.¡± He took a change of clothes to the bathroom and came out ten minutes after that. His hair was wet from the shower, giving him a good¨Cboy look. Adina led him into his bedroom and said gently, ¡°Do you want a bedtime story from me?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alden took the book that was ced at the head of his bed. It was a book of idioms, one that was a little more on the esoteric side. Alden leaned against the bed and read the book slowly. After three stories, Alden finally closed his eyes and fell asleep. She switched off the light and tiptoed out of the room before gently closing the door behind her. Just then, she saw Duke alsoing out of Melody¡®s room. ¡°Melody is asleep,¡± Duke said softly as the two of them headed downstairs. Perhaps the night was too quiet. His voice sent tingles all over her. She clenched her fist slowly, and said calmly, ¡°It¡®s gettingte. Mr. Winters, it¡®s time for you to go back, yes?¡± ¡°Didn¡®t I tell you before to not call me Mr. Winters anymore?¡± Duke stopped, and his gaze darkened as he looked at her. ¡°You can call me Duke or D.¡± Adina was at a loss. ¡®I can¡®t go back on my words. I¡®m the one who asked him to be my boyfriend.¡¯ She pursed her lips and said hesitantly, ¡°I¡®ll call you Duke, then.¡± ¡°What do you want me to call you?¡± Duke got a little closer to her. Adina subconsciously wanted to take a step back A warm hand suddenly wrapped around her tiny waist. Before she could push him, he leaned into her car and whispered, ¡°Don¡®t move. Someone is outside¡± Adina stopped moving She became really nervous. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed someone moving in the shadows between the trees. ¡®Did someone just sneak into my house?! ¡°Perhaps I¡®m too concerned about things outside my house that I¡®ve let down my guard around Duke¡® Duke hugged her waist tightly as he said to her, ¡°Let¡®s move towards the window slowly.¡± Adina nodded and instinctively grabbed his arm. As she was doing it, Duke caught a whiff of her scent. For an instant, an impulse rushed over his mind. ¡®I just can¡®t resist her¡­¡® Adina¡®s focus was on the tree outside the window. She and Duke moved towards the window slowly as they stayed in each other¡®s embrace, just like two lovers who were reluctant to part. The closer she was to the window, the clearer she saw the figure hiding in the tree. As she was trying to figure out the nature of this intruder, she realized something was off. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Adina was stunned, ¡®I¡®m not a small girl anymore I¡®m twenty three, and a mother of four ¡®An unidentified person is lurking in my yard outside, yet this man is.¡® Adina blushed as her pulse raced, She gritted her teeth, raised her gaze, and red at Duke She looked gorgeous. Her eyes reflected the chandelier in the living room, looking like a starry sky. Duke could see his reflection through her dark pupils. His arms turned warmer as he tightened his grip on her waist. He lowered his head as his Adam¡®s apple bobbed up and down. He was trying to resist his desire¡­ ¡°You!¡± Adina looked at him furiously. She wanted to say something, but no words came out, She pushed his chest with all her strength, and finally broke free from the passionate embrace She was a very restrained person, but at that moment, she was bbergasted. She turned and said word by word, ¡°I¡®ll give you a minute.¡± Nas a Duke had never encountered such a situation. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He felt like a shameless pervert. He walked to the dining table and got a ss of cold water. The heat in his body finally subsided. When he finally calmed down, he walked back to the window. Adina had calmed down as well. She pursed her lips and spoke as if nothing had happened,¡± Let¡®s go. I¡®ll send you off.¡± She pushed open the door next to the window. The two of them walked through the veranda and headed to the courtyard through the side door. After walking further, as they approached the huge tree, Adina realized that more than one person was hiding in the tree. What was more, they looked like they were skilledbatants. She then whispered, ¡°Can you take on one of them?¡± Duke nodded and replied, ¡°You go in. I¡¯ll fight the two of them.¡± ¡®There¡®s no way I¡®m going in. I can hold my own in a fight. I can easily take down one person. Taking down two people might be a little challenging. It¡®s just the children are asleep in the house, and I don¡®t want to take any risks. It¡®s better to have Duke fight one of them.¡® Before she could respond, Duke suddenly grabbed her waist and stood in front of her. Immediately afterward, he picked up the clothes pole at the corner of the mansion with his other hand and mmed it towards the tree. Leaves rustled down, and the two figures were forced to get down from the tree, These were two men in ck clothes. They were also wearing ck masks on their faces. Duke and Adina could only see their eyes. Duke used the clothes pole as a weapon. He thrust it forward towards the right and left, hitting the two men¡®s knees. Both of them slumped on the ground limply. Adina stepped forward, raised her feet, and stepped on the men¡®s hands. She was wearing high heels. She stepped on them so hard that the two men in ck almost passed out from the enormous pain. ¡°Tell me, who sent you?¡± She red at the two men as she asked sharply. ¡°We¡­ We were just passing by!¡± One of the men grimaced in pain, yet he still refused to tell her the truth. Duke swung the pole around as he smiled coldly. Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Chapter 360 He walked over. He suddenly raised his foot, and the tip of his leather shoes came in contant with one of the men¡®s necks. He was so quick and brutal that the man felt immense pressure on his neck. His face turned pale. ¡°It looks like you won¡®t behave If I don¡®t put you in your ce.¡± Duke sneered and pulled his right foot up again, Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The man choked on his own breath. The blood vessels in his neck were bulging out, and he looked like he would faint any second. He could sense Duke¡®s murderous aura. ¡®If I don¡®t do as he says, I could die right here¡­¡® ¡°Okay, okay!¡± The men in ck immediately surrendered, ¡°Someone from the Osborne family asked us to sneak into this mansion and kidnap the two children!¡± Adina narrowed her eyes in suspicion. ¡°Someone from the Osborne family? What¡®s his name?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°I don¡®t know. He paid us a million dors and told us to get it done in three days. From his ent, he doesn¡®t sound like he¡®s from Sea City¡­¡® Adina was still puzzled when she heard it. ¡®Someone from the Osborne family wants to kidnap my two children? ¡®It looks like I need to settle this matter quickly¡­? Duke already had someone in mind that could be the culprit. He kicked the two men coldly.¡± Go!¡± The two men instantly ran away. ¡°I¡®ll take care of the Osborne family,¡± Duke said as he twitched his finger. ¡°Don¡®t worry.¡± Adina¡®s heart skipped a beat. She said hurriedly, ¡°It¡®s okay. I will talk to Tyson about this¡­? ¡°No man wants their own children to be strays. The Osborne family won¡®t let this go easily.¡± Duke said inly, ¡°The Osborne family is quite powerful. It¡®s easy for them to make a move on a fragile woman like you. Just let me take over from here.¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡®The Osborne family will stop pestering us if I show them the two children¡®s paternity tests.¡® But she could not bring herself to say that. ¡®Duke is the same. He wouldn¡®t want his own children to be strays too. ¡®If Mel and Al¡®s identities were to be exposed, I won¡®t be able to keep custody of them¡­¡® ¡°Duke, this matter is between Tyson and me. Let me handle this matter,¡± Adina said softly.¡± What¡®s more, he¡®s their biological father. I don¡®t want to make a huge scene out of this¡­¡± Duke stared at her for a few seconds, without uttering a word. He began to walk toward the mansion. She followed him, not knowing what he was up to next. He went upstairs, checked the locks on the doors and windows in each room, the parapet around the mansion, and even called for his personal security to strengthen their patrol He only drove off after everything was done. Adina could not describe how she was feeling at the moment. ¡®For the past four years, I have been alone. No matter what happened, I always took the lead and resolved them independently. But earlier on, I was being protected by Duke. ¡®Is this how being protected feels like..?¡± Adina locked the doors and windows and walked into her bedroom. She then took out her phone and called Tyson. She soon heard Tyson¡®s frantic voice from the other end of the call. ¡°Good job, Adina. How dare you keep some random man in your house now?!¡± ¡®The men I sent wouldn¡®t have failed to get my children back if Adina had not kept that man in her house! Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Adina walked towards the balcony while staying on the call. Her gaze was icy cold. She pursed her lips and said coldly, ¡°Tyson, do you know what consequences will the Osborne family get if you were to sessfully kidnap my children tonight?¡± ¡°Don¡®t make a fool of yourself here. The two children belong to the Osborne family. I¡®m just bringing them back to Central City to see their grandparents! I¡®m not kidnapping ther!¡± Tyson said furiously, ¡°If you¡®re any wiser, you better give me back my two children. Or else, don¡®t you dare to dream of living the rest of your life peacefully.¡± Adina said inly, ¡°Did you do the paternity test?¡± ¡°There¡®s no need for that, don¡®t you think?¡± Tyson sneered, ¡°You climbed into my bed five years ago. That¡®s a sure¨Cfire fact.¡± ¡°Don¡®t be too confident.¡± Adina fiddled her finger. ¡°Do you know who the man in my house is? That¡®s the chairman of Winters Corporation, Duke Winters.¡± ¡°I was right! You¡®re courting Duke Winters!¡± Tyson gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°Do you really think he¡®ll like a single mother like you? He¡®s just fooling around with you! If youe to me, I¡®ll make you Mrs. Osborne someday!¡± Adina¡®s patience ran out after she heard Tyson¡®s arrogant words. She said coldly, ¡°Alden and Melody don¡®t belong to the Osborne family. They belong to the Winters family. If you dare to touch the Winters children, you¡®re making Winters Corporation your enemy. Do you think the Osborne Corporation can go against Duke Winters?¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°Mr. Osborne, you¡®ve seen my son before, haven¡®t you? Don¡®t you think he¡®s the spitting image of Duke?¡± Adina sneered, ¡°How bold of you to snatch Duke Winters¡® son from him!¡± She ended the call after she finished speaking. ¡®If Tyson is smart enough, he knows he shouldn¡®t provoke the Winters family. ¡®Alden truly looks simr to Duke. If I were topare them side by side, they would seem more like they have been carved in the same mold. ¡°The Osborne family won¡®t send anyone to pester us for the time being.¡® Adina was not able to sleep for the rest of the night. After breakfast, she sent her two children to preschool. Alden was in the backseat. He pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Mother, did someonee to our housest night?¡± He had heard some noises outside in his sleep. Adina said with a smile, ¡°Uncle Duke came over, remember? He came in for a while and went home afterward.¡± Alden pursed his lips and said nothing. He suddenly got a notification from his smartwatch. He took a nce at Adina, and only opened the notification when he saw that she was focusing on the road. It was K ¡°Sir Daugherty, you¡¯re from Sea City, Cairnstan, right?¡± Alden sent a nodding GIF. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know who Shura is? He¡®s one of the top three bosses on the bounty list. Someone saw him in Sea City. Be careful.¡± Shura¡­ ¡®I know him. ¡°Just like my name, he leaves a trail of hell in his wake. ¡®His bounty has also reached a terrifying eleven figures¡­¡¯ Alden turned off his smartwatch. ¡®This is none of my business. I¡®m just a four¨Cyear¨Cold preschool kid, and Shura will nevere to look for such a child.¡® Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Adina drove to her office after watching the children walk into the preschool. Just as she entered the office, Serene approached her. She whispered, ¡°We got a visit from a very strange man, Ms. Daugherty.¡± Adina¡®s eyebrows rose as she asked, ¡°What do you mean by strange?¡± ¡°He imed to be the owner of an overseas mediapany, and he would like to speak with you about a business deal. I¡®ve asked him to wait in the lounge.¡± Serene continued, ¡°He has a mask on. He looks strange. You¡®d better brace yourself before you go in, Ms. Daugherty.¡± Adina nodded thoughtfully. She went into her office to get the files before knocking on the door of the lounge. A deep and raspy voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± It was just a voice, but for some reason, when she heard it, she felt as if the voice lowered the temperature of the room and brought chills down her spine. Adina smoothed out her hair before she pushed the door open and walked in. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Two people were in the lounge. An assistant was standing on one side, and a man wearing a silver mask was sitting on the couch. The silver mask covered up two¨Cthirds of the man¡®s face, revealing only a pair of dark, deep set eyes. Adina quietly spected that the man¡®s face had probably been scarred, which was why he chose to wear a mask regardless of the strange looks he would attract. She shifted her gaze away indifferently to put on a smile and said, ¡°Hi, I¡®m Daugherty, the general manager of LaStar Technology Corporation. How should I address you?¡± The man¡®s cold gaze slowly shifted toward her. His attention gradually fell on Adina. Adina instantly felt as if she was being targeted by a venomous snake. She could not help but purse her lips and take a step back. ¡°I¡®m Wynters,¡± the man uttered in a deep voice. ¡°You may call me Mr. Wynters.¡± ¡°Winters?¡± Adina paused for a second. ¡°Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Wynters with a Y, not I.¡± The man corrected her. His voice grew even colder. Adina¡®s smile grew wider. She said, ¡°Hi, Mr. Wynters. What sort of service would you like us to provide?¡± The man raised his hand. The assistant who was standing behind him walked forward. ¡°I heard that yourpany has done an outstanding job in the smart chip segment. Ourpany needs to design a smart chip. Would you take the deal?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Adina continued to smile. ¡°A smart chip for what, specifically?¡± ¡°A smart chip for the human body.¡± The assistant continued. ¡°We need you to design a chip that can be imnted into the human body. It should be able to urately read all kinds of biological information about the person. Moreover, it should be able to be imnted in the human brain, and read the person¡®s memory, emotion, intelligence, creativity, and inspiration.¡± Adina had always beenposed. However, she could not suppress the shocked expression on her face at this point. Why did this project sound like human experimentation? This was a taboo within the industry. ¡°Would you take this job, Ms. Daugherty?¡± the assistant asked respectfully after he finished. Adina sneered and said, ¡°This is a project that goes against ethics and morals, I will not participate in it. You should leave.¡± ¡°This project offers lucrative returns. We just need six months. In just six months, we will make you the richest person in Sea City.¡± That man spoke again. It was as if his voice had just taken a trip to the freezer. It sounded so cold that it froze her heart up. His eyes were calm and emotionless as he stared at Adina. He said slowly and with a low voice, ¡°I will give you a few days to think about it. There is no need to reply to me in a hurry. I wille back for an answer next time.¡± After he finished, he got up and headed out the door. His assistant rushed after him. Only after he left did the temperature in the lounge gradually rise. And only then, did Adina feel that the gloomy aura threatening to suffocate her dissipate. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Chapter 363 in Winters Corporation. ¡°Chairman Winters, he is here in Sea City.¡± Jake ced a stack of photos on the desk. Duke ran his fingers over the photos. A dark look gradually emerged on his face. He asked coldly, ¡°Where else did he go besides LaStar Technology Corporation?¡± Jake shook his head. ¡°He¡®s been in the bar all afternoon, and he¡®s not out yet.¡± Duke picked up the lighter and started burning through the stack of photos on his desk. The silver mask on it was gradually engulfed by eerie blue mes. After the photos were gone, he raised his wrist and nced at his watch. The time was 5 p.m. ¡°Postpone the evening meeting.¡± He grabbed his suit and headed out. ¡°Chairman Winters, the meeting this evening is a briefing onst quarter¡®s performance. It¡®s an important meeting.¡± When Jake went after him, Duke was already in the elevator. He walked to the parking lot. He opened the car door and sat inside. Then, he sent a message to Adina. ¡°I will reach your office in 20 minutes.¡± Adina was in a meeting. She was a little surprised when she saw the message. Why would this man want toe to her office? She sent a question mark over. ¡°I promised Mel that I would pick her up from school today. I¡®m going to the preschool with you.¡± When Adina saw Duke¡®s message, she replied, ¡°Okay.¡± She put down her phone. After she summarized the meeting, she went back to her office. She wrapped up her work for the day and tidied her desk. She was just waiting for Duke toe, so she could get off work. Her phone suddenly vibrated, and it was Ethan who was calling. ¡°Addy, such a big incident happenedst night. Why didn¡®t you tell me about it?¡± Adina paused for a moment. ¡°How did you find out?¡± ¡°The security office called me and told me about what happenedst night, otherwise, I¡®d still be in the dark,¡± Ethan sighed and said. ¡°You¡®re a single mother with two kids living there alone. I¡®m really worried about you. How about this? Why don¡®t you move to our house with me and Grandma around, no one would dare to tell you what to do.¡± That vi belonged to the Xavier family. The security office probably gave Ethan a call after they investigated the attackst night. Adina really did not expect that the matter would be known to her cousin. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She said in a resigned manner, ¡°Grandma still hasn¡®t heard about this, right?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡®t dare to tell Grandma.¡± Ethan paused and said, ¡°The guard at the security office told me that those two men in ck shirts were sent by the Osbome family. I thought your children had nothing to do with Tyson? Why did they still send men over to mess with you?¡± Adina had held a press conference before to rify the identities of her children. Ethan naturally believed what she said. Adina said as she gathered the documents, ¡°It¡®s true that Al and Mel have nothing to do with the Osborne family. I¡®ve made that point very clear to Tyson. I don¡®t think he wille anymore. Don¡®t worry, Ethan. I will protect Al and Mel. If I ever need any help in the future, I promise that you will be the first one I call.¡± Ethan was silent for a few seconds before he asked tentatively, ¡°Addy, may I know who the biological father of Al and Mel is?¡± Adina fell silent the moment he asked that question. ¡°I¡®m sorry, Addy. I know this is your private matter. I shouldn¡®t have asked that. Forget I asked.¡± ¡°Ethan, it¡®s not that I don¡®t want to tell you. I just haven¡®t figured out how to tell you.¡± Adina leaned against the balcony window. She looked out the window at the skyscrapers without really focusing on them. Sometimes, after keeping something to yourself for too long, you just needed to talk to someone about it Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Ethan had been so kind to her. She did not want to keep it from him anymore, ¡°Actually, I gave birth to quadruplets four years ago.¡± Ethan waspletely stunned by her words, There had actually been a lot of news about his cousin online, A lot of people said that Adina¡®s twins had died four years ago. He did, however, see Alden and Melody alive and well, so he assumed that news on the inte was just rumors. But now, Adina said she had quadruplets? There were four babies, but only Alden and Melody were left. What about the other two babies? What happened to them? ¡°I had always thought that my other two sons had died. I only found out a few days ago that they did not die. They are still alive and well.¡± Adina¡®s voice trailed off. This was the first time that she had told another person about her past. After she told him all about the darkness and the past that had been piled up in her heart, only then did the sunlight seem to faintly shine into her heart. Ethan never once interrupted her. He listened to her quietly. ¡°Ethan, you know, it turned out that I¡®ve met them long ago. They are very close to me, and I can¡®t help but want to see them. I didn¡®t understand the reason before, but I¡®ve finally learned that this is the traction and bond of blood ties. No matter how the world changes, the power of blood ties would never be reduced. My sons and I would still travel halfway across the earth and find each other.¡± Only Adina¡®s soft voice could be heard in the quiet office. Outside her office, the sound of leather shoes stepping on the floor came to an abrupt halt. Duke was about to knock on the door when he heard words that completely shocked him. Trent had asked Adina about the two kids before, but she had denied it. She said she had quadruplets. She said her two sons, who she thought were dead, were still alive. Her two sons were still alive. Somehow, George and Harold¡®s figures appeared in Duke¡®s mind. Some kind of bizarre spection urred to him. Before he could think any further, he heard a voice in the office once again. ¡°Al and Melody¡®s father is Duke. The paternity test was done by Al himself. ¡°Ethan, I know you¡®re shocked. So am I. I don¡®t want to tell Duke about this just yet. Could you keep this between us for now?¡± Duke¡®s fingertips, which were resting on the doorknob, immediately stiffened. His dark eyes widened with disbelief. A storm was surging in the depths of his pitch¨Cck pupils He turned around and left LaStar Technology Corporation. Adina hung up and took a deep breath. She felt a lot better now that she had told someone about those things. She looked at the time. It had been twenty minutes. Why was Duke still not here? She sent him a message. ¡°Are you going to get here anytime soon?¡± Five minutester, there was still no reply from Duke.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She frowned and sent him another message. ¡°It¡®s gettingte. I need to pick up the kids at the preschool. There is no need toe.¡± She grabbed her bag and got out of her office. Serene, who was busy at the front desk, was going to call Adina and tell her that Duke had stopped by and left. However, seeing that Adina seemed to be leaving in a hurry, she assumed that they had agreed to meet downstairs, so she did not say anything to her. Duke, at that moment, was driving quickly towards the Daugherty family¡®s house. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Dew was practicing the piano at home Her fingers flew over the ck and white keys. However, she gave up halfway through the song No matter how much she practiced, she was never able to y the way that Adina could y. The confidence she had built up was fragile in front of Adina. She held her head up in chagrin, wishing she could smash the piano. Just then, she got a call. She did not save the number as a contact on her phone, but she knew the number by heart. She picked up the phone and pressed the ept button. ¡°Dew, are you free tonight? See you at our usual spot.¡± A man¡¯s voice came from the phone. Dew leaned back on the couch and said coquettishly, ¡°You¡¯re so annoying. Can¡¯t we meet somewhere else besides the hotel?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more convenient to do things at the hotel. Dew, I know you like this too. Don¡¯t be coy.¡± The man¡¯s flirtatious words softened up Dew¡¯s body. What she could not get from Duke, Dn gave her dozens of times over. She knew that Dn was just obsessed with her body, but so what? She enjoyed sleeping with him. She was about to say yes when she suddenly noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that a familiar car had stopped in front of the Daugherty family¡¯s vi. ¡°I have some business to take care of tonight. We¡¯ll meet tomorrow.¡± Dew hung up. She hurriedly got up and looked in the mirror. After seeing that her makeup was still neat, she walked toward the gate of the vi. The door of the ck car at the gate swung open violently. The first thing that caught her eye was a pair of incredibly long legs. As she expected, it was Duke. Dew raised her hand and surreptitiously pulled down her neckline before she greeted him with a smile. ¡°Duke, what brings you by? Have you had dinner? I¡¯ll have my chef make you your favorite food.¡± Before she could finish, she was met with a pair of extremely gloomy eyes. Duke walked coldly toward the vi. His tone was icy. ¡°All of you, leave us.¡± The servants in the living room had never seen such a situation. They all ran away in fear. Dew was so afraid that her face turned pale. She had no idea what had happened, nor did she know why Duke was here. She forced a smile. ¡°Duke, no matter what happened, we can talk about it. You¡¯re scaring me by acting like this.¡± Duke turned around immediately. His sharp gaze fell on her. ¡°You fooled me for four years!¡± Dew¡¯s heart pounded fast. She used all her strength to suppress the panic she felt. ¡°Duke, what are you talking about? When have I ever fooled you? I never lied to you.¡± Duke raised his hand and choked her coldly.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. He had been the CEO of Winters Corporation for so many years. He had managed the entire corporation so well. He would not be able to do it if hecked the necessary skills. He had never been a kind and merciful man. Those who had offended him had never gotten away unscathed. f His fingers coldly squeezed Dew¡¯s throat as he asked, enunciating each word, ¡°Tell me, how exactly did you manage to cover up the truth about the children from everyone?¡± Dew¡¯s courage, which she had tried so hard to work, copsed at that moment. She saw the coldness in Duke¡¯s eyes. A murderous impulse seemed to be looming in there. A man like this would never allow himself to be lied to by someone for four years, nor would he allow himself to be yed by someone. Even so, she had fooled him for four years. ¡°Duke, you¡¯ve misunderstood. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Dew continued to struggle and shake her head. ¡°Let me go first. I can¡¯t speak. Let go of me, and I will exin, okay?¡± Duke loosened his grip a little, but he still did not let gopletely. His five fingers were still squeezing her neck. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Chapter 366 George was extraordinarily smart. He had always assumed that George inherited his intelligence. He took pride in his high intelligence, yet he had been deceived by a woman for four years. When this woman showed up in front of him four years ago with two children in her arms and a paternity test report, he believed her. This woman was his sons¡® biological mother. Therefore, he tolerated the presence of such a woman in his life. However, all of this turned out to be a lie. Duke tightened his grip on her neck as he thought about that. ¡°Adina is lying to you. The truth is not what she said. I really am George¡¯s mother.¡± Dew managed to get some air and tried to lie her way out of it. She felt like she was dying. If she did not break free from this man¡®s grip soon, she was certain that she would die here today. Adina had clearly promised her yesterday that she would keep the secret, so how did Duke find out today? That b*tch must have said those words just to make her put her guard down. It was all Adina¡®s fault that she was in this situation now! ¡°Duke, we did the paternity test. I am their mother.¡± Dew continued to gasp for air as she said, ¡°Haven¡®t you seen my contribution to the children over the past four years? How can you denounce everything that I have done for them just because of what Adina said?¡± Duke¡®s gaze had turned as sharp as a knife. He had been sure that Adina was the children¡®s mother the moment he heard what Adina said. Even if there was no evidence to prove that, he was adamant about it. Adina carried the exact scent of that woman from five years ago. Harold was so attached to Adina. He had no resistance to Melody. Melody called him Daddy There were many, many more concrete facts that raced through his mind. Adina was the woman who slept with him that night. Adina was the mother of George and Harold. Melody and Alden were his children. He had missed out on four years of his woman and his children¡®s life. It was all because of Dew! His eyes filled with a strong murderous intent. His grip continued to tighten. It was getting harder for her to breathe. Dew finally understood what it was like to be suffocated. She opened her mouth wide and breathed in the air greedily, but she was being grabbed by the neck The air in her chest cavity was squeezed out just as quickly as it entered. ¡°H¨CHelp!¡± Dew slumped to the floor. She raised her hand and pped the tablemp to the ground. However, the servants outside did not have the courage toe in. Madam Daugherty was not home either. No one in therge vi of the Daugherty family coulde to save her. Duke loosened his grip in disgust as he noticed her face turning pale and her breathing bing shallow. He stared down at her and said, ¡°I will give you onest chance.¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Dew clutched her neck, gasping for air. She had literally just escaped the jaws of death. She had experienced what it was like to die. This man wanted to kill her. He really wanted her dead! If she continued to lie to him, there was no way she would live to see another day! Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Chapter 367 ¡°Four vears ago, after Adina gave birth to them, the two children really carne out as stillbirthis.¡± Dew was kneeling on the floor. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Her voice was choked and hoarse. She was trembling all over. ¡°The Daugherty family¡®s house was destroyed by a fire that night. There was nothing left. We thought Adina was dead, but the two boys who were supposed to be dead started breathing again. The boys lost their biological mother, and their lives in the future would be difficult. I¡®m their aunt, i¡®m considered their half¨Cmother. I took them to the Winters family¡®s house to find their real father. What¡®s wrong with that? ¡°Back then, I thought that George and Hal were the only children left by my sister. That¡®s why I falsified the paternity test report. I wanted to be their mother. I wanted to protect them on my sister¡¯s behalf. I did that for their own good. I sacrificed four years of my youth for them. It¡®s true that I made a mistake, but without me, they wouldn¡®t have had a mother for four years. I stepped in to fill the void in their lives. I gave them the opportunity to be raised in aplete family from the time of their birth. Was that a wrong thing for me to do?¡± Dew covered her face and bawled. Duke looked at her with cold eyes. There was an impassive look on his face. How this woman managed to make her misdeeds sound so noble had really stunned him. He had to think about ways to make this woman pay. Duke¡®s lips curled, and a bloodthirsty glow emerged in his eyes. Dew had been with him for four years. She knew his personality very well. She had fooled him for four years. There was no way he would spare her and the Daugherty family. The only thing she could do now was to keep him stable. And then, she would pack her stuff and get out of Sea City, and full of troubles. ¡°Duke, I know I made a lot of mistakes, but I really do love the boys. And I really love you,¡± Dew paused and said. ¡°On the contrary, Adina, she doesn¡®t love you at all. She is a scheming fox. She got close to you just to take Harold and George away from you. You have to stay away from Adina. She is vicious. She would get back at you for what happened five years ago.¡± Duke lifted his foot and stepped on Dew¡®s femur. Bullying a woman was beneath him, but Dew was just too horrible. Asking his men to do it for him would not grant him any satisfaction. ¡°Duke, you have to trust me. I have a recording as proof.¡± Dew endured the severe pain and hastily picked her phone up. When she was talking to Adinast night, she happened to have the recording on. Their conversation was recorded. ¡°You don¡®t like Duke?¡± ¡°If it wasn¡®t for the children, I would never have crossed paths with him.¡± The conversation between them came out clearly from the phone. Even though he already knew that Adina had only agreed to be his girlfriend for the sake of the children, Duke was still a bit irritated when he heard such words from her. He was falling for that woman. Yet she did not even care about him. She negotiated terms with Dew calmly and coolly, with only the children in her mind. She did not even seem to see him as a person. What¡®s more, she had already found out that he was the father of the children, but she did not even bother to tell him. What was he to her? While Duke was lost in thought, Dew grabbed her phone and ran toward the door in a panic. All the servants, who were guarding the door, were scared out of their minds. They moved out of her way and let her pass. Dew grabbed the car keys and drove off. She did not want to stay here anymore. She did not want to be alone with Duke anymore. She would get killed. Duke stood in the living room of the Winters family¡®s vi, gently rubbing his fingers cogether. When he closed his eyes, he could see Melody and Alden¡®s faces. They were his own son and laughter.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Chapter 368 While still reeling from his shock, he could hear the soft voices calling hinn ¡°daddy¡°. That little girl was his daughter. Slowly, the rage and frustration in Duke¡®s chest faded. He had truly lost control just now and had nearly killed Dew. He wanted to teach Dew a lesson, but there were many more other ways for him to do so. Why should he get his hands dirty for that? He chuckled coldly and turned around to look at the family portrait hanging in the Daugherty family¡®s living room. There were only the three of them¨CAaron, Ruby, and Dew-in the family portrait. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Adina would always be the outsider in this family But did Aaron and Ruby know about the incident that happened four years ago? Duke really wanted to rush to the preschool right away and give his long¨C lost kids a proper hug. But he still held himself back. If the Daugherty family were not dealt with, he would never feel at ease. He slowly walked out the door, turned to face the servants surrounding the door, and asked coldly, ¡°Where are Aaron and Ruby?¡± A much braver servant obediently informed him, ¡°The master and madam are still at thepany. They haven¡®t returned yet.¡± Duke pulled open the car door and got inside. While seated in the car, he pulled out his phone and noticed two texts from Adina. He pursed his lips and sent a reply that said, (I¡®ll be back to the Winters family¡®s mansion shortly.) He exited the chat with Adina before sending a message to his assistant, and then he drove to Daugherty Corporation. Twilight arrived then, painting the sky red from the setting sun. The autumn evening sky was clear. It was rush hour, and Daugherty Corporation¡®s employees were leaving the office one by one. Duke entered the building through the main entrance, drawing many people¡®s attention. ¡°God, I¡®m not hallucinating, am I? I think that¡®s the CEO of Winters Corporation, Duke Winters!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, he really is very attractive. How could such a handsome man exist?!¡± ¡°Stop fangirling. Do you guys know why Duke would visit Daughter Corporation at such ate hour?¡± ¡°I think he¡®s here to talk with Mr. Daugherty about a partnership. If we manage to work with Winters Corporation, we won¡®t have to worry about thepany¡®s profit over the next few years.¡± Duke made his way to the elevator as the employees continued chatting, and went up to the top floor He had visited Daugherty Corporation a few times before, so he casily found his way to the CEO¡®s office. Before he even knocked on the door, he could hear arguinging from the inside. ¡°Aaron, you bastard, are you really cheating on me behind my back with the office secretary? What makes this little bitch so great that you would throw away your morals and principles?!¡± Then came the sound of things shattering and a woman crying. Duke frowned. He pursed his lips in annoyance and opened the office door with a kick. ¡°Who¡®s that? How rude of you to enter without knocking first! Do you want to lose your job?¡± Ruby cursed while turning around, but she was absolutely taken aback when she saw Duke standing coldly at the door. ¡°D¨CDuke, what brings you here? Why didn¡®t you tell us before you came?¡± As she said that, she turned and red angrily at the crying secretary by the side. ¡°What are you crying about? Hurry up and get a ss of water!¡° Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Chapter 369 As the saying goes, one should not wash their dirty linen in public. As intense as Aaron and Ruby¡¯s argument was, it was now impossible for them to continue after Duke showed up. Aaron straightened the cor of his shirt, cleared his throat, and asked, ¡°What brings you here at the company at such ate hour, Duke? It is something important, I presume?¡± Duke¡¯s lips curled into a cold smirk. ¡°I have something I wanted to ask you.¡± ¡°You can ask us anything, Duke,¡± Ruby said with a smile. ¡°As long as I know the answer, I¡¯ll definitely tell you everything I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never got the chance to ask this before, but which hospital were George and Harold born in?¡± The grin on Duke¡¯s face slowly grew wider as he asked. ¡°I asked Dew, but she said she had forgotten.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The smile on Ruby¡¯s face immediately dropped. Her eyes darted in every direction and she avoided looking at Duke as she spoke. ¡°That happened four years ago, who still remembers it so clearly? Oh, right, why are you suddenly asking about this, Duke?¡± Duke cast a nce towards Aaron and coldly asked, ¡°Did Mr. Daugherty forget about it too?¡± After receiving such an intense gaze from Duke, Aaron felt his chest tightening up. He was unsure of Duke¡¯s reasons for asking those questions, but he had to be careful not to let him catch any dirt. After a brief pause, he said, ¡°Everything happened too suddenly that day, and Dew gave birth to the two kids before she was even taken to the hospital. They were born at home, and the servants were in charge of delivering the birth.¡±. ¡°But Dew has always said that she bled heavily on the day she gave birth. If she had given birth at home, how was that situation sorted out?¡± Duke smirked as he said. His words had left Aaron speechless. Dew had consistently brought that up to make sure George remained obedient. Who would have thought that Duke would ask about the past four yearster? ¡°We also have a family doctor, and the bleeding stopped on that very night,¡± Ruby chuckled dryly. ¡°Did someone say anything weird to you, Duke? Here, drink some water and calm down.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. She handed Duke the ss of water that the secretary had just poured for him. Duke received the ss of water, then abruptly let go of it, causing the ss to shatter. Shards of ss flew all over the ce. Ruby and Aaron had long suspected that Duke had not shown up with good intentions, and their suspicions were confirmed when the ss hit the ground. Aaron frowned. ¡°Duke, you can just cut to the chase. What exactly are you trying to ask? Don¡¯t try to cause a scene in my office! Although our family is notparable to the Winters, I am still George and Harold¡¯s grandfather. So, I suggest that you be careful with your words and actions.¡± ¡°I know that you really are their grandfather but,¡± Duke turned to look at Ruby and continued, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure if you are really their grandmother.¡± While saying that, his gaze was as if he were staring at a dead person. Ruby took a step back subconsciously because she felt like all of her wrongdoings were about to be revealed. At that precise moment, the secretary rapidly knocked on the door. Aaron was considering not letting the secretary barge in at this time due to the tense atmosphere, but he heard Duke chuckling lightly while saying, ¡°Come in.¡± As soon as he was done speaking, the secretary walked in and anxiously said, ¡°Mr. Daugherty, something bad is happening. The stocks of ourpany fell by three percent as a result of a trader scalping the market. We lost at least fifty million in just thirty minutes, and the numbers are still rising.¡± ¡°What did you just say?!¡± Aaron¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°Go find out who the fuck is targeting Daugherty Corporation.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Duke said with a coldugh. He peeked at his watch and added, ¡°After another thirty minutes, Daugherty Corporation¡¯s stocks will hit another bracket lower.¡± ¡°Duke, are you crazy? Why are you targeting ourpany? What advantage can you get from ¡¤ allowing traders to manipte stocks?¡± Ruby eximed as she turned pale from shock ¡°You really don¡¯t know the reason?¡± Aaron said as he pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°There are still thirty minutes until the stock hits the limit down, so you two can take time and think properly about what you did to offend me. If youe clean on your own record, I can still let Daugherty Corporation off the hook. However, if you choose to be stubborn, then ¨C ¡± As he spoke, a nasty smirk appeared on his face. Both Ruby and Aaron felt chills running down their spines. They already had a vague idea of the cause behind it, but they were not quite certain. Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. What if they reveal the truth about the children, only for it to not end up being the answer Duke wanted? The atmosphere in the office was eerily quiet. Minute by minute, time passed, Adina was almost ready to head home after picking up the two kids from preschool, but she changed her mind and went to the Winters family¡¯s mansion instead. No matter how Madam Winters treated her, she was still obligated to keep her promise to Harold. She was focused on driving at the front, but was momentarily distracted when she heard Alden ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mel? Are you feeling alright?¡± Adina peeked at the rearview mirror and saw Mel, who had always sat quietly, was now squirming in her seat and looking agitated. ¡°Mel, tell mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Adina slowed down the car and asked softly. Melody shook her head and said in a small voice while hugging a cushion, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling sick.¡± There just seemed to be a general sense of unease. After a pause, she continued softly. ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s daddy?¡± Before she went to sleep the night before, her daddy had promised her that he would pick her up from school. ¡°Your daddy had something to do and went home first. You can see him when we get hometer,¡± Adina said with a gentle smile. After hearing that, Melody¡¯s expression brightened a little. Adina smiled in relief. Recently, Melody seemed less like an autistic child as she grew closer to Duke. Although she was still hesitant to talk, she was willing to calli her mommy and her brothers, while opening up to trying out new things. She was slowly starting to look like a normal four year-old. About seven in the evening, the car pulled up at the entrance to the Winters family¡¯s mansion. Mr. Brown was politely waiting at the entrance. ¡°Ms. Adina, you were ten minuteste today. I thought you were noting.¡± ¡°I had things to tend to just now,¡± Adina said while holding the two kids¡¯ hands. ¡°Is Madam Winters home?¡± ¡°Madam Winters is attending a charity event tonight, and she probably won¡¯t be back until ten.¡± Mr. Brown lowered his head and smiled. ¡°Miss Melody, can you give Papa Brown a hug?¡± Melody spread her arms wide and let Mr. Brown carry her. ¡°Mel! Mommy!¡± Harold raced out from the mansion cheerfully and flung himself onto Adina with both arms and legs like a little monkey. With a pout, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling worried and uneasy since six o¡¯clock. I thought you weren¡¯ting tonight, Mommy.¡± Adina was about to soothe him, but she suddenly stopped in her tracks. ¡®Didn¡¯t Mel feel ufortable on the way here as well?¡¯ She lowered her head to look at Alden and asked, ¡°Do you feel any difort, Al?¡± Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°I feel a little stuffy. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because it¡¯s about to rain, but I do feel a little uneasy.¡± Mr. Brown, who was carrying Melody, chuckled and said, ¡°I just checked the weather forecast, and it says it¡¯s going to be clear for these few days. It¡¯ll only rain the day after tomorrow.¡± Adina¡¯s fingers stiffened. ¡®All three of the kids are feeling uneasy. Is something going to happen?¡¯ She looked up and said, ¡°Mr. Brown, can you please call Georgie and ask him where he is right now?¡± Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Chapter 371 It was already getting dark outside Digion Technology. George was looking at some documents when his phone buzzed on the table. He nced at the caller ID and answered the call. ¡°Yes, Papa Brown.¡± ¡°Young Master George, Ms. Adina brought Young Master Alden and Miss Melody here. She wanted me to ask you when you¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll head back in ten minutes,¡± George said as he scanned the pile of documents beside him and pursed his lips. ¡°Tell them to eat without me.¡± He ended the call and closed the file in his hands. After that, he searched through the stack of documents for the next two minutes and finally found a document about technological projects. There was a form written inside that, surprisingly, could produce the same results as the form he had previously seen in Project A-F. If he brought up the form to Adina, perhaps they could talk for a bit longer. He took the file and left the building. Liam drove the car and stopped right in front of him. Before he opened the car door, he saw a silhouette appear on the road ahead of him. The night was falling, and the lights were just starting to turn on. Although there were pedestrians coming and going, the person standing in the middle of the road stood out among them, ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Dew, Young Master,¡± Liam turned around and said lightly.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. George subconsciously furrowed his eyebrows. Honestly, he really disliked Dew, but the fact that this woman was his biological mother meant that there were many things he could not refuse. He turned around and asked with a louder voice, ¡°Why are you standing in the middle of the road, Mother?¡± Dew seemed to be jolted out of her reverie after hearing that. Step by step, she approached the car. When she got closer, George noticed a few deep purplish streaks on her neck, which were obviously the results of being strangled. ¡°Mother, who did that?¡± Instinctively, Dew pulled her cor up. She was wandering along the streets like a lost soul, and she was not sure how she had ended up here. Maybe her subconscious mind was trying to tell her that George was her only hope for survival. ¡°Did your daddy call you, George?¡± Dew clung to George¡¯s shoulder and asked with difficulty. George shook his head and asked, ¡°What on earth happened?¡± ¡°Get out of the car, Liam,¡± Dew coldly ordered as she turned to look inside the car. Liam was stunned for a moment. He then turned to look at George, and when thetter nodded, he pushed open the driver¡¯s door and stepped out of the car. He walked to George¡¯s side and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting at a distance, Young Master George. You can just give me a call if you need anything.¡± ¡°You can get off work now,¡± Dew said coldly and dragged George into the car. George frowned as he gripped the car door. ¡°Where are you taking me, Mother?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me what happened? We¡¯ll find a ce to sit down and talk.¡± ¡°Get in and sit properly,¡± Dew sternly ordered as she took the wheel and fastened her seatbelt. George¡¯s eyebrow furrowed even more. He sensed that Dew was acting a little strangely tonight, but he was unable to pinpoint why. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Chapter 372 She was his biological mother, and no matter what, she would not hurt him, would she? He loosened his grip and got into the backseat obediently. Dew did not stop for anything, including the red lights. The car sped down the road. ¡°What do you want to tell me, Mother?¡± George asked, feeling that something was off. ¡°You can pull over right now and tell me!¡± Dew floored the pedal because it seemed like the only way for her to let all of her fear and anxiety out. They soon left the downtown area as the car zoomed along the road. They kept moving further and further away along a provincial road, with fewer and fewer vehicles and people on the road. After twenty minutes, the car finally stopped at the side of the road. They were in an industrial area full of abandoned factories, and rusting machinery was being dumped down the sides of the roads. Under the streetlight¡¯s yellow glow, the ce appeared even eerier. ¡°Get out.¡± Dew leaned against the car with her eyes cold. George took a quick look outside and saw that it was deserted, but the cool autumn night air was a little refreshing. He bent down and got out of the car with pursed lips. A cold aura emitted from his body. ¡°George, you always call me mother, but I know you don¡¯t really love and respect me. You have no choice but to acknowledge me only because I gave birth to you. Am I right?¡± Dew turned and stared at him with a piercing gaze. After a short period of silence, George asked, ¡°You brought me all the way here just to ask me this question, Mother?¡± ¡°If, and I mean if.¡± The corner of Dew¡¯s lips curled upwards, and she smiled slowly. ¡°If I¡¯m not your biological mother, and if the past four years have been a lie, then, are you still willing to call me your mother?¡± she asked. George waspletely stunned. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Dew crouched down to grab his shoulders and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a hypothetical question. If you weren¡¯t my real son, and you hadn¡¯t crawled out of my tummy, but I¡¯ve been raising you for four years, would you still respect me like you used to do?¡± George¡¯s eyes narrowed. Nobody ever asks a question without a good cause. Moreover, his mother had taken him to this deserted ce with great effort just to question him. And that indicated that it was not a meaningless question. ¡°How do you want me to answer this?¡± he slowly said. ¡°I¡¯ve been taking care of you for the past four years. Although I didn¡¯t do so day and night, I did everything I should as a mother,¡± Dew pinched his young shoulders with force, and with a heavier tone, she said, ¡°They all say that the mother who raises their child is greater than the one who gave birth to them. I¡¯ve been taking care of you, in your heart, I should be more important than your birth mother!¡± ¡°Mother, are you telling me that you¡¯re actually my stepmother?¡± George said slowly, his hands clenched into fists as he fought to suppress the turmoil in his heart. ¡°No, I¡¯m just making an assumption,¡± Dew¡¯s eyes widened.¡± George, your daddy wants to kill me because he thinks I¡¯m not your biological mother. Can you go and convince him to let me go? I really am you and Harold¡¯s mother. I gave birth to the both of you after carrying you both in my stomach for ten months. I love you two so much, how could it all be a lie?¡± George stared at her for a full minute. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. He was not a fool, and just by looking at Dew¡¯s expression, he could already surmise most of the truth. He raised his hands to pry away Dew¡¯s fingers one by one. ¡°George. George! You have to believe me. I really am your mother, and you¡¯re the only one who can save me now! I¡¯m begging you, George. Now, all I can do is beg you for help. Your daddy will really kill me if you don¡¯t care about me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my mother!¡± George eximed, one word after the other. ¡°You¡¯re not the mother of Harold and me. It¡¯s not an assumption, it¡¯s the truth.¡± Dew¡¯s eyes widened instantly. This kid was too clever. It was impossible to trick him. However, he was herst and only hope of surviving. Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Chapter 373 ¡°George, listen to me.¡± Dew took a few steps forward and grabbed onto George¡¯s arms once again. George instantly fought to escape, but because he was only four years old and had limited strength, he was unable to do so. ¡°I¡¯m your mother, your birth mother. You have to ept that! Can¡¯t you see the effort and sacrifices I made for the both of you throughout these past four years? I looked after the two of you and waited for Duke for four years. Why didn¡¯t I get anything!¡± 1 Dew¡¯s face was growing visibly unhinged by the minute. George¡¯s little eyebrows furrowed as he said, ¡°You have indeed been Harold and I¡¯s mother for four years, but are you truly deserving of the title? Do you remember how you treated Harold and me on the day we turned one? When nobody is around, you would call us ¡°illegitimate children.¡± Even if someone was present, you would sneakily pinch our arms. How could you be so cruel to us when we were only a year old at the time? ¡°Over time, Harold and I gradually grew up, and you stopped the discreet abuse. However, when you had calls with the Daugherty family, we frequently overheard you berating us for troubling you. You constantlyin in my face that Harold doesn¡¯t respect you, but who or what about you deserves Harold¡¯s respect? I wouldn¡¯t even call you our mother if it weren¡¯t for you giving birth to us!¡± Dew waspletely stunned. She did abuse George and Harold before, but that was more than three years ago. How were these two kids able to recall all this? 1 She had already controlled her behavior by the time they were capable of remembering things. She believed she had done a fantastic job of hiding it, but it turned out that the two kids already knew about her hatred and frustration towards them. ¡°I¡¯ve tried toe up with exnations for why you dislike Harold and me so much. I thought of many reasons, but I never considered the possibility that we may not even be your actual sons.¡± George¡¯s eyes were full of disbelief. He had never really considered this possibility, but it had actually urred. Dew might not have admitted it, but he was already sure it was the truth. So, who was the real mother of him and Harold? ¡°It¡¯s not like that, George.¡± Dew shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve done DNA tests, you really are my biological son!¡± Although George was disappointed, he also rejoiced. He was fortunate that this woman was not his birth mother, since he would have felt despair if he had to get involved with Dew for the rest of his life. Now that Dew had no connections with him, he did not have to force himself to deal with her anymore. He stared at Dew coldly and walked away. ¡°Stop right there, George! Stop!¡± Dew chased after him and grabbed his shoulders. ¡°I raised and looked after both Harold and you for four years. How could you just walk away like that? Is that how you want to repay me for the four years I spent taking care of you?¡± George scanned her neck coldly and calmly asked, ¡°Did my Daddy do that to you, Dew?¡± Dew flinched in surprise when he stopped calling her mother and started calling her by name. Even George had given up on her. Would she be able to survive? ¡°You not only tricked me and Harold for four years, but also tricked Daddy as well. We were fooled by you for four years. ¡°What Daddy did to you was all your fault, and you deserve it,¡± George said slowly. ¡°You!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Dew raised her hand and was about to p him. The reason she brought him here was to find a way to survive. Not to be chastised like that! She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She was about to speak when the phone in George¡¯s pocket started ringing. The phone¡¯s ringtone sounded particrly loud in the quiet night. George took out his phone and looked at the caller ID. It was Adina. ¡°Don¡¯t answer it!¡± Dew¡¯s eyes widened, and she immediately snatched away the phone and dropped the call. George looked up calmly and said, ¡°Give me my phone back.¡± ¡°Buzz!¡± Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Chapter 374 The call had just ended before Adina called. Her name shed continuously on the phone screen. Dew¡¯s head buzzed. Was Adina calling because she wanted to tell George the truth? If George learned everything that happened back then, her fate would be sealed ¡°I¡¯ll say this again-give me the phone!¡± George¡¯s tone became icy cold. Dew hung up the call and then turned the phone off. She raised her head, and her eyes shone with a desperate and shrewd light In the Winters family mansion, Adina called a person twice. Suddenly, a mechanically cold female voice was heard from the phone, indicating that the other party¡¯s phone had been turned off. ¡°Is George still not answering the phone?¡± Harold tilted his head and asked with slight concern. ¡°Theoretically. Young Master George wouldn¡¯t reject any calls.¡± Mr. Brown scratched his chin and said, ¡°Young Master George¡¯s cell phone is always on. How could it die now? Regardless, he should be back soon. Just wait for a little while more.¡± Adina felt uneasy, but she could not put her finger on the reason. This uneasy feeling made her lose her mood to cook dinner. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Mr. Brown, do you have Georgie¡¯s assistant or secretary¡¯s phone number? Call them and ask about George.¡± Mr. Brown nodded and immediately dialed Liam¡¯s phone number. ¡°Ms. Daugherty personally picked Young Master George up and left thepany, but I have no idea where exactly they went.¡± ¡°Which Ms. Daugherty?¡± ¡°Ms. Dew Daugherty. She seemed a bit strange today. She was really bossy. Something appears to have happened¡­¡± Adina¡¯s brows furrowed as she listened to the voice on the other side of the phone. Did George get taken away by Dew? Where was he taken? For what purpose was he taken away? Why did she feel her heart bing increasingly uneasy? Adina walked around the living room and finally could not help but dial Duke¡¯s number. The phone rang several times before being answered, and the man¡¯s cold and low voice came from the other end. ¡°Give me another ten minutes, and I¡¯ll be back.¡± Adina clenched her fists and said, ¡°Did you contact George?¡± As soon as she finished saying that, she heard the voice of another man on the other end of the phone that was not Duke¡¯s. ¡°Duke, we can take our time discussing these issues¡­¡± Although the voice was a bit far away and could not be heard very clearly, Adina was familiar with this voice. It was Aaron¡¯s voice. Why were Duke and Aaron together? Immediately after that, she heard Ruby speaking again, ¡°Dew is sincere to you, and she also pours out her heart to the two children¡­¡± Adina was stunned again. She thought this man had an important task he needed toplete, which was why he did not go to the preschool to pick up Melody. However, how did he end up going to look for Aaron and Ruby? Moreover, it seemed to be about Dew! N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. She did not have time to think about it and said lightly, ¡°Contact George when you have time and ask him where he is.¡± After saying that, she hung up. Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Chapter 375 At the Daugherty Corporation, Aaron and Ruby could do nothing except watch helplessly as the company stock price plummeted quickly. ¡°Duke, Daugherty Corporation is unable to withstand such a blow. Please go easy on us.¡± Aaron could no longer pretend not to care. If this continued, Daugherty Corporation would only end in one way: copsing into bankruptcy. Duke¡¯s lips curled into an ice-cold, malicious smile. ¡°So, are you all still denying it?¡± Ruby supported herself on the desk while her entire body shivered. As her pale lips trembled, she pleaded, ¡°Duke, no matter what, Dew has taken care of Georgie and Hal for four years. Her hard work deserves some credit. Please spare us. Spare the Daugherty family.¡± The smile on Duke¡¯s face disappeared at that instant. He arose menacingly, his eyes twinkling like a pair of eagle eyes, ¡°That is to say, you two were also aware of that matter? That incident from four years back?¡± He sent out an aura that fell upon Ruby with staggering weight. Her entire body shook, and she could not say a word. Taking a deep breath, Aaron exined, ¡°We all believed that Addy had died four years ago, and we could not bear to see her children grow up without her, so we devised such a solution. The blood of the Daugherty family does flow in Georgie and Hal, so don¡¯t you think dealing with the Daugherty Corporation will disappoint them?¡± Duke was on the verge of losing it. ¡°Adina is the biological mother of my two sons, and her blood flows through them!¡± He said coldly, ¡°And the Daugherty family almost forced my sons¡¯ mother to death. Who do you think the two children would be disappointed with?¡± He sneered, ¡°You all should be grateful for now that Adina owns shares of the Daugherty Corporation. Otherwise, the Daugherty Corporation would have disappeared from Sea City tonight.¡± Aaron slumped on the sofa. Ruby¡¯s fear was evident in her eyes. She had a feeling that Duke¡¯s revenge would involve more dreadful tactics. ¡°Buzz buzz!¡± Just then, her cell phone vibrated. She nced at the caller ID and saw that it was Dew. She did not dare answer it and immediately declined the call. Duke saw the name shing on the phone screen as well. Heughed lightly, ¡°Answer the call. I¡¯m keen to know how the two of you mother-daughter duo n to trick me once more.¡± He had been deceived for four years. That had been over a thousand days and nights. He would never let the Daugherty family off the hook! Copsing the share prices of the Daugherty Corporation was just his first step. The call had already disconnected, but Dew called again. Ruby refrained from looking into Duke¡¯s eyes. She answered the phone with trembling hands. ¡°Mom, listen to me. You need to act fast to sell all the stocks in your hands and all the fixed assets. Sell them all at once. It doesn¡¯t matter if the price is high or low. Everything must be sold.¡± Dew said in a raspy and wretched voice, ¡°Quickly transfer me a hundred million. I¡¯m leaving the country now.¡± Ruby¡¯s heart gradually sank to the bottom. Duke seemed to have approached her daughter. What exactly did Duke do to Dew to cause such fear in her? ¡°Mom, are you paying attention to what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Dew, Duke, he, he¡¯s right here next to me.¡± Ruby¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°The Daugherty Corporation¡¯s stock price has already dropped. The stock can¡¯t be sold off.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Dew¡¯s shocked voice echoed throughout the hall. She leaned against the car. The chilly wind kept blowing into her cor, but her heart was the source of the chill in her body, not the wind. Duke, this man was too ruthless¡­ Along with wanting to kill her, he also wanted to bring the Daugherty Corporation to bankruptcy. He had no intention of sparing her. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Dew, just go away, go as far as you can. Don¡¯t return to the Daugherty family anymore.¡± Ruby shouted into the phone. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Chapter 376 ¡°Duke, you cane to me if you have any problem, just do not touch my mother!¡± Dew yelled until she almost lost her voice, ¡°If you approach the Daugherty Corporation and my parents again, I¡¯II¡ª¡± She looked into the car. A four-year-old childy in the back seat. She had just lost her control and pushed George. His head knocked on a stone at the roadside, then he passed out instantly. She was frightened. She wanted to get far away because she was worried that if something happened to George, Duke would look for her once more. However, the shares in her hands were now worthless due to the Daugherty Corporation stock price drop. She did not even have the money to leave the country! ¡°George is now in my hands. If you dare toy your hands on my mother and the Daugherty Corporation, I will let you never see George again in this life!¡± After Dew finished speaking angrily, she immediately hung up. After finishing her words, she regretted it again. She had never intended to harm George, but she was now stuck in this predicament. If Duke came over and found George hurt like this, she would be in trouble. Dew quickly opened the car door, climbed inside, and sped off. At that moment, Duke¡¯s face looked just like it had been covered with ayer of frost His gaze had turned into a sharp de. Ruby held the phone and said, ¡°Duke, Dew would never dare to do this. She was only speaking out of rage! She loves George so much that she could not possibly do that to him. Do not take her impulsive words to heart.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Duke kicked Ruby out of the way and sat in front of the officeputer. He connected his cell phone to the officeputer and quickly located¡­ In the Winters family¡¯s mansion, The night was no longer young. Adina¡¯s thoughts were weighing heavily on her. Even Harold, who had alwayscked empathy, was slumped over the sofa, listless and exhausted. His eyes vacantly looked out of the window. Alden sat on the floor with hisptop in hand and moved swiftly across the keyboard. Ten minutester, he raised his head and said, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ve located George. He is moving fast now. He should be in a car.¡± He tracked George¡¯s cell phone with the aid of hacking technology. The locator was bound to George¡¯s sim card, so he could urately lock George¡¯s location. Adina transferred the locator to her phone. After taking a moment to study the map, she started to appear more serious. ¡°It¡¯s sote now. Why would Georgie go to the jetty on the outskirts?¡± She had been to that jetty when she was still a child. The jetty was once prosperous for a time, but it was now abandoned. The coastal environment there was polluted, and after the factories moved away, fewer people visited there. ¡°Mommy, my heart feels awful right now.¡± Harold rubbed over the location of his heart. ¡°I keep on feeling as if something bad has happened.¡± ¡°Harold, be good. You are just hungry. Take Sister Mel along to eat something. Okay?¡± Adina smiled softly as she spoke. She then winked at Mr. Brown, who put his concerns aside and carried Harold and Mel towards the dining table. ¡°Alden, mommy is going out. You stay home and take good care of your sister.¡± Adina stood up and headed out. The uneasy feeling in her heart was getting stronger and stronger. She had to go and find George. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Alden pulled open the car¡¯s back seat and sat in it. He held theputer and continued tapping on the keyboard, whispering, ¡°I¡¯ve locked on to Dew¡¯s location, and she is together with George.¡± Adina clenched her jaw. ¡°Alden, fasten your seat belt.¡± The car elerated out of the mansion as she stepped on the gas. Four years ago, she was not able to protect George and Harold well, whichter turned into a nightmare that haunted her ever since.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Now, she must protect her son. In the past, if Dew dared to hurt George, she would have wanted her to pay the blood debt with blood. However, she no longer wanted things to get to that point. Adina stepped on the gas pedal to the bottom. She ran a string of red lights before finally driving out of the downtown area, and the car sped up to the red dot on the locator. She was closer to the red dot. She grew closer and closer. Fifteen minutester, the car arrived at the beach. The seawater over here carried the strong stench of fish which made people ufortable. ¡°Alden, please sit still in the car.¡± Adina turned her head and spoke each word slowly, one at a time, to make sure he understood. Alden was instinctively about to shake his head. ¡°Alden, be good and sit properly. Don¡¯t let mommy worry.¡± Adina turned around once more and petted his hair. ¡°Mommy can only do so much alone. I can only take care of one child, so you just stay in the car and lock the door. Don¡¯te out, okay?¡± Alden stared into Adina¡¯s eyes and slowly nodded. He did not understand why his mother wanted to save Dew¡¯s son. He also did not understand why his heart had been racing ever since George had been taken away. Even moreso, he did not understand why he was not objecting to his mother saving George. ¡°Mommy, you go ahead. I¡¯ll sit obediently in the car and wait for you to return.¡± Adina bent down and kissed him on the cheek before opening the car door and exiting the car. She made sure the door was locked, then took a step towards her final destination. With each step she took, she moved closer and closer to the red dot on the map. Three minutester, she reached the red dot. It was an abandoned factory with oil drums piled up at the entrance, blocking the entrance tightly. She turned off the phone torchlight and slowly took a few steps inside. She noticed a dim lighting from within. There was indeed someone here. Adina squatted down, picked up a tiny stone, and threw it in forcefully. The next second ¡°Who! Who¡¯s out there!¡± A terrified woman¡¯s voice came from inside. It was Dew¡¯s voice. Adina remained silent and made no further noise. She heard footsteps inside getting closer and closer. Only one person¡¯s footsteps could be heard. That was to say, only Dew should be in this abandoned factory. What about George? Where did he go? The footsteps suddenly stopped when there were still a few meters left to the door. Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Chapter 378 ¡°Duke, I know it¡¯s you!¡± Dew stood inside and talked to herself. ¡°I was wrong four years ago. I made a serious mistake. I should not have pretended to be the children¡¯s mother! Even though I lied to you, I gave the two children my heart and soul over these four years, and I never did anything to harm George and Harold. Why do you have to do this to me? Why are you doing this to Daugherty Corporation?¡± Adina, who was standing outside, instantly froze when she heard it. So Duke was aware of the issue with the children? When did he know about it? Before she could think about it, she heard Dew¡¯s voice growing more agitated. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for the past four years, giving the Winters family four years of my youth, and this is how you treat me? You never put me in your eyes! You never wanted to marry me! The Daugherty family has never benefited from the Winters family either, so why are you treating me like this?¡± Dew roared,¡± I guess you just want to kill me, huh? If you want to me die, George and I shall die together! My path to death won¡¯t be too lonely with the Winters family prince by my side!¡± She fiercely yanked the unconscious George in her hand. Her force was so strong that it immediately roused George and caused him to let out a muffled grunt in pain. Adina, who was standing outside, could no longer remain calm, and she rushed in right away. When her eyes limated to the darkness, she quickly gained rity of the surroundings. She saw Dew holding George¡¯s arm. Her elbow was locked around his neck. Blood had congealed on the back of the child¡¯s skull in both ck and crimson colors. Adina¡¯s heart was clenching up. ¡°What did you do to George?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Dew loosened up, and she suddenly sneered, ¡°How did you get here? What brought you here? Because of the mother son connection?¡± George was being held by the neck and in a stage of being half dazed and half awake. When he heard what Dew said, he opened his eyes wide. He looked towards Adina who suddenly appeared in front of him. His gaze became veryplicated at that instant. Adina let out a sigh of relief as she saw George open his eyes. She raised her eyes and stared coldly at Dew, saying word by word, ¡°Do you notice how stupidly you¡¯re acting right now?¡± ¡°Adina, you are abhorrent. Just yesterday, you promised to help me keep this secret, yet today Duke already knew!¡± Dew sneered, ¡°He now hates me so much and wanted to dismember me. Aren¡¯t you very proud? However, I can assure you that I won¡¯t let you get away with it! If I die, I will let George be buried with me, want you and Duke to live in remorse for the rest of your life!¡± As her words fell, she put force into her elbow. George struggled to take a breath. He gasped hard, and he looked like he was suffering. Dewughed, ¡°George, this was how your daddy used to treat me. Is this feeling particrly unpleasant?¡± ¡°Dew, stop it!¡± Adina¡¯s heart was aching with anger. Just as she took a step forward, Dew took a step back, maintaining a three to a five-step gap between them. ¡°You better note over.¡± Dew grinned slyly. ¡°If you get too close, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to resist strangling this kid to death.¡± George clenched his fist tight in response to her words, which were immensely icy and vengeful. He once sincerely took this woman as his mother, but now she was trying to kill him by strangling him. He felt like wanting to p himself in the face for once trying to love and respect her. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. How could he have gotten himself into this situation if he had not put so much trust in Dew? ¡°As long as you let go of George, I will do whatever you wish.¡± Adina said slowly, ¡°I know you hate me. Whatever hatred you have, you cane at me. It has nothing to do with George.¡± George¡¯s entire body froze when he heard what she had to say. Why had Adinae to rescue him? Why would she go to such lengths to save him? What did Dew mean earlier when she spoke about the connection between mother and son? An incredible thought then came up in George¡¯s mind¡­ Chapter 379 Chapter 379 ¡°Will you really do whatever I ask you to do?¡± Dew smirked, and her eyes shone with a cunning, sinister light in the dark. Adina nodded coolly. ¡°With the condition of you letting George go.¡± ¡°Sure. As long as you do as I say, I will let George go, and I promise you that he will not be hurt.¡± Dew ruffled George¡¯s hair and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not so evil as to want you to die. I just want you to maim your face. Then, I¡¯ll return George to you.¡± She raked her eyes over Adina¡¯s face. Her gaze was like a knife that desperately wanted to tear off Adina¡¯s skin from her face. Adina had always been the most beautiful girl in ss and in school. Wherever she went, Dew¡¯s pride would always be trampled by Adina Whenever her friends and the people around her spoke about the siblings, they would always say that Adina was prettier and more dignified Even if Adina did not show up in the same ce as Dew, someone around her would still say that while Dew was beautiful, Adina was more beautiful. How great would it be if Adina did not have that beautiful face? Dew grabbed a fruit knife from her bag and tossed it to Adina.¡± Hurry up. I¡¯m not that patient of a person.¡± There was no light in the factory, but there was an ocean outside. Orange streetlights were set up at the dock by the ocean. The lights from the streetlights shone in through the windows, and the fruit knife glittered with a cold light. Adina picked up the fruit knife. She looked up and said calmly, ¡°You promise to let George go once I ruin my face?¡± ¡°Stop stalling for time!¡± Dew howled impatiently. Adina brought the knife up and drew it slowly closer to her right cheek. ¡°No¡­¡± George said hoarsely, ¡°Adina, I¡¯ve done horrible things to you before. You shouldn¡¯t ruin your face to save me¡­¡± Adina just smiled and said, ¡°George, be a good boy and close your eyes.¡± He was just a boy and should not see such a gory scene. Otherwise, he would be traumatized for life. It was not as if her face was not something she could not part with, anyway. Since she had a beautiful face, she had plenty of suitors, and she wasted a lot of time dealing with them every single day. ¡°Adina, even if you ruin your face to save me, I won¡¯t thank you!¡± George spoke with a choked-up voice, ¡°I have always hated you! Don¡¯t go thinking that I will let you be with my father just because you saved me! Throw that fruit knife away! Now!¡± He shouted so loudly that his voice was almost ruined. Adina just smiled. ¡°George, just keep hating me. It¡¯s fine. Just listen to me for once and close your eyes, okay?¡± Despite George doing his best to keep his eyes opened wide to see, his tears still spilled down his cheeks, making his vision blurry. He had never cried. This was the first time he remembered himself crying. ¡°Does your heart ache for her, George?¡± Dew grinned. ¡°They were right when they said that children shared a special connection with their parents. It makes sense now why I could never make you and Harold love me no matter what I did. It¡¯s all because I didn¡¯t give birth to you two. No matter what I did, both of you never treated me as your real mother. It¡¯s a pity that I only just understood this.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. George¡¯s lips quivered as he asked, ¡°Adina is Harold and my real mother, right?¡± ¡°Smart boy. But no matter how smart you are, I still fooled you for four years!¡± Dew stoppedughing and red at Adina. ¡°If you don¡¯t move that knife, I¡¯m going to ruin Harold¡¯s face!¡± Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Chapter 380 She took out a knife from nowhere before she pointed it at George¡¯s chin. Adina¡¯s hand immediately froze. She was preparing to subdue Dew when she was not paying attention. She was not expecting Dew to have a weapon. It looked like she had to ruin her face first tonight before she came up with another solution. Adina saw that George¡¯s eyes were still opened wide, so she turned around. She raised the knife, and when she was about to stab her face, a dazzling white light suddenly shone in her direction; it came from a car. The person inside kicked the car door open, and a tall and straight figure quickly walked in from the entrance of the factory. As soon as he entered, the temperature in the surroundings plummeted. An invisible seemed to spread out in the air, which suppressed Dew so much that she could not breathe. She grabbed George tightly while she kept moving backward.¡± Don¡¯te over! Duke Winters, don¡¯t come over. Your son is in my hands!¡± Duke stood beside Adina. He raised his hand and grabbed the knife from her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll rescue my own son. I don¡¯t need your help.¡± His voice was very cold, but Adina heard some warmth directed toward her. She pursed her lips and whispered, ¡°Dew has gone mad. You can¡¯tmunicate with her using a normal person¡¯s mindset.¡± ¡°I know. Just stay here. Leave everything else to me.¡± Duke swung his hand and shielded her behind him. When Dew saw that the two of them talked as if nobody else was around, her eyes turnedpletely red. She grabbed George¡¯s neck, and it was so painful that the boy grunted. ¡°Duke Winters !¡± Dew yelled, ¡°I¡¯vee this far, and there¡¯s no way out for me anymore! You have two choices now. Either Adina ruins her face or George dies! Make your choice between the woman and your son!¡± Duke sneered. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to choose either of them?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t choose, I can make the choice for you then.¡± Dew lifted George, and her red nails dug into George¡¯s tender neck.¡± Dying with the young master of the Winters family is also a good choice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Right after she spoke, she noticed Duke slowly extending his arm to the back. She suddenly remembered that Duke owned a gun! She used to sneak into his room, and she found the ck weapon in his bedside cab, which terrified her so much that she dared not sneak into the room again. ¡°Duke Winters, hand over your gun!¡± Dew¡¯s voice trembled as she spoke, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you, even if you have a gun! George is in my hand now. I just need to use some force to cut his neck. Just try and see whether your gun or my knife is faster.¡± She could not control her own strength now. The knife pressed into George¡¯s neck, and it broke his skin, leaving behind a trail of blood. Blood flowed down along George¡¯s neck, and it stood out clearly under the dazzling headlights. Adina felt anxious, so she took a few steps forward. Duke pulled her arm before he took out the ck weapon from the back of his waist. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Then, he threw it to the front and indifferently said, ¡°I handed it over. So?¡± Dew nced at the ck object on the floor. If she did not grab it, she would never feel at ease. She dragged George along while slowly moving toward the gun. Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Chapter 381 This was the moment! Duke immediately went forward, and he stretched out his right hand toward George like an arrow that was released from a string. His gaze was cold and ruthless, and he moved very swiftly. His right arm was stretched out in a perfect arc in the air before he strongly grabbed George¡¯s cor from the back and pulled him over. Dew waspletely stunned. Then, she immediately snapped out of a daze. She crawled to the ck weapon, and she instantly grabbed it with her hand. ¡°Stop moving! Don¡¯t move!¡± Dew sat on the floor while raising the gun high. George nestled in Duke¡¯s arms while breathing heavily. As if he survived a disaster, he raised his head and looked at Adina who still stood at the entrance of the factory. Suddenly, he had a strong sense of foreboding. At that moment! Swish! A bullet was shot in the direction where Adina was. In a split second, Duke did not even have the time to think. He held the boy in his arms tightly while he speedily moved forward and immediately hugged Adina who was still in a daze. Whoosh! Whoosh! Along with two sounds of gunshots, the bullets struck his body. After the sounds of gunshots, the scene became silent. ¡°Duke¡­¡± Adina was so shocked that her gaze became nk. Very soon, she became calm again. She checked his injury by the light. Luckily, only Duke¡¯s arm was shot. The entry wounds were less than 5 cm away from each other, and blood kept flowing out along the length of his arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Duke raised his head and moved his lips to show a gentle smile. He spoke with difficulty, ¡°Hold George¡­¡± No matter how calm and collected George was, he was just a four-year-old boy. He had previously injured the back of his head and lost a lot of blood. After he became conscious, he had been exposed to shock after shock. When he saw bullets flying toward Adina, he was so terrified that he fainted. Adina held the unconscious George in her arms, and her hands were shaking. When Dew saw the family of three hugging each other as if no one else was there, her eyes were filled with hatred. Her life waspletely doomed at this point. But she would not allow Adina to live happily. She raised the gun in her hair and pulled the trigger again. Duke¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he swung out the knife beside him. That knife stabbed Dew¡¯s wrist, and the gun just fell to the ground from her hand. Meanwhile, Duke¡¯s strength finally gave out. He was just able to cast a deep nce at Adina before he became unconscious. Both the man and the boyy unconscious beside Adina. She dared not touch Duke, neither did she dare to hold George. Her hands were shaking, and she could summon any strength within herself. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. But she dared not waste any time. She took out her phone and wanted to make a call, but she felt a pair of eyes not far away staring at her like a venomous snake. When she raised her head, she met Dew¡¯s eyes. Dew was slowly moving forward. She slowly reached out for the gun before she immediately grabbed the gun. She raised the gun again. ¡°Adina Daugherty, I¡¯ll repeat myself. If you ruin your face, I¡¯ll spare George Winters!¡± She ferociouslyughed. At this time, she really looked like the vicious witch in the fairy tales. It seemed that everything went back to the original point after the twist and turn. Adina pursed her lips. At that moment, if she still believed what Dew said, there must be something wrong with her brain. She looked down while observing the surroundings. Suddenly, she heard some extremely soft footstepsing from outside the factory Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Did Duke even bring other people over? Wait, the footsteps sounded slightly familiar¡­ It was Alden! Alden wasing! The gunshots must have shocked Alden, so he wasing over to check out the situation. Adina instantly widened her eyes! If Alden came, it meant Dew would gain another advantage over her again! She wanted to shout to let Alden leave immediately. But she was afraid of triggering Dew. Dew focused on staring at Adina now. She did not notice the footsteps outside. Adina closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she had already regained her calm. ¡°Dew Daugherty, don¡¯t you just want to ruin my face? It¡¯s just a face, and I don¡¯t really care about it. Don¡¯t hurt others over it. Let Duke and George leave this ce first!¡± She spoke while moving backward, blocking the entrance. Coincidentally, the footsteps stopped, and Alden appeared at the entrance. His small figure was shielded by Adina. Dew did not notice anything strange. She kept smiling crazily, and she said, ¡°Yes, I just want your face. Only if your face is ruined would I be happy!¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Alden who stood behind Adina did not go away. L He took something in his pocket. This was the present that Harold gave to him yesterday, but he disliked it, so he just simply kept it in his pocket. He did not expect that it would be useful now. He bent down and picked up a small rock from the ground before he wrapped the rock in a slingshot. He drew the slingshot out like a full moon. His gaze was calm and sharp. He aimed the slingshot at the person standing in the center of the factory before he immediately let go. Whoosh! The rock flew out and ruthlessly hit Dew¡¯s eye. Dew covered her right eye by reflex. At this moment, Adina speedily moved forward and kicked the gun that fell on the ground away. Then, she grabbed Dew¡¯s hands and pressed her down on the ground. Dew screamed out of her lungs. ¡°Let go of me! Let go! Adina Daugherty, you bitch! Let go of me! I won¡¯t spare you! I want you to die miserably!¡± Alden slowly walked inside. He tore off a piece of cloth from his shirt before he stuffed it into Dew¡¯s mouth. ¡°You¡¯re so noisy.¡± LL Meanwhile, the siren of the police cars also came from outside. The police arrived. Adina felt totally relieved. ¡°Alden, thank you.¡± If Alden had not been here, she would not have survived today. Alden looked up and stared at her. ¡°Mom, you should¡¯ve told me that George is my brother.¡± In that case, he would not have tortured himself for so many days. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alden. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Adina could not hold herself, and she held him tightly. Her tears finally could not help but fall down. She quickly wiped her tears off, stood up, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the time to talk about this now. Let¡¯s go to the hospital now!¡± The hospital was always full of the pungent smell of disinfectant. George had a head injury, but he did not need to be admitted to the hospital. After his head was dressed, he was brought back to the Winters family by Mr. Brown. Adina was worried about Melody, so she insisted Alden go back to the Winters family together, while she would stay in the hospital and watch Duke alone. This man was shot twice. Although his vital organs were not injured, he had lost a lot of blood, so he needed special attention. It was only after the surgeon performed a two-hour surgery before they wheeled him into the ward. Adina sat by the hospital bed. She stared at the man¡¯s exquisite yet pale face nkly, while all sorts of emotions filled her heart If he had not held her and pushed her out of the path of bullets, at this time, the two bullets would have pierced her belly. There were many organs in the abdomen. Even if she would not die, she would also have been severely injured. This man had saved her life. Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Adina looked at Duke, and she sighed heavily. This man was really good-looking. Even if he was bedridden with a pale face, he still emitted an aura that was unapproachable. He was such a noble person. Why did he take the bullets for her? Her aim in approaching him was for the kids. But this man seemed to have really fallen for her. Even if he did not fall for her, he might have already been interested in her Adina massaged her forehead. Duke already knew that she was George and Harold¡¯s biological mother, and he should have also known that Alden and Melody were the kids of the Winters family. What would this man do next? Would he ask her to return the two kids to the Winters family to acknowledge their original family, like Tyson did? She could bring herself to think about this. When she thought about the details, her hands shook. Her greatest fear was that someone would steal her kids from her. II If¡­ Duke insisted on stealing the custody from her, she really stood no chance of winning. ¡°Water¡­¡± Suddenly, Duke¡¯s weak voice was heard. Adina immediately stood up, got a ss of warm water, and came over. She sat by the bed, helped Duke up by supporting his shoulder, and carefully put the ss to his lips. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Only after Duke drank half of the ss of water did she let go of him. She turned around and went to wash the ss. She did not know how she should face Duke, so she tried her best to wash the ss as long as possible. She dawdled for five or six minutes before returning to the ward again. Duke quietly stared at her figure. He kept staring at her, which made her feel ufortable. She pulled out a chair and sat down before she stammered while asking, ¡°When¡­ when did you know about this?¡± ¡°5 p.m.st night.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. ¡°When I went to LaStar Technology Corporation to look for you, I overheard your phone conversation.¡± Adina immediately pursed her lips. So, this man went to trouble Dew as soon as he knew the truth? Then, he triggered Dew, which then caused George to be kidnapped? He was so impulsive! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± Duke slowly said, ¡°I was fooled for four years. When I knew the truth, I even suspected if George and Harold are my sons.¡± Adina looked down. ¡°I didn¡¯t do the paternity test. I didn¡¯t know whether it was real or not, so I dared not simply tell you.¡± She secretly clenched her palms, and she dared not say anything else. Duke stared at her for a while before he suddenly chuckled.¡± Adina, you suggested letting me be your boyfriend because you wanted to get close to George and Harold, right? You knew Tyson is not the kids¡¯ father, but you let my guard down, using thewsuit as the excuse. You¡¯re afraid of me stealing the custody of Alden and Mel after you tell me, right?¡± When Adina¡¯s secret that was buried in her heart was suddenly exposed, she immediately raised her head. She stared at Duke¡¯s eyes, and she firmly said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I asked to be your girlfriend, only because of George and Harold! They are my sons, my sons whom I¡¯ve lost for four years! I didn¡¯t look after them, and I didn¡¯t pamper them. I owe them too much. But Duke Winters, I owe you nothing! You have no qualifications, nor are you in the position to question me in this tone!¡± If it was not for this man, her beautiful life would not have stopped at 18. 1 If it was not for this man, she would not have lost the most precious thing for a girl. If it was not for this man, she would not have lived such a painful life over the past five years. All her pain and misery were given by this man. Who was he here to question her? The air slowly froze, and the temperature in the ward plummeted. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Duke leaned against the bed while he stared at hier indifferently. His dark pupils reflected her ligure she did not owe him anything He was the one who owed her He had mistaken the imposter for someone else four years ago He had allowed his two sons to acknowledge that wicked woman as their mother. He had caused Alden and Melody to not have a father since they were little He had made Adina suffer so much alone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Duke moved his lips and slowly said. Adina pursed her lips. This man saved her life and had just regained consciousness How could she lose her temperat him? She suppressed the emotions that filled her heart. Just as she was about to speak, Mr Browt knocked on the door and entered the ward. ¡°Ms Daugherty, Ms. Melody has been looking for you Please hurry back I¡¯ll take care of the master here¡± Adina swallowed her unspoken Words before she replied with a straight face, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go back firsi.¡± She turned around, walked out of the ward, and slowly closed the door ¡°Master, how are you? Are you feeling better now?¡± Mr Brown asked respectfully ¡°It¡¯s just a light injury. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Duke responded indifferently ¡°How is it going with Dew¡± *She intended to kidnap and murder That¡¯s a serious crime, so the sentence should be at least cight years But I called the police chief, and I guess she might be sentenced to more than fifteen years behind bars in the end¡± Duke sheered It would only be fifteen years. It was a real bargain for her! Nevertheless, by the time Dew got out of prison fifteen yearster, half of her life would have passed, and her life would also be ruined ¡°This became quite a big fuss, but I¡¯ve suppressed the news¡± Mr Brown tried to probe Master. I still don¡¯t understand why Ms Daugherty would kidnap Young Master George He¡¯s Twer brological son¡¯ Even wild beasts look after their young Whal the hell is wrong with her todnap her own con?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t George and Harold¡¯s mother She put on a false front four years ago, and the Laterly report was also a far one.¡± Duke sild with a steely expression Mt Brown waspletely stunned. Adina drove to the Winters family vi. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. It was already 10.00 pm. It was veryte, and there were few cars on the panoramic road. She pushed the car door open, and the servants were already waiting at the entrance. They invited her inside respectfully. Alden, Harold, and Melody were sitting on the living room floor while ying with building blocks. Harold would usually have a bright smile, but his expression appeared a little gloomy today. When she went inside, the boy put down the building blocks and walked over. His eyes immediately became teary. ¡°Mommy, is my dad still in the hospital?¡± **Your dad is fine.¡± Adina caressed his face. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the hospital to visit your dad, okay? Don¡¯t cry.¡± Harold sniffed and stopped crying. ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± Adina asked in a low voice. Harold pointed at the upper floor. Adina only went upstairs after she stroked Alden and Melody¡¯s hair. She gently pushed the bedroom door open. Themps in the room were off, so she could just vaguely see a boy lying in bed with the lights outside the window. She then walked over gingerly and sat by the bed. Adina could not help but reach out to touch Harold¡¯s face. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Adina recalled that night four years ago. George and Harold had exited her belly one after another, and the boys were only as big as a palm when they were born. other babies had chubby faces when they were born, but the boys¡¯ faces were the opposite Their cheeks were deeply sunken, and they were as skinny as monkeys. When she looked back on it now, she realized that the boys¡¯ skinny features at that time actually resembled Duke¡¯s. She slowly caressed George¡¯s cheek. It was her first time being so close to George. This was her eldest son. She then moved her hand toward George¡¯s brows. There were some wrinkles due to his frown. This boy had grown up too early. He bore many things that he should not have. ¡°No! No¡­¡± the sleeping George suddenly muttered. Adina held his hand and softly said, ¡°George, don¡¯t be afraid. Mommy¡¯s here. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡± She bent down andissed George¡¯s forehead. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. George wasforted, so he fell asleep again. Only then did Adina leave the room and go downstairs quietly. ¡°Harold, it¡¯ste, so we¡¯ll go back first. I¡¯lle over tomorrow, okay?¡± Harold felt anxious the whole night. The more anxious he felt, the more he dared not act presumptuously and lose his temper. He sent Adina and the children out before he waved obediently. ¡°See you tomorrow, Mommy.¡± Adina gave him a gentle smile before she got into the car. Then, she drove it steadily on the road. Melody was exhausted. She leaned on Alden¡¯s knees and fell asleep. However, the girl did not sleep soundly, turning from time to time Alden protected his sister¡¯s head as he was worried that his sister would hit her head. ¡°Mommy, is Uncle Duke really alright?¡± he raised his gaze and asked in a low voice Adina pretended to be at ease. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have major injuries, so he¡¯s fine. The doctor mentioned that he can be discharged in about five days.¡± ¡°Monimy, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Alden slowly asked. ¡°Uncle Duke is our biological father His sons are also your biological sons What are you nning to do next?¡± Adina looked ahead, and her eyes seemed to be lost, which was a rare thing. She rarely felt lost No matter what she faced, she used to be very clear on what to do But now, she really had no idea what she should do ¡°What about you, Alden? What do you think about all this?¡± she asked. ¡°1¡± Alden did not know what to say. Whenever he read educational books, he could understand their contents very quickly. However, whenever he read a novel, he would not understand the emotional interaction between the male and female leads. It was the same now. He could not understand what his mother felt for Duke. He looked down and said, ¡°I misunderstood Uncle Duke in the past, so I didn¡¯t like you being with him. But now¡­ the misunderstanding¡¯s been cleared, and I think he¡¯s a good person. If you want to be with him or marry him to build a family, I¡¯ll support you unconditionally. It doesn¡¯t matter what choice you make.¡± Marry him? Build a family? Adina was taken aback for a while. She had never thought of that. The only thing she was thinking about was whether she still wanted to be Duke¡¯s girlfriend. Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Alter, she brought up the request because she wanted to cover her real purpose. But TOW, the truth was already exposed She wondered what sort Would hit alter Duke Wils dischke The Wisither in autumn was cool and dry. The sunlight shone in from the window andnded on George¡¯s cyelids, which trembled strongly before he opened its eyes The first thing he saw was Harold¡¯s smiling face. ¡°George, you¡¯re linally wake!¡± Harold smiled happily He had sneaked into George¡¯s roomst night and apanied hun throughout the night. George Washlight sleeper. Whenever Harold came over in the past, George would wake up. But Last night. George slept deeply When George came back list niplit, the back of his head was full of blood. Harold was really alrld that George would not wake up again after he fell asleep, so he luad been watching over him ¡°George, docs your head still hurt? Do you want me to change the dressing for you?¡± Harold carried anedical kit over while he spoke with concern George¡¯s heari was filled with warmth. He propped himself up on the bed before he said, ¡°I¡¯m fine My head doesn¡¯t hurt for now.¡± Harold bit his bottom lip and spoke only after he struggled for a few minutes. ¡°George, what happened last night? I asked Pipa Brown, but he refused to tell me when I called and questioned Uncle Liam, he said that witeli, Dew, kidnapped youst nicht George, wly would Dhew kidnap you? Why did she want to kidnap you? I¡¯m the one who hates hier she should vent hier niet on me¡± George felt frieved, ¡°Harold. I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°Garge, why are you apologizing to me all of a suxlden?¡± ¡°When you were rude toward Dew, I always thought you weren¡¯t well-behaved and fuad bad muliers Looking back at it now, it¡¯s my fault. I made a huge mistake.¡± George smiled bitterly N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. You can be so honest will yoursell Why did I insist on being so restrained? Why did I insist on being a good son and respecting Dew so much? For her, I even.¡± He had even gone against his biological mother for her. He had made so many mistakes, but Adina was still willing to risk her life lo save him George, you¡¯re confusing me¡± Harold stroked his chin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you always teaching me to yecilliw Like she¡¯s our mother, and she gave birth to is That¡¯s why we have to resim W whole life Why are you saying soniething like this now? What happened T She¡¯s not our mother¡± Licorge closed his eyes Ile suppressed the emotions that filled his heart and slowly sald, ¡°I don¡¯i know what tuppene exactly, but Dew really isn¡¯t our mother Our biological mother is. Adina¡± ¡°What?¡± Harold widened liis eyes in disbeller. ¡°George, did you say that Momniny is our biological mother?¡± George node He used to think that his brother wiis silly and cute because Harold called his own blological mother the evil witch, ¡°bui lie called his mother¡¯s enemiy ¡°Mominy.¡± But now he discovered that lie was actually the Idiot Harold¡¯s Intuition had been urate since he could pinpoint Adina from thousands of people, and coincidentally. Adina luftled out to be their blological mother. Harold was the most brilliant person. ¡°oh, my gosh! Aunt Adina is my mommy!¡± Harold paced back and forth while he talked incoherently. ¡°If Aunt Adina¡¯s my mother, then Mel¡¯s my sister Oli, God! Is this truc?¡± When George saw the way Harold looked, he smiled and sliook his head. He pulled his nket away, got up, and sat in front of his desk before he switched on hisputer Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Nrws about Daugherty Corporation upied the headlines in Sea Clly today As soon as he lumed on theputer, all kinds of news articles popped up George simply click on the Daugherty Corporation¡¯s share price falls overnight as stocks copse Countless shareholders were uitatile to sell their shares Daugherty Corporation is surrounded by its Daugherty Carpioration¡¯s products were found to containexcessive amounts of chemical elements. The goverment lias stepped in to investigate, and all Lulty products have been recalled Arge number of investors have pulled back funding from Daughty Corporation, so a few bir projects have been put on hold. This could possibly use Daugherty Corporation logo Bankrupt in a short time The finalice sites were analyzing the reason for the sudden and drastic drop in Daugherty Corporation¡¯s stack price George understood what happened with just a nce Someone had manipted plenty of funds and shares behind the scenes, which led to this outcoine The incident also happened List nicht What happened to Daugherty Corporation might have been caused by his dad. George took out his phone and called Liam ¡°I¡¯m fine Transfer all the liquid funds from thepany¡¯s ount and buy Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares. Buy as many as you can¡± The price of Daugherty Corporaljon¡¯s shares droppedst night, and it has continued to drop this morning Many people have their shares trapped, and Daugherty Corporation has been surrounded by sharcholders since morning Now¡¯s not a good time to buy Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares ¨C ¡± George interrupted him. ¡°The price of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares his dropped drastically, so it will just cost a few dozen million dors if we buy all the discretemon shares Go and get it done right now!¡± His voice was firm ind unquestionable Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Lum had to stop advising George After he hung up, he proceeded to buy the shares When share prices dropped drastically, it was incredibly hard to sell then, but it was pretty Casy to buy thietti George shut down hisputer, and he was about to get rekty But Harold blocked his way ¡°George, low could you do this George looked confused, ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°Dw kidnapped you and nearly killed you yesterday Why are you still trying to lielp herty Corporation?¡± Haroldprite lis terthand said, ¡°If she¡¯s our mother, line, but she¡¯s not Shie¡¯s abad wonin if it weren¡¯t for her, we wouldn¡¯t have been separated from Nominy for four years. How could you still buy Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares? You should Watch them go bankrupt!¡± George chuckled. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m buying the shares because I want to help Daugherty Corporation.¡± Harold was angry. ¡°What else could it be?¡± 2 ¡°Dew Daugherly used to be Daugherty Corporation¡¯s biggest shareholder, but after Adina¡­ after our mommy returned to Sea City, Dew transferred 25% to her.¡± When George said the word ¡°Mommy,¡± lie felt a little embarrassed, but he still said it out loud. He resumed. ¡°Mommy¡¯s also Daugherty Corporation¡¯s biggest shareholder. If Daugherty Corporation goes bankrupt, Mommy¡¯s going to lose a few hundred million dors.¡± Harold scratched his car. ¡°I see. I don¡¯t understand this stuff.¡± ¡°Daugherty Corporation is going bankrupt, and about 30% of the shares can be sold. After ! buy the shares, I¡¯ll give them to Mommy, and she¡¯ll be Daugherty Corporation¡¯s biggest shareholder. In other words, she¡¯ll officially take over Daugherty Corporation,¡± George said calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it if you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ll go and brush my teeth now.¡± Harold pouled. Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Luckily, he asked, or else George would have prepared a gift for their mom without him knowing. What kind of gift should he prepare for his mom? ¡°Duke, you really risked everything this time!¡± Trent sat on the couch in the hospital and said in a casual manner. ¡°Being a hero to rescue the beauty always works. No matter how cold-hearted Adina is, she¡¯ll definitely be touched by your actions, and she¡¯ll give herself to you!¡± Duke was bedridden. His expression was indifferent, and nobody knew what he was thinking. Ern tugged on Trent slightly before he motioned at him and said, ¡°Alright, stop talking bullshit. Let¡¯s just leave. Don¡¯t disturb Duke¡¯s rest.¡± Trent was not willing to leave. He came from a rich family and always wandered around. He either courted women or raced cars, so he had a lot of free time. His daily life was the same. Whenever he found something that interested him, he would naturally ask for the truth. ¡°Hey, Duke, I heard from people in our circle that the person who shot youst night was Ms. Dew Daugherty.¡± Trent lowered his voice and said, ¡°Is it true?" The Winters family had injected a lot of money into suppressing news about George being kidnappedst night. But as long as the people in their circle insisted on asking about it, they would still hear something. Duke nced at him coldly. ¡°What else do you know?¡± ¡°Oh, I also know that your son happened to be kidnapped,¡± Trent shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve protected your sons so securely. Why would someone be crazy enough to harm the young master of the Winters family? Dew did it, didn¡¯t she? Is that woman insane? How could she do such a heartless thing? But I heard that after she was jailedst night, she was taught a ruthless lesson. I heard that something¡¯s wrong with her mental state now.¡± Duke frowned. Teaching her a lesson was a mild punishment. As long as Dew was jailed, she would not be able to get out uninjured. ¡°But what does this have to do with Adina?¡± Trent stroked his chin. ¡°Let me guess. Did Adina rescue your son? And then you went to save Adina, so the scene where you acted as the hero rescuing the beauty yed out?¡± ¡°Do you have too much free time?¡± Duke asked coldly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I¡¯m concerned about your marriage!¡± Trent said in a righteous manner. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that you have to make good use of this heroic act. If you don¡¯t seize this opportunity, it¡¯ll be very difficult. Adina looks cold, but it¡¯s actually easy to take her down. Come, let me tell you.¡± Duke initially wanted to kick Trent out, but for some reason, he leaned forward and acted as if he was ready to listen to Trent. While they were conversing, the ward¡¯s door opened, and Adina walked in with the children. She instantly looked aloof as if nothing had happened. Duke leaned back on the bed, looking calm. ¡°Wow, the most beautiful woman in Sea City!¡± Trent immediately stood up. Just as he was about to approach, he suddenly noticed the little girl who was standing at the back. His eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Oh, my day! Whose daughter is this? You¡¯re gorgeous. Come over here. Let me give you a hug.¡± Mina frowned. Before she could say anything, she heard Duke menacingly say, ¡°Trent, I¡¯m giving you three seconds to disappear.¡± Knowing what that meant, Trent hunched his shoulders. Ern immediately dragged him out. Soon, only two adults and four children were left in the ward. Chapter 389 ? Chapter 389 Duke looked at Alden''s face first before he nced at Melody. In the past, he used to think about how great it would be if Melody was his biological daughter. He had thought about it more than once. But it turned out that she really was his daughter. No wonder he was not resistant toward Melody in the slightest. No wonder Melody called him "Daddy." "Mel,e to Daddy,"Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Duke waved at her. She moved out of her mother''s hand before she walked toward the bed. She stared at Duke''s arm with her big eyes. His anm was wrapped in gauge, but some blood had oozed out. It looked a little scary. She extended her soft finger and gently touched the wound before she blew on it. "Daddy, are you in pain?" she asked softly. Duke''s heart melted. "No, I don''t feel any pain." He held the girl in his arms and looked at Alden who was standing at the door. A long time ago, he had found that this boy looked like George. He used to think that they looked alike because they were cousins. Only now did he realize that they were biological brothers, and they were quadruplets. He raised his arm and said in a low voice, "Alden,e here." Alden pursed his lips and slowly walked over before he lowered his head and said, "Uncle Duke." Duke raised his eyebrows. "Uncle Duke? Didn''t your mom tell you what to call me?" Alden pursed his lips and clenched his fists. He remained silent without answering. "My dad evenplimented you for being smart. You''re not very smart!" Harold scoffed and said, "You should call him ''Dad. My dad''s your dad. You''re not as smart as me!" Alden silently rolled his eyes at him. He had known that for a very long time, but knowing it and being willing to call Duke "Dad" were two different things. "Alden, Harold''s right. You should call me ''Dad." Duke raised his arm and stroked Alden''s hair. He took the opportunity to pull Alden over. "I''ve been negligent over the past four years for leaving you and Mel without the protection and love from a father, but that won''t happen anymore. I''ll protect you. You and Mel will have whatever George and Harold have." Harold blinked. "Dad, why don''t we do this? Let Alden be your son, and I''ll be Mommy''s son. I''ll live with Mommy, okay?" "Nol" Alden frowned and interrupted him. "I don''t want to live with the Winters family!" He moved out of Duke''s grip before he stood by Adina again. Duke found himself speechless. He looked over. Harold and Alden were standing by Adina''s side, while George was slightly farther away, but his standing position made it clear. The only one he owned was the sweetheart in his arms. Just as he felt blessed for having a child who relied on him more, Melody moved out of his arms and rushed into Adina''s arms. She acted as if she was afraid that her mother would throw her to the Winters family and abandon her. Duke was at a loss. Oh no, he had even lost his sweetheart. Adina did not sleep wellst night, and when she saw Duke, she felt conflicted. But when she saw how the children joked around, her frustrations slowly disappeared significantly. She squatted down, caressed Alden''s hair, and said, "Alden, he really is your father. Go ahead and call him ''Dad." A father''s love was an indispensable force in a child''s development, and that was apparent in Melody''s case. Meanwhile, Alden had a dull personality and a cunning mind. If a father''s love was involved in his growth, he might be a carefree and sunny boy too. Alden always had his own thoughts, but he still listened to Adina. He pursed his lips and obediently walked over. "Dad," he softly said to Duke. His voice was very low, and Duke would not have heard him if he had not been paying attention. Even so, Duke did not trouble him. Duke smiled and said, "Good boy, Alden. Here''s a gift that I prepared for you." Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Chapter 390 He took out of documents from the bedside cab and ussed it to Alden Alden felt puzzled she surpted it when he flipped through the documents and gave them a look, he was instantly stunned ¡°You¡¯re giving me apany* ¡°I told you You¡¯ll have whatever George and Harold harve,¡± Duke id nonchntly ¡°I¡¯ll franse ankistant for you. If you need anything, just let him know¡± Harold widened his He had asked his father for apany for a long time, but his father just give it to Alden lilor Oh, goshHe had lost his father¡¯s love! It turned out that love could not disappear, but it could be transferred! Harold tell a great sense of CTISIS Adina was standing at the door at first When she heard what Duke said, she subconsciously walked toward the bed She cast a nce at the document, and when she crw thepany name, she knew that it was an intepuny dealing with software tehnology Apany like that was not suitable for a boy Yudes Alden was just four years old. She just wanted Alden to grow up without worry She Wi to wait for Alden to turn righteen before they talked about managing apany just .. Adina was about to speak, George, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spolu He looked like Duke the most Whenever his expression was sullen and he did not speak, they would look like two identical versions of chother He a . ¡°Can also call Aunt Adin. Mom¡¯ now? As soon as he said that his can turn red Then, he felt embaravind lookinly Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Adina suddenly found this boy quite adorable Shrutin dowti, stred George in the eyes, and smiled gently ¡°Of courv you can call the Mom | your mother Goog b ane teary all of a sudden Histov Wawre, and his yes were red A strange emotion began to fill his heart He rould not help but rush into Alina¡¯s anns and softly wry. ¡°Mornity ¡°AWY MIY good by Georgir, you really are a good boy¡± Adin teld hun in het ans and teli contented Allter four kids were living well, and they had grown up valthily She finally ha no grets ¡°Mommy, I want a hug too!¡± Harold also came over and squeezed himself into Adina¡¯s arms. Melody did not know what was happening. She just ran over on her short legs and tried to climb onto Adina¡¯s back Her legs were so short that she could not get on, so Alden helplessly came over to help her out He held his sister from behind so that she could climb onto Adina¡¯s back All the four children surrounded Adina. It was the first time that Duke selt left out. He had two more children, but now, it seemed that he had lost all of them. ¡°Cough! Caugh!¡± He coughed very hard, but the children were so noisy that no one heard him at all. ¡°Buzz!¡± Right then, Adina¡¯s phone rang ¡°Hal, you have to let go of my neck now. Alden, bring your sister down. Georgie, stand over there for a minute¡± When the children finally let go of hier, Adina breathed in some fresh air and look out her phone It was a video call from Flint. Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Adina only answered the video call after she fixed her hair. ¡°Hey, Addy. Why is your hair so messy? You didn¡¯t just wake up, did you?¡± Flint¡¯s unrestrained voice came from the phone When the bedridden Duke heard his voice, he frowied tightly. Why did he feel like he had heard that voice somewhere? Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Adina stood by the door and nonchntly said, ¡°I don¡¯t dawdle in bed like you. I brought the kids to visit a patient in the hospital today. If you need anything, just tell me quickly Otherwise, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t hang up. Let me see Mel. It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw my goddaughter.¡± Adina pursed her lips She never agreed to let Flint be Melody¡¯s godfather, but the guy always called Melody his goddaughter, so she could not be bothered to correct him. She waved and called Melody over. The little girl smiled brightly at the video call. ¡°Wow! Mel, your smile¡¯s gorgeous. I miss you so much. Wait for me, okay? I¡¯ll go to Sea City and visit youter on.¡± Melody suddenly moved her lips. ¡°Uncle Flint, I miss you very much too.¡± Flint was instantly stunned on the other end of the phone. Soon after, he screamed at the top of his lungs like a groundhog. ¡°What the f*ck?! Mel, you can speak now? What the heck? When did you start speaking? You actually called me ¡®Uncle Flint¡¯! Call me again! Your voice is so lovely! Argh!¡± Adina took the phone from Melody, ¡°Can you calm down?¡± ¡°How can I stay calm? I can¡¯t calm down! Addy, when I finish handling my work here, I¡¯ll fly to Sea City right away and find you.¡± Flint kept talking on the phone. Meanwhile, Duke¡¯s expression was extremely dark He recalled it. Flint was the man who had stayed overnight in Adina¡¯s housest time. Great! That brat dared to think about his woman. He must be fed up with his life. Alden was standing beside the bed, and he nced at Duke before he casually said, ¡°When we were abroad, Mom managed to take good care of Mel and me thanks to Uncle Flint. He¡¯s a really funny person. I think Hal will like him too.¡± When Duke heard that, his face became even more sullen. But he could not refute him. If he had known that Adina was pregnant with his children, how could he have neglected her over the past four years? When Adina finally ended the call, she raised her wrist and looked at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now. I¡¯ll send the kids to preschool first.¡± The moment she said that she wanted to leave, Duke felt empty. This woman had been there for a long time, yet he never had a chance to talk to her alone He pursed his lips and said, ¡°George, bring your brothers and sister out to y for a while. I want to talk to your mom alone for a minute.¡± Harold held Melody¡¯s hand and ran out of the ward, while Alden and George followed suit. Adina stood five steps away from the bed and indifferently asked, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so wary of me,¡± Duke said softly. ¡°Sit down first. We can talk about it slowly.¡± Adina appeared indifferent. ¡°I have ten minutes at most.¡± She wanted to send the kids to preschool, and she also had a lot of work to do in thepany. She did not have time to waste. Nevertheless, she also realized that something had to be solved. Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°How were the kids born four years ago?¡± Duke slowly asked. He had read the news four years ago. That night had been described in graphic detail by the reporters, but there was abination of truth and lies. The only thing he could be sure of was that Adina did not go to a hospital the day she gave birth. She gave birth to the four babies in the Daugherty family¡¯s warehouse. Even a normal person had to risk her life to give birth to one baby. He could not imagine how she sessfully gave birth to the four babies, Besides, he had also heard that the Daugherty family¡¯s mansion was set on fire that night. Adina pursed her lips with a nk look. ¡°George and Harold were born first. When they were born, they were not breathing, so I thought that they¡­¡± She started to quiver before she resumed. ¡°Dew took the babies away. I didn¡¯t know where she brought them, but I always thought that the kids were dead.¡± She looked down and hid all the emotions in her eyes. Duke felt as if he was tearing her scars that had already scabbed over ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have suffered from all of this,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Adina raised her head and had already schooled her gaze by then. The pain that she had suffered over the years had passed. She was no longer that fragile. Duke just stared at her firmly. He conjured up the figure of the woman from five years ago in his mind, and her face slowly ovepped with Adina¡¯s face. No wonder he did not have any feelings for Dew. It turned out that the woman was Adina. This woman was with him five years ago. This was his woman. Suddenly, a ringtone broke the silence in the ward. Duke nced at the iing call. It was Mrs. Winters. He then gestured at Adina to keep quiet. As soon as he picked up the call, Mrs. Winters¡¯ nervous voice came from the other end. ¡°Duke, Brown said that you were shot. What happened?¡± Duke frowned and calmly said, ¡°Mr. Brown likes to exaggerate things. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be discharged tomorrow.¡± After he said that, he prepared to hang up. ¡°Hold on, I heard that you had quadruplets four years ago instead of a pair of twins?¡± Mrs. Winters said coldly. Duke subconsciously nced at Adina before he answered, ¡°Mom, where did you hear that from?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been in Sea Citytely, but that doesn¡¯t mean I know nothing.¡± Mrs. Winters said indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what happened between you and the Daugherties, but you have to get our family¡¯s bloodline back. The Winters family children have to be back with their original family.¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ voice was very loud when she uttered thatst sentence, and Adina could vaguely hear her. She recalled Mr. Osborne, who had been overbearing and rude when he found out that the Osborne family¡¯s ¡°children¡± were out there. Right now, Mrs. Winters was no different from Mr. Osborne. Adina just did not know what Duke thought about it. Once she saw Duke hang up, she preemptively said, ¡°Mr. Winters, I won¡¯t give up my custody of Alden and Mel. I won¡¯t surrender no matter what you do!¡± Duke frowned. ¡°When did I ever say that I wanted to steal custody from you?¡± Adina kept away her hostility, calmed down, and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Chapter 393 In the corridor outside the ward, Melody was riding a wooden horse, while the three boys surrounded her Harold leaned forward and grinned. ¡°Mel, I¡¯m your brother. Come on, call me ¡®Hal.¡¯¡± Melody tilted her head and softly said, ¡°Harold.¡± ¡°Hey, no. You should call me ¡®Hal,¡± Harold corrected her. ¡°I¡¯m your second eldest brother. You should call me ¡®Hal.¡± ¡°Hal,¡± Melody said obediently. George walked over too. ¡°I¡¯m your eldest brother. Mel, can you call me ¡®Georgie?¡±¡± ¡°Georgie.¡± Melody was very compliant. She just said whatever they wanted her to say. Alden was quite frustrated. His mother and sister had been taken away now. He was devastated. ¡°This is your third eldest brother.¡± Harold pointed at Alden as he spoke. Alden¡¯s face immediately darkened. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Harold, I¡¯m older than you. How can you be the second eldest and I the third eldest?¡± ¡°Dad said I¡¯m older than you!¡± Harold shook his head pridefully. ¡°I¡¯m the older brother, and you¡¯re the younger brother. You should call me ¡®Hal!¡¯¡± He had been the youngest brother for so many years. He could finally salvage the situation and be the elder brother now! It was an awesome feeling! Alden scoffed. ¡°How could you be my brother with that IQ?¡± Harold puffed his chest up in defiance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my IQ? I¡¯m really smart too, okay?¡± The two children red at each other and almost got into a fight. George felt his head ache. He used to think Alden was a mature andposed child. Why was he so childish today to the point that he actually quarreled with Harold? Harold was a dumb kid. Whoever quarreled with him would lose brain cells! George pulled the brothers apart. All of a sudden, Melody, who was riding the wooden horse, shuddered. She got down from the wooden horse and hid behind her brothers. She just stared at the other end of the corridor with caution. The three boys raised their heads and looked over at the same time. A man in a ck suit was walking over from the end of the corridor, and his face was covered by a silver mask The mask glowed with a cold light, appearing extraordinarily scary and creepy.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Alden took his phone out and captured a photo of Shura¡¯s back ¡°What does ¡®Shura¡¯ mean?¡± Harold asked with a puzzled expression after he snapped out of his daze George rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Did you learn English from your PE teacher?¡± Harold felt insulted as he stroked his chin. ¡°George, you know that i leel sleepy whenever attend English ss. I don¡¯t have the talent fornguage. You can¡¯t me me for that! Mel, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Shura¡¯s a character in aic,¡± Melody softly said Harold became speechless Even Melody knew the term, but he was clueless No wonder his dad did not give hum apany to manage Was it because he was too stupid¡± George nced at Alden and nonchntly asked, ¡°Do you know that man with the mask?¡± Alden put his phone into his pocket and shook his head ¡°I don¡¯t know him¡± He really did not know him. He had never met Shura He had only heard about the man from K Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Shura was not a hacker, but his presence was more terrifying than that of a hacker He had hurnan lives in his hands. At this time, Adina walked out of the ward. She had to walk one round before she found the four children in the corridor on the other side As soon as she walked over, Harold rushed toward her. He felt hurt as he asked, ¡°Mommy, am I incredibly durnb?¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°Harold, you¡¯re the smartest You¡¯re not dumb.¡± ¡°But Alden refuses to consider me as his second eldest brother!¡± Harold blinked his eyes in a pitiful manner. ¡°He says I¡¯m too stupid. He says I¡¯m not good enough to be his elder brother because I¡¯m not as smart as him! Boohoo¡­ Mommy, am I really that stupid?¡± Alden was speechless He had told the truth, but why did it sound weird when Harold said it out loud? ¡°Alden.¡± Adina pulled Alden over. ¡°Hal may not be as smart as you¡­¡± This time. Harold was at a loss for words. Could his mother stop being so honest when she spoke? He truly was not as smart as Alden ¡°But he was born before you Harold is your elder brother,¡± Adina gently said. ¡°Georgie is the eldest brother, Hal is the second eldest brother, Alden is the third eldest brother, and Mel is the youngest sister.¡± Harold rajsed his chin pridefully again. ¡°I¡¯mn the second eldest brother. Yippiel¡± Alden was not convinced, hulle still obelently addressed then the way they wanted.¡± Georgie, Hal.¡± Haroldughed out loud. Adina could not help but chuckle. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send Alden and Mel to preschool. What about you two? Are you going home or somewhere else?¡± Based on her parenting style, she would send George and Harold to preschool too. However, the boys were not in her custody now, so her opinion was useless. She had to take things slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the company, and Harold will go home,¡± George said indifferently. ¡°Mommy, can you give us a ride?¡± His car was actually downstairs, and Liam had also been waiting in front of the hospital for a long time, but he just wanted to spend more time with his mom. ¡°I would be d to. Okay, I¡¯ll send Hal home first before I send Alden and Mel to preschool. Then, I¡¯ll send Georgie to thepany.¡± Adina brought the kids along and left the hospital. At the same time, someone knocked on the door of Duke¡¯s ward, and a man in a ck suit walked inside. He emanated a very strong aura that discouraged people from staring at him, but the most attractive part of him was the silver mask on his face. Duke slowly closed the documents in his hand and curled his lips into a sneer. ¡°You daree to me even though I¡¯ve never looked for you?¡± Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Chapter 395 The temperature in the ward instantly dropped to zero. The man in the silver mask pulled out a chair and sat down. His gaze was extremely hostile and profound. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I return to Sea City?¡± ¡°You better disappear in three days,¡± Duke firmly said. His gaze was as sharp as a knife. ¡°I haven¡¯t visited Mom. How can I leave so quickly?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Duke, I¡¯m your elder brother. We¡¯re twins. You don¡¯t have to keep ridiculing me. It really upsets me.¡± Duke gritted his teeth. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be my brother.¡± The man in the silver mask yed around with his fingers, and his gaze gradually turned cold. ¡°Duke Winters, I owe you nothing. Don¡¯t you talk to me like that! If we must distinguish between right and wrong, you¡¯re at fault too. If it weren¡¯t for you, would I be in such a miserable state? You owe me. All of you owe me!¡± The man became slightly irritated. Duke stared at him with disdain. ¡°You deserve it. Don¡¯t me everything on someone else.¡± ¡°Yes, I deserve this! You¡¯re right. I deserve this! Haha!¡± The man in the silver mask lost his cool as he broke the ss next to him, and the broken pieces of ss scattered all over. He nced at Duke ruthlessly before he mmed the door and left. Duke simplyy in bed with an intense gaze as a storm rose from the depths of his eyes. The man was his biological brother, but their characters were theplete opposite. He only knew that he had a twin brother after he tumed fifteen. After Adina dropped the children off, she drove to herpany. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. During this period of time, LaStar Technology Corporation had been growing rapidly. After thest press conference, all of thepany¡¯s chips were sold out. Thepany only had three projects, and they were already on track, so Adina did not need to monitor each of them personally. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, this is Elitos Corporation¡¯s investment project book.¡± Serene carried a stack of documents over, ¡°This company is an international enterprise in Europe. They started recruiting coborators in Sea City a few months ago, but ourpany was extremely busy back then, so I didn¡¯t disturb you with this. However, the busiest time in thepany has passed Hence, I was wondering if we could try to participate in the bldding?¡± Serene polnted at thest page of the project book and said, ¡°They¡¯re looking to recruit a few hundred kinds of coborators, and I think ourpany fits the bill as their chip vendor. Ourpany also has a ready made franework. We can bring the basic version and participate in ther sidding iris afternous. What do you think, Ms. Daugherty?¡± Adina took the project book from her. The bidding would be at 3.00 pm today on arge site. They could definitely take their chip¡¯s avable framework and participate in the bidding. The rate of their sess was very high. With that said, Elitos Corporation was a huge international corporation, and thepany possessed a wide range of businesses. They had a history of making a lot of money on projects. Since she wanted to coborate with Elitos, she should not be satisfied with being a small chip vendor. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s attend it at 3.00 pm.¡± Adina wrote the codes the entire morning, Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Chapter 396 At 2.00 pm, Serene returned and knocked on the door. Then, the two of them took the documents and prepared to go to Elitos Corporation¡¯s office in Sea City While they walked to the elevator, they met Mr. Roberts and his secretary from thepany next door. Adina smiled and nodded to greet them. ¡°Mr. Roberts, where are you going in a hurry?¡± Just as Mr. Roberts was about to speak, his secretary cleared his throat and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to meet a client.¡± They were going to Elitos Corporation for the bid too, but their sess rate was not high, so it was not appropriate to announce it right now. It would not be toote if they won the bidter. Adina nodded. ¡°I have something to do as well. Goodbye then.¡± The two groups entered two separate cars in front of the office building. Then, the two cars moved toward the same destination at the same time. Half an hourter, the cars stopped. Serene pushed her car door open and got out before she also saw Mr. Roberts and his secretary step out of their car. She subconsciously pouted. ¡°Mr. Roberts¡¯ secretary is really funny. They clearly came to participate in the bidding, yet he imed that they were going to meet a client. Why? Was he afraid that we would compete against them?¡± The twopanies ran different businesses. She did not understand why thepany next door was always guarded against them. Serene¡¯s voice was neither loud nor low, but it made Mr. Roberts feel slightly awkward. He turned around and red at his secretary before he walked over, chuckled, and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, what a coincidence. Let¡¯s go in together.¡± Adina was not bothered by it. Everypany had its own confidentiality, so there was nothing wrong with Mr. Roberts choosing not to tell her where he was going. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, are you bidding to be the chip vendor?¡± Mr. Roberts¡¯ secretary smiled faintly and said, ¡°I heard that Elitos wants to recruit at least thirty chip vendors. Ms. Daugherty, your chances of getting it are very high.¡± He was trying to say that if Adina won the bid, it would be because the quota was high. Adina naturally understood the meaning behind his words, but she did not say anything. She just spoke to Mr. Roberts as they walked to the event hall. It was the Elilos office building in Sea City, and its construction was grand as well as majestic The event had yet to start, but manypany chairpersons had arrived at the lobby. They were discussing matters in small groups. ¡°Ms Daugherty, the bidding arena for the chip vendors is on this side. It¡¯s right next to us.¡± Mr. Roberts enthusiastically led Adina to the right side. Adina shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to Bidding Arena 1.¡± ¡°One?¡± Mr. Roberts was stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the bidding arena for recruitment of coborators? Why are you going there?¡± Coborators were one level higher than vendors, and they even had the right to negotiate the content of their contract with Elitos. Meanwhile, vendors were just merchants that sold products. They did not have any power, and the profit they obtained was lower. But if they could coborate with such a huge transnationalpany, being a mere vendor would also be an opportunity that many smallpanies dreamed about. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, have you made a mistake?¡± Mr. Roberts¡¯ secretary chuckled and said,¡± There¡¯s a bid for Chief Designer in chip development in Bidding Arena 1, but it¡¯s different from a chip vendor. Ms. Daugherty, you better not go to the wrong venue.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Adina indifferently said, ¡°Thank you for the reminder, but I have not made a mistake.¡± She walked toward Bidding Area 1, while Serene followed her with a confused expression. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, aren¡¯t we going to be the chip vendor? Why¡ª¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°A chip vendor¡¯s profit is less than $100,000. It¡¯s not worth the trip.¡± Serene was stunned. ¡°But one has to prepare at least three months in advance for the position of Chief Designer in chip development¡­¡± LaStar Technology Corporation had not even been established three months ago. What could they use topete against the others? Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Elitos Corporation had just moved to Sea City. They had rented an office building but had not established their project team yet. On this day of therge tender, not only did they have to recruit a chief programming designer, but they also needed to hire staff for the process control room, product operators, a full process nning team, technical consultants, and more. Bidding Arena 1 was a few hundred square feet, but it was filled with people who hade to bid. Those who were qualified to bid there were the top yers in their respective industries, and every one of them appeared ambitious. Adina sat in thest row. Her gaze was indifferent, and her expression was calm. Serene felt a little anxious, but when she saw how calm Adina was, she gradually rxed as well. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m the general manager of Philly Corporation. I¡¯m here to bid for the position of general site controller. What about you?¡± A man, who had been sitting at the side, came over and greeted Adina. He even handed her his name card first. He was very sincere. Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to bid for the position of chief designer in chip development. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± The man was clearly stunned. ¡°Are you Mdm. Jones?¡± Adina shook her head. ¡°Why do you say so?¡± The man pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. ¡°I contacted Elitos Corporation half a year ago, and I heard that the position of chief designer in chip development had already been confirmed. The last name of the designer was Jones. Adina frowned. ¡°Since they¡¯ve confirmed it in advance, why is it still listed on the brochure?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± The man stroked the back of his head. He dared not look at Adina¡¯s stunning face. ¡°But I heard that Mdm. Jones is an expert in chip design. Apparently, she was a lecturer at Canbridge University. It¡¯s also the reason Elitos has internally decided to recruit her.¡± Adina searched her brain for a lecturer from Canbridge University, whosest name was Jones, but she could not identify anyone. She had studied in Harfard, but she frequently had project coborations with Canbridge. She had Inuly never heard about this person. The man thought she wanted to back out, so he said in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t the assistant chief designer position also avable for bidding? I think you can give that a try.¡± ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Adana nodded and thanked the inan before slie flipped through Elitos¡¯ brochure and read it wetully again 1 Right then, the host for the session went on the stage in a hurry. He appeared apologetic as he said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we are very sorry. There¡¯s a problem with our bidding system, so the bidding probably can¡¯t be held today. The exact time and location of the next bid will be announced. A man with a slightly bald head in the front row stood up and said, ¡°Leave the system problem to me. I can get it fixed in five minutes.¡± The host wiped some of the sweat off his face. ¡°It¡¯s not a normal system problem. It¡¯s an attack from hackers. Elitos Corporation¡¯s intr ispletely down.¡± Elitos Corporation¡¯s website being attacked by hackers instantly became a sensational topic. Besides, it was not a normal attack from hackers. In less than twenty minutes, all the funds from the official website had been transferred out. The well- prepared bidders in the arena had to leave with regrets. There were many programmers who had experience in technical work, but their main focus was to write codes. Hacking was not their expertise, so they also left after they nced around for a few minutes. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, we should leave too,¡± Serene softly said after she packed up their documents. Adina shook her head and leisurely said, ¡°Wait for me outside.¡± After she spoke, she passed through the corridor from the backdoor and went to Elitos Corporation¡¯s office in her high heels. The staff members there were already in a chaotic state. ¡°The hacker is trying to transfer $3,000,000. Please stop it. Stop it right now!¡± ¡°Thepany ount is being attacked. Please supply more manpower!¡± Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Chapter 398 ¡°Please support us, Technical Department.¡± The staff members in the office were all over the ce. ¡°Miss, who are you? Who allowed you toe here?¡± The staff member, who had acted as the host earlier, saw Adina standing in the corridor. He frowned as he walked over and chased her out, However, the moment he saw Adina¡¯s face, the annoyance on his face instantly disappeared. Men would usually tolerate women more, especially if they were gorgeous women. ¡°This is Elitos Corporation¡¯s internal office. Outsiders are prohibited from entering this section. Please leave.¡± Adina looked around indifferently. ¡°Where is the person in charge of yourpany? Please bring me to him.¡± The staff member frowned. ¡°Mr. Wynters will not see anyone at this time. It doesn¡¯t matter who you are or why you¡¯re looking for Mr. Wynters. Pleasee again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Elitos is being attacked by hackers. If you don¡¯t stop the hackers in time, I can confirm that all the funds in yourpany ount will be gone.¡± Adina paused for a while before she said, ¡°I can help you solve this. Please bring me to Mr. Wynters now.¡± ¡°You can solve this?¡± The staff member was shocked. When a woman was too stunning, people tended to underestimate her abilities. The staff member was no different. He did not think that this beautifuldy was capable of solving their problem. ¡°If you don¡¯t act fast, I might not be able to solve it.¡± Adina had a stoic expression the entire time. It was also due to her indifferent temperament that the staff member felt convinced. ¡°Okay, pleasee with me.¡± He brought her to the elevator before he suddenly stopped moving. ¡°Mr. Wynters isn¡¯t a very good-tempered person. After such a serious incident, he¡¯s be even grumpier. When you go inside, please mind yournguage. If anything goes wrong, please leave immediately.¡± Adina nodded. Her hacking skills were not as good as Alden¡¯s, but she was still considered among the top five in the industry. She had stolen a nce at the technicians¡¯ screens earlier. It was a simple Trojan horse virus. The attacker just happened to be extreinely aggressive, and the virus was widespread, hence the technicians on this side were forced into a passive position. Dealing with a Trojan Horse was actually not difficult as long as the correct method was used. Adina followed the staff member to the top floor, and before she entered the meeting room, she heard the furious voice of a man. ¡°It¡¯s the simplest form of the Trojan horse, but all of you have no solutions for it. Thepany hired you for nothing!¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, as you can see¡­¡± The staff member hunched his shoulders. ¡°¡­Mr. Wynters is merciless when he berates people. I better leave first.¡± After he said that, he turned around and entered the elevator, Adina stood outside the meeting room and knocked on the door only after the scolding inside died down. ¡°Come in!¡± She then heard the man¡¯s cold and angry voice. Adina frowned. Why did she find his voice slightly familiar? When she pushed the door open, she raised her head and looked over. At that moment, she saw the man who was standing at the front. He was wearing a ck outfit with a silver mask. Was this the man who had gone to LaStar Technology Corporation and sought a coboration with her? This man was the person in charge of Elitos in Sea City? In an instant, different thoughts filled Adina¡¯s mind.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Adina recalled the staff description on the Elitos brochure. There was only one name: Mr. Earley Wynters When this man visited her in LaStar Technology Corporation previously, he had mentioned that his name was Wynters. So, he should be the person in charge of Elitos Corporation¡¯s project in Sea City Elitos worked on Inte and lo¡¯t development. They did not have anything to do with the human biological tests that Mr. Wynters had talked about before. Adina thought of a lot of things, but it all hit her in less than a second. The people in the meeting room simultaneously looked at her. When they saw Adina, they sighed in relief. For some reason, Mr. Wynters hated women getting close to him. Now that this woman was there for who knows what, she could probably bear some of Mr. Wynters¡¯ fury for them. ¡°Ms. Daugherty?¡± Earley¡¯s gaze was cold and angry, while he shed her an evil smile. He wheeled around in his chair before he stared at Adina in an unfriendly and intense manner. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Adina moved her lips and nonchntly said, ¡°I came here for the bidding today, but I heard that your company¡¯s internal website is being attacked by hackers, so I made my way over to take a look.¡± Earley¡¯s evil smile became brighter. ¡°Are you here to solve the problem for me, Ms. Daugherty?¡± His smile and gaze gave Adina the creeps, but she remained icy and aloof. ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t need my help, Mr. Wynters.¡± After she spoke, she turned around to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± Earley stood up coldly before he turned hisputer screen and pushed it over. ¡°This is thepany¡¯s mainputer. All our data is stored on thisputer. Step over here.¡± With that, Adina spun around and walked toward theputer. She sat in a chair, leaned forward slightly, and tapped away on the keyboard with great speed. The Trojan horse looked familiar. There was a time when Alden had been interested in the virus, and he had simted the same type of Trojan horse on hisputer. She still remembered Alden telling her that a Trojan horse of this type was a new virus that an overseas hacker organization would use to examine apany¡¯s staff members. ¡°This is the new U-TF Trojan horse.¡± Adina operated the interface while she said, ¡°They have taken control of yourpany¡¯s internal system, which means they¡¯re already essing the internal server. All the funds in the intr ount will be transferred by the other party along the network line. However, I have already controlled their exit route, so the money in the ount has not left the country yet.¡± She quickly clicked on the ¡°Enter¡± button a few times. Someone in the meeting room shouted, ¡°Mr. Wynters, the funds that were gone have returned!¡± ¡°Mr. Wynters, the Trojan horse has stopped spreading.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be happy yet. Hurry up and get your technicians to repair the loophole to avoid the hackers from taking their anger and embarrassment out on you again,¡± Adina indifferently. The executives in the meeting room immediately passed on the instruction. Adina only sighed in relief after she chased the hackers off the main line. She stood up and calmly said, ¡°Strengthen the firewall. Use an S-ss password. Block and get rid of all your current IP addresses.¡± The Technical Department¡¯s manager immediately jotted down what she said in detail. The crisis caused by the foreign hackers was resolved silently just like that. Earley supported his arms on the meeting room desk as looked at Adina with a profound gaze, and slowly said, ¡°Tell me, what do you want?¡± Adina was disgusted with his tone. She stood up and took a step back. Before she could speak, Earley said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re bidding for this time, but the bidding isn¡¯t rted to this. You can raise other requests.¡± Adina curled her lips slightly and shed him an extremely faint smile. ¡°I heard that the chief chip designer has already been decided?¡± Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Earley dusted off his index finger. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Adina nodded to acknowledge that she already kniew. She took out a document from her bag and indifferently said, ¡°Since it¡¯s just a ¡®pretty much,¡¯ that means I still have a chance. This is the chip solution that I wrote. You can have a look at it if you have the time, Mr. Wynters.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She ced the document on the meeting desk before she turned around and left. Earley stared at her back and only picked up the document from the table after she disappeared from the corridor. His skin tone was slightly tan, and the ends of his fingers were dark with a thickyer of calluses. He flipped through the documents, and they were filled with professional technical terms. Although he was not a professional technician, he had slowly started to understand that aspect of things after taking charge of this project. There was only a rough systematic framework in the proposal, and there was very little content. It also seemed a bit crude, but the angle was novel, as it was something he had never thought of before. He tapped his finger indifferently. ¡°Bring Mdm. Jones¡¯ chip solution over and show it to me.¡± His assistant stood by his side and said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact Mdm. Jones now.¡± Over in Jones Corporation, the secretary walked into someone¡¯s office and respectfully said, ¡± Mdm. Jones, Mr. Wynters from Elitos has requested for you to send your chip design over.¡± A middle-aged woman in her forties was sitting in the CEO seat. She had curly brown hair, which was tied up in a high ponytail, and she emanated the elegant temperament of a rich woman. She nced at the calendar. It was the day of Elitos Corporation¡¯s bidding event. She clicked on her hard drive, but her hand suddenly froze. ¡°Who touched myputer?¡± Her secretary was so scared that she was rooted to the spot. ¡°Mdm. Jones, without your instruction, we wouldn¡¯t dare touch yourputer. Did something happen?¡± ¡°I lost my proposal.¡± Mdm. Jones narrowed her eyes. ¡°I just finished the final draftst night, and I kept it on my hard drive.¡± Her secretary immediately walked around the office desk toward her and helped to look for it. However, she could not find the proposal. She cautiously peeked at Mdm. Jones before she respectfully said, ¡°Madam, after you finished the draftst night, I took a picture and saved it. Should we send the photos over first?¡± Mdm. Jones nodded with a cold expression, and her narrowed eyes expressed her anger. After Adina picked the children up, she drove to the Winters family vi. Since Duke already knew that George and Harold were her sons, she did not have to hide the purpose of her visit anymore. She just wanted to keep the childrenpany more often. Her only wish was to be with her children all the time. She had to nurture her rtionship with the two boys while Duke was in the hospital. Unexpectedly, just as she parked her car in front of the Winters family¡¯s vi, she saw a figure walking out from the courtyard. Duke was wearing a casual outfit, but his right hand was wrapped inyers of gauze, which hung from his neck. He lookedical. Adina frowned. The doctor had stated that he needed to stay in hospital for at least a week, but this man got discharged after less than two days. Did he take his body seriously? While she was busy frowning, Duke had already approached her. He bent down and pulled the car door open for her. Supporting the car door with his left hand, he leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you considered my suggestion from this morning?¡± Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Adina stared at him without a word. She recalled what the man had said in the morning. ¡°I never want topete against you for custody because you risked your life to give birth to the four children. If I take them away, it would be like killing you. Would I do such a vicious thing? Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I want the kids to be with the Winters family, and you want them to be with you. So if the two of us actually get together, won¡¯t they also have a dad and a mom? ¡°Adina, do you understand what I mean?¡± Adina¡¯s heart fluttered slightly. She pursed her lips, pushed open the door, and got out. ¡°It¡¯s only been a day. How do you expect me to think about it?¡± she said indifferently. Duke stared at her quietly. ¡°Okay, you can take your time to think about it.¡± He pulled open the door to the backseat before he carried Melody. ¡°Did you miss Daddy?¡± Melody hugged his neck bashfully and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Mel,e down,¡± Adina said calmly. ¡°Your dad¡¯s injury on his right hand hasn¡¯t healed yet. Don¡¯t move around on his body and aggravate it.¡± As she spoke, she took Melody from Duke and carried her. Duke looked at her by his side and suddenly felt peace. Before the group of four could walk to the door, Harold rushed out like a happy frog. Even George, who would usually not be at home, also walked out. He stood in front of Adina, pursed his lips, and shyly called her ¡°Mom.¡± Mr. Brown was standing at the door. When he witnessed the scene, he smiled so brightly that his face became even more wrinkled. All these years, he had never seen Young Master George so happy. He truly hoped that Ms. Adina Daugherty would marry his master as soon as possible. After the children entered the mansion, they headed to the climbing mat and yed with the toys. Adina put on an apron and personally cooked for the children. Her cooking skills were already top-notch. To make up for the motherly love that George and Harold hadcked for many years, she carefully prepared a more exquisite dinner. She made six dishes and a bowl of soup on top of the dishes that the family¡¯s chefs had already prepared. With that, the table was full of food. ¡°Wow! There¡¯s so much delicious food today!¡± Harold excitedly climbed onto the chair at the dining table and sat down. Alden held Melody¡¯s hand and sat on the right side. He also patiently put on a bib for his sister. George looked at one side before he nced at the other. In the end, he sat next to Harold. Meanwhile, Adina sat on Alden¡¯s left, and Duke sat in the empty seat next to her. Therefore, the family of six ended up sitting on one side, and the opposite row was empty. Mr. Brown massaged his forehead helplessly. ¡°Young Master George, Young Master Harold, Young Master Alden, please come and sit here.¡± ¡°No, I want to sit next to Mel!¡± Harold shook his head aggressively. Alden shook his head indifferently too. ¡°I¡¯ll just sit here.¡± Mom was on his left, while Melody was on his right. He did not want to change his seat. George had been in thest seat, next to Harold, so he directly sat on the opposite side, ording to Mr. Brown¡¯s instruction. Now, he was sitting right across from Adina. There were five people over here, while only George was sitting there alone. He looked quite pitiful. ¡°Georgie, I¡¯ll sit with you.¡± Adina stood up resolutely. The moment she stood up, Duke did the same. ¡°I¡¯ll sit there as well. There will be exactly three people on each side.¡± Hence, Duke, Adina, and George sat on one side, while the other three children sat on the other side. Alden instantly felt gloomy. His mom had been stolen just like that. ¡°Mel, eat this. It¡¯s so delicious!¡± Harold kept adding food for Melody. ¡°And this soup¡¯s really sweet. Let me feed you.¡± Melody just obediently opened her mouth and drank the soup. Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Alden was speechless. His sister had seemingly been stolen too. He had lost their love. Nevertheless, the family of six happily had dinner. Halfway through dinner, the sound of maids greeting someone at the same time suddenly came from the entrance. ¡°Good evening, Mrs. Winters!¡± Mrs. Winters was back. Her birthday had been a few days ago, and ever since she returned from Ascrialia, she had been busy meeting old friends. As such, she was rarely at home. It was considered early for her toe back at this time. When Adina turned around and looked over, she saw Mrs. Winters walk inside, dressed in a gown. Her fingers became a little stiff. She instantly did not know how to refer to herself as she faced Mrs. Winters. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re back!¡± Harold happily pushed his chair away and jumped down. He rushed to the entrance, held Mrs. Winters¡¯ hand, and dragged her into the dining room. ¡°Grandma, let me tell you. I have Mommy and a sister. I also have a younger brother now.¡± Alden was at a loss for words. Was he the extra one? ¡°Grandma, look, isn¡¯t my sister cute and adorable?¡± Harold pointed at Melody. He spoke as if he was offering her treasure. ¡°Grandma, you should know that Mel has a very nice voice. She¡¯s soft and sweet like cotton candy.¡± Harold was extremely excited. But Mrs. Winters quietly nced at Adina and the two children. She had sent people out to conduct some investigation upon discovering that there were two more children who had been neglected by the Winters family. Adina had given birth to quadruplets that year, and that b*tch, Dew, ended up carrying the first two babies to the Winters family for glory and prosperity. Meanwhile, Adina took the other two babies overseas and only brought them back to Sea City a month ago One of the children was calm like water, while the other was exquisite like a porcin doll. They looked exactly like the children in the Winters family. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Winters.¡± Adina stood up under Mrs. Winters¡¯ judgmental gaze and greeted her in a neither humble nor arrogant tone. Alden stood up in front of Melody as well and shielded her from Mrs. Winters¡¯ uncertain gaze. ¡°You¡¯re Alden and Melody, right?¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ tone became softer, and her eyes were filled with affection. ¡°Come to Grandma.¡± Melody did not understand, so she hid behind Alden nervously. Alden held her hand and nced at Adina. ¡°Alden, this is your grandma. Go over and greet her,¡± Adina said gently. While she appeared calm, she was clenching her fists tightly. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. She still had no idea what Mrs. Winters thought about Alden and Melody. She kept staring at them nervously from the side. Suddenly, someone patted her on her back ¡°My mom likes Mel very much. Don¡¯t worry,¡± the man next to her said in a low voice. Mrs. Winters truly liked Melody. During her birthday, she did not know that Melody was a member of the Winters family, but she wanted to hold the little girl in her arms. After she discovered that this was her granddaughter, she could not suppress her fondness for the little girl. Unfortunately, Melody seemed wary. She hid behind Alden and refused to move a step forward. ¡°Grandma,¡± Alden said obediently, ¡°Mel doesn¡¯t like to talk. Please don¡¯t mind her rude behavior.¡± Mrs. Winters looked at Alden. This boy looked very simr to George. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Mrs. Winters turned around and motioned to Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown took the hint. He walked into the study before he picked up two boxes and handed them over to them. ¡°Alden, Mel, I prepared a gift for you. Open it and see if you like it.¡± Alden looked back at Adina. He only epted the two boxes after he saw his mother nod. He then gave the pink box to his sister. The box he held was the color of sandalwood. He lowered his head and opened the box, finding a set of stationery inside. The fountain pen appeared to be of high quality at first nce. Aside from that, there was also an envelope. Alden took out the envelope, pursed his lips, and said, ¡°Thank you, Grandma. I¡¯ll ept the stationery, but I can¡¯t take the money.¡± He took the envelope out and put it on the table. Mrs. Winters felt pleased as she nodded. She looked at Adina and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯ve raised Alden well.¡± He did not grow up in the Winters family, but his behavior was elegant and noble like that of a Winters family member. Melody learned from Alden. She also took out the envelope from the box and put it on the table. However, there was a pink diamond in her pink box, and it glowed under the light. Adina could tell from a nce that the diamond cost at least several million dors. Based on that, she could assume that Alden¡¯s stationery also cost about $1,000,000. The two envelopes might not contain cash. They possibly contained a check or a bank card. Mrs. Winters must have put in some effort to prepare these gifts. Did it mean Mrs. Winters also cared about Alden and Melody? Adina curled the corners of her lips. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Mrs. Winters, the kids will ept the gifts. Please take the envelopes back.¡± Mrs. Winters took two steps forward and touched Alden¡¯s head. When she tried to touch Melody¡¯s hair, the girl hid behind Adina and blinked warily. Mrs. Winters retracted her hands in disappointment. ¡°When George and Harold were first born, they each had an envelope too. This is something that every child in the Winters family has, so Alden and Mel naturally will have it. You¡¯re their mother, so you can ept it on their behalf,¡± she said indifferently. Mrs. Winters directly stuffed the envelopes into Adina¡¯s pocket. Adina had always been afraid of such things. She would pay the bill before others and refuse to receive money. She helplessly kept the envelopes as she pursed her lips and said, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Winters.¡± Mrs. Winters nodded before she looked at George and Harold. ¡°The two of you are the older ones. Bring your brother and sister out to y. We adults have something to discuss.¡± Harold could not wait to go out and y. He promptly pulled Melody and ran out. The sharp Alden was aware of what the adults wanted to talk about, so he staggered slightly. George walked up to him and stoically said, ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you something. Let¡¯s go.¡± After the four children left the dining room, Mr. Brown left with the other servants as well. The three adults were the only ones left in the spacious dining room. Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Mrs. Winters pulled out a chair and sat down with an indifferent look before she said, ¡°You probably know what I want to say, right?¡± Duke pursed his lips and frowned slightly. ¡°Mom, Addy and I wille up with a solution for this. I don¡¯t need you to interfere.¡± Adina pursed her lips tightly. Since she found out that George and Harold were her sons, she had been thinking about how to solve the problem. However, she was still unable toe up with a perfect solution after many days. She did not want to lose any of her children, and she did not want any child to feel aggrieved Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. either. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your rtionship. I just want to give you some suggestions,¡± Mrs. Winters slowly said. ¡°The Winters family children have to return to their family. They have to take ¡®Winters¡¯ as their family name. Ms. Daugherty, do you have anything to say about this?¡± Adina pursed her lips even more tightly. ¡°Mrs. Winters, please carry on with your suggestions first.¡± ¡°The children of the Winters family have to be raised based on our family rules, so they have to live with the Winters family,¡± Mrs. Winters said indifferently. ¡°As for you¡­¡± She quietly sized Adina up.¡±¡­ You have two options. Firstly, return the children to the Winters family and pretend as if you never had these four children.¡± Adina¡¯s expression turnedpletely cold. She did not expect Mrs. Winters to have such a thought. Was she any different from Mr. Osborne? Duke¡¯s expression also turnedpletely cold. ¡°Mom, you better go back to Ascrialia tomorrow. I¡¯ll ask someone to send you back.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t mentioned the second option,¡± Mrs. Winters said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. The two of you can get married and give the children aplete family. That is the best solution.¡± As soon as she said that, Adina and Duke were stunned. ¡°The four kids are quadruplets, and they were born to be together. Due to the adults¡¯ negligence, they were separated for four years. It¡¯s very unfair to them. ¡°I won¡¯t allow anyone to separate them!¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ voice became colder. ¡°No matter how others will criticize the Winters family, I won¡¯t let you bring Alden and Melody away again, Ms. Daugherty.¡± Adina looked up calmly and sneered. ¡°If I refuse to marry Duke, I won¡¯t be qualified to be the children¡¯s mother. Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡± Mrs. Winters shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ll always be the children¡¯s mother, and nobody can change that. But the Winters family will not announce your status, and we will limit the number of times, as well as the duration, you can meet the kids.¡± Adina¡¯s smile grewrger, but it was filled with hostility. After a long silence, she finally said, ¡°I would also like to tell you something, Mrs. Winters. Nobody can force me to do anything I don¡¯t want to.¡± Once she said that, she turned around and left the dining room. She brought Alden and Melody into the car before she drove away. ¡°Duke, even if you want to send me back to Ascrialia, I¡¯ll still stick to my point of view.¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ face darkened as she said, ¡°Biologically-rted family members should live together. Once they¡¯re separated, they¡¯ll turn against each other like you and your brother.¡± Duke¡¯s expression was just as sullen. ¡°Mom, we became enemies not because we didn¡¯t live together.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s one of the reasons. If your father and I hadn¡¯t sent Earl away, would he have turned out like that?¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ voice suddenly sounded hoarse. ¡°Duke, I¡¯ve rarely stuck my nose in your business all these years because I know that I don¡¯t have the right to do it and you wouldn¡¯t listen to me either. But this time, you have to listen to me. The four kids are quadruplets, and they¡¯re telepathically connected. They shouldn¡¯t be separated because of the mistakes that their parents made.¡± Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Chapter 405 ¡°As long as the four kids can be together, I don¡¯t mind being the bad person.¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ expression was cold and profound, while her tone was incredibly resolute. ¡°I choose the second option,¡± Duke looked away and said with a straight face. ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Winters was stunned for a while. She had not registered his response. ¡°I said, I choose the second option,¡± Duke repeated unhurriedly. ¡°Mom, you can prepare for it on your own time.¡± Mrs. Winters was taken aback again. When she brought up the first option earlier, Duke had interrupted her and even threatened to send her back to Ascrialia. But he was taking the initiative to choose the second option now. Hold on, what was the second option that she had just mentioned? ¡°Are you willing to marry Adina?¡± Mrs. Winters slowly asked. Previously, she had constantly persuaded Duke to marry Dew, but he still refused. She had even suspected her son of being a celibatarian. But now, he was actually telling her that he wanted to get married? Was she dreaming? Duke¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he said, ¡°But we can¡¯t rush this. I have to take it slowly.¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ gaze was filled withplex emotions. It looked like her son really liked Adina. Luckily, it was Adina and not some other woman. Otherwise, she would be worried about the stepmother mistreating the four children. Adina drove her car at a leisurely pace on the road. She held the steering wheel and slowly asked, ¡°Alden, what do you think about George and Harold?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Alden looked up and replied, ¡°In terms of what, Mom?¡± ¡°For example, do you like to hang out with them?¡± Adina weighed her words as she asked, ¡° Would you be happy to live with them?¡± Alden¡¯s gaze froze. ¡°Mom, are you sending me and Mel to live with the Winters family?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°Maybe George and Harold will live in our house. I just wanted to ask for your opinion in advance.¡± Alden sighed in relief. ¡°They¡¯re quite nice. Of course I wee them as our guests.¡± Adina pursed her lips. As our guests¡­ Those three words exposed Alden¡¯s inner thoughts. To Alden, George and Harold were only outsiders. They were biological brothers, but they could just be each other¡¯s guests. Adina suddenly understood what Mrs. Winters meant. The quadruplets should live together. But why should Alden and Melody change their family name? Why should she marry into the Winters family? Adina knew that she should not think that way, but she had reached a dead end, and she could not escape. Once she parked her car in front of her home, she nced at the double-story vi. There were three bedrooms and a study on the upper floor, while there was a guest room and another study downstairs. If she renovated the house, there could be two more rooms. She had started to imagine a life with George and Harold, but her abilities were limited. No matter what, she could not steal custody from the Winters family. Adina sighed before she took the two kids inside. Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Chapter 406 A motivated Melody went off to practice her piano, while Adina took out herptop and searched for Earley Wynters on the Inte. She was no longer keen on coborating with Elitos Corporation because of Earley. However, she had to coborate with Elitos because of her four children. She needed to be strong so that it could increase her probability of getting back custody. No matter how scary Earley was, she had to face the challenge. Adina clicked the ¡°Enter¡± button, and a lot of information about people with the name ¡°Earley Wynters¡± appeared on the web. The most famous person was actually a celebrity. She filtered out all the information on the celebrity before she searched for Earley¡¯s information from millions of search results. After she looked around for a while, she finally found an introduction. (Earley Wynters was the CEO of Elitos Corporation¡¯s branchpany in Cairnstan for one year. During his tenure, Elitos grew rapidly in the market of Cairnstan.) This introduction only stated Earley¡¯s contribution to Elitos. There was none of his personal information. The information about this Earley Wynters must have been removed.¡± Alden hade over at some point. ¡°Mom, do you need me to investigate him?¡± Adina passed him theptop. ¡°Find out anything that you can.¡± He was her next coborator, hence she had to understand this man thoroughly. Being a mother, she dared not take any risks. Alden took theptop and speedily tapped on the keyboard. A whileter, theptop screen turned ck, and only white fonts appeared on the screen. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°He changed his name to Earley Wynters. His previous name can¡¯t be found.¡± Alden narrowed his eyes as he slowly dug up the deeply hidden information. ¡°He used to live in an orphanage for eight years. His experiences in thetter years have once again been erased, and no trace of them can be found online. ¡°He also has an undergroundpany that runs illegal businesses.¡± When Adina heard what Alden sald, she recalled the human biological testing. That should be the undergroundpany under Earley. What was thatpany about? Was it rted to Flilos? ¡°Mommy, here¡¯s all the inforination that I can find.¡± Alle stood up and clicked on the folder that he had created. Everything was arranged clearly, all the information that had not been avable were also marked ¡°Thank you. Alden llurry up and get toxly for bed¡± Adina caressed Aldeni¡¯s sal (a) the couch and continue to study the is, ad Then, she Earley had changed his first name andst name. No trace of it was left on the Inte, though. Therefore, no matter how skilled a hacker was, they would not be able to find his original information. Earley had two identities. He was the CEO of Elitos in Cairnstan, which everyone knew, and that was his mask to appear publicly. His other identity was that of an undergroundpany owner. That was part of some encrypted information. No one aside from a hacking expert would ever find out. Fortunately, those twopanies were not rted. In other words, if she coborated with Elitos, she would not have anything to do with the real Earley. Only then did Adina feel at ease. The next day, Adina drove to herpany after she sent the kids to preschool. ¡°Serene,pile Elitos¡¯ information and send one set to each member in the Technical Department.¡± When Serene heard Adina¡¯s instruction, she was momentarily stunned. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I heard that they¡¯ve decided internally to give Mdm. Jones the position you¡¯re nning to bid on. Should we waste our time?¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯ll hold the bid again, and we still stand a chance. Go ahead and make preparations for it.¡± Serene was a qualified assistant. Since her superior had said so, she needed to do the necessary. Adina switched on herputer and wrapped up Project A-F. The project had already begun, so her job would end soon. At noon, Serene walked in at a hurried pace. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, some people are looking for you outside.¡± Adina did not raise her head. ¡°Did they make an appointment?¡± ¡°They say they¡¯re your parents, Ms. Daugherty.¡± Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Adina¡¯s fingers froze, and she immediately raised her head. She put down her work and walked outside. Before she stepped out, she saw Aaron and Ruby through the ss door. They were standing there with anxious expressions. She suddenly sneered. It had been two days since Dew was arrested. These two people must have run out of options, hence they came to her. ¡°Addy!¡± When Ruby saw here out, she got so worked up that her hands trembled. If those who were uninformed had seen that, they could have thought that the mother was so excited that she almost cried because she had not seen her daughter for a long time. Adina¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± As she spoke, she nced at her watch. ¡°I still have a meeting. If you have something to say, say it.¡± Aaron was instantly triggered, ¡°Why are you still in the mood to attend a meeting when your sister¡¯s in such a state? Adina, you have to think of a way to save your sister!¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°What does it matter to me what happens to her?¡± She smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that she kidnapped my son. My son nearly died because of her, and you want me to save her? Do I look like Virgin Mary to you?¡± Aaron raised his arm in anger. However, Adina did not fear him at all. She looked at Aaron with a cold expression. ¡°Dear, don¡¯t do it.¡± Ruby held Aaron¡¯s arm and bitterly begged Adina. ¡°Addy, I know it¡¯s Dew¡¯s fault. But she¡¯s too young and immature, so she did all those reckless things. I apologize to you on her behalf. Please forgive her, okay? Addy, Dew¡¯s your sister. Do you really want her to spend the rest of her life in prison?¡± ¡°If she had seeded the night beforest, my son and I would have been separated forever,¡± Adina replied scornfully. ¡°Addy, have you forgotten? That night when you gave birth four years ago, George and Harold died as soon as they were born. 11 Dew had not been kind enough to send the bables to the hospital. you and your sons would have been parted forever!¡± Ruby grabbed Adina¡¯s arm as she cried and pleaded Dew saved George and Harold four years ago. Can you lend a hand and help low get out of prison four yearster? Addy, I swear to you. As long as you get Dew out of prison, Drw and I will disappear from Sea City, and we won¡¯t disrupt your life anymore. Please Adina was unaffected as she moved out of Ruby¡¯s grip. Sitzegkrd at the two Individuals and spoke to the coldest tone that she had ever spoken in,¡° Dew has nothing to do with me. Please don¡¯te to me anymore!¡± After she said that, she attempted to walk into her office. But Ruby grabbed her wrist. ¡°Addy, are you really going to be so heartless?¡¯ Adina instantly chuckled. She looked away and firmly said, ¡°Five years ago, when you drugged and put me on a stranger¡¯s bed, did you ever think that this day woulde? Four years ago, after I gave birth to the kids, and you set the fire to the Daugherty family home, did you ever think that this day woulde? In the past four years, when you helped Dew pose as my sons¡¯ biological mother, did you ever think that this day woulde?¡± She moved her wrist out of Ruby¡¯s grip again before she smoothed out her cor and continued, ¡°You¡¯ve always been the heartless one. How could you ask me to think about kinship?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Ruby¡¯s eyes were filled with hopelessness. Dew was her only daughter and the biggest pride of her life. But Dew was going to spend the rest of her life in prison. In an instant, Ruby seemed to age by ten years. Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Adina¡¯s heart was filled with excitement, but that excitement onlysted for a second before it quickly disappeared. She pursed her lips and pulled the ss door open to enter herpany. ¡°Hold on,¡± Aaron said with a cold and angry demeanor. Adina did not stop moving. She really had a meeting to attend, so she did not have time to waste there. ¡°I raised you for eighteen years. Shouldn¡¯t you repay me for my parenting and kindness throughout those eighteen years?¡± When Adina heard Aaron¡¯s words, she suddenly chuckled from anger. She held the doorknob of the ss door, then turned around and said, ¡°Parents have a legal obligation to support their children, and children have an obligation to support their parents. I can financially support you, but I don¡¯t have an obligation to get Dew out of prison.¡± He actually wanted to guilt trip her with his eighteen years of so-called parenting. It was hrious. ¡°If you were my biological daughter, it would be my duty to raise you for eighteen years, but ¡­¡± Aaron raised his head, and his gaze was profound. ¡°You¡¯re not my daughter, but I still raised you for eighteen years. Shouldn¡¯t you repay me for the kindness you received in the past? I don¡¯t have any other requests either. As long as you get Dew out of prison, we¡¯ll call it even.¡± Adina felt like she had been struck by lightning. The Daugherty family had been extremely cruel to her over the past five years, but she had been happy in the eighteen years before that. She might havee up with that guess over the recent years, but she had been filled with grief and resentment. She never thought that she was not a member of the Daugherty family Then again, if Aaron was truly her father, would a father be that cruel to his biological daughter? She should have expected this. Adina removed her fingers from the doorknob and gradually snapped out of her daze. Ruby suddenly saw a sliver of hope. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Yes, Adina. You¡¯re not part of the Daugherty family¡¯s bloodline. Our family supported your living expenses and studies for righteen years. Don¡¯t you n on repaying our kindness?¡± Adina smiled Saintly and scoffed. ¡°Is it really as you say? I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°When your mother was young, a lot of men courted her. Who would have known that she would sleep around with someonic and get pregnant? She went around searching for someone in marry lwt, wat found Anrun!¡± Ruby wore a cold and menacing, smile as she said, ¡°She We pregant with any illegitimairchild, so she couldn¡¯t just marry anyone. Therefore, slie had 10 marry Aaron who had nothing at that time Do you really think you¡¯re ady in the 1)4150Hirty 1. ly¡¯ Yuli¡¯re just tegematachille ¡± p! Adina raised her hand and gave her a strong p Ruby widened her eyes with fury. ¡°How dare you p me?! Who gave you the audacity?! You actually pped me!¡± She covered her face and wanted to rush over to p Adina back Adina twisted her wrist before she ruthlessly swung her away ¡°If you dare to insult my mother again, I¡¯ll break your hand. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can give it a try.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Ruby¡¯s face had been smacked, so she was in great pain. Her wrist had also been twisted and nearly broken. It hurt so much that her facial features were distorted. She cried and yelled, ¡°Aaron, look at the ¡®good daughter¡¯ whom you insisted on raising. This is how she treats me! When she was first born, you should¡¯ve sent her to the orphanage. She caused our only daughter to be imprisoned. We only have Dew, our only daughter. She¡¯s in prison now What should we do?¡± Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Adina ignored Ruby¡¯s cries. She stared at Aaron. ¡°Am I your daughter?¡± Aaron suppressed his anger and said, ¡°I promised your mother that I would keep this secret until I die. But now, with all that has happened to Dew, I have no choice but to expose the truth. After your mother passed away, I could have sent you to an orphanage, but I didn¡¯t. Instead, I raised you until you were eighteen. I¡¯ve done my duty as a father, and I have a clear conscience toward you-¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Halfway through his sentence, Adina scoffed. At this point, she truly believed that she was not a daughter of the Daugherty family because no father would say something like that to his daughter. But she would not let herself be manipted by Aaron either. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send me to the orphanage? Wasn¡¯t it because I held the shares of Daugherty Corporation?¡± She sneered. Aaron¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°But all of Daugherty Corporation¡¯s shares have been purchased. The owner of Daugherty Corporation has changed. I¡¯ve lost everything. I only have Dew, my only daughter. Can¡¯t you show some mercy and spare the Daugherty family?¡± Adina frowned. She really did not have the time to pay attention to Daugherty Corporation. She just knew that the price of their shares had dropped drastically, and thepany would go bankrupt after some time. During such a critical time, someone had actually purchased the shares? ¡°Dew saved George and Harold, and I raised you for eighteen years too. Can you spare her?¡± Aaron slowly said, his cold and angry voice giving way to pleading. Adina stared at him coldly. ¡°Dew kidnapped the young master of the Winters family. It is the Winters family that insists on looking into this. It¡¯s none of my business. Mr. Daugherty, you better go to the Winters family and beg Duke.¡± She did not want to look at Aaron anymore. She pushed the ss door open and entered herpany. Hehind her, Aaron and Ruby lookedpletely hopeless Adination attended the meeting, in the meeting room, where they discussed the summary of the previous month and a work n for the next month. She was absent-minded during the 100-110,40) she coded it earlier Alterstw made arrangements for her work, she drove to the Xavier family home Mom Xavier was the only o ther in the day or on weekys Sunlight shone on the I¡¯miri vard, Mon Xarvirr took the 4111 while slie cuatted with a servall who kept her mpany Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Oh, Ms. Daugherty is here.¡± The servant was surprised as she went to open the door. She was delighted to see Adina. ¡°The madam was just talking about you. Now, you¡¯re here after she mentioned you.¡± Adina smiled while she walked up to Mdm. Xavier. ¡°Grandma, how have you beentely?¡± Mdm. Xavier held her hand. ¡°Howe you have time to visit me today? Where are Alden and Mel? Why didn¡¯t theye along?¡± ¡°They went to preschool.¡± Adina looked down as she thought about how she should open up the conversation. Mdm. Xavier could tell that Adina was there for a reason, so she said, ¡°Addy, if you have something to say, just say it.¡± ¡°Grandma, after I spoke to a client about the past today, I finally discovered that the Daugherty family was nothing twenty years ago.¡± Adina pursed her lips and said, ¡°But the Xavier family was already well- established in Sea City twenty years ago. Back then, the gap between the two families was huge. Why would you agree to marry my mother off to a poor guy who had nothing?¡± Hearing that, Mdm. Xavier appeared gloomy. ¡°Your grandpa and I disagreed for a long time back then, but your mother insisted on marrying your father. What else could we do? Later, we only realized that your mother had been pregnant with you before marriage when you were born three months early. It was considered a marriage arranged on the basis of a pregnancy.¡± Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Adina¡¯s heart sank In other words, her mother married Aaron only after she had gotten pregnant with her. It was clear why Aaron would agree to marry her mother. It was because the Xavier family was extremely rich. If he married the Xavier family¡¯s only daughter, would he still need to worry about his future? That was the truth. The following year after Aaron married her mother, Daugherty Corporation was established. During the two years that her mother was alive, Daugherty Corporation grew rapidly. Although her mother passed away, she had provided a sufficient amount of funding to Daugherty Corporation. That was enough to help Daugherty Corporation grow higher and further Without her mother, Daugherty Corporation would not have existed. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. But without her, the marriage between the Xavier family and the Daugherty family would not have happened either. Adina pursed her lips and tried to ask, ¡°Grandma, before my mother knew Aaron, was she in a rtionship with other men?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Mdm. Xavier shook her head. ¡°Your mother was an innocent woman. She didn¡¯t understand boy-girl rtionships. When she was studying, I forbade her from being in a rtionship. She only met Aaron after she graduated from university, and she waspletely swept away. Sigh! if I had allowed her to get in a rtionship when she was studying, she would not have been so fascinated by Aaron that she lost her mind in just a few months.¡± Mdm. Xavier let out a long sigh, and her eyes were filled with strong resentment. She loved and protected her daughter too much and ended up ruining her daughter¡¯s life. 11 her daughter had not married Aaron, she would not have passed away in that idental mnanner. When Adina saw Mdm. Xavier¡¯s eyes be teary, she immediately changed the subject.¡± Grandma, I just wanted toe over and visit you. Nothing¡¯s going on. Please rest well I¡¯ll return to mypany first. I¡¯ll bring Alden and Mel over to keep youpany next time¡± Mom. Xavier waved. ¡°Go ahead. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Adina looked at the time and drove to the children¡¯s preschool. On the way, she fell into deep thought. No matter what the truth was, slie had to do a paternity tesi lirs. the confirmed that she was riot Aaroji¡¯s daughter, she could consider olie things NH 110v to consider uthier options? Was it very important to know who her biological father was? Adina parked her car outside the preschool. There were still at least ten minutes before school ended, so she did not get out of her car. She just sat in the driver¡¯s seat and frowned. That man had made her mother pregnant, but he did not marry her mother. In the end, her mother had to marry Aaron. From that alone, she could see that he was an irresponsible jerk. As such, she did not have to find out who her biological father was. She did not need to do a paternity test either. After Adina made up her mind about the matter, she finally felt much relieved. The shock that Aaron gave her could no longer affect her. She cast a nce at the time. Just as she was about to step out of her car and wait outside the preschool, she saw a familiar ck sedan slowly approach the preschool¡¯s entrance. Adina instantly narrowed her eyes. Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Duke parked the car and stepped out. He hade five minutes earlier, hoping he could fetch the two children before Adina did. However, just as he went out of his car, he could feel a cold gaze fixated on him He looked in that direction and from afar, he saw a slender person slowly approaching him. ¡°Mr. Winters, why are you here?¡± Adina asked with a slight frown as she looked at him. Duke smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to call me Mr Winters?¡± Adina froze ¡®I used to call him Duke just to y along when I pretended to be his girlfriend. ¡°But there¡¯s no need for such pretenses anymore.¡¯ She said inly. ¡°I will pick Al and Mel up. You can go on with whatever it is you need to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m their biological father. This is my duty.¡± Duke said in a low voice, it sounded as low as the tune of a cello. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard for the past four years. From now on, I¡¯ll help you Out¡±: Adina¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She could only suppress that strange emotion after she dug her nails into her palm. She did not dare to meet Duke¡¯s gaze as she spoke calmly, ¡°I¡¯m used to it. You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I insist.¡± Duke interrupted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t fight for the children¡¯s custody I only want to give them the love I failed to shower them with over the past few years.¡± With those words, Adina was at a loss. ¡®His intentions for Al and Mel are the same as mine toward George and Harold-to make it up to them ¡®We must give them the love that they have missed out on for the past four years.¡± Adina said nothing else. The two of them stood at the entrance of the preschool quietly. It was a peaceful moment as the sunshine of the orange sunset shone over their shoulders. ¡°Wow, Alden Your father is here again!¡± The children in the preschool had already noticed Adina and Duke, who were standing at the entranke, they leaned against the window. The rest of the children carne over to look at them a well ¡°Wow, I finally w Alden¡¯s father He¡¯s so handsome ¡°Tal¡¯s my He¡¯s a humed times more handsoine than my father I want a father Like hin¡¯¡± It¡¯s no worden Alden is so handsatte and Melody is so prettyl Foth their parents are All the children chatted in the ssroom. Alden, who always seemed indifferent, cracked a smirk. When he realized that he was smirking, he instantly pursed his lips, trying to suppress his emotions. Some children who were at the side eximed, ¡°Look! Melody is smiling! ¡°Melody looks so pretty when she smiles! She looks just like a Barbie doll!¡± ¡°Melody, give us another smile!¡± Melody could not help but smile as four or five children surrounded her. Ava hurriedly dispersed the crowd. ¡°Melody is a shy girl. You need to give her some space What if she wouldn¡¯t smile anymore in the future? Keep your distance.¡± The other children stepped back obediently as they looked at Melody from a distance. A few girls even tried to smile like her. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Come on, children. Let¡¯s hold hands and go to the entrance together. Your parents are here to fetch you!¡± The children held hands and walked out of the ssroom with Miss Jones. Almost immediately, Adina saw Melody standing next to Ava. Her daughter usually kept a nk face, but she was smiling at that moment. ¡°Madam Daugherty, Melody has improved a lot!¡± Ava smiled as she spoke to Adina, ¡°Even though she is still reluctant to talk to other children, she would respond when they call her name She also took the initiative to help them take toys and tissues!¡± Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Melody lowered her head, feeling embarrassed. It was as if she was aware of her teacher complimenting her. The two dimples on her cheek deepened as she smiled. ¡°Come here, let Daddy hug you.¡± Duke knelt down and stretched out his arms. ¡°Daddy!¡± Melody ran over to him quickly. Duke carried her and spun her around. Ava was stunned. ¡®Didn¡¯t Alden and Melody call another man ¡°Father¡± two days ago? Why did their father change to another man again¡­?¡± ¡°Miss Jones, he is Al¡¯s and Mel¡¯s biological father. You can hand over them whenever hees and fetches them,¡± Adina said gently with a smile. Ava nodded, still feeling stunned. She only returned to her senses when the family left the preschool. ¡®Alden¡¯s father is so handsome and charismatic. It¡¯s no wonder why the children could not stop looking at him. Even I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him¡­¡¯ Two cars were parked at the entrance of the preschool. Adina and Duke opened their car doors. Hers was on the left, and he was on the right. ¡°Mel,e here. I¡¯ll carry you. Let¡¯s get into the car first.¡± Adina walked toward Melody and reached out. Just as Melody was about to turn to her, Duke said, ¡°Your mother has worked the whole day and is very tired. You shouldn¡¯t let her carry you.¡± Melody, who was about to reach out to Adina, paused and pondered for a few seconds. She turned around and held onto Duke¡¯s neck again. Duke smiled, feeling amused. Alden said, ¡°Mel can walk on her own.¡± Melody was very obedient to Alden. She struggled a little, trying to get down. Duke¡¯s smile faded. He askel gently, ¡°Mel, do you want to sit in Daddy¡¯s car?¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Adina then said, ¡°Mel, sit in Mommy¡¯s car. You¡¯re used to situng in his car¡± Melody fouked at Dauidy and Moinny, feeling, conflicted. Inike calmly adrd, ¡°Daddy specially came to pick you up from school. I would be sad if I were to go back on alon.¡± Auin. Watchlice ¡®A five-foot-nine man pretending to be sad in front of a small girl. How shameless!¡¯ Well, it worked on Melody. She ced her hand on Duke¡¯s chest and looked like she was willing to get into Duke¡¯s car. Alden frowned. Just as he was about to speak up, Duke said, ¡°Al, you should get into my car too. Give your mother a break.¡± ¡°No.¡± Alden stood motionlessly by Adina. Adina felt Melody drifting further and further away from her with each passing day. She patted her head and said, ¡°You can get into Daddy¡¯s car. Your brother and I will get in the other car.¡± The four of them were left in two different cars. Duke only started his engine and followed Adina after he saw her drive off. ¡®I think I¡¯ll find a way to make Melody sit in my car by her choice¡­¡¯ Adina took a nce at the car following behind her through the rearview mirror as the corners of her mouth twitched a little. Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Chapter 413 ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry. I will never leave you,¡± said Alden, who was sitting at the back. Adina was holding onto the steering wheel as she rxed and smiled, ¡°Al, you don¡¯t have to look at him like he¡¯s your enemy. Duke is your biological father. You should get to know him a little better, and there¡¯s nothing to lose.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll be sad.¡± Al hid the emotion in his gaze as he clenched his fist. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Al, I won¡¯t be. Where do you want to go?¡± Adina smiled helplessly. When they were at the traffic light, she turned and looked at her as she said gently, ¡°Duke is your and Melody¡¯s father. I¡¯m really happy that he¡¯s decided to protect and look after both of you with me. How can I be sad?¡± Alden lowered his gaze and did not say anything. ¡®If Duke truly loves Mommy, I will ept him into our lives as well. ¡®But if he were to hurt her in any way, I will never let the Winters family off the hook!¡¯ They drove to the Winters family¡¯s mansion. Harold had been waiting at the entrance for a long time. ¡®I was supposed to go fetch Melody at the preschool with Daddy. But he said that I should get changed first. By the time I changed, he was already gone.¡¯ He was so angry that he was close to tears. Soon, a ck car slowly drove up on the winding mountain road. Harold hurriedly tidied up his shirt, puffed out his chest, and kept his chin up. ¡®I must look cool and handsome when I wee Mommy and Melody.¡¯ The cars stopped in front of him. Before he could call out ¡°Mommy¡±, Liam got out of the car, went around to the other side, and opened the backseat door. ¡°George? Why are you here?¡± Harold became flustered when he saw George getting out of the car. ¡®George usuallyes back around eight or nine at night. It¡¯s only six. Why is he¡­?¡± 2 ¡°Why not?¡± George coughed lightly and said, ¡°I finished my work ahead of schedule. So, I¡¯m back sooner. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Liam, who was standing at the side, remained silent. ¡®You¡¯re supposed to attend a very important meeting tonight. Just because Young Master Harold isn¡¯t as smart as you, you shouldn¡¯t fool him like that.¡¯ George shot him a quick re. Liam immediately stopped harboring those thoughts. He said politely, ¡°Sir, I will go attend to the matter in the office now.¡± He swiftly drove off. Harold and George were both standing at the entrance of the mansion. Harold asked angrily, ¡°George, you usually head for the study room right after youe home. Why are you standing here?¡± George retained his indifferent expression. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Harold crossed his tiny arms. ¡®I knew it! George wants to curry favor with Mommy and Melody! ¡®I must not let him snatch them away from me!¡¯ ¡°George, I feel that Al¡¯s personality is simr to yours. You two definitely can get along very well.¡± Harold said cunningly , ¡°Later on, you should go to the study room with him. I¡¯m sure both of you have a lot of things to talk about with each other.¡± ¡®With George being upied with Alden, no one will take Mommy and Melody away from me!¡¯ George said indifferently, ¡°Al is smart. You should learn to speed ¨C read books like him. You two should chit-chat with each other.¡± LU Harold¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡®Can he not mention learning anything? I hate that the most¡­ As they were subtly bickering, two cars emerged; one after another. Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Harold recognized the car at the front. Before it stopped, he ran over and opened the backseat door. ¡°Melody, I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± He instantly went for a hug. His embrace tightened as the figure was soft and smelled really good. However, he quickly heard an angry voice say, ¡°Harold Winters, let go!¡± Alden, who was embraced in Harold¡¯s arms, was very upset. Harold instantly let go. ¡°Eh, Alden. Why are you here? Where¡¯s Melody?¡± At that moment, he heard cute giggles from behind him. He turned and saw Melodying out of the second car. George had given her a toy rabbit, and she was overjoyed. Harold swiftly ran over and took out the toy cat that he had been carrying. He then said, as if he was giving her a treasure, ¡°Melody, this cat is much cuter than the rabbit. Look, it even makes sounds¡­¡± The toy cat meowed when he gave it a little squeeze. Melody giggled even louder. Duke, who had juste out of the car, smiled. He had not heard cheerfulughter like this in the Winters family¡¯s mansion for a long time. ¡®Only three kids? Where¡¯s the other one?¡¯ He turned and saw Alden looking at the three children. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes. ¡°George, you gave Melody a present, but how about Al?¡± Duke asked softly. George said, ¡°Of course, I prepared a present for him too.¡± ¡®As the eldest brother, I must treat my younger sister and brother equally.¡¯ He handed the toy rabbit to Melody and took out a box from his bag. He turned and approached Alden. ¡°This is for you.¡± George opened the box and there was a Rubik¡¯s cube in it. ¡°The 17 by 17 by 17 Rubik¡¯s Cube is the hardest one on the market. I assume you have already solved it before. This is the 13 by 13 by 13 Rubik¡¯s Cube. I had someone customize it for you. He gave Alden the cube and said, ¡°I can teach you if you don¡¯t know how to solve it.¡± Alden took the cube and fiddled with it a little. He looked at George. ¡°Thank you, I like it.¡± Adina was still trying to find a way for Al to get along with the other children. Just then, she saw George walking over. She smiled gently and said, ¡°Al, you should call him Brother.¡± So far, she had not heard Al call anyone his ¡°Brother¡± or ¡± Daddy.¡± Alden pursed his lips and stayed quiet. ¡®I don¡¯t feel anything towards George and Harold. I can¡¯t just call them my ¡°Brothers¡±.! ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mommy. Al can call me anything he wants,¡± George said inly. He took out a stack of things from his back. ¡°Mommy, this is for you.¡± Adina was stunned. ¡®For me? ¡®I haven¡¯t even prepared presents for my two children, yet he has already prepared a gift for me?¡¯ For a moment, she was touched. Her voice came out very gently. ¡°Georgie , why did you prepare a present for me too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only fair that you get a present, Melody gets a present, and Alden gets a present too!¡± George said word by word. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Boohoo! No, it¡¯s not!¡± Harold walked over, pouting. He stared at his own brother furiously. There were tears in his eyes. ¡°Everyone has a present, except for me. Boohoo! Poor me!¡± Duke pursed his lips dejectedly as well. ¡®I didn¡¯t get any presents either. Am I a nobody?¡¯ Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Chapter 415 George shifted his cold gaze to Harold. His gaze was so cold that Harold, who had been fake crying, became overwhelmed and instantly stopped. ¡°Didn¡¯t Melody give you a present before?¡± When he heard George¡¯s words, Harold quickly replied,¡± Oh, yes! Melody gave me a present before. It was a drawing by her. I¡¯m the only one who has ever received a present from her. Nobody else got anything from her! I¡¯m the luckiest boy ever! Melody, I love you so much!¡± Harold was so happy that he gave Melody¡¯s cheek a peck. Duke frowned and pulled Harold back by his cor. He then said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t kiss Mel ever again.¡± Harold felt aggrieved as he pouted. ¡°Why?¡± ¡®What is life if I can¡¯t even kiss my sister?¡¯ Duke said, ¡°You¡¯re a boy, and Mel¡¯s a girl. Boys shouldn¡¯t simply kiss girls.¡± Harold became speechless. ¡®The teacher at school said this before, too. Does that mean I can never kiss Mel from now on?¡¯ George did not utter a word. I¡¯ve never kissed her. Does that mean I wouldn¡¯t have a chance to do it as well?¡± Alden stayed silent. ¡®Well, at least Duke got one thing right. No one is allowed to simply kiss Mel!¡¯ Adina said helplessly, ¡°Let¡¯s check out what Georgie got for me.¡± She opened the document that she was holding and was stunned. It was the share transfer letter of Daugherty Corporation. She already had twenty-five percent of the shares with her, and this equity transfer letter contained forty percent of the shares. ¡®If I were to sign it, I¡¯d have sixty-five percent of the shares of Daugherty Corporation. This means that I would have absolute authority over the corporation.¡¯ She truly did not expect George to give her such a present. ¡°Thank you, Georgie.¡± Adina was really touched. She suddenly did not seem to have the heart to take out the presents that she had prepared. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± George smiled. ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go in.¡± Adina put the document in the car. She nodded as she went inside the mansion with the children. ¡°Mommy, wait for me!¡± Harold led Melody into the mansion, leaving Duke alone behind. Duke touched his nose, feeling upset. ¡®I don¡¯t mind not getting a gift, but they even went into the house without me. Am I not needed in their lives?¡¯ 2 The cold and quiet mansion instantly became merrier when the six of them entered. TUL while Adina put on an apron and walked toward the kitchen. She loved cooking, and she loved to see her children enjoy her food. Even cutting a potato could bring her joy. Duke followed her into the kitchen. He waved his head, chasing the other chefs out of the kitchen. The two of them were left in that small space. Perhaps the house¡¯s heater was on, or perhaps the kitchen was getting hot. For some reason, Adina felt tense. LL She tried to look calm as she said lightly. ¡°Can you shell the peas for me?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Duke took his eyes off her. ¡°Okay.¡± He brought the peas over, lowered his head, and shelled the peas. The kitchen became even quieter. There were only sounds of Adina cutting the vegetables , the water boiling, and the noise of the cooker hood. Adina added oil to the pan and proceeded to put in some onion, ginger, and garlic. She instinctively took a step back when the oil started sshing. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 hapter 416 Adina unexpectedly bumped into Duke, who was washing the peas. The oil sshed on the back of her hand. She grimaced in pain. Duke hurriedly turned down the fire on the stove, looking extremely worried. ¡°Where did the oil hit you? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine.¡± Adina ran the tap water over her hand. After cooking for a long time, she was used to oil sshes. These little burns were nothing to her. However, all of a sudden, a huge, rough hand grabbed her fingertips. ¡°I¡¯ll put on some lotion for you.¡± She hurriedly pulled her hand back, but she could not break free from his grasp. She said helplessly, ¡°I really don¡¯t need it. Besides, can you even find where I got burnt?¡± There had been a small red spot when she was burnt. But after running it in the water, it was no longer visible. Duke looked down at the back of her hand. After looking at it carefully and not seeing any wounds, he let go of her hand. Adina was blushing just because he held her fingertips. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Duke then took a step back. When he looked up, he noticed her eyes visibly lighting up a little. He felt a sudden dryness in his throat. Once again, he felt an impulse¡­ He took a step forward, stopping about an inch from Adina. He stared at her lips. ¡®She must¡¯ve tasted the tomatoes just now. There¡¯s a faint red stain at the corner of her lips, which, for some reason, looks irresistible. He suddenly wanted to have a taste of her lips. ¡®What will her lips taste like? Would it be as sweet as the tomatoes?¡¯ He slowly lowered his head. Adina¡¯s mind went nk. She had a rough idea of what he was doing. Her instinct told her to run away, but her legs just would not move¡­ She could only stare at his face as he got closer and closer. ¡°Daddy! You lied!¡± Harold suddenly shouted. Adina came back to her senses. She turned and took the kitchen knife, pretending to cut the ginger. Duke straightened up. He was not sure where to look as his face darkened. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re a liar!¡± Harold crossed his arms and said angrily, ¡°You told me not to kiss Melody, but you¡¯re the one who hid in the kitchen to kiss Mommy. Mommy¡¯s a girl and Daddy¡¯s a boy. Boys shouldn¡¯t simply kiss girls! You¡¯ve crossed the line, Daddy! You¡¯re a big fat liar!¡± 1 Duke¡¯s face darkened. He had been caught red-handed by his own son. He said coldly, ¡°Are you that eager to be grounded?¡± Harold stuck out his tongue and ran off. The atmosphere of the kitchen returned to normal after Harold emerged. Adina heated up the pan and put in the oil. She then proceeded to put in the tomatoes and cooked them. In less than five minutes, a tomato omelet was ready. Duke touched his nose. He ced the peas that he was holding onto the chopping board. Before he could say anything, Adina had already started to cook the next dish. The kitchen was filled with cooking noises. He had to hold himself back from saying anything further. In just half an hour, Adina swiftly prepared six dishes. She turned off the stove and once again, the kitchen fell silent. She took off her apron and said softly, ¡°Mr. Winters, I know what you want to say. I¡¯ll say this ¡ª Mrs. Winters gave me two options, and I will choose neither of them.¡± Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Adina stood in front of the tap and washed her hands. The kitchen was filled with the sound of running water. She lowered her gaze and looked at her hand before she spoke again, ¡°I won¡¯t let go of the four children, and I won¡¯t marry into the Winters family because of them.¡± Duke looked at the side of her face. Her eyshes cast a shadow over her eyes and hid her emotions away. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He could not figure out what was on her mind. He pursed his lips and asked softly, ¡°Why?¡± Adina wiped her hands. She slowly looked up. Her lips were downturned, making her look fierce. ¡°There are some things that I just don¡¯t want to bring up. But he almost kissed me just now. There was a strong sense of predation in his gaze. ¡®It reminds me of what happened that night five years ago MU ¡®At first, I resisted and struggled with all my strength, but it was all in vain. In the end, I was ruthlessly plowed by him. ¡®It was the most depressing night I¡¯ve ever had. ¡®I still feel disgusted every time I wake up¡­¡¯. Even though Adina did not utter a word, Duke noticed a look of disgust in her gaze. The look in her eyes came upon him like a tidal wave, choking him. I¡¯ve lived for more than two decades and have only spoken to a few women. But I know it in my heart that wherever I went, I would be their topic of conversation . ¡®Sea City is filled with prominent and wealthy women. No woman will reject me as long as I want to be with that person. ¡°But Adina is an exception. ¡®I proposed to her, and my mother asked us to get married, but she rejected it. ¡°We already have children together, yet she still refuses to be with me. ¡°Am I that disgusting to her?¡¯ ¡®I will never forget the night five years ago. If you had not forced yourself onto me, whatever that had happened after that day would not have happened.¡± Adina paused before speaking again, ¡°No matter how desperate I am, I will never marry a rapist.¡± ¡®Arapist¡¯ Duke¡¯s expression turned cold when he heard the two words. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Adina¡¯s shoulder. ¡± That night, I was drunk¡­¡±. ¡°Are you saying that it was okay to force yourself onto a fraglle girl Il you¡¯re drunk?¡± Adina¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡®I was roofled and barely conscious. I escaped from that room with thest shred of strength that I have. I¡¯ve walked out from the den. I will never enter the same ce again.¡¯ ¡®I bit my tongue, trying my best to stay conscious. ¡°But there was nothing that I could do. He wasn¡¯t conscious at all. Blt by bit, he tore off my clothes¡­ ¡®I can still recall it all clearly; my struggle, my desperation, my anger, my tears¡­¡¯ ¡°Duke Winters, you don¡¯t have the right to marry me.¡± Adina said sharply, ¡°I will not spend the rest of my life bearing such injustice, just for the four children.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve suffered enough in the past. I¡¯ve finally moved on¡­ ¡®I can never let myself marry the man that ruined me¡­¡¯ His hands were still grabbing her slender shoulder as his tingers curled up a little. Duke had thought of all kinds of reasons why Adina refused to marry her, but he did not expect this to be her reason. That was why every time he approached her, he would notice a hint of fear in her gaze. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Chapter 418 This was the trauma left by the incident five years ago. Duke said in a low voice, ¡°If I had a choice, I wish our first night together had not caused so much damage.¡± Adina lowered her head. The corners of her mouth stretched into a bitter smile. How much did she wish that night had not happened? How much did she wish she had gotten married and had children like everyone else? How much did she wish her four children were born into this world normally? How much did she wish they were born into aplete and happy family? ¡°Daddy, Mommy, what are you doing?¡± Harold¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside them. Adina snapped out of her thoughts. She turned around and saw the children and their fluffy heads peeking through the kitchen door. Each child¡¯s face was filled with bemusement. She quickly took a step back and curled her lips up into a smile. ¡°Dinner is ready. Come in and help serve the food and set the table.¡± George led his three siblings in, and each child took a te of food out. Adina put down her apron and walked out after them. CE Duke pursed his lips and suppressed the emotions in his eyes before he sat down at the dining table, pretending as if nothing had happened. ¡°Wow! Your cooking has gotten even better today, Mommy!¡± Harold took a bite of the roasted pork. He found it so tasty that he squeezed his eyes shut in bliss. If he had a tail behind him, he would have been wagging it. Melody followed his example as she put a piece of roasted pork into her mouth. Then, her eyes were squeezed shut with a happy look on her face. Adina said with a smile, ¡°Have some more if you think they are good.¡± Her smile did not reach her eyes. After she said that, she lowered her head and started eating. Her expression remained indifferent. Duke sat by her side. He put a piece of roasted pork into her bowl. ¡°You are too skinny. You should have more meat.¡± ¡°My mommy doesn¡¯t like roasted pork.¡± Alden took out the roasted pork from her bowl and put it into his own bowl. He could tell that his mother was in a bad mood. Something unpleasant must have happened in the kitchen. He bit into the roasted pork and stole a nce at Duke, seemingly unintentionally. They finished the dinner under the sound of Harold¡¯s chattering It was already dark, so Adina grabbed her two children and said goodbye. ¡°Mommy, please stay, okay?¡± Harold hugged her arm and shook it. ¡°Our house is very big. We have many rooms. Just stay for the night, Mommy!¡± George said calmly, ¡°Mr. Brown prepared three bedroomsst night. Mommy, Al, Mel, you can stay for the night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Ms. Daugherty. It¡¯s already dark. It¡¯s not safe on the road. It¡¯s better for you to stay the night.¡± Mr. Brown smiled and said, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s Saturday tomorrow. You can take the three young masters and thedy to have some fun tomorrow. It will spare you from the trouble of traveling back and forth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a holiday tomorrow. Why don¡¯t we go to the amusement park?¡± Harold pped his hands in joy. Duke stood at the side. A shadow loomed over his body. He, too, wanted to ask her to stay with the children, but when he thought of what she had just said in the kitchen, he felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured on his head. He stood at the side in silence; he did not say a single word. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Harold did not notice that there was something wrong with the atmosphere. He walked over and pulled on Duke¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Daddy, ask Mommy to stay now. Ask her. Come on.¡± George keenly felt a strange vibe between the adults that he could not put his finger on. He tugged at Harold and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s not force Mommy to stay. Besides, Mommy and Mel don¡¯t have any spare clothes here.¡± ¡°Alright, I should go home now. Georgie, Hal, bye-bye.¡± Adina waved to the two children as she walked out of the Winters family¡¯s vi, holding Alden and Melody¡¯s hands. Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 After Adina left with the children, the initially lively living room became quiet and gloomy. Harold was sulking on the couch as he yed with the Legos and puzzles that Melody had not finished putting together. George raised his head and walked to Duke¡¯s side. He asked indifferently, ¡°Daddy, did you make Mommy angry?¡± Duke frowned. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°Mommy¡¯s mood has been a little off since she came out of the kitchen. I thought Mommy was too tired, but during dinner just now, Mommy did not say a word to you.¡± George continued. ¡°Did you say something harsh to Mommy?¡± Duke pinched his brows. ¡°It¡¯s some adult stuff. It¡¯s tooplicated for a kid to understand.¡± He did something terrible five years ago. On that night, he had been so drunk and confused that he could not remember what he had done. He would never have let Trent get him drunk if he had known it would end up like this today. However¡­ Duke smiled a little. If that incident had not urred that night five years ago, he and Adina would not have these four children. If it were not for these four children , he and she would never have met in this life. What was the probability of a person meeting the one who makes your heart flutter? He had heard that the chances are less than one in ten million. Since he had found her now, he would never let her go. ¡°So, it¡¯s you who upset Mommy!¡± It took Harold a few seconds to understand what George said. ¡°That exins why Mommy looked so upset tonight. No wonder Mommy didn¡¯t kiss me. It¡¯s all your fault, Daddy! Hmph! It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t like Mommy. The point is, I like her. When I grow up, I¡¯m going to marry Mommy!¡± Duke¡¯s expression darkened . ¡°Do you even know what you are talking about?¡± ¡°Hmph! The point is, I like Mommy. I want to be with Mommy forever! If you are ipetent, then I will do it!¡± Harold got farther away from him and made a face at him. Then, he ran away and hid upstairs. The look on Duke¡¯s face was so awfully gloomy. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. He was ipetent? If he was ipetent, this brat would not have been born! ¡°Mommy is the most beautiful woman in Sea City. There are a lot of men who like Mommy. Good luck, Daddy.¡± George nced at Duke briefly before he went upstairs as well. Duke sat on the couch. His brow furrowed into a crease so deep it could mp a fly to death. He took out his phone and found Trent¡¯s contact. He typed out a sentence in the input field. ¡°How do you usually woo women? What are your most effective methods?¡± After he typed that out, he felt that something was not right. So he deleted that message. Adina was not like other women. Those methods of Trent simply would not work on Adina. Besides, if he used Trent¡¯s methods to woo Adina, it somehow just felt disrespectful. However, he just could not think of a good way to do it. Mr. Winters always had a n. Nothing could scare him, but he was not extremely frustrated. He clicked open his Facebook ount and swiped through it casually. His gaze suddenly paused. He saw a long post. ¡°I met a patient today. She is suffering from a severe psychological disorder. She was traumatized when she was little. Twelve years had passed since that incident, and she had long forgotten about it. However, during her wedding night with her husband , she suddenly recalled the horrible past. She loves her husband very much, but every time she recalled the past when she was raped, she could not sleep on the same bed with her husband. Almost every month, I meet at least one patient like her.¡± He was just swiping through his phone casually, but this had got his attention. How could he forget that he knew a psychiatrist in his circle of friends? Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Chapter 420 He nced at the note. It was an English name, Catherine. He remembered it now. It had been at his mother¡¯s birthday party a few days ago. Catherine had sent someone over to deliver the birthday gift, so he added Catherine as a Facebook friend. He had sent someone to check on Catherine¡¯s background a long time ago. She was already a well- known psychiatrist overseas, despite her young age. It was said that she could be ranked in the top three when it came to this line of work in Australia. Duke thought about it for a moment before he finally clicked on the chat box to message Catherine. He sent her a greeting emoji. She quickly replied, ¡°I thought you had deleted me, Mr. Winters. Turns out that you hadn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I have a friend who wants some consultation on a mental health issue.¡± Duke pondered over it for quite a while before he sent that message to her. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! In the next second, Catherine sent a smiley face over with a witty message. ¡°Many people whoe to me for a consultation begin with the phrase, I have a friend.¡± Duke did not know how to reply to that. He suddenly felt a little awkward. Talking about such a private subject with a stranger he had never met before did not seem like a good idea. VI Catherine said, ¡°I am a psychiatrist. I have seen all kinds of situations. You don¡¯t need to hesitate, Mr. Winters. You can share your story with me in detail. I maintain confidentiality for every patient.¡± Duke said, ¡°My friend¡¯s girlfriend seems to have a fear of intimacy. What can he do to help her ovee it?¡± Catherine said, ¡°If it is something that she doesn¡¯t like to do, he can watch more movies with intimate scenes with her. If she was traumatized by some incident that happened in the past, she will need to consult a professional psychiatrist and undergo therapy.¡± Adina got up earlier on weekdays and an hourter on weekends. The sun shone in from the balcony. She drew the nket over her head and went back to sleep. ¡°Bam bam bam!¡± There was a loud banging on the door from downstairs all of a sudden. Who woulde to visit so early in the morning? Adina rubbed her eyes. When she walked out of her room in slippers, she saw that Alden had also woken up. He was rubbing his sleepy eyes and standing on the stairs. ¡°Al, go back to sleep. I will get the door.¡± Adina tidied up her hair when she was walking downstairs so that she would not look sloppy. She stood at the door and peered through the peephole for quite a while, yet she did not see anyone standing out there. Was she hallucinating? ¡°Bam bam bam!¡± There was that loud banging again. Adina suspiciously pulled the door open. ¡°Mommy, you finally opened the door! I missed you so much!¡± Standing before her were two little boys, who were dragging their luggage. Adina was fully awake now. ¡°Georgie, Hal, what are you doing here?¡± Harold tugged on her arm and said joyfully, ¡°Georgie and I have decided to stay here with you for a while. Are you happy, Mommy?¡± Adina was a little dumbfounded. She understood that Harold could be reckless and do as he wished, but why was George following in his suit? Besides, this was such a big deal. Did Duke even know about this? ¡°Hal and I will stay here for now. Do you not wee us, Mommy?¡± George inquired, cocking his head as he dragged his suitcase. His expression was nonchnt, but his hand was clenched tightly. This was the first time in his life that he had done something so willful and reckless. Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Chapter 421 ¡°I can¡¯t be any happier. Come in now!¡± Adina helped the boys to carry their suitcases into the house. Her eyes were beaming with delight. Whether Duke knew about it or not, these boys were not going anywhere today. She finally had a chance to spend some alone time with her four children. Harold had been here once before, but he had not had the chance toe in. So this was his first visit as well. He looked around curiously and touched things with interest. He asked a few questions here and there. The living room was full of joy. George looked around with a solemn gaze. This vi was much smaller than the Winters family¡¯s ce. Because it was so small, the living room seemed a bit crowded. The balcony was full of toys. The color of the couch in the living room was pink. The curtains were of a simrly warm color. The decorative items were small furry objects that enticed people to touch them. This home was so much cozier than the Winters family¡¯s ce. No wonder Harold had insisted on staying here. At that moment, Alden came down from upstairs with Melody. Harold darted toward them excitedly. ¡°Mel, you haven¡¯tbed your hair. Let meb it for you today, okay?¡± Melody¡¯s eyes bulged. She covered her hair with her hands and took a step back. ¡°I promise to be gentle. I won¡¯t hurt you. I am going to make you the most beautiful braid in the world.¡± Melody cocked her head and pondered for a few moments before nodding and following Harold to the couch. Harold did not know how tob hair at all. He was clumsy with theb. He had pulled out two strands of the little girl¡¯s hair. Alden felt bad for her as he red at him in anger. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how tob hair, don¡¯t pretend like you are good at it.¡± Harold was aggrieved. ¡°I watched a hair-braiding videost night. I know how tob hair. I really do.¡± Alden took theb and smoothed his sister¡¯s hair, then carefully braided it. He was good with his hands. A few momentster, he finished braiding one side of her hair, he skillfully picked up the rubber band and tied it tightly. Then, he changed direction and tied the other side. ¡°Wow. You are so good at it!¡± Harold could not help but p his hands. His eyes were filled with envy. George stood by the side. His fingers were secretly imitating Alden¡¯s movements, Adina smiled tenderly as she saw her four children getting along well. She put on her apron and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Melody did not need to practice piano on weekends. She happily took out all her toys and sat on the crawling mat with Harold to y with them. Harold was actually not interested in girls¡¯ toys, but he would do anything to hang out with Melody for a little longer. He even put on a wig and let Melody put makeup on his face. His fingernails were also painted with various colors of nail polish. Melody was having a lot of fun. George, however, could not stand to look at it anymore. The makeup on his stupid brother¡¯s face at that moment was just too horrifying to look at. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. When he turned his head, he saw Alden sitting on the balcony, clutching a notebook. Alden¡¯s figure was obscured by the balcony curtain. If he looked from a different angle, Alden would have never been spotted hiding there, ying with his laptop. George narrowed his eyes and approached him. Alden¡¯s fingers moved quickly across the keyboard. String after string of code symbols appeared on the screen, with themunication software¡¯smunication interface on the right. ¡°You¡¯re forming a hacker team?¡± A voice suddenly came from behind him. Alden quickly raised his hand and closed theptop. Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Chapter 422 He slowly turned around to look at George. He frowned and said, ¡°Is this any of your business?¡± ¡°You are a hacker?¡± George pursed his lips and said, ¡°And it looks like you are the leading figure in the hacking field. So, that opponent I met before, that was you?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Alden shoved hisptop into the crack in the balcony cab and stood up. He said, ¡°Yes, that was me. Why didn¡¯t you ept my challenge?¡± George paused for a second before he said, ¡°I have little interest in hacking, and you should stop contacting other hackers, it¡¯s not safe.¡± There was a faint sneer on Alden¡¯s face. If he really had no interest in hacking, he would not have registered an ount on the dark web. Besides, George¡¯s hacking abilities were clearly exemry. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are trying to do by forming a hacker team, but I¡¯m just offering you some friendly warning about this business. It¡¯s best to stay out of it,¡± George went on and said. He remembered every word Daddy had said to him. Therefore, despite his interest in hacking, he did not really use his hacking skills to do anything ¡°I¡¯m not forming any hacker team. You saw it wrong.¡± Alden said nonchntly. ¡°This is just a virtual game. Don¡¯t tell Mummy.¡± George nced at him and said nothing more. Breakfast was promptly prepared. Adina brought out five tes of pasta and mushroom soups. She was about to call the kids over for breakfast. Then, she was dumbfounded. ¡°Hal, you¡­¡± Her mouth opened wide as she stared at Harold. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Harold did not find anything odd about his appearance. He lifted the hem of his dress and twirled around in a circle. ¡°This is the dress Mel picked for me. She did my makeup too. What do you think? Do I look pretty?¡± Adina stared at him and said reluctantly, ¡°Yes, you look pretty.¡± Alden lit a candle for him in his mind. Melody liked to dress up and put makeup on Barbie dolls. From now on, Harold had be a Barbie doll. George could not stand to look at him anymore. He said in a low voice, ¡°Go and remove your makeup now, otherwise, I will lose my appetite.¡± ¡°Come on. Hal. I will remove your makeup for you.¡± Adina took Harold¡¯s hand and went to the bathroom. Harold was still proud of his appearance, but after seeing himself in the bathroom mirror, he was so terrified that his voice broke. ¡°Mel, your makeup skills are bad. You have turned me into a ghost!¡± Melody lowered her head and stared at her fingers with a wounded expression. ¡°But I think you look pretty.¡± Alden rubbed his sister¡¯s head. ¡°You will get better with a little more practice. I¡¯m sure our brother will be happy to help you.¡± This was the second time Alden had addressed Harold as their brother, but he had wielded the word as a weapon to entrap him. Harold was well aware that it was a trap, yet he still walked into it obediently. ¡°Mel, let¡¯s not use such a bright color for the eyeshadow, okay?¡± Melody squinted her eyes happily. ¡°I will use white next time.¡± White eyeshadow? That would make him look more like a ghost, would it not? Harold¡¯s smile became stiff for a second. ¡°Alright now. Let¡¯s have breakfast. I¡¯ll take you to the amusement park after breakfast.¡± When they heard Adina, the kids took their seats obediently and ate their pastas. They quickly finished their pastas and mushroom soups. After they did the dishes, it was only 9:30 a.m. Adina got in the car with her four children and drove to the biggest amusement park in Sea City. Meanwhile , Duke, who was getting ready for a meeting, got a call from Mr. Brown. ¡°We have a problem, sir. Young Master George and Young Master Harold have run away from home together, bringing their suitcases with them.¡± Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Ever since she had kids, Adina had never once set foot in the amusement park. Alden did not like to y with such rides, and Melody was afraid of strangers. Therefore, this was the first time she was taking the children to a ce like this. She had been carrying Melody in her arms with a protective posture. However, when they reached the amusement park, the little girl struggled to get down and walk on her own. ¡°Mel, let¡¯s blow bubbles together.¡± Harold was blowing bubbles, and Melody was chasing after bubbles. They had the most innocent smiles on their faces. Adina also smiled from the bottom of her heart. The doctor who used to treat Melody was right. Only love would bring an autistic child out of his or her own bubble. ¡°Georgie, Al, why are you still standing there? Go and have some fun now!¡± Adina was holding four full-ess tickets. They could y with whatever rides they wanted. It was just that there were a lot of people. There was a line for every ride. George and Alden were introverts. They were quite mature for their age. So they had no interest in ying with the rides, but seeing that Melody was having so much fun, they were tempted to y as well. Hence, in the end, whatever ride Melody wanted to go on, the kids would follow along After going through all the rides, it was already past five o¡¯clock in the evening. All four children were drenched in sweat. They had a great time. ¡°Alright now, it¡¯s time to go home. I will take you here again when we have time, okay?¡± Harold was the most excited one as he eximed cheerfully, ¡°Okay! Let¡¯se again tomorrow, okay? An amusement park is so fun!¡± Adina smiled stiffly. She was already so exhausted today. If she needed to do this again tomorrow, it would kill her! Alden was introverted and Melody was mostly quiet. She had no idea how much of a headache it could be when children were overly energetic. She finally understood today why many people only have one child, because the more children you have, the more difficult it is to keep them under control! Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Melody and Alden were such obedient kids. Under Harold¡¯s influence, theypletely let themselves go today. Adina carried the four children to the car and carefully fastened their seat belts before starting the engine and driving home. The kids were exhausted. As soon as they got in the car, they fell asleep. By the time they arrived home, it was already dark. Adina pulled open the back seat door and woke the children up, one at a time. ¡°Get up. Wake up. Go home and change your shoes. I¡¯m going to make dinner.¡± George was not asleep. He was just resting his eyes. So he was the first to wake up. When he was about to get out of the car, he suddenly saw a familiar figure standing at the door of the vi. He sat up straight with a jolt. ¡°Daddy¡¯s here!¡± ¡°What? Daddy is here? Where?¡± Harold opened his eyes blearily. ¡°Hurry, Georgie. Let¡¯s find a ce and hide ourselves. We can¡¯t let Daddy catch us and bring us back!¡± He bent down and tried to hide under the seat. It took Adina a few seconds to react as she turned around. Only then did she see a shadowy figure standing in front of the vi. The courtyard had no lights and the doorway was dark. She actually failed to notice there was a car parked outside the door and a person was standing there. The man¡¯s silhouette seemed a little blurry in the darkness. He was emitting an imposing aura. Adina tried her best to ignore the figure over there. She bent down and said softly, ¡°Georgie , Hal, get out of the car first.¡± It was George¡¯s first time doing such a willful thing. He felt a little guilty. As he looked at the figure in the distance, his palms started to get sweaty. While the situation was at a standstill, Melody, who was sitting beside them, pushed open the car door and ran out. A sweet and soft voice could be heard in the night air.¡° Daddy!¡± Duke was still sulking. They were a family of six. How could they leave him behind? Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Before his anger could even grow, it all disappeared when he heard Melody call him ¡°Daddy¡±. He picked up the little girl who ran toward him, and after spinning her around, he asked softly, ¡°Did you miss Daddy?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The little girl nodded vigorously. On the other side, Harold was still looking for a ce to hide in the car. George pursed his lips and said, ¡°You had the nerve to run away from home, but you¡¯re not brave enough to face the consequences?¡± Harold buried his head under the cushion and said with a muffled voice, ¡°Hmph. I am a scaredy-cat. What¡¯re you going to do about it? Fight me?¡± Adina was not sure whether to cry orugh as she looked at them. ¡°You think your Daddy can¡¯t find you if you hide under the cushion? Come out, darling.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want toe out!¡± Harold hugged the cushion and said stubbornly, ¡°I want to stay here today. I want to spend the night at your house!¡± ¡°Stay here, then. I¡¯ll go back with Daddy,¡± George said after pursing his lips for a moment. He sat up and was ready to get out of the car. Harold finally moved and tugged at George¡¯s sleeve.¡° George, you-¡± Atst, George felt some relief. This kid still had some degree of conscience and was reluctant to send his big brother out to face their father¡¯s wrath alone. ¡°I know you¡¯re the best, George. Just say that you dragged me to Mommy¡¯s house today. Daddy likes you the most, and he definitely won¡¯t punish you. Just don¡¯t tell on me, okay?¡± George was rendered speechless. He had truly overestimated Harold¡¯s sense of morality. ¡°Okay, Hal,¡± Adina said weakly while holding her forehead. ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll convince your daddy to let you two spend the night at my house, okay?¡± George finally let go of the cushion. Adina led the children out of the car. In the darkness of the night, the group of six stood face to face at the entrance of the mansion. Standing on one side was Duke , who was carrying their little girl. On the other side was Adina, who was holding on to the three boys. Harold was hiding behind Adina, and George looked guilty. ¡°What brought you here? Have you eaten yet?¡± Adina asked with a soft smile. Since she wanted to let George and Harold stay, she had best put on a friendly attitude so that it would be easier for her to negotiateter. The two of them had parted on a sour note the day before, but Adina was all-smiles while talking to him today, and it made all the lingering sadness that surrounded Duke¡¯s heart vanish into thin air. The corners of his lips curled up as he said, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Can I impose on you for dinner?¡± ¡°Of course, you can.¡± Adina pushed open the door to the mansion and stood to the side to allow the others to enter. She took out all the ingredients from the fridge and nned to prepare avish dinner, as it was the first time George and Harold were eating at her house. She still had to bring out the gifts she had carefully prepared for the two little ones after they finished their meals. Adina was in a really great mood, but it quickly changed when she noticed Duke wandering into the kitchen. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! This man was freely walking around her house as if it were his own. How could he do that when he was just a guest? However, she would need to ask him for somethingter, and it was not really ideal for her to give him the cold shoulder all the time. She was focused on chopping up the ingredients , while Duke volunteered to wash the vegetables and peel the potatoes. The atmosphere in the kitchen fell silent. Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Duke rarely entered a kitchen , or he had never actually stepped foot in one. Buttely, he had gone into the kitchen practically every day. He would wash vegetables or peel potatoes, and he was starting to get the hang of things. The kitchen was located right next to the living room in Adina¡¯s modest mansion. They could hear the noiseing from the living room despite the two of them being busy in the kitchen. Basically, Harold was making all the noise as he chased Melody around the living room whileughing and ying ¡°You¡¯re so naughty, Mel. How dare you tickle me!¡± Harold rolled his sleeves up and started chasing after Mel. Dimples appeared on the little girl¡¯s face as she ran away while smiling, but Harold caught her and pushed her onto the couch. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re still going to tickle me again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hal,¡± Melody pleaded whileughing since she was unable to escape. Alden hurried over to them and said, ¡°Let go of Mel, Harold. She¡¯ll get out of breath fromughing so much.¡± After letting go of Mel, Harold turned his body over and pushed Alden onto the y mat. ¡°I¡¯ll tickle you instead, then. Is it ticklish? Hahaha.¡± Alden was able to resist Harold¡¯s attacks, but slowly after that, Harold reached his hands into Alden¡¯s shirt and started tickling all over his belly. Alden finally could not take it anymore and burst outughing. Once he startedughing, he could not stop. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you dare to pick on me again! Hahaha,¡± Harold said as he tickled harder and more vigorously.¡± Ah!!¡± Alden flipped them over and pinned Harold under him before Harold could even finish his sentence. Alden did exactly what Harold had done to him earlier and started tickling him nonstop. ¡°Hahaha ¡­ it¡¯s so ticklish! I¡¯m sorry, Alden, stop tickling me¡­ hahaha. George! George, help me! Hurry¡­ Hahaha George pursed his lips in silence as he watched the three little rascals rolling all over the y mat. He approached them with the intention of pulling Harold away, but he was forcefully yanked into the pile instead. In no time, the four kids were rolling around and having fun. The vase that was ced atop the coffee table by the couch dropped when they collided into it, making a loud ng. However, Harold¡¯sughter was too loud, and the kids did not notice the vase dropping, so they carried on ying and tickling each other. Adina stepped out of the kitchen after preparing dinner and saw the scene. The y mat, under the table, the shelves, the balcony, and even the corners were scattered with building blocks. There were building blocks all over the ce. Even the coffee table next to the couch had been knocked over, leaving the vase on the floor broken. The children were ying just beside the ss shards. She did not have any idea if any of them had been hurt. Adina immediately ced the bowls down and hurried over to them with big strides and asked, ¡°What are you kids doing?¡± ¡°Hahaha , we¡¯re tickling each other. Hurry up and help me, Mommy. I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m going to pass out fromughing, haha!¡± Haroldined as he tugged on Alden¡¯s cor and reached to vigorously scratch Alden¡¯s armpit. Adina waspletely speechless. It seerned that the children were not all that noisy when they were ying in the yground that day. They were the noisiest when they were rolling around and fighting like this. She really could not believe how the quiet Mel, the introverted Hal, and the sensible Georgie were able to make such a mess when ying with Harold. Maybe that was just how kids were? Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Did any of you get hurt by all the ss shards on the floor?¡± Adina asked while holding her forehead. The four little rascals were already standing obediently in a row and shook their heads in response to her question. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good. Now, go wash your hands and get ready to eat.¡± The four kids immediately wore their shoes and went straight to the bathroom. Chapter 426 Chapter 426 hapter 426 When he looked at himself in the mirror, Alden saw that his shirt cor was practically torn, his hair looked like a bird¡¯s nest, and his mouth twitched. George¡¯s mouth twitched too. He did not even know who had made the red scratch mark on his face. The cor of his shirt was stained ck, and he looked very disheveled. Only Harold remained absorbed in the fun of ying.¡± Alden, you lost today, haha! Hurry, call me big brother!¡± Alden rolled his eyes at him and said, ¡°Take a look at Mel, then we¡¯ll talk.¡± Melody stood forlornly in front of the mirror and looked helplessly in the mirror at herself. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. The little girl¡¯s hair was long, but it was all over the ce and looked like a bird¡¯s nest now. Her chiffon dress had been tom in some ces, and there were even a few dirty shoe prints on her pink dress. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry, Mel.¡± Harold was very guilty. ¡°I won¡¯t do that again.¡± Alden came over and helped tidy up his sister¡¯s clothes and hair before leading her out while holding her hand, The six of them sat down at the small dining table. ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C The four rascals had been too rowdy just now, so they were very quiet while eating their dinner. After she was almost finished with her meal, Adina spoke tentatively, ¡°Mr. Winters, it¡¯s gettingte already, why don¡¯t you let Georgie and Hal stay at my ce tonight?¡± Duke ced down his spoon and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve said the same words to you yesterday.¡± Adina was bbergasted. The Winters family had offered her to stay the night at their mansion, but she had turned them down. Duke¡¯s choice to reject her request for George and Harold to stay at her home tonight was understandable. However, she really did not want to lose the chance to spend more time with the kids. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Then, what should I do so that you¡¯ll agree to let George and Harold stay the night here?¡± ¡°They have every right to do that since you are their birth mother. I don¡¯t have any issues with it,¡± Duke calmly said. Adina was stunned. ¡®Did this man just agree?¡¯ ¡°But-¡°In a low voice, Duke added, ¡°I¡¯m the children¡¯s birth father. It¡¯s not too much for me to asionally ask them to stay with me for a few days, right?¡± Adina went silent. Of course, he had been waiting for her to say that. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. She just knew that it was not easy to convince this man. There was no way that George and Harold could spend the night at her house if she rejected him. If she agreed to him, then it meant that she would have to send Al and Mel to the Winters¡¯ house at some point in the future. The atmosphere turned heavy all of a sudden. Duke looked at her for a few seconds and muttered quietly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m just bringing it up. I never said that the kids had to stay at my house. I won¡¯t make them do it if they don¡¯t want to.¡± He turned to face George and Harold and added, ¡°You two are all grown up now, and you have the right to decide where you want to spend the night. I won¡¯t get in the way of your decision.¡± ¡°Wow! Really, Daddy?!¡± Harold was ecstatic when things took a turn because he believed they had missed their chance. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Daddy! You¡¯re the best daddy in the world! I love you so much!¡± The corner of Duke¡¯s lips curled up. Harold thought Duke had no idea, but he knew this little rascal gave him a nickname behind his back and always secretly called him the Big Devil. Now that he agreed to let this little guy stay here, and he became the best Daddy in the world? He was not sure whether to get angry or be happy at that. Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Chapter 427 As darkness took over the sky, Adina was finally finished cleaning up the messy living room. She took a nce at Duke who was reading a book on the couch, and rubbed her nose in confusion. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®It¡¯s almost ten in the evening. Why is this man still here? Does he want me to order him to leave?¡¯ The four kids seemed to be gaining even more energy, and Adina had no idea when they would all be going to bed. After giving it some thought, Adina made the decision to put the kids to bed first and deal with Duke after. ¡°Alright, Georgie, Hal, Al, and Mel, time to put the toys away. We¡¯re going to go upstairs and take a bath,¡± she said with a smile while standing at the side of the y mat. Harold said, ¡°Five more minutes, Mommy,¡± without raising his head and while still holding the Transformer toy in his arms. Adina was getting a little tired. That was already the third time they had asked for five more minutes. Even Mel had copied her brother and said, ¡°Five more minutes.¡± The little girl seldom spoke, but when she did, anybody who heard her would instantly be melted by her soft voice. Adina looked at Alden and George and asked, ¡°What about you two? Do you want to y for another five minutes as well?¡± Alden nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here with Mel because I¡¯m afraid Harold might bully her.¡± George looked up and said, ¡°Harold ys rough sometimes. I¡¯ll be here to keep an eye on him.¡± Harold was speechless. Mel is my favorite , so why would I pick on her? These two are trying to throw mud on me while lying through their teeth!¡¯ ¡°Harold is restless wherever he goes. With him here, it¡¯ll be difficult for you to get a good night¡¯s sleep,¡± Duke added with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Adina answered with a soft smile. ¡°L¡¯IL join them in ying if they want to.¡± Regardless, she would never let go of them. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for you to take care of four kids on your OWI, so you don¡¯t need to put up such a strong front,¡± Duke said quietly. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll stay over to help you look after the kids.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± Adina shook her head immediately as her eyes widened. This man was like a hungry wolf, and the gaze he used to look at her was always intrusive. She would be insane to let this man stay the night at her ce. A glimpse of disappointment shed through Duke¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay then. It¡¯s gettingte. I should head back now,¡± he said as he stood up calmly. He took a few steps towards the door, but turned back and asked, ¡°Are you kids not going to say goodbye to Daddy?¡± Harold and George appeared not to have heard him, as they were focused on stacking the building blocks. Alden looked at Duke and gave him a little wave. LUL Only Mel approached Duke barefoot and gently shook his hand while saying, ¡°Goodbye, Daddy.¡± ¡°Mel is the sweetest!¡± Duke left a kiss on the little girl¡¯s cheek and walked out of the mansion. He was very fortunate to have a little girl out of his four children since he would have been miserable without her. The mansion was suddenly quite empty once Duke left. Adina first took a shower of her own and headed downstairs after that. The four kids were finally looking sleepy. She first gave Mel a bath, and then Harold. George and Alden, on the other hand, matured quickly and could already bathe themselves by the time they turned three. By the time she finished looking after the kids, it was eleven thirty at night. Adina immediately dozed off after lying down as her body felt exhausted. However, she heard crying in the middle of the night. Mel was sleeping in a room on her own, while the other three kids were sharing another room. Adina went after the crying sound and found Harold sobbing while sitting on the carpet next to the room¡¯s door. ¡°I want milk. I want milk!¡± He cried out loud. Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Adina thought he was sleep talking. She crouched down and said, ¡°Hal,e here. Let¡¯s get you to bed.¡± ¡°No, I want milk. I¡¯m hungry. I want milk¡­¡± the kid cried while hugging Adina¡¯s neck. ¡°I brought the milk powder, and it¡¯s in the suitcase. Mommy, I want to drink some milk.¡± Well, it did not seem like he was sleep talking. Adina walked over to the suitcase, and sure enough, there was a tub of milk powder inside. Harold was already four and a half years old. It was not quite right for a child that big to drink milk at night. ¡°Mommy, Hal has to drink milk at night,¡± George said drowsily, having woken up from the crying. ¡°The bottle is in the suitcase too.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it. You can go to sleep now.¡± Adina patted George on the head and carried the crying Harold to prepare his milk. She prepared a big bottle of milk, but Harold finished the whole thing in less than five minutes. She finally understood the meaning of Duke¡¯s words. She could not, in fact, sleep soundly while Harold was around. What about it, though? All of that she did owe to Harold. When both of the kids were born, she had not been around to be their mother, and now it was time for her to make it up to them with her motherly love. Harold was fast asleep in her arms and since she did not want to disturb George and Alden¡¯s sleep, she carried Harold to her own room. That night, the mother and son slept side by side. The moment Harold opened his eyes in the morning, he was face to face with Adina¡¯s face. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, thinking he was hallucinating, but not only did the face in front of him not disappear, it actually got clearer instead. He reached a finger out and poked Adina¡¯s face. ¡°Wow! It really is Mommy! ¡°I actually slept with Mommy for the night! ¡°Wow! I¡¯m really the happiest kid in the whole world!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. As Harold was covering his mouth while snickering, Adina opened her eyes and asked, ¡°Why are you laughing so happily right in the morning, kid?¡± ¡°1-1 can¡¯t believe I actually spent the night with Mommy. I¡¯m too happy,¡± Harold blushed. ¡°There will be even more opportunities for that in the future!¡± Adina sat up and said, ¡°Now, that¡¯s enough sleeping, time to wake up!¡± Harold immediately got up. As soon as he got dressed, he quickly ran to the next room. ¡°George , do you know? I slept with Mommyst night! ¡°Did you hear that, Alden? I slept with Mommyst night. Hehehe. Mommy hugged me as we slept through the night. ¡°Mommy must¡¯ve liked me the most because I¡¯m the cutest and most handsome. Hahaha!¡± Both George and Alden were speechless and rolled their eyes at him. Harold ran to Melody¡¯s room to disturb her too. ¡°Mel, let me tell you some good news. Mommy hugged me while we were sleepingst night. Have you ever slept with Mommy before?¡± ¡°Mommy said a kid who still sleeps with an adult after turning three is not a good kid,¡± Melody murmured softly as she tilted her head to the side. Her words were like a bolt from the blue for Harold. Harold was dumbfounded. ¡°So, I¡¯m not a good kid?¡± ¡°That was what Mommy said,¡± Melody added while nodding Adina entered the room with a smile and said, ¡°Harold is the sweetest. How can you be a bad kid? But you have to get rid of your habit of drinking milk in the middle of the night.¡± Harold pouted sadly. ¡°But I was hungry. I woke up in the night because I was hungry.¡± ¡°Then you should eat more at dinner,¡± Adina said gently. ¡°If you don¡¯t brush your teeth after drinking milk at night, you could get cavities. Do you want your teeth to get ruined?¡± Harold covered his mouth in shock. Adina wanted to continue with her lecture, but the phone in her pocket buzzed all of a sudden. Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Adina pulled out her phone, and after taking a look at the caller ID, she answered the call. ¡°Good day, Ms. Daugherty. I¡¯m an ount representative from Elitos Corporation. I¡¯d like to let you know that your bid document has cleared ourpany¡¯s initial evaluation. Please make ns to attend the meeting at Elitos Corporation at ten o¡¯clock this morning.¡± Adina nced at the time and agreed. The fact that Elitos Corporation had called her at this exact time meant that there must be good news regarding the bid. She had to win this project. She had to go. But what about these four kids? Just as she was thinking of a n to arrange the four kids, a knock came from downstairs. Mel, who was sitting quietly on the bed, suddenly jumped out and ran downstairs to open the door. Adina immediately guessed who the visitor was. She walked into her room to wash up and dressed in official attire before heading downstairs. Duke had already taken a seat on the couch. He looked up to face the womaning down the stairs and asked with a small smile, ¡°Where did you n to take the kids today?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, I believe I have a favor to ask of you.¡± Adina cleared her throat and muttered dryly, ¡°I suddenly have some urgent matters to settle at work. Would you kindly help me watch the kids for a little while?¡± ¡°Huh? Are you going to work, Mommy?¡± Harold was instantly bummed. ¡°I want to follow Mommy to work too.¡± Adina patted his head and said, ¡°I have very important things to take care of, but I¡¯ll be home in the afternoon. Stay at home and behave, okay?¡± Harold was about to speak again when George interrupted, ¡°Mel was right. You¡¯re not a good kid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! I¡¯m a good kid!¡± Harold said as he took a.step back and waved his hands. ¡°Hurry up and head to work, Mommy. I¡¯ll make sure to behave!¡± Adinaughed at his antics. She patted each child¡¯s head one by one before turning to look at Duke and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, Mr. Winters.¡± Duke hated the words ¡°Mr. Winters¡± more than anything, yet there was nothing he could do about it. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He nodded lightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of the kids. You can work in peace.¡± Adina made her way to the door, changed into a pair of heels, and left. For the first time, Duke felt clueless about what to do as he stared at the four children in the living room. He had watched George and Harold grow up in front of his eyes, but he had never really taken care of them on his own. All the daily chores and activities had been managed by Mr. Brown. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Melody said in a super soft voice as she grabbed onto Duke¡¯s shirt and swayed. Harold rubbed his tummy and said, ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m hungry too. I want to eat veggie noodles.¡± It was seven in the morning when Duke took a quick check at the time. It was time to prepare breakfast. He had not eaten breakfast as well. He turned to his two other boys and asked, ¡°What about you two? What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Anything would do,¡± George replied calmly. Alden paused for a second and said, ¡°I want to eat handmade noodles. Does Daddy know how to make it?¡± It was practically his first time calling Duke ¡°Daddy¡±, and also the first time he had asked for something. Duke would definitely not turn him down. ¡°All right, wait for a while. Breakfast will be ready in a bit.¡± Harold and Melody continued ying heartlessly. George nced at Alden with doubt and asked, ¡°Do you really like having handmade noodles?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°I believe Daddy will definitely seed at making it.¡± Duke entered the kitchen, closed the door, and pulled out his phone. He opened up the web and searched for ¡°handmade noodle¡± recipes. Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Chapter 430 ¡°First, prepare the flour, then knead the dough.¡± He followed the tutorial, poured flour into the container, and added water. ¡°If the dough is slightly moist, add some flour. If it seems too dry after that, add a little water.¡± However, try as he might, he just could not make the dough take shape. ¡°Wow, Daddy, making handmade noodles seems to be fun. Can I do it with you?¡± Harold entered the kitchen at some point in time. He simply grabbed a handful of flour and flung it into the air. The flour landed on Duke¡¯s body, and his ck suit instantly became powdered up. Just as he was about to erupt in anger, Melody ran into the kitchen. The girl must have never yed with flour before. She reached into the flour bag with both hands, and, with a wave of her hand, the kitchen immediately became foggy. With a blossoming headache, Duke asked, ¡°Can you two go out of the kitchen first?¡± He was stuck on the first step of making the handmade noodles. He did not have the patience to deal with these two children. ¡°Daddy, do you not know how to make handmade noodles?¡± Harold caught on andughed loudly at his dad, ¡°Daddy, if you don¡¯t know how to make the noodles, you should have said so, because George will undoubtedly be able to! Even if George is unable to make it, Alden will undoubtedly know! Both of them are very intelligent. They will know how to make handmade noodles just by watching the tutorial video.¡± Duke was speechless. Those two boys were clever because they had inherited his IQ. 1 PL Harold weed George and Alden into the kitchen. Once they stood by the kitchen top, there was barely any ce left to stand in the area. Alden was very thoughtful and said, ¡°Daddy, if you can¡¯t make this, then I¡¯m fine with not eating it. I¡¯m okay with instant noodles too.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°I want to eat handmade noodles!¡± Harold gulped. ¡°It looks very delicious. Mel, do you want to eat it too?¡± Melody nodded, then grabbed a handful of flour and threw it at Harold¡¯s head. ¡°Gah, Mel, another sneak attack?!¡± Harold turned around and went after Melody, and the two of them chased after each other in the narrow kitchen. Bang! ng! An oil bottle and a salt jar on the side of the kitchen top fell to the floor with a crash. Harold¡¯s whole body tensed up, and he took a step back in fear, but he obediently apologized to his father, ¡°Sorry, Daddy, I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Duke instantly sighed with relief. He said in a deep voice, ¡°The oil and salt are now gone, so it¡¯s impossible to make handmade noodles. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you all outside to eat.¡± Harold was bbergasted. Why did he feel that his father was just waiting for him to screw things up? But it was also true that with the oil and salt gone, they could not make noodles. Duke, the sole adult, then brought the four children outside. Adina drove toward Elitos Corporation. Serene was waiting for her at the entrance. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, good news. Our bid proposal has passed the review.¡± Adina nodded. ¡°I know, but there¡¯s one more hurdle to ovee.¡± ¡°I thought the results would only be revealed at tomorrow¡¯s tender conference. I didn¡¯t anticipate receiving news that soon.¡± Serene was very shocked.¡± I¡¯ve heard that Elitos Corporation¡¯s senior executives mixed the bids from ourpany and Miss Perry¡¯s together, and they also removed our names. The entirepany then cast its votes. Ourpany¡¯s bid received eighty percent of the votes in favor, which means the unofficial chief chip designer is now you!¡± Adina was not surprised by this result. Although she had only spent one day preparing her bid proposal, she had been in this field for four to five years. As a result, her knowledge of what she needed to know was deeply ingrained in her brain. Her bid did not have any fatal errors, other than it being too concise. Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Chapter 431 The intrpletely crashed after Elitos Corporation was hacked, and all employees had to put in extrabor over the weekend. The tender conference facing the entire Sea City scheduled for the day was also moved to the afternoon . Adina entered the lobby and saw that the staff were busy setting up the venue, and the site was even more grand and solemn than before. ¡°Mr. Daugherty, this way, please.¡± Adina was guided into the conference room by the manager in charge of liaisons. The door of the meeting room was pushed open. There were already a dozen staff members seated at the round table. The person who wore a silver mask was sitting on the main seat. An assertive aura surrounded him. ¡°Mr. Earley Wynters, Ms. Daugherty has arrived.¡± After respectfully reporting, the manager in charge of liaisons gestured for Adina to enter the meeting room. Adina¡¯s lips pulled up into a light smile, ¡°Mr. Earley Wynters, how are you?¡± Earley pointed to the closest seat at him and said, ¡°Please have a seat.¡± Adina calmly walked over. Serene also pulled a chair and sat down behind Adina. Because she was too close to Earley, Serene inexplicably felt nervous, and her palms were sweating, but when she saw Adina¡¯s calm face, she eventually calmed down, holding the pen and recording calmly in her notebook. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ms. Daugherty already knows why this meeting is being held today, right?¡± Earley spoke lightly, his deadpan stare falling on Adina¡¯s body. Adina said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s for the chip design proposal, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Earley pushed the document forward.¡° Ms. Daugherty¡¯s proposal is a fantastic idea, but it is too rough, and many details are too abstract. Hence, we can¡¯t be sure whether this proposal is just an idea or whether it can establish the ideal framework outlined in the proposal.¡± Adina spoke lightly, ¡°The design proposal¡¯s framework isplete and wless. One of my initial concepts has taken shape, but due to time constraints, I was unable to provide the concrete details.¡± Earley curled his lips with interest and said, ¡°It has already been assigned a three months duration, so it is not a short time.¡± This tender conference notification was sent out half a year in advance to Sea City, and the details of the tender were publicly disclosed three months prior. If Adina could only submit such a proposal in three months, she could not be as good as he had thought. However, she was indeed superior to the majority of individuals. ¡°Mr. Earley Wynters, LaStar Technology Corporation was not yet established three months ago and has not made preparations for Elitos Corporation tender conference.¡± Serene said boldly, ¡°In fact, Ms. Daugherty began working on this proposal only on the morning of the day of thest tender conference. She probably only finished it in about five hours.¡± Earley¡¯s eyes narrowed abruptly. Others in the meeting room were also stunned. ¡°Five hours to produce such a proposal?¡± ¡°This proposal¡¯s framework , although rough, is indeed very complete. In five hours, how is it possible?¡± ¡°I heard that Ms. Daugherty is a Harvard graduate, so maybe she could be capable of such.¡± ¡°However, five hours still seems unrealistic.¡± Earley casually flipped through the proposal and said indifferently , ¡°How long would Ms. Daugherty need to perfect the details?¡± Adina mused, ¡°I usually leave the details to ourpany¡¯s staff toplete. It can be finished in about three days.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Earley nodded and gestured to the secretary behind him, ¡°Is the contract ready? Bring it over to Ms. Daugherty for signature.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. The contract was spread out in front of Adina in two copies. She flipped through them casually. It was a normal business cooperation contract with standard terms and conditions and did not contain any harsh and excessive terms, so she signed her name neatly on them. Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Earley stood up and extended his right hand. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I hope we will have happy cooperation in the future.¡± Adina also got up and moved her chair aside. She shook hands with Earley. ¡°Mr. Earley Wynters, may we have a happy cooperation as well.¡± When her hand touched Earley¡¯s hand, she experienced a shiver that rose up her spine from her fingertips. The air was frigid. It was far more frigid than the cold air from a refrigerator. She only lightly touched Earley¡¯s hand in a symbolic gesture and quickly withdrew. Earley pulled his hand back and inserted it into the suit pant pocket. He said coldly, ¡°There will be a celebration banquet tomorrow night after today¡¯s tender conference. Don¡¯t forget to attend, Ms. Daugherty.¡± After saying that, without waiting for Adina to answer, he ordered his secretary to send Adina and Serene out. When they got outside and the sunlight shone down their shoulders, Serene let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, don¡¯t you think Mr. Earley Wynters is strange?¡± Adina nodded and said, ¡°He is indeed a little strange, but the good news is that there is less likelihood of us dealing with each other in the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Serene grinned and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you are truly amazing. You took on such a significant case without making a sound. Ourpany will not have to worry about the next three years.¡± Meanwhile, at Jones Corporation. ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhenny raised her head, her exquisitely maintained face showing brief signs of shock. ¡°You said that the chief chip designer for Elitos Corporation¡¯s new project chose someone else from the inside?¡± The assistant stood in front of the desk trembling, ¡°Yes, Ms. Jones, Mr. Earley Wynters¡¯s secretary had personally called me.¡± Zhenny put down the pen, took a deep breath, and asked, ¡°Who is the chip designer that Elitos has chosen? Do you know the news?¡± The assistant paused for a moment and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s the general manager of a new smallpany, whosest name appears to be Daugherty. They formally signed the cooperation contract this morning when Ms. Daugherty showed up at Elitos Corporation.¡± This indicated that the Jones family had lost all hope. Zhenny pinched her eyebrows, ¡°For a newly established smallpany to actually be able to snatch the case on the board from my hands, something smells fishy about it.¡± ¡°Ms. Jones, I also heard that Ms. Daugherty only spent five hours drafting a proposal that amazed the senior management of Elitos, which caused them to forgo the Jones family and choose that small company.¡± Zhenny¡¯s eyes turned fiercely cold. A few secondster, she sneered coldly while raising the corner of her mouth, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is?¡± Do they genuinely think that the Jones family is vulnerable to intimidation?¡± Adina went to thepany, spent some time there working, and then she drove back home. When she pushed open the door of the house, she found that no one was inside the house. When she was about to call Duke, she discovered that this man had sent her a message on WhatsApp two hours earlier. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°I took the children back to Winters¡¯ house. Go straight to the Winters¡¯ house when you are finished with your work.¡± Adina¡¯s brows furrowed when she read the line on the screen. The children all stayed at her home. Howe they went to the Winters family¡¯s vi? If she lets George and Harolde back to live with her again today, would it be as smooth as it was yesterday? Adina sighed from just thinking about this. She believed that it was better to not be so greedy and be satisfied with the night before. Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Adina¡¯s car had just stopped in front of the Winters family¡¯s vi, and the four children were already running out of the yard. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally back. I missed you so much!¡± Harold¡¯s voice was always the loudest and most rowdy. He rushed over and jumped into Adina¡¯s arms, climbing up on all fours and kissing her on her cheek. Melody, who had been led by Harold, also started acting up, grabbing Adina¡¯s hand and pleading for a hug. Adina was forced to carry the two children inside, while the well-behaved George and Alden followed behind her. Duke frowned and came over, saying coldly, ¡°Harold, how old are you now? Why do you need to be hugged?¡± While Harold was hugged by his Mommy, he behaved very conceitedly , sticking out his tongue and saying, ¡°I just like to have Mommy hug me, and not you.¡± Duke¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Even if she had to hug someone, she should hug Al and Mel.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Harold raised his chin, ¡°I am also Mommy¡¯s biological son. What¡¯s wrong with wanting a hug from Mommy?¡± ¡°Al is younger than you, and he didn¡¯t even let Mommy hug him, yet you still call yourself the second brother. Can you afford to call yourself the second brother?¡± George said coldly. Duke said lightly, ¡°Since this is the case, why not change the order? In the future, Al will be the second brother, and Harold will be the third brother.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Immediately, Harold grew anxious. ¡°I don¡¯t want Mommy to hug me. Never again. I can walk by myself!¡± He obediently stood on the ground, behaving like a good little boy. Adina¡¯s smile vanished and said, ¡°Okay, Hal, your daddy, and George were just joking with you, but since you are the second brother, you have to set a good example for Alden and Mel.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Harold gave a military salute, ¡°I will be a good brother!¡± The maids in the house allughed. Adina nced at her watch and put Mel down, ¡°It¡¯s past four. Mommy needs to go make dinner for all of you right away.¡± ¡°Mommy, there¡¯s no need to make dinner today.¡± Alden said quietly, ¡°Daddy just said that he would make dinner today.¡± Duke was speechless. If Alden was not his son, he would have kicked him out. He never mentioned wanting to prepare dinner. It was all because Alden had dug him a pit. He was forced to jump Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. 1. Adina raised an eyebrow at the dark-faced Duke. ¡°You know how to cook?¡± ¡°Yes, Daddy can make handmade noodles too!¡± Harold said casually, ¡°But, there was a mishap. In the end, the handmade noodles were not made. This morning, we had spaghetti that was cooked by daddy.¡± The corners of Adina¡¯s mouth twitched. Duke would never be able to make the homemade pasta because it was so challenging to make. Was it possible that he created that little ident on purpose? Regarding the spaghetti, both the sauce and the pasta were readily avable. Even Al, not to mention Duke, who was an adult, could cook spaghetti. However, since this man wanted to show off his cooking skills in front of the children, she naturally would not refuse it. Adina grinned as she curved her lips, ¡°So, I will not cook today and take it easy. I appreciate your father!¡± Duke pulled his lips together, ¡°It¡¯s only for one meal. It¡¯s not hard.¡± As he spoke, he cast a fleeting nce at Alden. Alden looked at Duke with his innocent eyes, and said meekly, ¡°Daddy, I want to eat fish. Make it light.¡± Duke nodded, ¡°Okay, then I will make you steamed sea bass.¡± Harold saw the situation and also hurried to order dishes, ¡°Daddy, I want to eat¡­¡± Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Duke nced over with a cold gaze. ¡°Just eat whatever that¡¯s avable. Why ask for so much?¡± Harold fell silent. When Daddy got a new son, he forgot about his previous son. He was very harsh. Duke did not bother to look at Harold. Instead, he bent down to look at Melody. ¡°Tell Daddy. What do you want to eat for dinner?¡± Harold was speechless. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. It felt like another arrow shooting into his chest. He felt so sad. After asking Melody, Duke looked at Adina again. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Adina had no particr preference for food. She said with a light voice, ¡°Whatever, just eat whatever you can cook.¡± Duke let out a sigh of relief. If this woman proposed eating braised meat or something else, he would be in a difficult situation. However, steamed fish seemed to be a little difficult for him. But because all that was required was to steam the fish, he appeared to be able to manage it too. Duke entered the kitchen with a heavy heart. Mr. Brown knew Duke was going to cook, and his wrinkled face was covered in worry. ¡°Sir, should I ask the chef to prepare the dinner instead?¡± Duke pretended to be calm and said, ¡°Today I will be the chef. Just send the chefs over and prepare the ingredients for me.¡± The two chefs immediately took their positions and respectfully asked, ¡°Sir, what kind of dishes are we making today?¡± ¡°A steamed sea bass and a c-zed chicken wing.¡± These two dishes were what Alden and Melody wanted to eat. As for the others Duke mused, ¡°Do whatever dish that is easy.¡± It was his first time cooking, so it was better not to make things too difficult for himself. The chef thought about it and said, ¡°Sir, because this is your first time cooking, you might be more at ease making western cuisine.¡± Another chef said, ¡°There is still fresh beef in the refrigerator. How about we cook some steak?¡± When it came to things he was not good at, Duke would fully listen to other people¡¯s suggestions. He nodded.¡° Alright, you guys get the ingredients ready.¡± He then used the free time to get his phone and look up instructions for steaming sea bass. The children, Al and Mel, had been away from him for four years. His rtionship with Mel had escted quickly. On the other hand, Al often gave Duke a watchful look, which made him feel like a failure. Therefore , as long as Al asked something from him, he would definitely oblige. While Duke was cooking in the kitchen, Adina yed the piano in the living room with the four children. She and Mel sat at the piano and yed the piano, while the other three little ones sang along with the piano music. Harold ran all around the piano since he was tone deaf, and the living room filled with joy. Approximately an hourter, dinner was ready. Mr. Brown led the maids to bring the dishes to the table one by one. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Mr. Winters made all the dishes for today.¡± Mr. Brown said with a smile, ¡°This steamed sea bass was specially made by Sir for the Young Master Alden, these c-gazed chicken wings are for Ms. Melody, andstly this scalded Jinga shrimp was specially prepared for you, Ms. Daugherty.¡± Harold asked with a curious expression, ¡°How about me? What dishes have been made for me?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Mr. Brown coughed dryly. ¡°The portions of these dishes are quite generous, so let¡¯s eat them together.¡± When he saw Harold¡¯s face filled with disappointment , Mr. Brown hurriedly changed the topic, ¡°Mr. Duke personally prepared these steaks. The vor is excellent. Young Master Harold can try them later. If there is steak, there should be red wine. I¡¯ll go get two bottles of red wine from the wine cer.¡± Mr. Brown turned around and walked away with guilt. He did not dare to say that just now, while he was in the kitchen , he had forgotten to remind Mr: Duke to make dinner for George and Harold. Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Chapter 435 After Duke finished cooking dinner, he went upstairs to change his clothes and came downstairs again. Even though there were only three dishes, they included six steaks. When put all at once, they took up the entire table. Mr. Winters felt quite a sense of aplishment as a result. Six of them sat down at the table. There was already a te of steak that looked pretty excellent in front of each of them. Duke elegantly put the napkin on his knee and said, ¡°Try it to see what it tastes like.¡± Harold was the first one who was excited to cut a slice of steak and put it into his mouth. After only tasting a bite, the little guy wrinkled his brow and said, ¡°It¡¯s so hard, too hard, I hardly can chew it.¡± Duke was speechless. ording to the chef, the fire was just right for grilling the steak. Why was the steak so tough? Alden tasted a bite of steamed sea bass and said, ¡°The fish meat is quite fresh and juicy, but it¡¯s too salty.¡± Duke could note up with any words. The chef mentioned that¡¯it would be good to just put two spoons of salt, and he also followed his instruction to put only two spoons of salt. What made it salty? George ate the scalded shrimp. ¡°The shrimp is cooked, but the sauce is a little spicy.¡± Duke remained silent. The sauce was mixed by the chef. He refused to ept responsibility for it. Melody took a piece of the c-zed chicken wing into her bowl. She took a bite, and then another bite. Seeing that gave Duke¡¯s heart a littlefort. However, Adina suddenly said, ¡°Mel, stop eating it. The center of the chicken wings is still uncooked.¡± She was forced to take the chicken wings out of Mel¡¯s bowl. Mel pouted as she was very unhappy that her favorite food had been taken away. Duke remained silent at this point. But he felt it was time for him to speak up. He coughed and said, ¡°I was directed by the chef to make all these dishes, and I don¡¯t know how it ended out like this.¡± He was not ming the chefs in any way. He was just telling the truth. No one spoke among the group of chefs huddled in the kitchen. Duke had his own opinions, and as they were powerless to influence him, they likewise refused to take responsibility for it. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Fortunately, the chefs had anticipated the possible scenario and prepared an extra portion of each dish. After Adina had asked to remove the dishes, the maids brought the newly made dishes back to the table, and this time, the children finally did not spit out what they had ced in their mouths. Harold said while eating the c-zed chicken wings,¡± Daddy, you better not cook in the future. What if you poison us to death?¡± Duke also tasted the sensation of a million arrows prickling his heart. However, Adina felt Duke had done rather well on his first attempt. She smiled and said, ¡°Hal, it took your daddy about two hours to prepare this meal. Regardless of the oue, you should say thank you to him.¡± Harold swallowed the food in his mouth and thanked his daddy reluctantly. ¡°The wine is here, and I also found a little fruit wine.¡± Mr. Brown walked into the dining room carrying a few bottles of wine. ¡°This is Lafite. It has been kept at home for more than 20 years, and today it was finally put to use. These fruit wines were boughtst year. Several young masters can each drink half a ss.¡± Mr. Brown took six tall sses and poured wine for each of them. George raised the fruit wine ss and said, ¡°Thank you, Daddy, for preparing dinner for us.¡± He clinked sses with Duke and drank half a ss of the fruit wine. Alden also raised his ss and clinked it with Duke,¡± Thank you, daddy, for the steamed sea bass. It tastes excellent.¡± Alden genuinely meant what he said. He raised his head and sipped almost a whole ss of wine. Melody smiled sweetly and said, ¡°I like Daddy¡¯s cooking. Thank you, Daddy, for cooking for me.¡± Chapter 436 Chapter 436 After Duke finished cooking dinner, he went upstairs to change his clothes and came downstairs again. Even though there were only three dishes, they included six steaks. When put all at once, they took up the entire table. Mr. Winters felt quite a sense of aplishment as a result. Six of them sat down at the table. There was already a te of steak that looked pretty excellent in front of each of them. Duke elegantly put the napkin on his knee and said, ¡°Try it to see what it tastes like.¡± Harold was the first one who was excited to cut a slice of steak and put it into his mouth. After only tasting a bite, the little guy wrinkled his brow and said, ¡°It¡¯s so hard, too hard, I hardly can chew it.¡± Duke was speechless. ording to the chef, the fire was just right for grilling the steak. Why was the steak so tough? Alden tasted a bite of steamed sea bass and said, ¡°The fish meat is quite fresh and juicy, but it¡¯s too salty.¡± Duke could note up with any words. The chef mentioned that¡¯it would be good to just put two spoons of salt, and he also followed his instruction to put only two spoons of salt. What made it salty? George ate the scalded shrimp. ¡°The shrimp is cooked, but the sauce is a little spicy.¡± Duke remained silent. The sauce was mixed by the chef. He refused to ept responsibility for it. Melody took a piece of the c-zed chicken wing into her bowl. She took a bite, and then another bite. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Seeing that gave Duke¡¯s heart a littlefort. However, Adina suddenly said, ¡°Mel, stop eating it. The center of the chicken wings is still uncooked.¡± She was forced to take the chicken wings out of Mel¡¯s bowl. Mel pouted as she was very unhappy that her favorite food had been taken away. Duke remained silent at this point. But he felt it was time for him to speak up. He coughed and said, ¡°I was directed by the chef to make all these dishes, and I don¡¯t know how it ended out like this.¡± He was not ming the chefs in any way. He was just telling the truth. No one spoke among the group of chefs huddled in the kitchen. Duke had his own opinions, and as they were powerless to influence him, they likewise refused to take responsibility for it. Fortunately, the chefs had anticipated the possible scenario and prepared an extra portion of each dish. After Adina had asked to remove the dishes, the maids brought the newly made dishes back to the table, and this time, the children finally did not spit out what they had ced in their mouths. Harold said while eating the c-zed chicken wings,¡± Daddy, you better not cook in the future. What if you poison us to death?¡± Duke also tasted the sensation of a million arrows prickling his heart. However, Adina felt Duke had done rather well on his first attempt. She smiled and said, ¡°Hal, it took your daddy about two hours to prepare this meal. Regardless of the oue, you should say thank you to him.¡± Harold swallowed the food in his mouth and thanked his daddy reluctantly. ¡°The wine is here, and I also found a little fruit wine.¡± Mr. Brown walked into the dining room carrying a few bottles of wine. ¡°This is Lafite. It has been kept at home for more than 20 years, and today it was finally put to use. These fruit wines were boughtst year. Several young masters can each drink half a ss.¡± Mr. Brown took six tall sses and poured wine for each of them. George raised the fruit wine ss and said, ¡°Thank you, Daddy, for preparing dinner for us.¡± He clinked sses with Duke and drank half a ss of the fruit wine. Alden also raised his ss and clinked it with Duke,¡± Thank you, daddy, for the steamed sea bass. It tastes excellent.¡± Alden genuinely meant what he said. He raised his head and sipped almost a whole ss of wine. Melody smiled sweetly and said, ¡°I like Daddy¡¯s cooking. Thank you, Daddy, for cooking for me.¡± Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Adinay on the bed in the guest room and closed her eyes. Alden put the nket over her before he gently left the room. Right after he went out, he was dragged to the corner of the staircase by Harold. ¡°Alden, we need to talk.¡± George and Melody were also there. They surrounded Alden. ¡°George, Mel, and I have reached an agreement, which is to¡­¡± Harold announced, ¡°Let daddy and Mommy get married. This way, we will have daddy and Mommy, and we can live together forever.¡± ¡°I disagree!¡± Alden rejected it without thinking of it. ¡°I know you disagree, so we are here to discuss it with you.¡± Harold patted Alden¡¯s shoulder in a serious manner. ¡°Brother Alden, you¡¯re still young, so you don¡¯t understand boy-girl rtionships . Let me exin it to you.¡± Alden coldly nced at Harold. ¡°Are you sure you know?¡± Harold suddenly felt guilty before he puffed his chest.¡± Hmph! I don¡¯t know, but George knows it. Am I right, George?¡± George found himself speechless. What the heck did he know? But he still cleared his throat and said, ¡°Alden, dad likes Mom a lot. I guess you can also see it.¡± ¡°I just know my Mom doesn¡¯t like your dad.¡± What Alden said made the boundary very clear. My Mom and your dad. 1 Even though he was very close with George and Harold already, he did not treat the Winters family members as his own family. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. George understood the meaning behind his words, and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°How did you know that Mom doesn¡¯t like dad?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been living with Mom for four years, so nobody knows her better than me.¡± Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°If Mom chooses to marry your dad because of love, I wouldn¡¯t disagree. But I don¡¯t wish you, the Winters family, to force her to marry him using kinship abduction and all other means.¡± Harold widened his eyes. ¡°I never thought of forcing Mommy into anything!¡± George indifferently said, ¡°Harold and I always respect Mom¡¯s decision. We asked you toe for a talk, just because we wish you not to get in between Mom and dad.¡± Alden did not back off, and he stared at the two of them.¡° What do you mean by getting in and not getting in?¡± ¡°For example, if Mom decides to stay here tonight, you can¡¯t try to find ways to make Mom go back!¡± Harold angrily said, ¡°You¡¯re so cunning. You can bully me, fine, but you even set dad up. If you are harboring any bad thoughts about this, dad and Mom will never get together!¡± Alden pursed his lips, and he did not know what he should say. It had been a long time since he bullied Harold. It was clearly Harold who had been superior over him these times He set Duke up just because he wanted to see if this man cared about him and Melody. He did not want Mom to get involved with Duke because he was afraid that Mom would fall for him and get hurt. All the things he did were not for himself. But were they really right? He did those for Mom¡¯s sake, but did he really respect Mom¡¯s choice? ¡°Alden, I understand why you would do this, but Mom is an adult. Once she makes her choice, she must have been thinking in depth before she decides it,¡± Harold slowly said. ¡°Mom is also my and Harold¡¯s Mom. We wish for Mom to be with dad, but we also wish that Mom can be happy. If dad can¡¯t bring happiness to Mom, Harold and I will be the first people to oppose.¡± Harold nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. If dad dares to bully Mommy, I¡¯ll not call him dad anymore!¡± Melody remained silent, but she blinked and gently shook Alden¡¯s arm. She said in a low voice, ¡°Al¡­¡± She called George and Harold by their first names, but she still called Alden by his nickname. When she called him Al, this made Alden¡¯s heart melt. He hugged Melody before he softly said, ¡°Okay, I promise. I¡¯ll not get involved in anything between dad and Mom.¡± Harold immediately became happy.¡±Awesome! Alden, I will stop attacking you over this!¡± Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Chapter 438 George held Alden¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to my room. I have many good things in my room. I believe you¡¯ll like them!¡± Harold looked around. ¡°Mel, go with them to George¡¯s room. I have something to do.¡± He smirked to himself before he turned around and went to the courtyard. ¡­¡­ Under the cook¡¯s guidance, Duke finally made some tea. He held a cup of tea and knocked on the guest room door. He knocked on the door for a while, but the room remained silent. He turned the doorknob and pushed it open. Then, his breathing stopped. ¨C Adina had taken off her outerwear and was strewn out on the bed. She was wearing a chiffon shirt. Her sleeves were rolled up, showing her jade-like arms. She had taken some wine. When the alcohol dissipated off her body, her cheeks blushed like a glorious sunset. The redness extended from her cheeks to her neck, and her cor bones glowed pink. The nket covered her chest, and it went up and down along her breath. He immediately looked away and forbade himself from staring at the alluring figure. He covered his lips with his hand and coughed, but he still could not wake up the woman who wasying on the bed. ¡°Addy, wake up.¡± Duke moved two steps closer and softly called her. Adina still closed her eyes. Her breathing was very light, and she slept very soundly. Her skin tone was very fair, and it glowed attractively under the dim, yellow nightmp. Her lips were full and moist, and her breath carried a trace of alcohol. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Duke felt as guilty as a thief as he leaned forward and stretched out his hand for some reason. His thumb was just less than a centimeter away from touching Adina¡¯s lips. With difficulty, he moved his hand away before he quickly reached out and brushed a few strands of hair away Adina¡¯s forehead. Perhaps his movements had been too rough. Adina¡¯s eyshes trembled before she slowly opened her eyes. When Adina saw his face being so close to her, she instantly woke up in shock. ¡°I¡­ why¡­ why are you in my room?¡± Right after she asked that question, she immediately remembered that she was still at the Winters family residence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve had a little too much to drink, so I¡¯m not quite myself right now.¡± Duke stepped back before he took the cup of tea from the bedside cab. ¡°You will feel better after drinking this.¡± Adina nodded. After she drank some tea, her mind was indeed clearing ¡°Thank you.¡± She thanked him with a hoarse voice. ¡°What time is it now?¡± She asked again.. Duke took a look at the time. ¡°It¡¯s 8.30 p.m.¡± It turned out that she had only been sleeping for less than an hour. Adina drew the nket away and sat up. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better already. I can go back.¡± Duke was disappointed. But he no longer had any excuses to keep her here. He followed her to walk outside. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll send you back.¡± But suddenly , Mr. Brown¡¯s scream was heard from the courtyard. Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Chapter 439 ¡°Oh boy, what are you doing?¡± Mr. Brown stared nkly at the situation in front, his eyes wide open. ¡°Shush!¡± Harold immediately dragged Mr. Brown and squatted under the shade of the bushes. ¡°Papa Brown, please don¡¯t tell dad, okay?¡± Mr. Brown looked at the screwdriver in Harold¡¯s hand before he nced at the deted tires. ¡°Oh boy, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± Harold nodded hard. ¡°You were no different when you persuaded my mommy to drink, Papa Brown.¡± Mr. Brown was speechless. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He had done it in secret. Why was he seen through by the young master so easily? ¡°Papa Brown, we share the same goals. Why don¡¯t we work together?¡± Harold blinked before he took out another screwdriver and handed it over. ¡°You also puncture Dad¡¯s tires. That way, Mommy will be left with no cars to drive.¡± Mr. Brown imagined himself being forced to stand in a corner as a punishment by Duke. He was already old, so he really could not be humiliated like that. Therefore , he returned the screwdriver . ¡°Young Master Harold , I¡¯ll leave the car to you. I have something more important to do.¡± Mr. Brown stood up and walked toward the mansion. As soon as he walked to the door, he saw Duke and Adina walking out, side by side, and this shocked him so much that he nearly had a heart attack. ¡°Mr. Brown, we heard your scream just now. What happened?¡± Adina asked. ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just startled by a stray cat.¡± Mr. Brown stroked his nose and said, ¡°I still have other matters to tend to. I¡¯ll go inside first.¡± After Mr. Brown spoke, he speedily disappeared to the first floor. Adina frowned. ¡°Why do I find Mr. Brown a little weird?¡± ¡°He is already old, so it must have done a number on his heart.¡± Duke raised his head and said, ¡°Stray cats have many viruses. I¡¯ll go out and see where the stray cat came from.¡± Adina walked outside with him. It would not be toote to bring Alden and Melody home after chasing the stray cat away. She was slightly drunk, so she tottered a little. When she followed Duke, her steps were unsteady. As soon as they went out, a ck figure jumped out from the side of the car. Duke thought a stray cat had rushed over, so he stretched out his hand to the back, grabbed Adina, and hid to the side by instinct. After he saw clearly who rushed over, his expression darkened. ¡°Harold, why were you hiding beside the car?¡± ¡°No¡­ nothing!¡± Harold put both hands behind him, and he was so scared that his face turned pale. ¡°It was too hot inside the house, so I came out to get some fresh air. Haha! I don¡¯t feel so warm anymore. I¡¯ll go inside now!¡± He immediately ran into the house. Duke frowned. He knew by instinct that Harold must have been up to no good. While he thought about it, he felt the woman in his arms struggling He immediately let go of her, and he said in a deep and low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought it was a stray cat.¡± Adina took a step back, tidied her cor, and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± She looked down. After she calmed herself down, she was about to go inside and call the two kids out, but she suddenly froze in shock. ¡°My tires¡­.¡± Duke coldly nced over, and he suddenly understood what it was about. Adina also understood. Other than Harold, nobody would carry out such a boring act. ¡°I think Harold also wants you to stay for a night.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was slowly heard. ¡°He¡¯s just a four-year- old boy. He doesn¡¯t know right from wrong. I would like to apologize to you on behalf of him.¡± Adina looked at him in surprise. ¡°I was already expecting you to rush into the vi and teach Harold a lesson.¡± Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Duke pursed his lips awkwardly. If Harold had not identally done something that actually pleased him, he would have made the brat stand at least two hours in military posture. ¡°Ahem! He¡¯s my son. I won¡¯t teach him a lesson.¡± Duke secretly did not mean what he said, ¡°I have been very busy in the past four years, so I neglected the two of them. If I have done anything wrong, just point it out to me.¡± Adina was a little stunned. This man had really put himself at a very low position, which left herpletely at a loss for words. He was willing to let George and Harold stay in her house. He was willing to listen to her opinions about the kids¡¯ education. He had always respected her. But she¡­ She would feel jealous and worried when she saw Melody being too close to him. When he suggested letting the kids stay in the Winters family, she had turned him down without hesitation. She even thought of sneaking out of the country with the kids one day and staying, far away from Sea City, so that this man would be unable to steal the kids anymore. She was so scheming, but this man was extremely magnanimous. He just left all the options to her. Adina pursed her lips. ¡°You¡¯ve done very well. Georgie is very outstanding, and Hal is very adorable. The greatest fortune they¡¯ve ever had is to have a father like you.¡± Duke¡¯s tense nerves were instantly relieved. Many people said he was a qualified father, but only Adina¡¯sments made him feel like he had not done well enough. Or he could have done better. He said softly, ¡°Compared to a father¡¯s love, young kids actually need a mother¡¯s love more.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here tonight then.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Adina suddenly agreed. Right after she said that, she noticed something suddenly shing in Duke¡¯s ck eyes. Her heart clenched before she said again, ¡°I drank some tea to sober up, but I still feel a little dizzy. I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to wake up tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get inside first.¡± Duke suppressed the surprise in his eyes before he pushed open the main door of the mansion. Adina cast a nce at the empty living room, and she said, ¡°Please call Harold over. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± Duke went upstairs. The three kids were reading in George¡¯s room, while Harold hid in the study room next door. Duke reached out and grabbed him. ¡°Dad, what are you doing? Don¡¯t bully me. Mommy is here. She won¡¯t allow you to bully me!¡± Harold kept struggling, but he was still unable to escape from his father. He was carried over and thrown to Adina. ¡°Mommy! Dad wants to beat me up!¡± Harold rushed into Adina¡¯s arms. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll tell you this now. Dad is very bad. He always abuses me! If I misbehave, he will lift me up with a rope and beat me up. He will also lock me in the dark room and not give me food for a few days.¡± Duke became speechless. He was still standing here, and this brat was talking bad about him now? ¡°Erhem!¡± Mr. Brown walked over, dragged Harold¡¯s sleeve, and said in a lower voice, ¡°Young Master Harold, don¡¯t you want Master and Ms. Daugherty to be together? If you talk bad about him, Ms. Daugherty will be scared. Would she still dare toe to the Winters family?¡± Harold instantly wrapped it around his head. He immediately said again, ¡°Mommy, I purposely lied to you just now! Actually, Dad is very nice. He is handsome and rich. Most importantly, he likes you. He never cooks, but he even purposely cooked for you today. From this, you can see that he cares about you very much.¡± Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Harold counted his father¡¯s strengths on his fingers. Meanwhile, Duke pursed his lips and cleared his throat.¡± Enough. Quiet down now. Some things don¡¯t have to be pointed out.¡± Adina was speechless. What? Did this man think that Harold was right? Why did she not feel that this man liked her? Maybe he liked her, but he just liked some of her aspects. After all, he never hid his interest in her body. Adina cleared her throat and said, ¡°Hal, the tires of my car have been punctured. Do you have anything to do with it?) Harold shook his head like a rattle. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I have nothing to do with it!¡± Duke¡¯s aura instantly turned cold. Adina looked to the side, and Duke¡¯s cold aura immcdiately vanished. He even walked a few steps to the side. ¡°Hal, I want you to be honest,¡± Adina seriously said.¡± Even if you did it, I won¡¯t me you. But I want you to be honest.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Harold blinked. ¡°Will you hate me if I lie?¡± ¡°No matter what you do, I¡¯ll still love you, but¡­¡± Her expression was stern and serious. ¡°If you develop a habit of telling lies, I¡¯ll be extremely disappointed. I don¡¯t want you to be such a kid.¡± Harold lowered his head. ¡°Sorry, Mommy. It¡¯s my fault.¡± It sounded like he was starting to sob. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go back. I didn¡¯t want to be away from you, so I secretly punctured the tires. Sorry¡­ I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. You know what you did wrong, and you can make it right. You¡¯re a good boy.¡± Adina stroked his hair. ¡°But you can¡¯t do it anymore, alright?¡± Harold nodded. Adina gently held him in her arms. When Duke saw that, he felt extremelyplicated. TO Whenever Harold did something wrong in the past, no matter how he interrogated him, the brat would never admit his mistakes. In the end, he would punish Harold by making him stand at attention. LIL This was Duke¡¯s first time seeing the brat obediently admit his mistake. ¡°Mommy, I¡­ I also made another mistake.¡± Harold blinked guiltily. ¡°If I confess now, will you forgive me?¡±. Adina continued to smile gently. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡­ I went to dad¡¯s room¡¯ just now.¡± He kept rubbing his left foot back and forth on the floor as he slowly said, ¡°I¡­ on dad¡¯s bed and the wardrobe¡­¡± Adina could not hear some of the words clearly. ¡°What did you say? What did you do on your dad¡¯s bed and wardrobe?¡± Mr. Brown already sensed that something was wrong. He took a step back and was about to run away from the scene. ¡°I peed on dad¡¯s bed.¡± Harold closed his eyes and hopelessly confessed. Adina waspletely shocked. ¡°Aren¡¯t there toilets? Why did you pee on your dad¡¯s bed?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Harold could feel a strong killing intent, and he nearly cried out of fear. ¡°Papa Brown put some dust on dad¡¯s bed, but I felt that it didn¡¯t do anything. I wanted to pee, so¡­¡± Duke¡¯s expression was pretty much as dark as charcoal. He had severe mysophobia. Now that his bed was stained with pee, he no longer wanted that bedroom anymore. The corners of Adina¡¯s lips twitched, and she looked over at Mr. Brown. ¡°Why did you make the bed dirty?¡± Mr. Brown had never felt so awkward before. Why did he do such a thing at his age? Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Yes, he did it, but Young Master Harold turned on him! He was so embarrassed. ¡°Um, it was just an ident¡­¡± Mr. Brown stroked his nose. ¡°It¡¯ste. I need to go to bed. I¡¯ll go ahead and get some rest¡­ Sigh, this old man can¡¯t stay upte nowadays ? He walked away as he sighed. Then he entered his room and locked the door. Adina was speechless once more. She suddenly understood the reason for Mr. Brown¡¯s actions. She really did not know how to express her opinion. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll look for George and others!¡± Harold moved out of Adina¡¯s arms and rushed upstairs. In the living room, Adina and Duke looked at each other at a loss. A few secondster, Adina stood up. ¡°Since Mr. Brown is already resting and the servants aren¡¯t around, I¡¯ll help you clean the room.¡± Duke initially wanted to say that it would make no difference if he slept in another room, but he noticed that Adina had already walked up the stairs. He pursed his lips and followed her. The master bedroom was the biggest room. Once the door was opened, a terrible smell wafted out of the room. When Adina stepped in, she saw an unknown liquid spread out on the white bedsheet. LIT She was always gentle and patient when dealing with children, but even she felt like grabbing Harold over and spanking him at that moment. She rolled up the bedsheet and nket before she threw them in the corridor outside. Then she looked up and asked, ¡°Are there new bedsheets and nkets?¡± Duke stroked his chin and thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Where do you usually keep them?¡± Adina was stunned. This was not her house. How would she know where they were kept? ¡°Wherever you usually put them, Mr. Brown should have kept them there as well,¡± Duke exined. Adina pulled the wardrobe open, and it released a terrible smell too. Alright! All the clothes in the wardrobe were ruined. She turned back and noticed that Duke looked sullen. A murderous intent was visible in his eyes. ¨C She could only pretend as if nothing had happened.¡± They¡¯re a little smelly, but you can still wear them after they¡¯re washed in the washing machine and dried under the sun.¡± The clothes could still be worn, but she guessed that this man would not want to wear them again. ¡°A few years ago, Alden peed on this trench coat. I washed it, and I¡¯ve been wearing it for years.¡± Adina looked for a nket while she casually said, ¡°It¡¯s very normal to get dirty when you¡¯re raising kids, so you don¡¯t have to mind it too much. The kids usually help ¡®treat¡¯ our mysophobia.¡± LLLL Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Duke suddenly fell silent. He looked at her and only spoke after a while. ¡°Was nobody there to help you look after Alden and Mel in the past?¡± Adina chuckled and said, ¡°I fled abroad in disarray back then, and I only had a few thousand dors. How could I have had the money to afford a babysitter? I took care of Alden and Mel by myself. Later, once Alden was old enough, he slowly learned how to take care of Mel for me. I felt much more relieved too.¡± When Duke looked at the messy room again, he somehow found it a more pleasant sight. He had been living with George and Harold for four years, but Mr. Brown and the servants had been taking care of the boys. He never really put in any effort. He also wanted to experience what Adina had been through He walked up to the side of the bed and softly said, ¡°I¡¯ll make the bed with you.¡± They both pulled the bedsheet, shook it, and spread it on the bed. Bang! Right then, the room door abruptly closed. Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Adina thought the wind had pushed the door shut. But when she saw Duke¡¯s dark expression, she instantly came to a realization. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. She quickly walked to the door and pulled the doorknob. Sure enough, the door was locked from the outside. ¡°Dad, Mommy, you can sleep together tonight!¡± They could hear Harold¡¯s mischievousughter outside. Adina pursed her lips. ¡°Hal, you¡¯re a good boy. Open the door now.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear anything. Something seems to be wrong with my ears. George, help me clean my ears,¡± Harold said as he ran away. Soon, it became silent outside the room. Adina felt her head ache. Harold was truly a mischievous boy. Just as she was about to call Alden to open the door, Duke suddenly held her hand. Then, she heard his low and husky voice. ¡°If we don¡¯t fulfill Harold¡¯s wish this time, he¡¯ll try to put us in the same room again in the future. Instead of guarding against his unexpected actions, we should just do what he wants.¡± Adina narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re desperate to be in the same room as me?¡± ¡°Cough!¡± Duke covered his lips with his fist and coughed unnaturally. He said, ¡°You¡¯re the mother of my children, so I¡¯ll respect you. Don¡¯t worry. Even though we¡¯re in the same room, I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Adina pursed her pink lips. Since they first met, this man had expressed a strong interest in her body more than once. She really wanted to know whether this man genuinely liked her or just her body. She had to admit that he was a charming man. He had on a suit at the moment, and the white shirt made his stern expression slightly gentler. His features looked exquisite and glowed under the chandelier too. His face alone was sufficient to make anyone fall for him. What he had recently done also made her like him more. If the same continued, she would agree to marry into the Winters family one day. Adina¡¯s longshes drooped. If this man¡¯s feelings for her surpassed his interest in her body, perhaps she could consider the first option. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid , I¡¯ll call Mr. Brown and get him to open the door.¡± Duke took out his phone. Adina raised her head and indifferently said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Even if we sessfully get out this time, the same thing will happen over and over again. We should just do what the kids want. Sleeping here for a night is nothing. You can take the bed. I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡± She bent down and started making the bed. After she was done, she took out another nket and put it on the couch. While it was a bedroom, the couch inside was still big enough to let her, a 1.65-meter-tall woman, lie down and sleep for the night. Right after she made the couch, Duke sat on it and nonchntly said, ¡°You can take the bed. I¡¯ll take the couch.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°But you¡¯re so tall. This couch can¡¯t amodate you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± Duke crossed his legs andy on the couch. He curled his lips slightly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that all I have to do?¡± Adina shrugged. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t me me if you wake up with your back hurting tomorrow morning.¡± She turned around and headed to the washroom, but she realized that she did not have clothes to change into. Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Chapter 444 She pursed her rosy lips and looked at Duke, who was lying on the couch, through the frosted ss in the bathroom. AN Since they would spend the night in the same room, she should not waste such a great opportunity. She wanted to see if the father of her children was a real righteous man. Adina walked out of the bathroom and appeared indifferent as she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring a change of clothes. Can I wear your clothes first?¡± Duke got up and walked to the wardrobe. When he pulled the door open, he smelled a horrible odor. Luckily, there was more than one wardrobe in his room. He then opened the other one, took out a white shirt, and handed it over to her. ¡°You should be able to wear it as a dress for one night. I¡¯ll get them to send you some clothes for tomorrow.¡± 11 ¡°Thank you.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Adina took the shirt and entered the bathroom. Duke pursed his thin lips. A whileter, he heard the ttering shower in the bathroom. The bathroom was partitioned by frosted ss. When he nced over, he could see a captivating silhouette on the ss. He forced himself to look away, but he could not help but gaze in the bathroom¡¯s direction He was a hot-blooded man who was full of vigor. In the past twenty years, he had never been with a woman except for that one night five years ago¡­ Duke felt that he was losing control over the heat inside his body He stood up and walked to the balcony. He finally felt a little morefortable when the cold wind outside blew on his face. The heat gradually faded, and the water sounds in the bathroom finally disappeared. Duke sighed in relief before he turned around. When he saw the situation in the room, he held his breath again. Adina was wearing his white shirt, and it barely wrapped around her hips. The huge shirt did not outline her figure, but it made his imagination go wild. She did not seem to be wearing anything underneath, and the view of her chest was alluring. Duke slowly walked into the room without realizing it. After he went inside, he smelled the scent of the body shampoo from the woman. It was the body shampoo that he always used, and the smell used to only be on his body, but now, it was on Adina as well. The subtle ambiguity made him gulp. Adina looked down and curled her lips into a sneer. Then, she raised her head, rubbed her hair, and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, where¡¯s the hair dryer? I can¡¯t find it in the bathroom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s at the top of the cab.¡± When Duke spoke, his voice was extremely hoarse. He sounded as if he was trying his best to suppress some kind of emotion. Adina¡¯s curled lips expressed her contempt. Five years ago, this man had ripped her apart without a care for her. If that same nightmare happened this time, she would seek justice and fight for herself. Adina entered the bathroom and looked at the highest shelf. She could not reach it. She took a stool and stepped on it with her bare feet to reach the cab door. She stood on tiptoes as she stretched her hand out to look for the item. The stimting scene made Duke¡¯s mind go nk, and he could not help but walk inside. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Adina took the hair dryer and came down before she noticed that Duke was staring at her with his dark and profound eyes. She pursed her lips and calmly said, ¡°Mr. Winters, are you taking a shower? I¡¯ll go out and blow dry my hair.¡± Duke suppressed the heat that was about to erupt from his body. ¡°Your hair¡¯s too long. Let me help you blow dry your hair,¡± he softly said in his deep voice. Adina passed the hair dryer to him before she obediently sat in a chair. Duke ran his fingers through her hair and gently dried it. His blow-drying technique was not professional , but he was very gentle, as though he was worried that he would hurt her. He protected every strand of hair carefully. Adina pursed her lips. She suddenly felt like she was being vicious by testing the man like that. If this man really had any unwarranted thoughts toward her, did that mean she could criticize and deny him on the high ground of morality? Adina felt discouraged. A test like this turned out to be quite uninteresting. She stood up abruptly and calmly said, ¡°I better do it myself.¡± Duke suffered great psychological distress with every second he blew dry her hair. It took all of his will to restrain himself from doing anything too far to her. He passed the hair dryer back to her. ¡°You do it yourself then.¡± 1 After that, he turned around and left the bathroom. Then, he stood on the balcony and kept breathing deeply. Finally, the sound of the hairdryer in the bathroom stopped. He heard Adina¡¯s footsteps, followed by the subtle sounds of a nket being turned over. She had to be on the bed and sleeping now. He should go inside after she fell asleep. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He was worried that he would have a nosebleed in front of her otherwise. That would be horrifying. Adinay on the unfamiliar bed and had trouble falling asleep. She was still worried about Alden and Melody. Would the two kids be able to sleep in a strange environment? What she did not know was that in the study next door, George and Harold were staring at Alden, while Melody was pulling Alden¡¯s arm. The three kids were trying to get Alden to budge. Harold pouted and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that we would go and open the room door if Mommy calls you? But it¡¯s been a long time, and Mommy hasn¡¯t called you. That means Mommy wants to spend some alone time with Dad. Besides, it¡¯s veryte. She has to be sleeping now. Do you want to wake her up?¡± Alden pursed his lips. 11 That logic did not seem right to him. He would only feel at ease after he saw his mom. Melody shook his arm and softly said, ¡°Al, I want to sleep. Can you help me untie my hair?¡± Harold happily said, ¡°Mel, I¡¯ll untie your hair for you. I¡¯ll be very gentle. I won¡¯t hurt you. Come on, let me take you to your room. George, Dad, and I prepared it for you!¡± Melody cheerfully went to the third floor with Harold. All their rooms were on the third floor. Alden stood in the corridor and slowly walked to the master bedroom. He stood outside the door and listened for a while. It was really quiet inside, so his mom should have fallen asleep. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dad won¡¯t bully Mommy.¡± George stood behind him. He extended his hand and said, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll bring you to your room.¡± Alden took a look at George¡¯s hand that was extended toward him, but he did not stretch out his own hand. He pursed his lips and silently walked to the third floor. As George walked, he said, ¡°Dad personally decorated your room and Mel¡¯s, while Hal and I set up the decorations. Look, do you like it?¡± He pushed open the room door and motioned Alden to enterb Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Alden stood at the door and looked at the decoration in the room. Suddenly, his heart was filled with warmth. The room was decorated just like the room in his house. The bedsheet was in the same color, the curtains were exactly the same, and even the color of the carpet was identical. However, there were also many things that his house did not have. He should be able to fall asleep in this room. It showed that the Winters family members had really put in the effort. Therefore, Duke actually cared about Mel and him, right? Alden raised his head and seriously said, ¡°Georgie, thank you.¡± George smiled. ¡°I¡¯m your eldest brother, so you don¡¯t have to thank me. Come on, let¡¯s go and put Mel to sleep first.¡± The four children told stories in Melody¡¯s room, and the atmosphere was harmonious as well as serene. Meanwhile, the master bedroom had bepletely silent. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Adina had drunk some wine at dinner, so she was not entirely clear-headed throughout the whole night. Shey in bed and felt sleepy as she closed her eyes. She had thought that she would not be able to fall asleep on the unfamiliar bed, and she would just toss around the whole night, but she quickly drifted off. When the ttering sounds of water rang out, she suddenly woke up with a start. She immediately sat up straight. Seeing the unfamiliar decoration in the room, she remembered where she was. The chandelier in the room was not lit. Only a yellow night light was on. The light was dim, and she could barely see the man who was showering in the bathroom. Adina supported her head with her hand and suddenly felt a little thirsty. Just as she pulled the nket away and got off the bed, the sounds of water in the bathroom stopped. Duke just wrapped a towel around his waist. When he pushed open the bathroom door and came out, he saw that the woman had woken up and was standing by the bed. He immediately turned around and went back into the bathroom. He grabbed a bathrobe and put it on before he softly said, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± Adina shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m thirsty, and I want to drink some water. Is there any water in here?¡± Duke walked to the cab that was near the balcony and took out a bottle of mineral water. He passed it to her after he turned the lid open. Adina raised her head and drank a lot of water. Finally, she felt a little morefortable. She took a look at the time. It was only 11.00 pm. She would usually be working at this time, but today, she was already sleeping: She sat on the bed, pursed her lips, and asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, should we talk?¡± Duke sat on the couch that was far away. He nodded and asked, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the kids.¡± Adina stared at him. Under the dim light, the contour of the man¡¯s features appeared much gentler. She just said whatever came to mind, ¡°I think we should talk about the kids¡¯ education. Now that I¡¯m their mother, don¡¯t I also have the right to voice my opinion on George and Harold¡¯s education?¡± Duke nodded. ¡°Of course. You can raise as many suggestions as you want.¡± ¡°The four-year-old kids should be studying, whether in preschool or an academy for gifted children. George should be receiving systematic education , not going to thepany every day.¡± Adina swept her hair back. ¡°As for Hal, he should be learning with children of the same age, not be grounded at home alone and forced to study boring stuff.¡± While she spoke, she subconsciously lifted her leg. She had forgotten that she was wearing Duke¡¯s white shirt. When she raised her leg, her fair thigh became more exposed. Under the shadowy light, it evoked all kinds of wild imagination. Duke felt annoyed as he got up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have to go and take a shower.¡± Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Pitter-patter! The sounds of water hitting the floor came from the bathroom. Adina stroked her hair. Did that man not just take a shower? Why was he taking another shower? She turned around and looked at the bathroom¡¯s frosted ss. There was no hot water vapor, which meant he was taking a cold shower. It was autumn, so it was freezing. Yet, he was showering with cold water? Something seemed to register, and Adina lowered her head. When she realized that she was wearing the man¡¯s shirt, she subconsciously chuckled in resignation. Did she not want to test the man? It looked like she had her result. He would rather take a cold shower than cross the boundary. It meant he had started to learn how to respect her. Adina buttoned up the shirt¡¯s first button before she pulled the nket over andy in bed. The situation was not conducive for them to talk about the children. They should talk about it again next time. The moment shey on the bed, she quickly fell asleep. By the time Duke came out of the bathroom , Adina was already sleeping One of her fair, long legs was exposed outside the nket. Duke walked over and gently covered it with the nket. He dared not look at Adina again. He was really afraid that he would have to take a third shower. 1 He lay down on the couch and had difficulty falling asleep. Adina, on the other hand, slept well. The next day, she stretched her body and got up. She habitually got out of bed and put on her slippers, but she realized that the slippers were gray and huge. She was dumbfounded for a while. It was not until she turned around and looked at the unfamiliar scenery that she recalled where she was. 1 She instantly turned back and looked at the couch. Duke was already gone, and the nket on the couch was also neatly folded. Meanwhile, a whole set of clothes had been ced by the bed. They included shirts and inner wear. Adinaid the clothes out. She cast a nce at the size, and it was correct. Her gaze was a little conflicted. After she entered the bathroom, got ready, and changed her clothes, she put on the slippers and finally left for downstairs. As soon as she pulled open the door, she saw an elegantly ¨C and decently-dressed woman in front of her. Adina waspletely stunned. She could pretend to be calm and indifferent in front of Duke, but when she faced Mrs. Winters, she did not know how to react. She had stepped out of Duke¡¯s bedroom. Would Mrs. Winters think she.. ¡°Addy, just tell Mr. Brown what you want to eat for breakfast.¡± Mrs. Winters had a gentle gaze. ¡°Make yourself at home. Don¡¯t be shy.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Winters,¡± Adina replied awkwardly. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. 1T2 ¡°Why are you still calling me ¡®Mrs. Winters¡¯? Just call me Aunt Mabel.¡± Mrs. Winters chuckled. ¡°I still have something to do today. I¡¯ll treat you to some tea tomorrow.¡± 111 As she spoke, she smoothed out her cor and elegantly walked downstairs. Then, she left after she changed her shoes. Adina was very confused. Mrs. Winters must have thought something had happened between Duke and her. No, she and Duke had slept together, otherwise, how could the four children have existed? Mrs. Winters¡¯ attitude was really¡­ out of her expectation. She originally thought that Mrs. Winters would criticize her for being shameless and hypocritical¡­ Forget it. She was better off not caring about it. Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Adinaposed herself, appearing calm and aloof as she went downstairs. Nobody was in the living room, but someughter came from the dining room not far away. She slowly walked over. When she stood at the dining room entrance, she saw an extremely warm and harmonious scene. Melody was in Duke¡¯s arms, eating something with a pout. Harold and George were standing on either side of her and feeding her food continuously , while Duke was struggling to braid her hair. He was an adult man, and his actions were clumsy. The braid he made was not the best. Before Adina couldment on it, Alden could no longer bear the sight. He frowned and said, ¡°Mel looks ugly with that hairstyle.¡± As soon as he said that, the corners of the little girl¡¯s lips instantly curved down. She pouted unhappily. Duke cleared his throat and said, ¡°Alden, I¡¯m still learning. It¡¯s normal for me to not braid nicely. Can you stand over on this side and teach me?¡± Alden carefully said, ¡°Comb the hair out before you divide the hair into three equal parts. Then, you slowly braid them.¡± Alden taught Duke in detail, and Duke learned in a serious manner. Adina¡¯s face was filled with tenderness. Alden used to say that he did not need a father, but he must be very fond of Duke. She had never seen that expression on Alden¡¯s face before. LIT She walked into the dining room with a faint smile and said, ¡°Let meb Mel¡¯s hair.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Duke looked at her. He had purposely chosen her outfit for her. It was a goose yellow top with a beige wrap skirt, which entuated her figure. He suddenly remembered what she had wornst night. Adina was the most attractive when she was wearing his shirt. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re awake!¡± Harold rushed over happily and climbed onto Adina¡¯s body using his little limbs. He unintentionally put his hands on Adina¡¯s chest, and his head rubbed against her chest too. As a result, Duke got angry all of a sudden. He walked over, grabbed Harold by the cor, and threw him on the floor. ¡°How old are you? Why do you always need to be hugged?¡± he said coldly. Harold felt hurt. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mel four years old too? Why can she be hugged?¡± ¡°Mel¡¯s a girl, and you¡¯re a boy. Are you two the same?¡± George nced at him indifferently. Adina was speechless. She had found Duke to be quite gentle toward Harold yesterday , but he had revealed his true self again today. She walked over, carried Harold, and put him on herp. She smiled and said, ¡°Hal, have you had your breakfast?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve eaten!¡± Harold held Adina¡¯s neck and happily said,¡± Mommy, there¡¯s all kinds of breakfast food in the kitchen. What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll go and get it for you.¡± Right after he spoke, Alden returned from the kitchen. He ced a te on the table and indifferently said,¡± Mommy, it¡¯s your favorite toast.¡± Harold stuck his tongue out. Alden had made his move so quickly that it made Harold look like he was just all talk and no action. Even so, Adina was ted. Her life had never been soplete. All her four children were alive, and they were by her side. Could anything else bring her more joy? She looked at Duke. He had just finishedbing Melody¡¯s hair. He quietly stared at her with his intense ck eyes, and her figure was reflected in his pupils. Her heart suddenly pounded fast. She looked away awkwardly. Casting a nce at the time, she said, ¡°I have to attend a celebration party tonight. Mr. Winters, can you help look after the kids?¡± Duke nodded indifferently. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about leaving the kids with the Winters family. After lunch, I¡¯ll send you to get your styling and fitting done. You should be able to make it.¡± Adina thanked him softly. Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Chapter 449 The Winters family had a dozen servants, including those who specially took care of the young masters. Some cleaned up, some did the gardening, and others cooked¡­ After Alden and Melody joined the family, Mr. Brown recruited a few more educators. There were servants everywhere in the Winters family home. Since there were people to specifically take care of each child, Adina did not need to worry at all. The children living in the Winters family home would really be happier than living with her. At the very least, there were people to help them with many things in their daily life. Adina looked down and hid her conflicted gaze. After she took her lunch, Duke sent her to the banquet hall. She initially wanted to drive there, but Harold had ruined her carst night. All four tires were deted, so Mr. Brown sent it for repairs this morning. Half an hourter, the car stopped in front of the biggest styling studio in Sea City. Adina pursed her lips. ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m not a celebrity. I really don¡¯t need all this.¡± She had attended many simr asions. She could just deal with it by putting on a gown and heavy makeup. Having her hair styled and getting a fitting on purpose made her seem inexperienced Duke parked his car and nonchntly said, ¡°Many celebrities are attending the party tonight, and all of them are coborating with Elitos Corporation. You¡¯re the most beautiful woman in Sea City. How can you lose to them?¡± Adina nced at him. ¡°You even pay attention to all that?¡± Duke cleared his throat awkwardly.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He would pay attention to anything rted to this woman. He cared about her, so he hoped that she would be the most dazzling and attractive person no matter where she went. However, after Adina exited the dressing room, Duke regretted it. This woman should have been dressed more conservatively. She should not appear in the spotlight because he did not want other men to desecrate her with their gazes. Adina looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a ck halter dress, and the big cut on her chest, her back, as well as her waist, exposed her fair skin. The dress was cinched at the waist, which outlined her slim figure. She had never put on such a revealing dress, so she felt really ufortable. Suddenly, a ck coatnded on her shoulders. Then, she heard the man¡¯s cold and deep voice. ¡°This dress is ugly. Change it.¡± The stylist was experienced, so she knew why this man would say that the dress was ugly. She immediately ttered him and walked over. ¡°If the ck dress isn¡¯t good, you should try this pink gown. It¡¯s looser, so you¡¯ll be veryfortable while you wear it.¡± Adina gave it a nce. The gown had a turtleneck, and its cor, which had been designed based on the shape of a lotus, looked quite pretty. Besides, the dress was 3/4 in length, and the cutting at the waist was loose. It was a divine dress, and she would be veryfortable in it. Before Adina could reply, Duke nodded. ¡°I think you¡¯ll look more beautiful in pink.¡± It was mainly because the design was conservative. Her chest and back would not be visible, so it was just nice. Despite that, Duke regretted it again after Adina changed into the dress and stepped out of the dressing room. How could this woman look so sexy in such a loose dress? On top of that, her face was stunning, and she seemed to be glowing in the pink dress. With such an appearance, she was destined to stand out from the crowd. Those celebrities and famous models were not evenparable to her. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Duke fell into contemtive silence before he asked, ¡°Do you have to attend the banquet tonight?¡± Adina gave him a sideways nce. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. It was a celebration party organized by Elitos, so those who attended the banquet today were business partners that were going to coborate with Elitos. She could use this opportunity to expand her network, hence she wanted to attend it if possible. Duke was at a loss of words when she stared at him. Could he tell her that he did not want other men to see her beauty, so he was hoping she would not attend? He would never say that out loud. His words died in his throat, and he indifferently said, ¡°Hal¡¯s very dependent on you, so I just wanted to ask what time you¡¯ll be home.¡± Adina tidied her hair as she answered, ¡°About 9.00 pm.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go and pick you up,¡± Duke said with a straight face. Adina wanted to decline at first, but her car was still under maintenance. Plus, Alden and Melody were still with the Winters family. It seemed that she could only return to the Winters family vi for the time being. She lowered her head and smoothed out her dress without saying anything else. After she changed gowns and got her hair styled, Duke watched as Adina entered the banquet hall. Just as he was about to drive away, he received a text message from Catherine on his phone. (Mr. Winters, I¡¯m nning to open a counseling center in Sea City soon. May I know if you can help me rent out an office?] Duke tapped on the keypad and sent a one-word reply. [Okay.) Catherine had taken care of his mother for so many years, and it was not very difficult for him to help rent an office for her. He could just leave it to his assistant. As soon as Adina entered the banquet hall, Serene approached her. ¡°Wow! Ms, Daugherty, you look stunning today. You look like a lotus fairy.¡± Adina chuckled from Serene¡¯s amusing description. ¡°So, do I look like a walking lotus?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re a lotus fairy. You¡¯re innocent, attractive, sexy, and charming.¡± Serene covered her face dramatically. ¡°If I were a man, I would risk everything I have to pursue you, Ms. Daugherty.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be silly.¡± Adina scanned the banquet hall. ¡°Tell me about yesterday afternoon¡¯s bidding session.¡± Serene nodded and walked as she said, ¡°The biggest winner yesterday was Xavier Corporation. They became the biggest chip provider for Elitos.¡± Adina nced around the banquet hall, and sure enough, she saw her uncle, Richard, and her cousin, Ethan. After Xavier Corporationunched a new and improved smart product, it became one of the top three Inte-rted enterprises in Sea City. Elitos truly made a wise move to coborate with Xavier Corporation. ¡°Meanwhile, the Walker and Sundend families became Elitos¡¯ spare part suppliers.¡± Just then, Adina saw Trent and Em walk toward her with a ss of champagne. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re a real genius.¡± Trent raised his champagne ss and toasted to Adina. ¡°You were able to defeat the CEO of Jones Corporation. You¡¯re extraordinary. No wonder you¡¯ve got Duke hooked.¡± Adina raised her eyebrows indifferently. ¡°Mr. Sundend, you¡¯re not that bad either. You do nothing but hook up with women. I didn¡¯t expect you to also establish a coboration with Elitos. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Trent instantly felt attacked. This woman had a really sharp tongue. Whenever they argued, he would always lose to her. Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Chapter 451 The banquet officially started at 7.30 pm. Under the spotlight, a man with a silver mask walked up the stage. When he stood under the illumination, his silver mask reflected a cold light. The people in the hall subconsciously stopped talking, and the banquet hall fell into silence. ¡°I will be announcing the future coborators of Elitos.¡± Earley stood on the stage, and his deep voice emanated a profound aura. ¡°That¡¯s Earley Wynters, the CEO of Elitos in Cairnstan,¡± Trent lowered his voice and said to Adina. ¡°He¡¯s the executive who suddenly joined Elitos about three years ago. None of his background information can be found. He¡¯s very mysterious.¡± Em softly added, ¡°All the executives of Elitos are Europeans, but Earley is from Cairnstan. Even though his background information is concealed, he puts on a mask no matter what asion he attends. It¡¯s extremely creepy.¡± Adina lowered her head and took a sip of the champagne. Alden had looked into Earley¡¯s background for her before. There was no photo of this man online, and even his name was fake. This man was an enigma and also very dangerous. ¡°Congrattions, Xavier Corporation, for bing the biggest chip provider for Elitos!¡± Right after Earley said that, a spotlight shone on Richard. Earley resumed. ¡°Xavier Corporation has been based in technology over these years, and they¡¯re involved in theprehensive development of smart products. The smart chip that thepanyunched is ahead of its time. I believe ourpanies will have a happy coboration and achieve glory together ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Adina Daugherty, the general manager of LaStar Technology Corporation for bing the chief designer for chip development in Elitos!¡± Earley suddenly raised his voice, and a spotlight shone on Adina¡¯s head. She smiled faintly and raised her champagne to the man standing on the stage. ¡°Ms. Daugherty is an outstanding chip designer who graduated from Harfard University. She was called a chip designing genius by the professors at Harfard University.¡± When Earley¡¯s words echoed in the banquet hall, everyone in attendance appearedpletely taken aback. Many people started discussing it. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the chief chip designer supposed to be Mdm. Jones from Jones Corporation? Why is it the most beautiful woman in Sea City? Since she¡¯s so pretty, you can tell that she doesn¡¯t have much skill. She just lives off the entertainment news every day. Did Ms. Daugherty get this opportunity to coborate after she seduced Mr. Wynters?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start rumors. Adina created the smart productunched by Xavier Corporation some time ago. She¡¯s truly capable.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°But no matter how capable she is, she can¡¯t be better than Mdm. Jones, can she? Mdm. Jones was a professor at Harfard University. Wouldn¡¯t she be better than a student like Adina?¡± ¡°I even heard that Ms. Daugherty prepared her proposal in just one day, while Mdm. Jones had prepared hers for three months.¡± ¡°What? A proposal prepared in one day defeated Mdm. Jones? That¡¯s impossible, right?¡± ¡°The Operations Department of Elitos knows about this. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask them.¡± When Adina heard their gratingments, she did not feel embarrassed or feel anything negative. She was someone outstanding in her field, and those voices could not affect her at all. She wore a faint smile as she calmly soaked in the attention from the crowd. At that moment, there was a disturbance at the banquet hall¡¯s entrance. Everyone subconsciously turned around, and they saw a middle-ageddy walking inside while being surrounded by about eight people. Thedy was very tall, and she had perfect skin. She appeared to be in her early thirties, while her hair had been tied into a high bun often worn by noblewomen. She was wearing a trench coat, and the hem of her coat was not wrinkled in the slightest. There was a small frown on her face, and her every move gave off the strong aura of a businesswoman. ¡°It¡¯s Mdm. Jones!¡± Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Chapter 452 ¡°Mdm. Jones is still so young. She looks exactly the same as the time when she first became the CEO of Jones Corporation ten years ago. Her every move makes me envious.¡± ¡°Women like us will never be able to learn Mdm. Jones¡¯ harsh methods. But why is she here right now?¡± ¡°Yeah, the Jones family didn¡¯t manage to coborate with Elitos, right?¡± ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Everyone kept switching gazes between Zhenny and Adina. VPP The man on the stage, Earley, was the host who had organized the banquet. He walked down the stage and calmly said, ¡°Mdm. Jones, it¡¯s an honor for Elitos Corporation to have you take some time out of your day to attend this banquet. Someone, please get some wine for Mdm. Jones.¡± Zhenny¡¯s gaze was unfriendly, and she responded indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. I came today because I wanted to ask you something, Mr. Wynters. Did Elitos really decide to hire Ms. Daugherty as the chief chip designer for the project?¡± Earley¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Elitos has made the announcement, so it¡¯s official.¡± ¡°Good! Great!¡± Zhenny did not get angry. Instead, sheughed and showed a contemptuous expression. Everyone in the hall seemed lost. They did not know what her aim was. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, she¡¯se here to deal with you,¡± Trent moved close to Adina¡¯s ear and softly said. It looked like he was watching a show. Adina took a sip of champagne without a care. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have anything to do with this.¡± She relied on her own abilities to submit the bid and win it. Mdm. Jones came to look for trouble in a public ce after everything had been finalized. That would only lower her corporation¡¯s image. Adina took a step backward toward the crowd. She was not interested in Mdm. Jones¡¯ visit. But Zhenny cast a nce at Adina¡¯s face in a seemingly casual fashion. She had checked Adina¡¯s information out yesterday. Adina looked ravishing in the pictures, but she was, unexpectedly, more stunning in person. If Adina were ugly, Zhenny could have still forced herself to believe that Adina hadpleted the proposal. However, Adina was so pretty. She looked like a beautiful but lousy woman, so Zhenny could not help but feel suspicious¡­ Zhenny sneered and said, ¡°Mr. Wynters, you have no idea that my proposal went missing three days ago, right?¡± Earley frowned. ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been revising the proposal for three months. Right after I finalized and saved the document, it went missing.¡± Zhenny firmly and slowly said, ¡°At the same time, Ms. Daugherty became Elitos Corporation¡¯s chief chip designer.¡± As soon as she said that, the hall burst into a ruckus. ¡°Oh, gosh! No wonder Adina was able to submit her proposal in one day.¡± ¡°So this is what happened. She actually stole Mdm. Jones¡¯ three months of hard work.¡± ¡°A person like that is akin to a parasite in the industry. How could Elitos Corporation coborate with such a person?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Who knew there would be such an ugly heart hidden under that gorgeous face? We need to make this incident known so that everyone in Sea City can see who the most beautiful woman is!¡± ¡°Poor Mdm. Jones. She worked hard on the proposal for three months, and it was stolen!¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t too late to expose Adina¡¯s pretentious side now, is it?¡± Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Everyone looked at Adina. She was breathtaking, and the pink gown made her even more dazzling among the crowd. She held her champagne ss and raised her eyebrows nonchntly. ¡°Mdm. Jones, what does losing your proposal have anything to do with me?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, are you trying to shirk responsibility?¡± Zhenny curled her lips into a sneer.¡± Why don¡¯t you share with us how youpleted this high-difficulty chip design proposal in one day?¡± ¡°High difficulty?¡± Adina frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Is the chip design proposal very difficult for you?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Zhenny¡¯splexion instantly turned pale. She had lived for forty years, but nobody had ever dared to speak to her like that. This b*tch did not just steal her proposal, but she even had the audacity to insult her in public. Did this b*tch think she was easy to deal with? She scoffed and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you just copied and pasted your proposal, so it¡¯s naturally not difficult for you.¡± She just made an assumption in one sentence. Adina chuckled. ¡°Mdm. Jones, you use me of giarism without having any evidence. I can sue you for defamation.¡±. Zhenny¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Any inexperienced person can see what happened. Why? Do you still want to settle this in court?¡± The people in the banquet hall cast usatory looks at Adina. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, this is your fault. If you file awsuit, what advantage do you think you¡¯ll have?¡± ¡°Do you truly believe that whatever you stole willst long? You better apologize to Mdm. Jones now. If your apology is sincere, she won¡¯t look into this any further.¡± ¡°How can she not look into the matter? A person like that is an industry ck sheep. We should let the police educate her!¡± Richard and Ethan walked out of the crowd and shielded Adina. ¡°Mdm. Jones, you came over with great fanfare just to convict my niece?¡± Richard said with a steely expression. ¡°You don¡¯t have any witnesses and evidence. Mdm. Jones, aren¡¯t you making a rash statement?¡± Ethan said coldly. ¡°My cousin is an intelligent chip designer. giarism is impossible, and she despises copying other people¡¯s work.¡± Trent chuckled as well. ¡°Mdm. Jones, are you sure you¡¯re not just dragging someone down with you because you missed the opportunity to coborate with Elitos Corporation?¡± Zhenny¡¯s eyes were hostile and angry. ¡°It¡¯s very easy to obtain proof, isn¡¯t it? Mr. Wynters, as long as you make both our proposals public, everyone will learn the truth from a nce.¡± Earley looked at Adina indifferently before he pursed his lips and said, ¡°A proposal is a designer¡¯s intellectual property. Before I obtain the designer¡¯s permission, it won¡¯t be convenient to make it public.¡± Zhenny became even more furious. ¡°So, you¡¯re defending a person who has giarized?¡± Adina looked at the several people who defended her, and her heart was filled with warmth. She was used to being alone over the years and used to solving anything by herself. However, many people stood up for her today. She smiled at Richard and Ethan before she pushed Trent aside. She walked over and calmly said, ¡°Mr. Wynters, I agree to make my proposal public.¡± Earley nced at her. Adina looked him in the eyes. His gaze was extremely dark and profound, as though he had been asleep in the dark for many years. When she saw his gaze, many dark scenes seemed to y in her mind, and she felt as if her soul was being dragged into the abyss. She immediately looked away and lowered her head to take a sip of champagne. Earley waved, and his assistant immediately walked over from the back. After he uttered a few sentences, his assistant turned around and went to prepare. Those in the banquet hall had lost interest in the banquet. Everyone was waiting for the two proposals to be made public. At that time, they would be able to punish the most beautiful woman in Sea City openly. That sounded like an exciting prospect. Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Zhenny nced at Adina coldly. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you don¡¯t think that you can prove you didn¡¯t giarize just because two proposals look different, do you?¡± Adina shrugged. ¡°Since you¡¯ve found me guilty of giarism, whatever I say means nothing.¡± Zhenny scoffed. Just as she was about to look away, she noticed Adina¡¯s carefree look and found it quite familiar. It was as if she had met someone who looked just as carefree and despised everything. Zhenny was not a big fan of that expression. She curled her lips coldly and turned away with disdain. There was arge electronic screen behind the stage in the ballroom. After the staff connected the power supply, they ced the two design proposals on the table. Then, they clicked on Jones Corporation and LaStar Technology Corporation¡¯s bid proposals at the same time. The documents were disyed side by side on the screen. Everyone in the banquet hall raised their heads and looked over. However, these were professional chip design ns. Those not in the industry could not understand a single word. Nevertheless, many programmers were in attendance. They read the proposals while they discussed in a low voice. ¡°Mdm. Jones¡¯ proposal is detailed andplete. It¡¯s the most standard chip design draft. Meanwhile, Ms. Daugherty¡¯s design looks a little rough. There are no details. I don¡¯t know why Elitos would give up on Mdm. Jones and choose Ms. Daugherty.¡± ¡°Besides, Mdm. Jones implemented a new form for building modules. If the integrated chips are made in this way, it will save a lot of manpower and resources in future management and operations.¡± ¡°I think no matter how you look at it, Mdm. Jones¡¯ proposal is perfect!¡± Listening to the surrounding discussions, Zhenny slowly curled her lips, seemingly confident about her victory. She looked at Adina and steadily asked, ¡°What else do you have to say?¡± Adina put down her champagne ss and smiled in a se manner. ¡°You imed that I giarized you. Shouldn¡¯t you be the one to list out the parts that I copied?¡± Zhenny sneered. This woman was stubborn. Would she be willing to admit it only after solid evidence was found? Zhenny raised her head and observed the big screen. N?velDrama.Org ? content. It had taken her a month to build the first module. There were a total of fifteen pages that contained detailed exnations of how to build a perfect smart system. The longer she looked at her design, the better she found it. She looked to the side at Adina¡¯s design. There were only two pages for the first module, and she had just written down a few forms. Was Adina trying to fool everyone? But¡­ Zhenny had never seen those forms. No textbook, no market, and no research topic had evere up with such bizarre forms. Following what Adina said, everyone in the hallpared the two proposals as well. The programmers¡¯ expressions slowly turned serious. ¡°Adina¡¯s design draft is very short and precise, but it¡¯spletely different from Mdm. Jones¡¯ design. Even the punctuations aren¡¯t the same.¡± ¡°Besides, I suddenly find Ms. Daugherty¡¯s proposal to be remarkable. I¡¯ve never seen these forms, but if they¡¯re urate, modeling chips in this way will maximize the smart properties of a product¡­¡± ¡°Mdm. Jones¡¯ design is too conservative like a standard textbook, but Ms. Daugherty¡¯s design is more pragmatic. No wonder Elitos chose to coborate with Ms. Daugherty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never really seen Ms. Daugherty¡¯s forms. I hope I have the opportunity to learn from her.¡± Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Zhenny¡¯s ears suddenly buzzed. When she looked at Adina¡¯s design proposal, her mind instantly went nk. She had been in the industry for twenty years. The longer she read Adina¡¯s proposal, the more impressed she felt. Right then, she finally understood why Earley would rather risk offending Jones Corporation by choosing a small and unknown newpany. Adina raised her gorgeous face indifferently. ¡°Mdm. Jones, please exin which part I giarized.¡± Zhenny¡¯s expression darkened to the maximum level. Those who defended Zhenny and criticized Adina were instantly speechless. Zhenny clenched her fists before she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Today¡¯s incident has been a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Trent scoffed. ¡°Mdm. Jones, even if it¡¯s a misunderstanding, shouldn¡¯t you still apologize to Ms. Daugherty?¡± Zhenny appeared sullen, She had never lowered her head and apologized to anyone in her life before. She really could not lower her status and apologize to a young lady who was just in her early twenties. At this time, her secretary moved forward from the back and respectfully said, ¡°Jones Corporation was negligent, and we made unfounded usations against Ms. Daugherty without discovering what truly happened. This is our fault. I apologize to you on behalf of Jones Corporation and Mdm. Jones, Ms. Daugherty.¡± Adina twirled her champagne ss. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mdm. Jones here? Why do you have to apologize on behalf of her?¡± Right after she said that, everyone in the hall gasped. The Jones family was considered one of the top families in Sea City. When Zhenny was sixteen, Harfard University had epted her based on special circumstances, and she graduated from Harfard University with a PhD at twenty-two. Then, she taught at Harfard for about six years before she returned to join Jones Corporation and work as an executive In just three years, she defeated the original heir of the Jones family and became the person in charge of Jones Corporation in this generation. This woman had be the matriarch of her family when she was 30. She worked like a man, and she was harsh like a man. However, due to her beautiful face, people would often forget that she was no weaker than a man. The biggest corporation in Sea City was Winters Corporation, and Duke was the man whom everyone admired. Meanwhile, Zhenny was the woman whom everyone admired in Sea City. But Adina was actually forcing Zhenny to apologize to her now. The people in the hall did not know why Adina had the courage to stand up to Zhenny. At the same time, they were very curious about what choice Zhenny would make. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The man with the silver mask turned over a little and stared at Adina¡¯s face. His dark and cold gaze was filled with some curiosity as he smiled with interest. ¡°Ms. Daugherty,¡± Zhenny said coldly, ¡°you are still a huge suspect until the matter is investigated.¡± Adina nearlyughed out of anger. ¡°So, even if you can¡¯t find any simrities, you still think I stole your design?¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± Zhenny asked in return. ¡°If I lose my design draft, you¡¯ll benefit easily. It¡¯s only reasonable for me to suspect you of having something to do with this.¡± Adina chuckled. She took another step forward, and her gaze turned slightly menacing. ¡°Mdm. Jones, you have a long- standing reputation in the industry. As a junior, I didn¡¯t want to make things too embarrassing for you at first. But since you insist on ndering me, I can only return the favor.¡± Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Zhenny narrowed her eyes. She did not quite understand what Adina meant. At that moment, Adina raised her voice and said, ¡°Someone, please turn Mdm. Jones¡¯ proposal to page 16. I guess you haven¡¯t seen the form on this page before, have you? And I suppose you¡¯re also very unfamiliar with the newly-built module on page 28, right? The design drawings on pages 34 and 35 also implement the new building module. These are fresh ideas.¡± Everyone nodded. The secretary behind Zhenny coldly said, ¡°This is a brand-new build form developed by our Technical Department under Mdm. Jones¡¯ leadership.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡¯ Adina chuckled, and her gaze was filled with mockery. For some reason, Zhenny felt flustered as a result of Adina¡¯s gaze. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, just spit it out. Don¡¯t try to put on a show here,¡± she said in annoyance. ¡°Six months ago, my mentor at Harfard was working on this subject, and he showed me his paper before it was published. It contained this form along with the same building blocks.¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°My supervisor¡¯s paper was published in a very niche technical journal abroad, so I don¡¯t think many people in Cairnstan have seen it, but that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist. The paper was published half a year ago, while Mdm. Jones started her proposal three months ago, but more than 80% of your form modules ovep. Mdm. Jones, how do you exin this to us?¡± Zhenny¡¯splexion turned blue and pale. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°That¡¯s nonsense.¡± Right after she spoke, some people in the hall ran a search on their phones. They connected to a foreignwork, entered the forme for the modules in her proposal, and immediately saw a paper that had been published overseas. ¡°Oh, my goodness! Ms. Daugherty is actually telling the truth!¡± ¡°The paper was published six months ago, and its contents are exactly the same as Mdm. Jones ¡®proposal!¡± ¡°What the f*ck? So, Mdm. Jones giarized someone else¡¯s work, but she framed Ms. Daugherty for giarizing hers?¡± Everyone in the banquet hall gave Zhenny judgmental looks. Zhenny had never been scrutinized by people in that way. She gritted her teeth and slowly suppressed her anger. She took a deep breath. ¡°This is Professor Phyllis¡¯ teaching paper in Harfard. I did use it as a reference, but it¡¯s not giarism. Before I used this paper as a reference, I bought the copyright from Professor Phyllis.¡± She found herself a perfect excuse, and the disapproving gazes in the banquet hall faded away. Her eqression darkened as she said, ¡°It was my fault for being abrupt today. I¡¯ll be the host and treat you to a meul as an apology next time, Ms. Daugherty. Let¡¯s go.¡± She turned around and walked out. The people whom she had brought followed suit. As soon as Zhenny stepped out, she made a call. ¡°Contact Professor Phyllis from Harfard University now Buy the copyright of the paper that he published six months ago. Get it no matter how much money it costs!¡± Right after she hung up, she received a call. When she saw the iing call remark, gloom filled her face Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. When she picked up the call, a furious growl came from the other end of the call. ¡°Jones Corporation is on the news now. Look at the stupid thing you did!¡± Zhenny breathed in. ¡°I¡¯ve been the CEO of Jones Corporation for twelve years, and I¡¯ve never made a mistake. Can¡¯t I be given a chance after just one mistake?¡± Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Chapter 457 After Zhenny left the banquet in anger, the remaining people in the banquet hall looked at each other at a loss. It was their first time seeing the CEO of Jones Corporation so embarrassed. And it was because of Adina. They began to look at Adina with conflicted gazes. Trent raised a wine ss and shed her a teasing smile. ¡°I finally understand why I always suffer defeat at your hands. You can even take down an experienced business yer like Zhenny, so what¡¯s a man from a rich family like me who just entered the business industry?¡± Adina did not pay attention to him. Instead, she took her phone and sent someone a message. Trent twirled his ss of red wine and continued. ¡°Hey, do you think Zhenny really bought the copyright for that paper? Adina, go ahead and ask your mentor now.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Adina chuckled. ¡°Of course she didn¡¯t.¡± The paper had been published in a niche local magazine, which sold less than 100,000 copies a year. It was on the verge of being discontinued. Very few people had read that paper, so it was unlikely that anyone would catch her giarism. That was the only reason why Zhenny dared to righteously hijack someone¡¯s hard work and make it her own. ¡°Since she didn¡¯t purchase it, we should take her down at once.¡± Trent scoffed. ¡°Sundend Corporation coborated with Jones Corporationst year. When we divided the benefits, Zhenny took arge portion by force¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not be so pushy for the sake of future meetings. There¡¯s no need to make a big deal out of this,¡± Adina said indifferently. Besides, Professor Phyllis was too poor. University professors usually owned two houses, but Professor Phyllis had been renting a house. As a result, his wife and kids left him. He just spent his days in the laboratory working on things that were not of interest to the market and made no money at all. That only caused him to be poorer and poorer. Adina hoped that Zhenny would give Professor Phyllis a huge amount of money. That way, she would not need to worry about her mentor dying of starvation. Trent¡¯s gaze on Adina was filled with more admiration. ¡°Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.¡± Adina lifted the hem of her dress and went to the restroom to touch up her makeup. As she rounded the corner of the restroom, she saw a tall figure leaning on the balcony¡¯s railing from the corridor. Her cold eyes were indifferent. ¡°Mr. Wynters.¡± Earley turned around. Under the light, his eyes were dark, and he was also dressed in a ck suit. If his silver mask had not reflected some light, Adina would not have noticed him there. When she looked at the figure, she found him familiar for some reason. He seemed to resemble someone a lot. She walked over and spoke in a t tone. ¡°Mr. Wynters, are you waiting for me?¡± ¡°Your performance tonight was outstanding,¡± Earley slowly said. ¡°I just watched the news. You and Zhenny are on the headlines now. Your reputation as the most beautiful woman in Sea City has been greatly boosted.¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for yourpliment, Mr. Wynters.¡± Earley stood up straight and stared at her with his dark eyes. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, regarding the coboration that I suggested previously, I wonder if you¡¯ve thought about it?¡±. Adina¡¯s smile remained unchanged. ¡°I¡¯ve signed the contract with Elitos, so I obviously want to work together with you.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you clearly know I¡¯m not talking about this project.¡± Earley suddenly bent down, and his silver mask drew close to her ear. When he opened his mouth, Adina felt his breath on her neck His breath was not warm but cold. She was so shocked that she immediately took a step back and narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°Mr. Wynters, please behave yourself. If others see that, they might think you¡¯re harassing me.¡± Earley suddenly let out a low chuckle. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you know martial arts. Are you still afraid that I¡¯ll harass you?¡± Adina looked up coldly. ¡°You looked into my background?¡± ¡°I chose you as my coborator, so of course I had to investigate your background.¡± Earley fiddled with his fingers. ¡°If you agree to participate in that project, I¡¯ll maximize your profit.¡± Adina chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have too many projects on my te right now. I can¡¯t deal with it. Mr. Wynters, you better hire someone better.¡± After she spoke, she lifted the hem of her dress and left the corridor. Earley continued to stand there, and his dark gaze did not leave her back until she disappeared from his sight. Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Adina returned to the banquet hall and continued talking to everyone. She was gorgeous and capable. For a moment, countless people handed their name cards to her. At 9.00 pm, people slowly left the banquet. ¡°Addy, let me send you home.¡± Ethan caught up with her and spoke like a gentleman. Before Adina could answer, a tall figure walked over from the entrance of the banquet hall. She turned around to find that it was Duke. Had this man arrived a long time ago? She would have left earlier if she had realized it. ¡°Ethan, someone¡¯s here to pick me up. Thank you for the offer,¡± Adina smiled as she said. Ethan frowned and looked at Duke before his frown deepened. ¡°Addy, are you and Mr. Winters ¡°Ahem!¡± Adina stroked her nose awkwardly. ¡°Alden and Mel are with the Winters family, so I¡¯m going back with Mr. Winters to pick them up.¡± Ethan pursed his lips and did not say anything else. Duke was Alden and Melody¡¯s father. It was inappropriate for an outsider like Ethan to interfere with the kids living in their biological father¡¯s house. However, he could not understand Duke, and he did not know if it was a good thing for Addy to be with him either. ¡°Mr. Xavier.¡± Duke spoke casually and extended his hand. Ethan reached out to shake Duke¡¯s hand gently. ¡°Mr. Winters, please take good care of Addy. It hasn¡¯t been easy for her all these years.¡± Adina pursed her lips. Ethan must have misunderstood and thought that she was in a rtionship with Duke! She thought that Duke would exin the situation. But the man softly said, ¡°I will. I will take good care of her. Please don¡¯t worry.¡± Perhaps his voice was stable and powerful, or perhaps the members of the Winters family were trustworthy, but Ethan instantly felt a lot more relieved. He stood outside the banquet hall as he watched Adina enter Duke¡¯s car. As soon as Adina got into the car, she felt more rxed. She had been dealing with all kinds of inexperienced businessmen the whole night, and it was mentally exhausting. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Duke held the steering wheel and softly asked. Adina leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes to rest, and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She paused for a while before she continued. ¡°Mr. Winters, do you know Earley Wynters, the CEO of Elitos in Sea City?¡± After some thought, she noticed that Earley¡¯s figure was at least 90% simr to Duke¡¯s. One was Winters, while the other was Wynters. Her instincts told her that there seemed to be some connection between the two of them. Duke¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened. His gaze instantly became severe. ¡°Was he there at the party tonight?¡± Adina nodded. ¡°This is the third time I¡¯ve met him. He wears a mask every time. People in the banquet hall were asking if his face was scarred. Otherwise, why would a person frequently show up with a face mask? We have no idea.¡± Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Chapter 459 ¡°Stay away from him.¡± Duke held the steering wheel tightly as he slowly replied. Earley Wynters was Earl Winters. He was Duke¡¯s biological twin brother. Duke softly said, ¡°Earley Wynters is a very dangerous person. Nothing goodes to those who approach him.¡± Adina looked at the person who was driving. Why did she feel that something was off with Duke¡¯s emotions when she brought Earley up? That supported her theory even more. Duke drove the car slowly on the road at night and stopped in front of the Winters family vi in less than twenty minutes. Duke got out of the car first and pulled open the passenger door for Adina like a gentleman. When the two of them walked up to the mansion¡¯s door, all their four children rushed over. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally back. I miss you so much!¡± Harold was always the most excited kid. He ran into Adina¡¯s arms and instantly climbed onto her body. Melody used to be a shy and reserved girl, but she had also be mischievous due to Harold¡¯s influence. She learned how to climb onto Adina¡¯s body from him. Adina carried a thirty-kilogram kid in each arm, and they were heavy. Two more kids looked at her expectantly with their dark eyes. ¡°Your mom can¡¯t carry you. I¡¯ll hold you.¡± Duke squatted down and waved at George and Alden. George awkwardly took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m a big boy now. I don¡¯t need a hug.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need one either,¡± Alden said indifferently. Duke found himself speechless. Okay, these four kids did not need their father anyway. ¡°Daddy, hug me!¡± Melody stretched out her arms. Duke¡¯s poor heart was finallyforted. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Winters walked out of the house at the next second. She smiled and said, ¡°Mel,e here. Grandma wants you to pick a ne.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up, and she rushed into Mrs. Winters¡¯ arms. Mrs. Winters carried Melody with a smile and said, ¡°Addy, Mel and I just hit it off. Let her sleep with me today.¡± As she said that, she carried Melody into the living room regardless of whether Adina agreed or not. Adina was stunned. Was Melody not autistic? With the exception of her dad, mom, and brothers, did she not dislike others getting close to her? How did she get on with Mrs. Winters so quickly? Soon, Adina understood the reason. She saw Mr. Brown and five servants step out of the collection room on the upper floor with many wooden boxes in their hands. Then, they opened the boxes and ced them in front of Melody. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The boxes contained either diamond nes, pearl earrings, or jade wristlets. They looked like they were worth at least a few million dors. However, those items were like toys in Melody¡¯s hands. Once she got bored after ying with them for a while, she simply threw them away. Mr. Brown seemed hurt as he went to pick them up and put them back in the boxes. But Mrs. Winters did not seem to be bothered. ¡°You don¡¯t like these either? It¡¯s okay, I still have a lot of shiny jewelry in the collection room. I¡¯ll get Papa Brown to take them down. You can bring whichever one you like home.¡± The corners of Adina¡¯s lips twitched. Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Chapter 460 She walked over, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Mrs. Winters, if you do this¡­¡± Mrs. Winters raised her head. ¡°Call me Aunt Mabel.¡± ¡°Aunt Mabel.¡± Adina immediately changed her address. ¡°If you do this, you¡¯ll spoil Mel. These are too expensive.¡± ¡°Kids don¡¯t know that these things are expensive. To them, these are just toys.¡± Mrs. Winters stroked Melody¡¯s hair. ¡°Girls like shiny jewelry. Next time, I¡¯ll bring Mel to a jewelry mall and buy her more jewelry so that she can bring them back and y with them.¡± Adina was speechless. She really could not understand the world of the rich. Harold walked over and casually picked up a pair of emerald earrings. The moment he picked them up, Mrs. Winters snatched them away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch them. You¡¯ll break them. This pair costs $6,000,000.¡± Harold was at a loss for words. Why could Melody simply throw them on the floor when he could not even touch them? It was fine when his dad no longer showed him love after Melody appeared. But why did his grandma stop loving him as well? Sob¡­ He was so pitiful. Melody took the emerald earrings from Mrs. Winters before she held them over Adina¡¯s ear.¡± Mommy, you look pretty,¡± she said in her tiny voice. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give them to your mommy.¡± Mrs. Winters generously waved and pushed the brocade box that had been used to keep the earrings to Adina. ¡°No, I can¡¯t ept these.¡± The item was like a hot potato to her, so she immediately put it back on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s better to keep them for Melody as a toy.¡± Melody was the granddaughter of the Winters family, so it was nothing even if she ended up breaking the expensive jewelry. She was just an outsider. How could she ept a pair of earrings that cost $6,000,000? If that went out, people might think that she was using her daughter to take advantage of the Winters family¡¯s wealth. Duke, who was standing not far away, subconsciously chuckled. She desperately avoided the emerald earrings that his mother had given to her, but what if he gave them to her instead? He had to admit that Melody chose well. Adina would look truly stunning with the emerald earrings on, and her beauty would take anyone¡¯s breath away. It appeared that he had to find some time to look at jewelry Duke nced around and suddenly saw a gift box on the tea table in the living room. He walked over and nonchntly said, ¡°Mr. Brown, who came to visit today?¡± Mr. Brown shook his head. ¡°There were no guests today. Mrs. Winters brought this gift box back.¡± Darkness suddenly filled Duke¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now. Addy, you should take the kids back and rest,¡± he said softly. ¡°No, Mel is sleeping with me tonight,¡± Mrs. Winters said in an overbearing manner. ¡°Mel even promised me earlier.¡± Adina felt her head ache. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. If it were Duke, she could still refuse. But this was Mrs. Winters. She was an elder, and she had really pampered Melody. For a moment, Adina did not know how to proceed. ¡°Mel isn¡¯t used to strangers. It¡¯s not suitable for her to be separated from her mother and stay in the Winters family vi for the time being.¡± Duke fiddled with his fingers and replied with a straight face. Mrs. Winters had initially wanted to ask Adina to stay for the night as well. After all, Adina had also done the samest night. When she raised her head, she noticed Duke¡¯s agitated gaze. He was her son. Although they had parted for a few years, she still understood him very well. Duke¡¯s gaze meant something serious had happened. Mrs. Winters lowered her head and spoke affectionately. ¡°Mel, I¡¯ll go and pick you up tomorrow. Go back with mommy tonight. Sleep tight. Don¡¯t kick your nket off the bed, okay?¡± Melody gave her a hard nod. When she left, she reluctantly nced at the pearl jewelry that was scattered around the floor. Then, Mrs. Winters ordered Mr. Brown to pack everything and stuff them into the trunk of Adina¡¯s car. Adina was unable to reject them. She could only bring the children with her and leave the Winters family vi. Right after they left, Duke sternly said, ¡°George, Harold, go upstairs. I have something to discuss with your grandma.¡± Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Chapter 461 The atmosphere in the living room suddenly became freezing. Duke took the box from the tea table and threw it to Mrs. Winters. ¡°Who gave this to you?¡± Guilt shed across Mrs. Winters¡¯ eyes, but she pretended to be calm as she said, ¡°A good friend whom I haven¡¯t met for a long time gave it to me. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Mom, am I an idiot to you?¡± Duke sneered. ¡°Earl¡¯ is written on the right corner of the box. That¡¯s been Earl¡¯s habit for many years. He clearly knows that I don¡¯t like you meeting him, vet he still signed his name on the gift box that he gave you. Mom, don¡¯t you understand why he¡¯s doing this?¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ eyes began to tear up. She looked at the signature on the gift box, and her voice trembled a little. ¡°Duke, he¡¯s your biological brother. Can¡¯t you just ept him? He¡¯s changed. He¡¯s changed into a good person. Just give him one more chance, okay?¡± ¡°If I give him a chance, who will give Dad a chance?¡± Duke¡¯s voice was full of pain. ¡°If the chance I give him can bring Dad back from the dead, I¡¯ll give him hundreds of chances!¡± Mrs. Winters covered her face and started crying. ¡°Your father had cancer, and it was just a matter of time before he died. Why do you keep thinking that your brother caused his death?¡± Duke¡¯s expression turned cold. He did not want to say another word. Due to that incident, he lost his father, and the whole Winters family nearly fell apart. He would never forgive Earl. It was impossible. He went upstairs, entered his study, and made a call. ¡°Contact the CEO of Elitos. Ask him to transfer Earley Wynters back to Europe.¡± Outside the study, two boys gently sneaked back to their room. ¡°George, howe Dad has a brother? Why haven¡¯t I heard about it from Dad?¡± Harold asked in disbelief. ¡°Based on biology, the gene for twins is inherited. We¡¯re quadruplets, so dad should at least be a twin.¡± George¡¯s expression was serious as he said, ¡°But it looks like there¡¯s been a misunderstanding between Dad and his brother because of Grandpa.¡± Harold scratched his head. ¡°Dad made it sound like Grandpa died because of our uncle. This is not a misunderstanding. This is clearly a feud!¡± George pursed his lips and did not say anything else. kids like them could not interfere with the grudge between the previous generation. They did not go home the night before, but their house looked the same as it did before they left. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Adina helped Melody take a shower. Only after she put the girl to bed did she start to clean the living room and the house. Alden obediently took the mop for her. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll do it with you.¡± Adina suddenly felt sad. If Alden had grown up with the Winters family, many servants would have taken care of him, and he would not have needed to suffer. The more mature and well-behaved Alden was, the more incapable she felt as a mother. ¡°Alden, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Adina stroked Alden¡¯s head, and her eyes were full of guilt. Alden raised his head and smiled obediently as he said, ¡°Mom, actually Georgie and Hal envy me and Mel because we were able to live with you for four years, as well as be with you every day. They weren¡¯t able to¡­ Compared with them, Mel and I are clearly happier. Why are you apologizing?¡± Adina¡¯s heart melted. ¡°My Alden! I must have saved the world in my previous life to give birth to such an obedient and thoughtful son like you.¡± Alden looked down. In reality, he was not obedient at all. He had secretly done many things that his mom had forbidden him from doing. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Chapter 462 He hoped that his mom would never be able to see his other sides. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. He paused for a while before he asked, ¡°Mom, do you like Uncle Duke?¡± Adina looked at him. ¡°Why do you still call him ¡®Uncle Duke¡¯? He¡¯s your dad, your biological father.¡± ¡°Sorry, Mom. I¡¯m not used to calling him ¡®Dad¡¯ yet,¡± Alden said in a serious manner. ¡°Mom, if you like Uncle Duke, I¡¯ll support your decision.¡± Adina schooled her expression and asked, ¡°What about you, Alden? Do you like him?¡± Alden blinked. ¡°Mom, I asked you first, so you should answer me first.¡± ¡°I guess I like him a little.¡± Adina looked out the window in the dark and replied softly. That man was outstanding. He was more excellent than all the men she had ever met. Such a remarkable man had treated her nicely, so she could not resist him. Besides, the man was her children¡¯s father. If she allowed herself to fall for him, it would only be advantageous to her and the kids. No matter how she looked at it, falling for Duke was the solution for many things¡­ ¡°I like him too.¡± Alden shed her a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll like him as long as you like him, Mom.¡± Adina caressed his face. ¡°Alden, you have to ask yourself whether you really like him. Can you ept Duke as your father?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Alden nodded without hesitation. ¡°He likes Mel, and he likes you, Mommy. He also likes me. Why wouldn¡¯t I like him?¡± Adina frowned slightly. Why did she feel that Alden was not being sincere? But no matter what, she could tell that Alden did not reject Duke entirely. That was sufficient. Alden pursed his lips and continued cleaning up. Duke was actually a great man. He did not oppose his mom marrying Duke. But the need for certainty existed in all humans. Duke loved his mom now, but could he promise to have only one woman for the rest of his life? Since that was not a guarantee, Alden had to look for a backup for himself and his mom. He had to be strong enough. He had to be stronger than Duke. That way, Duke would not be able to hurt his mom. The next morning, Adina drove to herpany after she sent the kids to preschool. As soon as she arrived at herpany, she met Mr. Roberts from thepany next door. Mr. Roberts¡¯ secretary, who used to be rude toward her, was standing outside the elevator respectfully. When he saw Adina walk out, he smiled and said, ¡°Hi, Ms. Daugherty. Ourpanies have been neighbors for so long, but we¡¯ve never sat down and had a proper meal. Mr. Roberts would like to treat you to a meal. May I know if you have the time?¡± Serene walked over and stoically said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Ms. Daugherty has an appointment at noon today.¡± Serene wondered where Mr. Roberts had hired this ¡°top-grade¡± secretary. He used to look at Ms. Daugherty with contempt and scorn as if he thought Ms. Daugherty had achieved everything because of her beauty. After the banquet yesterday, people like him probably understood that Ms. Daugherty relied on her own ability. She was even more capable than Mdm. Jones from Jones Corporation! Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Chapter 463 ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Elitos Corporation gave you a call earlier,¡± Serene reported respectfully. She purposely mentioned Elitos Corporation, and that made Mr. Roberts¡¯ secretary so jealous that his eyes turned red. Adina smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Roberts, I¡¯m a bit upied today. Let me treat you to a meal next time.¡± After she said that, she walked to her office with Serene. ¡°Why did Elitos call?¡± she asked. ¡°Mr. Wynters¡¯ secretary called and said Mr. Wynters wants to talk to you about the details of the chip design in person.¡± Serene flipped open her notebook and seriously said, ¡°Since the initial draft that we submitted was too simple, Mr. Wynters mainly wants to know the details of a few aspects. Firstly, the source of client data. Secondly¡­¡± Adina returned to her office andpiled the details before she brought the information to Elitos Corporation. She was now a coborator of Elitos, so she really needed tomunicate the details to them to avoid unnecessary problems. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, pleasee this way. Mr. Wynters is already waiting in the meeting room.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. The receptionist had received instructions a long time ago. She politely brought Adina upstairs via the exclusive elevator for the CEO. She only turned around and went downstairs after she led Adina up to the meeting room. Adina knocked on the door after she tidied her hair. A cold voice then rang out from the meeting room. ¡°Come in.¡± The voice made Adina stop in her tracks for a while. She recalled what Duke had told her in the car. ¡®Stay away from him. ¡®Early Wynters is a very dangerous person.¡¯ It sounded like a scary warning. Adina looked up at the corridor not far away. The secretary¡¯s office was there, and a few secretaries were walking back and forth busily. She pushed open the door and went inside. She purposely left it open. ¡°Mr. Wynters.¡± Adina shed him a decent smile and sat across from him. Earley cast a nce at the open door, and his gaze was profound and cold as usual. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I took the liberty of inviting you here today because I would like to go over some details with you.¡± Adina took out the documents, ced them on the tea table, and pushed them over. ¡°Mr. Wynters, you can take a look at this first. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, I can rify it for you right now.¡± Earley flipped open the document. He only finished reading one page after five long minutes. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Daugherty. I know very little about this. I might need some time to finish reading the whole thing. Please have a cup of coffee first.¡± Adina nced at the coffee in front of her but did not drink it. The coffee had been ced there before she arrived. She would never drink anything that was prepared out of her sight. She casually took a magazine from the book rack and slowly flipped through it as she read. Suddenly, she smelled a strange scent. She turned to the side and spotted a pot of flowers that she could not name on the tea table. The flowers were blooming, hence their fresh fragrance filled the room. She looked away before she continued reading, but she suddenly felt sleepy. The afternoon in autumn was slightly warm. Sunlight shone in from the French window andnded on Duke¡¯s shoulders. He suddenly felt irritated and anxious. He raised his wrist and looked at the time. It was 3.00 pm, and there were two more hours before sses at the preschool would be over. It suddenly became a little difficult to get through those two hours. Duke decided to summon Jake. ¡°How¡¯s the progress of Project A-F?¡± Jake flipped through the project schedule and carefully reported, ¡°The project is going well. The first smart car will leave the factory in about two months-¡± Duke frowned and interrupted him. ¡°Hasn¡¯t there been a problem during the process?¡± Jake shook his head. ¡°Everything¡¯s been going very well.¡± Duke pursed his lips. Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Chapter 464 He just wanted to find an excuse to visit LaStar Technology Corporation, but he could not find one. ¡°Print out the project schedule for me and also list out some problems that we might need to anticipate,¡± he said coldly. Jake did not know what Duke was nning. He just prepared the documents earnestly and sent them over. He had been worried about preparing the documents wlessly, but he noticed that Mr. Winters did not even nce at them before he grabbed the documents and left the office. Jake immediately stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Winters, there¡¯s a very important meetinging up.¡± ¡°Postpone it.¡± Duke walked into the elevator with a cold expression. For some reason, he desperately wanted to see Adina at that moment. It was as if he could not be at ease if he did not see her. He drove to LaStar Technology Corporation as fast as he could. Then, he mentally prepared himself before he headed upstairs with the dispensable documents. ¡°Mr. Winters, what brings you here?¡± Serene was surprised. She immediately led him inside before she quickly served him a cup of coffee. As she faced Duke, she felt her body tremble. Mr. Winters¡¯ aura was overpowering, and a junior assistant like her could not handle it. ¡°Mr. Winters, Ms. Daugherty won¡¯t return to her office early today. Would you like toe again next time or would you like to give her a call?¡± she said fearfully. Duke frowned. ¡°Where did she go?¡± ¡°Elitos Corporation gave us a call, asking Ms. Daugherty to go there in person and discuss the details of the project.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Duke¡¯s gaze instantly darkened He took out his phone and called Adina. The line was busy, and she could not be reached He got up and walked outside. He pulled open dis car door. got into the car, and started the engine Soon, he was speeding toward Eltos (oppuratioji. Ach as the aftved at the building¡¯s talk, he saw mliar figure exit the lobby before he could out of his car Apust i tia doo ide unt At that moment, i wo all rivals met with spacious entrance. ¡°Duke Winters, you¡¯re really capable.¡± Earley slowly walked over with an intense and hostile gaze. He wore a terrifying smile while he slowly said, ¡°Did you think that you could live without worries after getting me transferred back to the headquarters?¡± He came up with today¡¯s n after he received a call from thepany headquarters. One could force him to step back, but he also wanted Duke to learn the price of forcing him to back down. ¡°Your woman¡¯s in the building. Hurry up and find her. If you¡¯rete, I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen.¡± Earley shed him a sardonic smile before he walked away and entered a ck car. Shortly after, the car drove away. Duke could not be bothered with it. He walked into the building, but the receptionist stopped him. ¡°Sir, may I know who you¡¯re looking for? Do you have an appointment?¡± Duke raised his arm and pushed her away. His gaze was ruthless. ¡°F*ck off!¡± His gaze was ferocious. The receptionist could not stand up to him, so she took a step back in fear. After Duke took two steps forward, he turned around again and fiercely said, ¡°Take me to the CEO¡¯s office!¡± Threatened by his powerful aura, the receptionist dared not say a word. She grabbed an elevator card and handed it to him as she shook. ¡°You can ess the top floor by swiping this card.¡± Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Chapter 465 The CEO¡¯s office was on the top floor of the building of Elitos. As soon as Duke went upstairs, he attracted the attention of a few secretaries. They were always handling all kinds of documents, so they naturally knew Duke. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. A female secretary came forward and respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Winters, may I know if you¡¯re here to look for Mr. Wynters? He has an emergency¡­¡± Duke red at the secretary and firmly said, ¡°Where¡¯s Adina?¡± The secretary shuddered in fear. She used to think Mr. Wynters¡¯ gaze was terrifying, but when she saw Duke¡¯s gaze, she learned what fear was. She subconsciously took a step back before she trembled with fear as she said, ¡°I just saw Ms. Daughertying in, but I¡­ I didn¡¯t see her going out¡­ Maybe¡­ Maybe she¡¯s still waiting for Mr. Wynters to return to the meeting room.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the meeting room?¡± The secretary immediately pointed to the other end of the corridor. Duke walked over and kicked open the meeting room door, but he did not see anyone there. An unfinished cup of coffee was on the tea table, while a familiar handbag was on the right above the couch. Duke¡¯s pupils shrank dramatically. He walked over and picked up Adina¡¯s handbag. Her phone was also inside, and it was ringing. There was only one name on the caller ID. (Mr. Wynters.) Duke¡¯s expression darkenedpletely. He took the phone and menacingly said, ¡°Earl Winters, I¡¯m giving you onest chance. Where¡¯s Adina?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Theughter from the phone was full of hatred. ¡°My little brother, you¡¯ve already found the ce. Why can¡¯t you see Adina? She¡¯s just ten meters away from you.¡± Duke squinted. He nced around the meeting room. It was less than 20 square feet. There were two rows of couches, a tea table, and a tall bookshelf. He hung up before he walked toward the bookshelf. Right then, two security guards entered the meeting room. ¡°Mr Winters, you may be the CEO of Winters Corporation, but you can¡¯t rush into the CEO¡¯s office in Elitos for no reason. Please level¡± Dulu did not even turn around ¡°Get out!¡± The saunty yards stared at each other before they slowly walked inside while they tried to jopale nike boy grabbing his shoulders on each side, hoe onstuitly turned to the side and mmed one of the security guards on the floor. He had thrown the guard over his shoulder with the back of his hand. Then, he coldly looked at the other one. ¡°You¡¯re still not leaving?¡± The other security guard knew that he could not fight Duke, so he just supported his colleague and ran away! Duke¡¯s face was full of coldness and ruthlessness. He walked over and locked the meeting room door. He did not have the time to deal with these people. He walked up to the bookshelf again. He pushed it with great force, but he was unable to move 1. His sharp gaze scanned past every decorative item on the bookshelf, and he finally stared at a statue with the word ¡°Earl.¡± After he raised his hand and turned the statue, he noticed the bookshelf suddenly part to the sides and split like a door. A doctor in a white coat walked out. ¡°Mr. Wynters, it¡¯s done¡­ You¡¯re not Mr. Wynters. Where¡¯s Mr. Wynters?¡± The doctor nced around the meeting room but did not see Earley¡¯s figure. Duke looked past the entrance and discovered that it was a lounge. However, a woman was lying on a bed, and it was Adina! He could not be bothered with anything else as he rushed inside. Adina was sleeping on the bed with a rosy and glowingplexion. She did not look any different. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Duke asked angrily. ¡°No-Nothing!¡± the doctor said guiltily. As he spoke, he tried to leave. Duke immediately walked over and lifted him by the cor. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want to drop my kindness, do you?¡± Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Chapter 466 ¡°No¡­ I really didn¡¯t do anything to her. She¡¯s just under anesthesia. She¡¯ll gain consciousnesster.¡± Right after the doctor spoke, Adina slowly opened her eyes on the bed. She looked at the two people in confusion. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Duke instantly swung the doctor away before he nervously walked to the bedside. ¡°How are you feeling? Do you feel unwell? If you don¡¯t feel well, you have to tell me.¡± Adina was a little dizzy. She just felt a little tingling on her corbone, and she wanted to touch it. The doctor immediately stopped her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it with your hand, and don¡¯t get it wet, or it will ruin the tattoo¡¯s beauty.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Adina immediately lowered her head, but she could not see her corbone. Meanwhile, the tingling was getting more and more intense. ¡°Mr. Winters, can you get me a mirror?¡± Duke¡¯s expression darkened to the maximum. He took a mirror from not far away and handed it to Adina. Her corbone was beautiful, but an alphabet had been tattooed on the left side of her corbone. (N) She immediately recalled the scene before she lost consciousness. Adina¡¯s pink lips were filled with contempt. ¡°It was Earley Wynters.¡± That man had tricked her toe over under the pretense of work and used an unknown method to drug her. Then, he tattooed the alphabet on her corbone. (N) Earley¡¯s name did not even have that letter. So ¡°N¡± should be a letter in Earley¡¯s original name. Why did Earley want to tattoo the letter on her? Just because she refused to cooperate with him? Adina stared at the tattoo doctor intensely. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you double the price. Get this tattoo off me right now.¡± There was pride in the doctor¡¯s eyes. ¡°The material for this tattoo is a new product that I just developed No inatter what chemical cleaner you use, it won¡¯te off. It¡¯ll take at least three years before the colordes a little. Mr. Wynters also personally designed the shape of the letter. Once the swelling goes down, it will definitely make your corbone sexter and more allrartive¡± finished Thokr lifted his let, and have the dorlot a kick After that, he stepped on the doctor¡¯s wrist. ¡°Do you think you can stay out of this?¡± The doctor red at him in horror and fear. ¡°I¡¯m working for Mr. Wynters. If you harm me, he won¡¯t spare you!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Duke¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. Did Earley tattoo an ¡°N¡± on Adina¡¯s corbone because he wanted to show his power? Did Earley really think Duke would take such a childish show of power seriously? Duke just did not want to see Adina get involved in the brothers¡¯ dispute. The agitated Duke made a call. He turned around and looked at Adina. ¡°Can you walk?¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She just felt some pain in the tattoo spot. She could still walk. Duke lifted the doctor with one hand and walked out of the meeting room. He also took Adina¡¯s handbag that was left outside and handed it to her. When the group of three exited the meeting room, the secretaries who were standing at the door immediately took a step back Duke nced at the secretaries before he scoffed and entered the elevator. The doctor was scared out of his wits. ¡°This is a society governed byws. What are you doing? I¡¯m telling you. You better let go of me, or else Mr. Wynters won¡¯t spare you.¡± Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Two bodyguards had been waiting downstairs. Duke threw the doctor over to them and coldly said, ¡°Find aboratory and keep him there for a month first.¡± The bodyguards covered the doctor¡¯s mouth and dragged him away as he begged for mercy. Adina pursed her lips before she said, ¡°He¡¯s working for Earley. You mentioned that Earley¡¯s a very dangerous person. If you deal with the doctor, won¡¯t Earley cause you trouble?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of his retaliation. As long as hees, I have a lot of ways to deal with him.¡± Duke¡¯s eyes were full of darkness. His father¡¯s death was the one thing he could not get over all these years. Now, Earl even wanted to hurt his woman and tattoo her body. That was something he would never tolerate. If Earl dared to enter Sea City again, he would make Earl learn what it meant to be defeated by his rival again when he was down. Adina looked at Duke¡¯s profound gaze and softly said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters.¡± If he had note looking for her, perhaps she would have encountered something more terrifying When Duke heard her voice, the darkness on his face disappeared like a melted iceberg. He finallyposed himself. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital for an examination.¡± Adina took a look at her watch and casually said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now. I have to pick the kids up from preschool. I¡¯ll go and pick them up first.¡± ¡°Get into my car.¡± Duke pulled open the car door. Adinabed through her hair and said, ¡°I drove over, so I can drive my car.¡± ¡°Get into the car.¡± Duke¡¯s tone was overbearing, and he did not allow her to question him.¡± You¡¯ve just inhaled an unknown substance, and you were unconscious for so long. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe for you to drive.¡± Adina looked at hin for a few seconds before shepromised and sat in the passenger seat. She had a pretty strong personality, so she did not like people who were overbearing Yet, for some reason, her heart pounded a little fast wlien Duke ordered her to get into the car parler Was it is how it tell to fall in love? N?velDrama.Org ? content. Adina I Willor cu, but Duke suddenly stopped it by the road. Duke ubuckled his seatbelt and yollly well ¡°live illellorues minutes.¡± He pushed open the car door and got out before he speedily entered a mall. Adina felt dizzy indeed. Perhaps it was the effect of the drug. Just as she was about to close her eyes and rest, Duke came back holding a light pink scarf. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll put it on you.¡± Adina was momentarily stunned. But she quickly understood why he did that. Her tattooed corbone was still swollen. If Alden and Melody saw it, they would definitely ask her what happened. Alden was brilliant. She would be exposed as soon as she lied. She should just cover the tattoo with a scarf. Adina felt conflicted. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters.¡± Duke stared at her seriously. ¡°I think we¡¯re not distant to the extent that you can only call me Mr. Winters.¡¯ What do you think, Addy?¡± As he stared at her, Adina felt her heart pound uncontrobly fast again. When he called her Addy, it was like an electric charge that sent a tingling sensation through her gut. She immediately looked away and awkwardly said, ¡°I promised to call you ¡®Duke¡¯st time, but I¡¯m still not used to it, so sometimes I end up making mistakes. If I identally call you¡¯ Mr. Winters¡¯ again, please remind me.¡± Duke finally felt satisfied. He started the engine and slowly drove toward the preschool. Right after they arrived, the preschool bell rang to end sses for the day. The children¡¯s laughter was the purest melody in the world. Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Alden held Melody¡¯s hand while he walked over. He obediently said, ¡°Mommy, Daddy.¡± Melody learned from him and sweetly said, ¡°Mommy, Daddy.¡± Duke bent down to lift the girl. ¡°Did you miss Daddy at school today?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Melody nodded hard. Her smile was pure and bright Alden raised his head and frowned slightly. ¡°Mommy, why do you look unwell?¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°I was in the meeting the whole day. Someone was smoking in the office, and it was so suffocating, so I felt a little dizzy. Come on, let¡¯s get in the car first.¡± Duke put Melody in the back passenger seat and carefully buckled the seat belt for the children before he started the engine. Alden sat in the back and leaned forward a little. He sniffed hard but did not smell cigarettes from Adina He instantly saw the scarf around Adina¡¯s neck. He remembered that she did not have the habit of wearing a scarf. He slowly said, ¡°Mommy, your scarf¡¯s quite pretty.¡± Adina¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She understood her son too well. Whenever he brought up a subject, he had a purpose. In other words, Alden already suspected that there was something on her neck. It was actually nothing for Alden to see it. The problem was, the whole thing was just too creepy, and she had not even discovered what had happened. ¡°Alden, you think this scarf is pretty too?¡± Duke suddenly said. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from me to your mom, but she doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s pretty. Alden, be honest, does this scarf make your mom¡¯s skin look fairer?¡± Alden stared at the scarf and did not answer. Melody suddenly pped. ¡°It¡¯s nice! It¡¯s very pretty!¡± Adina smiled and sald, ¡°Mel, if you like the scarl, I¡¯ll give it to you, okay?¡± Melody waved. ¡°Daddy gave this to Mommy as a gift. I don¡¯t want it.¡± Duke smiled happily Melody wak Truly his swertheart vir divve spordily, and they anivet at the Winters family¡¯s vi luchar blink of an eye R! Adana potent of the car. In other boy ruled out of the house Slowdinvii¡¯ hx, Mon¡¯t usst!¡± Mr BWT Witborotllout Alirithe VH13: Nasionalely i n Arini, low qually sigludili relief. Mrs. Winters put down her teacup before she also walked out of the house. When she saw the children, her gloominess fromst night instantly disappeared. She walked over and held her granddaughter in her arms before she smiled and said, ¡°Mel, did you miss Grandma?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Melody¡¯s eyes were full of joy. She did not look like she used to be an autistic child. Mrs. Winters had bought some good stuff from an auction again today. She could not wait to let the servants take them out andy them on the climbing mat like it was a flea market. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much!¡± Right when Harold wanted to climb onto Adina¡¯s body, Duke carried him instead. The boy moved around ufortably. ¡°Daddy, I don¡¯t want your hug. I want Mommy to hug me.¡± ¡°Either I hug you or you stand,¡± Duke said coldly. Harold tilted his head, contemted for a few minutes, and seeminglypromised. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just stand.¡± Duke was speechless. This must not be his biological son! Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Chapter 469 ¡°Mommy, I want to eat C chicken and fish and chips. I want to eat everything you cook!¡± Harold held Adina¡¯s arm and put on an adorable act. When Duke heard that, he began to look stern. ¡°Your mommy can¡¯t cook tonight,¡± he said indifferently ¡°Why?¡± the boy raised his head and asked in confusion. ¡°No reason.¡± Duke emanated a cold aura. ¡°You either eat the food prepared by the cooks or I¡¯ll personally cook for you.¡± Harold was aghast. His dad was going too far and being overbearing. He did not like his dad anymore! Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. However, his dad had a terrifying presence. If he insisted on eating food prepared by his mommy, would his dad get angry and throw him out?¡± After the boy struggled internally, he pitifully said, ¡°I¡¯ll eat the food prepared by the cooks.¡± Adina bent down and stroked Harold¡¯s hair before she smiled and said, ¡°I was in a meeting the whole day, so I¡¯m a little tired. I¡¯ll cook you some good food when I don¡¯t feel as tired tomorrow, okay?¡± ¡°Mommy, are you tired?¡± Harold widened his eyes. He dragged Adina into the house. ¡°Hurry up and sit down. I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡± The boy stood behind her and gave her a massage with great effort. Meanwhile, Alden silently brought Adina a cup of warm water. George softly said, ¡°Mommy, should I call our family doctor toe and examine you?¡± Adina smiled gently and shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m not sick. Why do you want to call a doctor? I¡¯m already feeling much better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy.¡± Harold felt guilty as he said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked you to hug me and cook for me. I was being too immature.¡± Alden nced at him apathetically. ¡°You finally realize that you¡¯re immature.¡± George¡¯s eyes were filled with dissatisfaction. ¡°Don¡¯t keep asking Mommy for hugs anymore How old are you?¡± Harold felt targeted, and his eyes turned red. Was he really that immature? Adina reached out to pull Harold into her arms, and she softly said, ¡°I¡¯m your mommy, so I should hug you and cook good food for you, I haven¡¯t done right by you and Georgie for the past four years I should be the one apologizing to you. Why are you feeling guilty? Hal, you¡¯re a good boy. You¡¯ll always be mommy¡¯s little baby¡± The buy linmediately smiled brightly after he was coaxed Duke, who was standing at the side, felt that deep down his heart was finallyplete These were his children and the woman whom he cared about. The six of them were a family. The cooks prepared a dozen dishes, and they were all the children¡¯s favorite food, filling the long dining table. Duke finished his dinner before the children. He got to his feet and calmly said, ¡°Addy, after you¡¯re done eating, please visit the hospital with me.¡± Adina knew what he meant. This man was worried about her condition. She actually felt much better now, so there was no need to go to the hospital. Before she could speak, the children became nervous. ¡°Mommy, are you sick?¡± ¡°Mommy, are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll go to the hospital with you.¡± Duke nced at the kids. ¡°Your mommy¡¯s fine. I¡¯m the one who has a fever. I have to go to the hospital for an examination.¡± Right after he said that, he saw all the kids simultaneously sigh in relief. Duke was rendered speechless. Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Although he knew he was not as important as Adina to the children, the difference should not be that great, right? Adina found it amusing too. She stroked each of the children¡¯s heads before she softly said, ¡°All of you stay at home and listen to Grandma. Daddy and Mommy will be back in a while, understand?¡± Alden nodded obediently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I¡¯ll take good care of Mel.¡± George pursed his lips and said, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll hang out with my brothers and sister. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± Harold waved at her. ¡°Bye, Mommy. Mel and I are going to y the piano!¡± When Adina saw that the kids were carefree and Alden¡¯s gaze was especially rxed, she felt slightly relieved. She got in the car with Duke before she turned to the side and sincerely said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I understand your concerns.¡± Duke drove as he said, ¡° Alden is actually the most mature among the four kids. He¡¯s brilliant and intelligent. Plus, he¡¯s very sensitive . His attention ispletely on you and Mel. He¡¯ll remember anything that happens to any of you. That¡¯s not a good thing for a four-year-old boy.¡± Adina looked down. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve been negligent. If I had been strong enough, Alden wouldn¡¯t have been forced to grow up so early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was deep. ¡°If I had known about Alden and Mel, the three of you wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much.¡± They were at a junction with a red light. When he said that, he turned to the side and stared at Adina. There was a glint in his dark eyes, and Adina¡¯s side profile was reflected in his pupils. His gaze was so affectionate that it made Adina¡¯s heart pound very fast. She dared not even look into his eyes because she was worried that she would drown in them. She clenched her fists and immediately changed the subject. ¡°Oh yeah, about the children¡¯s education that I brought upst night, have you thought about it?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Duke held the steering wheel and said, ¡°I respect all your opinions, and I also respect the kids¡¯ choice. If George and Harold agree to attend preschool, I won¡¯t oppose it.¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll find a time and ask the Iwo of them.¡± The car soon arrived at the hospital. It was the most prestigious military hospital in Sea City. The doctor performed a full body checkup on Adina. Following that, he held a checklist and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, there is still some anesthetic left in your system, but it will be gone from your body in about three days. So, you don¡¯t have to be too nervous.¡± When the doctor said that, Duke could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Adina and Duke walked side by side as they left the doctor¡¯s office, and they happened to pass by the emergency room. The hospital¡¯s emergency room was full of people all the time. Adina had initially wanted to avoid it, but she suddenly saw a familiar figure. Her pupils shrank dramatically, and she subconsciously clenched her fists on both sides. Duke followed her gaze, and his intent look was filled with hostility. ¡°Dew Daugherty? Why is she in the hospital?¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°I have no idea.¡± However, she learned the reason very soon because many who were waiting in the emergency room started to talk about her. ¡°That¡¯s an inmate. I heard that she has a stomach ache, so she¡¯s been urgently sent here for emergency treatment.¡± ¡°When a woman has a stomach ache like that, it¡¯s likely because she¡¯s pregnant.¡± ¡°If an inmate¡¯s pregnant, does that mean her sentence will be reduced?¡± Chapter 471 Chapter 471 Chapter 471 ¡°I overheard the ER doctors say they¡¯re sending a female prisoner to the gynecology department to wait for her pregnancy results. ¡°So, she¡¯s pregnant. That¡¯s so lucky of her. The baby in her stomach saved her. ¡°But she¡¯s not showing yet. I guess she¡¯s only one or two months pregnant¡­¡± Adina turned and looked at Duke, who was standing beside her, when she heard what everyone around her was saying Duke hurriedly exined himself. ¡°Not mine. This has nothing to do with me.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Adina¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®If Dew is pregnant, how is it possible that the baby is not Duke¡¯s¡­? ¡®After all, Dew stayed in the Winters family¡¯s mansion as the children¡¯s mother. Shees and goes freely in the mansion. She even has a room there just for her clothes¡­¡¯ When Duke noticed Adina looking upset, he swore an oath, ¡°Addy, I swear I¡¯ve never touched Dew. Her pregnancy has nothing to do with me!¡± Adina was amused when she saw how earnest Duke was in swearing his oath. ¡®There is nothing between us. We are only together because of our children. There¡¯s no need for him to give me any exnation.¡¯ Just as she was about to speak, she sensed someone was looking at her with an intense gaze. When she looked in that direction, she saw Dew, who had sat up on the hospital bed, ring at her murderously. ¡®Hmph!¡¯ Dew snorted in her heart. When she looked up, she changed her expression and showed a benign smile. ¡°The ward is a little stuffy. Can I go for a walk?¡± The two policewomen who came with her said coldly, ¡°I thought you had a stomachache?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay now. I just want to go for a walk. This is a military hospital, and there are police everywhere. There¡¯s no way I can escape, right?¡± The policewoman dismissed her impatiently. Dew cradled her stomach as she slowly walked down the corridor. ¡°You¡¯re here to see me making a fool out of myself, aren¡¯t you?¡± She stood in front of Adina and Duke, looking at them with her chin up. ¡°Well, I¡¯m so sorry to disappoint!¡± Her hand remained on her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant. I have a baby in my stomach. I¡¯m sure you know how lenient thew is toward a pregnant woman. ¡°Duke Winters, what did you say again? You¡¯ll make sure that I stay in prison for the next fifteen years, didn¡¯t you? Let me tell you this, that won¡¯t happen! I¡¯m the first prisoner in recent years to be found pregnant before being put in prison. The citizens in Sea City will cause a ruckus. By then, all media will have their eyes on the court case. There¡¯s nothing that the Winters family can do! I will only be sent to jail for five years once the judge passes the sentence fairly. Now that I¡¯m pregnant, who knows, I might get out of there within three years, and it¡¯s all thanks to the baby in my stomach. He saved me¡­¡± Adina sneered, ¡°I feel bad for the baby in your stomach. He needs to stay in jail with his mother.¡± ¡°How about your children? Don¡¯t you feel bad for them, too?¡± Dew cackled. ¡°They were forced to be separated from birth, and two of them left the country and suffered together with you. As for the other two, they called me, their enemy, ¡®Mother¡¯! Do you know how I¡¯ve treated them for the past four years? Look at the inside of Harold¡¯s arm. He has permanent scars on them. When he was young, I¡¯d pinch him hard whenever I¡¯m unhappy. The louder he screamed, the happier I felt¡­¡± Adina raised her hand and pped her. Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Dew fell over from Adina¡¯s p. She touched her face and continued to speak, ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. Why are you so angry? Well, as for George, he looks like a little man, doesn¡¯t he? I made him this way. I treated him as coldly as how Duke treated me. The more he wanted a mother¡¯s love, the more I denied him it. I let him¡­¡± Adina did not want to hear anything that Dew said. She walked up to her, grabbed her cor, and wanted to p her one more time. Just then, the two policewomen rushed over to stop her. Dew hid behind the policewomen and bawled, ¡°She¡¯s my sister. I just wanted to apologize to her, but she struck me instead¡­ Now you know why kidnapped her sons. She¡¯s crazy, and just wants to beat me to death¡­ I kidnapped her sons in self-defense. What¡¯s wrong with that? Why do I need to go to jail for that¡­?¡± Adina sneered. ¡®I see. Dew did this intentionally. She just wanted to have the upper hand in the court. So what?! ¡®I don¡¯t regret pping her. I just wish I¡¯d pped her harder! One of the policewomen approached her and said coldly,¡° Hitting a prisoner in front of the police is flouting thew, You two¡­¡± Duke handed her a name card. ¡°This is mywyer¡¯s number. If you have a problem with us, contact my lawyer.¡± After he finished speaking, he looked at Dew coldly and walked out with his arms around Adina¡¯s waist. Once they were out, a cold breeze blew past them. Only then did Adina manage to calm down. She turned and looked at him. ¡°Was Dew telling the truth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Addy¡­¡± Duke felt the urge to p himself. ¡®Back then, when George and Harold moved into the mansion, I could not ept the sudden realization of having two children. ¡®I sent them to Ascrialia. Later, due to various reasons, I brought them back. Even though I¡¯ve gradually learned to ept and love Harold and George, I still feel that I haven¡¯t given them enough. ¡®I have always thought that no matter how vicious and vain the children¡¯s mother is, she would never take it out on tliem. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡®But after hearing what Dew said, my heart felt as if it was being stabbed by needles. ¡®If only I¡¯d treated my children a little better, Dew wouldn¡¯t have tortured them for four long years.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s the use of apologizing to me?¡± Adina¡¯s emotions became unstable again. ¡°You should apologize to Georgie and Hal instead. You¡¯re their biological father. You lived in the same house as them, but you couldn¡¯t even protect them! Dew is vicious, selfish, vain, and always up to something. You have been with her for four years, yet you¡¯ve never suspected her?¡± She was truly angry. She had been hiding her anger pretty well all this while. However, after she met Dew, she could no longer hold it 1. ¡®Dew is bad, and so is Duke. ¡®How can he believe that Dew is the mother of the children so easily? ¡®How can he hand over the children to her just like that for so many years? ¡®Has he never suspected how evil Dew is all along¡­?¡¯ Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Chapter 473 ¡°Addy, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Duke pursed his lips and clenched his teeth tightly. ¡®I know there¡¯s no use in me apologizing. But I don¡¯t know what else to say other than saying sorry¡­ ¡®Four years ago, when Dew approached me with Hal and George, she showed me two paternity tests. I believed her because they were from Sea City¡¯s most authoritative paternity test agency.¡¯ ¡°Addy, I will ept whatever you say, no matter how you scold me. I just want you to know one thing¡­¡± Duke looked at Adina in her eyes. ¡°I have never dated Dew, and I¡¯ve never nned to marry her. The baby in her stomach is not mine. I know that for sure.¡± When Adina heard how solemn Duke sounded, she gradually calmed down. ¡®I don¡¯t feel like going out tonight anymore. I have been losing control of my emotions all day. ¡®I¡¯ve even questioned him repeatedly. Who am I to do that ¡®I lost my two sons back then. Duke took George and Harold in and raised them. How can I me him?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Adina whispered. ¡°I was overwhelmed earlier. I shouldn¡¯t be angry with you¡­¡± Duke looked at her and said, ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to say sorry. Anyone in the right mind would¡¯ve been furious. You¡¯re just letting your feelings out¡­¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°Dew is a lunatic. We won¡¯t know what she¡¯s up to next. We must protect our four children. We must not let them get hurt anymore¡­¡± Duke nodded and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home. The children are waiting.¡± After they got in the car, Duke sent a message. He then stepped on the elerator and left the hospital. Dew sneered as she stood at the entrance of the hospital and watched the car leave. ¡®Once I¡¯m out of prison in the three years, I will make sure Adina and Duke pay for what they have done to me today! Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®I will go after the Winters family until the day I die!¡¯ ¡°The results are out!¡± A policewoman walked toward her with a checklist in her hand. She had a dark expression.¡± You¡¯ve been pregnant for a month and a half.¡± Dew was overjoyed. ¡®I¡¯ve been in the detention center for so many days, and I¡¯ve long noticed that I¡¯m pregnant, but I didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. I waited until the baby in my stomach had stabilized before I dared to approach the hospital for an examination. ¡®Well, I am pregnant! ¡®I must have gotten pregnant from the first few nights I slept with Dn ¡®Luckily, I didn¡¯t take that medicine¡­ ¡®It¡¯ll be great if the baby is Duke¡¯s, but well, this baby saved my life today¡­¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the detention center,¡± The policewoman said professionally as she kept the checklist away. ¡°Ahh¡­ my stomach is hurting again¡­¡± Dew curled up on the bed. She looked like she was in pain. ¡°It hurts¡­ It really hurts¡­¡± The policewoman looked impatient. ¡®Ever since Dew was put in the detention center, she has been incessantly messing around every day. Now that she¡¯s pregnant, I can sense that she¡¯ll only mess around even more now. ¡®If we were to forcibly bring her back to the detention center, we might need to bring her to the hospital several times a night¡­ Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Chapter 474 The policewoman said coldly, ¡°We¡¯ll apany you here tonight. Rest well!¡± Dew said with a pitiful expression, ¡°Now that I¡¯m pregnant, I feel incredibly lonely. Can you call my parents over¡­? When she noticed that policewomen were about to say no, she hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m just a suspect, not a prisoner! I also have human rights! I¡¯m sick and vulnerable , and I want to see my parents. What¡¯s wrong with that? I don¡¯t care, I want to see my parents! Go get my parents now!¡± Although she was throwing a spoiled tantrum, no one could refute what she said. Even inmates on death row had the right to see their family members. It was understandable that she wanted to meet her parents. After an hour, Aaron and Ruby rushed to the hospital. It was only half a month, but the two seemed to have aged a decade. Aaron¡¯s face was full of wrinkles, and his back was a little hunched over. People could barely recognize him as the famous Daugherty Corporation¡¯s chairman. As for Ruby, she looked even older. Ever since Daugherty Corporation was acquired, she was no longer the arrogant Mrs. Daugherty. She had sought out her grandparents to beg at their feet and had been scorned multiple times, but she still could not find a glimmer of hope to bail Dew out. ¡°Dew, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruby rushed over as she said in a trembling voice, ¡°Did someone hurt you?¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Dew held Ruby¡¯s hand and said gently, ¡°Mom, I have good news. I¡¯m pregnant. You¡¯re going to be a grandmother¡­¡± Ruby was stunned for a moment before bing overjoyed. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant? Is it for real? Is it Duke¡¯s? I¡¯ll find him! He needs to take ountability since he made you pregnant¡­¡± Aaron looked happy as well. ¡°Dew, now that you have Duke¡¯s child, everything can be solved easily¡­¡¯ ¡°No¡­¡± Dew twitched her lips. ¡°The baby is not Duke¡¯s¡­¡± Ruby widened her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been together with Duke all these years. Whose would it be if it¡¯s not his?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been with him for four years, but he never even touched me. There¡¯s nothing I can do!¡± Dew clenched her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been dating another guy. I purposely dated him to humiliate him with the cuckold!¡± ¡®Well, not only did he not feel humiliated about it, it backfired upon me.¡¯ Dew was extremely furious. She suppressed her anger and said, ¡°But the child¡¯s father is as powerful as Duke.¡± ¡®Dn¡¯s clothes, watches, and even cars are as branded as Duke¡¯s¡­ ¡®If Dn were to find out about me, he¡¯ll find a way to ask me to abort the child¡­¡¯ ¡°Mother, help me contact the child¡¯s father and tell him my situation. He¡¯ll find a solution.¡± Ruby nodded vigorously. This was theirst resort. Once she was back home, she took Dew¡¯s phone and searched for a contact number before dialing it. Lakeside Vi was a ce where the wealthy people in Central City lived. At that moment, the Houghton family was happily gathered in the living room as they chatted. Suddenly, Dn¡¯s phone rang. He nced at the caller ID and turned the phone over instantly. A young and beautiful woman, who was sitting beside him, leaned over and asked gently, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°That was my assistant. I think there¡¯s a problem in the project again.¡± Dn kissed her forehead. ¡°Charlotte , I need to take this.¡± He walked to the balcony before he picked up the call with a frown. ¡°Dew, didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯ll be upied for the next few days¡­?¡± ¡®We haven¡¯t contacted each other for half a month. I thought the two of us had cut tiespletely. Why did she call again¡­?¡¯ Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Chapter 475 ¡°Hi, are you Dyl?¡± Ruby asked politely when she noticed that Dn sounded impatient. Dn was stunned. He then said slowly, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. May I know why Dew¡¯s phone is with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m her mother.¡± Dew wiped her tears. ¡°Something happened to her, and she can¡¯t talk to you directly right now. She asked me to tell you that she¡¯s a month and a half pregnant with your child.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Dn was in a daze. He thought he heard it wrongly. He asked again, ¡°Did you say Dew is pregnant with my child?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s in the hospital now. The pregnancy report is out, and the baby indeed is yours. What will you do?¡± Dn¡¯s brain was buzzing. He turned back and looked at his wife, who was sitting in the living room ¡®Well, she isn¡¯t as attractive as Dew. That¡¯s precisely why I cheated on her. ¡®We¡¯ve been together for four years, but she couldn¡¯t get pregnant. We went for a check ¨C up, and the doctor said there was nothing wrong with us. Once, I heard my wife and her mother say that she¡¯s actually infertile. She only hid it from me because she was afraid that I¡¯ll take this to heart. ¡®I got married and went to live with her family because her family is much richer than mine. ¡®During the four years of marriage, I¡¯ve fully realized what it meant to be a man. The more glorious I became, the more I wanted a child of my own. ¡®But my wife and I can¡¯t conceive a child together. In the end, we adopted a child from an orphanage.¡¯ ¡°Dyl, if you don¡¯t want the child, I will have Dew abort him.¡± When he heard what Ruby said, he said it without thinking twice, ¡°No! I want that child!¡± ¡®I can raise the child secretly in Sea City. No matter what, I want a child of my own!¡¯ Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He walked towards the living room after he ended the call. He sighed and said, ¡°Charlotte, I might need to go to Sea City for a business trip again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Good luck with your work. I¡¯ll look after the house.¡± The young woman smiled gently. Just as she was about to tell him to be careful, his phone rang again. Once again, the call was from Sea City. He was a little nervous but kept a calm expression. ¡°Let me pick up this call again.¡± He went to the balcony and picked up the call. When he heard what was said at the other end, his eyes widened. Dew stayed overnight at the hospital. The smell of the hospital¡¯s disinfectant was unpleasant, but it was better than staying at the detention center. Sheid on the soft bed with excitement in her gaze. She cradled her stomach and whispered, ¡°Baby, you came at the right time. You saved Mom¡¯s life. Be good ande into this world safely, okay?¡± At that moment, the ward door opened and a person emerged. The two policewomen blocked the person and asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your rtionship with the prisoner?¡± Dn pushed his cap down. ¡°I¡¯m Dew Daugherty¡¯s boyfriend. The baby in her stomach is mine, and I want to meet her.¡± They only let him in after they confirmed it with Dew. Dew was in disbelief. ¡®I¡¯ve only asked my parents to tell Dn about the newsst night. I didn¡¯t expect him to rush over today. ¡®I thought that we were just a one-night stand, but he told the policewomen that he¡¯s my boyfriend¡­ ¡®It looks like he cares about the baby. Well, it looks like I¡¯ll be leaving the detention center soon¡­? Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Chapter 476 ¡°Dn, you came¡­¡± Dew blinked, and tears streamed down her face. She grabbed onto the nket pitifully. ¡°Someone set me up, and the police put me into the detention center. I wouldn¡¯t have called you if I wasn¡¯t pregnant. But now that I¡¯m pregnant with our child, I didn¡¯t want the baby to know that her mother is a felon. Dn, please find a way to get me out¡­¡± Dn looked at her with aplicated emotion in his gaze. ¡°You lost weight.¡± Dew cried harder. ¡°Yes, I did. I¡¯ve lost about six to eight pounds. I¡¯m afraid the baby won¡¯t get enough nutrition.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you chicken mornay. We¡¯ll talk after you¡¯re done eating.¡± Dn put the bag that he was holding onto the ground. He then pulled out the container of mornay. He opened the lid, scooped out a small portion of the mornay, and said gently, ¡°Take your time. Don¡¯t rush. I¡¯ll be here with you.¡± Dew was touched. ¡®Finally, some warm affection after being put in detention for such a long time. ¡®I¡¯m truly grateful for the baby in my stomach.¡¯ She ate the mornay and wiped her tears. ¡°Dn, do you think our child will be a girl or a boy? Who do you think the baby will look like¡­?¡± Dn lowered his gaze with a frown. He had a dark expression as he fed her like a robot, one mouthful after the other. Soon after, she finished it. ¡°My stomach hurts¡­¡± All of a sudden, Dew felt a sharp pain. ¡°It hurts¡­ It feels like something is coming out of me¡­.¡± Dn looked agitated. ¡°Quick, go and check it in the toilet. He led her to the toilet. After she closed the door behind her, he instantly took out another bowl of mornay and poured it into the previous container. Right after he did it, Dew, who was still in the toilet, screamed. The policewomen , who were standing outside the ward, rushed in. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Dn was at loss. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I was feeding her mornay, and she suddenly said that her stomach hurts¡­¡± The policewoman took a look at the mornay. Her gaze darkened. ¡°This is tuna mornay. Pregnant women in the first trimester must not eat this. She¡¯ll have a high risk of miscarriage.¡± ¡°I¡­ I had no idea!¡± Dn¡¯s face turned pale from the shock. ¡°Will she be okay?¡± When the two policewomen pushed the toilet door open, they saw Dew had fallen on the floor, with blood all over her pants. ¡°Quick, call the doctor!¡± Dn snuck out while everyone was in a panic. He took out the abortion pills from his pocket, opened the lid, and threw all of them in the trash can. ¡®These pills work great! Just consume one of them, and the baby is gone¡­! He took a deep breath and made a call. He said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s done. You better keep your promise.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The money will be transferred into your personal ount, and it¡¯ll always remain a secret.¡± Duke hung up the call with a solemn expression. ¡®If Dew wants to use the child to get out of the prison, I¡¯ll make sure the baby is gone before he can enter the world. ¡®I might be harsh, and I shouldn¡¯t have harmed the innocent baby, but my children are innocent too! ¡®My children deserve to have both of their parents and live in a happy family of six. But Dew ruined it all!¡¯ Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Adina leaned on her office chair and checked her phone after she finished working. All of a sudden, a headline caught her attention. She clicked on it when she noticed the familiar name. [ording to our reporter¡¯s follow-up report, the suspect in the child kidnapping case, Dew Daugherty, was found to be pregnant the day before yesterday. She is the first suspect in recent years who has been found to be pregnant before the trial. However, the next day, she identally miscarried after eating the mornay that her boyfriend gave her by mistake¡­] Adina instantly stood up. ¡®I was just thinking to myself yesterday if it¡¯ll be fair for my children if she only goes to jail for three years just because she¡¯s pregnant. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect her to have a miscarriage¡­ ¡®Did God deprive her of her right to be a mother because she was so vicious toward my four children?¡¯ Adina turned off the news interface as her feelings becameplicated. ¡®Nothing will make up for what has happened these four years¡­¡¯ Her phone vibrated on the table. She took a nce at the caller. It was someone who had not contacted her for a long time. ¡°Addy, you would¡¯ve forgotten me if I hadn¡¯t called you, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Adina could not be bothered enough to talk to him. She said indifferently, ¡°Stop beating around the bush. Why did you call?¡± ¡°I need a favor from you¡­¡± Flint grinned mischievously and said, ¡°I came over to Sea Cityst night. I didn¡¯t find you, but not because I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll give me a cold shoulder. I spent a night at the pub and bumped into my first love. She has been pestering me, and it¡¯s so annoying ¡°Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Adina said sarcastically. ¡°You change girlfriends all the time. It¡¯s good to reminisce about the times you had with your first girlfriend.¡± ¡°All my other ex-girlfriends are from nightclubs, but my first love is from a proper family. I can¡¯t bring her down with me.¡± Flint sighed. ¡°Addy, she¡¯s pestering me so much that I can¡¯t even get rid of her. Pleasee over and help me!¡± Adina had no idea what to do. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Back then, when Flint was abroad, he always changed his lovers. Whenever his ex-girlfriends came to his house and caused trouble, she would be the one who settled the matter for him. Flint often took care of her two children. That was why she had to bite the bullet and help him to get rid of them. ¡°Addy, please. This will be thest time, really¡­¡± Adina looked at the time. It was still long before the preschool dismissed her children. She then said helplessly, ¡°Alright. Give me your address.¡± ¡°Love you! Addy, you¡¯re a lifesaver!¡± Flint hung up and sent his address right after that. Adina took her coat and walked out. Serene took a nce at her. ¡°Wow, Ms. Daugherty, when did you get a tattoo? It looks great.¡± Adina pulled her cor and covered up her corbone. She said calmly, ¡°Getting a tattoo hurts. I wouldn¡¯t rmend you to get one on a whim.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll try to remove it again after some time. It¡¯s fine, even if it only fades a little¡­¡¯ Adina drove to a club. It was Sea City¡¯s most expensive ce. All the rich second generations , wealthy children, and young models woulde here often. Adina was gorgeous and stood out from the crowd. Even the bouncer did not stop her when she walked in. Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Chapter 478 She walked in unhindered and saw Flint just down the hall at the entrance of the private room. A fashionably dressed woman was clinging to Flint¡¯s arm. She was visibly upset, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. ¡°Flint , you said you would always love me. You can¡¯t do this to me. I¡¯ve waited for you for years. I¡¯ve finally met you again. We are meant to be. Being together is our fate. I won¡¯t give you up!¡± Flint was immensely stressed out. ¡°Jasmine , please be reasonable, okay? What happened between us happened about five or six years ago. We didn¡¯t even date past a month. No one gets married after dating for just a month.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Jasmine Yackley clung to Flint¡¯s body possessively . Her face was filled with surprise, as if she had found her long lost love. Flint could not hold on much longer. When he looked up, he saw Adina at the end of the corridor. He groaned and said, ¡°My girlfriend is here. Let go of me now!¡± Jasmine raised her head to look. When she saw Adina approaching them slowly in the crystal light, she suddenly felt a pang of inferiority. She had always thought that she was beautiful, but at that moment, she realized that in front of Flint¡¯s other women, her beauty was worthless. Adina gradually approached them. She had done this far too many times before, so she had experience. She wrapped her arms around her chest and looked askance at Jasmine. ¡°Miss, why are you clutching my boyfriend¡¯s arm?¡± Jasmine stared at Adina¡¯s face. She suddenly found her familiar. Why did she look like the most beautiful woman in Sea City? She slowly asked, ¡°Are you Adina Daugherty?¡± Adina raised her chin. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am Adina Daugherty. Do you think you are good enough to snatch away my boyfriend from me?¡± Her condescending demeanor perfectly portrayed the role of a spoiled and dainty girlfriend. Flint hurriedly shook off Jasmine¡¯s hand and dashed to Adina¡¯s side. He smoothly wrapped his arm around Adina¡¯s shoulders, making them appear to be really intimate with each other. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Jasmine¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. Adina Daugherty? Wasn¡¯t she that bitch who embarrassed her mother and Jones Corporation a few days ago? It was one thing for her to go against her mother, but how dare she try to steal her man from her? ¡°The most beautiful woman of Sea City isn¡¯t that perfect, after all.¡± Jasmine snorted. ¡°The news said that the most beautiful woman of Sea City had spent a night with a stranger a few years ago. She even gave birth to two children ! I can¡¯t believe you would date a dirty woman like her, Flint!¡± Flint¡¯s expression turned cold at once. Adina patted the back of his hand and chuckled as she said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Flint would rather be with a woman who has given birth to children like me, rather than you. This only proves that you are worse than a woman who has given birth to children!¡± ¡°Why you little¡­¡± Jasmine was so furious that she nearly died from a stroke. She finally understood why her mother would lose so badly against this woman! ¡°Jasmine, how dare you insult my girlfriend?! I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Flint said icily, ¡°A rich youngdy like youes to a ce like this every day. How much do you think the share price of Jones Group will drop if I expose the photos of you pestering a man to the reporters?¡± ¡°Flint, you are so cruel.¡± Jasmine blinked forlornly. She was a rich youngdy who had never suffered, but she was being threatened by her first love at that very moment, and she could not bear it. She red at Adina. Then, she bit her lips and said, ¡°I refuse to believe that you have such poor taste. And I don¡¯t believe that you would date a woman who has given birth to children unless you kiss her in front of me. If you really are together, I will give up.¡± Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Flint turned around and ced his hands on Adina¡¯s shoulder. Adina¡¯s lips twitched a little. This bastard here was not really going to kiss her, was he? She was good enough of a friend toe here and get him out of this. If he really dared to touch her, she would teach him a lesson and show him how he should behave himself! She raised her hand and blocked Flint¡¯s mouth. Flint yfully held her hand and gave her fingertips a fake kiss, with his thumb serving as a buffer in between. Then, he turned around and looked at Jasmine. ¡°Why should we kiss in front of you? You are just an ex-ex-ex¡­ I can¡¯t even count how many girls I have dated after we broke up. Just stop trying to win my attention, will you?¡± Jasmine bit her lip. Then, she angrily stomped on her heels and walked away. Adina pped Flint on the arm and said coldly, ¡°This would be thest time. Don¡¯t call me here for something like this again!¡± ¡°Oh, Addy. Don¡¯t be mad.¡± Flint scratched his nose. ¡°Let me treat you and your babies to dinner tonight. What do you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡± Adina pushed him away impatiently. Flint frowned as his gaze fell on her neck. ¡°Why do you have a tattoo?¡± He got a little closer, and his brow furrowed even more.¡° It¡¯s the letter N. What does that stand for?¡± Adina pulled up her cor and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± Flint held her hand to stop her from pulling up the cor. ¡°The design of this letter looks so familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen it somewhere before. Hold on, let me think.¡± He tugged at Adina¡¯s cor while she kept stepping back to avoid his hand. Suddenly, her back mmed into a stiff chest. She looked back and saw Duke standing behind her, while Flint¡¯s hand was still tugging at her cor. At this precise moment, for some reason, a phrase emerged in Adina¡¯s mind, ¡°caught in the act.¡± Even though she and Duke had no romantic rtionship, she felt very guilty now. p! She pped Flint hard on the back of his hand and said in a cold voice, ¡°Keep your hands off me!¡± Flint hastily retracted his hand as he looked up. His gaze fell on Duke. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Duke was emitting a cold aura. He had not been far away from them just now. He had seen everything He heard Flint say Adina was his girlfriend. He heard Adina say Flint was her boyfriend. He also saw Flint give this woman a kiss on the back of her hand. Duke had the feeling that his territory was being invaded. His eyes were tinged with hostility , shooting daggers at Flint without mercy. Flint sneered at Duke. Although he was not in Sea City, he was aware of every single thing that happened to Adina. This was the man who made Adina¡¯s heart flutter. He grabbed Adina¡¯s arm without hesitation and dragged her over. ¡°Addy, I will go with you to pick up Al and Mel from preschool today.¡± Adina yanked her hand out and gave him a cold nce.¡° You have three seconds to disappear.¡± Flint scratched the back of his head in frustration. ¡°Addy, don¡¯t be so cruel to me. You just said I¡¯m your boyfriend. And now you are blowing me off.¡± Once he said that, Adina keenly felt Duke¡¯s aura dropping further in temperature. It was as if he was a large mobile freezer. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Flint, if you won¡¯t leave, I will then!¡± Chapter 480 Chapter 480 Chapter 480 ¡°Fine. I will leave, okay?¡± Flint was reduced to a wimp in front of Adina. He walked to the door of the private room. Then, he turned back. His cold gaze fell on Duke. The private room door closed, and the corridor finally quieted down. Adina felt her scalp tingle. She did not even understand why she would feel guilty. The point was that guiltiness she felt had been really intense. Damn it! ¡°So, what a small world.¡± Adina looked up and greeted him dryly. Duke stared at her with a gloomy gaze. ¡°You have a boyfriend?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Adina shook her head hastily. ¡°I was just doing him a favor by posing as his girlfriend.¡± She was typically an aloof person. Nothing else could stir up her emotions except her children. However, she could not even look Duke in the eyes right now. She lowered her head. Her longshes cast a shadow beneath her eyes. Her skin was very pale. She looked even more stunning under the clubhouse¡¯s colorful lights. Duke thought about the kiss that Flint had just given her on the back of her hand. For some reason, he felt an urge to reach out for her. He suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist. His palm felt hot. The burning sensation made Adina jolt. She lifted her head. Before she could react, Duke¡¯s face was suddenly magnified before her eyes, Then, she felt something soft press against her lips. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Boom! Adina felt like her head was going to explode. She could not believe that he had just kissed her! How dare he kiss her! Adina tried to struggle , but all the air in her mouth was sucked out. She seemed to have suddenly lost all of her strength. She could only cling to this man instinctively for support. She did not know how long it had been, but the kiss finally ended. ¡°Keep this in mind, don¡¯t pretend to be any man¡¯s girlfriend again.¡± Duke leaned in and whispered into her ears. His voice was low and hoarse, suppressing some kind of raw emotion. The man wrapped his arm around her back and continued. ¡°And don¡¯t let anyone kiss you, not even on the back of your hand.¡± Adina leaned against him feebly and exined with a faint voice, ¡°His lips didn¡¯t touch the back of my hand. He just made it look like a kiss from a certain angle.¡± The frustration that had be entrenched in Duke¡¯s mind suddenly dissipated significantly. Upon seeing the corner of his lips curled up, it finally urred to Adina what she had just done. This man had just kissed her without her consent, yet she was still frantically exining herself to him. Based on her personality, wasn¡¯t she supposed to p him hard? She could not believe that she lost herself in that kiss! Adina stepped back instantly to free herself from his arms. She did not dare to look at him. Then, she bolted. Duke lifted his hand and brushed it over his own lips. He could still feel her aftertaste. He had not been able to find a breakthrough in their rtionship. He finally took a big step forward today. He had seen a glint of hope in their future. He was about to go after her when he saw the door of the private room, which had just been tightly closed, was open again. Flint walked out of the private room. He had a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. His expression was wanton and unrestrained. His gaze was gloomy. Duke met his gaze. He said in a cold voice, ¡°Flint, you can tell me if you want someone to act with you. I know a lot of women. I can rmend a few of them to you.¡± Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Yet she continued to make up lies. ¡°A coworker bought some spicy grilled fish this afternoon and shared it with us. It was quite good. I had two pieces in a row. As a result, my lips became swollen.¡± Alden fastened his seatbelt and said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much spicy food next time, Mommy. It¡¯s bad for your stomach, and it may cause e.¡± ¡°Alright. I got it. I won¡¯t eat it anymore.¡± Adina clenched her teeth to herself. If Duke kissed her without her permission again, she would p him. She would not let it happen again! ¡°Mommy, is that a tattoo on your corbone?¡± Alden paused for a second and suddenly asked. Adina knew that she could not keep it hidden from him for long. She smiled tenderly and said, ¡°Yes, I got it with my coworker. What do you think? Does it look pretty ?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite nice, very artistic.¡± Alden said nonchntly. Somehow, the design of the tattoo looked very familiar to him. He felt like he had seen a signature with this style of design before. He thought about it for a moment. He could not recall where he had seen it from, so he set it aside. Adina¡¯s car drove slowly away from the gate of the preschool. When she reached the fork in the road, she stopped for a moment and then turned right. Melody was looking out the window. Seeing that she had turned right, the little girl could not help but say,¡° Mommy, you took the wrong turn.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Adina said as she gripped the steering wheel. ¡°We are making dinner in our house today. Al, call Georgie and Hal, and tell them toe to our house for dinner.¡± After what happened today, she did not know how to face that man. Perhaps it was better that they did not see each other for the time being Alden nodded obediently and took out his phone to call them. Duke was driving home. As he passed a florist, he went in and bought a bouquet of lilies. This was his first time buying flowers. As he gazed at the bouquet of flowers on the passenger seat, he somehow felt nervous. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. When he arrived at the vi, he parked the car in the garage and walked into the vi with the lilies. Mr. Brown came to greet him. ¡°This bouquet of lilies is so beautiful. Should I put it in the living room or in your room, sir?¡± Duke was speechless. Could he not see that he had bought this to give it to someone? However, Mr. Brown had already brought over a vase filled with water. ¡°We can put the lilies in this clear vase. Give me the flowers, sir.¡± Chapter 482 Chapter 482 Chapter 482 Duke pursed his lips. ¡°I bought them for someone.¡± Mr. Brown understood it immediately. A disappointed expression quickly appeared on his face. ¡°Sir, why would you give her lilies? You should give her roses, bright red roses. Even if you don¡¯t have 999 roses, you should at least give her 99 roses. That is exactly what a man should give a woman! Let me handle this bouquet of lilies for you right now! Mr. Brown took the lilies away without waiting for his reply. Duke was speechless. He had selected lilies after consulting with the shopkeeper at the florist. One of the reasons was that his and Adina¡¯s rtionship had not yet been confirmed, and the second was that red roses were an overly direct expression of love. He was worried that he would scare her. Mr. Brown walked a few steps farther. Then, he turned around and said, ¡°By the way, sir, the young masters have packed their clothes and gone to Ms. Daugherty¡¯s ce. They said they are noting home tonight.¡± Duke was speechless. Was this woman avoiding him on purpose? Come to think of it, it was true that he had been too bold today. He should not have kissed her so assertively. However, if he was given another chance, he would still do the same. He said, ¡°I¡¯m going out now. I will have dinner outside.¡± A satisfied smile emerged on Mr. Brown¡¯s face. He reminded him, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t forget to get the roses.¡± Duke pulled open the car door and got in. He sat in the driver¡¯s seat with all sorts of thoughts shing through his head. Actually, Mr. Brown was not wrong. He had already kissed her. It did seem improper to give her lilies. He did need to give her red roses, but he also had to prepare something else for her. Duke drove toward thergest mall in Sea City. Adina¡¯s car had just pulled up in front of the house when she saw George and Harold who arrived at the same time. The two boys had been driven over by the bodyguard. George was carrying a suitcase. It looked like they had decided to stay with her for a few more days. Adina grinned as she took over their luggage. She asked tenderly, ¡°Have you told Daddy that you were coming over?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°No, but we did tell Grandma and Mr. Brown!¡± Harold wrapped his arm around Adina¡¯s. ¡°Grandma said we could stay at Mommy¡¯s ce for a few more days!¡± Adina¡¯s heart felt warm. She had thought that Mrs. Winters was imposing and was not easy to get along with, but now she found her to be rather nice. She smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. You boys will stay with me for a few more days. Today is your official sleepover. What do you say? How about a party?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Harold pped his hands happily. ¡°Mommy, just tell me if you need me to help you with anything !¡± Adina took the kids into the house. She said with a smile on her face, ¡°Georgie, you will clean up the living room. Al,e help me in the kitchen. Hal and Mel, you will decorate the living room. Is this arrangement okay for you?¡± ¡°Mommy, I will make sure the living room is cleaned up!¡± ¡°Mommy, I will take good care of Mel!¡± Alden followed Adina into the kitchen obediently. ¡°Al, just peel the beans for me.¡± Adina handed him the green beans and deftly prepared the ingredients needed for the party. First, she made a cake. She began preparing dinner after putting the cake in the oven. The food was simple because it was a party. Fruit sd, French fries, fried chicken, small, healthy, and nutritious cookies, and some satiating cornbread were on the menu. Then she served everything on the long table. The living room was tidied up. The floor was decorated with many cute dolls. Melody even took out the brightly colored light bulbs and hung them on the wall. The living room looked very lively. Adina pped her hands. ¡°And so I dere, let the party begin!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the children pped their hands and cheered. Alden¡¯s brows furrowed suddenly. ¡°Mommy, I think we got a visitor.¡± Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Adina frowned as she looked out the window. A ck car pulled up in front of the vi. nked by the yellow headlights, a tall, upright figure slowly walked toward them. The moment Adina saw that figure , she could not help but recall everything that had happened during the day. Her face turned red at once. It was a good thing that only the small colored lights were on in the living room. The light was dim. Even Alden, who was the most sensitive one in the room, did not notice her unusual reaction. ¡°It¡¯s Daddy!¡± Harold was about to run out to greet him when he abruptly stopped. He would not be able to kiss and hug Mommy anymore if Daddy came in. He felt a little reluctant to let Daddy in. What should he do? ¡°What is Daddy doing here now?¡± George said with puzzlement. ¡°I remember ourpany having a very important meeting in the evening. It was postponed from yesterday to today, so it can¡¯t be postponed again. Why didn¡¯t Daddy go to the meeting?¡± The corner of Alden¡¯s lips twitched a little. He nced at Harold and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s a kids¡¯ party today. We won¡¯t be able to have fun if Daddy is here. I think we shouldn¡¯t let Daddye inside.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± Harold clenched his fists. ¡°He will only ruin the mood if hees in.¡± Adina was speechless. She suddenly felt a bit sorry for Duke. His sons actually disliked him to this point. However, she did not know how to face this man either. She needed some time to calm down, so she could look at this rtionship objectively. Ding-dong. Duke had walked to the front door of the vi. He raised his hand and pressed the doorbell. George, Alden, and Harold did not move. They really did not want Duke toe in. Once Daddy came in, they would not be able to express themselves to their hearts¡¯ content. Then tonight¡¯s party would be no fun at all. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Although Adina felt bad for Duke, there was no way she would go over and open the door. She could not wait to run away from him. There was no way she would walk right into it. However, a fluffy little doll darted to the door. She stood on tiptoe and turned the doorknob. Then, she pulled the door open. ¡°Daddy!¡± The little girl ran into Duke¡¯s arms. She was picked up by the man and lifted high into the air and spun around. The silveryughter of the little girl echoed throughout the house. Adina was speechless. George was speechless. Harold was speechless. Alden was speechless. They had all these ns in their mind, yet they forgot about Melody. All Harold¡¯s emotions were disyed on his face. He pouted unhappily, ¡°Daddy, what are you doing here?¡± Duke gave him a cold stare. He had spent four years raising George and Harold for nothing Fortunately, he still had his little girl. As long as his little girl was here, the road should not be too harsh for him. He said coolly, ¡°Mr. Brown said you all headed here. I was worried that your mother would not be able to take care of all of you, so I came here to help.¡± George frowned. ¡°Daddy, we are over four years old. How could we possibly still need Mommy to take care of us? Don¡¯t worry. I will take good care of my brothers and sister. There is no need for you to take the time toe over. You should go back to work now. Daddy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Daddy. Workes first,¡± Alden said. ¡°You should work hard. Then, Mommy won¡¯t have to work so hard and work overtime in the future.¡± That was exactly what Duke had in mind. Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Chapter 484 However, even if these little brats splurged the Winters family¡¯s money, they would still have enough to last them several lifetimes, so there was no need to put far more important things on hold in order to make money. Duke got closer to the little girl¡¯s ear and whispered,¡° Could you help me get something from the car?¡± Mel¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. She was the youngest in their family, and her mommy and brothers never allowed her to do anything. It was the first time someone had asked her to do something, so she jumped out of Duke¡¯s arms and bolted straight to the car that was parked in the yard. She opened the door to the passenger side and immediately eximed in awe, ¡°Wow! This is so pretty!¡± Everyone in the house turned their attention in her direction. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. They could only see the little ball of fluffing out of the passenger seat with a bouquet of fiery roses. There were at least ny-nine roses in that bouquet , and when the little girl held it in her arms, her body waspletely obscured. Adina could only see a big bouquet of ming red flowers moving toward her. Ba-dump! Ba-dump! She could hear the sound of her own heart pounding crazily in her chest. This man must have wanted to give her the bouquet of flowers! ¡®Why is he gifting me flowers? What¡¯s he trying to do? Is he trying to confess?¡¯ Adina had never felt this nervous before. Her hands curled into fists, and even her breathing became a little more shallow. Alden took a nce at her, pursed his lips, and cutely said, ¡°Daddy, how did you know that Mel liked red flowers? The bouquet of flowers is very beautiful, and it¡¯s exactly the kind that Mel likes¡­¡± ¡°Wow! I had no idea Mel liked red flowers.¡± Harold quickly saved that information in his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll buy a bunch of these flowers for Mel as well tomorrow.¡± Duke was bewildered. How did he end up giving Mel red roses? Why did it not sound quite right? Just as he was about to question Alden, he saw the little girl hugging the bouquet and taking deep sniffs. She seemed really happy, and even her eyes sparkled in genuine happiness. Alright. Who said he could not give Mel red roses? As long as Mel liked it, he would give her anything. ¡°Thank you, Daddy,¡± Mel said sweetly while hugging the roses. Duke was speechless. It was his fault. He should not have asked Mel to go take the roses for him. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± Duke replied with a low voice.¡° The flowers are a little heavy. You can put it on the table.¡± Mel hugged the roses, sprinted upstairs, put them away in her room, and dashed back down. While Adina exhaled a sigh of relief, she also felt slightly disappointed. She felt relieved because how was she supposed to reject him if he gave her the red roses? Since she was an adult, she could not just pretend to not know the meaning of red roses. It would be ridiculous if she acted dumb. He would feel humiliated in front of the kids if she refused to ept the flowers. In the end, the fact that the flowers were gifted to Mel by ident would count as a perfect solution to the embarrassing scene that might arise. But she also felt disappointed because ¡­ What if she was thinking too much? What if this bunch of flowers was actually for Mel? Perhaps she had just misunderstood. Without even looking at Duke, Adina smiled and told the kids, ¡°All right, the party continues!¡± The disco ball¡¯s bright lights filled the room, the TV yed music, and a microphone was plugged in. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes was the opening song. Adina picked up the microphone and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s going to sing the first song?¡± ¡°This song is too childish. Only three-year-olds sing it,¡± Harold said dismissively. It was even more imusible for George and Alden to sing such childish songs. Adina had originally prepared the song for Mel, but she nced at Duke and said with a smile, ¡°Why don¡¯t we let your Daddy sing the first song?¡± Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Four pairs of eyes turned to look at him in sync. Duke was speechless. This woman was trying to set him up. Everyone knew how to sing that song, but he was a man in his twenties. Would it not be hrious if he sang such a song? What if his image in her mind plummeted only because he sang this song? ¡°You don¡¯t know how to sing the song, Duke?¡± Adina suddenly said. The way she called his name was too much for him to bear. Hearing her soft voice made him feel as though all the bones in his body had melted. It was also the first time Adina had addressed him in such a manner. Although he was aware of her intentions, he nevertheless gave in without hesitation. He took the microphone , cleared his throat, and started singing along with the apaniment. ¡°Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes¡­¡± Even when he sang upbeat children¡¯s songs, his voice was very low and had a calm tone. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Adina stood a meter away and looked at him. He simply stood there, his tall, slender frame swaying slightly to the music as he sang in a deep voice. Obviously, he was a little nervous, but he still sang the whole song. He actually did as she asked. A cloud of mixed feelings shed through Adina¡¯s eyes. The song ended in a sh. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re excellent at singing, Daddy!¡± Mel eximed as she pped enthusiastically. Duke patted her hair and said, ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Mel.¡± Then, turning to face Adina, he asked, ¡°How about you? How would you rate my singing?¡± ¡°Not bad. Have a ss of champagne.¡± Adina handed him a ss of champagne. Originally, there were only drinks for the children on the table. After that man came, she brought out the champagne her client had previously gifted her. The wine tasted great. It was too much for one person to finish, but just right for two people to enjoy. As they clinked sses, Duke said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± Adina cocked her head and asked. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m seeing George and Harold so happy, and it¡¯s all because of you.¡± Duke took a sip of wine and said softly, ¡°The Winters family only got to experience love because of you. We feel more like a family and more at home because of your love.¡± His jet-ck eyes were gleaming unbelievably brightly as he spoke. Adina¡¯s heart skipped a beat with the way he was staring at her. ¡°This is my song,¡± she announced as she hurriedly set down her drink and grabbed the microphone. ¡°I¡¯m going to sing.¡± She began singing as the melody of an old love song filled the living room. Her voice was breathy, and a little husky, which made the song sound more enticing. Duke sat back on the couch and grabbed his ss of champagne. After taking in her figure and voice, he slowly slipped his hand into his pocket. Inside his pocket was the diamond ring he had bought at the mall today. He liked her. He could even say he loved her. He kissed her, they had four kids together, and tonight he nned to confess and pop the question to her. But he was still a little scared. When he gave it more thought, it was quite funny. He used to venture out on his own to start businesses, took down all of his powerful enemies by himself, and even traveled great distances to save his father. At the time, he was alone and brave, but today he was timid. Even though it was just a few sentences, he was terrified to say it. With a bitter smile, he downed the wine from his ss and poured another for himself. Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Chapter 486 He drank wine, which they all imed to be ¡°liquid courage,¡± but in spite of that, he still felt like a coward. Adina returned after finishing her song, only to find that a big portion of the freshly-opened champagne had already vanished. Duke¡¯s eyes were already unfocused. She was speechless. He imed to be here to help look after the kids, did he not? He was, however, getting drunk instead. She gave him a quick look before deciding to keep a safe distance from him. The children were having a great time. They were singing, dancing, and ying around, and it was soon ten o¡¯clock at night. After turning off the music, Adina pped and said, ¡°All right, time for bed, now. Line up and go take a bath, one by one.¡± The children were really obedient. The three boys proceeded to shower in Alden¡¯s room, while Adina took Mel to the upstairs bathroom. The four kids were already sound asleep in their beds by ten thirty at night. When Adina went downstairs to clean up, she saw Duke leaning back on the couch, his eyes closed and the wine ss still in his hands. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. That man had downed the majority of the champagne , and it had long since finished. ¡°Hey, wake up¡­¡± Adina approached him and called him twice , but he did not respond. She removed the ss from his hands and helped him lie down properly on the couch. She then went upstairs to grab a thin nket and cover him with it. Duke slept soundly on the couch; his face serene. He had obviously consumed a bit too much wine. Adina could not help but sigh. He had agreed toe and help her take care of the kids, but in the end, she had ended up taking care of one adult and four children all by herself! She epted her fate and continued tidying up the living room. There was a lot of stuff scattered on the floor. She picked them up one by one and threw them in the trash before sweeping and mopping the floor. As she was busy cleaning, she heard someone calling her name. ¡°Addy¡­ ¡°Addy¡­¡± He called her again and again, softly at first, and then the volume increased. Adina thought Duke had awakened, so she turned to look at him, but his eyes were closed, and his thin lips were moving to call her name again and again. She felt as if her heart had taken a dip in boiling hot water, and she froze on the spot. ¡°Addy!¡± Duke¡¯s hand grabbed at the air, and he managed to catch Adina¡¯s arm with precision, When she saw the man suddenly open his eyes, she was shocked and wanted to escape instinctively. Those eyes were filled with hazy drunkenness, and it was totally different from the usual eyes Duke had. It appeared as though he had suddenly taken off his tough armor, revealing his raw, genuine self. His gaze focused on Adina, and he slightly tightened his hold on her. ¡°Addy, I have something to tell you.¡± Duke slowly said in a raspy voice, and Adina could not help but stop herself from trying to run away. She pursed her lips and asked nervously, ¡°W-what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Addy, do you know that you¡¯re the first woman I care about so much?¡± Upon hearing that, Adina¡¯s heart suddenly stopped beating, and then the next second, her heart started to beat faster. She felt as though her heart was almost beating out of her chest. Her suspicions were true; the man hade here tonight to confess. He did not dare to confess, so he had downed the champagne to gain courage. She stayed still, biting her crimson lips, and put all of her focus on her ears as she listened carefully to the man¡¯s voice. ¡°I don¡¯t remember when I first became so concerned about you¡­ At first, I had no idea who the father of your children was, and I was so jealous of that man. I felt really envious of him¡­¡± Duke¡¯s voice was hoarse, and his words were a little slurred. Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Chapter 487 ¡°Do you know how thrilled I was to discover that the woman from that night five years ago was you?¡± The corner of Duke¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Adina observed the smile on his face and thought the Duke in front of her was no different from a kid. The smile on his face was pure, and his eyes were filled with sincerity. She believed every word he said. ¡°I immediately felt really lucky when I realized I was the father of your children, and that you were the mother of my children.¡± Duke looked at her with his dark eyes and continued , ¡°Addy, our fates became one five years ago, and in the time that has passed, we have missed out on a lot. I don¡¯t ever want to be separated from you again. I like you, Addy. I love you. I, I¡­¡± He suddenly stopped midway through his sentence. Adina was feeling even more nervous, and with her breath hitched, she continued to listen to what he was going to say. However, Duke¡¯s hold on her hand went loose all of a sudden, and his arm fell limply to the edge of the couch. Those jet-ck eyes fluttered close as well. Everything had happened too abruptly, and it made Adina think she had been imagining the entire scene. ¡°You jerk!¡± Adina cursed under her breath. Although it was just a confession, he had gotten so drunk while confessing, and she had actually paid close attention to the whole thing! He was just wasting her time! Adina gave him a venomous re before stomping upstairs while purposefully making her steps louder. But Duke was too far gone, and even the loud noise was unable to wake him up. Adina returned to her room and started removing her makeup, but as she did so, she caught a glimpse of her apple-red cheeks in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed and were a bright red color. She had never seen herself like this. She was incredibly relieved that Duke was drunk at the moment because otherwise , he would have seen her in that state. She felt slightly better after washing her face with cold water. Adina had long been haunted by the same recurring nightmare, and each one would include a man. It was the same man who destroyed and tore her to pieces five years ago. Over the past few years, she was in agony every time she dreamed of the night from five years ago. But on that particr night, the person in her dreams was very gentle, and he kissed her lips patiently. In the dream, they were enjoying themselves and were tangled up in each other¡­ It was not until a light entered and shone on the man¡¯s face that Adina suddenly jolted awake from the dream. She actually had a dream about her and Duke doing the deed¡­ Oh no, oh no! She had lost her mind! When Adina turned to look out the window, the sky was already bright, the autumn sun was flooding in, and her room looked bright and fresh.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. She rolled out of bed, changed her clothes, and headed downstairs after freshening up. The living room was surprisingly lively. Mr. Brown had brought over a lot of breakfast, and the dining table was filled with food. The four kids sat at the table and were in the midst of having their breakfast, while Mr. Brown was busy tending to them. When Mr. Brown saw Adinaing down the stairs, he greeted her with a smile and said, ¡°Good morning , Ms. Adina. Come have some breakfast.¡± When Adina¡¯s gazended on the couch, she only saw the neatly folded nket. The man had already left. ¡°Where¡¯s your Daddy?¡± she asked calmly. Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Chapter 488 ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Harold answered with his mouth full of food. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Daddy when I woke up this morning.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. George swallowed the food in his mouth and said, ¡°There are a lot of things to take care of at the Winters Corporation. Daddy must¡¯ve gone to work at thepany.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Saturday today. Mr. Duke doesn¡¯t need to go to thepany,¡± Mr. Brown said with a smile. ¡°Is that true, Papa Brown?¡± George frowned. ¡®Although thepany staff was not required to work during the weekends, Daddy worked every day of the year, especially since there have been a lot of company affairs recently. Daddy should be in a hurry to deal with them¡­¡¯ ¡°Of course, it is,¡± Mr. Brown continued. ¡°Mr. Duke has arranged activities for the four of you. I¡¯ll send you kids over after you¡¯re done with breakfast.¡± ¡°What kind of activity?¡± Harold asked curiously. ¡°Young Master George, Harold, and Alden are required to take an IQ test at the IQ testing facility.¡± After hearing Mr. Brown¡¯s words, Harold immediately shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go!¡± George raised an eyebrow. ¡°Haven¡¯t we taken the test before?¡± ¡°That was in the past, now is the present.¡± Mr. Brown smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Adina and Mr. Duke intend to enroll Young Master George and Harold in preschool, and most prestigious schools require an IQ test report. So you have to go take the test.¡± ¡°I guess I don¡¯t need to go, then,¡± Alden said with pursed lips. ¡°Mr. Duke intends to do aparison.¡± Mr. Brown said calmly, ¡°If Young Master Alden¡¯s IQ is higher than Young Master Harold¡¯s, then he¡¯ll consider changing the sequence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Harold suddenly became nervous.¡± I¡¯m much smarter than Alden. I¡¯m the second child, and the second older brother. I don¡¯t want to be the younger brother!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know once you¡¯ve done the test,¡± Mr. Brown smiled. Adina was a little hesitant. The kids did not really need to take IQ tests or anything of the sort. It was unnecessary to rank them in order of intelligence. Duke would hurt Hal if he did that. She was ready to oppose when she noticed Mr. Brown winking at her. She realized right away that the intention here was to get the kids out of the way. ¡°Madam Winters said that she wants to take Miss Melody out to go jewelry shopping. Miss Melody, do you want to go?¡± Mr. Brown asked softly while carrying Mel in his arms. ¡°Yes, I want to buy a lot of shiny jewels!¡± When Mel answered, her eyes shone brightly like pearls. Adina was speechless. She did not particrly adore jewelry, and she wondered why Mel was so obsessed with it. Mr. Brown had to use a lot of coaxing and lying before the four kids finally got in the car. Each of them gave Adina a cheek kiss before they left. Adina remained in a daze even after everyone left the house. It was clear that Mr. Brown took the children away on purpose. So, what was next, then? While she was spacing out, she received a text. It was from Malvin. (Addy, I¡¯lle to fetch you in two hours. Wait for me.] Adina¡¯s heart started picking up pace. She sat down on the couch while slowly typing down her reply and sent it. (Okay.) Was that man going to finish what he started yesterday? She suddenly felt excited about it. What should she do? ¡°No, I can¡¯t get nervous. Rx. I need to rx.¡¯ Adina hurried upstairs, reapplied her makeup, opened her wardrobe, and tried on each piece of clothing one by one. She suddenly found her avable wardrobecking, and now that she was going out with a guy, she did not know what to wear. She tried on many outfits before settling on a beige skirt with a knitted cardigan on top. After that, she went downstairs and waited patiently. Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Chapter 489 A group of workers worked in full swing, setting up the venue at International za. The za had been transformed into a romantic sea of flowers. The ground was covered in pink rose petals, there were beautiful lilies on two sides, and at the end of the trail of petals was a heart made from red roses. Many passers-by stopped to watch. ¡°Wow, there are so many flowers. It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± ¡°Although it is lovely, don¡¯t you think such a confession is kind of old-fashioned?¡± ¡°It is a little out of date, but I think many guys still prefer to go old-school.¡± TO Not too far away, Duke¡¯s face gradually darkened. He had spent the entire night browsing the web for ideas before deciding to use this method to express his love. This post had the most likes on it. If it was old-fashioned, then why were there so many people leaving likes on that post? Was it toote for him to regret his choice? Duke took a quick look at his watch; there was less than a half-hour left before the scheduled time. He had no other choice but to go down the wrong way. Right that moment, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He pulled out his phone to take a look, and his eyes instantly narrowed. ¡°You are really cruel, Duke!¡± A low voice came from the other end, and it had a faint air of coldness. ¡°We all carry the blood of the Winters. You grew up with a silver spoon, while I was discarded. You got all the things that are easily the envy of mankind, so why were you so ruthless and wanted me dead?!¡± Duke¡¯s lips curled into a cold smirk. ¡°Earl, apany that transgresses morals and ethnicities should not exist at all. Because you were my brother, I used to turn a blind eye to it. You made a mistake when you included innocent parties in our conflict.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Earl let out a coldugh. When he finally arrived in Sea City, a call from Duke caused him to be sent back overseas. After that, he discovered that the undergroundboratory he had worked so hard to run for years had actually been destroyed by an unknown force. Except for Duke, no one else would go so far as to do this! ¡°Anyone connected to you is never going to be innocent.¡± Earl slowly said, ¡°I forgot to tell you that I¡¯m back in Sea City and will be meeting up with Mother in ten minutes. She said she would bring a four- year-old girl together to see me. That¡¯s your daughter, right, Duke? What do you think will happen if your daughter falls into my hands?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Duke¡¯s voice rose uncontrobly. He raised his hand, made a gesture, and Jake rushed over to him. He continued speaking on the phone while typing a sentence on Jake¡¯s phone. ¡°Earl, I¡¯m warning you. If you dare touch my daughter, I¡¯ll let you die a terrible death!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already die once?¡± Earl said with a smirk,¡° People that have already experienced death once, will not be afraid of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you already experienced death once, so you understand how it truly feels!¡± Duke said between gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you once again, if anything happens to my daughter, I will fucking kill you!¡± He ended the call right away. ¡°Mr. Winters, I contacted the Winters family¡¯s security earlier, and they reported that Madam Winters and Miss Melody were taken away by an unknown car while they Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. were shopping. The security was tailing them, but they lost them midway,¡± Jake said with a serious face. Duke¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Bring me aptop!¡± Jake hurriedly handed over hisptop. Duke swiftly typed on the keyboard while keeping a cold gaze on the screen, and in no time, he secured a target in an area with a red dot. Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Adina was sitting on the couch while perusing thepany¡¯s documents, but she did not register a single word. She looked at her watch now and then, only to find that time was passing by, and the appointment was just around the corner. She was getting more and more nervous. Just then, she received a message. She was so frightened that she jolted up straight. She only opened the message after she took a deep breath. [Addy, I¡¯m sorry, something came up today. I¡¯ll pick you upter, but I¡¯m not sure what time it will be.] Adina¡¯s heart instantly filled with disappointment. Although she had been nervous, she had to admit that she had been looking forward to this date. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. She was curious to know what this man would say to her. It seemed that it was destined that the date would not happen as nned. She pouted and sent a message. (What a coincidence. I also have work to take care of, so I¡¯ll see you later.) After she sent the message, she sighed helplessly. Initially, she did not care about the date, but the man¡¯s actions had made her lose her cool. Buzz! When she just put her phone down, she suddenly received a call. She thought it was a call from Duke, so she picked it up without even looking at it. ¡°Excuse me, are you a friend of this phone owner? He was drunk in our bar. The first contact we found was you. Can youe over and settle his bill?¡± Adina took the phone away from her ear, looked at the caller ID, and her expression instantly turned dark. It was Flint Morton! It was that unreliable bastard again! She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Send me the address, I¡¯ll be there immediately.¡± She hung up, put on a neat outfit, and drove to the bar. Right after she drove out of the mansion, a ck sports car followed her. There were no traffic lights along the way, so Adina drove to the entrance of the bar without stopping even once. She parked the car, stepped into the bar, and saw Flint, who was drunk and slumped on the bar counter. She walked over and kicked Flint in the knee. ¡°Get up!¡± ¡°Who?! Who kicked me?!¡± Flint shot up straight, looked around with unfocused eyes, and nted his head on the bar counter again. Adina was speechless. What kind of sins did shemit? Why did she have toe over and clean up this guy¡¯s mess every time? She took her card and went to the counter to pay the bill, then held Flint¡¯s hand to walk him out of the bar. ¡°I want more. I still want to drink¡­ I¡¯m not drunk. I still want to drink.¡± Flint turned back around and prepared to walk toward the bar when Adina kicked him in the knee. ¡°You better behave, or else I¡¯ll leave you to sleep on the street overnight!¡± ¡°Addy, you¡¯re the one who came to pick me up, right¡­?¡± Flint chuckled and said, ¡°Addy, you are such a cold person. I¡¯ve been treating you so well thesest few years. How can you not like me? I¡¯m ten thousand times better than Duke. I¡¯m also more handsome and wealthier than him. Why did you not choose me? Why did you choose that person? Why?!¡± Adina was silent for a moment. Thest time Flint visited Sea City, she had already made matters quite clear to him. She had thought he had moved on, but unexpectedly, he was still hung up about it. Originally, she nned to take Flint to stay the night at her house, but it seemed that she could not do that anymore. She already had someone else in her heart. She could not send the wrong signal to Flint, and she also could not let Duke misunderstand matters. Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Adina helped Flint walk to the hotel next door to the bar. Earley, who was sitting in the sports car in front of the bar, sneered and the corner of his lips curled up. So this was the woman that Duke had fallen in love with, and the one who went to a hotel with another man behind his back. Duke¡¯s reaction would be fascinating if he discovered she had cheated on him. Earley pulled out his phone and continuously snapped a dozen pictures of Flint and Adina from behind. However, five minutester, Earley bitterly deleted these photos because he saw Adina leaving the hotel by herself. After settling in Flint at the hotel, Adina pulled open the car door and sat inside. She had to think about whether she ought to go home or thepany next. After much thought, she decided to go to the Winters¡¯ mansion, as the several children should have already gone back. She fastened her seat belt and started the engine. The car was driving smoothly on the road. Suddenly, she became aware of a ck car following her, but not closely. Whenever she drove fast, the car would elerate. The car would also slow down along with her as she did. Adina¡¯s eyes narrowed. She made a sharp turn with the steering wheel, and her car spun around, directly getting in the car¡¯s way. She pushed open the car door and exited the car. Her eyes were fixed on the man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. It was Earley! Did Duke not mention that Earley had left Sea City? Why did he return? She walked over, step by step while crossing her arms over her chest. As Earley lowered the car window, his grim eyes fixed on Adina¡¯s face, and he chuckled lightly, ¡°You certainly have some decent skills, Ms. Daugherty. Even though I was far away from you, you were still able to discover me.¡± Adina said coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t go looking for trouble with you. How dare you follow me?¡± Earley¡¯s gaze slowly drifted down to her corbone. ¡°The letters I designed with my own hands are truly beautiful and suit you very well.¡± Adina looked irritated. She positioned her phone at an angle and smashed it on the wind-down car window. The car¡¯s window instantly showed lines of cracking. Earley appeared unconcerned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me why I wanted to tattoo an alphabet N on you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m more interested in knowing why you wanted to tattoo me!¡± Adina¡¯s eyebrows were filled with a cold front. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°You want to know why? Get in the car. I¡¯ll take you to a ce where we can talk at leisure about that.¡± When Earley opened the car door for Adina to get inside, the corners of his mouth curled up in an evil and delusional smile. Adina lifted her foot and kicked the car door shut. ¡°Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would not fall for your trap twice.¡± Earley leaned against the back of the seat and spoke word by word, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see your daughter?¡± Adina¡¯s heart sank hard. She bent down, reached her hand into the car window, and snatched Earley¡¯s cor. ¡°What did you just say? Say it again!¡± ¡°I said, your daughter is in my hands! ¡± Earley shrugged, ¡°You have a choice as to whether you want to come with me or not. The choice is yours.¡± Adina picked him up by the cor and pushed him hard. She unlocked her phone and dialed Duke¡¯s number, the phone was quickly answered, ¡°Addy, what¡¯s up?¡± Adina listened to the voice over the phone. It seemed to be the sound of the wind, and there seemed to be the sounds of map navigation on the side. The destination was a deste ce on the outskirts. She took a deep breath, and asked, ¡°Where are you going now?¡± ¡°Addy, I have some things to take care of at work.¡± ¡°Where is Mel? Is she with you?¡± ¡°Addy, I¡­¡± Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Chapter 492 ¡°Duke, I want to hear the truth. Please don¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯m an adult. I can handle anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Addy. I¡¯ve failed to safeguard our daughter, but rest assured that I have located her and will soon be able to find her.¡± Adina pursed her lips, ¡°Okay, you have to let me know immediately if there¡¯s any update.¡± She hung up, looked at Earley, and said, ¡°You sent someone to abduct my daughter?¡± ¡°You make it sound so awful. I was just inviting your little girl to hang out at my ce for a short time.¡± A wry smile appeared on Earley¡¯s face, ¡°If she remains obedient, nothing will happen.¡± Adina clenched her fingers tightly when she heard what he said. Earley¡¯s words implied that if Mel disobeyed him, something might happen. Mel grew up without a father and was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old. She had lived in her own world for so many years since then. If Mel was threatened, would she retreat back into her tiny little shell? The thought of this possibility made Adina¡¯s heart ache. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°You just want me to agree with that human biological project, right? Okay, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m ready to sign the contract.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, mypany was ruined by Duke! ¡± Earley¡¯s voice was cold to the extreme as he enunciated each word carefully. He spoke coldly, ¡°This time, your daughter¡¯s fate is not because you did not agree to cooperate, it was because Duke stood against me, so I can only use the child he cares about the most! If you have any grievances, go to Duke. It has nothing to do with me! ¡± Adina clenched the back of her teeth, pretending to be calm as she asked, ¡°Then what exactly do I have to do before you¡¯re willing to give me back my daughter?¡± ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll take you to your daughter.¡± Earley said coldly. Adina clenched her palm tightly. She knew she could not mess up, absolutely not! As Duke searched for Mel¡¯s whereabouts, all she had to do was to distract Earley. If she identally provoked this man, with a singlemand, something could happen to Mel. She took a deep breath and opened the back seat door. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Earley turned the steering wheel, started the engine, and the car drove in the direction of a rural area that waspletely devoid of people. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Duke sped all the way and finally arrived at the destination. He arrived at the suburban zoo¡¯s entrance. When he got out of the car, he saw Mel was blowing bubbles with a group of children, while Mrs. Winters was sitting at one side of the grass watching Mel. This scene was warm and harmonious. Where was the danger? ¡°Duke, why are you here?¡± When Mrs. Winters saw him, she hurriedly greeted him, her face full of surprise. Duke pursed his lips and said in a slow voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you take Mel to go jewelry shopping? Why did youe to visit the suburban zoo?¡± ¡°Someone said that today the zoo has the children¡¯s favorite pink alpacas, so I brought Mel over to take a look.¡± Mrs. Winters smiled and said, ¡°When Mel saw the pink alpacas just now, she smiled happily.¡± Duke narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Who sent you both toe over here?¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ face seems a little taken aback. Her eyes were looking around, with a guilty look. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s Earl Wynters!¡± Duke sneered, and his eyes showed a piercing coldness. Mrs. Winters hurriedly exined, ¡°After Earl knew you had a daughter. He was also very happy. He was the one who asked around and discovered that there were pink alpacas in the zoo here, so he made arrangements for the driver to pick Mel and me up. As you can see, we are safe and sound. It can be seen that Earl genuinely likes Mel, so you shouldn¡¯t always look at him with the same eyes as before, okay? He has changed for the better.¡± Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Duke¡¯s face was cast in sadness. As he saw the pure and bright smile on Melody¡¯s face, his gloominess slowly dissipated. Suddenly, his body froze. How did Adina know about Melody¡¯s disappearance? Who told her? Moreover, when she had called him earlier, it was obvious from her tone that something was not right! He was so concerned about Melody¡¯s safety when he answered the phone that he forgot to ask Adina how everything was on her side¡­ This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Duke took out his cell phone and dialed Adina¡¯s number, but even after three consecutive calls, no one picked up. When he called again, the other phone had been turned off. ¡°Duke, what happened? Why are you pulling such a long face?¡± Mrs. Winters asked worriedly. Duke Winters said, ¡°Earl Winters managed to lure me away from thepany, and something has happened to Adina.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ face turned white, and her lips trembled. ¡° No, it can¡¯t be, Earl is good now, he wouldn¡¯t be up to no good anymore¡­ he must be ying a joke on you¡­¡± ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case, too.¡± Duke clenched his fist and said coldly, ¡°Take Melody home immediately, and don¡¯t tell the children about their mother¡¯s disappearance! ¡± With that said, he got into his car. He took out hisptop, and his fingers flew over the keyboard. But this time, he could not find a precise location. Earl knew of his hacking skills, so he had deliberately used a VPN to block all the signals that could let Duke trace him¡­ Duke leaned back in the driver¡¯s seat and rubbed his forehead furiously. If something happened to Adina, he would never forgive himself! He took a deep breath, and hundreds of location names ran through his mind¡­ Earl¡¯s appearances in Sea City were few and far in between, and the ces he could go to were limited. Where could he have taken Adina to? Where in the world would he go? Duke organized all of the ces in his mind, then eliminated them one by one until he narrowed it down to three locations. One was when Earl first came to Sea City. He kept it a secret from the family and hid in a warehouse by the sea for half a month. Another was on the day of their father¡¯s first death anniversary. Earl had snuck in to pay his respects. He had to hide in the manor outside the cemetery for about ten days before he got his opportunity to visit their father¡¯s grave¡­ Thest was Earl¡¯s secret base in Sea City. His undergroundpany¡¯s division was hidden in an old neighborhood¡­ ¡®These three locations¡­¡¯ Duke made a call to ask Jake to look into the underground division. ¡®As for the other two locations¡­¡¯ His eyes darkened, and he drove toward the seaside warehouse. He was willing to bet that there is still a shred of good in Earl¡¯s heart. He was willing to bet that Earl would not do anything to Adina near his father¡¯s grave¡­ The car sped along the road. On the way back to the Winters¡¯ mansion, Alden had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. His expression was dark, and he looked out the car window in deep silence. Meanwhile, Harold remainedpletely worry-free and grabbed Alden¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you unhappy because you saw that my IQis as high as yours?¡± The corners of George¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Harold, can you be any dumber?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dumb!¡± Harold lifted his chin and snorted. ¡°The grown ups today said our IQlevels are the same, you can¡¯t call me dumb anymore, hmph!¡± ¡°Obviously, today¡¯s result was a fluke,¡± Harold said coldly, ¡°Papa Brown wanted us to stay away from whatever was going on, that¡¯s why we were brought to take that IQtest.¡± At this, Mr. Brown, who was driving, stayed silent. He had been so discreet. How did the eldest young master figure it out so easily? Maybe he was the dumb one? Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Chapter 494 ¡°Keep us away? Why would he want to keep us away?¡± Harold scratched his little head with a puzzled face. George silently watched him like this with a look on his face that said, ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me when I called you dumb, do you believe me now?¡± Harold said nothing. The car soon stopped at the entrance of the Winters family mansion. Alden was the first to push the door open and disembark. He looked around the living room of the mansion, his eyebrows furrowing. ¡°Where¡¯s Melody, why isn¡¯t she back yet?¡± Mr. Brown said with a smile, ¡°Mrs. Winters took Miss Melody to the zoo, it could be a while more before they return¡­¡± As soon as he spoke, a car arrived outside the mansion. With Melody in her arms, Mrs. Winters exited the car. Harold rushed to greet them. ¡°Mel, I¡¯ve missed you! Take me with you wherever you go next time. I never want to take an IQ. test again!¡± To him, taking an IQ.test was downright insulting! He hugged his cute sister and finally felt better. Alden¡¯s eyes narrowed. There did not seem to be anything wrong with his sister. Did something happen to his mom instead? Why was the bad feeling in his chest getting worse? He looked toward Mr. Brown and asked, ¡°Papa Brown, what exactly did Daddy and Mommy do?¡± Mr. Brown replied with a mysterious air, ¡°It¡¯s not something that you kids should be concerned about. Wait till your Daddy brings Mommy home, then you¡¯ll find out.¡± ¡°Grandma, did Daddy go on a date with Mommy?¡± Harold asked teasingly while clutching Mrs. Winters¡¯ arm. Mrs. Winters¡¯ face turned pale, but she steadied herself and kept herposure as she said, ¡°I believe so¡­ you must all be hungry. Mr. Brown, please have the kitchen prepare dinner at once.¡± Mr. Brown hastened to do her bidding. Alden stared at Mrs. Winters, still feeling as though something was not right. If Daddy and Mommy really went on a date, why would Grandma have such a nervous expression? Even George was starting to notice that something was amiss. He pouted and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we give Mommy a call?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Good idea!¡± Harold raised his hand in agreement. ¡°I want to know what Daddy and Mommy are doing on their date, why didn¡¯t they bring us with them?¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ breathing suddenly became more erratic. ¡°Do not call them!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Alden and George asked simultaneously. Mrs. Winters sped her hands together. ¡°Today is a really important day for your Mommy and Daddy, so you shouldn¡¯t bother them. Alright, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner.¡± With that, she took Harold in her left hand and Melody in her right and headed for the bathroom. Alden took out his cell phone and dialed Adina¡¯s number. ¡°Sorry, but the number you have dialed is unavable.¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll give Daddy a call.¡± He made the call, and the same mechanical woman¡¯s voice answered, ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is busy¡­¡± ¡°Do you have aputer?¡± Alden asked coldly, ¡°I want to figure out where Mommy is.¡± George brought Alden upstairs to the study. Alden booted up theputer, his fingers flew across the keyboard, and his brows became furrowed. ¡°Mommy¡¯s position got blocked.¡± George pouted again. ¡°What about Daddy¡¯s position?¡± Alden¡¯s fingers continued flying across the keyboard. Three minutester, a red dot appeared on the monitor, and the red dot was moving quickly towards the coastal suburbs. Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Duke¡¯s car finally arrived at the coastal suburbs. It was four in the afternoon, and because of the cloudy weather,pounded with the dense, dark clouds, the seaside looked like it was cast in twilight, resulting in low visibility. He got out of the car and, with his leather shoes crunching on the jagged rocks of the coast, approached the warehouse slowly. This was a chemical manufacturing warehouse that had been abandoned ten years ago. Though made with metal ting, the structure was now a ruin under the onught of erosion from the sea breeze. Duke walked toward it slowly and stood before the ruined entrance. He checked the surroundings and saw that there was no one outside, but behind the door, there were at least seven or eight brutes. It was good to see some activity there. It meant that Adina would be held here. Duke lifted his leg and kicked the door open. It was already dark outside, but the interior of the warehouse was even darker, and from the darkness, seven or eight ck-d brutes suddenly jumped out to surround Duke. Duke was ready for them. He picked up a long stick and swung it hard, felling three of the eight brutes in an instant. He stepped on the head of one fallen brute, jumped up, brought the stick straight down, and knocked out two more brutes. Those eight men had been really confident and enthusiastic, but five of them had already been neutralized. The remaining three moved back into the warehouse in fright. Duke kicked one fallen brute aside and slowly pressed forward. Suddenly, a light suddenly lit up from the deepest part of the warehouse. One brute was crouching on the floor, a rope in his hands. The rope extended to the beam where a sack hung from it, and inside the sack was a person. ¡°Let¡¯s not fight just yet, Mr. Winters.¡± The brute grinned. ¡°I know, even with our numbers, that we can¡¯t win against you, that¡¯s why we decided not to fight. But if you dare hurt my friends any more than this, I¡¯ll burn this rope off! ¡± Duke clenched his fists and coldly said, ¡°How would I know that person in the sack is the one I¡¯m here for?¡± ¡°You¡¯re free to doubt me.¡± The brute twirled a lighter in his hands. ¡°When the rope breaks and the person falls, you would then know if it¡¯s Ms. Daugherty or not, right?¡± Duke¡¯s gaze turned sinisterly dark. He would not bet on it! Never! From such a height, even if she did not die, she would be crippled. Moreover, the person in the sack had not made a sound yet, so he could not tell if the person was knocked out or drugged. ¡°Everyone, attack!¡± Even the ones who were beaten up just now struggled to their feet. Together, they surrounded Duke once more. The man who had taken the most damage charged over and kicked Duke¡¯s leg. Duke clenched his fists hard and did not retaliate. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± The man with the lighter chuckled. ¡°Let my friends take their frustrations out on you, and I¡¯ll return the hostage to you!¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Eight brutes surrounded Duke and started wildly punching and kicking him. Even Duke, who once stood in the middle of the warehouse like a pir, was brought down by a kick to his knees. His legs faltered and he fell to the ground. One of the brutes picked up a nearby brick and swung it toward the back of Duke¡¯s head. In the warehouse office, Adina sat in a chair with her eyes fixed unwaveringly on a monitor screen, her hands clenched in their sleeves. Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Chapter 496 She pursed her lips and calmly said, ¡°Since your enemy is Duke, you can take revenge by yourself. Can you give me back my daughter?¡± ¡°What a ruthless woman!¡± Earley sneered. ¡°He¡¯s sacrificing himself to save you. Don¡¯t you feel touched at all?¡± ¡°Why would I feel touched ?¡± Adina coldly said, ¡°If not because of him, why would my daughter and I end up being threatened by you? Earley Wynters, you¡¯re here to take revenge on Duke. He¡¯s now in your hands, so you can even kill him if you want! I just want to see my daughter now!¡± ¡°Patience. Let¡¯s finish watching the show.¡± Earley raised his hand and pressed down on Adina¡¯s shoulders. His head was very close to hers. The breath that he exhaled onto Adina¡¯s face was filled with coldness. She indifferently stared at the surveince screen. She saw about eight people beating Duke up. Duke¡¯s head was bleeding profusely. She saw Duke¡¯s ck eyes staring at the sack that was hung up high in the distance. She slowly clenched her fists, and her fingertips dug deep into her palms. Only this could help her retain her calm expression A pool of blood spread across the damp floor in the warehouse Duke felt that he was losing his strength. This cannot go on.¡¯ He told himself. If he really went down, Earl would never have the good conscience to spare Adina. He gathered his strength and got up swiftly. The two muscr men who sat on his body and kept punching him were caught off guard. They tumbled to the floor. When he stood up, those muscr men were shocked . Even if his body was full of injuries, those muscr men still took a step backward by instinct. ¡°Earl Winters, I know you¡¯re watching me from somewhere!¡± Duke said coldly, and his voice was low and cold with ruthlessness. ¡°As long as you let Adina go, I¡¯ll stand here and let you do as you please.¡± He pursed his lips. ¡°Even if you want to kill me, I won¡¯t say no! But I have one condition : you have to let Adina go!¡± His voice spread into the office. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Earley pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°Adina, are you touched? This man is willing to die for you.¡± Adina suddenly narrowed her eyes. She suddenly loosened her fists and stood up. Before Earley registered what she wanted to do, a skinny yet strong hand grabbed his neck. The knife on the table that he had yed with was also grabbed by the woman. Adina grabbed the knife and pointed it at Earley¡¯s jugr. She chuckled. ¡°Mr. Wynters, is this game fun?¡± Earley¡¯s gaze darkenedpletely. He was a conceited and arrogant man. So after he brought Adina over, he had not tied her up. As long as this woman thought her daughter was in his hand, then she would not fight back. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t want to see your daughter anymore, Miss Daugherty.¡± ¡°Earley, don¡¯t lie to me. You don¡¯t even have my daughter.¡± Adina scoffed. ¡°I followed you here because I didn¡¯t want to take any risks, and because my daughter is my life! But I already came up with a possibility just now, which is that my daughter is not with you! ¡°If Mel was really in your hands, Duke would not have said those words,¡± she coldly said. ¡°He would say that as long as you let Mel and I go, his life will be yours! But from the beginning to the end, he did not mention our daughter even once! In other words, my daughter is very safe now!¡± She looked around. ¡°Mr. Wynters, now your life is in my hands. Is there anything you have to say for yourself ?¡± Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Chapter 497 The light in the office was dim. The yellow light shone brightly in Adina¡¯s dark eyes. Earley looked at her eyes that brimmed with indifference, and he suddenly smiled faintly. ¡°Adina, you¡¯re really smart, so how did your own sister manage to set you up five years ago?¡± Adina¡¯s pink lips were tense. She was set up five years ago because she trusted those two so-called family members, not because she was stupid. While she was in a daze, Earley immediately raised his hand and grabbed her wrist. Adina was slim and agile. She took a step back and easily got out of Earley¡¯s control range. She stabbed at Earley¡¯s neck with the knife in her hand without hesitation. Earley narrowed his eyes, and he was forced to keep moving backward. He coldly said, ¡°You¡¯re unexpectedly great in martial arts.¡± He was almost no match for her. Adina smiled faintly and chuckled. ¡°If you really harm my daughter, I¡¯ll stab your heart with the knife without hesitation. But today, I don¡¯t want to make my hands dirty!¡± As she said that, she jumped forward and strongly hit the back of Earley¡¯s neck with her elbow. Earley was focused on the knife in her hand, so he did not expect that she would suddenly use this method. The back of his neck was hit, and his vision turned ck before he fell to the ground. Bang! He fell down to the ground, and a cloud of dust was flung up. The muscr man in the warehouse heard themotion via the walkie-talkie. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. The muscr man, who was holding a lighter, stared at them in surprise. He did not expect his boss to be beaten unconscious by a woman. He shook his head and turned back to his task. Swish! The lighter lit up with a small, ghostly blue me. The two-centimeter ¨C thick twine was tinged with sparks of fire and instantly lit up. Duke stood about ten meters away, and his sharp gaze narrowed. He raised his leg and kicked away the two muscr men in ck in front of him before he rushed over. But who could outrun a spreading fire? The rope was broken by the burning when he was about live meters away, and the sack came crashing down from the beam ¡°No!¡± Duke screamed at the top of his lungs, and he desperately rushed over. He spread his arms and wanted to catch the sack that fell down. He did not want the person inside the sack to get hurt. He would rather be the person being tied inside the sack now. He would rather fall down to his death than allow Adina to be hurt. But he was still one stepte! He just watched as the sack dropped to the floor, and a thudding sound was heard on the concrete floor. Then, he saw that the sack was slowly bing wet. Blood continued to seep out of the sack, and much of it ght-for spread across the damp ground. ¡°Addy¡­¡± Howdy Duke¡¯s voice trembled. He slowly walked over. His knees went weak, and he knelt on the concrete floor. He reached out and wanted to untie the sack, but it was full of blood. When he reached out, he was so scared that he kept his hand away. He dared not touch it. He feared it would make her injury more severe if he touched the sack. He feared nothing over the past twenty years of his life, but he was really frightened at that moment. Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Chapter 498 There was so much blood. Was she already¡­ ¡°No!¡± Duke¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He realized, toote, that he should be calling the ambnce. He patted his body all over, but he could not find his phone. He had dropped his phone somewhere when he fought just now. While he searched for his phone, the sound of footsteps slowly approached him. As though he grasped thest straw, he spoke in a sobbing tone, ¡°Could you please lend me your phone?¡± He looked up. He was at the backlight angle, so he could only see a skinny figure walking toward him. ¡°Why do you want my phone?¡± An indifferent voice was heard through the backlight. Duke¡¯s mind was buzzing. In an instant, he had not realized it. He said in a deep voice, ¡°I need to call an ambnce.¡± ¡°Why do you want to call an ambnce?¡± Adina slowly walked over. She saw that Duke knelt on the ground, and there was a sack in front of him that kept bleeding. This man¡¯s eyes were red, and his gaze was filled with pain. His voice cracked, as if he was close to bursting into tears. So, did he look like this because he thought she was the one in the sack and almost died because of falling down? At that moment, Adina¡¯s heart was filled with countless emotions. She walked over, squatted down, and tore apart the sack. Before Duke was able to stop her, he saw that the sack actually contained a stic dummy. The dummy was tied with countless blood bags, and it would bleed so much only because the blood bags were broken. ¡°Duke Winters, your sons are brilliant. Are you sure they got their IQ from you?¡± Adina purposely said in a calm voice, ¡°Is that possible for a normal person to bleed so much? Why didn¡¯t you think about it?¡± Duke stared nkly at the woman in front of him. He suddenly leaned forward and pulled the woman into his arms. ¡°Luckily, you¡¯re fine. Luckily, you¡¯re all right.¡± He rested his chin on her shoulder while he muttered softly. His mind had gone nk just now. He was so fixated on saving her, he failed to even realize that the person talking to him was the person whom he wanted to save. His IQ was not low, but he was really frightened. He was afraid that he would have to suffer the pain of loss before he even owned her. ¡°Addy, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Duke held her tightly while he whispered softly. Adina could feel that his arms were holding her more and more tightly, as if he wanted to be one with her. Her heart fluttered, and she slowly closed her eyes. She had seen this man¡¯s affection for her. If he did not care about her, he would not havee here alone to save her. If he did not truly care about her, he would not have said those words to Earley. He did not truly care about her, why would a 180cm -tall man suddenly be so stupid that he almost cried at a sack? He truly liked her, right? He did not like her because of the kids, but because of who she was. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. This feeling made Adina¡¯s heart melt. Five years ago, she was forced to harden herself against the cruel reality of the world. Over the years, she had built up a wall, so no one was able to hurt her. Naturally, it was difficult for anyone to get into her heart. But this time, she was really moved. She suddenly wanted to give herself to him, the biological father of her four kids. Just as Adina was about to speak, the man, who held her tightly, suddenly lost his strength, and he fell unconscious. It was only after she touched his body that she realized Duke¡¯s hands and legs were full of blood. It had been caused by the beating from the eight bodyguards in his bid to save her. She sighed before she helped Duke stand up and walk outside. At this time, a light shone in from the outside of the warehouse. Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Adina narrowed her eyes. She lifted her leg and kicked up the steel pipe from the ground before she held it with her hand and used it as a weapon. She thought that Earley¡¯s subordinates hade over. When she saw the two kids who appeared at the entrance of the warehouse, she instantly sighed in relief. Then, her indifferent face looked stern. ¡°Why are the two of you here?¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m d that you¡¯re fine!¡± Alden immediately rushed over and held Adina¡¯s waist tightly. His slightly mature face was full of worries and thankfulness. Adina¡¯s heart melted. ¡°Alden, I¡¯m fine. Nothing will happen to me. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Alden held her tightly, and he gloomily remained silent. George walked over, pursed his pink lips, and said softly, ¡°Alden felt something happened to you and Dad, so he found out your location. Luckily, nothing serious happened.¡± s-fight-for Tag Gener do this again. The two of you are just kids. How could you run out of the house in the middle of the night? I know you¡¯re smart, but no matter how smart you are, you can only manage so much against vicious adults.¡± Ho Alden schooled his expression. He raised his head and said, ¡°Mom, we didn¡¯te out alone. We brought a few bodyguards.¡± When Adina looked over, she indeed saw four tall and muscr bodyguards standing beside the car. ¡°Is¡­ Dad alright?¡± George looked at Duke, who was unconscious, and he asked softly. Adina felt grateful for a moment. These two kids did not forget their own dad. She said in a seemingly rxing tone, ¡°Your dad is just slightly injured. It¡¯s no big deal. Georgie, ask the bodyguards toe over and help bring your dad into the car.¡± The four bodyguards walked in from outside the warehouse, carefully carrying Duke while walking outside. When Adina walked to the entrance, she stopped walking and cast a nce at the back. Poup The office was less than one hundred meters away from the southwest of the warehouse. Earley fainted due to being beaten by her, so he should still be in that office now. She hesitated for less than a second before she coldly said, ¡°The two of you, go to the room at the southwest. There is an unconscious man there. Tie him up and take him back with us.¡± The two bodyguards immediately went over and looked for the person after they received the order. Three minutester, the bodyguards came back. ¡°Miss Daugherty, there is no one in the room.¡± Adina frowned. It looked like Earley had already run away. She did not know what kind of grudge this man and Duke had. The only thing that she worried about was that Earley woulde back again and harm the kids. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first.¡± The bodyguard drove the car to the private hospital that Winters Corporation had invested in. Adina took the kids out of the car before she said softly, ¡°Georgie, Alden, you go back to the Winters family with the bodyguards first. I¡¯ll be here with your dad in the hospital tonight.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No!¡± Alden refused without even thinking about it. He wanted to apany mom and protect her. He could How could Adina not understand Alden¡¯s thoughts? She stroked her son¡¯s soft hair before she said softly, ¡°Let two of the four bodyguards you brought stay to protect me, and I¡¯ll be fine. Alden, you have to go back and take care of Mel for me. If you stay in the hospital, Mel will be lost without the both of us. Won¡¯t she be so scared that she will cry? Alden, you¡¯re a good boy. Go back with Georgie and apany Mel, okay?¡± Alden pursed his lips tightly, and he nodded only after a long while. ¡°I¡¯lle to you tomorrow morning.¡± Adina looked at George again and softly said, ¡°Georgie , you¡¯re the eldest brother. Can you take good care of your brothers and sister for me tonight?¡± George nodded strongly. ¡°I will, Mommy. Also, I won¡¯t tell Mel that dad is injured. Don¡¯t worry, Mommy.¡± Adina touched her sons¡¯ heads before she ordered the bodyguards to bring the kids back to the Winters family. Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Only after the car disappeared from her sight did she allow the remaining two bodyguards to send Duke to the emergency room. ¡°Mr. Winters¡¯ injuries are minor, but the back of his head has taken a rather hard hit.¡± The doctor held the examination report and said, ¡°It was an armed weapon, so there is a small area of bruising on his brain. Theoretically, this bruise won¡¯t affect him much. His body will absorb it in half a month.¡± When Adina heard what the doctor said, she sighed in relief. ¡°Does he need to be in the hospital for half a month?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. He will just stay for three days for observation.¡± Duke was pushed to the ward. When Adina saw him lying on the bed with a pale face, she felt very conflicted. Not long ago, this man was shot by Dew in order to save Georgie, and he alsoid in the hospital for a few days. He had not recovered from his previous injury, and now he had been injured again. She leaned on the chair beside the bed, held her forehead, and closed her eyes to rest. George and Alden sat in the car on the way back to the Winters family. The atmosphere in the car was dull, and only the wind outside the window could be heard. It was only after a long time before Alden spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated Earley Wynters, but I could only learn that he is the investor of an underground biologicalpany. All other information has been concealed. Do you know any conflict between him, dad, and mom?¡± George shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard dad mentioning Earley¡¯s name before.¡± He took out his phone and keyed in ¡°Earley Wynters¡±, but no valid information appeared. Only after he added the name ¡°Elitos¡± did Earley¡¯s photo appear. Alden immediately narrowed his eyes. ¡°He is Earley Wynters?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. George was also stunned. ¡°Did we meet this person in the hospital that day?¡± Alden nodded. He even remembered that there was a name on this man¡¯s mask, which was Shura. Shura¡¯s profile appeared as one of the top three names in the Wanted Board on the Dark Net, and the reward had reached a terrifying eleven figures. Besides, Shura had killed people. If Earley was Shura, then¡­ Alden¡¯s expression tensed up. ¡°Dad and Mom are getting into big trouble.¡± ¡°Why do you say so?¡± George frowned. ¡°Is it hard to deal with Earley Wynters?¡± George had been working for thepany and did not pay attention to other matters, let alone those rumors on the Dark Net. Alden tapped his fingers on the knee before he pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the details after I find out some information.¡± K had been involved on Dark Net, so he would know more clearly than him about Shura. ¡°Water¡­¡± A hoarse voice was suddenly heard in the silent ward. Adina opened her eyes in a daze, and she saw Duke¡¯s longshes trembling. She got up, poured a ss of warm water, and came over before she put it to his lips. She said softly, ¡°Open your mouth, I¡¯m feeding you.¡± Duke¡¯s lips were dry. When he touched the ss, he opened his mouth and started drinking. He wasying down, so quite a lot of the water ran down the corners of his lips and onto the pillow. After Adina put down the ss, she bent down and helped clean the water droplets on the pillow. Her long and freshly scented hair fell down and brushed against Duke¡¯s face. He slowly opened his eyes. Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Chapter 501 It was extremely silent in the ward, except for some light dripping from the infusion tube. Duke smelled the fresh scent of Adina¡¯s hair, and he stared at her side profile. The soft light of the night cast a shadow on her face, which filled her indifferent countenance with gentleness, and his face was reflected in her ck eyes. He suddenly lost his cool. He turned sideways to kiss her cheek, but there were at least ten centimeters between them. Even though he tried to inch forward slightly, his head was injured, and he felt dizzy. Hence, he was unable to move at all. Duke felt annoyed as he moved his hand. His left hand was injured, but he was not receiving an infusion through it, so he could still move it. He raised his left hand slowly and grabbed Adina¡¯s sweet smelling hair. Adina was stunned. She turned to the side and caught Duke¡¯s profound eyes. Although this man was bedridden, his eyes were also full of ferocity and intensity. After she took a step back, she realized that her hair was still in the man¡¯s grip. ¡°You¡¯re grabbing my hair,¡± Adina said softly. Duke released his hand after some thought. He stared at her, and his throat suddenly became dry. Perhaps it was because the night was too dark, or the room was too quiet, or the emotions in his chest could no Most importantly, he did not want to wait any longer. The fear that he felt tonight had been too real. ¡°Addy.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was hoarse. He raised his hand again and held Adina¡¯s cold fingers. ¡°I prepared many flowers in the International za today. If this ident hadn¡¯t happened, I would¡¯ve already confessed to you. But it¡¯s still not toote now.¡± The man¡¯s voice hit Adina¡¯s heart like an electric current. She waspletely shaken. He had already confessed to her when he got drunkst night. Was he going to do it again? ¡°Addy, our rtionship should have started five years ago. If I had woken up ten minutes earlier that day, we wouldn¡¯t have lost those five years. ¡°Addy, I¡¯ve never been more sure of anything than the fact that I like you. I love you.¡± Adina¡¯s ears were burning. She pursed her lips and purposely scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard those words before.¡± Duke was taken aback, and he soon became anxious.¡± Addy, I¡¯m being sincere. I swear that I didn¡¯t copy my lines from the Inte.¡± He did use thements ofizens as a reference for his confession , but those words had been tangled in his brain for countless days and nights. He had wanted to say them to her so badly for a long time. How could someone else have possibly said the same thing as him? N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Adina took the opportunity to move out of his grip before she pursed her lips and said, ¡°You were drunk last night, and you said the exact same thing to me.¡± Duke was petrified. He had prepared the script for his confession for many days, but he blurted it out after he got drunk? He had confessed to her the night before? When Adina saw the way he looked, she suddenly chuckled. Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Duke resembled Harold a lot at that moment. He actually looked cute. Wait, what the heck?! Did she actually think Mr. Winters, the CEO, was cute? Meanwhile, Duke felt extremely upset. He had prepared greatly for his confession, but an ident happened unexpectedly. In fact, even without this ident, his confession was also a failure because he had apparently blurted everything outst night. Plus, he could not remember what he had done and said the night before. ¡°Duke , you better lie down and rest. We can talk about this after you recover.¡± Adina raised her hand and tucked him in. Even though she already had an answer for him, she did not know how to say it. She had four kids, but this was the first time that a man had confessed to her in person. It took all of her strength to fake indifference when she tucked him under the nket. ¡°No, I¡¯m not done talking.¡± Duke grabbed her wrist from the back. Even if his confession was destined to fail, he still wanted to say what he wanted. ¡°Addy, I love you not because you¡¯re the mother of my children, but because of who you are.¡± Adina pursed her pink lips. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! How could she not know that? This man used to think that Dew was the boys¡¯ mother, but he refused to marry her. This time, Adina turned out to be the children¡¯s mother, and he could not wait to confess to her. ¡°That night five years ago was my first time sleeping with a woman. I tried to look for you after that, but I couldn¡¯t find any news about you. It wasn¡¯t until five yearster that I discovered you had gotten locked up in the Daugherty family¡¯s warehouse after that night. You were pregnant with our kids and held captive in that warehouse for eight months. Addy, it¡¯s all my fault. ¡°If I were given another chance , I would want our first time to be a clean start. I would also hope that our kidse to the world when everyone is expecting them. I would even hope that you be my wife before you be my children¡¯s mother. ¡°You said that I had a low IQ. Yes, I thought I had a high IQ, but I actually made such a silly mistake on such an important matter. I was actually fooled by Dew Daugherty for four years. If I had been more careful and had paid more attention four years ago¡­ if I had been more responsible toward the boys, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed that vicious b*tch, Dew, to be with the boys for four years. I¡¯ve wronged George and Harold , and I can never deny that. ¡°But Addy, I never touched Dew at all over the past four years.¡± Duke¡¯s gaze was dark and deep like thete night sky. ¡°Addy, I love you. I want you to be my wife. I hope our family of six can live happily together after parting for four years.¡± As he spoke, he tried to touch his shirt pocket out of reflex, but he felt nothing. He only realized that he was wearing a hospital gown after he lowered his head and looked down. He was momentarily stunned before he asked, ¡°Addy, where¡¯s my suit?¡± ¡°That shirt was full of blood and extremely dirty, so I threw it into the trash,¡± Adina said in a low and husky voice. No woman could still act as if nothing had happened after listening to such a long confession. She was just a normal woman, and her heart melted from his gentle and thoughtful actions repeatedly. Perhaps their family of six could really live happily together. While Adina thought of how she should answer, she saw the bedridden man jump up all of a sudden. He was hooked to an IV, so he nearly pulled the needle out. Adina frowned. ¡°Why are you getting up? Lie back down!¡± ¡°I have to look for my shirt.¡± Duke wanted to pull the needle out, but Adina pressed him down by force. ¡°I¡¯ll go and look for it. You better lie down and stop moving!¡± she said helplessly. She did not understand. Was the shirt that important? Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Adina picked up the blood-stained suit from the bin. She lifted it and felt something in the pocket. When she touched it, she was instantly stunned. It was¡­ Her heart fluttered again. She pursed her lips and only managed to school her expression after a few seconds. She walked to the bed and handed Duke the suit. ¡°Here it is.¡± He took the suit, not minding that it was dirty. He just searched the pocket before he took out a small red box. He looked up at Adina before he said in a soft and gentle tone, ¡°Addy, will you marry me?¡± 2 He lifted the lid of the box, revealing a dazzling pink diamond ring. The ring had been perfectly cut, and it gleamed under the light, sparkling before Adina¡¯s eye. If the ident today had not happened, the proposal he prepared would have been perfect. But they were now in a small ward. There were no roses and romance. There was only the pungent smell of disinfectant and dripping sounds of infusion. Yet, her heart seemed to be wrapped by the softest thing. It felt like she had someone to rely on. From now on, she did not have to stay so strong and pretend in front of the kids. A glimpse of the past appeared in Adina¡¯s mind. Ever since she knew this man, her life had indeed be more colorful. Not only her but Alden and Melody also smiled more frequently now. Perhaps she could really give this rtionship a try. She could try to ept this man, establish a family with him, and live happily as a family of six. Adina felt her eyes bing a little teary. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She lowered her head and inhaled. After she looked up, she smiled brightly. ¡°Mr. Winters, we¡¯ve just met for a few months, but you want me to marry you so soon. Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re going too fast?¡± Was it too fast? Duke did not find it fast. He even found it very slow. They were moving too slowly. He did not even know how he could make up for the five years that they had missed out. His eyes were filled with affection, and he slowly said, ¡° Addy, do you know that when I saw the person lying in blood tonight, I felt extremely regretful? I regretted not confessing to you earlier and not being able to be with you earlier. Life is short, and I really don¡¯t want to wait anymore. Addy, marry me.¡± His voice hit Adina¡¯s heart like an electric current , and her legs almost gave way. She had already decided to ept this man, but getting just met for a few months. She calmed her fluttering heart before she blinked and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start with being in a rtionship, okay?¡± Duke held the ring and felt flustered. It was his first time giving a confession and proposing , and it was also his first time being in such a difficult situation. They were already a couple, but after he confessed to her, they were still just a couple. Had his efforts been in vain? He wanted to marry her. He wanted her to be his woman. He wanted to kiss her fearlessly. He wanted her to be the first person whom he saw every day when he woke up. But the woman whom he loved felt that they were progressing too quickly. Were they really going too fast? Duke pursed his beautiful lips tightly. The ward suddenly became silent, and Adina was slightly stunned too. Did this man think she was rejecting him? She was willing to be his girlfriend in the past because of George and Harold. Now she was willing to be in a rtionship with him because she was ready to ept him in her life. He could not have misunderstood and thought that she refused to marry him, could he? Adina struggled. In fact, she had be more resolute and straightforward over the four years, rarely hesitating and struggling with anything. Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Chapter 504 However, she was fiddling with her fingers now. She lowered her head, and hershes kept trembling. ¡°I was too eager.¡± Duke slowly spoke and broke the silence in the ward. ¡°It¡¯s okay if we don¡¯t get married first, but can we be engaged?¡± ¡°Engaged?¡± Adina looked surprised as she raised her head. ¡°Yes, engaged.¡± Duke stared at her affectionately.¡± You¡¯re too outstanding. Many men in Sea City have their one day.¡± When Adina saw the way he looked, she suddenly felt conflicted. This man had the top status and all the women in Sea City wanted to marry him, yet he had such low self-esteem. He would only show his vulnerable side in front of someone he was deeply in love with, right? Adina quietly stared at him while she slowly answered,¡± Okay.¡± ¡°Did you just agree?¡± Duke¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. He could not control himself, raising his arm to pull the woman into his embrace. However, as he raised his arm, it was pulled back by the infusion tube. Suddenly, the infusion tube seemed to be in his way, and he wanted to get rid of the needle. Adina frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t remove the needle. Lie down, and don¡¯t move.¡± How could Dukey down? He desperately wanted to hold Adina in his arms, kiss her lips hard, and feel her against his body. His gaze made it so obvious that Adina sensed his aggressive and possessive feelings without obstruction. Adina took a step back in fear. Why did she feel that this man desperately confessed to her because he wanted her body? Could she still go back on her word now? ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Hurry up and rest. I¡¯ll go out and get some water.¡± Adina turned around and left the ward. ¡°Did you just agree?¡± Duke¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. He could not control himself, raising his arm to pull the woman into his embrace. However, as he raised his arm, it was pulled back by the infusion tube. Suddenly, the infusion tube seemed to be in his way, and he wanted to get rid of the needle. Adina frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t remove the needle. Lie down, and don¡¯t move.¡± How could Dukey down? He desperately wanted to hold Adina in his arms, kiss her lips hard, and feel her against his body. His gaze made it so obvious that Adina sensed his aggressive and possessive feelings without obstruction. Why did she feel that this man desperately confessed to her because he wanted her body? Could she still go back on her word now? ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Hurry up and rest. I¡¯ll go out and get some water.¡± Adina turned around and left the ward. When Duke saw her back as she ran away, he could not help but chuckle. He had been hung up on her for many days, but his heart could finally settle down at longst. She was finally his fiancee. The only problem he needed to consider now was when his injury would recover. Adina kept himpany in the ward for a night. It was very quiet, but her heart was full ofplicated emotions, so she could not sleep well. She woke up before sunrise. Right after she exited the restroom, she saw Duke staring at her with his bright, ck eyes. They were full of light and happiness. Her heart pounded quickly. She walked over and tried to remain calm as she asked,¡± Do you feel unwell? Should I call the doctor over to check on you?¡± ¡°Good morning, my fiancee,¡± Duke stared at her and slowly said that. The word broke the calmness that Adina had faked, and her ears instantly turned red. Duke reached out to grab her wrist and pull her over with great force. Adina was caught off guard, and she fell over into the man¡¯s arms. She was so embarrassed that her face turnedpletely red. ¡°Duke Winters, let go of me. Don¡¯t mess with me!¡± How could Duke let go of her that easily? He had held himself back for a night. The infusion of the several bottles of IV was done by the time it was almost sunrise, hence his hands were also free. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He could finally hold his fiancee in his arms. Right then, they heard someone knocking on the door. Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Mrs. Winters held Melody in one arm while she held back. When the group of five appeared in the hospital¡¯s corridor, they immediately attracted 100% of all the nurses¡¯ and doctors¡¯ attention. However, it was a private hospital. Those who were admitted there were wealthy and noble. The nurses and doctors dared not gossip about them, consciously leaving after taking a few nces. ¡°Is Daddy injured?¡± Melody held Mrs. Winters¡¯ neck and softly asked. Her big eyes were teary. Mrs. Winters¡¯ heart melted. ¡°No. How could your daddy be injured? He¡¯s just not feeling well, so he came to the hospital for an examination.¡± Melody blinked and looked at the door of the ward. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Daddying to open the door?¡± As soon as she spoke, the door opened. When Adina saw the children at the door, she asked in surprise, ¡°Why are all of you here?¡± Mrs. Winters exined, ¡°Mel said she dreamed that something happened to Dukest night, and she insisted oning to look for her daddy. So, I had to take the kids here and visit him.¡± Harold squeezed himself to the front. Just as he was about to rush into Adina¡¯s arms, he was momentarily stunned. ¡°Oh, Mommy, why is your face so red?¡± Alden frowned. ¡°Mommy, are you having a fever?¡± ¡°You have to get treatment on time once you have a fever, or else there¡¯ll be severe consequences.¡± George looked stern as he said, ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go and see a doctor.¡± Adina was speechless. Her face turned red only because Duke had forcefully held her in his arms just now. What did that have to do with a fever? These kids were so capable of telling tall tales! She cleared her throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just feel a bit warm. Come in and visit your dad first.¡± The children instantly ran inside. Melody was first, and she rushed over. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Duke caught Melody with one arm, and Melody just shot into his chest. ¡°Oof!¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Duke grunted. Those men in ck had kicked his chestst night. Although his ribs were not broken, he was still in extreme When his daughter ran into him like that, he felt like being smacked with a stone. His face instantly turned pale. ¡°Daddy, are you okay?¡± Melody was so scared that her voice trembled, and tears instantly fell from her watery eyes. ¡°Goodness, you¡¯ve scared the kids.¡± Mrs. Winters quickly made her way over. She pulled Melody into her arms andforted her. ¡°Your daddy¡¯s fine. He¡¯s alright. Am I right, Duke?¡± As Mrs. Winters spoke, she even pressed Duke¡¯s chest a few times. Duke was speechless. Did his mother forget her own son when she had a granddaughter? Or had he been too unfilial to her, hence she had not been fond of him for a long time? Melody sniffled. ¡°Daddy, are you really alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°I just feel a little ufortable. I¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± ¡°Haha! Daddy, you look funny!¡± Harold suddenly covered his belly andughed. ¡°Your head¡¯s wrapped with a white cloth, and you look hrious. Besides, you haven¡¯t shaved your beard, Daddy. You look so sloppy.¡± He even showed a disgusted expression as he said that. Duke found himself speechless. Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Chapter 506 He knew that his head was wrapped in gauze, but what was so funny about that? Besides, what was wrong with a man not shaving his beard? Was it hrious? He looked at Adina gloomily and noticed that she was pursing her lips, trying to hold in herughter. Did this mean that he had confessed to Adina with such a hrious appearancest night? ¡°Mommy, you find dad funny too, right?¡± Harold tugged on Adina¡¯s arm as heughed and asked. Duke¡¯s expression darkened. Adina cleared her throat and said, ¡°Hal, don¡¯tugh at your dad like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯tugh at Dad, or else he¡¯ll beat me up after he recovers.¡± Harold stuck his tongue out and hid behind Adina. Duke was at a loss for words. When did he beat this brat up? Harold really knew how to create rumors and ruin his reputation! Duke cast a nce at Adina and exined, ¡°Addy, I never beat the kids. I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°Yes, Dad never beats us. He just punishes us by making us stand at attention.¡± Harold made a face. ¡°We would have to stand for two hours. Our legs hurt.¡± George also nodded. ¡°This does happen.¡± Adina looked at Duke. Duke was speechless. He felt so guilty that he dared not look Adina in the eyes. ¡°Alright, George, take your brothers and sister out to y,¡± Mrs. Winters smoothed the situation over and said, ¡°Addy, I brought some chicken soup for Duke. Please take it out and get the caretaker to heat it up.¡± Adina knew that Mrs. Winters might have something to discuss with Duke, so she immediately picked up the soup and took the children out. Once the door of the ward was closed, Mrs. Winters finally sat down by the bed and asked, ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡± ¡°It was Earl Winters.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! As soon as Duke said that, Mrs. Winters froze. She had expected her other son to be involved , but she still found it hard to believe when it came out of Duke¡¯s mouth. She clenched her fist and muttered, ¡°How can it be? Early promised me that he would change. How could he do such a thing?¡± ¡°Mom, only you would believe him. He also used your trust and found a chance to hurt me,¡± Duke firmly said.¡° This is thest time, Mom. This is thest time that I¡¯ll allow you to trust Earl Winters. I don¡¯t want there to be a next time.¡± Mrs. Winters chuckled in resignation. Her lips were bitter. When she received a call from Earl yesterday, she really thought that her son wanted to get along with the Winters family, and she believed that he was truly fond of Melody. She took Melody to see the pink alpacas. She even took some photos of Melody feeding the alpacas and sent them to Earl. Earl must have secretly criticized her for being foolish after he received those photos. She had put Duke in danger because of her trust in Earl. Both of them were her sons. Mrs. Winters closed her eyes, held back her tears, and slowly said, ¡°Duke, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t see your brother again¡­ No, he isn¡¯t your brother. Since your father passed away, he no longer had ties with the Winters family. Even if it¡¯s for the children¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t trust him anymore.¡± When Duke saw the tears at the corners of Mrs. Winters¡¯ eyes, he slowly sighed. Some things were just a twist of fate. It was a twist of fate that he and Earl, twin brothers, would end up like this today. Since things had gotten to this point, they should just ept it. ¡°Mom, Addy and I are about to be engaged. Please prepare for the engagement party.¡± Mrs. Winters instantly widened her eyes. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course, I am.¡± Duke shed her a smile. ¡°I proposed, and she said yes.¡± Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Chapter 507 After Adina ced the soup in the microwave, she turned around and looked at the four children who were standing behind her. When the sunlight shone in, the children smiled at her innocently. The smiles on Harold and Melody¡¯s faces were incredibly bright. George and Alden had matured early, and their faces gave off a sophisticated and precocious air, which did not suit their ages. But there was still some childlike wonder in George¡¯s gaze, while Alden looked like a boy who was nearly ten years old. Among the kids, Alden was still the most mature one. Adina sighed. If she had not experienced such a hard time in the past, would Alden have been forced to grow up? This was not a good thing for a kid. Luckily, there would be one more person to protect the children with her, and Alden no longer had to work so hard to grow up. Adina squatted down and held Alden¡¯s hand before she softly said, ¡°Alden, I have something to tell you.¡± Alden raised his head obediently. ¡°Go ahead, Mommy. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Adina moved her lips. She slowly spoke after she hesitated for a while. ¡°I said yes to your dad¡¯s proposal.¡± 11 Alden was stunned. Before he could wrap his mind around what Adina meant, Harold jumped around happily.¡± Wow, Mommy! Are you serious ? Are you really going to marry Dad? I can live with you every day, right? Can you tell me bedtime stories every day? Wow! I¡¯m so happy!¡± The boy danced with excitement . Although Melody did not understand what she meant by ¡°said yes to your dad¡¯s proposal,¡± she twirled andughed as well. George¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Mommy, our family of six can reunite now, right?¡± Adina gently smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, our family of six is going to live happily together, and we won¡¯t be apart anymore.¡± 1 They had been apart for four years, so it was time to make up for the loss of their parents¡¯ love. George narrowed his eyes, and his face was filled with joy. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Adina turned around and looked at Alden. This boy was really mature. When he heard the news, his first response was not to be happy but to fall into deep thought. She raised her arm and smoothed the frown on her son¡¯s forehead. ¡°Alden, this is the second time that your dad¡¯s lying in the hospital for me. He truly cares about me. If I marry him, I¡¯ll be very happy. Don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± she said softly. Alden held Adina¡¯s fingers, pursed his lips, and said, ¡°I just want to know one thing, Mom. Did you say yes to Dad¡¯s proposal because of the four of us or because you really like him?¡± Harold blinked in confusion . ¡°Aren¡¯t they the same? Is there any difference?¡± But George became silent. He always thought that he loved his mom a lot. Right then, he realized that his love for his mom was less than one-tenth that of Alden. When he heard that his mom and dad wanted to get married, his first thought was that their family would reunite and he could finally be with his mom. Meanwhile, Alden¡¯s first response was whether their mom really loved their dad. Was their mom willing to marry into the Winters family because of the children or because she loved their dad? The difference between the two factors was huge. George felt a little guilty as he clenched his fists. Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Adina stroked Alden¡¯s soft hair and answered in a gentle yet firm voice, ¡°Alden, if it were just for my children¡¯s sake, I would have found a man and gotten married a few years ago. There¡¯s no way I would give away my happiness like that. I really like your dad, and I¡¯m willing to give myself to him. I¡¯m willing to spend the rest of my life with him and watch over the four of you together with him.¡± As soon as she spoke, she felt a burning gaze behind her. When she turned around, she saw that Mrs. Winters had helped Duke to stand in the corridor. The man¡¯s ck eyes were like zing mes that burned the deepest part of her heart. Her face instantly turned red. She had run away after the man confessed to herst night. She did not speak so straightforwardly to him. However, Duke had heard all her sincere words to Alden. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. No matter how calm andposed Adina was, she was just a young woman in her early twenties. Hence, she was still a little shy and ufortable when facing such situations. Mrs. Winters supported Duke as they walked over. He looked away from Adina and stared at Alden. ¡°Alden, I swear on my life that I¡¯ll love your mom for the rest of my life. I¡¯ll love, protect, and guard her until the day my life ends.¡± Alden¡¯s frown gradually loosened. He raised his chin and looked at the man in front of him for a long time before he finally spoke. ¡°Okay, Dad. I believe you.¡± Adina finally breathed a sigh of relief. Duke also shed him a faint smile. He held his fist out and said, ¡°You can trust me for the rest of your life because I¡¯ll never fail you.¡± Alden extended his small fist and bumped it against Duke¡¯s. Then, he looked up and said, ¡°If one day you fail to live up to these words today, I won¡¯t be polite.¡± Duke smiled. ¡°That day will nevere.¡± ¡°Okay, stop. Why are there harsh words between a father and a son?¡± Mrs. Winters said with a smile. ¡°Since all the children are here, let¡¯s discuss the date for the engagement. I just checked on the Inte, and there are three auspicious days this year. They are the sixth of next month, the fifteenth of the month after next month, and the eighteenth after that.¡± Harold smiled cheekily. ¡°I think the sixth of next month is pretty good!¡± Adina was speechless. She had just said yes to the proposal yesterday, and today, they were already discussing the engagement date. Was it not too soon? Besides, there were less than ten days before the sixth of next month. Mrs. Winters felt that it would be too soon as well, so she frowned and said, ¡°Sixth of next month is in nine days. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to arrange a grand engagement party.¡± ¡°Oops, Grandma , you¡¯re mistaken.¡± Harold shook Mrs. Winters¡¯ arm and said, ¡°The Winters family isn¡¯t short of money. As long as we have money, forget nine days, even if it¡¯s nine hours away, we can still have a luxurious and grand engagement party. Am I right, Dad?¡± Duke finally thought that raising a son was somewhat beneficial after all. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Actually, we can definitely make it in nine days.¡± In fact, he wanted to have the engagement party tomorrow. He did not want to wait another day. However, Addy would certainly not want that. Besides, he was still injured. Even if he was engaged, he would not be able to do anything for now. Adina moved her lips, and just as she was about to say something, Melody came over. Her eyes were bright, and she spoke softly. ¡°Can I be the flower girl?¡± Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Chapter 509 The engagement date was confirmed before Adina could say anything. It would be on the sixth of next month, which was in less than nine days. Melody secured an opportunity to be the flower girl, while the other three boys secured an opportunity to help lift the gown. But Adina was puzzled. Was a flower girl needed at an engagement party? Did she have to wear a gown at an engagement party? Did it not seem simr to a wedding? ¡°Addy, the engagement party in a family like ours has to be grand. After you be Duke¡¯s fiancee , you¡¯ll be the future Mrs. Winters. We have to let everyone in Sea City know who the future Mrs. Winters is.¡± The senior Mrs. Winters smiled happily and said, ¡°¡®ll arrange everything for the party. You just need to do one thing.¡± Adina was dazed and confused as she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Inform your family and friends to attend the engagement party.¡± Mrs. Winters grinned. ¡°It¡¯s on the sixth of next month. Don¡¯t get the date wrong.¡± Harold jumped up high. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Mommy to infor?n them!¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± ¡°Okay, all of you will go together!¡± Mrs. Winters smiled and touched the children¡¯s heads before she looked at Duke. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the ward and discuss the details of the engagement party.¡± Adina was totally speechless. Was everything confirmed just like that? Why did she feel like she was in a dream? She just said yes to his proposal yesterday, and they were having an engagement party in nine days? She only snapped out of her daze when Harold shook her arm. Adina pursed her lips, smiled, and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you to the Daugherty family¡¯s home first.¡± She had cut ties with the Daugherty family, but no matter what, Mdm. Daugherty had shown her love. So, she really needed to inform Mdm. Daugherty about her engagement. Her car stopped in front of the Daugherty family¡¯s mansion. Adina then pushed the door open and got out of her car. She felt a sense of destion when she looked at the mansion, which seemed different than it was previously. In the past, no matter when she came over, there would be busy servants walking around in the mansion¡¯s courtyard. But the courtyard was full of bushes now, and no one was there to clear it up, The mansion was empty. She could tell that all the servants had been dismissed. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Daugherty Corporation¡¯s owner had changed , and Dew was in prison. Aaron and Ruby had thrown all their money into getting their only daughter out of the prison. The Daugherty family was no longer the same as before. Adina felt conflicted as she stood in front of the mansion, and she pressed the doorbell. Mdm. Daugherty struggled for a long time to walk out of the mansion with the help of her walking stick. Her eyes became teary when she saw Adina. She stumbled as she walked over and opened the door of the mansion. ¡°Grandma.¡± Adina called out to her with an expression filled withplex emotions. Mdm. Daugherty looked at the four children. The moment she saw George and Harold, she sighed deeply. She clearly knew that Dew had not gotten pregnant, but she still kept a blind eye to it. She was also an aplice. When Dew ended up the way she did, she, the grandmother, also held some responsibility. ¡°Great-granny,¡± George opened his lips and softly greeted her. Back when he was Dew¡¯s son, he would call Mdm. Daugherty ¡°Great-granny whenever he visited the Daugherty family¡¯s mansion. Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Now, Adina was his mom. If his mom was willing to call Mdm. Daugherty ¡°Grandma,¡± then he would also be willing to show the same respect. ¡°Oh, good boy.¡± Mdm. Daugherty sighed and said, ¡°Addy, take the kids inside and have a seat.¡± ¡°No, Grandma,¡± Adina said, ¡°I came over today because I wanted to tell you that I¡¯m getting engaged. The party will be on the sixth of next month. I¡¯ll deliver the invitation card to you in a few days.¡± Mdm. Daugherty was stunned. ¡°Engaged? To whom?¡± ¡°With our dad!¡± Harold raised his chin and pridefully said, ¡°Mommy¡¯s getting married to Dad!¡± Mdm. Daugherty chuckled in resignation again. Dew used to put in so much effort, yet she never managed to marry into the Winters family. However, when Addy came back, the Winters family treated her generously. Something stolen would notst long indeed. ¡°Addy, you¡¯ve suffered a lot, and the good times have just begun. There will be better things toe for you. You¡¯ll be very happy,¡± Mdm. Daugherty muttered. ¡°Dew¡­ She¡¯s still in prison. Your dad¡¯s been working down to the bone, trying toe up with a solution for her, but I don¡¯t know if Dew-¡± ¡°Grandma, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Adina interrupted Mdm. Daugherty and smiled with an indifferent gaze before she brought the children into the car. She would be happy, but that did not mean she could forget the pain she had suffered over the past five years. If she had been the only one who suffered, fine. Perhaps she could try to forgive Dew. But the four kids had also suffered at the same time. She did not have the right to forgive that vicious b*tch, Dew, for her kids. As soon as Adina entered the car, she noticed that the children were staring at her with their ck eyes in unison. She chuckled and said, ¡°Okay, now we¡¯re going to meet Great-grandma and tell her the good news of my engagement!¡± Melody smiled. ¡°Oh, yeah! I like Great-grandma!¡± Harold and George had met the Xavier family before, but they did not have a chance to get along with them. The two of them straightened their backs and secretly tidied their cors. Since they were people whom their mom and Melody cared about, then they would have to appear in front of those people with the most perfect images. The car soon stopped in front of the Xavier family¡¯s mansion. Mdm. Daugherty was alone in the Daugherty family¡¯s mansion , but it was extraordinarily lively in the Xavier family¡¯s ce today. About five cars were parked in the courtyard . Sounds of conversation could be heard even before they entered the mansion. After Adina brought the four children out of the car, she smiled gently and said, ¡°Once you go inside, you have to greet them, understand?¡± Harold nodded hard. ¡°Okay, Mommy. I¡¯ll greet them nicely because I¡¯m the most polite baby in the world!¡± Alden nced at him coldly. ¡°Are you still a baby?¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m just four years old. Why can¡¯t I be a baby? What do you think, George?¡±. George pursed his lips and looked at Melody. ¡°Mel, do you think you¡¯re a baby?¡±. Melody shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m a grown-up. I¡¯m a big girl now, not a baby.¡± Harold was speechless. Melody was younger than him, yet she was not a baby. Could he still shamelessly be a baby then? Adina chuckled because of her kids. ¡°All of you are my babies. No matter how old you are, you¡¯re always my babies.¡± The group of five walked toward the mansion and pressed the doorbell. Then, a servant came over and opened the door. As soon as she saw Adina, she smiled. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, the madam was just talking about you yesterday. Pleasee in. Master Alden, Miss Melody, and who are these two?¡± Harold blinked and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Harold Winters.¡± Following that, George obediently said, ¡°I¡¯m George Winters.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Chapter 511 When Ethan heard the noise, he immediately got up and went outside. He had met the young masters of the Winters family at least once, but this was his first time meeting them after finding out that they were his nephews. He searched his body and realized that he did bring any gifts he could give them. ¡°Uncle Ethan.¡± Alden was the first to speak, politely greeting Ethan. Right after he spoke, three other voices were heard. ¡°Uncle Ethan!¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Uncle Ethan!¡± ¡°Uncle Ethan!¡± Harold and George obediently stood at the door. They blinked and appeared cool as well as obedient. ¡°Hello!¡± Ethan immediately answered before he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Addy, this is the first time you¡¯ve brought them here. Why didn¡¯t you call me in advance? I didn¡¯t prepare anything!¡± Adina siniled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to prepare anything. I just came over to share some good news with you.¡± Ethan cast a nce at the kids. ¡°It definitely is good news.¡± When Adina called him some time ago, she had asked him not to tell anyone about the children, but now, she could bring the four kids to visit him. It looked like a bnce had been achieved between Adina and the Winters family for the children. He raised his hands and held the children¡¯s hands while they entered the mansion. Today, all the Xavier family members were there. Sophia had also brought her son, Leo, back. They were sitting on the couch while eating grapes. When Sophia saw Adinaing in, she scoffed. ¡°Wow, what brings the most beautiful woman in Sea City here today?¡± Her tone was as unpleasant as could be. Mdm. Xavier¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. ¡°If you don¡¯t like Addy, you can take your child and leave the Xavier family¡¯s home now!¡± Sophia was so angry that her face turned pale. Her family name was Xavier too, and she was thedy of the family. This was her home. Why did she have to step aside when Adina came over? Recently, because the chip designed by Adina had received exceptionally good reviews in the market, it pushed Xavier Corporation¡¯s stock price to new heights. That also led the internal staff of the company topliment Adina constantly. Whenever Sophia went to thepany, she would hear positive reviews about Adina from the staff, and it infuriated her. It was fine to be pissed off at work, but Adina had to step on her even when she was back in her own home. How could she hold back? Sophia threw her ss on the tea table with great force. Alden nced at Sophia indifferently before he looked at Mdm. Xavier and obediently said, ¡°Great- grandma.¡± Right after, the three other kids behind him immediately followed suit. ¡°Great-grandma!¡± ¡°Great-grandma!¡± ¡°Great-grandma!¡± Alden then looked at Richard. ¡°Uncle Richard.¡± ¡°Uncle Richard.¡± ¡°Uncle Richard.¡± Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Chapter 512 ¡°Uncle Richard.¡± Mdm. Xavier and Richard were stunned. Who were the two other children next to Melody and Alden? Ethan cleared his throat and said, ¡°Addy didn¡¯t let me tell you, so I¡¯ve been keeping it a secret. Now, I can finally tell you. These two children are the young masters of the Winters family, and they¡¯re Addy¡¯s biological sons.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Mdm. Xavier was taken aback for a while before she immediately responded, ¡°The news said Addy¡¯s two sons died, but they weren¡¯t¡­¡± She looked at George and Harold¡¯s faces with aplicated gaze. Adina sat down beside Mdm. Xavier and spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°That night four years ago, I gave birth to quadruplets. Georgie and Harold weren¡¯t breathing when they were born, so Dew Daugherty deceived me by telling me that they were dead. Then, she carried them away. After I gave birth to Alden and Mel, I ran away from the Daugherty family.¡± She calmly exined the incident that had happened four years ago, and the living room was extremely quiet throughout. Tears filled Mdm. Xavier¡¯s eyes. ¡°Addy, it really has been so tough for you and the kids.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all over.¡± Adina¡¯s gaze was soft. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m very happy now. I have my four kids, and all of them are healthy and happy. Duke and I are getting married too. We¡¯ll have a happy family, and the kids will grow up with joy.¡± ¡°Getting married?¡± Mdm. Xavier caught the main point.¡° Who are you marrying?¡± ¡°Great-grandma , Mommy is getting married to Dad!¡± Harold smiled cheekily. ¡°They¡¯ll get engaged on the sixth of next month. Mel will be the flower girl, and I¡¯ll be responsible for lifting Mommy¡¯s gown.¡± ¡°Addy, is that true?¡± Ethan asked in surprise. Adina nodded bashfully. ¡°Yes. I came over today because I wanted to tell you the news. We¡¯ll be engaged on the sixth of next month. The venue hasn¡¯t been confirmed, so I¡¯ll deliver the invitation card in a few days.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Mdm. Xavier patted the back of Adina¡¯s hand excitedly. ¡°Duke Winters became the CEO of Winters Corporation at a very young age. He has managed the company well all these years. He has money and power, yet we¡¯ve never heard any scandals about him in our circle. This shows that he¡¯s a man whom you can rely on for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± A discordant sound suddenly came from the living room. Sophia fiddled with her fingers while she sarcastically said, ¡°As long as you have money, there¡¯s no scandal that you can¡¯t suppress. If he really is a man you can rely on for the rest of your life, why would he have a one-night affair with the most beautiful woman in Sea City five years ago? Duke might also have countless women in ces that you can¡¯t see. Perhaps he also has a lot of illegitimate children out there¡­¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. George cast a cold nce at her. He was very young, but he had a strong aura. When he nced over, the second half of Sophia¡¯s sentence died in her throat. ¡°Aunt Sophia, right?¡± George asked coldly. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re married to Mr. Gardner. I¡¯ve met him. He has a big head, fat ears, and a huge belly. He looks like a giant, but he has a lot of luck with women. Whenever he attends a dinner, he doesn¡¯t seem to be apanied by the same femalepanion . Aunt Sophia , if you¡¯re interested in his women, I can take you to meet him one day.¡± Sophia widened her eyes in anger. When those words came out of a four-year-old boy¡¯s mouth, it made her feel embarrassed and annoyed. Nobody knew her husband better than her. She had been covering it up in front of the Xavier family, but the little brat just exposed everything. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Morganna red at George. ¡°How old are you? You spout a lot of nonsense. I wonder who taught you all of this.¡± ¡°My dad taught me. Why? Do you have something to say?¡± George sneered. He shut Morganna down. This brat¡¯s dad was Duke. Who was Duke? He was the CEO of Winters Corporation and a bigwig who could control Sea City. The Xavier family was part of the top ten in Sea City, but they still could notpare to the Winters family. Morganna had to stuff her anger in her chest, and it was suffocating. However, she dared not make a bigger fuss. She turned around and walked to the side hall. Sophia followed her as well after she red at Adina in hatred. As soon as the two of them entered the side hall, their rage waspletely visible on their faces. Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Chapter 513 ¡°D*mn it!¡± Sophia kicked the tea table. She was so furious that she nearly fainted. Morganna was no better. ¡°Like mother, like daughter. Olivia Xavier hooked up with Young Master Jones, but she still got kicked to the curb. Adina doesn¡¯t think she can increase her status and be Mrs. Winters after she birthed four kids for the Winters family, does she?¡± Morganna mocked. Sophia turned around. ¡°Mom, what do you mean? I don¡¯t quite get it.¡± ¡°Olivia Xavier is Adina¡¯s mother. She died not long after she gave birth to Adina.¡± Morganna scoffed. ¡°Xavier family was also a big reputable family at that time, and Daugherty Corporation had not been established yet. Look, Olivia was the Xavier family¡¯s daughter. Why would she lower her status and marry a poor guy who had nothing?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because she had slept with Young Master Jones and be second-hand goods, hence she needed to marry Aaron Daugherty!¡± Morganna said contemptuously.¡± Aaron is trash. After he established Daugherty THAT Corporation with the Xavier family¡¯s support, he still had a mistress outside, who happens to be the current Mrs. Daugherty. In short, Adina will end up in the same situation as Olivia.¡± Sophia leaned on a couch with a scornful smile and said, ¡± Even if Olivia had married Young Master Jones back then, things would not have ended up good for her, right? I heard that Young Master Jones didn¡¯t attend to his duties properly, and his father, Mr. Jones, didn¡¯t trust him. As a result, he handed the family business to Mdm. Zhenny Jones to manage. If Olivia were still alive, she would probably feel fortunate about not marrying Dillon Jones.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. No matter how incapable Dillon is, he¡¯s still the young master of the Jones family. He holds the shares of Jones Corporation. Even though he does nothing, he can still have a wealthy life.¡± Adina was on the way to the restroom. When she passed by the side hall, she identally heard the shocking conversation. She was stunned. Previously, she had purposely visited the Xavier family and asked her grandma about it, but her grandma exined that her mother had never been in a rtionship when she was young. Aaron was her mother¡¯s first andst boyfriend. But why did Morganna say that her mother had gotten involved with a man other than Aaron? If what Morganna said was true, would the man who had gotten involved with her mother be her biological father? Adina stopped after she walked past a window screen. Then, she entered the side hall. The moment she stepped in, the two people , who were talking inside, immediately fell silent. They hated Adina, but they clearly knew that Adina was the biological mother of the young Winters masters, and she was likely going to be Mrs. Winters. They could not afford to offend a person with such a status, Although Sophia knew that, her gaze on Adina was still filled with fury and jealousy. The fire of hatred was burning fiercely in her eyes. Adina stood at the entrance of the side hall and calmly said, ¡°I heard my mother¡¯s name just now.¡± ¡°Why? Is your mother a noble bigwig? Can¡¯t we even mention her?¡± Sophia asked angrily. Adina remained indifferent. ¡°How is my mother connected to Dillon Jones?¡± ¡°They used to be a couple,¡± Morganna said sarcastically.¡± But the Xavier family couldn¡¯t seek a connection with the Jones family at that time, so Dillon abandoned your mother. Since she was abandoned, she could only seek an alternative and marry Aaron in the end¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Richard walked over out of nowhere. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He stared at Morganna and angrily said, ¡°You¡¯re an elder. Why are you talking about these trivial matters in front of the kids?¡± After that, he turned around. ¡°Addy, don¡¯t listen to your aunt. Your mother and Dillon Jones were just friends. They weren¡¯t in that kind of rtionship,¡± he said in a friendly manner. ¡°I know, Uncle Richard. It¡¯s all over. There¡¯s nothing that I should look into.¡± Adina smiled and seemed rxed. However, as soon as she entered the restroom , she took out her phone and did a search on Dillon¡¯s name. Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Chapter 514 The Jones family had about a hundred years of history in Sea City. They were a family with a rich heritage. After they got involved in the business industry a few decades ago, they became highly sessful. Soon, they became one of the four biggest families in Sea City. Mr. Jones was ruthless, and he had a son as well as a daughter. His son was Dillon, while his daughter was Zhenny. She was Mdm. Jones, who had a conflict with Adina due to the position of Elitos chief designer for chip development. Zhenny had a daughter called Jasmine Yackley, who happened to be the girl who kept going after Flint. Adina smiled faintly. What a coincidence ! She actually had conflicts with both Zhenny and Jasmine. She swiped over the information about Zhenny and Jasmine before she read about Dillon. He was fifty years old but only had one son. His wife had passed away about two decades ago, and he had remained single until now. The Inte¡¯s review of him was quite good, but his skills were worrying. A few subsidiarypanies under Jones Corporation had gone into bankruptcy in his hands. Therefore, Mr. Jones officially withdrew Dillon¡¯s status as the heir about eight years ago. He then handed Jones Corporation to Zhenny to manage instead. Gradually, less and less information about Dillon appeared on the Inte. Adina keyed in both Dillon and her mother¡¯s names at the same time, but she could not find any relevant news. She held her phone, and her fingers suddenly froze. She did not know why she was so concerned about this. Was it that important to know who her biological father was? She was a grown woman, and she was going to have her own family. Why was she still pursuing such a silly thing? Morganna loved to gossip. Perhaps she had purposely made up her mother¡¯s personal affairs, and Adina took it seriously. Adina turned her phone off and slipped it into her pocket before she washed her face and returned to the living room. The four children surrounded Mdm. Xavier as they chatted. Once people got older, they would enjoy being surrounded by kids. Mdm. Xavier seemed to be squinting because she was grinning. ¡°Great-grandma, listen to this. George also used to pee his pants when he was little.¡± ¡°Harold Winters, shut up!¡± George¡¯s face turned slightly red as he lowered his voice and scolded Harold. Harold leaned on Mdm. Xavier¡¯s knees and cheekily said, ¡°I won¡¯t shut up. I want to keep talking! Great-grandma, George looks like a small adult now, but he actually liked to drink milk when he was little. He drank more than me!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the one who still wants to drink milk in the middle of the night now?¡± Alden pointed out seriously. Harold righteously replied, ¡°I get hungry, so it¡¯s normal for me to need milk.¡± ¡°All of you are just four years old, so you have to drink more milk. You¡¯ll only grow taller after you drink milk.¡± Mdm. Xavier turned to the side and instructed, ¡°Richard, ask some people to deliver milk powder and buy four feeding bottles. After dinnerter, make a bottle of milk for each of these kids.¡± 1 Harold was extremely delighted. He truly liked to drink milk, but his dad did not allow him to use a feeding bottle. He had not enjoyed drinking milk for a very long time. 1. He held Mdm. Xavier¡¯s arm in a cute manner and said, ¡± Great-grandma, I really like you!¡± George was speechless. Alden was at a loss for words too Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! When Adina saw this, she could not help but chuckle. Just as she was about to speak, her phone vibrated. She nced at the iing call and discovered that it was from Duke Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Chapter 515 When Duke looked at the empty ward in the hospital, he felt quite gloomy. He was severely injured, and the woman who had just be his fiancee disappeared for the whole afternoon. He held his phone with hesitance for a while, struggling repeatedly before finally making a call. His call was answered after two beeps. Both parties did not speak, but Duke could hear the children¡¯sughter from the other end of the line. He, the father, was bedridden and unable to move, while the brats wereughing happily. Duke pursed his gorgeous lips and nonchntly said, ¡° I¡¯m hungry.¡± Adina was speechless. Hungry? Were there no bodyguards and caretakers in the hospital? He was a CEO. As long as he instructed it, food would be delivered in a minute. He was not asking her to cook and deliver food to him, was he? She paused for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make some food and deliver it to you after I bring the children back to the N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Winters family viter.¡± After that, she seemed to recall something and added, ¡°I remember the doctor mentioning that you can only eat liquid food.¡± There was nothing but a lot of liquid food sold in the hospital¡¯s cafeteria. Duke¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he said, ¡°My hand¡¯s injured, so I can¡¯t eat on my own. Pleasee and help me.¡± He just hung up once he was done speaking, as though he was afraid that Adina would reject his request. Beep! Adina looked helpless when she heard the dial tone on the phone. She finally knew who Harold resembled in terms of character. He was like the unreasonable Duke. That man was nearly thirty years old. Could he stop being so childish? ¡°Was that a call from Duke?¡± Mdm. Xavier narrowed her eyes in amusement and smiled. ¡°Addy, you should have brought Duke over for dinner today. The Xavier family hasn¡¯t officially met him yet.¡± Adina stroked her nose. ¡°He¡¯s still in the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes, Dad¡¯s injured. He has to stay in the hospital for at least a week!¡± Harold spoke clearly. ¡°Addy, this isn¡¯t right. Duke¡¯s in the hospital. How can youe to the Xavier family¡¯s mansion?¡± Mdm. Xavier instantly became worked up. ¡°Let the kids stay in my ce. Hurry to the hospital and keep Duke company. He¡¯s injured. That poor thing is lying down in the hospital alone.¡± ¡°Dad¡¯s not a poor thing!¡± Harold blinked as he said, ¡± There are two bodyguards and two caretakers in the hospital. Maybe Papa Brown¡¯s there too. There are so many people. Dad¡¯s the least pitiful one!¡± Mdm. Xavier held Harold¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Can bodyguards and caretakerspare to a fiancee? At a time like this, your mommy has to go over and apany him so that your dad will recover faster.¡± Harold pouted unhappily. He just wanted his mommy to be with him. He did not want his dad to take all her time. ¡°Dad¡¯s an adult. He should learn how to be alone. Great grandma, let¡¯s have dinner now,¡± Alden said indifferently. Mdm. Xavier was speechless. Fine, she could not refute these two brats. Adina sighed in relief as well. She really did not want to apany Duke in the hospital on her own. After all, it was getting dark. If she went over now, she would probably have to spend a night in the hospital. She could not bear Duke¡¯s aggressive and possessive nature. Arge group of people sat at the dining table and prepared to have dinner. George stood up and obediently said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my brothers and Mel to wash our hands.¡± Mdm. Xavier looked at them in a loving manner. ¡°Good boy. Richard, take the kids to the restroom quickly.¡± ¡°No.¡± George waved. ¡°We¡¯re four years old. We can wash our hands on our own. We¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Chapter 516 As George spoke, the children walked toward the restroom in an orderly manner. The moment they got in, George locked the restroom door. Five minutester, the four children returned to the dining table. Mdm. Xavier could not help but pamper these good-looking and smart kids. She kept adding food to their tes. When the sky turned dark, dinner finally came to an end. Just as Adina ced her children into the car, George said, ¡°Mommy, after you send us home, you can go and visit Dad in the hospital.¡± Melody kept nodding. ¡°Yeah, Mommy. I can take good care of myself.¡± Harold pouted. ¡°Mommy, you can go to the hospital and apany Dad.¡± Alden remained silent for a few seconds before he said, ¡± Mommy, if it¡¯s toote after you¡¯re done apanying Dad, you don¡¯t have to rush back. I¡¯ll take good care of Mel.¡± Adina found herself speechless. Did these kidse to an agreement behind her? She was very curious about how George convinced Alden. Alden pursed his lips. ¡°Mommy, Dad has to recover quickly so that you can have a perfect engagement party. I don¡¯t want you to have any regrets in your life.¡± Adina¡¯s heart instantly melted. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send you home first.¡± George smiled faintly and secretly gave Melody a high five. Only Melody sided with him on matchmaking their dad and mom. Harold wanted their mom to marry their dad, but he would sometimes want to kick dad away too. In short, he was unreliable! As for Alden¡­ George pursed his lips. Alden was his brother, but he could feel that Alden never treated him and Harold as brothers until today. Alden managed to ept their dad because of their mom. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. George wondered when Alden would truly blend into the Winters family. Adina only drove to the hospital after she sent the children back to the Winters family¡¯s mansion and passed them to Mrs. Winters. By the time she arrived, it was already 7.30 pm. The sky in Sea City would quickly turn dark during autumn. As night fell, the roadsidemps were switched on. The silence of the night permeated the city even though there was also some hustle and bustle. Adina held a box of porridge as she walked to Duke¡¯s ward, already familiar with the path. Two bodyguards were standing on either side of the door. When they saw her approaching , they pushed open the door of the ward. She instantly saw the bedridden man. A dim yellow light was on in the ward. When the light illuminated his face, it outlined his sharp features. However, when she saw the man¡¯s eyes, she thought ¡­ there was nothing sharp about him. He clearly looked like a stray dog that had been abandoned by the road. When the thought appeared in Adina¡¯s mind, she pushed it away. How could she think that Mr. Winters, the CEO, looked like a stray dog? ¡°You finally came.¡± The man¡¯s low and deep voice was filled with gloom. Okay, he looked even more like a stray dog now. Adina stroked her nose as she walked in and said, ¡°You must be hungry now, right? Eat something first.¡± After Duke made that call, he knew that he had lost. He had lostpletely to the woman in front of him. Since he was already a loser, why should he still care about his reputation? The man spread his arms out and shamelessly said, ¡°Feed me.¡± Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Adina felt defeated too. She sat by the bed before she lifted the lid of the porridge. She spooned up some, put it to the man¡¯s lips, and calmly said, ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Duke opened his mouth obediently. The nd porridge swirled around on his lips and tongue before he swallowed it. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. It was the most delicious porridge that he had ever eaten. He smiled faintly and slowly said, ¡°I want more.¡± ¡°Do you know what you look like now?¡± Adina looked at him with a faint smile and asked in a meaningful way. Duke did not understand. ¡°What do I look like?¡± Adina wanted to say ¡°a stray dog,¡± but she held back. ¡°You look like Harold,¡± she said helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. He should be the one who looks like me.¡± Duke did not feel embarrassed at all. ¡°He¡¯s my son. If he doesn¡¯t look like me, who else could he look like?¡± Okay. Adina could not argue back. As though she had surrendered to fate, she kept feeding Duke again and again. That went on until someone else suddenly pushed open the ward door at the back. Soon after, they heard a frivolous voice. ¡°Oh, wow! We didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Trent covered his eyes as soon as he entered and even covered Em¡¯s eyes with his other hand. Em had no idea what was happening. He looked dumbfounded as he moved Trent¡¯s hand away before he saw Adina feeding Duke some porridge. He immediately turned around. ¡°Please continue! We¡¯re leaving now!¡± Adina was speechless. People who were not in the know might have thought that she and Duke weremitting an unspeakable act! She stood up indifferently and said, ¡°I¡¯m done feeding him the porridge. You cane in.¡± She held the empty food container and left the ward, leaving the space to the three of them. ¡°Well done, Duke!¡± Trent pped. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days since west met, but you and Adina have progressed to this stage? Tell us right now. How did you gel this woman?¡± Em said, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Duke¡¯s bedridden? He must have been a hero and saved the beauty!¡± Duke smiled faintly. ¡°What the f*ck?!¡± Trent shouted as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for so many years, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you smile in such an unrestrained way.¡± Duke immediately stopped smiling and cast a cold nce at him. ¡°Shut up if you can¡¯t speak properly.¡± He paused for a while and said, ¡°Remember to attend my engagement party on the sixth next month.¡± Trent appearedpletely shocked. ¡°Are you going to get engaged to Adina? What the heck?! You¡¯re going as fast as a rocket!¡± ¡°If they¡¯re really following a rocket¡¯s pace, they should just get married,¡± Em said. ¡°But Duke, can your sons ept Adina as their stepmother?¡± Duke nonchntly answered, ¡°I forgot to tell you something. Adina and I had a one-night affair five years ago. We have four children in total.¡± ¡°What the f*ck?¡± Em said. Trent followed with, ¡°What the heck?! What the f*ck?¡± It took them five minutes before they could barely ept and digest the news. Chapter 518 Chapter 518 Chapter 518 ¡°Since you already have four kids, shouldn¡¯t you get married?¡± Trent casually asked. ¡°Let me make this clear. I want to be your best man!¡± Duke pursed his lips. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to get married so soon. I respect her opinion.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, when did you learn to respect other people¡¯s opinions ?¡± Trent rolled his eyes. ¡°I think you haven¡¯t controlled that woman! But it¡¯s not your fault. She¡¯s gorgeous and good at martial arts. Not many men in the world can handle her! I guess it¡¯s probably because of the kids that she agreed to marry you¡­¡± Trent kept nagging him. When Duke cast a cold and piercing gaze over, Trent scoffed and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts, okay? If I had four kids with her, she would agree to marry me too. Okay, I¡¯ll stop talking now. Hey, why are you still hitting me when you¡¯re injured? Em, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Trent crawled and rolled to escape. The ward was finally quiet. But Duke¡¯s expression was dour. Even though he could not ept it, he had to admit that Trent might be right. When he and Adina first met, she resisted him a lot. She gradually epted only because of Harold and George. There were probably two reasons why she was willing to marry him now; the children were hoping that their parents would get married, and he had also saved her. A woman would always be grateful to a man who had saved her life. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. How much did she like and love him? Duke pursed his lips tightly. There was a sharp glint in his thin lips, but his ck eyes were filled with frustration and confusion. Adina saw the way he looked after she turned around and went back to the ward. She thought he had looked like a stray dog earlier, but why did she find him looking like a resentful woman now? What happened this time? She walked in and softly asked, ¡°Do you feel unwell?¡± Duke looked up. He stared at her with his inky eyes and slowly asked, ¡°Are you really willing to marry me?¡± Adina was taken aback. Why was this man asking her this question again? She had made it clear once, so she really did not want to say Il again. She pursed her lips and pretended to be indifferent. ¡°The engagement date has already been set. Of course I¡¯m willing.¡± ¡°What if there¡¯s a chance for you to go back on your word?¡± Duke¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re married or not. I¡¯m willing to give you custody of the children. I also swear that I won¡¯tpete with you for custody. If that happens, will you still marry me?¡± Adina stopped in her tracks and looked at him in a serious manner. She spoke after a momentary pause. ¡°Duke Winters, since I¡¯ve decided to marry you, I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± She finally understood why this man looked like a resentful woman. Was he having pre-wedding anxiety? Did he feel that insecure? Was he afraid that she would suddenly leave with the kids? She chuckled and sat by the bed. ¡°I agreed to marry you not because of the children, but because of who you are. Do you understand?¡± Her indifferent eyes were now filled with gentleness, and deep down, there was faint affection. Even though her affection was faint, it was still sufficient. They would have a few decades together in the future. Her saint affection would slowly gather and be stronger. When Duke looked at the woman in front of him, he could no longer control the strong affection in his heart. He could not help but move forward and wrap his arms around her slim waist. Before Adina realized what was going on, she saw Duke¡¯s face up close, and the man kissed her on the lips. The man traced the shape of her lips with the tip of his tongue, and his every move was extremely gentle. It was as if he was taking care of the most precious treasure in the world. Adina wanted to resist because she thought things were progressing too quickly. Yet, she became immersed in the man¡¯s gentle kiss, and the entire situation went out of control. Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Chapter 519 The temperature in the ward instantly increased. She was not an innocent girl who had not experienced anything. Although she did not quite understand most things of a sexual nature, she still had some knowledge¡­ She knew that things would really get out of control if she let Duke continue kissing her. ¡°Stop¡­ Stop kissing me¡­¡± Adina raised her arms and lightly moved the man¡¯s chest away. Duke held the back of her head and rested his forehead against hers. His voice was hoarse and low. ¡°I still want to kiss you. What should I do?¡± Adina¡¯s face turned red, and her heart pounded quickly again. She bit her swollen bottom lip. She felt shy and irritated as she said, ¡°The ward door isn¡¯t closed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and close it now.¡± As Duke spoke, he tried to jump off the bed. Adina was speechless. Did he mean that? She quickly pressed him down. ¡°You haven¡¯t recovered. Don¡¯t walk around. Just lie down.¡± When Duke raised his head, he saw her glowing eyes and slightly swollen red lips. Her every move gave off a seductive charm. Duke subconsciously gulped.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. If he were not injured and they were not in a hospital, he might have actually subdued this woman right there. Adina tried to remain calm. She drank some water and said, ¡°Your mother wants to make our engagement party grand, but I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while. I think it would be better for us to keep a low profile.¡± Duke held her fingers and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve protected George and Harold so well, but I nearly exposed Alden and Mel to the media because I offended someone.¡± Adina pursed her lips and said, ¡°Once we¡¯re engaged, the media will definitely criticize Alden and Mel. I don¡¯t want this to have a negative impact on the kids.¡± Duke stared at her and firmly said, ¡°Alden and Mel are my kids too. I want the public to learn about them on our engagement day.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Adina frowned and said, ¡°Too many people are watching the Winters family now. If the kids are exposed, the disadvantages will outweigh the advantages. I don¡¯t want any of our kids to be in any potential danger.¡± Duke pursed his lips tightly. How could he forget that Harold had gotten into an ident because of the Fuller family not long ago? The Fuller family had a grudge against the Winters family. If they could set up a trap to harm Harold, they could alsoe up with other methods to harm the rest of the three kids. He paused for a while before he resumed. ¡°We can hold a low-profile engagement party. After I handle the big problems, we have to make our wedding grand.¡± Adina did not oppose any further. The children would grow up one day, and they would have to face the storms of society. It was impossible for her and Duke to hide them forever. Once they grew older, they would have to slowly start facing various hardships and dangers. Adina stayed overnight in the ward. When she woke up in the morning, Duke was still sleeping. She knew that there was a bruise at the back of his brain, so he needed to rest more. Therefore, she did not disturb him. She just washed her face and left the ward to buy breakfast. 11 As soon as Adina walked out of the Inpatient Department, she saw a familiar figure standing at the end of the corridor. She was stunned for a second. ¡°Flint, why are you here in the hospital?¡± Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. When she got closer, she realized that Flint looked different today. His eyes were bloodshot, and it looked like he did not sleepst night. He was a yboy who cared about his reputation the most. Yet, bis suit was wrinkled, and his beard was sloppy. He was holding a cigarette with his fingers. He looked through the corridor before he stared at Adina gloomily ¡°What¡®s wrong with you?¡± Adina frowned. ¡°What happened this time?¡± Every time Flint came to her in Sea City, something would be wrong. She was used to it. ¡°I heard that you¡®re getting engaged?¡± When Flint spoke, his voice was incredibly hoarse as if his vocal cords were ruined. Adina was surprised. She finally understood why Flint looked like that. Some things had been said many times before, but clearly, Flint had not been really listening. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I¡®m getting married to Duke. We¡®ll be engaged on the sixth of next month, and the wedding won¡®t be too long after the engagement. If you have the time, you can stay in Sea City and attend the engagement party before you leave.¡± Flint chuckled in resignation. He knew that it would be impossible for him to be with Adina, and he had already epted the fact. However, when he saw Duke kiss her the day before yesterday, he felt like he had been stabbed in the heart with a knife. He felt so hurt that he did not know what to do. As a result, he went to the bar and got drunk. It was only after he woke up that he realized Adina had sent him to the hotel. Whenever he got drunk, she would take him home, throw him to the couch in the living room or throw him in the guest room and let him survive on his own. During those times, he actually thought that this woman did not respect him at all. Now that she respected him, she would no longer bring him home anymore. Since she was getting married, she had a partner whom she would spend the rest of her life with, and she did not want another man to cause a misunderstanding. Flint chuckled in resignation. ¡°Over the past four years abroad, no matter which man pursued you, you never batted an eyelid. I thought you were celibate. It turns out that you just hadn¡®t met the one yet.¡± Adina stared at him quietly. ¡°You¡®ll meet the woman you want to marry as well.¡± But she would not be the one. Flint felt more bitter. He had constantly looked for girlfriends to enter her world with a proper reason. He had Chapter 570 wanted to use it to make her let her guard down and make them closer. Unfortunately, those women later became the wall between him and her, and he was no longer worthy to stand by her. Flint swallowed the bitterness in his heart before he chuckled. ¡°Duke Winters isn¡®t as good looking as me, and he isn¡®t as rich as the Morton family, but you still like him. I¡®ll naturally attend your engagement party. When the timees, you have to treat me to some good food and good wine!¡± he said casually. The moment Adina saw how he acted, she knew that he was slowly trying to move on. She smiled and said, ¡°Sure, I¡®ll definitely prepare your favorite food and wine.¡± She raised her wrist and looked at the time. ¡°I¡®m going to buy breakfast in the cafeteria. Do you want me to buy you a set?¡± Flint shook his head. ¡°I still have something to do, so I¡®ll leave in a minute. You go ahead.¡± Once Adina¡®s figure disappeared out of his sight, his smile slowly faded. As long as she was happy, nothing could be better. When he turned around and wanted to leave, a figure suddenly walked out of the corner of the corridor. ¡°Flint Morton, weren¡®t you being arrogant in front of me? Why can¡®t you even protect your own woman?¡± Jasmine sneered and walked over. ¡°Didn¡®t you say that she was your girlfriend? What¡®s the matter? Your girlfriend¡®s marrying someone else, and you¡®re just going to watch?¡± Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Flint¡®s gaze became profound and cold. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He stared at Jasmine with a sneer and said, ¡°So, do you think you have a chance to be with me?¡± ¡°It doesn¡®t matter if I have the chance or not. You shouldn¡®t be with a woman like Adina again!¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth and said, ¡°She has two kids, and they¡®re illegitimate children with an unknown father. You¡®re the young master of the Morton family. You should ¨C¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Flint stopped her from finishing her sentence. His eyes were filled with coldness. ¡°I asked Adina for help to reject you because I wanted to defend your dignity. Who the heck are you to criticize Adina?¡± After he said that, he nced at Jasmine with contempt. Then, he turned around and left. Jasmine was so angry that she trembled. She and Flint had been in a rtionship a few years ago. But after she fell in love with him, Flint broke up with her. She never forgot him all these years. After she finally met him again, she put aside the reservation and restraint that a woman would typically have, ignoring her dignity as she went after him. Unexpectedly, this unattainable man was a fan of another woman. ¡°D*mn it! B*stard!¡± Jasmine kept cursing on the way back to the Jones family home. As soon as she stepped into the house, Zhenny targeted her. ¡°You haven¡®t gone to thepanytely. Where have you been?¡± ¡°I wasn¡®t feeling well, so I applied for a few days off.¡± While Jasmine exined, the cold Zhenny angrily said, ¡°Weren¡®t feeling well? Stop giving me this bullsh*t excuse! You¡®ll have to report the oue of your project in seven days. If you have nothing to show for, you¡®re not qualified to be my daughter!¡± Jasmine held her breath and said, ¡°That project isplete, and it¡®s in the audit and ounting phase now. There won¡®t be any problems.¡± ¡°That¡®s more like it.¡± Zhenny was finally satisfied. She then picked up some documents and went to the study. Jasmine felt so wronged that her eyes turned red. Her mother only forced her to work and did not care about her personal life. She was furious, yet she still needed to handle her work. At this time, a man in his fifties walked inside. He was dressed in a dark blue suit, and his ck hair was shiny. He had exquisite features and appeared to be in good spirits. ¡°Uncle Dillon.¡± Jasmine¡®s voice cracked as she walked over and held his arm. ¡°What¡®s the matter? Did your mother yell at you again?¡± Dillon shook his head. ¡°Your mother has a bad temper. If you don¡®t wander around her, you won¡®t get yelled at. You have to remember that.¡± Jasmine pursed her lips. Her mother was aggressive, and her uncle was naturally inferior to her mother. What was the point of comining to her uncle? But¡­ ¡°Uncle Dillon, there¡®s something I¡®ve never told you. I actually have a boyfriend, and we¡®re very in love. But my boyfriend¡®s been seduced by another woman, and he insists on breaking up with me.¡± Dillon narrowed his eyes. ¡°Tell me what the name of that brat is. I¡®ll seek justice for you!¡± ¡°Uncle Dillon, this has nothing to do with my boyfriend. It¡®s all that woman¡®s fault,¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth and said. ¡°Jasmine, you¡®re wrong,¡± Dillon said sincerely. ¡°If your boyfriend¡®s attracted to another woman, that¡®s because there¡®s something wrong with his character. The main responsibility should be on your boyfriend. He¡®s the kind of man you shouldn¡®t be with. I¡®ll find a better one for you after I beat him up.¡± Jasmine was speechless Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Chapter 522 She just wanted her Uncle Dillon to teach Adina a lesson. Was it that difficult? ¡°Uncle Dillon, do you know that this woman¡¯s really vicious? She¡¯s extremely arrogant because of her beauty. She even insulted us by calling me ugly and the Jones family rude.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Dillon¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°How dare she torment the Jones family. Is she trying to disrespect us?¡± ¡°Have you heard of the most beautiful woman in Sea City, Uncle Dillon? She¡¯s gorgeous, but she shouldn¡¯t insult us like this.¡± Jasmine faked her tears while she took out her phone and tapped on a photo. ¡°Look, she seems so sycophantic. My boyfriend¡¯s attracted to her because she used many tricks to seduce him. I really love my boyfriend. Uncle Dillon, you have to avenge me!¡± She kept talking but did not receive any reply. When she turned around, she saw Dillon staring at her phone screen. He even reached out to grab her phone. Jasmine was confused, so she frowned and asked, ¡°Uncle Dillon, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Dillon barely gulped before he slowly asked, ¡®Who did you say the girl was?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the most beautiful woman in Sea City, and she shows up in the local headlines from time to time. She uses her beauty to be with different men. I even heard that she has two illegitimate kids.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Dillon yelled at Jasmine coldly, scaring her. As far as she knew, her Uncle Dillon was very gentle. No matter what happened, he would never lose his temper. It was his first time speaking to her in such a stern tone. Her eyes turned red as she bit her bottom lip and asked, ¡°Uncle Dillon, did I say something wrong?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°You¡¯re ady, but you¡¯re insulting another girl behind her back. Perhaps this girl was right. The Jones family didn¡¯t raise you well.¡± Jasmine instantly widened her eyes. ¡°Uncle Dillon, you¡¯re actually speaking up for a b*tch who bullied me? She stole my boyfriend. Why can¡¯t I criticize her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear the word ¡®b*tch¡¯ again.¡± Dillon gave her a look before he threw the phone over at her and walked away in a hurry. Jasmine held her phone and stomped her foot in anger. Uncle Dillon had wanted to help vent her anger, but why did hepletely change his mind after he saw Adina¡¯s picture? Mrs. Winters took the children to the ward and visited Duke. She had some booklets in her hand, which she then ced in front of Adina. She smiled and said, ¡°This is the wedding set up, this is the style of the wedding dress, this is the second style for the dress, this is the jewelry that you¡¯ll wear on your engagement day, and this is the setting for the dessert table. Just pick your favorite and let me know. I¡®ll get them to arrange it.¡± When Adina looked at the one dozen booklets, she felt restless. They were just getting engaged. Were they not making too much of a fuss? ¡°Mom, I discussed it with Addy,¡± Duke said. ¡°A simple engagement party would be great. We¡¯ll have a grand weddingter.¡± Mrs. Winters had a look of disapproval. ¡°No way. The Winters family hasn¡¯t had a party in twenty years. We have to make it a grand one this time. We need to let everyone in Sea City know about our family¡¯s great news!¡± Just as Duke was about to continue convincing Mrs. Winters, Adina suddenly pulled his arm. She passed him her phone, narrowed her eyes, and said, ¡°Our engagement is on the headlines in Sea City.¡± Mrs. Winters was stunned, and she immediately exined, ¡°I just told a few close friends about the engagement. They wouldn¡¯t expose it to the media.¡± Adina and Duke stared at each other. They had also told a few rtives and friends, but those people wouldn¡¯t say anything to the media. So, who had exposed their engagement? Chapter 523 Chapter 523 Chapter 523 The Inte was swept up in a wave of opinion. (Oh, my god! Where did this gossipe from? The most beautiful woman in Sea City and the CEO of Winters Corporation? How can the two of them get engaged? This has to be a rumor! (Ms. Daugherty was the most beautiful woman in Sea City five years ago. At that time, she was still an innocent girl, so perhaps she was good enough for Duke Winters back then. But now... she¡®s just a second hand woman. She¡®s not good enough for Mr. Winters, right?] (Besides, she still has two illegitimate kids. Have you forgotten about the fuss between her and Tyson Osborne? if her kids don¡®t belong to ¡®Tyson, whose kids could they be? Duke Winters wouldn¡®t raise someone else¡®s kids, would he?) (How could a woman with two illegitimate children be the future Mrs. Winters?) (This news has to be a rumor. Someone is purposely spreading rumors!) Theizens basically did not believe their engagement. While they discussed, they brought up Adina¡®s past and insulted her repeatedly. ¡°Don¡®t read it.¡± Duke turned off his phone, and he appeared serious. His expression was cold and dark. ¡°George, get them to delete thements and also suppress the news.¡± ¡°Countless people are watching the Winters family. Your engagement will be exposed sooner orter.¡± Mrs. Winters contemted as she said, ¡°Besides, the two of you are together every day, and the kids are already old enough. We can¡®t just suppress all this by force. Why don¡®t you take this chance¡± Duke shook his head. ¡°Once we announce it, the children will be the target of people with bad intentions. ¡°But if you don¡®t announce it, theizens will find out one day. It¡®s impossible to hide this,¡± Mrs. Winters said. ¡°You also saw how theizens described Alden and Melody. Those descriptions are really unpleasant.¡± Adina silently bit her bottom lip. There had been too many voices like that since Alden and Melody were born. The kids did not have a father. So¨Ccalled cultivated people would call them illegitimate children, while uncultured people wouldbel them little b*stards. Those two children had suffered too much with her. Now, they had their father. Yet, why were people still calling them little b*stards? ¡°If George and Harold be exposed to theizens one day, they¡®ll be called illegitimate sons too.¡± Mrs. Winters breathed in and said, ¡°I have an idea. I wonder if you would hear me out?? Adina looked up and said, ¡°Aunt Mabel, please feel free to voice your opinion.¡± ¡°You should take this opportunity to tell theizens that you¡®ve been married for a long time, and this is just a make-up wedding.¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ gaze was serious as she said, ¡°It¡®s the only way to make the children legitimate, and no one will dare toment on them ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . anymore. Of course, I¡¯m just raising this suggestion because I want to protect the kids. You can think about it again.¡± Adina paused for a while. She did not expect Mrs. Winters to bring up such a suggestion. The early engagement had caught her off guard, and the engagement was now being changed to marriage? She subconsciously looked at Duke. Duke looked at her as well and slowly said, ¡°Parents will always prioritize their children¡®s safety, and I am no different. I know after we expose the kids, it will bring them hidden danger. But¡­ I don¡®t want them to live their livesbeled as ¡®illegitimate children.¡® I wish to give them a clean background. Addy, I can protect the kids and you. We can announce that we¡®re already married. Once you¡®re willing to marry me, we¡®ll register our marriage. What do you think?¡± Adina stared at him nkly. After a long time, she finally said, ¡°If we fake our marriage, we¡®ll be exposed one day, and it¡®ll mean nothing. Let¡®s register our marriageter, and you can hold a press conference.¡± Duke¡®s eyes were filled with excitement. ¡°Addy, are you serious?¡± Adina¡®s face turned red from his stare. She looked down and shyly said, ¡°If you think I¡®m not being serious, we can just not register our marriage.¡± ¡°We¡®re going! We¡®ll register our marriage now!¡± Duke jumped off the bed but pulled his left leg. He was in so much pain that he grunted. Mrs. Winters immediately said, ¡°You¡®re already injured. Stop acting tough. I¡®ll call a friend of mine in the Department of Civil Affairs. They¡®ll help to deliver your marriage certificateter.¡± Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Duke frowned and said, ¡°Addy and I should register there.¡± He did not want others to do it for lim. Adina red at him helplessly. ¡°Are you still trying to get yourself discharged early? Lie down. Aunt Mabel, we¡®ll count on you for the marriage certificate.¡± ¡°It¡®s a piece of cake.¡± Mrs. Winters grinned. When she turned around, she saw four small heads sticking out from the entrance of the ward. She immediately walked over with a smile and said, ¡°The four of you,e home with me now.¡± Harold blinked and said, ¡°Grandma, I heard that Dad and Mom are getting married. Is it true?¡± ¡°Of course, it is.¡± Mrs. Winters smiled and said, ¡°The wedding will be held on the sixth of next month. How do you feel? Are you happy, my babies?¡± ¡°Wow! I¡®m excited!¡± Harold jumped up high. ¡°After Dad and Mom get married, Mommy can live in our house. I want to sleep with her every night!¡± Mrs. Winters was speechless. This brat was bold enough to say such a thing. He was not afraid of being kicked out by Duke. ¡°Let¡®s go home.¡± Mrs. Winters beckoned the children to leave. Alden was standing outside the ward. He turned around and looked in, spotting Adina as she sat by the bed. Her expression was indifferent, but there was an obvious gleam in her eyes. In his memories, his mom¡®s eyes would always look tired, but there would be gentleness and love for him as well as Melody. This time, his mother¡®s eyes were sparkling because of Duke. His mom really loved his dad, right? His mom would be happy after she married his dad, right? ¡°Alden, Dad and Mom will be happy.¡± George stood beside him and slowly said, ¡°If Dad dares to disappoint Mom, I¡®ll be the first to go against him.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Alden stopped frowning and smiled faintly. ¡°Dad said he¡®ll protect Mom his entire life. I trust him.¡± ¡°I trust Dad.¡± There was also joy in the depth of George¡®s eyes. The Winters family was harmonious, while public opinion on the Inte was growing more serious by the minute. TRENUTILITIES NUNUMI Nosy people were bringing up Adina¡¯s personal matters from five years ago and her dispute with Tyson for discussion. (I used to be a fan of Adina¡¯s beauty, but I find her disgusting now!) [She slept with an unknown man when she was a teen, and she became pregnant with illegitimate kids. I really don¡¯t understand why she can still go after Duke Winters so shamelessly!) [Oh god, I pray that news of the engagement is fake. I don¡®t want Duke to be ruined by a woman like her!) [It¡¯s a shame that Duke and Adina are getting engaged. I heard that it¡®ll be on the sixth of next month. If I¡¯m lying, my live-streaming channel will fall apart!) Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Theizens received an invitation card for the engagement party from somewhere, and it became a sensational topic as soon as it was published on Twitter. (The date of the engagement is the sixth of next month. It¡¯s written clearly. This means Duke is really marrying Adina!! (Oh god! Is my dream man going to be ruined like this?) (This tells us one thing. As long as you¡®re pretty, it doesn¡®t matter how high the man¡®s status is, you can still get him! (Sisters, does anyone want to team up and undergo cosmetic surgery?) ¡°Haha!¡± Jasmine, who was sitting on the couch, sneered. She took screenshots of various extremements made byizens before she sent them to Flint. Jasmine could not understand what was so great about Adina for Flint to be stuck on her. No, she had to add more fuel to the fire and let Adina die in the public¡®s eye. While Jasmine operated her phone, a shadow suddenly loomed over her. She raised her head by reflex and saw Dillon standing in front of her. He was shielding most of the light. She paused for a moment before she shed him a sweet smile and said, ¡°Uncle Dillon, why are you back so early today?¡± Dillon stared at her coldly. ¡°Did you expose the current news online?¡±. ¡°What are you talking about, Uncle Dillon? I don¡®t understand.¡± Jasmine turned off her phone screen, stood up, and said, ¡°Are you too tired? You should go to the room and rest.¡± Dillon¡®s eyes were filled with displeasure, and he firmly said, ¡°Jasmine, you shouldn¡®t be like this.¡± Jasmine¡®s heart sank before her eyes immediately became teary. ¡°Uncle Dillon, what did I do wrong? Why are you speaking to me like this?¡± Her mom was extremely strict toward her, and her grandpa also requested much of her. Only Uncle Dillon was carefree, and he never gave her any pressure. Uncle Dillon was her favorite. But Uncle Dillon had been behaving a little strange since yesterday. Dillon took out his phone and opened a conversation on WhatsApp. ¡°Did you hire someone to expose the news of Duke and Adina¡®s engagement?¡± Jasmine was stunned. She did not expect Uncle Dillon to scold her because of Adina. That woman was just an outsider. Did he really have to do this? . ¡°Adina has a fiance, but she still seduced my boyfriend. I can¡®t put up with it.¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I want to make a big fuss out of this so that my boyfriend can see who Adina is!¡± She had overheard the conversation between Flint and Adina, hence she knew that Adina and Duke would hold an engagement party on the sixth of next month. She then hired someone to photoshop an invitation card. As long as the engagement was confirmed, theizens would insult Adina terribly for her. ¡°Uncle Dillon, you¡®re not teaching me a lesson because of this trivial matter, are you?¡± Jasmine raised her chin and asked. Dillon¡®s eyes were full of disappointment. ¡°I¡®ve watched you grow up, and I¡®ve always thought that you were innocent and pure. Today, I finally realized that my niece isn¡®t as simple as I thought.¡± ¡°Uncle Dillon!¡± Jasmine widened her eyes. ¡°I¡®m just venting out my anger. What did I do wrong? I¡®m a member of the Jones family. I¡®m thedy of the Jones family. Can¡®t I fight back when I feel wronged?¡± Dillon stared at her and slowly said, ¡°Your family name is Yackley. You¡®re a guest of the Jones family. Don¡®t be mistaken.¡± Zhenny heard it when she walked out of her study. She stood at the staircase and coldly said,¡± Dillon, you¡®re an elder. Is it appropriate for you to say something like that to Jasmine? Ever since I divorced Evren Yackley, Jasmine has been living in the Jones family mansion for twenty years. She is the only lady in the Jones family now. She is now and always will be! Dad has also said that while Jasmine¡®s family name is Yackley, she is still qualified to be an heir of the Jones family. Dillon, you¡®re not taking this opportunity to kick Jasmine out of the Jones family, are you?¡± Dillon was so angry that he nearly could not breathe smoothly. If he truly cared about being the heir of the Jones family, he would not have given away his position to his sister. Chapter 525 Theizens received an invitation card for the engagement party from somewhere, and it became a sensational topic as soon as it was published on Twitter. (The date of the engagement is the sixth of next month. It¡¯s written clearly. This means Duke is really marrying Adina!! (Oh god! Is my dream man going to be ruined like this?) (This tells us one thing. As long as you¡®re pretty, it doesn¡®t matter how high the man¡®s status is, you can still get him! (Sisters, does anyone want to team up and undergo cosmetic surgery?) ¡°Haha!¡± Jasmine, who was sitting on the couch, sneered. She took screenshots of various extremements made byizens before she sent them to Flint. Jasmine could not understand what was so great about Adina for Flint to be stuck on her. No, she had to add more fuel to the fire and let Adina die in the public¡®s eye. While Jasmine operated her phone, a shadow suddenly loomed over her. She raised her head by reflex and saw Dillon standing in front of her. He was shielding most of the light. She paused for a moment before she shed him a sweet smile and said, ¡°Uncle Dillon, why are you back so early today?¡± Dillon stared at her coldly. ¡°Did you expose the current news online?¡±. ¡°What are you talking about, Uncle Dillon? I don¡®t understand.¡± Jasmine turned off her phone screen, stood up, and said, ¡°Are you too tired? You should go to the room and rest.¡± Dillon¡®s eyes were filled with displeasure, and he firmly said, ¡°Jasmine, you shouldn¡®t be like this.¡± Jasmine¡®s heart sank before her eyes immediately became teary. ¡°Uncle Dillon, what did I do wrong? Why are you speaking to me like this?¡± Her mom was extremely strict toward her, and her grandpa also requested much of her. Only Uncle Dillon was carefree, and he never gave her any pressure. Uncle Dillon was her favorite. But Uncle Dillon had been behaving a little strange since yesterday. Dillon took out his phone and opened a conversation on WhatsApp. ¡°Did you hire someone to expose the news of Duke and Adina¡®s engagement?¡± Jasmine was stunned. She did not expect Uncle Dillon to scold her because of Adina. That woman was just an outsider. Did he really have to do this? . ¡°Adina has a fiance, but she still seduced my boyfriend. I can¡®t put up with it.¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I want to make a big fuss out of this so that my boyfriend can see who Adina is!¡± She had overheard the conversation between Flint and Adina, hence she knew that Adina and Duke would hold an engagement party on the sixth of next month. She then hired someone to photoshop an invitation card. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . As long as the engagement was confirmed, theizens would insult Adina terribly for her. ¡°Uncle Dillon, you¡®re not teaching me a lesson because of this trivial matter, are you?¡± Jasmine raised her chin and asked. Dillon¡®s eyes were full of disappointment. ¡°I¡®ve watched you grow up, and I¡®ve always thought that you were innocent and pure. Today, I finally realized that my niece isn¡®t as simple as I thought.¡± ¡°Uncle Dillon!¡± Jasmine widened her eyes. ¡°I¡®m just venting out my anger. What did I do wrong? I¡®m a member of the Jones family. I¡®m thedy of the Jones family. Can¡®t I fight back when I feel wronged?¡± Dillon stared at her and slowly said, ¡°Your family name is Yackley. You¡®re a guest of the Jones family. Don¡®t be mistaken.¡± Zhenny heard it when she walked out of her study. She stood at the staircase and coldly said,¡± Dillon, you¡®re an elder. Is it appropriate for you to say something like that to Jasmine? Ever since I divorced Evren Yackley, Jasmine has been living in the Jones family mansion for twenty years. She is the only lady in the Jones family now. She is now and always will be! Dad has also said that while Jasmine¡®s family name is Yackley, she is still qualified to be an heir of the Jones family. Dillon, you¡®re not taking this opportunity to kick Jasmine out of the Jones family, are you?¡± Dillon was so angry that he nearly could not breathe smoothly. If he truly cared about being the heir of the Jones family, he would not have given away his position to his sister. Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Chapter 526 He never cared about fame and wealth. He never cared about these external things. Even though he was despised because of the heir rted incident ten years ayo, he could not be bothered. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He had been so carefree, yet in his sister¡®s eyes, he was still that kind of person who could chase bis niece out of the family just for status. ¡°Don¡®t judge me with your utilitarianism!¡± Dillon¡®s expression was cold as he turned around and left. When Zhenny saw his angry back, she frowned. ¡°Jasmnine, your uncle is always gentle. What did you do to make him so angry?¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth and said, ¡°That so¨Ccalled most beautiful woman in Sea City, Adina Daugherty, stole my boyfriend. I was furious, so I hired a marketing agency to nder her. Then, Uncle Dillon got angry. He even lost his temper at me. I don¡®t even know what I did wrongly.¡± Zhenny narrowed her eyes. Adina Daugherty! Adina had defeated her in the fight for Elitos¡® projectst time! Now her precious daughter had also been trounced by Adina! However, Dillon was a good¨Cnatured person. He did not care about fame, power, and wealth as well as anyone or anything. Why would he rebuke Jasmine for an outsider? Dillon sat in his car while he lowered his head and looked at the picture on the phone screen. They really looked alike. She looked exactly like a young Olivia. The fifty¨Cyear¨Cold man¡®s eyes suddenly turned red. He sat silently in his car for a long time. Once he calmed down, he made a call. ¡°How much cash can I use in my ount?¡± ¡°You have over $3,500,000, Mr. Jones.¡± Dillon chuckled in resignation. He was a fifty¨Cyear¨Cold man, but he only had about $3,000,000 in his ount. He was indifferent to fame and fortune because he did not desire anything, but now¡­ If he wanted to suppress public opinion online, he had to spend a lot of money. He paused for a while before he said, ¡°Sell the artwork in my office. Sell it all today. It¡®s fine if the price is lower. I need the money urgently.¡± ¡°Mr. Jones, it¡®s your favorite art piece. You spent over $10,000,000 to buy it. If you sell it today, I¡®m afraid that people will reduce the price to $5,000,000.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just sell it.¡± After Dillon hung up, he massaged his forehead. If he knew that this day woulde, he would not have given away his position as heir ten years ago. Anyway, it did not matter. Although he was slightly poor, he was still much richer than most people in Sea City. All his properties would be sufficient for his family to have an easy life for the rest of their lives. When he closed his eyes, the online news would pop up in his mind. He did not know what was true or fake, but he was sure that Adina had not lived well over the years. Aaron Daugherty probably dared to treat Adina like that because she was not a blood descendant of the Daugherty family. Why did he not meet Adina earlier? No, it should be, why did he not suspect Olivia at that time? It caused him to miss his beloved woman¡¯s funeral and miss their daughter for twenty-three years. Chapter 527 Chapter 527 After a night of progress, the news on the Inte intensified. While theizens came up with all kinds of conspiracies and guesses, Winters Corporation made an announcement. (Mr. Duke Winters will hold a press conference in Sea City Private Hospital at 10.00 am today. We wee the reporters toe on time.] As soon as the announcement was released, theizens on the inte instantly became excited. [Is Duke Winters going to rify?] (rify? The invitation card is exposed. They must be getting engaged!) [Why is he holding the press conference then?] (Why are you in a rush? It¡¯s 9 a.m. now. The press conference will start in an hour. I will watch the live stream!) [I¡¯ll watch it too!) [¡­¡­] There was a heated discussion among theizens before the press conference started. Meanwhile, Adina just opened her eyes. She cast a nce at the time. It was already 9 a.m. She actually slept in the hospital ward until this hour! She immediately sat up, and she realized that she wasying on the bed, while Duke¡­ This man sat on the balcony outside the ward. Aptop was put on hisp while he speedily tapped the keyboard. When she just sat up, the man raised his head. The two of them stared into each other¡¯s eyes through the windows of the balcony. When the sun in the early morning shone in, the dust in the air could be clearly seen, and the world suddenly became quiet. It was only after Adina stared at him nkly for a few seconds that she immediately snapped out of her daze. She shyly looked away and got off the bed. When she turned around, she saw two copies of a marriage certificate that were left on the bedside. She was stunned for a while. Mrs. Winters took her action so quickly. She actually settled the marriage certificate so quickly. Her hand paused for a while before she carefully picked up the marriage certificates and looked at them. What she saw was a photo. To save up time, Mrs. Winters hired someone to photoshop this photo. They found the most decent photos of her and Duke and made it a photo for the marriage certificate. But it did not look out of ce at all. ¡°We¡¯ll go and take a wedding photoshoot again after our wedding.¡± Duke walked in at some point. His leg injury had not recovered yet, so he walked with a limp. He stood beside Adina and held her waist tightly. His hand was so warm that made Adina subconsciously tremble. When she recalled the scene where they kissed and hugged each other on the bedst night, she immediately took a step back, and awkwardly said, ¡°It¡¯ste now. Quickly get ready. There¡¯s a press conferenceter.¡± Duke spread out his arms and righteously said, ¡°I haven¡¯t recovered yet. You help me put on my clothes.¡± Adina was speechless. This man was so shameless! He clearly said he recoveredst night. He kissed and held her! But now he shamelessly said he had not recovered yet. She scoffed before she threw the suit from the bedside at him and simply said, ¡°Put it on yourself.¡± The suit was thrown right at Duke¡¯s chest. He covered the wound and made a grunt. ¡°It¡¯s painful.¡± Adina immediately walked over, and she looked worried as she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Are you okay? Should I call the doctor toe and check on you?¡± Right after she spoke, her lips were kissed. The man kissed her lips for a while before he let go of her. He said with a husky voice, ¡°I told you yesterday that I recovered. You silly woman. Why do you still believe my terrible lie?¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Adina was so embarrassed that she blushed. ¡°B*stard!¡± she cursed in a low voice. ¡°I can be more like a b*stard.¡± Duke held her waist and spoke teasingly. He enjoyed seeing the woman appear vulnerable against him. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Adina felt helpless. This man seemed so righteous and serious. But why would he turn into a b*stard whenever they were in private? ¡°Don¡¯t do that in a ce like this again!¡± Adina red at him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll kiss you when we get home.¡± Duke moved closer to her ear and softly said, ¡°The marriage certificate is in your hand. You¡¯re officially my wife now. We can take our time.¡± His words made Adina¡¯s face turn crimson. She could reject him with all kinds of excuses in the past, but they were a legally married couple now. If he insisted on it, she could not reject him anymore. When Adina thought about it, she was taken aback for a while. She remembered hating intimacy between men and women after that incident five years ago. Whenever a man approached her intentionally, she would feel nauseous. If an encounter brought up memories of what happened five years ago, she would even feel disgusted and fearful. But she waspletely fine now. That night was no longer a nightmare because she fell for the man who had slept with her five years ago, right? ¡°Mr. Winters, the reporters are here. They¡¯re waiting for you.¡± Jake pushed the door and entered. When he saw the inappropriate scene, he was so shocked that he immediately moved backward. ¡°So-Sorry, Mr. Winters. Please continue. I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Duke let go of Adina and nonchntly said, ¡°Give me three minutes.¡± He picked up the suit, wore it neatly, and put on a tie. Then, he softly said, ¡°Wait for me toe back.¡± After that, he turned around and walked out. Jake immediately went forward to support him by the arm. The two of them walked to the lobby downstairs where the press conference would be held. Adina felt nervous for some reason. She took out her Ipad and opened the live stream of the press conference, The hospital lobby which was a few hundred square feet was filled with journalists and media representatives. There were cameras and microphones in every corner, It was already past 10.00 am, and the reporters in the lobby were slightly anxious. All of them were chatting in small groups, and the subtle sounds gathered into loud noises until the man with two long legs showed up before them. The man was dressed in a ck suit and trousers, which enhanced his slender and straight figure. His face was like an exquisite sculpture made by God. Not a single w could be detected from any angle, As soon as he showed up, the lobby instantly became silent. He walked steadily toward the center of the spotlight. ¡°Thank you everyone for taking the time to attend Winters Corporation¡¯s press conference, ¡°I¡¯ve seen thetest news online, and today, I will mainly give an exnation to the public about those names As soon as he said that, theizens became excited. (Did you hear that? They¡¯re rumors!) (So, the engagement is fake!) [I told you that the invitation card is photoshopped, but you refused to believe me!) [Haha! Awesome! My dream man is still my dream man!) Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Theizens were extremely excited, while the press conference was quiet. Everyone held their breath as they waited for what Duke was going to say. The man nced around the site with his sharp gaze, and his aura seemed to form an invisible over everyone there. ¡°The engagement is a rumor, and the so-called engagement invitation is also fake.¡± Duke¡¯s words gave countless richdies in Sea City renewed hope. Before they could feel more joy, they heard something that broke their hearts even further. ¡°Adina Daugherty and I are not getting engaged. We¡¯re getting married.¡± Buzz! The quiet lobby erupted into chaos like bubbling boiled water. The reporters thought they had misheard him, so they extended their microphones. ¡°Mr. Winters, do you mean Ms. Adina Daugherty and you are getting married?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, is this Adina Daugherty the first daughter of the Daugherty family, also known as the most beautiful woman in Sea city¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, will your wedding be on the sixth of next month.¡± Duke raised his arm and brought it down, silencing the noisy crowd. He indifferently said, ¡°Adina and I have been married for five years. We¡¯re just holding a make-up wedding on the sixth of next month.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°I must have heard it wrongly!¡± The things he said were akin to throwing a bomb that made everyone delirious and shocked. Even theizens who kept refreshing the page were aghast. (What the f*ck?! There are no subtitles. I must have heard him wrongly!! (Duke¡¯s pronunciation was so clear, and he said it twice. Nothing¡¯s wrong. He and Adina are really getting married! Wait, no. They got married five years ago!) (What the f*ck! Please forgive me. I don¡¯t know what (But didn¡¯t Adina sleep with a stranger five years ago and have two illegitimate kids? I heard that they¡¯re Tyson¡¯s kids.] (That rumor has been rified for a long time, okay?] (This still doesn¡¯t feel right. The timeline isn¡¯t lining up¡­ After people at the press conference quietened down slightly, Duke held his microphone and resumed. ¡°I¡¯m not a public figure, so I don¡¯t have to publicize my private affairs. But recent public opinions have been insulting toward my wife, so I have to step up and give an exnation. Let me make this clear again. Adina and I have been married for five years. Over the past five years, she has lived abroad with our kids. If any media orizens create any malicious spection and misinformation about my wife and my children, you¡¯ll be going against Winters Corporation. When that happens, the corporation and I will hold you legally responsible.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°What the heck?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused!¡± The reporters on the site held up their microphones, and all of them were beyond shocked. The questions that they had prepared were useless right now. They had many other questions that they wanted to ask, but they dared not move when they saw Duke¡¯s cold and fierce gaze. Theizens, on the other hand, became agitated. (The kids¡­ Are the two kids¡­ Duke¡¯s?] Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! (I called them illegitimate children. Will Winters Corporatione and cause me trouble?) Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Chapter 530 [Tyson Osborne filed a custody case against Adina some time ago. Why didn¡¯t Dukee out and rify that the kids belong to him?] (Why do I feel like there¡¯s something wrong with this? Since they¡¯re married and they have kids, why did he allow theizens to insult Adina for so long?] (Did Duke have to admit that the kids belong to him after Adina sessfully stole his heart?] (That¡¯s possible!) Dillon sat in his office while he watched the live stream using his Ipad. His face was filled with disbelief. His Addy was already married! On top of that, she had married into the Winters family, which was the most powerful family in Sea City. She had be Mrs. Winters! If he sought her, would Addy think he was purposely trying to get in her good graces now that she was a Winters? Dillon held his forehead. He had done nothing when Addy was at her most tired and difficult time. Addy¡¯s life had be much better. She had a husband and kids too. If he showed up now, he would seem like someone with bad intentions. However, if he had known about Adina¡¯s situation five years ago, he would have risked everything to protect her. But there were no ¡°ifs.¡± Dillon chuckled in resignation before he opened his Whatsapp and transferred all his money to a marketingpany. ¡°Suppress all thements on the Inte that are damaging to Adina. You can come up with an appropriate sad story that makes Adina¡¯s marriage to Duke more logical.¡± He had been in rich circles for a long time, so he knew what was happening. They could not have gotten married five years ago. They probably held the press conference today because they wanted to protect their children. Dillon could not interfere with the past, but he would do all he could to protect his daughter, whom he had never met. The press conference ended quickly. Adina sat in the ward as she stared out the window nkly. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She was expecting Duke¡¯s words, but when she heard the man call her ¡°his wife¡± in front of the public and media, her heart still fluttered. Once again, she was sure that this man truly loved her. How could she have been blessed with such a man who loved her so greatly? ¡°Mommy!¡± Just then, she heard Harold¡¯s happy voice outside the ward. When Adina turned around, she saw Mrs. Winters pushing the door open and leading the kids into the ward. These four children were the most precious treasures that God had given to her. Who was she to own all this? ¡°I¡¯m so excited!¡± Harold¡¯s expression was filled with joy. ¡°Mommy, can you move into our house and live with us today? I can¡¯t wait to live with you.¡± George also said, ¡°Mommy, Grandma already renovated Dad¡¯s room. Everything¡¯s in your favorite shades.¡± ¡°Addy, I¡¯ll get Mr. Brown to go over and help you move your things.¡± Mrs. Winters looked delighted. ¡°Your gown and the children¡¯s clothes have been made. Later, I¡¯ll bring you over to try them out. If you don¡¯t like them, we still have some time for amendments.¡± Adina did not object to any of it. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the hospital and apany Duke for the next couple of days. Once he¡¯s discharged , I¡¯ll move into the Winters family vi.¡± She and Duke were already married, so it was fine for her to live in the Winters family vi. Besides, she could live with the kids every day. That was a wonderful thing! When Mrs. Winters saw the dark circles under Adina¡¯s eyes, she wanted to say something. But then, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Mrs. Winters had been organizing the weddingtely, and her phone kept ringing all the time. So, she just answered the call without looking at the caller. However, the voice on the phone stunned her. Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Chapter 531 ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve seen the news.¡± A cold, airy voice was heard from the other end of the phone. Mabel¡¯s face instantly turned pale. Adina hurriedly supported her swaying body as she asked worriedly, ¡°Mrs. Winters, are you okay? Do you want to take a seat first?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Mabel sighed and said with a smile, ¡°Let me answer a call.¡± She walked out, closed her eyes, and said softly, ¡°Earl, Duke has told me what happenedst time. I really didn¡¯t expect you to take my trust for granted and attack your own brother. Earl, I believed you once, and I¡¯ll never do that again. I won¡¯t see you anymore. Leave Sea City. Go somewhere far away, and nevere back.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve only seen the part where I harmed him. Have you ever questioned why I did that?¡± Earl hissed,¡± I¡¯ve worked so hard to run thepany for decades, and it was ruined by Duke! I just wanted him to have a taste of his owii medicine. I wanted him to experience how I felt for so many years. What¡¯s wrong with that? ¡°He¡¯s having the time of his life. He has a family of his own and already has four children. What about me? What do I have? ¡°We¡¯re twins, but he¡¯s in the spotlight, and I have to stay in the shadows. He¡¯s admired by everyone, and I¡¯m like a mouse in the gutter. How is that fair?¡± Mabel¡¯s lips quivered as tears streamed down her face. ¡°They¡¯re my sons. Both of them are dear to me. I can¡¯t just choose any of them¡­ ¡®But that year¡­ ¡®Things havee to this. There¡¯s nothing I can do. ¡®I can only finish what I¡¯ve started.¡¯ ¡°Earl, I¡¯m sorry. If I were to not trust what others said so easily, I wouldn¡¯t have sent you away. And things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way. Earl, hate me as much as you want.¡± Mabel pursed her lips and said, ¡°If you want to kill me, go ahead. I won¡¯t fight back¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Earl sneered. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in killing you. I just want to take back what belongs to me!¡± He then hung up. Mabel could no longer control her emotions, and she wept. ¡®I truly regretny decision twenty-six years ago. ¡®Because of it, l-arl¡¯s life has been ruined, my husband died with a bad reputation, and Duke and I are never close ¡®It¡¯s all my fault! I¡¯ve made a terrible mistake!¡¯ ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Aunt Mabel, what happened?¡± Suddenly, Mabel heard someone calling out to her. Mabel hurriedly wiped her tears and turned around. She was stunned when she saw a familiar face. ¡°Catherine , why are you here?¡± Catherine held Mabel¡¯s arm and said with a smile,¡° Didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯ming to Sea City to open a counseling center? The studio is almost ready, so I came to Sea City yesterday. Oh, yes. I heard Duke is hospitalized , so I came to see him. How is he? Why are you crying?¡± ¡°Duke is fine. He has been discharged.¡± Her eyes were red, and she looked depressed. Catherine narrowed her eyes and asked softly, ¡°Did Earl call you again? Is that why you¡­¡± Mabel smiled bitterly. She lived abroad for about five years, and Catherine had apanied her all those years. She was a psychologist . Mabel would share everything with her. She knew what happened to the Winters family. Mabel had nothing to hide from her. Mabel smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Duke is getting married Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Chapter 532 ¡°Oh, really? You should be happy instead, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But Earl¡¯spany has been destroyed, and he¡¯s kicked out of Sea City. I¡¯m truly upset whenever I think of how he has to constantly find ces to hide¡­¡± Catherine frowned. ¡°Earl was young when he attacked Duke. It has been so long, and Duke should let it go. He has a family of his own now. He has a wife and four children. Why can¡¯t he let Earl off the hook? Aunt Mabel, let me talk to Duke.¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t!¡± Mabel tugged on Catherine¡¯s arm. However, Catherine gently pushed her hand away. She said with a smile,¡± Speaking of which, I¡¯ve never seen Duke in person before. Why don¡¯t you introduce us to each other?¡± Adina and her children were looking through the magazines filled with designs for wedding stages and wedding desserts. The boys were not interested, but Melody looked on with relish. She questioned many things she saw as they slipped through the pages. As the live of them were chatting, Mabel and a blonde girl walked in. ¡°Is Duke not here yet?¡± Mabel said with a smile, ¡°Addy, let me introduce you guys. This is Catherine. Throughout the five years I was abroad, she has been keeping me apanied.¡± Adina stood and shook Catherine¡¯s hand politely. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Adina Daugherty.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Catherine shook Adina¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re so beautiful. It¡¯s no wonder why Duke wants to marry you so suddenly.¡± ¡°Of course, my mommy is beautiful. She¡¯s the most beautiful woman on Earth!¡± Harold blinked proudly. ¡°Are you Hal?¡± Catherine kneeled and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve always heard Aunt Mabel talk about the King of Chaos. It must be you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the King of Chaos!¡± Harold snorted. ¡°My daddy is, and I hate him the most!¡± At that moment , Duke pushed the ward door open and heard what Harold said. He red at him coldly. Harold was so frightened that he pulled his neck in and hurriedly hid behind Adina. With Adina protecting him, he made a funny face at Duke and was not afraid of him anymore. Duke was speechless. ¡®This boy has never acted so arrogantly. He has been going overboard these days. ¡®Even so, I won¡¯t be able to do anything to him since Adina is here¡­¡¯ ¡°Melody, didn¡¯t you say you are hungry? Let¡¯s go to the cafeteria together.¡± Adina led the children out of the ward. The four children hurriedly followed her out. The ward almost immediately became quiet. Catherine smiled and stretched out her hand. ¡°Hello, Mr. Winters. I¡¯m Catherine. We chatted on WhatsApp before.¡± Duke said indifferently, ¡°Have you settled down?¡± ¡°My office will be ready to operate in a couple of days, all thanks to your assistant.¡± Catherine said with a smile, ¡°I wanted to thank you by treating you to a meal, but since you¡¯re not well, that won¡¯t do anymore.¡± Duke had an indifferent expression. Catherin had apanied her mother for five years. He only asked his assistant to help her prepare the opening of her counseling center as a way to return her favor. ¡°Aunt Mabel, I¡¯m a little hungry. Can you help me buy something to eat?¡± All of a sudden, Catherine asked. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Mabel clenched her fingers. She knew that Catherine wanted her to go away so that she could talk to Duke about something. She did not want an outsider to interfere in the Winters family¡¯s affairs, but she gave in when she thought of Earl¡¯s situation. ¡®Who knows, maybe an outsider will be able to persuade Duke.¡¯ Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Catherine was sitting by the hospital bed. Duke looked at her and said indifferently, ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m just an outsider. Logically speaking, I shouldn¡¯t get involved in the Winters family¡¯s affair. But I¡¯m Aunt Mabel¡¯s friend. I can¡¯t just stand by and watch her as troubles weigh her down day by day.¡± Catherine said inly, ¡°Mr. Winters, you¡¯re a fortunate child, the heir of the Winters family, the leader of Winters Corporation. You¡¯re shining so bright that everyone admires you. What¡¯s more, you¡¯re marrying the love of your life very soon, and you¡¯ll live a happy family of six. You¡¯re living your best life, but have you wondered why your brother is in deep waters?¡± Duke narrowed his eyes. His gaze suddenly turned cold. Catherine was stunned when she saw his reaction. ¡®I have seen pictures of Duke on Aunt Mabel¡¯s phone before, and at that time I was amazed at how identical Duke and Earl looked. Their facial features, outlines, and body shapes looked as if they were carved out of the same mold. ¡®Now that I¡¯ve seen how cold Duke¡¯s gaze is, not only do they look alike, they even have the same temperament¡­ ¡°The only difference is that Earl looks gloomy and fierce all the time. Duke will only show this side of him once in a while¡­¡¯ ¡°Looks like you¡¯re a persuasive talker.¡± Duke sneered, ¡°I guess Earl has visited the manor abroad frequently for the past four years. Otherwise , why would you be willing to speak up for a murderer?¡± Catherine¡¯s fingers stiffened. She did not expect Duke to guess this right. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Earl is Aunt Mabel¡¯s son. What¡¯s wrong with him visiting the manor to see his own mother? As for the part where you call him a murderer, I can¡¯t agree with you on that. Earl was young at that time, and he was forced into a desperate situation and had no choice. That was why he made a bad decision. It has been a decade, Mr. Winters, why do you still want to bring it up?¡± ¡°He was fifteen years old at that time. He must take ountability for what he did. But instead , he¡­¡± Duke pursed his lips. He did not want to speak anymore. He said coldly, ¡°Please leave!¡± Catherine stood up with a cold expression. ¡°Earl doesn¡¯t owe you anything. You shouldn¡¯t push him over the edge!¡± ¡°Leave!¡± Duke¡¯s expression was as cold as ice ¡®You will regret this one day!¡± Catherine bit her lower lip and said, ¡°You better pray that you won¡¯t beg him for help in the future! Adina was heading back to the wand with her children when she saw Mabel, who was standing in the corridor, looking like she was in a daze. She noticed that her eyes were red, as if she had been crying Adina knelt down gently and said with a smile, ¡°Georgie, go y with your brothers and sister. I want to discuss the wedding with Grandma.¡± George nodded obediently. ¡°Okay, Mommy. We¡¯ll go v at the yground.¡± Adina then tumed and approached Mabel Just as she was about to talk to her, Mabel tumetana looked at her. She hastily wipei ler tevers away ¡°Mrs. Winters, are you feeling okay na something happen:¡± Adina askel saltly ¡°All¡¯s goal¡± Malwilloweni her garrantyhai. ¡°¡±7***?? hiow hapa u au lhikr are¡¯, it jusi Punis *** Mike¡¯s father We Wirt¡¯this wo ultry Pry? 13 was in lortunate that Adina¡¯s fingers stiffened. She had read the news about the Winters family in the past. Duke¡¯s father had passed away when he was still young. However, the news did not mention how he had passed away. Sheforted her softly, ¡°He is no longer around, but I¡¯m sure he wants to see you live your life happily¡­¡± ¡°His only wish before his death was for his family to live in harmony, but I failed to fulfill hisst wish¡­¡± Mabel¡¯s voice broke up as her tears started welling up in her eyes again. Adina frowned slightly Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Chapter 534 ¡°The Winters family is most unlike the other wealthy families I¡¯ve met. Mrs. Winters isn¡¯t as rigid and picky as those rich and nobledies. She¡¯s gentle, and the Winters family has always been peaceful. It¡¯s harmonious. Why is she saying that she can¡¯t fulfill thete Mr. Winters¡¯ wish? When Adina saw how heartbroken Mrs. Winters were, she did not dare to ask any more questions. She could onlyfort her softly. ¡°Thanks, Addy. I¡¯m feeling much better now. You can go apany Duke in the ward. I need to be alone.¡± Adina nodded and watched as Mrs. Winters walked off. She did not ask her children toe to the ward with her when she saw that they were having a good time. The moment she entered the ward, she could feel something was off. Duke wasying on the bed with a dark expression . He looked extremely cold and fierce. Adina walked over and asked gently, ¡°What happened?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Nothing.¡± Duke looked at her and his cold expression gradually faded away ¡°Really?¡± Adina frowned. ¡°What did Catherine say to you?¡± The history was too dark to be shared, and Duke did not want it to affect Adina¡¯s emotions. He smiled and said, ¡°Addy, tell me the truth, are you jealous?¡± Adinaughed. ¡°Do I look like someone who easily gets jealous?¡± ¡°Why did you ask what Catherine did, then?¡± Duke joked deliberately, ¡°Just tell me. I will never speak to any woman alone in the future.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Adina turned away. ¡®I¡¯m not that possessive.¡¯ She suddenly remembered something. She turned to him and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you what¡¯s between you and Earley?¡± As soon as she said these words, Duke¡¯s expression darkened visibly. ¡°Addy, never speak of Earley again.¡± He said in a low voice, ¡°I will never let him harm you or our children anymore. Don¡¯t think much about him.¡± Adina felt relieved after she heard what Duke said. ¡®I¡¯m not afraid of Earley, I¡¯m just scared that he¡¯s lurking and targeting the children. ¡®But with Duke around, I don¡¯t have to be scared.¡¯ After they had their lunch, Adina took the children to try on some clothes. Duke¡¯s injuries had not healed yet, so he could only watch his wife and children leave in the car. He was feeling sad when Jake called. ¡°Mr. Winters, bad news. We¡¯ve lost track of him.¡± Duke¡¯s gaze was cold. ¡°It¡¯s normal to lose track of him. Of course, he won¡¯t stay in the same ce and allow himself to be monitored. Send in more men and find him again!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After he hung up, he removed the nket and sat up. The wedding day is around the corner. I must send Earl away from Sea City on the wedding day. Or else, I won¡¯t be at peace. The attending doctor came in when he wore his shoes.¡° Mr. Winters, why are you up? Your injuries are not healed yet. You can¡¯t leave the hospital.¡± Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Chapter 535 ¡°Mr. Winters, the brain scans are out.¡± The doctor handed out a report and spoke in a serious manner. ¡°The blood clot in the back of your head is coagted. Your body might find this difficult to break down. We might need to perform surgery to clear it out¡­¡± Duke frowned. ¡°What if I don¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°You will suffer from frequent headaches¡­¡± The doctor paused and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor surgery. You will recover in two months. Mr. Winters, do you want to get it done first?¡± Duke pursed his lips. ¡®I have too many things on hand. I can¡¯t do the surgery now.¡¯ He said with a frown, ¡°Let me finish up some matters first. I¡¯lle back for a full check-up.¡± ¡°Okay, but it¡¯s best for you toe within three months.¡± The doctor handed him the report. ¡°Stay in the hospital for a week for observation. You will be discharged if everything is fine.¡± Duke stroked his chin. ¡°I¡¯ll be getting married next month on the sixth.¡± The doctor was at a loss for words. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡®I¡¯ve known this for quite some time now. The citizens of Sea City have caused an uproar after knowing that the chairman of Winters Corporation is getting married. ¡°There¡¯s no need for him to say it out loud.¡¯ ¡°So, I want to get discharged today.¡± Duke said indifferently, ¡°Sign the discharge formter.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do¡­¡± The doctor panicked . ¡°Mr. Winters, you¡¯re not yet fully recovered. You can¡¯t leave the hospital. You need to stay for at least three more days¡­¡± ¡°I will be discharged today, and that¡¯s final.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was cold, but there was an irrefutable authority in his tone. The doctor opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times. He finally gave in. ¡°Alright. I will print out a discharge form and sign it.¡± Adina and her children reached the bridal shop. Due tock of time, they did not tailor the wedding dresses and suits in advance. They could only buy the ready-made ones. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, this is the most valuable wedding dress in our shop. It¡¯s a wedding dress that took the French masters three years to finish by hand.¡± The employee enthusiastically introduced it to her. ¡°This dress is decorated with nine hundred and ny-nine finely split gems. The patterns on the neckline, waist, and skirt are all made of gems, and each gem is sewn by the design master himself ¡­¡± Adina¡¯s eyes lit up in shock as she looked at the glimmering white wedding dress in front of her. Before that, she had thought that there would be a day she could wear a wedding dress¡­ ¡®This wedding dress is hand-made. The pattern of the dress is like an ancient totem. Each flower has been decorated with at least six gems. Under the chandelier , the dress shines from top to bottom. This must be every woman¡¯s dream wedding dress¡­¡¯ ¡°Ms. Daugherty, do you want to try it?¡± Adina came back to her senses. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try this one!¡± Two employees pushed the wedding dress into the fitting room, and two more went in to help Adina put on the wedding dress. The four children sat outside and were attended to by another employee. Harold stroked his chin and said, ¡°The bride wears a white wedding dress. What color should the groom wear?¡± The waiter said respectfully, ¡°Generally speaking, the groom will wear a ck or pink suit, which depends on the groom¡¯s personal temperament.¡± Harold turned and looked at Melody. ¡°Mel, what color do you think Daddy will wear?¡± ¡°I like pink.¡± Melody blinked her eyes and said, ¡°I want to wear a pink dress¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wear ck, then!¡± Harold said with a smile, ¡°I want to look better than Daddy! Hehe!¡± George and Alden were not interested in trying on clothes, but it was Daddy and Mommy¡¯s big day. So, they had to be patient and choose their suits. ¡°Wow, Mel, you look so pretty in the pink dress.¡± When Melody came out of the fitting room, her three brothers¡¯ eyes lit up. She usually looked gentle and chubby. Once she was in the sparkly pink dress, she looked even cuter, giving others a strong urge to pinch her chubby face. Harold tapped on the table and said, ¡°It is decided. I¡¯ll wear pink too!¡± Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Chapter 536 The pink dress was so pretty. The employee smiled and said, ¡°Mrs. Winters has prepared pink suits for the young masters as well. Let me help them try it out.¡± Harold forgot aboutpeting for his father¡®s limelight when he was fixated on the opportunity to wear the same color clothes as her sister. He followed the employee into the fitting room happily. George and Alden looked at each other and went after them. Melody was in her pink dress, spinning in front of the mirror. All of a sudden, she held her stomach and frowned. ¡°I¡®m hungry.¡± ¡°Ms., wait here. I¡®ll get you some cookies.¡± The employee adored Melody so much. She hurriedly went to the pantry to get something for her to eat. Melody sat on the sofa and waited quietly. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . At that moment, a man emerged from among the rows of clothes. ¡°Hey, little girl. Are you hungry? I have a lollipop.¡± Melody turned and looked at that man with a frown. It was an old man, standing at the other end of the sofa, holding a dozen colorful lollipops in his hand. Ever since she was young, her teeth had not been very strong. So, Adina would not let her eat sweets. She could only eat one lollipop per week. ¡®I really want to eat a lollipop¡­¡® Melody hopped off the sofa and gulped as she approached the man. ¡°Can I eat it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The man knelt and handed her the lollipops. Just as Melody was about to reach out, she hesitated. ¡®Mommy said that I shouldn¡®t simply take things from strangers.¡® ¡°Little girl, I¡®m not a stranger. You can call me Grandpa.¡± Dillon squatted on the ground, trying to make himself look kinder and approachable. He grabbed Melody¡®s hand and handed the lollipop to her. ¡°This is a strawberry ¨C vored lollipop. Little girls love this vor. Do you want to try it?¡± Melody licked her lips. She was drooling. She could not resist this temptation as she looked at her favorite lollipop, feeling hungry. ¡°Let me help you unwrap it. You¡®ll know what it tastes like when you try it.¡± Dillion carefully tore open the outer packaging of the lollipop and put it near Melody¡®s lips. ¡®I¡®ll just have a taste. It¡®ll be alright, right¡­?¡® After a violent inner struggle , she stuck out her tongue and licked it. ¡°Mel, what are you doing?¡± The three boys, who had just done trying on their suits, rushed out of the fitting room and stood in front of Melody., Alden took the lollipop and tossed it into a trashcan. ¡°Boohoo, my lollipop¡­¡± Melody was crying as she gulped and stared at the lollipop in the trash can George patted her shoulder and red at Dillon. He then said coldly, ¡°Hal, get the lollipop.¡± ¡°That won¡®t do.¡± Harold rubbed his hands. ¡°The trash can is so dirty, it contains a lot of bacteria. Even if you pick it out and wash it, Mel won¡¯t be able to eat it anymore¡­¡± Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Chapter 537 George was speechless. ¡®How can I let my own sister eat stuff from the trash can? ¡®Is there a screw loose in your brain, Harold?¡± ¡°The lollipop in the trash can serves as evidence.¡± George said coldly, ¡°Recently, many human traffickers tempt children with poisonous lollipops and other snacks. After children faint from eating them, the traffickers will take the opportunity to carry them into the van. When parents finally realize what¡®s happening, their children would have already been abducted by human traffickers!¡± ¡®So, you¡¯re a human trafficker!¡± Harold said angrily,¡° How dare you try to lie to my sister. Are you trying to dig your own grave?!¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡®m calling the police.¡± Dillon was at loss. ¡®Before Ie here, I¡®ve known all about the four children in the Winters family. The eldest and the third are very smart, and the second is particrly difficult to deal with. Only the youngest sister is the easiest target. ¡®That¡®s why, when no one was watching, I gave her the lollipop. But before I was able to talk more to Melody, the boys appeared and are announcing to the world that I¡®m a human trafficker¡­¡® At that very moment, Dillon had finally experienced what it felt like to suffer in silence. ¡°It¡®s just a misunderstanding¡­¡± Dillon tried to exin.¡° I just find this little girl very cute and pretty. So, I gave her a lollipop. Do you all want some? They¡®re tasty¡­¡± He took out all the lollipops he had. Melody blinked and said gently, ¡°This man is not a bad person¡­¡± ¡°That¡®s right. I¡®m not a bad person. I¡®m not a human trafficker !¡± Dillon looked earnest as he tried to exin. ¡°Mel, you¡®re still young. You have no idea how evil human traffickers are!¡± George said coldly, ¡°A bad person will never say that they are bad. A human trafficker won¡®t tell people that they are one, too. I heard that they usually love to abduct and sell pretty little girls, and you¡®re their type¡­¡± Melody¡®s face turned pale. She shrank her neck, and her gaze was filled with terror. ¡°I¡®m telling the truth. I¡®m not a bad person¡­¡± Dillon was too heartbroken for tears toe. ¡°Alright, whatever that you want to say, you can tell them to the police officers!¡± The employee had called the police. She walked up to him and said coldly as she protected the four children, ¡°Guards, don¡®t let this human trafficker get away!¡± Around five guards rushed in and surrounded Dillon. Dillon had never felt so embarrassed in his whole life. He quickly contemted in his mind whether to reveal his identity to the boys¡­ ¡®But if I reveal it, I¡®ll embarrass the Jones family. But if I don¡¯t reveal my identity, I¡¯ll definitely be taken away and be interrogated by the police.¡® At that moment¡­ ¡°Mr. Jones?¡± Adina, who had a hard time changing her wedding dress, came out of the fitting room and saw this scene. When she heard the employee, she thought that a human trafficker had actually shown up. She realized she was looking at a familiar face when she walked through the crowd. She saw him on the Inte a couple of days ago. He was the eldest son in the Jones family, Dillon Jones. ¡°Mommy, he¡®s a human trafficker ! He wants to kidnap Mel!¡± Harold pointed at Dillon and said loudly. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Dillon wished the ground would open up and swallow him. ¡®I just want to get to know the children and slowly enter Addy¡®s life. Well, it¡®s only the first step, and I¡®ve already made a mistake.¡® Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Chapter 538 ¡°Hal, don¡®t say that. There is no way Mr. Jones is a human trafficker.¡± Adina lifted the hem of her dress as she walked over. She said in surprise, ¡°I¡®m sorry, Mr. Jones. The children don¡®t know what they are talking about. I hope they haven¡®t caused you any trouble.¡± ¡°Mommy, he really is a human trafficker,¡± George frowned and said. ¡°He tempted Melody to eat a lollipop. Only a human trafficker would do something like that.¡± Alden nodded. ¡°We have already called the cops.¡± Dillon remained calm and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, your daughter is adorable , and I couldn¡®t help but give her a lollipop. I really didn¡®t mean any harm to her.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Adina nodded. She turned around and looked at her son. ¡°Al, call off the police.¡± Alden did not move. This man was too suspicious. Everything about him screamed ¡°bad guy¡°. Adina pped her hand against her forehead in resignation. ¡°This is Mr. Jones. The eldest son of the Jones Corporation. The Jones family is ranked among the top three in Sea City. How could Mr. Jones be involved in human trafficking?¡± ¡°The eldest son of the Jones family?¡± Alden narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh. Is it the Ms. Jones who falsely used my mother of giarism before your sister?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Dillon was speechless. Why did he not know that Zhenny and Adina had such bad blood between them? He was suddenly convinced that his appearance here was a mistake. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, this is just a misunderstanding.¡± Cold sweat rolled down Dillon¡®s forehead. ¡°I will buy you dinner and apologize personally next time. I have some work to do. I should get going.¡± After he said that, he turned around and left. He looked like he was running away. The staff in the store were still talking about it. ¡°I saw that guy acting suspiciously when he walked in, but he had a gold card, so I couldn¡®t say anything.¡± ¡°That¡®s right. He has been staring at those kids after he walked in. Since he was wearing a suit, it didn¡®t ur to me that he could be a human trafficker.¡± ¡°Maybe he really is a human trafficker. We shouldn¡®t have let him leave just now.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Adina cleared her throat. ¡°That was Mr. Jones. He isn¡®t a human trafficker. I know him. What happened today is just a misunderstanding.¡± Since she already said so, the staff were in no ce to discuss this any further. Adina had lost her desire to try on wedding gowns. Dillon¡®s awkward and embarrassed look came to her mind. She could not figure out why he would want to approach Melody. Could it be that it was just as she guessed? That she and that man were rted by blood? Then why didn¡®t he show up for the past twenty¨Cthree years, and only showed up right after Duke announced that she would be Madam Winters? Adina¡®s lips curled up into a sneer. Then, she cast the matter aside. After she settled the matter of her gowns, Adina dropped the kids back at the Winters family¡®s house before she drove to the hospital. When she walked in, she saw Mr. Brown packing up things. Her face was filled with surprise. ¡°Are you transferring to another hospital?¡± Duke¡®s lips curled up. ¡°I¡®m getting discharged today.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°The doctor said you can¡®t be discharged until the fifth of next month. You should stay here for a week for observation. You¡®d better listen to him and stay put.¡± Duke knew that she would insist on him staying. He took out the examination checklist and hospitalization slip from the bedside table before he said confidently, ¡°The doctor has cleared me. I shouldn¡®t move around much after I go home. I just need to lie down and rest more. There is no need for me to be hospitalized.¡± His attending doctor, who was walking past the ward, paused, rendered speechless. He was innocent! But he could not even fight back when he had been made a scapegoat. Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Duke was eventually discharged as he wished. They arrived at the Winters family¡®s house just in time for dinner. The kids were sitting obediently at the table, eating their dinner. When he saw them walk in, Harold put down his spoon and darted toward them. ¡°Yeah! Mommy, you are finally back!¡± ¡°Mommy, are you still going to go to the hospital tonight?¡± Alden asked. ¡°Ahem!¡± Duke let out a loud cough. The kids¡® attention finally shifted to him. George remarked with surprise, ¡°Daddy, you got discharged so soon?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Oh, you should have stayed in the hospital for a few more days, Daddy.¡± Harold was quite bummed. When his daddy wasn¡®t around, no one was around to restrain him. He could do whatever he wanted and had so much fun. Duke was speechless. He was their father. Were these boys hoping that he would not return for the rest of their lives? 1 ¡°Come,e. Let¡®s sit down and have dinner.¡± Mrs. Winters ordered the servants to bring up two sets of dinnerware. After Duke and Adina were seated, she asked Mr. Brown, ¡°Have you put the bedding set I bought this morning in the master bedroom?¡± Mr. Brown nodded with a smile. ¡°It has already been ced in the bedroom. All of the decorations, including the curtains and carpet, have been reced with new ones as you requested.¡± Adina had a vague, bad feeling about that. Although she and Duke had already registered for marriage, they had not wedded yet. So she just felt like she and Duke had not gotten to that point yet. From what Mrs. Winters had said, she was probably going to sleep in the same room with Duke tonight. She wanted to say no, but she could note up with a reason to do so. Never mind. It was not like they had not slept in the same room before. There was no need to be pretentious. Adina ate calmly andposedly. The corners of Duke¡®s lips curled up. They got their marriage license this morning, which meant today was his and Adina¡®s wedding day. So, tonight was their wedding night. ¡°Mr. Brown, stop preparing the bedroom!¡± Harold said in an upset manner, ¡°Mommy will sleep in my room tonight. I want to sleep with Mommy!¡± Mr. Brown choked for a second before he said in a serious tone, ¡°Young Master Harold , you are four years old. It¡®s time to learn to sleep by yourself.¡± ¡°But I¡®ve never slept with Mommy since I was little.¡± Harold pouted and said pitifully , ¡°Other children sleep with their mommies for at least two or three years after they were born. Mommy must make up for the years we missed. Then, I will agree to sleep by myself in the future.¡± George said longingly, ¡°I have never slept with Mommy, too.¡± Adina¡®s heart was filled with bitterness. D Before they were two years old, Alden and Melody had slept with her. George and Harold most likely slept with their nannies or in their cribs by themselves. It made her sad to think about it. Duke responded in a deep and cold voice before she could say anything. His fingers tapped on the tabletop without any rhythm as he said tly, ¡°Babies sleep with their parents. I don¡®t mind giving you a chance to sleep with me.¡± Harold was speechless. No one would want to sleep with a devil, like Daddy. He would be so frightened that he would not be able to fall asleep. George was speechless. He would rather sleep alone. ¡°How about I sleep with all of you tonight?¡± Mrs. Winters smiled and said. ¡°I have learned a few bedtime stories. I will tell you stories tonight.¡± ¡°Yeah! Awesome!¡± Melody was the most supportive one as she pped cheerfully. Harold, who was afraid that his daddy would force him to sleep with him, pped as well. He said, ¡°I can¡®t wait to hear Grandma¡®s stories.¡± Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Chapter 540 ¡°Come upstairs with me.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Mrs. Winters carried Melody in one arm and held Harold¡®s hand as she led the children upstairs. ¡°You will have plenty of chances to make it up for the kids, but not tonight.¡± Duke leaned in and whispered into Adina¡®s ear, ¡°Tonight is our wedding night. Let¡®s not waste the evening away.¡± Adina immediately blushed. He was such a flirt. How could he say something like that with other people present? Mr. Brown took in their interaction, which he interpreted as them flirting. The old man narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, ¡°Mrs. Winters, perhaps you would like to go upstairs and take a look at the bedroom first and see if there is anything else you need.¡± Adina could feel her gut tighten when she heard the title, Mrs. Winters. It suddenly dawned upon her that she and Duke really were married. She had be a part of the Winters family. ¡°Come on, let¡®s go upstairs and take a look.¡± Duke wrapped his arm around her slender waist and steered her upstairs. When the door to the master bedroom was opened, the room wasvishly and romantically decorated , as far as the eyes could see. The bedsheets and quilts were white. The rug was white. The drapes were white. All the dolls and decorations were white as well. Even ¡°Happy Married Life¡± stickers were pasted on the closet door. This was clearly a wedding room. Adina opened her mouth, but no words came out. Mr. Brown smiled and said, ¡°Mrs. Winters said Master and Madam are officially married today, so you should spend your wedding night today. Please allow me to excuse myself. If there is anything you need, just call me. I am always around.¡± He turned around and left the master bedroom. He even considerately closed the door for them. ¡°This is too much.¡± Adina spoke with difficulty. She felt her voice was a little hoarse and her body temperature was rising, so she dashed to find some water to drink. Duke cracked a smile as he watched her turn her back on him in a flustered manner. He said in a hoarse voice,¡± Addy, I know what happened that night five years ago really traumatized you, but I am a different person now than I was five years ago. I won¡®t force you to do anything you don¡®t want to do again.¡± ¡°Is that a promise?¡± Adina turned around and stared at him. Her eyes were bright and clear. Duke was speechless. He had only wanted to express his true feelings for her. Why did it feel like he had just shot himself in the foot? The room had been so romantically decorated. If he could hold himself back, he could have really been a saint. ¡°You made a promise !¡± Adina¡®s lips curled up, and she chuckled. ¡°An honorable man should stand to his promise. Since you¡®ve promised that you won¡®t force me, you mustn¡¯t use force on me then.¡± Duke¡®s face darkened with frustration. Adina could not help butugh. He was so arrogant, so this served him right. She purposefully did not give him what he desired. She would like to see him hold himself back. Looking at Adina¡®s bright smile, Duke could feel his urge trying to burst through. He could not suppress it, no matter how he tried. But since he had already said he would not force her, he could never break his promise. He said sullenly, ¡°I will go take a shower first.¡± He entered the bathroom, and the sound of running water could soon be heard. Adina sat on the edge of the bed. Her heart started pounding again as she looked around the room that had been decorated white. She pulled open the door of the wardrobe and found that the other half of the wardrobe space was full of women¡®s clothes, including pajamas, home clothes, and gowns. It was obvious that these had been personally prepared by Mrs. Winters. It was probably one of the luckiest things in her life to have such a mother¨Cinw. Adina chose a set of pajamas and took them out of the wardrobe. She nned to change into them after the shower. Suddenly, a muffled grunt could be hearding from the bathroom. Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Adina put down her pajamas and walked toward the bathroom door. She knocked on the door and raised her voice to ask, ¡°Duke, are you alright?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± The sound of Duke¡¯s voice,bined with the sound of running water, came from the bathroom. From the sound of his voice, there was indeed nothing wrong. Adina turned around and walked away. Duke was slumped on the bathroom floor at this point, looking extremely miserable. For the first time in his twenty-six years of life, he realized how difficult taking a shower could be. 1 Didn¡¯t the injury on his left leg already heal? Why would it start to spasm when he ran cold water over it? His left leg spasmed, and the bathroom floor was slippery. As a result, he fell miserably to the floor. An eight-foot-tall many on the bathroom floor. It was absolutely ridiculous. 2 Duke was so frustrated. He sat on the floor and waited for the spasm to pass before he slowly stood up, holding onto the wall. Then, he picked up the shower head and continued showering.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Who would have expected that¡­ Not even two minutes into the shower, he felt the spasm again. Thud! A loud noise came from inside. Adina was looking at her phone. She jumped up in surprise when she heard that. She darted to the bathroom door and asked worriedly, ¡°Duke, what happened?¡± ¡°Could¡­ Could youe in and give me a hand?¡± Duke slumped on the floor. He closed his eyes in despair as he asked that. When his left leg spasmed just now, he managed to brace his body strongly and did not fall down, but it had triggered the rpse of an old injury on his arm. There was no strength in his right arm. If no one came in to help him, he might need to sit in the bathroom all night. No man would want the woman he loved to see him in such a miserable state. However, he did not have any other choice. Mr. Winters, who had always been high and powerful, had a despairing expression on his face. Adina was certain he had fallen. The doctor had told him that his leg injury would require at least a week of recovery, but he had insisted on being released today. He had really fallen, just as she had predicted. He totally brought this upon himself! She pursed her lips and pushed open the bathroom door. Adina closed her eyes tightly in the next second. He was naked! Duke, who had a depressed expression on his face, suddenly felt relieved when he saw Adina blushing. They were husband and wife. They would live together for the rest of their lives. Why did it matter if she saw him being in a miserable state? He wanted to tease her, so he curled his lips and said yfully,¡± Did you expect me to shower with my clothes on?¡± Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Chapter 542 ¡°Get¡­ Get a bath towel on first. Then, I will help you up.¡± Adina said as she closed her eyes tightly. Duke threw open his arms and said, ¡°My left arm feels powerless. I can¡¯t lift it up. I wouldn¡¯t have called you here otherwise.¡± Adina was speechless. Adina took a deep breath and opened her eyes a little bit. She scanned the bathroom and quickly found the bath towel. She pulled it off the rack and threw it on him. ¡°Wrap it around you, now!¡± Duke let out a stifledugh. Why did she look so cute when she was shy? He let out a subtle sigh and said, ¡°Give me a hand. I really don¡¯t have much strength.¡± Adina wished she could kick him away. She took a deep breath and hastily wrapped the towel around his body In the midst of her panic, her hand touched his body. It was as cold as ice. Only then did she notice that there was not a trace of heat in the bathroom. She frowned and said, ¡°Your injury is not yet healed. How could you take a cold shower? What if you catch a cold?¡± As she said that, she turned around and caught the man¡¯s dark eyes. His passionate gaze seemed to carry a hint of warmth that contrasted with his cold body. ¡°Help me up.¡± Duke put his hand on her shoulder. The arm was supposed to be cold, yet Adina felt like an arm that was aze was pressing against her. Her heart was pounding. She could only force herself to remain calm as she helped him to his feet. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She was petite. So when Duke stood up, the pressure made her bend over. She fell forward uncontrobly and hit the switch of the shower head. Water rained down on Adina. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished showering. Help me.¡± Adina trembled all over. She gulped a mouthful of icy air. ¡°You ¡­ You should probably finish your shower by yourself.¡± ¡°If you leave me here alone in the bathroom, I will fall a third time.¡± Duke said to her. His voice was hoarse. His eyes were dark with sparks of fire in them. A gust of wind would spread the fire and burn everything down. Adina knew what it meant if she stayed, but she could not lift her feet at all. ¡°Your clothes are wet. You will catch a cold if you keep wearing them.¡± Duke lifted his hand and unbuttoned her cor. Adina felt as if her breath had been taken from her. She remained stiff, not daring to move. She knew what was about to happen. She was surprised that she did not feel any reluctance at all. She even felt a little lost in this amorous and suffocating atmosphere. ¡°Addy, I love you.¡± Duke cupped her face and kissed her gently on the lips. Water from the shower was pouring down. They held each other tightly in the bathroom. Adina did not even know how she got out of the bathroom or how she got thrown on the white wedding bed. The atmosphere in the room was steamy and romantic. Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Chapter 543 The temperature in the bedroom rose. Mrs. Winters and Mr. Brown exchanged eye contact with each other at the door of the room. An understanding smile appeared on their faces. ¡°Mrs. Winter, I will have the cook make the oyster stew. Master can have some when he wakes up tomorrow.¡± Mrs. Winters nodded her head. ¡°And make some asparagus soup. It¡¯s good for women¡¯s bodies.¡± ¡°Why would Mommy need to drink asparagus soup?¡± A pure and delicate voice was heard. Mrs. Winters and Mr. Brown turned around. They saw Melody look at them with big eyes and a face full of innocence. Behind the girl were her three brothers, Harold asked suspiciously, ¡°Mr. Brown, did I hear you say oyster stew? Why would Daddy need oyster stew?¡± Mr. Brown smiled dryly. ¡°Your daddy got injured, didn¡¯t he? Oysters are good for his health.¡± Alden frowned. ¡°I remember reading from a book that oysters are an aphrodisiac.¡±. Harold fulfilled the spirit of asking questions without feeling shy and pursuing knowledge. He continued to ask, ¡°What does aphrodisiac mean?¡± Cold sweat rolled down Mr. Brown¡¯s forehead. Harold was too brilliant. He actually knew oysters had an aphrodisiac effect. He knew exactly what was the meaning of aphrodisiac. However, how was he going to exin it to these little kids? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Looking at their gazes, which thirsted for knowledge, Mr. Brown just wanted to run away. Duke gently kissed her corbone. Her tattoo could vaguely be seen in the dim light. His eyes darkened for a moment. ¡°I found a designer,¡± Adina whispered. He said he could help me change this letter into a word with N. What word do you think I should use?¡± ¡°North.¡± Duke said in a low and hoarse voice. ¡°North, my middle name.¡± ¡°Okay, it¡¯s settled then.¡± Adina¡¯s voice was gentle. She wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s neck and gave him a kiss with her red lips. 1 They rolled around in bed. ¡°I will carry you to the bathroom to take a shower.¡± Duke carried Adina in his arms and walked toward the bathroom. They had already gone through the most intimate stage, so Cold sweat rolled down Mr. Brown¡¯s forehead. Harold was too brilliant. He actually knew oysters had an aphrodisiac effect. He knew exactly what was the meaning of aphrodisiac. However, how was he going to exin it to these little kids? Looking at their gazes, which thirsted for knowledge, Mr. Brown just wanted to run away. Duke gently kissed her corbone. Her tattoo could vaguely be seen in the dim light. His eyes darkened for a moment. ¡°I found a designer,¡± Adina whispered. He said he could help me change this letter into a word with N. What word do you think | should use?¡± ¡°North.¡± Duke said in a low and hoarse voice. ¡°North, my middle name.¡± ¡°Okay, it¡¯s settled then.¡± Adina¡¯s voice was gentle. She wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s neck and gave him a kiss with her red lips. 1 They rolled around in bed. ¡°I will carry you to the bathroom to take a shower.¡± Duke carried Adina in his arms and walked toward the bathroom. They had already gone through the most intimate stage, so Adina was less shy as she let him carry her into the bathroom. At the bathroom door, he suddenly stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Adina looked up and saw Duke¡¯s eyes tightly shut. The veins in his forehead were bulging. Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Chapter 544 She was startled, and she jumped out of the man¡¯s hold before nervously asking, ¡°Do you feel ufortable?¡± ¡°The back of my head hurts a little.¡± Duke put his palm against his temple and said, ¡°The doctor prescribed some medicine for me. Can you please bring me two pills from the drawer on the left?¡± Adina hurriedly went to grab the medicine and poured him a ss of warm water. ¡°I think it¡¯s better for you to stay in the hospital and be monitored for a few days,¡± she said after waiting for Duke to take the medication. Dukey on the bed. His raven eyes were trained at the woman, and he softly said, ¡°Our wedding is just around the corner. It¡¯s the most important day of our lives, so how could I wait for the day toe while lying in a hospital bed? I will do the necessary preparations on my own.¡± ¡°Other than the fitting for the groom¡¯s dress suit, there¡¯s nothing else you have to prepare on your own.¡± Adina strongly disagreed. He already faced so many troubles on the first day of being discharged from the hospital. She was really worried that something would happen. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± Duke pulled her into his arms and said,¡± Apany me to the fitting tomorrow, please?¡± Adina nodded lightly. That night, the stars were shining gently, and their love was deep. The next morning, Adina was awakened by the knocking and shouting of their children outside the door. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. How could he be sleeping so soundly with all themotion outside?¡¯ She wondered as she nced at the man lying beside her. But since he had a headache the night before, it made sense for him to sleep a little longer. She got out of the bed carefully, changed her clothes, and finally opened the bedroom door and walked out. ¡°Shh, keep it down a little. Your Daddy is still sleeping.¡± The kids¡¯ eyes were like searchlights, scanning every inch of Adina from head to toe. ¡°Mommy, you have some red marks on your neck. Did Daddy pinch you?¡± Harold asked angrily with rage-filled eyes. Adina pulled her cor up right away and mentally cursed at Duke. She told him many timesst night not to leave any marks on her body, but the man simply refused to listen to her and kept kissing her neck again and again. Look! The children could clearly see the love bites. Great. ¡°It has nothing to do with your Daddy¡­¡± Adina had never felt so embarrassed in her life. ¡°It was the mosquitoes. Yes, I was bitten by mosquitoes. There were a lot of them in the room,¡± she stuttered as she offered an exnation. Alden narrowed his eyes. He had already been living with his mother for four years, so he knew that she was lying with just one nce. But why would Mommy lie? He pursed his lips and remained silent. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Come, let¡¯s go eat breakfast!¡± Adina immediately changed the topic and led the four children to the dining hall. When she noticed the food on the dining table, she was dumbfounded. There were asparagus soup, maca soup, artichoke soup, and all kinds of other food ssed as aphrodisiacs on the table. Chapter 545 Chapter 545 Chapter 545 About five chefs stood at the dining hall¡¯s entrance, each with a smile on their faces and teasing looks. ¡°Cough!¡± Adina nearly choked to death from her own saliva. That meant that her and Duke¡¯s ¡®activities¡¯ fromst night were known to all the mansion¡¯s servants¡­ Mabel walked over to Adina with a smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re up early, Adina. Have some saffron chicken stew. It¡¯s nourishing for women and¡­¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°T-thank you, Mrs. Winters.¡± Adina lowered her head and drank her stew, not even daring to look at the people around her. This morning was the most embarrassing one she ever had in her whole twenty-three years of living. She wanted to bury herself in a hole. She felt very frustrated at the thought of Duke still sleeping soundly. But at that very moment, a well-rehearsed ¡°Good morning, Mr. Duke¡± echoed in the dining hall in unison. Adina subconsciously turned around to see Duke enter the dining hall while dressed in a silver suit. Who could have imagined the tenderness and clinginess of this man in bedst night when he was so nicely dressed and sporting his usual cold and stern eyes? Adina discreetly threw a re at him. Duke sat down beside her and gulped down half of the asparagus soup with a straight face. Adina was at a loss for words. Why did she think she would be screwed tonight? 1 ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much of that,¡± she hurriedly said as she snatched the bowl out of his hands. ¡°You¡¯ll get heaty.¡± Duke looked at her with a vague smile and said, ¡°It makes no difference whether I drink that or not.¡± Adina¡¯s face turned red due to the extreme double meaning slipped into his statement. ¡°I want to drink it too.¡± Harold licked his lips. ¡°Asparagus soup sounds delicious. Mommy, can you get me a bowl too?¡± Adina was speechless. ¡®Why would this kid want to drink this?¡¯ Mabel quickly picked Harold up and said, ¡°Asparagus soup is not tasty at all. I¡¯ll take you to get some ice cream instead, okay?¡± ¡°Ice cream!¡± Mel¡¯s eyes lit up as well while saying, ¡°I want to have it too, Grandma!¡± Mabel led the two little rascals who were easier to coax out to the yard. George and Alden sat at the dining table and quietly ate their shrimp risotto. After almost finishing his meal, Duke calmly said, ¡°George, bring Alden to thepany today to familiarize him with the operation process.¡±. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to send the kids to preschool?¡± Adina frowned disapprovingly. ¡°There¡¯s no conflict between sending him to school and thepany,¡± Duke drawled. ¡°Keeping Alden at the preschool every day will just be a waste of his extraordinary intelligence. Look, Harold is not a particrly bright kid. Do you see me sending him to thepany?¡± . : ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Harold, who was ying wildly at the yard, sneezed and carried on ying excitedly like a little piglet. Adina pursed her lips and said, 11 respect your choice, Alden.¡± ¡°I can do it, Mommy,¡± Alden replied obediently. ¡°I will follow George¡¯s lead and learn how to run the company properly.¡± He was not overly concerned about the technical aspects because he was running a hacker studio. However, hecked business management experience, so it was the perfect time for him to learn it. ¡°I will teach Alden well. Don¡¯t worry about it, Mommy.¡± George nodded. Adina had no choice but to nod in agreement. ¡°Okay. But don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, Al. You won¡¯t have to go if you¡¯re not used to it.¡± Alden nodded obediently. After breakfast, George brought Alden to thepany, while Mabel brought Harold and Melody to the yground. Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Duke and Adina, on the other hand, went to try out their wedding outfits. ¡°I want to see you in your wedding dress,¡± Duke went close to Adina¡¯s ear and whispered. ¡°Wait till the day of the wedding,¡± Adina teased with a bright grin. ¡°Just five more days.¡± The woman smiled shyly. The man had gentle eyes. The store staff all looked at them with envy as the two came inside the bridal store together. ¡°Mr. Winters and Miss Daugherty are so deeply in love. They look very happy.¡± ¡°Miss Daugherty has four children, a man who loves her, and she is only twenty-three years old. She¡¯s really winning in life.¡± ¡°The four children that came to try on the clothes yesterday all have such a strong resemnce to Mr. Winters. Even the young girl took after her father.¡± ¡°I think the children¡¯s eyes look more like Miss Daugherty¡¯s ¡­¡± The storekeepers continued gossiping about the couple. The staff members quickly introduced the groom¡¯s dress suit to Adina and Duke as soon as they took a seat in the VIP lounge. ¡°Here are five sets of dress suits, Mr. Winters. The main color theme is ck, with a pink tie with gold ents. It matches the wedding dress.¡± The staff member gave a detailed exnation.¡± Every hidden button on the shirts has two alphabets engraved on them, and it¡¯s the initials of both Mr. Winters and Miss Daugherty¡¯s names.¡± Duke was very satisfied with all five of the suits, but as he stood up to try them on, a call suddenly came in. On the other end of the line, Jake¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°Earl has been located, Mr. Winters!¡± Duke¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t alert him, wait for me to arrive.¡± After hanging up, he looked at Adina apologetically and said,¡± Addy, wait here for me for half an hour, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Adina immediately knew that it must have had something to do with Earl, so she nodded and said, ¡°Just go, I¡¯ll be waiting for you here.¡± Duke turned and left the bridal store. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Once he left, Adina sat down on an empty seat and looked through her phone while she waited. She waited for half an hour, but there was still no sign of him. She looked up, cast a quick nce out the windows, and noticed a familiar silhouette seated at the entrance to the bridal store. She nced at them, and for a second the person panicked and hurriedly turned around. Adina¡¯s lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed, but she retreated and resumed scrolling through her phone. Five minutester, a silhouette appeared in front of her. ¡°What a coincidence, Miss Daugherty. We meet again.¡± Dillon took a seat opposite her, pushed the cup of coffee in her direction, and said, ¡°It must be fate. Let me treat you to a cup of coffee.¡± Adina put away her phone, and after fixing her gaze on him, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve been in the bridal store two days in a row, Mr. Jones. Are you perhaps getting remarried?¡± Dillon went silent for a while. He was already an old man, why would he be getting married ? But if not for a wedding, how would you exin a person showing up at a wedding dress store two days in a row? ¡°I have a friend that¡¯s getting ready for his wedding, and I¡¯m here to apany him for his fitting,¡± Dillon stated dryly after taking a sip of coffee. Adina¡¯s lips curled up as she said, ¡°Then, where¡¯s that friend of yours, Mr. Jones? She lightly chuckled when she saw Dillon¡¯s guilty expression and added, ¡°Let¡¯s make it clear, Mr. Jones. Why have you been following me for the past two days?¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t get me wrong. I have no ill intentions!¡± Dillon wanted to exin himself, but he soon realized that he could note up with a reasonable excuse. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for someone. Please help yourself, Mr. Jones,¡± said Adina as she lowered her eyes. Dillon looked defeated. All he wanted was to find a chance to get close to his own daughter, but why was he making things worse instead? Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Dillon let out a low sigh. He had missed out on her for twenty-three years, and it was really hard to try to make it up to her. He would not hesitate to get in touch with his daughter if she was struggling in life. But now that Addy had be the Winters family¡¯s youngdy, it would be easy to interpret his actions as an attempt to establish a connection with powerful people. Dillon got up, walked away for a few steps, turned back again, and slowly walked back. He then ced a box on the table and said, ¡°Miss Daugherty, I think we have hit it off quite well. Think of it as a gift from an elder to a youngster.¡± Adina was startled. She nced at the box and was not sure what was inside, but it was impossible for her to ept a gift from a stranger. ¡°Mr. Jones, I don¡¯t have a habit of epting someone¡¯s gift for no reason. Please take it back,¡± she said calmly. Dillon¡¯s hand went stiff, but he still opened the box and quietly said, ¡°This is a jade ne, and it matches your skin really well. No one is worthy of this ne except for you.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Adina¡¯s gaze was drawn to the jade ne. A picture came to her mind, and it was the only picture she had of her mother when she was young. Her mother was a renowned beauty in Sea City when she was younger. Her mother seemed even more stunning in that picture because of the warm, vintage hue. Especially the jade ne hanging from her mother¡¯s neck, which was very eye-catching. It was the exact same as the ne in Dillon¡¯s hand. All kinds of emotions were roaring in Adina¡¯s mind, yet she remained calm on the outside. She responded quietly, ¡°This ne looks like it¡¯s been around for a while.¡± ¡°It has been around for over twenty years.¡± Nostalgia surfaced in Dillon¡¯s eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that twenty years would fly by so quickly. You should try this on, Miss Daugherty. It really suits you.¡± Adina blinked. It was a ne that her mother had worn, and she was really kind of tempted. Seeing that she was not resisting, Dillon quickly moved behind her and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll help you put it on.¡± His hand had just brushed away the long hair at the back of Adina¡¯s neck when he felt a sharp gaze in his direction. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Duke walked over coldly and pulled Adina into his embrace. His eagle-like eyes narrowed on Dillon as he snorted coldly and said, ¡°What were you trying to do, Mr. Jones?¡± Dillon was still holding on to the ne, but the person in front of him was already dragged away. He suddenly realized it would be really hard to exin himself in that situation Adina answered softly, ¡°Mr. Jones was just trying to offer me a gift. He meant no harm.¡± Duke¡¯s eyes were shining with fierceness as he said, ¡°He is giving a gift to someone else¡¯s wife. How can that be seen as having good intentions?¡± Adina was speechless. How could she forget that this man was a green-eyed monster? He could even get jealous of his own son, let alone Dillon, a total stranger. Dillonposed himself for a bit and spoke in a calm voice,¡° Mr. Winters, this ne is a gift from me as an elder to a junior. Could you please help Miss Daugherty wear it?¡± He ced the ne back in the box and handed it over. ¡°Please take back such a valuable gift, Mr. Jones. We appreciate your kindness,¡± Duke coldly said. Dillon sighed secretly. If only he had moved a little faster. Forget it, he¡¯ll find another chanceter. He kept the box in his pocket and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding.¡± Adina could just watch as the ne her mother had worn was taken back, right in front of her eyes. She did not want to have the ne. She also did not want to pass up anything that belonged to her mother. Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Duke felt a little annoyed that she was still focusing on the ne. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you ten of thatter,¡± he whispered in a husky voice as he drew closer to Adina¡¯s ear and lowered his head to her level. Before Adina could even reply to him, she felt the man¡¯s lips getting closer to her, and she felt her earlobe getting enveloped in moisture. ¡°You!¡± Her face turned a shade of red from shyness. He actually dared to lick her earlobe on this asion, in a setting like this, and with people watching! From nowo ¡°From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to ept anything from other men!¡± Duke bit on her earlobe and growled. ¡°! ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Adina¡¯s breathing became unsteady with anger. This bastard. He was intentionally being so touchy in front of Dillon. There was a good chance that Dillon was her biological father. Adina gave a hard pinch on Duke¡¯s waist. However, Dillon simply saw her actions as flirting with Duke. He had already lost his daughter to another man before he could even reunite with her. Duke felt like crying. ¡°Ahem!¡± He cleared his throat loudly, but the two in front of him did not even hear him. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Dillon raised his voice a little and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, I have a project I want to talk to you about. Is it convenient for you?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m going to try on my suits?¡± Duke said, without a single trace of politeness. ¡°Then I can wait until you have finished your fitting before we talk, Mr. Winters.¡± Dillon sat down on the chair. Despite his reluctance to see his daughter being ¡°bullied,¡± he was worried that Duke¡¯s actions might escte once he leaves He wanted to stay here and stare at them! Duke was speechless. This old man is still trying to pester Addy. Did he think he was invisible? He wrapped his arm around Adina¡¯s slender waist and sat down on the opposite side, his voice cold to the core as he said, ¡°Mr. Jones. What do you wish to talk to me about? Do say.¡± Actually, Dillon actually had no work-rted stuff to discuss with Duke. He disliked dealing withpany matters and had always tossed his work to the management. After Jones Corporation had handed him a subsidiarypany, he had let his son take care of it. He had been dormant for so long that he had long since lost track of the state of the current market. He paused for a long time before speaking, ¡°Mr. Winters, you became the president of Winters Corporation at such a young age, and even led thepany to a new height. It is a really admirable feat.¡± Duke¡¯s lips curled, and he continued, mockingly, ¡°Mr. Jones, you are the only young master of the Jones family, yet you managed to lose the position of the heir. That is also really admirable.¡± The moment he said it, the atmosphere instantly turned cold. Adina frowned and said calmly, ¡°Some people pursue power, while others are indifferent to fame and fortune. Everyone is free to make their own choices, and there is nothing to criticize.¡± Duke¡¯s mood immediately plummeted. Was Addy siding with that old man, Dillon? Dillon felt very relieved. It seemed that the rtionship between a father and daughter was unbreakable . Even though Addy was unaware of his real identity, she was speaking up for him. Did that imply that Addy had a good impression of him as well? Just as Dillon was about to speak, the phone on the table started vibrating. It was Adina¡¯s phone. She nced at the caller ID. It was Serene. Serene has been left in charge of managing thepany while she has been apanying Duke in the hospital for the past few days. Was it possible that something urred? She epted the call with knitted eyebrows. Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Chapter 549 ¡°Ms. Adina, something happened to the Elitos project.¡± Serene¡®s voice could be heard from the other end of the line. A trace of exhaustionyered it. Adina knew that Serene would never call her for any minor issues. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°What happened? Exin slowly, rx,¡± she said calmly. ¡°Last week, the president of Elitos, who was based in Sea City, was reced, and the new president, Benny Krisman, is closely connected to the Jones Corporation. As a result, he added Mdm. Jones of the Jones Corporation as one of the project¡®s primary chip designers. She will work with ourpany toplete the chip programming and design.¡± Adina¡®s eyes narrowed. ¡°The Jones?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡®s the Jones,¡± Serene said through gritted teeth. ¡°Zhenny Jones¡®s name and your name, Ms. Adina, are both listed side by side on the project column. Elitos decided to redraft the partnership contract. Ms. Adina, they kept backtracking on their agreements. We can demandpensation from them for breaching the contract.¡± Adina¡®s lips curled into a smirk, ¡°Jones Corporation is determined to get a share of the pie, or else there won¡®t be a clear breach of the contract. If we decide to sue Elitos for contract vitions, then LaStar Technology Corporation will be the one getting kicked out of the project in the end. Our ¡°What do you mean by that, Ms. Adina?¡± ¡°Agree with the coboration and sign the contract. I have my own ns for the future.¡± After hanging up the phone, the smile on Adina¡®s lips did not falter. She looked at Dillon, who was sitting across from her and lightly said, ¡°You must¡®ve heard that, Mr. Jones. I¡®m looking forward to our future as business partners.¡± Dillon¡¯s expression dropped. He had just only learned about the conflict between Zhenny and Addy after meeting up with the kids yesterday. He demanded a background check, which was how he learned about the whole Elitos incident. That incident was a big deal, and Zhenny was to me, no matter how you looked at it. He did not even get the chance to apologize to Addy on behalf of Zhenny, and much to his surprise, Zhenny did something like that again. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I will provide an exnation to you on behalf of the Jones family,¡± Dillon turned and left the bridal store after dropping those words. Duke circled his arms around the woman¡®s waist and asked in a husky voice, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Adina responded, shaking her head, ¡°I can solve this minor issue on my own.¡± Even though the Jones Corporation was a huge organization, they would not necessarily prevail if they ever faced off in a business setting. The Jones family¡®s home was located in the heart of the city. The mansion that spanned over a thousand square meters was quiet amid the chaos. It had a ssy and elegant decorated interior, with a courtyard surrounded by lush greenery. Zhenny was enjoying tea while rxing in the yard. ¡°Mom, you¡®re really amazing.¡± Jasmine said smugly, ¡°Isn¡®t Adina just unting her subpar skills out there? She is nothing as long as you¡®re in charge, Mom.¡± Zhenny chuckled and said, ¡°I¡®ve known Mr. Krisman for over ten years, and he promised me he¡®d find a way to get Adina out of this project. I¡¯ll make arrangements for you to be the person in charge once she¡®s out of the way. I¡®m paving the way for you, Jas. Likewise, I hope you¡®ll live up to my expectations.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, someone entered the yard from the entrance. ¡°Zhenny, don¡®t you feel bad for using such despicable means to eliminate a small business from the competition? Do you still have any conscience left?¡± Dillon said coldly. Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Chapter 549 ¡°Ms. Adina, something happened to the Elitos project.¡± Serene¡®s voice could be heard from the other end of the line. A trace of exhaustionyered it. Adina knew that Serene would never call her for any minor issues. ¡°What happened? Exin slowly, rx,¡± she said calmly. ¡°Last week, the president of Elitos, who was based in Sea City, was reced, and the new president, Benny Krisman, is closely connected to the Jones Corporation. As a result, he added Mdm. Jones of the Jones Corporation as one of the project¡®s primary chip designers. She will work with ourpany toplete the chip programming and design.¡± Adina¡®s eyes narrowed. ¡°The Jones?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡®s the Jones,¡± Serene said through gritted teeth. ¡°Zhenny Jones¡®s name and your name, Ms. Adina, are both listed side by side on the project column. Elitos decided to redraft the partnership contract. Ms. Adina, they kept backtracking on their agreements. We can demandpensation from them for breaching the contract.¡± Adina¡®s lips curled into a smirk, ¡°Jones Corporation is determined to get a share of the pie, or else there won¡®t be a clear breach of the contract. If we decide to sue Elitos for contract vitions, then LaStar Technology Corporation will be the one getting kicked out of the project in the end. Our ¡°What do you mean by that, Ms. Adina?¡± ¡°Agree with the coboration and sign the contract. I have my own ns for the future.¡± After hanging up the phone, the smile on Adina¡®s lips did not falter. She looked at Dillon, who was sitting across from her and lightly said, ¡°You must¡®ve heard that, Mr. Jones. I¡®m looking forward to our future as business partners.¡± Dillon¡¯s expression dropped. He had just only learned about the conflict between Zhenny and Addy after meeting up with the kids yesterday. He demanded a background check, which was how he learned about the whole Elitos incident. That incident was a big deal, and Zhenny was to me, no matter how you looked at it. He did not even get the chance to apologize to Addy on behalf of Zhenny, and much to his surprise, Zhenny did something like that again. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I will provide an exnation to you on behalf of the Jones family,¡± Dillon turned and left the bridal store after dropping those words. Duke circled his arms around the woman¡®s waist and asked in a husky voice, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Adina responded, shaking her head, ¡°I can solve this minor issue on my own.¡± Even though the Jones Corporation was a huge organization, they would not necessarily prevail if they ever faced off in a business setting. The Jones family¡®s home was located in the heart of the city. The mansion that spanned over a thousand square meters was quiet amid the chaos. It had a ssy and elegant decorated interior, with a courtyard surrounded by lush greenery. Zhenny was enjoying tea while rxing in the yard. ¡°Mom, you¡®re really amazing.¡± Jasmine said smugly, ¡°Isn¡®t Adina just unting her subpar skills out there? She is nothing as long as you¡®re in charge, Mom.¡± Zhenny chuckled and said, ¡°I¡®ve known Mr. Krisman for over ten years, and he promised me he¡®d find a way to get Adina out of this project. I¡¯ll make arrangements for you to be the person in charge once she¡®s out of the way. I¡®m paving the way for you, Jas. Likewise, I hope you¡®ll live up to my expectations.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, someone entered the yard from the entrance. ¡°Zhenny, don¡®t you feel bad for using such despicable means to eliminate a small business from the competition? Do you still have any conscience left?¡± Dillon said coldly. Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Chapter 550 ¡°Dillon, you¡®re too naive.¡± Zhenny looked up, and she looked calm. ¡°The business field is filled with lies and deceit. Jones Corporation would have been crushed underfoot without resorting to such underhanded tricks.¡± Dillon pursed his lips and said coldly, ¡°I have not requested anything from you over these past ten years. This is the first time. Just back out from this project.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Why?¡± Zhenny stood up with her eyes narrowed. ¡°Dillon, you are very strange. I¡®ve used such tactics against mypetitors in the past, and you¡®ve always turned a blind eye to it, so why are you yelling at me about this today? Oh, I get it. It¡®s because of Adina, right?¡± Jasmine said sadly while biting her lip, ¡°Uncle Dillon, I don¡®t mind that you yelled at me twice because of Adina. How can you ruin the business of Jones Corporation because of her?¡± Dillon¡®s expression darkened. ¡°Zhenny, just say whether you¡¯re backing out of this project or not.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Zhenny sneered, ¡°I¡®ve used a lot of tricks to get Mr. Benny to agree to help me. How could I possibly quit halfway? Moreover, this project will be handed over to Jasmine so that she can get experience, and if she does well, Mr. Jones will make her the next heir of the Jones Corporation if he is happy. In other words, this project is very important to me, Jasmine, and the Jones family, and it cannot be changed because of your selfish desires. Sorry, but no can do.¡± Dillon¡®s expression instantly turned unpleasant. ¡°Dillon, you are defending Adina so much. Could it be¡­?¡± Zhenny wriggled her eyebrows. ¡°You have your eyes on Sea City¡®s number one beauty?¡± Jasmine pouted. ¡°Adina is so beautiful. It¡®s not surprising that you have taken a fancy to her. But this woman is getting married. Why is she still out there seducing men?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Dillon picked up the teacup on the coffee table and threw it on the floor. He was mild¨Cmannered and rarely got angry. He had never said anything harsh to his only niece over the past twenty years, but this time, he started to smash things, which terrified Jasmine to the point she shivered. ¡°Dillon, you are really losing it.¡± Zhenny said coldly, ¡°Don¡®t meddle inpany matters, and I won¡®t say a word about your personal life.¡± Dillon was so angry that his chest heaved. He did not hold back and once more smashed another teacup on the floor. Just because he gave up his position as CEO of Jones Corporation, he could not even protect his daughter. He regretted it. He absolutely regretted it. It was not that hecked the ability to run thepany. He just was not interested in managing the company, which was why he handed over the role of CEO to Zhenny. Dillon fell into his chair and propped his head up. ¡°Dad, what¡®s wrong? Why did you get into a fight with Aunt Zhenny?¡± A man in his early twenties came over and stood in front of Dillon. His features were remarkably simr to Dillon¡®s. He appeared refreshed and charming. ¡°Nothing happened.¡± Dillon pinched between his brows and asked, ¡°Why are you at home today?¡± Daniel pursed his lips. ¡°I just heard that Aunt Zhenny forbade you from meddling inpany matters?¡± Dillon said nothing. ¡°Dad, thepany should have been yours.¡± Daniel clenched his fists and said, ¡°You received so much unfair treatment just because you left your role as CEO of Jones Corporation ten years ago! And me too! I have been made fun of for having an ipetent father! But now, even when you want to return to thepany, you can¡®t do it!¡± Dillon spoke slowly, ¡°I truly stand no chance, but son, you are still young.¡± Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Chapter 552 The employee froze for a while, then continued, ¡°But Ms. Daugherty, this project has to make its first progress report in three days.¡± ¡°We have alreadypleted eighty percent of the work. Let the Joneses take care of the remaining twenty percent.¡± Adina pushed the contract away and said lightly, ¡°Serene, you liaise with the technical department of Jones Corporation. Today¡®s meeting may now be adjourned. I will personally be there on the day of the report.¡± Adina coldly curled up the corners of her lips. Since Mr. Benny of Elitos and Zhenny had joined hands to set her up, she had no choice but to let Elitos bear a substantial loss. Elitos was a bigpany that could afford to sustain certain losses. Adina returned to her office to continue arranging the follow¨Cup work. When she had only just been busy for a half hour, Serene came in while holding a phone, with a quandary look on her face. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Ms. Yackley from Jones Corporation specified that she wanted to talk to you, and she said that if you refused to talk to her, she woulde to ourpany in ten minutes.¡± Adina reached out with her hand. ¡°Give me the phone.¡± Just as she put the phone to her ear, Jasmine¡®s voice came over, ¡°Adina, you¡®re going too far.¡± Adina gave a lightugh. ¡°Ms. Yackley., tell me, how am I going too far?¡± ¡°Mypany programmers can¡®t even understand the chip framework that was designed by LaStar Technology Corporation. You must send a representative over as the technical advisor!¡± Jasmine said coldly, ¡°If you object to this request, Jones Corporation will refuse toplete the remaining twenty percent of the work.¡± Adina was on the verge ofughing out, while she was just as furious. ¡°The profits are split into half and shared between Jones Corporation and LaStar Technology Corporation. LaStar Technology has already helped Jones Corporation to do an additional extra 30 percent of work, and I have been generous enough to do it as a favor. It does not mean that you can take an inch and make it a mile. Ms. Yackley can, of course, choose to refuse toplete the remaining work, but Jones Corporation will need to bear the responsibility for the consequences.¡± After saying that, she hung up. Serene said with some concern, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Jones Corporation is known for being adamant in the business field. Will we offend them by doing this?¡± Adina asked rhetorically. Serene shook her head. ¡°It was Jones Corporation who wanted to sit idle and get a piece of the pie. They¡®ve gone too far.¡± ¡°That¡®s fine.¡± Adina said in a light voice, ¡°If we are reasonable, then we have nothing to fear from them. Don¡®t worry too much about this matter. I¡®ve got this under control.¡± Serene felt immediate relief from her anxiety. She looked at Adina, respect and admiration welling up in her eyes. She was only a year older than Adina, but every time she encountered such a difficult matter, she would always be there for her. Some people were destined to be extraordinary when they were born. Ordinary people could be compared to them. When it was about time to leave work, Adina instinctively wanted to go to the kindergarten to pick up her children from school. However, just as she picked up her bag, she remembered that the task to pick up the two little ones from school had been taken over by Mdm. Winters. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She heard the shriek of a shouting voiceing from the office when she was about to leave. ¡°Oh my God, is that Mr. Winters down there?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters is considerably more attractive than those young men who have nothing but looks to bolster their poprity.¡± ¡°I am so envious of Ms. Daugherty. How did she find such a handsome husband?¡± ¡°You can also find one if you are as beautiful as Ms. Daugherty.¡± ¡°Boohoo, I can¡®t evenpare to the hair strands of Ms. Daugherty.¡± Adina stood up and looked out of the window, and saw there was a ck luxury car parked downstairs. Duke was wearing a silver suit, leaning against the car door. He just stood motionless. He attracted the eyes of every passer¨Cby. After publicly announcing his wedding, this man seemed to care little about their reactions. The reason he made such a big move was so that the media would be able to capture him on purpose. Sheughed and walked out of the office. The employees teased her. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, are you going on a date, since you go back home at 4 pm Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Adina cleared her throat. She looked at her colleagues in difort and said, ¡°Don¡®t work overtime today, everyone, go rx at the bar. Serene can put it on my tab.¡± ¡°Wow! You¡¯re the best, Ms. Daugherty!¡± ¡°You¡®re the one getting married, but we get to enjoy life? This is great!¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you should get on with your date, we¡®ll be getting off work soon.¡± Under the strange gazes of her colleagues, Adina fled downstairs through the elevator. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. As she approached Duke, she felt the weight of a hundred eyes on her. She looked back and saw that her colleagues from the office had all followed her downstairs, pretending to just be passing by while giving her obvious winks. ¡®Why are they so nosy...?¡® Meanwhile, Duke took her by the waist and whispered, ¡°How was your day?¡± ¡°We¡®re in public.¡± Adina smacked his hand away. ¡°We can talk in the car.¡± Duke chuckled. This woman used to be so cold, but ever since they slept together, she blushed at every little touch. He truly adored this side of her. Duke was about to open the door to the passenger seat when his phone started vibrating. Jake¡®s voice sounded from the phone, ¡°Mr. Winters, we¡®ve cornered Earl Winters at Golden Sun Bar. Would you like toe over now?¡± Duke frowned. When he was out with Adina as she tried on bridal dresses, he had left her side to catch him, yet Earl still managed to get away. But this time¡­ He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Keep him detained, I¡®ll be there soon.¡± After he hung up, Duke put on an apologetic expression. ¡°Sorry, Adina, but I have to go take care of something.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°Earley hasn¡®t been found yet?¡± ¡°He got away.¡± Duke¡®s lips stretched into a taut line. ¡°But he can¡®t hide forever.¡± ¡°Then you¡®d better get going.¡± Adina¡®s expression turned serious. ¡°Nothing else matters, I¡®m afraid he mighte after our children. The sooner we catch him, the safer our children will be.¡± ¡°I¡®ll send you home first.¡± Duke opened the car door for her. Adina smiled and shook her head. ¡°Since you¡®re going to be busy, I¡®ll join my colleagues for a drink at the bar.¡± Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡°The bar?¡± From his expression, Adina could sense his jealousy. She grinned and said, ¡°Call it my bachelorette party. What? I¡®m not allowed to have one?¡± Duke raised his hand and pressed a rough fingertip against her red lips, wiping away her lipstick. In a low voice, he said, ¡°Of course, you can. I¡®lle and pick you up when I¡®m done.¡± ¡°Then hurry and find Earley.¡± Adina ushered him into the car. After his car disappeared onto the road, a group of people immediately ran out from their hiding spots. Surprised, Serene asked, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, why didn¡®t you go with Duke?¡± ¡°Going out with him isn¡®t as fun as drinking with you guys. Come on, let¡®s head to Golden Sun Bar. Drinks are on me, so order whatever you want.¡± Together, they went to the bar. This was thergest bar close by. A lot ofpanies liked to have their gatherings here. When the employees of LaStar Technology Corporation arrived, the main hall became a full house. Work tended to be stressful, so when people came to this sort of ce, they could let loose, drink, and enjoy the atmosphere. For so long, Adina¡®s life had just been about work and her children. She rarely got to rx with some alcohol and have fun. Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Chapter 554 ¡°Hey, Ms. Daugherty, why¡¯s Mr. Winters here, too?¡± Serene said as she took Adina¡®s arm and pointed at the bar counter. Adina looked toward where Serene was pointing and a man sitting at the counter. Although it was just his side profile, the silhouette alone confirmed that it was Duke. ¡®Didn¡®t he go searching for Earley? Why is he here?¡® Adina was about to get up when she realized that Duke was facing an equally familiar figure. It was a woman with blonde chestnut hair and a deep¨Cset face. A foreigner¡­ ¡®Wasn¡®t this woman the one who visited Duke at the hospital the other day? I think her name was Catherine, and she¡®s a therapist. What are they doing here?¡® Adina¡®s doubts disappeared in a sh. She stood up and walked towards them. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, call Mr. Winters over for a drink with us,¡± Serene said with a wink. Although everyone was fearful of Duke¡¯s aura, they were more curious about what he would look like with Adina by his side, even if it meant having to witness public disys of affection. Adinaughed. ¡°Alright, I¡®ll get him toe and drink with us.¡± After she whispered this to Serene, when she raised her head and looked back at the counter, she realized that Duke had disappeared. Catherine was left sitting alone there with a ss in her hand. ¡®Where did he go?¡® Adina rushed over. Even after a cursory look around, she could not find Duke¡®s figure. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, what a coincidence.¡± Catherine put down her ss and leveled Adina with a prating gaze. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Adina returned her gaze with a frown. ¡°Where¡®s the man who was just drinking with you?¡± ¡°Just now?¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡®ve been drinking alone here all the while; no one else was with me. Maybe you were mistaken.¡± Adina¡®s brows furrowed even tighter. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. If it had only been her, she could have seen wrong. But Serene had also seen him. Duke must have seen her from that angle just now. Why did he leave without saying a word to her? Adina said airily, ¡°Why are you drinking alone, Ms. Catherine ?¡± ¡°Work has been too hectic, so I came here after work to de stress.¡± After finishing half her ss, Catherine¡®s eyes fell on Adina and ineffably said, ¡°I really admire you, Ms. Daugherty. You are only two years my senior, yet you have already settled down with a happy family, four cute kids, and Duke¡®s unconditional love. You are the luckiest woman in the world.¡± Adina thought what she said was quite strange. With the same airy tone, she said, ¡°You¡®ll meet your destined one, too, and have children of your own. You don¡®t need to admire me for this.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Catherine bitterly downed the rest of her ss. She did have someone she loved, but that man lived in the darkness. That was why she knew that she would never be in a loving rtionship of her own. Adina was thinking about Duke and was about to give him a call when she heard amotion at the bar. Several bodyguards suddenly stormed into the bar and blocked all the exits. Then, a man in a suit walked in with his own group. Catherine¡®s hand shook when she saw the neer. Through pursed lips, she said, ¡°I need to use the washroom.¡± She set down her ss and hurried away. Adina frowned again. She clearly saw Duke drinking with Catherine earlier. Why was he walking in from outside? The more she thought about it, the more puzzling she found the situation. Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Duke surveyed the bar coldly. Every exit here had been blocked by his bodyguards. He doubted Earl would be able to flee. In the next instant, he caught sight of a beautiful figure. He frowned and hurried towards her. ¡°Addy, why are you here?¡± ¡°I told you I was going to drink with my colleagues at the bar,¡± Adina pursed her lips and said, ¡°Were you here long, or did you just only arrive?¡± Duke could not understand why she asked this, but he still gave a serious reply. ¡°I¡®ve been in my car outside the bar searching for Earl¡®s tracks this whole time. I just came in, why do you ask?¡°. Adina sniffed. She did not smell any alcohol on Duke. But earlier, she had seen him drink at least two sses of whisky¡­ ¡­unless she really was mistaken? While she was mulling over this, a shriek came from the washroom. Duke¡®s eyes turned cold, and he rushed towards it. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Adina followed him. ¡°This is thedies¡® room. What do you think you¡®re doing?¡± Catherine stood in front of the entrance to thedies¡® room, ring at three or four bodyguards in ck suits. The lead bodyguard said coldly, ¡°Another word from you, and it¡®ll be yourst, now move aside!¡± ¡°No!¡± Catherine held the door shut, determined. ¡°If you dare go in, I¡®ll report you for sexual assault!¡± The bodyguards were furious, but they dared not rush in, in case there really was a woman using the toilet inside. They would then be used of something they did not do, and they would bebeled as criminals forever in the eyes of the people. Click¨Cck. The sound of leather shoes against the floor echoed, followed immediately by Duke¡®s cold voice. ¡°Ms. Catherine, are you sure you don¡®t want to move aside?¡± ¡°I¡®m sure.¡± Catherine fearlessly stuck her chin out. Crash! A loud sound came from thedies¡® room; it was the sound of ss shattering. Catherine breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and stepped aside.¡± Since Mr. Winters has a hobby of going into thedies¡® room, then please, go ahead.¡± Duke was livid. ¡°After him!¡± Four or five bodyguards rushed into thedies¡® room and jumped out the broken window. The road was quickly filled with the sound of cars honking. Catherine gave a semnce of a smile. ¡°Mr. Winters, a word of advice: forgiveness is a virtue.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice, too: don¡®t sleep with the devil,¡± Duke said coldly, ¡°lest you get burned.¡± ¡°Then let¡®s see who suffers in the end!¡± Catherine spat. She took her purse and stormed out in her high heels. Adina walked towards Duke, frowning. ¡°Duke, what¡®s going on? Do Catherine and Earley know each other?¡± ¡°They do,¡± Duke said in a low voice, ¡°Catherine came to Sea City to start her own therapy clinic. I thought she was here to expand her market, but now I know: she¡®s here to be Earley¡®s shield.¡± Adina¡®s brows drew even tighter. Earley was a problem. She nodded and said, ¡°Catherine and your mother seem close. Have your mother stay away from Catherine.¡± That was what Duke had nned even before Adina mentioned His face was dark, like a thundercloud. When he was fifteen years old, he lost his father because of Earl Winters. Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Chapter 556 He did not want Earl to destroy his happiness again. Duke¡®s anxiety was only growing stronger, and he could not calm himself down. When the two of them drove back to the Winters family¡®s mansion, his expression was still cold. Adina beckoned to Melody. The little girl understood her mother¡®s gaze, so she climbed onto Duke¡®sp and softly said, ¡°Daddy, are you not happy today?¡± The cold expression rapidly melted away. He lifted the girl and put her on his shoulder before he softly said, ¡°I was just thinking about work just now. I¡®m not unhappy.¡± Melody grinned and said, ¡°Daddy, I want you to lift me up!¡± Duke lifted the girl high and threw her into the air before he caught her with both arms. Then, Melody¡®s giggles could be heard in the living room. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Daddy! Daddy! I also want to y!¡± Harold fearlessly rushed over and grabbed Duke¡®s pants. Perhaps Duke had realized just how gloomy he had been, which led to him being more patient at the moment. He put Melody down, smiled faintly, and said, ¡°Four of you, line up. We¡®ll y one by one.¡± ¡°Yeah! Awesome!¡± Harold happily climbed onto Duke¡®sp. ¡°I like you lifting me up high. I love it!¡± Duke felt slightly ashamed. He had lived with his sons for four years, but it seemed that he never nurtured any father¨Cson bond with them. The situation became slightly better after he met Adina. He needed to make up for the loss of father¡®s love for Alden and Melody, and he also had to make it up to George and Harold. Duke threw Harold into the air before he caught him. After a few rounds, he looked at Alden. ¡°Come, Alden, it¡®s your turn now.¡± Alden pursed his lips. ¡°I don¡®t like being lifted high.¡± ¡°No kids would not like being lifted high.¡± Duke just lifted him up and threw him into the air. Alden was so scared that he closed his eyes. Harold covered his belly andughed loudly. ¡°I finally know what Alden is afraid of now. He¡¯s afraid of heights!¡± ¡°I¡®m not afraid of heights.¡± Alden opened his eyes, but he was thrown up again. He was so scared that his face turned pale. Adina alsoughed. No wonder, when they visited the theme park, Alden refused to take the Ferris wheel. So, apparently, he was afraid of heights! This boy hid his thoughts so well that she, as the mother, only learned of his fear of heights after so long. It looked like she had to pay more attention to the kids. Mrs. Winters stood on the staircase on the second floor, and she shed a smile of relief. As soon as she smiled, her phone vibrated. When she saw the caller ID, her hand shuddered. As if she was scared that people downstairs would hear her ringtone, she immediately canceled the call. But the person called again. Mrs. Winters cast a nce at the warm and harmonious situation downstairs before she bit her bottom lip, walked into the study room, and answered the call. . ¡°Most of the people in Sea City have received the wedding i. invitation card from the Winters family. Why haven¡®t I received it yet?¡± Earl¡®s voice was dark. ¡°Am I not qualified to attend my own brother¡®s wedding?¡± Mrs. Winters held her breath. Duke was searching for Earl¡®s whereabouts all over Sea City. How could Earl still have the courage to request an invitation to the wedding? She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Earl, leave Sea City now. The further you go, the better it is. Don¡®t ever show up in front of your brother again. Please, I¡®m begging you.¡± ¡°I have onest request, which is to attend my brother¡®s wedding,¡± Earl coldly said, ¡°After the wedding ends, I¡®ll immediately leave Sea City. I¡®ll nevere back again. Can¡®t you agree to such a tiny request?¡± Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Chapter 557 The wedding date was drawing closer. For the past few days, Adina and Duke had been busy with the wedding preparation, and herpany called her on the day before the wedding. ¡°Miss Daugherty, today we have to report the results of the project with Elitos. Are you attending in person?¡± Serene initially did not want to make the call. After all, everyone in the city knew that Miss Daugherty was getting married. But there were too many hidden variables concerning the project. She was afraid that something would happen if she went to report by herself. Thepany was finally developed to this scale today. They could not be stepped on somehow. Adina nodded and said, ¡°I¡®m ready to go now. Let¡®s meet outside Elitos.¡± She had arranged the time for today. Since Elitos and the Jones family wanted to look for her in trouble, she would go and solve them one by one. ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± Duke wrapped around her waist and softly asked. Adina smiled. ¡°It¡®s just a small matter. You don¡®t have to apany me. Okay, I have to leave now.¡± But Duke held her waist and did not let her go. He said in a husky voice, ¡°Give me a goodbye kiss.¡± Adina was speechless. They had been sleeping on the same bed every single day. Were there not enough kisses? But this man looked so shameless. He acted as if he would not let her off if she did not give him a kiss. She could only stand on her toes and peck him on his cheek. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, you¡®re not shy! You kiss in the living room!¡± Harold¡¯s voice was suddenly heard. Adina was shocked. When she lowered her head, she saw that the four kids stood beside her and Duke, at some point while staring at them with a gleam in their eyes. Her face instantly blushed. ¡°Aren¡®t you blowing the balloons ?¡± ¡°Hehe! Mommy, you¡®re shy now.¡± Haroldughed. ¡°Why aren¡®t you shy when you kiss me?¡± How should she answer this question ? Adina pursed her lips¡­ She suddenly wanted to zip Harold¡®s mouth up. Alden indifferently said, ¡°Hal, didn¡®t you say you want topete against me at blowing balloons? Let¡®s continue.¡± George nodded. ¡°I¡®ll be the referee.¡± Melody pped and said, ¡°I¡¯ll cheer for you!¡± Harold was verypetitive. He immediately put this question aside, and the four kids continued blowing balloons. Adina red at Duke. ¡°If you dare to do this regardless of the asion again, I¡®m going to ignore you.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Duke stroked his nose, cleared his throat, and said, ¡°Dear, I¡®m sorry. I will not do it again.¡± The word ¡°Dear¡± struck Adina¡®s heart like an electric current. Her heart melted into sweetness. This was the first time she ever tasted the honey of true love. She pursed her lips, smiled, and said, ¡°I¡®ll go to work now. See you at night.¡± She grabbed her leather purse and went out in her high heels. Half an hourter, Adina arrived at the destination. Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Chapter 558 As soon as she pushed the door open and got out, Serene went toward her. She eximed with an exaggerated gawk on her face. ¡°Wow, Miss Daugherty! It¡®s only been a few days, but you seem to have be prettier ! Women who are in love really start glowing. We will definitely seed in the reporting of results today!¡± Adina was speechless. Did her personal life have anything to do with her work? ¡°Wow, isn¡®t this Miss Daugherty who is getting married?¡± A scornful voice was heard from the back. When Adina turned around, she saw Jasmine pushing the car door open and getting out. Something was shing in her eyes. Jasmine walked over, wrapped her arms around her chest, and said, ¡°Miss Daugherty, it looks like Duke is not sincere to you. Otherwise, why would he let youe out and work your fingers to the bones right before your wedding?¡± Adina¡®s gaze was indifferent. She smiled faintly. ¡°Speaking of the wedding, I suddenly recall that it seems like I didn¡®t give you the invitation card, Miss Yackley.¡± Jasmine scoffed. ¡°I¡®m not interested in attending your wedding.¡± ¡°Flint will attend my wedding.¡± Adina smiled and said,¡° Unfortunately, you¡®re probably not able to meet Flint.¡± She seemed to have hit Jasmine¡®s sore spot. Jasmine was so angry that her face blushed. Flint was her sore spot! But Adina purposely mentioned the name to trigger her. She sneered. ¡°Good. Let me see if you¡®re still able tough during the result presentationter, Miss Daugherty.¡± After she spoke, she swung her hand and left. Her assistant and her secretary immediately followed her. ¡°Awesome, Miss Daugherty!¡± Serene¡®s expression was filled with admiration. ¡°Miss Yackley always abuses the support of Jones Corporation and her mother to throw her weight about. This is actually the first time that I saw her being defeated.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Adina pursed her lips. She left Jasmine aside before she walked toward the meeting room of Elitos. The main focus of the presentation was on the chips, and all the members who were present were also responsible for this area. The meeting host was Mr. Krisman, the new regional CEO of Elitos, based in Sea City. ¡°Thank you everyone for taking the time from your busy schedule to attend the first phase of the result presentation of Elitos.¡± It was only after Mr. Krisman spoke a few sentences of introduction did he start on the main topic. ¡°The chip design of the project ispleted by a joint coboration between LaStar Technology Corporation and Jones Corporation. Miss Daugherty, Miss Yackley, which of you wish to present the results first?¡± ¡°Let me do it first,¡± Jasmine was the first to speak. Then, she ordered her assistant to y the presentation slides. She looked at the big screen while she started her presentation in an orderly manner. ¡°The chip framework follows the traditional Verilog HDLnguage to build the modules. This results in a register transfer stage, where all modules are divided into numerous small intervals. The Jones Corporation haspleted 80%, while the remaining 20% will be done by LaStar Technology Corporation. Miss Daugherty, please continue the presentation.¡± Jasmine smiled faintly before she firmly sat on her seat. Everyone in the meeting room shed a smile of approval. This was a new and innovative solution with unique modules. It was impossible for them toe up with this no matter what. Meanwhile, Serene¡¯s expressionpletely changed. She was so angry that she nearly pointed at Jasmine¡®s face and wanted to scold her. The content of the presentation script of Jones Corporation was actually written by Miss Daugherty after burning the midnight oil several times over. How could Jasmine shamelessly say that was her work? ¡°There¡®s nothing to get angry about.¡± Adina patted the back of Serene¡®s hand. She lowered her voice and indifferently said, ¡°She was capable of stealing the chip design proposal from myputer, it¡¯s bearing fruit for her.¡± Serene could not be so calm. ¡°What should we do now?¡± It was only after Adina gave Serene a look of reassurance that she looked at Jasmine. Jasmine fearlessly stared Adina in the eyes. Her gaze was so prideful and arrogant. She did steal the result of LaStar Technology Corporation, so? Was it not because Adina was so ignorant that she insisted on standing up against Jones Corporation? ¡°Miss Yackley, your presentation is very interesting.¡± Adina gently pped. ¡°But I would like to ask you a few questions.¡± Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Adina¡®s gaze was indifferent, and her expression was aloof. She did not look angry after her proposal was stolen. When Jasmine saw Adina looking like this, she suddenly felt a little flustered. Did Adina the bi*ch still have another n that was more perfect? She calmed herself down before she said, ¡°It¡®s not the time for questions now. Please present your work now.¡± ¡°What are you afraid of, Miss Yackley?¡± Adina smiled in a rxed manner. ¡°Are you afraid of getting exposed because you can¡®t answer my questions?¡± ¡°What¡­ what nonsense are you talking about?¡± Jasmine¡®s face turned pale. ¡°Ask anything you want. I¡®m not afraid of anything.¡± Adina tapped her finger knuckle before she indifferently asked,¡° How many modules are there in this chip solution design?¡± Jasmine waspletely stunned. She had only memorized the script. She knew nothing other than the presentation. ¡°About one thousand,¡± her assistant reminded her in a low voice from the side. Jasmine scoffed. ¡°There are about one thousand modules. It¡¯s the result of the joint work of all the technicians in Jones Corporation.¡± Adina nodded before she continued asking, ¡°This project is to be linked to the lot. Is this reflected in the design of your proposal?¡± Jasmine subconsciously looked at her assistant. But her assistant barely knew anything about this. She did not understand the profound logic of which design embodied which concept. The assistant lowered her head and avoided Jasmine¡®s gaze. Jasmine angrily clenched her fists and coldly said, ¡°Miss Daugherty, you really have a lot of questions. I refuse to answer.¡± ¡°I guess you¡®re unable to answer, Miss Yackley.¡± Adina slowly stood up. She pointed at the presentation slide that was not shut down with a clear and calm gaze. ¡°The loT is a new technology that is currently used in most chip designs on the market. Regarding the application process, it is actually very She stood in front of the screen while talking confidently. She spoke very calmly, and she emitted an aura that was convincing. Everyone in the meeting room was attracted by her aura, and all of them focused on listening to her presentation. These were the presentation slides of Jones Corporation. But when Jasmine presented just now, they thought it was awesome, but they were unable to say how great it was. But Adina now broke down each section and exined them in detail. Only then did they gain a new level of understanding of the program¡®s design. Every step was perfect, and every part fully demonstrated the chip designer¡®s intelligence and ingenuity. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. After Adina¡®s presentation, a loud apuse was heard in the meeting room. ¡°Miss Yackley.¡± Adina looked over, and she indifferently said, ¡°I still have onest question. Why did the chip proposal that I personally designed be the fruit of thebor of your Jones Corporation?¡± Everyone looked at Jasmine at the same time. They would not believe Adina if her presentation did not make such a strong contrast. But Adina¡®s presentation just now was truly too convincing. Unless she designed the n herself, she would not have been so familiar with it and speak about it so confidently, right? Meanwhile, Jasmine¡®s expressionpletely darkened. Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Chapter 560 She did not expect that things would progress to this point. ¡°This is what people mean when they say, like mother, like daughter.¡± Adina indifferently smiled. ¡°I can forgive Mdm. Jones, so I naturally can also forgive you. After all, you¡®re still very young.¡± As soon as she said that, the people¡®s gazes at Jasmine were filled with contempt. Previously, Zhenny aggressively attended the celebration party of Elitos and defamed Adina for giarism, but she was actually the person who giarized. Everyone in this room had witnessed that incident personally. But now, they witnessed a simr incident again. ¡°You¡­ don¡®t talk nonsense!¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth and said,¡° I¡®m not a programmer. Of course, I can¡®t exin this. If I let our Chief Technical Officer present the result, his performance will not be worse than yours.¡± When Adina saw that Jasmine still tried to quibble, sheughed due to anger. Adina sneered and said, ¡°It looks like I have to let the police get involved and investigate where you obtained the proposal, Miss Yackley.¡± Jasmine was totally furious. She wanted to refute and frame Adina, but even after she thought for a while, she still could not find a way to salvage the situation. ¡°Enough!¡± Mr. Krisman frowned and patted the table. ¡°It¡®s just a trivial matter. It doesn¡®t have to be like that.¡± Adina sat down on her chair and indifferently said, ¡°It truly is a trivial matter. As long as Miss Yackley apologizes, I can let this slide.¡± Mr. Krisman cast a nce at Jasmine. It took all of Jasmine¡®s will to hold her fury back. But she clearly knew that if the police got involved, it was very likely that she would have to bear the legal responsibility. She gritted her teeth and said with an angry expression, ¡°I¡®m sorry, Miss Daugherty. I was too young and immature. Please forgive me.¡± Adina¡®s gaze was indifferent and cold, as if she really did not mind that Mr. Krisman slowly said, ¡°Miss Daugherty, you¡®re very. outstanding, and your expertise in chip design is extraordinary. In this case, the remaining 20% of the module design will also bepleted by you.¡± Adina smiled faintly again. ¡°Mr. Krisman, may I know if you¡®ve read the contract?¡± Mr. Krisman frowned. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Was anything he said now rted to the contract? ¡°The contract clearly states that LaStar Technology Corporation and Jones Corporation will take half of the responsibility respectively. We have already exceeded our mandate, so the remaining modules of the project have nothing to do with ourpany.¡± Adina firmly said that, and her expression was calm and rxed. ¡°This is not right, Miss Daugherty.¡± Mr. Krisman¡®s expression darkened, and he said, ¡°Since we¡®re the coborators, we should help each other. Since you have the ability, you should just shine in this aspect.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°I work hard toplete all the work, and Jones Corporation will take half of the profit. Mr. Krisman, do you think I really look like someone whom you can take advantage of?¡± Jasmine angrily said, ¡°Adina Daugherty, how can you talk to Mr. Krisman like this?¡± Mr. Krisman and her mother were friends, and she usually needed to respectfully address him as Uncle Benny. But Adina actually talked to him in this tone! Adina quirked her eyebrows. ¡°I¡®m just stating facts. There¡®s nothing personal here.¡± She just pulled out the chair, stood up, and indifferently said,¡± Mr. Krisman, if you cancel the coboration with Jones Corporation, I canplete the remaining 20%. But if Jones Corporation insists on getting a piece of the profit, it¡®s impossible for me toplete the remaining 20% for them.¡± Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Chapter 561 After Adina spoke, she left the meeting room with Serene. Once the others left the meeting room, Jasmine could no longer hold her anger back. She raised her hand and threw the documents to the floor. ¡°Jasmine, you better not go against Ms. Daugherty.¡± Mr. Krisman lit up a cigarette and said, ¡°Not only is she capable, but you also know that she¡®s marrying into the Winters family tomorrow. She¡®ll be Mrs. Winters, so if possible, build a good rtionship with her. That¡®s better and more advantageous to you in my opinion.¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth furiously. ¡°Uncle Benny, you promised my mom that you would kick Adina out. But in the end, I had to lower my status and apologize to her in front of so many i people. I was totally embarrassed! I don¡®t care. Uncle Benny, you have toe up with a way to remove Adina from this project.¡± Mr. Krisman breathed out some smoke. ¡°She¡¯s all the rage now. This is not the time to kick her out. Just wait.¡± Jasmine was livid. Wait? How long did she still have to wait? She had visited her grandpa yesterday, and he said that Daniel was nning topete for the heir position in the Jones family. Daniel was the only one who truly descended from the Jones family. If he was making preparations to be heir, what chance did she have of winning as an outsider? She had to take charge of this project so that her grandpa would believe that she was more suitable than Daniel to be the heir. Just as Adina left Elitos, she received a call from Mdm. Xavier. ¡°Addy, you¡®re getting married tomorrow, so you can¡®t stay with the Winters family today,¡± Mdm. Xavier said in a stern tone.¡± ording to the tradition in Sea City, the bride and groom mustn¡®t meet the day before their wedding. I¡®ll ask your Uncle Richard to bring you to the Xavier family this instant.¡± Adina stroked her nose. ¡°That doesn¡®t really matter anymore, right?¡± What era was it? Who would still care about that? ¡°Of course it matters!¡± Mdm. Xavier insisted. ¡°Back then, I didn¡®t keep an eye on your mother, so she met Aaron the night before her wedding. After your mother married him, she passed away not long after that. In short, you have to listen to me, Addy. I won¡®t allow the same tragedy to happen to you.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Adina remained silent for a few seconds before she pursed her lips and said, ¡°Grandma, I¡®ll go to the Xavier family¡®s mansion now.¡± Her mother passed away after getting married and giving birth to her. Had her grandma been ming herself for not following the tradition at that time, thinking that it brought tragedy to her mother? The elderly tended to believe in such superstitions. Even though Adina did not believe them, she should still fulfill her grandmother¡®s wish. Adina gave Duke a call. After Duke received the call over in the Winters family¡®s mansion, he felt terrible. Following his prior experience, he would fall asleep only when he held Adina in his arms at night. But she was noting back today. Mrs. Winters walked over and said, ¡°Mdm. Xavier is older, so she¡®s more experienced. The bride and groom really aren¡¯t allowed to meet the day before their wedding. It¡®s tradition. It¡®s better for us to follow the traditional customs for the wedding.¡± Duke nodded. Although they had been organizing the wedding in a hurry, he wanted everything to be perfect. He oversaw every single detail. Mrs. Winters stood at the side and hesitated for a while before she softly said, ¡°Duke, your brother contacted mest night.¡± Duke¡®s gaze froze. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He congratted you on your marriage. He also said¡­¡± Mrs. Winters held her fingers tightly while she stammered. ¡°He also said that he wants to attend the wedding.¡± Duke clenched his fists. ¡°Mom, please let him know that I won¡®t allow him to step into the wedding venue because he doesn¡®t deserve it.¡± Mrs. Winters¡®plexion turned pale. She knew that this would be the oue, but she was not willing to give up. She insisted on asking him. Her two sons, who only lived together in harmony for a few brief months as infants, had been enemies ever since they first met in their teens. Both of them were her sons. She did not know whose side to choose. Perhaps a mother would instinctively be more protective of the more inferior child, and Earl happened to be the vulnerable one. Mrs. Winters covered her chest and softly said, ¡°Okay, I¡®ll ask him not toe.¡± After she said that, she walked away and slowly went upstairs. Duke¡®s eyes were filled with coldness as he looked at his mother¡®s back. He had been searching for Earl¡®s whereaboutstely, but Earl always managed to get away. Since Earl was able to contact their mother now, he could use the phone signal to track Earl. Meanwhile, Adina drove to the Xavier family¡®s mansion. The Xavier family¡®s mansion had put up new and festive decorations. ¡°Addy,e and see if you like the room that I¡®ve prepared for you.¡± Mdm. Xavier dragged Adina upstairs. ¡°This used to be your mother¡®s bedroom when she was young. It¡®s been vacant since she got married until now. You can stay here tonight.¡± The bedroom was tidy and bright. Adina could tell that it was cleaned up every day. She then walked to the makeup table and pulled the drawer open. She saw some jewelry and hairpins that were from decades ago. She could even imagine her mother sitting in front of the makeup table while dressing up. ¡°Addy, you¡®re my favorite granddaughter. You¡®re getting married tomorrow, and I¡®m really reluctant about letting you go¡­¡± Mdm. Xavier held Adina¡®s hand and sincerely said, ¡°But I hope you¡®ve found someone who understands and loves you, who will protect you and your children, and who will keep you safe and free from running around all your life. That will be enough. Your mother will rest in peace too.¡± ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Adina¡®s eyes turned red. She rushed into Mdm. Xavier¡®s arms and silently held back her tears. She thought about a lot of things, including the first dumb eighteen years of her life and her hardships of surviving in a foreign country for the past five years. However, she contemted more about her expectations for her future life. She was finally able to have her own family. ¡°Mdm. Xavier, we have a guest downstairs.¡± A maid stood outside the room as she respectfully delivered the news. Mdm. Xavier immediately wiped the corners of her eyes, got up, and said, ¡°Come on, Addy. Let¡®s go downstairs and meet our guest.¡± Adina nodded. She supported Mdm. Xavier while they slowly made their way down. Before they arrived downstairs, she already saw the guest who was sitting on the couch in the living room. It was Dillon. ¡°Mdm. Xavier, I hope my arrival hasn¡®t disturbed you.¡± Dillon stood up before he quickly walked over and held Mdm. Xavier¡®s another arm. Mdm. Xavier felt slightly puzzled. ¡°Mr. Jones, may I know why you¡®re visiting us?¡± Dillon looked at Adina, and his gaze instantly became gentle. ¡°I feel very much rted to Ms. Daugherty, and I heard that she¡®s getting married tomorrow. So, I came to deliver the trousseau from the day before.¡± Many big families would help their daughters prepare their trousseau. However, Adina was equivalent to an orphan. Mdm. Xavier was elderly, so Adina did not allow her to bother herself with the wedding. As a result, there was no such thing like a wedding gift box. Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Mrs. Winters¡®plexion turned pale. She knew that this would be the oue, but she was not willing to give up. She insisted on asking him. Her two sons, who only lived together in harmony for a few brief months as infants, had been enemies ever since they first met in their teens. Both of them were her sons. She did not know whose side to choose. Perhaps a mother would instinctively be more protective of the more inferior child, and Earl happened to be the vulnerable one. Mrs. Winters covered her chest and softly said, ¡°Okay, I¡®ll ask him not toe.¡± After she said that, she walked away and slowly went upstairs. Duke¡®s eyes were filled with coldness as he looked at his mother¡®s back. He had been searching for Earl¡®s whereaboutstely, but Earl always managed to get away. Since Earl was able to contact their mother now, he could use the phone signal to track Earl. Meanwhile, Adina drove to the Xavier family¡®s mansion. The Xavier family¡®s mansion had put up new and festive decorations. ¡°Addy,e and see if you like the room that I¡®ve prepared for you.¡± Mdm. Xavier dragged Adina upstairs. ¡°This used to be your mother¡®s bedroom when she was young. It¡®s been vacant since she got married until now. You can stay here tonight.¡± The bedroom was tidy and bright. Adina could tell that it was cleaned up every day. She then walked to the makeup table and pulled the drawer open. She saw some jewelry and hairpins that were from decades ago. She could even imagine her mother sitting in front of the makeup table while dressing up. ¡°Addy, you¡®re my favorite granddaughter. You¡®re getting married tomorrow, and I¡®m really reluctant about letting you go¡­¡± Mdm. Xavier held Adina¡®s hand and sincerely said, ¡°But I hope you¡®ve found someone who understands and loves you, who will protect you and your children, and who will keep you safe and free from running around all your life. That will be enough. Your mother will rest in peace too.¡± ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Adina¡®s eyes turned red. She rushed into Mdm. Xavier¡®s arms and silently held back her tears. She thought about a lot of things, including the first dumb eighteen years of her life and her hardships of surviving in a foreign country for the past five years. However, she contemted more about her expectations for her future life. She was finally able to have her own family. ¡°Mdm. Xavier, we have a guest downstairs.¡± A maid stood outside the room as she respectfully delivered the news. Mdm. Xavier immediately wiped the corners of her eyes, got up, and said, ¡°Come on, Addy. Let¡®s go downstairs and meet our guest.¡± Adina nodded. She supported Mdm. Xavier while they slowly made their way down. Before they arrived downstairs, she already saw the guest who was sitting on the couch in the living room. It was Dillon. ¡°Mdm. Xavier, I hope my arrival hasn¡®t disturbed you.¡± Dillon stood up before he quickly walked over and held Mdm. Xavier¡®s another arm. Mdm. Xavier felt slightly puzzled. ¡°Mr. Jones, may I know why you¡®re visiting us?¡± Dillon looked at Adina, and his gaze instantly became gentle. ¡°I feel very much rted to Ms. Daugherty, and I heard that she¡®s getting married tomorrow. So, I came to deliver the trousseau from the day before.¡± Many big families would help their daughters prepare their trousseau. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. However, Adina was equivalent to an orphan. Mdm. Xavier was elderly, so Adina did not allow her to bother herself with the wedding. As a result, there was no such thing like a wedding gift box. Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Mdm. Xavier frowned. ¡°Did the Jones family receive a wedding invitation?¡± Dillon felt slightly awkward. ¡°No.¡± He purposely came to deliver the gift one day in advance because he did not receive the wedding invitation card. He did not see Adina after he went to the Winters family¡®s mansion, so he went to the Xavier family¡¯s mansion instead. ¡°This is a wedding gift that I prepared for Ms. Daugherty.¡± Dillon took out a small box from his shirt pocket before he lifted the lid. ¡°This emerald green jadeite ne reallypliments you, Ms. Daugherty. I hope you¡®ll ept it.¡± Adina looked at the ne. It was the item that Dillon had wanted to give to her at the wedding gown shop the other day. It was a piece of jewelry that her mother used to wear. ¡°Oh, why does this ne look a little familiar?¡± Mdm. Xavier frowned before she immediately chuckled. ¡°I¡®m old, and I¡®ve seen too many things, so I find everything familiar. Mr. Jones, please don¡®t mind me.¡± Dillon smiled and spoke like a gentleman. ¡°All jadeite pieces are simr in appearance, so it¡®s normal that you find them familiar.¡± After he spoke, he looked at Adina again, and his ck eyes were filled with faint expectation. Adina walked over, pursed her lips, and said, ¡°Thank you for your gift, Mr. Jones.¡± Dillon was delighted. He immediately handed the piece of jewelry to her as if he was afraid that she would go back on her word. He got up and said, ¡°I still have something to do, so I can¡®t stay much longer. I¡®ll see you around.¡± After he said that, he pushed his chair back and walked out. Adina was speechless. She had not handed the wedding invitation to him. Why was he leaving so quickly? Mdm. Xavier leaned forward. ¡°The ne looks a bit old and doesn¡®t seem to be of much value. Why would a Jones family member intentionally deliver this to you?¡± ¡°What else could it be? He must still like you!¡± Sophia sashayed in. She scoffed and said, ¡°I truly don¡®t understand why men like you regardless of whether they¡®re young or old. You look beautiful, but your character¡®s really unpleasant. If those men knew who you were, they would run as far as possible!¡± Adina closed the box with a loud thud before she faked a smile and said, ¡°It looks like you realize that I¡®m bad¨Ctempered, Sophia.¡± Sophia sneered and said, ¡°You¡®re even epting a gift from an old man the day before your wedding. You see, if Duke Winters knows about this, would he still want to marry you?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Mdm. Xavier red at her. ¡°If you can¡®t say anything nice, go back to the Gardner family!¡± ¡°Grandma, Sophia may not be able to go back to the Gardner family anymore.¡± Adina dropped the ne into her pocket with a faint smile and said, ¡°I heard that Mr. Gardner brought a mistress home, and the Gardner family members are protecting her.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mdm. Xavier was in disbelief. ¡°Sophia, exin this to me. What¡¯s going on?¡± Sophia¡®s bold front instantly crumbled after Mdm. Xavier questioned her. : She covered her face and cried all of a sudden. ¡°How would I know what happened ? He just took that woman home out of nowhere. What else can I do?¡± No matter how immature Sophia was, she was still Mdm. Xavier¡®s granddaughter. Mdm. Xavier sat on the couch and angrily said, ¡°Does the Gardner family think that there¡®s no one else in the Xavier family? Good! Very good!¡± Adina pursed her lips. She should not have exposed the Gardner family just to attack Sophia. The end result of pissing her grandma off was not worth it. Adina walked over, supported Mdm. Xavier by the arm, and softly said, ¡°Grandma , Uncle Richard and Aunt Morganna will handle it. Please don¡®t worry about it. Let me take you upstairs so that you can rest.¡± Mdm. Xavier was silent but her face was sullen as she allowed Adina to support her upstairs. Sophia covered her face and cried out loud. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Her husband had started to have affairs with women outside just four years into their marriage. She had been holding herself back because she loved that man too much. However, that man was pushing the boundaries further and further. She had thought of divorcing him, but she was not willing to give her position to that mistress! The sky was dark that night. Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Adinay on the bed. She kept tossing and turning, but she could not fall asleep. While she had insomnia, the phone under her pillow vibrated. She took a peek and found that it was a video call from Duke. She immediately answered the call. ¡°Dear, are you still awake?¡± A sweet feeling filled Adina¡®s heart. ¡°I can¡®t sleep. What about you?¡± ¡°I can¡®t sleep either.¡± Duke leaned to the side in bed, and his gaze was affectionate. ¡°I don¡®t know who came up with such a rule to separate us.¡± Adina chuckled and said, ¡°We¡®re just not together for one day. Can you be more mature?¡± ¡°Why should I be mature in front of my wife?¡± Duke stared at the phone screen and said, ¡°Rest well tonight. I¡®ll pick you up early in the morning.¡± ¡°Don¡®t even think about it. My grandma mentioned that the time to pick the bride up has been fixed. It¡®s apparently at 10.08 am.¡± Duke appeared gloomy. ¡°I can only see you in another eleven hours.¡± Adina smiled faintly again. The two of them kept chatting until Adina closed her eyes and fell asleep soundly. She was awakened by Mdm. Xavier the next day. She turned around and looked out the window. The sky was still dark. She rubbed her eyes and took a look at the time. It was only 4.30 am. That meant she had just slept for three hours. ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Adina held the nket tightly and refused to wake up. ¡°It¡®s still very early. Please let me sleep for a while longer.¡± Mdm. Xavier felt like she was looking at Olivia again. Her gaze grew more affectionate , but she made herself look stern and said, ¡°You¡®re the bride today. You can¡¯t dawdle in bed. Come on, wake up now.¡± Adina¡®s eyes remained closed as she sat up in bed. After she washed her face, Mdm. Xavier took her to the makeup room. Adina was extremely sleepy. She had stayed on the call with Duke until midnight, and she felt as if she was awakened before she could even fall asleep. She simply allowed the makeup artist to apply cosmetic products on her face while she closed her eyes and continued sleeping. When she heard some familiar voices, she immediately opened her eyes. As soon as she did so, she saw four faces that were almost identical. ¡°Why are you here?¡± . Harold giggled. ¡°We came to see you off, Mommy.¡± ; Adina did not know whether to cry orugh. She thought that the kids woulde with Duke to pick her up for the wedding. So, did this mean she had to bring her four little kids along and marry into the Winters family right now? ¡°Mommy, you¡®re so beautiful!¡± Melody rested her face on Adina¡®s, and her eyes were filled with admiration. Adina knew that her daughter loved to dress up. She pinched her little cheek and asked, ¡°Did you bring your flower¨Cgirl gown?¡± Melody nodded. George lifted a bag that he was carrying and said, ¡°Mommy, I¡®ve brought their gowns.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Following that, the makeup artist applied the children¡®s makeup and dressed them up. With the kids around, Adina¡®s sleepiness disappeared. The makeup room was lively, and she broke into a sweet happy smile. Anyone would be envious of her at that moment. Chapter 565 Chapter 565 Chapter 565 The CEO of Winters Corporation was marrying the daughter of the Daugherty family. A wedding between such rich families was unprecedented. The wedding was sensational before it even started due to theizens¡® discussion. All the headlines of the major news outlets were rted to Winters Corporation. At 9.30 am, a row of ck luxury cars drove across the main road in Sea City. The road from the Winters family¡®s to the Xavier family¡®s mansion was full of onlookers. ¡°Wow! Eighty¨Ceight wedding cars. The Winters family is so rich!¡± ¡°These aren¡®t normal wedding cars. I took a look at them. There isn¡®t a single car that costs less than $5,000,000.¡± ¡°What the heck?! The expenses and ostentation are beyond extraordinary! If we didn¡®t know, we might have thought that Duke was marrying a royal princess.¡± ¡°Adina¡®s the woman he loves, so she¡®s a princess in his world. Since he can afford it, why can¡®t he give her the best things?¡± ¡°I¡®m jealous. I¡®m crying because of my poverty.¡± At 10.00 am, the long line of luxury cars parked in front of the Xavier family¡®s mansion. All the guests in the Xavier family¡®s mansion were excited. ¡°The groom is here!¡± ¡°Get the gifts ready!¡± The crackling of firecrackers reverberated, and fireworks were visible in the sky. The rumbling never stopped, and it was a lively asion. Duke pushed the car door open and got out. He was dressed in a ck suit, and his outfit was wrinkle¨C free from head to toe. He wore a pink bow tie that softened his fierce aura a little. A red flower was pinned on his left chest, and the words ¡°The Groom¡± were written on it. As soon as he walked into the Xavier family¡®s mansion, countless people surrounded him. ¡°Uncle Duke, give me a present!¡± ¡°Duke, I want a big present!¡± ¡°Duke, you can only see the bride after you give us some gifts!¡± The members of the Xavier family created the maximum wedding buzz. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Although Duke knew of this custom, he still found it hard to deal with. He looked to the side and said, ¡°Pass them the gifts.¡± ¡°Don¡®t rush. Everyone will have a gift.¡± Trent carried a big bag in before he grabbed some presents from the bag and threw them into the air. Those in the courtyard then started to grab the gifts. Trent took the opportunity to drag Duke forward. ¡°Why are you standing still? Hurry in!¡± Based on his experience of being the best man a dozen times, if they did not take this opportunity to run in, the rtives would ask for a second giftter on. Money was not the problem. They just could not lose their momentum! Trent and Em finally brought Duke into the living room. But Ethan stopped them at the staircase. ¡°Duke, if you can answer the following three questions correctly, you can go upstairs and see Addy.¡± Duke had never been a groom, but he had watched a simr procedure online. He stood in the living room with his slender and tall figure, nodding calmly. ¡°Ask away.¡± It was Ethan¡®s first time seeing Duke being so pleasant. He cleared his throat before he asked, ¡°What is Addy¡®s favorite color?¡± ¡°White,¡± Duke answered without hesitation. Ethan took a look at the correct answer. He nodded and continued asking, ¡°What is Addy¡®s favorite dish?¡± Duke fell into contemtive silence. ¡°Fish and chips.¡± Ethan nodded. It looked like the answer was correct again. Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The guests were slightly dissatisfied. Usually, the groom would experience some trouble on his wedding day. The questions were too easy. Then again, the groom was Duke. He was the owner of Winters Corporation. Many people wanted to try challenging him, but they were too afraid to step forth and trouble him. ¡°Last question. When did you kiss Addy for the first time?¡± As soon as Ethan posed that question, the people there became interested. Nearly fifty pairs of eyes were fixed on Duke at the same time. It seemed that they wanted to witness his answer. The man frowned. Numerous situations popped up in his mind. He had kissed Addy too many times. ¡°Hey, you do remember this, don¡®t you?¡± Trent nudged him on the shoulder. ¡°It¡®d be normal for me to not remember. After all, i have a lot of women. But you only have her, and you dare to forget such an important thing?¡± Duke rolled his eyes at Trent and coldly said, ¡°Who said I forgot?¡± He was just recalling if he and Addy had kissed that night five years ago. He pursed his lips and nonchntly said, ¡°Five years ago.¡± Ethan looked at the answer before he moved away from the The guests instantly felt unhappy. This was the simplest ceremony that they had ever seen. Would the groom pick the bride up just after some gifts and questions? While they discussed the situation, they suddenly heard the voices of several children from the upper floor. Everyone in the city knew that Adina had two kids, but there were four beautiful kids today. All of the four children and Duke looked like they were made from the same mold. Everyone knew from a nce that the children had to be from the Winters family. It turned out that Adina and Mr. Winters already had four kids. What a happy family¡­ Everyone was envious of Adina right then. ¡°Dad, you can¡®t go inside just yet. You have to get past us.¡± Harold blocked the room door as he spread his arms. He was short, so he purposely took a chair over to make himself appear more imposing. Unfortunately, even after he stood on the chair, he only reached Duke¡®s chest. He stood up on his tiptoes in defiance, scoffed, and said, ¡°First of all, you need to answer one question from me.¡± Ethan cleared his throat and said, ¡°Hal, you can¡®t copy me. Change it.¡± ¡°Blek! I¡®m not changing it!¡± Harold made a face before he seriously said, ¡°If I do something wrong and you want to ground me, but Mommy says you can¡®t, are you going to punish me or will you listen to Mommy?¡± Duke was speechless.. This brat was really cunning to ask such a question at this time. ¡°If your mom stops me, I¡®ll spare you. But if she thinks my punishment is justified, I¡®ll double it,¡± Duke replied sternly. Harold suddenly felt his hair stand on end. His mom loved him very much, so she would not watch his dad punish him, right? He jumped down from the chair and yfully responded, ¡°Okay, you answered correctly. But there are three more gates at that back. Good luck, Dad.¡± George walked over with a face that looked 90% simr to Duke¡®s . ¡°Dad, I want to see if you can protect Mommy. Please do 100 push¨Cups and 100 sit¨Cups,¡± he said indifferently. As soon as he spoke, there was immediate apuse from all around. The groom had to be troubled on his wedding day as much as possible. That was the normal way, okay? ¡°George, aren¡®t you usually the most obedient one?¡± Trent rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do the push¨Cups for your dad.¡± Em quicklyy on the ground as well. ¡°I¡®ll do the sit¨Cups for you.¡± Duke smiled faintly. ¡°No one said the best men couldn¡®t do it for me. Does this mean I¡®ve also passed this round?¡± Chapter 567 Chapter 567 Chapter 567 George immediately made way for Duke. Duke sessfully arrived before the bedroom door at longst. Just as he was about to knock on the door, someone pulled it open. He took a quick nce in the bedroom and spotted four women wearing the same wedding gown. They were sitting on the small bed with their backs facing him. He raised his eyebrows slightly. This round should be asking him to find out the real bride. This should not be too difficult. ¡°Dad, please put this on.¡± Alden handed him a ck VR headset. Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡°What is this for?¡± ¡°I designed a VR system. You can only experience it when you put this VR headset on,¡± Alden said. ¡°Dad, please rescue the real bride in the game.¡± The moment Duke put on the eye patch, the scene in front of him changed. He was in a cave with zing fire, and there were four brides in white gowns being held captive in four prisons. All the brides looked exactly the same as Addy. Their figures, facial features, and even their eyes and lips were a splitting image. Duke understood that it was a photorealistic scene that Alden had carefully designed. Their faces had also been copied and pasted, so it was impossible to differentiate them based on appearance alone. He walked over as the fire before him grew increasingly intense. However, he knew that it was just a simtion. In reality, he was merely moving around in the room. He went forth while he heard the voices of a few women from the headset. ¡°Duke, help me! Help!¡± ¡°I¡®m suffering! I¡®m in so much pain! Hurry! Help me!¡± ¡°Please, help me! I¡¯m burning¡­¡± Their cries of pain echoed as Duke nced at their faces. He slowly walked through the fire, and the scene in the simtion changed all of a sudden. Despite that, he was unaffected. He continued walking until he stopped in front of the fourth prison. When he swung his hand, golden light was released from his fingers, and the prison door was unlocked. He then rescued the bride. ¡°Congrattions on passing the level!¡± The system¡®s robotic voice rang in the headset, and the VR scene instantly disappeared. Duke took off the headset and saw the real Adina in his arms. His gaze was gentle and full of affection. There were guests around them, and Adina felt a little shy as she asked, ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± ¡°You¡®re the only one who didn¡¯t call for help.¡± Duke lowered his voice and said, ¡°You¡®re different from most women. You¡®re an independent individual. No matter what challenges you encounter, you never ask a man for help. But from today onward, I hope that you can learn to ask me for help because I¡®m your husband andpanion who will spend the rest of my life with you. We¡®ll get through all the difficulties and obstacles together.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Adina blushed as she nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll learn slowly.¡± She would learn how to be more vulnerable, how to stand behind him, and how to enjoy being protected, as well as pampered, by her lover. When Alden saw this, he felt extremely upset. He had stayed upte for three nights to make the system, but his dad defeated it in just a few minutes. He pulled Duke¡®s sleeve, scoffed, and said, ¡°Dad, don¡®t be too happy just yet. There¡®s still one more level.¡± Duke turned around and saw Melody staring at him with a bright smile. She was his sweetheart, so she would not trouble him. Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Duke squatted down and softly said, ¡°Mel, proceed with whatever trick you have up your sleeves.¡± Melody blinked and said, ¡°Find the bridal shoe. If you can find it, I¡¯ll let you marry Mommy.¡± ¡°Finding the bridal shoe is thest gate!¡± After the exercise, Trent was drenched in sweat as he said, ¡°Em, hurry up and get over here. Stop dawdling. Start looking for the bridal shoe!¡± They began searching every corner of the room for the bridal shoe. They looked in the toilet tank, the venttion fan, outside the window, under the bed, in the wardrobe¡­ Eventually, Trent took out a piece of candy and coaxed the little girl. ¡°Mel, you¡®re a good girl. Can you tell me where you hid the bridal shoe?¡± Melody shook her head firmly. ¡°George, Hal, and Al said I can¡®t tell you!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Trent wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Duke, didn¡¯t you keep bragging about how thoughtful your sweetheart is? I think you¡®re going to lose to her today.¡± Duke was quite gloomy too. He thought Alden would set the most difficult test, but he did not expect it to be Melody. ¡°Dad, you can¡®t ask Mel!¡± Harold opened his arms wide and shielded Melody. ¡°You have to find the bridal shoe on your own. You have to marry Mommy on your own merit, or else, Mommy is ours!¡± Alden smiled obediently and said, ¡°Dad, take your time. It¡®s actually very easy to find.¡± Duke nced around the room. There were rtives, as well as guests, who were standing at the door and watching the show. He, the kids, and his best men were standing in the room, while Adina and the other three bridesmaids were sitting on the bed. If he were asked to hide the bridal shoe, where would he hide it? He instantly looked at the wedding gown. Melody widened her eyes at that moment. She quickly climbed onto the bed by instinct and sat on Adina¡®s wedding gown. Adina was speechless. Did that not indirectly tell Duke where the bridal shoe was? Duke smiled faintly and walked to the bed. ¡°Mel, is the bridal shoe underneath the wedding gown?¡± ¡°No!¡± Melody shook her head vigorously. ¡°Dad, you¡®re wrong. It¡¯s not here!¡± Duke grabbed the girl and held her in his arms while he touched the wedding gown. Then, he took out a red high heel. Melody pouted. ¡°I¡®ll hide it in a better ce next time.¡± ¡°Silly girl.¡± Duke chuckled. ¡°There won¡®t be a next time.¡± This would be the only wedding in his life. He squatted down and carefully put the bridal shoe on Adina. Then, he reached out to hold Adina. Amidst everyone¡®s loud cheering, he carried Adina into the car. Melody quickly followed them as she held the wedding bouquet. Meanwhile, George, Harold, and Alden helped to lift the gown. The family of six entered an extended ck wedding car as the crowd stared at them with admiration. They soon arrived at the biggest five¨Cstar hotel in Sea City. It was crowded by guests who were dressed nicely, and the atmosphere was lively. Many reporters had been invited to wait at the entrance. When Duke and Adina stepped out of the wedding car, numerous shing lights came on instantly. They were also followed by their four beautiful children. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The three boys looked like princes who just stepped out of a fairy tale. They were all equally handsome, which made it hard for others to take their eyes off them Meanwhile, the little girl had fair skin, voluminous hair, and red cherry lips. She resembled a princess who only existed in aic book. All theizens who were watching the news burst into a ruckus. (Oh, my! I want to prepare a sack and steal these four kids home! (Hey, you¡®re going too far! You should call ask me tomit the crime instead!) Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Chapter 569 (Oh, gosh! Doesn¡®t anyone suspect how Adina and Duke have four kids? Besides, they seem to be the same age. They should be quadruplets!) Il can only sigh for the strong genes. Kids of a beautiful couple look more beautiful and exquisite than the kids of a normal couple. Sob! I feel like having a kid too. What should I do?] (Wake up! The kids you have will be spoiled brats whom you¡®ll want to kill every day! (The wedding is starting!) Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The Wedding March began to y in the auditorium, and Adina down the aisle with Ethan by her side. She had cut off ties with the Daugherty family, and Mdm. Daugherty had only sent Adina a gift and her wishes without being present. In other words, no one from the Daugherty family attended the wedding. So, Ethan took the ce of her father. He slowly led Adina to Duke before he ced Adina¡®s hand on Duke¡®s palm. ¡°Duke, I hope you can love and protect Addy forever. If she does anything wrong, please let me know. I¡¯ll do my best to help my cousin.¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry, Ethan. Whether Addy is good or bad, she¡®ll always be the one I love deeply.¡± Duke held Adina¡®s hand tightly as he led her into the hall. Adina allowed Duke to hold her hand. She had given herself to him, and they would be one every day for years toe. It was a very strange feeling, but it was also a feeling that made her happy and delighted. The two of them stood opposite each other in the hall, and the wedding officiant¡®s voice reverberated in the spacious hall. ¡°Mr. Duke Winters, will you take this woman to be yourwfully wedded wife? Will you love her, respect her, be faithful to her, and stay with her from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?¡± Duke stared at Adina lovingly. He moved his elegant thin lips and affectionately answered, ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Ms. Adina Daugherty, will you take this man to be yourwfully wedded husband? Will you love him, respect him, be faithful to him, and stay with him from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?¡± Adina smiled gently. Her eyes instantly sparkled like fireworks. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Now, please exchange your rings.¡± Right after the officiant spoke, George and Alden each walked up the stage with a brocade. Duke took a radiant aquamarine diamond ring from George before he gently put it on Adina¡®s ring finger. Adina then took a simple diamond ring from Alden. She hadmissioned the design from a well¨C known foreign designer in a hurry. Despite the little time given, she was happy with the ring. It was a simple ring with a tiny aquamarine diamond in the middle, which was only visible upon closer look. The two rings looked very different, but the aquamarine diamonds came from the same source. They could be considered wedding rings in a sense. ¡°Please give a round of apuse to this intimate couple. Next, the bride and groom will share the cake and champagne with all the guests present. Let¡®s give the couple our best wishes together!¡± Duke held Adina¡®s hand while they cut the cake, and the ceremony officially ended. All the guests stayed in the banquet hall for wine and cake, but the wedding banquet officially started only after half an hour. Subsequently, Adina and Duke went to the resting lounge at the back to get changed. Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Adina had been up since 4.00 am. She was so exhausted that her whole body was aching. Duke kissed her on the forehead with affection. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you home so that you can have a good rest after the toast.¡± ¡°It doesn¡®t matter how tiring it is. It¡®s just one day.¡± Adina leaned in his arms and softly said, ¡°You¡®ve just been discharged from the hospital. You should drink less when you make your toastter.¡± ¡°I¡®ll do as you say, Dear.¡± Duke kissed her cheek again before he turned around and went to the resting lounge next door to get changed. Adina¡®s gown wasplex, and two stylists had to help her before she could sessfully wear it. They then immediately put on new makeup on her face. This gown was red. It looked festive with its beautifulce and gold embroidery. Adina looked in the mirror and fixed her makeup before she walked out of her dressing room and knocked on the next room¡®s door. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The makeup artist there respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Winters finished changing half an hour ago. He should be greeting the guests in the lobby now.¡± Adina nodded and thanked her before she lifted the hem of her gown and walked toward the lobby. She stood at the entrance as she nced at the whole banquet hall, but she did not see the stunning man. That man was like a light that shone brightly wherever he went, so much so that it was impossible to look at him directly. Theoretically, she should be able to spot him immediately. ¡°Mommy, you¡®re so beautiful!¡± ¡°Wow, Mommy! What¡®s on your head? Why is it so beautiful ?¡± The children showed up from nowhere and surrounded her. Adina smiled and said, ¡°It¡®s a golden hair clip. It¡®s an antique piece of jewelry, and it matches my gown. Mel, if you like it, I¡®ll give it to you once the wedding¡®s over.¡± Melody smiled happily. ¡°Thank you, Mommy.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, where¡®s your dad?¡± Adina smiled and asked. The guests were already seated. ording to the schedule, the bride and the groom should be entering the hall and making the toast. George blinked and said, ¡°I saw Dad walking outside the hotel just now. I don¡®t know what he¡®s up to.¡± Alden nodded. ¡°Dad seemed worried.¡± Adina frowned. For some reason, her heart felt a little uneasy, and her right eyelid suddenly throbbed. ¡°Addy, you finally got changed.¡± Mrs. Winters smiled and walked over out of the blue. ¡°Duke had to leave because of something urgent. I¡®ll apany you as you toast to the guests.¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°What is he busy with?¡± What else would be more important than his wedding on his wedding day? ¡°The Winters Cemetery is on fire.¡± Mrs. Winters lowered her voice and said, ¡°It¡®s not a big deal, but only the bloodline of the Winters family¡®s first son is allowed to enter the cemetery, so Duke has to go there personally. We can¡®t let the kids go, can we?¡± That indeed made some sense. Yet, the unknown ominous feeling in Adina¡®s heart grew stronger. She took out her phone and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll give Duke a call first.¡± There was a glint in Mrs. Winters¡® eyes, but she smiled and said, ¡°Okay, be quick. The guests are waiting for us.¡± Adina walked to the side and dialed Duke¡®s number. After two rings, someone picked up the phone, and she heard the man¡®s familiar voice from the other end of the line. Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Chapter 571 ¡°Sorry, Addy. It all happened so suddenly that I didn¡®t have time to tell you.¡± Duke¡®s voice came from the other end of the line. There seemed to be shrieks of panic from a crowd and roaring fire from a copsing beam. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Adina felt even more worried, and she spoke in a serious, as well as stern manner, ¡°You have to be careful. The cemetery can be rebuilt if it burns down, but if you¡­¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°In short, be safe. The kids and I will be waiting for you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡®ll go home as soon as I can. Don¡®t worry.¡± After Adina hung up, her heart remained dejected. She felt burdened as if a disaster wasing. ¡°Addy, are you done calling Duke? We have to go and make a toast now.¡± Mrs. Winters walked over and handed her a ss of champagne. Adina ced the phone in her pocket before she shed Mrs. Winters a smile. ¡°Okay, let¡®s go.¡± There were a few hundred tables of guests at the wedding banquet. Experts from different industries were seated at each table, and they were all famous and reputable VIPs. After Adina gave a toast to so many tables, she was exhausted. She only took a small sip whenever she made a toast, but by the time she went through all those tables, she had drunk at least several sses. ¡°Mommy, your face is so red!¡± Harold blinked and curiously asked, ¡°Will my face turn red too after I drink this?¡± Melody licked her lips. ¡°I want to drink it too.¡± ¡°Kids can¡®t drink this,¡± Alden said indifferently. ¡°But we can ask Grandma to prepare some fruit wine for you.¡± Thest time the little girl had fruit wine, it was sweet and particrly tasty, so she nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I want some fruit wine.¡± ¡°Your mommy¡®s exhausted. Let her catch her breath in the resting lounge first. I¡®ll take you to get some fruit wine.¡± Mrs. Winters then brought the four kids to a private room. It was their parents¡® wedding today, so the children were very excited. Even Alden, who was the most mature and brilliant, slowly let down his guard and epted the winters family. The private room had been reserved for the four children. It had a table of cakes, desserts, and an endless supply of fruit wine. Melody took a sip of the fruit wine and excitedly asked,¡± Grandma, how much can I drink today?¡± Previously, Mr. Brown had been afraid that the kids would get tipsy, so he only allowed each child to drink half a ss in the Winters family¡®s mansion. Mrs. Winters smiled and said, ¡°It¡®s a big day for our family, so you can drink as much as you want!¡± She put four big sses of fruit wine in front of the kids, and Melody licked her lips before she drank half a ss in one go. Alden frowned. ¡°Mel, you¡®ll feel tipsy if you drink that much.¡± ¡°It¡®s so delicious!¡± Melody narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°It tastes even better than ice cream. Al, I want to drink more.¡± Her face instantly turned red as if she had put on makeup. Mrs. Winters smiled and said, ¡°Alden, don¡®t worry. You¡®ll just feel sleepy after you drink the wine. It¡®s not a big deal. Later, I¡¯ll take the four of you home with your daddy and mommy!¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandma!¡± Melody lowered her head and drank the remaining half of the wine. Adina had also drunk a lot of wine. Shey on the couch in the resting lounger next door and took a short nap. After some time, she jolted awake. She took a look at the time and could not believe that an hour had passed. She rubbed her head and sat up before she fixed her makeup and left the resting lounge. She noticed that almost all the guests in the hall had left. Just as she was about to call Duke, a notification for a news article popped up on her phone. (The CEO of Winters Corporation was supposed to enjoy his wedding today, but the Winters Cemetery suddenly caught on fire. The groom, Duke Winters, personally rushed to the scene of the fire and only managed to rescue thete Mr. Winters¡® tombstone.) A photo was even attached to the article, which showed Duke rushing out of the cemetery with a tombstone. Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Chapter 572 There was a wet nket over his body, and it looked like he was not injured. Adina sighed in relief. She immediately dialed Duke¡®s number, but nobody picked it up after the phone rang for a while. When she turned around, she saw Mrs. Winters walking over after sending off the guests. ¡°Mr. Brown came to take the children home earlier. Let¡®s go home now.¡± Adina held her phone and asked, ¡°Mom, is Duke back yet?¡± ¡°He went to the police station to make a statement.¡± Mrs. Winters seemed to avoid her gaze slightly. ¡°It appears that someone set fire to the Winters Cemetery. Not only the cemetery was destroyed, but the entire row of nearby shops and houses was also burned down. It¡®s a big deal, so Duke has to help the police with the investigation.¡± Adina nodded and did not say anything else. Once the wedding banquet ended, the hall became very quiet. The Winters family¡®s mansion was deste upon their return as well. The courtyard was full of balloons and string lights, yet Adina felt lonely. Had she suddenly be a resentful wife just because her husband did not toast with her at the wedding? Adina chuckled in resignation. She went to the children¡®s room and took a look. Their faces were red from the red wine. She wondered how much wine they had actually consumed. Her children were born prematurely, so they were not the strongest. They should not indulge in such a beverage. However, her mother¨Cinw encouraged it. Adina could not say anything about it as a result. She returned to her room and slowly removed her makeup. Then, she took a shower. It was already 9.00 pm by the time she was done. Even so, she had yet to receive a reply from Duke after she sent him a text message. Adina was truly exhausted today, and she had also drunk at least two sses of wine. Shey on the bed to wait for Duke to get back, but she ended up falling asleep. She dreamed that she was in the middle of a white foggy valley, while the white fog around her blocked her way. Her hands and feet were weak, and she could not exert any strength at all. She wanted to walk out of the fog, but when she stood up, she simply fell. A fire suddenly illuminated the fog. The fire dispersed it, and she could finally see whaty ahead. There was a church at the edge of the cliff and a figure twisted in pain amidst the fire. ¡°Addy, help me! Help!¡± She recognized the voice. It was Duke! Adina could not be bothered with anything else. She scrambled up the side of the cliff on both feet and worked her way up, but no matter how hard she tried, she was always a few dozen meters from the cliff. Crash! Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The church abruptly copsed, and the familiar figure disappeared in the fire. ¡°Duke!¡± Adina screamed in shock and woke up from her nightmare. Right then, she realized that she was sweating profusely and her back was soaking wet. She breathed heavily before she checked the time with the light from her phone. It was already 3.00 am. But Duke was still not back. Her heart tightened, and a sense of infinite suffocation flooded over her. Just as she was about to give Duke another call, she noticed that a man was standing on the balcony. Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Chapter 573 The sky was dark, and scattered moonlight fell on the balcony. The man¡¯s figure was straight and slender. Adina pulled the nket away before she gently got off the bed. She held a dagger that she had hidden in the drawer as she slowly walked toward the man on the balcony. Then, she pulled the balcony door open, lunged forward, and restricted the man¡®s arm with one hand. At the next second, she pointed the dagger at the man¡®s neck. The man was forced to turn around. When the moonlight shone on his face, his features looked clear and blurry at the same time. ¡°Duke, why¡­ why are you standing on the balcony?¡± Adina quickly released him and threw the dagger on the tea table on the balcony. She scrutinized the man under the faint moonlight. His illuminated features appeared profound and cold, while his gaze was intense. He just emanated an unweing aura. It was just like when they first met. No, this man¡®s aura was even colder today than when they first met. Adina looked at him and asked, ¡°What happened to the fire at the cemetery today? Did you find anything?¡± The man just stared at her before he suddenly took one step forward and held her face. ¡°What did you just call me?¡± ¡°I called you ¡®Duke¡­¡± As soon as Adina said that, she felt embarrassed. They used to be together every day before the wedding, so this man would shamelessly call her ¡°Dear.¡± He even wanted her to call him ¡°Dear¡± in return. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She told him that she would do it after the wedding, initially thinking that she could trick him. Unexpectedly, this man still remembered what she said. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°I¡®ll call you ¡®Dear.¡¯ Is that okay,¡® Dear?¡± Her ears and the side of her face turned red in the moonlight, giving her the charm and shyness of a young girl. The man¡®s gaze became more profound. He put his hands on her shoulders and caressed her discreetly. ¡°It¡®s our wedding night,¡± he said in a husky voice. When Adina heard that, she knew what he wanted to do. Right as she wanted to reply, she was taken aback. Why did Duke¡®s voice sound so strange? She frowned and asked, ¡°Did you burn your throat?¡± ¡°There was too much fog and dust earlier, so my throat¡®s a little irritated.¡± The man moved his hands from her shoulders down to her waist. Then, he pped her behind. ¡°This night is precious. Let¡®s go to bed.¡± The man held her as they entered the bedroom. Adina suddenly felt extremely ufortable. She had been with Duke for some time, and this man would never be that uncouth with her¡­ The gesture of pping her behind made her feel slightly insulted. Duke was a highly¨Crefined man. Where did he learn this gesture from? She tried to suppress her difort, but the man was getting closer to her. He pinned her down on the bed and moved his lips along her neck. Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Chapter 574 A strange aura permeated the room, and Adina immediately pushed the man away. She rolled over to the right side of the bed and switched on the light with a snap. The moment the light came on, the man covered his face. Adina frowned and looked over with a sharp gaze. When the man covered his face, she found his demeanor very unfamiliar for some reason. It was as if the original Duke had suddenly disappeared. ¡°The fire burned my eyes today. Switch off the light first.¡± The man covered half of his face as he spoke in a husky voice. Adina crawled from the corner of the bed, pursed her lips, and said, ¡°Show me. If it¡®s severe, you¡®ll need some medication.¡± She raised her hand and moved the man¡®s fingers away one by one. An extremely familiar face appeared before her. Adina saw his eyebrows that were furrowed, a habit that he had developed, and she also observed his tall nose and thin lips that he had used to kiss her. ¡°Addy, why are you looking at me like that?¡± the man asked as he stared at her. Adina suppressed all the strange thoughts in her mind. ¡°When you went to put out the fire at the cemetery today, I called you many times. Why didn¡¯t you answer my call or reply to any of my messages?¡± The man curled the corners of his lips. ¡°I dropped my phone in the fire. Someone will send me a new phone tomorrow.¡± The way he curled his lips was once again strange to Adina. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She pulled the nket over and covered herself. ¡°It¡®s 4.00 am. I have to get some sleep since I¡®ll need to greet the elderly tomorrow.¡± She raised her hand and switched off the light before she put her head under the nket. Meanwhile, the man, who was sitting on the other side of the bed, darkened his gaze like a demon that just crawled out from hell. He raised his arm and patted the nket. ¡°Go ahead and sleep first. I¡®ll take a shower.¡± He entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Then, he flicked open a lighter and lit a cigarette. Duke never smoked, which meant he had to hide while he smoked from now onward. The man looked at the familiar yet strange face in the mirror, and he slowly curled the corners of his lips. He wore a vicious and profound smile. ¡°Duke Winters, I told you I would take everything that belongs to me.¡± He stared at the mirror and firmly said, ¡°And it¡®s time for you to experience my life in the past twenty years. It¡®s up to you to decide whether you live or die. ¡°From now on, I¡®ll be Duke Winters.¡± The man put out his cigarette and flushed it down the toilet. Adina did not sleep soundly that night. When she woke up in the morning, she looked at the pillow beside her, as though it was a habit. The nket had not been moved. That meant her husband, Duke, did not get in bedst night. She tussled her hair and washed up before she went to the room next door to check on the kids. All her four children were still sleeping. Mr. Brown respectfully said, ¡°Good morning, Mdm. Winters, just invited the family doctor over to examine them. The young masters and youngdy got a little inebriated, so they¡®ll be sleeping for at least twenty¨Cfour hours. Please don¡®t worry.¡± Adina pursed her lips. She finally understood how some problems could arise between a mother¨Cinw and daughter¨Cinw. She did not know how Mrs. Winters could allow four¨Cyear¨Cold children to drink without limitation. Adina finally walked down the stairs after she kissed each of her kids on the cheek. ording to the custom in Sea City, the bride and the groom had to greet their elderly the day after their wedding. Mrs. Winters was already sitting in the living room downstairs, but Adina did not see Duke at all. ¡°The master received a call from thepany in the morning for a meeting.¡± After Mr. Brown exined, he handed her a cup of Earl Grey tea. ¡°Madam, please.¡± Adina held the cup of tea and walked to Mrs. Winters before she politely said, ¡°Mom, please enjoy some tea.¡± Mrs. Winters picked up the teacup and drank from it. Then she put a bangle on Adina¡®s hand. ¡°Addy, I¡®m really happy that you¡®ve be my daughter-inw.¡± Mrs. Winters held her hand and said, ¡°Although the Winters family is a powerful family with a lot of property, there are very few members in it. You don¡®t have to feel burdened as Mdm. Winters. I just wish that you can help Duke to extend the family¡®s prosperity and wealth. Of course, it would be much better if you can give birth to a few more grandchildren for me.¡± Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Chapter 575 The morning passed by as Mrs. Winters rambled on. While Adina listened to Mrs. Winters¡® rambling, the scenes fromst night yed out in her mind. For some reason, the odd feeling in her heart intensified. She pursed her lips before she smiled and said, ¡°Mom, did Duke go to the office? I¡®d like to pay him a visit and have lunch with him.¡± ¡°Aww! The two of you are still sweet newlyweds,¡± Mrs. Winters teased. ¡°I was thinking of asking you to have lunch with me.¡± Adina appeared apologetic as she said, ¡°I have something very important to discuss with him. I¡®ll have dinner with you tonight.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Have a safe journey.¡± Mrs. Winters stood at the door while she watched Adina drive away. Worry slowly filled her eyes. Adina had a smooth journey and soon stopped in front of Winters Corporation. Duke and Adina had just gotten married yesterday, so everyone in the city knew that Ms. Daugherty was now thedy boss of Winters Corporation. As soon as she stepped into the lobby, the receptionist escorted her to the elevator respectfully. ¡°This elevator will bring you to the CEO¡®s office directly. Mdm. Winters, this way please.¡± After Adina thanked her, she entered the elevator. It was not Adina¡®s first visit to the CEO¡®s office in Winters Corporation, but she felt more upied than she ever did in the past. She walked out of the elevator, stood in the corridor, and slowly made her way toward the CEO¡®s office. The office door was not shut, so she could see the situation inside clearly. A few executives were giving a report on their work. ¡°Mr. Winters, this is the profit statement for thest quarter. Please take a look.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, this project will start only after you approve it. Please sign here.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, there¡®s a problem with the project in Europe. We need to send an executive there for nning and consolidation. May I know if you have any candidates in mind?¡± One task after another piled up on the desk. They had umted because of the wedding. Adina stood at the door before she silently took a few steps back and entered the meeting room. She lowered her head and gently took a sip of the coffee while variousplicated thoughts shed across her mind. Her heart would flutter for Duke at certain times, butst night, the bizarre feeling and resistance that came from her heart confused her. She would only marry someone for love, and she would leave a person without hesitation if she did not love him. Adina visited him today because she just wanted to know where the odd feeling wasing from. She waited for half an hour before Duke pushed the meeting room door open and walked inside. He loosened his tie and casually sat on the couch. Then, he crossed his long legs and rested them on the tea table. He curled his lips and shed her a yful smile. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Adina looked at him. In her heart, Duke was always elegant and noble no matter what he did. However, he looked like a gang member now. Whether it was the way he sat or the tone of his voice, he had lost the nobility of a gentleman. But¡­ This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Adina chuckled. The same elegant and decent man was also a shameless person in bed. He would unabashedly call her ¡°Dear.¡± He would act cute and ask her to kiss him. He had many sides. It was a shame that she only saw this side of him today. ¡°Are you very busy?¡± Adina slowly asked. Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Chapter 576 ¡°I¡®m really busy.¡± Earl pursed his lips. ¡°I need to take a flight to Europe for a business trip this afternoon, and I¡¯ll only be back half a monthter.¡± Adina was stunned. He was going out for a business trip on the first day of their marriage? It was not that he could not go, but this man would not do such a thing with the way he felt about her. ¡°What would you like from Europe? I¡®ll bring it back for you.¡± Earl touched his thin lips. He had a chronic smoking habit, and he wanted to smoke again at that moment. Adina pursed her lips. ¡°If Mel finds out that you¡¯ll be on a business trip for half a month, she¡®ll be very sad.¡± Mel? The image of a little girl popped up in his head. He had only seen the little girl from a distance. He had not officially met the girl after bing Duke. Earl smiled faintly and said, ¡°I¡®ll bring her a present so that she won¡®t be sad.¡± He suddenly stood up. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll get ready to go to the airport. Be careful on your way home.¡± He walked out of the meeting room before he ordered his assistant and secretary to prepare some things with a cold gaze. Adina stood in the corridor outside the office, and the look in her eyes was profound. Did he not care about her anymore after he obtained her? Or did he never care about her? Perhaps he only married her because of the kids? Adina clenched her fists, and the mocking smile on her face grew wider. Before she turned eighteen, she had treated the Daugherty family sincerely, only for them to totally hurt her. Now that she was twenty¨Cthree, she ended up believing in Duke¡®s sweet talk as well. She was truly dumb. She should have realized that she was just fresh meat to Duke. How could she¡­ allow herself to be carried away? Adina took the elevator downstairs with a nk gaze and sat quietly in the car alone for a long time. She should not be too pessimistic now. The Winters Cemetery had just caught on fire yesterday, and there were many things that needed to be handled in Winters Corporation, so it was normal for Duke to pay her less attention. Their life should be back to normal once he returned from his business trip. Adina then drove back to the Winters family¡®s mansion. Everything at home was normal. The children were already awake. George and Alden were reading, while Harold and Melody were sitting on the floor and assembling some toys. ¡°Mommy, you¡®re back!¡± Harold was the first to rush over. He climbed onto Adina¡®s body and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. However, he felt guilty at the next moment as he took a peek behind Adina. Then, he patted his chest and spoke as if he was scared. ¡°Luckily, Dad didn¡®te back with you, or else, he¡®ll beat me up again.¡± Every time after he kissed his mom, his dad would look at him as though he wanted to kill him. Melody also looked past Adina. ¡°Mommy, why didn¡®t Daddye home?¡± Before Adina could speak, George calmly said, ¡°Dad went to Europe for a business trip. There¡®s something wrong with a big project there, so he needs to go over and handle it.¡± There was a glint in Adina¡®s eyes. ¡°Georgie, did your dad call and tell you?¡± George shook his head. ¡°I was working earlier, and my assistant told me that Dad just checked in half an hour ago. He¡®ll arrive at his destination tonight. But¡­¡± He frowned and said, ¡°Winters Corporation¡®s factory in Europe is in the countryside, and the signal there isn¡®t very good. We might not be able to contact him for a long time.¡± Melody¡®s eyes became teary. ¡°But I miss Daddy. I want to call him.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Chapter 577 When the girl started to cry, her three elder brothers panicked. George wiped the tears off her face. ¡°Dad will be back in half a month. After that, you can be with him every day.¡± Alden stroked his sister¡®s hair. ¡°You have Mommy and your brothers with you. It¡®s okay if Daddy isn¡®t here.¡± ¡°Mel, have a lollipop!¡± Harold put a strawberry¨Cvored lollipop in her mouth. ¡°How is it? Sweet?¡± Melody¡®s tears turned intoughter. ¡°It¡®s so sweet!¡± Adina forced herself to smile. A child¡®s world was as simple as that. A lollipop could sweep away all the gloom. An adult¡®s world, on the other hand, was alwaysplicated. Adina sat on the couch as she contemted whether she should send Duke a message, asking him to call Melody after he arrived at his destination. The little girl would really get worked up if she could not see her dad for half a month. She searched her contact list and found Duke¡®s name. Just as she was about to send him a message, her fingers suddenly froze. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. How could she forget him telling herst night that he had lost his phone in the fire and gotten a new number? She went to thepany today but forgot to ask him for his new number. In other words, she did not even know how to contact the man she just married. Adina put the matter aside for the time being. If Duke really cared about the kids, he would call them. She should not worry about it. She waited until the next morning, but there was still no call from Duke. She saw the four children ying without a worry in the courtyard. Alden was smiling more than he ever had over the past four years. Alden was an overthinker. If he knew that something had gone wrong between Duke and her, he would hold himself back again. Adina pushed her emotions to the back of her mind before she went downstairs and talked to the kids. ¡°I¡®ll go to thepany and work today. I¡®lle backter and have dinner with you.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mommy.¡± ¡°Come back early, Mommy.¡± ¡°I¡®ll miss you, Mommy!¡± ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± After Adina bid the children goodbye, she drove toward herpany. She was a wise person, so she would never bring her personal emotions into the workce. Her normal working progress would not be affected either. LaStar Technology Corporation was in the process of merging with Daugherty Corporation. Daugherty Corporation had been established for more than twenty years. It was argepany with a wide range of activities and several factories. Meanwhile, LaStar Technology Corporation was just a small newly¨Cestablishedpany. It was difficult to merge them together, so Adina had been working on ittely. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Mdm. Jones is here!¡± Serene ran into her office and said in a low voice, ¡°Mdm. Jones brought her daughter, Ms. Yackley along. I don¡®t know what they¡®re here for. If you don¡®t want to see them, I¡®ll just turn them away.¡± Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Adina leaned back in her chair and nonchntly said, ¡°Maybe they¡®re delivering money to me. Let them in.¡± She had been feeling gloomy recently. Earning some money could give her a temporary sense of happiness. Zhenny and Jasmine soon walked into the meeting room in session. After Serene served them coffee, she sat beside Adina. Adina put on a fake smile. ¡°Mdm. Jones, Ms. Yackley, may| know the purpose of your visit?¡± Jasmine scoffed before she looked to the side as if she was full of dissatisfaction. ¡°First of all, congrattions on getting married.¡± Zhenny drank some coffee before she resumed indifferently. ¡°I just heard this morning that my daughter offended you during the first chip design presentation in Elitos, so I¡¯ve purposely brought her along to apologize to you. I hope that you can be generous and not hold it against a kid.¡± Adina leisurely replied, ¡°Ms. Yackley should be twenty¨Ctwo this year, right? She¡®s just a year younger than me. I don¡®t think a person of her age is still considered a kid.¡± As soon as Adina said that, Jasmine was triggered. She was so angry that her face turned red, and she wanted to fight back, but Zhenny pressed the back of her hand down. Only then did she give up, but she still scoffed loudly. ¡°Mdm. Jones, it seems to me that Ms. Yackley doesn¡®t want to apologize.¡± Adina smiled brightly and said, ¡°Since she doesn¡®t want to apologize, let¡®s drop the act. Mdm. Jones, why don¡¯t you just tell me your purpose foring here today? Perhaps we can just hit it off.¡± Zhenny looked at Adina with a scrutinizing gaze. This young woman was too smart. She had not said a word, but Adina had already guessed her intention. No wonder Duke married this woman without caring about her social position. Zhenny hid her scrutinizing gaze before she indifferently said,¡± In that case, I¡®ll get straight to the point. Jones Corporation and LaStar Technology Corporation are working together to develop the chip for the Elitos project. There¡®s 20% of the first phase of work left, but since the first 80% of the framework is too difficult for the technical staff of Jones Corporation to understand, I¡®d like to ask you to lend a helping hand.¡± ¡°We are business partners, so I¡®ll naturally help you if I can. But after I help you, how will I benefit ?¡± Adina asked indifferently. Profit was everything in the business world. Zhenny had prepared a contract. ¡°Thebor cost for this chip design is $40,000,000, and Jones Corporation will not take any of thebor cost. Besides¡­¡± She added, ¡°When ites to the share of product sales at ater stage, Jones Corporation will only take 40% while LaStar Technology Corporation will take 60%.¡± Adina narrowed her eyes and fell into contemtive silence. The profit from this project was split into two payments. The first part would be thebor fee, which would be settled once the project was done. The second part was a profit draw, where the designer would obtain a share of every profit made from the sale of a product embedded with the chip. Adina chuckled. ¡°In other words, LaStar Technology Corporation willplete this chip independently. So, may I ask why I can only get 60% of the profit? It¡®s not a good deal for me.¡± Zhenny narrowed her eyes. ¡°So, are you turning down the coboration?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Adina shook her head. ¡°I¡®ll take 80% of the share, and you¡¯ll get 20%.¡± Zhenny¡®s expression turned cold. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, young people shouldn¡¯t be so greedy.¡± ¡°Jones Corporation doesn¡®t have to put any energy and time into the chip design, yet you¡®re able to get 20% of the profit. You¡®ve earned it.¡± Adina picked up her coffee cup with a straight face.¡± Mdm. Jones, if you think I¡®m asking too much, I won¡®t stop you from leaving.¡± ¡°You!¡± Jasmine stood up in anger. ¡°Adina Daugherty, don¡®t expect us to tolerate you now that you¡®re Mdm. Winters! I¡®m telling you that even if Duke Winters stands here, he won¡®t be allowed to suppress us like this!¡± Adina put her cup down with a strong thud and red at Jasmine.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Her gaze was as sharp as two sharp knives, and Jasmine dared not look her in the eyes as a result. ¡°Who¡®s the one being suppressed here?¡± Adina sneered. ¡°You used Mr. Krisman to force your way into bing a coborator on this project. You¡®re making meplete the whole project, yet you still intend to take 40% of the profit. Do you think I¡®m an easy target? If I really wanted to suppress you, I would have kicked you out by now. Why would I give Jones Corporation 20% of the profit?¡± Jasmine was furious, but she was helpless. This was the stepping stone for her to be the heir of the Jones family. She had to get things done perfectly so that she could impress her grandpa. If this b*tch, Adina, did not exist, she would havepleted her task sessfully. She would not have to lower her status ande here to seek a coboration. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Adina, you purposely designed a chip framework that has never appeared before. You intentionally made it this way so that other designers wouldn¡®t know what to do. You¡®re horrible!¡± ¡°Before I designed the n, I didn¡®t know that someone else would share a portion of it.¡± Adina smiled in an unbothered manner. ¡°If I had known that Jones Corporation would be my coborator, I would¡®ve designed the simplest chip.¡± That did not physically hurt, but it was extremely insulting. Jasmine¡®s expression darkened even further. Zhenny was much older, so she managed to hold back and school her expression. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡®re right. Let¡®s redraw the agreement and make it a 20/80 split,¡± she said indifferently. Adina¡®s smile was bright again. ¡°Serene, prepare the contract.¡± Serene stood up and handed them two sets of newly¨Cprinted contracts not long after. Zhenny cast a deep nce at Adina before she signed at the bottom of the page. Adina also picked up a pen and dropped her signature. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I hope we can work together happily in the future.¡± After Zhenny shook hands with Adina, she finally brought Jasmine out of LaStar Technology Corporation. ¡°Mom, Adina¡®s so shameless!¡± Jasmine stomped her feet angrily. ¡°If we only take 20% of the profit, Jones Corporation won¡®t even get $10,000,000 in annual benefits. This project was supposed to give Jones Corporation at least $50,000,000 in profit. If Grandpa finds out that I screwed this up, he¡®ll never agree to let me be the heir.¡± ¡°Why are you afraid?¡± Zhenny said coldly. ¡°We signed this contract privately with Adina. There¡®s also a confidentiality agreement in the contract. If you keep your mouth shut, your grandpa won¡®t know a thing about this. As for the annual profit, I¡®ll allocate a couple dozen million dors to you from Jones Corporation¡®s public ount. I¡®ll also hire an experienced ountant to create the ounts of this project for you. Don¡®t worry. He won¡®t know.¡± Only then did Jasmine sigh in relief. ¡°After I be the heir of Jones Corporation, I¡®ll settle this with Adina.¡± ¡°Enough. She¡®s Mrs. Winters now. You can¡®t match her status. Don¡®t keep causing yourself trouble.¡± Zhenny massaged her forehead and said, ¡°It won¡®t be toote to step on her after she and Duke get a divorce.¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth with rage. Unless that b*tch, Adina, became old and no longer had a beautiful face, Duke would never divorce her. It would take at least ten years if she wanted to wait for that day. Fine, it would never be toote to avenge herself. She would just wait. ¡°Ms. Daugherty.¡± Serene could not help but softly say, ¡°You¡®re Mrs. Winters now. If you say something, Elitos won¡®t let Jones Corporation continue participating in this project. Their participation is actually unjustified and undeserving¡­¡± Adina pursed her lips and nonchntly said, ¡°It¡®s fine.¡± Even though she and Duke had a strong, affectionate rtionship, she would not ask her husband for help when it came to work. Besides, Duke and her¡­ As newlyweds, they had not been in contact for three whole days. Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Even if she said it out loud, she would not be able to believe it. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you need to go home this afternoon, right? Just leave thepany to me. You can go home without worry.¡± When Adina heard what Serene said, she suddenly remembered that Mdm. Xavier had called herst night to ask what she and the kids loved to eat. Going home on the third day after one¡®s wedding was a traditional custom. As such, Adina packed up her things before she drove back to the Winters family¡®s mansion. ¡°Madam, these are the gifts that Mrs. Winters prepared for you to bring back.¡± Mr. Brown and the servants took out dozens of big boxes, and he gave an introduction to each of them. ¡°This is for Mdm. Xavier. This is for your eldest uncle and his wife. This is for your second uncle and his wife. These are for the younger ones¡­¡± Every gift box wasbeled, and it was clear which box went to which person. Adina felt a little touched. As someone of the younger generation, she never knew such courtesy, but Mrs. Winters had prepared everything without a word. She had been busy with worktely and rarely looked after the kids. Despite that, all of them were smiling happily. One could say that Mrs. Winters was verypetent as a mother¨Cinw and a grandmother. ¡°Mommy, Great¨Cgrandma just called. She¡®s asking us to hurry over.¡± Alden smiled and said. Adina held her children¡®s hands and got into the car. The children were still tiny, so they could fit in one row as they sat in the back When the car stopped at a junction with a traffic light, Adina could not help but ask, ¡°Georgie, have you been busy with yourpany recently?¡± George nodded. ¡°Some serious problems have been found in thest quarter in the European factories. We need to recall our products and providepensation. We also need to file awsuit. The headquarters here have to handle a lot of things.¡± When his dad was not around, he needed to decide on a lot of things in thepany. Adina¡®s gaze became dour, and she said, ¡°Do you discuss things with your dad before you make a decision?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Harold acted cute and said, ¡°George is really smart. He can handle everything alone. He doesn¡®t need to ask Dad for his opinion.¡± George nodded. ¡°I can take care of the small problems.¡± Adina pursed her lips. It looked like George had not contacted Duke either. She stopped thinking about it and quickly drove the car to the Xavier family¡®s mansion. ¡°Oh, my four little babies!¡± Mdm. Xavier hugged each of the kids and wore a loving smile on her face. ¡°I asked them to make some chocte balls today. There are also fried chicken and strawberry cakes. They¡®re all your favorite foods!¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome! I like you so much, Great Grandma!¡± Harold shouted excitedly. ¡°It¡®s great that you like them.¡± Mdm. Xavier then took the kids inside. All the members of the Xavier family were around, and the children obediently greeted every one of them. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Come on, don¡®t just stand there. Sit down and eat.¡± Richard gathered the dozen or so people and got them to sit around a long table. The atmosphere in the Xavier family¡®s mansion was quite good today. Sophia, who always made a fuss, did not cause any trouble. She just sat down quietly and finished her dinner. ¡°Addy,e with me.¡± After dinner, Mdm. Xavier dragged Adina to the balcony. ¡°From the moment you entered the house, I could feel that your mind was upied. Tell me. Did you have a fight with Duke?¡± Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Right after Mdm. Xavier posed the question, Adina¡®s eyes turned red. She sniffled and held back the sorrow that suddenly flooded her being. She looked down and said, ¡°We didn¡®t have a fight.¡± The two of them did not even talk. How could they fight? ¡°Addy, you¡¯re disappointed because Duke didn¡®te back with you, right?¡± Mdm. Xavier patted the back of Adina¡®s hand and said, ¡°I¡®ve seen the news. On your wedding day, something happened to the Winters Cemetery. Someone intentionally set it on fire. He needs to spend some time investigating it. Besides, due to the wedding, his work has been put on hold. Now that the wedding is over, he naturally has to put in the time to catch up on his work. He went on this trip so that he can be with you in the future. Don¡®t get emotional. Just wait for him to return from his business trip.¡± Adina continued to look down without answering. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She was not an inconsiderate woman. She would not ask her husband to stop working and just keep herpany either. Her grievance was due to the fact that Duke had seemingly changed. He waspletely different before and after the wedding. As much as he cherished and cared for her before the wedding, that was how indifferent and distant he was toward her following their matrimony. He would not even do that to a stranger, right? ¡°Addy, I can tell that Duke really loves you.¡± Mdm. Xavier resumed. ¡°He¡®s done so much for you. Do you still doubt his love for you?¡± Adina¡®s fingers froze. She recalled every scene from the time they first met. They did not know each other for a long time, but they had been through a lot. This man was even willing to risk his life for her, but she was doubting his love for her. Even if he might change his mind one day, he could not have stopped loving her in one night. Either she was overthinking it or Duke had neglected her for something more important. ¡°I got it, Grandma.¡± Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°Duke and I are still very close. Don¡®t worry about us.¡± Mdm. Xavier smiled. as well. ¡°It¡®s great that you¡®ve figured it out. Since it¡®s no longer out of your grasp, take the kids home and call Duke. The two of you should talk.¡± Adina nodded. She walked outside and saw that the four children were chasing each other. It was Alden¡®s turn to chase the others around. He ran across the yard like a prancing white horse and instantly grabbed Harold by the back of his cor. ¡°Alden, you¡®re too fast. I wasn¡¯t ready. Let¡®s start over!¡± Harold started to act shamelessly, and Alden loosened his fingers. ¡°I¡®ll let you do it again.¡± Harold immediately tried to run away. But just as he started to move, his cor was grabbed once again. He pouted unhappily. ¡°This isn¡®t fun. This isn¡®t fun at all! Alden, you¡®re too quick. You can¡®t join this game!¡± Alden scoffed. ¡°You don¡®t have any say now. It¡®s your turn to catch us!¡± He turned around and ran. After he ran to a safe distance, he made a face at Harold. ¡°Hal,e and catch me. Let¡®s see if you can catch me!¡± His smile was dazzling under the evening sun. Adina broke into a genuine smile too. Alden had finally be a carefree kid. He could y happily like a normal child at longst. It should be something that gave her the greatest joy during this time. ¡°Babies, it¡®s time to go home.¡± Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Adina waved at them, and the children, who were sweating heavily from ying, immediately gathered. Then, they obediently said goodbye to the Xavier family members. When Adina stopped her car in front of the Winters family¡®s mansion, she noticed that Mrs. Winters was sitting in the pavilion absentmindedly. Her eyes were dull and lifeless. Adina asked Mr. Brown to get the kids ready for a shower before she walked toward the pavilion. ¡°Mom,¡± Adina said, but Mrs. Winters did not respond at all. Adina raised her voice and called out to her again. ¡°Oh, Addy, you¡®re back.¡± Mrs. Winters snapped out of her daze and shed Adina a smile. ¡°How did the children settle in with the Xavier family?¡± ¡°They had fun.¡± Adina paused for a while before she softly said,¡° Mom, do you have Duke¡®s new contact number?¡± Mrs. Winters¡® face became stiff all of a sudden. It seemed like she did not expect Adina to ask about that. She paused for a moment before she said, ¡°Duke¡®s business trip is in a European suburb. There¡®s no signal tower there, so his phone can¡®t receive any calls or messages.¡± ¡°It¡®s okay. I¡®m not contacting him now. I just want to save his number ¡­¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°In case hees back and calls me, but I don¡®t know who it is.¡± Mrs. Winters suddenly sighed. ¡°Addy, my son has wronged you.¡± Adina slowly stopped smiling. ¡°Mom, why do you say so?¡± ¡°He couldn¡®t toast to the guests with you during your wedding, and he went on a business trip on the first day of your marriage. Hasn¡®t he wronged you?¡± Mrs. Winters¡® gaze was dodgy. ¡°When he returns from his trip, I¡®ll definitely ask him to keep youpany for much longer. It¡®d be best if you could go on a honeymoon together and add a few more children to the Winters family,¡± The second she talked about having kids, Adina could no longer continue the conversation. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. That night, when she gave birth to the kids four years ago, had been extremely dangerous, and it had caused her a lot of trauma. She never wanted to get pregnant and give birth anymore. ¡°Mom, please carry on with your tasks. I¡®ll go inside and check on the kids.¡± Adina interrupted Mrs. Winters before she turned around and left the pavilion. As soon as she entered the living room, she halted in her steps. She had intended to ask Mrs. Winters for Duke¡®s contact number. Why did the subject change abruptly? Did Mrs. Winters not have Duke¡®s contact number either? Adina sat on the couch and pursed her lips. She had no idea if she was overthinking the matter. She just felt that after the wedding, Duke had totally changed. Now, Mrs. Winters seemed different as well. What went wrong? She massaged her forehead while all kinds of thoughts filled her mind. Alden had just stepped out of the shower. He stood near the staircase on the second floor, and he could see Adina frowning. In a daze, he remembered that he had seemingly caught his mom frowning and looking gloomy when he passed by her study yesterday. Based on his understanding of his mom, something must be on her mind! Alden pursed his pink lips and attempted to walk downstairs . Right then, his smartwatch vibrated. He tapped on it and took a look. It was a text message from K. (Sir Daugherty, hurry up ande online. Do you want to ept a $500,000,000 order?] When Alden looked downstairs, he saw that Adina had entered the kitchen to boil some water. He turned around, went back to his room, and switched on theptop that was hidden under his bed. Recently, he had been spending two hours every night establishing his hacking studio. It was beginning to take shape. However, the studio was new, and they were not trusted by others, so they had not received any big orders. In the few seconds that he took to switch on hisptop, K sent him a few more messages in a frenzy. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Chapter 583 [This $500,000,000 order is going to take a top ten spot on the Dark Net. (The person who issued it is very mysterious. There¡®s no trace of him online. I can only specte that he¡®s a Cairnstanian soldier. (But he imed that he would pay the $500,000,000 after we help him with this order. [In our industry, we always work after we receive payment. He¡®s clearly viting the rules. I think we better not take this task. [Sure, $500,000,000 is very attractive, but what if we¡®re being fooled?] Alden pursed his lips and contemted for less than a second after he read the long list of messages, which K had sent continuously. He tapped away speedily on his keyboard. (What¡¯s his mission?] K replied, [I¡®ll ask him.] One minuteter¡­ [What the heck?! Sir Daugherty, we better not ept this mission! This Cairnstanian soldier takes himself very seriously. He wants to kill Auguste! He wants us to assist him in hacking the surveince system in Auguste¡®s manor and creating chaos on the web for the Auguste family. He wants to kill Auguste alone. Don¡®t you think he¡®s mad?] You would not find anyone on the Dark Net who did not know Auguste. He was the leader of an illegal organization in an unregted territory overseas. After he developed it for about eight years, his illegal organization now had thousands of followers, and he had carved out a path to im his throne. Businessmen and politicians who passed by his territory would need to pay a toll. ¡°A toll¡± was putting it nicely. In reality, it was ckmail and kidnapping. If they could not pay, they would die. Countless people had died in his territory. The organizationmitted crimes everywhere, so regr people dared not step into the region. International organizations did not want to get involved with this mess, so they turned a blind eye to it, which caused this illegal organization to grow increasingly vicious. It was Alden¡®s first time hearing that someone wanted to kill Auguste. Alden said, (Tell him that we¡®ll ept the task.] (What¡­ Do you even know who Auguste is?] K responded. Alden replied, [1 know. So, even if this person doesn¡®t pay us themission, I¡®ll still help him because I¡®m also a Cairnstanian.] K then said, (Is this what the so¨Ccalled Cairnstanian brotherhood is? Okay, since you want to ept it, I¡¯ll have to do it with you! Three minutester, K sent Alden another message. [Everything has been finalized. He¡®ll arrive at Auguste¡®s manor in three hours.) Alden nodded. It would be 12:00 am in three hours¡® time. It was best for him to start his mission after everyone at home fell asleep. Right then, it was daytime in Europe. A man with exquisite features and a profound gaze ruthlessly threw a cup of coffee on the floor. ¡°Didn¡®t I ask you to watch him closely? How could he run away?¡± A bodyguard in a ck suit trembled as he knelt on the floor.¡± He was in the unregted territory, so our people couldn¡®t pursue him. Besides, even if we¡®re allowed to enter the region, we wouldn¡®t be able toe out. I thought he would be trapped there for the rest of his life. Who would have expected that he would kill the leader? He even stole two submachine guns. He¡®s so skilled at martial arts that our people lost him halfway.¡± The man¡®s eyes were filled with disdain. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Initially, he had only wanted to ruin Duke¡®s face to prevent him from returning. Unexpectedly, the wounded man managed to escape those viciousbatants. If Duke rushed back to Sea City, then everything he had carefully nned would be ruined. ¡°Guard every exit at the border. Capture him alive as soon as he¡¯s spotted!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Chapter 584 At 12:00 am, Alden sat in bed while he tapped on hisptop¡®s keyboard. [Surveince at the entrance to Auguste¡®s manor has been destroyed. (Surveince on the left side of the manor has been destroyed¡­ Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. (The rm at the southwestern corner is going off virtually. Half of the men have gone to the southwestern corner. (The rm at the southeastern corner is going off virtually. The other half of the men have gone to the southeastern corner.] As the mission progressed, Auguste¡®s manor fell into chaos. A sturdy figure took advantage of the chaos and entered the manor. He was a standard Cairnstanian. He had ck and short hair, as well as heroic features, but there was a scar extending from his eyebrow to his lips. He appeared ferocious and scary. He rolled into the mansion and entered like it was nobody¡®s business. Amanding voice then echoed in his headphones. ¡°Two concealed guards are approaching at nine o¡®clock¡­ Maids passing by at four o¡®clock¡­ ¡°Auguste is at the center of the study. There are four bodyguards outside the study, and each of them is holding a machine gun.¡± The man¡®s gaze deepened before he lifted his trenchcoat and took out two grenades from his pants. He bit off the pins before he threw them. Boom! Following the sound of the explosion, the four bodyguards at the door were immediately blown up. At the same time, the bodyguards who had been lured away by the sound bite were all drawn to the explosion. The men quickly entered the study amidst the thick smoke. A shield was installed in the study, so Alden lost control over Auguste¡®s manor. The athletic figure who assassinated the ck Party¡®s leader kept appearing in his mind. For some reason, he found the figure very familiar. ¡°That Cairnstanian soldier is amazing!¡± K kept talking through the headset. ¡°Auguste¡®s manor is heavily guarded. Even though we covered for him, a normal person would not be able to find Auguste so quickly. But he abruptly released those grenades. Although he¡®s managed to achieve a temporary victory, he¡®s ignored the fact that the sound of the explosion will attract more opponents. Although he¡®s lucky enough to kill Auguste, he won¡®t be able to run out of the manor.¡± Ict As soon as k spoke, nearly a hundred guards d in ck flocked to the study¡®s vicinity. The lead guard wore a cold expression as he raised his hand in greeting. ¡°Fire!¡± Bang! Bang! Numerous bullets were fired indiscriminately, creating countless holes in the study¡®s door. ¡°What the heck? That guard is a traitor! Even if Auguste wasn¡®t killed, wouldn¡®t he be shot to death by those guards? We may be carrying out a job, but we still have a chance to watch such an interesting power grab! This is truly interesting. Interesting!¡± ¡°How is our client?¡± Alden asked. K said, ¡°Oh, god! Our client must have also died in the indiscriminate straf?ng! This project was supposed to be worth $ 500,000,000! Now, my $500,000,000 is gone! Ahh!¡± ¡°He won¡®t die.¡± Alden calmly said. ¡°He¡®ll live.¡± He did not know why he was so sure of this. It was silent in the study. After ten minutes, the bodyguards finally entered the room to clean up the mess. Soon enough, two bodyguards carried a Cairnstanian man, who was covered in blood, out. ¡°I told you he¡®s dead!¡± K shouted regretfully. ¡°I just lost my $ 500,000,000¡­¡± Alden suddenly felt his heart ache. Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Adina did not know where she was. There was suddenly a bloody fog in front of her, and a huge rush of blood flooded over her. Then, an infinite feeling of suffocation gradually came over her. She breathed heavily, but she heard the familiar voice of a man, which came from deep within the bloody fog. ¡°Addy¡­ ¡°Addy...¡± She heard it again and again; it sounded like the desperate cries of someone facing death. ¡°Who are you? Where are you?!¡± Adina screamed at the top of her lungs, and her voice resounded in the bloody fog, but she stopped hearing any replies. Her heart instantly tightened as if someone had stabbed her in the heart with a knife and twisted it viciously. It was painful¡­ Her heart was in pain¡­ She was in agony¡­ When Adina opened her eyes abruptly, she realized that it was just a nightmare. She had been experiencing the same nightmare for a dozen days after she fell asleep every night. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The person who kept calling her name in the dream was Duke, right? She had to be having this dream repeatedly because she missed that man so much. They had been separated for too long after all. Adina touched her hair that was drenched in sweat before she got up and entered the bathroom to take a shower. She calcted the time. It was the sixteenth day of Duke¡®s business trip. She did not know when he woulde back. It was still very early when she stepped out of the shower. The children had not woken up yet. Mrs. Winters, on the other hand, was arranging a pot of valuable orchids in the courtyard. When she saw Adinaing out, she raised her head with a smile and said, ¡°I heard that you¡®re moving your office today? I¡®ll ask Mr. Brown to bring some people there to help you.¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°There¡®s no need. I already hired a movingpany. It¡®s not a big deal.¡± She paused for a while before she continued. ¡°Mom, did Duke tell you when he¡®ll be back?¡¯ Mrs. Winters¡® hand froze all of a sudden while she was watering the nts. She looked aloof as she said, ¡°He never tells me about such things. Ever since he turned fifteen, he¡®s been very independent and opinionated. Sometimes, he won¡®t even inform me when he goes overseas on a business trip. I¡®m already used to it. Addy, don¡¯t worry. Duke is a responsible andmitted man. He won¡®t mess around.¡± Adina pursed her lips. She was not worried about Duke messing around. She just felt that it was abnormal for a newlywed couple to not contact each other in half a month. On top of that, she had been feeling anxious over the past half a month as if something serious had happened without her knowledge. Adina sighed before she drove to herpany. LaStar Technology Corporation had integrated with Daugherty Corporation over the past two weeks. The logo on the facade of Daugherty Corporation¡®s building had already been reced with a relief of LaStar Technology Corporation. A few dozen staff members of LaStar Technology Corporation needed to move to Daugherty Corporation¡®s address. From this day forth, LaStar Technology Corporation was officially established in Sea City. There were not many office supplies in a small office of around one hundred square meters, but the dozen or so employees had already made two to three trips to move them out. Mr. Roberts from thepany next door stood in the corridor with an envious expression as he watched the staff of LaStar Technology Corporation work busily. ¡°She¡®s just relying on Winters Corporation.¡± His secretary rolled his eyes contemptuously. ¡°This is like the Cindere story where a poor girl marries a prince and bes a princess.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Mr. Roberts lowered his voice and scolded him in anger. ¡°I nned to get along with Ms. Daugherty in the beginning, but you were the one who kept rambling about how terrible she was, which made me lose a possible business coboration partner. Okay, I don¡®t need a secretary like you either. You can go to the HR Department andplete the resignation procedure.¡± The secretary widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Mr. Roberts, everything I¡®ve said and done has been for the company¡®s sake. What did I do wrong to warrant this firing?¡± Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Chapter 586 ¡°One more sentence, and you won¡®t receive your sry this month!¡± Mr. Roberts reprimanded his secretary before he turned around and entered his office. His secretary stomped his feet in dissatisfaction, but he could not do anything. Adina had no idea what was happening in thepany next door. The moving process was fast. In less than an hour, everything had been moved to Daugherty Corporation¡®s building. Adina instructed the HR Department to ce the office supplies, and everything was back to normal. When she returned from the restroom, she suddenly felt everyone around her look at her with a strange gaze. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, please have some rest in your office first.¡± Serene walked Adina to the CEO¡®s office. She spoke in a way that felt like she was embarrassed. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if you have time, you can check out the news on your phone.¡± Adina did not understand. ¡°Is the news rted to me?¡± Serene¡®s eyes were filled with sympathy. ¡°It¡®s rted to Mr. Winters.¡± Adina¡®s heart sank for some reason. She took out her phone. Before she tapped on the news page, a message popped up on her phone¡®s notification bar. [Duke Winters, the CEO of Winters Corporation had fun with a dancer at a nightclubst night. He seemed flirtatious and yful, raising suspicions.) After she opened the news, she found the bottom of the page filled withizens¡®ments. (What the heck? I thought Duke didn¡¯t like being around women? Why is he messing around when he just got married half a month ago?] [Is the most beautiful woman in Sea City not beautiful enough? Why does he want to have an affair?] (Didn¡®t they say that they¡®ve been married for five years? He must be bored with her, so he¡®s looking for excitement and something fresh outside.] (But Duke loves Adina so much. How could he have an affair? Someone must have intentionally photoshopped this! I don¡®t believe it!] Adina did not want to believe it either. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. However, the photos that the paparazzi had taken were clear. Theser lights in the nightclub were shining on the man¡®s face, and his features did not look very different from how they did half a month ago But he had seemingly be slimmer, and his facial outline was sharper.. The man¡®s thin lips had been captured with a yful smile as he held the dancer¡®s chin with his long fair hand. The two of them were looking into each other¡®s eyes, and the whole thing gave off a seductive air. Adina¡®s heart instantly sank. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, this¡­ this should be a misunderstanding¡­¡± Sereneforted her awkwardly. ¡°The paparazzi always create their own stories based on pictures. They must also have created this story with their photos¡­¡± ¡°It¡®s fine. Carry on with your work.¡± Adina patted Serene on the shoulder and shed her a smile as if she could not be bothered. Serene cast a worrying gaze at her and left, but she kept looking back. Adina then walked into her office and closed the door. She stood in front of a French window and looked at the buildings outside indifferently. If the news was real, that meant her husband had already returned to Sea City from his business trip yesterday, but he did note home. Instead, he went dancing with a nightclub dancer. A flirtatious gaze did not mean anything, but the Duke Winters she knew would not have done such a thing. She could understand his sudden coldness and detachment, but she could not believe that a man who had not been around women for more than twenty years would suddenly enjoy hanging out at nightclubs. Had he just been pretending to avoid women in the past? Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Adina held a red wine ss and finished its contents. Before she finished her work at thepany, she took her car keys and drove back to the Winters family¡®s mansion. It was 3:00 pm when she arrived at the Winters family¡®s mansion. The children were still having sses in preschool. It was the new education n that Adina had set for the kids. Harold and Melody would attend preschool five days every week, while George and Alden would attend it three days a week. No matter how smart the children were, they had to follow a child¡®s normal path of growth step by step. Mrs. Winters was sitting in the living room and watching TV. She turned around when she heard the sound of the car engine. The moment Adina walked in, she was taken aback, but it soon dawned upon her. ¡°I¡®m back, Mom.¡± Adina stood at the hallway¡®s entrance and changed her shoes. She appeared calm. Mrs. Winters dared not confirm her guess. She walked over with a smile and asked, ¡°Aren¡®t you moving your office today? Done so soon?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Adina nodded before she indifferently said, ¡°Duke¡®s back in Sea City. He came back yesterday. Did you know?¡± ¡°¡­. I just found out¡­¡± Mrs. Winters looked away, sighed, and said, ¡°Duke¡¯s a workaholic. Once he starts working, he can¡®t be bothered with anything else. I just read the news. I think it was an impromptu performance with a client during the discussion of a coboration. Addy, you wouldn¡®t be angry at Duke because of this, would you?¡± Adina stared at Mrs. Winters for a few seconds before she smiled without answering. Winters Corporation had the power to manipte Sea City. It was always Duke¡®s clients who cooperated with him. How could Duke provide an impromptu performance for the client? Her mother¨Cinw had the audacity to give such an obviously wed excuse to defend her son. ¡°Of course I won¡®t get mad.¡± Adina smiled faintly. ¡°I was just wondering why he didn¡®t inform me when he came back to Sea City. I¡®m still his wife, after all.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ Maybe he was too busy.¡± Mrs. Winters smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Addy, don¡®t worry. I¡®ll teach him a lesson for you. He¡®ll never dare do this again.¡± ¡°Let¡®s hope so.¡± After Adina said that, she walked to the master bedroom on the second floor. Once she closed the door, Mrs. Winters finally sighed in relief and leaned on the couch weakly. ¡°Madam.¡± Mr. Brown walked inside. ¡°I saw on the news that the master is back from his business trip. Will hee home today? Do we need to prepare a weing dinner?¡± Mrs. Winters chuckled in resignation. ¡°Just make preparations for it.¡± She could not contact this son, and she had no idea whether he woulde back either. Things hadpletely spiraled out of her control now. She did not know what to do. She had already lost a son. No matter what, she had to keep covering this up. Mrs. Winters suppressed the tears in her eyes before she softly said, ¡°Let¡®s go and pick the kids up from preschool.¡± Lately, Mrs. Winters had always been the one to pick the kids up from preschool. When the car stopped in front of the preschool, the children held hands and entered the car together. They called her ¡°Grandma,¡± which made her really happy. ¡°I have some good news for you.¡± Mrs. Winters grinned and said, ¡°Your dad is back!¡± ¡°Wow! Really?¡± Melody was the happiest one. She covered her face and said, ¡°Papa Brown, drive home now. Hurry! I want to go back and see Daddy!¡± ¡°Young Masters, Young Lady, don¡®t rush. The master will only be backter,¡± Mr. Brown responded as he drove. ¡°Okay.¡± Melody¨Clooked disappointed before she excitedly said,¡± No matter howte Daddy gets home, I¡®ll still wait for him!¡± Mrs. Winters¡® gaze turned bitter. She hid her emotions and softly said, ¡°Your Dad¡®s been very busy during his business trip this past half a month. He hasn¡®t gotten enough rest, so he¡®ll be quite grumpy. Remember, don¡®t upset himter.¡± George frowned. ¡°Grandma, are you trying to say that Daddy¡®s temper has gotten worse?¡± Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Chapter 588 ¡°¡­ I guess so.¡± Mrs. Winters sighed. ¡°Things were challenging in the European factory, and Winters Corporation has lost a lot of money. Your dad had to deal with clients every day. It¡¯d be strange if he doesn¡®t be more bad¨Ctempered.¡± ¡°But¡­ Dad shouldn¡®t bring his bad temper from work home,¡± Alden said indifferently. ¡°I¡®m just saying.¡± Mrs. Winters stroked the children¡®s heads.¡± Once your dad¡®s back, he¡®ll realize that George is taller, Alden¡®s hair is longer, Harold¡®s forehead has two pimples, and Melody is prettier¡­¡± Half a month was not long, but it was definitely not short either. Anyone could change. So, they should not be surprised if their dad was different from before. They had also changed, right? Mrs. Winters clenched her fists tightly and kept convincing herself to carry on At 6:00 pm, dinner was ready in the Winters family¡®s mansion. The four children were ying in the courtyard while waiting for their father toe home. Even Harold, who was at odds with his father the most, frequently looked out the door this time. He had parted with his father for half a month. He really missed his dad. Although his father was very strict, he loved his father very much. Of course, he loved his mom more. Harold looked out of the door at the mountainous road again and appeared disappointed . ¡°Is Dad not coming back today?¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°Your dad¡®s busy with work, so it¡®s no surprise that he isn¡®ting home today. Let¡®s go and have dinner first. We can continue waiting for him after dinner, okay? The kids obediently nodded. After dinner, night came, and the children waited until they felt sleepy. After the children showered with Adina¡®s help, she carried them to bed and told them three bedtime stories. Then, they slowly fell asleep. She cast a nce at the time. It was already 11:00 pm. Duke was still not back. It looked like he would not return again tonight. Adina chuckled before she walked into the master bedroom and got ready to wash up and rest. At this time, the bright light of a car shone in from the mansion¡®s entrance, and a ck car was driven into the courtyard. Adina stood at the stairs indifferently as she watched the man walk in slowly wearing a ck suit. They had not met for half a month. It did not seem like he had changed much, but his aura gave her a strange feeling. Was this the man she used to love? She still loved him, but when he actually showed up in front of her, she realized that her heart was not filled with the same kind of affection. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Adina doubted herself deeply. Then, their gazes met. ¡°You¡®re still up at this hour. Have you been waiting for me toe home?¡± Earl walked in and curled the corners of his lips. It looked like a happy smile at first, but it was more of a smirk. Adina recalled the photo from the news. She pursed her pink lips and slowly walked down the stairs. Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Chapter 589 ¡°These are gifts for you and Mel.¡± Earl casually passed her a paper bag. Adina took it with a look of indifference. There were two gifts inside the paper bag. One was a bottle of perfume, while the other one was a Barbie doll. These two gifts¡­ She chuckled again. ¡°Did you ask your assistant to buy these?¡± She and Melody already had the same perfume and Barbie doll respectively. If this man had personally bought the gifts, he would not have brought them the same things from afar. Earl dodged her gaze before he nonchntly said, ¡°I was too busy, so I didn¡®t have time to go to the gift shop. Why? Don¡®t you like them?¡± Adina smiled indifferently before she simply threw them on the couch. When she looked up again, her gaze became scrutinizing. ¡°Duke Winters, we should talk,¡± she said firmly. ¡°What would you like to talk about?¡± The man suddenly raised his hand and lifted the strands of her hair that had fallen on her chest. For some reason, Adina thought of the scene where he lifted the dancer¡®s chin when she saw his actions. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She felt disgusted. She raised her arm to swing his hand away and sternly said,¡± Let¡®s talk aboutst night.¡± He smiled happily. ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡± As he spoke, he suddenly clenched her chin. He lowered his head a little, and his face was now less than a centimeter away from Adina¡®s. He chuckled and exined, ¡°I just got married. I haven¡¯t even had the chance to experience the joys of a new marriage with my wife. Why would I mess around out there? Don¡®t worry. I was just joining in the fun. Don¡®t take it seriously.¡± His tone and frivolous actions made it impossible for Adina to suppress her feeling of disgust. She quickly took a step back. But the man held on to her waist. ¡°We haven¡®t seen each other for half a month. Don¡®t you miss me?¡± The man yanked her close with great force and abruptly ripped her cor open. An obvious tattoo was revealed before him. It was not the tattoo of an alphabet, but a word, (North.] His gaze instantly turned dark. ¡°When did you get this tattoo ?¡± ¡°During the half a month you were away.¡± Adina lifted her cor and sounded extremely unbothered . ¡°Didn¡®t you ask me to get it?¡± Earl¡®s gaze was suddenly filled with ruthlessness. He pressed Adina¡®s shoulder down and bit her corbone out of nowhere. He kept kissing and biting the tattoo on her corbone. Meanwhile, he continued to rip her shirt with his free hand. Adina could not believe it. She got a strong grip on the man¡®s short hair on the back of his head and gave him a hard p. p! Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Chapter 590 The clear p made the silence in the living room more pronounced. Earl¡¯s tongue had been against the left side of his face, which Adina ended up pping. As a result, his gaze became more ruthless. ¡°Why? Shouldn¡¯t you fulfill your duty as a wife?¡± ¡°This is marital r*pe!¡± Adina red at him. ¡°Duke Winters, I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯repletely different now after the wedding! Are those promises that you made when you married me fake? Did you marry me only because you wanted to give the kids aplete family?¡± The man stared at her with cold and profound eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to exin.¡± There was no need for him to exin. He was not Duke Winters. Why should he pamper Duke¡¯s woman and children? But this woman tasted really good. The man licked his lips, and his tone grew softer. ¡°Addy, we haven¡¯t seen each other for half a month. Don¡¯t you miss me? We never slept together after our wedding. I still owe you a wedding night. Let¡¯s make up for it today.¡± Adina felt truly repulsed. She did not know why she felt that way when she saw his face and heard his words. She still loved him deeply. She covered her cor and firmly said, ¡°Duke Winters, you¡¯re also a public figure. You should know that many media outlets are watching whatever you say and do. I hope you can be careful with your behavior. At least, don¡¯t let something like what happenedst night get in the headlines. It¡¯s fine if I¡¯m the only one who sees it. I¡¯m just afraid that the kids will see it too.¡± Her voice began to sound colder and deeper. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to be a good husband, but I hope you can try your best to be a good father.¡± After she spoke, she turned around and slowly walked upstairs. Then, she mmed the master bedroom door shut and locked it with a loud click. The light from the chandelier in the living room fell on the man¡¯s shoulders. He raised his hand andBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. touched his face, which had been pped, before he sneered. ¡°How interesting.¡± This was the first time that a woman had ever pped him since he was born. Did this woman not love his useless brother very much? Yet, she refused to be in the same room as him. Had she realized that he was not Duke? That was impossible. Based on this woman¡¯s conduct, she would have stabbed a knife into his heart if she knew that he was not Duke. ¡°Earl¡­¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ voice suddenly rang out in the spacious living room. The man cast a cold nce at her. ¡°Who are you calling?¡± ¡°Duke, you¡¯re Duke.¡± Mrs. Winters¡¯ voice trembled. ¡°Tell me. Did your brother die? Is he really dead?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead. He died after he got shot twenty-eight times.¡± The man¡¯s voice was intense. ¡°So, you only have one son left in this world, and that¡¯s me.¡± Even though Mrs. Winters had anticipated and known the truth, she still could not help but cry in sorrow. She punched her own chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°If you want the Winters family to continue from generation to generation, you have to keep this secret until you die,¡± the man said seriously. ¡°Also, don¡¯t ever call me Earl. Earl Winters died twenty-six years ago. That man doesn¡¯t exist in the world anymore.¡± Mrs. Winters covered her mouth and tried to force back her sad cries. She sobbed as she intermittently said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Earl. It¡¯s my fault. If you have a grudge, vent it on me. Why did you do that to your younger brother?¡± ¡°He was seeking death. What does it have to do with me?¡± The man started to seem impatient, and he lit a cigarette. His annoyance was finally suppressed a little after the smoke entered his lungs. He just wanted Duke to live without dignity. Who would have thought that Duke would seek death? He did not know whose idea it was to ask Duke to assassinate Auguste alone. ¡°Since you¡¯ve be Duke, can you please y Duke¡¯s role well?¡± Mrs. Winters grabbed his arm while she begged him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to treat Addy and the kids nicely. Just maintain a harmonious rtionship on the surface at least. Once you¡¯ve been married for three years¡­ no, one year¡­ I won¡¯t stop you if you want to divorce her and marry another woman as well as have your own kid.¡± Chapter 591 Chapter 591 Chapter 591 ¡°Mom, don¡®t worry.¡± Earl slowly exhaled, producing a smoke ring. The corners of his lips twitched, revealing a sinister smile. ¡°I was the original heir of the Winters family, and everything in the family should belong to me. I¡®ll be the one who ensures that the glory of the Winters familysts through the ages. As for Adina and the four children, they belong to Duke. Why should I help the man who wants to kill me defend his lover? I¡®m already being nice by not killing them.¡± ¡°What are you nning?¡± Mabel widened her eyes. She looked absolutely bbergasted . ¡°What am I nning?¡± Earl tossed the cigarette butt to the floor, and the sparks instantly burned a hole in the carpet. He lifted his foot and crushed the cigarette. He then said coldly, ¡°Before I be the chairman of Winters Corporation, I won¡®t hurt Adina at all. I hope she understands this and doesn¡®t bother me.¡± After saying that, he mmed the door shut and walked away. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Mabel broke down. Tears streamed down her face, and they fell to the floor. ¡®Well, that was another sleepless night for me.¡® Adina woke up early in the morning. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. She got up and sat in front of the vanity mirror. It took her some time to cover up the fatigued look on her face with makeup. When she opened the door and went downstairs, she saw her four children sitting at the breakfast table looking in the direction of the living room, where the news was ying. On the big television screen was a handsome face in a suit with countless reporters surrounding him. ¡°Mr. Winters, a reporter took a photo of you dancing with a sexy girl in a nightclub. Is that true?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, rumors have it that you went to Europe for a business trip on the first day of your married life. What does Mdm. Winters think about this?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, I noticed that you¡®re not wearing your wedding ring. Did something happen between you and Mdm. Winters ?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, four children came to your wedding. They must be yours and Mdm. Winters¡®. Will you continue to stay in the marriage for the sake of the children?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters¡­¡± There were so many questions being thrown at him. Adina stood at the side of the living room, slowly bowed her head, and looked at the sea¨Cblue diamond ring on her finger. She suddenly remembered that she did not see Duke wearing the ring that night. ¡®Did he take it off as soon as the wedding ceremony was over? ¡®So, I¡¯m just wearing the wedding ring by myself. How ridiculous is it?¡¯ The interview on the television went on. Earl¡®s gaze turned sharp as he reached out for the nearest microphone. He curled his lips upward, revealing a wild andzy smirk, ¡°Why do I have to tell you reporters about my married life?¡± The reporters were taken aback by his smile. Duke Winters simply did not seem like he would be someone who would produce such a smile. However, there did not seem to be anything off with him smiling in such a manner either. Earl twiddled with the microphone in his hand and chuckled, ¡°My wife and I are in love with each other, and there is no change in our married life. Whoever spreads rumors again will be going against the Winters family. Your careers will be at stake.¡± After he finished speaking, he simply dropped the microphone and walked away. Even though the man¡®s voice sounded familiar, Adina could not recognize the person on the screen. She lowered her head and took off the ring from her finger instantly. She raised her hand, wanting to throw it into the trash can. Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Chapter 592 But Adina could not find the heart to do it. ¡®This ring symbolizes our love for each other. ¡®If I throw it away, our love will cease to exist. ¡®But I¡®m the only one wearing the ring. What¡®s the point of it?¡® Adina chuckled and put the ring in the pocket of her jacket. III¡­ take it as a souvenir, then.¡® As soon as she raised her head, she saw her four children, who were sitting in the dining hall just now, surrounded her at some point. All of them were looking at her worriedly. She suppressed her emotions and smiled lightheartedly, ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± ¡°Daddy has gone overboard!¡± Harold puffed up his cheeks and said angrily, ¡°Turns out, he was done with his work and hade home long ago. Instead of apanying you, he went to a nightclub and danced with some randomdies! Mommy, let me teach him a lesson!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Melody blinked. ¡°I miss Daddy. Why didn¡®t hee back for me ¡­?¡± George clenched his fist. ¡°I¡®m going to find him too.¡± Alden¡®s expression darkened. ¡°Let¡®s go to his office!¡± When Adina saw how cold Alden¡®s gaze was, her heart skipped a beat. ¡®Al has finally epted the Winters family with an open heart. If he finds out that his father has been up to no good, he will be even gloomier than before¡­¡¯ ¡°My dears, what are you all thinking ?¡± Adina knelt and smiled gently, ¡°The night before yesterday, your daddy went to apany his client. The picture on the news was released after some editing. It¡®s false news, and it¡®s especially used to trick mindlessizens. You are smart. How can you be swayed by the words of thoseizens and reporters?¡± ¡°Daddy and I are on good terms. It¡®s not as bad as how the reporters said it.¡± She patted the children¡®s heads one by one.¡° Alright, once you¡®re done with your breakfast, off you go to the school. I need to go to the office to handle some work.¡± ¡°That scared me. I thought Daddy had be a baddie!¡± Harold still had lingering fears as he said, ¡°Okay, then. We¡®re going to school now. Bye¨Cbye, Mommy!¡± Melody smiled sweetly, ¡°See you in the evening, Mommy.¡± George then said, ¡°Goodbye, Mommy.¡± | Harold, Melody, and George had gone out, but Alden still remained in the same spot. I¡®ve long noticed that Mommy has been upset over the past few days. I assumed that she was just missing Daddy. ¡®But after today¡®s news, I¡®m starting to wonder if something happened to Mommy and Daddy¡®s rtionship. ¡®Mommy has been acting like everything¡®s okay because she doesn¡®t want to worry me.¡® He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°Mommy, I¡®ll be here with you, always. No matter what happens, I¡®ll be here for you.¡± I initially wanted to say that no matter what happens, I¡®ll be her greatest supporter. ¡®But, what kind of support can I even give Mommy? ¡®I must be stronger, then only would I be able to protect those who I want to protect¡­¡¯ Adina¡®s smile fadedpletely as she watched her four children get into the car with Colin. She turned and went upstairs to put the ring in the furthest corner on the bedside table. ¡®This is my first time standing at a crossroads. This is also my first time not knowing if I should continue with this marriage.¡¯ At that moment, her phone vibrated. She nced at the caller ID, it was Flint, who had not reached her for many days. ¡®He didn¡®t even turn up for the wedding. I don¡®t know if he¡®s in Sea City now.¡¯ She frowned and picked up the call. Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Chapter 593 ¡°Addy, what¡®s with the news?¡± From the other end of the line, Flint asked Adina in disbelief. Adina smiled inly. ¡°What do you mean? Are you seriously asking about the gossip that the reporters are spreading? ¡°Even if what they say is nonsense, Duke is having affairs with other women within a month of his wedding. That¡®s a major disrespect to you as his new wife.¡± Flint said coldly, ¡°Addy, I know you don¡®t care about such matters, but Duke is not taking you seriously. He must¡®ve had something else in mind when he married you¡­¡± ¡°That¡®s enough!¡± Adina¡®s voice turned cold. ¡°This matter is between Duke and me. I don¡®t need an outsider to tell me what to do.¡± All of a sudden, the two became silent. Almost immediately, Flint smiled wryly: ¡°You¡®re right. I¡®m just an outsider. Who am I to intervene in both of your affairs? I¡®m sorry, I¡®ve acted impulsively. Goodbye.¡± All of a sudden, the call ended. Adina was in a daze as she stared at her phone¡®s screen. ¡®I didn¡®t mean to hurt Flint. I just¡­ don¡¯t want to give him any hope. ¡®Even if Duke and I aren¡®t together anymore, I still won¡®t get together with Flint. ¨C, ¡®As for staying through the marriage¡­ ¡®After our wedding, I¡®ve only talked to Duke a few times, and each time I¡®ve only grown more and more disappointed in our marriage. ¡®I know it¡®s time for a divorce. ¡®But I don¡®t want to disappoint our four children. ¡®What¡®s more, for some reason, something has happened, and I can¡®t figure out what it is¡­ ¡®Perhaps I should just wait for a little while¡­¡¯ For the next few days, Duke did note home. Mabel tried to pretend that everything was alright and exined to Adina on Duke¡®s behalf, ¡°Addy, there are too many things to do in the corporation. He has been so busy that he had to go to multiple ces to attend meetings and do inspections¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I know.¡± Adina smiled and helped Mabel arrange the flowers with a calm expression. She had never learned flower arrangement before, but could match colors pretty well. Bright yellow daisies looked good with pink roses. She added some baby¡®s-breath to make it look prettier. Mabel observed Adina carefully. She could not help but feel uneasy when she saw that she did not seem to be processing emotions the right way. ¡®The four children are very smart. They are more or less as smart as Adina. She would¡®ve guessed it¡­ ¡®No! Impossible! Mabel shook her head vigorously. ¡®Back when Earl and Duke were born, one of them was found to have congenital heart disease¡­ ¡®Many people kept an eye on the Winters family. Earl and Duke had attracted much attention as well. In order to make sure the sick child gets treatment in peace, the Winters family had kept the twins a secret¡­ ¡®Duke only learned he had a twin brother at the age of fifteen. ¡®So, no matter how smart Adina is, it would never ur to her that her newlywed husband has been swapped with someone else¡­¡® Mabel and Adina were arranging flowers in the flower hall, while the four children were ying with the sand in the courtyard. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Harold and Melody were building sandcastles without a care in the world. Alden was holding a small spade as he looked in the direction of the flower hall in silence. ¡°Al, something has been off about you for the past few days.¡± Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Chapter 594 George, who was standing beside Alden, called out to him. Alden looked back at him. ¡°George, don¡®t you think it¡®s weird that Daddy won¡®te and see us even though he¡®s in Sea City? I know he¡®s busy, but he hasn¡®t stopped even once, hasn¡®t he? Why haven¡®t we seen him after the wedding day?¡± George lowered his gaze, and his eyshes cast a shadow over his eyes. I actually sensed something was off too. I just don¡®t dare to say it out, fearing that Al and Mel would be disappointed and Daddy. I¡®m afraid that Mommy will move out of the Winters family¡®s mansion¡­ I¡®ve pretended like nothing happened, just like Grandma. I pretend that Daddy is still the same.¡® ¡°George, if Daddy ridicules Mommy, I won¡®t let him off the hook.¡± Alden clenched his fist. ¡°I trusted him, and let him have Mommy, but now he¡­¡± He closed his eyes, not wanting to let his cold gaze meet with George¡®s eyes. ¡°AI, calm down.¡± George patted Alden¡®s back. ¡°I know Daddy. He will never let Mommy down. If you were able to trust Daddy in the first ce, it means that Daddy did a good job. No one can change so abruptly in such a short time. Something serious must have happened in the corporation.¡± ¡°I want to go to Winters Corporation to have a look,¡± Alden said as his gaze darkened. ¡°I¡®ll go with you.¡± George put the toy that he was holding back into the sand and brushed off the sand on his body. Alden pursed his lips and nodded. Harold ran over to them when he saw the two of them leaving the bunker. ¡°George, Alden, where are you guys going?¡± ¡°We¡®re going to the corporation.¡± George said inly, ¡°You stay at home and apany Melody.¡± ¡°To the corporation ?¡± Harold¡®s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you guys going to Winters Corporation ? Daddy is there, isn¡¯t he? It has been so long since I saw him. I want toe along, too!¡± ¡°I miss Daddy. I want to go too¡­¡± Melody came over in a daze and said pitifully. ¡®I haven¡®t seen Daddy for so long. I¡®ve almost forgotten what he looks like¡­ Alden¡®s heart softened when he saw how hopefully Melody was looking at them. ¡°Alright, let¡®s go together.¡± ¡°But we can¡®t let Mommy know,¡± George said in a low voice. ¡°It¡®s a weekend. We should let Mommy stay at home and rest.¡± Harold nodded vigorously. ¡°I¡®ll go tell Mommy that we want Papa Brown to take us out for a ride. After he said this, he ran over to the flower hall. Adina walked out while holding Harold¡®s hand. She said gently with a smile, ¡°I¡®m free today. Let me bring you all out for a ride instead.¡± ¡°Mommy, you don¡®t have to!¡± Harold said coquettishly, ¡°We only want Papa Brown to bring us out.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Alden then said politely, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. We will be back before you know it.¡± ¡°I¡®ll look after them,¡± George said sensibly. Melody stuck out her tongue. ¡°Papa Brown will buy me ice cream.¡± That was almost saying that if Adina were to take them out, she would not be able to have ice cream. Because of this reason, Adina gave in. She helped the four children get in the car, and put on the seatbelts for them. After that, she waved her hand at them. As the car left, the children looked solemn. Harold, who was the most carefree, also vaguely realized how solemn the situation had be. Melody bit her lower lip and looked out the window. Tears were welling up in the corner of her eyes. Colin, who was holding onto the steering wheel, sighed inexplicably. He had been living for quite a while now. He naturally noticed that something was off about Duke sooner than the children. Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Chapter 595 ¡®Four years ago, Dew brought in George and Harold. Even though Mr. Winter dislikes how abruptly they have entered his life, he would still visit them every few days to check on them¡­ ¡®This time, he hasn¡®t been home for the past one month. ¡®The four children have not seen him for over a month, too¡­ ¡®It¡®s still understandable if he¡¯s on a business trip, but he¡®s in Sea City right now, and Winters Corporation is only half an hour¡®s drive away from the Winters family¡®s mansion. ¡®What is he so busy about that he¡®s willing to dump his four children and newlywed wife aside?¡® Colin sighed, feelingplicated. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Soon, they had reached the Winters Corporation¡®s entrance. It was a skyscraper with blue exterior ss, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. It was the landmark building of Sea City. There were many office workers and white¨Ccor workers moving in a hurry at the front of the za. Even on weekends, people were rushing about, trying to make a living. ¡°Papa Brown, we¡®ll get down now. Please wait for us here,¡± George said politely. Colin nodded. ¡°Okay, be safe.¡± A few of them used toe to Winters Corporation frequently, and they had been just fine. So, Colin was okay to let them go by themselves. The four children caught many people¡®s attention when they walked around the za. They had appeared in the news several times during the month when the chairman of Winters Corporation had his wedding. Everyone knew that they were Duke Winters¡® children. The one at the front looked exactly like Duke. Not only did they physically resemble each other, but even their demeanor mirrored each others¡®, too. Many people wanted to approach him, but they were frightened and hesitated when they noticed George¡®s cold expression. The four children had already entered Winters Corporation. George managed a subsidiary division of Winters Corporation. He came to report for work once a month, and the receptionist had long recognized him. She greeted him politely right after he walked in, ¡°Mr. Winters, what brings you here?¡± George had a solemn expression as he said, ¡°I¡¯m here to find my Daddy.¡± Their identities had been exposed to the public long ago. He had nothing to hide. The receptionist smiled and said, ¡°Alright, this way.¡± The four children followed the receptionist to the elevator, which was dedicated to the chairman. ¡°Miss, does my daddye to thepany every day?¡± Harold asked as he followed from behind the receptionist . He looked adorable and his voice was pleasant to her. She felt like she was about to melt the moment he spoke. She had not dared to start a conversation. When Harold spoke to her, she could not help but respond to him. ¡®It¡®s truly an honor¡­ She was ttered and said, ¡°Mr. Winters is in thepany every day, and has been working overtime for many consecutive days.¡± Harold blinked. ¡°Besides work, did he do anything else?¡± The receptionist replied tentatively, ¡°There¡®s a recreation room on the top floor of the building. Yesterday, Mr. Larson and Mr. Walker came over and yed snooker with Mr. Winters in the recreation room all afternoon.¡± Harold¡®s gaze darkened. ¡°D¨CDid I say something wrong?¡± The receptionist felt her heart skip a beat. ¡°No, you didn¡®t!¡± Harold shook his head. ¡°Thank you for telling me this, Miss. I¡®ll bring you a bouquet the next time I visit.¡± The receptionist blushed when she heard this. She said shyly,¡± Thank you. The elevator goes to the top floor. Be safe. Goodbye.¡± The elevator door closed and the children¡®s expressions darkened. In less than a minute, the elevator reached the rooftop. After they got out of the elevator, they stood in the corridor. Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Chapter 596 At the end of the corridor was the chairman¡®s office. The office door was ajar, and they could see a man in ck lying on the chair. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Melody smiled and instantly wanted to run towards that man. Alden grabbed her wrist with a darkened expression. He then said, ¡°Daddy is ying games.¡± Harold was in disbelief . ¡°So, Daddy didn¡®te, not because he¡®s busy¡­ He ys snooker and games, but he refuses to apany us and Mommy. Does Daddy not love us anymore Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡­?¡± Before he could finish what he wanted to say, tears welled up in his eyes. Melody bit her lower lip and sniffed. She could not help but start to cry too when she saw him crying. ¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°Winters Corporation is currently developing an online game. Perhaps he¡®s testing the game out¡­¡± He was trying to find an excuse on his father¡®s behalf. However, after he walked a little closer, he saw the screen of the game console reflected on the ss. It was a very popr online game on the market, and it had nothing to do with Winters Corporation. His heart sank immediately. Earl, who was ying games, suddenly turned because he felt like someone was watching him. When he saw the four children standing in the corridor, he smiled, knowing that things were going to be more interesting. He put down the console and stood up. He then walked up to them. ¡°Why don¡®t you alle in since you guys are here?¡± ¡°Daddy, you¡®ve gone overboard!¡± Harold cried as he screamed,¡± You¡®d rather stay in your office to y games than toe home and apany us! Do you know how much we miss you?¡± Earl was amused. He hated children the most. It was funny how he was willing to listen to those children whine in front of him. He rubbed his ears and said impatiently, ¡°What do you all want? Just say it.¡± ¡°Are youing home?¡± George asked coldly. ¡°Ever since you got married to Mommy, you¡®ve never stayed a night in the house. Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Is this how you speak to an adult?¡± Earl was angered. He lifted his chin, making him give off a wicked air. ¡°It¡®s up to me whether I want to go home or not. Who are you to ask me that?¡± George was furious as his eyes became teary. ¡®It has been a month since I saw him. Why do I feel that Daddy has be more terrifying than before?¡® ¡°Daddy is bad¡­¡± Melody bawled. ¡°I don¡®t like Daddy anymore. I don¡®t want Daddy anymore¡­¡± Her soft voice irritated Earl all the more. I hate children, but why do I feel sorry for this little girl the moment she cries? Something must be wrong with me. ¡®Is it because we¡®re rted? ¡®Something must be very wrong with me! ¡°Duke and I are foes. How can I feel sorry for his daughter just because we¡®re rted? ¡®This must be a joke!¡® He snorted, ¡°Stop it. If you want to cry, go home and cry. Don¡®t interfere with my work here.¡± Melody cried even louder. It was shocking that even though she was just a tiny girl, she could scream her head off. Alden, who had always cared for his sister, indifferently held his ground. He neither tried tofort nor coax her. He stared at Earl as if he wanted to carve the image of the man he once trusted and epted into his mind. Earl was taken aback by that look that Alden gave him. It was as if everything he nned had been seen through. Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Chapter 597 ¡°Stop your crying. Come in and wash your face.¡± Earl approached Melody and carried her in his arms. Even though Melody scolded him and said that he was naughty, she still wanted her daddy to hug her. She hugged his neck as she continued to cry. Earl carried her and headed into the washroom. He kicked the door closed. The three boys who were left outside looked at each other. Harold¡¯s lips quivered and said in a choked voice, ¡°Why do I feel that Daddy has be more terrifying than before?¡± ¡°Something is off about him.¡± George frowned. ¡°Although Daddy has always been strict, he would never look at us that way. It¡®s as if¡­¡± ¡­he¡®s looking at a bunch of clowns.¡® Alden sneered, ¡°Perhaps these are his true colors.¡± ¡®He deceived Mommy, Melody, and I with gentleness and patience. When we finally epted the winters family, he revealed his true colors. I¡®m just d that he¡®s still willing to coax Melody¡­ ¡®Otherwise, her autism would act up again¡­¡® At that moment, they heard Melody¡¯s cries from the washroom. Alden¡®s expression darkened as he ran in that direction and kicked the door open. He then saw Melody standing there, drenched from head to toe. Her pink dress was soaked too. ¡°What did you do to my sister?!¡± Alden came in and shielded Melody. George and Harold hurriedly joined in and red at the man in front of them furiously. Earl put one hand in his pocket and shrugged, feeling unbothered . ¡°I identally wet her dress when I was trying to wash her face. Why are you guys panicking?¡± Alden¡®s gaze was filled with anger. He took in a deep breath and suppressed his rage. He tugged on the towel next to him and wiped Melody¡®s wet hair. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. He did it gently. He was afraid that Melody would cry again. ¡°Mel, it¡®s okay. I¡®ll buy you ice creamter.¡± Haroldforted her, not knowing what to do. George looked at Earl and asked softly, ¡°Daddy, you used to bathe Mel, and you¡®ve never made such a mistake before.¡± Earl¡®s heart skipped a beat when he heard what George said. ¡®This brat is too smart¡­ ¡®Has he figured it out already...? ¡®Duke is dead and there¡®s nothing that I should worry about. ¡°But these children are making things difficult for me. They are truly being bothersome.¡® Earl stroked his chin and said indifferently, ¡°I was so upied with work that I didn¡¯t even get enough sleep. My hands were shaky.¡± He knelt and said, trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible, ¡°Mel, I¡®m sorry. Can you forgive me?¡± Melody blinked. Her gaze became radiant after crying. She suddenly smiled and said sweetly, ¡°I¡®ve already forgiven you, Daddy.¡± Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Earl was stunned for a second. Then, he managed a smile. ¡°Be a good girl and go home. I wille home tonight.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Melody stopped crying and smiled. ¡°I will be a good girl and wait for you toe home, Daddy.¡± ¡°Miss rk, take the kids home.¡± Earl rubbed his brow and gave the order in an indifferent tone. Miss rk walked in and said with a gentle smile, ¡°Young Master George, Young Master Harold, Young Master Alden, and Young Lady Melody, let me take you home.¡± George said tly, ¡°You can just walk us to the elevator.¡± Miss rk spent a few seconds observing him. It was not as if she had not seen Georgee to the office before. She had always assumed he was Mr. Winters¡® nephew, but as it was, he was his son. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. His eyes and his demeanor showed that he was the spitting image of Mr. Winters. She only learned after watching the news that Mr. Winters and Ms. Daugherty already had four children. However, Mr. Winters seemed to have been upied with work since he got married. First, he took a business trip to Europe for two weeks, and he was basically off the grid during that time. Immediately after, he worked day and night at thepany for another week. Mr. Winters had moved all of thepany¡®s project files and ount books to his office. He obviously wanted to burn the midnight oil. These ount books had been signed and archived by Mr. Winters himself. She could not figure out why Mr. Winters would suddenly dig out these things and reorganize them after his wedding. Later, the secretaries in the secretarial department spected that Mr. Winters was probably nning on wealth distribution. He had four children, after all. The distribution of wealth within rich families had always been a knotted mess that could not be untangled since ancient times. Mr. Brown waited anxiously at the driver¡®s seat. Then, he saw the children walking out of Winters Corporation with glum expressions on their faces. He hurriedly pushed open the car door and greeted them.¡± Young Master George, what did the master say? Oh, why are you crying, Young Lady Melody? Come, let me give you a hug.¡± The little girl snuggled into Mr. Brown¡®s arms as she took a loud sniff. With her eyes sparkling with tears, she said, ¡°Daddy said he¡®sing home tonight.¡± ¡°Isn¡®t that a good thing?¡± Mr. Brown was relieved. ¡°Young Master George, Young Master Harold, Young Master Alden, why are you¡­¡± Their expressions were dark. Their eyes glowed with rage. Especially for Alden. There was a fleeting hostility in his eyes. ¡°We are fine.¡± Alden suppressed the emotions he felt and said tly, ¡°Mr. Brown, let¡®s go home and tell Mommy the good news.¡± The phrase ¡°good news¡± somehow sounded sarcastic to Mr. Brown¡®s ears. Duke going home was supposed to be a normal thing, but when it was described as good news, it sounded strange. Mr. Brown did not know what to say. After cing Melody in the back seat securely and fastening her seat belt, he returned to the driver¡®s seat. The car arrived at the Winters family¡®s mansion slowly and smoothly. Harold pushed open the car door and looked around for Adina. ¡°Your mother got a call from her office. She went for a meeting,¡± Mabel said with a smile. ¡°She will be back before dinner.¡± Melody ran out of the car and said excitedly, ¡°Grandma, Daddy ising home tonight.¡± Mabel was stunned, and it took Mabel a moment to figure out what she was saying. ¡°You went to see Daddy in thepany?¡± Melody nodded with all her strength. ¡°That¡®s right. We saw Daddy. He said he has been too busy, but he wille home to spend time with us tonight.¡± ¡°That¡­ That¡®s good.¡± Mabel was a little lost in thought. She remembered everything Earl said that night. Did the fact that these kids got away unscathed from Earl indicate that he still had a conscience? ¡°He made Mel cry,¡± Alden said calmly. ¡°His work couldn¡®t possibly have kept him from his family for this long. He wouldn¡®t havee home if we hadn¡®t gone to see him today. Grandma, tell me, why would a newly married man with four children note home for up to a month?¡° Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Chapter 599 The question froze Mabel to the spot. It took her quite a moment to regain herposure. She said dryly, ¡°Any man would want to take their career to the next level after they settle down. I think your daddy wants to provide you with a better life, which is why he has been working day and night in the office.¡± Alden lowered his eyes. The corners of his lips curled in a sneer. Winters Corporation had already been one of thergest conglomerates in Sea City long ago. He wanted to take it to the next level? What level was he going to take it to? That man had obviously changed. He fooled him, Melody, and Mommy with sweet words. The three of them were living happily, but now their happiness was like a bubble, which could be burst by a strong wind at any time. ¡°Mabel, I will have the kitchen prepare a sumptuous dinner.¡± Mr. Brown smiled and broke the dull atmosphere in the living room.¡± Young masters anddies, what would you like to eat?¡± Melody was in great spirits. She smiled sweetly and said, ¡°I want to eat some sweet cakes.¡± Harold had already pulled himself out of his mulling thoughts. He thought about it and said, ¡°I want to eat lemon chicken wings, and I want them to taste exactly like the ones Mommy made.¡± Mr. Brown looked at George and Alden. ¡°What about you, Young Master George and Young Master Alden?¡± George said indifferently, ¡°I¡®m fine with anything.¡± Alden pursed his lips. ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When he finished, he headed upstairs. George¡®s eyes darkened for a moment as he followed him upstairs. He followed Alden into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. ¡°Al, I know what you are thinking,¡± George stared at him and said. ¡°I would like to tell you that Daddy loves me, Harold, you, and Mel. Daddy¡®s love for us is unquestionable.¡± ¡°A father¡®s love for his children doesn¡®t need to be questioned indeed.¡± Alden spoke coldly, ¡°What about his love for Mommy? Maybe I should put it this way, did he ever love Mommy? Did he really marry her because he loves her?¡± George paused for a second and said slowly, ¡°If it wasn¡®t for love, what else would it be?¡± ¡°For you and Harold, and for me and Mel.¡± Alden snorted. You and Harold need a mother. Duke wants the four of us to stay in the Winters family rightfully. That¡®s why she proposed to Mommy.¡± He did not even want to call him daddy anymore. The iciness in his tone made George feel concerned. ¡°Al, you can¡®t think like that.¡± George opened his mouth, wanting to exin it on behalf of his daddy, yet he did not know how to exin it at all. Mabel stood in front of the door of the bedroom, covering her lips forcefully. She used to think that George was extraordinarily intelligent, but now she realized that Alden was smarter and more perceptive than George. She turned into her room and locked the door behind her. Then, she took out her phone and dialed a number. The phone rang for a long time before it was answered. ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± The nonchnt and reckless voice of the man came from the phone. Mabel covered her chest and said bitterly, ¡°Earl, why did you make Mel cry when the kids went to see you today?¡± ¡°She just likes to cry. What does that have to do with me?¡± Earl¡®s voice was full of impatience. ¡°If you only called to rebuke me, I have nothing to say then!¡± ¡°Also,¡± Mabel gritted her teeth and said, ¡°do you know that Al has started growing suspicious of you? He doesn¡®t even want to call you daddy now. I¡®m afraid your cover is about to be blown.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Chapter 600 The nonchnt voice finally grew a little more serious. ¡°Winters Corporation is pretty much under my control now. Even if my identity is discovered by him, it won¡®t be a threat to me.¡± ¡°Earl!¡± Mabel raised her voice in anger. ¡°Do you know how many people are watching Winters Corporation ? Do you know how many people are jealous of Winters Corporation? You are going out of control. Your character is violent and wild. Before long, other than the children, the servants in the Winters family mansion, the employees in Winters Corporation, and the press will eventually find out that the CEO of Winters Corporation is a different person. There will be no more room for maneuvers by then!¡± ¡°I know you don¡®t care about the survival of Winters Corporation, but it¡®s your father¡®s life¡®s work!¡± Mabel cried and pleaded, ¡°Your father died because of you. You can¡®t spoil your father¡®s life¡®s work! Earl, you don¡®t care about anything in the world. All I am asking is, before you do anything, think about your poor father.¡± ¡°That¡®s enough, I got it!¡± Earl impatiently ended the call. He leaned against the CEO¡®s office chair. He crossed his legs and propped them up on the table. His brow was furrowed. Click¨Cck. The sound of high heels cking on the floor suddenly came from outside the door. He thought that it was Miss rk. Without opening his eyes, he coldlymanded. ¡°Get me a cup of coffee.¡± ¡°As I expected, you are acting more and more like a CEO.¡± He suddenly heard a woman¡®s voice. Earl¡®s eyes snapped open. He bolted upright. He walked over and kicked the office door shut. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the woman in front of him.¡± What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡®m here to check on you.¡± Catherine threw her purse on the sofa and wrapped her soft and feeble arms around his neck. ¡°Earl, after you be Winters Corporation¡®s CEO, you will stay in Sea City, right?¡± Earl shook her hand off and said coldly, ¡°Is this any of your business?¡± ¡°Earl, you lived in the darkness before this. I could only see you once every year. Do you know how painful it was for me?¡± Catherine¡®s tears rolled down her cheeks one by one. ¡°Now, you can finally walk in the light without having to hide. I¡®m just so happy. Earl, I won¡®t ask for anything else. I just want to see you every day, and¡­ That¡®s enough for me. Really.¡± Earl found it annoying. He pinched his brow and said indifferently, ¡°Well, now that Catherine bit her lip and forced back her tears. She loved this man¡®s coldness and darkness, but she also hated him for being so apathetic. No matter which side of hers she showed him, he did not seem to bother looking at her more than once. ¡°Earl, you are not Duke. You don¡®t have to bear all his obligations.¡± Catherine pulled on his tie and slowly said,¡° Divorce Adina and marry me, okay?¡± Earl suddenly grabbed her delicate throat. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Catherine, I¡®ll say this again. I am Duke. Don¡®t call me by my old name again.¡± His voice was stern and cold, as if he was a devil from hell. ¡°You know my secret. You should never speak of it. Otherwise, I will make you disappear from this world with no one ever learning about it, just like Duke!¡± After saying that, he threw her away. Catherine fell to the ground. She covered her neck and breathed heavily like she had just escaped from death¡®s door. Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Chapter 601 ¡°Earl, I love you so much. Your secret is my secret. I will take the secret to the grave.¡± Catherine looked up and gazed smittenly at the man who was staring down at her. She coughed and said, ¡°I have hypnotized Duke and erased his memory. He will nevere back. Divorce Adina. We will get married and have a child. Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± The impatience in Earl¡®s eyes grew even more. He should not have asked this woman to perform hypnosis for him just to save himself the trouble. The hypnosis was no longer necessary because Duke was already dead. And he had let this woman have a hold on him. ¡°Duke wanted to kill you. Don¡®t tell me you still want to protect his woman and children?¡± Catherine held on to the desk and stood up. ¡°Besides, Adina and the children are the closest people to Duke. Sooner orter, they will find out that you have changed. Then, they will eventually discover that you are not Duke! The risk of this is too great. Only divorce can secure your position for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°I don¡®t need you to tell me what to do.¡± Earl gave her a cold stare. He looked at her as if he wanted to skin her alive. Catherine loved it when this man looked at her, whether it was cold, angry, detached, or violent. She adored every stare he gave her. She suddenly stepped forward. Her red lips inadvertently brushed against the cor of the man¡®s white shirt. She whispered into his ear, ¡°I will stay in Sea City. If youe around, you are always wee toe to me.¡± The secretarial department was next to the CEO¡®s office. Four or five secretaries stopped what they were doing and got together to gossip in hushed voices. ¡°That foreign woman just now has been in the office for half an hour. What do you think her rtionship with Mr. Winters is?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know. I¡®ve never seen Winters Corporation having a client like her.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters has stayed at thepany and hasn¡®t been home for a week. He has been spending his nights outside, despite the fact that he just only got married. Do you think maybe Mr. Winters and Ms. Daugherty¡®s rtionship is¡­¡± ¡°Don¡®t be ridiculous!¡± Miss rk chastised. ¡°The news agency that spread rumors about Mr. Winters and Ms. Daugherty¡®s marriagest time has been warned. Do you want to get fired ?¡± As soon as she said that, the door of the CEO¡®s office opened. The secretaries hurriedly lowered their heads to handle the documents, but they raised their heads discreetly and looked out the corner of their eyes at the two people walking out of the office. It only took one nce, and everyone in the office was shocked. The foreign woman who walked into the office looking neat came out with her eyes slightly red, her hair unkempt, and red marks on her neck. With the way she was looking, it was hard not to let imaginations run wild. Also, there was a red stain on the cor of Mr. Winters¡® white shirt. It looked like a lipstick mark.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. The secretaries were shocked. They did not dare to keep looking, and they hastily withdrew their gaze. ¡°I will go now. I will wait for you toe and find me.¡± Catherine waved at him and stepped into the elevator. Earl snorted coldly. It looked like he had to think of a way to make this woman disappear from Sea City. He raised his wrist and nced at the time. It was 5:30 p.m¡­ He promised those kids he would go home tonight. It looked like he did need to take a trip home. He curled his lips into a smile and stepped into the elevator. As soon as he walked in, everyone in the secretarial department started discussing it. ¡°Oh, my god! Did I really see that right? I can¡®t believe I saw a lipstick stain on Mr. Winters¡® cor!¡± ¡°That means Mr. Winters and the woman were doing something indescribable in his office. I can¡®t believe Mr. Winters is cheating on his wife!¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a month since Mr. Winters got married. And he¡®s doing it with another woman in his office. So, theizens¡® suspicions previously are justified. ¡°But Mr. Winters used to be such a chaste man. Why did he suddenly change after he got married?¡± Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Chapter 602 ¡°All men change. It¡®s the same for apany president. All rich and powerful men are the same.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty is so pitiful. She is being cheated on after she just got married. She is probably still being kept in the dark about it.¡± ¡°And they had four children together. Mr. Winters¡® mistress came to see him right after they left.¡± Adina drove home after she settled things at thepany. Before she drove her car into the Winters family¡®s mansion, she saw a familiar ck car in the courtyard. She parked the car and raised her eyes to look inside the mansion. She saw a familiar figure sitting on the sofa in the living room. Mabel was talking to him. Melody was leaning against him, squinting slightly. It looked like she had fallen asleep. George and Alden were sitting and reading on the opposite couch. Harold was assembling a Transformer robot toy. The atmosphere in the living room was serene and pleasant. Adina stood at the entrance. She was somewhat afraid to enter. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She was afraid she would ruin the pleasant atmosphere that had not appeared in a long time. ¡°You are back, Addy!¡± Mabel saw her first and greeted her with a smile. The man sitting on the couch shifted his gaze over. His cold gaze fell on Adina. Immediately, he stood up, forgetting that Melody was still leaning against him. The little girl let out a soft moan. He scooped Melody up into his arms again. Then, he walked toward Adina. ¡°Were you busy at work?¡± His voice was not the same as the look in his eyes. They were cold and detached, but his voice carried a rare hint of tenderness. At that moment, Adina had a strong suspicion that this man had a split personality disorder. ¡°I¡®ve not been as busy as you are.¡± Adina lowered her head as she changed her shoes. Her voice carried little emotion. ¡°What? Have you finally finished your work?¡± ¡°Are you sulking?¡± The man walked over. He stretched his big hand and suddenly wrapped his arm around her slender waist. Adina found it repulsive and instinctively wanted to get away from his embrace. The man, however, lowered his head and whispered into her ear, ¡°The children are watching. Do you want the children to watch their daddy and mommy fight?¡± Adina turned her head and saw three boys looking at her with gleaming eyes. They looked like they were on the verge of rushing over if Duke dared to bully her. She sighed and softened her tone. ¡°Wake Mel up. It¡®s time for dinner.¡± ¡°I will take Mel to freshen up.¡± Mabel walked over and carried Melody over. She said with a smile, ¡°Married couples shouldn¡®t bear grudges against each other. Whatever the problem is, let¡®s just talk it out with each other. Georgie, Hal, Al,e on. Follow me to the bathroom to wash your hands and get ready for dinner.¡± Mabel, with Melody in her arms, forced Alden, who did not want to leave, into the bathroom with her. They were soon the only two people left in the living room. Adina stepped forward and avoided the man¡®s touch. She looked up and was about to speak when her gaze fell on the man¡®s cor. It was a bright red lipstick stain. It was so obvious and tant. In this instant, Adina suddenly realized why this man had suddenly changed, why he suddenly did not want to go home anymore. However, wasn¡®t it a little too soon for him to be unfaithful? Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Adina¡®s red lips pursed. She raised her hand and pulled a tissue from the cab on the porch. She walked over and said tly, ¡°Bend over a little.¡± Earl did not know what she was going to do and wondered if this woman was going to wipe his sweat for him. He coldly curled his lips and bent slightly. Adina raised her hand and wiped the lipstick mark off his cor. Her voice was indifferent and calm. ¡°In the future, before you enter the house, it¡®s better to check yourself from head to toe to see if there is anything inappropriate.¡± Earl nced over and saw a smear of lipstick on the tissue. There was still a residual lipstick mark on the cor of his white shirt. His gaze suddenly turned cold. ¡°If you guys want to make out, go to your room. It¡®s inappropriate for the children to see!¡°. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When Mabel came out of the bathroom with the children, she saw the man bending slightly and the woman on her tiptoes, her arm wrapped around the man¡®s neck. From her perspective, they looked like they were cheek¨Ckissing each other. ¡°This is not for children to see!¡± Mabel raised her hand and covered the children¡®s eyes. She said with a smile, ¡°Come on. I will take you to the dining room.¡± Alden let Mabel lead him toward the dining room. Maybe Daddy and Mommy really just had a fight and that¡®s why they were giving each other the silent treatment for a while. Now that Daddy and Mommy had made up, he should not show hostility toward daddy anymore, right? The atmosphere of the dinner was rather good. There was Harold¡®s chattering to liven things up, Melody¡®s soft and adorable voice, plus Mabel¡® efforts to make it a happy scene. The children were in a pretty good mood after the meal. ¡°Duke, if you don¡®t have to go to the office, could youe with me to the bedroom for a minute?¡± Adina stood up. She curled up her lips to force a smile. Before Earl could answer, Harold jumped up and down. He said,¡± Mommy, I want to go to the bedroom with you too!¡± Melody blinked her big eyes and said softly, ¡°I want to be with Mommy and Daddy!¡± ¡°You two shouldn¡®t go with them!¡± Mabel smiled and walked over. ¡°Your daddy and mommy haven¡®t had some time alone since they got married. The Winters family¡®s ancestral rule said that you mustn¡®t be a third wheel.¡± Harold asked in puzzlement, ¡°Grandma, what is a third wheel ?¡± ¡°It means someone who gets in the way when your daddy and mommy are bonding,¡± Mabel exined. ¡°How can lovely, handsome, pretty babies like you be third wheels? I will go y on the slide with you.¡± Mabel managed to cajole the kids into ying in the courtyard. The servants in the mansion were smart. They were either trimming the flowers and trees in the yard or cleaning up and washing dishes in the kitchen, leaving all the space for the two of them. Earl put one hand in his pocket. The corners of his lips curled a little. ¡°Are you inviting me?¡± Seeing that smile on his face, Adina felt very strange. She turned around and walked upstairs. She said tly, ¡°Come upstairs, and you will find out.¡± Earl stroked his chin and chuckled as he went after her toward the master bedroom on the second floor. After he entered the room, Adina locked the door behind her. The man ced his hands against the door, confining her to a small space. Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Chapter 604 ¡°It isn¡®t even dark outside yet, and you can¡®t hold it in already?¡± His tone was teasing, mocking, and was even tinged with a little interest and probing. One would not possibly speak to their lovers in such a humiliating way if they truly loved them. Unknowingly , Adina¡®s heart, which was already sinking into a bottomless pit, felt an imperceptible stab of pain. She raised her arms to swat the man¡®s arm away, bent down to reach for two documents on the nightstand, and tossed them over to him while saying, ¡°Sign this.¡± Earl¡®s eyes narrowed, but when he saw the bold letters printed on the cover of the documents, his expression immediately turned cold. ¡°What? You want a divorce?¡± ¡°I can marry you out of love, but I can also divorce you out of an absence of love. What¡®s wrong with that?¡± Adina said without a single expression on her face. ¡°I hope we keep the divorce in the dark for the time being, given the impact it will have on Winters Corporation and the children. We should wait until the kids are at least eight years old before we break the news to them. Until then, I will continue to live at the Winters mansion and keep our marriage status official on the surface.¡± Duke snorted. ¡°You used to love me so much, and now you¡®re suddenly telling me that you don¡®t anymore. Do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡± ¡°Didn¡®t you stop loving me too?¡± Adina snapped back, ¡°You stopped loving me overnight, but it took me almost a month to pull out of this rtionship. In reality, you¡®re a lot colder and crueler than I am.¡± Earl¡®s expression turned cold. This woman really did not do things the usual way. Considering her status, it was a privilege for her to marry into the Winters family. It was everything most women would ever dream of, but she actually turned it down easily like that. He did not spoil and love her the way Duke did, but was she not supposed to do everything in her power to capture his attention and win his love? Surprisingly, she actually proposed a divorce. And from the looks of it, she had already prepared the divorce papers some time ago and was just waiting for him to get home, so she could shove it into his face. ¡°What if I don¡®t want to get a divorce?¡± Adina seemed to have expected such an answer. Without even raising an eyebrow, she calmly said, ¡°After the divorce, you will be freer, and it won¡®t get in the way of anything you do with other women. As long as you don¡®t turn it into a scandal and keep it from the kids, I don¡®t care. It¡®s also written clearly in the agreement that I will not take a single penny from the Winters. Divorce has no negative effects for you.¡± ¡°But it doesn¡®t do any good for me either.¡± Earl threw the divorce papers to the floor and stepped on them with his ck leather shoes, leaving a gray shoe print on them. ¡°It¡®s fine if you don¡¯t want to sign it. After three years, I will file for a divorce, and if the couple has been living apart for more than a year, the court will grant a divorce,¡± Adina said coldly. There was a chandelier in the bedroom, and when the bright lights shone from above them, it showed the clear daggers in the form of the woman¡®s eyes. However, she concealed the sharpness of the daggers very well, revealing only the icy re of the daggers¡® edges. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Her eyes were like jades, her thin lips were scarlet, and she had a slim body as well. Even though Earl had seen many attractivedies, he had to admit that she was exceptionally beautiful. He stepped forward and grabbed the woman¡®s chin all of a sudden. He could clearly see the hatred that floated into the woman¡®s eyes. ¡°Do you hate me?¡± Earl slowly asked with a deep voice. ¡°I don¡®t,¡± Adina said, shing a small smile. ¡°I just feel sick about how you used the very same fingers to grab the dancers¡® chin to grab mine.¡± ¡°Ah, I see that you¡®re bothered by that dancer. I might as well exin that it was all just for show.¡± Earl chuckled. ¡°What about the lipstick on your cor? Was that just for show as well?¡± Adina had told herself not to care about this, but in times like this, she could not help but ask such a childish question. Chapter 605 Chapter 605 Chapter 605 ¡°The lipstick got smudged on the cor by ident,¡± Earl exined very patiently. His hand that was holding onto the woman¡®s chin gradually moved down and wrapped itself around her slim waist. He slowly leaned forward and whispered in her ear, ¡°Addy, I¡®ve been really busy with work for the past month and I must¡®ve neglected you. It¡®s totally my fault and I¡®m sorry. Will you forgive me?¡± In a split second, Adina felt as if she had caught a glimpse of the past Duke. The one who loved, cared for, protected, and always respected her. ¡°It¡®s not that I don¡®t love you, Addy. It¡®s just that I don¡®t know how to. Let¡®s start over, okay?¡± The man held her face with both of his hands before his thin lips slowly closed in. Adina¡®s head started to buzz all of a sudden. Her body responded before her brain could, and she swiftly evaded the man¡®s kiss. Earl¡®s attempt at the kiss had failed, and the hostility that momentarily shed in his eyes was masterfully suppressed. He licked his lips and quietly said, ¡°As long as we¡®re not divorced, you¡®re still my legal wife. So, as your husband, why can¡®t I kiss you?¡± Adina simply stared at him closely. The way he suddenly bowed his head and apologized reminded her of the old Duke. But now he was back to being someone who could only be sarcastic. She had always harbored doubts about the possibility of two souls sharing that same body, each with an entirely distinct personality that could switch at will. She was unable to distinguish who the real Duke was. ¡°Come on, don¡®t resist me.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Earl grabbed her shoulders and tried to nt another kiss. Adina tried hard to fight the urge to run away and stood still as she awaited the unanticipated kiss. Suddenly, her eyes shed, and she noticed something under the man¡®s cor. He had tugged off his tie as soon as he entered the room, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, disying his strong chest muscles. Every night during the week leading up to their wedding, she and Duke had made love. They were tangled in each other and even took baths together. So, she was very familiar with every inch of the man¡®s skin. A week ago, it was clear that he had no tattoos on his chest. However, by this time, a python and several other patterns had been inked there. Her eyes were filled with disbelief. Earl followed her line of sight, and once he realized what she was looking at, his eyes darkened. He raised his hand and nonchntly fixed the buttons on his cor, and calmly said, ¡°I got it tattooed on purpose to match the one on your corbone.¡± ¡°You did?¡± Adina pursed her lips. Her gaze remained on his chest. Her eyes were serene but pitch ck. Earl straightened his cor and coldly said, ¡°I suddenly remember there being a few matters to be settled at thepany. I¡®ll leave now.¡± He started getting ready to leave. Some fragmented images drifted into her mind as she watched his figure that was suddenly eager to leave. Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Chapter 606 All the food this man had while they were eating just now was sweet, including sweet smoked ribs, coke braised wings, and glutinous rice balls. He had always preferred nd food and disliked sweet food. He also ate in a sloppy and casual manner. He possessed absolutely zero traits of an heir brought up by a noble family. She had not realized it before, but after giving it some thought, she noticed that the man in question differed from the past Duke in a number of ways, including his mannerisms, gestures, and way of speaking. ¡°Wait!¡± Adina abruptly said. Earl had just grabbed the doorknob, but his eyes darkened before he turned around and coldly asked, ¡°What else do you want to say?¡± ¡°You don¡®t want to get divorced, right?¡± Adina slowly said, ¡°If you don¡®te home every night, I can only think of getting a divorce. I hope you can stay tonight, for me to decide if you are still worthy of me to maintain our marriage.¡± ¡°You want me to stay and sleep with you?¡± Earl asked with a smirk. ¡°I don¡®t mind,¡± Adina calmly said. ¡°What bedding color do you like? I¡¯ll change them for you.¡± Earl looked at the tidy pink bed and said with interest, ¡°This is nice. I¡®ll go take a shower.¡± He returned to the room, took off and tossed his ck suit jacket on the couch before taking long strides towards the bathroom. Adina¡®s face fell again after watching him. Duke was an absolute clean freak. He always hung his clothes neatly on the clothes rack outside the bathroom before taking a shower. Never would he toss it around carelessly. She pursed her lips, opened the door, and headed downstairs . It was gettingte, and Mrs. Winters was already reading bedtime stories to the four kids in their bedroom. Adina walked out of the mansion and saw Mr. Brown watering the nts outside. The old man seemed to be in a good mood as he worked while humming to some music. ¡°What brings you here, Ms. Adina?¡± Once he saw Adina, Mr. Brown hurriedly put down the work in his hands and approached her while smiling. ¡°Oh, I just wanted to check in and see how the kids have been doing at school these few days,¡± Adina smiled and asked. ¡°I was too busy with work, and it¡¯s been a few days since Ist spoke with the preschool teacher, so I wanted to ask you about it, Mr. Brown.¡± Actually, she would ask the teacher about the kids¡® performance in school every day. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The young masters and youngdy have been doing very well in school,¡± Mr. Brown said proudly. ¡°Young Master George and Young Master Alden are the brightest kids in ss, Young Master Harold is really active in school, and Young Lady Melody is the most adored child there.¡± Adina listened to him with a grin on her face and asked without moving a muscle, ¡°Which child¡®s personality do you think is the most simr to their father¡®s, Mr. Brown?¡± ¡°It¡®s Young Master George, of course,¡± Mr. Brown immediately said. ¡°Young Master George is composed and already starting to handlepany matters at the age of four. He¡®s going to take over as the next sessor to Winters Corporation.¡± ¡°Hmm, but I don¡®t think so?¡± Adina said, ¡°Just take daily habits as an example. Duke really enjoys eating sweet food, while George dislikes them.¡± ¡°I believe you have mistaken, Ms. Adina?¡± Mr. Brown asked confusedly. ¡°It¡®s obvious that Master Duke dislikes sweet foods. He has never liked them since he was a child, and would spit out any food that included even a tiny amount of sugar.¡± Adina¡®s eyes twinkled. Her observations appeared to be urate. But what was the reason that caused someone who never liked sweets to begin epting and even appear to enjoy them? ¡°Mr. Brown, don¡®t you think that Duke seems like a different person sometimes?¡± Adina asked once again. ¡°I do feel that Master Duke has changed recently.¡± Mr. Brown suddenly sighed. ¡°I watched Master Duke as he grew up, and when his father passed away ten years ago, Master Duke¡®s personality changed for the following three years. When people were around, he was a different person, and when they weren¡®t, he showed a different side of himself.¡± ¡°Colin!¡± Mrs. Winters suddenly appeared with a raised voice. Mr. Brown jumped and quickly bowed and respectfully said,¡± Sorry Madam, I shouldn¡®t have spoken that nonsense. I¡®ll go and get busy with my work now.¡± He hurriedly entered the mansion after saying that. Adina looked up and noticed that Mrs. Winters was looking livid. Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Mrs. Winters took a deep breath while suppressing the constricting and anxious sensation that was rapidly breaking out within her chest. She walked over to Adina, held her hands, and sighed. ¡°Addy, everybody has two sides. Let¡®s take you as an example. You¡®re determined while working, but you¡®re also gentle and patient when the kids are around. These twopletely different personalities are still part of you. It¡®s the same with Duke. No matter what side he shows, it¡®s still him, he¡®s still my son, your husband, and also the father to your children.¡± ¡°I understand, Mom.¡± Adina forced out a smile, but it did not quite reach her eyes. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She pulled her hands away and said, ¡°Duke is still waiting for me upstairs. I¡®ll take my leave now.¡± She took a step, walked into the mansion, and started going up the stairs to the master bedroom. Mrs. Winters sped her hands together tightly. With trembling lips, she mumbled, ¡°I¡®m sorry, Duke. I can only let your brother take care of your wife and children since you¡®re not here anymore. Duke, I truly don¡®t have any other choice. I¡®m sorry. I¡®m sorry...¡± Her words slowly faded away into the night, disappearing into the pitch¨Cck sky. Adina stood in front of the bedroom door and took a moment topose herself before pushing the door open. Earl emerged from the bathroom just as she entered. He was wearing a bathrobe that was hanging loosely on his frame. The tattoos on his chest were partly visible under the warm yellow lights. He sat down on the bed right away and turned to look at Adina with inexplicable emotions swirling in his eyes. ¡°Can you get dressed first ?¡± Adina asked quietly. ¡°I need your help with something.¡± Earl touched his lips as he resisted the urge to smoke while raising his eyebrows and said, ¡°We¡®ll talk about it tomorrow. It¡®s gettingte now, let¡®s go to bed early.¡± Adina turned to look for pajamas and said without a change in her expression , ¡°I¡®m on my period, and I¡®ve run out of sanitary pads. Can you help me get some at the mart?¡± Earl¡®s eyes immediately darkened. After that, he let out a snort. No wonder this woman wanted him to stay tonight. She was confident that he could not touch her, which was why she had boldly invited him to sleep together. He leaned on the bedzily and smirked. ¡°There are so many servants in the house. Just get them to buy it for you.¡± Adina looked down and said, ¡°Thest time I had my period, I wanted to ask the servants to buy it for me. But you said that it¡®s your responsibility, and you don¡®t want to hand that responsibility over. Why do you want me to ask the servants this time?¡± Earl¡®s eyebrows furrowed. Did she intend to ask him to make ate¨Cnight run to the mart to help her buy sanitary pads? He would never do something like this. ¡°That wasst time, and I¡¯m afraid it¡®s not the case this time. If you don¡®t want the servants to go buy it, then you can go yourself,¡± he said coldly. He stood up and went to the balcony after saying that. Adina could still see him flicking on his lighter and lowering his chin to presumably light a cigarette, even though he had his back facing the room. She and Duke had not known each other for long, and she was not sure if the man was a smoker, but at least, he had never smoked in front of her. Adina¡®s eyes glistened, and she walked into the bathroom. In the bathroom, dirty clothes the man had changed out of earlier were strewn all over the ce. She took a nce at the items and walked away. Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Chapter 608 She and Duke had only recently gotten married, and their rtionship was not close enough for her to recognize his underwear at sight Adina lost herself in thought while taking a shower, and when she got out of the bathroom, the man who had been smoking on the balcony was gone. As soon as she opened the bedroom door and walked out of it, she saw Mrs. Winters pacing anxiously in the living room. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Addy, Duke suddenly had some things to take care of at thepany, so he just left,¡± Mrs. Winters hurriedly exined. ¡°I¡®ll scold him for you when he gets back. It¡®ste now. Hurry and get some rest.¡± Adina nodded and smiled as she said, ¡°You rest early too, Mom.¡± She went back to her room, locked the door, and made a call. ¡°Pete, can I ask you some questions about psychological conditions?¡± ¡°Are you having nightmares again, Addy?¡± Pete was Adina¡®s overseas personal psychiatrist. She had nightmares every night while she was abroad because she believed her two children were dead. For four long years, she had to visit Pete¡®s clinic once a week for treatment and consultation. Adina shook her head and said, ¡°I¡®ve recovered already, but I have a friend. He usually looks gentle and elegant, and is the kind of person who is easy to get along with, but recently, he seems to have changed. Not only in the way he speaks or behaves, even the details of his daily habits have changed. Could you perhaps exin it to me from a psychological point of view, Pete?¡± After a silence on the other end of the line, he continued,¡± There¡®s a saying in Cairnstan, stating that a leopard can¡®t change its spots. In other words, it¡®s very difficult to change someone¡®s personality, and it¡®s quite impossible to do it in such a short amount of time. So, there¡®s only one possibility.¡± ¡°What kind of possibility?¡± ¡°He may be experiencing multiple personality disorder .¡± Pete said in a serious tone, ¡°In which there are two personalities hidden in a person¡®s body, the main personality is the side they would disy more often, and the secondary personality is the side that would rarely appear. When you feel like the person has changed, then it should be because his secondary personality has taken over his consciousness.¡± Adina¡®s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What causes might lead a person to develop multiple personality disorder?¡± ¡°Severe childhood trauma, a sudden death of a loved one, witnessing the death of the next of kin, and many more.¡± After a brief pause, Pete continued, ¡°Of course, he might not be dealing with multiple personality disorder. This is just my spection based on my psychological knowledge. I need to meet him in person before I can make a precise diagnosis.¡± Adina closed her eyes. There was a good chance that it would be multiple personality disorder if Pete had said so. Because it was impossible for a person to stop loving their wife and kids in just a few days¡® time. Except in cases where their personalities were altogether different¡­ She took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Could the secondary personality recall what urred to them if the personalities changed?¡± ¡°That¡®s hard to tell. I need to analyze the problems specifically,¡± Pete said. ¡°Why not bring him to my clinic, so I can see him? If you don¡®t have the time to travel, I can rmend a therapist to you. She recently opened up a clinic in Sea City, and she¡®s far more of an expert than me.¡± ¡°Thank you, Pete, but I don¡¯t think I need that for now,¡± Adina answered with a shake of her head. Duke and her rtionship had drastically deteriorated. Thus, it would not be easy for her to take him to the doctor. ¡°Is there any way for the main personality to return?¡± she asked after pausing for a moment. ¡°Then you have to know what he went through in his childhood,¡± Pete said slowly. ¡°Eighty percent of the reason a person develops multiple personality disorder is because they have some psychological trauma. People of that type enjoy sweet foods and fluffy, adorable things. The main personality ought to naturally reappear once you¡®ve helped them in finding the light and given them a sense of warmth and affection.¡± That night, Adina and Pete talked for a very long time. The sun had already risen by the time she ended the call, and the world had started to slowly pull a nket of the dim morning light over itself. Adina did not feel sleepy, so she changed her clothes and headed downstairs. Chapter 609 Chapter 609 Chapter 609 ¡°Ms. Adina, why don¡®t you go get more sleep?¡± Mr. Brown had just woken up and saw Adina walking down the stairs. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I¡®m not going to thepany today, and I wanted to make the kids breakfast, so I woke up a little early.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°What would you like to eat, Mr. Brown? I¡®ll prepare it together.¡± ¡°It¡®s okay, I can make it myself,¡± Mr. Brown said, surprise evident in his voice. ¡°Let me give you a hand in the kitchen.¡± Adina turned down Mr. Brown¡®s help, put on an apron, and went into the kitchen. After she got married into the Winters family, she would at the very least prepare a meal once a day. The kids enjoyed her food very much, be it dinner or breakfast. But it seemed that Duke had not had any of her cooking in a while. She started by cooking eggs, and boiling some noodles for the kids, then started making Duke¡®s breakfast. She cut an egg into a heart shape and sandwiched it in between two pieces of bread along with some cheese slices. ¡°I¡®m going out for a while, Mr. Brown.¡± After packing the breakfast in an insted lunch box, Adina left the mansion in her car. Mr. Brown sighed in relief. Master Duke had not been home for some time, but Ms. Adina seemed indifferent and aloof about it. The two¡®s rtionship was getting worse day by day. Now that Ms. Adina was willing to make amends, she had taken a very important step forward. He had faith that in no time the Winters family would return to its usual joyful atmosphere, filled with laughter. Adina drove to the Winters Corporation¡®s building. Coincidentally, it was peak office hour at the time, and her appearance in the building¡®s atrium attracted a huge crowd. It was her first public appearance following her marriage. ¡°Wow, look at that! She¡®s the wife of Winters Corporation¡®s CEO!¡± ¡°There were media spreading rumors of Mr. Winters and Adina¡®s marriage before, but she¡¯s here at the company now, I bet their rtionship is still going strong.¡± ¡°It seems like she¡®s delivering Mr. Winters¡® breakfast. Look at them being lovey¨Cdovey. It¡®s so cute.¡± ¡°Wow, seeing lovey¨Cdovey couples right in the morning makes me feel extra single now!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the midst of the crowd¡®smotion , Adina walked calmly toward the elevator reserved for the CEO. The lift reached the top floor in less than a minute¡®s time. She got off the lift with her lunchbox and headed straight to the CEO¡®s office. The door to the office was not closed, but there was no one inside either. ¡®Is that man not at thepany?¡® While she was sulking, Miss rk approached her and said,¡± Mrs. Winters, are you here to see Mr. Winters?¡± Adina nodded in reply. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters is having a meeting right now. Why don¡®t you sit in the reception room and wait for a little while, Mrs. Winters?¡± Miss rk said with respect. Adina nced at the time and calmly said, ¡°I¡®ll just wait at the CEO¡®s office.¡± She stepped inside the room and sat on the CEO¡®s chair right away. Miss rk opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so she left to pour a cup of coffee for Adina. The other employees in the secretary department hurriedly rushed to her and started gossiping in low voices. ¡°Hey, why do you guys think Mrs. Winters is here at thepany?¡± ¡°What else for? She¡®s definitely here to check up on the CEO!¡± ¡°Mrs. Winters must¡®ve seen the lipstick stain on Mr. Winters¡®s corst time. Otherwise, why would she visit thepany to check up on him?¡± ¡°I really don¡®t know what Mr. Winters is thinking, to be honest. He has such a wonderful wife, but he¡®s actually cheating on her with a foreign chick.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± Miss rk prepared the coffee and quietly said, ¡°Keep your mouths shut, and don¡®t say these kinds of things in front of Mrs. Winters!¡± Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Chapter 610 ¡°Don¡®t say what in front of me?¡± A cold voice suddenly came out of nowhere behind them. The few secretaries who were in the pantry were so terrified that their hands shook, and their faces instantly turned white. Miss rk slowly turned back and saw Adina standing against the door frame with a faint smile on her face. ¡°Mdm. Winters, n¨Cnothing happened.¡± Miss rk hurriedly handed over the coffee to Adina. ¡°Mdm. Winters, please drink the coffee.¡± Adina picked up the coffee and said with a cool expression, ¡°I just heard you guys say that Mr. Winters is having an affair with a foreign woman?¡± ¡°M¨CMdm. Winters, you heard it wrong!¡± Miss rk was frightened out of her wits. ¡°We were talking about gossip in the entertainment industry. It has nothing to do with Mr. Winters.¡± Adina looked up, and her gaze was fixed on the secretary in the ck suit behind her. ¡°You did say what I just quoted from you. Pleasee with me to the CEO¡®s office.¡± The secretary in the ck suit trembled in fear. She wished to p herself in the face. Why did she bring up Mr. Winters when there were so many other things she could say? Furthermore, she had been caught on the spot. This was going to be such huge trouble! ¡°M¨CMadam Winters, I was wrong.¡± That secretary trembled in fear. ¡°I was just running my mouth off. I won¡®t dare to do it again.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°I am only asking you a few questions about Mr. Winters. What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°What do you want to ask? You can just ask me.¡± Earl slowly walked toward them. The strides he took with his two extraordinarily long legs gave him an incredibly awe inspiring aura. These secretaries used to be terrified of the CEO¡¯s sudden visit, but Earl¡®s appearance at that moment made them feel like they had just been thrown a log that could save them from drowning. ¡°Mr. Winters, take your time to chat with Mdm. Winters. We will go back to our work first!¡± Miss rk then grabbed the hands of her colleagues and quickly fled from the scene. Earl¡®s gaze fell on Adina. He said coldly, ¡°Did youe to my office early in the morning to unt your authority? What? Are you actually feeling jealousy toward these secretaries?¡± Adina¡®s heart felt a dull pang when she listened to his cold mockery. She had to convince herself over and over again in her mind that this man was ill with multiple personality disorder. He was no longer the man who loved her, but was a split personality within him. She could not be sad and feel disappointed because of his other personality. ¡°I made you breakfast.¡± Adina turned around and took out the lunch box. ¡°Try it and see if it¡®s good.¡± Earl¡®s gaze fell on the breakfast that was still piping hot. The sandwich had been stuffed with fried eggs, and there was also milk and cheese. It was a very hearty breakfast. His eternally cold heart suddenly skipped a beat. He sat on the chair and casually took a bite of the sandwich. It had a very ordinary taste, but there was also something unique about it. It was a taste he had not experienced in the previous twenty years. He wanted to indulge himself, but refrained when he remembered that this woman was his own brother¡®s wife. He quickly becamepletely disinterested in it. He raised his hand and threw the sandwich back into the te roughly and said coldly, ¡°You were the one who made me sign the divorce papersst night, and you bring me breakfast today? Adina, what exactly do you want?¡± ¡°I wish to save the marriage.¡± Adina lowered her head to clean up the table. ¡°Last night, I told myself that I would give this marriage onest chance. I would make ast ditch, wholehearted effort to save this rtionship. If it still leads to divorce, at least I won¡®t feel guilty.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Earl stared at her nkly. He was a heartless and ruthless person. His blood was cold, and he was someone who could even leave his father to die. He killed those who stood in his way with his own hands while keeping a straight face. So, the same went for this. He would not feel any guilt about taking on the role of his own brother. But as he stared at Adina, behaving this way, his dark heart seemed to suddenly light up. It was a faint light that might get extinguished at any moment in the wind. Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Adina raised her head slightly and looked up. She could see the unreadable emotions hovering in Earl¡®s dark eyes. It seemed that this trick was somewhat working. She could bring out the host personality in him if she persisted. ¡°Duke, get on with what you are doing. I¡®m apanying the kids back home. I hope you¡®ll be home early tonight.¡± Adina carried the thermos box and stepped out of the office. As soon as she went out, Earl lit a cigarette. Amid the smoke, his expression darkened, and he grew visibly furious. His brows were furrowed as he paused. He had not touched a woman in almost a month since he became Earl. Adina must have somehow tempted him and brought out long repressed desires, since he had been abstinent for so long. He raised his hand and was about to ask the assistant outside to arrange a woman for him. This was his newly arranged assistant, who was also his henchman. Jake Wilson, the previous assistant, had already been transferred to the regional corporate by him earlier. ¡°Mr. Winters!¡± Before Earl called him in the ck¨Cd assistant rushed in. ¡°Something¡®s wrong!¡± Earl stubbed out his cigarette and instructed him to close the office door. Then he said coldly, ¡°What happened? Speak slowly.¡± ¡°Didn¡®t Auguste die more than half a month ago?¡± The ck d assistant lowered his voice and said, ¡°That day, ck Party changed its leader. He previously served as Auguste¡®s primary striker. That striker was assassinated early this morning as a result, and the leader of the ck Party has now changed again.¡± Earl sneered . ¡°They are just some noisy rabble. The chaos is estimated to be persisted after Auguste¡®s death for at least a few more years.¡± ¡°The new leader officially took over ck Party at eight o¡®clock this morning, and his first order directive was to forbid ck Party from engaging in underground trading,¡± the assistant said with a glum expression. ¡°All of our transactions are done in the gray area. I¡®m worried that we will lose our livelihood if the ck Party ouws underground trading.¡± ¡°That¡®s interesting.¡± Earl lit another cigarette. ¡°They rely on illegal business dealings to generate enormous profits. What will the ck Party do to feed its people after ouwing underground trading? The newly appointed leader of the party has set himself against the entire ck Party. Just wait. This new leader is going to be in by his people in less than three days.¡± ¡°Then how about our business? Should we put it aside first?¡± ¡°Just put a stop to it.¡± Earl said lightly, ¡°I don¡®t need to continue to sink in the darkness anymore. You ask our guys to return and prepare for formal work.¡± The assistance found it unbelievable. ¡°These guys are uneducated people. They won¡®t be wanted by any employers.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ask them toe to Winters Corporation,¡± Earl responded after spitting out a mouthful of smoke rings. ¡°They could work as my assistants , security personnel, or even as subordinate managers.¡± The important positions in Winters Corporation were all held by Duke¡®s close associates, so he had to gradually rece all of them with his people. He could only return to himself until he waspletely stable in this position. Adina had just arrived at the Winters family¡®s mansion. She noticed a broadcast of international news in the living room. ¡°The gray area has been embroiled in a chaotic civil war for the past twenty years, with neighboring countries suffering from it, yet too afraid to dere it an enemy. Here, evil thrives, and every day, all kinds of horrible things happen that you would not expect to see. Several parties here have been fighting for power and strife with one another for months. The most notorious leader of the party has changed three times in a row.¡± ¡°This morning, the new leader took over the role without much incident, but he issued a high¨Cprofile ban on all illegal transactions in the region. This is undoubtedly a good thing for world peace and security, and perhaps, under the new leader¡®s guidance, thebel of the previous sinful region will be erased.¡± The news highlighted the human geography of that area, as well as the momentous asion of the new leader¡®s inauguration. A man in all ck stood on a high tform. His shadow shed across in front of Adina¡®s eyes. Her eyes abruptly sharpened. Why did this person look so familiar? Chapter 612 Chapter 612 Chapter 612 When she was about to take a closer look, the four children rushed in from outside. ¡°Mommy, since you do not have to work today, let¡®s go to the theme park, okay?¡± ¡°Mommy, I want to go to the theme park, too.¡± Alden looked up and gently said, ¡°Mommy, since Mel wants to go, then let¡®s go.¡± George nodded. ¡°I¡®ll move today¡®s afternoon work to tomorrow then.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Adina came up with a thought in her head. ¡°How about inviting your dad to go to the theme park with us?¡± After she said that, the children quieted down. Although the children did not understand what was going on between the adults, they were all perceptive enough to see that their father seemed to be different from before. George paused and said, ¡°Daddy is quite busy with work. Will he be willing toe along?¡± Alden pursed his lips. ¡°Mommy, it¡®s fine for just the five of us to go to the theme park.¡± ¡°Yes, I think Daddy is a little creepy.¡± Harold pouted, saying, ¡°I don¡®t want Daddy to join us.¡± ¡°Am I the only one who wants Daddy toe with us?¡± Melody blinked her big watery eyes. ¡°I want Daddy to go to the yground with me. I want Daddy to carry me up high.¡± As she said, she choked up and her eyes began to well up with tears. ¡°Mommy will call Daddy right now.¡± Adina said in a soft voice,¡± You speak with Daddy yourself, alright?¡± Melody nodded her head forcefully. Adina dialed the phone and it was quickly answered. ¡°I miss you so much, Daddy.¡± Melody said in a soft, tearful voice, ¡°Would you go to the theme park with me?¡± Her soft voice went into Earl¡®s eardrums through the phone line. That strange feeling reappeared. Although Melody was not his daughter, he felt such anguish that he was unable to allow the little girl to cry. When he was born, he was abandoned by his parents and sent away, and since then his life has been plunged into darkness, constantly spiraling downward. He walked through the world like a ghost and could not find his raison d¡®¨ºtre. His heart was as vast as the wilderness. It could embrace a lot, but it was also afraid of taking on too much. This little girl suddenly appeared in the barren wilderness. She was someone who needed him, someone who relied on him, and someone who attempted to save him. Maybe he could give it a try. To attempt to live a normal life, to walk in the light, to fall in love, and to appreciate it. But given that he was a creature akin to a hyena, was it possible for him to do so? ¡°Daddy, don¡®t you ignore me¡­¡± Melody cried out loud. ¡°I was wrong, I shouldn¡®t have disturbed Daddy while you were working. I¡®m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡®s okay.¡± Earl heard himself say this, ¡°I¡¯m just about done with work, I¡®ll be back to pick you guys up.¡± Melody turned her tears into smiles. ¡°Really, Daddy?¡± ¡°Of course it¡®s real.¡± Earl said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m going to hang up first. I have to drive.¡± He hung up and caught the bodyguard¡®s suspicious eyes. ¡°Mr. Winters, aren¡®t we going to a nightclub for fun?¡± ¡°Not anymore.¡± Earl grabbed his suit jacket and quickly made his way outside. Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Chapter 613 An hourter, six people disembarked from their car outside the amusement park. ¡°Daddy, pick me up!¡± Melody held up her arms and clutched Earl¡®s neck. Her soft body smooshed up against his chest made him feel a touch of warmth in his deste heart. Although she was not his biological daughter, they were still blood rtives. She could even be his next of kin to some extent. There was nothing strange about an uncle spoiling his niece. Earl carried Melody and walked in front. Adina followed behind, an unreadable expression in her eyes. Before they left the house, she had spoken with Mr. Brown and deduced that, in Duke¡®s twenty¨Codd years of life, his greatest trauma had been the death of his father. She did not know how thete Mr. Winters died, but she should be able to help Duke¡®s primary identity regain control by reminding him that his father loved him. ¡°Hal, why aren¡®t you with Daddy?¡± Adina asked with a smile.¡± Your daddy just looks a little meaner now, but he still loves you very much.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Harold crossed his arms and huffed, ¡°Daddy only likes Mel. He hasn¡®t even looked me in the eye once today. I feel so mad thinking about it!¡± George gave Harold a look and said, ¡°You¡®re not as cute as Mel, nor as pretty, why would Daddy want to pay attention to you?¡± Harold was speechless. ¡®Is he really my blood brother? Why is he so mean¡­?¡® Adina chuckled and said, ¡°Daddy is taking Melody to the merry go-round, do you want to go, too?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course, I want to go!¡± Harold hopped off to join Melody. George and Alden exchanged looks before they followed as well. They understood very well that this trip to the amusement park was specially arranged by Mommy, not just for her children, but also for Daddy Whatever Mommy wanted to do, they were willing to cooperate. The two adults and four children all got on the merry¨Cgo¨Cround. Melody snuggled into Earl¡®s bosom while Adina sat with Harold in her arms, and George and Alden chose a horse each. The carousel started to turn when the music began ying. For some reason, Adina began to reminisce about her childhood. She should thank Aaron and Ruby for lying to her for eighteen years; at least she was happy during those ignorant eighteen years.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Since she had no trauma from those eighteen years of life, even if she lost two of her children after that, she was able to recover very quickly from it. On the other hand, Duke lost his father when he was fifteen. Since then, it had left him scarred to the point of developing a split personality disorder. ¡°Hopefully, the children can bring him back.¡® When the children¡®s song ended, they got off the carousel horses. This was Earl¡®s first time in an amusement park. He had always envied watching other people being able to go to amusement parks. But he was an orphan, he had no means for such extravagance , like an amusement park trip. But today, he could treat it as fulfilling a childhood regret. He was in a good mood, so with a slight smile, he asked, ¡°Mel, there¡®s cotton candy over there, do you want some?¡± The little girl nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, I want pink cotton candy!¡± Earl nodded and was about to take a step toward it¡­ Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Chapter 614 A familiar figure suddenly appeared before him. ¡°Mr. Winters, what a coincidence.¡± Catherine had a broad smile as she approached. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d run into you here in this yground.¡± She bent down to greet the children. ¡°Hello, children. I am Aunt Catherine. Do any of you remember me?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Harold said first. ¡°Last time when daddy was in the hospital, you came to visit him.¡± ¡°That¡®s right.¡± Catherine petted Harold¡®s head, then she looked toward Adina, held her hand out to her, and said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡®m so d to see you again.¡± Adina gave Catherine a cold look. She still remembered that night very clearly. If it were not for Catherine¡®s meddling, Duke would have caught Earley. At the thought of Earley, Adina wondered if the man had been caught yet or if he had vanished again. While she was contemting, she heard the man beside her huff impatiently, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I heard this is thergest amusement park in Sea City, so I came to have some fun on my day off,¡± Catherine said with a smile. ¡°But it gets so boring being all by myself here, may I join you?¡± As she spoke, her gazended on the man¡®s face. Indiscernible emotions shone in her eyes. ¡°What happened at the bar was my fault, so today will be my treat to make up for it, alright?¡± Adina did not say anything, but looked toward the man beside her. She wanted to know what this man¡®s other personality thought of Catherine ¡°Do as you like,¡± Earl drawled, ¡°I doubt I would seed in driving you away.¡± Catherine stiffened, but she quicklyposed herself and smiled again as she said, ¡°Then I¡®ll join you. Melody, would you like Aunt Catherine to hold you?¡± ¡°No!¡± The little girl turned her body away and clutched Earl¡®s neck. ¡°I only want Daddy to hold me.¡± Adina curved her lips in a mockery of a smile. ¡°Ms. Catherine, are all foreigners so thick¨Cskinned?¡± It was not because she wanted to make Catherine look bad, but this was Catherine who defended Earley ¡­ And he had tried to kidnap Melody ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I already apologized. What else do you want from me?¡± Catherine raised her chin. ¡°Do you want me to tie Earley up and deliver him to your doorstep?¡± At the mention of this name, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward, Earl¡®s eyes took on a bloodthirsty edge. ¡°Why would you mention that name? He¡®s already dead.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡®s already dead.¡± Catherine smirked. ¡°Are you looking for a dead man, Ms. Daugherty?¡± Adina stared at Catherine for a few seconds, then looked sideways at the man next to her. Earley was dead? It seemed that only the two of them knew about this, like a secret that belonged to just the two of them. Right then, Adina had a feeling as though Catherine and her husband were in cahoots, and she was the odd one out. Not long ago, Duke had even told her to stay away from Catherine. And she did. She had also told Mrs. Winters to do the same. So why was it that Duke and Catherine seemed to have grown closer? Suddenly, she recalled what the executive secretaries at Winters Corporation had said. They mentioned that Duke had gotten together with a foreigndy. Was it Catherine? The lipstick mark that was left on Duke¡®s cor, was that Catherine¡®s? Adina¡®s gaze fell on Catherine¡®s lips. The cinnabar shade was simr to the lipstick mark. She slowly opened her mouth and asked, ¡°How did Earley die, can you tell me?¡± Catherine shot Earl a look before she said, ¡°I¡®m not clear on the details, but what does it matter, he¡¯s dead. Earley Wynters no longer exists in this world.¡± Chapter 615 Chapter 615 Chapter 615 ¡°Daddy, I want some cotton candy.¡± Melody¡®s cute voice broke through the strange atmosphere. Earl looked down and scooped the little girl into his arms.¡± Come on, let¡®s go get some cotton candy.¡± Adina¡®s gaze was unreadable. ¡°Don¡®t you care about Earley? Why aren¡®t you saddened by his death?¡± ¡°He¡®s in a better ce, why should I be sad about that?¡± Catherine stared at the back of Earl¡®s figure, a smile slowly forming on her lips. ¡°Mr. Winters seems to enjoy being a father.¡± Adina smiled coolly. ¡°A father¡®s love is innate.¡± Catherine suppressed a sneer. ¡°A father¡®s love may be innate, but that¡®s not the same for the love between a man and a woman. Mr. Winters hasn¡®t spared you a single nce during the whole time I¡®ve been here.¡± Adina¡®s expression turned to ice. If she had been doubtful then, she was absolutely certain at this point that there was something between Catherine and Duke. But when they met at the bar that day, things got so hostile between them that they were almost at each other¡¯s throats. How could they have a spark between each other? All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. The Catherine of that day was even arrogant towards Duke, acting holier¨Cthan¨Cthou while spitting words full of condemnation. But just a few moments ago, when Catherine spoke she would look at Duke first, as though asking him if she had said the right things¡­ It was like watching a superior and a subordinate. Adina narrowed her eyes, her gaze focused solely on Catherine. ¡°You don¡®t have to give me such a look, Ms. Daugherty, I¡®m only sympathizing with you.¡± Catherine fiddled with her nails as she spoke. ¡°It hasn¡®t even been a month since you were married and already the inte is buzzing about how your marriage has soured, Mr. Winters even lost his wedding ring. I thought it was nothing at first, but Mr. Winters hasn¡®t looked at you even once since earlier, it¡®s clear that his feelings have changed. If I were you, Ms. Daugherty, I¡®d file for a divorce rather thantch on to him for his status¡­¡± ¡°Silence!¡± When Earl had finished buying the cotton candy, he turned around and overheard everything Catherine had said. There were fiery sparks in his eyes as he said slowly, ¡°Get out of here.¡± Catherine never thought that he would return so quickly. She shrank away in fright and spoke with some difficulty. ¡°I was only joking with Ms. Daugherty, why are you being so serious, I didn¡®t mean anything by it¡­¡± ¡°Leave!¡± There was hostility in Earl¡®s voice. Catherine looked at him just like how she did the first time they met. At that time, this man had suddenly appeared before her, his body injured all over. When she went over to ask what had happened, he had roared at her to leave him alone. In the few encounters she had with him, Catherine would always end up hurt by his hostility. But she must be some kind of masochist, because the more he yelled at her, the more she fell hopelessly in love with him. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll go.¡± Tears fell from Catherine¡®s face. ¡°Don¡®t be angry, I won¡®t do it again.¡± She wiped her tears as she said this, and after taking one longing look at the man, she finally turned and left. Earl lowered his eyes sullenly and pinched the space between his brows hard. Adina watched the children ying in the distance and said softly, ¡°The lipstick mark on your cor that day, was it Catherine¡®s?¡± Earl¡®s hand stiffened, and he blurted out, ¡°No.¡± ¡°You don¡®t have to lie to me, it¡®s quite obvious.¡± Adina chuckled. ¡° Today¡®s encounter wasn¡®t a coincidence. She had this nned for some time, hoping that I would divorce you.¡± ¡°You¡®re imagining things.¡± Earl frowned. ¡°I¡®m not close to her at all.¡± ¡°Regardless, I only want to know: how far have you r nave you gone with her?¡± Adina¡®s smile never changed. If they had not advanced to third base, she could still convince herself that she would try harder for their marriage. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Chapter 616 But if they had followed through with it until the end, everything that she had done would be for nothing. A man who was touched by other women was like rubbish to her. She was already being nice by not just dumping him. The only reason she was still standing here and asking him such a humble question was because of the kids¡­ When Earl saw her smile, his heart tensed up. He remembered that he went to his mother to avoid being killed, and he met Catherine. At that time, Catherine was just eighteen years old, the age when a girl was the most innocent, idealistic, and fertile¡­ He was always a sinner, and women around him were usually the cheap sluts who had slept with different men. Meanwhile, Catherine was an innocent girl. When such an innocent girl seduced him, he totally could not control himself, so¡­ Catherine and him had been fooling around together for a long time. But he dared not admit it to Adina at this time. From her eyes, he saw her heart, and it was on the verge of shattering. He knew that if he admitted to it, it would shatter in an instant. ¡°Nothing happened¡­¡± Earl hesitantly said, ¡°She keeps bothering me and seducing me. She also purposely left the lipstick stain on my corst time. Don¡®t worry, I won¡¯t see her again.¡± Adina just quietly stared at him. How strange. She did not feel sad to know that her husband had an affair. She just wanted tough at how quickly this man had fallen out of love with her. They just got married, but he got together with Catherine. Right after he had an affair with Catherine, he could not wait to push her away. Adina realized that she did not understand this man. She just could not believe that there was this one personality living in this body. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. How could the perfect Duke Winters have such a despicable secondary character? Adina collected herself and indifferently asked, ¡°How did Earley Wynters die?¡± Earl schooled his expression before he looked at her. ¡°Did you want him to die?¡± ¡°It¡®s not that I wish him to die, but you and Catherine said that Earley is dead,¡± Adina firmly said, ¡°He kidnapped me. I just want to know if he has received the punishment he deserved.¡± ¡°What punishment do you think he should deserve?¡± Earl stared at her and asked. Adina stared into his eyes. ¡°He should spend the rest of his life in jail.¡± Earl¡®s gaze was filled with ruthlessness. At that moment, he suddenly came to his senses. He was always a hyena that searched for a pitiful ce to settle down in the desert. He was also searching for that bit of light that would ept him. When he saw that Adina wanted him to stay and Melody relied on him, he nearly thought that Adina¡®s efforts to make him stay and Mel¡®s dependence on him would be his light. He was Earley Wynters and Earl Winters. He was a hyena that would never be able to walk under the light. This home belonged to Duke Winters. He had stolen it. And he nearly got addicted to it. ¡°I still have something to do. I¡¯ll have to leave first.¡± It was only when Earl took a few steps away that he realized he had cotton candy in his hand. He walked to the trash can and violently threw the cotton candy into it. Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Chapter 617 When Adina saw his back rapidly disappearing, she slowly pursed her lips. Unsure if it was her imagination, she always felt that this man¡®s emotions would go out of control whenever she mentioned Earley Wynters. Earley Wynters, Duke Winters¡­ Duke Winters, Earley Wynters. She repeatedly mumbled these two names. ¡°Mommy, why did Daddy leave?¡± Melody ran over, sounding like she was close to tears. Adina kept away her thoughts before she bowed down and lifted Melody up. ¡°Daddy needs to work. I¡®ll y with you.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The little girl cried willfully. ¡°I just want Daddy! If Daddy is not around, I don¡®t want to y either. Waa¡­¡± Adina sighed. What a spoiled girl. Before they got married, Duke did anything that Melody asked for. Even if she asked the moon, he could also take it down and give it to her. But after they got married, Duke suddenly did note home for a month, and when he dide home, he did not pamper Melody in the way he used to. No one could bear such a level of discrepancy in treatments. If Adina and Duke divorced, Melody would not be able to ept it, no matter what. ¡°Mommy, should we go home?¡± Harold could not bear to see his sister crying. He said affectionately, ¡°We cane and y in the park when Daddy is free again.¡± George also nodded and said, ¡°Mel is also tired. We should go back and rest.¡± Adina nodded, and she was ready to take the four kids home. It was only when they went outside the park that she realized she had not driven here today. It was Duke who drove them to the park. That man had left. He drove the car and neglected the five of them here. Adina raised her hand and stopped a car. Twenty minutester, the car arrived at the Winter family¡®s mansion. ¡°Hmm, why are you the only ones back? Earl¡­ Where¡®s Duke? Why isn¡®t he with you?¡± Mabel asked in surprise. Adina carried Melody who was asleep out of the car. She smiled and said, ¡°He has some work to do, so he left early.¡± Mabel forced a smile. ¡°So, how was your trip today?¡± ¡°We met Miss Catherine at the park today.¡± Adina handed Melody over to Mr. Brown, and she said in a seemingly casual fashion. ¡°Duke talked to Catherine for a long time. They looked pretty close.¡± Mabel¡®s gaze wavered. ¡°Haha. I lived in Ascrialia for four years, and it was Catherine who took care of me there, so Duke has been feeling very indebted to her.¡± Adina held a ss of water, and she drank while she asked,¡± May I ask if Duke has any other siblings?¡± ¡°No¡­ no.¡± Mabel pulled herself together, and she weighed every word carefully before saying, ¡°Addy, why do you suddenly ask about this?¡± ¡°I just suddenly found it strange.¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°There are no records of any multiple births in the Daugherty family, and the Winters family doesn¡®t seem to have it too, but I gave birth to quadruplets. Don¡®t you find it strange, Mom?¡± ¡°It should be a gic outlier, I guess.¡± Mabel awkwardly said,¡± You never know with this kind of medical stuff¡­¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Adina nodded. ¡°I was just curious. Mom, why are you getting nervous?¡± ¡°Am ¡­ am I?¡± Mabel¡®s back was drenched in sweat. ¡°I just feel slightly warm. I¡®ll go out and get some fresh air.¡± Adina stared at Mabel¡®s back, and her gaze deepened. Adina looked at Alden who stood not far away, and she indifferently said, ¡°Alden,e with me.¡± Alden obediently followed her. He had been following Mom from afar today. He should have picked up on the interactions between Mom and Dad. Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Chapter 618 It seemed to have something to do with the woman named Catherine. Dad had suddenly left soon after. Alden was very suspicious of whether his Dad had already fallen out of love. But he, as a child, could not understand such intricacies regarding adult emotions, and he also dared not ask his Mom about it. Now, his mother was looking for him alone. Was she going to tell him about it? Adina walked into Alden¡®s bedroom, closed the door with the back of her hand, and sat down on the edge of the bed. She indifferently said, ¡°Take out yourptop.¡± Alden¡®s fingers tightened. ¡°Mommy, ¡­¡± ¡°I know you¡®re hiding thatptop under the bed. Take it out,¡± Adina softly said, ¡°You¡®re not in trouble. I need your help.¡± Alden sighed in relief. He nearly thought that Mom knew that he had established a hacker studio online. If Mom was stepping in to stop him, he had only one option, which was to disband the studio. He was reluctant to give up the career that he had worked so hard on, but he was willing to give up on anything as long as his Mom asked him to. Luckily, Mom had not found it out. Alden leaned on the floor and speedily took out theptop. He obediently asked, ¡°Mom, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Do you remember when I asked you to investigate a man called Earley Wynters?¡± Adina said, ¡°Check where he is now, and see if he is still alive.¡± Alden nodded. He tapped the keyboards speedily while he kept searching for useful information. Fifteen minutester, he raised his head, and he wrinkled his face. ¡°Earley Wynters appeared in Sea City twenty¨Ceight days ago, but he seemed to have disappeared then. I could not find his whereabouts at all.¡± Adina softly asked, ¡°Could he be dead now?¡± ¡°It¡®s also possible that he has been locked up and cut off from all the modern technology,¡± Alden said. ¡°He is now a wanted criminal. We can¡®t conclude that he is dead until the police announces his death.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Adina stood up. ¡°Thank you, Alden.¡± She also knew some hacking skills, but Alden was better than her. But if even Alden could only find this much, it meant that Earley was really missing. Nobody even knew whether he was alive or dead. So, why were Duke and Catherine so sure that Earley Wynters was dead? Adina frowned as she left Alden¡®s room. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. As soon as she left, Alden called up another interface of theptop. He quickly typed on the keyboards, and various ck codes shed on the screen. Knock! Knock! His room door was suddenly knocked on. Alden quickly closed theptop screen and calmly said, ¡°Come in.¡± George pushed open the door and walked in before he closed the door with the back of his hand. ¡°Alden, why did Mom look for you just now?¡± Alden shook his head. ¡®Nothing. Why?¡± When George saw that Alden was not willing to say it, he did not pursue that line of questioning. George paused for a while before he resumed, ¡°Did you change the name of thepany that Dad gave you?¡± ¡°Yes, I changed the name and the legal information,¡± Alden indifferently said, ¡°This is a gift from Dad. It¡®s okay for me to make the changes, right?¡± George stared at him and said, ¡°Yes, it¡®s all right. I¡®m just curious why you¡®re suddenly willing to ept what Dad gave you?¡± About a month ago, Dad gave Alden apany, but he did not want it. He did not go to thepany for a month. But Alden suddenly went to thepany frequently over the past two days. Changing thepany name and legal information was not an easy task, but Alden did it all in three days. It was hard for George not to overthink it. Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Alden stood up, his gaze dark. He looked at George, who was simrly tall, and he slowly said,¡± I want to increase my assets. I want to have the ability to protect Mom.¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°You still don¡®t trust Dad, right?¡± ¡°Has he given me any reason to?¡± Alden asked George back.¡± People always say kids always change their thoughts very easily, like the weather in June, but Duke Winters changes even faster than kids. I can¡®t be sure if he will love Mom for the rest of his life, so I have to gather my strength. When Mom is completely disappointed in him, I¡®ll take her and Mel away.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± George¡®s voice was hoarse. ¡°You never thought about Harold and me?¡± ¡°Your family name is Winters, while Mel and I are Daugherties. We are not the same.¡± Alden turned around and sat on the bed. He looked down and looked very off¨Cputting. When George saw Alden looking like this, he did not know what he should say. When Dad and Mom had some problems, the first thing he thought about was to exin and find various excuses for Dad. He always thought he loved Mom very much. But when something went wrong with the family, he found himself very despicable. As long as he could maintain the happiness of their family of six on the surface, he could actually put Mom¡®s feelings aside. He was the eldest brother, but he was not as good as Alden. ¡°Alden, leave this matter to me.¡± George looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m the eldest brother. I¡®ll protect each of you. Please believe me.¡± Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°I hope so.¡± Duke did note back that night. But he drove into the mansion early in the morning. Mr. Brown was extremely surprised, and he immediately weed him. ¡°Master, have you had breakfast?¡± Earl casually threw his coat on the sofa, frowned, and asked, ¡°. Where¡®s George?¡± ¡°It¡®s 6:00 am now, so the young master should still be sleeping now.¡± Mr. Brown carefully asked, ¡°Is there something very important that you need to discuss with him? Do you need me to wake him up early?¡± ¡°Wake him up now.¡± Earl frowned, and he looked very impatient. Mr. Brown dared not look for trouble. He immediately went upstairs and knocked on George¡®s room door. George had not slept at allst night. He had been deep in thought on how to make himself stronger and capable of protecting Mom. As he feared, he had insomnia the entire night. ¡°Young Master George, Master asked you to wake up now and go downstairs.¡± Halfway through Mr. Brown¡®s sentence, he was shocked. ¡°Why are your dark circles so heavy? Did you stay up verytest night?¡± ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± George put on a jacket and got out of bed. ¡°Why is Dad looking for me?¡± ¡°I have no idea. It should be something very important.¡± Mr. Brown helped George put on his shoes and combed his hair. George went downstairs, and he instantly saw the man lying on the sofa. In the past, Dad would emit a noble and elegant aura wherever he sat. Even if he was exhausted, he would remain as poised and as posh as an aristocrat. But Dad was now loungingzily. He rested his legs on the tea table like an aloof upstart. George suppressed this awkward feeling before he said obediently, ¡°Dad, why are you looking for me in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Go to thepany with me.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Earl stood up, picked up the coat from the couch, and walked outside. George followed him while asking doubtfully, ¡°Why are we going to thepany?¡± ¡°You¡®ll know when you arrive. Why do you ask so many questions?¡± Earl looked very impatient. He floored the elerator , and the car sped down the road. George held the seat belt tightly, and he stared at Earl driving with his dark gaze. He suddenly found his father very strange. He also finally understood why Alden would have such thoughts. The car stopped in front of the Winter Corporation with a hard brake. It was just 7:00 am now. It was not rush hour, so there were only a few people in thepany. When everyone saw that Mr. Winters bringing the young master in, they respectfully greeted them. Earl showed a cold expression. He took George directly to the top floor and pushed open the door of the CEO¡®s office. ¡°Have you been here before?¡± Earlzily sat on the couch and coldly asked. George nodded. ¡°Dad, you used to bring me here when I was 3.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Earl took out a silver safe deposit box from underneath the couch, and he coldly said, ¡°You should know the password, then. Open it.¡± George frowned. He raised his head and looked at Earl. ¡°Dad, I don¡®t know the password.¡± ¡°How could you not know?¡± Earl coldly stared at him. ¡°Didn¡®t I tell you? How can you forget it so quickly?¡± The core technical documents of the Winters Corporation were locked in the safe deposit box, and an anti¨Ctheft device was pped on top of it for good measure. If the box was opened violently, it would automatically destroy the data. Once the technical hard drive was destroyed, Winters Corporation would lose at least half of its assets. Half of the assets were a massive amount of fortune, so Earl could not afford to gamble. He leaned back on the couch and coldly said, ¡°I n to entrust half of the properties of Winters Corporation to you after some time, but you don¡®t even know the password of the safe deposit box. George, you really disappoint me.¡± George¡®s expression stiffened. Dad was never this harsh to him before. Was he really that useless? He said, ¡°Dad, you really never told me the password for this safe deposit box¡­¡± ¡°Can¡®t you guess it?¡± Earl sneered. ¡°From my mobile phone password,puter password, home door password, and intelligent product password ¡­ can¡®t you infer the password of this safe deposit box from all the clues?¡± ¡°But isn¡®t this password set by you, Dad? Why do you want me to specte about it?¡± George looked confused. Earl was stifled by the question. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°George, why are you so stupid? Didn¡®t you see that I¡®m giving you a test now?¡± He stood up, put one hand in his pocket, and said condescendingly, ¡°You¡®re the next heir of the Winters family. I need to test you from all aspects. Your mission today is to open this safe deposit box.¡± ¡°Okay, Dad, I got it.¡± George walked to the safe deposit box and carefully studied it. This was a veryplex smart password lock. There were eight digits for the password, which included English letters and Arabic numerals. If an error was keyed in once, there would be an interval of more than thirty minutes. Five consecutive errors would forcefully lock the box for three days. When Earl saw George seriously studying the password lock, he was finally relieved. This boy knew Duke better than him, so he would know what numbers and letters Dukemonly used as passwords. Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Chapter 621 George took a notebook and drew variousplex symbols on the paper. He had arranged all the numbers into a specific order andbined all the letters into variousplex English words. Earl walked over and took a nce, but he could not understand a thing. Although he descended from the Winters family, he was abandoned because of his health condition after he was born. He never attended preschool and attended middle school intermittently before he finished. The level of his education prevented him from holding on to the position of Winters Corporation¡¯s CEO firmly. Therefore, he needed to make sure he had a strong grip on everything now. Earl had the urge to smoke again. He stroked his chin and walked out of the CEO¡¯s office. George lowered his head as he calcted and wrote on the draft paper. After a moment of calcting, he still could note up with the eight-digit passwordbination. Perhaps he should give it a try first. Perhaps it was the date of Winters Corporation¡¯s establishment with the first letter of his dad¡¯s name. George put down his pen and walked to the safe deposit box. ¡°Beep! Wrong password!¡± A countdown appeared on the screen. only try he heard someone got up and Axel have already voice outside and continued to close fragmented not call his dad Mr.Winters? Why would anyone call his dad ¡°Boss¡± all of a sudden? Also, who were Jag and Axel? Why did Customer Service Department¡¯s manager is an old employee who was promoted a few years ago.If we just are you afraid of?¡± Earl exhaled long as I¡¯m here, nobody dares to say a family, so it¡¯s not easy to deal with them.The Technical Department¡¯s managers control capable said, ¡°But we would attract the attention of the loss if they suspected him, ¡°Boss, a few of our men came over here early in the morning.Would you like to go over and give them a ¡°Let¡¯s go and see.¡± cigarette butt into the trash can and followed his subordinate into the shaken that his back was drenched in cold sweat.He was smart, and he had an outstanding IQ, but he sentence meant, but it was puzzling when they were put together.He did not understand why his dad wanted to kick the executives out of thepany.He did not understand why his dad wanted to make a big change in Winters Corporation.He did Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. actions? George drew a tissue to wipe the sweat off his palms and door to make sure that nobody was there, he of the recent projects in Winters Corporation, and they suddenly paused.He had seen his dad¡¯s signature countless but he found it slightly weird and the end of thest word seemed a little looked at it for a while, but he missed the clue.He continued to lower his head and each day, the desk was full of documents that needed to be next day, but why did he umte his workload for half a month this time? The more George not add up about his dad.He searched the whole desk, but he did not find anything rted to the Then, George set his sights on the drawers. The drawers were not locked.He raised his hand and gently pulled one of the drawers out. It was full of documents.He cast a nce at the door again like a thief and took the documents out.He patiently flipped through them one by one and found that they were all thepany¡¯s financial statements.They should be kept in the Finance Department. Why were they in the CEO¡¯s office? George ced the documents back and opened the second drawer.Just like that, he searched through the drawers one by one. Finally, he saw apletely different document. [e-Bio Project Deration] George frowned. Winters Corporation had never invested in the field of biotechnology. Why would there be such a thing? He flipped open the file carefully. When he read the contents of the document, his eyes became wide with disbelief. Biological intelligence, human anatomy, illegal trading¡­ These were things that he had never encountered, but he knew that they were illegal. How could Winters Corporation be involved in such businesses? What was going on? ck, ck! The tapping sound of leather shoes on the floor came from outside the door. George was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.He quickly put the documents back in ce, but a figure had already appeared in the doorway before could put the things away. ¡°what are you doing?¡±. A cold voice rang out all of a sudden. George had never been so terrified.He slowly stood up from the side of the desk and bit his bottom lip hard.His upbringing did not allow him to lie, but he did not even understand what just happened, let alone know what to say. Earl slowly walked over.He noticed that the documents on the desk had clearly been flipped open. The documents in the drawer at the bottom must have also been stuffed in a panic since the drawer was not tightly closed. He raised his leg and kicked the drawer door close before he sternly asked, ¡°What were you looking for?¡± George¡¯s voice was hoarse.He raised his head and looked into Earl¡¯s eyes.He did not understand many things, so perhaps he could seek his answer now. Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Earl narrowed his eyes.George and Duke looked really alike.They had identical eyes, as well as thin lips, and they emitted the same aura. If George was taller, Ear] would have almost thought that fifteen- year-old Duke was standing in front of him. Duke had suppressed him over the past twenty years.He would not tolerate Duke anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to answer your question!¡± Earl¡¯s gaze was intense and ruthless. ¡°I¡¯m asking you now.Why were you searching through my drawers?¡± His gaze was extremely sharp like an arrow as he stared into George¡¯s eyes. No matter how smart and calm George was, he was only a four-year -old kid.He simply could not bear the pressure.His lips slowly turned pale, and his back was drenched in cold sweat again. ¡°He was looking for something for me.What¡¯s wrong?¡± came from outside his head and looked over, he saw Adina walk she shielded him.His heart strangely settled at Duke indifferently, ¡°When I came to deliver breakfast yesterday, I dropped my earrings in your office, so I asked George to so?¡± Earl lips into something in your office.Are you afraid to the man¡¯s ear, and whispered, ¡°Are you afraid that he¡¯ll discover a woman¡¯s stocking face darkened before he smiled coldly.He stared at Adina and slowly said, ¡°I overestimated woman.I¡¯m not as generous Earl¡¯s tie before she smiled faintly and said, ¡°I just came to pick George up.Carry on she held touched, she was shocked to find that George¡¯s hand was incredibly cold as if he had just stepped out of a freezer.She held his small and soft hands tightly as she tried suit walked in with his head lowered.He seemed back safely.¡± Earl then looked ¡°You, stay.You¡¯ll attend an asion with meter.¡± Adina looked at Arden Wyatt a little longer before she asked ina seemingly casual fashion, ¡°Is this your new assistant or new secretary?¡± ¡°Jake has been transferred since he¡¯s now a regional manager.This is my new assistant, Arden Wyatt,¡± Earl said indifferently. ¡°If you need anything, you can go to him directly.¡± Adina smiled faintly and nodded at Arden. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Adina Daugherty.¡± She held out her right hand. Arden respectfully said, ¡°Hi, Mdm.Winters, I¡¯m Arden Wyatt.You can just call me Arden.¡± He only shook hands with Adina carefully after he nced at Earl.But Adina grasped his hand with great force. ¡°Mr.Wyatt, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Adina finally let go after she squeezed his hand tightly. The thin callus on his fingers and the thickness of his palm indicated that this man knew martial arts. His martial arts skills were not lower than hers.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Besides, there was a very thick callus on this person¡¯s purlicue.He must have held a gun often. Why would there be someone like this around Duke? A lot of spections shed in Adina¡¯s mind, but theysted only a second or two. She suppressed her thoughts, squatted down, and smiled gently as she said, "Georgie, go home with Uncle Arden.Mommy will go back and keep youpany at night." George was really frightened.He realized that his dad was different from before.He also needed some time to digest what he had just seen, so he nodded. "Goodbye, Mommy.I¡¯ll go back first." He looked down and walked out of the office. Adina only sighed in relief after she saw George leave.She sat on the couch and shed Earl a bright smile. "What asion are we attendingter?" "It¡¯s a business event," Earl said indifferently. "If you don¡¯t want to go, I won¡¯t force you." "If I don''t go, will you ask Catherine to apany you? Or Ms. rk?" Adina rested her face on both of her hands, smiled faintly, and said, "There are rumors that we''re getting a divorce. I should attend the event with you to dismiss those voices. But I haven''t bought a new gown. Can you apany me while I buy a dress and style up?" Earl nced at the time. It was 10:00 am. There were two more hours before the banquet. He walked over and locked the silver safe deposit box into the cab before he nodded and said, "Let''s go." Adina held his arm as she wore a bright smile, but it was not a sincere smile. The two of them walked into the elevator and left Winters Corporation together. Following that, Earl drove her to a styling studio. Adina pushed open the car door and got out. "The styling studio you took me tost time was quite good. Why don¡¯t we go there?" she said with a smile. "This one¡¯s pretty good too." Earl walked in first. Adina followed suit. She looked down slightly, and her smile finally faded. After they entered, the attendant greeted them warmly. "Mr. Winters, Mdm. Winters, wee. Do you still require the stylist who served you previously?" Adina sat on the couch and responded with an indifferent but elegant smile, "Sure, let her proceed." But Earl''s gaze instantly darkened. "Did you just test me?" He stared daggers at Adina. "I just wanted to know if there really was something wrong with your memory." Adina curled her lips.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "You said you would love me for a lifetime, but you fell out of love with me after one month, and all your promises became nothing. So, I was wondering if you had lost your memory. The results show that there seems to be something wrong with your memory. We came to this styling studio a month ago, but you don¡¯t remember." She shook her head before she flipped through the modeling album slowly. Earl''s gaze was filled with hostility. This woman was clearly more difficult to deal with than those kids. She was already suspicious of him. It must have started when Catherine appeared, and Adina¡¯s attitude toward him subtly changed. Women were the most troublesome creatures! Earl massaged his forehead and seemed impatient. Adina nced at him and sneered before she stood up and went to pick out a gown with the stylist. She did not take this event seriously, so she simply chose a random gown.She put on a long and tight ck silk dress. Her hair was tied up high with two strands of her fringe falling along the side of her face.She lookedpletely elegant and sexy. Earl, who was sitting on the couch, raised his head as he saw her approaching.He suddenly envied Duke for having a wife, four children, anda warm family. Those were the things he never had in his life. Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Chapter 624 It was the annual business banquet in Sea City, and the organizers had invited many business bigwigs. Before the event officially began, there was already a long line of luxury cars parked in front of the hotel. People were dressed up, and it was lively. A ck car soon stopped in front of the hotel. When aman and woman stepped out in front of everyone, they attracted the attention of countless people. ¡°Aren¡¯t they Mr.and Mrs.Winters?¡± ¡°The reporters have been spreading rumors that they¡¯re divorced.They look quite close, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of a separating couple that still looks united on the surface? I don¡¯t think they look like a couple.¡± ¡°My friend works in Winters Corporation.He heard that Duke has been very close to a foreign woman.They always spend at least an hour in the office alone.When a man and a woman stay in a room for about an hour, what do you think happens?¡± driver for the Winters family¡¯s neighbor.He personally saw Duke quarreling with Adina every real, why would they stock price.If they act as an intimate married couple, there will be more advantages than excitement, but their voices instantly disappeared when Adina Winters Corporation, all of them came over to meet All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. that we talked aboutst let¡¯s go there and have dragged Earl to she slowly nced around the hall.She was looking for Trent and they had been to Winters Corporation wanted to ask them if they had found anything different are you voice toward her with a seem slightly haggard.¡± ¡°Is it because you haven¡¯t been sleeping well due to your unharmonious married life and daily quarreling?¡± Adina looked at her indifferently. ¡°Is this the upbringing of the Yackley family, where all you do is discuss other people¡¯s married life?¡± ¡°Duke has been having affairs outside.Why are you still so arrogant?¡± Jasmine sneered. ¡°You¡¯re Mrs.Winters, but everyone in Sea City knows that your husband had an affair right after you got married.You think you¡¯re on the top, but you¡¯re actually a joke that everyone discusses during mealtime.¡± ¡°Ms.Yackley, have you just forgotten that you still have a project in my hands?¡± Adina twirled her wine ss. ¡°If I break that contract, you won¡¯t be able to report the results to Elitos within the prescribed time limit.At that time, Jones Corporation will need to provide apensation of at least $50,000,000.Can you afford the loss?¡± Jasmine stomped her foot in anger. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°If you can mock me, why can¡¯t I threaten you? Where¡¯s yourmon sense?¡± Adina sneered. ¡°If I¡¯m in a bad mood, I can terminate this project at any time.I¡¯m still Mrs.Winters, sopensation for the breach of contract is nothing to me.But Ms.Yackley, you¡¯ re not a member of the Jones family.If you cause the Jones family to suffer a great loss, they won¡¯t put up with you!¡± Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Chapter 625 After Adina spoke, she lifted the hem of her gown and left.Jasmine was so angry that her face turned pale. Since that b*tch, Adina, had a firm grip on the core technique, she got stomped. However, before the chip design proposal was generated, she could not do anything to that b*tch. D*mn it! Just as Jasmine was about to go andin to Zhenny, she saw her cousin, Daniel, the moment she raised her head. They were of a simr age, so they just called each other by name. ¡°Daniel, why are you here? Aren¡¯t you uninterested in these business events?¡± Jasmine smiled and asked, ¡°Did you see whom I was talking to?¡± Daniel looked like a teenager. bright eyes, but there was to do with me,¡± were cousins, and they had they were not very close because of their different interests beautiful woman in Sea City, who¡¯s also a to sessfully join Elitos¡¯ big project this time because of her help.She said she would help me to be heir of the Jones family.Daniel, I¡¯m actually not interested annoying, but Daniel did not frown in the ¡°All the best then.¡± he looked, she pursed her lips.She thought her cousin still Daniel sure if I should tell you.But I¡¯ve been holding it in for so long, and I really can¡¯t take it anymore.Do you know that my uncle, lifted mentioned that you saw a lot of pictures of a woman in my father¡¯s study previously.Do you still His assistant quickly answered, ¡°Adina Daugherty, the most beautiful in Sea City.¡± Daniel¡¯s gaze turned cold. Adina Daugherty, the eldest daughter of the Daugherty family¡­She was twenty-three years old, which was just two years older than him. How could his father be interested in a woman his age? His mother had died a long time ago, but that did not mean he could be indifferent to his father¡¯s personal rtionships. ¡°Young Master, look over there.¡± When Daniel looked in the direction where his assistant pointed, he saw his father, Dillon, talking to Adina at the corner of the banquet hall. Adina was smiling indifferently, but she looked decent and gorgeous. Meanwhile, his father was smiling a little bashfully as if he did not know how to conduct himself. Daniel had never seen his father look so embarrassed.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Adina and Dillon were talking in a remote corner. Both of them were dressed in ck, so they did not attract too much attention. ¡°Ms.Daugherty, have you not rested welltely? Your dark circles look pretty heavy.¡± Dillon stared at her face and sounded a little worried. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, it¡¯s best not to take sleeping pills.Drinking some warm milk and taking a hot bath before you sleep will help you to rest.¡± Adina smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Mr.Jones.I¡¯ll take note of that.¡± Dillon hesitated to speak, but he added, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind me asking.Is there a problem with your marriage?¡± Adina looked up and stared at him indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Dillon quickly apologized. to be nosy.I just¡­want to show my concern.If you stable marriage.We¡¯re smiled faintly and not a businessman, but he was could see that Adina asking and caring of Duke and Adina getting a divorce came out the other day, he had the same time, he felt ashamed because take this daughter back to the Jones family when she felt down? But it was just a thought that crossed his Right then, Daniel walked over and snapped out of Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This is Ms.Daugherty.¡± to meet you, at Adina before he looked at Dillon and softly said, ¡°Dad, Mom¡¯s death heard what he said clearly, and she smiled have to make my way the side with poise and spoke to Dillon appeared regretful. the side and asked, ¡°Daniel, why did ¡°Dad, are those photos in your room of Ms.Daugherty?¡± Daniel asked indifferently. Dillon¡¯s gaze changed. ¡°Did you enter my study?¡± ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t mind if you find me another stepmother, but it can¡¯t be Ms.Daugherty,¡± Daniel said coldly. ¡°She¡¯s just two years older than me, and she¡¯s Mrs.Winters.Dad, you better not act foolishly.¡± Dillon was in disbelief. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want people to find out, you better not do it,¡± Daniel said with a straight face. ¡°Mom¡¯s death anniversary ising up.You should prepare for it.¡± After Daniel spoke, he walked away.Dillon¡¯s face turned red from anger. Adina had a very pleasant conversation with a few CEOs, whom she had coborated with before.She cast a nce at the time. It waste, so it was time to leave. She looked in the direction where Duke had disappeared, but she did not see the familiar figure. Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Chapter 627 She walked around the banquet hall, but she could not find Duke, so she stopped a waiter and asked, ¡°Did you see where Mr.Winters went?¡± The waiter respectfully answered, ¡°I saw Mr.Winters heading to the lounge on the balcony twenty minutes ago.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After Adina thanked him, she walked toward the balcony in her high heels.By this time, the banquet was nearing its end. Many people had already left, so the balcony was empty. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. When she walked over, she saw a figure standing at the entrance of the balcony. Soon, that person reached out to block her way. ¡°Please stop, Mdm.Winters.¡± Adina looked at Arden and indifferently asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to stop me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mdm.Winters.That was Mr.Winters¡¯ instruction,¡± Arden said respectfully. not disobey eyes before she raised her hand and grabbed as well, so he started to fight back out of of them fought at the rounds, Arden realized what he had done, and please don¡¯t trouble don¡¯t want me to trouble you, stop me, the more suddenly lifted the hem of her tight ck dress above her knee before she raised her leg and stepped on Arden¡¯s knee with her and he fell to his he tried to fight back, he had lost the opportunity.He subconsciously his shirt, Adina saw a ck object.He let go of his hand as soon as Adina sneered. Duke that his subordinate sexually harrassed immediately released her raised her leg and ruthlessly kicked and walked and tried to shout, but Adina acted faster than That was when Adina witnessed the scene behind it. The man was leaning back on the couch. His coat had been casually thrown on the carpet, and two of the buttons on his white shirt had been undone. A woman was snuggled up against him, while her soft and weak hands touched his chest. Almost as soon as the door was kicked open, Earl stood up and threw Catherine to the ground. ¡°Ms.Daugherty, this is a misunderstanding¡­¡± Catherin picked up the thin nket to cover her exposed chest as she exined with a flustered expression. Adina sneered before she walked in slowly. ¡°If I see you sleeping together naked, will you also say that it¡¯s a misunderstanding?¡± She picked up a ss of unfinished red wine from the tea table and sshed it on Earl¡¯s face. ¡°Ms.Daugherty, this has nothing to do with Mr.Winters.It¡¯s all my fault.I seduced him¡­¡± Catherine exined anxiously.Adina turned around and gave her a hard p. Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Chapter 628 p! The sound of the p reverberated in the lounge. Catherine was dumbstruck She could smell the blood in her oral cavity, and half of her face was numb. Adina¡¯s palm was just as numb.She nearly gave it her all during the p.She stared at Catherine as she firmly said, ¡°We¡¯re talking as a married couple.Do you have the right to interfere?¡± Catherine¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°I¡­Ms.Daugherty, Mr.Winters and I truly love each other.Please, just quit.¡± Adina chuckled in anger.She gave her another p with the back of her hand.She had held herself back for too long. Initially, she only wanted to p the man, but unfortunately, Catherine was ignorant enough to overstep her boundaries. Two ps were not enough, so Adina pped Catherine again. Catherine¡¯s face instantly became swollen after three consecutive ps. ¡°Enough.¡± Earl grabbed Adina¡¯s wrist. happened between me and moved out of his grip.She lowered her head, picked up another ss of wine, and sshed it on Winters, you disgust around and left without swollen arrogant she is.She pped me and even sshed two sses of red wine on you.You¡¯re not Duke Winters.Why should you just let her do up!¡± Earl massaged Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. alcohol today, so he ended up being seduced by Catherine.He never thought of doing anything with Catherine, but once more.Don¡¯te to Earl¡¯s voice was cold. to me without my permission.I hope there up his and her walked out, Arden rushed over while he shouldn¡¯t have let Mdm.Winters his leg and gave Arden¡¯s ¡°Trash!¡± drove all the way back to the Winters It was only 6:00 pm, so the kids were still ying in the courtyard, while Mabel and Mr.Brown kept them company. Luckily, she had been alely, so they did not feel surprised when she drove back on her own. Adina went upstairs and changed into a casual outfit before she came downstairs and yed with the kids in the yard. ¡°Mommy, look.Is my castle pretty?¡± Melody pointed at a sand castle on the ground and asked happily. Adina smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s very pretty.Did you build it yourself?¡± ¡°Georgie, Hal, and Al helped me.¡± Melody tilted her head and said, ¡°Daddy used to y sand with me too.The castle that Daddy built is the most beautiful and amazing one in the world.¡± Adina¡¯s heart sank.She suppressed the pain in her eyes and forced a smile to y with her children. It was soon dinnertime, so Mr.Brown took the children to the restroom to wash their hands. ¡°Georgie, wait.¡± Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Adina stopped him and held his hand as they walked to the garden at the side. George looked down.He did not know how to exin everything that had happened in the morning.He knew that his mommy would ask him about it, but he still had not found an excuse to tell his mother. ¡°Georgie, do you trust Mommy?¡± Adina held him by the shoulders, and they looked each other in the eyes. George nodded gently. ¡°I trust you.¡± Adina asked again, ¡°So, who do you trust more now, Daddy or Mommy?¡± ¡°Mommy,¡± George said without hesitation. ¡°Great.¡± Adina shed him a smile of relief. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you a few questions.Can you answer me honestly?¡± George became silent. what his mom wanted to ask, but could he really tell her about those things? something¡¯s been off with your dad recently, right? I¡¯ve actually been looking for the reason, and I have investigate the projects and documents in thepany, so I dad¡¯s office desk for no reason.I guess you must¡¯ve felt that something was wrong and gloomily said, ¡°I heard Dad talking to his new assistant, hear described what he had heard of Adina¡¯s shirt, bit his bottom lip, and said, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m really you saw and him go to school] and take good care snuggled into Adina¡¯s arms and nodded dejectedly.His heart had been beating fast the entire day, but it with him, he was you secretly kept Mommy to out of the mansion and looked jealous.He rushed over want a hug too!¡± he said, with Melody as well, and can hold the four of you at She held the four children in both of her arms tightly.They were her whole world. No matter what, she would let them grow up happily and healthily without worries. The night was getting darker. Adina only returned to her room after she coaxed the kids to sleep.She took out a notebook and wrote down a few keywords on the paper. [Split personality, Catherine, biotechpany, Earley Wynters, Winters Corporation¡­] She wrote down every suspicious thing on paper. Based on their interaction over the past few days, she felt more and more that Duke did not seem to have some kind of split personality disorder. Rather, he looked like a different person. It was a very creepy thought, but the moment it appeared in her mind, she could no longer get rid of it. If he really was a different person, that would exin all the recent weird urrences. But would there be two people with identical faces in the world? It would also require at least two years for someone to achieve a face that was identical to that of another via stic surgery. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Had this conspiracy started two years ago? Adina set her sights on the name, ¡°Earley Wynters,¡±before she looked at human biology. She suddenly remembered that one day two months ago, the masked Earley had shown up in her company and expressed a desire to coborate with her toplete a project rted to biotechnology. Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Adina threw the draft paper into the shredder and swept the pieces into the trash can. While she thought of a reason to go to Winters Corporation tomorrow, she heard the sound of a car entering the courtyard.She did not even bother to put on slippers as she walked barefoot to the balcony.She drew the curtain away and looked out. It was a familiar ck car, and a recognizable figure got out of the car. He was back! And he was actually holding a bouquet of flowers. Adina looked away.She immediately walked back to the bedroom and poured some water from the bedside table in her hand. Not long after, the sound of footsteps slowly grew louder, and someone gently pushed the room door open. Earl looked through the gap in the door and saw Adina with her head lowered.She was sitting on the edge of the bed and holding a tissue while wiping the corners of her eyes. Meanwhile, there was a stack of used tissues on the bedside table.It looked like she had been crying for a long time. ¡°Ahem!¡± The man coughed hard. head, as though she was shocked ¡°Get out!¡± the woman.Her eyes were red, as well not expect her to be capable of feeling sad and crying.He felt like his heart had in before he handed being angry.I bought you flowers at eyes, but she managed to suppress it in time.She used the tissue to block the emotions in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip you want me to pretend as if nothing happened with just some flowers? Duke Winters, don¡¯t you it at him again.For was lively and temperamental like an orchid blooming in up to His voice was hoarse. won¡¯t see each other again.What will it take for you to hit Adina¡¯s face, and it nearly drove her to leave at that really not going to we won¡¯t see each Earl held her hand. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.I¡¯ll live a good life with you.¡± He did not want to relive those days when he killed people, hid from people, and felt anxious.He wanted stability, light, and warmth. Even if all of that did not belong to him, he still wanted to despicably possess them. Earl gradually moved his hand from Adina¡¯s wrist to her shoulder, pinching it discreetly. Meanwhile, his other hand moved down from her back, stroking her waist and slowly approaching her butt¡­ An extremely strong sense of disgust welled up in her stomach. Without even thinking about it, she got up abruptly. Her knees hit the bedside table, and the cup on it broke. When Earl suddenly lost his grip on her, his expression darkened.He had lived like a hyena for so many years, but he had been the alpha.He never lowered his status to please anyone. He had bought flowers and apologized for the first time, but this woman was so ungrateful! He unleashed his intense aura without any cover, and Adina clenched her fists.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Chapter 631 She kept convincing herself to hold on, and after a few seconds, she made sure to tell him off in a shy manner. ¡°You have Catherine¡¯s perfume all over you now.There are even lipstick stains on your shirt.If you want to touch me, you should take a shower first.¡± It turned out that she was still jealous. Earl¡¯s intense expression faded slightly.He smelled his body, and there was indeed a very strong scent of perfume.He took off his coat, curled his lips, and said, ¡°Wait for me.I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡± Adina lowered her head and collected the ss pieces on the ground. ¡°Take your time.Don¡¯t fall in the bathroom again.¡± ¡°am I that dumb?¡± Earl chuckled and entered the bathroom. Adina lowered her head, and her tears almost fell.She quickly cleaned up the ss shards on the floor andter reentered with a bottle of red wine. When Earl stepped out of the shower, there were two sses of red wine on the tea table in the bedroom. have him a ghost of a our marriage certificate, it was obvious from her side profile that she was Duke in the past, but it would be him every in all her memories in the put his hand on Adina¡¯s shoulder, gently squeezing and it.She smiled bashfully and said, ¡°Duke, do you still little annoyed, and do you keep mentioning things that have happened in the past? We talk Adina continued to smile. wants another granddaughter, but there are already four children in the family, and I don¡¯t Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. we should Earl seemed happy. a few more daughters like Mel, to have Mel,¡± ¡°No, of course it¡¯s not enough.¡± Earl held her shoulders with his other hand. No matter how adorable Melody was, she was not his biological daughter.He longed for light, and he also longed to have his own kids.He slowly moved his lips closer. Adina closed her eyes and looked extremely obedient.She silently waited for the kiss.She also secretly counted down. Bang! Once she counted to eight, the man rolled over and fell on the couch. Adina sighed in relief.She got up, pretended to be worried, and said, ¡°Duke, Duke! Wake up! What¡¯s wrong? Are you drunk?¡± She shouted several times, but the man did not move at all. Adina raised her leg and kicked him away. Then, the unconscious man rolled onto the carpet.She sneered, and her eyes were full of indifference.She took out a shlight from the drawer on the bedside table before she squatted down and looked at the man¡¯s face carefully. His familiar features were so beautiful that she could not find any trace of stic surgery.Adina was a little frustrated.Had she guessed wrongly? Did Duke really have a split personality disorder? She was not willing to give up.She took a few close-up pictures of his face with her phone, uploaded them to a private cloud album, and deleted the photos from her phone. Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Adina sent the photos to a stic surgeon whom she had met abroad. [His face is simply perfect.He¡¯s a gift from God.No matter from which angle I look at him, I can¡¯t find any ws.As for the stic surgery you mentioned, I¡¯m sorry.I can¡¯t see any trace of surgery on his face.Of course, if the stic surgeon is extremely skilled, I¡¯ll take back my words.But there aren¡¯t many stic surgeons who are better than me in the world¡­] Upon reading therge paragraph of words from the stic surgeon, Adina fell into silence. Even one of the top three stic surgeons in the world said that he had not undergone any stic surgery on his face.It seemed that his face was real.So, was this man really Duke? Was this the same man who used to love her deeply? Adina set her sights on the man who was lying on the carpet. She suddenly remembered that when they were in love, she had seen a green birthmark under Duke¡¯s abdomen before.She squatted on the floor again.She opened the man¡¯s bathrobe and pulled his shirt down.However, she found a tiger tattoo. The tattoo¡¯s green pattern covered the spot where his birthmark existed.She could not see whether there was any birthmark. Adina pursed her lips and stood up. Then, she anxiously paced back and forth in the room.She always trusted in her sixth sense. This time should be no different.She pulled open the closet and changed into a in nightgown. After that, she messed up her hair, pulled open the room door, and walked out. It was alreadyte at night. The servants were already sleeping, and there was only a lit night light in the living room downstairs.She entered the kitchen, took a cup, and smashed it on the ground. There was a room behind the kitchen, and due to the loud noise, someone opened the door. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Mr.Brown put on a jacket and walked out. ¡°Mdm.Winters, why are you in the kitchen at thiste hour? Are you hungry? I¡¯ll wake the chef up to make you some food.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Adina lowered her head and picked up the broken pieces. hot water to drink.I¡¯m sorry for waking you up,¡± she said in a exceptionally husky and hoarse.It sounded like she that her hair was messy, and in nightgown, her face appeared pale too.It was as if heart skipped master had returned home an he quarrel with the you alright?¡± Mr.Brown ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Adina sniffed. she finished her sentence, Mr.Brown thought, ¡®Oh, no¡± tissues ¡°Madam, what¡­what happened?¡± nosily ask about the master¡¯s family affairs, but it was the middle of the night, and there was nobody else by her side.He was really afraid that the should go upstairs for them to solve the matter on their been very face, allowing the tears to stream down her had suppressed for a long time.Her partially- fake tears ¡°Madam, please have a seat on couch with a nket.Her gaze was a little understand why Duke has seemingly be another person after resignation as she said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for him toe back at night, so we drank some wine and had a deep talk.He kept saying that the happier he felt, the sorrier he felt for someone.I don¡¯t know who he feels sorry for.Is it his ex-girlfriend? Is it his person, so he¡¯s neglected me and the kids.Besides, he didn¡¯te home for Adina massaged her forehead. really loves another woman, I can divorce sank.He was the housekeeper of the Winters family, but he could feel that Mabel, Winters family to look for someone on arge scale, and he knew about it.He was aware of who the master had set out to find.He knew that the master had destroyed all of that man¡¯s property in Sea City.He knew that the master did not want that person to have the means Mr.Brown had always thought the master hated that person and his hatred ran deep into his bones. Unexpectedly, the master would feel sorry for that person in the middle of the night. No wonder the master had been acting so strange recently. It turned out that this was the issue. Did this mean there was a possibility for the master to reconcile with that person? Adina looked to the side a little and noticed that Mr.Brown seemed to be at a loss.She sniffed before she continued to cry and say, ¡°He¡¯s drunk now, and he keeps saying sorry.He¡¯s apologetic toward that woman, but he also feels sorry for me.Can he just neglect me like this after marrying me? This marriage is so meaningless.I¡¯ll divorce him tomorrow.I¡¯ll leave the Winters family with the kids and let him marry the woman he loves.¡± ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Mr.Brown quickly exined, ¡°Ever since the master was little, there have been no other women around him, let alone a woman he loves.You¡¯ re the only one in his heart.Please don¡¯t overthink it¡­¡± ¡°But he said the happier we are, the more apologetic he feels toward the other person.Who else could it be other than a woman he loves?¡± Adina chuckled in resignation. ¡°Mr.Brown, you don¡¯t have to advise me.In fact, I can ept this.I can ept that he doesn¡¯t love me, and I can also ept divorce.¡± She took out a document from behind her. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve also prepared a divorce agreement.I¡¯ll get him to sign it tomorrow.¡± Mr.Brown was so anxious that he kept sweating. This was a huge misunderstanding! However, he could not divulge the Winters family¡¯s secrets! But if he did not tell the madam anything, she would divorce the master tomorrow! ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll tell you the truth!¡± Mr.Brown gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, ¡°The person whom the master feels sorry for is not a woman, but his biological elder brother!¡± Pang! Lightning struck Adina¡¯s mind. She had suspected it for a while, but she still found it unbelievable when Mr.Brown actually said it out loud.She hid her shock as she looked down and resumed crying. ¡°Mr.Brown, don¡¯t lie to me.You don¡¯t have to make up such a lie just tofort me,¡± she said. Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Chapter 633 ¡°Madam, this is the Winters family¡¯s biggest secret, and I shouldn¡¯t have told you about it.But I really don¡¯t want you to continue misunderstanding the master.¡±Mr.Brown looked serious.His eyes seemed slightly zed over as if he was recalling the distant past. ¡°The master has a twin brother.When he was born, he was diagnosed with congenital heart disease.If a sick child appeared in a big family like the Winters family, it would trigger a lot of gossip from the outside world.It wouldn¡¯t be conducive to the kids either, so the Winters family hid the matter. ¡°The eldest young master was sent to the hospital to undergo treatment for his heart disease.In an operation, he nearly died on the operating table.At that time, he was only three months old. The three-month-old was so small. The doctor gave up on the treatment, saying that he could only live up to a year at most. Back then, thete Mr.Winters and Mrs.Winters went everywhere to find help for the young master, and they finally found a church to pray for him. ¡°The priest in the church allowed the young master to stay there, and after the priest took care of him, the young master miraculously lived past one year.Therefore, thete Mr.Winters and Mrs.Winters left the priest to take care of the young master and raise him up.Besides, they also followed the priest¡¯s instructions to hide the young master¡¯s existence.Aside from thete Mr.Winters, Mrs.Winters, and me, no one else knows that there was another young master in the Winters family.¡± Adina suppressed her shock. she continued to ask, ¡°Then? these years, but he has enjoyed the said, ¡°Meanwhile, Young Master Duke grew up in the Winters family.He naturally became their heir and inherited everything.Now that he¡¯s married you, his life for his own brother.It¡¯s not that he misses another woman.This is all a tonight.This is the Winters family¡¯s Adina pursed her lips. he should be twenty-six years old.His heart disease should also be cured.Why don¡¯t Mr.Brown sighed heavily again. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. it¡¯s not my ce to say anything.Once the master tell her a more earth- shattering secret than that no matter how knowing that Duke had a twin brother was enough.She softly said, ¡°Mr.Brown, thank you for easing the trouble in my heart.I Mr.Brown nodded. it through.It¡¯s reallyte now.Please go him a smile before down at the man on the ground.She finally figured out the issue and also discovered who this strange man was.He was Earley Wynters, or Earl Winters, the young master this was Earley, where was Duke? Where did Duke go? Adina looked at the knife on the But she could not. If this was a well-nned set-up, her actions could put Duke in a dangerous situation.She had to take it slowly. First of all, she had to find Duke¡¯s whereabouts. Adina got up and pulled the man up before sheid him on the bed. Then, she took off all his clothes and put a nket over him. Shey on the other side of the bed and closed her eyes as the night sky grew darker. Earl pressed his dizzy head while he opened his eyes slowly. He saw a strange ceiling, a soft nket, warm-toned curtains, and a woman sitting in front of the dresser while putting on makeup.He immediately sat up straight.He had slept so soundlyst night. Ever since that incident, he had never slept so soundly before. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Adina turned around.She was holding an eyebrow pencil while drawing her eyebrows. The morning sunlight shone in from the balcony and fell on her side profile. The golden light made the delicate hair that fell on her face visible.She shed him a bright smile, and his figure was reflected in her indifferent eyes. Right then, Earl¡¯s mood became bright. Just as he was about to pull the nket away and get off the bed, he realized that he was naked. Slowly, memories ofst night flooded his mind.Something had apparently happened between him and this woman.He curled his lips. ¡°Get a shirt for me.¡± Adina put down her eyebrow pencil before she picked up a lipstick. She scoffed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have hands? Can¡¯t you get it?¡± lively and agile, which waspletely different from her gloomy felt a light shining into his heart.He had always been a jerk, but he up, Adina had already put on makeup and gotten changed.He walked over and held her by the just looked to the side directly or kids before him away, and she asked to bite steamy encounterst night, he realized that he could not remember anything.He must Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. tonight, two of them went they were now sitting at the table while having were taking people at the dining table raised their heads man had his arm wrapped around the woman¡¯s slim waist while the two their way down, a picture ¡°Addy, Duke,e and have breakfast.¡± ¡°Wow! Daddy and Mommy have reconciled!¡± Harold¡¯s crinkled eyes revealed his joy. ¡°Daddy, you have to be nice to Mommy.You can¡¯t bully her anymore.¡± Earl curled his lips slightly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try not to make your mommy angry again.¡± Adina raised her eyebrows and looked at him. ¡°You better remember what you¡¯ve said.¡± The two of them looked into each other¡¯s eyes as if they were flirting.Mr.Brown let out a long sigh of relief. After he spoke to the madamst night, he felt slightly regretful.He regretted telling her the Winters family¡¯s secret. However, when he saw that the master and madam had reconciled, he felt that it was worth revealing the secretst night. Chapter 635 Chapter 635 Chapter 635 The family sat at the dining table for breakfast. As they were about to finish breakfast, Adina said, ¡°I received a call from the foreign educational institute yesterday. It was Alden and Melody¡®s teacher.¡± Mabel put down her cutlery. ¡°Is there an important reason for the call?¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Mel wasn¡®t in good health in the past, and she received treatment in that educational institute. I also helped Alden enroll in an early educational ss there. A few months ago, I came back in a hurry, so I didn¡®t manage toplete some of the procedures. They called me over to finish the final procedures. I¡®d like to bring Alden and Melody along too.¡± Mabel frowned. ¡°Just let Mr. Brown go.¡± ¡°Mr. Brown can help me do it, but the teachers in the institute miss Mel and Alden.¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°When I was alone with the kids, I had to work all the time. The teachers of the institute took good care of them so they could grow up well. I was thinking that I should take them to visit the teachers as a show of gratitude. What do you think, Duke?¡± She looked at the man beside her, seemingly asking for his opinion. Earl pursed his lips. He did not care about where the kids went. be more distracted, mother. I have no problem with wherever you so young. It¡®s too tiring for them to go abroad. It¡®s also easy for them to fall years. We want to go back and take a look,¡± Alden said obediently. ¡°Mel and I nted a tree at the back of the house. and said, ¡°I also carved a bunny on the tree.¡± to go and see the bunny that Mel he said, ¡°Grandma, Dad, I¡®d also like to go abroad him. ¡°Have you forgotten what clenched his the safe deposit box¡®s password, but he still stupid? Had he head and twisted his hands heart seize up. patted George on the back before she looked at Earl and chuckled. She said, ¡°Duke, can you not put so much pressure on the kid? It seemed like she was trying to sound cute. No man could resist a beautiful woman who acted adorably. Earl instantly gave in. ¡°Okay, we¡®ll talk about it after you return.¡± ¡°Yay! Awesome! I can go abroad with Mommy!¡± Harold jumped up high and ran around the living room. George smiled as well. Since the two of them had already agreed to it, Mabel had no right to object anymore. After breakfast, Earl went directly to thepany. Meanwhile, Adina stayed behind to pack the children¡®s clothing. Mabel walked over and helped her sort out their daily necessities. ¡°Addy, are you in a hurry? Do you have to leave today?¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Adina nodded. ¡°We¡®ll only arrive at the airport tomorrow morning if we leave today. After I handle the procedures, the kids and I will hang out there for a few days. Mom, don¡®t worry. I¡®ll take care of them.¡± Mabel let out a long sigh. She was not worried about Addy not being able to take good care of the children. She just had an inexplicable nervous feeling in her heart Adina folded the clothes while she said, ¡°Mom, I had a funny dreamst night. I actually dreamed that Duke had a twin brother. I gave birth to quadruplets, so I must have always felt that Duke has a sibling too. Oh, Mom, why do you look pale? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No¡­ No.¡± Mabel forced a smile. ¡°Why did you dream of that?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ Duke¡®s personality has changed too much recently, so it¡®s made me feel like he¡®s a different person.¡± Adina smiled as if she was mocking herself. ¡°When we weren¡®t married, he always took care of me. He tolerated me and protected me. Now, it¡®s more like me tolerating him. It¡®s as if he suddenly changed from being a caring older brother to a younger brother.¡± Every word she said made Mabel¡®splexion turn paler. ¡°Addy, I suddenly feel a little unwell. I¡®ll go back to my room and rest. You can ask the chauffeur to take you to the airport.¡± put down the clothes before she turned around and left expression instantly turned hostile. in on the trap too, was involved, Duke was probably send the four kids away as she could before she carried two huge gotten changed, and they were standing at her and respectfully said, ¡°Madam, do you need four bodyguards to tag along?¡± she asked, ¡°Are there any new bodyguards who have been recruited to N?velDrama.Org (C) content. said. ¡°I have to say that these bodyguards whom the master recruited are really good. They look like demons that case, I don¡®t need them. I can take care of Earley had nted in the Winters family. She would be crazy to let to say more, but he dared not make another peep when he saw Adina¡®s cold He then drove the five of them to the airport. Adina pushed the two suitcases and brought the four children into the airport¡®s lobby, attracting the attention of countless people. Luckily, all of them were wearing caps, so they were not recognized Harold sat on a suitcase and swung his legs as he happily said,¡± This is my first time traveling abroad with Mommy. I¡®m so excited!¡± The other three kids were also in a great mood. Adina¡®s heart was filled with guilt. She took the children to a remote corner and squatted down.¡± I¡®m going to say something very important now. You have to listen to me carefully,¡± she slowly said. The four of them began to appear serious at the same time. Four pairs of ck eyes were fixed on Adina, and her figure was reflected in them. ¡°Mommy might not be able to go abroad with you.¡± Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Their expressions darkened at the same time, and their eyes were full of disappointment. Alden pursed his pink lips. He had already felt that something was wrong when he heard his mom speak during breakfast. Melody had never received any treatment in any institution, and he had never enrolled in any early education ss either. His mom was clearly deceiving his grandma when she said those words. He thought his mom wanted to go abroad to handle some personal affairs, so he quietly corroborated his mom¡®s story. But his mommy was actually saying that she was not leaving now. Did that mean his mommy had tried her best to lie just to send the four of them away? Why? Adina¡®s mouth was full of bitterness when she saw her children¡®s doubtful gaze. She had to continue her lie. ¡°I was initially going to follow you abroad, but there¡®s been ast¨Cminute problem with my project, so I have to stay and deal with work first. But I¡®ve asked Uncle Flint to apany you. Do you all know Uncle Flint?¡± don¡®t know him. I don¡¯t know Uncle Flint! I just want you, Mommy! If Mommy isn¡®t going, then good boy. Please listen to Mommy.¡± Adina patiently coaxed them. ¡°Go abroad with Uncle Flint we stay in Sea City chuckled in resignation. meant one more day could hurt his own brother, he could could not risk the Earley¡®s true face without worry after she sent the you don¡®t see me. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. stood behind the five of them and heads and looked at him. George going abroad to have fun? Why do carried the little girl. ¡°Mel, do you still remember when you were little, I took you to see a meteor shower? Check this out. There will be another meteor shower tomorrow night, so we have to take this flight and go over now, or else, eyes lit up. ¡°I want to see the was also piqued. ¡°I¡®ve never seen a meteor shower. Can I make a wish when can!¡± Flint reached out to carry Harold as well. ¡°If you make a wish during the ne and see that George pursed his lips and said, ¡°Don¡®t worry, Mommy. I¡®ll take good care of my brothers and Mel.¡± Alden was silent His sixth sense told him that his mommy had to deal with something more important than the four of them. It was definitely not work because work always ranked after them for her. So, what was making his mother send the four of them abroad? Could it be¡­ Alden looked down. His dad and mom had looked really close in the morning, but he had noticed his mom¡®s clenched fists. In other words, his mommy had purposely acted as if she was in a loving rtionship with his dad in front of them. If his mommy had decided to divorce his dad, sending them away would be the only way to settle the matter smoothly. After Alden figured it out, he felt relieved. He smiled obediently and said, ¡°Mommy, we¡¯ll make a move first. We¡®ll wait for you toe and pick us up.¡± The four kids waved goodbye to Adina, and her tears almost fell. Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Ever since Alden and Mel were born, they had never left her even for a night She had just been reunited with George and Harold for a short time, and they were being forced to separate again. She used all her strength to suppress her tears before she looked at Flint and said, ¡°Thank you so much for this. Once | take care of this, I¡®ll repay you.¡± Flint waved casually. ¡°Just call me if somethinges up. I¡®m on call.¡± Adina watched him bring the children into the airport. As soon as the kids disappeared past the boarding gate, her eyes unwittingly turned red. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. She needed to send the kids away because she had run out of solutions. She had called Flint for help because she truly could not find anyone else. She did not know how to thank Flint, and she did not know what to do next either. She had to be careful with each step. Adina took a look at the time. That man should be in thepany at this time. big fuss before the kids got off water, and directly many days, and she was experiencing high psychological stress. Besides, she had suppressed her emotions for a long time. Therefore, she had a blocked nose any need to pretend, she cked out and was startled before she screamed in a transnational sat in the CEO¡®S seat while never professionally trained, and nobody had ever trained him since he was little, so he did not understand what the executives were reporting. and listen to executives sitting there were trembling. Winters was cold and not easy to deal with, but they realized that Mr. Winters had be even more indifferent now. He was like an evil asura that crawled out of with ruthlessness , as though he Buzz! phone vibrated on a look at it was a call from that woman. It was his first time receiving a call from Adina ever since he became Duke. His mood improved quite a bit, and he picked up the call after he gestured for the rest to be silent. ¡°May I know if you¡®re thisdy¡®s husband ? She¡®s been sent to Sea City General Hospital. Pleasee here as soon as possible.¡± Earl immediately stood up. ¡°What¡®s wrong with her?¡± ¡°She fainted from a fever. She¡®s receiving an IV drip now, and we need a family member to sign her checkout.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Earl picked up his coat and walked out of the meeting room. But Arden immediately ran after him. ¡°Boss¡­ Mr. Winters, the meeting is only halfway done.¡± ¡°Listen to the report on my behalf. If there are any questions, contact meter.¡± Earl entered the elevator without turning back. Arden was speechless. He was just a gangster, so he did not understand a thing. He should just record the reports and send them to Earl. Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Chapter 639 The smell of disinfectant in the ward filled his nasal cavity, and he heard the dripping sounds of medicinal fluid. Earl sat beside the hospital bed as he stared at the bedridden woman with a nk expression. This morning, the spy he had ced in the Winters family¡®s mansion called and told him that this woman had taken the kids to the airport Neither the children nor the woman deserved his attention, so he did not take them seriously. Unexpectedly, he received another call saying that she was hospitalized. Was she not supposed to be on the ne now? Why would she faint at the airport? Where were the children? Did they board the ne? Who took them abroad? of cigarettes but now, he realized that things were she would not have sent the children away. ¡°Cough!¡± and Earl subconsciously put he chuckled in smoked? But he actually controlled Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. trembling aggressively, he quickly threw the did not suddenly changed, and she struggled on hurt my ¡­ Dew Daugherty, give me back I couldn¡®t protect you¡­¡± and she would go crazy or appear to be in suddenly He remembered the information that he had previously looked up. Five years ago, after this woman slept with a strange man, a reporter photographed her, and she became the biggest joke in Sea City Then, she got pregnant, and the Daugherty family locked her up in their warehouse for eight months. She gave birth to four babies in the warehouse , but two of them were not breathing when they were born. They were even taken from her by force. She had to bear the pain of losing her eldest sons while she tried her best to give birth to another son and a daughter. She was just an ordinary woman, but the pain she endured was great Earl pursed his lips and slowly held her cold fingers. ¡°I¡®m here. Don¡®t be scared. No one will snatch your kids again.¡± Adina gradually calmed down in bed. Her breathing slowly stabilized, and her furrowed eyebrows loosened up. Earl¡®s phone suddenly vibrated. He picked up his phone and took a look at the caller ID before he prepared to step out and answer the call. Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Chapter 640 He realized that he was still holding Adina¡¯s fingertips. At this time, the passive woman had be proactive, as she held his index finger. He moved a little, and she held his finger more tightly. The feeling of being needed and relied on made Earl feel happier than he ever felt before. He sat by the bed, answered the call, and softly asked, ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± ¡°Boss, we found that the young masters anddy were taken abroad by Flint, the young master of Morton Corporation. Their destination is the small town where the madam used to live for four years.¡± ¡°Get a few people to follow them,¡± Earl said coldly. ¡°Keep an eye on them at all times.¡± As soon as he spoke, he felt the hand around his finger loosen. When he looked down, he saw that the woman was staring at him with indifferent and emotionless eyes. he raised his talking to on the phone?¡± It sounded like she had squeezed the sentence out of ¡°It was a call from my kids?¡± Adina stared at him and slowly said, ¡°Yes, I sent the kids away on purpose.¡± they were full of vignce. ¡°Why?¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. but you¡®ve had an affair. A marriage like that won¡¯tst long. Instead of arguing over custody of the children, why don¡®t¡­ I immediately sat up and pulled the needle off the back of her hand. Earl¡®s white shirt was stained her down. ¡°Are you mad? When did I agree to a divorce? When did I try topete for head hastily, but her face was pale and weak. ¡°Dew Daugherty wanted to steal George and Harold, but you¡®re worse than her. You even want to snatch Mel and Alden from me. ¡°Calm down!¡± the blood gushing out of the back of this woman not always been very calm and aloof? Why would she lose her mind like this when it came secretly protect the kids. I¡®m not fighting against you for custody.¡± Earl pressed her shoulders and said, ¡°Lie down first. I¡®ll a fool out of me! It¡¯s just like how Dew Daugherty lied to me about She rolled down from the bed and tried to run out. But Earl pulled her into his arms. ¡°Addy, I¡®ve never thought about stealing the children from you. Tell me what to do so that you¡®ll believe me.¡± ¡°Call your assistant in front of me and tell him not to send anyone to follow the kids!¡± Adina grabbed his cor and slowly said, ¡°If you dare to send anyone to follow the kids, I¡®ll die right in front of you this instant!¡± Earl frowned. He had asked Arden to get some people to follow the kids because he thought Adina had discovered his identity and wanted to hide the kids. However, this woman had clearly sent the kids abroad because she was just afraid of a divorce and a fight for custody. As long as his identity was not revealed , he could turn a blind eye to many things. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll call Arden.¡± Earlpromised as he took out his phone and made the call. Adina looked down slightly. Her jaw tightened as though she would not havested if things had dragged on a little longer. Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Earl asked Arden to withdraw his men in front of Adina. After Adina heard his words, her strength seemed to leave her. Her legs went weak, and she leaned on the bed. She looked at her palms nkly and started to cry all of a sudden. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Duke.¡± Earl¡®s heart seemed to seize up. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. He put his phone back into his pocket, walked up to the bed, and whispered, ¡°Stop thinking about it. Just rest well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Adina grabbed the hem of his shirt and spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°That night four years ago, I thought that George and Harold died, so I¡®ve always been overly suspicious. I went to the hospital for treatment, and the doctor said I suffered from persecution mania. He even said that I had severe depression.¡± She chuckled in resignation. ¡°When I found out that the kids were still alive a few months ago, I thought I had recovered. Unexpectedly¡­ Sorry, it¡®s my fault. My persecution mania made me send the kids abroad. I¡®m really sorry¡­ Duke, you can bring the kids back at any time. I don¡®t mind¡­¡± softened her attitude, and it made Earl never seen a woman with so many Click! sudden sh the nket over and covered her taken photos of me putting aside my you suppress the news online? I¡®m afraid that the kids will worry Earl calmly nodded. in and gave Adina another infusion. Adinay back on the pillow and fell asleep not leave. He sat in the ward and handled piles of documents. but keep looking at the bedridden felt haunted because he actually cared about his sister¨Cinw so brother was ¡°Baby¡­ My babies¡­¡± and her voice Earl walked over, held her hand, and whispered, ¡°It¡®s alright. You¡®re alright.¡± ¡°No! My babies! Don¡®t hurt my babies!¡± Adina kept repeating the same thing while she had a pained and twisted expression. She was drenched in sweat, but she could not wake up. She was tortured repeatedly in her dreams. ¡°Addy, wake up. Don¡®t sleep. Wake up¡­¡± Earl called out to her patiently, but she could not open her eyes at all. It was as if she was entangled by the nightmare. At this time, a doctor walked in. ¡°Mr. Winters, it¡®s best not to wake the patient up in this situation.¡± The doctor looked serious as he said, ¡°If her nightmares ur frequently, it¡®s very likely that something¡®s bothering her very much. She needs the intervention of a psychiatrist so that she can return to normal.¡± ¡°Get a psychiatrist to examine her tomorrow,¡± Earl said with a sullen face. Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Chapter 642 The next day, Adina woke up very early. She looked out the window with a pair of soulless eyes. She took a look at the time. The children should still be sleeping. They would have arrived at their destination at midnight, so they would probably sleep until noon to heal their jeg. They would likely call her when the time came. While she counted the hours, Earl walked in. He sat by the bed and softly said, ¡°In half an hour, a psychiatrist wille and talk to you. Don¡®t push him away. He just wants to relieve your mental burden.¡± Adina¡®s eyshes trembled before she chuckled in resignation.¡° I used to see many psychiatrists, but they ¡­ Anyway, they can¡®t cure my mental illness. Maybe I¡®m too severely ill, or maybe they¡®re not good enough.¡± As they spoke, the attending physician walked in with a man in a suit. ¡°Mr. Winters, this is Dr. Lewis, a famous psychiatrist in Sea City.¡± Winters. I¡®m a psychiatrist with professional integrity. This is the NDA for the treatment. Once we sign this document, no matter what secrets you tell me, they won¡®t a lot of conspiracies in big and rich families. Signing a document before treatment and signed it physician gave them a few words of advice, when Earl stood up to leave as well, Adina grabbed brushed across Earl¡®s N?velDrama.Org (C) content. looked at the psychiatrist. said, ¡°You¡®re the one whom the madam trusts. Of course you she made Earl on a speaker that he had carried along and do your friends usually said, ¡°Adina or now. You usually call me Lewis, and we go out partying Adina cooperatively said, ¡°You¡®re my friend, Lewis, and we always attend parties together. I trust you.¡± ¡°Yes, we trust each other.¡± Dr. Lewis guided her patiently. ¡°So, can you tell me what nightmare you had last night?¡± ¡°I dreamed about my kids¡­¡± Adina¡®splexion suddenly turned pale, but she endured it and said, ¡°Two of my kids died right after they were born. Their bodies were full of blood. Their eyes were closed. No matter how many times I called out to them, they didn¡®t respond. My half¨Csister suddenly showed up and carried my babies away. My babies¡­¡± She suddenly buried her head in her knees and gradually lost control of her emotions. Dr. Lewis softened his tone andforted her. ¡°Let¡®s not talk about that. Let¡®s talk about your kids. What are their names? How old are they?¡± Adina opened her eyes and suddenly became a little dazed.¡° Yes, where are my kids? Where are George and Harold? Duke, do you know where the kids are?¡± She grabbed Earl¡®s shirt uncontrobly as if she had gone crazy. Dr. Lewis immediately grabbed her arm. ¡°Adina, calm down. The kids are alright. They¡®re fine.¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± Adina swung the doctor away before she rushed into Earl¡®s arms and fearfully said, ¡°Duke, take me to the kids. Are they missing? I¡®m scared. I¡®m so scared!¡± Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Chapter 643 ¡°Addy, it¡®s okay. Everything¡®s fine. The kids are fine¡­¡± It took Earl a lot of effort to finallyfort Adina. He only brought the psychiatrist out of the ward after she quietlyy in bed ¡°Why would she suddenly lose control?¡± Earl asked with a frown as he lit up a cigarette. ¡°I did a little hypnosis on her and got her to enter the situation | created, but I outsmarted myself.¡± Dr. Lewis was a little regretful. ¡°I didn¡®t expect the madam to be so agitated at the mention of her kids. I¡®ll change my methods next time.¡± Earl frowned. ¡°You know hypnosis?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. He recalled hearing from Catherine that not many psychiatrists in the world could hypnotize others¡­ his throat and said, ¡°I¡®m the president of the Sea City queue for at least a month to make an appointment. However, the patient was Mdm. Winters this time, so he came straight away because he wanted to ¡°I¡®ll contact you again Lewis politely bade him goodbye stood outside for a while and smoked a cigarette, doorknob, he wore a self¨Cdeprecating ago, he would not have expected to be so anxious about a woman¡®s illness. just handle this went in, he saw Adina in bed. She was still sitting in the same position while looking out the not until he came in that she slowly turned to the side and forced a bitter smile. ¡°Wasn¡®t I right? My illness can¡®t be cured at all.¡± night¡®s nightmare. I¡®ve checked, and there are less than ten psychiatrists in Sea City who can carry out hypnotherapy. Even if you look for other doctors, they may not be better than Dr. Lewis. Forget it, Duke. find another one,¡± Earl insisted. the Inte before he saw a familiar [Catherine, a famous foreign psychiatrist, sessfully cured a rich man¡®s mental illness that bothered him for many years. Patients whoe in for treatment are already on a six¨Cmonth waiting list¡­) Earl stared at the screen in silence. When he met Catherine a few years ago, he knew that she was an expert in psychology. She was just eighteen years old, but she had already obtained the highest honor in the local area. She even used to go in and out of the pce to treat the queen. ¡°Catherine is outstanding.¡± Adina had also looked at his phone screen at some point. ¡°I¡®ve heard from your mother that Catherine¡®s an amazing psychiatrist. Perhaps she can treat me.¡± Earl looked at Adina¡®s eyes. ¡°There was a little misunderstanding between you and her. It¡®s not very appropriate.¡± He also thought that Catherine should be able to cure Adina, but two days ago, there was such a big fight between Adina and Catherine. If there was a conflict between the patient and the doctor, it would be quite difficult to carry out any psychological treatment. ¡°Didn¡®t you say that it was just a misunderstanding?¡± Adina said calmly. ¡°Since the misunderstanding has been resolved, there¡¯s no issue. I know I¡®m severely ill, and my body can¡®t handle it for another day. I want to cure my mental illnesspletely before the childrene back. Can you ask Catherine to come and help treat me?¡± Earl stared at her. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Chapter 644 He had never seen women fight each other out of jealousy, and he was really shocked by Adina¡®s explosive power that night. She just threw out several ps continuously, and he was not even able to react. Naturally, he ended up being sshed with two sses of red wine too. When Earl recalled that incident, he felt guilty for some reason. Nothing had happened between him and Catherine , but Adina did see that inappropriate scene. ¡°I¡®m sure,¡± Adina said in a serious manner. ¡°I just want to get better quickly. I want to live like a normal person who no longer has nightmares, no longer worries about losing anything, and no longer feels paranoid. Duke, help me¡­¡± Earl pursed his lips. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll contact Catherine and ask her if she has time.¡± As soon as he went out, Adina sighed in relief. the bedside while variousplex thoughts crossed scheming all this time. Buzz! suddenly that it was a video call from the instantly disappeared. She went ¡°Mommy. do you see it? I¡®m in the room that you used to sleep a plush pink toy. ¡°Mommy, I want to bring this Honey first. I¡®ll bring you home together when the N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Alden said obediently.¡± Uncle Flint¡®s going to take us out for lunchter. Mommy, where his mommy looked haggard. ¡°Mommy, your dark circles are really heavy. Your hair¡®s messy too. Did you just wake up?¡± was too much work in thepany, so I stayed overnight in the office. I have to go and wash up now. All children answered uniformly. After she bade goodbye to the kids, Flint finally took over the phone and softly said, ¡°Addy, you look pretty rough. What happened?¡± ¡°I¡®ll tell you once all of this is over.¡± Adina forced a smile and said, ¡°You¡®re doing me a great favor by helping me to look after and protect the children. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hey, there¡®s no need for thanks between us. I¡®ll take the kids out for lunch first. Talk to youter.¡± After Adina hung up, her smile instantly disappeared. There would be an uphill battle to fight next. She nced at her haggard and weak reflection in the mirror. Then, she walked out andy on the bed after she messed up her hair even more. Earl came in very soon. ¡°Catherine said she could spare a few hours tonight. What do you think?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Adina seemed to mock herself. ¡°Others need to make an appointment and queue up for medical treatment, so it¡®s great that I can receive treatment in advance. Thank you, Duke.¡± Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The air at night was filled with the smell of disinfectant, and it was pungent and unpleasant. At 8:30 pm, Earl led Catherine in through the ward¡®s door. Adina¡®s fingers, which were hidden underneath the nket, curled up. She looked indifferent as she said, ¡°Ms. Catherine, / apologize for my reckless behavior. I hope you¡®ll forgive me.¡± Catherine pursed her red lips coldly. All her life, she had never been pped in the face. If Earl had not called her personally, she would not havee to treat Adina. She pursed her lips without answering, and Earl nced at her menacingly. did she purse her lips and say, ¡°That¡®s in the walked up to the bed and appeared to get to work. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, can you describe your condition in bed leave for a moment?¡± Catherine turned around and said, ¡°It¡®s best not to have a third party present during psychotherapy. Please that he was asking Adina situation angered Catherine further. dangerous situations. He had been fearless, recalcitrant, and ruthless in everything this woman for her opinion on such to Ms. Daugherty,¡± Catherine said coldly. ¡°I¡®m here as a doctor today, so I won¡®t do anything that vites the medical code of conduct. Mr. Winters, please believe her head and say, ¡°Duke, you can go out first. lips and said, ¡°Addy, just call out of the ward, and the two women remained in the sat by the bed before she nonchntly said, ¡°Ms. ¡°Over the past four years, I¡®ve had nightmares every day. I¡®ve been dreaming that my kids will be snatched away and killed.¡± Adina covered her face and appeared to be in a lot of pain. ¡°I¡¯ve gone to many psychiatrists, and they all say I¡®m severely depressed and anxious. I¡®ve also taken medication, but they can¡®t cure me. Ms. Catherine, please think of a way to help me out of this nightmare.¡± Catherine slowly fitted the role of a doctor, and her voice became softer. ¡°Do you still remember when you first had your nightmare and what happened that day?¡± ¡°It was the day I gave birth. I was locked up in the warehouse, and I was going intobor, but my family was afraid that I would embarrass them, so they didn¡®t send me to the hospital. Therefore, I gave birth to the kids alone in the warehouse, and I bled a lot.¡± Adina grabbed her hair in distress. Then, she took a big breath. ¡°So¨CSorry, I lost control over my emotions. I can¡®t continue anymore. Can I have a cup of coffee before I resume?¡± Catherine frowned. She had met other patients who made different requests during treatment, so she nodded indifferently. ¡°Have it your way.¡± Adina picked up the coffee from the bedside table and chuckled in resignation. ¡°It¡®s a little cold. I¡®ll ask Duke to buy another cup for me.¡± Catherine¡¯s expression darkened again. A man like Earl would actually buy coffee for Adina. It was truly hard to imagine. Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Chapter 646 It made her jealous to the extreme. She held her pen tightly, and the tip of the pen punctured the paper in her hands. As if Adina did not notice Catherine¡®s emotions, she raised her voice and called out, ¡°Duke, are you there?¡± He opened the ward door at the next second. Clearly, Earl had been guarding the door. That turned Catherine¡®s expression a little colder. ¡°What¡®s wrong, Addy?¡± Earl walked in and cast an unfriendly gaze at Catherine. Catherine was furious. She did not do anything! ¡°Duke, I¡®d like to drink some coffee to calm my nerves.¡± Adina¡®s voice was soft and weak, while her eyes were watery. ¡°I like the freshly groundtte from the coffee shop on Assembly Street. Can you buy one for me?¡± aforting way. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll be soon as he said that, as though he was afraid of Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. jealousy could no longer water? I¡®d like to drink some water. Mineral pointed at the few bottles of water in the corner. ¡°The She unscrewed the cap and drank half of its contents. finally felt her jealousy and restless emotions disappear for a Let¡®s not talk about the nightmares. Tell me the story about you and Mr. Winters. It¡®ll help me to discovered him first. Perhaps it was the connection between father and silently listened Adina¡®s voice turned into a humming sound. Then, she closed her ¡°Ms. Catherine¡­ Catherine¡­¡± call out to Catherine and give her a nudge. Once Catherine stopped responding, Adina breath, and listened to the movement outside. Only the doctors and forth. The It would take at least forty minutes to travel to and from Assembly Street and buy a coffee. Ten minutes had passed, so she still had half an hour. ¡°Pete,e out.¡± As soon as Adina spoke, a man crawled out of the cab in the ward. It was a blond¨Chaired guy with blue eyes. He was skinny, and he wore gold¨Crimmed sses. ¡°Daugherty, I¡®ve done you a great favor this time. You¡®ll have to reward me!¡± Right after he got off the ne, he posed as a nurse and sneaked into the ward. He had hidden in the cab for a day. His limbs were numb, and he almost died in there. Adina pulled him up and softly said, ¡°We¡®re running out of time. Let¡®s get down to business first.¡± Pete stood up, pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose, and looked at the woman who had fainted on the couch. He smiled and said, ¡°It really is Catherine. I met her at a seminar before. She was extremely arrogant. It¡®s hard to hypnotize someone with a strong mind like her, but I¡®ll give it a try.¡± Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Pete opened the medical kit that he carried along and took out the tools that were necessary for hypnosis. ¡°Ms. Catherine, can you hear me?¡± His voice was as soft as the warm sunshine in spring and the warm waves of the ocean that embraced her entire being. ¡°Ms. Catherine, you¡®re now in a very special ce. This is your territory. You can rx. Please open your eyes and see what¡®s around you.¡± After he called out to her repeatedly, Catherine slowly opened her eyes. Standing at the side, Adina was startled as she stared at Catherine cautiously. However, she soon found that Catherine¡®s gaze was inactive. She was clearly being manipted. ¡°From now on, please keep your breathing rxed. Breath together with me. Inhale¡­ Now, you¡®re back to when you were eighteen years old. You meet a guy. He¡®s a very handsome man. You fall in love at first sight. You take him to see your parents, and your parents arrange a wedding date for you. I¡®d like to ask, what do you usually call your fiance?¡± Catherine moved her lips but did not speak. difficult for people with strong ¡®Catherine¡® or ¡®Dear.¡®What about you? What do you call him? He¡®s right next to you now. He wants you to ¡°Earl¡­¡± slowly moved her lips and uttered waspletely Earl¡­ Earl Winters¡­ Duke¡®s twin brother¡­ was true. It breath before she guide Catherine.¡± Your fiance loves to hear you call him ¡®Earl,¡® but your Catherine answered you the most sincere wedding blessings. But just as your wedding is about to start, Duke suddenly goes missing. Ms. Catherine, do ¡°He¡®s dead.¡± expression suddenly changed. He turned around and looked at Adina. breath for a moment too before she wrote down another sentence and ¡°Ms. Catherine, who did you say was dead?¡± Pete slowly asked.¡± Are you sure he¡®s dead? Do you know how he died?¡± Catherine¡®s pupils suddenly moved. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Pete immediately took out a watch and swung it in front of her eyes. Only then did Catherine fall into deep hypnosis again. ¡°Duke Winters is dead,¡± Catherine answered in a mechanical and sluggish fashion. ¡°A month ago, he was sent out of the country, and he died in a hail of bullets. He died without a trace.¡± ¡°That¡®s impossible!¡± Adina yelled uncontrobly before she immediately suppressed her anger and sadness. She tried to calm down and slowly say, ¡°Pete, is she not hypnotized at all? Is she lying?¡± Pete shook his head and lowered his voice. ¡°She really is hypnotized. She shouldn¡®t be lying. At least from her cognitive point of view, everything she says is true.¡± ¡°No¡­ that¡®s impossible.¡± Adina¡®s tense mind was instantly shattered. How could Duke die? He could not have died. He was a tough man. How could he die for no reason? Herplexion waspletely pale. She sat on the bed weakly while she stared ahead with a nk expression. Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Chapter 648 ¡°Daugherty, calm down first. I¡®ll ask her a few more questions.¡± Pete continued to stare at Catherine and ask, ¡°Who sent Duke out of the country?¡± ¡°It was Earl,¡± Catherine said dumbfoundedly. ¡°He sent Duke away, but Duke sought death. He marched to his own death. It had nothing to do with Earl. It had nothing to do with anyone,¡± Catherine muttered to herself, and her pupils started to move again. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. It was a sign that she was about to wake up. Adina was in so much pain that it felt as if she had been shot. She had difficulty breathing. She gripped Catherine¡®s shoulders and lost her cool as she asked, ¡°Where did you send him? Tell me, which country Duke was sent to?¡± She shook Catherine¡®s shoulders with great force. ¡°Daugherty, calm down. She¡®ll wake up if you do this.¡± Pete grabbed Adina¡®s arm to pull her away, but right then¡­ The ward door was suddenly pushed open. here. It¡®s still handle and stepped into the ward the couch with a nk expression. He could tell that in a white coat grabbed Adina¡¯s arm, and the two of regained consciousness as well. toward Earl. ¡± ward door while returned the same look progressed to this point, there was no need so long because she wanted to find out believe a ¡°Very good. Great.¡± his tongue against his pte and and suddenly found it hrious. He had been such a to the ground with a ssh, and the coffee spilled everywhere on the ground. on the coffee cup with ¡°Don¡®t mess around¡­¡± Pete shielded Adina with an alert expression and stared at the man who was approaching. ¡°Get out!¡± Earl emanated a ruthless aura. He raised his arm, grabbed Pete¡®s cor, and threw him to the side. Pete was very skinny and weak. Upon getting thrown, his head hit the wall, and he fainted instantly. ¡°Pete!¡± Adina was so shocked that she promptly rushed over. Pete was a doctor whom she had hired. If anything happened to him because of her, she would have to bear the consequences. However, before she could check on Pete¡¯s injury, the man grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his arms by force. ¡°Adina Daugherty, is it fun to make a fool out of me?¡± Earl stared at her and gritted his teeth. Every word carried great anger. Adina stared at him and chuckled out of extreme rage.¡± Shouldn¡®t it be my turn to ask you that? Earl Winters, is it very fun to act as your own brother?¡± Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Adina¡®s indifferent eyes were filled with all kinds of emotions, and soon, they were bloodshot. She was not afraid of Earl¡®s cold and intense gaze in the slightest. She curled her lips into a sneer. ¡°Earl Winters, do you think it¡®s interesting to live your life as someone else?¡± Her words were filled with sarcasm and provocation. Earl waspletely enraged. He raised his hand and strangled Adina. His eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he slowly tightened his grip. Just as he started to live a normal life and be more giving, this woman dealt him a hard blow. It turned out that her obedience and harmony had all been fake. She even faked her illness. him to a perfect trap! And he walked him. This woman must him slowly been defeated by strangling her to ward door and reminded him with an anxious but she could not watch Adina be strangled to she did not want the man she loved to kill anyone let go a coughing fit before she sat on our secrets. What should we do now?¡± Catherine bit her bottom lip and said, ¡°Why don¡®t we send her abroad? It¡®s up to her whether she and he did not say of was no need for him to smoked a cigarette, the atmosphere in the ward became more N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Earl Winters, let¡®s talk.¡± cold, and she hadpletelyposed She looked extremely calm as if she had not almost been strangled to death. Earl threw the cigarette butt to the floor and coldly said,¡± Catherine, go out.¡± ¡°Earl, I can¡®t go out!¡± Catherine insisted. ¡°This woman is very cunning. She¡®s great at using her beauty as a trick. I¡®m afraid that you¡®ll be seduced by her again and do something irrational ¡°Get out.¡± Earl interrupted her impatiently. Catherine moved her lips, but in the end, she stillpromised and walked out of the ward. ¡°I know all your secrets, so you want to kill me, don¡®t you?¡± Adina curled her lips into a sneer. ¡°Do you think I didn¡®t make any preparations ? Everything¡®s been part of my n from the moment I fainted at the airport. There are numerous reporters at the entrance of the hospital I¡®m staying at, and they¡®re waiting to interview me after I¡®m discharged. Well, if I die here, how much impact will it have on Winters Corporation? ¡°You put in so much effort to rece your brother as the CEO of Winters Corporation, and it hasn¡®t been a month since you became the CEO. If Winters Corporation suddenly bes a shellpany, wouldn¡®t that be a waste of your time?¡± She pursed her lips and resumed. ¡°Let¡®s make a deal.¡± Earl looked at her and scoffed. From the first time they met, he knew that this woman was not simple. Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. It seemed that no matter what happened, she could always n the next step without changing her expression. After she learned that Duke was dead, should she not cry in pain and be extremely sad? How could she still think of making a deal with him? ¡°What¡®s the deal?¡± he asked nonchntly. ¡°I can keep your secret, but you have to tell me where you sent Duke,¡± Adina firmly said as she stared at him. No matter what, she did not believe that Duke was dead. When Earl heard her request, his expression instantly turned cold. Duke! Duke again! This woman could pretend to be polite toward him for so many days for Duke! This woman could even keep this secret for Duke! love Adina¡®s chin. ¡°Am I not in front of you now?¡± he asked in a persistent but menacing it interesting to Winters. Unless you can find any evidence to prove that I¡¯m not Duke Winters, you threw her to the side and wiped He kicked Pete who was lying on the ground with revulsion. ¡°Get him to keep his mouth he spoke, he pulled the ward door open and was only after a while that grief filled her heart. She buried her face in her knees and cried out in she cried for a long Pete to another hospital before she changed into her she stepped out of the ward, Arden walked over from the corner of the corridor. ¡°Madam, ¡°Do I have to report what I want to head and said, ¡°Mr. Winters has ordered not be bothered to ask mansion was terrifyingly the mansion greeted Nobody had expected the madam who had been hospitalized to suddenlye home. ¡°Where¡®s Mrs. Winters?¡± Adina asked indifferently. Mr. Brown moved forward and said, ¡°Mrs. Winters has gone to attend a gathering. She¡®lle back later. Is there anything, Madam?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Adina sat down on the couch in the living room. ¡°I¡®m a little hungry. Please make me something to eat.¡± Mr. Brown immediately arranged for the chef to prepare some food. He nced at Adina and felt that she suddenly seemed strange, but he dared not ask. He just proceeded to the courtyard to carry out his other work. The food was quickly prepared, and Adina ate in the dining room. To act like a frail patient, she had starved for a few days, so her body was extremely weak. That led to her not taking initiative immediately in the ward, causing Pete to be injured. Following the meal, Adina took herptop and sat on the couch in the living room to handle her company work. The sky slowly turned dark. When Mabel came back from her gathering, she stood at the hallway entrance to change her shoes. That was when she saw Adina suddenly walk toward her. Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Chapter 651 ¡°Addy, aren¡®t you in the hospital? Why are you back so suddenly?¡± Mabel changed her shoes and greeted Adina while holding her hand, like usual. She was startled when she touched her hand.¡± Why are your hands so cold? You need moreyers. Don¡®t get sick. Come, let¡®s go upstairs and get you a coat.¡± Adina pulled her hand away. The bright lights in the living room shone on her face. Her indifferent gaze, bloodshot eyes, and the sneer at the corner of her mouth were clearly visible. Mabel finally sensed something was not right. She put down her handbag, and said with a heavy sigh, ¡°Addy, what happened ?¡± ¡°You already know it, don¡®t you?¡± asked Adina. Mabel¡¯s expression changed instantly when she heard what Adina said. as she asked calmly, ¡°What do are dear to you. I neither understand why you sent the eldest son away nor why you helped him kill your second son after two decades ¡­¡° That¡®s not the shook her case. How can I bring about Duke¡®s death? He¡®s my son, my biological son. How can I watch him die¡­? I¡®m atPlease check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. she fell onto Addy¡®s heart sank instantly. glimmer of hope, how Mabel reacted, things were pretty When she realized it, past his first birthday. I had to crying her heart out. She had always kept this matter weak the moment he was born, but the Winters family abandoned him. We owe him this. It¡®s natural that he hates the family. For so many years, I¡®ve been trying to make it up to him, but he ¡°He has suffered and lived in the shadows for two decades. He was finally able to experience what it¡®s like, living as a normal person. Addy, please, don¡¯t expose him. Let him live like a normal person. I¡®ve already lost a son. I don¡®t want to lose another one¡­¡± Mabel grabbed Adina¡®s sleeve. Adina pushed her away harshly. ¡°How about Duke? Who will stand up for him?¡± Mabel cried harder. ¡°Duke is already dead. He will nevere back to life. There¡®s nothing I can do. I just want to make the one who¡®s still alive happy¡­¡± Adina felt extremely disappointed. Just because one of her sons died, she¡®s willing to put up with whatever crimes the other sonmits? I¡®m not that kind. Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Chapter 652 ¡®Earl Winters killed my newlywed husband. I must get justice!¡¯ ¡°Addy, listen to me, don¡®t act rashly!¡± Mabel grabbed her wrist again. ¡°Duke is no more. He¡®s gone. If the public finds out about his death, the children will be fatherless. The Winters Corporation will lose its mainstay, and the Winters family¡®s honor will go downhill. From then on, no one will protect you and your children. Do you¡­ want things to end this way? ¡°Earl has been living in the shadows for the past two decades. He truly appreciated being able to live in the spotlight. He promised me that he will take good care of you and the children. He will be a good father.¡± Mabel pleaded, ¡°Addy, please pretend Earl is Duke. Try to love him. It¡®s good enough if you can stay with him and protect the children together. Adina, please¡­¡± Adina harshly shook herself free from Mabel¡®s grip. She said clearly, ¡°I will not pretend as if nothing has happened just to make life easier. If the children find out about this, they will never agree to let a man who killed their father protect them. Mrs. Winters, Earl is your son, but he has nothing to do with me. I will not let him off the hook.¡± ¡°Addy, the children are still young. Are you really going to tell them about this?¡± Mabel wept bitterly, ¡°They¡¯re only four years old. Are you going to let them live with hatred for the rest of their lives? Indeed, I¡®m not a good mother. If you were to tell them, what¡®s the difference between you and me?¡± bit her lower hard that it started to bleed, but it at least give them a happy eye and stepped forward. She then locked it. She then leaned some time, children, video calling her. She hurriedly went to the washroom to straighten her hair and wash her face before you so long to ¡°Mommy, I miss you.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. are your eyes why are The children sounded nervous. Adina said as she showed them an easy smile, ¡°I identally bit my lip while eating. The pepper got on the wound, and I teared up. It¡®s not a big deal. Stop panicking.¡± Only then did the children calm down. Harold asked happily, ¡°Mommy, when will youe and fetch us home?¡± Melody blinked her eyes and asked, ¡°That¡®s right, Mommy. I miss Daddy.¡± Adina almost burst into tears when she heard Melody¡®s soft voice. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Your daddy is too busy with work. Once he¡®s done, I¡®ll ask him to give you all a call.¡± ¡°Mommy, your dark circles have gotten worse. Get some rest,¡± Alden said gently. Adina could not hold back her tears anymore. She raised the corner of her mouth and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll end the call now, then. Be good, okay?¡± Alden¡®s expression turned cold when they hung up. Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Alden and George looked at each other. Both of them had solemn expressions. Even the simple¨Cminded Harold could sense something was off. He scratched the back of his head and said, ¡°Why do I feel like something was not right with Mommy?¡± George pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°Al, do you think Mommy was lying?¡± Alden nodded solemnly. ¡®I remembered when I was young, Mommy was so haggard when Melody was sick and hospitalized, but at least her gaze was calm and clear.¡® However, just now, Mommy¡®s eyes were bloodshot, making his heart skip a beat. ¡®Based on how well I know Mommy, something big might have happened this time.¡¯ He said coldly, ¡°I need to get back to Sea City early.¡± ¡®No matter what, I need to be by Mommy¡®s side and tide over the difficulties with her.¡® recently. I dreamt that something happened to Daddy and Mommy. I¡®ll only feel at Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. her misty eyes, asked, and said get my why do you guys want to go back to Sea City?¡± Flint wasing downstairs when he overheard the children wanting to go back to their home country. He said loudly, ¡°Didn¡®t we agree to go to the theme park tomorrow? I have bought the tickets. I even bought a lot of snacks. Don¡®t you dare to let my hard work in a low voice, ¡°Uncle Flint, something happened skipped a domestic news is generally difficult to spread you know something, don¡®t you?¡± George red flu and was dizzy. It¡®s not a big deal, she¡®ll be discharged from the hospital in two days¡­ Hey, Al, what bedroom, took out theptop, and saw the news about Mdm. Winters fainting and being hospitalized less than half an hour before the four of us boarded abroad, Mommy was hospitalized. closed his notebook as his expression became even more ¡°AI, it¡®s really no big deal. In two days, your mother wille over and pick you all up.¡± Flint followed after him and went upstairs as he repeatedly advised, ¡°You¡®re only four years old. You should just y around and have fun. Don¡®t ruminate on things.¡± Alden stood up and said sternly, ¡°Uncle Flint, I will go back to Sea City, regardless of whether you agree or not.¡± George said inly, ¡°I¡®ve already asked my assistant to get us a ticket back to Sea City.¡± Harold nodded. ¡°I want to go back and apany Mommy.¡± Melody said softly, ¡°I miss Daddy and Mommy. I want to go home, too.¡± Flint massaged the space between his eyebrows as he looked at the four children in front of him. ¡®You guys are worried about Addy, huh? ¡®I am, too. ¡®But I also know that the four of them are her Achilles heels. I must protect them well, so she can deal with more important matters without any worries. ¡®But in these four children¡®s opinions, Addy is also their number one priority.¡® Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Chapter 654 ¡®The four children would not sit still once they found out something happened to Addy. ¡®If I force them to stay, they might go behind my back and escape from me. ¡®Rather than that, it¡®s better if ¡­.¡® ¡°I¡®ll go back to Sea City with you, then.¡± Flint shrugged helplessly. ¡°Have a good rest tonight. We will board the ne tomorrow morning to return to Sea City.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He nced at the caller ID. It was his father. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. His expression instantly changed. ¡®If my father takes me back now, who will protect these children¡­?¡® Flint frowned as he walked to the balcony and picked up the call. I¡®m done, I¡®ll go he was about to hang up, ¡°I heard that you know someone from the am the heir of Morton¡®s family. Why would I get tangled with them? Dad, even though I¡®m stubborn, I¡®m not If we can reach a partnership with them, it¡®ll be a very good opportunity for Morton Corporation. If your malevolent friends have a way to reach out to them, you can bring them to see me. It¡®ll benefit sigh. ¡°Dad, don¡®t worry. I will territory with my friends but it¡®s said that they have changed their leaders. All extremists have been expelled, and some have been handed over to the intergovernmental organization for trials. By the already been sessful in its illegal businesses. If it starts to operate here to reconnect with his Suddenly, Alden¡®smunicator vibrated. him hundred finally emoji, asking He then asked, [What happened?] ¡®The Astroysian man who asked us for helpst time isn¡®t dead! He survived despite being shot by countless bullets! And he became the leader of the ck Party! Can you believe it?! An Astroysian actually became the boss of the ck Party?! Most of all, he removed all violent elements in the organization after starting his new role as their leader for only three days!] Alden was stunned when he read K¡®s message. For some reason, after he found out that the person survived, he felt so much better. He then replied, [Send me all the information you can find about the new leader of the ck Party.] K immediately sent a document over. As a leader of any organization, even if it was public information, there would be at least dozens or hundreds of pages. However, the information for this leader did not even surpass one thousand words. [His name is Terry North. He once single¨Chandedly assassinated Auguste. After faking his death to save his own life, he assassinated the new leader, who had only started taking up the role for less than three days. Naturally, he became the new leader¡­] Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Chapter 655. Deep into the night, Adina sat on the balcony, holding the diamond ring tightly in her hand. ¡®This is the ring Duke put on my finger when I got married that day. Luckily, I didn¡®t throw it into the trash can on impulse.¡® ¡®The sea blue ring has be the only thing that I can remember Duke with. ¡®Where¡®s the ring that I gave him?¡® Adina was sobbing really hard. She looked bleak and pitiful under the moonlight. She had never been a crybaby, and she seldom cried in the past four years, but today, she had burst into tears three and four times. Even though her eyes were no longer bloodshot, tears were still streaming down her face. For the first time in her life, she was lost. She did not know what to do next. don¡®t still have to look out for my four children, I would definitely bring the evil they are my Achilles heels. They are the soft spots them, I feel as if my heart has much, but he¡®s truly gone N?velDrama.Org (C) content. it hard to believe that Duke cracked. The gaze of her teary want to see him, whether he¡®s and Earl say find a way she could hear clear in her pocket, and sat back on the bedroom door and grabbed the doorknob. He then herself up in her room the moment she returned to the been restless at thepany all afternoon, worried that she The quieter she was, the more worried he became. But on second thought, with the four children around, and after weighing the pros and cons, Adina would not do anything reckless. Earl raised the corner of his mouth as he turned to leave. At that moment, the bedroom door opened. ¡°You¡®ve just only got back. Why are you nning to leave again?¡± Adina leaned against the door as she looked at him coldly. Suddenly, Earl did not have the guts to look into her eyes. But he was certain he had done nothing wrong. ¡®She schemed against me. Why should I feel guilty?¡® He pursed his lips, lifted his chin, and said, ¡°I cane back and leave whenever I feel like it. Why should I exin myself to you?¡± Chapter 656 Chapter 656 Chapter 656. Adina turned her body sideways and asked calmly, ¡°Are you free to talk?¡± ¡°What leverage can you use to negotiate with me?¡± Earl sneered. ¡°Forget about using my identity. Let me warn you again: if my identity is exposed, the psychologist will be the first to die. And ¡­ the least obedient among the four children will be next in line.¡± Adina clenched her fist. She almost threw it at him. Threatening her with her children was a quick way to break herposure. ¡®Luckily, I¡®ve sent them overseas. I don¡®t have to worry about them.¡¯ She took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I don¡®t have leverage that I want to talk to you. You don¡®t want to have a ticking time bomb living in the house, do you?¡± Earl took a nce at Adina, strode into the bedroom, and sat down on the bed. He crossed his legs, looking like a gangster. Before this, he had been forced to learn how Duke acted. that his identity has been exposed, pocket and lit it before up even more as she watched how I still need I can only find Duke¡®s whereabouts if I am before continuing to say, ¡°My four children have just started having a happy,plete family. They finally have a father and a mother. If they find out that their father has passed away, it will impact them a This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. he looked at her. family just because of the children.¡± Adina gritted her teeth. ¡°Since we¡®vee to the divorce ¡°I just got a firm foothold in Winters Corporation. If I were to get divorced, everyone would be want to let force her to stay in the Winters to the divorce, I need to have assurance, so I can continue and looked at him with an icy cold Earl stubbed the cigarette and smiled coldly, ¡°So, you were confident that I won¡®t agree to the divorce, aren¡®t you? You even thought about your demands already, huh? Adina brushed her ck and beautiful long hair to the back and smiled brightly, ¡°Earl, I¡®m sure you have feelings for me, even if it¡®s just a little bit.¡± ¡°Of course. You¡®re pretty. All men would fall for you.¡± He stood up and touched her hair. ¡°But it¡®s just a fling, like how men fall for the hottest women in a nightclub. You get what I¡®m trying to say, right?¡± Adina¡®s expression instantly turned cold, ¡°Why do you still want me to be Mdm. Winters when you only see me as one of those women from the nightclub? ¡°Earl, listen up.¡± She took a step back and said coldly, ¡°If you don¡®t want to divorce, transfer the shares that belong to the four children to my name.¡± Children of the Winters family automatically held the shares of Winters Corporation when they were born. However, because the children were too young, the shares had been ced under Duke¡®s name. Duk? suddenly disappeared before Alden and Melody¡®s shares were transferred¡­ ¡®Whatever belongs to Duke has been taken by Earl. But as for those belonging to the children, I will take it all back.¡® ¡°Oh, you¡®re really brave, aren¡®t you?¡± Earlughed. ¡°The four of them aren¡®t my children. Why should I transfer the shares to them?¡± ¡°Because these shares originally belong to them, and you are just a thief.¡± Adina said clearly, ¡°You took Duke¡®s things, just as the Winters family owes you, but the four children are innocent. Why should they pay for the feud between the previous generation?¡± Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Earl took a nce at Adina¡®s back. ¡®Ever since I was born, I have remained in the shadows. The one thing that I yearned the most is light. ¡®I want to be the chairman of Winters Corporation, not its shares or assets¡­ ¡®If I¡®m able to make her trust me more just by transferring some shares, it will be a good deal¡­¡® ¡°If you were to bepliant and y your part as Mdm. Winters, you would profit from it as well.¡± Earl smiled and said coldly, ¡°I¡®ll have my assistant transfer the shares to your name. Are you happy now?¡± Adina clenched her fist and slowly rxed. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°This has nothing to do with my happiness. I only did this for you to have a clear conscience. You must give what you owe Duke to the children aspensation.¡± After she finished speaking, she turned and headed straight to the washroom indifferently. Earl¡®s gaze turned cold again. for the children, but does not want Duke to lose Why is she still concerned dresser, swung his hand, and stomped off just a matter of days, her beauty was gone, her eyes were bloodshot, out, mental devastation is I wouldn¡®t still be standing But not too slow, though. Duke might not be Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡®And Catherine too¡­ is, I must start another sleepless five or six in the morning. When and put on heavy makeup to cover her haggard face. looked at Adina with aplicated gaze as she watched here downstairs. She before continuing to go downstairs. She asked calmly, ¡°What¡®s the Mabel¡®s fingers stiffened. ¡®She used to call me ¡°Mother¡± affectionately, but now she calls me Mrs. Winters in such an unfamiliar manner¡­ ¡®It¡®s obvious what she¡®s trying to show me.¡¯ ¡°Addy, have you really decided to divorce Earl?¡± Mabel¡®s lips quivered. ¡°Is there no chance of changing your mind on this matter?¡± Adina frowned. ¡°Who told you that we¡®re getting a divorce?¡± Mabel tapped the news on her phone and showed it to her. Today¡®s headline in the Sea City news was the transfer of Winters Corporation¡®s stock, with more than ten percent of the shares being transferred to Adina¡®s name, sparking huge spection. [Equity split between the couple in Winters Corporation!] [Adina Daugherty has be the thirdrgest shareholder of Winters Corporation, and its Board of Directors is facing a huge challenge.] [One of the reasons for the turmoil in Winters Corporation¡®s equity may be the prelude to the beginning of the divorce between Duke Winters and Adina Daugherty!] Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Chapter 658 ¡°They are getting a divorce after only being married for less than a month. What on earth has happened during this period?¡± ¡°Some people have spected that a third person came between them. Is that really the truth? Our reporter will interview them and get the truth.¡± As she looked at the news, the corner of Adina¡®s lips curled up a little. These journalists did not let her down indeed. ¡°Addy, is it true what the news said?¡± Mabel¡®s hands were shaking. ¡°Even if you want to get a divorce, can¡®t you wait just a little longer?¡± Adina said with an apathetic look on her face. ¡°He will have his own children one day. I¡®m just fighting for my children¡®s rights in advance. Divorce or not, it doesn¡®t mean much to me.¡± Her husband¡®s name on her marriage certificate was Duke Winters, not Earl Winters. divorce with Earl did Adina¡®s phone vibrated. She answered it and smiled indifferently . ¡°Okay, I will porch to change her shoes. She did mother, so she should have Mabel became an aplice, she in the car. journalists at that moment. They all wanted to be the first press to obtain information the journalists and clear out ane to ensure the employees were a windbreaker appeared at the entrance of Winters Corporation. She walked into Winters Corporation in high heels, a hat, and were Duke and Adina. So they did not way up to the top Secretarial Department knew her. They also knew that she was the woman who was rumored that Mr. Winters and Mdm. Winters were Catherine from going inside. Earl was ying video games in his office when the door of his office was He looked up coldly. His voice was cold. ¡°Didn¡®t I already tell you not to show your face before me again? Get out.¡± Catherine did not give in at all. She kicked the office door shut without turning around. Then, she swayed her hips and walked over. ¡°Earl, you are finally going to divorce Adina. Does that mean we can be together openly now?¡± Earl knitted his brow tightly. ¡°Who says I¡®m getting a divorce ?¡± ¡°The news said so.¡± Catherine smiled coquettishly . Then, her expression turned cold again. ¡°Adina is so greedy. It hasn¡®t even been a month since she married into the Winters family, and she has gotten at least ten percent of shares, which are worth nearly ten billion. How could you transfer the shares to her that easily?¡± Earl threw the game controller away and said coldly, ¡°This is between me and my wife. What does it have to do with you?¡± Looking at his expression, it finally urred to Catherine that the press was just reporting unsubstantiated rumors. Earl had no intention of getting a divorce. ¡°You are insane.¡± Catherine bit her lower lip and said, ¡°I can¡®t believe you transferred so many shares to Adina just to appease her! You killed the man she loves. She will only hate you. She won¡®t wait to kill you! Do you think if you showed her a gesture of goodwill, she would be content with it and spend her life with you? Earl Winters, don¡®t be a fool. Don¡¯t ce yourself in a submissive situation for that vicious woman. Earl, I¡®m the only one in the world who really loves you. Why won¡®t you look at me?¡± As she said that, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. However, Earl shook her off coldly. ¡°Get out. Don¡®t make me call security. Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Chapter 659. All of Catherine¡®s dignity was trampled on the ground. Her tears fell, and she could not stop them She sobbed and said, ¡°Earl, you will regret this. You will regret the choice you made today.¡± She gave Earl a deep look. She kept looking back at Earl as she walked toward the door of the CEO¡®s office. As she reached the door, she raised her hand and wiped her tears off. She could be humble and yearning in front of Earl, but in the eyes of others, she would always be the woman who was on the pedestal and invible. Catherine walked out of the CEO¡®s office with her chin up and stepped into the elevator. The moment she left, the secretaries started to discuss among themselves. ¡°They haven¡®t even announced their divorce yet, and the mistress is openly entering and exiting Mr. Winters¡® office.¡± ¡°Although this mistress is a foreign woman, she is obviously not as beautiful as Mdm. Winters. I wonder how Mr. Winters could be so blind. a month. Looks that all men are the same, no matter which ss they are the divorce settlement. She will have a better life than any of us, When she got off, she exit of Winters Corporation. She had just only walked out of the door when she heard someone ¡°Miss Catherine.¡± who was dressed in casual attire, walked toward her from the other side of the had not caught have expected the newsmaker herself up the brim of her hat, revealing a slightly smiling face. ¡°Did you just her teeth so of her own beauty and yed mind games, wrapping Earl around husband!¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°Or do you not mind devoting yourself to your husband¡®s matter. You don¡®t have to worry about that, Miss high the two was less down a little and spoke coldly, ¡°Catherine, do do you think is the mistress between us?¡± Catherine lowered her voice and growled. I can prove that Earl isn¡®t Duke, as long as I can prove that She pulled Catherine toward the reporters. That immediately brought Catherine back to her senses. The press could not find out about this matter. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Catherine lost control of her emotions and suddenly shook her hand off with force. Adina was wearing high heels. She fell to the ground as she was caught off guard. She dropped her sun hat, revealing a delicate and wless face. The reporters outside had already noticed themotion over here. They all mored as soon as they saw her face. ¡°It¡®s Adina Daugherty, Mdm. Winters!¡± ¡°Mdm. Winters is fighting with another woman!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°A legitimate wife and a mistress?¡± Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Chapter 660 ¡°Let¡®s go over and interview them!¡± Dozens of reporters broke through the security guards¡® defensive line and surrounded the two women, whose lives were intertwined, in the lobby. Adina sat on the carpet, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked at Catherine, who was standing in front of her. Her voice choked and quivered. ¡°If you and Duke truly love each other, I will step back and let you be together. Please just stop messing with me. Please leave my children alone.¡± As she said that, the expressions of the reporters who surrounded them changed. Their suspicions had actually turned out true. It had been years since they had witnessed a fight between a legitimate wife and a mistress. The reporters snapped photos of Catherine¡®s face in excitement. Catherine was dumbfounded at the entire situation. She remained stupefied for quite a long moment. Her face was quickly recognized by reporters. you Miss Catherine ? The famous psychiatrist She is Dr. Catherine. Dr. Catherine treated my motherst time. I never it is true that you are All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. and Mdm. Winters are getting a divorce because of a physician of a certain social status. Why would you choose It was so blinding that she could not open her eyes. Catherine was on then, Earl suddenly appeared in he stood in front of Catherine, shielding her from the was solemn. He took a step forward with his long legs. He grabbed a camera and smashed it on the ground. The lens shattered. The reporters¡® faces turned white with ¡°Get lost!¡± the scene were terrified of him. They were all gone in under a pitifully. ¡°It¡®s all Adina¡®s fault. She provoked me on from the indifferently, ¡°Do you dare deny that you are not a I got together with Earl first, so you are the mistress here.¡± Catherine did not get to said with an impatient look on his face, ¡°Shut up! Catherine shuddered with fear. She felt extremely wronged, but obviously, this man would not care about her feelings. He just helped her out in front of the reporters, though he probably just did it to protect Winters Corporation¡®s reputation. She bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Earl, don¡®t be mad. I will leave now.¡± She did not dare to go through the front door, so she left through the side door, escorted by the security guard. Earl, with one hand in his pocket, walked toward Adina with a wicked smile. ¡°I thought I have told you to stay obedient as Mdm. Winters. What are you attempting to aplish by putting on this act?¡± He abruptly seized her chin with his big hand. His index finger rubbed against the smooth skin of her chin. His voice was low and cold. ¡°Adina, haven¡®t I told you that I would take it out on your kids if you yed any tricks again?¡± Adina looked straight into his eyes. Her lips curled as she said indifferently, ¡°You should also keep in mind that you are my titr husband. Your mistress came to Winters Corporation to see you in your CEO¡®s office every day. You may not care about how others would condemn you, but I¡®m concerned about myself bing the biggestughingstock in Sea City.¡± Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Chapter 661. The news on the inte was escting. The short video of Adina and Catherine arguing in the lobby went viral. The photo of the CEO of Winters Corporation standing in front of Catherine, shielding her from the journalists, had been shared more than a billion times. The number ofments was growing at a rate of thousands per second ¡°Oh damn! So it¡®s true that they are getting a divorce because someone came between them!¡± ¡°His wife has fallen to the floor, yet Duke actually protected his mistress first. His mistress is his true love indeed.¡± ¡°Adina is the most beautiful woman in Sea City. How is she not better than her? Why did her husband kick her out after getting married for just a month?¡± ¡°Maybe her personality was too imposing, that¡®s why her husband chose to find another woman.¡± ¡°Those who are ming it on the victim should take some time off. Cheaters deserve to die! Homewreckers deserve to die! No matter what his wife has done wrong, it shouldn¡®t be a reason for him to have affairs and cheat on her!¡± is Catherine. A famous psychiatrist. Her clinic is on the second It has ruined my children¡®s lives. I hate mistresses . Catherine has the news of Catherine¡®s clinic being hand. ¡°If Catherine doesn¡®t leave Sea City, news like this will expression was extremely All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. managing social rtionships in business, but he had no idea how to handle one side was Catherine, who had been was his brother¡®s wife. Of course, he had to admit that he cared front of my kids, I will go all out to teach her a lesson,¡± Adina said coldly. ¡°You only have one way out now. Tell Catherine to get teeth. ¡°Do you think she would listen to things you say,¡± said Adina. ¡°The finished, she turned around and stepped outside, blinding sunlight. Her face was filled with a bitter ¡®Duke, where are you?¡® are still alive, why aren¡®t youing to me? Why ¡®Are you really dead?¡® Buzz. The vibration of Adina¡®s phone pulled her out of her sadness. She nced at the caller ID. It was an unknown number. Perhaps it was a business client. She adjusted her mood and answered it. ¡°Is this Ms. Daugherty?¡± A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. A figure came to Adina¡®s mind. ¡°Mr. Jones?¡± ¡°It really is you, Ms. Daugherty. I feared I got the wrong person.¡± Dillon let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I would like to invite you to an afternoon tea. I was wondering if you are free, Ms. Daugherty?¡± Adina raised her wrist and nced at her watch. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Jones. I¡®m very busy.¡± ¡°Then, do you need my help?¡± Dillon spoke cautiously. ¡°I just saw the news and realized that you might be in a bit of trouble. Don¡®t get me wrong. I just feel like we have some chemistry together. I want to help you.¡± Chapter 662 Chapter 662 Chapter 662 ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jones. I can take care of it myself.¡± Adina hung up immediately. She drove back to LaStar Technology Corporation. Instead of taking care of work, she logged on to the Dark Net using an offshore ount There were all kinds of people on the Dark Net. Most of them were very capable. She found a few organizations that were involved in both legal and illegal businesses. She spent a fortune to hire them to help search for Duke. There were only a few ces where it was possible to make someone vanish from the face of the earth. Whether he was alive or dead, she had to find out Duke¡®s whereabouts. Adina had a busy afternoon at the office. She was finally ready to go home. She actually felt reluctant to go back to the Winters family¡®s mansion. Without Duke, without four kids, it was just another building to her. But she still needed to deal with Earl, so she had to go back. for a while before she drove back to familiar voices as soon as she four delicate and adorable so much!¡± Harold threw himself want a hug. I miss you so much.¡± an iprehensible gaze.¡° Mommy, you look like you¡®ve ¡°Mommy¡­¡± word, yet he could notplete his came out. He did not are you guys the kids. Her heart was next second, it a devil living in the Winters family¡®s mansion. The children¡®s return was about fooling the children.¡± Flint walked out from behind them with a solemn expression. He said, ¡°Although they are just four years old, their IQ is simr to that of ten¨Cyear olds. and said,¡° When Daddyes back, I¡®m going to teach him a lesson for George pursed his thin lips tightly and said, ¡°I never thought Daddy would be this kind of man. Mommy, no matter what decision you make, you have my support.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Melody choked and said, ¡°Daddy is bad. I don¡®t like Daddy anymore.¡± ¡°Mommy, I support your decision to get a divorce.¡± Alden said indifferently, ¡°Mel and I will always be by your side.¡± Adina felt like crying. The kids were scolding their daddy, but the truth was their daddy had already gone missing. This was something that she could never tell her children. ¡°This is a matter between adults. You kids don¡®t have to worry about it.¡± Adina took a deep breath and said, ¡°Daddy and I have some matters we need to take care of. Will you go with Mr. Morton today and stay in that vi from before?¡± She did not dare to let the children remain here. She was truly afraid that Earl would go crazy and hurt the children. ¡°I¡®m staying with you, Mommy.¡± Alden said firmly, ¡°No matter what happens, I¡®m staying with you.¡± He stubbornly gripped Adina¡®s hand and refused to let go. ¡°Addy, don¡®t tell me you still have hopes for him even after what happened ?¡± Flint said coldly, ¡°You have only one choice now. That is, to get a clean divorce. As for the kids¡® custody, even if the court assigns it to the Winters family, so what? They are old enough to make their own decisions about whom they want to live with. Who can stop them?¡± Chapter 663 Chapter 663 Chapter 663 All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As night fell, the lights in the mansion¡®s courtyard lit up, one by one. The bright lights were reflected in the children¡®s eyes. In the light, there was her figure. Adina¡®s heart was filled with tenderness. If she asked the kids to leave now, they would certainly refuse to listen to her. However, it was too dangerous for them to stay in the Winters family¡®s mansion. She pursed her lips and decided without hesitation. She said, ¡° Now is not the time to get a divorce, but we can¡®t stay in the Winters family¡®s mansion anymore. I will go upstairs and pack our things. We will move out tonight.¡± She had just walked into the mansion when she was stopped by Mabel. Mabel had been standing on pins and needles all day. It was as if her heart had been thrown into a frying pan, and only she knew what it felt like. She had seen the news on the inte. There were all kinds of rumors about their divorce. Before she could even digest it, the children came back. .. a good thing to have of the kind of man his eldest son was. Ten years ago, he had murdered four people. Yet in the end, he let his own father bear the me and be executed. He sent his own brother abroad and let suburbs. No one knows it¡®s my property. her words, a cold smile appeared on Adina¡®s face. something was wrong, she would have been persuaded by Mabel to voice and convinced her. ¡°Earl has an extreme personality. He he had an extreme personality, why did you let him show up in my and the children¡®s lives?¡± Adina lost herposure and said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t contacted him in secret, Duke would never have been harmed by Earl! Mrs. Winters, if Duke really dies, I will never forgive you. When the children and went straight legs went weak, and she fell get to this her face and from outside. They hurriedly came crying?¡± ¡°Stop crying, Grandma. Let me wipe hurt? Let me blow harder. When these adorable kids learned the truth, they If she had not met with Earl again and again in secret, if she had not arranged for Earl to enter the wedding venue, things would never havee to this point. When Adina finished packing her bags and came downstairs , she saw Melody in Mabel¡®s arms and Harold leaning on Mabel¡®s shoulder. Her expression turned cold, and she said tly, ¡°Let¡®s go.¡± ¡°Bye¨Cbye, Grandma.¡± The children waved obediently at Mabel and followed Adina out the door of the mansion. Flint had already parked his car at the door. He helped her put the tworge suitcases into the trunk. However, just at that moment¡­ A ck luxury car slowly drove in and stopped in front of the vi. Earl pushed open the car door and stepped out. His cold gaze passed from one to another. ¡°What a party.¡± His lips curled. His wicked grin widened even more. Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Mel was preparing to call her daddy and run to him, but his smile scared her instead. ¡®I haven¡®t seen Daddy in just a few days, so how did he be so scary? She turned around and hid in Adina¡®s arms. With one hand in his pocket, Earl walked slowly toward Adina while his ck leather shoes clicked against the cold marble floor. Three of the children stopped him from approaching before he could even get close to her. ¡°Don¡®t you dare bully Mommy!¡± Harold said with gritted teeth as he spread his arms wide. George¡®s lips tightened into a thin line, and he asked, ¡°Was the news today true, Daddy?¡± ¡°At this point, it doesn¡®t matter if it¡®s true or not. Mommy has already suffered from it,¡± Alden said calmly. ¡°There¡¯s no use staying in a ce where Mommy has been hurt.¡± the roof of his mouth with the tip of his tongue like a ruffian andughed coldly before saying, and then ¡°Stop!¡± face once he had front of Adina and the four on Adina and sincerely wished her the happiest of days, since he had trusted that this man would love only thirty dayster, the trampled upon. She garnered woman, was proud even when in her most pathetic state, but at this moment, she had be this happened because of this man right in front of and said, ¡°You¡®ve already brought your little boyfriend home, Adina. What and coldly said, ¡°I will only move back when you get rid of Catherine. Georgie, Earl and said, ¡°Get in re before getting into divorced yet, and you¡®re already getting away with your boyfriend, huh?¡± Earl gripped Adina¡®s Adina jerked her head to the side coldly and freed herself from his hold. She stepped back and stared at him coldly. ¡°As I¡®ve just said, Catherine is to me for all of this. I¡®ll move back right away when she leaves Sea City.¡± She got into the passenger seat and coldly said, ¡°Drive.¡± Flint floored the gas, and the car sped away. Earl kicked the big potted nt at the mansion¡®s entrance, and it shattered. He took out his phone and coldly barked orders into it. ¡°Find some guys and bring Catherine out of Sea City right now. She can go wherever she wants, as long as she stays away from me!¡± Earl seemed to get even more frustrated after ending the call. He came to the realization that ever since he met Adina, he always lost to her. He first promised her to transfer the shares, and then he further pledged to kick Catherine out of Sea City. She kept making more and more demands, but he alwaysplied without realizing it.Catherine was right. He was going crazy.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Once again, the Winters family had taken over the news headlines. [Mdm. Adina Winters moved out of the Winters family¡®s mansion overnight. This confirms their divorce! [A shotgun divorce after a month of marriage. How will the Winters Corporation¡®s property be divided?!] [Will the mistress, Catherine, take over the title as Mdm. Winters?] The rted news was snowballing on the Inte. Even so, neither Earl nor Adina responded to them. Adina was finally able to sleep after reuniting with her children. She was refreshed the next morning. When she opened her bedroom door and headed downstairs, she heard her children chit¨Cchatting happily. The long¨Clostughter made her feel extremely rxed. ¡°Good morning, Mommy.¡± children greeted her feeling light-hearted as always. can take a two¨Cday break to avoid jetg. You can go back to school after your Harold scrunched up his face. ¡°I hate going to school the most. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. for the past few days, and I¡®m way knew this was Duke¡®s high demand for the future heir of Winters Corporation. He has been involved in the this path for him, but I¡®m afraid his n will not go as smoothly smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Of course. If youe across any problem with your work, to resolve it.¡± George then said, ¡°Hispany has recently received arge order. We need to take time to deal with it as well. Is it okay if the both of us looked at George when he heard attending school. I have been I truly don¡®t dare to tell Mommy that feeling in gave Alden thepany as a gift when they first met¡­ ¡®Thepany is still around, but he¡®s¡­¡® She curled the corner of her mouth upwards and said, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Boohoo! Daddy is being unfair!¡± Harold cried. ¡°Forget about George having apany. Why does Al also have one?! He¡®s younger than I. Why does he havepany, but I don¡¯t?! This is so unfair! Daddy is so unfair!¡± ¡°Hal, I don¡®t have either!¡± Melody wiped his tears and said, ¡°We don¡¯t need to do work if we don¡®t have apany. We can go y after school. Isn¡®t it fun?!¡± Harold snorted angrily, ¡°Working every day will only make your hair fall. George and Al will be bald in the future. No one will like both of them by then.¡± George and Alden were at a loss for words. Adina could not help butugh. ¡®Time spent with my children is always the most rxing. While talking to the children, she turned on her phone and started watching the news. Because Winters Corporation was one of thergest consortia, her and Earl¡®s affairs have gone viral. Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Chapter 666 With her moving out of the Winters family¡®s mansion, it seemed to have confirmed the rumors of their divorce. She did not need to do anything after that. All she needed was to just wait for Catherine to slip up. ¡°Children, I¡®ll be going to thepany to work. Stay here obediently and wait for me. I will cook dinner once I¡®m back.¡± She gave each of them a kiss before heading out and driving away. Right after she left, George brought Alden upstairs. The two of them stayed in the study room for the whole morning. Adina was surrounded by reporters right after she reached the entrance of thepany. Countless cameras and microphones surrounded her. ¡°Mdm. Winters, someone took a picture of you moving out from the Winter family¡®s mansion. Is that true?¡± Winters, are you and Mr. Winters, what¡®s your opinion on the property division and child custody?¡± ¡°Mdm. was drowned by the endless did not dare to provoke the chairman of not afraid of a fragile woman as they could obtain any valuable news from an interview, they could earn tons long hair behind her ears, and said in a calm voice, ¡°There is no divorce, were stunned when that they are divorcing; Winters Corporation¡®s equity transfer, Adina moving way. ¡°Since there is no divorce, why did you move out of the Winters family¡®s mansion her cold gaze, ¡°This is between me and my husband. Why should I tell you? Now, sounded as sharp as was so stunned that he moved to the side touched the back of his head after watching Adina woman get pushed to the ground yesterday by the the ¡°Ms. Daugherty, what brought you here?¡± Serene looked anxious. ¡°Did the reporters downstairs make things difficult for you?¡± ¡°They can never make things difficult for me.¡± Adina chuckled,¡° Bring all thepany¡®s recent contract projects to my office.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. She entered her office, took off her sunsses, and started working These days, many things in thepany were dyed because she had been dealing with Earl. The preliminary ns for several cases have not been handed in yet. Just as she was about to get busy, Serene knocked on her office door. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, the secretary of Mr. Krisman from Elitos, called just now. She invited you to Elitos for a meetingter in the afternoon.¡± Adina frowned, ¡°Didn¡®t the n review meeting take ce before? What is it going to be this time?¡± ¡°They didn¡®t mention the purpose of the meeting, but the secretary has repeatedly emphasized that this meeting is very important.¡± Serene paused and said, ¡°Now that there are reporters everywhere, why don¡®t I attend the meeting at Elitos for you?¡± Those reporters were indeed guarding the entrance of thepany very tightly. They have been asking simr questions again and again. Adina had no intention of dealing with them. She nodded, ¡°Alright, you go, then. Call me anytime if you have anything important to ask.¡± Zhenny was sipping on a cup of tea in the meeting room at Elitos. She smiled gracefully and said, ¡°Mr. Krisman, once the contract is signed, you¡¯ll make a lot of money.¡± ¡°No matter how much we earn, we¡®ll split it fifty¨Cfifty.¡± Benny frowned slightly ¡°But are you really sure Ms. Daugherty will sign the contract?¡± ¡°She no longer has the Winters family to back her up. There¡®s nothing for us to be afraid of.¡± Jasmine sneered, ¡°Back then, she relied on the Winters family to suppress me. She can¡®t do that now!¡± Chapter 667 Chapter 667 Chapter 667 The secretary led Serene towards the meeting room. She thought that the meeting room would be crowded. But after the door was opened, she only saw three people in there.She frowned, sensing that something was not right. ¡°Who are you? Where¡®s Adina Daugherty?¡± Jasmine stood up and asked coldly. Serene took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡®m Serene Reyes, Ms. Daugherty¡®s assistant. I¡®m here today to attend the meeting on her behalf.¡± ¡°Heh, now she knows her ce as one of the mice living in the gutter. Is that why she doesn¡®t dare to meet us?¡± Jasmine sneered and mocked, ¡°Isn¡®t she a very capable woman? Without the Winters family, she¡®s just a poser!¡± ¡°Sit down,¡± Zhenny said coldly, ¡°With all your mockery, you don¡®t look like a nobledy anymore.¡± ! snorted and said calmly, ¡°Ms. Reyes, since you¡®re here, ¡°This is the approval of our chip design from upset after she read the first page. She quickly skimmed through the document, and said in disbelief,¡± . This is nonsense! There can never can steal customers¡® private information and monitor their call and chat records ¡­¡± Benny had a serious expression as he said, ¡°Once this looked at the bright red seal on the document. It was indeed the was no problem. So, this ¡°Ourpany doesn¡®t want to make a big deal out of this kind of thing. It¡®ll affect our reputation. It¡®ll be best her teeth. ¡°Well, I think you two are the ones behind this! Before this, Mdm. Jones, you Serene¡®s cheek Her right hand turned numb from the p. She said coldly, ¡°Who are you to point your fingers at my mother when you talk to her?¡± Serene felt the heat on her cheek as she reeled in disbelief. She had not expected them to hit her.She was pped in the face in broad daylight, in a society ruled byw. ¡°Ms. Reyes, go back and tell Ms. Daugherty that she can either pay ten times themission for the liquidated damages or see us in court.¡± Zhenny tossed thepensation n to Serene and said calmly, ¡°Guards, you can send Ms. Reyes out now.¡± Two bodyguards at the door of the meeting room came in and forcefully dragged Serene out. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Serene looked at the three people in the room angrily as she swung her hands and left. ¡°Jas, you shouldn¡®t have acted so rashly. Think about the consequences of your action,¡± Benny said in disapproval. ¡°Uncle Benny, there¡®s nothing to be afraid of. She only works for Adina, and right now, she¡®s a nobody!¡± Jasmine mocked, ¡°A month ago, she was married into the Winters family and became the glorious Mdm. Winters. Well, I bet she wasn¡®t expecting that after just a month, she¡®ll be abandoned and chased out of the mansion. Someone who has gone against the Winters family won¡¯t be able to survive in Sea City in the future. We don¡®t need to be afraid of her.¡± Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Zhenny tapped her finger on the desktop and said calmly, ¡°She¡®s just getting ready for a divorce, and she still has the Winters Corporation¡®s equity. Right now, we should be able to getpensation from her. She may not be able to extract something valuableter on.¡± ¡°Ten times thepensation. That¡®s $500,000,000.¡± Jasmine smiled. ¡°With this huge profit, there should be no objections to me bing the heir of Jones Corporation.¡± Zhenny produced a smug smile. ¡°I¡®ve paved this road for you. You just need to walk it. Next, I¡¯ll have Mr. Krisman find you a good partner. A powerful couple will gain a firm foothold in thepany.¡± Jasmine¡®s smile instantly faded away. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. I only have Flint in my heart. I won¡®t fall for any other guys¡­ When Serene returned to LaStar Technology Corporation, she was perplexed. She washed her face in the washroom and covered up the fingerprints on her face before knocking on Adina¡®s office door. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I¡®m back.¡± was reviewing the project documents. She did not have the time to look up, but she could sense something was wrong from the sound of Serene¡®s the document and raised her gaze. She then narrowed her eyes. ¡°What happened hesitated. ¡°Let me go through what has been discussed in the The nearer she got to her, the clearer the mark on her gaze was cold. her head, feeling in her divorce in the past two days. I went to the meeting on her behalf and caused her trouble¡­ I¡®m truly lips and took the document from only reading the first page, customers¡® privacy after taking the chip results that I¡®ve spent many days designing. What¡®s even more ridiculous is ¡®Elitos is really shameless! Krisman is, he wouldn¡®t have pped Adina narrowed her eyes. ¡°Did someone from the Jones Corporation attend the meeting as well?¡± ¡°Mdm. Jones and Ms. Yackley were there.¡± Serene said indignantly, ¡°It¡®s obvious that they deliberately framed us! Although this test document has been officially issued, it doesn¡®t mean that our chip is really faulty. Ms. Daugherty, I think we should go through legal procedures and let the court appoint a third party to re- test¡­¡± ¡°Zhenny Jones and Jasmine Yackley hit you?¡± Adina interrupted Serene calmly. Serene was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Yes, it¡®s Ms. Yackley.¡± As soon as Serene said it, Adina walked out of the office and strode out of thepany. Serene was frightened and hurriedly went after her. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, where are you going? There are reporters outside¡­¡± Chapter 669 Chapter 669 Chapter 669 Adina strode out of thepany, leaving Serene behind. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Earl released a dangerous aura, so she did not dare to do anything to him. ¡®But as for the Jones family¡­ ¡®I don¡®t mind facing them upfront.¡¯ Adina was surrounded by the reporters right after she exited thepany. Without waiting for the reporter to ask questions, she took one of the microphones and said coldly, ¡°Since you all are going to wait here, I¡®ll be announcing something important once I¡®m back.¡± She opened the car door and went in after she finished speaking. Her car was already gone when the reporters came back to their senses. Corporation would hold a meeting in the meeting room to carry the chairman of Jones Corporation sat at the main seat with Zhenny Jones on his left, Bernard¡®s right was Jasmine Yackley, and his shares had son for his generation, board of sess. I can guarantee that we will have a profit of at least $ 200,000,000.¡± Jasmine stood up and talked about the progress she had made so far. ¡°After the cooperationes to an end, Elitos will have a new project. I have found ourselves a new was extremely satisfied. ¡°Jas, you¡®ve this, he turned to Daniel. ¡°Dan, how¡®s the project project has been underway for less than a month and is currently in Bernard nodded nomittally. Jasmine chuckled, feeling amused. project had also been carried out for about a month only, yet had already won thispetition without a ¡®I will definitely be the heir of the Jones family.¡± At that exact moment, Zhenny said, ¡°Father, Jas is very good at her work, but she doesn¡®t have a clear position in Jones Corporation. It doesn¡®t give her much authority at work. To give the people beneath her one less reason to look down on her, I would like to nominate Jas to be the project general manager.¡± A project general manager was one of the highest position levels. As a girl in her early twenties, it was actually not suitable for her to hold such an important position as soon as she entered thepany But Bernard knew that would hand over the Jones family to the younger generation, sooner orter. He also knew that it would not make any difference if he handed it sooner orter in his life. ¡®Well, of course, I would like to hand over thepany to the Jones family, but my son, Dillon, has no interest in running thepany, and I can¡®t see any potential in my grandson, Daniel, in doing business for the time being¡­ ¡®On the contrary, my granddaughter , Jas, has shown a drastic improvement and is getting brighter by day.¡¯ ¡®In order to secure the position as the heir of thepany, a person must have experience in the position of project general manager¡­ Brendan gave Dillon and Daniel a disappointed look. Just as he ¡¤ was about to speak, there was a suddenmotion at the door of the meeting room. Chapter 670 Chapter 670 Chapter 670 ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you can¡®t go in. This is the Jones Corporation¡¯s meeting room. Please don¡®t go any further.¡± The meeting room¡®s door was flung open. Everyone looked up in unison and saw the woman who had been making the news headlines frequently over the past two days suddenly appearing in front of them. Adina ignored the stunned gazes of the people and walked into the room. She walked straight toward Jasmine and reached up to grab her cor. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± Jasmine had been seated nicely until she was suddenly lifted to her feet. She kept screaming out of fear. Adina pushed her fingers together and ced them against the back of Jasmine¡®s waist. She deftly located an acupressure point and pressed down on it. ¡°Ah¨COw! It hurts!¡± crashed to the floor while sweating profusely in pain. you done to helped Jasmine onto ¡°Hold on.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. a big step over to shield Adina doing?¡± Zhennyughed in anger. ¡°Jas is about to in the office froze because of the sudden woman who made headlines would suddenly said in a diplomatic tone, ¡°I was shocked by what Dillon said. ¡°Uncle Dillon, I can¡®t even lift my waist. My entire body is weak. Just because I¡®m not hurt doesn¡®t mean I¡®m fine! Adina rushed in and attacked me! I¡®m calling the police and suing her for aggravated she said that, she pulled out her became cold, and he was about to go with her on the table. ¡°Mr. Zhenny narrowed her eyes. She did not expect that Adina would still have the mood to handle such a situation personally while she was going through a divorce. Winters Corporation had an equity value of around $ 10,000,000,000 . Was it not easy to take out $500,000,000 forpensation? Why would she stille to the door of Jones Corporation and make a nuisance of herself? ¡°This document has been authorized by the government. If the document is made public, LaStar Technology Corporation can no longer be in this field,¡± Zhenny said coldly, ¡°We¡®re asking for a compensation because it¡®s a win¨Cwin situation for all parties, but it seems that you do notprehend Mr. Krisman¡®s effort.¡± ¡°Win¨Cwin?¡± The corner of Adina¡®s lips curled up, and she smiled.¡± Then make this document public on the inte and let theizens evaluate and assess whether it¡®s Elitos demanding too much, or LaStar Technology Corporation not epting their demands. ¡°But that¡®s not all!¡± Her gaze turned extremely sharp. ¡°There are plenty of reporters who are waiting in line to interview me. Take a guess. What would happen to Jones Corporation If I spread the word that the CEO of Jones Corporation was conspiring with Mr. Benny from Elitos? Furthermore, everything in this document is false. However, there is an official seal at the end. Maybe this may also be able to implicate a governmental official.¡± ¡°Mdm. Jones, people who attempt to swindle money from me will eventually pay the price.¡± Adina chuckled lightly, ¡°I will hold a press conference tonight. Everyone, please look forward to it.¡± She gave the office crowd a chilly look. Then, she turned around and left. She came into the office suddenly and left just as quickly, leaving the people in the office looking at each other at a loss, unable to wrap their minds around it, even after a long time. Chapter 671 Chapter 671 Chapter 671 ¡°All of you, get out.¡± Zhenny was sullen and angry. The people around the conference room hurriedly packed their things and left. Mr. Jones was also furious. He had lived for so long, yet this was his first time encountering such a problem. He mmed the table angrily and said, ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Jasmine clutched her waist and, gnashing her teeth, said, ¡°That bitch just now is the General Manager of LaStar Technology Corporation. She is also one of our partners in this coboration. She is fully responsible for the chip design used in this coboration with Elitos! After the chip had been submitted, the higher¨Cups found huge problems with it. It steals customer information and invades customer privacy. If this chip goes on the market, all of us will be held responsible!¡± ¡°That¡®s right. She embedded another code in the chip to steal information. This is a criminal act!¡± Zhenny said coldly. ¡°Such a thing will cause consumers to distrust the product after it¡®s released. That¡®s why Mr. Krisman has decided to settle the matter out of court. To think that Adina would dare strut unannounced into Jones Corporation looking for trouble, I can¡®t tell if she¡®s too bold or too ignorant.¡± really Mrs. Winters now, and that everyone will let her do as she pleases?¡± Jasmine said indignantly. ¡°She¡®s just a disgraceful whore. Does she really think words.¡± Dillon nced at her. ¡°You haven¡®t exined yet she likes !¡± Jasmine¡®s face twisted in expression turned cold. ¡°I know how Ms. Daugherty conducts herself, but she is not niece, how could you side with an outsider? Or is conference room and Adina had Whatever wrongs Jasmine has done, she did it to benefit the Jones family,¡± Mr. Jones said coldly. ¡°But you, Dillon, how well do you know Ms. Daugherty? Why are you so sure about what kind of person she is? As far as I know, she is the eldest daughter of the Daugherty family, and the youngdy of the Winters family. She has nothing to do with Jasmine becamecent once more and chuckled. ¡°Grandpa, don¡®t you know? look. ¡°Who said you could go into my ¡°Is this the time to worry about that?¡± Mr. Jones gruffly asked with a re. ¡°Dillon, tell me right now, what¡®s going on between you and Adina?¡± Dillon was so intimidated by Mr. Jones that he could not fight back. He lowered his eyes slightly and slowly clenched his fingers. ¡°Ms. Daugherty is the top beauty of Sea City. I¡®ve hung her pictures in my room, too, so what?¡± Daniel casually came to his father¡®s rescue. ¡°Everyone has a desire for beauty. I don¡®t think there¡®s any problem with that.¡± ¡°Is this the beginning of you safeguarding a future stepmother?¡± Jasmine said with cold sarcasm. ¡°Adina is only a year or two older than you. Are you fine with someone your age bing your stepmother?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Daniel gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Jasmine, drop the bullshit!¡° Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Chapter 672 This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Whether Jasmine is bluffing or not, we know how Dillon feels,¡± Zhenny said softly, ¡°Dillon has been alone for so many years. He really should find someone to marry. But isn¡®t Adina too young for you? She¡®s also a married woman. To marry such a woman into the family would only ruin the Jones family¡®s reputation. It¡¯s best that you don¡®t do anything foolish, brother.¡± Mr. Jones indignantly said, ¡°If you continue having anything to do with that woman, you¡¯re disowned!¡± Dillon flew into a rage. He raised his head. His eyes swept over his niece, whom he had always cherished, then traveled his gaze over his sister of 20¨C30 years. Finally, he looked at his father. He opened his mouth and slowly said, ¡°Addy is my daughter, my biological daughter.¡± ¡°What?!¡± other four people in the conference room were ¡°That year his lips and said, ¡°I don¡®t want to talk about slowly unclenched his fists, and the wrinkles she¡®d better not expose this to the media. If she does, it will greatly impact the hearing this, Dillon became so mad that he almost let out a bark think they were? Did they really think that Addy would wish to not dare tell Addy that he was her father. He did not have the right to because he owed exaggerated magnanimity. ¡°It was too much to make her pay ten times thepensation. Then let¡®s do it this way: she doesn¡®t need to pay that much, just $200,000,000 will do. Tell her not to be such an immature brat and announce it to the reporters. Dillon coldly said, ¡°Zhenny, didn¡®t you say that the w in the chip was Addy¡®s doing? She even fussed about going to the media about it. Why would this affect the Jones group? Since it¡®s her fault, the public would only stand with Jones Corporation, which would bloat up our stock prices. This is clearly nothing but beneficial to the Jones Corporation. Or are you saying that this problem with the chip was all just a ploy? Are you worried that when this gets exposed, it won¡®t just go away?¡± ¡°Brother! You¨C¡± This was a sore spot of Zhenny¡®s, and she jumped to her feet. Dillon did not back down and coldly said, ¡°The public¡¯s eyes are sharp. We will know what the public thinks is the truth once this is made known; whether Addy is deliberately stealing customer information, or if Jones Corporation is conspiring to frame Addy.¡± Zhenny was about to explode with anger. ¡°Brother, you¡®re ignoring the interests of the Jones Corporation!¡± ¡°Uncle Dillon, are you going to prioritize your illegitimate daughter before your own family?¡± Jasmine shouted at him angrily. Chapter 673 Chapter 673 Chapter 673 Dillon stood in the office. His gaze was locked on Zhenny and Jasmine. For so many years, he always madepromises and neverpeted against others for anything, as it would make people think that he was a weakling. At that moment, however, he could not continue to be a weak man because he owed Addy too much. He had to repay her somehow, little by little. ¡°Then, Zhenny, let me ask you: what kind ofpensation contract is this?¡± Dillon flung the contract at Zhenny. Zhenny boiled with rage. She was sure that Adina would be so deep in trouble that she would not have the time to handle commercial disputes, and that was why she had conspired with Mr. Krisman. Moreover, the Winters family valued their reputation, so she was sure Adina would not make a huge fuss. She never expected that b*tch toe to Jones Corporation looking for a fight. She had even called for a press conference! absolutely no problems. But if the public got hold of the details, what the contract states.¡± Zhenny pursed her lips while she said this as apromise. ¡°I could consult Mr. Krisman about canceling thepensation contract, but Adina is not allowed to disclose time is to have thepensation serve as profit from the project and give Jasmine the credit. That way, Jasmine will have her position as lips parted, but she brother had alwayspromised on every issue, and for that, she this matter, her big brother disyed an aggressive attitude she had never seen before in him. and his gaze Jasmine in disappointment. thought that Jasmine was outstanding and had not expected it caused such a mess just for the sake of being There is nothing left to talk about.¡± Mr. Jones stood up with his cane in hand. ¡°Dillon, call Adina. Tell her to know This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°I think Zhenny and a call apologize to her!¡± cried Jasmine angrily, ¡°My waist still really disappointed did not say Daniel gave everyone in the conference room one final nce before he followed his father out of the room. Meanwhile, more reporters had gathered at the entrance of LaStar Technology Corporation. Two hours ago, Adina had let it be known that she had a big announcement to make. More than half of the city¡®s reporters had rushed over, hoping to be among the first to get the big scoop. As soon as Adina¡®s car arrived at thepany entrance, the countless reporters surrounded it. ¡°Mdm. Winters, what is your big announcement about?¡± ¡°Mdm. Winters, does it have something to do with your divorce?¡± ¡°Quiet down, everyone.¡± Adina held up a microphone and casually said, ¡°My announcement has nothing to do with the divorce, so those who are not interested in it may take their leave.¡± The trending topic nowadays was the Winters couple¡®s divorce. Since the news had nothing to do with the divorce, plenty of reporters were disappointed. But just Adina¡®s name alone would create headlines, so whatever she had to announce, it had to be something big. Chapter 674 Chapter 674 Chapter 674 The reporters there did not leave, but rushed forward in a flurry. Adina procured a contract and said indifferently, ¡°As you all know, LaStar Technology Corporation became business partners with Elitos not too long ago. During this time¡­¡± She coolly stated the facts about Jones Corporation being the third business partner, then pointed at the contract and slowly said, ¡°Elitos and Jones Corporation have both imed that mypany¡®s chip has design ws, and have proposed that I pay $500,000,000 aspensation. This document even has their official stamp. But I refuse to acknowledge this. I will have a third party run tests, and I invite all reporters andizens to supervise ordingly.¡± ¡°If the results align with what this document states, I will pay the $500,000,000 in its entirety. But if these ims turn out to be untrue, I expect a public apology from Jones Corporation and Elitos, as well aspensation for LaStar Technology Corporation for reputation damages, psychological damage, and lostbor fees.¡± The reporters had not expected this announcement to be about amercial dispute. Usually, this kind of dispute would not gain much traction on the inte, but the main character here was Sea City¡®s most beautiful woman, so the reception to this news was bound to be different. Some of the reporters had published their articles on¨Csite and watched as they immediately started trending. Adina put down her microphone. As she was leaving, she saw a familiar figure standing among the reporters who formed the outermostyer of the group of reporters. Adina¡®s lips curved faintly into a semnce of a smile. and saw Dillon Jones All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. oue ?¡± Adina watched it were not for the fact that she had been bottling up her negative feelings for too long over this period of time, she would not not want to contend with the Jones family, neither did she wish to negotiate better options with them. impact the Jones Corporation, but that had smile left a pang in to slowly walk reporters quickly surrounded Jones, is what Mdm. Winters Jones, what role did Jones Corporation do you currently have any refuting evidence you can release at Adina, who was several paces away, and bowed to her slowly.¡± Ms. Daugherty, was stunned for the reputation of Jones Corporation at all thought Dillon would She thought he would threaten her with personal issues to keep her from making matters worse. She never expected him to actually apologize. ¡°I am not on the Jones Corporation¡®s board of directors, therefore, I can only extend my personal apology to Ms. Daugherty.¡± Dillon¡®s words were brought to Mr. Jones¡® ears through the television screen. ¡°Disgraceful!¡± In his rage, Mr. Jones smashed his cup onto the floor. ¡°Father, calm down.¡± Zhenny patted his back for him and curled her lips into a cold smile, saying, ¡°Brother hasptetely disregarded the family¡®s interests for the sake of his illegitimate daughter. It¡®s fortunate that you had not passed thepany on to him.¡± Mr. Jones coldly said, ¡°Neither would I pass it on to you.¡± Zhenny¡®s face froze. Daniel had exposed her act of conspiring with Elitos, which made her grandfather lose all trust in her. Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Moments after the announcement of the business dispute, Adina took a step to leave. The reporters were not letting her get away that easily and swarmed her. ¡°Mdm. Winters, have you divorced Mr. Winters yet? Please give us a definite answer.¡± ¡°Mdm. Winters, the clinic of the third party, Catherine, was destroyed. Were you responsible for this?¡± ¡°Mdm. Winters¡­¡± A dozen reporters blocked the road. Adina could not avoid them. Her expression turned cold, and she was about to speak when Dillon forced his way through the crowd and in front of her. ¡°Ms. Daugherty,e this way.¡± Dillon snatched up her wrist and took her down ane to get away. pursed her lips but did not took a side entrance into the office ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jones.¡± sunsses, giving the appearance of someone who wanted no one suddenly felt at a wanted to say something, but did not he was worried that if he did, then what difference was there and weakly said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, this matter is truly the Jones Corporation¡®s fault. Just do what you must, don¡®t worry ¡°Jones is yourst name, are you not worried that apologize. This has nothing to do with what myst name is.¡± Dillon pressed his lips together and said slowly, ¡°It¡®s already five no need.¡± Adina¡®s tone was indifferent. ¡°I have to go home and cook dinner for my see¡­¡± Dillon felt he had not seen the four children in wanted to ask if he could follow Addy home to see the children, but what right did turn to All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Dillon then blurted out, ¡°Wait, I want to tell you something.¡± Adina halted mid¨Cstride and turned around. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dillon found himself stumped once again. If he told Addy that she was his biological daughter, would she think he was bullsh*tting? Although there had been no paternity tests done, his gut feeling was too strong. This had to be his and Olivia¡®s daughter. He firmly believed this, but Addy would definitely think that he was raving. ¡®Should I tell her?¡® But if he did not tell her, Zhenny and Jasmine would tell Addy about it anyway. Rather than let Addy be insulted by Jasmine as the illegitimate daughter, he might as well tell her the truth. ¡°Addy, what I¡®m about to say might seem preposterous , but I promise that every word I say is true.¡± Dillon slowly walked toward Adina. Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Chapter 676 He looked at Adina¡®s face against the light. Her face looked really simr to Olivia, especially her eyes and nose. She could almost pass off as Olivia¡®s doppelganger. Her lips resembled several members of the Jones family. She had thebination of all the best features of the parents¡® faces, making her features and face look more outstanding than Olivia¡®s. No wonder his daughter was called the most beautiful woman in Sea City. ¡°Addy, you truly look a lot like your mother when she was your age, prior to her marriage.¡± Dillon¡®s voice was full of gentleness. ¡°But your mother was gentle and reserved. She was too good tempered, and she obeyed the rules very much. She was not willing to make any mistakes.¡°. As he spoke, he gradually became lost in his memories. Adina pursed her lips. ¡°Mr. Jones, just get straight to the point.¡± Dillon snapped out of his reminiscing. He stared at Adina and said solemnly, ¡°Addy, you¡®re actually Olivia and my daughter. I¡®m actually your father.¡± His voice trembled. long time, that she was listening to something that had nothing to is true,¡± Dillon exined in a flustered manner, ¡°If you don¡®t believe this. Mr. Jones, what else¡­¡± Dillon said ¡°Then, I¡®ll leave first.¡± walked N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Dillon stood still. turn out they would sob together in each other¡®s arms after they realized been fulfilling his responsibilities .. but they felt as if they weighed a thousand she needs a father.¡± Daniel walked out from the corner and said that she has the ability to protect herself, why would she still need a father to raised his head. ¡°You don¡®t seem surprised at all to learn that you have an elder ¡°I already passed the age of making a fuss due to surprises.¡± Daniel pursed his lips. ¡°When Mom passed away when I was small, your pain was only for show, and I knew that there was another woman in your heart. It was only when I slowly grew up that I knew before you married Mom, that there was an untold story between you and the daughter of the Xavier family. It¡®s all a thing of the past, and I don¡®t have the habit of looking into it. But since Ms. Daugherty is my sister, you should still bring her back as your daughter.¡± Dillon seemed to be a little surprised. ¡°You aren¡®t averse to her existence?¡± ¡°I share half the same blood as hers. Why would I be averse to her?¡± Daniel looked into the distance. ¡°She is now living through difficult times, and it is the time when she needs help. If I have the ability, I will help her, but I don¡®t have much I can do.¡± This incident made Grandpa even more disappointed in him and his father, and the position of the heir of the Jones family had flown even further out of his grasp. . Dillon felt very pleased. ¡°As long as the position of the heir is not confirmed, you still have a chance.¡± Adina did not know about the conversation between the Jones. She just drove back to her mansion. As soon as she drove in, she waspletely stunned. A familiar figure was sitting on the swing of the mansion. It was Earl! Melody sat in Earl¡®s arms, and the two of them talked happily. If Adina did not know any better that this was a demon, she would have almost believed that they were a father and daughter pair. Adina immediately pushed the car door open and got out. Before Earl was able to react, she immediately snatched her daughter away. ¡°Mommy, you¡®re back!¡± Melody held Adina¡®s neck and whispered, ¡°Daddy is finally the same as before today. I¡®m so happy!¡± Chapter 677 Chapter 677 Chapter 677 Adina carried Melody while walking speedily into the mansion before she closed the door with a loud bang. Earl got up from the swing. He stuck his tongue to his upper pte in a yful manner, sneering. He had already lowered himself by taking the initiative toe over, yet this woman dared to pull a face at him. Adina carried Melody into the house, and she coldly looked at Flint, who sat in the living room and yed games. ¡°Why did you let that man in?¡± Flint innocently scratched his hair. ¡°Your daughter wanted to see her dad, and her dad wanted to see his own daughter. I¡¯m just an outsider. How could I stop them?¡± After he spoke, he stood on his toes, took a look out the window, and said in a lower voice, ¡°But Addy, he did not seem that bad today. He must be here to apologize to you. Don¡®t fall for it and be so quick to forgive him. You must remember everything that he has done wrong. Whenever a man has had an affair, they will do it again. Don¡®t be fooled by his good attitude at the moment.¡± ¡°Uncle Flint, what does it mean by having an affair?¡± Melody blinked and asked in a dumbfounded manner. coldly said, ¡°Take good care open the door of the mansion and walked they opened their eyes widely to look at the two ¡°Why are you here?¡± voice and coldly questioned his lips, and said, ¡°Didn¡®t you say you shed in Adina¡®s eyes. ¡°How N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. her to the airport.¡± Earl raised his wrist and cast a nce at the time. ¡°In an hour¡®s time, she will leave Sea City. She will never show up in front of you again. Are you happy being forced to leave, she will secretly make her way back to Sea City again. I¡®m not afraid if she¡®s going to openly pursue you again. I¡®m just worried made Earl feel upset was very ruthless to Catherine when she had not that he was not Duke, she no longer she will note back anymore,¡± Earl said gloomily, ¡°Mr. Brown has setting sun shone on Earl, it dispelled a was just an ordinary husband who was begging his But she clearly knew that this man was not ordinary at all. He was apulsive, serial murderer. ¡°I want to see Catherine for myself, onest time,¡± Adina indifferently said. ¡°Unless she promises that she will nevere back to Sea City, I will never feel at ease.¡± Earl frowned. ¡°She¡®s boarding in a minute.¡± ¡°We are rushing there now,¡± Adina indifferently said, ¡°If you don¡®t agree with my request, I won¡®t go back to the Winters family¡®s mansion.¡± Earl was speechless. This woman dared to raise the condition in such an¡­ unrestrained way, just because she knew he was slightly interested in her, right? But he was just as powerless in this situation. He knew who she really liked, but that man was already dead. If this went on, he believed that he would be able to rece Duke in her heart one day. ¡°Okay, I will take you to see Catherine.¡± Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Earl nodded stiffly. Only then did Adina smile. ¡°I¡®ll go inside and let the kids know.¡± Her smile was like the neon lights in the night skyline shining like bedazzling jewels, which made Earl¡®s eyes daze over. By the time he returned to his senses, Adina was alreadying out of the house. She held a small leather purse and indifferently said, ¡°Let¡®s go to the airport.¡± She pulled open the door of the ck car and sat in the passenger seat in front. Earl collected himself before he stepped on the pedal and drove away. When Melody saw the car speeding away from the mansion¡®s entrance, her face darkened. ¡°Mommy promised to make good food for us, but she did not keep her promise.¡°. ¡°I thought you were unhappy because Daddy left.¡± Harold teased. ¡°It looks like Daddy is not as important as good food for you, Mel.¡± ¡°Mommy¡®s food is always delicious, but Daddy is not very stable.¡± The little girl rested her chin on her hand and sighed.¡± Sometimes I really like Daddy, but sometimes I¡®m very afraid of Daddy. It¡®s so frustrating¡­¡± he looked gloomy as he said, ¡°When I see poured were working frantically in while he frowned.¡± are under control. The crisis is in the mission group were worth $100,000,000, solved in an hour. the helper whom you hired this time is¡­ um¡­ Hal the Milk Lover. Where did he This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Lover. [I¡®m a neer. Nice to meet Sir Daugherty seemed to have challenged you before, but you North. [$100,000,000 has been transferred. Please look George stared at the name, ¡°Terry North¡°, and he suddenly became slightly stunned. ¡°Al, who is this?¡± ¡°The new leader of ck Party who recently took office.¡± Alden indifferently exined, ¡°We also yed a part in making him the leader, so he hopes to establish a long¨Cterm coboration with us.¡± At that moment, Terry North typed again. ¡°Hal the Milk Lover is a Cairnstanian name. You should be a Cairnstanian, right? I¡®m also a Cairnstanian.¡± George was stunned. He turned around and said, ¡°Did they just let a Cairnstanian be the leader in that chaotd?¡± Alden nodded. ¡°Anyone who proves themselves inbat is the boss. This is the principle of their campaign. This Terry North is freaking awesome.¡± He was able to assassinate Auguste alone and survive without being injured at all. In the end, he was even able to stand out from a group of extremists. He was truly extraordinary. George suddenly wanted to meet this person. Terry North. [Hestia Border is peaceful for the time being. There is no warfare now. I wee you to be my guests.] George typed on the keyboard. Hal the Milk Lover. [If there is a chance, we will definitely visit you.] Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Chapter 679 The airport was crowded. Adina followed Earl into the VIP waiting lounge. As soon as the man stepped into the room, Catherine¡®s anxious voice was heard in the room. ¡°Earl, are you really sending me away? Tell me this is not true! Earl, I love you so much. I don¡®t want to leave. I don¡®t want to leave you, even if I die. Please give me another chance¡­¡± Catherine rushed over and grabbed Earl¡®s arm. When she was about to continue begging him, she saw Adina walking in after him. Adina wore a ck trench coat, and her imposing manner was ruthless. She coldly said, ¡°Miss Catherine, please release my husband.¡± Catherine¡®s hand shook, and her face was full of sadness and anger. ¡°He is not your husband. He is Earl Winters. He is¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± as tears instantly streamed down her her hair. ¡°Duke, leave the room for a bit. I want to he frowned . ¡°She¡®s a little unhinged. to stay.¡± Adina touched Earl¡®s arm. ¡°Just giveAll content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. saw Adina¡®s and pink, which melted his cold and hard hand, patted the back of her hand, and said in a husky voice, ¡°I¡®ll stand guard outside the door. If there¡®s any problem, just turned around and walked outside. He even took Arden and the other two When Arden went outside, he turned back and cast a sharp nce at Adina. Last time in the hospital, this woman had made Boss go away before she hypnotized Catherine. With the lesson of thest time, how could Boss still be so confident in leaving this woman alone with Catherine? But since this was Boss¡®smand, Arden dared notment on anything, even if he had doubts. The door of the waiting room closed shut. Adina chuckled before she sat down on the couch. ¡°Catherine, you¡®d better leave Sea City and never come back again.¡± ¡°Adina Daugherty, what do you even stand to gain in doing this?¡± Catherine gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Earl caused Duke to die, and he has imed everything that belonged to Duke. You should hate him. How can you pretend like nothing happened and go on about with him? Don¡®t you feel sorry for Duke and your four kids if you do so?¡± ¡°I really love Duke, but he¡®s dead. He can¡¯t be resurrected from the dead. What else can I do?¡± Adina shed a self-mocking smile. ¡°Earl looks identical to Duke. I can pretend as if the man | love is still alive. With this, I could still have the courage to stay alive. So, Miss Catherine, please don¡®te and disturb our life anymore.¡± Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Chapter 680 ¡°Earl is not the same as Duke. They are twopletely different people!¡± Catherine yelled in a low voice, ¡°Before you knew Earl, he had already been with countless women. His femalepanion changed everyday, and they are never the same. He¡®s treating you well because he finds you fresh. When the novelty wears off, you will be abandoned by him, like me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Adina smiled. ¡°I¡®m more beautiful than you, and I have more dimensions than you. I don¡®t think I¡®m not even able to make him fall for me. Like now, I¡¯ve asked him to send you out of Sea City, and he is doing it without saying anything. I asked him to leave the room, and he obediently went out. You¡®ve met Earl for so many years. Have you ever seen him acting upon the whims of a woman like that?¡± Adina¡®s words stabbed Catherine¡®s chest like a sharp knife. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. She clenched her fists tightly to suppress her grief, discontentment, and jealousy. ¡°As long as Earl can treat my kids as his own, I can live the rest of my life with him,¡± Adina continued. ¡°He looks identical to Duke. When he is gentle, even their smiles are identical. As long as I hypnotize myself, I can treat him as Duke and the man I love the most. Either way, life will still go on no matter who I live with, and I don¡®t really care.¡± Catherine started shaking. She had waited for Earl for so many years. She had waited for him toe out of the shadows, waited for him to start being an upright person, and waited for herself to marry him. fantasized about was being taken forcefully sent her away just to give in. She If you had not cooperated with him to kill my husband, I wouldn¡®t even have spared him a nce,¡± I say Duke is not gritted her teeth and in Adina¡®s cold and deste was true or fake, but she was willing to before she scoffed and said,¡± Everyone says he¡®s dead, and now you¡®re saying that he if Duke is really still alive, will ¡°There is no if¡­¡± Adina looked down and suppressed the trembling of her fingers. ¡°Earl himself is actually unsure whether Duke is dead or not. More precisely, Duke is missing, and his status is unknown.¡± Catherine lowered her voice and softly said, ¡°A month ago, on your wedding day, Earl set up a trap to lure Duke, and Duke was caught in my apartment in the end. Earl ordered me to wash away Duke¡®s memories over the past twenty years, but guess what?¡± Catherine looked at Adina¡®s eyes. ¡°During the process of washing his memories, Duke was calling your name. He kept calling your name again and again to strengthen the memories where the two of you met. Because of this, I failed to wash his memories away. The process was very painful, and he was very strong¨Cwilled and refused to cooperate. In the end, he could not bear it, and he fainted.¡± Adina waspletely stunned. She looked up in disbelief. ¡°Is everything you say true?¡°. ¡°If Ilie, I will die,¡± Catherine said in a deep voice. ¡°Duke loves you so much. Even when his life was threatened, he refused to forget you. But you¡®re actually willing tomit yourself to Duke¡®s elder brother just to have a worry¨Cfree life. Are you worthy of Duke¡®s love?¡± Adina¡®s long eyshes trembled. ¡°You failed to purge his memories, so where did he go, then?¡° Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Chapter 681 ¡°Earl had some people send the unconscious Duke abroad to Hestia Border.¡± Adina was stunned again. Hestia Border was an area that always came up in the news. It was notorious for chaos and darkness, and it was a ce of death that even international organizations dared not enter., It was really hard to imagine what the unconscious Duke would encounter when he was sent there. Adina suddenly dared not continue listening to Catherine, but she had to know everything that happened to Duke. She closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she was already fighting back her tears. ¡°Catherine, continue.¡± Catherine subconsciously cast a nce at the door. She said a lot of things. If Earl knew about this, she did not know whether she would walk away from this with her life. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. I won¡®t tell Earl,¡± Adina indifferently said, ¡°If my husband is still alive, I will return Earl to you. But if my husband said had struck Catherine¡®s soft said, ¡°You also know how chaotic Hestia Border is. Earl threw the unconscious Duke into the slums and withdrew all his subordinates , been no news about Duke from that ce. He has either been slowly matter how well she hid her emotions, her discreet grief and sadness still leaked out from strong. He will not die in a . foreign country for no this, she would be able to stay in Sea to mission that she sent out was taken up by someone, and her mailbox received the information This person was seen in Hestia Border about twenty days ago. It was at Adina pursed her lips. lying. She also did not have the need to had to go there herself to see if Duke was said, ¡°You¡®ve revealed some heavy secrets to me. It¡®s really not suitable for you to continue staying in Sea City. You¡®d better go Catherine¡®s expression changed. ¡°Are you abandoning me after you¡®ve got what you wanted?¡± ¡°If I suddenly allow you to stay in Sea City, wouldn¡®t Earl be suspicious?¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°If you want to stay, just stay. If anything happenster, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you.¡± Catherine snorted coldly. ¡°As long as you don¡®t ask to send me away, Earl would not be so heartless.¡± Adina took a look at her before she turned around, walked to the door, and pulled it open. Earl was smoking. When he saw hering out, he threw the cigarette butt to the floor and stepped on it to put it out by reflex. ¡°My discussion has failed. Miss Catherine is still unwilling to leave,¡± Adina indifferently said, ¡°But she promises that she will not trouble my kids. Why don¡®t we give her another chance?¡± Earl looked at Catherine in an unfriendly manner. Catherine immediately said, ¡°Earl, I really won¡®t bother Ms. Daugherty anymore. If I make another mistake, I¡®ll immediately pack up and leave Sea City before you say anything.¡± ¡°This is thest chance. Don¡®t challenge my bottom line.¡± Earl coldly nced at Catherine before he looked down at the woman beside him. ¡°You haven¡®t eaten, right? Let¡®s find a restaurant and eat something.¡± Adina walked while she said, ¡°The kids are still waiting at home for me to cook. Send me back, first.¡± Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Chapter 682 This was the first time the woman had spoken to him so nicely ever since learning his identity. Earl eded to her will. ¡°Since it¡®s been resolved, you can move back to the Winters family¡®s mansion tonight.¡± Adina pulled open the car door and got into the car. Her hand paused as it fastened the seat belt, and she said, ¡°Wouldn¡®t you look at the time now? If we pack up and move now, it¡®ll be 11:00 pm after we finish everything. It¡®s fine if we adults stay upte, but the kids can¡®t stay up like this. Just because they are not your kids, it doesn¡®t mean you cannot feel sorry for them.¡± Her tone carried a hint of censure, and this was an emotion that fascinated Earl. Earl could not describe how he felt. In short, he enjoyed listening to the long list of words that this woman said to him. He held the steering wheel and drove while he asked, ¡°By the way, what did you talk to Catherine about while you were alone with her?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. He was simply asking her casually, but Adina was suspicious of it, thinking that the question had been framed differently. She dared not show too much emotion. She coldly snorted.¡± Now, you¡®re even asking about the conversation between women. Why are you so nosy?¡± Earl chuckled. ¡°Okay, I won¡®t ask.¡± ¡°Come over tomorrow and help us move at noon,¡± Adina then said, ¡°Don¡®te too early. We will still be resting if it¡®s too early. If you wake Mel up, she will make a fuss the entire day.¡± do wheel. Instead of looking at the road ahead, he gently nced at the woman serene moment was wanted to get out of this life and escape because the ordinary life casual usations gave him some make her move he dared not She finally stowed away her ruthlessness, and she was finally willing to talk to car stopped in car door, and got spoke, she turned around and wanted to enter fluttered. He also pushed He walked toward the woman. ¡°Stop.¡± Adina¡®s body tensed up, and she froze. The man plucked a thread out of her hair. ¡°Okay, you can go inside now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Adina softly said. When she was about to turn around, Earl followed her again. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The man gulped. He remembered how he had remained indifferent to this woman on the wedding night. He also had no designs on sleeping with his brother¡®s woman. But in just one month, no, in less than ten days, he actually became so possessive of this woman. He lowered his head, and his lips slowly approached her face. Adina narrowed her eyes and immediately dodged him. She raised her hand and tidied his tie. ¡°It¡®ste now. Quickly go back. Remember toe and pick us up tomorrow.¡± Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Adina turned around, pulled open the door of the mansion, and walked inside. The dim light at night shone on her back, making her figure all the more diminutive and slimmer. Earl remembered the day he first met her. At that time, he had just wanted to use her. Unexpectedly, the two of them ended up taking things this far. Compared to their first meeting, this woman seemed to have slimmed down a lot. Her waist almost seemed like it would break under his grasp, and her thin frame was frightening to look at After Adina disappeared from the door, Earl slowly turned away. Meanwhile, Adina gently closed the door, leaned against the door, and let out a sigh of relief. She was really afraid that this man would stop her and ask questions again. She was scared that she would expose herself, and she was also afraid that she would lose herposure. ¡°Mommy, what¡®s wrong?¡± ck go upstairs now we going to the we¡®ve just moved here for one day. Where are we moving to we leave tonight? Can¡®t we leave again ¡°Mommy, what happened?¡± kids asked a question one after another, but Adina simply could you have so many questions? Quickly, go upstairs and pack your luggage!¡± Flint chased the kids upstairs before he asked with a serious gaze,¡± Addy, I¡®m not a four¨Cyear¨Cold kid. I can¡¯t remained calm as she said, ¡°Do you have a helicopter? We¡®d must not let he knew that it might be Go and pack your luggage now. If you don¡®t want anyone to know your whereabouts , you¡®d better get rid of your mobile nodded. She said with aplicated expression, ¡°Thank you.¡± are no thanks needed between us. If you really want to thank me, let me be the kids¡® godfather. I¡®ve been waiting for this for a long time,¡± Flint casually said before he Adina pursed her lips before she turned around, went upstairs, and packed the important things. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. At the Winters family¡®s mansion, Earl drove in unimpeded. Right after he got out of the car, he was stopped by Mabel. ¡°Where are the kids and Addy? Didn¡®t you go and bring them back?¡± Earl threw the car key up and caught it again. He said casually,¡± What¡®s the rush? Let¡®s talk about it tomorrow.¡± Mabel gritted her teeth. ¡°Earl, do you know how much the news has affected Winters Corporation ? The stock price of Winters Corporation may not seem to have been affected on the surface, but a lot of feminists online are already advocating the boycott of the products of Winters Corporation. If you continue doing nonsense like this, Winters Corporation will be destroyed by you one day.¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry, this won¡®t happen again,¡± Earl indifferently said, ¡°I¡®ll bring back the five of them tomorrow.¡± Mabel was stunned. In the past, no matter what she said, Earl would refute her. Why was he so obedient today? She calmed down for a while before she asked, ¡°What about Catherine? Can you really let Catherine go?¡± Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Chapter 684 When she lived in Ascrialia four years ago, Earl had snuck into the manor in Ascrialia to escape the limelight, and she took him in for a few days. Catherine happened toe and visit the manor those days, and the two of them met officially. Unexpectedly, Mabel saw Earl entering Catherine¡®s room that night, and the two of them ended up on the same bed. Catherine was not even twenty years old at that time, so Mabel was truly shocked. But she also dared not say anything when she thought about Earl¡®s absurdity, and she also turned a blind eye to this rtionship What she did not expect was that this rtionship would actually make a scene in the media after so many years, and it was gradually getting out of hand. ¡°There has been nothing between me and Catherine since a long time ago.¡± Earl pursed his lips. ¡°As long as Adina knows her ce, she will be Mrs. Winters forever.¡± After he spoke, he went upstairs. heart finally slowly sank in moonlight. Her eyes turned red again.She murmured, ¡°Duke, Addy and the night passed silently. When the sky turned bright, Earl which allowed him to remain highly alert, no matter howfortable the environment he was mirror andbed a hairstyle that he would not find annoying before he hummed a song and was clearly in a good over the past few days, also found the courage toe forward and ask, ¡°Master, what do you want one for each of the breakfasts that Adina and the kids usually eat. I¡®ll bring it Brown sighed in was ready to atmosphere at home would not be so tense Master, I¡®ll go and N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. kitchen and asked the six delicate breakfast sets were prepared. After Earl finished his on the elerator, and the car sped away He drove the car at top speed out of habit, and he nced at the time along the way. It was just 9:00 am now. Would it be too early if he drove over now? The woman had asked him not to go there too early. Therefore , Earl reduced his speed again. It was a journey that took twenty minutes, but he arrived only after he forcefully drove for more than thirty minutes. This was the Xavier family¡®s mansion. This was the mansion that Mdm. Xavier had given Adina previously, and the mansion was taken care of very well. The courtyard was full of all kinds of blooming flowers in thete autumn and early winter, and it looked very vibrant. But the mansion was very quiet, as if it was still asleep. Earl stroked his chin and chuckled. Those naughty kids actually loved to sleep so much. But if they obediently called him Daddy in the future, he would not indulge them like this. Waking up late was not a good habit. Earl sat in the car while quietly waiting for the people in the mansion to wake up. As time passed, he grew slightly impatient because of the wait. His phone vibrated at this time. It was a call from Arden. ¡°Boss, a major client came to thepany. I can¡®t handle him. You have toe here in person.¡± Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Chapter 685 ¡°If you can¡®t handle him, just take him to the club and get a few women to serve him. Do I still have to teach you this?¡± Earl snorted and said, ¡°I¡®m very busy today. Don¡®t call me again.¡± When he hung up, he raised his wrist and took a look at the time. It was already 11:00 am. Even if they slept, they should not have slept until this hour. Earl suddenly felt slightly anxious. He pushed the car door open and got out. He wanted to press the doorbell, but he was afraid of waking up the people in the mansion. He rolled his sleeves up. He made a turn, flipped over the iron gate of the mansion, and went in. He tumbled into the balcony and produced a piece of wire. After he picked the lock of the balcony, he gently pushed open the ss door of the balcony, and he gently walked in. The sunlight outside was obstructed by the curtain, so it was very dim in the house. Earl kicked the building blocks on the floor away and walked to the second floor. He was wondering if he suddenly showed up in front of Adina, would the woman feel more frightened or surprised? She should be feeling more frightened. After all, this woman hated him for causing Duke to die. better not shock her like to the door of the master bedroom, he stopped walking and curved down the corners of his lips before he turned around and passed by the second small bed of the second bedroom was folded so well that he could instantly filled with master bedroom and took a deep breath before he pressed down the doorknob and pushed it All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. the master bedroom was dim, and it was empty. The bed was neatly open the closet door. There were his lips into a sneer. ¡°Adina Daugherty, well out his phone and walked down was suddenly heard in the in the direction of the sounds, he saw the vibrating phone in had actually thrown she throw her phone away? was dark as he turned the trash can over, and a few things dropped out. Other than Adina¡®s phone, there were also gaze subconsciously to hide their whereabouts and was Adina go with the the scenest night. Adina was so quiet that he thought she How unexpected! Wow! She was actually plotting to run away. But why did she want to run away? He never thought of killing her. He never even thought of harming the few kids. She should know that he would not be so heartless. Why did she suddenly run away overnight? Why did she abandon everything in Sea City so easily? Earl thought for a few seconds before his expression suddenly changed. He raised his leg and kicked the tea table in the living room. The breakfast he brought in the thermos was suddenly spilled on the carpet, and it was a mess. He took out his phone and made another call. Catherine was outside the studio that had been smashed into a mess. When she saw her hard work smashed up like this, she was totally furious. But her reputation had grown notorious in Sea City, like a street rat, and her studio could no longer be run. She could only wait for Adina to give up and for Earl to value her strength. Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Chapter 686 At that moment, her phone vibrated. She took a look at the caller ID, and her eyes instantly lit up. She speedily answered the call. ¡°Hello, Earl.¡± ¡°Catherine, you have ten minutes to see me in Winters Corporation!¡± The phone was then hung up. Catherine¡®s face turned pale because of his profound and cold voice. But she dared not disobey him. She quickly went downstairs and took a taxi to Winters Corporation. As soon as she arrived at the entrance, she felt strange gazes from all directions, as if countless people were criticizing her. ¡°Look, there¡®s the mistress.¡± ¡°The mistress who interfered between Mr. Winters and Mdm. Winters.¡± shamelesslye to Winters she was not shameless, she wouldn¡®t have ended up discussions, Catherine quickly walked her teeth tightly so gained fame when she was a teenager, as a world renowned psychiatrist. She used to go in and out that bitch, had put on an act in front of the media, and to the door of the CEO¡®s office, she was dragged inside by an arm, and her ¡°Help¡­ help¡­¡± staring at the man in Suffocation came over her like a N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. the taste of death for the let she fell to the carpet and did Adina talk to you about yesterday?¡± said, ¡°She asked me not to see you again¡­ Cough! violently raised his leg and out like a yellow leaf in the autumn, and she was mmed against she was just a bystander at that was the She always thought that Earl would treat her slightly differently, no matter how cold and heartless he was. But she had been absolutely wrong. In fact, she was not different from those people who stood up against him in his eyes. If this was not Winters Corporation but a dark ce without anyw, Earl would have killed her just now. She thought of Adina¡®s warning yesterday. Adina had asked her to leave Sea City as soon as possible, but she had not bothered with the suggestion. She finally understood why Adina would say that. ¡°Catherine , you have only onest chance. If you don¡®t say it, you¡®ll not exist in the world from now on.¡± Earl sat on the chair while looking down at her, as if he was watching a dead dog. ¡°Earl, I was also forced by Adina to a dead end. She purposely tricked me into talking¡­¡± Catherine cried and said, ¡°I¡®m sorry. I shouldn¡®t have told her that you sent Duke to Hestia Border. She doesn¡®t believe that Duke is dead. She should¡®ve gone over there to look for Duke¡­¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Earl instantly kicked Catherine away. His eyes became extremely cold. ¡°Arden,e in!¡± Arden did not know what was going on, so he hurriedly pushed the door and went in. Chapter 687 Chapter 687 Chapter 687 After several twists and turns along the way, the group of six finally arrived at their destination. This was the smallest country nearest to Hestia Border, and it was less than half an hour away. When they stood on the balcony on the second floor of the mansion, from afar, they could see people in ck outfits constantly patrolling back and forth at the border of Hestia Border, and the security was very tight. Adina was exhausted. She washed her face and sat on the balcony with an upied mind. The kids were still resting on jetg, but she could not sleep at all, so she just got up and thought about what to do next. ¡°The climate here is very dry. You have to drink more water,¡± Flint. said in a hoarse voice. ¡°Luckily, my father called me two days ago to let me take charge of the project here, or I wouldn¡®t have been able to find an excuse toe here.¡± Adina looked up. ¡°Does Morton Corporation also have a branchpany here?¡± is in this field, so we can make a lot of money here every year.¡± Flint sat down and indifferently said, ¡°But now ck Party ns to clean out their organization and get into serious business, so my family¡®s business might be affected. My father had me find a way to contact the people in ck Party her lips. ¡°Who is ¡°I just know two gangsters. They were responsible for delivering weapons to ck Party. They are not members of ck Party, but they work with them, so I n to start with them first. I¡®ll go over ¡°I¡®ll go with you.¡± but suddenly firmly and took a moment to stabilize herself before she said, ¡°I¡®ll go upstairs and change the balcony, looked at guess what was going on, but he could not be sure. After all, it was too far¨Cfetched shirt and long pants, which made her look very capable. She put on t shoes, which a few internal conflicts. It is very dangerous. Are you sure you afraid, so why should I be?¡± Flint chuckled in resignation. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. but his martial arts skills were indeed He pursed his lips and said, ¡°The bodyguards my father arranged for me will not be here until tomorrow. Should we go tomorrow?¡± Adina indifferently said, ¡°I¡®ve already changed my clothes, and now you¡®re telling me this? Let¡®s go.¡± She had to find out Duke¡®s whereabouts in the shortest possible time. She was afraid that something would happen to him, and she was also afraid that it would lead to more serious consequences because she waste. Most importantly, she had to figure out the internal structure, division of forces, and list of personnel of Hestia Border now. She did not want to wait around a second longer. : Flint drove over, and they left the mansion after the two of them left a note. As soon as the car disappeared , four small heads showed up behind the curtains of the bedroom on the second floor. ¡°George, can you guess what¡®s going on?¡± Harold blinked in confusion as he asked. George shook his head. ¡°I don¡®t know.¡± Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Chapter 688 No matter what, he could not figure out why Mom would bring them and run away over the night. She even wiped off all their tracks along the way. Mom had done this to avoid Dad. But why would Mom want to avoid Dad? Even if they were to get divorced, she did not need to take the four of them out of the country. As Alden was about to speak, his phone suddenly vibrated. This was themunicator that he carried along all the time. Even Mom did not know it existed, so it was not thrown in the trash can. He clicked on themunicator, and he saw that someone sent him a private message. Terry North. [My device shows that you and Hal the Milk Lover seem to have arrived near Hestia Border.] Alden narrowed his eyes. time, they formed a temporary mission group. When they clicked on the member information of the group, they could see their locations. Only people who had too much time on would he pay attention to had a favorable impression of Terry North, but the him a reply.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. just passing by, turned the ¡°If we don¡®t ask, Mommy will certainly not exin anything to us. If we do ask, she would try to flip us aside with an excuse. So this time, do say you miss Daddy, and you want to go back. Mel, you also cry along with Hal. Georgie, you¡®re responsible for beating around the bush, no idea an hourter, Flint and her here was very tight because a fight had just taken ce, and two consecutive leaders were assassinated. Therefore, foreign cars could not be driven in, and they would be granted ess only through the door, the environment was not much different from ordinary small cities There were many vendors on the side of the road. They were selling everything, and some people even sold prohibited goods openly. People at the roadside came and left. Some were in suits, while some walked about in a hurry. It was impossible to tell who belonged to ck Party among the seemingly ordinary crowd. Adina lowered her voice and said, ¡°It doesn¡®t seem to be as chaotic as described on the news.¡± ¡°This is because the new leader who has just taken office issued a new policy, and many illegal acts have been banned,¡± Flint softly said. ¡°When I came here with my father for a business discussion a few years ago, my backpack was snatched away on the street. There were also women being dragged into the grass at the roadside where they had been walking, minding their own business. Well, anyway, this area was very chaotic until it became peaceful in thest two weeks.¡± ¡°It seems that the newly appointed leader has the intention to rectify thew and order here.¡± Adina sighed heavily. Flint snorted. ¡°There are no good people here. I guess he is harboring some dark thoughts of his own.¡± While they talked, they walked into an alley. Two blonde¨Chaired European youths had waited for a long time. When they saw Flint, they walked over and knocked on Flint¡®s shoulders one after another. They looked very close. ¡°Let¡®s go and eat first.¡± Flint allowed the two of them to lead the way, and the four of them went into the nearest restaurant. The restaurant was well¨Crenovated. It was the peak lunch hour, so many people were dining in. Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Chapter 689 The group of four sat by the window. It seemed that the two blonde¨Chaired young men rarely came to dine in at the restaurant. They raised the menu up and ordered in a frenzy. The four of them soon ordered a table full of dishes. Money was of the least concern to Flint. He said casually, ¡°How are we going to be content with only this? Let¡®s order a few bottles of your favorite alcohol.¡± The two men immediately ordered a few bottles of expensive whiskey. The table was full of specialties in this area, but Adina was not interested at all. She sat at the dining table with an indifferent smile. ¡°Coul, have you always lived here?¡± The young man named Coul ate some meat while he said, ¡°I¡®m an illegal immigrant, so I have no other choice but to live here. I used to be able to collect some protection fees to live a life, but now¡­¡± a while. It was only after he looked around with his small eyes that he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Since the new leader took office, we are no longer allowed to collect protection fees. We can¡®t earn any extra money, and we are almost starving to death. Morton, do you know how long I haven¡®t drunk with her fingers and indifferently asked, ¡°If ck Party wouldn¡®t give North took office, he first chased out all other organizations of Hestia Border. This ¡°I freaking hate Astroysians the most, but I¡®m under his control Flint cleared his throat. nothing like those Astroysians. You¡®re our best partner. As long as you say leader you expression changed. ¡°He defiled an underage woman, so he was arrested by Terry Adina¡®s fingers stopped. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. not a big deal in such a chaotic ce. But this new leader actually sent he took office, he started carrying out such drastic reformation. She guessed that the bottom of the hierarchy had started wanted to know gangsters who were at a higher level through the two of them, but clearly, this was Suddenly, a bunch of people walked toward their seats. ¡°Where are you from?¡± A muscr ck man stepped on the chair while he fiercely asked. A group of gangsters surrounded this side, and all of them looked unfriendly. Coul was so scared that hisplexion instantly turned pale.¡° York; the two of us have been behaving ourselves recently. We did not steal or rob¡­¡± The muscr man named York swung his hand to shove Coul and the other young man away before he stared at Adina. He shed a meaningful smile. ¡°Astroysian girl. You look slightly interesting. Say, how much for a night?¡± Adina¡®s expression instantly turned cold. Flint stood up and shielded her. He said in a very nice way,¡± She¡®s not like those prostitutes. Bro, please don¡®t get it wrong.¡± ¡°Where did youe from, bastard? Get out of the way!¡± Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Chapter 690 York rudely pushed Flint away, while severalckeys behind him immediately grabbed Flint¡®s arm and restrained him. Flint tried to resist them. ¡°Let go of me. Let go! Coul, why are you still standing there?¡± He wanted the two youths to help them out. There were about five people on the other side, so they might not lose if they teamed up and fought back. Coul walked over with a pale face. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Morton, York¡®s uncle just joined the core military camp to serve as a bodyguard for Terry North. He has a lot of power in his hands. You can¡®t fight him. You should just give a woman to him to make a friend with him¡­¡± Flint was furious. ¡°Just now you said, as long as I say a word, you¡®d do everything for me.¡± ¡°Morton, we really can¡®t afford to mess with them. You¡®re on your own now.¡± The two young men who had eaten their fill of food and drinks slipped away. new policy. I also won¡®t force myself on you. $1,000 per know that the new policy is implemented now. If you force me, it¡®s equivalent to breaking thew. me, you¡®ll enjoy your life and even act as you hand went up along her backhand who was nearly two hundred kilos was just with people in hurt me! Bros, take muscr men She lifted her leg, hooked, and kicked a woman was not so easily messed Bang! All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. wine bottle, and stabbed Recently, his uncle had joined the core army, so his status had simrly gone up. This street was under his control, but he had not gotten any less involved with defiling women. He would just give some money to send them off, so he could remain unountable. This was his first time encountering a problem. York¡®s eyes were filled with ruthlessness as he stabbed straight toward Adina¡®s neck with the bottle. Adina narrowed her eyes. She moved sideways to avoid it, but the wine bottle still scratched her shirt. Luckily, she was in long sleeves, so it did not hurt her skin. When she was about to fight back, York rushed over, grabbed Adina¡®s ankle, and strongly pulled it. Adina fell to the ground. Theckeys surrounding her instantly rushed over and firmly held Adina down. ¡°Those are some really amazing martial arts, but are you nning to fight us all with your slim arms and legs?¡± York threw the wine bottle away before he reached out to pinch Adina¡®s chin. ¡°Little chick, you initially just needed to ¨C apany me alone today, but now, all my brothers will have a share!¡± When the otherckeys heard this, they were overjoyed. Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Adina curled her lips into a sneer. She had lived abroad with two children for four years, so she had encountered such a thing many times. There was a glint in her eyes, and just as she was about to speak, there was a suddenmotion at the entrance of the restaurant. ¡°Terry North!¡± ¡°Terry North ising!¡± When Adina heard that, she looked over. A man in a ck cloak strode in through the doorway. He was tall and slender, but he was wearing a golden mask that covered his entire face. Only his ck eyes were visible. When Adina saw his ck eyes, she knew that he was an Astroysian man. The man¡®s gaze was sharp and fierce. He nced around the restaurant as if he was a natural king. His every gaze emanated a strong sense of aggression. it familiar for some reason.She felt like she Adina¡®s chin, but his hand he turned around and acted obsequiously. here to dine in? slowly turned around and nced at each other¡®s eyes, heart could not help but pound Why would she feel such this woman¡®s a prostitute. She was pushing me to spend a night with her. She even told me $100 for a night. I still have serious business to do, so ¡°Is that so?¡± man in the golden All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. usual Cairnstanian ent, but there were characteristics of the region in his this man had lived there for at least Adina pursed her lips. that the guards at the restaurant¡¯s entrance called this before. He was the newly appointed leader in the unregted territory, and he had This was a tough man who also truly wanted to manage the ce. If she wanted to look for Duke, perhaps she could cooperate with this person. While Adina considered it, York spoke again. ¡°Boss, such an indecent woman has ruined the atmosphere on our street. We should lock her up so that our mates won¡®t be seduced by her.¡± Terry North stared at York coldly while he said, ¡°I need someone over here.¡± As soon as he said that, two guards who were guarding the entrance walked in and respectfully waited for his instructions. York¡®s gaze was filled with pride. Once this woman was put in prison, it would be more convenient for him to do whatever he wanted. He just needed to say the word. ¡°Arrest him. Interrogate him and find out how many women he¡®s harmed.¡± Terry North¡®s words made York¡®s smile slowly disappear. When the two guards pinned York¡®s shoulders back like iron tongs, it finally dawned on him, and he struggled. ¡°Boss, why are you arresting me? I¡®m innocent. She seduced me. What does it have to do with me?¡± ¡°Coercing women to sleep with you is absolutely forbidden in my territory,¡± Terry North said coldly. ¡°Don¡®t think I¡®m a fool who can be deceived by your words. Get him out of here!¡± Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Chapter 692 York still wanted to exin, but the guards just covered his mouth and dragged him out. Hisckeys were so scared that their faces turned pale. They went weak in the knees and immediately knelt on the ground as they begged for mercy. Terry North stared at them and menacingly said, ¡°Get out of here.¡± The people there, including the most ordinary old men, had blood on their hands. It was not an easy task to transform them. However, handling York alone would at least bring peace to the street for at least half a month. Terry North picked up the chair that had fallen to the ground before he sat down steadily and said, ¡°Bring the menu.¡± When the restaurant was in chaos earlier, the owner and waiters had hidden in the kitchen. They only came out and continued to run their business now. The owner fearfully handed Terry North the menu, not daring to even look him in his ck and profound eyes. The owner had been running the restaurant for more than a decade. Over the years, Auguste had been in charge. He killed people as if they were flies, and his methods were ruthless. The owner used to see Auguste dealing with prisoners of war, and he still could not forget the scene. It was the biggest nightmare of his life. Auguste, whom he was most afraid of, had been killed by Terry North. North¡®s recent policy had brought momentary peace to his restaurant, who could be steps away, and she stared nkly at Terry N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. reason, she ¡°Addy!¡± Flint instantly stopped her. demon. He¡®s even more terrifying than Auguste. Don¡®t go snapped Adina out of her strong the sense of familiarity was, she she had seen Terry North taking office on TV, hence ttened the corner of her lips before she said, ¡°He helped me earlier, so I want to go over and right for her to thank wanted to coborate with Terry opportunity to get to know him and explore some options in Adina to shield her, and they get closer, two guards North, thank you for helping us earlier. We just came to thank The man waved indifferently without looking at them. The two guards then pointed at the door. ¡°The boss doesn¡®t like people standing on the side when he¡®s having a meal. Please leave immediately.¡± Flint wanted to speak again, but Adina pulled him by the sleeve. He pursed his lips and fell silent. ¡°In any case, thank you, Mr. Terry North. This meal is on us. We¡®ll get out of your hair now. See you again.¡± After Adina spoke and paid for the meal at the counter, she walked out of the restaurant with Flint. The man sitting at the dining table slowly turned around. He looked through the restaurant¡®s ss pane with his ck, profound eyes and stared at the two people who were walking side by side outside. His grip on the wine ss tightened, but he looked away apathetically. He was an Astroysian, and those two were also from the continent of Astroy. Was it because of their simr skin color and eyes that he developed a strong sense of familiarity? But there were also a lot of other Astroysians in the area. Why did he not find them familiar? Chapter 693 Chapter 693 Chapter 693 York still wanted to exin, but the guards just covered his mouth and dragged him out. Hisckeys were so scared that their faces turned pale. They went weak in the knees and immediately knelt on the ground as they begged for mercy. Terry North stared at them and menacingly said, ¡°Get out of here.¡± The people there, including the most ordinary old men, had blood on their hands. It was not an easy task to transform them. However, handling York alone would at least bring peace to the street for at least half a month. Terry North picked up the chair that had fallen to the ground before he sat down steadily and said, ¡°Bring the menu.¡± When the restaurant was in chaos earlier, the owner and waiters had hidden in the kitchen. They only came out and continued to run their business now. The owner fearfully handed Terry North the menu, not daring to even look him in his ck and profound eyes. The owner had been running the restaurant for more than a decade. Over the years, Auguste had been in charge. He killed people as if they were flies, and his methods were ruthless. The owner used to see Auguste dealing with prisoners of war, and he still could not forget the scene. It was the biggest nightmare of his life. Auguste, whom he was most afraid of, had been killed by Terry North. Auguste. Although Terry North¡®s recent policy had brought momentary peace to his restaurant, who could be sure that Terry North was not nning any and she she ¡°Addy!¡± Flint instantly stopped her. He¡®s even more terrifying than warning snapped Adina out of how strong the sense of familiarity was, she did Terry North taking office on TV, hence she found ttened the corner of her lips before she said, ¡°He helped me earlier, so only right for her to thank also wanted to get to know walked in front of Adina to shield her, and they walked toward Terry North¡®s dining table one they could get closer, walking and spoke from a meter away. ¡°Mr. Terry North, thank you for helping us earlier. The man waved indifferently without looking at them. The two guards then pointed at the door. ¡°The boss doesn¡®t like people standing on the side when he¡®s having a meal. Please leave immediately.¡± Flint wanted to speak again, but Adina pulled him by the sleeve. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He pursed his lips and fell silent. ¡°In any case, thank you, Mr. Terry North. This meal is on us. We¡®ll get out of your hair now. See you again.¡± After Adina spoke and paid for the meal at the counter, she walked out of the restaurant with Flint. The man sitting at the dining table slowly turned around. He looked through the restaurant¡®s ss pane with his ck, profound eyes and stared at the two people who were walking side by side outside. His grip on the wine ss tightened, but he looked away apathetically. He was an Astroysian, and those two were also from the continent of Astroy. Was it because of their simr skin color and eyes that he developed a strong sense of familiarity? But there were also a lot of other Astroysians in the area. Why did he not find them familiar? Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Chapter 694 While Flint had suspected it long ago, he was still shocked.¡± Isn¡®t Duke the only child in the Winters family?¡± ¡°Dad does have a twin brother.¡± George pursed his lips and said, ¡°I heard about it from Grandma on Grandpa¡®s death anniversary when I was three.¡± Melody widened her eyes nkly. ¡°When did Daddy be our uncle?¡± ¡°Did he make the switch after the wedding?¡± Harold found it incredulous. ¡°After Daddy and Mommy got married, he went on a business trip for two weeks, and he became more frightening after that. It turns out that he isn¡®t Daddy. So, where did our daddy go?¡± Tears streamed down his cheeks. Adina raised her hand and wiped away his tears before she put on a calm front. She gently smiled and said, ¡°I found out that your daddy¡®s here. That¡®s why I took you out of the country to look for him. Don¡®t worry, I¡®ve found some clues. I¡®ll be able to find Daddy very quickly, and our family will reunite soon.¡± The shock in Alden¡®s eyes was slowly reced by relief. He thought that after his dad married his mom, his dad stopped loving his mom, Melody, and him. closed once again through it. In the end, there was still a part of never changed. His dad still loved him, Melody, and a living adult happiness instantly vanished, and his eyes are.¡± Flint seemed rxed as he smiled. ¡°Don¡®t worry. Your you so much. only thing that pushed her that drove her to a foreign country and hope enabled her go and do the tes from the dining table into the kitchen, and the sound of unnerved these past few days. She was to bear some of it after her talk with them, so she felt firmly believed and kept When Flint looked at the figure who was doing the dishes in the kitchen, he sighed heavily. He had to call his father to send more people over. They could only find Duke sooner if they had more manpower. While the two adults were busy, the four kids looked at each other. George was the first to say, ¡°Alden, let¡®s go upstairs. I have something to discuss with you.¡± Harold immediately got up. ¡°I want to know too.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡®ll be able to understand ?¡± Alden pursed his lips. ¡°It¡®ll be good enough if you can take great care of Mel.¡± As he said that, he took George upstairs and entered the study. Harold was disgruntled, but there was nothing he could do. He really was not as smart as the two of them. Fine, taking good care of Melody was an important matter too. Once Alden entered the study, he turned on hisptop and quickly tapped on the keyboard.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Chapter 695 A new day arrived as the sun rose from the horizon. After Adina washed up, she darkened her skin on purpose. She went downstairs once she put on some light makeup. Flint was ying with Melody and Harold downstairs, while George and Alden were reading. The scene was warm and harmonious. ¡°Good morning, Mommy,¡± the children raised their heads and greeted her uniformly. Adina smiled gently. ¡°All of you have to stay home and be good today. I¡¯lle back at noon to make you lunch.¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡®ll take good care of my brothers and sister,¡± George said obediently. ¡°I¡®ll be a good boy,¡± Harold assured her. ¡°I¡®ll y with Mel too. Don¡®t worry, Mommy.¡± ¡°Be them on their cheeks. ¡°Wait at home obediently. I¡®ll outside, the gentle smile that she to look for Duke want to discuss a a lot of information about himst lived in a sinful ce, he had yet to be implement new policies, maintain order, like him might not Auguste alone and killed the former leader. Only then did he be the leader. On the first day he took office, he chased other organizations out of Hestia Border. You can tell how terrifying he is just from that. How can you go and mess capable,¡± Adina spoke firmly. ¡°He can ask anything of me. held back everything he wanted to well, so we found some information about him. This man is on high alert. He doesn¡®t even trust the closest I think Terry North might not turn me down. Since he saved me Flint shook his head. He did not know whether Terry North would turn her down or not. However, Addy looked too extraordinary and gorgeous, and she was a rare Astroysian. He was afraid that there would be trouble. ¡°Why don¡®t I go there first?¡± Flint made apromise as he said, ¡°I¡®ll go and explore the area first. If Terry North is willing to talk about the coboration, you can go there tomorrow.¡± ¡°Flint, I can¡®t wait.¡± Adina looked at him, and her voice was filled with sadness. ¡°If I wait for one more day, he¡®ll be in danger for one more day. I really can¡®t wait.¡± Her expression and gaze appeared calm. Only her voice revealed her worries and anxiety. It was Flint¡®s first time seeing her anxious and flustered. This woman would always be confident and organized whenever she encountered anything, but she did not know what to do now. Even though she knew that there was danger ahead, she was still willing to step forward. She might even sacrifice her life if that could help her find Duke.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Flint felt a little sad and gloomy as if he had bitten a sour lemon. The sourness almost made his tears drop. He pulled open the car door and suppressed his emotions. ¡°Get into the car,¡± he said with a straight face. Adina pulled open the car door and sat in the front passenger seat, and Flint silently drove toward Hestia Border. It was a small city that was not very advanced. Countless sins were buried under its buildings, and innumerable people around the world had gone missing and lost their lives there. Guards patrolled the ce twenty¨Cfour hours a day, and it was heavily guarded. Everyone who passed by looked fearful and anxious. After Adina and Flint were searched, they sessfully entered Hestia Border. The two of them walked along the main road, and they soon reached the organization¡®s core area. a four¨Cstory mansion, which was surrounded by about four rows of cottages. The entrance was the two of them appeared at them a stunning smile and spoke in fluent English. ¡°Hello, I¡®m here to see Mr. Terry North. He saved me yesterday, so I want to thank him in a gorgeous woman for a long time, so their expressions extended his arm and Adina¡®s lips froze required appointment letter when asking for not letting you in,¡± the guard said as if it was official business. ¡°If Adina pursed her lips. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. and searched the night, but she still could not find Terry North¡®s basically could not find any private information rted out a box of tea from her handbag. ¡°This is the gift that I wanted to present to Mr. Terry North. It¡®s a special tea from Cainstarn. Please help me to pass it to him, and had guarded the ce for more than two weeks, and they had seen a leader was of Astroysian descent, so perhaps he would When the guards took the tea, a car suddenly stopped at the entrance. This area mainly belonged to the ck Party. Aside from its executives and cronies, no one else could drive their car there. Adina turned around and saw a woman push open the car¡®s backseat door. It was a woman with a strong and imposing aura. She had curly x¨Ccolored hair, green eyes, and gorgeous red lips. ¡°Ms. Isabelle,¡± the guards at the entrance greeted her uniformly. The indifferent woman waved her hand, which was covered in ace glove, before walking toward the mansion in high heels. Right after she took a step, she stopped walking. She turned around and looked at Adina¡®s face. Beautiful women tended to be hostile to other women who were more beautiful than them. That was the case with Isabelle. Her gaze was sharp as she sized Adina up, and she asked the guard next to her, ¡°Who is this?¡± Chapter 697 Chapter 697 Chapter 697 ¡°Thisdy wants to meet the boss, but she doesn¡®t have an appointment letter,¡± the guard answered respectfully. ¡°This is a gift that she wants me to hand over to the boss.¡± Isabelle chuckled. She hooked the box of tea with her index finger. ¡°A very famous brand of Earl Grey Tea from Cairnstan. It looks like you¡®ve put in a lot of effort.¡± Adina narrowed her eyes.She heard the strong hostility in the woman¡®s words. This woman should be Terry North¡®s lover or wife. Did she misunderstand Adina¡®s intention for approaching Terry North? Something crossed Adina¡®s eyes, and she quickly said, ¡°Hi, Ms. Isabelle, my husband and I just wanted to thank Mr. Terry North in person.¡± Flint had known Adina for many years, so they had a strong tacit understanding. He took one step forward and spoke like a gentleman, ¡°Hi, my beautiful Ms. Isabelle, this is the story. My wife and I were attacked yesterday. Luckily, Mr. Terry North stepped in to resolve the situation and get us out of the mess. So, we¡®ve purposely prepared a small gift ande in person to thank him.¡± Isabelle¡®s gaze on Adina finally became less cold. faintly. ¡°I can help you pass this inside pridefully with her entrance of the mansion before felt at ease after they waited for a N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. and softly said, ¡°The master is in a meeting. Such meetings usuallyst at Isabelle snorted. a new policy would be announced each time Terry North stepped out of a meeting. Elder Maurice. If it were not for the consolidation of her family¡®s power, she would not havee to at the time. Waiting for half an hour was her man walk down the saw this man, he would be wearing a golden mask. Only his profound and terrifying eyes would mask was covering an intense and ugly he made her heart It did not ruin the beauty of his lips, which were as sharp could hear her heart pounding very daze, the elders who had been in the meeting had already left, and Terry North had already put on his ¡°Terry North, you¡­¡± For the first time in her life, she stammered. She did not know what to say. Terry North nced at her coldly. ¡°Who are you?¡± Isabelle was speechless. Her father was Elder Maurice, whose status was only second to that of the ck Party¡®s leader. There was none in the area who did not know her. Even though Terry North was a neer , they had met a few times. She was the only young and gorgeous woman among all the men. How could this man not know who she was? Terry North¡®s attitude annoyed Isabelle, but she also became more obsessed with him at the same time. He was the first man who ignored her, and it gave her a desire to conquer him. ¡°I¡¯m Elder Maurice¡®s daughter. My name is Isabelle. People affectionately call me Belle.¡± She shed him a coquettish smile and walked forward. ¡°Terry North, my father asked me toe and see you.¡± ¡°You can leave now that you¡®ve seen me.¡± Terry North chased her out relentlessly. Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Isabelle¡®s face was totally frozen. Was she not beautiful enough? Was she not being obvious enough? Why was this man chasing her away? She secretly unbuttoned her cor and softly said, ¡°I came a long way. Won¡®t you let me stay for a while longer?¡± ¡°Ms. Isabelle, you may make yourself at home. I¡®ll go to the study.¡± Terry North¡®s gaze remained unfriendly and fierce. He had just been in this position for less than a month, and people under his management had different schemes. All forces were on the move, so he could not take any wrong steps. As he was about to make his way to the study, the woman grabbed his arm. His gaze turned menacing, and he swung her away ruthlessly. Isabelle was startled. When she saw the man¡®s eagle¡®s eyes, she immediately loosened her grip. This man was truly terrifying. No wonder he managed to sneak into Auguste Manor and sessfully assassinate Auguste. In the end, he even had no problem retreatingpletely. you some Astroysian tea. It¡®s a famous Cairnstanian brand of Earl Grey.Have you ever heard of this North¡®s mind month ago. Nevertheless, he could remember many name contained he should be an Astroysian. But where he came from based on thenguage Earl Grey Tea was very familiar. It had to send it to my study,¡± he know how to make a cup of tea either, so she passed the errand to the leaders, so she knew how to make tea. Half an hourter, Isabelle brought North smelled the aroma All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. on the tip of his nose, making his mind his mind, but it also seemed like nothing at all. He felt a sense of when he met that Astroysian at this tea. Please take Terry North He raised his hand emotionlessly , divided the tea in half, and handed her one half. ¡°You take a sip first.¡± When Isabelle saw his actions, she nearly jumped to her feet in anger. Did this man suspect her of poisoning his tea? Unless she lost her mind, she would not take such a huge risk to poison him. She took a deep breath and suppressed her anger before she finished the tea in one go. The tea was bitter, and it tasted worse than coffee. After Terry North made sure that she seemed normal, he finally picked up his teacup and took a sip. The mellow taste of the tea filled his mouth. It was aromatic and fresh, giving him a pleasant feeling. He slowly closed his eyes. Isabelle¡®s heart pounded fast when she looked at him. Her father had asked her to be Auguste¡®s wife previously, but she had righteously refused. This time, her father had asked her to visit Terry, and she actually hoped to be in a rtionship with the new leader too. After all, he was young and handsome. On top of that, the scar on his face was growing on her. Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Chapter 699 N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The surroundings were silent at night, with only the street lights glowing outside. There were almost no cars or pedestrians. It was a peaceful country, but due to its close proximity to Hestia Border, its perimeter had be very unstable. Street robberies always happened there. When Adina stood on the balcony, she personally saw two adult men being stopped before their bags were snatched. The ce was a real mess. No wonder the news always urged travelers not to travel there. She stood in front of the window while she contemted. A long whileter, the living room became completely quiet as she collected herself. The four children must have gone to sleep, but she could not sleep. She had insomnia all night, but she still had to pull herself together to hear the news the next day. just sent me an invitation card.¡± Flint walked in excitedly. ¡°This is an annual business recruitment meeting ¡°Congrattions . You can finally help your dad goal is to obtain the reconstruction project involving the neighboring small town. The investment in this project is huge, so the eyes lit been feeling depressed after failing to meet Terry North today, and she had also been the opportunity came to her so soon. The two of them kept their voices low as they discussed the details they of documents in front of them. Alden flipped through the documents as the size of Sea City. Why are there so many Astroysians entering and leaving in a lucrative and profitable industries are here, so it¡®s attracted countless people from all over the world to time passed slowly, Melody flipped through one book after another, yet she could not find said, ¡°If Daddy really is that we¡®re ¡°Then we should go back to Sea City.¡± Melody sniffed and said, ¡°Does Daddy not want us anymore? Is that why he refuses to go back to Sea City?¡± Alden frowned and looked George in the eyes. Although their mom did not make it clear, they had already guessed a possibility: Their dad might not be alive. But their mom was so sure that their dad would return. As such, they were also willing to believe that their dad was still alive. But why had he note to them over the past month? Was he unable to do so, or was he restricted by others? ¡°The army,¡± George softly said. ¡°Everyone in the army here has had their personal freedom restricted. If Daddy¡®s been forced to join the army, he might not be able to escape.¡± Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Alden pursed his lips. ¡°Hackers are unable to infiltrate the army¡®s system. It appears that we have to ask Terry North for help.¡± ¡°This is the core of every organization¡®s confidentiality. He won¡®t help us,¡± George said with a straight face.¡± Didn¡®t he say that he wants to meet us? Why don¡®t we meet him once and try to find Dad?¡± Alden slowly nodded. Since things had progressed to such a stage, that was all they could do. The next afternoon, Adina and Flint went to the business banquet hall in the neighboring country. Hestia Border was surrounded by about eight small countries. The country hosting the business banquet was developed, and the purpose of the project was to rebuild cities and viges that had been destroyed by war. Everything including houses, roads, railways, and basic infrastructure had to be rebuilt. There was a huge profit margin to be made. Businessmen from the neighboring countries hoped to take part in the project. Before the banquet started, nearly a hundred luxury cars were parked in front of the hotel. shawl on her shoulders. She held Flint¡®s arm as they walked to see such a beautiful pure Astroysian woman there, especially since her delicate as she appeared at the banquet hall¡®s entrance, little unhappy. ¡°You shouldn¡®t have shed him a bright smile. ¡°Beauty is a woman¡®s greatest weapon. With held back. If her beauty could quickly get her inside the ck Party, she would dly use it. ask Addy if someone wanted her body, would she sacrifice because Addy would kill him with the steps while everyone watched. At the entrance, ¡°You can¡®t enter.¡± who was about forty years old, blocked their path said, ¡°We¡®re the representatives of Morton Corporation. Why ¡°Why?¡± The man sneered before he said in a low voice,¡° My nephew, York, was arrested and locked up in jail the day before yesterday. Was it because of the two of you?¡± Adina looked at the man. She had done some researchst night. York¡®s uncle, Louis, had joined the core army half a month earlier, and he worked for Terry North. Unexpectedly, Terry North¡®s power actually reached this ce. It looked like Terry North trusted Louis quite a bit. If she wanted to coborate with Terry North, she could not offend theseckeys. Adina smiled faintly. ¡°Surely, you know why York is being locked up in jail. Terry North implemented a new policy, but he harassed a woman right in front of Terry North. If he¡®s not arrested, who should be? Mr. Louis, you¡®re openly stopping the representatives of Morton Corporation from attending the meeting. This also vites Hestia Border¡®s new policy regtion. If I report this to Terry North, do you know what the consequences will be?¡± Louis¡¯ expression instantly changed. This woman dared to threaten him in his territory! ¡°But Mr. Louis, you¡®re actually fighting for your nephew. I think that¡®s understandable.¡± Adina smiled again. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She unzipped her small leather bag, took out a stack of cash that she had exchanged long ago, and stuffed them into Louis¡® pocket. ¡°It¡®s for everyone¡®s sake. Mr. Louis, please don¡®t dwell on the little things in the past.¡± Chapter 701 Chapter 701 Chapter 701 Louis took the cash and carefully counted the bills. He felt satisfied after he counted them.He had vented his anger at his nephew¡¯s situation because his nephew usually gave him a lot of benefits, and this woman had just given him benefits that wouldst a few months. Adina stared at the changes in Louis¡® expression, and she knew that this person was greedy for money. She nudged Flint in the arm. Then, Flint took out his wallet from his suit pocket and presented him with another stack of cash. It was twice as much as earlier. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Adina smiled and said, ¡°I heard that you¡®re Terry North¡®s bodyguard, Mr. Louis. If there¡®s an opportunity, we¡®d like you to introduce us to him.¡± ¡°No problem. It¡®s a piece of cake.¡± Louis stood on his toes and snatched the cash from Flint¡®s hand. He licked his index finger a little before he counted the bills one by one. Flint smiled faintly. ¡°Can we go in now?¡± Louis hid the money in the pocket of his undershirt before he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Of course, you can go in. I¡®ll go to the boss and ask if he has the time to meet you.¡± he walked into the banquet smile and calmly said, ¡°Let¡®s get in first. As long as we give them enough money, we¡®ll be able to see Terry the VIP lounge behind the banquet was discussing the details of the project with the guard the he found that someone, he received two the VIP lounge. He saw that the meeting had ended, and Terry North was smoothing out his outfit and getting ready toe quickly stood up straight. When Terry North pushed open the door, he nodded and delicate figure. Many of the men wanted to court her, but she came to me and said that she wants to be your mistress. Would so much money just to see the boss. She He had passed the message, and it was none of his fierce. ¡°Get the ck Party¡®s new industry needed to be developed, and he also had to fear the have time to meet a woman who wanted to be He went on the move and walked toward the banquet hall. Louis was shocked, but he soon sighed in relief. The boss¡® gaze earlier was terrifying. How could such a scary person exist in the world? He had better not seek death for such a little money. Louis wiped a handful of sweat from his forehead, and just as he was about to go out, a delicate voice stopped him. ¡°Wait, Louis.¡± Isabelle walked over in her high heels. Louis felt his heart seize again. Isabelle was Elder Maurice¡®s daughter, the female demon whom no one dared to mess with in the area. He lowered his head further. ¡°Ms. Isabelle, what can I do for you?¡± Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Chapter 702 ¡°Someone asked you to pass a message just now, and she said that she wants to be Terry North¡®s mistress?¡± Isabelle fiddled with her long red nails. ¡°Say, how much money did the woman give you?¡± ¡°No¡­ No.¡± Louis¡¯ head was instantly full of sweat again.¡° She was really beautiful, so I became a little soft¨Chearted and helped her convey the message.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Isabelle sneered. She took out a card from her purse and handed it over.¡° There¡®s $100,000 in here, which is worth several years of your ie. Once you ept this money, don¡®t ever introduce any questionable women to Terry North again. Also, inform all the guards in your security team that no one is allowed to help any woman.¡± Louis was stunned. ¡°You¡­ You mean¡­¡± ¡°Terry North is mine. Whoever stands up against me opposes my father.¡± Isabelle smiled faintly and said, ¡°If you dare to take this money without doing anything, I¡®ll get my father to pull out your fingernails one by one and throw you into the sea to feed the fishes.¡± After she spoke, she walked away pridefully and caught up to Terry North. Louis was not happy at all as he held the bank card. If other guards introduced women to Terry North, would Isabelle me him too? a lot to before he walked slowly toward the banquet in the resting area at the corner, and they saw Louis walk Flint narrowed his eyes. a sip of champagne before she nonchntly said, ¡°There¡®s no rush. The resting area and looked around while listening to her surroundings. Soon, she heard some people talking about the corner and chatted as they his daughter to Terry North. Do you actually wants to give his daughter away to an ugly man lost his mind?¡± ¡°Is Terry North hideous?¡± wear a mask? He must have been Auguste family. If Elder Maurice¡®s daughter people are already raising objections. If this continues , he¡®ll fall one day.¡±. ¡°It talking. Terry west at the same Adina looked over too. A man in a ck suit appeared before everyone. His ck eyes were extraordinarily outstanding among the blue ¨C eyed Europeans. He was tall, as well as imposing, and he gave off an overbearing aura wherever he looked. That sense of familiarity returned to Adina again. She subconsciously stood up and started walking in his direction. She had a fatal attraction to that man. She subconsciously wanted to go over and look at him. ¡°Stop.¡± Louis came over in time and blocked Adina¡®s way. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°I¡®ve already passed the message for you, but Terry North isn¡®t interested in you. Don¡®t embarrass yourself.¡± ¡°Besides,¡± Louis said, ¡°don¡®t you see the woman beside Terry North? She¡®s Elder Maurice¡®s daughter and Terry North¡®s fiancee. If you seduce Terry North in front of Ms. Isabelle, you¡®ll just be seeking death.¡± Chapter 703 Chapter 703 Chapter 703 Adina instantly stopped walking. Her gaze flickered, and she cast her sights on Isabelle. It turned out that this woman was Terry North¡®s fiancee. No wonder she was so hostile toward her yesterday. If she turned around and left now, it might make Isabelle suspect her purpose more. She smiled faintly, raised her hand, and moved Louis away. ¡°I know Ms. Isabelle as well. Please move aside,¡± she calmly said. Louis just felt a huge force push him away. While he wondered how a woman could have such strength, Adina walked up to Terry North and Isabelle. strong uneasiness rose in Isabelle¡®s but it was also possible this woman was a Cairnstanian¡®s specialty that her father found everywhere. If this woman exposed her lie, how could Isabelle smiled faintly and said, ¡°Ms. Isabelle , don¡®t you remember me? that she would mention with the Earl Grey tea yesterday. He had treated her nicely for the first said, ¡°This is a her sentence, Terry North stopped her by raising his hand. Terry North took a step forward , looked at the woman, and softly said, ¡°Are you the woman in that restaurant from the day before North. conversation made Isabelle¡®s expression be a little North at least five times, but this man still showed up, Terry North remembered the ce they first met. ¡°Terry North ¡°Can I talk to you alone after the banquet ends, Mr. Terry North? I¡®d like to discuss a coboration with Isabelle clenched her fists and lowered her voice. ¡°Terry North, my father has made preparations for dinner after the banquet. He wants to talk to you about the ck Party¡®s future development and direction. You¡ª¡± ¡°I¡®ll be busy after the meeting,¡± Terry North said indifferently. ¡°So, let¡®s talk now.¡± Isabelle¡®s smile froze. She wanted to say something else, but Terry North had already turned around and entered the nearest meeting room. Adina moved forward to keep up, while Flint followed her closely. The aloof Terry North stopped in front of the meeting room¡®s entrance . Then, he turned around and said, ¡°If there¡®s a third person, we won¡®t discuss the coboration.¡± He nced at Flint indifferently. Adina understood what he meant, so she turned around and softly said, ¡°Flint, wait for me outside.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Flint gritted his teeth and only replied after a while, ¡°If anything happens, just shout. I¡®ll go inside immediately.¡± Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Chapter 704 ¡°I¡®ll be fine.¡± Adina gave Flint a reassuring smile. Then, the meeting room door was closed. Flint appeared extremely downcast. He touched his pocket and took out a cigarette. ¡°Ha!¡± Isabelle sneered and walked over. ¡°Your wife¡®s alone in a room with a man, and you¡®re fine with it?¡± ¡°Don¡®t even bother.¡± Flint stared at her coldly. ¡°You better keep an eye on your own fiance.¡± For some reason, he had always sensed something strange about Terry North¡®s gaze whenever he looked at Addy. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Terry North was the leader in the area. If he really had an inappropriate interest in Addy, Flint did not know what he should do. as he held his lighter, and he could not light up the a lousy man would let his wife go to get more benefits. What a Isabelle said. He breathed in some smoke while he focused on listening inside the meeting room. But the sound instion was so good that North sat in a ce near the balcony, about to express her intention, the man suddenly raised eyes inexplicable emotion when he looked at emotion made her feel a little lost. She looked away and spoke in Cairnstanian, ¡°I¡®m a Cairnstanian. spoke softly and uttered every taken Terry North¡®s voice very familiar the day before yesterday. After he spoke in Cairnstanian, the sense of familiarity grew even stronger. She was stunned as she asked, ¡°Are you a Cairnstanian said indifferently . ¡°What would you like to discuss with me? came to an abrupt Adina still had a lot to ask, but it was not suitable for that anymore. Terry North seemed very nice to talk to at this time, but she could not forget that this man had killed the two former leaders. She quickly collected herself. ¡°Mr. Terry North, I traveled all the way from Cairnstan because I¡®m trying to find someone in Hestia Border. You¡®re the leader here, so it¡®s easier for you to find someone. I¡®d like to request your help with this. Naturally, I can help you regte the ck Party¡®s profitable business in return.¡± Terry North yed with a lighter and apathetically said, ¡° Too many people want to coborate with me to regte the ck Party¡®s business. Why should I choose you?¡± ¡°Mr. Terry North, you¡®ve just been in power for a month, and you don¡¯t have a stable foundation yet. You may not have many trustworthy confidants, so it¡®s quite inconvenient to execute many things, right?¡± Adina smiled and added, ¡°Besides, you¡®re nning to close down all the previous businesses, which will affect most people¡®s interest. It will be incredibly difficult for you to implement the new policies in business. You don¡®t just need to suppress the internal, but you also have to coordinate the external. Can you really perfect it alone? ¡°I¡®m a businesswoman , so I understand business. I can help you manage the ck Party¡®s new business without taking any profit from you.¡± Sitting across from the man, she firmly said, ¡°You¡®ll be responsible for dealing with the external forces, while I¡®ll help you clean up the ck Party¡®s internal business. Within three months, the ck Party willpletely be in your hands. ¡°Meanwhile, you just need to give orders and help me find someone. It will bepletely beneficial and harmless to you. ¡°So, Mr. Terry North, do you ept this deal?¡± Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Terry North looked at the woman who had a bright smile, and he became slightly absentminded. Her smile, voice, and behavior always gave him a very familiar feeling for some reason. He could not help but extend his arm. rmed, Adina leaned back, but the man still managed to hook a strand of her hair. Terry North looked at the ck hair in his palm in a daze, and his nose smelled a recognizable long¨C lost fragrance. ¡°Mr. Terry North, what are you doing?¡± Adina¡®s voice was cold, which pulled the distracted man back to reality. ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± North let go of her he pursed his thin lips tightly, but the golden mask covered Adina, he still looked cold. willing to work with me, I¡®ll step out first,¡± she said with up and turned around to did not sacrifice . Simrly, love was coborate?¡± The man¡®s husky voice rang out. turned around. ¡°Are you really me who you¡¯re for an Astroysian man. He went missing in Hestia Border a month ago.¡± Adina¡®s voice was a little hoarse. ¡°Thest time someone saw him was more than twenty days sorrow like a North¡®s heart suddenly seized spread so far that his fingers curled up could not help but ask, ¡°He¡®s my husband. I just married him,¡± Adina said bitterly. ¡°He went missing on our wedding day, and there hasn¡®t been any news about him so far. Mr. Terry North, I know that this area is under your control, so it¡¯s not difficult for you to find someone. It doesn¡®t matter if it¡®s money or manpower. Whatever it is you need, I¡®ll do everything I can.¡± Terry North¡®s jaw tightened even more. His memory only went back a month ago. Over thest month, he rarely vented his emotions. In the beginning, he was locked up in the basement. The first day he woke up, he was insulted and laughed at. He did not know who he was, but he knew that he was not meant to be someone who lived at the bottom and got bullied by others. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Hence, he fought back, and he had been on that road for the past month. His only emotion was the desire to stand higher. Apart from that, he was like a robot. He did not have any emotions or feelings. He even slept for only four hours a day. Sometimes he wondered if he was a robot whose past memories had been snatched before he got abandoned in this sinfulnd. However, this woman¡®s arrival made him realize that he was a living person. Chapter 706 Chapter 706 Chapter 706 He also felt sad all of a sudden, even though he did not know where this sadness came from. He fell into contemtive silence before he calmly said,¡± It¡®s not difficult to find someone in Hestia Border, but this will stir up fear among other forces. I need a few days to consider this.¡± His reaction was expected, so Adina smiled faintly.¡° Okay, I¡®ll await your reply with peace of mind.¡± She nodded at the man, then turned around and walked outside calmly. She pulled open the meeting room door, and just as she took one step out, a beautifully¨Cdressed woman blocked her path. Isabelle¡®s emerald green eyes were full of anger. ¡°You¡®re already married, yet you¡®re still seducing my fiance. Are Cairnstanian women really that shameless?¡± she mocked in a low voice. ¡°Ms. Isabelle, please mind yournguage,¡± Adina said coldly. ¡°Mr. Terry North and I were talking about a business coboration . Please don¡¯t specte about us with your dirty thoughts.¡± ¡°If you were talking about coborating, why did you door?¡± Isabelle¡®s voice was a little hoarse from anger. ¡°I¡®m warning you. Stay chuckled. ¡°He locked the door because he¡®s guarded against you. Ms. Isabelle , why don¡¯t you reflect Isabelle was furious. it for a few days. Let¡®s get out of here first.¡± Flint nced at her for a while before he sighed in relief and said, ¡°Okay, let¡®s go home.¡± On the way, Flint hesitated to speak, but he finally said something when they arrived home. ¡°Addy, did Terry fully dressed at the door. ¡°Mommy, you¡®re back just in time!¡± Harold took the opportunity toin. ¡°Georgie and Al won¡®t bring me and replied, ¡°Georgie and Al said they¡®re going to meet a friend.¡± ¡°You¡®ve made friends so quickly!¡± Flint did not expect that at all. ¡°Howe I never knew your socializing skills Alden covered Harold¡®s mouth. going to meet Terry North, she would not allow him to Adina ¡°Georgie, Al, tell me who you¡®re going George pursed his lips and confessed, ¡°It¡®s a friend whom Alden and I met online. He found out that we¡®re here in Hestia Border, so he invited us to dinner.¡± ¡°You¡®re just kids. No matter how smart you are, you can easily be deceived,¡± Flint said nonchntly. ¡°Thest thing you should see now is an online friend. Nobody knows if they¡®re good or bad people. What if they kidnap and sell you?¡± Adina seriously said, ¡°This area isn¡®t safe. Last night, someone was robbed right in front of our house. It¡®s too dangerous for the two of you to go out. I can apany you to meet your friend.¡± Alden stroked his nose. If their mom apanied them, he would not be able to talk. He had done a lot of things behind her back, so he could not let her be privy to this knowledge. ¡°Ah! I remember!¡± Harold said out loud. ¡°Georgie and Al¡®s friend is Terry North!¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Adina was stunned. She thought she had heard him wrongly, but when she saw how Alden and Georgie red at Harold , she knew that she had heard right. She calmed down before she asked, ¡°Is Terry North your friend?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡®s him!¡± Harold said excitedly. ¡°I also heard from Georgie that this person is very powerful. He seems to be the boss in this area. Georgie and Alden are going over because they want Terry North to help us find Daddy.¡± Adina stared at Alden and firmly said, ¡°Alden, tell the truth.¡± Alden pursed his lips.It looked like he could not hide it anymore.If he had known about this earlier, he would not have allowed Harold to participate in their conversation.He looked up and obediently said, ¡°Mommy, you know that I¡®m a hacker. I met Terry North during a mission and indirectly helped him a few times, so we became friends. I didn¡¯t know he was the leader here until we arrived in Hestia Border, but he doesn¡®t know my identity yet.¡± ¡°That¡®s great.¡± Adina sighed in relief. ¡°Let someone else go on your behalf.¡± Party¡®s leader alone.She dared not let any of your behalf. Adina frowned and said, ¡°What if I go? I too dangerous.¡± him about a coboration on the surface, but you befriended him using a hacker identity? A person like him will definitely think that you¡®re too cunning and that Alden clenched his fists. let George and him with two identities, she would definitely be suspected Alden softly said.¡° He¡®s on vacation nearby. I¡®ll ask him understood who Alden was talking about. He also added, ¡°That person knows Terry North too, so there shouldn¡®t be a problem.¡± Adina stroked the children¡®s heads. ¡°You should cancel the meeting with ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡± phone and made Adina then changed her shoes and entered the house. She stared at Alden¡®s back with aplicated gaze.She could actually tell that her son had done a lot of things behind her back, but she had never looked into it carefully.She just did not expect Alden to know the leader of the darkest organization in the world. If she had arrived home a momentter, Alden and George would have met Terry North. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. When she came into close contact with that man, she did not really find him dangerous. Nevertheless, she also knew that the man had to be fierce, violent, and bloodthirsty to be in his position. ¡°Addy, not just the kids, but you better not see Terry North too.¡± Flint lowered his voice and said, ¡°When I waited for you outside the room just now, do you know how scared I was? A person like Terry North isn¡®t someone ordinary people can afford to provoke. If he really does something to you¡­ I don¡®t even know what I would do. Besides him, Isabelle is also a powerful person. No matter which one of them gets offended, we¡®ll have a tough road ahead of us.¡± Adina understood his worries. She softly said, ¡°If Alden¡®s option works, I won¡®t need to coborate with Terry North. Don¡®t worry, I¡®ll protect myself.¡± The night passed by silently. Dawn in Hestia Border came very early, and someone was walking slowly in the morning mist.It was a young white man with blonde hair in his thirties. He stopped in front of a mansion with a backpack and spat two mouthfuls of saliva into his hands before he climbed over the mansion¡®s wall. Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Chapter 708 As soon as hended, two bodyguards in the courtyard instantly rushed over and surrounded him. ¡°This is a misunderstanding¡­¡± The man raised his hand while he spoke in not¨Cso¨Cfluent Cairnstanian. At this time, the mansion¡®s door was opened.The young man excitedly said, ¡°Sir Daugherty, it¡®s me, K! I¡®m Karl!¡± Flint sized him up with a judgmental gaze. ¡°Are you really Karl?¡± Did the two kids not say that Karl was brilliant? Why did he look like a softie? ¡°Of course it¡®s me! I¡®m real!¡± Karl immediately moved out of their grasp. ¡°Sir Daugherty, I didn¡®t know that you were actually so handsome. Which year were you born in? Let¡®s see if you¡®re older or me.¡± his lips. the house.He had known Sir Daugherty for more than a year, and the two of them had rushed in, he saw Adina walking the surname Daugherty, to send photos to him previously and even said he would be very shocked if he knew what he looked thought that Sir Daugherty was a man. After all, they had spoken on the phone. But there were voice changers, right? It was possible for Sir Daugherty to be was extremely shocking for a wiped his hands on his body before he bowed and walked over. ¡°Sir Daugherty , nice to meet you. Adina was speechless. her that this guy was aedian.She pursed her lips, smiled, N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. What?Mother? Karl¡®s mind went nk. was very young. She was at most in her Or was it because Astroysian women generally did not look old? While Karl fell into deep thought , two children walked downstairs. Alden walked up to him and indifferently said, ¡°K, I¡®m Sir Daugherty.¡± George cleared his throat and said, ¡°I¡®m Hal the Milk Lover.¡± He felt nothing when he saw the nickname online, but he found it strange when he introduced himself now. George secretly cursed Harold again. Karl was speechless. When he looked at the two children who were as tall as his waist, he almost became petrified. He gasped and only spoke after a long while. ¡°You¡­ Aren¡®t you supposed to be drinking milk at home?¡° Chapter 709 Chapter 709 Chapter 709 In Karl¡¯s mind, Sir Daugherty should be slightly older than him, and he should be at least thirty years old. Hal the Milk Lover sounded old¨Cfashioned every time he sent a message , so Karl thought this guy must be forty years old if not older. But now, two four¨Cyear¨Cold boys had actually shown up in front of him. Karl began to question reality. But when the kids spoke, the things that they said made him ept the fact. ¡°K, we have something very important to ask of you,¡± Alden said seriously and sternly. Karl felt dizzy as he sat down on the couch. ¡°Please go and meet Terry North on my behalf,¡± Alden said. ¡°You know how we met, so I won¡®t waste any time talking about it again. When you see him, you just mainly have to check the recent name list of the Astroysian army in the ck Party.¡± He spoke in an orderly and logical manner. Although his voice was soft and childlike , it was difficult for even an adult to say those words. brilliant person in his family, and everyone in his was now a had always felt that he was amazing, but he felt like a loser when he encountered the two four¨Cyear¨C old did he do when he was four? Did he y too frustrated.¡± Flint patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I grew in the past few He received blows from a four¨Cyear¨Cold kid all the time, so he had been training his indestructible mental strength for a while. ¡°Mr. Karl, there¡®s a certain danger in this matter. Please consider it before you decide on is an old friend of ours. It¡®s also thanks to us that he managed to assassinate Auguste ¡°Ahem!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. loudly, and an old man in his forties. Unexpectedly, he was afraid of matter how powerful and brilliant he was, he was still a baby in front of his finally felt a little a carefree fashion,¡± Mama Daugherty, don¡®t worry. This is a lips. Why did she find this and said, ¡°If Terry North refuses to disclose the information, you don¡®t have to ask him again. Juste ¡°Okay, you¡®re just a four¨Cyear¨Cold kid. Don¡®t teach me how to work. Run along and drink your milk. If you don¡®t listen, your mother will beat you up.¡± Karl carried his backpack and stepped out without a worry. George frowned. ¡°Al, is he really reliable?¡± He had only known Karl for a short time, so he did not know what Karl was truly like. Alden nodded and said, ¡°His style is casual and carefree, but he has always aplished the tasks that I¡®ve given him well. We can trust him.¡± Karl drove Flint¡®s car away, but the car did not enter Hestia Border. Instead, it stopped in front of a restaurant. It was where Alden and Terry North had agreed to meet. Two guards were guarding the entrance of the restaurant, and they directly blocked Karl¡®s way. Karl cleared his throat and said, ¡°I¡®m Sir Daugherty. Go ahead and announce my arrival.¡± The two guards had already received the order. After they sized him up, they let him in. Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Karl nced around the restaurant, and there was only one customer. The man with the golden mask was sitting near the balcony, and he made Karl¡®s heart seize for some reason. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. He had seen footage and photos of Terry North on the news before , so he knew that this man was not easy to deal with. But he only realized how powerful Terry North¡®s aura was when he met the man. Karl¡®s hacking skills were among the top in the world, but he did not practice martial arts. He stopped fooling around and slowly walked over. When Terry North cast a cold nce at him, he shuddered in fear. The man¡®s gaze was too fierce and ruthless. No wonder Mama Daugherty mentioned that this man was very dangerous. It looked like she had not lied to him. ¡°Why are you alone?¡± the indifferent Terry North asked in fluent English. cold, but it was not filled in the chair and purposelyined, ¡°Hal the Milk Lover ¡°Are you Sir Daugherty?¡± North scrutinized him with sweating. ¡°You¡®re not shouldn¡®t be blonde. It should be ck.¡± Terry North nced at used to be ck, but I dyed and looked outside back in his chair. ¡°By the way, why did mentioned to you in ourst private chat, have you thought about Private chat? did they chat that brat, Alden, not tell of thoughts crossed Karl¡®s mind, and he quickly responded calmly. ¡°I¡®m still thinking about it. I haven¡®t thought it through yet. What about you? Do you have Terry North suddenly curled his lips. ¡°How about youe and work for the ck Party?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Karl¡®s mind went nk again. What the hell was this matter of working for the ck Party about? What did Alden discuss with Terry North? He took out his phone, but just as he was about to send Alden a message and ask him about it, his wrist was tightly grabbed all of a sudden. ¡°Tell me, who are you?¡± Terry North lifted Carl like he was a little chicken. ¡°You pretended to be Sir Daugherty toe and see me. What¡¯s your purpose?¡± Karl waspletely dumbfounded from the shock. ¡°You¡­ You¡­ I¡­ I am Sir Daugherty¡­¡± Halfway through his sentence, he felt as if his wrist had almost been broken. It was so painful that he gnashed his teeth. ¡°I¡­ I¡®m K!¡± Karl cried out for mercy. ¡°Terry North, I¡®m K, the one who¡®s been responsible for contacting you. You can¡®t be so ungrateful to the point that you would kill me. You¡®re about to break my wrist.¡± Chapter 711 Chapter 711 Chapter 711 Buzz! Alden¡®s phone vibrated. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The group turned to him in unison. He cast a nce at the caller before he pursed his lips and said, ¡°It¡®s K.¡± Adina breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared that K was fine. ¡°Pick up the call and ask him about the current situation,¡± she said inly. The moment Alden answered the call, he heard the icy cold voice of a man from the other end of the phone. ¡°K is in my hands now. If you want to save him,e and see me.¡± Right after the man spoke, he hung up. The living room fell extremely quiet. After some time, Alden said, ¡°Mommy, I have to go there by myself.¡± Adina pursed her lips. K had been caught. If she allowed Alden to go and save him, Alden would be in danger. Adina stood up and said, ¡°I¡®ll go. I have a way to save Karl.¡± ¡°Mommy, Terry and I are friends. I¡®ve deceived him once by having K meet him on my behalf. I¡®ll be deceiving him for the second time if I let you go on my behalf,¡± Alden said solemnly. ¡°Your rtionship with your family will sour if you deceive them thrice, more so if you do the same to an online friend.¡± Adina fell silent.She had to admit that Alden was right. If she had not insisted on having Karl make that trip on Alden¡®s behalf, Alden would have made the deal with Terry. But if she were given a second chance, she would still make the same decision. Something had happened to Duke. She could not afford to put her children in danger. ¡°Mommy, trust me. I¡®m confident that I can make Terry let Karl go. I¡®m also confident that I¡®lle back safe and sound.¡± Alden stared at Adina resolutely. ¡°Stay at home and wait for my return. Don¡®t worry.¡± Adina¡®s lips parted. She did not know how to reply to him. If she insisted on going with him, something bad might happen once again¡­ After all, she had met Terry more than once. If she showed up as Alden¡®s mother, Terry would suspect Alden of having an ulterior motive no matter what he did. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll go with Alden,¡± said George, who had been quiet the entire time. ¡°Even though I haven¡®t known Terry for a long time, we can get along. With me around, you don¡®t have to worry so much about us¡­¡± Adina was speechless. In fact, she felt even more worried¡­ Her two four¨Cyear¨Cold children were going to meet the man whom the media reporters around the world saw as a demon¡­ ¡°Addy, it¡®s the only way,¡± Flint said. ¡°It¡®s safer for the two of them to go alone than for you to apany them.¡± Adina let out another sigh. ¡°The two of you have to be careful. You have to take care of each other. Leave that ce as soon as you save Karl. I¡®ll figure out another way to look for your daddy.¡± Due to Adina¡®s concerns, Flint assigned two bodyguards to escort the two children to Hestia Border. It was the children¡®s first time leaving the house since they arrived about three or four days ago. The road was crowded with vehicles and passersby . No one could tell that it was actually the birthce of evil. Two guards stopped their car at the entry point. The two bodyguards then escorted Alden and George to the military zone¡®s central area, and they were stopped at the entrance again. Alden spoke fluent English. ¡°I¡®m Sir Daugherty. He¡®s Hal the milk lover. Tell Terry that we¡®re here.¡± The guards exchanged nces before one of them quickly went in to report to Terry. It did not take long for the guard to run back out. ¡°The boss is having a meeting. Wait for him in the living room.¡± Alden nodded and walked in with George. Meanwhile, their bodyguards were stopped outside. The two children walked into the living hall inside the mansion expressionlessly and calmly. Isabelle was sitting on the couch while peeling grapes. She was putting one of the grapes into her mouth when she noticed two children walking in through her peripheral vision. She was stunned.The two children looked a lot like Terry¡­ Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Even though she had only met Terry once, the image of his features was etched in her heart¡­ When she saw the children¡®s eyes, nose, and lips¡­ she found they and Terry had been cast in the same mold. Could they be Terry¡®s illegitimate children? A hint of hostility appeared in Isabelle¡®s eyes. Meanwhile , Alden and George turned a blind eye to her and sat on the couch. ¡°Who are you?¡± Isabelle crossed her legs as she questioned them indifferently and w?rily. ¡°Who are you?¡± George coolly asked in return. The boy was arrogant, aloof, and collected. His aura was simr to that of Terry. took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m Terry¡®s a cold and stern voice rang out, ¡°Who¡®s my Isabelle froze. father had ns to betroth her to Terry, dared to tell others that she was thought Terry would overhear dryly. ¡°I was just joking with the children. For a moment, he of familiarity returned to N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. out.¡± Terry turned to Isabelle. ¡°Don¡®te in almost erupted calm down before she said, ¡°I won¡®t get in your way. them. Go out he have with two her out on Auguste was in power, she coulde and go did her status plummet Auguste? She turned her head and left in a huff. Following that, Terry turned to the children. ¡°Who¡®s Sir Daugherty? Who¡¯s Hal the milk lover?¡± George found his voice to be familiar. However, since Terry was speaking in English, George did not give it a second thought and calmly said, ¡°I¡®m Hal the milk lover.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°You don¡®t look like a milk lover.¡± The person who called himself ¡°Hal the milk lover¡± should be an outgoing and lively person. Meanwhile, the child before him appeared mature and did not quite fit the vibe that the name gave off. ¡°It¡®s us,¡± Alden said indifferently. ¡°We¡¯re here. Can you let go of Karl now?¡± ¡°How do I know if you¡®re not just impostors?¡± Terry stroked his chin. ¡°Unless, you prove yourself.¡± The truth was, Terry trusted them, at least a little if not entirely. Still, it was hard to believe that the four¨C or five¨Cyear¨Cold children were famous hackers on the Dark Net. Alden nodded. ¡°Do you haveputers? You¡®ll find out in a match.¡± So, Terry gestured for his servant to prepare someputers. Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Alden and George worked hand¨Cin¨Chand and breached the mansion¡®s firewall in just five minutes. Terry¡®s gaze turned gloomy. Ever since he moved into the mansion, he had personally programmed all of the surveince and intelligent systems. Common hackers could not possibly break into his systems. However, the two four¨C or five¨Cyear¨Cold children had effortlessly cracked his defenses before him. If the local force recruited the children to work for them, Terry would constantly be at great risk¡­ ¡°Release Karl,¡± Terry instructed his men indifferently. The guards outside the mansion went to the back and escorted Karl out from a ck room. They then tossed him outside the mansion. Alden and George got up. ¡°We¡®ll leave now.¡± like that?¡± Terry said coolly. ¡°There had to be an ulterior motive for asking Karl toe to me as you, right? manner of speech and saw the and murmured, ¡°Do Why? What¡®s the matter?¡± he said in voice struck George¡®s N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. eyes and stared at the man in the golden mask incredulously. Although Terry¡®s voice was deep had not identified in a deep breath and asked, ¡°May I know why you¡®re fall back once they discovered he was best weapon to create a strong force. Therefore , Terry would not simply take off was his father¡®s voice¡­He turned spoke straightforwardly. ¡°We¡®ve actuallye to seek your couch. He nodded and said, ¡°To be honest, you¡®ve helped me gain my current position. sat opposite Although the children were young, Terry showed them his utmost respect. He did not perceive them as children who could be easily mistreated. Alden looked down and said, ¡°We¡®re here because we want to find our dad who¡®s been missing for a month.¡± Why did Terry find those words so familiar? He frowned and thought it over. However, he could not recall where he had heard them from. George continued. ¡°We¡®ve found a list of peopleing in and out of Hestia Border. However, we couldn¡®t find our father¡®s name on the Astroysian name list. We suspect our father¡®s been assigned to the military camp. As such, we would like to ask you for the list of Astroysians who recently joined the military.¡± When he spoke, he stared at the man opposite him. But George could only stare into his dark eyes since there was nothing else to identify him with. When Terry kept quiet, George did not find him simr to his father. When Terry spoke , though, he felt as if he was hearing his father¡®s voice. Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Was it possible to have two people with such simr voices in this world? If Terry was truly his father, why did he not look surprised and delighted upon seeing him and Alden? George had identified the wrong person as his father¡­ N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. He missed his father too much and had mistaken the man before him as his father. That had to be the case, right? George held back his tears and said in a low voice, ¡°Our father is Duke Winters. Have you heard of this name?¡± Terry was struck dumb. Duke Winters¡­He felt like he had heard the name somewhere¡­ Where had he heard it from? It could have likely been from his dreams or elsewhere¡­ For a moment, he could not recall it, so he casually said, ¡° I¡®ll give you thetest list of Astroysians in the military.¡± then t¨¢pped his fingers a nce across his fingers and noticed that Terry¡®s knuckles were injured. There were both like Terry¡®s. down in Terry handed him a hard disk. Alden took the hard disk and ced it inside across Terry¡®s face in response. ¡°You¡®re wee. You did me a favor in and grumbled in a foreignnguage. ¡°Well done, Terry! How time to dwell on his disappointment. Immediately after he heard the to throw you out,¡± Terry said coldly. ¡°The children Maurice licked his lips. He stared me that I have to eat the kidneys of ten virgin boys to recover from my illness¡­ I wonder who spread the news, which led to the disappearance of virgin his fingers, and for you in the kitchen. I¡®ll have my the intense contempt in his heart and waved at Soon, the servant served Elder Maurice a te of fresh kidneys¡­ ¡°Terry, that¡®s very kind of you!¡± Elder Maurice sat down by the table and stuffed the food into his mouth with his hands without using the chopsticks. ¡°They¡®re very fresh. I believe I¡¯ll recover from my illness soon. Thank you for preparing the dish,¡± he said with a hideous smile. George¡®s hand trembled slightly when he was greeted by the sight. Alden whispered to him in Cairnstaniannguage, ¡°Don¡®t worry. Those are just cattle kidneys.¡± Terry cast a nce at him. He did not expect the child to be so clever and identify the dish from a single nce¡­ Terry then tly said, ¡°Please send the two of them back to their home safely. If anything happens to them, you¡®ll find your head separated from your body.¡± ¡°Noted!¡± The bodyguards heeded Terry¡®s instruction and sent the children back. Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Right after Alden and George left, Elder Maurice gulped down the whole te of kidneys. He licked the blood stains off his lips and said with satisfaction, ¡°I suppose the kidneys came from a four¨C or five¨C year¨Cold child. They¡®re tasty.¡± As the saying went, you were what you ate. Hence, Elder Maurice believed his kidneys would be stronger if he consumed the kidneys of virgin boys. The man behind the mask had turned icy cold. He tapped his fingers on the table and bluntly said, ¡°Mr. Maurice, did youe here just for the dish?¡± Elder Maurice wiped the corners of his lips with a piece of tissue paper. He then raised his chin and said, ¡°I came to discuss the ck Party¡®s future operations with you.¡± He took out a stack of documents. ¡°I have no objections to you closing these industries. But what about these ones? The casino is one of them. We¡®ve nevermitted any murders, or arson, or dealt with any heavy weapons over there. Casinos are a legal business in many countries. Why do you have to close them?¡± a result, the business breeds crimes. Although the casino looked no different from the casinos in other countries on the surface, truth is, it provided opportunities for many unscrupulous activities. It can easily expand to other kinds of profiteering from gambling¡± The Grand Elder lost his patience and interrupted Terry.¡° But are you aware of the severe damage that you¡®ll cause to the local economy by closing so many industries? The money in our treasury has been Hestia with new opportunities and development. You don¡®t have to worry too much about fifty years. He had established his ownwork of power long ago. After Auguste¡®s death, face an Astroysian¨CTerry¨Cwho intended to reform Hestia. Most of Elder Maurice¡®s industries were illegal and considered profiteering. Once the reformation took ce, he would lose his source of ie. It would be a fatal blow to him and his family. Luckily, Elder Maurice controlled the economic lifeline of the military in the area, so he did not generate profits from the reconstruction project after a year. I wonder how you n to appease the military this year!¡± He swung his hands and left. When he arrived at the entrance, how are things going? Have you talked to N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Elder Maurice frowned. ¡°About?¡± on her foot. ¡°Everyone¡®s aware that you intend to marry me to him. But he refuses to ept me as reassigning you to a different mission,¡± Elder Maurice ¡°Kill him whenever you get the chance.¡± Isabelle looked around them warily and said in horror, ¡° Father, are you crazy? How can I possibly kill him? He killed Auguste! He¡®s so powerful that I¡®m afraid he¡®ll kill me as well.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t kill him, our family will fall apart!¡± Elder Maurice said with a huff. He had nned to betroth his daughter to Terry to strengthen his family¡¯s power. However, even if his daughter were to marry Terry, she would not change his decision to reform Hestia. The only way was to make Terry disappear from this world. ¡°Belle, you¡®re my most beloved daughter. I have no choice but to assign you this mission,¡± Elder Maurice said earnestly. ¡°If you execute this mission sessfully , I¡®ll be the next leader. Once that happens, I¡®ll find you all the men you desire.¡± Isabelle was stunned.She could already ask for any man she desired with her current status. Chapter 716 Chapter 716 Chapter 716 The point was, if Terry died, would she be able to find another man that could move her heart? There was no doubt that Terry had to die because he was going against her father. But before Terry died, Isabelle wanted to have some fun with him. ¡°Father, don¡®t worry. I¡®ll find a way.¡± The father¨Cdaughter pair walked further away as they talked. Meanwhile, Terry sat on the couch, and a murderous intent filled his eyes. If it had not been for the fact that Elder Maurice was in control of Hestia Border¡®s economic lifeline, Terry would have sent Elder Maurice and his family to jail long ago. Unfortunately, Terry had not built a solid foundation. Hence, he could not simplyy his hand on the ck Party¡®s top management. only power he had and economic power needed to go hand¨Cin hand. He could notck wanted to execute his reformation in Hestia Her words made sense. read the newspaper and noticed that Cairnstanians were pretty good at devising economic ns. Perhaps that woman could be of great ¡°Get over here.¡± of the bodyguards quickly went up to ¡°Yes, Mr. Terry?¡± to say thedy¡®s name when he realized that he had no idea what but he did not have the that came here a few days ago?¡± The of light in Terry¡®s eyes. ¡°Ask him to find The bodyguard was embarrassed. He faked a cough and continued. ¡°We rarelye across such a beautiful Easterndy in this ce, This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Terry¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Tell the rest that they mustn¡®t have the slightest evil thought about thatdy. She¡®s my business partner.¡± The bodyguard was shocked. In his heart, he was relieved that he had not revealed anything outrageous in his speech. If eyes could kill, Terry¡®s razor¨Csharp gaze would stab him to death. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Roger. I¡®ll inform the rest of them.¡± ¡°After informing them, invite thatdy over to the mansion.¡± After Terry briefly gave his order, he went up to his study room on the second floor with his hands at the back. In fact, the bodyguard had long learned about Adina¡®s story from Louis. They had gathered most of her information except her background and her name. Meanwhile, Adina waited for her children¡®s return anxiously. Finally, a car stopped before the mansion entrance. Her children and Karl got out of the car. After the car was driven away, Adina rushed out and hugged her children. ¡°Georgie, AI, are you alright?¡± Chapter 717 Chapter 717 CHAPTER 717 Alden and George stared at Adina obediently with their brilliant eyes. Adina felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest. She held Alden and George¡®s hands in hers and went inside the house together. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Karl changed his shoes at the entrance of the foyer. He smelled something aromatic and said with exaggeration, ¡°Smells awesome! Is that a Cairnstanian dish? Looks tasty!¡± When Alden and George were with Terry, Adina prepared a table of dishes. The children and adults sat around the table and took their meals. Karl praised non¨Cstopped as he ate the food. ¡°Adina, you¡®re a great cook. Your dishes are scrumptious. It¡®s no wonder your sons are so clever.¡± will you?¡± The corners of Flint¡®s mouth twitched. Karl was almost turning thirty, still, a mask, too. his face was scarred when he killed Auguste. As such, he recalled George¡®s unusual behavior when they were at Terry¡®s around and asked, ¡°George , did you notice and was going to say something. However, he suppressed his nonsensical simr to his father¡®s, would this cause unnecessary disappointment. ¡°I think Terry is not as bloodthirsty and ruthless as the legend has ¡°Let¡®s see what kind of was an internal military document that showed the going to scan the names of them names from the list within phics and monosybles as Duke. Moreover, the ten people¡®s ages and not inside the ck Party¡®s Adina and her group looked solemn. If they could not find Duke among themoners and military at Hestia Border , did this show that Duke had¡­ Adina tried to suppress the thought of Duke¡®s likely death as soon as it entered her mind. She strongly believed that Duke was not dead. Duke would strive to survive for the sake of her and their children¡­ She felt the tip of her nose sore, and tears began to well up in her eyes. She turned around and wiped the corners of her eyes, trying to hold back her tears. Bam! Bam! Bam! Someone knocked on the mansion¡®s door loudly. Adina rose and went to the side of the door. She saw two bodyguards in green military uniforms. She looked cold. She turned her head around and whispered, ¡°Flint, take the children upstairs.¡± Flint pursed his lips. ¡°Hide yourself and your children. Let me handle them.¡± Chapter 718 Chapter 718 Chapter 718 ¡°I don¡®t want to drag you down. Take care of my children.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Adina refused to let Flint speak for himself. She left the living hall and closed the door. She went to the iron fence at the entrance of the mansion and stared coldly at the bodyguards, ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Terry wants to meet up with you. Come with us.¡± There was a glint in Adina¡®s eyes. During theirst meeting, Terry had stated that he needed some time to consider their coboration. Did this mean he hade up with a conclusion about it? It was clear that she could not enlist help from her children anymore. In the end, she still had to rely on herself. A beautiful smile arched across her lips. ¡°Okay. I¡®ll change my clothes first.¡± The two bodyguards were aware that thedy was their boss¡® business partner. Thus, they dared not push her too hard and waited respectfully at the entrance. returned to her mansion , her children surrounded her. ¡°Mommy, is everything alright?¡± ¡°I guess Terry agrees to coborate with me.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°I¡®m going over to children looked sad. Adina solemnly said, ¡°As Georgie mentioned earlier, Terry is not this mean that he was the only one who was about to say something but decided to swallow Alden. So, he care of my children . I¡®ll be walked out of her mansion calmly moved smoothly on the road and into Hestia Border. It door for her respectfully. Adina nodded as a gesture elderly men wore ck robes. ording to the information she had gathered earlier, the elders ruled the ck elder held different powers and was in charge of the chatting when they walked to the living hall. When they passed down. She tried to reduce her presence among Even though she sneered. ¡°Stand Adina pretended she did not hear his words and continued to walk further. ¡°Didn¡®t you hear me? I ask you to stand there!¡± Elder Maurice then shot a nce at the bodyguard behind him. The bodyguard went up to stop Adina. Adina looked up. There was a sense of calmness in her eyes. ¡°Are you the Easterndy who keeps pestering Terry?¡± Elder Maurice snorted. ¡°It¡®s true that you look pretty. But do you seriously think that you can be his wife just because you look pretty? Dream on! You there, take her into my car. I¡®m going to teach her a lesson today!¡± With such sultry b*tch around Terry, how could his daughter find an opportunity to assassinate him? Elder Maurice nned to toy with thedy before tossing her into slums, exposing her to other dangers. Several bodyguards approached Adina from her left and right. Her gaze turned icy cold and gathered her strength in her left leg. She was about to kick the bodyguards when she heard a familiar voice behind her. ¡°What¡®s wrong? Mr. Maurice, are you trying toy a hand on my woman?¡± Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Aman in a ck trench coat walked down from the second floor with a sense of imposing aura. Elder Maurice looked cold when he saw Terry. When Auguste was in power, Elder Maurice¡®s opinion was greatly valued. However, ever since Terry became the leader, Elder Maurice¡®s opinion was often ignored during the meeting Even though he had offered many important proposals, Terry did not give any response. Today, Elder Maurice offered his proposal regarding the economic construction, but Terry did not regard his proposal highly or provide him with any feedback. As such, Elder Maurice found that he had not been treated with respect. Elder Maurice went up to Terry with his walking stick and snorted, ¡°It¡®s clear that the woman has an ulterior motive. I¡®m just helping you to get rid of the potential troublemaker. Am I wrong for doing this?¡± it¡®s you or her who has an ulterior motive against me. and I fought for thisnd. I put in painstaking effort in every area. I can¡®t bear to watch the woman destroying everything. Terry, even if you want to me me for the rest of your life or drive me out, I will still get rid of this her!¡± Elder Maurice Adina felt speechless. central area less than three times. What did Hestia Border¡®s life had made a big scene approaching bodyguards through her Elder Maurice¡®s four bodyguards immediately fell to the ground. No one knew if leader based on his ability instead was still a long way to ¡°Well done!¡± Maurice was so pissed off that he was lost for words. He This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Maurice were his followers, and they left with mansion fell quiet. Adina pursed her lips and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Terry replied to her tly, ¡°If it hadn¡®t been for me, Elder Maurice will not Adina stood behind him. She looked up and saw his full body. She found his walking posture and the amplitude when he swung his hand to be familiar¡­ The image of Duke appeared in Adina¡®s mind once again. The next moment, she snickered. She must have missed him too much to the extent of finding everyone looking simr to him¡­ She suppressed her confused emotions and followed Terry upstairs. His study room was very spacious. Therge bookshelves were filled with various foreignnguage books, all of which were books from a long time ago. ¡°Regarding your proposalst time, I agreed to work with you.¡± Terry sat down on his office chair. His gaze looked calm. ¡°But before that, I have to judge your skills.¡± Adina remained calm and leisurely said, ¡°How would you like me to prove my skills to you? Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Terry pulled open the drawer and tossed a stack of ounts on the table. ¡°This is the ck Party¡®s ounts. There are many problematic areas in the ounts. Find ten of the problems and you win.¡± Adina took the ounts and sat on the other end of the office table. She studied the ounts carefully. When LaStar Technology Corporation was set up in the beginning, it did not hire an ountant. Therefore, Adina was in charge of thepany¡®s finances. It was not a difficult task for her to understand the ounts. Moreover, the ounts had not been done by a professional . Auguste¡®s rtive or confidant must have been the one who prepared them. There were many errors in the ounts. Before Adina finished studying a third of the ounts, she had found at least ten errors. She brought the ounts to Terry and pointed at the first page. She said, ¡°The ounts are not prepared ording to the standards. There is a mistake in the first row¡­¡± Terry listened to her attentively. He had studied the ounts on the first day after taking over the position, and after flipping them casually, he discovered that there was something wrong with them. It looked like the woman was very knowledgeable in this aspect. Elder Dorien his fingers rhythmically on the table. He hadid out a trap in his reply. When she could see his side profile from her clear N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. smelled a familiar from moving one step closer to the scent reminded her of that night five years ago. She also recalled the passionate nights they had before the only belonged heart skipped Terry¡®s figure, his height, his sprouted from raised her hand and moved toward the man¡®s mask when he abruptly raised ¡°What are you doing?¡± Adina¡®s heart fluttered when she heard his deep and hoarse voice. In fact, she found his voice to be familiar when she first met him. She wondered why she had not thought of it before¡­ She controlled her trembling voice and forced herself to speak calmly, ¡°Can I see what you look like?¡± They were so close that their noses were touching each other. Terry saw her ck, long, and curly eyshes. The fine fuzz on her face, and her moist, crimson lips¡­ He swallowed his saliva, then raised his hand and grabbed Adina¡®s slender waist. ¡°Once you see how I truly look, you have to be mine.¡± The man¡®s husky and seductive voice rang in her ears. It was clear that he was suppressing certain desires, Adina felt his hand getting warmer. The sense of warmth was familiar, and she did not find it repulsive, If Terry was truly Duke, then he was her husband. That was why she did not object to his touch. But if Terry was truly Duke, why was he pretending not to recognize her? Was she overthinking it?Did shee up with such an absurd thought because of her eagerness to find Duke? Chapter 721 Chapter 721 Chapter 721 Adina stared at him at a loss. Then, she spoke again, ¡°I¡®m a married woman. I can¡®t be yours. Please raise another request. I just want to see your face.¡± ¡°I don¡®t mind that you¡®re a married woman. You can be my lover.¡± Terry pressed his lips against her earlobe and spoke softly. Adina¡®s entire body shuddered. The local people were very open¨Cminded. Without any legal restraints , married women could submit to other powerful men, and it was amon phenomenon. However, Adina regarded such a culture with disdain. Yet, Terry had proposed that she be his lover. He could not possibly be Duke! The man she loved could not possibly be so shameless. Adina quickly took a step back. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I don¡®t want to see your face anymore.¡± Before she retreated, Terry grabbed her waist again. ¡°Do you think I¡®m a panda in a zoo that you can come and see whenever you want?¡± exerted some force and pulled Adina into her familiar scent, which made his heart flutter. hand slipped from Adina¡®s She attempted to kick him, but he hands were covered with injuries. His bruised fingers scraped her fair and delicate skin, and she felt as if she had ashamed of his grasp, but Terry grabbed her calf and she fell into me for a night and I¡®ll promise you everything and cold voice was heard once more. His desire ¡°Dream on!¡± arm with the back of her hand. However, the man¡®s arm was as hard her eyes. She raised her hand and grabbed the edge of his mask off greeted by the sight of a scar that took up half of his face from the corner of moment, It was Duke! nose, lips, and so on and so forth had appeared ¡°Duke¡­¡± Adina touched his face with her trembling hand. Meanwhile, Terry looked as cold as ice. He quickly grabbed the mask from her and wore it on his face. The golden mask shed with a bright light and hurt Adina¡®s eyes. Her eyes stung, and tears almost streamed down her cheeks. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know what happens if you take off my mask without my permission?¡± Terry said ruthlessly. Adina could not stop herself from crying. Duke had never spoken to her like this before. Why did he have to treat her this way? Why did he not recognize her? Why did he behave like a stranger toward her? Her crystalline tears streamed down her face, dropping on the carpet¡­ Terry had turned icy cold, but when he noticed that Adina was crying, he panicked. ¡°W¨CWhy are you crying?¡± Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Terry asked her helplessly. He had seen women crying before. Isabelle often cried before him, but he only found her disgusting. However, when Adina cried before him, her tears moved his heart, and he felt as if he was dying from suffocation. When he asked her again, Adina cried even harder. She had dealt with Earl in Sea City for a very long time and had never cried whenever she was in danger.She had traveled a long way to Hestia Border and often ended up with disappointment in her search for Duke, which led to sleepless nights. Still, she managed to hold back her tears. But right then, she could no longer hold them back. Her husband did not seem to recognize her¡­ ¡°Don¡®t you know who I am?¡± Adina sobbed as she asked. Her voice trembled slightly with a tinge of hope. tensed up. Louis had mentioned that the woman¡®sst name was Daugherty. Didn¡®t you say that you wanted to see my removed the mask from stared at the up half of his face had been made about a month ago. The scar was still in the middle of recovery¡­ How badly had he been hurt and how much untold suffering had he been through toe to wipe his memory. However, he called out your name again and again. As a result, I failed to wipe his memory¡­ In the end, he passed out. Then, Earl assigned someone instead? That would exin why Duke had forgotten who he was and could not recognize her as well as their children¡­ If that was her hand and touched his scar. She sobbed as she asked, ¡°How did you get this scar?¡± Terry¡®s heart softened when he stared at her don¡®t remember. My face was already gasped. ¡°You don¡®t remember your past, do was about to nod, but he time being, only several elders from the ck Party were aware for this woman, he did not even know her name. How could he be so rash and to find a person? Tell me everything about looked down and wiped away the tears his memory and temporarily forgotten her. But If he could have his memory erased, he could recall it too. It was only a matter of time. After Adinaforted herself, she took out her phone. She clicked on a daily group photo and passed it to him.¡° He¡®s my husband¨CDuke. He¡®s twenty¨Csix years old and is one hundred and eighty centimeters tall. He¡®s of the same height as you. Even his figure is simr to yours¡­¡± As she said each word, she fixed her gaze on Terry. He had put on his golden mask. Hence, she could only deduce his emotions from his razor¨Csharp gaze. Adina and Duke looked intimate in the photo. They had their arms around each other, and they were pressing their cheeks together. Both of them were smiling radiantly and blissfully¡­ Terry felt ufortable when he saw their smiles. She was married, but why did she stille and seduce him? Why did her husband look familiar? Terry¡®s gaze turned cold. He was about to say something when someone came in.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Chapter 723 ¡°Boss, something bad is happening! The Rebellious Party has sneaked into the border and created trouble!¡± A bodyguard came in and reported the matter to Terry with a sense of great urgency. Terry¡®s expression changed. He turned to Adina and said, ¡°Leave this ce now.¡± Right after he spoke, he pulled open the drawer, took out two ck guns, and put them on his waistband. He quickly went downstairs with the bodyguard. Soon, Adina heard the sound of a car driving away. She stood by the window and saw the car disappearing from her sight. She felt restless. Duke was the CEO of Winters Corporation. He should be working in Sea City and ruling the commercial arena. Even if he failed his business or negotiations, he would at most file for bankruptcy. How did he end up in this ce? Why did he be the ck Party¡®s leader and the first to face dangerous events as if he was guarding something in a hail of bullets? She felt that Duke was above all this. Adina looked around his study. It was clear that it previously belonged to Auguste because his family logo was everywhere in the room. find anything that was at a loss after she walked out of of chaos be the leader of an organization in she thinking looked alike, Earl and Duke did too, world¡­ Adina¡®s glimmer how are you?¡± Terry mistreat eyes are red. Were scum! I¡®m going mansion. Her children surrounded her, and they the children worry said, ¡°I¡®m fine. I found some clues rted to your The children¡®s dull eyes lit up. It was especially so for Melody. She jumped three feet high. ¡°Mommy, have you found Daddy?¡± ¡°Let¡®s go in first.¡± Flint pushed open the mansion door.¡± The Rebellious Party is attacking everyone. Many civilians are injured. It¡®s safer to go inside the house.¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Adina¡®s eyes darkened. They could hide inside the mansion, but Duke had to be the vanguard and lead his army in facing the Rebellious Party¡­ After they entered the mansion, they sat on the couch. Adina looked down and softly said, ¡°While I was negotiating with Terry, I identally saw his face.¡± The crowd fixed their eyes on her and waited for her following words. Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Chapter 724 ¡°There¡®s a very long scar on his face that stretches from the corner of his eye to his lip. The scar takes up half of his face. Even so, I recognize him. He looks exactly like your dad.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Flint was extremely shocked. ¡°Addy, I don¡®t understand what you mean.¡± Harold widened his eyes. ¡°Mommy, you mean Terry¡®s our daddy?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How can this be possible?!¡± said Karl who had been sitting next to them. ¡°Duke¡®s a businessman. Meanwhile, Terry¡®s a soldier , and I guess he came from the special force¡­¡± George pursed his lips and said, ¡®When I saw Terry yesterday, I found his voice to be very simr to Dad¡®s. At that time, I mistook him for my daddy. But it was clear that he didn¡¯t recognize me and Al. Hence, we didn¡®t give it a second thought.¡± Alden said, ¡°If he¡®s truly our dad, he would have recognized us as his children and looked for us!¡± head with her hand and feebly said,¡± ¡°Daddy doesn¡®t looked surprised. ¡°How did he lose let out a sigh. ¡°Catherine did it. She¡®s the world¡®s top psychologist, and she¡®s skilled at hypnosis. When someone is hypnotized to a certain degree, their memories will be wiped out. Moreover, I¡®m not online. If one¡®s memory was erased, recovering it would just been forcefully distorted , it would be very difficult for of the ck Party in just a month? Besides, he lost his memory. How can a person with amnesia gain the position? Addy, don¡®t confuse yourself just because you can¡®t find Duke. and said, ¡°Let me meet up with him again. I¡®ll try to get a strand of his hair or saliva and do of his hair,¡± Adina said after she pursed her lips. ¡°Okay. Why do all of you look so depressed?¡± Karl grinned and asked. ¡°If Terry is truly your dad, you can do everything you want on the Dark Net. Our studio will dominate ¡°What studio are you talking Alden quickly snapped. to switch the topic of conversation. Adina was filled with so much concern that Alden then dragged Karl to the side. ¡°My mom isn¡®t aware that we¡®ve set up a studio. Don¡®t spill the beans.¡± Karl grinned and said, ¡°I had no idea that you were just a child previously, and I even addressed you as ¡°Boss.¡± Now that I know the truth, I suppose you should address me as ¡°Big Brother.¡± If not¡­ Hehe!¡± He threatened Alden by shooting a nce in the kitchen¡®s direction. ¡°Al is still the boss,¡± George said with dissatisfaction.¡° You can think of another name to address yourself.¡± ¡°Can I call you ¡®Uncle?¡± Alden asked indifferently. ¡°Or we can call you Grandmaster. Choose either one.¡± Karl flew into a fit of rage. ¡°Am I really that old?¡±. Meanwhile, Flint did not join in on the fun. His phone vibrated. It was Jasmine. He did not want to pick up the call at first. However, he was eager to find out the situation in Sea City. Thus, he answered the call on the balcony. ¡°I thought you were going to terminate the call again.¡± Jasmine¡®s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°I have a question for you, but you have to answer me truthfully. Does Adina¡®s disappearance have something to do with you?¡± Flint stole a nce at Adina who was preparing a meal in the kitchen before saying, ¡°I beg your pardon. Who has gone missing?¡± Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Chapter 725 ¡°What? Aren¡®t you aware of it?¡± Jasmine pretended to be very shocked to hear his answer. The Winters family had kept the incident well¨Chidden and news reports had not revealed anything about Adina¡®s disappearance. If Jasmine had not coincidentally overheard Mabel talking with a private detective, she would not have known that the Mdm. Winters had gone missing. Besides, not only had Adina vanished, but her four children had also gone missing. Mabel had been looking for them with the help of a private detective. Still, they had not found any clues. Jasmine was calling Flint to inform him that the woman he had his eyes on had run off with another man immediately after she got married. in private. Unfortunately, she¡®s clueless about her whereabouts,¡± Jasmine said regretfully. ¡°I¡®m aware of your close rtionship with her so I thought nothing to do with you!¡± Flint snorted. ¡°Mr. Winters hasn¡®t even called me. Why Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. in their affairs?¡± from Winters Corporation for a week. He¡®ll approach you sooner orter,¡± Jasmine sneered. ¡°Flint, a word of advice. Leave Adina while you can. She¡®s a jinx. If you offend Duke, Morton Jasmine could finish speaking, Flint bone¨Cchilling coldness filled his been absent from work for a week. Perhaps he hade to Hestia discovered Adina¡®s whereabouts, he would use his identity as the children¡®s father and force her to return to Sea City. Flint had to find someone to provide misleading information to and ate the food. The television ced in the living room was on, and it was broadcasting the news. ¡°Adina, your dishes are scrumptious. No wonder Cairnstan is known as Food he was strife in the southeast of Hestia Border at four o¡®clock in the afternoon today. Dozens of members from the Rebellious Party created amotion and injured many civilians¡­ Terry North led his special forces and arrived on the scene in time to stop the war. However, the Rebellious Party brought along explosives. As a result, Terry who charged to the front was wounded by the shrapnel. We¡®ll her fork and with a frown. ¡°Before we find out his true identity, he¡®s a dangerous man.¡± Harold blinked his eyes. ¡°Can we visit him? We¡®ll find out if he¡®s truly ¡°Stay at home. I¡®ll go.¡± Adina rose. She removed her apron and went to the door. Flint raised his hand and stopped her. ¡°It¡®s veryte now. It¡®s dangerous for you to go out at this time. On top of that, there was a battle not long ago. Terry is surrounded by his bodyguards. Do you think you can get close to him? Wait for the update. You can visit him tomorrow.¡± Adina looked outside the window. The cables had been destroyed due to the explosion . As such, the street lights had broken down. It was pitch ck outside. Indeed, it was unwise to go to Hestia Border at this moment. Adina suppressed her concern. She sat down and continued to eat her food while she paid close attention to the news report on television. The signal was not clear, and the television screen turned ck after a few minutes. The ce where they stayed was far from modem civilization. There was no social order. It was filled with danger and the smell of death. Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Such a ce was not meant for Adina, Duke, and their children. It was all because of Earl! Whenever Adina thought of him, she would purse her lips even more tightly. She had run away and gone missing in the middle of the night. She wondered how pissed off Earl had been. Would he be able to guess that she and her children had traveled to Hestia Border? If he found that they were there, would hee and look for them? That thought shed in Adina¡®s mind. Regardless , what mattered most to her was finding out Terry¡®s true identity. A peaceful night passed by¡­ When dawn came, the darkness and crimes vanished under the bright light. the morning and prepared breakfast. After that, she changed her clothes and left the heavily guarded than it was a few days ago. The number weapons. Their eyes were filled with wariness and murderous intent as they surveyed She spread her hand and allowed them to bodyguards from the central area had been transferred there. Thus, they were aware that she her to the entrance of the mansionThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. one bodyguard every one meter. The courtyard was heavily guarded and surrounded . Adina showed the bodyguards her tonic soup and said with a smile, ¡°I came to visit superior. Just then, Louis of many bodyguards. As such, even a low¨Cranking bodyguard like Louis was promoted, Louis about the ck Party¡®s leader, many he walked over to Adina. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I suppose you came trailed after him amount of money to help York out. But he had done a one¨Ceighty with his No doubt that Terry must have warned him about Adina. As such, judging from the current situation, she was considered someone special to Terry. Even though he had lost his memory, he could not stop protecting her, paying attention to her, and treating her well¡­ ¡°Ms. Daugherty, my boss is wounded, and he¡®s recuperating in his room.¡± Louis rubbed his hands. ¡°I shouldn¡®t have brought you in without his approval. If he finds out, I might be punished¡­¡± The corners of Adina¡®s lips twitched. Louis had no intention of concealing his greediness. She opened her handbag, took out a stack of cash, and stuffed it into his hand. ¡°Is this enough?¡± ¡°This is more than enough!¡± Louis smiled with satisfaction . He whispered to her, ¡°Here¡®s another tip. Ms. Isabelle is currently inside his room. It¡®s up to you whether you want to wait in the living room or go upstairs first¡­¡± Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Chapter 727 N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Adina squinted her eyes and looked up at the second floor. Two bodyguards armed with weapons stood at the master bedroom¡¯s entrance. They were filled with murderous intent. ¡°Thanks for tipping me off.¡± Adina smiled at Louis and headed to the second floor. The bodyguards at the entrance let her in as Louis personally escorted her into the mansion. The bodyguards at the master bedroom door carried out a routine body search before letting her in. The master bedroom was specious. After she entered through the door, she was greeted by a small parlor, and the bed was just beyond a partition. The moment she stepped in, she heard a woman¡¯s voice. ¡± You arrived here at the right time. Bring me a syringe. I can¡¯t feed him the medicine with a spoon.¡± Adina¡¯s heart sunk. Was Terry so severely wounded to the extent that he needed someone to feed him medicine? She walked in at a faster pace. She skirted around the partition and saw the man lying in bed. He was as pale as sheets, and his head was bandaged. It was clear that he had hurt his head. The man was not wearing a mask, and the scar on his face was bloodless. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear my instruction ? Bring it to me now¡­¡± The woman sitting next to the bed turned her head around and reprimanded her. However, when she saw Adina, her expression changed. Isabelle ced the bowl of medicine heavily on the bedside table. and yelled, ¡°Who let table and calmly said,¡± Since you¡¯re here, I can naturally be here ¡°Get out!¡± Isabelle cussed. they were aware of Adina¡¯s whenever I wanted to,¡± Adina said calmly. face the consequences if he wakes up and finds that you¡¯ve tossed hour yesterday afternoon. Something must have happened between them. Otherwise, they believed Terry would not have granted her such power¡­ Hence, the bodyguards decided that it was best to not get involved in the women¡¯s battle. Adina smiled. ¡°Ms. Isabelle, you¡¯ve always had the intention of marrying you.¡± Isabelle was so angry that her breathing became heavy. ¡°B *tch, how dare you insult me?!¡± She stepped forth and swung her fist at Adina. Adina avoided her punch with ease. Next, Adina grabbed Isabelle¡¯s wrist and pulled her with off guard when she lunged forward. Fortunately, there was a cab in the ¡°H-How dare youy your hands on me?! Do you know who I am?!¡± Adina smiled and said, ¡°Everyone is aware that you¡¯re Elder Maurice¡¯s daughter. But even if he¡¯s here, he has to submit to Terry. What gives you the right to drive Terry¡¯s guest away? Ms. Isabelle, I¡¯m warning you. Terry doesn¡¯t intend to marry you, so stop pestering him!¡± Adina exuded an imposing aura. Isabelle gasped. ¡°Who do you think you are?! How dare you speak to me in this manner?!¡± ¡°Terry is mine. Can you figure out who I am now?¡± Adina dered her ownership over Terry coolly. Terry was her husband. Even though he had lost his memory, he was hers. Adina refused to let any women take advantage of her husband. Isabelle was furious, so much so that she felt like she was suffering from a stroke. She sprang up, took a gun from the drawer, and pointed it at Adina¡¯s head. ¡°B*tch, you better f*ck off now! Otherwise, I¡¯ll shoot you in the head!¡± Click! She pulled the gun¡¯s trigger. Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Adina¡¯s pupils constricted. She never expected Isabelle to wield a gun. She had been too careless. She quickly surveyed her surroundings through her peripheral vision to look for things that she could use as a weapon¡­ Just then, a rustling sound came from therge bed. The two women turned their heads in unison¡­ The man who had been lying half-dead on the bed had supported the upper half of his body up. His gaze was cold with a tinge of murderous intent. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡° Isabelle, are you trying tomit murder in my territory?¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± hands trembled, and the gun fell onto the floor. and the bodyguards at the entrance rushed into the room without my permission.¡± Isabelle widened her eyes. Before she could say anything, the two bodyguards escorted her out. She was so angry that instruction to visit Terry¡¯s mansion, and the only purpose of her visit was to kill him. However, she wanted to have she were given another door. Adina and Terry were left in the spacious master bedroom. Adina rested her gaze on Terry¡¯s face. Her heart bled for him, and a gentle hint of delight shed through her eyes. Between Isabelle and her, Terry had chosen her without hesitation. She was increasingly convinced that Terry had to be the man she had been looking for. you were injured so I came to visit you. Do you want ¡°Did you just say that I¡¯m yours?¡± He sounded feeble, but he spoke those words resolutely. Adina¡¯s cheeks turned red. She had never uttered such words even during their most intimate moments. She sat down beside the bed and looked at him with her bright eyes. She pretended to be calm and asked, ¡°Where have you heard those words? How did you feel when I said that?¡± ¡°I want them to turn to reality,¡± Terry answered resolutely. A smile formed across Adina¡¯s lips. She was about to feed him the soup when she noticed a bowl of medicine by the bed. ¡°Drink your medicine first before you have the soup,¡± she said with a smile. She then brought the spoon to his lips. Terry opened his mouth slightly. The bitter medicine slid down his throat, but he was happy¡­ He took one mouthful at a time, and soon, he finished the bowl of medicine. Adina brought the tonic soup over. She was about to feed him when he suddenly grabbed her wrist. A while ago, Terry had been gentle toward her. However, he spoke with extreme hostility at this moment. ¡°What did you put in the medicine?!¡± Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Chapter 729 When she heard¡¯ Terry¡¯s words, her expression changed. She had heard of the ck Party¡¯s internal political strife. Isabelle was Elder Maurice¡¯s daughter , so she certainly had a motive for putting poison in the medicine. Adina sprang up. ¡°Lay down first. I¡¯ll call the doctor now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t run from me!¡± Terry pulled her onto the bed and asked, ¡°Who are you? Why did you approach me?¡± Adina was pinned on the bed as she furiously said, ¡° Isabelle¡¯s the one who prepared the medicine. She could have been the one who wanted to poison you. This has nothing to do with me! Let go of me now! I¡¯ll go downstairs and call the doctor!¡± They were so close to each other that when she struggled, the cor of her blouse became undone, revealing the snow-white skin below her neck. She sensed something unusual about Terry, and she was struck dumb. ¡°C-Calm down ¡­ You¡¯re severely injured. Now isn¡¯t the time to have dirty thoughts¡­¡± She struggled and noticed his body temperature rising. Right then, she dared not move anymore. She gulped and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been drugged. Isabelle did it, didn¡¯t she?¡± A bone-chilling coldness appeared in his gaze. No wonder he smelled an unusual aroma that made him feel aroused and energetic. So, it was Isabelle who had put drugs in his medicine. She certainly had a death wish! Terry raised his hand and let go of Adina. ¡°You can leave now.¡± turned over and got out of bed. He was about to pull wound will be inmed¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, she sensed that the man was staring at her like a hungry wolf. Adina was d that she hade at the right time. If not, Isabelle would have forced him to have sex with her¡­ If Duke had a a cold shower,¡± only injured his head but also his arms and chest. Blood seeped through the cloth bandage, and it was terrifying to behold. Terry had almost lost his life during the war, yet Isabelle still drugged him. She wanted to exhaust hisst bit of energy¡­ Adina gritted her teeth. She regretted not a cold shower.¡± Adina not to take a shower first. Your wound will fester and be inmed.¡± She met the man¡¯s gaze filled with since I ended up on my sickbed, no one around me has been worthy of my trust,¡± he said coldly. started from a low-ranking position before gaining his current position. His wealth of experience had taught him to not trust anyone. Those who stabbed him in the back were always those whom he trusted the most. a cold shower. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Right after she spoke, her face turned red. She was sure that Terry was Duke even before they conducted a paternity test. She trusted her sixth sense when she the lights were off, she had a feeling that the man next to her was not her husband. She was inevitably attracted to Terry. He imed that he did not trust anybody. Truth was, he did not want to hurt her. not for the fact that you¡¯re wounded, I wouldn¡¯t care even if you take a hundred cold showers. However, you¡¯re severely injured, and the people outside are eyeing your position like hungry wolves. If you continue to lie on your sickbed, you could get killed.¡± She held his hand and took him back to bed. Terry had been suppressing his desire. At that moment, normal for her to help him. She did not say anything. She looked down and unbuttoned her blouse. Terry instantly lost his rationality. He groped her slender waist and kissed her neck passionately, quenching Adina¡¯s thirst for lovemaking¡­ She returned his kisses¡­ She reached out to unbuckle the belt of his pants. lower abdomen. The birthmark was crisscrossed with dozens of scars, which resulted from whippings , stabbings, and burns ¡­ What had he experienced in the past month? Adina¡¯s tears streamed down her face uncontrobly¡­ The man kissed her face and swallowed her tears. The room was filled with passion. Finally, they finished having sex. Adina was nestled in Terry¡¯s arms. She closed her the top of her head as he gently ¡°When I saw the scars on your body, I imagined the hardship you went through¡­ and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from shedding tears¡­¡± ¡°I thought¡­¡± Terry stopped halfway. ¡°Huh?¡± Adina opened her eyes and asked. ¡°I thought it reminded you of your missing husband.¡± Terry looked away and yed with her long, ck hair. ¡° You¡¯re my lover, and it¡¯s my responsibility to help you to find your husband. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find him in a week.¡± Adina was unhappy with the word ¡°lover.¡± Terry¡¯s views of the world had been distorted by the culture in the area. She snorted. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Can¡¯t I be your wife?¡± ¡°Will you marry me?¡± A hint of ecstasy appeared in his eyes. ¡°If you will, I¡¯ll hold the grandest wedding for you.¡± Adina¡¯s eyes welled up with tears once more. He had always adored her, both before and after he lost his memory. She sniffled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that first. I have something more important to discuss with you.¡± Terry hugged her and rubbed his hand against her waist. ¡° Tell me. I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°As you¡¯re aware, I came to Hestia Border to find my husband. My husband is Duke Winters¡­¡± Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Terry stopped moving his hand on her waist. She mentioned her husband amorously after they just had sex,and he did not feel good about it. She was a married woman, and he was the third wheel.He was aware that such a rtionship was immoral. He never expected to have a married woman as his lover. Yet, he was absorbed in the rtionship and afraid that she would recover her husband. Terry trusted that he was as good as her husband. However, whenever she mentioned her husband, her gaze would soften. She loved her husband very much, and that was an undeniable fact. ¡°My husband is as tall as you. His figure is simr to yours. He has a green birthmark on his lower abdomen, and his voice is almost exactly the same as yours¡­¡± Adina was describing her husband when her phone vibrated on the pillow. She reached out for the phone and saw that it was a video call from her children. Shocked, she quickly got out of bed. She put on her clothes as fast as lightning and dashed into the bathroom with her phone. his lover because he resembled her husband? It was the only reason that seemed to make sense. Knock! Knock! Right then, someone knocked on his bedroom group of people swarmed into his room. Elder Murphy and Elder and we¡¯ve found them!¡± Terry looked behind held his hand. The man stood beside the bed year ago. We searched the entire world before we finally found you¡­¡± Terry did not feel touched in the slightest when he saw their sad expressions. He did not feel a sense of familiarity with the name ¡° is of you when you were young. This is you when you were in high school ¡­¡± The woman took out a stack of photos. Indeed, the person in the yellowish photos resembled him. for several decades and umted a lot of wealth. Come home with us,¡± the middle-aged ¡°This ce is too dangerous. You shouldn¡¯t make a living in this ce. Come, let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll conduct a paternity test before anything,¡± Terry said indifferently. Elder Murphy quickly handed him a document. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°We¡¯ve carried out the paternity test. We confirmed that they were your biological parents before bringing them over. ¡°Mike, are you suspicious of us?¡± the woman said in tears. ¡°You went missing half a year ago. How could I possibly not recognize my own son? The scar on your face isn¡¯t a big deal. I¡¯ll find a doctor to remove your scar if youe home with us¡­¡± Terry felt nothing as he faced the two people who imed to be his parents. Chapter 731 Chapter 731 Chapter 731 He said indifferently, ¡°Elder Murphy, please settle them down first. We¡¯ll continue to talk about this after my recovery.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ElderMurphy heeded his instruction and let Elder Elliot make the arrangement. ¡°You may go now,¡± Terry dismissed Elder Murphy. Elder Murphy stole a nce at the bathroom before he whispered, ¡°This is the information from the investigation about the spy. I rmend you read it now.¡± Terry¡¯s eyes narrowed. He opened the documents. A dozen names appeared on the first page. He noticed a Cairnstanian called Adina Daugherty. ¡°Adina is the beautiful woman who appeared in Hestia Border recently¡­.¡± whispered Elder Murphy. She came to ¡°Got it.¡± Terry closed the out.¡± Elder Murphy¡¯s eyes shed. His duty was to inform Terry of things like these. If Terry trusted him or not, it wasn¡¯t part of his job to find out. Elder Murphy hear them talking but couldn¡¯t make out the subject of their conversation. When thest person left the room, only then on her. He noticed the love bites on her neck. Those were the marks he had left behind when they were at their most intimate moment. He realized he had made your name is can call me Addy.¡± Adina sat down by the softly, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for my husband everywhere, and I ended up disappointed every time. Just when I was about to give up, I saw you. The moment I saw your face, I felt blessed. I was afraid that my husband had died, but I am now ¡°Terry, your real name is Duke Winters. You¡¯re from Sea City, Cairnstan. You¡¯re twenty-six years old. You¡¯re married with four children. You disappeared suddenly at your wedding. You¡¯ve been missing for a month¡­¡± She noticed that his expression was unreadable. She stopped. She pursed her lips and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong? Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Terry looked indifferent. ¡°Ten minutes ago, someone said the same thing to me. They said I¡¯m a Cairnstanian and my name is Michael Cook. My family is in the timber business. I¡¯ve also found my biological parents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Adina said. ¡°Enough of that nonsense! How about you do a paternity test? You¡¯ll understand everything once the result is released.¡± Terry reached out for the paternity test report ced on the pillow next to him. He handed the report over to Adina. ¡°I¡¯ve conducted a paternity test to find out who my biological parents are.¡± Adina took the report. When she flipped to thest page, her face froze. Someone had deliberately framed Duke. Someone wanted to make use of him so they faked the paternity report and provided him with a false pair of parents¡­ Regardless of what she said, Terry must assume she had malicious intentions against him, just like his ¡°biological parents¡±! Chapter 732 Chapter 732 Chapter 732 Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Adina tried to calm herself. She sucked in a deep breath. ¡°They can fake the paternity test report. But they can¡¯t deny the mutual attraction between two people.Don¡¯t you admit that you¡¯re attracted to me? You¡¯re attracted to me not because of my pretty face, but because of our love for each other. You¡¯re my husband, and I¡¯m your wife. We have four adorable children together¡­¡± She took out her phone and showed him the photo of his four children. When Terry looked at the picture of the children on the phone, the smile on their faces stung his eyes. For a moment, he felt as if someone had pricked his heart, and an excruciating pain spread through his limbs¡­ She was right. They could fake the paternity test report, but they could not fake their emotions¡­ Thoughts became jumbled in Terry¡¯s mind. ¡°Boss, Elder Dorien requests to see you.¡± entrance knocked on the door and update. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Adina as she left his master bedroom , such a fit of temper!¡± he said as they walked down the stairs. Adina pursed her lips ¡°Are you Terry¡¯s confidant?¡± mansion to oversee the were given a chance, I hope I can be your personal bodyguard.¡± Adina smiled. Louis was greedy, but he was also smart. She took out a stack of cash and ¡° If Isabellees over, call me. If I be Mrs. North someday, I¡¯ll certainly promote you.¡± ¡°Noted, Ms. Daugherty. I¡¯ll ensure the job is done well!¡± Louis saw Adina out of the mansion happily. Meanwhile, Elder Dorien entered Terry¡¯s master bedroom. Even though Terry was severely wounded on his sickbed, he radiated a strong aura, and his visitors dared not act hastily. Elder Dorien passed him a stack of documents. ¡°This is the revenue report for thest quarter. Please look through it.¡± Terry turned his head around. ¡°Bring me the financial report from my study room.¡± The bodyguard heeded his order and quickly brought in two stacks of ounts. Terry tossed them at Elder Dorien¡¯s face. ¡°The discrepancy shown in the ounts is as high as one billion dors. Tell me, did you use the money for your personal interest or something else?!¡± Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Elder Dorien trembled slightly. ¡°W-What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°How about I assign several people to conduct a search at your house?¡± Terry sounded icy. ¡°Auguste was cheated over a few decades because he couldn¡¯t understand the ounts, but this doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m as ignorant as him! I can turn a blind eye to the money you¡¯ve misappropriated when Auguste was in power. But you¡¯ve embezzled a billion dors within a month since I took over Auguste¡¯s position. This will make up a total of ten billion dors in a year! It¡¯s no wonder the ck Party is getting worse every day. it¡¯s all because of people like youmitting such a deed in the middle of it!¡± Elder Dorien was caught off guard. Terry¡¯s words stabbed him like an ice dagger. Elder Dorien could not find an excuse to defend himself, and he was so scared that he trembled uncontrobly. Meanwhile, Elder Murphy who had been standing by the side went up to them. ¡°Is there any misunderstanding?¡± he asked calmly. Elder Elliot followed suit. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. is very poor. He can¡¯t even afford a mansion, let alone misappropriate such a massive sum of money.¡± Terry looked seems like you can¡¯t wait for me to settle an ount with each and every one of you, huh?¡± Terry flung several stacks of documents ced on the pillow next to him at their our territory. Some of them were forced to pay a ransom amounting The civilian building on the southeast has been under construction for three years and is still unsafe for residents Elder Elliot I¡¯ll have someone to investigate regarding your cases. As for you, Elder Dorien ¡­¡± Terry in the ck Party¡¯s financial matters lest the party ends up in in the financial position for over two decades! What am I supposed to do if I¡¯m not given this job?¡±. dumb upon hearing his words. He had spent all the money on buying heavy weapons. The underground basement in his house was a warehouse filled with heavy weaponry. He couldn¡¯t afford to pay back even a penny. Elder bedroom fell silent. Terry looked at them one by oversee the town construction project.¡± Elder Calvin and Elder Brody were the youngest elders ¡°Noted. We won¡¯t let you down,¡± they intoned respectfully. The meetingsted for two hours. The elders sweated helplessly after they left the master bedroom. Elder Brody and Elder Calvin looked happy. When Elder Dorien saw them, he snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Elder Maurice is the one who promoted you two. You are betraying him if you work for Terry.¡± Elder Calvin said indifferently, ¡°Terry is the leader of the ck Party. It¡¯s our duty to serve him.¡± ¡°Elder Dorien, it¡¯s best that you raise one billion dors as soon as possible, then hand the money to Mr. Terry,¡± said Elder Brody. ¡°If he gets angry, you¡¯ll face severe consequences.¡± After saying that, they left in a hurry. Elder Dorien was so angry that he nearly suffered a stroke. ¡°Dorien , don¡¯t worry.¡± Elder Murphy went up to him. ¡± The couple I found wille in handy very soon¡­ If Terry dies, everything will be fine again¡± Chapter 734 Chapter 734 Chapter 734 The internal turmoil of the ck Party soon made local news. ¡°ording to the news report, Elder Dorien from the ck Party was exposed for his corruption and was removed from his position. He is raising money to make up for the amount he had misappropriated¡­¡± ¡°Meanwhile, Elder Murphy and Elder Elliot failed to perform their duties with due diligence. They have made a big blunder during their tenure, so they are currently under investigation¡­¡± ¡°From the surface, the ck Party seemed to be undergoing an adjustment of power division. Truth is that the odds between the newly appointed leader and the elders intensifies¡­¡± Adina looked gloomy as she watched the news report on the television. Even as an outsider, she could feel the tension of the situation within the ck Party. Duke, its leader, must be feeling it even worse than her. He was living on edge. ¡°Addy, I know what you¡®re thinking.¡± Flint switched off the television. ¡°If Duke is entirely in control of the ck Party, I won¡®t stop you from visiting him. However, he has made enemies everywhere. Eighty percent of the members wanted to assassinate him. If they find out you are his wife, her entirely, everyone was aware that sacrifice a lot to save her. He had current situation, I should probably not visit him for now,¡± she said. ¡°I¡®ll wait for three days. If the situation improves after that, I¡®ll visit to help Duke recall his memory as soon as possible. It was the only way to make him leave the ck Party and Hestia Border so that they could return to Sea City famous psychiatrist toe over to Hestia Border. When you visit Duke, take the psychiatrist touched. ¡°Thank could take the opportunity to hypnotize Duke so that he could switched on herptop and searched the news regarding the ck Party. confirmed that Terry was their father, so they need your help?¡± Karl crossed his arms. ¡°The internal management of the ck Party is chaotic. This is especially so for Elder Maurice . He¡®s a wicked man. I heard that he intends Alden squinted his eyes. ¡°I suppose Daddy didn¡®t agree with him?¡± ¡°Haha! I don¡®t know,¡± Karl said. ¡°I heard that Isabelle is a beauty in the ck Party. Her looks and figure areparable to your Mommy¡®s. Your Daddy has lost his memory. It¡®s likely that you may find yourself with a stepmother soon.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Alden said. ¡°If you have nothing to do, take the top three missions on the Dark Net now.¡± Karl was at a loss for words. He felt like he was being treated like a jackass. Whenever he was needed, they would call him. When his service was no longer required, he would be asked to work on a mission. He felt miserable. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°AI, I¡®ve hacked into the ck Party military zone¡®s central area.¡± George rapped his knuckles on the keyboard. ¡°I am monitoring their meeting. More than half of the members opposed Daddy¡®stest policy. At least two officers proposed a rebellion, and several senior officers are contacting foreign parties¡­¡± Alden looked serious. ¡°In other words, Daddy is in a very dangerous situation.¡± ¡°We cannot stay at Hestia Border for long.¡± George looked concerned. ¡°We have to recover Daddy¡®s memory as soon as possible and take him out of here.¡± Chapter 735 Chapter 735 Chapter 735 ¡°I¡®m afraid it won¡®t be that easy.¡± Alden smiled bitterly.¡° Daddy is the leader of the ck Party. He can¡®t simply leave his position. He will either die in the middle of the power struggle, or he must whitewash Hestia Border and pass it down to his sessor.¡± The study room fell silent. Meanwhile, Harold and Melody yed in the courtyard of the mansion. They were also feeling very down. Melody held a small shovel. Her long and curly eyshes were wet with tears. ¡°Melody, why are you crying?¡± Harold put down his toys and looked at his sister, wondering if he could somehow cheer her up. Melody said in a muffled voice, ¡°Harold, I miss Daddy. I miss him so much¡­¡± ¡°I miss him too¡­¡± Harold sobbed. ¡°But Mommy said Daddy forgot about us. Even if we see him, he won¡®t remember us¡­¡± cried even harder. Tears Daddy. Don¡®t cry¡­¡±. Harold wiped off in the living hall. She was working. She looked very courtyard quietly ¡°Melody, Mommy is busy. I¡®ll ground. Harold¡®s heart Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. don¡®t cry. I¡®ll were filled with shock.¡° But chin. ¡°I¡®m older than AI, I¡¯ll be able to protect but she send us over, and we¡®lle back immediately after go upstairs and get the present nced at her. ¡°Melody, don¡®t run too fast. You will ¡°Mommy, I won¡®t run so fast next time. Can Harold and I y outside?¡± Adina nodded. Harold had persuaded the driver from the Morton family to send them to Terry¡®s mansion. The two children sneaked into the car and headed towards Hestia Border. The Rebellious Party caused an upheaval , and the ck Party¡®s internal conflicts intensified. The ck Party continued to increase the level of security in their surroundings. The driver stopped by the roadside. ¡°Young Master Harold, Young Lady Melody, I think we should go back,¡± he said, concerned. ¡°This ce is unsafe.¡± He heard no response from them. He turned his head around only to find the children in the back seat were no longer there. Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Harold and Melody entered Hestia Border smoothly. ¡°There are many bodyguards over here. It doesn¡®t look as dangerous as it was made out to be.¡± Harold looked around and whispered to his sister, ¡°Melody, I¡®ve checked the map. Daddy is staying at the ce over there. Let¡®s go in.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Melody¡®s eyes lit up. They ran toward the central mansion area. A military car stopped outside Terry¡®s mansion. Isabelle was inside the car. She looked angry and resigned. When Auguste was in power, she could enter and leave the mansion freely. After Terry took over, she was blocked from entering the house. As the eldestdy of the ck Party, she was not even allowed to enter the party¡¯s main camp. She felt like she had be aughingstock to everyone. Isabelle kept a straight face. She said in a deep voice,¡° Head home now.¡± make Terry kneel and beg for her turn, Isabelle noticed two children running from across the She focused on the two approaching had seen another two boys inside the mansion before. She had found them so simr to Terry in features. When she saw the boy and girl, she realized they looked so much alike?¡® thought Isabelle. Harold held Melody¡®s hand. He looked up and smiled at the bodyguard ¡°We want to see Mr. Terry. Uncle, could you please inform were used to fighting in wars. But their hearts softened when they we do. He¡®s a hero. He¡®s the leader of Hestia Border.¡± Melody tilted her head and said innocently, ¡°We adore him. Can we meet him, possibly turn down her request. ¡°Okay. Wait for a while. I¡®ll report to him.¡± The bodyguard turned around to Terry of the eldestdy of the ck Party was Even if she could not do anything to Terry, she could deal with two children. Isabelle pushed open the car door. She stomped on the muddy ground in her heels. When Harold heard the noise, he turned around. He felt hostility from the woman and quickly shielded his younger sister behind him. ¡°They have a bomb with them. Arrest them!¡± Isabelle looked at her fingernails nonchntly as she ordered her bodyguards. She had brought along two bodyguards of her own. They got out of the car and approached the children. ¡°We don¡®t have any bombs with us!¡± Harold shouted. ¡° We don¡¯t have anything with us. Don¡®t arrest us! You can¡®t arrest us!¡± He continued to retreat with his younger sister. Melody¡®s eyes were filled with horror. Meanwhile, the bodyguards standing guard at the mansion entrance remained motionless. They were solely responsible to protect the mansion from invasion. Anything that happened outside the mansion had nothing to do with them. Although the bodyguards at the mansion pitied the two children, they chose not to offend Elder Maurice¡®s daughter. Chapter 737 Chapter 737 Chapter 737 Isabelle¡®s bodyguards approached the children. Each of them caught a child, then lifted them in mid¨C air. Harold struggled. ¡°Witch, let go of us! Let me go! When our Daddyes out, he¡®ll avenge us!¡± Harold always spoke in Cairnstaniannguage when he was stressed and angry. Isabelle couldn¡®t understand him. But she guessed the child was cursing and shouting at her. She said icily, ¡°They¡®re too noisy. Silence them.¡± The bodyguards heeded her instruction. One of them directed a backhanded p at Harold. His right cheek turned red. Harold¡®s eyes widened. He could not believe it. ¡°I guess you have learned your lesson. Be a good boy, okay?¡± Isabelle went up to Harold and raised his chin.¡° You look good and energetic. I can send you to my father and you can be his pawn¡ª¡°. Harold bit the back of her hand before she couldplete her words. get your teeth out of my shocked. jaw and carried Isabelle¡®s hand bled. ¡°Strike him, then shatter his girl¡®s teeth, smirked. ¡°Cleanse her before sending her to the slum. Let them face the consequences for ¡°Noted.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. They had if they had to torture the children to death, they were numb to The bodyguard raised his hand and opened Harold¡®s mouth by force¡­ Bang! of a gunshot rang to his knees and rolled over on the Harold rushed to the bodyguard The bodyguard was about to p Harold when a bullet hit his thighs and he fell to the ground. Melody almost fell to the ground, too. Just then, a tall figure ran to her and held her in his arms. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Melody stared at Terry¡®s golden mask. She then burst into tears. Harold wrapped his arms around Terry¡®s thigh. He cried, still reeling from the terrifying encounter. Isabelle looked on coldly when she heard the children¡®s cries. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Terry North, the bodyguards grew up with me, and they are my most loyal people. How dare youy your hands on them?! Must you go against me and my father?!¡± ¡°Didn¡®t I say no one cany their hands on the innocents in my territory?¡± Terry said coldly. ¡°F*ck off now!¡± Isabelle flew into a fit of rage. ¡°The two b*stards offended me. I must drive them to death. Terry, give them to me and I won¡®t tell my father that you¡®ve wounded my bodyguards.¡± Terry¡®s eyes turned cold and brutal. ¡°Do you really intend to kill innocent children?¡± ¡°Of course! They charged at me and bit my hand. I must kill them!¡± Isabelle was filled with murderous intent. Chapter 738 Chapter 738 Chapter 738 Terry¡®s gaze turned icy. Melody shivered in his arms. Tears dropped on her cheeks. Terry felt as if something had scorched his heart, and anger boiled his blood. He leaned down and pursed his lips. He whispered to Melody, ¡°Good girl, you are okay now. Close your eyes.¡± Melody¡®s eyes welled up with tears. When she closed her eyes, tears streamed down her face. Terry looked down. ¡°You too. Close your eyes.¡± Harold closed his eyes obediently. Bang! Bang! out and Isabelle cried out disbelief. A moment ago, they were only hurt at the hand now they were dead. ¡°Terry at the two corpses Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g into the mansion.¡± You can open your eyes now.¡± The children obeyed. Their bleary light in their eyes reminded Terry of Adina. Her eyes finally see so much. Do you stared at him, trying to hold back their tears. Terry¡®s were Adina¡®s children. They had the Harold shook his head. ¡°Mommy said you¡®ve lost your memory and forgot about us. She didn¡®t allow us toe here but¡­¡± Melody blinked herrge eyes. ¡°Daddy, do you still remember me?¡± When Terry met Melody¡®s clear, bright eyes, he felt his heart break. He could not remember her. He could not remember the children. However, he was touched. The emotions he felt, the overwhelming tenderness could not really be fake. The children indeed must have a close blood rtionship with him. He might doubt Adina for having an ulterior motive, but he could not question his surge of emotions when he saw the children. Even though he hadn¡®t had the time to carry out an investigation, he believed Adina¡®s words. However, now he felt trapped. If he made the wrong move, he would be in great danger. He could not risk Adina¡®s and the children¡®s lives. Chapter 739 Chapter 739 Chapter 739 He whispered to them, ¡°This ce is unsafe. I¡®ll ask someone to take you back home.¡± Melody tugged on his sleeve. ¡°Daddy, you haven¡®t answered my question. I won¡®t leave until you do.¡± Harold almost burst into tears again. ¡°Daddy, is it true that you don¡®t remember us anymore? You don¡®t want to remember us?¡± He Sobbed. ¡°Daddy, you¡®re wicked. Mommy has taken great pains to look for you, but you don¡®t remember us anymore¡­ Daddy, if you drive us out, you will regret your decision¡­ You¡®ll regret it¡­¡± Terry felt as if his heart was pricked with a knife. He did not want to put the children in danger. Besides, he had to find out what exactly had happened. If he returned to his family before finding out the truth, things like this might happen again in the future. He might not be able to save them. ¡°Don¡®t cry.¡± He wiped off Harold and Melody¡®s tears.¡± After I finish my business, I¡®ll visit you¡ª¡± ¡°You lie to us!¡± Harold sobbed loudly. ¡°You don¡®t remember Melody and me, you can¡®t possiblye and look for us.¡± I eat something before to them, ¡°When there are other people around, don¡®t address me as your daddy, okay?¡± He looked solemn. Harold recalled his older brother¡®s words. George had mentioned that most good girl.¡± Terry table obediently. Various types of dishes and desserts see you.¡± The children were delighted. They then lowered their heads guiltily. They had sneaked out was here just now, but she was not allowed to enter the mansion.¡± Louis told her exactly had the bodyguards to shatter their teeth. Fortunately, the Boss showed up just in time.¡± Louis exined everything to Adina. ¡°Boss shot the two bodyguards without mercy. Ms. Isabelle and Boss a few minuteste, her Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before marching into The dining hall was on the east of the living hall. From where she stood, she saw Terry touching Melody¡®s head gently. She heard her littleughter. It had been so long since she had seen something like that. A lump formed in her throat. ¡°In the past, I always thought of Boss as a brutal and bloodthirsty man. He shows no mercy to anyone. I never expected him to adore those children so much,¡± whispered Louis. ¡°But the children offended Ms. Isabelle ¡­ I¡®m afraid they will still face danger in the future. I wonder if the Boss can protect them¡­¡± Adina pursed her lips and walked into the dining hall. The children had beenughing. But when she entered, they fell silent and lowered their heads in shame. Adina¡®s gaze fell on Harold¡®s swollen cheek. She guessed that Isabelle must have struck him. She vowed to return that p sooner orter. But this wasn¡®t the time to pity her children¡®s injuries. Adina walked to them. She pursed her lips. ¡°Mr. Terry, thank you for helping my children. I will be taking them home now.¡± Chapter 740 Chapter 740 Chapter 740 ¡°Daddy, I don¡®t want to leave.¡± ¡°Daddy, I¡®m not finished eating yet.¡± Harold and Melody spoke unanimously. They stared pitifully at Terry with tears in their eyes. Terry¡®s cold heart melted to something warm and soft. He said softly, ¡°Finish the food first and then go home. Take your time¡­¡± Adina stood at the side, clearly stunned. It wasn¡®t surprising that her children had addressed him as their father. What shocked her was that he responded to them. When she had told him the truth, he had doubted her.¡® Why did he suddenly ept Melody and Harold calling him Daddy?¡® and whispered to her,¡° Daddy said we can address he had found and nced at her. When their At that moment, she understood. Even if Catherine had erased his memories , nobody could deny the fact that they were a in at when she noticed three none of your shuddered when she met his razor¨Csharp the children. She smiled no intention of going the slightest bit of gentleness in his voice. Mrs. Cook hesitated before blurting out the words,¡± Mike, I¡®m aware that your current identity is different from the past. It¡¯s rather impossible for you to go us in the business , how about you give birth to an heir so that the child can inherit our family business? I¡®ve been staying here for two days, and I find that Ms. Isabelle is a finedy. I¡®ve sought her opinion before, and she has no qualms of Before Mrs. Cook finished speaking, she sensed his intense gaze on her. She turned around and saw a beautiful youngdy in the dining hall. Adina¡®s cold gaze looked as sharp as a de. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Mrs. Cook shivered. She then recalled the rumors she had heard from the bodyguards about Terry¡®s new lover. ¡®Could this woman be his rumored lover?¡® Mrs. Cook sucked in a deep breath. She pretended to notice Adina¡®s hostility. ¡°Mike, Hestia Border doesn¡®t have an established legal system, and no one cares if you are in a rtionship with multiple women. However, Ms. Isabelle is a noble woman, it¡®s best that you keep a humble profile in your rtionship with¡ª¡± Terry had no patience in dealing with the Cook family. When he heard Mrs. Cook¡®s words, his expression immediately turned frosty. ¡°Louis, please help Mrs. Cook out of the house right now.¡± Louis quickly entered through the door. ¡°Mrs. Cook, this way, please,¡± he said, respectfully. Mrs. Cook could not quite handle Terry, let alone convince him. She still felt Adina¡®s hostility very vividly. She could not remain in the dining hall any longer. Chapter 741 Chapter 741 Chapter 741 When they arrived at the entrance, Mrs. Cook asked softly, ¡°Louis, who is thatdy?¡± ¡°She is Boss¡¯ business partner,¡±Louis said formally. ¡° Boss has some official business to discuss with Ms.Daugherty, so he doesn¡¯t have time to talk with you. Mrs. Cook, it¡¯s best that you head home.¡± Mrs. Cook turnedaround and nced a final time at the dining hall before leaving in resignation. After her silhouette vanished from sight, Adina asked, ¡°Is she the one who ims to be your mother?¡± Terry nodded. ¡°Thus far, I don¡¯t know what her true motive is. I¡¯ll neglect her for the time being. She¡¯ll naturally reveal her true colors by the time we are done with this mess.¡± Adina was relieved as long as Terry was wary of the Cook family. ! She pursed her lips. everything you do. If you need my help, just let me know. I will take them home now.¡± The children, who were done with their food now, rose from their seats obediently and stood beside Adina, one on each side of her. Duke took out his nodded, and they exchanged phone numbers. She gave Duke a final nce before leave his mansion. He waved goodbye to them. ke was his confidant and had gone through the darkness Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Noted!¡± news!¡± The bodyguard charged in from abandoned warehouse in the suburbs. I kept an eye on them and on weapons. Terry had known this. He wondered where the weapons were being hidden. Elder Dorien had hidden a small part of his weapons in the underground basement of his mansion. However, there were very few of them. He hid most of his weapons somewhere else. He hid them in an abandoned warehouse ¨C the most dangerous yet secured surprise Elder Dorien and Elder Maurice have in store for me.¡± Terry walked out coldly. Meanwhile, Adina returned to you alright? Are you hurt?¡± Harold smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Melody and I are full. We ate a lot! We¡¯re ¡°Naughty boy!¡± Flint scowled. ¡°I¡¯ll p your buttocks if you sneak out with Melody again!¡± ¡°Well, Mommy has taught me a lesson already. I won¡¯t sneak out to look for Daddy again in the future,¡± Harold said with a grin. ¡°Daddy said we can just give him a call if we want to meet him, anyway. He¡¯ll send someone here to fetch us, or he¡¯ll personallye and visit us.¡± Flint was stunned. He turned to Adina. ¡°Is that true?¡± Adina¡¯s gaze softened. She spoke gently, ¡°He¡¯s Duke. Regardless of hirn losing his memory, he¡¯ll always be their father.¡± Chapter 742 Chapter 742 Chapter 742 ¡°Addy, that¡¯s great!¡± Flint was truly happy for them. All this time, Adina had looked so lifeless as though she had lost her purpose and her reason to live. Even though she strived to live her life for her children, she had always despaired. Flint, for the first time in a longtime, saw hope in her. He understood how much Duke meant to her. ¡°But he can¡¯t leave yet.¡± Adina heaved a sigh. ¡°With his current identity and the situation in Hestia Border, everyone is eyeing him like hungry wolves. He can¡¯t step out of the situation smoothly. I n to help him recover his memory before settling other issues. One step at a time.¡± ¡°Right. There¡¯s something that I almost forgot!¡± Flint pped his head. ¡°Pete just arrived a while ago.¡± He quickly ushered Adina into the house. Adina looked at the living hall and saw Pete. He was lying on the couch, all bandaged up. When they were at Sea City Hospital, Earl had sent someone to beat Pete up. Pete could not possibly have recovered in just a week. Adina felt sorry for him. did you top-notched hypnotists in the world. Most of them served in the military, and some of them have been monopolized by the wealthy royal families. Pete her, ¡°Catherine is annoying. Do ¡°Adina , you have to treat me well,¡± Pete groaned from the to the clinic for at least half a year because of you.¡± George you every meal.¡± Alden said, ¡°I¡¯ll help Melody joined in. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. recover quickly.¡± Harold massaged his broken leg. ¡°Ouch!¡± Pete quickly pulled your children are abusing me!¡± Adina sat on is it difficult to recall say,¡± depends on the hypnotized person¡¯s will power. Find a chance so that I can meet ¡°I¡¯ll ask him toe over in two days.¡± Karl rushed over suddenly. ¡°Something big has happened again!¡± Adina looked up. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The arsenal is sted! I wonder if Terry is injured.¡± Adina and her children immediately turned on the television. The news channel was in the middle of broadcasting the incident. ¡°Ms. Isabelle is Elder Maurice¡¯s daughter from the ck Party. Terry shot dead two of her most trusted bodyguards. As a result, the conflicts between Elder Maurice and Terry intensifies¡­¡± ¡°Terry got in the way when Elder Maurice and Elder Dorien transported their weapons. There was a violent sh between the two parties. As such, many weapons were set on fire and exploded. The number of deaths and those injured are unknown.¡¯ ¡°The public was divided because of the sh. One-third of them support Elder Maurice as the new leader, the others support Terry¡¯s new policy, and still others continue to keep an eye on both of them and have left Hestia Border entirely. Many refugees from neighboring countries swarmed in. Society¡¯s safety is in jeopardy ¡­¡± Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Adina looked increasingly low-spirited. Terry was severely wounded in the previous sh with the Rebellious Party. This time,he had faced weapon explosions. She wondered if he was still alive. The Hestia Border was filled with crimes and wars. She would never feel at peace staying in this ce. ¡°The situation is getting moreplicated,¡± said Flint. ¡° Duke¡¯s new policy threatens many wealthy people¡¯s personal interests. It¡¯s likely that his enemies will unite and fight against him.¡± Karl rested his hand on his chin. know what to say. No matter what had happened, how sinful the ce was, or how many civilians had died in this tragic situation, it had nothing to do with Duke. She admitted that she was selfish. Duke and her four children were her world. She hoped all of them could be safe and sound. She wished she could take Duke with her and leave this took over the position less than a month ago. There are too many The elders¡¯ system is not bnced. There is a huge gap between political and economic issues. This type of organization structure will give way to problems sooner orter.¡± Alden¡¯s high intelligence defeated Karl¡¯s once again. He had once heard the have to help Daddy.¡± George This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. and take his ce. easy for Melody to get over the disappearance of her father. Now that she finally had him back, listed the names of All the information was clear. This could make Duke¡¯s work easier. Adina was hesitant. Although the ck Party had nothing to do with them, Duke was still their leader. No matter how reluctant she was to get involved, she had to cooperate with Duke to handle the mess if she wanted to go back home with him. ¡°I¡¯ll take it to him tomorrow,¡± said Adina. ¡°You have to stay at home obediently. Don¡¯t simply go out like today, okay?¡± Alden nodded. ¡°I would never go out without your permission. Mommy, you should warn Harold instead.¡± Harold was solemn. ¡°I won¡¯t put Melody and my life at risk ever again. George will keep an eye on me.¡± The children chuckled. But Adina found it hard to smile. She hoped that Duke was fine. She nned to go to Duke¡¯s mansion the next morning. However, he knocked on her bedroom window in the middle of the night. Chapter 744 Chapter 744 Chapter 744 The sky was dark and filled with stars. The moonlight gleamed in the night. Adina became alert when she heard a knock on the window. She put on a coat and pulled open the curtains, leaving a small gap for her to look outside the window. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± A deep and hoarse voice said. Adina saw a man in a ck cloak standing on the balcony. He did not wear the golden mask, and his scar was visible under the moonlight. His features, jawline and the curvature of his pursed lips were the same as the image she had in her memory. Adina unlocked the window. He walked into her room from the balcony with the chill from the night air on him. His pupils appeared darker at night, but they lit up when they saw her. They were very alluring. Adina was attracted to him. Her heart skipped a beat. She acted calm and asked, ¡°Why did youe here?¡± ¡°I came to see you.¡± His voice was low and rough. He fixed his gaze on her. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± He ced his hands on Adina¡¯s shoulders. His hands were like burning charcoal. When the heat from his hands reached her shoulders, she felt as though her heart would be scorched by it. She quickly took a step back from him. She had not switched on the lights in her room. In the dark, she did not notice the trash can behind her and she tripped and almost fell. Fortunately, Duke¡¯s arms wrapped around her waist and held her firm. ¡°Why are you avoiding me?¡± He whispered in her ear,¡° Didn¡¯t you just volunteer to be my antidote after I was drugged a few days ago?¡± Adina¡¯s face turned red. That was different! She tried to squirm out of his arms, but he pulled her closer. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°You were injured and urgently needed help at that time, but now¡­¡± She pursed her lips. of Terry North. When you resume your identity as Duke, me about our past.¡± Duke hugged her and spoke softly, ¡°I want to position , It was Adina and her children¡¯s appearance that had finally given him a hope for belonging. He could care less about the chaotic situation and rushed to her the to his embrace. She spoke softly, ¡°We have four children. You¡¯ve seen two of them. Let me show you the other two, shall hurry.¡± He held Adina in for now.¡± To Adina , his voice sounded like the musical notes of a cello. Deep and melodious. She felt her ears heat up. did not know what to say. She had many things to tell him, but at that moment, she was at a loss for words. She heard him breathing, and she felt his heartbeat. Everything felt he nted a kiss on her lips. Her heart pounded rapidly. She felt as though anyone could have heard the loudness of her heartbeat at that moment. A strong emotion called to her. Adina felt the warmth of his hands on her shoulders. She felt his breath when he kissed her. She knew his familiar scent. Everything was so familiar that her eyes welled up in tears. She wrapped her floor. Bam! Adina quickly turned around. back her blouse and left the Adina stood at the staircase. She turned on the light in the corridor. She saw Pete on the ground. He what¡¯s going trying to reach out for refrigerator . He found a bottle of water and drank ¡°The weather is too dry. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. I¡¯m going to dry up!¡± Adina¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°Come to my room.¡± Pete froze. ¡°Adina, this is very inappropriate. I¡¯m still in my early twenties. I haven¡¯t dated a woman. I will only give up my virginity to the one I love, not while cheating with someone else¡¯s wife!¡± Adina¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°Shut up!¡± She said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m asking you toe with me. Enough of nonsense!¡± Pete slumped his shoulders. Although Adina was married with four children, he had to admit that she was very beautiful. Pete drank another mouthful of water. He followed her to her room. When they arrived at the door, he warned her again, ¡°Adina, if you insist, I won¡¯t refuse you. But let¡¯s make a deal. Don¡¯t tell Flint and your children about this and I won¡¯t¡­¡± He trailed off into silence as he saw a tall figure by the door. He had to look up to see the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Adina! You have another man already in your bedroom! What do you intend to¡­ No way! No way! That¡¯s it! I am having none of this freakshow. I am still young and innocent. I can¡¯t defile myself like this!¡± ¡°Pete! Another word and I¡¯ll seal your mouth!¡± Adina felt sick. Pete was young. ¡®Why did he always make up nonsense like this in his mind?¡¯ Pete was a foreigner, and Adina was aware of his open approach to life. If not, she would have thought Pete was insulting her. Meanwhile, Terry¡¯s face turned as dark as thunderclouds. ¡®Why did she bring another man into her room in the middle of the night?¡¯ He was still inside her room. She should not have invited another man in her room even if he wasn¡¯t here. ¡°Pete, he¡¯s my husband. Catherine hypnotized him and erased his memory.¡± Adina cleared her throat and continued , ¡°Can you find out about his condition now?¡± Chapter 745 Chapter 745 Chapter 745 Pete let out a sigh of relief. He turned around and returned to his room to get the things he needed for hypnosis. ¡°Is he reliable?¡± Terry asked. ¡°Can he truly recover my memory?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,but it¡¯s worth a try.¡± If it didn¡¯t work, she would have to look for Catherine. She wondered where Catherine was nowadays. Pete returned with a box. He opened the box, took out some tools and ced them on the bed. He pulled a chair and had Terry sit on it. mother¡¯s arms. Everything Now, what¡¯s the woke up in a dark ce,¡± said People around me were injured. I was wounded. I have the most severe injury on my face. I didn¡¯t receive the treatment on time. It left a deep he spoke, Adina clenched her fists. She felt many urged, Terry looked up. ¡°Addy, please times more brutal than the beginning. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g attentively hoping to hear more from the room. Unfortunately, Pete and Terry spoke ¡°Addy¡­¡± ¡°Addy¡­¡± ¡°Addy¡­¡± The voice grew increasingly louder before it rose to a scream. Adina could no longer hold herself back and pushed open the door. She saw that Duke had gotten up from his chair, and his eyes were filled with cold anger and bewilderment. ¡°Adina, it¡¯s a failure.¡± Pete shook his head. He packed his stuff and left. ¡°The hypnotist sealed his memory multiple times. The hypnotist failed many times, so she continued to strengthen her hypnosis and changed his memory by force. He suffered so much pain.¡± ¡°Thank you, Pete.¡± Adina bid him goodnight. She closed the door and returned to Terry¡¯s side. She touched his face and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We failed once, but we can always try again.¡± Terry held her slender finger. ¡°Do you know why I screamed your name?¡± Chapter 746 Chapter 746 Chapter 746 ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The hypnotist led me to a ce with many flowers.Everything was going well until you suddenly appeared, and I saw someone take you away.¡± Terry hugged her tightly. ¡°It felt so real, as if someone forcibly took you away from me. I Was angry and didn¡¯t want to let you go, but my mind went nk again when I woke up.¡± He suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. His head hurt whenever he tried to remember the past. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it anymore.¡± Adina pretended to smile casually. ¡°The kids asked me to give you something.¡± She walked to the bed and handed over a document under the pillow. ¡°George and Al sought out the information together.¡± Terry¡¯s eyes swept across the document. He suddenly narrowed his eyes. ¡°George and Al¡­ Their nicknames on the Dark Net should be Hal the Milk Lover and Sir Daugherty, right?¡± they had helped you a lot.¡± your allies. I could havee and helped you if I had known you were here earlier.¡± She thought if close in an embrace. She blushed. Can this man stop being so impatient? I¡¯m not ready yet.¡¯ She cleared document?¡± she asked. Terry ¡°I know the background of some people, but these people¡­ I nned to put them in an important position, but I didn¡¯t expect them to join another organization. Please thank George and Al for me. After I deal with these matters, I¡¯ll thank them in person.¡± Adina was you going to stay here forever?¡± He looked at her. over to the next leader. Then, I¡¯ll take you and the difficult it is?¡± family has been operating here for thirty or forty years without sess. Since you¡¯re alone, you may never be able to leave here. You don¡¯t belong here and shouldn¡¯t dedicate a new idea.¡± ¡° Another form of unification is to form alliances with other countries, making this ce a region of other countries.¡± Adina was stunned for a moment. She thought this man was unwilling to leave because of two reasons. One of the reasons was that he had lost his memories and was not eager to return to Sea City, and the second was that he wanted to be someone of superior status who would have real power in his hands. Otherwise , he would not have be the leader of the ck Party within a month. But he was willing to give up his power and hand over thend under his jurisdiction to other countries. ¡°Addy, I don¡¯t belong here. I have never felt that I belong here,¡± Terry said slowly. ¡°The most developed country around Hestia Border is Yggdra, which is the country you live in now. The queen of Yggdra is a populist and often participates in various activities. I¡¯ll find a way to meet the queen.¡± Adina had heard of this queen. She was active on various social media, so it was not difficult for ordinary people to meet her. Adina pursed her lip.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Your current status doesn¡¯t allow you to contact the queen of Yggdra. Leave this to me and wait for my news with peace of mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be worried if you¡¯re alone,¡± Terry said. Adina covered his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not alone. I have the kids with me, but you¡¯re alone. The queen and I are both women. We have mutual topics of conversation , so you don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯s almost dawn. You should leave quickly.¡± Terry looked at the time. He had been here since one in the morning and now it was four. The sun would rise soon. He got up, kissed Adina¡¯s cheek and left reluctantly. Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Adina slept until dawn. She washed up and changed into a gown before going downstairs. The children were having breakfast in the dining room. Karl and Pete were chatting in English. ¡°Addy, why are you so dressed up? Are you going on a date?¡± Pete asked in curiosity. Adina smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to a piano concert. Kids, do you want to tag along?¡± Melody¡¯s eyes lit the Sea City in a hurry and deprived them of many things. The kids could not go to preschool, Melody could not take piano lessons, and George and Al could not go to thepany to deal with work. But she had done it for their safety. She smiled your piano skills have declined.¡± Melody got up along too?¡± He had made a big mistake yesterday, so he dared not said, ¡°The neighborhood is safe, except for the Hestia Border. I¡¯ll take you all rxed when he saw Adina smile. After a month, he finally saw his mother smile again. It was because they had found his father now. He realized that his father had be more important than want to trouble him and drove him out of the car. Yggdra was not arge country. It took less than two Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. people here were living a good life. The opera house here was famous internationally. Renowned masters performed of the opera house, they attracted the attention of countless people. Although the local people did not respect Asians, many passersby still liked them. Some enthusiastically approached them and asked useless questions. Adina always answered graciously, ¡°Of course, they¡¯re all my children. They¡¯re quadruplets. Three boys and one girl.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so envious of you. You have quadruplets,¡± they said enviously. ¡°Will such young children enjoy the piano concert?¡± George raised his head. ¡°Our sister is very talented when ites to music. She likes piano concerts, and she is gifted in ying the piano.¡± The passerby smiled. ¡°Really? Your sister is amazing.¡± The passerby did not really believe that such young children would enjoy the piano concert. Adina did not exin further but followed the crowd into the concert hall. No one on the stage had started the concert but the audience fell silent anyway. Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Adina sat in the front row with her children. Manypeople frowned when they saw them. Spoiled brats were not wee in piano concerts in any country. More than half the people present regarded the four children as rich, spoiled brats. Some were even willing to drive them out if they disrupted the concert. ¡°Look, the queen is here.¡± Everyone turned to look at the entrance and saw an elegant woman surrounded by many people. Adina also looked at her. The queen didn¡¯t look much different from when she had appeared on TV. She was young, elegant, and noble. Queen Mavice was in her early forties. She took good care of her health, so she looked young and strong. The queen sat on the VIP row with everyone¡¯s attention on her, right in front of Adina and her children. piano concert officially started. The performers were the youngest mixed pianist duo in Yggdra. They were going to perform and other times it was uplifting. The people enjoyed it. They were impressed. Right then, the concert hall suddenly turned pitch ck. The music stopped abruptly. The two pianists on the stage were stunned. After a few ¡°Oh my! Why is there a the piece. Why did this do?¡± The people made a fuss. Queen Mavice turned her sitting behind her. The piano concert went on for nearly two hours, but these children had not made a single noise. They were even calm and collected in the incident of a man said, ¡°Your Majesty, these children don¡¯t understand the pianists to be in a good state. A sudden power outage was likely to cause the pianists to be reluctant to perform and shake their morale. The piece they yed today required a lot of emotions. Now that the performance was interrupted, the two pianists probably would ¡°This piece is the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, a work by Prokofiev,¡± said a soft young voice. ¡°This piece is the most difficult piano piece in the world. There are so many notes that it is almost impossible to y. The two pianists just yed it very well, expressing at least 60% of the emotion of the original piece.¡± The people curiously looked for the source of the voice in the dark. Right then, the power was restored, and the hall lit up. Everyone turned to see a four-year-old girl in the seat where the voice had spoken up about the difficult piano piece. A girl with a delicate pink face. She looked very serious. No one could believe that a small girl knew so much about music The audience was stunned. The two pianists apologized. ¡°We are very sorry. We prepared the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor for a year before we decided to perform it. However, we didn¡¯t expect a sudden power outage. We will y this piece in three months once again. We hope you aren¡¯t too disappointed.¡± Chapter 749 Chapter 749 Chapter 749 The selling point of the piano concert was Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, and many in the audience had especially attended the concert for precisely that piece. People sighed in disappointment when they heard that the pianists could not y this piece today. Queen Mavice slowly stood up and prepared to leave. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Adina said in fluent English, ¡°If you¡¯re not in a hurry, could you kindly spare five minutes to listen to my daughter y the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor?¡± Queen Mavice turned around. ¡°Your daughter?¡± ¡°I can y the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor,¡± Melody stood up and said bravely. ¡°Mr. Albert is my teacher. He said that I understand this piece very well. Your Majesty, I hope you can give me a chance to y it.¡± She was dignified and self-assured. She was neither humble nor arrogant. Everyone was stunned at the child¡¯s confidence. it the that Albert had epted another student. Could little girl like her y the Piano Concerto difficult that even Mr. Albert can barely try to y it. How please the queen, but the queen will be can spare another five minutes. I¡¯ll just sit and so I¡¯ll stay for a seats. Queen Mavice nced at Melody and said indifferently,¡° Go breath. She has had autism since she was a child. Although her condition has improved , she was still a little afraid to perform in front ¡°Mel, I¡¯ll apany you to the stage.¡± Alden took her hand and walked to the stage with her. Harold paused for a moment and followed them. ¡°Mel, I¡¯ll apany you too. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± George followed quietly and guarded Melody with Alden and Harold. Melody sat on the tall bench. Her back was straight, and she looked serious. Her aura made the audience quiet down. Adina sat in her seat and looked at her children on the stage. Melody was timid. While she had learned to y the piano for a long time now, she had never performed in front of so many people. However, she was willing to do it for her father. She became courageous because of love. The piano music slowly echoed in the concert hall. Originally, the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor had been a masterpiece to vent inner fear and anger. After being revised by excellent pianists, it became the most difficult piano piece in the world. Melody¡¯s fingers were too short, so she could not do many techniques. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. However, her grasp of emotions made everyone present rte to the music. Alden, who was standing beside her, could feel Melody¡¯s fear. The fear turned into musical notes and entered his ears. Chapter 750 Chapter 750 Chapter 750 It reminded him of Melody¡¯s silence in the past month. Melody did not speak much, so he thought she knew nothing. Melody was more sensitive than anyone else. She knew that something had happened to her father. She just couldn¡¯t articte it in words. She was frightened and restless every day. But now, her fear had passed since she had finally seen her father. She could now y this piece calmly. When the fear passed, the music turned lively. The reaction from the audience also changed. When the two excellent pianists yed, even they could not immerse themselves in the music completely. But this little girl, who was only four years old, made them feel the fear and anger and sadness of theposer. The little girl¡¯s piano skills may not be perfect but the way she conveyed emotions in the music was outstanding. It was no wonder Albert had epted her as his student. The piece slowly came to an end. Everyone was shocked and amazed in equal measure. There was thunderous apuse in the concert hall. The two pianists sitting on the side had underestimated the little girl. The more they listened, the more they found that she was extraordinary. When the performance ended, the two pianists rushed to her. name? Can we have a brief from the tall bench and hid behind can tell me if you have anything my sister holds a piano concert in the future, I can give you tickets.¡± Harold stood in front of trouble my sister, or I¡¯ll fight audience was proud. A long time ago, she had epted that her daughter was reserved and silent and might never go out of the house. But now she saw that her little girl had grown up. She slowly learned to speak and began tomunicate with made Adina taught your children very well.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. I¡¯m still worried about her.¡± Adina remembered the news about the queen¡¯s only daughter who had have such a child. She smiled and said, ¡°I came to Yggdra for a trip. I heard that there was a piano concert here, so I brought the children along ¡°It¡¯s my duty to govern the country.¡± ¡°I wonder if I can invite you for an afternoon tea, Your Majesty?¡± Adina asked hesitantly. ¡°I admire you a lot. If I can have a cup of coffee with you, I¡¯ll be most honored. It will also make my friends very jealous when I return home.¡± Queen Mavice chuckled. ¡°Am I that famous in Cairnstan?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°There¡¯s a saying in our country. Women hold up half the world. You¡¯re the ruler of a country, so you be the center of our topic. There¡¯re still many interested in your governance. I wonder if you would like to chat with me?¡± Queen Mavice stood up happily. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s have a cup of coffee together.¡± Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Adina and Queen Mavice sat opposite each other in a coffee shop. The childrenughed and yed at the next table. ¡°I envy you,¡± Queen Mavice sighed. ¡°Having quadruplets means that the most important thing in life is achieved.¡± Queen Mavice only had one daughter. Her daughter did not have the qualities of a queen, so she lost the opportunity to compete for the throne. If Queen Mavice could have another child, she would not need to worry about losing her power. ¡°The princess is only seventeen years old. She is still a minor, so her future is full of possibilities.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°Your Majesty, as long as you¡¯re willing to give her a chance to prove herself, I believe that the princess will grow up and be an honorable queen.¡± give her a chance,¡± said Queen Mavice already proposed. If she can¡¯t set an example as a princess before she She was thinking about what to say to make the the cab unfairly criticize the princess because your parents and husband have passed away. The princess is a teenager . She is still a child trying to figure out her ce in the world. It is natural for her to sometimes stray away from the path. Her status She had reigned over the country for many years, but she could only discuss her difficulties with her husband when he was alive. It had been a long time since someone had offered her moral support like this. The ordinary people in the country did not dare to do so, while the nobledies of other countries would not deliberately talk about the queen¡¯s private life. For the an opportunity.¡± Adina lowered her voice. which greatly affected the safety of the country.If the princess can solve this problem, those in the anything about that situation, let alone the princess.¡± Adina looked entrance taking a nap. and the waiter the internal information of the ck Party. Your Majesty, please take a look. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand what I mean.¡± Queen Mavice turned serious and opened the document. After reading just one page, she closed the document. The queen¡¯s sharp a member of the ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Adina said in a low voice. ¡°I admit that I nned the meeting with you today, but I had to do this to make the meeting a sess. Your Majesty, if the ck Party surrenders to Yggdra during your reign, your country will expand by at least one-third. Then, you¡¯ll be the queen with the most outstanding achievement in thest three hundred years. Nobody would dare impeach the princess then.¡± Queen Mavice was astonished. If this was only for her, she would have dismissed it. But this was for her daughter Conquering the notorious ck Party and expanding the territory of the country by one- third¡­ If her daughter got the credit for even contributing to it, she would be the first choice for the next queen. Queen Mavice nced at the document again. After a long time, she said, ¡°How can I trust you?¡± Adina took a seal out of her bag. ¡°The ck Party had businesses with Yggdra in the past, and this seal was used as a signature. The leader of the ck Party gave me this seal, which represents his sincerity.¡± ¡°But why would the ck Party¡¯s leader willingly give me his territory?¡± Queen Mavice asked.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Chapter 752 ¡°Because he is just an ordinary person who wants to live a peaceful life,¡± Adina slowly said. ¡°He can bepletely free only when the ck Party disappears.¡± Queen Mavice pulled the brim of her hat low. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust you for the time being. When should we start?¡± ¡°The action n still needs to be discussed in person. In a few days, Terry will secretlye to meet you. You¡¯ll know when he does.¡± Queen Mavice tore the document into pieces and poured coffee over it to blur the writings on it before throwing the pieces into the trash can. Queen Mavice nodded and left. ¡°Mommy, did you seed?¡± Harold asked. Adina patted his head. invite the queen for coffee because of you. authentic. Let¡¯s go to the supermarket and buy some pork. licked his eaten roast pork for a long time.I can¡¯t at the side of the road. She This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. is Jasmine in asked. Adina came back to her senses. She shopping first.¡± She nced at Jasmine, who was standing on the side of the road, before driving to the supermarket. When the ¡°Hello, Addy. How¡¯s the situation?¡± Adina lowered her voice. ¡°I saw Jasmine on the streets of Yggdra. Is she here to find you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We haven¡¯t been in contact for a long time. She should be here on a business trip. Wait a minute, I have another call iing.¡± Flint nced at . the caller ID and immediately shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Jasmine! She called me! Addy, stay outside with the children and wait for my update.¡± Flint hung up. After waiting for a few seconds, he answered Jasmine¡¯s call. ¡°You¡¯re in Yggdra, right?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°I¡¯m here too. Can we meet?¡± Flint said coldly, ¡°Your arrival at Yggdra has nothing to do with me. Why should I meet you? I am hanging up.¡± Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Chapter 752 ¡°Because he is just an ordinary person who wants to live a peaceful life,¡± Adina slowly said. ¡°He can bepletely free only when the ck Party disappears.¡± Queen Mavice pulled the brim of her hat low. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust you for the time being. When should we start?¡± ¡°The action n still needs to be discussed in person. In a few days, Terry will secretlye to meet you. You¡¯ll know when he does.¡± Queen Mavice tore the document into pieces and poured coffee over it to blur the writings on it before throwing the pieces into the trash can. Queen Mavice nodded and left. ¡°Mommy, did you seed?¡± Harold asked. Adina patted his head. invite the queen for coffee because of you. authentic. Let¡¯s go to the supermarket and buy some pork. licked his eaten roast pork for a long time.I can¡¯t at the side of the road. She is Jasmine in asked. Adina came back to her senses. SheUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g shopping first.¡± She nced at Jasmine, who was standing on the side of the road, before driving to the supermarket. When the ¡°Hello, Addy. How¡¯s the situation?¡± Adina lowered her voice. ¡°I saw Jasmine on the streets of Yggdra. Is she here to find you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We haven¡¯t been in contact for a long time. She should be here on a business trip. Wait a minute, I have another call iing.¡± Flint nced at . the caller ID and immediately shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Jasmine! She called me! Addy, stay outside with the children and wait for my update.¡± Flint hung up. After waiting for a few seconds, he answered Jasmine¡¯s call. ¡°You¡¯re in Yggdra, right?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°I¡¯m here too. Can we meet?¡± Flint said coldly, ¡°Your arrival at Yggdra has nothing to do with me. Why should I meet you? I am hanging up.¡± Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Karl sneered. ¡°Who do you think YOU are? Why are you putting Flint in an ufortable situation? You try to coerce him to date you but when I do the same, it¡¯s repulsive to you? The way you feel disgusted when a random man says he loves you is the same way you disgust Flint. Get out!¡± Bang! Karl shut the iron door. Jasmine was furious. She kicked on the door, but it only hurt her toes. She pointed at Flint. ¡°How could you do this to me for Adina? I¡¯ll make you pay for it! You will suffer the consequences of being with Adina!¡± Flint stared at her. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll wait for it.¡± turned and walked into the mansion without a second nce. Karl said worriedly, ¡°The Duke in Cairnstan is quite capable. If he This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. leader of the ck Party. The ck Party did all kinds of evil deeds, so how can they be afraid of Earl?¡± Flint became serious. his memory, so the two boiling with anger. She did not understand why could do anything for him. Anything! he be so cruel to me? Is he not even worried that she is in a foreign country all alone?¡¯ Jasmine wept. you¡¯re the ruthless one, so don¡¯t me her phone out and made a call. In the office of a country less than three hours¡¯ drive from Yggdra, Earl stood in front of a French window, smoking a cigarette. no trace Winters may not be in this area. We ¡°Boss, Winters Corporation has an annual high-level meeting this afternoon, and you must be there in person. Should I book a flight back to Cairnstan?¡± Earl slowly turned around. ¡°Cancel the meeting.¡± He did not want to care about Winters Corporation before finding the woman. He did not believe that a person could disappear without a trace, let alone five of them. Right then, his phone buzzed. It was an unfamiliar number from Cairnstan. He thought it was a call from a client, so he declined it. He received a message from the same number. (Mr. Winters, I know the whereabouts of Adina.) Earl narrowed his eyes and called back. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked sternly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am. Aren¡¯t you looking for Adina? She is hiding in Yggdra with her four children. You can send someone to confirm if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Chapter 755 When Adina and the children were finished with the grocery shopping, they returned to the mansion. The children sat in the living room watching cartoons , while Adina went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Flint followed her. ¡°I drove Jasmine away,¡± he said while peeling the beans. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Addy. I didn¡¯t pay attention to my spending, so Jasmine used it to find my location. Fortunately , she didn¡¯t meet you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if she meets me.¡± Adina pursed her lips. ¡°I avoided her because I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble. However, I won¡¯t be so generous if troublees to me. Jasmine is not stupid. She is likely to contact Earl. I tricked Earl, so he will probablye to find me in person.¡± Flint sneered. ¡°If he dares toe here, you and Duke can catch him and deal with him.¡± Adina lowered her head and prepared the ingredients. Duke had lost his memories. It was unlikely that he would kill someone who looked exactly like him without knowing everything. Even if Duke recovered his memory, he might not really be able to kill his own brother. It was not easy to deal with Earl. She had to tread carefully. Seeing that she was in aplicated mood, Flint changed the subject. ¡°How did it go with the queen?¡± Adina smiled. ¡°It went well. Queen Mavice has a daughter, and children are a woman¡¯s weakness. She can easily be persuaded. I¡¯ll go to Duke tonight or tomorrow morning to tell him about it.¡± Flint shook his head in disapproval. around, and you and Isabelle have bad blood from the past. I¡¯m afraid that Isabelle matters via the looked grave. No matter how dangerous the Hestia Border was, she had ,¡± Alden stood ¡°Give me with George sitting at no one other than George and I will know the content of the want to Mommy Heughed. head and tried to hide her Daddy say, ¡®I love ,obviously dried her hands on her apron and walked to the balcony to make the call. The call was answered on the ¡°Addy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Adina went straight to the point. ¡°The phone monitoring equipment has been blocked, so we can talk freely. I met the queen today, and she agreed to cooperate. You can arrange for someone to meet the queen tomorrow.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait for three days,¡± Duke said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to monitor Queen Mavice for three days. If she doesn¡¯t meet other forces, it means she is trustworthy.¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Be careful. I still need to cook, so I¡¯ll hang up?¡± ¡°Addy¡­¡± the man stopped her. His voice was husky and soft. ¡°Apart from these, don¡¯t you have anything else to say to me?¡± Adina¡¯s heart pounded when she heard his low voice. She said, nonchntly, ¡°What else should I say?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ did you¡­ miss me?¡±. The husky voice came from the other end of the phone like an electric current, and it hit Adina¡¯s heart. Adina¡¯s ears turned red. She whispered, ¡°No.¡± ¡°But I missed you.¡± As soon as Duke said that, the living room burst into an uproar.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Adina turned around and saw that their conversation had be a spectacle. Her children along with Karl, Peteand Flint were listening in around theputer. She blushed. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that.I am going to hang up now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll meet you tonight then,¡± Duke¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡° Addy, I miss you.I want to see you.¡± Adina blushed harder and her heart raced.She was afraid her heart would stop beating, so she hung up the phone in a hurry. ¡°Huh, why did you hang up?¡± ¡°Mommy, Daddy hasn¡¯t finished speaking yet.Why did you hang up?¡± The children pestered her. Adina took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before she walked to the living room. ¡°Don¡¯t monitor my calls in the future,¡± she said, trying to keep a straight face. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. tilted her head, as if ears are ¡°Mommy,are you shy?¡± Harold teased. George nodded. he misses Mommy, so mommy must be shy.¡± Adina was at brats knew obediently, ¡°Will Daddye over tonight?¡± Mommy.¡± Melody covered her face andughed get to see Daddy too.¡± Harold yed finally see Daddy again.I¡¯m so happy!¡± George said? He misses Mommy, so he ising to seeMommy only.We better not be disturbs Daddy Daddy and Mommy when they are on in the corner and take a look at said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for and Harold out a sigh of Last time, that man had sneaked into her roomte at night and the situation had almost¡­heated up. The children will be with her tonight, so that man would not dare to mess around. However, Duke did not show up that night. The children waited eagerly for their father but soon grew tired and fell asleep on the couch. Adina felt helpless and carried the children back to their room. It was already past eleven at night. Besides Flint, who was still ying games in the room, the whole mansion was silent. Adina returned to her room to wash up. As soon as she opened the door, she saw that the light in her room was turned off. She frowned. She was about to turn the light back on when someone grabbed her wrist. Chapter 757 Chapter 757 Chapter 757 The bedroom was pitch ck. Adina smelled cigarette smoke. She thought it was Duke, butthe grip on her wrist was so strong that it almost broke her arm. Duke would never be so forceful with her. Adina raised her foot and kicked the chair by the bed, but the man avoided it. The man in the dark seemed to take it as provocation.He grabbed her by the wrist and threw her on the bed.He pinned her down on the bed. ¡°Adina, you seem to be living a good life here.Have you forgotten who I am?¡± The cold and low voice made her shudder. She narrowed her eyes in the dark.She pushed her elbow against the man¡¯s neck. ¡°You know that my martial arts skills are better than yours. Don¡¯t force me to beat you up.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Earl suddenly took a ck thing out of his pocket and pressed it against Adina¡¯s forehead. you still think I can¡¯t beat you?¡± It was a knew what it was.She stared coldly at Earl¡¯s tragic face now slightly visible because of the moonlight from all the way to find me just haven¡¯t f*cked you.¡± Earl moved pressed clothes!¡± Adina¡¯s face you know what you¡¯re ¡°I do, of course.¡± Earl for you for so long, I don¡¯t have any patience anymore.I¡¯ll count to three.If you don¡¯t take off your clothes, I¡¯ll go and niece.How can you be so a good word.I like it.¡± Earl am.¡± He got up suddenly , turned, and rested her lower I¡¯ll take it done it earlier.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Earl stood against the wall and watched Adina,who was on the edge of the bed in the dark.She lowered her head and did not look at him.She unbuttoned one by one, revealing the camisole inside. The white camisole was eye-catching in the dark. Earl swallowed hungrily.He walked toward the bed slowly and grabbed Adina¡¯s shoulders. Adina suppressed the resentment she felt. Something shone, and she saw the gun at the man¡¯s waist.She was thinking about how to steal the gun. Earl smiled as he noticed her gaze falling on his gun. ¡°I have two guns with me.Even if you steal one, I still have an extra.I won¡¯t kill you, but I¡¯ll kill your children.Four bullets for four children.It¡¯s quite convenient.¡± Adina gritted her teeth. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to steal your gun.Do whatever you want.Just don¡¯t wake the whole mansion.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± Earl pushed her. He was satisfied seeing her helplessly lying on the bed with no power to fight back. Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He leaned over her and parted his mouth to bite the woman¡¯s lips. Adina turned her head away. ¡°Don¡¯t kiss me.¡± ¡°Why? Doyou find me disgusting ?¡± Earl turned her face to him. ¡°Adina, the more you hate my actions, the more I want to do things that sicken you.Because only with this would I remain more stubbornly etched in your head, and you would stop thinking about leavingmy side all the time.¡± Adina red at him. ¡°You¡¯re letting Duke down by doing this!¡± ¡°A dead man is a dead man.So, what if I¡¯m not worthy?¡± Earl said indifferently, ¡°Now is not the time to bring up the dead.¡± Adina lowered her gaze.It seemed that Earl waspletely unaware of Duke being alive.She could use this to cause a huge stir¡­ As she pondered this, Earl lowered his head to hers. was just a centimeter away from kissing her neck, the balcony suddenly night air billowed in, causing the man, who looked towards the window only to find a man with a golden mask walk into from such a ce, so he immediately guess who this person donning the golden mask and ck cape for help as and entered the room to find this man lying atop Adina.He was filled with rage.His he heard Adina¡¯s cry for help, he understood that someone was trying to get their hands on even react, he shot a bullet from his silenced gun aiming could smell the was shot in his right hand, But he grinned savagely. amazing , Adina Daugherty ? To think you underestimated you¡­but just you from the second ¨C The smell of gunpowder and blood still permeated the house. Adina buttoned up her clothes quickly. ¡°Luckily you arrived just in time¡­¡± ¡®I can¡¯t imagine what would have happened if you hadn¡¯t. ¡® She did not say that out loud.She most certainly would never let Earl have his way, but if they ended up fighting because of it, they would both suffer¡­It did not matter if she got injured.She was only worried for the children. Adina raised her head to see Duke make a strange face.She turned around to turn on the bedroom lights. The golden mask shone brilliantly under the light. Duke lifted his hand to take off the mask.He pursed his lips. Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Duke¡¯s voice faltered and the room fell silent. The only sound was the rustle of wind outside the window. Adina stared at him. ¡°You disappeared on our wedding day,¡± she said slowly. ¡°He came to the Winters family¡¯s mansion pretending to be you.He lived in your house, was a husband to your wife, was a father to your children, took charge of yourpany¡­You were chased out here, having to carry responsibilities that were not yours¡­¡± Her voice rang in Duke¡¯s ears. A fractured memory surfaced in his mind. The past emerged in his thoughts one by one, like fleeting scenes from a train window. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead. ¡°Duke, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Adina rushed toward him and took his arm. ¡°The back of my head hurts¡­¡± Duke closed his eyes. ¡°A lot of repressed memories¡­but I can¡¯t remember anything¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry ¡­,¡± said Adina softly. She held him. you are my husband, a father to your children, and you have a full and happy family.So, hurry and settle your problems at Hestia Border, then did not want to meet someone from his past and remember nothing about would felt horrible seeing him in least he¡¯s not as difficult as the pulled the woman twin brother, he had reeked sense that Earl hadmitted murder before.He could not believe Adina, as fragile as she looked, had had to contend with him, take care of four children, and even venture to lucky to have such a wife.He lowered his head and kissed her on her eyes.His thin lips returned his passionate opened a close your eyes!¡± aside.I haven¡¯t seen Daddy kissing.Children aren¡¯t ¡°No, I wanna see! Wow, now I can see it.Daddy and Mommy are smooching!¡± Adina pulled the door, all trying to cover their eyes with Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Though, some were still trying to get a peek through the gap between their fingers. Adina blushed. ¡®How could she have forgotten to lock the door?! Now the children had identally witnessed such a thing¡­¡¯ ¡°Huh, Daddy and Mommy aren¡¯t doing it anymore?¡± Harold asked curiously. ¡°We promise not to peek!¡± ¡°Yeah, no peeking!¡± Melody agreed , covering her own eyes tightly with her hands. Adina cleared her throat. ¡°Why are you all awake?¡± ¡°We heard movement from Mommy¡¯s room, so we thought it must be Daddy,¡± George said in defense. ¡°Daddy and Mommy can keep on dating we¡¯ll go back to bed.¡± Melody was a little reluctant to go back. ¡°But Daddy chote 759 hasn¡¯t given me a hug yet.¡± Duke stared nkly at the four children in front of him, unable to regain his senses for a while. Chapter 760 Chapter 760 Chapter 760 He had seen these four children before, but it had been less intense than them appearing simultaneously before him in this way.He slowly regained his senses, stood up and walked towards them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I neglected my duties and couldn¡¯t protect you all, just like how I couldn¡¯t protect your mommy.¡± ¡°Daddy, you meanie!¡± sobbed Melody as he lunged into Duke¡¯s arms and burst into tears. Harold was also almost choking on his tears. ¡°Daddy, will you disappear again like before?¡± Duke shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯ll never happen again.¡± He would never leave his wife and his children in danger ever again. George¡¯s eyes were a little red. ¡°Daddy, when can we go home?¡± ¡°We need to wait till I settle things here first, then Daddy will take you all home.¡± Duke Scooped the children up in his arms in one sweeping motion. Alden squirmed. through a lot, you have to treat Mommy Seeing her husband hugging the children why was she moved by this? The children had woken up in the middle of theBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. rooms to tuck them into getting quite sorry Addy, I have to go.¡± Duke His voice was hoarse. a week to settle things with the ck Party matters.Please take care of the children in I¡¯ll wait another week for you.¡± Duke ced an affectionate kiss on her tall figure soon disappeared into the pitch-ck night sky, silently praying in her heart as Duke arrived at the gates of the ck Party¡¯s mansion located in the central area, he saw a person pacing at the four in the here at this hour?¡¯ He slowly approached his footsteps, the person at the entrance ¡°Terry North, why are you out here? Where were you?¡± ¡°Miss Isabelle, do you think I am obligated to answer your question?¡± The man¡¯s voice was as icy as the chill in the early morning wind. ¡°Your father is in prison awaiting his trial, are you here to apany him?¡±. Isabelle shuddered. A few days ago, when her father and Elder Dorien were transporting firearms, they were intercepted by Terry. There had been a sh. In the end, her father and Elder Dorien were arrested.Her father was very old, there was no way he could survive in a gloomy and cold prison.She had to get him out of there.She could not sleep the whole night, so she had decided to wait here. As long as she remained humble, Terry might feel sorry for her enough to let her father go. ¡°Terry, those firearms were all bought by Elder Dorien, they had nothing to do with my father,¡± Isabelle hissed. ¡° If you let my father go,I will agree to anything.¡± ¡°What right do you think you have to be discussing terms with me?¡± Terry arched his brow, giving off a cold disposition. ¡°After my father was imprisoned, his subordinates all came under mymand,¡± Isabelle said through gritted teeth. Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Chapter 761 ¡°How many subordinates does Elder Maurice have?¡± Terry asked coldly. Isabelle clenched her teeth and said in a low voice, ¡°eight high-ranking officers, twenty-three mid-ranking officers, and over two hundred military personnel.¡± Duke¡¯s eyes turned cold. The number of people were only one-third of the people on the list Adina had given him.It seemed that some people were very good at hiding themselves. These people were always ready to attack him, it was time for him to take them all down. ¡°In three days, bring these people to the Soux River.I will bring Elder Maurice with me,¡± he said icily. ¡°Deal.¡± Isabelle nodded. It was not until the man¡¯s figure had disappeared into the entrance of the mansion did a deep hatred surface in her eyes. She was the eldest daughter of the ck Party¡¯s head, there was no way she would willingly serve under someone else.She got into her car and took out her cell phone. ¡°Gather my subordinates, we will meet at Soux River in three days.Remember to capture him alive.He needs to be alive.¡± She wanted this man to be eating out of the palm of her hand. She wanted him to know that she, Isabelle, was not someone to be messed with! The dark colors of dusk soon faded and dawn slowly emerged on the horizon. flipped through the documents on his desk.He threw the irrelevant documents straight into the took up to three hours, finishing exactly by eight in mansion gradually still full of energy without me,¡± he out The two men walked out at secret bodyguard, and this was the first time they had so nobody knew who and drove it into had music drifted out of straight sitting on honored to have this first formal meeting with you.I am Queen Mavice smiled as she held out her right hand.She was forty-two years old this year, yet she looked closer to thirty. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Every movement she made had the dignity and elegance of nobility. Duke shook her hand lightly. ke and the queen¡¯s entourage wisely left the lounge and waited by the door. Duke and the queen sat facing each other on the sofa. ¡°Queen Mavice, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to make time for me,¡± Duke said coolly.¡° There will be a tough battle the day after tomorrow. Are you ready for it?¡± Mavice looked into his eyes-the only thing left uncovered by his mask-and said, ¡°I trust you,but I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m given the same courtesy.¡± Duke understood the meaning hidden behind those words.He lifted his hand to take off the golden mask. ¡°No more than five people have seen my true face.Would this be enough as a token of my trust?¡± Mavice¡¯s gaze fell on his scarred face. She was stunned.Her m and elegant eyes welled up with tears.Her lips parted slightly and, in a murmur, she cried out his name. ¡°Queen Mavice, does my appearance frighten you?¡± Duke picked up the mask from the coffee table and was about to put it back on¡­ Chapter 762 Chapter 762 Chapter 762 Mavice¡¯s hand pressed down on his arm. ¡°No, I just thought you resemble someone¡­,¡± she said softly. Duke pulled his arm away from her grip, avoiding Mavice¡¯s touch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot myself.¡± Mavice looked away and lowered her head to take a sip of coffee. She regained herposure. The rest of their meeting went smoothly.The two agreed on the venue of meeting, their course of action and how to perform the handover. ¡°I shall see you the day after tomorrow then, Queen Mavice.Goodbye.¡± Duke bowed respectfully , put on his mask and left the opera house. Mavice stood at the stairs , watching as his back slowly disappeared from the entrance, and tears suddenly pricked her eyes again. It was shocking to think that the newly appointed ck Party leader¡¯s face matched so strikingly with herte husband¡¯s. the scar on his died protecting her.Her husband¡¯s face and Terry¡¯s faces opera house, Duke had ke drive to thergest four children , ying without a care in was so happy he a gentle smile.He had called her had been a little worried that he might not be able to make it.She was everything settled his arms around rest of my day belongs to you Melody extended her two picked the little girl up and ced let out a happy ¡°Daddy, let¡¯s go y in the amusement park!¡± Harold ran straight for the park. George and Alden followed Harold toward the park. The family of six appearing at the park had attracted the attention of several people. ¡°Sir, Madam, you look really happy.Would you like to take a family photo as a keepsake?¡± A vendor who sold photographs came over to sell his service. ¡°Would you like to take a picture?¡± Adina asked. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah!¡± Melody nodded vigorously. ¡°This is my first time ying in another country with Daddy, Mommy and my brothers.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a picture then.¡± 1 Duke called to his three sons who ran ahead. Adina and Duke sat on the bench, Melody and Harold on their knees, and George and Alden each saton either side of their parents. Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Wearing a mask for a photograph was quite inappropriate. So, Duke raised his hands and took off the ck mask he had on. The cameraman crouched down and took a photograph. He felt a prating gaze sweep over him. A long scar stretched across the face of the man in the camera, making his face look terrifying and ferocious. Even his eyes shone with a cold re that was as sharp as daggers. ¡®These eyes¡­This man looks like someone I saw on TV.The leader of ck Party, Terry North, had the same eyes! He was even dubbed the Eye of Death bizens.¡¯ ¡°Ahh!¡± The cameraman screamed and ran away, hugging his camera for dear life. The family of six looked at each other in shock. ¡°Daddy scared the cameraman away.¡± Harold blinked.¡± The scar on Daddy¡¯s face is a little scary. I first saw it, too.¡± technology is quite advanced now, we could Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. his face, but the scar on Daddy¡¯s face was left tried stic surgery, there might still children squirm, Duke wished, for the very first time, Adina closer by also frightened by the scar course not,¡± Adina said with a would I be frightened by it? In fact, being by your side like this makes me feel even safer.If there were any and I have nothing to fear from now on.¡± Melody hugged Duke¡¯s neck and said softly, ¡°Maybe we should let the scar stay on Daddy¡¯s face,then Daddy can protect us.¡± A soft smile formed on Duke¡¯s of six spent a fun afternoon to his wife and ¡° Daddy, why aren¡¯t youing home with us?¡± then we can be in danger?¡± ¡°Some things just must be done, must From behind them, a pair of eyes watched the group. The ck-d person in the car pulled out a cell phone. ¡°Miss, Terry came to Yggdra today for that Cairnstanian woman. They¡¯ve spent four hours together.¡± At the other end of the call, Isabelle almost threw the phone away in rage. She took a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°Wait until he¡¯s captured alive, I¡¯ll make that b* tch Adina pay for this.¡± ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t I capture the woman first?¡± . ¡°Don¡¯t alert them of our ns, yet,¡± Isabelle said coldly. ¡°Keep observing them.¡± As soon as she hung up, a subordinate entered. ¡°Miss, everything has been prepared . All we have to do now is wait.¡± Isabelle¡¯s mouth curled up in an evil grin. This time, she would have Terry know the ire of a woman scorned. Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. In two days, the chaotic Hestia Border settled down. The quieter it was, the more anxious people felt. There were hardly any pedestrians in the streets. The sun shone brightly, and the people set up patrol by the Soux River inside Hestia Border. Terry stood on the riverside . A golden mask covered his face, and his cloak rustled in the wind. It all made him seem very imposing. Beside him were Elder Maurice and Elder Dorien, all tied up. The two of them had been tortured in prison for five days, and they had long lost their initial edge. Louis walked to him from the roadside to report. ¡°Boss, Isabelle is approaching withpany.¡± Dozens of military vehicles slowly arrived, stirring up a cloud of dust. In the frontmost vehicle sat Isabelle . set her ck leather shoe-d feet the gun holstered at her lower sneered inwardly, but when she looked up, all her mirth disappeared when her anger and slowly walked to the two hundred armed soldiers in military many of these people the military department meeting, several of them had expressed were Elder He chuckled. have your people turn in their weapons, if onto the ground with a dull guards and seized all away, Isabelle coldly said, ¡°Will you me about your demands, you are in no position to to stubbornly order his daughter to do no such thing but when he remembered his painful until he The subordinatesIsabelle had brought with her walked towards Duke in an orderly manner and were may go.¡± Duke Elder Maurice still had his hands tied behind him, thus he ran with an unsteady gait towards Isabelle. Elder Dorien became agitated. ¡°Miss Isabelle, please help me too!¡± He took a step forward and wanted to rush to them but¡­ Ka-chak! Ka-chak! The sound of gun triggers being hooked reverberated. Elder Maurice¡¯s troops, who had initially surrendered, suddenly pulled out pistols from their ankles or from behind their waists. More than two hundred people, each holding a gun, aimed their weapons at Duke¡¯s subordinates. The frontmost officer pressed his gun against Duke¡¯s temple. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Elder Mauriceughed. ¡°Good work, Belle! You¡¯ve proven yourself to be worthy, my daughter!¡± He had really underestimated her. He had epted that she would silently hand over his men to his enemy. But it turned out she still had an ace up her sleeve! ¡°I didn¡¯t let you down, father.¡±Isabelle smiled as she walked to him. ¡°Are you surprised, Terry?¡± Duke¡¯s face did not show any change in his emotions.¡° Was it your n to pretend to surrender when you in fact intended tocapture me alive , Miss Isabelle ?¡± he asked indifferently. Chapter 765 Chapter 765 Chapter 765 ¡°But you still fell for the trap, didn¡¯t you?¡± Isabelle smiled brightly/ She took a step closer and raised her hand to take off Duke¡¯s mask. Duke grabbed her wrist before it reached his face. ¡°Miss Isabelle, do you really think that you have won?¡± Isabelle smirked. ¡°Of course I have.¡± The two hundred officers here were all her men, and she carried more than one weapon. There was simply no way she would lose.She chuckled. ¡°Terry, I fancy you.If you obediently be mine, I will consider letting you live.¡± ¡°And if I refuse?¡± Duke asked coldly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tie you up, tear down your willpower and torture your spirit until you give in¡­.¡± could even finish her sentence, the roaring the unexpected arrival of dozens of fighter The atmosphere grew tense. the high ground south of at the frontlines was a woman.Her hair was coiled up high and she wore an off-white trench coat, which stood out among the see them Yggdra, Isabelle stared incredulously You don¡¯t deserve to be the leader Bang! Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. the first shot, but everything turned into Gunshots rang out. to flee in the confusion Isabelle and hissed, ¡°Belle, Yggdra has strong military resources, we can¡¯t win against them.We must leave bodies of his men, but his left and pistol in his they made their escape Duke, ke raised his gun and sent a bullet flying into the back of Isabelle¡¯s Bang! The shot rang out as the bullet sped through the air. Elder Maurice looked behind and screamed, ¡°Belle, get down!¡± Isabelle slowed her movements by a split second and Elder Maurice used backhand to push her down.The bullet went through Elder Maurice¡¯s face, leaving a hole in his forehead. ¡°Father!¡± Isabelle held on to Elder Maurice¡¯s falling body, tears pouring from her eyes as though a dam had broken. ¡°Father, wake up! Wake up, please!¡± Elder Maurice¡¯s eyes were open, but he was no longer breathing. ¡°Miss, run!¡± An officer dragged Isabelle away and they escaped into the forest. ¡°Don¡¯t let Elder Maurice¡¯s sacrifice be in vain, let¡¯s preserve our strength.¡± In a daze, Isabelle let herself be dragged away. Duke squinted. ¡°Go after them. Find Isabelle and shoot her on sight!¡± That woman was extremely hostile toward Addy, he would never let Isabelle live. The members of ck Party were basically under his control now. Chapter 766 Chapter 766 Chapter 766 Mavice, in a creamy-white trench coat, walked to him.She smiled. ¡°This cooperation between us has gone exceptionally well.Thank you for giving me this opportunity.¡± She knew that no matter who Terry would have approached, they would have been more than willing to join hands with him.But he had chosen her. ¡®This achievement will allow me to stay as a queen longer.My daughter¡¯s status will rise as well¡± Duke said calmly, ¡°The main rebels of the ck Party have been captured, but there are still some remaining in the main city.So, Your Majesty, please deal with it in person.¡± It would only be a sess if Mavice took it into her own hands.Mavice smiled. ¡°The people in the pce have prepared a dinner banquet.After this ce is¡­cleaned up, would you mind joining us for dinner?¡± Duke raised his wrist and nced at the time.He had nned to finish everything here before sunset today and officially quit the ck Party. ¡°Mr.North, I would like you to teach me a thing or two regarding the future nning of the Hestia Border.I hope you¡¯ll ept my request,¡± said Mavice humbly, after all she was the one asking him for a favor. Hestia Border has many parties, and and they simply cannot be eliminated ¡°Sure.¡± smiled and turned to finish whatever she hade here for. What happened on the edge of Party is over, and there will be no more ck Party, no the rule of its national army to be stationed at Hestia Border.The remaining party fled everywhere.Hence, neighboring countries need to pay attention to social security.] Adina finally felt a little relief was safe and is finally defeated the huge viin.We can return said gently, ¡°Your Daddy still has some back will probably be the ¡°Yay, that¡¯s great!¡± The children were overjoyed. Flint walked to Adina. ¡°Adina, you can finally rx.When will you be returning to Sea City? Let me send you all home.¡± ¡°Probably the day after tomorrow or the day after that,¡± said Adina solemnly.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Flint, I¡¯m really grateful for what did for us.I truly don¡¯t know how to repay you.Whenever you need help, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Flint said happily. ¡°I only want to remind you of one thing.Look after your own man.Don¡¯t let someone with bad intentions swap him with another man, okay?¡± Adina pursed her lips.She did not know how things were with Earl now.She also wondered how Duke would deal with him, his own brother who had caused all this. ¡®I should leave the two of them to solve their own sibling matters¡± thought Adina. ¡°Children, let¡¯s get ready for dinner. Your daddy will probably be back for dinner.¡± She put on an apron and started cooking. ¡®Now that ck Party has been demolished, Duke no longer needs to keep mea secret.We can finally be together in public as spouses¡± Chapter 767 Chapter 767 Chapter 767 At the pce in Yggdra¡­. The ck Party was demolished. The country expanded by one- third of its territory, and everyone celebrated.The people in the pce sang and danced.It was a very lively scene. Mavice held a banquet in the main hall of the pce.Duke was the only guest. ¡°Mr.North, may I know what your n is after this?¡± Mavice asked with a friendly smile. Duke said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to where I belong.¡± Mavice looked at him. ¡°And where do you belong?¡± she asked cautiously. ¡°Your Majesty, aren¡¯t you supposed to be asking me regarding the Hestia Border?¡± Duke steadily changed the topic. He would never expose where he came from, his family, his wife and his children. After all, his current identity was still very sensitive. ¡°Hestia Border has been in chaos for thirty to forty years. We won¡¯t be able to terminate all the ragtag in a short time, so I temporarily n to separate Hestia Border as a continent and rule it with separate laws and policies¡­,¡± She suddenly asked him, ¡°Ick a capable person under mymand, I wonder if you, Mr.North, would like to stay and help Duke shook his head. have something more important This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. lowered her gaze and took a long pause, she looked than your career? Your family? Your wife? Your princess, Madelyn, who was She nced at her mother and saw a hint of infatuation in her mother¡¯s gaze.She had only seen her mother she held her stomach to her bedroom.She tucked Madelyn in and said gently, Madelyn grabbed Mavice¡¯s leader is only in his thirties.He¡¯s too young.He¡¯s not a good Mavice¡¯s face darkened. what you are even rtionships before.I know the way you look at Terry North.Mother, you¡¯re so much older Madelyn pursed her lips. has helped you achieve your once-in-a-lifetime aplishment, don¡¯t make things difficult for yourself or ¡°Nonsense!¡± and remarrying.It¡¯s just that he looks so much like your father.If he¡¯s able to stay here and work, I¡¯ll be She looked at her daughter coldly. ¡°Rest well.Don¡¯t overthink.¡± Mavice walked out of the bedroom. A small vial was nestled in her sleeves. When she reached the dining hall, she was back to her elegant and calm self. ¡°Sorry for the wait, Mr.North.¡±Duke nced at the watch on his wrist. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.I shall excuse myself now.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay longer?¡± Mavice smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a cab role.¡± ¡°I am not interested in it. Please, Your Majesty, I am sure you can find someone capable enough to fulfill that role.¡± ¡°Alright, then.Let¡¯s have onest toast before you leave, shall we?¡± Mavice stood up, grabbed a ss of champagne, and passed it to Duke. Duke took it graciously and held it up in a toast.Then he drank it down. Chapter 768 Chapter 768 Chapter 768 Duke felt his mind going nk after he drank the champagne. Before he could contemte what had happened to him, his vision cked out and he slumped forward on the dining table. The clock struck eleven when Adina finished reading bedtime stories to her children. The children gradually fell asleep, but she could not even sleep a wink. ¡®¡®Duke should have been here by now.Even if he was held up by something important, he would have called¡­¡¯¡± She wanted to call him, but she was afraid that she might disturb him if he was caught up in something important.She suppressed her urge to call him. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Perhaps there is some misunderstanding.¡± Flint tried tofort her. has been demolished.Many people are fleeing, and it¡¯s not easy to catch them all.Isabe is on the run.She will definitely he is just trying I know.¡± get some rest. yawned and went upstairs bathroom after a shower, she heard her phone vibrate.She rushed to her phone thinking it must be Duke but when she saw again.She didn¡¯t pick Daugherty, do you really think if you hit on Terry North, you¡¯ll be able to defeat me? Listen, ck Party is over, and back what you owe me.] He sent another long Adina deleted the message. never stoop this low to go against Earl. I shouldn¡¯t take rose and illuminated the a rubbed her eyes and sat up.She nced It was already eight in the morning. Perhaps the ck Party¡¯s affairs were finally solved because she had fallen asleep and felt refreshed.She opened the door and headed downstairs.Her children surrounded her. ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Daddy? Why isn¡¯t he with you?¡± ¡°I thought both of you were sleeping in.¡± ¡°Did Daddy go missing again?¡± Melody asked with tears in her eyes. Adina lifted her up. ¡°Your daddy is still busy.He¡¯ll probablye backter today.¡± Adina felt her eyes twitch after she said that.She was not a very superstitious person, but the eye twitch made her feel ominous.She put Melody down, and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll give Daddy a call and ask him when he¡¯ll be back.¡± Chapter 769 Chapter 769 Chapter 769 Adina took out her phone and dialed the familiar number.It took a long time for the call to get through¡­ When it did, a female operator¡¯s voice said, ¡°The number you have dialed is unavable n Adina¡¯s uneasiness grew. She forced a smile. ¡°Let me try again.¡± Duke¡¯s phone vibrated on the floor.His eyes twitched. After struggling for a while, he was finally able to open his eyes fully. The back of his head hurt.He wanted to massage his temples, but he realized his hands and feet were tied up.He sat up warily.It was pitch dark and his phone was glowing faintly on the floor.He looked at it. The call was from a number she knew by heart. that?¡± A woman¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in the dark towards the adjusted to the dark, he could see the faint outline of a woman ¡®That voice is familiar..¡± ¡°Queen Mavice, what are you This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. picked up the phone on the floor you a message, suppressed the rage boiling within they have finished their work for you.It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯ve been impeached for so many years.It makes sense that the throne is won¡¯t kill I tell you a story matter to her how cold Duke was.He made her reminisce me to the queen¡¯s position by himself.But when our daughter was seven years old, he died to afraid that I¡¯ll forget him.I don¡¯t want to forget him.That was until I Mavice stood up and slowly approached Duke.She raised her hand and took off the golden mask on his face.She looked at him with longing as she brushed her finger gently across the scar. ¡°When he tried to protect me, he was shed by the enemy.The knife had shed right where your scar is.Your height, your aura, and your tone of voice are all too simr¡­Terry, if you stay and work for me, I¡¯ll love you as I loved my husband.¡± Duke was indifferent. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m very much older than you, but I take good care of myself.My body feels just like when I was thirty-two years, which is about the same age as yours.¡± Mavice continued, ¡°All I need ispany.I just want to see you every day.You can have your own life, you can marry, you can have children¡­You can live like a normal person as long as you stay with me.¡± Mavic¡¯s shoulders slumped. For the first time in her life, she had put herself in a very low position. Thirteen years of widowhood made her desperate to find herself apany. Chapter 770 Chapter 770 Chapter 770 If she sought someone who resembled her husband, she would not feel as though she had betrayed him¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve said this before.I have more important things to do, so I can¡¯t stay in Yggdra.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was icy and carried a dangerous edge to it. ¡°Your Majesty, please understand that I can have either ck Party surrender or rebel.You¡¯d best let me go, or there will be unbearable consequences.¡± ¡°I will endure any consequence,¡± Mavice said with a smile. ¡°I will give you another twenty-four hours to think about it.If you still refuse, don¡¯t me me for using a different method.¡± She turned around and left the dark room. She locked the door from outside. There was silence all around. Duke held his breath and listened closely for any movement outside. When he was certain that the coast was clear, his two hands, which were tied behind his back, wrapped several loops around the rope and his bonds came free.He crouched down to untie the ropes around his legs. and picked it up.His phone battery had finally run out.He gritted his teeth and put the phone inspect the dark room.It was about eight stood on a chair, he could see the eerie, dark corridor from it.The corridor he could window was able to crawl out through a vent above him, and it was justrge when he suddenly heard voices from my mother to bring him some food royal guards outside the dark room took out their keys and opened the door.They led the princess through the long corridor iron door was pushed open.The light from outside shone in, making to have a few words with him alone.You may Highness two guards closed the door and his two hands behind him end of the ¡®If I take the princess hostage, what are my chances of escaping?¡¯ ¡°Terry, I will open the doorter.Make your escape quickly before the guards can react.¡± The princess came forward and carefully untied the rope for him, looking anxious. Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you here to rescue me?¡± The princess shoved a gun into his hands. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for our country.You shouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this.¡± ¡°This is the territory of Yggdra, even if I escaped, I can¡¯t run from the queen¡¯s clutches.I¡¯m afraid the Queen might retaliate,¡± Duke said. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to suffer for freedom than to be another person entirely to please someone?¡± Theprincess said hoarsely. ¡°Run away.Staying here won¡¯t do you any good.¡± ¡°The queen promised me the position of cab minister.I suppose I could consider the offer.¡± Duke sat there, unmoving. ¡°Not many people get to be the queen¡¯s guest of honor.¡± Chapter 771 Chapter 771 Chapter 771 ¡®I can¡¯tpete with Duke in terms of shrewdness when ites to politics.He¡¯s a veteran, and I¡¯m just seventeen..¡± She whispered with her quivering lips, ¡°I heard my mother call someone.She hired two bioengineers to make biochips.She was nning to imnt it into your brain.Once it¡¯s done, the chip will turn you into a different person.Your thoughts, the words you use, and your behavior will be manipted by the biochip.You will do things against your control¡­¡± Duke frowned. ¡®So, that is what Mavice is up to.No wonder she drugged me and locked me in here. ¡®I¡¯ve heard of this biochip before.Earl¡¯s undergroundpany was involved in this business¡­ ¡®This emerging intelligent technology vites moral ethics.It has been publicly banned, but many companies are nevertheless researching and developing these chips in secret, and are making huge profits out of them¡± ¡°Terry, run.¡± Madelyn was practically begging him. ¡®I cannot let Mother do such a crazy and cruel thing.If anyone knows about this, her reign as a queen will be over¡± ¡°Do you took out her ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Lend it to me.¡± back to Madelyn.He sat on the chair and said indifferently, ¡°Thank Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Madelyn was shocked. you don¡¯t run away now, you won¡¯t have the closed his eyes and I can¡¯t trust her lips and said in a regret your decisionter¡­You will definitely regret secret room slowly, hoping Duke would stop the iron door behind her, Duke had not made business matters when her subordinate came in and reported in a low voice, ¡°Princess Madelyn went when she heard this.She looked up and said to Terry North.Your Majesty, if you¡¯re worried, you may go and take a Before she could give a reply, another guard rushed into the study room. ¡°Your Majesty, something has happened! And it¡¯s not good!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The ck Party members who have pledged allegiance to us in Hestia Border are causing chaos all of a sudden.The local resource factory blew up, and we have lost at least two billion dors!¡± Mavice stood up instantly. ¡°Are you sure the ck Party members did it?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s them.We let our guard down because they have surrendered their weapons.That¡¯s why we¡¯re in great trouble now. Terry¡¯s words echoed in Mavice¡¯s head. ¡°If I can make the ck Party pledge allegiance to you, I can also make them revolt against you¡­¡± She put down the documents she was holding and rushed to the secret room. Duke was sitting calmly on the chair, as if he was not a prisoner there. Mavice opened the door and walked in as she said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s been an explosion in the factory.You¡¯re the one behind it, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Duke twiddled his fingers and said casually, ¡°So, Your Majesty, will you still continue to imprison me?¡± ¡°Oh, do you think a single factory can threaten me?¡± Mavice said coldly, ¡°Two hours out of twenty-four hours have passed.When the time runs out, you will know what is waiting for you.¡± ¡°I still have twenty-two hours.¡± Duke smiled, ¡°Every half an hour, one factory will blow up.There are only eight factories with a value of over $100,000,000 in Hestia Border.That is to say, after another four hours, it¡¯s Yggdra¡¯s turn to suffer.Although Yggdra is a developed country, I don¡¯t think it can stop a bombing, can¡¯t it?¡± Mavice¡¯s eyes widened angrily, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Of course, not.¡± Duke chuckled. ¡°I just want you to get a clearer picture of the situation that you¡¯re currently in.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, bad news!¡± guard outside the secret room hurried Border exploded.All the rare resources were burned exactly half an hour after thest resources of those two factories were? does that have to eyes fixed on his watch, as if he her fists subsequent problems achievements she has just established will mymand.The moment I vanish or if I am found dead, everyone in the ck Party will gather to wreak havoc and make Yggdra the next Hestia do you still n to was so angry that she felt herself getting lightheaded.She gritted her teeth and said, way out for themselves, am I right? How could I step into Yggdra Pce unprepared?¡±Duke whispered, ¡°There will be another explosion in ten minutes.I wonder which factory will be destroyed this gritted her and me go first, then I¡¯ll stop fists so hard her scheme was unexpectedly unraveled so ¡®I want my husband to return to my side, but even more than that, I don¡¯t want to give up on my title as a queen. ¡®I¡¯ve had my head in the clouds for so long.I can¡¯t believe things are falling apart!¡¯ She said coldly, word by word, ¡°Open the door.Let him out!¡± The heavy iron gate was pulled open, and Duke stood up indifferently. As he was passing by Mavice, he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t try to catch me again, because there is always an army around to serve me.I hope I will never see you again.¡± He then strode up righteously. Mavice leaned into her chair and sat down weakly. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡®I¡¯ve underestimated this man.I was too impatient, and now I¡¯ve lost my chance..¡± After two consecutive explosions, Hestia Border fell into chaos again, and panic spread among people.Duke walked through the panicked crowd and went straight to a mansion. ¡°Daddy! Daddy is back!¡± ¡°Daddy, I miss you! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Harold and Melody ran out to the gate and climbed onto Duke¡¯s shoulders. Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Upon seeing Duke¡¯s safe return, Adina heaved a sigh of relief.She had prepared dinner earlier.She said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t pester your daddy.Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner.¡± There were twelve different dishes on the big dining table. The children, Pete, and Karl were enjoying their dinner to the fullest. Flint, on the other hand, seemed to have aplicated expression and was eating absent-mindedly. After they were done eating, Pete and Karl yed games. Flint forced out a smile and said, ¡°Come, let me take you out to y.Who knows, we might not have the chance to do it anymore.¡± Everyone else left, while Adina and Duke were the only ones left in the dining hall. ¡°What happened?¡± Adina asked with a sense of trepidation. Half an hour ago, Duke had sent her a message, saying that if he did note back by tonight, she would need to take her children back to Sea City.She knew that something had happened, but she was not sure what it was. With the consecutive explosions happening, she became even more nervous. as he said, ¡°Queen Mavice invited me for a grand banquet and I encountered ¡°Besides¡­¡± He paused. sent me a message, saying that he has caught Earl. Do you want to see him for one Adina was stunned. ¡°Seriously?¡± was about to tell Duke about the threatening message Earl had sent herst just meet him briefly, Adina pursed her lips. you going to of grudge I have with keep an eye on him.He¡¯ll be staying at Hestia Border for the rest of his life.Let¡¯s go Adina smiled, feeling relieved. be able to recall your past when you return to ces that are familiar to went upstairs to sort out her her children¡¯s and her clothes, as well as their daily Harold was overjoyed. home! ¡°I miss her too.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°We¡¯ve been overseas for so long. I Adina was silent for a moment when she heard this. ¡®Mrs.Winters yed a part in what had happened to Duke.I don¡¯t know how to face her when we return. ¡®Regardless, Mrs.Winters is a mother of two sons.I won¡¯t deliberately drive a rift between her rtionship with her sons¡± ¡°Well, I shall continue my adventure since your family affair has been resolved.¡± Karl said happily, ¡°When I visit Sea City, take me in, okay? I don¡¯t feel like going because Mama Daugherty¡¯s cooking is really delicious.¡± Whenever Karl called Adina Mama Daugherty, she felt extremely old.She pursed her lips and said with a smile, ¡°We will always wee you in our home.¡± Alden looked at Karl coldly, ¡°What did you actually contribute other than eating?¡± ¡°What did you say? Aren¡¯t you the one who asked me to pretend to be you when meeting Terry North?¡± Karl said confidently. ¡°Hmph!¡± Alden sneered. ¡°In the end, not only did you not make it there, you even made things worse.¡± Karl became speechless. ¡®Being taught a lesson by a four-year-old child is humiliating. ¡®But it¡¯s true that my IQisn¡¯t as high as his.I shouldn¡¯t havee here¡± Chapter 774 Chapter 774 Chapter 774 ¡°Whatever.I¡¯m leaving now.Let¡¯s not meet again.We can talk through the Inte if we need to.¡± Karl took his bag, waved his hand dashingly, and left. Pete decided to follow Duke to Sea City, since he still could not recall his memories. Even so, he could only go there a dayter. Flint stood at the door of the mansion with his hands in his pockets.He acted aloof as he said, ¡°I have things to take care of here, so I can¡¯t send you back.Be safe.¡± ¡°Uncle Flint, I¡¯ll miss you.¡± Melody hugged his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek.Itforted the loneliness in Flint¡¯s heart.He said gently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you want me to be your godfather?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Melody looked at Adina and blinked. Adina chuckled. ¡°Duke, I want Flint to officially be our children¡¯s godfather.What do you think?¡± it as long as the children are for looking after my wife and my children for this period of time.In time seeing how serious Duke doing it anymore ever since he lost his memories? He earnestly replied to him as well, ¡°Addy and I have been friends for a long time.It¡¯s part of my duty.You don¡¯t have to return to Sea when you have children of your own, Addy and I I¡¯l] be an elder sister?¡± Melody asked in surprise as she blinked Flint was left speechless. Fli-I mean, Godfather Flint, you don¡¯t even have a wife felt as if he had just received George¡¯s eyes lit up. having like Melody, the better.¡± Adina don¡¯t want to have any goodbye to Flint, the six airport in Yggdra was massive.It was very crowded as and wait for our flight,¡± Duke said gently as he and I need to Harold looked flustered. ¡°Quick, George, follow me!¡± George looked annoyed. ¡°Go by yourself.¡± Adina looked at Duke. ¡°The airport staff might be dangerous.Can you apany Hal to the toilet?¡± Duke nodded and took Harold into his arms and walked to the bathroom outside the lounge. ¡°Mommy, I want to go to the toilet, too.¡± Melody said shyly, ¡°Can you apany me to the toilet?¡± Adina turned to George and Alden. ¡°You two,e with me.¡± ¡®Ever since Yggdra conquered Hestia Border, things haven¡¯t been peaceful.I can¡¯t take the risk.¡± She took her three children to the toilet. Coincidentally, they bumped into Duke as he walked out with Harold.Adina handed over George and Alden to him and went to thedies¡¯ toilet with Melody. Chapter 775 Chapter 775 Chapter 775 There was a sudden cry in thedies¡¯ toilet. About eight women rushed out of the toilet, looking panicked. Immediately, there was the sound of a child crying, ¡°Mommy! Give me back my mommy!¡± Duke¡¯s face turned cold.He carried his three children and barged into thedies¡¯ toilet. The toilet window was wide open. Two men in ck swiftly carried a slender figure, jumped out the window, and ran towards the airport corridor. ¡°Mel, it¡¯s okay.What happened? Tell us.¡± Alden had a cold expression as he asked anxiously. ¡°Two men in ck suddenly barged in and knocked Mommy unconscious, and then jumped out of the window with her¡­I wasn¡¯t able to protect Mommy¡­¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. children as he pursed his lip, then said, ¡°George, take had a He nodded. after Mommy.I¡¯ll look after he said it, Duke jumped out the window his siblings¡¯ to the a notebook from his bag in silence.He typed red dot, Mommy is heading southeast.There are two passages there, one leads the have kidnapped an innocent civilian.Please block the was suddenly ced under to depart were forced to stand of her head.She slowly opened her eyes when she felt was.She was in a truckpartment.She was not sure where the men had taken not the down.She tried ¡®They didn¡¯t tie me up.I¡¯m still free to move.¡® She felt a sharp pain at the back of her head when she tried to stand up. ¡®I don¡¯t think I can escape in this condition. ¡®I can only wait a little longer¡± The truck stopped abruptly, then it moved again. After several turns, and about half an hourter, it finally stopped. The back door of the truck was suddenly kicked open, and the blinding white light shone through. Adina narrowed her eyes. Two bodyguards dressed in ck emerged abruptly and dragged her out of thepartment. ¡°Why have you taken me?¡± Adina pretended to be in a panic. The two bodyguards did not utter a word as they dragged her into a row of single-story houses. Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Right after Adina was dragged into the one-story house, both her hands were tied up.She shifted her body a little and the bodyguard in ck threatened her coldly, ¡°If you dare to move one more time, I¡¯ll chop off your fingers.¡± With how cold his voice sounded, Adina knew that he was not lying. If she tried to escape, this man would not hesitate to harm her.She felt a sense of relief to learn that these men were not interested in Melody and had not abducted her as well. Otherwise, she would not be able to stay calm if she were to see her daughter being tortured. The two bodyguards left the house after they tied her up.It was a small house with no windows.It only had a small door. Just as Adina was nning her escape, the door flung open, and a woman dressed in a ck robe walked in, revealing only a pair of sinister eyes. ¡°Isabelle Adamos?¡± Adina instantly recognized the woman. Since Adina could recognize her, there was no need for Isabelle to pretend anymore.She took off her ck robe and revealed her cold expression. ¡°Hmph, you bitch.Remember what I said.Sooner orter, I would get you.Do you believe me now?¡± at her know your consequences if Bah, do you Isabelleughed wildly. killed by Terry North, and all my subordinates were taken away.Now I have nothing, and I¡¯m not afraid of anything.You are the woman Terry cares about, and I will cut you to pieces.You won¡¯t even have a complete Adina pursed her lips. ready to destroy everything without caring about to use me to lure Duke and beautiful face.It¡¯s no wonder in her hand slid across about you if I just a surface injury.It doesn¡¯t matter Adina looked calm. ck Party, he lost his power, and I¡¯ve ¡°Shut up!¡± lie to me?! Adina, you little bitch, how did you even seduce men with a rag and ¡°Finally, some peace.¡± Isabelle chuckled. start with This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. As she said it, she lifted the knife and slid it across Adina¡¯s face. A severe pain struck, and Adina almost fainted.She felt blood dripping down her face and being absorbed by the rag. Soon, her mouth was filled with the smell of blood¡­ ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Isabeughed when she saw Adina in pain.She curled her lips upwards and said ferociously, ¡°Even if you have nothing to do with Terry, I will still abduct you and torture you slowly because I don¡¯t like people who are prettier than me.All the women in Hestia Border who are prettier than me have already been killed by me.You¡¯re not the first, nor will you be thest.¡± As she spoke, she made another cut on Adina¡¯s face. Adina inhaled in pain. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for the idea that I have, I would have fainted¡± She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, which were tied behind her, as she tried to maintain her last shred of sanity. ¡°She has fainted already? What a weak woman¡­¡± Isabe shook her head regretfully.She looked at the blood on her knife and chuckled. ¡°Untie her.Once you¡¯re done with her, I¡¯ll kill her.¡± Chapter 777 Chapter 777 Chapter 777 Isabelle approached Adina and brushed her finger across her bloody face. For some reason, she noticed something crystal -like on her finger.She pressed it into Adina¡¯s bleeding wound. It was so excruciating that Adina almost opened her eyes.She felt her heart almost stop beating from the extreme pain.She bore the pain and kept her eyes closed. ¡°Alright, bring her to the next room.Do whatever you want to her, but keep her alive.¡± The bodyguards in the house were all men. They did not even try to hide the lust in their gaze when they heard what Isabelle said. The two hurriedly untied the rope around Adina¡¯s wrist and dragged her to the next room. ¡®Herees my chance!¡¯ Adina opened her eyes. She used her elbow and mmed it into one of the bodyguards¡¯ necks. The bodyguard screamed and fell to the ground.She quickly bent over to pick up a long stick on the floor.She then mmed it on the other bodyguard¡¯s shoulder. The bodyguards fell on the floor one after another.She did not dare to stay there any longer and ran out of the house. ¡°Stand still.¡± heard Isabelle¡¯s voice behindText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ck muzzle pressed against the back you wouldn¡¯t faint so easily.You were just faking gun to her temple as she slowly shifted you think you can escape just like and pped the wound on Adina¡¯s face could scab up, it began started dripping on her you want to escape so badly, I¡¯ll cut off your and dragged her into narrowed her eyes in corner of her eyes, she noticed several figures hidden in the bushes.Hope suddenly rose from ¡°wait!¡± lure Terry here, right? Will you torture me less to do with him? lower my stance and beg him, he¡¯ll definitely her lips and said, ¡°You¡¯ve already caught me.My life is in your hands.If I really her hand and snorted, ¡°How will you me your phone.Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t dare to pretended to tremble.Her bleeding face Isabe took out her phone from her pocket and tossed it to her. Adina took it, lowered her head, and dialed a few digits. As she did this, she quietly took a step back towards the left side. When she noticed Isabelle was not bothered by this, she continued to take another step. ¡°Stand still! Stop moving!¡± Isabe turned and red at her. ¡°Come he¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, a bullet was shot out of nowhere. The bullet passed through Isabelle¡¯s right eye, leaving a huge bloody hole. Adina felt her body go weak. As she was about to fall to the ground, a strong arm grabbed her slender waist in time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Adina.¡± Duke wanted to touch her face, but her face was covered in blood.He did not dare to touch it.He was an imposing six-foot-one man, but his hands were quivering. Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Adina held Duke¡¯s trembling hands and said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s just blood.I¡¯m fine.I¡¯ll be okay after getting a bandage in the hospital.¡± Duke carried her and headed to the hospital. The doctor washed off the blood on her face and noticed two wounds, one on the left and one on the right.They were about an inch long. Adina noticed how distressed and regretful Duke looked.She said lightheartedly, ¡°You have a scar on your face, and I have two.Neither of us is allowed to dislike the other because of the scars, okay?¡± Duke hugged her as he stayed silent. ¡®I would rather be disliked than have her face disfigured. ¡®she¡¯s a woman who loves making herself look beautiful.She loves to look at herself in the mirror, and she¡¯s proud of her reflection.How could she ept herself being disfigured?¡± ¡°Addy, this won¡¯t happen again.Never¡­¡± Duke whispered to Adina in his low and hoarse voice.Her eyes became teary. okay with it.I¡¯ve been pretty my can¡¯t stand being stared at by other people, I¡¯ll just get stic going to be a pretty difficult one because I¡¯m not bothered by is wounds and wrapped them in the hospital, she felt her wounds Is it ufortable?¡± Duke ¡°It¡¯s a little itchy.¡± touched the wound through the gauze, ¡°Is are not that good.We¡¯ll go back to Sea City and get it Dukeforted her gently. did not care about the hospital and went directly to the waiting obediently they rxed and chatted happily with the pile of snacks.His son would sometimes visit, so he Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. all of them for sir!¡± Melody thanked very cute and The chief guard melted. ¡®¡®The more I¡¯m with this little girl, the more I feel that she was way more adorable than my own son.How I wish to remake my son¡± ¡°Sir, your gun looks awesome.Can I touch it?¡± Harold stepped forward cheekily and pointed to the gun on the chief guard¡¯s waist.The guard quickly held the gun. ¡°This thing is very dangerous, you can¡¯t touch it¡± ¡°But it looks really awesome.¡± Melody blinked and said, ¡°I want to touch it, too.Sir, can I? I¡¯ll be extra careful.¡± The guard could not resist it when he looked at her zed eyes.He pointed at her and said, ¡°Only for a while, okay?¡± Harold was speechless. ¡®Why can¡¯t I touch it?! ¡° ¡®¡®Mel is a cute murderer!¡¯¡¯ When Adina and Duke reached the waiting lounge, they saw Melody ying with a gun.Adina almost had a heart attack. Chapter 779 Chapter 779 Chapter 779 The chief guard felt aggrieved. ¡®I only wanted to let this little girl touch it.For some reason, she¡¯s ying with it now in her arms¡± He took the gun away, feeling terrified, and said with a smile. ¡°Your parents are here.Hurry up and board the ne.¡± He was afraid that he might give the gun to Melody by mistake. All four children turned and looked at Duke and Adina. The initial rxed atmosphere instantly became depressing. Alden was the first to speak. ¡°Mommy, are you hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Adina said casually with a smile, ¡°I identally fell down and scratched my face.I have already treated it.It¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± George took out a nce at the bandaged gauze, which was severalyers thick.It was not simply just a wound. small wound, but since Mommy is trying to hide it, I go board the ne.I can¡¯t wait to get Harold cheered lightheartedly. Sea City and visit six of them flew finally arrived at Sea City time, Adina did not notify anyone taxi at the them got into the taxi and headed back to the Winters family¡¯s o¡¯clock in the evening, during dusk, the taxi stopped at the they could see same of them emerged from the entrance, everyone wearing a mask, he could in the corner of his eyes and hurriedly opened the iron children, wee it was in the Winters family after Mdm.Winters suddenly disappeared twenty days children disappeared with even lost a lot suddenly abandoned Winters Corporation.I met him one early morning, and ever to be merry.But in the past twenty days, it was so quiet as if it had experienced is ¡°Papa Brown, I miss you!¡± Harold climbed onto Colin. ¡°Do you miss us?¡± ¡°Of course, I miss you all.¡± Colin chuckled, ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am,e in.I need to tell Mrs.Winters about this good news!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Melody tilted her head and asked, ¡°Papa Brown, where is Grandma? I¡¯ll find her.¡± Colin¡¯s expression became sad. ¡°Mrs.Winter is sick.She only wants to stay in bed and refuses to get up.But I¡¯m sure she¡¯]] feel much better after she sees that you all are back.¡± George became anxious when he heard this.He rushed inside the mansion as the rest of his siblings followed him. ¡®Regardless, Mrs.Winters is still a good grandmother¡± Adina and Duke walked in as she said in a low voice, ¡°Do you find it¡¯s familiar?¡± Duke said gently, ¡°A little, but not enough to make me recall anything.¡± ¡°Do you want to go upstairs and meet your mother?¡± Adina said softly, ¡°She¡¯s sick, so try not to mention certain things¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her for the time being,¡± Duke said in a low voice. Chapter 780 Chapter 780 Although Adina did not say it out loud, Duke could already guess why his twin brother could live in his home with such impunity. ¡®My own mother must¡¯ve yed an important role behind this incident. ¡®Since she has chosen Earl Winters, I do not owe her the courtesy¡± ¡°Let me bring you to the hospital to get a new set of medicine.¡± Duke rested his hand on Adina¡¯s waist as they walked out. Adina pursed her lips, feeling unsure.She did not know what to say. There were grudges between mother and son as well as between the siblings. Just as they reached the door, all of a sudden, they heard hurried footsteps behind them. ¡°Wee back.¡± Mabel¡¯s voice sounded weak. Adina and Duke turned to look at her at the same time. Mabel was not wearing any coat.She stood on the stairs and stopped on the carpet barefoot. calm, but when she saw Duke, Duke? You¡¯re alive.Duke, you¡¯re down the stairs and Adina slowly stepped back. let Mabel hold he said in a calm voice, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask Mabel¡¯s eyes widened. did you showed a sinister Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Duke, please¡­¡± down children.No matter which of you gets hurt, I¡¯ll be the one who suffers the most¡­When I found out that you might be dead, do you know how dejected didn¡¯t brought me home are Addy and my four children.You¡¯re four children frolicking came downstairs.He hid his cold expression and said as she it to Earl.I owe it ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s the matter?¡± faded.He on cry.I¡¯ll Harold¡¯s expression became solemn. ¡°Grandma, what happened?¡± Alden also looked solemn as he stayed silent.He was perceptive to emotion.He was always thinking when he did not talk. After pondering, he understood why Grandma was crying. Even so I was not his time to speak up. ¡°George, look after your siblings.I¡¯m bringing Mommy to the hospital.¡± Duke wrapped his arms around Adina as they got into the car. Soon, the car sped off from the mansion. Mabel wiped her tears and said to George gently, ¡°George, Jo mind sharing how you found your father?¡± ¡°He became a hero.¡± Melody¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Daddy is so awesome! He caught a lot of bad people.¡± ¡°Daddy was hypnotized, and he lost his memories.¡± George did not beat around the bush. ¡°He was severely injured and has a long scar on his face.¡± Mabel pursed her lips. ¡®It¡¯s no wonder Duke has a mask on.He has a scar on his face¡± Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Chapter 781 As Mabel and the children chatted, Duke and Adina had arrived at Sea City¡¯srgest hospital. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the wound on your face is fine.It¡¯ll heal in about a week.After fully recovering for a month, you can consider scar removal surgery¡­¡± After the doctor gave her a new set of medicine, he carefully reminded Adina what to pay attention to in her daily life. Adina touched her wound which was covered with gauze as she asked doubtfully, ¡°Why does my wound always feel itchy, as if there¡¯s something in it¡­¡± The doctor said, ¡°I just checked.There is no sharp residue in the wound.If it itches, it may be inmed.Please take a bottle of anti- inmmatory drugs before you go back.¡± The doctor prescribed a bottle of medicine, and Adina stayed for an IV infusion. The wound on her left was particrly ufortable.It felt like there was a foreign object, and it was making her so itchy that she had the urge to scratch it. Duke sat at the edge of Adina¡¯s bed.Her eyes closed drowsily as he rested his notebook on hisp, tapping on the keyboard softly. left the hospital once Adina was done with the IV I need to Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. with our children to avoid Earl.Now that you¡¯re back, his Adam¡¯s apple moved let¡¯s move back to Adina blushed. even think of it that way.Why is my mind suddenly¡­?¡¯ Adina.She had only stayed there a couple of days the luggage.She took them out, got into a figure in the shadows emerged and ¡°Heh!¡± Jasmine sneered. sent by her private detective through up with Flint a few days ago.In just a matter of time, when I disclosed the news to Duke, he ¡®It looks like both of them have divorced. ¡®Or else, she wouldn¡¯t have found a new home so quickly. ¡®The man in this photo is wearing a ck mask.He looks tall and seems to be a rich man. ¡®Sure enough, there will always be men queuing for a pretty woman like her, even if she already has four children¡± Jasmine smiled. ¡®Initially, I wanted to keep an eye on Adina so that I have something on her. Then, I nned toin about it to Flint. ¡®But he has already found me annoying.There will be no change even if I show him this photo. ¡®Well, I can¡¯t be flogging a dead horse¡± Chapter 782 Chapter 782 Chapter 782 She had to use that photo to her advantage. Jasmine turned off her phone and was about to go to the office when she saw Daniel walk in through the door of the mansion. The corners of her mouth curled up as a n formed in her mind. ¡°Daniel,e here.I need to talk to you about something.¡± Daniel looked up to see her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Last time, Uncle Dillon said that Adina is the Jones family¡¯s offspring.Why hasn¡¯t Uncle Dillon brought her back yet?¡± Jasmine pretended to ask with concern.Daniel¡¯s gaze was apathetic. ¡°Is that any of your business?¡± ¡°Of course it is.Adina is my cousin.¡± Jasmine lowered her voice. ¡°Everyone within themunity knows that Adina has gone missingtely, but the news has been suppressed by the Winters family.That¡¯s why this matter hasn¡¯t blown up.Adina, in fact, is not missing at all.She remains in Sea City, but¡­¡± to keep an impatient expression on tell me, then don¡¯t.I¡¯m busy.I don¡¯t have Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. me, if this news trends on social media, would Adina be drowned in a sea of insults in Sea City? She already has a bad reputation.She got embroiled in a divorce scandal after being married for a short time.And now had visibly turned cold.He red at Jasmine pay a legal price if you fabricate up any rumors.I have a picture up her man and a woman walking together while wrapping their arms around each other¡¯s waists was erged and disyed man was wearing of his face revealed only was impossible to see the man¡¯s hand was were was a tender smile on her different than a was already a infidelity be a destructive blow the gossip, her children were saw stories like this on the news, it out and snatched the phone from her.He immediately deleted ¡°Oh, you thought I didn¡¯t have any backup?¡± Jasmine snorted. ¡°If you agree to my condition, I will delete all the backups.¡± Daniel said coldly, ¡°Adina is just my dad¡¯s illegitimate daughter.What makes you think that I will agree to your ridiculous condition for a sister I don¡¯t know at all?¡± ¡°Because if the press gets this photo, Uncle Dillon will only feel more guilty toward Adina.He will think that he failed to fulfill his duty as a father.He will do everything he can to make amends with Adina.¡± Jasmine smirked. ¡°Instead of making amendster, it is better to nip the rumors in the bud, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Daniel pursed his lips. Following Adina¡¯s recent disappearance, his father had been anxious every day and looked for Adina everywhere.It would drive his father mad if he found out that Adina had gotten into an affair. However, despite his anger, he would feel that Adina had only turned out this way because he had failed to fulfill his duty as her father.If she had a father by her side to teach her, Adina would certainly grow up like an ordinary person.She would not have kept appearing in the news for melodramatic stories like this. ¡°Uncle Dillon hasn¡¯t beening to the office for an illegitimate daughter, while you have made no outstanding contribution to Jones Corporation. Grandpa is already disappointed in you.Your chance of bing the heir of Jones Corporation is only getting slimmer.¡± Jasmine said in a soft voice, ¡°There¡¯s no hope for you, anyway.Why don¡¯t you just take the initiative to step out of the contest? As long as you promise to give up on the session contest, I won¡¯t meddle in Adina¡¯s affairs anymore.¡± Daniel clenched his fists tightly. Chapter 783 Chapter 783 Chapter 783 At dusk, Adina and Duke arrived at the Winters family¡¯s mansion. Duke pushed the suitcases inside. Adina took his arm. As soon as they appeared in the courtyard, they saw that Pete had already arrived. ¡°Duke, take the bags upstairs for me and put the clothes in the wardrobe.There is something I need to do.¡± Adina said with a smile. Duke nodded and walked upstairs with both suitcases in his hands. Adina¡¯s clothes were hung in the master bedroom and the children¡¯s clothes were sent to their respective rooms. Adina turned her head to look at the toy room where Mabel was stacking Legos with the four children, who looked very happy. She walked toward them. ¡°Mrs.Winters, can we talk?¡± Mabel¡¯s hand, which was holding a Lego block, stiffened for a second. Then, she forced a smile and walked out of the toy room. is will recover in a week.It¡¯s nothing serious,¡± Adina I suppose you know about Duke¡¯s memory her heart being stung by her address of ¡°Mrs.Winters.¡± Mabel could only try her best to ignore the way she addressed memory was erased by Catherine,¡± Adina pursed her lips contacted you moment.Then, she be known each other be willing to listen to her phone and made a over to the Winters family¡¯s mansion.I need to call, she walked over and said, ¡°She wille over Adina nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± too.There is no need to thank only spoke with difficulty after a few moments of will you please tell me what indifferently, ¡°Mrs.Winters, do you want to know about Earl¡¯s situation Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. was trembling down her would never kill his ¡°Since Duke has already told you, why bother toe and ask me, Mrs.Winters?¡± Adina said indifferently. ¡°Earl wanted to kill Duke.He has always wanted to kill his brother all the time.If Earl returns, I would like to know the choice you would make this time, Mrs.Winters.¡± Her question left Mabel speechless.Her tears fell quietly.She could not utter another word for a long time. They were both her sons.She loved them both.She could not abandon any of them. Adina gave Mabel a reproachful look and turned to walk upstairs. As she stood in the doorway to calm her emotions, she saw Duke folding the clothes with difficulty.His fingers were long and had well-defined joints, but when it came to folding clothes, he struggled. Adina could not help but chuckle. Duke let out a dry cough. ¡°These clothes are too hard to fold.I¡¯ll just hang them back into the wardrobe.¡± He took a hanger and hung the clothes up. Adina walked in and took over the folding task ¡°You¡¯d better go take care of the work in the company.You¡¯ve been away for more than a month.Everything has probably fallen to pieces there.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember a thing about the past.¡± Duke did not hold back anything from here. ¡°I need some time to get used to the identity as the CEO of Winters Corporation.¡± Chapter 784 Chapter 784 Chapter 784 Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. There were Winters Corporation¡¯s financial statements and various project data.He needed some time to organize and memorize them. Those numbers might be familiar to him, but there were certain things that he could not just get right, even though it was instinctively familiar to him, especially regarding projects in business. One wrong decimal point could lead to a big mistake.He had to make sure that nothing could go wrong. ¡°A lot of important positions at Winters Corporation have been filled by Earl¡¯s men,¡± Adina said while folding clothes. ¡°Go to thepany when you have a chance and kick those punks out of thepany first.¡± Duke put his arm around her waist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Adina stood up straight and raised her hand to take off his mask.She stroked her fingers on the scars across his face. ¡°I will go to the stic surgery hospital with you tomorrow.Let¡¯s restore your face to its previous appearance first.¡± ¡°No, I will go to the hospital after your face recovers,¡± Duke softened his voice and said. at him in a first? Find out which doctor is more skilled.¡± Duke cupped her face and nted a kiss on the gauze day before were in this together.He was not going to take the lead in getting this face fixed Adina could only give up.They prepared a sumptuous table was full of all kinds of in Yggdra foreign missed dishes so good.Our chef¡¯s cooking has gotten better!¡± Harold said with his eyes Mr.Yates¡¯ cooking.Nothing has shapes as she smiled and said, ¡°Mr.Yates¡¯ cooking has always been Mommy to cook,¡± Alden said ¡°Among the four of us, you were the least concerned about Mommy.¡± ¡°I am not!¡± Harold quickly rified. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t listen to Alden¡¯s nonsense.I like Mommy the most.I care about Mommy the most.When I grow up, I want to cook for Mommy every day!¡± The dining room was filled withughter.A figure was pacing restlessly back and forth outside the mansion. Catherine, who was wearing a long ck dress, clenched her fists anxiously.She knew Earl was not in Sea City this time, that¡¯s why she had the courage toe to the Winters family¡¯s ce. However, before she entered, she saw the figure of a man sitting at the dining room table through the ss window. It was clearly Earl! He was back! Adina was back too! What happened that day was still vivid in her mind. Earl had almost beaten her to death, just because she told Adina that Duke might still be alive. After that, every few days, Earl would send someone to beat her up.Her body was now riddled with both major and minor injuries.It hurt even when she walked. The moment Ear] returned, he had asked Mabel to call her and ask her here.He must have wanted to teach her another lesson. Catherine shivered and turned to leave. Chapter 785 Chapter 785 Chapter 785 ¡°Ms.Catherine?¡± Mr.Brown walked out into the courtyard. When he saw a familiar figure, he opened his mouth and called out her name.Ms.Catherine was a close friend of Mabel, but she had a little scandal with Master not long ago. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. If the madam had not been at home, he certainly would not have let Ms.Catherine in.However, at this moment, the master and the madam were still as sweet as ever. This was a good time to show Catherine, so she could dispel her inappropriate intent.Mr.Brown walked over and opened the gate.He said with a smile, ¡°Have you had dinner, Ms.Catherine?¡± Catherine nced up a little to the dining room and shuddered.She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mr.Brown, please tell Mrs.Winter that something came up, and I have to go now.¡± She turned around and fled. Mr.Brown¡¯s gaze was contemptuous.Catherine must have learned that Master had returned.That¡¯s why she came over on purpose. she got cold feet.Mistresses these days were so to close the gate when a cold voice came from behind don¡¯t gaze was clear and cold.Her eyes were stare.She bit her lower lip and said, ¡°You can¡¯t me me.You thought I really wanted Earl Adina stared at her. eat you.What are corbone.It was a burn.She could tell it was a leave Sea City for a few days? Not most at the moment left, while she had be a had beaten and humiliated her personally, she could have epted it.However, he was a psychiatrist.She knew clearly here.Come inside with Adina turned around and headed inside. Catherine, however, did not move her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.I saw him there.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You can¡¯t even recognize the man you love now?¡± Adina smirked. ¡°He¡¯s not Earl.¡± Catherine was stupefied.She took a few steps forward quickly.She looked through the ss to the side of the man¡¯s face at the table.She recognized him just by looking at the side of his face. Indeed, he was not Earl. The man who sat there was Duke.It was Duke, who was supposed to be dead! Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Catherine¡¯s eyes quickly widened.She lost control of her emotions and grabbed Adina¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What about Earl? Where is he?¡± Adina swept a nce at the injuries on her body and said coldly, ¡°You still care about his whereabouts, even after what he did to you?¡± ¡°You killed him, didn¡¯t you?¡± Horror emerged in Catherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°Adina, how could you do that? Even though Earlmitted so many mistakes, he truly loves you.He loves you so much.How could you hurt him? You¡¯re so heartless.So cold-blooded.How could you¡­How could you¡­¡± Adina pulled her hand out. ¡°He¡¯s alive and well.He¡¯s just lost his freedom for now.Why? Do you want to see him?¡± Catherine nodded hard. ¡°Where are you keeping him?¡± Adina shook her head indifferently.A young girl like Catherine was a top-ten psychiatrist in the world.She was so brilliant, yet she got obsessed with a demon.Her life was so wonderful. There were so many better options for her. rather jump into the to say.She could also use this to keep Catherine subservient to are responsible memory is restored, I will send you to Duke taken off on his face, it made him look even more like a man in power.He exuded such a powerful aura that she found it difficult to look recalled what had happened that City had attracted the attention of countless people, she saw that he untreated and dripping with blood.She still remembered to have the face Earl¡¯s fate would ¡°No.¡± Catherine shook her head. huge traumately.I¡¯m incapable of performing need you to perform said, ¡°You just need to tell me stunned for a moment.Pete was also an internationally renowned psychiatrist.She never expected that Adina would bring Pete Pete ends up bringing his memories back, you Adina hooked her hair and said, ¡°Catherine, you have ten minutes to think about it.If you refuse, I will get someone else to do it.¡± Duke stared at her through sharp eyes and sneered. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who erased my memories.Maybe I should let you have a taste of what it¡¯s like to lose them, too.¡± Upon hearing that, Pete immediately rubbed his hands together. ¡°I¡¯ve never erased anyone¡¯s memories before.I can practice on her.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes widened in fear. If she lost her memory, she would be a puppet at the mercy of others.She could not allow that to happen. ¡°Okay, I will do it.¡± She quicklypromised. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure whether it¡¯s going to work.¡± Adina turned around and walked into the mansion. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then let¡¯s go upstairs first.¡± The group headed towards the study on the second floor.Harold was curious and wanted to follow them, but Alden pressed on his shoulder. ¡°Mommy and Daddy have something important to do.Sit still.¡± Mabel sighed. When Duke¡¯s memory was restored, it would be time for her to leave. Chapter 787 Chapter 787 Chapter 787 Dukey down on the couch in the study. Pete fetched the tools needed for hypnosis. Catherine grabbed a random pocket watch and started performing hypnosis. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°You¡¯d better not y any tricks.¡± Pete said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m a professional psychiatrist too.If you dare to make mistakes on purpose, I can totally see it.¡± Catherine¡¯s hand trembled a little.She put the pocket watch back in the case and took an hourss. As she turned it over, the sound of sand flowing could be heard in the study. Then, she asked the servants to bring a two-meter-tall mirror and ced it directly in front of them. A constantly rotating gyroscope was ced in front of and in the center of the mirror. things most likely be affected in such The hypnosis soon began. a solemn and stable vibe that was expected of whole hypnosis processsted for hand pointed to twelve, Duke sat up Catherine was drained. hypnosis sessions to erase his memory over a month ago.This time, it will take at least three hypnosis sessions to get two bodyguards who were waiting outside the study came in and grabbed you doing?¡± Catherine I was told to do and restored Duke¡¯s memory.Why are you seizing me? airport, Earl would not have gone missing.She would not have suffered those the meantime, you her up to the guest room on the third floor.Keep a close watch, The two bodyguards dragged Catherine up to the third floor and mmed the door shut. Luckily, the room was well soundproofed. Once the door was closed, the sound of Catherine¡¯s frustrated growls was isted. Pete inquired as he gathered the things, ¡°Mr.Winters, do you remember anything now?¡± Duke sat on the couch.He kept his eyes narrowed, and his fingers gently rubbed at his temples as he opened his lips and said, ¡°Something is rushing into my brain and I need to digest it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± Pete said excitedly. ¡°You might not recall much after the first hypnosis.After the second and third sessions, you should be able to recall all of them.Mr.Winters, you should rest well tonight, the next hypnosis should be in three days.¡± Pete packed his things and headed out. Adina walked to the master bedroom holding Duke¡¯s hand.She applied a little essential oil to her palm.She waited for it to heat up.Then, she gently rubbed it on the man¡¯s temples. As she rubbed it on his head, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to recall them.You should get a good night¡¯s sleep first.You should be able to remember something tomorrow after you give yourself a little time to process it.¡± Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Duke held her hand and said with a low, soft voice, ¡°Addy, thank you.¡± For over a month, he had been doing everything by himself. In fact, no one had ever sorted out his everyday life. After arriving in Sea City, Adina tended to his every need.She carefully arranged everything and ensured it was all just right. He owed this woman too much. ¡°We are husband and wife.There is no need for you to thank me in the future.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Adina smiled softly and continued rubbing his temples. Duke let his eyes fall shut a little. Countless fragmented images shed across his mind.He needed to try his hardest to seize hold of these memories and connect them to recover his original memories. ¡°Addy, I remember!¡± what happened when I was fifteen memory should be the one that affected him the most, and it was the year he remembered that it was the year his father passed and asked softly, ¡°What I knew I had a biological twin brother who was born with congenital listened quietly while Duke talked about was not much difference between what to them.However, my parents were superstitious.The abbot told them about the future.He said that Earl¡¯s life would be in danger if he visited threats to his life.My parents thus grew all the more convinced in the abbot¡¯s words.They had never thought of bringing of coldness appeared in Duke¡¯s he was fourteen years old, he started dating the daughter of that family.That girl was only twelve years old Adina looked down. kept saying that she owed extreme personality as a he However, while he could give up on himself, he should not haveid his hands on a twelve-year-old girl. Adina thought that this was already enough to shatter her worldview, but what Duke said next gave her yet another level of understanding of just what sort of person Earl was. ¡°The girl¡¯s parents could not ept this, so they tied up Earl and beat him up, intending to send him back to the Winters family the next day.That night, Earl managed to untie the ropes.He went to the kitchen to get a knife and murdered the girl¡¯s family of four while they were asleep.¡± ¡°what?!¡± In her shock, Adina widened her eyes. Earl was only fourteen years old when he killed four people. No wonder she felt that this person possessed such a strong murderous aura when she first met him.He actually murdered people at the age of fourteen! If he lived to the age of twenty-six, he must have killed countless people by then. ¡°He killed people but was not punished byw?¡± Adina took a deep breath and asked. Since he was fourteen, he should have been eligible for punishment. Why was Earl still living freely? Duke pursed his lips and said, ¡°This case went on trial for a year.When I was fifteen, my father was shot dead after being imprisoned for murder.¡± Chapter 789 Chapter 789 Chapter 789 Adina was dumbfounded.She finally understood why Duke hated Earl so much and why he had to drive Earl out of Sea City. If not for Earl, his father would not have died. Even if his father died, he should not have had to carry such a stigma. ¡°He¡¯s a typical sociopath.Even after my father sacrificed his life for him, he did not change in the slightest.¡± Duke slowly said, ¡°He constantly believes that the Winters family mistreated him and that he lives a painful life because of my existence in this world.After our father died, he got triggered and plotted numerous assassinations.I was lucky to escape his hands with my life intact.¡± Adina hugged him tightly. ¡°People like him should be punished in prison rather than continue to harm others outside.¡± Duke hugged her slim waist with a backhand and said softly, ¡°For the time being, I can¡¯t remember anything that happened after I turned fifteen, and I have no idea why I didn¡¯t put him in jail.Perhaps it had something to do with my mother.She felt the Winters family owed Earl, so she should have stopped me from doing so.¡± Adina sighed. ¡°What if Mrs.Winters forces you to release Earl next? What will you do?¡± ¡°It is impossible to let him go.¡± stared at her about you, perhaps I could have given him another chance, but he should never haveid a hand on you.I¡¯m very grateful that you recognized me at first nce, and I also appreciate that you didn¡¯t lose hope in we agree not to deliberately acted pouty and grabbed grabbed his cor, she felt the deep lust in Duke¡¯s eyes.She see quiet outside.The children should be sleeping by now.¡± Duke¡¯s voice became for not ask this nce did her wrist and she was smoothly drawn corners of her eyes to her lips, temperature inside the room rose steeply, and the soft night was long and the moonlight was nearly falling apart, and she sleep for over a month.He had to be vignt even this night, he this woman in his arms started ¡°Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t cut my face-aargh!!!¡± Adina covered her face and awakened in shock. She sat straight, ayer of cold sweat seeping through her back.She looked like she had been fished out of the water. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared¡­¡± Duke hugged her in his arms. ¡°I am here.No one will hurt you again.¡± Adina leaned against Duke¡¯s chest and listened to his sonorous heartbeat.She then gradually calmed down.It was bizarre how she would dream about the time when Isabelle kidnapped her. Although her disfigured face made her a little upset, it did not traumatize her, so why would she dream about that scene? ¡°I will find you the best stic surgeon, and you will restore your face as before.¡± Duke patted her back while softlyforting her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this matter.It¡¯s going to be all right.¡± Adina held his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.I don¡¯t care too much about the matter of my disfigurement.It¡¯s just that the wound is a bit itchy again.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. She scratched through the gauze. Duke quickly pressed her restless little hand. ¡°The doctor had already told you not to scratch it.I¡¯ll get you some anti ¨C inmmatory medicine.After you take the medicine, go back to sleep.¡± Chapter 790 Chapter 790 Chapter 790 Duke turned over, got out of bed, and went downstairs to pour Adina a cup of warm water.He took two pills and handed them to her.He watched and made sure she swallowed them before embracing her and resuming their sleep. In thetter half of the night, Adinay awake restlessly, and it was almost dawn before she finally drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, it was bright outside, and sunlight was streaming in from the window. The room was quiet.She went to brush her teeth and wash up, casually tied her hair, then went downstairs. The children¡¯sughter could be hearding from the dining room, and Duke was seated at the table peeling eggs for Melody. Such a heartwarming and unusual scene made Adina¡¯s heart warm a little. When she was about to say something, both of her cheeks started to itch again, especially on the right side of her face. It felt like countless little ants crawling across her face, but it was not painful, just agonizingly itchy.She turned around and went back to her room to take two pills before returning to the dining room. ¡°Good morning, Mommy.¡± ¡°Good morning, Mommy.Come and eat breakfast.These noodles were cooked with love by Daddy, especially for Mommy.¡± at the steaming bowl of noodles on the table in surprise and said in astonishment, ¡°You know ¡°Chef Elvin just only taught me how to cook her head and moderate saltiness.You seem to have it that I want to try a noodles with chopsticks ¡°Fie! Fie! Fie!¡± immediately spat on the at all.Mommy, Adina was speechless. The noodles tasted decent. exactly? George said, ¡°Let me try nearer and took a before swallowing the noodles was speechless once still felt that it tasted good and was want to have a bite Alden, don¡¯t Owned by N?velDrama.Org. covered her little ¡°Daddy specially made this just for Mommy.Only Mommy can sense the taste of love.Mommy will only be able to drink the soup if each of you takes a bite to finish it.¡± Adina¡¯s smile vanished and she looked at Melody. ¡°How do you know all this?¡± ¡°Mommy, Melody secretly read a novel yesterday!¡± Harold hurriedly tattled on her, ¡°The title of the novel is ¡®Hegemonic President Falling in Love with Me¡±¡± Adina fell silent. Duke remained silent as well. Was it appropriate for someone so young to read romance novels? Melody spat out her tongue guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m not reading novels.I¡¯m just learning to recognize new words.¡± Adina stood up and grabbed the four famous ssics from the bookshelf. ¡°Finish up these four volumes first, then I won¡¯t stop you from reading whatever novels you want.¡± She believed that after Melody had read the four famous ssics, her aesthetic judgment would be greatly improved, and she would no longer be interested in these romance novels. Chapter 791 Chapter 791 Chapter 791 The family of six joyfully finished their breakfast. Mabel descended the stairs while looking pale. ¡°Grandma, good morning..¡± ¡°Good morning, Grandma..¡± The children greeted Mabel one after another. Mabel walked to the dining table and sat down.Mr.Brown immediately served the breakfast that had already been prepared long ago. Adina put down her chopsticks and stood up.As she was about to go to the living room, Mabel called after her. ¡°Duke, Addy, I have something to tell you both..¡± Adina halted her steps and said lightly, ¡°What is it?¡± my ticket to Australia said with a hoarse voice, ¡°I will stay and live in Australia from now on.You guys can visit Australia and spend and pursed her to live child, Duke could not request Mabel the initiative to do so spared both parties children froze when they heard it.Harold climbed up to go to Australia? We talked about this before, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to stay tugged on Mabel¡¯s you would take me to buy a diamond is no reason why you must his lips and said nothing.Tears quickly filled Mabel¡¯s eyes as will be better if I return to Australia.If you guys miss Grandma, let Mr.Brown send you guys to Australia to y disagree..¡± Duke even Adina was stunned after recalling what happened when he was fifteen, she could see that Duke did not have much attachment Mabel would only worsen. It was the best choice for Mabel ¡°I know what you are going to do there..¡± Duke spoke coldly, ¡°I am Not going to allow you to do that..¡± Mabel widened her eyes and her lips trembled as she said, ¡°Duke, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I-I can¡¯t possibly go to look for Earl and don¡¯t know where he has been locked up.How am I going to locate him? I just want to live on my own and stop bothering you guys..¡± Duke clenched his jaw.His mother was the one who came up with the idea of having his father convicted and put on trial the year he turned fifteen.His mother had used her tears as a weapon to pressure his father to risk confessing the crimes that repeatedly led him to the execution chamber at the time while he was already terminally ill. His rtionship with his mother ruptured after his father passed away. When he was eighteen years old, his mother started making frequent trips to Australia and eventually settled down there. At first, he thought it was because his mother was embarrassed to face the Winters family, but subsequently found out Earl frequently traveled to Australia.His mother shifted to Australia, just so she could catch up with Earl more easily. Now his mother was up to her old tricks again, and her behaviors had revealed her intention.He would not allow something simr to happen again. ¡°From today on, I will arrange a personal bodyguard for you..¡± Duke spoke lightly, ¡°He will follow you everywhere you go..¡± Mabel closed her eyes in despair.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 792 Chapter 792 How did her lifee to such a point, where she was uncertain whether one son was alive or dead, and the remaining son hated her¡­? Between choking sobs, she said¡±Let Catherine go then¡­What she did to you before was because Earlpelled her to do it.She¡¯s innocent..¡± ¡°Mrs.Winters, you should take care of yourself first,¡± Adina said coolly¡±You will have your freedom once Earl faces justice..¡± Mabel hung her head, and her eyes were red-rimmed. The four children were at a loss. They understood the problem, but this was not something they could stick their noses into. At that moment, Mr.Brown came in with a report. ¡°Sir, your assistant has arrived..¡± Duke narrowed his eyes.He had investigated Winters Corporation.His previous assistant was Jake Wilson, but when Earl took his ce, the CEO¡¯s assistant was switched out with a hooligan named Arden Wyatt. His return to Sea City was not publicized, yet Arden managed to find him the day after he returned home. very likely that Arden had a spy ced near the Winters family¡¯s said¡±Let him children¡±Come on, let¡¯s she turned around followed Mr.Brown from the courtyard to the man sitting inside with his back turned to more aloof than before?¡¯ He walked a few ¡°What is it?¡± emotionless words but he did not been half a month since our previouspany resumed operations, but people are fighting over each other to buy it.They¡¯re offering a high price for it, too.Do you want to he casually said¡±The underground Bio-intelligent Chip Technology all bought up.The tycoons who are trying to buy ourpany want sharp gaze on him.He whipped his head up and saw that the man had turned ¡°B-Boss?¡± he felt fear coursing through his veins.He asked in shock¡±How did you get that scar on his face get ruined in this? I¡¯ll bring someone over to kill them and Arden gave an angry shout, and the dread from before disappeared in an instant. Duke¡¯s eyes were cold. It was no wonder Earl was able to pretend he was the CEO of Winters Corporation for so long, because no one could tell the difference from the start. The only people who could tell them apart were the people they loved and their mother. No one else could differentiate them.He twitched his fingers coolly and, in a low voice, said¡±Burn down theboratory..¡± Arden was stunned for a moment, and he said in puzzlement ¡°Why? Boss, if you don¡¯t want to run thepany, you can just sell it.The quoted price is really high..¡± ¡°If I say burn it, then burn it.What? Are you trying to tell me what todo?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Duke¡¯s cold eyes swept over him, and Arden was startled.He hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get it done..¡± He had arrived fast, but he left even faster.He left in such a hurry, as though someone was pursuing him from behind. Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Adina and the four children were in the living room ying with jigsaw puzzles on the carpet. The TV was ying a random news channel, and she suddenly heard a familiar name.She raised her head to watch the TV screen. ¡°The war of sessors to Jones Group has kicked off.As arge family with a long history, the battle for session in each generation is ferocious.There is only one male sessor in the Jones family for this generation.It was thought that Daniel Jones would be the guaranteed sessor, but he has unexpectedly dropped out of the race..¡± Adina frowned.She still remembered the project with Elitos. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Jasmine had nned it to defraud her so that she could garner more profit, thus increasing her advantage over those vying for thepany¡¯s session. Daniel and Jasmine were the only members of the younger generation in the Jones family. But Jasmine carried a different surname, so she had to work even harder to gain the family¡¯s recognition. Yet Daniel had pulled out from the session race, so that made Jasmine the next head of Jones Corporation by default. ¡®Jones Corporation is such argepany.Aren¡¯t they worried that thepany would be ruined if they hand it over to an unreliable person like Jasmine?¡¯ Adina shook her head and stopped thinking about it. Jones family were like poles of a ma Jones Corporation went bankrupt, it had nothing she turned off the television, Duke walked in from the up that needs my attention.I have to go out Adina got up. preschool so that face before he turned and left.It was not until his figure disappeared from the doorway and Mommy she smiled, and said said ¡°Mel, feeling that his little sister was bing asked ¡°Mommy, do we Adina nodded. been to school for over twenty days.We have to report back brat, continued Daddy.Nothing good came out of getting Daddy back.It was bad enough that ¡°Then you can stay at home,¡± George said emotionlessly. ¡°The three of us will go with Mommy to the preschool..¡± Harold was speechless. ¡®Being home alone is also pitiful!¡¯ Harold began to act cute, saying¡±I think school is kind of fun. ¡°Mommy, I want to go to school..¡± Adina could not resist a chuckle. After changing her skirt, she took the four children out the door. Her car had just reached the end of the winding road in front of the entrance of the Winters family¡¯s mansion when another car met hers head-on. Dillon gripped the steering wheel, and his pupils contracted abruptly. These past three weeks, almost twenty-odd days, he had sent numerous people to look for Addy¡¯s whereabouts, and each time they returned in disappointment. Just as he was about to ept that Addy was gone from this world, someone told him that the Winters family¡¯s mansion seemed lively once more. Thus, he had driven here to try his luck. Chapter 794 Chapter 794 Chapter 794 ¡®Addy? Can¡¯t believe I¡¯d run into her her?¡± Dillon suddenly hit the brakes and stopped his car right in front of Adina¡¯s vehicle.He pushed open the car door to get out, then he walked toward the driver¡¯s seat where Adina was and lightly tapped on her door. Adina lowered the car window and coolly said ¡°Mr.Jones, is something wrong?¡± ¡°Addy, where have you been these past three weeks, I¡¯ve been trying to find you¡­.¡± Dillon¡¯s speech was somewhat incoherent. ¡°What happened to your face? Did you get injured? Is it serious?¡± His concern went beyond words, which made it hard for Adina to keep a stoic facade. She softened her tone as she said ¡°I went on trip overseas and only got back yesterday.Is there a reason why you were looking for me, Mr.Jones?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­.¡± Dillon sighed in relief. ¡°I was just a little worried for you.It¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay¡­.¡± When he finished speaking, he was not sure what to say next, yet he was reluctant to leave, so he just stood like an idiot in front of her car. there is nothing else, I shall take my leave.I still have to take my children to preschool,¡± Adina ¡°I¡¯lle with you..¡± was dry as be free.Can I treat you all to dinner once you¡¯re done with your ¡°Nope..¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org shaggy head popped up from the already promised Daddy we¡¯d be seemed to have casually said ¡°Grandpa Dillon, Mommy just returned from overseas, so she¡¯s a little busy now.If you want to take Mommy out for dinner, you¡¯ll have to with you now to meet next week for dinner.Same time.Is that alright? He appeared tentative, as he feared he would be no need to wait a week.We ¡°Thank you, Addy..¡± hurriedly moved aside better get a move on, then.Drive carefully the car which had been drawn taut for half a month, finally evened for a dinner at a hotel, or was contemting this, his soon as he saw the caller ID, Dillon¡¯s ¡°I ced so much hope on him.I even gave him the majority of the Jones family¡¯s resources, and this is how his father¡¯s verbal abuse, Dillon A while ago, Daniel had been determined topete for the sessor¡¯s seat. Dillon had been helping him with it, too. Even Dillon¡¯s father had been overjoyed by this. Yesterday, no one could have imagined that Daniel would suddenly pull out of the session race in public. He then turned off his phone and locked himself in his room. In the past, he had no interest in taking over thepany. Today, his son had walked down the same path, and Dillon did not find this strange at all. Even if he did not be the sessor, he would still live well. His only regret was that he was not the one in power. In extension to that, Dillon would have also lost his ability to protect his daughter. ¡°I¡¯m giving Jasmine a one-month probation period.If she performs exceptionally well, then Jasmine shall be the next head of the Jones family.I will also arrange for her to change her surname.At that point, Daniel will have no more chances!¡± Mr.Jones said coldly. Dillon sighed. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll try to persuade him again..¡± At the very least, he had to ascertain why exactly did Daniel give up the session race¡­ Chapter 795 Chapter 795 Chapter 795 After Adina had taken the children to their preschool to resume their sses, she drove the car straight to the Xavier family. Although the news about her being missing for more than twenty days had been kept well- hidden by the Winters family, the Xavier family should have already found out what they needed to know. She drove the car into the Xavier family¡¯s mansion. As soon as she got out of her car, Mdm. Xavier¡¯s personal maids came over and said in a low voice ¡°Miss Adina, it has been so long.Mdm.Xavier worries about you every day.Her eyes are swollen from crying, and she has no appetite.She has lost a lot of weight¡­.¡± Adina nodded to show that she understood and guided her children inside. Mdm.Xavier had arched her head back and was sunbathing on a deck chair on the balcony. ¡°Great Grandma, I¡¯ve missed you!¡± Harold rushed over inrge strides.He hugged Mdm.Xavier¡¯s neck and started acting cute. ¡°Great Grandma, I love you the most!¡± Melody said softly as she leaned against Mdm.Xavier¡¯s knee. George carried a box of soft cakes over and passed it to her. made Grandma, I¡¯ll of cake to Mdm.Xavier¡¯s children made such a fuss, she could not resist the smile that appeared on her chair and sat next I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong..¡± Mdm.Xavier did you go mad at Mommy.Mommy¡¯s Mdm.Xavier waved her hand. talk his siblings out of the room.Adina so that I wouldn¡¯t that she had left feared that if she had called them when she left, Earl would trace it to the Xavier family, and then C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Wrong!¡± Mdm.Xavier watched her. to bear, you sneakily took the children out of the country all by yourself! Addy, you must remember that you¡¯re not alone.You have a family, Adina nodded vigorously. now on, I¡¯ll definitely tell you can tell me what exactly happened between you and Duke, right?¡± Mdm.Xavier asked in Everything about Earl and Hestia Border is too full of wickedness and danger. Adina did not wish to worry the olddy.She said with a rxed smile¡±I misunderstood Duke and thought he had a mistress. In my rage, I took the children with me and left the country.He personally went overseas to find me, and to exin himself again and again.I believe him now. He truly loves me, and would never have an affair with other women. Now, our rtionship is quite strong, and this kind of problem would never happen again..¡± ¡°Oh, you¡­.¡± Mdm.Xavier poked Adina¡¯s head. ¡°You always seem calm, so how on earth did you end up losing your head when ites to your rtionship?¡± Adina just epted the lecture. Ten minutester, Mdm.Xavier finally changed the subject. ¡°Addy, if you have time, you should go pay a visit to your father and sister..¡± Adina was stunned for a moment. ¡°My father and sister?¡± At first, she was not sure who the father and sister Mdm.Xavier was talking about were, but after a few minutes, she finally realized who Mdm.Xavier were talking about. Her lips curled up as she said ¡°I no longer have anything to do with the Daugherty family.¡± Chapter 796 Chapter 796 Chapter 796 After she announced her severance, she never cared about the Daugherty family again. Moreover, she was never a Daugherty, to begin with. ¡°Dew was mistreated in prison¡­.¡± Mdm.Xavier sighed and said ¡°Half a month ago, news got out that she was pregnant.She had just gotten pregnant, but those people beat her up until she miscarried.Dew¡¯s health is ruined, and her mind is not quite right.The rumor is that she has gone mad and was admitted into a mental asylum..¡± Adina pursed her lips.She had mixed feelings about this. During their younger days, she saw Dew as her own sister. However, on the day of hering-of-age ceremony at 18 years old, a crack formed in their sisterhood. That night, when Adina gave birth to her children, the crack became a full-blown rupture.She resented Dew for four years. Once, she had been so depressed that she was willing to run Dew over with a car. However, when George and Harold reunited with her, all the past resentment and hatred dissipated. owed each the Daugherty family.Now that she¡¯s in this state, her father will definitelye looking for you.He only has Adina interrupted Mdm. a Daugherty, and he is not my ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t get spiteful,¡± said softly¡±You have Daugherty blood in you.Nothing can not spiteful, Grandmother,¡± Adina Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. not my biological father, I¡¯ve run a paternity ¡°What?¡± forever.She whispered¡±That year when my mother married Aaron, she that he could gain support from the Xavier family ¡°What did you say?!¡± could not wrap her this be? She was such a good girl, how could she have found out who my biological father became wide as she recalled the scene from a month before Adina¡¯s wedding Dillon had made a personal visit to give Addy her wedding gift¡ªan emerald green ne. Back then, she doubted there would be any rtion between Addy and Dillon¡­ ..but at that moment, as she thought about it, it all made sense. Only a father would give his daughter such a precious item before her marriage. Looking back today, Addy¡¯s facial features did carry a slight resemnce to the Jones family. However¡­ Mdm.Xavier¡¯s brows knitted together. That year, Olivia and Dillon had no other contact, so how did they end up having a child together? Furthermore, why did Olivia marry Aaron while she was pregnant with Dillon¡¯s child? Mdm. Xavier pondered it over and over and still could notprehend it. Adina could not understand it either. All she uncovered was that when her mother married Aaron, Dillon was not in Sea City, nor did he attend the wedding. Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Chapter 797 After she returned to the Winters family¡¯s mansion, Adina told Duke about the Jones family issue. The man hugged her by the shoulder and softly spoke into her ear ¡°Whoever¡¯s daughter you are, you will always be my wife.This will never change..¡± What he meant was that he did not care who her father was. Whichever family she came from, even if she had no family to speak of, he would always love her. Adina leaned into his strong chest. ¡°Dillon invited me to have lunch with him at the Jones family¡¯s mansion.I¡¯ll go, and while I¡¯m there, I want to find out what happened between Dillon and my mother¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you..¡± Duke hugged her tight. ¡°There¡¯s no need.I¡¯ll just bring the children with me..¡± Adina cupped his face. ¡°Earl may have lost his freedom, but he had plenty of confidants who have all taken root in Sea City.You¡¯ll have to deal with these people, so make sure that you don¡¯t show that you care about me..¡± If thoseckeys found out that someone else had taken Earl¡¯s ce, they would cause a lot of unrest.It would be best if they did not need to use force if they could solve this problem peacefully. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a ride there..¡± Duke hugged her tightly again.His restless hands began to wander over her body. ¡°Alright?¡± Adina blushed. said no, this can you ¡°I can¡¯t..¡± and pressed his body against hers, attacking her with moment, they suddenly heard the sound of second, Duke flipped up a book, and pretended to pushed open the a pitiful face, she said Duke¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°Harold,e here!¡± hiding outside soft voice, he exined ¡°I didn¡¯t bully the chocte cake, then Harold ate them all up in one ¡°Sob¡­Harold is mean!¡± into buy me a the dark sky outside and saw that it was already 9: 00 night was still young, but he had throat, he said ¡°Mr.Brown, take voice came Young Lady Melody does not allow me to want Daddy to buy choctes with shirt cor and acted been holding and gave Melody a ¡°Mel, you can¡¯t eat candy at night, or else little worms will crawl into your teeth.These worms might leave lots of holes in your pretty teeth one day.Princesses don¡¯t have holes in their teeth.Don¡¯t you want to be a beautiful princess?¡± ¡°But I want it¡­.¡± The little girl looked down at her hands, feeling wronged.Harold took the opportunity to clear his name. ¡°I knew that eating candy at night was wrong, that¡¯s why I ate up all the choctes.I didn¡¯t bully Mel..¡± Adina looked at him. ¡°If Mel can¡¯t have them, does that mean you can? Your teeth and lips are stained ck with chocte.Go brush your teeth right now..¡± Harold turned and fled while covering his mouth. ¡°Melody, you can eat choctes, but you have to wait until tomorrow,¡± Adina said sternly. ¡°It¡¯s already toote right now, go back to bed..¡± Melody gave her father puppy dog eyes. Whenever this sort of thing happened, her daddy would unconditionally fulfill all her wishes¡­ But today, the sexually charged Duke would have to ignore her pitiful tear-filled gaze¡­ Melody bowed her head and miserably walked out of the room.She even dutifully closed the door. Adina sighed.She left the bed to lock the door, then got back into bed. As soon as she climbed onto the bed, she was pinned down by Duke. ¡°You actually want me, too, right¡± Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Duke nipped her ear and spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying sinful promises. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t!¡± Adina evaded his lips and tongue. ¡°Get off, I still want to read my book..¡± ¡°Who was the one who impatiently chased the children away just now? And who was the one who hurried out of the bed to lock the door?¡± Duke trailed after her, giving her ear another nip. ¡°Are you still saying no, hm?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m really not in the mood!¡± Adina tried to run, but Duke grabbed her ankle, and she ended up pinned by him again. The man¡¯s kisses came in full force.He kissed her from head to toe, and her whole body seemed electrified. The numb feeling made her feel as if she was floating, and her brain turned to pulp.Her reasoning was also squashed. Duke suddenly stopped right at the crucial moment.His voice came to her ear it.Do you voice any room for thought.She from like water as they spent the slept soundly through the night and woke up in the morning with a little bed putting on clothes.He was strong and had unhurriedly, and he thought came the outside, but rotten he was the refined and elegant Mr.Winters¡­but yesterday, he was ¡°What is it?¡± to her, and used the nket This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. go to was arousing Duke once more.He unbuttoned his shirt and went to the bedside again.He lifted the nket haven¡¯t brushed getting quite gave her a deep kiss and said was early Adina already had a somewhat sore waist. After this, she would not be able to even stand straight¡­ After having his fill, Duke got up and put on his clothes. In a gentle voice, he said ¡°You can sleep for another two hours.Wait for me, I¡¯ll send you to the Jones family¡¯s mansion..¡± Adina did not say a word.She had actually forgotten that she had to attend a banquet today. If Dillon saw the hickeys on her neck, she did not know how she would exin herself¡­ ¡°Dummy!¡± Adina threw a pillow at Duke. Duke caught the pillow.He could not resist a chuckle, saying ¡°Addy, when you¡¯re like this, it makes me think that you still want me..¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Indignantly, Adina burrowed into the nket. Duke smothered augh and went downstairs to prepare her a breakfast of love. Since Addy enjoys the breakfasts made by him, he would make breakfast for her for a lifetime. Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Thete winter sunlight was warm and balmy. Adina wore a knit skirt as a base before she put on a rice white overcoat.She dressed warmly and smartly. The only problem was that her cheeks had two patches of gauze that marred her beauty. Duke stopped the car at the entrance of the Jones family¡¯s mansion, and softly said, ¡°Call me when it¡¯s about to end, so I cane to fetch you in advance.¡± ¡°Bye-bye, Daddy!¡± ¡°See youter, Daddy!¡± ¡°You have to remember toe fetch us, okay?¡± After the four children had bid their goodbyes to Duke, they took Adina¡¯s hand and walked into the mansion. The Jones family¡¯s mansion was decorated with antiques and was built like a traditional house with a courtyard . The winter sun shone down and made the whole mansion appear quite tranquil. There were already servants awaiting them beside the entrance. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. adult and ¡°Addy!¡± Dillon heard the servants giving their regards, https://novelebook/home1 he immediately rushed out from inside the kept his hands sped tightly together, he was with a smile, then let the children ¡°Grandpa Dillon, how do you did you invite us over for lunch?¡± Harold asked to Dillon.¡° This is a gift Mommy prepared.Please ept it, Grandpa took a rifle through her pockets Grandpa Dillon gave me give you one! It¡¯s super you.¡± He tucked the lollipop into the gifts of money.The children did not take the envelopes looked at said, ¡°This is Grandpa Dillon¡¯s greeting gift.You can George went first. this, the other children also epted their gifts.Not a secondter, us keep them.¡± Adina took With a few pinches, she could feel how much money was actually in the envelopes¡­ There might even be a card. Without batting an eye, she kept all the envelopes in her purse. With a smile, she said, ¡°Thank you, Mr.Jones.¡± A little unsure of what to do, Dillon chuckled and said, ¡° Why don¡¯t we go inside first? Lunch is ready.I wasn¡¯t sure what the children like to eat, so I let the cook prepare a random assortment.I hope they¡¯re all to your liking.¡± As soon as they walked in, Adina saw that the long rectangr dining table was fullyden with all kinds of dishes. There were a lot of western dishes, steaks, pasta, and desserts, and more than that were the French cuisines, which included specialty dishes from the regions of Lyon, Toulouse , and Marseille . Even if ten more people joined in, it still would not be enough to finish all this food. Adina calmly asked, ¡°Will there be others joining us for lunch?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just the six of us.¡± Dillon chuckled and said, ¡°Sit down and eat.We can chat while we eat.¡± Honestly, Dillon was not even sure what to talk about once everyone had sat down to eat.He had a million things he wanted to say, but once he opened his mouth, he did not know what to say, so he just smiled stiffly. ¡°What do you usually do, Mr.Jones?¡± Adina asked once she had eaten until she was partially full. Chapter 800 Chapter 800 Chapter 800 He was speaking halfway when he abruptly stopped. Would Adina view liking calligraphy paintings as a useless hobby? Would it cause Addy to dislike him? He paused for a moment before he changed the topic, saying, ¡°I like looking into the calligraphy painting market.A few years ago, I gathered a collection of antique calligraphy paintings and managed to sell them about a month ago.I earned back a profit of three times the original price.¡± That money was then used to help boost the viewership count and get Addy onto the news. ¡°Then, can you paint, Grandpa Dillon?¡± Harold asked, blinking his eyes. ¡°I really like painting.Can you teach me?¡± ¡°You really like painting?¡± Dillon¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°After we finish lunch, you can paint something for me, okay?¡± Harold proudly lifted his chin. ¡°Of course, I can! I even got first ce in my preschool¡¯s paintingpetition !¡± George and Alden weir smart and outstanding ones, so no one really paid any mind to his drawing ability. had enjoyed painting when he he settled down, he lost the motivationless life he once had, as well as his inspiration to paint.So about training Daniel to paint, but Daniel was not interested in painting at all, so he ended up dropping the grandsons would inherit his talent for painting Once lunch had ended, Dillon could not wait to set up he did not know what level his brother¡¯s painting ability was at.So he, on some stools to the side and this scene, Adina¡¯s lips formed a gentle of the break to go to the washroom.When she was done using the washroom, and as she was washing heard how did he end up with Young Master Daniel by a few years.It must have been from before Mr.Jones got married that she was conceived, and he didn¡¯t know that she grew up twenty years ago clearly, so let¡¯s talk ¡°The sessor for Jones Corporation, they¡¯ve already decided on Ms.Yackley, ¡°The young master has his reasons for pulling out of the session contest.The other day, I went to Mdm.Jones¡¯ study to tidy up, and I heard her and Ms.Yackley talking about it.I think Ms.Yackley managed to find dirt on Ms.Daugherty, and if Young Master Daniel didn¡¯t pull out of the session, she would drag Ms.Daugherty¡¯s name through the mud.¡± ¡°Young Master Daniel cares so much about his illegitimate sister? That can¡¯t be it, right?¡± ¡°She¡¯s his half-sister from the same father, there¡¯s no way he won¡¯t care.Moreover , Young Master Daniel had no chance of winning the session , to begin with, so pulling out from the contest will actually help him preserve his dignity.¡± Adina remained silent. The servants were always highly interested in gossiping about the Jones family¡¯s affairs¡­C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡­Until a figure suddenly appeared in the corridor. Everyone suddenly became quiet, as though someone was choking them, and their eyes were wide in rm. Adina rubbed her wet hands together and walked past them expressionlessly. When her figure disappeared from the corridor, everyone blew a heavy breath of relief. They did not dare talk to continue on with their mindless chatter, and all of them hurried back to work. Chapter 801 Chapter 801 Chapter 801 Adina went back to the living room balcony. She took a look at Harold¡¯s painting. It was a painting of a withered lotus in winter, and it was already half-finished. The brush strokes were still that of an amateur, but the artistic undertones were there. Adina did not interrupt Harold¡¯s painting and quietly took a seat to the side. The afternoon day flew by, and soon it was three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Harold was about toplete his painting when the sound of a car engine was heard from the mansion¡¯s entrance. Dillon was so immersed in his fascination for Harold¡¯s painting skills that he did not pay any attention to the situation outside. Adina turned her head to take a look outside.She saw a handsome youth disembark from a ck car.It was Daniel. She thought about what she overheard from the servants earlier. For the sake of protecting her privacy, Daniel had pulled out from Jones Corporation¡¯s session contest.She pursed her lips and strode toward him. when he caught sight of someone who should not be there a little you here?¡± Adina also felt a little her and the children Jones family know about this? She indifferently Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. he meal.I still was even, and his expression was indifferent.https://novelebook/home1Adina suddenly thought that what the servants had said must be nonsense had only met her a few times, give up his inheritance for her? As she thought about it, Daniel outside from I¡¯m not afraid of being Daniel choked. but he could not find the right words.He paused for quite a said, ¡°What is Jasmine ckmailing find out?¡± looked like the servants¡¯ ims were not too far from the But she was really curious. How could Daniel give up such an important thing for her sake? ¡°Let me guess,¡± Adina said as she smiled, ¡°There is only a handful of news about me that are of value.Did she get evidence of my divorce? Or does she have a photograph of me with some man and believes I¡¯m having an affair? Or is she starting a rumor saying my quadruplets don¡¯t have the Winters¡¯ blood-¡±. Fearing that Adina would say more outrageous things, Daniel finally admitted, ¡°She has a picture of you being really close with another man.¡± ¡°And for one picture, you would drop out from the session contest?¡± Adina sneered. ¡°Your father has been trampled on by Zhenny for twenty years, and now it¡¯s your turn.Why are you two so stupid?¡± Daniel became annoyed. ¡°You can call me stupid, but leave my father out of it.¡± ¡°Alright.You¡¯re hopelessly stupid,¡± Adina said coldly. ¡° That man in the picture with me is Duke Winters, my husband, and the father of my children.If Jasmine publicizes that photograph, it will only help me clear the divorce rumors.You sacrificed so much for a groundless rumor.Is it worth it?¡± Their voices grew louder until Dillon finally heard them. He promptly rushed to where they were. ¡°Daniel, what are you up to?¡± Dillon blurted out. ¡°I¡¯m the one who invited Addy over for lunch, please don¡¯t be mad at her.¡± Chapter 802 Chapter 802 Chapter 802 Daniel was speechless. ¡®Who¡¯s mad at whom now?¡¯ He was going to turn stupid from all this scolding. Adina raised her eyebrows coolly. ¡°Mr.Jones, do you know why Daniel dropped out of the session contest?¡± Dillon was stunned. ¡°How did we get to this topic?¡± Although he felt great regret over it, he thought it was a foregone conclusion. So be it.Even if Daniel was not in the session contest, it would be fine. Adina said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s because Jasmine is using my supposed sex scandal to threaten Daniel, forcing him to drop out.¡± Dillon was astonished by this.In his disbelief, he asked,¡° Daniel, I thought it was because you couldn¡¯t ept Addy as a sister¡­I never thought that you would make such a hugepromise for your sister.I¡¯m seeing you in a new light now¡­¡± Adina stayed silent. ¡®That¡¯s not the point; the session is, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ The brain circuits in this father-and-son pair were just too strange. Daniel was annoyed. sex scandals to affect our family¡¯s of the Jones family.How would that affect happy that you acknowledge your sister.Addy has suffered so much over the years.You should treat your sister better from coughed lightly has on me is nothing but imaginary, so there¡¯s said coolly, ¡°I already publicized my withdrawal from the contest, ¡°As long as you live happily, nothing else matters.¡± Adina agreed willing to let Jasmine use her to force Daniel into backing down.https://novelebook/home1If Jasmine wished to use Adina I ask, what are the necessary requirements to run in the be a direct descendant to participate.At present, the only ones qualified are Jas and Dan,¡± Dillon as a direct descendant?¡± A Dillon was startled. you up to return to the Jones family.¡± Adina yed forgot whatshe had just said.He repressed his excitement and asked incredulously,¡± Addy, are you really saying this? I¡¯m not dreaming, am I? Are you really willing to If Dillon had been a heartless man, she would never be able to join the Jones family¡­ ¡­But she had beat around the bush and asked him some questions during the meal just now. Apparently, her mother had chosen to marry Aaron while keeping Dillonpletely in the dark about it. Whatever reasons her mother might have had, they died with her. Dillon¡¯s concern for her was genuine. It was the kind of fatherly love for a daughter that stemmed from the deepest part of his core. She had seen Duke show the same love. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Duke would give Melody anything she wished for. Dillon had the same instinct toward her. Since that was the case, she found no reason to remain hesitant about bing a family with Dillon. Chapter 803 Chapter 803 Chapter 803 It was already 5:00 pm when they came back from the Jones family. Along the way, Harold was the most excited.He simply could not stop talking. ¡°Grandpa¡± Dillon said I¡¯m talented in painting.He even said that my drawings are good enough to shine even in a national children¡¯s drawingpetition. ¡°Grandpa Dillon said he can teach me painting every weekend.Mommy, can you take me there every week?¡± Adina stroked his head and said, ¡°Painting is very boring.It¡¯s not something you¡¯ll find yourself doing long, just because of a momentary spark of interest.Can you keep it?¡± Harold nodded. ¡°Mommy, I will keep drawing every day, just like Mel.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Awesome.¡± Adina gently smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the market to buy professional painting tools and drawing papers tomorrow.Get some rest first today.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mommy!¡± Harold happily took Melody to y. Meanwhile, Adina put on her apron and went to the kitchen. Duke had made her breakfast, so she should prepare dinner. There were all kinds of fresh ingredients in the kitchen.https://novelebook/home1She let the servants clear a pound of shrimp before she boiled them in water and prepared a te of delicious dipping sauce. a fresh fish in the deep-fried fish, cut half a chicken to make some fried chicken with mashed potatoes, a small te of steak, a home-cooked dinner soon as the dinner was served, Duke shoes, he took was the first why do you wear more afraid of me because of it,¡± Duke answered Harold excitedly jumped. want to y! I want your hands.Get ready for dinner.¡± went to not as scrumptious as those prepared by a chef, but and Duke were very took a portion of each dish and let her constant worries, so her health had not been very and she Besides, there was nothing to say between her, Adina, and Duke, so she did note out all day. Adina knew that it was not a good thing to let Mabel continue being like this. But she was just an outsider of the Winters family. Duke was the only one who could ease Mabel of her worries. It depended on whether Duke was willing to help ease her worries. After dinner, the kids yed tag in the courtyard , while Adina had a servant bring down Catherine,who was locked up on the third floor. Catherine had not changed much after being locked up for three days, other than her green eyes appearing a little dull. Pete prepared the tools needed for hypnosis before he coldly said, ¡°Logically speaking, the second hypnosis can make a person recall most of their memories.Catherine, don¡¯t you think of ying any tricks.¡± Adina indifferently said, ¡°If Duke¡¯s amnesia can be cured after the second hypnosis, you can leave the Winters familyearly.¡± ¡°I want to see Earl first.¡± Catherine bit her bottom lip, and she spoke clearly, ¡°Earl might have died in your hands.Unless you let me see Earl alive, I¡¯d rather be locked up for the rest of my life.¡± Duke coldly nced at her. ¡°Do you really want to see Earl?¡± Catherine gritted her teeth. Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Chapter 804 After she said that, she nced at Duke. Duke pursed his lips, turned on theptop in the study room, and projected a surveince video on the wall. The surveince covered a room. It looked like a hotel room, but it barely passed as one, because the lighting was very dim, and the window was very small.It looked a little cramped. A man¡¯s figure appeared under the dim light.He had a white bathrobe loosely wrapped around him while holding a cigarette with his fingers.He emitted azy and decadent aura. Catherine¡¯s pupils contracted. ¡°Earl¡­¡± As soon as she said that, two scantily d women appeared in the surveince. They walked over and leaned on Earl on each side while they touched his body.They even kissed him. Catherine was stunned. , don¡¯t go too far!¡± Winters nearly killed my husband, while you removed my husband¡¯s made Earl lose his ¡°Why did you get him those women?¡± Catherine to take the ce of those women.¡± He directly struckCatherine¡¯s sore spot, and she looked embarrassed.She had seduced Earl many times before, but this man had not touched her at all.She loved him and wanted to be with him, but he did not even want to kiss her.The man let to rece them.¡± my memories, I¡¯ll ask them to send you to Eand let you be with Duke promised her without any and Earl were not the same to Earl, Catherine had not helped Earl raise hell upon at the surveince with a crazed that Catherine had Why should Adina care about a person who wanted to trouble herself? Adina looked at the surveince video. Earl, who was surrounded by two women, suddenly raised his head, and his eyes that gazed at the camera were profound and cold. At that moment, Adina even felt that Earl should have guessed someone watching behind the camera. It was one of the only reasons that would prompt such a re. His gaze was cold, profound, andzy, and it was filled with killing intent. Adina¡¯s heart trembled.She raised her hand and closed the surveince. ¡°Catherine, you can start now.¡± She coldly walked to the couch in the corner and sat down. Catherine started the hypnosis only after she wiped the tears off the corners of her eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed her emotions. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. With Pete¡¯s assistance, the hypnosis took less than an hour. Chapter 805 Chapter 805 Chapter 805 When Duke returned to the master bedroom, his eyes were still squeezed shut. Adina massagedhis forehead using an essential oil while quietly apanying him. Finally, when it was 11:00 pm, he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Addy, I remembered everything.Memories of every day from my early childhood, to when I was about three years old, to the day I was abducted a month ago, to the day I came back.¡± Duke held Adina¡¯s hand. ¡°I finally know how we met.¡± Adina touched the back of his head. ¡°Does your head still hurt?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°After my memories have been sorted out, my brain feels relieved like it never has felt before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Adina felt happy for him. should handle those gangsters of Winters Corporation as soon as possible.I still feel uneasy.¡± Earl¡¯s gaze in the surveince today in particr always felt that Earl would not easily surrender are very trivial.I now want to thank you seriously.¡± Duke pressed her shoulders and firmly said, ¡°When I was kidnapped on the wedding day, Duke Winterswas substituted by Earl Winters on that night.I thank you for being able to differentiate us, and I also thank you for believing that I did not for a wife to do that for her husband.https://novelebook/homeBut it was only after I understood my past and knew how we met that I know how precious thing that ever happened to me is to have you as love you.¡± Warmth slowly spread over Adina¡¯s heart.She had no qualms making sacrifices for him, and he now knew the lengths she had gone through for for each other, right? She was unable to control first time kiss started, it just went on was unable to describe his love for Adina in not allow this to happen again.He would use his life to protect his wife and kids.His kiss was the moment.Her narrowed stinging pain came from the right side of her face! Then, her mind that she suddenly When he was about to grab her restless legs, she suddenly gave a strong kick, whichnded right on his lower extremities.He did not expect that Adina would suddenly kick him.He was half-kneeling on the bed. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. When he was kicked , he just fell down from the bed and fell on the carpet. When he snapped out of his daze and got up, he saw that Adina, whose clothes were untidy, opened thebalcony of the bedroom and walked outside. The wind in the winter night was freezing, and the strong wind was blowing in.He also felt cold in a piece of bathrobe, let alone Adina who was just wearing a thin sleeping gown. Duke quickly walked over. ¡°Addy, what are you doing?¡± Adina was dumbfounded as she stood on the balcony. Her eyes were unfocused.She looked downstairs. The car was parked in the courtyard , and the dim lights shone on the green trees.A voice suddenly was heard in her mind. Chapter 806 Chapter 806 Chapter 806 ¡°Jump!¡± The robotic voice had been heard over and over again. Adina wanted to resist, but she was unable to fight back. 1 Besides, her right cheek was very painful. She felt as if she was being pped strongly. On top of the ps, she felt as if her face was being sliced open. If jumping down could relieve her pain, she was willing to jump Adina held the cold fence and leaped over with a flip. ¡°Addy!¡± Duke was totally scared out of his wits. He swung his hand and grabbed Adina who almost fell down into his arms. ¡°Addy, don¡®t scare me!¡± into the room, room became warm again, looked at Duke. ¡°What happened¡­ and softly said, ¡°You dumbfounded. She tried to recall what happened just now, remember what she came from her right cheek and said, ¡°It¡®s painful. Duke, my face is in pain. It¡®s been you don¡®t have to be stressed. No matter what you turn into, I won¡®t leave you. Even if there¡®s a scar on your face, you¡®ll still be the most beautiful woman in I jumped off the balcony because I was too concerned about my face and I could his lips. This was the most serious incident that happened to Addy, and he was unable to understand why she it did not bother her, he was convinced that she was really how strong, calm, and wise Addy was, she was just an ordinary woman. He just did not expect this incident to have ced so much pressure on Addy. She just had nightmares previously, and now, she actually wanted to The second floor was not high, but her legs would definitely be broken if she jumped off. Duke felt fear grip his entire being as he held Adina tightly. ¡°Sorry, Addy, I neglected you.¡± ¡°Don¡®t overthink.¡± Adina held his face up. ¡°I also did not know what happened to myself just now. I nked out. Perhaps I wanted to go out for some cold wind, and you misunderstood. Duke, don¡®t worry. I¡®m perfectly fine. The two scars on my face are nothing to me. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You can think from another perspective. You also have a scar on your face. Did you ever mind it?¡± Duke shook his head. ¡°I¡®m a man, so it doesn¡®t matter to me.¡± ¡°I¡®m a married woman, and I also have four kids. I also don¡®t mind my appearance that much.¡± Adina exined weakly, ¡°Don¡®t worry, I¡®ll never do such a dangerous thing again. I¡®m serious!¡± Only after she reiterated again and again did Duke finally believe her. But that scene kepting up in his mind, and he still could not feel at ease. The next morning, Duke took Adina to the hospital and examined the injury. Chapter 807 Chapter 807 Chapter 807 When the doctor peeled the gauze off, the wounds were already recovered, so more dressing was unnecessary. Adina looked at the wounds in the mirror. They did not look as disgusting as she imagined, but the wound on the left cheek recovered much better. She gently touched her right cheek. It did not sting like the night before. She asked, ¡°My right cheek gets into sudden pangs of pain, but this won¡®t happen to my left cheek. What is going on?¡± The doctor carefully examined the wound. ¡°The trauma on the right is bigger and deeper. It¡®s recovering, so you will feel stinging pain. You must not scratch it with your hand so that the wound won¡®t be infected again.¡± ¡°Is there no way to get rid of the pain?¡± Adina asked again. The situationst night seemed to happen after her right cheek was in stinging pain and her mind went nk. Duke also said, ¡°Can you prescribe some painkillers?¡± The doctor advised them solemnly, ¡°Painkillers are usually taken after a major illness or surgery. For this level of trauma, it¡®s not suitable to take something with caused by wound healing is considered primary pain, and and his hidden meaning was that she helplessly said, ¡°I won¡®t take it, then. I¡®ll you feel pain, just pinch me. I due to amusement. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll pinch you next time. You¡®re the two of them left the hospital, Duke insisted on taking Adina to a stic surgery they would need to go there the entrance of the parking lot and waited for a while, some people passed by her, and when they walked past they were so shocked that they kept talking about this Adina Daugherty, the Why did the heck? Her scars are like centipedes. How could her must have offended someone and passersby. She just pulled the car door open and car arrived in front of the stic surgery institution, Adina¡®s phone vibrated. It was called by This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Addy, is your face all right?¡± Adina felt baffled. ¡°I¡®m alright. I¡®m fine.¡± ¡°Someone took your photos and released them on the news. Now everyone on the inte says that you¡®re disfigured.¡± Dillon carefully said. Adina shed an unconcerned smile. ¡°There are two scars on my face, but it¡®s not a big deal. Don¡®t worry.¡± After she hung up, she clicked open her phone. Indeed, she saw a photo of her standing in the parking lot while waiting for a car in the headline. This photo was taken from the front, and she did not feel that she had been secretly photographed. Her skin was fair, so the two recovering scars looked extraordinarily shocking. Thements on the inte also instantly exceeded ten thousand. [The most beautiful woman in Sea City is no longer as beautiful as she used to be. Let¡®s vote and select the new most beautiful woman again!] [How could her face be ruined like this? It¡®s such a shame. [You can tell that it¡®s purposely been cut by someone. Some people must be jealous of her. How unfair for such a beautiful woman.] Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Chapter 808 [No wonder Duke would have an affair. This face looks so disgusting. It¡®s not Duke¡®s fault for wanting a divorce.] [Oh yeah, what about the divorce between Adina and Duke that happened some time ago? Why is there suddenly no further information?] [Duke was already having affairs when she was not disfigured previously. Now her face is so ugly. I think this settles their divorce.] [Men are visual animals. They will not ept a disfigured wife.] When Adina read the strangements online, she chuckled before she shut down her phone. She did not understand why such a trivial matter could be a hot topic online when she was not even a popr celebrity. It looked like she had to put on a mask like Duke when she went out. Duke controlled the steering wheel while he asked her, What happened?¡± this man said in a serious manner, ¡°Addy, I won¡®t joking. Why are you so tense? and put in a lot of effort. She would not easily stopped in front of a stic surgery institution, and Adina got out of the car with Duke only after she put on thergest and most professional stic surgery institution in Sea City. Many female celebrities had their surgeries here, so their security soon as they entered, they were examined Duke¡®s wound. Although the wound wasrge, its depth was just on the superficialyer. The recovery would be speedy after the stic surgery. But Adina¡®s wounds were still recovering. surgery hospital, Adina sighed in relief. ¡°The doctor said the injury on your face can be recovered softly said, ¡°My injury isrger than yours. If that I care was also a woman¡®s biggest potential danger. She already passed this man thought she cared about it, then she would let it medicine was very advanced now, so it was only a matter the car, left the hospital , and went home. But a shlight shone behind them Five minutester, another news story became the trending topic again. [#Adina visited the stic surgery institution.] This trending topic did not have photos only, but there were also animated pictures. The ount described it as lively. [Adina is confirmed to be disfigured. It is estimated that she will soon undergo stic surgery.] [Her natural face is ruined, and she will have a stic face. She will not be any different from those female celebrities in the entertainment industry.] [Adina is not a celebrity. Can you stop being so demanding?] [Exactly. As long as her husband doesn¡®t mind, why are you making such a fuss here?] [Does her husband not care? Is Duke divorcing her?] This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. While all theizens were in a heated discussion, the trending topic suddenly disappeared, and all tweets that retweeted the relevant news had been blocked. Alden closed hisptop, and his eyes were filled with coldness. Chapter 809 Chapter 809 Chapter 809 All the four kids in the room looked at each other at a loss. Harold¡®s eyes became teary. He sniffed and said, ¡°I thought Mommy was just mildly injured. Why would this happen?¡± ¡°Mommy must be very sad¡­¡± Melody gloomily said. She was a girl who loved to be pretty and loved to dress up, and so did Mommy. If her face was ruined, she would be so sad that she cried every day. Mommy should have also cried. It was just that she did not cry in front of the four of them. ¡°No matter what has happened to Mommy, she is still our Mommy,¡± Alden indifferently said, ¡°Don¡®t act like this in front of Mommy, or she will think we despise her.¡± Harold quickly wiped his tears off. ¡°Okay, I will not cry. I want to wait for Mommy toe back happily.¡± George pursed his lips before he softly said, ¡°Mel, don¡®t you have toys for makeup?¡± Grandma bought it for bought all the toys that girls loved, and she fell into contemtive silence before he asked, little.¡± Melody tilted her head. ¡°What George meant nearly as soon as George asked those questions. Alden immediately searched for a photo online and showed Melody. ¡°You ran upstairs and carried the makeup box started putting makeup on the three of her Duke arrived home, it door open and got out, Harold and Melody would speedily run over and rush into her arms, but she did not see them today. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. she was about to put it into quite severe. Because they were in the recovery stage, there was some discoloration. If she went in like this, she would definitely scare Duke and her entered the house with a mask on their from the French window, the golden warm light the kids?¡± Mr. Brown was busy with work when he answered, ¡°They were still ying with toys in the afternoon just now. Why did all of them go missing at once? They should have gone upstairs.¡± Duke wanted to go upstairs, but Adina immediately stopped him. ¡°Shh! I think they want to y peekaboo. Let¡®s go upstairs gently and scare them.¡± Duke immediately cooperated with her, and the two of them walked upstairs gently. Mr. Brown, who was busy in the living room, smiled in relief. Master and Mdm. Winters were now really close. It looked like he did not need to worry that they would divorce anymore. Adina gently pushed open the door of the dollhouse. The curtains were tightly closed, and the light in the room was very dark. She could tell that the kids were hiding there. She purposely said, ¡°Well, they are not here. When did the kids go? Will they be hiding on the tree in the courtyard?¡± She took a step backward and acted as if she would close the door. A few restless figures behind the curtain immediately jumped out. Harold was the first to rush over. ¡°Mommy, we are here!¡± Chapter 810 Chapter 810 Chapter 810 Melody followed. ¡°Mommy, did we hide very well this time? You and Daddy could not find us!¡± George and Alden also walked out from behind the curtains. Adina subconsciously chuckled. In the past, George and Alden disdained ying this kind of peekaboo game that children liked to y, but they actually yed with Harold and Melody today. It looked like kids were easily assimted among each other. When Adina was about to speak, she suddenly became stunned. When the light outside the window shone on their faces, there were a total of scars on the four faces. They were clearly red lipstick marks. With the eyeshadow and foundation as finish¨Coff, they looked like very deep wounds. ¡°Mommy, Mel put this makeup on for us,¡± Harold proudly said, ¡°Georgie said this makeup is called Scar Makeup. It¡®s very popr on the inte now. Does it look good?¡± Adina¡®s eyes suddenly became watery. seen the online news, so they put was to have four C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org He reached out to help her wipe off together. All our family members her eyes I think I seem to look better after I have two more scars and said, ¡°Mommy, no matter how you look, I also love held the group of had wounds on their faces, and the scene Buzz! her phone suddenly rang at an inappropriate of the kids before she cast a nce at the caller ID. It was a and more attention, so she guessed that Dillon also felt ufortable wounds on my face dress I customized for you will arrive tomorrow morning. Do you have the time toe and Adina smiled. ¡°Sure, what is the time?¡± ¡°Juste over when you get up. By the way, the dresses for the four kids have also been done.¡± After Dillon said that, he immediately exined again, ¡°The kids don¡®t have to attend the reunion banquet. I just want to personally give a set of clothes for each of the kids.¡± When Adina heard him nervously exining, she said casually, ¡°Okay, I¡®ll take the kids over tomorrow.¡± After Adina hung up, she saw that the kids widened their eyes and looked at her. Their eyes looked puzzled. Harold curiously asked, ¡°Mommy, why would Grandpa Dillon want to customize clothes for us?¡± Melody tilted her head and said, ¡°I feel that Grandpa Dillon seems to be very concerned about you, Mommy. Why is that so?¡± Adina also did not n to hide this from the kids. She squatted down and softly said, ¡°Actually, Grandpa Dillon is my biological father, so he is also your biological grandfather.¡± Harold looked surprised. ¡°But isn¡®t your father Aaron Daugherty?¡± Mommy was Dew¡®s stepsister, so was Aaron not their biological grandfather? Why did it be Dillon? Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Harold appeared surprised, and so did Melody. Meanwhile, Alden and George looked rtively calm as if they had already known about it. ¡°This is slightlyplicated. In short, Dillon is my biological father, and my biological father is your biological grandfather. You can just call him Grandpa,¡± Adina smiled and spoke. Harold jumped up high. ¡°Awesome! I finally have a grandpa!¡± He used to hate Dew, so he refused to call Aaron¡± Grandpa.¡± He had met Dillon with his mommy a few times. Dillon treated his mommy really nicely and even gave him some pocket money. Most importantly, Grandpa would guide him in drawing. He enjoyed having a grandpa. Melody¡®s eyes also lit up. Daddy, three elder brothers, Grandma, and Papa Brown. Now I an uncle,¡± Adina said as at Adina and realized the Jones family. He was just worried that the the Jones family. Your grandpa and uncle are sincere toward your mommy. As for the others, you don¡®t have to bother with them,¡± said Duke indifferently, dispelling thest the next morning, Adina and behind in Winters Corporation, so he departed after he sent them Adina approached the boutique¡®s door with her kids, Dillon quickly ocean blue tie Al, Mel,e in with me. Hurry! Your outfits are wonderful!¡± When Dillon spoke, his voice trembled slightly. He was as he said, ¡°Grandpa, why are you so a minute!¡± Dillon widened his eyes. ¡®Grandpa.!¡± Melody tilted her head and said, ¡°You¡®re Mommy¡®s father, so you¡®re our grandpa. Is there anything and asked, ¡°Addy, did you teach the kids to address me that C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org nodded. ¡°Dad, let¡®s Dillon had yet to digest being called ¡°Grandpa.¡± When Adina called him Dad, he was instantly dazed. He had been worried that Addy would hate him and refuse to ept him. He was afraid that she would refuse to consider him as her father. Unexpectedly¡­ She called him ¡°Dad¡± so quickly, and it happened out of the blue. ¡°Okay, my good girl,¡± Dillon answered. However, he realized that Adina had already brought the children into the boutique. Harold covered his mouth and snickered. ¡°Grandpa¡®s response is slow like a giraffe. Haha!¡± Melody blinked. ¡°I think Grandpa looks kind of cute.¡± George cleared his throat and said, ¡°You can¡®t describe an elder as cute.¡± ¡°But describing Grandpa as kind doesn¡®t seem quite right either,¡± Alden said indifferently. ¡°Cute is a good word.¡± At least their grandpa did not look so cunning, and he also treated their mommy well. Dillon quickly caught up to them. He stroked his nose and said, ¡°Addy, you walk really fast. I nearly can¡®t keep up.¡± Chapter 812 Chapter 812 Chapter 812 Adina smiled faintly. Let¡®s start trying on the dresses now. The shop assistant pushed a row of dresses over. There were two custom¨Cmade dresses. One was a pink waist¨Clength tassel dress that looked elegant anddylike, while the other one was a snow¨Ccoloredce dress that looked pure and unworldly. There was a simrity between the dresses: they were very conservative. Her arms and legs would be covered up. They looked like dresses that an eighteen ¨Cyear¨Cold girl would wear. Adina chuckled. It seemed that daughters were always little girls to their fathers. She took the two gowns into the dressing room and put them on. they were actuallyplex. There wereyers on the hem of on her waist and was about to walk you see that? She has two scars might not be is ruined, yet she still shamelessly puts on talking. She¡®s still trying on female assistants and walked out. She shed them a immediately stood in a row. ¡°You look beautiful in this gown,¡± they said respectfully. ¡°Is the gown or the person beautiful?¡± Adina asked the ability to be two¨Cfaced. They had just mocked Adina for looking ugly moments ago, but all of them complimented her politely now.¡± in the mirror. ¡°I face, but after looking at your faces, I suddenly think I¡¯m took the few was disfigured, their faces would still note close to her in terms Mommy, you look so C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Mommy, this pink dress is gorgeous!¡± Her four children also walked out of their dressing rooms in their outfits, and they surrounded Adina as they kept twirling Adina put aside her displeasure before she chuckled and said, ¡°Your dresses look great too. You¡®re like princes and a princess in a fairy tale.¡± Dillon nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Addy, this gown is lovely. Do you still want to try that white dress?¡± Adina did not want to try anything else on, mainly because trying out a dress was very tedious. However , Melody held the hem of her dress and said, ¡± Mommy, my dress is white. Can you wear the same color as mine?¡± Adina smiled helplessly. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll go in and get changed.¡± She turned around and entered the dressing room again. The four children outside looked exchanged nces, and slyness shed in their eyes. Chapter 813 Chapter 813 Chapter 813 Seeing that the dressing room was closed , Harold took Melody to the dress section on the side. He spoke like a profesChapter 813 Seeing that the dressing room was closed , Harold took Melody to the dress section on the side. He spoke like a professional, ¡°Mel, I think your white dress doesn¡®t look very nice. Should we change your dress?¡± A service assistant immediately came over from the side and respectfully said, ¡°Which one would you like, Miss? I can bring it over for you.¡± Melody nced in the service assistant¡®s direction before she held out her chubby finger and said, ¡°I want that beautiful ma¡®am to get the dress for me.¡± The female assistant whom she pointed at felt somewhat ttered. thedy in the Winters family. Even if their parents were divorced, it would not change their status in the even called her¡° beautiful,¡± while Adina had implied that she children had the assistant walked over politely. ¡°Miss, which dress would you grinned and said, ¡°I think that one suits my sister. You turned around and dresses on that row were thetest limited¨Cedition dresses in the boutique. The assistant was turned around, she silently stretched one foot in her hand and did not notice the floor at all. Somehow, she ended up falling straight to the Rip! was torn in the dress as it got caught on the iron shelf assistant was shocked. She stared at the hole in a daze, and she was service assistants at the side were equally shocked, but nobody dared to help her as they were afraid of the dress is torn.¡± Melody¡®s soft voice rang out.¡°Ma¡¯am , you ruined the dress. The word ¡°pay¡± instantly snapped the service assistant out of her daze. She suddenly remembered that she had stumbled into something. Otherwise, how could she have fallen on such t ground? When she turned around, she saw Harold looking at her with a proud smirk. ¡°It was you!¡± The female service assistant got up from the ground in anger. However, she stood up swiftly before she unhooked thece that had gotten caught on the iron shelf. Bang! As a result, she brought down the whole iron shelf, and a row of dresses fell to the ground. The dresses were not made of ss or porcin, so nothing would happen to them even if they fell down. Unfortunately, there was a vase on the iron shelf, and the broken pieces were scattered on the dress pile. Once those little shards got stuck in the dresses, they would never be sold. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wow! Ma¡®am, you¡®re amazing! You destroyed a few dozen dresses on your own. You¡®ll have to compensate a lot,¡± Harold spoke as if he took joy in her misfortune. The female assistant was shocked at first, but she soon felt angry. ¡°You purposely tripped me with your foot. If someone has topensate, it should be you!¡± ¡°Ma¡®am, you¡®re wrong,¡± George said indifferently. ¡°The dresses are in your hands, and you¡®re the one who fell down. It¡®s your fault, so you should naturally bear the consequences. My brother just happened to be here today. But if a dog were here, would you ask it topensate too?¡± Chapter 814 Chapter 814 Chapter 814 Harold was speechless. George was right, but why did his point sound a little strange? Why did he have topare him to a dog? ¡°The surveince camera will have your proof,¡± Alden said. ¡°Even if we go to court , you¡®ll still need to pay for these losses. Someone should calcte how much money she needs to pay in total.¡± A shocked female service assistant at the side immediately took a calctor and approached them to calcte the cost. There was a total of seventeen dresses. The cheapest was $180,000 while the most expensive was nearly $500,000. The total came to about $5,000,000. The female service assistant¡®s face turned pale in response to the huge blow. She could not even afford topensate for one piece, much less so many pieces. ¡°What happened?¡± the noise outside. She immediately put on the dress and walked out to see the it. ¡°Mommy, thatdy destroyed a dozen dresses. She it wasn¡®t me.¡± The female service assistant¡®s lips trembled as she said, ¡°Ms. Daugherty, your son purposely tripped me, so I C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org that the boy was led the gossip about her, and her children heard it, so they . ¡°We¡®ll bear the cost stunned. is rich, but we won¡®t pay the bill for someone else¡®s mistake,¡± Adina indifferently said, ¡°My son was a part of the reason this dress is ruined, but the was terrified. She went weak in the knees and sat on the ground. When she looked at the mess, to punish someone, you shouldn¡®t involve yourself.¡± The children had been fairly reasonable in the incident today, but upon closer look, they ¡°So, you don¡®t me me, Mommy?¡± Adina smiled gently. ¡°You did it to vent some anger on my behalf, so why Alden pursed his lips and said, ¡°That was the only way to remind the service assistant that she can¡®t just gossip about anyone.¡± He knew that it was easy to leave a bad reputation because of such an incident, but he did not care at all as long as he could avenge his mommy. Dillon had been in the men¡®s section. He only heard about the incident from the service assistant after he chose his outfit and came out. He gazed coldly at the female service assistant, who intended to beg for his mercy, and he replied indifferently, ¡°If you had taken the initiative to apologize to Addy instead of immediately putting the me on the child, perhaps I could have still paid this debt for you. But you¡®re still young. It¡®s possible for you to clear your debt in this lifetime if you work hard.¡± Following that, he took Adina and the children out of the boutique. Dillon looked apologetic once they left the venue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Addy. I shouldn¡®t have taken you to this boutique. It¡®s all my fault.¡± Adina smiled casually, ¡°They have the right to say anything they want. I¡®m not bothered by what they say. There are two scars on my face, but I don¡®t find myself ugly.¡± Dillon sighed. No girl could bear to have her face suddenly ruined. Addy just said that to make him feel at ease, right? Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Chapter 815 The first thing Dillon did after he went home was go to Mr. Jones. ¡°Dad, if I remember correctly, you know a famous foreign stic surgeon. Can you introduce him to me?¡±. When Mr. Jones heard what Dillon said, his face instantly darkened. ¡°Dillon , you didn¡®t listen to a thing I said to you, did you?¡± Dillon pursed his lips. ¡°Dad, Addy is my daughter. I owed it to her for the twenty¨Cthree years I missed. Now, she¡®s finally acknowledged me as her father, so I can¡®t ignore her.¡± ¡°She¡®s an illegitimate daughter. If you take her back, it¡®ll make everyone in Sea Cityugh at the Jones family!¡± Mr. Jones said angrily. ¡°If she¡®s still Mdm. Winters, it¡®s fine for us to take her back. But the divorce situation between her and Duke was such a big fuss some time ago. They might divorce at any time. Taking her back won¡®t do the Jones family any good.¡± ¡°I just want to make it up to her. I don¡®t want any benefits! Even if my daughter is a beggar on the street, I¡®ll still take her back.¡± Dillon clenched his fists. ¡°It doesn¡®t matter if you support me or oppose me, the reunion banquet will still be held in three days.¡± ¡°Uncle Dillon, Grandpa is actually thinking for your own good,¡± Jasmine said as she pretended to be obedient. married to Duke at that time, so she looked down on us. Now that she¡®s falling out with the Winters family, she¡®s in a rush to find new He never had a daughter in the would buy Jasmine all the was ndering his biological daughter now. He felt really or not, it has nothing to do with me,¡± Dillon firmly said before hade to ask about the stic surgeon, but ¡° Grandpa, are Sea Cityugh at the Jones been fine to bring back an illegitimate daughter. Even so, it was mainly because Mr. Jones did Daniel not retain her conflict between Adina and her. If Adina returned to the Jones family, she might not want toe back every see Adina walking ¡°Grandpa, Adina still has four kids. Are you nning to let the four illegitimate kids stay in the Jones family too?¡± Jasmine asked softly. Mr. Jones narrowed his eyes. ¡°The kids are the bloodline of the Winters family. If we establish a good rtionship with the kids, perhaps we can maintain the rtionship with the Winters family as well.¡± His words made Jasmine¡®s heart sink. Adina was not going to be Mdm. Winters anymore. She was already disfigured, and she had fallen from the top. Yet, all of that was not as important as having four children! Relying on those four children alone, Adina did not need to worry about the rest of her life. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jasmine curled her fingers tightly. ¡°Jas, when Adinaes back to the Jones family, you may give her more guidance,¡± Mr. Jones said sternly. ¡°No one has ever educated her over the past twenty years, so she isn¡®t very clear about the etiquette in big families. We must prevent her from embarrassing the Jones family!¡± Jasmine faked a smile. ¡°Yes, Grandpa.¡± After Jasmine left Mr. Jones¡® study room, her smile instantly disappeared. Chapter 816 Chapter 816 Chapter 816 Ask her to guide Adina? Ha! No way! She could not wait to see Adina make a fool of herself. Why would she guide Adina? However, since Adina, the former most beautiful woman in Sea City, was disfigured , a lot of people would surely attend the reunion banquet and watch the show. When Jasmine thought of that, sheughed again. ¡°You¡®re still in the mood tough.¡± Zhenny walked down and nced at Jasmine indifferently. ¡°Do you know that Adina is returning to the Jones family?¡± Jasmine nodded. ¡°So what if shees back? She¡®s just a Cindere who¡®s getting divorced. I¡®m not afraid of her.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°You have to be careful when she¡®s back here,¡± Zhenny softly said. ¡°There¡®s one more month of inspection before you¡®re able to officially be the heir of Jones Corporation. If something goes wrong this month, your grandpa will re¨Cexamine.¡± returning to the be careful in whatever you do. I¡®ll send some her fingers with a Adina took the four children home, she started preparing loved to eat the food she made, and she was as she put on her apron and prepared to step into the kitchen, she saw a red luxurious and opened the car door respectfully. Then, her at the wedding. She an uncle and an aunt. His aunt had gotten married abroad and rarely returned, so Adina never met Winters. He was managing the biggest subsidiarypany under while Mabel had been living abroad over the past few years, so the two families did not have much contact. Since Mabel had her. She smiled and said, Mandy smiled and said, ¡°Someone gave me some good tea, so I¡®ve brought some over to let Mabel try it. How is Mabel? Is she getting better?¡± Mabel locked herself in the room every day. Even if she was fine, she would fall sick because of that. It was quite good to have someone her age talk to her. Adina took the tea. ¡°She¡®s resting upstairs. Aunt Mandy, you can head upstairs first. I¡®ll bring the tea upstairs once it¡®s ready.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Mandy walked upstairs and gently knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± Mabel answered weakly. When Mandy entered the room and saw Mabel¡®s pale bare face, she was shocked. ¡°Mabel, why have you fallen even more ill?¡± Thest time she visited had been half a month ago. At that time, she had heard that Duke and Adina were getting a divorce, and there had also been a rumor about Adina going missing. Therefore, she came over to ask about it. But Mabel was sick at that time, so she could not ask anything. She only visited again when she heard that Duke and Adina were getting back together. She initially thought that Mabel had recovered as well, but it seemed that Mabel¡®s had severely worsened. Chapter 817 Chapter 817 Chapter 817 Mabel took a sip of warm water to moisten her throat. ¡°I¡®m fine. I¡®ll be fine after I rest for a few more days,¡± she said softly. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Mabel, you¡®re clearly having anxiety because you worry too much,¡± Mandy gently replied. ¡°Both of us are inws, and we¡®ve known each other for decades, so we¡®re closer than anyone else. Mabel, if anything¡®s on your mind, you can tell me. Keeping it to yourself will only make you sicker.¡± Before Duke¡®s father passed away, Mabel and Mandy had been pretty close. However, following the death of Mabel¡®s husband , her two sons could not get along. Mabel focused all her efforts on handling that matter, so she slowly drifted apart from Mandy. There was no way to tell an ¡°outsider¡± about what had happened in the family. Mabel shook her head. ¡°It¡®s really nothing. I¡®ll be fine in a few days.¡± ¡°Did Adina make you angry?¡± Mandy lowered her voice and said, ¡°Duke got involved with another woman previously. Did she purposely vent her dissatisfaction on you because she dared not trouble Duke?¡± ¡°There¡®s no such thing,¡± Mabel said indifferently. ¡°Addy is good. My illness has nothing to do with her.¡± She had anxiety. fighting, and both of thing that would give no one around her, and she was alone with this fear that coulde at She really isn¡®t easy to get along with.¡± Mandy pursed her lips. youngest daughter has gone insane in prison. Yet, Adina spread among the circle with lower status in Sea City. Adina was the Daugherty family¡®s eldest daughter and Mdm. Winters, so people made everything sound worse, but Mandy did not reiterate those words because she Duke previously got involved with the topic of discussion among outsiders,¡± Mandy continued. ¡°She seems so worrisome. Mabel, you really isn¡®t rted to might not have said it outright, but Mabel two of them said, ¡°Georgie, Al, help me bring Harold quickly ran over. ¡°Mommy, I¡®ll deliver the tea.¡± ¡°The tea is very hot. You¡®re careless, so forget it.¡± Adina avoided him before she handed the two cups of tea to George and Alden. These two boys were serious and attentive, so she was not afraid that they would identally burn themselves. Harold stuck his tongue out. ¡°I¡®ll go upstairs with Georgie and Alden to visit Grandma.¡± Melody put down the toy in her hand. ¡°I want to go upstairs too.¡± Adina smiled and shook her head before she turned around and prepared dinner in the kitchen. The four children went upstairs together. Before they reached the door of Mabel¡®s room, they heard parts of the conversation inside. ¡°She¡®s the Daugherty family¡®s daughter, but she doesn¡®t even care about them. Why would she care about the Winters family? ¡°She made such a big fuss over a trivial matter. A big family like the Winters family became a joke too.¡± When the children heard what Mandy said, their expressions darkened. Chapter 818 Chapter 818 Chapter 818 Harold kicked the room door open, put his hands on his waist, and yelled, ¡°My mommy isn¡®t a member of the Daugherty family. Why should she care about them? Besides, my mommy isn¡®t a joke. Aunt Mandy, stop talking nonsense!¡± Mandy looked extremely embarrassed . She had not just been caught bad¨Cmouthing, but a four¨Cyear¨C old kid was also pointing at her face and reprimanding her. She pursed her lips. Just as she was about to speak, Alden beat her to it. He looked at the pale Mabel. ¡°Grandma, you clearly know that Aunt Mandy is wrong. Why didn¡®t you stop her?¡± Mabel¡®s heart trembled when Alden stared at her. She sighed before she said, ¡°We were talking about another family. It has nothing to do with your mommy. You¡®ve misheard us.¡± isn¡®t a member of the Daugherty family.¡± Melody blinked and said, ¡°Mommy¡®s biological father is my grandpa, Dillon Jones. He¡®ll hold girl¡®s voice was soft, but was stunned.She did not know about such banquet would be held in three days, and she, the mother¨Cinw, actually no ns eyes. ¡°All of you the kids, and she could not handle them. She stood up without taking a sip of the tea that, Mandy turned around and spoke with a straight face. ¡°Daddy has just been back for a few days. There are still signs of Earl Winters power in the Winters family, as well That was an exnation. step out first.¡± The children left the Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. kidse downstairs, she casually asked, ¡°Why ¡°Mommy, don¡®t talk to Aunt Mandy anymore.¡± Harold pouted and said, ¡°She bad¨Cmouthed about you in front of Grandma!¡± Adina was stunned. ¡°Badmouthed me?¡± ¡°Yes, she talked badly about you. She¡®s a bad person. She¡®s a witch!¡± Harold huffed. ¡°We won¡®t wee her to our home again!¡± Adina chuckled and shook her head. ¡°She¡®s your grandma¡®s guest. If your grandma wants to see her, she¡®ll still be able toe to our house.¡± She already knew what Mandy had said about her before the kids told her. After all, about twenty days ago, she had intentionally done a lot of bad things that ended up on the news to deal with Earl. The negative press had roughly affected the Winters family as well. Mandy must have said something in front of Mabel, and the children happened to hear it. They must have said something bad that made Mandy leave angrily. Adina did not mind it. As she picked some vegetables with the kids, Duke returned. Chapter 819 Chapter 819 Chapter 819 Duke changed his shoes at the entrance before he walked toward Adina.He wrapped his arms around her slender waist while he rested his forehead on her forehead. The two of them looked into each other¡®s eyes with strong affection. ¡°Daddy, don¡®t kiss Mommy.¡± Harold covered his eyes.¡° The four of us are still here. Please behave yourselves.¡± Adina blushed and pushed the man away. ¡°Yes, please watch what you do.¡± The children were embarrassed, and the servants also hesitated to look over from afar. ¡°Let¡®s go!¡± George cleared his throat and said, ¡°Leave the vegetable picking to Daddy. Let¡®s go and y!¡± They were fed up with seeing them being so lovey-dovey every day! The kids put the work aside and went to the living room to y. Adina¡®s face turned red as she stuffed the basket of vegetables into Duke¡®s arms. ¡°Sort out the vegetables.¡± Then, she turned around and entered the kitchen to continue her work. Duke smiled and chuckled. picked the vegetables at the dining table. When he raised his head, he could see the figure who was working in the kitchen. people pursued in their lives. And he was very ¡°Ah!¡± scream suddenly came from the in. He noticed that Adina¡®s index finger was bleeding. She second thought, he put her delicate finger in his mouth and gently the suction. Perhaps, the artery of the fingers her face, the massive amount of blood, the stinging pain in her face, and Isabelle who died terribly from a shot in the pushed away. He quickly apologized went to the living room to get some disinfectant and bandages before he returned. The moment he poured the touch me, Duke Winters! voice was uncontrobly sharp, piercing raised his head and saw that Adina¡®s expression was very abnormal. he had never seen in had really Addy. It¡¯s my fault. I¡®ll be Just as Duke was about to continue the disinfection, Adina instantly moved her finger away. ¡°No!¡± She sounded extremely cold. Even though her finger was still bleeding, she turned around and rushed out of the kitchen. She quickly went upstairs and mmed the door with a loud thud. ¡°Daddy, what happened?¡± ¡°Why did Mommy suddenly go upstairs?¡± ¡°I think Mommy¡¯s angry. Daddy, what did you do to make Mommy so mad?¡± ¡°Daddy, why are you still standing there? Go and apologize to Mommy!¡± The four kids came over and kept babbling. Duke put the medical kit aside and frowned deeply. His eyes revealed that he was upset. He did not know why Addy would get angry either. Even if he had identally hurt her, she did not have to be this furious.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Chapter 820 Chapter 820 Chapter 820 One could say that he had never seen Addy lose her temper like that ever since they met. ¡°It¡®s alright. I¡®ll just go upstairs and coax your mommy.¡± Dukeforted the children before he took the medical kit and went upstairs. He knocked on the door gently. ¡°Addy, your finger is still bleeding. Can you let me in to take care of your wound? Once I¡®m done, you can hit me or yell at me as much as you want.¡± But there was no sound in the room. Duke felt more puzzled. Had he really used too much force? He continued to knock on the door. ¡°Addy, can you open the door first? We can talk in person if something¡®s wrong.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. children downstairs do I feel to be bleeding,¡± mind it. Getting angry was even less likely. She was acting strange for some reason today. Did their dad do or say act like this even when she was even coax his wife!¡± Harold said in annoyance . ¡°Can¡®t you see that Mommy¡®s trying to lit up. protagonist, she bes very vulnerable and needs to be cared for. Now that Daddy¡®s here to protect Mommy, had been no one to protect his mommy in the past, so his But now¡­ support system, so she was starting to behave more should be and continue all four continued to y on the door to the in a daze, and her finger slowly stopped bleeding. Her wound was starting to form a scab, and it hurt when heard someone knocking on the door, but the sounds became buzzing background noise. She wanted to hear what the man There seemed to be another internal mysterious force controlling her. Adina closed her eyes and focused on getting rid of the noise in her mind. Itsted for a long time, and she suddenly opened her eyes when someone burst through the door. Her mind instantly became nk, and she asked in a daze, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Duke immediately held her in his arms. ¡°Addy, please don¡®t do this again, okay? Can you not ignore me again? You can yell at me or get angry at me as much as you want, but don¡®t ever lock yourself in the room alone like that.¡± The past twenty minutes felt like a century to him. He was really afraid of losing her. Adina waspletely taken aback. She tried so hard to recall what had just happened, but she only remembered cutting vegetables in the kitchen half an hour ago. How did she end up in the room all of a sudden? She pushed Duke away and softly asked, ¡°I¡®m not angry at you, and I didn¡®t ignore you either. Duke, what happened?¡± Duke stared at her and slowly said, ¡°Don¡®t you remember what just happened?¡± Adina rubbed the back of her head strongly. ¡°I just remember that I was cutting vegetables in the kitchen, and¡­ yeah, I identally cut my finger¡­¡± Chapter 821 Chapter 821 Adina did not understand how she could lose her memory. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. She hadpletely forgotten what happened in the past twenty minutes. She lowered her head and looked at the man who was handling the wound on her index finger. She felt guilty.¡° I¡®m sorry, Duke. I didn¡®t forget on purpose.¡± Duke sighed in relief only after he carefully cleaned the bloody scab for her and put on the bandage. He reached out to stroke her slightly messy hair and softly said, ¡°Addy, you don¡®t have to apologize to me. Should we go to the hospital for an examinationter?¡± It was very abnormal for someone to just lose her memory of a certain period. If this had been the only time she had acted strangely, it would have been fine. But Addy had abruptly walked to the balcony and nearly jumped off at night not long ago. Most importantly , Addy forgot about that incident too. Adina nodded gently. ¡°When I first gave birth to the four kids, my memory would suddenly appear faulty. People have said that pregnancy can lead to cognitive issues for some time. But even though my memory was bad at that time, it was never this bad. Have I also been hypnotized by Catherine?¡± Duke subconsciously chuckled. ¡°Your condition doesn¡®t resemble hypnotic amnesia. You don¡®t have to think about it. We¡®ll find out after we go to the hospitalter.¡± Adina wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed at his exquisite features with her calm gaze. ¡°If I lose my memory and be apletely different person, will you still love me?¡± Duke held her more tightly. ¡°Don¡®t say such foolish things. This won¡®t happen.¡± ¡°I¡®m just asking. If I really be a woman with an entric personality, not only will I have a bad personality, but I¡®ll also look ugly. Will you still love me?¡± Adina insisted on asking him. Duke answered her with his actions. He kissed her deeply and affectionately, his kissnding on the scars on her face. The kiss grew more passionate, and the temperature in the bedroom gradually increased. A kiss could no longer satisfy their physical desires. The two of them only finished when the sky turned dark and the bedroom became darker. By the time they exited the bedroom , the servants had prepared dinner. The four children sat at the dining table while they stared at the two of them. George gently cleared his throat. ¡°I told you that Mommy was just acting cute. Now you believe me, right?¡± Melody blinked. ¡°I want to learn from Mommy too.¡± T Harold rested his chubby chin on his arm. ¡°Mel, you¡®re not acting cute. You¡®re just bullying others with your cuteness.¡± As soon as Melody acted cute, he would immediately surrender without a fight. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Adina walked to the dining table and pretended to speak calmly. ¡°The food today¡®s quite good. Go ahead and call your grandma downstairs for dinner.¡± Alden obediently said, ¡°Papa Brown delivered the dinner upstairs for Grandma just now.¡± Mabel rarely came downstairs to eat with them, so Adina did not say anything else. After dinner, Duke went to get the car key. Harold immediately hugged Adina¡®s thighs. ¡°Mommy, it¡®s reallyte now. Where are you and Daddy going? I want to go too.¡± ¡°We¡®re going on a date,¡± Duke said coldly. ¡°Do you still want to follow us?¡± Harold immediately let go of Adina. He did not forget the time his daddy red at him for many days when he just gave his mommy a kiss. Chapter 822 Chapter 822 Chapter 822 His daddy¡®s desire for his mommy¡®s exclusivity was terrifying. ¡°Okay, enjoy your date.¡± Harold waved in pain. ¡°Mommy, remember to bring me some delicious food.¡± Melody blinked . ¡°Daddy, you have to protect Mommy. We¡®ll wait for you toe back.¡± The four children stood at the mansion¡®s entrance and watched the two of them leave. The car then headed straight to the hospital. Some clinics were closed at night, but Duke had made a call in advance and booked an appointment with the best doctor. Adina took the list and underwent various examinations before she brought the examination report to the outpatient clinic. The doctor carefully flipped through the five checklists.¡± There aren¡®t any big issues with the data in the report. Suddenly forgetting something that just happened is known as temporary memory impairment in medicine. This impairment will slowly disappear with time, but it will also be increasingly severe with age. Under normal circumstances, the symptoms will be more and more obvious only when the patients have reached the age of forty¡­¡± Adina barely understood. It meant that her situation was normal, and she would slowly recover. Duke pursed his lips and asked, ¡°The personality that she shows when she temporarily loses her memories ispletely different from her usual personality. It¡®s like twopletely different people. That can¡®t be exined by temporary memory impairment.¡± ¡°If that¡®s the case, you might need to go to the Psychiatric Department ,¡± the doctor seriously advised. After they stepped out of the outpatient clinic, Adina had aplicated expression. ¡°Duke, I don¡®t have schizophrenia, do I?¡± That could be why her personality would change drastically and she would not remember anything she had done. ¡°Don¡®t overthink it.¡± Duke held her tightly and softly said, ¡°When that incident happened to me some time ago, you experienced too much mental stress. Now that you¡®re suddenly rxed, maybe your mind still isn¡®t used to it. That¡®s why this is happening. Didn¡®t the doctor say you¡®ll be fine after some time? Don¡®t put too much pressure on yourself then. You¡®ll get better.¡°. Adina leaned on his chest and nodded gently. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything when you¡®re here with me.¡± Duke gently stroked her soft ck hair. Addy had been to Hestia Border before. There were all kinds of crimes in that kind of ce. He was worried that some people might have secretly plotted against her. He had to invite a doctor from that ce toe over and check what was going on. However, it had to be done secretly so that no more pressure was put on Addy again. The night silently passed by. When the curtains were drawn the next day, Adina¡®s eyes glinted. It actually snowedst night. Heavy snow had covered the entire courtyard. Snowkes and frost nketed the trees, and everywhere she looked, it was sparkling white. It was absolutely stunning. Adina pushed open the window on the balcony and grabbed a handful of snow before she entered the room. Then, she climbed onto the bed and stuffed it into the back of the man¡®s neck. ¡°You little naughty girl!¡± Duke took her by his arms and pinned her under him. ¡°Are you purposely provoking me early in the morning so that I¡®ll punish you?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Don¡®t kiss me! It tickles!¡± Adina avoided his kisses. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I¡®m really sorry. How about you stick the snow on my neck too?¡± ¡°You clearly know that I can¡®t do that.¡± Duke kissed her on the face. ¡°It¡®s snowing today, it¡®s freezing. Maybe you shouldn¡®t go to the banquet?¡± ¡°The reunion banquet was set a long time ago. How can I not go?¡± Adina nestled in his arms and spoke lazily. ¡°It¡®s still early now. I¡®ll take a short nap.¡± She closed her eyes and rested, but the man¡®s hands restlessly moved around her waist. Adina patted him. ¡°Don¡®t¡­¡± There was a tough battle ahead at the Jones family¡®s reunion banquet. She had to recuperate and build up her strength.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Chapter 823 Chapter 823 Chapter 823 Adina still did not escape Duke. When she looked at the few dark red ickeys on her neck, she almost wanted to cry without tears. ¡°Duke Winters, you b*stard!¡± She put on her makeup while she gritted her teeth and cursed. Duke slowly put on a suit and seemed very satisfied with himself. ¡°I¡®ll send you overter.¡± Adina snorted and ignored him. Luckily, the dress that Dillon had custom¨Cmade for her was rtively conservative, and it covered the hickeys on her neck. Hence, she was not afraid of people gossiping about her. By the time she dressed up and went downstairs, Mr. Brown had sent the four kids to preschool. It was the end of November now. The kids would have a winter break in half a month, and it would be a brand¨Cnew year following the second half of that month. Speaking of which, this was the first New Year¡®s Eve that Adina would be spending with the kids in Cairnstan, and she secretly looked forward to it. Duke sent Adina to the entrance of the hotel. ¡°Give me a call when it¡®s almost over. I¡®lle and pick you up.¡± She heard the man¡®s deep and husky voice in the car. He actually wanted to attend the reunion banquet with her, but he knew that she had her own ns, so he could only let her go in alone to face everything. ¡°Don¡®t worry about me. Everything¡®s under control.¡± After Adina gave him a goodbye kiss on the face, she pushed open the door and got out. As soon as she stepped out of the car, the winter wind swept over her with bone¨Cchilling coldness. She could not help but shiver. It was freezing. Luckily, it had stopped snowing, or else that man would have definitely tried to stop her from attending the banquet. Knowing that Duke was staring at her back, Adina held her breath and straightened her back. Then she walked toward the banquet hall calmly. Before she reached the door, she ran into the Xavier family members. She had told Richard and Ethan long ago not to let Grandmae over. After all, Grandma was old, and it was freezing outside. If she came out, she would suffer. Unexpectedly, Grandma still came, and Richard and Ethan supported her on each side. ¡°Grandma, why aren¡®t you resting at home?¡± Adina quickly went forward, and Richard gave away his position on the left. Mdm. Xavier held Adina¡®s hand, chuckled, and said, ¡°It¡®s a big day for you. Of course I have toe and support you.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Adina smiled helplessly. ¡°Let¡®s go inside now. It¡®s warmer.¡± As soon as she said that, she heard a sneer. When she turned around, she saw Sophia¡®s mocking expression. Sophia initially did not want toe, but the Gardner family insisted on her presence. They told her that the Jones family was big in Sea City, and it would be best if she could seek a connection. It happened that the Xavier family was also attending the banquet, so she followed them. However, when she saw how exquisitely and stunningly dressed Adina was, she felt ufortable again. There were clearly two scars on Adina¡®s face, and she clearly did not look as good as she used to, but why was she still the most dazzling one? Adina smiled faintly, and her eyes shone brightly. ¡°What are you scoffing at, Sophia?¡± She had put on heavy makeup today to cover up her two scars, so only faint dark marks were visible. Chapter 824 Chapter 824 Chapter 824 Her features were delicate and decent. She looked even more elegant and radiant with heavy makeup. Her face was gorgeous and dazzling as if she had just stepped out of a painting. Sophia felt more jealous, and she said with a fake smile,¡± Now I realize that pregnancy before marriage is inheritable . No wonder people always say, like mother, like daughter. Addy, you and your mother reallye from the same family,¡± p! Halfway through her sentence, a crisp p rang out on her cheek. Sophia widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Are you crazy, Adina? How dare you p me?!¡± She was about to rush over with her arms raised, but Richard yelled, ¡°You just came to make a fool of yourself. Why do I have a daughter like you? Ethan, send her back to the Gardner family!¡± Ethan quickly went forward. He pressed down Sophia¡®s arms and softly said, ¡°Sophia, there are many people here today. Don¡®t cause trouble. I¡®m sending you home.¡± Adina rubbed her slightly numb fingertips and nonchntly said, ¡°Ethan, let go of her. Let her mess with me. We¡®ll see if I¡®m more embarrassing or she is.¡± Sophia was furious. This was not Adina¡®s first time pping her. It was fine thest time because it was in the Xavier family¡®s mansion, so it was not that embarrassing. However, countless eyes were watching them in public now. She was Mrs. Gardner, and her own cousin actually pped her. ¡°Everyone knows that you hate me, but as a junior, you shouldn¡®t talk badly about my mother,¡± Adina said indifferently. ¡°I have two bottom lines. The first is my kids, and the second is my mother. Do you remember them clearly?¡± Her condescending tone was filled with an implied threat, which enraged Sophia even more. Before she could curse back, Ethan pulled her away.¡± Sophia, don¡®t make a fuss here. The bigger the fuss you make, the worse it will be for you. The Gardner , Xavier, Jones, and Winters families will despise you.¡± Ethan put Sophia in the car and drove away. Mdm. Xavier shook her head and sighed. ¡°Sophia is getting more and more unreasonable. Ever since she married into the Gardner family, she no longer sides with the Xavier family.¡± Richard said, ¡°I asked her to get an early divorce, but she refused. If this goes on, I don¡®t know what will be of her in the future.¡± Adina did not want to show too much concern about Sophia¡®s matter. She supported Mdm. Xavier into the venue. As soon as they reached the entrance, Dillon quickly went out to receive them. He was weing the guests inside when he heard from a servant that something had happened at the entrance. Feeling upset, he suddenly felt that he should have waited at the entrance and personally brought Addy in. ¡°Addy, are you alright?¡± Dillon greeted Adina first before he looked at the Xavier family members. ¡°Mdm. Xavier, Mr. Xavier, thank you foring.¡± Mdm. Xavier looked at Dillon closely. She did not understand why her well¨Cbehaved daughter had gotten involved with Dillon before getting married. However, it had happened more than two decades ago, so she did not have to question Dillon about it. Dillon then led Mdm. Xavier and Adina into the banquet hall. Adina thought that other Jones family members would not attend. Unexpectedly, she saw Mr. Jones and Zhenny, as well as Jasmine, greeting the guests. Due to Mr. Jones¡¯ presence, the reunion banquet was held on a big scale. Almost half of the noble and reputable richdies in Sea City were there. As soon as Adina walked in through the door, nearly everyone cast their sights on her. There were two scars on the face of the former most beautiful woman in Sea City as the news said. The scars were slightly faded thanks to her makeup, but they still made her gorgeous face a little less pretty. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. People in the banquet hall subconsciously started whispering into each other¡®s ears. Chapter 825 Chapter 825 Chapter 825 ¡°Her face is really ruined. She isn¡®t as beautiful as before.¡± ¡°Even if the scars can be repaired with stic surgeries, she won¡®t have that natural face anymore. What a shame.¡± ¡°I didn¡®t expect Adina to be the illegitimate daughter of the Jones family too. This is breaking news.¡± ¡°Most importantly, we didn¡®t hear anything about it before the reunion banquet. I only realized that the Jones family was holding a reunion banquet after I arrived at the banquet hall.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Adina¡®s current status is amazing. She¡®s the only daughter of the Jones family, a rtive of the Xavier family, and Mdm. Winters¡­¡± ¡°Mdm. Winters? I don¡®t think so. No one from the Winters family came tonight. Clearly, Adina¡®s falling out with them.¡± ¡°It¡®s true! We¡®ve been here so long, but I haven¡®t seen a single member of the Winters family.¡± ¡°They aren¡®t divorced, are they?¡± Adina did not even raise her brows as all kinds of whispers came from her surroundings. When she decided to hold the reunion banquet, she already expected this situation, and she did not care. Dillon lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Addy, why isn¡®t anyone from the Winters familying?¡± Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°Dad, don¡®t worry. Duke and I are very close. I asked him not toe.¡± Dillon silently sighed. He guessed that Addy made up such a white lie to make him feel at ease. He would need to treat Addy much better and find her a better man¡­ At this time¡­ About four reporters carrying cameras and microphones suddenly rushed over from the corner of the banquet hall. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, it¡®s rumored that you and Mr. Winters are already divorced. Can you tell us what the real situation is?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters didn¡®t show up for an important asion like the Jones family¡®s reunion banquet today. Does this mean there¡®s a problem in your marriage?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, you¡¯re still wearing a wedding ring. Does this mean that you¡®re still holding on to this marriage?¡± The questions from the reporters came one after another. Adina cast a nce at the oceanic blue diamond ring on her finger, and she smiled faintly. The ring had been properly ced in the cab previously, and she only put it on again after Duke returned. That man¡®s original wedding ring had long been lost, so she custom¨Cmade a new identical ring for him. When she lowered her head and looked at the ring, everyone could see the reluctance, nostalgia, regret, and gloom she felt. There had to be something wrong with their marriage for her to wear such an expression. ¡°Who allowed you toe in? Security guards, kick these reporters out!¡± Dillon yelled in anger, and about eight security guards instantly rushed in to bring the four reporters out. He had enhanced the security measures in this banquet because he was afraid that reporters would rush in and ask some strange questions. Unexpectedly , something still went wrong. He looked at Adina apologetically. ¡°I¡®m sorry, Addy. It¡®s all because of my negligence.¡± Chapter 826 Chapter 826 Chapter 826 ¡°Uncle, what does the reporter¡®s intrusion have to do with you? What did you do wrong?¡± Jasmine smiled and said, ¡°It¡®s mainly because the divorce between Addy and her husband is too confusing. Everyone is curious. Addy, why don¡®t you take this opportunity today to solve the puzzle for us?¡± She called Adina ¡°Addy,¡± but her voice was filled with a hidden coldness. Adina curled her lips into a bright faint smile. ¡°Jas, if you can tell everyone about your pursuit of men, I don¡®t mind sharing with everyone about what happened between my husband and me.¡± Right after she said that, Jasmine¡®s expressionpletely darkened. She had always been the one courting Flint, but she never won him over at all. If that was exposed, she would be totally embarrassed. Jasmine was afraid that Adina would expose her private business, so she obediently stopped talking. Dillon then led Adina to the spotlight. He held a microphone and spoke in good spirits, ¡°Hello. Thank you for attending the Jones family¡®s reunion banquet despite having a busy schedule. I¡®ve invited you here today because I want you to witness a very important thing for me.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. He took a deep breath before he held Adina¡®s hand and said, ¡°This is my long¨Clost daughter, and after so many years, she has officially returned to me. From today onward, she will be a part of the Jones family.¡± ¡°Congrattions on having a daughter!¡± ¡°Congrattions on having found your long¨Clost daughter, Mr. Dillon Jones!¡± ¡°Congrattions on having one more granddaughter, Mr. Jones!¡± Everyone rejoiced and congratted them. Regardless of whether they were sincere or hypocritical, it looked like a joyful asion at least. Since Mr. Jones attended the reunion banquet, it meant that he had already convinced himself to ept his long lost granddaughter. He took out an antique sandalwood box from his pocket. ¡°This is something that all descendants of the Jones family have. You can keep it.¡± Adina did not hold back either. She epted it and spoke with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Grandpa.¡± When she called Mr. Jones ¡°Grandpa,¡± his expression improved slightly. The Jones family only had one descendant, Daniel. He did not have any siblings. Now that there was one granddaughter, the Jones family had be more prosperous. ¡°Addy, this is my gift for you.¡± Zhenny shed her a friendly smile. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other through conflicts, but we¡®re a family now. If you need any help, just let me know.¡± The giarism incident had been a big fuss, and many people in Sea City knew about it. When Zhenny said that, the incident was easily put behind. Adina did not mind it too and epted the gift. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Zhenny,¡± she said with a smile. She fiddled with the two gifts in her hands, and after she paused for a few seconds, she continued to smile and say, ¡°Am I considered a member of the Jones family now?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Dillon quickly answered. ¡°If you like ¡®Jones,¡® we¡®ll change your family name tomorrow. If you don¡®t like it, you can continue using ¡®Daugherty¡® as your family name. Our family doesn¡®t mind it.¡± When Jasmine heard his words, she pursed her lips. Since her family name was Yackley, her grandpa did not trust her. He even told her that she had to change her family name to Jones after she officially became the heir of Jones Corporation. Grandpa still treated her as an outsider and only allowed her to be the heir because Daniel was a disappointment. Adina stopped smiling and seriously asked, ¡°May I ask, aside from being a member of the Jones family, are there any other additional conditions topete for the election of the Jones family heir?¡± Despite her soft tone, her question struck Jasmine and Zhenny¡®s heart like a heavy hammer. 1 Even Dillon was stunned. He stuttered when he asked,¡± Addy, what¨Cwhat do you mean?¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°I¡®m just wondering if I¡®m qualified to run as one of the family¡®s heirs.¡± ¡°You wish!¡± Jasmine instantly lost her cool. ¡°You¡®re just an illegitimate daughter with low status, but you want to be the heir of the Jones family. Who gave you the audacity?¡± Chapter 827 Chapter 827 Chapter 827 Jasmine¡¯s response made Dillon¡¯s expression turnpletely cold. ¡°Even you can run for the heir position when you¡¯re not a member of the Jones family.Why can¡¯t Addy?¡± His gaze was disapproving. ¡°Besides, Addy is the real Ms.Jones.If I hear the term ¡®illegitimate daughter¡¯ again, I¡¯m going to ask you to stop calling me ¡®Uncle.¡± Jasmine widened her eyes in disbelief. Uncle Dillon had always pampered her the most, and he would give her the best. However, he was saying such cruel things to her now. Adina was clearly an illegitimate daughter. Why could she not say that? Just as she was about to refute, Zhenny stopped her. Zhenny¡¯s expression was also sullen.She knew that nothing good woulde of it when Adina suddenly wanted to return to the Jones family. did not expect the little b*stard to actually This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. years ago, Olivia like a treasure, but was married, he became depressed for idental passing not long after that, Dillon felt dejected for about eight Zhenny slowly gained her father¡¯s trust and gradually how much Dillon loved Olivia, so she knew how much he would love as long as Adina wanted something, breathed in before she calmly said, ¡°Addy, you¡¯ve just returned to the Jones family, and you haven¡¯t settled many of the people out had also been on became the first thing that the family¡¯s illegitimate daughter asked following her return was about being the hall watched the only her first day back with the Jones family, yet she wants to ¡°She¡¯s really using all means to get the Jones family¡¯s property.I can tell she¡¯s been raised in the wrong way.Mr.Jones must regret holding this banquet.She has embarrassed the Jones family.¡± ¡°In that case, Adina and Duke have truly gotten divorced, or else she wouldn¡¯t want the Jones family¡¯s property.¡± ¡°Even if she wants their property, she should take it slow.She¡¯s in such a hurry to be the heir.Isn¡¯t she afraid of other people knowing her intentions?¡± The guests discussed it in low murmurs, but Dillon still heard their voices. Dillon indifferently said, ¡°Addy is the descendent of the Jones family, so she is qualified to be in the running.It¡¯s what Addy deserves, so outsiders can stop barking.¡± ¡°Uncle, can¡¯t you see Adina¡¯s intentions?¡± Jasmine could no longer hold back. She angrily said, ¡°She¡¯s only willing to rejoin the Jones family because she wants to be the heir!Her ambition is so obvious.You¡¯re the one who still believes that she wants you to be her father!¡± ¡°What about you? Why are you trying to be the heir, then?¡± A displeased Dillon asked her in return. As an elder, he did not want to confront his junior in public, but Jasmine really let him down. His love for her for so many years had been a waste. Jasmine was stumped by the question, but it did not take long for her to firmly reply, ¡°That¡¯s because Daniel gave his chance up, so I have to take his ce.¡± Chapter 828 Chapter 828 Chapter 828 ¡°Haha!¡± Adina could not help butugh. She did not expect Jasmine to be so shameless . Jasmine had done something to force Daniel toquit thepetition, yet she managed to make herself sound righteous. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Jasmine red at Adina as though she wanted to kill her. ¡°I¡¯mughing at your tainted perception because you think everyone is the same as you.¡± Adina smiled and spoke leisurely. ¡°Jones Corporation should be seeded by the members of the Jones family, not by a Yackley. In my opinion, no one is more suitable than Daniel to be the heir. It doesn¡¯t matter if he has quit. I¡¯m his sister, so I have the obligation to keep the position for him.¡± Her words were sonorous and powerful, which caused Daniel¡¯s heart to tremble. He would not have expected Adina to say something like that. He recalled the situation when he ran into Adina in the Jones family¡¯s mansion that afternoon, and she just asked himabout this. She suddenly told their father that she wanted to hold a reunion banquet only after he admitted the reason hequit trying to be the heir. At that moment, Daniel suddenly understood why she wanted to run for the heir. Perhaps she wanted to keep this position for him, but she actually did not want to owe him. Infobagh Was she considering him as an outsider or was she sincerely protecting this half-brother? Daniel¡¯s expression looked slightlyplicated. ¡°You¡¯re really good at defending yourself!¡± Jasmine angrily said, ¡°Daniel and you are stepsiblings, and you didn¡¯t see him for so many years. Would you have a sibling for him? You¡¯re saying this shamelessly because of your own desire andC0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. wanting to inherit everything of the Jonesfamily¡­¡± ¡°Jasmine!¡± Daniel coldly interrupted her. ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t know whether my sister and I have the brotherly camaraderie. I can protect my sister, so my sister will naturally stand up for me. We are the true siblings, and you¡­ are just an outsider.¡± ¡°You¡­ You!¡± Jasmine angrily stomped. Zhenny pulled Jasmine in time. She was afraid that Jasmine would blurt out something irreversible again. ¡°Mom, why are you stopping me?¡± Jasmine took a deep breath and angrily asked, ¡°I¡¯ve pampered thiscousin of mine for many years, yet he¡¯s cooperating with an outsider to push me out. I won¡¯t spare him so easily.¡± ¡°Do you want him to expose the reason he quitthepetition for the heir?¡± Zhenny gritted her teeth and said softly. ¡°Even if he exposes it, so what? Adina is the one who gets embarrassed. She cheated in her marriage. She¡¯ll be drowned by people¡¯s criticism!¡± Jasmine ruthlessly said. ¡°Even if she is exposed, you can justugh at her for a few days. Do you know what you will lose? You set your cousin up with a method, and this is a capital offense foryour grandfather. You will lose the position of the heir!¡± Zhenny said in disappointment. Jasmine suddenly understood it. Daniel had always been the most important to her grandpa If her grandpa found out that she had forcedDaniel topromise, he would hater her. Stop quarreling,¡± Mr. Jones spoke in time, and his gaze was indifferent and dignified. ¡°Addy is the descendent of the Jones family, so she is qualified to run for the heir of Jones Corporation. Chapter 829 Chapter 829 Chapter 829 Zhenny¡®s expression instantly darkened. When that b*stard, Adina, mentioned Daniel¡®s name, she knew that her father would agree. Indeed , Daniel was the most suitable candidate to him. ¡°Dad is right,¡± Zhenny softly added. ¡°Jasmine is still young and immature, so please don¡®t mind her, Dad. Regarding the matter of the heir, we can confirm the details when Jones Corporation has a meeting later. What do you think?¡± Mr. Jones nodded. ¡°We¡®ll discuss the matterter.¡± Adina smiled faintly. She brought this up at the banquet because she was afraid that the Jones family would go back on their word. Now that many people were witnesses. Even if Mr. Jones changed his mindter on or Zhenny cheated, it would be impossible to change anything. She was determined to obtain the heir position. The farce ended hurriedly, and the banquet continued , but people in the banquet hall looked at Adina Owned by N?velDrama.Org. with more disdain and curiosity. Mdm. Xavier held Adina¡®s hand and whispered, ¡°Addy, even if it¡®s for your brother, you shouldn¡®t have been so rash and made yourself everyone¡®s target.¡± ¡°Grandma, I never care about what people think.¡± Adina smiled and softly said, ¡°Since I grew up, I have been discussed by all kinds of people. If I cared about thesements, I would have been drowned by Infobagh their criticism.¡± Mdm. Xavier sighed. ¡°Is it worth it to help a half brother?¡± Adina had also asked herself before if it was worth it. Perhaps the warmth she experienced over these years was too little, so she would be touched because of what Daniel did. She was running to be heir not only for Daniel, but also for Dillon. Dillon was dispirited for nearly ten years because her mother identally died, and he lost the right to speak in the Jones family. He had been suppressed by Zhenny. Her father was not very capable, but he was doing his best to protect her. ¡°Please rest assured , Mdm. Xavier. I will protect Addy.¡± Dillon walked over and seriously promised, ¡°Addy is the only daughter Olivia and I have. I will protect her with my life.¡± When Mdm. Xavier looked at Dillon, she suddenly became absentminded. When she saw Dillon, she remembered her daughter, and her emotion instantly became gloomy. Richard softly said, ¡°The banquet is almost over. I¡®ll send you back first.¡± Mdm. Xavier was old and ill, and she was a little tired after she came out for so long. She just nodded and let Richard help her to leave first. Dillon¡®s gaze wasplicated as he said, ¡°Addy, you should¡®ve told me about this in advance.¡± In that way, he would be able to arrange the matter rted to the heir perfectly so that Addy would not be the target of public criticism. Adina smiled faintly and said, ¡°Dad, Zhenny is controlling Jones Corporation. Even if you secretly handle it, those experienced shareholders can still vote me down when there is a shareholder meeting. It is only when being watched by so many people that I can properly enter Jones Corporation and run for the heir. Don¡®t worry, Dad. I¡®m not interested in the position of the heir. I just think that Daniel should not be suppressed by Jasmine.¡± ¡°Addy, if have what it takes to be the heir, then the position should belong to you,¡± Dillon said earnestly.¡± Daniel has his own opportunities and life. You don¡®t have to think about him.¡± LLLLL Adina indifferently smiled and said, ¡°We¡®ll talk about it again. I might not be able to be the heir.¡± She had Daugherty Corporation and LaStar Technology Corporation under her name, and the children¡®s companies required her management sometimes. She was so busy every day that she simply did not have the energy to manage Jones Corporation. She came to run for the heir merely because she had a personal grudge against Zhenny and Jasmine. The feeling of settling her grudge with official work was really good. Chapter 830 Chapter 830 Chapter 830 Adina pursed her lips and took a sip of the champagne. It was a fine wine with a mellow and refreshing taste. The reunion banquet ended quietly. Dillon wanted to send Adina back, but she rejected him with a smile. ¡°Duke is waiting for me outside. Dad, you better talk to Grandpa. He¡®s been watching you.¡± Dillon turned around and saw that Mr. Jones was really looking at him. He helplessly said, ¡°Be careful on the road. Send me a message when you get home.¡± Adina nodded. She lifted the hem of her dress while walking out of the banquet hall. At this time, almost all the guests left. As soon as she reached the door, she was stopped by someone. LI U She raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Jasmine, what are you doing?¡± Jasmine gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Adina Daugherty, you insist on standing up against me, right?¡± Adina chuckled, ¡°I don¡®t understand what you¡®re talking about.¡± ¡°You stole Flint, fine. Why do you still want topete against me for the position of heir?¡± Jasmine said in The guests left, and only the members of the Jones family were there. Mr. Jones looked very stern. He stared at Dillon. ¡°Is this your idea?¡± ¡°Addy is excellent, and she is also suitable to be the heir of the Jones family.¡± Dillon did not deny it. He indifferently said, ¡°She started her ownpany, and she acquired and integrated Daugherty Corporation. LaStar Technology Corporation is gradually emerging in Sea City now, so we don¡®t have to question her business ability at all.¡± ¡°But her status is slightly awkward,¡± Zhenny indifferently said, ¡°If an illegitimate daughter bes the heir, the outsiders will definitely say there is no other member in the Jones family.¡± Dillon cast an indifferent gaze over. ¡°If we let Ms. Yackley be the heir, will the outsiders not criticize us?¡± Zhenny¡®s words were stuck in her throat. Jasmine knew that she could not act unreasonably, so she started acting pitifully. ¡°Uncle, now you have your own daughter, so are you not going to pamper me anymore?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Addy is your cousin. If you respect her, I will naturally pamper you,¡± Dillon indifferently said. Jasmine angrily clenched her fists. Adina was really too b*tchy! She did not just steal the one she loved, but she threw her family into a mess! She would not reconcile with Adina! Adina wanted topete for the heir, right? Oh, Jasmine would rather both of them lose than let that little b*stard seed! Chapter 831 Chapter 831 Chapter 831 When Adina walked out to the entrance, she saw a ck car parked at the exit, keeping a low profile. She smiled faintly and walked over. Before she reached the car, Duke got out of the driver¡®s seat and helped her open the passenger side door. The man bent down and carefully fastened her seat belt for her before he said in a deep voice, ¡°Why did you drink wine?¡± ¡°I just took a few sips,¡± Adina said casually. ¡°When did you get here?¡± Duke returned to the driver seat, held the steering wheel, and said, ¡°I just arrived.¡± He drove the car slowly on the road, and his low, deep voice rang out in the car. ¡®I should¡®ve attended the reunion banquet with you today.¡± Adina was stunned but immediately understood it. She guessed that the incident at the banquet tonight had ended up on the news. Sophia had mocked her, the reporters had hounded her, and people at the banquet had criticized her. Theizens were probably discussing all those incidents. Duke must have specifically browsed through news articles that were rted to her. She held his hand, smiled faintly, and said, ¡°If you had shown up with me, theizens would be saying that the Winters couple is disfigured, and the reason behind is shocking! Theizens are incredibly nosy. Perhaps they woulde up with ame love story.¡± Duke chuckled. He had undergone facial reconstruction surgery yesterday, and his face was still wrapped in gauze, so he could not appear in the spotlight. Nevertheless, he was more reluctant to let Addy face all the gossip alone. ¡°We¡®re so close, and we¡¯re not getting a divorce. Why should we care about what those people say?¡± Adina turned to him with a smile and asked, ¡°You went to thepany today, right? How¡®s the situation? Have you taken care of those hidden dangers that Earl left behind?¡± LT Duke¡®s expression became serious. ¡°He ran more than one illegal biotechnologypany, and he also has some branches in Hestia Border, but his fingerprint is required for me to issue orders. Once his fingerprints are sent to me, I¡®ll deal with them.¡± Thosepanies were cradles of sin. All the chips that had been developed needed to be destroyed to reduce crime. Adina knew about the existence of the biologicalpanies too. Earl had even personally invited her for a coboration in that sector a few months ago, but she turned him down. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The rate of return of this industry was more than 1000%. She was not interested, but there were more people who would rush to do it. It had been established long ago, so it was not an easy task to destroy it. Besides, it was easy to offend someone or even be subjected to devastating retaliation. However, her man was not afraid. He had a sense of justice. Even when he lost his memory, he still retained a sense of kindness. Even though he was influenced by sinful people in thend of sin, he still always followed his heart, Adina¡®s eyes shone, and Duke felt very ufortable as she gazed at him. He swallowed hard. If he had not been driving, he would have taken her instantly He continued the conversation as if he did not notice anything. ¡°I¡®ve arranged for a few people to send Catherine to Hestia Border. Once they¡®re there, they¡®ll get Earl¡®s fingerprints without a problem, and everything will be quickly resolved.¡± Adina could feel the hidden emotion in his voice deeply. Chapter 832 Chapter 832 Chapter 832 Ever since they returned from abroad, they had basically spent all their time together in bed. Shequickly looked away and decided to behave herself to stop triggering the man. It was a quick drive, and the car soon entered the courtyard of the Winters family¡¯s mansion. The moment Adina stepped out of the car, Duke grabbed her into his arms, and they kissed for a minute. Adina only moved out of Duke¡¯s arms when she heard voices from the house. ¡°There¡¯s a guest. Watch how you behave.¡± Duke nced at the mansion. ¡°It¡¯s Aunt Mandy. She¡¯s not an outsider.¡± Adina quickly pulled herself together. Aunt Mandy was not a simple person. Thest time she came to visit Mabel, she said a bunch of bad things about Adina infront of Mabel. Adina did not care about Mabel¡¯s attitude toward her, but they were a family. If they could get along harmoniously, it was naturally better. But if Aunt Mandy instigated things, Adina was afraid that they might not be able to live under one roof. Adina smoothed out her clothes and walked inside. Infobagh Before she got to the door, she heard Aunt Mandy¡¯s voice. ¡°Mabel, have you seen the news tonight? It¡¯s all about Adina. She has a horrible temper. There were so many people , yet she pped Ms. Xavier. That¡¯s her cousin!¡± Aunt Mandy muttered. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°She¡¯s Mdm. Winters, but she just showed interest to be the heir of the Jones family. Isn¡¯t she turning us into a joke for everyone tough at? People who don¡¯t know might think you¡¯ve mistreated her,Mabel¡­¡± 1 ¡°Aunt Mandy, why are you here?¡± Adina walked into the house and asked with a fake smile. ¡°I heard you mention my name. What are you talking about?¡± Aunt Mandy¡¯s expression froze. She had spoken ill of Adina twice. The kids heard her the first time, while Adina and Duke heard her the second time. She was truly unlucky. Mabel tried to smooth the situation over. ¡°Aunt Mandy was talking about the Jones family banquet today. The news mentioned some of it too.¡± Aunt Mandy could not help but ask, ¡°Addy, the news says that you¡¯ve decided to run for heir of the Jonesfamily. Is this true?¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Her cheerful face did not seem aggressive at all, which made Aunt Mandy instantly let her guard down. She spoke in a serious tone, ¡°Addy, you¡¯re Mdm. Winters. The Winters family will give you anything you want. Why do you want to get involved in this mess? Besides, I don¡¯t think you haveto return to the Jones family. This reunion has told everyone in Sea City that you¡¯re an illegitimate daughter. Mdm. Winters is an illegitimate child. If this spreads, it will not only affect the Winters family badly¡­¡± 11 TIL 1 ¡°Whywould it affect the Winters family badly?¡± Adina¡¯s smile slowly turned cold. ¡°Aunt Mandy, if you really care about the reputation of the Winters family, you shouldn¡¯t haverecruited your ipetent nieces and nephews to hold important positions in thepany. Uncle Beale¡¯spany has been losing money over the years, and the impact that has on Winters Corporation isa thousand times greater than my issue. Why don¡¯t I see you reflecting on your situation?¡± ¡°You¡­ You!¡± PL Aunt Mandy widened her eyes in disbelief. She did not expect Adina to suddenly change her attitude. She would not even have expected a junior to have the audacity to speak to her in that tone. ¡°Aunt Mandy, if you have so much free time, you should educate those disappointing children in your family. You better notment on other people¡¯s affairs. Am I right?¡± Adina smiled faintly, and her eyes were filled with disdain. After she spoke, she held Duke¡¯s arms with a coquettish smile and said, ¡°Duke, let¡¯s go upstairs and rest.¡± The two of them walked upstairs side by side, and Duke did not say a word from beginning to end. Aunt Mandy was furious. ¡°Mabel, look, that¡¯s the ¡®good wife¡¯ Duke married. Chapter 833 Chapter 833 Chapter 833 Aunt Mandy was so angry that she was breathing heavily. Mabel put down her teacup. ¡°Forget you, even 1, as the mother-inw, neverinterfere with Addy¡¯s personal matters.¡± ¡°You¡¯re her mother-inw, and she¡¯s your daughter-inw. How can she be so arrogant to the elderly?¡± Aunt Mandy lowered her voice and angrilysaid, ¡°When Duke wasn¡¯t married, I showed you my niece. She¡¯s such an obedient girl. If she married Duke, she would be great at taking care of her husband and serving her mother-inw. She would not disrespect her mother-inw like Adina.¡± Mabel seemed indifferent, but her thoughts were completely differentfrom Mandy¡¯s. She and Duke were in a tough situation. They were biological mother and son, but they had not been able to talk to each other at all for a week. But Addy, the middle person, never thought of mediating things. If it were Mandy¡¯s niece, the situation would not have be so terrible. She knew that Addy had not done anything wrong, but she still hoped that Addy could have done more. While Aunt Mandy wasining downstairs, her babbling inevitably reached the master bedroom. Adina knew that Aunt Mandy wasining about her, but she could not hear what was being said exactly. She nestled in Duke¡¯s arms while she softly asked, ¡°Duke, did I go too far by talking to Aunt Mandy like that?¡± Infobagh ¡°You were right.¡± Duke held her slimwaist. ¡°I know Aunt Mandy¡¯s character. If you make it sound more serious, she won¡¯t dare gossip again.¡± Adina wrapped her arms around his neckand said, ¡°What if I get into a fight with your mom one day?¡± Duke could choose her without hesitation when it came to Aunt Mandy and his wife. Would he still be on her side if it was between his mother and her? ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that you¡¯re always right.¡± Duke leaned down andgave her a kiss on the lips. ¡°No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always stand by your side.¡± Adina¡¯s heart was full of tenderness. She gave the man a sweet and affectionate kiss in return. She sighed and said, ¡°Duke, something¡¯s wrong with your mom. I told you before that you should talk with your mom more when you have time. Maybe you can ease her worries.¡± Duke¡¯s expression darkened slightly. ¡°My mom¡¯s worry is Earl. As long as I spare Earl, she won¡¯t be worried anymore. But it¡¯s impossible to spare him. My mom will need to live with her worries for the rest of her life.¡± Adina remained silent without answering him. She had not experienced everything that Duke had, so it was not her ce to ask himto forgive Mabel. In fact, she could not forgive Mabel either. Perhaps time would erase everything, so she should just leave these grudges and entanglements to time. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not think about it.¡± Adina raised her head and kissed Duke¡¯s chin. C 1 Duke rolled over and pinned her down. ¡°May 1?¡± he asked softly. Adina snorted. ¡°If I say no, will you leave me be?¡± Duke chuckled before he lowered his head and kissed her red lips. Adina wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes slightly while they enjoyed the intimate moment. Right then, a voice that did not belong to her suddenly appeared in her mind.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 834 Chapter 834 Chapter 834 ¡°Leave him!¡± She heard the mechanical voice over and over again. Adina instantly opened her eyes. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Duke immediately stopped moving and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°No¡­ Nothing.¡± As soon as Adina said that, she heard the voice again. Her head hurt so much, as though it was being split in half, and she nearly fainted. She suddenly remembered feeling the same pain that night when she suddenly tried to jump off the balcony. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The pain in her right cheek spread to the back of her head, and she suddenly forgot everything. She could not let it happen again! No way! She could hear the voice urately. It was not an illusion. It was a real voice that had appeared in her mind. The voice had a great force that dominated her entire mind. It ordered her to leave Duke. Why was there such a voice? Adina grabbed the bedsheet tightly as she fought the voice in her head with all her might. The intimate moment ended, and the voice in Adina¡®s head finally disappeared as well. 1 She instantly rxed and leaned in Duke¡®s arms weakly. ¡°There¡®s something wrong with you today.¡± Duke held her as distress filled his heart. Adina nodded and allowed him to carry her to the bathroom. When the water from the shower poured down on her body, her mind slowly cleared up. She had experienced two transient amnesias , and both had happened while she was being intimate with Duke. She had no memory of what happened during the first and second times, but she did not experience total amnesia during the third time earlier. She clearly remembered that the voice ordered her to leave Duke. These abnormal bouts started happening only after she returned from abroad. She never encountered anything strange in Hestia Border either. Why would this happen now? ¡°Addy, there¡®s something on your mind,¡± Duke whispered into her ear when he carried her back to the bed. ¡°Yes, my mind¡®s preupied ,¡± Adina said with a giggle just to move on from the matter. 1 Before she found out what it was, she felt it better not say anything that would frighten him. Chapter 835 Chapter 835 Chapter 835 It was not until the warm winter sun shone in from the balcony that Adina and Duke woke upzily. It was already 8:00 am. The two of them, who rarely woke upte, had gotten busy the entire night, so they slept in a little longer. Just as Adina was about to wake up, Duke wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°Addy, you should sleep a little longer. You were exhaustedst night.¡± 1 ¡°Aren¡®t you more exhausted?¡± Adina said without looking shy. ¡°I still have to head to thepany and work today. Don¡®t pester me.¡± After she said that, she quickly jumped off the bed. If they continued to lie in bed for a little longer, the man would definitely take advantage of her again. When Duke saw her running into the bathroom, he subconsciously chuckled. He lifted the nket and got up. When he looked at the withered leaves and warm winter sun outside the window, his eyes were full of warmth. Once he finished his work this quarter, he would take Addy to the south for winter break. After Adina and Duke got ready, they went downstairs . The children had already gone to preschool. Following breakfast, Duke drove Adina to LaStar Technology Corporation and stopped downstairs. ¡°I¡®lle and pick you up after work in the evening. Remember to wait for me.¡± Adina kissed him on the lips. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll wait for you.¡± She carried a small leather bag and walked into the office building in her high heels. Ever since she came back from abroad, she had not been to thepany much. She needed to slowly take care of the work that had umted for nearly a month. Luckily, Serene was a capable and self¨Cdriven assistant. She would handle all the trivial matters, so the remaining work was the big projects that were more important and involved a higher amount of funds. Adina flipped through the project documents that had piled up. Most of them were existing problems left from Daugherty Corporation, so she did not me Serene for not handling them separately. She drank some coffee as she worked, and time passed by silently. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, a man is here to see you. His family name is Gardner, and he says he¡®s your cousin¨C inw.¡± Serene knocked on the office door, walked in, and reported. Adina was a little stunned. It took her a while to recall who this cousin¨Cinw was. When she was about 17, she attended Sophia¡®s wedding, and that was the only time that she had met this cousin inw. Did this cousin ¨Cinwe to look for trouble because she pped Sophia in public yesterday? However, was Sean not on good terms with Sophia? She heard that he had even openly brought his mistress back to the Gardner family¡®s home once. How could such a mane and stand up for his wife? Adina frowned and nonchntly said, ¡°Ask him to wait in the meeting room.¡± She wanted to see what Sean was going to do. Serene brought him to the meeting room, and Adina took her sweet time as she walked to the meeting room ten minutester. When she showed up, Sean, who was sitting on the couch, immediately stood up. He went forward with a smile.¡° Addy, we finally meet.¡± Adina raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Mr. Gardner, you should know my rtionship with Sophia. I find it hard to respond to you if you call me ¡®Addy.¡®¡± ¡°Why do you say that, Addy? Our kinship can never be cut off,¡± Sean said with a smile. ¡°I purposely came here today to apologize on Sophia¡®s behalf. She said a lot of things that offended youst night, I already taught her a lesson at home, so she won¡®t offend you again.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. As Sean spoke, he picked up a gift box. ¡°I personally chose this gift for you as an apology. Please ept it, Addy.¡± Chapter 836 Chapter 836 His wife had been pped, yet he hade over to apologize to her instead. Sophia was wrong, but her husband was clearly using her as a stepping stone this time. She was really pitiful. Adina did not understand why Sophia kept holding on to the marriage. ¡°I¡®ll be the host this afternoon and treat you to a good meal. Addy, please don¡®t bother about Sophia.¡± Sean chuckled as he continued speaking. He shed her a smile, but different thoughts popped up in his mind. He had visited the Xavier family¡®s mansion yesterday and heard from Mdm. Xavier that Adina was not divorcing Duke at all. Besides, Mdm. Xavier made it sound as if the two of them were still pretty close. Even if they were divorced, Adina was still the biological mother of the Winters family¡®s young masters, so she could not be offended under normal circumstances. Moreover , Adina was the Jones family¡®s only daughter. Gardner Corporation happened to have a coboration with Jones Corporation. If he established a good rtionship with Adina, that project could likely continue for a long time. He just needed to lower his status to secure a permanent project. Why not? Adina chuckled and asked, ¡°May I ask how you taught my cousin a lesson?¡± ¡°Doesn¡®t her mouth always cause trouble? I just pped her a few times. Let¡®s see if she still dares to spout nonsense in front of you.¡± Sean felt that he had done a very good job, so he spoke of it proudly. Adina¡®s expression instantly turned cold. She hated Sophia, but she hated a man who cheated andmitted domestic violence even more. ¡°It¡®s not your turn to worry about me and Sophia. Please leave,¡± she said with contempt. Sean did not find her attitude cold at all. He continued to smile and say, ¡°I¡®ve reserved a table at the restaurant downstairs . You cane down at lunch hourter. We can have a good meal.¡± Adina¡®s expression was indifferent. ¡°No, I¡®m very busy. I don¡®t have time to have lunch with you.¡± After she said that, she left the meeting room. Sean stroked his chin and finally realized that he had C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. been turned down. The Gardner family was one of the top big families in Sea City as well. Countless people wanted to invite him for a meal, yet he never gave them the time of day. But a b*tch just rejected him? Sean left LaStar Technology Corporation with dissatisfaction. Just as he reached downstairs, a seductive woman stepped forward. ¡°Seany, how did it go?¡± ¡°That b*tch didn¡®t appreciate my invitation!¡± Sean held the woman¡®s slim waist. ¡°Forget it, I don¡®t need that business with the Jones family either.¡± ¡°Seany, if that big project with the Jones family works out, you¡®ll have more right to speak in the Gardner family than your two elder brothers. Only a fool would give up!¡± There was a glint in the woman¡®s eyes. ¡°What happened just now? Seany, tell me more. I cane up with some ideas too.¡± Sean pped her buttocks before he carefully talked about the meeting with Adina earlier. ¡°In other words, when Adina found out that you pped Sophia a few times, her attitude suddenly changed.¡± The woman realized it. ¡°Adina hates Sophia the most. It must be because you pped Sophia too slightly. Adina could have given Sophia a few ps too. Why would she need you?¡± Sean stroked his chin. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Seany, we can do this and this¡­¡± The two of them started muttering Chapter 837 Chapter 837 Chapter 837 After finishing their work in the morning, Adina, Serene, and a few colleagues went downstairs for lunch. Just as Adina walked through the restaurant¡®s door, she saw Sean and a young woman sitting near the restaurant¡®s window. The woman was wearing a gorgeous and seductive outfit. She leaned on Sean as she sat, and her chest was pressed against Sean¡®s arm. Meanwhile, the man was moving his hand over her waist and hips. If this had not been a public ce, Adina would have thought that the two of them would give a live performance. ¡°Let¡®s go somewhere else,¡± she said indifferently. Before she could turn around, Sean spotted her and immediately came forward. ¡°Addy, pleasee over and sit. I¡®ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± When Adina saw his smiling face, she felt extremely ufortable. ¡°I¡®m not free,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Addy, aren¡®t you having lunch anyway? Let¡®s eat together then.¡± Sean chuckled to make Adina stay. ¡°I¡®d like to talk to you about something serious.¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Seany just wants to invite you for lunch to apologize to you.¡± The woman also walked over and lowered her voice. ¡°Sophia was being unreasonable. She criticized herte aunt in public, so your p was definitely well¨Cdeserved.¡± Adina felt a little nauseous. She really did not want to deal with these people, but they insisted on getting in her way, so they could not me her for speaking rudely. ¡°If Sophia is unreasonable, what about you?¡± Adina asked with disdain. ¡°You¡®re only in your early twenties. Why would you want to be a mistress out of everything? Didn¡®t your parents teach you to behave yourself?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The woman was stunned. When she felt strange gazes from all directions, she felt extremely embarrassed, and she could not say a word. Sean¡®s expression did not seem pleased either. ¡°Addy, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Mr. Gardner, please don¡®t use Sophia as a stepping stone to seek a connection with me. If I hate Sophia , I¡®ll deal with her myself. I don¡®t need you. You¡®re her husband. If you protect her and love her, perhaps I¡®ll still befriend you, but now¡­¡± Adina sneered. ¡°I hate men who beat and cheat on their wives the most!¡± She uttered those words powerfully, and everyone in the restaurant apuded her. ¡°Well said!¡± ¡°Some young girls nowadays are truly shameless. They¡®re always looking to hook up with married men!¡± ¡°If such a woman existed a few decades ago, she would have been caned in public!¡± Adina pursed her lips. This was what happened nowadays. No matter what the situation was, as long as it involved a woman, it would only be the woman¡¯s fault. People rarely reprimanded a man like Sean. She nced at Sean before she left the restaurant with Serene and her other colleagues. With everyone staring at him, Sean becamepletely furious. He gave the woman a backhand p. ¡°I shouldn¡®t have listened to you and waited for Adina here. I was humiliated because of you! Get lost!¡± The woman covered her face in disbelief. ¡°Sean Gardner, you pped me! Didn¡®t you say you¡®d treat me well for a lifetime? I¡®ve been so blind. Why would I be with a man like you?¡± Sean looked annoyed. ¡°Get out of my sight. You¡®re annoying!¡± There were too many women around him, and he would go through a few in a month. This woman had been with him for a little longer, but it had just been half a year. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Unexpectedly, she started getting involved with his career. If she had not insisted oning along today, would Adina have insulted him in public? Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Sean left with the swing of his arm. ¡°Wait!¡± The woman cradled her face. She stomped on the floor and shouted at him. At the Gardner family¡®s house¡­ After Sophia married Sean, she became the Gardner family¡®s third madam. She did not have much serious business to attend to aside from enjoying her life and partying. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Right now, she was talking to Morganna on the phone. ¡°No matter what, I won¡®t return to the Xavier family anymore. The incidentst night is pissing me off!¡± Sophia gnashed her teeth. ¡°When that b*tch pped me, Grandma just stood by without helping me. Father was the same. He didn¡®t protect me even though I¡¯m his daughter! My family treats me like trash. I won¡®t go back to them anymore.¡± U ¡°That¡®s not true. The Xavier family does treat you like family. When Sean took a woman back to his homest time, your father personally went to see him. He¡®s been the one keeping Sean in check. Sophia, your father cares about you. Still, you have to prove yourself so that we don¡®t have to always worry about you.¡± Morganna paused for a moment before she said, ¡°In my opinion, you can divorce Sean¡ª¡± ¡°No, I won¡®t divorce him!¡± Sophia clenched her teeth and spoke angrily. The moment she spoke, her face hurt. The pain she felt from Adina¡®s pst night was nothing compared to when Sean beat her up this morning as soon as he came home. After Sean struck her, her cheeks became swollen¡­ Sean had beaten her up many times throughout their seven to eight years of marriage. She was aware that divorcing him would be the wisest choice, yet she found the thought absolutely frustrating. Sean was the Gardner family¡®s youngest young master. When she married him, he was a nobody. With the support of her wedding gifts and her family¡®s power, he joined Gardner Corporation¡®s core management. Today, he had be the one most likely to be the Gardner family¡®s next sessor ¡­ After he achieved sess, he wanted to drive her away and let another woman take her ce. Hah! Dream on! Morganna heaved a sigh. ¡°You¡®re still young. You can find a better one. You don¡®t have to stay with Sean¡­¡± ¡°All men are heartless . They are b*stards! I don¡®t have the intention of finding another man. I have to make Sean pay the price no matter what. Otherwise, I refuse to divorce him!¡± said Sophia through gritted teeth. Just then, a servant came in to inform Sophia about the arrival of a guest. Sophia pursed her lips and said, ¡°Mother, I have a guest. Excuse me.¡± She hung up, then took out a small mirror and did some touch¨Cups to cover the bruises on her face before going to the living room. Fury immediately consumed Sophia when she saw the woman sitting on the couch. The woman was the b*tch Sean brought home a few months ago Sophia charged at her furiously and gave her a ruthless p on the face. ¡°It¡®s useless even if you hit me. Sean still won¡®t pay attention to you.¡± The woman did not even try to get on Sophia¡®s good side. She snorted. ¡°Sophia, you can¡®t cover the p marks on your face no matter how thick your makeup is. You¡®re pitiful. Your own husband hit you after your cousin pped you.¡± Sophia was a bad¨Ctempered person. When she heard the woman¡®s words, she tried to p her again. The woman avoided her and sneered. ¡°Mrs. Gardner, give me $10,000,000, and I¡®ll leave Sean.¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Sophia nearly burst intoughter out of anger. Sean had a lot of lovers. Her family would have be broke if each and every one of his women asked her for $ 10,000,000! Sophia had given up hope on Sean. She did not care about the number of women the scum had. All she cared about was plotting a way to make Sean lose in the fight for the Gardner family¡®s wealth¡­ Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Sophia¡®s continuous cussing drove the woman out of the house. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. At night, after Sean¡®s driver returned home, Sophia finally learned the entire story, and she froze. ¡°You mean, Adina cussed those b*stards out in public, and Sean drove that b*tch away out of embarrassment ?¡± The driver was used to Sophia calling Sean and the woman ¡°b*stards.¡± He nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Sean wanted to discuss Jones Corporation with Ms. Daugherty, but she rejected him without hesitation. The reason she turned down his offer is due to his extramarital affairs with that woman.¡± Sophia looked conflicted after she heard his words. Before this, she hated Adina deep down to her marrow because Adina had pped her. Sophia could not wait to return the favor with ten ps. At that moment, she finally learned that Adina had sided with her and even spoken up for her. Whenever Sophia cussed Sean out, he would beat her up. However , Adina was different. She not only made Sean lose his dignity, but she also caused him to split up with his long¨Ctime lover¡­ Nothing could be more joyous! Sophia wished that she could have personally seen how Adina cussed at that piece of scum and made him fly into a fit of rage out of humiliation. The corners of Sophia¡®s lips twitched. At the end of the day, she refused to humble herself and sought to learn about the entire story from her ex¨Cenemy. Meanwhile, Adina was answering a call inside Duke¡®s car. It was a call from Dillon. He had invited Adina and her family to have dinner at his house. Adina rejected him politely and said, ¡°We¡®ve prepared dinner at home. I¡®ll bring my kids over in a couple of days.¡± After she hung up, Duke asked, ¡°Why didn¡®t you ept his invitation?¡± ¡°Aside from my father and my younger brother, the rest of them don¡®t wee me. We¡®ll only get into trouble if our presence isn¡®t weed there.¡± Adina turned to Duke. ¡°My sixth sense tells me that you¡®re interested in joining them?¡± Duke cleared his throat and said, ¡°I haven¡®t officially met my father¨C inw.¡± He had met with an ident previously, and he had been upied with various businesses ever since his return to the country. Moreover, Adina had refused to let him join the reunion banquetst night. Hence, he had not seen her parents until today. ¡°Haha! Why are you in a hurry? You¡¯ll meet him soon, Frankenstein!¡± Adina teased him. Duke¡®s face turned ck. ¡°Are you saying that I¡®m ugly?¡± ¡°It¡®s true that you look slightly unpresentable now,¡± Adina said honestly. Two days ago, Duke had undergone facial reconstructive surgery in the hospital. Thus, he was still in the middle of recovery and had not regained his good looks. Duke stopped the car in the courtyard. He hugged her and kissed her passionately. Adina panted as a result of his passionate kiss. ¡°Am I still ugly now?¡± he asked in a deep voice. ¡°No, you¡®re very handsome. My husband is the most handsome man in the world!¡± Adina curried favor with him. Duke was satisfied. He got out of the car with his arm around her waist. When they stepped out, Mabel and their children were ying in the living room. After the couple entered the house, Mabel went upstairs quietly. George had discovered her unusual behavior long ago, and he discreetly asked Adina, ¡°Mommy, what¡®s wrong with Grandma?¡± Chapter 840 Chapter 840 Chapter 840 ¡°Grandma isn¡®t in a good mood. Spend more time with her after you finish school, okay?¡± Adina stroked her children¡®s heads before heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Alden nodded. ¡°Does it have anything to do with Earl?¡± Alden and George were aware of the story so Adina did not hide it from them. She heaved a sigh and said, ¡°Grandma will see the light as time goes by. Don¡®t worry too much about her.¡± After that, Adina poured oil into the frying pan and prepared dinner skillfully. The kitchen helper had prepared all of the ingredients for her in the morning. All Adina had to do was cook. She finished preparing seven dishes within half an hour. After they had dinner, the children read books and did their homework. Meanwhile , Adina and Duke worked in their study. Adina was in the middle of studying some information regarding Jones Corporation. She was one of the candidates for the session contest, so she had to gain a better understanding of herself and her competitor to prevail. Duke passed her some documents. ¡°These are Jones Corporation¡®s financial reports for the past few years and its major projects in the past six months. Take your time to read them. The corners of Adina¡®s lips curled upward. ¡°Honey, that¡®s very kind of you. How did you know I needed this information?¡± Duke smiled. ¡°How do you n to return my kindness, then?¡± Right after he spoke, Adina snorted. ¡°Can you stop having dirty thoughts? Don¡®t you feel tired from having sex several times a day?¡± ¡°No, I don¡®t.¡± Duke pestered her. ¡°You can continue reading the information tomorrow. Let¡®s rest early tonight.¡± His body temperature rose, but Adina avoided him.¡° They¡®ll have a shareholder meeting the day after tomorrow. It¡®ll be toote to read all this tomorrow. Honey, don¡®t do this¡­ Duke, if you refuse to listen to me, I¡®ll ignore you!¡± The moment she raised her voice, Duke immediately kept himself in check. He obediently went to the side and worked on his documents. Adina leaned on his back and crossed her legs while she flipped through the Jones Corporation information¡­ The days passed peacefully without any disturbance. Soon, it was the day of Jones Corporation¡®s shareholder meeting. The major shareholders and top management of Jones Corporation were in attendance. As such, the meeting room was crowded. Dillon personally brought Adina into the meeting room, and the crowd swept their gazes across her in unison. Adina was used to facing big asions. She entered the meeting room calmly and bowed to the crowd. Then, she calmly said, ¡°Hi, everyone. I¡®m Adina Daugherty. I¡®m also a member of the Jones family. Nice to meet all of you.¡± The crowd inside the meeting room respected Dillon, so they apuded wildly for her. ¡°Please be seated,¡± Mr. Jones said coolly as he took his ce in the main seat. Many of the attendees had attended the reunion banquet. They were aware of the purpose of the meeting. Hence, they fell silent and listened to what Mr. Jones had to say next. ¡°We¡®ve set the rules. Only direct descendants from our family¡®s bloodline are qualified topete in the session. The most capable and talented person will be the person in charge of Jones Corporation,¡± Mr. Jones said calmly. ¡°Addy is part of our family, so she has the right to participate. There¡®s no doubt about that. Do you have anything to voice out?¡± Mr. Jones had personally confirmed that Adina was a member of the Jones family, thus she was qualified to take part in the session contest. As such, no one had the courage to go against him. If they did, it would be tantamount to challenging Mr. Jones¡® power in public. For a moment, the crowd remained silent. Jasmine looked down and smirked to herself. ¡°If no one has any qualms about it, Addy and Jas will officially beginpeting for Jones Corporation,¡± Mr. Jones said calmly. ¡°The flow of the contest is the same as before. Whoever has the highest rating within a month will inherit Jones Corporation.¡± The performance rating table wasplicated. They measured the nominees¡® performance in terms of their project profitability, projectpletion, employee ratings, senior scoring, and so on. The overall score would be aplex factor. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Project profitability andworking would be the two most crucial elements of all. Chapter 841 Chapter 841 Chapter 841 The Jones family discovered Adina less than a week ago. She did not have anywork in Jones Corporation. As for her ability, she couldnot possibly demonstrate her ability within a month. Hence, thepetition¡¯s approach was unfair to her. Dillon considered the issue and said, ¡°Father , I think a month is too short for thecontest. We should give it half a year to allow Addy to adapt to Jones Corporation and its surroundings¡­¡± The key was to develop Adina¡¯swork so that shehad a chance to prevail in the tough battle. ¡°Uncle Dillon, that¡¯s very funny,¡± Jasmine yed with her hair and said without hesitation. ¡°Back in the day, after my mother returned from abroad, she fought for her position with you even though she didn¡¯t have plete understanding of Jones Corporation. My mother managed to adjust within a month¡¯s time, so I trust Adina can too.¡± Dillon was frustrated whenhe heard her words. Back then, he had shown no interest in seeding Jones Corporation. He agreed to join the session contest only because he was afraid of Mr. Jones¡¯ continuous nagging. Taking part in the session contest was just for show. Truth was, he did not care about it at all. He gave up the position and allowed Zhenny to take it away from him. Infobagh However, Jasmine said that Zhenny had gained the position based on her own ability. Was that not irritating? ¡°Father, even though Jas¡¯ surname is Yackley, she¡¯s your granddaughter. She addresses you as her grandpa. Both of them are your granddaughters. You have to be fair to them,¡± Zhenny said indifferently. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Daniel pursed his lips and said, ¡°If half a year isn¡¯t feasible. How about three months?¡± If Jasmine had not deceived him, Adina would not have gotten involved in this fight for power. Adina had not truly mingled with the Jones family. She could not possibly win if she was only given a month. ¡°A month will suffice¡± A silvery voice rang out. Adina appeared nonchnt as she curled the corners of her lips upward and said, ¡°If we¡¯re given threemonths or half a year, she won¡¯t ept it when she loses. I won¡¯t have the time to get into trouble with her in case she requests a do-over.¡± Jasmineflew into a fit of rage upon hearing Adina¡¯s words. ¡°How arrogant of you, Adina. I hope it won¡¯t be a one-sided match,¡± she said coldly. Both of them exchanged nces, and the atmosphere was filled with hostility. Of course, Adina looked calm and indifferent. Meanwhile, Jasmine could not hold back her anger. Her eyes filled with hostility. ¡°Since Addy agrees with it, the period of the contest will tentativelyst for a month,¡± saidMr. Jones with a straight face. ¡°We have three major projects in Jones Corporation. We¡¯ve invested more than $2,000,000,000 in these three projects, and you can choose one of them for your assessment. After a month, we¡¯ll assess your performance mainly based on the level of the project¡¯spletion as well as its estimated profits.¡± The score of the projectsounted for fifty percent of the overall score, so they weighed a lot. The one who won in terms of the projects would most likely be the sessor. Adina had learned from Duke about Jones Corporation¡¯s three major projects. The petrochemical project was thergest project with the most capital investment. As such, it would most likely be the project that could generate a higher estimated profit. Besides, Zhenny was the one who started the project. Hence, Jasmine would almost certainly choose the petrochemical project as her assessment. Sure enough, Jasmine spoke before her. ¡°I¡¯ll choose first. Adina, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Adina gave her a faint smile. ¡°Be my guest.¡± Dillon got worked up. ¡°Father , I think it¡¯s best to draw lots. That seems fairer.¡± The petrochemical project was certainly the best project among the rest. Aside from its high capital investment and high return, it was, most importantly, in the hands of the company¡¯srgest shareholder. Obtaining the petrochemical project was equivalent to obtaining thergest shareholder¡¯s support. Zhenny smiled wickedly. ¡°I have no qualms with drawing lots Chapter 842 Chapter 842 Chapter 842 Regardless of which project it was, she had all thework and the final say. ¡°Father, let¡¯s just follow Grandpa¡¯s suggestion,¡± Adina saidcalmly. ¡°It¡¯s good that we can choose freely so that we won¡¯tin about it in case one of us loses.¡± Adinaunderstood Jasmine well, so she purposely said that. Jasmine snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t regret your own words.¡± Adina spread her hands and nonchntly said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to regret. Do you really think I care about taking over Jones Corporation?¡± Jasmine was put on the spot once again. In Jasmine¡¯s eyes, Adina was a b*tch that hade to cause her trouble. Adina provoked Jasmine¡¯s anger with every word she spoke and every nce she cast her way. It took Jasmine all of her willpower to suppress her anger. As Adina had predicted, Jasmine chose the petrochemical project. ¡°I¡¯ll take the resort project then,¡± Adina said indifferently. The resort project was ranked second among the three. It was a mediocre project in every aspect. Dillon let out a sigh and did not say anything. Mr. Jones continued to preside over the meeting. Infobagh ¡°Next, we¡¯re going to make personnel arrangements. I¡¯ll divide everyone here into two teams. You have to earn some achievements within a month. Those with outstanding performance will be promoted. You can choose your own team.¡± Jones Corporation only had three major projects for this quarter, and most ofthe staff had been assigned to the two projects. In other words, they needed topete with each other. Most of the great families blessed with many children and grandchildren in Sea City selected their heirsin that manner. Mr. Jones did not create new rules and went through the same flow of procedures. The meeting room fell silent for a while before someone spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ve been handling the petrochemical project all this while. I¡¯ll choose to stay with the project. I¡¯ll help Ms. Yackley produce some good results.¡± Mr. Lawson was the first to raise his voice. Aside from the Jones family, he was thergest shareholder. He was in his mid-fifties, and he had a good reputation in the company. Right after he responded, the remaining people spoke up. ¡°Mdm. Jones promoted me, so I¡¯d like to help Ms. Yackleyplete the petrochemical project.¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m currently in charge of the resort project, I¡¯d like to give the petrochemical project a try. It¡¯s a different project. Ms. Yackley, I hope you¡¯ll give me a chance.¡± There was a total of forty to fifty people inside themeeting room. More than thirty of them took their stands and joined Jasmine¡¯s team. The remaining dozen belonged to the mid-tier management. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. They were not even close with Jasmine, much less Adina. Hence, they thought it best to keep quiet and wait for their arrangement. Zhenny gradually smoothed out her creased eyebrows upon hearing the crowd¡¯s opinions. She had not wasted her efforts in rallying the crowd behind Jasmine. They did not disappoint her at the most crucial moment. Comparatively, Dillon looked pale. He had never expected the top management and shareholders to not show him even the slightest respect. He finally realized how secure his younger sister¡¯s position was in thepany. He was about to say something, but Adina tugged on his Chapter 843 Chapter 843 Chapter 843 ¡°For those who haven¡¯t spoken their minds, may I know what your decisions are?¡± Adina smirked and asked, ¡°Are there any of youwho want to join me on my resort project?¡± Right after she spoke, the meeting room fell silent. Those who had not taken a stand did not want to get involved in the Jones family¡¯s internal strife for power. If they sided with the wrong team, they would be removed from Jones Corporation. Jasmine smiled hypocritically. ¡°Adina, how about I assign two men to help you in your team? You can¡¯t handle the project all by yourself.¡± Given such abig project, they would need at least a dozen people on their management team. A single person could not possiblye up with everything for the project. Fortunately, Zhenny¡¯s position in thepany was secure. A word from her, and none of the staff would dare to go against her¡­ Since Adina wanted topete with her to be Jones Corporation¡¯s sessor, Jasmine would make Adina fail in everything she did so that she would be aughing stockin thepany! Jasmine¡¯s smile grew increasingly prominent. Just then, a man in his mid-thirties spoke hesitantly by the corner. ¡°I¡¯m the marketing manager, Graham Tissot. I¡¯ve been tracking the market data for the resort project, so I have a good understanding of it. Ms. Infobagh Daugherty, I hope you can give me a chance.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°Mr. Tissot , thank you for trusting me. I look forward to working with you.¡± She had assumed that no one would join her team. It turned out that her personality and charm had attracted some of them. Right after Graham spoke, another assistant manager from another department took the initiative to join theresort project. In the end, only two of them joined Adina¡¯s team. Adina was not bothered by it. Even if no one joined her team, she was confident that she could handle the project well. Meanwhile, Zhenny did not care about the two small fries. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Aside from Mr. Tissot and Mr. Wilson, who else wants to join the resort project?¡± The crowd fell silent. ¡°The petrochemical project isrge. Everyone will have to work hard on it,¡± Zhenny said happily. Jasmine stood up. She pretended to be polite and graceful as she said, ¡°I¡¯m still young and unsure of many things. I hope all of you can guide me. I¡¯ll learn with all my heart and live up to your expectations.¡± With that, the top management meeting ended. Zhenny and Jasmine left the meeting room with their supporters in high spirits. The meeting room soon became empty, and Mr. Jones said, ¡°Addy, I¡¯m not trying to be biased. Jones Corporation has always followed the principles of fairness and discretion. I can¡¯t force my staff to work on the resort project.¡± Adina nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t ept those who have been forced to join my team either. They could even tamper with my project from the shadows.¡± Mr. Jones nodded with satisfaction. Even though Adina was ced in a disadvantageous position during the meeting, she remained calm, composed, and elegant. It was as if nothing could change her disposition , not even heaven copsing from above. Initially, Mr. Jones did not regard his illegitimate granddaughter highly. He only agreed to let Adina join the session contest because she protected her stepbrother. Right now, Mr. Jones had to admit that he admired Adina. Although she did not grow up in the Jones family, she exuded the spirit and toughness that belonged to the Jones family.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Chapter 844 Chapter 844 Chapter 844 ¡°Addy, I have two managers with me. They¡¯ve been managing Jones Corporation¡¯s properties in other areas. They¡¯re very capable. I¡¯ll ask them to help you,¡± Mr. Jones said coolly. ¡°With their help, I believe you can find the point of breakthrough in the resort project.¡± Adina was surprised. During the reunion banquet, Mr. Jones did not seem to be fond of her. Why did he do a one-eighty right after the meeting? Adina smiled and said, ¡°Grandpa, wehave to be fair during the session contest. If I ept your help, Jasmine will fixate on this issue and use it against me. Even if I be the final winner, I won¡¯t win the contest honorably.¡± ¡°Are they winning the contest honorably, then?¡± Daniel was young, and he couldnot hold back his anger. ¡°There are more than fifty people in the top management, and forty sided with them. It would take a miracle for them to lose the contest.¡± Adina found his angry expression funny. ¡°So, you don¡¯t think they¡¯ll lose, huh?¡± Daniel pursed his lips and did not say anything. The two projects were unequal in terms of volume, and there was a huge difference in the arrangement of staff for them. There was a gap from the beginning of the race. Infobagh It was clear to see who would win and lose the contest. ¡°Grandpa, Father, Daniel, don¡¯t worry,¡± Adina said with a smile. ¡°I have my ownwork. I don¡¯t need their help.¡± She had been living in Sea City for half a year. She had umted many resources andworks from her twopanies. The resort project was not a huge matter for her. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the two managers to help you out. Zhenny won¡¯t dare say about against it,¡± Mr. Jones said calmly. ¡°Both of them are experienced staff in Jones Corporation. They¡¯ve been working under me since they were your age. Therefore, they understand the ins and outs of thepany. With them around, you can finish the project more efficiently and effectively.¡± It was hard to turn down a person¡¯s kind offer, especiallywhen the person was an elder. Hence, Adina did not refuse him and epted his kindness with a smile. Mr. Jones had seemingly expected today¡¯s situation. Thus, he transferred the two managers back long ago. One of them was the CEO of South Cairnstan , Mr. Owen, and the other was the CEO of East Cairnstan , Mr. Jared. They had worked hard for thirty to forty years before gaining their current positions. They were level -headed and experienced. ¡°Addy, you can have a meeting with them. If you have any questions, you cane to me. After Mr. Jones finished speaking, he turned around and left the meeting room. ¡°Addy, I¡¯m also part of Jones Corporation. I want to join your team,¡± said Daniel. ¡°Although Ick the ability, I can slowly learn.¡± Adina nodded happily. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ll work with me for this month.¡± She did not show any interest in seeding Jones Corporation, and she would pass the corporation to Danielin the future. Dillon was thankful. Never in his wildest dream did he expect the siblings to get along so well. He turned around and left the meeting room, giving space to the remaining people to discuss the resort project. Adina was the project¡¯s main handler. Her team had a total of six members including herself, Daniel, Graham, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Owen, and Mr. Jared. Graham had been involved in the resort project before, so he provided them with a general idea about theproject. ¡°The initial investment for this project is $ 1,000,000,000. When ites to the middle of the year, they will add another $1,000,000,000. By the end of the year, they will analyze the project¡¯s progress before adding another sum¡­ So far, project nning hase to an end. It¡¯s in the middle of the development stage¡­ The resort is located offshore of Sea City. They n to turn it into a sea paradise resort¡­¡± Adina nodded. What Graham told her was simr to the information she had received from Duke. The project was good, but its profitability and influence were no match for the petrochemical project. She was about to say something when she noticed Mr. Owen stroke his chin. She smiled and asked, ¡°MrOwned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 845 Chapter 845 Chapter 845 Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared were in their mid-fifties, and they exuded a majestic aura. Meanwhile, Graham and Mr. Wilson were only in their early thirties. Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared overwhelmed them effortlessly with their presence. Even so, Adina did not show much reaction. She grinned and said, ¡°Mr. Owen, Mr. Jared, both of you are my grandfather¡¯s most trusted staff. Don¡¯t hesitate to speak your mind. I will take your opinions into careful consideration.¡± ¡°If you can manage the resort project well, it will produce promising results. However, if you insist on using it topete with the petrochemical project, you¡¯re just making a fool out of yourself,¡± Mr. Owen said in a deep voice. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, I would suggest that you take this project as training and not be overly ambitious so that you won¡¯t be distracted¡­¡± Infobagh Adina¡¯s smilefroze. ¡°Mr. Owen, are you saying that I should give up on the session contest?¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty, Mr. Owen is being honest,¡± said Mr. Jared. ¡°Ms. Yackley has established her own force in the corporation. Besides, she can learn everything from Mdm. Jones. You can¡¯t possiblypete with her. Instead of fighting a war that you¡¯ll surely lose, you might as well learn as much asyou can from this project¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Owen, Mr. Jared, your opinions are very interesting. ¡°Adina smirked. ¡°But your words are not the kind of advice I want to hear at this stage. If you don¡¯t have the intention of helping me to win the contest, please leave. I don¡¯t keep people who don¡¯t share the same goals.¡± Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared appeared troubled. They were Mr. Jones¡¯ confidants as well as his most trusted staff. Even Mr. Jones showed them respect. However, Adina drove them away without hesitation. Indeed, illegitimate children did not know any manners! ¡°Ms. Daugherty, since you¡¯ve said so, we won¡¯t be so thick-skinned to stay here anymore.¡± Mr. Jared stood up and walked out of the meeting room. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, when you lose the contest, don¡¯t forget our words today,¡± Mr. Owen said right after, The duo then left the room. A look of concern filled Daniel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Adina, I don¡¯t think we should let them leave our team.¡± Graham nodded. ¡°Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared started their career in Jones Corporation from the bottom. They have a wealth of experience. With their guidance , we can work on the resort project more efficiently. Even though we might not surpass Ms. Yackley and her team¡­¡± Adina snorted. ¡°Unfortunately, Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared didn¡¯t show the slightest intention to guide us¡­¡± Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared were loyal to Mr. Jones, but they were aware that Jones Corporation would fall into Zhenny and Jasmine¡¯s hands at the end of the day. Hence, they could not risk offending Zhenny. Those two were disloyal to her. There was no point in keeping them since they would not provide her with any benefits. As a result, the meeting room was left with four people. Graham and Mr. Wilson had taken the initiative to join Adina¡¯s group. They continued to raise their opinions and express constructive opinions. Hence, Adina had a better understanding of the project. She calmly said, ¡°We¡¯ll go on a field trip to the project site tomorrow. That¡¯s all for today.¡± They dismissed the meeting and left the meeting room. As they arrived at the left corner of the meeting room, they heard the sound of someone talking. Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared had left the meeting room for more than twenty minutes. Right now, they were talking to Zhenny. The three of them wereughing and chatting happily. It was clear that they were close to one another. Daniel¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Zhenny has bribed them since the beginning. I¡¯m going to tell Grandpa about this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you find that childish?¡± Adina red at him.¡° Only children comin to their parents. As adults, we have to prove them.¡± Daniel¡¯s face turned red. ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore.¡± ¡°Then prove them wrong. Make Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared regret their words,¡± Adina said coolly. ¡°Keep your anger to yourself. Let¡¯s go.¡± Graham and Mr. Wilson exchanged nces before they followed Adina. They looked straight ahead as they passed by Zhenny and her group. ¡°Zhenny, why aren¡¯t you busy yet?¡± Adina grinned. ¡°Oh, Mr. Owen, Mr. Jared, you¡¯re here, too! I thought you went to look for my grandpa.¡± Zhenny and her group seemed unnervedafter hearing her words. V Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared worked under Mr. Jones. They were separated from the forces in headquarters on purpose. Still, they ended up joining Zhenny. Chapter 846 Chapter 846 Chapter 846 If Mr. Jones were to find out about this, he would certainly question Mr. Owen and Mr.Jared. Even though Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared did not receive any benefits from Zhenny, the rumors that spread alone could ruin them¡­ ¡°Mdm. Jones, Ms. Daugherty, we still have other issues to handle. We¡¯ll take our leave.¡± Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared forced a smile as they left. Zhenny chuckled and said, ¡°Addy, you¡¯re young, but don¡¯t be so hot-tempered. No matter what, Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared are experienced staff in Jones Corporation. You shouldn¡¯t be rude to them.¡± In other words, Zhenny was hinting to Adina that Mr. Owen and Mr. Infobagh Jared had been hurt by Adina¡¯s actions. She was mocking Adina for not showing respect to thepany¡¯s experienced staff. Adina sighed. ¡°Mr. Owen and Mr. Jared are very capable. I was looking forward to learning from them. Unfortunately, they seemed to show more interest in working on the petrochemical project with you. What a waste¡­¡± Zhenny squinted. ¡®Is this b*tch saying that I¡¯m stealing her manpower?!¡¯ If Mr. Jones were to learn about this, Mr. Jones would certainly criticize her. Zhenny decided to drop all pretenses and sneered. ¡°Adina, we¡¯ll see if you can still be this cocky in a month.¡± ¡°Zhenny, I wish you could always remain socent too.¡± Adina smirked before she entered theelevator in her heels. LA After Graham and Mr. Wilson sent Adina and Daniel off to the elevator, they looked nervous. Both of them had previously offended Jasmine. She had wanted to gain some personal benefits from a project, but the duo rejected her. As a result, their services were not regarded highly. were They were aware that their career in Jones Corporation woulde to an end the moment Jasmine became the sessor. Even though they did not hold incredibly important positions in thepany, they had worked hard for six to seven years before gaining their current positions. They were reluctant to give it all up. Choosing Adina was their final gamble. ¡°Graham, do you think Ms. Daugherty is reliable?''¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Graham heaved a sigh. ¡°There are only four of us handling such arge project. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. I think it¡¯s rather difficult to win the contest¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Daugherty is Mdm. Winters. I guess she¡¯ll seek help from the Winters family,¡± Mr. Wilson spoke softly. ¡°Forget it. Not even one of the Winters family members attended the reunion banquet. I believe she¡¯ll get a divorce sooner orter,¡± said Graham. ¡°If Ms. Daugherty has so little advantage , why did you step out and join her team in the first ce?¡± Graham answered, ¡°Because I don¡¯t have a second choice.¡± AlthoughGraham had chosen to join Adina¡¯s team because he did not have a choice, he waster convinced by her poise. Even though Adina was ced in a disadvantageous position, she confronted others calmly. Even though everyone targeted her, she never cowered. Her gaze was razor-sharp. She gave off an imposing aura and carried herself with confidence. She convinced everyone with her own skills, and it was hard to believe she was onlytwenty-three years old¡­ She would turn twenty-four next year. Still, she was really young. Graham believed that even if Adina lost the contest, she would put up a good fight Chapter 847 Chapter 847 Chapter 847 The winter night was cold and windy, but it was warm indoors. 4 Adina sat on the carpet in the study and leaned her back against Duke¡¯s chest. She tapped on her notebook as he said, ¡°Duke, if I remember correctly, Winters Corporation has a tourism-property type of project. What are the improvement areas you can find in Jones Corporation¡¯s resort project?¡± Duke solemnly answered, ¡°I¡¯ve gone through the ns for the resort project. Overall, the project has a large space for profitability. But you have to find its distinctive features in order to win against the petrochemical project. Finding that distinction within the resort project is the key to winning the contest.¡± Duke pointed at the blueprint with his index finger. ¡°You can divide this area into three zones. You can develop coastal tourism, hotels, folk activities, vis, and so on in the first part. Then, you can turn this part into a sea club, and use the area around the sea to expand the resort. It will mainly be for aquatic clubs where you can organize aquatic -themed musical performances, as well as other high-end tourism projects¡­ Judging from the market environment, these activities can generate at least half of the revenue¡­¡± Adina listened attentively to his words. She was an expert in programming, so she had to listen to an estate nning professional¡¯s advice. She had to admit that the functionality of the resort n was enhanced after Duke¡¯s amendments. The selling points became more attractive. Hence, the estimated profits should increase¡­ They discussed for an hour in the study before they finalized the n. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Honey, thank you very much!¡± Adina wrapped her arms around Duke¡¯s neck. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for your guidance, I would have to crack my head figuring out how to sort this out.¡± Duke hugged her and softly said, ¡°A month¡¯s time is too short for the project. You won¡¯t even finish the initial framework for the project. I¡¯ll transfer half of Winters Corporation¡¯s real estate staff to you. You can divide the staff into two shifts so that they can work at night too. With that, you¡¯ll have an additional month¡¯s time for the project.¡± Adina smiled. ¡°If you lend me your staff, what about Winters Corporation?¡± ¡°After I lend you my staff, I won¡¯t be able to start my own project. So, how should you repay my kindness?¡± Duke kissed her forehead and said hoarsely. ¡°Duke, can you stop being dirty?¡± Adina avoided him and asked with a tinge of anger. Duke pulled her into his arms. He chuckled and said, ¡° You¡¯re my wife. It¡¯s legal to be dirty with you.¡± Right after he spoke, he scooped Adina up and carried her out of the study. Then, heid her down on the soft,rge bed in the master bedroom. Duke stood beside the bed and unbuttoned his shirt. Adina was nervous. ¡°I-I¡¯m having my period today¡­¡± Duke barked withughter. ¡°You won¡¯t have your period for another seven days.¡± Adina was speechless. He even remembered her cycles so clearly! Nevertheless, she was panicking a little. Thest two times they had sex, the bizarre voice appeared in her mind. She was afraid that she would not have the mental strength to stop that voice if it appeared once again¡­ ¡°Addy, don¡¯t be scared¡­¡± Duke bent down and pinned her to the bed. His voice was deep and gentle. Adina¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Whenever Duke treated her gently, she would fail to resist him. ¡°Duke.. Honey, I really can¡¯t do it tonight¡­¡± Adina resisted him with all her might. However, her resistance had little effect on Duke¡­ He kissed her face gently¡­ ¡°Daddy, Mommy, what are you doing?¡± A soft voice snapped her out of it. Adina sat up from the bed with a jolt. Thankfully she was not naked, otherwise, she had no idea how she would exin it to her child. Harold stood at the door as Adina smiled dryly and said, ¡° Hal, why aren¡¯t you in bed yet?¡± ¡°I want to drink some water, but I¡¯m afraid of going downstairs alone, so I want you toe with me downstairs . Daddy , Mommy, what were you doing just now?¡± Harold blinked and asked in puzzlement. Chapter 848 Chapter 848 Chapter 848 ¡°Nothing,¡± Duke said inly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to drink water? Why aren¡¯t you going downstairs yet?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Haroldturned around and left. After he took a step, he turned his head around again and said, ¡°Johnny told me that hesaw his parents fighting with each other, and his mother cried after his father beat her up. Johnny was really scared, so he told our preschool teacher about it. Daddy, don¡¯t you ever mistreat Mommy. If you do, I¡¯ll tell the police instead of my preschool teacher.¡± Duke and Adina were speechless¡­ Adina forced a smile. ¡°Hal, why would I even fight with your daddy? Silly boy, don¡¯t think about such nonsense. Come on, I¡¯ll bring you downstairs to get some water. After you finish drinking, I¡¯ll pour you another ss and ce it on the bedside table so that you don¡¯t have to godownstairs to drink water in the middle of the night.¡± After Harold was done, Adina sent him back to his room before returning to the master bedroom. She locked the door and sneered. ¡°You didn¡¯t lock the door again. If that happens one more time, I¡¯ll ignore you forever.¡± Duke pulled her into his arms and pinned her down on Infobagh the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡± She felt his body temperature rising, and her face reddenedall of a sudden. ¡°Harold already barged in once. Why are you still¡­¡± Duke did not say anything. He showed his love for her with his actions. Adina¡¯s mind went nk as a result of his kisses, and her limbs went weak, allowingDuke to take control of her. As she began to enjoy the moment, a voice appeared in her mind. ¡®Push him away! ¡®Push him away! The voice sounded harsh and had a great sense of urgency. It continued to ring throughout Adina¡¯s mind. ¡°Argh!¡± she cried out in shock and covered her head. ¡°Addy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Duke stopped moving and kissed her on the cheek. ¡°No¡­ It hurts!¡± She felt pain in her right cheek and the back of her head, as though someone had ripped them apart. ¡°Addy, where did you hurt yourself? Is it here?¡± Duke touched the scar on her right cheek with his rough fingers¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Get out!¡± Adina opened her eyes. A while ago, her clear eyes were filled with lust, but right now, her gaze was icy cold. Duke¡¯s face darkened. Again¡­ He did not know what to do. He could not let the previous incident happen again. He sat by the bed and watched her every move closely. Adina got down from the bed in a frenzied state before walking toward the balcony. She tried to break the lock with force but failed. Duke pursed his lips. He had asked someone to change it to a fingerprint lock during the day. For the time being, the fingerprint lock could only recognize his fingerprint. He dared not take any chances on certain things for the second time. Since Adina could not get to the balcony, she did not make any other moves. She just stood in front of the window and stared into the night expressionContent is property of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 849 Chapter 849 Chapter 849 It was snowing again. Crystal snowkes fell on the balcony and windows. Duke was aware that Adina liked snow. She used to grab a handful of snow from the balcony early in the morning and bring them into the house like a little girl. However, at this moment, she was indifferent to the snow outside the window. The snowfall grew heavier, and soon, the balcony was covered in a thickyer of snow. After one or two hours, Adina turned her head around. ¡°Duke, it¡®s snowing.¡± Duke was relieved. He walked to the balcony and hugged her. ¡°Yes, it¡®s snowing. It¡®s getting cold. Rest well at home tomorrow. You can assign your work to your subordinates,¡± he said softly. Adina nestled in his arms and said, ¡°There¡®s still something I have to personally handle.¡± She yawned and looked at her watch. ¡°My god! It¡®s already 2:00 am.¡± She was shocked. Duke hugged her and gently said, ¡°It was alreadyte when you got back to the room. It¡®s time to go to bed now.¡± He helped Adina back to bed and covered her with a nket before switching off the light. Adina nestled in his arms. She felt a slight pain in the back of her head. She was aware that she had lost her memory for the past hour again. She did not know what had happened in thest hour, and she did not want Duke to worry about her. Whenever this happened, her face would hurt on the right¡­ Isabelle had most likely done something to the right side of her face. She would go to thepany and contact Flint tomorrow. She needed his help to find Isabelle¡®s remaining subordinates so that she could discover the cause. That night, both Duke and Adina did not sleep well. Perhaps it was because of the snow, but dawn arrived very soon. When Adina woke up, Duke had already changed his clothes. She leaned against the bedframe and yawned. ¡°I¡®m sleepy.¡± ¡°Continue sleeping then.¡± Duke nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Put aside the company¡®s issues for the time being,¡± ¡°I have to make a trip to the site. I don¡®t have time to rest.¡± Adina looked at the view outside the window. ¡°I wonder why it keeps snowing this year. In the past, I would yearn to see the snow but it wouldn¡®t happen. If it continues to snow, the project wille to a halt.¡± Duke buttoned his shirt and wore his tie before he softly responded, ¡°A friend of mine ising to Sea City today. Come back early. I¡®ll arrange for the both of you to meet.¡± ¡°Is he an important friend of yours?¡± Adina asked. ¡°Do you have to purposely arrange for both of us to meet each other?¡± ¡°You¡®ll find out when you see him.¡± A smile formed across Duke¡®s lips. His ¡°friend¡± was a doctor whom he had asked ke to locate. The doctor was partially skilled in witchcraft. Duke suspected that the people from Hestia Border had put a hex on Adina. Even though he did not believe in witchcraft, the presence of witch doctors pushed him over the edge. Perhaps, the existence of certain things could not be exined with science. ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle home early tonight,¡± Adina replied to him softly. After Duke left the house, she contacted Flint. By the time she was ready to depart from the house, it was 10:00 am, and it had stopped snowing. The sun shone in the sky, weing a sunny day. Adina drove to the resort, which was located on the outskirts. Graham, Mr. Wilson, and Daniel were already waiting for her. The resort project had reached the second stage, and the surrounding vigers had been relocated. They were now catching up with work on the site¡­Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 850 Chapter 850 Chapter 850 Due to the snowing, the site operation had temporarilye to a halt, and the workers had been given a day off. However, a dozen workers were busy over in the area by the coastline¡­ Adina frowned. ¡°What are they doing over there?¡± Graham said, ¡°I asked them earlier. They said they¡®re building the guard rails, but there isn¡®t such a structure on the blueprint¡­¡± Mr. Wilson nodded. ¡°The blueprint shows that area is supposed to be for boat rentals. If they surround it with guard rails, we won¡®t be able to carry out this activity.¡± Adina wrapped her coat tightly around her body and approached the workers. Many tools were strewn around the ground. The length of the guard rails would be at least three to four hundred meters, upying two¨Cthirds of the coastline. If the workers sealed more than half of the coastline, the resort project¡®s unique feature would be gone. Most importantly, the blueprint did not include the construction of the guard rails. Before Adina spoke, Daniel sternly asked, ¡°Why did you start working without our approval?¡± The head of the worker was a fat man in his mid¨Cforties. He smoked as he screwed in the guard rails and said, ¡°This is Jones Corporation¡®s site. Of course Jones Corporation ordered us to carry out the work. If not, why would we work for free?¡± Adina smirked. ¡°How many days have you been given to finish setting up the guard rails.¡± ¡°We have to finish by today,¡± Fatso said in the middle of his work. ¡°The Jones family is very generous. They paid us ten times the market price.¡± Daniel clenched his fists. ¡°It must have been Zhenny¡®s idea! She¡®s deliberately sealing the coastline so that the resort ends up far away from the shore.¡± ¡°The petrochemical project is almost certainly winning the contest. Why does Mdm. Jones still insist on resorting to such tricks in the shadows?¡± Graham said incredulously. ¡°Mdm. Jones has always been like that, hasn¡®t she?¡± Mr. Wilson responded indignantly. ¡°She used to commit many illegal deeds to win bids ¨C Graham tugged on Mr. Wilson¡®s arm. Even though Mdm. Jones was theirpetitor, she was Adina and Daniel¡®s aunt. They could not speak carelessly. ¡°From now on, I¡®ll be the person in charge of this project. Please stop your work now,¡± Adina said coolly. Fatso stopped his work. ¡°You¡®re the person in charge, huh? That¡®s not quite possible. What are you in charge of,ss?¡± Adina showed him her work card. ¡°You¡®ve breached the original n of this project and vited the construction rules. If you don¡®t want this to be a big issue, please pack up your things and leave the premises now.¡± She appeared indifferent and sounded cold, so Fatso was not satisfied. ¡°What¡®s with the vition?! Stop spewing nonsense! Jones Corporation ordered us to do the work. It has nothing to do with a vition. Get lost, or else, I¡®ll strike you!¡± Fatso waved the steel pipe in his hand. ¡°It looks like you insist on making a big fuss out of this,¡± Adina said with a straight face. She took out her phone and attempted to make a call. The workers had vited the construction n and built guard rails without their approval. Even a civilian police officer was qualified to stop their work. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It was not something huge to Adina. If she could not even handle these workers, how could she compete with Zhenny? Unbeknownst to her, Fatso panicked as soon as she took out her phone. Construction workers had no knowledge of illegal construction. If a policeman or an officer from the Ministry of Housing and Construction came, they would certainly have to stop working. Then, they would lose their wage, which was ten times above the market price. Fatso squinted and tried to snatch her phone¡­ Chapter 851 Chapter 851 Chapter 851 Fatso wielded the steel pipe and charged at Adina. Daniel had no idea what he was about to do, so he rushed forward and shielded Adina. Fatso could care less about them. He pushed Daniel to the side. Daniel was only in his early twenties. He was a skinny young man. When Fatso pushed him, Daniel almost fell to the ground. Adina looked stony. She grabbed Fatso by the wrist and mmed him over her shoulder. Fatso crashed onto the ground. Fatso was the head of the workers. When he was defeated, the rest of his workers surrounded Adina and her group. Adina snorted. ¡°Why? Do you want to stay a few days behind the bars?¡± The workers were justymen. They had their own families. If they were sent to jail, they would lose a lot of their wages. They retreated. ¡°You¡®ve worked for half of the day for today. You can get your wages from Jones Corporation. Don¡®t even think about finishing the rest.¡± Adina said coolly, ¡°If any of you are free this afternoon, help me to remove all the guard rails, and I¡®ll pay you ording to the wages you receive.¡± The workers were over the moon. The instation of the guard rails was time¨Cconsuming. Meanwhile, removing them was a much easier job. They could remove the guard rails in less than an hour. Adina finished settling the group of workers in a few simple words. Even Fatso was rendered speechless. He arranged his men to do the work obediently ording to Adina¡®s order. ¡°Adina, you¡®re awesome!¡± Daniel was dumbfounded. ¡°I¡®m surprised to find that you¡®re skilled in martial arts.¡± ¡°I only know a bit. There¡®s nothing surprising.¡± Adina took out some documents from her bag. ¡°This is my new proposal for the resort project. Take a look at it and see if there¡®s any amendments needed. IfContent is property of N?velDrama.Org. not, pass it to thepany and the Ministry of Housing and Construction to apply for a permit today. We¡®ll start the construction tomorrow.¡± Daniel flipped through the documents. Graham and Mr. Wilson also looked at it. After they read a few pages, the trio¡®s eyes lit up, and they looked impressed. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, if the resort is transformed ording to your proposal, it isparable to the world¡®s famous inds. Its profitability and influence from every aspect will exceed the petrochemical project,¡± said Mr. Wilson excitedly. Graham frowned. ¡°But the investment amount is massive, especially the aquatic activities. We¡®ll need at least $10,000,000,000 for them.¡± ¡°The finance department is under Zhenny¡®s control. None of them will approve such a massive investment,¡± Daniel said, pursing his lips. ¡°The proposal is perfect. If we can truly implement the proposal, it will be Jones Corporation¡®s most profitable project in the future. Unfortunately¡­¡± Adina smirked. ¡°If Jones Corporation refuses to invest in this project, we¡®ll find investors outside thepany. It¡®s not a big deal.¡± Adina nned to invest several billions in this project. After all, the CEO of Winters Corporation had personally prepared the proposal, and she would keep a close watch on this project, so the project was a sure¨Cfire deal. ¡°Ms. Daugherty, let me handle the investment for this project. I am acquainted with some of the investors, and I believe I can get at least $5,000,000,000 from them,¡± Graham volunteered. Adina nodded. ¡°Mr. Tissot will tentatively handle the investment issue. Mr. Wilson, you will oversee the site project. This is my temporary n. I¡®ll recruit more workers and implement a two¨Cshift system. With that, we can speed up the progress of the project.¡± Adina turned to Daniel. ¡°You¡®re given a very important task. You will be in charge of contacting the heads of various departments in Jones Corporation and convincing them to cooperate with us as our project progresses¡­¡± Adina suddenly went quiet. She felt dizzy. ¡°Adina, are you alright?¡± Daniel looked up at her. Adina¡®s eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell on the ground, unconscious. Adina was taken to the hospital. Sheid on the bed, her eyes closed. She looked pale. Chapter 852 Chapter 852 Chapter 852 ¡°Adina is under tremendous stress. That was why she fainted,¡± said the doctor. ¡°She has to rest properly for at least three days. As her family, you should make sure she is not under any pressure.¡± Duke¡®s face darkened. ¡°Yes. Thank you, doctor.¡± After the doctor finished the inspection, he packed his tools and left the ward. Duke turned to Daniel. ¡°What happened before she fainted?¡± Daniel pursed his lips. This was his first time meeting his rumored brother¨Cinw. Daniel thought Adina and her husband had a rift in their rtionship. Otherwise, why hadn¡®t his brother¨Cinwe to visit the Jones family? After Daniel saw Duke, he realized that his brother¨Cinw truly cared about his sister. Daniel noticed the concern in Duke¡®s eyes ever since they had arrived at the hospital. ¡®Could the reason for his brother¨Cinw¡®s unwillingness to visit them be the scars on his face? Daniel avoided looking at Duke¡®s scar. He said softly, ¡°The workers breached the constructionw at the site. Adina got into a fight with them. But she soon subdued the construction workers. They didn¡®t make a big fuss about it. After that, Adina arranged for the follow¨Cup work, and she fainted while exining the project.¡± Duke narrowed his eyes. He paused for a moment. ¡°You¡®ll take over the resort project. If you face any issues, just call me. Add me to your WhatsApp.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Daniel was stunned. It took him sometime for him to realize that his brother¨Cinw did not want Adina to get too stressed or busy with her work. Daniel nodded. He added Duke to his WhatsApp. ¡°Duke, please take care of my older sister. I have to go and apply for a permit for the resort project.¡± If it had not been for Daniel, Adina would not have taken part in the session contest, and she would not have passed out due to tremendous stress. He felt like a failure. He always made his father and older sister worried about him. Daniel nced at Adina on her sickbed and pursed his lips. He then left the ward. Meanwhile, Duke went to the balcony of the ward and called Serene. ¡°Hand over all the work of LaStar Technology Corporation and Daugherty Corporation to me in the future. She¡®s not feeling well, so she won¡¯t be handling her work for now. I have some understanding about these projects, send me all the information to my email. If Addy asks you about them, just tell her that you¡®ve settled them.¡± He heard somemotion behind him. He hung up and turned around, only to meet Adina¡®s expressionless gaze. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Adina enunciated each of her words, emotionlessly. She pushed her nket away and got out of her bed. Duke quickly ran to stop her. He said in a low voice, ¡°You¡®re still on infusion. Please don¡®t move.¡± ¡°Duke, you cannot be so forceful and dictatorial!¡± Adina red at him. ¡°It¡®s my job and my career. You cannot interfere with my business. Why did you contact my assistant without my approval?! Who gave you the permission to take over all my work?!¡± Duke stared at her. His deep eyes flickered with emotions. When Adina had behaved abnormally in the past, she was not able to express herself clearly. She had at most showed some irregrity in her actions and gaze. This time, she spokeplete sentences without hesitation. ¡®Did this mean her condition has worsened?¡® Chapter 853 Chapter 853 Chapter 853 ¡°Addy, calm down.¡± Duke wrapped his arm around her shoulders. ¡°Let me go!¡± Adina pushed Duke away. The push tugged the needle out of her arm. Blood spilled and sprayed on the snow¨Cwhite sheet. Duke tried to stop her and help her with her wound and the bleeding. But she avoided him.¡± Stay away from me! Duke, get away!¡± Duke spoke softly, ¡°Addy, you need an infusion. I¡®ll call the nurse toe and help you with the infusion, okay?¡± ¡°I don¡®t want any infusion! I don¡®t want an injection! Stop making decisions on my behalf without my permission!¡°. Adina put on her shoes and headed out of the ward. They were on the fourth floor. There was a corridor outside the ward. Duke reached Adina and hugged her. ¡°Let go of me! Get your hands off me!¡± Adina tried to break free from his grasp. She tried to push him away. Duke held onto her. He was afraid she might hurt herself, so he didn¡®t let her go. ¡°Addy, don¡®t do this, please,¡± he said, hoarsely. ¡°Addy, I¡®m Duke. I¡®m your husband.¡± ¡°I know you¡®re Duke. I don¡®t want to see you. Get your hands off me! Don¡®t touch me!¡± She was agitated. She struck Duke¡®s chest with all her might. She even bit the back of his hand. No matter how hard she tried to break free from his grasp, Duke held her to him even more tightly. The back of her hand hurt. The smell of blood spread in her mouth, and she gradually calmed down. ¡°Addy, I¡®m Duke. I¡®m your husband. You are alright,¡± Duke said again. He spoke softly, trying tofort the agitated and restless Adina. It took a long time for Adina to finally calm down. ¡°Addy, shall we go and lay down on the bed?¡± Duke asked cautiously. She did not refuse this time. She didn¡®t struggle when he walked her to the bed back into the ward. Duke nced at the back of her hand where she had forcibly tugged the needle out. The needle hole had scabbed. He dared not call the nurse. He waited patiently for Adina to calm herself first. The doctor stood at the door. He wanted to inspect her, but Duke waved his hand and sent him away. The ward fell silent. They heard the whistling of the wind outside. The quieter the environment was, the more restless he felt. Finally, Adina looked at him, recognition dawning on her face. She looked confused. ¡°Duke¡­ why are you here? Wait, why am I in the hospital?¡± Duke looked solemn. He spoke gently, ¡°You fainted at the site. The doctor said it was because of stress and you needed to rest. How do you feel now?¡± ¡°Apart from feeling a little dizzy, I¡®m fine.¡± Adina reached out and pressed her temple. She noticed the blood scab on the back of her hand and the IV tube that had been pulled out. The medicine was still dripping, and the floor was wet. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. She was shocked. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± Duke¡®s heart sank, but he pretended to be cheerful. ¡°You had a nightmare and identally pulled out the needle. I was afraid of waking you up in your condition. Should I call the nurse to do the infusion again?¡± Adina nodded. ¡°Yes. Thank you, Duke.¡± Chapter 854 Chapter 854 Chapter 854 ¡°Don¡®t mention it. Just lie down and rest. I¡®ll call the doctor now.¡± Duke stroked her hair before he stood up and walked out of the ward. He did not go far. He stood at the door and waved at a nurse toe over. The nurse brought the medicine with her. She inserted the syringe back into Adina¡®s hand. This time, the nurse made sure to tape several strips of gauze on her hand to prevent it from being pulled out so easily. Adina looked down. She tried to recall everything that had happened. She was certain she did not just wake up. She was certain she did not pull out the needle during a nightmare. Something was amiss¡­ ¡®Did something more happen? Why didn¡®t that voice appear in her mind this time? Could that voice have entered into the marrow of her bones and became her instinct?¡® ¡°Addy, what are you thinking?¡± Duke¡®s voice interrupted her train of thoughts. ¡°Nothing.¡± Adina looked up. She smiled. ¡°When are they going to discharge me from the hospital?¡± ¡°You¡®re under great pressure. You need to take a good rest. You can be discharged from the hospital anytime.¡± Duke stared at her. ¡°The doctor said you have to rest for at least a week. During the week, let me handle all your work. How does that sound?¡± Adina chuckled. ¡°I¡®m more than happy to have you handle LaStar Technology Corporation and Daugherty Corporation¡®s businesses. But many people are keeping a close watch on me, so it¡®s best that I personally handle them. Since I¡®m sick, you have to bear with me. You might have to see me off to work and pick me up daily. Is that okay?¡± Duke looked at her tenderly. A moment ago, she was violent and hysterical. But now she was gentle, rational and lovely as always. The two drastic personalities seemed impossible to exist in the same person. Yet, the two personalities truly came from the same person¨CAdina. Duke suppressed his complicated thoughts. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.¡± Whatever you want. I don¡®t mind apanying you to work.¡± A gentle smile appeared on Adina¡®s lips. She snuggled into his arms. Even though she felt a little sick, she felt at peace here. She felt safe and secure in his arms. There was nothing more blissful than this. Even though she did not feelfortable physically, she felt peaceful. She had a safe haven to rely on. There was nothing more blissful than this. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Before the medicine took effect, their children came to see her. ¡°Mommy, are you alright?¡± Alden rushed into the ward. He looked concerned. ¡°I heard that you passed out at the site.¡± Harold went up to Adina and pushed Alden away. He climbed onto the bed and sobbed.¡± Mommy, don¡®t go back to work anymore. Rest at home. What happens if you faint again, and no one is around you?¡± George nodded. ¡°Mommy, you can hand over thepany¡®s businesses to me. I can handle them.¡± ¡°George can¡®t handle all of them. I can lend him a helping hand,¡± Alden continued. Harold refused to be outdone by his two older brothers. ¡°Mommy, if you stay at home, I can apany you so that you won¡®t feel bored. I can tell you jokes every day¡± Melody tilted her head. ¡°Mommy, if you stay at home, I can y piano for you. Listening to piano music can make you feel better.¡± . Adina was happy that her children had grown so much, and they even offered to help. She vividly remembered the day when they were born. They were so small. Now, they will be turning five soon. With the children to keep herpany, she felt happy to be in this ce. The bottle of medicine soon finished. Her overall health was fine, but she needed more rest. After an injection, the family returned to the Winters family¡®s mansion by car. When Duke got down from his car, he noticed a foreigner waiting in the living room. Mr. Brown received the guest. Duke spoke softly, ¡°Addy, my friend has arrived. Come, let¡®s meet him.¡± Adina turned to the guest sitting in the living room. The guest had tanned skin and was tall. She had never seen him before. She could not understand when Duke had gotten acquainted with him. He introduced them. Chapter 855 Chapter 855 Chapter 855 Duke led her to the living room. Mr. Brown served them coffee. The living room was filled with the aroma of coffee beans. ¡°Addy, this is Alva.¡± Duke introduced his friend to her. ¡°Alva, this is my wife, Adina¡± ¡°Mdm. Winters, nice to meet you.¡± The African man fixed his gaze on Adina. Adina felt ufortable with Alva looking at her. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. In the past, Duke would get jealous whenever other men stared at her. He would give them a warning look. However, at that moment, Duke was motionless. Adina was annoyed. She pinched his thigh under the table. She red at Duke. Duke patted the back of her hand and spoke softly in Cairnst aniannguage, ¡°Alva means no harm to you. Rx.¡± ¡°Mdm. Winters, you¡®re very beautiful,¡± said Alva with a smile, revealing his white teeth. ¡°I know how to read a pulse. Mdm. Winters, could you please let me read your pulse?¡± Adina wanted to say no. But Duke nodded at her. She ced her hand on the table. Alva gently took her hand and read her pulse. Adina realized something. Duke had taken her abnormalities to heart. Alva must be a doctor he had called from the Hestia Border. Duke must have suspected her abnormalities originated from her time at Hestia Border. Adina sighed. It had not been easy for them to finally settle down in peace. She did not want to go through another difficult situation. She hoped there was not any issue with her health. Alva took her left hand and felt her pulse. He shook his head slightly before requesting to check her pulse on her right hand. She obliged. It took Alva half an hour to read Adina¡®s pulses. ¡°Mdm. Winters, thank you for your cooperation.¡± Alva stood up. ¡°Mr. Winters, will you walk me out?¡± Duke stroked Adina¡®s hair. ¡°Drink your coffee and wait for me. I will see him off.¡± After Duke and Alva left the living room, Adina recalled a scene from a drama. The woman in the drama was diagnosed with a deadly disease. The doctor shook his head, then asked her family to prepare her funeral without her knowledge. Thinking of this, Adina let out a bark ofughter. She shook her head to get rid of the ridiculous images that appeared in her mind. Duke and Alva walked to the mansion entrance. Alva looked solemn. ¡°Mdm. Winters is not under a spell, and there¡®s nothing wrong with her health. I¡®m sorry, I was unable to find out the root cause.¡± Duke¡®s face darkened. ¡°If not witchcraft, what else can it be?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, ording to what you¡®ve told me about Mdm. Winters¡® situation, I have two guesses.¡± Alva said in a low voice, ¡°One, Mdm. Winters could have been poisoned, and the poison might be from Cairnstan which I don¡®t have much knowledge about. Two. she could have been imnted with a bio¨C intelligent chip.¡± Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Duke froze. Earl¡¯s previously worked in the Bio-intelligent Chip Technology Company.¡¯ Could he have¡­?¡¯ ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m a witchdoctor, so I don¡¯t have much knowledge about bio intelligent chips,¡± said Alva. ¡°But they are rampant in the Hestia Border. The superiors imnt this type of chip in their subordinates¡¯ bodies to prevent them from betraying their authority. After one is imnted with the chip, the superiors can control one¡¯s mind and make one obey them completely.¡± Duke pursed his lips. ¡°Do you know anyone who is a professional in this area?¡± Alva shook his head. ¡°The R&D technicians are very well protected. All of the information is under highly guarded confidential documents. It¡¯s almost impossible to gather any information about it.¡± ¡°Okay. Got it,¡± said Duke. ¡°Thank you for making this trip. I¡¯ll assign someone to send you back.¡± ¡°ke asked me to pass on a message toyou. He says he is all well at the Hestia Border. And you don¡¯t have to worry so much about him,¡± said Alva before he turned around, got intothe car, and left the Winters family¡¯s mansion. Infobagh Duke stood at the mansion entrance and felt the cold breeze on his face. It took him several seconds topose himself. He then returned to the living room. The living room was filled with the aroma of coffee. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Adina had finished her cup. She looked up when he entered. She smiled. ¡°Your cup of coffee is cold. I¡¯ll pour another cup for you. Come here and drink it now.¡± Duke sat beside her and hugged her. He caressed her soft hair and held her close. He was reluctant to let her go. Adina felt restless. ¡°Duke, be frank with me. What exactly is going on?¡± ¡°Alva is a witch doctor. I asked him toe here to check your condition.¡± Duke knew Adina was smart. She would know that something was wrong. He didn¡¯t want to hide the truth from her. ¡°I suspected you were under some kind of Hestia Border¡¯s spell, so I called him here. But he said you¡¯re not under a spell at all. He said you could have been poisoned or imnted with a bio-intelligent chip.¡± Adina was stunned. She spoke with some difficulty, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about bio intelligent chips. But no one seems to have conducted targeted research on exactly how the chips work and what happens to the victims who have been imnted with them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll assignsomeone to collect the rted information. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Duke hugged her even tightly. ¡°Regardless of whether you¡¯ve been poisoned or imnted with a bio-intelligent chip, there¡¯s always a wayto solve it.¡± Adina wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. ¡°I believe there must be a way to solve it. Duke, what exactly had happened at the hospital? What exactly happens during the time that I can¡¯t recall?¡± ¡°You daydream.¡± Duke touched the tip of her nose. ¡°You stare outside the window. No matter how loudly I call you, you don¡¯t respond.¡± Adina frowned. ¡°Was I¡­ violent?¡± ¡°Of course not! Why would you think that?¡± Duke let out a chuckle. ¡°Addy, we will find a way. I will always be by your side so don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Adina agreed. ¡°If I go too far, you have to tell me.¡± Duke stroked her hair. He felt helpless. He had been in Hestia Border for a month. He had witnessed the military officers who had been imnted with the bio-intelligent chips. Elder Maurice had garnered many loyal followers with the help of the bio-intelligent chips. Those who had been imnted with the chips were ordinary. They stayed with their families, went about their day, but whenever Elder Maurice would give an order, they abandoned everything and obeyed himpletely. There was once a military officer imnted with a bio-intelligent chip. His wife was about to give birth to their child. She refused to let her husband leave when he had received the order. Her husband had kicked her. Both the wife and the baby had died because of the injury. When he was done with obeying the order, only then had he realized that he had killed his own wife and their unborn baby. He was so devastated that hemitted suicide. In other words, the moment an order was given, the people imnted with the chips would transform into emotionless robots and lose controlof themselves. Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Dinner was ready soon. Adina brushed off the thoughts from her mind. She took Duke¡¯s handand led him to the dining room to eat their dinner. Harold made a face and stuck his tongue out. He said, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, both of you are too lovey-dovey. Daddy, you steal Mommy away from us every day now.¡± Duke pretended to be angry. ¡°Do you mean that?¡± Harold quickly hid behind George. ¡°After Mommyes back home from work, she doesn¡¯t y with us anymore. Daddy, it¡¯s all your fault for being too domineering!¡± Melody nodded in agreement. ¡°Daddy, I want to sleep with Mommy tonight.¡± ¡°I also want to sleep with Mommy!¡± Harold said happily. ¡°I want Mommy to shower me and tell me bedtime stories.¡± ¡°Childish!¡± The corners of Alden¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Are you still a three-year-old child? Why do you need Mommy¡¯s help to shower?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only four years old. I¡¯m still a child,¡± Harold said matter-of-factly. He went up to Adina and pouted. ¡°Mommy, you only spend time with Daddy. Can you spend some time with me? Please?¡± Adina¡¯s face turned red. Infobagh Ever since they had returned, Duke and she always worked together inside the study or were with each other in the master bedroom. She thought she was being discreet but apparently, her children disagreed. Duke said calmly, ¡°George and AI are capable of managing apany. Even Mel can perform alone on the stage. Can you hold an art exhibition yet?¡± Harold was at a loss for words. He did not mind that his father alwayspared him against his two older brothers. But now he felt as though he was seen as inferior to his younger sister, too. ¡°If you have time, go and practice your painting,¡± Duke continued. ¡°If you face any issues, call Grandpa.¡± Harold was speechless. His father wanted to toss him to his grandfather. Adina red at Duke. She stroked Harold¡¯s hair. ¡°You¡¯re turning five soon. You¡¯re a young man now, so you have to take your own shower. But I can tell you some bedtime stories tonight.¡± Harold was happy. ¡°Thank you, Mommy.¡± George pulled the chair in the dining room. ¡°Mommy, sit down and have dinner now.¡± Alden had prepared the soup and ced it before Adina. ¡°Mommy, this is a tonic soup. It can enhance the beauty of your skin. Drink it before you eat your dinner.¡± Harold refused to be outdone by his siblings. He ced sweet smoked ribs on Adina¡¯s te. ¡°Mommy, this is your favorite dish. Try it.¡± Melody put some vegetables on Adina¡¯s te. ¡°Eat more vegetables. They are rich in vitamins. It will keep you healthy.¡± Adina felt blissful to be surrounded by her family. She said gratefully, ¡°Alright. Hurry up and eat your dinner, too.¡± The six people sat at the table and ate their dinner. After they finished eating their dinner, Harold pushed his chair, stood up and said, ¡°Papa Brown has prepared desserts. I¡¯ll bring them over now.¡± Adina waited for the desserts. Perhaps because she had just returned from the hospital, her children showed her special attention. She enjoyed their care gratefully. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Harold came out of the kitchen with a six-inch-tall chocte and strawberry cake. ¡°Mommy, I asked the chef to especially prepare the strawberries. I know you like strawberries.¡± Harold ced the cake on the dining table. He used a spoon and scooped a strawberry. He brought the spoon to Adina¡¯s mouth. It dropped on her tulle dress. Her white tulle dress was stained with chocte sauce. It was a mess now. ¡°I am sorry, Mommy.¡± Harold quickly took a tissue and wiped it clean. He was a clumsy child. He always spilled water on himself when drinking. But he always apologized to Adina very innocently. Suddenly, Harold was pushed away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Adina sprang up. She stared at Harold coldly Chapter 858 Chapter 858 Chapter 858 Harold was shaken. Tears welled up in his eyes when he saw the anger and disgust inhis mother¡¯s eyes directed towards him. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t hate me,¡± Harold¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. I will try not to be so clumsy anymore.¡± He slowly approached Adina and held her hand. But Adina swung his hand away. ¡°I told you not to touch me!¡± Adina was agitated and restless. She raised her hand and knocked the chocte strawberry cake to the ground. Everyone in the dining room was stunned, especially her children. Harold¡¯s tears streamed down his cheek. Melody bit her bottom lip. She dared not cry out loud. ¡°All of you, go back to your rooms,¡± said Duke carefully. He ced a hand on Adina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Adina pushed his hand away. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Infobagh ¡°All of you, get out now!¡± She cradled her head and charged outside. Her head was going to split. It hurt too much! A voice rang in her mind. ¡®Leave them! Get out of there now! She had no idea where she was heading. She rushed outside without a sense of direction. Her children were scared. Duke¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Mr. Brown, what are you waiting for? Take the kids upstairs and make sure they are safe.¡± ¡°Noted!¡± Mr. Brown led the children upstairs quickly. Alden saw everything. He obediently followed Mr. Brown upstairs. After he entered his bedroom, he stood by the window and observed themotion downstairs. Duke had Adina in his arms. He was talking to her gently, trying to calm her. But he sounded scared. ¡°Addy, it¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s go in, alright?¡± ¡°Let me go! Get your hands off me!¡± Adina shouted. ¡°Addy, please. Our children are scared. Come home with me. I beg you.¡± Adina struggled against Duke. She then bit his shoulder when he didn¡¯t let go. She could taste blood in her mouth. Unlike the hospital, where she had regained her senses when she had bit him, this timeit did not work. She bit him and struggled to break free from his grip. She had no care for him. Duke let her vent her frustrations and didn¡¯t even make a sound. He held her close to him and stroked her hair. The sky was getting dark. Duke hugged her to him until she finally calmed down. This time, she passed out. Duke lifted her up and carried her into the mansion. Mabel had heard themotions and rushed out of her room. When they were in the corridor on the second floor, they bumped into her. Mabel looked worried. ¡°Did something happen to Addy? Duke, why is your shoulder bleeding?¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine. Mother, you haven¡¯t taken your dinner. Go down and eat first.¡± He carried Adina into the master bedroom, then locked the door. Mabel sighed. She should not have gone downstairs to find out about the situation. Chapter 859 Chapter 859 Chapter 859 Harold cried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have been so clumsy. Mommy looked very angry. What should I do?¡± Harold felt hopeless. ¡°Why is Mommy so angry? Why was she so scary?¡± When he remembered the way his mother had looked at him, with anger andhatred, his heart felt heavy. George pursed his lips. ¡°The dress is a gift from Daddy. I suppose Mommy likes that dress too much. Maybe that¡¯s why she was angry.¡¯ ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, she never gets so angry.¡± Alden sat by the window. His eyes were troubled, no one knew what he was thinking about. ¡°There has to be something that we don¡¯t know.¡± Melody sobbed. ¡°Alden, I¡¯ve never seen her like that before. I think I saw¡­¡¯ She saw her mother bite her father¡¯s shoulder. When her father had carried her mother into the mansion, his shoulder was bleeding. ¡®Mommy loves Daddy so much. Why would she bite him like that?¡¯ Melody could not say all this aloud. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She was afraid that her mind was ying tricks on her. Infobagh ¡°Mommy is not scary. Don¡¯t be like this,¡± said Alden. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare breakfast with you and apologize to Mommy tomorrow morning.¡± Harold nodded obediently. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll make sure I do well. I won¡¯t make Mommy angry again.¡± The children were scared inside the bedroom. Meanwhile, Duke felt dejected in the master bedroom. He thought Adina rejected him only in that condition. He had never expected her to act like that even with her children. She adored them. That meant whoever controlled the chip had something against their children as well. Earl is a b*stard! Duke sat by the bed. He treated his wound while keeping a close watch on Adina who was lying on the bed. He was afraid she mightsh out again. Fortunately, Adina slept through the night. Early in the morning, Duke received an email from ke. The email was about an interview with the victims who had been imnted with the bio-intelligent chip. He took his phone and read the ten-thousand word news report attentively. The victims were military officers near the Hestia Border. There were only three interviewees, and the news report contained stories of misery and tragedy. ¡°Duke, why do you look so solemn?¡± said Adina¡¯s voice. Duke turned off his phone. He turned around and nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Addy, good morning.¡± Adina wrapped her hands around his neck and smiled. ¡°Good morning.¡± She smelled fresh medicine. She looked at his shoulder. ¡°What happened to your shoulder?¡± ¡°I identally banged against the door. It¡¯s bruised, so I applied some ointment,¡± Duke said nonchntly. He rose up, then put on his shirt to cover his shoulder. ¡°What do you want for breakfast? I¡¯ll prepare something for you.¡± Adinaughed. ¡°Forget it. Our kids said you¡¯re a very poor cook.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay if you enjoy my dishes. Besides, my cooking skills have improved a lot.¡± Duke buttoned his cuffs and prepared to go downstairs to make breakfast. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Mommy, are you awake?¡± It was Harold. Adina smiled. She sat up on the bed. ¡°I¡¯m awake. You cane in.¡± Harold pushed the door open. He was holding a te of pasta. Adina was astonished. Chapter 860 Chapter 860 Chapter 860 ¡°Mommy, I made the pasta specially to ask for your forgiveness,¡± said Harold sadly. ¡°Last night, 1¡ª¡± ¡°Harold, go outfor a minute,¡± Duke interrupted him. ¡°I have something to talk to your Mommy about. In private.¡± Harold looked up at his father, annoyed. ¡°Daddy, I haven¡¯t finished my sentence. Could you please let me finish my words? Then you can talk to Mommy all you want.¡± ¡°It cannot wait. Go. Now.¡± Duke took the te of pasta from his hands and ced it on the bedside table. He then lifted Harold up and carried him out of the bedroom. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Harold shouted fiercely. Duke red at him before he closed the door and locked it. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He turned to Adina. ¡°I¡¯m certain that Harold¡¯s pasta is not as tasty as mine. Are you sure you want to eat it?¡± Adina looked at him. Infobagh ¡°Why did you drive Hal out? What exactly do you want to tell me about?¡± ¡°Ahem, nothing.¡±Duke rested his gaze on her cor. ¡°It¡¯s not good if our children see that.¡± Adina looked down. The neckline of her nightwear was low, revealing part of her brassiere. Even though it looked somewhat indecent, Harold was her own flesh and blood. Besides, he was a child, he wouldn¡¯t even notice it. Adina threw a pillow at him. ¡°Duke Winters, how can you get jealous of your own children?!¡± Duke smiled and caught the pillow. Meanwhile, Harold waited outside the door with a huff. George pulled him to the side. ¡°George, don¡¯t pull me away! I have to apologize to Mommy!¡± George pursed his lips. ¡°Daddy just sent me a message. He warns us not to tell Mommy aboutst night.¡± Harold was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll just do ording to Daddy¡¯s n for now,¡± George said.¡° Mommy won¡¯t be angry at you anymore. You don¡¯t have to apologize to her.¡± ¡°No way. I have to apologize for my mistake!¡± Harold snorted. ¡°Daddy is ruining my image before Mommy. I won¡¯t let the devil get his way!¡± Alden walked over to Harold. ¡°Mommy lost control of her emotionsst night. It has nothing to do with you. It must be something else,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°But if you remind her aboutst night, she might fall back into that state again. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Harold shook his head. ¡°No.¡± George asked, ¡°AI, do you know what¡¯s happening?¡± Alden pursed his lips. He had no idea what was going on. But he knew that his mother would never look at Harold in that manner. She would nevery a hand on any of them, let alone push them away. It was clear that something was wrong with their mother, but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was exactly. Their father could not tell them either. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it anymore. I believe Daddy will figure out a way to solve this,¡± said Alden calmly. ¡°Just pretend that nothing happenedst night. We¡¯ll continue as we usually do.¡± The master bedroom door opened. Adina was dressed. She held the te of pasta Harold had cooked for her. ¡°Hal, I didn¡¯t know you could make such a killer pasta! It is so good! Maybe a tadbit of more salt?¡¯ Harold nodded happily. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°By the way, you were saying something to me. I promise your daddy won¡¯t interrupt again,¡± said Adina as she chewed on her pasta. Chapter 861 Chapter 861 Chapter 861 ¡°Mommy, I forgot what I wanted to say to you.¡± Harold scratched the back of his head, pretendingto remember what he had wanted to tell her. Adinaughed. ¡°Let me know if you remember it, okay?¡± Harold nodded. He sighed in relief. Mr. Brown called them downstairs. ¡°AI, Georgie, Hal, Mel, get ready for preschool!¡± George obediently took his siblings downstairs. When the children left the mansion, it was very quiet. Adina was instructed to rest at home for at least three days. She was worried about her own health, so she heeded the instruction and stayed in the study room, reading books. Duke did not leave for his office either. He worked inside the study room and stayed at Adina¡¯s side. The sound of his fingers tapping on the keyboards calmed Adina. She found an interesting novel and shared it with Duke. The sunlight was warm, and the snow had melted. Infobagh It was a very quiet and peaceful morning. Buzz! The call disturbed their serene moment. Duke nced at his phone. ¡°I have to take this.¡± Adina nodded. Duke walked to the corridor outside the study to take the call. ¡°I sent Earl¡¯s fingerprint to your email. Do you have any other orders for me?¡± Duke nodded. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is there any unusual movement from Earl?¡± ¡°When I got his fingerprint this morning, he didn¡¯t fight back or say anything. But the woman who has just been sent over is¡­¡± ke paused for a moment.¡± The woman is all wounded. She¡¯s disfigured. I don¡¯t know how much longer she can stay alive.¡± Duke narrowed his eyes. When he sent Catherine, she was in good health. ¡®How was she injured?¡¯ Catherine and Earl were former lovers. ¡®How could Earl be so ruthless to her?¡¯ However, it madeplete sense. Earl was just such a person. He had executed his own father. ¡®Is there anything in the world Earl wouldn¡¯t do?¡¯ ¡°Find someone to tend to Catherine. Don¡¯t put them two together in the same room,¡± said Duke. ¡°Strengthen the level of security. Don¡¯t let Earl get away by any chance.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± After Duke hung up, he found the fingerprintemail in his inbox. He instructed someone to make it into a fingerprint membrane. He then returned to the study room. Adina was lying on the couch. She was half asleep. When she heard him enter, she opened her eyes. ¡°What took you so long to make a phone call?¡± ¡°Somepany issues.¡± Duke hugged her. ¡°Are you tired? Do you want me to carry you to the bedroom?¡± ¡°I am justbored.¡± Adina yawned. ¡°I guess I¡¯m born to work in my life. I don¡¯t have the luxury to enjoy leisure hours. I am not familiar with spending my time idle Chapter 862 Chapter 862 Chapter 862 Dukeughed. ¡°Go to bed. Take a nap. I¡¯ll put you to bed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Melody. Why do I even need youto put me to bed?¡± Adina snorted. But he looked at her so tenderly that she could not resist. She leaned against his chest., ¡°Do continue your work. I¡¯ll read some books, instead. Reading does make me sleepy.¡± Duke nodded. He wrapped his arm around her waist and tapped the keyboard with the other. Adina could not stand reading any more of the books. She took out her phone and browsed through the news. She saw something that shocked her. She wondered how she had made the headlines yet again. ¡°The Sea City¡¯s former most beautiful woman personally went to the site. She fainted because of tremendous working stress. It was teary to behold.¡± The corners of Adina¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Why did the news make it sound as if she was very weak and pitiful?¡¯ She clicked on thment session and scrolled down. She was caught by surprise. Infobagh Whenever she was mentioned in the news in the past, theizens would always attack her and leave vile ¡°So, it was you who did this!¡± Adina held his chin up. Her eyes were bright and clear. ¡°Let me think, the reason you purposely put me in the headline is to pressurize the Jones family, isn¡¯t it? Is this forMr. Jones?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Duke smirked. ¡°Zhenny caused you trouble. It¡¯s only normal to return the favor.¡± Adina looked up and kissed him. They shared a passionate moment. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Jones family¡¯s house was solemn. Everyone looked grave. Daniel was stressed. Anger appeared in his eyes. He had always been a man of few words. He neverined even when he was being treated unfairly. However, this time, he truly could not stand it anymore. ¡°Aunt Zhenny, you have taken on thergest project and gained the support of the top management. I really don¡¯t understand why you still have to y tricks?!¡± Daniel said without hesitation. ¡°Is it because my older sister is too capable that you¡¯re afraid she will surpass everybody,hence you decided to make the first move in order to gain an upper hand?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Zhenny refuted angrily. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through the investigation report regarding the water quality of the resort by the sea. The water contains high levels of chemical elements that can be harmful to humans. Thus, I took the initiative to seal the coastline so that you won¡¯t develop the sea area lest you have to bear the irreversible consequences!¡± Dillon sneered. ¡°Let us take a look at the investigation report about the water quality, then.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Zhenny said coolly, ¡°After I finish my work, I¡¯ll bring the report over to you sothat you can keep it as a record.¡± ¡°Aunt Zhenny, if you had the investigation report about the water quality from long ago, why you didn¡¯t change the proposal before?¡± questioned Daniel.¡° Instead, why did you take the initiative to seal the coastline after WE took over the project? This is against thepany¡¯s policy! Just you¡¯re the CEO, can you turn a blind eye on thepany¡¯s policy?¡¯ Zhenny was at a loss for words. Daniel used to be a very quiet boy. He seldom got involved in thepany¡¯s business. Zhenny had never expected him to be so eloquent and troublesome. ¡°Addy and Dan have taken over the resort project,¡± said Dillon, indifferently.¡± Both of them will be responsible for all of the issues rted to the project. As their aunt, you shouldn¡¯t butt in their affairs. The petrochemical project¡¯s safety issue has always been a major concern. It¡¯s best that you put in all your effort on your own project. If something goes wrong with the safety issue, Jones Corporation will be affected.¡± Zhenny gritted her teeth. She had been thepany¡¯s CEO for many years now. She had her own set of rules. She didn¡¯t appreciate Dillon trying to tell her how to do things. ¡°Zhenny, Dillon is right,¡± said Mr. Jones. ¡°Winning is important, but Jones Corporation¡¯s reputation is more important. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Zhenny suppressed her irritation. ¡°Understood. I always pay attention to safety issues Chapter 863 Chapter 863 hapter 863 Zhenny and Jasmine left the study room. The mother and daughter looked furious. ¡°Mother, Grandpa is biased!¡± Jasmine clenched her teeth. ¡°Adina is his illegitimate granddaughter! Does he have to back her up to this extent?!¡± ¡°Jas, that¡¯s why you have to work harder.¡± Zhenny suppressed her anger and said calmly.¡± Your surname is Yackley, so it¡¯s only normal for Grandpa to not side with you. You have to be hundred times more capable than Daniel or Adina in order to inherit Jones Corporation.¡± Jasmine raised her chin smugly. ¡°We are definitely winning this contest with the petrochemical project. I¡¯ll trample Adina under my feet!¡± Zhenny shook her head. ¡°Adina re nned the resort project. If her proposal is implemented, the resort project¡¯s profitability and influence will beparable to that of our petrochemical project, so we don¡¯t know if we can win the contest yet.¡± ¡°They have to invest capital first for the tourism project. They must continue to invest in capital before they can gain the return. As long as thepany doesn¡¯t release the fund, do they have the capital investment for the construction of such a big project?¡±Jasmine smirked. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re thepany¡¯s CEO The staff obey you As long as you give the order, who would dare to release the funds Zhenny pursed her lips. As long as Mr. Jones was alive, she didn¡¯t have the full right to make any such decisions. Still, she would ensuresmine won the session contest regardless of the price she would need to pay Long after the mother and daughter left, the conversation continued inside the study room. Mr. Jones rested his gaze on Daniel. There was a hint of pride in his eyes. His grandson hadn¡¯t let him downpletely. ¡°Dan, how do you find the project? You have personally handled it for two days now.¡± Daniel said, ¡°So far so good. I hope Aunt Zhenny won¡¯t y any more tricks from the shadows.¡± Mr. Jones said in a low voice, ¡°If she does,e and find me. I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± The corners of Danie¡¯s lips twitched. It would be pointless even if Grandpa talked to Aunt Zhenny. She would continue to do whatever she pleased. Nheless, Daniel hoped his aunt would keep herself in check after this incident. He hoped she would not go too far. ¡°Dan, I¡¯ve read your new proposal. It looks good,¡± Dillon said proudly. ¡°The Ministry of Housing and Construction has approved the project. I¡¯ll go to the finance department with you,¡± ¡°No need for that. I can go there by myself,¡± Daniel refused politely. ¡°If I run into any problems, I will look for you.¡± This was a chance hard toe by. He had to go tread this path by himself. He took the documents and left the study room. He drove to thepany. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Mr. Jones nodded. ¡°Dan finally grew up, but it¡¯s a bit toote¡­¡± If only Daniel had been this motivated before and had proven himself, Mr. Jones would have never considered Jasmine to be his sessor. Although Jasmine was his granddaughter, Mr. Jones adored his grandson more. However, his grandson had not made any progress over the years. He had been just like Dillon, showing no interest in thepany¡¯s affairs. If it had not been for that, Mr. Jones would not have allowed the Yackley to seed Jones Corporation. ¡°It seems that bringing your illegitimate daughter back has its benefits,¡± Mr. Jones said with a sigh. ¡°At least Dan is motivated and willing to learn from his stepsister.¡± Dillon frowned. ¡°Father, stop addressing Adina as my illegitimate daughter. If I had known Olivia was pregnant, I would have married her.¡± Mr. Jones nodded. Meanwhile, Daniel drove toward Jones Corporation. Chapter 864 Chapter 864 Chapter 864 Jones Corporation headquarters was a skyscraper. It was andmark within themercial arena. After several decades of steady development, the foundation of Jones Corporation now was deeply rooted in the Sea City. The session contest kicked off. The internal management got even busier. Daniel went to the finance department with the documents. ¡°Young Master Jones, what brings you here?¡± The Chief Financial Officer grinned and flipped through the documents Daniel had passed to him ¡°Soit¡¯s about the investment funds for the resort. Mdm. Zhenny mentioned it to me this morning I¡¯ll stamp the document and release the funds now. Young Master Jones, please wait for a while¡± Daniel waited patiently. The moment he received the funds, he frowned. ¡°The preliminary investment funds required for the project is at least $1,500,000,000¡± The Chief Financial Officer smiled. ¡°The tal proposal stated the project required $ 1,000,000,000. I am doing my work ording to thepany¡¯s policy The remaining $ 2,000,000,000 in thepany¡¯s ount is meant for the petrochemical project. Hence, I can¡¯t release the funds to you, Young Master Jones Tapologize¡± Daniel¡¯s face darkened. The required investment funds for the initial proposal was indeed $ 1,000,000,000. However, the proposal had been revised and approved, thus the required investment funds had been changed to $1,500,000,000 Moreover, Graham had to raise another $5,000,000,000 investment funds from the public aside from thepany¡¯s internal funds of $1,500,000,000. In other words, they had to gather at least $ 2,000,000,000 in a month before the construction work began. ¡°Young Master Jones, please don¡¯t put us in a difficult position Mdm Jones who is not willing to approve your fund request. I cannot do anything for you,¡± said the Chief Financial Officer Daniel understood. Thepany didn¡¯tck funds. It was Zhenny who denied the finance department from releasing additional funds for the resort project. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Daniel left the finance department. He called Graham. If Graham managed to collect more investment funds, Daniel did not have to plead with the finance department for more funds, ¡°Young Master Jones, several investors turned down my request without even considering it. Mdm. Jones must have contacted them.¡± Graham was disappointed. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out another way and contact other investors. Ms. Daugherty assigned me for this mission, and I will do what I can.¡± Daniel¡¯s face turned gloomier. Graham was a marketing manager. Zhenny must be acquainted with the investors he was going to contact, and she might have pulled some strings for them to refuse to invest in their project. A phone call from Zhenny and the investors certainly would not dare to get involved with the resort project. Zhenny had blocked all their paths. ¡°Mr. Tissot, I¡¯ll gather the investment funds with you,¡± said Daniel in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m the young master of the Jones family. The investors might be more willing if I am present. Wait for me for thirty minutes, I -¡± Before Daniel finished his words, his phone vibrated. ¡°Mr. Tissot, please wait for a moment. Adina is calling me.¡± Daniel took in a deep breath and answered her call. ¡°Adina, how are you?¡± he pretended to be cheerful. ¡°I¡¯m much better now, but Duke refuses to let me work,¡± she said. ¡°How¡¯s the progress of the project?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve received $1,000,000,000 from thepany as the project fund. We can start the construction work for the foundation of aquatic activities,¡± said Daniel calmly. ¡°I am meeting up with Mr. Tissotter, and I¡¯ll report to you about other updates tonight.¡± Adina narrowed her eyes. ¡°$1,000,000,000 only?¡± Her estimated investment funds for the first quarter were $2,000,000,000. Jones Corporation was expected to release $ 1,500,000,000 for the project. Meanwhile, Graham had said he would raise another $5,000,000,000 from other investors. ¡®Why did thepany approve only $1,000,000,000 for the resort project?¡¯ Chapter 865 Chapter 865 Chapter 865 Daniel was afraid that Adina would discover the truth, so he tried to hang up. Adina stopped him. ¡°Daniel, did the finance department reject your fund request?¡± Adina asked. Daniel kept quiet. He did not want to upset her with the Jones family¡¯s dirty tricks. ¡°If Jones Corporation can only release $ 1,000,000,000, it will be their loss.¡± Adina smiled.¡± Pass iny message to Graham, will you? He doesn¡¯t have to waste time finding investors anymore. Someone is willing to make up for the shortage in the investment funds.¡± Daniel was stunned. ¡°Weck more than $1,000,000,000 for the investment funds.¡± Finding investment funds was always the hardest job. Adina chuckled. ¡°Just do it. Don¡¯t worry so much about the investment funds. I¡¯ll go to the site and see the progress after a couple of days.¡± She hung up Daniel had not recovered from the news. It took him some time to remember to call Graham. Adina casually ced her phone on the table She then wrapped her arms around Duke¡¯s neck.¡± Hubby, are you interested in the resort project?¡± Duke fell for it the moment stie called him ¡®hubby¡¯ with that flirty voice. He wrapped his arm around her. ¡°Why? Do you want me to invest in it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to treat me well.¡± Adinaughed. He knew her so well. ¡°Do you want to please your wife?¡± In fact, she wanted to invest her own money. But if Zhenny where to find that the massive sum came from herpanies, Zhenny would mock her. Since this was apetition, Adina wanted to win it fair and square. That was only partly true. She was tempting Dule to invest in it. ¡°$ 2,000,000,000 is not sufficient for the resort project.¡± ¡°The session conteststs for a month, so we only require $2,000,000,000 for this month,¡± said Adina. ¡°After the campaign is over, Daniel has to handle the project all by himself. He will have to figure out how to gain the remaining investment funds.¡± Daniel was in his early twenties. He was not a child anymore. He had trained with Adina for a month, he should be capable of stabilizing the entire situation by now. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask Jake to go to the site with the funds tomorrow.¡± Adina nted a kiss on his forehead. ¡°Hubby, you¡¯re awesome! Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll certainly receive three times the return on investment in three years.¡± Duke leaned down and kissed her passionately. ¡°What if I want my return now?¡± Adina knew what he had in mind. She had no intention of refusing him, but she was worried.¡¯ idents¡¯ had happened when she had been with him in recent months. Perhaps Duke noticed her hesitation because he kissed her softly and loosened his arms around her. Adina settled back on the couch with her book, relieved. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. She had asked Flint to find some information for her. She wondered when he would respond Just then, someone knocked on the study room door. Mr. Brown said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Dillon is here for a visit.¡± Dillon waited downstairs. He looked restless. Despite Adina¡¯s efforts to convince him that her rtionship with Duke was good, he often read about their possible breakup in the news and got agitated about it. As Adina¡¯s father, Dillon had always worried about her. Besides, this was his first time visiting the Winters family. When Dillon heard the footsteps, he sat upright and tidied his cor. Duke was even more nervous to meet him. Chapter 866 Chapter 866 Chapter 866 He had seen Dillon many times before, but Duke had never met him as his son-inw. ¡°Mr. Winters, nice to meet you.¡± Duke got up calmly and shook hands with Duke. Duke politely said, ¡°Father, you can call me by my name.¡± Dillon had been very nervous meeting him. But when Duke called him ¡®father¡¯, a smile appeared on his lips. Since Duke addressed him as his father, just like Adina, he was sure that both of them were very close ¡°Father, why are you here?¡± Adina served Dillon a cup of coffee ¡°Daniel said you fainted. I wanted to visit you in the hospital, but I couldn¡¯t find time to do so.¡± Dillon stared at her with worry ¡°You¡¯ve only rested for a night. Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°I feel much better now. It¡¯s not a big issile,¡± Adina said. ¡°I nned to go to the site and take a look at the progress of the project, but Duke insisted on having me rest at home. I feel bored at home.¡± Dillon said solemnly. ¡°You have to listen to Duke. Rest at home You have Dan to take care of the project. If he can¡¯t handle it, you still have me and your grandpa. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Duke nodded. ¡°Addy said she wanted to go to the site after three days. I think she needs to rest at least seven days.¡± ¡°Even seven days is not enough. She has to rest for half a month.¡± Dillon said with a straight face. ¡°Addy, be a good girl. Rest at home for at least half a month. If something happened to you, I¡­¡± Adina was at a loss for words, ¡°Since when do they get along so well?¡± Adina felt like she couldn¡¯t stay home for half a month, doing nothing. She would be bored to death. But she was aware that Dillon and Duke were concerned about her, so she agreed. Dillon and Duke talked about the project before starting to talk about the Sea City¡¯s current situation. Adina yawned as she listened to them. Sheid on the couch and felt drowsy. Dillon stood up and excused himself. ¡°Let Addy take a good rest first. I¡¯ll go home now. If anything happens, please call me.¡± Duke nodded, then he saw Dillon out of the mansion. When Duke returned to the living room, Adina had fallen asleep on the couch. He smiled and shook his head. He lifted her up and carried her up to their master bedroom. He then ced her on the bed gently. When he was covering her with a nket, her phone vibrated. It was Flint. Duke frowned. He took her phone and walked out of the bedroom. He answered the call. ¡°Addy, I¡¯ve found the person you¡¯re looking for.¡± Duke said icily, ¡°Who is the person Adina had asked you to look for?¡± ¡°Duke? Why are you picking the call? Where¡¯s Addy?¡± Flint was stunned. ¡°Please return the phone to Addy.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not feeling well, and she¡¯s resting. Just tell me.¡± Flint hesitated. ¡°Addy asked me to help her look for Isabelle¡¯s remaining subordinates. I found one of her female servants. I interrogated her but she ims to know nothing about the bio intelligent chip¡± Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡®So, Adina has been investigating this matter on her own, too. Duke suspected Earl. Meanwhile, Adina suspected Isabelle. Elder Maurice had perfected the use of the bio-intelligent chips. Isabelle could indeed be one of the suspects. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hand the maid over to ke. Ask him to escort her to Sea City. I will question her,¡± said Duke in a low voice. Chapter 867 Chapter 867 Chapter 867 ¡°Duke, can you tell me exactly what all this is about?¡± Flint asked, ¡°Why does Addy suddenly want to find out about bio-intelligent chips? Bio-intelligent chips aremon among the Rebellious Party in the Hestia Border. Why does she want to investigate it?¡± Duke said in a dull tone, ¡°After I find out everything clearly, I will be sure to tell you, Right now, I will tell ke to find you.¡± Duke hung up and sent a message to ke. Just then, a courier arrived at the entrance of his mansion. Mr. Brown carried the box upstairs. Duke cut it open. It was the fingerprint membrane he asked someone to prepare for him this morning He put on the fingerprint membrane on his index finger. He took out a smallmunicator and pressed his index finger on it. Tik! The line was connected. After three seconds, a man¡¯s voice came from themunicator. He spoke in fluent English, ¡°Boss, you finally contacted me!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Duke said in a cold voice, ¡°Professor Elvis, how¡¯s thetest progress of the research?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sessfully invented the new model of bio-intelligent chip. I¡¯ve destroyed the two experimental chips¡­¡± Upon hearing Professor Elvis¡¯ words, Duke¡¯s face darkened. The experimental bio-intelligent chips would have to be injected into real people. And they were killed so casually¡­ Earl¡¯s method of doing things exceeded Duke¡¯s understanding of how low he could stoop to. ¡°Boss, should I sell the following batch of the bio-intelligent chips to the market?¡± Duke rapped his fingers on the table. ¡°Send me the manual of the bio-intelligent chip first.¡± Professor Elvis sent the documents online. Duke clicked and opened the documents. He quickly browsed through the information. His gaze turned stormy. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a destruction program after the bio-intelligent chip is imnted into a human¡¯s body?¡± Professor said in surprise, ¡°Boss, the destruction program is with you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Duke pursed his lips. ¡°Keep this batch of bio-intelligent chips. Wait for my order.¡± Duke was deep in thought. He read the manual. His gaze turned solemn. The temperature inside the study room dropped lower. To imnt a bio-intelligent chip into a human body, they had to inject it into the blood vessels. The outer part of the chip was made up of animal membrane. Once the chip was inserted into the body, it could rapidly fuse with the blood. In other words, after three days the chip would bepletely infused with the blood and it was impossible to extract it or destroy it without killing the person with it. And only Earl held the destruction program to deactivate it wholly. Dukeposed himself before calling ke. ¡°Boss, I have Isabelle¡¯s maid within my control. We¡¯ll reach Sea City tomorrow morning.¡± Duke nodded. ¡°Let me talk to Earl.¡± ke walked to a door and pushed it open. The inside of the room was dim. There was a pungent smell of smoke, and the atmosphere was filled with a sense of decadence. Earl was lying on the couch with a cigarette between his fingers. He looked sluggish andzy, as if he did not care about anything in the world. ke ced a notebook on the table facing him. Duke appeared on the screen. The two brothers stared at each other across the screen. ¡°Pfft!¡± Earl let out a bark ofughter. ¡°Even if you undergo stic surgery, your scarred face will never get back to how it used to be.¡± Chapter 868 Chapter 868 Chapter 868 ¡°So? The way I see it you will not have the chance to impersonate me anymore,¡± said Duke. Earl stoppedughing. ¡°Hmph!¡± Earl put out the cigarette he was smoking against the tabletop. A burnt trace was left behind. ¡°Spill it out. Why are you looking for me?¡± Duke twiddled his fingers. ¡°I have burned your underground biologicalpany down. What do you have to say about it?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Let it be. Do you seriously think I care about it?¡± Earl saidzily. ¡°Is there anything else? If not, I have other business to deal with.¡± There were several naked women on his bed. ¡°Regarding the bio-intelligent chips you previously sold, the buyers came to look for you,¡± Duke said calmly. ¡°Something is wrong with the program. People who have been imnted with the chip behaved abnormally. They need the destruction program. You should handle this first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very funny. Why should I work for you, huh?¡± Earl propped his hands on the table. His face was erged on the screen. ¡°You¡¯re impersonating me and destroying my property, so you should bear the full consequences! Besides, you¡¯re the leader of the ck Party. You can¡¯t possibly be afraid of those useless members of the Rebellious Party, can you?¡± Duke frowned as he stared at Earl¡¯s face on the screen. He wondered if Earl had no idea of Adina being imnted with the chip. Otherwise, he would not react this way. ¡®Could Isabelle truly be the main culprit?¡¯ The corners of Duke¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I hoped to give you a chance. Unfortunately, you fail to grasp it.¡± He hung up the call. Earl¡¯s face darkened. He smashed the notebook onto the floor. The screen cracked and shattered into pieces. The pieces reflected his furious face. Duke left the study room and went to the master bedroom. He sat at the edge of the bed. He stroked Adina¡¯s scarred face. His touch was gentle and filled with love. If he hadn¡¯t pushed Isabelle and Elder Maurice to the edge, she would not have kidnapped Adina This was all his fault. He shouldn¡¯t have shot Isabelle in rage that day. Things wouldn¡¯t havee to a dead end if he had just thought it through. Duke sat by the bed for some time before taking his notebook to the study room and continuing his work. After he finished with Winters Corporation¡¯s work, he began rifling through the documents Serene sent him. LaStar Technology Corporation had expanded. Each project was worth millions of dors, and the projects were asplicated as Winters Corporation¡¯s. Duke talked to Serene while organizing the project contents. Just then, he heard footsteps outside. When he turned around, she saw that Adina had woken up and walked to him. She looked at the notebook screen Duke¡¯s heart sank. He said, ¡°Ms. Reyes, we¡¯ll continueter.¡± Right after he hung up, Adina smiled. ¡°Duke, didn¡¯t I say you shouldn¡¯t interfere with my job?¡± Duke¡¯s heart was heavy. Adina remembered the incident back in hospital. When he had called Serene that time, Adina had overheard their conversation and she had gotten very angry. She had told him not to interfere with her job and herpany. ¡°Addy, please don¡¯t get me wrong¡­,¡± Duke spoke softly. ¡°I¡¯m just handling the work for Winters Corporation. You saw it wrong¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± Adina said indifferently. ¡°Duke Winters, even if we¡¯re married, you can¡¯t control my life! I hate people like you! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Duke had gotten up and tried to hold her hand. Adina pushed him away, turned around and fled. Chapter 869 Chapter 869 Chapter 869 The breeze outside was cold, and Adina was in her pajamas. Duke took a jacket from the hanger and quickly chased after her, ¡°Addy, put on some clothes first.¡± But he was toote. Adina opened the car door and started the car. She drove out of the Winters family¡¯s mansion in a rush ¡°Mr. Winters, what happened to Mdm. Winters?¡± Mr. Brown was shocked. ¡°Mdm. Winters will catch a cold with so few clothes on. Please go after her. You must take care of her in that condition¡­ Before Mr. Brown even finished speaking, Duke drove the ck sports car and went after her. It was a weekday. There were very few cars on the road. The weather was cold. There were very few pedestrians. Only two cars sped on the road. Duke dared not get too close to her. He was afraid that Adina would race her car without much care for her own life. Adina must be carrying out the orders from the bio intelligent chip inside her body. He vividly remembered reading the reports of the victim. They carried out the orders given to them no matter what the cost Even if they were ordered to kill themselves, they did it without hesitation. If it was Earl who had imnted the bio-intelligent chip into Adina¡¯s body, Duke was certain that he would never order Adina to kill herself. But if Isabelle was the main culprit, she could give such an order. Isabelle was dead. So, the one who still gave the orders in her name was still a mystery. Duke was in despair. He felt as though his heart had fallen into a void. With his hands on the steering wheel, he fixed his razor-sharp gaze on the car in front of him. The car crossed the tarmac and sped onto the national highway leading to the countryside. The further they drove in that direction, the fewer cars and pedestrians there were, It was a short mountain, but the road grew increasingly twisted. Duke was nervous. He dared not drive forward recklessly or get into Adina¡¯s way. He was afraid of agitating her further. Bang! Adina¡¯s car crashed into the railings along the mountain road. Fortunately, she did not speed her car after that. The front of the car was dented but everything else seemed fine. Duke quickly got out of the car and rushed to her. Again, he was toote. Adina got out of the car and walked toward the mountain peak with her bare feet. She had run out of the mansion in her thin pajamas and no shoes. The breeze was cold, and she stood at the peak. She looked like she would be pushed over the edge with just a gust of wind. ¡°Addy!¡± Duke called to her. Adina walked faster after hearing his voice. Duke knew that he could not let her go on like this anymore. If Adina were to jump from the top of the mountain¡­ He dared not think about that. He ran after her. He reached her and pulled on her arm. ¡°Addy, please don¡¯t run. It¡¯s too cold out here. Please¡­ I will take you home.¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± Adina¡¯s gaze was empty, but her voice was filled with rage She struggled to break herself free from his grip. ¡°I don¡¯t feel cold at all! Let go of me! Get your hands off me!¡± she shouted. ¡°Addy, calm down. I¡¯m Duke. I¡¯m your husband. I love you. I love you so much. Please don¡¯t do this¡­.¡± Duke felt helpless. He pulled her to him and hugged her close. He wrapped her arms around her and tried to warm her icily cold body. Still, Adina did not calm down. She continued to struggle, as if she had to use up all her energy by any means. Duke kissed her forehead. He tried to console her. His voice was gentle and calm. He tried to guess what the order must have been from the chip, but he had no idea. If Isabelle wanted to kill Adina, she didn¡¯t really need to imnt the chip in her body. She could have killed her easily when she had kidnapped her. Isabelle must have had something else in mind. If she had gone imnted the chip in Adina¡¯s body, it could only be because she wanted to torture Adina by making her living life hell. ¡®What did she want?¡± Duke had numerous thoughts in his mind. He was unsure of his own guesses, and he did not want to consider other dark things that came in his mind. Adina slowly calmed down. She was icily cold. Her forehead broke out in sweat. She leaned against Duke¡¯s chest. Her eyeballs moved slowly. ¡°Why do I feel so tired?¡± she asked in a weary voice. Duke sighed in relief. ¡°Addy, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll go home now.¡± He carried her and walked down the mountain road. He ced her on the front passenger seat of his car and turned the heater on. Adina looked at the car that had crashed in front. It was her car. The one she drove for work. She then looked at herself. She was in her pajamas and didn¡¯t even have her shoes on. The soles of her feet hurt. Her throat felt dry and hoarse. It was unbearably painful whenever she took a breath. ¡°Duke, did I do that?¡± She spoke with difficulty. Later, she noticed teeth marks on Duke¡¯s chest. There was a hole on his shirt, and the flesh inside was probably bleeding. This was her first time seeing the damage she had done. She couldn¡¯t even remember it. ¡®Did I be violent after that voice took over?¡¯ ¡°Addy, it¡¯s fine.¡± Duke stroked her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve found the destruction program for the chip. It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± Adina smiled bitterly. ¡°Duke, did I transform into a very scary person?¡± ¡°Addy, you didn¡¯t transform into a scary person at all. It¡¯s the chip that has taken control of your brain. It makes yoush out. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Duke took her cold hand in his. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll always be with you. Nothing will happen to you.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll hurt our children¡­.¡± Adina held his hand tightly. ¡°If they find out that their Mommy has transformed into another person, they will be very scared. They will be very worried. I don¡¯t want to hurt them. I don¡¯t know how to face them¡­¡± Adina cried. It was not the first time she had thought about it but now that it was out in the pen, she couldn¡¯t hold her tears back. She realized she could not solve this issue alone. If she transformed into something else, she would hurt her children and wouldn¡¯t even remember it or be able to control it. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She was the cause of Duke¡¯s injuries on the back of his hand, his shoulder, and now, his chest Would theree a day when she would hurt her own children? She would never be able to forgive herself if that happened. ¡°Addy¡­ Addy¡­¡± Duke took her into his arms. He gently caressed her and called her name repeatedly. Adina finally calmed down. After crying, her mind cleared a little. ¡°Duke, we must first find out what the chip in my body is programmed to achieve.¡± Chapter 870 Chapter 870 Chapter 870 Outside the car, the cold breeze blew the leaves away. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Adina looked down and said in a calm voice, ¡°Whenever we¡¯re at our most intimate moments, a mechanical female voice appears in my mind. The first time it appeared, it asked me to jump off the building. Later, as I grew closer to you, that voice asked me to leave you or forced me to spew nonsense¡­¡± She yanked at the strands of hair that had dropped on her brow. ¡°I cannot resist that voice¡¯s order no matter how hard I try, so I have to do what it says. Otherwise, my head hurts so bad until I give in to it. It is so excruciatingly painful that I sometimes wish I could just kill myself to end the pain.¡± ¡°Addy¡­¡± Duke did not know what to say. He hugged Adina close trying to transmit all his warmth and energy to her. He could not take away her pain. But when he saw her so lost and helpless, he felt his heart constrict. Seeing her in pain hurt him so much that it felt as if a knife was thrust in his heart. What he wouldn¡¯t give to switch ces with her so that she could have a moment of peace¡­ He would rather be the one who suffered than watch her in pain like this. ¡°Duke, maybe the chip is imnted in me to make sure I am torn away from the people I love the most¡­¡± Adina looked up at him. ¡°The more love you give me, the more it will trigger the chip to pull me away from you.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Duke held her tightly. ¡°Smart technology hasn¡¯t reached the state where it can control human emotions or interfere with them!¡± ¡°When I feel loved, my body secretes a type of substance. When the bio-intelligent chip detects that substance, it triggers the order.¡± Adina smiled sadly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever underestimate smart technology, especially ck technology. They are far more terrifying than we can imagine.¡± The capitalists produced various devious things for money and toyed with peoples¡¯ lives. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a way to destroy the chip! Addy, I will find a way,¡± Duke said in a muffled voice. ¡°Of course. I know there¡¯s a way to solve it. Any program is bound to have loopholes. As long as we find the loophole, we can break ourselves free from it.¡± Adina sulked. ¡°But right now, I must stay away from you and our children. I¡¯m afraid that I might hurt you¡­¡± This happened mostly when she was in a daze, and she hardly remembered what happened after. The worst part was that she would spew nonsense and attack her loved ones¡­ Duke was an adult. A grown man. He could defend himself against her attack, but her children were so young and innocent. Her strange behavior had made them cryst time. She didn¡¯t want to traumatize them ¡°Duke, I want to move out of the mansion and stay somewhere outside. Alone.¡± ¡°No!¡± said Duke without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll move out with you,¡± he said. She brushed her fingers lightly on his chest wound. ¡°Duke, if you stay with me, you¡¯ll end up injured. I bit you!¡± She knew that the teeth mark she saw on his chest and his shoulders were because of her. She had attacked him. And yet, she couldn¡¯t even remember it. ¡°Addy, I like it when you bite me,¡± Duke said with a smirk. ¡°So, let me stay with you, okay? His voice was gentle and calm. She felt as though she was wrapped in a soft, warm bubble. Adina felt so much affection and tenderness for him at that moment. She was reluctant to part from him. She was unwilling to leave him but¡­ She nestled in Duke¡¯s arms. ¡°Okay. You can move out with me, but we cannot stay inside the same room.¡± Staying away from her loved ones was the only way to prevent triggering the chip inside her. Buzz! His phone vibrated. Duke stroked Adina¡¯s hair. ¡°Addy, calm down and take your time, okay? I¡¯ll answer this call.¡± Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Chapter 871 The caller was ke. Duke narrowed his eyes and answered the call. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Boss, Earl attempted to escape half an hour ago, but we managed to capture him.¡± Duke¡¯s eyes turned stormy. ¡°Keep a close watch on him. Do not let him escape!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. I have assigned ten more people to stand guard over the basement. He can¡¯t possibly escape this ce even if he has gods helping him now.¡± Duke hung up. He frowned. Adina stroked his cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There must be a way to solve all this.¡± Duke patted her back and spoke gently, ¡°Let¡¯s go home first. We need to find an excuse for our children.¡± IN They discussed what to tell their kids when they got home. Soon, they arrived at the Winters family¡¯s mansion. Preschool had ended early. So, the children were already home. They were all in the living room, talking to Mabel. Adina and Duke entered the mansion, hand-in hand. When the children saw them, they quickly surrounded them. Harold chirped, ¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t you supposed to rest at home? Why did you go out?¡± ¡°Daddy, you promised to take good care of Mommy,¡± said Melody, pouting her lips. ¡°How could you break your promise?¡¯ ¡°Mommy, why did you leave the house in pajamas?¡± Alden frowned. George furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°And with a pair of slippers only.¡± Duke had found the slippers in the trunk of his car. He had let Adina wear them.¡± Adina smiled warmly at her children. ¡°Your daddy took a stroll with me because I was bored. We didn¡¯t go far, so I went out in pajamas and slippers. What¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± Mabel frowned from the couch. Two hours ago, Adina and Duke had fought suddenly inside the master bedroom. Later, Adina had driven out of the mansion and Duke chased after her. For a moment, Mabel thought Earl hade back. Adina only lost her cool when Earl was around But when Mabel saw Duke enter the house, she knew that she was just overthinking. Maybe she missed Lari too much. Mabel smiled sadly and got up to leave ¡± Mother, please wait a while I have something to tell you,¡± said Duke calmly. Mabel was astonished. Duke never called her ¡°mother¡±. Even Adina always addressed her as Mrs. Winters Mabel suppressed the emotion in her heart. ¡°Of course. If you have anything to say, I am all ears.¡± ¡°I n to move out and stay outside for a month with Adina,¡± Duke said. ¡°Will you be willing to take care of our children during this period of time?¡± Mabel was shocked. Her lips quivered. ¡°Duke, if it is because of me, you don¡¯t need to leave. I can go. You only need to say it.¡± ¡°Mother, that is not what we mean,¡± Adina said. ¡°I am so sorry if it came out like that. I¡¯m in the middle of the Jones Corporation session contest. An issue urred in the resort project, so I have to stay somewhere near the site. Duke is worried about me, so he insists on